Wildcats flex defense in scrimmage
Oak Ridge’s Wayne Gibson gets some action at running back during the Wildcats’ Friday nights scrimmage against Fulton. (photo:Barry Houchin )
“I thought it went well,” he said. “We used the 10-play pod model, so we got a lot of reps. I thought we were physical and aggressive.”
Rang praised the performance of his defense, particularly up front.
“We really looked good on defense,” he said. “Tobja Walters was dominant on the defensive line, and I thought King Sandoval played well there, too.
“On the back end, Zayden Williams had a strong performance,” Rang said. “Defensively, we had a lot of guys play really, really well. We played extremely aggressive and hard-nosed defense.”
Offensively, Oak Ridge emphasized the passing game.
Rang said he was encouraged by the performance of junior tight end Malik Howard, a Division I prospect who holds multiple college offers, including one from the University of Tennessee and Coach Josh Heupel.
“We wanted to come out and throw the ball around, and we were able to do that,” Rang said. “Malik Howard had a big game at tight end. He caught a touchdown pass and made several explosive plays.”
The Wildcats will continue their preseason schedule Friday when they host Cookeville at Blankenship Field.
The scrimmage is set for 6 p.m.
Oak Ridge, the two-time defending Region 3-5A champion, will open the 2025 season at home against Knoxville Halls on Thursday, Aug. 21, in a regionally televised game.
The Wildcats move up to Class 6A this season.
