Rivals meet again

Oak Ridge uses big first half to defeat Clinton

September 2, 2026 by Dan McWilliams and Ken Lay

Longtime cross-county football rivals Oak Ridge and Clinton renewed acquaintances Friday night, but the Wildcats wasted little time taking control at Blankenship Field.

Oak Ridge scored all of its points in the first half, using an explosive offense, a stingy defense and a fast start on special teams to roll to a 50-14 victory.

The Wildcats (2-0) finished with 397 yards of total offense while holding the Dragons (0-2) to 91.

Oak Ridge starting quarterback Brody Sparks completed five of six passes for 134 yards and four touchdowns. Backup Kipton Feagan also made his presence felt, completing four of seven passes for 75 yards and a touchdown while rushing five times for 63 yards and another score.

The Wildcats got on the board just 1 minute, 15 seconds into the game when an errant snap on a Clinton punt attempt sailed through the end zone for a safety.

Following the free kick, Damillyan Porter broke loose for a 42-yard touchdown run. Kyler Sachs added the extra point to give Oak Ridge a 9-0 lead with 9:56 remaining in the opening quarter.

An interception by Zayden Williams gave the Wildcats possession at the Clinton 29, and Sparks soon connected with Lamiere Porter, who broke multiple tackles on his way to a 31-yard touchdown reception that made it 15-0.

Clinton answered with its best drive of the first half, marching 65 yards in eight plays.

Charlie Turbyville caught a 20-yard pass for a first down before quarterback Mason Eckerson scrambled away from pressure and found Austyn Phillips open in the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown.

Isaiah Williams added the extra point to pull the Dragons within eight at 15-7 with 5:10 remaining in the first quarter.

But Oak Ridge quickly regained control.

The Wildcats scored touchdowns on consecutive one-play drives.

Damillyan Porter hauled in a 52-yard scoring pass from Sparks before Branson Newberry caught a 42-yard touchdown strike, giving Oak Ridge a 29-7 advantage with 2:38 remaining in the quarter.

Feagan entered the game late in the opening period and provided another big play early in the second quarter, racing 54 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 36-7.

After Clinton turned the ball over on downs, Feagan connected with Lamiere Porter on a 24-yard touchdown pass.

Sparks returned later in the quarter and threw his fourth touchdown pass of the night, an 11-yard strike to Williams, giving Oak Ridge a commanding 50-7 lead with 1:08 remaining before halftime.

The 35-point mercy rule was in effect for the second half, when Clinton scored the only points.

Eckerson capped the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run with 10:03 remaining in the fourth quarter, and Williams converted the extra point.

Eckerson completed seven of 21 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown, with two interceptions.

Turbyville led Clinton on the ground with 32 yards on seven carries and also paced the Dragons’ defense with eight tackles. Phillips recovered a fumble, his third of the season.

Oak Ridge Coach Derek Rang said he was pleased with the Wildcats’ performance, as his team remained unbeaten.

“We had them outmatched,” Rang said. “We knew they gave up a lot of points to Heritage last week. And we know we’re going to put points on the board.

“We played pretty good defense and we had good special teams,” he said. “This is a good way to start the homestand. We’ve got Lenoir City coming in. We just have to keep building. We don’t have a veteran team right now.”

Both teams return to action Friday night.

Oak Ridge continues its homestand against Lenoir City, while Clinton plays its home opener against William Blount in a Region 2-5A matchup.