Wildcats fall to Indians by one in Class 6A playoff heartbreaker
For the Oak Ridge Wildcats, another promising playoff run ended in heartbreak.
After building a commanding 20-0 halftime lead, Oak Ridge watched Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett storm back for a stunning 21-20 victory Friday night, Nov. 6, in the opening round of the TSSAA Division I-Class 6A playoffs.
The Wildcats appeared poised to extend their lead to 23-13 midway through the fourth quarter, but a blocked field goal changed the momentum.
Dobyns-Bennett returned the blocked kick to the Oak Ridge 41-yard line, setting the stage for the Indians’ eventual game-winning drive.
With 2:10 remaining, standout senior quarterback Levi Chappell led the Indians to the end zone, scoring on a 2-yard run on fourth down. A successful 2-point conversion gave Dobyns-Bennett a 21-20 lead.
But the Wildcats weren’t finished.
Oak Ridge mounted one final drive, racing inside the Dobyns-Bennett 20-yard line in the closing seconds. However, a potential game-winning 34-yard field goal was deflected, sealing the Indians’ comeback victory.
Oak Ridge, the No. 4 seed from Region 2-6A, finished its season 7-4. Dobyns-Bennett, the top seed from Region 1-6A, improved to 8-3 while avenging a 32-28 regular-season loss to the Wildcats, also played in Kingsport.
Oak Ridge Coach Derek Rang pointed to the dramatic shift in momentum between the two halves.
“You know, we had four possessions and we scored 20 points in the first half; and then we stopped them on a fourth down fairly deep in our end in the first half,” Rang said.
“We just had a couple field goals blocked there, and, you know, it kind of flipped on us in the second half,” he added. “So everything in the first half kind of went our way. You know, you’re 20-to-0 up.
“And I thought the big thing was in the second half. They kind of had short fields. In the first half, we kind of caught every break. And the second half, they just kind of made a few more plays there, and it kind of evened out.”
For Rang, the disappointing finish brought back memories of previous postseason setbacks when the Wildcats were unable to sustain strong first-half performances.
“You just gotta find a way to push through and finish games,” Rang said. “We’ve had situations like that in the past (playoffs) where we’ve kind of played a really good first half, and then the second half has just kind of turned on us.
“And give credit to them, they put the ball in their senior quarterback’s hands the second half and just kind of let him roll. He’s a three-year starter,” he added. “And that was kind of the way the game went.”
Looking back on the Wildcats’ 2026 campaign, Rang said inconsistent play ultimately proved costly, particularly during the closing weeks of the season.
“That’s just kind of the story of our season at the end, just inconsistent play here the last little bit of the season,” Rang said.
The loss also marked the final high school game for 14 Oak Ridge seniors who helped lead the Wildcats to seven victories this season.
“We had 14 seniors, and we just appreciate all they’ve done for Oak Ridge football as a whole,” Rang said.
Those seniors are Kayden Stewart, Branson Newberry, Malik Howard, Jamonn Crowley, Brody Sparks, Damillyan Porter, Marrkeece Moody, AJ Jones, Kyler Sacks, Blake Woody, Jeremiah Strickland, Jaqwone Huntingdon, Dominic Vasquez and Brandon Roy.
“And it’s hard when it ends,” Rang said.
Before the second-half collapse, Oak Ridge appeared to be in complete control, striking through the air and on the ground to build its 20-point advantage.
In the first quarter, quarterback Brody Sparks capped a 54-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Kayden Stewart, giving the Wildcats an early 7-0 lead.
Sparks struck again in the second quarter, connecting with Malik Howard on a 30-yard touchdown pass to finish a 65-yard drive. The score put Oak Ridge ahead 14-0 with 10:33 remaining before halftime.
Dobyns-Bennett had an opportunity to get on the scoreboard with eight minutes remaining in the second quarter, but a 32-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide right.
Oak Ridge capitalized on its opportunities again late in the half.
With 2:56 remaining, Damillyan Porter powered his way into the end zone from 9 yards out, breaking two tackles along the way to extend the Wildcats’ lead to 20-0.
Kicker Kyler Sacks converted two of his three extra-point attempts.
But the Wildcats’ impressive first-half performance wasn’t enough to overcome the Indians’ second-half surge, leaving Oak Ridge with another painful postseason exit.