Oak Ridge’s Autumn O’Donnell drives past Bearden’s Katie Foster during Friday night’s game against the Bulldogs. - Marley Zarazua | ORHS Sports Media
Oak Ridge High School girls basketball Coach Kevin Tubbs knew his young team would face a difficult test Friday night.
The Lady Wildcats were coming off a long early-season layoff, having not played since Nov. 18.
Their return came in their first district game in a new league — and it came on the road against one of the state’s top teams, Bearden.
Things started well for Oak Ridge when Se’Quari Stewart knocked down the first basket.
But momentum quickly swung the other way, and the Lady Wildcats (1-2 overall, 0-1 District 4-4A) fell 76-46 before a spirited crowd at Bearden High School.
Bethany Lowe led the Lady Mavericks with nine points in Friday night’s matchup against Powell. - Ellie Hatmaker
Last week brought mixed results for the Anderson County High School girls basketball team, as the Lady Mavericks split a pair of games.
They posted a 59-45 home victory over Oneida on Tuesday, Dec. 2, before falling in a road matchup at Powell three nights later.
Anderson County (3-3) opened the week by outlasting the Lady Indians behind two double-figure scorers. Addison Grooms poured in 20 points, while Macy Basford added 14.
Emerie Bullock filled the stat sheet with nine points, nine rebounds, seven assists and four steals. Julia Owens also finished with nine points.
Clinton Lady Dragons softball standout Elizabeth Graham signed a letter of intent to continue her academic and athletic career at Cleveland State Community College in Cleveland, Tennessee. She is joined by Angela Carter (left), her father, Jerry Graham, along with the Lady Dragons coaching staff and the school’s athletic director to celebrate the occasion. - Tony Cox
Elizabeth Graham’s high school softball career has been marked by adversity and injury, but the Clinton standout has never wavered. Now a senior, she’s preparing for one last season with the Lady Dragons — and the next chapter of her playing career.
Graham recently signed her National Letter of Intent to continue her academic and athletic pursuits at Cleveland State Community College. She and CHS teammate Elizabeth Maples finalized their commitments during a joint ceremony.
The chance to stay fairly close to home was appealing, Graham said, and she looks forward to returning on weekends when her schedule allows.
“I’ll be able to come home on the weekends,” she said. “I’ll come home on the weekends in the fall, but I can’t in the spring because I’ll be playing.”
Her interest in Cleveland State grew during a showcase session that gave her a chance to work with the Cougars’ coaching staff and meet the players.
A pair of convincing victories vaulted the Norris Middle School girls basketball team into first place.
The Lady Senators (10-1) entered the week atop the standings after posting two lopsided — and long-awaited — wins.
On Monday, Dec. 1, Norris defeated Robertsville 38-19, securing its first victory over the Lady Rams in nearly two decades. Addie Blevins powered the effort with 17 points and five rebounds as the Lady Senators erased an early 12-11 deficit and carried a 17-12 lead into halftime.
Addison Willoughby scored six points, and Norris broke the game open by outscoring Robertsville 12-2 in the third quarter.
The momentum carried into Thursday, when Norris rolled past Jacksboro 37-21 at home. Blevins finished with 12 points, while Sadie Housley added nine. Willoughby contributed eight points, six rebounds and four assists.
“The last time we beat Robertsville was 2007, and it’s been awhile since we beat Jacksboro too,” Norris coach Derek Wallace said.
Elizabeth Maples, Clinton softball standout, signed a letter of intent to continue her academic and athletic career at Cleveland State Community College in Cleveland, Tennessee. She is joined by her parents, Raeshell (left) and Wayne Maples, along with current Lady Dragons coaching staff, former coaches and the school’s athletic director to mark the occasion. - Tony Cox
Clinton High School senior softball player Elizabeth Maples made her future plans official recently when she signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her career at Cleveland State Community College.
She’ll be one of two Lady Dragons headed to Cleveland State, joining teammate Elizabeth Graham. The two signed during a joint ceremony.
“We felt so happy when we were there,” Maples said. “We both just really felt at home.”
Maples said she also considered staying closer to home at Roane State.
“Roane State is right down the road from me, but when I went to Cleveland, it was a great small school and a great community,” she said. “I just fell in love with Cleveland.”
Both players participated in a showcase at Cleveland State, and the Cougars’ coaching staff took immediate notice.
Anderson County’s Maddox Tackett drives for a layup against Powell on Friday night. Tackett delivered key minutes after Cam Lawson left with an injury, earning praise from Coach Jordan Jeffers for his steadiness in the Mavericks’ road win. - Ellie Hatmaker
Anderson County High School welcomed several players back to the lineup last week after the end of the 2025 football season, and the boost was immediate.
The Mavericks (2-3) picked up two victories, capped by a hard-fought road win at Powell.
ACHS edged the Panthers 66-61 on Friday night at Jeff Hunter Gymnasium, a venue Mavericks Coach Jordan Jeffers said is never an easy place to leave with a win.
“That was a huge win for us,” Jeffers said. “That’s a tough place to play.”
Anderson County’s challenge grew when standout guard Cam Lawson exited with an injury. Jeffers said the Mavericks were forced to improvise their way through the final stretch.
Clinton’s Cam Anderson rises in the paint for a shot over a Kingston defender during Friday’s road win. Anderson, who drew praise from Coach Chris Lockard for his steady work at point guard, helped pace the Dragons’ offense throughout the night. - Ellie Hatmaker
It was a strong week for Clinton High School’s boys basketball team, as the Dragons (6-3) notched two convincing victories, routing Kingston and cruising past Karns on the road.
Clinton capped the week Friday with a 71-43 win over the Beavers, just days after dispatching the Yellow Jackets 74-40 on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at Don W. Lockard Gymnasium.
Against Karns, the Dragons wasted little time establishing control, racing out to a 25-9 lead.
“We came out and we got ahead early,” CHS Coach Chris Lockard said. “We got out ahead 25-9, and we played four pretty good quarters.”
Bryson Maddox finished with 18 points to lead the Dragons. Jaxson Alcorn added 16 points and six rebounds. Tristan Lundy and Eli Slaven each had eight points, with Lundy also pulling down six boards.
Anderson County’s Danielle Connors wrestles in a home match against William Blount on Thursday night, Dec. 4. The ACHS junior dominated the 126-pound bracket at Saturday’s Beatdown in the Mountains tournament in Gatlinburg, going 4-0 with three pins and a technical fall. Connors, a former No. 1-ranked wrestler in her weight class, also was named the event’s Most Valuable Female Wrestler. - Tony Cox
Anderson County’s Evan Prewett got the pin over his William Blount opponent during the Mavericks’ home quad meet against Fulton, Sevier County and William Blount. Prewitt won a medal at the ‘Beatdown in the Mountains’ tournament on Saturday, claiming third place in the 175-pound class. - Tony Cox
Facing some of Tennessee’s toughest competition, the Anderson County High School boys wrestling team had five athletes win medals at the Beatdown in the Mountains tournament, which concluded Saturday.
Five Mavericks reached the semifinals in their respective weight classes, and four claimed third-place finishes.
ACHS 113-pounder Aiden Reed took third in his division, as did Zed Hulet (138 pounds), Hayden Harrell (144) and Evan Pruett (175).
Max Wolfley, the Mavericks’ 150-pounder, placed fourth after forfeiting the third-place match because of an injury concern.
“We had five guys [who] technically finished third,” ACHS Coach Matt Slone said.
Josie Moody moves the ball up the court during the Lady Dragons’ outing against Kingston on Tuesday, Dec. 2. - Ellie Hatmaker
Clinton High School’s girls basketball team extended its winning streak to five games last week, adding two more victories after claiming the Gibbs Thanksgiving Classic title.
The Lady Dragons (7-1) opened the week by grinding out a 53-48 win over Kingston on Tuesday, Dec. 2, before overwhelming Karns 64-12 on the road Friday night.
At Karns, Clinton’s defense set the tone early, and the offense followed.
Addi Gamble powered the Lady Dragons with 18 points, five rebounds, five steals and two assists.
Caylin Taylor added 17 points, five assists, three rebounds and three steals.
Josie Moody scored 10 points and contributed four assists, three boards and three steals.
Clinton’s home win over Kingston was a tougher test, but Moody delivered a dominant double-double.
She finished with 23 points, 14 rebounds, four steals and two assists.
Gamble added 19 points and seven steals, and she came up with a key late-game block to help secure the victory.
Clinton faced Austin-East on Tuesday, with results unavailable at press time.
The Lady Dragons will host rival Oak Ridge Friday night.
Oak Ridge senior Charlie Taubenheim brings the ball up the floor against Bearden on Friday night. The Wildcats dropped their first district game of the season. - Kyla Carter | ORHS Sports Media
The shifting landscape in TSSAA high school basketball has hit Oak Ridge High School hard.
The Wildcats, who reached last season’s Class 4A state championship game, graduated four of their five starters — a difficult enough hurdle on its own.
Then came TSSAA’s latest reclassification, placing Oak Ridge in a loaded District 4-4A alongside Bearden, Farragut, Hardin Valley Academy, Lenoir City, McMinn County and Rhea County.
With the Wildcats in early-season rebuild mode, the timing couldn’t have been tougher.
Bearden, returning several contributors from a team Oak Ridge eliminated in last season’s Region 2-4A semifinals, earned its payback Friday with an emphatic 81-55 win in West Knoxville.
Oak Ridge (2-3, 0-1 District 4-4A) came out sharp, jumping to a 12-9 lead before the Bulldogs (8-0, 1-0) surged late in the opening quarter.
Bearden closed the frame on a 15-6 run, although the Wildcats remained within striking distance at 24-18.
