Wildcats’ defense delivers 700th win
Oak Ridge defenders Nate Stephens (67) and Kayden Stuart (0) bring down Halls running back Ezra Hastings during the Wildcats’ 2025 home opener Thursday night. Oak Ridge was the only Anderson County football team able to complete its opening game, which was played ahead of inclement weather. (photo:ORHS Sports Media )
The Wildcats leaned on their defense to topple Knoxville Halls 28-13 Thursday night at Blankenship Field.
The victory marked the 700th in program history. Oak Ridge, which has fielded a team for 82 years, is the fastest school in Tennessee to reach the milestone.
It was defense that set the tone early. The Wildcats intercepted Red Devils quarterback Amari Lethgo three times and returned two for touchdowns in a game that was never really in doubt after Tyree Porter’s 79-yard pick-six gave Oak Ridge a 6-0 lead with 3 minutes, 39 seconds left in the first quarter. The extra point was blocked.
The Wildcats extended the advantage to 12-0 early in the second quarter on a 19-yard scoring run by Damillyan Porter. Moments later, Ja’Rell Jemerson — who finished with two interceptions — picked off Lethgo and raced it back to the end zone. Oak Ridge tacked on a two-point conversion to make it 20-0, the score at halftime.
Halls broke through with 7:12 left in the third when Lethgo connected with Cooper Faust for a touchdown, trimming the margin to 20-7. But Oak Ridge answered quickly as senior quarterback Blaine Stansberry hit junior tight end Malik Howard on a 22-yard strike. Another two-point conversion pushed the lead to 28-7.
The Red Devils closed to within 28-13 midway through the fourth on Lethgo’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Jarrell Chandler, but Oak Ridge slammed the door from there.
The Wildcats, now 19-2 all-time against Halls, gave Coach Derek Rang exactly what he hoped for.
“Defensively, we’re just trying to get them to practice hard and play hard and compete,” Rang said. “We’re trying to get them to focus on fundamentals.”
Oak Ridge (1-0) returns to action Friday at Clinton for another chapter in the long-running Anderson County rivalry. This year’s meeting, however, carries no postseason weight, as the Wildcats moved up to Class 6A during the offseason while the Dragons remain in 5A.
