Wildcats ready to tee off with depth
Oak Ridge High School golf Coach Scott Hinton likes what he sees as the Wildcats and Lady Wildcats prepare to open the 2026 season.
With experienced returners, promising newcomers and strong competition for lineup spots, Hinton believes both teams have the pieces to enjoy successful campaigns.
The Wildcats will open the season at the prestigious 5Star Preps Tournament at Three Ridges Golf Course in Knox County. The two-day, 36-hole event is scheduled for July 28-29.
Oak Ridge features a young but experienced roster.
“We’ll have some newcomers who will be playing for a spot, and that’s good for competition on the team,” Hinton said. “We can be really competitive, and I think we’ll be really good in our district.”
Hinton has also been impressed with his team’s commitment during preseason workouts.
“When we end practice at 7 o’clock, they don’t go home. They stay and they work,” he said. “They want to keep working, and I don’t want to make them stop.
“The other night, practice was over at 7, and I didn’t leave until 9 o’clock. These kids just want to work.”
The Wildcats return junior Kaleb Jackson, sophomore Abel Hensley, junior Cole Disney and senior Braxton Pemberton.
“We have a young team; we only have two seniors and only one who’s played at all,” Hinton said. “But I think we’ve got a good mix of youth.
“And our young kids are going to be asked to step up.”
Freshman Britten Luttrell joins the program after helping St. Mary’s qualify for the middle school state tournament last spring.
Hinton said Luttrell could emerge as Oak Ridge’s No. 1 golfer.
“I can’t anoint Britten our No. 1 player right now, but after our qualifier on Sunday, he may be there,” he said.
Other newcomers include senior Jonah Wolfe, a baseball player competing in golf for the first time; junior Cullen Melhorn; freshman Titus Petrucci, another member of last season’s St. Mary’s state tournament team; and sophomore Aarav Sheth.
Hinton also expects the Lady Wildcats to be improved this season.
Oak Ridge returns juniors Lilli Grace Langenberg and Charli Rouse.
They will be joined by sophomore Brynn Green and junior Marissa Patch, who both transferred into the program.
Patch moved to Oak Ridge from Montana during the TSSAA transfer window and began practicing with the Lady Wildcats last week after the state’s dead period ended.
The additions should provide needed depth for a team that reached the Region 3 tournament a season ago.
“Our newcomers will help us,” Hinton said. “We have a great group. They do things together off the course. The other night after practice, they all went to dinner together.”
The Lady Wildcats open their season Aug. 3 against Kingston and Anderson County.
