Wildcats stumble, focus on familiar foe
Oak Ridge’s Damillyan Porter powers through the Maryville defense on his way to the end zone during the Wildcats’ 48-17 loss to the Rebels on Thursday, Oct. 29, at Blankenship Field. (photo:Kyla Carter | ORHS Sports Media )
Now, the Wildcats turn their attention to the postseason, where a familiar opponent awaits.
Oak Ridge (7-3), the No. 4 seed from Region 2-6A, will travel to face Region 1-6A champion Kingsport Dobyns-Bennett (7-3) in the opening round of the Class 6A state playoffs Friday, Nov. 6. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Wildcats will be looking for their second victory this season over the Indians after winning a 42-38 thriller in Kingsport on Sept. 11.
But first, Oak Ridge Coach Derek Rang reflected on the challenges his team faced against Maryville.
“You know, when you play Maryville, you can’t turn the ball over; we had four turnovers,” Rang said. “Defensively, we kind of bowed up a little bit at times, but we also gave up multiple explosive plays.
“It was a fun environment for us,” he added. “Obviously, there were a lot of people there, and it was a Thursday night TV game. I thought at times we competed really, really well. They made a few more plays than we did.”
Oak Ridge quarterback Brody Sparks completed 12 of 26 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted four times.
Zayden Williams provided one of the Wildcats’ offensive highlights, hauling in a 75-yard touchdown reception.
Malik Howard caught three passes for 41 yards, while Damillyan Porter had six receptions for 34 yards, including a touchdown. Lamiere Porter added two catches for 31 yards.
On the ground, Damillyan Porter led Oak Ridge with 51 yards on 10 carries, while Chas Jackson contributed 21 yards on five attempts.
Kicker Kyler Sachs connected on a 39-yard field goal and converted both extra-point attempts.
Lamiere Porter led the Oak Ridge defense with 12 tackles, followed by Blake Woody with nine.
Dylan Woody, Jeremiah Stevens and Anthony Jones each recorded six tackles, while King Sandoval finished with four and Joey Marin added three.
With the regular season behind them, the Wildcats face a challenging road test against a Dobyns-Bennett team they defeated earlier this season.
Rang knows the Indians will present plenty of challenges, particularly with their ability to move the football through the air and on the ground.
“The first time we played them up there, we were able to make a few plays on special teams,” Rang said of the Wildcats’ September victory. “We played in front. We played with the lead. I thought we responded well.
“I mean, they’re a good football team,” he added. “They’ve got a really good quarterback who can run and throw, and they’re going to be in a lot of formations.
“They’re going to run the ball, and they’ve got some quick game stuff they can do, and they’ll take their shots. They’ve got a couple of receivers that can make some plays down the field.”
For Oak Ridge, the challenge now is to put the Maryville loss behind it and find a way to repeat its earlier success in Kingsport.
This time, however, the stakes are considerably higher, with a spot in the second round of the state playoffs on the line.