Turnovers hurt Oak Ridge football in 14-10 loss to Dobyns-Bennett

All that’s left on the table for Oak Ridge’s football team is one home game and a measure of hope.

After Friday night’s 14-10 loss to Dobyns-Bennett, Wildcats coach Joe Gaddis indicated he likes the hope that remains with his team.

“After the last three losses (Powell, Greeneville and Karns), these guys could have folded their tents,” Gaddis said of his 2-7 team. “But we had a great week of practice and it showed tonight. There is no quit in this team. I’m not worried about that. I’m confident we’ll have another great week of practice next week.”

In those three losses, the Oak Ridge defense yielded 115 points. Against Dobyns-Bennett (7-2), the Wildcats; defense rose to the challenge.

SCOREBOARD:Tennessee high school football scores for TSSAA Week 10 in Knoxville area

“Those were three pretty good teams we’ve played,” Gaddis said. “Our defense has been good all year. Tonight, our offense helped the defense, but, ultimately, we were our own worst enemy.”

The Oak Ridge offense ate up the first nine minutes, but came up empty when quarterback Hayden Tarwater fumbled on the Indians’ 9-yard line. The Wildcats drove 76 yards in 17 plays, seven of which were short passes, but still came away with no points.

“(Dobyns-Bennett) adjusted (to the short passes), so we couldn’t go back to it,” said Gaddis. “They stopped giving it to us, so we had to go in a different direction.”

Oak Ridge trailed 7-3 in the third quarter when a second Tarwater fumble gave the Indians the ball on the Wildcats’ 16. Six plays later, Levi Evans made it 14-3 with a 1-yard run.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Tarwater hit Elijah Rogers with an 18-yard touchdown pass that made it a one-score game, but the Wildcats could never get any closer.

“Somebody who has never seen us might think we were going to pack it in,” said Gaddis. “That’s not who we are and that’s what I like about this team.”

The Wildcats finish the regular season next Friday at home in their region finale against Campbell County. All that’s at stake is a third-place finish in the region and the destination for the first round of the playoffs. Win or lose, it will definitely be a road game.

At halftime, Oak Ridge’s 1991 state championship team was honored.