Memory Lane: 1991 Oak Ridge Wildcats (25-year anniversary)

[AlcoaBasketball]

Crazy as it seems, it's been a quarter century since this team took the field. Feel old yet, SweetScience? LOL

 

1991 Oak Ridge Wildcats

 

Class AAA State Champions (14-1)

Ranked #20 in the nation

 

Head Coach:

JOE GADDIS (4th year of 1st stint)

 

AP 1st team All-State:

SHAWN SUMMERS (RB/LB)

RICHARD HOWARD (OL)

 

Underclassmen who later made All-State:

JEFF BRYANT (DL, 1992)

SHAWN CROWLEY (KR, 1993)

MIKE SHERROD (LB, 1993)

 

Other key players:

MIKE UNDERWOOD (QB),

ANTONE THRIFT (WR),

CHIP HEWGLEY, DENNIS FRIENDLY, JAMES COBB, RON BLACK, CHRIS TURNER and surely more that I missed...

 

W 47-3 Oakland

W 35-13 Clinton

W 49-13 Brainerd

W 34-11 Knox Halls

L 20-21 Paducah Tilghman (KY)*

W 22-19 Knox Central**

W 48-13 Cumberland Co.

W 54-3 Karns

W 49-7 Campbell Co.

W 35-14 Morristown West

 

Playoffs

W 44-0 William Blount

W 52-21 Greeneville

W 28-3 Franklin Co.

W 42-41 (OT) Knox Central***

W 30-0 Gallatin

 

*Paducah Tilghman was led by later-Kentucky quarterback Billy Jack Haskins.

 

**Ron Black intercepted a pitch from Central QB and Class AAA Mr. Football winner Todd Helton to seal the win.

 

***Chris Turner blocked Central's game-tying extra point attempt in OT for instant victory.

[HighLife]

Crazy as it seems, it's been a quarter century since this team took the field. Feel old yet, SweetScience? LOL

 

1991 Oak Ridge Wildcats

 

Class AAA State Champions (14-1)

Ranked #20 in the nation

 

Head Coach:

JOE GADDIS (4th year of 1st stint)

 

AP 1st team All-State:

SHAWN SUMMERS (RB/LB)

RICHARD HOWARD (OL)

 

Underclassmen who later made All-State:

JEFF BRYANT (DL, 1992)

SHAWN CROWLEY (KR, 1993)

MIKE SHERROD (LB, 1993)

 

Other key players:

MIKE UNDERWOOD (QB),

ANTONE THRIFT (WR),

CHIP HEWGLEY, DENNIS FRIENDLY, JAMES COBB, RON BLACK, CHRIS TURNER and surely more that I missed...

 

W 47-3 Oakland

W 35-13 Clinton

W 49-13 Brainerd

W 34-11 Knox Halls

L 20-21 Paducah Tilghman (KY)*

W 22-19 Knox Central**

W 48-13 Cumberland Co.

W 54-3 Karns

W 49-7 Campbell Co.

W 35-14 Morristown West

 

Playoffs

W 44-0 William Blount

W 52-21 Greeneville

W 28-3 Franklin Co.

W 42-41 (OT) Knox Central***

W 30-0 Gallatin

 

*Paducah Tilghman was led by later-Kentucky quarterback Billy Jack Haskins.

 

**Ron Black intercepted a pitch from Central QB and Class AAA Mr. Football winner Todd Helton to seal the win.

 

***Chris Turner blocked Central's game-tying extra point attempt in OT for instant victory.

How does the Black Int seal the win in an OT game where the block ep won the game? Confused here a little lol

[AlcoaBasketball]

How does the Black Int seal the win in an OT game where the block ep won the game? Confused here a little lol

First Central game had 2 asterisks (regular season), and the second one had 3. That's why I put them there.

[GWAVE1]

Do not remind me. One of the worst defeats I have ever seen for a Gallatin team. Oak Ridge was great that year.

[AlcoaBasketball]

Do not remind me. One of the worst defeats I have ever seen for a Gallatin team. Oak Ridge was great that year.

Gallatin learned from it tho. Don't worry. Your 25-year anniversary is only a year away.

[Governm]

If i'm not mistaken, that 1st round game was WB's first ever playoff game. My old boss was on that team and he said they had a bunch of injuries so he had to start at linebacker as a freshman in that game. He said Summers was really strong and carried him like 20 yards before he could take him down on one play.

Edited May 29, 2016 by Governors91

[AlcoaBasketball]

If i'm not mistaken, that 1st round game was WB's first ever playoff game. My old boss was on that team and he said they had a bunch of injuries so he had to start at linebacker as a freshman in that game. He said Summers was really strong and carried him like 20 yards before he could take him down on one play.

You're correct. That was also WB's first winning season. And I would believe that about Summers. These 'Cats were good.

[SweetScience]

Ahhhh, man. Great memories. I think that OR team could've played with any team in the history of this state. Of course I am biased, but it was stacked on both sides of the ball. The Black INT sealed the win in the 1st Central game. We lost by 1 point to Tilghman out of KY. And yes, they were led by Billy Jack and he was great. Central was without a doubt the 2nd best team that year. Honored that I got to watch every game that year. Tremendous team. Smash mouth city. Toss sweep left and right. We would basically point to where we were going to run the ball, but nobody could stop it.

Edited May 29, 2016 by SweetScience

[AlcoaBasketball]

Ahhhh, man. Great memories. I think that OR team could've played with any team in the history of this state. Of course I am biased, but it was stacked on both sides of the ball. The Black INT sealed the win in the 1st Central game. We lost by 1 point to Tilghman out of KY. And yes, they were led by Billy Jack and he was great. Central was without a doubt the 2nd best team that year. Honored that I got to watch every game that year. Tremendous team. Smash mouth city. Toss sweep left and right. We would basically point to where we were going to run the ball, but nobody could stop it.

That Gaddis toss sweep sure was effective in those days.

[SweetScience]

That Gaddis toss sweep sure was effective in those days.

It was, but the thing about that team is they could've been competitive in any era because we had 2 very gifted WRs, but never really needed to utilize them because frankly we didn't have to.

[SweetScience]

Here's a good article about the '91 Wildcats. http://www.oakridger.com/article/20080711/NEWS/307119989

[AlcoaBasketball]

It was, but the thing about that team is they could've been competitive in any era because we had 2 very gifted WRs, but never really needed to utilize them because frankly we didn't have to.

Nope, not when you have a back like Summers. So now the question remains: should Summers have won Mr. Football instead of Todd Helton? You could probably argue either way and be right.