Oak Ridge football opens with win in first game after star Tee Higgins departs for Clemson

Dave Link

For USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

OAK RIDGE — Wide receiver Tee Higgins is gone, but the Oak Ridge football team still has playmakers.

Senior quarterback Johnny Stewart threw for two touchdowns, and the Wildcats beat visiting Hardin Valley Academy 21-20 Friday night in the season opener for both teams.

Hardin Valley’s Josiah Lambert missed the potential tying PAT kick with 21 seconds left.

“It was a huge win,” Stewart said. “Hardin Valley is a wonderful team. We’ve been doubted the whole offseason to come out and get this win. It feels great.”

Higgins, a freshman at Clemson, had 68 catches for 1,044 yards and 18 touchdowns last year. He was rated the nation’s No. 19 prospect by 247Sports, the nation’s No. 2 receiver and the No. 3 prospect in the state.

Oak Ridge's Caleb Martin (4) reacts after making a touchdown during a game between Hardin Valley and Oak Ridge at Blankenship Field in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on Friday, August 18, 2017.

“I think there’s no drop-off at all,” Stewart said. “We have playmakers. Although Tee was a big part of our offense, this year we’ll be able to spread out and find more receivers and we won’t be as focused on Tee as we used to be.”

Stewart, who completed 11 of 15 passes for 165 yards, threw a 59-yard touchdown pass across the middle to senior Caleb Martin on Oak Ridge’s first offensive play of the game.

The play opened up when Hardin Valley’s defense focused on Oak Ridge running back Jordan Graham.

Oak Ridge's Tyrell Romano (21) dives through the air during the second quarter during a game between Hardin Valley and Oak Ridge at Blankenship Field in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on Friday, August 18, 2017.

“It was a perfect play,” Martin said. “We’ve been practicing that all week. We knew (Aaron) Dykes (cornerback) was going to bite on Jordan’s motion, so we just studied film and ran a post on him.”

Sophomore Tyrell Romano scored Oak Ridge’s second touchdown on a 1-yard run. Romano rushed for 53 yards on eight carries.

Stewart’s 7-yard touchdown pass to junior Kai’Reese Pendergrass, and Carson McGhee’s PAT kick gave the Wildcats a 21-14 lead with 6:26 left.

Pendergrass had five catches for 60 yards.

Graham was held to 10 rushing yards on nine carries and caught two passes for 21 yards.

Hardin Valley's Grayson Vaughn (10) makes a run down the field during a game between Hardin Valley and Oak Ridge at Blankenship Field in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on Friday, August 18, 2017.

“They were running to anywhere Jordan Graham moved,” Oak Ridge coach Joe Gaddis said. “We took advantage of that on the first touchdown play of the game and some other plays. They were obviously doing everything they could do to run to Jordan Graham to stop Jordan Graham and that opened up some things for some other folks.”

Hardin Valley’s Aaron Dykes rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

“It was big because we’ve got a very inexperienced offensive line,” Gaddis said. “I thought our defense played well to hold them to three touchdowns with the running back (Aaron Dykes) they’ve got. It’s just a great win for us. We’ve got to get a lot better. A lot of things to improve on, but it’s a great way to start the season.”

Dave Link is a freelance contributor.