Walker Valley @ The Ridge

[IanMackaye]

I just looked at the results on the TSSAA website. That is a consistently good program.

 

Did Jackson play last night? He had a huge game against CC but I did not read about anything this week.

[SweetScience]

I just looked at the results on the TSSAA website. That is a consistently good program.

 

Did Jackson play last night? He had a huge game against CC but I did not read about anything this week.

Had about 4 carries for 10 yards. Same basic play up the middle to him that hasn't worked all year besides against the worst teams in the district Clinton and Lenoir City.

[BEAMERBALLMAVERICK]

I for one hope Gaddis stays at OR along with every other school that's got to play OR. With Gaddis at OR gives teams a better chance to win.... But I say Gaddis knows he held this team back. Maybe he will resign..

Edited November 5, 2016 by BEAMERBALLMAVERICK

[SweetScience]

Congratulations to the Cross Country Boys. I'm happy anytime a sport within OR athletics is good and they're always good. But, I just noticed something. It's sad when we are brought down to talking about Cross Country on an OR football thread. LOL

Edited November 5, 2016 by SweetScience

[anotherback]

Congratulations to the Cross Country Boys. I'm happy anytime a sport within OR athletics is good and they're always good. But, I just noticed something. It's sad when we are brought down to talking about Cross Country on an OR football thread. LOL

Nah. It's never sad giving recognition to kids. Congrats.

[SweetScience]

Nah. It's never sad giving recognition to kids. Congrats.

Yeah that was a tongue in cheek statement. You're right. They don't get enough recognition as it is. Usually here only the football and basketball kids get the recognition like it is at most other schools, but they deserve their props as well. They are a traditional powerhouse. They represent the school very well.

[WillieTheWildcat]

I have started a new topic page for us to discuss the past season and upcoming off season.

 

RWR

[ADS1]

nice prediction!

Thanks. Just went with my gut.

[Govolsknox]

Admittedly, after I became an adult and my kids started attending CAK, I started to follow their program. This also coincided with the SS era that frankly I could not hardly watch. But for many years I never missed an OR game, home or away and had great season tickets. Used to sit almost directly in front of Spencer's family. During that time I watched some great football under Hale, Gaddis, and Lussier, with an interlude during the Young era, and a really bad interlude during the early part of the SS era.  

 

I'll just offer a couple of thoughts. To those who say the game has passed Gaddis by, I'll just point out that OR was beaten by a team (Webb) who runs the antiquated Wing T. (Now they do it with precision and some athletes) but while there is no excuse for OR to lose that game, my point is that Webb's coach has run that same offense for 25 years. I don't think the game has passed Meske by, nor do I think it has passed Gaddis by. He didn't forget how to coach. I agree with others that Higgins was under used. Unlike Summers that you could just hand the ball to, it required more QB ability to get T the ball, OR it required the coach to be more creative getting the ball in his hands. I think Gaddis underperfomed in that area. When you have an athlete like that, you just have to Find or CREATE ways to get him the ball. Two trips inside the red zone in the final 3 minutes and coming away with no points is just rediculous.

 

While I and many others are really disappointed (reminds me of the Jeff County loss in the mid 90's when we had the horses to go all the way, only this is far worse) and this is a bitter pill to swallow, I don't think firing Gaddis and creating more change-over and turmoil is what the program needs. Coming out of the SS era, that is the worst I have ever seen an Oak Ridge program handled. IMHO, the Wildcats need stability and not another change over. I agree Gaddis needs more help  and creativity to improve his offense and use of his playmakers, but I would hate to see us try to make a wholesale change and end up accidentally going back something like the SS era...

 

JMO. Your mileage may vary.

[PassiveAggressive]

I AGREE WITH GOVOLS.AND I AGREE WITH THE UTILIZATION OF TEE HIGGINS. I JUST DON'T THINK THAT IT WAS ENOUGH PLAYERS AROUND HIM TO MAKE IT WORK. WHEN YOU HAVE A STUD LIKE TEE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A STUD SIGNAL CALLER TO BE CREATIVE AND GET IT TO HIM. OAKRIDGE DIDN'T HAVE THAT THE PAST 2 SEASONS IMO.AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE FRONTLINE PROTECTION ALSO. WHEN MY OWLS PLAYED OR WE HAD THE PLAYMAKERS ON DEFENSE TO STOP THE RUN AND PASS. BUT OFFENSIVELY WE STRUGGLED BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT GUY BEHIND CENTER AND OUR DEFENSE HAD TO FINISH THAT GAME. YES YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT COACH BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE PLAYMAKERS ON BOTH SIDES TO GET THE JOB DONE.THAT IS WHY I THOUGHT WALKER VALLEY HAD A SHOT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GET BEHIND ON AN HIGH POWERED OFFENSE LIKE THEIRS. WHATEVER AREA YOU ARE LACKING IN CAN COME BACK AND BITE YOU IN THE PLAYOFFS IF THE OTHER TEAM IS MORE BALANCED.

#LOP

[ORWildcat1]

Honestly it would be dangerous to think what a good coach could do at Oak Ridge.

Joe Gaddis is a good coach, but he can't walk on water like a lot of people thought he could when Oak Ridge hired him back. He doesn't call offensive or defensive plays and you can't throw the ball to Tee on every play, especially when he is double and triple teamed and your running this type of offense. In fact, on the last play of the game when Tee was double teamed another W.R. was was covered by a guy that was only 5'8 and if the ball was thrown to him it would've been a easy touchdown. But it's easy to be a Monday morning coach.

 

With that being said, Oak Ridge had at least two chances to hire one of the best coaches in the state. Gary Rankin at Alcoa has applied for the Oak Ridge job at least twice and that's not hear-say, that is a fact. Once when they hired S. S. and again when they hired Gaddis a second time. I will always be a Oak Ridge fan regardless if they win or loose or who their head coach is. But why in the world they didn't hire one of the best, if not the best football coaches in the state is something I will never understand.

I'm hoping they can get some bigger guys on the offensive and defensive line get them in the weight room during the off season and get the program turned around. Go Wildcats!

Edited November 7, 2016 by ORWildcat1

[Govolsknox]

Joe Gaddis is a good coach, but he can't walk on water like a lot of people thought he could when Oak Ridge hired him back. He doesn't call offensive or defensive plays and you can't throw the ball to Tee on every play, especially when he is double and triple teamed and your running this type of offense. In fact, on the last play of the game when Tee was double teamed another W.R. was was covered by a guy that was only 5'8 and if the ball was thrown to him it would've been a easy touchdown. But it's easy to be a Monday morning coach.

 

With that being said, Oak Ridge had at least two chances to hire one of the best coaches in the state. Gary Rankin at Alcoa has applied for the Oak Ridge job at least twice and that's not hear-say, that is a fact. Once when they hired S. S. and again when they hired Gaddis a second time. I will always be a Oak Ridge fan regardless if they win or loose or who their head coach is. But why in the world they didn't hire one of the best, if not the best football coaches in the state is something I will never understand.

I'm hoping they can get some bigger guys on the offensive and defensive line get them in the weight room during the off season and get the program turned around. Go Wildcats!

Good people can disagree and although I agree with your first paragraph, I totally disagree with your second. Don't get me wrong, I believe CGR is a fine coach. But when you dress over 90 kids at a 2A size school, and in an open zone area where 2 of the big 5A - 6A size schools in your county have weak programs (and the only other is a 6A program that has now virtually stopped taking out of zone kids as they are near capacity), you can safely predict a pretty good outcome. CGR did a great job of using open zoning legally to his benefit at Riverdale, and as that policy was changed, he changed locations. He is a fine man, and a very good coach, but I would have taken Gaddis over him in a skinny minute. It's one thing to win consistently when you ALWAYS have the best talent on the field and the most numbers of players. At Oak Ridge, he would have very good talent and good numbers, but not always a decided advantage like he does now. Gaddis was a proven commodity with a history of success at Oak Ridge, and a love for the town and the program. He was the right man for the job. Perhaps someone else could have done better, we'll never know, but since there are no crystal balls to look into and see the future, they gave the job to the man that seemed like he had the highest probability of success.

 

Again, Just my opinions, Your mileage may vary.