​LET'S ROLL, WILDCATS, ROLL!!

New ORHS Football Coach Named - oakridger.com

Oak Ridge Schools announced Monday morning that Scott Cummings is the new head football coach at Oak Ridge High School.

Cummings was hired as head football coach at West High School in Knoxville in 2002, according to a news release from Oak Ridge Schools. More recently, he has been head football coach at Halls High School in Knoxville. During his tenure at West High, Cummings became the school’s all-time leader in wins, playoff appearances, and playoff victories, according to the release. He and  his team were 2013 State Championship runner-ups. In 2014, he led the team to the State Championship.

He has been named Coach of the Year five times, including two PrepXtra Coach of the Year awards, which encompasses most of East Tennessee. Knoxville West enjoyed the most success in the history of its football program under his leadership, the Oak Ridge Schools release stated. The following year he moved to Cleveland, Tenn. and took over as head coach at Cleveland High School. In a four-year period, hed led a major fundraising initiative to renovate facilities. He led his team to the playoffs in three of those years. Wanting to return to the Knoxville area to be closer to family, he then took over as head football coach at Halls High School. Prior to his arrival at Halls, they had only won eight games one time in the last decade. Under his leadership, Halls won eight games in the following two seasons. During his three-year period as Halls head coach, they made the playoffs every year and he was named district coach of the year in 2020, according to a release.

Some of Cummings many accomplishments are:

• District Coach of the Year in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2020 and PrepXtra Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2014;
• East Tennessee NFL Foundation contribution to amateur football in 2015 and playoff game appearances;
• Four State Semi-Final appearances in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014;
• Two State Championship appearances. In 2013, his team was runner-up and in 2014 was champion;
• 28 years of coaching experience;
• 20 years head coaching experience and 23 years as an offensive coordinator and more than 70 players signed for college football.

He replaces longtime ORHS head football coach Joe Gaddis who earlier this year announced he was stepping down as coach.​

Click here to see Coach Cummings' Off The Glass interview with David Clary (beginning at 2:40 into the video).

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End of an Era: Coach Joe Gaddis Retires

Photo courtesy of 5StarPreps

(article from Oakridger.com)

After 38 years coaching high school football, Oak Ridge coach Joe Gaddis announced his retirement on Monday. Gaddis first coached Oak Ridge from 1988-1998 and was rehired in 2013. ​

He began his head coaching career at Tullahoma in 1983 and has since coached multiple seasons at Henry County, Pascagoula (Mississippi), Austin (Alabama) and Lexington (North Carolina). He also coached a single year at Peabody in 2012.
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"I'm just proud that in some small way, I was able to continue the great tradition of Oak Ridge football," Gaddis said. "Oak Ridge for the last 75 years to me is in a class by itself. There's no place like Blankenship Field. There's not a better atmosphere. There's not a better tradition in Tennessee than Oak Ridge football."

Gaddis won a state title in 1991 at Oak Ridge and finished as a runner-up in 2020. He finishes with a career record of 334-146. This year, the Wildcats went 3-8, losing in the opening round of the 5A playoffs, but Gaddis has high hopes for next year's team.

"I think coaches all know when it's time, and I just felt like it was the right time," he said. "Selfishly, I thought about coaching one more year because we had a bad year this year, and we're going to be really good next year. I thought I'd rather go out on a more positive note ... but then I thought, that's really a better scenario for the new coach to come in and have a great season on the heels of a 3-8 and have the town rally around him."

Gaddis will continue to teach at Oak Ridge, but he said he "doesn't have a clue" what comes next for him aside from that.

Contact Emily Adams at eaadams@gannett.com or on Twitter @eaadams6.

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“Jackie Pope’s accomplishments being memorialized”
​Beverly Majors Special to The Oak Ridger

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​Herbert Jackson Pope died March 22, 2021, and today, his accomplishments are being memorialized.

A memorial column with an inscription is in the works. Part of the plaque’s inscription states:  “This memorial is dedicated to Jackie and the thousands of Wildcats who have and who will descend these 72 steps into the blazing lights of Blankenship Field and everlasting glory!”

The proposed memorial brick column will be placed at the top of the 72 steps.
Jackie was instrumental in keeping the 72 steps as they are, even once all renovations are complete. The steps are part of the foundation of Blankenship Field, and each Wildcat, past, present and future, are proud to walk down them. It’s a tradition that must be maintained, according to Revitalization Foundation members.

“The Pope family is honored and truly appreciative by the community leaders, the ORHS administration, the Board of Education and the Wildcat boosters to create an enduring monument at Blankenship Field to memorialize my father, and to honor his teammates and the tremendous Wildcat spirit they exemplified,” said Robbie Pope, his son. “We are hopeful that it will long serve as inspiration to future Wildcats in their pursuit of excellence as athletes, students and citizens, as well as a perpetual reminder to all Oak Ridgers of the storied history that this very special community shares."
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The cost of the project is estimated at $5,000. Donations to the memorial project should be made to the Blankenship Field Revitalization Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization, identifying the donation is for the Jackie Pope Memorial. Memorial donations should be made at TnBank of Oak Ridge, 401 S. Illinois Ave. 
(Posted with permission from The Oak Ridger)
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Full article may be found at: 
www.oakridger.com/story/sports/2021/08/26/jackie-popes-accomplishments-being-memorialized/8246540002/

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Important Dates:
Jan. 20 Booster Meeting 
6:30pm at ORHS Ampitheater

Feb. 10  Varsity Football Banquet
6:30pm at Heritage Church


​​2021 Varsity Game Schedule:
Aug 19: South-Doyle R 28-20 L
Aug 27: Bearden 14-9 L
Sep 3: @Clinton R 22-7 W
Sep 10:@Farragut 35-30 L
Sep 17: @Lenoir City R 36-0 W
Sep 24: BYE WEEK
Oct 1: Powell R 38-7 L
Oct 8: @Greeneville 35-9 L
Oct 14: *@Karns R 42-35 L
Oct 22: Dobyns-Bennett 14-10 L
Oct 29: Campbell Co. R 48-21 W
R = Region Game
* = Early Start Time

HELPFUL LINKS:

• ​TSSAA.com/Football
• ​NAIA Eligibility Center
• NCCA Eligibility Center
• D1 Academic Requirements
• D2 Academic Requirements
• NCAA 2019-20 Guide for the College-Bound Student Athlete
• ORHS Athletics
• ORHS Athletic Training
• Maxpreps​ ​