Football Game Preview: Oak Ridge Wildcats vs. Hardin Valley Academy Hawks

After each having a week off, the Oak Ridge Wildcats and the Hardin Valley Academy Hawks will shake off the rust and duke it out at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The timing is sure in Oak Ridge's favor as the team sits on four straight wins at home while Hardin Valley Academy has been banged up by six consecutive losses on the road dating back to last season.

Oak Ridge had to skate by with only a three-point margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 27-point drubbing they dealt Bearden last Friday. The Wildcats blew past the Bulldogs 34-7. The Wildcats might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by 26 points or more this season.

Malik Howard

Receiving Yards (Career)

10/03/25 vs Bearden	144
09/05/25 @ Lenoir City	92
08/29/25 @ Clinton	83
09/12/25 vs Dobyns-Bennett	78
09/13/24 vs Karns	69

Blaine Stansberry and Malik Howard were among the main playmakers for Oak Ridge as the former threw for 217 yards and two TDs and the latter picked up 144 receiving yards and a pair of scores. Those 144 receiving yards gave Howard a new career-high.

Meanwhile, Hardin Valley Academy ended up a good deal behind Farragut last Friday and lost 45-28.

Oak Ridge's victory bumped their record up to 7-0. As for Hardin Valley Academy, they now have a losing record of 3-4.

Everything came up roses for Oak Ridge against Hardin Valley Academy when the teams last played back in August of 2020, as the squad secured a 40-0 win. Do the Wildcats have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Hawks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.