Powell (6-0) Battles The Oak Ridge Wildcats (4-1)

By Aiden Gallagher

Preview:

Powell takes on the Oak Ridge Wildcats in their district opener Tuesday night. These teams will see each other a lot this year and winning the season series represents a big target for the Panthers. Oak Ridge and Powell are the two best teams in the district with a combined record of 10-1, the rest of the district has a combined record of 13-14. Needless to say, these two teams meetings mean a little bit more than the rest of our district and the Panthers will be keen to open the series on a high note. 

Matchup History:

The series all time is lop-sided with the Wildcats leading 36-10. The Wildcats have a great basketball program and have been dominant in the district for years. Beating the Wildcats is always a big accomplishment for the Panthers but this year they come into the game ranked higher. Powell comes in ranked 10th in 4A, while Oak Ridge sits at 18th.

Impact Players:

Powell:

Senior Center Nathan Russell has proven himself to be one of the most dominant big men in the district. He comes into the contest averaging 16.5 points per game to go along with 6.7 rebounds per game. Oak Ridge has always had big men to establish an interior presence and if Russell has a big game that means Powell was able to contain them.

Oak Ridge:

Junior Power Forward Garrett Giles will be opposite Nathan Russell for the majority of the game and this matchup will go a long way in determining the outcome of the game. Giles stands at 6’6 and needless to say, he has been dominant in the post all season and containing him is an important target Tuesday night.