Avery County’s fall youth football program fielded a number of teams in Tri-County Bowl playoff championship action this weekend in both Mitchell and Avery Counties.A number of teams in both the Pee Wee (3rd and 4th grade), as well as the 5th and 6th grade league participated in championship games for both trophies and bragging rights to wrap up the 2008 campaign.
In third and fourth grade action, six total teams from Yancey and Mitchell Counties made the trip to MacDonald Stadium for bowl action. In Pee Wee action, the Riverside team took second place as a team from Cane River was victorious in a hard-fought championship contest. In a second Pee Wee gridiron battle, Freedom Trail finished as runners-up to the Screaming Eagles from Harris in Mitchell County.
In other third and fourth grade action, Madison West tangled with a Mitchell County team, with Madison winning by a 33-0 final score. Avery also hosted a 5th and 6th grade tussle between the Bowman Bulldogs and East Yancey, with the East club coming away with a championship win.
Multiple Avery fifth and sixth grade teams won championships on Saturday, but the victories took place on the road in Mitchell County. The Newland fifth and sixth grade club defeated the Mounties for a Tri-County win, while Cranberry defeated West Madison’s fifth and sixth grade team by a 6-0 final score. Avery also fielded a Pee Wee league team from Crossnore/Newland which played hard but was unable to capture the road victory.
“All around, we had a good season. Most of our teams went into the games in first or second place for the season heading into Tri-County games, with many of our teams having great seasons,” long-time Avery Youth League President Sammy Cope said following the weekend’s playoff action. “The other counties we played against had drafts for their teams and always seem to be competitive, especially the teams in Madison County. We plan to start doing a draft next season, but in spite of their drafts and their talent, we played on the road against those teams and found we often came back with wins.”
At halftime ceremonies during Friday’s Avery High School home football game, league sportsmanship awards were given to two squads, the Cranberry team in fifth and sixth grade, and Riverside in the third and fourth grade division. Coaches as well as league referees and officials work together to decide the winning teams each season.
“The awards are given to those teams who tend to give the least amount of trouble to officials during the season, and the referees and those on the field help us greatly in deciding who wins those awards,” Cope added.
Prior to the weekend’s games, teams competed in regular season league play, with a total of six teams winning conference titles. At the fifth and sixth grade level, the Newland/Crossnore combined team won with a 3-3 record in conference, with Cranberry capturing high honors in its league with a 4-2 mark. “Both teams were really competitive and had really good coaches work with them,” Cope added.
In third and fourth grade leagues, coach John Hicks and his Freedom Trail team won its league with a 4-2 overall record, as the Crossnore squad finished with a 3-3 record in conference play for high league honors.
The future of football in Avery County appears bright as young players taste success at the youth league level and are taught well the fundamentals of the game of football.
“With the coaching crews we have, our kids are learning so much. The talent of these players will show as we see the kids move up to the 7th and 8th grade level next year,” Cope added. “We have some really good talent in the leagues, and there are good players moving up as long as they continue to play.”
The youth league is made possible by the cooperation of a number of individuals and groups, including the county’s Parks and Recreation office and those who have helped it through the years.
“The county has really helped us out a lot this year in helping us with buying equipment, and I’d like to thank Robbie Willis with the Parks and Recreation Department who has been so helpful in us getting the equipment this year,” Cope stressed. “I also appreciate our officials who have helped us this year. Jeff and Teddy Bare, as well as Kris and Thadd Vance did a good job, and I look forward to being part of the league in the years to come.”
