On Friday night at E.L. Briggs Stadium in Burnsville, the Avery football team met a Mountain Heritage team that was not flashy or flamboyant in name or style. Rather, the Cougars were a hungry, talented, and relentless team that dominated both sides of the football. Avery found the going tough all evening long, amassing a mere 56 total yards in a 42-0 blowout loss.The Cougars took the opening kickoff and marched 70 yards over 12 plays to get on the scoreboard first. The recurrent theme of the night was on display early and often. Heritage senior running back Jesse Ballew rushed seven times on the drive, including the final nine yards to give the Cougars an early 7-0 lead.
Avery’s best drive of the entire night was its first, as the split-back formation led by Taylor Potter at quarterback ran the ball at the teeth of the Cougars defense. A total of 48 yards was gained on the drive, but the Vikings were turned away from the red zone as the Big Red failed to get a first down on a 4th and 1 conversion attempt at the Heritage 21-yard line.
Mountain Heritage seized momentum from the stop and kept a stranglehold on it for the rest of the contest. Just two plays after gaining possession, running back Casey Randolph galloped 63 yards on a cross-field run to the end zone. The PAT staked the home team to a two-touchdown advantage.
Avery looked to cut into the Cougars lead with its second offensive series, pushing the football across midfield with a combination of run and pass. A center-quarterback exchange miscommunication resulted in a fumble which Heritage recovered at midfield to stall the possession.
The Cougars struck pay dirt again following the turnover. A 25-yard pass from quarterback Kirk Burnette to wide receiver Dylan McMahan placed Heritage in scoring position. Ballew finished the drive with a ten yard touchdown gallop. The successful PAT extended the Cougars lead to 21-0 with 10:47 left in the half.
Avery continued to struggle to hold on to the football as a smothering Cougars defense made things difficult. On the third play of the series Viking quarterback Adam Pate’s pass attempt was picked off by defensive back Josh Laws. Four plays after the turnover, all runs by Ballew covering 43 yards, the Cougars had another touchdown to add to their lead, holding a 28-0 edge with 9:07 left before halftime.
Avery was forced to punt on its next two possessions of the half, but the Big Red defense stifled the Cougars, forcing them into their first and only punt of the night.
Heritage added a final touchdown in the half when Ballew capped off an 81 yard drive with a 20-yard touchdown carry, providing the Cougars with an overwhelming 35-0 lead at intermission.
Mountain Heritage amassed 359 yards of total offense in the first half of play alone, as Ballew ran for 247 yards on only 22 carries. Avery was held to only 74 total first half yards.
In the second half, fortunes were no better for the Big Red. The Cougars defense held the Vikings to -18 yards of total offense over the final two quarters, while Mountain Heritage kept its star runner on the sidelines for the second half. Complementary running back Casey Randolph accounted for the final score of the contest, a 38-yard touchdown in the waning seconds of the third period to account for the final margin of victory.
Avery was led in rushing by running back Ethan Sluder who gained 19 yards on 12 carries, with 12 yards rushing by Colton Buchanan.
The Vikings drop to 2-8 on the season, 1-4 in conference play. Mountain Heritage improves to 8-2 overall, with a 4-1 mark in conference contests. Avery welcomes the Mitchell Mountaineers to Newland for its home finale and Senior Night at MacDonald Stadium this Friday night. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.
