North Carolina Prep Brackets Released

2008 STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND
NOVEMBER 14
CLASS 1-AA EAST

(10) Pamlico (6-4) at (7) Hampstead Topsail (9-1)
(15) Gates (2-8) at (2) East Bladen (10-0)
(11) Southeast Halifax (6-4) at (6) Pender (6-4)
(14) Rocky Point Heide Trask (3-7) at (3) Louisburg (10-0)
(9) North Johnston (5-5) at (8) Newton Grove Midway (9-1)
(16) Wallace-Rose Hill (2-8) at (1) Warsaw James Kenan (10-0)
(12) East Columbus (5-5) at (5) Ayden-Grifton (8-2)
(13) Dixon (4-6) at (4) Camden (9-1)

CLASS 1-AA WEST
(10) Polk County (7-3) at (7) East Surry (9-1)
(15) West Wilkes (2-8) at (2) Murphy (10-0)
(11) West Columbus (5-5) at (6) Siler City Jordan-Matthews (9-1)
(14) Avery (2-8) at (3) Hendersonville (10-0)
(9) Kernersville Bishop McGuinness (7-3) at (8) West Montgomery (7-3)
(16) East Wilkes (2-8) at (1) Thomasville (10-0)
(12) Swain County (5-5) at (5) Cherryville (4-6)
(13) South Stokes (3-7) at (4) Albemarle (10-0)

Mountaineers Look to Keep Rolling

(Graphic courtesy of GoAsu.com)

After gaining firm control of the driver’s seat in the Southern Conference championship race, No. 2 Appalachian State University (7-2, 5-0 SoCon) looks to move one step closer to its fourth-straight conference title when it travels to face Chattanooga (1-8, 0-5 SoCon) on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Finley Stadium.

NOTING SATURDAY'S MATCHUP:
• Appalachian has won four-straight games at Finley Stadium, but UTC has been the foe for just one of those games, as ASU won the 2005, ‘06 and ‘07 NCAA Division I national championships in Chattanooga.

• ASU is 6-2 all-time at Finley Stadium, but just 3-2 versus UTC at the venue.

• Saturday’s game is the Mountaineers’ fifth at Finley Stadium in the past 35 months.

• ASU has won 20 of the last 23 games in the series.

• Three of the Apps’ eight highest scoring outputs in head coach Jerry Moore’s 20 seasons at the helm have come against UTC — 62 points in 1999 and 56 in 2004 and ‘06.

• Appalachian leads the SoCon in scoring offense (40.4 points per game) and ranks fourth of nine teams in scoring defense (24.0 ppg). Chattanooga is last in the league in both categories (13.1 and 39.0 ppg, respectively).

• Appalachian quarterback Armanti Edwards has accounted for as many touchdowns in the past three games (14) as Chattanooga has scored as an offensive unit this season. Edwards has nearly as many yards of total offense this season (2,017) as the Mocs do as a team (2,034).

• UTC running back Erroll Wynn rushed for 115 yards in last year’s 37-17 Mountaineer win in Boone. The 115 rushing yards were the seventh-most surrendered by the Apps in ‘07.

• ASU needs two wins in its final three games to clinch at least a share of its fourth-straight SoCon championship. With wins over Chattanooga and No. 11 Elon on Nov. 15, Appalachian would also clinch the league’s automatic NCAA postseason berth with a week to go in the regular season. ASU closes the regular season on Nov. 22 at archrival Western Carolina.

• If the Mountaineers were to win out, they would almost assuredly secure one of the top two seeds in the 16-team NCAA championship field, which would guarantee the Apps home-field advantage for up to three games through the national semifinals. The national championship game is set for Dec. 19 at Finley Stadium.

For more on Saturday's game, including links to live video, audio and stats, stadium and ticket information, both teams' rosters, statistics and game notes and much more, visit GoASU.com's Gameday Central page.

Vikings End Regular Season with Senior Night against Mitchell

Avery will look to conclude its regular season on a winning note Friday night when it plays host to the rival Mitchell Mountaineers for Senior Night at MacDonald Stadium. Avery (2-8, 1-4 WHC) defeated Mitchell (2-8, 1-4 WHC) 28-27 in a thrilling contest in Ledger a season ago.

Avery was shut out at Mountain Heritage 42-0 last Friday night, while Mitchell defeated Madison 29-16 last Friday night.

Scouting the Mountaineers:
The Mitchell Mountaineers are coached by second year head coach Russell Barnett (8-14 overall) and return three offensive and five defensive starters from last season’s club.

Mitchell is led on the field by quarterback Logan Jensen, who has rushed for over 1,000 yards this season and thrown for over 800 yards and ten touchdowns prior to last week’s win. The junior played at the wide receiver a season ago, but was moved to quarterback following the graduation of Joe Hoilman, an all-conference performer who threw for 2,900 yards and ran for 1,200 yards.

The Mountaineers continue to run the spread offense, but look to run more than in 2007, using quarterback draws to take advantage of Jensen’s speed in the backfield. The team also uses two-back formations that highlight the skills of Jensen as well as senior running back and team leader Jake Jarrett (5’8”, 151 lbs.).

Wide receivers Billy Bomar and Austin Burleson hold down receiver slots, but the Mountaineers also utilize their tight end position with Zach Stamey and Corey Green. The offensive line returned only one starter from last year in Casey Peterson.

Defensively the team will use its speed and athleticism to get to the football with linebackers Burleson and top returning tackler Willie Hughes, as well as Taylor Hall and Billy Boone.

The Low Down:
If Avery plays with the intensity and effort it displayed a week ago against a talented Mountain Heritage team, the seniors may leave the field unhappy Friday night.

For the positives the team displayed against Madison, especially on the defensive side of the football, fortunes turned quickly the other way last week.

The Vikings will have to stop the running of Jensen and Jarrett to win Friday’s contest, and must show the intestinal fortitude to shrug off last Friday’s performance.

Offensively, the Vikings must find a way to get into the end zone, as the team has struggled to score points in recent weeks.

Mitchell will look to concentrate its efforts on slowing down the big play ability of quarterback Adam Pate, who has looked as healthy as he has all season coming off a hamstring pull earlier in the season.

This is a rebuilding year for both ballclubs, but the Avery/Mitchell rivalry always seems to come down to the team who makes the fewest mistakes and the biggest key plays on offense. Mitchell is coming off a big win over Madison in much the same way Avery did two weeks ago.

There are 16 seniors on the Avery roster who wish to finish their final regular season with a win over its bitter rival, but it will take an impressive effort to hold off the Mountaineers this week.

By the Numbers:
0- points scored in Avery’s loss last week to Mountain Heritage.
5- first downs earned by the Viking offense in last week’s 42-0 contest.
6- rushing touchdowns surrendered by Avery in last week’s game.
18.3 – number of points per game averaged by Mitchell in games this season.
56- total yards gained by Avery last week, after gaining over 200 on the ground the prior week.

Read the Avery Journal-Times next week for a full recap of Friday’s Senior Night contest against Mitchell, as well as a preview of any possible opponent that Avery may face the following week in the NCHSAA 1-AA state playoffs. For up-to-date scores and news anytime, visit the Journal-Times Sports blog at: www.ajtsports.blogspot.com

Avery JVs Fall in One-Point Thriller

On Thursday evening at a chilly MacDonald Stadium, the Avery Vikings junior varsity team squared off against an undefeated junior varsity club from Mountain Heritage High School.

Avery led the 8-0 JV Cougars by a touchdown until the waning moments of the contest, but a late touchdown pass and two-point conversion proved the difference in a 15-14 Heritage victory.

The Cougars had been dominant in their performances throughout the regular season, outscoring opponents 261-87 during the season, and had not allowed a single point in the first quarter of any game all season long.

Mountain Heritage scored on its opening drive with an 8 play, 80-yard drive that expired over four minutes off the first quarter clock. Heritage quarterback Tyson Tomberlin found Dalton Woodie for a 19 yard scoring strike to give the Cougars an early 7-0 lead.

Avery showed that it would not be intimidated by the unbeaten visitors from Burnsville. The offense immediately answered the touchdown by scoring on an 8 play, 72-yard drive of its own. Vikings quarterback Alex Villanueva found wide receiver Andy Gonzalez for a 36-yard touchdown pass play. The successful extra point tied the game at 7 apiece with 1:19 left in the first period.

For the remainder of the half, the contest was a field position and defensive battle. Avery held the Cougars offense, forcing it to turn the football over on downs on two separate drives and forcing a fumble for a turnover in the half’s closing seconds. The Vikings fared similarly against the Heritage “D”, turning the ball over on an interception to kill one drive and punting on another. The half ended with the teams knotted 7-7.

On the second play of the third quarter the Vikings committed a costly turnover when Villanueva was intercepted in the flat by Heritage’s Dalton Woodie at the Avery 30-yard line. The Big Red defense again rose to the occasion, however, holding the Cougars on downs inside the red zone to get the football back for the offense.

Avery’s second possession appeared to have promise, but the Cougars stripped the ball from the hands of Gonzalez after a completed pass, recovering the football to stifle Avery momentum. Avery held Heritage to a three-and-out after the turnover, however, and a bad snap on the punt attempt again gave the Vikings an opportunity to seize momentum.

For the vast majority of the contest Thursday night, Avery looked to be the team that was undefeated rather than its opponent, stopping the potent Cougar offense time and again. With its last drive of the third quarter, the Vikings capitalized on the Heritage mistake. Taking only four plays to cover the short field of 35 yards, Villanueva found Gonzalez again on a 22-yard touchdown.

For the next nine minutes of play, the clubs exchanged possession by either turning the football over on downs or punting the football. With under three minutes left, Avery was faced with a difficult 4th and 2 decision: whether to attempt to get the first down to maintain possession, or punt the football and rely on the defense to make one final stand. Avery chose the latter option, pinning the Cougars back to its own 27-yard line with 2:25 left to play and needing a touchdown.

Mountain Heritage proved why it had not lost a contest this season in orchestrating a final scoring drive. The offense took to the air as quarterback Tomberlin was 4 for 7 passing on the possession, capping off a dramatic effort with a 40 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Drew Letterman. The Cougars rolled the dice and went for a two-point conversion to take the lead and was successful as Tomberlin completed a pass to Woodie to give Heritage the one-point edge at 15-14 with 1:04 remaining.

Avery had one final opportunity to drive for the winning score in the final minute. On a drive that began from its own 20-yard line, the Big Red marched across midfield after a 22-yard pass play from Villanueva to Kenny Hicks.

Heritage dug in from that point, however, forcing an incompletion and sacking Villanueva. On fourth down, Avery mistakenly thought following the sack that it was third down and spiked the football to kill the clock. The play resulted in a turnover on downs back to the Cougars, who then took a knee to run out the clock and escape with the win.

Avery quarterback Villanueva was 9 of 23 passing for 161 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while he and running back Kenny Hicks each had 24 yards rushing. Wide receiver Andy Gonzalez caught five passes for 102 yards and a pair of scores. Tomberlin was 9 for 17 passing for 147 yards with two touchdown passes for Mountain Heritage, while Matthew Kardulis led the Cougars with 72 yards on nine carries.

Avery’s junior varsity record stands at 3-6 on the season. The squad will look to end the year on a winning note this Thursday when it concludes its schedule in Ledger against the Mitchell Mountaineers.

Pain, "Ballew-s", and Agony for Big Red Last Friday in 42-0 Shutout Loss

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.

Condrey Earns 2nd Team All-SAC Cross Country Honors

Former Avery High and current Wingate University cross country standout Ashley Condrey earned 2nd team All-South Atlantic Conference honors this season.

Her best time this year is 20:33 and has managed to maintain third and fourth place finishes for her team despite racing with a foot injury this season. Ashley will compete in a 6K event at regional competition on November 8th at Wingate University.

From The Student Section: Goodbye Phil

The University of Tennessee Football program is changing. When the Vols split the "T" next season, there will be a new head coach leading the charge. The decision to some was warranted, and to others it was too soon. No matter how you look at it, you have to feel bad for Phillip Fulmer. He was a man that gave his heart and soul to the University of Tennessee. He was a man who gave 30 plus years of his life to the program. Fulmer is as Tennessee as anyone could be.

The situation surrounding the resignation is not known at the moment, but this was a difficult situation. It looks that the University may have pushed him out of the job, especially considering the rumors last week that the South Carolina game would decide his fate. Fulmer went as far as to say that he agreed with the University's decision. However, Tennessee had to ask themselves the tough questions.

Do you fire a man who took the program to new hieghts, but fell onto hard times? Or do you give him another chance to redeem himself? At some point, you have to ask yourself if you should be loyal to a man who gave his all to the program or did you give him a fair shake? Tennessee and more importantly Athletic Director Mike Hamilton felt it was time for a change. However, did Hamilton have a choice?

College football, especially Tennessee, is a multimillon dollar industry. The bottom line is determined by wins and losses, and this season has been heartbreaking to say the least for the Vols. Fans have shown their displeasure through various ways, but the most important was not coming to the games. One has to wonder if donors were threatening not to donate and the slow ticket sales were the final straw. At some point, Hamilton has to look out for himself as the CEO of the company despite friendships and loyalty.

Despite where you stand on Fulmer's resignation, you should admire the man for what he has accomplished at the helm of the Volunteer football program. He did so with class. Coach Fulmer embodied what Tennessee football is about. He knew and respected the traditions of Tennessee football and loved the rivalary games such as with Alabama. As a person, Fulmer is well respected. To his players, he was often considered a father figure. Fulmer got the opportunity to live his dream by coaching the team he so deeply loved. However, all good things must come to an end, and for Fulmer the end is at the end of this season.



5:05 PM -- Shelldog's Take: I gotta agree with Bill Meade over on SportsLine on WXSM who feels Tennessee's next head coach SHOULD be Mike Leach from Texas Tech. They need a big name to compete with the Meyers, Richts, Miles's, and Spurriers in the conference, especially recruiting in kids' homes. It would denote a definitive turning of the page for the program. I like David Cutcliffe at Duke, but I believe the Vols did him wrong when they would not commit to informally considering him the heir apparent in Knoxville. Anyways, saw this on the blog list and thought I'd throw in a penny or two.

Edwards, ASU Dominate Wofford

By: Matt Laws (matt.laws@averyjournal.com)

BOONE- On Halloween Night, Armanti Edwards wore his normal Mountaineer uniform, but played like Superman as Appalachian destroyed Wofford 70-24 in front of a record setting Kidd Brewer Stadium crowd and a national TV audience.

Edwards tied a school record with five touchdown passes and accounted for 440 yards of total offense. With Friday’s performance, Edwards set the Southern Conference record for total yards that was previously held by former Mountaineer Richie Williams. Edwards completed 17-of-19 passes.

The battle between SoCon rivals appeared like it was going to be a shootout in the first quarter. The teams traded touchdowns as Ben Jorden caught two touchdown passes as the Terriers answered on their following possessions.

"In the first quarter, I thought who ever had the ball last would win,” Mountaineer Coach Jerry Moore said. “It was a great night. We had a great week of preparation. In the coaches’ locker room before the game there was a lot of electricity. It was a nationally televised game on ESPN2 there was a lot of hype so we just felt as a coaching staff that things were really pointing to a great night for us.”

After Robert Melton gave App a 21-14 lead, Mark Legree and the Mountaineer Defense stepped up as LeGree intercepted a Terrier pass. After that, the Mountaineers never let up as they raced out to a 42-14 lead, and never looked back.

“We felt like we had to go out and keep putting up touchdowns on them because field goals are ok but it’s not enough against a team like Wofford, “ Mountaineer Tight End Ben Jorden said. “Even when they’re down two or three touchdowns they’re never out of the game, so we felt like we couldn’t let up on them.”

For the Mountaineers, it was a crucial game that put them in control of their own destiny in the race for the Southern Conference title. It was also a game to prove that the Mountaineers are worth the hype that the game and the team is receiving.

“This was our chance to show the country what it looks like when we put together a complete game,” Jorden said. “We haven’t done that so far this season so we felt like we could use this stage to show everybody what we can do.”

“I had a lot of people at school come up and ask me if I thought we had a chance, we’re the No. 2 team in the nation so I feel like of course we have a chance,” Edwards said. “Nobody gave us a chance to win this game so we really took that to heart.. Of course we had a chip on our shoulders, they beat us last year and a lot of people were expecting the same thing again so we felt like we had to come out and make a statement."

Brian Quick was Edward’s main target as he had four catches for 172 yards and three touchdowns.

Avery County’s Josh Johnson had two competitions for 18 yards in the contest for the Mountaineers. In all, the Mountaineers had a staggering 620 yards of total offense.

Watauga’s Eric Britenstein led the Terrier rushing attack with 157 yards.

Appalachian will travel to Chattanooga next Saturday to take on the Mocs of UTC.

Fulmer To Step Down

(Courtesy of UTSports.com)

University of Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer announced Monday he will step aside as the Volunteers head coach at the end of the season. Fulmer is the second winningest coach in school history with a record of 150-51 and has spent 28 years on Vols coaching staff - 11 years as assistant coach and 17 years as head coach.

"Coach Fulmer has been, and will continue to be, a great representative of the University and the athletics department," said UT athletics director Mike Hamilton. "He has dedicated a majority of his life to our program and brought home two SEC championships and a national championship. He has secured his place as the second winningest coach in Tennessee history behind Gen. Neyland. I personally appreciate everything he has done for Tennessee."

The dean of Southeastern Conference coaches, Fulmer has claimed a national championship, two conference titles and seven divisional crowns while winning nearly three-quarters of his games. He also retains his standing among the winning coaches with at least 10 years experience in major college football.

"I am proud of what we've done at Tennessee. We've won a lot of games, we've won championships, we've done it the right way, we've helped a lot of young men grow up and we've been a credit to our university every step of the way," said Fulmer. "For as long as I can remember, even as boy growing up in Winchester, Tennessee football has been something that brought our university and even our state together. East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, West Tennessee...people from all walks of life and people of different opinions on everything else could agree on one thing - the Volunteers. I love Tennessee too much to let her stay divided."

Fulmer also joined an elite coaching list last season when his career record improved to 100 games over the .500 mark joining Bobby Bowden, Joe Paterno, Jim Tressel, Steve Spurrier, Chris Ault and Frank Beamer as the only active coaches in that fraternity. With three games remaining, Fulmer has a chance to spring back above that plus-100 milestone before calling it a career.

Fulmer's coaching record also includes these accomplishments:
• Selection as National and SEC coach of the year in 1998.• The first Tennessee team to post 13 victories in a single season, a record in 1998 that included an SEC championship and Tostitos Fiesta Bowl win for the national title.• Back-to-back SEC titles in 1997-98 and five Eastern Division crowns in the last 10 years. The Vols have won or tied for the division title seven times under Fulmer.• A record of 45-5 from 1995-98, the most victories over a four-year span in school history.• Six seasons finishing in the top 10 nationally and 13 seasons ranked in the top 25.• Seventeen Tennessee players earning first-team All-America honors.• Sixteen first-round NFL selections since 1993 and a total of 90 players selected overall. The team's five first-day 2007 NFL Draft picks were the most of any school and UT has led the SEC with the most players on opening-day NFL rosters in two of the last three seasons.• Fifteen bowl games have welcomed the Vols, including 13 January bowl invitations.• In two of the last three seasons, Tennessee football has led the SEC in Academic Honor Roll recipients.

Fulmer was an offensive guard at Tennessee from 1968-71. He began his coaching career at Tennessee before stints at Wichita State (1974-78) and Vanderbilt (1979). Fulmer returned to Tennessee in 1980 and was promoted to head coach in 1992. He has been enshrined in both the Tennessee Sports and Knoxville Sports halls of fame.

In honor of Fulmer's contributions to the university, UT announced that Fulmer's last home game versus Kentucky on Nov. 29 will be "Phillip Fulmer Appreciation Day."

Tennessee will begin a national coaching search immediately.

Report: Fulmer to Resign As Head Coach of Volunteers

The University of Tennessee has announced that there is going to be a 5:00pm press conference this afternoon with Athletic Director Mike Hamilton and Current Volunteer football head coach Phillip Fulmer at Neyland Stadium.

The AP and ESPN.com's Chris Low reports that the University and Fulmer reached a mutual agreement that Fulmer will not return next season and will end Fulmer's 17 year tenure as head coach. The Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog will have continuing coverage of this situation.

UTSports.com will have streaming audio and video of the press conference.