Western Highlands Conference Football Scoreboard

Friday night's Western Highlands Conference football scores:

Polk County 26, Tuscola 21
Mountain Heritage 53, North Buncombe 12
Madison 68, Rosman 6
Hendersonville 17, West Henderson 14 (OT)
Swain 41, Mitchell 7
Brevard 14, Owen 13
Robbinsville 41, Avery 14

Vikings Fall to Knights to Open Football Season

Avery trails Robbinsville by a score of 41-14 after three quarters. The game has been in a lightning delay since around 9:30 p.m. The Knights led 35-14 at halftime behind the strong running of Kurt Odom and quarterback play of Blake Anderson.

Avery's Taylor Potter has had a strong defensive game, while Alex Villanueva has scored on a one-yard touchdown run and also thrown a 95-yard touchdown strike to Andy Gonzalez. We'll provide further updates as play warrants.

UPDATE #2: A number of additional lightning sightings over the next 45 minutes impressed upon the coaches of both teams to meet and eventually declare an end to the game after only 3 quarters. Final Score: Robbinsville 41, Avery 14

Next contest: August 28th at West Wilkes

Vikings Set Sights on Robbinsville in Season-Opener

Following a long, hot summer of 7 on 7s, weight training, scrimmages, and jamborees, the 2009 season officially kicks off Friday night when this year’s edition of the Avery Vikings make the three-hour trek down the spine of the Smoky Mountains to Robbinsville to take on the Black Knights.

Avery finished the 2008 season with a 2-10 record and opening round exit in the 1-AA state playoffs, while Robbinsville finished with a 12-2 overall record, and are this year’s favorite to claim a conference championship. A late-game missed field goal at Elkin in last year’s playoffs prevented the Knights from reaching the state 1A semifinals.

The Vikings have lost their last two meetings with the Knights, falling 35-13 at MacDonald Stadium one season ago and 41-34 the last time the team traveled to Graham County in 2007.

Scouting the Knights:
The Robbinsville Black Knights are members of the Smoky Mountain Conference, and are led by second-year head coach Dee Walsh. The squad utilizes a run-heavy offense and has run a Wing-T formation with great success. The team also utilized one-back and two-back set, as well as a Power-I formation during its encounter with the Big Red a season ago to feature its rushing game.

Robbinsville returns a pair of its top rushers, a leading receiver, as well as its starting quarterback from a season ago. Senior running back Kurt Odom ran for 2,063 yards and 36 touchdowns a season ago, among the state leaders returning this season in both categories. Odom has returned kicks and punts for the Knights and displays deceptive speed and quickness. Odom also shows a nose for the football on the defensive side of the ball, commonly running down backs from behind and is one of the team’s leading tacklers.

Odom is not alone in the offensive backfield as teammate Blake Anderson, who missed a portion of last season due to injury, returns after gaining 929 yards rushing and scoring six touchdowns last year. In the trenches for the Knights will be big men Cody Anderson and Jeremiah Holder. Defensively, the pair accounted for more than 100 tackles, 50 assisted tackles, and 10 tackles for losses last season.

Other returning senior starters include wide receiver Randy Hernandez, who had 952 yards and reached the end zone ten times, as well as Colby White, who had 86 tackles, 23 assisted tackles, seven tackles for loss, and two blocked punts last year, and Taylor Wachacha with 306 yards, seven touchdowns, and 159 tackles.

Hopes were even higher as Robbinsville returned its two-year starting quarterback Luke Perkins, who completed 72 passes for 1,076 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2008. Unfortunately for the Knights, they will have to play without the services of the 6’5” signal-caller for at least the next four weeks, as he is sidelined after surgery on a torn meniscus in his knee sustained at practice last week.

The Low Down:
For Avery to find success at Robbinsville Friday night, a number of things must fall into place. The Vikings must be sure tacklers against a team that thrives on running through or racing by its opponent. Avery’s defense must focus on wrapping up and taking down runners rather than simply attempting to strip a football or force a turnover. This point was evident in the team’s final scrimmage a week ago, as opponent Hampton managed to move the football for around 190 rushing yards in a 12-minute scoreboard clock span.

The loss of Robbinsville QB Luke Perkins is a tough blow to the Knights’ hopes for a championship, but the injury will only galvanize the team and force them to rely more on its running attack to carry the team.

Avery will look to utilize multiple offensive formations to keep Robbinsville off-balance, including a Wing-T formation to complement the team’s Spread offense. This young Avery club must have success rushing the football with the likes of Kenny Hicks, Taylor Potter, Cole Blackburn, and the other Viking running backs to keep the Robbinsville offense off the field and control the clock. Without a doubt, this week’s matchup will make it crucial for the young Vikings to mature quickly if it hopes to spring the upset at Big Oaks Stadium this week.

By the Numbers:
2- Friday’s game marks the second career start for Avery sophomore QB Alex Villanueva. His first was in last year’s opening round playoff game at Hendersonville.
5- number of senior players on the latest 2009 Avery varsity football roster.
10- number of 1A state football championships won by Robbinsville.
163- miles between Avery High School and Robbinsville High School, according to Mapquest.
177- total yards rushing by senior RB Kurt Odom in last year’s season finale at Elkin during the 1A state quarterfinals.
1992- the date of the Black Knights’ last state championship in football.

Read the Avery Journal-Times next week for a full recap of this week’s Endowment game with Robbinsville, as well as a preview of next week’s showdown at West Wilkes.

Interview with Avery Head Football Coach Darrell Brewer

With only hours remaining before the Avery Vikings season-opening football game at Robbinsville, Vikings head coach Darrell Brewer shared his thoughts on the 2009 Vikings and this week's contest.

(Click on the underlined portion for the full audio interview.)

WEEKLY FOOTBALL PICKS CONTEST WEEK 1 (week of 8/21)

Avery Journal-Times Weekly Football Picks Contest Games for Week One:

1. Avery @ Robbinsville

2. Cherokee (TN) @ Johnson Co. (TN)

3. Mitchell @ Swain

4. Watauga @ Ashe County

5. South Caldwell @ McDowell

6. Hibriten @ Freedom

7. West Forsyth @ AC Reynolds

8. Alexander Central @ Davie Co.

9. Patton @ Draughn

10. Chase @ East Henderson

11. N. Henderson @ Enka

12. West Davidson @ East Wilkes

13. Rosman @ Madison

14. T.C. Roberson @ Franklin

15. Tuscola @ Polk County

16. Erwin (NC) @ Pisgah

17. Mt. Heritage @ N. Buncombe

18 Brevard @ Owen

19 Wilkes Central @ West Iredell

20 Hendersonville @ W. Henderson

Tie-Breaker Game: Avery @ Robbinsville

Total # of points scored: __________

Entrants are asked to email their picks, as well as a combined total of points for the week's Tie Breaker Game to the Avery Journal sports desk at sports@averyjournal.com by NO LATER THAN MIDNIGHT ON THURSDAY OF EACH WEEK. Entries may also be dropped off at the Avery Journal-Times offices on Linville Street in Newland by Friday afternoon at 5 p.m.

Each weekly winner will be qualified for prizes to be drawn at the end of the contest period (around Thanksgiving weekend), with prize donations from sponsors such as The Avery Journal-Times, Avery Tire and Service of Newland, the Avery High School and Cloudland High School football teams, and much more!

Games will be posted here on the Blog home page by Tuesday morning of each week. Limit one entry per person per week, regardless of entry method. No postal mail-in entries will be accepted. Each week's winner will be posted on the Blog as well as in the following week's edition of The Avery Journal-Times.

AVERY JOURNAL-TIMES WEEKLY FOOTBALL PICKS CONTEST Ready to Kickoff

It’s almost Football Season again, and this season the Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog will be hosting a Football Picks Contest BEGINNING THIS WEEK!

A list of high school, college, and/or professional games will appear each Tuesday on the AJ-T Sports Website at http://www.ajtsports.blogspot.com.

Entrants are asked to email their picks, as well as a combined total of points for the week's Tie Breaker Game to the Avery Journal sports desk at sports@averyjournal.com by NO LATER THAN MIDNIGHT ON THURSDAY OF EACH WEEK. Entries may also be dropped off at the Avery Journal-Times offices on Linville Street in Newland by Friday afternoon at 5 p.m.

Each weekly winner will be qualified for prizes to be drawn at the end of the contest period (around Thanksgiving weekend), with prize donations from sponsors such as The Avery Journal-Times, Avery Tire and Service of Newland, the Avery High School and Cloudland High School football teams, and much more!

Games will be posted here on the Blog home page by Tuesday morning of each week. Limit one entry per person per week, regardless of entry method. No postal mail-in entries will be accepted. Each week's winner will be posted on the Blog as well as in the following week's edition of The Avery Journal-Times.

Again, find the list of games online each week at the Avery Journal-Times sports website at www.ajtsports.blogspot.com and play each week for YOUR chance to win!