Live from Kidd Brewer Stadium: Black Saturday

1:45: We are live in a gray looking Boone for today's Black Saturday showdown between the Mountaineers and Georgia Southern. These two teams have have a fierce rivalry, and today's contest looks to be no different. I am standing in for Jamie today as he is covering Avery Volleyball's first round playoff game. We will bring you updates as we get them from that match as well as keeping an eye on the UT-Alabama game. This ASU game is on SportSouth as well as the excellent broadcast by Appalachian ISP Radio Network. We hope you enjoy and keep checking with us! -Matt

2:00: Update from Newland: Avery wins set two 25-18 and the match is tied at 1 set apiece. West Wilkes won set 1 by a score of 25-18. It is a best out of five set match.

2:30: West Wilkes takes set three 25-20 as they take a 2 to 1 lead in the match.

2:45: The Lady Vikings season comes to a close as West Wilkes wins set four 26-24 win the playoff match 3 to 1. Congrats to the Lady Vikings on an excellent season.

3:00: IT"S FOOTBALL TIME AT THE ROCK! The teams will be entering the field momentarily as Kidd Brewer is packed out! This is my first trip to the new Kidd Brewer Press Box and I echo Jamie's previous comments about how beautiful it is.

3:02: App won the toss and deferred to the second half so Southern will get the ball to start the game.

3:16: TOUCHDOWN ASU! After forcing a GS three and out, the Mountaineers went on a 10 play 79 yard drive that was capped off when Armanti Edwards hit Matt Cline for a 15-yard touchdown pass. ASU 7 GSU 0 with 9:03 remaining in first quarter.

3:30: Georgia Southern gets on the board after a ASU fumble is recovered and the Eagles goes the distance for the 38-yard touchdown. ASU 7 GSU 7 5:11 left in the first.

3:45: End of 1 sees the Mountaineers leading 14 to 7 and in scoring position again. Edwards became the 2nd player in D-I history to have 8,000 passing and 4,000 rushing yards.

4:00: How quickly things can change. Devon Moore has got two touchdowns since the start of the 2nd quarter as the 'Neers lead 28-7. The ASU defense has played tough as the Eagles have -13 total yards so far. ASU28 GS 7 12:02 left in 2nd.

4:30: With 3:13 remaining in the second quarter, Georgia Southern has tacked on a field goal. A scary moment has just happened as training staff are attending to an injured Eagle. The personnel have had to bring out a back board and a stretcher. The press box staff believes it is Hudson Presume. We will update you on the condition as soon as we get it.

4:40: We just went to the break and the 'Neers lead 35-10 after a quick ASU score when Edwards hit Quick for a nine yard TD. According to APP SID staff, Presume has been taken to the WMC for observation for a possible spinal cord injury. He was conscious when he left the stadium. Quick SEC Update: UT is trailing Alabama 6-3 with 8:00 left in the second quarter.

5:10: We are back at for the second half. Some first half stats: Edwards is 23 of 29 passing for 304 yards and three touchdowns and added 39 yards rushing. CoCo Hillary has seven catches for 104 yards and Matt Cline has nine for 96. Hillary has two touchdowns and Cline has added another one. ASU has 391 yards of total offense to GSU's 96.

5:38:ASU hit paydirt again when Moore scrambled in for four yards, but GS responded with a 15 play drive that took 5:47 off the clock as App continues to lead and the crowd continues the crawl out of a cold Kidd Brewer that began at halftime. Travaris Cadet has taken over the ASU offense in relief work for Edwards. Edwards finished the game 26 of 34 for 320 yards and 3 TDS as well as 6 rushes for 61 yards. Several other ASU starters are also done for the day.

5:45: Injury update: The GSU SID staff has informed us that Presume has movement and that his tests came back negative.

5:50: The Apps will enter the fourth quarter with the game in hand as they lead 45-16.

5:56: It's been a blast, but it is time to join the masses as we must pack up and head to press conferences. We will have a full story later on this weekend on this game. As it stands now, ASU leads 45-16 with 13:00 left in the contest. Thanks for reading the Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog!

Avery Volleyball Hosts Opening Round of State Playoffs

Avery Volleyball will play the West Wilkes Black Hawks tomorrow, Saturday October 24, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. School system employee, Booster Club, and other passes will not be accepted for playoff games.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association sets the gate price at $5.00 and only allows the following passes to be accepted: NCCA, NCHSAA, Senior Tar Heel, Officials passes and media passes.

Avery played West Wilkes on two occasions earlier this season, with the Black Hawks winning both contests.

Vikings Soccer Picks Up Shutout Victory at Madison

In a tight defensive contest, the Avery Vikings earned a hard fought 1-0 victory over Madison in Marshall Wednesday night.

The teams played to a scoreless tie after the first half on the bumpy and rocky surface of O.E. Roberts Stadium. Eventually the Vikings broke through on Madison's Senior Night, as Kyle Griewisch took a pass and scored on the Patriots keeper in the 65th minute to score the only goal of the match.

Avery senior keeper Morgan Bounds and the Vikings defense extends its shutout streak to four games, all in conference play, as the Vikings improve to 12-5-2 overall and 8-3 in Western Highlands Conference play. Avery returns home for Senior Night this Monday against the Mountain Heritage Cougars, then finish the regular season with matches at Mitchell on October 28th and at Polk County on Thursday, the 29th.

Viking Volleyball Roundup

On Tuesday, October 14th, the Avery Lady Vikings volleyball team traveled to Marshall to take on the Madison Lady Patriots. The varsity squad battled to take one set in the best-three-out-of-five match, but the home team Lady Patriots held off the Big Red charge to take the match in four sets.

Last Thursday night the Avery Lady Vikings hosted their final home match of the season, tangling with the Lady Cougars from Mountain Heritage. The Lady Vikings junior varsity team captured the first set in their best-of-three match by a 25-21 final score. In a hard fought second set, the Cougars battled in come-from-behind fashion to even the match at a set apiece with a 27-25 win.

In the rubber set of the match, Avery built an early advantage and led 22-11 midway through the last set. The Lady Cougars cut the deficit but Avery finished the match in style with a 25-17 victory.

Thursday's match was originally set as Senior Night, but since the 2009 Lady Vikings have no seniors on its roster, the Avery volleyball parents and players honored head coach Kim Hayes and assistant Caroline Turner for their time and efforts. The coaches were presented with flowers by the players in an emotional pre-match recognition.

As for the match itself, the Lady Vikings played inspired and put up a valiant fight against a tall and talented Lady Cougars club. Heritage used a number of strong kills and a power game to deny victory to the Big Red, defeating Avery in straight sets by scores of 25-18, 25-16, and 25-19, respectively.

Avery traveled to Mitchell on Tuesday night as the Lady Mountaineers celebrated Senior Night. The Avery junior varsity team started the night with a three-set win over the Lady Mountaineers by scores of 15-25, 26-24, and 25-16, respectively.

The varsity team came out looking for a season sweep over Mitchell, winning the first set by a dominant score of 25-14. Mitchell battled back in the second set to tie the match, winning 25-21. Avery was not to be denied on the evening, capturing the third set 25-13 and pulling away in set four to win 25-16 and take the Western Highlands Conference victory.

Chances are good that the Lady Vikings will be hosting West Wilkes in an opening round matchup of the NC high school playoffs on Saturday. We’ll have the official word on the Lady Vikings playoff fate when brackets are released later in the week by the NCHSAA.

Avery Scholar-Athletes of the Week

Kyle Greene (Football) and Mary Chesnut Smith (Cross Country/Golf) are the Edward Jones Scholar Athletes of the Week. Each student currently participates in a varsity sport at Avery High School and maintains an unweighted grade point average of 3.5 or greater. The Scholar Athlete Award is given for their outstanding performance not only on the playing field, but also in the game of life. Congratulations to this week's winners!

Weekly Picks Contest Winner; This Week's Games

Congratulations to Sam Burleson, who correctly picked 18 out of 20 games in this week's picks contest to win for the second consecutive week. Sam is entered in our end-of-season prize drawing. Special thanks again to Avery Tire and Service of Newland (Hwy 181 on the four lane), the Avery Journal-Times of Newland, as well as the Avery High School and Cloudland High School football programs.

Below is the slate of games for this week:

1. Avery @ Madison
2. Watauga @ Alexander Central
3. Mitchell @ Mtn. Heritage
4. McDowell @ AC Reynolds
5. Owen @ Hendersonville
6. Thomas Jefferson @ Polk Co.
7. Maryland @ Duke
8. Georgia Tech @ Virginia
9. Clemson @ Miami (FL)
10. Boston College @ Notre Dame
11. Florida @ Mississippi State
12. Tennessee @ Alabama
13. Georgia Southern @ Appalachian State
14. Lenoir Rhyne U. @ Mars Hill College
15. NFL: New Orleans @ Miami
16. NFL: Minnesota @ Pittsburgh
17. NFL: Buffalo @ Carolina
18. NFL: Atlanta @ Dallas
19. NFL: Indianapolis @ St. Louis
20. NFL: New England @ Tampa Bay

Tie Breaker: Owen @ Hendersonville

Total # of Points: _________________

Vikings Look to Return to Winning Circle at Madison County

Following a pair of blowout losses over consecutive weeks against Hendersonville and Polk County, the Avery Vikings (4-4, 2-2 WHC) travel to Marshall in an attempt to pick up their elusive first win over the Madison Patriots (3-5, 1-3 WHC). Avery defeated Madison 22-14 at MacDonald Stadium a season ago and has beaten the Patriots in every contest played this decade. Avery fell 46-20 last week to Polk, while Madison lost 34-14 to Owen last Friday night.

Scouting the Patriots
The Madison Patriots are led by first-year head coach Mark Gosnell, a former assistant coach at Erwin, Tuscola, and Stephens County (GA). Gosnell is a Madison alum, playing quarterback for the school before concentrating on baseball during his collegiate career at Wingate University.

Gosnell is the school’s athletic director and is the fourth Patriots head coach in the past five seasons, and helped the school break a 23-game winless streak entering this season with an opening week blowout of Rosman.

The Patriots employ a multiple-I offense, as Robbie Shelton (46 for 108, 667 yards, 8 TD in 2009) calls signals behind center. Thus far this season Madison has relied heavily on its junior running back Brandon Henderson (152 rushes, 1047 yards, 12 TD in 2009) to carry the offensive burden.

Madison also looks to bolster its running game by using senior running back Corry Heath Miller (30 rushes, 230 yards, 4 TD in 2009). Its passing game, when utilized, relies upon a pair of senior receivers in Austin Nix, Garrett Cuthbertson, and Cameron Garrison.

The Patriots rely on a strong running game due to a young yet large offensive line, including junior Robert Taffer, sophomore Lucas Garrett, and junior Brandon Lisenbee.

Madison has switched to a 4-3 defensive scheme in 2009, with Garrison, Cuthbertson, Ethan Ball, and junior Craig Mace anchoring the secondary.

The Low Down

Avery has enjoyed a decade of dominance against Madison, taking advantage of a usually hapless Patriots club to chalk up victory after victory. The Vikings do not have the luxury of overlooking Madison this year, however. The Patriots have a strong rushing attack that can potentially pose problems to the Avery defense.

Madison’s wins have come against less-than-stellar teams in Thomas Jefferson and Rosman, in addition to a victory over Hayesville.

When the Vikings have been successful, the team has held turnovers to a minimum. Avery has committed nine turnovers over the past two contests, allowing its opponent to take large early leads en route to victories. The Vikings must take better care of the football if they wish to have any chance at victory on the road this week.

By the Numbers
0 – wins by Madison over Avery in varsity football since 1999.
3- touchdown passes by Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva in last Friday’s game against Polk County.
22- points per game allowed by the Madison defense this season.
58 – combined points given up by Avery in the first half of its last two games.
80- rushing yards gained by the Big Red in last week’s game against Polk County.
236- rushing yards surrendered by the Vikings in last week’s loss to the Wolverines.

Check out next week’s edition of the Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s game against Madison, as well as a preview of next week’s Senior Night home finale against Mountain Heritage.

Soccer Blanks Thomas Jefferson, Shuts Out #2 Hendersonville and #13 Wolverines in Conference Action

On Monday, October 12^th, the Avery soccer team traveled to Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy for a Western Highlands Conference match. The contest was all Vikings, as seven different players scored goals en route to an 11-0 shutout win.

The Vikings got the early lead in the first couple of minutes in the match and never looked back en route to the win.

“I was sorry and not happy about the final score of the match. I told our guys that our objective, especially in the second half, was not to score but to work on our passing game to get ready for Hendersonville,” Avery soccer head coach Tom Evaul said after the win. “Kyle could have scored at will in the match, but he worked on his game, with his passing and ended up with four assists through getting everybody involved.”

The weather may have been cold and raw to the fans Avery High School Wednesday night, October 14^th, but the Avery Vikings men's soccer team kept the action red hot, as it used smothering defense and timely goals to defeat 1A #2 ranked Hendersonville 3-0.

The matchup was originally scheduled to be played in Hendersonville, but poor field conditions at Dietz Field prompted the teams to relocate the match to the turf of MacDonald Stadium.

Avery struck in the very first minute of the match as a shot from Kyle Griewisch rebounded to Zack Strange, who was in perfect position to bury the shot in the back of the net to spot Avery a 1-0 advantage. The two teams jockeyed for position throughout the remainder of the half, as the Vikings defense remained stern and keeper Morgan Bounds turned away every Bearcat shot. The game remained a 1-0 lead for the Big Red until halftime.

In the second half, Avery scored in the 60th minute off a Kyle Griewisch goal assisted by Isauro Estrada to extend the Vikings advantage to 2-0. Just over a minute later, Hendersonville was a beneficiary of a foul in the penalty box and was awarded the penalty kick. In a harbinger of the remainder of the night, the penalty shot ricocheted off the post and the Bearcats were again denied.

"I definitely think that penalty shot miss was a change in momentum for us," Avery head coach Tom Evaul said after the match. "I think they would have gotten the momentum they needed if they had made the shot."

Instead of a one-goal margin, Avery preserved its 2-0 lead and added a third goal in the 67th minute when Jorge Arreola assisted on a second goal by Griewisch to close the scoring in the 3-0 triumph.

Playing without the services of senior defensive stopper Daniel Huff, who underwent knee surgery earlier on Wednesday, the Vikings defense rose to the challenge and blanked the talented Bearcats club.

"This win ranks right up there with the girls victory over Polk last season to give them their first-ever conference loss,” Coach Evaul said after the win. “I was really pleased with the defense. Brock (Yackey) has stepped up, Heraclio (Flores), and Cody (Shadoin) have all stepped up and played well of late. We have had to play a lot of the season without Daniel, and we have put in a number of players like Daniel Lusk and Forrest Sickler at stopper who keep us strong on defense," Coach Evaul added. “Morgan had another great game in goal. We had a lot of shanks and balls that we couldn't clear, yet we still kept them out of goal which says a lot about the players. I’ve never seen our team that excited and ecstatic, and I hope this will give us a boost."

On Monday night, the Vikings hosted another solid squad in the Polk County Wolverines, ranked 13^th in the latest 2A soccer poll. Another strong defensive contest and a pair of timely goals were the difference in a 2-0 Viking victory.

In the early going, the Vikings spent the first several minutes on its defensive end of the field. Avery turned field position around, however, and scored the lone goal of the first half when Daniel Lusk blasted a shot from 25 yards out that found the back of the net.

The Avery defense and keeper Morgan Bounds was sharp through the first 40 minutes. Bounds made a number of athletic saves on shots to help preserve the Big Red advantage.

Throughout the second half the Wolverines pressured the Avery defense, but the Vikings were up to the challenge, turning Polk away at every forward push.

Avery almost extended its lead to two goals when a header from Jorge Arreola found the left goal post. Just a minute later, in the 75^th minute, senior Kyle Griewisch went on an offensive run up the left side of the field and powered a low ball to the right corner of the goal to stake the Vikings to the two-goal edge that proved to be the winning margin.

Avery soccer improves to 11-5-2 on the season with a 7-3 mark in conference play, and will take on the Madison Patriots in Marshall for a conference matchup on Wednesday.

Women's Golf Sends Pair to Regional Tournament

The Avery women's golf team embarked on the two-day conference tournament last Monday, October 12^th at Black Mountain Golf Course. Combating the rain and wet course conditions, the girls battled hard all day against fellow conference foes Mountain Heritage, Owen, Polk County, and Hendersonville.

The original 18-hole round was shortened to only nine holes due to inclement weather. Avery girls participating in the opening day of the tournament (scores in parentheses) were: Catalina Lehmann (52), Mary Chesnut Smith (56), Nikki Wright (56), Noelle Henline (62), Kelli Burleson (62).

The Owen Warlassies finished in first place after day one of competition, while Mountain Heritage sat in second, Hendersonville third, and Avery sat only two strokes back in fourth place.

The next day the teams completed the 2009 tournament with 18 holes of play at Mountain Glen Golf Club in Newland. The lowest three individual scores from Monday's nine holes at Black Mountain Golf Course were added to the best three individual low scores in Tuesday's 18-hole round to tabulate team totals.

When the day's competition was complete, the Owen Warhorses took the overall team championship with a total score of 433. Mountain Heritage captured second place with a combined score of 458. Hendersonville finished third with a score of 486, followed in fourth place by the Lady Vikings with a team score of 505. Rounding out the team totals was Polk County with a team score of 541.

Avery's Catalina Lehmann finished tied for sixth overall in individual performances with a total of 162, which earned her a berth on the All-Conference team and entry into the Regional tournament. Avery freshman Arden Stanley qualified for Regional competition by virtue of scoring under 55 for nine holes.

"I think it's great for our team. Most of the girls we competed against have had long established programs. We took it slow and practiced twice a week just to get the girls interested in playing. In our first year to have two girls qualify for regionals is just outstanding," Avery golf coach Boe Barinowski said after the tournament.

The ladies traveled to regional competition in Asheville on Monday. Monday’s tournament was delayed 90 minutes due to frost on the course. Avery’s duo of Lehmann and Stanley played hard, but the short game proved to be a difficult obstacle as the tandem finished the 18 holes with scores of 128 and 130, respectively which landed them in the 25^th percentile.

Although the girls were unable to qualify for the state tournament, but the experience and milestones gained by the Avery women’s golf team in its inaugural season is of the utmost value.

“This was the first tournament where the girls weren’t allowed to pick up their ball on a hole, and some players had scores of 15, 16, or even 17 for an individual hole. Our girls each had 11s on holes, which was something they hadn’t seen before,” Coach Barinowski said following the round. “I really like the way the regional tournament is structured. It is a better snapshot of your golfers in high school sports and rewards individual play more. In boys golf you can be a poor golfer on a good team and go to state, where in girls golf if you go as a team, you’re probably good enough to also go as an individual. The best method for building talent is girls teaching girls, and now we have two girls see what it is like at regional level and can share that experience with their teammates.”

The success of this year’s team can be traced to the generosity of a number of individuals and groups, including the local golf courses allowing the girls to practice and hold matches, as well as organizations who donated space to allow the team to better prepare for the season.

“The fact that we had a girl qualify for All-Conference in our first season in existence validates the decision by Mark Garrett to start the program. I want to thank him for helping us move in the right direction with athletics in a more equitable way,” Coach Barinowski added. “JROTC helped to fund the multi-use complex that allows us to also utilize the facility to practice golf indoors, particularly for boys golf in the winter. The VFW allowed ROTC to hold its annual banquet there for free rather than us using our budget to hold a banquet elsewhere. That allowed us to put the funds toward our indoor rifle range facility and lay down the carpet for golf and other activities.”

The coach was also quite appreciative of the local golf courses and personnel who continue to help the school’s golf teams succeed and improve.

“We are so appreciate the golf staffs that allow our boys to practice before even the members are allowed to play in order to help them prepare for their season. The support of the staff at Linville Golf Club has been huge, as well as the people at Mountain Glen and Sugar Mountain courses who have helped our teams to hold practice and matches during their respective seasons.”

Congratulations to the Avery ladies golf team on a fantastic first season, and best of luck to the boys golf team in the spring.

First Quarter Mishaps Sink Vikings Ship against Wolverines

Last Friday night the Avery Vikings hoped to avoid a repeat of the previous week’s rout in Hendersonville as they played host to the Polk Country Wolverines at MacDonald Stadium. In the final analysis, three turnovers in seven plays doomed Avery’s hopes to remain in second place in the Western Highlands Conference race, as the Wolverines dispatched of the Big Red on a cold night in Newland by the final score of 46-20.

Avery received the opening kickoff but was forced to punt to Polk. The Wolverines featured the all-around athleticism of quarterback Andre Overholt for the first of many times over the course of the evening, as the signal-caller scampered 23 yards into the end zone for the first Wolverine score of the game and a 6-0 lead.

Already facing an early deficit, Avery inflicted its first self-inflicted wound in the form of a fumble on its first offensive play of the ensuing series. Polk’s Chandler Miller recovered the ball at the Avery 25, and a 24-yard pass connection from Overholt to Kasey Jackson set up a one-yard plunge by Overholt to pull Polk ahead 12-0.

Avery’s next series ended much as the previous one. This time the Vikings turned the ball over as quarterback Alex Villanueva was picked off by Polk’s Ryan Thomas near midfield. A 34-yard scramble by Overholt on a 3rd and 23 kept the Wolverine drive alive, which was capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass from Overholt to Justin Blackburn. Following two unsuccessful two-point conversions on its previous scores, Polk chose to kick the extra point to build a 19-0 advantage.

The Vikings continued to shoot themselves in the foot on its next offensive series when, on the team’s second play, a center-quarterback exchange resulted in a fumble recovered by Polk inside the 20-yard line. The Wolverines immediately capitalized, as Jackson rumbled 16 yards on the very next play to spot Polk a commanding 25-0 lead before the end of the first quarter of action.

After the first period, Polk had out-gained Avery in total yardage 147-43 and had forced three Viking turnovers. After the Vikings turned the ball over on downs to Polk, the Avery defense rose up when Tyler Buchanan forced a fumble that teammate Tyler Long recovered. Unfortunately, the Vikings were unable to capitalize when Villanueva was intercepted by Justin Blackburn at the Wolverines 9-yard line and returned to near midfield.

Avery’s defense had a hard time stopping the diversified Polk offensive attack. Jackson capped a 6-play, 52-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run. The point after gave Polk an insurmountable 32-0 lead.

In the final minutes of the half, Avery used a Dylan Aldridge punt to pin Polk deep in its own territory. The Vikings defense forced a Jackson fumble on the first play, recovered by Dylan Aldridge inside the Polk 20-yard line. The Big Red wasted little time scoring when Villanueva found Colton Blackburn for an 18-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, but Polk’s lead was cut to 32-6 at halftime.

The Vikings hoped to mount a comeback with two quarter of action to be played, but the hopes were quickly dashed by the Polk County special teams. Andre Overholt received the opening kickoff of the half, dodged a number of Viking tacklers, and raced 80 yards to pay dirt. The extra point restored the Wolverines advantage to 39-6.

After an Avery three-and-out, Polk mounted its longest drive of the evening, a 10-play, 70-yard march culminating in a second touchdown pass from Overholt to Blackburn to push the lead to 46-6 at the 3:34 mark of the third quarter.

The two teams combined for three turnovers over the next four minutes of play as the final quarter ensued. Late in the game, the Avery offense finally got untracked as Villanueva led the Vikings on a pair of touchdown drives. Remington Austin caught a 25-yard touchdown pass, while a Kenny Hicks two-point conversion run pulled Avery to within 46-14. After the Avery defense held Polk on a fourth down near the Viking red zone, Avery’s offense took over and drove 78 yards in eight plays. A 13-yard pass from Villanueva to Dylan Aldridge closed out the scoring.

“Avery was its own worst enemy tonight,” Avery head coach Darrell Brewer succinctly summed up after the loss. “Polk was a good football team, but we sure helped them along as well as we could.”

Avery’s record drops to an even 4-4 on the year, with a 2-2 conference mark. The Vikings travel to Marshall to take on the Madison Patriots this Friday night.

Johnson and Johnson Cause Tears to Brevard

Avery Viking alums Josh Johnson and Zach Johnson were each forces on their respective sides of the football on Saturday as the Mars Hill College Lions defeated the Brevard Tornadoes 28-13 on a cool, rainy afternoon to move into second place in the South Atlantic Conference.

Mars Hill's quarterbacking duo of Luis Cruz (Anaheim, Calif.) and Jon Richt (Watkinsville, Ga.) combined for 258 yards and three touchdowns as the Lions broke the Tornados' three-game home winning streak.

Brevard battled both the muddy field conditions and the Mars Hill defense as the Tornados were held under the 100 yard rushing mark for the first time this season, as the Lions held the duo of Neville Bryce and Michael Crumbaker to 45 yards on the ground.

Matthew Gaines was able to find some success through the passing game for the Tornados, connecting with Shaton Pratt for a 36-yard gain late in the fourth quarter, setting up Brevard's second score of the evening, finishing 4-11 for 65 yards. Eric Watts was the Tornados leading receiver for the evening, with two catches for 20 yards.

On the defensive side of the ball Stanley Jones led all tacklers with 15 stops and the Tornados were able to extend their sack and interception streaks to 10 games as the Salonik Amos picked off a pass late in the second quarter and Justin Jefferson and Richard Ray combined for a sack in the third quarter.

The damage the Lions did throughout the game came in the air, as Richt was 8-12 for 146 yards and a touchdown, while Cruz finished the game 8-16 for 112 yards and a pair of scoring tosses to go with the interception. Josh Johnson (Newland, N.C.) was the team's leading target, with six catches for 52 yards and a score, while Travis Prince (Jacksonville, Fla.) turned both of his receptions for 146 yards, including a 90-yard touchdown reception on the Lions' opening possession of the game.

The Tornados opened the game with the ball, but the Mars Hill defense stood strong, forcing a three-and-out. Reigning SAC Special Teams Player of the Week, Watts booted a 55-yard punt down to the Mars Hill 10, pinning the visiting team deep in their own territory for their opening possession.

Off a play-action fake, Richt stepped up into the pocket and delivered a strike to Prince who slipped behind the Tornados secondary and out-raced the Brevard defenders the rest of the way to the end zone to give the guests the 7-0 lead 1:34 into the game.

Brevard wasted no time coming back and putting points of their own up on the board as the Tornados churned out 63 yards on 12 plays, with Church rumbling in from 10 yards out as the Brevard tied the game up at 7 with 6:12 remaining in the opening period.

The Lions would strike on their second possession in the second quarter, breaking the tie as Cruz found Allen Woerner in the back of the end zone to cap off an 83-yard drive in 3:52 and Michael Pinkerton's extra point put the game at 14-7 with 4:03 remaining in the half.

The Tornados were forced to another three-and-out on the following possession, with Mars Hill taking over on the Lions 38-yard line. On third down, Cruz attempted to put the game away early, launching a bomb down the left hash, but Amos, making a great read on the play, picked off the ball and slipped to the ground at the BC 21-yard line.

The joy for the Tornados was short-lived as Bryce, carrying the ball up the middle, had it slip out of his hands down to the turf where it was recovered by Mars Hill's Mazarius Samon at the Brevard 19. Two plays later Cruz found Josh Johnson up the middle for 13-yards for a touchdown to put the Lions up 21-7.

The score would remain the same through halftime and most of the third quarter before the Lions put together a drive with time running out in the period, capped off by Garrison McDowell's one-yard plunge to take a commanding 28-7 lead after three periods.

Brevard mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter as Gaines found a streaking Shaton Pratt on fourth-and-seven at the Mars Hill 37-yard line for a 36-yard pick-up at the goal line, where Church bulldozed his way through the pile for his second score of the evening. A muffed hold on the extra point kept the score at 28-13.

The Tornados had possession one more time in the contest, but Brevard was unable to convert on fourth-down as the stretch by Cory Pertz on fourth-and-nine came up just short and the Lions were able to run out the clock to seal the victory, 28-13.

Mars Hill was led defensively by redshirt junior Zach Johnson, who wreaked havoc on the Brevard offense by recording a team-high eight tackles. Mars Hill will host Lenoir-Rhyne University next Saturday in the Lions' annual Homecoming game. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m.

Avery High Winter Sports Schedules

Avery High School has released its winter season schedules for basketball and wrestling. Schedules may be found at the school's website at www.averyschools.net, or by clicking the wrestling or basketball link.

A couple of notes from the schedules:

• Seeing the 2009-10 Avery wrestling team at home will be a premium this season, as the team will have only three home matches for the entire season (11/23 vs. Freedom, 1/21 vs. Mitchell, and 1/26 vs. Hendersonville)
• Avery's varsity teams will be participating this year in the Mitchell County basketball tournament in Ledger immediately after Thanksgiving, while the varsity women will compete for two days over the Christmas holiday in the Draughn High School tournament in Burke County.
• Avery opens the regular season basketball schedule with neighboring rival Cloudland (TN) in Roan Mountain on November 24th.
• Both the Western Highlands Conference wrestling and basketball tournaments will be held at Owen High School, with wrestling's tournament on February 5th and the basketball tournament from February 15th-19th.