Johnsons, Lions Travel to Take on Pioneers

Mars Hill College traveled to cloudy and rainy Greeneville, TN to try to preserve its Division II playoff hopes while tangling with the Tusculum Pioneers in South Atlantic Conference football action on Saturday afternoon. Mars Hill entered the game looking for its first win in the series since 2002. It was a happy Halloween for the Pioneers, however, taking the victory by a final score of 38-28.

Tusculum led 21-13 at halftime on its Homecoming Day, but the first two quarters could have been renamed "The Jonas Randolph Show". The Lions running back toted the pigskin for 184 yards rushing through the first half and two touchdowns. Avery alumnus Josh Johnson had one catch in the first half, while teammate Zach Johnson has recorded a first half tackle.

The Lions entered the game 6-2 overall, with a 4-1 mark in conference play, while the Pioneers of Tusculum came in at 2-6, with a 1-4 conference record this season.

Mars Hill got a lift from a big kickoff return by Darin Baldwin, and opened its first second-half drive with a 16-yard pass play from QB Jon Richt to WR Josh Johnson, but the Lions were held on fourth down to turn the football over on downs.

Tusculum's ensuing offensive series of the second half was highlighted by a pass from Pioneer QB Bo Cordell to RB Marcus Foster that covered 55 yards. The Lions defense buckled down, however, resulting in a Tusculum field goal to extend the Pioneer advantage to 24-13.

Mars Hill answers with another solid drive, as Randolph continued to churn up yardage. Richt hit Josh Johnson for his third catch of the game, a first-down pass connection to give the Lions a first-and-goal to go. Three plays later Mars Hill capped 10 play, 70-yard scoring drive with a one-yard touchdown by Jonas Randolph. The PAT cuts the Tusculum lead to 24-20.

A developing story in the game was whether Randolph could break the Mars Hill single-season rushing record. Needing 250 yards to break the mark of 1,607 yards, Randolph, the second-leading rusher in NCAA Division II football, has 222 yards rushing in under three quarters of action.

The game was delayed for several minutes with three minutes to play in the third quarter when Tusculum's Jamal Ferguson had to be carted off the field after making a block on a pass completion. Tusculum quarterback Bo Cordell hit Jarrell NeSmith for a 22-yard pass play to the Mars Hill one-yard line. Pioneers backup QB Collin Wigely scored on a one-yard sneak to put the Pioneers back on the board with 1:45 to play in the third quarter. The PAT was good to give Tusculum the 31-20 edge.

The Lions' next offensive series resulted in a three-and-out, punting the football away to Tusculum as the third quarter expired with the Pioneers leading by 11 points. Needing perhaps its most important defensive stop of the season, Tusculum's Jarrell NeSmith broke the hearts of Lions fans as he broke open on a screen pass completion for a 47-yard touchdown. The PAT put the Pioneers ahead 38-20 early in the fourth quarter.

With its next possession, the Lions worked quickly to march down the field. Quarterback Luis Cruz found Josh Johnson for an 11-yard gainer, but the drive stalled and Mars Hill punted the ball back to Tusculum. Mars Hill's defense held Tusculum to a three-and-out, but a 56-yard punt pinned the Lions inside their own 10-yard line to start a huge series.

Mars Hill tried to claw back into the contest in the closing minutes of the contest, but the Lions turned the football over on downs. The Lions held Tusculum on downs to get the pigskin back with under four minutes to play, and the offense responded. A 10-yard touchdown run by Jonas Randolph, his fourth score of the contest, capped a scoring drive with 2:21 left to play. A two-point conversion pass play from Richt to Rudy Cabral cut the edge to 38-28.

The Lions attempted an onside kick to try to get the football back, but the ball fell out-of-bounds to give the Pioneers the football and run out the clock to preserve a hard-fought 38-28 victory.

Jonas Randolph ended the contest with 260 yards rushing on 38 carries with four scores, setting Mars Hill's single-season rushing record. Randolph established a new school single-season record with 1,618 rushing yards. He is 250 yards shy of the SAC season record with at least one game remaining. He also owns the records for most rushing touchdowns (16) in a single-season and most all-purpose touchdowns (16) in a season. The performance was the 11th best in South Atlantic Conference history, and the fourth time he has rushed for over 200 yards in a game this season.

Tusculum quarterback Bo Cordell finished 26 for 41 for 366 yards with four TDs and two interceptions.

Josh Johnson ended the afternoon as the leading receiver for the Lions, with four receptions for 39 yards. Teammate and fellow Avery County product Zach Johnson finished Saturday's game with a strong second half, registering seven tackles in the loss.

Mars Hill drops to 6-3 overall, with a 4-2 conference mark. The Lions will host Wingate next Saturday afternoon at Meares Stadium on Senior Day in a game that will decide second place in the South Atlantic Conference.

Appalachain Football Routs Furman 52-27 for SoCon Road Victory

Despite a "white out" by fans and Furman players in Greenville, South Carolina on Saturday afternoon, the golden-clad Appalachian State Mountaineers rode both the left arm and the two legs of QB Armanti Edwards to its 17th consecutive conference win, a convincing 52-27 triumph over the Furman Paladins at rainy Paladin Stadium.

ASU got things going early, scoring within the first three minutes of the game when Armanti Edwards hit Ben Jorden for a 16-yard touchdown pass. The extra point put the Mountaineers on the board at 7-0.

Later in the opening quarter, the Mountaineers doubled its advantage when Edwards topped a 13 play, 86 yard scoring drive with a three-yard run, the first of four touchdown runs for the contest as the Black and Gold led 14-0 midway through the first period. Edwards ran for his second score, a four-yard scamper in the opening minutes of the second quarter. The Jason Vitaris PAT staked Appalachian to a commanding 21-0 edge.

Furman finally got on the board when Tersoo Uhaa rushed for a four-yard score. Matthew Cesari converted the extra point to cap an 8-play, 62-yard drive and cut the ASU lead to 21-7.

The Armanti Edwards rushing machine continued to roll over the Furman club, as he scored his third rushing touchdown of the half, a one-yard plunge to finish off a 71-yard scoring drive and help rebuild the ASU lead to 28-7 with 5:43 left in the first half.

Furman answered the Appalachian tally with its own score on its next drive. Furman quarterback Jordan Sorrells completed a 33-yard touchdown pass to Colin Anderson. A two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving ASU with a 28-13 bulge.

Late in the half, ASU running back Devon Moore made his presence felt with a four-yard touchdown jaunt, demoralizing the Paladin defense as Appalachian held a decisive 35-13 lead at halftime.

On its first drive of the third quarter Appalachian picked up where it left off offensively. Edwards ran for his fourth and final touchdown of the day, a five-yard run to cap off a 68-yard drive. The extra point gave the Apps a 42-13 lead.

Furman continued to play hard despite the deficit. Sorrells led the Paladins on a third scoring drive of the day, connecting with Adam Mims on a 72-yard touchdown pass. The point after brought Furman within 42-20 with 10:07 left in the third quarter.

Any thoughts of a comeback were quickly quelled by the Mountaineers. Edwards found wide receiver Coco Hillary on a 21-yard touchdown pass play to culminate a drive that elapsed only 1:03 off the third quarter clock. The PAT left ASU comfortably ahead 49-20.

Furman answered the ASU score with its final points of the contest, capping a three-minute drive with a Chris Forcier 25-yard touchdown run. Appalachian added a final field goal, a 25-yarder by Jason Vitaris, to close out the scoring in the 52-20 final score.

The Mountaineers outgained Furman 554-350 in total yards and was an impressive 10 of 15 in third down conversion attempts.

Armanti Edwards finished the game 25 of 36 passing for 355 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. Edwards also amassed 13 carries for 106 yards and four scores. In the game, Armanti became the first player in Division I football history to amass 9,000 yards passing and 4,000 yards rushing over an illustrious career.

The win improves the Mountaineers to 6-2 overall, with a 5-0 SoCon mark to tie Elon for the lead. Appalachian returns to The Rock on Saturday, November 7th to take on the Chattanooga Mocs.

Cloudland to Host Opening Round of Tennessee State Football Playoffs

The Cloudland Highlanders will open its bid for a state football championship next Friday night when they will play host to Sunbright High School. Kickoff at Orr Field in Roan Mountain is slated for 7 p.m.

Melton Competes at State Tennis Championships

Lady Vikings senior Anna Melton competed on Friday at Cary Tennis Center in the NCHSAA 1A State Girls Tennis Championships. Melton qualified as a #4 seed out of the Western Regional.

Melton's lone match of the state tournament was against Lori Wang from Raleigh Charter. Wang played a strong match in upending Melton in straight sets by the final of 6-0, 6-2. Wang went on to defeat Jordan Jackson from Mount Airy in straight sets to qualify for Saturday morning's state championship match against East Surry's Megan Shelton.

Congratulations to Anna on a terrific senior tennis season!

Cougars Hand Vikings Fourth Consecutive Defeat

On a misty, foggy Senior Night at MacDonald Stadium, the Avery Vikings played valiantly against a heavily favored visitor in Mountain Heritage. Avery was within a single touchdown late in the first half, but a failed fourth down conversion and a 99-yard scoring drive proved to be the difference as Mountain Heritage defeated Avery 35-14.

Avery trailed 21-7 at halftime and was within 14 points a second time in the third quarter at 28-14 with possession after a successful onside kick. Avery drove to inside the Cougars 3-yard line and attempted a fourth down conversion. An Alex Villanueva quarterback sneak was stopped inches from the goal line. Heritage went on to drive 99 yards over seven plays following the turnover on downs to put the contest away.

Heritage outgained the Vikings on the ground 454 yards to 45, while Avery outthrew the Cougars 198 to 26. Casey Randolph gained 175 yards on 22 carries with a pair of touchdowns. Cougars quarterback Josh Laws gained 166 yards on 13 carries, while running back Matthew Kardulis added 90 yards on seven carries, to go with three interceptions on defense.

Avery was led by quarterback Alex Villanueva, who was 12 for 29 for 183 yards with a touchdown passing and a rushing touchdown. Villanueva was shaken up on a play in the second half and did not return as Samson Jennings came on in relief at quarterback for the remainder of the contest.

Andy Gonzalez caught four passes for 97 yards, and Dylan Aldridge averaged over 41 yards per punt, including a long of 61 yards.

Avery falls to 4-6 on the season and 2-4 in conference play, while Mountain Heritage improves to 8-2 overall and 5-1 in conference play. The Vikings will look to stop the losing skid next Friday night in Ledger against the Mitchell Mountaineers.

Other Friday night final scores in the WHC:
Polk 24, Owen 16
Mitchell 35, Madison 0
Hendersonville 51, Thomas Jefferson 0

Pre-Game Coach's Interview with Avery Football's Darrell Brewer

Click the title link above for this week's WECR-AM 1130 pre-game interview with Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer.

Vikings Soccer Falls in Regular Season Finale at Polk

Coming off a 3-1 win at Mitchell Wednesday night, the Avery soccer team trekked to Columbus in hopes of finishing the regular season on a winning note at the expense of the Polk Wolverines. The victory was not to be, however, as Polk avenged its loss earlier in the season to Avery with a 3-0 win Thursday night.

Avery was outshot by Polk 23-6 for the match, as Wolverine Cole Weicker had a pair of goals and an assist for the home squad. David Abril tallied the other goal as the Wolverines dropped the Vikings to 13-7-2 overall, and 9-5 in the Western Highlands Conference. By virtue of its victory, Polk and Hendersonville ended the season as co-champions of the Western Highlands Conference.

The Vikings now await official word on their entry into this year's state soccer tournament, likely as a wild card entrant.

Lady Vikings Tennis Falls in State Duals at Mount Airy

The Avery Lady Vikings traveled to Mount Airy on Wednesday afternoon for a NCHSAA second round dual tennis match against the Lady Bears of Mount Airy High School.

The Lady Bears proved that their #2 ranking and 16-1 overall record was no fluke, as they upended the Big Red by a 6-0 final match score to advance to the NCHSAA 1A western regional semifinals.

Mount Airy played sound tennis, handling everything that the Lady Vikings threw at them on the court. Avery's Anna Melton met a stiff challenge in Mount Airy #1 Jordan Jackson, as Jackson took a 6-0, 6-1 victory. Senior Hayden Blackburn ran into a buzzsaw of her own in Mount Airy's Ellie Case, who won by scores of 6-0, 6-0.

Lady Viking Leah Powell fared somewhat better in her match against Merry Kessler of Mount Airy, taking a game in each set before falling 6-1, 6-1. Avery senior Lauren Avery put up a tough fight in her match against Elizabeth Dinkins, falling 6-1 in the first set. Lauren drew as close as 3-4 in the second set, but Dinkins won the final two games to take the straight set win.

Avery teammates Morgan Stout and Haley Shell competed hard in their singles matches, but fell by identical 6-0, 6-0 scores, respectively to Mount Airy players Jordan Gwyn and Alex Rigney.

Anna Melton will wrap up her senior season with the Lady Vikings tennis squad this weekend when she travels to Cary for the NCHSAA state tennis championships.

Mountaineer Football Notebook: ASU to Don Gold Once Again at Furman

(courtesy Appalachian Sports Information)
BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University football will wear its gold “alternate” jerseys for a second time when it squares off with longtime rival Furman on Saturday in Greenville, S.C.

Appalachian debuted the gold jerseys during its 55-21 homecoming win over North Carolina Central on Oct. 10 and held an online auction for the game-worn jerseys over the course of the next two weeks. However, when Furman requested to wear its white jerseys as part of a promotion during Saturday’s game, ASU decided to break out the gold threads one last time before they are shipped to the auction winners on Monday, Nov. 2 as originally planned.

The Mountaineers are 2-0 in Nike-produced alternate uniforms. In the 2008 home opener, the Apps topped Jacksonville, 56-7, while wearing “throwback” replicas of Appalachian’s 1989 uniforms, in honor of head coach Jerry Moore’s 20th season at ASU.

NORTH CAROLINA’S BAND OF DISTINCTION TO PERFORM AT FURMAN: There is another special Halloween treat in store for Mountaineer fans in attendance at Paladin Stadium on Saturday, as the ASU Marching Band will perform at the game.

Saturday marks the first time this season that “North Carolina’s Band of Distinction” will perform at an ASU road contest. Following the game, the Marching Mountaineers will make the short trip to Atlanta, where they’ll perform in the Bands of America Super Regional at the Georgia Dome at 10:30 p.m.

MOUNTAINEER TALK AIRS LIVE FROM BEEF ‘O’ BRADY’S TONIGHT: Mountaineer Talk, the Appalachian ISP Sports Network’s weekly radio call-in show. airs live from Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in Boone (located in the Watauga Village Shopping Center on Blowing Rock Road) every Thursday at 7 p.m.

As always, the “Voice of the Mountaineers” David Jackson and head coach Jerry Moore will be on hand this Thursday to recap last week’s 52-16 rout over Georgia Southern, preview another rivalry game on Saturday at Furman and answer questions from fans gathered at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s and listening around the world. Jackson will also be joined by second-year women’s basketball head coach Darcie Vincent, who will share her thoughts on the fast-approaching hoops season.

Fans that can’t be on hand at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s can tune in to the hour-long show on the following Appalachian ISP Sports Network affiliates: flagship station WKBC 97.3 FM (North Wilkesboro, Hickory, Charlotte, High Country), WATA 1450 AM (Boone), WDNC 620 AM (Durham) and WHKP 1450 AM (Hendersonville), as well as on tape delay at 6 p.m. Friday on WPCM 920 AM (Burlington). A free live stream can be heard worldwide at GoASU.com.

SATURDAY’S GAME TELEVISED LIVE ON WLOS: Saturday’s game is being televised live on ABC affiliate WLOS-TV (Ch. 13) in the Asheville, N.C./Spartanburg, S.C./Greenville, S.C. market.

The live broadcast will reach nearly 900,000 homes in the nation’s 36th-largest TV market. However, it is not available in other markets, including the High Country. Additionally, since Furman is not a partner of ASU athletics’ web provider Jump TV, live video will not be available through GoASU TV subscriptions. However, fans can listen to the Appalachian ISP Sports Network’s live radio broadcast at GoASU.com or visit FurmanPaladins.com for video options.

Saturday’s radio broadcast is also available on Appalachian ISP Sports Network affiliates across the region. For a complete list of network affiliates carrying this week’s radio broadcast over the air, see p. 1 of ASU’s weekly game notes (which are always available at GoASU.com’s Gameday Central page).

Three-Peat: Men's Soccer Clinches Conference Carolinas Regular Season Title

(courtesy LMC Sports Informtion) BANNER ELK, N.C. - The No. 1 nationally ranked Lees-McRae College Bobcats men's soccer a secured their spot atop the Conference Carolians with an 8-0-1 conference record in 2009 to three-peat as regular season champions.

The Bobcats are first in the conference standings with 25 total points -- each win is worth three points and a tie one point. Today, Limestone lost to Pfeiffer sealing the title for Lees-McRae. Limestone is currently second in the conference with 24 points, but do not have any games left to earn more points.

The Bobcats will be the number one seed and have home field advantage throughout the Conference Carolinas Tournament, which begins Tuesday October 3rd.

It is the third straight season the Bobcats have one the regular season title. Head coach Chris Whalley has now won the title in three of his five seasons at the helm of the program including two tournament championships.

"As a coaching staff we are very proud of how hard the team has worked to date and feel that being Conference Carolinas Regular Season Champions is tribute to how well we have played at home and on the road this season," Whalley said.

"This was only one of our goals this season and we must continue to work hard everyday in order to achieve the other goals we set at the beginning of the year," said student-assistant coach Adam Burden.

The Bobcats player their final regular season match at conference opponent Pfeiffer Saturday at 3 p.m.

Visit lmcbobcats.com for the latest news and info on Lees-McRae College Athletics.

Avery Football Faces Stern Test in Cougars for Senior Night

Following a 33-27 setback at the hands of Madison last Friday night, the Avery Vikings (4-5, 2-3) have no time to dwell on the past as they return to MacDonald Stadium for Senior Night to host the Mountain Heritage Cougars (7-2, 4-1 WHC). Mountain Heritage enters Friday’s contest following a 69-18 thrashing of Mitchell at home last week. Mountain Heritage shut out Avery by a 42-0 final score last Halloween night in Burnsville.

Scouting the Cougars:
The Mountain Heritage Cougars are coached by eighth-year head coach Joey Robinson who has turned around a club that is just two seasons removed from an 0-11 season. Heritage won a school-record 11 times in 2008, advancing to the third round of the state 2A playoffs where they lost to eventual state champion Newton-Conover.

Mountain Heritage graduated 19 seniors from last year’s historic squad, but returns a number of players to run its ground-oriented Spread offense and shifting defense from an eight-man box. Calling the signals for the Cougars is Josh Laws (22 of 44, 440 yards, 6 TD, 5 INT in 2009), a 6’0, 170 lb. senior who worked as a utility back and wide receiver last season.

The Cougars offense involves a number of quick-hitting tailbacks and slot backs that are multi-talented. Leading the Heritage rushing attack is one of the state’s leading ball carriers in senior Casey Randolph (169 rushes, 2,077 yards, 27 TD), who stepped in for graduated standout running back Jesse Ballew. Randolph has rushed for over 3,000 yards since the beginning of the ’08 season.

Randolph’s success can be directly attributed to a number of blocking behemoths that make up the offensive line of the club. Teammates Taylor Fender (6’2”, 320 lbs.) and Casey Peterson (5’10”, 340 lbs.) consistently open holes for the running game.

When the Cougars throw the football, receivers Drew Letterman (6 receptions, 217 yards, 3 TD in 2009), along with Randolph and Trevon Miller (61 yards receiving, TD) will be part of the mix.

Fender and Peterson will plug up the middle of the defense, with Austin Rice at middle linebacker along with Miller and juniors Nick Ray, Dalton Woody, and Trenton Burleson.

The Low Down:
Avery faces a stiff challenge if it hopes to turn around its three-game losing streak. Mountain Heritage has been an offensive juggernaut, as the team leads the league in rushing. The unsung portion of the Heritage team has been its defense, surrendering only 14 points per contest.

For Avery to have any opportunity to win Friday night, it must find a way to work over, through, and around the Heritage front line enough to consistently hit running back Casey Randolph. The Cougar running back had a 100-yard game a season ago against Avery, and he could eclipse that mark very early in Friday’s contest unless the Vikings find the ability to slow him down.

Look for Avery to use the Spread offense to give quarterback Alex Villanueva enough time to throw. The perceived weakness of the Heritage defense may be its secondary, and the Avery receivers have the talent to break off big plays. The longer Avery stays close on the scoreboard, the greater its chances are of pulling off the major upset Friday night.

By The Numbers:
0 - number of losses by Avery in its series with Madison before last week’s 33-27 loss.
2- receiving touchdowns by Avery WR Andy Gonzalez last week against Madison.
12 - turnovers over the previous four games committed by Avery.
37 - points per game scored by the Mountain Heritage Cougars offense this season.
117 – lowest single-rushing total by Cougars running back Casey Randolph this season (occurred in loss to Hendersonville)
244- yards in total offense gained by Avery in last week’s loss to Madison.
271 – combined rushing yards for Heritage quarterback Josh Laws (162) and running back Matt Kardulis (109) in last week’s win, in addition to the 316 yards gained by Randolph.
656 – yards in total offense gained by Mountain Heritage in last week’s win over Mitchell (592 yards rushing)

A full recap of this week’s game, as well as a preview of next week’s regular season finale at Mitchell, can be found both here on the Sports Blog, as well as in next week’s print edition.

Madison Prolongs Avery Losing Skid with Elusive Gridiron Victory

Last Friday night was a benchmark for the Madison Patriots football team and a low point in the season for the Avery Vikings. Not only did Madison pull off a come-from-behind 33-27 win over the Vikings at a breezy and drizzly O.E. Roberts Stadium in Marshall Friday night, but they also snapped a 16-game losing streak to Avery dating back to 1990.

The early portion of the first period saw Avery and Madison battle for field position. Avery punted on its first series, while Madison drove the football with a bruising running game to the Viking 7-yard line. Avery’s defense held on a fourth down play, however, to keep the contest scoreless.

The defensive stand gave the Big Red the pigskin deep in its own territory, and Avery managed to gain a first down before being forced to punt again. Dylan Aldridge’s punt was fumbled as Avery converged on the Madison return man and Avery’s Kenny Hicks recovered near the Viking 40-yard line.

Avery capitalized on the created opportunity. A pass connection from Vikings quarterback Alex Villanueva to wide receiver Kody Hughes netted 20 yards, and Villanueva immediately followed up the play with a 23-yard scramble and run. Two plays later, Villanueva hit Andy Gonzales with a 20-yard pass to give Avery first-and-goal, and Kenny Hicks capped the drive with a three-yard plunge. The Andres Castaneda extra point put the Vikes ahead 7-0 with 32 seconds left in the opening period.

On its ensuing possession Madison was again unable to move the football on the Vikings defense and was forced to punt. The Patriot punt was derailed by Avery’s Colton Blackburn, who penetrated through the front line to block the kick, scoop up the football, and advance it to the Madison 6-yard line. On Avery’s next play, Villanueva scurried the remaining yards to the end zone, spotting the Vikings a 14-0 lead at the 10:27 mark in the second period.

Madison’s offense began to move the ball on its first full series of the quarter, marching to midfield before Avery buckled down and forced another punt from the Patriots.

Appearing in the driver’s seat to turn the contest into a blowout, the momentum of the game changed with a Viking turnover. A pass attempt by Villanueva was intercepted by Madison’s Craig Mace at the Avery 26-yard line. The short field allowed Madison to march into the end zone, converting a fourth down along the way to reach the end zone on a one-yard sneak by quarterback Robbie Shelton. The extra point cut the Avery lead to a single touchdown at 14-7 with 3:32 to play before halftime.

Avery’s next offensive series resulted in three consecutive incomplete passes and a forced punt. Madison returned the favor to the Vikings, getting in to block Aldridge’s punt. The Patriots recovered the football to set up its offense inside the Avery red zone.

With under 90 seconds to play in the half, Madison found the end zone when running back/workhorse Brandon Henderson barreled in from two yards out. The extra point tied the game at 14-14.

The Vikings had time to move downfield on its next series and attempt to break the tie. Following a pass completion that moved Avery near midfield, the Vikings were snake bitten again as Madison’s Blake Moore intercepted a pass and returned the ball inside the Avery 40-yard line. Four plays later quarterback Shelton found fullback Corry Heath Miller in the end zone for an 8-yard scoring pass, giving the Patriots 21 unanswered points for the quarter and a 21-14 halftime edge.

The third quarter saw neither team put points on the scoreboard, but the period was not void of action. The Patriots were held to a three-and-out with its first offensive series. Avery was unable to initially take advantage of good field position following the Madison punt and had to kick the ball away itself. The Viking punt was fumbled by Madison’s Austin Nix, and Kenny Hicks recovered the ball at the Patriot 14-yard line.

Faced with an opportunity to tie the game, Avery could not muster points from its good fortune, as the Vikings forewent a field goal attempt and were unable to convert a fourth down pass inside the Madison 10, turning the ball over on downs.

Avery’s Tyler Long intercepted a Shelton pass on the next Patriot possession to again give the Vikings the football in Madison territory. The Madison defense rose up, however, to deny Avery on a fourth-and-one running play to quell another scoring opportunity as the third period expired with the Patriots clinging to its 21-14 lead.

Possessing the football to begin the final quarter, Madison made perhaps its biggest play of the game. Brandon Henderson, who ended the night with 198 rushing yards on 39 carries, picked up 53 yards on a single carry that concluded in the end zone for a touchdown. The PAT was blocked, but Madison’s lead was extended to 27-14 with 9:13 left to play.

When the Viking offense returned to the field after the Patriot score, it struck for its longest play of the game. Villanueva found teammate Andy Gonzalez on a post pattern that covered 58 yards for a touchdown. The extra point cut the Madison lead to six at 27-21.

With the outcome of the game in doubt, Madison turned to a heavy dose of its rushing game to not only chew up yardage, but also burn time from the game clock. The Patriots used 11 plays and over five minutes of clock time to drive 75 yards. Madison converted a key fourth down play along the way and finished the scoring march with Shelton’s second one-yard touchdown run of the game. The two-point conversion failed, leaving Madison ahead 33-21 with 2:57 left in the contest.

“That last drive was a back breaker. We didn’t stop them and they were able to convert the fourth down. They used a lot of the clock and made it tough on us,” Avery head coach Darrell Brewer said after the game.

Facing a two-score deficit, Avery went to work to pull victory from the jaws of defeat. Taking just over a minute off the game clock, the Vikings went 82 yards over 7 plays, ending with a 32-yard touchdown connection from Villanueva to Gonzalez. Avery’s extra point kick failed, but the Vikings drew to within six points at 33-27 with only 1:07 left in the game.

Avery lined up for an onside kick, but Madison recovered the football and expired the remaining time on the clock to preserve the win.

“Even late in the game, we felt we had a chance to win. We turned around and scored quickly after their last touchdown and tried an onside kick to give ourselves the chance to win,” Coach Brewer said.

The loss is the third in a row for the Vikings, dropping Avery to a 4-5 overall record and 2-3 in conference play. Madison improves to an identical record with the win. This Friday night the Vikings return to MacDonald Stadium for Senior Night, as Avery hosts the 7-2 Mountain Heritage Cougars.

“We’ve got to believe we can win, and that anything is possible. Every Friday night there are upsets,” Coach Brewer added. “But the biggest thing we’ve got to do is figure out how to contain their bulldozers in the middle who come off the line and block well.”

Statistical Summary

Box Score

Viking Soccer Downs Madison; Hosts Heritage for Senior NIght

The Avery boys soccer team continued its torrid streak of winning soccer on October 21^st in Marshall with a 1-0 shutout victory over Madison. The team then honored its senior soccer players with a pre-game recognition at MacDonald Stadium and post-match meal hosted by the parents of the senior players on Monday night. As for the game itself, Avery saw its shutout streak and victory streak end in a 2-1 loss.

In the contest with Madison, the Vikings battled a pesky Patriots team as well as a holey and uneven surface at O.E. Roberts Stadium. Avery struggled to find its offensive rhythm in the first half, but the defense was taut, holding the Patriots scoreless through the opening 40 minutes of action.

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 extended its shutout streak to four games, all in conference play, as the Vikings improved to 12-5-2 overall and 8-3 in Western Highlands Conference matches.

On Monday evening, the Vikings welcomed rival Mountain Heritage to MacDonald Stadium for Senior Night. Seniors Morgan Bounds, Dillon Gentry, Kyle Griewisch, Daniel Huff, and Cody Shadoin were honored with their families prior to the match.

Once things got underway, the Cougars showed they came prepared to upend the hot Viking team. In just the second minute of action, Mountain Heritage got on the scoreboard with a cross-net shot by Santiago Escamilla that slipped into the back of the net for a 1-0 advantage.

The score remained unchanged until Escamilla struck again, getting inside the Avery box and scoring in the 38^th minute for a 2-0 lead the Cougars took into halftime.

As the second half progressed, it was an obvious defensive struggle as both sides fought hard to maintain control of the ball in their offensive end of the field. Avery took a ball in the 61^st minute, and Kyle Griewisch broke free of the Cougars defense, peeled off a shot against the Cougar keeper and ripped the shot into the net to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Avery had a couple of additional opportunities in the final 20 minutes to net the equalizer, but the Heritage defense was up to the task, holding Avery scoreless for the remainder of the match to escape Newland with a 2-1 win.

The loss drops Avery to 12-6-2 and 8-4 in Western Highlands Conference action. Avery concludes its regular season schedule with matches at Mitchell on October 28^th, and at Polk County on Thursday night. State playoff competition begins the following week.

Avery High Prep Roundup

As the fall sports seasons wrap up, the Avery High School athletics teams continue to shine and represent the Big Red admirably.

Cross Country:
Last Wednesday October 21^st the Avery Vikings cross country team traveled to Jackson Park in Hendersonville to compete in the Western Highlands Conference meet. Avery took a number of runners to tackle the challenging course, and emerged with a regional qualifier and several outstanding finishes.

In girls competition, the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats captured the team title, as the host school had four girls, including meet winner Kristen Stout, finish in the top ten.

Avery junior Mary Chesnut Smith was the lone Lady Viking to garner All-Conference honors with a top 10 finish at the conference meet, finishing the course at a time of 21:57.26 to finish fifth overall despite battling recent illness and injury.

Other Avery ladies who ran in last week’s meet included seniors Caroline Crenshaw (24^th overall) and Taylor Lacey (39^th), as well as Arizona Clawson (57^th place), and Arden Stanley (73^rd).

“The ladies all ran a gutsy race. Chesnut was still battling congestion which has been hampering, but competed hard,” Avery cross country coach Reggie Oakes said following the meet. “Caroline Crenshaw, Taylor Lacey, and Arizona Clawson always give their best effort and are continuing to progress. Arden Stanley ran for the first time all year and turned in a gutsy performance on a gimpy ankle.”

The five ladies, with the addition of senior Elyse Perry, are scheduled to compete in this weekend’s 1A regional meet, hosted by Polk County but held at the same Jackson Park in Hendersonville as last week’s meet.

Hendersonville senior Thomas O’Connell captured first place in the boys race, while the Owen Warhorses captured the team title and placed four runners in the top ten.

Avery’s boys team was unable to qualify a runner for All-Conference runners, but they continue to show signs of improving both individually and as a team.

“The guys’ times were still not where we want them to be, but they are working hard for improvement,” Coach Oakes said. “I was proud of the effort at the conference meet, as all their times have improved.”

Avery runners scheduled to compete at this weekend’s conference meet include freshman Heraclio Flores, freshman Justin Gragg, junior Mark Polsgrove, junior Joey Potter, sophomore Gary McFee, junior Dustin Clarke, and sophomore Timmy Stewart.

Volleyball:
On Tuesday, October 21^st, the Avery Lady Vikings played its final regular season match, traveling to Ledger to take on the Mitchell Lady Mountaineers. It was Senior Night for the home team, as emotions and the desire to win were high.

Avery battled through the drama of the evening and remained focus on the task of ending the regular season with a win.

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, opening the match winning eight of the first nine points en route to winning the first set by a dominant score of 25-14.

Avery held a 7-2 lead to open the second set of the match, but Mitchell battled back with an 8-1 scoring run in the second set to tie the set. The teams went back and forth with winners and solid defense, but Mitchell prevailed to tie the match at a set apiece, winning 25-21.

Avery was not to be denied on the evening, pulling away from an even 5-5 start with an 11-2 scoring run to pull away for a set three win by a final score of 25-13.

The fourth and final game began as a close affair. Mitchell cut a five-point Avery lead to within a single point at 13-12, but Avery rebuilt its lead with a number of kills and Mountaineer errors to 19-13. The Big Red pulled away with six of the final eight points in the match to win the final set 25-16 and take the Western Highlands Conference victory.

"It is always great to beat Mitchell, and to know that secured us a playoff game at home was even better," Avery Lady Vikings head coach Kim Hayes remarked. "Our record did not show it but we were the second best team in the 1A."

The win was Avery’s fourth on the season, qualifying the Big Red for the 1A state volleyball tournament. Awaiting the Lady Vikings in the brackets was the Lady Black Hawks from West Wilkes High School.

West had defeated Avery in straight sets in two prior meetings earlier this season, but the Lady Vikings turned in one of its strongest efforts of the year last Saturday afternoon at Viking Gym.

The first set was a close contest, as Avery utilize the knowledge learned from its previous matchups with the Black Hawks. Late in the set, West regrouped to pad a slim advantage and take a 25-18 victory.

In the second set, the Vikings captured early momentum using some stellar defensive digs and error-free volleyball to build an 11-8 win and force a West Wilkes timeout. Avery’s Johanna Pittman had a strong service game in the set, as she contributed to nine consecutive points scored by the Lady Vikings. The run helped propel Avery to a 25-18 win to tie the match at a set each.

West Wilkes rebounded from its first set loss to Avery this season with a hard fought 25-20 win in set three. Neither team held greater than a three-to-four point edge in the set, but West relied on its tall front line to generate enough offense late to take the two-sets-to-one advantage.

In the fourth and final set of the match, the trend of close sets continued, as West held a slip 14-13 lead over midway through the set. The teams battled one another to a 22-22 tie late in the set. Avery staved off match point on a couple of occasions to tie the match at 24-24, but West scored the final two points of the set to capture a 26-24 win and advance to the second round of the state playoffs.

"I thought that was by far the best game all season. No one likes to lose, but I totally was okay with that," Coach Hayes said following the match. "We ended the season with an awesome, awesome game, which makes it exciting for next year. I told the girls next season that is how we should start of the season and get better from there."

The young Lady Vikings will return its entire roster from this season, making the team both an early conference favorite in 2010 and a force to be reckoned with throughout the region.

"Honestly, this is my ninth season of being a head coach. This is by far the best, the best, from oldest to youngest group of girls I have ever had. The parents have been totally awesome!" Coach Hayes added. "It was a very frustrating season because I do not like to lose. It is just my nature. as I am very competitive. But the girls were able to handle me and except it. My hats go off to all of them and their parents."

Bobcats Remain Unbeaten with 1-0 Win over North Georgia

(courtesy Lees-McRae Sports Information) BANNER ELK, N.C. - The No. 1 Lees-McRae College Bobcats men's soccer team defeated the North Georgia College and State University Saints, 1-0, Tuesday afternoon in a downpour at the Ried Estus Practice Fields in a nonconference match.

The match was originally scheduled for Tate Field at 7:00 p.m., but moved to the Ried Estus Practice Field due to field conditions and the impending rain.

The only goal of the match came in the 11th minute when David Palmer ripped a shot from inside the box. The Saints keeper, Rade Tanaskovic made the save, but Richard Guffens was there to put the rebound away from the goal.

Sean Paradise earned his fifth shutout of the season with three saves between the pipes for the Bobcats. Tanaskovic made nine saves for the Saints.

Lees-McRae outshot North Georgia 19-4 and held a 9-1 corner kick advantage.

The No. 1 Bobcats wrap up their regular season Saturday at Pfeiffer with kick off scheduled for 3 p.m.

Box Score

Avery Tennis Competes at Regionals

By virtue of its strong play this season, the Avery Lady Vikings tennis team received a bye in the opening round of the NCHSAA 1A State Tennis Duals Tournament. Avery found out last weekend that its second round opponent is Mount Airy, the 2nd ranked team in the state in 1A tennis with a 16-1 overall record. The Lady Bears defeated East Wilkes 9-0 to advance and host the match held Tuesday afternoon.

Full results on Avery’s performance in the state duals will be available here on the blog, as well as in next week’s print edition.

Avery’s regional qualifiers traveled to East Montgomery High School last weekend to compete in the Western Regional individual tournament.

In doubles action, Avery’s team of Morgan Stout and Lauren Avery competed valiantly in opening round play, but fell to a duo from Albemarle High School in a three-set thriller 4-6, 6-2, 4-6.

Viking senior Anna Melton entered the weekend’s regional play as the #4 seed. In the opening round of action Melton defeated North Rowan’s Corben Bennett in straight sets 6-1, 6-1. In round two Melton defeated Kaylea Brown from Elkin High School in a 6-1, 6-4 straight-set victory

Saturday’s semifinals and final match was postponed due to rain, forcing the reschedule and relocation of the matches to Monday at West Stokes High School. Melton squared off on Monday in a semifinal match with top seed Megan Shelton from East Surry High School. Melton was unable to overcome the talented Shelton, as she was defeated in straight sets 6-0, 6-0.

Anna’s final match on Monday put the senior against third-seeded Jessica Gentry from Alleghany. Facing another tough foe, Melton was upended by scores of 6-4, 6-0.
Anna’s first two victories in regional play guaranteed her a berth in the state individual tournament, scheduled for October 30-31 at Cary Tennis Center, as the #4 seed from the West.

Avery Tennis Dual Match at Mount Airy Postponed

The second-round state duals tennis match at Mount Airy between Avery and Mount Airy scheduled for today has been postponed due to weather. The teams will attempt to play the match on Wednesday.

Scholar-Athletes of the Week

Taylor Lacey (Cross Country) and Jared Clark (Cross Country) 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 GPA of 3.5 or better. 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 and This Week's Contest

Congratulations to Lisa Whorten, who correctly picked 16 of 20 games to win last week's Avery Journal-Times Online Weekly Picks Contest. Lisa 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. Mountain Heritage @ Avery
2. Madison @ Mitchell
3. Polk Co. @ Owen
4. Hendersonville @ Thomas Jefferson
5. Hickory @ Watauga
6. Enka @ McDowell
7. Chase @ Freedom
8. Appalachian State @ Furman
9. Mars Hill College @ Tusculum
10. N.C. State @ Florida State
11. Georgia v. Florida
12. Duke @ Virginia
13. Georgia Tech @ Vanderbilt
14. Miami (FL) @ Wake Forest
15. South Carolina @ Tennessee
16. NFL: Seattle @ Dallas
17. NFL: Carolina @ Arizona
18. NFL: Jacksonville @ Tennessee
19. NFL: Minnesota @ Green Bay
20. NFL: N.Y. Giants @ Philadelphia

Tie Breaker: Georgia v. Florida

Total # of points: _______________