With the turning of the calendar to August, it’s obvious around high schools in our region that the 2010 prep football season has arrived. The Avery Vikings look to build upon a 5-7 season in 2009, a three-win improvement from the previous season, and contend for the school’s first conference title since 2005.
The 2010 edition of the Western Highlands Conference appears to be as competitive as it has been in the past
Before tangling with the competition in the
The following is a preview of four Western Highlands Conference clubs that come from a myriad of positions in terms of conference viewpoint.
One school finished as the co-conference champions last season and rode a magical playoff run to the 2A state championship game. Another school earned its first-ever football win over the Vikings a season ago and look to build much-needed momentum in 2010 following a tumultuous several seasons. Yet another school has a proud sports tradition and has qualified for state playoff competition in recent seasons, but come off a disappoint 2010, its first season as a newly-realigned 1A school. The final school is in just its second year in the
In 2009, the Madison Patriots finished with its best record since the 2006 campaign and earned a berth in the 2A state high school playoffs. The squad earned lopsided wins over Rosman and Thomas Jefferson, as well as a win over Hayesville. The team’s greatest victory in 2009, however, was undoubtedly its come-from-behind 33-27 win in
Head coach Mark Gosnell returns for a second season as head coach of the club, and returns eight starters on offense and seven on defense, including a strong offensive line and senior starting tailback Brandon Henderson, who ran for over 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2009.
“We look to be a much stronger team strength-wise. We hope to compete for a conference title,” the coach said during the off-season.
Quarterback Robbie Shelton will trigger the Patriot offense. He passed for 1,042 yards with 14 touchdowns a season ago. Fellow senior Ronnie Gosnell returns to the team in 2010. He registered 76 tackles a season ago to lead the club.
Senior Blake Moore will anchor the team’s linebacker crew and hold down the tight end position, with help from a pair of junior linemen in Lucas Garrett and Tyler Gonzalez.
To equal or exceed the team’s success in 2010, the team will need to grow up quickly in the defensive backfield, where the secondary is young and lacks varsity experience. Depth has been an issue in recent years in
Avery will look to avenge its loss to the
MITCHELL MOUNTAINEERS (2009 record: 2-5 in conference, 4-8 overall)
In 2009 the Mountaineers earned its first trip to the state playoffs as a 1A member of the Western Highlands Conference, losing to conference foe
Mitchell defeated neighbor McDowell early in the 2009 season and had a winning record of 3-2 following back-to-back victories over North Buncombe and Thomas Jefferson. From that point, the team scuffled, losing six of its final seven contests to close out the season.
The Mountaineers look in 2010 to build its first season above the .500 mark since a 7-5 record in the 2003 season.
Mitchell returns 14 lettermen from last year’s club, with six starters on offense and five starters on the defensive side of the football. On offense, the Mountaineers return strength and experience at the running back position in senior running back Shawn Jackson.
For the Mountaineers to taste a greater measure of success this season, they will have to overcome inexperience at both the quarterback position as well as on the offensive and defensive lines. Mitchell will miss the talent and leadership of graduated starting quarterback Logan Jensen from this year’s team, but the club possesses talent. How well the team matures in the early season may tell the tale regarding the team’s ultimate fortune in 2010.
Mitchell and Avery played perhaps the most exciting game in the Western Highlands Conference last November, a seesaw affair won in the closing seconds by Avery in a 42-38 Viking victory. Avery hosts Mitchell close out the regular season on November 5th.
MOUNTAIN HERITAGE COUGARS (2009 record: 6-1 in conference, 13-3 overall)The most inspirational story of the 2009 Western Highlands Conference football season was the success of the Mountain Heritage Cougars. Normally perennial doormats in the conference that battle with
The team’s success was a storybook season in 2009, as the Cougars set school records for wins, most rushing yards as a team (6231), which also is a state record, as well as school records for individual yards rushing (3,054 by Casey Randolph), and tackles (171) by Austin Rice, which also set a state record.
Cougars head coach Joey Robinson and his staff also received accolades for their terrific 2009 season, being named 2A head coach and coaching staff of the year, respectively.
It will be a tough act for the 2010 edition of the Cougars to follow, and the squad has lost a number of players to graduation, including the aforementioned
“All this success did not just happen,” Coach Robinson said of last season’s accomplishments. “It has been a process that has demanded sacrifices from everyone involved with this program. Be it the hard work of the players and coaches, or the support of the school and our great fans, our season was a labor of love.”
Fans should not feel sorry for Heritage this season, however, as the team still returns a number of skilled stars that should step in and keep the Cougars in the conference hunt.
Replacing Laws as signal caller will be Tyson Tomberlin, who had great success triggering the junior varsity Cougars and has experience running the offense.
Also returning is running back Matthew Kardulis, who ran for 90 yards in the Cougars’ victory over Avery last season and also picked off six interceptions as safety on the Heritage defense.
Tomberlin will have several returning targets to catch passes, including tight end Dalton Woody and wide receivers Eli Buckner and Drew Lettermen. Lettermen and Buckner have each impressed the Cougar faithful in preseason camp, and Lettermen caught over 300 yards in passes and six touchdowns in 2009
The stingy Cougars defense will again be led by linebacker Austin Rice, who will look to build upon his record-breaking performance of a year ago.
“Our team will be more athletic than we have been,” the coach said of this season’s club. “We have good team speed on the defensive side of the ball. We should be able to throw the ball better this season.”
Mountain Heritage defeated Avery 35-14 at MacDonald Stadium a season ago. The Vikings make the trip to E.H. Briggs Stadium in
THOMAS The maiden voyage in the Western Highlands Conference was bumpy one for Coach Tony Helton and the Thomas Jefferson Gryphons in 2009. In its first season as a 1A member of the
The road doesn’t appear to be getting any easier for the Gryphons in 2010 as the team continues to build a tradition and simply become competitive in the sport. The team returns some experience from a season ago, including senior quarterback Will Beam, who passed for over 1,600 yards in 2009.
Defensively the Gryphons will continue to get guidance from senior defensive lineman Trent Newton. Senior teammate Aaron Conner averaged over 40 yards per punt a season ago, and will also see time at the wide receiver and defensive end positions.
Avery upended the Gryphons 51-0 last season in a game originally scheduled to be played in Avondale but had to be relocated to MacDonald Stadium. Avery will again host Thomas Jefferson this season, with a Western Highlands Conference tilt scheduled on October 1st.
Read next week’s edition of “The Avery Journal-Times” for the first game preview of 2010, as Avery hosts the Black Knights from Robbinsville High School in the NCHSAA Endowment game next Friday, August 20th at MacDonald Stadium.
