This week the Avery Vikings will look to wash the taste of their first loss of 2010 out of their proverbial mouths when they play host to the Thomas Jefferson Gryphons for Homecoming.
The Gryphons hosted Mitchell last Friday night to open its conference schedule and was defeated 53-15, while Avery fell 24-21 to Owen in Swannanoa last Friday night.
Last season the Vikings handed TJCA a 51-0 shutout at MacDonald Stadium, as Thomas Jefferson’s home football field’s construction was not completed and the team was unable to secure a home venue for last season’s matchup.
Scouting the Gryphons:
The Gryphons hosted Mitchell last Friday night to open its conference schedule and was defeated 53-15, while Avery fell 24-21 to Owen in Swannanoa last Friday night.
Last season the Vikings handed TJCA a 51-0 shutout at MacDonald Stadium, as Thomas Jefferson’s home football field’s construction was not completed and the team was unable to secure a home venue for last season’s matchup.
Scouting the Gryphons:
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 WHC, TJCA scored only 12 total points in its seven conference contests, giving up an average of 61 points per game.
The road hasn’t been much 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, and has completed 104 of 213 passes thus far in 2010 for 1,230 yards with 9 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Beam has also rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown in the team’s five games this season.
One of Beam’s favorite targets in TJCA’s spread offense this season has been wide receiver Travis Waldroup-Rodrigues, who has amassed 383 yards receiving on 35 catches and 3 touchdowns this season. Another of Beam’s favorite receivers has been Michael Gullatte, who has eight receptions for 120 yards and a pair of touchdown receptions in 2010.
When TJCA chooses to run the football, a likely suspect to tote the pigskin will be fullback Will McCraw, who has rushed for 186 yards on 43 carries in 2010 with one touchdown.
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 running back, quarterback, wide receiver and defensive end positions.
The Low Down:
The road hasn’t been much 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, and has completed 104 of 213 passes thus far in 2010 for 1,230 yards with 9 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Beam has also rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown in the team’s five games this season.
One of Beam’s favorite targets in TJCA’s spread offense this season has been wide receiver Travis Waldroup-Rodrigues, who has amassed 383 yards receiving on 35 catches and 3 touchdowns this season. Another of Beam’s favorite receivers has been Michael Gullatte, who has eight receptions for 120 yards and a pair of touchdown receptions in 2010.
When TJCA chooses to run the football, a likely suspect to tote the pigskin will be fullback Will McCraw, who has rushed for 186 yards on 43 carries in 2010 with one touchdown.
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 running back, quarterback, wide receiver and defensive end positions.
The Low Down:
By all accounts, Thomas Jefferson is the weakest team in the Western Highlands Conference, since 2010 marks only the second season the school is part of the conference. The Gryphons are a small roster, but show as much heart and determination as any team on the field that Avery will play all season.
Avery was successful in what head coach Darrell Brewer calls the “Wild Potter”, a variation of the Wildcat offense that utilizes multiple players receiving direct shotgun snaps from center. Look for Avery to use that formation some this week, and expect this week’s contest to be a confidence builder for the Viking offense, quarterback Dustin Childress (who received his first full week of practice this week under center in the place of injured signal-caller Alex Villanueva), and the Avery defense, which held Owen in check for most of Friday’s ballgame.
The Avery defense should be accustomed to seeing a spread offense, so Thomas Jefferson’s formations is likely to not surprise the Viking front four or secondary.
Avery must avoid looking ahead to Hendersonville next week, and take care of the business at hand while not underestimating its opponent. Thomas Jefferson enters Friday’s game with absolutely nothing to lose, which can make the team a potentially dangerous squad.
By the Numbers:
Avery was successful in what head coach Darrell Brewer calls the “Wild Potter”, a variation of the Wildcat offense that utilizes multiple players receiving direct shotgun snaps from center. Look for Avery to use that formation some this week, and expect this week’s contest to be a confidence builder for the Viking offense, quarterback Dustin Childress (who received his first full week of practice this week under center in the place of injured signal-caller Alex Villanueva), and the Avery defense, which held Owen in check for most of Friday’s ballgame.
The Avery defense should be accustomed to seeing a spread offense, so Thomas Jefferson’s formations is likely to not surprise the Viking front four or secondary.
Avery must avoid looking ahead to Hendersonville next week, and take care of the business at hand while not underestimating its opponent. Thomas Jefferson enters Friday’s game with absolutely nothing to lose, which can make the team a potentially dangerous squad.
By the Numbers:
2 – number of touchdown passes thrown by Dustin Childress in last week’s game at Owen.
28 – total combined tackles of Spencer and Colton Blackburn in last Friday’s win.
85- receiving yards by TJCA’s Mac Martin in last week’s loss to the Mountaineers.
108 – rushing yards by Avery running back Colton Blackburn before leaving due to injury in the second half of last week’s contest.
119- yards passing by Will Beam in last week’s home defeat to Mitchell.
471 – rushing yards surrendered by the Thomas Jefferson defense against the Mitchell Mountaineers last Friday night.
Read next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times for a recap of this week’s contest against TJCA, as well as a preview of next week’s conference 1A showdown against Hendersonville.
Read next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times for a recap of this week’s contest against TJCA, as well as a preview of next week’s conference 1A showdown against Hendersonville.
