In a crucial game to Avery’s Western Highlands Conference championship hopes, the Mountain Heritage Cougars scored 21 unanswered points over the late-second and early- third periods to blow open a tight contest on Friday, October 29, in Burnsville.
Avery rallied with 20 of the game’s final 27 points on three touchdown passes from quarterback Alex Villanueva to three different receivers, but the charge was for naught as the Cougars held on to upend the Big Red 42-34 on Homecoming night at E.L. Briggs Stadium.
The Cougars took the first possession of the ballgame and chewed four and a half minutes off the clock with a 12-play, 79-yard scoring drive. A 28-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tyson Tomberlin to wide receiver Drew Letterman allowed Heritage to draw first blood. The extra point kick was blocked, but the Cougars led 6-0.
A surprise short kick from the Cougars was recovered by the Vikings to give them a short field to work with during its first offensive series. Avery’s offense clicked quickly as a pass from Villanueva to teammate Colton Blackburn netted 25 yards and moved the Vikings near the red zone. Avery ran the football seven consecutive times and scored on its final attempt, a one-yard plunge by Blackburn. Avery’s extra point, like the earlier Cougar kick, was blocked, leaving the contest tied at 6-6 with 3:30 remaining in the first period.
The Cougars possessed the football for the remainder of the quarter, but turned the football over on downs on the Avery 28-yard line after stopping Heritage on fourth down in the opening minute of the second quarter.
After an Avery three-and-out, the Heritage offense ran seven times and passed on three occasions to forge a second touchdown drive to take the lead. Tomberlin found tight end Trenton Burleson on a 15-yard seam pass play for a touchdown. A two-point conversion pass to Eli Buckner put the Cougars up 14-6 midway through the second quarter.
With its ensuing possession Avery wasted little time to strike pay dirt. A 37-yard pass completion from Villanueva to wide receiver Andy Gonzalez advanced the Vikings offense to the Cougar red zone. Three plays later, Villanueva connected with wide receiver Hunter Shields for a 14-yard touchdown. Blackburn ran in a two-point conversion to again tie the score, this time at 14-14 with exactly four minutes to play before halftime.
Mountain Heritage found confidence in hitting big pass plays at key moments in the contest. The second such play came on Heritage’s last offensive series which followed the Viking equalizing score.
Facing a 3rd-and-12 from the Avery 47-yard line, Tomberlin fired a deep pass which found the hands of teammate Letterman for a touchdown with just 58 seconds left in the half. The extra point kick gave the Cougars a 21-14 lead.
Avery had a final chance to tie the game in the waning seconds of the half and drove to the Heritage 31-yard line, but an incomplete pass on the final play of the half preserved the Cougars’ seven-point cushion at intermission.
Heritage had amassed roughly double the total yardage as Avery in the first half, but Avery’s offensive efficiency kept them within striking distance as the third quarter began.
The Vikings began the first offensive series of the second half with good field position near the Heritage 40-yard line, but the Vikings turned the football over in its own territory as a Villanueva pass was picked off by Mountain Heritage defensive back Austin Rice. Heritage quickly exploited the miscue by posting another touchdown as Tomberlin and Letterman connected for their third touchdown strike of the game, a 43-yard play to boost the Cougar bulge to 28-14 with just two minutes elapsed in the third period.
The turnover bug bit the Vikings yet again on its next series, when on second down at the Avery 35, Villanueva’s pass across the middle was intercepted by Burleson to start another Heritage on the Viking side of the field. At the conclusion of a six-play, 39-yard drive, Burleson was rewarded for his efforts by catching an 8-yard touchdown pass from Tomberlin. Within six minutes of game time, Avery found itself staring at a 21-point deficit as the Cougars held a commanding 35-14 lead.
Although the team trailed, Avery continued to find success moving the football on offense. Using a mix of run and pass, the Vikings moved inside the Heritage 30, but could not convert a fourth down play and turned the ball over on downs.
Desperately needing to make a play, the Viking defense rose to the challenge as it forced Heritage running back Eli Buckner to fumble. Avery recovered at the Mountain Heritage 45-yard line, but the Cougars held as the Vikings could not muster a first down to move the chains after regaining possession.
As the final period began, the Viking defense forced a turnover by the Cougars offense for a second consecutive possession. Avery again forced Buckner to cough up the pigskin, and Kenny Hicks scooped up the loose football and returned it 16 yards to the Heritage 24-yard line.
Unlike the previous fumble, Avery quickly capitalized. On the first offensive play upon regaining possession, Villanueva completed a 24-yard touchdown pass to Gonzalez. The conversion attempt failed, but the touchdown drew the Vikings to within 35-20.
Following the score, Avery recovered an onside kick to give the football back to the offense at midfield. A completion to wideout Lane Smith netted 12 yards on 3rd-and-10 to keep the drive alive, and two plays later Villanueva fired a 33-yard scoring strike to Shields. Villanueva ran in the two-point conversion, and in less than two minutes of clock time the Vikings had shaved a 21-point deficit to just one possession, trailing 35-28 with more than eight minutes left to play in the game.
The Vikings opted not to kick onside following the score and the Cougars regained possession at its own 29-yard line. To the team’s credit, Mountain Heritage needed to answer with a score to steal away Avery’s momentum and did so. A 52-yard touchdown run by running back Rice was negated by a holding penalty, but two plays later Rice rambled from 19 yards out for what proved to be the winning score. Kicker Israel Mayone converted the extra point kick to extend the Cougar lead to 42-28 with 5:20 remaining on the clock.
On its ensuing possession Avery scored on its third straight series. The Vikings marched 82 yards over nine plays, crossing the goal line when Villanueva fired his third touchdown pass of the period, this time a 53-yarder to wide receiver Kody Hughes. The conversion attempt failed, but Avery cut the margin to 42-34 with 2:12 to play.
Avery tried another onside kick, but the team’s good fortune appeared to run out as the Cougars recovered the kick. After Avery called its last timeout to stop the clock, Mountain Heritage sealed the victory when on 3rd-and-2, the Avery defense jumped offsides to give the Cougars a first down. Heritage ran the remaining seconds off the clock to hand the Vikings its third loss of 2010.
Villanueva was 18-of-37 for 275 yards with four touchdowns in his first start at quarterback since being sidelined with a broken collarbone the week after Labor Day. Blackburn led the Viking ground attack with 14 carries for 56 yards and a touchdown before being helped off the field with an apparent injury late in the second half.
Three different Avery players amassed more than 65 receiving yards, led by Gonzalez with 86 yards on six catches.
Tomberlin was an efficient 11-of-17 passing for 216 yards with five touchdown passes for Mountain Heritage. Heritage outgained Avery 262 to 83 in rushing yards and had 478 total yards while Avery amassed 358 total yards.
With the defeat, Avery falls to 7-3 for the season, with a 3-3 conference record.
The Vikings close out the 2010 regular season this Friday, November 5, for Senior Night, when it hosts the Mitchell Mountaineers.
At the contest, will hold a special Veteran’s Day commemoration at halftime, honoring veterans of all military branches from both Avery and Mitchell Counties.
Avery rallied with 20 of the game’s final 27 points on three touchdown passes from quarterback Alex Villanueva to three different receivers, but the charge was for naught as the Cougars held on to upend the Big Red 42-34 on Homecoming night at E.L. Briggs Stadium.
The Cougars took the first possession of the ballgame and chewed four and a half minutes off the clock with a 12-play, 79-yard scoring drive. A 28-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tyson Tomberlin to wide receiver Drew Letterman allowed Heritage to draw first blood. The extra point kick was blocked, but the Cougars led 6-0.
A surprise short kick from the Cougars was recovered by the Vikings to give them a short field to work with during its first offensive series. Avery’s offense clicked quickly as a pass from Villanueva to teammate Colton Blackburn netted 25 yards and moved the Vikings near the red zone. Avery ran the football seven consecutive times and scored on its final attempt, a one-yard plunge by Blackburn. Avery’s extra point, like the earlier Cougar kick, was blocked, leaving the contest tied at 6-6 with 3:30 remaining in the first period.
The Cougars possessed the football for the remainder of the quarter, but turned the football over on downs on the Avery 28-yard line after stopping Heritage on fourth down in the opening minute of the second quarter.
After an Avery three-and-out, the Heritage offense ran seven times and passed on three occasions to forge a second touchdown drive to take the lead. Tomberlin found tight end Trenton Burleson on a 15-yard seam pass play for a touchdown. A two-point conversion pass to Eli Buckner put the Cougars up 14-6 midway through the second quarter.
Mountain Heritage found confidence in hitting big pass plays at key moments in the contest. The second such play came on Heritage’s last offensive series which followed the Viking equalizing score.
Facing a 3rd-and-12 from the Avery 47-yard line, Tomberlin fired a deep pass which found the hands of teammate Letterman for a touchdown with just 58 seconds left in the half. The extra point kick gave the Cougars a 21-14 lead.
Avery had a final chance to tie the game in the waning seconds of the half and drove to the Heritage 31-yard line, but an incomplete pass on the final play of the half preserved the Cougars’ seven-point cushion at intermission.
Heritage had amassed roughly double the total yardage as Avery in the first half, but Avery’s offensive efficiency kept them within striking distance as the third quarter began.
The Vikings began the first offensive series of the second half with good field position near the Heritage 40-yard line, but the Vikings turned the football over in its own territory as a Villanueva pass was picked off by Mountain Heritage defensive back Austin Rice. Heritage quickly exploited the miscue by posting another touchdown as Tomberlin and Letterman connected for their third touchdown strike of the game, a 43-yard play to boost the Cougar bulge to 28-14 with just two minutes elapsed in the third period.
The turnover bug bit the Vikings yet again on its next series, when on second down at the Avery 35, Villanueva’s pass across the middle was intercepted by Burleson to start another Heritage on the Viking side of the field. At the conclusion of a six-play, 39-yard drive, Burleson was rewarded for his efforts by catching an 8-yard touchdown pass from Tomberlin. Within six minutes of game time, Avery found itself staring at a 21-point deficit as the Cougars held a commanding 35-14 lead.
Although the team trailed, Avery continued to find success moving the football on offense. Using a mix of run and pass, the Vikings moved inside the Heritage 30, but could not convert a fourth down play and turned the ball over on downs.
Desperately needing to make a play, the Viking defense rose to the challenge as it forced Heritage running back Eli Buckner to fumble. Avery recovered at the Mountain Heritage 45-yard line, but the Cougars held as the Vikings could not muster a first down to move the chains after regaining possession.
As the final period began, the Viking defense forced a turnover by the Cougars offense for a second consecutive possession. Avery again forced Buckner to cough up the pigskin, and Kenny Hicks scooped up the loose football and returned it 16 yards to the Heritage 24-yard line.
Following the score, Avery recovered an onside kick to give the football back to the offense at midfield. A completion to wideout Lane Smith netted 12 yards on 3rd-and-10 to keep the drive alive, and two plays later Villanueva fired a 33-yard scoring strike to Shields. Villanueva ran in the two-point conversion, and in less than two minutes of clock time the Vikings had shaved a 21-point deficit to just one possession, trailing 35-28 with more than eight minutes left to play in the game.
The Vikings opted not to kick onside following the score and the Cougars regained possession at its own 29-yard line. To the team’s credit, Mountain Heritage needed to answer with a score to steal away Avery’s momentum and did so. A 52-yard touchdown run by running back Rice was negated by a holding penalty, but two plays later Rice rambled from 19 yards out for what proved to be the winning score. Kicker Israel Mayone converted the extra point kick to extend the Cougar lead to 42-28 with 5:20 remaining on the clock.
On its ensuing possession Avery scored on its third straight series. The Vikings marched 82 yards over nine plays, crossing the goal line when Villanueva fired his third touchdown pass of the period, this time a 53-yarder to wide receiver Kody Hughes. The conversion attempt failed, but Avery cut the margin to 42-34 with 2:12 to play.
Avery tried another onside kick, but the team’s good fortune appeared to run out as the Cougars recovered the kick. After Avery called its last timeout to stop the clock, Mountain Heritage sealed the victory when on 3rd-and-2, the Avery defense jumped offsides to give the Cougars a first down. Heritage ran the remaining seconds off the clock to hand the Vikings its third loss of 2010.
Villanueva was 18-of-37 for 275 yards with four touchdowns in his first start at quarterback since being sidelined with a broken collarbone the week after Labor Day. Blackburn led the Viking ground attack with 14 carries for 56 yards and a touchdown before being helped off the field with an apparent injury late in the second half.
Three different Avery players amassed more than 65 receiving yards, led by Gonzalez with 86 yards on six catches.
Tomberlin was an efficient 11-of-17 passing for 216 yards with five touchdown passes for Mountain Heritage. Heritage outgained Avery 262 to 83 in rushing yards and had 478 total yards while Avery amassed 358 total yards.
With the defeat, Avery falls to 7-3 for the season, with a 3-3 conference record.
The Vikings close out the 2010 regular season this Friday, November 5, for Senior Night, when it hosts the Mitchell Mountaineers.
At the contest, will hold a special Veteran’s Day commemoration at halftime, honoring veterans of all military branches from both Avery and Mitchell Counties.
