Going the Distance with Avery Track and Field

The Vikings track and field team continues its push toward the postseason meets with a competition at Mountain Heritage last Thursday afternoon, April 22^nd.

Several individuals and groups performed admirably as the team takes shape in advance of this week’s conference tournament. Avery took the track on a warm afternoon at Mountain Heritage High School for a three-team meet.

Many Avery athletes continue to improve on times and distances in order to better themselves for the regional tournament. Senior Kyle Griewisch bettered his season-best 11.1 second time in the 100 meter dash by two-tenths of a second at Heritage, finishing the race in a blistering time of 10.9 seconds.

Griewisch also ran the lead leg in the men’s 4x100 meter relay. He finished his leg in 10.8 seconds as the Avery boys ran its best group time this season at 45.4 seconds. Griewisch also ran in a third event on the day, the 200 meter dash, and completed the race in 22.6 seconds and a narrow second place finish.

“Based on what I saw last year and how Kyle’s continued improvement, I believe if he breaks the 11 second mark, he can win at Regionals,” Avery track coach Don Reinhofer said of the senior competitor.

Sophomore Alex Villanueva continues to raise the bar (pun intended) in the high jump competition. Villanueva cracked the 6’ barrier at the Mitchell meet a couple of weeks ago, but exceeded the 6’1” level at last week’s event.

“We also put together a 4x200 meter relay team at the meet, and the guys did fantastic,” Avery track coach Reinhofer stated. “The team ran the event in 1:40, their best time this season thus far.” The Vikings also put together a 4x800 m relay team and hopes to find the runners to produce a qualifying time.

A number of men’s distance runners had good showings, including Justin Gragg in the mile run, first-time runner Casey Mitchell as part of the aforementioned 4x800 meter relay group.

Avery has been playing catch-up for most of the season, thanks in large part to the weather. “The weather killed us at the start of this season, but the good thing about it is that we’re seeing our runners and sprinters really peaking right now at the best time,” Reinhofer stated. “With better weather I think some of our times might have been better and with a little more time we may have more participation in events like the triple jump and long jump.”

Avery was unable to take a large number of female student-athletes to Thursday’s meet due to school and other sports obligations, limiting participation in the relay events. However, the girls who made the trip to Heritage had a good afternoon.

Senior Caroline Crenshaw ran well in the 300 meter hurdles, shaving nearly two seconds of her career-best time with an astounding 50.7 seconds effort.

Crenshaw seems to be on a mission to make up for a stumble over a hurdle at last year’s state championships, running with great time and form.

“Last year when she ran in state and fell over the hurdle, Caroline still ran a decent time and was second-fastest going into that event,” Reinhofer said. “She remembers that and has been running well this year and improving time. It seems her competitors can keep up for the first two or three hurdles, but with her distance experience, she just pulls away from everyone at around that fifth hurdle.”

Sara Wiseman participated in the shot put and will compete for a conference tournament in that event.

“You can tell Sara is having a lot of fun out there. She was dominant and having a lot of fun in basketball, and she’s excited about her chances in the shot. She has a real chance to make the state tournament in that event, especially if she can bring everything together over the next week or so,” Coach Reinhofer added.

This past Wednesday the Vikings traveled to Polk County for the Western Highlands Conference meet. We’ll have more information on the event in next week’s print edition, but below are the team scores and individual winners. Congratulations to Avery’s Alex Villanueva, who brought home first in the 110 meter hurdles event.

BOYS Team Results:
Hendersonville 194.5; Polk County 169; Owen 86; Madison 56; Avery County 53; Mountain Heritage 44; Mitchell 41; Thomas Jefferson 28.

Individual winners:
Shot put: Casey Peterson (MH) 48-10; Discus: Ronnie Gosnell (Mad) 127-10; Long jump: Richmond Felton (H) 20-10; Triple jump: Richmond Felton (H) 42-10; High jump: Grant Rivers (H) 6-0; Pole vault: Bryan Lieberman (PC) 14-0; 3,200 meter relay: Hendersonville 8:51.52; 110 meter hurdles: Alex Villanueva (AC) 15.71; 100 meters: Daniel Orr (H) 11.39; 800 relay: Hendersonville 1:32.79; 1,600 meters: John Spencer Wolfe (PC) 4:49.64; 400 meter relay: Hendersonville 44.27; 400 meters: Valentin Santos (PC) 52.09; 300 meter hurdles: Kayce Martin (PC) 43.44; 800 meters: John Spencer Wolfe (PC) 1:56.04; 200 meters: Daniel Orr (H) 22.45; 3,200 meters: Thomas O’Connell (H) 10:48.94; 1,600 meter relay: Polk County 3:33.26;

GIRLS Team Results:
Polk County 169.5; Owen 153; Hendersonville 123; Madison 72; Mountain Heritage 62.5; Mitchell 53; Avery County 22; Thomas Jefferson 11.

Individual winners
Shot put: Hailey Cook (H) 36-10,5; Discus: Hailey Cook (H) 105-8.5; Long jump: Letoya Twitty (PC) 15-4; Triple jump: Cheyenne Miller (PC) 34-3; High jump: Maggie Conner (PC) 5-0; Pole vault: Savanna Mitchell (PC) 7-6; 3,200 meter relay: Owen 10:58.99; 100 meter hurdles: Penny Lane Buckner (MH) 16.44; 100 meters: Danica Huskins (Mit) 13.04; 800 meter relay: Owen 1:54.35; 1,600 meters: Kristen Stout (H) 5:25.34; 400 meter relay: Owen 53.80; 400 meters: Danica Huskins (Mit) 1:02.41; 300 meter hurdles: Maggie Conner (PC) 48.45; 800 meters: Alesia Reece (Mad) 2:28.54; 200 meters: Danica Huskins (Mit) 26.94; 3,200 meters: Cynthia Griffin (Mad) 12:34.14; 1,600 meter relay: Polk County 4:19.47.

The Vikings travel to Cherokee High School for the 1A Western Regional meet next Saturday, May 8^th.

Lady Vikings Maul Madison to Get Back on Winning Track

It took about one quarter of the game for the Lady Vikings to get into a scoring rhythm, after playing 3 games, 2 of which went into OT, and where only two goals were scored in the three games. Both goals came off free kicks, one by Avery for the win over Thomas Jefferson and one by Polk for the Lady Vikings’ first loss of the season. The middle game was scoreless OT tie with Hendersonville.

In the 21st minute, senior Elyse Perry got the Vikings going with the first score assisted by Mary Chesnut Smith. Seven minutes later, Perry received the corner kick from Smith and got it to sophomore Hannah Washburn who scored the second goal for Avery. This was Washburn’s first goal of the season. Three minutes later, in the 31st minute, Smith scored a goal of her own, assisted by Emily Banner. The rest of the half was scoreless.

Finishing, good passes and a plan to continue playing the bench in order to get them more game experience were goals for the second half. An emphasis on good finishes was stressed, not so much to score in this game, but to play smarter in the close games. An extra pass, an extra move to get the goalie to commit to one direction, and just plain relaxing and placing the ball where the goalie isn’t were some of the strategies put forth for the Lady Vikings to work on in the second half.

Six minutes into the second half, first year player Brooke Whittington, who started for the injured Arden Stanley, ran down the ball which was behind the Madison defense and crossed it to Banner, who found herself in traffic. Banner dropped the ball back to Perry who scored with her left foot, her second goal of the evening.

Less than a minute later, stopper Katelynn Eudy sent a long pass forward to Banner, who ran the ball in and placed it behind the keeper to make the score 5-0. In the 51st minute, Banner scored again, with an assist from Smith. Five minutes later, Smith brought the ball up the sideline and crossed it in to Melinda Eggers who scored in the 56th minute. Under two
minutes later, Perry assisted Smith on her second goal of the evening.

With more subs playing at a time, and with some of the back line playing forward it wasn’t until the 76th minute of the game before Avery struck again. Normally playing outside back, junior Kaley Faulkner was moved forward and put her speed to good use, taking a pass from Eggers to score her first goal of the season.

Keeper Mercedes Bentley rarely touched the ball on the evening, and earned another shutout. This was the tenth Viking shutout out of 15 games. Of 20 shots in the first half by Avery, three scored. In the second half, six goals were scored out of 25 shots on goal.

Junior Jennie Elrod is still sidelined with shin splints. Hopefully she and Stanley will soon be back in the starting lineup. The Lady Vikings travel to Johnson City to take on Providence Academy on Friday, April 30th. Game time is 4:30 PM.

Avery plays at home next Monday, May 3rd and away on Wednesday at Mitchell. Friday, May 7th is Senior Night, the final regular season home game for seniors Elyse Perry and Hayden Blackburn. Fan support is encouraged, especially on Senior Night, as the Lady Vikings play Thomas Jefferson, with a possible regular season conference title as TJCA beat Polk 1-0 on Wednesday.

The Gryphons' conference record is 9-1 and the Lady Vikings stand at 9-1-1. Thomas Jefferson must play Polk and Hendersonville again before they play at Avery. TJ’s home crowd was numerous and very loud and exuberant. (thanks to Serena Smith for information used in compiling this report)

Softball Dominates Gryphons, Tripped by Conference Foes Hendersonville and Madison

The Avery Lady Vikings put together its most impressive performance of the season in a six-inning, 11-1 shellacking of the Thomas Jefferson Gryphons on Thursday evening at Avery High School.

Avery gave up a single run in the top of the first frame, but quickly bounced back in the bottom of the inning to bat around the order and score seven runs. Leadoff hitter Kaylea Davis, as well as Becca Biggerstaff, Amber Clark, and Justina Rieger each rapped base hits for the Big Red.

Brooke Buchanan plated a pair with a double in the inning, followed up with base hits from Sarah Dewitt, Beth Lewis, and Michelle Cuthbertson. Biggerstaff registered a second base hit in the inning as Avery took an early commanding lead.

From that point, the Lady Vikings starting battery of pitcher Becca Biggerstaff and catcher Haley Hicks found their groove. The pitch/catch combo worked like a well-oiled machine as Biggerstaff struck out five TJCA hitters and surrendered one hit in holding Gryphons scoreless over the next five innings.

Biggerstaff's pitching received plenty of help from the Avery defense who played error-free softball, turned a double play during the game, and gave no help to the overmatched Gryphon club.

"Becca pitched amazing today. There were a couple of innings where she was just lights out. She's pitched well all season, but this was probably her best game of the season," Avery softball head coach Stephen Bunger said after the win. "We played great defense and turned our first double play of the season. I was really happy with the defensive performance."

Avery continued scoring in the bottom of the second inning when Hicks led off with a base hit, followed by hits from Buchanan and Dewitt. Hicks and Buchanan each scored to stake Avery to a 9-1 edge.

Biggerstaff plated a run following a leadoff triple in the third inning to push the Lady Vikings ahead 10-1, and Buchanan scored a third run in the contest to bring the game to a close due to the ten-run mercy rule.

The Avery pitcher helped her own cause with four base hits and scored a pair of runs. Teammate Brooke Buchanan had a pair of hits and scored three times. Every Lady Viking had at least one base hit, and eight of the nine starters scored at least one run apiece in the rout.

"I think the Cloudland game gave us some confidence. Even though we didn't win that game we started hitting the ball, which I feel carried over into this game," Lady Vikings softball head coach Stephen Bunger said following the win. "We went up there swinging today, and it was one of those days where it seems like every hit found an open spot."

The performance proved that the Avery Lady Vikings are a potential force to contend with for the remainder of the season as the squad makes a frantic push for a berth in this year's state softball playoffs.

"I think we're starting to come together and improve a lot. We're hitting the ball well now and doing good things on the bases. I think we're putting together a good run of things, and we're gonna keep working hard and keep trying to win some games," Coach Bunger said. "We've gotten unlucky on some things through the season, but this should give us confidence as we go into our next few games."

The following afternoon Avery played host to the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats. The Lady Vikings were shut out in its previous meeting, but were determined to make a game of it in this rematch.

Hendersonville gained control early, putting the ball in play and taking advantage of some Avery defensive gaffes to score five runs in the top of the first inning. Avery looked to answer but leadoff hitter Kaylea Davis was stranded at third base as the Bearcats maintained a 5-0 edge.

In the second frame the Lady Bearcats picked up a run to lead 6-0, but the Lady Vikings offense rallied to score a pair of runs in the bottom half to cut the lead to four at 6-2. Jessica Banner led the inning off with a base hit, and catcher Haley Hicks drew a walk. Both hitters came around to score in the inning as Avery looked to scrap back into the contest.

Both squads plated a run each in the third inning, then Hendersonville scored a pair in the top of the fourth to take a 9-3 advantage. The Bearcats added four runs in the top of the fifth to build a ten-run margin and threaten to finish the game by the mercy rule. Avery got up off the deck, however, with a strong scoring effort in the bottom of the fifth. Eight batters came to the plate in the frame, with Davis, Becca Biggerstaff, and Justina Rieger scoring runs as part of a four-run outburst which cut the deficit to 13-7 going to the sixth inning.

Unfortunately for the Big Red, Hendersonville responded to the Avery rally by sending ten batters to the dish in the top of the sixth. The Lady Bearcats scored six runs to take a 19-7 lead, and held Avery scoreless in the bottom of the inning to end the game via the ten-run mercy rule after six innings.

“I was pleased with how we hit the ball at times. We just made too many mental and physical errors to win the game,” Lady Vikings head coach Stephen Bunger said after the game. “We hope we can build some momentum off of how we’ve been hitting the ball, and hopefully we can work on improving our fielding and tightening up our defense to give us a better chance to win.”

On Monday evening the Lady Vikings traveled to Marshall to take on the Madison Lady Patriots. Madison defended its home turf with authority as the Avery club fell 20-4 in varsity action.

Avery started well on the raw and windy day for softball, giving up only a single run in the first inning. Following a scoreless second frame, Avery heated up for a pair of runs to take a 2-1 advantage. Beth Lewis led off with a walk and scored after a series of passed balls from the Madison catcher. Shelby McKinney, the second batter in the inning, repeated the process, scoring on a passed ball herself.

After gaining the lead, the Lady Vikings’ good fortune subsided. Madison, motivated from having lost the lead, exploded for 16 runs in the bottom of the third inning. The Lady Patriots were helped by a number of Avery walks and passed balls to lead 17-2 by inning’s end. The wet weather proved bothersome for Avery starter Becca Biggerstaff, who had difficulty with grip because of the moisture and with accuracy through the rain.

“We played solid defensively for the most part,” Coach Stephen Bunger said after the game. “We just gave up too many walks and let the ball get by a few too many times.”
The Lady Vikings were held scoreless in the fourth and the Lady Patriots added their final three runs for the game in the bottom half of the inning to lead 20-2

Avery refused to quit, picking up two runs in the fifth. Justina Rieger walked to get on base and promptly stole second and third bases, and scored on an errant throw to third base. Jessica Banner then singled to right and went to second on the throw. Haley Hicks sacrifice bunted to move the runner to third and Banner eventually scored the game’s final run on a passed ball.

“We didn't hit as well as we have been hitting, but we threatened with runners on base and did some good things on the bases that led to some runs,” Coach Bunger stated. “Overall, I was pleased with the performance, we just need to continue to work on avoiding that one big inning.”

In the junior varsity contest, Paige Henderson got the start on the mound and pitched a complete game, but the Lady Vikings suffered a 33-1 loss.

“We struggled to find the strike zone which led to too many runners on base. Madison had some girls who could really hit well and they drove in quite a few runs,” Bunger said of the contest. “The girls struggled at the plate and we couldn't find any offensive rhythm, scattering hits between outs and not doing much with runners on base. Overall it wasn't the best of days for us, but we are going to continue to work hard on improving ourselves.”

Avery plays Polk County Thursday afternoon and will host Madison for a rematch this Friday afternoon.

Avery Soccer Play Bearcats to Scoreless Tie; Handed First Season Loss by Polk

In a match pitting two of the best teams in both the Western Highlands Conference and the entire state, the Avery Lady Vikings and the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats played to a scoreless tie in overtime at Dietz Field on Wednesday evening.

The Hendersonville squad, defending their home turf, started the game with more intensity of than the Lady Vikings after their two-hour bus ride The Bearcats dominated the first part of the game, but the Lady Vikings knuckled down and didn't let the Bearcats score.

Midway through the half, the Bearcats coach was given a warning after he argued with the referee after he awarded a throw-in to Avery. The play in general was physical, with the Lady Bearcats generally winning the 50-50 balls and going at the Avery players with little regard to their own bodies and definitely no regard to inflicting injury on their opponents.

One Hendersonville player was called for "cleats up", a legal slide tackle as far as approach, but dangerous. Another one was called for dangerous play for going for the ball while she was still on the ground. In general, hand balls were not called, even in the box.

Towards the end of the first half, the Avery coaches were thinking that going into half-time with no score would be a plus for Avery.

In the second half, Avery had the wind at their backs rather than in their face, a distinct advantage. The Lady Vikings picked up their game in the second half, although still not playing at the level the coaches knew they could.

In the first half, the Bearcats outshot the Vikings 24 to 12. Mercedes Bentley had 10 saves in the half. In the second half, with a more offense generated by the Lady Vikings, they outshot Hendersonville 11 to 7. Bentley had an additional 3 saves. Each team had two corner kicks in regulation.

The Hendersonville coaches substituted liberally throughout the game, but the Viking squad, down one starter, put only one sub into the game. The coaches were concerned that this would be a factor if the game went to overtime, which it did.

In the first overtime period, the Lady Vikings defended with the wind, but still were not able to get a ball in the goal. The Lady Bearcats did, however score in the first half of OT, but much to the Viking's relief, it was not counted due to an offsides call against the Bearcats.

"We outplayed them again, and they know that. It was a great match, and I'm positive we'll see them again in the playoffs," Hendersonville head coach Freddy Oviedo said to local media after the match.

As the second half of OT was winding down, Mary Chesnut Smith was making a desperate run towards the goal when three defenders took her down, even calling out to each other to "take her out". Avery was awarded a free kick, which Smith was preparing to take. The clock was ticking down to under 20 seconds, the coaches were calling for her to hurry and take the kick, but a Hendersonville player was standing right in front of her, hoping by delaying that the clock would run out. She was awarded a card for her effort, after the referee called for the clock to be stopped.

Smith took the kick with 4.4 seconds left on the clock. It was so close but it knicked the upright and was deflected away from the goal with a 0-0 tie game as the result.

Avery extends its unbeaten streak to 13 with a 12-0-1 record overall. Hendersonville moves to 10-4-1 for the season.

Over the weekend the Lady Vikings discovered they had dropped two spots in the most recent 1A soccer poll from first to third. On Monday, the Lady Vikings suffered another setback with its first loss of the season, falling 1-0 in overtime to the talented and defending state champion Polk County Lady Wolverines.

Monday’s contest was played in a windy, rainy, and cool evening at MacDonald Stadium, but the action was white hot as the teams battled for ball after ball. The defense of the Lady Wolverines continued to stymie the Big Red for much of the evening, but much as was the case in its last game, Avery relied on its defense to keep the game tied until the offense found a way to score.

The teams played to a scoreless first half, although both clubs did get at least a pair of corner kick opportunities apiece. Polk had difficulty getting good shot looks on Avery, but on the few occasions they did, Lady Viking keeper Mercedes Bentley was a wall making multiple saves in net.

Avery had few chances in the second half to score the potential game-winner. Mary Chesnut Smith almost put Avery on the scoreboard with a long kick off a kick from the out-of-position Polk keeper. The ball looped toward the right side of the goal, but was slightly off target. The second half ended the same way as the first, with the teams scoreless and headed to overtime.

In the first ten-minute extra session, the Lady Wolverines took advantage of a foul call 25 yards from the goal. Polk all-conference performer Anna Trakas took the direct kick and placed it in perfect position, over the Avery defensive wall and above the outstretched arms of keeper Bentley. The ball sailed into the back of the net for a goal and a 1-0 Lady Wolverine lead.

Avery attempted to ramp up the pressure over the next thirteen minutes and succeeded on one opportunity to get the ball into the Polk penalty area. The Big Red was not able to peel off a clean shot on goal, however.

Despite a great effort, Avery could not score a goal and the match ended with a disappointing defeat.

The Lady Vikings fall to 12-1-1 on the season, with an 8-1-1 mark in conference play. Polk improved its record to 11-6, tying the Wolverines with Avery atop the conference standings.

Vikings Overcome Controversial Ruling to Send Trio to Regional Round

Avery golf hit the course last week both at Mountain Glen Golf Club and at Grassy Creek Golf Club in a pair of conference matches. The Vikings combined to shoot a 361 in the Mountain Glen event, good for fifth place and just five shots behind fourth place finisher Owen.

The top individual finishers for the day included Chase Watson, who continued his torrid streak of great golf as he shot a 79 over the 18-hole course. Mitchell’s Thomas Buchanan finished with the low score of the day with a 76, while Hendersonville’s Austin Mongriod shot a 78 on the day.

“We came in about five strokes higher than our season averages, and the Mitchell team was phenomenal. Two players broke par, including a 69 from Thomas Burleson, and their team shot a 302,” Avery head golf coach Boe Barinowski said of the week’s action. “Chase continued to shoot well for us, and Shea Buchanan shot a 78 for us which was good, considering the slow, bumpy conditions of the greens.”

The Vikings competed this week in the two-day conference tournament, held this past Monday at Grassy Creek Golf Course in Spruce Pine and on Tuesday at Mountain Glen. The event is important as it goes a long way in determining the top two 1A schools to compete as a group at regional competition as well as the four individual golfers to compete at the regional level.

“Mitchell is a good distance ahead right now, and at this point we are battling with Hendersonville for second place. If we can’t catch Hendersonville, then we will compete for the remaining four individual slots throughout the rest of the 1A conference,” Coach Barinowski stated after the first day’s competition.

During Monday’s round at a cool and windy Grassy Creek course, the Vikings ended the round only 12 shots behind fellow 1A foe Hendersonville. Mitchell shot the team low score of 324, as Lees-McRae College golf signee Thomas Buchanan of Mitchell shot the individual low score on Monday with a 70 and helped lead his school to a sizable team scoring advantage leading into day two.

Avery shot a round of 352, with Chase Watson and Morgan Johnson carding Avery’s low individual scores of 83 apiece in the less-than-ideal weather conditions. Hendersonville sat 12 strokes ahead of Avery with a team score of 340, led by a 79 from Wiekus Tolles, son of PGA Tour professional Tommy Tolles. Polk County led the 2A team scoring with a 345 going into day two of the tournament.

The Viking golf team has shown vast improvement from last season to this season, and the coach credits both the hard work of the players as well as assists from other unlikely sources.

“The lowest we shot last year as a group by season’s end is still 15 strokes higher than what we’ve shot this year as a team. The boys have done a good job committing to practicing chipping and putting, as well as their overall game,” Coach Barinowski stated.

As Tuesday dawned and the players were preparing for the second and final round of play, the Viking team was struck with devastating news.

Johnson’s sterling round one score of 83 was voided and his overall score disqualified from the tournament. A coach following his group on the course Monday reported to the Mitchell golf coach following the round that Johnson and his father had been speaking on the course, a violation of Western Highlands Conference rules punishable by disqualification. Rather than discussing the issue at Grassy Creek after Monday’s round, Buchanan brought up the violation on Tuesday. The coaches met and, following the Mitchell coach’s recommendation, voted in favor of the disqualification.

“That rule is only enforced in the conference tournament. It’s not a decision about what to do, but whether or not we as coaches will exercise this rule, and the rule was exercised on the recommendation of Quentin (Mitchell head golf coach Quentin Buchanan),” Avery head golf coach Boe Barinowski said after the tournament. “The rule I believe was misapplied. The rule was not clear to the coach walking with the group, and she did not have a rule sheet or know the rule.”

Barinowski was quick to point out what factors contributed to the situation taking place, and how further issues as what occurred might be addressed.

“State and regional rules differ from conference rules. Rules are not enforced during conference play, only during the tournament,” Coach Barinowski said of factors contributing to the decision. “There is no other sport where coaches are on the field of play throughout the day, with six miles of terrain on 18 holes during a round. The opportunity for people to take license and converse with players during a round is prominent, and it is tolerated during conference play but not in the conference tournament. I feel we should be consistent between regular season and conference tournament play,” Coach Barinowski stated.

“The fact that the WHC rules are not aligned with state and regional rules also plays a part. The regional rule states that if a person speaks to a player during a round at that tournament, the player is assessed a two-stroke penalty and the non-player is asked to leave, unless it’s a coach. Even cell phone usage rules differ. The conference’s rule is simply a poor rule.”

Monday’s score of 83 was the lowest score Johnson had shot for the season and fourth lowest of the conference, which was disallowed following the ruling.

“I think the welfare of the student-athlete was subordinated to one person’s desire to enforce a rule one time. Every group in every tournament can be cited for a rules infraction. None of us are pros. I’m not sure it’s appropriate to call a rule violation the day after a round is complete,” Coach Barinowski explained. “I am certain that three of the other coaches knew of the rules violation before scores were posted Monday and no one did anything. I believe if there is knowledge of a potential violation, it should be made during that day’s proceedings. Morgan and his father Brian are both devastated. They just feel terrible and feel cheated over the whole thing.”

Coach Barinowski revealed that Johnson received no benefit from the rule infraction.

“Both Morgan and Brian told me that they spoke of everything but golf, and that was it,” the coach stated. Nevertheless, the DQ had an adverse affect on the entire Avery squad.

“How did it hurt the team? You only have to look at the first tee on Tuesday. After having heard of the ruling that Morgan’s score is not allowed, each of our three best players shoot double par 10 on the first tee box. At the first tee box we had no pars, unusual since all our players at least par the hole in practice.”

The coach made clear to point out that even if Johnson’s scores had been allowed, the Vikings as a team would not have caught second-place Hendersonville for a team berth at regional competition.

“This decision did not hurt the team as much as it did one child. Morgan played well enough with a combined tournament score to qualify for regional play as one of the top four individual players,” Coach Barinowski explained. “Morgan would have been All-Conference had his score of 129 held up. Ethan would not have made the regional tournament had Morgan not been penalized, still giving us three qualifiers,” Coach Barinowski stated. “Ethan and Morgan are very good friends and play a lot of golf together. I am glad for Ethan because that 45 represents the lowest nine holes he’s had all season, and that is significant.”

Due to inclement weather conditions, including rain, wind, and hail, only the first nine holes played were counted toward team and player scores, combined with the previous day’s 18 holes for a total 27-hole score.

At tournament’s end, Avery’s Chase Watson was the lone Avery player to earn All-Conference honors, finishing tied for the sixth-best score overall at 128. Watson, in addition to teammates Shea Buchanan (147) and Ethan Buchanan (144) posted qualifying scores for regional tournament play, which will take place on Monday, May 3^rd at Woodbridge Golf Course in Kings Mountain.

“All three of our players who qualified would have also done so for the 2A regional as well. 152, 161, 137, and 135 were the scores for the 2A regional qualifiers. Our entire team shot below what is going to 2A regions,” Coach Barinowski pointed out. “This year 1A conference play was more competitive.”

The remaining Viking golfers participating in the tournament included the duo of senior Hunter Gossett (150) and senior Dylan Aldridge (152). Teammate Sam Kyle Hicks did not participate in the conference tournament, but continued to work with the team in practice and offer support to the team.

In spite of the weather, the Mountain Glen course and staff were extremely supportive of the Avery players specifically and the tournament as a whole.

“We are so grateful to Sam Foster and the club at Mountain Glen. Some of the members and Sam chipped in for food, and Sam cooked the food and provided spotters for the day,” Barinowski stated. “He also helped me set the lineup, taking away from his business on Tuesday morning to sit with me and go over pairings for about two hours. He then directly left to go buy food and cook it. It was just absolutely great support for the kids, the program, and the school.”

Overall, the Vikings squad finished fifth at the tournament with a combined score of 550. Neighbor and rival Mitchell took home top honors with a solid team score of 494, sweeping both Most Outstanding Golfer (Thomas Buchanan) and Coach of the Year (Quentin Buchanan) awards.

The top two squads representing both the 1A and 2A classes making up the Western Highlands Conference earn regional tournament berths. The top four players who did not play on a regional qualifying team are also invited to individually compete at the tournament. Below are the complete team and individual scores from the two-day WHC golf tournament:

Team Stroke Totals:
1 – Mitchell (1A team regional qualifier) – 494
2 – Hendersonville (1A team regional qualifier)– 510
3 – Polk County (2A team regional qualifier) – 516
4 – Owen (2A team regional qualifier) – 538
5 – Avery – 550
6 – Thomas Jefferson – 607
7 – Mountain Heritage – 628
8 – Madison – 681

All Conference Selections:
1 – Thomas Buchanan (Mitchell) 70-40 – 110
2 – Wiekus Tolles (H’Ville) 76-42 – 118
3 – Luke Stewart (Mitchell) 79-43 – 122
4 – Mickey McMechen (Owen) 84-39 – 123
5 – Kyle Brown (Polk County) 84-42 – 126
6 – Chase Watson (Avery) 83–45 – 128
6 – Dylan Jones (Polk County) 83-45 – 128
8 – Davis Horne (Polk County) 88-43 – 131
8 – Grant Hahn (H’Ville) 88-43 – 131
8 – Marcus Wood (Mitchell) 87-44 – 131

Regional Qualifiers (Top 4 not on Qualifying Teams)
1A – Chase Watson (Avery) – 128; Lucas Murray (Thomas Jefferson) – 138; Ethan Buchanan (Avery) – 144; Shea Buchanan (Avery) – 147
2A – Gaston McGill (Madison) – 135; Tyler Emory (Madison) – 137; Spencer Bishop (Mountain Heritage) – 152; Zach Brown (Mountain Heritage) – 161

Vikings Pound TJCA, Bested by Bearcats

The Avery Vikings varsity baseball team used a strong inning to open a lead on visiting Thomas Jefferson Academy. The Gryphons rallied in the top of the sixth to cut the Avery lead to 7-6.

Avery starting pitcher Daniel Huff retired TJCA with the tying run on base to preserve a one-run margin. In the bottom of the inning, catcher Steven Daniels helped out his battery mate by belting a towering two-run home run to left center field to give the Big Red a 9-6 lead.

"Steven hitting the ball deep to give us those pair of insurance runs was big for us," Avery head baseball coach Benny Wellborn said after the game. "We hoped to close the game out a little earlier, but our kids kept battling hard and got the win."

The Avery defense shut the door in the top of the seventh to capture the three-run win.
Huff picked up the win in a 100-pitch, complete game effort. "That's probably Daniel's best pitching performance of the year. Getting seven innings from him can do nothing but help us," Avery head baseball coach Benny Wellborn said. "The kid battled hard the whole game and deserved to be out there to finish it."

Offensively, Daniels was 2 for 4 with three RBI, Danny Cole with 2 for 3 with three runs scored, while Luke Pittman was 2 for 3 with a pair of runs batted in.

In junior varsity action, the Avery club fell by a 9-1 score to Thomas Jefferson in an abbreviated contest called after three innings due to darkness.

TJCA took an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Avery rallied for a run in the bottom half as Dustin Clark reached on an error and maneuvered around the bases to score what proved to be the Vikings’ lone run for the game.

The Gryphons used a big four-run inning in the top of the second to put the game out of reach. Avery put multiple runners on base in both the second and third innings, but they were left stranded as the Vikings were unable to put key hits together to narrow the margin.

“We did a lot of things single-handedly to beat ourselves against Thomas Jefferson,” junior varsity head coach Samuel Phillips said after the game. “Thomas Jefferson used quite a few of their varsity players at the junior varsity level, which is different from playing JVs all the time. The thing with our kids is if we can get them to believe they are as good a team as I believe they are capable of being, we can be a better team the rest of this season and in the future.”

On Friday afternoon, Avery hosted its second consecutive 1A conference foe, as the Hendersonville Bearcats rolled into town.

The Bearcats picked up a pair of runs off Avery starter Jared Clark for an early lead, while the Vikings were unable to get the offensive momentum going through the first two stanzas.
Hendersonville added a third run in the top of the third to build a three-run bulge, but the Vikings pushed across all four of its runs for the game in the bottom of the frame to take its first lead at 4-3.

Danny Cole started things with a walk, followed by a double by Ethan Sluder and a triple from Daniel Huff. A solo home run from Clark served as the go-ahead run.

Clark buckled down on the mound, holding the Bearcats scoreless in both the fourth and fifth innings to preserve the slim lead. Avery was unable to add to its lead during those innings, which proved costly.

In the sixth inning, Clark was unable to throw his breaking ball for strikes as he had so effectively done in the earlier stages of the contest. The Bearcats seized the opportunity and scored five runs in the inning off Clark and the Avery bullpen.

The Bearcats bullpen closed the door on Avery and escaped Newland with the hard fought win.
“We battled back after they scored early and had a big inning. In the sixth I think Jared got a little tired and maybe I should have pulled him, but his breaking pitches were working so well I wanted to leave him in as long as I could,” head coach Benny Wellborn said after the game.

“The good news is I don’t think made many errors which has been killing us lately. It was just a matter of them catching fire at the right time and us doing so at the wrong time. I thought our guys played well enough to win, but that’s how it goes sometimes.”

Clark gave up only five hits in his five innings of work and struck out six hitters. Connor Cope picked up the win in relief for the Bearcats.

In the junior varsity contest, Avery and Hendersonville played a tight game. Hendersonville led 8-7 and the game was called after four innings due to darkness.

Both teams were scoreless in the first frame, but the Bearcats scored a pair in the top of the second to break the ice.

The Avery offense exploded for six runs in the top of the second to seize a 6-2 lead. The Big Red batted around, highlighted by a two-run double by Dylan Nelson.

The Bearcats quickly bounced back, using three consecutive doubles to pick up four runs and tie the contest. Alex Barker walked and scored on a Bennett Sweat single in the bottom of the inning to regain a 7-6 lead.

In its final at bat, Hendersonville had timely hitting and also took advantage of two Avery errors in the inning to score twice. Avery was held without a tally in the bottom of the inning to provide for the final margin.

The top three batters in the Avery lineup were the only players to garner hits for the game, with Sweat’s two hits leading the way. Dylan Nelson pitched a complete game effort.

“I’m pleased with the effort. The kids battled hard against a Hendersonville team that is traditionally good. It just seems like it’s one big inning that keeps getting us” JV head coach Samuel Phillips said after the game. “The top of our lineup has been producing lately. If we can get the bottom half of the lineup to be as effective as our top half, we’ll be able to get some things going.”

The Vikings took the diamond against conference foe Polk this past Tuesday and will host Madison this Friday.

Middle School Sports: Around the Diamond and On the Links

AROUND THE DIAMOND

The Toe River Conference tournaments for middle school baseball and softball, hosted by Cranberry, begin today in Newland. All four county middle school teams will be in action today beginning at 4:00 (complete tournament schedule listed below).

Avery vs. Bowman

Avery's softball girls broke a three-game win streak to end their season with a 13-5 loss to Bowman in six innings on Monday in Newland.

"We had a bad game," said coach Chris Lecka. "We weren't focused. It was one of those games."

Looking toward the conference tournament, Lecka said his girls need to pitch better and play better defense than was on display Monday--things they did better in their previous three games.

In this game, Smith walked the first six Bowman batters, and the Lady Panthers had five errors in three innings.

Still, the Lady Panthers finish the season with the best record of the four middle school teams (4-6), including a 13-3 win against Bowman in the season opener.

Smith pitched part of the first inning and also in the sixth inning. Morgan Lecka pitched the bulk of the game. Kylie Posgrove had two scores for Avery. Ginny Leaman, Kaitlyn Sudderth, and Jericha Reiger scored one apiece.

Meanwhile, Avery's baseball guys lost a close game to Bowman, a 6-3 decision that was called after six innings. Avery ends its season at 4-7 (3-7 in Toe River play and a loss at Johnson County).

Avery tied the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth, but Bowman scored three in the top of the sixth for the final score. Ty Polsgrove pitched the complete game for Avery.

"Ty pitched really well," said coach Donnie Johnson. "We always have good pitching."

Johnson said his team needs to hone its skills and be more consistent with the conference tournament beginning.

"Fundamentally, we were a little down today," he said. "We could have played a lot better. We had some errors here and there."

In batting, the team looked good sporadically, Johnson said. "We need to be more solid throughout the lineup," he said.

Polsgrove, Chance Watson, and Wade Smith scored the Panthers' runs.

Cranberry update

Cranberry was not in action this week, but will also enter the conference tournament fray on Wednesday. Many of the eighth graders on Cranberry's teams have been on a field trip in Washington since Friday, and have just gotten back.

Baseball coach Phillip Greene is optimistic that a break and change of focus for the eighth graders, coupled with some good practices with the seventh graders, could help going into the tournament.

He's glad that his team is opening against Harris.

"Harris is the team we've played the toughest this year," he said. "I'm looking forward to another game with them."

Though Cranberry finished 0-10, the first Harris game was the closest (a 7-2 loss) and the Wildcats had their highest run total in the other (a 24-10 loss).

In order to make the third time the charm, “we've got to execute, plain and simple," he said.

Softball coach Angel Dugger said her team did some batting work on Thursday, before the D.C. trip, as she says the girls need to be able to hit.

"That's what they've got to do. [And] they've got to be willing to run and steal bases."

Emily Brown has been the primary pitcher for the Lady Wildcats (0-10) this year, among a team that doesn't have much experience pitching.
"I expect her to start [Wednesday's game], and we'll go from there," said Dugger.

Toe River Conference Tournament Schedule: SOFTBALL (games played at softball field on Hodge Turbyfill Little League Complex in Newland): Opening Round (Wednesday, April 28th): 4:00 p.m. - #4 Avery Lady Panthers vs. #5 Harris Lady Blue Devils 6:00 p.m. - #3 Bowman Lady Bulldogs vs. #6 Cranberry Lady Wildcats Semifinal Round (Thursday, April 29th): 4:00 p.m. - #1 Cane River Lady Rebels vs. Avery/Harris winner 6:00 p.m. - #2 East Yancey Lady Panthers vs. Bowman/Cranberry winner Championship Final: Saturday, May 1st at 11 a.m. @ Little League softball field* *If top two seeds advance to finals, game will likely be moved to Yancey County to accommodate teams and fans. ===================================================================== BASEBALL (games played at baseball field at Rock Gym adjacent to Newland Elementary School) Opening Round (Wednesday, April 28th): 4:00 p.m. - #3 Harris Blue Devils vs. #6 Cranberry Wildcats 6:00 p.m. - #4 Bowman Bulldogs vs. #5 Avery Panthers Semifinal Round (Thursday, April 29th): 4:00 p.m. - #1 East Yancey Panthers vs. Avery/Bowman winner 6:00 p.m. - #2 Cane River Rebels vs. Harris/Cranberry winner Championship Final: Saturday, May 1st at 11 a.m. @ field next to Rock Gym in Newland* *If top two seeds advance to finals, game will likely be moved to Yancey County to accommodate teams and fans.

ON THE LINKS

Avery and Cranberry had great showings in golf Thursday of last week. They joined the other Toe River Conference teams and a team from McDowell County for a team tournament on the front nine of Mountain Glen Golf Club.

The results:

1. Harris 137

2. Avery 135

3. Cranberry 155

4. McDowell 166

5. East Yancey 171

6. Cane River 175

7. Bowman 200

Teams were four students each. Team totals were the total of the lowest three scores for each team.

Daniel Childress, Caston Padgett, Austin Phillips, and Chance Watson made up Avery's team. Ryan Buchanan, Austin Daniels, Zach Guy, and Stetson Stafford took to the course for Cranberry.

Daniel Childress' personal total of 38 was the low for all tournament participants.

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM...MacDonald Stadium (Polk/Avery girls soccer)

We are live on a damp, cloudy, cool Monday afternoon for this evening's Western Highlands Conference matchup between the Polk Lady Wolverines and the Avery Lady Vikings. Avery comes into tonight's match with a 10-0-1 record and 8-0-1 conference mark after the scoreless tie last Wednesday at Hendersonville.

The Polk Lady Wolverines are 10-6-0 with a 7-1-0 mark in conference and rides into Newland on the heels of a 2-1 win over Hendersonville on Friday evening.

Tonight's match is a pivotal contest for conference standings. Avery, ranked at #1 in last week's 1A girls soccer poll, dropped to #3 this week, as both the NC School of Science and Math and Gray Stone School leapfrogged Avery in the rankings.

We'll be bringing coverage from Big Red Country throughout this evening's match.

Update #1: Still scoreless midway through the first half. Avery has had a couple of corner kicks but have been unable to convert thus far.

Update #2: Match is midway through the second half and the score is still 0-0. Avery is still looking to get a shot on the board but Polk's defense is strong this evening.

Update #3: Neither team could crack the scoreboard in the second half. We go to a pair of 10-minute overtime sessions with a 0-0 score.

Update #4: Anna Trakas of Polk scores on a direct kick following a foul from 25 yards out to put the Lady Wolverines up 1-0 in the 7th minute of the first 10-minute overtime session. Lady Vikings look to get the equalizer here in OT.

Update #5: One 10-minute overtime session left to play and the Big Red is down 1-0.

Update #6: Avery has its best scoring chance of the game in the 95th minute. The team puts the ball in front of goal but are unable to get it past the Polk keeper. Three minutes remain in the second overtime and Polk leads by one.

Update #7: The Trakas goal in the 87th minute holds up as the Lady Vikings suffer their first loss of the season. Polk upsets Avery at home 1-0. Both teams played strong defense tonight, but Polk made one play on offense in OT to pick up the win.

Thanks for reading!