AJ-T SPORTS LIVE FROM....MacDonald Stadium in Newland (NCHSAA Girls 1A state soccer playoffs)

We're LIVE from MacDonald Stadium at Avery High School as the #3 ranked Lady Vikings play host to a familiar foe in the *8 ranked Hendersonville Lady Bearcats. Avery reached the second round by defeating West Wilkes 3-0 in Wednesday's opening round, while Hendersonville won 6-0 on the road at Highlands the same evening.

Today's matchup is the third one this season between the two Western Highlands Conference rivals. Avery won the first match in March, while the two teams played to a scoreless tie in Hendersonville in April.

Should be a fantastic game between two high-caliber squads, with the winner advancing to the third round on Wednesday to take on the winner of Thomas Jefferson and North Moore. Keep checking for updates right here throughout the match!

Update #1: Hendersonville takes a pair of shots on goal in the first four minutes to start the match, with a pair of saves from Bentley.

Update #2: GOAL AVERY! Mary Chesnut Smith takes a diagonal shot and finds the upper right side of the goal in the 9th minute to give the Lady Vikings the 1-0 advantage. Great shot, great teamwork by the Big Red.

UPDATE #3: HALFTIME. Avery leads Hendersonville 1-0 on a Mary Chesnut Smith goal in the 9th minute. Second half coming up!

UPDATE #4: AVERY GOAL! Off a corner kick, Smith fires a ball into the box, where Katelynn Eudy heads it in, shades of Wednesday night against West Wilkes. Avery puts the ball in the net at the 49th minute of play to stake the Big Red to a 2-0 lead.

UPDATE #5: At the midway point of the second half, Avery holds the two-goal advantage and has played much of the last 15 minutes on the offensive half of the field.

UPDATE #6: GAME OVER. Avery defeats Hendersonville 2-0 in the second round of the state playoffs and will face the winner of North Moore v. Thomas Jefferson Academy on Wednesday afternoon. Congratulations, Lady Vikings!

Chasing the Dream: Avery Trio Qualifies for State Track and Field Championships

Last Saturday the Avery track and field team made the long trip to Cherokee High School to compete in the NCHSAA 1A Western Regional Track and Field Championships. As a team, the Big Red brought home tenth place overall in both the boys and girls competitions, while the trio of Caroline Crenshaw, Mary Chesnut Smith, and Alex Villanueva qualified for this weekend’s state championship meet in Greensboro.

Crenshaw is putting the touches on a stellar prep track career with another trip to the state tournament. The senior came tantalizingly close to a championship in the 300 meter hurdles a season ago, but has continued to work with diligence to earn a shot at another championship. Crenshaw ran the 5^th fastest time in prelims, but picked up the pace to bring home a fourth place finish with a time of 52.42 seconds.

Mary Chesnut Smith, no stranger to the state championships herself, ran well in both the 800 meter run and the 1600 meter run. Smith came home second in the 800 meter run with a time of 2 minutes, 28.55 seconds, a terrific mark considering she had played a grueling and emotional soccer match less than 24 hours before the run. In the 1600 meter run, Smith brought home another second place finish, completing the distance in 5 minutes, 38.42 seconds.

Sophomore Alex Villanueva proved again how uniquely gifted an athlete he is by qualifying for a pair of events. Alex qualified for the state meet in the high jump by clearing the bar at a height of 5 feet, 10 inches. In the 110 meter hurdles, Alex leapt his way toward the front, finishing second in both the preliminary heat and the finals, less than a second behind the regional champion from Hayesville.

A number of other competitors for Avery had positive showings to help earn team points. Christy Ray and Megan Robbins each competed in the women’s high jump, while Robbins also took part in the women’s 100 meter dash. The Avery men’s 4x800 meter relay team of Cody Estes, Justin Gragg, Zack Russ and Forrest Sickler competed in Cherokee, as did the quartet of Andy Gonzalez, Bryce Pittman, Taylor Potter, and Hunter Shields in the 4x200 meter relay. The best relay finish was a sixth place from the team of Andy Gonzalez, Joey Potter, Hunter Shields, and Alex Villanueva in the men’s 4x100 meter relay.

The most disappointing aspect of the Saturday regional was the absence of Avery senior runner Kyle Griewisch. Griewisch, who was running his best times of the season in the 100 and 200-meter dash events and was a runner on the Avery 4x100 meter relay squad, pulled a hamstring in practice Thursday and was still unable to go on Saturday. Griewisch would most likely have qualified for the state meet at the 100 meter dash and 200 meter dash events, and the coaches felt his times with teammates in the 4x100 meter relay might have afforded him a third event to compete in next Saturday.

“Our 4x100 meter relay team missed Kyle. We had Joey Potter fill in and he worked for a day and a half with the team, and he ran well for it being his first meet in a very long time. I’m confident that if Kyle were healthy, though, we could have been fast enough to qualify for the state tournament with that group,” Avery track coach Darrell Brewer stated.

Despite that setback, the Avery team ran well overall and had a lot to be proud of following Saturday’s event.

“I was proud of the kids. Our 4x8 guys ran their fastest time, as did our 4x200 meter guys relay,” Coach Brewer stated. “We earned points in almost every event that we participated in.”

The NCHSAA 1A state championships will be held Friday, May 14th at North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro. Best wishes to Alex, Caroline, and Mary Chesnut as they strive to bring state titles back to the Big Red Country!

Lady Vikings Soccer Meets Hendersonville in Second Round

"We outplayed them. We outshot them. They know that, and we know that. I'm sure we'll see them again in the playoffs."

Those were the words of Hendersonville Lady Bearcats head soccer coach Freddy Oviedo after his team and the Avery Lady Vikings played one another on April 21st at Hendersonville. Apparently the coach was on to something, particularly how talented the two Western Highlands Conference powers are in the 1A ranks.

The third-ranked Avery Lady Vikings, who defeated West Wilkes 3-0 in soccer on Wednesday evening, will take on conference rival and eighth-ranked Hendersonville in Saturday's second round.

Wednesday evening the Lady Bearcats shut out Highlands 6-0 on the road to set up the Saturday showdown. Avery defeated Hendersonville the first time the pair played one another this season, a 2-1 Lady Viking win on March 25th in Newland. In their April rematch in Hendersonville, the two teams played to a scoreless tie.

The start time for Saturday's second round match will be announced later on Thursday afternoon.

AJ-T SPORTS LIVE FROM...MacDonald Stadium (1A Girls Soccer State Playoffs)

We're live from MacDonald Stadium at Avery High School for tonight's opening round playoff matchup between Avery and West Wilkes. The Lady Vikings, ranked #3 in the state of NC this week, enters off the high of a Western Highlands Conference regular season championship after Friday's 2-1 win over Thomas Jefferson on Senior Night.

West Wilkes, out of the Mountain Valley Athletic Conference, looks to pull off the upset.

Update #1: Avery scores the first goal of the night off the team's second corner kick. Mary Chesnut Smith placed the corner into the middle of the box, setting up Katelynn Eudy for a beautiful header to put the Big Red on the board at the 32:54 mark. Lady Vikings lead it 1-0.

Update #2: Midway through the opening half and the Lady Vikings are still holding on to their 1-0 lead. The Lady Vikings have had a couple of chances, but no luck adding to its lead as of yet.

Update #3: GOAL AVERY! Mary Chesnut Smith fires a shot from 25 yards out that finds the upper left portion of the net. With 4:16 remaining in the first half, the Lady Vikings take a 2-0 lead.

Update #4: We've reached halftime at MacDonald Stadium and the Lady Vikings lead West Wilkes 2-0. Eudy and Smith with the goals for Avery. Keeper Mercedes Bentley with a clean sheet thus far for the Big Red. Second half coming up!

Update #5: GOAL AVERY! Smith tallies her second goal of the night, sneaking a shot from the right side past the keeper's right and into the corner of the net. Lady Vikings out in front 3-0 with 20:28 to play in the match.

Update #6: It's Over from Big Red Country and the Lady Vikings shut out the West Wilkes Lady Black Hawks 3-0. Avery plays the winner of the match between Highlands and Hendersonville on Saturday afternoon. Thanks for reading!

Two-Minute Drill

A couple of quick notes regarding Avery High School sports:

- Congratulations to Avery senior golf captain Chase Watson, who competed Monday and Tuesday at the 1A golf championships at Longleaf Golf Course in Kings Mountain. Watson carded an 80 and an 85 in the two-round competition. Included in the scores was a blistering 33 shot on the back nine holes on Monday, which was the lowest individual score for that nine-hole stretch in the tournament.

On a side note, Mitchell golfer and Lees-McRae College signee Thomas Burleson finished fourth overall, losing in a playoff for third playoff. The Mountaineer team finished fifth as a team.

- Avery football is in the middle of its week of spring practice for the fall gridiron season. The team has a busy summer planned with camps, passing leagues, and workouts leading to the start of the season in August.

- Avery soccer opens its run for a 1A girls state soccer championship this evening with a first-round matchup against the West Wilkes Lady Black Hawks. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m at MacDonald Stadium. With a victory this evening, Avery will then take on the winner of this evening's first round match between Highlands and Hendersonville.

-The Avery baseball team has secured a berth in the 1A state baseball playoffs. The Vikings will host the Swain County Maroon Devils in the opening round at Avery High School.

The game will take place on THURSDAY rather than the normal Friday contest, as Coach Benny Wellborn stated that a large number of Swain baseball players are participating on Friday at the NCHSAA 1A Track and Field Championships. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m.

- Speaking of the track championships, three Viking athletes, Caroline Crenshaw, Mary Chesnut Smith, and Alex Villanueva, will travel to North Carolina A&T to compete at the NCHSAA Track and Field Championships.

- Avery's Lady Vikings softball team will conclude its regular season schedule with a home game Thursday afternoon against the 2A top-ranked Owen Warlassies. The game is scheduled for first pitch at 4 p.m.

Best of luck to the Vikings in all this week's action!

Viking Baseball Finishes Regular Season with Victories

The Avery baseball team has experienced a roller-coaster ride of success and shortcomings this season. From late inning losses to dominating victories, the squad has run the gamut of highs and lows.

Last week was the most positive week of the season for Avery, however, as the team appears to be hitting its stride just in time to qualify and potentially do damage in the NCHSAA 1A state baseball playoffs.

On Tuesday, the Vikings celebrated Senior Day with a contest against the Mountain Heritage Cougars. Eight Avery players, Jack Buchanan, Justin Buchanan, Jared Clark, Danny Cole, Steven Daniels, Daniel Huff, Luke Pittman, and Ethan Sluder, were recognized by the Avery crowd and applauded for their contributions to the Avery program.

The contest itself was one that was a polar opposite of the 17-9 shootout held earlier in the season in Burnsville. Neither team could plate a run until the top of the second when the Cougars pushed across its first score on an RBI single from Sam Howell.

In the top of the third frame the Vikings rallied for three runs, all scoring after two were out. Following a Cole single, Sluder took a pitch over the left center field fence for a two-run homer. The next batter in the inning, Daniel Huff, flexed his muscle with his own home run. The back-to-back jacks gave the Vikings a 3-1 lead.

Avery starting pitcher Steven Daniels was strong, limiting Heritage to just two runs and three hits through five innings.

Mountain Heritage cut the Viking lead in half in the top of the fifth inning. Josh Laws led off the inning with a walk, and later scored on a Dave Johnson base hit. In the bottom of the frame, however, Avery answered with its own run. Daniel Huff drew a two-out walk, and Steven Daniels drove him in with a base hit, making it 4-2 Avery.

Relief pitcher Jared Clark came on in the sixth inning and dominated the Heritage hitters, striking out the side. Avery added a fifth run in the bottom of the inning on hits from Dustin Childress and Mark Polsgrove, bulging the Viking margin to 5-2.

The insurance run proved valuable when Heritage clean-up hitter Jacob Neill blasted a two-run home run to shrink the Viking lead to 5-4. Clark bounced back to slam the door, picking up the save.

“This group of seniors has been vital. I told the guys before the game that they have had to deal with a lot of adversity. You’ve head to deal with weather, losses in games you were in. But the one thing about this group of kids, it is the first group in a while that have worked hard and wanted to continue to improve as hard now as they did the first day of practice,” Avery head coach Benny Wellborn said. “These guys wanted to come out winners. They’re a great group of student-athletes, and they are starting to see the fruits of their labor and I can’t be any happier for them.”

On Friday afternoon Avery closed the regular season with a visit to Mitchell, blitzing the Mountaineers by a final score of 17-1.

Avery controlled the game in the early going, but was not able to cash in on opportunities to score. In the first three innings alone, the Vikings left the bases loaded twice and eight men on bases overall.

Nonetheless, the Vikings managed to cash in for three runs in the top of the first for an early edge. Ethan Sluder drew a walk and was drove home on a Daniel Huff triple. Steven Daniels followed up with an RBI single and himself scored on a single from Jared Clark.

Clark was also a force on the mound, as the starter surrendered only one hit over his first three innings of work. Mitchell got on the board with a Peterson solo home run, his third in the two-game series between the schools this season, to narrow the gap to 3-1.

Between innings Coach Wellborn implored his team to get the bats going in the bottom of the fifh, and the team responded to the challenge with a three run post in the frame.

Luke Pittman reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on a Danny Cole base hit. Sluder picked up another base hit followed by a second RBI triple from Huff and a run-scoring single from Daniels.

Daniel Huff came on in relief in the bottom of the sixth and threw smoke past the Mitchell batters. The Mountaineers could not get anything generated offensively, and the Viking offense put the icing on the cake with a ten-run explosion in the top of the seventh to win going away.

“Today was a big win. It was good to see our kids battle out there. Jared has pitched well the past three outings. He only gave up a couple of bloop singles and a solo home run, then he settled down and gave us five innings. Daniel came in and pitched well to close the door,” Coach Wellborn said after the win. “We did the three things we have to do wo win a game, in that we threw strikes, we put the ball in play, and make routine plays. For us to cut down on errors was crucial. We did a lot of little things right that started us off and we capitalized on.”

Daniel Huff was 4 for 6 at the plate with a pair of triples and four runs batted in and three runs scored. Cole, Sluder, and Jack Buchanan each scored a pair of runs in the victory.

The Vikings close its regular season with a record of 6-14 overall, and will host Swain County Thursday in a first round playoff game. Check the here at the Blog for the latest on the Vikings in the playoffs.

Junior Varsity Wraps Up Season with Win
The Avery junior varsity baseball team split its final two games of the season, losing in its home finale to Mountain Heritage in four innings, then bouncing back in its matchup with Mitchell to trounce the Mountaineers 12-6 in four innings.

Mountain Heritage drew first blood with a run in the top of the first inning off starting pitcher Dustin Clark. After retiring Avery in order in the first, Heritage plated another pair in the second for a 3-0 advantage.

In the bottom of the inning the Avery bats came alive. A pair of walks started the rally, then Bryan Moody singled. Teammate Landon Powell had an RBI groundout to put Avery on the board, Walker Carswell reached on a fielder’s choice, then Bennett Sweat doubled to drive home Moody to tie the game at 3-3.

Heritage responded in the third inning with two triples and a single to score a pair of runs to re-take the lead at 5-3. Avery threatened by loading the bases in the bottom of the frame, but left the runners stranded when a groundout ended the inning.

The Cougars scored four insurance runs in the fourth to pad its lead to 9-3, but Avery refused to fold. The Vikings scored a pair in its final at-bat. Carswell walked to start the inning and Sweat was hit by a pitch. Both runners came around to score with help from the Clark RBI single. Avery left two runners on base, however, as the game was called after the frame due to darkness.

On Friday evening, the junior varsity followed up an impressive varsity baseball win with one of its own, doubling up the Mountaineers.

It was Mitchell who looked poised to run away with the contest in the early going. The Mountaineers touched up starting pitcher Bennett Sweat for six runs in the bottom of the first inning after Avery had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the frame.

Sweat settled down after getting out of the inning and held the Mountaineers scoreless for the rest of the game. In the meantime the Vikings rode on the comeback trail. The Vikings sent eight men to the plate and rallied for three runs, highlighted by a two-run home run by Dustin Clark in the top of the third inning to bring the Big Red to within 6-4. Avery could have done even greater damage had they not left the bases loaded to end the threat.

In the top of the fourth the Vikings completed its comeback and seized control. Six Avery players had base hits in the inning, along with one player hit by a pitch and two others drawing walks. A total of 11 men came to plate in the inning and eight came across home plate for runs. Ian Franklin had a two RBI double in the rally, along with an RBI single from Alex Barker, who returned from a hip flexor injury to contribute to the club. Sweat nailed down the win in the bottom of the inning with a pair of strikeouts to clinch the win for the Vikes.

“It was great for the kids. We were able to beat Madison on Friday and we battled against Heritage. We had errors and struggled in the first inning. I challenged the kids to come and play and I think they rose to the occasion,” head coach Samuel Phillips said after the win. “Bennett Sweat gave us another great effort on the mound. Once he saw the team hitting offensively, it was like he smelled the win. We had several key hits like the Clark home run and Alex’s base hit with the bases loaded. We faced a lot of adversity this season, but the team came together as a group and improved with every single game. This team really came along, and tonight was really good for the kids to end with a win.”

Area Middle Schools Shine in Track and Field

Athletes from Avery and Cranberry Middle Schools held a Toe River Conference track and field meet last week at MacDonald Stadium.

In girls action, the Avery Lady Panthers finished the day’s activities in second place overall with 104 points, while the boys squad took third place with 61 cumulative points. The Cranberry Wildcats also ran well, finishing sixth in both the boys and girls events. Lady Wildcat Abby Roberts took home fourth place in the 100 meter dash at 14.58 seconds, while the 4x100m relay team came in third overall with a time of one minute and two seconds.

For the Lady Panthers, a number of individuals and teams placed in events. In the high jump, a trio of Avery jumpers came home in 2^nd-4^th place. Lauren Burleson took the second spot, with Kylie Polsgrove third and Juanita Guzman fourth.

Burleson brought home a second place finish in the 75m hurdles at 13.97 seconds, and also finished fourth in the 200 meter dash with a time of 30.42 seconds. Teammate Shannon Smith also had a good meet, finishing second in the 100 meter dash in 13.64 seconds, bringing home first place in the long jump with a 13’7” jump. Smith also won first place in the 200 meter run, crossing the stripe in 28.81 seconds.

Lady Panther Kylie Polsgrove finished fifth in the 200 meter dash, as well as second in the 400 meter run. Teammates Hannah Robbins (5^th) and Mikaela Whitehead (6^th), competed in the 400-meter run. Catalina Adams took home third place in the 800 meter run and fourth in the 1600 meter run, while Kayla Pruitt finished just ahead of Adams in the 800 meter run for second place and Ashley Yoder took third place in the long jump.

In the boys events, Cranberry’s Hayden Ross finished third in the shot put with a distance of 35 feet, 4 inches, while the Wildcats finished third in the 4x100 meter relay (55.06)

Avery had several boys competing in events, with a number of tremendous results. Panther runner Carson Williams had a strong meet, taking home first place in the 100 meter dash (12.12 sec.), the long jump (16’11”), and the 200 meter dash (26.20 sec.).

Ty Polsgrove finished second in the 75 meter hurdles (11.89 seconds), third in the 100 meter dash (12.77 seconds), and third in the long jump (14’9”).

The Avery team took home fourth in the 4x100 meter relay (59.05 seconds), with Tre Jackson (5^th place in the high jump) and Scott Wiseman (6^th in discus with throw of 77’7”) also represented the Panthers well as the meet.

Congratulations to all our local middle school competitors as they continue their season in track and field!

Champions! Lady Vikings Honor Seniors, Clinch Conference Crown

Since the opening practice in the winter, the Avery Lady Vikings soccer team has been focused on a solitary goal: capturing a Western Highlands Conference championship and adding “2010” to the championship banner in Viking Gym.

Avery finished the season in style, shutting out the Mitchell Lady Mountaineers 4-0 in Ledger last Wednesday, May 5^th. The Lady Vikings then honored senior duo Hayden Blackburn and Elyse Perry with a pre-game ceremony and a post-game celebration of a title, defeating visiting Thomas Jefferson 2-1.

The Lady Vikings came out flat –footed against the Lady Mountaineers, struggling early on to find the form that had won them 14 games during the season.

Early in this second matchup with the Lady Mountaineers, the Lady Vikings had a déjà vu sensation when they were called for a foul and the Mountaineers took a free kick. On this occasion Avery keeper Mercedes Bentley was able to deflect in order to keep the game scoreless.

The Vikings stepped their defense up a notch, determined not to let the Mountaineers score in the game. It took almost the entire first half before the Lady Vikings were able to get on the scoreboard.

Coach Evaul tried to notch up the intensity by subbing many of the starters fairly early, including putting senior defender Hayden Blackburn on the front line, to give her another opportunity to make her first goal in high school. Her good efforts to score and the fan enthusiasm helped the Vikings pick up their game overall.

In the 35th minute of play Cassie Bumgarner got a ball through to Melinda Eggers for the only goal in the first half. Avery did put another ball in the net, but that goal was called back because of an off-sides call.

At halftime the coaches let the girls talk among themselves and work things out about what needed to change for the second half, while the Mitchell fans honored their seniors. The coaches talked briefly with the team before the second half began, letting them know that it was their choice about how to play in a given game. If they wanted to let the “grass” defeat them, or the referees, or whatever, then so be it. If not, pick up the intensity, go to the ball, and don’t look for excuses.

The pep talk proved highly effective, as it took only six minutes of play in the second half for the Lady Vikings to find the net. Emily Banner was fouled about 35 yards out, setting up a direct free kick. Mary Chesnut Smith took the kick for the Vikings, a well-placed ball high and out of reach of the keeper to spot Avery a 2-0 lead. In the 54th minute, Smith assisted Banner on a goal for a three-tally margin.

With a little cushion, Coach Evaul put Blackburn back up on the front line in a last attempt to get her on the scoreboard. In the 67th minute, Smith sent a pass out wide to Blackburn, who shot across the front of the goal finding the far side of the net for a score. The senior dropped to her knees in disbelief and thanksgiving as the Lady Vikings players and fans roared and celebrated.

“Against Mountain Heritage one of the players, I believe it was Katelynn Eudy, came to me and offered to play in the back to allow Hayden to move up and try to score. She had some opportunities there, but wasn’t able to score. The coaches talked and felt we had to put her up front in this game,” Avery head coach Tom Evaul said after the match.

“All the girls were trying to get her the ball. It was unbelievable how hard they were trying to support her. We struggled a little early on and I thought playing Hayden up there would inspire us. The team picked up its momentum and was getting the ball up the field. We started Hayden back in the second half but after about five minutes decided to bring her back up again and moved Arden (Stanley), who played a heck of a game at sweeper, to the back. Seeing the enthusiasm that Hayden had, and her teammates’ excitement over seeing her score, that kind of stuff really makes it fun to coach.”

With the score 4-0 and time running down, the coaches put in all the subs to get the younger girls more game time experience. The difference in their ability and in their understanding of the game has grown immensely throughout the season.

The shutout was the 11^th of the season for junior keeper Mercedes Bentley, who has continued to shine in net for the Big Red defense.

“Mercedes has just fit in so well this season. She didn’t have to establish herself, and the girls have played with her in the past and trust her. She also supports and trusts her defenders, which has a lot to do with why we have given up only eight goals all season,” Coach Evaul stated. “She deserves a lot of credit for our success, but credit also goes to Morgan Bounds and Coach Jimenez who have helped bring her along and made her a great finesse player.”

Last Friday night, the much-anticipated match between the #5 ranked Thomas Jefferson Gryphons and the #4 Avery Lady Vikings was a contest between teams that have combined for over 30 victories this season.

Before the contest, Avery honored senior players Elyse Perry and Hayden Blackburn for their contributions to the Lady Viking soccer program.

“In the past when I coached we had prayer and devotions, and that left for a while. This year the two seniors have really taken over in bringing the Lord back into the team, giving devotions, and being willing to stand up, pray, and be a witness to their teammates,” Coach Evaul said of the duo. “They are very spiritual girls and I thank them for that. In addition they have started for the most part for four years. Elyse has been willing to do anything we’ve asked of her. Hayden at the start of the year had no interest in playing sweeper, but she took her responsibility and played really well. They’re real leaders and the girls look up to them and respect and trust them.”

In the first ten minutes of the match the Gryphons put together a strong offensive run and took a hard shot on goal, but Bentley snagged the save to keep the match scoreless.

With less than two minutes left in the first half, Thomas Jefferson was whistled for a foul. Mary Chesnut Smith took a direct kick from 30 yards out. Gryphone keeper Murphy D’Oyen got her mitts on the shot, but the momentum of the ball from the kick propelled the ball through the keeper’s hands and into the net for the only score of the half.

Feeling good going into the second half, the Gryphons showed why they are worthy of their high state ranking. In the 54^th minute, Victoria Bennett scores off a TJCA corner kick to knot the match at 1-1. Avery quickly regrouped, however, as two minutes later Thomas Jefferson committed a foul, resulting in a direct kick. Smith took the kick and the ball was loose in front of the net. Emily Banner pirouetted and blistered a left-footed shot into the net to score what proved to be the game-winner.

For the remaining 24 minutes, the Avery defense harassed the Thomas Jefferson club and fended off any further shots to tie the match, giving Avery the conference championship. For their efforts, the Lady Vikings will host West Wilkes on Wednesday afternoon at 6 p.m. at MacDonald Stadium in the opening round of the state playoffs. With a victory, the Big Red will take on the winner of the first round match between Highlands and Hendersonville.

“The first day of practice I pointed at the banner and told the girls it was time to change that banner. It’s been too long and that’s been our goal, and it was reached tonight,” Coach Evaul stated following the win. “This team ended the regular season with a record of 16-1-2 and has set all kinds of records in the process.”

A large and boisterous crowd rooted the Big Red to victory Friday night, and the turnout did not escape the notice of an appreciative team.

“The girls were excited to see that many people here tonight. They were animated toward the crowd who deserves a lot of credit,” the coach added. “We’ve had great support all season and tonight was exceptional. We knew Thomas Jefferson was bringing the crowd and we were glad to see the numbers that came to cheer for Avery.”

Best of luck to the Western Highlands Conference champion Avery Lady Vikings in the state playoffs! Information on the Big Red’s playoff run can be read in next week’s edition or checked out following each match at our online resource, the Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog, at www.ajtsports.blogspot.com

Avery Softball Celebrates Senior Day, Drops Close Contests; JV Takes Pair

Last week the Avery varsity softball team was busy with three games in four days as the regular season winds down.

On Tuesday, May 4^th the Lady Vikings hosted the Lady Cougars from Mountain Heritage. The Big Red kept the contest close through the first three innings, but offensive outbursts with five runs in the fourth and four runs in the sixth propelled the Cougars to a 14-4 win in six innings.

Avery scored all its runs in the top of the sixth inning. Becca Biggerstaff, Amber Clark, Justina Rieger, and Jessica Banner each reached base safely in the frame and came around to score as both Michelle Cuthbertson and Brooke Buchanan kept the inning alive with RBI hits.

In the junior varsity contest, Avery played a better game than their earlier meeting with Heritage, but the Lady Cougars still managed to escape with an 8-2 triumph.

“The girls played really well against Heritage. Their girls play year-round and they beat us pretty soundly the first time. We had some moments where we played really well. Half the Heritage varsity team plays on their JV team also, which makes it really tough.”

Last Wednesday, May 5^th, the Lady Vikings took on the Cloudland Lady Highlanders and honored their four senior softball players with flowers, plaques, the players’ numbers in chalk at their playing position, and with much celebration. Jessica Banner, Amber Clark, Kaylea Davis, and Haley Hicks were recognized, and they and teammates played in decorative t-shirts to commemorate the afternoon. The Lady Vikings were unable to pull out the victory, however, as Cloudland took an 8-4 win.

The Lady Landers scored once in the top of the first for an early lead, but the Lady Vikings rallied to take a 2-1 lead after one inning. Seniors Kaylea Davis and Amber Clark each rapped base hits and were brought around to score to snag the advantage.

The score remained unchanged until the third inning when Cloudland added another pair of runs in it and the fourth frame for a 6-2 advantage. Avery during the same time was struggling to get on base and generate offense.

In the bottom of the sixth the Vikings plated a pair of runs to close the margin to 6-4. Biggerstaff and Clark each singled and scored in the frame to keep things close.

Cloudland added a pair of important insurance runs in the top of the seventh and held Avery at bay to provide for the final margin.

“We’re playing better softball, but we’re still struggling at key times to hit the ball when we’re up at the plate. There are moments when we play really well, and there are moments we just lose it. We have to do a better job of avoiding a big inning against us. We fought hard in the last couple of innings,” head coach Stephen Bunger said after the game. “The seniors have been great. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the girls this season. They’re all good players who have worked hard this year. I know the season hasn’t been great, but they always play hard every time out.”

In junior varsity action, the Lady Vikings exploded to rout the Lady Landers by a 14-1 final score. The contest was knotted at 1-1 after one inning, but Avery rallied for a huge second inning en route to the win. Brittany Brewer pitched one of her strongest performances of the season as the Lady Landers struggled to catch up to her fastball.

“It was nice for the junior varsity to go out there and get a little redemption after the senior night game,” Coach Bunger said. “We just played a really great game and Brittany was really on with her pitches.”

Last Friday the Lady Vikings journeyed to Ledger for a game against rival Mitchell. Avery battled hard, but came up short in a 4-3 defeat.

Avery scored the potential tying run at home plate when Jessica Banner was waved around third on a base hit, but the umpire called Banner out on a bang-bang play at the plate, a call that proved to be the difference in the game.

“We were a little shaky with some walks and passed balls at the start of the game, but it wasn’t anything we couldn’t come back from,” Coach Bunger stated. “We held them for the most part through the whole game, and Becca settled down and pitched the ball well. We just weren’t able to get the fourth and fifth runs across the plate.”

In junior varsity action the Lady Vikings picked up another victory with a narrow 17-6 win at Mitchell. “We played like offensive machines. Everybody was swinging and hitting the ball. I believe every player may have gotten a hit for the game,” Coach Bunger said after the win. “We ran the bases and made good decisions on the base paths.”

Paige Henderson got the call inside the circle, and she gave a solid performance to help boost the Big Red to the win.

“Paige has had some tough outings this season, but she has been learning through it all and pitched really well. She gave up a few runs late, but not enough to hurt us. She pitched a great game,” Coach Bunger said. “I believe that Avery is going to be a tough team to beat in softball in the near future. The girls are playing hard, and with more chances to play during the summer and fall, I think they will keep improving and be tough to beat.”

The Lady Vikings will complete the regular season schedule with a home game on Thursday against one of the top 2A softball teams in the state, the Owen Warlassies.

Lady Vikings Host Opening Round of State Playoffs

The pairings for the North Carolina 1A soccer playoffs were released on Monday morning, and the Western Highlands Conference champion and #3 ranked Avery Lady Vikings will host its first match against Mountain Valley Athletic Conference foe West Wilkes. The Lady Black Hawks enter the tournament as a wild card with a record of 13-7 for the season.

Avery and West Wilkes were scheduled to meet earlier this season in Miller's Creek, but rain forced the cancellation of the match with no game rescheduled.

Should Avery advance to the second round an intriguing opponent awaits, as the Big Red will take on the winner of the first round match between Highlands and Hendersonville.

Highlands plays on a nororiously short field and used its home field advantage to defeat the Avery boys in playoff action in the fall, while the Hendersonville squad lost to Avery in Newland but played the Lady Vikings to a scoreless tie on their home field. The Lady Bearcats and their coaches felt that they should have beaten Avery and believe they are a better team, saying as much in sentiments shared to their local media following that match.

The full 1A playoff soccer bracket can be found here on the NCHSAA's official website. Best of luck Lady Vikings!