NCHSAA, Coaches Collaborate on Football Playoffs Pod System, Adjust Regular Season Schedule

The often confusing and at times expensive N.C. High School Athletic Association football playoff system got a little more complex. It was announced on Tuesday, June 8^th that a group of high school football coaches and NCHSAA staff met and have developed a method to implement the 256-team football playoffs using a pod system.

The qualifying teams will be placed in eight brackets, then will be split into East and West regions, and then will be split into West, Midwest, Mideast and East pods.

The change is being made to cut costs. In recent years, some teams at the extreme ends of the state have played each other in the early rounds of the playoffs. The pod system is expected to reduce costs in each bracket.

The seeding process and bracketing has several steps:

* Teams will qualify just as they have in the past.

* The first, second and third finishers in most conferences will advance, along with enough other teams, selected based on overall records, to fill the 64-team bracket in each classification.

* Qualifying teams will be arranged within a class based on enrollment. The 64 qualifying 4-A schools, for example, will be listed by enrollment. The largest 16 qualifying schools will be assigned to the big school, or AA bracket, and the 16 smaller schools will go to the A, or smaller school, bracket. The small process will be done in each classification.

* The 32-teams in the AA playoff classification will be divided into East and West regions based on geography.

* The 16 teams in each region will be seeded according to conference finish (no conference champion can be ranked below a No. 2 finisher) and overall records. An undefeated league champion will be ranked ahead of a league champ with a loss, for example.

* After the teams are seeded by region, they will be placed in one of the four pods based entirely on geography. It is possible that the top three or more seeds from a region could be in the same pod. The No. 4 seed in the East region, for example, could be the No. 1 seed in the Mideast pod.

* Teams will be seeded in their pod, based on their initial seeding in the region. The pod seeding determines the pairings for the first three rounds. Regional finals will be played at the site of highest surviving seed from the regional seeding.

Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer likened the new format to the current format used in the state of Tennessee for their postseason football playoffs.

“I think the new system would cut down a lot on travel. The system is a lot like the Tennessee system, where teams play more regionally in the early rounds,” Coach Brewer said of the new format. “It might mean that more conference teams will be playing each other a second time in the playoffs, but to save money and time on travel those are the teams you should be playing. Either way the East and West will eventually meet.”

Ten head football coaches, representing each classification and region of the state, worked with the NCHSAA staff to develop the procedure.

"We tried to think of all the possibilities," said Que Tucker, the deputy NCHSAA commissioner. "It is an involved process, but you just take it step by step."

The Association met with coaches from across the state this past Tuesday to discuss the proposed pod playoff system. According to Rick Strunk, the associate executive director of the NCHSAA, the coaches are being asked to provide feedback, suggestions and ideas about the proposed system. Those ideas will then be brought to the Board of Directors for consideration.

Also at a NCHSAA meeting last month, the Board of Directors voted to change the length of football regular season from 12 weeks to 11 weeks. The number of playing dates, however, would not be reduced from 11, meaning teams would not get a bye week if they chose to play an endowment game.

“I think not having a bye week will make it a little more difficult because it will mean having to play 11 straight weeks of football,” Coach Brewer commented on the measure. “An open week can be both a good an bad thing. It can help your players heal who might be hurt, but it can also slow momentum if your team is playing well. We still intend to play an Endowment game regardless of the decision.”

The new season schedule is expected to be in place for the 2011 football season.

Viking Gym Floor Receives Repairs and Renovations

The playing surface inside Viking Gymnasium on the campus of Avery High School is undergoing renovation during the summer recess. The playing surface itself is being replaced, along with portions of the sub-flooring that was in disrepair.

“There were a number of dead spots and chipping occurring on the playing surface that necessitated the repairs,” Avery High School Principal Mark Garrett stated in an interview on the renovation site last week. “The seams in areas of the floor system below the playing surface where the sleepers met had some joint damage.”

The project of replacing and renovating the playing surface was a 2-3 year process. Funds allocated for the repairs were approved almost a year ago from county commissioners, according to Principal Garrett, but because a repair last summer would have affected fall sports, the school elected to delay the renovation until this summer, a move which allowed the school to look at several options in flooring renovation and shop the best value for the work.

“There was a good portion of the original flooring that was still intact and in good condition. About two-thirds of the sub-floor toward the concession stand half of the court was replaced due to water damage around 20 years ago. A lot of the original flooring below the surface will still be there as part of the two-ply sub-floor, with the playing surface over it,” Principal Garrett added.

While much of the old wood playing surface was primarily torn out and disposed of in a dumpster above the school, Avery officials elected to cut out into one piece the original center jump circle with the Avery “A”.

“The old “A” cutout will be integrated in the gym in a way I believe people will like,” said Avery Athletic Director Matthew Bentley earlier this week.

Although the playing surface will be repaired and new, officials are hesitant to divulge exactly what will be painted on the new Viking Gym floor. They did state that it would be a mix of familiar and modern.

“Once everything is sanded together we will add the design, with everything hopefully completed by mid-July,” Principal Garrett stated. “We hope that the new design will marry the current building style and other recent renovations on campus with some of the older, traditional designs.”

Because of renovations, several of the summer camps normally reserved for the Avery High School Gym have been relocated. The school blocked off the Cranberry Middle School gymnasium for high school open gym and sports camps usage for the rest of the month of June.

Musings and Ramblings: Invitation to State Games Latest Honor for Talented Lady Viking

It is hard to be a standout in one sport while in high school, let alone multiple sports over three seasons in a single school year. Add to that being able to balance time for academic pursuits and spare time for friends and family, and it quickly becomes obvious how uniquely talented an athlete that Avery High School junior student-athlete Mary Chesnut Smith truly is.

During the 2009-10 school year alone, Smith earned a long pedigree of accolades and achievements in multiple sports, including:

- Ladies Golf: competed on Avery’s first ladies golf team, participating in the Western Highlands Conference tournament.
- Varsity Cross Country: All-Conference (unable to further compete due to illness)
- Varsity Basketball: Sectional Champion and Regional Semi-finalist
- Varsity Track and Field: Conference Runner of the Year (won 800 and 1600 meter run events, finished second in 3200 meter run), State Meet Qualifier by finishing second in 800 and 1600 meter run at West Regional (inclement weather prevented Smith from competing in the 3200 meter event or other additional events), Finished second in 800 meter race and fourth in the 1600 meter run at 1A State Track Championships.
- Varsity Soccer: All-Conference, All-Region 10, All-State, Western Highlands Conference Player of the Year. Western Highlands regular season champion, 1A West Regional champion, NC 1A state soccer finalist, Avery team Most Valuable Player with 33 goals and 28 assists for the season.
- First-ever Avery athlete to be recognized as the Western Highlands Conference Female Athlete of the Year.

In addition to these honors, Mary Chesnut tried out and was selected to play for the West team at the North Carolina State Games on June 26^th and 27^th at Queens University in Charlotte. Smith is part of the West squad, and will play the South team at 10:00 a.m. on June 26^th.

Last week I had the privilege of sitting down to chat with Mary Chesnut Smith and her mother, long-time photographer, Avery soccer assistant coach and team publicist Serena Smith. Over the course of conversation we discussed a variety of subjects, both on and away from the field of play.

JS: Did winning the Western Highlands Conference Female Athlete of the Year award come as a surprise to you? What does it mean to you that out of all the female athletes out of our eight-school conference, your excellence was recognized as the best?

MCS: It did. I wasn’t even aware there was an award. I don’t know why they picked me, but it’s good and I’m glad I was chosen.

JS: You are so deeply involved in sports activities during a school year. Where do you find time to enjoy hobbies or interests outside of sports?

MCS: Basically the summer is my off-season, but kind-of not really.

SRS: For Chesnut, it can be hard for her to get up to attend a basketball camp or different things. She still trains, but isn’t able to do many of the scheduled events during the summer.

JS: What was your first thought when you received the call that you had been selected to play in the State Games?

MCS: I was kind of surprised, because I thought there were getting a lot more players from the Charlotte area that was very good. I thought I played well and that I might have made it, but I was really waiting to see.

SRS: They had three tryout locations for the team, and you only had to go to one. Mary Chesnut went to one tryout, but I know some of the other girls had been to multiple tryouts to be sure to have a good showing.

MCS: It was fun because it was such a high level of talent. The game is faster and cleaner, and everybody who is trying out or playing is really good.

JS: You just finished up the high school soccer season playing in a state championship game. What was the talent level of your opponent (SW Onslow) in that match compared to what you saw as a player during the rest of the season?

MCS: They were definitely better competition. They had people spaced out throughout the field rather than just one or two good players. That added more difficulty for us. I also think we weren’t as accustomed to the weather that day. I don’t want to use that as an excuse, but I believe it hindered us a little bit. We also didn’t have the depth to keep people fresh, then Hayden suffered her broken arm and Mercedes wasn’t feeling well either. I think once they scored the first goal that surprised us, and I think that and the second goal really brought us down a little.

JS: You’ve accomplished a lot in sports over the past three years. What keeps you motivated or what are other goals you hope to reach?

MCS: Going to college motivates me. I’m hoping to get a scholarship. I just love sports so I just go do them. If I do well, “yay”.

JS: I know you’re a well-versed student in the classroom and was part of the NCHSAA All-Academic Team. How do you balance your sports activities with the academic portion of being a high school student?

MCS: Staying up late.

SRS: She uses her time very wisely. If she is getting back late from a game and has energy, she’ll get what work she can done in the car. If not, she will sleep in the car and work on the homework at home. She isn’t staying up late as much as I’ve heard some student-athletes talk about staying up. She gives it all she can and is currently tied for second in her class, but she isn’t killing herself trying to be the top student in her class. She’s taking the courses she wants to take, taking courses in art and her areas of interest while still taking the required college level classes necessary.

JS: As parents and family, how do you juggle between sports, activities and personal lives?

SRS: We’ve had four children participate in sports, and each of them have been self-motivated about doing their schoolwork, which makes it easier to free up time because you’re not having to spend extra time and energy getting them to do their work, which obviously comes first. They’ve each fortunately inherited a good part of natural ability and a competitive spirit. I think for Chesnut to see how her older siblings have had to work to compete at a college level has helped her compete at a higher level. She’s willing to go out and run in spite of having games or practices throughout a week. As parents we try not to be pushy, but we encourage them to evaluate what they’re doing and where they want to go. Each of the kids has been such a joy and it’s great to see them succeed.

JS: Chesnut, what does it mean for you as a runner to have the family support system you have around you, including siblings who have been successful athletes both in high school and at the college level?

MCS: It’s definitely really nice having them there. It partially helps to keep me going, and it’s nice to not have to ride home on a bus. Nathaniel (brother and former collegiate runner) has taught me everything I know about running. I haven’t had a real running coach, so he’s been a great help. Katherine (sister and former ACHS and LMC soccer standout) got me interested in soccer going to watch all her games. So her getting to watch my games is pretty nice. I love them.

JS: So, would you call soccer your favorite sport? If soccer was not an option as a sport to play, what sport or activity would you most like to do or maybe try out?

MCS: I don’t know if I’d say that. I like all kinds of sports. I think I would want to try boys lacrosse.

JS: What was it like to see the crowd supporting you and the team in Raleigh at the state championship game?

MCS: It was awesome. I was so glad a lot of people came out. I think some of the people were excited just for the trip there. It felt like a football crowd a little. It’s good to see people are kind-of excited about soccer.

JS: Have you been able to enjoy the past three years and take in what you’ve accomplished?

MCS: I do. I hang out with friends when I can. I’ve enjoyed it. The only thing I wish I’d done was not played three sports in one season my freshman year. I think it was just getting used to high school and having different course work that made the transition rough.

JS: What do you feel has been your greatest accomplishment so far as a prep athlete? What are you most proud of?

MCS: What counts the most to me has been finishing as state runner-up this season in soccer. Also the running accomplishments have been nice.

JS: What are your hopes and expectations coming into the State Games?

MCS: Hopefully for our West teams to win. Also I hope it is a good opportunity to be seen by coaches and receive looks from bigger schools. I think it’s going to be fun to play with different teammates and opponents.

JS: How has playing sports at Avery helped you hone your abilities?

MCS: Working together as a team built unity. The soccer and basketball teams were close and also spiritual and helped draw us together as a team and helped us play together.

JS: Have you given thought to where you might like to attend college and perhaps attend on athletic scholarship?

MCS: I have several in mind, but I haven’t made a decision on any one school. Athletics might dictate where I go. Right now I would be interested in business, marketing, advertising or design, or maybe architecture. I haven’t figured all that out just yet. If I like a school and what they have to offer, and if they offer financial assistance with a scholarship, I might consider it. If all else fails, I’d like to go to Carolina.

JS: Is there a legacy that you hope after next season that you can leave at Avery High?

MCS: My name isn’t on a banner yet, which would be nice. It’s like the poems we read, about how we’re all just people in time and we won’t necessarily be remembered later on. I just hope that we can get a good soccer program going at Avery, and that would be my legacy.

JS: What advice might you give to youngsters who watch you play or hear about you and your athletic exploits?

MCS: PLAY SOCCER or simply play sports. I feel like sports is such a great thing for our county because there is so little else to do in our area. It helps you make friends, it teaches you teamwork, and it gives you experiences. I think it makes for a well-rounded person.

My deepest thanks to Mary Chesnut and Serena Smith for their time in helping with this column, and best wishes to Mary Chesnut at the State Games!

Little League Wraps Regular Season, Looks Toward World Series Tournaments

Avery County Little League wrapped up another successful regular season of youth baseball and softball action at Hodge Turbyfill Baseball Complex last week. The season has had few road bumps as the league has flourished with 23 teams across its various leagues and close to 300 children participating in the action.

“It’s been fantastic. The kids have stayed with it more this year, as the teams have had all their players here through the entire season and have seemed to enjoy it a lot,” said ACLL President Bill Daniels at the fields during action last week. “We have had a great group of coaches and an outstanding umpiring crew. We’ve not lost too many games to rain this year, and we’ve had very few incidents. It’s been a really good year.”

This past Tuesday evening the league chose its Tournament All-Stars for Major League and Minor League Softball and Baseball. The league also announced its end-of-season individual awards and drew the winners of its primary fund raising efforts through this year.

“The fund raisers this season have gone well. Mountain Jewelers generously provided a gift certificate, and The Personal Touch gun shop donated a certificate as well for us to raffle off. All the tickets were distributed for the raffle, and we’ve gotten most of them back,” Daniels stated.

Funds from this season’s efforts are already being invested in worthwhile projects. “Money that we raised has been used toward a new scoreboard which will be used on the girls softball field starting next season,” Daniels said. “We were also able to also repaint and repair the existing scoreboard on the Little League baseball field which hadn’t been operating in three years.”

Following the All-Star announcements, the teams began practicing this Wednesday and will open District 7 Tournament action in two weeks.

“We’re excited about the teams we’ll be fielding this year. We hope to go a long way in the tournament this year,” Daniels added.

As a 501c3 non-profit organization, Avery County Little League always is willing and desires to receive monetary donations to assist the league and provide equipment, uniforms, and other needs for the kids playing in the league.

“We accept donations of any sort as a 501c3,” Daniels said. “For anyone who loves the game of baseball, there is no better place to send money and invest than with this group of kids.”

For anyone wishing to assist Avery County Little League, donations may be sent to the league mailing address at P.O. Box 1618, Newland, NC 28657. A full report on the Tournament All-Star team members and league award winners can be found in next week’s edition.

Avery Football Promises Excitement in 2010

This fall, the Avery football team hopes to bring excitement to field, along with a tough-nosed game. The Big Red, who is seeking its first winning season since going 11-3 in 2005, has been working diligently in several areas and seeing marked results.

Fans following Avery football should notice some of these results shortly after the team takes the field.

“I think the casual fan has a lot to be excited about. We were very young last year, but we’re a year older now, a year stronger, and a year faster. I think overall team speed and strength are going to be much greater than they were at this time last year,” Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer said at a summer workout session last week. “The team has been working three days a week at school. We’re working with both the junior varsity and varsity players on weight lifting and outdoor work”

For the workout sessions, few players have been absent, and the coach expressed satisfaction with the players who committed this summer to improving themselves and the team.

“Participation has been really good. The only kids not at the workouts are gone for reasons I am aware of, rather than just skipping out,” Coach Brewer stated. “We’ve had good participation and the players are working really hard this week, so it’s been good.”

Later this week the team travels to Gardner Webb University for the third straight year to participate in an FCA summer football camp. During the three-day event the team has an opportunity to bond together as a single unit. They also get the chance to test their skills against several teams from various schools across Western North Carolina in 7-on-7 passing league contests.

The competition is a motivation to succeed for the Avery players, but the coaches also understand that winning 7-on-7s in the summer and hoisting a state championship in December are two entirely different goals.

“To be honest, we really focus at the 7 on 7s on ourselves. We play teams and have played teams in the past who were focused on winning games at those camps, so much that they do things that are totally against what they may normally do on offense and defense,” Coach Brewer said. “The things we do during the 7 on 7s are the same things that we will do during the season. Of course we want to win, but we’re going to run our offense and our defensive coverages that we will run in the fall. We pride ourselves on getting better on those things that we know we are going to do and know that we need to improve on.”

Avery spent time during spring practice in early May on specific 7-on-7 strategy and execution, but the team has placed greater emphasis in recent weeks on areas of need to benefit the club for the games that lie beyond the sweltering June and July heat.

“We did a lot of 7-on-7 and line work in the spring. We’ve caught a few footballs this spring, but right now we’re concentrating on getting stronger and faster. We’ll let the 7-on-7 take care of itself when we get there, but right now we’re focusing on us and on conditioning, speed, strength, and stamina,” Coach Brewer added. “We had some really good jumps in progress out of the spring and we home to make good jumps again before going into fall practice.

Aside from the physical preparation, the Vikings continue to employ a positive mental attitude and see a number of team leaders emerging. In turn, the group is confident that they can compete with and defeat any team that walks on the field come Friday nights.

“There has been so much leadership on this team in the classroom, on the football field, and in the weight room. If you have a team that’s got some leadership, then you have a team that’s headed in the right direction. I think mentally we’re a year older and more mature and these guys are hungry. They’re ready to get after it,” Brewer stated.

A couple of new faces have been present during the summer in helping Avery prepare for 2010. Trevor Shields and Lucas Pittman, a pair of former standout Vikings, especially on the defensive side of the football, have been working with the current players with physically and psychologically prepare themselves for the weeks and work that lies ahead.

“Trevor and Lucas both are going to be helping us in the fall. It’s awesome to have kids come back who have bled here and sweat here and worked hard in this program, and want to come back to give back and work with these guys,” Coach Brewer stated. “Having some younger guys come back too is great because they are full of fire and full of energy. It’s awesome having these guys around.”

2010 has the makings of a special season in the annals of Vikings football history, and the coach has a simple message for the fans.

“You better get ready, ‘cause football season is just around the corner,” the coach said. “I think you’re going to see some exciting things from Avery football this season!”

Mountaineers Tabbed Third in Preseason AGS Division I FCS football poll

Reigning National Champion Villanova landed the top spot garnering 81 first place votes in the seventh annual preseason AnyGivenSaturday.com (AGS) Poll of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) released today. The AGS Poll has been the first released national poll each year since it’s inception in 2004.

Following the Wildcats in the top ten were (in order): Montana, Appalachian State, William & Mary, Southern Illinois, New Hampshire, Elon, Richmond, South Dakota State, and South Carolina State.

The full results are listed below.

Four other teams received first place votes including Montana (7), William and Mary (3), Appalachian State (2), and Southern Illinois (1).

A total of 25 squads received more than the five votes required to receive mention outside of the top 25.

The Colonial Athletic Association lead the way with six teams in the Top 25; the Big Sky Conference had four; the Missouri Valley Football and Southern Conferences had three each; the Ohio Valley and Southland Conferences had two each; and the Big South, Great West Football and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conferences plus the Ivy and Patriot Leagues were each represented with one squad.

The pollsters also named Delaware as the biggest rising team from 2009 and Richmond as the biggest falling team.

In comparison to other polls, the AGS Poll had as many or more of it’s preseason top 25 on it’s final regular season poll than either of the other two polls (coaches and media) had on their’s since their inception five years ago. The AGS Poll also had as many or more of it’s preseason top 25 on it’s final regular season poll make the playoffs than either of the other two polls the past five years.

AGS is the world’s largest online community devoted to all of the FCS. The AGS Poll was created in 2004 to give distinguished members of the AGS community a place to voice their opinion, vote for the top 25 FCS programs in the nation, and provide the media and coaches of FCS a valuable resource to gauge general sentiment. In order to ensure that the poll is accurate and fair, a committee of AGS veteran members has established guidelines for voter eligibility and accountability.

The AGS Poll will be announced weekly throughout the season on Mondays and a final poll will be announced shortly after the National Championship game.

2010 Any Given Saturday Poll Preseason Top 25

(First place votes in parenthesis), Points

1. Villanova (81), 2344
2. Montana (7), 2106
3. Appalachian State (2), 1965
4. William & Mary (3), 1909
5. Southern Illinois (1), 1825
6. New Hampshire, 1644
7. Elon, 1578
8. Richmond, 1414
9. South Dakota State, 1359
10. South Carolina State, 1352
11. Stephen F. Austin, 1218
12. Northern Iowa, 1028
13. McNeese State, 1011
14. Eastern Washington, 1002
15. Delaware, 885
16. James Madison, 871
17. Jacksonville State, 720
18. Weber State, 639
19. Liberty, 582
20. Furman, 491
21. Eastern Illinois, 480
22. Montana State, 377
23. Cal Poly, 319
24. Pennsylvania, 277
25. Holy Cross, 262

Others receiving votes (minimum of 5 votes): Prairie View A&M (43), Texas State (41), Northern Arizona (36), Massachusetts (31), Maine (30), Colgate (25), Wofford (22), Eastern Kentucky (20), Lafayette (19), UC Davis (17), Chattanooga (15), Illinois State (15), Florida A&M (14), Georgia Southern (14), North Dakota State (13), Central Arkansas (11), Youngstown State (11), Harvard (10), Lehigh (10), Stony Brook (10), Southeastern Louisiana (9), Albany (8), Grambling State (7), Dayton (5), Missouri State (5)