Lady Vikings Well Represented on All-WNC Soccer Team

Despite the season's end several weeks ago, the accolades and awards continue to be passed out to Avery High School's players and coaches following its historic 2010 season.

Head Coach Tom Evaul was selected as the Western North Carolina Coach of the Year, the Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper announced today. Evaul led the Lady Vikings to the 1A state championship game, and his team held opponents scoreless throughout the playoffs until the title contest with SW Onslow. The Lady Vikings finished the season with a 20-2-2 record overall, and Coach Evaul was named NC Soccer Coaches Association State Head Coach of the Year earlier this month.

Also making the All-WNC team was junior Mary Chesnut Smith. Smith was named the Western Highlands Conference Player of the Year after scoring 33 goals and dishing out 28 assists. She also earned spots on the N.C. Soccer Coaches Association's all-region and all-state teams, and plays this weekend in Charlotte, representing the West in the East-West All-Star Game.

Avery players receiving honorable mention to the squad was Kaley Faulkner, Megan Robbins, Katelynn Eudy, Melinda Eggers and Elyse Perry.

Vikings Football Camp Teaches Fundamentals to Area Youths

From June 14-16, the Avery Vikings in conjunction with the Avery Parks and Recreation Department held its annual youth football camp for elementary and middle school students at MacDonald Stadium.

During the three-day event, nearly two dozen campers were put through the paces by the Avery Vikings coaching staff and current players with various drills. Techniques such as blocking, footwork, pass catching, running, and throwing were emphasized as campers learned moves from players who one day they hope to emulate on the gridiron as a high school athlete.

“The biggest thing we try to do is for the kids to have a great time, and to try to give each kid a taste of everything related to the game. By the time a kid gets to high school, he may play a different position than he plays at this point, so we like to try to let the kids go through different stations and experience the game from all angles and positions as best we can,” said Avery High School head football coach Darrell Brewer.

“The camp is one of the most fun activities we get to do in the course of the year. Our main goal in the camp is to teach the students the game of football, but more importantly to develop a love for the game.”

Around a dozen current Viking football players worked during the camp as instructors at various stations on the field. Campers got the opportunity to learn up close a number of drills from Avery players who enjoyed taking time to work with the children who took part. The campers even enjoyed a frozen Popsicle at the end of the camp day.

As players take part in the camp, it is evident that the players who have played football previously through school or community teams bring more refined skills to the camp

“I tell you, this group of upcoming freshmen coming to the high school may be the best group of players coming in since I’ve been the head coach,” Coach Brewer stated. “You are starting to see the benefits of the work the coaches in the county have put into teaching the game.”

As the years go by, the camp has developed players from kids just learning about the game to seasoned veteran players who currently don jerseys on Friday nights.

“We have kids that we’re blessed to have come back each year. Also, many of our current players who are working as instructors stood in those same shoes the campers are in and have been here for several years. It’s a pretty neat deal,” Coach Brewer stated.

The Avery football program feels strongly about the importance of holding an annual football camp and about its benefits to area kids.

“If we get 15 to 20 kids coming to the camp and loving football, it’s well worth every minute we spend,” Coach Brewer said. “I’d love to see 50 kids here, and we’re hoping to work on some things next year in hopes of getting more kids involved.”

The Avery football team hopes the campers remember the good time they experienced at this year’s camp, and Coach Brewer hopes they will return to Avery High in the fall to cheer on the Vikings. “We’d love to see those guys wearing those camp t-shirts at ballgames on Friday nights, because they truly are the future of Avery Football.”

Golden Knights Earn Thrilling Semi-Pro Football Win over Burlington

After a rough start to the season two weeks earlier, the Carolina Golden Knights returned to the football field at Historic Cranberry High School and put on a great show. Carolina gave up a pair of scores in the second half, but roared back with a tough defense and efficient offense, as the Golden Knights captured a 14-12 win Saturday night against first-year club Burlington.

Both teams had measures of success moving the football, but each team’s blitzing defense wreaked enough havoc to keep either team from putting any points on the scoreboard. At halftime the game remained scoreless.

Burlington got on the scoreboard first midway through the third quarter on a 35 yard touchdown pass for a 6-0 lead. Burlington added a second touchdown on a ten-yard touchdown run in the waning moments of the third quarter to lead 12-0.

Burlington attempted an onside kick after its second score, but it was recovered by Carolina’s Mike Ward in good field position. The Knights took advantage with its first scoring drive of the game. Using a pounding ground game, the Knights pushed the ball inside the five-yard line. On fourth down, Knights quarterback and former Avery Viking Samson Jennings ran play-action and found former Watauga standout Mitchell Harris in the end zone for a four-yard touchdown pass. The point after try from Danny Ball was successful to shrink the Burlington advantage to 12-7.

Early into Burlington’s next possession, Golden Knights defensive back Mister Cooper leapt in the air to haul in his second interception of the game to give Carolina’s offense the football back. Carolina capitalized quickly as another former Avery Viking, running back Chase Arrowood, took the football to the right, reversed field to his left, and in shades of a memorable prep touchdown he scored his senior season, moved the pile and broke several tackles to race 45 yards to pay dirt.for the go-ahead score. Ball’s PAT was good, giving Carolina a 14-12 lead with around seven minutes left in the game.

It was up to the Golden Knights defense to make the lead stand up. The Knights appeared to hold on fourth down in Burlington’s ensuing possession, but a personal foul penalty kept the Burlington drive alive. Undaunted, the Golden Knights held firm, forcing and recovering a fumble in the final two minutes. Carolina then ran out the remainder of the clock to seal the narrow win.

Carolina Golden Knights head coach Mark Beach was excited about his team’s performance following the win. “The team’s emotions were high. We were excited to be able to score, much less think that we could win, considering how we’ve struggled the past year just to score points in a game. It was just enormous,” Coach Beach said.

The Golden Knights are infused with talent not only from the Asheville area and locations across Western North Carolina, but a majority of players hail locally from High Country, many having played high school football for the Avery Vikings or neighboring schools.

“I hope having the local players will inspire other local players who want to play to come out and see what we’re doing,” Beach added. “I know folks have busy lives with lots of things, but I’d love to see more guys come out to play and just give the game a shot.”

This Saturday the Golden Knights will host the Catawba Hornets, a veteran team that defeated the Knights handily last season. This year Carolina hopes to reverse the result from the 2009 meeting.

“Catawba is a really good team. If we can beat those guys, we’ll be ready to play football in whatever league they’d want to put us in!” Beach stated.

The Golden Knights have received support from a number of local individuals and businesses in order to be able to take the field for their second season of semi-pro football.

“I really want to thank the people who are coming out to watch us and those who have been supporting us, as well as the players. Without the players we wouldn’t have the games,” Beach said. “I appreciate the people who have helped out doing things from concessions to the gate to even officiating. Having local officials come and help us for a cheaper cost helps us put more investment back into the team. Our ultimate goal is to be able to save enough money where we’re able to help some person or some family in this area who is in need. Winning has been a slow process that I thought might take three or four years, but if we’re able to keep infusing young talent on the field to practice and work together we’ll keep improving.”

The Knights will host the Hornets at the Historic Cranberry High School football field this Saturday evening at 7 p.m.

Lady Vikings Basketball Holds Middle School Clinics, Camp Week

The Avery Lady Vikings basketball team continues to work to help themselves as well as area girls who love to play the game.

Each Thursday in the month of June the Lady Vikings held clinics for all middle school-age girls (rising 7^th through 9^th graders) who wanted to improve their game.

“Through the month we’ve had about 32 girls who have attended the clinics,” Avery Lady Vikings head coach Missy Lyons said of the clinics. “We have some really good younger talent, so we’ve been really excited about having them join us and working out with us.”

The middle school clinics differed from the usual youth camp in that they were designed more to emulate what a player might experience during a high school basketball practice. After participating in the weekly clinics, a middle school player should have an idea what is expected from them once they reach the high school level.

“We really work to organize the middle school clinics like a high school practice,” Coach Lyons stated. “For many middle school students it’s their first chance to try out for a middle school team, and for the rising 9^th graders to try out for a high school team. With that in mind we talk about how to improve and about some of those concepts. There’s a higher intensity to the middle school clinics.”

Not only do the weekly middle school clinics offer training for the present, but it also provides a glimpse into the future of the Lady Viking basketball program, as the middle school players get to train and learn from older players who in a couple of years play alongside them as teammates at Avery High.

“We’re really starting to see the fruits of our labor with the clinics. Katelynn Eudy and Mercedes Bentley attended our clinics in 5^th and 6^th grade and were able to play with the older girls. Now they are going to be seniors, and I’ve really seen the benefits of them having played in those earlier years,” Coach Lyons stated. “If they’re doing the stuff with us during the summers, I notice when these girls get to the high school level they really sort of fall right in and allows for a smooth transition.”

Despite a busy summer for many people, a good turnout of between 15 and 20 young ladies attended this year’s Lady Viking Basketball Camp, held from June 14-18 for rising third through sixth grade girls. At camp, players learned valuable skills that they can carry into league play for years to come.

This year’s camp, organized by Coach Lyons and instructed with the help of her varsity and junior varsity team members, featured teaching opportunities, floor fundamentals and drills that were useful to learn for the very first time or served as a refresher for those who have grasped them.

“There weren’t quite as many campers as we’d hoped for, but we had a great group of girls, several of which have been coming for several summers now,” Coach Lyons stated during the camp’s final day last week. “It’s really pleasing for me to see how they’ve progressed, and we’ve had some good younger players. Everybody has had a really great time this week.”

Not only does the camp offer instruction to the campers, but offers useful reinforcement to the Lady Vikings high school players who otherwise might not have the time or feel the desire to hone their fundamental skills during the offseason.

“This camp is terrific for my high school players who are helping with the camp. It’s an unbelievable learning opportunity for them to work with the kids every day, to interact with them, and to watch them all progress from day to day,” Coach Lyons said.

“A lot of the girls will comment that they didn’t realize how hard it was to officiate a game or work with the girls as a coach or work with them on individual skills. Any time you teach someone else it makes you think about it as well, and I’ve seen that with the girls working with the little girls this year.”

During each day at camp, youngsters were taught a different fundamental of the game, used as a building block in addition to skills learned from the previous days of the camp to come together for a well-rounded skill set.

“We’ve focused on something different every day. One day we focused on defense. Another day we focused on shooting form and another was on ball handling,” the coach added. “We’ve had competitions every day like dribbling relays, hot shot, free throw competitions to give the girls prizes. It’s a great chance for both the young girls in the community as well as my girls who play for me to have the opportunity to come out and to help and work with the campers.”

Due to the renovation at Viking Gym at the high school, the camp was moved to Cranberry Middle School, which in some ways both helped and hindered aspects of the camp.

“We’ve been everywhere over the years with this camp, from the high school to the middle school to the rock gym. The facility at Cranberry is a terrific facility to use as the renovation is taking place at our high school gym,” Coach Lyons explained. “It’s a good opportunity to get to another part of the county and we’ve had a few of the local girls join us this year. I think the move has been okay, but it’s a little hard to have had to move everything in and out each evening. Everything about the location and the camp were great.”

Avery Little League Announces World Series Tourney Teams

On Tuesday, June 15th, the Avery County Little League held its annual World Series tournament team selections, complete with inflatable games and a home run derby contest. The 9 and 10 year old baseball tournament team already got its postseason off to a great start this past weekend, participating in the Will Dicus Memorial Baseball Tournament in Boone and coming home with a sterling second place finish.

Avery Little League has been selling tickets through the season for a pair of items which were raffled off as a fund raiser for the league. Winners selected at random for last week's raffle items were Kenny Daniels, who won a $400 gift certificate to Mountain Jewelers in Newland, and Maria Accetturo, who won a $600 certificate to The Personal Touch in Linville.

District tournament brackets have been released for each of the four divisions of play. In the 9 and 10 year old baseball division, Avery plays on Monday evening, June 28^th against the winner of a game being played this Saturday the 26^th between Wilkes (National League team) and East Catawba (Avery game site TBD). In 9 and 10 year old softball action, Avery plays this Saturday, June 26^th at 1 p.m. against Ashe County in Morganton.

For the 11 and 12 year old baseball division, Avery will play on Saturday afternoon, July 3^rd against Wilkes County (American League team). Last, but certainly not least, in the 11 and 12 year old softball division Avery will play at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 3^rd in Boone against Watauga (National League team).

Congratulations to the raffle winners and tournament player selections, and best of luck to all our tournament teams in the upcoming District 7 Little League Baseball and Softball Tournaments!"

FCA Camp Offers Lessons to Avery Vikings in Football and Faith

Throughout the spring and early summer, the Avery Vikings football team has been going through the paces of preparation for the 2010 high school campaign. Last week the team traveled to Boiling Springs for The Fellowship of Christian Athletes Team Camp held June 17-19 on the campus of Gardner-Webb University.

Avery’s skill position players competed in a total of ten 7-on-7 games in sweltering temperatures soaring around 95 degrees. The squad finished with a 7-2-1 record in the games, winning first place overall at the camp. While the skill positions were taking part in the 7 on 7s, the Avery linemen were spending time in drills exclusively designed for offensive and defensive linemen, developing technique, footwork, speed, and conditioning skills.

In the 7 on 7 games, Avery tangled with a number of quality football teams like perennial 3A power Asheville Cougars, in addition to other quality regional schools such as North Henderson, Erwin, Saint Stephen’s, and Brevard.

“We lost our first game to Asheville and won straight through until a tie against Erwin,” Coach Brewer stated during Friday’s camp contests. “Our defense has looked really good. We’ve broken down some coverages, but we haven’t spent a lot of time working on 7-on-7s and coverages. Those things are coaches’ fault and not the kids.”

One particular contest during the camp demonstrated the kind of fortitude and resolve that fans are likely going to see on Friday nights this fall. In a contest with Erwin, the Vikings trailed 16-0 in the unique 40-yard game format where touchdown passes count for six points and interceptions/turnovers count for two points for the defense. Avery rallied from a deficit with 18 unanswered points during the latter portion of the contest to pull out a win.

“Our defense had three picks in that game and we really stood strong when we needed to most,’ Coach Brewer said of the win. “We’ve come from behind to tie a game today as well. The kids really haven’t gotten down about things. They continue to encourage each other on both sides of the ball, which has been really good to see.”

A major aspect of the team camp goes beyond the football field. Camp organizers, coaches, and counselors impart upon the teams the importance of high moral character and living a life for a higher calling. Following every 7-on-7 contest, players were asked to give words of encouragement about their opponent, and vice versa. The counselor shared a few words, often regarding unity and teamwork, then a player would lead the huddled group in prayer. The team has also heard testimony and messages from Tim Lewis, former standout player at Montreat who shared how his life changed for the better after learning from bad decisions and spending time in prison.

“The faith aspect of the camp has been great. I’ve been grateful for the team time that they have built into this year’s camp. It allows us to come together just as our team after the daily devotions and they gave us questions to ask the kids,” Coach Brewer explained. “It has made us take a good look at ourselves individually as well as look at ourselves as a football team.”

There will be a personnel change for the Vikings football team in terms of chaplaincy this season. Pastor Jeff Brewer of Stameytown Baptist Church will be handling chaplain duties during this football season, as Minneapolis Baptist Church Pastor Bryan Griffith, who has served as team chaplain for the past 15 years, will be stepping back in his capacities.

“Pastor Griffith is still going to be the assistant in case anything happens and he might need to fill in, but he told us he felt this was a move he felt the Lord wanted him to make,” Coach Brewer said. “Jeff is a cousin of mine, and it’s funny that I’ve heard Brewers preach all my life, but he’s the only one who was standing behind a pulpit doing it! But seriously, he’s really excited about it and has been doing a really good job so far.”

For Pastor Jeff Brewer, witnessed growth from the Avery team while at the camp with the players, and hopes that he as chaplain can be there as a positive role model to help them when needed.

“As far as coming together and unity, we haven’t seen any trash talk or anything negative between teams. This has been a good time for these players to come together to play football and hear the Word of God,” Pastor Jeff Brewer stated during a break between 7-on-7 games. “I want to be a positive role model for these guys, and show them what it’s like to be an encourager in both the good and bad times. I hope we can be there for these kids on and off the field, no matter the situation, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. I hope that these players will trust me with issues they might have, and that is the kind of responsibility I lay on myself toward this team.”

Avery football wishes to express its appreciation to a number of people who helped make attending this year’s FCA team camp possible.

“I’d like to thank Minneapolis Baptist Church, Crossnore Baptist Church, folks like Dwayne Krege and others from Mount Calvary Baptist Church, as well as the folks at Stameytown Baptist Church for giving us funds toward this camp. Their generosity helped to pay for the kids to attend camp who otherwise could not afford to come, and we were also able to pay for several meals for the kids during camp,” Coach Brewer said as another day of camp wound down. “We have seen such great leadership from these kids. It’s great for us to come here to Gardner Webb just to get away from everything, because here we’re focusing on Christianity and football. It’s just the perfect place to bring the kids.”

Avery’s next scheduled summer football event is a 7-on-7 tournament competition at Cloudland High School in Roan Mountain on Friday, July 16th and 17^th.

Lady Vikings Basketball Stays Sharp with Summer Hoops

Nine members of the Avery Lady Vikings varsity basketball squad spent three days in early June in hot and humid Charleston, South Carolina for a week of top-level camp basketball action.

During the camp the Big Red played a grand total of eight games against competition from both North and South Carolina. By camp’s end the Lady Vikings stood tall with a final record of seven victories and only one loss.

Avery defeated Charleston Math and Science by a final score of 51-12, Brookland Cayce by a 79-19 final score, as well as Mount Holly by a final score of 47-41 and Woodland High School by a 43-35 final score.

The Lady Vikings reeled off two additional victories, a 46-14 drubbing of Goose Creek and a 52-39 win over Wando before suffering its lone loss of the camp, a 36-35 loss to Northwest Guilford on a heartbreaking buzzer-beater shot. Avery bounced back and defeated Goose Creek a second time by a 34-29 final score.

“The girls did a really great job down in Charleston,” Coach Lyons stated last week. “There is nothing like that trip. We played basketball, but were also able to have some fun. We got out and rode bikes early on the beach and we had devotions on the beach. We had a lot of good time to bond together, and on the court we just played fantastic.”

Despite the loss of a number of seniors, including the entire starting backcourt, Coach Lyons was quick to praise the efforts of the group, efforts that exceeded even her own expectations for the week.

“Coming into the camp I was kind of thinking this might be somewhat of a rebuilding time, and in the three times I’ve brought teams to Charleston, this is the best team I’ve ever had down there,” Coach Lyons stated. “I was really happy to see it turn out that way because I knew we’d be losing a lot of talent, but these girls have worked and they just immediately started playing well together. They passed the ball well and bought into the whole team concept. Everything there really went smoothly, and it gives me a good feeling about where we’re at and how we’ll be this season.”

In addition to the success the team had, Avery was able to experience some unique experiences as a group during its trip, one of which occurred as the air conditioning unit in the bus they traveled in stopped working as the team began its return home from camp.

“Looking back on it we’re able to laugh at the air conditioning going out. Coach Young measured the bus temperature as over 100 degrees on the way back home,” Coach Lyons said. “A lot of that became a teaching moment as we talked about shared suffering, and we’re able to look back on it and have fun.”

The Lady Vikings will continue to be busy through the summer as it looks for its third sectional championship in four seasons. The team travels this week for summer league games at Wilkes Central and go to Patton the week of June 28^th for a total of ten games. The competition will be fierce, but Coach Lyons feels the team will be up to the task.

“We’ll be playing some really good team. We’ll see Ashe, Watauga, Hibriten, Davie County, Lexington, Wilkes Central, Patton, Draughn. We’ll be seeing different teams each time we take the floor, and we hope that will be a good second step in helping us to get ready for the fall,” the coach shared. “Because of the work we’re doing now, we will come in ready to start. We have the team dynamic and discipline issues taken care of, and the girls know the expectations. Our preseason is really short, so having the summer camps and the leagues do a lot to help us be ready to go once fall practice starts.”