Men's Soccer Begins 2010 Season Ranked Second in the NCAA

BANNER ELK, N.C. -- The Lees-McRae College Bobcats men's soccer team will enter the 2010 season ranked second in the NCAA Division II according to the NSCAA.

The Bobcats finished the 2009 season ranked second after falling 1-0 to Fort Lewis in the NCAA Division II National Championship match in Tampa, Fla. This year's team returns seven of their 11 starters from their magical season where they went 18-3-2.

"We are excited to start the season ranked second in the country. It is a testament to the effort the lads put in last fall," said head coach Matt Thompson. "This is a new season and although we still have high expectations for the returning and incoming players, we know that we will have a target on our back in every game that we play this season."

Defending champions Fort Lewis top the NSCAA poll with the Bobcats the only Conference Carolinas team in the top 25. Southeast region opponents Anderson and Carson-Newman sit ranked 14th and 20th respectively.

The Bobcats will open their season September 3rd against Flagler at Tate Field.

NSCAA Top 25

Visit lmcbobcats.com for more information on Lees-McRae College athletics.

Cormac Joins Men's Soccer Staff

courtesy LMC Sports Information

BANNER ELK, N.C. -- Head men’s soccer coach Matt Thompson has announced the hiring of Patrick Cormac as his assistant coach for the 2010 season.

Cormac served with Thompson in 2009 at Slippery Rock University as a graduated assistant. That season the team posted a recorded of 18-4-1 and made it to the NCAA Sweet 16.

Prior to his time as an assistant, Cormac played for Slippery Rock from 2005-2008. He was the team captain in 2007 and 2008. In 2008, he was also named All-Tournament Team in the NCAA Regional, as the advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

“Pat will be a huge asset for our team this year,” Thompson said. “His experience will help our team reach the goals we have set in place.”

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM... Avery High School (Pre-Season Scrimmage)

We are live at MacDonald Stadium in Newland this evening for high school scrimmage action involving the Avery Vikings, as well as Mitchell, West Caldwell, West Lincoln, and Happy Valley (TN) High School.

Avery sits out to begin the proceedings, and the Mountaineers of Mitchell are in action against Happy Valley (TN) in ten-minute periods, with each team scoring as many times as possible from the opponent's 40-yard line over that span.

Mitchell scored on its first possession on an option run by QB Troy Self from about 30 yards out. It was the only score for the Mountaineers in their ten-minute series. Happy Valley scored on a pair of long touchdown runs by two tailbacks. Mitchell forced a turnover during another series, then held the Warriors out of the end zone to close the session.

Avery is preparing to take the field next against its first opponent of the evening. Updates to come...

6:30 PM - Mitchell tangles with West Caldwell while Avery will be on defense to begin against West Lincoln. Action will be fast and furious so we will try to keep updating with action from both teams

West Lincoln scores once on Avery in the ten minute series, while Mitchell allows one score to West Caldwell. The Vikings and Mountaineers will each take a crack on offense coming up momentarily against West Lincoln and West Caldwell, respectively.

7:00 pm - Avery scores twice on its offensive series, while Mitchell scores twice on West Caldwell. Avery and Mitchell both get the best of their respective opponents by identical 2-1 scores. Avery will scrum next with Happy Valley, while Mitchell takes on West Lincoln.

7:15 pm - West Lincoln gets one touchdown in the ten minute offensive span, while Happy Valley scores on a run on the final play of its series against the Viking defense. Avery and Mitchell take the offense after a short break to try their hands against Happy Valley and West Lincoln.

7:30 PM - Mitchell scores twice on the West Lincoln defense to win its series 2-1, while Avery scores on one series and turns the football over on another to finish its series with Happy Valley tied at 1 touchdown apiece.

Teams are taking a short break before starting back up with another series. Great weather in Newland and good work for these teams as they prepare for the opening week of the high school football season just eight days from tonight. The Vikings will be scrimmaging again tomorrow in a full one quarter scrimmage at Hampton (TN) High School.

Avery will tangle with West Caldwell next, while Happy Valley takes on West Lincoln. Avery works on defense for the first ten minute series.

7:40 PM- As soon as I say the weather is good...storm clouds begin moving in and the skies have started darkening. West Caldwell scored once on the Avery defense during its 10-minute session. The Avery offense will take the field and look to pick up a score or two. The connection of Villanueva to Gonzalez has been successful this evening, while running back Colton Blackburn has also ran the ball well.

On the Mitchell side, running back Shawn Jackson may be the most impressive player on the field today. He has broken a long 35 yard score and also picked up other touchdowns during the scrimmage today. Vikings offense up next...

7:55 pm - Lightning has forced the stoppage of play just at the conclusion of the 10 minute offense session. Villanueva connected on a pretty fade pattern into the left corner of the end zone for Avery's lone score. The Vikings did commit another turnover with an interception, however, and also fumbled a football inside the ten yard line. Avery and West conclude with a 1-1 tie.

Avery is still scheduled to play its final game against Mitchell, but rain and lightning may cancel the remainder of the event. Final word on the remainder of the festivities to come.

After a lengthy weather delay, the Vikings and West Caldwell rode out the storm and waqs able to play one final scrimmage with two 15-minute intervals. Both the varsity and junior varsity teams squared off and got in extra work to prepare for next week's regular season kickoff.

The Vikings take on Hampton Friday afternoon, then will again hit the practice field going into next week's opening contest against Robbinsville.

Pigskin Prelude: High School Football Preview (Part Two)

The following is the second in a three-part series previewing Avery football opponents in 2010. Last week’s story profiled Western Highlands Conference foes Owen, Hendersonville, and Polk County. This week’s piece features conference rivals Mitchell, Madison, Mountain Heritage, and Thomas Jefferson. The third and final installment next will preview Robbinsville, Avery’s Week One opponent to open the 2010 high school football season.

With the turning of the calendar to August, it’s obvious around high schools in our region that the 2010 prep football season has arrived. The Avery Vikings look to build upon a 5-7 season in 2009, a three-win improvement from the previous season, and contend for the school’s first conference title since 2005.

The 2010 edition of the Western Highlands Conference appears to be as competitive as it has been in the past three to four seasons, with at least five schools having a viable opportunity to claim conference supremacy come November.

Before tangling with the competition in the WHC, Avery opens its 2010 season with four non-conference tilts, hosting Robbinsville on August 20^th and West Wilkes on August 27^th. The Vikings then hit the road, albeit not long distances, for a pair of games, at Watauga on September 3^rd and at Cloudland for the fourth renewal of The Avery Journal-Times Border Battle Classic on Friday, September 10^th.

The following is a preview of four Western Highlands Conference clubs that come from a myriad of positions in terms of conference viewpoint.

One school finished as the co-conference champions last season and rode a magical playoff run to the 2A state championship game. Another school earned its first-ever football win over the Vikings a season ago and look to build much-needed momentum in 2010 following a tumultuous several seasons. Yet another school has a proud sports tradition and has qualified for state playoff competition in recent seasons, but come off a disappoint 2010, its first season as a newly-realigned 1A school. The final school is in just its second year in the WHC and hopes to find its first-ever conference win in 2010.

MADISON PATRIOTS (2009 record: 2-5 in conference, 4-8 overall)
In 2009, the Madison Patriots finished with its best record since the 2006 campaign and earned a berth in the 2A state high school playoffs. The squad earned lopsided wins over Rosman and Thomas Jefferson, as well as a win over Hayesville. The team’s greatest victory in 2009, however, was undoubtedly its come-from-behind 33-27 win in Marshall over Avery, the school’s first win in the season series between the schools.

Head coach Mark Gosnell returns for a second season as head coach of the club, and returns eight starters on offense and seven on defense, including a strong offensive line and senior starting tailback Brandon Henderson, who ran for over 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2009.

“We look to be a much stronger team strength-wise. We hope to compete for a conference title,” the coach said during the off-season.

Quarterback Robbie Shelton will trigger the Patriot offense. He passed for 1,042 yards with 14 touchdowns a season ago. Fellow senior Ronnie Gosnell returns to the team in 2010. He registered 76 tackles a season ago to lead the club.

Senior Blake Moore will anchor the team’s linebacker crew and hold down the tight end position, with help from a pair of junior linemen in Lucas Garrett and Tyler Gonzalez.

To equal or exceed the team’s success in 2010, the team will need to grow up quickly in the defensive backfield, where the secondary is young and lacks varsity experience. Depth has been an issue in recent years in Marshall, so injuries could also derail the Patriots’ potential success in the fall.

Avery will look to avenge its loss to the Madison when it hosts the Patriots on October 22^nd.

MITCHELL MOUNTAINEERS (2009 record: 2-5 in conference, 4-8 overall)
In 2009 the Mountaineers earned its first trip to the state playoffs as a 1A member of the Western Highlands Conference, losing to conference foe Hendersonville in the first round.

Mitchell defeated neighbor McDowell early in the 2009 season and had a winning record of 3-2 following back-to-back victories over North Buncombe and Thomas Jefferson. From that point, the team scuffled, losing six of its final seven contests to close out the season.

The Mountaineers look in 2010 to build its first season above the .500 mark since a 7-5 record in the 2003 season.

Mitchell returns 14 lettermen from last year’s club, with six starters on offense and five starters on the defensive side of the football. On offense, the Mountaineers return strength and experience at the running back position in senior running back Shawn Jackson. Jackson ran for 1,007 yards with 12 touchdowns in 2009. Defensively Mitchell’s 4-4 defensive scheme will be anchored by senior linebacker Ben Smith, who recorded 119 tackles a season ago.

For the Mountaineers to taste a greater measure of success this season, they will have to overcome inexperience at both the quarterback position as well as on the offensive and defensive lines. Mitchell will miss the talent and leadership of graduated starting quarterback Logan Jensen from this year’s team, but the club possesses talent. How well the team matures in the early season may tell the tale regarding the team’s ultimate fortune in 2010.

Mitchell and Avery played perhaps the most exciting game in the Western Highlands Conference last November, a seesaw affair won in the closing seconds by Avery in a 42-38 Viking victory. Avery hosts Mitchell close out the regular season on November 5^th.

MOUNTAIN HERITAGE COUGARS (2009 record: 6-1 in conference, 13-3 overall)
The most inspirational story of the 2009 Western Highlands Conference football season was the success of the Mountain Heritage Cougars. Normally perennial doormats in the conference that battle with Madison to stay out of the conference cellar, everything clicked for the Cougars a season ago. Heritage, who won only 15 games from the year 2000 through 2007, had the second of back-to-back season of 11 wins or more and earned a conference championship. The team showed it could compete with any team in the state, with a playoff run that took the Burnsville team all the way to the 2A state championship game in Chapel Hill, where the team’s Cinderella run ended with a 28-3 loss to state champion Tarboro.

The team’s success was a storybook season in 2009, as the Cougars set school records for wins, most rushing yards as a team (6231), which also is a state record, as well as school records for individual yards rushing (3,054 by Casey Randolph), and tackles (171) by Austin Rice, which also set a state record.

Cougars head coach Joey Robinson and his staff also received accolades for their terrific 2009 season, being named 2A head coach and coaching staff of the year, respectively.

It will be a tough act for the 2010 edition of the Cougars to follow, and the squad has lost a number of players to graduation, including the aforementioned Randolph and starting quarterback Josh Laws, in addition to behemoth linemen Taylor Fender and Casey Peterson.

“All this success did not just happen,” Coach Robinson said of last season’s accomplishments. “It has been a process that has demanded sacrifices from everyone involved with this program. Be it the hard work of the players and coaches, or the support of the school and our great fans, our season was a labor of love.”

Fans should not feel sorry for Heritage this season, however, as the team still returns a number of skilled stars that should step in and keep the Cougars in the conference hunt.

Replacing Laws as signal caller will be Tyson Tomberlin, who had great success triggering the junior varsity Cougars and has experience running the offense.

Also returning is running back Matthew Kardulis, who ran for 90 yards in the Cougars’ victory over Avery last season and also picked off six interceptions as safety on the Heritage defense.

Tomberlin will have several returning targets to catch passes, including tight end Dalton Woody and wide receivers Eli Buckner and Drew Lettermen. Lettermen and Buckner have each impressed the Cougar faithful in preseason camp, and Lettermen caught over 300 yards in passes and six touchdowns in 2009

The stingy Cougars defense will again be led by linebacker Austin Rice, who will look to build upon his record-breaking performance of a year ago.

“Our team will be more athletic than we have been,” the coach said of this season’s club. “We have good team speed on the defensive side of the ball. We should be able to throw the ball better this season.”

Mountain Heritage defeated Avery 35-14 at MacDonald Stadium a season ago. The Vikings make the trip to E.H. Briggs Stadium in Burnsville on October 29^th.

THOMAS JEFFERSON GRYPHONS ((2009 record: 0-7 in conference, 0-11 overall)
The maiden voyage in the Western Highlands Conference was bumpy one for Coach Tony Helton and the Thomas Jefferson Gryphons in 2009. In its first season as a 1A member of the WHC, TJCA scored only 12 total points in its seven conference contests, giving up an average of 61 points per game.

The road doesn’t appear to be getting any easier for the Gryphons in 2010 as the team continues to build a tradition and simply become competitive in the sport. The team returns some experience from a season ago, including senior quarterback Will Beam, who passed for over 1,600 yards in 2009.

Defensively the Gryphons will continue to get guidance from senior defensive lineman Trent Newton. Senior teammate Aaron Conner averaged over 40 yards per punt a season ago, and will also see time at the wide receiver and defensive end positions.

Avery upended the Gryphons 51-0 last season in a game originally scheduled to be played in Avondale but had to be relocated to MacDonald Stadium. Avery will again host Thomas Jefferson this season, with a Western Highlands Conference tilt scheduled on October 1^st.

Read next week’s edition of “The Avery Journal-Times” for the first game preview of 2010, as Avery hosts the Black Knights from Robbinsville High School in the NCHSAA Endowment game next Friday, August 20^th at MacDonald Stadium.

Avery Football Kicks off Season with Fan Frenzy

Last Friday night the Avery County Quarterback Club hosted the first annual Avery Fan Frenzy at the outdoor amphitheater behind Avery Middle School in Newland. A crowd of over 100 fans, parents, players, cheerleaders, and coaches turned out for the event to usher in the beginning of the 2010 high school football season.

The evening’s festivities began with a cookout hosted by the Club, complete with hamburgers, hot dogs, fixins, and a variety of side items and desserts fit that would satisfy the most ravenous of appetites.

After dinner everyone gathered at the amphitheater as Cale Smith and John Phillips, President and Vice President of the ACQC, respectively welcomed attendees and served as masters of ceremonies for the event.

“The mission statement of the Avery County Quarterback Club is that we are an organization designed to help the county’s schools and community football programs. We wish to assist with needs that may arise within the programs at the high school and middle school level, and intend to offer help with youth football in Avery County,” Phillips said to the gathering. “We want to be able to help with needs with the varsity and junior varsity football and cheerleading teams, and are working to raise funds to provide that assistance in those areas.”

The Quarterback Club welcomed new Avery County Director of Athletics David Wright onto the stage, and he shared his excitement about working with the athletic departments in the county middle schools and high school.

“I want you to know that I have spent 15 years as a principal, but spent 12 years before that at Avery High School, and I coached during that time,” Wright told the crowd. “Every time I go to a game I know that is where my heart is. I knew that all along. I am thrilled to be part of the athletic program at Avery High School and the two middle schools. “This group of players from everything I’m hearing was totally dedicated to the summer program, and it was hard to get some of the previous seasons’ teams to do that. Getting the players on board, as well as the support of you parents has been critical.”

Wright’s son Dixon, former player at Avery High, attends and plays football at James Madison University. Wright shared a story he heard at this year’s JMU football banquet about Arthur Moats, a former James Madison football player who played multiple sports and juggled a work schedule in high school. Moats was able to attend and excel in college as a student-athlete, and has recently signed a lucrative contract to play football for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.

“I tell you players this story because I want to tell you it takes commitment, a tremendous amount of commitment, to be able to make your way to the top,” Wright said.

The athletic director also assured parents and fans that this year’s version of the Avery Vikings could achieve great things this football season.

“They’re ready and primed, and these coaches have done a tremendous job at getting these players prepared for the season. I’m coming in as the county athletic director at a great time in Avery sports,” Wright said. “Let’s do everything we can to support this team, and let’s do everything we can to fill that stadium every Friday night, home and away.”

Varsity and junior varsity football players introduced themselves to the group at the Frenzy, followed by the Avery cheerleaders with new head cheerleading coach Amy Fortune. The cheerleaders had recently returned from a camp at Appalachian State University in Boone, where the junior varsity team won the Most Improved award and the varsity team won a trophy for Best Cheer and second-place honors for Best Fight Song Cheer.

“We look forward to cheering at our first game against Robbinsville,” Coach Fortune said after team introductions. “We want to be doing a lot of push-ups this season after touchdowns from the football team.”

The Avery football coaching staff introduced themselves, concluded by Viking head coach Darrell Brewer who shared remarks about the work the team has accomplished over the summer and his expectations for a special 2010 campaign.

“I’m thrilled to be here and I’m very proud of how the summer went. In this day and time, you can’t roll in here on August 2^nd and expect to win championships because it’s not going to happen. I tell the seniors that it’s their football team and that they can be as good as they want to be, and for these players right now, I think that’s going to be pretty darn good,” the head coach stated.

“Players, you’ve worked your tails off and I’m proud of you. I also will say about the young kids that I’ve never seen the group of younger players come out and work out this summer as I have this past summer. To you parents of the younger players, my hat is off to you for bringing the kids to work out. You’re the ones who have to get them here. Mamas and Dads, thank you for running up and down the roads to allow them to be able to be here.”

After introductions, the Quarterback Club drew tickets for several free items, including discount cards, Avery football t-shirts, and Avery hats. The ACQC also had additional pieces of apparel available for sale, and announced that the group would be selling items at Avery football games with proceeds assisting Avery County football programs.

Quarterback Club President Cale Smith and the newly-elected members of the group’s Board of Directors were introduced near the conclusion of the event, and Smith invited all attendees to be part of the meetings of the ACQC, who meet each second and fourth Tuesday of the month at The Ugly Mugg Coffee and Creamery in Newland.

Smith also announced the next meeting of the Avery Boosters Club, and emphasized that need for parents and fans to also back the Boosters in addition to the Quarterback Club’s efforts.

“As the Quarterback Club, we need all the support we can get, and any parents or anyone else is invited. Our Boosters Club supports every sport there is, and they need our help as well. We want to work beside the Boosters and don’t want to hurt them in any way,” Smith stated.

As darkness fell and the evening’s events concluded, the attitude of those gathered were best echoed by Avery head coach Darrell Brewer as he concluded his remarks when addressing the meeting.

"I'm proud to be here. This is home and this is where my heart is, and we're gonna get after it this season."