Lady Viking Volleyball Meets Watauga Twice, Sweeps North Wilkes

The Avery volleyball team looked to build off its emotional win over West Wilkes with a trio of matches over the past week. On Tuesday, August 24th, Avery traveled to new Lentz-Eggers Gym at the brand new Watauga High School for its annual rivalry against the Watauga Lady Pioneers.

For the first three games of its match with rival Watauga, Avery’s volleyball team was able to build an early lead. Keeping that lead proved to be somewhat difficult.

Though the Vikings were able to keep one advantage long enough to win the game, Watauga was able to rally and claim a 3-1 victory.

Watauga won the first game 25-23, but Avery came back to win the second 25-21. From there, the Pioneers beat Avery 25-17 and 25-15. The Vikings managed to break open a close second game and take a 14-9 lead it would never lose. Watauga closed to within two points three
different times, but Avery closed out the win when a Watauga kill attempt did not go over the net.

“We made really great defensive plays and we got our serves in. That makes a big difference.” Avery coach Caroline Turner said. “We had the momentum our way and that helped.”

Avery had a golden opportunity to put some heavy pressure on the 4-A Pioneers had the Vikings maintained their 12-4 advantage in the first game. However, the Pioneers slowly worked their way back into the match and cut Avery’s lead to 22-19.

From there, Watauga’s Hannah Stewart took over by knocking down three kills and serving up another point to lead the Pioneers to the win.

“Our girls played really hard,” Turner said. “They’ve come together as a team and played as a team and they’re doing a great job of doing that.”

With the match tied 1-1, Watauga started to establish its offense, though Avery took a 4-0 lead in the third game. Watauga recovered to turn a 19-13 lead into a 25-17 win. The Pioneers bolted to an 11-5 lead in the fifth game and never looked back.

Watauga’s jayvee team claimed a 25-1, 25-13 victory over Avery prior to the varsity action. The Pioneers took big leads at the beginning of both games, going up 7-0 in the first game and 6-1 in the second. Avery struggled with the serving of Kristen Carter, who had seven aces and scored 19 points while serving for the Pioneers.

The Lady Vikings bounced back with authority the next evening, traveling to Hays and defeating the North Wilkes Lady Vikings in straight sets in both JV and varsity matches.

The junior varsity team set the pace for the evening with a pair of decisive sets, winning by scores of 25-8 and 25-16 to make short work of their Lady Viking counterparts.

The varsity match proved to be much of the same, as the experienced and athletic Avery club was simply too much for North to handle. Avery gave up no more than 13 points in any set and swept away North Wilkes by scores of 25-13, 25-12, and 25-10 to close out a decisive win.

Wednesday’s win was a complete team effort. Savannah Dellinger netted four kills, seven ace serves, and six digs, with six kills and two ace serves from Lacey Barrier. Senior Megan Robbins recorded six kills and an ace serve, with seven kills from junior Megan Tennant and 25 assists from senior Cassie Bumgarner. Johanna Pittman had a pair of ace serves and seven digs, with seven digs and a service ace by both Melinda Eggers and Shayna Vance.

“Watauga and North Wilkes are completely different teams in the way they play volleyball. It took a little bit of an adjustment but the girls came out and played their style of volleyball and were very successful,” Coach Caroline Turner said after the win. “Everyone contributed to the North Wilkes game in every way, but I still believe our strongest showing this year was at West Wilkes. All of these non-conference teams and tournaments we have been a part of will give us great experience when we start conference play this Thursday with Owen. The girls have come together as a team and work very well together. They are a lot of fun to watch because they have love volleyball and have a great time playing the game.”

This past Monday evening the Lady Vikings looked for a measure of payback when they hosted Watauga in its home opener on the newly-reconstructed and repainted floor of Viking Gym.

The Avery junior varsity team took the floor first against the Lady Pioneers jayvees. The pair played a close first set as the teams stayed close throughout the game. Watauga came out on top in the first match by a 26-24 score, then took the second set in the best of three match in decisive fashion by the final score of 25-9.

Following the JV match the varsity teams took the floor for a rematch of a match held just six days earlier that was won by Watauga. In the first set of the match the Pioneers opened up a 7-3 lead with its strong service game. From that point the Lady Vikings had difficulty returning the Watauga service and the Lady Pioneers made key digs and kills, building its lead on an 8-1 scoring run to 15-4. Avery continued to fight in the set but the Pioneers took the first game by a 25-11 score.

The second set was the most competitive set of the match as Avery took an early 5-3 lead. Watauga battled back to take a 9-7 lead. Midway through the set the Pioneers used a 5-2 run to build a working margin at 14-9. then a 21-13 edge. Despite the lead, the Lady Vikings refused to fold as the service game of outside hitter Johanna Pittman helped Avery earn five consecutive points and get back to within three points at 21-18. Watauga withstood the Lady Viking flurry however, winning four of the final five points of the set to take a 25-19 win.

In the third and final set of the match, Watauga jumped out to an 8-2 lead before an Avery time out was called to try to stem the tide. The Lady Vikings rallied to get within 13-8, but Watauga answered with a 4-0 run to lead 17-8, forcing another Avery time out.

Watauga proved too tough to stop on the evening, however, extending its lead and eventually taking the match by a 25-12 final score.

Avery returns to the floor for two matches this week, a home match Wednesday against North Wilkes and the Western Highlands Conference opener at home against an improved Owen club.

Vikings Remain Perfect with Trio of Non-Conference Home Wins

The Avery boys soccer team continues to impress soccer circles with its unbeaten start to the 2010 season. Avery shut out the Ashe County Huskies last Wednesday evening in a 3-0 final score at MacDonald Stadium, and on Monday defeated a fellow undefeated Patton Panthers club by a 5-1 final score.

In Wednesday’s match against the Huskies Avery continued to show its positive progress and team approach that has been the hallmark of the team’s first two weeks of contests.

Avery got the scoring going in the 13th minute when Javier Bravo sent a pass to teammate Isauro Estrada, whose shot pealed past the keeper and into the back of the net for a 1-0 Avery lead.

Eighteen minutes later, the Vikings struck again when Bravo got into the scoring column off an assist from senior Daniel Lusk. The score would remain 2-0 until halftime.

“We came out somewhat slow offensively, unable to hold onto the ball past midfield, which gave Ashe more opportunity to attack our goal. Thanks to the defense and some great goalie play by Alex Magner, we were able to hold off a strong Ashe attack until our offense got its act together,” Avery head soccer coach Tom Evaul said following the win. “Our offense needs to do a better job of taking care of the ball once the defense gets it up to them, regardless of who we play. We seemed to be more effective with low shots as the Ashe goalie seemed to have trouble with those. We were lucky to score two goals before half as, again, the Ashe offense kept coming at us, but were unable to be productive.”

In the second half the Vikings defense continued to keep the Huskies clamped down, while freshman goalkeeper Alex Magner registered yet another clean sheet to continue his hot tending streak.

Avery added an insurance goal in the 60th minute when Estrada tallied his second goal of the match off an assist from Lusk. Lusk had attempted a cross pass in front of the goal to Isauro, but an Ashe defender stepped in front of the pass, resulting in an own goal credited to Estrada. The goal provided the final margin of victory.

“At halftime, the coaching staff tried to get the offense to be more effective by looking for passes to the open space instead of passing directly to their teammates. That seemed to work better in the second half. We also implored them to be more mentally tough, as a very physical Ashe team kept pushing the guys around, frustrating them and taking them mentally out of their game. In the second half, we seemed to be more focused and did a better job of protecting the ball,” Coach Evaul stated.

This past Monday evening the Vikings hosted the Panthers from Patton High School in Morganton. Avery struck for three first half goals, paced by the speed and precision of senior Daniel Lusk. Patton had a difficult time marking the Vikings and matching Avery’s intensity on both offense and defense.

Lusk began his scoring spree with a goal in the 12th minute of play to break the ice and give the Vikings a 1-0 lead. Nine minutes later, Isauro Estrada continued his recent trend of strong offensive play as he scored off an assist from Lusk for a 2-0 Big Red advantage.

Patton cut the margin in half with a goal in the 35th minute to draw within 2-1. In the final minute of play in the opening half, Avery got the goal back as Lusk netted his second goal of the half, giving the Vikings a 3-1 lead at halftime.

The score remained unchanged until Lusk netted his third goal for a hat trick in the 59th minute which gave the Vikings a 4-1 advantage. Following a brief respite on the sideline, Lusk re-entered the game and tallied a final goal for his fourth score of the night, breaking away to peal a shot past the keeper in the 64th minute to provide the final margin of victory.

Avery continues to play solid soccer that belies the team’s youth. A mesh of experience and talent has blended well since the team’s last scrimmage in Hickory just prior to the kickoff of the regular season.

“We are getting better as a team compared to the Hickory scrimmage, but we still have a ways to go, especially with mental toughness, and our offense holding onto the ball. This week will be a key week to see how mentally tough we actually are, as our competition will be strong all week,” Coach Evaul explained.

The coach also added how the team’s defense, a mix of older and younger players, has been an anchor to hold the team together in the early season.

“In my opinion defense is the strongest part of our game right now. It is led by senior Brock Yackey at sweeper, with two rookies in Alex Magner in goal and Carson Williams at fullback. Sophomore Heraclio Flores is the other fullback, and junior Austin Lyons complete a defense that has recorded four shutouts to start the season,” Coach Evaul said. “On the offensive end, senior Daniel Lusk is a major threat due to his speed, and as a result leads the team with assists, primarily due to his ability to effectively cross the ball from the corners. Leading the scoring right now is Isauro Estrada. We have missed Jorge Arreola due to a concussion and broken nose, but hope to have him back this week. With those three guys as threats, a defense will have to decide who the stronger player is to mark, and all that will do is open the game up for the rest of the guys.”

Vikings Blast Blackhawks to Remain Unbeaten

For the first time in five years, the Avery Vikings sought to win its first two games to start a football season when the West Wilkes Blackhawks flew into MacDonald Stadium Friday night. A 28-point first quarter explosion by Avery quickly removed doubt from the outcome of the evening’s matchup, as the Big Red cruised to a 48-8 rout.

The strongest and most complete offensive series for the Blackhawks occurred immediately after receiving the opening kickoff. West drove 70 yards downfield in six plays to reach the Avery 10-yard line. However, the first of a number of miscues sealed the Blackhawks’ fate when running back Cody Greene was stripped of the football by Avery lineman Kenny Hicks. Teammate Lucas Lecka scooped up the pigskin to turn the West threat aside.

Once on the field, the Avery offense carved up the West Wilkes defense with the precision of a master surgeon. Wielding the scalpel on the first offensive series was Viking junior quarterback Alex Villanueva, who connected with running back Colton Blackburn on a 26 yard pass play, then hit teammate Andy Gonzalez for pass connections of 31 yards. A penalty negated another pass completion, but Blackburn did the honors of finishing the drive in the end zone with a 17 yard touchdown jaunt. The Dustin Clark PAT staked the Vikings to a 7-0 lead.

After the Viking defense forced a three-and-out, Avery took advantage of field position beginning inside Blackhawk territory to quickly strike and score. Villanueva hit tight end Remington Austin for a 30-yard pass to the West 10-yard line, and Blackburn scored for the second time in as many series with a ten yard carry on the next play from scrimmage. The PAT gave the Big Red a 14-0 bulge with 4:07 to play in the first quarter.

West’s fortunes turned from bad to worse when a first-down pass from quarterback Seth Absher was ricocheted out of the hands of his intended target by Avery defensive back Andy Gonzalez. The football was caught in mid-air by linebacker Tyler Buchanan.

Just three plays after the turnover, the Vikings were back in the familiar confines of the end zone as a perfectly executed screen pass to Taylor Potter and great blocking up front helped convoy the senior running back to the goal line virtually untouched. The extra point put Avery ahead 21-0.

Another three-and-out on West’s ensuing offensive possession gave Avery another chance to score before the close of the first period. Avery was again quick to take full advantage of the possession. In just four plays the Vikings were celebrating another touchdown, this one on a 28 yard touchdown pass from Villanueva to wide receiver Kody Hughes. The Clark extra point ended a stanza where the Vikings lit up the scoreboard and led 28-0 going to the second quarter.

The Blackhawks continued to be their own worst enemy on its next series, as quarterback Absher rushed for a five yard gain only to fumble away the football. Avery’s Spencer Blackburn scooped up the football and darted 21 yards to the West 13-yard line to set up yet another Avery touchdown. On the first play after the turnover, Potter scampered the distance for a 13-yard touchdown. The conversion attempt failed, but the Big Red had a commanding 34-0 lead with 11:07 to play in the first half.

West failed to cross midfield for the remainder of the half with its next two offensive series, and both drives ended abruptly with interceptions, one from Hunter Shields and the other by Tyler Long. In the final second of the first half, Avery padded its lead with a 29-yard field goal from Dustin Clark to lead 37-0 at intermission.

As the third period began, one of the few mishaps occurred for the Avery offensive juggernaut when a Villanueva pass was picked off by West Wilkes’ Will Shepherd and returned inside the Avery 20-yard line. West capitalized on the turnover and scored following five consecutive Tyler Woods running plays, the final one a four-yard plunge to put the Blackhawks on the scoreboard. A two-point conversion run by Seth Absher was successful for a 37-8 Avery margin.

Midway through the period, Avery earned a safety when a Clark punt pinned West back to its own 1-yard line. Avery stifled the first run play following the kick as Taylor Potter tackled Tyler Woods in the end zone for two points and a 39-8 lead.

The Vikings defense continued to shine for the remainder of the contest, holding West on downs on one series and producing another fumble by the Blackhawks, which was forced and recovered by Kenny Hicks to kill another drive.

Avery added a pair of scores to provide the final margin of victory. Villanueva connected with Austin for a four-yard touchdown with 10:33 remaining in the game to give the Big Red a 45-8 lead, and Dustin Clark connected on his second of three field goal attempts on the evening, a 32 yard kick with 24 seconds left to play to boost the Vikings to a perfect 2-0 record to start the season.

Alex Villanueva paced the Avery offense as he was 12 for 23 passing for 239 yards and three touchdowns. Colton Blackburn rushed four times for 58 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Kody Hughes had four receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown, with two receptions and 63 yards from Andy Gonzalez.

The win culminated a winning weekend of high school football, as the Avery junior varsity squad earned a 10-0 shutout victory over the JV Blackhawks Thursday evening in Miller’s Creek. A fumble return for a touchdown, as well as a field goal from kicker Heraclio Flores was all the scoring Avery needed as the defense ran roughshod for the 40 minutes of play.

Both the Avery varsity and junior varsity squads will square off with the Watauga Pioneers in border battles this week.

Mountaineers Topple McDowell for First Win of Season

The Mountaineer running game and defense rose to the forefront Friday night as Mitchell scored 28 second-quarter points to erase a McDowell lead and overwhelm its border foe in a 49-15 blowout Friday night in Ledger.

With three minutes left in the opening period, Mitchell drew first blood when Michael Styles broke through the Titans defense for a 49-yard touchdown run. The successful point after by junior Isaac Edwards put the Mountaineers out in front 7-0.

McDowell, winless in 2009 after its one victory was forfeited due to eligibility issues, finally showed life following the score and jump-started its offense. Quarterback Grant Robinson capped a drive when he scored on a one-yard sneak to tie the game at 7-7 with 8:43 to play in the first half.

On the first offensive play following the Titan kickoff, running back Shawn Jackson darted through the McDowell front line and scampered past the secondary to pay dirt. The 67-yard jaunt gave the Mountaineers the lead it would never relinquish at 14-7.

On its next series the Titans went to the air to try to gain field position, but they paid dearly as Mountaineer outside linebacker Troy Self picked off a Robinson pass and scooted 45 yards to the end zone to put Mitchell ahead 21-7 with seven minutes left before halftime.

After McDowell was held to a three-and-out, Mitchell compiled a strong scoring drive. The ground game found holes in the Titans defense and exploited them for the rest of the half and the entire second half. Self again found the end zone, this time on a one-yard quarterback sneak, to boost the Mountaineer edge to 28-7, a lead Mitchell took to the locker room at halftime.

The second half continued in much the same fashion as the first, as Mitchell chewed up huge chunks of real estate with the running of Jackson and Styles. The pair each eclipsed the 100-yard plateau in the win as the Mountaineers racked up 378 rushing yards in the win.

Troy Self scored his third touchdown of the night on a 20-yard third quarter carry to further pad the Mountaineer lead, while fellow Mitchell quarterback Justin Hughes relieved Self in the second half and got into the act, hitting Matt Vaughn for a 75-yard touchdown pass play to give Mitchell a 42-7 lead after three periods.

McDowell scored a late touchdown in the final 12 minutes on a two-yard run by Rashawn Chambers, and Mitchell closed out the scoring when Styles scored on a tote from 16 yards out to provide for the final margin.

The Mitchell defense held McDowell to 135 total yards of offense, while Jackson ran for 137 yards, Styles racked up 136 yards, and Self raced for 94 yards on the ground in the win for the home team.

Mitchell (1-1) will travel to Brevard to take on the winless Blue Devils in non-conference action this week.