AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM... Kidd Brewer Stadium

6:40 PM - Appalachian runs out the final five minutes with reserves on the field as the Mountaineers take a convincing 45-14 win over Jacksonville. The Mountaineers move to 2-0 on the season and will host North Carolina Central at The Rock next Saturday afternoon. We'll have some photos from today's game posted in a bit. Thanks for following along here on the Blog!

6:23 PM - After holding the Dolphins and forcing another punt, the Mountaineers again knock on the door of the end zone. Jamal Jackson, now quarterbacking in the game for Presley, hits Washington for a long pass play, then Jackson dives over the goal line from three yards out for the score to up the lead to 45-14 with 5:58 to play. The drive of four plays, 42 yards culminates in the first career touchdown for Jamal Jackson.

6:11 PM - Appalachian running away with this one in the fourth quarter. A Presley six-yard TD pass to Ben Jordan ups the lead to 38-14 with 10:18 left in the game. The drive consumed 11 plays, 83 yards, and 4:02 off the clock. It's the first time in school history a quarterback has over 300 yards of total offense three times over his first four starts, as Presley pulls off the trick this afternoon, currently with 386 yards in total offense. Mountaineers was a little slow starting off, but have kicked it into overdrive in the second half.

6:04 PM - Mark LeGree with an ASU interception, his 18th career pick, good for fourth in team history. The interception comes off a double reverse pass attempt by Jacksonville. The trickeration doesn't work for the Dolphins and the Mountaineers get the football back early fourth quarter leading 31-14.

6;00 PM - After three quarters, the Mountaineers lead it 31-14.

5:56 PM - DeAndre Presley connects with a fully-extended Brian Quick for a diving 41-yard touchdown reception in the end zone. The Vitaris PAT makes the score 31-14 capping the six play, 82-yard drive that took 1:39 off the clock. It's Quick's 5th 100-yard receiving game and his fourth multi-touchdown game in his career. The talented wideout has six receptions for 132 yards and three scores today.

5:50 PM - Appalachian holds Jacksonville to force a punt on its ensuing series, then blocks the Dolphins punt. Blalock gets his hands on his second punt of the game, recovered by Trevor Sawyer. Unfortunately, there was a penalty against the Mountaineers that negated the terrific block. Instead, ASU takes over at its own 18 yard line after a long Jacksonville punt.

5:45 PM - The Mountaineers drive the ball downfield on its ensuing offensive series. A pass interference penalty places the ball at the Jacksonville 10-yard line. Two plays later Devon Moore is in the end zone from two yards out. The drive took 11 plays, went 88 yards over 4:11 on the 3rd period clock. Appalachian now leads it again by 10 points at 24-14 with 5:45 left in the third quarter.

5:32 PM -- Appalachian gets the first possession of the second half, but is forced to punt the football. Jacksonville drives the football inside ASU territory and down to the App 10 yard line. A pass interference call against ASU gives the Dolphins the football at the Mountaineers 2-yard line. Two plays later JJ Laster blast the ball across the goal line for Jacksonville to cut the lead. The PAT makes the score 17-14 ASU with 10:02 left in the third quarter. Drive Summary: 8 plays, 78 yards, 3;02


5:00 PM - Jacksonville's ensuing possession takes them into ASU territory, but they cannot convert on a long third down pass play, forcing a punt with under 40 seconds to play in the half. ASU takes over on offense for the final 30 seconds of the first half leading 17-7. Appalachian hands off the football to close the half leading the game 17-7 at intermission.

4:45 PM - The Mountaineers fumble again on its next series (the fourth of the half) but manage to keep possession. The Apps marched inside the Dolphin. Deandre Presley's creativity at the QB position keeps a play alive that moves the Mountaineers to the Jacksonville 14 yard line. Two plays later Presley connects with Brian Quick for an 15-yard touchdown strike. The drive took 12 plays over 80 yards and elapsed 3:56 off the second quarter clock. Mountaineers start to take charge, leading 17-7 with 2:45 left in the half.

4:35 PM - Appalachian QB DeAndre Presley is hit and fumbles the football on ASU's ensuing offensive series. The ball was recovered by the Dolphins' Layne McCombs at the ASU 37 yard line. ASU's defense holds, however, forcing JU to punt back to ASU. Miscues hurting the Apps thus far in this first half as the Black and Gold leads 10-7 .

4:30 PM - Jacksonville QB Josh McGregor connects on a 30-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rudell Small. The drive, which was 6 plays, 43 yards, and took 2:43 off the second quarter clock, was capped by a PAT to draw the Dolphins to within 10-7 with 7:56 left in the opening half.

4:24 PM - The Mountaineers get the football back on a punt and drives to near midfield, but a Devon Moore fumble forced by the Dolphins was recovered by Jacksonville's Leonard Smith at the ASU 43-yard line. Jax football trailing by 10.

4:10 PM - Appalachian's Patrick Blalock partially blocks a punt by Jacksonville and ASU takes over at the 41 yard line of the Dolphins. ASU immediately strikes with a 41-yard pass from Presley to wide receiver Brian Quick on the first play from scrimmage. ASU leads 10-0 with 4.4 seconds left in the opening period.

Also, congratulations to Dixon Wright and the JMU Dukes on a stunning 21-16 upset win this afternoon over Virginia Tech! Great win for the former Viking and his teammates in Harrisonburg, VA!

4:05 PM - Appalachian moves the ball effectively downfield on the feet of DeAndre Presley to
set up first and goal at the 3-yard line. Appalachian has three shots from the five-yard line but can't score a touchdown. Jason Vitaris comes on for a field goal of 22 yards, which he converts to put the Mountainee
rs on the board. ASU's drive amounts to a 13 play, 72 yard drive that ends with the Apps leading Jacksonville 3-0 with 1:38 left in the first period.

3:55 PM - Jacksonville picks up one first down after getting the football back, but the Mountaineer D clamps down to force a punt. Appalachian takes the ball back over offensively at its own 24-yard line.

3:45 PM - Jacksonville gets the football on offense to start the game and is held to a three and out, forcing a punt. Appalachian sets up shop near its own 40 yard line. ASU moves the ball downfield with a pair of pass plays. A personal foul facemask moves the pigskin inside the Dolphin 30-yard line. The Mountaineers go for a first down on fourth and short, and the Dolphin defense holds to turn the football over on downs. Strong stand by the JU defense in the opening five minutes of the contest.

On a side note, former Avery Vikings placekicker Dixon Wright, now currently placekicking at James Madison University, is playing in Blacksburg this afternoon against the Virginia Tech Hokies. Wright and the Dukes lead Va. Tech by a field goal early in the fourth quarter.

3:30 PM - We've had a very moving pre-game ceremony honoring the victims and service personnel lost in the tragedy of September 11, 2001, complete with the playing of "Taps", moment of silence, and a 21-gun salute. Appalachian is preparing to hit the field in full force to open the 2010 home schedule against Jacksonville. The wait is over and it's time to get the game underway!

We are LIVE from Boone for the Appalachian State football home opener vs. the Jacksonville Dolphins. Appalachian enters this afternoon's game at 1-0 off a thrilling come-from-behind victory last Saturday afternoon at UT-Chattanooga, while Jacksonville University won last week 35-25 over Old Dominion last Saturday. The Dolphins are 17-7 since their last visit to Boone when the were thumped 56-7 by the Mountaineers in 2008.

Below is a link to the full set of game notes in .pdf format for today's contest. Special thanks to Appalachian Sports Information for the news and stats leading up to this afternoon's football contest.

Appalachian-Jacksonville Game Notes

Mountaineer quarterback DeAndre Presley, last week's National Player of the Week as well as SoCon Offensive Player of the Week, will look to repeat a 22 of 29 passing performance for 340 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

We'll be back at 3:30 pm this afternoon for the opening kickoff. Rain has been falling steadily throughout the morning and early afternoon at the stadium, so hopefully the weather will clear out in time for today's ballgame. Thanks for following along!

Pioneers Hold Off West Stokes for Bounce Back Win

Watauga generated just enough offense to beat West Stokes 10-9 at Jack Groce Stadium Friday night.

The Pioneers (2-2) got a touchdown from Kyle Chambers when he recovered his own fumble just after it looked like he would score on an 6-yard run. He lost control of the ball as he approached the goal line, but managed to fall on it, giving the Pioneers a 9-3 lead over the Wildcats (2-2).

The touchdown was set up when Jake Gilliam sacked West Stokes quarterback Austin Fleming, who fumbled the ball. Watauga’s Daniel Trivette recovered at the West Stokes 18-yard line.

Alex Parsons kicked the extra point, which proved to be the difference in the game. With 4:25 left in the fourth quarter, West Stokes quarterback Alex Fleming found Luke Bowen for a 26-yard touchdown pass. However, the Wildcats missed the extra point, leaving the Pioneers in
front 10-9.

Earlier in the game, specifically with 3:11 left in the first half, Parsons converted a 23-yard field goal after the Pioneers started a drive at the West Stokes 35-yard line. Trey Kavanaugh had returned a kickoff to the 50-yard line, and the Pioneers benefited from a West Stokes personal foul penalty.

Watauga thought it had a touchdown when Baker Stanley scored from four yards out, but the Pioneers were called for aiding the runner — the official said a Pioneer pulled Stanley into the end zone, according to Watauga coach Tim Pruitt — and a 5-yard penalty was assessed.

Watauga rushed for 129 yards, the first time the Pioneers have rushed for over 100 yards all season. Quarterback Caleb Watson led the Pioneers with 89 yards on 18 carries. Stanley gained 23 yards on three carries, but had a key 12-yard gain wiped out because of a holding penalty.
Stanley stayed down because of an injury to his right leg, but the extent of the injury was not immediately known.

Fleming provided most of the offense for the Wildcats. The senior ran the ball 23 times for 82 yards and completed 12-of-19 passes for 110 yards, including a 36-yarder to Bowen in the second quarter that set up a 35-yard Scott Leonard field goal.

Of the 56 plays West Stokes ran, Fleming either ran or passed in 42 of them.

Watauga’s passing game struggled. Watson completed his first attempt, a 19-yarder to Matt Scott in the first quarter, but did not complete any more. He finished 1-for-5 for 19 yards and no interceptions. Ethan Green did not complete the two attempts he had.

Watauga’s special teams helped with the victory. Not only did Parsons make both kicks he attempted, but punter Mo Gore averaged 36.4 yards on seven points. That included a 71-yarder that he unloaded just before halftime when rushed by the Wildcats’ defense.

He also got off a punt late in the fourth quarter that West Stokes tried to block with less than a minute remaining in the game.

Watauga plays at defending 4-A state champion A.C. Reynolds next Friday.

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM...Orr Field (Avery Football at Cloudland)

11:35 PM - Cloudland scores one final touchdown in the final two minutes off Avery's reserves to provide for the final score of 43-24.

9:50 PM - Avery puts in a number of reserves as both teams work to play out the final eight minutes of action. It's time to give away the Border Battle Trophy soon so it's time to head to the field for the presentation. Thanks for reading tonight as the Vikings move to 4-0 for the season heading into its bye week. Cloudland falls to 2-2 overall.

9:39 PM - Cloudland on the board with a five-yard run by quarterback Whitehead to cut the Avery lead to 43-14. A Tyler Shell two point conversion run makes the score 43-16 Avery with 9:56 remaining in the game.

9:35 PM - End of the third period and Avery leads it 43-8.

9:25 PM - Avery forces Cloudland to punt on its next offensive series, and the Vikings drive the football into Cloudland territory. Avery looked to score but a fumble inside the five yard line gave the ball back to Cloudland. The Vikings defense forced another Cloudland punt and Avery again moved the football inside the 10-yard line in the final two minutes of the third quarter. Potter scores on a 9-yard run to cap a two-play drive. The Clark PAT is good and Avery now leads 43-8 with 1:04 to play in the third period.

9:11 PM - Cloudland gets the first possession of the second half, but the Avery defense forces a fumble near midfield, recovered by Tyler Calvert. On the first play after the turnover, Villanueva airs it out to Andy Gonzalez for a 49-yard touchdown pass. The PAT is good and Avery leads it 36-8.

8:47 PM - 29-8 Avery leads Cloudland at halftime.

8:37 PM - A scary moment in the final minute of the first half, as Avery defensive back Trent Mitchell collided while making a tackle and collapsed to the turf. Medical personnel have been summoned onto the field to take the young man off the field with extra care and precaution. There are 48 seconds left in the first half and Avery leads 29-8, but those figures are secondary at the moment. Our hopes and prayers are with Trent and are hoping that everything is ok.

8:28 PM - After a Cole fumble, Avery scores on a 53-yard scramble and run by Alex Villanueva. After an encroachment penalty on the extra point kick, Avery chooses to go for two points. The conversion run by Taylor Potter is good, and the Vikings lead 29-8 with 1:55 left to play in the first half.

8:20 PM - After a fourth down defensive hold, Avery connects on a long TD pass from Villanueva to Gonzalez. The pair connect on the 2-point play to set Avery up with a 21-8 lead with 5:16 left in the half.

8:00 PM - at the end of the first quarter in the Border Battle Classic, Avery leads Cloudland 13-8 as a drizzle begins to fall at Orr Field.

7:55 PM Avery answers fast as well with a 65-yard drive, 60 of it coming on a pass connection from Villanueva to tight end Remington Austin. The two-point conversion failed, but Avery leads 13-8 with 1:49 to play in the first stanza.

7:50 PM - Cloudland answers with an 80-yard drive with all running plays, capped by a 9-yard touchdown tote from Matt Cole. The Luke Childress two point conversion run gives the Landers the 8-7 lead with 2:10 to play in the first quarter.

7:39 PM - Alex Villanueva scores on Avery's first drive of the game, capping a 72-yard drive. Avery leads it 7-0 with 8:30 left in the first half.

We are LIVE in Roan Mountain, Tennessee this evening for the 4th Annual Avery Journal-Times Border Battle Classic between the Avery Vikings and the Cloudland Highlanders.

A season ago the Vikings took advantage of numerous penalties and 'Landers mistakes to win 51-20 and take back the Border Battle Trophy. The Vikings enter tonight's game with a perfect 3-0 mark, while the 'Landers are riding in with a 2-1 record in 2010.

Avery hopes to remain unbeaten on the season, but will be missing a number of key cogs to the Viking engine. Absent from tonight's matchup will be both Colton and Spencer Blackburn, as well as linebacker Tyler Buchanan and Hunter Shields.

Cloudland is coming off a shutout of North Greene and has already beaten one North Carolina high school this season when they upended the Hayesville Yellow Jackets 20-12 in week one of the season.

We'll be here throughout tonight's game to bring score updates, as well as updates of scores from across the conference and area throughout this evening.

As a side not for informational purposes for blog readers who also follow along with the radio broadcasts on Saturday afternoons, there will be no radio rebroadcast of this evening's game due to a business decision made by Glory 1130's management team in Boone. There is hope to revive the broadcasts following the Avery bye week if sponsorships for the broadcasts can be found, but nothing is guaranteed at this time.

On a personal note, I would like to thank so many of the Avery fans, administration, and friends for their well-wishes as I continue to battle through my recent illness. It's good to FINALLY be back at high school football on a Friday night!

Best of luck to both Avery and Cloudland tonight!

Vikings, WHC Represented in Latest AP Football Polls

The Avery Vikings have moved up the ranks in the latest Associated Press 1A NC state high school football rankings. Avery was ranked 6th by the writers in this week's poll, the team's highest ranking since the 2005 season.

Fellow Western Highlands Conference foe Hendersonville is ranked 7th in this week's rankings. Polk County is ranked 6th in the 2A high school football poll, while Mountain Heritage and Owen both were listed in the "others receiving votes" category.

The full polls are listed in their entirety below:

Class 1-A
Record TTL 2009
1. Albemarle (7) (3-0) 128 4
2. Wallace-Rose Hill (6) (2-0) 103 8
3. Southwest Onslow (1) (3-0) 97 2
4. Pender County (2-0) 67 6
5. Plymouth (3-0) 62
6. Avery County (3-0) 61
7. Hendersonville (2-0) 57 10
8. Swain County (2-1) 40
9. Manteo (2-0) 29 5
10. Mt. Airy (1-2) 16 1
Others receiving votes: Hobbton 15, Murphy 13, North Edgecombe 13, Kernersville McGuinness 12, Williamston Riverside 12, Warsaw Kenan 10, East Surry 9, West Montgomery 9, Monroe 6, Chocowinity Southside 6, Robbinsville 5.


Class 2-A
Record TTL 2009
1. Reidsville (10) (3-0) 128 1
2. SouthWest Edgecombe (3) (3-0) 100 2
3. Tarboro (1) (3-0) 80 4
4. Lincolnton (3-0) 76
5. Shelby (2-0) 52 8
6. Polk County (3-0) 40
(tie) Kinston (3-0) 40 9
(tie) Newton-Conover (2-0) 40 4
9. East Duplin (2-0) 35 3
10. Boonville Starmount (3-0) 32
Others receiving votes: Thomasville 32, East Bladen 28, Burnsville Mountain Heritage 17, Canton Pisgah 16, Salisbury 12, Jacksonville Northside 10, Catawba Bandys 6, Winston-Salem Carver 6, East Lincoln 4, Whiteville 3, Charlotte Berry Tech 3, Siler City Jordan-Matthews 3, Roanoke Rapids 3, South Iredell 2, Black Mountain Owen 1, North Brunswick 1.

Steady Hand of Villanueva Leads Vikings to Win over Pioneers and Unbeaten Mark

By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com

Last year, things did not go so well for Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva when the Vikings played Watauga.

Villanueva, then a sophomore, tossed three interceptions and Watauga cruised to an easy victory. It was Watauga’s fourth straight win over its border arch-rival and Avery went on to a 5-7 season,

Now a junior, Villanueva seemed to personally make sure that would not happen again.

Playing with the maturity of a senior, Villanueva passed and ran the Vikings to a 28-14 victory over Watauga last Friday at Jack Groce Stadium.

When Villanueva was not scoring touchdown runs of three and five yards, he was passing them. His 24-yard strike to Andy Gonzalez that more or less put the game out of reach looked like a Nolan Ryan fastball that buzzed by two Watauga defenders and right into Gonzalez’s mitts.

“It’s kind of set up to be a short play, but we can run it with the post,” Villanueva said. “I was ready for it and he was in the right moment in the right spot. I threw it there and we got a touchdown.”

Not every pass Villanueva threw reached its target. He tossed two interceptions, one that didn’t seem to be intended for anybody.

But he also made the throws when he had to. He made the plays when asked in key situations.

He also faced a Watauga pass rush that knocked him around on occasion.

On a drive that signaled the beginning of the end, Villanueva led the Vikings 91 yards on 10 plays. He connected on 3-of-4 passes, including a 32-yarder to Hunter Shields, an 11-yarder to Taylor Potter and a 12-yarder to Kody Hughes. Villanueva scored on a 3-yard run to cap the drive and put Avery in front 21-7.

“I just put trust and faith in my defense and my offensive line,” Villanueva said. “They played pretty well. When I had time, everything opened up and we were able to move down the field. Everything worked out well.”

Caleb Watson, one of two Watauga quarterbacks, answered with his best drive of the game, marching the Pioneers 71 yards on 11 plays before scoring on a 1-yard run. Watson, who also led the Pioneers on a good scoring drive in their loss to Shelby, converted a third-and-two with a 10-yarder to Trey Kavanaugh, ran for 16 yards on the next play and 14 more yards two plays later.

He then found Baker Stanley for an 11-yarder before scoring from 1-yard out.

But it was Villanueva who stole the show. He threw for 293 yards passing and shook off the interceptions.

Vikings Visit 'Landers in Fourth Renewal of AJ-T Border Battle Classic

With three consecutive wins in its proverbial back pocket, the Avery Vikings varsity football team travels this Friday night to Orr Field in Roan Mountain for its annual tussle with the Cloudland Highlanders.

This week’s game marks the fourth season in the renewal of the friendly rivalry between the schools, with Avery winning two of the past three seasons. To the winner of each year’s contest goes The Avery Journal-Times Border Battle Trophy.

Avery (3-0) enters Friday’s matchup coming off a huge 28-14 rivalry victory over the Watauga Pioneers, while the Cloudland Highlanders (2-1) are fresh off a 35-0 shutout of North Greene in Baileyton, TN last Thursday night.

In 2009, the Vikings used a strong second half performance to defeat the Highlanders 51-20 at MacDonald Stadium.

Scouting the Highlanders:
The Cloudland Highlanders are coached by Robbie Turbyfill and have used a spread offense to open holes for both running lanes for its backs and passing lanes. Thus far in 2010, the ‘Landers have relied on its running game to crank out tough yards and score points

Leading the Cloudland ground game is senior running back Matt Cole. Cole heads up a 'Lander rushing attack that racked up 295 yards against North Greene last week. Cloudland will also use a pair of athletes in Tyler Shell and Taylor Whitehead who will both take carries in the backfield at running back and also have split time taking snaps at the quarterback position thus far this season.

In 2010 Cloudland returned several starters along the offensive line, including senior Lucas Whitehead, who returned this season after suffering a devastating knee injury in last year’s game against Avery.

As the season has progressed, a lack of depth has caused programs for the ‘Landers. Due to the thin ranks, many of the same offensive starters double on the defensive side the football as standouts. Shell has stepped up this season on both sides of the ball and is among the team leaders in tackles for the club.

The Low Down
Thus far the Cloudland club has shown glimpses of greatness when it comes to running the football. The team was dominant in the ground game last week at North Greene, but seemed to struggle in all phases in a loss two weeks ago at home to West Greene.

Meanwhile, the Vikings have shown the ability to handle various sizes of teams, from the 1A level (Robbinsville) to the 2A level (West Wilkes) and the 4A level (Watauga). Nevertheless, when these two clubs get together, one can throw out the record books. The rivalry is a friendly one, but neither team wants to leave the field Friday night on the short end of the scoreboard.

Avery was successful passing the football Friday night at Watauga, but the team still committed four turnovers in the game and rushed for less than 100 yards as a team.

For the Vikings to leave Roan Mountain undefeated, they must first take better care of the ball. Cloudland saw firsthand a season ago what effect turnovers can have on the outcome of a game, as the ‘Landers gave up the football four times to Avery, helping the Vikings run away with the game in the second half of last year’s game.

In last Friday’s win over Watauga, the Vikings coughed up the pigskin four times (two fumbles, two INTs), but managed to overcome the mistakes to come out on top. Ironically, the Vikings also committed four turnovers in last year’s win over Cloudland.

Friday’s game is always an emotional game as the teams play with all their heart and pride for their respective schools and teams. That emotion can translate into penalties and mistakes on the field, as the ‘Landers fell victim to in last year’s backyard brawl.

Look for the Vikings to attempt to exploit the Cloudland secondary on defense, as West Greene did to the tune of three touchdown passes in the Landers’ shutout defeat two weeks ago. Avery’s pass game was effective against the Pioneers, a team some pundits felt Avery would not be able to throw the ball against because of speed and depth.

For Cloudland to hoist the Border Battle Trophy at game’s end, they must control the game. Cloudland will have to play virtually error-free to keep the game interesting, and needs to control the time of possession. The best way for the Highlanders to defend the Vikings offense will be to keep Avery’s potent attack off the field.

By the Numbers:
5- turnovers the Cloudland Highlanders forced in their 35-0 shutout of North Greene last week.
6- number of Avery receivers with at least one catch in last week’s win over the Pioneers.
48- yards in total offense surrendered by the Cloudland defense in last week’s win.
77- yards rushing surrendered by the Avery defense in last week’s rivalry win over the Watauga Pioneers.
161- yards rushing by Cloudland running back Matt Cole in last week’s win over North Greene.
390 – yards of total offense in Avery’s 28-14 win at Watauga last Friday.

Read next week’s print edition of The Avery Journal-Times as well as our online sports blog at www.ajtsports.blogspot.com for a full recap of Friday’s game with Cloudland. Avery football is off next Friday, but returns to action on September 24^th when it opens conference play at Owen.

Vikings Soccer Drops First Match of Season, Ties Watauga

The Avery men’s soccer team tasted its first loss of the 2010 season last week when it traveled to Gamewell last Tuesday, August 31^st to take on the West Caldwell Warriors. Avery started well and scored the first goal of the match, but three unanswered West goals downed the Vikings in the end in a 3-1 loss.

Two evenings later the Vikings ventured to Boone to play neighboring Watauga in another non-conference match. Avery surrendered a goal to fall behind, but rallied for the equalizer, finishing the match in a 1-1 tie.

On an extremely warm evening for soccer, West Caldwell entered its match with Avery with great confidence and desire. In spite of the elements and a strong Warriors team, it was the Vikings who broke the ice and netted the game’s first goal. In the match’s 13^th minute, returning Viking player Jorge Arreola, who had missed a week’s action with a concussion, sent a through pass to teammate Daniel Lusk, who ran down the ball, raced past the defenders, and placed a shot past the keeper for a 1-0 Avery lead.

An aggressive West Caldwell club, who had been pressuring Avery’s defense since near the outset of the match, finally managed to break through to tie the match in the 18^th minute, when Alex Corrales notched the equalizer for West off an assist from Jonathan Nava. The match remained tied at 1-1 until halftime.

Early in the second half, the Vikings were dealt a serious blow when senior defenseman and leader Brock Yackey was sent off sent off the field with a red card. The referee determined that Yackey had come in on a tackle too aggressively making a play for the player and not the ball. The call left the Vikings a man down and looking to improvise.

“That sent us scrambling as we tried to figure out how to not only play a man down for the rest of the half, but more importantly, who do we replace Brock with?” Avery head soccer coach Tom Evaul said after the match regarding the call. “With two freshmen, a sophomore and a first year player playing defense, there wasn’t much to choose from without it totally changing
our defense. Our solution was to put Daniel Lusk back there, having played defense some last year. But that took all our speed off the front.”

In the 45^th minute, the Warriors were able to tally a second goal to grab the lead when Ivan Juventes slipped a shot just past Viking goalkeeper Alex Magner and into the goal. Just ten minutes later, West added a third goal off the weak side of the Avery defense for insurance.

It appeared that Avery would have a chance to cut the West lead when Daniel Lusk was aggressively taken down and fouled in the penalty box, which would mean an issued card against the offender and an automatic penalty shot. However, instead the official issued no card moved the ball outside the penalty area while awarding Avery only a free kick.

After the loss, Coach Evaul reflected on what factored into the defeat.

“My concern has always been the team’s mental toughness and their consistency. With a player down, the guys never gave up. As a matter of fact, I think they actually stepped up their game, but Brock was just too key a player to lose and we never could do what we needed to do to get back into the game,” the coach commented. “I feel we learned from the game lessons I hope we will take with us the rest of the season: staying tough until the very end, controlling the emotional and mental aspect of the game, dealing with heat and grass, dealing with frustrations of possible missed calls, playing a man short and compensating for that. Hopefully, the loss taught us what we needed in order to be a more competitive team especially as conference starts.”

A couple of days later the Vikings hopped the bus to Boone to play the Watauga Pioneers. Once heated rivals on the pitch in years past, this year’s renewal was a more civil affair as both teams played hard and gave great effort throughout the match.

The two teams played to a scoreless tie at halftime, but from the coach’s perspective it appeared the Pioneers had more pep in their step out on the turf at Jack Groce Stadium.

“Watauga came at us hard and aggressive just as West had done, with good quick passes, a lot of talking, winning the 50/50 balls, and transitioning back on defense. They had us on our heels the entire first half, but our defense held them at bay,” Coach Evaul said. “I wasn’t particularly happy with how we played the 1st half. I thought we were giving them too much space and time, and we weren’t doing much offensively as far as holding onto the ball and moving if effectively. I feel that if the coaching staff could get through to the offense how important a good passing game is with quick one and two touch passes, we would be a team to contend with the rest of the year, but I didn’t see any evidence of that in the first half, nor did I see much intensity from our team.”

Once play resumed for the second half a Watauga attacker weaved his way past several Avery defenders and found a wide open shot on goal. Avery keeper Alex Magner attempted a dive for the ball, but the Pioneers managed to slip the shot in goal for a 1-0 lead.

Rather than deflate the Avery club, the Watauga goal energized the Vikings and amped up the team’s intensity. Around the 60-minute mark, Forrest Sickler sent a pass through to teammate Isauro Estrada. Estrada then sent a 25-yard shot past the Pioneers keeper into the net for the equalizer.

It was almost as if the Watauga goal was what it took to bring the team alive and begin putting into play the good transition, passing and intensity we stressed at halftime. We started attacking the ball with more intensity, and some of the players were all over the field like mad hornets
going after Watauga,” Coach Evaul said. “We were doing a better job of getting the ball
downfield and putting pressure on Watauga’s defense.”

The final minutes of the match were a defensive battle, with both teams getting opportunities but could not net a game-winner, leaving the match in a 1-1 tie.

Prior to the match, the coaches agreed not to play overtime in the non-conference match, since Watauga had just played the previous evening and Avery had been through a pair of matches already during the previous three days.

“We gave everything we had in the second half, proving we did have the kind of team that can play good soccer when they do the things they are capable of doing. It was a team effort
with no one player standing out over any other,” Coach Evaul said after the match. “I was and continue to be pleased with the manner in which Alex Magner has come along at goalie. I
don’t believe I have ever coached a freshman who has learned a new position as fast and as effectively as he has, thanks to his determination, and the coaching of Daniel Jimenez and Morgan Bounds. Credit also has to be given to coach Mitch Bledsoe who has been working
with the experienced group, while coach Pat Daniels has been bringing the new players up to a level that will contribute to the team as the season progresses. This team wouldn’t be what it is without these four coaches.”

Avery finished the week with an overall record of 5-1-1, much improved from the 2-3-2 mark the team had at the same point last season.

The Big Red traveled for a non-conference match earlier this week against North Henderson, and the squad hosts Owen to open Western Highlands Conference play this Wednesday, September 8^th. The Vikings travel to Thomas Jefferson Academy on Monday, September 13^th.

Vikings Passing Game Too Much for Pioneers

Neither Avery nor Watauga could run the football with any effectiveness against each other in their annual border war Friday at Jack Groce Stadium. Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva made sure the passing game would make up for it for the Vikings.

Villanueva shook off two interceptions by completing 21-of-38 passes for 293 yards and two second-half touchdowns in the Vikings' 28-14 win over Watauga. The junior quarterback also scored TD runs of 5 and 3 yards, making him responsible for all four Avery touchdowns.

It was the first time since 2005 the Vikings have beaten the Pioneers and the first time since that same year Avery is off to a 3-0 start.

“Obviously we didn't get enough things going early,” Pioneers coach Tim Pruitt said. “It seemed that any time we'd get something positive going, we'd have a little penalty.”

The Vikings, who outscored their first two opponents 84-21, found themselves in a 7-7 tie with Watauga (1-2) at halftime. Neither team was moving the ball very well on the ground and that continued in the second half. Watauga finished with 77 yards on 30 carries, while Avery fared slightly better, gaining 97 yards on 27 carries.

Thanks to its passing game, Avery finished with 390 total yards on 67 plays and converted 6-of-13 third downs.

“They kept us so off-balance on offense,” Pruitt said. “They don't run a lot of passing routes, but they run some things very well and obviously they worked on throwing on rhythm, which I thought Villanueva does very well. And their receivers run good, precision routes.”

Villanueva caught fire in the third quarter and led the Vikings on an 81-yard, five-play drive highlighted by a 64-yard completion to Remington Austin, who also caught the drive-capping 10-yard touchdown pass to give the Vikings a 14-7 lead.

Avery made it 21-7 with a 91-yard, 10-play drive capped by a Villanueva 3-yard TD run.

“We felt like early we weren't in rhythm,” Vikings coach Darrell Brewer said. “We just weren't clicking and they came out fired up in the third quarter and played really well.”

Watauga, which scored first with 28 seconds left in the first quarter on a 1-yard Baker Stanley run, found some offense when quarterback Caleb Watson capped a 71-yard, 11-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Watson completed 3-for-5 passes on the drive and 8-of-16 for the game for 99 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

Fellow quarterback Ethan Greene completed 3-of-8 passes for 13 yards with no interceptions or touchdowns.

“Our defense really stepped up tonight,” Brewer said. “We made some changes and moved some kids around. The first-half defense really kept us in the ballgame.”

Avery scored its final touchdown when Villanueva threw a strike to Andy Gonzalez for a 24-yard touchdown with 3:09 left.

Watauga's offense settled for 189 total yards on 54 plays. The Pioneers also hurt themselves by committing 13 penalties, eight in the first half, for 108 yards.

“It was kind of hard to get a handle on all that they were trying to do,” Pruitt said. “They were trying to mess up our blocking schemes and I don't know if they messed up our schemes or if we didn't maintain our blocks enough. It was hard to kind of get a handle.”

Watauga also suffered a tough loss when standout junior linebacker Alex Fox went down because of a knee injury. It was not immediately known how serious his injury was.
Avery will look to move to 4-0 this season when they travel to take on Cloudland (Tenn.) this Friday night.

Mountaineers Fall to Blue Devils in Quadruple Overtime

Mitchell and Brevard managed only 14 points apiece in the first four quarters of Friday’s non-conference contest. With overtime can offensive explosion, however, as the team’s answered each other score-for-score through three overtime sessions. Finally in the fourth extra session, the Brevard defense held Mitchell out of the end zone to earn a 41-35 victory.

The two teams were each held scoreless through the first 12 minutes of action, but the Mountaineers concluded the quarter with possession of the football.

In the quarter’s opening seconds, Mitchell finally drew first blood as quarterback Troy Self broke through the Blue Devils defense and jaunted 44 yards for a touchdown. The extra point from Isaac Edwards gave the visitors the 7-0 advantage.

For most of the half the Mitchell defense picked up where it left off the previous week in dominating its opponent. Brevard managed to knot the game at 7-7 with just over three minutes left in the half as Nick Mooney scampered loose for an 80-yard touchdown run. The score would remain knotted at intermission.

For most of the third period the teams battled for field position. The Blue Devils surged ahead with Mooney’s second touchdown run, this time a 7-yard run with 2:22 left in the quarter that propelled Brevard to a 14-7 lead, an advantage that was carried into the final quarter of regulation.

Needing to get back into the end zone to tie the contest, the Mountaineers worked hard on both sides of the football to set themselves up for the tying score. Midway through the period, Justin Hughes took advantage of his blockers up front and dove over the goal line from one yard out.

The Edwards PAT tied the game again, this time at 14-14. Neither team could break through for the game-winning points in regulation, sending the exciting contest into overtime.

In the first overtime session, Brevard received the opening possession and scored from the ten-yard line on a run by Justin Owenby. The PAT gave Brevard the 21-14 edge. Needing to score to keep the game alive, Mitchell standout running back Shawn Jackson found his way to pay dirt for the first time on the night, scoring on an 11-yard run. The extra point was good to force a second overtime session with a 21-21 score.

With the first possession of the second overtime, Mitchell again reached the end zone for a touchdown when Jackson blew through the Brevard defense for a seven-yard carry. The point-after put Mitchell in front 28-21. Brevard answered, however, with a two-yard scoring run by Dominique Wynn and extra point conversion to force a third extra session with a 28-28 score.

The third overtime was similar to the first two, as both teams again put seven points on the scoreboard. Jackson scored his third touchdown in the overtime period, while Owenby tallied his second touchdown tote.

The turning point of the game occurred in the fourth overtime. With the first possession of the overtime period, disaster struck for Mitchell as Jackson fumbled the football. Brevard’s Owenby recovered the football to end the series for the Mountaineers.

In Brevard’s series, Wynn scored on a four-yard touchdown run to provide for the final margin in a thrilling 41-35 final score.

The Mountaineers tallied 329 total yards of offense in the game, while holding Brevard to just 221 yards.

Jackson paced Mitchell with 119 yards on 25 carries, while Self added 88 yards on 16 carries. Ryan Sparks led the receiving corps with two receptions for 56 yards.

The Mountaineers have this Friday off, and will host North Buncombe in Ledger on September 17^th.

Middle Schools Open Conference Football Slate with Victories

For the first time in recent memory, both the Avery Middle School Panthers and the Cranberry Middle School Wildcats football teams opened Toe River Conference action with victories. Both squads bounced back from losses last week and earned their wins impressively away from home.

Avery Middle School football traveled to East Yancey for the opening of the Toe River Conference season last Tuesday night. Avery Middle had not defeated East Yancey since 2002, and East Yancey looked poised to keep the streak intact, scoring on a 90-yard touchdown run on its second offensive possession to lead 6-0. Avery stopped the two-point conversion.

Later in the period, Avery running back Tre Jackson broke loose for a 50 yard touchdown run to tie the score at 6-6 after one period.

In the second quarter, Avery quarterback Austin Phillips completed a long fly pattern pass to wide receiver Kobe Pittman, giving the visiting Panthers a first down in East territory.

Later in the drive, Jackson again carried the football, this time around the left end for 25 yards to put Avery inside the five-yard line. Wade Smith capped the drive when he weaved his way and dove over from three yards out to give Avery its first lead of the game at 12-6.

Avery quarterback Austin Phillips was successful in earning the two-point conversion when he sprinted around the left side, giving Avery a 14-6 lead.

Late in the first half, East Yancey scored on a quarterback run around right end, but the two-point conversion pass was intercepted by Jackson, keeping Avery in front 14-12 at intermission.

The second half was a showcase for both defenses, as they buckled down to refuse either squad’s offenses to cross the goal line.

East Yancey managed one offensive series that neared the Avery red zone, but the drive was turned away when Avery's Wade Smith intercepted an East pass attempt and returned it beyond midfield.

The drive was the closest East would get to the end zone for the rest of the game. Avery attempted to hold the ball late in the fourth period, but had to give East the football via punt one final time. Avery punter Luke Crowe forced East to start its final possession deep in its own territory, and from there, Avery forced a four-and-out with defensive plays from Kobe Pittman and an Andy Hughes quarterback sack to seal its victory.

The win was Avery’s first over East Yancey since 2002, and Coach Donnie Johnson was proud of his team’s effort and ability to bounce back to win after suffering a loss the previous week.

“It's really a whole team effort we turned in against East Yancey. We had some statistical leaders in different areas that stood out, but our overall effort on the line helped our players excel in their own areas,” Avery head coach Donnie Johnson said after the win. “We really had tremendous effort all over the field. The second half we were just extremely focused, and every kid did their job, played hard and finished the game.”

Although the win was a milestone, the team still believes it is only a step in a season-long journey to a title.

“This win was huge for our program and this was a step in the right direction. The road to the Championship has lead through Yancey County the past few years. The past five years either East Yancey or Cane River has been there in the Tri-County Bowl,” Coach Johnson added. “We feel really good about our team right now but we still have a lot of work to do. We are improving every week, and win or lose that's what you want to see as a coach. We just have to continue to get better.”

While Avery took care of business on the road, the Cranberry Middle School was doing the same thing during its road trip to take on Bowman.

On the game’s first play, the Wildcats were forced to play without the services of one of its more talented players in Tyler Pittman. The team’s leading rusher a season ago, Pittman suffered a collar bone injury on the play and was lost for the game.

Despite the loss on the field, the Wildcats rallied together and showed great heart in picking up a 26-20 win over the Bulldogs in Bakersville.

Avery defeated Bowman 30-20 this past Tuesday evening at MacDonald Stadium, while Cranberry traveled to Burnsville to take on Cane River, falling by a final score of 40-8. Recaps from this week’s action can be found in next week’s The Avery Journal-Times.

Epic Comeback Lifts Mountaineers in Season Opener

courtesy ASU Sports Information
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Trailing by 21 points with less than 14 minutes to go, No. 3 Appalachian State University football scored four touchdowns in a 7:51 span then thwarted a two-point-conversion attempt with under a minute to play to hold on for a heart-stopping 42-41 victory over Chattanooga on Saturday at Finley Stadium.

Appalachian (1-0, 1-0 SoCon) extended its Southern Conference winning streak to 21 games by overcoming a 35-14 fourth-quarter deficit. Chattanooga (0-1, 0-1 SoCon) led 28-7 at halftime and regained its 21-point lead when Garrett Hughes caught B.J. Coleman's third touchdown pass of the afternoon on the first play of the fourth quarter.

From there, the Mountaineers took over, scoring the game's next 28 points in under eight minutes, capped by a bizarre 33-yard touchdown "reception" by quarterback DeAndre Presley (Tampa, Fla./Middleton). Chattanooga jumped offsides on a third-and-one play from the Mocs' 29 yard line, giving Presley and the Mountaineers a free play. Presley threw a quick pass to wide receiver Matt Cline (Thomasville, N.C./Glenn), who was drilled by UTC defender Chris Lewis-Harris and fumbled. Presley picked up the loose ball and weaved his way through the UTC defense, picked up a number of key downfield blocks and scored the go-ahead touchdown from 33 yards out.

After the teams swapped scoreless series, the Mocs took possession at their own 14 yard line with 2:56 to go and drove 86 yards in 11 plays, capped by a three-yard touchdown run by Coleman on third and goal that cut the Mountaineer lead to one at 42-41 with 56 seconds left in the game. With a pair of UTC kickers having already combined to miss three extra points, Chattanooga head coach Russ Huesman elected to go for two points and a potential victory following the score. However, Buck Buchanan Award candidate Mark LeGree (Columbus, Ga./Pacelli Catholic) batted down Coleman's pass into the end zone on the two-point attempt to preserve the one-point lead. Brian Quick (Columbia, S.C./Ridge View) recovered the Mocs' ensuing onside kick attempt to seal Appalachian's epic come-from-behind triumph.

Both sides of the ball contributed to the epic comeback. On the offensive end, things started clicking at the end of the third quarter when the Mountaineers marched 86 yards in four plays, culminating the drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Presley to tight end Ben Jorden (Weddington, N.C./Charlotte Latin) that made it 28-14 with 1:17 to go in the third.

However, it looked like the touchdown would be inconsequential when UTC answered by driving 77 yards in three plays and stretched the lead back to 21 with on Coleman's 16-yard scoring strike to Hughes six seconds into the final period.

Appalachian answered quickly with an identical three-play, 77-yard scoring drive that took only 49 seconds off the clock. Cedric Baker (Wilmington, N.C./New Hanover) scored from three yards out to cut the ASU deficit to 35-21.

On the ensuing kickoff, redshirt freshman Tony Washington (High Point, N.C./T.W. Andrews) leveled Chattanooga returner Buster Skrine and forced a fumble that was recovered by fellow redshirt freshman Karl Anderson (Pilot Point, Texas/Pilot Point) and returned 18 yards to give ASU possession deep in UTC territory. Three plays later, Presley ran it in from four yards out to bring the Mountaineers within seven at 35-28.

Buck Buchanan Award candidate Jabari Fletcher (Atlanta, Ga./Grady) single-handedly took over the game on the next series, sacking Coleman twice, the second of which forced a fumble that Fletcher recovered himself at the Chattanooga seven yard line. It only took one play for the offense to capitalize, with Baker recording his second touchdown run in under three minutes to knot the score at 35-35.

A three-and-out by ASU's defense on the ensuing series set up Presley's wild go-ahead scoring run.

In his third-career start, Presley accounted for 365 yards of total offense and four touchdowns, completing 22-of-29 passes without an interception for 340 yards and two scores and running 11 times for 25 yards and another pair of touchdowns. He was also credited with 33 receiving yards and another touchdown on the bizarre score that gave Appalachian its first lead.

Quick was Presley's favorite target, catching five passes for 121 yards. Cline had a game-high eight receptions for 89 yards and Jorden had three huge catches for 45 yards and a score. Devin Radford (Fayetteville, N.C./E.E. Smith) ran 10 times for a team-best 85 yards.

Defensively, Fletcher stuffed the stat sheet with two sacks, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. Linebacker Jeremy Kimbrough (Decatur, Ga./Cedar Grove) registered a team-high eight stops. Troy Sanders (Chester, S.C./Chester) and Justin Wray (Covington, Ga./Eastside) added seven tackles apiece.

The teams combined for 83 points and 978 yards but were plagued by five total turnovers (two for ASU and three for UTC). Coleman led the Mocs with 340 yards on 23-of-37 passing and five total touchdowns (three passing, two rushing).

Appalachian opens the 2010 home campaign next Saturday when it hosts Jacksonville at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m.

Lees-McRae holds off Milligan for 2-1 victory

MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. --- The Lees-McRae women’s soccer team scored twice in the first half, and held off a furious rally by Milligan College en route to a 2-1 win over the Buffaloes on Saturday night. With the win, the Lady Bobcats improve to 1-1 on the season as first-year head coach Cally Morrill picks up her first career victory.

Mary Dorn (Shallot, N.C.) and Vickie Rich (Arlington Heights, Ill.) each tallied a goal to put the Lady Bobcats on the board early in the first half, with Rich’s 19th-minute strike proving to be the match-winner for LMC. Kaitlyn Kerrigan (Lakewood Ranch, Fla.) added an assist for the Lady Bobcats as Rachel Martin (Blountville, Tenn.) scored the lone goal for Milligan.

Milligan put on early pressure with a quick attack in the first minute. The Lady Bobcats answered back, pushing the flow of the contest and dominating the ball for much of the opening ten minutes. Dorn opened the scoring late in the 14th minute, driving a header past the Milligan keeper off a perfectly placed corner from Kerrigan to give Lees-McRae the early 1-0 lead.

The Lady Bobcats struck again in the 19th minute when Rich took the ball and negotiated the pitch, weaving her way past two defenders and finding the corner of the net off the Milligan keeper’s hands to give Lees-McRae the 2-0 advantage. The contest continued with a back and forth pace through much of the opening half, with Lees-McRae holding a 2-0 lead at the interval.

As the second half progressed, Milligan seemed to gain life, and in the 72nd minute, pulled within one of LMC when Martin found her way into the box, dribbling around the Bobcat keeper and netting the ball to cut the deficit to one. Milligan continued the pressure over the next six minutes, placing two shots close with one deflecting off the post in addition to two of Brittany Bolton’s (Roanoke, Va.) six saves for Lees-McRae.

The Lady Bobcats tallied 29 attempts on goal with 15 of those on frame, while Milligan registered 16, seven of which were on target. Rich recorded a match-high 10 shots, including six on frame, while Brooke Santerre (Port Republic, Md.) added seven of her own for Lees-McRae.

The Lady Bobcats return to the pitch on Wednesday, September 8, at 7 p.m. when they host Mars Hill College at Tate Field.