Appalachian State Exploring Option of Football Move to FBS

After conducting a study in 1998 and deciding not to pursue a move to the FBS, it appears that Appalachian State University is again considering making a move out of the FCS (formerly known as Division I-AA) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A).

Appalachian has led the FCS in attendance the previous three seasons and with recent renovations to Kidd Brewer Stadium can accommodate close to 30,000 fans per home game.

Appalachian State's Sports Information Department has released the following statement regarding the exploration:

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University athletics will conduct a feasibility study to evaluate its football program's position in NCAA Division I, director of athletics Charlie Cobb announced on Thursday.

The goal of the study is to evaluate Appalachian's options with regards to the changing Division I landscape. ASU currently competes as a member of the Southern Conference in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS — formerly known as Division I-AA).

ASU's Board of Trustees approved the feasibility study last week. Appalachian athletics has selected the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) to conduct the independent study and a private donation will cover its cost. A completion of the study and an internal analysis of its findings will likely take approximately 9-12 months.

"With the changing Division I landscape and the unprecedented success that our football program has enjoyed on and off the field in recent years, the time is right to analyze all of our options as a Division I athletics department and football program," Cobb said. "This study is a broad, campus-wide analysis to identify what our options are as a University, athletics department and football program going forward. It does not take away one bit of focus from our football program's goal of winning a sixth-straight Southern Conference championship and competing for a fourth national title in six years."

Appalachian conducted a feasibility study to explore a move to what was then known as Division I-A (now known as the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision) in 1998 and it was ultimately determined to remain as a member of Division I-AA. However, in light of recent changes in the Division I ranks, Appalachian is joining fellow SoCon member Georgia Southern and FCS power Montana as athletics departments that are in the midst of or have recently completed football feasibility studies.

Appalachian's success on and off the field is unprecedented for an FCS program. The Mountaineers won NCAA Division I national championships in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and has won five-consecutive SoCon titles while leading FCS in regular-season home attendance each of the past three years. Through two home games this season, ASU is once again tops in FCS attendance with an average of 28,963 fans at 21,650-seat Kidd Brewer Stadium.

Off the field, the football program's most recent Academic Progress Rate score of 970 fell just shy of earning an NCAA Public Recognition Award, which recognizes programs that rank among the nation's top 10 percent in terms of APR scores.
 

Vikings Look to Bounce Back with Homecoming Win over Gryphons

This week the Avery Vikings will look to wash the taste of their first loss of 2010 out of their proverbial mouths when they play host to the Thomas Jefferson Gryphons for Homecoming.

The Gryphons hosted Mitchell last Friday night to open its conference schedule and was defeated 53-15, while Avery fell 24-21 to Owen in Swannanoa last Friday night.

Last season the Vikings handed TJCA a 51-0 shutout at MacDonald Stadium, as Thomas Jefferson’s home football field’s construction was not completed and the team was unable to secure a home venue for last season’s matchup.

Scouting the Gryphons:

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 hasn’t been much 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, and has completed 104 of 213 passes thus far in 2010 for 1,230 yards with 9 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Beam has also rushed for 165 yards and a touchdown in the team’s five games this season.

One of Beam’s favorite targets in TJCA’s spread offense this season has been wide receiver Travis Waldroup-Rodrigues, who has amassed 383 yards receiving on 35 catches and 3 touchdowns this season. Another of Beam’s favorite receivers has been Michael Gullatte, who has eight receptions for 120 yards and a pair of touchdown receptions in 2010.

When TJCA chooses to run the football, a likely suspect to tote the pigskin will be fullback Will McCraw, who has rushed for 186 yards on 43 carries in 2010 with one touchdown.

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 running back, quarterback, wide receiver and defensive end positions.

The Low Down:

By all accounts, Thomas Jefferson is the weakest team in the Western Highlands Conference, since 2010 marks only the second season the school is part of the conference. The Gryphons are a small roster, but show as much heart and determination as any team on the field that Avery will play all season.

Avery was successful in what head coach Darrell Brewer calls the “Wild Potter”, a variation of the Wildcat offense that utilizes multiple players receiving direct shotgun snaps from center. Look for Avery to use that formation some this week, and expect this week’s contest to be a confidence builder for the Viking offense, quarterback Dustin Childress (who received his first full week of practice this week under center in the place of injured signal-caller Alex Villanueva), and the Avery defense, which held Owen in check for most of Friday’s ballgame.

The Avery defense should be accustomed to seeing a spread offense, so Thomas Jefferson’s formations is likely to not surprise the Viking front four or secondary.

Avery must avoid looking ahead to Hendersonville next week, and take care of the business at hand while not underestimating its opponent. Thomas Jefferson enters Friday’s game with absolutely nothing to lose, which can make the team a potentially dangerous squad.

By the Numbers:

2 – number of touchdown passes thrown by Dustin Childress in last week’s game at Owen.

28 – total combined tackles of Spencer and Colton Blackburn in last Friday’s win.

85- receiving yards by TJCA’s Mac Martin in last week’s loss to the Mountaineers.

108 – rushing yards by Avery running back Colton Blackburn before leaving due to injury in the second half of last week’s contest.

119- yards passing by Will Beam in last week’s home defeat to Mitchell.

471 – rushing yards surrendered by the Thomas Jefferson defense against the Mitchell Mountaineers last Friday night.

Read next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times for a recap of this week’s contest against TJCA, as well as a preview of next week’s conference 1A showdown against Hendersonville.

Vikings Football: One Team, One Family

Editor’s Note: The following is the second of a two-part interview with Avery Vikings quarterback Alex Villanueva wide receiver Andy Gonzalez. Part one highlighted the pair’s relationship with one another and influences growing up in Miami, Florida. This week’s piece deals with their take on the 2010 Vikings and the secrets to the group’s success.

Nothing brings people together like football. The sport of baseball may be known as “America’s National Pastime”, but football has surpassed baseball as America’s national passion.

From a young age, many young boys dream of being star football players and throwing or catching a game-winning pass to win a big game.

The duo of Avery Vikings senior wide receiver Andy Gonzalez and junior quarterback Alex Villanueva have combined on hundreds of completed passes throughout their lives. Some of those connections, such as a fourth down touchdown pass in the waning seconds of last season’s win over Mitchell, have been more well-known and pressure-packed than others.

What has separated Gonzalez and Villanueva from many other combinations has been the fact that they have embraced the pressures that come with success on the gridiron.

“You definitely feel the pressure on the field, but it’s a good kind of pressure,” Villanueva said in our exclusive interview with the pair during the team’s bye week and prior to the injury suffered by the Avery signal-caller. “It’s good because we grew up loving pressure. I think that our team this year is good with pressure. A lot of teams think the pressure will bother us, and they underestimate us. Coming into games this year I admit I get a little nervous, trying not to worry about throwing an interception, but it forces me to stay focused and pay attention because of how your teammates and other folks are counting on you. You don’t want to let anyone down on your team.”

“When I came into this season and heard that I had been named to an All-State team preseason, something kind of clicked in my brain that it might open up the eyes and attention of some college coaches, and that I needed to start working harder and dedicate myself to what I want to work for in football,” Gonzalez shared. “I dropped a couple of passes early in the season, and there might have been some pressure because of what was expected from me. The pressure is there, but as a team we play for the team, not for me or for any one person.”

This year’s Avery team shares a unique and close bond with one another. They stand side-by-side and have committed themselves to being the best they can be and to doing great things this season. The team has set goals, and the players hold themselves and one another accountable.

“We came into the season and we had our goals for each other, but we also have our team goals,” Gonzalez explained. “We want to go out and win a conference championship.”

“Believe it or not, we don’t spend a lot of time during the season or during the games talking about goals. It’s like we already know what each other’s goals are without asking. We know because we’ve been around one another so much, and we know how serious each of us is about achieving our goals as a team first, and hopefully the goals as individuals that come along with that,” Villanueva added. “Coach Brewer stresses to us the importance of playing for the team and playing for one another as a family. We have a bond with one another and don’t have groups or cliques. As a team we stay focused. We’ve called player-only meetings without coaches when needed to bring us closer together, and those have helped us a lot.”

The 2010 Vikings have progressed together as a unit, and winning four of its first five games has been no accident. The players sacrifice for each other and the team dynamic is what has helped the squad deal with the adversities they have faced.

“This year’s team has come along great. Looking at our team, we’re not the biggest, but we’ve been dedicated in the weight room, with extra conditioning, doing what we need to do,” Gonzalez said. “An example for us has been Lucas Lecka. He’s our best lineman at around 220 pounds, but he’s strong and had dedicated himself through his hard work to get to where he’s at. Our entire line has worked so hard and gives Alex more time than last season. The receivers have spent extra time catching balls from the machine and working over the summer with Alex, and it’s given Alex more confidence in going to them to make the big catches during the season.”

“Another great example has been Kenny Hicks, who played fullback last year. He gave us that spot, his favorite position, to play on the line because he wants to do whatever it takes to help the team,” Villanueva added. “Our team is flexible and will do whatever it takes to help each other out. Players are willing to give up their own glory for the good of teammates. This team makes sacrifices with each other and for each other. It has brought this team closer together. We might argue sometimes, but it’s only brought our group closer as a family.”

Griewisch Shines at Catawba

Catawba freshman soccer player and former Avery High School soccer standout Kyle Griewisch continues to impress at the collegiate level. Griewisch and his teammates are off to a strong start with a 4-1-1 mark.

On September 19^th, Griewisch scored a pair of goals to help Catawba to a 5-0 shutout win over Chowan. Both goals came in the opening ten minutes of the match, as the freshman makes an early impact on his collegiate club.

Congratulations to Kyle and continues best wishes to all our former Vikings who are competing as student-athletes at the collegiate level!

Jennings Continues Successful Football Career with Wasps

Former Avery Viking quarterback and wide receiver Preston Jennings is no stranger to adversity and change. During his junior season at Avery he suffered a broken collar bone that shortened his season, and to compound issues he suffered mononucleosis as a senior that again hampered him from experiencing a full final season with the Big Red.

Despite the obstacles Jennings was afforded an opportunity to play football at the collegiate level with the Emory and Henry Wasps in Emory, Virginia.

“Having the chance to show what I can do on the field at Emory has been really satisfying,” Jennings remarked after Saturday’s home win over Methodist University. “I really thank God for the opportunity to play. I went through a lot when I played in high school as well as here, and this has really been an awesome place to come and play.”

During his tenure at the school he served as the backup quarterback through his sophomore season. Over the past off-season Preston made the decision to switch positions and move to wide receiver. Thus far the choice has proven a wise one, as he has led the Wasps in receptions and receiving yards this season.

“The transition wasn’t too bad, and I really don’t miss the quarterback position much. It’s a stressful position but I can’t complain with where I’m at right now,” Jennings added. “My freshman year I played receiver, and I was coached up really well that year, then I went back to playing quarterback last season. That really made the switch back to receiver this season a lot easier for me, being familiar from my earlier experience there.”

Jennings has proven to be a valuable weapon to the Wasps thus far this season. He has not only served as a wideout playing the slot and wide positions, but also plays special teams on the kickoff return squad and holder for place kicks.

“At the start of the season our punter was holding, but since I’ve been here I’ve been the backup holder. I guess they figured that if something went wrong I’d be able to run around or convert on a busted play,” Jennings said.

In Saturday’s win over Methodist University, Jennings had five catches to lead the team, including an incredible juggling and diving circus catch that preserved a drive and set up a third quarter touchdown as the Wasps stung the Methodist Monarchs 49-6 this past Saturday. Jennings led Emory and Henry with 52 yards receiving as the team passed for 239 yards total.

“We came in and made a statement in the game. We wanted to put them away early today,” Jennings said of the victory.

Emory and Henry College, an NCAA Division 3 school located 1 ½-2 hours from Avery County, has proven a great fit for the junior. The campus is located in a rural area and the school has a strong fan base for football as well as a rich gridiron tradition.

“This is a nice community. I think more than anything it is a football school,” Jennings said. “It has great academics and the community rallies behind the team and the football program here. I’ve met a lot of good friends and it has always felt like the right fit for me.”

Jennings credits his high school football experience for helping him to prepare for the rigors of college football, as well as the discipline needed to deal with whatever issues come along that are associated with playing the game.

“Playing football at Avery taught me how to be a tough player and how to suck it up and persevere. It taught me to work hard, even in times when I didn’t want to,” Preston shared. “It taught the importance too of being coachable, and how important it is to listen and buy into what the coaches are teaching and saying. They definitely know more than I do, and that has taken me a long way.”

Preston is quick to commend his college coaches who work with him each day with helping to improve his position play and making him the on-field threat that he has become to defenses in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

“Our coaches are awesome. It seems like every week we are the more disciplined team on the field, and I’m really thankful for that,” Jennings stated. “They work really hard and they’re always in the film room trying to perfect both the big things and little things to make us better.”

Family and friends have always been important in Preston’s life, and he is grateful for the constant support of loved ones who attend his games and who are by his side cheering him on each Saturday as well as every other day to succeed.

“Seeing my family here is so important. It was great today to have several members from my church youth group come up to the game,” Jennings said. “Having those closest to me come out to the games is really special, and I’m fortunate to have family and friends who love me and come out to watch me play.”

As a former Viking, Preston continues to follow the football team from afar and had some advice for the Avery boys of fall who are looking to win a Western Highlands Conference and North Carolina state football championship this season.

“First, I know how hard they have worked in the off-season, and I’d tell them that they get one shot at it,” Jennings said. “My current teammates talk a lot about how they miss playing on Friday nights, and I’d tell the Avery players that there’s no reason you shouldn’t leave it all out on the field. Give all you have every day in practice and give it everything you have on every play.”

Jennings and his Emory and Henry teammates host Randolph-Macon College this Saturday at 1 p.m. for Homecoming. Congratulations to Avery alumnus Preston Jennings and continued best wishes as he continues his successful collegiate football career.

Middle School Sports Roundup

Toe River Conference Football Regular Season Winding Down

Last week, both Avery Middle School and Cranberry Middle School football teams were in action. On Tuesday, September 21^st, the Panthers from Avery Middle hosted the Harris Blue Devils, defeating them by a 28-0 final score. On the same evening, the Cranberry Middle School Wildcats hosted Panthers from East Yancey Middle School, falling by a 22-8 final score.

In Cranberry, the Wildcats utilized a ball-control running game in an attempt to keep the game close and the score low.

Cranberry received the opening kickoff but fumbled the football, which East Yancey recovered. The Panthers capitalized on the turnover by driving the football downfield for the vast majority of the first quarter, eventually crossing the goal line for a touchdown and the game’s first points. The two-point conversion was successful for an 8-0 Panther lead.

The Wildcat offense worked to march the pigskin downfield, but the East defense was tough in holding Cranberry on downs to give the ball back to the visitors. Late in the second quarter, East Yancey worked the ball on the Cranberry defense and punched across another touchdown. The two-point conversion was again successful to push the Yancey County team ahead by a 16-0 margin.

“Even at halftime we still felt pretty good about our chances to come back. They were just a little more physical and a little bigger, and it was harder to get the ball to the outside on them,” Wildcats head coach Kent Hayes said after the contest.

East Yancey received the second half kickoff and scored with its first series to extend its lead to 22-0. Cranberry showed great heart and fire in not giving up despite the score. The club rallied to put together its strongest drive of the night late in the third quarter, resulting in a touchdown on a long pass play from quarterback Shane Carpenter to wide receiver Kasey Ross.

“Kasey has scored a touchdown for us in just about every game this season. He scored our lone touchdown against Cane River and he’s been one of our go-to receivers with great hands,” Coach Hayes said of his receiver.

The Wildcats made good on its two-point conversion attempt when Caleb Stansberry carried the ball across the goal line out of the Wildcat formation to provide for the final 22-8 margin.

“I told the guys at the half that the least we could do was go out there and win the second half, and we were able to do so. East Yancey is a balanced team. We were worried about the Cash kid getting to the outside running on us with his speed, so we concentrated in practice during the week on keeping him inside. East really did a lot to grind it out, a lot like a Mountain Heritage would do with misdirection running the football,” Coach Hayes explained. “They had the one kid who was a strong runner and was faster than anyone on our side, and he probably hurt us more with his speed on defense than he did on offense.”

Overall, the coach was proud of how his kids played with passion and hopes to continue to see that effort through the rest of the season.

“I was proud of how our kids never hung their heads and didn’t quit. They played hard for the entire game, and we’ve got to keep working to get better,” Coach Hayes stated.

Meanwhile in Newland, the Avery Panthers tussled with the Harris Blue Devils in another Toe River Conference showdown. Avery scored all 28 of its points in the first half, 13 in the first quarter and 15 points in the second, to put Harris away early. Avery rushed in the first half for 136 yards on just seven carries with a pair of touchdowns.

Austin Phillips and Wade Smith each scored for the Panthers, while the Avery defense pitched a shutout, holding Harris to just three total yards for the game while recording nine quarterback sacks.

The Panthers used a number of reserves in the second half and primarily kept the football on the ground to close out an impressive victory.

“At halftime we’d decided to call off the dogs, change formations, and run clock rather than try to score. Generally we tried to avoid the outside and wanted to chew up time, and with our first drive in the third quarter we took several minutes and was successful in doing what we wanted, “Avery head coach Donnie Johnson said after the win. “We worked to get every one of our reserves into the game, and the guys who came in did a great job. Even with all the players we used, the defense was able to hold Harris to only three yards. All around we had one of our best performances of the year.”

Avery and Cranberry played one another on Tuesday, September 28^th in the 29^th renewal of the Brad King Bowl. Proceeds from the game benefited Carolina Skye Odom, a local child and family with medical and financial need. A full report of this year’s intracounty skirmish can be found in next week’s edition.

Lady Panthers Volleyball Finishes Regular Season with Three Straight Wins, Avenges Loss to Lady Wildcats

The Avery Lady Panthers evened its record at 5-5 on the season with an impressive straight set victory over the Cranberry Lady Wildcats on Monday evening, September 27^th at home.

It was the final home game for nine 8^th graders, and Avery was looking for payback after the Lady Wildcats came-from-behind to upend Avery in their first meeting in Cranberry earlier in the month.The Lady Panthers were strong from the early going, using solid teamwork and steady serving to pick up a number of points. Avery won the opening set in the best-of-three format by a 25-18 score.

The Lady Panthers opened up an early 8-1 advantage in set two and never let the lead shrink to less than five the rest of the game as Avery closed out the match by winning the second set by the final score of 25-15.

Avery has shown much improvement since their previous defeat to Cranberry.

“We’ve come a long way with our skills and a number of our girls have improved a lot,” Avery Lady Panthers head coach Stephanie Huff said following her team’s victory. “We had girls barely able to serve the ball in August, and the girls are doing a better job with their foot movement and with their talking. The biggest thing I’ve seen is that the girls have never given up. They have not given up in the past three games and continue to play hard.”

The Lady Panthers have won three consecutive games and, outside of the undefeated Cane River Lady Rebels, carry the most momentum into this Saturday’s Toe River Conference volleyball tournament at Cane River Middle School.

“We really have nothing to lose going into the tournament. It could be a wide open tournament and all the teams are strong,” Coach Huff stated. “I feel positive that whoever we play, we’ll give them a run for their money.”

Cranberry has four losses on the season and has one game remaining this Thursday evening before Saturday’s tournament. A report on this weekend’s tournament can be found in next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times.