Appalachian State Vs Elon - Homecoming

Update 1

Hello this is Johnny from The Avery Journal-Times bringing you live coverage of Appalachian Football.

Students and fans alike have already started gathering at The Rock here in Boone, NC for the big game. You could not ask for better weather conditions for homecoming game. It is 73 degrees here in Boone and there is not a cloud in sight. Students and members of the Yosef club are still tailgating all over campus every parking spot around has already been taken.

Today looks to be an exciting game for the Mountaineers. They are currently undefeated going into their fifth game of the season. Appalachian has been averaging 41.5 points per game and over 260 yards passing and rushing yards per game. There National Rank is #1 (The Sports Network and AFCA.) The Mountaineers have won 14-straight games over Elon. Appalachian will be putting its 22-game conference winning streak on the line today.

Elon has made the trip up to The Rock hoping to end their losing streak against Appalachian. They are currently on the field warming up and they are looking sharp and fired up. Elon is # 19 in the national rankings. They have a conference record of 1-1. They are averaging 333 passing yards per game.

ASU vs Elon all-time record in a series that started in 1937, 28-9-1.

Update 2

With the signature musket fire by Yosef to signal the entrance of the Mountaineers this ball game is about to begin. Elon won the coin toss and chose to defer. Appalachian has not won a coin toss for any of their five games so far this year.

ASU will start its first drive from the 25 yard line. They are already pushing their way up field. They encounter a set back with a five yard penalty, but this does not stop the Appalachian drive, Devon Moore gets the hand off and dives into the end zone to pick up the first touchdown of the game for the Mountaineers.

Update 3

The Appalachian kick goes out of bounds and Elon will start at the 40. After three plays the Elon offense has yet to gain any yardage and they will punt to the Mountaineers. There was a personal foul (roughing the kicker) called on ASU for a 15 yard penalty and giving Elon the ball back. They use this gift wisely and slowly push their way up the field. The Phoenix player Sean Jeffcoat makes a big catch getting Elon to the 7 yard line. Aaron Mellette makes the catch inside the end zone. Answering Appalachian to tie up the score 7-7.

Update 4

After the kick off App gets yet another penalty (Holding.) This will start ASU off at 1st and 20 on the 34 yard line. The Mountaineers do not let this keep them down they drive back up the field. The Elon defense holds and forces App to a 4th and 6 position. Appalachian punts and the Phoenix's will start their drive on their 10 yard line. Elon attempts to make a big pass to Aaron Mellette the pass was incomplete but there was a flag called on the play (pass interference) giving them an automatic first down. The Appalachian defense shuts down the Elon offense and forces Elon to punt again. The Appalachian offense attempts to plow through the Elon defense but they hold strong forcing the punt. Elon make a great pass to Lance Camp picking up about 20 yards. Another pass to follow to Sean Jeffcoat picking up another 15 yards. Brandon Newsome on the carry for 7 yards. Elon receives a five yard penalty on that play bringing up 3rd and 6. Adam Shreiner kicks a 26 yard field goal, bringing the score to 10-7 Elon.

Update 5

DeAndre Presley makes a big carry for Appalachian. This is immideatly followed by a pass to Brian Quick giving them great field position. They use this momentum for a 36 yard touch down rush by Baker. A penalty is called on the play (unsportsmanlike conduct.) The extra point is good bringing the score to 13-10 Appalachian.

Scott Riddle makes a big run for Elon for about 25 yards. A pass to A.J. Harris for 12 yard give Elon good 3rd down field position. The pass in incomplete bringing Elon to 4th and inches. The rush is no good the Mountaineer defense holds them back for a turnover on downs at the 25 yard line. A pass to Matt Cline yeilds 10 yards good for another Mountaineer first down. Appalachian quarter back DeAndre Presley keeps the ball and runs for 6 yards picking up another first down. Presley runs it 53 yards into the end zone picking up another Appalachian touchdown. The extra point is good bringing the score to 20-10 Appalachian. This is the longest run of Presley's career so far.

Elon opens up with a big pass to Lance camp bringing them to the 38 yard line. A pass to A.J. Harris for 20 yards. A penalty is called on ASU's Dominique McDuffie (personal foul) giving them a 15 yard penalty. Elon continues to push the Mountaineer Defense giving them good field position for 3rd and 1 at the 15 yard line. A short pass for the Phoenix's gets them a first down. Elon sneaks a pass to #3 Aaron Mellette and he runs it in for a touchdown. The extra point is good bringing the score to 20-17.

Half time score 20-17 App.

Update 6

Early in the second half is is 1st and goal for Elon. The Mountaineer defense is holding strong bringing Elon to 3rd and 6. The pass to Harris is incomplete almost being picked off by the mountaineers. App forces the Elon quarterback to throw the ball away. The ball gets turned over on downs on the Appalachian 6 yard line. ASU can't get past the Phoenix defense and will have to punt it away. Delay of game called on Appalachian pushing the punt back to the end zone. Elon catches the ball on the 42 yard line. Appalachian makes a huge sack for a loss of six yards for Elon.

Appalachian makes a big pass to #3 A.J. Harris for a gain of 8 yards. App goes for it on 4th and inches and a carry into a wall of defenders net them a first down. DeAndre Presley takes this chance to run for a 44 yard touchdown. The extra point was good bringing the score to 27-17 App.

Update 7

A LOOONG 43 yard pass by Elon to Mellette puts up 7 more points up on the board for Elon.

Bringing the score to 27-24 App.

Number 7 Cadet, scrambles up the field on the return and the Mountaineers will start their drive on the 33 yard line. DeAndre makes a shot pass to pick up the first down. A false start penalty gets called against Appalachian for 5 yards. Presley passes and a penalty is called on Elon for pass interference. Presley passes to #8 Brian Quick for big first down. Matt Cline runs the ball up to the 10 yard line putting ASU in a great position to score.

End of the 3rd 27-24 App. They will start the 4th Qtr at 1st and goal.

Update 8

A 13 yard pass to #6 CoCo Hillary lands him in the end zone increaseing Appalachian's lead. The extra point is good bringing the score 34-24 App.

Elon starts their drive making their way quickly to mid field. Elon tries for a big pass but it is called incomplete and a holding penalty is called on App giving Elon an automatic first down. They are not going to let it go to waste a big pass to Sean Jeffcoat for about 20 yards. The Elon offense could not hold it together when Appalachian #93 John Rizor makes a Sack on third down. Elon tries for a 45 yard field goal attempt and it is no good.

Elon drives up the field giving the Appalachian defense a run for their money. Riddle passes to Sean Jeffcoat for a 17 yard touch down. The extra point is good, bringing the store to 34-31 App. 3 min and 51 sec left on the clock.

Update 9

App starts their drive with penalty markers on the field. Face mask called against Elon for 15 yards. DeAndre passes to CoCo Hillary for a gain of about 20 yards. Presley pitches off the football for a small gain. A false start penalty is called on Appalachian for a 5 yard loss. Presley carries the football and is forced out of bounds at the 21 yard line. Presley carries the football again for a gain of 9 yards.

31,531 in Attendance tonight which is a school record.

Final Score 34-31 Appalachian State Mountaineers.

Vikings Face Stern Test From Bearcats

Coming off a 58-20 thrashing of the Thomas Jefferson Gryphons, the Avery Vikings (5-1, 1-1 WHC) square off against the Hendersonville Bearcats (5-1, 1-1) in a showdown of ranked 1A football teams that could impact the seeding in the upcoming state football playoffs.

The Bearcats doled out a beating of its own last Friday night with a 37-6 Homecoming win against the Madison Patriots. A season ago, the Bearcats dominated Avery in a 40-7 blowout loss at Dietz Field in Hendersonville and have won four straight in the series. Avery’s last victory over the Bearcats came in a 41-19 win over the Bearcats at MacDonald Stadium in 2006.
 

Scouting the Bearcats

The Hendersonville Bearcats are led by veteran head coach B.J. Laughter (112-62 in 14 seasons; and features a newly-integrated spread offense, a venture away from the Wing offenses used in seasons past. The change may be attributed to the squad returning only three offensive starters from the 2009 team. The team also occasionally will use an I formation.

Although many faces changed in 2010, one returning player keying the Bearcats attack is quarterback/athlete Desmond Whiteside. Whiteside, who filled in for injured quarterback Ben Walgenbach for about half of the 2009 season, achieved his fair share of success behind center as he rushed for more than 1,000 yards splitting time at quarterback and running back.

This season Whiteside is using both his arm and his legs to hurt opponents. In last week’s game with the Patriots, he accounted for 286 total yards (9 of 13 passing for 142 yards and a touchdown; 19 rushes for 142 yards with a touchdown), and has been the spark plug for the Bearcat offense all season long. The senior has totaled 707 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns and has thrown for 572 yards and four scores.

Also sparking the Bearcats on the offensive side of the football are running back Desean Jackson (206 rushing yards, 3 TD), and wide receiver Shawn Rogers (367 receiving yards, 3 TD; 121 rushing yards, 4 TD).

Defensively the Bearcats returned seven starters from last season and show a similar “33” front that they did in 2009. The team’s defensive leader is linebacker LeQuon Young, who had 14 tackles in a game earlier this season against East Henderson to go with three quarterback sacks. When healthy, he is one of the most dangerous defensive players in the Western Highlands Conference.

The Low Down

For Avery to pick up its first win in four seasons against the Bearcats Friday night, Avery will need to do all it can to negate Hendersonville’s speed, which makes a habit of running to the outside and past opposing defenses.

For the Viking offense, that means ball control and long, time-consuming drives that not only wear out the Bearcat defense, but keeps the quick offensive attack on the sideline.

On the other hand, for the Avery defense the week’s magic phrase in practice has been “hem in”, meaning the Vikings must keep the speedy Bearcat backs running between the tackles as often as possible, preventing them from getting into open space and around corners at the sidelines.

The loss of Alex Villanueva at quarterback has no doubt hurt the explosiveness of the Avery offense, but it was difficult to tell that during last week’s Homecoming rout, as senior Dustin Childress had the opportunity to get a full week of practice at the position and looked comfortable in the pocket, throwing for nearly 300 yards and five touchdowns.

Last week Avery also played without the services of senior running back/defensive lineman Colton Blackburn, who ran for more than 100 yards two weeks ago at Owen, but hurt a hamstring early in the second half of the contest. Blackburn’s availability for Friday night is unknown as of early in the week.

The Avery defense has given up 24 points or fewer in every game thus far this season. If that trend continues, chances for victory increase. If the game becomes a track meet with high scoring totals, however, odds favor the visiting Bearcats.

By the Numbers:

4- number of consecutive losses to the Bearcats suffered by Avery since 2006.

7- touchdowns scored by Avery in the first half of last week’s contest.

10 – times the Vikings kicked off in last week’s 58-20 romp of Thomas Jefferson.

25- number of playoff appearances for the Hendersonville team since 1972.

33 – the number worn by Avery senior Trent Mitchell, who was lost for the season following a serious hit and concussion suffered at the Cloudland game September 10^th. Avery players are wearing a decal with Mitchell’s number on their helmets to remember their fallen teammate.

156- rushing yards by the Vikings in last week’s Homecoming victory.

275- all-purpose yards gained by Avery senior running back Taylor Potter in last Friday’s win, along with four touchdowns.

Pick up a copy of next week’s The Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this Friday’s game with Hendersonville, as well as a preview of next week’s Western Highlands Conference showdown at Polk County.

Lady Vikings Volleyball Tangles with Warlassies

The Avery Lady Vikings volleyball squads traveled to Owen on Tuesday, September 28, to face the Warlassies in a conference matchup.

In junior varsity action, the Lady Vikings stood tall in winning a pair of tight sets. Avery took set one by a final score of 25-20, and held off the Warlassies to capture the second game by a 26-24 final set score.

In the varsity match the Big Red faced a strong and tall Owen team that had just enough firepower to hold Avery at bay. The Lady Vikings played hard and fundamentally sound volleyball through the match and kept each set close, but the Warlassies managed to defend home court in taking the victory in straight sets by scores of 25-22, 25-20 and 25-19, respectively.

Senior Melinda Eggers led the Lady Vikings with 12 digs, with seven kills from Megan Tennant and four kills from Savannah Dellinger. Megan Robbins served three aces in the match, while Dellinger also served up an ace. Cassie Bumgarner led Avery with 15 assists, with seven service points from Johanna Pittman.

On Thursday, September 30, the Lady Vikings hosted visiting Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy in a conference match, easily dispatching the Gryphons in both junior varsity and varsity action in straight sets.

“The match against Thomas Jefferson was a good chance for us to try out some new line ups and put girls in positions that will help us against some strong hitters on Hendersonville and Polk's squads,” Lady Vikings coach Caroline Turner said of Thursday’s triumph. “Our senior girls are really stepping up and playing hard.
Megan Robbins has started playing very well with great serving and hard hitting. Melinda Eggers is playing great defense for our squad and Cassie Bumgarner is doing a good job getting our girls good sets to hit.”

The Lady Vikings will be receiving some additional help and experience that they have not had on the floor this season, as Jennie Elrod will be returning to the court. Elrod suffered a knee injury last spring with the Lady Vikings soccer team and has been cleared by doctors to play.

In action this week, the Lady Vikings hosted Hendersonville on October 5 and venture to Polk County for a conference contest this Thursday, October 7.

Middle School Volleyball Wraps Season with Conference Tournament

On Thursday evening, September 30, the Cranberry Lady Wildcats bounced back from its loss at Avery Middle School three days earlier and rallied back for a hard-earned victory in its regular season finale at Harris Middle School in Spruce Pine. By virtue of the victory, the Lady Wildcats finished the regular season with a 6-4 record, tying them with the East Yancey Lady Panthers. The Lady Cats won a coin toss with East Yancey and earned the number two seed for the conference tournament, while the Avery Lady Panthers and its 5-5 record entered as the fourth seed.

On Saturday, October 2 the Toe River Conference crowned a tournament champion after an exciting day of volleyball action. Each of the first three matches of the tournament went a full three sets, indicative of the parity displayed by the teams throughout the regular season.

In the day’s first matchup, the No. 4 Avery Lady Panthers took on No. 5 seed Harris. Avery took the first set by a 25-16 final score, but Harris rallied to tie the match with a 25-16 win of its own. In the rubber set of the match, Avery showed its resilience and its never-say-die mentality, using a strong service game to persevere with a 25-22 win, advancing to play top seed Cane River in the semifinal round.

Avery and Cane River played a tight first set, but powerful serving by the Lady Rebels helped Cane River open a 17-11 advantage midway through the set and eventually take a 25-15 win.

In the second set of the contest, Avery won four of the first five points and went on to build a commanding 12-4 advantage. Cane River rallied with its service game to draw within 13-11 before an Avery timeout. The Lady Panthers caught its second wind after the break to go on an 8-4 scoring run, building a 21-15 lead. The Lady Rebels drew to within 23-22, but the Lady Panthers managed to close out the game with two straight points to win the set and force a third game.

Avery scored four of the first five points again in the third game to grab an early lead, but Cane River roared back with an 11-2 run to lead by a 12-6 score. After an Avery timeout, the Lady Rebels stayed hot, winning seven of the next eight points to lead 19-7. The tournament host Cane River went on to advance to the tournament finals with a decisive 25-9 victory.

Despite the tournament loss, Avery head coach Stephanie Huff was proud of her team’s effort throughout the day and the season.

“This was a good experience for our girls. They fought back and didn’t give up in the Harris game. They matured a bit as we had to switch offenses in the Cane River match. It showed a lot that they were willing to take that on and try to make that work,” Coach Huff remarked after the matches. “The girls played hard and came to work. They might have been a little tired at the end of the Cane River match, but they played with all they had to the end. I’m very proud of my girls and how they played and improved tremendously through this season.”

Meanwhile the Cranberry Lady Wildcats, the No. 2 seed, faced a tough East Yancey team who had battled through three sets to get past Bowman just to reach the semifinal.

Cranberry looked solid both offensively and defensively in its first set. In a dominating performance, the Lady Cats won seven of the first nine points, but East Yancey cut the lead to a single point at 7-6. The scrappy Cranberry group went on a 13-5 scoring run following a timeout to lead 20-11 and force an East timeout. Cranberry continued to blitz the Lady Panthers in winning by a 25-13 final score.

The second set of the match started with Cranberry winning the first six points of the game and nine of the first 11 to take a large lead. East showed resilience, however, as it cut the lead to 15-14. The teams played nip-and-tuck for much of the remainder of the match. With the pressure on, the Lady Wildcats showed an uncanny ability to keep points alive and play fundamental volleyball, as they finished off the Lady Panthers in two sets with a 25-19 win and set up a championship match with Cane River.

In the tournament finals, Cane River built an early four-point lead at 12-8, then reeled off an 8-2 scoring run for a 20-10 edge. Cranberry took time out and made a 6-2 scoring run of its own to draw within 22-16, but the Rebels tallied the game’s final three points to earn a 25-16 win in the first set.

Cane River rode the momentum of its first-set win to build an early lead in the second contest, winning six of the first seven points for a five-point lead. Cranberry took time out to try to stem the tide and regain control of the set. The move proved beneficial as the Lady Cats cut the Lady Rebel lead to 9-6 and force Cane River to stop the CMS roll.

Cranberry continued to put pressure on its opponent with key rallies and combination volleyball, drawing to tie the game at 12 points apiece.

Late in the match, Cane River made one final strong offensive push. Its strong service game and frontline height were difficult for opponents throughout the season, and the Lady Rebels used them to their advantage. Leading 15-14, the Lady Rebels finished the match with a 10-1 scoring run to close out the championship with a 25-15 final score.

Although the Lady Cats were unable to capture the tournament championship, head coach Hannah Trivett was proud of how her squad played and improved throughout the season and showed heart and determination during the tournament.

“The girls really come together and played awesome as a team. When we played Cane River it seemed like we might have tired just a little bit,” Trivett said following the tournament. “They all come out to practice and they played as a team. I told the girls that there were four other teams that wanted to be where we were in the championship game, but that it was our time. It was a great experience and it will only help our players who are coming back next season.”

After the championship match, All-Conference and All-Tournament players were announced. Cranberry players Bethany Burleson and Brandy Banner captured All-Conference honors, while Kylie Polsgrove and Raina Wiseman were named All-Conference from Avery Middle School. Polsgrove and Jodi Poore were named All-Tournament members for their strong efforts at last weekend’s tournament, while Burleson and Elizabeth Pittman earned All-Tournament honors for the tournament runner-up Lady Wildcats. The conference coaches also awarded Cranberry with the Hustle Award for its efforts throughout the tournament.

Congratulations to Cranberry and Avery for a strong middle school volleyball season

Vikings Ground Gryphons for Happy Homecoming

Many expected Friday night’s Homecoming football game between Avery and Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (TJCA) to be a one-sided affair. Those expectations were met quickly and with emphasis as the Vikings bombarded the Gryphons for 48 first-half points en route to a 58-20 Avery victory at a clear and cool MacDonald Stadium Friday, October 6.

Avery forced TJCA to a three-and-out to open the game, and used the passing game to put the first points on the scoreboard. Viking quarterback Dustin Childress, getting his second start for the injured starter Alex Villanueva, went to the air early and often in the first half. Childress found running back Taylor Potter on a screen pass on the team’s second offensive play, and Potter raced 29 yards to give Avery the early 7-0 lead.

The Viking defense forced another three-and-out deep in TJCA territory and appeared set for another fast score, but a Childress pass was intercepted by Gryphon defensive back Michael Gullett, who ran the interception back 71 yards before Kyle Greene made a touchdown-saving tackle at the Avery 5-yard line.

Thomas Jefferson capitalized on the turnover as Will Beam scored on a four-yard run. The extra point kick was no good, but TJCA had cut Avery’s lead to 7-6.

From that point until halftime, the contest was all Avery as the Big Red scored touchdowns on each of its next six possessions while holding TJCA scoreless and forcing a pair of turnovers.

Andy Gonzalez caught a pair of touchdown passes in the half from Childress, while Taylor Potter scored touchdowns on carries of 42 and 4 yards, respectively, and caught a 61 yard touchdown pass. Kody Hughes also got into the act when he caught a 37-yard touchdown pass from Childress in the final two minutes of the half to put Avery in front 48-6 at halftime.

The Vikings amassed as much offense in a single half of play as they do for many four-quarter contests. Avery ran the ball only nine times in the half, but gained 118 yards on those carries. Dustin Childress showed that he was getting comfortable in the pass pocket, as he was 15 of 26 passing in the half for 261 yards and five touchdowns. Avery held the Gryphons to only 103 total yards for the half.

At intermission, Avery High School held Homecoming festivities at midfield, where Melinda Eggers was crowned the Avery Homecoming Queen and Noah Hughes was crowned as Homecoming King.

Avery picked up where it left off as the third quarter began. The Vikings received the second half kickoff and drove the football 51 yards over seven plays. The drive culminated with a five-yard touchdown run from Nathaniel Buchanan to give Avery a 55-6 advantage.

For the remainder of the contest, the Viking coaching staff took the opportunity to play a number of the junior varsity players who were dressed for the contest. Avery did not play a junior varsity game earlier in the week because Thomas Jefferson did not have enough players to field a JV club, so the lopsided score afforded JV players such as quarterback Stetson Stafford, running backs Chase Buchanan and Bryce Pittman and several others the chance to show their skills on the Friday night stage.

Thomas Jefferson managed to score a pair of second-half touchdowns against the Viking reserves who were on the field. Late in the contest, Avery kicker Dustin Clark connected on a 24-yard field goal to close the Viking scoring total.

Avery ended the game with 435 yards of total offense and gave up only 187 yards to the Gryphons. The Vikings did commit eight penalties for close to 100 yards, an area the team is sure to look at improving as it heads down a crucial portion of the Western Highlands Conference schedule.

Viking senior running back Taylor Potter had a Homecoming to remember, as he amassed 275 all-purposes yards (46 yards rushing, 152 receiving, 71 kickoff return and six punt return yards) and scored four touchdowns.

With the win, the Big Red improved to 5-1 overall and evened its conference record at 1-1. The Vikings host Hendersonville this Friday night, October 8 in a key conference game between class 1A foes.

Soccer Picks Up Pair of Conference Wins

The Avery soccer team continued its winning ways last week with a pair of Western Highlands Conference wins over local rivals Mountain Heritage and Mitchell.

On a wet and cool evening last Monday, September 27, the Vikings hosted Mountain Heritage and came away with a hard-fought 2-1 win.

Avery drew first blood in the 28th minute of the match, when Jorge Arreola scored off an assist from Isauro Estrada, staking the Vikings to a 1-0 lead. The Big Red defense made the lead hold up for the rest of the half.

“We started out the Heritage game playing real well...we had our offense back in the passing mode, and doing a good job of it. What they weren’t doing effectively was finishing,” Vikings head coach Tom Evaul said following the match. “We had quite a few opportunities to score several goals, but didn’t put the ball where it needed to go. That is probably what frustrated me the most about the first half of play. Our defense was its usual stingy group, playing consistently and with intensity throughout the half.”

In the second half the Cougars came out with great intensity and desire in an effort to net the equalizer to tie the match. The tying goal came for Heritage in the 48th minute as a shot slipped past Viking keeper Alex Magner to knot the match at one goal apiece.

“Heritage tied the score early in the second half because we weren’t playing a ‘control the ball’ game,” Evaul added. “The thing I'm trying to get through to the guys is that if they will maintain a passing game instead of a just kick the ball game, we lower the chances of another team scoring on us. When Heritage scored, our intensity dropped, while theirs picked up. We went into a playing lull which gave Heritage several opportunities against Alex.”

The match remained tied until the 70th minute, when Arreola scored off an assist from Daniel Lusk to give the lead back to Avery. From that point, the defense stepped up to hold the Cougars scoreless and preserve the one-goal victory.

“I think the key to our success in games depends on how focused and intense the offense stays. If those six guys get out of sync with themselves and with each other, and decide to play their own style of soccer as opposed to a team-oriented game, then we struggle,” Evaul explained after the win. “Our defense is playing consistent soccer, the kind I wish the offense would play. They are communicating, backing each other up, being positive with each other even when mistakes are made, they stay intense and focused the entire game. Therefore, our defense has done a good job of denying goals to opponents. With the exception of the Hendersonville and West Caldwell games, teams are averaging less than a goal per game thanks to the defense.”

In the match on Wednesday, September 29, Avery had to deal with both rival Mitchell and the elements at Memorial Stadium in Ledger. The teams had to deal with a wet field and steady rain throughout much of the match, making the pitch quite unpredictable. Avery came up big in the match, winning 3-1 in a match that was called after 60 minutes due to the field conditions.

Lusk scored a pair of goals and Arreola netted his third goal for the week. Heraclio Flores, Forrest Sickler and Lusk provided assists on the goals. Mitchell’s lone goal came off a penalty kick.

“The team did seem to play a more consistent game with more intensity than they did with Heritage. If the offense decides they are going to play as a team, and get an effective passing game going, we can be successful, and they maintained both of those throughout the game,” Evaul stated after the win.

Avery’s record stands at 10-3-2 for the season, with a key match on the schedule coming up on Wednesday, October 6, at Owen High School.

“The upcoming Owen match is a key match for us. We didn’t play our best game against them at home, which hurts because I know we could have beaten them had we played the type of game we played against Patton or Madison,” Evaul said. “That consistency is something we are going to have to work on for the remainder of the season if we want to be successful.”

Viking Tennis Continues Conference Action

The Avery girls tennis team continues to grow together as a group and gain experience against a host of tough opponents in the Western Highlands Conference.

Last Tuesday, September 28, the Lady Vikings hosted the Polk Lady Wolverines on the outdoor courts at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk. The team failed to win a single match in the first encounter with Polk in Columbus earlier this season, but this time around the Lady Vikings played hard, winning a pair of matches but falling short in the overall match score, as Polk won seven of nine matches on the day.

In singles competition, the lone winner for the Big Red with no. 5 player Michelle Cuthbertson, who picked up a 10-8 victory over her opponent. She then teamed up with Kota Turbyfill in no. 3 doubles competition to win by an 8-4 match score.

This past Monday the Lady Vikings returned to the court to take on the Owen Warlassies. Owen proved a tough foe to tame as they swept the Big Red by a 9-0 score.

“I attribute a lot of the difficulty to a lot of our girls still being new players, as well as Homecoming distractions and really not having any practice time due to the weather,” Avery tennis coach Pat Daniels said of the result.“

In spite of the tough week, Daniels sees the team members getting better with experience and becoming more competitive as time goes by.

“I think all the girls are improving but it has been tough, especially the past week with the weather we’ve been having and you can tell it hurts the players,” Daniels said following the week’s matches. “We practiced only one day since the Polk match, and I could tell it when we came out for the Owen match.”

With Lees-McRae College resurfacing their hardcourts this week, the Lady Vikings are unable to host another match until next week, when Avery will host matches on Monday, October 11 against Hendersonville, on Tuesday, October 12 against Thomas Jefferson, and the team’s final home match on Thursday afternoon, October 14 against Mountain Heritage.

The Lady Vikings did receive some good news this week, however, as the team’s No. 1 player Haley Shell, who has been nursing a tendon injury in her wrist, is scheduled to return to action when the Big Red next take the court next week.

“Haley will be a big help for us. I want to make sure she is completely healed up before getting back on the court, and I told her she should take it easy and gradually get back into the swing of things the next couple of days,” Daniels stated.