AJ-T SPORTS LIVE FROM... MacDonald Stadium (Avery Men's Soccer)

UPDATE #11: Hendersonville wins it 4-2 over Avery. Good effort by the Big Red against a tough opponent.

UPDATE #10: A yellow card issued on Avery's Heraclio Flores for a hard foul gives H'Ville a free kick on the right of the field. Magner makes a save and the Big Red try to move downfield offensively, but has had a difficult time on the talented Bearcats defenders.

UPDATE #9 - GOAL AVERY!  Avery gets away on a break by Lusk, who gets the ball to Jorge Arreola. Arreola takes a shot which is deflected, but comes back to Lusk who fires a low shot in the net to narrow the margin to 4-2 in the game's 63rd minute. Vikings still down a pair of goals but building momentum. Less than a minute later, a yellow is issued on Forrest Sickler for a hard foul. Hendersonville gets a free kick but is unable to cash in. Avery looking to turn the tide down a pair of goals.

UPDATE #8 - Another yellow card issued against the Bearcats for a dangerous slide tackle. The game has gotten a bit physical but Avery seems to be keeping its composure well. Shot on goal by Forrest Sickler saved by the Bearcats keeper. 23 minutes remain in the match and the score remains 4-1 in favor of the Bearcats. UPDATE #7: GOAL HENDERSONVILLE in the 51st minute by Will Patrick to stake the Bearcats to a 4-1 advantage. Touches have been a little sloppy at times by both clubs, but the Bearcats have found a way to slip a couple of shots by to build an advantage.

UPDATE  #6: A yellow card is issued against a Hendersonville defender at the 46 minute mark, but Avery is unable to capitalize with a shot. Seconds later Avery is whistled with a foul around the 20-yard line.Shot on goal by Aguirre is high and Avery continues to look to narrow the two-goal margin.

UPDATE #5 Yellow card issued against #11 of Hendersonville in the final minute of the opening half. We have reached intermission with the Bearcats leading 3-1 over Avery. Second half shortly.

UPDATE #4 GOAL HENDERSONVILLE in the 36th minute scored by the Bearcats do-it-all offensive star Bryan Aguirre on a low screamer. Also a yellow card was issued to the Vikings' senior Daniel Lusk. Bearcats lead it 3-1 over the Vikings as we near intermission.

UPDATE #3: GOAL HENDERSONVILLE on a header by Jake Cosgrove, coming off a corner kick in the 18th minute. Bearcats lead it 2-1. This one is shaping up to be a high-scoring affair!

UPDATE #2: GOAL AVERY!  Off a free kick from Javier Bravo from near the 20 yard-line, Daniel Lusk crosses the face of the goal and puts a shot past the right side of the keeper for an equalizing goal! the tally occurs in the 13th minute and we are tied at 1-1!

UPDATE #1: Bearcats are on the board on a goal in the 8th minute by Ahmae Jarrar, firing a shot from about 20 yards out that finds the top portion of the net, giving the Bearcats a 1-0 advantage. Vikings looking for the equalizer.

We're Live tonight from Avery High School for a top-15 matchup of soccer squads as the #13 ranked Avery Vikings host the #2 ranked and defending state champion Hendersonville Bearcats. The Bearcats handed Avery an 8-0 shutout the first time the two teams met down at Dietz Field last month, but Avery was playing without its two leading scorers this season in the match. Tonight the Vikings hope to dole out some revenge tonight on the MacDonald Stadium turf. We'll be bringing updates throughout this evening's contest.

The Bearcats took a whopping 48 shots on goal in the first encounter between the two schools, so the Vikings will look to keep the ball more on the Hendersonville defensive end of the pitch this evening.

It was announced prior to kickoff that all proceeds from this evening's match will be donated to the family of Will Redman, who tragically passed away earlier in the week. The Vikings will look to play inspired soccer this evening.

Vikings Meet Wolverines with Conference Title Implications

After a zany Friday night of football, the landscape atop the Western Highlands Conference (WHC) standings changed drastically. With four conference games to play, the Avery Vikings (6-1, 2-1 WHC) and the Polk County Wolverines (6-1, 1-1 WHC) find themselves among five schools sharing identical conference records.

This Friday, October 15, the Vikings travel to Columbus to tangle with Polk, who was upset 24-23 last week at Mitchell. Avery is riding high off a 23-14 win last week over Hendersonville, the team’s first over the school in four seasons.

A season ago, the Wolverines visited MacDonald Stadium and defeated the Vikings 46-20, and have won the last four meetings in the season series between the teams. Avery last defeated Polk in 2005, when they squeaked by the Wolverines 30-28 in Newland.

Scouting the Wolverines
The Polk Wolverines are coached by ninth-year head coach Bruce Ollis (77-29 record at Polk; 160-110 record overall) and finished tied for the conference championship last season with a 10-3 record and 6-1 conference mark.

Polk returned eight starters on both sides of the football from last year’s team that advanced to the second round of the state 2A playoffs before falling 13-10 in overtime to Thomasville. Over the past seven years, the Wolverines have won 69 games and three conference championships.

Offensively, Polk utilizes a hybrid I formation and also employs a version of a spread formation, while defensively the Wolverines work out of a multiple 50 front.

The team’s undisputed offensive leader is senior quarterback/athlete Andre Overholt. The 2009 Western Highlands Conference Player of the Year is making another strong case this season for the honor, with 1,059 yards passing and 10 touchdowns both passing and rushing this season.

Defensively, the team possesses great speed and is anchored by a pair of experienced linebackers in JJ Maxwell, who is among the state leaders in tackles, as well as Tyler Philpott. The pair, along with defensive back Ryan Thomas, were all named All-Conference a season ago.

On special teams, kicker Jacob Christiansen has a strong leg and provides Polk the flexibility of attempting field goals from inside 40-45 yards away.

The Low Down

For the Vikings to go to Columbus and pull out the win this week, they must take care of the football and find success both running and passing the football. Throughout the season, the Big Red defense has proven itself able to hem in explosive offenses, and last week’s test with Hendersonville quarterback Desmond Whiteside should prove great practice when trying to contain a similar threat in Overholt.

Polk’s defense is likely the stingiest the Vikings offense has had to contend with this season, so the Vikings will need to execute across the board, from the offensive line to the backs and receivers, with precision.

Expect Polk County to stack the line of scrimmage and try to force the Vikings to become a one-dimensional passing attack, putting pressure on quarterback Dustin Childress and the Avery receivers to make plays.

Childress made Hendersonville pay for the strategy last week, most notably with a long completion to Remington Austin which set up a Viking touchdown last week, and has the capability to do the same again Friday night.

The Wolverines will enter Friday with additional motivation after suffering its first loss in upset fashion at Mitchell last week, which means the Vikings must prepare for Polk’s best shot on both sides of the football this week.

By the Numbers

0 – points allowed by the Avery defense in the second half of last week’s win over Hendersonville

6- times the Avery defense sacked Hendersonville quarterback Desmond Whiteside last week, including three by senior Lucas Lecka

16- average points per game allowed by Avery in its seven games this season

99- yards in penalties committed by Polk County in its 24-23 loss to Mitchell last week

127 – rushing yards by Polk quarterback Andre Overholt in last year’s 46-20 Polk win

139- rushing yards for Colton Blackburn in Friday’s 23-14 win over Hendersonville, giving the senior 494 yards rushing in five games this season

Read next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s game at Polk County, as well as a preview of next week’s home game against Madison.

Avery Prep Sports Roundup

Ladies Golf Hosts Match in Preparation for Conference Tourney

A young group of Lady Viking golfers met Mountain Heritage last Thursday, October 7, for a friendly match at Mountain Glen Golf Course in Newland.

The golfers have participated in five tournaments thus far this season as the two-day Western Highlands Conference Golf Tournament quickly approaches in two weeks.

In spite of a shortage of tournaments and experience, this year’s team is a gritty group of players who love the game and, in some cases, are just learning to develop a love and skill for the sport.

“Our returning players have really developed into leaders,” first-year Avery head golf coach Kaitlyn Mattox stated on the course at Mountain Glen. “Kendra Puckett is a returning player who comes to mind as someone who has been really encouraging of her teammates and playing pretty well. Nikki Wright, one of our underclassmen, has really stepped up her game, shooting our low score last week and playing today as our No. 1 at today’s match. Our beginner players, Lexi Lane and MacKenzie Hayes, have really improved and impressed me. They had not picked up a club until August and are playing well enough already to play in tournaments.”

The team has received a great amount of assistance from several local courses but providing the facilities for the ladies to practice and hone their skills.

“Sugar Mountain and Mountain Glen have both been huge helps to us, while at the beginning of the season we played some at Eseeola Golf Course also,” Mattox said. “My husband Ryan works as a club pro at Grandfather Golf and Country Club, and he’s helped the girls with lessons and working with them on the course. The girls have had lots of support from everyone and we’re really thankful.”

With only a handful of tournaments remaining before the conference event, the team hopes to play competitively, but the coach also wants her players to enjoy the experience.
“I’ll be really proud of the girls when they come out of it with a positive attitude,” Mattox added. “I think as a young team we’ll do pretty well, but this year is definitely a developmental year and we’re hoping to find some new recruits from the eighth grade coming up.”

Cross Country Runs at Madison Invitational

The Avery cross country team traveled to Marshall on Tuesday, October 5, to run at the Madison Invitational Meet.

In the competition, Luke Wotell and MacKenzie Thomas finished the course as the top Avery male and female runner with times of 23 and 18 minutes, respectively.

“MacKenzie ran a very good race with it being her first of the season and actually her first race ever,” Avery head coach Reggie Oakes said after the meet. “She ran like a veteran on a tough course with some major hills involved! As a group we are hoping for more improvement leading into the conference.”

The Vikings will race at Jackson Park in Hendersonville for the Western Highlands Conference cross country meet on Wednesday, October 20.

Lady Vikings Volleyball Drops Matches to Tough Foes Hendersonville, Polk

The Avery Lady Vikings volleyball team played through perhaps its toughest week of competition during the regular season, taking on perennially-talented teams Hendersonville at Viking Gym on Tuesday, October 5 and playing at Polk County on Thursday, October 7.

In the home match with the Lady Bearcats, Avery’s junior varsity picked up a straight-set victory by scores of 26-24 and 25-21, respectively.

In the varsity contest, the Lady Vikings looked for a repeat performance of the thrilling five-set triumph earlier this season in Henderson County. Unfortunately for the Big Red, the Lady Bearcats played inspired volleyball. Perhaps fueled by its previous loss, Hendersonville earned the win in three straight sets by scores of 15-25, 24-26, and 19-25.

“I feel if we could have won that second game, we would have taken them to another five games like last time we played,” Avery head volleyball coach Kim Hayes said after the match. “Hendersonville is an awesome team, and to know that we beat them this year is unbelievable. Hendersonville has a huge winning reputation. Nobody is suppose to beat them and WOW, we did!”

Melinda Eggers led the Lady Vikings with eight kills, with seven kills, two service aces, and five digs from teammate Megan Robbins and five kills and six digs from Johanna Pittman. Megan Tennant and Lauren Burleson added three kills each, with 16 assists by Cassie Bumgarner and two service aces by Savannah Dellinger.

Last Thursday, the Lady Vikings were unable to come away with a victory over the Lady Wolverines, falling in straight sets. Despite the setback, the Lady Vikings experienced a number of positives to build on as it heads down the home stretch of the Western Highlands Conference season.

“Our defense at times was awesome. We made some incredible defensive plays, we just couldn't follow through with our offense,” Hayes said. “It just wasn't our night offensively, but defensive we made some really cool plays. Polk is another awesome team in our conference, one of the best in Western North Carolina. They have five hitters and a setter that really delivers, the best I have seen in a long time. They should do really well in the playoffs.”

Last week also marked the full-time return of Coach Hayes to the Avery bench, as she returns from maternity leave following the birth of a baby boy.

“It feels good to be back. Volleyball is just a huge part of my life, has been since I was 13,” Hayes shared. “The girls are working very hard and have had some huge wins this year. As we start winding down we can start thinking about playoffs. We will be a No. 2 seed with a huge possibility of getting a home game. With the tough competition we have had with our 2A teams in the conference, we have the chance of doing well in the playoffs. I hope for my seniors’ sake that we can start the playoffs strong and have a positive finish. They deserve to leave Avery volleyball with pride.”

Avery returned to the court on Monday, October 11, to host Madison, and travels to Mountain Heritage this Thursday, October 14, before returning home for Senior Night to host rival Mitchell on Tuesday, October 19.

Mitchell Hands Wolverines First Loss of Season

The Mitchell football team had had its fair share of adversity leading into the 2010 football season. Despite a roster of just 22 players, each Mountaineer player contributes and has helped the team to a 3-3 record leading into last week’s game with the Polk Wolverines.

Again facing the difficulty of taking on the region’s lone undefeated team, the Mountaineers again rose to the occasion, literally, by blocking an extra point that proved to be the difference in 24-23 win in Ledger.

Polk opened the game’s scoring with a Jacob Christiansen 39-yard field goal midway through the opening period to give the Wolverines the early 3-0 lead.

Mitchell answered the Polk score with one of its own. Chewing up chunks of real estate with its powerful running game, the Mountaineers drove 80 yards over 11 plays, capping the drive on the first play of the second quarter with a four-yard touchdown run off the right side by quarterback Justin Hughes. The point after touchdown (PAT) by kicker Isaac Edwards was good to give Mitchell a 7-3 advantage.

Not to be outdone, the Wolverines kicked its offense in gear, scoring on its ensuing possession, an eight play, 62-yard scoring march ended with a one-yard run from quarterback Andre Overholt. The Christiansen PAT helped Polk regain the lead at 10-7 with 8:21 left to play before halftime.

With its next series, Mitchell pieced together a 13-play, 61-yard drive. The Mountaineers appeared to score on an 18-yard touchdown pass play, but a penalty negated the score. Instead Mitchell was forced to settle for a 36-yard Edwards field goal to knot the score at 10-10 with 1:37 remaining in the second quarter.

On its final offensive series of the half, Polk used its air attack to move into Mitchell territory. The Wolverines attempted a 46-yard field goal as time expired, but Christiansen’s kick was no good, and the score remained tied heading into halftime.

Neither team was able to put any points on the board in the third period, although the Wolverines missed a 25-yard field goal midway through the third quarter, the team’s second in three attempts, that would have given the visitors the lead.

Late in the third quarter the Wolverines began a nine-play, 71-yard drive that culminated with a five-yard Cody Orick touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter. The PAT gave the Wolverines a 17-10 lead with 11:55 to play in the contest.

Mitchell was forced to punt on its next series, but the Mountaineer defense forced a three-and-out of its own and subsequent punt from the Wolverines to get the football back.

With possession, the Mountaineers took advantage of a pair of Polk penalties to move into Wolverine territory. Mitchell then used a halfback pass from Justin Hughes to Michael Styles to burn the aggressive Wolverine defense for a 27-yard touchdown. The Edwards PAT was successful and Mitchell tied the contest at 17 with 5:51 to play.

Undaunted, Polk showed why it had not suffered a loss thus far this season, showing composure in producing a nine-play touchdown drive covering 60 yards and 3:50 off the fourth quarter clock. Andre Overholt capped the possession with a three-yard touchdown run for a 23-17 lead. The Christiansen extra point was blocked by Ryan Sparks, leaving the Wolverines with only a six-point margin.

Needing to mount one final charge to reach the end zone, Mitchell organized one final drive. The drive began following the Polk kickoff, when a personal foul penalty was tacked on to a Mountaineer return to allow Mitchell to start its drive at midfield.

Following a sack and two incomplete passes, a quarterback scramble on fourth-and-long resulted in a Mountaineer first down at the Polk 37-yard line. A completed pass moved the football to the Polk 20, and a pass interference penalty three plays later gave the Mountaineers a first down at the Wolverine 10-yard line.

Mitchell quarterback Troy Self scrambled to the Polk 5, then made the home crowd hold its collective breath when he was stripped of the football. Mitchell fell on the loose pigskin, however, and Self had to spike the football on third down to stop the clock.

On fourth-and-goal from the Polk 17-yard line with just 10 seconds to play, Self floated a pass to the end zone and wide receiver Corey Greene out-leaped the Polk secondary to haul in the pass for a touchdown. Edwards was successful with his extra point kick as Mitchell took the 24-23 lead.

Ironically, Edwards missed an extra point just a week earlier in a heartbreaking 14-13 Mountaineer loss to Owen.

The Wolverines attempted to lateral the ensuing kickoff but fumbled the ball into the hands of the Mountaineers, who ran out the remaining seconds to seal the one-point triumph.

"Our kids played hard and didn't quit," Mountaineers coach Russell Barnett said after the game. “Polk is a great team and we knew we had to have a really good effort. These guys have come together. If you look at our stats, it's not just one guy. It's six or seven making plays every game. We told the kids that most people weren't expecting a lot out of them this year, but we're going to give it our best shot."

Michael Styles had three receptions for 54 yards and eight carries for 62 yards, while Polk County was led by junior quarterback Andre Overholt, who was 9-for-15 passing for 156 yards and had 111 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns.

With the win, Mitchell (4-3, 2-1 WHC) is part of a five-way tie atop the Western Highlands Conference along with the Wolverines (6-1, 2-1), Owen, Mountain Heritage and the Avery Vikings.

Mitchell travels to Hendersonville to take on the Bearcats this week in another key Western Highlands Conference contest.

Bobcat Sports Roundup

Men’s Soccer: Galvani leads Bobcats to 3-0 shutout of Queens
James Galvani scored a pair of goals, and Lee Squires and Justin Jones each recorded two assists to lead the Lees-McRae College (LMC) men's soccer team to a 3-0 shutout win over Queens University of Charlotte in Conference Carolinas play on Saturday, October 9.

LMC (8-2-2, 5-0-1 CC) outshot the Royals (4-7, 3-4 CC) by a 16-12 margin, including a 9-4 advantage in the first half, while extending its unbeaten streak to seven matches and recording its third shutout of the season.

Galvani recorded his second brace of the campaign, netting the Bobcats' first two goals of the night to swell his season total to seven tallies. David Palmer added his fifth goal of the season to cap the Bobcats' scoring on the night.

Squires and Jones each recorded a pair of assists, while Luke Perry added a helper of his own. Thomas Rusling and Tyler Gibson combined for four saves while holding the Royals scoreless through 90 minutes.

Galvani opened the scoring early in the first half, finding the back of the net midway through the sixth minute, heading in a cross from Squires off a throw in by Jones to give the Bobcats an early 1-0 lead. The 6-2, 160-pound forward then doubled the advantage in the closing moments of the 49th minute, tapping in a cross from Squires for his seventh goal of the season.

Palmer added an insurance goal late in the 70th minute, driving a header into the back of the net off a Perry corner and a Jones cross to equal the final margin of 3-0.

LMC returns to the pitch this Thursday, October 1,4 when the Bobcats travel to Dahlonega, Ga. to take on North Georgia College & State University in a non-conference tilt. The match is slated for 5:00 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball: Lady Bobcats Win 10th straight, rally past Limestone, 3-1
Senior Whitney Justice tallied a match-high 16 kills to lead the LMC women's volleyball team to a 3-1 come-from-behind victory over Limestone College on Friday, October 8, in Conference Carolinas play.

LMC (13-6, 11-0 CC) ran its winning streak to 10 matches, extending the victorious stretch by scores of 23-25, 26-24, 25-19, and 25-19 against the Saints (4-13, 2-7 CC). The Lady Bobcats posted a .220 hitting percentage in the match while holding Limestone to a .078 clip on the attack, as LMC tallied five blocks on the night.

Justice posted her third straight match with at least 10 kills, recording 16 kills, four errors and a solid .429 hitting percentage on 28 attempts. Megan Epperson joined Justice in double figures with 10 kills, while Taylor Clendenin chipped in seven kills of her own.

Megan Mitchell recorded 32 assists, as Dana Oliver tallied a match-high 16 digs. Chloe Casas and Clendenin each tallied 13 digs in the win. Mitchell, Clendenin and Casas each recorded a pair of service aces as well.
Kassi Boedeker equaled Justice's match-high total of 16 kills to pace the Saints, while Emmaleigh Halweg and Brittany Miller chipped in nine and seven kills, respectively.

Danielle Seibert posted a match-high 36 assists for the Saints, while Holli Dawson, Rebecca Kerrison and Boedeker tallied 14, 13 and 11 digs, respectively. Dawson also notched a match-high five service aces.
Limestone started strong, opening an early 7-4 lead in the first set, before extending the margin to 14-8 as Boedeker knocked in a kill to cap a 6-1 spurt. LMC closed the gap, cutting the margin to two points on two occasions before Halweg recorded back-to-back kills to stretch the Limestone lead to 20-15.

The Lady Bobcats rallied again, trimming the lead to 23-22 with a 7-3 run before the Saints closed out the set with two of the frame's final three points. LMC responded in the second set, opening an early 7-2 lead, and after the Saints rallied to even the score at 11-11, went on a 6-4 spurt to claim a 17-15 advantage on a pair of Limestone attack errors.

Neither team could gain a significant advantage down the stretch in the second set, as the lead flopped back and forth between the two squads on several occasions. The Lady Bobcats then evened the match at 1-1 with a 26-24 second set win, closing out the frame with an Epperson kill and a block by Taylor Stice and Jessica Singewald.

Limestone continued to battle in the third set, launching a 5-1 run early in the frame to take a 9-8 lead on an LMC attack error. The Lady Bobcats responded, surging out to an 18-13 lead on a beautiful dump kill by Mitchell to cap a 10-4 run. The Saints stayed within striking distance but the Lady Bobcats would not be denied, as LMC tallied three of the final five points in the set to take a 2-1 lead in the match.

The Saints forced the Lady Bobcats into several keys miscues early in the fourth set, evening the score at 9-9 on a kill by Dawson before LMC answered with a 5-1 run of its own to claim a 14-10 advantage with an emphatic kill from Justice.

Limestone rallied once again, going on a 7-3 run to even the score at 17-17 on back-to-back service aces from Dawson. LMC responded, launching a 6-0 run with the score tied at 19-19 to cap the comeback on a service ace by Casas.

LMC returns to the court this Saturday, October 16, when the Lady Bobcats host Erskine College in a conference matchup at 11:00 a.m. The Lady Bobcats will also square off with Tusculum College later in the afternoon, taking on the Pioneers at 3:00 p.m. Both matches will be played in Williams Gymnasium.

Vikings Drop Physical Match with Warhorses

Last Wednesday, October 6, the Avery soccer team ventured to Swannanoa for a rematch with rival Owen. The Vikings were shut out by the Warhorses in their first matchup of the season at MacDonald Stadium. In the second encounter, Avery found the going difficult against a physical Owen team that could seemingly push its way around the field without penalty, coming up short by a 2-0 final score.

From the match’s outset, the Warhorses made a habit of pushing around a smaller, more finesse-styled Avery team. The Vikings did well throughout the match to keep its collective cool, but the sheer size of the Owen team made winning 50/50 balls and battling for possessions difficult.

In the seventh minute, the Warhorses got on the scoreboard when the official ruled an Owen sent ball had been tipped by Avery, nullifying a possible offside call. Owen pushed forward through the play and managed to slip a goal past the outstretched Viking keeper Alex Magner for the first goal of the evening.

Avery created several scoring opportunities for itself through its precise passing and team play. Senior Daniel Lusk utilized his speed to find open space down the right side on a couple of occasions after the Owen goal, but the Warhorse defense managed to regroup just in time to prevent a goal or the Owen keeper found a way to make an astounding save to prevent a Viking goal.

Multiple times in both the first and second half, Avery appeared to play onside and get behind the Owen defense to attack the goal, but several times the official judged the play offsides against Avery, much to the dismay of the Big Red coaching staff.

Neither team managed another goal through the remainder of the opening 40 minutes, leaving the score at 1-0 at intermission.

The second half was every bit as physical as the first. Midway through the second half, an Owen player took out Avery offensive threat Jorge Arreola with a strong kick to his legs while he was standing out of bounds with the ball nowhere near. Arreola was treated on the Avery sideline and was unable to return to the match.

Owen added an insurance goal in the 58th minute to extend to a two-goal lead. A corner kick was defended by the Vikings and sent out, but a Warhorse attacker made his way to the ball several yards in front of the net and fired a shot that found the back of the net for what proved to be the final margin.

“The officials allowed the game to be played rough, with no cards and very few free kicks, and we always come out on the short end of that stick because we are a smaller team than most in our conference,” Avery Head Soccer Coach Tom Evaul said after the match. “They pushed us all over the field because they could, but despite the lack of game control by the refs and the mistreatment of our players, I was proud of the guys because they kept their cool and stayed focused the whole 80 minutes. They could have easily have gotten frustrated with the treatment and lack of consequences for the roughness, but they continued to play, realizing that there was nothing that was going to change.”

Evaul was glad to see his team give a strong effort through the match.

“We had several opportunities to score, but just couldn’t finish. Except for two defensive mistakes that Owen took advantage of and scored, we played them head to head,” Evaul said. “There was really no outstanding player, as they all gave it everything they had. I hated to lose to Owen twice again this year, but we just couldn’t muster what we needed on offense to be successful enough to come away with a win or a tie.”

Avery returned to the pitch earlier this week with a home match on Monday, October 11, taking on Thomas Jefferson Academy, defeating the Gryphons by a final score of 3-2. The Big Red hosts Hendersonville in a key 1A conference showdown on Wednesday, October 13.

Strong Second Half Surges Vikings Past Bearcats

As the Western Highlands Conference race reaches the midway point, the Avery Vikings could ill afford a second conference loss if it wanted to keep its hopes for a league championship alive.

In an epic battle between two ranked 1A squads, Avery played with desperation and purpose, making enough plays on offense and riding a dominant second half defensive performance to earn its first victory over Hendersonville since 2006 in a 23-14 win at MacDonald Stadium last Friday, October 8.

Throughout the game there were several themes that consistently played out, two of which became evident on the game’s first series. One theme, Hendersonville’s penchant to commit penalties, started early in the contest with a pair of false start flags on the first Bearcat possession. The Bearcats were flagged often against the Vikings, 14 times in all for 117 yards. That, combined with Hendersonville’s repeated underestimation of Avery’s talent and speed on both sides of the ball became evident repeatedly throughout the game.

A sack of Hendersonville quarterback Desmond Whiteside by Avery’s Taylor Potter and Lucas Lecka forced the Bearcats to punt on its first series. Avery started its first drive inside Bearcat territory and wasted little time imposing its will and finding the end zone. Running back Colton Blackburn, returning from a hamstring injury suffered at Owen that benched him for last week’s win over Thomas Jefferson, capped a five-play drive with an 11-yard touchdown run. The point after touchdown (PAT) from kicker Dustin Clark gave the Big Red an early 7-0 lead with 7:18 to play in the opening quarter.

The Bearcats again failed to move the football with its second possession and were forced to punt. Hendersonville regained the ball in short order however when the defense forced Avery lone turnover of the evening, a fumble recovery caused by a sack of Avery quarterback Dustin Childress.

With the turnover, the Bearcats drove downfield and appeared to be stopped by the Viking defense near midfield, but a fake punt and pass completion for a first down kept the Hendersonville drive alive. The Bearcats eventually capitalized with a touchdown as Whiteside found Mahcallum Duckett in the end zone with a four-yard touchdown pass. The PAT by Bearcat kicker Burch Wadewitz knotted the score at 7-7 with 10:07 remaining in the first half.

Avery needed an answer as Hendersonville took momentum after tying the game, and they found it in the form of an eight-play, 64-yard scoring drive culminated by a one-yard touchdown plunge by Potter to propel the Vikes to a 14-7 lead with 5:29 left in the second quarter. The key play of the series was a 38-yard pass completion from Childress to wide receiver Remington Austin.

The pitch and catch showed Avery coaches, players and opponents alike the maturation and ability of the senior quarterback who took the reins of the offense for a third straight start filling in for injured signal-caller Alex Villanueva. Childress has proven more than capable of leading the offense over the past three games, throwing for more than 400 yards and efficiently managing the Viking attack.

On its ensuing possession, the Bearcats composed its best offensive drive of the entire half, marching from its own 20-yard line to inside the Avery red zone. Two Whiteside pass completions netted 37 yards, while a scramble and run gained 29 more yards. Faced with a fourth-and-three from the Avery 12-yard line, Hendersonville head coach B.J. Laughter elected to roll the dice and go for the first down rather than the short field goal. The decision proved unwise as Whiteside attempted to run outside for the first down and was tackled for a loss by safety Potter to turn the ball over on downs.

“That stop was huge to shut them down. That was Taylor’s job all night to spy Whiteside, and he came through big for us,” Avery Head Football Coach Darrell Brewer said of his senior’s play. “Anytime you can get a fourth down stop in the red zone is a huge confidence builder for your team and keeps points off the board.”

The Bearcats forced Avery into a three-and-out following the defensive stand, and regained possession inside the Avery 40-yard line following the punt. With around a minute to play in the half, Hendersonville moved quickly and completed three straight passes, the last of which a seven-yard touchdown from Whiteside to Marques Johnson with just 18 seconds left before halftime. The PAT tied the score at 14-14 and remained unchanged for the rest of the half.

Avery began the second half strong. After Spencer Blackburn returned the opening kickoff of the second half to near midfield, the Vikings wasted no time moving the football. A seven-play, 57-yard drive elapsed slightly more than two minutes off the clock. On just the second offensive play, Colton Blackburn rumbled 35 yards into Hendersonville territory, and two plays later the senior broke off an 18-yard run to inside the Bearcat 20.
Two carries by Taylor Potter brought the Vikings to the doorstep, and Dustin Childress capped the scoring drive with a two-yard plunge to pay dirt. Dustin Clark missed the PAT, but Avery led 20-14 early in the third period.

“You always want to come out and put together a good drive to set the tone for the second half. With Hendersonville tying us up late in the first half I thought it was really important for us to take back control of the game and put points on the scoreboard,” Brewer said.

Hendersonville’s first possession of the third quarter proved to be the team’s best opportunity to score points or take the lead. The Bearcats started the drive in Avery territory after a 48-yard kickoff return from Whiteside. Four consecutive running plays moved Hendersonville to the Avery 22-yard line. On the fifth Bearcats play a pass was completed inside the 15-yard line from Whiteside to receiver Shawn Rogers, but a big hit from Potter forced a fumble which Viking linebacker Tyler Buchanan recovered to leave Hendersonville empty-handed.

The Vikings could not move the ball and punted back to Hendersonville. Again the Bearcats found themselves in Avery territory, but again they came away with nothing as a Whiteside pass was intercepted by Viking Kenny Hicks just outside the Viking 30-yard line.

For the remainder of the third period and the first half of the final stanza, both teams’ defenses tightened the reins and gave up few yards, forcing punts on each squad’s next two possessions.

With just under six minutes left on the game clock, Avery fashioned a key drive of 10 plays, which moved the offense 34 yards and elapsed almost five minutes. Faced with a difficult decision on fourth-and-seven at the Hendersonville 14-yard line, Brewer elected to attempt a Dustin Clark field goal.

The Avery head coach and field goals have not always been synonymous with one another. Five seasons ago, Avery held a commanding 14-0 first half lead on South Caldwell and the Vikings attempted a field goal to extend its lead. The kick was blocked and returned for a score by the Spartans, who went on to come back for a 52-34 win, one of just three losses for the Vikings that season.

“South Caldwell went though my mind and it was hard to think about,” Brewer admitted. “Dustin is a great kicker and I have all the confidence in the world in him, but there are so many things that have to correctly happen for a field goal: good snap, good hold, good blocking. But I felt like getting the three points at that point was huge for us. For good football teams to win important games, you have to execute those sorts of plays, so I felt kicking was the right thing to do.”Brewer’s faith in his kicker proved well placed, as the junior split the uprights with the 31-yard try for the two-possession margin.

A last-ditch effort by the Bearcats resulted in quarterback sacks by Lecka and Hicks on consecutive plays. When a fourth-down pass fell incomplete, the Vikings offense ran out the remaining 18 seconds to seal its second straight win and fifth overall.

“It was a nerve-wracking game. It felt like it could go either way right up to where we hit the field goal at the end,” Brewer said after the win. “I was especially proud of the defense and how they were able to contain a player with the ability of Whiteside and shut them out the second half.”

Despite being outgained by 40 yards, Avery (5-1, 1-1 WHC) was penalized almost 100 fewer yards than Hendersonville and was virtually even in every other significant team statistic.

Senior Colton Blackburn led all rushers with 139 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown. Austin led all receivers with 51 yards on a pair of receptions in the win.

The Viking defense recorded six quarterback sacks in the game, led by three from senior Lucas Lecka.
With the victory and other results from Friday night, Avery moves into a five-way tie atop the Western Highlands Conference. The Vikings face another tough opponent this week in Polk County, who suffered its first loss of 2010 last Friday night in Ledger against Mitchell.

“We’re sitting right where we need to be at this point in conference play, and it isn’t getting any easier. Every week is going to be a battle,” Brewer said. “It’s gonna be a dog fight from here on out.”

Middle School Playoff Football Roundup

Both the Avery and Cranberry Middle School football teams began postseason play last Tuesday, October 5, with the semifinals of the Toe River Conference football playoffs.

The Wildcats entered the tournament at a No. 4 seed and traveled to Cane River to face the tournament’s top seed, the undefeated Cane River Rebels, who had played their closest game of the season the previous week in the regular season finale against county rival East Yancey. Cane River proved too much for the Wildcats, as the Rebels won by a 44-8 final score.

Cane River came out strong on the Wildcats, capitalizing on a number of Cranberry turnovers to score touchdowns behind the running of conference player of the year candidate Ben Rice. The Rebels recovered a pair of kickoffs and scored touchdowns on a number of long pass plays to build a 44-0 halftime lead.

The Wildcats showed the never-say-die attitude they displayed throughout the season, driving downfield and scoring on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Shane Carpenter to Kasey Ross midway through the third quarter for the team’s lone touchdown.

Cranberry finished its season with a 2-4 record and momentum to build upon for the 2011 season.

On the same evening the Avery Middle School Panthers met the East Yancey Panthers at MacDonald Stadium in Newland in a battle for the right to play Cane River in the Tri-County Bowl. Avery fell behind by two scores to East, only to roar back to tie the game late, and score in overtime to capture a thrilling 20-14 victory.

Avery’s defense started strong, holding East to a three and out to open the ballgame to force a punt. The Avery Panther offense then took over possession and marched downfield on a 10-play, 85-yard drive. A leaping catch by Kobe Pittman highlighted the drive as Avery moved inside the East Yancey red zone.

With the home team poised to score the game’s first points, Avery quarterback Austin Phillips scrambled and raced toward the goal line. Phillips was stripped of the football just prior to crossing the goal line, and East Yancey recovered in the end zone to quell the scoring threat.

On the first play following the turnover, East Yancey quarterback Alex Cash found an opening down the right sideline and galloped 80 yards for a touchdown to put the visiting Panthers ahead 6-0. Cash was also successful on the two-point conversion attempt, giving East Yancey an 8-0 lead after one quarter of play.

Avery sought to knot the contest with its next offensive series, but quarterback Phillips was sacked and stripped of the football on the team’s third play near midfield. East Yancey recovered the football for the second turnover of the half. The Panthers from East Yancey pounced, capitalizing on the Avery miscue to score another six points as Cash again raced past the Avery defense, this time for a 30-yard jaunt to give East a 14-0 advantage with 3:44 left to play in the second quarter.

On Avery’s first offensive play after the East score, Phillips connected with wide receiver Pittman on a 48-yard pass play inside the East 5-yard line. Two plays later, Phillips crossed the goal line on a quarterback sneak to put Avery on the board. Phillips scored on the two-point conversion to put the Panthers back in the game at 14-8 as the teams went to the locker rooms at halftime.

In the third quarter, both teams battled, but the defenses ruled the eight minutes as neither team could push across any points, leaving the score unchanged at 14-8 entering the final stanza.

With hopes looking bleak for an Avery victory, the Panther offense made a big play when needed most. After the defense stopped East Yancey with two minutes remaining in the game to force a punt, Avery scored on its second play after the punt. Avery quarterback Phillips made an option pitch to running back Tre Jackson, who evaded a tackle, raced down the left sideline and outran the East defense for a 70-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14 with just over a minute remaining in regulation. Phillips was unable to score to take the lead on the two-point conversion, but Avery had forged the comeback to tie the game at 14.

On the final play of regulation Avery tried to win with a long field goal attempt, but the kick from Jackson fell short, sending the game to overtime.

In overtime, the Avery defense took the field first as East’s offense had four plays to score from the ten-yard line. Avery stood tall in turning East away without scoring any points, giving the Avery offense the chance to score from ten yards out on the East defense to win the game.

On the first play of the series, Phillips broke free around the left side and dove across the goal line over an East defender for the winning touchdown to send Avery to the Tri-County Bowl.

“Our boys came out and really played well tonight. We dug ourselves a hole in the first half, but the kids battled back and they never quit,” Avery head coach Donnie Johnson said of his team’s dramatic win. “I think our defense really stepped up in the second half and we asserted ourselves as the better team. We kept playing hard from beginning to end and were able to come out on top.”

Avery played Cane River tough in their earlier meeting this season, as the game was tied at 16 at halftime. The Rebels pulled away in the second half, however, for a 46-16 win in Newland.