WHC Cross Country Meet Results

The Avery cross country team competed in the Western Highlands Conference meet on Wednesday afternoon at Jackson Park in Hendersonville.

The lone All-Conference runner for the Big Red was Lady Viking senior runner Mary Chesnut Smith, who completed the course in the girls race in sixth place overall with a time of 20:51.84. Sophomore MacKenzie Thomas also ran for the Vikings, completing the course in 24:12.06.

In the boys race, the highest finishing Avery runner was Mark Polsgrove, who completed the course in a time of 22:39.60. Teammate Luke Wotell finished just seven seconds later with a time of 22:46.27.

Avery freshman Hunter Guinn finished the race at 24:04.01, while teammates Chance Watson came in with a time of 25:44.28, junior Cody Luttrell ran a time of 26:49.09, and Coston Padgett completed the course in a time of 26:52.20.

Lady Vikings Volleyball Hosts Bessemer City to Open NCHSAA 1A State Playoffs

The Avery Lady Vikings will be opening the 2010 1A state volleyball playoffs this Saturday, October 23rd, with a first-round matchup against #3 seed out of the Southern Piedmont Conference, the Bessemer City Lady Yellow Jackets. Bessemer City finished with a 2-18 record this season, while Avery enters as the #2 Western Highlands Conference seed with a 9-11 overall mark. Match time is currently slated for 2 p.m.

Prior to the match, Avery High School will be recognizing its four senior players for Senior Day, as the originally scheduled Senior Night this past Tuesday vs. Mitchell was canceled.

Best of luck to the Lady Vikings!

Wolverines Air Attack Sinks Vikings

It was a much-anticipated battle of first-place teams on Friday, October 15, as the Avery Vikings rode into Polk County Stadium to face the Wolverines. Polk capitalized on a pair of first-half turnovers and exploited a Viking squad void of two of its key playmakers in quarterback Alex Villanueva and running back/defensive back Taylor Potter to have a happy Homecoming, defeating Avery by a final score of 36-12.

With the first possession of the contest the Wolverines drove the football inside the Avery 30-yard line. The drive stalled, however, when an Andre Overholt pass toward the end zone was intercepted by Viking defensive back Tyler Calvert.

On its ensuing series the Vikings started from inside its own 5-yard line and methodically gained yardage using a mix of run and pass to advance to midfield. A pass attempt from quarterback Dustin Childress to tight end Remington Austin across the middle of the field appeared by all accounts to be dropped for an incomplete pass, but Polk players fell on the football and the officials ruled the play a fumble, awarding the pigskin to the Wolverines, much to the dismay of the Viking coaches, players and crowd.

Avery seemed to avoid trouble following the turnover, forcing Polk into a fourth down. The Wolverines had a trick up its sleeve, however, setting up in a “swinging gate” formation and throwing a pass downfield from Overholt to Ryan Thomas. Thomas outran the Viking secondary into the end zone for a 45-yard touchdown. A two-point conversion run by Overholt was successful to give Polk an 8-0 lead with 2:39 to play in the opening stanza.

Both teams traded punts as the first quarter gave way to the second, and the Vikings took possession with ten minutes left in the half. The Avery offense again showed signs of life with positive yardage from fullback Nathaniel Buchanan and running back Colton Blackburn. The Vikings moved to its own 40-yard line, but a Childress pass was picked off by Andre Overholt, who returned the interception into Avery territory.

The Wolverines pieced together its most impressive drive of the game, an eight-play, 40-yard drive that elapsed 4:04 off the second quarter clock. Polk converted a pair of third down plays on the drive, and capped the possession with a nine-yard touchdown pass from Overholt to Trey Couch. The Jacob Christiansen extra point increased Polk’s lead to 15-0 with 2:31 to play in the half.

After Avery was forced into a three-and-out, the Wolverines compiled one final scoring march before halftime. A 47-yard touchdown pass from Overholt to Tyler Ridings was called back due to an illegal block penalty, temporarily quieting a partisan Wolverine crowd. On the very next play, however, Overholt found Ryan Thomas for his second touchdown reception of the game, a 23-yard connection. The PAT with 1:05 on the clock gave Polk a commanding 22-0 lead which it carried into the locker room at halftime.

With the first possession of the second half, Avery sought to build momentum in the hope of making a comeback. The Vikings appeared set for good field position and a possible scoring opportunity after running back Spencer Blackburn escaped the Polk defense for a 16-yard gain into Wolverine territory, but a holding penalty brought the play back.

The Vikings were forced to punt and the Wolverines continued to both run and throw the football to move downfield, highlighted by a 13-yard pass completion from Overholt to Cody Orick to advance Polk inside the Avery 15-yard line. The Viking defense made a huge play, however, as Avery forced a fumble by Ridings, which was recovered by Lucas Lecka to give the pigskin back to the Big Red.

One of Avery’s longest sustained possessions of the entire game took place following the turnover, with the Vikings using a hurry-up passing game to stretch the Polk secondary. Receivers Kody Hughes and Andy Gonzalez caught passes on the drive, which was capped by a seven-yard touchdown run from Colton Blackburn. Avery’s two-point attempt was unsuccessful but the Vikings had pulled within 22-6 with 3:16 to play in the third quarter.

The Polk response to the Avery touchdown was swift and immediate. On just the second play from scrimmage after the Viking score, Kerry Littlejohn found holes in the Avery defense and slashed 49 yards for a Wolverine touchdown. Christiansen’s extra point kick was good to stake Polk to a 29-6 edge as the third quarter expired.

In the final stanza the Avery club found itself more desperate to generate points and climb into the game. The Vikings attempted a fourth-down conversion from its own 37-yard line, but the Wolverines stymied the running play and took over on downs. The Wolverines benefitted from a pass interference penalty to advance the football into the Avery red zone, and Overholt did the rest, completing a 15-yard pass to wide receiver Chandler Miller for Polk’s final touchdown of the evening. The extra point further padded the Wolverine bulge to 36-6.

Although behind on the scoreboard, the Vikings continued to play with the determination that has earned the love and respect of High Country residents and the respect of its opponents. Avery marched 80 yards on 16 plays, highlighted by a 38-yard pass completion from Childress to Gonzalez. Childress completed a three-yard touchdown pass to Colton Blackburn with 3:30 left to play to provide for the team’s 12 points and the final score for the night.

The Vikings won the time of possession battle by over five minutes and gained 19 more yards than Polk for the game, but the only statistic that mattered was the numbers in the scoring column as the Big Red fell to 6-2 overall and 2-2 in conference play. Polk remained tied with Owen and Mountain Heritage atop the conference standings with a 3-1 conference record and 7-1 overall mark.

Colton Blackburn paced the Vikings with 93 rushing yards and a touchdown, as well as a receiving touchdown. Childress was 14 of 32 passing for 195 yards, with one touchdown and an interception. Overholt led the Wolverines with eight completions in 11 attempts for 143 yards, with four touchdowns and an interception.

The Vikings look to regroup this Friday, October 22, when they host the Madison Patriots at MacDonald Stadium.

Vikings Seek Payback against Patriots

This Friday, October 18, the Avery Vikings (6-2, 2-2 WHC) return home to the friendly confines of MacDonald Stadium as it squares off against the scuffling Madison Patriots (3-5, 0-4 WHC). Avery dropped a disappointing 36-12 decision to Polk County a week ago in Columbus, while the Patriots fell the same evening 22-6 at home to the Owen Warhorses.

A season ago, a win over the Madison Patriots was not only expected, but, as the season played out, would have given Avery a non-losing season and six wins. Instead, with the 33-27 win in Marshall in 2009, the Patriots earned its first win over Avery in recent memory and left the Vikings with a feeling of disgust and disappointment.

Those feelings will likely be at the forefront of the mind of Avery’s players who were part of that game a season ago. In that game Avery led 14-0 early in the second quarter only to see things spiral downward after an interception, a blocked punt and a healthy dose of Madison running back Brandon Henderson.

Scouting the Patriots

Head coach Mark Gosnell returns for a second season as head coach at Madison, and returned eight starters on offense and seven on defense, including a strong offensive line and senior starting tailback Henderson, who ran for more than 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2009.

Henderson was having another strong campaign, but an ankle injury in the 37-6 loss to Hendersonville on October 1 forced Henderson (107 carries, 635 yards, 5 TD) to miss last week’s game against Owen. His status for this week’s game with Avery is doubtful.

Triggering the Madison offense is Robbie Shelton (55 of 115 passing, 867 yards, 10 TD; 37 carries, 116 yards, 2 TD). Shelton’s favorite receiver this season has been junior Dalton Ledbetter (15 receptions, 341 yards, 6 TD), along with junior tight end Tyler Gonzalez (10 receptions, 163 yards, 2 TD) and sophomore Deryck Hileman (11 receptions, 136 yards, TD).

Picking up the running workload in the absence of Henderson has been Craig Mace (43 carries, 219 yards, 2 TD), who also serves as one of the leading tacklers on the Madison defense with more than 40 tackles this season.

Along with Hileman (60 tackles) and Blake Moore (more than 40 tackles), the Patriots defense is an underrated group who tackles well and relies heavily on its defense to keep games close and low-scoring.

The Low Down

In last week’s loss to the Wolverines, the Avery defense struggled to defend the pass, as Polk quarterback Andre Overholt threw four touchdown passes, often to open receivers.

The Vikings sorely missed defensive back/running back Taylor Potter last week, as the senior was nursing a groin injury and did not play. His presence is a calming influence in the Avery secondary, while his ability to find the open hole on offense makes him a key asset on both sides of the football.

Madison seems to be somewhat of a ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ team this season, losing to hapless Thomas Jefferson Academy one week, then playing a tough, low-scoring affair with conference co-leader Owen the next.

Avery Viking players, many of which took the field in last year’s loss, were embarrassed by last year’s loss and will look to make up for it in a big way this week.

Without Henderson in the backfield, who torched the Vikings for 197 yards in last year’s upset, the Patriots may be hard-pressed to find a running back capable of withstanding the big-hitting potential of the Big Red defense.

By the Numbers

0 – points scored in the first half by the Avery offense in last week’s 36-12 defeat at Polk County.

13 – tackles by Polk linebacker J.J. Maxwell in last week’s Avery loss.

19 – number of yards the Vikings outgained Polk (281 to 262) in last week’s contest, including 146 on the ground.

21 – points scored in the second quarter by Madison in last year’s 33-27 win in Marshall.

122- receiving yards by Avery wide receiver Andy Gonzalez in last year’s contest.

237- rushing yards racked up by the Patriots in last season’s win.

Read next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s contest with Madison, as well as a preview of next week’s showdown with Mountain Heritage.

Avery Prep Sports Roundup

JV Football: Balanced Wolverine Attack Smothers Vikings
The Polk Wolverines junior varsity team gained almost 250 yards in total offense while holding the Avery JVs to slightly more than 100 yards in a 35-13 Polk win Thursday, October 14, at a chilly MacDonald Stadium in Newland.

Fortunes started well for the Vikings as it recovered a Wolverine fumble on the opening kickoff. Unfortunately the Big Red coughed up the football just three plays later to give the Wolverines the football near midfield.

Polk drove downfield inside the Avery 5-yard line, but the Viking defense tightened and held as a fourth down pass from Wolverine quarterback Reece Schlabach fell incomplete to turn the football over on downs.

On Avery’s first play following the change of possession disaster struck as Wolverine defensive back Matthew Darden picked off a pass from Viking quarterback Stetson Stafford. The turnover set Polk up with possession inside the Avery red zone. One play later Schlabach scurried 11 yards for the first points of the game. The extra point kick failed but Polk led 6-0 after one quarter of play.

Early in the second quarter following an Avery punt, the Wolverines marched downfield and found the end zone for a second score as Schlabach completed a 32-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Lucas Williams. A two-point conversion pass was successful and the Wolverines held a 14-0 advantage with 8:25 left before halftime.

Avery’s offense continued to struggle against a stout Polk defense, as again it was held to a three-and-out and was forced to punt. On its ensuing series the Wolverines used a mix of run and pass to complete a seven-play, 59-yard drive that culminated with a Schlabach 10-yard run. The point after touchdown (PAT) was good for a 21-0 Polk County halftime lead.

After being held to just 18 yards in total offense for the first half, the Vikings looked to get the offense jump-started with the first possession of the third quarter. Polk continued to play stingy defense, however. The Vikings rolled the dice on fourth down from its own territory, but Ty Polsgrove was held three yards short on a 4th-and-9 running play to turn the ball over on downs.

Polk kept the offensive pressure on, and three plays later was back in the end zone when T.J. Fincher scored on a two-yard plunge. The Schlabach PAT boosted the lead to 28-0 midway through the third quarter.

Later in the quarter the Wolverines added a final touchdown to lead by 35, but the Vikings refused to quit and was determined to prevent the shutout.

On the ensuing possession following Polk’s last score, Avery marched 57 yards in seven plays to hit pay dirt. Viking running back Bryce Pittman capped the scoring drive with a three-yard run to put Avery on the scoreboard. Heraclio Flores converted the PAT to narrow the margin to 35-7 early in the final quarter.

In the final half-minute of the contest, Avery put the final touchdown on the scoreboard when Pittman connected with Polsgrove on a halfback pass for a 26-yard touchdown. The extra point kick failed, providing for the final margin of victory.

Pittman led Avery with 85 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown, as well as a passing score. Harley Foster led the Avery defense with six tackles, and Logan Corrai recorded three tackles and a quarterback sack.

The Viking junior varsity will travel to Madison this Thursday, October 21, for another conference clash.

Tennis: Lady Vikings Complete Season of Growth and Development with Win over Gryphons

Last week the Avery Lady Viking tennis squad wrapped up its 2010 season with an impressive 8-1 victory over Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy on Tuesday, October 12, at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk.

Avery No. 1 player Haley Shell returned to action from a tendon injury and picked up a decisive 10-4 victory in her singles match, while No. 2 Taylor Hobbs earned a 10-6 win. No. 4 seed Michelle Cuthbertson shut out her singles opponent 10-0, while No. 5 seed Carrie Hamby won 10-2 in her singles match and No. 6 Savannah Perry earned a 10-1 match win. No. 3 Chelsea Hoffman was the only Lady Viking player unable to earn a win in singles action, but still played extremely well in a 10-6 match.

The Lady Vikings swept the doubles matches, as the No. 1 seeded Shell/Hobbs team overcame a 7-5 deficit to tie the match and win 8-4 in a tie-breaker No. 2 team Hoffman/Hamby won easily in its doubles match, while the team of Cuthbertson and Kota Turbyfill won its match by an 8-2 score to close out the match.

“I was really proud of the girls and how they came back in this match after winning 5-4 the first time we played Thomas Jefferson,” Coach Pat Daniels said following the win.

Since Hendersonville finished the 1A portion of the conference season unbeaten, the Lady Bearcats will represent the Western Highlands Conference in the upcoming state dual tournament.

The 2010 Lady Viking team is comprised mainly of sophomores and juniors, with no senior players on the roster, meaning every player is eligible to return to a team that has the potential to be a conference contender in the 2011 season.

Daniels, who filled in for head coach Rhiannon Manis who recently gave birth to her and husband Bo’s first child, saw great improvement with the team in the time he spent with the club.

“I enjoyed working with the team. It is so much different from coaching other sports, as you have to wait for certain times to talk to the players with it being a quiet game,” Daniels said. “I had a bunch of good girls who played hard through the season and they gained a lot of experience this season. I was proud of how the girls finished as it was a positive experience that motivated the girls to want to work during the off-season on their game and help each other improve.”

Manis had the opportunity to see the team practice and compete during the final couple weeks of the season and is excited about the team’s progress this year and its prospects for next season.

“In both practice and match play I saw huge improvements with all the players. I was out for about two weeks, and over the course of those two weeks the girls gained so much confidence, experience and skill. I really feel like just playing matches after matches is what helped the girls learn more about the game and their ability. With the amount of improvement that I saw from the beginning of the season to the end, if the girls will get out during the off season and work on improving even more then next year will have a great start,” Manis said. “For some this was another year under their belt that just adds to the experience even more. And for the girls that this was their first season, it's always the hardest, so next year should be better and less overwhelming for them. Tennis already isn't an easy sport to just start playing when you are in high school, and with all the extra adversities that the girls faced this season, they did an excellent job representing Avery County High School tennis.”

Pair of Avery Lady Vikings Appear in Final HCSA Home Match

The U18 Lady Avalanche are down to the last two regular season games; October 18’s game was to have been their final regular season game ever but a rescheduled game for this Tuesday, October 19, leaves one more game on the schedule.

Before the weekend started, the Lady Avalanche thought they were playing the top two teams in their final games. However, games on Saturday, October 16, upset the standings a bit. The Lady Avalanche knew, barring an amazing turn-around by one other team, they couldn’t claim the league’s No. 1 spot but that the number two spot could be theirs if they finish the season strong with two wins.

With most of the team present, the Lady Avalanche took on the North Mecklenburg Soccer Club (NMSC) Red at the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex. The NMSC Red team came out strong and the Avalanche knew they had their hands full. Sixteen minutes into the game, the Reds ripped a ball towards goal, which junior keeper Caitlyn Curley was able to stop but not control; it was tapped in for a goal.

The NMSC Reds continued to attack but late in the first half the Lady Avalanche dug in and started to beat the Reds to the ball and mount an offense of their own. In the 37th minute senior Mary Chesnut Smith sent a hard ball which neither the Reds keeper nor another defender could stop. The score remained tied at 1-1 at half. 

In the second half, the Lady Avalanche continued to pick up momentum; in the 56th minute junior Kebrina Keys dropped the ball back to Smith who let another ball rip for a her second goal of the day.

Although the Lady Avalanche continued to attack, both defenses buckled down and neither allowed another goal. Avalanche keeper Emily Haas communicated well with her teammates making sure all of the Reds were marked.

For five seniors this was their final home game with the HCSA. Miranda McCrary (Hibriten HS) and Emily Banner (Avery HS), joined the team when Coach Kiki Wallace recruited them three years ago. Bethany Miller (Watauga HS), returned to the Lady Avalanche at that time, but had played several seasons with HCSA previously. Sam Byrd (Watauga HS) and Mary Chesnut Smith (Avery HS) have played with the Avalanche and on the same team for nine seasons, starting the spring of 6th grade.

The Lady Avalanche traveled to Catawba College on Tuesday, October 19, to take on the FCCA Rowan Elite. These final games are important for their seeding in the Kepner President’s State Cup tournament which is played over three weekends starting October 30.

Vikings Soccer Grounds Gryphons, Bested by Bearcats

The Avery soccer team gave up an early goal to the Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (TJCA) Gryphons last Monday, October 11, but rallied to defeat the Gryphons by a 3-2 final score at MacDonald Stadium.

The Gryphons scored the opening goal just four minutes into the match to take a surprising 1-0 lead. Avery, beginning the match without three of its starters who were benched due to disciplinary reasons, appeared out of sync and struggled for cohesion as TJCA attacked the weaknesses of the Viking defensive alignment.

The starters entered the contest after 10 minutes had elapsed, but the team still struggled to find its groove.

“I had to move some players around to accommodate the fact that three starters were on the bench. TJCA saw our weakness and took advantage of it, getting the early score,” Avery Head Soccer Coach Tom Evaul said following the match. “I don’t think we totally recovered even when the three starters did finally get to go into the game. Even though we looked like we were playing a good game, we had already allowed TJCA to get some wind in their sails and they gave us a good game. It was an intense game throughout the entire 80 minutes.”

Avery rallied to tie the match as Daniel Lusk scored at the 20 minute mark off an assist by Isauro Estrada. Just four minutes later, Jorge Arreola picked up the squad with the first of his two goals on the evening. Arreola scored what proved to be the game-winner in the 51st minute off an assist from Lusk and Estrada.

“I think as the season is beginning to wind down, and every game has a whole new meaning, the intensity and determination of the team has picked up,” Evaul said. “They knew they should have beaten Owen, but a lack of the ability by our offense to finish and score goals woke them up a little bit. Our defense has always been solid except for the loss to Hendersonville at their place, but I am proud of the way the defense has handled all the pressure they have endured this season, especially when two are freshman, and one is a junior that didn’t get that much playtime last year, and when he did, he played midfield or forward. Brock [Yackey] has done a great job with his leadership in bringing those four guys to a whole new level of intense aggressive defensive soccer.”

On Wednesday, October 13, the Vikings squared off in a rematch with the Hendersonville Bearcats. Avery lost 8-0 in its first meeting with the Bearcats in Hendersonville, due in large part to the absence of the team’s two leading scorers. However, in the rematch at MacDonald Stadium the Vikings made a better game of it, playing step for step with the No. 2 ranked Bearcats for most of the match but falling by a final score of 4-2.

The Bearcats drew first blood with a goal in the eighth minute by Ahmae Jarrar, firing a shot from about 20 yards out that found the top portion of the net, giving the Bearcats a 1-0 advantage. Avery knotted the match off a free kick from Arreola from near the 20 yard-line, as Lusk crossed the face of the goal and put a shot past the right side of the keeper for an equalizing goal in the 13th minute to tie the match at 1-1.

Five minutes later, the Bearcats managed to slip another shot in goal off a header from Jake Cosgrove to put Hendersonville in front 2-1. With just four minutes remaining before halftime, the Bearcats netted a key third goal to boost its lead to 3-1 when Western North Carolina’s all-time leading goal scorer and Hendersonville’s do-it-all offensive star Bryan Aguirre fired a low screamer of a shot that found the back of the net.

“Against Hendersonville, we knew we had to become a different team and approach this game differently than we did at their place. It did help that we had Daniel and Jorge back, because I don’t believe Hendersonville was expecting anything like the pressure their defense had to take on,” Evaul said. “We changed the way we lined up. Instead of a 4-3-3, we went to a flatback four defense with no sweeper or stopper and just four fullbacks. Brock was man-to-man on No. 9 whenever he got within the 30-yard line, and with the two outside fullbacks playing wider due to the two additional middle fullbacks that helped us cut down some on their outside play, which they are so good at.

“We dropped Isauro back to the middle which again spread out the midfield giving better coverage on the wings, plus giving Forrest some help in the middle with those two great players that Hendersonville has in that area. We pretty much left the offense up to Jorge and Daniel and they stepped up to meet that challenge.”

Hendersonville continued to be frustrated by the Avery defense, as the club earned three yellow cards during the match. Eventually, however, the talented Bearcats found a way to break through for a fourth and final goal, coming in the 51st minute from Will Patrick to up the Hendersonville lead to 4-1.

Refusing to give in, the Vikings tallied a second goal as Lusk broke away from the Bearcat defense and sent a pass to Arreola, who took a shot which was deflected. Lusk gathered the rebound and fired a low shot into the net to narrow the margin to 4-2, in the 63rd minute, which proved to be the final goal by either club for the remainder of the match.

“We had a lot more opportunities on the offensive end of the field than we had at their place, and I believe the constant threat by our offense kept their offense in check because their defense had to actually play defense this time, and couldn’t just do with the ball what they wanted to do,” Evaul said.

“The guys were also determined not to be embarrassed again, especially at home, and the whole week of practices they practiced with intensity and desire. It showed on the field that night, as they played at a whole new level and gave the state champs a run for their money.

“We are the only Western Highlands team to score two against them up to this point, and at the same time limit them to only four goals. Again, only the 3A and 4A schools have been able to do that to them thus far this year, so the coaching staff was extremely proud of how this team came out to play, both mentally and physically.”

The Vikings hope they can carry the momentum of a strong effort against Hendersonville into this week’s matches against Polk County in Columbus on October 18 and at home against Madison on Wednesday, October 20.

“One of the biggest problems we have had to contend with this season has been inconsistency,” Evaul said. “If we can consistently build as we go into the final four games of the season, and not get complacent and feel like the Hendersonville game was the peak of our season, then we should be in fine shape.”

Notes:  The Avery soccer team will be recognizing all pee week soccer teams and coaches at halftime of the Madison soccer match this Wednesday, October 20. Participants are asked to wear their jerseys to the game for the recognition. Start time of the match is 6:00 p.m., with halftime around 6:30 p.m.

Avery soccer will also recognize the 2010 NCHSAA 1A girls soccer runner-up Lady Vikings at halftime of the Mitchell game on Wednesday, October 27. Soccer seniors will be honored prior to that same match against the Mountaineers.

Lady Vikings Volleyball Fall To Patriots, Cougars

It was a tough week on the hardcourt for the Avery Lady Vikings varsity volleyball team, as it fell in straight sets at home on Monday, October 11, against Madison and won the first set at Mountain Heritage only to see the Lady Cougars rally to win each of the final three games of the match for a 3-1 win.

The junior varsity squads kicked off the match with Madison in Viking Gym, and led off with a thriller. Avery won the first set by a decisive 25-17 margin, but fell 21-25 in a closely fought second set. In the rubber game of the match, Madison pulled away for a 18-25 set and match victory.

Varsity action was a close-knit affair throughout the duration. Although all three sets were nip-and-tuck, errors proved to hurt the Lady Viking efforts as the Lady Patriots prevailed in all three games for a sweep, winning by scores of 25-27, 23-25 and 23-25, respectively.

Megan Tennant led the offensive attack with 1 kill with nine kills by Megan Robbins and six kills, three digs, 28 assists and a service ace by Cassie Bumgarner. Johanna Pittman tallied eight kills and four digs, with 12 digs and five kills by Savannah Dellinger and five digs apiece from Shayna Vance and Melinda Eggers.

“The games were very close. We just couldn’t finish the game,” Lady Vikings Head Volleyball Coach Kim Hayes said after the defeat. “We had 16 mistakes in game one and 15 mistakes in game two. In rally scoring, the other team gets those as points. We just could not get our game going.”

Although the match was a disappointingly close loss, the Lady Vikings vowed to learn from mistakes made and turn them into positives for their next match.

“We have got to work on keeping the ball in play,” Hayes said. “We make awesome defensive plays, but then make a mistake on the third hit. We worked in practice on where to place the ball and keeping the ball alive.”

When the Lady Vikings traveled to Burnsville to take on Mountain Heritage, it appeared the Big Red had taken what they worked on in practice and turned it into a winning formula.

In junior varsity action, Avery was dominant in winning in straight sets by scores of 25-17 and 25-13.

As the varsity match began, the Lady Vikings were excited to welcome back to the court teammate Jennie Elrod, who had missed the entire regular season with a stress fracture of the leg suffered while playing on the girls soccer team last spring.

As the match began, Avery limited errors and took the match to the Lady Cougars, winning the first set by a 25-22 score. However, the home team rallied in game two with a strong effort, tying the match at a set apiece with a 14-25 win. The final two sets were closer encounters, but Heritage prevailed by identical scores of 21-25.

“When you have powerful hitters like Mountain Heritage has, it is so easy to gain control of the game,” Hayes explained. “Momentum is the name of the game in this crazy sport. You can win a game and then get killed in a game. It is all about momentum, and in high school volleyball a team with powerful hitters usually has the momentum.”

Dellinger had a strong match with six kills, 11 service points, a service ace, and five digs, with six kills, seven service points and nine digs from Pittman. Megan Tennant registered seven kills and two blocks, with five kills by Lauren Burleson and four kills, a pair of blocks and an assist by Robbins.

Lacey Barrier had a strong service game with seven points, with 29 assists and four digs from senior teammate Bumgarner. Vance recorded nine digs and a kill, with a pair of digs and a kill from Eggers and a dig by Jennie Elrod.

Although the Big Red did not come away with a victory, the team has confidence that it can play with talented opponents like Mountain Heritage as the state playoffs begin this weekend.

“Both games we have played them have been very close. I wish we could play them just one more time, as I know we could win,” Hayes said. “We are a tough team to beat because of our defense. It can be very discouraging to big hitters like Hendersonville and West Wilkes, who we beat earlier this season.”

Avery’s scheduled Senior Night match and regular season home finale with Mitchell on Tuesday, October 19, was cancelled due to the automobile accident that killed two Mitchell High School students last weekend. The match will not be rescheduled.

Avery seniors Bumgarner, Elrod, Robbins, and Eggers will instead be honored when Avery hosts its first-round state playoff match this Saturday, October 23. Time of match and opponent were not determined by press time, but updated information can be found later this week by reading The Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog by clicking to www.ajtsports.blogspot.com, or by checking out the paper’s Facebook page by clicking to http://www.facebook.com/ajtsports.

Hendersonville Ground Game Rushes Past Mitchell

The Mitchell Mountaineers looked to continue its positive momentum stemming from its 24-23 upset victory at home over Polk on Friday, October 8, but the rushing of Bearcats backs Cam Hill and Desmond Whiteside proved too tough to tame as Hendersonville defeated the Mountaineers 35-14 at Dietz Field last week.

"We came out here hard and ready to play," said Hendersonville’s Hill, who ran for 138 yards, hauled in a pair of interceptions and made a tackle that stunted a Mountaineer touchdown drive in the first half inside the red zone. "Every game I'm ready to play, but I was more ready [tonight], I guess."

Mitchell, who entered the showdown tied with four other schools for first place in the Western Highlands Conference, found itself trailing by a touchdown when Hill scored on a six-yard jaunt with 7:57 to play in the opening period.

Late in the first quarter the Mountaineers answered as quarterback Justin Hughes dropped back to find a receiver and decided to tuck the ball and run, scampering 18 yards for a Mitchell score. The Isaac Edwards extra point kick tied the game at 7-7 with 2:47 left in the first quarter.

On its next two possessions, the Mountaineers forced a pair of Bearcat turnovers via fumble, but was unable to convert the miscues into points, punting the football back to Hendersonville on both occasions.

Following the second punt, the Bearcats offense kicked into gear with a seven-play, 54-yard drive culminated by Hill’s second score, a 16-yard run to put the Bearcats on top by a 14-7 margin with 5:26 left in the first half.

After a Mountaineer punt, the teams traded interceptions late in the second quarter, the latter of which picked off by Hill who raced 78 yards for another Hendersonville touchdown. The extra point gave the Bearcats both momentum and a two-score advantage as they led 21-7 at halftime.

As the second half began the Mountaineers needed to seize momentum and take advantage of its first possession. Mitchell succeeded in both respects, as the offense marched 62 yards over six plays, capped by a Troy Self 16-yard touchdown run to pull the visitors within a touchdown at 21-14 with 9:21 to play in the third period.

With its ensuing possession, the Bearcats drove the length of the field to answer the Mitchell score. Using 14 plays to cover 60 yards of real estate, the Bearcats methodically moved downfield, ending the series in the end zone when quarterback Whiteside scurried 13 yards to again push the Hendersonville lead to 14 points at 28-14 late in the third period.

Mitchell’s offense could not find another answer or points to combat the Bearcat defense for the rest of the half, while Hendersonville’s Hill tacked on a final score, a 10-yard touchdown run with 7:34 left in the contest to provide for the game’s final margin of victory.

The Mountaineers ran the football 35 times for 189 yards in the contest, led by running back Shawn Jackson with 13 carries for 165 yards. Hendersonville’s Whiteside was 10 of 14 passing for 154 yards and added 75 rushing yards.

With the loss, Mitchell falls to 4-4, with a 2-2 record in conference play. The Mountaineers will host rival and conference co-leader Mountain Heritage this Friday night, October 22, at Memorial Stadium in Ledger.

Panthers Fall to Cane River in Tri-County Bowl

With a thrilling 20-14 overtime victory over East Yancey fresh on its mind, the Avery Middle School Panthers was riding high into the Tri-County Bowl on Tuesday, October 12, where it met an undefeated and determined Cane River Rebels ballclub.

Behind 342 rushing yards on just 19 carries by Rebel running back Ben Rice and seven touchdowns on nine possessions for the contest, Cane River dashed Avery’s hopes for a championship with a 50-15 triumph.

The Rebels maintained possession of the football for all but 25 seconds of the first period of play. Cane River slowly marched 71 yards over 14 plays, as the Avery defense forced the Rebels to earn each and every yard.

Rice toted the pigskin for 10 of his 19 attempts for the game during the team’s opening series, but it was a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Avery Austin to wide receiver Gray McCurry that put the Rebels on the board first. A Rice two-point conversion run gave Cane River an 8-0 lead as the first quarter expired.

On its first possession, the Avery offense met stiff resistance from the Rebels. Facing a 4th-and-4, Avery head coach Donnie Johnson opted to go for the first down, but quarterback Austin Phillips was tackled for a loss to quell the drive and turn the football over on downs.

On the first play following the stop, Rice took a handoff and scampered through the Panthers defense for a 46-yard score. The Rice two-point conversion run was good to give the Rebels a 16-0 advantage.

Needing a score, the Avery offense rose to the task with its second series with a five-play, 74-yard drive. Phillips connected with Wade Smith on a 16-touchdown pass to cut the Cane River lead. Phillips ran in the two-point conversion and the Panthers trailed 16-8 with 5:57 remaining before halftime.

As it appeared the Panthers had stolen momentum away from the Rebels, the swift legs of Rice swiped it away just as quickly. On the first play from scrimmage following Avery’s score, Rice bolted 65 yards through the Avery secondary for another touchdown. The two-point conversion attempt failed, but Cane River held a 22-8 lead which remained unchanged through the remainder of the first half.

As the third quarter began, the Panthers drove into Cane River territory on its first offensive possession. However, a fourth-down conversion again fell short, preventing Avery from clawing back into the game.

As had happened twice previously, the Rebels again struck quickly as Rice busted out on the first play of the team’s ensuing offensive series for a 54-yard scamper to the end zone, giving Cane River a 28-8 lead at the 6:18 mark of the third period.

Avery was forced to punt on its next series, and the Rebels put the game out of reach with a 54-yard score again from Rice, the running back’s fourth touchdown of the contest. Avery stopped Rice on the two-point conversion run, however, but the Rebels led 34-8 as the teams entered the final eight minutes of play.

Midway through the final quarter Rice added a 40-yard run for his fifth and final touchdown of the night. Austin added a conversion run to up the Rebel lead to 42-8.

Showing no signs of surrender, Avery’s offense found a second wind in the final stanza. The duo of Phillips and wide receiver Kobe Pittman connected for three pass completions covering a total of 68 yards, the final 16 leading to the end zone. Kicker Tre Jackson added an extra point to make the score 42-15.

Cane River’s reserves added a late touchdown in the game’s final 70 seconds to account for the final margin of victory.

“The first drive of the game is what we were hoping to make Cane River do for the entire game, which is force them to drive the field,” Avery Panthers head coach Donnie Johnson said after the game. “After that drive it seemed like we got a little lazy. Against a runner like Rice everyone has to do their job in assignment football. I think we had a good shot coming in but we weren’t able to sustain that level of intensity that we were looking for.”

Although the season ended with a defeat, the Panthers still experienced a successful season with a Toe River Conference (TRC) runner-up finish.

“Our kids never quit. We had a good season and I’m really proud of the players,” Johnson added. “We surprised a lot of people and exceeded a lot of expectations that people placed of us coming into the season.”

Following the game, the conference coaches named the members of the TRC All-Conference Team. The following is the complete list of players comprising this year’s squad, with Avery County teams in bold:

Avery Panthers; Tyler Beach, Andy Hughes, Tre Jackson, Austin Phillips, Kobe Pittman, Wade Smith and James Stewart

Bowman Bulldogs: Oscar Cruz, Ryan McKinney, Zach Pressley and Jake Silver

Cane River Rebels: Avery Austin, Dalton Cannon, Blake Fox, Gray McCurry, EJ Ochoa, Ben Rice, Jake Robinson and Ernesto Velasquez

Cranberry Wildcats: Shane Carpenter, Kasey Ross, Cainan Singleton, Lane Sparks and Caleb Stansberry

East Yancey Panthers: Andrew Autrey, Joey Brown, Alex Cash, Derek Chrisawa, Jordan Loftis and Paul Woody

Harris Blue Devils: Dalton Beaver, Kegan Hoilman and Cole Phillips

Congratulations to all local middle schools for a terrific middle school football season!

Mountaineers Demolish The Citadel

DeAndre Presley matched a school record with five touchdown passes and the Appalachian State (ASU) defense did not allow The Citadel to complete a pass in a 39-10 rout over the visiting Bulldogs on Saturday, October 16, at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

Presley became only the fourth Mountaineer to ever throw five touchdown passes in a game and the ASU defense did not surrender a completed pass for the first time in school history in the rout. ASU’s 16th victory in its last 17 meetings with The Citadel extended the Mountaineers’ Southern Conference (SoCon) winning streak to 24 games and 1,090 days, dating back to a 38-35 loss to Georgia Southern on October 20, 2007.

Presley’s touchdown passes of 65, 3, 5, 22 and 73 yards highlighted a 14-for-25, 241-yard performance for the Walter Payton Award and SoCon Offensive Player of the Year candidate. He also added 27 yards on four carries to finish with 268 yards of total offense despite sitting out the final quarter of the ballgame after helping stake top-ranked ASU (6-0, 4-0 SoCon) to the 29-point lead that would also serve as the game’s final margin.

The Citadel (2-5, 0-4 SoCon) actually drew first blood less than five minutes into the game when quarterback Matt Thompson scored on a one-yard run to cap a 22-yard drive and give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead. The short field was set up by a 40-yard return of an ASU fumble by The Citadel defensive end Erik Clanton.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, their momentum lasted less than 20 seconds because on the first snap following their score, Presley hooked up with Brian Quick for a 65-yard touchdown pass. The Citadel blocked the extra point to maintain a one-point advantage but the touchdown was the catalyst of 29 unanswered points over the next 23 minutes that gave the Mountaineers a commanding 29-7 halftime lead. In addition to Presley’s four first-half touchdown passes, ASU benefitted from The Citadel making two errant snaps on punts that led directly to 10 of ASU’s 29 points.

After a Citadel field goal on the first series of the second half, the Mountaineers scored the final 10 points to seal the victory. Travaris Cadet capped the scoring when he took a short pass from Presley, picked up a couple of key downfield blocks and wove his way through the Bulldog secondary for a 73-yard touchdown with 1:24 remaining in the third period. Presley’s record-tying fifth touchdown pass, which came on the evening’s final snap for ASU’s offensive starters, was the longest play of both his and Cadet’s careers and ASU’s biggest gain of the season. 

Quick caught two of Presley’s five touchdown passes and finished with 99 yards on three receptions. Cadet also caught three passes for 79 yards and a score while CoCo Hillary and Ben Jorden were on the receiving end of Presley’s other touchdown strikes.

Despite the offensive fireworks, the biggest story of the ballgame was ASU’s defense, which kept The Citadel’s triple-option attack in check to the tune of just 197 total yards (3.3 per play), all of which came on the ground. Five of the Bulldogs’ six pass attempts fell incomplete and the other was picked off by Mark LeGree, who moved alone into third all-time at ASU with the 21st interception of his career.

Linebacker Justin Wray highlighted the Mountaineers’ staunch defensive effort with a game-high-tying 12 tackles, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a field-goal block. Fellow linebacker D.J. Smith also notched 12 tackles and recovered a fumble.

Prior to Saturday’s dominating performance, the fewest completions and passing yards ever allowed by ASU came against Western Carolina on September 25, 1965, when the Catamounts completed just 1-of-11 passes for three yards in a 7-0 WCU win.

ASU returns to action this Saturday, October 23, when it travels to Western Carolina for the annual Battle for the Old Mountain Jug. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. at WCU’s Whitmire Stadium and the game will be televised live across the Southeast on SportSouth.

Lady Viking Volleyball Senior Night vs. Mitchell CANCELLED for Tuesday night

Avery High School Director of Athletics David Wright has announced that Tuesday night's scheduled Senior Night volleyball match between Avery and Mitchell at Viking Gym has been cancelled to the tragic automobile accident that took place this past weekend and has so greatly affected the Mitchell High School family and community. The match will not be made up.

"My heart and prayers go out to both the Redman family and to the families in Mitchell County," Lady Vikings head volleyball coach Kim Hayes said in an email to the Journal-Times on Monday morning.

Avery's senior volleyball players will be recognized during the opening round of the state 1A volleyball playoffs, as it appears that the Lady Vikings will be hosting the first-round match this Saturday. Confirmation on opponent, location, and game time of the playoff match will be passed along as soon as they are made available.

Thoughts and best wishes are extended to the families affected by Friday's auto accident, as well as to the Mitchell High School students, faculty, and community from the staff of The Avery Journal-Times.