FOOTBALL:
Avery defeated Mitchell 14-7 on Senior Night at a snowy and cold MacDonald Stadium on Friday night. The Vikings finish the regular season with an 8-3 record and will likely host a first round playoff opponent. Mitchell falls to 5-6 for the regular season and will also play in next week's opening Friday of the state 1-AA playoffs.
Preliminary brackets posted Saturday afternoon have Avery as a #1 West pod seed and an overall #3 seed in the 1-AA division. The Vikings are slated to host the Bessemer City Yellow Jackets in a rematch of a first-round matchup from a season ago, a 33-9 win by Bessemer City.
Mitchell will travel to Cherryville to take on the Ironmen in the same West pod on Friday night.
SOCCER:
The Avery soccer team fell 4-0 to Hendersonville on a windy and blustery Saturday afternoon at Dietz Field in Hendersonville. The Bearcats tallied a pair of first-half goals playing into a stiff breeze to lead 2-0 at halftime. The contest was a physical affair with a lot of hard play by both clubs. Hendersonville added another pair of second-half goals and held the Big Red scoreless in the final 40 minutes to preserve the shutout.
Avery concludes its season with a 15-7-2 overall record. Congratulations to the Vikings on an historic season!
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Pre-Game Interview with Coach Darrell Brewer on Regular Season Finale
Darrell Brewer Interview
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Vikings Look to End Regular Season with Senior Night Victory
On Friday, November 5, the Avery Vikings hope to erase the disappointment of last week’s 42-34 loss at Mountain Heritage and bounce back on Senior Night with a triumph over the rival Mitchell Mountaineers.
Avery (7-3, 3-3 WHC) enters this week’s tilt tied in the conference with Mitchell (5-5, 3-3 WHC) as well as Hendersonville. The Mountaineers evened its mark last week with a 28-0 shutout of the Madison Patriots in Marshall.
Last season the Vikings needed a last minute touchdown pass on 4th-and-goal from Alex Villanueva to Andy Gonzalez to defeat Mitchell 42-38 in Ledger.
Scouting the Mountaineers
On the field, the Mountaineers are coached by Russell Barnett and offensively will utilize a spread attack, as well as an I formation. Both Justin Hughes (25-of-51 passing, 478 yards, 3 TD) and Troy Self have seen time at the quarterback position, with senior running back Shawn Jackson anchoring the Mountaineer running attack.
Jackson leads the team in rushing as he has ran 137 times for 909 yards and eight touchdowns this season. Teammates Hughes (94 rushes, 448 yards, 10 TD), Self (66 rushes, 465 yards, 7 TD), and Michael Styles (57 rushes, 399 yards, 6TD) provide the rest of the Mitchell rushing firepower.
Mitchell has attempted only 81 passes all season, but when the team throws the football, the target has usually been Ryan Sparks, who leads the squad with 268 yards. Corey Greene is the only other receiver with over 100 yards for the season (101 yards on four catches), reinforcing the desire that the Mountaineers look to the ground game to generate yards and points on opponents.
On the defensive side of the football, Ben Smith leads the club with 71 tackles, with 58 from Styles and 50 from Jackson. Josh McClellan has pulled down 44 tackles for the Mountaineers, with 40 tackles from teammate Dayshawn Blackmon and 39 from Hughes. Styles leads the Mitchell defense with 5.5 sacks this season.
Beyond the game of football, if any school, community, or team knows something about the ability to exhibit grace and dignity through adversity, it has been Mitchell. The football team was rocked shortly before the season began when a truck accident affected six of the team’s players. A couple of months later, the loss of two students in an automobile crash further tested the resolve of the community.
Through it all, the football team of around 22 players and the community has rallied together. The Mountaineers continued to play with great heart and determination while representing their school and community, despite doing so at times with heavy hearts. For that alone, those who take the field in purple this week deserve to be commended and applauded by fans at MacDonald Stadium who support home and visiting teams alike.
The Low Down
The old adage about throwing the records out when rivals play each other always seems to apply to the Mitchell/Avery series. There is usually no team that the other one wishes to defeat more than the opponent across the field this week.
The formula for the Vikings to pick up a victory begins with the defense stopping the rushing attack of Mitchell. As a whole this season, Avery has fared well in stopping the run defensively, while the team has shown a little weakness defending good passing squads.
Unless Mitchell veers away sharply from its general weekly game plan this week, don’t expect the Mountaineers to be flinging the football around the yard on Friday. Offensively, Avery has to limit penalties and take care of the football. Avery amassed over 70 yards in penalties last week, while a pair of interceptions were turned into points at Mountain Heritage, putting the Big Red in a hole it could not escape from.
Mitchell must be prepared for both the Avery running and passing game this week, something the team has seen before in the Polk Wolverines and handled to the tune of a 24-23 upset win in Ledger just a few short weeks ago.
Two players may well reflect the fortunes of their respective teams this week. If Shawn Jackson finds success running the football on the Viking defense, Mitchell will be primed to spring what some would call an upset on the road in Newland.
On the Avery side of the ledger, quarterback Alex Villanueva must find receivers with the efficiency he showed in the fourth quarter of last week’s game against the Cougars, where he and the Viking offense were within a possession of overcoming a 21-point deficit.
The formula is boring and simple, yet continues to ring true. Teams that take care of the football win games. Whichever squad forces the most turnovers should walk off the turf this week with a victory and, maybe more importantly, much needed momentum into next Friday’s first round of the state 1-AA football playoffs.
By the Numbers:
0 – points surrendered by Mitchell in a 28-point win over the Madison Patriots last week.
2 – touchdown receptions from Avery wide receiver Hunter Shields in last week’s contest against Mountain Heritage.
50 – number of times the Mountaineers ran the football in last Friday’s win, good for 287 rushing yards.
95- rushing yards gained by Madison on 22 attempts in last Friday’s 28-0 Mitchell victory.
106 – yards rushing on 22 attempts by Mitchell running back Shawn Jackson in last season’s 42-38 loss.
132 – rushing yards by Colton Blackburn (on just 10 carries) in last year’s meeting in Ledger.
1,412 – passing yards by Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva in six games this season, with 16 touchdowns.
For a full recap of this week’s Mitchell/Avery contest, as well as a preview of Avery’s first round opponent in the NCHSAA 1-AA state football playoffs which begin on Friday, November 12, read next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times
Avery (7-3, 3-3 WHC) enters this week’s tilt tied in the conference with Mitchell (5-5, 3-3 WHC) as well as Hendersonville. The Mountaineers evened its mark last week with a 28-0 shutout of the Madison Patriots in Marshall.
Last season the Vikings needed a last minute touchdown pass on 4th-and-goal from Alex Villanueva to Andy Gonzalez to defeat Mitchell 42-38 in Ledger.
Scouting the Mountaineers
On the field, the Mountaineers are coached by Russell Barnett and offensively will utilize a spread attack, as well as an I formation. Both Justin Hughes (25-of-51 passing, 478 yards, 3 TD) and Troy Self have seen time at the quarterback position, with senior running back Shawn Jackson anchoring the Mountaineer running attack.
Mitchell has attempted only 81 passes all season, but when the team throws the football, the target has usually been Ryan Sparks, who leads the squad with 268 yards. Corey Greene is the only other receiver with over 100 yards for the season (101 yards on four catches), reinforcing the desire that the Mountaineers look to the ground game to generate yards and points on opponents.
On the defensive side of the football, Ben Smith leads the club with 71 tackles, with 58 from Styles and 50 from Jackson. Josh McClellan has pulled down 44 tackles for the Mountaineers, with 40 tackles from teammate Dayshawn Blackmon and 39 from Hughes. Styles leads the Mitchell defense with 5.5 sacks this season.
Beyond the game of football, if any school, community, or team knows something about the ability to exhibit grace and dignity through adversity, it has been Mitchell. The football team was rocked shortly before the season began when a truck accident affected six of the team’s players. A couple of months later, the loss of two students in an automobile crash further tested the resolve of the community.
Through it all, the football team of around 22 players and the community has rallied together. The Mountaineers continued to play with great heart and determination while representing their school and community, despite doing so at times with heavy hearts. For that alone, those who take the field in purple this week deserve to be commended and applauded by fans at MacDonald Stadium who support home and visiting teams alike.
The Low Down
The old adage about throwing the records out when rivals play each other always seems to apply to the Mitchell/Avery series. There is usually no team that the other one wishes to defeat more than the opponent across the field this week.
The formula for the Vikings to pick up a victory begins with the defense stopping the rushing attack of Mitchell. As a whole this season, Avery has fared well in stopping the run defensively, while the team has shown a little weakness defending good passing squads.
Unless Mitchell veers away sharply from its general weekly game plan this week, don’t expect the Mountaineers to be flinging the football around the yard on Friday. Offensively, Avery has to limit penalties and take care of the football. Avery amassed over 70 yards in penalties last week, while a pair of interceptions were turned into points at Mountain Heritage, putting the Big Red in a hole it could not escape from.
Mitchell must be prepared for both the Avery running and passing game this week, something the team has seen before in the Polk Wolverines and handled to the tune of a 24-23 upset win in Ledger just a few short weeks ago.
Two players may well reflect the fortunes of their respective teams this week. If Shawn Jackson finds success running the football on the Viking defense, Mitchell will be primed to spring what some would call an upset on the road in Newland.
On the Avery side of the ledger, quarterback Alex Villanueva must find receivers with the efficiency he showed in the fourth quarter of last week’s game against the Cougars, where he and the Viking offense were within a possession of overcoming a 21-point deficit.
The formula is boring and simple, yet continues to ring true. Teams that take care of the football win games. Whichever squad forces the most turnovers should walk off the turf this week with a victory and, maybe more importantly, much needed momentum into next Friday’s first round of the state 1-AA football playoffs.
By the Numbers:
0 – points surrendered by Mitchell in a 28-point win over the Madison Patriots last week.
2 – touchdown receptions from Avery wide receiver Hunter Shields in last week’s contest against Mountain Heritage.
50 – number of times the Mountaineers ran the football in last Friday’s win, good for 287 rushing yards.
95- rushing yards gained by Madison on 22 attempts in last Friday’s 28-0 Mitchell victory.
106 – yards rushing on 22 attempts by Mitchell running back Shawn Jackson in last season’s 42-38 loss.
132 – rushing yards by Colton Blackburn (on just 10 carries) in last year’s meeting in Ledger.
1,412 – passing yards by Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva in six games this season, with 16 touchdowns.
For a full recap of this week’s Mitchell/Avery contest, as well as a preview of Avery’s first round opponent in the NCHSAA 1-AA state football playoffs which begin on Friday, November 12, read next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times
Avery Fourth Quarter Rally Comes Up Short against Cougars
In a crucial game to Avery’s Western Highlands Conference championship hopes, the Mountain Heritage Cougars scored 21 unanswered points over the late-second and early- third periods to blow open a tight contest on Friday, October 29, in Burnsville.
Avery rallied with 20 of the game’s final 27 points on three touchdown passes from quarterback Alex Villanueva to three different receivers, but the charge was for naught as the Cougars held on to upend the Big Red 42-34 on Homecoming night at E.L. Briggs Stadium.
The Cougars took the first possession of the ballgame and chewed four and a half minutes off the clock with a 12-play, 79-yard scoring drive. A 28-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tyson Tomberlin to wide receiver Drew Letterman allowed Heritage to draw first blood. The extra point kick was blocked, but the Cougars led 6-0.
A surprise short kick from the Cougars was recovered by the Vikings to give them a short field to work with during its first offensive series. Avery’s offense clicked quickly as a pass from Villanueva to teammate Colton Blackburn netted 25 yards and moved the Vikings near the red zone. Avery ran the football seven consecutive times and scored on its final attempt, a one-yard plunge by Blackburn. Avery’s extra point, like the earlier Cougar kick, was blocked, leaving the contest tied at 6-6 with 3:30 remaining in the first period.
The Cougars possessed the football for the remainder of the quarter, but turned the football over on downs on the Avery 28-yard line after stopping Heritage on fourth down in the opening minute of the second quarter.
After an Avery three-and-out, the Heritage offense ran seven times and passed on three occasions to forge a second touchdown drive to take the lead. Tomberlin found tight end Trenton Burleson on a 15-yard seam pass play for a touchdown. A two-point conversion pass to Eli Buckner put the Cougars up 14-6 midway through the second quarter.
With its ensuing possession Avery wasted little time to strike pay dirt. A 37-yard pass completion from Villanueva to wide receiver Andy Gonzalez advanced the Vikings offense to the Cougar red zone. Three plays later, Villanueva connected with wide receiver Hunter Shields for a 14-yard touchdown. Blackburn ran in a two-point conversion to again tie the score, this time at 14-14 with exactly four minutes to play before halftime.
Mountain Heritage found confidence in hitting big pass plays at key moments in the contest. The second such play came on Heritage’s last offensive series which followed the Viking equalizing score.
Facing a 3rd-and-12 from the Avery 47-yard line, Tomberlin fired a deep pass which found the hands of teammate Letterman for a touchdown with just 58 seconds left in the half. The extra point kick gave the Cougars a 21-14 lead.
Avery had a final chance to tie the game in the waning seconds of the half and drove to the Heritage 31-yard line, but an incomplete pass on the final play of the half preserved the Cougars’ seven-point cushion at intermission.
Heritage had amassed roughly double the total yardage as Avery in the first half, but Avery’s offensive efficiency kept them within striking distance as the third quarter began.
The Vikings began the first offensive series of the second half with good field position near the Heritage 40-yard line, but the Vikings turned the football over in its own territory as a Villanueva pass was picked off by Mountain Heritage defensive back Austin Rice. Heritage quickly exploited the miscue by posting another touchdown as Tomberlin and Letterman connected for their third touchdown strike of the game, a 43-yard play to boost the Cougar bulge to 28-14 with just two minutes elapsed in the third period.
The turnover bug bit the Vikings yet again on its next series, when on second down at the Avery 35, Villanueva’s pass across the middle was intercepted by Burleson to start another Heritage on the Viking side of the field. At the conclusion of a six-play, 39-yard drive, Burleson was rewarded for his efforts by catching an 8-yard touchdown pass from Tomberlin. Within six minutes of game time, Avery found itself staring at a 21-point deficit as the Cougars held a commanding 35-14 lead.
Although the team trailed, Avery continued to find success moving the football on offense. Using a mix of run and pass, the Vikings moved inside the Heritage 30, but could not convert a fourth down play and turned the ball over on downs.
Desperately needing to make a play, the Viking defense rose to the challenge as it forced Heritage running back Eli Buckner to fumble. Avery recovered at the Mountain Heritage 45-yard line, but the Cougars held as the Vikings could not muster a first down to move the chains after regaining possession.
As the final period began, the Viking defense forced a turnover by the Cougars offense for a second consecutive possession. Avery again forced Buckner to cough up the pigskin, and Kenny Hicks scooped up the loose football and returned it 16 yards to the Heritage 24-yard line.
Unlike the previous fumble, Avery quickly capitalized. On the first offensive play upon regaining possession, Villanueva completed a 24-yard touchdown pass to Gonzalez. The conversion attempt failed, but the touchdown drew the Vikings to within 35-20.
Following the score, Avery recovered an onside kick to give the football back to the offense at midfield. A completion to wideout Lane Smith netted 12 yards on 3rd-and-10 to keep the drive alive, and two plays later Villanueva fired a 33-yard scoring strike to Shields. Villanueva ran in the two-point conversion, and in less than two minutes of clock time the Vikings had shaved a 21-point deficit to just one possession, trailing 35-28 with more than eight minutes left to play in the game.
The Vikings opted not to kick onside following the score and the Cougars regained possession at its own 29-yard line. To the team’s credit, Mountain Heritage needed to answer with a score to steal away Avery’s momentum and did so. A 52-yard touchdown run by running back Rice was negated by a holding penalty, but two plays later Rice rambled from 19 yards out for what proved to be the winning score. Kicker Israel Mayone converted the extra point kick to extend the Cougar lead to 42-28 with 5:20 remaining on the clock.
On its ensuing possession Avery scored on its third straight series. The Vikings marched 82 yards over nine plays, crossing the goal line when Villanueva fired his third touchdown pass of the period, this time a 53-yarder to wide receiver Kody Hughes. The conversion attempt failed, but Avery cut the margin to 42-34 with 2:12 to play.
Avery tried another onside kick, but the team’s good fortune appeared to run out as the Cougars recovered the kick. After Avery called its last timeout to stop the clock, Mountain Heritage sealed the victory when on 3rd-and-2, the Avery defense jumped offsides to give the Cougars a first down. Heritage ran the remaining seconds off the clock to hand the Vikings its third loss of 2010.
Villanueva was 18-of-37 for 275 yards with four touchdowns in his first start at quarterback since being sidelined with a broken collarbone the week after Labor Day. Blackburn led the Viking ground attack with 14 carries for 56 yards and a touchdown before being helped off the field with an apparent injury late in the second half.
Three different Avery players amassed more than 65 receiving yards, led by Gonzalez with 86 yards on six catches.
Tomberlin was an efficient 11-of-17 passing for 216 yards with five touchdown passes for Mountain Heritage. Heritage outgained Avery 262 to 83 in rushing yards and had 478 total yards while Avery amassed 358 total yards.
With the defeat, Avery falls to 7-3 for the season, with a 3-3 conference record.
The Vikings close out the 2010 regular season this Friday, November 5, for Senior Night, when it hosts the Mitchell Mountaineers.
At the contest, will hold a special Veteran’s Day commemoration at halftime, honoring veterans of all military branches from both Avery and Mitchell Counties.
Avery rallied with 20 of the game’s final 27 points on three touchdown passes from quarterback Alex Villanueva to three different receivers, but the charge was for naught as the Cougars held on to upend the Big Red 42-34 on Homecoming night at E.L. Briggs Stadium.
The Cougars took the first possession of the ballgame and chewed four and a half minutes off the clock with a 12-play, 79-yard scoring drive. A 28-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tyson Tomberlin to wide receiver Drew Letterman allowed Heritage to draw first blood. The extra point kick was blocked, but the Cougars led 6-0.
A surprise short kick from the Cougars was recovered by the Vikings to give them a short field to work with during its first offensive series. Avery’s offense clicked quickly as a pass from Villanueva to teammate Colton Blackburn netted 25 yards and moved the Vikings near the red zone. Avery ran the football seven consecutive times and scored on its final attempt, a one-yard plunge by Blackburn. Avery’s extra point, like the earlier Cougar kick, was blocked, leaving the contest tied at 6-6 with 3:30 remaining in the first period.
The Cougars possessed the football for the remainder of the quarter, but turned the football over on downs on the Avery 28-yard line after stopping Heritage on fourth down in the opening minute of the second quarter.
After an Avery three-and-out, the Heritage offense ran seven times and passed on three occasions to forge a second touchdown drive to take the lead. Tomberlin found tight end Trenton Burleson on a 15-yard seam pass play for a touchdown. A two-point conversion pass to Eli Buckner put the Cougars up 14-6 midway through the second quarter.
Mountain Heritage found confidence in hitting big pass plays at key moments in the contest. The second such play came on Heritage’s last offensive series which followed the Viking equalizing score.
Facing a 3rd-and-12 from the Avery 47-yard line, Tomberlin fired a deep pass which found the hands of teammate Letterman for a touchdown with just 58 seconds left in the half. The extra point kick gave the Cougars a 21-14 lead.
Avery had a final chance to tie the game in the waning seconds of the half and drove to the Heritage 31-yard line, but an incomplete pass on the final play of the half preserved the Cougars’ seven-point cushion at intermission.
Heritage had amassed roughly double the total yardage as Avery in the first half, but Avery’s offensive efficiency kept them within striking distance as the third quarter began.
The Vikings began the first offensive series of the second half with good field position near the Heritage 40-yard line, but the Vikings turned the football over in its own territory as a Villanueva pass was picked off by Mountain Heritage defensive back Austin Rice. Heritage quickly exploited the miscue by posting another touchdown as Tomberlin and Letterman connected for their third touchdown strike of the game, a 43-yard play to boost the Cougar bulge to 28-14 with just two minutes elapsed in the third period.
The turnover bug bit the Vikings yet again on its next series, when on second down at the Avery 35, Villanueva’s pass across the middle was intercepted by Burleson to start another Heritage on the Viking side of the field. At the conclusion of a six-play, 39-yard drive, Burleson was rewarded for his efforts by catching an 8-yard touchdown pass from Tomberlin. Within six minutes of game time, Avery found itself staring at a 21-point deficit as the Cougars held a commanding 35-14 lead.
Although the team trailed, Avery continued to find success moving the football on offense. Using a mix of run and pass, the Vikings moved inside the Heritage 30, but could not convert a fourth down play and turned the ball over on downs.
Desperately needing to make a play, the Viking defense rose to the challenge as it forced Heritage running back Eli Buckner to fumble. Avery recovered at the Mountain Heritage 45-yard line, but the Cougars held as the Vikings could not muster a first down to move the chains after regaining possession.
As the final period began, the Viking defense forced a turnover by the Cougars offense for a second consecutive possession. Avery again forced Buckner to cough up the pigskin, and Kenny Hicks scooped up the loose football and returned it 16 yards to the Heritage 24-yard line.
Following the score, Avery recovered an onside kick to give the football back to the offense at midfield. A completion to wideout Lane Smith netted 12 yards on 3rd-and-10 to keep the drive alive, and two plays later Villanueva fired a 33-yard scoring strike to Shields. Villanueva ran in the two-point conversion, and in less than two minutes of clock time the Vikings had shaved a 21-point deficit to just one possession, trailing 35-28 with more than eight minutes left to play in the game.
The Vikings opted not to kick onside following the score and the Cougars regained possession at its own 29-yard line. To the team’s credit, Mountain Heritage needed to answer with a score to steal away Avery’s momentum and did so. A 52-yard touchdown run by running back Rice was negated by a holding penalty, but two plays later Rice rambled from 19 yards out for what proved to be the winning score. Kicker Israel Mayone converted the extra point kick to extend the Cougar lead to 42-28 with 5:20 remaining on the clock.
On its ensuing possession Avery scored on its third straight series. The Vikings marched 82 yards over nine plays, crossing the goal line when Villanueva fired his third touchdown pass of the period, this time a 53-yarder to wide receiver Kody Hughes. The conversion attempt failed, but Avery cut the margin to 42-34 with 2:12 to play.
Avery tried another onside kick, but the team’s good fortune appeared to run out as the Cougars recovered the kick. After Avery called its last timeout to stop the clock, Mountain Heritage sealed the victory when on 3rd-and-2, the Avery defense jumped offsides to give the Cougars a first down. Heritage ran the remaining seconds off the clock to hand the Vikings its third loss of 2010.
Villanueva was 18-of-37 for 275 yards with four touchdowns in his first start at quarterback since being sidelined with a broken collarbone the week after Labor Day. Blackburn led the Viking ground attack with 14 carries for 56 yards and a touchdown before being helped off the field with an apparent injury late in the second half.
Three different Avery players amassed more than 65 receiving yards, led by Gonzalez with 86 yards on six catches.
Tomberlin was an efficient 11-of-17 passing for 216 yards with five touchdown passes for Mountain Heritage. Heritage outgained Avery 262 to 83 in rushing yards and had 478 total yards while Avery amassed 358 total yards.
With the defeat, Avery falls to 7-3 for the season, with a 3-3 conference record.
The Vikings close out the 2010 regular season this Friday, November 5, for Senior Night, when it hosts the Mitchell Mountaineers.
At the contest, will hold a special Veteran’s Day commemoration at halftime, honoring veterans of all military branches from both Avery and Mitchell Counties.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Avery Soccer Concludes Regular Season with Wins; Victorious in Playoff Opener
In the squad’s first match of the week, the Vikings had a measure of revenge on its mind, as the team remembered a loss from a season ago that knocked Avery out of third place in conference in 2009. The Vikings were determined to not let history repeat itself this time around.
“Our situation with Heritage dates back to when our juniors and sophomores played in the recreation league and middle school. It was an intense rivalry back then, and has carried through to the high school. Heritage lost their head coach to Watauga, and any time there is a coaching change teams struggle to find their chemistry,” Avery head coach Tom Evaul said after the win. “I believe that is what happened to them this year, because they still had many of their good players.”
Avery netted its goal from Isauro Estrada off a cross from Jorge Arreola to put the Vikings ahead by a 1-0 margin. Later in the half, Estrada scored unassisted on a free kick that was perfectly placed over the head of the Cougar keeper to double Avery’s margin to 2-0.
Not to be outdone, Avery’s leading scorer senior Daniel Lusk got into the act with a pair of goals, as he scored off a through pass from Estrada, then scored a second tally off an assist by Arreola on a through pass that forced a one-on-one with the goalie, an unenviable position for any goalkeeper in the Western Highlands Conference this season.
Heritage scored on a free kick that sailed just over the hands of Viking keeper Alex Magner which provided the final margin of the contest.
Avery out-shot the Cougars 30-4 for the match as the Viking defense stifled the Mountain Heritage offense throughout the contest.
“The guys played a really great game with their passing, winning the ball, intensity and aggression. It's almost like everything we had practiced so hard at getting them to do in games finally came together for a complete 80 minutes, even more so than with the 2-4 loss to Hendersonville. The subs that went in continued with that style of game,” Evaul said.
“The seniors have really developed well this season, and I believe the last few games have proven that. With each game as the season end approached, these guys pushed themselves harder and improved tremendously,” Evaul said of the group.
“Daniel's scoring threat has caused havoc with defenses, especially the second time around in the conference. He finished the regular season with a total of 26 goals and 19 assists, and has proven to not only be a scoring threat because of his speed, but also dishes out the ball pretty good for others to score.
“These last three games, Forrest has been like the sleeping giant who has suddenly come alive, and has made a great impact in the midfield. The coaching staff has tried all season to get him to up his game, and now, just in time for playoffs, it appears he has. We hope he will carry this intensity into the playoffs and be a force to reckon with in the middle,” he said.
“Zack is probably our most improved player coming back from last year's group of players and has taken on the responsibility of playing his outside midfield effectively on both the offensive and defensive side of the field. His passing and touches are a difference between night and day from not only last season, but the beginning of this season.
“Javier has remained a constant threat on offense, plus we have given him an added responsibility of switching with Heraclio [Flores] on defense every now and then, giving us another offensive threat without losing anything on defense. His passing has gotten much better and more versatile,” he continued.
“For someone who has never played soccer before, Casey’s senior night was phenomenal. Nothing got by him, and the usual shanks, missed headers, touches and passes that come with first-year players disappeared against Mitchell. He was right on target and accurate with everything he did. It’s a shame he's a senior.
“Last but not least is Brock, our defensive leader and soul of the team. Without taking away anything from anybody else on the team, Brock is the anchor of the team. When he has a bad game, or is not on the field, we struggle. He has had a fantastic senior year, and he will be sorely missed next year,” Evaul concluded.
As for the game itself, the Vikings started sluggishly but eventually came to life. In the 28th minute Estrada scored the first goal with an assist from Sickler to give the Big Red a 1-0 advantage. Four minutes later, Sickler scored himself off an assist from Flores to give the Vikings a 2-0 lead which held up until halftime.
During intermission Avery High School honored the NCHSAA 1A state runner-up Avery Lady Vikings soccer team.
“We did come out a little flat due to the emotions raging with the final home game of the season, but they eventually came alive and never looked back,” Evaul said.
“Halftime was pretty much left up to the players to talk over the first half and how to approach the second. They realized that against Mitchell the first time we had a 3-0 lead at half and they shut us down and scored in the second half. The team didn’t want to repeat that scenario on Senior Night, and that was all the motivation they needed.”
Five different players scored goals for the Vikings, who improved to 14-6-2 for the season.
“We started this season with the goal of finishing better than we finished last year and that each player would improve as the season progressed. I feel that the players have improved, as well as our record,” Evaul said of this year’s squad. “We didn’t finish higher in the WHC which was one of our goals, but maybe we can make that up in the playoffs. This team is ready for the playoffs. We have worked hard in practice especially towards the end of regular season to get to the playoffs and do better than last year, and these guys have learned the difference between coming out ready to play hard and coming out slow. Hopefully the lesson will stick and they will come out ready to play hard in as many games as we can play in.”
Avery qualified for the NCHSAA 1A state playoffs as a wild card and traveled to Hayesville on Tuesday, November 2, to play the Hayesville Yellow Jackets, who finished as the No. 2 seed out of the Smoky Mountain Conference with a 10-3 overall record.
In that matchup, Hayesville struck first, taking advantage of a foul in the penalty area to convert a penalty kick for an early 1-0 lead.
From that point, it was all Avery, as the Vikings scored next five unanswered goals to take a 5-1 win. Lusk tallied four goals in the win, with a goal from Estrada.
With the win, Avery’s first playoff victory in at least a dozen years, the Vikings move on to the second round, where it travels Saturday, November 6, to Hendersonville to take on the top-ranked Bearcats. Hendersonville defeated Monroe 8-0 in round one, and has defeated Avery twice this season in conference play.
A full recap of Avery’s playoff run can be found in next week’s The Avery Journal-Times or can be found online by clicking to: www.ajtsports.blogspot.com
Smith Takes Third at Regional Meet, Qualifies for State Cross Country Championships
Avery senior runner Mary Chesnut Smith has hit her stride at the right time as she finished third on Saturday, October 30, at the NCHSAA 1A Western Regional Cross Country Championship at Jackson Park in Hendersonville.
Smith, who had earned All-Conference honors the week before at the same Jackson Park during the Western Highlands Conference championships, completed the course in a time of 20 minutes, 42.93 seconds. Smith finished behind a pair of familiar competitors, as Robbinsville senior Tacey Trammel came home first in a time of 19 minutes, 13 seconds, followed by Hendersonville senior Kristen Stout with a time of 19 minutes, 57 seconds.
Western Highlands Conference female runners captured four of the top 10 spots and six out of the top 13 finishes overall.
In the boys race, junior teammates Justin Gragg and Gary McFee represented the Big Red at the regional competition. Gragg finished the course with a time of 19 minutes, 35.34 seconds, while McFee less than a minute later at a time of 20 minutes, 14.16 seconds. Runners from Robbinsville High School captured five of the top seven finishes for the race.
Smith will go on to compete at the NCHSAA 1A state cross country meet this Saturday, November 6, at Beeson Park in Kernersville.
Smith, who had earned All-Conference honors the week before at the same Jackson Park during the Western Highlands Conference championships, completed the course in a time of 20 minutes, 42.93 seconds. Smith finished behind a pair of familiar competitors, as Robbinsville senior Tacey Trammel came home first in a time of 19 minutes, 13 seconds, followed by Hendersonville senior Kristen Stout with a time of 19 minutes, 57 seconds.
Western Highlands Conference female runners captured four of the top 10 spots and six out of the top 13 finishes overall.
In the boys race, junior teammates Justin Gragg and Gary McFee represented the Big Red at the regional competition. Gragg finished the course with a time of 19 minutes, 35.34 seconds, while McFee less than a minute later at a time of 20 minutes, 14.16 seconds. Runners from Robbinsville High School captured five of the top seven finishes for the race.
Smith will go on to compete at the NCHSAA 1A state cross country meet this Saturday, November 6, at Beeson Park in Kernersville.
Rosman Tops Lady Vikings in Second Round of Volleyball Playoffs
The Lady Tigers, pumped up by its frenzied home crowd complete with Tiger mascot, made things difficult on Avery throughout the match and pulled away in each game for a straight-set victory by scores of 25-10, 25-11 and 25-10.
Rosman netted five of the first six points in game one to seize an early lead, but Avery played even with the Lady Tigers to stick to within four points. Rosman began to feed off its strong service game and frontline hitters, building a 6-1 scoring run to lead by nine. Despite Avery head coach Kim Hayes’ efforts to stem momentum with timeouts to continue to encourage and instruct her club, the Lady Tigers finished the set with a 9-3 scoring spurt to close out the first set.
Avery played at its most competitive level during the second game. The Lady Vikings started strong against the Rosman serve and held its only lead of the contest with a narrow 6-5 lead. However, the Lady Tigers found its groove with a 16-4 scoring run that built another double-digit lead and finished out the game with four of the last five points to take a commanding 2-0 set lead.
“Rosman is a very consistent team. They make very little errors,” Coach Hayes said after the match. “They didn’t have big, tall hitters, just very consistent hitters. Their serving game was unreal! We couldn’t get anything going off their serve.”
In the third and final game, the Lady Vikings feel behind early and could not recover. Rosman went on a 12-1 scoring run behind its strong serve, then substituted a number of players as the final set moved forward, getting younger players and junior varsity members an opportunity to experience playoff action.
For the Lady Vikings, however, they refused to fold. Avery continued to battle in the final set, but Rosman proved why it is among the favorites to win a 1A state championship by eliminating the Big Red in the third and final game.
The atmosphere of the gym was unique for a volleyball setting, and was something that the Lady Vikings were not accustomed to, a fact the coach felt may have contributed to the team’s early struggles.
“The atmosphere was definitely intimidating,” Hayes said. “I will say, the town of Rosman loves some volleyball. The team was intimidating, as well as the music and their fans.”
Avery concludes its season with a 10-12 overall record, a season that included wins over Hendersonville on the road, as well as a win over West Wilkes, the team that faced Rosman in the 1A regional final earlier this week for the right to play in the state championship game.
“I wish we could have played better, but my girls have accomplished a lot this season,” Hayes said. “I am very proud of how these girls worked in the off-season. They stayed in shape and they played volleyball. They were very accepting of my situation while on maternity leave. I appreciate all their hard work and look forward to another season. These girls have every reason to hold their heads up high and be proud of Avery volleyball. I know I am!”
Congratulations to the Lady Vikings on another successful season!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Soccer Playoffs Set for Tuesday at Hayesville
Game day and time has been moved up for the contest. Since Hayesville does not have lights on its soccer field, the game will start at 4 p.m., and the match will be played TOMORROW (TUESDAY) rather than on Wednesday afternoon.
Please note the change in schedule, and GO VIKINGS!
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