AJ-T Sports LIVE from... KIDD BREWER STADIUM

6 PM - Appalachian wins it 43-13 over Wofford to clinch a share of the conference championship. The Mountaineers travel to Gainesville next Saturday to take on the Florida Gators.

Time to crank out a game story for the Sunday edition of the Watauga Democrat. Thanks to everyone for reading!

5:40 PM -- Wofford gets on the board again with its option attack. Quarterback Kass scores from five yards out to cap a 14-play, 84-yard scoring drive that elapsed 7:20 off the clock to make the score 41-13. However, the extra point kick was blocked by ASU's Ed Gainey. Troy Sanders picked up the loose pigskin and returned it for a two-point conversion.

The conversion is the second defensive 2-point conversion of the season and just the third in school history. Sanders has been responsible for both defensive conversion scores this season. Appalachian leads the game 43-13 with 4:52 left in the contest.

5:25 PM -- Appalachian kicker Jason Vitaris continues the Mountaineer dominance as he converts a 50-yard field goal to cap a 9-play, 49-yard  fourth-quarter scoring drive. The field goal is the first 50-plus yard field goal since the year 2000. Appalachian now leads it 41-7 with 12:23 left in the contest.

5:20 PM -- The third quarter ends as Devon Moore eclipses the 100-yard mark for the day. ASU leads it 38-7 as we go to the fourth quarter.

5:17 PM -- Appalachian commits its first turnover of the game with an interception. Just two plays later,, a 30-yard pass play from backup QB Brian Kass to wide receiver Brenton Bersin puts the Terriers on the scoreboard for the first time this afternoon. ASU leads 38-7 with 1:38 left in the third period.

5:15 PM -- The Terriers get the advantage of a pair of personal foul penalties to move into Mountaineer territory, but Marshall puts the football on the ground on an option pitch. Appalachian recovers yet another fumble by Wofford to take over possession of the football leading 38-0 with two and a half minutes left in the third period.

4:47 PM - A bad pitch by Wofford quarterback Mitch Allen is recovered by Mountaineer defensive back Dominique McDuffie at the Terrier 17-yard line. The Mountaineers pour it on just three plays later, as Moore tallies another touchdown on a ten-yard scurry over the left side. The ASU offense has taken advantage of every short field it has received. Moore's first 3-touchdown game of the season helps the Mountaineers up its advantage to 38-0 with 11:22 to play in the third period.

4:40 PM - Wofford turns the football over on its third play from scrimmage following the kickoff to open the second half. Jeremy Marshall loses the handle on the football and Appalachian's John Rizer recovers. Appalachian strikes quickly after the turnover as Presley hits Quick on a 34-yard touchdown pass on just the second play after the gaffe. The reception is Quick's second TD of the game and his 7th for his career against the Terriers. ASU leads it 31-0 with 13:25 to play in the third quarter. It's a rout at The Rock!

4:15 PM - Wofford appears to want to run out the first half clock with some running plays and regroup in the locker room, but ASU uses a timeout on second down to stop the clock. Wofford then goes deep on a pass play, which is overthrown to stop the clock, forcing a punt with 1:13 to play. Appalachian gets another opportunity to add to its lead before halftime.

A 26-yard completion from Presley to Hillary moves the Apps into Wofford territory with under 40 seconds left, but the Mountaineers can move no further and have to punt the ball away. A great Sam Martin punt pins the Terriers at its own 1-yard line, where the Terriers run a quarterback sneak to close out the first half. Appalachian's most complete half of the season thus far translates into a commanding 24-0 halftime lead over Wofford. Back for second half action in a few minutes!.

4:05 PM -  To make things worse for the Terriers, Wofford fumbles the kickoff return at its own 18-yard line. South Caldwell product Brad Hardee forces the fumble for the Mountaineers and AC Reynolds product Patrick Blalock recovers the football. The Mountaineers score three plays later on a Devon Moore five-yard tote that pierces through the center of the Terrier defense. Just like that, the Mountaineers take a 24-0 lead with 2:06 before halftime. 

4:00 PM - A key 17-yard pass completion from Presley to Matt Cline pushes Appalachian into field goal range with under five minutes to play in the first half. Appalachian is content to beat Wofford at its own game: using ball control to set up the passing game that has been picking the Terrier secondary apart. A pass from Presley to Quick sets up the Black and Gold with a first-and-goal at the Wofford 8-yard line. Wofford takes a timeout to discuss strategy and perhaps slow the Apps' momentum with 3:24 left in the half.

Two plays after the timeout, Presley whips a pass across the middle to Quick in the back of the end zone for a six-yard touchdown. The PAT gives ASU a 17-0 lead.  The touchdown caps an impressive 12-play, 70-yard drive that used up 5:37 on the second quarter clock. Wofford's largest margin leading up to this game was just four points. The Mountaineers have put the Terriers squarely behind the 8-ball, leading by 17 with 2:58 left in the opening half.

3:50 PM -- ASU's defense holds Wofford to a three-and-out and subsequent punt. The Mountaineer offense fares no better as the Terrier defense holds the Apps to a three-and-out and punt.

The Mountaineer defense has been nothing short of dominant as it smothers the Terriers for another three-and-out, forcing yet another punt to get the pigskin back to the offense. 8:35 remains on the second quarter clock, and the Black and Gold leads 10-0 over Wofford.

3:40 PM -- On third down ASU's Moore fumbles the football, but is able to recover the ball to preserve possession. The Mountaineers settled for a 39-yard field goal from senior placekicker Jason Vitaris to cap its 11-play, 54-yard drive that consumed just two seconds less than six minutes off the clock. Appalachian leads 10-0 with 14:13 left before halftime.

A couple of quick first-quarter stats:  Britenstein (WU): 6 carries for just 21 yards in the opening period, while ASU quarterback DeAndre Presley was 7-of-8 passing in the first quarter for 68 yards.

3:35 PM - Appalachian's offense showed little sign of slowing down during its second series. A pair of pass completions to tight end Ben Jorden picked up yardage across the middle, while Moore picked up tough yards between the tackles. Appalachian is inside the Terrier 25-yard line as the first quarter clock expires. One quarter in the books from Kidd Brewer, and the Mountaineers lead 7-0.

3:26 PM -- Wofford picks up a first down on its opening series, but faced with a 4th and 1 from its own 40-yard line, head coach Mike Ayers opts to go for the first down. After a timeout, the Terriers give the football to Britenstein who barrels for a two-yard gain for a first down to keep the drive alive. Wofford loses five yards on its next three plays and is forced to punt the ball back to the Black and Gold.

3:13 PM - Appalachian marches the football down the field with relative ease against the Wofford defense. ASU uses a mix of run and pass to mount an 8 play, 71 yard drive that elapses 3:24 off the clock. ASU QB Deandre Presley goes 3 of 4 passing on the drive and throws in an 18-yard rush for good measure.

Running back Devon Moore caps the drive with an 11-yard run bounce-out off the right side for the first score of the game. It is the first touchdown the Terrier defense has surrendered in three games. The PAT from Jason Vitaris spots the Mountaineers the early 7-0 advantage with 11:36 to play in the opening period.

Wofford's first offensive series coming up....

3:02 p.m.- Appalachian for the 9th time in 10 games has lost the coin toss. Wofford has won and deferred the toss here on this 63-degree Saturday afternoon. Appalachian will receive the opening kickoff to get us started from The Rock. Huge game with huge implications. What a great spot for a sports fan to be! Doesn't get much better than a college football game on a Saturday afternoon.

3:00 p.m. The National Anthem has been played, the teams have made their way on the field, and we're ready for kickoff! Beautiful day at The Rock with a decent breeze blowing. All in all, a terrific day for mid-November in the North Carolina mountains!

We're LIVE at ASU's Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone for this afternoon's de facto Southern Conference Championship football game between the Mountaineers and the Wofford Terriers.

Appalachian enters today's game ranked third nationally with an 8-1 mark, while Wofford comes into today with the same 8-1 record and a No. 4 national ranking. Wofford stands at 6-0 in Southern Conference play, while Appalachian enters with a 6-1 record, 1/2 game out of first place.

The Mountaineers look to bounce back in its first game since its 26-game conference winning streak was snapped at Georgia Southern in overtime last Saturday. The winner of today's contest clinches no less than a share of the Southern Conference championship, and will earn the conference's automatic berth in the upcoming FCS playoffs.

As if that is not enough to chew on for today's game, former Watauga High School All-State standout running back Eric Britenstein comes home to Boone with his Terriers. Britenstein is the reigning SoCon Player of the Week and is the conference's leading rusher coming into the game this evening.

We'll be at Kidd Brewer all afternoon reporting from the press box with updates and all the drama as it unfolds during today's ballgame. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m. here at The Rock.

Vikings Ride Running Game to Playoff Win over Jackets

Playing without the services of starting quarterback Alex Villanueva for a fifth game the season, the Avery Vikings jumped out to a 28-6 halftime lead over Bessemer City and used four combined rushing touchdowns from brothers Colton and Spencer Blackburn to pound the Yellow Jackets 42-20 Friday night to move to the second round of the NCHSAA 1AA state football playoffs.

Colton Blackburn ran for 144 yards on 18 carries and scored a pair of first half touchdowns, while Spencer gained 54 yards on 7 carries to help pace the Big Red as they kept Bessemer at bay.

Avery scored four touchdowns in the game's first 17 minutes to race out to a 21-0 margin that Bessemer City could not overcome. The Yellow Jackets would get as close as 35-20 with 10:40 left in the fourth quarter, but Avery recovered an onside kick and marched 56 yards on a 9-play, back-breaking drive that was capped by Spencer Blackburn's second score, a 9-yard jaunt to put the game away.

The Viking defense forced four turnovers while the offense rushed for 318 yards on 44 attempts. Jhalen Adams paced Bessemer City with 125 yards on 23 carries and scored three rushing touchdowns.

Avery will host Swain County from the Smoky Mountain Conference in round two of the playoffs next Friday night. The Maroon Devils (7-4) defeated a depleted Hendersonville Bearcats team 30-7 in Bryson City Friday night in a game that featured a power outage that delayed the contest for nearly an hour and a half during the first half. Swain ventured to Newland and defeated the Vikings 15-8 in the last meeting on the gridiron between the teams, played in the first round of the 2007 football playoffs.

Other high school football playoff scores involving Western Highlands Conference teams from Friday night:

East Lincoln 19, Mountain Heritage 33
Owen 28, Newton-Conover 25
Maiden 21, Polk County 52
Mitchell 49, Cherryville 27
Hendersonville 7, Swain County 30

BREAKING NEWS: Hendersonville QB, RB suspended for fIrst round playoff game, Villanueva a no-go for Bessemer City

Hendersonville quarterback Desmond Whiteside and fullback LeQuon Young have been suspended from Friday night's first round contest at Swain County, while Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva has been ruled out of tonight's contest against Bessemer City due to injury.

The following appeared on the Hendersonville Times-News website late this afternoon:


Whiteside is charged with felony first-degree burglary and felony conspiracy. Young, who is still being processed, is charged with felony conspiracy.

Whiteside and Young will appear in Henderson County District Court Monday morning. Adams said a news release would be issued soon.

HHS Principal Bobby Wilkins commented briefly this afternoon.


"I still don't know anything yet. I still haven't heard anything definite. I do know if they do get arrested, then yes, they are suspended from the football team. That's an automatic suspension,” Wilkins said.


"I will tell you this. Both of them were not at school today, so they are definitely not playing in tonight's game," he added.

The Bearcats are traveling to Swain County to face the Maroon Devils in the first round of the state playoffs Friday night.

Another Hendersonville High football player, Tristan Endaya, was arrested in September and charged with three felonies related to a June drive-by in Hendersonville. Adams said today's arrests stem from a separate incident that occurred in June, however.

Avery's junior starting quarterback Alex Villanueva re-aggravated his injured collarbone late in last week's 14-7 win over Mitchell, but practiced for most of this week. However, as of Friday afternoon it was determined that Villanueva would be held out of this evening's opening round matchup against the Yellow Jackets. Senior Dustin Childress will get the starting nod at quarterback for the Vikings tonight.

Follow the Avery Journal-Times on Twitter tonight for updates from tonight's ballgame between Avery and Bessemer City.

Bessemer City football story, statistics

A great story appears in Thursday's online edition of The Gaston Gazette which is very well written by veteran Gaston and Lincoln County sportwriter Phillip Gardner highlighting the Bessemer City Yellow Jackets and its quarterback Travis Blake. The link to the story can be found by following this link.

Déjà vu: Vikings Host Bessemer City in Playoff Rematch

Last season, a young Avery Vikings team won five games and qualified for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) 1-AA state playoffs, where they faced a veteran-laden Bessemer City Yellow Jackets team. On that night in Gaston County, the Jackets handed the Vikings a 33-9 defeat to end the Big Red’s season.

This Friday, November 12, the roles will be reversed, as the seasoned Vikings (8-3) host the youthful Yellow Jackets (1-10) in a rare opportunity to avenge a setback almost a year to the day of last season’s loss.

Avery's 17 seniors begin their final run at a state football championship
this Friday night at home against Bessemer City.

Avery defeated the Mitchell Mountaineers 14-7 a week ago on a snowy and blustery Senior Night contest, while Bessemer City lost 42-14 to Lincolnton last week to close out the regular season.

Scouting the Yellow Jackets:
The Bessemer City Yellow Jackets are members of the Southern Piedmont 1A/2A Conference and are coached by Larry Boone (seventh season; 30-54 overall record). The Yellow Jackets returned six offensive starters and four defensive starters from the club that faced Avery in 2009.

Leading the charge for Bessemer City has been senior defensive lineman/tight end Jordan Coleman (6’2”, 250 lb.). Coleman was an All-Conference performer in 2009 and is on his way to similar honors in 2010. Coleman’s excellence on and off the gridiron has fostered interest from multiple colleges, including Duke, East Carolina, Georgia Southern, Western Carolina, and Catawba. As well, junior teammate Zack Cole has stepped up for the Jackets with 90 tackles to lead the club through the end of the regular season.

Offensively, the team looked over the summer to implement the spread offense, but within the past month chose to move away from the spread and back into a familiar double-wing option offense to take advantage of its speed in the backfield.

Triggering the offense earlier in the season was sophomore Brad James, who took over for graduated 2009 All-Conference quarterback Xavier Logan. One of James’ top performances of the season came in the lone Yellow Jackets victory this season, a 36-21 win over Highland Tech on September 11th, when James completed 18 of 25 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns.

However, in recent games quarterbacking duties, especially in the option attack, has been the job of senior Travis Blake (60 rushes, 284 yards, 2 TD). Blake, who also plays at defensive back, serves as the most tenured member of the Yellow Jacket secondary.

Junior fullback Jhalen Adams (96 rushes, 547 yards, 8 TD) anchors the Bessemer City running game along with fellow runner Raheem McMiller (68 rushes, 222 yards, 2 TD).

When Bessemer City passes the football, the likely target will be D.J. Huskey. The senior wide receiver leads the club with 32 receptions for 484 yards and two touchdowns.

The Low Down:
On a consistent basis this season, the Vikings as a team has shown the penchant to effectively run the football. In last week’s win over Mitchell, the swirling wind gusts and snow forced the Big Red to rely almost exclusively on the ground game to grind out a hard-fought win.

Bessemer City’s defense has shown itself to be susceptible to the run this season. In last week’s loss at Lincolnton, the Yellow Jackets surrendered 323 rushing yards, and on average has given up 295 rushing yards per game to its opponents.

The victory by Bessemer City over Avery last season marked only the second time in the school’s 85-year history that the team had won playoff games in back-to-back seasons. The only other time the school achieved the feat occurred in the mid-1950s.

Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva re-aggravated his surgically-repaired collarbone after being tackled in the waning moments of last week’s victory over Mitchell. His availability for this week’s contest will likely be a game-time decision.

Avery should need no added motivation for this week’s contest, and the squad should show no trepidation that can come with playing an unfamiliar opponent. The 1-AA West pod bracket (the new seeding format adopted by the NCHSAA this season) sets up well for the Vikings, who is the top seed in the pod and holds home-field advantage both this week and next week, should the team win its matchup with the Jackets.

The winner of this week’s contest faces the winner of the game between Swain County and Hendersonville.

By The Numbers:
4 – pass attempts by Avery in last week’s game against Mitchell
5- touchdown passes by Yellow Jackets quarterback Brad James this season (James has thrown 7 interceptions)
6- tackles by Bessemer City’s Jordan Coleman and Octavious Hopper in last week’s loss to Lincolnton
41 – average points per game scored by Yellow Jacket opponents this season
124- rushing yards by Avery running back Colton Blackburn last week against the Mountaineers
717 – receiving yards this season by Viking leading receiver Andy Gonzalez. Six other Avery pass catchers have at least 110 receiving yards this season.

Read next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s playoff game with Bessemer City, as well as a preview (if applicable) of Avery’s second-round playoff contest.

Vikings Overcome Mitchell, Mother Nature for Senior Night Win

Leaning heavily on its running game and defense, the Avery Vikings used a last-minute defensive stand and a pair of first-half touchdowns to defeat a tough Mitchell squad 14-7 on Senior Night Friday, November 5, at cold and snowy MacDonald Stadium.
Prior to the contest, Avery High School honored each of its seniors in fall sports, thanking them for their four years of service and dedication to Avery athletics.

The first major break of the contest went Avery’s way when the Viking defense forced the first of many fumbles during the night. Quarterback Troy Self was separated from the football and Avery’s Colton Blackburn recovered at the Mitchell 43-yard line. Avery capitalized on the gaffe as the offense found the end zone after a six-play drive was culminated by a four-yard touchdown run by running back Taylor Potter. Dustin Clark’s extra point kick put the Vikings out front 7-0 with 5:16 left in the first period.

Mitchell’s next series ended in similar fashion as the first. Running back Shawn Jackson broke loose for a run near midfield, only to be stripped of the football by Avery defensive back Tyler Calvert. Calvert recovered his own forced fumble to give the Big Red possession at the Mitchell 48-yard line.

The Viking running attack again took advantage of the turnover, as the tandem of Blackburn and Potter repeatedly penetrated the Mitchell defensive front for chunks of yardage. Blackburn completed the drive as he raced 25 yards to purple paydirt. The extra point staked Avery to a 14-0 lead as the first period expired.



Avery players wore a purple "M" decal last Friday night
to honor Mitchell High School and community that has
suffered a great deal of adversity this school year.

 Mitchell’s most productive drive of the half occurred as the second period ensued. The Avery defense initially forced the Mountaineers to punt from its own 29-yard line, but punter Michael Styles fumbled the punt, and scrambled up the field for a 14-yard gain to earn a first down.

The Mountaineers marched on into Avery territory and eventually into the red zone, but the Avery defense held on a 4th-and-1 play from the Viking 5-yard line, tackling quarterback Justin Hughes for a loss to turn the football over on downs. The 16-play, 70-yard drive left the visitors from Ledger empty-handed despite an impressive offensive series.

On its ensuing possession, Avery used its wing formation to drive from its own 10-yard line to the Mitchell 1. On 1st-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Avery moved out of the wing and into the spread formation in order to give tailback Potter a more open field to score on a potential running play. However, the attempt never occurred, as the snap sailed over the head of Viking quarterback Alex Villanueva and the pigskin was recovered by Mitchell’s Hughes.

“That is kind of the way we play. It’s not unlike us to jump out of the wing into the spread. We feel like by doing that we first space out the defense, and secondly we wanted to give Taylor the chance to score the touchdown, since he had scored on the last play but wasn’t credited for it,” Viking head coach Darrell Brewer said of the turnover. “There’s no question in my mind then and even after viewing film that Taylor scored the first time, and we wanted to give him the chance to get in there. We had run from shotgun earlier, so it wasn’t like we hadn’t used it any prior to that play.”

The remaining moments of the first half expired and Avery held a 14-0 edge at intermission.

During halftime Avery High School honored veterans from all military branches of service who live in Avery County and Mitchell County. Service personnel received a rousing ovation from the fans in attendance who braved the wintry conditions for the evening.

For most of the third quarter, defense reigned as the snow began to steadily fall on the turf at the stadium. The teams exchanged punts for the majority of the quarter. The Mountaineers finally pieced together a solid scoring drive late in the period, driving 62 yards over eight plays. Hughes and Jackson accounted for all the yards rushing, with Hughes reaching the end zone on a six-yard jaunt. The Isaac Edwards extra point kick slashed the Avery lead in half at 14-7 with 20 seconds to play in the third quarter.

As the final quarter began, momentum was squarely in the corner of the visiting Mountaineers. Avery was held to a three-and-out following the Mitchell score and punted the ball back to the Mountaineer offense.

Mitchell methodically drove the field attempting to score the touchdown to tie or perhaps win the game. The Mountaineer offense chewed over nine minutes off the game clock in the final period, driving from its own 31-yard line to the Avery 4-yard line.

On 3rd-and-1 from the Avery 4, a false start penalty backed up the Mountaineers five yards. The penalty recharged the Viking defense as it held Hughes to a three-yard run to set up a critical fourth down play to decide the ballgame.

Mitchell attempted a pass in the right flat, but the throw in the wind and snow was short of the mark falling incomplete. Avery gained possession, ran out the remaining 38 seconds, and clinched its eighth win of the year.

“The defense came up big when we needed it most. The kids, both teams, they just played so hard,” Brewer said after the win. “Mitchell made some plays and played a heck of a ballgame, but we were able to make that last play and were fortunate to come away with the win.”

Blackburn led the Vikings with 124 yards rushing on 14 carries and a score, with 61 yards from Potter on 13 carries. Jackson led the Mountaineers with 74 yards on 13 carries, with 67 yards rushing by Styles and 62 yards rushing and a touchdown from Hughes.

Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva completed just 2-of-4 passes in the snow and wind for 32 yards. More importantly, the quarterback took a hard hit on the third-from-last play of the game, leaving the contest after apparently re-injuring his surgically-repaired collarbone. Villanueva’s status is officially listed as day-to-day, and his availability for Friday night’s playoff game will be a game-time decision.

The Vikings qualified for the 1-AA state football playoffs, and will host Bessemer City High School in the opening round this Friday, November 12. Avery lost in the first round of last year’s playoffs 33-9 to the Yellow Jackets, but familiarity should prove helpful to the veteran Vikings as they face a Bessemer club with only one win this season.

“I think any time you play an opponent it helps to know what they do. Pretty much our whole team played against these guys last year. If nothing else, it will give us some familiarity about them and our kids might not be as nervous about playing someone they hadn’t seen before,” Brewer said of Avery’s first round opponent. “They play a lot like they did against us last year, but they graduated a lot of players from last year’s team and they kind of like where we were a year ago.”

Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. at MacDonald Stadium. A full recap of this week’s playoff game can be read in next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times.

ASU Conference Win Streak Snapped with OT Loss to Eagles

Appalachian State University (ASU) football’s 26-game Southern Conference winning streak came to an end with a 21-14 overtime loss to Georgia Southern (GSU) on Saturday afternoon at Paulson Stadium.

Despite the setback, ASU (8-1, 6-1 SoCon) will play for its sixth-straight SoCon championship and the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA Division I Football Championship next Saturday against No. 7 Wofford (8-1, 6-0 SoCon). The de facto conference title game — the second for ASU in as many years – is set for 3 p.m. at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

ASU jumped out to a 14-0 lead just 10:31 into Saturday’s game but Georgia Southern (5-4, 3-3 SoCon) scored the game’s final 21 points to pull out the upset. ASU was plagued by three turnovers, all of which occurred in the red zone, including a fumble by quarterback DeAndre Presley on the final play of the game.

The turning point of the game occurred early in the second quarter when ASU, already leading 14-0, appeared to extend the lead to three touchdowns when Devon Moore shed several tacklers on his way to the end zone from 22 yards out. However, ASU was flagged for a hold on the touchdown run and three plays later, Presley was intercepted in the end zone by GSU’s Laron Scott to end the scoring threat.

GSU knotted the score at 14-14 with back-to-back touchdown drives that sandwiched halftime – the first capped by a one-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jaybo Shaw with five seconds to go in the first half and the second which milked 9:27 off the clock to begin the second half.

ASU’s best scoring opportunity in the second half came on its first possession of the fourth quarter when, sparked by back-to-back completions of 25 and 42 yards to CoCo Hillary and Brian Quick, ASU had the ball at the GSU 14 yard line. However, ASU didn’t come away with any points when GSU’s Michael Butler intercepted Presley at the goal line.

The teams traded scoreless possessions for the rest of regulation and the Eagles got the ball first in overtime. They took a 21-14 lead when Robert Brown scored from four yards out.

Needing a touchdown to force another extra period, Moore ran for 14 yards on ASU’s first overtime play. However, on 3rd-and-10 from the 11, Presley was sacked by GSU’s Darius Eubanks, fumbled and the loose ball was recovered by Josh Rowe to end the game and set off a long-awaited celebration among the GSU faithful that are likely in the midst of their fifth-consecutive season without a postseason appearance.

ASU out-gained the Eagles, 325-301, but couldn’t overcome the three turnovers or GSU’s sterling 10 conversions of 20 third-down opportunities. GSU had the ball for nearly 10 minutes more than ASU (34:52-25:08).

Despite the three turnovers, Presley had another impressive showing with 277 yards of total offense (211 passing, 66 rushing). Filling in for injured starter Matt Cline, B.J. Frazier was Presley’s favorite target, catching a game-high six passes for 62 yards. Quick racked up a game-high 79 receiving yards on four receptions.

Defensively, ASU limited GSU to 80 fewer rushing yards, 63 fewer total yards and 14 fewer points in regulation than its season averages coming in. D.J. Smith led the defensive charge with a game-high 16 tackles.

The loss was ASU’s first in a SoCon game since it also fell to Georgia Southern, 38-35, on Oct. 20, 2007, a span of 1,112 days. That setback also snapped a monumental winning streak for ASU — a string of 30-consecutive home victories.

LMC Bobcat Sports Roundup

Men’s Soccer: Bobcats Blank Coker 2-0 to Win Conference Carolinas Tournament
Lee Squires recorded a goal and an assist, and Thomas Rusling made six saves to lead the Lees-McRae College (LMC) men's soccer team to a 2-0 shutout over Coker College in the Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship on Sunday at Tate Field.

LMC (13-4-3) outshot the Cobras (7-7-5) by a 16-11 margin, including an 8-6 advantage in the second half en route to its third Conference Carolinas Tournament title in the last four years. Squires paced the Bobcats with his league-leading 14th goal of the season, while also adding a late assist. James Galvani chipped in his 10th goal of the campaign for LMC, while Rusling notched his fourth clean sheet of the season.

Squires opened the scoring early in the 34th minute, taking advantage of a foul by Coker just outside the area and bending the set piece into the back of net for 22 yards distance to give LMC a 1-0 lead. Galvani doubled the advantage in the 51st minute, delivering a strong header past the keeper after Squires sent a brilliant cross to the back post from the right flank.

Rusling made several outstanding saves to earn Tournament MVP honors, as fellow Bobcats David Palmer, Luke Duffy, Justin Jones and Squires each earned a spot on the all-Tournament Team.

Erskine's Matt Sluga and Pfeiffer's Alex Moreno each earned a spot on the all-Tournament team as well, while Mark Mergena, Rommel Fondin, and James Sweeney from Coker also received all-Tournament honors.

LMC awaited word on a possible at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championship. The field of 30 teams was announced Monday, November 8.

Women’s Soccer: Crusaders Outlast Lady Bobcats in Conference Carolinas Tournament
The top-seeded Belmont Abbey College women’s soccer team fought off countless rallies by fourth-seeded LMC en route to a hard-earned 3-2 victory on Thursday, while clinching a spot in the 2010 Conference Carolinas Tournament Final for the sixth straight season.

LMC (14-6) outshot the Abbey (17-1-2) by a 15-12 margin, including a 7-5 advantage in the second half. The contest featured five different goal scorers, as Conference Carolinas Second Team selection Vickie Rich posted a match-high three points with a goal and an assist.

Nicole Voets, Connie Axiotis, and Rebecca Mateo each scored for the Crusaders, while Rich and MaryBeth Sullivan found the back of the net for the Lady Bobcats. Kristin Foster tallied an assist for the Abbey, while Rich and Katy McGee each notched a helper for LMC.

Conference Carolinas Player of the Year Anna Donaldson recorded nine saves for Belmont Abbey, while Brittany Bolton posted a pair of stops for the Lady Bobcats.

Voets opened the scoring midway through the 13th minute, knocking in a free header off a corner kick from Foster to give the Abbey an early 1-0 lead. Rich leveled the score at 1-1 less than two minutes later, tapping a finish past the Abbey keeper off a set piece from McGee for her 11th goal of the season.

Axiotis reclaimed the lead for Abbey midway through the 28th minute, sending a masterful strike into the far top corner from just inside the area to send the Crusaders into the interval with a 2-1 lead. Sullivan nearly pulled the Lady Bobcats back on terms in the 37th minute, forcing Donaldson to make a magnificent save on a volley from just outside the area to preserve the lead.

LMC answered early in the second half, evening the score at 2-2 midway through the 49th minute on Sullivan’s 14th goal of the season. The all-Conference Carolinas First Team selection showed great touch on the finish, redirecting a curling cross from Rich into the bottom corner for the equalizer.

Mateo provided the eventual winner early in the 52nd minute, taking advantage of a misplayed ball by the LMC defense and tucking the finish into the bottom corner to give the Abbey a 3-2 lead. LMC’s Katelyn Custer narrowly missed a glorious equalizing bid in the 80th minute, sending a brilliant curling strike just over the bar from the top of the area.

LMC ends its season with a 14-6 overall record and an 8-2 mark in league play, while also posting the program’s first top-four finish in the conference standings since 2003. The Lady Bobcats are expected to return 16 letter-winners from this season’s squad, including all-conference first team selections Sullivan, Brooke Santerre, Mary Dorn.

Women’s Volleyball: Lady Bobcats Post Second Undefeated League Mark in Conference History by Sweeping Barton
The LMC women's volleyball team defeated Barton College in straight sets on Saturday to complete the second undefeated season in Conference Carolinas history, sweeping the Bulldogs by scores of 25-13, 26-24, and 25-17 to close out the league campaign with a perfect 18-0 mark.

LMC (22-7, 18-0 CC) posted a .263 hitting percentage, seven service aces, and five blocks, while holding Barton (14-13, 10-7 CC) to a .071 clip on the attack. With the win, the Lady Bobcats also extend their league-record winning streak against conference opponents to 31 matches.

Megan Epperson tallied match-high totals of 11 kills and three service aces to pace the Lady Bobcats, while moving within 11 kills of the 1,000-kill plateau for her career. Dana Oliver and Megan Mitchell posted match-highs of 29 digs and 35 assists, respectively, while Taylor Stice and Lauren Fox each recorded a trio of blocks. Whitney Justice also tallied 10 kills and a .364 hitting percentage for the Lady Bobcats.

Kati Wood and Meagan Parrott paced the Bulldogs with seven kills each, while Carly Love turned in team-highs of 15 assists and nine digs. Melissa Ritter and Kristen Peschock chipped in eight digs each, while Chancey Sebranek posted a team-high three blocks.

LMC started strong, opening the first set with an 8-1 run before extending the margin to 16-6 with a service ace by Fox on the heels of an 8-3 run. The Lady Bobcats then closed out the set with a 9-7 edge down the stretch to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

Barton responded early in the second stanza, opening an early 3-2 lead before the Lady Bobcats rallied, launching a 14-7 run to take a 16-10 advantage on a kill by Oliver. The Bulldogs answered with an 11-3 surge of its own, taking a 21-19 lead on a kill by Ritter. LMC responded again, fighting back to take a 24-23 lead on a kill by Taylor Clendenin before claiming a 2-0 advantage in the match by virtue of two Barton miscues.

The Bulldogs answered again in the third set, opening the frame with an 8-6 spurt before Lees-McRae reclaimed the momentum with a 9-0 surge to take a 15-9 lead after three straight service aces from Epperson. Barton battled back to cut the margin to 18-15 with a 6-3 spurt before the Lady Bobcats closed out the set and the match with a 7-2 run.

LMC returned to the court on Tuesday, November 9, when the top-seeded and regular season champion Lady Bobcats hosted eighth-seeded Mount Olive College in the opening round of the Conference Carolinas Tournament.

Lady Avalanche U18 defeats OCSA Coastal Crew

Going into the final game of round-robin play, the High Country Soccer Association (HCSA) Avalanche knew that it needed a win to have a chance to advance to the semi-finals of the North Carolina Kepner President’s Cup. Traveling to Wilmington for the final game didn’t make things any easier. The Avalanche faced the OCSA Crew from the Jacksonville area in what promised to be a very tight game.

The Lady Avalanche took the challenge to heart and played with intensity from whistle to whistle, winning 3-0. Watauga’s Kendyl Baird had a hand in all three goals. She scored the first goal in the 12th minute of the first half, with an assist by Ashe County’s Kebrina Keys. In the 31st minute, the Avalanche scored again; this time Baird assisted on the goal scored by Avery High School’s (AHS) Mary Chesnut Smith.

Early in the second half, Baird scored her second goal of the game. Smith sent a corner kick into the front of the goal where Keys was able to pop it up and Baird jumped, took the ball in the air and placed it behind the keeper for the third and final goal of the game.

In taking care of business this weekend, the defense had to be solid and they were, making sure the Coastal Crew forwards were marked and backing each other up when necessary. With Watauga keeper Emily Haas playing the entire game, Wilkes’ Caitlin Curley, who normally splits duties with Haas, could contribute on the field. Several of the team were injured or had commitments which kept them from traveling to Wilmington.

The back line was anchored by AHS senior Emily Banner and Watauga’s Samantha Byrd. Watauga’s Katelyn Mullenix and Molly Wells handled the outside back duties, and Alana Patterson rotated in on the back line as well. Bethany Miller and Jeanette Vines (Watauga) took care of the center of the field, relieved occasionally by Mullenix and Curley. The starting striker and forwards were Skylar Hicks and Baird, Keys and Smith.

The Lady Avalanche play the TESC Elite Red of the Triad Elite Soccer Club on Saturday, November 13 at the Wilson Gillette Soccer Park.

Smith Competes at State Cross Country Championships

Avery senior Mary Chesnut Smith took on the best 1A runners in the state at the NCHSAA 1A State Cross Country Championships, held Saturday, November 6, at Beeson Park in Kernersville.


A total of 127 runners competed in the event, and Smith completed the course with the 11th best overall time with 20 minutes, 24.71 seconds.

The winning time at the event was posted by East Wilkes runner Carol Blankenship, who posted a finish in 18 minutes, 48.75 seconds, followed by Robbinsville’s Tacey Trammel (19:36.34) and Hendesrsonville’s Kristen Stout (19:39.28).

Congratulations to Mary Chesnut on a terrific season and career running cross country at Avery High School!

Middle School Hoops Roundup

The Toe River Conference basketball season is heating up as boys and girls teams begin the push for a regular season title and position in the upcoming conference tournament to be hosted by Avery Middle School in December.

Avery Middle School’s boys team is off to an unbeaten 4-0 start, with three conference victories and a non-conference win over neighboring Cloudland. On Monday night, November 8, the Panthers easily dispatched of the visiting East Yancey Panthers by a final score of 58-25.

Tre Jackson paced the host Panthers with 18 points, including five 3-point baskets. Kobe Pittman was the other Avery player in double-figures scoring with 10 points. Nine Avery players in all scored points in the Avery rout as the Panthers are poised to be the team to beat thus far this season.

“In the top six players, we have the most depth and skilled players that I’ve had in my four years of doing this. We are very balanced, and we don’t have to depend upon any one player,” Avery boys head coach Gordon Polsgrove said of his Panthers club. “We have good height inside with Dalton Tennant, who at 6’3” is tall for an eighth grader. He’s going be a good one if he keeps working and developing his skills. Kobe and Tre interchange at the 1 and 2 positions, and Austin Phillips plays the 3. We have a rotation at the 4 and 5 between Dalton, Dylan [Bauer], and James Stewart. With those six, we don’t get hurt with any changes to the lineup, and we have a couple of pretty good seventh graders that will see some action from time to time.”

The Avery Lady Panthers won their first two conference contests, a 27-15 win at Bowman and a 31-20 victory at Cane River. The team graduated a number of players from its conference championship squad from 2009, but a sextet of eighth graders in Kylie Polsgrove, Raina Wiseman, Jodi Poore, Alexandra Bare, Destiny Ollis and Christian Burleson return to anchor a team hungry for another title.

Avery dropped its first game of the year in its latest outing, falling in its home opener against East Yancey on Monday, November 8, falling by a final score of 34-7.

The Cranberry Middle School Wildcats started its season with a pair of losses against East Yancey and Bowman, but the team has turned its fortunes around with wins over non-conference foe Cloudland by a 36-27 final score and a narrow 40-38 victory at home against Cane River on November 3.

In Cranberry’s victory over Cloudland last week, Caleb Stansberry paced the Wildcats with 15 points, all scored in the second half. Morgan McKay reached double-figures with 10 points, with eight points from Tyler Pittman and seven from Zack Guinn.

Head coach Jimmy Tilley, who coaches both the boys and girls teams at Cranberry, has been impressed with his team’s improvement and effort, despite only five practices before playing the season-opening contest.

“It’s just the nature of the beast I guess. We had two days of tryouts, two days of practice, then had our first game, so the team hasn’t had a lot of practice time to work together,” Tilley said of his boys team. “I’ve seen a lot of growth in the few games we played, and they have shown discipline in our wins. I’m seeing some maturity develop, but it’s going to take some time.”

On the ladies side of the floor, the Cranberry Lady Wildcats also fell in contests against East Yancey and Bowman, but the club, much like its male counterpart, rallied with its first win of the season over Cloudland, a 29-20 triumph. The teams were tied at halftime, but a second half spurt by the Wildcats build a working margin that the team carried to the finish.

Cranberry’s returning leading scorer, eighth grader Bethany Burleson, led a balanced Lady Wildcat offensive attack with 13 points. Sierra Jones chipped in six points on three field goals, with four points from Emma Shell and two apiece from Abby Roberts, Elizabeth Pittman, and Paige Church.

The Lady Wildcats followed up its win over Cloudland with its first conference win of the season, an 18-16 triumph over the Cane River Lady Rebels in a low-scoring defensive affair.

Tilley relies on his veteran players to provide leadership to the club, while the team grows together as a group and continues to show improvement in the early going of the conference campaign.

“The girls are providing a lot of leadership, and all the girls are working hard to learn the system. Bethany, Brandy [Banner], and Sierra are bringing a lot of experience and discipline to our practice sessions and games,” Tilley said. “We’ve got some work to do, as we didn’t have a lot of practice early on. As with the boys team, I’m seeing growth and discipline from the girls as they improve and gain confidence. What I’m looking for early in the season is us getting better at running our offense and working our defense, especially our man-to-man defense. The girls have struggled with the man-to-man in the first couple of games, but it is slowly clicking with them, and learning it will help them both now and in the long run.”

Avery and Cranberry squared off in the first of their two scheduled meetings on Tuesday, November 9 at Cranberry Middle School. A report on boys and girls action from that contest can be found in next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times.

Viking Soccer Season Ends in Playoff Second Round

The Avery soccer team picked up its first state playoff win in more than a dozen seasons last week when it defeated the Hayesville Yellow Jackets 5-1 in Clay County on Tuesday, November 2. The team then traveled to take on the defending state champion Hendersonville Bobcats last Saturday, November 6.

On a clear, blustery day on Dietz Field, the Vikings battled with pride through the final whistle. However, the home team proved too strong as the Bearcats garnered a 4-0 win to end Avery’s season.

In the first round match, played on a sized field and with goals more suited to U12 youth soccer, the Vikings fell behind early as a penalty kick was awarded to the Yellow Jackets and scored for a goal and 1-0 lead.

Midway through the first half, Avery’s Jorge Arreola dribbled along the right side and found teammate Daniel Lusk. The senior buried a shot into the back of the net to tie the match at 1-1.

In the 23rd minute, Avery struck again to take the lead as Lusk netted another ball along the left side. In the 26th minute, Lusk registered a hat trick with a goal that slipped past the keeper and into the goal, helping the Big Red to a 3-1 lead at intermission.

Neither team scored for most of the second half. Finally, in the 75th minute, the Vikings scored another insurance goal when Arreola assisted on a goal from Isauro Estrada to further pad the Viking advantage to 4-1.

Finally in the 78th minute, Avery closed out the scoring with one final score as Lusk followed a shot and scored his fourth goal of the match to provide for the final margin as Avery advanced to the second round of the state 1A playoffs.

“It took us a while to get moving, and I know the bus trip had something to do with it,” Avery head soccer coach Tom Evaul said after the win. “Maybe it was kind of a blessing in disguise that they scored the first goal, because I think that settled us down. It was what we needed in that it helped the guys realize this team was better than we thought and for us to win we had better come to play. My hat’s off to the Hayesville team. They fought hard and they didn’t quit.”

The victory was a true team effort as the Vikings worked as well together on the pitch as they have all season long.

“I know that Daniel will be credited a lot for the four goals, but I have to mention that Jorge played a phenomenal game. Sometimes it’s guys like that which nobody notices with their passes and placements that make the difference,” Evaul said. “If Jorge doesn’t have the game he has tonight, I don’t think we would have done what we did. Jorge and Isauro were both keys to the success that Daniel had up front tonight.”

For its second round opponent, Avery squared off with a familiar foe in the Hendersonville Bearcats, top-ranked and the defending state soccer champions.

Avery worked hard on both ends of the field, but the Bearcats used the wind at its back to register a pair of first-half goals.

The Bearcats broke the ice in the 18th minute with the first goal of the match. Throughout the contest, the teams had difficulty controlling the ball in the wind and played through temperatures in the low 40s for the duration of the contest.

In the 22nd minute, Hendersonville found the back of the net for the second time as it converted a corner kick that Avery was unable to clear at the front of the goal, staking the home team to a 2-0 halftime edge.

As the second half ensued, the Vikings looked to capitalize as the teams changed ends and Avery had the wind at its back.

Hendersonville added to its lead in the 54th minute when Bryan Aguirre managed to dribble past a defender and peal a shot past the Viking keeper for a three-goal margin. The Bearcats scored a final goal as a player scored on a kick while on the ground that rolled into the left side of the net for the final score of the contest.

“I think our problem today was that we were playing ‘kickie ball’ and not making passes to where they should have been or where they could have counted. I think we were so intimidated by their attack that we were just kicking it down the field, and it seemed they would get possession every time in that instance,” Evaul said after the match.

The match was physical throughout both halves, with the officials doling out multiple yellow cards, particularly in the second half.

“One thing we’ve learned this year is that if you don’t give tit for tat in a physical game, you get left behind. I think in that Owen game the guys decided we weren’t going to take it anymore. It was a rough game, and I think the referee started throwing out those yellow cards because he realized it was starting to get out of hand,” Evaul said. “Unfortunately some of those calls didn’t go as I’d like them to go. The roughness worked both ways and I think we played as rough as we’ve ever played. It’s not something I’m proud about, but I’m not out there on the field taking the pushes and shoves the players are taking, so you can’t blame them.”

Evaul shared great pride in this season’s roster and their effort from beginning to end, as well as the work of his fellow coaches..

“If you look back the first few games this season and the way we’re playing, this is a totally different team from then to now. These guys put their heart and soul into it and started playing as a team. They never gave up today, and even though it was a 4-0 game they kept playing hard because you never know what can happen,” Evaul said.

“I am really proud of this team’s spirit and determination. The leadership of the seniors was great this year. They worked hard individually and as a group in practice and in the games. And not to belittle the other coaches in any way, but I think Mitch Bledsoe brought a spirit to this team that had been missing for a long, long time. He won’t acknowledge that, but he made this team do some soul-searching, which they did. I think that had a lot to do with how the team played this year.”

The Vikings end the season with a 15-7-2 record overall, the team’s best record this millennium. Congratulations to the Avery boys soccer team for a great season!