Vikings Victimized by Mistakes, Mountaineers to End Season

Story By Steve Behr
sports@mountaintimes.com

Mitchell had too much for Avery in its 47-22 victory over the Vikings Friday at chilly MacDonald Stadium in the third round of the state 1-AA playoffs.

The Mountaineers had too much Shawn Jackson, who ran for 205 yards on 23 carries and scored touchdown runs of 27, 26 and 2 yards.

They had too much quarterback Justin Hughes, who added 134 yards on the ground and TD runs of 19, 1, 1, and 16 yards. Mitchell finished with 346 yards in rushing and 368 in total offense.

They also had too many chances to score on a short field. Avery committed five turnovers that helped set up touchdown drives of 14, 15 and 17 yards. Mitchell picked off four passes and recovered a fumble at the Avery 14-yard line that, after being called for a 5-yard motion penalty, Hughes turned into a 19-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

A Mitchell interception turned out to ice the game for the Mountaineers. Mitchell led 28-14, but Avery, with a good wind at its back, marched down to the Mitchell 5-yard line. On fourth-and-goal from there, Alex Villanueva's pass to the end zone was intercepted by linebacker Ben Smith, his second of the game. Mitchell scored two plays later, set up by another interception, when Hughes scored from the 1-yard line to put the Mountaineers in front 34-14.

The Mountaineers got two more touchdowns, one each from Hughes and Jackson, to take a commanding 47-14 lead.

Mitchell also used an Avery special teams mishap to get another short field in the first quarter. On fourth down, the ball was snapped over punter Dustin Clark's head. Clark was able to avoid complete disaster by gathering the ball around his 5-yard line and completing a pass, but the Mountaineers took over at the Avery 31.

Two plays later, Jackson scored on a 27-yard run, giving the Mountaineers a 14-0 lead. Jackson added a 26-yard touchdown run to put the Mountaineers up by three touchdowns, but Avery's Hunter Shields electrified the shivering Avery faithful with a 99-yard kickoff return following Jackson's score to cut the Mountaineers' lead to 21-7, still with 43.3 seconds left in the first half.

Both teams found the end zone, Hughes for 1-yard and Alex Villanueva from 10-yards out, that left the Mountaineers in front 28-14 at halftime.

Villanueva completed 7-of-19 passes for 72 yards, but was the victim of several dropped passes. The Vikings had more success on the ground by gaining 197 yards on 28 carries. Colton Blackburn had 97 yards on 10 carries, while Taylor Potter ran for 57 yards on 11 carries.

Blackburn got his final 3-yards on a touchdown run with 19 seconds left.

Read next week's edition of The Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of Friday's contest.

Interview with Avery head coach Darrell Brewer

Click the post title above for an audio interview with Avery Vikings head football coach Darrell Brewer leading up to tonight's third round playoff football game between Avery and Mitchell.

Interview with Mitchell Head Coach Russell Barnett

Happy Thanksgiving from The Avery Journal-Times!

As a special holiday treat we have a pair of interviews with the head coaches of the teams involved in this week's third round NCHSAA football playoff game between Avery and Mitchell.

Today's post includes an interview with Mitchell head football coach Russell Barnett following Mountaineer football practice in Ledger.

We'll have an interview with Avery head coach Darrell Brewer posted on Friday.

Click on the post title above to access the audio file. Thanks for reading!

Mitchell/Avery Football to be featured as FFN Game of the Week

This week's Mitchell at Avery third round 1AA state playoff football game will be spotlighted as this week's "Game of the Week" by Charlotte television network WBTV during its "Football Friday Night" broadcast.

"Football Friday Night" has been the pre-eminent high school football highlight show for the past 28 seasons, and a crew will be at MacDonald Stadium this Friday night for the epic third-round showdown!

Avery fans and local businesses are encouraged to show their school and community spirit by displaying Avery Vikings signs, balloons, flyers, and anything else to show their support for the Big Red both at local business locations and at "The Mac" during this week's game!!

Kickoff for this week's Mitchell/Avery showdown is slated for 7:30 p.m. at MacDonald Stadium in Newland.

Déjà Vu: Part Deux: Vikings and Mountaineers Meet in State Playoff Quarterfinal

Arguably the most significant game in the history of two high schools will take place this Friday, Nov. 26, when the Avery Vikings welcome the Mitchell Mountaineers to MacDonald Stadium.

For the second time in only four weeks, the squads meet again on the gridiron, with high stakes on the line in the form of a berth in the 1-AA state semifinal round.

The Vikings (10-3) enter the contest after a dominating 30-12 winning performance against the Swain Maroon Devils at home last week, while Mitchell (7-6) rolls into Newland riding the momentum of road victories over Cherryville in round one and a 35-29 win in Miller’s Creek against West Wilkes last week.

On Nov. 5, the Vikings defeated Mitchell 14-7 in the snow on Senior Night in a game that went a long way in securing home field advantage for Avery throughout its playoff run this season.

Scouting the Mountaineers:
The Mitchell Mountaineers is led by head coach Russell Barnett and utilizes a spread offense while occasionally using the I-formation. The team, regardless of formation, has staked its success and built its identity throughout the 2010 season by utilizing talented linemen and backs to execute an effective rushing offense.

Quarterback Justin Hughes emerged as the primary signal-caller for Mitchell for his ability to hurt defenses using both his legs and arm, as evidenced by his 273-yard, five rushing touchdown outing two weeks ago against Cherryville. Overall, Hughes has run for 894 yards on 138 carries, with 19 rushing touchdowns this season. The junior also enters this week’s game coming off consecutive weeks of rushing for more than 100 yards.

Teamed up in the backfield with Hughes has been senior Shawn Jackson. With 1,228 rushing yards on 185 carries and 11 touchdowns, Jackson has six 100-yard rushing games this season, as he and Hughes combine for a potent 1-2 offensive punch.

When Mitchell throws the football, the team at times looks to the arm of quarterback/running back Troy Self. The 6’1”, 215-poind junior has thrown the football 59 times this season, but has seen more action in recent weeks at running back. He has gained 556 yards on 76 carries, and has scored seven rushing touchdowns.

Michael Styles has also been a key contributor to the diverse nature of the Mitchell running game. The junior has run for 532 yards in 2010 and scored seven touchdowns.

In its first meeting with Avery, the Mountaineers ran the football 45 times for 205 yards, gaining most of the yards with a ball-control attack in the second half. Jackson led Mitchell with 70 rushing yards, with 66 yards from Styles and 63 from Hughes.

On the rare occasions that the Mountaineers throws the football, Ryan Sparks (22 receptions, 307 yards) and Hunter Rathbone (8 receptions, 140 yards) are the team’s leaders in catches and yardage.
On the defensive side of the football, Ben Smith leads the club with 152 tackles, with 103 tackles from Styles and 101 from Jackson.

Dayshawn Blackmon has emerged as another effective defender with 96 tackles, while Josh McClellan has recorded 84 tackles and Hughes has offered support with 82 tackles. Styles leads the Mountaineers with five sacks, while Hughes has picked off three passes, including a 50-yard pick for a touchdown in last week’s win.

The Low Down:
In the last meeting between Avery and Mitchell, both teams were forced by the driving snow and wind to utilize its running game on an almost exclusive basis. Throughout the season, the Vikings has prided itself in its offensive diversity both running and throwing the football. Avery had enough firepower with a pair of first-half touchdowns to hold off a furious Mountaineer rally, fending off a last-ditch Mountaineer scoring drive with a defensive stand in the game’s final minute. If the weather is improved from the first matchup, the advantage belongs to the Big Red.

At this point in the season, both teams will likely change little in its philosophy and preparation, and will rely on their respective strengths. Over the past three weeks, the Avery defense has been downright stingy, putting pressure on the quarterback and using the momentum of a strong performance against the Mountaineers to propel the Vikings to strong efforts against both Bessemer City and Swain County.

Hughes has been the go-to player for the Mountaineers in recent weeks, and he must continue that trend to give Mitchell its best hope for a road victory. Avery played a tremendous first half and grabbed an early lead against the Maroon Devils last week.

In similar fashion, Avery will want to put pressure on the Mountaineers by forcing its offense to play from behind and make Mitchell throw the football more than desired.

Colton Blackburn ran for more than 100 yards in last week’s win over Swain, and he ran for more than 120 yards in Avery’s win over Mitchell. If the Viking offensive line continues to open holes for the running game and the team takes care of the football, Avery has a good chance to advance to the state semifinal round.

As with the first matchup, the wild card may very well be Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva. The junior threw for more than 240 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win. If he can equal or better those numbers this week and get the run support of recent weeks, it will be very difficult for Mitchell to match the Vikings on the scoreboard.

Fans of both schools are encouraged to “PACK THE MAC” this Friday, Nov. 26, for this once-in-a-generation showdown.

By the Numbers:
2 – touchdown passes by Avery’s Alex Villanueva in last week’s win over Swain. Also the number of Taylor Potter rushing touchdowns in last week’s second round triumph.
6 – fumbles by the Mountaineers in the Nov. 5 matchup against the Vikings (2 lost)
8- discrepancy in total yards (248 for Avery, 240 for Mitchell) in the first meeting this season between the schools.
15 – combined pass attempts by Avery and Mitchell in the Nov. 5th “Snow Bowl” game at MacDonald Stadium.
43 – rushing attempts by Mitchell (compared to only two passes) in the Mountaineers’ 35-29 win at West Wilkes last week.
95 – rushing yards by Avery running back Colton Blackburn in last week’s 30-12 win over Swain.
380 – combined rushing yards by Mitchell’s Justin Hughes during the first two weeks of the 2010 postseason.
2005 – the last season the Avery Vikings advanced to the third round of the state football playoffs.
2,337 – combined rushing yardage for Mitchell’s Shawn Jackson (1,228) and Avery’s Colton Blackburn (1,109) this season.

Pick up a copy of next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s showdown with the Mountaineers, as well as a preview (if necessary) of a potential regional semifinal playoff contest.

Vikings Exorcise Devils for Third Round Berth

The Avery Vikings (10-3) used a stifling defense and a first-half offensive barrage to dominate the Swain Maroon Devils (7-5) by a 30-12 final score on a clear and cold Friday, Nov. 19, at MacDonald Stadium to advance to the third round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 1-AA football playoffs.

“I told the guys after the game how proud I was of them. I felt like they came out and played extremely hard. I think for us to beat Swain the way we did can catapult us to a different level. It’s like we knocked down a wall much like we did in 2005,” Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer said after the triumph. “I’d been reading online that some of the Swain supporters were saying that we should be getting ready for basketball after tonight. I told our players that I hated to disappoint them, but they’ll have to keep the basketballs put away and prepare for another football game next week.”

A large contingent of Swain fans made the approximate three-hour road trip from Bryson City to Newland to support their club who had ousted the Big Red from the playoffs in the 2007 postseason.

Avery made one of its few mistakes all evening during its first offensive drive. The Viking offense marched the football downfield with relative ease, but Swain defensive back Matthew Maennle intercepted a Villanueva pass inside the red zone to turn Avery away.

The Maroon Devils struggled for the entire first half to get any offensive momentum rolling on the Viking defense. Swain was held to a three-and-out to punt the football to the Vikings, and Avery ran over the Devils for its first touchdown. The potent running combination of Taylor Potter and Colton Blackburn did all the damage, with Blackburn pounding the Swain defense for a 32-yard gain and Potter racing 19 yards to paydirt. The Dustin Clark point after touchdown (PAT) gave the Big Red a 7-0 lead with 8:25 to play in the opening period.

Swain moved the football offensively with its ensuing possession, but a holding penalty and a personal foul penalty doomed its drive and forced a punt.

Throughout the first half, Avery found holes in the Maroon Devils defense both on the ground and through the air, and managed to again move downfield into the Swain red zone. However, three straight incomplete passes, the final one on a fourth-down conversion attempt, turned the football over on downs.

Both teams traded punts as the second period began. The Vikings struck for a second touchdown when, following a pass completion that was negated by an illegal block, Avery went for broke and fired a long pass play down the sideline. Villanueva hung a long pass to Hughes, which fell just outside the outstretched hands of the Swain safety and into the hands of Hughes in stride, who outran the Swain secondary for a 74-yard touchdown. The Clark PAT staked the Big Red to a 14-0 lead with 7:50 to play before halftime.

Again the Viking defense forced another punt from the Swain offense, and the Avery offense composed a masterpiece of a third scoring drive, journeying 77 yards over eight plays. An offside penalty against Swain on third down gave Avery a first down, and the Vikings capitalized with a 27-yard touchdown run by Potter. The extra point pushed Avery out front by a 21-0 score which it carried to intermission.

The opening two quarters were a testament to the domination of the Viking defense. Swain was held to just 97 first-half yards, while the Vikings bedeviled the Swain defense for 326 yards in total offense.

With its collective back to the wall, the Maroon Devils came out of the locker room fighting and motivated to get back into the game. Swain put together its best drive of the night with the first series of the third quarter, a 10-play, 72-yard drive that elapsed 4:56 off the clock. Quarterback Colby Hyatt connected with receiver Greg Tisho on a four-yard touchdown to put Swain on the scoreboard. The extra point was unsuccessful, but Swain cut the Avery lead to 21-6.

Avery was forced to punt on its first offensive series of the half and momentum appeared to shift in Swain’s favor. The Viking defense showed that it wasn’t ready to let the Maroon Devils make a game of it, however. Senior lineman Lucas Lecka picked up a key quarterback sack of Hyatt and the Devils were forced to punt the ball back away.

As the third quarter ended and final stanza began, Swain had possession deep in its own territory and were forced into yet another punting situation. On this occasion, the situation went terribly wrong for the visitors, as the punt snap sailed over the head of Swain punter Evan Sneed. As the ball bounced into the end zone, Sneed booted the ball out the back of the end zone for an Avery safety, upping the Viking advantage to 23-6.

Upon receiving the free kick following the safety and benefiting from an additional Swain unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Avery put the game away with authority. Using just four plays to march the necessary 37 yards, the Vikings were again in the end zone. Villanueva and Hughes again connected, this time for a 31-yard touchdown as Avery led 30-6 with 8:45 to play in the game.

The teams traded punts as the final period transpired until Swain running back Josue Otero scored the final points of the game on a 22-yard touchdown against the Avery reserves in the game’s final minute of play.

As the final seconds ticked away, it was Avery who was triumphant and moving on to the third round to take on a familiar foe in Western Highlands Conference rival Mitchell at MacDonald Stadium this Friday, Nov. 27.

When the dust settled, Brewer boiled down the difference in the win to a simple, yet crucial element.

“I felt the difference in the game was the line play. We whipped them on both sides of the football up front,” Brewer said in victory.

Avery gained 401 yards in total offense for the game, highlighted by a 13-for-26 passing effort from Villanueva. The junior, returning to action after missing last week’s first round game upon re-aggravating his surgically-repaired collarbone, threw for 243 yards and two scores, both to senior wide receiver Hughes totaling 105 yards.

“I thought Alex played great. He did exactly what he had to do for us to win the game,” Brewer said of his signal-caller.

Senior running back Colton Blackburn gained 95 yards on 12 carries, and paced the Viking defense with 15 tackles. Fellow senior lineman Lecka had three sacks and 12 tackles, with a pair of sacks by senior Kenny Hicks.

Avery will play neighboring Mitchell in this week’s third round matchup. The Mountaineers defeated the West Wilkes Blackhawks 35-29 in Miller’s Creek in round two to set up this week’s colossal contest.

“I’ve pulled for Mitchell and I’m tickled to death that they made the third round, but I dread playing them again,” Brewer said regarding this week’s game, the second meeting between the squads in four weeks. “I’m proud for our conference, and I think this is big for both their community and for ours. We’ve got two Western Highlands Conference teams in the third round playing for a regional championship, and that’s big. I’m tickled that we’re playing Mitchell for that opportunity. It seems every time we play one another, there’s something on the line, so for us to play each other in a game at this level, it’s going to be an awesome atmosphere for everybody.”  

Mountaineers Rushing Attack Blasts Blackhawks

The roller coaster season of the Mitchell High School (MHS) football team took a few more twists and turns in its second round game last Friday, Nov. 19, in Miller’s Creek against the West Wilkes Blackhawks. A pair of fourth quarter touchdown runs held up as Mitchell earned a grueling 35-29 win over West in a back-and-forth playoff thriller.

The Mountaineers drew first blood as it capped a six-play, 63-yard scoring drive with a 17-yard touchdown run by senior halfback Shawn Jackson. The Isaac Edwards point after touchdown (PAT) gave the Mountaineers an early 7-0 lead early in the first period.

On its first offensive series, West was forced to punt. The Blackhawks reached into its bag of tricks early, however, as it faked the punt on fourth down and Andrew Adams ambled 60 yards to put West on the board. Seth Absher’s PAT knotted the game at 7-7 at the 6:05 mark of the opening stanza.

Mitchell’s fortunes worsened on the ensuing kickoff as the Mountaineers fumbled the pigskin and West recovered at the Mountaineer 47-yard line. West marched to the end zone on six plays to capitalize on the gaffe, with Adams scoring for the second time in as many series as quarterback Absher connected with him for a 34-yard touchdown pass. The PAT pushed the home team ahead by a 14-7 margin.

Late in the first quarter, the Mountaineers needed to steal the momentum back from the Blackhawks, and it did so with an 11-play, 61-yard drive. Justin Hughes collected the touchdown on a seven-yard run, and the PAT by Edwards tied the game at 14 with 10:48 to play before halftime.

Shortly after the tying score, the Mountaineer defense stepped up and swung the momentum pendulum in the corner of the Mitchell club. Hughes leaped high into the air on a pass by Absher to intercept the ball and raced 50 yards to purple paydirt. The extra point boosted the Mountaineers ahead 21-14. The teams traded punts for the remainder of the first half as Mitchell led by a touchdown at intermission.

West Wilkes opened the third quarter with the first possession and made the most of the opportunity with a seven-play, 52-yard touchdown drive. Aaron Hudler caught a six-yard pass from Absher to draw the Blackhawks within a point. West again pulled out a trick play on the extra point attempt as it faked the PAT kick. The West holder pitched the football to kicker Absher, who then threw a successful two-point conversion pass to give West a 22-21 lead.

Mitchell came up empty on its first offensive series of the half and had to punt. The Mountaineer defense again dug in and held, however, as West held the football for 5:21 of clock time and ran 16 offensive plays. The drive ended unsuccessfully as the Mitchell defense foiled a fourth-down conversion pass inside the Mitchell 20-yard line.

Regaining the football, the MHS offense ground out its own 13-play, 72-yard drive that elapsed 6:24 off the clock. Jackson scored on a four-yard run to cash in on the productive possession. A successful two-point conversion pass to Hunter Rathbone put the Mountaineers back out in front of the seesaw contest at 29-22 with 7:06 to play in the contest.

Again the Mitchell defense made a huge play late in a game, as the defense stripped a West running back of the football and made the recovery inside Blackhawks territory. The offense capitalized on the turnover as Hughes scored on a one-yard plunge. The PAT failed, but Mitchell held a commanding 35-22 lead with 2:56 left on the game clock.

West refused to fold up the tent and give up, as it quickly maneuvered 63 yards in 10 plays to score on an Adams 12-yard pass reception. Absher’s extra point kick narrowed the margin to 35-29 with only 47 seconds to play.

The Blackhawks made one final onside kick attempt to regain possession, but Mitchell recovered the kick and ran out the clock to escape Miller’s Creek with a berth in the third round of the state playoffs.

Mitchell ran the football 44 times for 290 yards in the win, and threw the football just two times for the entire game. Jackson led all rushers with 158 yards on 22 carries and a pair of touchdowns, with 14 carries for 107 yards and three touchdowns from Hughes.

The Mountaineers make its second trip to Newland in three weeks this Friday, Nov. 26, when they tangle with the Avery Vikings. The Mountaineers lost a narrow 14-7 game to the Vikings in the first matchup and will look to advance to the Western Regional championship contest next week.

Middle School Hoops Roundup

Both middle schools were busy with basketball action last week, taking the floor for three games apiece.

Avery Middle School began its week on Monday, Nov. 15, with a conference contest at home against Bowman Middle School. The Avery Lady Panthers won its contest handily, defeating Bowman by a 44-20 final score.

Nine different Lady Panthers players scored in the win, led by 13 points from Jody Poore. Destiny Ollis tallied seven for the home team, with six from Ashley Singleton, five points from Christian Burleson and four points from Alex Bare.

“To be successful in basketball you have to play team ball. I think our team does well. We played our best game last Monday against Bowman,” Avery Lady Panthers head coach Tonia Hall said after the win. “I thought our defense against Bowman was really good. The girls hustled and played smart, and they also shot the ball better than normal too.”

In the evening’s night cap, the Avery boys continued its unbeaten streak with a dominating 59-36 win. Avery took a 16-7 edge after one period, but led by only a 27-21 margin at halftime. The Panthers roared out of the locker room at halftime with an 18-5 scoring spurt to lead 45-26 en route to the win.

Austin Phillips an Kobe Pittman scored 12 points each in the win, with 10 points from both Dalton Tennant and Tre Jackson, as well as six points from Dylan Bauer.

“We had four kids in double-figures. When you’re able to do that in a game, it makes you hard to beat,” Avery boys head coach Gordon Polsgrove said after the win.

On Tuesday, Nov. 16, the Panthers traveled to take on the Harris Blue Devils. The Lady Devils proved too tough to tame as they defeated Avery by a final score of 40-28.

Only four Lady Panthers registered points in the contest, led by Poore’s 14. Kylie Polsgrove added nine, with three points from Anna Gragg and two points from Ollis.

“We were not prepared when we played Harris. Harris is definitely well coached and played under control. We, on the other hand, had too many turnovers and did not make many free throws,” Hall said after the game. “We did not run our offense, and we could have played better defensively too. Also, I could have done a better job coaching the girls, and mixing up our defense. Overall, I thought they hustled and played hard.”

In the boys game, Avery took care of yet another conference foe with a 65-53 road victory.

Avery led by a single point at 11-10 after one stanza, but built a lead of a half-dozen at 29-23 by halftime.

A 21-12 scoring burst by the Blue Devils gave Harris a 44-41 lead going into the final six minutes of play, jeopardizing Avery’s undefeated record. However, the Avery club stepped up with a 24-point fourth quarter to seize control of the game for good and earn the hard-fought win.

James Stewart led the Panthers with 17 points, while Jackson and Pittman tallied 16 points apiece in the victory. Phillips pitched in with nine points, with six from Tennant.

“It was a tough game. We were behind late, and to score 24 points in the final quarter is good for a junior high team,” Polsgrove said after the win.

Avery wrapped up its week on Thursday, Nov. 18, returning home to host Cane River.

The Lady Panthers picked up its second win of the week, a 26-19 margin over the Lady Rebels.

Both teams struggled to score on offense in the early going, as Avery took a narrow 7-4 lead after one period and led by three at 13-10 at halftime.

Both teams could manage only two field goals in the third period, with Avery clinging to a 17-14 lead going into the final period. In the final stanza, a five-point burst from Ollis proved to be enough to put Avery over the top.

Ollis led the Lady Panthers with 11 points, with five points from Polsgrove and four points each from Burleson and Raina Wiseman.

“I am not sure what happened against Cane River. We looked out of control and never got into rhythm on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball,” Hall said. “We were lucky to win. Cane River did a good job keeping the game close.”

In the second half of the doubleheader, the Avery boys maintained a sizable lead, then exploded in the final quarter to win by a 60-42 margin.

Avery led 15-8 after one period. In the second period Cane River cut the margin to three points on two occasions, but a pair of Jackson three-point baskets answered each rally and allowed the Panthers to lead 31-20 at halftime.

The Panthers began to pull away in the third quarter, extending its lead to 42-28 as it went on to keep its perfect 2010 record intact.

Pittman led all scorers with 20 points, six assists and four steals, with 11 from Jackson and 10 points and seven rebounds from Tennant. Stewart chipped in with eight points, with seven points from Jeffery Puckett.

“Cane River played tough. They’re a good ballclub,” Polsgrove said after the win. “We had good balance tonight and have had that all season. We have several players who contribute to the team, and that’s made us successful. We play as hard as we can and play defense as best as we can, and it’s proven to be enough. Our point guard Kobe plays extremely well, as does Tre when he plays the point. Kobe may be one of the best, if not the best player this season in the conference.”

The Avery boys team stands at 8-0 overall, with a 7-0 conference record.

The Cranberry Middle School teams took the floor with a trio of games last week as well. The Lady Wildcats hosted the East Yancey Lady Panthers on Monday, Nov. 15, with the Lady Panthers coming away with a 36-16 win. East’s Destiny Elkins led all scorers with 24 points in the contest. The Lady Wildcats played hard for the entire contest, but were unable to overcome a highly talented East club which has proven to be the top team in the conference during the regular season.

In the boys game, the Panthers captured a 47-35 win over Cranberry. The Wildcats trailed by only two points at intermission, but East put together a scoring run in the third period to take a nine-point lead into the final period and take the 12-point decision.

“We have improved very much as the season has progressed, “Cranberry head coach Jimmy Tilley said after the game.

On Tuesday, Nov. 16, the Wildcats journeyed across the border to Cloudland High School in Roan Mountain to take on the Highlanders. In girls action, the Lady Wildcats came away with an impressive 23-15 win in a defensive affair.

Cranberry held Cloudland to only one point in the first six minutes of action and led 9-5 at halftime. In the third quarter the Lady Cats exploded on a 12-3 scoring run to put the contest out of reach.

Sierra Jones led Cranberry with 11 points, with eight from Bethany Burleson and three points from Elizabeth Pittman.

“The girls played one of their best games of the year and pulled away in the second half,” Tilley said of the win.

In the second half of the twin bill, the Cranberry boys made it a clean sweep of Cloudland with a decisive 47-33 win. The Wildcats held a narrow 10-9 lead after one period and preserved its one-point margin at 19-18 at halftime.

Three-point baskets by Jeremiah Vance and Tyler Pitman in the third period helped stake Cranberry to a 33-28 advantage after three periods, while a 10-point flurry by Wildcat center Cainan Singleton put the contest out of reach.

“The boys did not play well in the first half, but they increased their intensity to pull away in the second half,” Tilley said.

Cranberry’s girls team picked up its second straight win on Thursday, Nov. 18, defeating Bowman 30-17 in Bakersville. Both teams started the first half slowly offensively, but the Lady Cats held a narrow 14-12 lead at halftime. Cranberry picked up its offense in the second half, while holding the Lady Bulldogs to just five points over the final two periods to pick up the win.

Jones led all Cranberry scorers with 12 points, with eight points from Pittman.

“Our first game to the Lady Dogs was a seven-point loss, so we have really improved as the season has progressed,” Tilley said of his team’s effort.

In the night cap, the Wildcats held a five-point lead at halftime and led by three points after three periods, but the Bulldogs took advantage of a number of Cranberry turnovers to outscore the Wildcats by 17 points in the final stanza to win by a 51-37 final score.

“The boys game was a good one for three periods. Our scoring and floor leader Tyler Pitman did not play due to illness, so that hurt our hopes quite a bit late in the game,” Tilley said.

Zack Guinn had 16 points to lead the Wildcats.

Both county middle school teams play a limited schedule this week. Avery hosted Harris on Monday, Nov. 22, while Cranberry traveled to Cane River the same evening and hosted West McDowell in a non-conference contest on Tuesday, Nov. 23.