LIVE FROM KIDD BREWER...App State vs. Villanova

10:50: It's a beautiful morning in Boone for today's FCS Quarterfinals between App and Villanova. The top seeded Mountaineers enter today's contest with a 10-2 mark and advanced with a 42-14 victory over Western Illinois in last weekend's snow bowl, while the defending national champion Wildcats enter with an 8-4 record and advanced with a 54-24 victory over Stephen Austin. In the past five years, the teams have combined for four national titles.

Villanova is led senior quarterback Chris Whitney who has thrown for 2,040 yards and 21 touchdowns. Norman White has been Whitney's favorite target as he has 62 receptions and 10 touchdowns.

DeAndre Presley has been the leader for the Mountaineers has the Walter Payton finalist has thrown for 2,270 yards and rushed for 1,017 yards. Presley has combined for 32 touchdowns so far this season. (

While the sun is out today, the snow is still hanging around in the stands and hills surronding Kidd Brewer Stadium to help set the scene for this huge matchups. The matchup can be watched on ESPN at noon. (NCAA Graphics courtesy of http://www.ncaa.org/)

11:38: Both teams are on the field warming up as the clock continues to count down. The sun is peaking out as the weather looks to be pretty but cool. Of course, we would rather have the weather today then the weather forecasted for tomorrow and Monday. It's almost football time in Boone!

12:06: Gametime is finally here. App won the toss and elected to recieve.

Midway 1st: App made quick work of their first drive as they drove down the field in three plays and scored when Travaris Cadet broke free for a 46-yard touchdown. The Wildcats took 12 plays, but responded with a two yard touchdown from Matt Szczur to tie the game at 7 apiece.

End of the first: After the touchdown by Villanova, App moved the ball past midfield, but a fumble turned the ball over. However, the Wildcats were unable to get anything going. App got a 74 yard pass from Presley to Devin Moore but was unable to score and settled for a field goal to take a 10-7 lead. 'Nova got back on the board when Szczur found White for a 54-yard touchdown to take a 14-10 lead into the second period.

Midway 2nd: After App was unable to get their offense moving to start the period, 'Nova responded with a 30 yard touchdown pass from Whitney to Szczur to take a 21-10 lead. With that Szczur has already thrown, caught, and ran for a touchdown in the game. App went for a 4th and 1 on the Wildcat 40, but was stopped and turned the ball over on downs with 8:47 left in the game.

Half: The Mountaineers trail 28-10 at the break as Szczur scored again on a 24 yard run. App was forced to punt, but pinned the Wildcats inside their own 10 with a 63 yard punt. That led to a 3 and out and App took over at midfield. However, App was unable to convert on a 4th and long with a minute left in the half.

Midway 3rd: The second half as saw neither team's offense able to move the ball as the score remains 28-10 with 9:41 remaining in the third quarter.

End of the 3rd: App cut into the Wildcat lead when Presley hit Ben Jorden for a 14 yard touchdown pass with 4:39 left in the third. However, Villanova answered with a drive of their own that sees them inside the App five yard line as time expires in the quarter.

Midway through the 3rd: The Wildcats took advantage as Szuzur dived in from one yard out on a 3rd and one play. The ensuing kickoff went out of bounds setting the Mountaineers up at their 40. App responded when Presley hit Brian Quick for a 38 yard touchdown pass. The ensuing kickoff poised problems again for the Wildcats as a fumble gave the ball back to App at midfield, but App was stopped on 4th and six with 10 minutes left in the game. It only took two plays and 37 seconds for Villanova to take advantage as they scored when Whitney ran into the endzone from five yards out to take a 42-24 lead with 9:51 left in the game.

Final: The Mountaineers will come up short as they will see their season end with a 10-3 mark. The Wildcats will face the winner of Eastern Washington and North Dakota State. We will have more on the game later in the weekend!

Toe River Conference Basketball Tournaments Championships Set for Saturday

The Toe River Conference championship games are set for Saturday afternoon at Avery High School.

In the girls championship game, top-seeded East Yancey will take on #2 seed Harris starting at 1 p.m., with the boys championship game, pitting top-seed Avery against #2 seed Bowman starting at 2:30 p.m.

Admission for the tournament is $3.00 for adults and $1.00 for students and children.

Updated Tournament brackets are listed below. Click on image for larger version.

Avery Tripped by Cloudland, Upends Watauga in Home Opener

Last week started roughly for the Avery High School (AHS) girls varsity basketball team, as the Lady Vikings fell behind early at Cloudland (CHS) and could not muster a rally in a 64-47 loss on Tuesday, Nov. 30.

On Friday, Dec. 3, however, the Big Red earned a measure of revenge over rival Watauga High School (WHS) in Big Red Country, roaring back from a double-figure deficit to defeat the Lady Pioneers 58-49 at The Octagon.

In the matchup with the Lady Landers in Roan Mountain, Avery hung tough with the hot shooting Cloudland squad. A scoring burst by the Lady Landers midway through the period forced an Avery timeout as Cloudland led 19-11. The Landers went on to lead 25-14 after one period.

During the second stanza, the Big Red was as cold shooting from the field that a team could possibly be, as the squad made zero field goals for the entire quarter. A combination of tough CHS defense and offensive rebounding, Lady Viking turnovers and an unkind rim deepened the Viking deficit, as CHS outscored AHS 13-1 in the quarter for a 38-15 halftime lead. A Savannah Dellinger free throw prevented the Big Red from going scoreless for the frame.

Playing its fourth straight game without the services of junior starting center Megan Tennant, AHS opened the third quarter with four straight points to cut the margin under 20 points, but the teams played even for much of the remainder of the period. A Kelsie Clarke field goal as time expired shaved the CHS lead to 47-28 entering the final eight minutes of play.

As the closing period ensued the Vikings showed it had no quit in them. AHS outscored the Landers 10-6 over a span of just over two minutes, as a Mercedes Bentley basket drew the Lady Vikings to within 53-38 and forced a timeout from CHS head coach Matt Birchfield.

AHS continued to stage a rally, as a three-point play by forward Katelynn Eudy and a field goal by Lauren Burleson brought the Big Red to within a dozen at 55-43 with 3:20 to play in the contest. CHS staved off the comeback attempt, however, forcing three Avery turnovers over the next four Viking offensive possessions, and knocked down enough key free throws down the stretch to seal the 17-point win.

Bentley led the Lady Vikings with 12 points, while Eudy added eight points, eight rebounds and three assists. Burleson scored eight points with five rebounds, with five points apiece from Mary Chesnut Smith.

The Lady Vikings opened up its home schedule with a huge win over the Lady Pioneers for its first “W” of 2010-11. 

For a while, it looked like WHS (1-1) was going to pitch a shutout. Avery started off miserably from the field by making just 1-of-11 shots and not scoring until a Lauren Burleson basket went through with 3:07 left in the first quarter.

Though WHS claimed an 18-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, they could not add on to it in the second and took a 33-22 lead into halftime.
“We controlled the game in the first half,” Pioneers head coach Klay Anderson said. “I felt like we did what we needed to do. We threw it inside. We were consistent on offense and we were getting some good shots.”
AHS (1-4) finally pulled even in the third quarter by going on a 11-0 run to tie the game at 37-37. The Vikings went in front for good in the fourth quarter after an old-fashioned three-point play by Tennant, who played in her first game of the season since suffering a leg injury in the preseason, gave them a 44-41 lead.
“There was a time in the first half when the lead hovered about nine points or 11 points or 10 points and we never could push it up,” Anderson said. “We let them hang around with offensive rebounds and in that second quarter is what kept hope alive for them to have a chance in the third quarter.”
WHS did not score in the fourth quarter until a Shipp broke a drought with a basket 3:12 left in the game. The score left the Pioneers behind 46-43 and WHS was never able to make up the difference.
AHS put pressure on WHS's defense with a full-court press that bothered the Pioneers into either turning the ball over, or not getting smoothly into their offense.
“In the second half, I admire (Avery coach Missy) Lyons,” Anderson said. “She could have set back in a zone and we could have kept beating them to death, but she gambled and tried something different and on this night, we couldn't handle it.”
Tennant led all scorers with 18 points, while Bentley added 15. Burleson finished with seven.
The Big Red also held an advantage at the free throw line, converting 22-of-40 from the line, compared to 11-of-25 shooting from WHS. Bentley made 13-of-15, including all three attempts after she was fouled attempting a three-point shot.
WHS’s Brooke Rhodes, who dominated Avery in the first meeting between the schools with a double-double performance, led WHS with 15 points. Hannah Shipp had nine; Alford finished with eight points, all in the first half.

Avery’s non-conference contest scheduled for Monday, Dec. 6, at West Wilkes was postponed by inclement weather. The Lady Vikings will next take the floor on Friday, Dec. 10, with the return contest at home against Cloudland.

Wrestling Opens Season with Ashe Dual Meet, Blackhawk Tournament

The Avery High School (AHS) wrestling squad opened its regular season schedule with a dual meet in Jefferson on Friday, Dec. 3, against Ashe County High School (ACHS). AHS fought hard during the dual, but the Huskies were too strong to defeat on its home mat as the Vikings fell by a 69-6 match score.

In its lone victory of the meet, Viking senior Brock Yackey picked up where he left off a season ago. Moving up to the 145-pound weight class this season, Yackey earned a second-period pinfall victory over ACHS’s Jacob Caffey.

A trio of Vikings battled hard, but fell in matches by decision. At the 119-pound weight class, Harley Rash lost in a narrow 6-4 decision against Jake St. German. At 160 pounds, returning state qualifier C.J. Vance lost a tight 4-0 decision to ACHS’s Dylan Lewis, while at 171 pounds, Luke Price battled but lost an 8-3 decision to Blake Huffman.

On Saturday, Dec. 4, the Vikings traveled to Miller’s Creek for the West Wilkes Invitational Tournament. It was a solid showing for a quartet of AHS wrestlers who each placed in the top four in their respective weight classes during the event.

In the 125-pound weight class, Jacob McKinney brought home a fourth-place finish, as he won matches over North Surry’s Dakota Key by pin and West Davidson’s Sebastian Shanner by a 5-0 decision.

In the 135-pound classification, Devin Buchanan brought home fourth place as well, defeating Surry Central’s Rico Martinez by a narrow 8-7 decision and winning by second period pinfall over West Wilkes wrestler Casey Lewis.

The best finishes of the day for the Big Red were turned in by familiar faces, as seniors Yackey (145 pounds) and Vance (160 pounds) earned runner-up medals for their efforts.

Yackey received a first-round bye, then defeated West Davidson’s Jacob Robertson with a second period pin before falling in the championship final.

Vance won his first two matches of the tournament by pinfall over wrestlers from West Davidson and Surry Central, but lost by forfeit in the championship match.

The Vikings was scheduled to host Watauga and Mountain Heritage in a tri-match Tuesday, Dec. 7, but the match was postponed by inclement weather. The Big Red will travel this Saturday, Dec. 11, to Tuscola High School in Waynesville for the NEO Invitational Tournament.

Junior Varsity Hoops Roundup

It was a tough week for the Avery junior varsity basketball teams as both the girls and boys squads were knocked off in two contests each last week.

Junior Varsity Girls
The Lady Viking junior varsity girls fell in a 58-32 final score to the Cloudland Lady Landers in the opening contest on Tuesday, Nov. 30, at Sonny Smith Gym in Roan Mountain, Tenn.

The Lady Landers forced a number of turnovers in a physical contest, while Avery was unable to heat up offensively during much of the first half, as Cloudland took a 32-15 halftime edge.

“The referees really took us out of the game more than anything else,” Avery head coach Pat Daniels said after the game. “Haley Woody was elbowed in the throat and Taylor Hobbs was smacked in the eye which swelled up, and a foul wasn’t called on either play.”

During the early fourth quarter of the matchup, Avery head coach Pat Daniels received a second technical foul while disputing the physicality of the play on the floor and was ejected from the contest. The statistics bear out the coach’s concerns, as Avery shot only eight free throws in the game while the Lady Landers attempted 35.

“I probably got a little hotter than I should have,” Daniels said. “We played hard, but we really couldn’t get anything going.”

Freshman guard Katie Rigdon led the Lady Vikings with seven points, with six points and six rebounds from sophomore Sela Pittman. Haley Woody added four points and six rebounds, with four points and five rebounds by Shannon Smith. Bre Heaton and Taylor Hobbs also pitched in with four points each.

“We rebounded well in the contest, but what killed us was that we had 17 turnovers in the first half and 25 for the game,” Daniels said.

Haley Johnson led Cloudland with 14 points, with 13 from Courtney Wilson.

On Friday, Dec. 3, the Lady Vikings entered the contest without the services of Daniels, who served the first of a two-game suspension for his ejection from the team’s previous game.

Watauga defeated the Lady Vikings in the teams’ first contest of the season in Boone on Tuesday, Nov. 23, winning by a 33-25 final score. In the rematch last week, Watauga escaped Newland with a win over a scrappy Avery club by a 44-33 final score.

Avery took a 12-9 advantage after one period, but WHS battled back to grab a 20-19 halftime edge.

The turning point of the contest was the third period, where the Lady Vikings could muster only three Pittman points in the frame. The Lady Pioneers roared ahead with 12 in the stanza to lead 32-22 and went on for the win.

Avery took better care of the basketball, committing only 10 turnovers for the contest, but generated only six steals as a team in the game.

Pittman, Rigdon and Hobbs scored seven points each, with six points from Heaton. Kristen Burleson pulled down eight rebounds in the contest to lead the club, with four from Pittman and three from Hobbs.

“Sela and Taylor are doing a good job for us as sophomores, along with MacKenzie Thomas. MacKenzie’s not necessarily a high scorer, but she hustles, she steals the ball, and is a good leader. Our other sophomore Kristen and our whole team has been coming along well,” Daniels said.

Though the team’s start has been slower than desired, the coach sees areas where there is room for improvement and believes in the club.

“Thus far this season we’ve had a lot of shots that just haven’t been falling down. I think we have as many shooters as we’ve had in years past and we’re still getting good shots,” Daniels said of the team’s start. “I think the team is still used to playing together and getting used to the high school game. The schools we’ve played have been tough the past two seasons. I think once we get in conference, we’ll be fine.”

Junior Varsity Boys
Avery’s junior varsity boys team played its first game of the 2010 season on Tuesday, Nov. 30, in Roan Mountain, Tenn. against the Cloudland Highlanders.

The Vikings held a narrow 17-16 lead after one period of play, but a late second quarter scoring flurry from the Landers broke open a close game to give Cloudland a 37-24 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Avery club played hard, but the home-standing Cloudland club had a hot hand shooting the basketball. A number of Viking turnovers contributed to the Lander run, as Cloudland led 59-39 after three periods, and went on to capture the win by a final score of 73-52.

On Friday, Dec. 3, the Vikings returned to floor to take on the Watauga Pioneers at Viking Gym and the famed Octagon. The game was the home opener at Avery, as the school played its first high school games on its newly-refurbished playing floor.

Watauga's boys' JV team built a big halftime lead and went on to defeat the Big Red by a 60-42 final score.

The victorious Pioneers was paced by Ben Howser, who led Watauga in scoring with 14 points. Chris Winkler and Dewayne Mackey each added nine points and Allen Koppenhaver scored eight.
Avery held the Pioneers without a three-point basket for the night, but Watauga converted on 18-of-28 free throws to help widen its margin in the game.

Watauga held a 13-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, but outscored Avery 23-11 in the second period to claim a 36-19 lead. Avery rallied in the third quarter to pull within 14 points at 40-26 in the third quarter, but could get no closer as the Pioneers held off the Viking charge for the win.

Avery got nine points each from Bryce Pittman and Chase Buchanan. Luke Wotell added eight for the Vikings, who did not play Watauga during the first scheduled game because several players were brought up to the varsity to fill in while the football players were in the state 1-AA playoffs.

Chance Watson hit two of the Vikings' three-point baskets for the game.

Avery was scheduled to travel to Miller’s Creek on Monday, Dec. 6, to take on West Wilkes, but inclement weather postponed the contests to Wednesday, Dec. 8. Avery will also take on Cloudland High School in Newland on Friday, Dec. 10, in a rematch of last week’s showdowns.

Panthers Sweep In-County Rematch as Postseason Looms

With the Toe River Conference Tournament beginning later this week, the Avery Middle School Panthers and Cranberry Middle School Wildcats played its final full week of regular season basketball.

On Monday, Nov. 29, the Wildcats traveled to Harris to tangle with the Blue Devils. In the girls contest, the Lady Devils took charge early with an 18-4 scoring run and never looked back in a 43-17 win. Sierra Jones led Cranberry with seven points, with six from Bethany Burleson.

In the second half of the doubleheader, the Wildcat boys team hung tough throughout the contest, but dropped a close 31-27 decision to the Blue Devils.

CMS played tough defense through one quarter and took a 6-3 lead after six minutes. The strong play continued as the Wildcats led 14-8 at intermission.

CMS continued to dominate the action in the third quarter, outscoring the Devils 9-7 to carry a 23-15 lead into the final quarter. Over the last six minutes Harris rallied behind the hot hand of Drey Phillips, who drained a pair of three-pointers to bring the Blue Devils all the way back for the four-point win.

Tyler Pitman paced the Wildcats with 12 points, with six from Cainan Singleton, five from Levi McIntosh, and four from Caleb Stansberry.

On Tuesday, Nov. 30, the AMS squads hosted the Cloudland Highlanders in a pair of exciting games.

In the girls contest the game was knotted at six points each after one period and remained close throughout the game. AMS used an 8-4 scoring edge in the second stanza to lead 14-10 at halftime.

In the third period the Lady Lander defense stepped up, holding AMS to just two points on a Christian Burleson basket while scoring six itself to tie the contest at 16-16 entering the final six minutes of play.

The final quarter was nip-and-tuck throughout, but Cloudland held on for a 22-21 win. Kylie Polsgrove paced AMS with seven points, with five from Burleson and four from Destiny Ollis.

In the night cap it was a matchup of undefeated teams as Avery and Cloudland squared off. The Landers entered the contest with a long winning streak, but the Panthers came up big in earning an impressive 47-39 non-conference win.

Cloudland took a 9-8 lead after one quarter of action with balanced scoring by four separate players. In the second stanza, however, AMS roared back to outscore Cloudland 13-7 and lead 21-16 at halftime, as sixth man Dylan Bauer came up big with seven points in the period.

Coming out of the locker rooms, Cloudland showed its fighting spirit, rallying to trail by just a pair at 29-27 going into the final six minutes of play. Over the final period AMS poured on the offense, scorching the nets for 18 points to pull away for the win.

“Cloudland was a strong ballclub that handled the ball really well. We had to play our very best, and that helps us get better. We were able to hang on for an important win. It wasn’t a conference game, but it will help us become a better club,” AMS boys head coach Gordon Polsgrove said after the win.

Kobe Pittman paced the Panthers with 15 points, with 10 points apiece from Tre Jackson, James Stewart, and Bauer.

On Thursday, Dec. 2, the Wildcats and Panthers tangled in the second of its two regular season matchups. AMS honored its eighth-grade players and cheerleaders between the girls and boys games, recognizing the two years the student-athletes contributed to the school’s athletic programs.

In the girls game, the Lady Panthers and Lady Wildcats played a tight first half as AMS held a narrow 15-11 lead at intermission. The Lady Panthers pulled away in the third quarter with an 8-4 scoring run to lead 23-15 after three stanzas, and scored its highest point total of 14 in the final quarter to pull away for a 37-23 win.

Polsgrove netted 16 points to lead AMS with seven points from Christian Burleson, six from Ollis and five from Anna Gragg.

For the Lady Wildcats, Bethany Burleson led the way with eight points, with five points from Brandy Banner and four points scored by Emma Shell.

“They just outplayed us tonight, pure and simple. We didn’t play well and they played great,” Tilley said following the game. “There really wasn’t much we could do.”

In the final game of the night, the AMS boys were dominant in a 71-31 win over CMS. The Panthers opened the game with a 19-8 scoring run behind seven points in the period from Pittman. CMS looked to stay within striking distance behind eight first-half points from Tyler Pitman, but AMS was determined to keep the Wildcats at bay.

AMS outscored CMS 23-2 in the second quarter to lead 42-10 at intermission and went on to claim the victory in its final regular season home contest of 2010.

Three Panthers reached double-figures as nine players in all registered points on the scoreboard. Pittman paced the Panthers with 16, with 14 from Dalton Tennant and 10 from Stewart. Pitman led the way for Cranberry with 11 points, as teammate Jeremiah Vance chipped in with five and both Chandler Stansberry and Zack Guinn scored four points each.

“Avery is a very good team, the best in the conference,” Tilley said after the game. “I really wasn’t expecting them to defeat us that badly but they did. They shot very well and we shot very poorly. We just couldn’t play with them tonight.”

“We came out and got after them early,” Polsgrove said of his team’s effort against the Wildcats. “We were determined to get out quick after they led us down there in the first game. We had a great balanced scoring effort.”

For Avery, it remained perfect with a 9-0 record in Toe River Conference play and should receive the top seed and a bye in the conference tournament hosted by the Panthers later this week. Although AMS is a prohibitive favorite to capture the tournament title, Polsgrove and his team see each opponent as a challenge.

“Harris plays hard. Cane River plays hard. Bowman is under a new coach and was better the second time against us than the first game. All those teams scare me, but we have to take care of the ball and we have to play our game,” Polsgrove said. “We have to make sure we don’t get outworked, and I have to believe our chances are good. I’m optimistic, but you know what they say about beating a team three times in a season.”

Read next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s Toe River Conference Tournament.

Mitchell Football Championship Dreams Dashed by Bulldogs

All season long the Mitchell Mountaineers (MHS) has overcome tremendous obstacles to achieve great heights.

But the greatest obstacle faced on the field this season, the Albemarle Bulldogs (AHS) and its tougher-than-a-pine-knot defense, proved too great to hurdle last Friday, Dec. 3. The defending state champion Bulldogs will have a chance to defend its championship and win a fifth title in the last 10 seasons after fending off a competitive and capable MHS squad by a 22-7 final score.

AHS scored on the first offensive series of the game. Following a 41-yard kickoff return by Jaquez Wells, teammate Demetrius Hamilton capped a 7-play, 31-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown run. The point after touchdown (PAT) by kicker Cory Dick gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead with 9:23 to play in the opening quarter.

MHS found the going tough against a strong and deep AHS defensive front. The two Mountaineer offensive possessions in the quarter resulted in punts, as MHS mustered just 16 rushing yards and 34 total yards in the period. The MHS defense came to play despite giving up the early score, forcing AHS to punt on its next two series to close out the quarter with the Bulldogs holding a tenuous 7-0 lead.

Mitchell held possession of the football deep in its own territory as the second stanza began. Looking to get breathing room away from its own end zone, the Mountaineers looked to run the football. Running back Shawn Jackson was stacked up on a left side run play near the line of scrimmage at the MHS 10-yard line. During the tackle, Jackson was stripped of the football by defensive back Jay Dockery, who dashed the 10 yards into the end zone for a defensive score. The PAT by Dick was unsuccessful as AHS held a 13-0 advantage in the opening minute of the second quarter.

The Mountaineers were unable to move the football on its ensuing possession and was forced into a three-and-out. The Bulldogs then drove the pigskin 58 yards over 11 plays on a drive that elapsed more than four minutes off the clock. AHS marched as far as the MHS 7-yard line, but the purple line held and forced the Bulldogs to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Dick to extend the AHS lead to 16-0 with 6:08 left in the first half.

Both teams exchanged punts before the Mountaineers compiled its most successful offensive drive of the entire contest.

With only 2:05 left on the second quarter clock, MHS drove 85 yards over 12 plays. The offense converted a pair of third down plays to keep the drive alive, and benefited from a personal foul late hit out-of-bounds penalty against the Bulldogs on quarterback Justin Hughes. Two plays later Hughes tossed an 11-yard pass into the back corner of the end zone which wide receiver Corey Greene hauled in for a touchdown. The Isaac Edwards PAT cut the Bulldog lead to 16-7 going into the locker room at halftime.

The first half was a defensive struggle with neither team gaining more than 140 yards in total offense.

With the first possession of the third quarter the Mountaineers advanced to midfield, but was stopped and forced to punt the ball away. With its first series of the half, the AHS offense churned out its only productive drive of the half, an 8-play, 63-yard scoring drive keyed by a pair of pass plays from quarterback Nat Dunlap, one covering 11 yards to receiver Desi Dockery and the other a 21-yard completion to Dick. Hefty fullback Larell Jones capped the drive with a two-yard plunge over the goal line. The PAT kick again failed and AHS held a 22-7 margin with 6:26 to play in the third quarter.

Late in the quarter MHS attempted to convert a fourth down near midfield, but Hughes was sacked by defensive lineman Julius Williams to turn over the ball on downs.

As the final period began the MHS defense again showed its pride and grit, holding the Bulldogs at bay and short of a first down when it attempted a fourth down conversion inside the MHS 30-yard line. Any momentum gained by the stop dissipated quickly, as two plays later a Hughes pass attempt was intercepted by AHS defensive back Montego Baldwin.The MHS defense forced the Bulldogs to punt one final time, but the boys from Ledger were unable to complete a pass play on fourth down with less than two minutes left to play, quelling the team’s final comeback attempt and clinching the victory for the home team.

The Mitchell defense surrendered only 252 total yards to one of the state’s most explosive offenses, but the MHS offense was held to just 115 rushing yards on 37 attempts. Hughes carried the football 18 times for 46 yards, with 36 yards on 11 carries by Jackson. Hamilton led AHS with 129 yards on 23 carries.

“We had a great season we will never forget, and I'm so proud of my players and staff,” Mountaineers head coach Russell Barnett said after the game. “We just couldn't move the ball against a great defense. Our defense was on the field the whole game and did a great job, but they were just the better team. We did this with just five seniors and a lot of heart, and our juniors learned some great lessons this season.”

MHS ends its remarkable playoff run with an 8-7 season record and returns a strong nucleus of players for the 2011 season.

Presley, ASU Run Over Western Illinois in Second Round

Behind a career-high 264 yards from quarterback DeAndre Presley, top-seeded Appalachian State University (ASU) rushed for 417 yards and routed No. 21 Western Illinois (WIU) in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Division I Football Championship on Saturday, Dec. 4, at snow-covered Kidd Brewer Stadium.

With several inches of snow on the ground at kickoff and falling with a mixture of sleet at times throughout the game, ASU turned almost exclusively to its running game. The Mountaineers threw only seven passes — the fewest they ever attempted in 38 all-time NCAA playoff games — but ran 59 times for 417 yards, by far its highest totals of the season.

Presley was the catalyst of ASU’s ground attack, collecting the 264 yards—the fourth-highest rushing total in school history—on just 16 carries (16.5 yards per rush). He ran for two touchdowns, including an 89-yarder, which was the longest in ASU postseason history.

In the process, the junior became only the fourth player in NCAA Division I FCS history to throw for 2,000 yards and run 1,000 yards in the same season. He joins David Dinkins (Morehead State—1999), Barrick Nealy (Texas State—2005) and his predecessor as ASU’s signal-caller, Armanti Edwards, who achieved the feat in 2006.

One of Presley’s few undesirable moments came on the Mountaineers’ second possession when he threw an interception that was returned 23 yards by WIU’s Kyle Glazier to the ASU 12-yard line. One play later, Matt Barr connected with Lito Senatus for a 12-yard touchdown pass that gave the Leathernecks an early 7-0 lead.

From there, it was all ASU, as it scored the game’s next 35 points to squash WIU’s hopes for an upset. ASU all but abandoned the pass after the opening minutes of the wintry contest, running the ball on 30-of-31 plays at one point in the first half. The strategy paid off with ASU scoring four rushing touchdowns in the final 20 minutes of the first half to take a commanding 28-7 halftime lead. ASU held a 291-52 edge in total yardage in the opening half, including a 291 to -26 advantage on the ground.

Coming out of the locker room, ASU went back to the air and completed its only two passes of the afternoon on its first drive of the second half. The first completion, a 12-yarder from Presley to CoCo Hillary converted a 3rd-and-9 and, three plays later, Presley found Brian Quick for a 35-yard touchdown that stretched the advantage to 35-7.

Following Quick’s team-leading eighth touchdown catch of the season, ASU kept it on the ground for 20 of its final 21 plays to run out the clock on the 28-point victory.

In all, ASU outgained WIU (8-5) 464-231, which included a 417-133 edge in rushing yards. Even more impressively, 185 of WIU’s season-low 231 yards came after ASU took the 35-7 lead. The 231 total yards were less than half of the Leathernecks’ 476.1-yard average coming into the afternoon, which ranked No. 2 nationally.

Linebacker D.J. Smith led ASU’s dominating defensive effort with 10 tackles, good for his ninth double-digit tackle effort in the last 10 games. Fellow linebacker Justin Wray added seven tackles, including a sack and 2.5 stops for loss, and Jabari Fletcher also notched a sack and 2.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Barr, who along with Presley is one of the top three vote-getters for the 2010 Walter Payton Award, managed just 98 yards on 13-of-35 passing and was intercepted a season-high three times. Glazier led all players with 13 tackles.

With the victory, ASU (10-2) moves on to next week’s national quarterfinals, where it will face the Villanova Wildcats, who defeated Stephen F. Austin. The game will be played this Saturday, Dec. 11, at Kidd Brewer Stadium. (story and photo courtesy ASU Sports Information)

LMC Roundball Roundup

Women’s Basketball: Barton Rallies Past LMC
The Barton College (BC) women's basketball team rallied from an early second half run by Lees-McRae College (LMC) on Saturday, Dec. 4, outscoring the Bobcats by a 19-11 margin over the final 10 minutes en route to a 65-46 win in Conference Carolinas play.

BC (6-1, 3-0 CC) connected on 40 percent of its field goal attempts on the night, while holding LMC (0-7, 0-2 CC) to a 36 percent clip from the floor and out-rebounding LMC by a 45-32 margin. The Bulldogs also forced 24 Bobcat turnovers, converting those miscues into 21 points.

Kesley Sill poured in a game-high 13 points to pace the Bulldogs, and was joined in double figures by Janae Jackson and Jolanda Mitchell, who each posted 10 points. Mitchell also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds, while Shante Neal recorded a contest-best two steals.

Icey Patterson paced LMC with nine points and a game-high five assists, as Chloe Parker and Zukye Smith chipped in eight points each. Sophie Witte posted a game-high eight rebounds, while Janina Thurau recorded seven points.

BC jumped out to an early 10-5 lead in the first half before LMC went on a 4-0 spurt to cut the margin to 10-9 on a Smith jumper with 10:31 left in the period. After the teams traded baskets, BC went on a 9-0 run to push the lead to 21-11 on a Sill jumper at the 6:58 mark. LMC cut the margin to 23-17 with a 6-2 spurt before BC closed out the half with an 8-6 spurt to take a 31-23 lead into the intermission.

LMC battled back in the early moments of the second half, opening the period with a 10-2 run to tie the score at 33-33 on a Parker layup with 16:04 to play. BC answered with a tremendous run of its own, reclaiming the lead with a 13-2 spurt to open a 46-35 margin on a Mitchell layup at the 9:51 mark. The Bulldogs would stretch the lead to as much as 20 points over the final 10 minutes of the game, maintaining a double-digit advantage for last seven minutes of the contest en route to victory.

LMC returns to the court at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 30, when it hosts Livingstone College in Williams Gymnasium.

Men’s Basketball: Bulldogs Outlast Bobcats
Gerald Boston tallied game-highs of 16 points and 12 assists to pace the Barton College (BC) men's basketball team to a 93-76 win over LMC in Conference Carolinas play on Saturday, Dec. 4.

BC (5-3, 2-1 CC) posted a field goal percentage of 50.7 percent on the night, including a 59.4 percent clip in the first half, while converting 25 LMC (3-4, 0-2 CC) turnovers into 30 points. The Bobcats shot 43.1 percent in the game, including a 50-percent clip in the second half.

Boston and L.J. Dunn each posted a game-high 16 points, as Dunn pulled down a contest-best seven rebounds. Jaren Haley, Aaron Coats and R.D. Dowdy joined Boston and Dunn in double figures with 14, 13 and 10 points, respectively, while Boston posted a game-high five steals.

Sam Youse paced LMC with 15 points, knocking down a game-high three shots from beyond the arc. Gerry Hairston chipped in 14 points for the Bobcats, while Daniel Sepokas and Jeremiah Henry each posted 13 points. DeAndre Tillman recorded a game-high two blocks, while Sepokas paced LMC with four assists.

BC opened an early 8-4 lead before pushing the margin to 17-6 on a Boston layup at the 14:52 mark to cap a 9-2 run. LMC cut the advantage to 17-11 with a 5-0 spurt before Barton regained control, pushing the lead to 25-11 with an 8-0 run that was capped by a Coats jumper with 11:11 left in the half.

BC continued to dictate the flow of play, widening the margin to 36-14 with an 11-3 run over the next four minutes. LMC battled back, cutting the advantage to 42-32 with an 18-6 run over the next four minutes, a spurt which was capped by a four-point play by Youse with 3:26 remaining in the half. BC closed out the half with an 8-3 spurt to carry a 50-35 lead into the intermission.

BC carried the momentum into the second half, opening the period with an 18-4 run to take a 68-39 lead on a three-point play by Coats with 15:16 remaining in the game. LMC battled back, trimming the margin to 70-52 with a 13-2 run before cutting the lead to 76-61 on a Sepokas layup at the 9:17 mark. The Bulldogs would push the lead back to 23 points on a trio of occasions down the stretch, before LMC closed out the game with a 7-1 run to equal the final margin of 93-76.

LMC returns to the court this Saturday, Dec. 11, when it hosts Carson-Newman College in a non-conference matchup. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. in Williams Gymnasium.

Avery Cagers Fall in Pair of Rivalry Games

The Avery High School (AHS) boys varsity basketball team dropped a pair of contests as it continues to jell with the addition of a number of varsity football players making the transition from gridiron to hardwood. On Tuesday, Nov. 30, the Vikings fell by a lopsided 92-57 final score to the Cloudland High School (CHS) Highlanders. AHS’s play improved last Friday, Dec. 3, but it was not enough as Watauga High School (WHS) escaped the Viking Octagon with a 100-93 win.

The Vikings got out of the gate quickly, but the sharpshooting CHS squad led 16-10 after one period behind 10 points from guard Matthew Potter. Benji Stewart paced the Big Red with four points in the period.

The Landers built its lead into a double-figure margin with five straight points in the first 37 seconds of the second period, forcing Vikings head coach Bo Manis to take a timeout. AHS used a 10-4 run of its own to cut its deficit to 25-20 midway through the quarter, but CHS responded with a 13-4 spurt to again lead by double digits at 38-24 and led 41-29 at halftime.

Potter was the CHS offense through two quarters with 24 first-half points, while AHS’s leading scorer Dustin Clarke netted only six points for the half.

As in its previous matchup at Watauga, the Vikings was again victim of a huge offensive onslaught by its opponent. CHS tallied seven points in the first 43 seconds of the third quarter to extend its lead to 19 points at 48-29, and outscored AHS 28-5 overall in the first 4:25 of the period to build a commanding 69-34 advantage. CHS made an astounding 7-of-8 shots from three-point range during the run as it put the contest out of reach.

CHS took a 79-44 lead after three quarters and played a number of reserves in the fourth quarter en route to the 35-point victory.

Potter led CHS with a game-high 29 points and 10 rebounds, with 18 points and nine rebounds from Michael Hyden and 11 points from Zac Potter.

For the Big Red, Joey Potter paced AHS with 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor. Clarke added 12 points and 10 rebounds, with eight points from Timmy Stewart.
AHS sought to bounce back from its loss to the Landers as it hosted WHS in a physical and emotional contest between rival schools.

WHS took a big first-half lead and then had to hold off a furious Avery rally to claim victory.

The Pioneers led 47-28 by halftime, but the Vikings rallied to within five points and scored a staggering 65 points in the second half to put the outcome of the game in doubt until the final minute.

WHS used steals from its perimeter defense took advantage of a number of early misses by the Big Red to build its lead of as many as 21 points at 47-26.

AHS, still learning the nuances of playing together as a full unit, committed 19 turnovers for the game, 14 of which came in the opening two quarters to feed the WHS attack.

From the outset, the strategy for the visiting Pioneers was to limit the touches of 2009 Western Highlands Conference Player of the Year Clarke, but the senior showed what made him one of the region’s most dangerous players, lighting up the Pioneers for a game-high 26 points.

AHS stormed back from its 19-point halftime deficit with 30 points in the third stanza and 35 in the fourth. The Vikings closed to within six points in the fourth quarter twice, the final time at 91-85 after Timmy Stewart hit back-to-back 3-point baskets, the second coming with 1:54 left.

The Big Red worked a pair of Pioneers, Will Koppenhaver and Caleb Watson, into foul trouble that weakened the interior defense. However, in the end WHS closed out the game by making 9-of-12 foul shots to seal the victory.

AHS had actually gotten closer in the third quarter. Trailing 55-40, the Vikings went on a 10-0 run capped by a Stewart layup. WHS which turned the ball over three times during that stretch, regrouped and took a 71-58 lead into the fourth quarter.

Indicative of the tough play that characterizes when the two heated rivals meet on the basketball court, WHS was the beneficiary of 33 Viking personal fouls in the contest. Four separate AHS players fouled out of the game and WHS converted 32-of-47 free throws.

Joey Potter, Timmy Stewart and Benji Stewart each pitched in with 12 points apiece. Timmy Stewart scored all of his points on four 3-pointers, giving him half of the Vikings' 8 3-point baskets for the game.

Colton Blackburn, one of four football players who did not play against WHS in the first meeting between the schools, added 11 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.

The non-conference game at West Wilkes scheduled for Monday, Dec. 6, was postponed due to inclement weather. AHS will next take to the court on Friday, Dec. 10, with a rematch against Cloudland inside The Octagon in Newland.

Cloudland Hoops Postponed

The Cloudland/Johnson County basketball game scheduled for Monday night has been postponed. It will be played this Thursday, December 9th.

Vikings/Blackhawks Basketball postponed

The scheduled high school basketball games for Monday evening, Dec. 6 at Miller's Creek between Avery and West Wilkes have been POSTPONED. The games have been rescheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 8th.