Lady Vikings rout Highland Tech, Viking boys team opens play Wednesday

The Avery Lady Vikings scored early and often on the Highland Tech Lady Rams on Tuesday, Dec. 27, at Draughn High School for the Draughn Christmas Tournament, winning by a final score of 68-37.

Monica Estep, Lauren Burleson and Megan Tennant scored 12 points each to pace the Big Red as it picked up its ninth win of the season. Avery plays host Draughn, who was victorious over Burns Tuesday night, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 28, in the tourney title game.

The Avery boys team opens play at the Cherokee Holiday on the Hardwood Tournament on Wednesday, Dec. 28, at 11 a.m. against Chattanooga Christian School. With a win, the team will play on Thursday evening. Should Avery not emerge victorious, the team returns to the court at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 29.

Avery Vikings Holiday Tournament Update (VIDEO)

A brief video update from The AJT Sports Editor Jamie Shell on upcoming Vikings varsity basketball tournament action.

 We'll be providing coverage of both tournaments, including multimedia from this week's Cherokee Holiday Tournament.

AJT Sports LIVE FROM... DEAN E. SMITH CENTER (ASU/UNC basketball)

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UPDATE #13: UNC gave up a good portion of its lead, but has enough to defeat ASU by the final score of 97-82. Omar Carter led ASU with 20 points, with 15 points from Mike Neal and 11 each from Tab Hamilton and Andre Williamson. Zeller's 31 points paces the Tar Heels
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Thanks for following along, and catch a full recap in next week's edition of The AJT.

Update #12: UNC holds a 15-point lead on ASU with 3:43 to play at 87-72. Coach Williams pulled his starters with 4:00 left, but the Mountaineers continue to battle, largely behind Mike Neal and Nathan Healy who has sparked the Black and Gold on both ends of the floor.

Update #11: Zeller leaves the game at the 8:00 mark with 31 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, ASU has cut into the UNC lead, trailing 79-62 with 6:41 to play in the game. Mike Neal has come alive with eight points to help pace the Mountaineers.

UPDATE #10: UNC leads 73-46 with 11:34 to play. Okum has picked up a fifth foul just prior to the media timeout, leaving the Apps further depleted inside.

UPDATE #9: UNC has built a 69-44 lead and ASU coach Jason Capel takes another timeout to try to stem the tide. Zeller has been a beast inside with eight points in the half and 28 for the game.

UPDATE #8: ASU trails 61-41 at the first media timeout of the second half.

Update #7: With 16:39 to play, the Heels have opened up a 56-37 advantage. Both Ike Butts and Brian Okum have four personal fouls against the trees in the Carolina post. ASU takes a timeout to try to halt momentum.

UPDATE #6: At halftime, ASU trails Carolina 48-32. Zeller scores on a bucket at the buzzer to give the Heels a 16-point edge. a 13-2 UNC run over the final 3:50 closes the half to push the margin after ASU cut the lead to five points.
Omar Carter has carried the Mountaineers with 16 points, with six points from Rodney Milum. Tyler Zeller has 20 points to lead the way for Carolina, with seven points and six rebounds from John Henson. and six points from Dexter Strickland.
Second half action to come!

UPDATE #5: ASU has cut the lead to 35-30 with 3:50 to play before halftime. Carter and Milum have both heated up from the perimeter, but the rebounding of Carolina has been consistently dominant. ASU has multiple players with two fouls, which might play a role late in the half and early into the second half.

UPDATE #4: At the under eight-minute media timeout, UNC leads ASU 29-19. UNC has pushed the ball upfloor and gotten a couple of easy baskets on the Mountaineers defense. Milum and Villarino have added buckets in the past few minutes, but UNC has continued to set the pace on the glass.

UPDATE #3: At the under 12-minute time out, UNC holds a 21-8 lead over ASU. Omar Carter has a pair of field goals since entering the contest. Zeller leads the Tar Heels with 11 points.

UPDATE #2: UNC jumps out to an early 13-4 advantage four and a half minutes into the contest. Tyler Zeller has seven points for UNC, with a bucket from Carter and Williamson to account for ASU's offense thus far. Carolina has had several second chance opportunities offensively thus far.

UPDATE #1: Okum, Milum, Williamson, Trice and Mike Neal start for ASU, with UNC countering with Strickland, Marshall, Zeller, Barnes and Henson. The Dean Dome is bouncing, although there is a good contingent of fans who have made their way from Boone for today's game.


We're LIVE at Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill for this evening's hoops contest between Appalachian State and the No. 6 (AP) ranked North Carolina Tar Heels. ASU is coming off a disappointing home defeat to East Tennessee State last Saturday, Dec. 10, while UNC battled to down a game Long Beach State team the same day.

This is ASU's first meeting with Carolina since opening the Holmes Center in the 2000-2001 season. In that contest in Boone, UNC was dominant in a 99-69 win before the second-largest crowd in Holmes Center history.

Tip time is set for 6 p.m. in Chapel Hill, and we'll be reporting with updates throughout the contest. Thanks for reading!

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM...Holmes Center (ASU basketball v. ETSU)

Update #12: ETSU holds on to take the win by the final score of 65-48. Adam Sollazzo and Isiah Brown combine for 37 points to push the Bucs to the win. ASU drops below .500 at 4-5 for the season. Rodney Milum leads ASU with a team-high 12 points in defeat.

The Mountaineers will next be in action next Saturday in Chapel Hill, where it will take on No. 6 ranked North Carolina. The AJ-T is working to be on-hand to provide coverage from the Smith Center.
Until next time, thanks for reading!

Update #11:  ETSU still holds a double-figure lead at 57-45 with 3:10 remaining. Milum appears to be the only Mountaineer with the outside touch as he has connected on a pair of three-point shots. ETSU made only two of its first 13 field goals this half, yet is able to maintain its advantage.

Update #10: ASU has put together a couple of defensive stops and has cut the lead to as low as it has been since the early minutes of the game, trailing 51-40 with 7:41 left in the game. The Mountaineers can still make this game interesting with another couple of defensive shutdowns. At one point in the game, ETSU held a 17-0 advantage in points off turnovers and holds a 30-12 advantage in the paint. A technical foul on Ike Butts for arguing a call, as well as a Rodney Milum three-pointer seems to have sparked the offense.

Update #9: ASU has drawn to within 49-34 with 11:26 to play in the contest. The Mountaineers are struggling with its shot from the perimeter, while ETSU has been efficient with the ball, committing only three turnovers thus far for the game. ETSU's Brown has paced the Bucs with 15 points, while Jamaal Trice leads ASU with nine points.

Update #$: Just over four minutes into the second half, and ETSU maintains an advantage at 48-30. ASU is showing improvement on the boards, but the Bucs continue to keep up the pressure defensively, making life difficult for the Mountaineers on offense. Coach Capel benched several starters to begin the second half, perhaps to send a message or to give them motivation to help the team narrow its deficit.

Update #7: At intermission, ETSU leads 43-24, as a three-pointer at the buzzer off ASU's 11th turnover of the half typifies the frustration of the Mountaineers on both sides of the floor.

We'll have some halftime stats shortly.

Update #6: 2:26 remains in the half, with ETSU leading 38-21. Turnovers have made life difficult for ASU, while ETSU continues to shoot around 50 percent for the half offensively.ETSU has dominated in the paint, outscoring ASU 24-4 inside through this near-complete first half. ASU must do a better job of establishing inside presence to cut into the Buc lead.

Update #5: It's danger time for the Mountaineers, as ETSU has opened up a commanding 36-19 lead using defense and strong offensive execution. It's almost as if the Bucs are a step ahead of ASU on both ends of the floor. Capel takes a timeout with 3:43 left as ETSU holds a 17-point lead.

Update #4: ASU is slowly crawling back into the contest, trailing 25-16 to ETSU with 7:28 to play in the opening half. Tab Hamilton has picked up six points off the bench to help the Mountaineers stay in the game thus far.

Update #3: An ETSU scoring run and some sloppy defense forces ASU to take a timeout at the 9:51 mark trailing 21-7. ETSU has been aggressively attacking the basket and getting numerous second-chance offensive rebounds.

Update #2: 11:34 remains in the first half and the Buccaneers have seized control of the game, leading 14-5. ASU already has six team fouls  to ETSU's 1. Coach Jason Capel has dipped into his bench quite a bit thus far in the opening eight minutes. Isiah Brown of ETSU leads all scorers with five points.

Update #1: At the first official timeout ETSU leads 6-2. ASU has committed a number of turnovers thus far, and has had a couple of mental lapses on defense. ETSU is an athletic team that matches up well with the Mountaineers, meaning today's game has the potential to remain a tight contest throughout.

LIVE at Holmes Convocation Center this afternoon for hoops action between East Tennessee State and Appalachian State. ASU fell to ETSU in the first meeting earlier this season between the schools.

ASU is coming off a loss at Minnesota earlier this week, and stands with a record of 4-4 on the season. ETSU, a member of Atlantic Sun Conference, has a 3-5 record and is entering Boone on a four-game losing skid, most recently falling 83-74 to Tennessee Tech.

We'll have updated action throughout the contest, along with additional information and tidbits along the way. Thanks for reading!

AJT Sports LIVE FROM... KIDD BREWER STADIUM (2nd Rd. FCS football playoffs vs. Maine)

UPDATE #15: Maine wins it at The Rock 34-12. ASU ends its season with a disappointing 8-4 mark, while Maine advances to 9-3 and will travel to Georgia Southern next week.
Special thanks to Skip Sickler for his assistance with photos throughout the season, as well as to ASU Sports Information and Director Mike Flynn for his help all season. Thanks for reading along.


UPDATE #14: Maine gets on the board yet again, as Pushaun Brown busts through the line virtually untouched for a 31-yard touchdown run, capping a short drive. The PAT is good, and Maine leads 34-12 with 9:30 left in the game.


UPDATE #13: ASU shoots itself in the foot after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty near midfield. Jackson throws an interception to quell the possession. As radio play-by-play commentator for ASU David Jackson has said, "It's just not in the cards today," as Maine takes over on offense with a shade more than 11 minutes to play.


UPDATE #12: ASU forces a Black Bears punt on its ensuing series, but with 13:15 on the game clock, the Mountaineers will have to operate with precision and urgency to further cut into the 27-12 Maine advantage. Slightly more than 15,000 fans are in attendance at today's game, the second-highest total for a postseason home opener at The Rock.


UPDATE #11: Three quarters are in the books, and Maine leads 27-6. The Mountaineers are on the move, however, with the football at the Maine one-yard line. On the opening play of the final quarter, Cadet scores from a yard out, narrowing the game to 27-12. The TD caps a  10-play, 74-yard drive, elapsing 3:22 off the clock.  ASU misses the PAT, however, leaving the team trailing 27-12.


UPDATE #10: Following another Mountaineer punt, Maine strikes again on a one-play, 54-yard drive, a run by David Hood. The PAT is good, and the Black Bears lead 27-6 with 6:12 to play in the third period. Maine continues to show the proverbial "eye of the tiger" this afternoon, looking like the hungrier team thus far. The game is not over yet, but ASU will need its offense to wake up quickly to get back in the game down 21 points.


UPDATE #9: Maine converts a fourth down and a couple plays later scores on an 8-play, 58-yard drive culminating in a 21-yard scoring pass play, upping Maine's advantage to 20-6 with 8:32 to play in the third period. Maine is not intimidated at all this afternoon, and has been giving the Mountaineers a handful throughout the contest.


UPDATE #8: ASU's defense establishes itself on Maine's first drive, forcing a three-and-out punt. 

UPDATE #7: We are at halftime at Kidd Brewer Stadium, and the Mountaineers trail the Black Bears 13-6. A few halftime stats to chew on...ASU has rushed for only five yards in the first half, and has been outgained 261-117 by Maine in total offense. 


UPDATE #6: Maine answers the ASU drive with an 80-yard, 8-play scoring drive, capped by a 35-yard pass connection for a score from Smith to Damarr Aultman. ASU blocks the Maine extra point, as Gordy Witte gets a paw up to get a hand on the ball. Maine now leads 13-6 with 4:51 left in the half.


UPDATE #5: Following a Maine punt, ASU drives for the tying score, a 7-play, 58-yard drive capped by a 20-yard TD pass from QB Jamal Jackson to Andrew Peacock. The PAT was blocked by Maine's Michael Cole, leaving Maine with a 7-6 edge with 9:00 left in the half.

UPDATE #4: End of first period, and ASU trails 7-0. On the first play of the second quarter, the ASU defense forces a turnover  on an interception by Justin Lloyd, the first of his career. ASU football looking to knot the contest, but Maine forces another ASU punt.


UPDATE #3: Maine marches inside the ASU 10-yard line on a 12-play, 79-yard drive,  but the ASU special teams blocks a field goal to keep the game a seven-point margin.


UPDATE #2: ASU gains a first down, but again is stopped by the Black Bears defense and must punt. Midway through the opening period and ASU trails 7-0.


UPDATE #1: ASU gets first crack at the football but has a three-and-out. ASU DB McDuffie is out for today's game due to a university issue.


Maine gets on the scoreboard first with a play-action fake and TD pass from Smith for a 44-yard score. It's Smith's 18th TD pass of the season. A 4-play, 69-yard drive takes only 1:20 off the clock as Aultman hauls in the touchdown pass. Maine leads 7-0 in the early going at The Rock. 

We are LIVE this afternoon at Kidd Brewer Stadium on a gorgeous day for playoff football as the ASU Mountaineers play host to the Maine Bears in the second round of the NCAA FCS football playoffs. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m.

Both clubs have had a full two weeks to prepare for one another, meaning today's game should be a great match of wit and will. Maine enters today's contest ranked 13th in the latest coaches poll, with ASU ranked at ninth.

Maine finished its regular season with an 8-3 mark, good enough for second place in the Colonial Athletic Association conference. ASU meanwhile, enters today's game with an identical 8-3 record, earning the Mountaineers a tie for second place in the Southern Conference standings.

Maine's spread offense attack has averaged more than 29 points per game this season, and averaged more than 370 yards in total offense per contest. The team allows more than 23 points per game and 348 yards per contest on defense.

Appalachian has won six-straight playoff openers. Ironically, its last loss in a postseason opener came at the hands of Maine, a 14-13 defeat in the first round of what was then known as the NCAA Division I-AA Championship on Nov. 30, 2002 at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

Maine won seven of its first eight games this season, but have dropped two of its last three entering today's matchup, with six of its 11 games decided by 10 points or fewer.

Senior quarterback Warren Smith triggers the Maine attack, as he has amassed 2,643 passing yards and almost 2,900 yards in total offense.

We'll be here at The Rock all afternoon updating the playoff action as time and regulations allow. Thanks for reading.

AJT Sports Live from....Holmes Center (App vs. Milligan)

2:05: e are moments away from today's opening tip between the Buffaloes of Miligan and the Appalachian State Mountaineers on a beautiful Saturday in Boone, N.C. We hope you had a great Thanksgiving and check back for updates from today's game.

First media timeout: The Buffaloes called a timeout seven minutes into the game as App leads 16-13 after Milligan used a 5-0 run to cut the gap from 16-8. Following the next Appalachian poessession, the under 16 media timeout occurs. The Mountaineers are led by Jamal Trice's five points in the opening portion of the ball game, while Kyle Grisby paces Milligan with five points.

Under eight media TO: Issac Butts will continue play at the line for an old fashioned play as his basket put the Mountaineers up 24-23 with 7:41 left. Milligan took the lead on a Grisby 3--pointer as they have outscored App 11-7 to that point.

Half: ASU outscored Milligan 23-8 in the final seven minutes to take a 44-29 lead at the break. The Mountaineers are using their size advantage as they have outrebounded Milligan 30-22, and Isaac Butts has 15 points. In the first half, App has 26 points in the paint. Andre Williamson has added nine points for ASU, while Grisby leads Milligan with nine points.We are moments away from resuming second half action inside the Holmes Center.

First media TO of second half: The Mountaineers have outscored the Buffaloes 6-2 in the first four minutes of the second half to preserve a 50-31 lead.

Under 12 Media TO: The Mountaineers have been unable to extend their lea on Milligan as they hold on to a 56-41 lead with 11:52 remaining.

Final Media TO: With 3:12 remaining, the Mountaineers have pulled away from the Buffaloes as they lead 75-54 at the final media stoppage. Appalachian has pulled away with their size advantage, especially in the paint.

We will update with final stats later this evening. Have a great evening and thanks for reading!

Vols pick off Vanderbilt in OT

By: Matt Laws
Avery Journal-Times

For the Tennessee Vols, it felt like déjà vu all over again. Except this time, they finally caught a break.

The Volunteers dispatched in-state rival Vanderbilt University 27-21 in overtime inside Neyland Stadium on Eric Gordon’s 90-yard interception return that was called back and then ruled a touchdown after an official review.

"At first when they said he was down, I thought he stepped out of bounds,” Head Coach Derek Dooley said. “What they ruled was his knee was down, which is an unchallengeable play. So that's why we didn't challenge it, but they never blew a whistle and they never ruled him down. So if it wasn't down, you could challenge it. So if they had blown a whistle and ruled him down, it wasn't challengeable. And I don't how it got done. I'm just happy we got one."

For the Vols and their fans, the scene after Gordon’s interception was eerily similar to the scene that unfolded in Baton Rouge and Nashville last season after the Vols made plays they thought had won the game. However, this time the luck turned the Vols way.

"I've always told the team you create your own breaks by how you play,” Dooley said. “I think we played in such a manner that you were going to get some breaks with grit, effort and togetherness out there. You can just feel it. You can see it in their eyes. It was just different out there the way they were playing."

The Vols defense opened the game in style as senior Malik Jackson force a Vanderbilt fumble and Rod Wilks recovered the ball. That set up a Tauren Poole touchdown from a yard out to give the Vols an early 7-0 lead.

On the ensuing Vanderbilt possession, quarterback Jordan Rodgers was intercepted by Hickory native and UT senior Austin Johnson. However, the Vols were forced to punt.

After the Commodores missed a field goal early in the second quarter, the Vanderbilt defense intercepted Tyler Bray, who was making his return from a thumb injury, to set up a Z. Stacy touchdown to even the game at 7.

The Tennessee offense struck again in the frame as they embarked on a 10-play 82 yard drive that was capped off by DaRick Rogers catching a 17-yard touchdown pass from Bray to take a 14-7 lead into the half.

The Commodore defense evened the score up midway through the third when A. Barnes intercepted Bray and returned the ball 100 yards for a touchdown. Vanderbilt opened the fourth quarter as they took the first lead of the game when Rodgers hit C. Boyd for a 20-yard touchdown.

The Tennessee offense marched down the field, but saw their drive stall out at the five yard line to attempt a field goal. However, the kick was low and appeared to be blocked, but the Vols benefited from a running into the kicker penalty.

"It wasn't a block, it was a kick-up-the-center's-tail field goal,” Dooley said. “But they ran into them, so we got a break. We weren't dead there yet because there was still time, but it would have been tough. And I couldn't put the field goal team back out there after that. I just wanted to go for it, and if we didn't get it, they would have gotten it at the 2. So that's why I went for it."

That series of events set up a Rodgers two-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to even the game with just over six minutes remaining.

Both teams managed to get drives going, but stalled out in the late going. Vanderbilt was on the edge of field goal range in the closing seconds, but Prentiss Wagner intercepted a Rodgers pass. Tennessee had 20 seconds remaining in regulation, but elected to let the game go into overtime after a screen pass failed to get the first down and some confusion reigned on the Vols sideline.

"Well, we were trying to run a screen play, and we thought we could get a first down,” Dooley said. Tyler, he didn't even know what the play was, so he called something insane in the huddle. We were laughing about it. Our screen play is
called `Soccer Right' and he called `Sucker,' which we don't even have. He just invented a play."


The Volunteers won the toss and elected to go on defense first in the first overtime. After a pair of runs, Gordon stepped in front of a Rodgers pass and raced 90 yard to score, but not after an official review to see if Gordon’s knee was down when he made the interception. Initially, the officials had ruled Gordon was down, but the luck had turned in favor of the Vols.

"You know what? The black cloud over Knoxville blew away, and we got a little sunshine," Dooley said.

During the time that the officials had ruled Gordon down, the Vols were in the endzone celebrating and once the call was made, was stating their case to Dooley to challenge it, which Dooley quickly turned into a learning experience from previous experience.

"Well, they were all trying to tell me what to do, and that's not their job,” Dooley said. “Alright? Instead of worrying about what's coming next, everybody wants me to challenge it, but they don't know it's not a challengeable play. I had to go educate 105 people on the sideline that I can't challenge it, and I probably should have gotten a microphone in the stadium for all the fans who were mad about not challenging it. You've just got to stay calm when stuff like that happens. Focus on your job."

For Tennessee, Bray ended the game 16-of-33 for 189 yards and two touchdowns in his return to the field. However, the sophomore wasn’t pleased with the way he played.

"I played horrible,” Bray said. “I think I completed more passes to the other team than I think I did to ours. Our team stuck in there and our defense played a great game. They have been doing that for the last couple of weeks. If the defense keeps playing like that and the offense steps it up, we are going to win a lot of ball games."

The senior Poole ended the game with 107 yard on 19 carries, while Rogers had 116 yards on 10 catches, which put him at 1,002 yards on the season.

"I don't know if I've ever been prouder of a football team in all my years,” Dooley said. “The adversity these guys have gone through, and what happened last week, I know nobody was expecting us to come out and do much. But we went out there and just gritted out a win and that was fun to watch.”

"But the old Orange Dog did its magic. It was positive all night. We never tucked our tails or put
our head down tonight, and there was a lot of opportunity to."

The victory also sets the stage for a bowl game if the Vols can beat Kentucky in Lexington on Saturday.

"Yeah, we've got one more,” Dooley said. “We can't get too excited. We're not there yet, but we got off the slide today, thank God. We've got a chance to do something I think a lot of people thought we weren't going to do. But we've got to go do it. Kentucky's a good football team. They had a chance to beat Georgia today, so it's going to be a good challenge."

Tennessee looks to continue the positive attitude they carried into Neyland on Saturday as they head to Lexington for a 12:21 kickoff.

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM... KIDD BREWER STADIUM (ASU vs. Western Carolina)

Up

Update #17: ASU wins its regular-season home finale by the score of 46-14.

Update #16: A 54-yard touchdown pass down the seam caps a short two-play, 66-yard scoring drive. ASU leads 46-14 with 3:23 left in the game.

Update #15: It has been a dominating performance by the Mountaineers, bouncing back from last week's loss at Furman. ASU's reserves have driven downfield and scored again, this time on a nine-play, 58-yard drive. Former West Wilkes quarterback Logan Hallock recovers a fumble in the end zone for the touchdown.

With 3:58 left to play, ASU holds a 46-7 lead. ASU will claim the Old Mountain Jug, move to 7-3 for the season and travel to Elon next Saturday afternoon to close out the regular season.

Update #14: WCU breaks onto the scoreboard with 9:44 to play on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Pechloff to George Richardson. The PAT cuts the lead to 39-7.

Update #13: ASU and Western played before a capacity crowd of 30,622 fans, the fourth largest attendance in Kidd Brewer Stadium history and 40th consecutive contest that the attendance is over capacity. With many fans headed for the exits, perhaps the only drama remaining is whether the Mountaineers defense can pitch the shutout.

Update #12: The Mountaineers are again driving as the third period closes. Another march to the red zone against a tiring Western defense could make for a difficult final 15 minutes for the Catamounts. A penalty pushes ASU to the WCU seven-yard line, where Stewart again converts a field goal, a 24-yarder, to extend the ASU lead to 39-0. The drive takes 5:26 to march 69 yards over 10 plays.

With 12:36 left in the game, ASU running back Steven Miller has as many rushing yards (76) as WCU has in total offense.

Update #11: ASU has a touchdown run called back by a holding penalty, and the Mountaineers are forced to settle for a fifth field goal by Stewart, a 27-yard field goal, to give ASU a 36-0 lead. The fifth field goal sets a new school record by the ASU placekicker, once held by Jay Millson  (1991) and Nittmo (most recently in 1988). The nine-play, 58-yard drive elapsed 3:41 off the clock.

Stewart accounts now for 18 points in the game, also eclipsing the old mark of 15, set twice previously by Nittmo.

Update #10: With the opening drive of the second half, ASU strikes again, this time on a TD recpetion from Jackson to Quick to cap a five-play, 55-yard scoring drive. The reception puts Quick at 101 yards for the game, his sixth 100-yard game of the season and 12th of his career, as the Mountaineers now lead 33-0 with 12:56 left in the third quarter.

ASU currently has 349 yards in total offense, compared to only 30 yards for WCU.
Update #9: WCU's first pass from its backup quarterback after ASU's touchdown is picked off and returned more than 20 yards by Dominique McDuffie. ASU's offense is again in business inside the WCU 20-yard line.

Jamal Jackson finishes the drive with a 12-yard scramble into the end zone with seven seconds left in the half. Three plays, 33 yards and 20 seconds change the score for the Mountaineers, as ASU holds a commanding 26-0 lead into the locker room at halftime..

Update #8: The Mountaineer offense gets in gear following WCU's latest punt, marching 59 yards. This time the Mountaineers cash in with a touchdown on a two-yard tote by Jamal Jackson. The drive elapses six plays and 59 yards. The two-yard touchdown and extra point pushes ASU ahead 19-0 with 54 seconds to play in the half.

ASU holds a decisive 262-30 advantage in total yards for the half, illustrating the Mountaineers' strong first-half effort.

Update #7: ASU forces a WCU turnover as a pass is intercepted by Rodger Walker and returned 24 yards. It's Walker's fourth pick of the season and ASU sets up shop in Western territory.

Jackson returns at quarterback for ASU and has led the Mountaineers back into the WCU red zone. ASU gets as close as the WCU five-yard line, but is again forced to settle for a field goal, a 22-yard boot to stake the Mountaineers a 12-0 lead. The drive took 10 plays and moved 35 yards, elapsing 4:19 off the second period clock. Slightly more than four minutes remain in the half, and ASU holds a 12-0 advantage.

The field goal ties an ASU record with four field goals in a game, tying a mark that has been accomplished four other times, including three by Bjorn Nittmo. A huge sack by ASU's Demetrius McCray shook up the WCU quarterback, who was helped off the field.

Update #6: For the third time in the first half, ASU must settle for three points, this time on a 29-yard field goal from Stewart. The drive was 11 plays and consumed 68 yards while elapsing 5:10 off the clock. With 9:37 to play before halftime, ASU now leads 9-0 over Western.

Update #5: As suspected, Presley enters the game at quarterback following a WCU punt.

A Brian Quick completion of 33 yards on ASU's next drive from Presley, makes Quick the leading yardage receiver in ASU history with 3,149 yards, breaking a 31-year-old school record.

Update #4: ASU's defense has held Western in check for the balance of the opening period, but with the Mountaineers offense stalling inside the 20-yard line on two occasions, as well as a punt, a quarterback change might be imminent as DeAndre Presley is throwing on the Mountaineer sideline.
With ASU's defense on the field, it will be interesting to see if Coach Jerry Moore pulls the trigger and makes the quarterback change.

At the end of the period, WCU has amassed only 32 yards as ASU leads 6-0.

Update #3: For the second straight possession, ASU drives the football into the WCU red zone and cannot come away with a touchdown, settling for a 32-yard Stewart field goal, spotting ASU a 6-0 lead with 7:26 left in the opening quarter. The drive encompassed 12 plays, 63 yards and elapsed 3:08 off the first quarter clock.

Update #2: Following an WCU three-and-out to start the game, ASU marches 25 yards over six plays. Drew Stewart boots a career-long 44-yard field goal to give the Mountaineers a 3-0 advantage with 11:52 left in the first quarter. The field goal is ASU's fifth successful try in six attempts from outside 40 yards this season.

Update #1: Ready for kickoff from Kidd Brewer Stadium. A 55-degree afternoon at time of kickoff and clear skies equal a near-perfect day for gridiron action.

ASU says goodbye to its seniors on this sunny Saturday afternoon as the Mountaineers play host to Western Carolina.

The Mountaineers have won 24 of the past 26 games against the Catamounts and looks to maintain possession of The Old Mountain Jug in this rivalry contest.

ASU's hopes for a seventh straight SoCon championship were severely hampered by a loss at Furman last week. However, with help, the Mountaineers maintain a slim chance of sharing a conference championship with Georgia Southern and Wofford.

Western is 1-8 thus far this season, with ASU standing at 6-3 overall. We'll be providing updates throughout this afternoon's contest of the action from Kidd Brewer Stadium. Thanks for reading!

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM... KIDD BREWER STADIUM (ASU vs. Western Carolina)))

ASU says goodbye to its seniors on this sunny Saturday afternoon as the Mountaineers play host to Western Carolina. The Mountaineers have won 24 of the past 26 games against the Catamounts and looks to maintain possession of The Old Mountain Jug in this rivalry contest.

ASU's hopes for a seventh straight SoCon championship were severely hampered by a loss at Furman last week. However, with help, the Mountaineers maintain a slim chance of sharing a conference championship with Georgia Southern and Wofford.

Western is 1-8 thus far this season, with ASU standing at 6-3 overall. We'll be providing updates throughout this afternoon's contest of the action from Kidd Brewer Stadium. Thanks for reading!

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM...Holmes Center (LMC/ASU basketball)

Update

Update #11: ASU wins its season-opener by the final score of 90-61. The Mountaineers will travel to ETSU on Tuesday, Nov. 15, while the Bobcats will host Mars Hill College on Monday, Nov. 14. Read the Sunday edition of the Watauga Democrat, as well as next week's edition of The Avery Journal-Times for a full report of this game.

Update #10: At the 4:43 mark the Mountaineers are in firm control, leading 81-50. Ten different Bobcats players have scored in the contest, with Jeremiah Henry leading the way with seven points. ASU has five players in double-figures, led by Andre Williamson's 16 points.

Update #9: 7:08 remains in the contest and the Mountaineers hold a 73-42 lead. The Bobcats have hung with ASU on the glass, only out-rebounded by eight at 39-31, but four Mountaineers scoring double-figures and 18 LMC turnovers have not helped the comeback cause.

Update #8: 11:41 remains in the game, and the Mountaineers lead 63-38.

Update #7: LMC has cut the ASU lead to 61-38 and has been crashing the boards at a higher rate than the Mountaineers, forcing Coach Jason Capel to take a timeout with 13:21 to play in the contest. the Bobcats have pushed the pace and worked the basketball inside with success, especially in transition.

LMC does have some depth and injury issues, as a pair of players, Sepokas and DJ Brown, are sitting on the bench with ice on their respective left ankles. The injuries leave Coach Scott Polsgrove with only nine healthy players, three of which have four fouls.

Update #6: ASU has doubled up the score on LMC, leading 60-30 with 15:54 to play in the game. Carter leads the Mountaineers with 14 points and six rebounds, while Corey Young and Sepokas are tied with five points each.

Update #5: ASU puts together a late run to close the half, using transition to build a 46-21 lead at intermission.

Update #4: Less than four minutes remain in the opening half, with the Mountaineers holding a 31-17 advantage. Carter remains the only player for either team in double-figures with 10. No Bobcats player has more than four points for the contest. Both Bobcats starting forwards have accumulated three fouls each defending down low, with more than three minutes left in the half.

Update #3: With 7:58 to play in the first half, ASU has stretched its lead to 14 points at 25-11. The Bobcats have done a good job of making things difficult for ASU offensively, drawing a charge as well as trying to limit ASU to one shot. Neither team has shot extremely well, as the Mountaineers have shot 40-percent to LMC's 20-percent (4-for-20).

Update #2: ASU leads 21-9 with 11:33 left in the opening half. Carter's 10 points still lead the Mountaineers, while DJ Brown's three points leads the Bobcats.

Update #1: ASU leads 16-7 at the first media timeout. Carter already has 10 of ASU's points, while Daniel Sepokas leads Lees-McRae with five points thus far. The size of the Mountaineers will prove a tough challenge for the Bobcats, whose tallest player, Gideon Oji, stands at six-feet, nine-inches.

In the early going, ASU holds a 13-5 advantage thanks to a couple of three-point baskets from Omar Carter and a trifecta from Jamaal Trice. We'll be updating throughout this evening's contest.

We're LIVE from Holmes Convocation Center for tonight's basketball season-opener between Lees-McRae College and Appalachian State University.

ASU and Lees-McRae last played two seasons ago in Boone, with the Mountaineers pulling away for a victory.

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM...Holmes Center (ASU basketball)

Update #10: ASU hits the century mark in the final two minutes of the contest. The Mountaineers win going away by a final score of 102-64. ASU will host Lees-McRae College next Friday, Nov. 11, at Holmes Center to officially open the 2011-12 slate.

Update #9: With 3:21 to play, ASU holds a 96-57 advantage. LRU has represented itself well in the second half, staying within 33-28 thus far in the second half of play. Dillingham leads LRU with 15 points.

Update #8: ASU leads 86-45 with 7:43 to play in this evening's exhibition. The second half has shown that the Mountaineers still have a bit of work to do shoring up its interior game. The team is playing this evening without Isaac Butts, who is not dressed out, and Coach Capel has played Omar Carter sparingly (only two minutes total.)

Update #7: At the less than 12-minute timeout, the Mountaineers lead 79-40. The ASU shooting hand has cooled a bit, making just 5-of-14 shots in the second half thus far. The Black and Gold is still shooting 56-percent from the field, however, for the game. Milum is holding at 25 points, with 17 from Williamson. Williamson has also added seven rebounds. In fact, 11 different Mountaineers have at least one rebound in the contest.

Update #6: At the under 16-minute time out, the Mountaineers lead 76-32. Milum has paced ASU with 25 points, with 15 points from Andre Williamson. ASU is 15-of-20 from three-point range and shooting 27-of-43 (62.8 percent) for the contest overall. LRU, meanwhile, has shot just 10-for-35 for the game, a 26-percent clip.

Update #5: Milum ends the half with a three-pointer, boosting ASU to a 63-29 lead at halftime.

Update #4: The Bears have cut into the Mountaineer lead, slashing it to 31 points at 60-29 by way of an 8-2 scoring run, the largest LRU offensive spurt of the game. ASU takes a 30-second timeout in the final minute to reorganize.

Update #3:  3:13 remains before halftime and the Mountaineers are cruising by a 58-21 score. The three-point baskets continue to fall, while the defense has been stout, especially on the interior with Williamson and Petey Hausley manning the post area.

ASU has went 13-for-17 from three point range in the opening stanza, as three players have already reached double-figures in the scoring column.

Update #2: With under eight minutes remaining, it's a 46-14 lead for the Mountaineers. Milum has scorched the nets with 15 points thus far for the half, as ASU has BLISTERED the nets from three-point range thus far in the game. The Mountaineers began with a 7-of-10 shooting performance from beyond the arc to open the contest and hasn't slowed down.

ASU's next opponent is the Lees-McRae College Bobcats. Head coach Scott Polsgrove and his staff are on-hand this evening scouting the Mountaineers for their contest coming up next Friday, Nov. 11, at Holmes Center.

Update #1: A little more than 10 minutes remain in the opening half, and the Mountaineers hold a commanding 29-8 lead. Rodney Milum has scored nine points to pace ASU, while only two players, Jeff Thomas and Denzel Dillingham, have accounted for the LRU point total thus far.

On a side note, Jeff Capel, Sr., long-time head coach of multiple Division 1 programs and the father of ASU head coach Jason Capel, is sitting along courtside taking in the action this evening giving encouragement and rooting on the Mountaineers.

We're LIVE from Holmes Center in Boone for the ASU exhibition basketball game to officially open the 2011-12 college basketball season, as the Mountaineers host the Lenoir-Rhyne University Bears.

There are a few new faces for the Mountaineers. Most prominently absent is the presence of graduated All-Conference performer Donald Sims, whose 21 ppg average will have to be made up by a committee of capable players in the early going and through the course of the season.

ASU leads 16-3 in the opening five minutes of action. Jamaal Trice has six points to lead the Black and Gold, while Andre Williamson has four points.

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM... KIDD BREWER STADIUM (ASU vs. Georgia Southern))

Update #14: Play has stopped following a third down run play, as ASU's Travaris Cadet is injured, but after several minutes walks off the field under his own power. ASU punts the ball away, giving GSU the football at its own 10-yard line with five seconds remaining. ASU makes the final stop via sack to secure the big 24-17 victory. ASU students storm the field in elation.

Thanks for following along!

Update #13: ASU goes three-and-out, punting the ball back to the Eagles. 3:39 remains in the contest with the Mountaineers clinging to a 24-17 edge. On fourth down, the fullback is stopped short of the marker, giving the football back on downs to ASU with 1:45 to play. ASU needs to run out the clock to pick up the huge win over the nation's top-ranked FCS team.

Update #12: GSU has a touchdown pass completion , but Dominique McDuffie breaks up the catch at the last second. On fourth down, the Mountaineers hold on defense yet again, turning away the Eagles without points. 4:33 still remains in the game, with ASU leading 24-17.

Update #11: ASU's defense forces a GSU punt, taking over possession inside its own 5-yard line with 6:18 left in the game. Two plays into the series, Jamal Jackson tosses an interception to Ryhad Jones, who runs the ball back to the ASU 9-yard line.

Update #10: A 9-play, 67 yard drive takes 4:26 and results in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Quick. The PAT gives the Mountaineers the lead again at 24-17.

Update #9: GSU ties the contest on a 43-yard punt return for a 43-yard touchdown by Darian Robinson.  With 13:57 left in the game, it's tied at 17-17.

Update #8: Georgia Southern, following an ASU punt, is back in business, as a long pass completion sets up the Eagles inside the 20-yard line. A Jaybo Shaw run puts GSU at the three-yard line for first-and-goal.

On third-and-goal a false start penalty pushes GSU to the six-yard line, where ASU makes a stop. GSU goes for the TD on fourth-and-goal...and the ASU defense holds! ASU takes over possession at its own two-yard line as the third quarter expires. Mountaineers hold on to a 17-10 lead.

Update #7: ASU took a 17-3 lead into halftime, but in the third quarter the Eagles has driven the field, as the team completes a 12-play, 60-yard drive in 6:54 with a one-yard JJ Wilcox touchdown plunge. The PAT cuts the ASU lead to 17-10 with 6:12 to play in the third quarter.

Update #6: Teams trade punts again late in the second quarter. GSU attempts a deep pass that is intercepted by the Mountaineers' Demetrius McCray, his second pick of the afternoon. ASU has possession with under 90 seconds left in the half, looking to build on its 17-3 lead.

Jackson hits Brian Quick for a 56-yard touchdown down the sideline to cap a 5-play, 80 yard drive. It takes only one minute, 12 seconds to hit the deep ball for the score. The PAT gives the Mountaineers a 17-3 lead with only 16 seconds remaining before halftime. The score gives Quick over 3,000 receiving yards for his career, making him only the second Mountaineer receiver to accomplish that feat.

Update #5: ASU marches 50 yards over seven plays, but Stewart misses a 36-yard field goal attempt, keeping the margin at seven points at 10-3.

Update #4: A 78-yard kickoff return by GSU sets up the Eagles with first-and-goal from the 10-yard line following the ASU field goal. This time it's the Mountaineers defense that tightens near the goal line, forcing GSU to settle for a 22-yard field goal from Adrian Mora. With 10:37 to play, the Mountaineers lead 10-3.

Update #3: A 36-yard pass completion sets ASU inside the GSU 10-yard line, but the Eagles defense holds, forcing a 24-yard Drew Stewart field goal. The drive encompasses 8 plays and 50 yards with 2:32 off the clock. It is the first field goal converted inside the 41-yard field goal distance mark by ASU. Mountaineers lead the contest 10-0 with 12:58 to play in the half.

Update #2: Teams have traded punts, with GSU attempting a fourth-down conversion in the final minute of the period, but an ASU sack quells the drive. ASU quickly enters GSU territory on offense as the first period closes. At the end of one quarter, ASU leads 7-0.

Update #1: ASU is on the board with a six-play, 63-yard drive capped by a touchdown pass from Jamal Jackson to Andrew Peacock. It's only the second time the Eagles have trailed all season. 10:14 remains on the first-period clock, and the Mountaineers have snagged a 7-0 lead. Strong drive and statement to open today's SoCon showdown.

It's BLACK SATURDAY at Kidd-Brewer Stadium as the ASU Mountaineers host the top-ranked Georgia Southern Eagles. ASU comes in ranked 5th on a chilly day at The Rock. Game time temperature is 39 degrees, with a strong northwest wind making the wind chill a balmy 29 degrees. The weather hasn't hampered turnout, however, as fans of the Black and Gold are in full force for this evening's showdown.

We'll have coverage throughout this afternoon's contest. The game may be on TV, but we're on-hand with the info you won't get anywhere else. Thanks for reading!

Vols cruise by Buffalo

The Tennessee Volunteers struck early and often as they cruised to a 41-10 victory over Buffalo on Saturday afternoon inside Neyland Stadium.

"We did what we needed to do,” Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley said. “It was a good win. This team has played every team they've played close, and they didn't today. Now we turn our attention to what lies ahead."

After holding the Buffalo offense to a three and out, the Tennessee offense found the endzone when Rajon Neal scored on a 20-yard run with 11:58 left in the first. Sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray got his first touchdown of the game when he hit Da’Rick Rogers for a seven yard touchdown.

After Buffalo’s Chazz Anderson escaped for a 68-yard touchdown run, the Bulls picked up a loose ball on the ensuing kickoff. However, the UT defense held strong and the Bulls missed a field goal to come away empty handed.

That took away any momentum that Buffalo had built as UT put up 17 unanswered points to take a 31-7 lead into the locker room at half time as DeAnthony Arnett and Rogers were on the receiving end of Bray touchdown passes and Michael Palardy added a 28-yard field goal.

In the second half, Arnett caught an eight yard touchdown pass and Palardy added another 28-yard field goal.

Bray ended the game 21-30 for 342 yards and four touchdowns, while Rogers caught seven passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns to help fill the void left by Justin Hunter’s injury during the Florida game.

In addition to Rogers, the Volunteers got production from a trio of other receivers, including the freshman Arnett.

"He had two touchdowns, but I think he dropped one,” Dooley said. “They couldn't see it on the replay, so I'm going to give him credit for that second one. He's doing okay. He wasn't very active in the slot, but we didn't need him to be. Da'Rick had a big day. If Da'Rick can't catch for 180, somebody is going to have to make up for it. We've got to get these yards, but 342 passing is a big number, and I like their attempts."

The game against Buffalo was also the debut of Knoxville native Devrin Young in the return game. Young returned the first punt 43 yards and then returned the second half kickoff 34 yards.

"I hope he can continue to do that,” Dooley said. “It was good to get a little energy going in the return game and hopefully that will energize the guys blocking. But, he put the ball on the ground, too. So, y'all know why now I had him carrying the ball all week. Didn't help, but maybe it did. Maybe he would have fumbled five. It was kind of a good `get your feet wet,' and then we'll see how we can progress."

Now, the Vols turn their attention back to SEC action, which resumes on Saturday against Georgia. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. inside Neyland Stadium.

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM... KIDD BREWER STADIUM (ASU vs. Chattanooga)

Update #15: On the Mocs first play, Coleman's arm is hit as he throws and the ball is intercepted to seal the Appalachian victory. Final score 14-12. Zero offensive touchdowns for the Mountaineers, but the defense and special teams finds a way to get the job done. The Mountaineers travel to Wofford for another huge SoCon showdown. Thanks for reading!

Update #14: Chattanooga takes its final timeout on defense with ASU in possession and 1:33 left on the clock. A first down will seal the game for the Mountaineers, but a Cadet run comes up a couple of yards short, setting up fourth down. The Mountaineers choose to punt the ball away. Chattanooga gets the ball back one final time at its own 20-yard line, with no timeouts, and 41.6 seconds to play.

Update #13: 6:44 remains in the game and ASu punts back to the Mocs, who scored on its last possession. ASU forces a punt and regains possession with around four minutes to play.

Update #12: Chattanooga bounces back from the score with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Coleman to Allison. The score capped a nine-play, 53-yard drive that elapsed 3:45 off the clock. The two-point conversion pass failed, leaving ASU with a slim 14-12 lead with 9:51 left to play.

Update #11: A 46-yard interception return for a touchdown by ASU's Jeremy Kimbrough gives the Mountaineers its second non-offensive touchdown of the game. Martin's PAT puts ASU up 14-0 with 13:38 left to play in the game..

Update #10: DeAndre Presley fumbles the football on ASU's ensuing possession. Consiglio forces the ball out and UTC recovers at the Mountaineer 30-yard line. A pass interference penalty against ASU moves the football inside the red zone. As the quarter ends, Pollard prepares for a 26-yard field goal attempt, only to have a bad snap picked up by the Mountaineers and returned for a touchdown 73 yards by Rodger Walker. The Sam Martin PAT gives the Mountaineers its first points and first lead of the game at 7-6 entering the fourth period.

Update #9: Chattanooga takes the possession following the ASU missed field goal and drives      75 yards on 11 plays. Pollard boots a 22-yard field goal to put Chattanooga up 6-0 with 1:55 to play in the third quarter.

Update #8: The teams traded punts through the first half of the third period. ASU drove to the Mocs' six-yard line with a nine-play, 54-yard drive, only to come up empty on a Sam Martin 23-yard field goal attempt which sails wide right. Mocs remain ahead by a 3-0 score with 6:14 to play in the third quarter.

Update #7: ASU tries to move downfield in the final minute of the half, but a deep pass by Presley is intercepted, his second pick of the half. Chattanooga goes into the locker room with a 3-0 lead.

The total yards at intermission are almost equal, with Chattanooga holding a 143-140 advantage. However, the Mocs have amassed only 10 rushing yards for the half. Two quarters remain to see which team prevails in this evening's conference opener.

Update #6: The Mocs march with the ASU turnover to the ASU five-yard line, but the Mountaineers deny Chattanooga on three occasions, forcing Chattanooga to settle for a 23-yard field goal from Pollard, capping a eight-play, 56-yard drive consuming 2:53 off the clock. With 1:08 to play before intermission, Chattanooga draws first blood for a 3-0 lead.

Update #5: Appalachian moves the football near the UTC 40-yard line, but a Presley pass is tipped, and Chattanooga's Chris Lewis-Harris intercepts the pass for the first turnover of the game. Under three minutes to play in the half and the game remains scoreless.

Update #4: Midway through the second period and the game is still scoreless. Defenses are awfully stingy on the turf this afternoon. ASU has struggled to advance the football on offense. Although Chattanooga has moved the football sporadically, the Mountaineers defense has made plays as needed to force punts.

Update #3: One quarter is in the books, with the game remaining scoreless. Both defenses have come to play. ASU has held the Mocs to 44 first-quarter yards, with ASU gaining 83 yards in the first 15 minutes.

Update #2: Chattanooga puts together a six-play, 37-yard drive, only to be turned away on a missed field goal by Nick Pollard. The game remains scoreless with slightly more than two minutes to play in the opening quarter.

Update #1: An exchange of punts thus far as the score remains scoreless. Both defenses bowing their necks in the early going.

We are LIVE in Boone for the SoCon opening contest at Kidd Brewer Stadium between ASU and the Chattanooga Mocs. The Mocs enter the game rated #13 in the latest FCS poll, with ASU ranked No. 3 in the latest poll.

Chattanooga is coming off a 23-14 win over Eastern Kentucky last week, with ASU entering today's game off a 41-6 win at home last week against Savannah State.

Chattanooga brags a SoCon player of the year candidate in B.J. Coleman (68-of-106 passing, 747 yards, 4 TD). The Mountaineers have a decent quarterback of its own in DeAndre Presley (37-of-58 passing, 472 yards, 3 TD).

A key to watch in today's game will be the defensive secondary of Appalachian, as well as the amount of pressure the ASU three-man front can put on Coleman. Should be a good one in Boone. We'll be providing updates throughout the contest. Thanks for reading!

LIVE FROM... KIDD BREWER STADIUM (ASU v. Savannah St.)

8:50 PM - It's over from Boone, with the Mountaineers taking another big victory. The Mountaineers move to 2-1 with the 41-6 win over the Tigers. ASU hosts the Chattanooga Mocs in action at Kidd Brewer next week. Thanks for reading!


8:41 PM - Jamal Jackson races through the SSU defense and dives across the goal line for an ASU touchdown with 2:11 left in the game. The PAT is good, and ASU leads 41-6. If ASU holds the Tigers under 10 points, it marks the first time since 1998 that the Mountaineers hold back-to-back opponents under 10 points. Eastern Kentucky and VMI were the victims during the '98 season.

8:23 PM -- Savannah State averts the shutout with a 7-play, 52-yard drive that consumed 1:57 on the clock. Backup QB Antonio Bostick scores from 10 yards out for a 34-6 margin. The extra point was blocked by the Mountaineers' Adam Scott, leaving the score 34-6 with 10:51 left in the ballgame.


8:19 PM -- Tonight's attendance of 24,917 marks the 36th consecutive game that Kidd Brewer Stadium has exceeded its normal capacity of fans. Mountaineers remain ahead by a 34-0 score with around 12 minutes left to play.


7:55 PM - The teams have traded possessions for much of the first half of the third period. An ASU punt has pinned SSU inside its own five-yard line for the second time this evening.

On the second play following the punt, SSU's backup quarterback throws an interception by Rodger Walker, which ASU has converted into a touchdown on a three-play drive covering 39 yards, all runs by Steven Miller. Mountaineers lead by a 34-0 score.


7:16 PM - Sam Martin blasts another 50-yard plus field goal, capping a five-play, 41-yard drive as time expires in the first half. Mountaineersa lead it 27-0 at the break.


7:07 PM - Quarterback Presley caps a nine-play, 83-yard drive with a two-yard keeper on fourth-and-goal to pad the Mountaineer advantage to 24-0 with 1:49 remaining in the first half.


6:55 PM -- ASU is back on the board with a 48-yard touchdown pass connection from Deandre Presley to Brian Quick. The play capped a four-play, 65-yard drive that elapsed 1:34 off the second quarter clock. It is the 24th TD of Quick's career, one shy of the ASU career touchdown receptions record.

6:50 PM The teams trade punts and ASU gets the football back. SSU quarterback Defilippis was rocked by two consecutive sacks on the previous possession, knocking out the quarterback with an apparent head injury. Since the injury the Tigers offense has become anemic.


6:40 PM -- One quarter in the books from Boone and the Mountaineers hold a 10-0 lead, but Savannah State is driving.


6:30 PM - ASU placekicker Sam Martin connects on a 41-yard field goal to cap a 4-play, six-yard drive. Mountaineers lead it 10-0 in the closing three minutes of the first quarter at chilly Kidd Brewer, where game-time temperature was a balmy 53 degrees.

6:25 PM -- ASU forces a turnover, as Savannah St. quarterback AJ Defilippis was stripped of the ball, with ASU's GordyWitte making the recovery for the turnover. The Mountaineers get great field position in Tigers territory.late in the first quarter. ASU leads 7-0.


6:11 PM -- Tarvaris Cadet scores on a 2-yard run on the opening drive of the game for the Mountaineers to take a 7-0 lead. The score capped a seven-play, 68-yard drive that elapsed 2:40 off the clock.

6:00 p.m. - The 8J-T is live from Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone for tonight's game between Appalachian State and Savannah State. The Mountaineers will be playing tonight without the services of Lanstan Tanyi and Ed Gainey due to violation of team rules.

ASU receives the opening kickoff and we're underway. The Mountaineers look to move to 2-1 on the season. We'll be updating periodically throughout the contest.

Vols take to air in victory over Bearcats

By: Matt Laws(matt.laws@averyjournal.com)
Avery Journal-Times

During the opening quarter, the Tennessee and Cincinnati game appeared to be headed towards the direction of an offensive affair. However, the Volunteer airfare took control.

Tyler Bray threw for 405 yards in the air to lead the Vols to a 45-23 victory on Saturday afternoon inside Neyland Stadium.

"It felt like a track meet to me,” Tennessee Head Coach Derek Dooley said. “I'll tell you, our defense settled in, and they are just going to get some yards. They had 400 yards of offense, but what you can't do against these teams is give up that 65-yard run. And we give up a double move on third and 10. That's what you've got to eliminate. Let them get a little bit and move the ball, and then come up with the big third-down stops.”

The Bearcat offense struck first when Isiah Pead broke loose for a 65-yard touchdown with 13:24 still showing in the first quarter. However, Tennessee struck after a seven play drive when Marlon Lane dived into the endzone.

On the ensuing kick, Dooley reached into his bag of tricks as Michael Palardy kicked an onside kick and recovered for the Vols at midfield.

"We go into every game with stuff to try to generate some plays on special teams,” Dooley said. “We've done a pretty decent job in the last two years, and Palardy just had great execution. We've practiced it a lot and felt like we had a chance. The first drive, the guy goes 60-something yards and runs all over us, and then we scored. I just wanted to keep a little momentum going. It worked, so it was a good way to kind of flip the momentum."

Bray and the Tennessee offense took advantage as they got back on the scoreboard when Bray hit Justin Hunter for a 33-yard touchdown. After the Bearcats answered on their next drive, the defenses settled down to go into the second quarter with a 14-14 tie.

In the second frame, Bray gave Tennessee the lead when he hit Da’Rick Rogers for a 11-yard touchdown throw, and added to the lead with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Rogers. The Tennessee special teams took momentum into the locker room after Hunter blocked a half ending field goal to send UT to the locker room with a 28-14 lead.

Bray opened the second half scoring with his first career rushing touchdown on a 1-yard sneak with 10:16 on the scoreboard. Cincinnati finally managed to get on the board with a field goal, but the Vols quickly countered when Zach Rogers was on the receiving end of a 16-yard touchdown pass from Bray. After a late Bearcat touchdown, Palardy kicked a 37-yard field goal to cap the game’s scoring.

Bray ended the game 34-of-41 for 405 yards and four touchdowns. It was the first time that a Volunteer quarterback has eclipsed the 400-yard mark since 1997.

Bray’s favorite targets were Hunter and Rogers with 10 catches apiece. Hunter ended the game with 156 yards and a touchdown, while Rogers had 100 yards and two touchdowns.

"I've never had three of them like this, this young,” Dooley said. “I hope they keep doing what they are doing. The tests are going to get harder, but it is good to see where they are. That's two pretty good games by a quarterback and two really good games by those two wide outs. They made a lot of plays."

On the ground, Tauren Poole had 101 yards on 21 carries, while the freshman Lane had eight carries for 16 yards.

Hickory native Austin Johnson and Brent Brewer counted for six tackles apiece.

The Volunteers begin SEC play next week when they travel to the Swamp for a date with divisional rival Florida. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM....ASU'S KIDD BREWER STADIUM (ASU v. NC A&T)

6:15 PM -- ASU wins it 58-6. Solid performance overall in the win as ASU moves to 1-1 for the season. Full coverage of the game in next week's edition of The AJT. Thanks for reading!


6:10 PM -- Jamal Jackson tops off a 10-play, 57-yard drive that elapsed 5:13 off the fourth quarter clock with a three-yard touchdown run. The PAT gives the Mountaineers a 58-6 lead.

With the pending victory, Jerry Moore becomes the 16th head coach in college football history to win 200 games at one institution. Moore won his first game at ASU over Gardner-Webb 23 seasons ago, and three championships later has reached another impressive milestone. Multiple team records were set in today's contest as the Mountaineers pulled away to dominate the Aggies in the second half


5:55 PM - The Aggies appear ready to score its second TD of the game, when a pass is intercepted at the 3-yard line by Doug Middleton. Middleton takes the pick to the house for a 97-yard interception return touchdown. The extra point failed, but the Mountaineer lead bulges to 51-6 with 10:21 left in the game.


5:47 PM -- After ASU blocks a second punt of the day (both courtesy of Phillip Strickland), the Mountaineers move 13 yards over 7 plays, with kicker Martin belting a 51-yard field goal (7th longest in school history) to increase the lead to 45-6 with 12:30 to play in the game.


5:35 PM -- The ASU defense holds A and T to a three-and-out, then the offense takes care of business with a four-play, 63-yard drive highlighted by a 50-yard run from Tarvaris Cadet and capped by a one-yard plunge by quarterback Jamal Jackson. Mountaineers lead 42-6 and are well on the way to evening its record to 1-1 for the season.


5:29 PM - Following a Troy Sanders INT, the Mountaineers score for a fifth time on the day with a six-play, 68-yard drive. Presley capped the drive with a three-yard jaunt to the goal line. The Sam Martin extra point kick stakes ASU to a commanding 35-6 lead late in the third quarter.


5:15 PM - Appalachian answers the NC A and T score with its own touchdown, off a 12-play, 78-yard drive. The scoring effort took 4:55 off the clock and was culminated by a nine-yard TD pass from Presley to Quick, the pair's second connection of the afternoon.

With the score, Quick tallies his 23rd career touchdown, moving him alone into second place on the all-time Mountaineer touchdown reception list. ASU leads 28-6.


5:04 PM - NC A and T gets on the scoreboard with its first drive of the second half. Despite missing the extra point, the Aggies drove 60 yards over four plays, taking 1:58 off the third quarter clock. Quarterback Lewis Kindle connected with Wallace Miles for 40 yards. ASU leads 21-6 with 13:02 left in the third period.


4:38 PM -- At halftime, the Mountaineers maintain a 21-0 lead over the Aggies of NC A and T. Defensively the Mountaineers has been strong in the first half, but has shown a bit of flexibility in the pass defense, as A and T has found greatest success through the air.

ASU led 222 to 131 in total yards for the half, with DeAndre Presley completing 13-of-15 passes for 135 yards and a score.

Second-half updates to come.


4:29 PM -- It took a bit of time, but with 2:52 remaining in the half, the Mountaineers get on the scoreboard again. ASU has blocked a punt in the quarter, as well as recovered an NC A and T fumble, but it took 4:18 to march 50 yards over nine plays to reach paydirt. Cedrick Baker-Boney scores from three yards out to push the Mountaineer lead to 21-0 over the Aggies.

4:05 PM -- One quarter in the books. NC A and T is inside the ASU red zone, but the Mountaineers lead 14-0 after 15 minutes of action.


3:54 PM - The Mountaineer defense holds the Aggies and ASU marches 98 yards on 13 plays, elapsing 4:57 off the first quarter clock. DeAndre Presley does the honors with his legs with an 8-yard touchdown run to boost the ASU lead to 14-0 with 4:50 left in the first period.


3:42 PM -- ASU gets on the board with a touchdown in its opening drive, as a Brian Quick 19-yard touchdown reception from DeAndre Presley helps the Mountaineers draw first blood. The play capped an eight-play, 69-yard drive that elapsed 2:54 off the clock. ASU grabs an early 7-0 lead.


The AJ-T is at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone for this afternoon's home football opener between the ASU Mountaineers and the NC A and T Aggies.

ASU dropped a tough 66-13 loss to FBS opponent Virginia Tech in Blacksburg last Saturday, while the Aggies and new head coach Rod Broadway take the field for the first time in 2011.

We'll be bringing updates of all the action from the stadium throughout the afternoon as the Mountaineers look to even its mark at 1-1 on the season.

Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m., so check back periodically for your Mountaineer football fix.

Viking Pair Competes at State Track Championships

Avery juniors Alex Villanueva and Hunter Shields are competing on Friday at the NCHSAA 1A State Track Championships at Irwin Belk Track at North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro.

 Check the Twitter feed on the right side of the AJT Sports Blog home page for updates on whether the Vikings brings home a state champion this season.

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM... MacDonald Stadium (Avery Lady Vikings soccer Senior Night)

7:52 PM -- The Lady Vikings win it by a final score of 8-0. With the win, Avery ends the regular season with a record of 14-4-2, with a 10-2-2 mark in conference play. Congratulations to the Lady Viking seniors! Thanks for reading!

7:45 PM -- In the 74th minute, Emily Banner gets her hat trick with a shot deep into the back of the net for an 8-0 lead.

7:35 PM -- Emily Banner makes it seven for the Big Red with an open look and shot in the 64th minutes. AHS leads 7-0.

7:26 PM -- In the 56th minute Melinda Eggers gets just enough of the ball to slide the ball past the Mountaineer goalie and into the net. AHS scoring in bunches to lead it 6-0.

7:24 PM -- Arden Stanley scores off a corner kick to spot the Lady Vikings to a 5-0 lead here on Senior Night.

7:22 PM -- Mary Chesnut Smith finds her way past the Mitchell defense and peals a shot past the right of the keeper to give the Big Red a 4-0 lead in the 53rd minute.

6:59 PM -- Halftime at the Mac, and the Lady Vikings lead the match 3-0. Three Lady Vikings each score a goal for the lead, as Mitchell has had very little offensive attack at the Avery goal.

Avery has clinched the #2 seed out of the Western Highlands Conference, and should host a first round playoff match to open the NCHSAA 1A State Playoffs next week. We'll have second half action coming up.

6:34 PM -- After a scramble in front of the goal, senior Cassie Bumgarner kicks a low ball into the open net for a 3-0 Avery advantage in the 17th minute.

6:28 PM -- In the 11th minute the Lady Vikings strike again, this time on a shot from Mary Chesnut Smith. Lady Vikings hold a 2-0 lead in the early going.

6:26 PM -- Emily Banner on a swinging kick slips a ball through the hands of the keeper and into the net for a 1-0 Lady Viking advantage in the 10th minute of play.

We are LIVE at Avery County High School for Avery's final regular season home game, Senior Night, against the Mitchell Lady Mountaineers.

Avery honors 10 seniors this evening who have combined to account for 212 goals scored and 211 assists during their tenure in the red, white and black, helping AHS win 60 matches in all. The seniors have took part in a state championship match and has been part of perhaps the greatest four-season run in school history.

AHS is recognizing Emily Banner, Mercedes Bentley, Cassie Bumgarner, Melinda Eggers, Jennie Elrod, Katelynn Eudy, Kaley Faulkner, Logan Johnson, Megan Robbins and Mary Chesnut Smith prior to tonight's match with the Lady Mountaineers in an on-field ceremony.

The match will be getting underway shortly and we'll be providing updates from the press box in Big Red Country. Go Vikings!

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM... MacDonald Stadium (Avery Lady Vikings soccer)

8:07 PM -- Lady Vikings win by a 7-0 final score. The Big Red led 4-0 at intermission and played through the wind and rain to pick up the conference win.

AHS will play on Thursday at home against Owen, with kickoff scheduled at 6 p.m.

It's soccer night as the Avery Lady Vikings (10-4-2) hosts the Madison Lady Patriots (0-11-0) in a Western Highlands Conference matchup. The Big Red hasn't played in 12 days, since a 3-0 shutout of R-S Central in non-conference action on April 15.

On the injury front, senior keeper Mercedes Bentley is out, still recovering from injury, so it will be junior Arden Stanley in goal for the start, coming off a pair of impressive performances in goal the past two contests.

We'll be bringing all the goals and excitement from The Mac this afternoon. Thanks for following.