Avery High School sports schedule for Jan. 27

Thursday's ACHS sports schedule:

Avery basketball at Mountain Heritage will be played this afternoon in Burnsville. Game times have been moved ahead a half-hour, however, with the JV girls game starting at 3:30 p.m. today.

If you can't make this evening's games, they will be broadcast live by Burnsville radio station WKYK 940 AM. where they will be having streaming audio of the varsity games. Click the "sports" tab, then the "Listen Live" link to hear the action.

Avery wrestling will be facing Madison in a home dual meet at the Viking Octagon this evening at 6:30 p.m.


Also of note, Friday night's Avery at Polk County basketball games will be broadcast live via streaming audio from Columbus radio station WJFJ-AM. You can listen live for the varsity games beginning around 6:30 pm. by clicking here.

(Special Note: I (Jamie) have been invited by Wolverines radio voice Ray Henderson and his broadcast crew to assist with their radio call of Friday's games from Columbus, If you can't make Friday's games, you're invited to listen online for what's sure to be an entertaining broadcast.)

It's Official! Chappell Trots the Globe in a Labor of Love

For over five decades, Banner Elk resident Terry Chappell has been a fixture on athletic fields and gymnasiums, both locally and around the world. Chappell has served as an official for 51 years. He worked football games from the high school and small college levels up to the Atlantic Coast Conference for 40 years, spent 46 years officiating small college and Old Dominion Athletic Conference basketball, and for the past 30 years has been officiating volleyball matches.

During his career, Chappell has seen about everything there is to see in competition. During the fall, Avery High School volleyball players, coaches and fans still see him multiple times in the gymnasium at home volleyball matches calling during the regular season and the state playoffs.

“I’ve always had an interest in athletics. My first two years in high school I was too small to participate, so the coach had me refereeing scrimmage games at practice,” Chappell said in an interview last week. “The year after I graduated from school, which was in 1959, I started officiating football and basketball. I had a great love of the game and enjoyed being involved with the youth, and hoped to inspire one or two of them along the way.”

As with most individuals, there are always people who provide inspiration and influence what they are passionate about. When it comes to officiating, Chappell is no exception.

“I had two great influences early on. Ralph Stout from Mountain City and John Hollers from Boone were two people who really got behind me and helped me along. They really carried me the first two or three years until I got my feet wet and realized that I was going to get hollered at,” Chappell said.

Officiating has taken Chappell around the state of North Carolina, but it has also opened doors for him to travel around the world. Chappell worked as a referee for the world famous Harlem Globetrotters from 1987 until a knee injury forced him to leave the group in 1991. His work with the internationally-renowned group took him to locales that many only dream of visiting.

“We went all over the world. We went to Tokyo and Hong Kong on tour, to China and seen the Forbidden City. The streets were narrow and everyone there, probably over 90 percent of the people, rode bicycles with tags on them,” Chappell said. “We also toured in Guam and stayed there a week and traveled all over Europe. We worked once at the Boston Garden, where the officials dressed in the Celtics locker room, and we were able to see Larry Bird’s locker there.”

Chappell had no problem describing his favorite location that the tour visited.
“My favorite place we went was when we traveled and spent seven weeks in Australia. We played only three nights a week there rather than playing every night as we did in most places,” Chappell said. “The promoter who had us there felt if we played three or four nights a week and had more rest instead of playing every night, we’d put on a better show. We had a lot of time to golf and I enjoyed the time we were there.”

Not only did Chappell’s time with the Globetrotters take him around the world, he had experiences that few people get the chance to enjoy, such as a visit to see the home of the nation’s Chief Executive.

“We once were in Washington, D.C. and we had a private tour of the White House,” Chappell said. “I tell folks I went to see President Bush and tell him what he needed to do to straighten out the economy. We visited the White House Press Room where the press conferences are held that are seen on television. We went through all kinds of places that average people who take the tour don’t get to see.”

Many would be surprised to know that not only did Chappell’s work with the Globetrotters mean an opportunity to see the world, but it also afforded him the chance to meet a number of famous athletes and individuals. One particular story Chappell shared involved the time he starred opposite comedian and actor Bill Cosby on the popular sitcom “The Cosby Show.”

“When Teresa Edwards won the 1988 Olympic gold medal in women’s basketball, she was on the show. Cosby contacted me and another official to come do the show and film a basketball scene,” Chappell said. “So we go up to New York to film an episode where Edwards and some of the best women’s players in the nation played against some of the retired NBA basketball players like Bobby Jones, Bill Bradley, Walt Hazzard and lots of other players.”

The Harlem Globetrotters are best remembered for their antics and family entertainment provided to millions around the world. Chappell was able to get to know many of the players and built lasting relationships with a number of people associated with the group.

“Twiggy Sanders, Sweet Lou Dunbar and ‘Showbiz’ Jackson were the three showmen. We had two teams. Sweet Lou was with one of the teams and Twiggy and Showbiz were with the other team. We had one team that traveled to the bigger cities and the other that traveled around to the smaller towns,” Chappell said. “I still stay in touch with Sweet Lou as well as Clyde Sinclair. They are both still involved with the group as coaches, and anytime they are in the vicinity and the Globetrotters have games, they’ll provide me with tickets for myself and my family.”

One of the greatest satisfactions Chappell received from his years on tour centered on the audiences the group entertained from town to town.

“The adults and older people were always as active and involved as the children were,” Chappell recalled. “When Twiggy or one of the players held something up, you’d see adults holding up their hands standing and begging for it as much as the kids. I remember the first time I took my father to an event. During the show Twiggy had a tutu on under his shorts, and when he pulled down his shorts and waved them around asking who wanted them, I look on the front row and I see my dad standing up hollering as loud if not louder than the kids.”

Chappell received his break with the Globetrotters after receiving a call from former Atlantic Coast Conference Director of Officials Fred Barakat, who knew Chappell from observing Chappell’s work as an ACC football official.

“Fred was the one who recommended me for the job. He called me up and told me the Globetrotters were looking for an official. Well actually, he started by kidding me, asking me if I wanted to come officiate a North Carolina-N.C. State basketball game. I first thought it was Wayne Otto joking with me, as we went on all the time like that,” Chappell said. “Fred then apologized and told me the Globetrotters were looking for someone. Knowing me and my personality and especially my size at five feet, six inches compared to the seven-foot tall players they had, he felt that I would be perfect for the show.”

After the call, Chappell traveled to Greensboro and spent two weeks touring with the Globetrotters auditioning for the referee position with six other officials before winning out and receiving his job offer.

“After that period they told me they really wanted me to stay with them for the rest of the tour, but I told them I had to go back to my old job and give my notice to them,” he stated. “From that point I spent the next four years with the group.”

Through the years Chappell as a Globetrotter referee was often the victim of more than one player prank on the court. Yet through it all, Chappell feels blessed to have been part of such a special group.

“Of course as officials we had water thrown on us every night. Every time there was a TV camera players would come over and pull my shirt up and ask me “Who’s afraid of cholesterol?” Chappell said. “The whole show, seeing the kids and everybody smile always made it worthwhile.”

Lady Vikings Overwhelms Warlassies, Throttles TJCA

Last Tuesday, Jan. 18, the Avery High School (AHS) Lady Vikings battled a physical Owen Warlassies club in Swannanoa. Turnover hampered both teams for much of the game, but Avery’s talent and size, primarily its frontline strength, proved too much for Owen as the Big Red pulled away in the second half for a 53-39 Western Highlands Conference win.

On Friday, Jan. 21, the Lady Vikings welcomed the Thomas Jefferson (TJCA) Gryphons to the Viking Octagon. If it had been an option, TJCA might have tapped out in submission to the superior Big Red. However, the team played the contest to its duration, with the Lady Vikings earning its fifth straight win and 11th win in its last 12 games with a 74-20 triumph.

In its contest with the Warlassies, both teams had trouble holding on to the basketball, turning it over in unusually high numbers. Piled onto its inability to consistently possess the ball, the Lady Vikings connected on only 4-of-18 shots in the first period. Owen fared little better, hitting 4-of-14 shots, as the teams were knotted at 9-9 after eight minutes of play.

The AHS press defense continued to do its work in the second period of turning the Warlassies over, while the offense improved both its ball protection and shooting. Lady Viking senior forward Katelynn Eudy heated up from the floor, making 3-of-4 shots in the stanza for six points, while junior teammate Megan Tennant continued her recent torrid offensive production, netting six points in the half herself to bolster.

Defensively, AHS forced 15 Owen turnovers for the half, while a 10-1 scoring run in the second stanza boosted the Lady Vikings to a 21-12 halftime lead.

Throughout the second half, the Warlassies continued to employ a physical brand of basketball, but the Lady Vikings continued to persevere, finding space inside with crisp passing and accurate touch inside the paint. Sophomore Kelsie Clarke netted a pair of layups in the third period, with five points from Eudy, four points from Tennant and three from Savannah Dellinger to help AHS take a 39-24 lead after three periods.

The pair of Eudy and Tennant combined for all six Lady Viking field goals in the final eight minutes, as the Big Red earned a hard-fought 14-point win.

Eudy led all scorers with 19 points on 9-of-14 shooting, with 11 rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocks. Tennant added a double-double of her own with 14 points and 10 rebounds, in addition to three rebounds and two blocked shots. Dellinger scored five points, with four apiece from Clarke and Lauren Burleson.
Shae Frizsell led the Warlassies with 14 points, with nine points from Tori Falls. The Lady Vikings forced 31 Owen turnovers in the win.

“I felt we didn’t play well, but they didn’t either. I thought we rebounded well, and Eudy really got going in the second half, as she hasn’t had a big game in a while,” Avery head coach Missy Lyons said after the win. “We did have a lot of turnovers but our defense stepped it up at times. Owen is always a hard team to play over there, so I thought we pulled it out and played maybe a bit better than I thought we would.”

The Lady Vikings dominated the TJCA Gryphons as Lyons mixed up her lineup, with Clarke, Monica Estep and Danielle Byrd getting the starting nod. The starters may have been altered, but the team achieved a similar result to the beating inflicted in the teams’ earlier meeting this season in Rutherford County

Clarke tallied seven points in the first period with a pair of baskets by Eudy, as Dellinger and Shayna Vance each came off the Viking bench to net a three-pointer giving the Big Red a 19-7 lead after one period.

From there, the defense stood tall, holding TJCA without a field goal for the remainder of the half. Only a Victoria Bennett free throw prevented the Gryphons from a scoreless quarter. AHS’s offense, meanwhile, continued to roll. Eight different players scored in the half as the Lady Vikings outscored TJCA 16-1 in route to a 35-8 halftime edge.

The second half was a formality as Lyons played each player extensive minutes in the game. AHS led 52-15 after three periods and put its foot on the pedal in the final eight minutes en route to the 54-point win.

Clarke led the Lady Vikings with 18 points, with 12 from Dellinger, nine from Mercedes Bentley, eight each from Eudy and Burleson, seven from Tennant and six from Vance.

“What we tried to do tonight was try to mix it up to give all the girls a chance to play and have girls play some different spots, which could help us later in the season,” Lyons said. “We wanted to have a better shooting percentage tonight and less turnovers as goals and we feel good about being able to do that. We wanted to do a good job communicating better on defense, and be able to switch up and substitute and rotate, and all the girls did a great job.”

The Lady Vikings were scheduled to host Hendersonville in Western Highlands Conference action on Tuesday, Jan. 25, and will travel to Mountain Heritage this Thursday, Jan. 27, to make up an earlier postponed game, and will finish the week with a trip to Polk County this Friday, Jan. 28.

Vikings Rally to Oust Owen, Grounds Gryphons

The Avery High School (AHS) varsity boys basketball team mounted a comeback from a double-digit first half deficit to down the Owen Warhorses 61-52 in hoops action last Tuesday, Jan. 18, in Swannanoa. On Friday, Jan. 21, the Vikings held off a pesky Thomas Jefferson club to earn a 88-74 win and maintain its undefeated mark all-time against the Gryphons.

AHS got off to a remarkably slow start in its rematch of a December game won 72-70 by the Vikings in Newland last month. Owen seized a 14-6 lead after one period as the Big Red connected on only two of its 10 shots in the period and committed nine turnovers that helped push the Warhorses out in front.

In the second frame, however, the Vikings protected the basketball offensively and stepped up the defensive pressure to get back into the game. Following a basket by Ben Marett which gave the Warhorses a 23-10 lead at the 5:22 mark of the stanza,

AHS held Owen scoreless for the remainder of the period and mounted a 9-0 scoring run of its own to draw within four points at intermission.

As in last year’s matchup in Swannanoa, AHS senior Dustin Clarke shouldered the offensive scoring burden for the Vikings, as he netted 11 points in the second period and 15 of the 19 Viking markers for the half.

In the third period the Big Red continued to make its push toward the lead. Senior Kody Hughes asserted himself and was a factor on both ends of the floor. Hughes connected on 3-of-4 shots from the field and scored nine points in the period.

Jordan Brown countered for Owen with seven points of his own which helped the Warhorses preserve a narrow 37-35 advantage heading into the final eight minutes of play.

A Hughes steal and bucket at the 6:36 mark of the final stanza staked the Vikings its first lead of the contest at 39-37, while a three-point play from Alex Villanueva boosted the AHS club to a five-point margin.

The plays appeared to swing the game’s momentum for good in favor of the visitors from AHS. Clarke connected on three field goals in the period and scored 11 points in the final quarter. Hughes scored six over the same span, while Villanueva finished with five points in the period.

The Vikings did everything it needed to do over the final eight minutes to close out the victory. AHS shot 9-of-15 from the field in the frame and connected on 7-of-9 shots from the free throw line. The team committed just two turnovers in the period and gave the ball up just six times over the entire second half to quell all hopes for an Owen win.

Clarke led all scorers with 30 points on 10-of-23 shooting from the field, and made good on 10-of-12 free throws. The University of Hartford commitment added five assists, eight rebounds and four steals.

Hughes hit both of AHS’s three-point shots for the contest and finished with 14 points, to go with seven rebounds and three steals. Villanueva chipped in with nine points, with six points, five rebounds and two steals from Joey Potter.

The contest with Thomas Jefferson was a closer matchup than most suspected, but the Vikings emerged victorious with an 88-74 win on its home floor.

AHS played the game without the services of head coach Bo Manis, who was absent due to a death in the family. Assistant coach Reggie Oakes took the reins for the game, and will lead the Big Red through next week’s games also in the coach’s absence.

Behind the touch of the state’s leading scorer, Travis Waldrop-Rodriguez, the Gryphons and Vikings played evenly through one period, as the squads were knotted at 20-20 after one period.

The Vikings shot more than 50 percent from the field in the first half, as the senior duo of Dustin Clarke and Kody Hughes paced the AHS offense with a combined for 32 points to pace the Big Red to a 44-38 halftime lead.

TJCA’s own dynamic tandem of Waldrop-Rodriguez and Richard Petty attempted to keep pace with AHS with 26 points of their own by intermission.

AHS began the second half at a torrid pace with a 27-point third period. Clarke continued a white-hot shooting display with 12 points in the stanza, with nine from Hughes, stretching the Viking advantage to 71-54 after three quarters.

Throughout the final period the Vikings answered virtually every basket the Gryphons scored. The AHS bench got into the act in the second half, as Benji Stewart scored a pair of baskets, with buckets from Dyllon Greene, Austin Lyons and Andy Gonzalez bolstering the Viking margin.

Waldrop-Rodriguez, much like his 34-point effort in the first meeting between the schools, showed why he is one of the best scorers in recent history in the Western Highlands Conference. The freshman tallied a game-high 33 points that included a 75-foot heave for his final three points as time expired to end the game.

Clarke ended the night with 32 points in his own right to lead the Vikings to go with 10 assists, six rebounds and four steals. Hughes was also a major factor in the triumph with a season-high 26 points. Colton Blackburn added eight points and four rebounds, with seven points from Benji Stewart.

“They played a lot of man defense on us last game, but we just happened to work on offense against a zone defense the last five minutes of our last practice. They showed a 3-2 zone, and our work really paid off with some open looks and buckets tonight,” Oakes said after the Viking victory. “All of us are keeping Bo in our prayers, and he has done such a great job with the kids this year. I don’t think people realize how good a job he has done with these kids. He left some words of wisdom with the kids about being a band of brothers, and tonight it seemed like everybody was into the game and supporting each other with strong camaraderie. I credit this whole win to Coach Manis.”

AHS improves to 10-4 for the season, with a 7-1 mark in conference contests. The Vikings was scheduled to take on conference leader Hendersonville on Tuesday, Jan. 25, in the Viking Octagon, and will travel to Mountain Heritage this Thursday, Jan. 27, and journey to Polk County on Friday, Jan. 28.

Yackey Named to NCSCA 1A All-State Soccer Team

Avery High School senior defender Brock Yackey was named to the 1A All-State Soccer Team, as selected by the North Carolina Soccer Coaches Association.

Yackey helped the Vikings to a 15-win season and its first state playoff victory in more than a dozen years.

“Brock was our defensive leader and soul of the team. Without taking away anything from anybody else on the team, Brock was the anchor of the team,” Avery head soccer coach Tom Evaul said of his senior standout when he was recognized with his fellow seniors at the conclusion of the regular season. “When he had a bad game, or was not on the field, we struggled. He has had a fantastic senior year, and he will be sorely missed next year.”

Yackey was recognized, in addition to his fellow All-State selections, at a banquet held in Greensboro last Sunday, Jan. 23.

Wrestling Splits Duals with Owen, TJCA

The Avery High School (AHS) wrestling team started its week with a tough loss in a home match Tuesday, Jan. 18, against the Owen Warhorses. The Big Red bounced back, however, to take a 48-24 road victory against Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (TJCA).

The match kicked off at 152 pounds, where Luke Price fell to Owen’s Paul Redmon by pinfall.

Following a Warhorse win by forfeit, AHS earned its first points of the match at 171 pounds when senior C.J. Vance won by a 5-3 decision in the third period of overtime. Vance won the match when he earned an escape and a penalty point for the final bout margin.

At 189 pounds, Logan Corrai continued the Viking momentum as he earned a 12-5 decision win over Taylor Early to narrow the point differential to 12-6. Senior Lucas Lecka captured another six points with a pinfall victory at 215 pounds over Owen’s Jake Stewart. Unsportsmanlike conduct by the Owen wrestler resulted in a deduction of one team point, which gave the Vikings the overall team lead at 12-11.

The deduction served to motivate the Warhorses, who seized control of the dual. Owen won consecutive bouts in the heavyweight (pin), 103-pound (pin), 112-pound (forfeit), 119-pound (major decision), 125-pound (decision) and 130-pound (pin) weight classes. The Vikings finally broke the string when senior Brock Yackey earned a 14-0 major decision victory over Owen’s Derrick Holt. The Warhorses captured the final two bouts by pin to provide for the final margin.

Two evenings later, the Vikings traveled to Rutherford County and earned a key momentum-building dual meet victory.

The match opened with a double forfeit at the 112-pound weight class. At 119 pounds, Viking grappler Harley Rash earned a first period pinfall to put the Big Red out in front. Justin Gragg made it two straight bout wins with a third period pin at 125 pounds, giving AHS a 12-0 lead.

TJCA bounced back to cut the lead in half with a pinfall win at 130 pounds, but a forfeit win by Yackey at 135 pounds gave the Big Red an 18-6 lead.

Avery surrendered a forfeit at 140 pounds, TJCA earned a victory by pinfall at 145 pounds and won the 152-pound bout by forfeit which gave the Gryphons the lead for the first time at 24-18.

Following a double forfeit at 160 pounds, Vance put the Vikings back in the win column with a first period pin at 171 pounds to tie the match.

Nathaniel Buchanan’s victory by pin at 1:26 in the 189-pound bout put the Vikings ahead in the dual for good. Lecka won the final contested match of the evening by pin at 1:07 for a 36-24 lead, and Greene (heavyweight) and Wesley Hobbs (103 pounds) each won by forfeit to provide for the final 48-24 winning margin.

The Big Red traveled to Hendersonville on Tuesday, Jan. 25, to take on the Bearcats, and return home this Friday, Jan. 28, to host the Polk County Wolverines.

Musings and Ramblings: Super Bowl Matchup Celebrates History of Sport

I’m pretty sure after last weekend that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is smiling…all the way to the bank.

Last Sunday, Jan. 23, participants in the 45th installation of the world championship of professional football, also known as the Super Bowl, were determined. This year’s big contest pits arguably the two most tradition-rich franchises in the National Football League, when the AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFC champion Green Bay Packers square off on Feb. 6, at Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The Packers, one of football’s oldest franchises with the moniker of “Titletown,” was the dominant team in the 1960s, winning five NFL championships in the pre-Super Bowl era and the first two Super Bowl titles. Green Bay relived those glory days with its win over New England in Super Bowl 31.

Pittsburgh was the winningest championship team in the 1970s, capturing four Super Bowls in a six-year span, culminating with back-to-back wins in Super Bowls 13 and 14. The Steelers have enjoyed resurgence in the past six seasons with wins in Super Bowls 40 and 43.

This year’s championship has all the trappings of a classic showdown. Both teams have saved their best football for the postseason and are battle-tested. The Packers had to win three road games to get to the big game. The Steelers, in the meantime, had to win a pair of slugfests at home against Baltimore and the New York Jets to punch its ticket to Texas.

For the next two weeks, there will be endless chatter and stories about how the teams match up and which team has the edge. With that in mind, I’ve decided to put on my analyst hat, make a shade tree assessment of which team has the edge in several categories and pick a winner.

Offense: Green Bay has shown the proclivity to pass the pigskin, and has shown quick-strike ability during the regular season and playoffs. After waiting in the wings for a couple of seasons behind legendary quarterback Brett Favre, current Packer signal-caller Aaron Rodgers is one of the league’s most exciting young players, as he amassed more than 4,000 yards passing and 28 touchdown passes this season.

Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger (pictured left) & Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers

 

Aside from the quarterback, the Packers has a talented corps of receivers, from veterans Donald Driver and Greg Jennings to younger players like James Jones and Jordi Nelson. What has emerged as a surprise in the postseason has been the emergence of a running game, primarily the work of running back James Starks, who continued a great playoff season with 74 rushing yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s NFC championship game win over the Chicago Bears. He and fullback John Kuhn have brought energy to a running game decimated early this season by the injury to starting running back Ryan Grant.

Pittsburgh is a hard-nosed football team that uses its physicality to gain success. The toughness begins at the quarterback position with Ben Roethlisberger, who is a strong-armed passer whose large frame makes him tough for defenders to bring down. Rashard Mendenhall has emerged as the team’s top running back, cementing his status as a big-time player with more than 100 yards rushing in its AFC title win over the Jets. The Steelers have a pair of talented young receivers in Mike Wallace and Emmanuel Sanders, with veteran complementary receivers in Hines Ward, Heath Miller and Antwaan Randel-El.

Offensive Edge: Packers

Defense: Pittsburgh’s defense kept the team afloat during the first four weeks of the regular season when Roethlisberger was suspended by the league for violation of the personal conduct policy. Right outside linebacker James Harrison (100 tackles and 11 sacks) is a leading candidate for the NFL Most Valuable Defensive Player award this season, despite being fined more than $100,000 this season for at least four instances of helmet-to-helmet contact on players, a point-of-emphasis preached by the league office for officials to crack down on after a rash of hits around the league put the issue in the spotlight. Harrison plays all-out, and punishes opponents with bone-crushing hits and has a nose for the football.

Teammates James Farrior (109 tackles, six sacks) and LaMarr Woodley (10 sacks) help Harrison in the middle of the new Steel Curtain defense.

Anchoring the Pittsburgh secondary is safety Troy Polamalu (63 tackles and seven interceptions). Polamalu’s presence on the field makes the Steelers a better team defensively. The team’s turnover ratio and points per game surrendered is vastly different, emphasizing his importance to the club. As important, his presence gives the remaining secondary starters of Ike Taylor, Ryan Clark and Bryant McFadden the freedom to play more aggressively on receivers, knowing the All-Pro is in the backfield to back them up.

Green Bay has had one of the most consistent defenses in all of football during the 2010 season. The team has a number of emerging young stars, like linebackers A.J. Hawk (111 tackles) and Clay Matthews (60 tackles and 14 sacks) and nose tackle B.J. Raji (39 tackles and seven sacks), along with veterans like former league defensive Most Valuable Player Charles Woodson (92 tackles) and Nick Collins (70 tackles and four interceptions).

The Packers have greater young talent across the board defensively than the Steelers, but the veteran experience of the Steelers, with several players now making a third Super Bowl appearance, gives them the slight advantage.

Defensive Edge: Steelers

Special Teams: The Packers have one of the best kickers in the NFL in Mason Crosby. The fourth year pro out of Colorado has converted all 46 of his extra points successfully this season and has a 78.1 percent field goal conversion rate for his career (107 of 137). He has converted 22-of-28 field goal attempts this season, with a long of 56 yards.

Punter Tim Masthay averages 44 yards per punt, and has placed 25 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line this season.

Traman Williams is Green Bay’s leading punt returner. Williams had a breakout season, starting all 16 games and leading the team with a career-high six interceptions and a career-best 23 passes defensed, but has been a valuable asset in the return game with speed to break a touchdown each time he touches the football.

Kickoff return duties are handled by Nelson and Sam Shields, who each have kickoff returns of approximately 50 yards on their stat sheet this season.

Pittsburgh’s kicking game has been a bit shakier this season. The Steelers cut long-time kicker Jeff Reed after nine games and brought in Shawn Suisham to finish the season. Since his resurfacing in Pittsburgh Suisham has been solid, converting all of his extra point attempts and successfully kicking 14-of-15 field goal attempts.

Pittsburgh lost punter Daniel Sepulveda for the season with a torn right anterior cruciate ligament in the team’s 12th game. Replacing Sepulveda was Jeremy Kapinos, who was signed by the team after a tryout and has averaged 41.9 yards per punt in 18 attempts this season.

In the return game Steelers wideout Antonio Brown is the only player from either team with a return for a touchdown, and has close to 400 kick return yards in 2010. Veteran Randel El also returns punts, while Sanders is the team’s primary kickoff returner who averages more than 25 yards per kickoff return for the year.

Neither team has a glaring advantage in the kicking nor return game based on season statistics. The edge here goes to neither Pittsburgh nor Green Bay, so call it a push.

Special Teams Edge: EVEN

Coaching: Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin replaced a legendary coach in Bill Cowher, and has taken his squad to two Super Bowls in three seasons. He is a player’s coach who has the respect and admiration of his players. It also helps Tomlin to have one of the best defensive minds in the game calling the defensive plays in coordinator and NFL Hall of Famer Dick LeBeau.

Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy led the Packers to the NFC title game in 2007 with Brett Favre calling the signals, but he agreed to the unpopular move at the time of trading the heralded quarterback in favor of giving the reins of the team to an upstart quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. The move has proven wise as he has taken a team that had to win its final two regular season games to simply make the postseason and led them to the cusp of the game’s ultimate prize.

McCarthy has his own talented defensive coordinator in former Panthers head coach and Steelers defensive coordinator Dom Capers.

The chess match between the coaches should be intriguing, but the edge has to go to Tomlin and his staff who have proven on two occasions already that they can get the job done when the most pressure is on them.

Coaching Edge: Steelers

After weighing all the data, one thing is clear: Super Bowl XLV has the potential to be one of the most competitive and exciting championship games of all time. The teams last met in December 2009 in a classic confrontation. If the teams can match the drama of that game, which featured a last-second Roethlisberger touchdown pass for a thrilling victory, fans are in for a treat.

As a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan, I will be rooting against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who cost the Cowboys a pair of Super Bowl titles in the 1970s before Dallas earned a small measure of revenge in Super Bowl 30. However, in an unbiased analysis, I have to give the AFC champions a slight overall edge to win the big game.

PREDICTION: Pittsburgh 31, Green Bay 26

LMC Sports Roundup

Men’s Basketball: Bobcats Fall Short against Erskine, Coker
The Erskine College men's basketball team outscored Lees-McRae College (LMC) by a 21-10 margin down the stretch en route to a 61-54 win in Conference Carolinas action last Wednesday, Jan. 19.

LMC (3-10, 0-6 CC) posted a 45.2 percent clip from the floor, including a 52.6 percent mark in the second half, while holding the Flying Fleet (2-9, 1-5 CC) to a 37.3 percent clip from the field. Daniel Sepokas poured in a game-high 14 points, converting 8-of-8 attempts at the free throw line while recording a team-high three assists. Tevin Friday, Adam McFerran and Sam Youse each tallied eight points, while DeAndre Tillman posted a game-high seven rebounds.

Filip Pejovic equaled Sepokas' game-high 14 points while also pulling down a contest-best seven rebounds. DeShaun Hall chipped in 11 points and four rebounds, while Chris Gore added a game-high four assists.

Erskine took an early 10-4 lead on a triple by Travis Liner before LMC responded, countering with a 9-0 run to claim a 13-10 advantage on a free throw by Youse at the 8:38 mark. Neither team held more than a three-point lead for the remainder of the half, with the Bobcats taking a narrow 26-25 advantage into the intermission.

The Flying Fleet stayed within striking distance for much of the second half, launching a 17-7 run over a four minute span to take a 57-51 lead on a free throw by Pejovic with 1:05 to play. Erskine then closed out the win with a 4-3 edge over the final minute to claim the 61-54 victory.

Coker College out-rebounded LMC by a 38-28 margin, and held the Bobcats to a 35 percent mark from the field en route to an 81-61 win in Conference Carolinas action last Saturday, Jan. 22.

McFerran poured in a game-high 22 points for the Bobcats, connecting on 7-of-15 attempts from the floor and going 8-for-11 at the free throw line. The senior guard also pulled down a game-high seven rebounds. Youse and Sepokas joined McFerran in double figures with 15 and 13 points, respectively, as Youse posted game-highs of three assists and four steals.

Coker took control early, launching an 18-1 run following a game-opening triple by Sepokas to take an 18-4 lead on a Ryan Aijan layup with 11:38 to play in the half. The Bobcats would answer with a 14-10 run, cutting the margin to 28-18 at the 6:05 mark following four-straight triples from Youse.

The Cobras pushed the lead back to 13 points on a Aijan triple at the 3:01 mark, taking a 37-24 advantage before the Bobcats closed out the half with a 4-0 spurt, capped by a last-second McFerran layup to trim the margin to 37-28 heading into the intermission.

Coker reclaimed the momentum early in the second half, pushing the lead to 46-32 on a Kyle jumper before the Bobcats answered with a quick 5-0 spurt to cut the margin to 46-37 on a McFerran layup with 15:53 to play. After LMC cut the lead to 49-41 on a pair of free throws by Friday at the 13:47 mark, the Cobras answered with a 20-7 run to take a 69-48 lead on a Doles three-point play with 6:46 to play.

The Bobcats fought back with a 9-2 run, cutting the margin to 71-57 on the heels of a five-point spurt by Sepokas with 4:45 left on the clock. Coker reclaimed the momentum and quelled the rally from there, closing out the win with a 10-4 run to equal the final margin of 81-61.

LMC hosts Belmont Abbey College in Williams Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m. this Wednesday, Jan. 26, and Barton College beginning at 4 p.m. this Saturday, Jan. 29.

Women’s Basketball: Erskine Slips By Lady Bobcats, LMC Routs Coker
The Erskine College women's basketball team overcame a late double-digit deficit, outscoring LMC by a 19-4 margin over the final six minutes last Wednesday, Jan. 19, en route to a narrow 75-74 victory in Conference Carolinas action.

Chloe Parker paced the Bobcats with her second straight double-double, turning in season-highs of 17 points and 13 rebounds on 8-of-12 shooting. Janina Thurau, Icey Patterson and Erin Thompson joined Parker in double figures with 15, 11 and 10 points, respectively. Melissa Jensen chipped in a game-high three steals for the Bobcats.

Morgan Porsha led the way for Erskine with a game-high 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting, while Elizabeth Tatum chipped in a double-double with 17 points and a contest-best 14 rebounds. Jean Marie Harris added 12 markers for the Flying Fleet, as Neci Allen and Porsha posted six and five assists, respectively.

LMC opened the first half strong, taking an early 10-5 lead on a Thurau triple at the 14:20 mark before Erskine responded, launching a 17-11 run to take a narrow 22-21 lead on a jumper by Porsha with 9:20 left in the period. The Bobcats answered with a tremendous run of their own, closing out the half with a 22-9 spurt to take a 43-31 lead into the intermission following a triple by Candace Flowers with 35 seconds left in the period.

The Bobcats maintained the double-digit margin until the 13:04 mark of the second half, when Allen converted a three-point play to cut the lead to 54-45. Lees-McRae responded with a 10-4 spurt, pushing the margin to 64-49 on a jumper by Sophie Witte (Hamburg, Germany) with 9:27 to play.

LMC held the double-digit margin for much of the next five minutes until Erskine claimed the momentum, launching a 19-1 run over the next four minutes to take a 75-71 lead. LMC answered with a Thompson triple to cut the gap to 75-74 in the closing seconds to equal the final margin.

LMC utilized a balanced attack and superb defense to record a 61-37 victory over Coker College on Saturday afternoon in Conference Carolinas action.

Parker scored in double figures for the fifth straight game, pouring in 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting while hauling down a game-high eight rebounds. Patterson joined Parker in double figures with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting, while dishing out a team-high three assists. Kasey Haynes chipped in nine points off the bench, as Patterson posted a game-high three steals.

Freshman Ashley Thompson paced the Cobras with a game-high 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting, while also pulling down seven rebounds and equaling Patterson's contest-best three steals. Megan Thomas and Cassie Kirby chipped in seven and six points, respectively, while Jasmine Alston added six rebounds and a game-high six assists.

LMC returns to the court at 5:30 p.m. this Wednesday, Jan. 26, when the Bobcats host Belmont Abbey College in Williams Gymnasium.

Football: Washburn Joins Philadelphia Eagles Staff

Former LMC defensive coordinator Jim Washburn was named as the defensive line coach for the National Football League’s (NFL) Philadelphia Eagles last Wednesday, Jan. 19.

For the past 12 seasons, the Shelby native had made his home in Nashville, Tenn. as defensive line coach for the Tennessee Titans, coaching players such as Jevon Kearse and Kyle Vanden Bosch. Washburn was instrumental in turning both Kearse and Vanden Bosch into household names in the NFL.

In Washburn's first season with the Titans, he helped convert Kearse from linebacker to one of the premier defensive ends in the game. Kearse tallied 14.5 sacks in his rookie season and went on to post 70 sacks in his first five seasons with the club.

Washburn began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Southern Methodist University before taking the reins as defensive coordinator at LMC, then a junior college, in 1977. Washburn spent two seasons on the sidelines for the green and gold before accepting the same position at Livingston College in 1979. Following stints with New Mexico and South Carolina, Washburn took the head coaching position for the Charlotte Barons of the Minor League Football System, winning a national championship in 1990.

Washburn's career continued to climb as he moved on to take the defensive line position with the London Monarchs of the World League of American Football. In 1993, Washburn returned to Charlotte as an assistant coach for the Arena Football League's Charlotte Rage before accepting the defensive line position with Arkansas. Washburn spent four seasons with the Razorbacks before spending one season in Houston prior to his joining the Titans.

Washburn replaces Rory Segrest as Eagles defensive line coach.

ASU Mountaineers Drop Pair in Low Country Road Trip

Appalachian State University (ASU) men’s basketball fell behind early at The Citadel and was unable to make up enough ground as the Bulldogs shot 61.8 percent from the field and took away an 81-63 win on Thursday, Jan. 20, at McAlister Fieldhouse.

Donald Sims scored 19 of the Mountaineers’ season-low 25 first-half points and added nine more in the second half to lead all scorers with 28 in the contest.
The home team raced out to a 28-13 lead and increased it to as many as 19 points before the intermission.

After a scoreless first half, Petey Hausley sank 6-of-9 attempts in the second half to finish with 12 points and five rebounds. Cameron Wells led four Bulldogs (7-13, 3-5) in double figures with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting with six rebounds and six of The Citadel’s 18 assists. Mike Groselle chipped in 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting with five boards for the Cadets.

Anthony Breeze notched a season-high nine points on 3-of-5 shooting with three free throws for ASU. The junior chipped in four rebounds and a pair of assists as well. Marcus Wright scored seven points off the bench to accompany three rebounds, an assist and one of ASU’s two steals.

Last Saturday, Jan. 22, the Mountaineers fell behind early against the potent College of Charleston offense and despite outscoring the Cougars in the second half, ASU suffered a 73-64 defeat at the Carolina First Arena.

ASU trailed by 15 points early in the second half before cutting the deficit to single digits on four occasions, but never pulled closer than nine points after intermission as the Cougars seemingly always found an answer to Mountaineer runs.

ASU (8-11, 4-5 SoCon) shot 37.5 percent in the first half and 40 percent after the break to finish at 39.3 percent with three treys in nine attempts. Charleston shot a scorching 54.8 percent in the opening period but was cooled off by the ASU defenders to finish the game at 44.8 percent.

Sims led ASU for a second-straight game with 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting with four of ASU’s eight assists and three rebounds.

CofC won the battle of the boards by a slim 37-35 margin, paced by nine rebounds by Jeremy Simmons. Simmons led the Cougars with 18 points and scored his 1,000th career point in the second half.

Breeze made his first start of the season for the Black and Gold and produced a career-best 10 points in the first half before sustaining a head injury. The junior added a pair of rebounds in 15 minutes on the floor. Williamson came off the bench for the first time this season and responded with 10 rebounds, four points and a huge block on CofC’s Andrew Goudelock in the second half after the Mountaineers cut the score to 55-46 with 13 minutes to play. CofC’s newly-minted career scoring leader was limited to 15 points on 7-of-21 shooting with just one three-pointer in seven attempts.

Omar Carter started sluggish in the first half, missing his first five shots before sinking 4-of-10 field goals after the break to finish with 10 points, eight rebounds and a pair of assists.

ASU returns home to Boone at 7 p.m. this Thursday, Jan. 27, for a Southern Conference final rematch from last season as Wofford visits in the only regular season meeting between the teams.

Vikings Upend Mountaineers and Patriots in Weekend Thrillers

The Avery varsity boys basketball team (AHS) earned two key conference wins to remain in the thick of the Western Highlands Conference championship race.

Last Friday, Jan. 14, the Vikings met a tough Mitchell team that had defeated Hendersonville, a team that handed Avery its lone conference defeat. Inside the Viking Octagon, however, the home team came away with a 71-66 victory.

The two teams battled tooth-and-nail throughout the contest, with neither team able to build a comfortable lead. AHS took a 16-14 lead after one period, and both squads heated up from beyond the three-point arc during the second quarter. The teams traded baskets from long distance on multiple occasions with Avery coming out on top 36-32 at halftime, due in large part to a pair of three-pointers from senior Kody Hughes as part of a 10-point effort for the half.

The second half in many ways proved to be a duel between a pair of talented players in Mitchell’s Corey Greene and Avery’s Dustin Clarke. Greene came alive for the Mountaineers in the third period with nine points to help propel the visitors to a narrow 47-46 lead entering the final period.

During the fourth quarter both offenses heated up, and so did the play of the duo of Clarke and Greene. Clarke raised his game to match that of Greene, with the pair matching one another at times basket for basket. A Greene three-pointer at the top of the key gave the Mountaineers a 66-65 lead with 43 seconds left in the game, but Clarke used his ball-handling ability to cut to the basket, draw a foul and hit free throws to give the lead back to Avery at 67-66 with 35 seconds remaining.

Following a Mitchell offensive miss, the Vikings rebounded and Clarke was able to seal the game with two additional free throws to up the advantage to 69-66. The AHS defense held Mitchell scoreless on a final pivotal possession, Clarke went to the foul line and hit two more free throws which provided for the final margin of victory.

The Viking senior netted three field goals from the field in the final stanza for seven points, but also went to the free throw line five times, converting on 9-of-10 free throw attempts to close out the contest with 24 points. Mitchell led 66-65 with 43 seconds left in the game, but Clarke

Greene finished the game with 31 points to lead all scorers, but the Mountaineers went cold from three-point range, shooting just 1-for-12 from behind the arc in the second half.

Hughes (17 points) and Timmy Stewart (10 points) registered double figures in the scoring column to further aid the AHS cause, while Troy Self was the only other Mitchell player who scored double figures with 10 points.

The next day the Vikings ventured to Marshall to tangle with the Madison Patriots. In a battle of two athletic clubs, the game hung in the balance until the final ticks of the clock, when a jumper just inside the free throw line from Clarke with less than five seconds remaining proved to be the difference in a 72-70 Big Red victory.

The Vikings came out strong in the opening quarter, picking up where it left off offensively the previous evening to take an 18-12 lead after eight minutes. Clarke netted three three-pointers in the stanza while teammate Joey Potter scored two field goals in the frame and Timmy Stewart added five rebounds on the glass.

Madison rallied in the second quarter to outscore the Big Red by a 22-17 margin. Benji Stewart scored nine points in the period to spark the Viking attack, with a three-point basket each from Clarke and Timmy Stewart. Madison was picked up by eight points in the quarter from Dale Bailey as the Vikings took a slim 35-34 lead into the locker room at halftime.

As the second half ensued, Clarke continued to bear the brunt of the offensive burden for the Vikings. The senior guard scored 10 points in the quarter, while Potter and Benji Stewart each scored four points to help keep pace. The Patriots would not go away on its home floor, however, as the clubs were knotted at 57 going to the fourth quarter.

AHS opened the final period with a 7-2 scoring run in the minute of action to build a 64-59 lead, prompting a Madison timeout. The Patriots rallied with a pair of Austin Taylor baskets to draw within a pair at 68-66 with 3:26 to play.

With less than 90 seconds left in the game, AHS opted to milk the clock on offense as it held a 70-68 lead. Clarke eventually took a shot which misfired and the Patriots grabbed the rebound, went to its offensive end and made a basket to tie the contest at 70-70 with 53 seconds left in the contest.

Avery head coach Bo Manis instructed his team to hold the basketball to take the final shot, and with five seconds Clarke hit a pull-up jumper from just inside the free throw line to score the game’s final points and give the Big Red the dramatic victory.

“The game was so close throughout that we thought it would be decided by which team had the ball last,” Viking assistant coach Reggie Oakes said after the win.
“Coach Manis set up a play at the end that honestly didn’t materialize, but Dustin was able to create something and get a good look. It was a great team win for us. Kody played great and Benji made some great passes to cutting teammates. Potter really stepped up in the second half and ran the floor for us. He and Alex [Villanueva], along with Timmy were all big on the boards. Madison shot the ball well tonight, but to persevere and to get a win on the road in this gym and in this conference is always a big deal.”

Clarke ended the night with 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Benji Stewart chipped in with 13 points as the only other Viking in double figures. Potter scored nine, while Villanueva added eight points and eight rebounds and Timmy Stewart and Hughes tallied seven points apiece.

Lady Vikings Maul Mountaineers, Madison

The Avery Lady Vikings (AHS) remained unbeaten in Western Highlands Conference games this season with a pair of victories last week.

On Friday, Jan. 14, AHS snapped a regular season winless streak dating back more than a decade with a 60-40 rout of the visiting Mitchell Mountaineers, and followed up the win the following afternoon with a 58-37 triumph on the road at Madison.

In its game against the Lady Mountaineers, AHS took a 10-6 advantage after one quarter. Senior Mercedes Bentley hit each of her first three shots and scored eight in the frame. The contest stayed close throughout the second period as neither team’s offense fired with consistency. The Lady Vikings made 6-of-16 shots in the period, while the Lady Mountaineers made 5 of its 11 shot opportunities.

Emily Glenn paced the purple-clad Mitchell club with nine points in the first half, but Bentley countered with another five in the frame for 13 in the half. Teammate Megan Tennant chipped in with eight points in the first half as AHS took a 25-21 lead at halftime.

As the second half began, the Lady Vikings altered its defensive strategy. Rather than employ a full-court press, the Big Red instead opted to play half-court defense and utilized a 1-3-1 zone defense in the third quarter. The Lady Mountaineers reacted by connecting on just 4-of-15 shots in the period (one of which a desperation three-pointer at the buzzer by Glenn). In the meantime, Avery continued to ride the hot hand of Bentley, who connected on another pair of three-pointers in the quarter as the team shot 8-for-16 from the field in the period.

Tennant also tortured Mitchell from inside the paint, as she scored four field goals in the quarter, boosting AHS to a commanding 46-31 lead after three periods.
Over the final eight minutes, the Lady Vikings continued to build its lead as the Lady Mountaineers could not find anyone to consistently score the basketball.

Mitchell shot just 23 percent from the floor in the second half as AHS cruised to the 20-point win.

Bentley paced the Big Red with 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field, with 18 points and eight rebounds from Tennant. Lauren Burleson scored eight points with 10 rebounds off the bench as she stepped up for senior starter Katelynn Eudy, who was hampered by foul trouble for most of the contest. Glenn led the Lady Mountaineers with 16 points.

“They were doing a good job against our man-to-man defense, so we went to the zone in the second half. They didn’t seem to have anyone who was scoring and Lyndsay [Mitchell guard Lyndsay Jensen] wasn’t hitting her threes, so that helped us to pull away,” Avery head coach Missy Lyons said after the win. “Megan played really strong on the post both offensively and defensively, which also opened things up on the outside for her to get a number of assists and get teammates involved.”

The next day the Lady Vikings traveled to Madison for a contest against the Lady Patriots. Avery pulled ahead with its interior game early in a physical contest and rode a season-best 21 points from junior center Tennant to improve to a perfect 6-0 in conference play.

In the opening period the Lady Patriots proved that they had no problem fouling Avery’s offensive playmakers. Madison amassed 10 personal fouls before the end of the first period. The Lady Vikings shot 16 free throws in the first eight minutes, converting 12, while shooting 5-of-9 from the field in building a 22-11 lead.

In the second quarter the Lady Vikings struggled to hit its shots, making only four field goals in 21 attempts from the field. Both squads combined for more than 30 turnovers in the opening half, but the AHS defense held Madison to a 2-for-15 clip from the field, which helped the Big Red actually increase its lead to 33-16 at halftime.

The two clubs played virtually even in the third period, as AHS used its frontline height and depth to bolster a 43-25 advantage going into the final eight minutes of play. Tennant completed a strong and successful night with seven points in the fourth period to lead the Lady Vikings to its sixth consecutive conference win.

Tennant led the Lady Vikings with a season-high 21 points, as well as five rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Burleson was the only other AHS player in double-figures scoring with 11 points and eight rebounds. Eudy added nine points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and a pair of assists. Bentley and Mary Chesnut Smith chipped in with six points apiece.

“We felt like we had a post advantage and Megan’s doing a good job of taking the ball inside and getting shots or being fouled. We also spread our offense out a little and wanted to take advantage of that strength,” Lyons said after the win.

“Madison was a scrappy club who played hard but played a little out of control. We also played like them rather than took control of the game. We were a little too aggressive and made too many sloppy turnovers, but hopefully we can get some consistency with practice and into the swing of things will help us get that under control.”

Avery shot 22-of-29 from the free throw line, but made only 26 percent of its shots for the game.

“We did some things well tonight, but our shots didn’t fall and we didn’t execute as well as I’d want us to,” Lyons said. “Some of that may be due to our practice schedule and not getting a lot of quality practice time in with the weather, but we hope that getting into our regular practice schedule again will help us get back to playing more consistently.”

The Lady Vikings traveled to take on the Owen Warlassies in Swannanoa last Tuesday, Jan. 18. The team’s home game scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 20, against West Wilkes has been cancelled, but Avery will take on Thomas Jefferson Academy at the Viking Octagon this Friday, Jan. 21.

Grapplers Return to Action at Orr Invitational

Following an extended break made more than a week longer by the recent winter weather, the Avery (AHS) wrestling team finally returned to the mat for action, traveling to Robbinsville High School on Saturday, Jan. 15, for the James Orr Invitational.

The Orr Invitational, formerly called the Far West Invitational, featured nine of the best high school wrestling teams in Western North Carolina. Overall, the Big Red earned 55 points as a team, good enough to finish seventh of the nine schools.
When the championship action wrapped up, Avery boasted three wrestlers who returned home with medals signifying a top-three finish.

Viking senior Brock Yackey was the lone AHS champion at the tournament, as he captured first at 135 pounds. Senior Lucas Lecka was a silver medalist, winning second at 215 pounds. Senior C.J. Vance came home with third place, medaling at 160 pounds.

Of the 11 AHS wrestlers competing in Robbinsville, seven came away from the tournament with at least one victory for their efforts. Wesley Hobbs earned a pinfall win in three matches in the 103-pound weight class, while Harley Rash won one match via pin in the 119-pound class. Luke Price was victorious by pinfall in his second and final match of the day at 152 pounds, with Brandon Huff winning the second of his two matches by first period pinfall in the heavyweight class.

Yackey’s road to victory went through three opponents. In his first match, he defeated Cody Newman of Hayesville by a 15-1 major decision. The semifinal match was a tough contest between Yackey and Swain County’s Tanner Beldon, which the AHS senior won by second-period pinfall.

In the championship match, Yackey met Tuscola’s Brannon Inman. It took over two periods, but at the 1:26 mark of the third period, Yackey pinned his opponent’s shoulders to the mat to win the gold medal.

Lecka’s second-place finish included a first-period victory by pin over Hayesville’s Taylor Woody. In the championship match, however, Lecka came up short against Alleghany wrestler Ryan Billings, who is coached by former Avery wrestling standout Derrick Calloway. The Viking alum’s club placed wrestlers in the finals in six different weight classes, with two champions and four second-place finishers, helping that team to finish third overall at the event.

Avery’s Vance fell by 16-6 majority decision in his first match against Robbinsville’s Ryan Ball, but bounced back to win his second match by a 7-4 decision over Tuscola’s Clay Wightman. In his final match of the tournament, Vance met Ball in a rematch, and this time got revenge with a hard-earned 7-3 decision victory to take third place.