AJ-T Sports Musings, Ramblings, News & Notes

AJT Sports LIVE FROM...HOLMES CONVOCATION CENTER (Elon vs. ASU)

2012-01-28T14:27:00.008-05:00

Update #6: The Mountaineers move to 9-11, with a 5-5 SoCon mark with a win this afternoon over Elon. The two teams meet in Elon on Feb. 6, but the Black and Gold will retain bragging rights until then.

Jamaal Trice and Omar Carter each registered double-figures in the win, with both players scoring in the 20-point neighborhood.

Thanks for reading!

Update #5: ASU leads 75-59 with 1:43 left to play. The Mountaineers appear poised to hold serve at home against one of its chief competitors in the SoCon North Division. The Mountaineers have shot over 50 percent from the field in the second half, helping to maintain its working margin.

Update #4: ASU opened up a 15-point lead around the 12-minute mark, but Elon has cut the lead under 10 points at 62-54 with eight minutes to play.

Despite Elon's best efforts, ASU maintains a double-figure advantage at 66-54 with 5:28 to play.

Update #3: ASU leads Elon 35-28 with 17:38 to play in the contest. Defense has been strong for the Mountaineers thus far, holding Elon to around 30 percent shooting from the field. Unfortunately, the Mountaineers aren't shooting a lot better, as it's shooting around 36 percent.

Update #2: At halftime, ASU leads Elon 29-26. Jamaal Trice and Ike Butts scored 7 points apiece to lead the Mountaineers, with Jack Isenbarger leading Elon with six points in the opening half. There have been six ties and nine lead changes in the first 20 minutes. Should make for an interesting and competitive second half.

Update #1: ASU leads by a point midway through the first half. Ike Butts has a pair of baskets for ASU, as neither squad is playing its best basketball 10 minutes in.

We're in Boone at Holmes Center for this afternoon's Southern Conference basketball tangle between Elon and Appalachian State. ASU looks to bounce back from a loss Thursday night at UNC-Greensboro, while Elon (10-9, 5-3 SoCon) rides into town off the momentum of a 71-63 win over Western Carolina.

ASU has won six straight games over the Phoenix, but today's game is set up to be a tight-knit affair. We'll be updating proceedings through the afternoon.

Live from the Holmes Center: ASU vs. Western Carolina

2012-01-21T14:57:00.001-05:00

3:00 p.m.: It is almost game time here in the Holmes Center between the Appalachain State Mountaineers and the Western Carolina Catamounts in the first game of a doubleheader. The Mountaineers are coming off a 73-61 loss at Wofford, while the Catamounts put up 141 points against Tocca Falls in a 141-39 victory on Tuesday.

First media TO: The Catamounts opened the scoring with a slam as they ran out to a 7-3 lead five minutes itno the game. Jamaal Trice provided the lone 3-pointer for the Mountaineers in the time frame.

Under 12 media TO: At the under 12 minute media timeout, the Mountaineers lead 10-9 after Omar Carter drains a 3-pointer. App went on a 7-2 run during the four minute span between media timeouts. So far, Trice has had five points, while Tawaski King had four for the Catamounts.

Under eight media TO: Western goes on a 7-0 run to take a 16-12 lead at the under eight timeout.

Under four media TO: With 3:32 left in the first half, the Mountaineers trail the Catamounts 25-22 with two ASU free throws on the way after the break. Western ran out to a 23-15 lead before Andre Williamson hit a bucket to end a WCU run. So far, the Catamounts are getting a solid effort from James Sinclair who has seven points, while App has two players with five points apiece.

Half: At the break, App takes a 33-29 lead into the locker room after using a 9-0 run to pull within one, and then Trice scored five points, including an old fashion 3-point play off a steal at midcourt to send App to the lead. In the closing stages of the half, App outscored the Catamounts 14-4.

Trice leads App with 12 points. As a team, the Mountaineers are shooting 48% from the floor.

First media TO of the second half: Western battled back to tie the game at 33 in the opening minutes of the frame, but Carter knocked a 3-pointer to put ASU back up. The Mountaineers used that to run to a 42-36 lead. In the first four minutes of the half, App is 3-of-4 shooting.

Under 12 media TO: App holds Western without a field goal for a five minute span as the Mountaineers run out toa 53-40 lead with 11:44 left in the game In that stretch, App outscored the Catamounts 15-2 to take some seperation. Holmes Center is rocking with a great crowd.

Under 8 media TO: What a difference a four minute stretch can make as App only scores two points and Western cuts the ASU led to 55-53 with 7:45 left inthe game. So far, the teams have responded to a basket by the others only nine times since the start of the game.

Under 4 media TO: With 3:49 left, App jumps back out after WCU ties the game at 59 with a 7-0 run including two big plays from Trice. So far, Trice has 19 poiunts, and Carter and Butts join him in double-digit scoring with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Final: We are almost final here in the Holmes Center,and the Mountaineers appear to be heading victory as they lead by 11 (80-69) with just a minute remaining. If anything happens we will back to let you know, and we will have final stats here later this evening. Thanks for reading and have a great afternoon!

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

2012-01-14T14:10:00.013-05:00

Update #13: ASU cut the lead again to as little as three points, but a Nik Cochran free throw with 2.6 seconds to play ended the contest, as Davidson took a hard-fought 83-79 win over ASU. Omar Carter finished with 17 points, with 15 points from Jamaal Trice and 14 from Andre Williamson. De'Mon Brooks finished with 19 for Davidson, with 21 from Jake Cohen.

That's the story from Boone. Thanks for following the AJ-T Sports Blog!

Update #12: With a few ticks under three minutes to play, ASU trails 74-70. De'Mon Brooks has came back to life for Davidson with 14 points, while both Andre Williamson and Omar Carter are in for the Mountaineers with four fouls each. This one appears to be going down to the wire.

Davidson scores five more points and took a 79-70 lead, but a Carter three-pointer cut the lead to six points at 79-73. A huge offensive rebound and basket by Davidson pushed the lead back to eight, though, effectively sealing the game.

Update #11: ASU has seized its first lead of the game on an Omar Carter jumper with 4:44 to play, staking ASU a 70-69 lead over Davidson. Both teams are leaving it out on the court in this SoCon battle.

Update #10: Davidson's lead is only a pair at 66-64. ASU has ratcheted up the defensive intensity and GJ Vilarino has stepped up with six points in the second half. A trio of DC players have four fouls, as does ASU's Williamson. Just over seven minutes remain in this highly entertaining contest.

Update #9: ASU is within three points at 61-58. Davidson has cooled off from three-point range, and ASU's offense has warmed up, with three point plays from GJ Vilarino and Jamaal Trice. Just over nine minutes remains in the contest, and it's anyone's ballgame.

Update #8: ASU trails by seven with just under 15 minutes to play. Davidson continues to make its living from the perimeter, but has also found success in the paint.

Update #7: At halftime ASU is paced by 12 points from Andre Williamson and six points each from Nathan Healy and Jamaal Trice. Davidson is led by Jake Cohen and Clint Mann with eight points apiece. and seven from Czerapowicz. Both teams shot more than 50 percent in the first half, but ASU is only 10 of 17 from the free throw line in the first 20 minutes.

Second half is coming up!

Update #6: ASU trails Davidson 46-40 at intermission as a Chris Czerapowicz three-pointer at the horn doubles the Wildcat lead.

Update #5: ASU gets a three-pointer from Jamaal Trice and four points from Nathan Healy to slice the Davidson lead to 43-40 (a 10-3 ASU scoring run) with a little under 90 seconds to play in the first half.

Update #4: Davidson's lead has been as high as 10 points at 40-30, but ASU continues to chip away, starting with defense. ASU trails by only five with around two minutes to play in the opening half. There is a video uploaded of some footage from the first half.

Update #3: Davidson has built a 29-22 lead, forcing an ASU timeout. De'Mon Brooks has seven points to pace the Wildcats, as Davidson has shot well from the field thus far (12-for-21). ASU has shot 9-for-14 from the field and still finds itself trailing by seven points with just under eight minutes to play in the half.

Update #2: Davidson maintains a three-point edge at 22-19. Andre Williamson has six early points, while seven different Wildcats have already registered points slightly more than eight minutes into the contest.

Update #1: Davidson holds a 14-10 advantage early in the first half. Jake Cohen has six to lead the Wildcats, while Tab Hamilton has gotten off to a good start for ASU with five points.

It's a big-time rivalry in Boone this afternoon as ASU hosts Davidson in Southern Conference hoops action. ASU is coming off a home win two nights ago over Furman, while Davidson easily handled Western Carolina in its last contest.

Davidson has three starters averaging double-figures scoring, while Appalachian leads the league in blocked shots. The Wildcats sit atop the SoCon North Division with a 5-0 conference mark, while ASU looks to continue its climb to the top of the standings.

We'll be updating the contest throughout the afternoon. Thanks for reading!

BREAKING: Satterfield returns to ASU as Assistant Head Coach, additional positions

2012-01-04T12:30:00.000-05:00


Former ASU assistant coach Scott Satterfield returns to ASU as assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach

Courtesy ASU Sports Information

Scott Satterfield, who was part of three national championships and six Southern Conference titles as a player and coach at Appalachian State University, has returned to Appalachian as assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, ASU head coach Jerry Moore announced on Wednesday.

Satterfield, who spent 15 seasons at ASU as a player (1992-95) and coach (1998-2008), returns after three years away from his alma mater. He left Appalachian to be the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Toledo in 2009 before spending the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator at Florida International. He is the first coach to hold the title of assistant head coach in Moore’s 23 years at Appalachian and the Mountaineers’ first official offensive coordinator since Rob Best held the title from 1989-2002.

In Satterfield’s only season at Toledo, the Rockets ranked 20th nationally in passing (278.5 yards per game) and 14th in total offense (438.3 ypg), averages that were 89 and 104 yards better than the season prior to his arrival. In two seasons at Florida International, Satterfield helped lead the Golden Panthers to the first two bowl appearances in school history, including a victory over Toledo in the 2010 Little Ceasars Bowl. After going 3-9 and averaging 321 yards of offense the year prior to his arrival, FIU won 15 games and averaged 380 yards in Satterfield’s two seasons as offensive coordinator.

Prior to his three seasons in the NCAA Division I FBS ranks, Satterfield spent the first 11 seasons of his coaching career at Appalachian, mentoring the Mountaineers’ wide receivers (1998), running backs (1999-2002) and quarterbacks (2003-08). He was an integral part of ASU’s transition from a power-I to a spread offense in 2004 and the five record-setting offensive campaigns that followed. With Satterfield serving as the Mountaineers’ primary play-caller, Appalachian ranked among the nation’s top 20 in the five major offensive statistical categories (scoring, rushing, passing, passing efficiency and total offense) 17 out of a possible 25 times from 2004-08, highlighted by an explosive 2007 campaign when ASU led the nation with a school-record 488.3 yards of total offense per game.

As Appalachian’s quarterbacks coach, Satterfield also oversaw the development of the most prolific signal-callers in school history — Richie Williams and Armanti Edwards, coaching both to all-America recognition and being Edwards’ mentor for the first of his back-to-back Walter Payton Awards (NCAA Division I FCS Player of the Year in 2008). Prior to coaching the Mountaineers’ quarterbacks, Satterfield also mentored a 1,000-yard rusher (Jimmy Watkins — 2001) and the 11th-leading rusher in school history (Jerry Beard — 2000-02).

As a player at ASU, Satterfield made 27 starts at quarterback from 1992-95. He earned first-team all-conference recognition as a senior in 1995 after passing for 1,461 yards and rushing for 649 more to help lead the Mountaineers to the only undefeated, untied regular season in school history (11-0) and a 12-1 final record.

“I’m very excited that Scott is coming back to Appalachian,” Moore said. “We haven’t had an offensive coordinator here in quite some time but I feel comfortable with Scott in that role. He was a terrific player and a terrific coach here for 15 years and his experience at Toldeo and Florida International has made him an even better coach today than he was when he left three years ago. In addition to him being a great coach, he is an even better man and leader of young men, on and off the field. It is great to have Scott, Beth, Bryce, Isaac and Alli back at ASU.”

“My family and I are thrilled for the opportunity to come back home to Appalachian,” Satterfield said. “I am extremely excited to start working with our 2012 team.”

Satterfield, 39, is married to the former Beth Burleson, who, as Appalachian’s women’s track and field MVP in 1995, won SoCon titles in the 55-meter and 400-meter hurdles and was a member of ASU’s conference-championship 4x400-meter relay team. The couple has two sons (Bryce and Isaac) and a daughter (Alli).

In additional ASU coaching news, Kareem Young, a former Appalachian State University football standout and assistant director of strength and conditioning at ASU for the past two years, has been promoted to interim director of strength and conditioning, director of athletics Charlie Cobb announced on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

Young will oversee the strength and conditioning efforts of Appalachian’s 20 varsity programs while working primarily with Mountaineer football. He has worked with the football program extensively since joining ASU’s staff in 2010 and also directed strength-and-conditioning activities for men’s and women’s soccer each of the past two years and women’s basketball last season.

A four-year letter winner and three-year starter at running back for ASU from 1994-98, Young spent eight years in the business sector at IBM. While with IBM, he remained active in the field of sports performance with the L.I.F.T. Health Organization, which he has been involved with since 2000. He currently serves on the organization’s board of directors and is the research lead for a case study titled Cognition in Competition: Evaluating Athletic Achievement and Performance, which examines mental cognition of athletes that results in higher physical achievement and performance levels.

Young left IBM in 2005 to return to athletics on a full-time basis in his native Tampa, Fla. He served in a variety of roles with the Robles Park Wildcats youth football organization, including as president and head coach, and spent 18 months as an assistant coach and head athletic trainer at Tampa’s Middleton H.S. before returning to Appalachian, where he earned a B.S. in industrial/organizational psychology and business.

Last summer, Young was a training camp/preseason strength and conditioning intern for the National Football League’s Oakland Raiders.

Young replaces Mike Kent, who has accepted a similar position at Colorado State, where he will work closely with longtime friend Jim McElwain, CSU’s recently named head football coach. Kent and McElwain were on the same staff at Louisville from 2000-02.

Also on Tuesday, Jan. 3, assistant football coaches Brad Glenn, Trey Elder and John Holt resigned their positions at ASU to join the staff of former Mountaineer assistant Mark Speir at Western Carolina. A search to fill the four open positions on Appalachian’s football staff will begin immediately.

Avery Basketball at Polk (Tues.) and at Ashe (Wed.) postponed

2012-01-03T12:23:00.000-05:00

Vikings Basketball at Polk Co. scheduled for this afternoon (Tuesday, Jan. 3) has been postponed due to inclement weather.

In addition, Avery's basketball games scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 4, at Ashe County have also been postponed. Ashe had to reschedule its conference game at North Wilkes from Tuesday to Wednesday due to weather. No make-up dates have been set.

Continue to check with The Avery Journal-Times for updates on Avery High School athletics.

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

2011-12-27T21:47:00.001-05:00

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)

2011-12-25T23:24:00.000-05:00

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)

2011-12-17T17:29:00.015-05:00

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)

2011-12-10T14:00:00.022-05:00

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)

2011-12-03T13:30:00.018-05:00

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)

2011-11-26T14:04:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-21T21:01:00.006-05:00

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)

2011-11-12T14:28:00.033-05:00

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)))

2011-11-12T14:28:00.000-05:00

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.

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)

2011-11-11T19:12:00.017-05:00

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)

2011-11-03T19:15:00.013-04:00

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))

2011-10-29T15:06:00.023-04:00

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

2011-10-03T21:05:00.004-04:00

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)

2011-09-24T15:35:00.020-04:00

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.)

2011-09-17T18:15:00.014-04:00

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

2011-09-13T22:36:00.001-04:00

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)

2011-09-10T14:19:00.016-04:00

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

2011-05-20T00:14:00.000-04:00

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)

2011-05-05T18:27:00.009-04:00

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)

2011-04-27T18:02:00.002-04:00

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.

Avery Baseball postponed

2011-04-22T12:52:00.000-04:00

Avery's baseball games at home scheduled for this afternoon against Polk County has been postponed for Friday afternoon due to rain. No makeup date has been scheduled.

Avery will be hosting Cloudland on Saturday, April 23, beginning at 1:30 p.m. and holding a fundraiser entitled "Beat Cancer with a Bat."

Avery Sports Web Transition, Upcoming Schedule

2011-04-21T13:33:00.000-04:00

BLOG UPDATE:
If you are a regular to the site, you might have noticed an infrequency of updating the Blog the past couple weeks. Much of reason for this is due to the establishment of the NEW Avery Journal-Times website. The site now carries reprints of the sports stories appearing in The AJT from week to week.

The Journal website is located at www.averyjournal.com and by clicking on the "sports" tab you can catch up on all the local sports.

Our intention is to continue to use the Sports Blog for breaking information, cancellations, Live Blogs and Twitter Updates, as well as trying to post the occasional sports story. Be sure to have both sites bookmarked to stay in touch with all sports related to Avery athletics. Again, thanks for reading!

POLK/AVERY VARSITY BASEBALL TO STREAM ONLINE BY WJFJ-AM RADIO

The Friday, April 22, baseball game between Polk County and Avery will be streaming online at http://www.wjfjradio.com/ If you can't make it out to the game and you're near the computer, surf on over and listen in on the contest. Jamie will be providing guest commentary during the game in addition to Ray Henderson and the WJFJ sports announce team!

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

2011-04-01T18:11:00.005-04:00

7:2

7:38 PM -- Final score from MacDonald Stadium: Watauga 2, Avery 0.

Another goal from Watauga with less than one second remaining gives the Lady Pioneers the two-score triumph.

A tough non-conference loss to swallow for the Big Red, as both teams played a strong match. Watauga played well in earning the win, its 7th on the season. Well played match by both clubs.
Avery's overall record drops to 6-3-1 overall.

7:35 PM -- In the 79th minute, Kendyl Baird gets free in the Avery zone and slips a shot past the Viking keeper for a 1-0 lead. Only 1:47 officially remains in the match and the Pioneers break through.

7:22 PM - 15 minutes left to play in the match and we're still scoreless in this defensive struggle. Avery has had a couple of runs on goal but has been unable to get a shot past the Lady Pioneers keeper. Mercedes Bentley has been stout in goal for the Lady Vikings thus far.

6:45 PM -- At halftime, the teams are scoreless. Both teams have had a couple of scoring opportunities with no success. Quick break between halves before the next 40 minutes are set to begin.

6:26 PM -- Halfway through the first half and we are still scoreless. The Lady Pioneers are employing a four-player defensive front that is making it challenging for the Big Red to penetrate. Good soccer out on the pitch so far.

6:10 PM -- Both squads have direct kicks on goal in the first seven minutes of the match, but neither team could cash in. Avery's Mary Chesnut Smith's kick hit the right post from about 25 yards out, but the match remains scoreless.

The Avery Lady Vikings host the Watauga Lady Pioneers in a friendly border battle tonight at MacDonald Stadium.

Avery stands at 6-2-1 on the season, looking to build off its impressive 10-0 win over Mountain Heritage on Wednesday night.

We're live in the press box to bring updates of all the action on the field on this clear but cold April Fool's Day.

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

2011-03-30T17:31:00.016-04:00

7:06 PM -- It's over at The Mac, and Avery earns a decisive 10-0 victory. The Lady Vikings with this evening's win improves to 6-2-1 overall and 3-1-1 in conference play. The Lady Vikings will host the rival Watauga Pioneers on Friday night at MacDonald Stadium.

6:58 PM - Kaley Faulkner gets open on a loose ball and drills it past the Lady Cougars keeper to pul teh Big red into double digit goals. AHS leads 10-0 in the 73rd minute of play.

6:43 PM -- Mary Chesnut Smith adds a goal on a shot from around 40 yards out in the 58th minute as Avery adds to its advantage, building a 9-0 bulge. Many substitutes are in the contest and players are getting opportunities to play various positions during this second half.

6:38 PM -- In the 53rd minute, Savannah Perry takes a shot from inside the box and gets it past the keeper as the Lady Vikings boost its lead to 8-0.

6:36 PM -- Emily Banner finds the back of the net in the 51st minute to push the Lady Viking advantage to 7-0. A lot of players are seeing action now for the Big Red.

6:25 PM -- In the first 15 seconds of the second half, Mary Chesnut Smith scores on a beautiful set piece to stake the Lady Vikings to a 6-0 advantage.

6:14 PM -- It's halftime at MacDonald Stadium and the Lady Vikings are dominant in a 5-0 lead at intermission.

6:09 PM - Melinda Eggers gets a foot on a ball into the Heritage goal to increase Avery's lead to 5-0 in the 37th minute.

5:51 PM -- Juanita Guzman adds her name to the scoring tally with a goal in the 19th minute. The Lady Vikings are dominating the Cougars, leading it 4-0.

5:44 PM -- Mary Chesnut Smith nets AHS's third goal of the half, taking a commanding 3-0 lead.

5:39 PM -- In the match's 7th minute, Avery's Logan Johnson blasts a ball past the left of the goalkeeper, helping the Lady Vikings to a 1-0 lead.

Just two minutes later, Shannon Smith gets away into the Heritage defense and scores a second goal, giving the Lady Vikings a 2-0 advantage.

On a cool, foggy and rainy Wednesday afternoon the Avery Lady Vikings soccer team is hosting the Mountain Heritage Lady Cougars in Western Highlands Conference soccer action. We're live in the press box and will be bringing updates throughout the match from MacDonald Stadium.

Busy Friday for Avery Sports, Avery Varsity Baseball at Polk County Streaming Online

2011-03-25T09:20:00.000-04:00

The Avery soccer team is in action this afternoon (3/25) at Ashe County, while both the Avery baseball and softball teams are traveling to Polk County for a conference tangle with the Wolverines.

This evening's varsity baseball game in Columbus between the Vikings and the Wolverines will be streaming live over the internet via WJFJ-AM radio. The website is www.wjfjradio.com, as Voice of the Wolverines Ray Henderson and the broadcast team will be bringing the action as the Vikings look for its second win on the season.

As with basketball, the radio crew has been gracious enough to allow Yours Truly (Jamie) to sit in to provide commentary on the Vikings and the game during the broadcast.

If you can't make the trip down Highway 221 this evening, tune in (weather permitting) around 6:30 p.m. for the first pitch from Columbus.

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

2011-03-21T18:45:00.006-04:00

7:42 PM -- Vikings defeat Polk County by a final score of 3-0. The Lady Vikings return to the pitch on Wednesday at Mars Hill College to take on the Madison Lady Patriots.

7:20 PM -- Smith quickly adds a second goal for the half as the Lady Vikings ups its lead to 3-0 with 20:50 remaining in the match.

7:17 PM -- In the 57th minute, Mary Chesnut Smith ripped a right-footed shot from around 20 yards out that slipped past the goalie's right side and into the net. Avery now leads 2-0 over Polk.

7:00 PM -- The Lady Vikings lead Polk County 1-0 at intermission. The Smith goal has been the lone tally of the game thus far. Second half coming up!

The 2010 1A state runner-up Avery High School Lady Vikings host Polk County this afternoon in the team's home opener. The Lady Vikings are looking to bounce back from a tie and a pair of losses last week that knocked AHS out of the No. 1 spot in the Eurosport 1A girls soccer poll.

Avery scores early in the first half with a goal from freshman Shannon Smith. There is less than five minutes to play in the first half and the Lady Vikings continue to hold a 1-0 lead. We'll continue updating from the press box as the evening ensues. Thanks for reading!

Tuesday Sports a No-Go

2011-03-15T14:39:00.000-04:00

Local middle school baseball and softball, as well as high school baseball/softball at Owen have been postponed this afternoon due to wet weather.

Here are reschedules as we have them:

Avery High School baseball at Owen: rescheduled to Thursday, March 17th
Avery Middle School baseball at Harris: rescheduled to Friday, March 18th

Musings and Ramblings: Lady Vikings Soccer Coach Tom Evaul Discusses Team, Season

2011-03-12T14:55:00.000-05:00

To read more on this story, click HERE

LMC Sports Roundup

2011-03-12T14:48:00.002-05:00

Click HERE for full coverage of this story

In the Batter's Box with Avery Baseball

2011-03-12T14:39:00.000-05:00

Read more on this story by clicking HERE

AHS Soccer Match Postponed

2011-03-09T11:19:00.001-05:00

Avery's scheduled home-opener soccer match against Owen has been cancelled for Wednesday evening due to weather. The teams hope to reschedule the match for Thursday.

Yackey, Lecka Compete at State Wrestling Championships

2011-03-03T14:42:00.000-05:00

On Feb. 25 and 26, Avery wrestlers Brock Yackey and Lucas Lecka advanced to take part in the NCHSAA State Wrestling Championships, held at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.

Both wrestlers competed on the first day’s opening round. Lecka, wrestling in the 215-pound weight class, fell in his 1A quarterfinal match against a tough opponent in Red Springs wrestler Robert Overton by first period pinfall. Lecka returned to action the next morning and took on Robbinsville’s Will Grindstaff. Grindstaff came out on top via forfeit to eliminate Lecka from the championships after a stellar conference and regional tournament performance.

Viking senior Brock Yackey was successful in his first match 9-6 decision victory over Pamlico County’s Chad Hoff. Yackey faced a tough opponent in his championship semifinal match against Central Academy’s Jamie Lemon, who had 43 wins on his record this season. The pair battled to a 2-2 tie after regulation. In the waning seconds of overtime Lemon earned two points to defeat Yackey by a 4-2 final score, moving the senior into the consolation bracket.

At the consolation level Yackey wrestled in the semifinals and defeated Adrian Garcia from West Wilkes by a 6-3 decision to compete for the overall third place finish.

In the consolation finals, Yackey faced a familiar foe in Hoff, winning a hard-fought bout 5-0 to capture the third-place medal.

Congratulations to Brock, Lucas and the Avery wrestling team for a great 2010-11 season.

Hayesville Comeback Eliminates Vikings from State Playoffs

2011-03-03T14:38:00.000-05:00

The Avery Vikings (AHS) and Hayesville Yellow Jackets (HHS) played a back-and-forth first half in the opening round of the state 1A high school basketball playoffs on Monday, Feb. 21 in Clay County.

The Big Red raced out to a double-figure margin late in the third period, but a furious comeback in the game’s final 10 minutes, and a rebound/follow-up shot in the game’s closing seconds sent AHS into baseball season with a 65-64 defeat.

Senior Dustin Clarke provided much of the AHS offense in the first period with 11 of the team’s 15 first-quarter points. HHS countered with its own do-it-all guard in junior Justin Gonyea, who tallied 13 of the 18 Yellow Jacket points in the frame.

As the second period ensued, more Vikings made their presence felt, as Timmy Stewart drained a three-pointer and teammates Kody Hughes, Austin Lyons and Alex Villanueva each contributed field goals in the quarter. HHS’s Gonyea added five points in the second stanza, totaling 18 of the team’s 30 first-half points, which proved enough for a 30-29 halftime advantage.

As the second half began, AHS’s Villanueva was unstoppable, scoring eight of the first 10 Viking points in the third quarter. The offense was part of a 10-0 Big Red scoring run over the first 2:08 of the third quarter to erase the Yellow Jacket lead and build a 39-30 Viking advantage.

AHS continued to pad its lead in the third stanza, with three-pointers from Hughes and Mark Polsgrove and eight points from Clarke propelling the Vikings to a lead as large as 51-36 with 1:20 to play in the frame. HHS ended the quarter with a 7-0 scoring run, however, to cut the lead in half at 51-43 after three periods.

The momentum HHS built at the end of the third quarter carried into the final eight minutes. AHS held a 54-43 lead with 6:33 to play in the contest, but over the next 2:10 the Yellow Jackets raced to a 15-4 run keyed by clutch shots from Gonyea and four Viking turnovers to tie the game at 58-58.

AHS managed to make just six field goals in the final period, while the Jackets shifted from a perimeter-oriented game to showing aggressiveness inside the paint. The teams traded the lead in the final two minutes, and with 50 seconds left, Clarke found Hughes inside for a layup and a 64-63 lead.

The Big Red defense made a stand with 22 seconds to play, forcing a turnover from HHS. With its ensuing possession, however, AHS made a critical error and turned the ball back over to the home team. As the seconds ticked off with HHS’s final possession Gonyea drove and shot the ball but missed. Teammate Matthew Reynolds hauled in the offensive rebound and scored for the one-point Jacket advantage with three seconds left. A final dribble and desperation heave from near mid-court by Clarke was off the mark, securing the HHS win and leaving the heartbroken Vikings wondering what might have been.

“I was shocked. It still hasn’t sunk in, but that’s the playoffs,” Avery head coach Bo Manis said after the loss. “The officials called the game one way one half, then called it tight the second half. If that is allowed for the entire game, that’s fine. But I felt the referees made adjustments as the second half went on. Something was fishy about that.”

Clarke led the Vikings with 27 points, with 17 from Villanueva and seven from Hughes. Polsgrove added six points. For the foursome of Colton Blackburn, Clarke, Hughes and Polsgrove, it was their final game as Viking players. Gonyea paced HHS with a game-high 37 points.

“I’m really going to miss these seniors, working with them and just having them around,” Manis said.

“Mark stepped up big time. Dustin was a player who works hard and he’ll continue to improve and move forward. Kody plays hard and loves the game of basketball, and Colton just had a lot of fun and enjoyed playing this season. They each brought something different to the table.”

The Vikings finished the season with a 14-10 overall record.

Lady Vikings Drops Playoff Opener to East Surry

2011-03-03T14:29:00.001-05:00

Coming off a 2010 playoff season that included a trip to the Western regionals, it was natural to speculate another long postseason run for the Avery Lady Vikings (AHS) this season.

The visiting East Surry Lady Cardinals (ES) didn’t get the memo, entering the Viking Octagon for the first round of this year’s playoffs with size and confidence. A late offensive rebound and putback helped the road team pull off a shocking 45-43 win last Monday, Feb. 21.

In the opening period, the Lady Cardinals made a conscious effort to slow the tempo of the contest. ES was one of the only teams this season to have the frontline size to match the size of the Big Red, a fact that played a big part in the game’s outcome.

“They were huge. They did a good job and took our post players out of our game. We got some shot opportunities from our off-guards, but shots weren’t falling for us,” Avery head coach Missy Lyons said after the game.

ES used a zone defense to pack the interior, and the strategy worked well for the opening half. The lone exception to the rule was Lady Viking senior guard Mercedes Bentley, who poured in seven of the team’s nine points in the opening period and 10 points for the half.

AHS held a narrow 9-8 lead after one quarter, but ES outscored the Lady Vikings 17-11 in the second stanza. Megan Tennant scored six points in the second quarter and eight points total through the first half. Keri Fulp paced the Lady Cardinals with eight points in the period, however, as the Big Red trailed by a 25-20 halftime score.

The lead grew to 28-21 before AHS’s pressure forced a few turnovers and allowed the home team to claw back to even in the fourth quarter.

“We were down early in the second half, but we really turned it on,” Lyons said.

As the final period ensued, the game stayed tight. Eudy tallied nine points in the frame to help the Lady Vikings take the lead at 43-41. The Big Red had possession and a chance to pad its lead with 50 seconds left, but a turnover and driving layup from ES tied the contest.

The Lady Vikings ran some time off the clock to plan a good shot. AHS could not get the shot to fall and ES grabbed the rebound at around the 15 second mark. ES pushed the ball up the floor, but was caught in an AHS trap near the sideline and forced a Lady Cardinal timeout.

On ES’s final offensive possession, Autumn Cole inbounded the ball and got it right back. Cole drove to the hoop and missed the shot, but teammate Fulp grabbed the rebound and put it back for the 45-43 lead with around five seconds left.

AHS had one final opportunity to tie the game, but a long desperation shot fell no good, giving the Lady Cardinals the close win.

Eudy and Tennant each had 13 points and combined for 10 rebounds. Bentley chipped in with 12 points, but no other Lady Viking scored more than two points in the contest. Fulp and Cole scored 13 points each for the Lady Cardinals.

The Lady Vikings could only manage to shoot 17-for-57 from the field (29.8 percent) for the game, but committed only six turnovers for the contest.

“We put a lot of energy into the tournament and didn’t have a lot of practice, but we realized that sometimes in the state playoffs you don’t know who you’re gonna get, so you have to be ready for any and everybody,” Lyons said. “The girls were disappointed but were pleased with what they accomplished this year.”

AHS finished the season with a 22-6 overall record and champions of the Western Highlands Conference regular season and tournament.

“We’re building a winning tradition, and we had a lot of younger girls on our team. We didn’t have a lot of experience, but I feel we gained a lot of it by the end of the year,” Lyons said. “We played a sophomore and a freshman for a lot of minutes this season, so we feel that will be very valuable for us going into next season. Losing this game helps us to see what our competition is. We’ve got to be ready to match it if we ever have a chance to win a state title.”

Big Red Trio Selected to Blue/White All-Star Games

2011-03-03T14:26:00.000-05:00

Avery Lady Viking standout seniors Katelynn Eudy and Mercedes Bentley have been selected to participate in this year's Blue-White All-Star girls basketball game, while Viking senior guard Dustin Clarke has been chosen to play in the Blue-White All-Star boys contest, The AJ-T has learned.

Bentley and Eudy marked the seventh and eighth Lady Viking players to make the team over the past six seasons. Former Avery guard Charity Austin was MVP of the 2006 contest, while former teammates Kimberly Pitman and Brittney Burleson played in the 2007 game, Kim Gragg played in 2008, Katie Ellis participated in 2009 and Sara Wiseman played in last year's contest.

Clarke, the 2010 Western Highlands Conference Player of the Year, helped lead the Vikings to playoff appearances the past two seasons, including a 14-win season in 2010-11. The guard averaged 23.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.1 steals a game, all team highs.

The games will take place Friday, March 18, at T.C. Roberson High School in Skyland. The game is a fundraising effort of the Rhododendron Civitan Club, and revenue from the games goes to the special education programs of the public schools of Western North Carolina

LMC Hoops Celebrates Senior Day

2011-03-03T14:02:00.000-05:00

LMC Men Fall to Coker
Liam Kyle posted a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to lead the Coker College men's basketball team to a 69-56 win over Lees-McRae College (LMC) last Saturday, Feb. 26, on Senior Day in Williams Gymnasium.

Adam McFerran poured in a game-high 17 points in his final game as a Bobcat, knocking down 8-of-12 attempts from the floor to conclude his career with 1,128 points, including 652 markers over the past two seasons with LMC. Fellow senior Sam Youse added seven points for the Bobcats, as McFerran and DeAndre Tillman each posted a team-high seven rebounds. Tillman also tallied a game-high two blocks to finish the campaign tied for fifth on the program's single-season rejections list with 32 stuffs.

LMC is expected to return eight lettermen from this season's squad, including rising junior Daniel Sepokas and rising sophomores Hairston, Tillman, Will Lopez and Matt Eller.

Bobcat Women Fall in Overtime against Cobras
Jasmine Alston posted game-highs of 47 points and 13 rebounds to lead Coker College to a 90-86 overtime victory on Senior Day at LMC.

Kasey Haynes paced the Bobcat attack with 21 points and six rebounds, while seniors Janina Thurau and Erin Thompson scored 12 and 11 markers, respectively, for the Bobcats. Zukye Smith also added 11 points and seven rebounds for Lees-McRae on the afternoon.

LMC held a 43-40 advantage at halftime and battled through the second half, with Coker taking a 70-64 lead with less than four minutes to play in regulation. LMC utilized a 6-1 run to cut the score to 71-70, but Coker retaliated with a 5-0 run of its own to again extend the advantage to six at 76-70 with 1:06 left on the game clock.

The Bobcats capped regulation with an 11-5 run with nine points from Thurau, who netted a three-point basket with less than two seconds on the clock to send the contest into overtime. The Cobras responded in overtime, outscoring the Bobcats by a 9-5 margin en route to the 90-86 victory.

Lady Vikings Soccer Opener Postponed; Diamond Action Begins This Week

2011-02-28T12:49:00.000-05:00

The Monday afternoon (2-28) girls soccer match between defending 1A state runners-up Avery High School and East Wilkes in Ronda has been POSTPONED. A make-up date has not yet been set.

The Lady Vikings are next scheduled to take on North Wilkes on the road this Friday, March 4.

Avery Baseball opens its regular season on Tuesday with a trip to Freedom High School, then travels on Friday to North Buncombe in non-conference action.

AJT Sports LIVE FROM: Holmes Convocation Center

2011-02-24T19:26:00.024-05:00

8:47 PM -- The Mountaineers win over the Cougars by the final score of 85-70. Sims finishes with 30 points to lead the Mountaineers. ASU evens its mark at 14-14 overall and improve to 9-8 in SoCon play. College of Charleston moves to 22-8, 14-3 in SoCon action.

8:44 PM -- Appalachian looks prepped to get the victory over CofC as only 1:04 remains to the play and the Mountaineers have maintained its dozen-point lead at 82-70.

Goudelock has been out of the game for the past minute or so, which apparently signals the Cougars throwing in the towel. Sims hits a three for 30 points for the game. Watauga's own JR Archer, Griffin Shaw, and Jacob Lail finish off the game for the final 26 seconds.

8:40 PM -- 2:17 remains in the game and ASU leads 78-68. ASU picked up two HUGE offensive rebounds on its latest offensive possession, allowing the club to run an extra minute or so off the game clock. The possession eventually resulted in a layup. Goudelock has warmed up a bit for CofC, however with 23 points, five coming in the previous minute, to keep the Cougars within striking distance.

Both teams are in the bonus on free throw shooting, and the Mountaineers have doubled up the Cougars on the offensive boards 14-7 and 36-28 overall.

8:34 PM -- With 5:14 to play, the Mountaineers have opened a 73-61 lead. ASU has shown itself to be susceptible to CofC exploiting the offensive glass, but the Mountaineers have been efficient enough offensively to maintain a working lead.

8:27 PM -- The Mountaineers have extended its lead to 68-59 with 7:40 left in the game. Sims leads all scorers with 23 points, while Goudelock is stuck at 18 points and Wiedeman has 15 points and Monroe has 10.

Charleston has dominated in the paint, outscoring ASU 32-14 for the game, but ASU has shot 53 percent for the half thus far to build its advantage.

8:22 PM -- ASU's scoring spurt moves to a 12-0 run, with a three-pointer from Booth and a basket from Sims prompting ANOTHER CofC timeout with 9:46 left to play on the clock. Sims has 21 for the game, with 13 from Carter and 12 from Booth.

8:20 PM -- ASU goes on a 6-0 run to re-take the lead at 58-54 with 10:56 to play. A steal and jam by Hausley prompts CofC head coach Bobby Cremins to take the timeout.

8:14 PM -- ASU takes a full time-out with 12:40 to play in the game and now trail 54-52. A Wiedeman breakaway dunk inside spurred on the stoppage of play. The defense has sagged a little inside at times due to the constant threat of Goudelock penetrating or shooting from outside.

8:08 PM -- With 14:45 to play in the contest, the teams are knotted at 48-48. Goudelock has 18 points for CofC, with 16 from Sims of ASU. The potential offensive fireworks between this pair of All-Conference performers has lived up to the pre-game hype. Shaping up to go down to the proverbial wire.

7:56 PM -- Halftime at Holmes. No score change, as the game remains tied at 37-37 at intermission. ASU is honoring the Southern Conference champion football team during halftime, which should inspire a nice ovation from the crowd.

Aside from Goudelock, Trent Wiedeman has seven points and six rebounds, with six points from Monroe and three from Andrew Lawrence.

The Mountaineers' Marcus Wright leads the club with five rebounds to go along with three points for the half. Neither squad has turned the basketball over a great deal for the half, with just 11 turnovers combined.

7:43: PM -- ASU takes a timeout with 21.2 seconds left in the half. The game is tied at 37 apiece, as Goudelock's scoring of late has kept the Cougars on pace with ASU. Sims has 13 points to lead the Mountaineers, with 9 from Carter and four points each from Jeremi Booth and Petey Hausley.

7:40 PM -- We're at the under four-minute media timeout and the Mountaineers lead it 34-31. Goudelock has 11 points to lead the way for the Cougars, with 10 points from Donald Sims and nine points from Omar Carter. The game has featured some good shooting as the Mountaineers are near the 50 percent field goal mark for the half.

7:28 PM -- It's now 21-20 with the Cougars leading with 7:36 left to play in the first half. Goudelock has warmed up with five points, while Donald Sims has also stroked a three-pointer in the interim.

Leading the way for the Cougars is Donavan Monroe with six points. ASU held a 9-4 lead in the opening moments of the contest before the CofC rallied.

We're LIVE at Appalachian State University's Holmes Center for an entertaining game between the ASU Mountaineers and the Cougars of College of Charleston.

We join our game already in progress, as the Mountaineers hold a 17-13 lead at the 11 minute mark in the first half. Cougars guard Andrew Goudelock has been held scoreless thus far in the game, while Omar Carter leads the Apps with four points. We'll be providing updates throughout tonight's contest! Stay tuned!

Vikings Upend Polk, Falls to Cougars in Tournament Semis

2011-02-22T22:03:00.000-05:00

The Avery High School (AHS) varsity boys basketball team opened conference play shorthanded last Tuesday, Feb. 15, as three players were no longer with the team. The Vikings took only seven healthy players into its first round Western Highlands Conference tournament game against Polk County. Despite the thin ranks, the Vikings offense provided enough punch to defeat the Wolverines 74-61.

AHS returned to action in the tournament semifinal round last Thursday, Feb. 17, taking on top-seeded Mountain Heritage. The Cougars proved too tough to tame, as the Big Red fell 80-64.

The first quarter of the contest with the Wolverines had the makings of a shootout, as both clubs drained four three-point baskets in the frame. Mark Polsgrove connected on two of the AHS shots from beyond the arc, but the Wolverines held the slim 21-19 lead after one period.

A Polk scoring spurt was topped by a Stephen Staley layup to build a 29-24 Wolverine lead. The Vikings responded, however, with its own flurry, ended by a Kody Hughes layup. The teams ended the half as it began as the teams were knotted at 33 points apiece.

During the third quarter AHS received a boost from senior guard Dustin Clarke. The defending conference player of the year scored 10 points, including a pair of three-pointers, in the frame. As a whole, the Vikings shot more than 50 percent for the period as the Big Red took a 50-48 lead after three periods.

Early in the fourth quarter AHS put together an 8-2 spurt to build a working margin that sustained for the duration of the contest. Polsgrove connected on four baskets and nine points in the period, Clarke scored seven points (five of which from the free throw line) and Timmy Stewart added two field goals. The Viking defense took over in the waning minutes to advance the Big Red into the semifinals.

Clarke led AHS with 30 points with 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. Polsgrove added 18 points, with 11 from Kody Hughes and eight from Timmy Stewart.

AHS returned to the floor last Thursday, Feb. 17, to take on top-seed Mountain Heritage. The Cougars opened the game on an 11-0 scoring run and built a 21-5 advantage midway through the first quarter, forcing the Vikings to play a game of comeback for the remainder of the contest.

The Vikings had little answer for Cougars junior guard Alex Biggerstaff, who scored 27 first-half points. AHS trailed 25-12 after one stanza.

Showing its resolve, the Vikings refused to fold, opening the second period with a scoring spurt to narrow the deficit to 26-18 early in the second quarter. Heritage opened its lead back to 15 points with baskets from Biggerstaff and center John Cannon.

AHS again cut the deficit to 37-25 near the two minute mark in the half, but Heritage drained four straight three-point baskets as part of a 14-0 run to close the half. The Cougars seized a 51-25 lead at halftime.

Clarke led AHS with 15 points at intermission, with four points from Villanueva and three points apiece from Hughes and Polsgrove.

Heritage continued to show its dominance that eventually won the team the conference tournament, leading 69-42 after three quarters. The Vikings ended the tournament on a high-note, finishing the final quarter with an 8-0 scoring run to close the margin to under 20 points and provide the final margin.

Clarke paced Avery with 25 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and a steal. Stewart was the only other Viking in double figures with 13 points, along with five rebounds and three steals.

Polsgrove tallied nine points, with six points from Alex Villanueva.

Clarke was the lone Viking on the All-Tournament team as Mountain Heritage defeated Mitchell to sweep the regular season and tournament titles.

The Vikings traveled last Monday, Feb. 21, to Hayesville to take on the Yellow Jackets, who finished in second place in the Smoky Mountain Conference. A full report on the team’s tournament performance can be found in next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times.

Griewisch to Run at National Championships

2011-02-22T21:47:00.000-05:00

Lenoir-Rhyne University junior runner and former Avery High School standout Kate Griewisch (pictured, left) ran a school-record 16:45 en route to winning the 5,000-meter race on Friday, Feb. 11, at the Tyson Indoor Invitational on the campus of the University of Arkansas.

With her time, Griewisch automatically qualifies for the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field National Championships, which take place on March 11 and 12 in Albuquerque, NM at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

Griewisch, a Banner Elk native, was the lone NCAA Division II runner in the race and beat Missouri State's Terry Phillips, the runner-up, by six seconds.

Griewisch has earned All-America honors in women's cross country in 2009 and 2010 and also qualified for the outdoor track and field finals in the 10K last spring.

Griewisch has also won the NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country Southeast Regional race the past two years (2009-10) and won the 2009 South Atlantic Conference Championship meet.

A three-time First-Team All-South Atlantic Conference honoree (2008-10), Griewisch has been named the 2009 and 2010 SAC Women's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year as well.

Griewisch also qualified for nationals as a provisional in the 5K in and in the one-mile run.

Lady Vikings Claim Conference Tournament Championship

2011-02-22T21:44:00.000-05:00

The Avery High School (AHS) Lady Vikings completed a perfect season against members of the Western Highlands Conference with a trio of victories last week at Madison High School.

On Monday, Feb. 14, the Lady Vikings obliterated an overmatched Hendersonville by the final score of 83-22. Megan Tennant scored a season-high 28 points in the win, with 19 points from Mercedes Bentley.

The Lady Vikings used a 15-3 run to open the second half to build a 25-point lead. The fourth quarter was a mere formality as every AHS player saw extended action in the period to close out the victory.

Last Thursday, Feb. 17, the Big Red defeated a pesky Polk County club 57-38. AHS used it interior advantage to build a 22-10 lead after one quarter. Polk rallied in the second stanza, however, outscoring AHS 15-8 in the period to draw to within 30-25 at halftime.

AHS extended its lead with a productive third quarter, as Mary Chesnut Smith scored three points in the frame, with baskets from Katelynn Eudy and Lauren Burleson that padded the Lady Viking advantage back to 43-31. In the final eight minutes of action, Avery pulled away for good with points from Bentley and two buckets from Eudy.

The AHS defense held Polk to only 13 second-half points in the semifinal win. Tennant again led the Lady Vikings with 18 points and six rebounds, with 12 points and five rebounds from Eudy, eight points from Bentley and six points from Mary Chesnut Smith.

The Lady Vikings advanced to the tournament final where, last Friday, Feb. 18, it squared off with the Mountain Heritage Lady Cougars. AHS took charge with an early lead and refused to relinquish it in earning a 60-48 win and a tournament championship.

In multiple games during the season, the Big Red has gotten off to slow starts. This championship game was a different story, however, as AHS raced to a 17-8 lead after one period. Guard Savannah Dellinger, normally a pivotal distributor of the basketball, helped the Lady Vikings set the pace with a pair of three-point baskets in the first period. Bentley added her own three-pointer, while Tennant scored six points. Burleson and Eudy chipped in with four points apiece in the second period as the Lady Vikings led 33-20 at halftime.

The two teams played even through the third period with the Lady Vikings continuing to maintain its 13-point advantage at 47-34 entering the fourth quarter. Heritage attempted to narrow the gap as Kayla Johnson and Maria Kardulis each drained a pair of three-pointers in the second half.

The Lady Vikings refused to surrender an inch, with six AHS players scoring points in the frame to push the Big Red to the 12-point win and second tournament title in four seasons.

Tennant tallied 18 points in the win, earning tournament Most Valuable Player honors. Eudy added 11 points, with 10 from Dellinger. Kelsie Clarke, Bentley and Burleson tallied six points apiece, with three from Smith.

In addition to Tennant’s MVP performance, Bentley and Eudy also garnered All-Tournament honors for their performances during the week.
AHS hosted East Surry in the first round of the state playoffs in the Viking Octagon last Monday, Feb. 21. A full report on Avery’s performance in the state sectional playoffs will be available in next week’s edition.

Vikings Send Pair of Grapplers to State Championships

2011-02-22T20:48:00.000-05:00

Avery senior wrestlers Brock Yackey and Lucas Lecka advanced through last weekend’s 1A Western Regional tournament at Cherokee High School to advance to this weekend’s state championships in Greensboro.

Yackey captured the regional championship at the 135-pound weight class. He defeated Zach Caldwell of Thomas Jefferson by second period pin and won an 8-3 decision over East Surry’s Blaine Hunter to advance with an undefeated mark to the second day of competition.

In his championship semifinal round, Yackey defeated Colby Yanez of host Cherokee by a 9-3 decision, and in the championship shut out West Wilkes’ Adrian Garcia by a 7-0 decision.

Lecka punched his ticket to Greensboro with wins in his opening match by pinfall over Will Ferguson (Swain). Lecka advanced to day two with an unbeaten mark as he defeated Mitchell Abbey of Elkin by first period pin. In the championship semifinals Lecka pinned Robbinsville’s Will Grindstaff in the third period. Lecka’s hopes for a regional title fell short as Greg UpChurch of East Surry upended the Big Red mat man by a 7-2 decision.

Although the pair was the only AHS wrestlers to advance to next week’s championships, a number of other Vikings had solid performances.

Freshman Harley Rash earned two wins by pinfall at the 119-pound weight class. Devin Buchanan earned a pinfall victory at 130 pounds during the tournament. Meanwhile senior C.J. Vance won three matches in the 160-pound weight class, defeating Hiwassee Dam’s Lucas Hayes by 15-0 technical fall, winning a 6-0 decision over Alex Carter of East Wilkes and winning an 8-1 decision against Mitchell’s Jacob Hundley.

Fellow senior Kyle Greene also earned multiple victories at the tournament in the heavyweight class. Greene won a 7-0 decision over West Wilkes’ Anthony Alvarado and winning by second period fall over Cherryville’s Dylan Reynolds.

Congratulations to the Viking wrestling team, and good luck to the Big Red grapplers this weekend at the state tournament.

Sports Saturday and LIVE FROM...The Smith Center (Boston College/UNC basketball)

2011-02-20T00:19:00.000-05:00

RECAP: Heels defeat Boston College 48-46. A last-second three-point shot is no good and UNC gets the win in grind-it-out fashion. The win is the 20th by Carolina this season, as the travels to Raleigh for its next game to play N.C. State.

Here are a few postgame notes from the press conferences:

• The 48 points are the fewest ever scored by Carolina in the Smith Center (today was UNC's 361st game in the Smith Center). The previous low was 50 against Princeton on Dec. 13, 1997, in a 50-42 UNC victory.

• The 94 combined points are the second-fewest in a game in the Smith Center. The low is the 92 scored by the Tar Heels and Princeton on Dec. 13, 1997.

• The 48 points are the fewest points by UNC in a victory since a 45-44 win at NC State on Feb. 12, 1997.

• This is Carolina's first game scoring fewer than 50 points since a 60-48 loss to Duke in Charlotte on March 8, 2002, in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.

5:42 PM -- 3:49 and the final media timeout has UNC leading BC 45-40. BC, specifically Raji, has found its stroke, with the Eagles going on a 10-2 run to draw to within five. The Heels have turned the ball over multiple times in that stretch. Should be in for an interesting finish! It's about time to head downstairs for the post-game press conferences.

2:51 remains in the game with the Heels still leading by five at 45-40. We'll try to have some photos, the final score, and other stats posted later following the game.

5:33 PM 7:47 remains to play in the game and UNC leads BC 43-30. The Heels are doing a better job of getting out on the fast break. BC is shooting a woeful 10-of-43 from the field for the game, and missed 13 of its first 14 shots in the second half.

5:22 PM -- The Heels are in the midst of a 13-1 scoring run over the past five and a half minutes. The spurt has helped UNC build a 37-24 lead with 11:56 to play in the contest.

5:10 PM -- UNC has went on a scoring run thanks to Tyler Zeller's three buckets to lead 28-23 with 16:29 to play in the contest. A few moments later and we're at the first media timeout. Heels still lead it by five at 28-23. Zeller leads the Heels with 11 points and 8 rebounds, along with a block. 15:54 left to play.

4:46 PM -- It was a rough half if you are a fan of offense. UNC leads 21-20 at halftime. The Heels shot only 34 percent in the first half. BC shot only 28 percent from the field. Josh Southern scored five points to lead BC, with 4 points, 8 rebounds, and a block by the John Henson.

Hopefully the "O" will pick up after intermission. Also noticed that Carolina great Tyler Hansbrough is in town for the NBA All-Star break and is in attendance at the game.

The 26-6 NIT champion Tar Heels were recognized at mid-court in a great ceremony. Second half to begin shortly.

4:40 PM -- 3:20 remains in a first half of attrition. Both teams not shooting well from the perimeter but the Heels are up one point at 18-17. However a BC free throw after the media timeout may tie it up. UNC is honoring the 1971 NIT championship team at halftime in what promises to be a special ceremony.

Jeff Trapani leads the Eagles with 7 points, while Henson's 4 still leads Carolina.

4:30 PM -- Carolina leads14-9 with 7:06 to play in the half. John Henson went out with an apparent ankle or foot injury at the 12:09 mark, but returned two minutes later. Henson has four points for UNC, with baskets from Barnes, Zeller and Marshall, with a three point basket from Leslie McDonald.

4:20 PM -- 11:35 remains in the first stanza and the Heels lead BC 9-3. The Eagles have connected on only one shot as the Heels have built a six-point lead.

4:10 PM -- points are at a premium in the early going with the Heels leading 4-0 at the 15:24 mark of the first half. A Henson dunk and a Barnes layup are the only points thus far.

This afternoon, we are LIVE FROM...UNC/Boston College basketball. UNC easily handled the Eagles in the first meeting between the school in Chesnut Hill, Mass, and hope to make it a clean sweep this afternoon.

Joe Trapani and Reggie Jackson key the Eagles attack offensively. Carolina looks to build on its win Tuesday night in the Smith Center over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. We'll be providing periodic updates throughout the game.

It's been a busy weekend for area athletics. Congratulations to the Avery Lady Vikings on its WHC tournament championship victory over Mountain Heritage Friday night. Mercedes Bentley, Katelynn Eudy and Megan Tennant were named to the All-Tournament Team, with Tennant taking Most Outstanding Player honors. By virtue of its season, Avery will be hosting 10-12 East Surry in the opening round of the state basketball playoffs.

The Avery boys basketball team will also compete in the state playoffs, but will be traveling to Hayesville to play the Yellow Jackets out of the Big Smoky Mountain Conference. Hayesville has won 18 games this season and finished second to Murphy in the conference race.

The Avery wrestling team was in action this weekend in Cherokee at the 1A Western Regional championships.

The event had a delay of approximately two hours due to what was deemed a "computer glitch" which inadvertently re-drew seeds and forced the first two rounds of the tournament to be completed by hand.

Congratulations to REGIONAL CHAMPION Brock Yackey and REGIONAL RUNNER-UP Lucas Lecka. Both wrestlers will travel to Greensboro to compete in the North Carolina State Wrestling Championships.

Western Highlands Conference Tournament Brackets UPDATED

2011-02-18T12:56:00.000-05:00

Below are the updated pairings for the 2011 Western Highlands Conference Boys and Girls Basketball Tournaments being held this week. The varsity tournaments will be held at Madison High School, while the junior varsity tournaments are held at Madison Middle School.

UPDATE: The Avery Lady Vikings defeated the Polk Lady Wolverines in Thursday's varsity girls tournament semifinal by a final score of 57-38. Megan Tennant led the Lady Vikings with 18 points and 6 rebounds in the win. Katelynn Eudy added 12 points and five rebounds, with 8 points and 3 steals by Mercedes Bentley and 6 points and 7 rebounds from Mary Chesnut Smith. Guards Savannah Dellinger and Kelsie Clarke combined for eight rebounds and 10 assists.

Avery will now take on Mountain Heritage in the tournament final on Friday night at 7 p.m. Heritage defeated tournament host Madison in the other semifinal to set up the showdown. An Avery comeback forced overtime in the clubs' first meeting this season in Burnsville, leading to a 67-63 Avery win. Avery took control early in the teams' second encounter in Newland, with the Lady Vikings prevailing by a 67-45 final score.
Regardless of Friday's result, the Lady Vikings will host a first-round game in next week's state playoffs.

In the boys semifinal on Thursday the Avery Vikings fell 80-64 to top seeded Mountain Heritage. The Cougars began the game with an 11-0 run and led at one point 21-5. Avery rallied to drop the lead into single digits, but the Cougars offense was too much to overcome.

Dustin Clarke paced Avery with 25 points in the defeat, with 13 from Timmy Stewart and nine points from Mark Polsgrove. Alex Villanueva scored six points, with five from Kody Hughes.

The boys team will hit the road in the first round of next week's NCHSAA state playoffs.

In JV tournament action, the Avery Lady Vikings were upset in overtime 47-45 against the Mountain Heritage Lady Cougars. The JV Vikings also fell to the Cougars, as a strong second half Heritage effort erased an Avery first-half lead.

Avery Boys v. Heritage (Conference Tournament)

2011-02-17T17:55:00.008-05:00

6:40 PM - Heritage wins over Avery going away by the final score of 80-64. The Vikings fall to 14-9 for the season and awaits who they will face in the first round of the state playoffs on the road.

Clarke led the Vikings with unofficially 25 points in the defeat, with 13 from Timmy Stewart and nine from Mark Polsgrove. Alex Villanueva scored six points, with five from Kody Hughes.

Thanks for reading, and good luck to the Avery Lady Vikings varsity in Friday's tournament championship game.

6:25 PM -- With three quarters in the books, Heritage holds a commanding lead of 69-42. A three-point basket at the buzzer by Spencer Bishop pushed the lead over 25 points for the first time in the second half.

Eight more minutes to play in Marshall. Avery will look to finish strong. We also received word that the junior varsity girls were upset in overtime by Mountain Heritage 47-45, so it has not been the best of afternoons for the Big Red thus far. JV boys are currently playing at Madison Middle School. Update on that game if we hear word.

6:00 PM -- Avery cut the deficit to 37-25 with just over two minutes left in the half, but Heritage drained four straight 3-point baskets as part of a 14-0 run to close the half. The Cougars lead 51-25 at halftime.
Dustin Clarke leads AHS with 15 points at intermission, with four points from Alex Villanueva and three points apiece from Kody Hughes and Mark Polsgrove.

Alex Biggerstaff has been on fire with 27 first half points. John Cannon added 12, with five from Eli Buckner, three from Spencer Bishop, and two points apiece from Tyson Tomberlin and Drew Letterman.

We'll try to post second half updates as the conditions persist. We'll also post updates on the Twitter feed section of the website to the upper right of the home page.

Special thanks to Kevin Tutterow for assistance with stats at the games, as well as to Serena Smith for photography in order to provide these updates.

5:40 PM We had a period of technical difficulty as the game began. Heritage went on an 11-0 scoring run to start the game and a 21-5 run over the first five minutes of the game. The Cougars led 25-12 after one quarter, but the Vikings staged a short rally, cutting the lead to eight at 26-18. With five minutes to play in the half, Avery trails 30-19.

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM: Western Highlands Conference Basketball Tournament

2011-02-17T16:00:00.013-05:00

5:20 PM -- Lady Vikings finish off Polk County by a final score of 57-38. Avery will move on to face either Madison or Mountain Heritage in tomorrow's tournament final, with tip time around 7 p.m.

The boys game between Heritage and Avery will begin at 5:30 p.m. We'll be covering that one here on the Blog as well. Thanks for reading!

5:17 PM -- With 1:35 to play in the game the Lady Vikings have pulled away using defense, leading by a 56-37 score. Looks good that the Big Red will advance to the tournament final to take on the winner of the game between Mountain Heritage and Madison.

5:10 PM -- With 5:57 left in the game Avery holds a 45-34 lead as Coach Missy Lyons takes a timeout. Avery has held Polk to only nine points in the second half to build its double-figure margin.

5:05 PM -- Avery holds Polk to just one made field goal and a pair of free throws as the Lady Vikings build a 43-31 lead after three quarters.

Avery has improved its rebounding in the second half with 12 rebounds as a team in the frame. Final eight minutes coming up!

4:55 PM -- Polk has burned a fourth timeout after an Avery scoring spurt makes the score 37-28 with 3:32 left in the third quarter. A steal and basket from Smith prompts Coach Culbreth to stop the action.

4:40 PM -- At halftime, the Lady Vikings lead Polk County 30-25. The Vikings have unofficially committed 10 turnovers in the first half which has helped the Polk cause.

First half Lady Vikings scoring (unofficial):
Megan Tennant: 10 points
Katelynn Eudy: 4 points
Mercedes Bentley: 3 points
Monica Estep: 4 points
Mary Chesnut Smith: 3 points
Lauren Burleson - 2 points
Kelsie Clarke - 2 points

The Lady Wolverines have utilized a zone defense for a portion of the half to defend against the Avery frontline height and ability. The Lady Vikings have nevertheless been able to get the ball inside, but have not converted on several opportunities.

Second half action after the break!

4:35 PM -- The officials are letting a lot of contact go as the Lady Wolverines have cut the lead to 28-23 with 1:46 left in the half.

4:30 PM -- Avery holds a 28-18 lead with 4:00 to play in the half. Monica Estep has four points off the bench for the Big Red, as the partisan Avery crowd is showing great spirit this afternoon.

4:20 PM -- After one period, Avery leads Polk County 22-10. Polk shot 4-for-15 in the quarter, while the Lady Vikings were 8-of-15 in the frame. Megan Tennant scored eight points in the first quarter to lead the Big Red. Second quarter action underway!

We're live at the Patriot Palace at Madison High School as the top-seeded Avery Lady Vikings tip off the day's semifinal action against the Polk Lady Wolverines.

The Lady Vikings swept both meetings between the schools, with the latest meeting in Columbus last month resulting in a 70-46 Avery victory.

We'll be here at our perch above the floor to bring updates of both this girls game, as well as the 5:30 men's game between #4 seed Avery and top-seeded Mountain Heritage.

WHC Boys Tournament Update

2011-02-15T21:17:00.002-05:00

UPDATE #2: Avery wins 74-61 (D. Clarke 30 points, M. Polsgrove 18 points). Vikings play Mt. Heritage on Thursday.

UPDATE: 5:44 remains in the game and Avery leads 56-50 over Polk.

We're in Marshall for the WHC boys hoops tournament. All the higher seeds have advanced today, and the Vikings and Wolverines are tied at 33 as we begin the third quarter. The winner will face Mountain Heritage, who defeated Thomas Jefferson 82-60 earlier today.

We'll have an updated score later this evening.

The Carolina Basketball Experience

2011-02-15T20:00:00.000-05:00

My work at The Avery Journal-Times over the past three short years has afforded me the great privilege to travel to a variety of venues, both near and far, for sporting events. I have had the opportunity to cover an array of sports for teams at the local high school and regional college levels.

Highlights include a trip to Chattanooga, Tenn. in 2007 to cover ASU’s third consecutive football national championship victory, as well as to Charlotte in December 2009 for the Meineke Car Care Bowl college football game. I was fortunate enough to visit Wake Forest in November 2009 to cover Florida State head football coach Bobby Bowden’s final college football game in North Carolina as the Seminoles’ head coach. Then there was the high school basketball playoff game at Nantahala High School last February (a truly unforgettable experience). I also traveled last spring to Chapel Hill for the UNC spring football game and a baseball game where the Heels faced rival N.C. State at the newly-renovated Boshamer Stadium.

On Sunday, Feb. 6, I had the opportunity to visit a location of great personal significance when I ventured to Chapel Hill to cover a pair of college basketball games (Editor’s Note: This is the point where the Duke and N.C. State fans reading can either continue reading with disdain, or check out another page of the sports section.)

On a cloudless Sunday morning my equally exuberant photographer Meredith Stewart accompanied me from Durham over to Chapel Hill to cover the day’s hoops action, beginning with our neighboring Milligan College’s junior varsity team taking on the UNC Tar Heels JV squad.

My associate Matt Laws, who covers Cloudland athletics for The Avery Journal-Times, also works as Sports Information Director at Milligan College. Matt was kind enough to help line up credentialing, (although I was later told at the venue that since junior varsity games are so sparsely attended, most media members are allowed to attend JV games with little prior notice).

Late during the week preceding the trip east, I contacted the UNC Athletic Communications Office to inquire about covering the UNC men’s basketball game against Florida State, which followed the JV game on Sunday. Steve Kirschner and his staff at Carolina were extremely helpful, providing writer and photographer passes to cover the game on short notice.

Also, in an instance of the “small world” maxim, upon our arrival at the Athletic Communications Office, Meredith and I had the pleasure of meeting long-time staff member Terry Roberts, who went to college at Western Carolina University and had once worked in Linville Falls. He shared several memories of his times around Avery County and the High Country. We spoke for several minutes about the area and he was more than happy to assist us in any way he could.

Most everyone who knows me or has read many of my past columns are aware that I spent four years at UNC as a student and was awarded a bachelor’s degree. During those years there weren’t many home basketball games that I missed.

I was in attendance at the Smith Center on Jan. 27, 1993, when the home crowd proved to be anything but what Florida State guard Sam Cassell once called a “wine and cheese crowd,” as the Tar Heels overcame a 21-point second-half deficit to the Seminoles and earned a five-point win. A little more than two months later I jumped through bonfires with thousands of ecstatic fans on Franklin Street when UNC defeated Michigan to capture the 1993 NCAA men’s basketball championship.

On another occasion, I recall my college friend Dean Jones and I getting second row student seating behind the UNC bench for an ACC game against Wake Forest. We subsequently painted our faces and cheered as enthusiastically as we could in order to demonstrate our immense team spirit. Besides the experience, the memorable portion of the evening occurred upon returning to the dorm room. We had received more than a half-dozen answering machine messages—messages that shared how we had unknowingly received a television close-up and was commented on by the ESPN broadcasters covering the game.

In the years after graduating from Carolina, I’ve only had the chance to attend a couple of games, and those occurred the season after my graduation. Needless to say, the experience of covering a Carolina basketball game as a member of the working media is something I have wanted to do for a long time. Attending the game truly was an honor, as well as one of those special occasions in which a sportswriter only occasionally has the opportunity to participate.

From my vantage point on press row, the Tar Heels won both the JV game over Milligan and the ACC game over Florida State. At the conclusion of the games, Meredith and I journeyed to the packed media room for the post-game interview by UNC head coach Roy Williams. Following the press conference, we walked to a nearby lounge, where multiple players arrived from the adjacent locker room for newspaper and television station post-game interviews.

“It was an amazing opportunity to be able to see Coach Roy and a few of the elite UNC players face-to-face. It helped to remind me that, although they are often viewed as larger-than-life heroic figures, they are humans, too,” Meredith told me later of the experience. “They get tired, sweat [a lot] and sometimes they may even be a little overwhelmed by the magnitude of the expectations thrust upon them. This team has impressed me by showing heart, camaraderie and an unexpected humility on the court and off—that is one of the many reasons why I am proud to be a Tar Heel.”

The accessibility to the Tar Heels who inspire deep emotion in countless fans (either love or hate), was a one-of-a-kind occurrence. I look forward to more visits to “The Southern Part of Heaven,” and hope to share more of them in future Musings.

Varsity Hoops Conclude Regular Season

2011-02-15T19:00:00.000-05:00

In the final night of the regular season for both teams, the Avery (AHS) varsity basketball teams had a lot to play for.

Having already clinched the Western Highlands Conference (WHC) regular season title with its win over Mountain Heritage, the AHS Lady Vikings was playing for a perfect 14-0 conference record when it rolled into Ledger to take on the pesky Mitchell Lady Mountaineers.

Meanwhile the AHS varsity boys needed a win over Mitchell to solidify a No. 2 seed from the 1A portion of the conference, virtually cementing the Vikings a home game for the opening round of the upcoming state basketball playoffs.

Both AHS clubs fell behind by double-digit second half deficits on Mitchell’s Senior Night to rally and eventually force overtime. However, the teams came away with mixed results. The Lady Vikings dominated the overtime session to defeat Mitchell 63-52. For the boys, a season-high 43 Dustin Clarke points were not enough to deter the Mountaineers as it defended home court and defeated AHS 91-84.

Lady Vikings Roars Back to Down Mitchell
Head coach Dawn Lowe’s Lady Mountaineers came out with something to prove, as the reigning conference tournament champions played the Big Red tough. AHS held a 12-11 lead after one stanza. Senior Mary Chesnut Smith connected on a pair of field goals in the quarter to help put the Lady Vikings in front.

The tables turned in the second period as the Lady Mountaineers took a 22-21 lead into halftime. Senior shooting guard Lyndsay Jensen was the catalyst for the Mitchell offense with 11 first-half points, as the Lady Mountaineer defense held AHS standout junior center Megan Tennant to only two first-half points.

For the Lady Vikings, Smith and fellow senior Katelynn Eudy worked inside to pick up the scoring responsibility, combining for 11 points.

As the second half ensued the Lady Vikings had trouble hitting shots, converting on 3-of-10 attempts in the third period. Eudy helped keep the Big Red within striking distance with four points in the quarter. Mitchell continued to score with the ball, however, as Katie Atkins scored seven points and teammate Ashley Greene poured in five to help propel the home team to a 39-28 lead.

A three-point basket by Jensen with 4:33 to play in regulation helped Mitchell match its largest lead of the game at 42-31. For the remainder of the period, the Lady Vikings took over. A steal and layup by Smith sparked the Big Red rally, followed up quickly by a pair of three-point baskets from senior Mercedes Bentley, which cut the margin to 43-41 with 2:40 remaining.

The Lady Vikings continued to pressure the Mountaineers as it attempted to stall and run time off the clock. The pressure resulted in eight turnovers committed by Mitchell, which AHS seemed to continually capitalize upon. A third basket from Bentley with 49 seconds left drew the Lady Vikings to within 47-46, while Tennant’s only field goal in the final two periods of regulation tied the game at 48-48 to force overtime.

AHS was 8-of-10 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and made 5-of-8 attempts from the field to draw even.

As overtime began the Lady Vikings took the momentum of the previous four minutes and decimated the foul-plagued Lady Mountaineers. Tennant was unstoppable inside with a pair of baskets, while teammate Kelsie Clarke built upon the four free throws she made in the final minutes of regulation by adding a field goal and three additional free throws in overtime. In all, AHS scored eight of the first nine points of overtime to build a 56-49 lead that it never relinquished. The Lady Vikings were 9-of-12 from the free throw line in overtime to seal the win, while holding Mitchell to 1-of-5 shooting from the floor in the extra session.

Bentley led the Lady Vikings with 16 points, with 13 points and six rebounds from Eudy. Clarke added 11 points and three assists, with eight points apiece from Smith and Tennant. Tennant added 11 rebounds while Smith hauled in five boards.

AHS finishes the regular season with an overall record of 18-5, with a 14-0 mark in conference play and winners of 13 straight games and 18 of its last 19 contests.

Vikings Defense Falters in Seven-Point OT Defeat
For the first quarter of last week’s varsity boys contest, the Mountaineers and Vikings played to a virtual standstill, with the score knotted at 17 apiece. AHS senior guard Clarke paced the Big Red with five points on what would become a recurring theme.

Mitchell used a 14-3 scoring run over the first 3:40 of the second period to build a 31-20 lead. AHS rallied to outscore the Mountaineers 14-9 for the remainder of the half as Clarke netted 21 points by intermission. However, 14 points in the half from Mountaineer counterpart Corey Greene led the way for Mitchell to take a 42-34 halftime lead into the locker room.

In the third period the Mountaineers answered every AHS basket with a shot, usually a short shot or layup, of its own. Clarke netted four field goals in the quarter, while senior teammate Kody Hughes netted five points in the frame.

Mitchell converted nine field goals from inside 15 feet in the third quarter, however, as the Mountaineers took a 61-49 lead into the fourth period.

AHS roared back into contention in the final quarter of regulation behind a blistering 12-of-20 shooting display from the field. Clarke scored 10 for the quarter, while teammates Benji Stewart and Joey Potter each helped key the rally with three baskets apiece. Mitchell converted only 8-of-15 free throws in the period, opening the door for the Viking comeback. An offensive rebound and putback by Potter narrowed the deficit to 77-75 with 39 seconds left in regulation, and a 10-foot bucket from Clarke with 19 seconds left tied the score at 77 to force the extra session.

The frantic and furious rally seemed to take a lot out of the AHS club, as the Vikings could only make 3-of-10 shots in the four-minute overtime period. In the meantime the Mountaineers caught its second wind. Greene netted a pair of baskets, with a bucket each from teammates Ben Smith and Matt Vaughn to build an 85-79 lead.

Over the final 1:30 the Vikings sent the Mountaineers back to the free throw line, where the squad made 6-of-8 shots to clinch the win.

Clarke led all scorers with 43 points on 16-for-38 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 shooting from the free throw line. The defending conference player of the year added 14 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocked shots.

Potter was the only other Viking in double figures with 14 points, while teammates Alex Villanueva and Hughes chipped in with nine points each and Benji Stewart added seven points.

Greene finished the contest with 26 points, eight rebounds and four assists to lead Mitchell, with 25 points from teammate Ben Smith. Troy Self scored 16 points, with 13 from Lawson Norris.

“It was a critical game that we needed to win. Now we have to go out and win the tournament to get second place back. All we can do is work and get better from there,” Vikings head coach Bo Manis said after the game. “We’re capable of going out and winning the tournament, it’s just a matter of pulling together.”

The Viking boys squared off against Polk County in the opening round of the conference tournament last Monday, Feb. 14, while the Lady Vikings took on the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats in the first round of the girls tournament.

Full coverage of the WHC tournaments can be found in next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times.

ASU Mountaineers Hoops Roundup

2011-02-15T18:15:00.002-05:00

Appalachian State University (ASU) men’s basketball fended off 14 Samford three-pointers to pull out a 65-59 win over the Bulldogs last Thursday, Feb. 10, at the Holmes Center.

The Mountaineers scored 36 points in the paint, shot nearly 50 percent from the field and committed a season-low five turnovers in the all-around solid effort.
Donald Sims led the Mountaineers (11-13, 7-7 SoCon) with 20 points, six rebounds, four steals and two assists and helped seal the victory with ASU’s final four points of the night. The senior shot 7-of-15 from the field with a pair of three-pointers.

ASU sank 11-of-21 attempts from the field in the second half despite missing all five long-range attempts and sank six of its last eight foul shots to preserve a second-half lead. ASU trailed by eight points early in the game but rallied to take a 34-30 lead at intermission.

ASU then piled on early in the second half to bulk up its advantage to double figures with 17:32 remaining in regulation. Samford (12-13, 4-9) then cut its deficit to one point at 50-49 midway through the period. The Bulldogs never made it all the way over the hump as ASU maintained a single-digit lead the remainder of the game.

Omar Carter tallied 19 points, giving him 15 or more in each of the last five outings. Splitting time between the perimeter and post, Carter sank 8-of-15 attempts and hauled in four rebounds in the victory.

Samford’s potent outside attack was led by Andy King’s 21 points and six three-pointers off the bench as well as Josh Bedwell’s 15 points and eight rebounds. Bedwell sank 4-of-9 three-point attempts.

Jeremi Booth added nine points and five rebounds while starting forward Andre Williamson gave the Apps eight points, four boards and a huge blocked shot with just 27 seconds left in the game and a slim four-point lead. The junior was 4-of-6 from the field and also dished out an assist.

Mitch Woods matched Sims for the team lead with six rebounds and scored a crucial layup down the stretch to cap off a late six-point Mountaineer run.

"I'm pleased with it — it's three in a row, I'm happy — but at the same time there is room for improvement," said ASU head coach Jason Capel, "I am pleased with the steps we are taking. You want to be playing your best basketball in February heading into March, and I think we are heading in that direction."

The win boosted ASU’s home record to 6-2 on the season and moved the team to one game behind Western Carolina for second place in the SoCon North.

A 14-point run midway through the second half broke a tie and put ASU ahead of Chattanooga for good last Saturday, Feb. 12, in a 78-68 win at the Holmes Center.
Carter scored 10 points during the stretch and finished with a game-high 22. The junior also led ASU with seven rebounds to accompany three assists.

Once the Mountaineers (12-13, 8-7 SoCon) gained the first double-figure advantage of the game, the home team held it to the final horn for double-figure margin of victory in ASU’s four-game winning streak.

Sims scored 13 second-half points to finish with 19 on the night. He added six rebounds, four assists and two steals. The senior sank 6-of-11 field goal attempts as ASU sank 15-of-29 shots in the second half to finish the night with a 49.1 field goal percentage, including a 10-of-25 mark from downtown.

Considering Chattanooga played in a tight contest the night before at Western Carolina, the Mocs (14-13, 10-5) started strong out of the gate. Ricky Taylor knocked down his first three shots from downtown for a quick nine points to give Chattanooga a pair of six-point leads in the early going. ASU rallied back, however, as the lead changed hands eight times before UTC gained a 32-31 advantage heading into the break.

Petey Hausley sank 6-of-10 shots off the bench for 12 points, one shy of his career high, along with three rebounds for the Mountaineers. Booth added nine points—all via three-pointers—in addition to four rebounds.

The Mountaineers held a 35-33 advantage on the glass and turned nine offensive rebounds into nine second-chance points. ASU also turned 16 UTC turnovers into 16 points and scored 22 points in the paint.

Anthony Breeze returned to the floor for the first time since suffering an injury on Jan. 29 at College of Charleston. The junior played eight minutes in the second half during the ASU surge.

Starting his fourth-straight game, Marcus Wright knocked down all three shot attempts for eight points and two rebounds, while Williamson added six points and six rebounds in the win.

ASU closes out its three-game homestand at 7 p.m. this Thursday, Feb. 17, when Western Carolina visits the Holmes Center.

LMC Sports Roundup

2011-02-15T18:10:00.003-05:00

Men’s Basketball Take Court for Trio of Matchups
Reggie Hopkins poured in 22 points to lead four Royals in double figures, as the Queens University of Charlotte men's basketball team held off a second-half rally by Lees-McRae College (LMC) en route to a 70-60 win in Conference Carolinas play on Monday, Feb. 7.

Queens (15-5, 11-1 CC) shot an even 50 percent for the game, including a 52 percent clip in the first half, while holding LMC to a 38.8 percent mark from the floor.

Sam Youse paced the Bobcats with 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting, as Reshon Benjamin and Tevin Friday each tallied 10 markers. Adam McFerran chipped in seven points, while Gerry Hairston added a game-high four assists.

After Queens opened the game with a 5-0 run, the Bobcats answered with a spurt of their own, launching an 11-3 surge to take an 11-8 lead on a Friday jumper with 13:24 to play in the half. The teams would battle back and forth over the next five minutes before Queens took control, closing out the period on a 17-6 run to take a 36-25 lead into intermission.

Queens held the advantage for the remainder of the game, pushing the lead to a game-high 16 points with just more than four minutes to play, and holding off a late Bobcat run to preserve the victory.

Daniel Sepokas scored 13 of his game-high 20 points in the second half to lead the Lees-McRae College men's basketball team to a 64-56 win over Erskine College last Thursday, Feb. 10, in Conference Carolinas play.

LMC (6-14, 2-10 CC) shot 49 percent from the field on the night, including a blistering 57.1 percent (12-of-21) in the second half, while holding Erskine (2-17, 1-11 CC) to a 43.5 percent clip overall. The Flying Fleet edged the Bobcats by a 32-30 margin on the glass, including a 20-17 advantage on the defensive boards, as LMC converted 19 miscues into 25 points.

Sepokas knocked down 7-of-9 attempts from the floor, including a 2-for-4 clip from beyond the arc, en route to his game-high total of 20 points. McFerran and Hairston joined Sepokas in double figures with 14 and 11 points, respectively, as Sepokas dished out a game-high four assists.

Four Knights scored in double figures, and the St. Andrews Presbyterian College men's basketball team out-rebounded Lees-McRae College by a 47-24 margin en route to an 87-78 win in Conference Carolinas play last Saturday, Feb. 12.

St. Andrews (12-10, 8-6 CC) shot an even 50 percent from the field in the game, including a 62.1 percent clip in the first half, while holding LMC (6-15, 2-11 CC) to a 42.4 percent mark on the afternoon. The Knights won the battle on the glass by a 47-24 margin, including a 35-16 advantage on the defensive boards, while outscoring the Bobcats 34-24 in the paint.

McFerran and Dairl Scott, Jr. led the Bobcats with 16 points each, while Friday and Hairston added 11 and 10 markers, respectively. Sepokas chipped in five assists as Scott tallied a team-high five rebounds.

LMC returned to the hardwood on Tuesday, Feb. 15, when the Bobcats hosted Limestone College to continue their conference schedule.

Softball: Bobcats Split Twin Bills with Bears, Eagles
The LMC softball team continued its strong start to the season last Monday, Feb. 7, splitting a doubleheader with Shaw University as the Bears rallied for a 9-8 extra-inning victory in game one before the Bobcat offense exploded for a 15-3 rout in the night cap.

LMC (3-1) scored 23 runs on 26 hits in the twin-bill, including 15 tallies on 17 base knocks in the night cap, while holding Shaw (1-3) to 12 runs on 13 hits. Lindsey Huntsinger continued to swing a hot bat in the early season, going 5-for-8 in the twin-bill with four RBI to lead a group of six Bobcats with multi-hit days.

Paige Coleman and Kim Coley paced the Bobcats with five RBI each on the day, as Coleman joined Huntsinger, Anna Carter and Laurel Gregg with one home run apiece. Carter and Coley each tallied four base knocks on the afternoon for the Bobcats, while Karli Robb recorded a team-high two triples.

Gregg (1-1) got the nod in game one, allowing six runs (two earned) on five hits in six and two-thirds innings of work. Magen West (2-0) earned the win in the night cap, allowing three runs on six hits and striking out four Bears. Hollie Crickenberger threw an inning of relief in game two, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits.

LMC opened the scoring in the top of the third inning, pushing across three runs on a Coley RBI single, a Bear error and a one-run double by Huntsinger to take an early 3-0 lead. Shaw answered in the bottom of the frame, plating three runs of its own to knot the score at 3-3 on a two-run home run by Lafrades and an RBI double by Grimmage.

The Bobcats countered with two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to reclaim a 7-4 lead, as Coley roped a two-run single in the fourth and Carter delivered a two-run shot in the fifth. Shaw rallied with a run in the fourth and two in the sixth, cutting the lead to 7-6 heading into the seventh inning.
LMC added to its total in the seventh, taking an 8-6 advantage on an RBI single by Meagan Knowles. The Bears would rally once again, scoring twice in the seventh on a two-run home run by Montgomery to send the game into extra innings. Shaw then produced the deciding tally in the eighth when Pledger reached on a Bobcat error, allowing Jolene Arroyo to score the winning run.

LMC rebounded to split a doubleheader against Carson-Newman College last Tuesday, Feb. 8, rallying to defeat the Eagles by a score of 13-6 in non-conference action.
LMC (4-2) continued its strong start to the season, rebounding from a 10-2 setback in game one to defeat the Eagles (2-2) by a score of 13-6 in the night cap.

Huntsinger continued her hot run to open the season, going 3-for-5 with her second round-tripper of the season, as she helped pace the Lady Bobcats to a 13-6 victory in game two of the double-header. Knowles added a 1-for-2 performance, crossing the plate three times with a triple and three walks on the day.

West took the ball in game two, pitching six solid innings and scattering 11 hits to hold the Eagles to just six runs, and earn her third victory of the season.
Eagle pitcher Mary Shealy took the circle for game one and hurled a gem, spreading four hits over five innings while allowing two runs in the opener.

The Eagles opened the scoring in the home half of the first, piecing together a two-out rally to plate a run and taking the early 1-0 lead when Shealy doubled home Bre Shoemake after a two-out walk. The Bobcats battled to close out the inning with just a one-run deficit.

The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the third when the Eagles rallied to plate four runs on four hits, and followed it with a four run fourth to push the total to a 9-0 lead after four innings.

In the top of the fifth, Knowles opened with a walk and moved to second after a Lori Fulmer sacrifice bunt put her into scoring position. Robb followed with a two-out double to plate Knowles to cut the deficit to 9-1. Robb scored on a Huntsinger single to make it a 9-2 Eagle lead.

The Eagles closed out the contest in the bottom of the inning, piecing together a two-out rally to plate the game-winner, as Shealy crossed to earn the 10-2 victory.

The Bobcats opened game two picking up where they closed game one, matching their final inning tally by plating two runs to take the early 2-0 advantage at the end of the first when Gregg singled home two runs on a one-out shot to right field.

The Eagles cut the deficit in half in the home portion of the inning, plating a run when Shoemake singled up the middle. Carson-Newman tied the contest in the bottom of the second with a run on three hits to even the tally at 2-2.

In the top halves of the third and fourth innings, the Bobcats pulled away with three runs, grabbing the lead with a Huntsinger blast to right in the top half of the third. The Bobcats added two more in the top of the fourth frame, plating Alison Armstrong and Knowles to take a 5-2 advantage.

The Eagles rallied in the bottom half of the fifth inning, plating three runs to even the tally at 5-5. The Bobcats then pieced together their best inning of the day with an eight-run sixth. Kierstie Moon opened the inning with a single to right before taking second on a passed ball. Following walks to Robb and Huntsinger to load the bases, Coley laced a double to right-center to clear the bases and push the advantage to 8-5.

Knowles then cleared the bases for a second time in the inning, lining a triple to right-center to plate Anna Carter, Armstrong and Gregg, and scampered home on an Eagle error to tally the 13th and final run. West closed out the home half of the inning allowing one-run on two hits and stranding one on base for the complete game victory.

Junior Varsity Hoops Roundup

2011-02-15T18:05:00.002-05:00

The Avery High School (AHS) junior varsity basketball teams wrapped up regular season conference play last Tuesday, Feb. 8, with a pair of games in Ledger against the Mitchell Mountaineers.

JV Girls Lose First Regular Season Game in More Than Five Years against Lady Mountaineers

Not since Feb. 7, 2006, has the Avery Lady Vikings junior varsity girls basketball team tasted defeat in a Western Highlands Conference regular season game. The Lady Mountaineers from Mitchell snapped the streak in its matchup by the final score of 45-37 as both teams prepare for the season-ending conference tournament this week.

AHS fell behind 9-6 after one quarter and trailed 28-20 at halftime. The freshman guard duo of Katie Ridgon and Bre Heaton accounted for 15 of AHS’s 20 first-half points.

As the second half ensued, the Lady Vikings found itself in a physical game with a number of players in foul trouble. By game’s end a pair of starters fouled out as the team worked to stage a comeback.

The Lady Mountaineers relied on the duo of Burleson and Phillips to supply scoring punch, as the duo accounted for 30 of Mitchell’s 45 total points.

AHS outscored Mitchell in the third period, but only by a 9-8 margin as the Big Red found itself trailing 36-29 entering the final seven minutes of play.
In the final frame the Lady Mountaineers built its lead to double figures, but the Lady Vikings managed to cut the deficit to as little as six points. Mitchell was not to be denied, however, holding the potent Lady Vikings club to only 37 points for the game.

Heaton paced AHS with 10 points and three steals, with nine points from Rigdon and six points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks from Haley Woody.

It was a heartbreaking defeat for the Lady Vikings, who suffered its first setback since a loss late in the 2005-2006 season to the Lady Cougars of Mountain Heritage.

“It seems like every time we have a game on a day that we don’t have school, the girls play a little more lackadaisical, but we never got it together today,” Lady Vikings head coach Pat Daniels said after the rare defeat. “We were dysfunctional from the start, and even though they played hard we didn’t get any breaks. Not blaming anything on the officials, but it might have been a little closer if we’d had decent referees who knew what they were doing out there. But credit Mitchell, they kept the ball in the hands of their two guards. They played really hard tonight and we just didn’t play up to our capabilities.”

Despite the loss, the Lady Vikings planned to use the loss as motivation to work hard last week in practice and prepare itself for the Western Highlands Conference JV tournament played this week at Madison Middle School.

“These girls are really disappointed tonight and every one of them were crying and upset, but I told them losing is part of the game and that we have play hard through the good and the bad. I told the girls we had a bad night but that it was a good team effort. We did some things out of character for us, and I love every one of them and wouldn’t blame them for a thing,” Daniels said. “Mitchell played hard throughout and our girls never gave up from start to finish. They were pumped and ready for us tonight, but Amber Young is my favorite coach in the conference as far as being friendly and personable. I consider her a real friend as a coach and if I had to lose, I couldn’t think of a better coach to lose to than her.”

JV Boys Picks Up Road Win, Tournament Momentum
Coming off a tough one-point loss at home against Mountain Heritage the previous week, the AHS JV boys team bounced back up off the canvas and delivered a knockout punch to the rival Mountaineers with a 52-37 comeback win.

AHS trailed 11-6 after one quarter of action, as Lane Smith scored a pair of baskets, only to be countered by Dylan Forbes, who paced the Mountaineers with three baskets in the frame.

The Vikings turned the tables in the second period, outscoring Mitchell 18-8 in the seven minute span to turn a five-point deficit into a five-point lead at 24-19 at halftime. Bryce Pittman tallied five points in the quarter, with five points from Daniel Childress and four from Chance Watson.

As the second half began AHS matched the intensity and effort of its opponent. In doing so, the Vikings extended its lead to 35-27 going into the final quarter.
Down the stretch of the final seven minutes, the Vikings needed to sink free throws to maintain its lead and maintain the advantage. AHS responded with connecting on 9-of-14 shots from the charity stripe, while a pair of baskets from Pittman and hoops from Smith and Luke Wotell sealed the 15-point triumph.

Pittman led the Big Red with one of his better scoring performances of the season, ringing up a team-high 13 points. Smith was the only other AHS player in double-figures scoring 12 points. Wotell scored seven in the win, with five apiece from Childress and Ty Polsgrove.

AHS took an extended break as it completed the regular season. Tournament play began on Monday, Feb. 14, and continues through this Friday, Feb. 18, at Madison Middle School and Madison High School.

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM...SAMFORD/ASU MEN'S BASKETBALL

2011-02-10T18:10:00.017-05:00

8:40 PM -- with 26 seconds to play, Andre Williamson makes a huge block on a Kaylin Johnson layup attempt. Two failed three-point attempts later by the Bulldogs and a Sims rebound later, and the Mountaineers pull off the 65-59 win over the Bulldogs. Sims finishes with 20 points in the win, with 19 by Omar Carter. ASU improves to 11-13 while Samford falls to 12-13. That's the story from Boone as it's another win for the home team. Thanks for reading!

8:35 PM -- Samford takes a timeout after a King three-pointer with 1:11 to play cuts the lead to 63-59. The Mountaineers may have to make one more big basket to put this game on ice.

8:30 PM -- The final media timeout of the game with 3:42 to play and ASU has a 63-56 lead.

8:26 PM -- ASU holds a 61-56 lead with 4:52 to play in the game. Sims has 16 points, with 19 from Carter as the only Mountaineers in double-figures. King's 18 off the bench leads the Bulldogs, with 15 points from Josh Bedwell. Still anyone's game at the Holmes Center as the Mountaineers look to pick up win No. 11.

8:20 PM -- The Mountaineers lead, but only by a pair at 55-53 with 7:19 to play in the game. Omar Carter has played big for the Apps in this one with 17 points, while Donald Sims has 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals. Samford has taken a whopping 25 three-point shots in the game, more than double ASU's 12 attempts. The Bulldogs have made 12 of those three-pointers to stay in the game.

8:10 PM -- 11:46 remains in the contest and the Mountaineer lead has been trimmed to two points at 48-46. Andy King of Samford is a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, and 5-for-5 from three point range, with 18 points total. ASU is still paced by 15 from Carter and 14 points by Sims.

8:05 PM -- The Mountaineers star the second half strong, building a 10-point lead, but the Bulldogs have cut the advantage to 46-40 with 14:21 to play in the game. Sims has 14 points for the game, but Carter leads the Apps with 15 points total on 7 of 13 shooting. The Mountaineers are shooting 51 percent for the game, while Samford is 15 of 31 for a 48.4 percent clip.

7:42 PM -- At the half, ASU uses an 14-4 run to take a 34-30 lead into halftime. A Sims three-pointer from the top of the key at the buzzer moves ASU from down six to up by four at the half. Carter has 13 and Sims has 10 points at intermission to lead the Mountaineers. Josh Bedwell leads the Bulldogs and all scorers with 16 points at intermission.

We'll have second half action in a few minutes!

7:38 PM -- Samford takes a quick timeout at the 2:58 mark as ASU reeled off two straight baskets to cut the lead to 26-24.

7:35 PM -- 3:53 remains in the first half and the Bulldogs lead 26-20. Samford has already attempted a dozen three-point shots in the half, while ASU has put up eight from downtown.

Josh Bedwell has 13 to lead the Bulldogs, but was shaken up just prior to the media timeout. Carter has 11 to lead the Mountaineers.

7:27 PM -- Samford leads 24-18 at the second media timeout. Short time between the first two stoppages but ASU continues to work the ball inside. About 20 seconds pass and there is yet another media timeout. 6:37 remains in the first half and the Mountaineers are still down by the six-point margin.

7:20 PM -- 8:59 is left in the first half and Samford leads 22-16. Andy King has 9 points to lead the Bulldogs and Josh Bedwell has 11.
ASU is led by nine points from Omar Carter, with three from Donald Sims.

7:15 PM -- Samford is shooting the three-pointer as is their reputation, scoring each of their first 9 points by way of the triple. With 10:06 to play in the first half, the first stoppage of the game comes with an ASU timeout. In essence the teams have played almost ten straight minutes on the clock without a whistle...quite unusual. Two media timeouts are forthcoming at some point. Samford leads 20-14.

7:00 PM -- Getting ready for tipoff here on "Celebrate Watauga" Night at the Holmes Center. Watauga County residents were allowed to purchase tickets at a discounted rate for this evening's game, and from the appearance of the crowd, it looks like several folks took advantage of the offer.

We're at the Holmes Convocation Center on the campus of Appalachian State University for this evening's Southern Conference contest between the Samford Bulldogs (12-12) and the ASU Mountaineers (10-13)

The Mountaineers enter tonight's game on a two-game winning streak, having defeated UNC-Greensboro and Elon in back-to-back road games last week.

ASU seeks a season sweep over the Bulldogs after defeating them 78-69 in Alabama back on December 4th. Omar Carter paced the Mountaineers with two double-doubles on the week and averaged 21.5 points and 11 rebounds in the wins. The junior ranks second on the team in scoring and rebounding for the season.

Donald Sims scored the 2,000th point of his career at Elon and is one of fewer than 500 players to reach the milestone in NCAA Division I history.

Samford travels to the High Country after a 56-50 win at Georgia Southern last Saturday. The Bulldogs are 2-4 away from home in league play, with the other win coming at UNCG in early January.

Jeffery Merritt leads the squad with 10.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. On the offensive end, more than half of the Bulldogs field goal attempts have come from downtown on the season (53 percent) where the squad makes 35.5 percent of its attempts. Josh Davis leads Samford from beyond the arc with 44 three-pointers on the season.

SU is holding opponents to a 41.3 field goal percentage, the lowest in the SoCon this year.

We'll be bringing updates throughout the contest here at the Blog, with tipoff at 7 p.m. Thanks for reading!

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM... FLORIDA STATE-NORTH CAROLINA Men's Basketball

2011-02-09T20:56:00.001-05:00

UPDATE: Several photos from Sunday's game have been added to this post, so it has been re-posted for viewing purposes.

4:02 PM -- It's over in Chapel Hill and the Heels take the win decisively by an 89-69 final score. The UNC reserves saw action in the final minute as the chant of "We Want Duke" rose from the Carolina student section.

UNC vs. Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium this Wednesday night should be a great contest!
Kendall Marshall finishes the game with a whopping 16 assists!

Thanks for reading, and look for a complete writeup in this week's edition of The Avery Journal-Times.

3:55 PM -- final official time out of the game as the Heels hold an 80-63 lead at the 3:26 mark. A number of fans are leaving the arena as they feel this one is in hand. We hope to post photos from the game later this evening. Special thanks to my colleague and Milligan College SID Matt Laws, my photographer Meredith Stewart, as well as Steve Kirschner and staff with the UNC Athletic Communications Office for their assistance. Heels lead by 17 looking to close things out.

3:50 PM-- 4:15 remains in the game as a timeout is called by FSU. UNC outscores the Noles 14-9 since the last media timeout, capped by a long two-point bucket by Henson. UNC builds its largest lead at 80-62 over the Seminoles.

3:42 PM - the under 8 minute timeout comes with 7:33 left to play and the Tar Heels hold a 66-53 advantage. Tyler Zeller has come alive with a pair of baskets, but a three-pointer as the shot clock expired by Kendall Marshall ignited Carolina following a 9-0 run by the Seminoles that cut the UNC lead to 57-50 at the 10:59 mark.

FSU has multiple players with at least 3 personal fouls which might play a factor down the stretch if Florida State wants to cut into the NC lead. Carolina has four players in double-figures, led by Zeller with 14 and Strickland with 13 points.

3:31 PM -- Official timeout at 11:59 on the clock with UNC leading 57-46. Henson has five points in the second half as Carolina has been aggressively attacking the basket on the FSU bigs inside. lots of time left for the Noles to mount a comeback, however.

3:26 PM -- Carolina holds a 57-41 lead and a great assist by Marshall leads to a Zeller hoop and foul. The Heels hold its largest lead of the game at 16 with 13:59 left to play in the game.

3:19 PM -- First media timeout in the second half with 15:43 to play and the Heels lead 50-39. A Strickland three-pointer, along with a dunk from Henson and a bucket by Barnes boosts Carolina to its 11-point lead. Energetic crowd in the arena this afternoon.

2:57 PM -- Heels lead 43-34 at halftime. A field goal at the buzzer from Derwin Kitchen cut the lead under double figures at intermission. Dexter Strickland leads UNC with 10 points in the half, with 7 points from Harrison Barnes, six from Kendall Marshall and Justin Knox, with five points each from Zeller.

Okaro White leads Florida State with 8 points, with six points each from Bernard James, Michael Snaer, and Derwin Kitchen.

2:49 PM -- 2:16 remains in the half and the Heels make a run following an FSU spurt to build its lead back to 38-29. FSU had cut the lead to as close as 31-27, but a 7-2 run has padded the Carolina cushion. Dexter Strickland has been a spark plug for the Tar Heel offense with 10 points in the first half. Heels are shooting 50 percent (15-of-30) for the half thus far.

2:45 PM -- UNC scores four straight to build a 31-21 lead, forcing FSU coach Leonard Hamilton to take a timeout. Heels 10-pt margin matches its largest of the game thus far. 5:42 remains before halftime.

2:38 PM -- Media timeout at 7:49 left in the half. UNC leads 26-17. A rim rocking dunk by Barnes brought the crowd to its feet. Tyler Zeller picked up a second personal foul for UNC just prior to the media timeout. The Heels have been strong on the glass thus far, keeping an athletic Seminoles team off the boards for the most part thus far. Barnes, Zeller, and Strickland each have five points for Carolina thus far.

2:31 PM -- FSU takes a timeout as it trails 20-10 with 10:49 to play in the half. A three-point play by Harrison Barnes excited the crowd as the Heels have doubled up the 'Noles.

2:26 PM -- Tar Heels lead 14-8 over Florida State. Leslie MacDonald has added a three-pointer, with baskets from Strickland and Henson to push UNC out front. Okaro White has a bucket for FSU as 11:54 remains in the first half.

2:15 PM -- First media timeout at 15:46 and the Heels hold a 7-4 lead. A Marshall 3-pointer and buckets from Dexter Strickland and Harrison Barnes helps the Heels to the early lead.

2:00 PM We are LIVE in Chapel Hill at the Dean E. Smith Center for this afternoon's huge ACC hoops matchup between the Florida State Seminoles and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. The UNC JV team defeated Milligan College in the JV men's game earlier this morning 86-61.

Today's game pits the Tar Heels and the Seminoles in a battle for second place in the ACC standings. The Blue Devils currently sit atop the standings, and with the rivalry game between Dook and Carolina looming in Durham on Wednesday, UNC must remain focused on the task at hand this afternoon and not overlook a very talented Seminoles team.

The Tar Heels have won four games in a row and nine of their last ten after beating Boston College 106-74 on Tuesday night. Florida State has won five of its last six games and is coming off of an 85-61 win over Wake Forest on Tuesday night at home. This game is the second in a four-game stretch of four games (three on the road) in 12 days. Carolina will travel to Duke and Clemson next Wednesday and Saturday. Carolina leads the series with Florida State 40-10 but the Seminoles have won two straight, snapping a streak of 10 consecutive Carolina victories. Carolina is 13-4 in the Smith Center against FSU. Carolina will be playing in its 14th Super Bowl Sunday game and is 8-5 in such games. This will be the third meeting between the two teams on Super Bowl Sunday in the last five years (Carolina is 2-0 in those games).

Fox Sports Net has the TV coverage, as well as radio coverage on the Tar Heel Sports Network. We'll be providing updates throughout the game from the Dome.

Milligan falls to Tar Heels in Junior Varsity Roundball Action

2011-02-09T20:22:00.000-05:00

The Milligan College Buffaloes (MC) junior varsity basketball team did something last weekend that many dream of and few are fortunate enough to accomplish: play a college basketball game inside Chapel Hill’s famed Dean E. Smith Center.

MC made the three-hour-plus road trip last Sunday, Feb. 6, to take on the junior varsity Tar Heels of the University of North Carolina (UNC). Despite a strong second half effort, a total of 19 MC turnovers and a pair of UNC scoring spurts in each half proved too strong as the Buffaloes fell by an 86-61 final score.

MC hung tough in the early going, but a UNC run late in the first half propelled the Tar Heels to a 44-21 lead at halftime.

Despite the deficit, the Buffaloes continued to battle, holding UNC to only six points during a stretch midway through the second half to cut the deficit to 61-48 with 6:35 to play in the game. A late Tar Heel run boosted the lead back more than 20 points to close out the contest.

North Carolina solidified its lead late in the second half, and ended the game on a positive note, after Cardona and freshman guard Rohan Smith hit back-to-back three-pointers to re-energize the UNC bench as time wound down.

Smith finished with 12 points, trailing only sophomore guard Patrick McPhail, who led the home team in scoring with 18.

Freshman forward Denzel Robinson added a double-double, tallying 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Tar Heels out-rebounded the Buffaloes 57-37.

“We came out of the gates really strongly, having the adrenaline of playing in the Dean Dome for the first time, but that eventually wore off. We got into a hole in the first half that was just too much to come back from,” Milligan head coach Aaron Collazo said after the game.

“In the second half, we could have easily just given up and enjoyed the fact that we were playing in the Dean Dome, but our guys played hard and played together to make a run that would cut it down to 13 midway through the secnd half. They were hitting tough shots on their end against what I thought was much better defense than I saw from us in the first half. If we could have played that way in the first half, I have no doubt we would have been in that game in the end. We played 20 really competitive minutes of basketball and I was very proud of the way my team responded after being down in the first half.”

Lady Vikings Basketball Capture Conference Championship

2011-02-09T16:55:00.000-05:00

The Avery Lady Vikings (AHS) swept a trio of opponents in home games last week. AHS routed the Madison Lady Patriots and West Wilkes Lady Blackhawks early in the week.

The team concluded the week with a decisive victory last Friday, Feb. 4, on Senior Night over second-place Mountain Heritage, clinching the first Western Highlands Conference (WHC) regular season championship for the school since 1996.
Early in the squad’s contest against Madison, the Lady Vikings struggled to find the basket, as multiple shots from inside were off target. The Big Red did manage to knock down six shots in the first stanza while holding the Lady Patriots to only three made field goals as AHS led 17-9 after one quarter.

AHS found its groove in the second period, outscoring Madison 27-8 in the frame to pull away for a 44-17 halftime margin.
A 12-2 scoring run to open the second half removed all doubt from the outcome as the Lady Vikings led by 40 at 65-25 by the end of the third quarter and cruised to the win.

Mercedes Bentley dropped in 13 points to lead the Big Red, with 12 points apiece from Kelsie Clarke and Megan Tennant. Katelynn Eudy posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds as every player on the Lady Viking roster scored in the win.

The following evening the Lady Vikings returned to the court for a non-conference contest against the West Wilkes Lady Blackhawks inside the Viking Octagon. The Lady Vikings had difficulty getting into an offensive rhythm early against a pesky West defense, but AHS pulled away in the third quarter to post a 58-46 triumph.

West hung around early on the Big Red with its inside height and scrappy play. Shots were not falling in the first quarter for the home team, yet the Lady Vikings battled through the adversity to hold a 16-14 lead after one period.

West guard Caitlyn Kilby helped the Lady Blackhawks stay within striking distance with six points in the first half, but the Lady Vikings started to get in sync late in the half. Bentley drilled a pair of three-point baskets in the second quarter, while Lauren Burleson came off the bench to pour in 10 points in the half. The offensive spark helped the Big Red extend its slim lead to 32-26 at halftime.

The halftime speech by Lady Vikings head coach Missy Lyons should be bottled up and saved for future use, as the AHS club looked like a different ball club. AHS exploded for 20 points in the period while holding West to only three baskets for the same stretch. Bentley scored seven in the frame to push the advantage to 52-33.

In the final eight minutes the Lady Blackhawks attempted a comeback, but the Lady Vikings would have none of it as the team won going away. Bentley scored 15 to pace AHS, as Burleson and Tennant each tallied double-figures.

In the regular season home finale, AHS had an opportunity to clinch the first WHC regular season championship under the guidance of Lyons as the team hosted Mountain Heritage. The Lady Cougars was primed to ruin AHS’s perfect conference record in the last meeting between the clubs, but a missed free throw late in regulation forced an overtime session where the Lady Vikings earned a tough four-point win.
The margin on Senior Night was not as close, as an inspired group of Lady Vikings built a double-digit lead late in the first half, built on it further in the third quarter and earned another championship banner with a 67-45 victory.

In the opening stanza the Lady Vikings trio of Bentley, Eudy and Tennant dominated play. Bentley drained a pair of three-pointers, while the frontline duo scored in the paint to stake the home team to a 14-10 lead after one stanza.

AHS opened a double-figure lead using its defensive pressure. The Lady Vikings forced 16 Heritage turnovers in the first two periods and held the Lady Cougars to just five made field goals through two periods. Tennant scored six points in the second quarter and 11 for the half, with 10 from Bentley to propel the Big Red to a 29-17 halftime advantage.

As the second half ensued, the play on the court became physical. Both clubs had been assessed more than 10 personal fouls before the fourth period began, and the clubs combined to shoot 26 free throws in the third period alone.

The Lady Vikings not only survived the physicality of its opponent, it thrived on it, scoring 25 points in the third quarter to race out to a 54-35 lead entering the final eight minutes of action.

The second-chance baskets that supported the Lady Cougars upset bid in Burnsville were non-existent in the rematch, with AHS successfully crashing the boards consistently throughout the contest.
In the true team manner of play indicative of the Lady Viking season, six different AHS players scored points in the final period to finish the 22-point blowout win.

With a commanding lead late in the game, Lyons allowed the home crowd to show its appreciation to the team’s seniors, as she substituted each of AHS’s three seniors individually. Bentley, Eudy and Mary Chesnut Smith each received a loud ovation of support from the capacity Viking faithful.
Bentley led AHS with 17 points, three rebounds and three assists. Tennant dropped in 15 points with eight rebounds, with a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds from Eudy. Burleson scored nine points, with five each from Clarke and Savannah Dellinger and four from Smith.

AHS concluded its regular season schedule by traveling to Ledger to take on Mitchell on Tuesday, Feb. 8, and enters next week’s conference tournament with the top seed.

Vikings Wins Pair, Falls to Cougars on Senior Night

2011-02-09T16:42:00.000-05:00

The final full week of the high school basketball regular season was a busy one for the Avery (AHS) Vikings varsity boys basketball team, defeating Madison 96-85 on Tuesday, Feb. 1, and West Wilkes 80-47 on Wednesday, Feb. 2.

Last Friday, Feb. 4, the Vikings honored assistant coach and senior Ethan Buchanan and the seven AHS senior basketball players prior to its game with Mountain Heritage. Unfortunately for the Big Red, it was the Cougars from Yancey County that packed the offensive firepower in ruining the Viking regular season home finale by a 70-53 final score.

The Vikings led 26-16 after one period and exploded for 33 points in the second quarter alone to put the game out of reach, leading 59-34 at halftime. Avery built its lead to as many as 30 points early in the third period, but Madison scrapped back with the help of the three-point shot to draw within 14 points at 78-64. Avery would quell the comeback quickly, however, extending the lead back to more than 20 points before the Viking coaching staff played reserves for the final three minutes of the win.

Five different Vikings reached double-figures, led by Dustin Clarke who scored 21. Colton Blackburn followed closely behind with 20 points, with 17 from Timmy Stewart, 11 from Joey Potter and 10 from Alex Villanueva.

The victory came in the first game back coaching for Avery head coach Bo Manis, as he and his family had been out of town for the previous four games due to the passing of the coach’s mother-in-law.

“The first thing that stood out and impressed me most was seeing my beautiful wife and daughter,” Vikings head coach Bo Manis said after the win. “I am proud of family and what we’re building with these young student-athletes.”

The next evening the Vikings took the court for a make-up game against non-conference foe West Wilkes. It was a retro night for the Vikings, as the boys varsity team wore the uniforms worn by the 1995-96 team, the jerseys the team’s head coach wore when he was a standout for the Big Red.

AHS started slow in the contest, as the West 2-1-2 zone defense made it difficult for the slashing guards of the Viking offense to penetrate into the paint or the base line. AHS held a 17-12 lead after one period and increased its margin to double digits at 32-22.

The coaching staff made a number of successful adjustments in the locker room that helped Avery gain control.

“We worked on getting our players in better rebounding position. When we executed that in the second half, that’s when the momentum changed,” Manis said after the win. “I think they were a better team than what we saw last time. They’re well coached and they always improve, but we were just more talented than his roster.

The adjustments proved to be the perfect elixir, as the Vikings took a 54-35 advantage into the final eight minutes. Potter helped spark the Big Red offense with 10 points in the frame. The athleticism of the AHS club proved too much for West to overcome as Avery took an 80-47 win.

Four players scored double-figures again for the Vikings in the win, led by Clarke with 18. Potter, Timmy Stewart and Benji Stewart scored 10 points apiece.

Last Friday, Feb. 4, AHS honored senior basketball players Colton Blackburn, Dustin Clarke, Kody Hughes, Mark Polsgrove, Joey Potter, Benji Stewart and Timmy Stewart prior to the boys game. In addition to the players, the Vikings honored one senior who serves as an assistant coach in Ethan Buchanan. The team also welcomed special guests from the fifth and sixth grade recreation league basketball program coached by head coach Stephanie Pritchard.

Despite the great emotion, AHS could not come away victorious in its Senior Night matchup, as visiting first-place Mountain Heritage came to town, and led early and often en route to a 90-73 win.

Heritage fired on all cylinders early on, hitting on 8-of-14 shots in the first period, including four three-point baskets to take an early 22-6 lead. AHS scored the final four points of the quarter but still stared at a deficit of 12 points at 22-10.

AHS relied on its own long distance shooting to stay in the game. Clarke drained a pair of three-pointers as the Vikings shot 50 percent from the field (9-for-18) in the second period. The Cougars continued to shoot the ball well themselves, as nine points in the quarter from college prospect John Cannon helped maintain Heritage’s edge and give the visitors a 43-30 lead.

The Cougars put the game away for good with a 25-point third quarter, hitting on 5-of-7 shots from three-point range during the stretch. The Vikings scored a respectable 18 points in the frame, but Heritage still extended its lead to 68-48 with eight minutes to play.

Several Viking reserves saw playing time in the final stanza as the outcome of the game was no longer in doubt.

Dustin Clarke led all scorers, tallying 34 with 11 rebounds and four steals in his last regular season game at the Viking Octagon. Colton Blackburn and Kody Hughes scored seven each in the defeat.

“This group of seniors has meant a lot to me, as they are one of the reasons I enjoy coaching. Individually, I’ve grown to have a bond with each of the players that separates them from other athletes. I hope we can continue to share a friendship after they leave high school. For the most part they are good role models for the younger guys as well,” Manis said. “They’re a special group of young men that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”

AHS traveled to Mitchell on Tuesday, Feb. 8, to close the regular season, and will begin Western Highlands Conference tournament play at Madison High School next week.

Vikings Finish Wrestling Duals, Trio Captures Conference Tourney Titles

2011-02-09T16:22:00.001-05:00

The Avery (AHS) wrestling team wrapped up the regular season with two home conference dual meets, defeating Mountain Heritage and falling to Mitchell in meets held at Avery Middle School last Tuesday, Feb. 1. The team competed last Friday, Feb. 4, at Polk County in the Western Highlands Conference championships.

Three seniors, Brock Yackey, C.J. Vance and Lucas Lecka, emerged as conference champions, while two other grapplers, Devin Buchanan and Kyle Greene, finished as tournament runners-up.
AHS defeated Mountain Heritage 54-27 in the team’s first dual meet last week. Winners for the Big Red included Brennan Clark (103 pounds), Buchanan (130 pounds), Zac Freeman (135 pounds), Yackey (140 pounds), Josh Gragg (145 pounds), Vance (160 pounds), Nathaniel Buchanan (189 pounds), Lecka (215 pounds) and Greene (heavyweight).

The Vikings did not fare as well in its second match of the evening, falling to the Mitchell Mountaineers by a 51-24 final match score.

Victors for the Big Red included Lecka (215 pounds) with a first period pinfall, Greene by a 5-0 decision in the heavyweight class, Harley Rash by first period pinfall at 119 pounds, Devin Buchanan by second period pinfall at 130 pounds and Vance by a 6-5 decision at 160 pounds.

The conference wrestling tournament was a great evening for the three Viking seniors who have provided leadership for the team all season long, as the veteran wrestlers saw the fruits of their labor in the form of a tournament championship.

Yackey captured his title in the 135-pound weight class. He began the tournament with a 9-2 decision win over Madison’s Jarrett Ipox. In his second match, Yackey defeated Owen’s Joe Turman by 7-0 decision to reach the tournament final. In the championship, Yackey defeated Polk’s Silvestre Ramirez by disqualification in the finals to win the championship.

At the 160-pound class, Vance earned a first round bye and faced Polk’s Tyler Keller in the semifinal, winning the match by 12-1 major decision. In the championship round, Vance earned a 5-2 decision win over Madison’s Erik Norton to bring home the winning medal.

Lecka was victorious in the 215-pound weight class tournament. He began his evening with a win by pinfall in only 10 seconds against Owen’s Taylor Early. Lecka then defeated Polk’s Jairo Nevarez by first period pin to reach the tournament finals. In the championship match, Lecka defeated Madison’s Lucas Garrett by first period pinfall, completing a dominating performance.

Buchanan reached the finals in the 130-pound weight class after pinning his first two opponents. A defeat to Mitchell’s Sejiro Littleton forced Buchanan to settle for the silver medal finish.

Greene earned his runner-up finish after defeating Mountain Heritage’s Kyle Carlson in the semifinal. Polk wrestler Tyler Philpott was victorious over Greene in the final to win the championship in the heavyweight class.

Clark (103 pounds) and Rash (119 pounds) captured fourth place finishes to give the Vikings an impressive seven wrestlers with top-four finishes in the tournament.

AHS returns to the mat Friday and Saturday, Feb. 18 and 19, for the Western Regional tournament at Cherokee High School.

AHS Junior Varsity Roundup

2011-02-09T16:17:00.001-05:00

The Avery junior varsity teams (AHS) finished another busy week of basketball action in the final week of the regular season. The teams hosted three foes in Madison on Tuesday, Feb. 1, West Wilkes on Wednesday, Feb. 2 and finished the week with Mountain Heritage coming to town on Friday, Feb. 4.

Lady Vikings One Win from Another Perfect Conference SeasonThe Lady Vikings rolled to victory over all three of its opponents last week. On Tuesday, Feb. 1, the Big Red destroyed the Madison Lady Patriots 84-15. AHS led 24-6 after one period, held a 46-8 lead at halftime and rolled to the victory.

Every Lady Viking player scored at least three points and eight different players recorded at least three rebounds in the win. The squad was led with 16 points from Taylor Hobbs and 15 from Bre Heaton.

“We were on and they were off through the game. Each player was hitting on all cylinders, shooting, rebounding. The girls played awesome,” Lady Vikings head coach Pat Daniels said following the win.

The next night the Lady Vikings met a tougher foe in West Wilkes, rallying for a 65-32 win.

Daniels shook up the lineup, starting a group consisting primarily of players who have served in a reserve role for most of the season. West shot well in the opening period and seized advantage, leading 15-7 after one stanza. AHS rallied in the second quarter, bouncing back to tie the game at 23-23 at halftime.

In the third period AHS took charge, outscoring West 27-7 in the period to take a 50-30 lead into the final six minutes and cruised to a 33-point win.

“West is a much improved team than the first time we played them,” Daniels said after the game. “At halftime I told the girls that evidently West Wilkes were a better team than earlier in the year, and that if they wanted to win they’d have to go out there and earn it. We stepped it up in the third quarter and took over.”

Heaton scored 22 points with three assists in the win, while Katie Rigdon netted 12 points, seven rebounds, three blocks, two steals and a pair of assists. Jessie Ramsey scored seven points with six rebounds, while Sela Pittman and Hobbs dropped in six points apiece.

In the final contest of the week the Big Red was seeking a 10th straight conference win against the league’s second best team, the Mountain Heritage Lady Cougars. AHS finished the home schedule in style with a 54-41 triumph.

The Lady Vikings trailed 21-15 after one quarter but rallied to lead 30-26 at intermission before pulling away in the second half. Hobbs poured in 17 points, 15 in the first half with the help of four three-point baskets, to go with nine rebounds to lead the Big Red, with 15 from Heaton. Pittman scored seven points with five rebounds, while Rigdon scored all six of her points on free throws in the final quarter to go with six rebounds, four assists and two steals.

“Taylor stepped up big for us tonight. Kenzie Thomas had a number of steals and played great defense, and Sela played a big game inside,” Daniels said after the win. “I’m pretty sure we’ll see either this team and/or Polk County in the tournament coming up.”

Vikings Fall to Patriots, Defeat Blackhawks, Lose Nail-Biter to Cougars

A wide gamut of emotions was experienced by the AHS JV boys team this past week. On Tuesday, Feb. 1, the Vikings fell 45-26 to the Madison Patriots. The following evening AHS roared back with a strong showing, beating West Wilkes soundly by a 68-37 final score. In the team’s closest contest of the week, AHS was narrowly defeated by the Mountain Heritage Cougars 57-56 last Friday, Feb. 4.

With AHS trailing by only six points at 18-12 at halftime, a 16-5 third quarter run by the Patriots sealed the Vikings’ fate in the conference matchup. Only five AHS players registered points in the defeat, led by nine points from Luke Wotell.

“The biggest thing against Madison was that we didn’t come to play,” AHS head coach Reggie Oakes said following the loss. “Coach Gregory had his kids ready and we didn’t match their intensity the whole game.”

The Vikings showed its resilience and ability to respond to adversity in thumping the Blackhawks from West Wilkes. A 15-0 scoring run to open the game got the Vikings off to a strong start, while a 20-9 scoring edge in the third quarter from AHS put the contest far out of reach.

In the rout Bryce Pittman paced the Big Red with 11 points, while Daniel Childress added 10 points. Ty Polsgrove and Lane Smith chipped in eight points each.

“At their place we spotted them a 9-0 run and we were down 16 at one point and came back to force overtime. Even though we lost that game, we built off that with the defensive pressure and press that we used, so we basically used that again in the rematch. We used pressure, forced steals and turnovers and converted those into layups,” Oakes said of the win. “We did a much better job getting the ball inside with Luke Wotell and Payton Lowery. Lane played well and Bryce stepped up huge and showed great leadership. Coming off the loss to Madison, the players took it upon themselves to rally.”

Heritage raced out to a 15-6 lead after one quarter in the conference matchup to close out the week. A 20-point second period drew the Vikings back within single digits at 33-26 at halftime.

The Cougars again raced out to a double-figure advantage to open the second half, but an AHS scoring run to close the quarter, paced by six points from Polsgrove and four from Smith, drew the Big Red to 43-40 with one quarter to play.

AHS regained the lead early in the fourth quarter before the teams exchanged baskets down the stretch. A key steal and two converted Heritage free throws with less than 10 seconds to play proved to be the game-winner as a last-ditch shot from AHS’s Smith missed its mark.

Smith was one of three Vikings in double-figures, scoring 19 points. Wotell added 12 points, with 10 from Polsgrove.

“I felt we didn’t match their intensity early. At halftime my friend Gordon Polsgrove who coached almost every one of our players came to the locker room,” Oakes said. “He spoke to the team asking if they wanted the win more than the other team, and he told them he was disappointed in their lack of effort. I agreed with him 100 percent and reiterated what he said. We made some adjustments in the second half and pressed more. Unlike the first meeting, the press actually got us back into this game. If we play with the intensity in the first half that we played with at the end, we win that game.”

AHS concluded the regular season Tuesday, Feb. 8, with the short trip to Ledger to face Mitchell. Both JV teams compete next week in the Western Highlands Conference JV tournament held at Madison Middle School.

LMC Sports Roundup

2011-02-09T15:26:00.000-05:00

Men’s Basketball: Falcons Hold Off Bobcats, LMC Upends Johnson and

Wales

The Pfeiffer University men's basketball team shot 64 percent in the second half en route to a 105-89 shootout victory over Lees-McRae College (LMC) last Wednesday, Feb. 2, in Conference Carolinas play.

Pfeiffer (8-10, 6-4 CC) posted a 55.4 percent field goal percentage, including a 63.6 (21-for-33) percent clip in the second half, while knocking down 11-of-26 attempts from three-point range. The Falcons edged the Bobcats (4-13, 1-9 CC) by a 34-31 margin on the boards, including an 11-9 advantage on the offensive glass, while converting 15 LMC miscues into 25 points. LMC shot 59.6 percent for the game, including a 68.8 percent clip in the second half.

Sam Youse paced the Bobcats with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including a 3-for-7 night from downtown, to lead four LMC players in double figures. Adam McFerran poured in 19 markers on 7-of-10 shooting, recording the 1,000th point of his collegiate career, while pulling down a team-high eight rebounds. Daniel Sepokas and Tevin Friday chipped in 17 and 11 points, respectively, as Sepokas dished out a game-high five assists.

Five players scored in double figures for Pfeiffer, led by Jeff Pettiway's game-high 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Reggie Hollinger poured in 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting, while Chris Woods and Josh Humphrey chipped in 17 and 16 markers, respectively. Humphrey also posted a game-high nine rebounds for Pfeiffer, as Elijah Matthews added 11 points.

Sepokas and Dairl Scott, Jr. each tallied 12 points to pace the Lees-McRae College men’s basketball team to a 79-44 victory over Johnson and Wales University last Saturday, Feb. 5.

Youse added 10 points for the Bobcats (5-13) as he connected on two of three attempts from beyond the arc. Leading the Wildcats (0-23) was Rodrick Latimer with a game-high 13 points.

LMC traveled back to Charlotte last Monday, Feb. 7, to take on Queens University of Charlotte in a Conference Carolinas matchup.

This Thursday, Feb. 10, both women’s head coach Sebastian Wild and men’s head coach Scott Polsgrove will coach barefoot in support of Samaritan’s Feet when the Bobcats host Erskine. The doubleheader tips off at 5:30 p.m. with the women’s contest, with the men’s game to follow.

Softball: LMC Sweeps Fayetteville State to Open Season

The LMC softball team opened the 2011 season in impressive fashion, sweeping a doubleheader against Fayetteville State University on Sunday, Feb. 6, by scores of 4-0 and 8-2.

LMC (2-0) posted a .250 batting average on the day, scoring a combined 12 runs on 13 hits while holding the Broncos (0-2) to two tallies on 10 base knocks. The Bobcat pitching staff also struck out a combined 13 batters on the day.

Lindsey Huntsinger paced the Bobcats with a 4-for-6 day, including three base hits in the night cap, while tying Paige Coleman, Kim Coley and Anna Carter for the team-high with two runs batted in. Coleman, Coley and Kierstie Moon each tallied a pair of base knocks on the day, as Huntsinger recorded a trio of stolen bases.

Laurel Gregg tossed a two-hit shutout in game one, fanning eight batters in six innings of work to notch her first career win at LMC. Magen West followed in the night cap, allowing one run on four hits in five innings of work to earn the victory. Freshman Hollie Crickenberger pitched a total of three frames on the day in relief, allowing one run on four hits and striking out three Broncos.

LMC got on the board early in game one, pushing across the season’s first run when Moon drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice by Huntsinger.

The Bobcats doubled the lead on a Coley RBI single in the fourth that scored Coleman from second. Meagan Knowles scampered home on a passed ball in the fifth to push the lead to 3-0 before Huntsinger scored on a sacrifice fly by Coleman in the sixth to cap the scoring.

In game two, the Bobcats took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when Moon scored on a wild pitch, and Huntsinger stole third and scored on a Bronco error. Fayetteville State answered in the bottom of the inning, cutting the margin in half when Quristeen Brown doubled home April Branch to cut the lead to 2-1.

LMC responded in the third, pushing across two runs when Coleman reached on a Bronco error, allowing Huntsinger and Karli Robb to score and widen the margin to 4-1. The Bobcats then broke the game open in the fifth, scoring four runs on three hits and a Bronco error to push the lead to 8-1. An RBI double by Huntsinger and a two-run two-bagger by Carter highlighted the inning for the Bobcats.

Fayetteville State showed some fight in the late innings, stranding a runner in scoring position in the sixth before Ashley Wlezen singled home Olivia Peavey after Peavey stroked a lead-off double in the frame. Crickenberger then shut the door, recording a pair of strikeouts with runners in scoring position to quell the rally.

LMC returned to the diamond last Monday, Feb. 7, when the Bobcats traveled to Raleigh to take on Shaw University in a non-conference doubleheader.

ASU Mountaineers Hoops Roundup

2011-02-09T15:19:00.000-05:00

Omar Carter sank two free throws with 25 seconds remaining in overtime to break a tie and propel Appalachian State University men’s basketball to an 80-78 win at UNC Greensboro last Wednesday, Feb. 2, at Greensboro Coliseum.

Carter accomplished the same feat in regulation as ASU (9-13, 5-7 SoCon) trailed by two with around a minute left. The pair of shots knotted the game at 68-68 as each team missed shots on their final possessions. The contest was back-and-forth all night with 16 lead changes and 17 ties. Including the extra period, neither team led by more than three points for the game’s final 18 minutes.

The overtime period was a thriller in itself with three lead changes and four ties. The Spartans (4-17, 4-7 SoCon) opened the extra frame with a layup resulting from an errant jump ball. Marcus Wright then sank a three-pointer for his only basket of the night and followed with a free throw to knot the game at 72-72.

Donald Sims then gave the visitors a 78-76 edge on a layup with 1:50 to play. Kyle Randall then tied up the game with a layup on the other end with 44 ticks left on the clock. Carter then drew a foul while driving to the basket on the other end and sank both fateful free throws. The junior then blocked a Randall shot attempt at the other end with 10 seconds left, knocking the rebound to Andre Williamson, who was immediately

fouled.

After both free throws rimmed out, the rebound was tipped out of bounds in UNCG’s favor for one final possession. Jeremi Booth defended Brandon Evans for the final eight seconds, whose jumper from the right side fell short at the buzzer.

Carter anchored the ASU offense with 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting. The junior recorded his second double-double of the season with 12 of ASU’s 46 rebounds.

Sims chipped in 23 points on 9-of-22 shooting to boost his career point total to 1,998. He added six rebounds and dished out a team-best five assists. Booth also reached double figures with 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting and a 4-of-5 mark from the charity stripe.

Evans finished with a double-double for UNCG, notching 17 points and 11 rebounds. Aloysius Henry came off the bench to lead the home team with 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting to accompany eight boards. His output accounted for the bulk of UNCG’s 36 bench points.

Randall added 10 points, six of UNCG’s 13 assists and five of the team’s 38 rebounds on the night.

Sims scored a team-high 17 points, including the final three of the game to ice a 68-62 win at Elon last Saturday, Feb. 5, at Alumni Gym. His first two points of the game pushed him over the 2,000-point mark for his career as ASU won its second-straight game.

A relatively tame first half gave way to a wild back-and-forth second period as the Mountaineers (10-13, 6-7 SoCon) clawed back from an eight-point deficit early in the second half to tie the game with six minutes remaining, 52-52.

Mitch Woods then gave ASU the lead for good with just his second three-pointer of the season with 3:07 remaining, 61-59. Following an Elon foul shot, Andre Williamson added to a one-point advantage with a layup off of a spin move in the paint for a 63-60 lead.

Elon’s (10-14, 4-9) Chris Long responded with a jumper to pull within 63-63 with around a minute remaining before ASU ran the clock down on the other end to 30 seconds. With a few ticks left on the shot clock, Omar Carter pulled up on the left baseline and sank a jumper to give ASU a safer 65-62 advantage.

Long then missed a three-pointer 20 seconds later, with Williamson winning the rebound. He passed to Sims, who was fouled with 10.3 seconds on the clock. Sims knocked down both free throws to increase the lead to two possessions. Following a quick Phoenix miss, Sims grabbed a rebound and sank one more free throw to provide the final margin.

Sims was 4-of-16 from the floor but sank 9-of-10 free throws and hauled in six rebounds with four assists on the night. He became only the 479th player in NCAA Division I history to reach the 2,000-point mark and the ninth player to accomplish the feat this season.

Carter also finished with 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting and notched his third double-double of the season with a game-high 10 rebounds.

Jeremi Booth reached double figures for a second-straight game with 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting with two of ASU’s three treys on the night. Williamson scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and added six rebounds in the victory. The junior also swatted two of ASU’s four blocks on the night. In addition to Woods' three points, he hauled in four rebounds and dished out a pair of assists.

ASU returns home from the three-game road trip to host five of its final six games at home, beginning with the tilt against Samford this Thursday, Feb. 10. The game has been designated “Celebrate Watauga Night.”

Blackburn Inks with Coastal Carolina

2011-02-09T15:15:00.000-05:00

Avery High School senior football player Colton Blackburn signed a National Letter of Intent last Wednesday, Feb. 2, to play football for Coastal Carolina University in Conway, S.C

“He is coached by Darrell Brewer, who played for me at Catawba and is someone I trust,” Coastal Carolina head football coach David Bennett said of his recruit at the team’s signing day press conference. “He and (fellow h-back/fullback signee) John Masley just bring so much to the table with their skill and versatility. They will push each other and it will be neat to watch them develop. He likes blocking, he can run ball and catch the ball. That’s what you want in a player. When you have a guy like that who can play either side of the ball that’s what you want when you sign athletes, and we’re real excited about having Cole.”

Blackburn’s signing took place with his parents, John and Kim Blackburn of Newland, on hand, as well as Avery County Schools Athletic Director David Wright, Viking football head coach Darrell Brewer and Principal Mark Garrett alongside.

“It’s pretty much a dream come true for me. Ever since I started football in seventh grade I fell in love with it. When I played I realized I wanted to take the next step and play in high school. Playing here I decided that I’d like to play in college, so this day means a whole lot to me as a player and a student,” Blackburn said following his press conference. “To succeed in Avery County and do what I love and follow my dream is great.”

Blackburn gave credit to the Avery football players and coaches for giving him the confidence to succeed on the gridiron. “The team’s made a great impact on me, as we’ve grown as a family. My teammates encouraged me every day, continuing to tell me that they believed I could play in college,” Blackburn said. “The coaches, since I was a freshman, they were on my back helping me and pushing me forward to succeed in what I wanted to do. They were a huge help. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

For the Blackburn family, the day was a culmination of years of love and nurturing, and the fruition of a long-time dream.

“I’m very proud of Colton. As a freshman he told us this was one of his goals and he has worked very hard for it,” Blackburn’s mother Kim said. “He really took ownership of his goal in his junior year and he spent time working out and improving, whether with teammates or on his own, and he even researched schools to play in college. It has been really special to see how he has grown and matured not just as a son, but as a young man. It’s been a pleasure as his mom to see him reaching his goals, and it’s both sad and exciting to see him move further with them.”

“Coastal is a great school and great football program. From the coaches to the facilities, the coaching staff has been great through the whole process,” Blackburn’s father Rick said. “They take care of the students. They make sure they keep their grade point average up and are academically accountable with a 95 percent graduation rate of student-athletes, so we know they will take care of Colton and do a great job working with him.”

Blackburn is the ninth Avery player to sign to play college football since Brewer took over as head coach prior to the 2004 season, and the latest commitment holds a special place in the heart of the coach.

“It’s one of the most gratifying days as a coach, but it’s also one of the saddest to see a player advance from the high school program to play in college, especially with a kid like Colton and the relationships you build with him. It’s tough to say goodbye to him, but he’s meant the world to our program,” Brewer said of his senior running back and defensive end. “He’s a hard worker and I’ve never coached a finer young man. He’s a heck of a football player. If you could ever clone a football player, Cole’s the kind of player you’d want to clone. Coastal Carolina will be extremely proud to have him because he’s such a versatile player. Cole can play tight end, you can split him out or put him in the backfield. Coach Bennett saw the versatility in Cole and he sees many places that he could be used. They’re truly excited about adding him to their program.”

The Chanticleers are members of the Big South Conference and have won three conference championships. Four former Chanticleers currently play professionally in the National Football League, including San Diego Chargers running back Mike Tolbert and Miami Dolphins quarterback Tyler Thigpen.

Robbins Signs with Sandhills Community College

2011-02-09T15:06:00.000-05:00

Avery Lady Vikings senior volleyball player Megan Robbins signed a National Letter of Intent to play volleyball for Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst this fall. Robbins impressed the Sandhills coaches and staff, attending a tryout and outperforming 20 other prospects to earn the offer to play for the Flyers team.

“I first heard about Megan through Mr. Thomas Dellinger, III. His son is currently on our men’s basketball team. After contacting Megan’s coach Mrs. Kim Hayes and Megan, I invited her to come down for open tryouts on January 22,” Sandhills head volleyball coach Alicia Hill said of her newest Lady Flyer. “She along with 20 other individuals were at tryouts. The first thing I noticed about Megan was how energetic and polite she was. The entire tryout she was upbeat and very involved. She was willing to play any position, and I see her as a huge impact on the outside for us next season. She has great hops and for her size will fool a lot of opponents. We are extremely excited to add Megan to our roster for the fall.”

Robbins signed with Sandhills during a ceremony held last Wednesday, Feb. 2, at Avery County High School. Robbins was joined by coach Hayes, Megan’s father Curtis and by ounty Director of Athletics David Wright.

“I want to extend congratulations to Megan. We’re proud of Megan’s accomplishments while she has been a student at Avery High School. She’s been a vital player in our volleyball program and a key contributor in the Lady Viking soccer program who finished last year as state runner-up,” Wright said during the ceremony.

“We’re proud of what she’s done for Avery and we wish her well in the future, which we know is bright and that you will do well in whatever you choose to do.”

Robbins, who starred on the hardcourt for the Lady Vikings and hopes to pursue an academic degree in pediatric nursing, expressed gratitude to the Avery program and is excited about playing for the Flyers this fall.

“The coaches are really nice and welcomed me right off the bat. They have a really nice campus and the program was impressive. The team was encouraging of everybody and tried to push each other to work hard. They made me fit right in,” Robbins said of Sandhills. “To impress Coach Hayes here at Avery you have to work hard to finish first, not last. I’m really competitive and I hate losing, and Coach Hayes has helped a lot with helping me build character, work hard and improve as a player. She has done a lot to help me to hustle and never give up.”

It was a special day for Robbins’ father Curtis, who was extremely proud of his daughter and everything she has accomplished as a student and prep player.

“I’m proud of Megan. She’s excelled in soccer and volleyball and has always stepped up to her competition. She’s very competitive. Her mother and I both played sports in college and we’ve always encouraged her to play,” Curtis Robbins said of his daughter. “We went to Sandhills and were impressed with the coaches and program. The coach is top-notch and emphasizes the girls working hard and becoming all they can be. They have a good team, ranked seventh in the nation, and she will be playing some of the best players and teams in the country.”

The Lady Vikings are losing a great player in Robbins, but Hayes commented on how Avery’s loss of a special volleyball player and strong competitor will be a great gain for the Flyers.

“Megan has been one of our strongest leaders. I’m excited for her because she possesses a fiery instinct in her that she wants to be surrounded at a higher level with kids better than her that really pushes her to improve. She has huge aspirations, she wants to be challenged and pushed, and I think Sandhills is going to be the perfect fit for her,” Hayes said. “I’m excited about where she can possibly go after community college, because Division 1 schools look at players out of community college. I’m really excited for her to be at this school. The coach just loved her, and I’m excited to see how she performs this year and to see what’s going to happen for her after two years. I’m thrilled and excited for Megan.”

Sandhills Community College Lady Flyers volleyball is a member of Region X of the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association.

Vikings Sweep Blackhawks in Non-Conference Hoops Action

2011-02-03T12:56:00.001-05:00

Avery swept all four games at home vs. West Wilkes last night. The JV girls started off a bit slow as they were tied at 23 with West at halftime. The Lady Vikings found the hot hand in the second half, however, to pull away for a 65-32 win.

Bre Heaton scored 22 to lead Avery, with 12 from Katie Rigdon and 7 from Jesse Ramsey.

The JV boys also took care of West Wilkes, using a 15-0 run to start the game en route to a 20-point win.


Avery Lady Vikings basketball wore pink socks Wednesday night as part of its "Pink Zone" fund raiser for Breast Cancer Awareness

The Avery Lady Viking varsity team won 58-46 over West Wilkes to move to 17-5 for the season. Avery's players wore pink socks for the "Pink Zone" and money was collected in honor of breast cancer awareness. The Lady Vikings led 16-14 after one quarter, and held a 32-26 lead at halftime.

The Lady Vikings exploded for a 20-7 run in the third period to build a 52-33 lead after three quarters which proved to be the difference in the game.

Mercedes Bentley led the way with 15 points, while Megan Tennant added 12 and Lauren Burleson chipped in with 10 points off the bench. West was led by Caitlyn Kilby with 12 points, with 10 from Leah Bishop.

In the boys contest, the Big Red came out sporting retro jerseys from the 1995-1996 season. Early on, it looked like the offense was left in the past, as both teams struggled to find offensive consistency. Avery had a hard time deciphering the West 2-1-2 zone defense, but the Vikings led 17-12 after one period, and held a 32-22 lead at halftime.

Much like the girls contest, the varsity boys blew up for 22 third-quarter points to propel Avery to a 54-35 advantage, and poured it on in the fourth quarter for a decisive 80-47 win. The victory improves Avery to 13-6 for the season.

Dustin Clarke led Avery with 18 points, with ten points each from Joey Potter, Timmy Stewart and Benji Stewart. Austin Lyons added eight points, with seven from Kody Hughes.

The Vikings host Mountain Heritage on Friday for Senior Night. A Lady Vikings win will clinch the regular season Western Highlands Conference championship.

Lady Vikings Remain Unbeaten in Conference with Three WHC Wins

2011-02-02T19:42:00.000-05:00

The Avery (AHS) Lady Vikings capped a busy week of roundball action with a trio of triumphs. On Tuesday, Jan. 24, the Big Red blasted the Lady Bearcats from Hendersonville 80-26. AHS played its most competitive conference game of the season to date last Thursday, Jan. 26, as it took overtime for AHS to defeat Mountain Heritage 67-63 in Burnsville. The Lady Vikings followed up the emotional win the next evening with a 70-46 win in Columbus against Polk County.

Hendersonville was overmatched from the outset as AHS raced out to a 20-2 lead after one period and a whopping 42-5 margin at halftime en route to a lopsided win. All 11 players on the Lady Viking roster scored in the game, led by Megan Tennant’s 16 points. Mercedes Bentley scored 14, with 12 from Katelynn Eudy and 11 from Kelsie Clarke.

“We had starters play together at the first, then mixed things up and had different players playing together in the game. We worked on cutting down on turnovers and bettering our shooting percentage,” Lady Vikings head coach Missy Lyons said after the win. “It gave us the chance to work on some zones and different things.”

The week’s second game against Mountain Heritage two days later was the best ladies contest in the Western Highlands Conference this season, as the top two teams in the conference standings squared off.

AHS struggled a bit from the field in the first eight minutes, missing on 11 of its 17 shots from the floor. Bentley helped buoy the Lady Viking offense, however, with a pair of three-pointers, while Eudy posted six points in the frame as well. Nonetheless, the tall Heritage frontline was extremely physical and effective in the paint, helping the Lady Cougars to a 17-16 advantage after one quarter.

In the second quarter the Lady Cougars heated up from outside the arc, converting 3-of-5 shots from long distance. AHS continued to work hard offensively, but shots were not falling with consistency. A 10-2 Mountain Heritage scoring spurt over the final three minutes of the half pulled the Lady Cougars to a 36-27 lead at halftime.

Midway through the third quarter Heritage held an eight-point lead, but rebounding and defense keyed a 9-0 Lady Viking scoring run to erase the deficit and give the Big Red its first lead of the half at 41-40 with three minutes left in the period. Heritage responded with its own 6-0 run to regain control, settling for a 48-45 lead after three quarters.

A Clarke steal and layup early in the fourth quarter tied the game at 50-50, and neither team led by more than two points for the remainder of the period. Two Clarke free throws, and one made free throw each from Tennant and Eudy gave the Lady Vikings a tenuous 58-56 lead with 10 seconds left in regulation.

On its last offensive possession of the quarter Heritage forward Breanna Woody rebounded a shot and scored while Clarke collected a fifth personal foul. A mere 2.5 seconds remained on the clock as the basket tied the score at 58-58 with the opportunity for the Lady Cougars to shoot the potential game-winning free throw. Following a Heritage timeout, Woody went to the line and missed the free throw. AHS secured the rebound to send the game to overtime.

In the extra session, the Lady Vikings received a boost from an unsung heroine in junior guard Savannah Dellinger. The junior guard hit a jump shot in the lane in the overtime while also converting a perfect 5-for-5 shots from the free throw line, including two clutch shots with less than 10 seconds on the clock after a Lady Cougar three-pointer had cut the Big Red lead to only a pair. Avery’s defense clamped down when needed most to secure the win and preserve the team’s unblemished record in WHC games this season.

“Heritage shot the ball well. They were aggressive and they out-rebounded us for a stretch. We had a colorful halftime talk and decided to play a little better defense in the second half,” Lyons said. “Kelsie did a good job using her hands and getting steals. We did a good job getting out on the press and especially improved our rebounding in the second half. It was a physical game and Heritage played as rough as the referees let them. We felt once we toughened up a bit and adjusted to the style of the game and rebounded the ball, we could get back into the game.”

Eudy paced the Lady Vikings with a double-double of 24 points and 16 rebounds. Tennant added 19 points and 10 rebounds, with eight points from Bentley. Dellinger scored all seven of her points for the contest during the four-minute overtime period.

“Savannah had the little basket inside and was perfect on the free throws. She and the girls stepped up as leaders. Lauren’s [Burleson] height gave us a further advantage inside against their taller players,” Lyons added. “It was a good game for us to have and I was glad for us to come out on the winning side. After having two easier games and not having a lot of close games, to have a game like that really helped us quite a bit.”

The final game of the week against Polk was a tight contest in the early going as the battle from the previous evening appeared to have a lingering effect. The Lady Wolverines defended its home floor as AHS could only build a 20-15 margin after one stanza.

Polk outscored the Lady Vikings 7-4 over the first 2:29 of the second period to draw within a pair at 24-22. AHS committed to scoring inside in the period, however, pounding the basketball in the paint. Tennant scored four baskets in the period from short range with two additional hoops from Eudy, increasing the Lady Viking lead to 36-29 at intermission.

As the second half ensued, the AHS defensive pressure began to wilt the Wolverines. The Big Red coaxed 10 turnovers in the quarter from Polk while putting up 20 points of its own in the period, racing to a commanding 56-39 lead after three quarters. In the final stanza Polk found the going tougher, as AHS held the club to only seven points in the frame. Monica Estep scored six points in the second half, four in the final quarter, as the Lady Vikings earned the win.

Polk had no answer for the Avery offense from the interior. Tennant scored 22 points, with 10 from Eudy and 9 from Estep and Bentley. Clarke posted eight points, with five apiece from Dellinger and Burleson.

“Katelynn and Megan were beaten up pretty good in the Heritage game and they weren’t hitting their shots early on at Polk. It was an emotional game and the girls were a little tired as a result,” Lyons said after the win. “Megan got in some foul trouble, but once we got a little rotation going she was able to get a lot of rest in the first half, and was fresh and effective in the second half. Polk played a good game. They were aggressive and played hard. They hit the boards and the post players played a good first half. In the second half we came out defensively and gave a much better defensive effort. They play well at home and we’ve struggled there in the past. We didn’t shoot well, but the half-court trap was key and Kelsie was active with several steals out of it.”

The Lady Vikings host three opponents during this week and end regular season play on the road. AHS hosted Madison on Tuesday, and makes up a rescheduled game with West Wilkes this Wednesday, Feb. 2. The team hosts Mountain Heritage this Friday, Feb. 4, for Senior Night, and will make the short trip to Ledger to take on the Mitchell Lady Mountaineers this Monday, Feb. 7.

JV Hoops Roundup

2011-02-02T12:55:00.000-05:00

The Viking junior varsity basketball teams were busy with hoops action last week, hosting Hendersonville on Tuesday, Jan. 25, before hitting the road for two road games at Mountain Heritage on Jan. 27, and at Polk County last Friday, Jan. 28.

JV Girls Remain Unbeaten in Conference Play
The Avery Lady Vikings (AHS) junior varsity continued its streak of impressive victories, cruising to a 60-9 win against the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats.

AHS led 9-2 after one quarter, but jumped to a 24-6 halftime advantage. The Big Red defense held the Lady Bearcats to only three points over the final two periods en route to the impressive win.

A total of 10 Lady Vikings scored points in the win, led by 10 points and four steals from Bre Heaton. Katie Rigdon and Taylor Hobbs chipped in with eight points apiece, while Shannon Smith added six points and nine rebounds.

“We knew it should be an easy game, so we tweaked our lineup, which worked really well, giving everybody a chance to play and everybody did a really good job,” head coach Pat Daniels said after the win. “The team played really well together and everybody stepped in and never missed a beat. Everybody played good team ball.”
The contest at Mountain Heritage proved to be one of the toughest games of the season to date for the Big Red. The Lady Vikings persevered, however, behind a 28-point effort from Heaton to earn a 52-44 road win.

AHS led 11-8 after one quarter thanks to three three-point baskets from Heaton, and doubled its lead by halftime to 20-14 as Jessie Ramsey chipped in with four points in the second stanza.

Heritage hung around in the contest using its physical play and tall frontline. Avery countered by using its press defense and pushing the basketball up the floor with every offensive opportunity. The Lady Vikings forced several Lady Cougar turnovers in the third quarter in taking a 33-24 lead going into the final period. Heaton heated up with several layups off steals in the final quarter, while teammate Hobbs scored five of her seven points for the game in the last period to propel the Big Red to the win.

Heaton added four steals and three assists to her point total. Haley Woody scored two points, but pulled down six rebounds, blocked five shots, dished four assists and grabbed two steals in the win.

“It was a physical game. A couple of girls were elbowed hard and there were no calls by the official,” Daniels said. “Taylor played a good game for us and she has picked up her game. She seems to like playing at power forward and has rebounded the ball well. Sela [Pittman] also played a great game and picked up several rebounds, giving a strong effort when we had some foul trouble. Mountain Heritage is a good team, and our defense picked it up in the second half.”

In the Polk contest the Lady Vikings was victorious by only three points, and the Big Red set out to make a statement on the home floor of the Lady Wolverines. AHS did just that, hammering the Lady Wolverines by a 49-33 final score.
AHS jumped out to an early lead, taking a 16-4 advantage after one period and a commanding 37-11 lead at halftime.

The Lady Vikings took the foot off the gas pedal in the third period and the Lady Wolverines cut the AHS lead to 41-24 after three periods. The contest was never in doubt however, as AHS scored at the free throw line to salt away the game and another Viking victory.

Heaton continued her torrid scoring pace with 26 points in the win, in addition to five assists and four rebounds. Rigdon added nine points and five steals, with five points and six rebounds from Woody.

“The referees had only had us play six minute quarters when we played Polk at home the first time, and with us only beating them by three points, the Polk coach convinced herself that they would have beaten us had the game had seven minute quarters. I told our girls that we need to go out and show them the kind of team we have. They came out with fire in the first quarter and took it to them early,” Daniels said. “We played a full game this time and the girls have been playing great defense the past couple of games.”

JV Boys Evens Score with Hendersonville, Falls Short in Road Contests
Last week the AHS junior varsity boys squad made a statement at home with its 59-54 win over Hendersonville. The Vikings could not carry the momentum into the week’s remaining games, however, dropping a 51-33 loss at Mountain Heritage and a heartbreaking 57-55 defeat on a buzzer-beater at Polk County.

Avery grabbed a 13-11 lead over the Bearcats after one quarter of action, but a strong second quarter led by seven points off the bench from Zack Guy and a stifling team defensive effort pushed the Big Red to a 32-19 halftime lead.
The Vikings carried the momentum of the first half into the third period, extending the lead to 45-30 after three quarters. Hendersonville made things interesting with a late scoring spurt, outscoring AHS 24-14 in the final seven minutes, but it was too little too late as the home team celebrated the win.

Guy finished the game with a season-high 13 points, while teammate Lane Smith also netted 13 points. Luke Wotell chipped in with 10 points off the bench. Bryce Pittman added eight points, with seven from Chance Watson.

The Vikings were unable to experience the same success in its matchup with the Mountain Heritage Cougars. Avery fell behind 14-2 after one period and was never able to catch up against a tall and athletic Cougars club. Smith led the Vikings with eight points in the contest, with seven from Wotell and five points from Pittman.

AHS bounced back in its final game against the Wolverines. The teams were tied at nine points apiece after one period, but the Vikings seized control in the second stanza, leading by as many as 12 points in the period before taking a 25-20 advantage into halftime.

Typical of the closeness of the contest, Polk stormed back in the third quarter to regain the lead at 37-35. For the remainder of the contest, the teams played nip and tuck as neither club could gain more than a one possession lead on the scoreboard.

Late in the game, Avery’s Smith hit a pair of clutch free throws, which tied the contest at 55 apiece. With its final possession, however, Polk held for the final shot. The attempt was missed, but an offensive rebound and layup at the buzzer proved the difference between overtime and a Polk County win.

“Heritage came out early and knocked us back on our heels and just couldn’t recover. The kids were just overmatched that night and the home court advantage definitely helped Heritage. Polk was a back-and-forth game of scoring runs. If we had been a little smarter with a 12-point lead maybe we could have sealed it and put the game away. The kids fought hard to get back into the game. I saw some good things,” boys JV coach Reggie Oakes said after the week’s games. “The game really came down to who had the ball last. Unfortunately they made the play with their last possession to win the game. I thought Luke played well for us inside and Payton [Lowery] played well before fouling out. We need to work to get the ball inside more, and is something we will focus on for the rest of the season.”

The Vikings host three opponents during this week and end regular season play on the road. AHS hosted Madison on Tuesday, and makes up a rescheduled game with West Wilkes this Wednesday, Feb. 2. The team hosts Mountain Heritage this Friday, Feb. 4, and will make the short trip to Ledger to take on the Mitchell Mountaineers this Monday, Feb. 7.

Avery High School sports schedule for Jan. 27

2011-01-27T12:13:00.001-05:00

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

2011-01-27T12:02:00.000-05:00

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

2011-01-25T20:45:00.002-05:00

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

2011-01-25T20:35:00.002-05:00

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

2011-01-25T20:30:00.002-05:00

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

2011-01-25T13:27:00.000-05:00

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

2011-01-25T13:21:00.000-05:00

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

2011-01-25T12:59:00.000-05:00

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

2011-01-25T12:45:00.000-05:00

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.