Avery Journal Covers....Buc Basketball

Belmont Blasts the Bucs

On Thursday night, the ETSU Bucs looked to stop the Belmont winning streak inside the Memorial Center. However, the Bruins of Belmont raced out to a 20 point halftime lead, and never looked back as they cruised to their ninth consecutive victory in Johnson City. Shane Dansby had 28 points, and two other Bruins scored in double figures in the 87-75 victory.
“You can’t spot them 20 points and expect to come back and win,” ETSU coach Murray Bartow said. “It’s a tough loss. Obviously, there were several keys in the game, but our inability to make shots was huge. That really killed us in the first half. I thought the effort was great in the second half, but we were just too far behind.”
The Bruins jumped out to a 17-4 lead as they couldn’t miss, and the Bucs could not buy a bucket. ETSU would close the gap to 10 before the Bruins would go on another offensive run to take a 47-27 lead at the half.
The second half was much of the same as Belmont continues their impressive offensive performance. The Bucs would cut the lead to 11 on a Courtney Pigram 3-pointer, but Belmont would counter with a four 3-pointers, and make it a 21 point game..
ETSU was led by Courtney Pigram’s 16 points, and Kevin Tiggs added 14 points. Mike Smith and Travis Strong both added 13 points. The Bucs shot 39% from the floor, and just 28% from behind the 3-point line. Belmont shot 53% from the floor, and an impressive 41% from behind the arc.
“Belmont’s a really good team and they are well coached,” Bartow said. “We just haven’t had much success against them.
The Bruins victory was the third straight victory during the regular season in the Memorial Center. The other victories came in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament where they have captured two straight A-Sun titles.
Despite the loss, Coach Bartow knows that his Bucs still have something to play for.
“It’s disappointing because our hopes for a regular season championship are over, but we still have a lot to play for,” Bartow said. “We can still win 20 games and the truth is any team in our league needs three wins in our tournament to make the NCAA Tournament.”

Buccaneers Survive Scare Against Lipscomb

On Saturday, the East Tennessee State Bucs looked to snap a two game losing streak in the A-Sun against a strong Lipscomb team. The Bucs nearly squandered a 15 point first half lead, but hung on for the 81-78 victory.
“I thought it was a good bounce back win,” ETSU head coach Murry Bartow said. “We had a lot of energy in practice yesterday, and I was really glad to see our guys come out like that. They (Lipscomb) made a great run at us in the middle of the game. They are a hard nosed team, and they’re hard to play, so this was a good win for us. It wasn’t always pretty for us at the end, but we made our free throws.”
The Bucs, who saw their regular season conference title hopes dashed on Thursday, rebounded quickly against the Bison. ETSU led by as many as 15 in the early parts of the first half. Neither team could buy a basket as both shot in the 20 percent range. The bison would close the lead to six before the half.
The Bison’s second half performance was much better then the first, and it nearly cost the Bucs the game. Lipscomb opened the half on a 14-4 run that saw them take a 45-41 lead. However, the Bucs could not be denied as the lead was swapped 12 times. The Bucs were forced to the foul line in the last two minutes to seal the victory. The Bison did have a shot to tie the game to force overtime, but could not get a shot off.
The Bucs were led by Kenyona Swader finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Andrew Reed had 23 points and nine rebounds. Micah Williams finshied with six rebounds and 14 points while only playing in 17 minutes. The Bucs shot 48 percent from the floor, but were out-rebounded 48-42.

Conference Championship on the Line Friday Night!

With its 52-48 win in Burnsville Tuesday night, the Avery Lady Vikings have set themselves up with an opportunity to play for a share of the regular season Western Highlands Conference championship tomorrow night when the league-leading Mitchell Lady Mountaineers roll into Viking Gym.

Avery is 17-6 on the season and will look on Senior Night to give head coach Missy Lyons her first victory over the rivals from Ledger. Mitchell is undefeated in conference play, with Avery's lone loss coming in a 54-45 loss on the road at the hands of the Lady Mountaineers back on January 22nd. In that game no Avery player reached double-figures in the scoring column, as Hayley Pyatte led the Lady Vikings with nine points. The Vikings shot only 36% from the field and committed 22 turnovers.

It will be the final regular season home game for six Lady Vikings players who have been a part of the winningest classes of players in Avery women's basketball school history. Tipoff is scheduled around 6 p.m.

From The Student Section... Don't Forget Valentine's Edition

Good Morning! I hope everyone had an outstanding weekend, and everyone is staying warm. It is cold outside, but there are some excellent sports going on this week. Here is a quick look at some things going on:

• The Lady 'Landers claimed their conference title and both Highlander teams will enter tournaments at the end of the week. They end the regular season with Unicoi tonight, and will travel to Chuckey-Doak tomorrow. The conference tournaments are at Chuckey-Doak (I think I am not postive, but will let you know for sure later this week) this weekend.


• Be sure to check the print edition of the Avery Journal-Times on Wednesday for a recaps of the Cloudland clashes with rivals Hampton and Unaka, as well as Jamie's recaps for Avery's busy week.


• The Clash of the National Champions will be the first week of the college football season. Appalachian State will travel to Baton Rouge for a showdown with the LSU Tigers. The game will take place of one that was scheduled for 2009. Both teams are defending national champs in their respective division.


• The Carolina-Duke game was great, except if your a Tar Heel fan. Cameron will be rocking for the rematch later in the season, especially if the ACC regular season crown is on the line.


• Speaking of Carolina, they had their hands full with Clemson last night. It went into 2 OTs before the Tar Heels took the victory. Their first matchup was just as close. Can you imagine if these two meet in the ACC tournament?


• Racing has arrived!! The Shootout Saturday night was a very good race, and showed that the COT may be what it is suppose to be, a good racecar. The Duels are on Thursday and the 50th Daytona 500 is on Sunday afternoon.


• Speaking of Daytona, the clash between Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart stole the headlines from the actual racing. The whole deal started in practice, and there was supposedly a punch thrown in the NASCAR hauler. No one will confirm or deny the punch, and as they say "What happens in the NASCAR hauler, Stays in the NASCAR hauler."
• Don't forget that Thursday is Valentine's Day.

I hope everyone has a great week. The Journal-Times has a busy week planned, and we will have you covered no matter what the game.

'Landers Stifle Noth Greene on Friday

This is a recap of Clouland's Friday night showdown with North Greene. This can only be foun on the Avery Journal Times Sports Blog!
On Friday night, Cloudland traveled to Baileyton to take on the North Greene Huskies in a pivotal conference game. The Lady ‘Landers took the victory 44-33, while the ‘Landers came out on top 60-51.
In girls’ action, the Lady ‘Landers held North Greene to six first half points en route to the 44-33 victory. “We really worked on our defense and I think the kids have really bought in that we have to play better,” Lady ‘Lander coach Matt Birchfield stated. The win snapped the Lady ‘Landers two game losing streak, and gave them another key conference win. The Lady ‘Landers were led by Brooke Johnson’s 14 points and Rebekah Tolley’s 10 point performance. Shellie McKinney added 12 points and had six rebounds for the Lady ‘Landers.
In boys’ action, the ‘Landers full court defense gave the Huskies trouble all night as the ‘Landers rolled to a 60-51 victory. The ‘Landers had a combined 20 steals in the contest, and an 11-0 run in the second gave them the winning advantage. Randall Johnson led the ‘Landers with 17 points and five steals, while Logan Morgan scored 12 for the ‘Landers. Jordan Hughes added ten points, 10 assists, and seven steals for Cloudland.
Both Highlander teams will play two conference rivals this week. The Highlanders hosted Unaka on Tuesday night, and will travel to Hampton on Friday night. The Avery Journal-Times will have full recaps of those contests.

From the Student Section.....ETSU vs. Mercer

Greetings!! Hope everyone is well, and warm after the ice of last night. This From the Student Section is smaller then normal, and I am sorry about that. I am live at ETSU tonight covering the East Tennessee State and Mercer game. I am here mainly because of a scheduling conflict that kept me from North Greene, but we will have you covered. Jamie is at Hendersonville for the Avery game. Sorry, for the lack of information on here. However, neither me nor Jamie has had much time lately because of busy lives. Remember check out the print edition of the Avery Journal-Times for the week in review in local sports.

From The Student Section.....From Thompson-Bowling!

Greetings everyone! This is a special From the Student Section as I am currently sitting in the home of UT basketball, Thompson-Bowling Arena. The Vols take on rival Vandy tonight (7:00pm on ESPN). I am not sure about the extent of our coverage of tonight's game due to really really tight time restraints. We may have pictures up soon after the game. Hopefully, everyone has had a great week so far. I have had a hetic week so far, with classes starting, and games here and there. The Vikings have been off due to exam week, and Avery County Schools are closed tomorrow also. I have heard no word of how that will affect the schedule here in Knoxville, but stay tuned and Jamie will keep you updated. The 'Landers host Providence Academy tomorrow at home. Besides the NFL Playoffs, the sports world has been kinda quiet, especially for us. Enjoy your weekend!



10:30PM: I thought I would add just a few UT photos. Tennessee took the 80-60 victory over Vanderbilt. The win gave UT a 15-1 record, the best since the 2000-2001 team started 16-1.

Live Blog Update

Due to an overflow crowd, we were unable to do a live blog from the Cloudland-Hampton game. We will have a recap up this weekend. Sorry for the issues.

Avery High School Sports Schedule changes!!

There have been several changes to the Avery athletics calendar due to the recent snow as well as exam schedules.

1. Avery wrestling's home match against MITCHELL is taking place TONIGHT (1/10) at 7 p.m. at Viking Gym. This match was originally slated for January 15th, but due to state regulations regarding the suspension of athletic activities during semester exams and that Avery's exam dates had to be rescheduled to nex week, the change was warranted.

2. Avery's conference basketball matchup AT MADISON originally scheduled for January 15th has been rescheduled to WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30th for same reason above.

3. The non-conference basketball contests that were scheduled last week AT ASHE COUNTY have been rescheduled to Wednesday, FEBRUARY 6th.

All of these schedule changes are weather permitting, of course. We'll do our best to keep you updated with all changes as we receive them!

Midweek 'Lander Update

Last night, the Cloudland Highlanders traveled to Johnson City to face the University High Jr. Bucs. The Lady 'Landers, who are ranked eighth in the AP State Poll, took the victory 68-42, while the boys saw their five game winning streak snapped 57-44. Here are some game notes along with a few other odds and ends:

• The Lady 'Landers had four players in double figures with Jordi Miller leading the way with 14 points. Rebekka Tolley added 12 points, and Sydnie Buchanan and Brooke Johnson scored 11 points a piece.
• The Lady 'Landers got a fast start as they out scored University High 14-4 in the first quarter, and they never looked back. They moved to 14-1 as they head into Friday's game against Hampton.
• Cloudland's boys came out and played close, but saw them fall 57-44. They led 28-27 at the half, but things went south in the third quarter. The 'Landers had six turnovers in the third quarter alone, and the Jr. Bucs took advantage. UH went on an 8-0 run, and Cloudland could not overcome it. Brett Stockton led the 'Landers with 12 points.
• The 'Landers saw their five game winning streak snapped by another not so kind streak. The 'Landers have not won in Brooks Gym in four seasons. "The floor's a little bigger, but you can't make excuses. You've got to show up and play," Lander coach Ned Smith said. Brooks Gym is on the campus of ETSU.
• For a full recap of the games along with recaps of the Hampton game in next week's print edition of the Avery Journal-Times.
• Speaking of the Hampton game, it is an important game for both CHS teams. Both coaches have respect for the Bulldogs. "It's such a big rival and Hampton always does a good job," Lady 'Lander coach Matt Birchfield noted. "One of they keys is we've got to play some good defense," Birchfield added.
• Hampton's Boys are ranked 4th in the 1a in Tennessee.
• The Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog is scheduled to be LIVE from Cloudland on Friday night for those who can not make it out to the game. More information will be posted later on in the week!

Matt Live From....Cloudland vs. North Greene

3:00pm: Welcome to our coverage of the Cloudland Highlander's first conference game as they square off against the North Greene Huskies. I hope you enjoy the game notes, updates, and anything else of interest. I will try and update as often as I can. If you have any questions for me to try and answer during the game, you can email me at averysports@yahoo.com. We will be live from Roan Mountain at around 6:00 tonight. I hope you enjoy! -Matt

6:00pm: Welcome to Cloudland! The boys jv game is in the fourth quarter with Cloudland leading 51-22. We will update you as soon as possible.

6:15: Cloudland JV's take the victory 63-28. Up next: Girls action. (Sorry for the rough looking logo. I have not put the finishing touches.)

6:45: North Greene leads 12-9 after a Shaleen Platt hit a long range 3. It has been a back and forth battle so far, and it looks to continue that way in the second half.

7:00: CHS has hit a dry spell. North Greene up 20-12 with 4:36 left in the half.

7:15: Cloudland's Brooke Johnson and Brooke Hughes both hit 3's to break the 'Lander dry spell. However, NG roared back to take a 24-19 lead at the half. NG is led by Chenoe Ricker 12 points and CHS is led by Brooke Hughes' 6 points. North Greene controlled the contest in the second quarter. We will be back from a crowded press area at Cloudland in a little bit. (We have both Ben and Tim from the Star, JoJo Sluder (who provides our excellent photos), and Unaka's Donald Ensor and family.)

7:20: Cloudland's Jordan Miller hit a long 3 to tie the game up at 24 with 4:06 remaining in the third. The third quarter has became a defensive battle.

7:30: Cloudland leads at the end of 3. They areup 31-26 and have taken control. Will it last? We will see as neither team has lost a district game.

7:40: Cloudland holds on to a 33-31 lead with 2:00 remaining.

7:45: The Highlanders.came back for the 37-32. Cloudland recieved solid efforts from the everyone, but was led by Brooke Johnson and Danielle Potter. North Greene recieved quality efforts from Chenoe Ricker. The Highlanders move to 13-1. In the nightcap, we will have the Cloudland-North Greene boys contest.

8:00: Tipoff of the boys game! 'Landers jump out to 5-0 lead.

8:10: CHS is on an 11-0 run and that is the score.

8:20: At the end of 1, the 'Landers lead 19-9 after starting on a 13-0 run.

8:40: The first half is over and the 'Landers have not slowed down. They led 35-11. They have several players approaching double digits. Cloudland has been in control the entire contest. We will try and stick it out as long as we can, even with Ben trying to balance a Dr. Pepper can. We will be back in the second half!

9:00 CHS continues to lead 54-16 with 2:43 in the third. The TSSAA mercy rule may come into effect in the fourth quarter (non stop clock). CHS has a few players in double figures.

9:10: End of the third. CHS leads 61-20. Cloudland has their second string in and they are impressing. Tyler "Opie" Chambers had a block and 3 to open the quarter and Shea Presnell had a stylish layup. Matthew Potter has added six points. With 3:45 remaining, CHS leads 72-24. The clock is running throughout.

FINAL CHS 77-North Greene 31. Thanks for reading!

From The Student Section....

It's a beautiful Friday! The Avery Journal Times Sports has been busy the past few holiday weeks with weird deadlines and weird schedules. However, we are back into our normal routine this week starting with the coverage of the Cloudland Highlanders vs. North Greene Huskies tonight. Here are a few things that may only interest me to get you prepared for this weekend:

• The Avery Vikings-Ashe County game orginally scheduled for Wednesday night was postponed. As of 1:00pm on Friday, a rescheduled date has not been set.


• Congrats to both Highlander teams. Both the boys and girls brought back a perfect 3-0 record in the Harriman Christmas Classic. They return to action tonight at home against the North Greene Huskies.


• We will have a live blog from Cloudland tonight. There are no promises of how often I get to update it, but I will post as often as I can from the stage in Sonny Smith Gym (unless I run into any techinal issues which seems to constantly bug me).


• The ETSU-App State game lived up to its hype. The Mountaineers came back from 20 down to pull within three, but it was not enough as the Bucs took the win. It was a great effort from both teams.


• That was the first time the Bucs and Moutaineers have met since the Bucs fell out of the SoCon.


• For the racing fans: The Dakar Rally was canceled due to terror threats to the race. It was the first time in 30 years of the event which is a 5,760-mile trek across North African desert scrubland and savannah. Several Americans were to participate including Sprint Cup driver Robby Gordon.


• What a Bowl Season! Kansas and West Virginia surprised alot of people with their respective victories. The Vols pulled out a tough one, and the Michigan Wolverines sent Lloyd Carr out on a winning note taking out Tim Tebow's Florida Gators in a thriller. New Year's Day was a great day to watch football.


• I was looking at my App photos and found one that isn't that great, but I still think it is pretty cool. It is of the Mountaineer's entrance in the National Semifinal game against Richmond.
  

As I said, it is not a very good photo, but I still think it's pretty cool. I hope everyone had a great New Year and has a great weekend. Don't forget to check out our coverage of the Cloudland Highlander's and the North Greene Huskies tonight. See ya and thanks for reading!!!

Matt Live from....App State vs. ETSU

2:45: Welcome to the Avery Journal Times coverage as East Tennessee and App State renew the old Mountain rivarly. This game looks to be interesting. We are fifteen minutes from game time, and I will attempt to update you throughout the game (the plan for now is once during each half and at half time), and also have photos uploaded. We thank you for staying tuned. I will hopefully have a full recap of tonight. Thanks! -Matt

4:00: We are at the half and ETSU leads 38-20. App has had shooting woes that are costing them a chance. They are 7-30 or 24%. We will update as soon as possible.

4:15 15:29 remaining ETSU 47 ASU 30. ASU has caused the Bucs some problems with their full court press.

5:00: What a game it turned out to be! App made a comeback and pulled within 3, but it was not enough as ETSU took the 72-69 victory in front of a packed house in Johnson City. More will be available later on the Avery Journal Sports Blog. Thanks for reading! -Matt

From The Student Section...Merry Christmas Edition

Greetings on Christmas Eve! I hope everyone is going to have a great Christmas. Here are just a few of my thoughts on things in the world of sports and just other really random stuff.

• Once again, congrats to App State. The atmosphere in Chattanooga was awesome. The fans were really into it and really creative. Two of my favorite signs had to be: "Delaware: Michigan called and they want their helmets back" and "We want the Patriots"


• College Bowl season is among us, and there are some great matchups. We will feature a few of these games as New Years approachs.


• Basketball is now in full swing, and we have some great teams in our area. I had the opportunity to cover Avery on Thursday and Cloudland on Friday. All of the teams are fun to watch. The "Border Battle: Basketball Style" between Cloudland and Avery will be some great games. That game is in Roan Mountain on Jan. 29th.


• Most Exciting Game: You could pick any one of the Cloudland-Mitchell games. Both games ended in dramatic fashion, but the boys game was the wildest at the end. (Note: I am still working on getting the audio up from the girls game. I have had computer issues all weekend, but I have not gave up yet.)


• Both East Tennessee State and Appalachian State pulled off upsets of SEC teams this past weekend. ETSU beat Georgia in the Hawaii Christmas Tourney and App State defeated Arkansas in Little Rock. The Bucs and Mountaineers square off in Johnson City on Sunday to renew the Mountain Rivarly. I am slated to be there for the Avery Journal-Times, and I wouldn't miss it.


• Speaking of that game, I go to ETSU and pull for Buc Basketball. However, I have always pulled for App Sports. I am about as 50/50 as you can get for that game, so I really am not pulling for either one to pull it out. I have just as many App shirts as I do ETSU, so I am just hoping for a great game.


• Things to look forward to on the Avery Journal-Times Blog: Bowl Previews, Avery Sports year in review, ETSU-App Basketball, and another From the Student Section before the year is out!

I hope everyone has a great Christmas, and that Santa brings you what you wanted! Merry Christmas everybody!

'Landers Take Strong Victories over Mitchell

On Friday night, the Lady 'Landers hosted North Carolina powerhouse
Mitchell County and took the victory 48-39. “It's a big win to beat Mitchell. They are such a tradition over there and won so much,” Lady 'Lander Coach Matt Birchfield stated. “It's a big win for the program and the kids.”
The game was hotly contested early on and throughout the rest of the game. The Lady Mountaineers and Lady 'Landers each stayed within a few points until the end when the Lady 'Landers pulled away as they held Mitchell scoreless in the last 2:18 of the contest. “I felt that handling their press made us better. They play such good man to man and press,” Coach Birchfield noted. “We handled the pressure and that was a big thing. Sydnie Buchanan and
Jordan Miller really stepped up for us.”
Neither team could pull ahead in the first half as they were tied at the half at 18. In the third quarter, the Lady Mountaineers got the edge as they outscored Cloudland 11-7 to take a four point leading heading into the final frame. The fourth quarter saw Cloudland's Sydnie Buchanan and Jordan Miller take control. The first minute of the fourth quarter saw Cloudland take the 31- 29 lead after Buchanan scored the first six points of the half. “Sydnie stepped up and had a 3 point play then turned around and got a three point shot,” Coach Birchfield stated. “Then came back and got a couple of steals and turned the game for us. It was a big effort for her.”
Buchanan ended the game with 18 points and added five rebounds. Miller would score 11 of her game high 19 points in the fourth quarter. Shellie McKinney returned from injury and made a presence as she had four takeaways and three points. Mitchell was led by Lakin Norris and
Corie Peterson’s ten points a piece. “I was real pleased with what we done. They took away
a lot of what we do, like (Rebecca) Tolley inside and (Brooke Johnson) BJ up front,” Coach
Birchfield noted. “The other kids stepped up and played well. It is a big win for our program. It is good motivation to be able to beat a good team anytime, but it's always good going into the Christmas tournament break with a big win.”
BOYS
In the nightcap, Cloudland and Mitchell's boys played a hard fought physical battle that came down to not one but two last second shots. “Mitchell is a tough physical team. I am tickled to death to come out on top,” Cloudland Coach Ned Smith stated. “We had some foul trouble, but the kids off the bench stepped up and gave us some good minutes.”
The game was physical from the beginning, and early foul trouble for Cloudland helped Mitchell get a 15-10 lead at the end of one. However, Cloudland’s Randall Johnson stepped up for the ‘Landers, scoring nine of his eleven points, in the second quarter to give the ‘Landers a 33-25 lead at the half. Stacey Honeycutt scored eight of his 14 points in the third quarter to help the ‘Landers. Cloudland would edge the lead to as much as 14 points throughout the course of the third quarter. However, the Mountaineers were not done as they keep chopping at the ‘Lander lead. Mitchell would tie the game at 63 with 1:18 remaining in the contest. The teams would swap the lead several times in the last minute. Mitchell’s Corey Greene hit a two point jump shot to put the Mountaineers up 67-66 with 5.7 seconds left. However,
Cloudland was not done yet. Jordan Hughes threw the ensuing inbound pass the length of
the court. Brett Stockton was there to catch the pass and tip the ball in with 2.1 seconds
left to give the ‘Landers the narrow victory. Stockton finished with a game high 21 points, while
Hughes chipped in nine points. Logan Morgan also added seven points for the ‘Landers.
Austin Burleson’s 20 points and Logan Jensen’s 15 points led the Mountaineers.
Despite the victory, Coach Smith saw aspects that his team needed to improve on. “We have to block out, we have to make free throws down the stretch. Those are our two keys. They got a lot of offensive putbacks, and we have to get those rebounds,” Coach Smith stated. “We have to get better on defense and start blocking out. It seems like a broken record, but that is what we have to do.”

Matt Live from....... Cloudland vs. Mitchell Basketball

6:00pm: Welcome to Sonny Smith Gym in Roan Mountain. I am live here covering the Cloudland Highlanders vs. Mitchell Mountaineers. The boys JV has just ended the third quarter with Cloudland leading 55-29. Mitchell's JV girls captured the earlier contest. I will be keeping you up to date on all that goes on here tonight. Girls action is on tap following this game. That game will showcase two state tournament hopefuls in their respective state. The nightcap will be the boys showdown. We should have a great night of basketball for you (Note: We are attempting to have audio play by play posted by tomorrow night if we can get the kinks worked out. Tonight is the first night that we are attempting it so there is no promise. -Matt)

6:24 : Cloudland boys take the JV contest 66-45. Up Next: the most anticipated match up of the night. For updates, stay tuned

7:00: Mitchell leads 9-7 at end of first

7:15: The game is at half with the score tied at 18. It has been a back and forth matchup, and is living up to the expected hype. Sydnie Buchanan has lead the Highlanders in scoring with 6, and Samantha Holliday is leading the Mountaineers with 5.

7:34: Mitchell has taken a 4 point lead going into the 4th. Eight Minutes reamining!

7:40: 5:43 remaining Mit 31 CHS 34

8:00: Lady Highlanders take the hard fought victory 48-39. With luck, we may have our audio up in the next little bit! (We will not have full audio of the boys contest due to issues with the equipment-mainly my voice!)

8:15: The boys game is been a hard knocked affair so far as Cloudland is already in the bonus as Mitchell has 8 fouls. The Mountaineers however are leading 11-8 with 2:14 remaining in the first!

8:30: Mitchell has taken a 15-10 lead at the end of one here in beautiful Roan Mountain! The gym is packed with fans from both teams! It has been an extremely hard fought game as both teams have only one victory on the season!

8:45: Cloudland and Mitchell both have players already in foul trouble early here as it has been a hard knock game and continues to be as the game marches on. With 1:08 left in the second, Cloudland has a 29-22 lead.

8:50: Cloudland leads 33-25 at the half. Randall Johnson and Brett Stockton have nine points for the 'Landers while Austin Burleson has six points.

9:00: Due to techinal glitches on the Cloudland wireless network, we will not have our girls audio posted until a time later on. We will have it up as soon possible.

9:05:Cloudland has edged ahead here 45-32. This game continues to be a physical battle.

9:15:The game has become a game of attrition to see which teams can stay out of the least foul trouble. Both teams have numerous players in trouble. We are at the end of 3 and the score Cloudland is leading 51-43. The play has became sloppier then in the first half. One more quarter to see which team will get their second victory.

9:21: Cloudland is still up 56-47. Stacey Honeycutt has stepped up the last few minutes. Mitchell's Coach has received a techinal foul, and Brett Stockton hit both of the shots to but the 'Landers up 60-48.

9:30: 4:16 remaining, Cloudland up 60-53.

9:31: Mitchell's Logan Jensen nails a 3 to cut the Lander lead to 7 with 3:03 remaining. The Mountaineers have 4 players with 4 fouls, and Cloudland has 3 players with four and 1 fouled out (Stacey Honeycutt)

9:32: Two minutes remaining and the 'Lander lead is down to 4. 63-59 Cloudland.

9:35: What a game this one has turned out to be. The 'Landers cling to a 3 point lead with 45.2 left in the game. Mitchell has made a comeback. Cloudland is winning the battle of attrition at the moment as Mitchell has had two key players foul out in the past 30 seconds!

9:40: Mitchell has taken the lead as Corey Greene hits a two. Mitchell leads 67-66 with 5.7 left. Both teams are in timeout.

9:47: Brett Stockton gives Cloudland a 68-67 lead with 2.1 seconds left after Jordan Hughes threw the ball the length of the court. Mitchell's last second shot goes a stray and Cloudland takes the victory 68-67. What a set of games here in Roan Mountain tonight! A full recap of the action will be posted later on this weekend.

Matt Live From......Chattanooga

Thursday

8:00pm: Welcome to our coverage of the Appalachian State Mountaineers as they continue on their quest for 3 national titles. I am live in Chattanooga tonight and will attempt to keep you updated as much as possible. Due to conflicts with time, we were unable to get to the press conferences today. Anyway, I hope you enjoy our Countdown to Chattanooga!

Friday

8:00am: Greetings from a beautiful morning in Chattanooga! I am here ready to keep you updated on the sights and sounds of the National Championship game. I will be around the stadium most of the day, and in the rest of time enjoying the sights. The only news from App State is that Justin Woazeah has been suspended for the game along with backup linebacker Chris Johnson. For those in Chattanooga, be sure to check out the Chattanooga Times Free Press. We will keep you updated as much as possible. Enjoy!

4:30pm: It's a beautiful day for football! App has taken the town , because everywhere you go there is App fans. It's a great atmosphere down here. Teams have been tailgating for quite a while and we will keep you updated with sights and sounds from the game! Go Apps!

5:30pm: Over two hours before kickoff, and people are streaming to the stadium. The sun is begining to set. Outside the stadium, Coca-Cola has some games set up and at 6:30 the Delaware band will march into the First Tennessee Pavillion. At 6:45, it's the Marching Mountaineers turn. Due to NCAA regulations (just like last week), this may be my last post until after the game. However, Jamie will be taking over anytime now. You never know, I may even sneak in one more post! Enjoy the game! Go App!

1:00AM: 3 TIME NATIONAL CHAMPS!!! The Appalachian State Mountaineers have captured their third stright title. The game was awesome if you were a Mountaineer fan. I will try and have more photos up from the action as soon as possible, but I have over 800 photos to wade through. I was even in the middle of the crowd storming the field trying to get you the best shots. The Avery Journal Times will have full coverage of the contest, including the print edition, which is slated to have a bunch of stuff in it. The atmosphere was great tonight! Finley Stadium was rocking. The AP story that will appear in papers across the country called it "The Black and Gold Big House." There was some very creative signs. Thank you fans! We will have a special From the Student Section, which should be posted by Tuesday with odd and ends from the game! Once again, Congrats to the 2007 National Champions Appalachian State!

Monday

10:30am: What a weekend! I thought I would put some more pictures on here to enjoy. We are working on a way to set up a photo gallery, but have not got that far just yet. I hope you enjoyed our Countdown to Chattanooga and coverage of the App's historic 3-peat.

(All photos are property of Matt Laws. No photo may be reproduced, retransmitted, or rebroadcast without written consent of the publisher.)

Delaware/ASU 4th Quarter

Delaware's defense gets a stop as the third period begins, forcing App to punt the ball back away to UD. Two penalties... an illegal block in the back, as well as a dead ball personal foul against the Blue Hens, pushes Delaware back from the UD 36 to the UD 6.
On a side note: a sign in the ASU stands reads: WE WANT THE PATRIOTS. Comical.

10:56 PM -- Delaware is not giving in. They've moved the football from their own 6 yard line to the App 24. ASU has forced a fourth down play at the 20 and the Blue Hens have taken a time out. Perhaps the play of the game for the Hens coming up.

Flacco gets the first down running the football to set up a first down near the ASU 10, but the Mountaineers step up defensively, forcing an incomplete pass on fourth down to take the football over on downs.

ASU drives down for another score. Josh Johnson has a catch for a first down on the drive, with Kevin Richardson capping the drive, and perhaps capping a brilliant career in Boone, with a six-yard TD run. 42-14 with 6 minutes remaining.

The Blue Hens come back out on offense and moves on the App prevent defense to near midfield. Delaware can move no further, however, as the defense holds on a long fourth down pass play to take back possession of the ball.

On the first play of the ensuing drive, backup QB and senior Trey Elder takes a quarterback draw and breaks into the open for a 53 yard touchdown run to add the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae. No player deserved perhaps to get a score in this game than the loyal quarterback who has led by example throughout his career.

The Apps were flagged for a pair of unsportsmanlike penalties to kick off from their own 7. Mark Duncan returns the kick 75 yards for a score, then threw the ball at the huge crowd gathered in the back of the end zone, drawing a penalty. Appalachian 49, Delaware 14 with 3:29 remaining in the contest. Appalachian State fans are streaming en masse near the sidelines to rush the field in utter celebration.

IT'S OVER IN CHATTANOOGA!!!! APPalachian has 3-Peat-ed!! 49-21 FINAL SCORE

Delaware/ASU 3rd Quarter

Appalachian is held to a three-and-out to open the 2nd half. Delaware takes over possession on its own 16 yard line. ASu's defense allowed a first down, but forced the Fightin' Blue Hens to punt the ball back to the offense. 11:36 left in the third, 28-7 Mountaineers.

Appalachian State is back in the end zone again. A pass from Edwards to a WIDE OPEN Kevin Richardson for 15 yards pushes the Mountaineers to a 35-7 lead with 4:56 left in the third. A 14 play, 67 yard drive consumed 6:40 off the third quarter clock. The Black and Gold are inching ever closer to the three-peat and a riot in Boone!

Tonight's attendance is 23,010, a Finley Stadium record and largest ever in a championship game for a neutral field contest.

Delaware has taken the ensuing kickoff and driven 50 yards to the ASU 4 yard line after a Omar Cuff run, setting up a first and goal. Two plays later Cuff carries the pigskin across the goal line from a yard out. A Jerome Touchstone personal foul kept the drive alive as UD pieces together a 11 play, 62 yard drive. 35-14 Appalachian State, 0:54 left in the third period.

App takes the football as the third quarter expires. The Mountaineers lead 35-14. Fifteen minutes stand between ASU and history.





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Delaware/ASU 2nd Quarter

Appalachian looks to continue using the running game to dominate the line of scrimmage. A big cutback run by Edwards gains 37 yards to the Delaware 24. The Mountaineers move to the 11, but a loss on an end-around run forces a third and 15 from the UD 16. Armanti attempts a pass to the end zone, but a pass interference is called against the Blue Hens, giving ASU first and goal at the UD 2.

App has 211 yards of total offense already in the contest to UD's 146. Delaware's speed has done a good job of pushing the football ahead. Richardson runs from two yards out, fumbles near the goal line after being stripped by Julian James, only to have reserve tight end Daniel Kilgore wrestle it into his arms under the pile in the end zone. The Rauch PAT is good. App takes a commanding 21-0 lead with 10:22 left in the half.

A UD touchdown was called back due to an offensive pass interference call (a little questionable, but the call could have went either way). UD is back now at the ASU 40. 3rd and 20 for the Hens. A 39 yard TD pass from Flacco to Mark Duncan covers puts the Hens on the board with 1:10 remaining in the first half. The PAT by Striefsky is good, 21-7 Apps.

ASU wastes absolutely no time in answering the Blue Hens touchdown. A 60-yard pass from Edwards hits Dexter Jackson in stride. Two plays on the drive, 72 yards. 21 seconds. 28-7 App.
UD has the last possession of the half, moving into App territory. A final desparation heave by Flacco finds a receiver at the two yard line, but the pass is dropped, leaving the Mountaineers with a 28-7 halftime lead.

Halftime Stats:
ASU 166 rushing yards, 132 passing yards, 298 total
UD 63 rushing yards, 189 passing yards, 252 total

Individual stats
ASU:
Rushing:
Edwards 11 carries, 67 yards
Moore: 2 carries, 55 yards, TD
Richardson: 10 carries, 46 yards
Passing:
Edwards: 4-6 132 yards, 2 TD
Receiving:
Jackson: 1 reception, 60 yards, TD
CoCo Hillary: 1 reception, 41 yards

Delaware:
Rushing:
Omar Cuff: 13 carries, 54 yards
Kervin Michaud: 2 carries, 20 yards
Passing:
Joe Flacco: 13-23, 188 yards, 1 TD
Receiving:
Mark Duncan: 5 receptions, 62 yards, TD
Aaron Love: 3 receptions 67 yards

We'll be back for some 2nd half blogging...after a short break and a cold cola.

Delaware/ASU 1st Qtr.

Delaware wins the toss, elects to receive...kick is up and away...

Delaware gets first possession and goes three and out. App starts with field position around its own 40 and has driven to the Delaware 20 yard line.

Screen pass from Edwards to Richardson to cap a 6 play drive. Great block by Kerry Brown to help pave the way. Richardson breaks a tackle and finds the pylon for the game's first score...apparently. The play will be under review. If held up it will be Richardson's 33rd reception of the year and his fourth receiving score. Play is upheld... touchdown APPS!

PAT By Rauch is good! ASU 7, Delaware 0 with 10:47 left in the qtr.

8:18 PM

Delaware is attempting to answer on the ensuing drive. The Blue Hens have marched to the ASU 27 with less than 8:30 left in the period. A pass play from Joe Flacco to Aaron Love moves UD to the ASU 9 for a first and goal situation.

Cuff apparently scored from 4 yards out, but the play was reversed when replay showed Cuff's elbow touched on the half yard line. A run by Cuff on third down was stuffed, and a fourth down gamble failed as Flacco threw an incompletion intended for tight end Josh Baker, turning the football over on downs back to the Apps.

8:41
The Mountaineers take the football over at their own 1 yard line with just over 5 minutes left in the quarter. Three runs by Richardson and a run by Edwards, with the help of a personal foul facemask penalty moved App past midfield.

Devin Moore races 46 yards down the middle of the field for a touchdown! A 5 play, 99 yard drive consumes 1:26 off the clock. a championship game-record drive. PAT good by Rauch, 14-0 Mountaineers!

ASU has shown it can run at will on Delaware in the early going, but the question is can they stop the Delaware offense?

Flacco has just cleared the 4,000 yard passing plateau on this drive as the Blue Hens have crossed midfield on its next offensive series. A long run by Cuff moves UD near the ASU 20. Another third down situation at the ASU 15, but a screen pass to Michaud is sniffed by the App secondary, losing 3 yards. A 35-yard field goal attempt misses wide. Mountaineers hold, 14-0 ASU football at its own 20. A 9-yard run by Moore closes out the quarter. App leads by two scores!






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7:30 PM

Matt provides this photo of a sign taken in the First Tennessee Pavilion earlier this evening. It's always great when the Chancellor gets some press.

NCAA FCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP - DELAWARE VS. APPALACHIAN STATE

6:00 PM

And.... we are LIVE from the Press Box at Finley Stadium/Davenport Field in beautiful Chattanooga, Tennessee for tonight's FCS title game between the Delaware Blue Hens and the ASU Mountaineers!

A few words of thanks, etc. as we prepare for tonight's contest:

First of all, kudos to Matt for all his work in prepping for tonight's game. The atmosphere is electric, and Matt has been sampling quite a bit of the sights and sounds of Chattanooga and the game. He'll be providing photos which we'll try to be posting as the game progresses, something you will get in very few locations.

Secondly, a word of thanks to all the AJ-T readers who have expressed their words of appreciation and positive comments about both the print edition and the blog. We strive to bring the most comprehensive coverage of sports from numerous locations, levels, and angles, and hope that we properly represent both the values and citizens of our local area.

One other thing: Should Appalachian pull off the three-peat tonight, we'll have photos and follow-ups in next week's print editon of the AJ-T as well as right here.

A few notes of interest and observations leading up to tonight:

-Four-year starter at cornerback Justin Woazeah will not be playing in tonight's contest due to the violation of a team rule. The senior will be missed tonight, as he is tied for the most career passes defended (51) in NCAA FCS history. Sophomore Cortez Gilbert will likely fill in for the Apps.

Quotables:

"I've played several different positions from high school to hear and I've just always played that way. Everybody loves to hit the quarterback too so you deliver the blow before they get a chance to." - Armanti Edwards, when asked about looking for contact as he finishes runs.

"Beating Michigan was great for us and the Appalachian family, but it was only one game. Our first goal is to win the Southern Conference and then win the National Championship."
-ASU defensive back Pierre Banks, when asked if it bothers him that the average fan will remember him more for Michigan than for National Championships, even if they win tonight.

"I don't think you can pick one. You have to have a defense that is sound and solid against Delaware. Not the quarterback, not the running back.. you have to defend what they do. You ahve to defend Delaware, not just the quarterback or running back. You work on situations, first and 10, third and short, third and long, try to create as many situations as you can...work on defending Delaware." - ASU head coach Jerry Moore, on defending Delaware's individual offensive weapons.






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From The Student Section...Countdown to Chattanooga Edition

The Appalachian State Mountaineers are heading back to Chattanooga, so isn't it fitting we focus on Appy and their opponent Delaware.

• What a crowd at "The Rock" on Friday Night! It was packed and set a record for the playoffs/non-championship game. Even the students were involved, and there was many creative signs. My favorite has to be the Spidey Pig (from "The Simpsons: The Movie). Hopefully, the Mountaineer faithful will make their presence felt in Chattanooga (and I say they will make Finley Stadium "The Rock #2")
• The crowd was so impressive, even Coach Jerry Moore and other Mountaineer coaches took notice. "I just turned and looked and everybody was still there,” Moore said, recalling he had never done that in his time in Boone. “It was an awesome thing.” Moore even said his coaches in the booth were amazed at the people in line for Chattanooga tickets, before the game even ended.
• Even the officials were impressed with "The Rock." At the press conference, Coach Moore stated the following: “One of the officials on the sideline, they’re from the Southland Conference and they had worked some Big 12 games, said, ‘Coach, I’ve worked the Texas-Ohio State game and I’ve got to tell you something. This is the best college-football game I’ve ever been involved in.’ He said, ‘The atmosphere here is awesome. This is real college football.’“He said, ‘You all need a bigger stadium.’ I told him we’re fixing to get one. That’s a great compliment.... I think it speaks volumes about our fans.”
• The Appalachian State Seniors will finish a staggering 29-1 at home in their four seasons at "The Rock." Their lone lost was to Georgia Southern earlier this season.
• The numbers are pointing that the National title game will be a shootout. The two teams have scored over 35 points nine times combined this year. App is averaging 42.3 points per game, while Delaware is right behind them averaging 37.3 points per game.
• Armanti Edwards impressed everyone who saw him play on Friday night. His numbers speak for themselves: 313 yards, 4 rushing touchdowns, 14 of 16 passing 182 yards and 3 additonal touchdowns. Total: 495 offensive yards responsible for; 7 total touchdowns. "No. 14. He's the best we've seen this year. I think we have some pretty good athletes on defense but he makes plays in space that nobody has on us this year," Richmond Coach Dave Clawson said of Edwards. "I wouldn't want to change places with the defensive coordinators in the Southern Conference the next two years."
• Delaware has some big time play makers. They are led by quarterback Joe Flacco who has 3,939 yards and 22 touchdowns. Tailback Omar Cuff has amassed 1,861 yards rushing for 34 TDs, and he has also caught 52 passes for 4 touchdowns.
• The Delaware defense has held seven teams to under 17 points.
• Everyone knows Appalachian Stata beat Michigan, but Delaware also has an upset under its belt. The Fighting Blue Hens defeated the Navy Midshipmen 59-52 in Annapolis, Maryland.
• Delaware's most famous grad to play in the NFL. Former Oakland Raider quarterback Rich Gannon.
• Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. and will be telvised nationally on ESPN2. The game is sold out.
• For the first time in this blog's history, From the Student Section is actually coming from a college campus! I am at ETSU and this probably will not be the last post from the Culp Computer lab!

I look forward to seeing everyone in Chattanooga. The Avery Journal-Times will be there for full coverage of the contest. We will have our preview of the contest up by Thursday evening. The pre-game blog will also start on Thursday evening. As was the case last week, Jamie will take over around kickoff to handle the actual gameday blog, and we will have a full recap up sometime after the game. Enjoy the game!!

Countdown to Chattanooga- Monday

It's Monday of Championship Week. I found this and thought I would share this video from the ASU Football Film Crew:

Keep checking the Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog for more of our Countdown to Chattanooga!

COUNTDOWN TO CHATTANOOGA...KICKOFF

The Appalachian State Mountaineers have advanced to the National Championship. The Avery Journal-Times will have you covered leading up to the big game. Here are some of the things you can look for:

• Live onsite coverage from Finley Stadium.
• Full game coverage from Chattanooga
• Previews of the contest
• Game Notes
• Helpful Information about Chattanooga
• Blogs of Avery Journal Times' Staff along the way to Chattanooga and from around the Rock City
• A special From the Student Section

This will be updated throughout the week to keep you updated. Congrats to the Apps!!!