Scoreboard Widget added

Keep your brackets updated to-the-second with our newest addition... the NCAA Tournament Scoreboard, from CBS.

The Avery Journal-Times "Mountain Challenge"

The Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog has started a group on ESPN.com for our first ever NCAA Bracket Challenge. All you have to do is open an ESPN.com account (it's free!) and then search for the public group "The Mountain Challenge". The group motto is "The official Group of the Avery Journal-Times." That may help you find it. The winner will get bragging rights and maybe their name and picture in the paper. Invite any and everyone that you want to,no matter where they are at. Good luck to all!

Big Red Women's Soccer Drops First Two Contests of Season at Watauga, Hendersonville

The Avery Lady Vikings tasted the bitterness of defeat for the first time this season on Saturday at Jack Groce Stadium in Boone, as Avery fell by a final score of 3-0.

The Pioneers (2-2, 1-1 NWC) took a 2-0 lead on Avery by halftime and added two goals 10 minutes into the second half in a steady rain. The game was stopped after thunder was heard in the area with about 10 minutes left in the game. Macy Johnson got the Pioneers started against with a goal in the first half. The Pioneers struck quickly in the second half with two goals from Ashlyn Baird and another by Lucy Binning. Both of Baird’s goals were scored off of corner kicks. Binning also had two assists, while Anna Lisa Hart had another.

Avery played shorthanded with only two subs to call upon in the match, but the girls played much improved soccer from the 9-0 shutout against the Lady Pioneers a season ago.

On Monday night, Avery was unable to return to its winning ways in a matchup of top-10 ranked 1A schools in Hendersonville, as the 5th ranked Lady Bearcats handed the 8th ranked Lady Vikings a 3-0 defeat. Avery returns to the pitch on Wednesday when it hosts the 4th ranked Polk Lady Wolverines.

Avery Journal-Times LIVE from... the Girls 1A State Basketball Championship

We're live and Courtside from the Smith Center in Chapel Hill for the 1A girls basketball championship betweeen Pender High School and Bishop McGuinness. We'll be keeping a running tally throughout this afternoon's contest.

12:05 pm - Tip-off. Bishop holds an 8-2 lead early in the first quarter. The Villains are the West Regional champs and are two-time defending state champs.

12:08 pm - Pender scores the last two buckets and trails 8-6 midway through the opening period.

12:15 pm - Pender went on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 10 apiece, doing a good job crashing the boards, especially on the offensive end. Bishop's height, particularly Erin Thompson in the middle for the Villains, started making its presence felt late in the quarter. Great fan contingent for both schools, but Pender looks to have a few more fans. End first period... 16-14 Bishop McGuinness.

12:25 pm - Bishop opens the quarter on a 8-2 run to take a 24-16 lead with just under 5:00 left in the half. On a side note, members of both the UNC and Duke women's coaching staff are sitting about five feet behind me on press row carrying on an entertaining conversation.

12:30 pm - Bishop leads 27-17 with 2:26 left in the half. Using its height and press, Bishop has forced a number of Pender turnovers. Bishop has also gotten to the foul line on several occasions in the period

12:35 pm - at halftime its 30-22 Bishop McGuinness, as the teams traded 3's to end the half. On a side note, much thanks to John Rendleman formerly of MTN-TV and now of WWAY-TV in Wilmington for hooking a fella up with a seat on press row to blog from as the NCHSAA neglected to reserve a spot as they'd earlier promised.

HALFTIME STATS

SCORE BISHOP 30 PENDER 22

POINTS BISHOP: RONAN 12 PTs PENDER ROBINSON 12 REBOUNDS

BISHOP: THOMPSON 8

PENDER: SEABROOKS 6 BLAND 6

FG% BISHOP 34.5% PENDER 27.3%

TURNOVERS: BISHOP 6 PENDER 7

12:55 pm - Pender has come out on a run to open the third period, cutting the lead to 33-29 with 4 min. left in the third. Of note, Whitney Knight of Bishop has had at least 4 blocked shots in the game. She is a 6'1" freshman who runs the point and, if Avery folks watched their earlier game with Robbinsville, is very quick and lanky for her size.

12:58 pm - 34-31 Bishop leads by 3 and takes a timeout with 3:01 remaining in the third. Pender has taken momentum in the game and has made every shot difficult for the Villains in the quarter thus far.

1:05 pm -- Bishop gets a break on a call on a loose basketball when a foul is called on Pender. Patriots head coach Gary Battle gets a technical when he slaps the scorers table at disgust over the call. Bishop hits two free throws just prior to the end of the quarter. End 3rd quarter: Bishop 38, Pender 33. Of note: the three officials calling this title game are from WESTERN North Carolina's officiating association, all three of which Avery teams have seen this season.

1:15 pm - 5:41 remaining in the contest. Bishop leads 41-35. The intensity and physicality has picked up here in the final period and it's still anyone's game. Both teams are in a bit of foul trouble as Thompson has 3 fouls and Rembielak has 4 for Bishop, while Seabrooks has 4 for the Lady Patriots.

1:25 pm - Bishop on a 6-0 run has taken a double-digit lead at 47-35 lead with 3:42 to go, earning points at the charity stripe. Pender hs gone cold shooting in the quarter, but have gotten plenty of opportunities to score.

1:32 pm - Pender cuts the lead to 49-41 with a minute left to go. Pender is fouling to try to extend the ballgame.

1:40 pm - Bishop lead by 9 with 30 seconds left, and it appears they will win their third straight 1A state girls title.

1:50 pm - Bishop wins it 56-43. Maggie Ronan led the Lady Villains with 16 points. Erinn Thompson was named MVP after adding 14 points and 19 rebounds. For Pender, Janetta Robinson scored 18 points. Muriel Seabrooks grabbed 18 rebounds. Sequoya Bland scored 10 rebounds and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Avery Middle Takes First Round of Spring Sports Bragging Rights

Avery Middle School and Cranberry Middle School squared off on the diamond for baseball and softball matchups, with the Avery Panthers coming out on top in both contests.

In the softball matchup in Newland, the Lady Panthers pitching staff held the Lady Wildcats bats at bay en route to a win, while starting pitcher AJ Masters went the seven-inning distance in Cranberry, striking out nine hitters while giving up only three runs in a 13-3 victory.

"A.J. throws the ball really well. He has spots where most pitchers might falter, but he bounces back to throw strike after strike. I believe he is one of the league's best," Avery Panthers manager Donnie Johnson said after the win. "We were conservative on the bases on Monday, but I noticed we were more aggressive with our leads. We sent more guys home from third with the ball just getting into the infielders' hands, and the guys did a good job watching the ball come in and getting across. Our kids really gave all they had out there tonight."

Dustin Clark smacked a deep home run over the center field fence as part of a three-run second inning to give Avery the lead for good at 3-2.

Landon Powell pitched five innings for the Wildcats and threw well, giving up very few earned runs in the loss. "Landon pitched pretty well. I believe we just struggled fielding the ball tonight, not knowing where to go with the ball and making some errors and bad throws," Cranberry manager Kent Hayes remarked following the contest.

"Avery Middle put the ball in play, and we didn't do quite as good a job putting the ball in play."

On Monday the Panthers lost a pair of games to East Yancey by scores of 7-0 and 17-9, while Cranberry fell in two contests to Bowman by scores of 7-3 and 9-3 the same evening.

Avery Middle baseball hosts Bowman and Harris next week, while Cranberry travels to Cane River and East Yancey for conference contests.

Lady Vikings Hand Loss to West Wilkes to Remain Perfect

Avery improved its unblemished record to 4-0 on Wednesday evening with a 3-1 victory over the #9 ranked West Wilkes Lady Blackhawks in Millers Creek.

Avery scored each of its goals in the first half of play. The first tally of the evening came on a goal from Katie Peters in the 12th minute coming off an Elyse Perry assist. A second goal came five minutes later courtesy of Mary Chesnut Smith with help from Emily Banner and Melinda Eggers. Following a change in net for West, Peters netted a second goal at the 27-minute mark off an Emily Banner assist, giving Avery a commanding 3-0 halftime lead.

In the second half the Lady Vikings were not able to connect again offensively, but Avery keeper Cailan Calloway had several saves in net. West managed a penalty kick opportunity when a handball was called in the box, but the shot hit the crossbar and rebounded, eventually being cleared by the Big Red.

The Lady Vikings were able to see the entire roster garner minutes on the pitch, particularly in the second half. West scored its only goal of the night at the 70 minute mark to account for the 3-1 final. The match was a physical contest as one Avery player received a yellow card following inadvertent contact with a West player going for a ball, while in a separate incident a Lady Hawks keeper was injured and received medical care.

"Our offense looked really good tonight," Lady Vikings head coach Tom Evaul said after the win. "Our defense was a little off, giving us some scares including the missed PK."

With the win Avery will likely improve on its current #15 ranking. The Lady Vikings travel to Watauga for a match against the neighboring Lady Pioneers on Saturday.

Gragg to Participate in Blue/White All-Star Game

Avery Lady Vikings basketball senior forward Kimberley Gragg has been selected to play in the annual Blue/White Classic. Gragg averaged 12 points and and 9 rebounds a contest this season in helping to lead the Lady Vikings to its first 1A Western Regional in program history.

Gragg is the fourth Lady Viking player to participate in the game over the past three seasons. Former Avery standout Charity Austin was MVP of the 2006 contest, while teammates Kimberly Pitman and Brittney Burleson played in last year's game.

The games are set for Thursday, March 20 at T.C. Roberson High in Skyland. The girls' game tips off at 7 p.m. and will be followed by the boys' game at 9. Below are the full rosters for all four teams for the two contests:

Boys Blue: Chris Vanlandingham (North Henderson), D.J. Clement (Reynolds), Petey Hausley (McDowell), Terrance Kincaid (McDowell), Cole Huskins (Mountain Heritage), Josh Twitty (Polk County), Ian McVay (Owen), Josh Harris (Chase), Brandon Young (R-S Central), Patrick Crouch (Roberson), coach Ken Hines (Chase).

White: Ben Williams (Enka), Jon Brown (Smoky Mountain), C.J. Fortner (Smoky Mountain), Koty Drake (Franklin), Dominique Whiteside (Hendersonville), Caleb Hedden (Erwin), Travis Garrison (Robbinsville), Austin Moore (Pisgah), Zach Hollifield (Pisgah), Jarrod Conard (Pisgah), coach Brian Carver (Enka).

Girls Blue: Kelsea Greene (McDowell), Kurie Washington (McDowell), Morgan McMinn (North Henderson), Stephanie Chapman (Roberson), Gentry Manley (Roberson), Ebonique Hamilton (McDowell), Kim Gragg (Avery County), Samantha Blevins (Mitchell), Latwyella Maxwell (East Rutherford), Areyshea Dunbar (Roberson), coach Larry Ross (East Rutherford).

White: Brandy Deddo (Robbinsville), Emily Raper (Hiwassee Dam), Kristen Cook (Swain County), Rachel Olivo (Enka), Shermia Forney (Asheville), Jena Cabe (Franklin), Evan Moffitt (Franklin), Stephanie Nichols (Blue Ridge), Cayla Cucumber (Smoky Mountain), Brittney Clark (Pisgah), coach Jay Brooks (Franklin).

Tough Night on Diamond for Vikings; Soccer Time Change

The Avery baseball and softball teams played their respective conference openers yesterday evening at Owen High School.

In softball, the Lady Vikings held the talented Owen club scoreless through two innings before the Warlassie bats woke up with a pair of runs in the third and a four-spot in the fourth on the way to a 12-0 victory.

Owen pitcher Allie Brandon struck out nine Vikings and allowed only one hit to give the Warlassies the victory.
Brandon is 3-0 on the year for Owen. Morgan Yackey started the contest for the Big Red on the mound and also pitched in at the plate with a triple.

In baseball, the Avery junior varsity team, in what amounted to basically its second practice of the season which happened to be a regular-season game, was defeated 11-0. Jared Clark and Daniel Huff took the mound in the contest and Avery was able to see live pitching at the plate and get field work that has been scarce through a wet and white winter.

In the varsity contest, Avery's conference opener was an improvement from its 15-0 whitewash against Wilkes Central a week earlier, losing only by a 7-1 final score. Catcher Zac Hall had a single and a double at the plate for two of Avery's four hits in the contest, and scored Avery's lone run on an Owen wild pitch in the top of the fifth. Senior Seth Phillips pitched five innings on the mound, with Chris Childress pitching one inning of relief.

Owen used a four-run fourth inning to put away the game. Warhorse hurler Lewis Fraser (2-1) struck out 12 Vikings and went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Michael Harvin drove in a pair of Owen runs.

Avery had five different runners on base through three innings, but squandered the opportunities as none of the runners crossed the plate. Defense was much improved from the opening contest, as Avery was able to wriggle out of trouble in multiple innings with solid infield play. The Vikings will travel to Hampton on Friday for a non-conference contest against the Bulldogs.

The Avery track and field team was also in action on Tuesday at Owen High School. A number of athletes took part in various running, jumping, and throwing events, and the team will be traveling across the region all spring long in preparation for the season-ending conference, regional, and state meets.

NOTE: The Avery girls soccer team's game this afternoon against #9 ranked West Wilkes WILL BEGIN AT 5:30 p.m., rather than the original 6 pm start time. Avery will be looking to improve to 4-0 with a victory in Miller's Creek.

Lady Vikings Remain Perfect with 1-0 Shutout at Owen

Avery maintained its undefeated record at 3-0 on the young season in winning its conference opener on Monday night against Owen by a 1-0 final score.

The teams played to a scoreless first half, and the contest appeared headed to overtime. But senior Katie Peters picked up the lone goal of the match on a picture-perfect crossing blast from 15 yards out with five minutes remaining.

"We controlled the whole ballgame. They may have had only 2 or 3 shots on goal. We told the team at halftime that the way Owen would beat us would be if we made mistakes, and that we needed to make sure to not make mistakes, and that we would beat them by attacking the goal as we had done throughout the first half," Avery coach Tom Evaul said after the win. "We got the one goal we needed from Katie, who often seems to turn and shoot a ball that goes about anywhere but where she wants it to go. When she turned to shoot I thought it might go over toward the activity bus or somewhere, but she must have turned herself just perfectly as she shot a beautiful shot into the goal. It was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of shot, but we're thrilled with the goal and for the win."

Avery's young squad continues to show great talent and chemistry should do nothing but continue to improve as the season goes on.

"The young girls have stepped up and that has made our experienced players feel comfortable with what we have on the field and confident with them," the coach added. "We didn't have this chemistry last year or the year before. We're adding a couple of more players Tuesday which should really help us offensively, and I'm really pleased with how the girls are communicating and enjoying playing the game together."

The win gives the Lady Vikings its second-best start to a season in program history, and the team looks to keep up its winning ways going with two more matches this week, on Wednesday at West Wilkes and on Saturday at Watauga. (NOTE: The scheduled time for the West Wilkes match is currently set at 6 pm, but the time MAY be changed to 5 p.m. We'll try to pass along the correct time for the start of that match as soon as we get confirmation on it).

Carolina at Duke- The Showdown

To get everyone pumped up more about the Carolina-Duke game, I thought I would share a video from ESPN that I found on Youtube. Enjoy!

2A Basketball Playoff Update - Mitchell Girls Eliminated by East Davidson

The final Western Highlands Conference team alive in playoff action, the Mitchell Lady Mountaineers, were defeated tonight by East Davidson by a final of 63-55. Laken Norris scored 18 points for the Lady Mountaineers, while WHC Player of the Year Samantha Blevins added 16 and Corie Peterson added 13 points. Anna Freeman led East Davidson with 27 points. East Davidson will advance to take on Salisbury in the Regional Final on Saturday.

Lady Vikings Soccer Improves to 2-0

(JEFFERSON) The Avery Lady Vikings soccer team remained undefeated with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Ashe County in Jefferson Thursday evening.

Ashe County scored in the latter stages of the opening half on a clear but cool evening to lead 1-0 at halftime. After making adjustments at the half, Avery came out more determined and active on the offensive half of the field, putting pressure on an Ashe squad. Around the 65th minute of the match, Avery freshman Mary Chesnut Smith slipped a shot to the right of the Huskies keeper for the equalizer to tie up the match.

With 8:20 remaining in the match, a Brianna Strange shot deflected off the Ashe keeper. Freshman Melinda Eggers alertly was on the spot to blast the rebound into the back of the net for the eventual game winning goal.

"We talked at halftime about not backing down against the bigger, more experienced girls from Ashe," head coach Tom Evaul said after the win. "We told the girls to not back down in the second half and to take the game to them. We made a couple of changes and changed our frontline to a 3-3 instead of a 2-4 which gave us a little more offense, and that seemed to work for us. We've asked Mary Chesnut to take shots for us when they are available to her, and she took a shot which worked well. We're really proud of the girls' effort tonight."

Although Avery is a relatively young squad with around 8 freshman players, the club shows experience and savvy which belies its age. Meanwhile, a number of returning players provide leadership which as the season continues will gel the Lady Vikings into a dangerous team on the pitch.

"I remember when the sisters of Melinda, Mary Chesnut, and Emily (Banner) were playing. In no way do I mean to upset those former players who may read this, but this group of freshmen is by far the best group of freshmen we've had come in as far as knowledge of the ball, knowledge of the field, the way they play the field, passing the ball," Coach Evaul commented. "I'm just really pleased with this group of freshmen. Our younger girls who are inexperienced have done a really good job considering they really haven't played. The past two games have helped us a lot but we still have a ways to go, but we'll also be mixing in the basketball players who we'll soon have joining us full-time and I believe we'll be ahead of schedule in terms of where we want to be as a team."

NOTE: The Avery home match against Owen originally scheduled for this Monday has been changed to a road game, as the team will instead now travel to Swannanoa for their conference opener next week.

Avery Journal Times Live from...Regional Semifinal

7:45: Greetings! The Avery Journal-Times is in Winston-Salem to cover the Lady Vikings showdown with Chatham Central. Due to lack of wireless internet at the game site, Jamie will be unable to blog from Winston. However, I will be updating and blogging during this game from Avery County. We have worked out a system where I will be able to blog and will have updated information here as soon as it comes in to me from Jamie. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at averysports@yahoo.com

The Lady Vikings are scheduled to tip off at 8:30pm. The game before pitted Bishop McGuinness and Robbinsville. Bishop is leading at the half 42-18 as they have shot an impressive 51% (19 of 37) from the floor. Robbinsville shot 25% (5 of 20) in the half. Brittany Cox is leading the way for Bishop with 11 pts. while Brandy Deddo has 12 pts. and 10 rebounds for Robbinsville. Check back for more details from this game and the updates on the Avery-Chatham Central Contest!

The contest by the Numbers:
24 - number of points Chatham Central defeated East Surry to reach Wednesday's contest.
25.3 - the average # of points Avery has defeated opponents by in its first three rounds of playoff competition.
30 - rebounds for the combination of Gragg and Ellis in Friday's Sectional final victory.
57- combined point total for triple-threat tandem of Bolton (25), Courie (14) and Varkey (18) in the Lady Bears' Friday night sectional win over East Surry.
79.6 - points per game generated by the Avery offense over the past three contests.

8:02: End of the third quarter Bishop is continuing to control the contest as they lead 58-24 at the end of the third quarter.

8:30: Bishop has taken the victory as they cruised past Robbinsville 69-35. Bishop was led by Erin Thompson's 16 points and Brittany Cox's 13 points. Bishop shot 28 of 55 (50%) while Robbinsville shot 12 of 43 (28%). Robbinsville was led by Brandy Deddo's 12 points and 11 rebounds. UP NEXT: The Lady Vikings take on Chatham Central!

AVERY vs. CHATHAM CENTRAL
9:00: The first quarter is in the books and the Avery Lady Vikings are leading Chatham Central 12-8. They are just now heading into the second quarter and will keep you updated as the game rolls along.
9:20: Chatham Central used a 19-6 run in the second quarter to erase a five point Avery lead, and Chatham Central leads 31-23 at the half. Avery is led by Kim Gragg who has 9 points and 8 rebounds so far. Becca Fulton has 18 of Chatham's 31 points. We will have some offical numbers in a minute from Winston-Salem.
9:25: Some offical stats. Avery shot 8 of 35 (23%) from the floor, while Chatham Central shot 13 of 29 (45%). Joy Jennings is Avery's second leading scorer as she has 7 points. Sapna Varkey has 9 pts. and 5 rebounds for Chatham. A huge stat for the Lady Vikings are Chatham Central has outscored Avery in the paint 14-6. We will keep you updated during the second half.
9:45: Chatham opened the second half on a 14-4 run to lead by as many as 20. Avery's Samantha Shook hit a 3-pointer to close the gap to 14 points and the Lady Vikings trail 52-38 going into the fourth quarter.
10:00: Avery trails 60-45 with 4:11 remaining in the fourth quarter.
10:15: The Lady Vikings fell 68-53 in a hard fought battle. We will have offical stats and some more info from Winston-Salem in just a few minutes.
10:30: The Avery Lady Vikings were led by Kim Gragg's 17 points, Joy Jennings 13 points, and Hayley Pyatte's 11 points. They cut the Chatham Central led to 63-53 late in the contest, but Chatham was able to shoot free throws down the stretch. Chatham was led by Becca Bolton's season high 33 points, and Sapne Varkey had 21 points.
10:45: That is a wrap for my blogging tonight. Jamie will have a recap of the game in next week's print paper and also on here later this week. I hope you enjoyed our coverage and hope you keep checking back. -Matt
Congratulations to the Avery Lady Vikings for an excellent season.

BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Breakdown of Wednesday's Regional Semifinal: Avery v. Chatham Central

In football-esque style, I thought it might be of interest to preview Wednesday's Regional Semifinal contest. Hopefully these notes will be informative and insightful.

On Wednesday night Avery (23-7) travels to Winston-Salem to take on the Chatham Central Lady Bears (26-2). The game marks Avery's first trip to the 1A Girls Western Regional, while Chatham Central has been regional champions on three occasions (1986, 1999, and 2000). Avery defeated Swain and Hiwassee Dam in Sectional Semis and Final contests to reach Regionals, while Chatham defeated East Surry and River Mill to earn a berth to Wednesday's showdown.

Scouting the Lady Bears:

The Chatham Central Lady Bears are members of the Yadkin Valley 1A Conference and are located at Bear Creek, just southeast of Siler City. The team is coached by Gerald Binkley and team colors are red and white. The team finished as co-champions in the YVC and are paced by a trio of players in Becca Bolton (17.1 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 5.5 apg), Sienna Courie (11.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg), and Sapna Varkey (10.3 ppg, 4.2 apg).

Chatham Central will use a mixture of defenses, but the coach explained at Monday's press luncheon that the team has relied greatly upon a zone defense the past 3-4 years.

The Low Down:

Avery's task will not be a simple one in upending the Lady Bears on Wednesday, but this team would not have it any other way. The Lady Vikings are well coached and boast five players that average over 8 points per contest, with Kimberley Gragg averaging double figures in both scoring and rebounding.

For Avery to win Wednesday, they must play sharply for much of the contest. The team missed a number of easy shots (admittedly due to nerves) to open the Hiwassee Dam contest, a feat which they will need to avoid repeating against the Lady Bears.

Chatham Central has faced pressure defenses from Thomasville, a conference foe which they played three times this season. However, the Lady Bears will likely not have faced a team with the depth, team speed, and defensive discipline that this year's Avery team possesses. Avery's defense MUST generate turnovers and easy scoring opportunities to earn a spot in Saturday's regional final. Expect senior leaders Gragg, Laura Lacey, and Joy Jennings to each continue playing key roles as they have throughout this year's playoff run.

By the Numbers:

24 - number of points Chatham Central defeated East Surry to reach Wednesday's contest.

25.3 - the average # of points Avery has defeated opponents by in its first three rounds of playoff competition.

30 - rebounds for the combination of Gragg and Ellis in Friday's Sectional final victory.

57- combined point total for triple-threat tandem of Bolton (25), Courie (14) and Varkey (18) in the Lady Bears' Friday night sectional win over East Surry.

79.6 - points per game generated by the Avery offense over the past three contests.

A full recap and details of Wednesday's Regional Semifinal will be posted shortly following Wednesday night's contest.

Lady Vikings take on Lady Bears of Chatham Central in Regional Semis, Special Broadcast to Air on WECR-AM

The Avery Lady Vikings will be playing the Lady Bears of Chatham Central High School on Wednesday night at 8:30 pm in the second of 2 regional semifinals held at Atkins High School in Winston-Salem. The first contest will pit the Robbinsville Black Knights and the 2-time defending state champion Bishop McGuinness Lady Villains at 7 p.m.

Chatham Central enters Wednesday's contest with a 26-2 record overall and were co-champions of the Yadkin Valley 1A conference.

In other news, WECR-AM 1130 will be airing a special entitled "Viking Pride", a 15-minute show previewing this week's regional semifinals, hosted by Yours Truly, with coaches interviews conducted at today's Coaches Press Conference and Luncheon held at Lawrence Joel Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem.

Keep checking in with the blog for full coverage of this week's Western Regionals!

SECTIONAL CHAMPS!!! Avery Demolishes Hiwassee Dam to Punch Ticket to Winston-Salem

The Avery Lady Vikings made history on Friday night as they
upended the Lady Eagles from Hiwassee Dam High School by an 80-53 final score, clinching a berth in the Western Regionals in Winston-Salem next week.

Avery looked nervous in the early going as they missed a number of close shots and layups. The team eventually regrouped, punishing the Hiwassee 2-3 zone with a 14-2 run to close out the opening period to the tune of a 25-13 lead.

The staple press defense smothered the Lady Eagles consistently all evening long, forcing a large number of turnovers in the backcourt that Avery turned into quick offense. Hiwassee Dam's offense sputtered throughout much of the contest, but most notably in the second period, where the Lady Eagles missed their first 12 shots of the quarter and made only two Kareen Abling field goals in the eight minute stretch.

Avery's offense slowed down somewhat in the quarter as well, converting only five field goals in the stanza, but still managed a 16-point halftime lead at 39-23. Senior Kim Gragg paced Avery with ten first-half points. Katie Ellis was the stalwart defensively, pulling down nine rebounds and picking up four steals in the first half to go with five points.

As the third quarter ensued, the wear and tear of Avery's press and depth began to show on the Lady Eagles. Six points from Joy Jennings in the period, as well as an 8-0 scoring run midway through the quarter, pushed the Big Red advantage to 59-37 after three periods.

Avery's lead grew to as many as 24 points before a mini-run by Hiwassee Dam cut the lead to 19 at 69-50. The Lady Vikings closed out the contest in style, finishing the contest with an 11-3 run to close out the game and cruise to the first sectional championship in the history of Lady Vikings basketball.

Gragg and Katie Ellis both posted double-doubles on the evening. Gragg finished the contest with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Ellis finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds. Jennings tied Gragg for team-high scoring honors with 20 points, to go with six rebounds and six assists. Hayley Pyatte also reached double-figures with 12 points scored. Hiwassee Dam's Kareen Abling led all scorers with 26 points in a losing effort.

Avery's next game will take place at Atkins High School in Winston-Salem at either 7 p.m. or 8:30 pm on Wednesday evening. Contrary to some previous reports, Avery's next opponent will be determined on Monday morning as the sectional championship team representatives meet and seeds are re-drawn at a press conference at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem. The Avery Journal-Times plans to be on the scene Monday morning and will post the draw right here on the blog soon after the conference concludes.

Congratulations to the Avery Lady Vikings-- 2008 Sectional Champions!

Lady 'Landers to host Oliver Springs with trip to the 'Boro on the line

On Saturday night, the Cloudland Lady 'Landers will be one step away from the reaching their season goal of Murfreesboro. However, Oliver Springs stands in the way.
"They are a good team," Lady 'Lander coach Matt Birchfield stated after practice on Friday. "They are a rich traditional program." Oliver Springs have played in sub-state games and the state tournament in both 1A and 2A. Birchfield looked for Oliver Springs to be a very fast team and have a lot of speed. The showdown between Cloudland and Oliver Springs is Saturday at 7:00pm. The gates will open at 6:00pm at Cloudland High School. The winner of the contest will advance to the state tournament.

Avery Routs Swain; Hosts Sectional Final Friday Night

The Avery Lady Vikings were decisive in winning 70-47 over visiting Swain County Thursday night. Kimberley Gragg led all Avery scorers with 12 points, followed by 10 points each from Laura Lacey and Joy Jennings.

Avery hosts the #7 ranked Hiwassee Dam Lady Eagles in the Sectional Final Friday night. Hiwassee Dam defeated Alleghany on Wednesday to advance to the third round. For a full recap of Avery's progress in this year's tournament, read next week's Journal-Times. In the meantime, we'll keep you updated after each game here on the blog.

Lady 'Landers Claim Regional TItle

The Cloudland Lady 'Landers defeated the Cosby Lady Eagles 54-30 to win the Region 1A title. The Lady 'Landers will host Oliver Springs on Saturday at 7:00pm with a trip to Murfreesboro at stake! Good luck Lady 'Landers, and keep checking back for updates.

From The Student Section.,.....Playoff Basketball

Hello on a cold and snowy night. I hope everyone is having a great week so far, and that you have stayed warm. Here is a quick look around the world of sports from my viewpoint:

• The Lady 'Landers and Lady Vikings are still playing basketball. The Lady Vikings play Swain tomorrow night at 7:00 in Newland in a makeup game. Jamie will have you covered on that contest, and any other developments on that front. The Lady 'Landers play in the Region Championship tomorrow night at 6:00pm in Chuckey-Doak. The Lady 'Landers will play in the sub-state round on Saturday night. If they win tomorrow, the contest will be at home. If they lose, they will travel. We will keep you updated on the tournament schedule.


• The college basketball season is really heating up. The Tennessee Vols beat Memphis in the game of the year, but then lost to Vanderbilt last night. The smaller conferences will start having their tournaments next weekend.


• Are you ready for some spring sports? It will not be long as Avery Baseball as already had a scrimmage. Jamie has a post below this one with the recap.


• The NFL combine had some impressive performances. One of those belonging to App State's Dexter Jackson. Jackson ran a 4.27 in the 40 yard dash (yes, I said 4.27) and improved his stock greatly. Who is going to be the #1 pick? It is anyone's guess.


• A special shout to AJT friend Matt Hill of the Johnson County Tomahawk. Matt always has an entertaining and informative take on the sports storys of the moment. Matt has posted an excellent article on his weekly blog about should writers be fans of the teams they cover (you can check it out at http://www.thetomahawk.com/Detail.php?Cat=SPORTS&ID=57313). His article brings up some excellent points, and it is a great read.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoy the playoff basketball!

Are You Ready for Some.....Spring Sports??

The weather may still be chilly, but spring sports regular seasons are just around the corner! Avery girls soccer takes to the pitch for the first time this week, and another sport, Avery baseball, took to the diamond for the first taste of live competition in 2008.

Coming off a state quarterfinal finish a season ago in varsity play, the Avery varsity and junior varsity baseball teams began the 2008 campaign on a clear, breezy day last Saturday with a trip to Wilkes Central High School for five-inning scrimmages against host Wilkes Central as well as Hibriten.

The scrimmages were structured to give a wide array of players the opportunity to both get at-bats as well as play defense in the field. Avery manager Benny Wellborn used the scrimmages to give several pitchers work on the mound and see an array of players at various positions in the field.

The Vikings struggled to score against Wilkes Central, a perennially strong 2A school who used one of its ace pitchers on the mound during the contest. Avery countered by starting right hander Brooks Oakley, a tall athlete with a strong arm and solid control.

“Brooks threw well for us. Wilkes threw their ace their first three innings and the score was only 3-0. Their ace has been shutting teams down for a long time, and we were able to get a few runners on,” Coach Wellborn remarked after the scrimmage.

Avery bounced back to score multiple runs in the second of the scrimmages against Hibriten. Vikings senior right hander Seth Phillips took the ball for Avery in the back half of the doubleheader, showing the velocity and tenacity that made one of the region’s notable prospects and one of the most respected hurlers in Western North Carolina.

“In the second game we were hurt by a lot of passed balls which cost us some runs, and we had some missed signs as well. We didn’t put the ball in play as much and we just didn’t have the mindset to swing the bats as much as I would have liked to see,” the coach added.

Progress at such an early time of the season is not measured so much by wins and losses or even by runs on the scoreboard. Rather, the early timing of last weekend’s contests simply gave seasoned players the chance to see live pitching and go through the paces of actual game pace and new players the opportunity to get some experience under their belts.

“This year we have some kids who haven’t played who I felt should have been playing for four years. We’re coming out and moving kids around. We have several returning kids who know the game, but it’s really a work in progress right now,” the coach explained. “The good thing is since I’ve been at Avery we have never played this early, and we’ve never seen a live arm until the time of our first ballgame. That was what my main goal to accomplish was today.”

Avery opens its season on Tuesday, March 4th with a non-conference contest at Wilkes Central. First pitch is scheduled at 6:30 p.m.

'Landers vs. Hampton

Half: The Highlanders are trailing Hampton 28-23 at the half.
Final: The 'Landers fall to Hampton 66-50 ending their season. More details to come later on. Congratulations to the 'Landers on an outstanding season.

The Lady 'Landers will play on THURSDAY at 6:00pm.

Lady Vikings Defeat Cherokee, Will Meet Swain in Second Round

The Avery Lady Vikings began their quest for a state title with a convincing 89-63 win over the Lady Braves of Cherokee.

Avery scored the first 15 points of the contest and never looked back in claiming the lopsided victory. Laura Lacey led four Lady Vikings in double figures with 18 points in the win, to go with five rebounds and five assists. Katie Ellis had an outstanding contest with 14 points, 11 rebounds, five steals, and five assists. Kimberley Gragg scored 10 points with nine rebounds and three steals, with ten points each from Hayley Pyatte and Samantha Shook.

Avery will take on a familiar foe on Wednesday night as Swain County rolls into Newland fresh off a 32 point win over Nantahala in its first round contest. Four players scored in double figures for Swain (16-11). Cayla Crawley and Kayla Myers led the Maroon Devils with 16 points each.

Wednesday will mark the third consecutive year the two squads will meet in the playoffs, as the teams have split the first two meetings with the home team winning on both occasions. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. in Viking Gym.

Lady Vikings to host Cherokee in 1A Basketball Playoffs

The Avery Lady Vikings will host the opening round of the NCHSAA 1A West state basketball playoffs on Monday night. The Lady Braves of Cherokee will roll into Viking Gym for a 7 p.m. tipoff.

Avery (17-7) hopes to build on the momentum of their thrilling overtime victory over Mitchell in the finals of the Western Highlands Conference Tournament. Cherokee (11-14) enters the tournament with a wild card berth. The winner of Monday's contest will play the winner of the Swain County/Nantahala contest. Avery will host Wednesday's contest with a win over Cherokee.

Hensley Finishes as State Runner-Up at NCHSAA 1A/2A Wrestling Championships

Congratulations to senior John Hensley, who advanced to the state finals in the 130 pound weight class. Hensley met defending state champion Jose Sanchez from Mount Pleasant High School. Hensley fell by a 6-2 final match score, but had an excellent run through the tournament.