Pioneers Extend Win Streak over Vikings

An old proverb states that “Opportunities always look bigger going than coming”. The Avery Vikings were unable to seize an early opportunity that came to them to seize momentum against Watauga, while the Pioneers made the most of many opportunities afforded to them to put points on the scoreboard. By evening’s end, Watauga captured its fourth straight rivalry game over Avery and seventh in the last nine contests by a 35-12 final score.

On the opening drive of the game, Avery’s Dustin Childress forced a fumble from Watauga quarterback Devan Corum. Viking John Masters recovered the loose ball to give Avery possession for the first time in the game at the Watauga 14 yard line.

The Pioneer defense held Avery on three straight plays, however, and the Vikings could not capitalize as a field goal attempt sailed wide left to keep the game scoreless.

Having dodged a bullet, the Pioneers fired their own shot when, just three plays later, Corum found wide receiver Travis Oliver in stride for an 84-yard touchdown pass play. Anderson Proffit’s point-after kick put Watauga ahead 7-0 at the 8:12 mark of the opening period.

“We had our opportunity to score and didn’t, then we had them third and long and let them throw the long touchdown pass. That was a huge swing in momentum,” Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer said after the game. “I felt at that point when we had the ball that we needed some points out of that. We shut down their run the first couple of plays, but we had a misread on the pass play and they capitalized.”

the visitors to the 15-0 edge late in the first period.On the first play of its ensuing drive, Avery returned the turnover favor as quarterback Alex Villanueva’s pass attempt was intercepted by Watauga’s Caleb Watson. An eight play, 51-yard drive followed the turnover as the Pioneers eventually found its way to the end zone as Logan Smith’s one-yard run capped the scoring march. Corum ran in a two-point conversion to stake

The Vikings offense could not get moving against a stingy Pioneers defense. Avery was held to three-and-out, and Watauga continued its offensive flurry. The Pioneers constructed another long scoring drive (9 plays, 66 yards) against the Avery defense, ending when Smith scored his second one-yard TD run of the half. The PAT gave the Pioneers a commanding 22-0 lead early in the second quarter.

The Vikings committed a second turnover in the half with a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, but the Pioneers returned the favor as Cole Blackburn forced a fumble by running back Kevin Rook that the Big Red pounced on. Avery was unable to move the football with consistency with its opportunity, as a sack and an intentional grounding penalty helped stall a drive that had crossed into Watauga territory.

It seemed Watauga was set to add to its large margin in its next offensive series, as a pair of completions to wide receiver Trey Kavanaugh gave Watauga a 1st and goal at the Avery 6-yard line, but the Big Red defense kept the Pioneers out of the end zone and forced a turnover on downs.

As the first half wound down, Avery moved into Watauga territory on the heels of a 41-yard dash by running back Cole Blackburn, who saw his first action after missing Avery’s first two games due to injury. The Vikings could move no farther, however, as the Watauga defense forced four straight incomplete passes to get the football back.

In its last drive of the half, Watauga made it count as it drove 55 yards over 14 plays and scored on a Corum five-yard pass to tight end Jordan Pineda with 39 seconds left in the half to put the Pioneers up by a halftime score of 29-0.

“They played a great first half. I don’t feel like our kids didn’t play hard or anything like that. But there are times when a good football team can make you look bad, which is exactly what they did,” Coach Brewer added.

Avery could only muster four first downs and 57 yards in total offense for the first half, while Watauga racked up 360 yards in offense, highlighted by a 11 of 15 passing effort for 238 yards by Pioneers signal-caller Devan Corum.

The Vikings moved the football to near midfield with its first offensive series of the second half, but Watauga turned Avery away with a Mo Gore interception on a fourth down pass play.
Watauga effectively put the game away with an eight play, 86-yard touchdown march on its first series of the third quarter. A Robbie Sherrill 31-yard run opened the series, while a 40-yard pass from Corum to Oliver moved the club inside the Avery red zone. Corum capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion attempt failed, but Watauga held a 35-0 advantage with 3:41 to play in the third period.

Avery was able to finally put points on the board with a 14 play, 78 yard drive that elapsed 5:41 off the clock in the fourth period. Running back Kenny Hicks accounted for 27 rushing yards on the possession, including the final four yards that ended across the goal line for a touchdown.

Watauga was held to a three-and-out for the first time in the contest, and Avery rallied to score a second touchdown in the game’s final minute. Villanueva hit wide receiver Remington Austin for a 45-yard scoring strike with under a minute to play to provide the final margin in the Vikings defeat.

“I felt at times our run defense played as well as it has all year. The offensive line looked good at times, but Watauga was a team that was hard to get a feel for on film,” Coach Brewer said after the game. “They were quite a bit bigger in size and were better up front than I thought they were. You’ve gotta give Coach Pruitt and his staff a lot of credit. That’s one of the most physical Watauga football teams that I’ve ever seen which really surprised me.”

Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva was 8 of 24 passing for 102 yards, with a touchdown and three interceptions. Devan Coram led the Pioneers with 12 completions in 17 attempts for 278 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“Our guys fought and scratched until the final gun. I think we looked like a young team Friday night, and the pressure threw us off a little bit,” Coach Brewer added. “They got to us more than we thought they would.”

The Vikings fall to 1-2 on the season, and they will host the neighboring Cloudland Highlanders this Friday night at MacDonald Stadium in the 3rd Annual Avery Journal-Times Border Battle Classic.

'Landers Ranked In Tennessee AP Poll

The Cloudland Highlanders make their first appearance of the year in the Tennessee AP poll in Class 1A. Hampton and Elizabethton are also ranked in their respective classes.

Class 1A
Record Pts Prv

1. South Pittsburg (16) 2-0 186 1
2. Union City (1) 2-0 147 2
3. Huntingdon 2-1 143 3
4. Jo Byrns (1) 2-0 118 5
5. Wayne County 2-0 115 4
6. Collinwood 2-0 96 6
7. Grace Christian 2-1 59 8
8. Lookout Valley 1-1 49 7
9. Cloudland (1) 2-1 17
10. Whitwell 3-0 14

Others receiving 12 or more points: None

'Landers and Vikings Tangle for Border Battle Trophy

On Friday night at MacDonald Stadium, the Avery Vikings will look to get back on the winning track, as well as settle an old score when they host the Cloudland Highlanders in the 2009 edition of the Avery Journal-Times Border Battle Classic.

Avery fell 35-12 last week in its 2009 home opener against Watauga, while Cloudland dominated North Greene in a 40-0 victory at home last week. Cloudland won last year’s Border Battle Classic in Roan Mountain by a 43-21 final score a season ago.

Scouting the Highlanders
The Cloudland Highlanders are coached by Robbie Turbyfill and are members of a 1A/2A split conference with fellow conference members Unaka, Hampton, Cosby, North Greene and Hancock County. Cloudland and Hancock County are the only teams that will participate in Tennessee’s 1A playoffs, which means the winner of their game will have an automatic berth to the playoffs.

The ‘Landers lost 14 seniors from last season, but this year’s class of 11 seniors is up to the challenge. One of those seniors filling a large void is quarterback Seth Miller (17 for 39 for 256 yards, 5 TD passing). So far, Coach Turbyfill has been pleased with Miller’s progression.

“I think he has progressed through the off-season program through spring practice and through the summer workouts,” Turbyfill said. “I think he has gotten a lot better. Seth is a good quarterback when he is able to do play action and get the ball out.”

Along with Miller in the backfield, the ‘Landers has a variety of backs that the coaching staff feels can get the job done.

“We have so many tailbacks that can contribute,” Turbyfill said. “There are numerous kids in the backfield that will be able to contribute that we feel we can hand the ball to.”

Trey Hitechew (10 rushes, 123 yards, TD), Logan Morgan, Matt Cole (18 rushes, 153 yards, 2 TD), Tony Chambers (28 rushes, 181 yards, TD), Aaron Tolley (11 rushes, 122 yards, 2 TD), all see time in the backfield, in addition to the running ability of QB Miller. The ‘Landers also have weapons at wide receiver with seniors Seth Houtsma (5 TD in 2009) and Sha Presnell (TD reception in last week’s win), and also showcase an improved defense.

The Low Down
This week’s showdown between Avery and Cloudland is a backyard brawl between two schools separated by less than 15 minutes of driving time. The Avery defense was torched by a Watauga passing game last week, and will be tested this Friday by a diverse Cloudland offense featuring a balance of run and pass.

For the ‘Landers, they must look to contain Vikings sophomore quarterback Alex Villanueva, who will be looking to bounce back from a subpar performance against the Pioneers.

Turnovers may be a telltale sign of who comes away with the victory and the Border Battle Trophy. The team that takes best advantage of opponent turnovers will have a decided edge in taking the win in Newland Friday night.

Although this week’s game is a non-conference affair with little ramifications in the overall goals for each team (conference championship, state playoff berth, deep run in state playoffs), both Cloudland and Avery want nothing more than to hold bragging rights over the other school and the Border Battle Trophy in its respective trophy case for another 12 months.

By the Numbers:
3- times Alex Villanueva was picked off by a stout Watauga defense in last week’s loss.
4 - touchdown passes thrown by Cloudland QB Seth Miller in last week’s win over North Greene.
22- average margin of victory in the previous two meetings between Avery and Cloudland, with each team winning on its home field.
26- points scored by Cloudland in the first half of last week’s 40-0 shutout of North Greene.
29- points given up by Avery in the first half of last Friday’s loss to Watauga.
41-number of total offensive yards allowed last week by the Cloudland defense.
47- minimum number of yards gained by four different Cloudland running backs in last week’s victory over North Greene.
469- yards in total offense surrendered by Avery in last week’s defeat against Watauga.

Read next week’s edition of the Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s Border Battle Classic. Avery has an open date next week and will return to action on September 25^th at MacDonald Stadium against Owen.

Avery Volleyball Battles Watauga, Opens Conference Schedule

The Avery Lady Vikings opened up its home schedule with a match against the rival Watauga Pioneers. In JV action, Watauga took two straight games by scores of 25-21 and 25-16.

In game one of the varsity match, the contest was close as Watauga held a slim 10-9 advantage. The Lady Pioneers scored nine straight points against the Lady Vikings to take a 19-10 lead and went on to take a 25-11 win.

The second set in the match was close during the early portion much like its predecessor, as Avery trailed by a narrow 9 to 6 margin, but again the Lady Pioneers stretched its lead out, building an 18-11 margin en route to winning by a 25-16 final score.

In the final game of the match, Watauga scored 12 of the game’s first 16 points to take a 25-11game and straight set victory.

“The only reason I schedule Watauga is to make us better,” Avery head volleyball coach Kim Hayes said after the match. “They are a strong 4A team, the best team we will play all season.”

On Thursday the Lady Vikings traveled to Swannanoa to open conference play against the Owen Warlassies. The Lady Viking JVs lost in straight sets to the Warlassies JV squad prior to the varsity match.

The Lady Vikings got off to a slow start against the Owen squad, losing the first game by a 25-15 final score. The Big Red responded in the second set to come-from-behind and tightened the affair. The Warlassies hung on, however, to capture the second set by a narrow 25-22 margin.

Avery continued to battle in the third game to force a fourth set in the match. A talented Owen team held back the Viking charge to take the third and deciding set by a 25-21 final score.

“The team is coming around. We are getting better each game we play,” Coach Hayes said following the match. “We watched film the day before this game and really focused on our defense, and I saw great improvement. We had opportunities to win the second and third sets and just couldn't finish. In the second set we were down 7-18 and fought our way back and only lost by three points. We had the momentum the whole third game and again couldn't finish.”

Cassie Bumgarner had 11 assists for the Lady Vikings in the Owen match. Megan Tennant added five blocks and three kills, while Savannah Dellinger had 11 digs and three kills and Megan Robbins had five kills.

The Lady Vikings will play a pair of home matches this week, hosting Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy on Tuesday and Hendersonville on Thursday.

Avery Soccer Plays to Pair of Ties against Non-Conference Competition

The Avery men’s soccer team tangled with two tough squads last week in early-season action. On Monday, Avery traveled to Valdese to take on the Draughn Wildcats, playing to a 2-2 tie, while the Vikings let a 1-0 halftime lead slip away in the second half as the Big Red tied Providence Academy (TN) by a final score of 1-1.

In the Draughn matchup, the Wildcats picked up a pair of first-half goals to take a 2-0 lead into intermission. The Vikings defense clamped down and held Draughn scoreless through the second half, while Avery senior Kyle Griewisch worked through constant double-teaming and physical play to tally both second-half goals for the Big Red to knot the score and earn the tie.

“There seemed to be some inconsistency on the field when it came to the physical play,” Avery head coach Tom Evaul said. “Kyle appeared to be taken down in the box on a couple of occasions with nothing called, and one of our players was given a double-yellow card. I spoke with the referee after the match and expressed my desire to see the game called consistently,” Avery head soccer coach Tom Evaul said following the match. “Kyle did a good job scoring despite being pushed around out there and he helped us offensively. Draughn was a very physical team, but we were able to adjust to it in the second half.”

In Thursday’s match against Providence Academy, the Big Red got on the scoreboard first when freshman Isauro Estrada followed a shot, burying the ball into the back of the net for the 1-0 Big Red advantage.

“That was a good goal for Isauro. We hope that he will come along as a freshman, and I’m sure the goal will help his confidence,” Coach Evaul stated.

Avery took its one-goal edge into the second half, but in the 57^th minute the Knights from Providence netted the equalizer when halfback Chad Clendenon slipped by the Viking defense and scored a goal by netminder Morgan Bounds to tie the match at one goal apiece.

“The Providence player was able to dribble the ball well, but we were able to keep him in check for most of the first half. We knew he was their best player, but to his credit he was able to get through the defense and score,” Coach Evaul said. “We had some momentum early in the match, but they took it when they scored. We were able to get some of that momentum back later in the half, which I think helped us to keep them from scoring again. We play them again there in a couple of weeks, and if we’re healthy we might be able to do a better job and come away with a different outcome.”

The Vikings, ranked #10 in the latest NC Soccer Coaches Association 1A soccer poll, moves to 2-1-2 on the season. Avery travels this week to Swannanoa to take on an undefeated and ranked 2A club in Owen to open the conference season.

“Owen is a pretty good team. I think they’re out for some blood after our girls beat them last season,” Coach Evaul said. “We think they will be a good team, and our guys realize Owen will be a tough match. We hope that we can come out strong and that Kyle and a couple of others can be on fire and challenge them. If so, we’ll see what happens.”

Kiffin and Company in Business: Vols Cruise Past Hilltoppers

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

KNOXVILLE- If Saturday was any indication, the Tennessee Vols will be a team to reckon with. Behind the arm of Johnathon Crompton and a brusing running attack, the Vols got their first win under new head coach Lane Kiffin as they crusied past Western Kentucky 63-7.

"At one point, they way they came back after that first quarter, scoring 63 points in three quarters was good to see," Kiffin said. "But we have a long way to go and a lot of work to do. Today there were a lot of things that reminded us of how much work we have to do. But to get our first game under our belt, it was exciting."

After a slow start in the first quarter, Tennessee exploded for 28 points in the second quarter alone. Freshman Bryce Brown opened the scoring with a two yard run. After UT recovered a Western Kentucky fumble, Luke Stocker was on the recieving end of a Crompton pass seven seconds later to give UT a 14-0 lead. Before halftime, Quintin Hancock and Brandon Warren were both on the recieving end of Crompton touchdown passes as UT took a 28-0 lead into the locker room.

Crompton ended the game 21 of 28 for 233 yards with five touchdowns.

While the passing game was effective, it was the rushing attack that dominated. The Vols had 380 yards on the ground with Montario Hardesty leading the way. Hardesty had 18 carries for 160 yards and had a touchdown. Brown also had an impressive debut in Orange as he had 104 yards on 11 carries with the touchdown.

Tauren Poole and freshman David Oku had 62 and 43 yards respectively while Oku had two touchdowns in the second half..

Not to be outdone by the offense, the Volunteer defense showed they are worth the hype as they held the Hilltoppers to 83 total offensive yards for the game, 66 of which was on the lone WKU scoring drive against a defense that had subs mixed in.

"I was very impressed with our style on defense for most of the day, but especially early on," Kiffin said. "At one point halfway through the second quarter, I think they had one first down and five penalties. So I am excited about the way we played on defense, especially early."

For Kiffin, it was quite an experience just to be in the Tennessee Football environment.

"I really had to make sure that I did not go up and down today, because that's what I talked about with our team a long time last night - dealing with the emotions of a wonderful scene like the Vol Walk, a wonderful event like running through the T and playing in front of 100,000 people," Kiffin said. "That's to our advantage in a lot of ways, but we have to manage that with our players. So if I'm out of whack and I'm up and down, they're going to respond to that. So I had to make sure I stayed really even throughout the day."

Georgia Tech Stings Jacksonville State

Staff Report
(Information from GT Sports Information was used in this report)

Georgia Tech opened their season with a 37-17 victory over Jacksonville State, but Coach Paul Johnson knows it wasn't his team's best performance.

"It's much better to start 1-0 than 0-1 for sure,”Johnson, an Avery native, said. “It was a little more ragged than I would have liked. I don't know if we were very consistent really in any facet that I would have hoped to have been. I give credit to Jacksonville State; they played hard, hung in there. In hindsight, scoring on the first play of the game might not have been as good as you would think. The good thing is that we won the game, we have a lot to learn from this, but we will have to be 100 times better on Thursday night or we will get run out of our own stadium. Hopefully our guys will take the challenge, and will be ready to go."

The Ramblin Wreck rested starters in the second half, but not before Johnathon Dwyer gained 95 yards and had two touchdowns.Dwyer scored on a 74 run on the first play of the game from scrimmage, and remained on the sideline for the entire second half.

Despite gaining 335 yards on the ground, Johnson feels his Yellow Jackets has work to do.

"We have had a little problem with a killer instinct and our intensity levels and playing hard,” Johnson said. “That is something that we have to work on."

The Yellow Jackets host Clemson on Thursday evening for their ACC opener.

Mountaineers Fall In Opener Despite Comeback

Courtesy of Appalachian Sports Information

Behind sophomore quarterback Travaris Cadet, Appalachian State University football rallied from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit with 17 points in the final period, but the comeback came up just short in a 29-24 season-opening loss to East Carolina on Saturday afternoon at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

Appalachian fell into a 24-0 hole less than 17 minutes into the contest and trailed 29-7 going into the fourth quarter. Three plays into the final period, ASU running back Devon Moore trimmed the deficit to 29-14 when he capped a 12-play, 55-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge.

On East Carolina's ensuing possession, the ASU defense posted an impressive three-and-out and Cadet gave the Apps their best field position of the day when he returned a punt by former Mountaineer Matt Dodge 19 yards to the ECU 38. Seven plays later, Cadet made it a one-possession ballgame when he scored from a yard out to cut ECU's advantage to 29-21.

The volume from the thousands of Black and Gold-clad faithful in attendance at sold-out Dowdy-Ficklen reached a fever pitch when Cortez Gilbert intercepted ECU's Patrick Pinkney at the ASU 33 yard line and returned it 16 yards to the 49.

Cadet marched the Mountaineers all the way to the 22 yard line but had to settle for a 43-yard field goal by Jason Vitaris with 3:24 to go after a misplayed snap exchange on second-and-seven stalled the potential game-tying drive.

Once again, the Mountaineer defense came up with a huge three-and-out and ASU got the ball back on its own 24 yard line with 1:28 left to play. The Apps moved to midfield with three-straight completions but Cadet was sacked on first-and-10 from the ASU 48 with less than a minute remaining. After killing the clock with a spike, Cadet found Blake Elder for an eight-yard gain but a pass to CoCo Hillary on fourth-and-10 was just out of his reach and the Appalachian comeback and upset bid ended with 16 seconds to go.

Making the loss even more heartbreaking for the Mountaineers is the fact that two second-half miscues cost the Apps the decisive five points. Vitaris pushed a 37-yard field-goal attempt wide right on Appalachian's first possession of the second half and punter Sam Martin was forced to concede a safety when he couldn't corral a high snap on ASU's next series. After a disastrous first half in which ECU rolled up 267 yards of offense and 14 first downs en route to a 27-7 halftime lead, Appalachian's defense put the clamps on Pinkney and Co., limiting the Pirates to only 53 yards and four first downs after the break, while shutting out the Pirates in the second half.

It was story of two haves on both sides of the ball, as ASU racked up 183 yards and 14 first downs and held a 20:05-9:55 advantage in time of possession in the second half.

But ultimately, it was the slow start that thwarted the Mountaineers' chance at its eighth win over an NCAA Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision - formerly Division I-A) since 1982. East Carolina scored on four of its first five possessions to grab a 24-0 lead with 13:21 still left to play in the first half.

ASU finally stopped the bleeding with an 11-play, 71-yard drive on the first possession following the Pirates' third and final touchdown of the afternoon. Brian Quick highlighted the series with an acrobatic 31-yard reception and starting quarterback DeAndre Presley capped the drive with a three-yard touchdown run that made it 24-7.

ECU's Ben Hartman kicked his second field goal of the game with 57 seconds to go in the second period to give the Pirates the 20-point halftime advantage and set up the wild second half.

Cadet, who replaced Presley at quarterback with 5:28 to go in the third quarter, finished with 35 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, 55 yards on 7-of-9 passing and 43 yards on two punt returns. Making his second career start, Presley completed 7-of-15 passes for 89 yards and rushed 12 times for 12 yards. Moore led the Mountaineers with 37 rushing yards on 17 carries and Quick led all receivers with 47 yards on three catches.

ASU's defense limited Pinkney, a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award candidate, to 131 yards on 12-of-27 passing, but ECU's Dominique Liindsay rushed for 105 yards on only 15 carries to pace the Pirates. Mountaineer linebackers D.J. Smith and Jacque Roman led all tacklers with 13 and 11 stops, respectively.

Top-ranked Appalachian opens NCAA Division I FCS (Football Championship Subdivision - formerly Division I-AA) play next Saturday when it hosts No. 15 McNeese State at Kidd Brewer Stadium. The home opener kicks off at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised on WMYA Ch. 40 in Asheville.

We are in Knoxville to cover the start of the Lane Kiffin era against WKU. Easily the biggest crowd in recent memory @ the Vol Walk. Full recap this week -Matt

LOCAL NETWORK TO TELEVISE ASU FOOTBALL THIS SATURDAY

Many local Mountaineer fans will be able to see their beloved Black and Gold this week thanks to local TV.

The Mountain Television Network (MTN-TV) will be televising Saturday afternoon's Appalachian State Mountaineers season-opener football game in Greenville against East Carolina.

Fans will be able to watch the game on the following channels: SkyBest TV 18, Charter Cable 18, UHF 24 Antenna, UHF 53 Antenna, Cable 15

Kickoff is scheduled for noon from Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

Vikings Look to End Losing Streak in Bucket Battle

On Friday night at MacDonald Stadium the Avery Vikings will host the Watauga Pioneers in the renewing of a friendly rivalry known as the “Battle for the Bucket”. The Vikings enter Friday night’s contest at 1-1 on the heels of a convincing 54-27 victory over the West Wilkes Blackhawks. The Pioneers followed up a 30-0 opening week shutout of Ashe County with a 25-12 home loss last Friday night to Shelby.

In 2008, the Pioneers defeated the Vikings 28-14 at Jack Groce Stadium in Boone. Watauga has won three straight games in the series and six of the last eight matchups.

Scouting the Pioneers:
The Watauga Pioneers are members of the Northwestern 3A/4A Conference and are coached by Tim Pruitt, who is in his second year as head coach in Boone. Watauga entered the 2009 season looking to improve on a 5-7 record a season ago. The squad began last season strong with a 4-1 record through non-conference games, but struggled after beating conference rival Alexander Central, losing five consecutive contests. Despite the slump, Watauga qualified for the state 4A playoffs in 2008, losing 35-14 to Crest in the opening round.

Watauga utilizes the Spread offense and returns 18 lettermen from its 2008 squad, including seven starters on both sides of the football. The Pioneers will employ multiple defensive fronts anchored by a veteran defensive line.

Leading the Pioneers on the field is senior quarterback Devan Corum (6’1”, 195 lbs.—30 rushes, 144 yards, TD; 14 for 44 passing, 174 yards, 2 TD in 2009), in addition to senior wide receiver Travis Oliver (6 receptions, 85 yards, TD in 2009), and senior All-Conference running back Logan Smith (19 rushes, 102 yards, 2 TD in 2009). Juniors who make an impact on the squad include tight end Jordan Pineda, and All-Conference FB/DL Robbie Sherrill, and WR/DB Trey Kavanaugh.

Sophomore LB Alex Fox leads the club in tackles through the first two games of 2009 with 17, with Smith, Pineda, and Sherrill tied with 11 tackles each.

The Low Down:
Friday’s clash between High Country schools looks on paper to be one of the more even matchups in the past few seasons. Both teams have dominated opponents in victories, with each losing to perennially strong football programs.

Avery controlled Friday’s win over West Wilkes by going through the air and striking quickly on its opponent. A fast start for sophomore quarterback Alex Villanueva and his Viking teammates will only help build confidence that this year’s club can break the streak against the neighbors to the north.

Watauga’s pounding running game has given Avery fits in previous seasons, with the likes of Eric Britenstein and Baine Martin stuffing the stat sheets at the Big Red’s expense. If Pioneer signal-caller Corum becomes multi-dimensional by effectively using both his throwing arm and running legs, fortunes could bode well for the boys in blue and white.

Avery proved last week that it can win in multiple ways (through the air, on the ground, with punishing pressure defense), and has given Big Red fans a shot of confidence that this year’s team can consistently play beyond its youth. This week’s game, if the Vikes can pull out a victory, could be the springboard to consistent success as the conference season looms on the horizon.

By the Numbers:
0 – no current Avery senior players (or students) have ever experienced a varsity football win over Watauga in the Battle for the Bucket (every class in the past 15 seasons has beaten the Pioneers at least one time in their varsity careers).
6 – touchdowns accounted for by Avery QB Alex Villanueva in the Vikings’ 54-27 win last Friday night.
31.2- average yards per catch by Avery WR Andy Gonzalez thus far in 2009.
72- yards rushing gained by Watauga in last week’s loss (the Pioneers ran for 228 yards in Week One against Ashe County).
74- length in yards of a touchdown pass from Mo Gore to Trey Kavanaugh scored by Watauga via fake punt in last week’s loss to Shelby.
114- rushing yards for Avery junior RB Kenny Hicks to lead the team this season, including an 11 carry, 96 yard performance last week.
142-yards-total receiving yards by Avery WR Andy Gonzalez to lead the Big Red in last week's win.
592- yards in total offense amassed by Avery in last week’s win at West Wilkes.
748- total offensive yards gained by Vikings QB Alex Villanueva through two games this season.

Read next week’s edition of the Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s Battle for the Bucket, as well as a preview of next week’s Avery Journal-Times Border Battle Classic between Avery and Cloudland.

Presley to Start For Mountaineers In Opener

Courtesy of Appalachian Sports Information

Appalachian State University head coach Jerry Moore announced after Wednesday’s practice that sophomore DeAndre Presley will start at quarterback for the Mountaineers on Saturday when they open the 2009 season at East Carolina. Moore said he does not expect All-American Armanti Edwards, who injured his right foot in a lawn-mowing accident exactly four weeks ago, to play in the season opener.

Saturday’s start will be the second of Presley’s career. His only previous start came in last year’s regular-season finale at Western Carolina, when he racked up 314 yards of total offense (158 passing, 156 rushing) and accounted for four touchdowns (one passing, three rushing) to lead Appalachian to a 35-10 win over its archrival. Thanks to his efforts versus WCU, he was named the Southern Conference’s Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week, becoming only the seventh player in SoCon history and the first in 17 years to receive two of the league’s weekly awards simultaneously.

In nine games as a true freshman in 2008, Presley completed 30-of-45 passes (66.7 percent) for 379 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 73 times for 415 yards (5.7 avg.) and seven scores.

“As a staff and a team, we’re very comfortable with DeAndre Presley starting on Saturday and with our quarterback position as a whole with (sophomore) Travaris Cadet, as well,” Moore said.

In the meantime, Edwards will continue rehabilitation and his status for the Sept. 12 home opener versus McNeese State will be determined as soon as possible next week.

Avery Drops Matches to McDowell, Draughn in Non-Conference Volleyball Action

With the youth of the 2009 Lady Vikings volleyball team, the early portion of the season has provided a few growing pains as the squad matures and improves together.

On August 24^th, the Lady Vikings traveled to Marion to take on neighboring McDowell. A veteran Lady Titans club played tough as it upended the Big Red in four games.

Sophomores Tuccoa Brackett and Megan Gouge gave fits to the Avery defense. Brackett had a strong service game that resulted in nine points on serve, while Gouge added three solo and three assisted blocks and six kills.

Avery opened the match with four straight points, and used the cushion to keep a working margin in defeating the Lady Titans 25-18 in game one. The two squads played a back-and-forth affair in the second contest. McDowell held a 15-7 score late in the game, but fended off a late Avery rally to prevail by a narrow 25-23 score to tie the match.

It was again a case of “close, but no cigar” in the third game, as Avery remained close but came up short in a 25-22 contest, and lost the deciding game of the match by a 25-18 final score.

In JV action, McDowell defeated Avery in straight sets 25-10 and 25-21.

“We mentally just broke down. We missed some critical serves and made some critical errors right at the end. We had the momentum, but just couldn’t pull through,” Avery head volleyball coach Kim Hayes said following the match. “McDowell is a strong team. Not many balls hit the floor, but we just had some errors at the end. Hopefully as the season progresses, those types of errors will go away.”

Last Tuesday, August 25^th, the Lady Vikings again hit the road for a non-conference matchup, this time in Valdese against the Draughn Lady Wildcats. In junior varsity action, the Lady Wildcats remained unbeaten as they were victorious over the Big Red

In varsity action the Draughn team played a strong match, defeating the Lady Vikings in straight sets by scores of 25-12, 25-16, and 25-14, respectively.

A pair of seniors, Aubrey Bradshaw and Sasha Connelly, led the Draughn club, with Bradshaw recording eight kills and seven service aces, and Connelly adding 13 assists.

Despite the loss, the Avery club refuses to hang its head and vows to play hard for every point on the floor.

“We are young but I don't want to use that as an excuse,” Coach Hayes remarked after the match. “We are struggling with finding a strong hitter. Our club could really use the hitting we lost with Katie Ellis graduating. Draughn is a power house who won their conference last year.

Although the team has yet to record its first win for 2009, the tough non-conference schedule, including Avery’s home opener this past Tuesday with Watauga, will make the Lady Vikings a better club once conference games roll around.

“I scheduled tough teams to try and get us ready for the conference. Nobody likes losing, especially me. I am just hoping that these tough teams and tough practices will help us to peak at conference time,” Coach Hayes stated. “The girls are working hard everyday in practice, and we are having many discussions on the importance of defense. Because we don't have a strong offense, we have to out-hustle the opponents and cause them to make the mistakes.”

In addition to Tuesday’s match with Watauga, Avery opens conference play with a match at Owen on Thursday and a Tri-Match at East Rutherford this Saturday.

Vikings Dominate on Both Sides of Football for 54-27 Victory over Blackhawks

The Avery Vikings relied on a potent offense to jump out to a first half lead against the West Wilkes Blackhawks Friday night in Miller’s Creek. The defense made sure it stayed that way, as it pitched a second half shutout to propel the Big Red to a 54-27 victory to earn its first triumph of the 2009 season.

Avery wasted no time in putting points on the scoreboard. On its opening drive the Vikings marched 65 yards over five plays, the highlight being a 50-yard touchdown strike from sophomore quarterback Alex Villanueva to wide receiver Andy Gonzalez. An Andres Castanedas point after kick gave Avery the early 7-0 advantage.

Avery’s defense held West to a three-and-out on its first series, forcing a Blackhawk punt. The Vikings picked right up where they left off with its ensuing series, this time hitting pay dirt in only three plays while covering 61 yards of real estate. Villanueva did the honors with his legs this time, scurrying 57 yards for a Viking touchdown. The PAT put Avery ahead by two touchdowns with less than four minutes elapsed in the opening stanza.

The early lead was huge in building positive momentum and confidence to a club coming off a difficult loss the previous week.

“Anytime you can score quickly it helps you. It’s like we carried the positive momentum we took from how hard we played at Robbinsville and just picked up where we left off,” Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer said after the victory. “Anytime you can put a couple of quick scores on somebody, it gets into your opponent’s head. It was good for us as a young football team too. We’ve been preaching to them over and over that we’re a good football team, and now they’ve seen it and believe it for themselves.”

West Wilkes regrouped with its second series as the offense found its rhythm. Senior quarterback Logan Hallock completed three passes on a drive, the last of which went to Andrew Marley for a 25 yard touchdown. The successful PAT cut Avery’s lead in half at 14-7.

In need of a score to retake momentum, the Avery offense methodically marched the football down the football field, chewing up 65 yards of turf over11 plays in a drive that consumed over four and half minutes of time off the clock. A key play that sustained the drive was a 4^th and 1 carry by fullback Nathaniel Buchanan to move the chains. Villanueva capped the drive when he dove into the end zone from a yard out to boost the Big Red advantage to 21-7 with two minutes left in the quarter.

As the second stanza began, the Blackhawks again charged downfield to the tune of a 12 play, 80 yard drive the resulted in a one-yard touchdown toss from Hallock to Andrew Adams. The score cut the Viking lead back to a seven-point cushion at 21-14. Following an Avery interception, West took full advantage of the situation, finding the end zone again on a 19-yard pass from Hallock to wide receiver Dalton Moore. The PAT was blocked by Avery, preserving a slim 21-20 edge early in the second period.

Rather than taking a downward spiral as occurred the previous week at Robbinsville, the Vikings responded almost with disdain at the West comeback. The Big Red offensive machine kicked into high gear to put more points on the board. Avery covered 74 yards with only three pass plays, the final of which a 41 yard touchdown connection from Villanueva to wide receiver Keith McKinney. The PAT pushed the Vikings ahead by a 28-20 score with 4:30 left before halftime.

Following the latest Avery score, the Viking defense made a huge play. On the first play of its ensuing series West quarterback Hallock broke containment for a 31-yard run. The Viking defense stripped the signal-caller of the football at midfield as he was being tackled, however, and the Big Red recovered the loose pigskin. The Avery offense expressed its appreciation by returning to the West Wilkes end zone just 38 seconds later when Villanueva tossed his third touchdown pass of the half, this time a 25-yard dart to Taylor Potter. The PAT failed, but the Vikings led 34-20.

Faced with the prospect of a blowout loss, the West Wilkes special teams electrified the partisan Blackhawk crowd when Dalton Moore received the ensuing kickoff, maneuvered between Avery tacklers, and raced 82 yards for a touchdown. The extra point kept West hanging around and trailing by only seven at 34-27, a score which was unchanged for the remaining 3:19 of the first half.

As the second half began the Vikings made a number of adjustments. One change was defensively, changing the front line from a three-man front to a four-man front line.

“We tried to play a three-man line and try to cover their quarterback who runs so well. Finally we chunked the line because we weren’t getting to him and decided at halftime to go with a four-man line and put pressure on him,” Coach Brewer stated. “We felt that getting to the quarterback was our best chance at winning, and in the second half we were able to get to him. He still made some great throws in the second half, but we were hitting him and he was hearing footsteps with almost every pass.”

Another halftime adjustment came in utilizing a Wing-T offensive formation to shorten the game and pound the football at the tiring West Wilkes club.

“We felt like we were in a little better shape than they were and could pound them in the second half,” the coach elaborated. “Also, anytime a defense gets into a rhythm it can be good to change the look they see. It’s completely different for them from the first half, and is almost like they’re playing another different football team.”

With its first possession of the second half, the Vikings worked to add to their lead, but the drive stalled at the Blackhawk 11 yard line. The Big Red defense forced a sack and pushed the ball all the way to West’s own goal line, where a short punt gave Avery possession at the Blackhawks 35-yard line.

A short five-play drive, all rushing plays, resulted in a return trip to the end zone for the Vikes, as Villanueva scored from two yards out to increase the Avery margin to two scores at 41-27.

Needing to score, West moved the football into Avery territory with its ensuing possession as the final quarter began. The Vikings defense stiffened, however, and again made the Blackhawks punt the pigskin away.

The back-breaking drive which effectively removed doubt from the outcome was a 84-yard march bolstered by a 41-yard pass completion from Villanueva to Gonzalez and topped off by a Taylor Potter one-yard plunge into the end zone. With 8:34 left in the game, Avery was comfortably on top by a 48-27 score.

Avery’s special teams partially blocked a West Wilkes punt following yet another stalled drive on the next Blackhawks possession. The Vikings added icing on the cake when Keith McKinney scored on the next play following the block, a 24-yard jaunt to provide the final margin for Avery’s first victory of the young season.

The Avery offense was dominating in gaining 592 yards (365 passing, 227 rushing) and the defense recorded seven quarterback sacks for the game. The Avery defense stifled the Blackhawks offense when it counted most, allowing only 57 total yards for West for the entire second half.

A star may very well have emerged in sophomore Alex Villanueva, who accounted for 455 yards in total offense and had a hand in six of Avery’s touchdowns.

“Alex is a very intelligent football player. He’s a student of the game and doesn’t carry himself like an underclassman,” Coach Brewer explained. “He made a couple of mistakes at Robbinsville, but he learned quickly from them right then. When he makes mistakes, he’s not likely to make the same mistakes again. He threw some great footballs tonight and has the potential to be something special in Avery County.”

Kenny Hicks led the Vikings with 96 yards rushing on 11 carries, while Andy Gonzalez hauled in five passes for 142 yards and teammates McKinney and Potter accounted for over 140 yards receiving and a pair of touchdown catches combined.

“I knew the kids would play hard. Take talent and everything away. If you have kids that will play hard, you’re going to win some ballgames,” Coach Brewer said. “I thought we executed our game plan well and ran better routes. We came out with a fire, and we told the team that we have a game under our belts and the time for being a young football team is over. I think we got better.”

The Vikings will look to make it two straight wins when they try to snap a three-game losing skid to the Watauga Pioneers in the Battle for the Bucket this Friday night at MacDonald Stadium.

FOOTBALL CONTEST WEEK THREE GAMES

Congratulations to Thomas Jackson who became a repeat winner with a 12-7-1 mark in the Weekly picks contest for week two.

Below are this week's slate of games.

To play, go to the Avery Journal-Times sports website at www.ajtsports.blogspot.com each Tuesday to find the games to be picked for the upcoming week. Email picks by midnight on Thursday, or drop off picks at the newspaper's office by 5 p.m. on Friday. Limit one entry per person per week, regardless of entry method. No postal mail-in entries will be accepted. Each week's winner will be posted on the Blog as well as in the following week's edition of The Avery Journal-Times.

WEEK THREE GAMES (includes High School and College games):

1. Watauga @ Avery
2. North Greene @ Cloudland
3. Brevard @ Mitchell
4. Appalachian St. @ East Carolina
5. Jacksonville St. @ Georgia Tech
6. Mountain Heritage @ Rosman
7. The Citadel @ North Carolina
8. Baylor @ Wake Forest
9. Western Kentucky @ Tennessee
10. Georgia vs. Oklahoma State
11. Richmond @ Duke
12. Maryland @ California
13. Mars Hill @ Gardner-Webb
14. N. Henderson @ Hendersonville
15. AC Reynolds @ Owen
16. RS Central @ Polk Co.
17. Madison Co. @ Erwin
18. Thomas Jefferson @ Asheville School
19. Alabama @ Virginia Tech
20. Western Carolina @ Vanderbilt

Tie Breaker Game: Watauga @ Avery
Total # of points Scored: _____________

Vikings Soccer Falls in One-Goal Affair at West Henderson

After a busy week featuring back-to-back matches, the Avery soccer team got a small reprieve as it played a single match last week, traveling to Mills River to take on the West Henderson Falcons. Despite playing without its best defender and an ailing scoring leader, the Big Red hung tough with the Falcons but inevitably fell on the wrong end of a 3-2 defeat.

West Henderson struck first as Delfino Islas scored the first goal for the Falcons in the opening five minutes of the contest. The Avery defense settled down, however, and held the Falcons scoreless for the remainder of the first half of play. Avery tallied the equalizer in the final seconds of the half when Kyle Griewisch connected for a goal.

“Our biggest concern has been how our chemistry is going to work with Daniel Huff still out with injury. Kyle had not been feeling well and could hardly practice the day before. He had to sit down several times during warm-ups, so we have our best defensive player out and our best offensive player hurting,” Avery head soccer coach Tom Evaul said after the match. “Kyle had about four breakaways against the goalkeeper, and I think if he felt up to par he would have scored on those. Kicks he normally scores on went straight to the goalie. Late in the half after a couple of shots at the keeper he was dragging so we brought him off to rest. When he came off he said “I’ll score before halftime, I promise.”, and sure enough, with 16 seconds left in the half he scored a goal to tie the score at halftime.”

As the second half ensued the Falcons took advantage of scoring opportunities to tally a pair of goals. Jake Riportella scored in the 45^th minute to put West up by a 2-1 margin, and tallied his second goal on a penalty kick near the 60 minute mark to double its advantage to 3-1.

The Vikings reduced the margin to a single goal at the 70 minute mark. A throw-in by Avery senior Cody Shadoin was blasted in goal by Jorge Arreola. In the closing minutes of the match Avery created multiple opportunities to tie the match, but was unable to find the back of the net for the equalizer as West held on for the win.

“I was pleased with the guys. I thought they played hard,” Coach Evaul said. “Not having Daniel on defense and having Kyle not feeling well, the rest of the guys picked up their intensity and played much better than they did at North Henderson. It was a winnable game, but we didn’t have just what it took to put it away.”

The match could have been a greater margin of victory at West, had it not been for strong play in goal from keeper Morgan Bounds and determined play from a number of Avery defenders. “Morgan did a great job in goal. The score could have been higher on their part, but he made several great saves,” Coach Evaul added. “Brock Yackey has been filling in for Daniel Huff and has done a great job of coming around and holding down that key position.”

Avery played at Draughn on Monday night and will host Providence Academy at the special starting time of 5:30 p.m. Thursday in its home opener at MacDonald Stadium. A report on both matches can be found in next week’s edition, as well as online at the Journal-Times Sports Blog at: www.ajtsports.blogspot.com

Vikings Win Big Over Blackhawks for First Victory of 2009

Lightning cut short last Friday night's varsity football game in Robbinsville, but it was the Avery offense that provided the sparks as the Vikings steamrolled past the West Wilkes Blackhawks 54-27 at Blackhawk Stadium in Miller's Creek Friday night.

Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva accounted for over 400 yards of total offense as Avery raced to a 14-0 lead. West cut the lead to as close as 21-20 in the second quarter, but Avery extended the advantage to 34-27 at halftime.

The second half story was the Avery defense, who held West scoreless and was a frequent visitor in the BlackHawk backfield, delivering shot after shot to West quarterback Logan Hallock. The Viking offense maintained momentum with 20 points in the second half to pull away for the squad's first victory of 2009.

For a full recap from Friday's contest, see Wednesday's edition of the Avery Journal-Times.

VIKINGS FOOTBALL START TIME CHANGED FOR TONIGHT

Tonight's high school varsity football game between Avery and West Wilkes in Miller's Creek has changed start time.

The game, originally scheduled for a 7:30 pm kickoff, has been moved up to 6:30 p.m. due to concerns over storms scheduled to move into the region later this evening.

JV Football Falls to West Wilkes

Avery JV football fell 26-8 to West Wilkes in JV action Thursday night at MacDonald Stadium. West grabbed a 6-0 edge, but a pair of additional quick scores in the second quarter extended the Blackhawks lead to 20-0 at halftime.

Avery got on the board midway through the third quarter on a Spencer Blackburn 17-yard touchdown jaunt, and also scored on the two-point conversion attempt, cutting the West lead to 20-8. West answered with a long scoring drive of its own to build its lead back to 18 at 26-8.

The game was called with 6:27 remaining in the fourth quarter as lightning was sighted by officials at the stadium. After a brief delay, the coaches from both teams agreed to end the game and shake hands.

Football Contest Week Two Games

The Avery Journal-Times Football Picks Contest enters week two! Here's this week's games to pick:

1. Cloudland (TN @ West Greene (TN)
2. Avery @ West Wilkes
3. Shelby at Watauga
4. Mitchell at McDowell
5. Patton @ East Burke
6. Johnson County (TN) @ Hampton (TN)
7. Happy Valley (TN) @ Unaka (TN)
8. Owen @ Erwin
9. Polk County @ Brevard
10. North Buncombe @ Madison
11. St. Joseph's @ Thomas Jefferson
12. Murphy @ Franklin
13. Cherryville @ Draughn
14. Tuscola @ Asheville
15. Enka @ Pisgah
16. E. Henderson @ RS Central
17. Alexander Central @ W. Iredell
18. Alleghany @ Grayson Co. (VA)
19. Andrews @ Cherokee
20. Elizabethton (TN) @ Science Hill (TN)

Tie Breaker Game: Shelby @ Watauga
Total # of points scored: __________

Vikings Seek First Victory of 2009 against Black Hawks

Avery football hopes to move its ship in the right direction this Friday night when it travels to Miller’s Creek for a showdown with the West Wilkes Blackhawks. Avery is coming off a lightning-shortened 41-14 defeat at the hands of 1A power Robbinsville, while West Wilkes enters Friday’s matchup off a 24-20 loss at home to West Lincoln. The two teams last met in August, 2006, with Avery coming away with a 14-3 win in a defensive struggle.

Scouting the Blackhawks
The West Wilkes Blackhawks are members of the new split Mountain Valley Athletic 1A/2A Conference, and are coached by Scott Hallock. The second year coach took over for former head coach Tim Pruitt, who left Miller’s Creek to take the reins of the Watauga football program.

West had a hard time finding wins during the 2008 season, finishing with a record of 3-9 overall regular season record and losing in the first round of the 2008 football playoffs West Wilkes High School of Millers Creek struggled to find wins during the 2008 football season. The Blackhawks won only three games last year (one by forfeit) and were tromped in the first round the 1AA NCHSAA state playoffs 57-7 by Murphy High School.

On the field, West employs a Spread offense, and utilizes a 3-5 defense. Leading the team is the coach’s son, senior quarterback Logan Hallock (5’11”, 175 lbs.). "He's a passer that's a very good runner, not a good runner who's a passer," head coach Scott Hallock said during the preseason.

"For us to be successful, we have to play well up front and in the running game. We need our young receivers to step up." Hallock was also an All-Conference defensive player last season.

A favorite receiver for the younger Hallock in the team’s season-opener was Dalton Moore, but receiving teammates Andrew Adams and Scott Gamble are capable of making big catches for the club.

Up front, the Blackhawks rely on linemen Jacob Shepherd (5-9, 200 lbs.), Tommy Pruitt (6-0, 220 lbs.), Ethan Church (6-1, 215 lbs.) and Bryan Owens (6-0, 240 lbs.). With Hallock leading the team in rushing in the team’s season opener, finding additional help in the running game is a cause of concern for the club throughout the 2009 season.

"The linemen have to do real well for us to have a chance," Hallock said. "We've got to develop a running game. If we do that, we'll have a chance to compete; if we don't, it'll be a long year."

The Low Down
When Avery’s defense lines up against West Wilkes Friday night, the Vikings may wonder if they are looking into a mirror, as the Blackhawk Spread offense is akin to that of the Vikings. However, the West offense includes quarterback rollouts which allow Logan Hallock to find open space and utilize his above average running ability as he looks downfield to throw.

In last week’s loss to Robbinsville, it took the Vikings an entire half to remedy issues with its tackling and run defense. Hopefully those kinks have been ironed out, as Avery showed the ability to stop the run during the final quarter of last week’s loss.

West Lincoln, the Blackhawks’ opponent last Friday, was part of the scrimmage held at Avery High School back on August 12^th. Avery held its own against the Rebels, which should provide confidence to the young Vikings squad that they can hand West Wilkes a second straight defeat to start 2009.

Avery’s youthful team gained valued experience in last Friday’s opener, but the Big Red must put that experience to use this week. Two keys will determine who leaves Miller’s Creek with a “W” this weekend: Can the Vikings defense make tackles, as well as contain West quarterback Logan Hallock and limit his big-play ability (2 TD passes and a rushing TD in last week’s game), and can the Avery running game get on track (17 yards on 14 carries in last Friday’s loss).

By the Numbers:
2- West Lincoln players who rushed for over 100 yards in last week’s 24-20 win over West Wilkes.
9- returning starters for West Wilkes from last season’s 3-9 team.
14- passes completed by Avery sophomore QB Alex Villanueva for 239 yards and a touchdown in last week’s game at Robbinsville.
36- yard total of the touchdown run from West QB Logan Hallock in last week’s loss to West Lincoln.
239- rushing yards gained by Robbinsville in last week’s win over Avery.

Read next week’s Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s game with West Wilkes, as well as a preview of next week’s “Battle for the Bucket” against Watauga.

Vikings Drop Weather-Shortened Opener at Robbinsville

From the first play of Friday’s 2009 season-opener in Graham County, the Avery Vikings found themselves in an uphill climb against a talented Robbinsville Knights team. The Knights took a 14-0 lead only 89 seconds into the contest and used a strong rushing attack to hand Avery a 41-14 defeat in an abbreviated three quarters of action at Big Oaks Stadium.

Avery received the opening kickoff, but disaster struck on the first play from scrimmage, as Viking quarterback Alex Villanueva’s pass attempt was intercepted by linebacker Kurt Odom and returned 49 yards for a Robbinsville score. The PAT missed but Robbinsville led 6-0.

The Viking offense was held to three and out on its second possession, but Avery punter Dylan Aldridge was unable to avoid a swarm of Knights defenders as he attempted to kick and was tackled at the Avery 21 yard line.

Avery felt the loss of starting defensive end Colton Blackburn, who missed Friday’s game due to a groin injury. Robbinsville wasted no time in marching to the end zone for a second time, as quarterback Blake Anderson scurried 16 yards to paydirt. A two-point conversion run by Randy Hernandez spotted the Knights a 14-0 lead at the 10:31 mark of the first quarter.

Down but not out, the young Avery ballclub regrouped for its strongest offensive drive of the night, marching 76 yards on 11 plays, capped by a two-yard touchdown sneak on fourth and goal by Villanueva. The PAT was blocked but the Avery deficit was closed to 14-6.

Even without injured starting quarterback Luke Perkins, Robbinsville’s offense continued to display quick-strike ability. Kurt Odom struck for his second touchdown of the game as he dashed 49 yards through the Viking defense. The two-point conversion was good and the Knights found themselves ahead 22-6 at the 3:30 mark of the opening period.

In need of momentum, Avery looked to go three-and-out, but a roughing the passer penalty gave Avery a first down near midfield. A connection from Villanueva to wide receiver Samson Jennings moved the chains inside the Knights 40, but the drive stalled and Avery turned the ball over on downs following a fourth down incompletion.

As the second quarter began the Knights continued to utilize the running game. A 62-yard scoring drive was completed when Odom scored for a third time, this time a three-yard jaunt to spot Robbinsville a 28-6 lead.

Villanueva tossed a second interception on Avery’s next drive, but Avery defensive back Trent Mitchell picked off Knights QB Anderson on the next play from scrimmage to get the ball back for the Vikings. Avery was pinned deep in its own territory thanks to a pair of penalties, but made it up in a flash when Villanueva hit an open wide receiver Andy Gonzalez down the Avery sideline for a 95-yard touchdown strike. The two-point conversion run was successful to narrow the gap to 28-14 with 9:37 left before halftime.

On its ensuing possession, Robbinsville drove 68 yards on seven plays (all rushes) that ate up just under three minutes of the clock, capping the drive with a Taylor Wachacha three-yard blast across the goal line. The PAT was successful, giving Robbinsville the 35-14 that was carried into halftime.

As the third quarter began Robbinsville put the exclamation point on the contest with a five-play drive finished by Odom who scampered for a 47 yard touchdown and a 41-14 advantage.
Avery drove the ball near midfield with its ensuing possession, but the Knights defense remained stern and forced a punt. Robbinsville then held possession of the football for over five minutes, but were unable to get inside the Avery 30 yard line. A failed fourth down play gave the Vikings possession of the ball with under a minute remaining. The quarter ended with Avery facing a third down and one yard to go inside Robbinsville territory.

Between quarters officials witnessed lightning in the vicinity and instructed players and coaches to clear the field. After a lengthy lightning delay, the teams agreed to call the game as final and shook hands.

“I felt like we pass blocked well and that there were a lot of positives coming out of Friday. We took a young group of players, and I felt like we won the third quarter after we straightened out an alignment on defense and looked fresher than they were,” Avery head coach Darrell Brewer said after the game. “After the first two scores to begin the game, our kids had every opportunity to hang their heads and say “here we go again”, but they didn’t, and that’s why I left Robbinsville feeling good about our team.”

Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva was 14 of 32 for 239 yards and a touchdown. Kurt Odom led Robbinsville with 178 yards rushing and four touchdowns overall (three rushing).

“Alex impressed me with his toughness. He took a couple of good shots and gave a pretty good one after throwing an interception,” Coach Brewer added. “He made some mistakes, but he also made some great decisions too. I think the more he plays the more good decisions he’ll make, and I’m tickled to death with his performance.”

An abbreviated game was a first for the Vikings in recent memory, and the weather posed a difficult scenario when the coaching staff had to evaluate.

“I hated that we weren’t able to finish the game, but after having to wait as long as we did with the lightning strikes, we had to consider the players and how they weren’t warmed up,” Coach Brewer added. “I’ve never had to deal with that before, but I felt we were starting to come together and build momentum when the game was called. Nevertheless we came away healthy from the game, which was different from last year’s game.”

Avery goes back on the road to Miller’s Creek this week when they battle West Wilkes, who lost 24-20 to West Lincoln last week. A full recap of the West game can be found in next week’s edition of the Journal-Times, as well as here on the Blog.

Avery Soccer Kicks Off Season with Consecutive Road Victories

Last week the Avery boys soccer team picked up a pair of victories to open the 2009 regular season schedule.

On Wednesday, August 19^th the Big Red went on the road to take on Chase High School and came away with a hard fought 2-0 win behind a pair of goals from senior Kyle Griewisch.

The head coach from both teams met and agreed to shorten the game to only 30 minutes per half after lightning forced a delay at the 30-minute mark with the game scoreless.

Avery regrouped at intermission and played inspired soccer in the second stanza. Viking senior Kyle Griewisch kicked the offense into gear and tallied a pair of goals within a seven-minute stretch for what proved to be the only goals of the match.

“We felt really good about how well we played at the Jamboree and felt we’d take that with us to Chase. Unfortunately for the first 30 minutes at Chase we just weren’t doing anything right. Chase was coming at us hard,” Vikings head coach Tom Evaul said following the match. “We regrouped during the weather delay and the guys looked like a totally different team in the second half.”

Avery’s defense was strong and senior keeper Morgan Bounds made multiple extraordinary stops in goal to record his first shut out of the season. “I was proud of how our guys came back and did what they needed to do in the second half to get the win,” the coach added.

Less than 24 hours after the trip to play Chase, Avery again boarded a bus, this time to take on the Knights of North Henderson High School. The Vikings began the North match crisper than the previous day. In the first seven minutes of the opening half, the Big Red had put a pair of shots off the foot of Kyle Griewisch into the back of the net for a 2-0 advantage.

Inclement weather again reared its ugly head at North Henderson, forcing Avery to halt play temporarily for a second consecutive match. Following the intermission the Knights rallied and cut into the Avery lead, netting a goal to cut the North deficit to 2-1. “I told the guys during the delay that North will want to come out and do to us the same thing that we did to Chase, and that we needed to regroup and be ready for their intensity,” Coach Evaul said.

Avery suffered a potentially major setback during first half action as senior stalwart Daniel Huff suffered a leg injury and left for the remainder of the game. “Losing Daniel was a big blow for us,” Coach Evaul explained. “Daniel is the backbone of our defense and we had to do some scrambling and changing of positions which threw our chemistry off.”

The Vikings managed to pick up an insurance goal as Isauro Estrada took a pass from Griewisch and scored his first goal of the season for a 3-1 Viking lead. North answered quickly with a second goal to get back within one at 3-2, but Morgan Bounds played an exceptional game in goal, stopping numerous North shot attempts and preserving the win.

“Considering that we were playing three starters down, our guys played scappy and were aggressive. Everybody was going at it hard and to the best of their ability, and we were fortunate to be able to hold them off,” Coach Evaul said. “Our two guys up front were able to beat the defense with their speed and the team has done a good job in placing the ball to them so they can outrun the defense.

Avery's lone game this week is a match at West Henderson on Tuesday, Aug. 25th.

Football Contest Winner

Congratulations to Thomas Jackson, the winner in Week One of the Avery Journal-Times Football Picks Contest!

Thomas has qualified for prizes to be drawn at the end of the contest period (around Thanksgiving weekend), with prize donations from sponsors such as The Avery Journal-Times, Avery Tire and Service of Newland, the Avery High School and Cloudland High School football teams, and much more!

To play, go to the Avery Journal-Times sports website at www.ajtsports.blogspot.com each Tuesday to find the games to be picked for the upcoming week. Email picks by midnight on Thursday, or drop off picks at the newspaper's office by 5 p.m. on Friday. Limit one entry per person per week, regardless of entry method. No postal mail-in entries will be accepted. Each week's winner will be posted on the Blog as well as in the following week's edition of The Avery Journal-Times.