Morrill Takes the Helm of Lady Bobcats Soccer Program

BANNER ELK, N.C. - Athletic Director Craig McPhail has announced the hiring of Cally Morrill as the new women's soccer coach for the Lees-McRae College Bobcats. Morrill will resume all responsibilities as the head coach affective immediately.

"I think Cally is going to be a great women's soccer coach, her playing experience at Alabama as well as coaching, recruiting, developing players at Lenior -Rhyne were some of the key factors the search committee found very crucial to our job," McPhail said.

Morrill has spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach at nearby Lenoir-Rhyne University where they went 14-7-2 in the 2009 season. Prior to her post at LR, Morrill was a four-year starter at the University of Alabama. During he senior season, she was named the team's captain and Most Valuable Player. She also spent time as the strength and conditioning coach for the Alabama women's volleyball and women's soccer programs, and is currently an assistant coach for the 93' girls' Olympic Development team in North Carolina.

"She is ready to lead a program," said Morrill's former head coach at Lenior-Rhyne, Adrian Blewitt. She knows how to develop a program, players and how to recruit."

"With the progress we have made with our women's soccer program, I feel we are close to getting to the next level as our men's soccer program has shown over the past several years," McPhail said. "With Cally, I feel good about where we are headed and who we have leading the way."

"I would like to thank Craig and the Lees-McRae family for taking me on board and welcoming me to the Bobcat family, Morrill said. "I am very excited to get started with the program and to meet all of our current players. The spring season will be a great time for our players to develop and prepare for the 2010 season."

Visit lmcbobcats.com for the latest news and info on Lees-McRae College Athletics.

Dawson Only Player to Get Call to Enter Baseball's Hall

Andre Dawson was elected to the Hall of Fame, while Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar fell just short of earning baseball's highest honor.

Dawson, nicknamed "The Hawk," received 420 of 539 votes in voting announced Wednesday by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, 15 more than the 75 percent necessary to gain election.

Five of the ballots sent in were blank.

The eight-time All-Star, appearing on the ballot for the ninth time, had fallen 44 votes short last year.

"It was well worth the wait. I can't really describe the elation," Dawson said during a telephone conference call. "If you're a Hall of Famer, eventually you're going to get in, no matter how long it takes."

Dawson, on his ninth try, got in with 77.9 percent of the vote (539 votes were cast; 405 were needed for induction). Mark McGwire, in his fourth year of eligibility, received 10 more votes than last year, and matched the total from his first two times on the ballot.

Blyleven had 400 votes, up from 338 last year, and likely will get in, what with two more tries on the BBWAA ballot. The highest percentage for a player who wasn't elected in a later year was 63.4 by Gil Hodges in 1983, his final time on the ballot.

"Hopefully, next year will be my time," Blyleven said in an interview on the MLB Network.

Alomar received 397 votes (73.7 percent) in the second baseman's first appearance, and was followed by pitcher Jack Morris with 282 (52.3 percent), a big increase from the 237 votes he got last year.

"I feel disappointed, but next year hopefully I make it in," Alomar said at his home in New York. "At least I was close."

Cincinnati shortstop Barry Larkin, also making his first appearance, was on 278 ballots (51.6 percent), followed by reliever Lee Smith at 255 (47.3 percent) and Edgar Martinez at 195 (36.2 percent).

Martinez, on the ballot for the first time, is viewed as an early test of how voters will receive players who were primarily designated hitters.

Mark McGwire received 128 votes (23.7 percent), 10 more than last year and matching the total from his first two times on the ballot. Eighth on the career list with 583 homers, he has been stigmatized since evading questions from Congress in 2005 about the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Dawson, who won eight Gold Gloves and four Silver Slugger awards, had a 21-year career with the now-defunct Montreal Expos (11 seasons), Chicago Cubs (six seasons), Boston Red Sox and Florida Marlins.

He will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 25 in Cooperstown, N.Y., along with manager Whitey Herzog and umpire Doug Harvey, who were elected last month by the Hall's Veterans Committee.

A victim of the owners' conspiracy against free agents after he left the Expos, Dawson signed a blank contract with the Cubs during spring training. Then-general manager Dallas Green filled in the dollar amount of $500,000, making Dawson the second-lowest paid regular on the team.

Dawson stayed with the Cubs through 1992, then spent two seasons apiece with Boston and Florida. He had a .279 career average with 1,591 RBIs and 314 steals, playing through 12 knee operations.

He is one of only three players with at least 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases, joining Barry Bonds and Willie Mays.

The close calls for Blyleven and Alomar marked the first time in BBWAA balloting that two players fell fewer than 10 votes short in one year.

Below is the complete list of votes and percentages of players on this year's Hall of Fame Ballot cast by the Baseball Writers of America (BBWAA):

Player	Votes	Pct.
Andre Dawson	420	77.9
Bert Blyleven	400	74.2
Roberto Alomar	397	73.7
Jack Morris	282	52.3
Barry Larkin	278	51.6
Lee Smith	255	47.3
Edgar Martinez	195	36.2
Tim Raines	164	30.4
Mark McGwire	128	23.7
Alan Trammell	121	22.4
Fred McGriff	116	21.5
Don Mattingly	87	16.1
Dave Parker	82	15.2
Dale Murphy	63	11.7
Harold Baines	33	6.1
Andres Galarraga	22	4.1

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Moore Wins Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Appalachian State University head coach Jerry Moore is the winner of the 2009 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award for the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, Liberty Mutual announced on Wednesday morning. In recognition of Moore’s contributions on and off the field, Liberty Mutual will donate $50,000 to charities of Moore’s choosing and $20,000 to the ASU Alumni Association scholarship fund.

The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award recognizes coaches who best display the following four tenets: sportsmanship, integrity, responsibility and excellence, on and off the field. The winners are selected through fan voting (20 percent) and ballots from selection committees made up of national media (25 percent) and College Football Hall of Famers (55 percent). Moore beat out South Dakota State’s John Stiegelmeier, Holy Cross’s Tom Gilmore, Eastern Illinois’ Bob Spoo and Liberty’s Danny Rocco for the award. Moore especially excelled in the fan voting portion of the selection process, picking up nearly 19,000 votes in 15 days, more than twice as many as the next finalist.

In 2009, Moore led the Mountaineers to a fifth-straight Southern Conference title and NCAA Division I Football Championship appearance, where they advanced to the national semifinals. Appalachian finished with an 11-3 record and No. 3 final national ranking while Moore was named the SoCon Coach of the Year for a record seventh time and the American Football Coaches Association Regional Coach of the Year for the fourth time in five years and sixth time overall.

The Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Awards will be presented to Moore, TCU’s Gary Patterson (Division I Football Bowl Subdivision), Northwest Missouri State’s Mel Tjeerdsma (Division II) and Coe College’s Steve Staker (Division III) during a luncheon hosted by College Football Hall of Famer Archie Manning on Wednesday at the Daily Grill in Newport Beach, Calif.

Coach Moore’s Selected Charities

KIDS ACROSS AMERICA
Based in Branson, Missouri, Kids Across America operates a number of summer camps with a mission of building Christian leaders by encouraging, equipping and empowering urban youth and their mentors through sports. Coach Moore’s grandchildren have been campers at KAA’s Kamp Kanakuk and several ASU players have served as counselors at the camps.

SAMARITAN’S PURSE
Based in Boone, N.C., Samaritan’s Purse has provided aid to the world’s poor, sick and suffering for over 35 years. Coach Moore and ASU football have been particularly active in Samaritan’s Purse’s World Medical Mission over the years, which provides medical assistance to many of the less-developed countries of the world.

ASU WALKER COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
The mission of the John A. Walker College of Business is to offer high quality educational experiences preparing our students for life-long learning and leadership responsibilities in a dynamic, global environment. The college has an enrollment of more than 2,200 undergraduate and 50 graduate students and was included in the Princeton Review’s 2008 edition of Best Business Schools.

ASU YOSEF CLUB
For over 35 years, the Yosef Club has provided scholarship support for Appalachian’s student-athletes. Today, it continues that tradition as well as providing essential facility-enhancement support. On average, 35 percent of ASU’s 450-plus student-athletes are members of Appalachian’s academic honor roll with a 3.25 grade point average or higher.

Owen/Avery Basketball Postponed

Avery's scheduled basketball games at Owen this afternoon has been postponed due to bad weather. A make-up date has not been rescheduled at this time.

The Vikings are scheduled to travel to Polk County on Thursday to make up Tuesday's postponed games. If any changes occur, the Blog will post them as soon as it is made available.

Johnson, Jackets Fall to Iowa in Orange Bowl

MIAMI (AP) - No. 10 Iowa solved Tech's explosive triple option and Ricky Stanzi threw two early touchdown passes for a 24-14 victory Tuesday night in the coldest Orange Bowl ever.

Temperature at kickoff was 49 degrees, and Tech's offense was slow to warm up. The ninth-ranked Yellow Jackets averaged 35 points during the regular season, but their only score in the first three quarters came on Jerrard Tarrant's 40-yard interception return.

"This was Hawkeye weather," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "We feel right at home right now."

The Hawkeyes (11-2) earned their first Bowl Championship Series bowl win, matched the school record for victories and could claim their highest final ranking since finishing No. 3 in 1960.

Georgia Tech (11-3) totaled nine first downs and a season-low 155 yards.

The Yellow Jackets were first in the nation in time of possession, second in rushing and 11th in scoring at 35 points per game. But they sputtered against an Iowa defense that held four bowl-bound teams to 10 points or less during the regular season.

End Adrian Clayborn led Iowa's defensive charge. He had two sacks and nine tackles, including two for a loss, and was chosen the game's most valuable player.

The Hawkeyes had never faced the triple option in Ferentz's 11 seasons as coach, but his staff had a month to prepare for Tech, and it showed. The Yellow Jackets had only 14 three-and-outs during the regular season, fewest in the nation, but they failed to pick up a first down on their first four possessions.

"It's just a good thing we had a month to prepare because it was difficult," Clayborn said.

Georgia Tech finally made a first down midway through the second quarter. The Yellow Jackets' first pass completion came 43 minutes into the game with Iowa leading 17-7.

Quarterback Josh Nesbitt went only 2 for 9 for 12 yards for Tech, which had a season-high seven punts.

By comparison, Stanzi went 17 for 29 for 231 yards in his return from a sprained ankle that sidelined him in the season's 10th game. Iowa true freshman Brandon Wegher rushed for 113 yards and one score in 16 carries.

"It was great having Rick back. It was tough when he got injured," Ferentz said. "He did a great job leading us tonight - and what can I say about that defense?"

Tech's first scoring drive covered 71 yards, with Anthony Allen's 1-yard touchdown run making it 17-14 with 12:30 left.

Iowa drove 63 yards for the clincher. Wegher ran for 23 yards on one carry, followed by a 32-yard touchdown run with 1:56 to go.

The Hawkeyes had a 185-18 advantage in yards in the first quarter. Stanzi, playing his first game in two months, started 8 for 8 for 138 yards and two scores for a 14-0 lead. Then came Tarrant's interception to keep Tech in the game.

Iowa lost a fumble at midfield on the game's opening possession, but Tech was quickly forced to punt for the first time in three games. Stanzi hit Tony Moeaki for a 54-yard gain, then threw to Marvin McNutt for a 4-yard score.

Tech again went three and out, and Iowa moved 83 yards to score in four plays. Stanzi threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Colin Sandeman.

The Yellow Jackets finally got their offense going to start the second half and drove 43 yards before missing a 41-yard field goal. Iowa then moved 59 yards, and Daniel Murray kicked a 33-yard field goal for a 17-7 lea

Mountaineer Football Notebook: Edwards Invited to NFL Combine

(courtesy ASU Sports Information)

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University quarterback Armanti Edwards (Greenwood, S.C./Greenwood) has received an invitation to participate in the 2010 National Football League Scouting Combine, which will be held Feb. 24-March 2 in Indianapolis.

The NFL Combine is the annual job fair for prospective new NFL players. For six days at Lucas Oil Stadium, players are put through a series of drills, tests and interviews in front of more than 600 NFL personnel including head coaches, general managers and scouts.

Edwards was the most decorated player in NCAA Division I FCS (Football Championship Subdivision — formerly Division I-AA) history as Appalachian’s record-setting signal-caller from 2006-09. The 6-0, 184-pound Edwards ranks second in FCS history with 14,753 yards of total offense (behind only Steve McNair, who amassed 16,823 at Alcorn State from 1991-94). With 10,392 passing yards and 4,361 rushing yards, Edwards is the only player in Division I history (FCS or FBS) with at least 9,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards in a career and the only FCS player to reach the 8,000 passing/4,000 rushing plateau. He was responsible for 139 touchdowns in his career (74 passing, 65 rushing), highlighting his 64 ASU and 14 Southern Conference records.

Edwards is the only two-time winner of the Walter Payton Award — presented to the nation’s top FCS player — and the only four-time all-American in Appalachian history. He compiled a 42-7 record as a starter and led the Mountaineers to back-to-back national championships (2006 and ‘07) and four-straight SoCon titles.

He is the second Mountaineer in three years to earn an invitation to the NFL Combine. In 2008, wide receiver Dexter Jackson matched the fastest hand-timed 40-yard dash at the combine (4.27 seconds) to vault himself up most draft boards. He went on to be a second-round selection of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in that April’s NFL Draft.

THREE APPS RECEIVE ALL-AMERICA RECOGNITION FROM CSN: Headlined by Offensive Player of the Year Edwards, College Sporting News selected three Appalachian State University players to its 2009 Fabulous 50 All-America team. Joining Edwards on the CSN team are linebacker D.J. Smith (Charlotte, N.C./Independence) and safety Mark LeGree (Columbus, Ga./Pacelli Catholic).

In addition to the three Fab 50 selections, two Mountaineers — offensive lineman Mario Acitelli (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic) and wide receiver Matt Cline (Thomasville, N.C./Glenn) — received honorable-mention status.

DT SIGNS WITH ASU, ENROLLS FOR SPRING SEMESTER: Defensive tackle Chris Aiken officially became the first member of Appalachian class of 2010 newcomers when he signed a National Letter of Intent to attend ASU on Monday. Aiken, a defensive tackle who spent the past two seasons at Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, will begin classes at ASU when the new semester begins next Monday and will participate in spring practice drills with the Mountaineers beginning in late February or early March. He has two years of athletic eligibility remaining.

The 6-1, 300-pounder highlighted his two-year stint at Blinn by helping lead the Buccaneers to the 2009 National Junior College Athletic Association national championship. Aiken registered 27 tackles and a sack in eight games as a sophomore in ‘09.

Prior to his arrival at Blinn, Aiken spent five years in the United States Army and served two tours of duty in Iraq. The 25-year-old graduated from Regan High School in Austin, Texas when he was 17 and enlisted in the Army on his 18th birthday. He is the third Iraq war veteran to join the ASU football program following his military service, joining Marine Corps vets Wayne Norman (2005) and Brian Stokes (2005-06).

ELLIOTT LEAVES FOR SOUTH CAROLINA: Appalachian lost one of the longest-tenured and most valuable members of its coaching staff on Sunday when offensive line coach Shawn Elliott accepted a position as o-line coach and running game coordinator at the University of South Carolina.

Elliott, a Camden, S.C. native, spent 18 of the previous 19 years at ASU. He was a defensive end for the Mountaineers from 1991-95, earning all-conference recognition as a senior, and joined the coaching staff as a defensive assistant in 1997. After two years on the defensive side of the ball, he moved to offense as tight ends coach in 1999 and took over as offensive line coach in 2001.

ASU will begin a search for Elliott’s replacement immediately.

LMC Basketball Roundup: Bobcats Fall in Home Doubleheader to Anderson

courtesy Lees-McRae College Sports Information
BANNER ELK, N.C. - The Lees-McRae College women's basketball team fell to 1-2 in the Conference Carolinas and 1-6 overall in a 70-51 loss to the Anderson University Lady Trojans, who improved to 3-0 in the conference and 4-4 overall, in Williams Gymnasium Monday night

Anderson jumped out to an early 8-0 lead four minutes into the game on a Alissa Diaz made basket, but the Lady Bobcats quickly tied the game up at eight on a Lauren Casey three with 13:53 remaining in the half.

After four points from Anderson's Shanice Wilson, two on free-throws and a layup, and Lees-McRae basket by Casey to make the score 12-10 Anderson, the Lady Trojans went on a 17-2 run over a span of the next ten minutes to take a 29-12 lead. Jazzmin Tate ended the run with a three right before the half to cut into the Lady Trojan lead at half making it 29-15 at the half.

Coming out of the locker rooms, Anderson quickly pushed the lead to 20, 42-22, with 13:57 left to play. Anderson took a 26-point lead, their largest lead of the game twice in the second half. Once was on a Diaz jumper with 8:16 on the clock and the second on a Alexa Neal three with 4:41 to play. Lees-McRae would battle to cut the lead to 17 points, 68-51, on Candace Flowers three, but Maci Siniard would hit the game's final shot to give the Lady Trojans the 70-51 win.

Anderson outshot Lees-McRae from the floor hitting 41 percent, 23-of-56, of their shots, while Lees-McRae hit 36 percent 18-of-49, of their shots. However, the Lady Bobcats hit 50 percent of their threes, 7-14, while Anderson was 4-of-13 behind the arc for 30 percent.

Casey paced the Lady Bobcats with 12 points, and Flowers added 11 points and was the only other Lady Bobcat in double digits. Tate grabbed a team-high six rebounds.

Anderson put four scorers in double-digit. Ashley Abed led the Lady Trojans with 15 points, Wilson and Neal scored 14 points apiece, and Diaz added 11 points. Wilson led the team with four steals and four assists, while Siniard grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.

Anderson scored 20 points from the charity strip compared to eight for Lees-McRae, and the Lady Trojans used 28 Lady Bobcat turnovers to score 30 points. Lees-McRae scored six points off of 20 Anderson turnovers.

The Lady Bobcats will travel to Erskine College to take on the Flying Fleet of Erskine College January 7th.

Lees-McRae's Daniel Sepokas had a career-high 25 points to lead all scorers as the Bobcats fell to the Anderson University Trojans, 85-53, Monday night in a Conference Carolinas men's basketball game at Williams Gymnasium.

Sepokas led the Bobcats with his 25 points on by going 10-of-15 from the floor and 2-of-5 from behind the arc. He also led the team with five rebounds and four assists without turning the ball over. Sean Hardin was the only other Bobcat in double-digits with ten points.

For Anderson, Taylor Shugart paved the way with 19 points going 9-of-10 from the floor and hitting one of his four free throw attempts. Shugart and Trey Britton grabbed a team-high six rebounds. Oskars Ernsteins and Nick Trull scored 14 points apiece. Both players were 5-of-8 from the floor and 4-of-6 from three. Brandon Young had a game-high seven assists with zero turnovers, and Kevis Cornwell had five steals.

Anderson took an early 7-1 lead less than five minutes into the game and extended it to 12-3 at the 12 minute mark, but Lees-McRae would rally with a 7-2 run to cut the Trojan lead to 14-10 with just under ten minutes remaining in the could. From there, Anderson used a 13-2 run to take a 27-12 lead with just over five minutes to play in the half. Anderson would use an Ernsteins three push the lead to 22 points, 41-19, at the half.

Six minutes into the second half the Trojans had a 26-point lead, 55-27, and seven minutes later had their largest lead of the game, 36 points, to hold a 75-39 lead. The Trojans would finish the game up 85-53 for the win.

Lees-McRae will travel to Erskine College for their next game on January 7th.

Appalachian Football Assistant Coach Leaving Boone

Appalachian State offensive line coach Shawn Elliott has been named the offensive line coach at the University of South Carolina, according to a report Sunday on the University of South Carolina's official athletics website. Elliott replaces Eric Wolford, who accepted the head coaching position at Youngstown State University in December.

Elliott, 36, has coached his entire career at Appalachian State, where he helped the Mountaineers to three-straight national championships (2005-07). After earning his bachelor's degree from Appalachian State in 1996, he worked for two seasons as a defensive assistant, then two seasons as the tight ends coach before taking over the offensive line in 2001. Over the past nine seasons as the offensive line coach, Elliott's players have earned All-America distinction on 12 occasions. From 2005-07, he coached three-consecutive SoCon Jacobs Blocking Trophy recipients.

"We're thrilled to have Shawn Elliott join our coaching staff at South Carolina," said South Carolina Head Football Coach Steve Spurrier. "Shawn is a native of South Carolina and is excited about the opportunity to coach here. He has an outstanding record coaching the O-line and winning championships. He is ready for the next challenge and is excited about coaching in the SEC and in Division I football."

Elliott was the first player in Appalachian State history to appear in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs four separate seasons. He was a four-year letterwinner for the Black and Gold, helping the squad to two Southern Conference titles. He was a co-captain on the Mountaineer's 1995 squad that finished 12-1 while earning all-league distinction as a defensive end.

"I'm really excited about the opportunity to coach at South Carolina," said Elliott. "It will be a challenging job and one that I am looking forward to and embracing. I'm excited about getting there on Monday and hitting the ground running."

Avery Basketball at Polk Postponed; Weather Again Alters Wrestling Schedule

Due to the inclement weather in the area, Tuesday's basketball game in Columbus between Avery and Polk County has been postponed. A make-up date has been set for Thursday, January 7th. The Vikings are scheduled to travel to Swannanoa on Wednesday to play Owen, but weather may also affect this contest, and are scheduled to host Madison on Friday night, January 9th. Check here at the Blog for the very latest scheduling information.

In a related note, the recent trend of cold, snowy, and icy weather has prompted Avery High School's wrestling team to make further changes to its already edited schedule.

The dual meet with Mitchell that had been rescheduled to Wednssday, January 6th has been moved to January 14th. Avery's dual meet against Madison on January 8th is still on as scheduled, but Avery will not be making the trip to Fred T. Foard High School for the Tigerland Classic which had been rescheduled to Saturday, January 9th.

Musings and Ramblings: The Search for Character

As we close another decade in the sporting world, there seems to be an intertwining theme from athlete to athlete and from sport to sport. Over the past ten years, our favorite sports have been inundated with the specter of illegitimacy, lies, cheating, and other transgressions that shake the very foundational pillars of integrity among teams and players.

Across the wide gulf of the sports landscape, one need not look far to find examples of the sort of behavior from athletes that threaten what makes sports so enjoyable to watch and pleasurable to cover as a profession.

In American sports which pride themselves on honesty, integrity, and fair play, a plethora of bad press involving athletes plastered the headlines of both sports magazines and mainstream publications.

The BALCO doping affair in San Francisco which led to the demise of Marion Jones also shed negative light on the accomplishments of legendary slugger Barry Bonds, who broke records for single-season and career home runs under a cloud of controversy.

Bonds proved to be just one high-profile athlete whose name was connected with drug use. Stories became commonplace during the decade of additional baseball players allegedly using steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs in a storm of negative publicity for America’s Pastime. Well-known stars such as Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro, Jason Giambi, Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens, and Alex Rodriguez each at one time either admitted to or was alleged to have used performance enhancements to bolster their statistics or prolong their careers.

The National Basketball Association was rocked to its core when it was revealed that one of its own officials, Tim Donaghy, was entangled in a gambling ring and used his inside access for personal gain. The move cost Donaghy his freedom before his release from jail earlier this fall. The Association’s brightest star, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was involved in a court case when he was accused of and ultimately acquitted of sexual assault in Eagle, Colorado in 2003.

Even the National Football League has had to deal with off-the-field issues such as the Michael Vick dogfighting ring and the Plaxico Burress gun saga which brought a black eye to a league that puts great value upon its public image.

The decade ended with perhaps its most surprising character blow when Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer on the planet, drove his image deep into the woods when he was enveloped in a car accident on Thanksgiving night that bizarrely unraveled into a web of alleged multiple infidelities and marital strife.

Character compromise was not restricted to solely professional sports over the last decade. Marion Jones, who at the top of her game was a multiple gold medal winner in track and field at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, ended the decade in disgrace as allegations of doping were denied by Jones but later found to be accurate. The perjury cost Jones both her freedom for a time and her medals, which were stripped by the International Olympic Committee.

In 2002 another shot to the integrity of the Olympic Games, was fired. The 2002 bribery scandal and judging controversy in figure skating at Salt Lake City turned the Winter Games into a circus that eventually led to a new scoring system as well as a duplicate set of gold medals for Canadian pairs skaters Jamie Sale and David Pelletier.

The Little League World Series was not immune to the problem. Phenom pitcher Danny Almonte led his Bronx team to third place in the 2001 Little League World Series. For weeks rumors abounded that he was in fact much older than the required 12 years old. With a command of the mound well beyond his years and a blistering 70 miles per hour fastball, everyone everywhere was astounded by his ability, until it was revealed following private investigation that Almonte was actually 14 years old.

For all the stories of strife and blows to the integrity of sports through this past decade, there have thankfully been stories of triumph and character depth that instill hope that all has not been lost.

One of my favorite incidences from the past decade did not involve a Super Bowl player or a high-profile athlete. Instead it was the story of a girl who hit a home run but couldn’t run around the bases.

Western Oregon University softball player Sara Tucholsky hit her first home run during a college postseason game in 2008, but collapsed with shredded knee ligaments while tagging first base. If Tucholsky was unable to make it around the bases, she would be ruled out. If she was substituted, the hit would have only counted for a single, and receiving any physical assistance from teammates was against the rules.

Members of the Central Washington University softball team stunned their home crowd in Ellensburg by carrying Tucholsky around the bases so the three-run homer would count - an act that contributed to their own elimination from the playoffs.

Central Washington first baseman Mallory Holtman asked the umpire if she and her teammates could help Tucholsky. The umpire said there was no rule against it.

So Holtman and shortstop Liz Wallace put their arms under Tucholsky's legs, and she put her arms over their shoulders. The three headed around the base paths, stopping to let Tucholsky touch each base with her good leg. "It was the right thing to do," Holtman said in an interview later. "She'd hit it over the fence. She deserved the home run."

"It's kind of a big blur at the moment," Tucholsky said. "I didn't really realize what was going on until I actually had time to reflect on it. The only thing I remember is that Mallory asked me which leg was the one that hurt. I told her it was my right leg and she said, `OK, we're going to drop you down gently and you need to touch it with your left leg,' and I said `OK, thank you very much.' "

"In the end, it is not about winning and losing so much," Holtman said. "It was about this girl. She hit it over the fence and was in pain, and she deserved a home run."

This kind of story restores my hope that character is not lost in the games and sports we enjoy. My hope is that over the next ten years the inspiring and positive stories of character will far outweigh the scandals and negative indiscretions.

Lady Vikings Hold Off Draughn to Capture Christmas Holiday Invitational Championship

On Tuesday night, the Lady Vikings played for the Christmas Holiday Invitational Tournament title against the tourney host Draughn Lady Wildcats. Despite an ebb and flow of scoring and momentum shifts, the Lady Vikings stood tall in the end, earning the road victory by the final score of 62-55.

Avery raced out to an early lead, but Draughn battled back to draw within a pair of points at 15-13. In the second stanza, the teams played tough defense as Avery again extended a lead only to see Draughn anewer with a scoring run of its own. Avery held the lead at intermission, but only by one point at 27-26.

Following the halftime break, the Lady Vikings played with purpose and passion, quickly extending its thin margin to double-figures and carrying a 47-37 advantage into the final eight minutes of play.

Avery led by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter, but the home team Lady Wildcats would not quit, scoring ten straight points in a stretch of slightly over two minutes to draw to within four points at 57-53. The Lady Vikings tightened their defense to counteract the Wildcats, however, blocking multiple shots and effectively rebounding the basketball.

The Lady Vikings controlled the game from the charity stripe as they drew a number of fouls in the closing two minutes and hit their free throws down the stretch to take the seven-point decision.

Viking senior Lauren Avery garnered All-Tournament honors as she registered a double-double in the win with 12 points and ten rebounds in addition to four steals and three assists. Teammate Sara Wiseman scored a team-high 15 points, along with nine rebounds and five blocks.

Katelynn Eudy, Tournament Most Valuable Player, scored ten points with nine rebounds. Avery's other All-Tournament selection Hayley Pyatte reached double-figures on the night with 13 points, five assists, and three steals. Elyse Perry chipped in with eight points, eight assists, five rebounds, and three steals.

Both Avery's ladies and men's teams return to action next week with three contests. Avery travels to Polk County on Tuesday, hit the road to Owen on Wednesday, and return home to host Madison on Friday, January 8th.

Lady Vikings Rout Leesville Road, Face Draughn in Holiday Tourney Title Game

The Avery Lady Vikings basketball squad traveled to Draughn High School in Valdese to take part in the Draughn Holiday Invitational Tournament on Monday night. Each of the 12 Avery players scored in the lopsided 56-27 win over Raleigh's Leesville Road Lady Pride.

Despite having not practiced since Christmas Eve and going 11 days since its last game against West Wilkes, Avery showed little rust or ill effects, jumping out to a 16-2 run through the first quarter of action. Senior Hayley Pyatte paced the Big Red with three baskets in the period, while Elyse Perry and Katelynn Eudy poured in four points each in the frame.

The Lady Vikings blitzed the Lady Pride, using their full-court press defense and height advantage inside to generate offensive opportunities and additional shots off rebounds. Draughn managed to pull as close as 20-8 in the second quarter, but a 10-3 scoring run in the final five minutes of the first half put the contest out of reach.

Sara Wiseman tallied five points in the second period to help the Lady Vikes to a 30-11 halftime advantage. In the second half, Avery continued to pour it on. leading 44-21 after three periods en route to the 29-point win.

Wiseman led the Big Red onslaught with 11 points, nine rebounds, and three steals. Katelynn Eudy added 10 points, five steals, and three rebounds. Elyse Perry scored eight points with four steals and two assists, while Lauren Avery and Hayley Pyatte added six points apiece.

In the nightcap, host school Draughn's Lady Wildcats took an easy 82-47 victory over Burns High School.

Avery takes on tournament host Draughn High School Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m.

Middle School Fall and Winters Sports All-Conference Selections Announced

With the fall and winter sports completed, the Toe River Conference has named its middle school All-Conference squads for the school year’s sports thus far.

In football, the Avery Middle School Panthers placed seven student-athletes on the squad: Quarterbacks/wide receivers Chance Watson and Ty Polsgrove, as well as Luke Price, Scott Wiseman, Harley Rash, Hunter Johnson, and Chase Buchanan were named to the team.

Cranberry Middle School named a trio of players to the football All-Conference team, as Stetson Stafford, Harley Foster, and Jonah Tenge were named to the squad.

In girls volleyball, the conference tournament champion Avery Middle School Lady Panthers were well represented on the All-Conference team as Haley Woody, Juanita Guzman, and Shannon Smith were named All-Conference, while Ciara Laws, Breanna Heaton, and Lauren Burleson were selected as All-Tournament.

The Cranberry Lady Wildcats also placed multiple players on the All-Conference and All-Tournament teams. Katie Rigdon and Bethany Burleson were tabbed All-Conference for the Lady Wildcats, while McKenzie Hayes and Dani Carpenter were honored as All-Tournament.

Cranberry and Avery both achieved success on the basketball floor this past season, as noted by the number of players named to the respective post-season teams.

For the Wildcats, Tyler Pittman was named All-Conference in boys basketball, while the girls’ team was represented by Katie Rigdon and Bethany Burleson. Abby Thompson was named to the girls All-Tournament team, while Stetson Stafford was selected for the boys All-Tournament squad.

The Avery Middle School basketball teams also placed a number of players to the teams. Chance Watson and Chase Buchanan were named to the boys All-Conference team, while Buchanan and Ty Polsgrove made the All-Tournament team.

The Toe River Conference regular season and tournament champion Lady Panthers from Avery were well represented with postseason honors. Shannon Smith, Lauren Burleson, and Breanna Heaton got the All-Conference nod, while Haley Woody joined Burleson and Heaton on the ladies All-Tournament team.

Congratulations to the county’s middle school athletics programs on a terrific 2009 fall and winter sports season!

Lady Vikings Basketball in Action at Draughn Holiday Tournament

The Avery Lady Vikings varsity basketball team will return to the hardwood this afternoon at the Draughn Holiday Tournament in Burke County. Avery will take the floor today at 6 p.m. against the Pride from Leesville Road High School in Raleigh. The nightcap features host Draughn taking on perennial 2A power Burns High School at 8 p.m.

Losers of today's doubleheader of games will square off on Tuesday evening at 6 p.m., while the winners will meet in the tournament championship game at 8 p.m.

Hometown Johnson Quietly Makes Noise in ACC

By: Matt Laws (matt.laws@averyjournal.com)

Avery County native Paul Johnson is making waves in the ACC as his Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets claimed the ACC Championship. However, Johnson didn’t always see himself as a coach when he was growing up in Newland.

“I don’t know if I ever really thought about it,” Johnson said on if he thought of being a coach when he was a child. “That is something that you don’t really ever think about. I think when you’re growing up and you’re smaller, you probably just think about playing all the time, because that is what you want to think about as opposed to coaching. As I got older and progressed, I realized I wanted to be a coach.”

That transition to coaching couldn’t have gone any better for Johnson. After stops at Avery County High School, Lees-McRae College, Georgia Southern, Hawaii, and Navy as an assistant coach, Johnson finally got his chance to be a head coach in 1997 when he went to Georgia Southern. There, the Eagles marched to a 62-10 record in Johnson’s tenure that included two straight national titles as well as five straight Southern Conference titles. In 2002, Johnson took over a Navy program where his reign saw the Midshipmen beat Notre Dame for the first time since 1963 as well as five straight bowl bids and Commander-in-Chief’s trophies. The success along the way led to Johnson being selected just the 12^th coach in Georgia Tech history.

“Once my coaching career started, I was fortunate to work around some good people and had some great players and had some success fairly early and moved up the ladder pretty quickly,” Johnson said. “So it worked out.”

At Georgia Tech, Johnson has led the Ramblin’ Wreck to two straight bowl games including an Orange Bowl berth this season as a result of an 11-2 season and being ACC champions. However, an ACC title was not unexpected for Johnson or his team.

“That is the ultimate goal,” Johnson said. “I think that is what you are shooting for. We were disappointed we tied for our division the first year with Virginia Tech and lost on the tie breaker. This year, we were fortunate enough to win the division and championship game. Certainly, that is what you are trying to do when the season starts.”

In the Orange Bowl, Georgia Tech will face a stiff challenge from the Big 10 in Iowa. The Hawkeyes were in early national title contention until a couple of late season losses when quarterback Ricky Stanzi fell to injury. The Hawkeyes are currently ranked 10^th in the AP poll, a spot behind the Ramblin’ Wreck.

“We know that they are going to be a good team,” Johnson said. “Anytime you play a team in the top ten, all of them are pretty good. We have to get ready to play and it will be a challenge to get ready for them.”

The Orange Bowl is on January 5th. As a winner of two national championships at Georgia Southern, Johnson has had experience on both sides of the BCS debate, and he made it clear which of the two systems he preferred.

“I’d like to have a playoff system if they could figure out how to do it,” Johnson said. “I think that is the best way to do it. We are the only sport in the NCAA that doesn’t have one so I think they will eventually have one rather it be a plus-one or a four or eight team playoff. I think they will eventually have one. It’s coming; it’s just a matter of time.”

Overall, Johnson looks to the build the Yellow Jackets into a national champion, regardless of what playoff system is used.

“We are just in the progress of trying to build a program that can compete for a national championship,” Johnson said. “We still got some work to do, but we have made a lot of progress in year two. Hopefully we can remain consistent and keep getting better.”

Despite the coaching success, Johnson hasn’t forgotten his hometown roots. The Georgia Tech coaching staff hosted Avery High School’s football coaches.

“It’s always fun,” Johnson said. “They came down to a clinic and came down to practice. You want to try and help them anyway you can, and certainly they are welcome to come here and we will share whatever we got.

You always pull for your hometown school and I hope they do well.”

In addition to the Avery staff, Georgia Tech also hosted Appalachian coach Jerry Moore and staff for a couple of days in the spring. Even though Johnson is coaching in a BCS conference, it doesn’t mean he has forgotten about Avery County.

“I think you always have a soft spot for the place that you grew up,” Johnson said. “There are a lot of great people there, and we enjoy getting back there whenever we can.”

The Avery Journal-Times would like to thank Coach Johnson for granting us a phone interview as well as Dean Buchan in the Georgia Tech Sports Information for all of his assistance.