AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM... HOLMES CONVOCATION CENTER

We are LIVE on a cloudy Saturday afternoon on campus at Appalachian State University in Boone for a key Southern Conference basketball matchup between the ASU Mountaineers and the Western Carolina Catamounts.

There may not be an Old Mountain Jug on the line today, but that doesn't mean there aren't ramifications tied into the outcome of today's contest. ASU stands at 10-8 overall, with 1-3 record in conference play, while Western Carolina is 15-3, with a 5-1 conference record.

Among WCU's highlights of their tremendous season thus far was a 91-83 win at Louisville, with its only losses this season coming at Texas, at Clemson, and at Georgia Southern. Appalachian is 3-1 in its last four games, with wins at Davidson and wins at home over Elon and UNC-Greensboro.

Some further tidbits on this afternoon's game:

• Western Carolina's seniors have never won at the Holmes Center in their collegiate careers. including team's leading scorer and former Pisgah HS standout Jake Robinson who averages a team-high 12.9 points per game and scored a team-high 20 points off the bench in Western's last game Wednesday at Davidson.

• Appalachian is 7-2 at home this season, and head coach Buzz Peterson is a perfect 10-0 against Western.
  
  
• WCU and ASU are the top two scoring teams in the Southern Conference. Western averages 75.4 ppg, while ASU is just behind them at 72.9 points per contest.
  
  
• Appalachian had won 10 straight games in the series prior to an 89-84 loss in Cullowee last season. The Mountaineers have won more games over Western (108) than they have against any other opponent.

We'll be tipping off from Holmes around 3:30 pm this afternoon. Today's game is not being televised, so we'll be providing updates throughout today's game.

Appalachian State's women's team is hosting Davidson prior to this afternoon's men's game, and the ASU football team is featured today with autograph sessions and special recognitions throughout the afternoon in Boone. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading!

Update #1: Appalachian's women's team just defeated Davidson 72-61 in the precursor to this afternoon's men's contest. Four Lady Mountaineers scored in double figures as ASU improves to 10-9 overall and 6-4 in the SoCon.

Update #2: Western starts the game on an 8-0 run before an ASU timeout. 17:13 left in the opening half and the Catamounts have the early 8-0 advantage.

Update #3: We've reached the first media timeout and the Mountaineers have cut into the Western lead. At the 15:25 mark the Catamounts hold a 10-6 edge. Four minutes have elapsed and with 11:39 left in the half the Catamounts lead it 16-9. A pair of WCU players have a pair of fouls trying to battle ASU's Ike Butts on the block. It may become a greater issue as the game progresses.

Update #4: Neither team shoots well for a stretch of a couple of minutes. Lots of physical play and the refs are letting the players play. Western maintains a five point edge at 21-16 with 6:55 to play in the half. Kellen Brand leads the Mountaineers with nine points thus far, while Brandon Giles has 10 to lead the Catamounts.

Update #5: 3:50 left in the first half and Western leads App 25-22. Western has hit the offensive glass hard thus far in the half with a 9-2 edge, but the team also has two players with three fouls and another frontcourt player with a pair of fouls. ASU comes out of the media timeout with five straight points from Donald Sims to take its first lead of the game at 27-25, prompting a Western time out. 2:59 to play in the first half of action.

Update #6: At halftime the Mountaineers hold a 35-33 lead. A Donald Sims drive-and-dish to Marcus Wright for a three-pointer as time expired gave App the edge at intermission. Donald Sims and Kellen Brand lead the Mountaineers with 11 points apiece, with 13 points by Brandon Giles to lead the Catamounts.

At halftime the ASU athletics department recognized of the greatest all-time ASU players from its football history, dating back from the early 90s to the team's most recent run of 3 national titles and five consecutive Southern Conference championships.

Western Carolina shot 33% from the field for the first half, while ASU shot the basketball at 42.9% from the field. Western holds a 23-18 rebounding advantage through 20 minutes.

Second half coming up!

Update #7: The game is tied at 41-41 with 15:44 left in the game. The game continues to be physical and Western continues to generate multiple shots on the offensive end of the floor. ASU has done a good job with creating turnovers, but have not been as effective at getting second-chance opportunities at the basket.

Update #8: Appalachian has shot the basketball well in the second half but only lead by a single point at 51-50 with 11:59 to play. Western has done a superb job of crashing the offensive glass, holding a 13-3 advantage on the offensive boards. Marcus Wright has scored 9 points off the bench for the Mountaineers, while Donald Sims leads ASU with 18 for the game thus far.

Update #9: A 9-2 Mountaineer scoring run gives ASU its largest lead of the game at 60-52, forcing a Western time out with 9:42 to play.

Update #10: ASU leads 62-56 with 7:39 left in the game. Both teams have multiple players with three or more fouls. Crunch time coming up in this Southern Conference showdown!

Update #11: Final media timeout of the game comes with 3:13 to play. Appalachian leads 75-69 and Donald Sims has heated up offensively, leading all scorers with 25 points. Marcus Wright has 13 off the bench, with 17 points from Kellen Brand. Richie Gordon has 12 points for Western, but also has four fouls. Both Josh Hunter and Ike Butts have four fouls apiece for the Mountaineers.

Update #12: A Jake Robinson three-pointer cuts the deficit to 81-74 Appalachian with 1:21 to play. ASU missed a pair of free throws and have also committed an offensive foul to give Western the basketball back on offense. 1:02 left to play and ASU holds a seven-point lead. High drama in Boone!

Update #13: Appalachian's defense comes up big in the end, as 28 points from Donald Sims leads the Apps to an 87-74 win over Western Carolina. Brand finishes with 19 points, with 15 from Wright. Jake Robinson scores 11 for the Catamounts, with 18 from Giles. ASU improves to 11-8 overall, 5-3 in SoCon play, while Western falls to 15-4, 5-2 in SoCon play. That'll do it from Boone. Thanks for reading!

Avery Vikings Sports ON for This Evening

Avery High School's basketball games at Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy are ON for this evening (Friday). Since TJCA has no junior varsity basketball program, the night will tip off with varsity girls action beginning at 6 p.m. from Mooresboro. Varsity boys action will take place following the girls' contest.

Also Avery's home wrestling match against Thomas Jefferson will take place as scheduled this evening at Viking Gymnasium. Mat action begins at 6 p.m.

Avery Basketball at West Wilkes POSTPONED TODAY

According to word from Avery men's basketball head coach Bo Manis, the scheduled basketball games this afternoon in Miller's Creek between Avery and West Wilkes have been POSTPONED for this afternoon (1/21) due to freezing rain and icy conditions in the High Country. No reschedule date has been set. It is possible that since the games are non-conference, they may not be made up.

We'll have reschedule info as we get it.

Trotman Named SoCon Wrestler of the Week

(courtesy Appalachian Sports Information)
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Appalachian State University wrestler Austin Trotman (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) was named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week for all events from Jan. 13-19, the conference office announced Wednesday.

Trotman went 4-0 on the week with a pin and defeated the No. 21 ranked wrestler in the country. Trotman wrestled two matches each on Thursday and Sunday, beating UNC Greensboro’s Andrew Saunders 15-8 in his first match on Thursday before defeating No. 21 Mike Salopek 10-6. Trotman continued his domination on Sunday when he earned his second pin of the year with a first period triumph over Franklin & Marshall’s Matt Latessa. Trotman finished the week with a forfeit victory over Belmont Abbey.

Since moving up a weight class to 184 on Jan. 4, the Winston-Salem native is 5-1 and recorded his first two pins of the season. He is currently on a five-match winning streak.

It is the second time in his career that Trotman has won Wrestler of the Week, winning it last year. With his 4-0 week, Trotman catapulted into the national ranking at No. 19 in the latest Amateur Wrestling News poll.

Trotman and the Mountaineers are back in action tonight as they travel to Gardner-Webb to take on the Bulldogs and NC State.

Middle School Grapplers Return to Mat for Wrestling Action

The Avery Middle School wrestling team shook off a long period of inactivity following the holidays and inclement weather with conference and regional matches.

Avery Middle School journeyed to Mitchell High School last Thursday for a dual meet with the combined Mitchell County middle school squad. Avery had only had one full practice within the past three weeks due to inclement weather as well as the holidays, but the team still wrestled hard as Mitchell captured a 63-18 win.

Three Panthers were victorious with pins in three matches during the night’s action. Harley Rash won at 112 pounds, while Zack Freeman captured the win at 119 pounds and Colby Flynn pinned his opponent at 160 pounds to take care of business.

“The guys have come to practice and take it seriously. We had only one day to prepare for this match. We lost the match but we did well,” Avery Middle School wrestling coach Daniel Jimenez said after the evening’s bouts. “We’re progressing well despite having such a long time without wrestling. We had some kids get pinned, but many of the matches went to the third period.”

Avery’s wrestling squad, comprised of student-athletes from both Avery Middle and Cranberry Middle School, offers a precursor of the teamwork that is expected once those students advance into the high school ranks.

“The team has worked on its moves and has really stepped up,” Coach Jimenez added. “These kids will be excellent contributors and have a lot of potential toward the high school level. The kids are green but they continue to learn and work extremely hard.”

An excitement over the potential of today’s middle school student-athletes is shared among all the members of the coaching staff.

“We’ve impressed quite a bit during the year, and a lot of the guys have progressed and improved from practice to practice,” Panthers coach Jesse Pope said of the squad. “Technically, they’re wrestling as well as any other middle school team we’ve wrestled, but I believe they’re a strong group of wrestlers and we’re excited to send our eighth graders up to compete at the high school next season.”

Avery Junior Varsity Basketball Roundup

Avery’s junior varsity squads played its first full week of action since prior to the holidays. The Vikings took on long-time rivals in Western Highlands Conference play in the Mountain Heritage Cougars and Mitchell Mountaineers renewed acquaintances with the Big Red.

JV Girls:
The Avery Lady Vikings enjoyed a successful week on the hardwood, building a win streak, evening its season record, and seizing control of first place in the Western Highlands Conference.

On Wednesday evening Avery hosted Mountain Heritage in a snow-delayed makeup contest, defeating the Lady Cougars going away by a 60-28 final score.

Avery built a 13-3 lead after one period, only to see the pesky Lady Cougars cut the deficit to four points at 20-16 at halftime. After intermission the Lady Viking defense surrendered only 12 points, while the Big Red offense shifted into high gear with 40 points over the final two quarters.

The Viking defense and the shooting of guard Kelsie Clarke sparked the rout as she tallied 33 points in the win (20 in the second half) to go with five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Monica Estep added nine points, three rebounds and three steals. Brooke Buchanan chipped in with six points and six rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.

“We played as badly the first half as we’ve played all year. We changed some things up and switched from a zone defense to a full court, man-to-man defense. I was upset after the first half effort and the team responded,” JV head girls coach Pat Daniels said after the game. “We had three girls in foul trouble, but we moved our feet on defense and they responded well. We played a little uptight and rushed some shots, but we loosened up after halftime.”

On Friday night the Lady Vikings traveled to nearby Ledger to take on border rival Mitchell. Avery built a double-digit lead over the Lady Mountaineers in the first quarter and dominated the balance of the game as the Lady Vikings cruised to a 68-36 victory.

The duo of Kelsie Clarke and Brooke Buchanan shredded the Mitchell defense for a combined 19 of Avery’s 22 first-period points. Avery led 22-10 after one quarter and took a 38-18 advantage to the locker room at halftime.

Clarke continued to score in bunches through the second half and was aided by contributions from teammates Buchanan and Megan Dellinger. Avery led 51-26 after three quarters and won going away.

Clarke tallied 28 points to lead the Big Red, to go with four assists and a pair of steals. Dellinger scored 12 points, with a double-double of 10 points, 10 rebounds, five blocked shots, three assists, and two steals from Brooke Buchanan. Shayna Vance narrowly missed being a fourth player in double-figures as she scored eight.

“Brooke had an absolutely awesome game and Kelsie continues to shoot the ball well,” Coach Daniels said after the win. “We have switched up a couple of things defensively and have gone to a man-to-man press which our girls are better with. They had nine sophomores which worried me, but we truly have a solid team from top to bottom. I was really proud of how the girls stepped up tonight through their hustle and play.”

Avery’s girls evened its mark at 4-4 with the win, and sit in first place in conference play with a 3-0 record.

JV Boys:
The Avery junior varsity boys team tried to build off its recent victory over Madison, but met a pair of tough opponents in Mountain Heritage and Mitchell.

On Wednesday Avery hosted Heritage in Viking Gym but was unable to claim victory as the Cougars upended the Vikings by a 45-25 final margin.

Both teams started the game slow as the Vikings could manage only two points in the first quarter. Heritage fared little better but held an 8-2 advantage after the opening stanza.

The Cougars managed to extend their lead slightly in the second quarter. Only three Avery players, Dustin Clark, Bryce Pittman, and Lane Smith, scored in the first half as the Big Red trailed 16-8 at halftime.

Once both coaches made adjustments at halftime, the offenses for both teams picked up. Smith sparked Avery with seven of his team-high nine points in the third quarter. Unfortunately for the home team, Mountain Heritage outscored Avery 14-11 in the stanza to increase its margin yet again to 30-19. The Vikings could not forge a rally to cut the Cougar cushion as Mountain Heritage escaped Newland with the win.

Smith added six rebounds to his point total. No other Avery player scored over four points in the loss, and 23 turnovers hampered Avery’s hopes for a win over the Cougars.

“We need to box out better. Offensively we have to do a better job of running the floor and looking up the floor,” junior varsity boys head coach Reggie Oakes said after the game. “Patience in the half-court set is important as well. Those were three points of emphasis that we need to improve on.”

On Friday night the Vikings traveled to Ledger to take on the Mitchell Mountaineers. The two teams played a tight, low-scoring first half as neither team could build a lead of more than two or three possessions.

Mitchell slowly pushed its lead forward in the third quarter to build a lead of eight to ten points. The Vikings worked to narrow the gap but second-chance opportunities on the offensive end and a tough Mountaineer defense repelled any chance for a come-from-behind victory as Mitchell took a 38-30 victory.

“Defensively I thought we played good team defense. Offensively we had some good looks but they just didn’t fall,” Coach Oakes said following the loss. “We need to work on crashing the boards. I’d like to see us run the floor a little better and have better spacing on our secondary break.

Avery hosted Owen earlier this week in conference action with both junior varsity clubs picking up victories. The teams travel to West Wilkes to play this Thursday.

Lady Vikings Crush Cougars; Winning Streak Snapped at Mitchell

The Avery Lady Vikings completed a busy week of round ball action with two games against rival schools.

On Wednesday, January 13^th, the Lady Vikings took a close game with Mountain Heritage and used a 23-14 second period scoring differential as a springboard to a rout, downing the Lady Cougars 71-49.

The win with the 11^th in a row for the Lady Vikings, but the victorious roll came to an abrupt end in Ledger Friday night. The state-ranked Mitchell Lady Mountaineers used smothering defense to hold the Lady Vikings to half its season scoring average, holding Avery to 16 percent shooting in a 47-32 loss.

In the contest at Viking Gym against the Cougars, Avery had a distinct height advantage, using its tall frontline and rebounding ability to generate second shots and score from inside. Heritage kept the pressure on early, however, as the game was tied at 13 after one quarter.

In the second stanza the Avery offense fired on all cylinders. The Vikings were hitting shots, which in turn triggered their full-court press defense that generated numerous turnovers on the young Cougars backcourt. Nine baskets in the second quarter, led by ten points from senior guard Elyse Perry helped Avery pull out to a 36-27 lead at halftime.

As the second half ensued, Avery cooled somewhat shooting from the field, but worked inside to score or get to the foul line. The Lady Vikings were a perfect 8 for 8 from the free throw line in the third stanza and further extended its lead to double figures at 52-36 after three quarters.
An otherwise dominant night for Avery was tempered somewhat when guard Hayley Pyatte was helped off the floor in the third quarter with an apparent knee injury. Pyatte was unable to return against the Cougars and missed Friday’s game at Mitchell. According to head coach Missy Lyons, Pyatte may return to action within a week.

The Lady Cougars struggled to score with any consistency on Avery for the balance of the night. Katelynn Eudy was dominant in the paint on the offensive end of the floor for the Big Red, scoring 11 points in the second half to spark the Avery offensive juggernaut en route to a 71-49 win.

Avery shot 44 percent from the field for the game, while the defense held Mountain Heritage to just 30 percent shooting. Four Lady Vikings scored double-figures, led by 18 points, four rebounds, and four assists from Katelynn Eudy. Sara Wiseman added 17 points, 17 rebounds, and eight blocked shots. Elyse Perry scored a season-high 16 points with six assists and four steals, while Lauren Avery added a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Brittany Frye led Mountain Heritage with 11 points and five rebounds.

“Heritage came and shoot the ball well, and we felt like we had to keep pressuring them and keep running them which we were able to do. We scored with the ball and we made them work pretty hard by the end of the game,” Avery varsity girls head coach Missy Lyons said after the win. “Katelynn played an awesome game and was really aggressive. We had great balance scoring which was an awesome job. It was a rough and physical game, as both Hayley and Mercedes Bentley were banged up.”

Friday’s much-anticipated showdown in Ledger against the Mitchell Lady Mountaineers was a defensive duel. Mitchell jumped out to an early lead and established its presence in the paint. All-conference performer Laken Norris tallied a pair of baskets in the period, along with six points from 5’7” junior Emily Glenn. Avery was able to find its shot offensively, knocking down just two of its first 11 shots and 5 of its 27 shots in the entire first half.

Mitchell led 16-7 after the first period, but the Avery defense did not allow the Lady Mountaineers the luxury of a large lead. The Lady Vikings held Mitchell to 3 of 15 shooting in the second quarter, which gave Avery an opportunity to get the offense untracked. Unfortunately the Big Red was just 3 for 16 shooting themselves, and Mitchell held a 24-14 lead at halftime.

Mary Chesnut Smith led Avery with four points off the bench in the first half as the team struggled to put points on the scoreboard.

“We set a team goal of 15 points per quarter and didn’t meet that. Scoring was an issue and our shooting was just terrible,” Coach Lyons said after the game. “A couple of our leading scorers didn’t even have a basket in the game. Missing a lot of shots around the basket early on became frustrating to us.”

Avery made a total of nine shots for the entire contest, while Mitchell almost doubled the total with 17 made field goals. The Lady Mountaineers extended its lead to 37-21 after three quarters behind a combined ten points from Glenn and Norris.

The Vikings tried to rally in the fourth quarter with 11 points, but Mitchell was content with its large lead to run time off the clock with long possessions. The Lady Mountaineers were 8 of 11 from the free throw line in the final quarter to hold Avery at bay and hand the Lady Vikings their first conference loss of the season.

Lauren Avery led the Lady Vikes with eight points and six rebounds, while Mary Chesnut Smith and Mercedes Bentley each poured in six points off the bench. Sara Wiseman scored five points with nine rebounds and three assists.

“I felt like we did a good job defensively in holding Mitchell to just 47 points and Laken Norris to 12 points. On our end we executed well and got shots and looks we wanted, but not scoring took us out of our press a bit,” Coach Lyons stated. “Laken played great defense and took away our long pass, and we did play shorthanded without Hayley. I think we played out of our tempo and we just weren’t ready for it.”

Emily Glenn led the Lady Mountaineers with 18 points and four rebounds. Norris added 12 points, six rebounds, and eight steals, with seven points, five assists and five steals from Autumn Thompson.

“We played four games within a week, and I think that took out part of our preparation time. Four big conference games in the week may have played a factor in what happened,” Coach Lyons said. “I felt our post players would be our advantage, and their post players just outplayed us. I told the girls we played so well against Watauga that I felt like we could be competitive against Mitchell’s, but we just didn’t rise to the occasion. Hopefully we can learn from it and do a much better job against them next time. I still feel like that is our best advantage there in the post area. We took care of the basketball, but just missed too many shots.”

Avery hosted Owen on Tuesday night and sneaked out a narrow 54-52 win over the Warlassies to improve to 12-2 on the season. The Lady Vikings will travel to take on West Wilkes this Thursday and make a road trip to Thomas Jefferson Academy on Friday.

Viking Step onto Mat for Busy Week of Competition

Following an extended period of inactivity aside from practices between weather events, the Avery wrestling team returned to the gym to begin in earnest the 2010 portion of its schedule.

On Wednesday evening Avery journeyed to Burnsville to take on the Mountain Heritage Cougars, falling by a respectable score of 48-30 in dual meet action. Avery surrendered six forfeits in the fourteen bout event, but captured more pinfall wins during the match.

Victors in the Wednesday tangle included Lucas Lecka, who started the evening at 215 pounds and pinned Marcus DiCristino. In addition, Brock Yackey (119 pounds), Devin Buchanan (125 pounds), and Nick Malgadey (130 pounds) each earned wins by pin over their Cougar counterparts.

“Experience and forfeits is still a major deal for us. Our upper weights suffered a little bit but our lower weights came through with pins, and there’s not much more you can ask for,” Avery head wrestling coach Stacey Clark said after the dual meet. “

On Thursday evening Avery traveled to Ledger to make up a previously scheduled wrestling match with Mitchell. It was a rough go of it for the Big Red, as the squad fell 66-9 to a strong 1A Mountaineers.

The Vikings gained only two victories for the match, as Colton Blackburn won his match by second period pin at the heavyweight class and Brock Yackey defeated Colton McKinney by a 7-4 decision in the evening’s final bout at 125 pounds. Winners for the Mountaineers included Andrew Renfro, Serjio Littleton, Nate Brooks, Max Glenn, Steve Bomar, Jubal Church, Dayshawn Blackmon, Shawn Jackson, Kevin Hall, Matthew Sullins and Logan McKinney.

“We didn’t match up well personnel-wise against Mitchell. Having Nick (Malgadey) wrestling at 125 pounds would have been a bigger advantage opposed to 130 pounds,” Coach Clark said after the matches. “I thought Colton wrestled well. Brock wrestled really well on his feet but struggled a little on bottom, but we’ve continued to work on that and he’s improving in that area.”

On Friday evening the wrestling squad took six grapplers to Robbinsville for the following day’s James Orr Memorial Invitational Tournament, also traditionally called the Far West Invitational.

Around a dozen schools of varying sizes sent teams to the southwestern corner of North Carolina to test themselves in the day-long event.

Each Avery wrestler had the opportunity to wrestle a minimum of two matches during the tournament. Colton Blackburn wrestled hard in a pair of matches on Saturday morning, but came up short in the matches via pinfall, while teammate Kyle Greene finished with a 1-2 mark for the day, winning one match by forfeit and losing a narrow 7-4 decision in his final match of the tournament.

Each of the remaining four Vikings wrestlers competed in at least three matches and managed to gain at least a fourth-place finish. Devin Buchanan captured fourth place at 128 pounds, winning matches over Hayesville’s Paul Roach and Cherokee’s Billy Brady each by pin.

Viking senior Brock Yackey brought home a third place finish at the 122 pound weight class as he won three of his four matches on the day, the first by pinfall and the latter two by decision.

Avery placed a pair of grapplers in the Saturday evening championship matches. Nick Malgadey defeated Murphy’s Samuel McCoy to start the day and won by pin, then defeated McDowell’s Tyrell Burel by a 14-2 major decision. Nick was unable to capture the first-place medallion in the 133 pound classification, however, losing a hard fought bout to tournament champion Devin Nichols from West Wilkes.

Lucas Lecka also reached the championship match in the Orr Invitational, earning a second-place ribbon at the 218 pound class.

Lecka advanced to the championship semis with a forfeit victory and punched his ticket to the championship by pinning West Wilkes’ Cody Lefler. Lecka squared off with Colby White from host Robbinsville and wrestled a hotly contested match.

Lecka and White battled for three long periods and were tied at 3-3 with just five seconds left in the bout. White managed a takedown just before time expired to win by the bout score of 5-3.

“We brought the kids to the Robbinsville tournament as we continue to work on both team and individual successes in spite of not having a large number of wrestlers on the team,” Coach Clark said after the tournament. “The Far West let us get a good look at our regional competition and see what areas we need to work on. After three conference duals coming up this week, we’ll get some time between now and regionals to work on things we need to. I felt most of our guys wrestled to their ability to this point. I thought both of our guys wrestling in the finals made a couple of mistakes in their matches, but overall they wrestled to their ability and did well.”

The Vikings traveled to Owen on Tuesday for a dual meet, will journey to Madison for a dual match on Thursday, then will host Thomas Jefferson this Friday evening for a dual meet.

Watauga High School to Host 2010 Shrine Bowl Combine

The Asheville Citizen-Times reports that Watauga High School will be one of the host schools for the 2010 Shrine Bowl Combines. Details are listed below:

2010 NORTH CAROLINA SHRINE BOWL COMBINES

Purpose: To provide opportunity for high school football players demonstrate skills needed for athletic scholarships and possible Shrine Bowl selection.

Rising seniors should bring videos for the Shrine Bowl Staff to evaluate.

Who: Rising 12th graders are eligible to attend.

Dates and Schools:
APRIL 17TH BUTLER HIGH SCHOOL (MATTHEWS NC)
APRIL 24TH WATAUGA HIGH SCHOOL (BOONE NC)
MAY 1ST EASTERN ALAMANCE HIGH SCHOOL (MEBANE NC)
MAY 8TH SOUTH CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL (WINTERVILLE NC)

Times:
REGISTRATION FOR KICKERS, PUNTERS, AND LONG SNAPPERS 9:30 AM
REGISTRATION FOR POSITION PLAYERS 10:00 AM
KICKERS START TIME 10:00 AM
POSITION PLAYERS START TIME: 11:00 AM

Cost: $20.00 per player-High School Coaches and spectators will be admitted free. Each player will receive a T-shirt and unmatched exposure.

There will be no checks accepted at any of the combines, cash only please. There will be a responsible person at each combine to take up money.

To be measured:
1. Height
2. Weight

To be tested:
1. Vertical Jump
2. 40 Yard Dash
3. Pro Agility Shuttle
4. Bench Press Rep.
(All Position Players Will Rep 185 As Many Times As They Can.)

To be evaluated:
1. Each position player will work with coaches at his position and go through a series of football related drills.

Important Information:
2. Some events may change according to equipment available.
3. Please be on time: We are going to be on a tight schedule.

Shrine Bowl Combine Coordinator: Jim Bob Bryant (252) 717-8681

Avery Falls Victim to Late Heritage Surge, Rallies on Road to Defeat Rival Mitchell

The Avery varsity boys basketball team found itself in a pair of conference battles as it continues to gain respect from teams across the Western Highlands Conference. The Big Red hung tough with a talented and deep Mountain Heritage Cougars squad Wednesday night January 13^th, only to see the tandem of Steven Wilson and John Cannon carry Heritage to a 71-63 victory.

On Friday night in Ledger the Vikings fell behind Mitchell early and rallied to take a lead before halftime, but fell behind again by as many as seven points in the second half. A late surge, bolstered by a 30-point, 11 rebound, eight assist effort from junior Dustin Clarke was enough to erase a deficit and carry the Vikings to a 69-66 win over its southern rival.

In Wednesday night’s game it was the Cougars who pounced on an early lead. Junior 6’11” center John Cannon scored nine points in the quarter and Avery had difficulty finding answers for the Division I recruit’s size advantage. Cannon also blocked a number of shots defensively, helping the Cougars establish a 19-14 lead after eight minutes.

Mountain Heritage cooled off shooting from the field while the Vikings found their touch. Dustin Clarke netted ten points in the frame as Avery cut the Heritage lead to a single point at 35-34 at halftime.

The two teams remained close on the scoreboard through the entire third quarter. The duo of Cannon and senior Steven Wilson accounted for 15 of the Cougars’ 19 points in the stanza. Avery’s Joey Potter got free offensively during the period for six points and teammate Dylan Eppley pitched in with a couple of field goals to keep Avery within three points at 54-51 after three quarters.

Avery cut the Heritage lead to as little as two points at 57-55 with 4:45 left to play in the game, but eight points from Wilson and another six points from Cannon proved to be just enough. Avery was 0 for 6 from the three-point line in the final quarter, hampering any chance to draw close in the game’s final stages.

The Vikings were paced by 22 points, eight rebounds, five steals, and five assists from Dustin Clarke, with 11 points and four rebounds from Dylan Eppley and nine points from Joey Potter. Cannon finished with a game-high 28 points, 11 rebounds, and nine blocks for Heritage, with 23 points, 14 rebounds, and three assists from Wilson.

“Was that not a fun game to watch?” Avery head coach Bo Manis said immediately after the game. “I was excited about the love the kids on the floor showed for the game of basketball. They gave everything they’ve got. The breakdowns and problems we had in crucial moments we can fix, but we played hard and played well against a good team tonight.

As the team matures together, it still seeks to iron out areas which still occasionally raise up during the course of a game.

“It’s like we discussed last week, we need to keep a consistent intensity on offense, especially in key moments of the game. Those things will get us over the hump,” Coach Manis stated.

In Friday’s showdown at Mitchell, the Vikings found themselves playing catch-up from the early moments. Avery fell behind early as it shot 4 of 17 from the field in the quarter. Mitchell meanwhile shot 60 percent from the field, leading by as many as nine points in the opening period.

Thomas Buchanan paced Mitchell with seven points, but Avery scored six of the final eight points of the frame, including a Dustin Clarke fadeaway jumper at the buzzer, to cut Mitchell’s advantage to 15-10 after one quarter.

Avery rallied early in the quarter as four points each from Dylan Eppley and Spencer Blackburn sparked an Avery run. Mark Polsgrove drained a jumper to tie the game at 24-24 with 1:34 to play in the first half. Mitchell showed its offensive prowess for the rest of the half, however, as a 6-0 run closed the quarter with the Mountaineers leading 30-24 at intermission.

The Vikings worked to narrow the gap as Joey Potter scored seven points in the third quarter. Mitchell’s Logan Jensen came to life in the second half as he tallied three field goals, including a thunderous alley-oop slam dunk which ignited the partisan Mountaineer crowd. By the start of the final period, Mitchell had momentum and a 46-41 advantage.

Despite the overwhelming odds, the Avery club refused to fold up the tent. Dustin Clarke, whom Mitchell keyed on defensively with a box-and-one setup, torched the Mountaineers defense over the final two periods and played as a man on a mission to spark the Big Red. The junior was a perfect 8 for 8 from the free throw line in the closing stanza and was 4 of 5 from the field as part of a 17-point fourth quarter.

Midway through the final quarter the Mountaineers extended a one point advantage into a seven-point lead at 60-53. Avery roared back to take the lead when two Clarke free throws with only 29 seconds remaining in the game put the Vikings on top 67-66.

Mitchell had a final possession to take the lead, but Avery’s Timmy Stewart rebounded a missed Mountaineer shot attempt, fired an outlet pass down the floor. Dylan Eppley could not convert the layup attempt, but an offensive rebound and put-back by Clarke gave the Big Red the three-point with 2.6 seconds on the clock. Mitchell came up short on its final desperation shot, sending the visitors from Newland home happy.

Clarke turned in his best overall performance to date this season, with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. Potter added 12 points and three rebounds, while Eppley chipped in with eight points, 11 rebounds, and three steals. Thomas Buchanan paced Mitchell with 17 points, eight rebounds, three steals, and two assists.

“Dustin stayed calm and didn’t force anything on Friday like I feel he did a little on Wednesday. He took what the defense gave us and worked from there,” head coach Bo Manis said after the win. “We saw some weaknesses in their box-and-one and we took advantage of them. A point of emphasis in practice has been for other players needing to step up. Joey hit some big shots in the second half and stepped up when we really needed him. Friday night was a great way to win on the road and get over the hump. Our team never gives up and I can’t say enough about the love for the game and the kind of character those guys have.”

Avery improves to 4-7, evening its record to 2-2 in conference play.

The Vikings upended Owen 58-54 on Tuesday night to move to 3-2 in conference play, and will hit the road for a pair of games later in the week, journeying to Miller’s Creek to take on West Wilkes on Thursday and going to Thomas Jefferson Academy on Friday evening. A full recap of all three games can be found in next week's print edition.

Haitian Relief Efforts in Avery County

(Courtesy of Nancy Morrison, Publisher, Avery Journal-Times)

Each year in March, Dr. Steve Cook of Banner Elk leads a medical team that travels to Haiti to help with much needed medical treatment for the vast numbers of Haitian citizens living in abject poverty. His team also takes supplies, toys, educational material, Bibles, and anything else useful that can be carried or shipped. Dr. Cook is using his medical expertise and his knowledge of the area to help with the Avery County part of the worldwide relief effort being mounted. The current crisis in Haiti was generated by the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck on January 12 near Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital city.

Cook's team is affiliated with Grace Mission, based in Florida. For the latest news postings from Grace Mission to Haiti, go to gracemissionpage.org. Grace Mission supports 29 churches, 20 schools, a medical program and medical clinic, a food distribution program, and a Bible Institute.

At present, Cook said, checks can be sent to Banner Elk Presbyterian Church in Banner Elk at P. O. Box 158, Banner Elk, NC 28604 and please clearly mark them "Haitian Relief Fund," as the church has a number of other missions. Church office administrator Rob Clemmer will be overseeing donations. The phone number is 828-898-5406.

Cook also recommends sending monetary donations through Samaritan's Purse in Boone. You can donate online at samaritanspurse.org. Samaritan's Purse already has a team on the ground working in Haiti and, according to Cook, the organization has excellent resources and contacts in Haiti.

Please be generous. Monetary donations are so important right now, and as soon as safe channels for goods can be ascertained, dry goods donations will be needed desperately. Suggested goods are: white rice, dried beans (especially red, black, and pintos), pasta, oatmeal, and other dried goods.

Drop off points for the dried goods in Avery County are:

Newland – The Avery Journal-Times (335 Linville Street beside Avery Tire) and Medi-Home Care (located in the old Newland fire department building).

Banner Elk – Dr. Steve Cook's office (110 Park Avenue, Banner Elk beside the Banner Elk Pharmacy) and Dr. David Kimmel's office (150 Park Avenue, Banner Elk).

A doctor and his wife affiliated with Cook's team flew into Haiti and landed about an hour before the quake hit. No one had been able to contact the couple for most of the first 24 hours. On Thursday, Cook was quite relieved because he had gotten word that his friends were safe.

"You just won't believe how I heard," Cook said. "A friend of the couple managed to get word out on Facebook!"

Cook said there was a team of 10 people on a mission trip to Haiti from Georgia and he had just heard that all ten were fine.

(Updates will be posted on our Web sites as we receive new information.)

Appalachian Announces 2010 Football Slate

(courtesy Appalachian Sports Information) BOONE, N.C. — Six home games, including two in September and three in October, highlight Appalachian State University’s 2010 football schedule, announced on Tuesday by director of athletics Charlie Cobb.

For the first time in 19 years, Appalachian opens the season with a Southern Conference matchup when it travels to Chattanooga on Sept. 4. ASU is 5-0 all-time when playing a SoCon game in the season opener but has not done so since topping former conference rival Marshall, 9-3, on Aug. 31, 1991.

Following the opener at UTC, the Mountaineers play back-to-back home games versus Jacksonville (Sept. 11) and North Carolina Central (Sept. 18). Both opponents are familiar to ASU, as the Apps defeated Jacksonville, 56-7, in 2008 and downed N.C. Central, 55-21, last season at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Both are up-and-coming NCAA Division I FCS programs, as JU won the Pioneer League in 2008 and finished 7-4 in 2009 while NCCU will play its first season as a member of the traditionally strong Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2010.

Following an open date on Sept. 25, Appalachian begins conference play in earnest, with home dates versus Elon (Oct. 9), The Citadel (Oct. 16), Furman (Oct. 30) and Wofford (Nov. 13) and road tilts at Samford (Oct. 2), Western Carolina (Oct. 23) and Georgia Southern (Nov. 6).

Appalachian closes the regular season with a huge test at national power Florida on Nov. 20. In all, ASU and UF have combined to win five of the last 10 Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) and FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) national titles with the Mountaineers earning FCS titles in 2005, ‘06 and ‘07 and the Gators claiming Bowl Championship Series crowns in 2006 and ‘08.

“I am pleased that we once again have a football schedule that is fan-friendly and hopefully gives our coaches and student-athletes the opportunity to make a run at a sixth-straight Southern Conference championship and continued postseason success,” Cobb said. “We are committed to doing everything in our power to play an all-Division I schedule while also giving our great fans the opportunity to see six regular-season games at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Obtaining both objectives is a very difficult task and I commend (associate athletics director) Jay Sutton for his hard work in making it happen.”

For the second year in a row, ticket prices will not be raised in 2010 for home games at The Rock, where Appalachian has led FCS in regular-season attendance for each of the last three years, including in 2009 when ASU averaged 25,969 fans per game during a rain-soaked regular season. Complete 2010 ticket information will be available in the coming weeks.

Vikings Basketball Fades Late versus Polk; Holds Off Patriots to Win Conference Home Opener

Despite a layoff since December 17th, the Avery varsity boys basketball team turned in one of its best quarters of the season to begin Saturday’s game at Polk County. Avery hit 11 of its first 14 shots to build a commanding 28-11 advantage, only to see the Wolverines come back to take a third quarter lead and hold off an Avery rally in a 74-68 win.

Timmy Stewart helped the Vikings get off to its blistering start as he scored all 12 of his points for the contest during the opening period. Everything went Avery’s way in the quarter, including a half-court heave to close the quarter that was caught out of the air and shot in one acrobatic motion by Luke Pittman for two points as time expired.

The two teams played virtually even in the second stanza as Avery picked up a pair of baskets off the bench from Spencer Blackburn and two field goals from leading scorer Dustin Clarke. Polk was paced by Andre Overholt with 11 points in the first half, but Avery held on to a double-digit lead at 41-30 at halftime.

Once the teams took the floor for the second half, Avery’s offensive firepower suddenly dried up. The Vikings managed only two points in the third quarter while the Wolverines reeled off 19 for the frame, erasing the Avery lead and pulling Polk ahead 49-43 as the final period began.

In the final eight minutes Avery regained its shooting stroke, but the Wolverines remained warm from the field. Polk hit eight of its 12 field goal attempts in the final stanza, while the Vikings converted on eight of its 14 shots from the field. Avery’s Clarke looked to bring the Big Red back as he drained three 3-point baskets in the quarter, but the Wolverines countered with a pair of three-pointers from Landon Schlabach and seven points from forward Bryant Twitty to stave off the Viking comeback and escape with the win.

Clarke led Avery with 26 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while Stewart (12 points), Blackburn (11 points), and Dylan Eppley (10 points) all reached double figures in the defeat. Four players scored double figures for Polk, led by 17 from Overholt and 16 apiece from Twitty and Chandler Miller.

“The biggest problem we had was our consistency. We weren’t able to carry the same offensive intensity through four quarters,” Avery Vikings head varsity boys basketball coach Bo Manis said following the game. “We started off really well and shot the ball well, but we couldn’t score once the second half began. We had trouble rebounding the basketball with only one offensive rebound for the entire game. But I was proud of how the guys came back at the end. We still have to consistently play at a high level to be successful, though.”

On Monday night the Vikings hosted Madison in the Western Highlands Conference home opener. In a game that went down to the wire, Avery emerged victorious in a 56-54 thriller.
The teams played to a slow pace with numerous fouls in the first period as Avery trailed 11-6 after the first eight minutes of play.

The pace of the game picked up in the second quarter as Avery was buoyed by the play of junior Dustin Clarke, who netted 12 first-half points to keep the Vikings close. Madison answered Avery’s leading scorer with their own go-to player, forward Anthony Swann, who tallied 13 first-half points which allowed the Patriots to push ahead 27-22 at halftime.

Avery managed only two points in the third quarter of Saturday’s contest, but history did not repeat itself against the Patriots. Rather than take the floor tentatively, the Vikings were purposefully aggressive and took the action to Madison. Avery went on a 10-2 scoring spurt over the first 2:20 of the third quarter, highlighted by a dazzling alley-oop pass and dunk from Joey Potter to Dustin Clarke.

Although shaken by the Avery flurry, Madison answered the bell to rally itself behind Swann and guard Brennan Eggleton to stay within four points at 43-39 at third quarter’s end.

Madison’s offense quickly became “The Anthony Swann Show” in the final stanza as the Patriots offense ran virtually every offensive set through his hands. Swann 13 of Madison’s final 15 points. Avery weathered the Patriot comeback as Clarke, Dylan Eppley, and Timmy Stewart each scored field goals in the final quarter.

In the final two minutes the Patriots shaved away a four-point Avery advantage to tie the game at 54 apiece. With 1:04 left to play, Avery’s Luke Pittman netted his only basket of the night on a shot inside the paint to stake the Vikings to a two-point lead. Avery made a final defensive stand in the closing seconds, forcing a turnover that sealed the Vikings’ first conference victory of the season.

Clarke led the Big Red in scoring with 22 points, to go with five rebounds, five steals, and three assists. Timmy Stewart added seven points, four rebounds, two steals, and three assists. Joey Potter and Dylan Eppley tallied six points each.

Swann led Madison with a game-high 30 points, in addition to nine rebounds and three steals.

“I think we learned in the first half a lot about what things we had success with and what we were not succeeding at. We talked at halftime about bringing consistency, and rebounding the basketball was a major point of emphasis before the second half,” Avery head coach Bo Manis said after the win. “We scored only two points against Polk which changed that game. This time we made sure to impress on the players the need to rebound and box out, that we couldn’t have that same Polk effort tonight.”

Avery shot an efficient 13 for 20 from the field (65 percent) to keep pressure on the Patriots, while Madison made only 9 of 33 shots over the final two periods.

“We took high percentage shots and that really brought us back into the game in the third quarter. We realized last weekend that we can’t make up a large deficit in one trip down the floor,” Coach Manis said. “I thought the alley-oop helped energize the players, yet we still took smart shots and took better care of the basketball. I was really pleased with how we played to win tonight rather than playing tentatively and not to lose.”

Avery hosts Mountain Heritage Wednesday night (1/13) in another conference tilt, then travel to Ledger on Friday to take on rival Mitchell. A full report on both games can be found online at the Journal-Times Sports Blog at www.ajtsports.blogspot.com as well as in next week’s print edition.

Lyons Nets 100th Career Coaching Victory as Avery Blasts Polk, Madison

Following a week and a half layoff between games, the Avery Lady Vikings looked to continue its recent trend of stellar basketball as they traveled to Columbus to take on the Polk County Lady Wolverines. Avery not only netted a decisive 60-42 win over Polk, but also gave head coach Missy Lyons her 100th career victory as Lady Vikings head coach.

Avery hit on seven of its 19 shots in the first period as the Lady Vikings took a 14-10 lead after one quarter of action.

Polk continued to hang around through the first half as the Lady Wolverines outscored Avery 7-1 at the free throw line. Nevertheless, Avery used its press defense to force turnovers and additional scoring opportunities, as the Vikings took 18 more shots than Polk through the first two periods.

The Vikings were paced early by Katelynn Eudy who scored six points in the opening stanza. Avery leading scorer Sara Wiseman scored nine of her team-high 15 points in the first half and Mercedes Bentley chipped in with five off the bench in helping Avery to a 32-25 halftime edge.

As the second half ensued, it became obvious which was the better team, as Polk struggled to bring the basketball downcourt and was cold shooting from the floor. Avery kept its steady offensive stream flowing as Wiseman and Lauren Avery scored six points apiece in the third quarter to extend the Lady Viking advantage to 48-32 after three quarters.

In the final eight minutes, Avery kept Polk from any hope of clawing back into the contest. Megan Tennant scored seven of her total of nine points in the last stanza to help the Big Red to the 18-point victory.

The Vikings shot 37 percent from the floor in the win and forced 28 Lady Wolverines turnovers.
Sara Wiseman finished the game with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Lauren Avery added 12 points and seven rebounds. Tennant added nine points and seven rebounds, with nine from Mercedes Bentley and eight points in addition to nine rebounds by Katelynn Eudy. Elyse Perry also had a solid all-around game, as the senior dished 10 assists in addition to three points, five rebounds, and three steals.

The win was especially sweet for Coach Lyons, who earned win #100 as the ladies varsity head coach at Avery High School.

“We’ve worked really hard at building this program up. The first few years were a little rocky and we didn’t get a lot of victories, but it took a little while to get to where we are. It was really special to get the win tonight, especially here at Polk where we haven’t always had a lot of luck,” Coach Lyons said following the milestone win.

“The girls played really hard and especially are working really hard. We went deeper in our bench tonight as Hayley (Pyatte) wasn’t available and Lauren (Avery) got in a little foul trouble. Everybody played and when they were in the game every one of them worked hard. The girls have putting the effort in during practice and that has carried over and paid off for us game in and game out.”

The win is the ninth in a row for the Lady Vikings, who brought its 9-1 record into its conference home opener on Monday night against the Madison Lady Patriots. Avery faced a stiff test as Madison rallied from a double-digit deficit on two separate occasions. In the end, however, Avery’s offensive firepower and stifling defense was too strong for the Lady Patriots as Avery defeated Madison by an 83-62 final score.

The Lady Vikings scorched the nets offensively to the tune of an 8-0 scoring run to begin the game and a 10-0 run late in the quarter as part of a 23 point first-quarter effort. Madison tied the score at 10-10 midway through the quarter but trailed 23-13 by quarter’s end.

Senior guard Lauren Avery led the Lady Viking surge as she scored seven points in the frame, with a pair of three-pointers from Mercedes Bentley and six points from Elyse Perry.

Madison used its own version of the press defense in the second period to get back into the game. The Lady Patriots appeared to make the Avery offense uncomfortable, forcing a number of turnovers which Madison converted into points. The Patriots made 11 of its 16 shots in the quarter to cut the Avery lead from ten points to a single point at 45-44 at halftime.

The first half score was indicative of many final scores in high school basketball. Both Avery and Madison shot 50 percent or greater from the field for the half, with the Lady Vikings paced by Lauren Avery’s 13 points. Kaitlyn Huff also tallied 13 points to lead the Lady Patriots.

In the third quarter the Big Red made a statement defensively, holding the Lady Patriots to only five points for the quarter on 2 of 13 shooting from the field. Avery kept up its hot shooting by converting 8 of 15 shot attempts. Both the senior guard Avery and teammate Sara Wiseman scored six points each as the Vikings pulled away to a 66-49 lead after three stanzas.

Madison looked to mount a comeback early in the final period behind the duo of Huff and Hannah Burnett, but the deep Avery bench and a consistent, impressive shooting effort propelled the Lady Vikings to its tenth consecutive victory.

Lauren Avery played perhaps her best game of the season as she scored 23 points, pulled down nine rebounds, and dished out six assists. Elyse Perry scored 14 points to go with eight assists, five steals and four rebounds. Fellow senior Sara Wiseman registered a double-double with 11 points and ten blocked shots. Hayley Pyatte chipped in with six points and nine rebounds.
Madison was led by Hannah Burnett with 18 points and seven rebounds, along with 17 points, four assists, and three steals from Kaitlyn Huff.

The Lady Vikings will play a pair of additional conference games this week. Avery hosted Mountain Heritage this evening and will travel to Ledger on Friday to take on Mitchell for the first meeting of the season between the perennial powers.

Avery Vikings Junior Varsity Basketball Roundup

Despite a long layoff due to the holidays and bad weather, the Avery junior varsity basketball squads finally returned to action with rare Saturday games at Polk County and home games on Monday afternoon against fellow conference member Madison.

JV Girls:
The Avery Lady Vikings snapped a recent streak of bad luck on the court at the expense of the Lady Wolverines, routing Polk by a 49-21 score for the team’s first conference victory of the season.

Avery came out strong defensively but showed a little rust on the offensive end during the opening quarter in taking a four-point edge at 6-2 after one quarter of play.

The team found its offensive groove to match its defensive intensity in the second stanza. Megan Dellinger and Kelsie Clarke each needed five points in the second quarter as part of a 13-0 second quarter spurt. The defense clamped down as well, holding Polk scoreless for the second quarter en route to a 19-2 halftime lead.

The Lady Vikings opened the third period with a 9-3 scoring run to effectively put the game out of reach. Shayna Vance netted a pair of three-pointers in the frame and eight of her team-high 12 points in the stanza as Avery led 31-10 after three quarters on the way to the road win.
Monica Estep added 11 points, seven rebounds, and six steals in the Avery victory, with nine points and five steals from Kelsie Clark.

“We were just hungry to play ball more than anything else today since we haven’t played in such a while. If we keep our heads about us, I don’t think we will lose a game the rest of the year,” head coach Pat Daniels said following the win.

The win was a complete team effort with the entire roster contributing to the triumph. “It wasn’t necessarily our best defensive effort this season, considering the competition being a little weaker than some we’ve faced. We played good defense at times against Watauga, Cloudland, and West Wilkes,” Coach Daniels added. “Even though this Polk team beat Mitchell by 12 points earlier this season, we could have beaten them by a larger margin. But we made an effort to give everybody the opportunity to play and I was happy to see the contributions off the bench. Paige Henderson scored four points which was good for her, and Abigail Vance also came in and played well.”

Avery did not play a junior varsity girls game on Monday against Madison as the Patriots do not field a JV girls team this season.

JV Boys:
Avery’s junior varsity boys team played a tight first half against the host Polk Wolverines Saturday afternoon, trailing by only three points at intermission. A scoring run by the Wolverines stole momentum from Avery in the third quarter as Polk went on to garner a 42-29 conference victory.

The Viking offense in the first quarter came courtesy of Dustin Clark, who scored all eight points on four field goals as the Big Red led 8-7 after one quarter of action.

Five different players scored for Polk in the second quarter, but a three-pointer from Austin Lyons helped the Vikings stay within 17-14 at halftime.

Polk County came out like gangbusters to start the second half. Avery on the other hand was unable to find the basket and had difficulty rebounding against the taller Polk club. The Wolverines outscored Avery 19-3 in the third quarter to take a commanding 36-17 advantage.

Avery refused to give in as it outscored Polk 12-6 in the final stanza, but the third quarter proved the downfall as Polk took the 13-point win.

Clark’s eight points paced the Vikings, with five from Dylan Greene and four points from Shea Buchanan.

On Monday night the junior varsity boys picked up its second win in three games, winning an exciting contest by a 35-34 final score.

The first period was nip-and-tuck as the teams played to a virtual standstill. Avery received two baskets from Dustin Clark to help take a narrow 10-9 lead after the first quarter of play. Madison bounced back to regain the lead at 17-15 at halftime despite the second of two 3-point baskets in the half by Austin Lyons.

Indicative of the back-and-forth nature of the contest, the Vikings worked to regain the advantage, outscoring Madison 8-4 in the third period to again pull in front by the score of 23-21. Avery made the only significant scoring run early in the fourth quarter with a 7-1 margin over the first four minutes of the final frame to take a commanding 30-22.

Much to the Patriots’ credit, Madison rallied late to draw even with the Vikings at 32-32 in the final minute of play. The teams traded baskets to tie the game again at 34.

Late in the contest Avery guard Lane Smith collected a Madison turnover and was fouled on a layup attempt with 0.1 second left on the clock. Smith hit the first of two free throws to provide for the final margin of victory.

“Watching the game if felt like déjà vu all over again from last year,” Avery head coach Reggie Oakes said after the win. “I thought defensively we played great. We had a little trouble with boxing out and we got away from our game and remaining aggressive late, but the kids played really hard considering the layoff and having played only one game. We had kids contribute off the bench also. Our offense is doing a better job of taking the ball to the basket, but we still need to work on being ready for the pass when a player penetrates.”

Shea Buchanan led Avery with eight points in the victory, with seven points from Austin Lyons and six apiece from Bryce Pittman and Dustin Clark.

The Vikings returned to action earlier this week with a home game against Mountain Heritage and travel this Friday night to Ledger to take on rival Mitchell. Reports on these contests can be found in next week’s print edition, as well as the Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog at www.ajtsports.blogspot.com.

Kiffin resigns as UT Coach

Courtesy of Tennessee Sports Information

The University of Tennessee Athletics Department announced Tuesday night that first-year head football coach Lane Kiffin has resigned his post effective immediately. Kiffin, hired Dec. 1, 2008, has accepted the position of head football coach at the University of Southern California, where he served as an assistant coach from 2001-06.

"I want to thank Coach Kiffin for his work with our program this past year," said Men's Athletics Director Mike Hamilton. "We have already begun a search for the new head football coach of the Tennessee Volunteers and we'll complete this process as quickly as possible to put the right person in place to lead our great football program forward in the months and years ahead.

"Kippy Brown, who has been a critical piece of our success in years past, will serve as interim head coach until this process is completed."

Brown, who most recently served as assistant head coach and passing game coordinator for the Detroit Lions, brings an extensive amount of experience to the Vols -- including 13 years in the college ranks and 13 years in the NFL.

Brown began his coaching career at Memphis State University (now University of Memphis), where he served as running backs coach and wide receivers coach. He has also served as wide receivers coach at the University of Louisville. Brown joined the Vols under head coach Johnny Majors in 1982 as wide receivers coach. During his first stint with the Vols, Brown helped Tennessee acquire the nickname "Wide Receiver U," coaching numerous pass catchers to greatness, including Anthony Miller, Tim McGee, Alvin Harper and Carl Pickens.

He left the Vols in 1990 to serve as running backs coach for the New York Jets from 1990-92, before returning to Rocky Top in 1993 as assistant head coach and wide receivers coach for Phillip Fulmer. During his second stint with the Vols (1993-94), UT compiled an 18-6 record and outscored their opponents 847-383 over the course of those two years. Peyton Manning also benefited from Brown's guidance during his freshman campaign as the Vols' signal caller.

Sims' Career Day leads App past Davidson

Courtesy of Appalachian Sports Information

DAVIDSON, N.C. - Donald Sims scored a career-high 44 points as Appalachian State University men’s basketball overcame an early 12-point deficit to defeat Davidson, 78-68, at Belk Arena on Saturday afternoon.

The Mountaineers (8-7, 2-2 SoCon) shot 53.2 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from downtown in the win.

Sims scored 21 points in the first half as the Mountaineers closed the opening period on a 14-3 run to take a 37-35 advantage to the locker room.

The Apps extended the advantage to seven points at 57-50 before the Wildcats (7-9, 2-2) made their move and regained a one-point lead with seven minutes left on the clock.

From there, ASU went on a 17-3 run to put the game away at 78-65 before a Davidson trey closed the margin to 10 points in the waning seconds of the game.

Isaac Butts returned to form down low, as the big man scored 13 points and added 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. He was 6-of-7 from the field and swatted both of the team’s blocks.

Accompanying Butts in the post, Josh Hunter pulled in seven rebounds and scored one point, while holding DC’s starting forwards to 10 points on 4-of-15 shooting for the game.

Sims’ total was the fourth-highest in school history and the most since Stan Davis set the record with 56 points against Carson-Newman in 1974.

He sank 13-of-19 field goal attempts and 5-of-7 threes. The junior guard also found his way to the free throw a career-best 13 times, where he was perfect.

Once Davidson began to bear down on the sharp-shooter, the floor opened up for Kellen Brand to score 12 points on 3-of-7 shooting. Brand came off the bench after starting 46-consecutive games and added three rebounds and a steal in 29 minutes on the floor.

Starting in his place, Marcus Wright contributed four points with an assist and a steal.

The Appalachian defense held Bob McKillop’s squad to 38.7 percent shooting and 11-of-30 from downtown. DC hurt its own cause by sinking just 9-of-18 free throws.

JP Kuhlman led the Wildcats with 18 points and four rebounds, while three other starters also reached double-figure points. Appalachian held a 39-25 advantage on the boards to snap a four-game losing streak against Davidson.

The loss was just the second of the season at home for DC, who is 42-6 at home over the last four seasons. Appalachian dealt DC its only home loss in the 2006-07 season.

Appalachian returns home to host Elon on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Basketball and Wrestling again Victims of Inclement Weather

Recent weather continues to cause headaches to the athletics schedules of teams across Western North Carolina.

This evening's home basketball game scheduled against Madison has been postponed and rescheduled for this Monday, January 11th, starting at 5 p.m. with junior varsity boys action (Madison has no JV girls team this season).

Avery's next scheduled contest is tomorrow (Saturday, January 9th) at Polk County.

Avery's wrestling team was also unable to make the trip to Madison for today's dual meet. A rescheduled date has not been announced at this time.

Cloudland vs. North Greene Rescheduled

In order to beat the snow, the Highlanders announced on Wednesday night that they were going to flop dates with North Greene and travel to Baileyton on Thursday with the varsity girls to start at 5:00 and the boys contest at 6:30. However, they were not able to get the game this evening as the games have been postponed. The Highlanders will try to travel to North Greene tomorrow evening (Friday) with the girls at 5 and boys at 6:30. The February 5 game that was supposed to be in Baileyton has been moved to Cloudland for now. Keep checking the Avery Journal-Times as well as the AJT-Sports Facebook and Twitter for more updates.

Avery at Polk Postponed...again

The Avery at Polk basketball games that were rescheduled from Tuesday night to take place this evening have been postponed a second time due to inclement weather. Avery High School has announced that the games will be made up this Saturday, January 9th, with junior varsity girls action beginning at 1 p.m., weather permitting.

Below is an updated version of the Vikings Basketball Schedule after the postponements and reschedulings:

VIKINGS BASKETBALL:
Jan. 8 #Madison* Home 5:00pm
Jan. 9 Polk* Away 1:00pm
Jan. 12 Mtn. Heritage* Home 4:00pm
Jan. 15 Mitchell* Away 4:00pm
Jan. 19 Owen* Home 4:00pm
Jan. 20 Freedom(JV Girls only) Away 6:00pm
Jan. 21 West Wilkes Away 4:00pm
Jan. 22 #Thomas Jefferson*(Vars. Only) Away 6:00pm
Jan. 25 #Thomas Jefferson*(Vars. Only) Home 5:00pm
Jan. 26 Hendersonville* Away 4:00pm
Jan. 29 Polk* Home 4:00pm
Feb. 2 #Madison* Away 5:00pm
Feb. 3 Owen* Away 4:00pm
Feb. 5 Mtn. Heritage* Away 4:00pm
Feb. 8 Hendersonville* Home 4:00pm
Feb. 9 Mitchell* Home 4:00pm
Feb. 15-->19 Conference Tournament @ Owen TBA
# No JV Girls Game, JV Boys Start @ 5:00
* denotes Conference game