LMC Roundball Roundup

Women’s Basketball: Barton Rallies Past LMC
The Barton College (BC) women's basketball team rallied from an early second half run by Lees-McRae College (LMC) on Saturday, Dec. 4, outscoring the Bobcats by a 19-11 margin over the final 10 minutes en route to a 65-46 win in Conference Carolinas play.

BC (6-1, 3-0 CC) connected on 40 percent of its field goal attempts on the night, while holding LMC (0-7, 0-2 CC) to a 36 percent clip from the floor and out-rebounding LMC by a 45-32 margin. The Bulldogs also forced 24 Bobcat turnovers, converting those miscues into 21 points.

Kesley Sill poured in a game-high 13 points to pace the Bulldogs, and was joined in double figures by Janae Jackson and Jolanda Mitchell, who each posted 10 points. Mitchell also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds, while Shante Neal recorded a contest-best two steals.

Icey Patterson paced LMC with nine points and a game-high five assists, as Chloe Parker and Zukye Smith chipped in eight points each. Sophie Witte posted a game-high eight rebounds, while Janina Thurau recorded seven points.

BC jumped out to an early 10-5 lead in the first half before LMC went on a 4-0 spurt to cut the margin to 10-9 on a Smith jumper with 10:31 left in the period. After the teams traded baskets, BC went on a 9-0 run to push the lead to 21-11 on a Sill jumper at the 6:58 mark. LMC cut the margin to 23-17 with a 6-2 spurt before BC closed out the half with an 8-6 spurt to take a 31-23 lead into the intermission.

LMC battled back in the early moments of the second half, opening the period with a 10-2 run to tie the score at 33-33 on a Parker layup with 16:04 to play. BC answered with a tremendous run of its own, reclaiming the lead with a 13-2 spurt to open a 46-35 margin on a Mitchell layup at the 9:51 mark. The Bulldogs would stretch the lead to as much as 20 points over the final 10 minutes of the game, maintaining a double-digit advantage for last seven minutes of the contest en route to victory.

LMC returns to the court at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 30, when it hosts Livingstone College in Williams Gymnasium.

Men’s Basketball: Bulldogs Outlast Bobcats
Gerald Boston tallied game-highs of 16 points and 12 assists to pace the Barton College (BC) men's basketball team to a 93-76 win over LMC in Conference Carolinas play on Saturday, Dec. 4.

BC (5-3, 2-1 CC) posted a field goal percentage of 50.7 percent on the night, including a 59.4 percent clip in the first half, while converting 25 LMC (3-4, 0-2 CC) turnovers into 30 points. The Bobcats shot 43.1 percent in the game, including a 50-percent clip in the second half.

Boston and L.J. Dunn each posted a game-high 16 points, as Dunn pulled down a contest-best seven rebounds. Jaren Haley, Aaron Coats and R.D. Dowdy joined Boston and Dunn in double figures with 14, 13 and 10 points, respectively, while Boston posted a game-high five steals.

Sam Youse paced LMC with 15 points, knocking down a game-high three shots from beyond the arc. Gerry Hairston chipped in 14 points for the Bobcats, while Daniel Sepokas and Jeremiah Henry each posted 13 points. DeAndre Tillman recorded a game-high two blocks, while Sepokas paced LMC with four assists.

BC opened an early 8-4 lead before pushing the margin to 17-6 on a Boston layup at the 14:52 mark to cap a 9-2 run. LMC cut the advantage to 17-11 with a 5-0 spurt before Barton regained control, pushing the lead to 25-11 with an 8-0 run that was capped by a Coats jumper with 11:11 left in the half.

BC continued to dictate the flow of play, widening the margin to 36-14 with an 11-3 run over the next four minutes. LMC battled back, cutting the advantage to 42-32 with an 18-6 run over the next four minutes, a spurt which was capped by a four-point play by Youse with 3:26 remaining in the half. BC closed out the half with an 8-3 spurt to carry a 50-35 lead into the intermission.

BC carried the momentum into the second half, opening the period with an 18-4 run to take a 68-39 lead on a three-point play by Coats with 15:16 remaining in the game. LMC battled back, trimming the margin to 70-52 with a 13-2 run before cutting the lead to 76-61 on a Sepokas layup at the 9:17 mark. The Bulldogs would push the lead back to 23 points on a trio of occasions down the stretch, before LMC closed out the game with a 7-1 run to equal the final margin of 93-76.

LMC returns to the court this Saturday, Dec. 11, when it hosts Carson-Newman College in a non-conference matchup. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. in Williams Gymnasium.

Avery Cagers Fall in Pair of Rivalry Games

The Avery High School (AHS) boys varsity basketball team dropped a pair of contests as it continues to jell with the addition of a number of varsity football players making the transition from gridiron to hardwood. On Tuesday, Nov. 30, the Vikings fell by a lopsided 92-57 final score to the Cloudland High School (CHS) Highlanders. AHS’s play improved last Friday, Dec. 3, but it was not enough as Watauga High School (WHS) escaped the Viking Octagon with a 100-93 win.

The Vikings got out of the gate quickly, but the sharpshooting CHS squad led 16-10 after one period behind 10 points from guard Matthew Potter. Benji Stewart paced the Big Red with four points in the period.

The Landers built its lead into a double-figure margin with five straight points in the first 37 seconds of the second period, forcing Vikings head coach Bo Manis to take a timeout. AHS used a 10-4 run of its own to cut its deficit to 25-20 midway through the quarter, but CHS responded with a 13-4 spurt to again lead by double digits at 38-24 and led 41-29 at halftime.

Potter was the CHS offense through two quarters with 24 first-half points, while AHS’s leading scorer Dustin Clarke netted only six points for the half.

As in its previous matchup at Watauga, the Vikings was again victim of a huge offensive onslaught by its opponent. CHS tallied seven points in the first 43 seconds of the third quarter to extend its lead to 19 points at 48-29, and outscored AHS 28-5 overall in the first 4:25 of the period to build a commanding 69-34 advantage. CHS made an astounding 7-of-8 shots from three-point range during the run as it put the contest out of reach.

CHS took a 79-44 lead after three quarters and played a number of reserves in the fourth quarter en route to the 35-point victory.

Potter led CHS with a game-high 29 points and 10 rebounds, with 18 points and nine rebounds from Michael Hyden and 11 points from Zac Potter.

For the Big Red, Joey Potter paced AHS with 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor. Clarke added 12 points and 10 rebounds, with eight points from Timmy Stewart.
AHS sought to bounce back from its loss to the Landers as it hosted WHS in a physical and emotional contest between rival schools.

WHS took a big first-half lead and then had to hold off a furious Avery rally to claim victory.

The Pioneers led 47-28 by halftime, but the Vikings rallied to within five points and scored a staggering 65 points in the second half to put the outcome of the game in doubt until the final minute.

WHS used steals from its perimeter defense took advantage of a number of early misses by the Big Red to build its lead of as many as 21 points at 47-26.

AHS, still learning the nuances of playing together as a full unit, committed 19 turnovers for the game, 14 of which came in the opening two quarters to feed the WHS attack.

From the outset, the strategy for the visiting Pioneers was to limit the touches of 2009 Western Highlands Conference Player of the Year Clarke, but the senior showed what made him one of the region’s most dangerous players, lighting up the Pioneers for a game-high 26 points.

AHS stormed back from its 19-point halftime deficit with 30 points in the third stanza and 35 in the fourth. The Vikings closed to within six points in the fourth quarter twice, the final time at 91-85 after Timmy Stewart hit back-to-back 3-point baskets, the second coming with 1:54 left.

The Big Red worked a pair of Pioneers, Will Koppenhaver and Caleb Watson, into foul trouble that weakened the interior defense. However, in the end WHS closed out the game by making 9-of-12 foul shots to seal the victory.

AHS had actually gotten closer in the third quarter. Trailing 55-40, the Vikings went on a 10-0 run capped by a Stewart layup. WHS which turned the ball over three times during that stretch, regrouped and took a 71-58 lead into the fourth quarter.

Indicative of the tough play that characterizes when the two heated rivals meet on the basketball court, WHS was the beneficiary of 33 Viking personal fouls in the contest. Four separate AHS players fouled out of the game and WHS converted 32-of-47 free throws.

Joey Potter, Timmy Stewart and Benji Stewart each pitched in with 12 points apiece. Timmy Stewart scored all of his points on four 3-pointers, giving him half of the Vikings' 8 3-point baskets for the game.

Colton Blackburn, one of four football players who did not play against WHS in the first meeting between the schools, added 11 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.

The non-conference game at West Wilkes scheduled for Monday, Dec. 6, was postponed due to inclement weather. AHS will next take to the court on Friday, Dec. 10, with a rematch against Cloudland inside The Octagon in Newland.

Cloudland Hoops Postponed

The Cloudland/Johnson County basketball game scheduled for Monday night has been postponed. It will be played this Thursday, December 9th.

Vikings/Blackhawks Basketball postponed

The scheduled high school basketball games for Monday evening, Dec. 6 at Miller's Creek between Avery and West Wilkes have been POSTPONED. The games have been rescheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 8th.

Middle School Hoops Roundup

It was a light week of action in county middle school basketball circles as the teams led up to the Thanksgiving holiday break.

On Monday, Nov. 22, Avery Middle School hosted Harris in its lone contest of the week. In an exciting back-and-forth game, the Lady Panthers came up big with a huge 33-31 overtime victory over the Lady Blue Devils.

The Lady Panthers started off very slowly as the Lady Devils took early control of the matchup, outscoring the Avery club 10-2 in the first six-minute period to take a commanding lead.
Avery’s offense clicked in gear in the second stanza as Anna Gragg came alive with five points in the frame. Teammates Destiny Ollis and Jodi Poore added a pair of points each, but Harris continued to score as well, leading 17-11 at halftime.

As the third quarter ensued the Lady Panthers clamped down defensively and continued to chip away at the Harris lead. Avery picked up a pair of baskets from Ollis, with two apiece from Gragg and Raina Wiseman. The Lady Panthers went on a 10-5 scoring run for the period to draw to within a single point of the Lady Blue Devils at 22-21 heading into the final period of regulation.

Over the fourth period, Avery’s defense played strongly, keeping the Harris offense at bay while holding it to only one field goal for the entire quarter. Avery got a boost from inside presence Jodi Poore, who came alive to help the Lady Panthers tie the contest at 30-30 and send the game into overtime.

In the three minutes of overtime, Avery held Harris to only a single point on a free throw and managed only three points itself, but the defensive intensity was the difference as the Lady Panthers held on for the two-point decision.

Two Avery players reached double-figures, paced by 11 points from Poore and 10 from Gragg. Ollis chipped in with six points, with three from Christian Burleson.

In the night cap, the Avery boys team dealt with the Harris boys ballclub. The Panthers took a stranglehold on the momentum of the contest in the first period, utilizing a strong offensive period to take a 15-4 advantage through six minutes. Avery was up big by halftime, as the squad led 33-10 at halftime behind 11 first-half points from Kobe Pittman, eight points from teammate Austin Phillips and seven points from Tre Jackson.

Harris hung tough with Avery in the third quarter, as the Panthers only outscored Harris by a 16-14 margin but still led 49-24. Avery’s bench players saw extensive minutes in the final quarter as the Panthers won by a 60-28 final score.

Pittman led all scorers with 20 points, with 13 from Jackson and 10 from Phillips. Dalton Tennant added eight points, with five from Dylan Bauer and two points apiece from Jacob Waldrop and Jeffery Puckett. Trevan Riddle led the Blue Devils with 14 points.

The same evening the Cranberry Wildcats took the floor on the road, traveling to Yancey County to take on conference foe Cane River.

The Cranberry girls team continued its recent streak of strong play, as the club picked up a 23-17 victory on the road against the Lady Rebels. In the boys contest, the Cane River club picked up a split for the evening as the Rebels defeated the Wildcats by a narrow final margin of 43-38.

Following a matchup out-of-conference with West McDowell before taking the Thanksgiving break, the Wildcats returned to the floor on Monday, Nov. 29, with another road test at Harris.

In girls action, the Lady Blue Devils bounced back from its loss at the hands of Avery, snapping the recent winning ways in conference of the Lady Wildcats by earning a decisive 43-17 win over the Lady Cats. In the second half of the twin bill, the Harris boys made it a clean sweep of the evening by defeating Cranberry by a narrow 31-27 final score.

The county middle school teams head down the home stretch of the regular season with the second of its two scheduled meetings this Thursday, Dec. 2, at Avery High School. Both schools are jockeying for position in the upcoming Toe River Conference Tournament, scheduled for Dec. 8, 9 and 11, at Avery High School.

Lady Viking Basketball Tips Off Season with Trio of Defeats

The 2010-11 edition of Avery varsity basketball began last week with a trip to Boone on Tuesday, Nov. 23, for the regular season opener against the rival Watauga Pioneers.

The Avery Lady Vikings varsity girls team met a tough foe at Lentz-Eggers Gym, falling by to Watauga by a 58-40 final score.

Avery seniors Katelynn Eudy and Mercedes Bentley combined for eight of the 10 Lady Viking points in the first period, but the Lady Pioneers opened the game with a 9-2 scoring run and held a 15-10 lead after one period.

Over the second stanza Watauga slowly seized control, scoring the final five points of the half to open up a double-figure lead at 31-21 into the intermission.

As the third quarter played out, the Avery defense held Watauga to just nine points for the quarter, but the Big Red offense could only muster seven points of its own as the Lady Pioneers led 40-28 going into the final eight minutes of play.

The Lady Vikings were often its own worst enemy, as it was unable to consistently knock down shots and were forced into a high number of turnovers by the Watauga defense. Avery struggled to find an answer inside for Watauga sophomore post player Brooke Rhodes, who scored a game-high 25 points. Avery center Megan Tennant suffered an ankle injury in the preseason and was unavailable for the first three Lady Viking contests to open the season, making the assignment of slowing down the Watauga inside game a difficult one. Rhodes scored seven of her 12 field goals in the second half as the Lady Pioneers pulled away over the final stanza for the win.

Eudy led the Avery charge with 14 points, with 12 points from Mercedes Bentley. No other Lady Viking scored more than four points.

“We really missed Megan in the game inside to guard Brooke. She did a great job guarding her back during the summer, and Megan is our best defender against back-to-the-post players, and we felt that that might have made a big difference,” Lady Vikings head basketball coach Missy Lyons said after the game. “We had trouble on the boards rebounding and that really got us in a bind. We started a freshman and a sophomore against Watauga, but it was good experience for those girls and for the entire team.”

On Friday, Nov. 26, the Lady Vikings traveled to Ledger and took on the R-S Central Lady Hilltoppers in the Unimin Harvest Hoops Invitational Tournament at Mitchell High School. Avery fell behind early, but rallied to tie the contest on three separate occasions before a late R-S scoring spurt proved too much to overcome in a 65-56 loss.

Central took advantage of several Lady Viking turnovers and scored the first six points of the contest to grab an early advantage, but three-pointers by Bentley and Monica Estep helped the Big Red stay within six at 16-10 after one period.

As the second period ensued the taller Lady Hilltopper club found success shooting inside and rebounding inside. Avery countered by utilizing a 1-3-1 zone defense. The strategy worked well as the Lady Vikings scrapped back into the contest, tying the game at 26 apiece with 1:18 left in the first half. R-S scored the final four points of the half, however, to lead 30-26 at intermission.

R-S came out strong to open the third quarter, as a 7-4 scoring run over the first two and half minutes helped Central build a 37-30 advantage. Following a timeout, the Lady Vikings used a Bentley three-pointer and a Kelsie Clarke layup to quickly cut the margin to just two points at 37-35. Central answered with its own 5-0 scoring run to lead by eight, but the Lady Vikings rallied in the final minute of the quarter to draw to within 48-44 after three periods.

Avery opened the final quarter with four points from Burleson to tie the game at 48. The game remained nip-and-tuck for the first three minutes of the quarter, but a five-point scoring run built a 56-51 Central lead. A pair of Clarke free throws with less than three minutes to play brought the Lady Vikings to within a point at 56-55, but the Lady Hilltoppers closed the contest with a 9-1 scoring run to seal the victory.

Eudy and Bentley scored 13 points each for the Big Red, with 11 from Burleson and eight points from Clarke. Central’s Shannon Hines led all scorers with 26 points.

“We fell behind but caught up. We stayed with them pretty much the rest of the game, but we turned the ball over way too much. Hopefully those mistakes are things we can correct here early on,” Lyons said following the game.

In Avery’s final game of the week, it tangled with the Lady Bears from Mount Airy in a matchup of regional qualifiers from a season ago. Mount Airy was strong virtually from the outset, lighting up the scoreboard for 12 three-pointers for the contest en route to a decisive 72-44 win.

Avery fell behind by double-figures in the first quarter and was unable to climb back into the contest thanks to the hot hand of the Lady Bears. Mount Airy led 25-13 after one period and took a commanding 40-22 lead into halftime. Senior Mary Chesnut Smith paced the Lady Vikings with seven first-half points, while Jordan Hiatt led Mount Airy with 14 points, including four 3-point baskets.

Mount Airy’s pressing defense, experience, and height was a lethal combination against Avery’s hopes for a second-half comeback. The Lady Bears pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring the Big Red 26-10 for the frame to take a 66-32 lead and went on to hand the Lady Vikings a third consecutive setback.

Eudy scored 17 to lead the Lady Viking scoring attack and was named to the All-Tournament Team, with nine points from Smith and eight from Bentley for the game.

“They shot the ball well, and Mount Airy is a tough team to match up with. We’re still missing Megan in the post, and they put a lot of man-to-man pressure on us,” Lyons said following the contest. “We have young ball-handlers who don’t have a lot of experience yet, but it was a good challenge for them. They just kept us from getting into our offense and they shot the eyes out of it to keep us from catching up.”

Avery returns to action this week with a road game on Tuesday, Nov. 30, at Cloudland and a rematch at home with Watauga this Friday, Dec. 3.

Musings and Ramblings: “Road Warrior” Mountaineers More Than an Underdog Story

The 2010 edition of the Mitchell Mountaineers football team has endured more than its fair share of adversity. On Aug. 13, just one week prior to the start of the high school football regular season, six players were involved in a truck accident after football practice. Although some of the injuries were serious, all of the players were able to escape life-threatening damage and rejoined the team either actively on the field or on the sideline to root on teammates.

In October, another difficult blow was dealt to the high school and community when a pair of students was fatally injured in a car accident. The accident made regional newscasts and rocked the Mitchell community.

Many teams dealing with a small dose of the difficulties surrounding friends and neighbors would easily have written off something as seemingly trivial as a game. However, the Mitchell football team rallied around its common hardships and has reached an historic place in the athletic annals of Mountaineer football with its first playoff win since 1989 and deepest playoff run since the 1986 season.

I’ve had the privilege and opportunity to cover both our Avery Vikings as well as the Mitchell Mountaineers with game stories each week in The Avery Journal-Times this season. I am grateful for the help from the Mitchell athletics department, statisticians and coaching staff, specifically to stat master Chris Pittman and his comrades, for the number-crunching they do on a weekly basis.

Last Friday, Nov. 26, the Mitchell football team continued its amazing ride toward a state championship with a 47-22 win over Avery in the third round of the state high school football playoffs.

Although the loss was stinging to Viking Nation, many fans have shared with me that, although they are disappointed about Avery’s elimination, they are rooting for the Mountaineers to pull off what many would deem an upset against the Albemarle Bulldogs this week in the state 1-AA semifinals.

“We knew we had a good group of juniors coming in, and we lost one of our seniors in the car accident early on. Six of our seniors play and have stepped up. It took a while for us to put in our new offense this season and for the team to come together,” Mitchell head coach Russell Barnett told me in a one-on-one interview on Wednesday, Nov. 24, after a Mountaineer afternoon practice in Ledger. “The boys came together despite the adversity, but it took a toll on us and put football in perspective. It’s a game and a sport. The kids know that, and it’s something that has taken their minds off the pain we were going through during those times we had here. The resilience of the kids was tremendous, and I couldn’t expect more out of them.”

Players like senior running back Shawn Jackson, junior quarterback Justin Hughes and offensive and defensive leaders Troy Self and Ben Smith, respectively, have provided the team with maturity and leadership both on and off the field. The team has took its cue from its coaches, who have provided a steady hand of guidance and genuine concern for the kids that they have been trusted as stewards over.

“We have a great group of men on our coaching staff. It’s truly been a pleasure to work with them and to coach these kids. I can’t believe that we’re here practicing over the Thanksgiving week,” Barnett said of the team and season. “It seems the season has gone by fast this year.”

The ups and downs of the regular season, which ended with losses in four of its final six games, served to galvanize a club that since has reeled off three consecutive wins in do-or-die situations, each of which while playing away from home.

“The kids have enjoyed this playoff run. I knew we could make some noise because of the teams we’ve faced during the conference. We played a tough schedule. With games against the likes of Polk, Owen, Mountain Heritage, Avery and Hendersonville it’s going to make you tough,” Barnett said. “Every team in our conference was battle tested and it showed as the teams have had successful playoff runs.”

It is amazing to see a team that at one point early in the season fielded only 21 varsity players experience such highs and lows in a matter of months. The development meant the coaching staff had to adjust not only the lineup in the early going, but to a point adjust its expectations of its squad.

“At first, getting down to just 21 players after the accident adjusted things. We had to move kids around a little more and kids had to back up other spots. If one kid went down we’d have to move three or four players,” Barnett added. “Our expectancies changed, sure. But as we’ve seen these kids grow, we’ve set our goals high and these kids picked them up, and I’m so proud of how the kids took on the challenge.”

Most outside the Mountaineer program point to the team’s 24-23 win over then-unbeaten Polk County as the turning point of the season. Interestingly enough, however, the coach points to another game a week earlier that served as a watershed moment in the 2010 campaign.

“We had a bad loss against Brevard early in the year after Polk and Owen had thumped them. It took a while for our juniors to believe that they could play at this level, go on the road and win. The game with Owen at home before we played Polk was a really hard fought game. At that point I sensed that was a turning point for us,” Barnett explained. “Even though we lost, I told them that the score on the clock didn’t indicate the amount of effort they gave, and that I took that as a win for us. The next week we played Polk and we built upon that. The kids started gaining confidence after that Owen game that we could play with any team, and we ran with that confidence. Of course, we came away with a win over Polk, and to beat a team like that, you have to have a lot of things go right for you, and they did that night. We just went with it from there.”

Perhaps a more astounding facet to Mitchell’s success this fall has been that the team will be playing its sixth consecutive road game and fourth in a row in the playoffs. One would be hard-pressed to find a large number of teams who have been able to win high-stakes playoff games away from home as Mitchell has achieved thus far.

“We’ve been on the road for the fifth straight week (editor’s note: six weeks after last week’s playoff win) and we call these boys ‘road warriors’,” Barnett said. “We’re just enjoying the ride right now and enjoying the fans coming out to the games. The community has rallied around us and supported us the whole way. This coaching staff has taken a lot of responsibility on themselves and they’ve given tremendous effort, and these kids took on playing this many games on the road as a challenge. We’re really proud of the way things have gone thus far.”

Good luck to the Mountaineers this week in Albemarle as it attempts to represent the Western Highlands Conference and us mountain folk in the state championship game.

Avery Boys Basketball Splits Pair to Open 2010-11 Season

The Avery varsity boys basketball season got off to a rocky start last week with a 95-54 loss at the hands of rival Watauga in Boone on Tuesday, Nov. 23.

Avery was feeling the effects of having as many as five of its players still playing football as part of the state 1-AA gridiron playoffs. However, the Pioneers felt little pity for the undermanned Big Red.

Avery hung tough with the Pioneers for much of the first half, as it held a 17-13 lead after one period. Viking senior standout guard Dustin Clarke paced Avery with 13 of the first-period points. Watauga stepped up its pressure and outscored the Vikings 24-10 in the second quarter to seize control and take a 10-point lead at 37-27 into halftime.

What occurred over the final 16 minutes of play was a decisive two-quarter rout by the home-standing Pioneers, who was christening its brand new Lentz-Eggers Gym for its first-ever night of regular season basketball.

Watauga was on fire on offense and lit up Avery for a 41-8 third quarter run to take a commanding 78-35 lead that Avery had no answer for.

“We just ran out of gas,” Avery head basketball coach Bo Manis said after the game.
Watauga was 26-of-33 from the foul line for the night and had the help of five 3-pointers from Jake Pifer, who led all scorers with 26 points. Teammate Will Koppenhaver added 22 points.

Clarke led Avery with 23 points, including four 3-pointers, and seven rebounds. Joey Potter
scored 10 points with three assists, while both Timmy Stewart and Benji Stewart scored seven points each.

“As much as I want to say it made a difference that we didn’t have our football players, I was still happy for them that they were out playing,” Manis said. “It was a good test for the varsity players who were playing to understand about battling adversity and dealing with it. It was a good test for us.”

The testing proved helpful for the Big Red as they turned it into triumph in the team’s lone game at last weekend’s Unimin Harvest Hoops Invitational tournament at Mitchell High School, defeating the Mount Airy Bears on Friday, Nov. 26, by a 63-55 final score.

The pace was quick in the first half as Mount Airy held a narrow 17-16 lead after one period. Avery stormed back behind eight second-quarter points from Clarke, highlighted by a leaping slam dunk, to seize the lead by a comfortable margin at 35-27 at halftime.

Avery came out on fire in the second half and built a lead as large as 19 points on the Bears. However, Mount Airy staged a comeback as the Bears took advantage of a young and thin Viking bench to cut the deficit to 47-41 at the end of three periods and to as close as three points.

Unlike the Watauga rally three days previously, the Vikings responded to the Bears run to catch its second wind. Clarke picked up the club with 11 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter, including a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line. Benji Stewart added a pair of baskets as the Vikings fended off Mount Airy to secure its first victory of the season.

In addition to Clarke, Timmy Stewart poured in 12 points, with 10 apiece from Benji Stewart and Potter.

“We worked on defense after the Watauga game and jumping to the ball, as well as closing in and boxing out better, and I think that was big. We moved the ball around really well and a lot of guys got touches with the ball,” Manis said of the win. “Basically we ran a six-man rotation which helped, but the defense played well and we made several corrections compared to Watauga. Mount Airy was well disciplined and played good defense. But we’re also a good defensive team, though, and we hung right in there with them.”

This week the Vikings traveled across the border to nearby Roan Mountain, Tenn. to take on the Cloudland Highlanders on Tuesday, Nov. 30, and Avery plays its home opener this Friday, Dec. 3, when it hosts Watauga looking for payback from last week’s loss.

Griewisch Earns Athlete of the Year Honors

Former Avery Lady Viking runner and Lenoir-Rhyne University's Kate Griewisch has been named the 2010 NCAA Division II USTFCCCA (United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association) Southeast Region Women's Athlete Of The Year.

Griewisch, a junior from Banner Elk, wins the award for the second consecutive year.

Griewisch won the NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country Southeast Regional Championship last Saturday in Charlotte, finishing the 6K course in 20:55 and besting her nearest competitor by 36 seconds.

The regional crown was Griewisch's second straight as well.

Griewisch, a three-time All-South Atlantic Conference First-Team honoree (2008-10), earned All-American honors last year after finishing 19th out of 184 runners at the national championship race in Evansville, Ind.

Griewisch won the 2009 South Atlantic Conference Championship meet and has been named the SAC Women's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete Of The Year for two years in a row.

Griewisch, who also led Lenoir-Rhyne to back-to-back league championships in 2008 and 2009, will next compete in the 2010 NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country National Championship race this Saturday, Dec. 4, at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Ky., beginning at noon.

Mitchell, Miscues Eliminate Vikings from State Playoffs

The Cinderella season of the Mitchell Mountaineers continued last Friday, Nov. 26, before a packed crowd at a cold MacDonald Stadium as five Avery turnovers and an efficient Mitchell ground game translated into a 47-22 Viking loss in the third round of the NCHSAA 1-AA state football playoffs.

“We missed too many tackles and turned the football over too many times to beat a good Mitchell football team,” Avery head coach Darrell Brewer said after the game. “Mitchell’s a dang good football team and were on their game. I don’t know if they’ve played a better game all season. You can’t beat a bad football team with five turnovers, much less a great team like Mitchell. They simply made plays and we didn’t.”

Things started well for the Big Red as it forced Mitchell to punt on the game’s first series. The Justin Hughes kick was downed inside the Avery 5-yard line to pin the Vikings in the shadow of its own goal post. On the second Avery offensive play, Viking senior running back Taylor Potter gained a first down, but Mitchell’s Logan McKinney forced a fumble from Potter and recovered the football to set the Mountaineers with excellent field position. Following a procedure penalty against Mitchell, quarterback Hughes broke several tackles and rambled 19 yards to the end zone for the first points of the game. Isaac Edwards’ point after touchdown (PAT) staked the visitors to a 7-0 lead with 8:38 to play in the opening period.

On Avery’s ensuing possession, the Vikings benefited from a 25-yard carry from Potter to advance the football close to midfield. The Mitchell defense bowed up, however, and forced Avery to punt. The long snap sailed over the head of punter Dustin Clark, however, who managed to retrieve the football and complete a pass to receiver Hunter Shields for a loss of yardage to turn the ball over on downs in Avery territory.

The opportunistic Mountaineers expended only two plays to find purple paydirt. Shawn Jackson did the honors, as the senior running back broke several tackles en route to a 27-yard score. Edwards added the PAT for a 14-0 Mountaineer lead with 3:45 to play in the opening stanza.

Avery was able to gain only one first down on its third offensive series and was again forced to punt the ball to the Mountaineers. Mitchell continued its tried and true method of offense, running the football and daring the Vikings to stop it. The strategy was effective throughout the game, and it produced a third score as the Mountaineers ambled 69 yards on just four running plays. Jackson accounted for 40 yards on the drive, culminating with a 26-yard touchdown tote. Edwards’ PAT gave Mitchell a commanding 21-0 lead before a stunned home crowd and rousing ovations from a crowd from Ledger that filled the visitor bleachers.

At its bleakest moment of the season to date, the Viking misfortunes made a 180-degree turn. Kick returner Hunter Shields caught Mitchell’s ensuing kickoff at his own one-yard line, maneuvered his way through teammate blocks and would-be tacklers and raced down the sideline for a school-record 99-yard kickoff return. Dustin Clark’s PAT trimmed the Mitchell lead to 21-7 with 43 seconds left in the first period.

Having seemingly lost a bit of momentum, the Mitchell offense proceeded to impose its will and control the clock during the second quarter of play. After Avery’s touchdown, the Mountaineers embarked on a 14-play, 71-yard touchdown drive to score for the fourth time in four possessions. The key play of the drive was a 22-yard pass completion on 3rd-and-10 from Hughes to receiver Troy Self. Hughes capped the successful drive with a one-yard plunge three plays later, and the PAT again gave the Mountaineers a 21-point lead at 28-7 with 5:36 left in the half.

Avery’s only successful offensive series of the entire first half followed the fourth Mountaineer score. The Vikings opened up the playbook with its spread formation, running a no-huddle, hurry-up offense to perfection. Avery marched 53 yards in six plays and elapsed only 1:18 off the game clock. Viking quarterback Alex Villanueva ran free for a 10-yard touchdown run, and Clark’s PAT pulled the Big Red to within 28-14, a score which remained unchanged for the remainder of the half.

Avery received the opening kickoff of the second half and set itself in excellent field position as Colton Blackburn caught a squib kick and returned the football for 39 yards to the Mitchell 30-yard line. The Viking offense moved 25 yards in eight plays, including a key 18-yard pass completion on fourth down to wide receiver Andy Gonzalez.

With first down inside the Mitchell 10-yard line, Avery needed a touchdown to draw to within a touchdown, but the Mountaineer defense left the Vikings empty-handed as linebacker Ben Smith intercepted a Villanueva fourth-down pass in the end zone.

Brewer saw the Mountaineer stop as a key moment in the contest. “I thought that was big. If we come out and put that ball in the end zone after halftime, we’re down by just a touchdown,” Brewer said

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM: Cloudland High School (High School Hoops)

9:50 PM -- Vikings fall 92-57 to the Landers. The Potters lead all scorers for the night, as Matthew (Cloudland) finishes with 29 and Joey (Avery) ends with 14 points. Clarke finishes with 12 for the Vikings.

Avery next takes the floor on Friday night for its home opener against Watauga. Thanks for reading!

9:30 PM -- 79-44 Landers after three periods. Cloudland blitzes the Vikings to start the third quarter with 38 points in the third period alone. Tough period for the Big Red.

9:00 PM -- Cloudland leads Avery 41-29 at halftime. Matthew Potter of CHS has led all scorers thus far with 24 in the first half . Dustin Clarke has six points for the Vikings. Second half coming up!

8:35 PM -- Cloudland leads Avery 16-10 after one quarter of action. Matthew Potter leads Cloudland with 10 first-quarter points. Benji Stewart leads the Vikings with four points for the period. Second quarter coming up!

8:00 PM -- Cloudland's varsity girls defeats Avery 64-47, making it 3-0 thus far on the evening for the 'Landers. Boys varsity game coming up!

7:05 PM -- Cloudland Lady Landers varsity girls hold a 38-15 halftime lead. Cloudland led 25-14 after one period and held the Big Red to just one point in the second quarter, that on a Savannah Dellinger free throw with just under 2 and a half minutes left in the second quarter.

Lauren Burleson and Mary Chesnut Smith paced the Lady Vikings with four points each for the half, with 10 points from Summer Hughes to lead Cloudland and all scorers through the first two periods.

Avery's varsity boys team is warming up on the floor during the girls halftime. Several Avery football players have joined the basketball group for their season debuts, including seniors Kody Hughes, Andy Gonzalez and Colton Blackburn, along with junior Alex Villanueva. Spencer Blackburn is also with the club, but suffered an injury in the football game with Mitchell last Friday and is not available for tonight's contest.

6:15 PM -- Cloudland's JV boys are victorious by a 73-52 final score to sweep the junior varsity action. Varsity girls action between the Lady Vikings and Lady Landers is coming up next!

5:40 PM - Cloudland JV boys lead Avery 37-24 at halftime thanks to a late second quarter scoring run. Second half from Roan Mountain on the way!

4:50 PM Avery JV girls fall 58-32 to Cloudland in teh first contest of the evening. JV boys game coming up!

3:40 PM  We're LIVE at Cloudland High School in Roan Mountain, TN for high school basketball action between Avery and Cloudland High Schools. Avery's varsity takes the floor later this evening. Junior varsity girls action has already begun with the first game nearing the halftime mark and Cloudland holding a 32-15 halftime lead. I (Shelldog) will be providing updates throughout the evening from the high school from the stage overlooking the 'Lander Gym.

Vikings Victimized by Mistakes, Mountaineers to End Season

Story By Steve Behr
sports@mountaintimes.com

Mitchell had too much for Avery in its 47-22 victory over the Vikings Friday at chilly MacDonald Stadium in the third round of the state 1-AA playoffs.

The Mountaineers had too much Shawn Jackson, who ran for 205 yards on 23 carries and scored touchdown runs of 27, 26 and 2 yards.

They had too much quarterback Justin Hughes, who added 134 yards on the ground and TD runs of 19, 1, 1, and 16 yards. Mitchell finished with 346 yards in rushing and 368 in total offense.

They also had too many chances to score on a short field. Avery committed five turnovers that helped set up touchdown drives of 14, 15 and 17 yards. Mitchell picked off four passes and recovered a fumble at the Avery 14-yard line that, after being called for a 5-yard motion penalty, Hughes turned into a 19-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

A Mitchell interception turned out to ice the game for the Mountaineers. Mitchell led 28-14, but Avery, with a good wind at its back, marched down to the Mitchell 5-yard line. On fourth-and-goal from there, Alex Villanueva's pass to the end zone was intercepted by linebacker Ben Smith, his second of the game. Mitchell scored two plays later, set up by another interception, when Hughes scored from the 1-yard line to put the Mountaineers in front 34-14.

The Mountaineers got two more touchdowns, one each from Hughes and Jackson, to take a commanding 47-14 lead.

Mitchell also used an Avery special teams mishap to get another short field in the first quarter. On fourth down, the ball was snapped over punter Dustin Clark's head. Clark was able to avoid complete disaster by gathering the ball around his 5-yard line and completing a pass, but the Mountaineers took over at the Avery 31.

Two plays later, Jackson scored on a 27-yard run, giving the Mountaineers a 14-0 lead. Jackson added a 26-yard touchdown run to put the Mountaineers up by three touchdowns, but Avery's Hunter Shields electrified the shivering Avery faithful with a 99-yard kickoff return following Jackson's score to cut the Mountaineers' lead to 21-7, still with 43.3 seconds left in the first half.

Both teams found the end zone, Hughes for 1-yard and Alex Villanueva from 10-yards out, that left the Mountaineers in front 28-14 at halftime.

Villanueva completed 7-of-19 passes for 72 yards, but was the victim of several dropped passes. The Vikings had more success on the ground by gaining 197 yards on 28 carries. Colton Blackburn had 97 yards on 10 carries, while Taylor Potter ran for 57 yards on 11 carries.

Blackburn got his final 3-yards on a touchdown run with 19 seconds left.

Read next week's edition of The Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of Friday's contest.

Interview with Avery head coach Darrell Brewer

Click the post title above for an audio interview with Avery Vikings head football coach Darrell Brewer leading up to tonight's third round playoff football game between Avery and Mitchell.

Interview with Mitchell Head Coach Russell Barnett

Happy Thanksgiving from The Avery Journal-Times!

As a special holiday treat we have a pair of interviews with the head coaches of the teams involved in this week's third round NCHSAA football playoff game between Avery and Mitchell.

Today's post includes an interview with Mitchell head football coach Russell Barnett following Mountaineer football practice in Ledger.

We'll have an interview with Avery head coach Darrell Brewer posted on Friday.

Click on the post title above to access the audio file. Thanks for reading!

Mitchell/Avery Football to be featured as FFN Game of the Week

This week's Mitchell at Avery third round 1AA state playoff football game will be spotlighted as this week's "Game of the Week" by Charlotte television network WBTV during its "Football Friday Night" broadcast.

"Football Friday Night" has been the pre-eminent high school football highlight show for the past 28 seasons, and a crew will be at MacDonald Stadium this Friday night for the epic third-round showdown!

Avery fans and local businesses are encouraged to show their school and community spirit by displaying Avery Vikings signs, balloons, flyers, and anything else to show their support for the Big Red both at local business locations and at "The Mac" during this week's game!!

Kickoff for this week's Mitchell/Avery showdown is slated for 7:30 p.m. at MacDonald Stadium in Newland.

Déjà Vu: Part Deux: Vikings and Mountaineers Meet in State Playoff Quarterfinal

Arguably the most significant game in the history of two high schools will take place this Friday, Nov. 26, when the Avery Vikings welcome the Mitchell Mountaineers to MacDonald Stadium.

For the second time in only four weeks, the squads meet again on the gridiron, with high stakes on the line in the form of a berth in the 1-AA state semifinal round.

The Vikings (10-3) enter the contest after a dominating 30-12 winning performance against the Swain Maroon Devils at home last week, while Mitchell (7-6) rolls into Newland riding the momentum of road victories over Cherryville in round one and a 35-29 win in Miller’s Creek against West Wilkes last week.

On Nov. 5, the Vikings defeated Mitchell 14-7 in the snow on Senior Night in a game that went a long way in securing home field advantage for Avery throughout its playoff run this season.

Scouting the Mountaineers:
The Mitchell Mountaineers is led by head coach Russell Barnett and utilizes a spread offense while occasionally using the I-formation. The team, regardless of formation, has staked its success and built its identity throughout the 2010 season by utilizing talented linemen and backs to execute an effective rushing offense.

Quarterback Justin Hughes emerged as the primary signal-caller for Mitchell for his ability to hurt defenses using both his legs and arm, as evidenced by his 273-yard, five rushing touchdown outing two weeks ago against Cherryville. Overall, Hughes has run for 894 yards on 138 carries, with 19 rushing touchdowns this season. The junior also enters this week’s game coming off consecutive weeks of rushing for more than 100 yards.

Teamed up in the backfield with Hughes has been senior Shawn Jackson. With 1,228 rushing yards on 185 carries and 11 touchdowns, Jackson has six 100-yard rushing games this season, as he and Hughes combine for a potent 1-2 offensive punch.

When Mitchell throws the football, the team at times looks to the arm of quarterback/running back Troy Self. The 6’1”, 215-poind junior has thrown the football 59 times this season, but has seen more action in recent weeks at running back. He has gained 556 yards on 76 carries, and has scored seven rushing touchdowns.

Michael Styles has also been a key contributor to the diverse nature of the Mitchell running game. The junior has run for 532 yards in 2010 and scored seven touchdowns.

In its first meeting with Avery, the Mountaineers ran the football 45 times for 205 yards, gaining most of the yards with a ball-control attack in the second half. Jackson led Mitchell with 70 rushing yards, with 66 yards from Styles and 63 from Hughes.

On the rare occasions that the Mountaineers throws the football, Ryan Sparks (22 receptions, 307 yards) and Hunter Rathbone (8 receptions, 140 yards) are the team’s leaders in catches and yardage.
On the defensive side of the football, Ben Smith leads the club with 152 tackles, with 103 tackles from Styles and 101 from Jackson.

Dayshawn Blackmon has emerged as another effective defender with 96 tackles, while Josh McClellan has recorded 84 tackles and Hughes has offered support with 82 tackles. Styles leads the Mountaineers with five sacks, while Hughes has picked off three passes, including a 50-yard pick for a touchdown in last week’s win.

The Low Down:
In the last meeting between Avery and Mitchell, both teams were forced by the driving snow and wind to utilize its running game on an almost exclusive basis. Throughout the season, the Vikings has prided itself in its offensive diversity both running and throwing the football. Avery had enough firepower with a pair of first-half touchdowns to hold off a furious Mountaineer rally, fending off a last-ditch Mountaineer scoring drive with a defensive stand in the game’s final minute. If the weather is improved from the first matchup, the advantage belongs to the Big Red.

At this point in the season, both teams will likely change little in its philosophy and preparation, and will rely on their respective strengths. Over the past three weeks, the Avery defense has been downright stingy, putting pressure on the quarterback and using the momentum of a strong performance against the Mountaineers to propel the Vikings to strong efforts against both Bessemer City and Swain County.

Hughes has been the go-to player for the Mountaineers in recent weeks, and he must continue that trend to give Mitchell its best hope for a road victory. Avery played a tremendous first half and grabbed an early lead against the Maroon Devils last week.

In similar fashion, Avery will want to put pressure on the Mountaineers by forcing its offense to play from behind and make Mitchell throw the football more than desired.

Colton Blackburn ran for more than 100 yards in last week’s win over Swain, and he ran for more than 120 yards in Avery’s win over Mitchell. If the Viking offensive line continues to open holes for the running game and the team takes care of the football, Avery has a good chance to advance to the state semifinal round.

As with the first matchup, the wild card may very well be Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva. The junior threw for more than 240 yards and two touchdowns in last week’s win. If he can equal or better those numbers this week and get the run support of recent weeks, it will be very difficult for Mitchell to match the Vikings on the scoreboard.

Fans of both schools are encouraged to “PACK THE MAC” this Friday, Nov. 26, for this once-in-a-generation showdown.

By the Numbers:
2 – touchdown passes by Avery’s Alex Villanueva in last week’s win over Swain. Also the number of Taylor Potter rushing touchdowns in last week’s second round triumph.
6 – fumbles by the Mountaineers in the Nov. 5 matchup against the Vikings (2 lost)
8- discrepancy in total yards (248 for Avery, 240 for Mitchell) in the first meeting this season between the schools.
15 – combined pass attempts by Avery and Mitchell in the Nov. 5th “Snow Bowl” game at MacDonald Stadium.
43 – rushing attempts by Mitchell (compared to only two passes) in the Mountaineers’ 35-29 win at West Wilkes last week.
95 – rushing yards by Avery running back Colton Blackburn in last week’s 30-12 win over Swain.
380 – combined rushing yards by Mitchell’s Justin Hughes during the first two weeks of the 2010 postseason.
2005 – the last season the Avery Vikings advanced to the third round of the state football playoffs.
2,337 – combined rushing yardage for Mitchell’s Shawn Jackson (1,228) and Avery’s Colton Blackburn (1,109) this season.

Pick up a copy of next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s showdown with the Mountaineers, as well as a preview (if necessary) of a potential regional semifinal playoff contest.

Vikings Exorcise Devils for Third Round Berth

The Avery Vikings (10-3) used a stifling defense and a first-half offensive barrage to dominate the Swain Maroon Devils (7-5) by a 30-12 final score on a clear and cold Friday, Nov. 19, at MacDonald Stadium to advance to the third round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 1-AA football playoffs.

“I told the guys after the game how proud I was of them. I felt like they came out and played extremely hard. I think for us to beat Swain the way we did can catapult us to a different level. It’s like we knocked down a wall much like we did in 2005,” Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer said after the triumph. “I’d been reading online that some of the Swain supporters were saying that we should be getting ready for basketball after tonight. I told our players that I hated to disappoint them, but they’ll have to keep the basketballs put away and prepare for another football game next week.”

A large contingent of Swain fans made the approximate three-hour road trip from Bryson City to Newland to support their club who had ousted the Big Red from the playoffs in the 2007 postseason.

Avery made one of its few mistakes all evening during its first offensive drive. The Viking offense marched the football downfield with relative ease, but Swain defensive back Matthew Maennle intercepted a Villanueva pass inside the red zone to turn Avery away.

The Maroon Devils struggled for the entire first half to get any offensive momentum rolling on the Viking defense. Swain was held to a three-and-out to punt the football to the Vikings, and Avery ran over the Devils for its first touchdown. The potent running combination of Taylor Potter and Colton Blackburn did all the damage, with Blackburn pounding the Swain defense for a 32-yard gain and Potter racing 19 yards to paydirt. The Dustin Clark point after touchdown (PAT) gave the Big Red a 7-0 lead with 8:25 to play in the opening period.

Swain moved the football offensively with its ensuing possession, but a holding penalty and a personal foul penalty doomed its drive and forced a punt.

Throughout the first half, Avery found holes in the Maroon Devils defense both on the ground and through the air, and managed to again move downfield into the Swain red zone. However, three straight incomplete passes, the final one on a fourth-down conversion attempt, turned the football over on downs.

Both teams traded punts as the second period began. The Vikings struck for a second touchdown when, following a pass completion that was negated by an illegal block, Avery went for broke and fired a long pass play down the sideline. Villanueva hung a long pass to Hughes, which fell just outside the outstretched hands of the Swain safety and into the hands of Hughes in stride, who outran the Swain secondary for a 74-yard touchdown. The Clark PAT staked the Big Red to a 14-0 lead with 7:50 to play before halftime.

Again the Viking defense forced another punt from the Swain offense, and the Avery offense composed a masterpiece of a third scoring drive, journeying 77 yards over eight plays. An offside penalty against Swain on third down gave Avery a first down, and the Vikings capitalized with a 27-yard touchdown run by Potter. The extra point pushed Avery out front by a 21-0 score which it carried to intermission.

The opening two quarters were a testament to the domination of the Viking defense. Swain was held to just 97 first-half yards, while the Vikings bedeviled the Swain defense for 326 yards in total offense.

With its collective back to the wall, the Maroon Devils came out of the locker room fighting and motivated to get back into the game. Swain put together its best drive of the night with the first series of the third quarter, a 10-play, 72-yard drive that elapsed 4:56 off the clock. Quarterback Colby Hyatt connected with receiver Greg Tisho on a four-yard touchdown to put Swain on the scoreboard. The extra point was unsuccessful, but Swain cut the Avery lead to 21-6.

Avery was forced to punt on its first offensive series of the half and momentum appeared to shift in Swain’s favor. The Viking defense showed that it wasn’t ready to let the Maroon Devils make a game of it, however. Senior lineman Lucas Lecka picked up a key quarterback sack of Hyatt and the Devils were forced to punt the ball back away.

As the third quarter ended and final stanza began, Swain had possession deep in its own territory and were forced into yet another punting situation. On this occasion, the situation went terribly wrong for the visitors, as the punt snap sailed over the head of Swain punter Evan Sneed. As the ball bounced into the end zone, Sneed booted the ball out the back of the end zone for an Avery safety, upping the Viking advantage to 23-6.

Upon receiving the free kick following the safety and benefiting from an additional Swain unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, Avery put the game away with authority. Using just four plays to march the necessary 37 yards, the Vikings were again in the end zone. Villanueva and Hughes again connected, this time for a 31-yard touchdown as Avery led 30-6 with 8:45 to play in the game.

The teams traded punts as the final period transpired until Swain running back Josue Otero scored the final points of the game on a 22-yard touchdown against the Avery reserves in the game’s final minute of play.

As the final seconds ticked away, it was Avery who was triumphant and moving on to the third round to take on a familiar foe in Western Highlands Conference rival Mitchell at MacDonald Stadium this Friday, Nov. 27.

When the dust settled, Brewer boiled down the difference in the win to a simple, yet crucial element.

“I felt the difference in the game was the line play. We whipped them on both sides of the football up front,” Brewer said in victory.

Avery gained 401 yards in total offense for the game, highlighted by a 13-for-26 passing effort from Villanueva. The junior, returning to action after missing last week’s first round game upon re-aggravating his surgically-repaired collarbone, threw for 243 yards and two scores, both to senior wide receiver Hughes totaling 105 yards.

“I thought Alex played great. He did exactly what he had to do for us to win the game,” Brewer said of his signal-caller.

Senior running back Colton Blackburn gained 95 yards on 12 carries, and paced the Viking defense with 15 tackles. Fellow senior lineman Lecka had three sacks and 12 tackles, with a pair of sacks by senior Kenny Hicks.

Avery will play neighboring Mitchell in this week’s third round matchup. The Mountaineers defeated the West Wilkes Blackhawks 35-29 in Miller’s Creek in round two to set up this week’s colossal contest.

“I’ve pulled for Mitchell and I’m tickled to death that they made the third round, but I dread playing them again,” Brewer said regarding this week’s game, the second meeting between the squads in four weeks. “I’m proud for our conference, and I think this is big for both their community and for ours. We’ve got two Western Highlands Conference teams in the third round playing for a regional championship, and that’s big. I’m tickled that we’re playing Mitchell for that opportunity. It seems every time we play one another, there’s something on the line, so for us to play each other in a game at this level, it’s going to be an awesome atmosphere for everybody.”  

Mountaineers Rushing Attack Blasts Blackhawks

The roller coaster season of the Mitchell High School (MHS) football team took a few more twists and turns in its second round game last Friday, Nov. 19, in Miller’s Creek against the West Wilkes Blackhawks. A pair of fourth quarter touchdown runs held up as Mitchell earned a grueling 35-29 win over West in a back-and-forth playoff thriller.

The Mountaineers drew first blood as it capped a six-play, 63-yard scoring drive with a 17-yard touchdown run by senior halfback Shawn Jackson. The Isaac Edwards point after touchdown (PAT) gave the Mountaineers an early 7-0 lead early in the first period.

On its first offensive series, West was forced to punt. The Blackhawks reached into its bag of tricks early, however, as it faked the punt on fourth down and Andrew Adams ambled 60 yards to put West on the board. Seth Absher’s PAT knotted the game at 7-7 at the 6:05 mark of the opening stanza.

Mitchell’s fortunes worsened on the ensuing kickoff as the Mountaineers fumbled the pigskin and West recovered at the Mountaineer 47-yard line. West marched to the end zone on six plays to capitalize on the gaffe, with Adams scoring for the second time in as many series as quarterback Absher connected with him for a 34-yard touchdown pass. The PAT pushed the home team ahead by a 14-7 margin.

Late in the first quarter, the Mountaineers needed to steal the momentum back from the Blackhawks, and it did so with an 11-play, 61-yard drive. Justin Hughes collected the touchdown on a seven-yard run, and the PAT by Edwards tied the game at 14 with 10:48 to play before halftime.

Shortly after the tying score, the Mountaineer defense stepped up and swung the momentum pendulum in the corner of the Mitchell club. Hughes leaped high into the air on a pass by Absher to intercept the ball and raced 50 yards to purple paydirt. The extra point boosted the Mountaineers ahead 21-14. The teams traded punts for the remainder of the first half as Mitchell led by a touchdown at intermission.

West Wilkes opened the third quarter with the first possession and made the most of the opportunity with a seven-play, 52-yard touchdown drive. Aaron Hudler caught a six-yard pass from Absher to draw the Blackhawks within a point. West again pulled out a trick play on the extra point attempt as it faked the PAT kick. The West holder pitched the football to kicker Absher, who then threw a successful two-point conversion pass to give West a 22-21 lead.

Mitchell came up empty on its first offensive series of the half and had to punt. The Mountaineer defense again dug in and held, however, as West held the football for 5:21 of clock time and ran 16 offensive plays. The drive ended unsuccessfully as the Mitchell defense foiled a fourth-down conversion pass inside the Mitchell 20-yard line.

Regaining the football, the MHS offense ground out its own 13-play, 72-yard drive that elapsed 6:24 off the clock. Jackson scored on a four-yard run to cash in on the productive possession. A successful two-point conversion pass to Hunter Rathbone put the Mountaineers back out in front of the seesaw contest at 29-22 with 7:06 to play in the contest.

Again the Mitchell defense made a huge play late in a game, as the defense stripped a West running back of the football and made the recovery inside Blackhawks territory. The offense capitalized on the turnover as Hughes scored on a one-yard plunge. The PAT failed, but Mitchell held a commanding 35-22 lead with 2:56 left on the game clock.

West refused to fold up the tent and give up, as it quickly maneuvered 63 yards in 10 plays to score on an Adams 12-yard pass reception. Absher’s extra point kick narrowed the margin to 35-29 with only 47 seconds to play.

The Blackhawks made one final onside kick attempt to regain possession, but Mitchell recovered the kick and ran out the clock to escape Miller’s Creek with a berth in the third round of the state playoffs.

Mitchell ran the football 44 times for 290 yards in the win, and threw the football just two times for the entire game. Jackson led all rushers with 158 yards on 22 carries and a pair of touchdowns, with 14 carries for 107 yards and three touchdowns from Hughes.

The Mountaineers make its second trip to Newland in three weeks this Friday, Nov. 26, when they tangle with the Avery Vikings. The Mountaineers lost a narrow 14-7 game to the Vikings in the first matchup and will look to advance to the Western Regional championship contest next week.

Middle School Hoops Roundup

Both middle schools were busy with basketball action last week, taking the floor for three games apiece.

Avery Middle School began its week on Monday, Nov. 15, with a conference contest at home against Bowman Middle School. The Avery Lady Panthers won its contest handily, defeating Bowman by a 44-20 final score.

Nine different Lady Panthers players scored in the win, led by 13 points from Jody Poore. Destiny Ollis tallied seven for the home team, with six from Ashley Singleton, five points from Christian Burleson and four points from Alex Bare.

“To be successful in basketball you have to play team ball. I think our team does well. We played our best game last Monday against Bowman,” Avery Lady Panthers head coach Tonia Hall said after the win. “I thought our defense against Bowman was really good. The girls hustled and played smart, and they also shot the ball better than normal too.”

In the evening’s night cap, the Avery boys continued its unbeaten streak with a dominating 59-36 win. Avery took a 16-7 edge after one period, but led by only a 27-21 margin at halftime. The Panthers roared out of the locker room at halftime with an 18-5 scoring spurt to lead 45-26 en route to the win.

Austin Phillips an Kobe Pittman scored 12 points each in the win, with 10 points from both Dalton Tennant and Tre Jackson, as well as six points from Dylan Bauer.

“We had four kids in double-figures. When you’re able to do that in a game, it makes you hard to beat,” Avery boys head coach Gordon Polsgrove said after the win.

On Tuesday, Nov. 16, the Panthers traveled to take on the Harris Blue Devils. The Lady Devils proved too tough to tame as they defeated Avery by a final score of 40-28.

Only four Lady Panthers registered points in the contest, led by Poore’s 14. Kylie Polsgrove added nine, with three points from Anna Gragg and two points from Ollis.

“We were not prepared when we played Harris. Harris is definitely well coached and played under control. We, on the other hand, had too many turnovers and did not make many free throws,” Hall said after the game. “We did not run our offense, and we could have played better defensively too. Also, I could have done a better job coaching the girls, and mixing up our defense. Overall, I thought they hustled and played hard.”

In the boys game, Avery took care of yet another conference foe with a 65-53 road victory.

Avery led by a single point at 11-10 after one stanza, but built a lead of a half-dozen at 29-23 by halftime.

A 21-12 scoring burst by the Blue Devils gave Harris a 44-41 lead going into the final six minutes of play, jeopardizing Avery’s undefeated record. However, the Avery club stepped up with a 24-point fourth quarter to seize control of the game for good and earn the hard-fought win.

James Stewart led the Panthers with 17 points, while Jackson and Pittman tallied 16 points apiece in the victory. Phillips pitched in with nine points, with six from Tennant.

“It was a tough game. We were behind late, and to score 24 points in the final quarter is good for a junior high team,” Polsgrove said after the win.

Avery wrapped up its week on Thursday, Nov. 18, returning home to host Cane River.

The Lady Panthers picked up its second win of the week, a 26-19 margin over the Lady Rebels.

Both teams struggled to score on offense in the early going, as Avery took a narrow 7-4 lead after one period and led by three at 13-10 at halftime.

Both teams could manage only two field goals in the third period, with Avery clinging to a 17-14 lead going into the final period. In the final stanza, a five-point burst from Ollis proved to be enough to put Avery over the top.

Ollis led the Lady Panthers with 11 points, with five points from Polsgrove and four points each from Burleson and Raina Wiseman.

“I am not sure what happened against Cane River. We looked out of control and never got into rhythm on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball,” Hall said. “We were lucky to win. Cane River did a good job keeping the game close.”

In the second half of the doubleheader, the Avery boys maintained a sizable lead, then exploded in the final quarter to win by a 60-42 margin.

Avery led 15-8 after one period. In the second period Cane River cut the margin to three points on two occasions, but a pair of Jackson three-point baskets answered each rally and allowed the Panthers to lead 31-20 at halftime.

The Panthers began to pull away in the third quarter, extending its lead to 42-28 as it went on to keep its perfect 2010 record intact.

Pittman led all scorers with 20 points, six assists and four steals, with 11 from Jackson and 10 points and seven rebounds from Tennant. Stewart chipped in with eight points, with seven points from Jeffery Puckett.

“Cane River played tough. They’re a good ballclub,” Polsgrove said after the win. “We had good balance tonight and have had that all season. We have several players who contribute to the team, and that’s made us successful. We play as hard as we can and play defense as best as we can, and it’s proven to be enough. Our point guard Kobe plays extremely well, as does Tre when he plays the point. Kobe may be one of the best, if not the best player this season in the conference.”

The Avery boys team stands at 8-0 overall, with a 7-0 conference record.

The Cranberry Middle School teams took the floor with a trio of games last week as well. The Lady Wildcats hosted the East Yancey Lady Panthers on Monday, Nov. 15, with the Lady Panthers coming away with a 36-16 win. East’s Destiny Elkins led all scorers with 24 points in the contest. The Lady Wildcats played hard for the entire contest, but were unable to overcome a highly talented East club which has proven to be the top team in the conference during the regular season.

In the boys game, the Panthers captured a 47-35 win over Cranberry. The Wildcats trailed by only two points at intermission, but East put together a scoring run in the third period to take a nine-point lead into the final period and take the 12-point decision.

“We have improved very much as the season has progressed, “Cranberry head coach Jimmy Tilley said after the game.

On Tuesday, Nov. 16, the Wildcats journeyed across the border to Cloudland High School in Roan Mountain to take on the Highlanders. In girls action, the Lady Wildcats came away with an impressive 23-15 win in a defensive affair.

Cranberry held Cloudland to only one point in the first six minutes of action and led 9-5 at halftime. In the third quarter the Lady Cats exploded on a 12-3 scoring run to put the contest out of reach.

Sierra Jones led Cranberry with 11 points, with eight from Bethany Burleson and three points from Elizabeth Pittman.

“The girls played one of their best games of the year and pulled away in the second half,” Tilley said of the win.

In the second half of the twin bill, the Cranberry boys made it a clean sweep of Cloudland with a decisive 47-33 win. The Wildcats held a narrow 10-9 lead after one period and preserved its one-point margin at 19-18 at halftime.

Three-point baskets by Jeremiah Vance and Tyler Pitman in the third period helped stake Cranberry to a 33-28 advantage after three periods, while a 10-point flurry by Wildcat center Cainan Singleton put the contest out of reach.

“The boys did not play well in the first half, but they increased their intensity to pull away in the second half,” Tilley said.

Cranberry’s girls team picked up its second straight win on Thursday, Nov. 18, defeating Bowman 30-17 in Bakersville. Both teams started the first half slowly offensively, but the Lady Cats held a narrow 14-12 lead at halftime. Cranberry picked up its offense in the second half, while holding the Lady Bulldogs to just five points over the final two periods to pick up the win.

Jones led all Cranberry scorers with 12 points, with eight points from Pittman.

“Our first game to the Lady Dogs was a seven-point loss, so we have really improved as the season has progressed,” Tilley said of his team’s effort.

In the night cap, the Wildcats held a five-point lead at halftime and led by three points after three periods, but the Bulldogs took advantage of a number of Cranberry turnovers to outscore the Wildcats by 17 points in the final stanza to win by a 51-37 final score.

“The boys game was a good one for three periods. Our scoring and floor leader Tyler Pitman did not play due to illness, so that hurt our hopes quite a bit late in the game,” Tilley said.

Zack Guinn had 16 points to lead the Wildcats.

Both county middle school teams play a limited schedule this week. Avery hosted Harris on Monday, Nov. 22, while Cranberry traveled to Cane River the same evening and hosted West McDowell in a non-conference contest on Tuesday, Nov. 23.