For more details and results, keep checking with the Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog. Photos are property of the Avery Journal-Times and Matt Laws.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Scenes From UT-UAB
For more details and results, keep checking with the Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog. Photos are property of the Avery Journal-Times and Matt Laws.
From the Student Section...Please Don't Celebrate
Isn't football suppose to be a game? When you do something great, like scoring a touchdown, should you get punished by getting a personal foul for celebrating? By now, you have heard about the controversial penalty that was called in the Washington-BYU game. Washington Quarterback Jake Locker scored from 3-yards out with two seconds remaining to put his team within an extra point of forcing halftime. However, the officials penalized Locker for unsportsmanlike conduct. The extra point was pushed back 15-yards, and was blocked by BYU. The rule is clear cut, but should the refs determine a game because of a player's excitement and reaction to possibly tieing the game?
In my opinion, no they should not. While the rule does say "throw the ball in the air," Locker did not throw the ball in a taunting manner, and it did not land very far from where he was at. It was pure emotion. It was more like a flip, and was not very taunting. Should refs be more lenient on emotional moments, such as this play? I think even though this rule is black and white, there should be some "wiggle" room for situations like this. The game was not delayed by the throw, it did not end up in the crowd, it was taunting, and the ball did not hit any other player. I hate to see a game decided by a call that had no effect on play, and I don't think I am not the only one.
While I disagree with the call, the refs did enforce the rules. In fact, the rule needs to be looked at to keep the emotion in college football.
I read a column earlier this week by Chattanooga Times Free Press' Ward Gossett on an overzealous ref enforcing the new sideline rules. In his column (that link will take you to his column), he makes a point that really good officials blend into the game, and not become a primary part of it. I second that idea. We have some great officials in this area, and I bet almost everyone of them wants the game to be decided by the teams on the field and not the refs.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Swart Wins Gold in 2k Time Trial at USA Cycling Collegiate Track Nationals
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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. --Lees-McRae Bobcat cyclist Carla Swart earned the first USA Collegiate Cycling national title of the 2008-2009 season when she finished the the women's 2k time trial with an impressive 2:39.918 to earn the gold medal.For Swart (Buford, Ga.), standing on the podium is not an new experience as she is is also the reigning DI road race champion. Her top place finish gives the Bobcats an early boost in the team omnium contest. A junior, Swart is a dual sport athlete, also competing on the women's cross country team at Lees-McRae.Alao racing well for the Bobcats was senior Kristi Henne (Plainview, Ark.) who raced to 12th place in the women's 2k with a time of 2:52.557.
In the men's 3k Time Trial Scott Jackson (Chatham, N.J.) finished 20th with a time of 3:34.532, Wentworth Knipe (Sheffield, Va.) finished 26th with a time of 3:44.754, and Christopher Bogedin (Rochester, Mich.) came in 28th with a time of 3:45.935 to round out the top 30 cyclists.
The Short Track National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado continue through Sunday, September 14.
Comments about Johnson County game with Vikings Head Coach Darrell Brewer
A pre-game conversation with Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer can be accessed by clicking the title link to this post.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
HIGHLANDER GAMEDAY
The ‘Landers will try to stop a two game losing streak next week as they will travel to Afton to take on the Chuckey-Doak Black Knights. The Black Knights enter the game 1-2, with their lone victory over Unaka in Week 0 21-0. They fell to Gatlinburg-Pittman 44-6 last week. The ‘Landers took the victory 32-13 last season in Roan Mountain.
“I think the effort is there,” Coach Turbyfill said of what his team needs to correct before entering tonight's contest. “I don’t think it is the effort or the scheme. I think it is just taking care of the mental mistakes and small things here and there that we have to get better at.”
Kickoff is at 7:30 on Friday at Chuckey-Doak.
“I think the effort is there,” Coach Turbyfill said of what his team needs to correct before entering tonight's contest. “I don’t think it is the effort or the scheme. I think it is just taking care of the mental mistakes and small things here and there that we have to get better at.”
Kickoff is at 7:30 on Friday at Chuckey-Doak.
For more information on last week’s and this week’s game, check the Avery Journal-Times and the Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog at www.ajtsports.blogspot.com!
Bobcat Men's Soccer Downs Carson-Newman
BANNER ELK, N.C. – Lee Squires scored on a free kick in the 34th minute to give the Lees-McRae Bobcats a 1-0 win over the Carson-Newman College Eagles in a non-conference match Wednesday at Tate Field.
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Freshman David Palmer (Gateshead, England) set up the free kick when he drew a foul around 20 yards out. Classmate Luke Staats (Almere, Holland) touched the ball for the indirect kick, and Squires (Sheffield, England) blasted the ball to the near post past the keeper.The two teams battled in the downpour for the rest of the match. In the 83rd minute Carson-Newman’s Omar Cooke’s shot was deflected by Bobcat keeper Sean Paradise (North Port, Fla.) off the post and cleared by Staats to seal the victory.Squires, who was named Conference Carolinas Player of the Week for his performance last week, has scored 10 of 15 Bobcat goals and has scored in all five matches.Paradise earned the shut-out in net for the Bobcats with five saves.
“It was a good win in difficult conditions,” said head coach Chris Whalley. ”We took advantage on the free kick and held on, but we missed some opportunities to extend the lead.”The Bobcats open up Conference Carolinas play Saturday, September 13th in Laurinburg, N.C. against St. Andrews Presbyterian College. Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m.
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Freshman David Palmer (Gateshead, England) set up the free kick when he drew a foul around 20 yards out. Classmate Luke Staats (Almere, Holland) touched the ball for the indirect kick, and Squires (Sheffield, England) blasted the ball to the near post past the keeper.The two teams battled in the downpour for the rest of the match. In the 83rd minute Carson-Newman’s Omar Cooke’s shot was deflected by Bobcat keeper Sean Paradise (North Port, Fla.) off the post and cleared by Staats to seal the victory.Squires, who was named Conference Carolinas Player of the Week for his performance last week, has scored 10 of 15 Bobcat goals and has scored in all five matches.Paradise earned the shut-out in net for the Bobcats with five saves.“It was a good win in difficult conditions,” said head coach Chris Whalley. ”We took advantage on the free kick and held on, but we missed some opportunities to extend the lead.”The Bobcats open up Conference Carolinas play Saturday, September 13th in Laurinburg, N.C. against St. Andrews Presbyterian College. Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Pioneers Retain Bucket Over Vikings in Thrilling Border War
It was a tale of two halves for the Avery football team in their battle with Watauga at Jack Groce Stadium on Friday night. The first two quarters were likened to a horror story, as Avery’s offense and defense appeared at times grossly overmatched and unable to get on track. The second half of play was the stuff of inspirational classics, as the team put on a late charge in an attempt to snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat. Unfortunately the tale could not end happily for the Big Red as the Pioneers held on for a 28-14 victory before a capacity crowd.Throughout much of the first half defenses were dominant. Watauga’s opening drive of the game was abruptly ended by a Baine Martin fumble, which was forced and recovered by Avery’s Christian Montgomery. On Avery’s first possession following the turnover, the Vikings moved the football inside the Watauga 30 yard line, only to be turned away on a fourth down pass completion.
The throwing arm and rushing legs of Watauga quarterback Devan Corum was tough for the Vikings to contend with throughout the game. Corum and his teammates marched downfield late in the quarter inside the Avery 40, but a Corum pass was picked off by Vikings DB Travis Thomas, as the defense forced its second Pioneer turnover in as many drives.
Watauga used its own ball-hawking defense to wrestle momentum away from the Avery club. Two plays following the Thomas pickoff, Alex Fox intercepted Avery quarterback Adam Pate near midfield.
Avery’s defense held the Pioneers to a three-and-out following the turnover, and the teams proceeded to trade punts over much of the next eight minutes of action. The most successful drive for either team occurred in the final two minutes of the half as Watauga marched 74 yards over four plays, taking only 1:16 of elapsed clock time. Corum began the drive with a 19-yard scamper, and found Baine Martin on a slip screen with its next play. The running back scampered 41 yards to move the Pioneers to the Avery 14-yard line. Two plays later Corum found wide receiver Travis Oliver on a post route in the end zone. The Sam Grubbs point after kick provided the only scoring as the Pioneers led 7-0 at halftime.
Avery received the second half kickoff looking to get something going offensively, but was could only muster a single first down before having to punt to Watauga. The Pioneers took its first offensive series and made the most of it, driving 75 yards over nine plays. An 18-yard touchdown run from Baine Martin and subsequent PAT doubled the Watauga advantage to 14-0 at the 4:56 mark in the third quarter.
It appeared that everything that could go wrong did so for the Big Red through the quarter, as Dennis McMenamin picked off a Pate pass at the Avery 35 on the Vikings’ first play after the Watauga score. The Pioneers capitalized on the turnover when Corum ran to the end zone from nine yards out for a commanding 21-0 lead with 57 seconds left in the period.
Following the ensuing kickoff, the Vikings spread offense sparked to life. A 34-yard run by Adam Pate on the first Avery play moved the Vikings into Watauga territory. Another 16-yard run from Pate on the final play of the third quarter was followed by a 32-yard pass completion to wide receiver Chris Childress to set Avery up at the Watauga 5-yard line. A five-yard quarterback run to the left pylon by Pate finally put the Vikings on the scoreboard, with the Sutton Stanley PAT leaving Avery with only a 14-point deficit at 21-7 with 11:12 left in the game.
With Avery finally moving offensively, it was the defense’s turn to rise up, and they did so in dramatic fashion, holding Watauga to a three-and-out near its own 20-yard line. Linebacker Jordan English picked up a shanked punt following an Avery rush on punter Dennis McMenamin and rambled 21 yards to the Watauga 2-yard line, where two plays later Pate barreled over the goal line on a seven yard run to draw Avery to within a score at 21-14 with 8:25 still showing on the game clock.
At their most crucial point of the game, the Pioneers composed themselves offensively and did their best to hold on to the slim lead. An 11 play, 32-yard drive that began at the 8:15 mark consumed almost seven minutes off the game clock. The Avery defense bent but did not break, finally forcing Watauga to turn the ball over on downs at the Avery 32 yard line when English tackled Baine Martin for a loss on fourth and short.
With under a minute and a half remaining, the Vikings were deep in their own territory but had the opportunity to tie the contest. The hopes were immediately dashed when Avery fumbled the ball on its first play. Watauga’s Tanner Wilson pounced on the loose football and the Pioneers added an insurance touchdown on a Corum seven-yard touchdown run to provide for the final margin.
Watauga outgained Avery 320-170 in total offense, but the yardage defensively was a marked improvement from the average of 500 yards in total offense gained by Avery’s two previous opponents.
“I was proud of our kids. I felt like our kids played their tails off tonight,” Vikings head coach Darrell Brewer said in the post-game press conference. “This was the best defensive effort we’ve had all year. At times offensively we looked pretty good, but we made too many mistakes and too many turnovers.”
The Vikings return to action this Friday night when they host the Johnson County Longhorns. Earlier schedules had this week listed as an open date, but the Vikings will instead have their bye week on September 19th.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Vikings Hook Horns with Johnson County while Looking for First Win of '08
Following last week’s emotional contest at Watauga, the Avery Vikings (0-3) return to the friendly confines of MacDonald Stadium Friday night to take on the Johnson County (TN) Longhorns (1-1). Avery made a fierce comeback last week against the Pioneers only to come up short in a 28-14 loss, while the Johnson County squad had its own dramatic finish last week, losing in the final two minutes by a narrow 29-23 margin to the rival Elizabethton Cyclones. Johnson County took the victory in last year’s contest with Avery by a 21-7 final score in Mountain City.
Scouting the Longhorns:
The Longhorns are coached by Mike Atwood and are members of the Mountain Lakes Conference, where the club finished with a 7-4 overall record last year and third place conference finish.
Johnson County has a relative young offensive line, but returns one of the most experienced sets of skill players in their conference and region. Leading the Longhorns on the field will be senior WR/K Christian Prudhomme (5’10” 178 lbs.; 32 receptions for 590 yards, 8 TD in 2007). Prudhomme earned all-conference honors as well as All-State honors from the Tennessee Sportswriters Association last season. He is a do-it-all kind of player for the Longhorns with 13 catches for 219 yards thus far in 2008.
“Every time he touches the ball, he’s a threat,” Johnson County head coach Mike Atwood remarked of his standout player.
Prudhomme catches passes from returning all-conference senior quarterback Austin Phipps (6’2”, 225 lbs.). In 2007, Phipps threw for 1,206 passing yards with 13 TD passes, and also rushed for 250 yards with three touchdowns. This year Phipps is 18-of-34 passing for 335 yards, with 126 yards rushing on 16 carries through two games.
Lost from last season’s club is leading rusher Tyler Leonard, who rushed for 1,081 yards in 2007, but filling in the gap is senior running back Adam Shelton (24 carries for 235 yards in 2008). Wide receiver Ian Bellamy (11 receptions, 248 yards, TD in 2007) returns for his senior season as well as offensive starters Nick Blackwell (5’10”, 209 lbs.) and Zach Yoggerst (6’1”, 275 lbs.).
The defense also returns experience for the Longhorns in senior linebackers Dakota Grindstaff (5’10”, 185 lbs.) and Seth Captain (5’10”, 170 lbs.). Linebacker Travis Grindstaff had 18 tackles in the team’s first game of the season against Hampton, but is currently injured.
The Low Down:
Avery showed marked improvement on the defensive side of the football last week, but the I-formation offense struggled with the Watauga defense through the first half. From the spread formation utilized in previous seasons, however, the Vikings found greater success moving the football.
Like many teams in the Western Highlands Conference, Johnson County plays a physical brand of football. Avery will need to match that physicality, especially at the line of scrimmage, and also make a concerted effort to limit the production of the Phipps-Prudhomme tandem.
Defensively, the coaching staff called last week’s effort against Watauga the best of the season to date, due in part to the renewed emphasis on wrapping and tackling stressed to the players during recent practices. Jordan English was a beast from his linebacker position last week, and will need similar performances from he and teammates to hold the Longhorn offense at bay.
Offensively, Avery needs to find another weapon in addition to Adam Pate to help shoulder a portion of the yardage burden, particularly in the running game. Pate has shown to be Avery’s most reliable and consistent weapon, but if players such as Chase Arrowood or Travis Thomas can be successful carrying the football it will make the Avery offense more dimensional and keep defenses honest.
If special teams become a factor Friday night Christian Prudhomme, a Division 1 kicking prospect, will be advantageous as he has made a 47-yard field goal earlier this season and consistently makes kicks from 50 yards out in practice.
By the Numbers:
0- points scored by Avery over three quarters of Friday’s loss to Watauga.
9- pass receptions by Johnson County’s Christian Prudhomme in last week’s loss to Elizabethton, for a total of 131 yards.
14- tackles by Avery’s Jordan English in last week’s game at Watauga.
170 – yards in total offense gained by Avery in last week’s 28-14 loss in Boone.
232- yards in total offense gained by Johnson County’s Austin Phipps in last week’s game at Elizabethton.
Pick up next week’s edition of the Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s game with Johnson County.
Scouting the Longhorns:The Longhorns are coached by Mike Atwood and are members of the Mountain Lakes Conference, where the club finished with a 7-4 overall record last year and third place conference finish.
Johnson County has a relative young offensive line, but returns one of the most experienced sets of skill players in their conference and region. Leading the Longhorns on the field will be senior WR/K Christian Prudhomme (5’10” 178 lbs.; 32 receptions for 590 yards, 8 TD in 2007). Prudhomme earned all-conference honors as well as All-State honors from the Tennessee Sportswriters Association last season. He is a do-it-all kind of player for the Longhorns with 13 catches for 219 yards thus far in 2008.
“Every time he touches the ball, he’s a threat,” Johnson County head coach Mike Atwood remarked of his standout player.
Prudhomme catches passes from returning all-conference senior quarterback Austin Phipps (6’2”, 225 lbs.). In 2007, Phipps threw for 1,206 passing yards with 13 TD passes, and also rushed for 250 yards with three touchdowns. This year Phipps is 18-of-34 passing for 335 yards, with 126 yards rushing on 16 carries through two games.
Lost from last season’s club is leading rusher Tyler Leonard, who rushed for 1,081 yards in 2007, but filling in the gap is senior running back Adam Shelton (24 carries for 235 yards in 2008). Wide receiver Ian Bellamy (11 receptions, 248 yards, TD in 2007) returns for his senior season as well as offensive starters Nick Blackwell (5’10”, 209 lbs.) and Zach Yoggerst (6’1”, 275 lbs.).
The defense also returns experience for the Longhorns in senior linebackers Dakota Grindstaff (5’10”, 185 lbs.) and Seth Captain (5’10”, 170 lbs.). Linebacker Travis Grindstaff had 18 tackles in the team’s first game of the season against Hampton, but is currently injured.
The Low Down:
Avery showed marked improvement on the defensive side of the football last week, but the I-formation offense struggled with the Watauga defense through the first half. From the spread formation utilized in previous seasons, however, the Vikings found greater success moving the football.
Like many teams in the Western Highlands Conference, Johnson County plays a physical brand of football. Avery will need to match that physicality, especially at the line of scrimmage, and also make a concerted effort to limit the production of the Phipps-Prudhomme tandem.
Defensively, the coaching staff called last week’s effort against Watauga the best of the season to date, due in part to the renewed emphasis on wrapping and tackling stressed to the players during recent practices. Jordan English was a beast from his linebacker position last week, and will need similar performances from he and teammates to hold the Longhorn offense at bay.
Offensively, Avery needs to find another weapon in addition to Adam Pate to help shoulder a portion of the yardage burden, particularly in the running game. Pate has shown to be Avery’s most reliable and consistent weapon, but if players such as Chase Arrowood or Travis Thomas can be successful carrying the football it will make the Avery offense more dimensional and keep defenses honest.
If special teams become a factor Friday night Christian Prudhomme, a Division 1 kicking prospect, will be advantageous as he has made a 47-yard field goal earlier this season and consistently makes kicks from 50 yards out in practice.
By the Numbers:
0- points scored by Avery over three quarters of Friday’s loss to Watauga.
9- pass receptions by Johnson County’s Christian Prudhomme in last week’s loss to Elizabethton, for a total of 131 yards.
14- tackles by Avery’s Jordan English in last week’s game at Watauga.
170 – yards in total offense gained by Avery in last week’s 28-14 loss in Boone.
232- yards in total offense gained by Johnson County’s Austin Phipps in last week’s game at Elizabethton.
Pick up next week’s edition of the Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s game with Johnson County.
Former Viking Runners Continuing Careers at College Level
It was an exciting day for Avery County High School on Saturday, September 6. The Eye Opener Invitational was held in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Avery County High School had three cross country athletic alumni who were running at the meet, each representing different colleges.
Ashley Condrey, a senior at Wingate University, Ben Crenshaw, a junior running at Mars Hill College, and Kate Griewisch, a freshman runner at Lenior Rhyne College all competed at Saturday's event.
Congratulations to each of these former Vikings, and best of luck as they continue their collegiate careers at their respective schools!
Ashley Condrey, a senior at Wingate University, Ben Crenshaw, a junior running at Mars Hill College, and Kate Griewisch, a freshman runner at Lenior Rhyne College all competed at Saturday's event.
Congratulations to each of these former Vikings, and best of luck as they continue their collegiate careers at their respective schools!
Lady Bobcats Use Second Half Goals to Beat Brevard
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BANNER ELK N.C. – Marissa Middleton scored in the 60th minute and Jess O’Leary added an insurance goal in the 88th to give the Lady Bobcats a 2-0 win over the Brevard College Tornados in non-conference match at Tate Field Monday night.
Middleton (Olathe, Kan.) scored when freshman Vickie Rich (Arlington Heights, Ill.) took the ball down the near side and passed it past the keeper to Middleton in front of a wide-open net. The goal was Middleton’s first of the year.O’Leary (Millbury, Mass.) found the back of the net on a through pass from senior co-captain Christine Carlvert (Dallas, Texas) over the head of the Brevard back line.Sophomore goalkeeper Brittany Bolton (Roanoke, Va.) earned the shutout for the Lady Bobcats in the net with nine saves. It was Bolton’s first full shutout of the year. Bolton and Middleton combined to shutout Ferrum in the Bobcat’s last match.
“It was great to see us connecting from our midfield to our forwards,” said head coach Renee Lopez. “It was rewarding to capitalize on our opportunities, especially after they beat us 2-1 last year. I am very proud of our ladies.” The Lady Bobcats will take the pitch again Thursday, September 11 against Columbia College at 6 p.m. in a non-conference match at Tate Field.
Middleton (Olathe, Kan.) scored when freshman Vickie Rich (Arlington Heights, Ill.) took the ball down the near side and passed it past the keeper to Middleton in front of a wide-open net. The goal was Middleton’s first of the year.O’Leary (Millbury, Mass.) found the back of the net on a through pass from senior co-captain Christine Carlvert (Dallas, Texas) over the head of the Brevard back line.Sophomore goalkeeper Brittany Bolton (Roanoke, Va.) earned the shutout for the Lady Bobcats in the net with nine saves. It was Bolton’s first full shutout of the year. Bolton and Middleton combined to shutout Ferrum in the Bobcat’s last match.
“It was great to see us connecting from our midfield to our forwards,” said head coach Renee Lopez. “It was rewarding to capitalize on our opportunities, especially after they beat us 2-1 last year. I am very proud of our ladies.” The Lady Bobcats will take the pitch again Thursday, September 11 against Columbia College at 6 p.m. in a non-conference match at Tate Field.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
LIVE from.... Kidd-Brewer Stadium!
The Appalachian State Mountaineers football team holds its home opener this afternoon against Jacksonville University. The Apps lost 41-13 at LSU one week ago and look to rebound against the Dolphins.It's throwback day at App as the team celebrates head coach Jerry Moore's 20th season as Mountaineer head coach by wearing uniforms from that 1989 season. We'll have continuous updates from the newly constructed temporary press box high above Kidd Brewer throughout the day, with possibly photos along the way.
3:30 PM - It's almost kickoff time at The Rock! A new video board, 4,400 new seats, a crowded house, and an overcast afternoon welcome the three-time defending NCAA FCS National Champion Mountaineers.
3:40 PM - ASU takes the opening kickoff and drives with its first possession to the JU 22 yard line, but an Edwards interception stalls the drive.
3:45 PM - JU's opening drive is halted inside App territory when Quavian Lewis and Dominique McDuffie stuff the running back on 4th and less than a yard, giving ASU possession for its second drive near midfield. App immediately capitalized on a 44 yard touchdown run by Robert Welton, his second score of the season. The successful PAT by Vitaris gives the Mountaineers a 7-0 lead with an even eight minutes to go in the first. Drive Summary: 3 plays, 52 yards, 0:56 for ASU's first home touchdown of 2008.
3:55 PM - Jacksonville is held to a three-and-out and App takes over around its own 30 yard line. A long draw run from Devon Moore moved the Mountaineers inside the red zone. Two plays later Moore finishes off the drive with an 11-yard scamper for the second score of the day. PAT makes the score 14-0 ASU with 4:42 to go in the opening stanza. Drive Summary: 4 plays, 67 yards, 1:16 on the second rushing TD of the quarter.
4:05 PM - UPDATE: Another three and out for the Dolphins who appear overmatched early. Appalachian takes over at the JU 35 and are back on the board again on a 28-yard QB draw from Armanti Edwards. PAT puts the Mountaineers up 21-0 with 2:58 left in the first quarter. Drive Summary: 2 plays, 35 yards, 0:43 as ASU wastes absolutely no time slashing through the Dolphin defense.
4:10 PM - First quarter closes with ASU leading 21-0. Jacksonville has gotten nothing going offensively as the App defense has been smothering JU quarterback Josh McGregor. A big hit by Tony Robertson knocked McGregor out of the game on the last possession as JU again had to punt the football away to App. The Mountaineers take over at the own 41.
1st Qtr stats:
ASU - 201 rushing yards, -1 passing yards
JU - 4 rushing yards, 32 passing yards
Armanti Edwards - 5 rushes, 64 yards, TD
Quavian Lewis - 5 tkls
DJ Smith - 4 tkls
4:25 PM - Appalachian back at it again. After a personal foul assessed against JU on a punt return, Appalachian drives only14 yards on three plays. A six yard TD pass from Edwards to Tavaris Washington with the PAT pushes the Mountaineer lead to 28-0. with 11:06 left in the half.
4:35 PM - DeAndre Pressley in the game at quarterback for the Mountaineers with 8:25 remaining in the first half and Appalachian leading 28-0. Seems a little early to pull Edwards, but it is good to see the freshman in the game for the Apps.
4:45 PM - The teams have been exchanging punts. No change in score as the Mountaineers lead by 28.
4:50 PM - Jacksonville attempts a field goal of around 37 yards, but the kick sails wide left, preserving the shutout with 1:12 left before halftime. ASU drives to the JU 38 where Jason Vitaris attempts a 55-yard field goal. The kick sails wide left and is no good as Appalachian holds a commanding 28-0 lead over Jacksonville at intermission.
HALFTIME STATISTICS:
Individual:
ASU Rushing: Devon Moore (9 rushes, 98 yards TD)
JU Rushing: Rudell Small (7 rushes 16 yards)
JU Passing: Josh McGregor (11 of 20, 133 yards)
Team:
ASU:
Passing Yards: 32 yards
Rushing Yards: 261 yards
Total Offense: 293 yards
JU:
Passing Yards: 136 yards
Rushing Yards: -3 yards
Total Yards: 133 yards
The Mountaineers open the second half with a touchdown as Edwards returns to the lineup to begin the first ASU drive. A six play, 61 yard drive over 2:15 culminated with a two yard touchdown run by Robert Welton, making the score 35-0 ASU.
5:32 PM - Jacksonville is finally on the scoreboard on a 60-yard punt return touchdown from Elliot Finkley, the first allowed by ASU since Jayson Foster ran one back for Georgia Southern against Appalachian in 2004. The PAT is successful to make the score 35-7 ASU at the 7:16 mark of the third period.
Talk about a quick answer! ASU immediately responds with a 72-yard touchdown run from Robert Welton on the first play from scrimmage following the JU score for his third rushing touchdown of the afternoon (the eighth time in the last 13 games that an App player has scored at least three rushing scores in a game). PAT good, ASU 42-7 (6:58 3rd)
5:40 PM -- Avery's own Josh Johnson has returned a total of three punts in the game. His second run went for 16 yards to set the Apps up at their own 46 yard line, with the team up big.
On a side note: The attendance this afternoon at The Rock -- 30,718 -- a new record.
5:50 PM -- Three quarters in the books -- 42-7 Appalachian.
6:05 PM -- Add a DEFENSIVE score to the tally for the Apps -- a 33-yard Interception return by Travis Dowda and PAT gives the Mountaineers a 49-7 lead with 9:44 left in the game. A number of substitutes are in the game and have been for a while.
ASU travels to James Madison in two weeks for a Saturday night special against the Dukes, who will be looking for revenge after last year's 28-27 playoff loss.
6:20 PM - Josh Jackson gets on the scoreboard for the Mountaineers after a 10 play 65 yard drive that took 3:16 with a three yard touchdown run. The score and PAT pushes the Apps over the half-century mark with a 56-7 lead, which provides for the final margin of victory.
ASU - 201 rushing yards, -1 passing yards
JU - 4 rushing yards, 32 passing yards
Armanti Edwards - 5 rushes, 64 yards, TD
Quavian Lewis - 5 tkls
DJ Smith - 4 tkls
4:25 PM - Appalachian back at it again. After a personal foul assessed against JU on a punt return, Appalachian drives only14 yards on three plays. A six yard TD pass from Edwards to Tavaris Washington with the PAT pushes the Mountaineer lead to 28-0. with 11:06 left in the half.
4:35 PM - DeAndre Pressley in the game at quarterback for the Mountaineers with 8:25 remaining in the first half and Appalachian leading 28-0. Seems a little early to pull Edwards, but it is good to see the freshman in the game for the Apps.
4:45 PM - The teams have been exchanging punts. No change in score as the Mountaineers lead by 28.
4:50 PM - Jacksonville attempts a field goal of around 37 yards, but the kick sails wide left, preserving the shutout with 1:12 left before halftime. ASU drives to the JU 38 where Jason Vitaris attempts a 55-yard field goal. The kick sails wide left and is no good as Appalachian holds a commanding 28-0 lead over Jacksonville at intermission.
HALFTIME STATISTICS:
Individual:
ASU Rushing: Devon Moore (9 rushes, 98 yards TD)
JU Rushing: Rudell Small (7 rushes 16 yards)
JU Passing: Josh McGregor (11 of 20, 133 yards)
Team:
ASU:
Passing Yards: 32 yards
Rushing Yards: 261 yards
Total Offense: 293 yards
JU:
Passing Yards: 136 yards
Rushing Yards: -3 yards
Total Yards: 133 yards
The Mountaineers open the second half with a touchdown as Edwards returns to the lineup to begin the first ASU drive. A six play, 61 yard drive over 2:15 culminated with a two yard touchdown run by Robert Welton, making the score 35-0 ASU.
5:32 PM - Jacksonville is finally on the scoreboard on a 60-yard punt return touchdown from Elliot Finkley, the first allowed by ASU since Jayson Foster ran one back for Georgia Southern against Appalachian in 2004. The PAT is successful to make the score 35-7 ASU at the 7:16 mark of the third period.Talk about a quick answer! ASU immediately responds with a 72-yard touchdown run from Robert Welton on the first play from scrimmage following the JU score for his third rushing touchdown of the afternoon (the eighth time in the last 13 games that an App player has scored at least three rushing scores in a game). PAT good, ASU 42-7 (6:58 3rd)
5:40 PM -- Avery's own Josh Johnson has returned a total of three punts in the game. His second run went for 16 yards to set the Apps up at their own 46 yard line, with the team up big.
On a side note: The attendance this afternoon at The Rock -- 30,718 -- a new record.
5:50 PM -- Three quarters in the books -- 42-7 Appalachian.
6:05 PM -- Add a DEFENSIVE score to the tally for the Apps -- a 33-yard Interception return by Travis Dowda and PAT gives the Mountaineers a 49-7 lead with 9:44 left in the game. A number of substitutes are in the game and have been for a while.
ASU travels to James Madison in two weeks for a Saturday night special against the Dukes, who will be looking for revenge after last year's 28-27 playoff loss.
6:20 PM - Josh Jackson gets on the scoreboard for the Mountaineers after a 10 play 65 yard drive that took 3:16 with a three yard touchdown run. The score and PAT pushes the Apps over the half-century mark with a 56-7 lead, which provides for the final margin of victory.
Vikings Lose Bucket Battle to Pioneers
The Avery varsity football team played its best defensive football game of the season on Friday night, but a third quarter Watauga surge was too great to overcome as the Big Red fell 28-14 at Jack Groce Stadium.
A full recap of Friday's game can be found in the coming days as well as in next week's edition of the Journal-Times.
A full recap of Friday's game can be found in the coming days as well as in next week's edition of the Journal-Times.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Pre-Game Interview with Avery Head Coach Darrell Brewer for this week's showdown with Watauga
Click the above link for an audio interview with Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer discussing tonight's "Battle for the Bucket" contest against neighboring Watauga. Game time is set for 7:30 pm from Jack Groce Stadium in Boone.
Other high school games taking place around the Western Highlands Conference tonight:
Erwin (1-1) at Madison (0-2)
North Buncombe (2-0) at Mitchell (0-2)
Rosman (0-2) at Mountain Heritage (1-1)
Owen (0-1) at Reynolds (1-0)
Polk County (1-1) at R-S Central (2-0)
West Henderson (0-2) at Hendersonville (2-0)
Other high school games taking place around the Western Highlands Conference tonight:
Erwin (1-1) at Madison (0-2)
North Buncombe (2-0) at Mitchell (0-2)
Rosman (0-2) at Mountain Heritage (1-1)
Owen (0-1) at Reynolds (1-0)
Polk County (1-1) at R-S Central (2-0)
West Henderson (0-2) at Hendersonville (2-0)
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Avery sports roundup
Avery's high school sports programs have been busy as several sports continue to build momentum in regular season action.
TENNIS:
The Avery tennis team began regular season play with a pair of conference matches this week. On Tuesday the squad skunked the Polk County Lady Wolverines nine matches to zero, and also won both its exhibition matches for good measure. Anna Melton, Morgan Yackey, Judy Dillashaw, Hayden Blackburn, Leah Powell, and Echo Wise each won singles matches on the afternoon.
On Thursday the Lady Vikings defeated Owen 5 match victories to 4 to capture its first ever victory over the Warlassies. Melton, Yackey and Dillashaw each won singles matches, with the teams of Melton/Yackey and Dillashaw/Blackburn winning doubles matches to earn the win.
VOLLEYBALL:
The Avery volleyball team struggled against a tougher-than-expected Thomas Jefferson Academy, but the varsity team took a five-game match victory on Tuesday. The junior varsity team was dominant in winning two straight over TJCA.
On Thursday evening the Lady Vikings hosted the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats. Hendersonville picked up a pair of games for the win in junior varsity action to open the evening. In varsity play, Avery won the first game by a 28-26 score which was a harbinger of the tightness of the match.
Hendersonville won game two to even the match, but the Lady Vikings took game three to lead 2 games to 1. Hendersonville showed the heart of a champion in battling back to capture game four to again knot the match at two games each, then managed to win a hard-fought 15-11 win in the fifth and deciding game to escape Viking Gym with victory. Avery travels to Morganton to take on Patton to close out the week.
SOCCER:
Avery men's soccer took on a pair of tough rivals in hosting Watauga and Ashe County this week in a pair of entertaining matches.
On Tuesday the Vikings fell behind 2-0 at halftime on a a penalty kick by Jennings Rex as well as a second goal later in the opening half. Avery fell behind 3-0 after a Ben Robertson goal, but
Avery rallied with goals by Andrew Ingram and Kyle Griewisch, the second a long direct kick from roughly 40 yards out which bounced over the keeper's head to cut the lead in the 58th minute to 3-2. A second Robertson goal gave the Pioneers a 4-2 advantage, but Ingram added a second goal off a throw-in to cut the lead to 4-3 in the 76th minute of action.
Avery could not tally the equalizer in the closing minutes of an exciting match for players and fans alike.
On a sunny Thursday afternoon the Vikings hosted the Ashe County Huskies and were looking for revenge after a loss to the Huskies earlier this season in Jefferson. The first half was a tight affair as both teams had scoring opportunites but could not capitalize offensively, resulting in a scoreless half.
The lone goal of the match came off the foot of Ashe County's Richie Absher, skirting a shot passed the sprawling Avery keeper. The score held up as the Avery offense was unable to convert a number of corner kicks and offensive runs.
JUNIOR VARSITY FOOTBALL:
The Avery junior varsity football team was unable to hold off a pressing Watauga offense on Thursday night at MacDonald Stadium. Watauga took a 14-0 advantage at halftime, and added another touchdown to take a 20-0 lead. Avery picked off a Watauga pass attempt and the offense used its I-formation rushing game to find its way into the end zone as Andy Gonzalez rolled out and scrambled left for a six-yard touchdown run. A conversion run by Trent Mitchell provided Avery's points in cutting the lead to 20-8.
The Pioneers added an insurance score late in the half to win by the final score of 28-8. The JV's have a week off before facing the Johnson County Longhorns in Mountain City on Monday, September 15th.
TENNIS:
The Avery tennis team began regular season play with a pair of conference matches this week. On Tuesday the squad skunked the Polk County Lady Wolverines nine matches to zero, and also won both its exhibition matches for good measure. Anna Melton, Morgan Yackey, Judy Dillashaw, Hayden Blackburn, Leah Powell, and Echo Wise each won singles matches on the afternoon.
On Thursday the Lady Vikings defeated Owen 5 match victories to 4 to capture its first ever victory over the Warlassies. Melton, Yackey and Dillashaw each won singles matches, with the teams of Melton/Yackey and Dillashaw/Blackburn winning doubles matches to earn the win.
VOLLEYBALL:
The Avery volleyball team struggled against a tougher-than-expected Thomas Jefferson Academy, but the varsity team took a five-game match victory on Tuesday. The junior varsity team was dominant in winning two straight over TJCA.
On Thursday evening the Lady Vikings hosted the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats. Hendersonville picked up a pair of games for the win in junior varsity action to open the evening. In varsity play, Avery won the first game by a 28-26 score which was a harbinger of the tightness of the match.Hendersonville won game two to even the match, but the Lady Vikings took game three to lead 2 games to 1. Hendersonville showed the heart of a champion in battling back to capture game four to again knot the match at two games each, then managed to win a hard-fought 15-11 win in the fifth and deciding game to escape Viking Gym with victory. Avery travels to Morganton to take on Patton to close out the week.
SOCCER:
Avery men's soccer took on a pair of tough rivals in hosting Watauga and Ashe County this week in a pair of entertaining matches.
On Tuesday the Vikings fell behind 2-0 at halftime on a a penalty kick by Jennings Rex as well as a second goal later in the opening half. Avery fell behind 3-0 after a Ben Robertson goal, but
Avery rallied with goals by Andrew Ingram and Kyle Griewisch, the second a long direct kick from roughly 40 yards out which bounced over the keeper's head to cut the lead in the 58th minute to 3-2. A second Robertson goal gave the Pioneers a 4-2 advantage, but Ingram added a second goal off a throw-in to cut the lead to 4-3 in the 76th minute of action.Avery could not tally the equalizer in the closing minutes of an exciting match for players and fans alike.
On a sunny Thursday afternoon the Vikings hosted the Ashe County Huskies and were looking for revenge after a loss to the Huskies earlier this season in Jefferson. The first half was a tight affair as both teams had scoring opportunites but could not capitalize offensively, resulting in a scoreless half.
The lone goal of the match came off the foot of Ashe County's Richie Absher, skirting a shot passed the sprawling Avery keeper. The score held up as the Avery offense was unable to convert a number of corner kicks and offensive runs.
JUNIOR VARSITY FOOTBALL:
The Avery junior varsity football team was unable to hold off a pressing Watauga offense on Thursday night at MacDonald Stadium. Watauga took a 14-0 advantage at halftime, and added another touchdown to take a 20-0 lead. Avery picked off a Watauga pass attempt and the offense used its I-formation rushing game to find its way into the end zone as Andy Gonzalez rolled out and scrambled left for a six-yard touchdown run. A conversion run by Trent Mitchell provided Avery's points in cutting the lead to 20-8.
The Pioneers added an insurance score late in the half to win by the final score of 28-8. The JV's have a week off before facing the Johnson County Longhorns in Mountain City on Monday, September 15th.
Highlander Gameday
On Friday night, the Cloudland Highlanders look to bounce back from a disappointing loss to the West Greene Buffaloes (for a complete review of the contest, check this week's Avery Journal-Times). The team they face is an improved Cosby Eagle team. The contest opens the conference slate for the 'Landers. For the ‘Landers, they must rebound as the Eagles travel to Roan Mountain for the conference opener. The Eagles are 2-0 on the season with victories over a pair of 3-A teams, Gibbs and Pigeon Forge. Last season, the ‘Landers took the victory over the Eagles 28-6 in Cosby.
“This is a tough loss but it’s not a season-ending loss,” Turbyfill said. “Last year we lost our first game then bounced back to have a good season. We’ll go back and practice then we see where we’re at. We’ve got a huge home conference game with Cosby next week. I believe we’ll be focused and ready to play.“
Kickoff is at 7:30 on Friday Night at Orr Field.
Weather: According to Weather.com, the weather for tonight's game is going to be mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 58F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
“This is a tough loss but it’s not a season-ending loss,” Turbyfill said. “Last year we lost our first game then bounced back to have a good season. We’ll go back and practice then we see where we’re at. We’ve got a huge home conference game with Cosby next week. I believe we’ll be focused and ready to play.“
Kickoff is at 7:30 on Friday Night at Orr Field.
Weather: According to Weather.com, the weather for tonight's game is going to be mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 58F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Vikings and Pioneers Square off in Bucket Battle
Following Friday’s loss at the hands of the Robbinsville Black Knights, the Avery Vikings look to get in the win column for the first time in 2008 as they travel to Boone for the annual Battle for the Bucket against the Watauga Pioneers. The Vikings suffered a difficult 35-13 loss at home last week to the Knights, while Watauga is coming off a bye week following a 41-7 trouncing at the hands of Davie County.
The Pioneers won last season’s battle by the final score of 31-14 and have captured three of the past five meetings between the two squads.
Scouting the Pioneers:
The Watauga Pioneers are members of the Northwestern 4A Conference and are coached by Tim Pruitt. Pruitt is in his first season at Watauga, having previously coached at West Wilkes High School and taking over for former coach Adrian Snow who returned to coach his alma mater in Forsythe County following last season.
Although Pruitt’s clubs in Wilkes County were best known for a bruising running game, the coach decided to keep many of the elements of Watauga’s spread offense intact which have netted the team back-to-back state semifinal playoff appearances the past two seasons.
The Pioneers were 11-4 a season ago and return six offensive and defensive starters from one of the most successful teams in school history, including three all-conference performers in senior WR/DB Baine Martin (18 receptions, 514 yards receiving, 6 TD last season), senior WR/DB Jake Wallace (10 receptions, 232 yards, 2 TD last season), and senior WR/DB Cam Steury (22 receptions, 386 yards, 3 TD last season). Gone from this year’s club is current Wofford College running back Eric Britenstein, who rushed for 2,297 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior in 2007.
A number of other players with experience step in to fill holes left by last year’s graduates, including junior quarterback Devan Corum, and senior WR Ryan Campbell. The leading tackler returning on defense for Watauga is Logan Smith, a 6’0” 185 lb. Linebacker who registered 137 tackles a season ago, good for third on the team overall, while Martin led the team with four interceptions in 2007.
The Low Down:
It is difficult to believe that the two teams entering Friday night’s tussle are winless on the season. In recent years, the squads have entered the game with undefeated records, high-octane offenses, and stifling defenses. However, thus far in 2008, the defenses have given up an average of 40 points per game.
With a bye week so early in the season, the Pioneers have had two weeks to fix what ailed them in their opening week blowout loss against Davie County, while Avery failed to show significant improvement last week in its second consecutive loss on the year. Each year the two rivals seem to bring out the best in one another on the field, with neither team wanting the distinction of having lost the game and bucket trophy.
Watauga got off to a rapid start in taking an early lead in their game with Davie County, but the defense gave up too many big plays. Avery meanwhile has had a hard time stopping the run on defense.
The good news for the Big Red this week is that they will not have to see Eric Britenstein. The talented running back torched the Vikings with over 200 yards in each of the past two meetings.
Friday night’s contest will be won or lost at the line of scrimmage, with the team that is best able to run the football having a sizable advantage.
By the Numbers:
5- turnovers forced by the Avery defense in last week’s game against Robbinsville.
14- number of days between Watauga’s loss to Davie County and this week’s matchup with the Vikings.
43 – yards passing by Avery QB Adam Pate in last week’s loss to the Black Knights.
83- yards gained by leading rusher Baine Martin in Watauga’s opening week loss to Davie County.
244- yards rushing by Eric Britenstein against the Vikings in last year’s Watauga win.
260- yards in total offense gained by the Vikings in last year’s 31-14 loss to the Pioneers.
276 – yards rushing surrendered by the Watauga defense in its game two weeks ago at Davie County.
314- rushing yards gained by Robbinsville in last week’s game against Avery.
Read next week’s edition of the Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s Bucket Battle with Watauga.
The Pioneers won last season’s battle by the final score of 31-14 and have captured three of the past five meetings between the two squads.
Scouting the Pioneers:
The Watauga Pioneers are members of the Northwestern 4A Conference and are coached by Tim Pruitt. Pruitt is in his first season at Watauga, having previously coached at West Wilkes High School and taking over for former coach Adrian Snow who returned to coach his alma mater in Forsythe County following last season.
Although Pruitt’s clubs in Wilkes County were best known for a bruising running game, the coach decided to keep many of the elements of Watauga’s spread offense intact which have netted the team back-to-back state semifinal playoff appearances the past two seasons.
The Pioneers were 11-4 a season ago and return six offensive and defensive starters from one of the most successful teams in school history, including three all-conference performers in senior WR/DB Baine Martin (18 receptions, 514 yards receiving, 6 TD last season), senior WR/DB Jake Wallace (10 receptions, 232 yards, 2 TD last season), and senior WR/DB Cam Steury (22 receptions, 386 yards, 3 TD last season). Gone from this year’s club is current Wofford College running back Eric Britenstein, who rushed for 2,297 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior in 2007.
A number of other players with experience step in to fill holes left by last year’s graduates, including junior quarterback Devan Corum, and senior WR Ryan Campbell. The leading tackler returning on defense for Watauga is Logan Smith, a 6’0” 185 lb. Linebacker who registered 137 tackles a season ago, good for third on the team overall, while Martin led the team with four interceptions in 2007.
The Low Down:
It is difficult to believe that the two teams entering Friday night’s tussle are winless on the season. In recent years, the squads have entered the game with undefeated records, high-octane offenses, and stifling defenses. However, thus far in 2008, the defenses have given up an average of 40 points per game.
With a bye week so early in the season, the Pioneers have had two weeks to fix what ailed them in their opening week blowout loss against Davie County, while Avery failed to show significant improvement last week in its second consecutive loss on the year. Each year the two rivals seem to bring out the best in one another on the field, with neither team wanting the distinction of having lost the game and bucket trophy.
Watauga got off to a rapid start in taking an early lead in their game with Davie County, but the defense gave up too many big plays. Avery meanwhile has had a hard time stopping the run on defense.
The good news for the Big Red this week is that they will not have to see Eric Britenstein. The talented running back torched the Vikings with over 200 yards in each of the past two meetings.
Friday night’s contest will be won or lost at the line of scrimmage, with the team that is best able to run the football having a sizable advantage.
By the Numbers:
5- turnovers forced by the Avery defense in last week’s game against Robbinsville.
14- number of days between Watauga’s loss to Davie County and this week’s matchup with the Vikings.
43 – yards passing by Avery QB Adam Pate in last week’s loss to the Black Knights.
83- yards gained by leading rusher Baine Martin in Watauga’s opening week loss to Davie County.
244- yards rushing by Eric Britenstein against the Vikings in last year’s Watauga win.
260- yards in total offense gained by the Vikings in last year’s 31-14 loss to the Pioneers.
276 – yards rushing surrendered by the Watauga defense in its game two weeks ago at Davie County.
314- rushing yards gained by Robbinsville in last week’s game against Avery.
Read next week’s edition of the Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s Bucket Battle with Watauga.
Vikings Outdueled by Knights
Last Friday night the Avery Vikings hoped to put the sting of the prior week’s loss to Cloudland behind them when they hosted the Robbinsville Knights in a Class 1A non-conference tilt. The Knights jostled and jousted its way through the Avery defense for over 400 yards on the evening en route to a 35-13 Vikings defeat.Avery looked poised to gain early control of the contest in its opening series. The Vikings offense used the I-formation with proficiency in the early going as a 48- yard run by senior quarterback Adam Pate rushed the Big Red inside the Knights 30 yard line. The drive stalled quickly as the Knights regrouped, holding Avery on downs four plays later.
Robbinsville came out firing on all cylinders offensively as its I-formation backfield consisting of running back Blake Anderson and fullback Kurt Odom helped the offense move swiftly downfield. An 18-yard run by Anderson was followed three plays later with a 45-yard gallop from Odom that took Robbinsville into the end zone for the first score of the night, giving the Smoky Mountain Conference contender the early 7-0 lead at the 7:49 mark of the first period.
Avery was held to a three-and-out on its next series, prompting the Knights again roll up yards on the ground. A nine-play drive featured seven running plays, but was capped by a nine-yard pass from quarterback Luke Perkins to Odom to give Robbinsville a 14-0 advantage.
Late in the period the Big Red looked to stifle the Knights’ momentum. Avery returned to its familiar spread attack offensively, but was stonewalled by the Robbinsville defense. Coach Darrell Brewer in an attempt to jump start the offense made the decision to go for a first down on a fourth down play near midfield, but Pate was hauled down in the backfield to turn the ball over on downs to the Knights.
As second quarter play started, the Knights showed little signs of slowing down. A key third down conversion pass play from Perkins to Anderson moved the Knights inside the red zone, and two plays later Odom rumbled over the goal line from six yards out. The extra point gave Robbinsville a commanding 21-0 advantage with 9:18 remaining in the half.Fortunes turned from bad to worse for the Big Red, as Luke Perkins intercepted Pate on Avery’s first play from scrimmage following the Odom score. Robbinsville immediately capitalized on the turnover, this time with a 35-yard touchdown strike from Perkins to wide receiver Randy Hernandez, digging the Vikings an even deeper hole at 28-0 with just under nine minutes left in the period.
The Vikings compiled their best drive of the half on its next series following the turnover, holding the football for ten plays and consuming over six minutes off the game clock. Avery marched using primarily the running of power running back Chase Arrowood and quarterback Pate. The drive stalled inside the red zone, however, as a fourth down pass play fell incomplete.
Following the change of possession, Robbinsville committed its first of five turnovers on the evening, a fumble that Avery defensive back Chris Eggers recovered near the Knights 30. The play was just what the doctor ordered for the ailing Vikings psyche, as a pass from Pate to running back Travis Thomas netted 25 yards and Pate raced across the goal line from a yard out to put Avery on the board at 28-7, providing a positive end to an otherwise forgettable first half.
As the second half played out, the Avery defense played inspired football, forcing three additional fumbles over the final two quarters. Robbinsville’s first drive of the second half resulted in a turnover, but Avery was forced to punt back to the Knights after the inability to take advantage of the turnover.
Robbinsville was held to three-and-out with its second drive and was forced to punt. The kick was blocked by Avery and advanced to the Knights 33-yard line. Avery took only four plays to score what proved to be its final touchdown of the evening, a six-yard scamper by Pate. The extra point was blocked, leaving Avery trailing 28-13 late in the third quarter.
Avery forced yet another turnover on Robbinsville’s next possession, and the Vikings drove 55 yards over 13 plays in the most important drive of the game, keeping the football for over eight minutes of clock time. Avery had a golden opportunity to cut the lead to a touchdown with a first and goal from the Knights 3-yard line. However, the Robbinsville defense stiffened, denying Avery the score on three consecutive run plays. On fourth down, a Pate pass sailing toward the end zone was intercepted by Jaron Ayers to turn the Big Red away with 4:46 left in the game.The Knights put the finishing touches on its win with a six play, 88-yard touchdown drive, featuring a 23-yard run by Anderson, a 22-yard pass from Perkins to Odom, and a 29-yard touchdown run by Odom, his third of the night, to provide the final margin in the 35-13 contest.
Avery falls to 0-2 on the season and look to capture its first victory of the season when it travels to Boone to play rival Watauga in the Battle for the Bucket this Friday night.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Bayou Blues: App Falls in Opener to LSU
(Courtesy of Appalachian Sports Information)
BATON ROUGE, La. — A year after stunning the college-football world with a season-opening victory at Michigan, No. 1 (FCS) Appalachian State University football couldn’t repeat the same feat at LSU in the 2008 season opener, falling 41-13 to No. 7 (FBS) LSU at Tiger Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
LSU’s front lines stymied the Mountaineers all day, as the Tigers rushed for 266 yards while limiting the Appalachian ground attack to just 52 rushing yards on 28 carries. Charles Scott did the majority of LSU’s work on the ground with 160 yards and two scores on 16 carries. ASU quarterback Armanti Edwards, facing strong pressure all afternoon, completed 13 of his 31
attempts for 155 yards to pace an offensive attack that had difficulty getting in rhythm before the hostile crowd of 91,922. His target of choice for most of the afternoon was CoCo Hillary set career highs with nine receptions for 80 yards.
Appalachian appeared to emerge from the locker room at halftime invigorated, forcing a three-and-out on LSU’s first possession and then stalling the Tigers’ second series of the half. The Mountaineers took over possession on their own 40-yard line and marched 74 yards to cross the goal line for the first time with a 44-yard strike from Edwards to Robert Welton on a route out of the backfield. The 44-yard touchdown pass, ASU’s longest offensive play of the game, capped a 7-play, 60-yard drive. After a 33-yard field goal from LSU’s Josh Jasper made the score 34-7, the Mountaineer defense continued to make plays with Jacque Roman picking off a Jarrett Lee pass on the LSU 24 yard line near the end of the third quarter. Roman returned the ball to the 11 yard line but the Mountaineer offense couldn’t fully capitalize on the field position, settling for a 24-yard Jason Vitaris field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter.LSU extended its lead to 41-10 on Brandon LaFell’s second touchdown catch of the afternoon, a 39-yard connection from Lee with a 10:03 left in the contest.
The Mountaineers narrowed that margin on their final possession of the game as freshman quarterback DeAndre Presley drove the Apps to the LSU 13 yard line with a 32-yard pass to Devin Radford. Presley was shaken up on the play and a botched snap and a sack quickly forced the Mountaineers to settle for a 44-yard field goal from Vitaris to close the scoring.The Tigers jumped to a quick 14-0 lead with 5:40 remaining in the first quarter, needing just two plays from scrimmage to take a 7-0 lead after the Apps’ opening drive stalled at LSU’s 36-yard line. Taking over after a failed fourth-down conversion, Scott went 55 yards on the Tigers’ first play from scrimmage all the way to the ASU 8-yard line. On the very next play, Scott scored from eight yards out. The Tigers’ ensuing possession found paydirt when a 10-play, 56-yard drive culminated with a 17-yard pass from Andrew Hatch to Demetrius Bryd.
Appalachian’s defense began to settle down at the onset of the second quarter when the ASU linebacking corps made a pair of stops at its own 3 yard line to limit the Tigers to a 21-yard field goal that gave LSU a 17-0 lead. D.J. Smith made both of the big stands with Pierre Banks and Roman assisting on one each to stymie the 9-play, 60-yard drive. For the game, Roman led the Apps with 12 tackles and Smith chipped in 11.LSU added to its first-half lead with a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter to carry a 31-0 lead into halftime. The Tigers added points on a 31-yard Jarrett Lee pass to a wide open Brandon LaFell with 5:35 left before intermission. A 29-yard touchdown jaunt by Scott on fourth-and-inches with less than a minute to play in the opening half gave the Tigers’ the 31-0 halftime advantage. In all, the Tigers out-gained the Apps, 323-119, in the first half, with 193 of those yards coming on the ground. Scott accounted for 144 rushing yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns in the first half alone.
The Mountaineers open their 2008 home slate next Saturday when they host Jacksonville at 3:30 p.m. at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
POSTGAME NOTES: Eight Mountaineers made their first career starts (DT Malcolm Bennett, WR Blake Elder, WR B.J. Frazier, WR CoCo Hillary, DB Mark LeGree, DE Quavian Lewis, DB Dominique McDuffie and WR Brian Quick) ... Robert Welton’s 44-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter were the first reception and touchdown of the sophomore’s career ... Jacque Roman’s third-quarter interception was the first of his career and it set up the first field goal of kicker Jason Vitaris’ career ... the crowd of 91,922 at Tiger Stadium was the second-largest to ever see ASU play, behind only the 109,218 on hand for last year’s opener at Michigan ... the crowd included a contingent of 3,500 Mountaineer faithful ... five true freshmen played in their first collegiate games – Demery Brewer, Wilson Fitchett, Ed Gainey, McDuffie and Lanston Tanyi ... due to the time change associated with Louisiana’s preparations for Hurricane Gustav, the game was broadcast on ESPN Classic and ASU’s perfect 12-0 record on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU remained intact ... however, Appalachian’s 13-game winning streak in nationally televised games was snapped ... it was the Mountaineers’ first loss on national TV since a 24-14 setback to Wofford on The Football Network in 2003.
BATON ROUGE, La. — A year after stunning the college-football world with a season-opening victory at Michigan, No. 1 (FCS) Appalachian State University football couldn’t repeat the same feat at LSU in the 2008 season opener, falling 41-13 to No. 7 (FBS) LSU at Tiger Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
LSU’s front lines stymied the Mountaineers all day, as the Tigers rushed for 266 yards while limiting the Appalachian ground attack to just 52 rushing yards on 28 carries. Charles Scott did the majority of LSU’s work on the ground with 160 yards and two scores on 16 carries. ASU quarterback Armanti Edwards, facing strong pressure all afternoon, completed 13 of his 31
attempts for 155 yards to pace an offensive attack that had difficulty getting in rhythm before the hostile crowd of 91,922. His target of choice for most of the afternoon was CoCo Hillary set career highs with nine receptions for 80 yards.Appalachian appeared to emerge from the locker room at halftime invigorated, forcing a three-and-out on LSU’s first possession and then stalling the Tigers’ second series of the half. The Mountaineers took over possession on their own 40-yard line and marched 74 yards to cross the goal line for the first time with a 44-yard strike from Edwards to Robert Welton on a route out of the backfield. The 44-yard touchdown pass, ASU’s longest offensive play of the game, capped a 7-play, 60-yard drive. After a 33-yard field goal from LSU’s Josh Jasper made the score 34-7, the Mountaineer defense continued to make plays with Jacque Roman picking off a Jarrett Lee pass on the LSU 24 yard line near the end of the third quarter. Roman returned the ball to the 11 yard line but the Mountaineer offense couldn’t fully capitalize on the field position, settling for a 24-yard Jason Vitaris field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter.LSU extended its lead to 41-10 on Brandon LaFell’s second touchdown catch of the afternoon, a 39-yard connection from Lee with a 10:03 left in the contest.
The Mountaineers narrowed that margin on their final possession of the game as freshman quarterback DeAndre Presley drove the Apps to the LSU 13 yard line with a 32-yard pass to Devin Radford. Presley was shaken up on the play and a botched snap and a sack quickly forced the Mountaineers to settle for a 44-yard field goal from Vitaris to close the scoring.The Tigers jumped to a quick 14-0 lead with 5:40 remaining in the first quarter, needing just two plays from scrimmage to take a 7-0 lead after the Apps’ opening drive stalled at LSU’s 36-yard line. Taking over after a failed fourth-down conversion, Scott went 55 yards on the Tigers’ first play from scrimmage all the way to the ASU 8-yard line. On the very next play, Scott scored from eight yards out. The Tigers’ ensuing possession found paydirt when a 10-play, 56-yard drive culminated with a 17-yard pass from Andrew Hatch to Demetrius Bryd.
Appalachian’s defense began to settle down at the onset of the second quarter when the ASU linebacking corps made a pair of stops at its own 3 yard line to limit the Tigers to a 21-yard field goal that gave LSU a 17-0 lead. D.J. Smith made both of the big stands with Pierre Banks and Roman assisting on one each to stymie the 9-play, 60-yard drive. For the game, Roman led the Apps with 12 tackles and Smith chipped in 11.LSU added to its first-half lead with a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter to carry a 31-0 lead into halftime. The Tigers added points on a 31-yard Jarrett Lee pass to a wide open Brandon LaFell with 5:35 left before intermission. A 29-yard touchdown jaunt by Scott on fourth-and-inches with less than a minute to play in the opening half gave the Tigers’ the 31-0 halftime advantage. In all, the Tigers out-gained the Apps, 323-119, in the first half, with 193 of those yards coming on the ground. Scott accounted for 144 rushing yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns in the first half alone.
The Mountaineers open their 2008 home slate next Saturday when they host Jacksonville at 3:30 p.m. at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
POSTGAME NOTES: Eight Mountaineers made their first career starts (DT Malcolm Bennett, WR Blake Elder, WR B.J. Frazier, WR CoCo Hillary, DB Mark LeGree, DE Quavian Lewis, DB Dominique McDuffie and WR Brian Quick) ... Robert Welton’s 44-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter were the first reception and touchdown of the sophomore’s career ... Jacque Roman’s third-quarter interception was the first of his career and it set up the first field goal of kicker Jason Vitaris’ career ... the crowd of 91,922 at Tiger Stadium was the second-largest to ever see ASU play, behind only the 109,218 on hand for last year’s opener at Michigan ... the crowd included a contingent of 3,500 Mountaineer faithful ... five true freshmen played in their first collegiate games – Demery Brewer, Wilson Fitchett, Ed Gainey, McDuffie and Lanston Tanyi ... due to the time change associated with Louisiana’s preparations for Hurricane Gustav, the game was broadcast on ESPN Classic and ASU’s perfect 12-0 record on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU remained intact ... however, Appalachian’s 13-game winning streak in nationally televised games was snapped ... it was the Mountaineers’ first loss on national TV since a 24-14 setback to Wofford on The Football Network in 2003.
Friday, August 29, 2008
App State-LSU Moved to New Time and Network Due To Tropical Storm Gustav
BATON ROUGE –
(From Go.ASU.com)
Due to the state of Louisiana preparing for the impending arrival of Hurricane Gustav, kickoff for Saturday’s football game between Appalachian State and LSU has been moved to 11 a.m. EDT (10 a.m. CDT). Pending SEC approval, the game will be shown live on ESPN Classic.“The impending situation is certainly more important than football, so we aren’t upset in the least by the time change” Appalachian head coach Jerry Moore said. “We’ll be ready to play tomorrow morning and will keep the people along the Gulf Coast in our prayers.”
(From LSUSPORTS.NET)
LSU’s football game against Appalachian State on Saturday has been moved to 10 a.m. Central time, director of athletics Joe Alleva announced Friday.
The move was made in consultation with state officials in anticipation of an evacuation of New Orleans and an anticipated traffic contraflow order by the governor of Louisiana in preparation for the impact of Tropical Storm Gustav.
“Public safety was the overriding concern expressed by all parties when we met with the governor and his staff today,” Alleva said. “10 a.m. is obviously not the optimal time for a football game, but when one of the options was to not play the game at all, this is a matter of making the best of an unfortunate situation.”
The gates of Tiger Stadium will open at 8 a.m. More information will be forthcoming regarding television and other issues.
(From Go.ASU.com)
Due to the state of Louisiana preparing for the impending arrival of Hurricane Gustav, kickoff for Saturday’s football game between Appalachian State and LSU has been moved to 11 a.m. EDT (10 a.m. CDT). Pending SEC approval, the game will be shown live on ESPN Classic.“The impending situation is certainly more important than football, so we aren’t upset in the least by the time change” Appalachian head coach Jerry Moore said. “We’ll be ready to play tomorrow morning and will keep the people along the Gulf Coast in our prayers.”
(From LSUSPORTS.NET)
LSU’s football game against Appalachian State on Saturday has been moved to 10 a.m. Central time, director of athletics Joe Alleva announced Friday.
The move was made in consultation with state officials in anticipation of an evacuation of New Orleans and an anticipated traffic contraflow order by the governor of Louisiana in preparation for the impact of Tropical Storm Gustav.
“Public safety was the overriding concern expressed by all parties when we met with the governor and his staff today,” Alleva said. “10 a.m. is obviously not the optimal time for a football game, but when one of the options was to not play the game at all, this is a matter of making the best of an unfortunate situation.”
The gates of Tiger Stadium will open at 8 a.m. More information will be forthcoming regarding television and other issues.
NOTE: The Avery Journal-Times will keep you updated on this developing story as soon as we get details. Several places in our area was having viewing parties for the game, however we have no information on how the time change will effect those. ESPN Classic is broadcasting the game, and it will be available on-line through ESPN360.com. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Gulf Coast, and also those from our area who traveled to Baton Rouge. -Matt
Pre-Game Interview with Avery Head Coach Darrell Brewer for Robbinsville Game
Click the link above for this week's pregame interview with Vikings head football coach Darrell Brewer leading up to Friday night's home opener against Robbinsville.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Landers Fall to Buffaloes
The Cloudland Highlanders traveled to Mosheim to take on the West Greene Buffaloes Thursday night, falling by the final score of 35-22. A full recap of this week's game will be covered in next week's edition of the Journal-Times!
Avery Soccer Loses Tight Match with Knights
Avery soccer battled both the elements and opponent North Henderson on Wednesday evening at MacDonald Stadium. The remnants of Tropical Storm Fay continued to pelt the High Country with much needed rain, and the visiting Knights also rained on the Big Red's hope for victory, as North pulled out a narrow 1-0 win over Avery.The lone goal of the match came in the 13th minute. A North corner kick was turned away with a leaping save by Avery goalkeeper Morgan Bounds. The loose ball found the foot of Vito Lozano, whose putback found the back of the net for the Knight tally.
Avery had opportunities to score the equalizer in the match. The squad had two more shots on goal than North through the first 40 minutes, and had an opportunity in the opening minute of the second half but was turned away.
Making things difficult for the Vikings to tie the match was an onslaught of rain that began during the halftime break and continued through much of the remainder of the match. The Vikings attempted to convert a pair of corner kicks in the second half, but the Knights were up to the task and successful and protecting its slim lead for the duration of the match.
Avery falls to 2-3 on the season and looks to even its record on Friday when it travels to Gaston County to take on Highland Tech. The teams met less than a week ago, with the Rams winning by a 4-2 score.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Avery's Johnson to partcipate in ESPN's 25 hours of college football
From Go.ASU.com and Appalachain Sports Information
BOONE, N.C. — A limited number of reserved seats for Appalachian State University football’s home opener versus Jacksonville on Sept. 6 have become available and can be purchased online at GoASU.com, by phone at (828) 262-2079 or in person at the ASU athletics ticket office in the Holmes Center.The tickets became available after a large group returned them to the ASU athletics ticket office.“The availability of these tickets was unanticipated but we are happy to offer Mountaineer fans an opportunity to enjoy the home opener next weekend from the comfort of a reserved seat,” athletics ticket manager Steve White said. “Since reserved seats sold out in early August, we have been in constant contact with several groups about their needs and trying to weigh that against the demand that has spiked in the past year. It’s always a good idea to check GoASU.com everyday to see if anything changes or develops.”
EDWARDS, JOHNSON PART OF ESPN’S 25 HOURS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Appalachian quarterback Armanti Edwards and wide receiver Josh Johnson are both scheduled to participate in ESPN’s 25 Hours of College Football on Wednesday and Thursday.Edwards will be a guest on the 25 Hours of College Football Kickoff Show, which airs on Wednesday from 7-11 p.m. on ESPN.Johnson will be part of a coinciding 25-hour college football chat at ESPN.com on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Click here to join the chat.
MOUNTAINEER TALK MAKES 2008 DEBUT THURSDAY: Mountaineer Talk, the Appalachian ISP Sports Network’s weekly call-in radio show, makes its 2008 debut on Thursday at 7 p.m.The hour-long show can be heard live on the 100,000-watt flagship station of the Appalachian ISP Sports Network, WKBC 97.3 FM (North Wilkesboro, Charlotte, Hickory, Statesville, Winston-Salem, High Country), as well as WATA 1450 AM in Boone and online at GoASU.com. WPCM 920 AM in Burlington broadcasts Mountaineer Talk on tape delay Fridays at 6 p.m. and WEEB 990 AM in Southern Pines airs the show Saturdays at 7:30 a.m.Due to travel for Saturday’s season opener at LSU, the “Voice of the Mountaineers” David Jackson hosts this Thursday’s Mountaineer Talk from the press box at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. and will be joined by ASU head coach Jerry Moore live from the Appalachian ISP Sports Network studio in Boone. Each subsequent Thursday throughout the 2008 campaign, fans can join Jackson and Moore live for the show at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in Boone.
GUSTAV NOT EXPECTED TO IMPACT SATURDAY’S GAME: LSU issued the following statement on Wednesday with regards to Hurricane Gustav’s effect on Saturday’s game:“LSU athletics officials are working closely with university and state personnel to monitor the progression of Hurricane Gustav, but there is no anticipated impact on the LSU vs. Appalachian State football game at this time.LSU is scheduled to open its 2008 football season on Saturday against Appalachian State at 5 p.m. EDT.LSU will update fans on any changes via the news media and LSUsports.net (as well as GoASU.com) should conditions warrant it.”
BOONE, N.C. — A limited number of reserved seats for Appalachian State University football’s home opener versus Jacksonville on Sept. 6 have become available and can be purchased online at GoASU.com, by phone at (828) 262-2079 or in person at the ASU athletics ticket office in the Holmes Center.The tickets became available after a large group returned them to the ASU athletics ticket office.“The availability of these tickets was unanticipated but we are happy to offer Mountaineer fans an opportunity to enjoy the home opener next weekend from the comfort of a reserved seat,” athletics ticket manager Steve White said. “Since reserved seats sold out in early August, we have been in constant contact with several groups about their needs and trying to weigh that against the demand that has spiked in the past year. It’s always a good idea to check GoASU.com everyday to see if anything changes or develops.”
EDWARDS, JOHNSON PART OF ESPN’S 25 HOURS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Appalachian quarterback Armanti Edwards and wide receiver Josh Johnson are both scheduled to participate in ESPN’s 25 Hours of College Football on Wednesday and Thursday.Edwards will be a guest on the 25 Hours of College Football Kickoff Show, which airs on Wednesday from 7-11 p.m. on ESPN.Johnson will be part of a coinciding 25-hour college football chat at ESPN.com on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Click here to join the chat.
MOUNTAINEER TALK MAKES 2008 DEBUT THURSDAY: Mountaineer Talk, the Appalachian ISP Sports Network’s weekly call-in radio show, makes its 2008 debut on Thursday at 7 p.m.The hour-long show can be heard live on the 100,000-watt flagship station of the Appalachian ISP Sports Network, WKBC 97.3 FM (North Wilkesboro, Charlotte, Hickory, Statesville, Winston-Salem, High Country), as well as WATA 1450 AM in Boone and online at GoASU.com. WPCM 920 AM in Burlington broadcasts Mountaineer Talk on tape delay Fridays at 6 p.m. and WEEB 990 AM in Southern Pines airs the show Saturdays at 7:30 a.m.Due to travel for Saturday’s season opener at LSU, the “Voice of the Mountaineers” David Jackson hosts this Thursday’s Mountaineer Talk from the press box at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. and will be joined by ASU head coach Jerry Moore live from the Appalachian ISP Sports Network studio in Boone. Each subsequent Thursday throughout the 2008 campaign, fans can join Jackson and Moore live for the show at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in Boone.
GUSTAV NOT EXPECTED TO IMPACT SATURDAY’S GAME: LSU issued the following statement on Wednesday with regards to Hurricane Gustav’s effect on Saturday’s game:“LSU athletics officials are working closely with university and state personnel to monitor the progression of Hurricane Gustav, but there is no anticipated impact on the LSU vs. Appalachian State football game at this time.LSU is scheduled to open its 2008 football season on Saturday against Appalachian State at 5 p.m. EDT.LSU will update fans on any changes via the news media and LSUsports.net (as well as GoASU.com) should conditions warrant it.”
Avery Volleyball Falls to Neighboring Watauga
Avery volleyball had a good idea about what Watauga volleyball was capable of after last Saturday's tri-match in Boone.Knowing and stopping were two different things, though, as Watauga was impressive in a junior varsity and varsity victory over the Big Red in Viking Gym Tuesday night.
In JV action, the Lady Pioneers defeated the Avery JV club in two games by final scores of 25-17 and 25-13. The Lady Vikings varsity team fared no better in the early going of the match, as Watauga used its athleticism and size to run out to an early eight-point advantage. Behind the serve of Avery senior right side hitter Brittney Hagie, the Vikings cut the deficit to as little as five points at 16-11. A 9-3 run to close the game, however, gave the Lady Pioneers a 25-14 win in game one.
The second game quickly saw Watauga gain advantage, racing to a 12-5 lead. Watauga's strong front line play pushed the squad's lead to 18-9 before winning by an eventual score of 25-16.
The third and final game of the match was the closest of the three. The two teams were nip and tuck through the duration of the match as Avery held an 8-7 lead early in the game. A small lead seesawed between the clubs until the Lady Pioneers stretched a lead to a working margin at 21-18. Avery trailed by a 23-20 score when Watauga took a timeout. The stoppage proved wise to the visitors, as they won the final two points for a 25-20 game win and match victory.
Avery travels to Owen on Thursday evening to open Western Highlands Conference play.
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