Lady Vikings Softball Sweeps Season Series with Gryphons

The Avery Lady Vikings put together its most impressive performance of the season in a six-inning, 11-1 shellacking of the Thomas Jefferson Gryphons on Thursday evening at Avery High School.

Avery gave up a single run in the top of the first frame, but quickly bounced back in the bottom of the inning to bat around the order and score seven runs. Leadoff hitter Kaylea Davis, as well as Becca Biggerstaff, Amber Clark, and Justina Rieger each rapped base hits for the Big Red. Brooke Buchanan plated a pair with a double in the inning, followed up with base hits from Sarah Dewitt, Beth Lewis, and Michelle Cuthbertson. Biggerstaff registered a second base hit in the inning as Avery took an early commanding lead.

From that point, the Lady Vikings starting battery of pitcher Becca Biggerstaff and catcher Haley Hicks found their groove. The pitch/catch combo worked like a well-oiled machine as Biggerstaff struck out five TJCA hitters and surrendered one hit in holding Gryphons scoreless over the next five innings.

Biggerstaff's pitching received plenty of help from the Avery defense who played error-free softball, turned a double play during the game, and gave no help to the overmatched Gryphon club.

"Becca pitched amazing today. There were a couple of innings where she was just lights out. She's pitched well all season, but this was probably her best game of the season," Avery softball head coach Stephen Bunger said after the win. "We played great defense and turned our first double play of the season. I was really happy with the defensive performance."

Avery continued scoring in the bottom of the second inning when Hicks led off with a base hit, followed by hits from Buchanan and Dewitt. Hicks and Buchanan each scored to stake Avery to a 9-1 edge.

Biggerstaff plated a run following a leadoff triple in the third inning to push the Lady Vikings ahead 10-1, and Buchanan scored a third run in the contest to bring the game to a close due to the ten-run mercy rule.

The Avery pitcher helped her own cause with four base hits and scored a pair of runs. Teammate Brooke Buchanan had a pair of hits and scored three times. Every Lady Viking had at least one base hit, and eight of the nine starters scored at least one run apiece in the rout.

"I think the Cloudland game gave us some confidence. Even though we didn't win that game we started hitting the ball, which I feel carried over into this game," Lady Vikings softball head coach Stephen Bunger said following the win. "We went up there swinging today, and it was one of those days where it seems like every hit found an open spot."

The performance proved that the Avery Lady Vikings are a potential force to contend with for the remainder of the season as the squad makes a frantic push for a berth in this year's state softball playoffs.

"I think we're starting to come together and improve a lot. We're hitting the ball well now and doing good things on the bases. I think we're putting together a good run of things, and we're gonna keep working hard and keep trying to win some games," Coach Bunger said. "We've gotten unlucky on some things through the season, but this should give us confidence as we go into our next few games."

Avery is scheduled to host Hendersonville on Friday afternoon, weather permitting, and continues conference play next week.

Appalachian Basketball Tabs Former Tar Heel Capel as New Men's Head Coach

(Jason Capel (seated left) is introduced at a press conference Thursday, alongside ASU Director of Athletics Charlie Cobb and Appalachian Chancellor Ken Peacock (Mark Mitchell/Watauga Democrat photo)

BOONE, N.C. — Jason Capel has been hired as the 15th men’s basketball head coach in Appalachian State University history, director of athletics Charlie Cobb announced on Wednesday.

“We are incredibly excited about the future of Appalachian men’s basketball under the leadership of Jason Capel,” Cobb said. “Coach Capel’s wealth of life experiences have led to him developing many of the qualities that we were looking for in a head coach, including maturity, humility and a presence that impresses anyone that comes in contact with him. I look forward to Coach Capel helping us achieve the championship aspirations that we have for our men’s basketball program here at Appalachian.”

At 30 years, three months and six days old, Capel is the nation’s youngest NCAA Division I head coach, three months and six days younger than Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Brian Wardle. However, despite a relative lack of coaching experience, Capel is a basketball lifer with a vast playing resume and a spot in one of college basketball’s top coaching lineages.

Capel first burst on to the national scene as a star forward at North Carolina from 1998-2002, where he was a two-time all-Atlantic Coast Conference selection (2001 and ‘02) and the Tar Heels’ leader in scoring (15.6 points per game, rebounds (8.6 per game) and steals (29) as a senior. He helped lead UNC to the Final Four in 2000, recorded the second triple-double in UNC history with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Buffalo during the 2000-01 season and was a candidate for 2002 Wooden Award, which is presented annually to college basketball’s most outstanding player.

After graduating from North Carolina with a B.A. in communication in 2002, Capel embarked on a professional playing career, which included successful stints in the NBA Developmental League and leagues in Japan, Italy and Serbia. In his first season as a pro, he averaged 11.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game to help lead the NBDL’s Fayetteville Patriots, which were coached by his father, Jeff, to a league-best 32-18 record and a D-League Finals appearance.

Following the conclusion of his playing career, he spent two years as a college basketball analyst for ESPNU and Raycom Sports before joining ASU’s staff last summer.

In his only season as an assistant coach, Capel helped lead the Mountaineers to the second-most victories in school history (24), their first Southern Conference Tournament title-game appearance since 2000 and a berth in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT), only the fourth postseason appearance since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 1973. ASU’s CIT wins over Harvard and Marshall, which earned it a berth in the tournament’s semifinals, were the first D-I postseason victories in school history.

Capel is a member of one of college basketball’s most distinguished coaching families. His father, Jeff, compiled 122 wins and made three NCAA Tournament appearances in 12 seasons as head coach at Old Dominion, North Carolina A&T and Fayetteville State prior to moving to the professional ranks where he now serves as an assistant with the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats.

Jason’s brother, Jeff III, is the head coach at Oklahoma, where he has led the Sooners to two NCAA Tournament appearances in four seasons and was just one win away from advancing to the Final Four in 2009. Like Jason, Jeff was the nation’s youngest head coach when he took the reins at VCU in 2002 at the age of 27. He became head coach at VCU after just two years as an assistant and earned two postseason berths with the Rams, including a spot in the 2004 NCAA Tournament.

A native of Fayetteville, N.C., Capel was a McDonald’s All-American and ranked as high as the nation’s No. 5 high-school player after concluding his prep career at St. John’s at Prospect Hall (Frederick, Md.), where he helped lead his team to the USA Today national championship in 1998. He spent his freshman and sophomore years at Indian River H.S. (Chesapeake, Va.), where he was named Virginia’s Player of the Year as a sophomore. He began his prep career as an eighth-grader, when he made the varsity team at Greensboro Day School while his father was head coach at N.C. A&T.

Capel’s hiring marks the second time in ASU history that the school has been home to the nation’s youngest NCAA Division I men’s basketball head coach. In 1975, Bobby Cremins became the nation’s youngest head coach when he was hired by director of athletics Jim Jones at the age of 28. In six seasons at Appalachian, Cremins led the Mountaineers to three Southern Conference championships and the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament berth in 1979.

“I’m very excited and thankful for this opportunity,” Capel said. “I want to thank (ASU chancellor) Dr. (Kenneth) Peacock and Charlie Cobb for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to head up this program and lead it to the next level of Appalachian State basketball. I also want to thank Coach (Buzz) Peterson for giving me the opportunity to come to Appalachian and opening the door into college coaching for me. I’m very grateful to him for that. We have a great group of guys in place in our program and I’m really proud to be able to coach them. I know that we're all in this together and I’m ready to work hard.”

Capel is single and resides in Boone.

JASON CAPEL
Birthdate: January 15, 1980 (the only NCAA Division I head coach born in the 1980s)
Alma Mater: North Carolina, 2002 (B.A. communication)
Playing Experience:
High School
1993-94 — Greensboro (N.C.) Day School
1994-96 — Chesapeake (Va.) Indian River H.S.
1996-98 — St. John’s at Prospect Hall (Frederick, Md.)
College
1998-2002 — North Carolina
Professional
2002-04 — Fayetteville Patriots (NBDL)
2004-05 — Kariya Aishin Sea Horses (JBL - Japan)
2005-06 — BT Roseto (Serie A - Italy)
2006 — Air Avellino (Serie A - Italy)
2007 — KK Crvena Zvezda Beograd (A-League - Serbia)

Coaching Experience:
2009-10 — Appalachian State (Assistant Coach)
2010- — Appalachian State (Head Coach)

NCAA Division I’s Youngest Men’s Basketball Head Coaches
Jason Capel – Appalachian State (30 years, three months, six days)
Brian Wardle – Wisconsin-Green Bay (30 years, six months, 12 days)
Dane Fife – IPFW (30 years, eight months, 27 days)
Josh Pastner – Memphis (32 years, six months, 26 days)
Brad Stevens - Butler (33 years, five months, 30 days)
Jeff Capel – Oklahoma (35 years, two months, eight days)
Scott Cross – Texas-Arlington (35 years, four months, 18 days)
Sydney Johnson – Princeton (35 years, 11 months, 26 days)
Byron Rimm, Jr. – Prarie View A&M (36 years, two months, 21 days)
Tommy Dempsey – Rider (36 years, two months, 25 days)

Vikings Wednesday Sports Update

Baseball:
The Avery Vikings varsity baseball team used a strong inning to open a lead on visiting Thomas Jefferson Academy. The Gryphons rallied in the top of the sixth to cut the Avery lead to 7-6.

Avery starting pitcher Daniel Huff retired TJCA with the tying run on base to preserve a one-run margin. In the bottom of the inning, catcher Steven Daniels helped out his battery mate by belting a towering two-run home run to left center field to give the Big Red a 9-6 lead. "Steven hitting the ball deep to give us those pair of insurance runs was big for us," Avery head baseball coach Benny Wellborn said after the game. "We hoped to close the game out a little earlier, but our kids kept battling hard and got the win."

The Avery defense shut the door in the top of the seventh to capture the three-run win.

Huff picked up the win in a 100-pitch, complete game effort. "That's probably Daniel's best pitching performance of the year. Getting seven innings from him can do nothing but help us," Avery head baseball coach Benny Wellborn said. "The kid battled hard the whole game and deserved to be out there to finish it."

Offensively, Daniels was 2 for 4 with three RBI, Danny Cole with 2 for 3 with three runs scored, while Luke Pittman was 2 for 3 with a pair of runs batted in.

Avery baseball returns to the diamond Friday with another key conference contest, this time against the perennially tough Hendersonville Bearcats.

Soccer:
In a match pitting two of the best teams in both the Western Highlands Conference and the entire state, the Avery Lady Vikings and the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats played to a scoreless tie in overtime at Dietz Field on Wednesday evening.

The Hendersonville squad, defending their home turf, started the game with more intensity of than the Lady Vikings after their two-hour bus ride The Bearcats dominated the first part of the game, but the Lady Vikings knuckled down and didn't let the Bearcats score.

Partway through the half, the Bearcats coach was given a warning after he argued with the referee after he awarded a throw-in to Avery. The play in general was physical, with the Lady Bearcats generally winning the 50-50 balls and going at the Avery players with little regard to their own bodies and definitely no regard to inflicting injury on their opponents.

One Hendersonville player was called for "cleats up", a legal slide tackle as far as approach, but dangerous. Another one was called for dangerous play for going for the ball while she was still on the ground. In general, hand balls were not called, even in the box.

Towards the end of the first half, the Avery coaches were thinking that going into half-time with no score would be a plus for Avery.

In the second half, Avery had the wind at their backs rather than in their face, a distinct advantage. The Lady Vikings picked up their game in the second half, although still not playing at the level the coaches knew they could.

In the first half, the Bearcats outshot the Vikings 24 to 12. Mercedes Bentley had 10 saves in the half. In the second half, with a more offense generated by the Lady Vikings, they outshot Hendersonville 11 to 7. Bentley had an additional 3 saves. Each team had two corner kicks in regulation. The Hendersonville coaches substituted liberally throughout the game, but the Viking squad, down one starter, put only one sub into the game. The coaches were concerned that this would be a factor if the game went to overtime, which it did.

In the first overtime period, the Lady Vikings defended with the wind, but still were not able to get a ball in the goal. The Lady Bearcats did, however score in the first half of OT, but much to the Viking's relief, it was not counted due to an offsides call against the Bearcats.

"We outplayed them again, and they know that. It was a great match, and I'm positive we'll see them again in the playoffs," Hendersonville head coach Freddy Oviedo said to local media after the match.

As the second half of OT was winding down, Mary Chesnut Smith was making a desperate run towards the goal when three defenders took her down, even calling out to each other to "take her out". Avery was awarded a free kick, which Smith was preparing to take. The clock was ticking down to under 20 seconds, the coaches were calling for her to hurry and take the kick, but a Hendersonville player was standing right in front of her, hoping by delaying that the clock would run out. She was awarded a card for her effort, after the referee called for the clock to be stopped.

Smith took the kick with 4.4 seconds left on the clock. It was so close but it knicked the upright and was deflected away from the goal with a 0-0 tie game as the result.

Avery extends its unbeaten streak to 13 with a 12-0-1 record overall. Hendersonville moves to 10-4-1 for the season. The Lady Vikings will host Polk County in its next match coming up on Monday evening at MacDonald Stadium.

Vikings Laying Foundation for 2010 Gridiron Season

The Avery Vikings football program has announced a schedule of events as it prepares for the opening of the 2010 North Carolina High School Association season.

While a number of student-athletes are currently pumping iron in the weight room to build up strength for the coming campaign, the calendar is chock full of events leading through the spring and summer seasons.

Beginning May 10^th, the Vikings will be having its annual skills development sessions, which will run Monday-Friday through May 21^st.

This summer shapes up to be a hectic one as the Big Red looks to improve on its 5-7 record and state 1A playoff berth from a season ago.

From June 14-16 the Avery football program will again host its annual Junior Viking Football Camp, from 9 a.m. until 12 noon. The camp is open to all second graders through rising ninth graders and is conducted in cooperation with the Avery County Parks and Recreation office.

Campers will get group and individual training from the Avery High School coaches, and are able to run elbows with the Avery players, who serve as instructors and support staff for the three-day event.

The day after the conclusion of the Junior Viking Camp, Avery’s squad will travel to Boiling Springs, NC for its annual trek to the FCA Team Camp, held from June 17-19 on the campus of Gardner Webb University.

Approximately one month later, July 16^th and 17^th, Avery will participate in a 7-on-7 passing league tournament hosted by Cloudland High School in nearby Roan Mountain.

Throughout the summer the Avery team will take part in summer workout sessions, held every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday beginning June 7^th from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

“This year will be a little different when it comes to our summer workout sessions,” Vikings head football coach Darrell Brewer said. “We will be breaking our players into two separate groups at each session. One group will be working out in the weight room while the other group will be going through field work. The groups will switch midway through practice, which will help each player with his strength and conditioning as well as field skills development.”

The Vikings have additional events in the works, including the possibility of hosting a scrimmage in early August.

On August 2^nd, the Vikings will hold its first official fall practice as per state rules as they prepare for the 2010 season opener, hosting Robbinsville on Friday, August 20^th at MacDonald Stadium for the NCHSAA Endowment game.

Lady Vikings Soccer Continues Kicking Competition

The juggernaut that is the Avery Lady Vikings soccer team continues to overpower its opponents, shutting out Owen at MacDonald Stadium 5-0 last Wednesday night and Ashe County 7-0 on Friday evening at home to move to 11-0 on the season and retain its top ranking in the state 1A poll. This past Monday the Big Red found itself in a top-10 showdown at Thomas Jefferson, scoring a goal late in the second half to take a 1-0 win.

On a clear Wednesday evening in Newland, the Owen Warlassies came to town hoping to knock off the unbeaten Big Red. Avery played without the services of junior starter Jennie Elrod, who missed both games last week due to shin splints.

Avery got on the scoreboard in the 8^th minute, when junior Emily Banner was fouled and Avery was awarded a free kick. Coach Evaul instructed junior Mary Chesnut Smith to aim for the drink logo on the scoreboard at the far side of the goal and at the height of the upper corner of the goal. Smith obliged, and the ball caught the lower edge of the goal crossbar and dropped into the goal.

Three minutes later, Smith and Banner reversed roles. Smith was fouled and took the free kick and Banner got a foot on the ball to direct it to the back of the net for Avery’s second goal of the evening.

Owen’s coach was not pleased with the officiating and was vocal over the point that Avery had not been whistled for a foul and his team, perennially known as one of the more physical teams in the conference, had been called for four. In the 12^th minute Owen’s Coach Tate was rewarded for his disagreements with a yellow card in the 12^th minute of the game.

In the 21^st minute of the half, Smith again connected with Banner, who dribbled the ball, changed course and caught the keeper off guard with her shot. The remainder of the first half was scoreless, making the score 3-0 at halftime.

The teams regrouped at intermission and the Big Red discussed fine tuning its game. As the second half began, the discussion proved fruitful. In the first minute of the half after a throw-in which put the ball in front of Owen’s goal, junior Melinda Eggers got the ball to senior Elyse Perry who had room to shoot, resulting in a score.

Ten minutes into the half, Avery was called for a handball in the Owen box. Junior keeper Mercedes Bentley faced her first penalty kick in game action this season. After a stoppage of play to clear spectators and kids from behind the goal area, Owen’s player shot the penalty kick wide, preserving the Lady Viking shutout.

Eleven minutes later, in the 61^st minute, junior Katelynn Eudy found Smith with one of her trademark long throw ins. Smith was able to dribble the ball to a spot to get a good angle on her shot away from the Owen keeper to close the scoring for the match.

Owen earned two yellow cards in the game and was called for eight fouls overall. Avery didn’t get any cards, but had four offside calls in the first half and two more in the second.

Avery had 12 other fouls called against them, including three handballs. Bentley had five saves with Owen taking 12 shots on goal. Avery took 39 shots on goal; five shots scored, seven were saved, and 27 missed the mark.

On Friday evening the Lady Vikings welcomed an old foe in the Ashe Lady Huskies to MacDonald Stadium. The teams have played many memorable soccer battles through the years and both play passionate soccer.

As Friday’s game began, the Lady Vikings were not their usual dominant selves, playing lackluster ball for most of the first half against the Lady Huskies of Ashe. Sideline comments included “Are they playing down, because it is hard to rise above the level of play of the opponents?” “Where they told to take it easy?” and “Is this an off–night?” The touches were off, the intensity was not there, and the shots were wide or straight to the keeper.

Over the final ten minutes of the first half, the intensity started to pick up. Avery improved on its passing and appeared to quickly regain the eye of the tiger.

After a drought of 31 minutes, the Lady Vikings scored three times to take control.

In the 31st minute a run and shot at goal by forward Melinda Eggers ensued. Mary Chesnut Smith, who had moved from mid-field to forward, was in place to get Eggers’ shot as it rebound off the keeper and put it in the net for a 1-0 edge.

Less than two minutes later, Smith sent a pass out wide which half-back Elyse Perry took and shot for the second goal of the half. In the 36th minute, Smith took a corner kick and Arden Stanley was in a perfect position to tap it in for a 3-0 Avery advantage.

The Lady Vikings continued to take it to the Lady Huskies in the second half, scoring two more goals early in the second half. Playing offensively in front of the Ashe goal, Eggers got the ball to forward Emily Banner in the 42^nd minute, who was able to turn and shoot with her left foot a hook shot, a surprising goal that fooled the Ashe keeper and spotted Avery a 4-0 advantage.

Six minutes later, a handball was called on Ashe from about 30 yards outside of goal. Smith took the direct free kick and once again shot a magnificent shot which dropped just inside the crossbar of the goal, out of the keeper’s reach for a 5-0 Big Red bulge.

Coach Evaul took the opportunity in the second half to use bench players, but at this point he started putting more subs in at a time.

Freshman Savannah Perry got on the scoreboard with her first high school goal in the 61^st minute. Smith sent a cross in front of the goal. Savannah Perry was in place to put the ball in. Chelsy Hoffman, the only other freshman on the team, got an assist on the final goal. She passed the ball back to Smith, who tried to pass the ball forward back to Hoffman, but before Hoffman could get to it the ball went in uncontested by the Ashe goalie, making the score 7-0.

Avery’s coaches completely emptied out the bench over the final ten minutes of action. The Lady Vikings managed to hold on to the shutout. Five different Lady Vikings scored in the game as the squad took 35 shots in the first half; scoring three, with 8 saves from Ashe keeper Mariah Richardson. Fewer than 9% of the shots scored.

The second half was better, percentage-wise. Nineteen shots were taken; four scored, two were saved by the replacement keeper, and 13 went wide. Just over one of every five Avery shots found the back of the opposing net.

Ashe had four shots on goal, with Avery keeper Mercedes Bentley saving one to earn her seventh shutout of the season. Helping earn the shutout was Avery’s backline, anchored by senior sweeper Hayden Blackburn, with Megan Robbins and Kaley Faulkner as outside backs. Katelynn Eudy continues to be a key defensive player as stopper. The junior also is a key offensive player, getting the ball out of the transition area of the field and up to the offense.

Avery played without the services of starter Jennie Elrod for the week, who was hampered by injury.

The Viking offense was a buzz saw, scoring 18 goals in the three games leading up to Monday’s conference match, and allowed only one goal against.

Avery has scored 60 goals and allowed only five goals over the 11-game stretch of the season thus far. Seven Lady Vikings have scored multiple times this season, with three players accounting for almost two thirds of the goals.

On the season, Smith leads with 20 goals and 18 assists, followed by Banner with ten goals and 15 assists. Elyse Perry has nine goals and two assists, followed closely by Eggers with seven goals and ten assists. Katelynn Eudy has three goals and seven assists, Stanley has six goals.

The Lady Vikings traveled to Mooresboro and played in front of a boisterous and largely partisan Gryphon crowd for a much-anticipated meeting on Monday with sixth-ranked Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy.

Both teams played with passion and great skill, and both offenses created opportunities to score. Both squads also had strong goalkeepers which denied virtually every shot attempt in the first half to keep the contest scoreless.

Avery’s best scoring chance in the opening half came off a Mary Chesnut Smith direct kick. The kick pinged off the left post and ricocheted away from the goal.

The Vikings received strong defensive play in goal from Mercedes Bentley throughout the night, and benefited from a great effort from junior midfielder Katelynn Eudy, who asserted herself time after time winning balls on headers and disrupting the offense of the Gryphons.

“Katelynn gave them as much trouble as their player no. 13 (TJCA midfield/defender Victoria Bennett) gave to us. They were equal in how they controlled their area of the field,” Avery head soccer coach Tom Evaul said following the match. “Katelynn is like a silent and deadly snake, because she does everything and gets no recognition for it. She’s a very valuable player to us. She’s not a leading scorer and doesn’t get a lot of credit, but she patrols the middle of the field extremely well. We couldn’t do what we have done without her.”

Thomas Jefferson tried to put pressure on Avery in the second half, putting the ball into the box on multiple occasions and once earning a corner kick. Each time, however, the Vikings net-minder Mercedes Bentley rose to the occasion to make a save or deflect a ball harmlessly away from goal.

“The first thing I did was thank Mercedes for playing this year. I tell you, goalkeeping was our biggest concern this year and she has really come through,” Coach Evaul said. “This was the first game that she was really challenged and she played very well.”

“This was by far the best game by Mercedes. She came out of goal when she needed to come out and stayed back when she needed to. She took gambles that paid off and she continues to get better and better,” Coach Bledsoe added.

The lone goal of the match came in the 66^th minute of play. On the dribble, junior Mary Chesnut Smith was tripped at about 25 yards out from the goal. One of the few fouls called on the night was called, and Smith used the precision of a master surgeon to pinpoint the location of a shot that cleared the defense, sailed just over the extended arms of TJCA keeper Murphy D’oyen, and dropped into the net for the goal.

The shot was not unlike several shots that Smith has taken this season, but this shot was special.

“I was just praying it would go in,” Smith said of the goal.

“Chesnut has been great with three or four of those sort of shots, but this one was off a good goalkeeper,” Coach Bledsoe interjected.

With the narrow lead, the Avery defense then took center stage. With Bentley proverbially standing on her head in net, senior Hayden Blackburn and the Viking defense made play after play to thwart any opportunity for the Gryphons to tally the equalizer in regulation.

Avery’s players and coaches was jubilant after the win, the team’s 12^th straight to start the season. The team recognizes the difficulty with gaining the win as a top-ranked team on the road.

“We were focused on their player number 14 (Courtney Flack), but realized in the first half that number 13 (Bennett) was the one who started their plays. I don’t think they’re as strong up front as I expected, but their defense was good,” Coach Evaul said after the win. “They broke down our speed and forced us to take shots from way outside that we normally shouldn’t be taking. I think what really helped us was the two games we won in the final minute against Polk and Hendersonville. The girls have realized that you have to play until it’s over, and if you slack off any little bit, a good team will take advantage of it.”

The Lady Vikings return to the pitch this week highlighted by another big challenge, traveling to Hendersonville on Wednesday to take on the Lady Bearcats. The Big Red will also host Polk County on Monday, April 26^th.

Viking Softball Battles Rival Mitchell, Travels to Cloudland

The Avery softball teams took the diamond with a pair of home games this past week, looking to pick up positive momentum and victories on the scoreboard.

Last Tuesday, April 13^th, the Lady Vikings played host to neighboring Mitchell in a border battle. In the varsity contest, the two teams played a close affair with the Lady Mountaineers winning by a 7-2 final score.

Mitchell picked up a run in the top of the first inning to take the early 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the frame Avery looked poised to tie or take the lead when Becca Biggerstaff and Justina Rieger each reached base. The players were left on base, however, to keep Mitchell in front.

The Lady Mountaineers sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the second and scored three times to take a 4-0 lead, but pitcher Biggerstaff prevented further damage by inducing a fly out to center field to end the threat.

Avery put runners on base during each of the next three innings, but was not able to produce the big hit to bring the runners to the plate. To help its cause, however, the Lady Vikings prevented Mitchell from scoring in both the third and fourth innings, respectively.

The Lady Mountaineer bats woke up in the top of the fifth inning to the tune of a pair of runs to lead 6-0. Again, however, the Avery defense prevented a bigger inning by getting a huge out to leave two base runners stranded.

In the bottom of the sixth inning the Big Red found its offensive stroke to get on the board. Biggerstaff singled to lead off the frame, and two batters later Rieger earned a walk. Both runners came around to score, cutting Mitchell’s lead to only 6-2.

Mitchell added an insurance run in the top of the 7^th to lead 7-2 and Avery was unable to narrow the gap in the bottom of the inning to close out the contest.

“The girls are being patient at the plate and drawing walks, and they’re also playing tighter defense. Becca is also pitching really well for us,” Avery softball head coach Stephen Bunger said following the game. “We just can’t seem to get the timely hits we need to get to bring runners home. That’s pretty much been the story the whole year.”

Eight of Avery’s nine starters reached base safely at least once in the contest, while Justina Rieger got on base after each of her three plate appearances. Kaylea Davis, Biggerstaff, Haley Hicks, and Michelle Cuthberson each reached safely twice in the game.

The junior varsity teams played a high scoring affair that was called after four innings due to darkness. Mitchell seized an early lead but Avery batted around to narrow the margin. Avery’s rally was halted as darkness fell, giving the Lady Mountaineers an 11-7 win.

Mitchell picked up a pair of first inning runs and five more in the second to take a comfortable 7-0 lead. The Lady Vikings put multiple runners on base through the first three innings, but were unable to push across any runs to show for their strong effort.

After Mitchell scored four runs in the top of the fourth to lead 11-0, the Avery comeback began. The Lady Vikings offense exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning alone. A total of 13 batters went to the plate for the Big Red during the inning. The bottom seven hitters in the Avery lineup, which included steady bats such as Nikki Wright, Sara Carter, Charley Puckett, and pitcher Brittany Brewer, each scored a run during the rally. Avery brought the tying run to the plate with two outs in the inning, but could not get one final clutch hit to completely erase Mitchell’s lead before the game was called.

“We’ve got to learn to avoid the big inning and be able to bring runners home,” Coach Bunger said. “They jumped on us pretty early and we settled in on defense to make plays. It’s a similar story to the varsity game. The bats came alive in that final inning. I think if we had another inning we might have been able to come back all the way to win.”

A number of junior varsity players continue to improve and help the team, according to the coach.

“Nikki Wright has been hitting the ball well with a triple today. Jordan Reep hit well. Kenzie Thomas with her speed is able to do about anything she wants on the bases,” Coach Bunger stated. “Brittany Brewer and Paige Henderson both have been pitching well for us. Charley Puckett has helped the JV a lot with her catching and her bat, and the whole team has been playing more solid.”

On Monday afternoon Avery traveled for a non-conference affair with the Cloudland Lady Landers.

Avery grabbed an early lead as Kaylea Davis tripled and came in to score to put the Big Red ahead 1-0. Cloudland responded with offense off Avery starter Brittany Brewer to take a lead of 8-1 after two innings of play. The Vikings rallied with five runs to narrow the gap to 8-6 in the top of the fifth, as Justina Riegar, Michelle Cuthbertson, Jessica Banner, and Becca Biggerstaff all pitched in with base hits.

Cloudland was able to hold off the Viking rally, scoring a pair of runs in the final innings to hold on for a 10-6 win.

“The varsity played well for the most part. We still need to learn to avoid the one big inning. If it wasn’t for that, it would have been a win for us today,” Coach Stephen Bunger said after the game. “Defensively we played well and settled down after the second inning. We showed a lot of heart and spirit in being able to get ourselves back into the game after falling behind. We just couldn’t seem to quite bring ourselves back all the way.”

Sara DeWitt led the Avery hitting brigade with a pair of base hits.

The junior varsity contest was cut short due to darkness, playing only three innings. The teams decided to use the contest as an exhibition in order to afford all the players an opportunity to bat, with Cloudland outscoring Avery 5 to 2 in the contest.

“Paige Henderson pitched and threw pretty well. She was a bit nervous in the first inning and gave up some walks, but she settled down in the next two innings and kept us in it for the most part,” Coach Bunger said.

Henderson doubled at the plate for Avery to lead off the second inning as the Lady Vikings eventually loaded the bases. LaKota Turbyfill singled to plate Henderson and Charley Puckett for the two Avery runs.

The Lady Vikings host games this week against Thomas Jefferson Academy early in the week, and will host Hendersonville this Friday afternoon.

Vikings Play Quartet of Diamond Duels

The Avery baseball teams continue to jump start their seasons with victories as Western Highlands Conference action prepares for the home stretch.

Last Tuesday the 13^th, the Vikings welcomed neighboring Mitchell to town. In the junior varsity contest the Vikings and Mountaineers managed to only play three innings before the game was halted by darkness. Mitchell held a 3-0 lead at the point the game was called, but Avery was poised to bounce back offensively to give the Mountaineers a run for their money.

Prior to the JV game, the varsity squads took the field under sunny skies. Through the first five innings of play, the Vikings dominated in virtually every facet of the game. Over the final two innings, however, the Avery bullpen surrendered a four-run lead, was given another lead of three runs, and surrendered seven Mountaineer runs in the top of the seventh inning as Mitchell defeated Avery 15-14.

Viking starter Daniel Huff was on his game during his outing on the mound, giving up only three runs over five innings of work. Huff helped himself in the bottom of the first inning from the plate, where he and teammate Steven Daniels hit back-to-back home runs to give the Big Red a 2-0 lead.

Mitchell plated two runs in the second to tie the game, only to see Avery score in the bottom of the frame to retake a 3-2 edge. The Mountaineers tied the game in the top of the third with a single run, but was held scoreless by the Viking hurler for the remainder of his outing.

The Vikings bounced back for a run to take a 4-3 lead in the third when C.J. Vance drew a walk and teammate Danny Cole scored him with an RBI double. Two innings later the Vikings padded their lead with three runs to build a four-run advantage. Nine Avery hitters came to the plate in the frame.

Starter Huff was replaced in the top of the sixth as the Vikings were slated for three games and coach Benny Wellborn worked to keep his pitchers available for the long week. Avery’s relief pitching had a bumpy road over the final two innings, and its defense did not help matters, either. Avery struggled to make simple plays like infield throws and fielding a ground ball. Mitchell capitalized with five runs in the top of the sixth to take its first lead at 8-7.

Undaunted, Avery battled back to regain an 11-8 lead with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. In the top of the seventh and final inning, Avery quickly gained two outs on the Mountaineers and had the win in hand. A fielding error gave Mitchell life, however, and they took advantage to the tune of seven runs in the seventh to lead 15-11.

Avery mounted one final charge in the bottom of the seventh, as a three-run home run by Huff, his second dinger of the day, drew Avery within one run. Mitchell rose to the task and managed to retire the Avery lineup for a third out before giving up the tying run, leaving the heartbroken Big Red one run short.

“The guys battled back and got us back in the game, but it was a tough outcome,” Vikings head coach Benny Wellborn said of the defeat. “We hit the ball well, but didn’t pitch and didn’t field well. You have to make routine plays, and when we don’t do that we’re not going to win ballgames.”

The following afternoon the Vikings traveled to Marshall to make-up a game with Madison which was rained out earlier this season. The junior varsity squad picked up a much-needed road win as they defeated Madison 12-9 in six innings. The top two hitters in the lineup, Landon Powell and Bennett Sweat, combined to score five runs in the win, and seven of the nine hitters in the Viking lineup scored at least one run.

Avery led 3-2 after one inning and scored three additional runs to take a 6-2 edge. Madison scored a run in the bottom of the second to cut the margin to 6-3, but Avery batted around in the key top of the third inning, scoring five times to take a commanding 11-3 advantage.

Madison rallied for four runs in the fourth inning and two more in the sixth, but Avery quelled the rally to capture the win.

Dustin Clark was a one-man wrecking crew, going 4 for 4 from the plate and driving in six runs for the Big Red. Walker Carswell reached base three times in the game and scored twice in the win.

“I think for the most part the kids responded to my challenge to them before the game. Bennett Sweat pitched a really good game and was able to control hitters. We did the little things right, putting the ball in play and running the bases,” JV head coach Samuel Phillips said after the win. “Dustin Clark had a great game and he’s really been coming on for us as of late and helped us a lot. It’s been a long road for these kids and for me, but we’re seeing improvements as we go along.”

The varsity game between Madison and Avery was also a nip-and-tuck affair, with the Patriots holding on to take an 11-9 win.

Avery began the scoring spree with three runs in the first inning. The key hit in the frame was a three-run double by pitcher Jared Clark which put the Vikings on the board.

Madison bounced back to score two runs in the bottom of the inning to cut Avery’s lead to 3-2.

The Vikings left runners on base in each of the next three innings, but could bring no runs home to extend its total. Madison meanwhile added one run in each of the three innings to take a 5-3 lead into the fifth inning.

In the top of the fifth the Vikings offense kicked back into attack mode and plated four runs. Huff reached on an error and scored on Daniels’ third base hit of the game to cut the Patriots lead to one. Jack Buchanan then singled to score pinch runner Luke Pittman to tie the game, and later himself scored on an RBI ground out by C.J. Vance. By the bottom of the frame, the Big Red was ahead again by a 7-5 margin.

Madison took advantage of a pair of Avery errors and a passed ball to bat around and score six runs in the bottom of the fifth. The flurry put the Patriots up 11-7 with two innings left to play.

The score remained unchanged until the top of the seventh as the Vikings tried to stage a rally. Avery scored twice in the inning as Daniels and Buchanan each reached base and scored. But much like the day before, Avery came up just short in its comeback bid, falling by the 11-9 score.

“We bounced back pretty well from the Mitchell game. I gave the ball to Jared and asked him to show me what he was made of, and he threw a good five innings for us and left with a lead,” Coach Wellborn said. “Like the Mitchell game it was back-and-forth and neither team quit. We made five or six errors and it seemed like each one cost us a run. We have two out of the three things we need to be successful, but we still lost. You’ve got to be able to field routine plays, put the ball in play, and throw strikes. We also have to stay out of the big inning.”

Friday was a tough day all around for Avery baseball, as the Owen Warhorses came to town and routed both Avery’s varsity and junior varsity clubs. Avery’s varsity team fell by a lopsided final score of 32-4, while the junior varsity team was blanked by a final score of 25-0.

Owen’s teams sprayed the field with base hit after base hit. Unlike previous contests, the Avery defense did not direction contribute to Owen’s success.

A lone bright spot for the varsity team was back-to-back singles from Daniel Huff and Ethan Sluder, followed by a three-run home run to right field by the hot bat of catcher Steven Daniels to account for three of the four Viking runs. Unfortunately for the home clubs, the visitors were simply too strong for the Vikings to contend with on Friday afternoon.

This past Monday the Vikings hosted the Cloudland Highlanders in a non-conference tilt, winning by a final score of 19-9.

Avery scored seven runs through the first two innings before Cloudland rallied with for a pair in the top of the third. The Vikings broke the game open with a strong third inning. Eleven batters came to the plate in the inning and five runners crossed the plate, highlighted by a towering home run to dead center field from Daniel Huff to stake the Vikings to a 12-2 edge. Huff reached safely in each of his five plate appearances and scored all five times, Teammate Ethan Sluder, hitting in the spot ahead of Huff, drew three walks, was hit by a pitch, and reached on an error. He too scored all five times he reached base safely.

With their backs against the wall, the ‘Landers battled back with six runs in the top of the fourth. Avery committed three errors in the frame which led to prolonging the inning as Cloudland cut the margin to 12-8.

Needing to jump start the offense again in a close game, Avery sent another ten hitters to the plate in the bottom of the fourth and scored five runs to lead 17-8.

In the top of the fifth the ‘Landers plated a run as Casey Pritchard scored after being hit by a pitch. Pritchard homered earlier in the game to provide offensive punch for the boys from Roan Mountain.

In the bottom of the inning, the Vikings sealed the win with a pair of runs, the second coming on a steal of home by Huff off a failed squeeze bunt attempt, providing for the game’s final margin.

“We kind of throttled down when we were ahead 12-1. We had chances to advance base runners, but didn’t do so. They came in and had their big inning which built their confidence and helped them get back into the ballgame. I told the guys we needed to pick it up and get after it,” Coach Wellborn said after the game. “Our team responded well. They had some guys struggle a little on the mound that we took advantage of. The kids’ spirits were high after Friday’s game despite the loss, and this was one of those games that our players expect to win. They came in ready to play, and for them it is not acceptable mentally to lose this game. We just hit the ball well from one through nine in the batting order.”

In the junior varsity matchup, the Vikings defeated the Landers going away by the final score of 11-1. Avery’s Grant Norman got the starting nod on the mound for his first high school start and pitched two thirds of an inning. Dillon Nelson came on in relief, struck out the side in the second inning, and finished the contest to complete the victory.

Dustin Clark had two hits in the win, while Ty McCoury and Tyler Edwards each had a base hit to help lead the Big Red attack.

“We swung the bat very well as a team,” JV head coach Samuel Phillips said after the win. “We made plays in the infield we needed to make, and I was really pleased with our swings and plate discipline. This, along with the Madison game, was one of our better hitting displays we’ve had this season.

The Avery teams return to the diamond to host Thomas Jefferson on Wednesday April 21^st and host Hendersonville this Friday.

Little League Kicks off Another Season with Opening Ceremonies

On a cool and brisk Saturday morning the Avery County Little League officially opened its 2010 season with its traditional opening ceremony. The league introduced each of its players and teams from all baseball, softball, and tee ball divisions.

“Today went much better than I expected. I was nervous but everything fell in place as it always does,” Avery Little League President Bill Daniels said following the ceremony. “We’re excited to get the season started.”

The ceremony was kicked off with the presentation of our nation’s and state’s colors from the 24th Judicial District Law Enforcement Honor Guard, with the National Anthem performed by Mrs Michelle Dearmin. Throughout the morning members of the Appalachian State University baseball team were on site handing out flyers for the team’s annual baseball camp.

Once the teams were assembled on the field, Captain Reo Griffith made a special presentation to the league of a flag which was flown on September 11, 2009 over the base at Camp Alamo in Kabul, Afghanistan under the authorization of Col. Dan South, former ACCL president who currently serves our nation in that region.

“The honor guard graciously offered their services and we thought it would be fitting to have law enforcement here,” Daniels said. “What an honor to have the flag that was flown on September 11^th of all days over a military base,” Daniels stated. “Dan did so much for Little League, and for him to send this to our league is such a great honor.”

The league was blessed to have Jim Greene of Glory 1130 WECR-AM on hand to announce each individual player as the teams were announced and took the field. The league also afforded Greene the opportunity to throw the ceremonial first pitch to begin the 2010 ACLL season.

“I was not expecting it at all,” Greene said about his surprise at being asked to throw out the first pitch. “Words can’t express how honored I am. Over the years I started out playing, I’ve coached and supported as a parent, and announced a lot of players. Seeing them grow up through the years means so much. I appreciate the fact that they chose to honor me. I was very touched by it.”

The league continues to look for ways to raise funds to help with support and financing the many needs to operate the organization. Little League will be holding two separate raffles during this season. One raffle will be for a $600 gift certificate to The Personal Touch in Linville, and the other is for a $400 gift certificate to Mountain Jewelers in Newland.

Each coach has received tickets to sell, and tickets can also be purchased at the concession stand during games as well as from league board members. The raffle drawing will be held on June 15^th.

Bray leads White to victory in UT Orange and White game

During this time of the year, most high school seniors across the country are getting ready for their high school prom. Of course, Tyler Bray isn’t your typical high school student.

Bray, an early enrollee, and the rest of the Tennessee Volunteers wrapped up their spring practice with the annual Orange and White game inside Neyland Stadium on Saturday afternoon. One of the main storylines for the Vols was who would the quarterback for next season as Bray and Matt Simms will enter fall camp neck and neck for the title.

However, Bray may have separated himself from the rest of the back as he played with the poise of someone who shouldn’t be worried about high school prom.

“I was really pleased with his presence out there,” Dooley said. “He’s really a high school senior. He wasn’t nervous or jittery. He performed the way he has been performing all spring, and that says a lot about him. He made some good throws and he missed some throws. He did a good job.”

The team was spilt on the Wednesday before the contest by a draft held by the seniors. The result saw starters on both teams, and produced a competitive game.

“I thought it was a good, competitive matchup,” Dooley said. “Both sides played hard. Of course, the White jumped on them early and had a good lead, probably was feeling pretty good at halftime. The Orange came out and put one heck of a drive together in the third quarter and made it 13‐7. And like so many games and so much of what we worked on this spring, we’re sitting there with 3:23 to go in the game and it’s 13‐7. It’s such a critical time in the game to execute and make good decisions. Don’t make bad mistakes. Do the common things commonly well. Don’t make bad decisions. We had a big play by the White on an interception and that ended up being the difference in the game.”

The costly interception came after the Orange squad was threatening to score in the closing minutes of the game, and came off the arm of Simms, which was his third interception of his day.

Bray ended the game with two touchdowns as he was 18 of 40 for 200 yards, while Simms was 12 of 26 for 125 yards. Gerald Jones caught six of Bray’s passes for 84 yards including one touchdown. Denarius Moore also caught a touchdown pass.

A crowd of 35,891 UT fans showed up to see the contest, which was the third largest crowd at a spring game, and Coach Dooley was quick to make a note of it.

“First, let me thank the fans,” Dooley said. “What a great turnout by our fans. It was the third‐largest spring game that we’ve ever had. I’m so appreciative of how supportive they’ve been. They have been through a lot, too, over the last couple of years. They’re proving to be the best fans in the country. That’s good for the recruits, as well.”

The Volunteers open the 2010 season when they host UT-Martin on September 4^th.

Sources: Appalachian Targeting Assistant Coach Capel to Fill Head Coaching Vacancy

According to multiple sources, Jason Capel has been offered the job as Appalachian State's men's basketball coach.

Sources said that Capel has tentatively accepted the job, according to the Winston-Salem Journal. Assuming there is no snag in contract details that were being worked out Monday night, Capel could be officially named coach as early as Tuesday.

Capel was an assistant coach at Appalachian State last season — his first season as a coach. The ASU head-coaching position became vacant when Buzz Peterson was named UNC Wilmington's coach last Friday.

Capel played four seasons at North Carolina from 1998 through 2002, and then played professionally in Serbia, Japan and Italy and in the NBA's Developmental League. His father Jeff Capel Jr. is an assistant coach for the Charlotte Bobcats. His brother Jeff Capel III is the head coach at Oklahoma.

BREAKING NEWS: Peterson Reportedly to Leave as ASU Men's Basketball Coach for UNC-W

Reports are "buzzing" this early afternoon that Buzz Peterson is leaving Appalachian State University just one season into his second stint as men's basketball coach to accept the head coaching job with the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks.

Winston-Salem Journal sports reporter Tommy Bowman broke the story around noon and is quoting sources close to the situation that the move is imminent.

Peterson coached the Mountaineers to a 24-13 record last season, his first back as a college head coach after serving as director of player personnel for the Charlotte Bobcats. Peterson, who has also been the head coach at Tennessee, Tulsa and Coastal Carolina, coached at ASU for four seasons in the late 1990s.

A press conference is scheduled for this afternoon at 4:15 p.m. at UNC-Wilmington, presumably to introduce Peterson as men's head coach.

LIVE FROM...MacDonald Stadium (Avery Lady Vikings Soccer)

We're live from the Press Box at MacDonald Stadium as the top-ranked 1A girls soccer team in North Carolina, the Avery Lady Vikings, host the conference rival Owen Warlassies.

Update #1: Mary Chesnut Smith scores with a goal in the 8th minute to give the Big Red the early 1-0 lead. In the 11th minute of play Smith served as the helper, with a pass to teammate Emily Banner who found the back of the net for the second goal of the night. Avery leads 2-0 with 20 minutes left in the half.

Update #2: Emily Banner just scored her second tally of the evening in the 21st minute, staking the Big Red to a 3-0 lead. Also got news in the press box that Friday's home soccer match will begin at 4:30 p.m. against Ashe County.

Update #3: Halftime from MacDonald Stadium and the Lady Vikings soccer team leads Owen 3-0 on a pair of Banner goals and a goal from Smith.

Update #4: Melinda Eggers assists to Elyse Perry, who scores in the 41st minute to put the Big Red ahead 4-0 over Owen. Avery looking to move to a perfect 10-0 on the season.

Update #5: In the 50th minute Owen is awarded a penalty kick after an Avery foul in the box. Avery fends the shot off as the kick goes wide left, helping the Lady Vikings preserve its 4-0 advantage.

Update #6: Mary Chesnut Smith breaks through to steal an Owen pass between two players, dribbles about 40 yards, and places a low ball to the left of the keeper into the back of the net in the 59th minute to put Avery ahead 5-0.

Update #7: Avery's defense continues its streak of strong play as the Lady Vikings remain unbeaten with a 5-0 whitewash of the Owen Warlassies this evening. Congrats to the ladies on another conference win. Avery ventures out of conference on Friday when they host the Ashe Lady Huskies at the new time of 4:30 p.m. Thanks for reading!

Clark Overcomes Obstacles, Inspires on Baseball Diamond and in Life

From first glance on a baseball diamond during an Avery High School varsity baseball contest, you might not notice anything out of the ordinary. Nine Vikings players are fielding positions and are poised to compete. If you look a little closer, specifically at the first base position or perhaps the pitcher’s mound, you will find an astounding baseball player in Jared Clark.

Jared is a senior at Avery who is anything but ordinary. Jared is a passionate young man who loves the game of baseball like many young players and competes with a gritty determination. Jared will often strike out batters on the mound, make diving plays at ground balls from the field, and even flash his power at the plate, as he did earlier this season sending a home run over the fence at North Wilkes and this past Monday at home against Mitchell.

What makes Jared astounding, you might ask? Jared performs each of the tasks mentioned, in addition to all other tasks in sports and life, with only one hand. Jared was born without a left hand, and has managed to evolve into an extraordinary athlete who has turned the stumbling blocks in his life into stepping stones.

Jared is the son of Dee and Gwen Clark of Crossnore. I had the pleasure to speak with the family last week for an extended and informative interview.

Upon listening to Jared, it’s obvious that he is a determined individual who lives with a great passion for baseball and life.

“When I was younger Mom and Dad encouraged me to try out for every sport, and told me that I could do whatever I wanted to do. From a young age I really enjoyed baseball,” Jared said regarding his choice of sports to play.

“We’ve always emphasized to Jared that he is not limited, and that he is only handicapped to the degree that he allows himself to be. We have encouraged him in whatever he wants to do, and wouldn’t make any concessions for his disability,” Jared’s father Dee added. “It’s like someone who asked us when he was younger why we didn’t buy him Velcro shoes. We told them it was because he would never learn to tie his shoes if he didn’t have to.”

As one might expect, Jared receives a variety of responses when he takes the field for a game, usually from those who he has never met.

“I’ve received mixed reactions. People who know me say that they think of me as being two-handed and don’t think twice about it,” Jared stated. “I’ve had players say “wow” when they earn a walk and I’m playing first base. Usually I act like it isn’t a big deal because it’s something I’ve been used to my entire life. It’s all I’ve known, so I’ve had to make everything my own.”

Jared’s mother Gwen, a teacher at Avery High School, identified with her son and found his journey to be a learning process for he and his parents.

“I am left handed, and I’ve found this to be a right-handed world. With Jared not having a left hand and learning to do things with his right hand, I found doing things right-handed to be hard and I had to learn along with him,” Mrs. Clark remarked. “I figure that someone is how they are for a reason, and God has a purpose in that. While playing sports we concluded that for Jared it wasn’t a matter of “what can he do” with one hand, but instead became a matter of “what can’t he do” because he can do pretty much anything. There’s really nothing he hasn’t figured out how to do or modified it in a way he can do it.”

Jared’s father Dee related an experience regarding a reaction he received from an opposing coach after a game. “In traveling baseball after a game, a coach came to me saying “I knew there was something different about your son, but I never could figure it out until we shook hands in the line after the game,”” Clark shared.

A defining moment in Jared’s baseball career came when he and his family went to a Winston-Salem Warthogs minor league baseball game. One of the starting pitchers in the game was Jim Abbott, a successful left-handed pitcher who won 87 major league games in his career and even threw a no-hitter as a member of the New York Yankees, all despite being born without his right hand.

“Jim Abbott was pitching in Winston during a rehab stint. Watching the way he played the game showed me that I could do it too,” Jared recalls. “I was amazed at what he was able to do. Just watching him sign a baseball was the coolest thing.”

The Clarks were able to not only watch Abbott pitch, but also visited with him briefly before and after the game.

“Jared sat and was glued on what Jim Abbott did for the entire game. I’m convinced that watching him intently like that helped him figure out how to pitch and do what he does,” Gwen said. “Before that game Jared yelled Jim’s name when he warmed up, and when he got his attention he stuck his nub in the air. Jim immediately came over and told us he’d speak to us after the game. He had a great impact on Jared, and probably doesn’t even know it.”

As for his own baseball career, the Clarks expressed enormous gratitude to a number of coaches who helped shape Jared’s career, including youth tee-ball coach Chantee Hoilman, Little League baseball coaches Danny Aldridge, Jeff Daniels and Bill Wise, and current Avery baseball coach Benny Wellborn and his staff. Outside the county, baseball has helped Jared and his family form lasting friendships with other players like Mountain Heritage’s Steven Wilson, as well as J.D. Chaplain and his family from Owen High School.

“Jared’s youth baseball coaches put a lot of thought and heart into how he could be successful,” Gwen stated.

“Every coach I have ever played for has been great about telling me to pursue my dreams and put me in a good situation,” Jared interjected. “They believed in me, and I owe a lot to those coaches.”

The family especially mentioned Avery basketball head coach Bo Manis as a strong influence in Jared’s athletic development.

“Jared’s story can’t be told without mentioning Bo Manis,” Gwen explained. “Jared respects him so much, because when Bo would tell him “I know you can do this”, Jared could relate with him. Bo was a successful athlete, and Jared saw what he was able to overcome in his life and accomplish.”

Faith is a sustaining force and a lasting positive impact to the Clarks, The family unanimously affirms its effect in the development of Jared as an individual and the family as a whole.

“I have faith to know that God will guide me through any problem that I face and that He is going to guide me in how to adapt to whatever situation I’m in,” Jared shared. “It’s a blessing every time I get the opportunity to walk onto the field and I try to treat it as such. He has blessed me very much.”

“We’ve always felt God had a plan for Jared. How things have fallen into place is the proof of that,” Jared’s father Dee said. “Jared has gotten to play for some of the best coaches in Western North Carolina, and we see God’s hand in everything that has happened.”

Jared’s unforgettable prep career is almost complete, and upon graduation intends to attend Lenoir Rhyne University this fall on a Teaching Fellows Scholarship. While he is disappointed that the door is closing, Jared hopes to stride through another door to continue playing baseball for the Bears at the collegiate level.

“I have thought some about the end of the season. It’s bittersweet, but we still have work to do this season. I know the coaches and seniors have encouraged the team to work as hard as they can and go out playing the best ball that we can,” Jared stated. “As of right now, I plan to walk-on at Lenoir-Rhyne and try to make the team.”

“It’s been a tough decision for Jared on whether he should try to play at the college level, but we’ve told him that we never want him to have any regrets, and that you’ll never know unless you try,” Mrs. Clark added. “When Jared walks off the field, if it’s the last game, he can look back with no regrets.”

Once Jared’s playing career ends, he desires to stay around the game of baseball, preferably as a high school baseball coach.

“I would love to be a high school baseball coach someday. I have a passion and love for the game, and that is something I’d like to instill in other people,” Jared shared.

“Jared is a good teacher and we are a super-blessed family,” Gwen stated. “Our daughter Carson has many of the same qualities as Jared, and he has been a role model to her. She plays softball and wants to be as good as Jared in baseball. They talk a lot and he helps her with ideas and tips.”

I asked Jared and his family what advice they would give to youngsters who might be living with a physical or other disability to continue to do their best and chase their dreams.

“I would first encourage them to pray, because God will guide you through any situation,” Jared quickly remarked. “Secondly I would tell them to never give up. If it’s something you’re passionate enough about and something you love, you can do it.”

Jared’s mom drew from her unique experience as a parent to share insight.

“Everyone has gifts and skills, no matter how insignificant we think they might be,” Gwen said. “I would encourage parents to not limit what their children can and can’t do, because you never know how someone can surprise you with their ability.”

Special thanks to Jared Clark, his parents Dee and Gwen, and sister Carson for sharing their story.