Vikings Travel to Gardner-Webb for FCA Team Camp

The 2008 edition of the Avery Vikings football team ventured off the mountain last week to Boiling Springs, NC for Team Camp, sponsored by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. A total contingent of 22 players strapped on their helmets on the campus of Gardner-Webb University and joined seven other teams from across the region for three grueling days of workouts, drills, and passing league contests.

Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer said the camps are an important part of the Vikings’ football program as preparations continue for this fall’s campaign.

“We hope the camp will bring us together as a football team,” he said. “Being able to stay in the dorm together, eat meals together, and work out as a team is a good thing that we will reap benefits from.”

Unlike many of the summer events in recent years, last week’s camp provided the opportunity for linemen to join skill players in working to better themselves for the upcoming season. Tabbed by teammates as the “Wild Hogs”, the offensive and defensive linemen received intense training targeted at developing their skills offering specialized instruction.

“In the summer there are all kinds of passing tournaments and passing leagues, but the linemen kind of get left out, which I guess to an extent has been my fault,” Coach Brewer said. “The passing league group gets in 12 games and linemen are working during that same time on footwork and steps which will only help them and our entire team be ahead of the curve come July.”

Avery had the opportunity to face a number of teams with varying degrees of skill level. The Vikings met a team with blazing speed in Asheville High School, while in another contest faced a school in Central Academy of Monroe who is only in its second year of existence.

As for the Vikings, a number of players made the most of the camp and impressed a number of coaches and observers. “We had a bunch of kids who looked good. Adam Pate threw the ball extremely well. Dylan Aldridge caught the football well despite a hurt foot. Chris Childress came out and joined us for the first time since his accident. We didn’t expect to have him until August and we’re blessed that he has been able to work with us,” the coach stated. “One player particularly who impressed me has been Taylor Potter. He has shown a lot of toughness on the field. He’s just a sophomore but he’s out there working hard and doing a good job. I could just go on, but as a whole all our kids have worked hard and had a good attitude.”

Last week’s camp was the first team camp the Big Red has attended since Brewer became the Avery head coach back in 2004, but he felt this year’s squad had the maturity and unity to gain from such an experience.“This was a good group that I felt like we could really take off with and have a little fun with as a team,” the coach added. “We used to go to Western Carolina when I was an assistant, and a camp like this really focuses a team. If you can get a group focused in June and carry that momentum into July and August, it will really pay dividends for them as players and for us as a team.”

The camp, organized by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, placed great emphasis on sportsmanship, individual and team character, and positive attitudes both on the field and off. Camp instructors taught the importance of being passionate players on the gridiron and productive individuals in the classroom and in life.

“One of the big reasons I wanted to come here was the ethical emphasis and positive messages of what the camp represents,” Coach Brewer stressed. “We get wrapped up in the game and I guess I’m the world’s worst. But anyone who believes in God or is a Christian believes there are things much more important than football. If the kids who attend camp can get something positive from the experience, what better way is there to spend your time?”

Avery will take some time off from team on-field activities, but will return to the field later in July for 7-on-7 events and the official beginning of football season on July 28th.

Vikings Hold Youth Football Camp

The Avery Vikings football team, in conjunction with the county Parks and Recreation Department, hosted its annual youth football camp this week at Avery County High School.

Campers learned about a variety of drills, from learning to block and proper footwork, to jumping, balancing, running and catching skills. A number of current Vikings football players and members of the Avery coaching staff have donated their time to working with the campers ranging in age from youth league through middle school age.

Check next week's edition of the Journal-Times for photos from the camp and comments from the coaching staff.

Tennessee Prep Football Changes

On Wednesday, the TSSAA voted to make the following classification changes that will take effect in 2009 (From the TSSAA Board of Control Minutes):

Voted to continue to use a multiplier of 1.8 for enrollments of private schools that participate in Division I.

In regards to football:
1. All schools play everyone in their district (AAA, AA, A).

2. Each class is divided in half by enrollment. AAA is divided into 6A/5A; AA into 4A/3A; A into 2A/1A. This will place approximately 55-65 schools in each football classification. If the number of football schools in Class A is less than 70, then the Board would determine whether Class A would be divided for playoffs or remain as one class. Using present enrollments, we would have 83 footballplaying schools in Class A.

3. In 6A, 5A, 4A, and 3A, 32 teams would qualify for the playoffs. In 2A and 1A 24 teams would qualify for the playoffs. This difference is due to the fact that there would be 41-42 schools in 2A and 1A each, with 58-62 schools in the other 4 classifications.

4. Teams would qualify for the playoffs in the following manner:
a. One half of the teams in each group (6A, 5A) in each district are automatic qualifiers Example: 4 teams - 2 automatic qualifiers; 6 teams -3 automatic qualifiers; 3 teams 1 automatic qualifier; 1 team 0 automatic qualifiers)
b. Teams finishing 1st or 2nd in the district are automatic qualifiers
c. Wild cards based on TSSAA tiebreakers
5. In 6A, there is the rare possibility that you have 25 automatic qualifiers. Districts 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 16 where there is 1 qualifier and another 6A team could finish 2nd. If this occurred in all 8 districts, you would have 33 qualifiers. In the unlikely event that this would happen, you would apply the tiebreaker criteria to those 8 teams to determine the 7 qualifiers to complete the 32-team bracket.
6. The 32 teams are then placed geographically in 4 quadrants with 8 teams in each quadrant in 6A, 5A, 4A, and 3A. In 2A and 1A there are 6 in each quadrant with the top 2 seeds drawing a bye in the first round.
7. The eight teams (6 in 2A and 1A) are placed in the bracket so that no teams from the same district play each other in the first round except when there are 5 or more teams from the same district. Placements are then done with priorities given to automatic qualifiers based on their district finish followed by Wild Cards. There may be times where teams have to be placed other than their order of district finish to avoid teams from the same district meeting in the first round.
8. The team with the higher seed will host throughout the first three rounds. In the semifinals, the top team in the bracket will host in odd years and the team in the bottom bracket will host in even years. (Exceptions: If the two teams are from the same district, the higher finishing team in district standings shall host.)
H. Directed state office to bring back plan on how the tournament format would look if you use the same plan for football for other sports (basketball, baseball, softball, and volleyball).

Keep checking with the Avery Journal-Times for more information on this developing story.

Yackey named to All-Region 8 Softball Team

Avery junior softball pitcher Morgan Yackey was selected to the 1A All-Region squad by the North Carolina Softball Coaches Association.

Joining Yackey on the squad are Kayla Myers, Kristen Cook, Lauren Maennle, and Kayla Stephens (Swain County); Denise Edwards, Kayla Byrd and Nikki Williams (Polk County); Shelby Parker (Cherokee); Brittany Henry (Murphy); Summer Carringer and Megan Silvers (Robbinsville).

Yackey led the team in victories, threw a no-hitter this season, and helped lead the Lady Vikings to a 6-12 record and second round appearance in the 1A state softball playoffs.

Best of the Best: The Games

It is a daunting task to sift through hundreds of regular season games, playoff contests, and competitions to determine the most memorable feats. Nevertheless, this first piece emphasizes a number of games that stand out from the past season.

Avery v. Mitchell (Varsity Girls WHC Tournament Final) – After a drought of a dozen years, the Avery Lady Vikings finally took the proverbial monkey off the back and defeated a talented and athletic Mitchell Lady Mountaineers squad on Mitchell’s home floor in February. The overtime contest featured several memorable performances. Mitchell’s Laken Norris continued her torrid shooting season with 29 points, but Avery senior Laura Lacey rose to the occasion, highlighting a hot streak on the hardwood with 25 points to lift the Big Red to a tournament championship. The game provided momentum to both teams, as the squads each reached the regional semifinals in their respective classification’s state tournament.

Avery v. Owen (Varsity football regular season)- On a cool Homecoming evening at MacDonald Stadium, the Avery Vikings broke a lengthy losing streak to the Warhorses with an emotional 28-21 victory, Coach Darrell Brewer’s first in five tries over the rivals from Swannanoa.
A thrilling 92 yard run 'stop and go' run by RB Travis Thomas helped put Avery out in front, but Owen led the Vikings by a touchdown with under four minutes remaining.

A long touchdown pass from Adam Pate to Preston Jennings knotted the game and offered renewed hope. Two possessions later the Vikings blocked an Owen punt and recovered the ball on the Owen 12 yard line. Pate scrambled in on the next play for the eventual game-winning score.

Avery v. Polk (women’s soccer regular season)- In a season where both teams were consistently ranked among the state’s top teams and the squads met on three occasions, the Lady Vikings and Lady Wolverines played to a scoreless overtime tie in the team’s first showdown held at MacDonald Stadium. The Vikings handed Polk its only non-victory in an otherwise perfect conference season.

Avery v. Hendersonville (women’s softball regular season) – In the most impressive all-around performance in the past several seasons, the Avery girls softball team played flawless defense and rode the momentum of junior pitcher Morgan Yackey’s no-hit effort to a 4-1 win over conference rival Hendersonville in the final week of the regular season. The Lady Bearcats’ only run came on a walk, stolen bases, and a passed ball. The win was Avery’s first conference victory in three seasons, and the team repeated the result in the first round of the state tournament just over a week later in Hendersonville.

Avery v. Cloudland (varsity football regular season)—In the renewal of a rivalry that had stood dormant on the gridiron for 20 seasons, the Vikings and Highlanders met in Newland last August for the first AJ-T Border Battle Classic. Avery was dominant in a 35-14 win to etch its name on the trophy as the first winner. The teams meet again this August when the next chapter is written at Orr Field in Roan Mountain.

Avery at Madison (varsity baseball regular season)- On a rainy afternoon in Marshall, Avery trailed the Patriots by the score of 9-6. With two runners on and a mud-soaked batter’s box in the top of the sixth inning, Vikings catcher Zac Hall took a pitch through the raindrops and deep over the left field wall for a dramatic game-tying home run. The contest was suspended at inning’s end with the score tied at nine Avery returned to Madison the following week, scored six runs in the game’s next inning, and defeated the Patriots 15-9.

Avery at Mitchell (varsity football regular season) – The regular season finale between these two rivals provided one of the most dramatic finishes of the long and storied series. After taking an early lead, the underdog Vikings spent much of the fourth quarter trying to hold off a frantic rally by the Mountaineers, only to see Mitchell come back to take a 27-20 advantage with under six minutes remaining. Avery made a final drive downfield and scored in the game’s final minute. Travis Thomas made the three biggest runs of the game on the drive, one of which a run of 65 yards and the third run a fourth-and-goal gallop from the one yard line, fighting through tacklers to score.

After the touchdown, the Vikings decided to roll the dice and attempt a two-point conversion for the lead. Pate took a snap from the spread formation, ran right on a designed option but found daylight to his left, cutting back to race into the end zone and give the Vikings a 28-27 lead with 52 seconds left in the game.

Mitchell still had fight left as the offense took the field one final time with 45 seconds left. The offense used four effective pass plays to move to the Avery 10 yard line. After an incomplete pass toward the end zone left only 3.2 seconds on the clock, Mountaineer kicker Jesse Mimkin was called upon to attempt a game-winning field goal. Avery took a timeout to ice the kicker and set up a rush scheme which was used for the first time all season. At the snap, the Vikings brought pressure up the middle and blocked down the Mimkin kick attempt to preserve a thrilling one-point win.

ACHS Holds Athletics Banquet

It was an evening of celebration in Viking Gym Friday night as Avery High School honored its best and brightest students in both athletic and academic prowess.
Athletics Director Matthew Bentley was Master of Ceremonies as awards for team, individual, and coaching achievements both on the field and in the classroom were handed out at the 40th annual Avery High School Athletic Awards Banquet.

A total of 21 athletes were recognized by being named All-Conference selections in sports during the 2007-08 school year, while a number of individual athletes were recognized for other notable accomplishments during the past school year.

Those honored for individual achievements included:
Kyle Cable- WHC Basketball All-Tournament team
Jared Clark- Elite Sports Team Hawaii Baseball Selection
Caroline Crenshaw- Cross Country State Qualifier
Stephen Daniels- Elite Sports Team Hawaii Baseball Selection
Judi Dillashaw- state qualifier and earned All-State in both track and field and Indoor Track. Finished fifth in state in Shot Put, Back-to-Back State Champion in Discus Throw
Katie Ellis- WHC Basketball All-Tournament Team
Jordan English- Wrestling State Qualifier
Katelyn Eudy- Cross Country State Qualifier
Kim Gragg- Blue/White All Star Selection, Basketball
Kate Griewisch- Cross Country and Track State Qualifier, 5th in state in 3200 m Track, 6th in state in 1600 m Track, Athletic Scholarship to Lenoir-Rhyne College
Jonathan Hensley- Wrestling State Qualifier, Wrestling Regional Champion and 2nd in State, Wrestling All-State
Teddy Jablonski- Cross Country State Qualifier
Preston Jennings-Athletic Scholarship to Emory & Henry College
Laura Lacey- WHC Basketball All-Tournament Team and Conference Tournament MVP
Anna Melton- Tennis State Qualifier
Hayley Pyatte- WHC Basketball All-Tournament Team
Katie Peters- Soccer All-State
Trevor Shields- Athletic Scholarship to Mars Hill College
Ginny Smith- Track and Indoor Track State Qualifier, 8th in state in Indoor Track High Jump, 2nd in state in Outdoor Track High Jump, Athletic Scholarship to Mars Hill College
Mary Chesnut Smith- Cross Country and Track State Qualifier, 4th in state in 800 m Track, 4th in state in 1600 m Track, 10th in state in Cross Country
Morgan Yackey- Softball No-Hitter

Several additional special awards were doled out at the ceremony on Friday evening. The Assistant Coach of the Year Award was given to Pat Daniels for his time and dedication to a number of Vikings sports programs. The Avery County Head Coach of the Year honor was awarded to Missy Lyons for the tremendous season her varsity girls basketball team enjoyed in 2007-08, resulting in a conference tournament title and berth in the 1A Western Regional Tournament.

The Avery High Booster Club awarded its annual scholarships to two worthy persons in seniors Andrea McFee and Jonathan Hensley.
Avery High’s Roger Wise presented this year’s Sportsmanship Awards to seniors Kate Griewisch and Preston Jennings for their displays of exemplary sportsmanship both on and off the field.

Scholar-Athletes of the Year were awarded by Avery High School Principal Mark Garrett to Viking seniors Kate Griewisch and Lucas Carver for their merit in the classroom while also excelling in the athletic arena.

The final individual awards of the evening were the Avery Athletes of the Year. Katie Peters was the female recipient of the award, while the male award went to Jonathan Hensley.

Earlier in the ceremony Avery High recognized several individuals for their unique service and contributions to Avery athletics, including Susan Hawkins for her work and support as Avery’s athletic trainer, and Bill “Buster” Dellinger with the Loyal Viking Award for his numerous years as video recorder for numerous varsity sports. Head coaches Art Williamson and Libby Wit were also presented with Viking Service Awards in appreciation for their time and dedicated service to Avery athletics programs.

While numerous sports accolades were lauded for the 2007-08 school year, Avery students were also outstanding in the classroom setting. In addition to the aforementioned scholar-athlete awards, a total of nine teams (women’s track, women’s tennis, women’s soccer, softball, men’s soccer, cross country, volleyball, and women’s basketball) were recognized for their academic excellence, honored by being named North Carolina High School Athletic Association Scholar Athlete Team Award winners.

The women’s track team was singled out by the NCHSAA as the overall Scholar Athlete Team Award winner in its sport with the highest cumulative grade point average among all teams in the state of North Carolina. The team’s award was recognized at the NCHSAA’s annual meeting in Chapel Hill back on May 1st.

As well, the NCHSAA recognized at its annual meeting Vikings women’s soccer head coach Tom Evaul with the Toby Webb Coach of the Year Award for his storied career and contributions to high school athletics in North Carolina. Both honors were noted and recognized at Friday’s awards banquet.

An impressive total of 79 athletes were named Western Highlands Academic All-Conference, which demands a student maintain a 3.25 or higher overall grade point average, with 58 athletes earning NCHSAA Scholar Athlete Awards, where athletes must maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA.

Hayes Returns to Lead Lady Vikings Volleyball

Avery High School has announced that Kim Hayes will be returning to coach the Avery Lady Vikings volleyball team this season.

Hayes, a former standout player at Lees-McRae College and at Appalachian State University, begins her second stint as coach, last leading the Lady Vikings in the 2004-05 season. Hayes replaces Coach Libby Wit, who is leaving to pursue a graduate school degree.

"I'm really excited about coming back. I thought my days were over when I had my two children, but I've decided to get back into it. I never really figured I would be able to return with the kids and with my husband traveling so much. But Libby and I are good friends and we've discussed this for several months, and she had made her decision to go back to grad school. I spoke with a lot of parents and they were encouraging and willing to help. With those things in place, I felt like I should step up and return to the program," Hayes said at her formal introduction earlier today at Avery High School. "When I was a child I grew up in the gym, so it's going to be fun to watch my three-year old and two-year old kids grow up as I was able to in my family. It's an exciting opportunity."

Coach Hayes brings a successful volleyball pedigree to the position. Kim's mother, Terri Manis, was a highly successful coach in Henderson and Avery County, and her brother Bo was also an exceptional athlete and coach, having recently been himself named to coach the Avery men's basketball program. Coach Hayes herself was a state champion player under Coach Jan Stanley with the West Henderson Lady Falcons and had a stellar playing career as a Lady Bobcat and Lady Mountaineer.

The coach is no stranger to the Avery program, as she and her children have attended a number of volleyball matches over recent seasons, and sees a strong nucleus of players who have a great potential for success in the 2008 season.

"There is a tremendous amount of talent with these girls, and it has been there for quite a while now. The girls moving up from middle school will be joining us, and it will be exciting. I coached when we were 2A, and with us now being 1A with the talent we have, state championships for Avery High is not out of the question," Hayes remarked. "Libby has done a great job with the program, and it is great to see what talent is in place."

Avery volleyball will be holding a team camp from July 28-31. There will be a camp from 9 am-noon for rising 3rd through 8th grade girls, with high school camps in the afternoon and evening for rising 9th graders through high school age.

"In the past I've held our own team camp in the area because many of the players will go to specialty camps for their position. We'll have our team camp and invite a former coach to come in and run the camp," Coach Hayes explained. "In years past, we've also had former players come back during the week and scrimmage against our current players in the evening sessions."

Another Individual Title Highlights Avery Appearance at Track & Field State Championship

It was a banner day for the Avery girls track and field team at the 1A state championships on Saturday at North Carolina A & T University in Greensboro. Four ladies competed in a total of six events and earned a total of 37.33 team points, good enough for fifth place overall behind Winston-Salem Prep (63), West Wilkes (49.33), Bishop McGuinness (39), and Hendersonville (38).

Sixteen athletes or relay teams qualified to compete at the state championships in each of the 18 events. Many schools had quite a few athletes qualify, but few had four as productive as Avery’s representatives.

Of the 39 schools placing in at least one event, Avery, a school with only four athletes qualifying in eight possible events, finished fifth in the state, less than 2 points out of 3rd place. Coaches Anne Avery, Darrell Brewer and Stacey Clark could not have asked for a better finish to the season.

In field events, junior Judith Dillashaw saw the fruits of her hard work and sacrifice as she successfully defended her individual state discus championship from a year ago, winning her second title in the event with a throw of 117 feet, nine inches, a distance of a full eight feet greater than second place finisher Michaella Phillips of South Stokes High School. Dillashaw also made the finals in the shot put and finished fifth best overall with a final throw of 31 feet, six inches.

In addition to Dillashaw’s performance, the other members of the squad were impressive in action on Saturday. Senior Ginny Smith finished competed in the girls high jump event, finishing with a final jump of 5’2”, a mark which was equaled by three other competitors. First place was awarded to South Robeson Shaquiela Robinson as she had the fewest scratches at event’s end, with Smith and the other two competitors tying for second place and splitting individual point totals for second through fourth place at the meet.

Field standouts senior Kate Griewisch and freshman Mary Chesnut Smith competed in multiple events at the state meet. Both ladies took part in the 1600 meter run, with Smith capturing fourth place with a time of 5:32.17 and Griewisch sixth with a time of 5:36.00.

Smith competed as the lone Avery representative in the 800 meter run, and finished fourth overall with a time of 2:29.49 in a race that set a new state 1A record time.

The running duo of Griewisch and Smith were scheduled to both compete in the 3200 meters. Smith was unable to participate in the event, however, after having just come off the track from completing the 800 meter event. Griewisch finished the race with a fifth place time overall of 12:32.96.

Saturday’s competition was truly a family affair for the Avery contingent. Among Dillashaw’s supporters was her brother John, an Avery alum and student-athlete at UNC-Wilmington. Ginny Smith’s brother Nathan, another former Avery athlete, was very supportive of his sister. He is currently a Lees-McRae Bobcat athlete. Mary Chesnut Smith and Kate Griewisch were supported by family, friends, and teammates, with additional warmup and coaching from Smith’s brother Nathaniel, a former Avery standout student-athlete who went on to compete at UNC-Chapel Hill.

The two seniors from Saturday’s event are planning to continue their athletic careers at the next level. Ginny Smith will be competing at Mars Hill College, while Kate Griewisch will attend Lenoir-Rhyne College on combined athletic and academic scholarships. Congratulations to the Avery track and field team on another successful campaign.

Lady Vikings Soccer Earns Multiple Postseason Awards

A bevy of Avery Lady Vikings soccer student-athletes and coaches have received postseason recognition.

All-Western Highlands Conference honorees include seniors Katie Peters and Kate Griewisch, as well as sophomore Hayden Blackburn and freshman Emily Banner.

Six players were named to the All-Region team: midfielder Mary Chesnut Smith (freshman), forward Katie Peters (senior), defenseman Kate Griewisch (senior), goalkeeper Cailan Calloway (junior), defenseman Katelynn Eudy (freshman), and forward Emily Banner (freshman). Katie Peters also received the honor of being named to the All-State soccer team.

Lady Vikings Head Coach Tom Evaul was named the Region Coach of the Year, and assistant coach Lou Brancourt was named the State Assistant Coach of the Year.

Congratulations to all the Avery soccer athletes and coaches on receiving these well-deserved honors!

Lady Maroon Devils Stick Fork in Avery Softball Postseason

BRYSON CITY - The Lady Maroon Devils of Swain County High School lived up to its moniker of being one of the best teams in 1A softball Friday evening, upending the visiting Avery Lady Vikings by the final score of 24-1.

Avery advanced to the second round after their second straight win over conference rival Hendersonville, upsetting the Lady Bearcats 12-4 on the road Tuesday afternoon, while Swain County no-hit Andrews High on Tuesday afternoon at home.

On this evening, the Swain bats were too much for the Lady Vikings to handle. Junior starter Morgan Yackey pitched into the fourth inning and scored the lone Avery run after reaching on a bunt single and crossing the plate on a Kaylan Deese RBI triple. Avery led 1-0 after the top of the first, but Swain rallied to score three in the bottom of the frame to lead 3-1.

For the rest of the evening the Lady Vikings could not muster a hit off the Swain County starter who ended the night with a total of 15 strikeouts. Swain broke the game open in the third inning with a seven-run inning, taking advantage of a number of Big Red miscues and wild pitches/passed balls.

Leading 10-1 in the fourth, the Lady Devils plated 14 additional runs. With the game easily in hand, injury was added to insult to the Vikings when pitcher Morgan Yackey was hit in the arm by a screaming line drive. Yackey collapsed in obvious pain, but was eventually able to leave the diamond under her own power as she was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment.

Avery ends its season with a playoff victory and six wins overall. Only two seniors graduate from this season's squad, leaving high hopes that the Big Red can rebound with another great season next year.

Lady Vikings Cage Bearcats, Advance to 2nd Round of 1A Softball Playoffs

HENDERSONVILLE- For the second time in a week, the Avery Lady Vikings softball team handed a loss to the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats. Although the first win was a no-hit effort at home last week, the second win was even sweeter, a 12-4 playoff win on the road in Hendersonville Tuesday evening to advance to the second round of the 1A playoffs.

Avery got to work early with a pair of runs in the first inning. Morgan Yackey walked, stole two bases, and eventually scored on a fielder's choice for the first run. A one out hit by Jessica Banner scored Samantha Shook to put Avery up 2-0.

After a scoreless bottom of the first, Avery plated two more in the second inning to take a 4-0 advantage. Sara Wiseman reached base on a fielder's choice, followed by a Yackey single. After a sacrifice bunt by Sara Singleton moved the runners over, Shook singled to score both runners and give the Lady Vikings a working cushion.

Hendersonville scrapped across a run in the bottom of the second, then held Avery scoreless for the next three innings. The Lady Bearcats battled back to tie the contest at 4-4 with a run in the bottom of the fourth and a pair of runs in the fifth inning.

Undaunted, Avery's bats awakened off the Hendersonville relief pitcher, peppering base hits around the diamond in scoring four runs in the top of the sixth to regain the lead at 8-4. Three consecutive base hits from Shook, Sierra Perkins, and Kaylea Davis drove in three of the runs, while a Ramona McGowan single plated another.

Avery starter Morgan Yackey managed to work out of trouble on several occasions in the game, picking up key outs to strand Lady Bearcats runners on the base paths. The junior right hander struck out eight hitters while scattering five hits in a complete game effort.

Hendersonville threatened in the bottom of the sixth inning, but a groundout to pitcher left a runner on third base. Avery picked up four insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning as the team batted around for the second straight inning. Emory Deese and Singleton each ripped singles in the inning, while Avery took advantage of a pair of walks and a throwing error to bring home important runs.

The Lady Bearcats put a runner on in the bottom of the seventh, but was later caught stealing on a throw to third by catcher Haley Hicks. Yackey struck out the final hitter looking to seal the win.

Avery takes on Swain County in Bryson City in the second round of the playoffs on Friday. The Lady Maroon Devils are 22-2 on the season and defeated Andrews 10-0 in its first round contest.

Avery Softball Qualifies for 1A State Playoffs

The Avery Lady Vikings softball team will get to continue its season into the state playoffs, and they get to do so against a familiar foe.

The NCHSAA released the 1A West brackets early Monday morning, and the Lady Vikings qualified as a wild card with its 5-11 regular season to square off against conference rival Hendersonville. The Lady Bearcats finished the regular season with a record of 6-14 overall and qualified as the #2 seed out of the Western Highlands Conference.

Avery split the regular season series with the Lady Bearcats, losing the first contest 12-6 in Hendersonville in mid-March and winning its latest meeting 4-1 in Newland just last week.

The winner of Tuesday's game will take on the winner of Swain County (21-2) and Andrews (6-13).

Defense Dooms Avery in 11-1 Loss at Swain

BRYSON CITY - The Avery Vikings dropped an 11-1 defeat at the hands of top-ranked Swain County this evening.

At the outset, prospects looked promising for the Big Red, as first inning leadoff hitter and senior shortstop Pedro Benavides took a 3-2 pitch by Swain southpaw starter White high over the left field wall to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead. Little did the Vikings know at the time that the run would prove to be the only one they would put on the board for the evening.

Later in the first inning Avery put a runner on, but a 4-6-3 double play killed the Avery rally. Swain answered the Avery tally with four runs in the opening inning off starter Brooks Oakley. Although all nine starters for the Maroon Devils were talented seniors, with five players going on to play collegiate baseball, it was Avery errors which hurt most in the first two innings, Four gaffes contributed to keeping rallies alive as Swain put up three runs in the second frame to lead 7-1 after two innings.

A bobble and an error, as well as three well hit balls helped Swain add two insurance runs in the third. Avery meanwhile continued to hit the ball solidly, as no less than four of the team's hits in the contest would have cleared the fence at the Avery ballpark. Deep dimensions at Maroon Devils Field as well as talented outfielders turned the shots into deep flyouts.

Avery's strongest offensive threat came in the top of the fourth, as two singles and a fielder's choice left two runners on with two outs. A deep flyout to center field ended the inning. Swain rudely welcomed relief pitcher Seth Philips into his final appearance on the mound as a Viking in the bottom of the fourth as White helped his own cause with a home run over the left center field wall. The Maroon Devils added one more run in the frame to account for the final margin in the contest.

The Vikings end their season with a final record of 5-15 on the season and lose four seniors from this year's team.

Lady Vikings Softball Fall to Madison, Baseball Travels to Swain Tonight

The Avery Lady Vikings softball team fell by an 11-0 score in six innings against Madison at a windy Viking softball field Thursday afternoon.

Avery had difficulty generating offense against Madison star pitcher Laurel Gregg pitched another masterful no-hit effort, striking out 15 Lady Vikings and surrendering only a walk to Morgan Yackey, who actually reached base twice in the game as she was also hit by a Gregg pitch in her second at-bat of the contest.

Madison picked up two runs in the first inning and four in the second before Avery starter Yackey and the Lady Vikings defense held the Lady Patriots scoreless for the next two innings. Madison picked up a single run in the fifth, then put the game away with a four-run sixth inning for the win, improving the team's record to 19-1 overall, and 11-1 in conference play.

Avery finishes the regular season with five victories and will wait until Sunday or Monday to find out if they qualify for the state playoffs and what potential opponent they may face.

The Vikings baseball team travels to Bryson City where it will take on the 19-2 Swain County Maroon Devils. Swain went undefeated in Smoky Mountain Conference play to claim its league championship, and boasts a University of Tennessee recruit in southpaw pitcher Josh Allman.

“Josh isn’t an overpowering pitcher,” says Swain County coach Brandon Deitz. “He throws in the mid-80s, but he is smart pitcher. He has been trained well. He throws a lot of off speed.”

The Maroon Devils played perennial power West Henderson on Monday, and ended its conference season with a win over Murphy. The following appeared in the Smoky Mountain Times newspaper:

"West avenged an early season loss to the Devils by taking a 6-5 win. But for the Maroon Devils it was great preparation for the 1A playoffs. The game itself went nine innings before the Falcons pushed across the winning run.

Brad Roland picked up the tough luck loss, but pitched brilliantly working seven full innings. Cory Hipp hit 3-5 while Luke Burton went 2-3.Against Murphy, the Devils built a 6-2 lead and then held off a furious Bulldog rally in the seventh to take a 6-4 win.

Nick Lyons drove in a pair of runs, while Cory Hipp went 2-3 with an rbi and a run scored. Hipp added two stolen bases as well.Josh Allman picked up the win for the Devils. Allman worked out of seventh inning trouble by striking out the final batter with the bases loaded. He struck out nine while scattering six hits."

Swain is a senior-laden team that Coach Benny Wellborn knows will be a tough team to beat, especially at home. "We know we have a tough one against Swain, they're ranked number one is the state for a reason. I think if we're able to put the ball in play, we have a shot. Anything can happen in the playoffs," the coach said.

The keys to tonight's game are simple. Avery must make routine plays and not give the Maroon Devils extra outs, and will utilize its versatile pitching staff to try to keep Swain off balance. Also, the team must hit the baseball, as the Vikings are hitting under .300 as a team.

"We have cut down on some errors in the field from the beginning of the year, and as long as our bats come alive, anything can happen." First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Bryson City, and we hope to post the final score and a brief wrap-up shortly after the game (if web access makes it possible).

Women's Soccer Ends Phenomenal Season with Loss at Polk

The Avery Lady Vikings fell 5-1 to Polk County in opening round play of the NCHSAA 1A soccer playoffs.

Due to a middle school track meet at Polk, the opening kickoff of the match did not begin until after 8:30 p.m., over an hour later than the advertised start time. Avery faced difficulty even before the opening kick, as Katie Peters injured an ankle as the team warmed up on an adjacent practice field. Despite obvious discomfort and immobility, the senior captain put extra tape on the injury and played through the pain in the match.

Polk scored a pair of goals at the 16th and 18th minute, respectively to take a 2-0 lead. Avery eventually settled down, withstanding an additional barrage of corner kicks to trail by the pair of goals at halftime.

Needing momentum to carry them into a comeback, Polk was the team who stole momentum authoritatively, scoring a goal in the half's first 12 seconds to take a commanding 3-0 lead. Avery's lone goal of the match came less than two minutes later as a Mary Chesnut Smith corner kick was headed into the goal by Peters, making the score 3-1.

The Lady Wolverines netted another pair of goals for the final margin of victory, sending the disappointed Big Red into the offseason.

We'll post some coach's comments and perhaps a photo or two over the next day or so. Congratulations to the Lady Vikings for a thrilling and successful season!

Playoff News and Notes

WOMEN'S SOCCER


The Avery women's soccer team travels to Polk County this evening for the opening round of the 1A soccer playoffs. That's right, the same Polk County that the Lady Vikings traveled to Friday night, losing a narrow 1-0 match on Polk's Senior Night.


The Lady Wolverines boast six players who have scored six or more goals this season, but Avery has given the team trouble like no other squad this season, being held to only a single goal a total of 180 minutes of soccer action.


Tonight's game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. We'll have results as quickly as we can post them shortly after the match.


BASEBALL

Avery's varsity baseball team dropped a 3-0 contest yesterday in Ledger. Vikings starter Chris Childress gave up all three runs in the opening inning off a pair of bunt singles, a throwing error, and a 2-RBI single. He allowed only one additional hit over the final six innings of a complete-game effort.

The Vikings' struggles at the plate continued Tuesday night. The team's best scoring opportunity off Mitchell starter Pfouts came in the first inning when Pedro Benavides reached base, was bunted over to second and advanced to third on a groundout, only to have a strikeout strand the senior at third base.

Avery finished the regular season at 5-14 overall on the season, with a 2-10 conference mark. It was a "Good news, Bad news" scenario earlier today as the NCHSAA playoff brackets were released. The Good News... Avery qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card entrant. The Bad News?? They must face 19-1 Swain County, the top team in the Impact Baseball 1A state baseball poll, in Bryson City on Friday afternoon.
Again, we hope to post game results shortly after the game, so check the blog late Friday night or early Saturday morning for details!

Avery's junior varsity baseball team picked up a 10-9 win and season sweep yesterday over the Mitchell Mountaineers in Newland on Tuesday, and wrap up its season this afternoon with a conference make-up game at Hendersonville.

SOFTBALL:

The Lady Vikings softball team lost a heartbreaking 6-5 contest to Mitchell on Senior Day Tuesday afternoon. The game was a back-and-forth affair, as the teams traded the lead on multiple occasions.

Avery's seniors were honored during the game, and it appeared the team would provide a victory for its veteran pair of players when a two-out double by junior Samantha Shook in the bottom of the fourth inning gave Avery a 5-4 lead. Mitchell rallied for a pair of runs in the top of the fifth for what proved to be the winning runs.

Avery starter Morgan Yackey gave up only three earned runs and eight hits over seven innings of work and struck out seven Lady Mountaineers.

"The girls played hard and came back to take the lead twice during the game. We had a couple defensive mistakes that helped give them three unearned runs. I am proud of the effort and our continued abilty to compete for the entire game," Coach Merritt Yackey said after the game. "As it was senior day we recognized our two seniors, Andrea McFee and Sierra Perkins, both of whom were escorted by their parents. Hopefully we will get a bid to play in the state tournament."

Avery hosts Madison on Thursday afternoon in the team's home finale, and will then wait to see if they have earned a likely berth in this year's 1A softball playoffs.

TRACK AND FIELD

Avery boasts an array of athletes who have qualified to participate at this weekend's Western Regional Track and Field Championships at Polk County High School.

On the women's side, seven ladies will be attempting to qualify for the state meet. In women's Shot, Judi Dillashaw and Heather Carpenter have qualified, with Dillashaw also qualifying in the women's discus. Caroline Crenshaw has qualified in the women's long jump, triple jump, 100 meter hurdles, and 300 meter hurdles.

Also qualifying in the triple jump and 100 meter hurdles, as well as the high jump is Ginny Smith. Katelynn Eudy has qualified in the 100 meter dash and 400 meter dash, with Kate Griewisch and Mary Chesnut Smith qualifying in the 1600 meter and 3200 meter runs. Mary Chesnut also qualified for a third event, the 800 meter run.

On the boys side, Andrew Ingram has qualified to compete in the men's discus and long jump. Alex Brannon also qualified for the long jump, in addition to the men's 400 meter run. Chase Arrowood will compete in the men's triple jump, with Quentin Burleson competing in the men's 300 meter hurdles. Forrest Sickler and John Ray Benfield have qualified for the 800 meter run, while Kyle Griewisch and Tony Villanueva will compete in the 200 meter dash. Villanueva has also qualified and will compete in the men's 100 meter dash.

Best of luck to all of Avery's track and field athletes this weekend at Regionals!

Manis Tabbed as New Vikings Varsity Men's Basketball Coach

At Monday evening's meeting, the Avery County Board of Education announced that Bo Manis has been named the new varsity boys head basketball coach at Avery County High School.

Manis, a former Senior Bowl football honoree and Vikings basketball standout, has most recently served as head basketball coach for the junior varsity boys team at the high school.

Manis takes over for Art Williamson, who led the club for seven years before resigning as head coach following a 3-23 campaign this past season.

Yackey Tosses No-Hitter as Vikings Softball Beats Hendersonville

The Avery Lady Vikings picked up its first conference softball victory in three seasons in a 4-1 domination of Hendersonville in Newland on Monday.

Avery junior right-hander Morgan Yackey pitched masterfully in allowing no hits to the Hendersonville nine, striking out three batters with the only players reaching base via walk.

Avery scored a run in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead. The score remained unchanged as the Lady Vikings defense made several sterling plays in both the outfield and infield. Errors doomed several contests for the Big Red throughout the season, but on this evening the team played error-free softball.

The Lady Vikings added three runs of insurance the bottom of the fifth which was more than enough run support for a dominant Yackey. Sierra Perkins doubled and scored on a fielder's choice, sliding under a tag at home plate for Avery's second run. Kaylea Davis scored on a passed ball from third base during the ensuing at-bat for a 3-0 advantage. The play moved Jessica Banner to third base, who scored on an RBI groundout from Ramona McGowan for the team's fourth and final run.

Yackey allowed a base on balls to Hendersonville in the top of the seventh, and the hitter came around to score, sliding into home plate on a passed ball on a play where the runner appeared to be tagged out. Undaunted, Yackey retired the next hitter with a line out to end the game.

"I was very proud of the girls today. This was truly a team win with every position making a defensive putout or assist. We had nine putouts, nine assists and three strikeouts, and most importantly no errors. Morgan threw her first no-hitter and was effective hitting her spots," Coach Merritt Yackey said after the win. "Offensively we hit the ball efficiently, moved runners along and showed good patience at the plate drawing six walks. This momentum should help with another conference game against Mitchell tomorrow."

The victorious Vikings doused coach Merritt Yackey with the water container in joy after the win. Avery will look to continue its winning ways on Tuesday with a Senior Day contest with Mitchell, then will take on Madison on Thursday to close the regular season.

Pair of Avery Golfers Advance to Regionals

Carter Bumgarner and Chase Watson played well enough in last week’s two-day conference tournament to qualify for the regional tournament. The regional tournament was held this past Monday in Hiawassee, GA (The host school Hayesville uses a host golf course that is two miles over the state line).

“Carter has been our point man for most of the year, and Chase came on very strong as the season progressed,” said Avery golf coach Dan Fortune. “This is a wonderful opportunity for each of these two fine young men. They’ll get to play against an entirely different level of competition, as they will be competing against 108 other individuals who also qualified from our region.”

Bumgarner, a junior, and Watson, a freshman, will both be returning next year to lead the Vikings. Coach Fortune stated that he knew Carter had it in him to possibly qualify and that it was a pleasant surprise to find Watson “bringing his game together when it mattered the most, especially as a freshman.”

Avery Drops Season Finale at Polk, Gets Rematch in Playoffs This Wednesday

On Friday evening Avery closed out its regular season in Columbus with a road test against Western Highlands Conference champions and second-ranked Polk County. As was the case in a scoreless tie in the match earlier in the season, the two squads played skilled soccer as the game was scoreless through the first 72 minutes of action.

In the 73rd minute, however, Polk County’s Kaitlin Franks squeezed a shot into the back of the net for the only goal of the match. Avery rallied frantically to net the equalizing goal, but a pair of late-game shot attempts was turned away by the Lady Wolverines to escape with the victory.

“The girls really step up to the level of their competition, and we have played Polk tougher than any team this season,” Coach Tom Evaul remarked. “We can leave here with our heads up. Our defense has been the heart and soul of our team, and they have done a fantastic job. We’re proud of the effort and our defense is a key to our game right now.”

The Lady Vikings end the regular season with a record of 14-4-2 overall, and 8-3-1 in conference play. Avery enters the 2008 state playoffs as a wild card and will have a chance for revenge against the Lady Wolverines this Wednesday afternoon.

Lady Vikings Shut Out Mitchell on Senior Night

On a gorgeous evening for soccer, the Avery Lady Vikings celebrated Senior Night at Lees-McRae College, a 'home away from home', so to speak, with a 3-0 shutout victory on Wednesday evening.

Avery honored seniors Kate Griewisch and Katie Peters prior to the opening kick and the Big Red played a solid soccer match to send the girls off on a winning note in their final home match of their prep careers.

Elyse Perry put the Vikings on the board in the first half at around the 8-minute mark. Avery found itself with additional scoring opportunities, but unlike the teams' first meeting the Lady Mountaineers played competitive and improved soccer, preventing the Avery squad from cashing in for another score in the half. The Avery defense remained stout throughout, however, holding Mitchell scoreless in the half for a 1-0 lead at intermission.

Avery struck for a second goal early in the second half as Peters' foot found the ball and zipped a shot past the Mitchell keeper to double the Vikings' advantage. At around the 63-minute mark, Peters scored a second goal, this time off a direct kick to provide the Big Red with a 3-0 margin.

The Avery defense did the rest of the work, as the team remained relentless throughout the match in holding the Lady Mountaineers scoreless in both meetings for the season. Cailan Calloway was sterling in net, as she registered her ninth shutout of the season and the Lady Vikings improved to 14-3-2 on the season.

It was a good win for the Lady Vikings and a fitting tribute to a pair of seniors who have been anchors for a group of younger and talented teammates.

"This was perfect tonight and exactly what we were looking for," Avery coach Lou Brancourt said after the win. "I thought Mitchell played a really smart game and stayed back, making it harder for us to score. They have improved, but we were a very calm team tonight. We had several college scouts here today and I believe this is the kind of soccer they are looking for in their players, a calm and patient. 10-0 scores are not fun games, but 3-0, that's a soccer score."

The win was a good one leading up to Friday's showdown at Polk, but it also showed some areas the Lady Vikings need to continue to fine tune. "We still need to do some things better without the ball, and not just with kicking, passing, and dribbling," the coach added. "We can still be better with positioning and talking, as well as support and body language."

Coach Brancourt was very complimentary of the Lady Viking seniors. "I remember Katie walking in at the Hickory Jamboree after winning the JV basketball tournament. I had heard about Katie Peters for a long time. I remember it like it was yesterday. She was sneaky and quick as a young player, and she is the best captain and role model for a team that you could ask for. She's just full of energy and fighting spirit, yet can score goals and even play calmly when she has to," the coach said.

"What Kate does in our back line is amazing. She's able to take the ball and dribble around players or steal a dribble like it's nothing. She is the kind of player that can be used more and used all over the field. She makes difficult moves look easy. Both the girls are great and all you can ask for out of senior captains and leaders. The two are definitely special and have been great to work with."

Lady Vikings Upend Mountain Heritage

The Avery Lady Vikings returned to their winning ways with a 5-1 win over the Lady Cougars of Mountain Heritage on Monday evening in Burnsville.

Mountain Heritage struck first in the match's opening minute with a quick goal to take a 1-0 advantage. The goal served as a wake-up call for the the Big Red, as Avery equalized the match on a goal by Mary Chesnut Smith off an Emily Banner assist. Avery scored twice more over the next seven minutes of the match. Katie Peters scored the go-ahead goal off a Brianna Strange assist, with Rachel Buchanan providing the helper for a goal from Emily Banner. The goals gave Avery a 3-1 halftime advantage.

The Lady Vikings went on to score two additional goals in the second half to close out the conference win. The second half was a physical tussle, with officials allowing rough play to take place on the pitch. Heritage had opportunities to score, but time after time Avery keeper Cailan Calloway rose to the occasion to turn each scoring chance away.

Elyse Perry tallied a fourth goal to extend the Avery lead. Katie Peters headed a Smith corner kick. The Lady Cougars turned away the initial scoring chance but was unable to clear, opening the door for the Perry outside shot on goal.

Avery closed out the scoring late in the match as Emily Banner scored a second goal off a Kaley Faulkner assist. The Lady Vikings benefitted from a man advantage for the final 12 minutes of the match as a Cougar player received a red card for excessive physicality.

Avery's record stands at 13-3-2 on the season, with a 7-2-1 mark in conference play. Avery takes on Mitchell for Senior Night this Wednesday at Lees-McRae College at the changed time of 5 p.m. The squad closes the regular season with a match at Polk County on Friday.

Softball Postponement and Award News

This afternoon's softball game scheduled at Avery High has been postponed due to weather. No information on a make-up date has been passed along, but when we know, we'll post it here.

In other news, the Avery Vikings women’s track team has won the Spring 2008 NCHSAA Scholar-Athlete Team Award with a cumulative grade point average of 3.754. In the team division, a varsity team earns Scholar-Athlete recognition by attaining a 3.1 aggregate GPA on a straight 4.0 scale for that designated semester. The school receives a certificate from the NCHSAA honoring the accomplishment and each member of the squad receives a certificate.

A minimum of five individuals is necessary to constitute a team, and all team members must be included in figuring the team GPA. The team achieving the highest grade point average in the state in its particular sport and submitting its application by the appropriate deadline receives a plaque commemorating that achievement.

The team’s award will be recognized at the NCHSAA’s annual meeting on Thursday at the Dean E. Smith Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Avery women’s soccer coach Tom Evaul will also be recognized with the Toby Webb Male Coach of the Year Award at the same ceremony.

Construction Underway at MacDonald Stadium

The scheduled renovation and replacement of the turf at MacDonald Stadium is officially underway. Trucks, graters, and other equipment has begun the work of removing the natural grass field that has graced the stadium since 1968, with a new FieldTurf surface and track area scheduled for completion before the fall school semester.

Here are some photos taken today of the field work. We'll try to update progress on the stadium as it happens.

Orange and White Game Highlights

Here is a slideshow consisting of photos that I took at Neyland on Saturday and some stats at the end. I hope you enjoy! -Matt