Vols Begin to Move On after Florida Loss

Courtesy of utsports.com

The Tennessee football team did its best to move on from Saturday's loss to Florida with an hour-long workout Sunday night inside the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center. The Sunday practice is reserved in part for making corrections from the previous game, and Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer noted that the Vols had plenty of mistakes to choose from on this Sunday night.

"It's really important that we eliminate the mistakes that we made," Fulmer said. "You can't beat an average football team with nine penalties and two turnovers; you especially can't beat a good football team like Florida or like Auburn. We need to play a more consistent brand of football."

One area where the Vols did not need too many corrections was on defense. Tennessee allowed the Gators just 243 yards of total offense Saturday, Florida's lowest total offensive output vs. the Vols since 1990. The discrepancy between the stat sheet and the scoreboard was due to turnovers and special teams miscues. But a few small successes on defense are not enough to sway the spirits of the Vols heading into another big SEC game.

"I don't think anybody is going to be upbeat right now," Fulmer said. "It's a tough loss. We had a fighting chance if we had played well, but we did not play well in certain phases consistently enough.

"When we get to Tuesday, I expect to see a team that's ready to go to work to improve. I want to see a bunch of guys around here tomorrow watching tape of Auburn and getting themselves ready."

Tennessee travels to Auburn for its SEC road opener Saturday. The game is scheduled to kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT and air nationally on CBS.

Second Half Rally Stuns ASU

Courtesy of Appalachian Sports Information

HARRISONBURG, Va. - Saturday’s meeting between FCS powerhouses Appalachian State and James Madison lived up to the billing with No. 5 JMU overcoming a 21-point halftime deficit to upend No. 1 Appalachian, 35-32, in a thrilling contest at soldout Bridgeforth Stadium.

The Mountaineers (1-2) built up their 21-0 halftime advantage by winning the field position battle and outgaining the Dukes 223-66 in the half. However, the tide quickly turned after halftime with JMU’s Scotty McGee returning the opening kick of the half 99 yards for the first six of 14-straight points for the Dukes.

Armanti Edwards led ASU with 109 yards rushing and 142 yards through the air with a touchdown pass and a scramble for a late two-point conversion. His counterpart, Rodney Landers, answered with 113 yards on the ground and 96 passing yards for the victorious Dukes. Robert Welton took over for an injured Devon Moore in the ASU backfield and rushed 17 times for 92 yards in the loss.

After McGee’s kickoff return rejuvenated the previously silent hometown crowd, Landers ripped off a 62-yard jaunt to the endzone to make the score 21-14 less than three minutes into the third quarter.The Apps tried to quell the rally on JMU’s next possession when Leonard Love intercepted a Landers’ pass, giving ASU the ball on the JMU 34-yard line. ASU’s drive stalled out but Jason Vitaris was able to boot a 30-yard field goal through the uprights to make the score 24-14 with 6:09 left in the quarter.

Unfortunately, the three points did little to strip the Dukes of their momentum as a perfect Landers pump fake made for a wide open Griff Yancey up the middle of the field. Landers completed the play for a 35-yard touchdown to cap the two-play strike. JMU took their first lead of the evening to open up the fourth quarter scoring with 4-yard Eugene Holloman carry off left tackle to make the score 28-24 with 10:48 remaining in the contest.The Apps appeared poised to answer and drove the ball down to the JMU 24-yard line before the JMU defense managed to strip Welton of the ball after a hard-fought 11-yard run. JMU recovered the loose ball on their own 13-yard line and 10 plays later Landers carried the ball in from the 1-yard line put JMU up 35-24 with less than three minutes to play.

ASU kept fighting as Edwards pulled a few more tricks out of his bag, engineering a 49-second drive that ended with a Welton 1-yard carry to the endzone. The Apps elected to go for two and Edwards, unable to find an open receiver, carried the ball across the goaline to put ASU within a field goal at 35-32 with 1:42 left in the contest.The Mountaineers had two chances to recover the onside kick as JMU was whistled for an offsides infraction on the first attempt. However, the Dukes managed to recover the second attempt and a Landers quick kick on fourth down ran out the clock and ASU’s comeback hopes.ASU scored first on a 6-yard run from Devon Moore that was set up by a Mark LeGree interception. In the second quarter, Edwards found Josh Johnson on the endline for an 11-yard strike. Welton added ASU’s third first-half touchdown with a 2-yard score with 31 seconds left in the half.

Former Avery High School alumnus and Appalachian junior WR Josh Johnson had 4 receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown in the loss, while fellow Avery graduate and redshirt freshman K Dixon Wright handled kickoff duties for James Madison, kicking six times for 333 yards and a 55.5 yard average. (Photos courtesy GoASU.com and JMUsports.com)

The Mountaineers will return home next weekend to host Presbyterian in a night game at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Kickoff at The Rock is scheduled for 7 p.m.

CHS Homecoming 2008

We are live at Orr Field tonight as the 'Landers host Tri-Cities Christian for Homecoming 2008. We will have updates as time permits.

8:00: The end of the first quarter is already among us, and it finds the 'Landers leading 14-0. Randall Johnson and Matthew Tipton have scores for the 'Landers.

Quick Notes: This is the first 11-man football game in Tri-Cities Christian. The 'Landers are 1-1 at home this season. They are 2-2 overall after defeating Chuckey-Doak last week.

8:15: Johnson finds Seth Houtsma from 12 yards out for the 'Lander touchdown. The extra point was short as the 'Landers lead 20-0 with 5:53 remaining in the second.

8:45: We are at the half in Roan Mountain. The 'Landers lead 20-0. The 'Landers have two turnovers on fumbled punts, but Morgan has an interception for the Big Blue. Cloudland has also had two touchdowns negated by flags.

Homecoming festivities are complete. This year's homecoming queen ia Holly Hughes. 7th grade princess was Jessica Miller, 8th grade was Hunter McKinney, 9th grade princess was Summer Hughes, 10th grade princess was Rebekah Greer, and the 11th grade princess was Megan Burleson.

9:05: The second half is started and the Cloudland defense rose to the occasion and held the Eagles to a 3 and out. On the first offensive possession, Morgan took a direct snap 20 yards for the score as the 'Landers lead 27-0.

9:12: 'Landers get back on the board to push the lead to 34-0 after Matthew Tipton rushes for a 40 yard touchdown.

9:30: It is the end of third quarter and the 'Landers are cruising after having some key mistakes in the first half. The 'Landers are up 34-0.

9:45: With five minutes remaining, the 'Landers are in full of control of this contest as they lead 34-0. For more details on this game including quotes and stats, remember to check the Avery Journal-Times and the Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog. Thanks for reading!

Lady Bobcats Get Sixth Straight Win in 3-0 Shutout of Converse

BANNER ELK, N.C. -- Senior captain Christine Calvert had two assists to propel the Lees-McRae Lady Bobcats to a 3-0 Conference Carolinas win over the Converse College Valkyries for their sixth straight win to begin the 2008 season.

In the 32nd minute, Calvert (Dallas, Texas) took a corner kick which was then poorly cleared by the Valkyries backline and served a ball that found Brooke Santerre's (Port Republic, Md.) foot and the back of the net to give the Lady Bobcats a 1-0 lead.With time running out in the first half, co-captain Maribeth Novak (Homer Glen, Ill.) received a through pass from Calvert and ripped a one-timer that was saved by the Valkyries' keeper. Novak collected the rebound and put it in the back of the net to make it 2-0.

The final goal came when Tiffany Rodman headed a corner kick from Calvert off the keeper's hands into the goal to make it 3-0.The Lady Bobcats out shot the Valkyries 24-5 in the contest.Marissa Middleton (Olathe, Kan.) had three saves to earn the shutout in the goal for the Bobcats.With the win, the Lady Bobcats climb to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the conference while the Valkyries fall to 0-7 overall and 0-2 in the conference.

The Lady Bobcats' next match is Saturday, September 20th at 1:00 p.m. at Tate Field against conference foe Coker College. Saturday is also Parents' Day for the Lady Bobcats.

Lady Vikings Volleyball Split Pair of Conference Matches with Polk, Madison

Avery’s volleyball squad battled through two grueling five-game matches last week, taking on Polk County in Columbus on Tuesday evening, then repeated the effort against Madison in Viking Gym on Thursday evening. Although the Polk game did not end on a winning note, the Big Red learned from the match and emerged victorious against the Lady Patriots two nights later.

In junior varsity action prior to Tuesday’s match, the Lady Vikings squad took the first game in a best-of-three games match by the final score of 27-25, but was unable to clinch the match win as the Polk team came back to take the second game 25-21 and the rubber game of the match by a 25-17 final score.

The varsity match between the two clubs was a thriller as the two 1A schools battled it out on the court. Polk won the first game of the match 28-26, but Avery rallied to tie the match at one game each with a 25-20 victory. Polk regrouped to capture game three by a score of 25-14, but, faced with a do-or-die situation, the Vikings fended off a four-game defeat by roaring back to tie the match with a 25-17 win in game four.

The fifth and deciding game of the match was a duel to the finish, but the home-standing Lady Wolverines proved too strong to overcome as Polk County won the final game by a 15-11 score.
“I felt like we matched up with Polk pretty well,” Avery head coach Kim Hayes said after the match. “They had one good, strong hitter, and definitely were not as good as Hendersonville. We just were not in the game like we should have been.”

Katie Ellis had 22 kills, eight digs, six service points and a service ace in the match, with 20 service points, five service aces and three digs by Savannah Dellinger. Rachel Buchanan had ten digs, six service points and a service ace in the contest, with 12 assists in the third game of the match alone by sophomore Cassie Bumgarner.

On Thursday evening Avery looked to hold serve at home against the visiting Lady Patriots from Madison High School. The junior varsity team set the pace for the evening as they defeated the Lady Patriot JVs by the scores of 25-18, 15-25, and 27-25.

In varsity action Avery captured the first two games of the match by scores of 25-19 and 25-20, respectively, but ran into difficulty as the Lady Patriots rallied to not only take game three by a 25-19 score, but came from behind in the fourth game of the match to win by a 25-22 score to force a fifth and deciding game.

In the tiebreaker game to determine the match winner the teams traded points early before Madison took a 4-2 lead. A 6-1 run by the Lady Vikings forced Madison to take a time out trailing 10-3. The Lady Patriots drew to within three points at 10-7, but Avery forged ahead with a 4-1 rally to have match point at 14-8. Refusing to quit, the Lady Patriots cut the lead to 14-11. Avery struck a winning kill for the final point of the match to take the final game by the score of 15-11, giving the Lady Vikings their first conference match win of the season.

Katie Ellis again led the way for the Big Red, as the senior had 32 kills, 21 digs, and three blocks in the match. Sara Singleton had 33 assists, nine service points, and five digs, while freshman Savannah Dellinger had 12 digs and 12 service points to go with three kills. Fellow freshman Megan Tennant chipped in with three kills and three blocks in the win.

“We won the first two games, then kind of lost it mentally as we dropped the next two games,” Coach Hayes said. “I told the girls in the middle of the fifth game that they lost to Hendersonville 11-15, then lost to Polk 11-15, so let’s make it our turn to win in the fifth, and they did in beating them with the ironic score of 15-11. I told them they needed to dig deep in their hearts and guts and go for it.”

Avery Soccer Ties Owen, Shuts Out Pisgah

The Avery soccer team traveled last week to Owen High School for a conference match with the Warhorses. The two teams played a physical contest which featured a number of fouls and a fair share of yellow cards, but neither team could leave Warhorse Stadium claiming victory as the clubs settled for a 1-1 tie.

Both clubs played with passion and intensity throughout the first half of action, but defenses were strong as the game was scoreless through the first 40 minutes of play. Avery finally put a score on the board in the 52nd minute as Andrew Ingram took a send from Andreas Castanedas and blasted a laser shot past the Owen keeper to stake the Big Red to a 1-0 lead.

The score held up for much of the remainder of the second half. As the time slipped away, the Warhorses became more desperate, playing with an intensity that rose tempers on both teams. In the final minute of the half, Owen was awarded a questionable penalty kick. Coach Brancourt of Avery pleaded with the officials concerning a foul on the previous Avery possession that was more deserving of a penalty kick while disputing the official’s decision. Owen capitalized on the break and scored the equalizer to knot the game at one goal apiece.

Throughout overtime the teams hustled and dug deep within themselves to find the golden goal, but neither defense budged as twenty additional minutes of soccer failed to change the score.

“We did a good job at Owen. Our defense is still playing hard and clean, but we still make too many fouls near the box,” Vikings head coach Lou Brancourt stated after the match. “Sutton (Stanley) is our leader, Andres and Daniel Huff are doing the dirty work and Morgan is back on track, which is really good news.”

Coach Brancourt was also frank about his feelings regarding the penalty kick that in the end took away what would have been an important victory for the Vikings.“The referee we had does not know how to handle games of that physical nature. It was just a good old Owen/Avery soccer match like the old days,” Coach Lou Brancourt stated after the match. “I am disappointed of course, but also pleased and confident that we can play like that again.”

On a rainy, cool, and foggy Wednesday evening, Avery played like a team on a mission of redemption following the events from Monday night, blanking the visiting Pisgah Bears by a 2-0 final score.

Avery put the first goal on the board with a kick from Kyle Griewisch in the final minute of the first half, The Vikings had other opportunities to score in the opening minutes of the second half of play, but the Bears keeper was strong in net for most of the evening. Avery scored a second goal off a throw-in as Kyle tallied his second tally at the 56 minute mark to provide for the final margin.

Despite getting the win, Coach Brancourt knows that the team needs to capitalize on more opportunities to be successful during the conference season.

“We are getting ready for Hendersonville who just killed Madison 9-1. Our training sessions are going very well, as I am in charge of our defense, and Daniel Jimenez and Chris Logel are doing a great job with our offense,” the coach added. “The game against Pisgah was a nightmare for our offense, and we need to finish our opportunities against teams like Polk and Hendersonville.”

Avery dropped a narrow 4-3 loss against Hendersonville on Monday evening at MacDonald Stadium. Kyle Griewisch put Avery on the scoreboard first with a goal to take a 1-0 lead. Hendersonville responded with three unanswered goals to close the half. Brayan Aguirre scored at the 18-minute and 30-minute marks, respectively, with a goal by Eddie Hernandez at the 24-minute mark.

Avery was down but not out, however, Andrew Ingram heated up on offense for the Big Red, as Griewisch assisted on Ingram’s first goal at the 65-minute mark. Ingram laced the equalizing goal past the Bearcats keeper to tie the match at 3-3 in the 66th minute. Fate was cruel to the Vikings as the close of the match neared, however. An own goal by the Vikings on an awkward-angled Hendersonville shot attempt in the 76th minute proved to be the game-winner for the Bearcats, who improved to 7-0 on the season.

Strong Second Half Stampedes Longhorns over Vikings

Prior to Friday night’s contest between the Avery Vikings and Johnson County (TN) Longhorns, a bright rainbow shone over the landscape surrounding MacDonald Stadium. Unfortunately for the Big Red, it was the visitors from Mountain City who found the pot of gold in the form of a gridiron victory, handing Avery its fourth consecutive loss in a 27-14 final score.

The game started with a bang as Johnson County’s Brian Swayne took the opening kickoff 85 yards for an apparent touchdown. The score was negated due to a penalty, however, forcing the Longhorns to settle with beginning its first offensive series of the game at the Avery 30 yard line. The Big Red defense kept the Longhorns out of the end zone, so Johnson County all-everything senior athlete Christian Prudhomme scored the first points of the night with a 39-yard field goal for an early 3-0 lead.

Avery opened up the evening with a change of offense, as the wide open spread attack was replaced by a run-oriented single back offense formation featuring seldom used junior running back Ethan Sluder.

“Ethan was a heck of a runner last year. He hasn’t been running as hard as I expected him to do earlier in the season, but it seems like something just clicked in practice as he was running hard each and every practice the past week or so,” Coach Brewer said. “I told him that what he was showing us recently was what we expected out of him on Friday night and that he would have opportunities, and he did a heck of a job with the opportunities he had.”

The new offense was a promising change as Sluder ran for 83 yards on 16 carries to lead the team and the Vikings ran the ball with more effectiveness than at any point throughout the season. However, the offense was unable to reach its full potential on the evening as senior quarterback Adam Pate pulled his hamstring during a scramble on Avery’s fourth offensive play of the game, limiting his mobility and his effectiveness in rolling out of the pocket. Pate gutted out the injury for most of the contest, splitting snaps at times with backup Chris Childress and eventually sat out the closing minutes of the contest. Pate’s availability for Avery’s next game at Owen on September 26th is currently unknown.

“I felt like the offensive line did one of its best jobs all season in blocking, but we became really limited offensively when Adam got hurt. He had a hard time even getting back to make handoffs and we tried to use him in shotgun to help with the injury. It threw a big kink in what we wanted to do because we had tailored a lot of our offense during the week on his ability to roll out and throw on the run or carry the football,” Coach Brewer explained. “Adam wanted to stay in the game and I admire that he wanted to do that despite the pain he was in.”

In spite of the obvious setback to the Avery attack, the Big Red moved the football 49 yards on nine plays with its opening possession until the drive stalled at the JCHS 31-yard line. A long Avery field goal attempt floated a couple of yards short of the crossbar to give the football back
to the Longhorns.

Johnson County committed the first turnover of the contest shortly after regaining possession when quarterback Austin Phipps threw his first of three interceptions for the game, a ball picked off by Taylor Potter at the Avery 36-yard line.

With its newfound opportunity the Vikings offense capitalized as a drive aided by a pass interference penalty against the Longhorns moved inside the Johnson County 30. Two plays following the infraction Chase Arrowood used his brute strength to bull his way through a set of Longhorn tackle attempts for a 25-yard touchdown run. A Sutton Stanley extra point gave Avery a 7-3 lead with under a minute left in the opening quarter.

Another long kick return on the ensuing kickoff gave Johnson County excellent field position in Viking territory, where eight plays later the Longhorns regained the lead on the scoreboard at 10-7 with an Adam Shelton two-yard touchdown plunge and Prudhomme PAT.

Avery continued to show it was able to run the football on the Longhorn defense, driving inside the red zone to the Johnson County 17-yard line. Faced with a difficult fourth and short decision, Vikings head coach Darrell Brewer opted to attempt a 34-yard field goal which was wide right to quell the drive.

Johnson County quickly moved downfield in the half’s closing minutes, managing another Prudhomme field goal with under a minute remaining to increase the Longhorn lead to 13-7 at halftime.

Avery received the kickoff to begin the third quarter, but a fumble on the third play from scrimmage was recovered by the Longhorns, giving them field position inside the Vikings 30-yard line. Four plays later Johnson County was back in the end zone as Phipps fired a four-yard touchdown pass to Prudhomme, giving the Longhorns a commanding 20-7 lead.

The Vikings caught a break on its next series when they were forced to punt. Kick returner Prudhomme dropped the punt by Avery’s Dylan Aldridge, and Paul Townsend recovered the ball for the Big Red at the Johnson County 17-yard line. But, in a common theme throughout a large portion of the night, Avery could not score when it failed on a fourth down conversion attempt.

Johnson County committed turnovers on two of its next four offensive series, both by way of intercepted passes by Avery’s Chris Childress. The Longhorns were forced to punt on its other two drives. Much to the home crowd’s chagrin, the Vikings could not muster a serious scoring threat with its possession opportunities. Avery’s offense stalled for much of the second half and the team was forced to punt at the conclusion of three separate drives.

A final Longhorn touchdown came on a 46-yard touchdown pass from Phipps to wide receiver Ian Bellamy with 4:29 left in the game. Avery bounced back to answer the touchdown with one of its own as Childress, subbing for the injured Pate, scrambled 17 yards to cross the goal line. The Stanley extra point kick with only 58 seconds left in the contest closed out the scoring for the night as Avery dropped to 0-4 on the season.

“Johnson County wants to pound you on offense, but they weren’t able to do that against us. They hit a few long passes on us, but we didn’t let them do everything they wanted to do,” Coach Brewer said after the contest. “I feel like we’ve gotten better every week, and as long as we continue to do that I think we’ll be all right in conference play. Our team has a good attitude and we will not go winless this season. We’ll win some ballgames. We could have hung our heads against Johnson County, but we fought, we scraped, and clawed. I was proud of them for that.”

Avery has a bye this Friday night and returns to action on September 26th at Owen.

Tennessee Defeats UAB 35-3

By: Matt Laws- Avery Journal-Times Sports
(matt.laws@averyjournal.com)

Knoxville, TN- The Tennessee Volunteers needed to a victory to bounce back from their defeat at UCLA and get in a groove before Florida came to town. On Saturday, they got that as they defeated University of Alabama- Birmingham 35-3.

I'm just really glad to get the win,” Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer said. “I do think we made improvements in some areas that we really had worked hard on.”

The Vols got on the board midway through the first quarter as quarterback Jonathon Crompton found Gerald Jones in the corner of the end zone from 20 yards out. The duo struck again before the first quarter ended, this time from 14 yards out.

Neither team could get any offense going in the second quarter. UAB got a field goal in the third quarter, before the Volunteer running backs took over the contest. Arian Foster’s 31 yard run set up a Montario Hardesty’s six yard run into the endzone. Lennon Creer added two scores before the games end.

Crompton finished the game 19 of 31 for 240 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Foster led the way for the Vols rushing with 100 yards on 12 carries. Creer added 93 yards on eight carries and two touchdowns. Lucas Taylor had 132 yards receiving on nine catches.

“We didn't have any injuries, which was a plus for us,” Fulmer said. “I was really glad to see us run the ball as effectively as we did. I thought we wore down UAB as the game went along. We'll continue offensively to keep working to find our complete personality.”

The Volunteers host Florida next week for their SEC opener. Keep checking the Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog for more information on the victory over UAB and other features on the Volunteers.

Scenes From UT-UAB

For more details and results, keep checking with the Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog. Photos are property of the Avery Journal-Times and Matt Laws.

From the Student Section...Please Don't Celebrate

Isn't football suppose to be a game? When you do something great, like scoring a touchdown, should you get punished by getting a personal foul for celebrating? By now, you have heard about the controversial penalty that was called in the Washington-BYU game. Washington Quarterback Jake Locker scored from 3-yards out with two seconds remaining to put his team within an extra point of forcing halftime. However, the officials penalized Locker for unsportsmanlike conduct. The extra point was pushed back 15-yards, and was blocked by BYU. The rule is clear cut, but should the refs determine a game because of a player's excitement and reaction to possibly tieing the game?
In my opinion, no they should not. While the rule does say "throw the ball in the air," Locker did not throw the ball in a taunting manner, and it did not land very far from where he was at. It was pure emotion. It was more like a flip, and was not very taunting. Should refs be more lenient on emotional moments, such as this play? I think even though this rule is black and white, there should be some "wiggle" room for situations like this. The game was not delayed by the throw, it did not end up in the crowd, it was taunting, and the ball did not hit any other player. I hate to see a game decided by a call that had no effect on play, and I don't think I am not the only one.

While I disagree with the call, the refs did enforce the rules. In fact, the rule needs to be looked at to keep the emotion in college football.

I read a column earlier this week by Chattanooga Times Free Press' Ward Gossett on an overzealous ref enforcing the new sideline rules. In his column (that link will take you to his column), he makes a point that really good officials blend into the game, and not become a primary part of it. I second that idea. We have some great officials in this area, and I bet almost everyone of them wants the game to be decided by the teams on the field and not the refs.

Swart Wins Gold in 2k Time Trial at USA Cycling Collegiate Track Nationals

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. --Lees-McRae Bobcat cyclist Carla Swart earned the first USA Collegiate Cycling national title of the 2008-2009 season when she finished the the women's 2k time trial with an impressive 2:39.918 to earn the gold medal.

For Swart (Buford, Ga.), standing on the podium is not an new experience as she is is also the reigning DI road race champion. Her top place finish gives the Bobcats an early boost in the team omnium contest. A junior, Swart is a dual sport athlete, also competing on the women's cross country team at Lees-McRae.Alao racing well for the Bobcats was senior Kristi Henne (Plainview, Ark.) who raced to 12th place in the women's 2k with a time of 2:52.557.

In the men's 3k Time Trial Scott Jackson (Chatham, N.J.) finished 20th with a time of 3:34.532, Wentworth Knipe (Sheffield, Va.) finished 26th with a time of 3:44.754, and Christopher Bogedin (Rochester, Mich.) came in 28th with a time of 3:45.935 to round out the top 30 cyclists.
The Short Track National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado continue through Sunday, September 14.

Comments about Johnson County game with Vikings Head Coach Darrell Brewer

A pre-game conversation with Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer can be accessed by clicking the title link to this post.

HIGHLANDER GAMEDAY

The ‘Landers will try to stop a two game losing streak next week as they will travel to Afton to take on the Chuckey-Doak Black Knights. The Black Knights enter the game 1-2, with their lone victory over Unaka in Week 0 21-0. They fell to Gatlinburg-Pittman 44-6 last week. The ‘Landers took the victory 32-13 last season in Roan Mountain.
“I think the effort is there,” Coach Turbyfill said of what his team needs to correct before entering tonight's contest. “I don’t think it is the effort or the scheme. I think it is just taking care of the mental mistakes and small things here and there that we have to get better at.”
Kickoff is at 7:30 on Friday at Chuckey-Doak.

For more information on last week’s and this week’s game, check the Avery Journal-Times and the Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog at www.ajtsports.blogspot.com!

Bobcat Men's Soccer Downs Carson-Newman

BANNER ELK, N.C. – Lee Squires scored on a free kick in the 34th minute to give the Lees-McRae Bobcats a 1-0 win over the Carson-Newman College Eagles in a non-conference match Wednesday at Tate Field.

Freshman David Palmer (Gateshead, England) set up the free kick when he drew a foul around 20 yards out. Classmate Luke Staats (Almere, Holland) touched the ball for the indirect kick, and Squires (Sheffield, England) blasted the ball to the near post past the keeper.The two teams battled in the downpour for the rest of the match. In the 83rd minute Carson-Newman’s Omar Cooke’s shot was deflected by Bobcat keeper Sean Paradise (North Port, Fla.) off the post and cleared by Staats to seal the victory.Squires, who was named Conference Carolinas Player of the Week for his performance last week, has scored 10 of 15 Bobcat goals and has scored in all five matches.Paradise earned the shut-out in net for the Bobcats with five saves.

“It was a good win in difficult conditions,” said head coach Chris Whalley. ”We took advantage on the free kick and held on, but we missed some opportunities to extend the lead.”The Bobcats open up Conference Carolinas play Saturday, September 13th in Laurinburg, N.C. against St. Andrews Presbyterian College. Kickoff is set for 4:00 p.m.

Pioneers Retain Bucket Over Vikings in Thrilling Border War

It was a tale of two halves for the Avery football team in their battle with Watauga at Jack Groce Stadium on Friday night. The first two quarters were likened to a horror story, as Avery’s offense and defense appeared at times grossly overmatched and unable to get on track. The second half of play was the stuff of inspirational classics, as the team put on a late charge in an attempt to snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat. Unfortunately the tale could not end happily for the Big Red as the Pioneers held on for a 28-14 victory before a capacity crowd.

Throughout much of the first half defenses were dominant. Watauga’s opening drive of the game was abruptly ended by a Baine Martin fumble, which was forced and recovered by Avery’s Christian Montgomery. On Avery’s first possession following the turnover, the Vikings moved the football inside the Watauga 30 yard line, only to be turned away on a fourth down pass completion.

The throwing arm and rushing legs of Watauga quarterback Devan Corum was tough for the Vikings to contend with throughout the game. Corum and his teammates marched downfield late in the quarter inside the Avery 40, but a Corum pass was picked off by Vikings DB Travis Thomas, as the defense forced its second Pioneer turnover in as many drives.

Watauga used its own ball-hawking defense to wrestle momentum away from the Avery club. Two plays following the Thomas pickoff, Alex Fox intercepted Avery quarterback Adam Pate near midfield.

Avery’s defense held the Pioneers to a three-and-out following the turnover, and the teams proceeded to trade punts over much of the next eight minutes of action. The most successful drive for either team occurred in the final two minutes of the half as Watauga marched 74 yards over four plays, taking only 1:16 of elapsed clock time. Corum began the drive with a 19-yard scamper, and found Baine Martin on a slip screen with its next play. The running back scampered 41 yards to move the Pioneers to the Avery 14-yard line. Two plays later Corum found wide receiver Travis Oliver on a post route in the end zone. The Sam Grubbs point after kick provided the only scoring as the Pioneers led 7-0 at halftime.

Avery received the second half kickoff looking to get something going offensively, but was could only muster a single first down before having to punt to Watauga. The Pioneers took its first offensive series and made the most of it, driving 75 yards over nine plays. An 18-yard touchdown run from Baine Martin and subsequent PAT doubled the Watauga advantage to 14-0 at the 4:56 mark in the third quarter.

It appeared that everything that could go wrong did so for the Big Red through the quarter, as Dennis McMenamin picked off a Pate pass at the Avery 35 on the Vikings’ first play after the Watauga score. The Pioneers capitalized on the turnover when Corum ran to the end zone from nine yards out for a commanding 21-0 lead with 57 seconds left in the period.

Following the ensuing kickoff, the Vikings spread offense sparked to life. A 34-yard run by Adam Pate on the first Avery play moved the Vikings into Watauga territory. Another 16-yard run from Pate on the final play of the third quarter was followed by a 32-yard pass completion to wide receiver Chris Childress to set Avery up at the Watauga 5-yard line. A five-yard quarterback run to the left pylon by Pate finally put the Vikings on the scoreboard, with the Sutton Stanley PAT leaving Avery with only a 14-point deficit at 21-7 with 11:12 left in the game.

With Avery finally moving offensively, it was the defense’s turn to rise up, and they did so in dramatic fashion, holding Watauga to a three-and-out near its own 20-yard line. Linebacker Jordan English picked up a shanked punt following an Avery rush on punter Dennis McMenamin and rambled 21 yards to the Watauga 2-yard line, where two plays later Pate barreled over the goal line on a seven yard run to draw Avery to within a score at 21-14 with 8:25 still showing on the game clock.

At their most crucial point of the game, the Pioneers composed themselves offensively and did their best to hold on to the slim lead. An 11 play, 32-yard drive that began at the 8:15 mark consumed almost seven minutes off the game clock. The Avery defense bent but did not break, finally forcing Watauga to turn the ball over on downs at the Avery 32 yard line when English tackled Baine Martin for a loss on fourth and short.

With under a minute and a half remaining, the Vikings were deep in their own territory but had the opportunity to tie the contest. The hopes were immediately dashed when Avery fumbled the ball on its first play. Watauga’s Tanner Wilson pounced on the loose football and the Pioneers added an insurance touchdown on a Corum seven-yard touchdown run to provide for the final margin.

Watauga outgained Avery 320-170 in total offense, but the yardage defensively was a marked improvement from the average of 500 yards in total offense gained by Avery’s two previous opponents.

“I was proud of our kids. I felt like our kids played their tails off tonight,” Vikings head coach Darrell Brewer said in the post-game press conference. “This was the best defensive effort we’ve had all year. At times offensively we looked pretty good, but we made too many mistakes and too many turnovers.”

The Vikings return to action this Friday night when they host the Johnson County Longhorns. Earlier schedules had this week listed as an open date, but the Vikings will instead have their bye week on September 19th.

CHS Junior Varsity Defeats Hampton

Keep checking back for details!!!

Vikings Hook Horns with Johnson County while Looking for First Win of '08

Following last week’s emotional contest at Watauga, the Avery Vikings (0-3) return to the friendly confines of MacDonald Stadium Friday night to take on the Johnson County (TN) Longhorns (1-1). Avery made a fierce comeback last week against the Pioneers only to come up short in a 28-14 loss, while the Johnson County squad had its own dramatic finish last week, losing in the final two minutes by a narrow 29-23 margin to the rival Elizabethton Cyclones. Johnson County took the victory in last year’s contest with Avery by a 21-7 final score in Mountain City.

Scouting the Longhorns:
The Longhorns are coached by Mike Atwood and are members of the Mountain Lakes Conference, where the club finished with a 7-4 overall record last year and third place conference finish.

Johnson County has a relative young offensive line, but returns one of the most experienced sets of skill players in their conference and region. Leading the Longhorns on the field will be senior WR/K Christian Prudhomme (5’10” 178 lbs.; 32 receptions for 590 yards, 8 TD in 2007). Prudhomme earned all-conference honors as well as All-State honors from the Tennessee Sportswriters Association last season. He is a do-it-all kind of player for the Longhorns with 13 catches for 219 yards thus far in 2008.

“Every time he touches the ball, he’s a threat,” Johnson County head coach Mike Atwood remarked of his standout player.

Prudhomme catches passes from returning all-conference senior quarterback Austin Phipps (6’2”, 225 lbs.). In 2007, Phipps threw for 1,206 passing yards with 13 TD passes, and also rushed for 250 yards with three touchdowns. This year Phipps is 18-of-34 passing for 335 yards, with 126 yards rushing on 16 carries through two games.

Lost from last season’s club is leading rusher Tyler Leonard, who rushed for 1,081 yards in 2007, but filling in the gap is senior running back Adam Shelton (24 carries for 235 yards in 2008). Wide receiver Ian Bellamy (11 receptions, 248 yards, TD in 2007) returns for his senior season as well as offensive starters Nick Blackwell (5’10”, 209 lbs.) and Zach Yoggerst (6’1”, 275 lbs.).

The defense also returns experience for the Longhorns in senior linebackers Dakota Grindstaff (5’10”, 185 lbs.) and Seth Captain (5’10”, 170 lbs.). Linebacker Travis Grindstaff had 18 tackles in the team’s first game of the season against Hampton, but is currently injured.

The Low Down:
Avery showed marked improvement on the defensive side of the football last week, but the I-formation offense struggled with the Watauga defense through the first half. From the spread formation utilized in previous seasons, however, the Vikings found greater success moving the football.

Like many teams in the Western Highlands Conference, Johnson County plays a physical brand of football. Avery will need to match that physicality, especially at the line of scrimmage, and also make a concerted effort to limit the production of the Phipps-Prudhomme tandem.

Defensively, the coaching staff called last week’s effort against Watauga the best of the season to date, due in part to the renewed emphasis on wrapping and tackling stressed to the players during recent practices. Jordan English was a beast from his linebacker position last week, and will need similar performances from he and teammates to hold the Longhorn offense at bay.

Offensively, Avery needs to find another weapon in addition to Adam Pate to help shoulder a portion of the yardage burden, particularly in the running game. Pate has shown to be Avery’s most reliable and consistent weapon, but if players such as Chase Arrowood or Travis Thomas can be successful carrying the football it will make the Avery offense more dimensional and keep defenses honest.

If special teams become a factor Friday night Christian Prudhomme, a Division 1 kicking prospect, will be advantageous as he has made a 47-yard field goal earlier this season and consistently makes kicks from 50 yards out in practice.

By the Numbers:
0- points scored by Avery over three quarters of Friday’s loss to Watauga.
9- pass receptions by Johnson County’s Christian Prudhomme in last week’s loss to Elizabethton, for a total of 131 yards.
14- tackles by Avery’s Jordan English in last week’s game at Watauga.
170 – yards in total offense gained by Avery in last week’s 28-14 loss in Boone.
232- yards in total offense gained by Johnson County’s Austin Phipps in last week’s game at Elizabethton.

Pick up next week’s edition of the Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s game with Johnson County.

Former Viking Runners Continuing Careers at College Level

It was an exciting day for Avery County High School on Saturday, September 6. The Eye Opener Invitational was held in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and Avery County High School had three cross country athletic alumni who were running at the meet, each representing different colleges.

Ashley Condrey, a senior at Wingate University, Ben Crenshaw, a junior running at Mars Hill College, and Kate Griewisch, a freshman runner at Lenior Rhyne College all competed at Saturday's event.

Congratulations to each of these former Vikings, and best of luck as they continue their collegiate careers at their respective schools!

Lady Bobcats Use Second Half Goals to Beat Brevard

BANNER ELK N.C. – Marissa Middleton scored in the 60th minute and Jess O’Leary added an insurance goal in the 88th to give the Lady Bobcats a 2-0 win over the Brevard College Tornados in non-conference match at Tate Field Monday night.

Middleton (Olathe, Kan.) scored when freshman Vickie Rich (Arlington Heights, Ill.) took the ball down the near side and passed it past the keeper to Middleton in front of a wide-open net. The goal was Middleton’s first of the year.O’Leary (Millbury, Mass.) found the back of the net on a through pass from senior co-captain Christine Carlvert (Dallas, Texas) over the head of the Brevard back line.Sophomore goalkeeper Brittany Bolton (Roanoke, Va.) earned the shutout for the Lady Bobcats in the net with nine saves. It was Bolton’s first full shutout of the year. Bolton and Middleton combined to shutout Ferrum in the Bobcat’s last match.

“It was great to see us connecting from our midfield to our forwards,” said head coach Renee Lopez. “It was rewarding to capitalize on our opportunities, especially after they beat us 2-1 last year. I am very proud of our ladies.” The Lady Bobcats will take the pitch again Thursday, September 11 against Columbia College at 6 p.m. in a non-conference match at Tate Field.

LIVE from.... Kidd-Brewer Stadium!

The Appalachian State Mountaineers football team holds its home opener this afternoon against Jacksonville University. The Apps lost 41-13 at LSU one week ago and look to rebound against the Dolphins.

It's throwback day at App as the team celebrates head coach Jerry Moore's 20th season as Mountaineer head coach by wearing uniforms from that 1989 season. We'll have continuous updates from the newly constructed temporary press box high above Kidd Brewer throughout the day, with possibly photos along the way.

3:30 PM - It's almost kickoff time at The Rock! A new video board, 4,400 new seats, a crowded house, and an overcast afternoon welcome the three-time defending NCAA FCS National Champion Mountaineers.

3:40 PM - ASU takes the opening kickoff and drives with its first possession to the JU 22 yard line, but an Edwards interception stalls the drive.

3:45 PM - JU's opening drive is halted inside App territory when Quavian Lewis and Dominique McDuffie stuff the running back on 4th and less than a yard, giving ASU possession for its second drive near midfield. App immediately capitalized on a 44 yard touchdown run by Robert Welton, his second score of the season. The successful PAT by Vitaris gives the Mountaineers a 7-0 lead with an even eight minutes to go in the first. Drive Summary: 3 plays, 52 yards, 0:56 for ASU's first home touchdown of 2008.

3:55 PM - Jacksonville is held to a three-and-out and App takes over around its own 30 yard line. A long draw run from Devon Moore moved the Mountaineers inside the red zone. Two plays later Moore finishes off the drive with an 11-yard scamper for the second score of the day. PAT makes the score 14-0 ASU with 4:42 to go in the opening stanza. Drive Summary: 4 plays, 67 yards, 1:16 on the second rushing TD of the quarter.

4:05 PM - UPDATE: Another three and out for the Dolphins who appear overmatched early. Appalachian takes over at the JU 35 and are back on the board again on a 28-yard QB draw from Armanti Edwards. PAT puts the Mountaineers up 21-0 with 2:58 left in the first quarter. Drive Summary: 2 plays, 35 yards, 0:43 as ASU wastes absolutely no time slashing through the Dolphin defense.

4:10 PM - First quarter closes with ASU leading 21-0. Jacksonville has gotten nothing going offensively as the App defense has been smothering JU quarterback Josh McGregor. A big hit by Tony Robertson knocked McGregor out of the game on the last possession as JU again had to punt the football away to App. The Mountaineers take over at the own 41.

1st Qtr stats:
ASU - 201 rushing yards, -1 passing yards
JU - 4 rushing yards, 32 passing yards
Armanti Edwards - 5 rushes, 64 yards, TD
Quavian Lewis - 5 tkls
DJ Smith - 4 tkls

4:25 PM - Appalachian back at it again. After a personal foul assessed against JU on a punt return, Appalachian drives only14 yards on three plays. A six yard TD pass from Edwards to Tavaris Washington with the PAT pushes the Mountaineer lead to 28-0. with 11:06 left in the half.

4:35 PM - DeAndre Pressley in the game at quarterback for the Mountaineers with 8:25 remaining in the first half and Appalachian leading 28-0. Seems a little early to pull Edwards, but it is good to see the freshman in the game for the Apps.

4:45 PM - The teams have been exchanging punts. No change in score as the Mountaineers lead by 28.

4:50 PM - Jacksonville attempts a field goal of around 37 yards, but the kick sails wide left, preserving the shutout with 1:12 left before halftime. ASU drives to the JU 38 where Jason Vitaris attempts a 55-yard field goal. The kick sails wide left and is no good as Appalachian holds a commanding 28-0 lead over Jacksonville at intermission.

HALFTIME STATISTICS:

Individual:
ASU Rushing: Devon Moore (9 rushes, 98 yards TD)
JU Rushing: Rudell Small (7 rushes 16 yards)
JU Passing: Josh McGregor (11 of 20, 133 yards)

Team:
ASU:
Passing Yards: 32 yards
Rushing Yards: 261 yards
Total Offense: 293 yards

JU:
Passing Yards: 136 yards
Rushing Yards: -3 yards
Total Yards: 133 yards

The Mountaineers open the second half with a touchdown as Edwards returns to the lineup to begin the first ASU drive. A six play, 61 yard drive over 2:15 culminated with a two yard touchdown run by Robert Welton, making the score 35-0 ASU.

5:32 PM - Jacksonville is finally on the scoreboard on a 60-yard punt return touchdown from Elliot Finkley, the first allowed by ASU since Jayson Foster ran one back for Georgia Southern against Appalachian in 2004. The PAT is successful to make the score 35-7 ASU at the 7:16 mark of the third period.

Talk about a quick answer! ASU immediately responds with a 72-yard touchdown run from Robert Welton on the first play from scrimmage following the JU score for his third rushing touchdown of the afternoon (the eighth time in the last 13 games that an App player has scored at least three rushing scores in a game). PAT good, ASU 42-7 (6:58 3rd)

5:40 PM -- Avery's own Josh Johnson has returned a total of three punts in the game. His second run went for 16 yards to set the Apps up at their own 46 yard line, with the team up big.

On a side note: The attendance this afternoon at The Rock -- 30,718 -- a new record.

5:50 PM -- Three quarters in the books -- 42-7 Appalachian.

6:05 PM -- Add a DEFENSIVE score to the tally for the Apps -- a 33-yard Interception return by Travis Dowda and PAT gives the Mountaineers a 49-7 lead with 9:44 left in the game. A number of substitutes are in the game and have been for a while.

ASU travels to James Madison in two weeks for a Saturday night special against the Dukes, who will be looking for revenge after last year's 28-27 playoff loss.

6:20 PM - Josh Jackson gets on the scoreboard for the Mountaineers after a 10 play 65 yard drive that took 3:16 with a three yard touchdown run. The score and PAT pushes the Apps over the half-century mark with a 56-7 lead, which provides for the final margin of victory.

Vikings Lose Bucket Battle to Pioneers

The Avery varsity football team played its best defensive football game of the season on Friday night, but a third quarter Watauga surge was too great to overcome as the Big Red fell 28-14 at Jack Groce Stadium.

A full recap of Friday's game can be found in the coming days as well as in next week's edition of the Journal-Times.

Pre-Game Interview with Avery Head Coach Darrell Brewer for this week's showdown with Watauga

Click the above link for an audio interview with Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer discussing tonight's "Battle for the Bucket" contest against neighboring Watauga. Game time is set for 7:30 pm from Jack Groce Stadium in Boone.

Other high school games taking place around the Western Highlands Conference tonight:

Erwin (1-1) at Madison (0-2)
North Buncombe (2-0) at Mitchell (0-2)
Rosman (0-2) at Mountain Heritage (1-1)
Owen (0-1) at Reynolds (1-0)
Polk County (1-1) at R-S Central (2-0)
West Henderson (0-2) at Hendersonville (2-0)

Avery sports roundup

Avery's high school sports programs have been busy as several sports continue to build momentum in regular season action.

TENNIS:
The Avery tennis team began regular season play with a pair of conference matches this week. On Tuesday the squad skunked the Polk County Lady Wolverines nine matches to zero, and also won both its exhibition matches for good measure. Anna Melton, Morgan Yackey, Judy Dillashaw, Hayden Blackburn, Leah Powell, and Echo Wise each won singles matches on the afternoon.

On Thursday the Lady Vikings defeated Owen 5 match victories to 4 to capture its first ever victory over the Warlassies. Melton, Yackey and Dillashaw each won singles matches, with the teams of Melton/Yackey and Dillashaw/Blackburn winning doubles matches to earn the win.

VOLLEYBALL:
The Avery volleyball team struggled against a tougher-than-expected Thomas Jefferson Academy, but the varsity team took a five-game match victory on Tuesday. The junior varsity team was dominant in winning two straight over TJCA.

On Thursday evening the Lady Vikings hosted the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats. Hendersonville picked up a pair of games for the win in junior varsity action to open the evening. In varsity play, Avery won the first game by a 28-26 score which was a harbinger of the tightness of the match.

Hendersonville won game two to even the match, but the Lady Vikings took game three to lead 2 games to 1. Hendersonville showed the heart of a champion in battling back to capture game four to again knot the match at two games each, then managed to win a hard-fought 15-11 win in the fifth and deciding game to escape Viking Gym with victory. Avery travels to Morganton to take on Patton to close out the week.

SOCCER:
Avery men's soccer took on a pair of tough rivals in hosting Watauga and Ashe County this week in a pair of entertaining matches.

On Tuesday the Vikings fell behind 2-0 at halftime on a a penalty kick by Jennings Rex as well as a second goal later in the opening half. Avery fell behind 3-0 after a Ben Robertson goal, but Avery rallied with goals by Andrew Ingram and Kyle Griewisch, the second a long direct kick from roughly 40 yards out which bounced over the keeper's head to cut the lead in the 58th minute to 3-2. A second Robertson goal gave the Pioneers a 4-2 advantage, but Ingram added a second goal off a throw-in to cut the lead to 4-3 in the 76th minute of action.

Avery could not tally the equalizer in the closing minutes of an exciting match for players and fans alike.

On a sunny Thursday afternoon the Vikings hosted the Ashe County Huskies and were looking for revenge after a loss to the Huskies earlier this season in Jefferson. The first half was a tight affair as both teams had scoring opportunites but could not capitalize offensively, resulting in a scoreless half.

The lone goal of the match came off the foot of Ashe County's Richie Absher, skirting a shot passed the sprawling Avery keeper. The score held up as the Avery offense was unable to convert a number of corner kicks and offensive runs.

JUNIOR VARSITY FOOTBALL:
The Avery junior varsity football team was unable to hold off a pressing Watauga offense on Thursday night at MacDonald Stadium. Watauga took a 14-0 advantage at halftime, and added another touchdown to take a 20-0 lead. Avery picked off a Watauga pass attempt and the offense used its I-formation rushing game to find its way into the end zone as Andy Gonzalez rolled out and scrambled left for a six-yard touchdown run. A conversion run by Trent Mitchell provided Avery's points in cutting the lead to 20-8.

The Pioneers added an insurance score late in the half to win by the final score of 28-8. The JV's have a week off before facing the Johnson County Longhorns in Mountain City on Monday, September 15th.

Highlander Gameday

On Friday night, the Cloudland Highlanders look to bounce back from a disappointing loss to the West Greene Buffaloes (for a complete review of the contest, check this week's Avery Journal-Times). The team they face is an improved Cosby Eagle team. The contest opens the conference slate for the 'Landers. For the ‘Landers, they must rebound as the Eagles travel to Roan Mountain for the conference opener. The Eagles are 2-0 on the season with victories over a pair of 3-A teams, Gibbs and Pigeon Forge. Last season, the ‘Landers took the victory over the Eagles 28-6 in Cosby.
“This is a tough loss but it’s not a season-ending loss,” Turbyfill said. “Last year we lost our first game then bounced back to have a good season. We’ll go back and practice then we see where we’re at. We’ve got a huge home conference game with Cosby next week. I believe we’ll be focused and ready to play.“
Kickoff is at 7:30 on Friday Night at Orr Field.
Weather: According to Weather.com, the weather for tonight's game is going to be mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 58F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.

Vikings and Pioneers Square off in Bucket Battle

Following Friday’s loss at the hands of the Robbinsville Black Knights, the Avery Vikings look to get in the win column for the first time in 2008 as they travel to Boone for the annual Battle for the Bucket against the Watauga Pioneers. The Vikings suffered a difficult 35-13 loss at home last week to the Knights, while Watauga is coming off a bye week following a 41-7 trouncing at the hands of Davie County.

The Pioneers won last season’s battle by the final score of 31-14 and have captured three of the past five meetings between the two squads.

Scouting the Pioneers:
The Watauga Pioneers are members of the Northwestern 4A Conference and are coached by Tim Pruitt. Pruitt is in his first season at Watauga, having previously coached at West Wilkes High School and taking over for former coach Adrian Snow who returned to coach his alma mater in Forsythe County following last season.

Although Pruitt’s clubs in Wilkes County were best known for a bruising running game, the coach decided to keep many of the elements of Watauga’s spread offense intact which have netted the team back-to-back state semifinal playoff appearances the past two seasons.

The Pioneers were 11-4 a season ago and return six offensive and defensive starters from one of the most successful teams in school history, including three all-conference performers in senior WR/DB Baine Martin (18 receptions, 514 yards receiving, 6 TD last season), senior WR/DB Jake Wallace (10 receptions, 232 yards, 2 TD last season), and senior WR/DB Cam Steury (22 receptions, 386 yards, 3 TD last season). Gone from this year’s club is current Wofford College running back Eric Britenstein, who rushed for 2,297 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior in 2007.

A number of other players with experience step in to fill holes left by last year’s graduates, including junior quarterback Devan Corum, and senior WR Ryan Campbell. The leading tackler returning on defense for Watauga is Logan Smith, a 6’0” 185 lb. Linebacker who registered 137 tackles a season ago, good for third on the team overall, while Martin led the team with four interceptions in 2007.

The Low Down:
It is difficult to believe that the two teams entering Friday night’s tussle are winless on the season. In recent years, the squads have entered the game with undefeated records, high-octane offenses, and stifling defenses. However, thus far in 2008, the defenses have given up an average of 40 points per game.

With a bye week so early in the season, the Pioneers have had two weeks to fix what ailed them in their opening week blowout loss against Davie County, while Avery failed to show significant improvement last week in its second consecutive loss on the year. Each year the two rivals seem to bring out the best in one another on the field, with neither team wanting the distinction of having lost the game and bucket trophy.

Watauga got off to a rapid start in taking an early lead in their game with Davie County, but the defense gave up too many big plays. Avery meanwhile has had a hard time stopping the run on defense.

The good news for the Big Red this week is that they will not have to see Eric Britenstein. The talented running back torched the Vikings with over 200 yards in each of the past two meetings.
Friday night’s contest will be won or lost at the line of scrimmage, with the team that is best able to run the football having a sizable advantage.

By the Numbers:
5- turnovers forced by the Avery defense in last week’s game against Robbinsville.
14- number of days between Watauga’s loss to Davie County and this week’s matchup with the Vikings.
43 – yards passing by Avery QB Adam Pate in last week’s loss to the Black Knights.
83- yards gained by leading rusher Baine Martin in Watauga’s opening week loss to Davie County.
244- yards rushing by Eric Britenstein against the Vikings in last year’s Watauga win.
260- yards in total offense gained by the Vikings in last year’s 31-14 loss to the Pioneers.
276 – yards rushing surrendered by the Watauga defense in its game two weeks ago at Davie County.
314- rushing yards gained by Robbinsville in last week’s game against Avery.

Read next week’s edition of the Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s Bucket Battle with Watauga.