No. 2 ASU Set to Battle No. 3 Wofford on ESPN2 Friday night

Courtesy Appalachian Sports Information

In what might be the biggest regular-season game in Southern Conference history, No. 2 Appalachian State University (6-2, 4-0 SoCon) hosts No. 3 Wofford (6-1, 4-0 SoCon) in a nationally televised battle on Friday evening at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. on ESPN2.

ESPN2 is broadcasting Friday’s game to a potential audience of over 93 million households. It marks only the second time that The Rock has hosted a regular-season matchup on one of the ESPN family’s top two networks (ESPN or ESPN2) . The first came on Sept. 22, 1979, when Appalachian defeated visiting Western Carolina, 35-27, in just the second game ever broadcast by the fledgling ESPN.

The national audience is in store for one of the nation's top NCAA Division I FCS (Football Championship Subdivision — formerly Division I-AA) matchups of the year, as Friday’s contest marks only the second time since 1982 (when the conference joined the I-AA/FCS ranks) that two teams with unblemished SoCon records have squared off with four or fewer weeks remaining in the regular season.

NOTING FRIDAY'S MATCHUP:• ASU looks to exact revenge from last season’s 42-31 setback at Wofford, which snapped the Mountaineers’ Division I-best 17-game winning streak. • The Apps and Terriers went on to share the 2007 SoCon championship. Wofford claimed the league’s automatic postseason berth by virtue of its win over ASU, but ASU claimed the ultimate prize by winning its third-straight NCAA Division I national championship. • For the first time in 10 seasons, Appalachian readies for a regular-season matchup of top-three teams. The last time ASU played in a regular-season game that featured both teams ranked among the nation’s top three was 1998, when No. 2 Georgia Southern beat the Mountaineers, 37-24.

For only the second time in the I-AA/FCS era of the Southern Conference (1982-), two teams that are undefeated in conference play are squaring off with four weeks or less left to play in the regular season. Friday’s matchup pits two of the nation’s top offenses. Appalachian’s spread attack averages 244.4 rushing yards, 443.5 total yards and 36.8 points per game, good for sixth, seventh and ninth nationally, respectively. But ASU ranks second in the SoCon in all three categories behind Wofford, which produces 348.9 rushing yards, 480.4 total yards and 40.4 points per game with its wingbone scheme.

Two of the winningest coaches in SoCon history will match wits in Friday’s game. Appalachian’s Jerry Moore, the winningest coach in SoCon history, became only the third active FCS coach with 200 career victories with last week’s triumph over Furman. Wofford’s Mike Ayers is the SoCon’s third-winningest coach ever and ranks 10th among active FCS mentors with 149 wins in his 24 seasons as a head coach.

Highlander Gameday: Thursday Night Treat

The Highlanders travel to Hampton tonight for a showdown with their rival Bulldogs. These two neighbors will leave it all on the field as Cloudland tries to avenge last season's loss at Orr Field. Both teams are coming off heartbreaking losses last weekend, and a win will be a morale boost as the TSSAA playoffs starts next week. When these two rivals take the field, you can throw out the records, because both teams will be giving all that they have. For three hours, it is an intense hard hitting affair, and there is no place better to be for fans of these two teams.

Thursday’s game has major playoff implications for the 'Landers. If the 'Landers defeat the Bulldogs, they will take the third seed, while a loss will place the 'Landers in the fourth seed. Cloudland will face either Oneida or Greenback in the first round of the playoffs. Oneida and Greenback square off this week to decide their conference championship as both teams currently sit with a perfect 9-0 record.

Kickoff is set for Thursday night in Hampton at 7:30pm.

Former Avery Standout Griewisch named SAC Freshman of the Year, Condrey Named Second Team All-Conference

Former Avery High School cross country and soccer standout and current Lenoir Rhyne College runner Kate Griewisch has been named 2008 South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year.

The Lenoir-Rhyne University Women’s Cross Country Team won its first-ever Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Championship Saturday morning at Crooked Creek Park. The Bears won by a score of 32, a 31 point victory over second-place Wingate (63).

The L-R men’s team finished third (84 pts.) in their race behind Mars Hill (31) and Wingate (50), their highest finish since 2006. The Lenoir-Rhyne women were led by South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year Grieswisch as she finished second overall with a time of 19:14 over the 5K course.

The second-place finish placed Grieswisch on the All-SAC First Team as well. Joining Grieswisch were seniors Gennilee Eisenmann (Clayton, N.C./Clayton HS), who finished fourth (19:37), and freshman Tiffany Payne (Painted Post, N.Y./Corning West HS) with a seventh-place finish (20:02).

Former Lady Viking cross country runner Ashley Condrey, (runner pictured on far right) runs for Wingate University and was named to the SAC All-Conference Second Team.

Congratulations to both ladies on their success at the college level!

Cranberry Wildcats 5th and 6th Grade Complete Successful Season

The Cranberry Wildcats 5th and 6th grade football team had a highly successful season. They made the championship game in their league and came home with the 2nd Place trophy against West Madison.

The parents of the Wildcats would like to say 'thank you' to Coach John Phillips and Coach Daniel Pritchard for all your hard work and dedication to our team.

The 2008 Cranberry Wildcats 5th and 6th Grade Football Team

Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer Comments

(Courtesy of UTSports.com)
Below are comments made to the media by Volunteer Coach Phillip Fulmer at his weekly press conference on Tuesday.

"In my time as an athlete, an assistant coach and a head coach, I have really preferred to focus on our objectives and goals rather than the obstacles that we have to overcome. In other words, attacking things with a positive attitude and getting things accomplished. I'm really proud of our team as they've continued to fight and play hard and work hard to overcome the struggles that we're having at some positions. I still think that's the right attitude to take, that we are focusing on our objectives and not the obstacles. I think that changes your perspective on life and your perspective on your team and your demeanor as you approach things. I'm not going to let that happen to myself or my staff or my football team. I appreciate the way they continue to fight through this down time that we're having right now.

"Obviously, a catch for our team and particularly our offensive team is still trying to find that consistency. That's been our biggest hurdle along the way. There were plenty of opportunities along the way in the last ballgame to go in ahead at halftime with a great effort by our defense and coverage teams knocking the ball loose and blocking a punt. Usually, in that magnitude of a football game, that's enough to give you an edge to win the game. We weren't able to take advantage of that. We have taken some steps in the right direction offensively in the fact that we're not turning the football over. We are making some plays along the way that are more effective than we were previously. We still have a lot to do to get where we want to be. I keep waiting for us to have that breakout football game and this is a heck of a good time to have that happen for us.

"On third down, we came up three times with third-and-a-yard or third-and-a-half-yard or something like that in a tough, defensive struggle where you don't want to put your defense at a disadvantage. If you just run a route or fall forward better, then that's three right there that are entirely different looking.

"Running the football has been more difficult mostly because we haven't earned anybody's respect in the passing game. As soon as we can make them be concerned about having extra people defend the run, then the better off we're going to be. We're playing with personnel groupings and formations and all kinds of different ideas and schemes to try and get the running game going because it is extremely important that we do that.

"The penalty situation killed us in our last ball game after being penalty-free the week before. I cannot tell you how frustrating that is, not just to me or the fans but to the football team. It's not one position or one person; it's different things at different times. The bottom line is that comes back to me getting that done with the coaches.

"Obviously, we've got to score touchdowns when we get down there close and not kick field goals or miss field goals. I know that's been frustrating for everybody concerned.

"I realize that right now we're fighting for an opportunity to finish with seven wins for the season. That's certainly not where we want to be by any stretch of the imagination, but on Sunday night one thing I talked to the team about-even though we're not going to be SEC champions or SEC East champions-is having the heart of a champion and continuing to work and compete and be more efficient to get to where we want to be.

"South Carolina is a very fine football team, particularly on the defensive side. That doesn't need to be talked about a lot. You can look on the stat sheets and see they're leading the conference in almost all of the categories. They're a very good defensive team with a lot of good players up front. The linebackers as a pair may be the best that we have played against this year. The secondary is mature and has been around awhile with a lot of playmakers.

"Offensively, they have had their struggles as we have from time to time running the football. They have a good passing attack. The quarterbacks, regardless of which one plays, they've both been efficient with what they do. They have good receivers.

"We're going back to work today and I'm expecting a great look in our guys' eyes."

Mars Hill's Galbraith named D2Football.com National Defensive Player of the Week; Lions to Face Tusculum this Saturday in Hime Finale

From Mars Hill College Sports Information:

Mars Hill junior linebacker Stan Galbraith has been selected as the D2Football.com National Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against Lenoir-Rhyne College. Mars Hill came from behind to win the contest in Hickory, N.C., 37-24.

Galbraith, a 5-11, 210-pound junior from Birmingham, Ala., led the Mars Hill defense by recovering three fumbles in the Lion's 37-24 come-from-behind win at Lenoir-Rhyne. Two of those fumble recoveries led to MHC touchdowns. One of those recoveries came in the third quarter to put the Lions up 20-17. His other recovery came in the early moments of the fourth quarter, leading to a TD to put MHC up by two scores (34-24). The Homewood High School graduate also posted eight tackles, including a pair of solo hits.

Mars Hill College senior quarterback and former Avery High standout Ricky Spradling (91-for-178, 1,607 yards, 13 TD, 8 interceptions) will be playing in the final home game of his college career this Saturday at Meares Stadium against Tusculum College. Kickoff time is set for 1:30 p.m. He, Mars Hill teammate and former Avery all-conference performer Zach Johnson (
78 tackles, 48 solo, 8 TFL, 3 sack, 1 interception, 2 PBU, 2 hurries, 1 FF), and the rest of the Lions are 6-3 on the season and will take on a Pioneers team with an identical 6-3 record overall on the season.

The AJ-T Sports Blog will be providing live coverage of Saturday afternoon's contest, so be sure to check here Saturday for updates.

Vikings Travel to Cougar Den for Showdown with Mountain Heritage

This week the Avery Vikings (2-7, 1-3 WHC) look to make it two straight conference wins when they travel to Briggs Stadium in Burnsville on Halloween night to tangle with Mountain Heritage.

The Cougars (7-2, 3-1 WHC) defeated Mitchell 21-6 in a Saturday matchup which was delayed due to heavy rain last Friday. Avery and Madison got their game in despite the rain last week, with Avery winning 22-14. A season ago the Vikings were victorious over the Cougars 21-20 in Newland.

Scouting the Cougars:
Mountain Heritage is coached by sixth year veteran head coach Joey Robinson and lost only two starters from a team that finished 4-8 in 2007. Just two seasons ago, the Cougars were winless at 0-11 and have orchestrated a great reversal of fortune.

Approximately two thirds of the Cougars roster are seniors, as the team employs a spread offense with Wing T variations, using receivers to spread the field and open running lanes for the Heritage backfield.

The Cougars offense is fired by senior quarterback Kirk Burnette, who threw for almost 1,300
yards in 2007 and connected on over 60 percent of his passes. Heritage also employs misdirection on offense, with its greatest weapon being the legs of running back Jesse Ballew, a 5’9” speedy runner who is very elusive and has gained 1,246 yards with 12 touchdowns this year.

Casey Randolph, the leading rusher for the Cougars last season, is a junior who is a quick change of pace back who fits well in the misdirection scheme that Heritage runs. Senior wide receiver Dylan McMahan (6’1”, 170 lb.) caught seven touchdowns last season, and caught a score last week against the Mountaineers.

Senior offensive lineman Zach Howell is a three-year starter and All-Western North Carolina performer. Howell is “a phenomenal athlete who moves incredibly,” Coach Robinson told a preseason publication. Howell possesses deceptive speed, as he can run a 5.0in the 40-yard dash.

The multiple defensive front is led by junior linebacker Kyle Barrus (5’11”, 210 lbs.) senior Jake Fox (5’10”, 200 lbs.), and 6’2” senior Thomas Burleson.

The Low Down:
The Avery defense will be greatly tested by a strong Cougars running game. The Mountain Heritage offensive line is a veteran group that can match size with the Avery front line.

For Avery to be successful Friday night, the team will need to take care of the football as it did last Friday against Madison, and the Vikings must account for and contain Ballew as well as any team has all season.

Last week, Avery quarterback Adam Pate showed no effects from the hamstring injury which limited him the past several weeks. Pate can be the difference-maker for the Big Red if the game is tight in the fourth quarter.

Look for the Vikings to attempt to shorten the game as much as possible, working to find continued success in the ground game that it leaned upon for victory against the Patriots in the rain last week.

By the Numbers:
0- wins by Mountain Heritage over Avery since the turn of the century.
2- fourth down conversions by Avery in three attempts in last week’s win.
3 – touchdowns rushing by Adam Pate in last week’s victory over Madison.
7 – touchdown passes by Cougars quarterback Kirk Burnette this season.
17 – points per game allowed by the Cougars defense in conference games this season.
198- yards rushing by Jesse Ballew in Saturday’s 20-6 victory over Mitchell.
203-rushing yards by Avery in last week’s win over Madison.

Local Youth Football Caps Successful Season with Tri-County Bowls

Avery County’s fall youth football program fielded a number of teams in Tri-County Bowl playoff championship action this weekend in both Mitchell and Avery Counties.

A number of teams in both the Pee Wee (3rd and 4th grade), as well as the 5th and 6th grade league participated in championship games for both trophies and bragging rights to wrap up the 2008 campaign.

In third and fourth grade action, six total teams from Yancey and Mitchell Counties made the trip to MacDonald Stadium for bowl action. In Pee Wee action, the Riverside team took second place as a team from Cane River was victorious in a hard-fought championship contest. In a second Pee Wee gridiron battle, Freedom Trail finished as runners-up to the Screaming Eagles from Harris in Mitchell County.

In other third and fourth grade action, Madison West tangled with a Mitchell County team, with Madison winning by a 33-0 final score. Avery also hosted a 5th and 6th grade tussle between the Bowman Bulldogs and East Yancey, with the East club coming away with a championship win.

Multiple Avery fifth and sixth grade teams won championships on Saturday, but the victories took place on the road in Mitchell County. The Newland fifth and sixth grade club defeated the Mounties for a Tri-County win, while Cranberry defeated West Madison’s fifth and sixth grade team by a 6-0 final score. Avery also fielded a Pee Wee league team from Crossnore/Newland which played hard but was unable to capture the road victory.

“All around, we had a good season. Most of our teams went into the games in first or second place for the season heading into Tri-County games, with many of our teams having great seasons,” long-time Avery Youth League President Sammy Cope said following the weekend’s playoff action. “The other counties we played against had drafts for their teams and always seem to be competitive, especially the teams in Madison County. We plan to start doing a draft next season, but in spite of their drafts and their talent, we played on the road against those teams and found we often came back with wins.”

At halftime ceremonies during Friday’s Avery High School home football game, league sportsmanship awards were given to two squads, the Cranberry team in fifth and sixth grade, and Riverside in the third and fourth grade division. Coaches as well as league referees and officials work together to decide the winning teams each season.

“The awards are given to those teams who tend to give the least amount of trouble to officials during the season, and the referees and those on the field help us greatly in deciding who wins those awards,” Cope added.

Prior to the weekend’s games, teams competed in regular season league play, with a total of six teams winning conference titles. At the fifth and sixth grade level, the Newland/Crossnore combined team won with a 3-3 record in conference, with Cranberry capturing high honors in its league with a 4-2 mark. “Both teams were really competitive and had really good coaches work with them,” Cope added.

In third and fourth grade leagues, coach John Hicks and his Freedom Trail team won its league with a 4-2 overall record, as the Crossnore squad finished with a 3-3 record in conference play for high league honors.

The future of football in Avery County appears bright as young players taste success at the youth league level and are taught well the fundamentals of the game of football.

“With the coaching crews we have, our kids are learning so much. The talent of these players will show as we see the kids move up to the 7th and 8th grade level next year,” Cope added. “We have some really good talent in the leagues, and there are good players moving up as long as they continue to play.”

The youth league is made possible by the cooperation of a number of individuals and groups, including the county’s Parks and Recreation office and those who have helped it through the years.

“The county has really helped us out a lot this year in helping us with buying equipment, and I’d like to thank Robbie Willis with the Parks and Recreation Department who has been so helpful in us getting the equipment this year,” Cope stressed. “I also appreciate our officials who have helped us this year. Jeff and Teddy Bare, as well as Kris and Thadd Vance did a good job, and I look forward to being part of the league in the years to come.”

Vikings Run at Regionals, Smith Qualifies for State Competition

This past weekend, the Avery cross country team traveled to Jackson Park in Hendersonville for the 2008 NCHSAA 1A West Regional Championships.

In men’s competition Avery did not have enough competitors to qualify for team scores. However, Avery’s Jose Munoz ran a personal best in the 5K event, finishing with a time of 21:00.3.

In girls competition, Avery sophomore Mary Chesnut Smith proved again to be one of the strongest runners at the high school level in the Western region, finishing in fifth place overall in the 5K run with a time of 20:58.0, a full 30 seconds ahead of the sixth place finisher. Other Lady Vikings competing in the 5K (times in parentheses) included Caroline Crenshaw (23:55.2), Elyse Perry (25:12.8), Taylor Lacey (26:58.9), Katelynn Eudy (26:59.4), and Deborah Anderson (29:15.4). Teammate Teddi Jablonski was unable to compete at the meet due to illness.

Ladies finishing in the top ten overall spots at the event earned All-Regional honors. The runners (schools in parentheses) earning All-Regional accolades include Kristen Stout (Hendersonville). Faith Trammell (Robbinsville), Tracy Trammell (Robbinsville), Brittney Chastain (Hayesville), Mary Chesnut Smith (Avery), Janet Anderson (Hayesville), Hillary Long (Hayesville), Ana Unda (Hendersonville), Emily Craven (Murphy), and Ana Reyes (Hendersonville).

Runners who qualified for state competition include Avery’s Smith, Jessica Viscusi, Rebecca Hawken, and Meghan Gilchrist (each from Swain County), Cabot Lee Petoia of Polk County, as well as Alyssa Chet, Lilly Rolfe, and Crystal Manning from Hendersonville High School.State championships take place at Tanglewood Park in Winston-Salem on Saturday, November 1st.

Fort Lewis and Appalachian State Take Home Collegiate Mountain Bike Titles

Fort Lewis College narrowly surpassed host Lees-McRae College to win the Division I team omnium competition at the 2008 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships. Even fewer points separated Division II champions Appalachian State University and second-place Colorado School of Mines. The top individual scorers in both endurance and gravity events were also awarded individual omnium crowns following Sunday’s dual slalom contests.

Fort Lewis College used a strong showing by its women in the final contest of the competition, the dual slalom, to leapfrog host Lees-McRae College and take home the DI team overall championship by 20 points, 698 – 678. The University of Colorado-Boulder was within striking distance, but had to settle for third while Lindsey Wilson College and the University of Vermont rounded out the top five.

“We had a lot of great individual performances with some tragedies and some victories we didn’t expect,” said Lees-McRae head coach Brian Sheedy. “I am very proud of the whole team. Not only was our overall performance better than we’ve ever had in the past against perhaps the strongest team Fort Lewis has ever had, but the team rooted, cheered and supported each other throughout the entire three-day event. Although the weather could have been better, it was workable. In fact, especially with the talented and skilled riders competing, the mud added some excitement to the short track races. On Sunday, the Dual Slalom course recovered well, allowing for a fantastic day of competition, capping off a successful three days of championship events.”

The DII team race was even closer with nearby Appalachian State University edging last year’s champion, the Colorado School of Mines, 585 – 575. Evenly dispersed talent was on display in DII with the top five schools finishing within 100 points.


The individual omnium crowns are awarded to the top collegiate mountain bikers who competed in both an endurance and gravity event. Eli Krahenbuhl of the University of Wyoming took home the men’s individual omnium crown in DI with top finishes in all four of the weekend’s races. His 272 points narrowly edged Scott Stewart of Lees-McRae who finished second amongst the weekend’s most hotly contested division.

Winning a pair of national titles on the weekend and finishing in the top five of three of the four events, Carla Swart (Lees-McRae College) racked up 494 points only to narrowly defeat a talented DI women’s field, which included Eszter Horanyi (University of Colorado-Boulder), Sage Wilderman (Fort Lewis College) and Jamie Dinkins (University of Tennessee-Chattanooga).

In DII Zach Winn of Union College earned a commanding win in the men’s omnium title after several national title near misses. The DII women’s race was the closest of the day with officials forced to exercise five tie-breakers before Johanna Tuttle (Brevard College) was awarded the title over Rebecca Tomaszewski (Appalachian State University).

The final event of the competition crowned four national champions on Lees-McRae’s dual slalom course on Sunday morning. Weston Pope (Lindsey Wilson College), Chloe Jackson (Lees-McRae College), Deider Barrick (Colorado School of Mines) and Johanna Tuttle (Brevard College) were all donned in the Stars and Stripes after winning their respective division’s head-to-head tournament. The spectator-friendly .4-mile course on the school’s campus provided an exciting finish to an intense weekend of racing.

Complete final results from this weekend’s races can be found on USA Cycling’s official website at www.USACycling.org

Vikings Overcome Elements, Patriots for Second Win of 2008

The Avery Vikings used three Adam Pate touchdowns and a strong defensive performance that forced a pair of turnovers in defeating the Madison Patriots 22-14 on a cold and wet night for football at MacDonald Stadium.

Avery got on the board first after a huge special teams play. A snap over the head of Madison punter Blake Moore resulted in a quick kick which was blocked by Avery's Zac Hall. The Vikings recovered the football at the Patriots' six yard line. Adam Pate did the honors of putting the Big Red in the end zone three plays later on a four-yard scamper. The PAT was blocked but Avery led 6-0 midway through the opening period.

The Patriots answered with a score on its ensuing possession, helped by a 70 yard run by Patriots halfback Cameron Garrison. Fullback Corey Heath Miller plunged across the goal line from two yards out to put Madison on the scoreboard. The two-point conversion attempt was successful, giving the Patriots the 8-6 advantage.

Avery took its next drive deep into Madison territory, but the Patriots defense held on a fourth down play to gain possession of the football. The Avery defense pushed Madison back, with help from Madison penalties, to force a Madison punt attempt inside the Madison 5 yard line. Instead of allowing the time in the first quarter to expire, allowing Madison to kick with the wind at its back, Avery head coach Darrell Brewer took a timeout with five seconds left to force the Patriots to kick against the wind from its own end zone.

Rather than attempting to kick in a swirling wind or risk a second punt block, Madison punter Moore took the long snap and ran out of the back of the end zone for a Viking safety, tying the score at 8-8 on the final play of the opening quarter.

"We took the timeout to make them punt to us in the wind," Coach Brewer said after the win. "We knew the wind would then be in their faces, but I never figured they’d give us a safety. But that was important in tying the game at that point.”

Following the Madison free kick, Avery took the lead back, using its pounding ground game to drive downfield over five plays. Pate capped the drive with a one yard quarterback sneak, his second touchdown, to put six on the board for the Big Red. An unsuccessful two-point conversion try left the Vikings with a 14-8 lead with 9:48 left before halftime.

The scores were crucial to the Vikings, if only to emphasize to Madison that Avery was set on continuing its dominance over the Patriots. "I think no matter what our records are, I think that Madison is used to losing to Avery County," Coach Brewer stated. "Once we began building momentum, it's like they were thinking in their minds "Here we go again.""

Holding on to the football was difficult in the poor playing conditions, as Madison fumbled and lost the football twice during the quarter. Avery was unable to capitalize on the turnovers, however. The best chance for Avery to pad its lead came in the half's closing seconds, but the Vikings ran out of time to run a play at the Madison 15-yard line as the half ended. Avery had to settle for an six-point edge at intermission.

The Vikings extended their lead with the first possession of the third period. Driving 80 yards over eight rushing plays, the Big Red marched downfield. A 38-yard run by running back Chase Arrowood highlighted the drive, with Pate finishing it off with a one-yard touchdown run. A successful Arrowood conversion run pulled the Big Red ahead 22-8 at the 8:16 mark.

"Chase really runs the ball hard. He always has. He is just a hard-nosed carrier of the football, and he's the kind of runner you want all your backs to be," Coach Brewer stated.

A key element of Avery's success Friday night was its defense. The Vikings held the Patriots to a single possession in the third quarter, forcing them to turn the ball over on downs following a fourth down incompletion. Although the drive consumed six minutes of clock time and 12 plays, the defense made a stand which proved vital.

Madison managed to score a touchdown on a three yard run by Miller with only two seconds left in the game. The two-point conversion failed, providing the final margin of victory at 22-14.

Avery won the turnover battle among other areas to come away with victory Friday night. "I think the turnovers were huge. We put the ball down three times and lost only one," Coach Brewer elaborated. "I knew with the weather that turnovers would be important, and I think we did a good job of protecting the football."

Also key to the win was the performance of senior quarterback Adam Pate, who rushed for 46 yards on 18 carries and scored three times in the game. "Adam has been a key to us all season. Our success kind of goes along with him, and when he went down, it was hard for us to recover from that," Coach Brewer said of his quarterback. "He's one of those kids who is a playmaker and is the kind of kid who, any time he touches the ball, he's a threat to score."

Avery improves to 2-7 on the season and will travel to Burnsville to take on Mountain Heritage on Halloween night.

AJ-T Sports Blog: LIVE FROM... KIDD-BREWER STADIUM

We are live again this afternoon from a gusty and cool Kidd Brewer Stadium for today's Black Saturday contest between App and Furman. This game has had many great memories, most memorably the Miracle on the Mountain in 2002. The Apps are 5-2, 3-0 in the SOCON and the Palladins of Furman are 6-2, 3-1 in SOCON play.

We'll do our best to keep things updated and flowing from The Rock, as long as the fingers don't freeze up!

3:30 PM - Coming up to kickoff. The weather is brisk and windy, with temps in the 40s. The breeze will wreak havoc on kicks today, which may be something worth remembering.

Opening drive of the game: Armanti Edwards is in the end zone on a 14- yard quarterback draw. Extra point no good. App leads 6-0 at the 12:29 mark.

Furman is held to three-and-out on its first drive, giving the Mountaineers back the football near the Furman 40 after the punt. Appalachian drove to near the Furman 20, but could not convert a fourth and two pass play. 8:53 left in the first, still 6-0 ASU.

3:55 PM - Furman with another three-and-out, and the third Mountaineers offensive series begins at their own 32 yard line. Three and out by the ASU offense, a Neil Young punt puts the Palladans back inside their own 30 yard line to open possession. 5:53 left in the first, 6-0 ASU.

Furman had a solid drive downfield, converting on a fourth and short, plus getting the benefit of a pass interference call against the Mountaineers. However, a fumble inside the ASU 5 yard line was recovered by the Apps, turning the Palladins away from their first points of the game. After one period of action, it's 6-0 ASU.

4:10 PM = from inside its own 5 yard line, App drives it downfield quickly to open the second period. An 84-yard run from Devin Radford was capped off one play later by a four-yard run by Josh Jackson, putting the Mountaineers up by two scores. A Vitaris PAT gives the Apps a 13-0 lead at the 13:22 mark of the second quarter. ASU's scoring drive was six plays, covering 99 yards in only 2;33.

4:25 PM - Furman's offense is on the move, driving the field into the ASU red zone. A four yard touchdown run by Tersoo Uhaa puts the Palladins on the board capping a 12 play, 85 yard drive. The PAT is good. 13-7 Appalachian with 7:00 left in the half.

4:55 PM - App leads at the half 13-7. Furman has outgained App. 224-207 and had another opportunity to score late in the half, but fumbled the play away as Jacque Roman came up with a recovery.

Armanti Edwards was 6 for 10 passing in the half for only 57 yards, while rushing for only 21. Great job thus far by the Palladins in containing the all-everything quarterback.

Second half of play coming up!

5:20 PM -- The teams have traded punts thus far in the third quarter. Furman football just past midfield with 7:16 left in the quarter. Mountaineers still lead 13-7.

Appalachian drives inside the Furman 30, but a quick snap sails past QB Edwards, rolls all the way back to the ASU 29, where the Palladins recover. Furman runs uses the run and is first and goal at the ASU 4 yard line as the quarter expires. End of three quarters. 13-7 ASU.

5:35 PM - Two plays into the fourth quarter, Furman scores on a two yard run. The PAT was successful, giving the Palladins a 14-13 lead with 14:20 left to go in the game.

Appalachian scores just three plays after the Furman score. A 44 yard pass from Edwards to Quick was followed immediately by a 17-yard touchdown pass from Edwards to tight end Ben Jordan. The two-point conversion attempt failed, but App regains the lead at 19-14 with 13:12 left in the game.

5:50 PM The Appalachian defense does it again! A blindskde hit on the Furman quarterback resulted in a fumble which was scooped up by the Mountaineers and returned to the Furman 40 yard line. The third costly fumble for the Palladins today.

Furman held Appalachian to fourth down from the Furman 33, but a pass interference call on an incompletion kept the drive alive. Appalachian made the penalty cost the Palladins as TJ Courman caught a TD pass from Armanti Edwards for 15 yards. The PAT is good, and App leads 26-14 with 5:45 left in the ballgame.

6:10 PM -- Furman had one final drive in them, moving the ball all the way to the ASU 12 yard line, but an incompletion on fourth down with 1:50 remaining gives the Black and Gold back possession of the football holding a 26-14 lead.

Armanti Edwards picks up a first down on a QB draw to pick up a first down. Furman is unable to stop the clock with no timeouts remaining. ASU takes a couple of knees to run out the clock. ASU picks up a tough 26-14 victory at chilly Kidd-Brewer today.

Appalachian improves to 6-2, 4-0 in SoCon play, while Furman drops to 6-3, 3-2 in SoCon play. Congratulations to Mountaineers head coach Jerry Moore on career coaching victory #200 with todsy's win.

That is it from Boone this evening. Thanks for following the Blog!

10:30PM: Updated with pictures from today's game.

Vikings JV Football Fails to Put Away Patriots in 20-14 Loss

The Avery junior varsity trailed early in Thursday's game in Marshall against Madison, roared back to lead 14-6 at halftime, but a special teams error, the inability to finish scoring drives, and a key injury on the Vikings' final drive hampered the Big Red in a 20-14 loss.

Avery surrendered the first points in the game as Patriots running back Ethan Ball scored on a run through the Viking line for a 6-0 lead.

The Vikings tied the contest up at 6-6 primarily using its ground game with the running of the triumvirate of Kenny Hicks, Nathaniel Buchanan, and Hunter Shields. A Hicks touchdown run put the Vikings on the board.

Avery scored its second touchdown on defense in the final minute of the first half as Remington Austin rushed Madison quarterback Shelton who threw a backward pass to prevent a sack. Tyler Long alertly scooped up the pigskin and raced 37 yards for a touchdown.

The Vikings converted a two-point conversion pass from quarterback Alex Villanueva to wide receiver Andy Gonzalez. Avery took the 14-6 lead into halftime.

A special teams error cost the Vikings greatly in the third quarter as, on a Madison punt, the Avery receiver muffed the punt deep in Viking territory. The football caromed into the end zone and was recovered by the Patriots for a touchdown. Madison failed to convert the two-point conversion, but had cut the Avery lead to 14-12.

The Vikings had the opportunity to put the dagger in their opponent midway through the fourth quarter, as the ground game picked up chunks of yardage and a pair of Villanueva completions pushed Avery to the Madison 15 yard line. The Patriots held, however, to get back the football at its own 20 yard line.

Madison used only two plays following the turnover on downs to score what proved to be the winning score. A 30-yard pass play to midfield was immediately followed by a second scoring run from Ball, a 50-yard gallop to the pylon giving the Patriots an 18-14 edge. A conversion run gave Madison a six-point bulge with 2:18 left in the game.

Avery had one final chance to drive for a winning score, but a big hit on a first down carry by quarterback Villanueva forced the talented freshman out of action for the remainder of the game.

The loss of its field general shook the Viking offense, as the next three plays netted negative yardage. A fourth down pass play fell short, giving Madison the football for two quarterback knee plays to end the contest.

The Vikings drop to 3-5 on the season and return to MacDonald Stadium next Thursday night to host the Mountain Heritage Cougars junior varsity squad.

Audio Interview with Vikings head football coach Darrell Brewer

Click the link above for an audio interview with Vikings head football coach Darrell Brewer discussing this Friday night's football game with the Madison Patriots.

Winless Mountaineers Upend Vikings to Close Soccer Season

The Mitchell Mountaineers used Senior Night at Memorial Stadium in Ledger as just the right motivation to play inspired soccer, scoring three quick first half goals to take a commanding lead, then hung on to defeat the Vikings 4-2.

Mitchell scored three goals over the first 12 minutes of the match, but the Vikings rallied in the final portion of the first half. Senior Andrew Ingram played with great heart, gutting out a knee injury to score both Avery's goals in the match. The Big Red got on tbe board with an Ingram tally to the lower left corner of the goal in the 27th minute to cut the lead to 3-1.

Ingram's second goal came off a great send which split the Mitchell defense. Ingram used his strong leg to shoot a high attempt of the net's crossbar and into the net, providing the final score for Avery. Mitchell rallied with an inurance goal in the second half to preserve the win.

Lady Vikings Conclude Season with Second Round Loss at Swain County

Updating our earlier story, the Avery Lady Vikings were defeated by the Swain County Lady Maroon Devils in three straight games by scores of 14-25, 13-25, and 17-25 on Tuesday night in the second round of the NCHSAA 1A state volleyball playoffs.

Katie Ellis led Avery with 8 kills and 4 digs, with 8 assists from Cassie Bumgarner, 5 digs by Rachel Buchanan, three service points by Sara Singleton, a pair of kills by Megan Tennant, and a dig by Savannah Dellinger.

"Swain was a very solid team. I tried three different rotations to see if I could get something going," Coach Kim Hayes remarked after the match. "They were all seniors who having been playing together for four years playing club, et cetera. They will play Polk next. It will be an awesome game. I think whoever wins that game will be the next state champions."

Polk and Swain meet in the third round, while the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats were upset by Hiwassee Dam on Tuesday night. The Lady Vikings finish with a 10-11 overall record. Although the team loses five seniors, Coach Kim Hayes's club looks to have a promising future ahead. Congratulations to the Lady Vikings on a terrific season!

Cross Country Competes in Conference Championships

The Avery boys and girls cross country teams traveled to Montreat College in Black Mountain to take part in the Western Highlands Conference championships on Thursday. The event was held on a 5K course with a number of challenging hills to test the racers’ will and endurance.

It was the men who competed first on the course, with Avery fielding four runners in the meet with Ethan Church, Jared Clark, Will Fox, and Jose Munoz.

Avery as well as Mitchell did not have enough male entrants to comprise a full team for statistical and team championship purposes, as Owen won the team boys championship followed by Hendersonville. Munoz came in with the fastest time out of the Avery boys contingent with a time of 21:09, good enough for 28th overall in the competition.

In the girls competition, Avery fielded enough to qualify for team points as Mary Chesnut Smith, Caroline Crenshaw, Elyse Perry, Katelyn Eudy, Taylor Lacey, Debra Anderson and Teddie Jablonski competed for the Big Red.

The girls race was a competitive affair, as Kristen Stout, WHC Female Runner of the Year, captured first place with Avery’s sophomore Mary Chesnut Smith finishing just behind her in second place overall with a time of 21:27, with Crenshaw finishing 19th best overall.

Six schools had enough female participants to qualify for the overall team championship, with Hendersonville capturing first place overall. Avery finished the day in fifth place, with an average time a shade under than four minutes behind third place Polk County.

Interview with Mars Hill's Johnson and Spradling

Mars Hill and former Avery High School football teammates Ricky Spradling and Zach Johnson have played pivotal roles in the success of the Lions football program this season. Click the post title above for a link to an audio interview with the players following their 28-14 win last Saturday over the Brevard Tornados.

TSSAA Class Divisions Released

(Coutresy of TSSAA.ORG)
The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association announced football class divisions for the 2009-12 seasons on Monday. All-male schools' enrollments were doubled. Division I private schools' enrollments were multiplied by 1.8. Regions will be announced on Nov. 13.

Division I

Class 1A

Sunbright 154, Gleason 169, Oakdale 176, Pickett Co. 187, Greenfield 195, David Brainerd 198, Huntland 210, Copper Basin 222, Coalfield 224, Greenback 226, Red Boiling Springs 234, S. Pittsburg 243, Hollow Rock-Bruceton 245, S. Fulton 248, Cloudland 251, Lookout Valley 253, Lake Co. 261, Midway 287, Jo Byrns 315, Hancock Co. 316, Nashville Chr. 319, Moore Co. 321, McEwen 322, Cornersville 326, Clarksville Acad. 329, Columbia Acad. 331, West Carroll 334, Perry Co. 334, Gordonsville 334, Union City 344, Collinwood 347, Monterey 350, Clay Co. 352, Harriman 367, Halls 377, Middle Tenn. Chr. 382, Whitwell 382, Wayne Co. 382, Huntingdon 382, Eagleville 383, Grace Chr. 389

Class 2A

Jellico 390, Friendship 392, Watertown 398, North Greene 398, Middleton 403, Rockwood 404, Oneida 405, Treadwell 409, Peabody 412, Richland 413, Unaka 419, McKenzie 419, Dresden 419, Silverdale 425, Mt. Pleasant 426, Grace Baptist 434, Community 436, Hampton 437, Trinity 443, Humboldt 447, Scotts Hill 448, S. Gibson 450, Trousdale Co. 451, Signal Mountain 454, Houston Co. 455, E. Robertson 456, Wartburg 457, Oliver Springs 460, White House-Heritage 461, Forrest 478, Adamsville 479, Cosby 483, Marion Co. 494, Cascade 498, Boyd Buchanan 500, Westwood 501, Jackson Co. 511, Douglass 513, Tellico Plains 515, Decatur Co. Riverside 517, Loretto 519

Vikings Soccer Shuts Out Cougars on Senior Night

The Avery men's soccer team closed out its home schedule on Monday night with an impressive 1-0 shutout of Mountain Heritage on Senior Night.

Prior to the match Avery Vikings head soccer coach Lou Brancourt, a native of France, was honored with the playing over the public address system of "La Marseillaise", the French national anthem, as friends and colleagues hung a French flag outside of the box for the coach to see.

Once the match began Avery greatly outshot the Cougars throughout the first half, but had nothing on the scoreboard to show for it.

At halftime the Vikings honored five seniors who had given much time and talent to the Avery soccer program. Honored seniors with families included John Ray Benfield, Alex Brannon, Quentin Burleson, Andrew Ingram, and Sutton Stanley.

The teams continued to battle into the second half when the Big Red finally broke through.

Avery was awarded a corner kick in the 57th minute of the match. Kyle Griewisch took the corner and sent a ball into the box where Alex Brannon sent a shot screaming past the Heritage keeper for the lone goal of the evening. Morgan Bounds was sterling in goal as he saved every shot that came his way during the match.

Avery improves its record to 5-12-3 overall, with a 2-6-3 record in Western Highlands Conference play. The Vikings conclude the regular season by traveling to Mitchell High on Wednesday. (Photo of soccer seniors courtesy Skip Sickler)

Vikings Look for Second Win against Hapless Patriots

After a disappointing performance last Friday night in Columbus during a 28-7 loss to Polk County, the Avery Vikings (1-7, 0-3 WHC) are prescribed the best tonic possible to cure what ails them, a date with the winless Madison Patriots.

Madison (0-8, 0-3 WHC) fell 40-14 to Owen last Friday night at home last Friday night. The Vikings snapped a three-game losing streak last season when they defeated Madison 30-6 in Marshall.

Scouting the Patriots:
The Madison Patriots are coached by first-year head coach Eric Schneider, who was promoted from the junior varsity position following the resignation of former coach Darren Ponder.

Madison returned only four starters in 2008 from a team that was the depiction of turmoil in 2007. Disciplinary measures severely depleted the ballclub, but the team has already doubled the number of times it scored in double figures from a season ago, having scored ten or more points four times this season.

Coach Schneider installed a multiple offense, running the football a majority of the time. Zack Sawyer (30 for 80 passing, 403 yards, 3 TD, 8 INT) began the season as the team’s starting quarterback, but Cameron Garrison (54 rushes, 225 yards, 5 TD; 9 of 24 passing, 89 yards, 4 INT passing) has seen time at the position the previous two contests.

Corry Heath Miller (54 rushes, 284 yards, TD) is just one of a number of running backs who have shared the burden of toting the pigskin for the Patriots this season.

Defensively, the Patriots have used a 3-5 alignment to prevent clubs from running to their outside, but will employ multiple defensive fronts as the play warrants.

The Low Down:
For Avery to come away victorious Friday night, the team must put the memory of last Friday night’s difficult loss behind them. Madison is a squad that has seen its share of struggles, and is a team that Avery matches up well against.

There is the potential for Friday night’s contest to transpire quickly as both teams will likely concentrate on running the football and grinding out yardage.

This week’s game may easily depend on turnovers, and which team’s defense can create team. On paper Avery appears to be the more diverse offense despite injuries, but Madison has given Avery trouble in the past (a 20-14 overtime win in Avery’s 11-3 third round playoff season of 2005, for example).

By the Numbers:
0 – number of points for Avery through 47:50 seconds of 48 minutes during last week’s loss to Polk County.
2- number of touchdown runs by Madison QB/RB Cameron Garrison in last week’s loss to Owen.
5- turnovers forced by the Avery defense in last season’s win over Madison.
60 – total passing yards by the Vikings in last week’s loss.
328 – total rushing yards surrendered by Madison in last week’s home loss to Owen.
351- total yards gained by Avery in last year’s 30-6 victory over the Patriots.
413- total yards surrendered by the Avery defense in last week’s game against the Wolverines.

Read next week’s edition of the Avery Journal-Times for a recap of this week’s game against Madison, as well as a preview of next week’s game at Mountain Heritage.

Lady Vikings Close Regular Season with Win over Rival Mitchell; Advance to Second Rd. of State Playoffs

The Avery volleyball appears to have peaked at just the right time as they swept Mitchell in junior varsity and varsity matches last Tuesday, then traveled to Highlands and defeated the higher seeded Lady Highlanders in four games.

On Tuesday Avery traveled to Ledger and took care of business in upending the Lady Mountaineers. In junior varsity action the ladies fought hard in winning a closely contested three-game match by the scores of 20-25, 25-19, and 25-22, respectively.

Once the varsity took the floor, the Lady Vikings played with precision and purpose in dominating the Lady Mountaineers in three straight contest, winning by scores of 25-17, 25-21, and 25-11.

Senior Katie Ellis led the team with 15 kills while adding 11 digs. Sara Singleton registered 22 assists, with three kills, seven digs, and ten service points (three aces) from Savannah Dellinger and seven service points and a pair of digs by Lacey Barrier.

“The girls played great at Mitchell, finally!” Vikings head coach Kim Hayes exhorted. “We needed a good win before playoffs. Tuesday night was the first match we won in three games. It was a great game to end the regular season for both the varsity and for my JV team.”

On Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. the team loaded onto the bus and made the three-hour drive to Highlands (near the NC/GA border) to take on the Lady Highlanders for a 2 p.m. tipoff in the opening round of the state 1A volleyball playoffs. Despite the long commute, the Lady Vikings remained focused on the task at hand in dispatching of their opponent in four games.

Avery won the opening two games by scores of 25-19 and 26-24, respectively. Highlands rallied to capture the third game 25-15, but the Big Red closed out the match with a decisive 25-13 victory in the fourth and final contest.

“Once we got to the school we ran around to loosen up. It was a beautiful place, but the drive was not so much,” Coach Hayes explained. “We were a bit sluggish at first, which I expected. In the fourth game, we were finally with it and we killed them,” Coach Hayes said after the exciting victory.

Ellis tallied 32 kills in the match, with 15 digs from Dellinger, 27 assists from Singleton and ten digs by senior Rachel Buchanan.

Avery’s reward for the victory was a ticket for a Tuesday date with Swain County to take on the 25-1 Lady Maroon Devils. Swain swept Cherokee in three straight games to advance to the second round, their 75th consecutive win against a Smoky Mountain Conference team, and have won the Smoky Mountain Conference Tournament the past five seasons.

“They are definitely a good team. They are not Hendersonville or Polk good, but a very solid team with a couple of strong hitters,” Coach Hayes remarked. “Several number ones have been knocked out in the tournament already. IF the girls can get it in their heads that they are a good team, they can beat anybody. Swain will have the pressure on them, as they are “supposed” to win since they are the higher seed. We just need to go and play our style of ball, and we will see what happens. We’re very excited!”

Swain is paced by a six-pack of seniors Auburn Lowe, Anna Burns, Alisha Lambert, Megan Brown, Cayla Crawley, and Lauren Maennle. Avery’s second round match with the Lady Maroon Devils took place after press time this week, but check here at the Blog for scores and updates.

Avery Tennis Concludes Season with State Duals, Regional Championships

The Avery tennis team wrapped up a highly successful 2008 season last week with team dual meet action at Lees-McRae College against North Stokes, as well as regional singles and doubles competition.

On Tuesday the Lady Vikings welcomed the Vikings from North Stokes High School to Lees McRae College for first round state duals action. Avery performed valiantly, but was unable to advance in tournament play as North emerged with the team victory.

In singles action, Avery’s Anna Melton defeated Amber Nelson 6-4,6-1, while Morgan Yackey defeated Jordan Wilkins 2-6,6-3, (7-4 in tiebreaker) to provide Avery with its two points for the afternoon.

Judi Dillishaw was defeated by North’s Holly Whitener 4-6, 4-6, while Hayden Blackburn fell to Haley Pack 1-6, 3-6, Leah Powell was defeated by Taylor York 0-6, 1-6, and Morgan Stout fell to Alysha Hutchins 1-6, 0-6.

In doubles play, the team of Yackey and Melton were defeated by North’s team of Whitener and Hutchins 5-10, mathematically eliminating the Vikings from the tournament. Avery’s team of Dillishaw and Blackburn led their opponents 7-4 and the Avery team of Lauren Avery and Leah Powell trailed 4-7 when the dual match was declared over.

“I hated to see the season end. The girls played the best they could against North Stokes, and I was pleased with how we competed,” Avery head tennis coach Rhiannon Manis remarked after the matches. “There were a few close matches that could have changed the ending result, however it is such an achievement for the girls and program to have gotten this far.”

This past weekend Avery’s doubles team of Dillashaw and Blackburn competed in regional competition, as did Avery junior Anna Melton for her third consecutive year.

In singles action Melton defeated Albemarle’s Sophia Pastorini in straight sets by the scores of 6-1 and 6-1. Melton was defeated in the second round by Jessica Curtis of Gray Stone High School by the final of 2-6, 1-6.

In doubles play, senior Judi Dillashaw and junior Hayden Blackburn, undefeated the past two seasons, made their first doubles appearance in regional competition, taking on Alysha Hutchins and Holly Whitener from familiar foe North Stokes High School, falling in straight sets 6-2 and 6-2.“

All three ladies represented Avery County well. Traveling, trying to deal with the weather, and then playing tennis is not easy to do,” Coach Manis said of the girls’ performances at Regionals. “The girls adjusted and met the challenges head on and gave it everything they had. They ended their individual season on a high note, and I am very proud of their accomplishments.”

Berry, Defense Shines In Volunteer Victory

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

KNOXVILLE- The Volunteers were tired of losing. Eric Berry and the Tennessee were determined to avoid a 0-4 league start.

Berry intercepted a Mississippi State pass with 10:37 left in the contest and returned it for a touchdown that put Tennessee (3-4, 1-4) up 20-3, and swung the momentum to the Volunteer side as Tennessee took a 34-3 victory over the struggling Bulldogs.

"It's almost indiscernible the difference between winning and losing,” Coach Phillip Fulmer said. “I want to say a special thanks to the team who did one heck of a job this week preparing, staying the course and working. To the coaches, for the work they did during the week and especially tonight we got some really nice work done. Overall, it was just a fantastic win for us. That win is something to build on."”

The game was suppose to be a lackluster affair between two of the SEC’s worst, and for the first half it appeared to be headed in that direction. The Vols scored on two Daniel Lincoln field goals, and took a 6-3 lead into the locker room.

However, Nick Stephens and the Volunteer offense answered the call as they marched down the field on the opening possession in the second half. Austin Rogers appeared to catch a Stephens’s 21-yard touchdown pass, but was ruled down at the one yard line.

However, the offense would not be shut out of the end zone as Montario Hardesty jumped over the pile into the end zone.

The Tennessee defense continued to shut down the Bulldogs offense. Berry electrified the Neyland Stadium crowd as he returned an interception 72 yards.

“I don't know if I've ever seen anybody like Eric Berry,” Fulmer said. “It's amazing what he does when he has a football in his hands and the spirit that he brings to the team.”

Berry finished the game with 10 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, and an interception for a touchdown. With the interception, Berry became the SEC’s career interception return leader as a sophomore.

"On the interception I was headed to the ball and I think Ellix (Wilson) tipped it and it went downhill from there,” Berry said. “As far as breaking the record, I feel like it's really a team effort as well as an individual effort. We're getting great pressure up front week-in and week-out and doing great blocking down the field after the interception."

On the next Bulldog possession, it was Dematrice Morley’s turn to get an interception as he sprinted 32 yards for the touchdown. The Vols then put the game in Lennon Creer’s hands as he carried the ball for 12 straight plays for 51 yards, and Creer got into the end zone from one yard out.

Creer ended the game with 17 carries for 68 yards and one touchdown. Stephens ended the game 10 of 20 for 136 yards, and Adrian Foster added 40 yards on 11 carries.

The Volunteer defense had five sacks on the night, and limited Mississippi State’s offense to 189 yards.
However, Coach Fulmer knows that the victory was important, but UT still have work to do.

“There is still much to be done, but I think this is something we could build-on and build the confidence of the football team,” Coach Fulmer said. “The energy from the team and the stadium in the second half when we finally started making plays (was great). We have sometimes been our own worst enemy. We had no turnovers tonight and one penalty for the evening, and if nothing else, that's great progress.”

The Vols host #2 Alabama on Saturday evening.

Apps Survive Wild One

STATESBORO, Ga. – Writing perhaps the most dramatic chapter in the always-thrilling Appalachian State-Georgia Southern rivalry, No. 2 Appalachian took the lead with 2:36 to play and stood up GSU in the red zone twice in the final two minutes to hold on for a 37-36 win on Saturday afternoon at Paulson Stadium.

Armanti Edwards almost single-handedly led Appalachian (5-2, 3-0 SoCon) in the heart-stopping triumph, accounting for 333 of ASU’s 454 total yards and all five touchdowns in the win.Edwards capped off his amazing performance by flying over the Mountaineer front for a one-yard touchdown dive on fourth-and-goal that gave the Apps a 37-34 advantage with 2:36 to go in the ballgame. The fourth-down conversion was the second of the drive for the Mountaineers, as Edwards eluded several would-be tacklers in the backfield on fourth-and-five from the GSU 43 before finding CoCo Hillary for a 15-yard gain to keep the possession alive.Immediately following Edwards’ score, Georgia Southern (3-4, 1-3 SoCon) marched 69 yards in four plays to the ASU 13 yard line. On third-and-eight, defensive back Travis Dowdaintercepted GSU quarterback Antonio Henton at the goal line to seemingly seal the Appalachian victory.

However, the officials ruled Dowda down inches outside the goal line and on ASU’s first play after the turnover, GSU’s Larry Beard stopped Edwards for a safety that cut the Mountaineer advantage to 37-36.After the free kick, the Eagles took over on their 42 yard line and moved all the way to the Mountaineer 27 before a huge sack by Anthony Williams pushed the Eagles back to the ASU 39. After two incomplete passes, safety Mark LeGree intercepted Henton at the goal line on fourth-and-22 with 14 seconds remaining. The officials again spotted the the ball inside the one yard line, but after a brief discussion, the ruling to a touchback and Edwards took a knee on the final play to run out the clock.

The fourth-quarter was a microcosm of the entire game, as the affair featured eight lead changes. Appalachian opened strong with a nine-play, 80-yard drive that was capped by an acrobatic catch in the corner of the end zone by B.J. Frazier on an option run-turned-pass from Edwards, giving ASU a 7-0 edge less than five minutes in.After GSU kicked a field goal on its initial possession and forced an ASU punt on the next series, the Eagles took their first lead of the game when Raja Andrews returned the Mountaineer punt 84 yards for a touchdown. The touchdown return was the fourth allowed by Appalachian this season (two kickoffs and two punts).Georgia Southern extended its lead to 13-7 on a 37-yard Adrian Mora field goal early in the second period, but Appalachian regained the advantage on its ensuing possession when Edwards directed a six-play, 62-yard drive, capped by his five-yard touchdown run that made it 14-13, ASU.

It remained 14-13 until the Eagles put together their first sustained drive of the afternoon, a 10-play, 80-yard series that culminated with a four-yard touchdown run by quarterback Antonio Henton that gave GSU a 20-14 halftime advantage.

The Mountaineers started fast again in the second half, turning the halftime deficit into a 24-20 lead on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Edwards to Brian Quick and a 22-yard Jason Vitaris field goal.The advantage flip-flopped three more times over the next 7:13, with Michael McIntosh’s 15-yard touchdown catch from Henton giving Georgia Southern a 34-31 lead with 9:46 left in the game and setting up the wild flurry at the finish.

In all, Edwards ran 33 times for 157 yards and three touchdowns and completed 12-of-22 passes for 176 yards and two more scores. Josh Johnson was his top target, hauling in four receptions for 49 yards. Devin Radford chipped in with 76 yards on the ground and one catch for seven yards.Defensive, the Mountaineers were paced by Williams, who had one-and-a-half sacks among his five tackles and forced a fumble. Linebacker Jacque Roman tallied a team-best 11 stops and cornerback Cortez Gilbert notched seven tackles and broke up three passes.Henton finished with 292 yards through the air and 99 on the ground in the loss.

Appalachian’s triumph marked the first time it has ever won back-to-back games at Georgia Southern, while its 37 points were the it has ever scored in Statesboro. For the first time in the series that dates back to 1932, the visiting team has won three-straight decisions.

Standing at 3-0 in Southern Conference play for only the 11th time in their 37 years in the league, the Mountaineers host longtime rival Furman next Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium. The “Black Saturday” kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.