Edwards Wins Payton Award!

Courtesy of Appalchian Sports Information

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Junior quarterback Armanti Edwards became the first Appalachian State University player to ever win the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision’s top honor when he was presented with the Walter Payton Award on Thursday evening at the Chattanooga Marriott. The Payton Award has been presented annually to the nation’s top FCS (formerly Division I-AA) player since 1987.

Edwards easily out-distanced James Madison quarterback Rodney Landers for the award with 398 total points and 53 first-place votes, compared to 290 points and 17 first-place nods for the JMU signal-caller. Western Illinois running back Herb Donaldson finished third with 209 points and 14 first-place votes. Edwards is only the sixth underclassman in the 22-year history of the Payton Award to receive the honor.

The consensus first-team All-American and Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year finished the season with 2,902 passing yards, 941 rushing yards and a SoCon-record 41 touchdowns responsible for (30 passing, 11 rushing). He ranks second nationally with a 170.19 pass-efficiency rating, seventh with 3,033 yards of total offense and 58th in rushing.

He threw only two interceptions in 224 regular-season pass attempts, with a school-record string of 176 passes without an interception that spanned over two months — eight full games and parts of two others.

In addition to the season-long accolades, Edwards earned national player of the week recognition twice, SoCon Offensive Player of the Week accolades four times — including a record-tying three-straight from Oct. 4-18 — and SoCon Offensive Player of the Month awards in October and November.

The previous best finish by a Mountaineer in Payton Award balloting came in 2004, when wide receiver DaVon Fowlkes placed third.In the other awards handed out on Thursday, Mark LeGree finished third in the voting for the Buck Buchanan Award, with 183 total points and seven first-place votes. Eastern Washington's Greg Peach won the award.

Head coach Jerry Moore placed fourth in voting for the Eddie Robinson Award. Moore received 11 first-place votes and 160 points. James Madison coach Mickey Matthews took home the honor.

Musings and Ramblings: Hansbrough Makes History

Tonight UNC big man Tyler Hansbrough will likely surpass the great former UNC point guard Phil Ford as the basketball team's all-time leading scorer when he notches his ninth point of the game and 2,291st of his storied career.

A lot has been written on "Psycho T" and his non-stop motor which seems to be at a different gear than anyone else on the playing floor. In addition to the team scoring record, Tyler is in reach of the team's rebounding record, set at 1,167. Hansbrough currently has 979 and, if he remains healthy, has an outside shot at catching the former Tar Heel All-American Perkins.

J.J. Redick of Dook holds the ACC's all-time scoring mark with 2,769 points. Counting this evening's game with Evansville, UNC plays a guaranteed 22 games (including the first round of the ACC tournament), with the possiblity of 25 or more if the Heels win the confererence tournament and advance deep into the NCAA tournament. If Hansbrough could average 20 points per contest, that would add 500 points to his career total, putting him at 2,791 and eclipsing the former Blue Devil standout.

During Hansbrough's freshman year in Chapel Hill, I was blessed to be personally invited by Coach Roy Williams to attend a closed practice at the Smith Center (no joke, I still have the letter!) I traveled to the Dome and watched the Heels work out for over two hours. When I arrived I was given a practice schedule for the day. The complete order of practice was listed down to the minute, along with a Thought for the Day for the players to consider.

I was not fortunate enough to have a high-quality camera with me, but I did manage to snap a few shots during practice. I dug those pics up from deep in my sports photo archives and posted the photo above as well as a few at the bottom of this post and even a short video clip of a defensive drill ran by the team.

If you follow Tar Heels basketball you owe it to yourself to sit back and enjoy this evening and the history that should be made. A player like Psycho T is a rarity and might not come around again for a while.

Grapplers Take on Watauga; Competes at NEO Invitational

The Avery wrestling team returned to the mat last week for a dual meet on Thursday in Viking Gym against rival Watauga, while on Saturday team members traveled to Tuscola High School in Waynesville to participate in the NEO Invitational Tournament.

Avery came up short in Thursday’s match against the Pioneers by a final match score of 48-22.
Picking up victories in the matchup were Brock Yackey by a 10-4 decision at 125 pounds, Forrest Sickler by 12-9 decision at 135 pounds, and Anthony Varacalli by 9-1 major decision victory at 145 pounds. Bennett Sweat (103 lbs.) and Jose Munoz (152 lbs.) each earned match victories via forfeit.

“We had some of our experienced guys who were unable to come away with wins. Most of our younger kids didn’t fare so well as they had a more experienced club. They fought hard and they are starting to learn, and part of that learning curve will be felt in these early dual meets,” Avery head wrestling coach Stacey Clark commented following the matches.

On Saturday morning a total of seven Viking wrestlers rode to Tuscola High School to compete in the NEO Invitational Tournament. The Vikings were without a number of their experienced grapplers due to prior commitments.

“A number of our kids had other events going on which they had to take care of over wrestling. We had the ACT going on over the weekend as well as Driver’s Ed finals. This was an individual tournament, so if there was one to be missed, this was probably the best one to have a number of kids unavailable,” Coach Clark added.

At 119 pounds, Brock Yackey earned a first period pinfall victory over Jack Elliott of McDowell High School in his second of four total matches. Bennett Sweat was victorious in two of his four matches on the day in the 103 pound weight class, defeating Tanner Piper of Franklin High School by a narrow 9-8 decision, and also defeated Polk County’s Anthony Sage by a first period pinfall. “Bennett is really well and starting to show great improvement in his wrestling,” the coach said.

A pair of Big Red grapplers earned three match victories. In the 135 pound class, Forrest Sickler lost his first two matches, but bounced back strongly to win his final three matches, upending McDowell’s Jeremy Buchanan by pinfall, defeating Franklin’s Cody Wake by a 17-13 decision, and picking up a first period pinfall win over Swain’s Robert Duplack. “Forrest had two convincing wins and is beginning to wrestle very aggressively. With this type of competition being similar to what we will face at Regionals, I think this was a really good weekend for him,” Coach Clark explained.

The other Avery wrestler with three wins during the day was Jacob McKinney, who placed third overall at 112 pounds. McKinney won his first two matches by pin, but was defeated by Jason Bottoms of host Tuscola. McKinney ended his day on a high note, however, defeating Swain’s Austin Curfice with a pinfall in 55 seconds.

“Jacob was the surprise of the tournament for us. He had three pins and beat some wrestlers from some pretty good schools. His only loss came to a very tough wrestler, and I believe he is really coming on and has improved greatly in recent weeks and vastly from last year,” the coach explained.

The Vikings return to the mat on Wednesday to take on Draughn High School in a make-up from a previously postponed match. The team was also scheduled to take on Mountain Heritage, but due to end-of-semester exams at the school Heritage had to reschedule, making Wednesday’s event only one dual at Viking Gym. Avery is then scheduled to travel to Fred T. Foard for another Saturday tournament event.

Pioneers Sweep Avery Hoops Monday night

The Avery Vikings could not hold off a strong Watauga Pioneers basketball program on Monday evening, as the rivals picked up four wins at Viking Gym.

Avery's JV girls got off to a slow start and could not overcome an early run by the Pioneers, falling behind 27-8 after one period. Mercedes Bentley carried the Lady Vikings offense with 32 points, but it wasn't enough as the Lady Pioneers avenged an earlier tournament loss at the hands of the Lady Vikings by a 60-49 final score.

The JV boys played well early, but Watauga pulled away for the win. Watauga grabbed an early 16-11 advantage after one quarter. The Pioneers mounted an offensive surge to start the second quarter, eventually holding a double-digit advantage at 33-20 at halftime.

Watauga's athleticism was difficult for the Vikings to overcome all evening, but Avery cut slightly into the Pioneer lead in the third period, trailing by 11 at 41-30 after three periods. The Pioneers spread the floor and used offensive motion through a large portion of the final three minutes of play to preserve its ten-point cushion. Avery tried valiantly to mount a comeback but fell short as the Pioneers captured the second game of the evening by a 50-41 final margin.

In varsity play the Avery girls squared off with a pesky Watauga Lady Pioneers club that always seems to play competitively as a rival. The teams traded buckets for much of the opening eight minutes, with the Lady Pioneers snagging a one-point lead at 17-16 after the first period. Senior guard Allison Vance led the Vikings with five points in the quarter, along with a pair of buckets by fellow senior Samantha Shook.

Avery found difficulty dealing defensively with the size of the Lady Pioneers, particularly the play of forward Katharine Mayhew. The 5'11" junior forward was a perfect 8 for 8 from the free throw line in the first half as part of a 15 for 21 overall foul shooting half for Watauga.

Foul trouble haunted the Big Red in the first half as both Vance and forward Katelynn Eudy were saddled with fouls in the early portion of the half, prompting head coach Missy Lyons to rely on her reserves. Freshman Megan Tennant and junior Sara Wiseman responded to the call with a combined seven points.

Mayhew scored 14 in the first half and was part of a defensive rotation that held Vikings standout senior Katie Ellis to only three first half points. Sarah Miller added six points off the bench to spark the Lady Pioneers to a 38-30 lead.

Avery trailed by as many as 11 points in the late second and early third quarters before organizing a furious offensive onslaught to erase the deficit. Shook caught fire, torching the Pioneers for eight points in the third quarter. Her three-pointer gave the Lady Vikings its first lead since the opening quarter at 46-44. Watauga added a pair of points in the closing seconds of the third quarter to knot the game at 46-46 heading into the final stanza.

The Lady Vikings had played well defensively all evening, holding Watauga leading scorer Nicole Tesh to a quiet seven points through three periods of play. Things would change quickly, however, as Tesh found her shooting touch in the fourth. The 6'1" junior forward scored 11 of her team high 18 points in the fourth quarter to provide the surge the Pioneers needed to outlast the Vikings.

Avery tried to stay close behind the shooting of Allison Vance who scored five of her 10 points for the game in the quarter before fouling out late in the contest. The Lady Vikings could not reel in the Pioneers, however, as Watauga escaped Newland with a 69-59 win.

The Lady Vikings were anchored by Samantha Shook who scored 17 points to lead the club, and was complemented by Vance's ten points, two steals and five assists for Avery's only double-figure scoring efforts in the game. Katie Ellis scored seven points with 11 rebounds, while Eudy also added seven in the loss. Sara Wiseman netted six off the bench for the Big Red.

Tesh scored 18 points to go with seven rebounds to lead Watauga, with 16 points and 10 rebounds from Mayhew. Christina Rees added eight points, five rebounds, and four assists off the bench for the Pioneers. The loss drops the Lady Vikings to 3-2 overall on the season.

In varsity boys action the Avery team got off to a fast start against the Pioneers, scoring the first two baskets of the game for an early 4-0 lead. Things went downhill quickly from the Big Red, however, as a 23-4 run by Watauga was highlighted by a trio of slam dunks by Watauga's center Jeff Newell to propel the Pioneers to a 23-8 lead early in the second period.

Avery's offense began to click midway through the period as Dustin Clarke found the shooter's touch, stroking three 3-pointers out of four attempts. The sophomore led the Vikings with 11 points in the first half, but no other Viking scored more than four points before intermission.

Watauga meanwhile received contributions from ten of its 12 players on the roster over the first two quarters. Newell led the charge with ten, followed by six each from Brandon Calhoun and Baine Martin. Watauga also took advantage of double-digit Avery turnovers in the half to stake itself to a commanding 43-20 halftime lead.

The Watauga offensive tsunami continued to pound the Avery club as Newell, a 6'6" senior, picked up where he left off with 12 of his game-high 24 points in the quarter. Clarke scored eight points in the quarter, including his fifth three-point basket of the night, but Watauga outscored Avery 26-15 in the quarter to lead 69-37 after three periods.

Avery showed the tenacity and no-quit attitude that has been taught by head coach Bo Manis and his staff, as the club outscored Watauga by a point in the final stanza. Lone Viking senior Jared Ward set the example for his teammates by scoring 11 of his 16 points in the final quarter. Keith McKinney added a pair of baskets, but the contest had long been decided on the scoreboard as Watauga cruised to the 90-59 win.

Dustin Clarke led Avery with 19 points, scoring all his points in the first three quarters, with 16 from Ward. Five other Vikings scored four points each in the contest. Newell's 24 points were complemented by 16 points by Caleb Courtney. Baine Martin added eight points, with seven each from Josh Coffey, Jake Wallace, and Will Koppenhaver.

The teams will renew acquaintances on Wednesday afternoon at Lentz-Eggers Gymnasium in Boone, with junior varsity action starting at 4 p.m.

Vikings Take Three of Four at Owen

The Avery Vikings traveled to Swannanoa for its conference opener in basketball Tuesday night against Owen.

Both junior varsity teams picked up their first victories of the season. Avery's girls won by a final score of 44-29. Mercedes Bentley netted 17 in the win, with 15 from Megan Tennant. The JV boys team won by a final of 31-26.

The Lady Vikings varsity girls earned their first win by a 64-50 final score. Katelynn Eudy netted 20 points to go with 10 rebounds to lead Avery, while Katie Ellis scored 10 points, to go with seven steals and six rebounds.

Avery's boys varsity team was not able to leave Swannanoa with a win as the home team earned a 57-43 win. Dustin Clarke scored 17 to lead Avery, while Luke Pittman had 13 points and two assists, and Cole Blackburn tallied five points, with ten rebounds, four steals, and a pair of assists.

The Big Red return to the court on Thursday in Morganton against Patton High, then return home on Friday for varsity only contests against Thomas Jefferson Academy.

Vikings Wrestling Competes in Doubleheader at Ashe County

The Avery wrestling team was active over the weekend with a pair of early-season events. As the Avery and Ashe County basketball teams squared off Friday night, the Big Red grapplers traveled to Jefferson to take on the Ashe County wrestling squad. Despite a strong effort, the Vikings fell in a hard-fought meet by a 48-28 final score.

Avery’s lighter weight wrestlers Bennett Sweat (103 lbs.) and Jacob McKinney (112 lbs.) picked up forfeit victories.

Other Vikings visiting the winner’s circle on Friday night were Nick Malgadey by 20-8 majority decision at 119 pounds, Forrest Sickler by first period pinfall at 135 pounds, and Lucas Lecka by second period pinfall at 189 pounds.

Following the tournament the Vikings had an early morning on Saturday as they participated back at Ashe County High School in the Ashe County Invitational.

Avery began the meet with a dual against the North Iredell Raiders, dropping the meet by a 64-15 final match score. Victors in the North Iredell match included Nick Malgadey by third period pin (112 lbs.), Brock Yackey by 9-2 decision at 119 pounds, Anthony Varacalli by second period pin (145 lbs.), and Lucas Lecka by first period pinfall at 189 pounds.

In the team’s second dual, the team wrestled an even dual against the Grayson County losing by a final score of 43-42. The two squads tied following the match’s conclusion, and the sixth criterion was used to determine a winner, which was which team scored the highest number of first points. Each team had one forfeit apiece, and six pins for each team, but Grayson scored the first point in seven matches to Avery’s five matches.

Winners in the Grayson meet included Bennett Sweat at 103 pounds (second period pinfall), Nick Malgadey at 112 pounds (second period pinfall), Brock Yackey at 119 pounds (second period pin), Anthony Varacalli by forfeit at 145 pounds, Jose Munoz by first period pin at 152 pounds, Lucas Lecka by pinfall in 20 seconds at 189 pounds, and Justin Crowder by first period pinfall at 215 pounds.

The Vikings were dominant in picking up its first dual meet victory in the tournament, routing 1A foe East Wilkes by a final score of 66-18. East Wilkes picked up 12 of its 18 points by forfeit victories. Winners in the dual included Sweat by forfeit (103 lbs.), Malgadey by first period pin (112 lbs.), Yackey by second period pin (119 lbs.), and Tyler Long by first period pin (125 lbs.). Forfeit victories were earned by Bryan Moody (140 lbs.), Varacalli (145 lbs.), Jose Munoz (152 lbs.), Trent Mitchell (160 lbs.), C.J. Vance (171 lbs.), Nathaniel Buchanan (215 lbs.), and Crowder (heavyweight).

Avery copied the feat in its next dual against Holston High School, winning by the same 66-18 meet score. Forfeit winners in the dual included Sweat, McKinney, Malgadey, Yackey, Long, Varacalli, and Lecka. Sickler won by second period pinfall at 135 pounds, with a victory by first period pin at 140 pounds by Moody. C.J. Vance (171 lbs.) and Justin Crowder (Hvy.) were both victorious in their respective matches by second period pinfall.

In the final dual meet of the day, Avery fell 51-28 to Galax High School. Match winners included Malgadey (majority decision 22-10 at 119 lbs.), Sickler (forfeit at 135 lbs.), Varacalli (first period pin at 145 lbs.), Jose Munoz (first period pin at 152 lbs.), Mitchell (first period pin at 160 lbs.), and C.J. Vance (second period pin at 171 lbs.).

To date, the best individual records on the Vikings team go to Anthony Varacalli (10-1 overall), with Sweat, Malgadey, Yackey, and Jose Munoz each holding records of 7-4 overall on the young season. Vance is also over .500 with a 3-2 mark in five matches this season.

Avery holds a dual meet on Thursday night against rival Watauga at Viking Gym starting at 6 p.m., and travels to Tuscola High School in Waynesville on Saturday for the NEO Invitational.

2008 All-Conference Fall Sports Selections Announced

All-Western Highlands Conference award recipients were named this past week for the fall sports season. The following is a list of those recognized, with Avery honorees in bold.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY:
Mary Chestnut-Smith (Avery County); Kristen Stout, Ana Reyes, Anna Fosberg, Lillian Rolfe, Alyssa Chet and Ana Unda (Hendersonville); Cynthia Griffin, Megan Bennett and Aleshia Reece (Madison).
Coach of the Year: Jessica Houston (Hendersonville).
Runner of the Year: Kristen Stout (Hendersonville).

FOOTBALL:
Christian Montgomery (Avery County); Wesley Cook, Robert Mills, Daniel Orr, Corey Cook, Darren Perry, Jon Bowie, Ben Walgenbach and Cedrick Allen (Hendersonville); Logan Jensen, Austin Burleson and Taylor Hall (Mitchell); Kirk Burnette, Jesse Ballew, Zach Howell, Taylor Fender, Dylan McMahon, Casey Randolph, Kyle Barrus, Clint Carlson and Chris Jones (Mountain Heritage); Andy Coleman, Seth Blankenship, Seth Stewart, Josh Leake and Brennan Kirby (Owen); Jordan Ollis, Andre Overholt, Kamron Kerr, Tony Wicklund, Zach Searcy and Tyler Philpott (Polk County).

Coach of the Year: B.J. Laughter (Hendersonville).
Player of the Year: Cedrick Allen (Hendersonville).
Back of the Year: Jesse Ballew (Mountain Heritage).
Lineman of the Year: Zach Howell (Mountain Heritage).
Special Teams Player of the Year: Stephen Roper (Hendersonville)

BOYS SOCCER:
Andrew Ingram and Kyle Griewisch (Avery County); Tyler Combs, Cody Labelle, Brayan Aguirre, Andrew Boyea, Juan Macias and Eddie Hernandez (Hendersonville); Isaac Justice and Petr Bunzayn (Madison); Jacob Martinez (Mitchell); Daniel Godfrey (Mountain Heritage); Stefan Cazzonelli, Jermaine Vernon and Brandon Roland (Owen); Heath Culbreath, Cole Weicker, Chris Abril, Tony Sciuva, Russell McIntyre and Hugo Santos (Polk County).

Coach of the Year: Lennox Charles (Polk County).
Player of the Year: Brayan Aguirre (Hendersonville).
Goalkeeper of the Year: Christian Maloney (Madison).

GIRLS TENNIS
Coach of the Year: Rhinanon Manis (Avery County).
Co-Players of the Year: Maddie Fahnley (Polk County) and Morgan Yackey (Avery County)

VOLLEYBALL
Katie Ellis and Rachel Buchanan (Avery County); Ellen Payne, Sarah Carswell and Brooks Walz (Hendersonville); Laurel Gregg and Heather Jenkins (Madison); Sam Smith (Mitchell); Alli Huskins and Taylor Fox (Mountain Heritage); Stephanie Jones (Owen); Maggie Conner, Denise Edwards, Kaitlyn Franks and Katie Wilson (Polk County).
Coach of the Year: Heather Clausen (Polk County).
Co-Players of the Year: Courtney Huskins (Mountain Heritage) and Avery Griggs (Hendersonville).

Congratulations to all Avery honorees!

Johnson Garners ACC, CBS Sports Coach of the Year Honors

Paul Johnson, whose first Georgia Tech team exceeded all expectations by winning nine regular season games, received a pair of honors last week when he was named the CBS Sports Coach of the Year in college football, and was named the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year Tuesday by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA).

Johnson, an Avery County native and former student and coach at Avery High School, was selected over Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Utah’s Kyle Whittingham for the honor from CBS. Georgia Tech, ranked 14th in the BCS standings and 15th in the Associated Press poll, finished the regular season with a 9-3 record, remarkably better than every preseason projection.

Sports Illustrated predicted Johnson's first Yellow Jacket team would win just three games, and Tech was picked to finish fourth in the ACC's Coastal Division. With a 5-3 record in ACC play, the Jackets tied Virginia Tech for the Coastal Division title.

"This is an honor for the football program at Georgia Tech, the coaching staff and the players," Johnson said today. "There are a lot of great coaches in the ACC, so it's humbling to win such a prestigious honor."

Johnson, who came to Georgia Tech last December after a highly-successful, six-year tenure at Navy, inherited a roster low in scholarship numbers and overloaded with youth. Only 76 players are on scholarship, including three senior walk-ons who were awarded scholarships prior to the start of the season, below the maximum of 85 scholarships. The roster includes 75 freshmen and sophomores, and 16 of 22 starters are either freshmen or sophomores.

Many questioned whether or not Johnson's spread option offense would work in the ACC. Last Saturday, with no senior starters on offense, Georgia Tech rolled up 409 rushing yards against Georgia, which ranked 15th nationally in rushing defense at the time. For the season, the Yellow Jackets lead the ACC in total offense (377.3) and rank third nationally in rushing offense (282.3).

Johnson is the first Georgia Tech coach to be named ACC Coach of the Year since George O'Leary in 2000. O'Leary also won the award in 1998. Tech's Bobby Ross won the honor in 1990 after leading the Yellow Jackets to a share of the national championship. Bill Curry, in 1985, is the only other Georgia Tech coach to win the award. During Tech's tenure in the Southeastern Conference (1933-1963), Bobby Dodd won conference coach of the year honors twice (1951 and 1952) and William Alexander captured the award in 1939.

Johnson was honored, along with other conference individual award winners, last Friday in Tampa, Florida prior to the ACC Championship Game. His Yellow Jackets have accepted a bid to play in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl on New Year’s Eve in Atlanta.

Vikings hoops swept by Huskies

The Avery Vikings lost its season opener in both JV and varsity basketball in Viking Gym on Friday night. The Lady Vikings fell 65-50 to the Huskies. Katie Ellis led the Big Red with 15 points, with 14 points from Katelynn Eudy. Kim McNeil scored 24 to lead the Lady Huskies in the win.

In varsity men's action, a 5 and a half minute scoring drought in the second quarter sealed the team's fate as Ashe turned a one-point lead after the first quarter into a 16-point lead at intermission. The Huskies led by 20 after three quarters and went on to a 71-54 victory.

Dustin Clarke scored 19 points to lead the Vikings, while Tommy Spagnolo netted 17 for the visiting Huskies.

The Vikings travel to Swannanoa on Tuesday for their conference opener against the Owen Warhorses. More on these games in this week's print edition of the Avery Journal-Times.

AJ-T Sports Live From... KIDD BREWER STADIUM

We're here at a chilly Rock to bring you the NCAA FCS quarterfinal contest between ASU and Richmond. App is ranked #2 in the nation and are hosting the #7 ranked Spiders. A win for the Mountaineers advances them to the final four of FCS football where they will play the winner of the game between Northern Iowa and New Hampshire.

We'll try to keep things updated as weather and time allows. The game is being televised as part of the ESPN GamePlan package and can be found on http://www.espn360.com/ with the proper high-speed internet connection.

12:15 PM -- Appalachian took the opening kickoff but was held to three and out. The Mountaineer defense returns the favor to Richmond and receives the ball for its second drive of the game. Scoreless with 10:20 left in the first period.

12:35 PM --Big catches by Ben Jordan and Matt Cline, as well as a pair of Spider penalties set up a 2-yard TD run by Armanti Edwards to put ASU on the board. 7-0 Mountaineers with 2:58 left in the first qtr.

12:45 PM - Richmond takes its ensuing drive and marches 59 yards for a touchdown, helped by a questionable pass completion of 27 yards. Two plays later, Josh Vaughan scores on a 13-yard run. The extra point failed, leaving the Mountaineers ahead by a slim 7-6 advantage as the first period expires.

12:55 PM - Appalachian drives the ball inside the Richmond 40 with the first possession of the 2nd quarter, but a quick pass to CoCo Hillary is fumbled and the Spiders recover the ball at their own 37. A healthy dose of RB Josh Vaughn has been the Richmond game plan throughout the first half.

1:15 PM - The teams traded punts after the defenses held. Richmond used the air attack and ground game to mix up a drive inside the ASU red zone. The Black and Gold defense stiffened, however, forcing a Richmond field goal attempt. The try sailed wide right, presering the narrow 7-6 lead as snow flurries begin to fall at Kidd-Brewer.

1:30 PM - A 39-yard pass play to Brian Quick and a pass to tight end Ben Jordan moves ASU from its own 20 yard line to the Richmond 14 in just two plays. Richmond tightens the reigns on D as they stop the Apps on three straight plays to force a Mountaineer field goal attempt. The 38 yard attempt by Jason Vitaris is no good, keeping the score 7-6 at the end of the first half. Armanti Edwards is 14 of 18 passing for 175 yards for the half.

2:00 PM - Richmond takes the opening kick of the 2nd half and marches downfield with a number of key third down conversions, but can only get to the Appalachian 19 yard line before the Black and Gold hold the offense at bay. A 36-yard field goal by Andrew Howard just slips inside the left upright, giving the Spiders their first lead at 9-7 with 9:05 left in the third period. The snow continues to fall more heavily at the Rock.

2:05 PM - An Armanti Edwards pass is picked off by Richmond's Seth Williams and returned to the ASU 2 yard line. Momentum has definitely swung the way of the visitors. A second effort burst by RB Vaughan gets the Spiders in the end zone on third and goal. The Andrew Howard PAT gives the Spiders the lead 16-7 with 7:21 remaining in the third quarter.

2:30 PM - App has given up another touchdown after Edwards is picked off again by Williams, who returns the ball to the ASU 10. Richmond QB Ward runs it in from 10 yards one play later for a score. The PAT puts Richmond up 23-7 at the 5:46 mark. ASU fumbles the ensuing kickoff, but dodges a bullet after the defense holds the Spiders without a first down as Richmond kicker Howard misses a 33-yard attempt. ASU uses the momentum to drive the field. App scores quickly on a TJ Courman 4-yard TD reception. The two-point conversion is no good, but ASU cuts the deficit to 23-13 at the end of the third quarter.

2:40 PM - ASU gets the ball after a Richmond punt and drives inside Spider territory with the help of a long third down pass play, but two plays later Edwards is hit as he throws and the pass is intercepted by Richmond's Michael Ireland, killing yet another offensive series for the Black and Gold. Josh Vaughan has been strong for the Spiders today with 22 rushes for 95 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while quarterback Eric Ward has picked up key runs during drives and has a touchdown today himself.

2:50 PM - following the Spider interception the Richmond offense moves the football to the ASU 9, but the drive stalls, so the Spiders settle for a 26-yard Howard field goal to pad the Richmond lead to 26-13 with 10:10 remaining in the contest. Stat line of the game: ASU has been held to only 28 yards rushing on 21 attempts through three quarters. despite Appalachian leading in total yardage 269-255.

2:55 PM - After the ensuing kickoff, Appalachian tries to move the ball quickly and advances it to near midfield. A long bomb pass from Edwards to Brian Quick is intercepted in the end zone by Richmond. Yet another turnover for the Black and Gold who have been killing themselves, particularly in the passing game due to being unable to run the football effectively against a stern Spider defense.

3:00 PM - Soneone told me just last evening that they were concerned that ASU did not have the fire or hunger to complete the quest for four. That omen is looking more and more to be a possibility as Richmond has taken the football from its own 20 and driven the ball inside the ASU red zone with the running game pounding the football downfield while eating precious time off the clock. A third down pass play from Ward to Kevin Grayson keeps the drive alive and moves the football to the ASU 6-yard line for a first and goal with 2:20 left.

3:05 - Josh Vaughan scores on a one-yard touchdown on fourth and goal with 1:38 left in the contest. The PAT makes the score 33-13, effectively ending the season for the Black and Gold and its quest for Four.

3:15 PM - Edwards attempts another pass toward the end zone in the final minute and Williams picks up his third interception of the game. Richmond goes on to run out the clock and pick up the win to advance to the semifinals. Final score 33-13. A great season for the Apps comes up short of its goal of a national title. Congratulations to the Black and Gold. That's it from Kidd Brewer for 2008. We'll be back in a new indoor press box in 2009! Thanks for following the Blog!

Vols Send Fulmer Out In Style

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

Knoxville, TN- For a month, Phillip Fulmer knew Saturday night would be his last game. His Tennessee Volunteer football squad made sure he went out a winner, even though he wasn’t ready to leave just yet.

"This has been a really tough year and a particularly tough month,” Coach Phillip Fulmer said. “This group of kids is special. Every group I've had for my 17 years has been special. They have their own uniqueness about them. I don't want to sit here and rattle on. We've had a great run. I wasn't really ready for it to end, but it probably ended about as well as it could. With the emotions, to get the `W,' we finished up in a really positive way.”

Tennessee used a late first half touchdown to take the lead, and never gave it up the rest of the game as they took the 28-10 victory.

Tennessee with the victory pushed their winning streak over Kentucky to 24 games, and also kept Tennessee and Ohio State to not suffer eight loss seasons in program history.

After Jonathon Crompton scored on a one yard dive with little time remaining in the first half, the Vols came out in the second half with an impressive offensive display.

On the third play of the half, Crompton hit Denarius Moore for a 63-yard touchdown pass. Later in the half, Tennessee carried the ball on every play for 80 yards until Lennon Creer ran into the end zone from five yards out.

With less than six minutes remaining in the game, Gerald Jones ran 55 yards, but stepped out on the Kentucky 1-yard line. However, Jones’ number was called a few players later as he ran into the end zone to push the UT lead to 28-3.

Crompton was 6 of 8 passing for 101 yards with one touchdown. Jones had 67 yards rushing, and one touchdown also. Creer had 24 yards and a touchdown, while safety Eric Berry averaged 8.7 yards a carry for a total of 26 yards on six carries.

For Tennessee, it was a night full of emotion as it was Senior Night in addition to being Fulmer’s last contest as coach of the Vols. Fulmer leaves the Tennessee program as the second winningest coach behind General Robert Neyland with a record of 152-52. UT won two SEC championships and the 1998 National Title under Fulmer.

Fulmer participated in the traditional Senior Day activities, and made his last trip through the famous “T” after the senior players. After the game, the players carried Fulmer into the locker room.

"I feel like that's the way a legend should go out, on top,” Volunteer Defensive End Robert Ayers said of carrying Fulmer off the field. “Coach Fulmer is a legend of college football and he is always going to be remembered at the University of Tennessee for being a great guy and a great coach."

Fulmer spent 32 of the past 38 seasons with Tennessee, and was reflective in his post game press conference.

"I've been so blessed,” Fulmer said. “There's just no way to (rank the feeling of this game). I'm sure it's going to take a few days [to sink in]; I guess my wife to kick me out of the house because I don't have anything to do now. To end up with 100 more wins than we've had losses is a really great accomplishment. I've never really brought that up, but that's not done every day. I'm grateful, very, very grateful. Things change. Times change. Sometimes life's not always the way you want it to be. I've accepted that. They've [his players] accepted that."

Tennessee Selects Kiffin to Coach Football Squad

(Courtesy of Tennessee Sports Information)
The University of Tennessee is introducing Lane Kiffin as the 21st head coach in school history during a press conference Monday at 2 p.m. Eastern time in Neyland Stadium's Wolf-Kaplan Center.

Kiffin joins the Vols as the former head coach of the Oakland Raiders and former offensive coordinator at Southern California under head coach Pete Carroll.

During his previous collegiate coaching stint with the Trojans, Kiffin demonstrated strong offensive prowess as an assistant from 2001-04. He was promoted to passing game coordinator in 2004 and served as offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator for 2005 and 2006. USC led the nation in offense in 2005 and in both of his years as recruiting coordinator had the best recruiting classes in the nation. Those efforts helped the Trojans to back-to-back national college football championships and produced two Heisman Trophy winners -- Matt Leinart in 2004 and Reggie Bush in 2005.

"Over the past few weeks, we have been on the road meeting with prospective coaches and talking to some of football's most influential and knowledgeable players and coaches about the future of the Tennessee football program," said UT Athletic Director Mike Hamilton. "We have had unbelievable interest from great coaches. When it was all said and done, we felt like Lane Kiffin was a perfect fit for Tennessee. He's energetic, charismatic, consumed with recruiting and has had a lifelong love affair with football."

Kiffin began his coaching career at his alma mater, Fresno State, working with quarterbacks and wide receivers from 1997-98. He was an assistant at Colorado State in 1999, working with the offensive line, and made his first stop in the NFL as defensive secondary quality control coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2000.

Kiffin was a quarterback at Fresno State for three seasons (1994-96) and earned his bachelor's degree there in 1998.

A native of Bloomington, Minn., Kiffin is married to Layla Reaves Kiffin. They have two daughters: Landry (3) and Pressley (2), and are expecting a third child in January. His father, Monte, is the defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The elder Kiffin, a longtime NFL and collegiate assistant coach, served as North Carolina State's head coach in the early 1980s.

Note: The Avery Journal-Times Blog will have a story from UT's victory over Kentucky available online later this week as well as more on this hire as more information is available.

App-Richmond Kickoff Set for Noon

Courtesy of Appalachian Sports Information

BOONE- Saturday's NCAA Division I Football Championship quarterfinal between No. 2-seeded Appalachian State University and Richmond has been set for noon, the NCAA announced on Sunday. The game will be played at ASU's Kidd Brewer Stadium.

The contest will be televised nationally as part of ESPN's GamePlan package, as well as in local syndication. As local networks carrying the game are confirmed throughout the week, GoASU.com will compile a complete list of outlets where the broadcast can be seen.

Additionally, the game will be shown live on ESPN's ESPN360.com online platform.

For more on Saturday's national quarterfinal, check back shortly to GoASU.com.

AJ-T Sports Live From... HOLMES CONVOCATION CENTER

It's time for part two of our Appalachian Football/Basketball doubleheader as the Appalachian State Mountaineers men's basketball team hosts the Camels of Campbell University. Appalachian is 1-2 on the season, while Campbell is 2-2 on the year.

The Mountaineers have had a week to prepare for the Camels after falling 95-80 at Niagara last Saturday. Donald Sims netted 20 points in last week's loss, and this afternoon's game features the second-highest combined scoring average among all 122 Division 1 games played today across the NCAA at 171.8 combined points per game.

Kellen Brand leads the Mountaineers with a 19.3 ppg scoring average, while Isaac Butts averages 10.3 rpg.

We'll be bringing the action throughout the contest.

5:15 PM - 14:52 left in the opening half. Appalachian opens with a 12-2 spurt to tip off the contest. Five early points from Eduardo Bermudez and four from Isaac Butts pace the Black and Gold, as the team has also dominated on the glass thus far, getting a number of second chance opportunities.

5:20 PM -- 11:57 remaining in the first half and the Mountaineers lead it 17-8. Bermudez with eight points in the early going, Kellen Brand has poured in five as well. Jonathan Rodriguez has four points for Campbell.

Back-to-back 3s by Donald Sims and Jeremi Booth force Campbell to take a 30-second T.O. 25-10 Appalachian has raced out to a strong 15-point edge. They've been quicker to the basketball and forced a number of steals and turnovers.

5:40 PM -- Under 4 minute TV timeout, Appalachian leads 32-18. Butts continues to play strong inside as the Camels have no player his size to match up in the paint. Eight points for the 6'10", 285 pound center to match Bermudez for team lead thus far.

5:50 PM - 38-24 Appalachian leads at halftime. Butts leads the Apps in scoring with 10 points go to with 7 rebounds, with nine points from Bermudez, 5 from Brand, 4 by Booth, 3 points apiece from Wright and Sims, with a pair of points by Williamson, and a point each by Hunter and Webb.

Jonathan Rodriguez leads the Camels with 11 points, with three points by Jabril Bailey, and three players with two points each.

6:20 pm -- The Mountaineers are up 42-30 with 15:41 remaining in the game. App has used some 2-3 zone defense and the Camels have not been able to score from the perimeter with any sort of consistency.

6:30 PM -- Appalachian continues to maintain its double-digit lead at 49-35. ASU held a 27-15 rebounding advantage at halftime and continue to maintain that edge, as second-chance points has helped the team to keep its lead to this point.

Just over 8 minutes remain in the contest and a Campbell 13-7 run has cut the lead to 8 points at 56-48. The margin is the closest the team has come in the second half. Eduardo Bermudez has not been a presence at all in this second half, possibly due to an injury. More information as it becomes available.

6:50 PM -- 63-54 ASU and Campbell asks for timeout. Bermudez had been out an extended period due to a third foul picked up early in the second half. He re-entered the game and has two points on free throws in the half. Isaac Butts also picked up his fourth foul at the 7:00 mark. It will be interesting to see when Coach Fancher decides to bring his big man back into the game.

Final official time out of the contest at 3:56 in the game. Appalachian leads 68-60 as they have not been able to extend the lead. Rodrigues has paced the Campbell team with 22 points in the game.

ASU timeout with 2:10 remaining has the Apps leading 74-64.

7:10 PM -- ASU goes 2 for 2 on the day with a win over Campbell. Final Score: 79-66. App evens its record at 2-2 on the season.

Avery Journal-Times Sports LIVE FROM... Kidd-Brewer Stadium

We're here at ASU for a doubleheader of sports action as the ASU football and basketball teams are in action today.

First off, it's the Mountaineer football squad hosting South Carolina State. We'll be blogging all day from Boone with the latest from the game.
12:10 - App. had the opening possession of the game and drove inside the SCSU 5-yard line, but a fumble turned the ball over to the Bulldogs. SCSU's first pass play was picked off by Mark LeGree to give the Mountaineers the ball at the Bulldogs 45 yard line.

Just 2 plays after getting the ball back, an ill-advised Armanti Edwards pass off balance and off his back foot was intercepted by SCSU to give the Bulldogs their second possession of the game via turnover.

The Bulldogs are able to capitalize on the second gaffe with a 50 yard scoring drive, capped by a touchdown pass of 13 yards to Octavus Darby, putting the Bulldogs on the board first. With 6:29 left in the first period, the Bulldogs are up 7-0 over ASU.

The Mountaineers answer quickly with a 73-yard drive, culminating with a 6-yard passing strike from QB Armanti Edwards to tight end Ben Jorden. The PAT ties it at 7-7 with 3:28 left in the first period.

App forces a SCSU punt on its ensuing drive, giving the Mountaineers back at its own 12. The Mountaineers run two plays for 23 yards to close out the first period. Game tied 7-7. The Apps get inside the Bulldog 10-yard line, but the SCSU defense holds, forcing ASU to settle for a 26-yard Jason Vitaris field goal. 12:44 to go in the half, ASU leads 10-7.

SCSU takes advantage of beginning a drive at its 40 yard line to move 60 yards for a go-ahead touchdown. A 16-yard pass from Long to Darby puts the Bulldogs up 14-10 with just over 8 minutes left in the half.

1:20 PM - The Mountaineers get back on the board to re-take the lead. The teams exchanged punts, then the Apps drove a short field, capping a drive with a 27-yard Edwards TD pass to CoCo Hillary, giving ASU the lead again at 17-14 in this back-and-forth affair. 2:28 left before intermission.

SCSU is held to a three-and-out, with the Mountaineer offense back on the field. Two plays later, Edwards is picked off for the second time in the half. SCSU takes over just inside ASU territory with under two minutes left. A last second heave to the end zone falls incomplete, ending the half with the Mountaineers leading 17-14. Looks like an exciting second half to come.

2:00 PM - Appalachian holds SCSU to a three and out, then scores with its first series on a one-yard run by Edwards, set up by a long pass play. Appalachian leads 24-14 with 8:42 left in the third quarter.

2:20 PM - The Bulldogs drive into ASU territory, but attempt a fourth down conversion pass that falls incomplete, giving the Mountaineers back the football at its own 40 yard line. 4:33 remains in the third quarter with the Mountaineers still leading by 10.

The Mountaineers were held and forced to punt, but Neil Young was unable to get a punt away on a blocked punt. SCSU takes over inside the ASU 15, where the Bulldogs convert with a touchdown run on the very next play. The PAT cuts the lead back to a field goal at 24-21 with 3:34 left in the third quarter. The game has tightened as the rain steadily falls on the stadium.

2:35 PM - Three quarters in the books. ASU 24 SCSU 21 as the game goes into its final 12 minutes with SCSU holding possession at its own 35 yard line.

SCSU is forced to punt, but ASU can't move the football either and kicks it back to the Bulldogs with 13:07 remaining.

Following an exchange of punts the Mountaineers get a huge third down conversion deep in its own territory on a scramble by Edwards who found TJ Courman to move the chains. The play sparked the Black and Gold, as they marched downfield with the running of Robert Welton and a pair of passes. Edwards found Quick for a touchdown pass on third and goal to add to the ASU lead, making the score 31-21 with 7:21 left in the contest.

On SCSU's ensuing possession, a fumble was caused by the App defense, and Jacque Roman fell on the football to give the Mountaineer offense the ball at the Bulldogs 30 yard line. App moved the football inside the 10, but the Bulldogs defense stiffened, forcing ASU to settle for a field goal attempt. ASU tried to fake the attempt with the holder flipping the football to kicker Vitaris, but he was unable to run for the first down yardage, giving the football back to SCSU at its own 8 yard line. 5:14 remains in the contest with ASU leading 31-21.

3:10 PM - South Carolina State moves the football inside ASU territory, but the defense holds SCSU to three straight incompletions to turn the ball over on downs with 1:40 to go. Appalachian picks up a pair of first downs to drive to the SCSU 40 yard line. Appalachian runs the football to force SCSU to use timeouts to stop the clock, but the game is effectively over as the Mountaineers will move on to take on the winner of today's Eastern Kentucky/Richmod game. That contest will be next weekend at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

Following the timeout Edwards finds Brian Quick for a 30-yard touchdown pass with 4.7 seconds remaining. A celebration penalty forced the Apps to kick an extra point from the 25-yard line, but the insurance has been provided as the Mountaineers put an exclamation point on a hard-fought 37-21 win.

After a short intermission, we'll be back on the Blog for coverage of this afternoon's basketball game between Appalachian State and Campbell from the Holmes Center.

BASKETBALL GAMES AT WATAUGA POSTPONED

This evening's scheduled basketball games at Watauga have been postponed due to inclement weather.

The game will be made up as part of a schedule change for the week of December 15-19. Changes to the current schedule are as follows:

Monday, December 15th: Watauga at Avery (previously scheduled for 12/16)
Wednesday, December 17th: Avery at Watauga (make-up of 11/25 ppd. game)
Friday, December 19th: Patton at Avery (as previously scheduled)

Middle School Basketball Roundup

The Cranberry Middle School Boys and Girls both had a tough week as both squads lost their two games against Harris and East Yancey. On Monday, the Wildcats traveled to Harris and the girls squad lost 35-27, while the boys team lost a nail biter 22-21. Thursday evening saw Cranberry host the East Yancey Panthers. The Wildcats lost their second close game as they fell 26-23, while the Lady Wildcats lost 43-15.

The Cranberry girls started the week at Harris, and Kristen Burleson started the game off strong as she scored four of Cranberry’s six first quarter points as they trailed 9-6 at the end of the first quarter. The Lady Wildcats held their own in the second quarter as Dani Carpenter and MaKenzi Hayes both hit key shots. CMS trailed 17-15 entering the third quarter. Burleson once again rose to the occasion as she hit a key 3-pointer and added another bucket. Kota Turbyfill also added two points to keep the Lady Wildcats within striking distance.

However, they could not pull closer as Harris took the victory with a final of 35-27. Burleson led the way for Cranberry with 12 points, while Turbyfill added five points. Katie Rigdon scored four points, while Brittany Clawson, Hayes, and Carpenter each had two points apiece.

On Thursday, the Lady Wildcats fought hard, but the East Yancey Lady Panthers came out on top for the 43-15 victory. Burleson and Rigdon led the Lady Wildcats with six points, while Carpenter added two points and Destiny Pryor chipped in a point.

In boys action, Cranberry started the week off with a strong showing at Harris. Shea Buchanan and Stetson Stafford each scored two points in the opening quarter as CMS trailed 4-7 at the end of the first. In the second quarter, Bryce Pittman scored four points as the Wildcats closed the gap and tied the game at 12 right before halftime.

Pittman continued his hot streak as he scored all six of the Wildcats points in the third quarter. Cranberry held Harris without a point in the fourth quarter, but came up short one point shy of the victory as Harris held on and won 22-21. Pittman was the leading scorer for Cranberry as he had 11 points. Buchanan added six points, and Stafford scored four points for the Wildcats.

Cranberry found itself in another tight game on Thursday night as they hosted East Yancey. The Wildcats jumped out quickly for a 5-4 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second frame, Pittman scored three points while Buchanan chipped in two points, and Alex Manger nailed a 3-pointer to put the Wildcats on top at the half 13-8.

The Panthers managed to hold the Wildcats to four points in the third frame as they chipped the CMS lead down to 17-15. The fourth quarter saw both teams trade the lead in the final minutes; however East Yancey came out on top 26-23.

Pittman led the way for the Wildcats with seven points, and Buchanan added six points. Chandler Austin and Ben Turbyfill scored three points apiece, while Stafford added one point.

Last week, the Avery Middle School Panthers traveled to East Yancey and hosted Bowman. The Lady Panthers swept their games as they won 42-38 over East Yancey and 51-15 over Bowman. The Panthers fell to East Yancey on Monday 31-15, and held on to a 33-30 victory over Bowman.

On Monday, the Lady Panthers traveled to East Yancey, and came home with a 42-38 victory. The Lady Panthers received four points apiece from Lauren Burleson and Megan Dellinger, but trailed by two points entering the second quarter .Kelsey Clarke sparked the Lady Panthers as she hit two 3-pointers in the second quarter, and Brooke Rhodes added four points as Avery Middle pulled within one point at the break.

The third quarter saw the Lady Panthers outscore East Yancey nine to seven, allowing AMS to take a lead into the final period. Sela Pittman scored six points in the fourth to help preserve the Lady Panther victory. Dellinger led the way with 12 points, while Clarke added ten points for the Lady Panthers. Rhodes scored eight points, and Burleson and Pittman added six points.

On Thursday, it was all Avery Middle from the start as they cruised to a 51-15 victory over Bowman. At the end of first quarter, AMS was up 11-1 after starting the game on a 9-0 run, and did not look back the rest of the contest. Ten Lady Panthers scored points during the contest, and was led by Rhodes’ 11 points. Clarke added nine points, while Dellinger tossed in six points. Abigail Vance and Heaton scored five apiece, and Paige Henderson and Burleson scored four points apiece. Pitman added three points while Ginny Leaman and Savannah Perry collected two points apiece.

In boys’ action, the Avery Middle Panthers came up short at East Yancey 31-15. The Panthers hung on tough, but could not keep up in the second half. Chance Watson scored five points, and Dalton Cook added four points. Jordan McClellan, Chase Buchanan, and Rob Wood all scored two points apiece.

The Panthers hosted Bowman on Thursday, and got a much needed victory. Wood scored three points, while Watson and Buchanan added two points apiece to give the Panthers a 7-5 lead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter belonged to Bowman as they roared back and took a two point lead into the locker room at the half. The Panthers outscored Bowman 9-4 in the third quarter, and that gave AMS a three point edge entering the final quarter. Buchanan rose to the occasion as he scored seven points int eh final six minutes for the Panthers to help preserve the three point victory.

Buchanan led the way for the Panthers with 14 points. Watson had nine points on the night, as Wood scored eight points. Cook also scored two points for AMS.

Manis to Lead Avery Men's Varsity Basketball in 2008-09

The Avery men’s varsity basketball team is looking to improve off a three-win effort in 2007-08. With a number of younger players, including three freshmen used on the varsity roster a season ago, a team returns that is hungry for success.

Taking the reins as head coach this season is Bo Manis. Manis has coached the junior varsity team the past several seasons and succeeds veteran head coach Art Williamson on the bench.
Coach Manis recently sat down with the Avery Journal-Times for a one-on-one interview to discuss the upcoming season.

AJ-T: Coach, you’ve had to split your duties between coaching both football and basketball as they overlap at this time of the year. How have practices gone with having a number of potential players still on the football field and unable to get on the basketball court?

Manis: We’ve been working hard and I’m pleased to have as many players out as we have right now. Basically at this point we’re doing a lot of running and conditioning. We have to because we’re small in size and we’ll have to rely a lot on our defense. We’re doing a lot of running to get in shape. We’ll hopefully be ready physically and mentally for our first game. Everything’s going well, and I couldn’t be happier with these kids.

AJ-T: Expectations change from year to year, and the team was only able to get three wins last season. What are some expectations that you have for your team, and things you hope your team can accomplish on the court this year?

Manis: What I hope first is that we work hard. I preach that when you work hard, good things will happen. I can’t really go into discussing numbers of wins or losses because my expectation for each player is to be a better person and someone of character as they continue to grow.

AJ-T: You had the opportunity to coach most of the players this season when they were junior varsity players. Does prior experience and familiarity with your players offer any sort of advantage?

Manis: I think so, because they know where I stand as far as discipline and what I expect from them. They know I want them in shape and they know what I want to run on the court, and they also know how I approach the game. That gives them a head start as players and gives me the same as their coach.

AJ-T: From your point-of-view, does it take some time to get the team to jell together as you have the football players coming in a few practices after the other players who have already been in the gym? How long do you feel it will take those players coming off the football field to adjust to playing basketball?

Manis: It takes some a longer period of time than others. I can remember when I played and making the transition. For some it may take a few days, while others make take a few weeks. It takes different muscles to use in your legs for basketball versus football. Where basketball is constant running, football is run hard, and then stop and you do that over and over. For the guys who are in shape, it won’t affect them greatly. For the football players it may take them a couple of days, but for those players who have played for me, they’ll know what I expect and what they will need to do to get ready to play.

AJ-T: Who do you have helping you on the bench as a staff of assistants, and what do they bring in helping this year’s team?

Manis: Reggie Oakes is helping me as my assistant. I couldn’t ask for anyone better. He has a great basketball background, and we’re also on the same page as far as discipline and conditioning goes. He’s great to work with and he’s helping me tremendously. Reggie has been involved with the players through the Avery Middle School program.

Kent Hayes is also helping as my assistant. He has been coaching players with the Cranberry Middle School program. They both help me as a coach to understand the players better as far as what each player can and cannot do.

These players come from the middle schools and play together as the Avery High School team, and I want the team to understand that they play for each other. Both Reggie and Kent are great to work with and they have great enthusiasm to work with the players and for the game of basketball.

Quest For Four: Apps Set to Host SC State in First Round of FCS Playoffs

Courtesy of Appalachian State Sports Information

Appalachian State University has been tabbed as the No. 2 seed in the 16-team NCAA Division I Football Championship and will begin its drive for a fourth-straight national title versus South Carolina State on Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Kickoff is slated for noon and the contest will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

Like Appalachian, SC State, out of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, posted an overall record of 10-2 in the regular season and earned its conference’s automatic postseason berth with perfect 8-0 league record. SCSU’s only losses came at the hands of FBS foes Central Florida and Clemson.The Bulldogs are led by running back William Ford, who led the MEAC and ranks 12th nationally with 1,382 rushing yards on the season.

Defensively, they rank among the nation’s top six in total defense, scoring defense, passing defense, tackles for loss and sacks. The matchup is only the second ever played between the two schools separated by just 228 miles. In their only other meeting, ASU thumped visiting SC State, 24-0, on Nov. 17, 1984.

Thanks to the No. 2 seed, the Mountaineers will play at home for as long as they’re still standing through the first three rounds of the playoffs. The national-title game is set for Friday, Dec. 19 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Apps have won a 12-consecutive postseason games, including nine in a row at home, en route to their three-straight national titles and have won 41 of their last 42 at home overall.

Tickets are available online now by clicking here and can also be purchased in person at the ASU athletics ticket office in the Holmes Center or by phone at (828) 262-2079 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Wednesday and Friday of this week. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $15 for children ages 3-12 and $5 for currently enrolled ASU students.

NOTE: Saturday’s ASU men’s basketball game versus Campbell at the Holmes Center will tip off at 5 p.m. in order to enable fans to attend both events while on campus that afternoon.

Appalachian Shakes off Rusty Start, Rolls Over Catamounts

Following a slow two quarters of play at Whitmire Stadium in Cullowee, the Appalachian State Mountaineers pulled away with a strong second half performance by freshman DeAndre Presley to capture the Old Mountain Jug and a 35-10 victory on Saturday.

App's first offensive drive was disastrous as Matt Cline fumbled the ball to give the Catamounts the first break of the game.

Western moved the ball fairly well on the ensuing drive but failed to turn their opportunity into points. With 22 seconds left in the first quarter, former Pisgah High School standout Zack Jaynes crossed the goal line for a one-yard score and a 7-0 lead.

Following WCU's scoring drive, the Mountaineers were forced into several three and outs before ASU reserve quarterback DeAndre Presley got into an offensive rhythm. A 10 play, 52-yard Mountaineer scoring drive was capped by a three-yard scamper to the right side to tie the score at seven. Western answered with a field goal to take a 10-7 lead into halftime.

The second half was a different story as the Mountaineers stepped up. Presley led the Black and Gold to 28 unanswered points in the final two quarters, showing glimpses of brilliance that have been evident at times throughout his first season as an App. Presley hit tight end Ben Jorden for a 17-yard touchdown strike as part of 156-yard throwing performance on 16 of 25 passing. The emergence of the freshman allowed the Appalachian coaches to keep a recovering Armanti Edwards on the sidelines without further risking injury.

The Mountaineer defense was stingy all game ling, holding a weak Western Carolina offense to 72 yards of total offense on the afternoon, including minus-two yards total on the ground. WCU's only success on offense game in the passing game, but only for a paltry 74 yards.

ASU forced Jaynes into a poor day, as he completed only five of 26 attempts for 63 yards. In the process, ASU sacked the Catamount signal caller five times, and added one more later in the game, with defensive end Lanston Tanyi posting 2.5 sacks in the contest and his counterpart, Jabari Fletcher added 1.5 sacks. Led by Pierre Banks' 11 tackles, the linebackers were once again strong shutting down anything across the middle - both the pass and rush. D.J. Smith and Jacque Roman followed Banks' lead, clogging running lanes all night and hurrying Jaynes out of the pocket consistently. The ASU secondary also had a busy day, but responded nicely containing Western's experienced receiving corps.

Appalachian racked up a total of 382 total yards of offense, with 224 on the ground. The Mountaineers await its first opponent for the 2008 FCS playoffs with Selection Sunday tomorrow afternoon.

SCHEDULE CHANGES FOR AVERY WRESTLING, BASKETBALL

The Avery wrestling home dual meet against Draughn High School that was scheduled for Thursday evening has been rescheduled to Friday, November 21st at 6 p.m.

Avery Middle School and Cranberry Middle School will each be hosting Toe River Conference girls and boys basketball games this evening.

Avery Basketball has a few changes of note to its regular season schedule:

Avery's contests against Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (Dec. 12 and Jan. 2) will both be VARSITY ONLY. The home game in December will begin at 6 p.m., with the road game beginning at 5 p.m.

In addition, the non-conference home game against Cloudland on January 27th is VARSITY ONLY.

Top Ranked Heels Rout Wildcats

Without the services of starters Tyler Hansrough or Marcus Ginyard, the North Carolina Tar Heels raced to an early lead of double digits and never looked back in a 77-58 victory before a capacity crowd at the Dean E. Smith Center on Tuesday night.

Carolina scored 15 of the first 17 points of the contest and took a 25-6 edge on an acrobatic alley-oop play from point guard Ty Lawson to teammate Wayne Ellington.

The Heels defense wreaked havoc on the visiting Wildcats on every trip down the floor, forcing six turnovers in the game's first five minutes en route to a 41-25 halftime lead.

"We had a fantastic 10 ten or 12 minutes, our defense was really aggressive with the intensity that we had hoped," Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams said following the win.

The offensive juggernaut of the evening was Deon Thompson. who tallied 14 of his team-high 20 points in the first stanza.

"I think I've just been doing the things that I've been doing over the summer. I guess I have just a little bit more of an opportunity with Tyler [Hansbrough] out of there and just taking advantage and not really trying to force anything," Thompson said post-game. "I think the way I've been scoring and getting rebounds has just been coming in the flow of our whole offense, just being in the right spot. So, I don't think I'm trying to force anything."

Kentucky had 17 turnovers in the first half and totalled 28 in all. "We're just making too many mental errors, even though it's the second game of the season against a really good team and really well organized team and fine executing team. You can't make the mistakes that we made like picking the dribble up, not being strong with the ball, getting destroyed on the offensive ball," Kentucky head coach Billy Gillispie said after the game. "Our transition defense had too many mistakes with guys who didn't communicate well enough."

If there was a negative point to Tuesday's win, it was that freshman Tyler Zeller, filling in for Hansbrough, injured his wrist after a hard foul by Kentucky's Ramon Harris. Zeller left the game and was taken to the hospital for x-rays. "It doesn't give us a good feeling right now," Coach Williams said in the media room following the game.

Thompson led three Heels in double-figures, including 16 points (3 of 5 on 3 point FG) by Ellington, and 11 from Lawson. Freshman Ed Davis added nine points and ten rebounds. Carolina travels to Hawaii for the EA Sports Maui Invitational Tournament, but makes a stop to take on UC-Santa Barbara on Friday at 10 PM EST on ESPNU.

Avery Winter Sports Schedules announced

The Avery High School wrestling schedule as well as the men's and women's basketball schedules have been released. Click the links below to access the schedules:


2008-09 Basketball Schedule


2008-09 Wrestling Schedule

Lady Vikings Basketball Hosts McDowell in Home Scrimmage

The 2008-09 Avery Lady Vikings varsity and junior varsity squads played before the home folks for the first time on Thursday night in a scrimmage at Viking Gym against the Lady Titans of McDowell High School.

Avery’s varsity team took the floor first for two 10-minute sessions with running clock, followed by the junior varsity teams squaring off in a pair of 10-minute periods.

The varsity teams again retook the floor to close the evening’s festivities, this time for five consecutive 10-minute sessions. The teams kept track of team fouls and took foul shots in the last 10-minute block of time for extra practice on those particular drills.

If Thursday’s scrimmage is any indication, this year’s version of the Avery ladies basketball teams will be as formidable, if not more so, than its predecessors from the previous handful of seasons, among the best in school history.

“We were a little nervous early, but I was really proud of the team,” junior varsity head coach Pat Daniels said after watching his team scrimmage. “We have three sophomores in Mercedes Bentley, Mary Chesnut Smith, and Logan Johnson, and they all played really well with several steals. They’ve stepped up as leaders. The freshmen looked really good, particularly Megan Tennant and Brooke Buchanan down in the post.”

The junior varsity appears poised to continue its consecutive string of conference championships with a strong class of eight newcomers to add to the three veteran players on the roster.

“I believe this is one of our best freshmen classes we’ve seen come through Avery. Savannah Dellinger is starting at our point guard, and Lacey Barrier is also a good point guard. We have several great hustling players like Emily Pritchard and Shayna Vance. Brooke Buchanan had been sick and missed a lot of practice, but she still played well in the time she was on the floor.”

Avery’s varsity club worked hard to correct errors that took place during its first scrimmage the previous weekend at Draughn High School, where the team admittedly committed a greater number of turnovers than they wanted. “We did correct many of our previous errors,” Lady Vikings varsity head coach Missy Lyons remarked following the scrimmage. “But we still need to work on passing and need to come together as a team more.”

Although there are areas that need work as the season is in its infancy, the coach was pleased with several facets of the team’s play and with a number of her players.

“I was very happy with the hustle and effort of all three of my post players, Katie Ellis, Katelynn Eudy, and Sara Wiseman. I was also pleased to see Megan Tennant coming in and giving us a boost at the post.”

The scrimmage was a good barometer of where the team is on the court as it prepares for the upcoming season opener on November 25th at Watauga.

“McDowell is a premiere team, and to be able to compete with them is a success, especially this early in the season,” Coach Lyons added. “Lauren Avery is giving us depth at the guard position, and Elyse Perry came in and shot the ball well. We need our senior guards to continue directing the court and being leaders on the floor, and I feel that will bring our game together.”

All-Stars Strut Their Volleyball Skills

On Saturday, November 8, 2008, the Greensboro Sportsplex in Greensboro, NC was booming with talent of senior volleyball players from across North Carolina. Each conference had the opportunity to showcase its outstanding seniors in one last high school event.

This year there was a total of 30 conferences competing, the largest in the past two years. The tournament was set up so each team played two 25-point games, with no third game tie breaker within their pool. The showcase allowed college coaches and recruiters to watch these talented young ladies in action against the best of the best. Some took the time to speak with the athletes to garner their interests in the college they represented.

“Each year there is more and more interest in the showcase from each conference,” stated Trevor Hewitt, director of the Sportsplex Volleyball Club. “First I want to thank Omega Sports and Crocs for making the event a success! Also Alps Screen-printing did another great job on the shirts! Without the help of Omega Sports, who sponsored the event for the second straight year, this event would not be possible. Secondly, I want to thank all the conference coaches who took the time to answer all my emails, and really buy in and support this event. It is these coaches who really take the necessary steps to get their conferences to select a team and then get to the Greensboro Sportsplex for the all-star festival, and give up their Saturdays to coach in the event.”

The Western Highlands Conference, comprised of Avery, Hendersonville, Madison, Mitchell, Mountain Heritage, Owen, and Polk High Schools, had the opportunity to have ten very talented seniors represent our conference this year.

Avery was represented by libero Rachel Buchanan and outside hitter/ right side hitter Katie Ellis. Madison was represented by outside hitter Laurel Gregg. From Mountain Heritage came outside hitter Lacey Blevins, right side hitter/ setter Alli Huskins, defensive specialist Carleigh Fox, and middle blockers Courtney Huskins and Landrie Fox. Polk sent setter Kaitlin Franks and middle blocker/outside hitter Denise Edwards.

The coaches this year were head coach Becky Morris, assisted by Ivy Gregg, both from Madison High School. The team was fortunate to have two workouts on Sunday afternoons in order to prepare for the event.

“The workouts gave us the opportunity to play as one and to be successful against our competition this past Saturday,” explained Coach Morris. The work paid off as the team went 3-1-1 against teams from 1A, 3A, and 4A conferences. They swept the Super Six 1A Conference (Team A), Queen City 3A/4A Conference (Team A & Team B), split with the Greater Neuse River 4A Conference team, and lost to the MECA 7 4A Conference team.

“The girls did an amazing job. They did not let the bigger size school conferences intimidate them. They stay focused, concentrated on the task at hand, and played as a team. They represented our conference with great pride,” boasted Coach Morris.

Katie Ellis of Avery High School did a remarkable job switching back and forth between outside hitter and right side hitter. Katie, who is being recruited already by Lenior-Rhyne College and Lees-McRae College, was approached on Saturday by Montreat College recruiters about her outstanding playing ability as well. She is also interested in attending Appalachian State and The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

“Katie possesses the ability, mechanics, and the leadership to contribute wonderfully to any coach’s program at the collegiate level. I enjoyed coaching her through the all-star event,” stated Coach Morris. Katie capped the day off with 36 service points, 10 aces, two assists, 16 kills, 12 digs, and two blocks.

Rachel Buchanan, also of Avery High School, did an excellent job as our lead libero. The libero is a designated back-row player, intended to be used as a ball-control specialist. Rachel is considering Appalachian State, Wake Forest University, and East Tennessee State to continue her education.

“She might have been the smallest player on the team, but don’t let her size fool you!” Coach Morris stated. “She moves with ease and grace. She possesses range on the court and excellent ball control. No matter how hard or how soft the ball was hit, she recovered it and held her own against the overpowering teams we faced. She was a great asset to our team and did a wonderful job.” Rachel finished the day with two service points and 15 digs.

Congratulations to the senior class of 2009 all-stars who represented the Western Highlands Conference with such greatness and achieved so much.