WHC Semi #3: Mitchell holds on to defeat Upset-Minded Lady Cougars

In game 3 of the evening, the top-seeded Lady Mountaineers of Mitchell defeated the #4 seed Mountain Heritage by a 40-31 final score. Mitchell led in a defense-driven first half by the score of 17-16.

Heritage led 20-19 early in the third quarter, but an 11-3 Mitchell run in the final three and a half minutes of the third period built a 30-22 lead. A buzzer-beater by Heritage brought the Lady Cougars within five at 30-25 at the end of the third period.

Mountain Heritage had open looks inside the paint, but came up short on multiple opportunities early in the final quarter. A basket from Danielle Ayers midway through the fourth cut the lead to a pair at 32-30, but five straight points from Laken Norris keyed an 8-1 Mitchell run to close the game.

Mitchell moves on to the final to take on the Avery Lady Vikings in the varsity girls championship on Friday. The final boys semifinal of the night between #2 Mountain Heritage and #3 Mitchell is coming up next!

WHC Game 2: Madison- Hendersonville -- Patriots Move On

7:00 PM - Madison has defeated Hendersonville by a final score of 85-77. A pair of Hendersonville players fouled out late in the game as Madison held upwards of a 15-point lead for much of the contest. The Patriots move on to the championship to take on the winner of the final game of the evening between Mitchell and Mountain Heritage.

The girls are on the court warming up for the Mountain Heritage/Mitchell girls semifinal contest. The winner takes on the Lady Vikings in tomorrow evening's title game. WKYK-940 AM from Burnsville is in the building providing live radio coverage of the final two games of the night, and can be tuned in online

The Mitchell/Mountain Heritage boys game will wrap up the evening of semifinal action.

WHC Game #1: Avery vs. Polk County Girls

The Western Highlands Conference Tournament is being held in Big Red Country tonight and tomorrow night. Tonight, we have a full slate of varsity action, with the Lady Vikings tipping off first against Polk County at 4:00.

4:25: The games have begun and the Lady Vikings have started off impressively. With 5:45 remaining in the 2nd, Avery leads 23-16. It has been a tough physical game so far. Keep checking back for more information on the contest.

5:00: The third quarter is wrapped up as Avery has a commanding 27 point lead with the Lady Vikings lead 67-40. It has been a gutsy performance for Avery. We will have stats online shortly after the game. Barring a major comeback, the Lady Vikings will face the winner of Mitchell and Mountain Heritage at 7:00pm tomorrow. The Lady Viking JV squad secured a berth in tomorrow's championship night as they will face Madison at 4:00pm in Big Red Country. Stay tuned!

5:30: Game 1 is in the books and the Avery Lady Vikings have moved on with a 87 to 60 victory. Avery jumped out to a quick 21-8 lead at the end of the first quarterbefore Polk went on a tear and closed the gap to 23-16 with 5:40 remaining in the first half. Avery went on a 21-8 tear after that point to take a 44 to 24 lead into the locker room. In the second half, the Lady Vikings kept that pace up as they continued to dominate the contest. Polk County's leading player KiKi Miller got in early foul trouble as she did not play in the second half and did not score. Avery had four players in double figures and nine players score. The Vikings weere lead by Katie Ellis' 19 points, Katelynn Eudy 17points, Sara Wiseman 14 points, and Allison Vance 12 points. Ellis also had 14 rebounds, three steals and assists, and 1 block. Eudy added nine rebounds. Polk was led by Toya Twitty's 18 points and Kaitlin Franks' 14 points. The Lady Vikings move on where they will await the winner of Mitchell-Mountain Heritage. They will tipoff in game three tomorrow evening at 7:00.


Polk 8 16 16 20- 60
Avery 21 23 23 20- 87

Polk 60
Hemphill 2, Franks 14, Mazzilli 4, Edwards 13, McDowell 6, Price 2, Twitty 18, Godsey 1

Avery 87
Avery 5, Singleton 5, Perry 3, Vance 12, Shook 8, Ellis 19, Tennent 4, Eudy17, Wiseman 14

WALL TO WALL WHC TOURNEY COVERAGE TODAY with The AJT!

Avery High School plays host to this year's Western Highlands Conference varsity basketball tournament semifinals and varsity and JV championship games. Thursday is Varsity day at Viking Gym with four exciting matchups in men's and women's action, and look no further than the AJ-T Sports Blog as your first-hand source for all things WHC.

It's ladies first at 4 p.m. as the #2 seed Avery will have home court advantage as it takes on #3 seed Polk County with a tourney title game berth on the line. The men take the floor next at approximately 5:30 pm as #4 seed Hendersonville plays top-seeded Madison.

Tonight's evening session will be dominated by two schools. At approximately 7 p.m. rivals #4 seed Mountain Heritage takes on top-seeded and state ranked Mitchell in ladies action. The varsity boys teams from the two schools will hook up in the night cap, as #3 seed Mitchell takes on #2 seed Mountain Heritage.

We'll have the final score and recap of the Avery girls game posted shortly after the game's conclusion, and will be posting score updates and game recaps for the other semifinal matchups throughout the afternoon and evening.

To get your fix of WHC Tournament information, keep your browser connected with us here at THE DEFINITIVE SOURCE for 2009 Western Highlands Conference Basketball Tournament information!

Polk County/Avery WHC Semifinal Preview

The #2 seed Avery Lady Vikings will take on the #3 seed Polk County Lady Wolverines in a Western Highlands Conference semifinal matchup this afternoon at 4 p.m. in Viking Gym. Avery defeated Hendersonville 79-41 in first round action, while Polk County defeated Madison 62-61 on Monday evening. Kaitlin Franks scored a team-high 20 points and Kiki Miller hit the final two of her 13 points for the game on a go-ahead basket with one second remaining to send the Lady Wolverines into today's matchup. Denise Edwards scored 11 in the win.

Breaking Down Today's Matchup:

First Meeting (January 9, 2009 Columbus, NC): Avery 55, Polk County 62

Score By Qtr: 1 2 3 4 F
Avery 10 15 21 9 55
Polk 12 17 13 20 62

Turnovers: Avery: 27 Polk: 18

FT: Avery: 6/17 (35.2%) Polk: 24/32 (75.0%)

Individual Statistics:
Avery: Katelynn Eudy: 14 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals
Lauren Avery: 8 points, 3 rebounds
Allison Vance: 8 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds
Katie Ellis: 8 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks (fouled out)
Samantha Shook: 7 points, 4 rebounds (fouled out)

Polk: Kiki Miller: 25 points, 13 rebounds (13/16 FT)
Kaitlin Franks: 14 points
Denise Edwards: 12 points, 9 rebounds

Storyline: A four-point Avery lead after three quarters was erased by Polk County. Kiki Miller was dominant in the post as two Avery starters fouled out in the final period, including Katie Ellis. 27 Avery turnovers led to Avery’s first conference loss of the season.
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Second Meeting (February 9, 2009 Newland, NC): Polk County 61, Avery 78

Score By Qtr: 1 2 3 4 F
Polk 14 11 12 24 61
Avery 18 21 20 19 78

Turnovers: Polk: 22 Avery: 31

FT: Polk: 20/35 (71.4%) Avery: 26/34 (76.5%)

Individual Statistics:
Polk: Kiki Miller: 22 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals (16/18 FT)
Denise Edwards: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists
Kaitlin Franks: 7 points (fouled out)
Haley Price: 7 points, 2 rebounds, 3 steals

Avery: Allison Vance: 18 points, 4 assists (4/4 FT)
Katie Ellis: 18 points, 18 rebounds, 5 blocks, 5 steals, 3 assists (6/7 FT)
Katelynn Eudy: 12 points, 8 rebounds (6/9 FT)
Samantha Shook: 12 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals (6/6 FT)

Storyline: Avery outscores Polk 14-2 to close first half to take 14-point halftime lead. The Vikings opened the second half with an 11-3 run to build 22-point advantage and cruised to the win.

JV Girls Advance to Tournament Final; JV Boys Fall in Semis

The Avery junior varsity basketball teams traveled to Madison High School this evening for the semifinal round of the Western Highlands Conference Tournament.

Avery's boys junior varsity squad took to the floor to take on the Mountain Heritage Cougars and played with poise and control. The Big Red was in command for a vast majority of the contest, leading after one period by a score of 7-4 and led by a half dozen at 18-12 at halftime.

Head coach Reggie Oakes' squad played with discipline as it led 24-20 after three quarters, but the Cougars defense managed to keep the top-seeded Heritage team in the contest long enough for the offense to get untracked. A Heritage 9-0 run over the first 3:00 of the fourth quarter allowed the Cougars to tie the Vikings at 24-24 with 4:50 to go, then eventually took the lead over the Big Red on the scoreboard with 4:30 left in the contest.

The Cougars preserved its lead for the remainder of the game by playing stingy defense throughout the evening, a defense that prevented Avery from running away with the contest in the early portion of the semifinal, then forced a number of turnovers from the Vikings and prevented them from mounting a comeback. Heritage held on in the game's waning minutes to emerge victorious by the final score of 37-28. Mountain Heritage will square off in the JV boys championship game against Mitchell, who defeated Hendersonville 64-49 in the other JV boys semifinal matchup from Wednesday.

Although the JV boys did not advance to Friday's tourney final, the team has played with loads of determination and heart, improving by great strides over the course of the season and have much to be proud of. Congratulations to the Avery Vikings junior varsity boys basketball squad for a tremendous season!

Avery's Lady Vikings took the floor following the boys and were victorious over Polk County by the final score of 49-27 to advance to Friday afternoon's tournament championship game in Newland.

Sophomore forward Mary Chesnut Smith led all Avery scorers with 12 points in the win. Mercedes Bentley added ten points, Lacey Barrier started for Savannah Dellinger who was out due to illness and tallied nine points. Emily Pritchard added six, with points each from Logan and Shayna, and two points from Monica Estep to round out the Lady Vikings offensive attack.

Avery's junior varsity girls team has won thirteen consecutive conference contests on the season and will look to extend its streak of conference tournament championships on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. in Viking Gym. The Lady Vikings will take on Madison, who defeated Mountain Heritage 48-39 in Marshall on Wednesday.

Special Thanks to Serena Smith for information used in compiling this post.

Tennessee District 1A Pairing Annouced

On Wednesday, the pairings were announced for the District 1A. In the girls bracket, there was a 3-way tie between Cloudland, North Greene, and Hampton for first while the boys bracket saw a two way tie between Cloudland and University High for the second seed. The seeds were drawn out. The games are scheduled to be at Chuckey-Doak High School.

(Girls)
Friday, Feb. 20
6:00 (4) Unaka vs. (5) University High

Saturday, Feb. 21
4:00 (1) Cloudland vs. Unaka/University High Winner
7:00 (2) North Greene vs. (3) Hampton

Monday, Feb. 23
6:00 Consolation
7:30 Championship

Boys

Friday, Feb. 20
7:30 (4) Unaka vs. (5) North Greene

Saturday, Feb. 21
5:30 (1)Hampton vs. Unaka/North Greene Winner
8:30 (2) Cloudland vs. (3) University High

Tuesday, Feb. 24
6:00 Consolation
7:30 Championship

Junior Varsity Girls and Boys in Tournament Action Tonight

Both the junior varsity girls and boys teams from Avery will be on the hardwood this evening at Madison High School in semifinal games of this week's Western Highlands Conference Tournament.

Avery's 4th-seeded junior varsity boys team which upended the Madison Patriots 50-48 in Newland Monday afternoon, squares off in Marshall with the top-seeded Mountain Heritage Cougars. Avery upset Heritage in JV boys action just last week in Newland. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 pm.

Immediately after the boys game, the Avery JV girls, who are riding a 12-0 conference record and string of four consecutive conference tournament championships, will square off with Polk County.

Scores and information from both games in Marshall will be posted promptly following this evening's contests.

Vikings Battle to End in Conference Tourney Loss to Cougars

The Avery men's varsity basketball team made the opening round game of the Western Highlands Conference Tournament at Mountain Heritage interesting Monday night, but the taller and more experienced Cougars team withstood a great effort by the Vikings to advance to the tournament semifinals with a 66-56 win in Burnsville.

Monday night's version of the Vikings looked nothing like the team that was blown out by over 40 points the last time the team stepped foot on the Cougars' home floor. Avery moved the basketball around and out-hustled Heritage through the first quarter of play. Sophomore Colton Blackburn scored seven points in the first period to help Avery to a 15-9 lead after one period of action.

The Cougars grabbed their first lead of the game midway through the second quarter as part of an 11-1 scoring run that propelled them to a 32-24 lead with 1:50 left before halftime and eventual 38-31 halftime advantage.

Avery cut the lead to as little as three points at 44-41 with 4:52 left in the third quarter, but Heritage regrouped to score five straight points and extend its advantage back to eight. A basket by the Big Red in the final ten seconds of the period drew the Vikings within six at 49-43 after three quarters.

Mountain Heritage won the battle on the boards in the second half to extend possessions and create second and third shot opportunities. Steven Wilson and John Cannon were the primary recipients, using their height advantage to pull in 20 rebounds between them for the evening. Seven different Heritage players scored in the final stanza, with five points off the bench from Drew Letterman.

Avery looked to rally with the shooting of Dustin Clarke. The sophomore guard scored 13 of his game-high 23 points in the second half, but Avery could not muster the final run needed to overtake the Cougars.

Kody Hughes was the only other Avery player in double figures with 12 points. Cole Blackburn added nine, while Chase Watson scored six off the bench. The Vikings conclude the tournament with three wins on the season, and with only one senior on the roster and a strong junior varsity roster, the future looks bright for the Big Red to make great strides in 2009-10.

Mountain Heritage advances to play Mitchell, a 74-48 winner over Owen on Monday, in a semifinal matchup at Avery High School on Thursday evening. Fourth-seeded Hendersonville upended #5 seed Polk County by a 75-53 final score to advance to take on top-seeded Madison in the other conference men's tourney semifinal on Thursday night at Avery.

Updated Tournament Brackets

Below are the updated Western Highlands Conference Tournament brackets following Monday and Tuesday's first round contests. Click on an image below for a larger version.

Lady Vikings Rout Hendersonville; Advance to Semis

The Avery Lady Vikings dominated early and often in blitzing the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats by a final score of 79-41.

Through the first quarter the Lady Vikings worked to seize momentum. Katelynn Eudy scored six points in the opening eight minutes to pace Avery to a 16-6 lead by period's end. Avery outscored Hendersonville 18-7 over the opening five minutes of the second quarter to build a 34-13 lead.

By halftime a trio of Lady Vikings: Eudy, Katie Ellis, and Samantha Shook, had all reached double-figures scoring in assuming a commanding 43-19 halftome lead. Brooks Walz led the Lady Bearcats with 12 first half points.

Avery continued its scoring barrage with 16 points in the third quarter. Six different Lady Vikings scored in the quarter as the Big Red led 59-32 at the end of three stanzas and closed the tournament win in style with a 20-9 scoring run in the final eight minutes. Avery had seven players score in the final quarter and every player had scored by game's end.


It was a balanced scoring effort for Avery in the win. Katie Ellis finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, and five steals. Samantha Shook scored 13, with ten from Katelynn Eudy.

Allison Vance had a terrific all-around night with eight points, six rebounds, three steals, and nine assists. Lauren Avery also netted six for the victorious Lady Vikings. Walz finished with 19 points for Hendersonville.

In the other Western Highlands Conference tournament games Monday night, #3 seed Polk County defeated #6 seed Madison 62-61. Kiki Miller hit a layup with two seconds to play on an assist from Denise Edwards to lift Polk to the Western Highlands Conference tournament win over Madison.

Miller finished with 13 points, while Kaitlin Franks led third-seeded Polk with 20. Edwards added 11 points for the Wolverines, who led until No. 6 Madison took a 47-46 lead in the fourth quarter - teams combined for 48 points in the final period.

Heather Jenkins poured in 25 points for Madison, including a basket with six seconds left to play. Torri Whitaker added 19.

Fourth seeded Mountain Heritage defeated #5 seed Owen 66-65 in double overtime. Owen came-from-behind to force overtime and the teams were forced to additional basketball as overtime also finished tied. Mountain Heritage had a chance to win the game in regulation and overtime but couldn't convert on a long-range heave at the horn either time.

The Cougars (11-13) outscored Owen 15-4 in the second overtime. Mountain Heritage had four players in double figures, including Jessica Ledford (16), Kayla Shepherd (14), Courtney Huskins (13) and Landry Fox (10).

Kourtney Burchfield paced Owen with a game-high 21 points, while Stephanie Jones scored 13. Owen trailed 25-22 at the break.

Avery will host Polk County in one semifinal game at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

Earlier in the evening, the Avery JV boys won a thrilling 50-48 game. Timmy Stewart hit a pair of free throws in the waning seconds to put the game on ice. Avery will now play in the Western Highlands JV Tournament semifinals on Thursday at Madison High School.

Vikings Lose Three of Four at Mitchell; Conference Tournament Brackets Set

***UPDATE***

Avery's Junior Varsity boys team and Lady Vikings varsity girls team will host a Conference Tournament Doubleheader THIS EVENING. The JV boys will take the court at 5:30 PM to host the Madison Patriots in the first round of the JV boys Western Highlands Conference tournament.

The Avery Lady Vikings will begin its defense of their Western Highlands Conference Tournament championship this evening when they host the #7 Hendersonville Lady Bearcats.


Previous Meetings:
Avery defeated Hendersonville 74-31 in their first meeting in Newland, and swept the regular season series with an 85-55 win in Hendersonville.

Key Players:
Hendersonville Lady Bearcats:
Brooks Walz - 15 ppg, 3 rpg in two meetings vs. Avery this season
Lydia Stoney: 17 points in second meeting with Avery (DNP in first meeting)
Alexis Hubert: 5 ppg, 3 rpg, 2 spg in two meetings vs. Avery this season

Avery Lady Vikings:
Katie Ellis: 19 ppg, 14 rpg, 3 spg, 2.5 apg, 3 blocks/per game in two meetings v. Hendersonville this season
Allison Vance: 11.5 ppg, 2 rpg, 7 spg, 6 apg in two meetings v. Hendersonville this season
Katelynn Eudy: 12 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3 spg, 2.5 blocks/game in two meetings v. Hendersonville this season
Samantha Shook: 9 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.5 spg, 2.5 apg in two meetings v. Hendersonville this season.
Sara Wiseman: 10 ppg, 9 rpg, 3.5 blocks/gm. in two meetings v. Hendersonville this season.
Megan Tennant: 5.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg in two meetings v. Hendersonville this season.

The Avery Vikings traveled to Ledger Friday night for the regular season finale against the Mitchell Mountaineers.

In JV girls action, Avery defeated Mitchell 42-33 to finish the regular season undefeated in conference at a perfect 12-0. Avery gets a first round bye in this week's conference tournament, and will play at Madison on Thursday evening against an opponent yet to be determined.

The JV boys fell 61-36 at Mitchell to snap a four-game conference winning streak. Avery finishes the conference season with a 6-6 mark and will be the higher seed in its first round conference tournament matchup next week.

The Avery Lady Vikings fell 50-39 at Mitchell Friday night to finish the regular season with a 15-9 record overall and a 9-3 mark in conference play. Allison Vance led Avery with 12 points in the game, with nine from Samantha Shook. Laken Norris led Mitchell with 21 points.

Avery's varsity boys team played a hard-fought game but fell 70-65 at Mitchell in an entertaining game Friday night. Dustin Clarke poured in 27 points with eight rebounds and three steals to lead all scorers, with 12 points, five rebounds, and three steals from Joey Potter and 10 from Colton Blackburn.

The brackets for the Western Highlands Conference varsity basketball tournaments are now set with the following schedule:

BOYS Bracket:

Tuesday's games:
No. 7 Avery County at No. 2 Mountain Heritage, 7 p.m.
No. 6 Owen at No. 3 Mitchell, 7 p.m.
No. 5 Polk County at No. 4 Hendersonville, 7 p.m.

Thursday's games:
Hendersonville-Polk County winner vs. No. 1 Madison, 5:30 p.m.
Mountain Heritage-Avery County winner vs. Mitchell-Owen winner, 8:30 p.m.

Friday's game: Championship, 8:30 p.m. at Avery

GIRLS Bracket:

Monday's games:
No. 7 Hendersonville at No. 2 Avery County, 7 p.m.
No. 6 Madison at No. 3 Polk County, 7 p.m.
No. 5 Owen at No. 4 Mountain Heritage, 7 p.m.

Thursday's games:
Hendersonville-Avery County winner vs. Madison-Polk County winner, 4 p.m.
Owen-Mountain Heritage winner vs. No. 1 Mitchell, 7 p.m.

Friday's game:
Championship game, 7 p.m. at Avery

Avery Receiver Childress Inks with Mars Hill College

Avery Vikings senior gridiron standout Chris Childress will be playing football at the college level this fall, as he has signed to play college football for Mars Hill College.

Childress shined as a quarterback and wide receiver for the Vikings on offense, while also excelling as a defensive back with four interceptions for Avery this past season. He takes his skills to the next level, joining head coach Tim Clifton’s team at Mars Hill College.

“I’m looking forward to Mars Hill. It’s the only school that I sent tape to, and I’ve heard a lot of great things about the school,” Childress said during Monday’s signing day press conference at Avery High School. “Coach (Mars Hill head football coach Tim) Clifton has been impressed with the players that have come from Avery, and how they aren’t afraid to stick their nose in and be hit or deliver a hit to somebody, and he said he’s looking forward to working with me, and I’m really looking forward to working with he and his staff too.”

Childress joins a Lions team that already boasts a pair of Avery players on its roster in Zach Johnson and Trevor Shields, and has just graduated another Avery alumnus in quarterback Ricky Spradling.

Childress looks forward to playing on a Lions team that has shown in the past that it likes to use the passing game. “I’m excited about being part of a passing team. I love catching the ball and making plays, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they lead me to do and perform for them,” Childress added.

Chris was joined at his signing day by parents Danny and Christina Childress, as well as grandmother Mary Alice Childress. Chris’s family are extremely proud of what he has been able to accomplish at Avery and look forward to him continuing his education and playing career at the college level, particularly at a college with the reputation and proximity of Mars Hill.

“We’re really excited for Chris. This has always been something he has wanted to do since second grade, and it will be like old times with Chris playing with some of his Avery teammates,” Chris’s father Danny commented. “He’s worked hard for this and we’re really proud of him. It’s definitely a dream come true for him, and the fact that it is close by also helps a lot.”

“The coaches were impressed with the players that have come from Avery and of how they were like family, and how every kid they’ve ever had from up here have been successful there,” Chris’s mother Christina added. “The coaches were impressed with Chris and what they saw on tape, and are excited and looking forward to having Chris play there.”

The Childress family was appreciative of those who have helped Chris have this opportunity, including Avery Middle School head football coach Donnie Johnson who put his highlight tape together, as well as the Avery High coaches who have helped Chris throughout his high school career.

“I’ve known Chris and his family since he was a little boy, and to see him come through here and work and have a great career has been a neat thing. I’m really proud of him and glad to see him have the opportunity to continue playing on at Mars Hill,” Avery Vikings head football coach Darrell Brewer remarked. “It’s a good complement to our program that Mars Hill has never had a player there that they didn’t like. It goes back to the families in this area and that the coaches know they’re gonna get a dang good football player.”

Childress had a slow start to his senior season and was limited in his football capacities due to an elbow injury sustained in the early summer, but battled back to lead the team in receptions and receiving yards in 2008.

“A lot of kids probably would have hung it up after what he went through. I think the injury had a little effect on play at times this year but he never complained. He worked hard and played right through it,” Coach Brewer stated. “Coach Clifton and those guys will get him in the weight room and put a little weight on him. I believe he’ll be a great fit for them at Mars Hill. They’re excited about how he worked out for them and have told me they were really excited about getting another Avery County boy.”

Childress was proud and appreciative to have the chance to play football for Coach Brewer and his staff at Avery High. “The coaches pushed us and they expect the best out of us. I never expected to be able to go to school to play football, but figured it might be for baseball,” Childress said. “Coach (Donnie) Johnson at the middle school put together a tape for Mars Hill for me, and I figured I’d send it in for the heck of it. They looked at it and liked what they saw.”

Also an outstanding player on the diamond for the Avery baseball team, Childress hopes he might get the opportunity to also try out for the baseball squad for the Lions. “I spoke with the baseball coach and he told me I could walk on there and possibly have a chance to make the team,” Chris explained. “I had a little interest in playing baseball for other schools, but didn’t have the football opportunity that Mars Hill has offered.”

Avery Varsity Girls Earn Sweep; Varsity Boys Comeback Falls Short on Senior Night

On Tuesday evening in Viking Gym the Avery girls varsity basketball squad honored its four senior players for their contributions to the Lady Vikings program. Katie Ellis, Samantha Shook, Sara Singleton, and Allison Vance were each recognized with their families prior to tipoff against a tough Mountain Heritage club. The Lady Vikings overcame the emotion of the evening and was able to pick up their ninth conference win of the season with a 57-51 win.

Avery took a 16-10 lead over the Cougars after one period of play by using similar formula that earned it a 58-53 win over Mountain Heritage in Burnsville earlier in the season. The Lady Vikings kept constant pressure on the Lady Cougars and forced a large number of turnovers. Shook scored five first-quarter points, with four from sophomore Katelynn Eudy.

The stifling defense of the Big Red forced a total of 18 turnovers from Mountain Heritage in the first half of action. Defensive stops meant transition opportunities for the Avery offense, which the Lady Vikings used to outscore Heritage 13-4 in the second quarter for a commanding 29-14 halftime lead.

Avery began the second half with a 6-0 scoring run to build its lead to 21 points, but Mountain Heritage finished the quarter strong. Courtney Huskins scored 10 points in the period to pull the Lady Cougars back to within 15 points at 44-29 as the fourth quarter began.

The Lady Cougars defense tightened in the final eight minutes as the Vikings went cold on offense. Avery was held without a field goal for the entire fourth quarter as the Cougars clawed back into the contest. An 8-2 scoring run in the first 3:30 of the quarter brought the Heritage team within single digits at 46-37.

Foul trouble and turnovers also haunted the Lady Vikings. Katie Ellis fouled out of the game late in the fourth quarter with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while both Allison Vance and Samantha Shook played with four fouls each. Heritage took advantage with its inside duo of Huskins and Taylor Boone. The pair scored 21 second-half points for the Lady Cougars to spark their rally.

Mountain Heritage drew to within six of Avery in the game's final minute and four points in the final seconds, but a 13 of 18 free throw effort by the Lady Vikings preserved their lead and subsequent victory.

Katelynn Eudy led all Avery scorers with 14 points and eight rebounds. Vance also scored 12 for the Lady Vikings with five assists and four rebounds. Shook chipped in with eight points, with seven points from Lauren Avery. The Lady Vikings improved its record to 15-8 overall and 9-2 in conference play.

Avery's varsity boys team capped off Senior Night by honoring its lone senior player Jared Ward prior to tipoff.

The Vikings were blitzed by over 40 points in a road loss to Mountain Heritage in Burnsville, but Tuesday evening was a different story as the Vikings ralled from a double-figure deficit to nearly pull off the win over the conference leading-Cougars. Mountain Heritage held on, however to hold off the upset-minded Big Red 80-70.

Mountain Heritage jumped on Avery in the opening minutes of the game with an 8-3 run. The Cougars (16-5, 10-1 WHC) used their outside shooting to sink four 3-point baskets in the period. Steven Wilson tallied eight points in the quarter to lead the Cougars, while Avery's Dustin Clarke answered with six points in the frame. Mountain Heritage held a 22-10 lead after one period of play.

The Cougars continued to exhibit confidence in its outside scoring with the mindset that their inside height advantage could generate multiple offensive rebounding opportunities. Guard Michael Fender laced a pair of three-pointers in the quarter and Will McCurry hit the third of his three trifectas for the half during the stanza.

Avery in the meantime relied on the hot hand of Clarke who scored 21 points in the first half, including three baskets from behind the arc in the second quarter and the final one coming on a 30-footer off the glass as the halftime horn sounded. Thomas Dellinger came off the bench with a pair of baskets as Avery cut the Heritage lead to 41-32 at halftime.

It became evident as the second half began that Avery was not going to suffer the same fate as the first encounter between the two clubs. The Big Red was not intimidated by the taller Cougars and was willing to fight to the bitter end. Avery outscored the Cougars 17-15 during the third stanza. The Vikings cut the lead to 56-49 going into the final eight minutes of play.

Avery continued to cut into the Mountain Heritage lead into the fourth quarter, while the Cougars looked to its go-to player inside, 6'10" center Jon Cannon. The big man scored 12 of his team-high 18 points in the second half, while adding nine rebounds and seven blocked shots for the game.

The Vikings trailed 70-62 with under two minutes to play, but a four-point play by Clarke instantly cut the Heritage lead to four points at the 1:38 mark. Mountain Heritage took control of the contest for good after the conversion with a 10-4 run primarily on shots from the free throw line to close out the game.

Dustin Clarke led all scorers with a season-high 32 points, with eight rebounds, four steals, three assists, and two blocks. Jared Ward added 14 in his final regular season home game to go with six rebounds and a pair of steals. Joey Potter was the only other Avery player in double figures with ten points. Along with Cannon, Steven Wilson and Michael Fender added 16 points each for Mountain Heritage, with 11 points from Will McCurry.

Avery closes the regular season on Friday night at Mitchell.

Junior Varsity Keeps Winning Streaks Alive over Heritage

The Avery Vikings hosted the Mountain Heritage Cougars for a quartet of entertaining games on Tuesday night in Viking Gym.

With one game remaining on the regular season schedule, Avery's junior varsity girls remained undefeated in Western Highlands Conference play with a 60-51 win over Mountain Heritage.

The Lady Vikings found themselves in a tough battle through much of the first half, leading by a single point at 16-15 after the first period. Late in the second quarter, a spurt helped the Big Red open up a seven-point edge at 32-25 at halftime.

The clubs continued a physical contest in the third quarter, as Avery continued to keep its lead, building it up slightly to 45-36 with one quarter to play.

Over the final stanza the Big Red found themselves taking frequent trips to the foul line. Avery held a five-point lead midway through the fourth period when the Mountain Heritage head coach was assessed a technical foul following an official's foul call. Mercedes Bentley hit three of four free throws to boost the Avery lead to eight.

Savannah Dellinger was fouled on Avery's ensuing possession and hit two free throws to double the Avery advantage to ten over mere seconds of play. The lead was all Avery needed as it sealed the remainder of the game from the lead. Dellinger highlighted the team's sterling performance at the stripe as she was a perfect 6 for 6 in the quarter The team went 11 for 15 in the quarter from the free throw to keep the Lady Cougars at bay and preserve the win.

Unlike the Polk County contest when she was consistently denied the ball, Mercedes Bentley bounced back with a passion against the Cougars by scoring a game-high 22 points with six assists and three steals. A pair of other Lady Vikings reached double-figures in the win, as Logan Johnson netted 11 points, four rebounds and three steals and Savannah Dellinger scored ten points.

"We hadn't practiced in several days, and it's tough to not be able to practice and have to go out and play. I thought we responded well because they had won seven in a row and had not lost since we beat them over there," Lady Vikings head coach Pat Daniels said after the win. "I was proud of the girls' effort. Logan Johnson wasn't feeling well but she played a heck of a game and ran the court well. Mercedes scored and distributed the ball for us. They broke our press a few times so we adjusted and played more half court defense. We set screens for each other offensively and we did pretty well against their defense."

The JV boys game featured a thrilling comeback in the final minute and a buzzer-beater finish as Avery won 50-47. Mountain Heritage led for much of the contest and held a narrow 37-36 lead as the final quarter began. The Cougars increased its advantage to 42-38 with just over four and a half minutes to play, but a Benji Stewart free throw and a Taylor Potter jumper cut the lead back to a point at 42-41.

Following three straight points off free throws from Heritage, Avery found itself trailing again by three with 2:00 on the clock. Timmy Stewart hit a jump shot a minute later to make the score 45-43 with 1:03 to go. Mountain Heritage refused to fold, as a jumper gave the Cougars a four-point edge at 47-43 with only 50 seconds to play.

Avery's defense held the Cougars scoreless for the rest of the game while the offense went to work. Spencer Blackburn drove the lane and was fouled. He hit both free throws to make the score 47-45 with 36 seconds to play. Taylor Potter then stole the ball from a Heritage player to give possession back to the Big Red. On Avery's subsequent offensive set, Potter was fouled and calmly sank both ends of a one-and-one to tie the score at 47 with 16.3 seconds to play.

The game reached its crecendo as the final seconds played out. Avery's Dustin Clark was called for a foul on Heritage, but the player missed both free throws. Avery rebounded the second miss and pushed the ball upfloor. Timmy Stewart grabbed a long rebound off a missed Viking shot and heaved a shot from beyond the arc in front of the Viking bench that ended with his back facing the rim. The shot sailed through the as the horn sounded and Stewart was mobbed by teammates as the home crowd cheered.

Avery celebrated its fourth straight conference win and the JV boys stand at 6-5 in conference play. The Vikings travel to Ledger Friday night to play Mitchell.

CHS-Unicoi Game Moved; Saturday Night Shootout Set

The Cloudland Highlanders game scheduled for next Monday against Unicoi County in Erwin has been moved to Saturday, February 14. Game times remain the same.

The Highlanders contest against Hampton for Friday night is on as scheduled. It is also Senior Night.

Vikings Take Three of Four from Polk; Senior Night tonight vs. Heritage

Avery hosted Polk County on the hardwood Monday night in Viking Gym. For the third consecutive contest, the JV squads pulled off an evening sweep.

The JV girls had a difficult time with a tough Lady Wolverines club but prevailed 44-40. Leading scorer Mercedes Bentley was shadowed all night by the Polk defense, but hit three of four free throws in the closing seconds to seal the win.

Emily Pritchard led the Lady Vikings with 12 points on the night, with six points from Savannah Dellinger and five by Logan Johnson. Shayna Vance added four points and seven rebounds, with four points and nine rebounds from Mary Chesnut Smith.

The JV boys team was locked in a tight struggle all evening with the Polk JV boys team. The squads were tied at nine after a sluggish first quarter, with Polk County grabbing a narrow 20-17 lead after three quarters.

Avery battled back to tie the contest at 28 after three quarters, and a go-ahead jumper by Alex Villanueva in the closing seconds gave the Big Red the lead for good as they defeated Polk 46-43. Spencer Blackburn led Avery with 14 points, with eight from Alex Villanueva and six points apiece from Taylor Potter and Timmy Stewart.

The Lady Viking varsity girls team defeated the Lady Wolverines 78-61 on Monday night. The contest was close in much of the first half, but a 25-23 Avery lead changed in a hurry after a 14-2 run closed out the first half with the Big Red leading 39-25. Avery opened the second half continuing that spurt, outscoring Polk 11-3 in the first 2:30 of the third quarter to build a 50-28 advantage that they would never surrender.

Katie Ellis and Allison Vance each scored 18 in the victory, with Ellis adding 18 rebounds and Vance dishing four assists in the win. Samantha Shook added 12 points, three rebounds, and four assists, with 12 points and 8 rebounds from Katelynn Eudy.

In the night cap, the boys varsity team trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half, but staged a rally to narrow the score to 35-31 at halftime and 45-44 after three quarters. A scoring run by the Wolverines to open the fourth quarter put the game out of reach, however, as the Wolverines prevailed by a 74-58 final score.

Kody Hughes led the Vikings with 14 points and 11 rebounds in the loss, with ten points and seven rebounds from Dustin Clarke. Colton Blackburn scored nine points with nine rebounds, while Joey Potter added eight points.

Avery will host Mountain Heritage on Tuesday for Senior Night at Viking Gym. Lady Viking seniors Allison Vance, Samantha Shook, Katie Ellis, and Sara Singleton will be recognized, while varsity boys senior guard Jared Ward will be honored during the evening.

JV Basketball Victorious; Varsity Falls to Mitchell

Border rivals Avery and Mitchell squared off in basketball action at Viking Gym on Thursday night in a rescheduled night of action due to bad weather.

Both Avery junior varsity teams were winners in hoops action. The JV girls won a 49-33 contest against the Lady Mountaineers. Mercedes Bentley led the Avery attack with 29 points, with six points, five rebounds, and three steals from Shayna Vance and five points from Logan Johnson.

The JV boys team won by a final score of 48-41. Alex Villanueva scored 15 points in the Big Red victory, with that same point total tallied by Spencer Blackburn. Taylor Potter chipped in with five points and Dustin Clark added four points.

In varsity girls action, the Mitchell Lady Mountaineers took a 15-point lead over Avery, then withstood a furious Avery rally to hold on for a 65-61 win. Lauren Avery scored 16 points with six rebounds in the loss for the Lady Vikings, with 16 points and 12 rebounds from Katie Ellis. Samantha Shook added 13 points and five rebounds, with 10 points, six assists, three rebounds and three steals by Allison Vance. Autumn Thompson and Laken Norris each scored 19 points for Mitchell.

The final game of the night saw the Mitchell Mountaineers varsity boys defeat Avery by a final score of 80-61. Avery led 14-13 after one quarter, but a 20-7 scoring differential in favor of Mitchell gave the Mountaineers 33-21 lead at intermission.

Mitchell led by the same 12-point margin at 52-40 after three quarters, then outscored Avery 28-21 over the final eight minutes for the win.

Dustin Clarke led the Avery attack with 29 points, nine rebounds, four steals, and three assists. Jared Ward added 14 points, with eight from Joey Potter.

Three Mitchell players scored in double-figures, led by 27 points from Austin Burleson, 11 points from Corey Greene, and 10 off the bench from Logan Jensen.

Avery travels to Madison on Friday night to take on the Patriots before hosting Polk County on Monday, February 9th and Mountain Heritage on Tuesday, February 10th.

Mitchell at Avery still on for Thursday night

Despite the recent inclement weather, Avery's conference games with Mitchell scheduled for this evening will take place as scheduled. JV girls action begins at 4 p.m., followed by JV boys, Varsity girls, and varsity boys.

Avery travels to Madison on Friday evening, then takes on Polk County at home on Monday evening in a make-up game from last Tuesday's postponement.

CHS Showdown with North Greene Delayed

Thursday nights showdown between Cloudland and North Greene has been delayed a day to Friday due to road conditions. For more information, please stay tuned to the Avery Journal-Times Sports blog.

Polk Game for Tuesday Postponed; Games Rescheduled

Avery's basketball games at home against Polk County have been postponed for Tuesday evening. Those games have been rescheduled for Monday, February 9th. The Mitchell games that were originally scheduled for Monday evening have been rescheduled for this Thursday, February 5th at Viking Gym. Avery's games at Madison on Friday are still going on as scheduled.

Be sure to check here at The Blog for any further changes to the schedule for either Avery or Cloudland High School athletics!

AVERY BASKETBALL GAMES POSTPONED FOR MONDAY NIGHT

Tonight's scheduled games between Avery and Mitchell at Avery High School have been postponed for this evening. Games will be rescheduled for a later date, which will be posted once it is made available.

CLOUDLAND GAMES POSTPONED FOR THIS EVENING

Tonight's Cloudland High School boys and girls basketball games have been postponed due to inclement weather. The Lady 'Landers were scheduled to host Sullivan North tonight in Roan Mountain, while the boys were scheduled to travel to South Greene High School. No reschedule date and time has been set at this time.

Avery Wrestling Takes on Mitchell; Competes in Conference Tournament

On Friday evening the Avery Vikings took part in the Western Highlands Conference Tournament held at Madison High School. Avery ended the evening in a tie for fifth place overall, but boasted a conference champion in Brock Yackey at the 112 pound weight class.

Yackey won his first match by first period pinfall over Polk’s Ethan Moore, then captured a 7-1 decision victory over Jarrett Ipox of Madison. In the championship match, Yackey avenged a pinfall loss the previous Friday to Owen’s Austin Edwards by defeating him in a 14-5 major decision to capture the championship.

Other Avery wrestlers wrestled hard, but fell by pinfalls and were unable to garner wins during the tournament. Jacob McKinney represented the Vikings at 119 pounds, while Bryan Moody competed at 130 pounds, Forrest Sickler wrestled at 135 pounds, and Nathaniel Buchanan took the mat at 215 pounds.

In the 189 pound weight class, Lucas Lecka won his opening match over Garret Metcalf of Madison by a narrow 8-7 decision. Lecka then took on Jacob Williams of Polk in the championship semifinal and fell short in a 2-6 decision defeat. Lecka then wrestled a third match and was eliminated with a defeat to Mitchell’s Josh Peterson.

Besides Yackey, the pair of wrestlers who have been most consistently in the win column came away with third place finishes at the conference tournament. Anthony Varacalli captured third in the 145 pound weight class. The senior won his first match by a 5-2 decision over Madison’s Travis Rice, but lost by a 3-5 decision over Jesus Figueroa of Owen.

In the consolation bracket Varacalli got back on the winning track with a first period pinfall over Mountain Heritage’s Jon Fender, and then won the consolation finals when he outlasted Hendersonville’s Grant Paris in a 1-0 decision victory.

Another Avery senior, Jose Munoz, took home third place at the 152-pound weight class. Munoz started his night with a pinfall loss against David Johnston from Mountain Heritage, but did not let the initial defeat deter him. Munoz won a 6-1 decision over Owen’s Logan Newhouse, and then won a rematch with Johnston in the consolation finals by a 6-3 decision for third place.

Avery did not have enough victories to qualify for the state duals which take place this week, so the Big Red will be back in action at the 1A/2A Western Regional held at North Henderson High School on February 13-14. Top four finishers in each weight class at regional will qualify for the state wrestling championships the following weekend in Winston-Salem.

Special thanks to Skip Sickler and Skip's Shots for providing so many terrific wrestling photos throughout the season that he has graciously shared with the local media. A number of Skip's wrestling photos are currently on display at The River Dog Coffee House, located at the intersection of Highway 181 and 221 near Linville.

Lady Vikings Dominate Hendersonville; Varsity Boys Drop Conference Matchup with Bearcats

The Avery Lady Vikings basketball defeated the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats 85-57 last Friday evening in Hendersonville.

Avery found little trouble scoring points, using a 22-6 scoring run to take the early advantage. The Lady Vikings found great success inside, as the trio of Katie Ellis, Sara Wiseman, and Katelynn Eudy dominated the shorter Hendersonville squad.

Avery led 25-13 after one quarter and 40-26 at halftime. Wiseman carried the Viking offense in the half with 11 points and nine rebounds. Eudy scored ten for the half.

As the second half Avery dictated tempo and seemingly scored at will from in the paint. Katie Ellis scored only four points in the first half, but exploded for 17 points in the final two quarters for 21 points in all. Ellis also pulled in an astounding 20 rebounds off the glass and added four assists and a pair of steals.

Wiseman flirted with a triple double in the game, scoring 15 points with 11 rebounds and blocking 7 shots, all despite fouling out with over four minutes left in the game.

Despite its obvious disadvantages on the floor, Hendersonville trailed by only 16 at 60-44 after three periods. Lydia Stoney scored 17 points for the Lady Bearcats, with 16 from teammate Brooks Walz and eight points and ten rebounds from Sofia Lilly.

Avery finished the game with gusto as 25 additional points while holding the Bearcats to only a 13-point total. Lauren Avery scored four of her eight total points for the Vikings in the fourth quarter, and every Lady Viking in uniform scored points in the game.

“They’re a good basketball team,” Hendersonville coach Mike Norman said. “But we made a lot of progress. Up there we lost by 40 and didn’t score but 36 points, and tonight we played with a little more confidence.”

Eudy added 14 points and four blocks for Avery, with nine points, six steals, and four assists from Allison Vance. Samantha Shook added nine points, with eight points and seven rebounds from Lauren Avery, and five points and four rebounds from Sara Singleton.

Despite the improvement from the Lady Bearcats, seven Avery players had four or greater rebounds as they dominated the shorter and overmatched Hendersonville club. Avery improves to 12-7 overall, with a 6-1 conference record.

After their loss on Thursday night to the Cloudland Highlanders, the Vikings varsity men’s team looked to pull off an upset in Hendersonville over the Bearcats, a team who had lost its last two conference games but who soundly defeated Avery in their prior meeting in Newland.

Avery fell behind early to Hendersonville and was had no answer for its speed, athleticism, and full court pressing defense as the Bearcats prevailed 78-49.

Hendersonville utilized its height advantage early and often during Friday's contest. Tory Sitton tallied nine points for the Bearcats with six from teammate Desmond Whiteside to build a 23-13 lead after one period.

“I want our defense to spark our offense. It gives us our layups and our easy transition shots and really sets our pace,” Hendersonville head coach Rob Strong said after his team's win.

Avery played hard to keep up with the speedy Hendersonville club. Colton Blackburn was the most effective rebounder for the Big Red, as the sophomore collected ten rebounds for the game and scored ten of his 12 total points through the first two quarters. Kody Hughes chipped in with six first-half points for the Big Red, with five points from Dustin Clarke.

The Bearcats received a balanced scoring effort through two quarters, as Sitton scored 14 first-half points. A trio of Hendersonville teammates registered eight points each as the Bearcats led the Vikings 47-28 at halftime.

Avery could not find an answer all evening for Sitton, as he sparked a 10-3 Bearcat scoring run to open the second half. Hendersonville took advantage of 28 Avery turnovers, and Sitton in particular hurt the Big Red with ten points in the third quarter as part of a 24-point, ten rebound overall performance.

Dustin Clarke tallied three baskets in the stanza, but Hendersonville held a commanding 65-42 lead after three quarters and went on to the victory. Clarke led Avery with 13 points, six assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Kody Hughes scored eight points, with five points apiece from Joey Potter and Chase Watson.

Avery's boys fall to 3-15 overall and 1-6 in Western Highlands Conference play. The Big Red will look to improve their records this week against a trio of conference foes. The Vikings host Mitchell and Polk County in games early in the week, then travel this Friday to Madison for a Western Highlands contest against the Patriots.