A Miracle Walking: Avery Coach Suffers Minor Injuries from Lightning Strike on Diamond

“Considering what I went through, I should go play the Lotto.”

Those words were said to Avery assistant baseball coach Daniel Jimenez by his brother after learning that Daniel was the victim of a lightning strike last Friday afternoon at the Avery High School baseball field and suffered only minor injuries.

After the Vikings junior varsity game was called off due to the storms in the immediate area, Coach Jimenez and fellow assistant coach Samuel Phillips were covering the pitcher’s mound with plastic tarp before leaving the field. Contrary to published reports, Jimenez and Phillips were on the field itself in the elements when lightning struck.

“I was out trying to cover the mound the plate. Everything looked alright, and then suddenly came together above me. I had finished covering the tarp and said that I would finish it later. As I had started my way off the field, I saw this flash,” Coach Daniel Jimenez said in an interview upon returning to practice this past Monday afternoon. “It was as if I saw what was coming down out of the sky and I said “It’s time to go”. I started running off the field and was between the mound and the dugout, and it was like somebody came behind and hit me in my neck and shoulder with a shovel or a baseball bat. It was like it was chasing me, and when it hit me everything went black.”

The jolt stunned Jimenez and briefly rendered him unconscious. Luckily for Coach Jimenez, he had help off the field.

“I was out, and the next thing I knew Coach Phillips had me. I saw his face, and the next thing I know I was sitting in the dugout,” Jimenez added.

“We were sprinting off the field, and when I saw Daniel it looked like he had been shot by a rifle. His shoulder cocked back, and I screamed and took off after him. I caught him as he was falling to the ground and helped him over to a chair in the dugout,” fellow assistant Samuel Phillips recalled about the incident. “I asked him if he thought he’d been hit by lightning and he said he thought he had. I didn’t have a cell phone with me since we had just finished a game and was still in uniform. I knew Daniel was hurt by looking in his eyes, so I ran to the field house and asked Coach Wellborn to call 911.”

In short fashion rescue personnel were on the scene to attend to Jimenez, who remained alert and responsive. Jimenez exhibited no external damage such as burn marks but was transported to Cannon Memorial Hospital in Linville where he spent several hours undergoing a series of tests to determine whether he had internal injuries from the strike.

“The doctor said it must have hit somewhere in the woods or near the fence and that it must have been indirect because any direct hit would have left a burn mark. They did blood and urine tests to make sure my organs were not damaged by the strike,” the coach explained. “My wife decided to take me to her place and the doctor agreed to allow it as long as the tests came back okay. They did, so I was discharged around 11 or 12 p.m.”

In the days following the incident, Coach Jimenez shared that he feels a few physical symptoms from the strike.

“I’ve had no energy. I’ll feel good, but when I start doing something my energy goes quickly. I’m really tired. I’m sore up in my neck, jaw, ears, down my shoulder and arm,” Jimenez elaborated. “It feels kind of like everything’s in slow motion. My speech is a little slurred at times, but mainly everything just seems far away. Basically when I start trying to do a lot, it catches up to me.”

A throng of supporters and well-wishers, including the Avery coaches, a number of school administrators, players, and parents, came and stayed at the hospital in support of Coach Jimenez. Their presence and concern were a source of comfort.

“That really touched my heart. I’m pretty much here by myself as my wife and I are separated. Even with them here, my family is back where I came from,” Coach Jimenez explained. “I really want to thank the first responders, Sammy Phillips for getting me off the field to safety and keeping me alert. I appreciate the ambulance drivers, paramedics, and everybody at the hospital, plus folks like Edwina and Junior Sluder for coming over in support. Having them over there meant a lot to me. Most folks waited for hours, and I want to be sure to tell them from the bottom of my heart what that meant to me. Seeing so many folks there was wonderful and really helped me out to know that I’m not just a ghost here in town. It made me feel good.”

Both Coach Jimenez and Coach Phillips are fully aware and appreciative they nothing more serious occurred, considering the circumstances.

“Luckily Coach Jimenez is here with us today, the sun is shining, and we’re playing baseball, which thankfully is what matters,” Coach Phillips stated. “He’s very fortunate and a miracle walking.”

“I feel really fortunate. When it hit me I thought I was done,” Coach Jimenez added. “A split-second later everything just disappeared, and when I focused my eyes there was Coach Phillips. One thing I was happy about and remembered caring about was “If I didn’t wake up on Saturday, as least we beat Hendersonville.” It almost made it worthwhile knowing we beat them.”

Spoken like a true coach.

Lady Vikings Take Third Straight Home Win in Defeating Hendersonville

The Lady Vikings varsity softball team made it a perfect 3 for 3 on the week with an impressive 7-3 conference win Friday afternoon over the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats.

Pitching and defense ruled the day through the first three innings of action. Avery finally broke the ice in the bottom of the fourth inning with a five-run, five-hit burst. Kayley Davis hit a 2-run double to put the Big Red on the board. Amber Clark rapped an RBI single later in the frame to score Davis and put Avery up 3-0. Morgan Yackey followed up with a two-run double to account for the quintet of Lady Viking runs.

Hendersonville refused to give in as they rallied in the top of the fifth to score three runs on three hits and a walk and cut the Viking advantage to 5-3. As rain began to fell, the Lady Vikings pushed across a run in the bottom of the fifth to lead 6-3 when Justina Rieger walked and scored on an RBI groundout from Jessica Banner.

Avery starter Morgan Yackey held Hendersonville scoreless over the final three innings of play. Meanwhile, the Big Red added a seventh insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Becca Biggerstaff singled and scored on a Yackey RBI single, providing for the final margin of victory.

“I thought our defense and pitching were keys to getting the win today against Hendersonville. We completed a critical double play in the first inning to include throwing a runner out at the plate, started by a good outfield throw from Amber Clark hitting the cutoff. Our center infield was very good during the game with Sam Shook at shortstop recording three assists and a put out, Kaylea Davis at second recorded three putouts and an assist, and Morgan Yackey recording three assists from the pitching mound,” Avery head softball coach Merritt Yackey stated after the win.

“Morgan did a good job on the mound hitting spots and getting eight strikeouts while only issuing one walk. Her change up was effective and working today. Becca Biggerstaff also made an excellent play from centerfield throwing out a batter at second trying to stretch a single into a double. This was a great week for Avery softball, winning all three games with two of them being in conference.”

The Lady Vikings return to the diamond this week when they host Polk County this afternoon (Tuesday), and will also square off with the Madison Lady Patriots on April 30th.

Report: Peterson to be Named Appalachian State men's basketball coach

There may be a buzz around the Appalachian State University campus in the near future.

The Winston-Salem Journal's Tommy Bowman reports that sources are saying Buzz Peterson will return to Boone for a second tour of duty as Appalachian State University men's basketball head coach.

According to the report, "an announcement to name a new coach at ASU is planned for Wednesday morning."

Peterson was a primary target for the open coaching job after Houston Fancher was fired March 16, but the two sides could not reach an agreement. On April 9th, Peterson stated that he would not be accepting the position in Boone. The school shifted its search toward The Citadel coach Ed Conroy, former UNC-Charlotte head coach and current associate coach at Missouri Melvin Watkins, and Wake Forest assistant coach Pat Kelsey.

Conroy told The Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C., yesterday that he would remain at The Citadel. Kelsey took a job as an assistant coach at Xavier on Monday.

Peterson's statement was apparently not enough to discourage the Appalachian officials, who continued to keep lines of communication open with the coach after his statement that he would not take the job.

Under Peterson's tenure, the Mountaineers captured the SoCon tournament title and automatic entry into the NCAA Tournament in 2000. Peterson was 79-39 as coach at Appalachian.

Peterson left Boone to take the Tulsa head coach position, leading it to an NIT title in 2001, and moved on to Tennessee, where he was 61-59 with the Big Orange in four seasons before being fired. Peterson has most recently coached at Coastal Carolina for two seasons before taking his current position alongside former college roommate and teammate Michael Jordan with the Charlotte Bobcats.

Peterson, who played college basketball at North Carolina, is 201-134 in 11 seasons as a college coach.

Avery Baseball Routs Hendersonville; Plays Polk This Afternoon

Last Friday afternoon Avery played its second game in five days against Hendersonville. The Vikings showed no effects from the earlier loss to the Bearcats and used the earlier loss as motivational fuel in pounding Hendersonville 13-3 at home Friday afternoon.

The tone of the contest was set with the first batter, as Viking left fielder Sutton Stanley made a great diving catch on a ball hit from Bearcat leadoff hitter Paul Posthumus.

Avery held Hendersonville scoreless in the first and struck for a run itself in the bottom half off Bearcats starter Walgenbach. A Chris Childress leadoff double was followed by a groundout and a sacrifice fly from Adam Pate to manufacture a run and put the Big Red on the scoreboard.

Childress was also strong on the mound as he pitched a complete game and surrendered only eight hits and struck out four batters. After holding the Bearcats scoreless in the second, Avery padded its lead with a five-run frame on five hits, four of which were doubles. The Viking bats forced a Bearcats pitching change at inning’s end as Avery built a 6-0 lead.

Hendersonville finally broke through with a pair of runs in the third to narrow the gap to 6-2. Avery was retired in order for the only time in the game following the Bearcats runs, giving the visitors a chance to creep closer. Childress continued to keep Hendersonville in check, however, working out of trouble with a strikeout to leave a Bearcat stranded on third base to close the top of the fourth.

Avery put away the game for good in the bottom of the frame, batting around to score five runs off the Bearcats bullpen. The first seven hitters to come to the plate reached safely by single or error, with RBI hits by Steven Daniels and Zac Hall helping to push the Big Red lead to 11-2.

After a Hendersonville run in the top of the fifth, Avery put the finishing touches on a ten-run rout. Brooks Oakley singled to lead off the frame and Daniels walked two batters later. A two-out grounder by Daniel Huff was thrown away by the shortstop, allowing both Oakley and pinch-runner Ethan Sluder to score the final runs of the game.

“This was probably the most complete ballgame we have played all year from the standpoint of doing the little things right. Chris pitched an excellent game and the defense played behind him,” Coach Wellborn said after the win. “The bottom line was our attitudes were better, our approaches at the plate were better, and the base running was probably one of the best efforts we’ve had all season. We hustled and put pressure on the defense, forced some close plays, and they made some bad throws. It was a huge win because they had only one conference loss. We did just about everything right, the kids’ spirits were high, and hopefully it will provide us some momentum to roll into this coming week.”

Avery hosts Polk in a key 1A conference battle this afternoon at ACHS, then hosts Madison on Thursday, with a home game against Thomas Jefferson on Friday afternoon.

Home Run Barrage Lifts Avery Baseball Over Mitchell

A famous baseball TV commercial featuring former Atlanta Braves pitchers Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux once proclaimed that "chicks dig the long ball". On Wednesday afternoon at Avery High School, a packed crowd of fans saw the Vikings go long on five separate occasions over a two-inning stretch, distancing themselves from a once-close contest with Mitchell to power past the Mountaineers 15-3 in five innings.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the second inning when Avery put three runs on the board. A well-executed double steal allowed Brooks Oakley to cross home for the first Viking run. Danny Cole hit a soft roller just past the pitcher and legged out a base hit later in the frame that scored Zac Hall from third, giving the Vikings a 2-0 advantage. Sutton Stanley then hit a double which scored Cole for Avery's third run. Two more batters reached base after Stanley's RBI, but the Big Red was unable to convert and left the bases loaded to close the productive inning.

Mitchell answered Avery's outburst with three runs of its own in the top of the third. A leadoff walk and base hit put a pair of runners on, and an RBI groundout provided the Mountaineers with their first run. A two-out walk put a pair of runners on base, which forced Avery skipper Benny Wellborn to call on Sutton Stanley in relief of starting pitcher Adam Pate. The first hitter Stanley faced roped a double into the gap to score both runners and tie the game. Stanley struck out the next batter to end the Mountaineer threat.

Coach Wellborn pulled his team together after the inning and challenged their focus, imploring the team to play better baseball and get some hits. The words of the passionate coach made a positive impact on his club, as the Big Red exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the third to bury the visitors from Ledger.

Steven Daniels led the inning off with a solo home run to left field to give the Vikings the lead again at 4-3 and, much like a great album from a popular musical group, one great Avery hit came after another. The blast was the first of nine base hits for the Vikings in the frame, as every player in the lineup scored a run by inning's end.

Base hits from Zac Hall, Jared Clark, and Danny Cole helped load the bases following the Daniels blast, and a Mitchell error scored Daniel Huff to put Avery ahead 5-3. Leadoff hitter Chris Childress then came to the plate with the bases full and parked a grand slam down the left field line, much to the delight of the home fans who braved the chilly and windy afternoon conditions.

The Childress shot gave Avery a 9-3 advantage, but the Vikings continued to roll. Two batters later Adam Pate joined the home run club, as he tattooed a pitch deep over the fence in dead center field for a two-run homer. Zac Hall ripped a laser over the left center field fence two batters later for a solo home run before Mitchell finally retired the side. When all was said and done, Avery held an impressive 12-3 lead.

Sutton Stanley continued the dominance from the mound and shut Mitchell down, retiring the side in order in the top of the fourth. In the bottom of the inning he displayed his versatility by powering a two-run home run to boost the Avery advantage to 14-3.

The Big Red added an insurance run for good measure as a number of reserves were inserted into the batting order and produced. Jack Buchanan drew a walk and Jordan English reached base on an error. Bo Barrier then drew a walk to load the bases and Joe Buchanan grounded into a fielder's choice to score Buchanan for the game's final run.

Stanley held Mitchell scoreless in the top of the fifth to seal the decisive win. Avery hosts Hendersonville this Friday for the second game of the week between the two squads. The Bearcats defeated Avery 9-1 on Monday behind an 11-strikeout pitching performance and 4 for 4 with two home run hitting display from Ben Walgenbach.

JohnMark Bentley Takes Reins as Appalachian Wrestling Head Coach

(courtesy Appalachian Sports Information)

JohnMark Bentley, an assistant coach the past three seasons, will become Appalachian State University’s head wrestling coach for the 2009-10 season. Bentley replaces Paul Mance, who spent the past 33 years as ASU’s head coach.

“We’re grateful for Coach Mance’s years of service to Appalachian as a student-athlete and coach and wish him nothing but the best in hisfuture endeavors,” ASU director of athletics Charlie Cobb said. “We are very excited about Coach Bentley taking the reins of the program and look forward to him leading us to more championships in the future.”

Bentley arrived at Appalachian in 2006 after spending three years as the head coach at nearby Watauga High School. In his final season with thePioneers, he led the squad to a third-place finish in the North Carolina state championship and coached three individual state champions.

He began his coaching career as an assistant at Davidson in 2002-03.Bentley was a three-time Atlantic Coast Conference champion wrestler at North Carolina from 1997-2001. He was the ACC Wrestler of the Year as a senior and a University Nationals freestyle all-American as a junior. He graduated from UNC with a bachelor’s degree in communications in 2001.

JohnMark, the son of Paul and Rita Bentley of Newland, was one of the most decorated prep athletes in the 40-year history of Avery County High School. A 1997 graduate, he was rated the #2 recruit in the nation at 135 lbs. by Amateur Wrestling News in 1997, and was the 1997 national high school champion at 130 lbs.

He posted a career record of 144-0 at Avery and was only the second wrestler in N.C. prep history to both finish his career undefeated and win four state titles. He was a two-time ASICS Tiger All-America, a member of the USA Dream Team at 145 lbs., was N.C. State Wrestling Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler, and was a two-time Academic All-America as well as Pepsi Cola Scholar Athlete.

Lady Vikings Host First Conference Softball Contest against Warlassies

With the postponement of Wednesday’s scheduled softball contest at Highland Tech, both the Lady Vikings varsity and junior varsity teams played a single contest each in action on the diamond last week On a sunny Thursday afternoon, the Avery softball squads tangled with a pair of talented Owen clubs.

The varsity teams took the field in the first game of the afternoon and found the going tough against the Warlassies, who had shut Avery out in a contest previously this season in Swannanoa. Owen showed why they are considered one of the top teams in the Western Highlands Conference as they came away with a 22-0 victory over the Big Red in five innings.

Avery was held to only one hit and just two base runners for the game, as a single to right field by senior catcher Sara Singleton and a walk drawn by pitcher Morgan Yackey accounted for the Vikings offense.

Lady Vikings starter Yackey threw well enough in the opening innings to keep the Lady Vikings within striking distance. Owen managed three runs in the first inning and two runs in both the second and third frames to lead by a 7-0 score, but the tough pitching of the Warlassies held Avery at bay.

The Owen offense opened the proverbial floodgates in the top of the fourth inning with 11 runs due to a combination of strong hitting and untimely errors in the field. Only ten of Owen’s total of 22 runs for the game was earned, and the Warlassies took advantage of virtually every opportunity afforded to them with a lineup that strongly rapped the softball to all fields.

“Today was difficult day for us. We did not play well and Owen is a very good team. That combination made it very tough for us to compete,” Avery head softball coach Merritt Yackey said after the loss. “It is one of those games we simply need to put behind us and prepare for our three games next week in which we should be very competitive. Two are conference games against Mitchell and Hendersonville, and one against Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy who will be in the conference next year.”

The Lady Vikings junior varsity team took to the diamond in the second half of Thursday’s doubleheader action with Owen and played with confidence and execution against a good Owen JV team. Although the Lady Vikings fell by a 14-3 final score, the team showed the ability offensively to get on base and manufacture runs, as well as play an exciting style of softball.

Owen scored nine first-inning runs on Avery, but could only muster one run over the next five frames as the Lady Vikings played well defensively. Starting pitcher Becca Biggerstaff settled into a groove, as the right-hander finished the complete-game effort with only five earned runs allowed and struck out eight batters.

Avery scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the third inning to cut the deficit to seven runs. Biggerstaff laced a double in the frame and teammates Shelby McKinney, Gibson Slomkoski, and Charley Puckett each ripped the ball for base hits to provide offensive punch to the Big Red attack.

Although a four-run seventh inning wound up sealing the win for the Warlassies, the Lady Vikings JVs proved they should be formidable opponent for the remaining opponents they face this season.

“I thought our junior varsity girls competed very well after the first inning in which we gave up the nine runs. Shelby McKinney, Gibson Slomkoski and Charley Puckett each had RBIs with timely base hits and Shelby scored twice,” Coach Yackey stated after the game. “Becca Biggerstaff had two hits, scored a run, and did a good job pitching, only allowing five earned runs. Gibson Slomkoski had another good defensive game at second base recording four assists and a putout.”

Avery is scheduled to take on Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy early in the week, with home games against Mitchell on Wednesday and Hendersonville on Friday afternoon.

Offense Powers Avery Baseball Past Pair of Non-Conference Opponents

It is said when baseball players are in a zone as hitters, the baseball appears larger than normal. The Avery lineup must have been seeing beach balls last week at the plate, as the team’s bats were white hot in a pair of dominant performance over non-conference foes North Wilkes and Cloudland.

Avery traveled to Hays on Thursday and blasted 20 hits in a 15-8 victory over the North Wilkes Vikings, then hosted neighboring Cloudland on Saturday afternoon, closing the game with a walk-off home run to clinch a 13-2 five-inning win.

The Vikings received a strong pitching performance from senior starter Chris Childress. The lefty surrendered only one run over the first there innings while the Big Red bats spotted him 11 runs over the same stretch.

In the top of the first the Vikings took a 1-0 lead as Childress reached on a single, was moved over on an Adam Pate base hit, and drove home on an RBI groundout by catcher Steven Daniels.
North Wilkes tied the game in the bottom of the frame on a pair of hits, but Avery again retook the advantage in its next time at bat. The Big Red lineup batted around in the top of the second and produced six runs on five hits. Sutton Stanley laced an RBI single and Daniels ripped a bases loaded two-out double to score three more in the inning as the Vikings led 7-1.

Childress struck out a pair of hitters in the bottom of the inning, and the Avery hit parade continued in the top of the third. Four additional runs scored on five hits to put the Vikings on top by an 11-1 margin.

Offense was effective and efficient throughout the lineup for the Vikings, as the team was an astounding 20 of 38 at the plate collectively, good for a .526 team average for the seven innings of play.

After holding Avery to its first scoreless in both the fourth and fifth innings, the North Wilkes bats woke up in the bottom of the fourth to get back into the game. The Wilkes Vikings touched Childress and the Avery defense for four runs in the fourth and another in the fifth to bring the game to within five runs at 11-6.

The Viking bats again found their groove in the final two innings of play to keep the Big Red out front. Avery scored twice in each of its final two times at bat to put up 15 total runs. North rallied in the bottom of the sixth to score a pair of runs and Vikings skipper Benny Wellborn called on Daniel Huff to come on in relief to put out the fire. Huff closed the inning without further damage, and Brooks Oakley came on in the seventh to slam the door on the Avery win.

The entire Viking lineup from top to bottom was productive. Senior left fielder Sutton Stanley was a perfect 5 for 5 at the plate with three runs batted in and scored three times from the ninth spot in the order. Danny Cole and Jared Clark combined to score four runs out of the bottom third of the order as well. Childress and Zac Hall both had three hits in five plate appearances, while Pate, and Daniels had two hits apiece and combined for seven runs batted in.

“North was a pretty good ballclub that didn’t quit. We throttled down in the middle of the ballgame and made some mistakes and it almost came back to bite us. To our kids’ credit, we kept pushing and got key hits as we kept hitting the ball,” Avery head coach Benny Wellborn said after the win. “Our pitching has kept us in ballgames when our offense has struggled. Now we’re heating up with the bats, and hopefully we can continue to roll into an important part of our schedule.”

On Saturday afternoon Avery and Cloudland made up a game postponed earlier in the week due to weather. The ‘Landers struck first in the top of the first off Avery starter Adam Pate, as leadoff hitter Michael Hyden walked and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from first baseman Tyler Dyer. Hyden came around to score on an error on a ball hit by Casey Pritchard to the outfield for the game’s first run.

The Viking offense picked up where it left off from its previous contest as Avery struck for six first inning runs off Landers starter Pritchard. Twelve runners came to bat for Avery in the opening frame as Pritchard had difficulty with control, walking a trio of Avery batters and hitting another three players with pitches. Cody Bullwinkle was called on in relief after two-thirds of an inning and he prevented the Vikings from further extending their advantage.

In the bottom of the second Avery added a run to extend its lead to a half-dozen at 7-1. Steven Daniels singled and advanced on an error, then scored after a single from Zac Hall.

Cloudland answered the Vikings with a run in the top of the third to narrow the margin. Hyden reached on a one-out single then scored on an RBI hit by Dyer to cut the lead to 7-2.

In the bottom of the frame the Big Red added some insurance to help its cause. Avery plated three runs to stretch its lead to 10-2. Sutton Stanley led the inning off with a laser shot that hit the top of the fence in dead center field for a double. He scored on a perfectly executed RBI squeeze play by Chris Childress that resulted in Childress safely reaching base.

“Normally on a squeeze you want to just deaden the ball, but we noticed their second and first basemen were playing deep. I told our guys if they bunt the ball deep that they had a good chance to get on,” Vikings head baseball coach Benny Wellborn explained after the game. “Chris knew what we wanted to do, and he put it exactly where I wanted it. He did a heck of a job of putting the ball out there in that Bermuda Triangle area.”

Childress stole second base following the play and both he and teammate Pate scored, the latter on an RBI groundout and the latter on a steal of home.

As the fourth inning ensued, both teams threaten to score. Cloudland loaded the bases with two out in the top of the fourth, but pitcher Pate induced a groundout to close the inning and get out of the jam. Avery put a pair of runners on base in the bottom half of the frame, but Bullwinkle pitched masterfully as he struck out the side to quell the Viking opportunity.

The score remained unchanged until the bottom of the fifth and final inning. Oakley was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game to lead things off and stole second and third base while Pate followed up with a walk to put two runners on for catcher and clean-up hitter Steven Daniels. Cloudland coach Kevin Kendall called on Andy Holden to come on in relief. Daniels worked the count to 3-1, then hit a line shot over the fence in left centerfield for a walk-off, three-run home run for the final margin in the 13-2 Avery victory.

Starting pitcher Adam Pate went the full five innings to pick up the pitching victory, his second in two starts this season.

“He’s a competitor. He did well. He hasn’t thrown since the first time we played Cloudland. We couldn’t expect him to be perfect out there, as he hasn’t thrown many bullpens. He had a little rust, but he battled and performed pretty well,” Coach Wellborn said after the game. “It might sound a little weird, but we’re doing well with being patiently aggressive at the plate. We’re putting good swings on the ball and we’ve been recognizing good pitches with our plate approaches, plus we’re being smart, recognizing when a pitcher is having a hard time on the mound and making him work.”

Childress was 2 for 3 with a pair of RBI for Avery. Adam Pate was 1 for 2 and scored three runs, while Steven Daniels was 3 for 4 with a home run, three runs scored, and three runs batted in. Avery ventures back into conference play this week with a home-and-home series against Hendersonville, hosting the Bearcats on Friday. The Vikings will host rival Mitchell in Newland on Wednesday.

Avery Defeats Polk for First Time in Conference Play

The Avery Lady Vikings (ranked tenth in the latest Eurosport NC 1A girls soccer poll) scored a go-ahead goal at the 54-minute mark and the defense held third-ranked Polk County at bay in a 2-1 win Monday evening at MacDonald Stadium. The victory was the team's first triumph since the Lady Wolverines joined the Western Highlands Conference.

The Lady Vikings came out strong despite having an almost two-week period between games. Avery did not rest on its laurels during the break, however, as the coaches and players worked on a formation change throughout the practice week. By match's end, it was apparent that the hard work paid off in a major fashion.

Throughout the first half both teams played disciplined defense. Polk County could not cash in on a couple of shot attempts in the half, as one shot hit a crossbar and another caromed off a post, keeping the contest scoreless.

The Lady Wolverines did finally break through for the game's first goal, however, as junior midfielder Anna Trakas peeled off a precise cross field shot from around 15 yards which found the upper corner of the net for the 1-0 lead in the 33rd minute. The score remained unchanged through the remainder of the half.

Avery showed renewed vigor and tenacity as the second half began, showing fresh legs and pressuring the Lady Wolverines in all parts of the field. In the second minute of the half the Lady Vikings took a corner kick, and Mary Chesnut Smith executed with pinpoint precision the kick, which Emily Banner headed into the net for the equalizer to knot the score at 1-1.

The Big Red kept the pressure on the Lady Wolverines, who appeared to ever-so-slightly bend from the combination of cooler temperatures and a relentless Lady Vikings club that peppered the Polk netminder with nine shots on goal. Calloway continued to be a wall in goal for Avery, as she fended off every shot that came her way.

At the 56th minute the Lady Vikings made a game-changing play as sophomore forward Melinda Eggers put pressure on a Polk defender and forced a bad pass which Smith stole for Avery. Smith broke away from the pack toward the Lady Wolverine goal. Smith took a ground ball shot which the Polk looked to make a play on. The ball escaped the keeper's grasp, however, and slowly rolled into the back of the net for a 2-1 Lady Viking advantage.

Avery's stonewalling defense took over for the final 25 minutes of the contest as the veteran back line defenders such as senior Kasey Brown, junior Hayden Blackburn, and senior keeper Cailan Calloway, as well as a tireless midfield and front line frustrated the visitors from Columbus.

As time expired the Lady Vikings celebrated the win with congratulatory hugs and extended arms of triumph. The win ties Avery with both Polk and Hendersonville at only one conference loss each. The Lady Vikings hold a 6-1 conference mark equaling the Lady Wolverines, while Hendrsonville holds an 8-1 mark in WHC play.

"This is about the best we've played. We played a little sloppy at times in the first half, but the second half really won it for us. In the first half we were passive and letting them do what they wanted to do, but in the second half the girls came out ready to play soccer," the coaching staff stated following the huge win.

"Everybody in the game played to their top level. The practice week helped us. We had three really good practices that helped us prepare mentally for this game. If we can take what we did tonight and carry that intensity into the rest of the season, we can step up in any areas where we may be lacking."

The win improved Avery to 10-2-1 overall, while Polk drops to 9-6 on the season. Avery travels to Mars Hill College on Thursday evening to take on the WHC fifth-place Madison Lady Patriots, then return home for a pivotal rematch with the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats, who are ranked sixth in 1A soccer and hold a 10-2 overall record.

UT Wraps Up Spring Practice With Orange and White Game

By: Matt Laws (matt.laws@averyjournal.com)
AJT Sports Blog Exclusive

If Saturday’s Orange and White game was any indication, Volunteer fans will enjoy Coach Lane Kiffin’s debut season in Knoxville.

Tennessee wrapped up their first spring practices under Kiffin with the annual Orange and White game as the offense dressed in UT’s road white uniforms defeated the Orange clad defense 41-

23.

"We just wanted to execute," Kiffin said. "We made some throws, we made some catches and we made some great runs. It was real fun. We got in a rhythm, and we just flowed with it."

The second largest UT spring game crowd, attendance was announced at 51,488, saw a trio of running backs turn in impressive performances as Montario Hardesty, Tauren Poole and

Toney Williams started a battle for playing time. Hardesty ended the game with the only rushing touchdown as he scored from five yards out and had 45 yards on the day. Poole and Williams both had 78 yards apiece.

Tennessee’s quarterback situation, however, did not change from last season as there is no clear cut winner heading into the fall. B.J Coleman added two scores for the Vols with a nine yard throw to Brandon Warren and four yard touchdown to Quintin Hancock. Warren also scored on a five yard pass from Nick Stephens while Jonathon Crompton hit Austin Rogers for a 16 yard touchdown.

Coleman ended the game 13 of 22 for 160 yards while Crompton was 14 of 27 for 143 yards and Stephens was 11 of 21 with 131 yards.

Rico McCoy forced the only turnover of the game as he picked off a Crompton pass. In the scoring system used, the defense received five points for forcing a turnover and three points for

stopping an offensive drive. The defense recorded six stops plus the turnover.

Despite the success on the field, both squads played the game with limited play books due to the fact the game was being broadcast on tape delayed. Kiffin estimated that the offense only used about 20 percent of the playbook to keep from handing opponents information.

Former Coach Phillip Fulmer was also at Neyland on Saturday as he was honored as he received the General Robert Neyland Trophy from the Knoxville Quarterback Club. UT historian Haywood Harris was also honored before the contest. However, Saturday was an experience in itself for Kiffin and his assistants.

The Orange and White Game was also an opportunity for the new coa

ching staff to experience football on Rocky Top. The coaches put the players through the normal game day activities. During the traditional Vol Walk, Kiffin appeared to soak in the atmosphere as he calmly walked to Neyland Stadium. Defensive Line Coach Ed Orgeron, however, excited the crowd with arm pumps and giving fans high fives. The elder Kiffin Monte was a

lso treated to a friendly Rocky Top welcome as fans chanted his name along the route.

“Most of

our players have been through this,” Kiffin said. “But for our staff, and I tell you, we’ve had a lot of coaches that have been to a lot of really good places and won a lot of games, but when we got done with that Vol Walk and came in the locker room I had some guys come up to me and say, ‘Man, I’ve never seen anything like that.’ And these are guys that have been to some really special places, so it was really neat.”

Kiffin also couldn’t help but notice the enthusiasm of the Vol fans and the energy they brought to Neyland Stadium.

“The energy out t

here was unbelievable. I really want to thank our fans. That was exactly what we needed today. We needed that environment, because we needed to find out, amongst our players, who was going to thrive in that environment.”

Despite the success of sprin

g, the coaching staff knows that their work is not done. UT also has ques

tions to answer entering fall camp, including who will be the starting signal caller.

“I’ve got to go to the film to really break them down, exactly, because there’s so much going on out there that you’re watching,” Kiffin said of Saturday’s quarterback play. “But I thought they protected the ball well, and it seemed like the

y made good decisions, for the most part.”

Apps Wrap Up Spring Practice

Courtesy of Appalachian Sports Information

BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University football wrapped up the 2009 spring practice season with its 14th and 15th practices of the spring on Thursday and Friday at the Sofield Family Indoor Practice Facility.

Thanks in large part to the presence of the Sofield Facility, Appalachian completed the 15 practices allowed in the spring by the NCAA in just 18 days. About half of the practices were held indoors due to inclement weather. Prior to the completion of the Sofield Facility, which houses a 80-yard-long, regulation-width FieldTurf playing surface, many of ASU’s practices would have been rescheduled or cancelled altogether due to the rainy, blustery weather conditions.

Coaches on both sides of the ball were pleased with the progress the squad made this spring. While over a dozen veterans sat out of the drills due to lingering injuries from the 2008 season, a plethora of youngsters made the most of their opportunities to impress the coaching staff. Among the players that ASU’s coaches identified as having particularly impressive springs were quarterback DeAndre Presley, running backs Cedric Baker and Rod Chisholm, defensive end Jabari Fletcher, linebacker Justin Lloyd and defensive back Jared Reine.

The best news of the spring was that no major injuries were sustained and all of the players that were limited or sat out of drills due to various ailments are expected to be at 100 percent when fall camp opens in August.

The end of spring practice does not mean that preparations for the 2009 season have concluded. In fact, they’re just beginning. The Mountaineers resume weight training and conditioning workouts on Monday.

Appalachian opens the 2009 campaign on Sept. 5 versus longtime in-state rival East Carolina.

Avery Soccer Update

The match between Avery and Polk is tied at one a piece after an Emily Banner goal off of a Mary Chesnut Smith corner kick at the 43 minute mark. For an updated score, please check back.

Owen varsity softball defeats Avery by a 22-0 score in 5 innimgs.

Avery Little League Hits Full Swing This Weekend

Following a successful opening weekend two weeks ago, Avery County Little League starts its full slate of regular season action this Friday afternoon with games at Sherrill Rominger Field as well as the other fields of the Hodge Turbyfill Complex.

Rockies v. Yankees will open up Friday's action at Rominger Field, with Astros v. Twins to follow. Indians v. Marlins will be played first in Hybrid League Softball, with Royals v. Marlins scheduled in Major League Softball on Friday. A full slate of games are scheduled for Saturday at the Complex.

The full schedule of games for the season, as well as League news and updates can also be accessed through the league’s Blog site at http://averycountylittleleague.blogspot.com/ or its hotline at 733-3591.

Over 300 children representing a total of 23 teams spanning divisions from Tee Ball to Major League Baseball and Softball will take part in this coming season.

The league is undertaking a number of fund raising efforts this season, most notably the sale of boxes of Vidalia onions as the league hopes to raise funds need to make its annual payment for the field lights encompassing the Turbyfill Complex. Players and teams are selling the onions and those who sale the most will benefit from incentive offers from the league.

The top seller in the league will get a prize package to Pigeon Forge which includes two nights at the Ramada Inn, four tickets to Dollywood, dinner at Old Mill Restaurant, four tickets to Magic Beyond Belief or Smith Family Theater, four tickets to Wonder Works and a gift card to Belz Outlet Mall. The second top individual seller will receive $50, with $25 going to the third place seller. The team that sells the most boxes will earn a pizza party, and individual kids who reach certain target number of sales will also receive individual prizes.

“There is a lot of incentive to sell, but the reality is if the kids can sell enough boxes we can pay the annual payment for the lights at the fields, which is really what we are shooting for,” ACLL President Jerry Moody recently remarked.

The league is also selling sponsorship signs that will be placed at the fields, and is also looking to raise funds to purchase scoreboards for the major league softball and baseball fields, as well as to build a press box at the major league softball field.

Individuals or businesses wishing to purchase signs or contribute toward these projects can contact Moody at 733-8270 or see another board member for details.

WNC Soccer Leaders

The Avery Lady Vikings soccer team have a number of players among the region's leaders in goals, assists, and goalkeeping.

Lady Viking sophomore Mary Chesnut Smith is second in the region in scoring with 17 goals in 11 games, while fellow sophomore Emily Banner is fifth with 14 goals in 12 games. Melinda Eggers also makes the list with six goals, while Katelynn Eudy and Rachel Buchanan each are among the region leaders with three goals on the season.

Smith is also second in assists regionally with 15 assists in 11 contests, while Rachel Buchanan and Melinda Eggers are tied with seven assists each in 12 games. Emily Banner and Katelynn Eudy both have five assists over a 12-game season thus far.

Defensively, Avery senior goalkeeper Cailan Calloway ranks among the region's leaders as she has surrendered only 13 goals in 12 games this season, a string which also includes six shutouts.

Lady Vikings Tangle with Cougars, Take Two from Lady ‘Landers

Last week the Avery Lady Vikings managed to work around inclement weather and complete three games on the diamond.

On Wednesday the Big Red traveled to Burnsville to take on conference foe Mountain Heritage.

Avery’s varsity club began the game well with three runs in support of starting pitcher Morgan Yackey, but Heritage proved too tough to tame in an 18-8 loss.

Sara Singleton reached on an error and catcher Sam Shook doubled to put runners on base as Avery opened the top of the first inning. Second baseman Kaylea Davis capitalized as she ripped a two-run double to put the Big Red on top. Third baseman Kaylan Deese also doubled in the inning as Davis crossed the plate to put the Lady Vikings in the lead 3-0 after one-half inning.

Heritage scratched a pair of runs across in its half of the first to cut Avery’s lead to 3-2, but the Lady Vikings gained the advantage back, and then some. The bats remained hot in the top of the second as Avery put another crooked number on the scoreboard with three more runs.

Becca Biggerstaff singled to lead off the frame and shortstop Justina Rieger was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base. Leadoff hitter Morgan Yackey rapped a two-run double, and crossed the plate herself before the inning ended to bump the Avery advantage to 6-2.

The score remained unchanged until the bottom of the third when the Lady Cougars rallied to tie the contest with four runs on four hits.

Avery’s offense cooled in the middle innings as Mountain Heritage continued to hit. The Lady Cougars scored four additional runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 10-6 lead, but Avery rallied with a run on a Deese RBI groundout in the top of the fifth to narrow its deficit to three runs.

Unlike the early innings, the Lady Vikings were unable to tame the Lady Cougars offensive firepower. Heritage added two runs in the bottom of the fifth to boost its margin to 12-7. Avery scored a run in the top of the sixth to get as close as 12-8, but the first five hitters reached base in the bottom of the sixth for Mountain Heritage. Six runs came home for the Lady Cougars in the inning to enforce the ten-run rule as Heritage captured the 18-8 win.

It was a solid effort for the Lady Vikings throughout their lineup, as eight of nine starters hit safely, with Yackey, Shook, Davis, and Deese each lacing a pair of base hits which included a double as well as a run batted in.

“I was real pleased with our offense and run production, especially getting six runs in the first two innings. We scored two more runs and had two excellent chances to score additional runs, but they made two very good defensive plays – once when we had runners on second and third and once when we had the bases loaded,” Avery head softball Coach Merritt Yackey remarked following the game. “Those two plays and one defensive play we did not make would have prevented three of their runs and been an 8 to 10-run swing. Defensively we gave up seven errors, but Morgan had two assists and a putout from the mound and Justina Rieger had four assists and a putout playing shortstop.”

Anytime Avery and Cloudland square off in an athletic contest, you can expect both teams to give it their all. Thursday afternoon was no exception as both teams fought hard as the Lady Vikings came out on top in a 7-3 victory in the first game. Avery also captured a 5-0 victory in game two.

In game one, the Lady ‘Landers got on the board first as Cessalie Severson and Cassie Johnson scored as they got on base after third strike errant pitches. Atlanta Largent got a base hit and stole second and third, but could not score. The Lady Vikings got the next two CHS batters on groundouts as the Lady ‘Landers led at the half inning mark.

The Lady Vikings countered with an offensive display of their own as they scored three runs in their part of the inning. Sara Singleton was the first to reach the bases as she hit a single then stole second. Samantha Shook doubled to left field and brought Singleton home for the RBI. Jessica Banner also scored for the Lady Vikings after recording a double. Kaylea Davis also got on base, but was unable to score as the Lady ‘Landers tightened their defense up after Avery took a 3-2 lead into the second.

The game remained scoreless in the third as Avery pitcher Morgan Yackey and CHS hurler Hunter McKinney found their touch. Avery struck in the bottom of the third as they put up four runs to take a 7-2 lead entering the fourth as Becca Biggerstaff, Kaylan Deese, Banner and Shook all crossed home plate. Amber Clark also recorded an RBI in the inning as all of the Lady Viking hitters made a plate appearance.

The Lady ‘Landers countered in the fourth as Jessica Burleson touched off after she led off with a double. Burleson stole third to get in scoring position and Dakota Jarrett also recorded a hit and stolen base. However, the Lady ‘Landers could not get any runners across to score. The Lady Vikings was unable to add to their lead after CHS pulled a double play on a grounder then got the next batter out. The Lady ‘Landers were unable to get any offense going in the fifth inning as the Lady Vikings preserved a 7-3 victory.

In game two, both teams got the opportunity to get younger players on the field as Avery won 5-0. To start the game, the Lady ‘Landers were unable to get a player on base. Avery managed to get runs from Yackey and Singleton to take the early 2-0 lead. The Lady Vikings added two more runs in the second as Amber Clark and Justina Rieger reached home plate and catcher Charley Puckett scored in the third. Despite a hard fought effort, the Lady ‘Landers were unable to get anything going as they could not keep up with the Lady Vikings.

Vikings Baseball Cages Cougars; Loses Late to Warhorses

Avery’s varsity baseball team took its swings at a pair of opponents last week in Western Highlands Conference action. The Vikings traveled to Burnsville on April 8th to take on Mountain Heritage and returned home with a hard-fought 3-1 win. On Thursday the 9th Avery hosted the Owen Warhorses in a nip-and-tuck conference showdown. Owen came from behind with a pair of seventh-inning runs to defeat the Big Red 3-2.

Last Wednesday afternoon Avery sent Brooks Oakley to the mound and he did not disappoint. Oakley surrendered only three hits as he struck out 11 Cougars in picking up the complete-game victory.

Avery drew first blood as Chris Childress led the game off with a double, reached third base on a passed ball, and scored on an Adam Pate RBI groundout. In the meantime Oakley was dominant as he allowed only a Kirk Burnette base hit through his first five innings of work.

Oakley was his own best form of insurance in the top of the third inning when he belted a solo home run to stake himself and his team a 2-0 advantage. The Big Red tacked on their third and final run an inning later. Zac Hall led off the frame with a single to left field and was bunted over to second. An RBI single by Jared Clark brought the runner home for a 3-0 lead after four innings.

Mountain Heritage looked to make a comeback in the bottom of the sixth as leadoff hitter Tim Fox reached base on an error and was driven home after a two-out single from Steven Wilson and an RBI double by Zack Howell. Oakley worked out of the jam however, as he induced a groundout from Burnette to quell the Cougars’ strongest scoring threat of the contest.

“Overall we played pretty well, and it started with pitching. Brooks was the typical Brooks that I expect to see on the mound. He went out there and battled, and we were able to score early to give him a little bit of a cushion before he took the mound, which was good to see.” Avery head coach Benny Wellborn said following the win. “We cut down on our strikeouts in the game and put the ball in play. It was about the third game in a row where we played pretty well on both sides of the game. ”We were able to get leadoff batters on and get them around to score, which we hadn’t done a lot of before this game. Heritage is always a tough place for us to win, and this is only the second time in seven years that we’ve came away with a victory.”

Oakley was 2 of 4 at the plate with the home run, Jared Clark was 1 for 2 with an RBI, and third baseman Zac Hall was 2 for 3 in the win.

On Thursday Avery hosted the Owen Warhorses in a rematch of a game won by Owen earlier this season in Swannanoa. The game was another closely fought affair, as again the Vikings managed to carry a slim lead late into the contest.

The contest was a pitcher’s duel from the outset, as Avery southpaw senior starter Chris Childress toed the rubber for the Big Red, while Owen countered with crafty left-hander Thomas Brown.

The Warhorses scored the only run of the game’s first five innings in the top of the third inning when leadoff batter Nigel Lynch doubled to right field, stole third base, and scored on an RBI single by Jonathan Groce to spot Owen the 1-0 advantage.

Avery was unable to break through on Brown through five innings of work, but changed their fortunes with the arrival of right-handed ace Robert Clark. Clark struck out ten Hendersonville Bearcats in a start the previous Friday, and entered the game at Avery to earn a save in relief to start the bottom of the sixth.

The pitching change served to revive the Big Red offense, as Oakley reached base with a one-out double. Two batters later Steven Daniels hit a slow roller to third base. Third baseman Brandon Spivey’s throw to first was in the dirt and trickled past the first baseman, which allowed Oakley to scamper home with the game-tying run and Daniels to advance to second base. Pinch-runner Ethan Sluder then scored on a RBI single by Zac Hall to take a 2-1 lead into the top of the final inning.

Pitcher Childress struck out the first hitter he faced in the seventh inning, but surrendered a walk and double to consecutive batters to put runners on second and third base. Owen coach Anthony Lee called for his batter Clark to lay down a squeeze bunt. Childress fielded the bunt and threw home where catcher Steven Daniels tried to block the plate. The umpire called the Warhorse runner safe on the close play, however, as Owen tied the game at 2-2.

The visitors regained the lead at 3-2 when Owen’s next hitter served a bloop single just over the drawn-in infield at first base to score the go-ahead run from third base. Avery manager Benny Wellborn called on Daniel Huff to pitch in relief and induced a pair of groundouts to close the inning.

Avery attempted to bring home a tying run in the bottom of the seventh as Jared Clark worked a leadoff walk. However, the pinch-runner at first base was picked off base for the inning’s first out. The Vikings were then retired in order to end the game.

Childress took the hard-luck loss as he struck out ten Warhorses in 6 1/3 innings on the mound, surrendering three runs on only three hits.

“Our pitching has been absolutely great the past four games. Chris only gave up the three runs and he’s been keeping us in the game, which is all you can ask for out of your pitchers. Both Brooks and Chris have been doing the same great things for us,” Coach Wellborn said following the game. “You’ve got to give Chris credit for battling out there. He deserved to be out there late to get that win, and it was tough for us that we couldn’t do so. We played pretty good defense and got some key hits, but it was one of those games where if a couple of plays go differently, you have an entirely different ballgame.”

Oakley and Hall both continued their hot hitting with two base hits apiece in the contest.
Avery’s non-conference game this past Monday with Cloudland was postponed and rescheduled for later in the week, while the team was also scheduled to travel to North Wilkes for a non-conference tilt.

Full reports on these games can be found on the AJ-T Sports Blog at www.ajtsports.blogspot.com and in next week’s print edition.