ROCK HILL, SC - Defending South Atlantic Conference champion Carson-Newman College leads the 2009 preseason All-Conference football team with 11 selections.
The Eagles had seven players named to the first team, including quarterback Alex Good and running back Buck Wakefield. Good was a second-team All-Conference pick in 2008, while Wakefield returns as a first-team running back.
Newberry College had nine named to the preseason All-Conference team. Newberry had four first-team selections, including wide receiver Kelton Tindall and defensive back Kamaal McIlwain.
Tusculum College had eight on the preseason All-Conference team. The Pioneers had four named to the first team, including returning All-American tight end Jarrell NeSmith and wide receiver Ryan Tallent, who led the conference with 92 catches last season.
Wingate University had six preseason All-Conference selections. The Bulldogs had three first-team selections, including running back Nelson Woods, who led the conference with 1,238 yards rushing last season.
Mars Hill College placed seven on the preseason squad, including three on the first team. The Lions return a pair of first-team standouts on the defensive side in linebacker Stan Galbraith, who registered six sacks last season, and defensive back Deshon Nesbitt.
Former Avery Vikings standout Zach Johnson was selected second-team All-SAC after his impressive red-shirt sophomore season. Johnson led the Lions with 95 tackles (10 TFL), and also recorded four sacks, a forced fumble and an interception in 2008.
Catawba College and Lenoir-Rhyne University each placed six on the preseason All-Conference team.
The Catawba Indians had three first-team selections, including returning All-American offensive lineman Terence Crosby.
The Bears had three first-team selections, and all on the offense, including the conference's top kicker last season in Colin Corpe.
Brevard College had three preseason All-Conference selections, including a pair of first-team defensive selections in linebackers Stanley Jones and Brandon Rawls.
2009 SAC Preseason All-Conference Football Team
OFFENSE First Team QB - Alex Good, Carson-Newman RB - Buck Wakefield, Carson-Newman RB - Nelson Woods, Wingate RB - Marcus Foster, Tusculum WR - Reggie Hubbard, Carson-Newman WR - Kelton Tindal, Newberry WR - Ryan Tallent, Tusculum TE - Jarrell NeSmith, Tusculum OL - Terence Crosby, Catawba OL - Chandler Rearden, Lenoir-Rhyne OL - Josh Sims, Mars Hill OL - Matt Holmes, Newberry OL - Ross Shaffer, Carson-Newman PK - Colin Corpe, Lenoir-Rhyne LS - Jordon Simmons, Lenoir-Rhyne
Second Team QB - Brandon Gantt, Newberry RB - Ricky Harris, Carson-Newman RB - Anthony Silvers, Lenoir-Rhyne RB - Gerald Legree, Newberry WR - Nate Binder, Tusculum WR - John Brown, Mars Hill WR - Calvin Britt, Tusculum TE - Ryan Webb! ! er, Wingate OL - Hunter Carnes, Catawba OL - Harrison Smith, Lenoir-Rhyne OL - Walter Simmons, Newberry OL - Josh Stone, Tusculum OL - Ben Benshoof, Wingate PK - Michael Pinkerton, Mars Hill LS - Kyle Davis, Wingate
DEFENSE First Team DL - Melquan Fair, Catawba DL - Brandon Harmon, Carson-Newman DL - Brandon Sutton, Catawba DL - Lance Clark, Newberry LB - Brian Brown, Carson-Newman LB - Stanley Jones, Brevard LB - Brandon Rawls, Brevard LB - Stan Galbraith, Mars Hill DB - Mario Russell, Carson-Newman DB - Deshon Nesbitt, Mars Hill DB - Kamaal McIlwain, Newberry DB - Tylan Merkerson, Wingate P - John Gregory, Tusculum RS - Patrick Pinchinat, Wingate
Second Team DL - Marqus Davis, Catawba DL - Maurice Harris, Mars Hill DL - Marcus Nelums, Newberry DL - Brandon Kelley, Tusculum LB - Lakeem Perry, Catawba LB - Zach Johnson, Mars Hill LB - Ben Hinson, Wingate LB - Aaron Plyler, Wingate DB - Marcus Shuford, Lenoir-Rhyne DB - Andre Moyd, Newberry DB - Michael Gist, Brevard DB - Denares Waites, Carson-Newman P - Chris Jones, Carson-Newman RS - Reggie Hubbard, Carson-Newman
ROCK HILL -- The Carson-Newman Eagles, who won their 20th conference championship in 2008, are the favorite to defend the conference title, in a vote of the league's head coaches.
The Eagles have won 20 conference titles under head coach Ken Sparks, including a share of the title each of the past two seasons. Carson-Newman received six first-place votes and 62 out of a possible 64 total points.
Catawba College and 2008 champion Tusculum College shared second place in the poll. The Catawba Indians, coming off a 6-4 record and fourth-place finish in the SAC, received one first-place vote. The Pioneers won their second conference title last season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
Wingate University is picked to finish fourth. The Bulldogs finished in a tie for fourth place last season after a strong start to the season. The ! ! Bulldogs picked up 41 points.
Mars Hill College, another team involved in the fourth-place tie, received 35 total points for fifth place. But the Lions also received one first-place vote.
Newberry College, last year's other league champion, is picked to finish in sixth under first-year coach Todd Knight. Newberry received 34 total points.
Lenoir-Rhyne University received 16 points for seventh place, which is where the Bears finished last season.
Brevard College rounds out the preseason poll with eight points.
ETSU rising sophomore Seth Coy (Montgomery, Ind.) was tragically killed early Wednesday evening in a single-car accident while driving through Kentucky on his way home to Montgomery, Ind.. Coy was 19 years old.
“Words cannot describe the sincere heartache everyone involved with ETSU athletics feels at this time, and our thoughts and prayers go out to Seth’s entire family,” said ETSU men’s basketball head coach Murry Bartow. “For those of us who worked with Seth on a day-to-day basis as part of the men’s basketball program here at ETSU, this is devastating news. He was such a great young man with a pleasant personality, a wonderful sense of humor, and a really bright future. He was so well-liked within our team, and it was obvious by the reaction during games last year that he was a fan favorite as well. This is just unbelievably heartbreaking.”
Coy, a 6-foot-11 center, joined the ETSU program last season after a high school career that included playing alongside highly-touted North Carolina signee Tyler Zeller. Coy and Zeller won a Class 3A Indiana state championship at Washington High School, where Coy averaged 13.6 points and 9.8 rebounds a game as a senior.
At ETSU, Coy played in 24 games as a true freshman, averaging 10.8 minutes a game, with 2.0 rebounds and 2.9 points a contest. He was expected to battle this preseason for a starting spot in the post during the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
Funeral plans and arrangements are not known at this time. ETSUBucs.com will provide updates when they become available.
Imagine learning about the game of basketball from individuals who reached the pinnacle of success in the sport. Now, envision those individuals taking time to offer encouraging words and instruction on both physical and spiritual levels to maximize the impact the game on a life.
For over 55 children in AveryCounty, imagination became reality last week as AveryCounty native and North CarolinaStateUniversity basketball legend Tommy Burleson, in partnership with AveryCountyParks and Recreation, hosted his annual basketball camp.
Boys and girls ranging from grades 3-12 spend five days at the camp learning fundamental skills such as dribbling, passing, shooting, and defense, but also acquire a wealth of knowledge from the former N.C. State University, U.S. Olympic basketball, and NBA standout.
“It was a great week. The kids seemed to have a really good time. I know I did,” Burleson remarked at camp’s end. “All my counselors were excellent. They were very emotionally tied in with the young kids and I could see they enjoyed working with them. They invested time and effort into it from coaching to refereeing and showing little idiosyncrasies and technique to help the kids with their game.”
This year saw an increase of enrollment, as a large group of around 55 campers received an official camp t-shirt quoting Scripture from Psalm 117:1, which reads “Praise the Lord, all ye nations. Praise Him all ye people.” The statement is also indicative of the importance Burleson has placed through the years of teaching campers moral truths in addition to basketball principles.
“We were able to give witness, and I hope what we spoke will impact the lives of the kids. If your message is able to reach at least one kid, it’s all worthwhile,” Burleson remarked. “I could see by some kids’ attitudes that we weren’t breaking through, but I also saw more kids whose attitudes changed about Christ and that we were getting through. I think we touched the lives of at least a half a dozen or a dozen kids, and I hope we reinforced the positive Christian messages that parents teach at home. Hopefully we also got the message out to kids who have never heard the message before.”
Each year the camp provides students with drills and techniques to help them improve their game. Whether a child is first learning about the game or has years of experience on the court, the camp offers something for every skill level.
A unique aspect of the camp each year is the presence of special guest speakers and instructors who share a testimony with the campers and teach specialized skills.
During Thursday morning’s camp session the students heard from Bobby Jones, former University of North Carolina basketball star who won an NBA championship with teammates Julius “Dr. J” Erving and Moses Malone with and the Philadelphia Sixers.
Jones shared Biblical examples Hezekiah and Samson to explain to the campers that the decisions they make will always involve consequences, regardless of whether the decisions are good or bad. He encouraged students to trust those positive role models in their lives who are telling them to do the right things in life, such as coaches, teachers, and parents. Jones also commended the campers on their skills that he witnessed earlier in the day and led them through a number of drills to improve agility, speed, and lateral movement on the floor.
On Friday morning the campers were visited by David Thompson, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, close friend and former teammate of Burleson at NC State. Thompson spent time speaking to the attentive group of campers, sharing the mountaintops and valleys in his life from being a top professional draft pick in both the ABA and NBA and the highest paid athlete in the game to his past difficulties with eventual conquest over substance abuse. Thompson shared how his Christian morals guide his life today.
“It’s important that kids understand the consequences and choices in their lives. I want to see kids make good choices and not have to go through some of the things I went through before I finally saw the light,” Thompson remarked after speaking to the group. “It’s important for me to tell the kids to keep God first in their life and they’ll be successful. Everybody might scrape their knee every now and then, but once you have that seed there’s a foundation to build on and come back to.”
The camp featured a number of boys and girls of varying ages who showed sound technical skills in areas such as dribbling, shooting, and playing tough on the defensive end of the game.
“We had a large, diverse group. There was a high number of players I could see who got better and took the fundamentals to heart, practicing them, and putting them into their game,” Burleson added. “We were able to show kids the proper technique and many of the kids picked it up well.”
The summer camp season continues to progress with a trio of camps taking place in the greater Newland area.
Lady Vikings Volleyball Camp Volleyball camp is taking place through Friday at Avery High School Gym. Sessions take place from 9-11:30 a.m. for students 3rd-8th grade, with sessions for high school students from 2-4 p.m. and from 6-8 p.m.
Contact Lady Vikings head coach Kim Hayes at Avery High School for costs and additional information (733-0151)
ACYSA SOCCER CLINIC July 29-31 (Wed-Fri.) 9-11:30 a.m. at Avery Middle School for rising 1st-5th grade students $60 per player Each participant receives a free soccer ball. Registration available at the Rock Gym in Newland. Contact Amber Williams at 387-7232 for questions or details.
BASEBALL CAMP Camp is take place every day this week for players kindergarten through 9th grade. 9 a.m.-noon - Grades K-5th 1-4 p.m. - 6th-9th grade Cost for the camp is $45.Contact Avery Parks and Recreation at 733-8266 for more details.
It’s been a long, long time since I have got a chance to do a FTSS, but there is no better time than now to start back. Here are some of my thoughts on some random (and some are really random) topics
Football cannot get here fast enough. Monday, July 27th marks the first official practice day for high school teams in Tennessee. Teams have been working hard to prepare for the upcoming season. The print edition of the Journal will have all kinds of previews. We started last week with Top Five games of last season and will continue to have special stories and previews until kickoff.
The Cloudland Passing tournament was a fun and entertaining afternoon. Coach Turbyfill and his staff did an outstanding job putting it together. There was some great competition and some great games. Hopefully, they will be able to build and continue it in the future.
What an interesting, if not bizarre, media days the SEC had.
What a mistake Juan Montoya made on Sunday at the Brickyard. How would you like a $224,000 speeding ticket? That is basically what Montoya got because that was the difference between winning and the 11th spot where he ended up. His car was wicked fast and he was cruising, then the speeding penalty took him out of contention.
Speaking of racing, I got a great opportunity Saturday night to sit back and watch some racing at Hickory. The USAR Pro Cup late models came to town and put on an impressive show. I highly recommend checking them out sometime if you can. Some great and hard racing made it worth the trip down the mountain. Their races are shown on Fox Sports tape delayed. I believe it is Sundays at 11:00am, but they have multiple replays. You can check online for those times and also there upcoming schedule.
We continue to look at ways to improve our coverage this fall, and if you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know. With the games on our schedules, we’re looking forward to bringing the excitement of football to the paper and here on the blog.
As the new school year is rapidly approaching, it is never too late to look back at the top games from the 2008-2009 school year. The Highlander athletic programs had plenty of outstanding games, but there were a special few that were downright incredible.
#5- Lady ‘Landers 38 Unicoi County 31, Girls Basketball A Valentine’s Day in a gym normally wouldn’t be much to remember. However, on this night, the Lady ‘Landers made it their own. After spotting the Lady Blue Devils ten points, the Lady ‘Landers came back with a vengeance to take the victory and help CHS take a string of seven straight victories into postseason play. The first quarter was forgettable as CHS went without a single point in the frame. However, a stingy defense, who returned the favor as they held Unicoi without a point in the third, helped the Lady ‘Landers withstand three separate Unicoi runs and allowed them to take the victory.
#4- Cloudland 54, Hampton 53, OT, Boys Basketball The Cloudland-Hampton rivalry is considered one of the best in the area, and this game was no exception. The ‘Landers fell behind by as many as five in the fourth quarter before clamping down on the Bulldogs. A free throw pulled the ‘Landers with two with a minute left, and a steal and ensuing layup tied the game with 41 seconds to force overtime. In overtime, the ‘Landers quickly jumped out to a 52-49 lead midway through the four minute period. The Bulldogs made a late charge, but the ‘Landers held on to give the Bulldogs their first conference loss in front of a loud and proud Roan Mountain crowd.
#3- Lady ‘Landers 48, Hampton 43, Girls Basketball With a co-conference title on the line, the Lady ‘Landers turned up the heat on their next door rival Hampton to get the job done as they took the narrow victory. In front of a packed Sonny Smith Gymnasium, the Lady ‘Landers and Lady Bulldogs played a close game throughout as the lead was swapped several times and was tied entering the fourth quarter. From there, the Lady ‘Landers turned up the defensive pressure as they held the Lady Bulldogs without a point the first seven minutes and thirty one seconds of the quarter. When Hampton managed to finally score with 29 seconds left, it was not enough as the Lady ‘Landers had already secured the victory.
#2- Cloudland 43, Avery County 21, Football One of the most anticipated games on the ‘Lander schedule last season was the Border Battle with Avery, and the ‘Landers made it a memorable one has they took decisive victory in Roan Mountain. With the victory, the ‘Landers evened the Border Battle at one apiece and got revenge for a 35-14 loss the year before. The game started off even as both teams tried to gain the upper hand, before CHS took control. The ‘Landers scored on 7 of their 10 offensive possessions, and built an early 12-0 lead. Avery eventually closed the gap to 18-13; however that was as close as they could get before the ‘Landers took back over.
#1 Cloudland 39, Rockwood 38, Boys Basketball TSSAA Substate Round The ‘Landers were on the verge of seeing their season come to a sudden close against Rockwood with a trip to Murfreesboro on the line. However, Logan Morgan and the rest of the ‘Landers weren’t going to have any part of that. CHS led the way through most of the first half, but lost the lead in the 3rd quarter. They regained it at the start of the fourth before Rockwood took the lead with a six point run. The ‘Landers returned the favor and Matthew Potter tied the game at 36 with two minutes left for the ‘Landers, but the Tigers regained control with less than a minute remaining. Rockwood missed two free throws and the ‘Landers got the rebound. With 18 seconds remaining, the ‘Landers got the ball to Morgan who hit the game winning shot with two Tiger defenders in his face. The shot stunned the Rockwood fans, and clinched Cloudland’s third state tournament trip in four years
(Appalachian Sports Information) SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Southern Conference’s football coaches have picked Appalachian State University to win its fifth-consecutive conference championship, the SoCon office announced on Monday.
Appalachian received 8-of-9 first-place votes in the SoCon’s annual coaches’ preseason poll. The Mountaineers are followed by Wofford, Elon, Furman, Georgia Southern (which received the other first-place vote), The Citadel and Samford (which tied for sixth), Western Carolina and Chattanooga.
ASU is looking to become just the second program in the SoCon’s 77-year football history to win as many as five championships in a row (Georgia Southern won six-straight from 1997-2002). Appalachian is already one of only four programs to win four-straight SoCon titles (joining GSU, Furman — 1980-83 and West Virginia — 1953-56).
In addition to the poll, the SoCon coaches also selected their annual preseason all-conference teams and ASU was the most-represented squad with 16 players pulling in 17 total selections, including eight first-team honorees. Leading the way are the SoCon’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Armanti Edwards, and preseason Defensive Player of the Year, linebacker Jacque Roman. Their selections were no surprise, as the duo swept the coaches’ postseason player-of-the-year awards following last season.
Joining Edwards and Roman on the first team are offensive linemen Mario Acitelli, Brett Irvin and Daniel Kilgore, defensive lineman Jabari Fletcher and defensive backs Mark LeGree and Cortez Gilbert.
ASU’s second-team honorees are running back Devon Moore, tight end Ben Jorden, wide receivers Brian Quick and CoCo Hillary, defensive lineman Anthony Williams, linebacker D.J. Smith, defensive back Ed Gainey, place kicker Jason Vitaris and Hillary again as a return specialist.
Elon had the second-most preseason all-SoCon selections with eight, followed by Furman (seven) and The Citadel and Wofford (six apiece).
On Tuesday, the SoCon holds its preseason media teleconference. Appalachian head coach Jerry Moore will take his turn fielding questions from the media at 12:45 p.m., followed by Edwards at 1:15 p.m. The entire teleconference can be heard at GoASU.com beginning at 10 a.m
The annual Tommy Burleson Basketball Camp wrapped up on Friday at the Avery Parks and Recreation Rock Gym with a visit from NC State and ABA/NBA legend David Thompson.
Thompson, a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, spoke to the youngsters attending camp about his life growing up, his storied college and pro career, and of the poor decisions he made in the past in regard to alcohol abuse.
"Skywalker", as Thompson was known during his playing days, also showed why he was touted as having the greatest vertical leap of any player in collegiate and perhaps NBA history, throwing down a slam dunk for old time's sake.
Over 55 campers enjoyed a week of drills, scrimmages, techniques and fundamentals taught by Burleson, two-time ACC Tournament Most Outstanding Player and one of the greatest centers in college basketball history, as well as high school players who worked with students from third grade through high school age. In addition to Thompson, other noted guests appeared during the week-long camp. Bobby Jones, a former North Carolina Tar Heel star who was an 11-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Team during his 12 seasons in the league and won an NBA championship as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, spoke to the campers on Thursday morning.
Former West Virginia and Duke head basketball coach and nationally-renowned broadcaster Bucky Waters attended Friday morning's camp session and visited with those in attendance.
More on the camp can be found in next week's print edition of the Avery Journal-Times
The Carolina Golden Knights returned to action on Saturday evening following an extended holiday break for a rematch off the mountain with the Burke Storm, falling by a final score of 30-0.
Much like the first half of the first encounter between the teams during the opening week of the season, the Knights hung tough with the Storm. Late in the second quarter, a Golden Knights interception was returned for a touchdown, providing Burke with a 14-0 halftime edge.
Carolina found its greatest success all season running the football, as two players, including quarterback Jonathan Hughes, combined for around 70 yards rushing for the contest.
“We’re doing a whole lot better. We moved the ball fairly well, especially running the football,” Golden Knights head coach Mark Beach said following the game. “I was excited to see us moving the ball and being able to get first downs. We had some people, including two of my starting offensive linemen and one of our starting defensive backs and long snapper on vacation. Jonathan Hughes stepped in at quarterback and helped us a bunch.”
The Knights had one of their better opportunities for points come by way of field goal attempt, but the kick was blocked to keep the squad scoreless. “I was excited that we had the opportunity to put points on the board,” Coach Beach said. “It was 14-0 at halftime, but they had to have the punt run back to put them up by that score.”
The Carolina defense played strong in their best effort of the season to date. Clifton Braswell recorded a quarterback sack in the contest and a number of players made key hits and blocks. Carolina primarily kept the football on the ground offensively, choosing to focus on rushing the football.
“We threw the ball maybe three times for the game, but we want to get where we can be consistently successful running the football,” Coach Beach added.
A scary moment took place in the game’s final play, as Knights player Brandon Ward sustained a hit and was briefly knocked unconscious. Ward rode back up the mountain toward Avery County following the game and experienced after-effects from the blow, so he was airlifted to Johnson City, where he underwent a number of tests and observation.
“Brandon was hit and it just knocked him out. He was given a CAT scan and everything turned out good and he was released on Monday,” Coach Beach remarked. “I think the difference in elevation got to him, and we’re just glad that everything looked good.”
Carolina will return for a home game this Saturday at 7 p.m. at Historic Cranberry High School Athletic Complex, where they are scheduled to take on the Glade Spring Pirates.
“We hope to have a number of our players back from injury this week. We wanted to make sure they took their time in getting healed up so they would be 100 percent when they get out on the field,” Coach Beach said. “We hope to have a big turnout this week as I see us continue to improve.”
The Carolina Golden Knights are a non-profit group that wishes to use proceeds from home games to help local individuals in need. The team hopes to minimize expenses to this effect, which includes the need to find officials who may share the team’s vision and offer their services at a lower rate than what the team is currently having to pay.
“In these non-conference games we play, it is great if we can find five officials who can help us with calling these games, it will help us save money and be able to pass that along to folks who can definitely use it,” Coach Beach stated.
There were many triumphs by the AveryCounty sports teams in the past 12 months. From numerous all-conference players, state qualifiers, and conference player of the year awards in sports like tennis, track and field, and basketball to coach of the year awards in golf and tennis and multiple state playoff victories, the Avery athletics programs had much to celebrate.
With the closing of another school year in AveryCounty and the dawn of the 2009-10 sports seasons approaching, the AJ-T sports department wanted to look back at five memorable contests that shaped the year in sports. The game selections are listed in order of date, starting last August and advancing through the spring. Middle School Shootout: Cranberry Tops Avery in Brad King Bowl Last September’s Toe River Conference football regular season finale pitted the two county middle schools in the 26th annual Brad King Bowl at MacDonald Stadium. The two schools provided plenty of offensive fireworks in a 60-42 Cranberry Wildcats win to recapture the traveling trophy.
Cranberry led 22-6 at the half, but Avery narrowed the gap to 30-20 after three quarters behind the tandem of Chance Watson and Chase Buchanan, who connected for four touchdown connections.
The two teams went on to combine for 52 points in the fourth and final quarter, exceeding the combined output from the first three stanzas.
Cranberry’s Bryce Pittman scored an astounding seven touchdowns and gained over 300 yards on the ground, and added an interception on defense. The football fund raiser earned close to $2,400 for local families in need.
Home Sweet Homecoming: Vikings Football Slips by Falcons There weren’t a great number of bright spots for the Avery varsity football squad in 2008, but perhaps the brightest one of all was an exciting 31-30 victory over West Henderson on a chilly Homecoming night at MacDonald Stadium.
Avery led 7-6 after one period, and upped its margin to 14-6 on a two-yard run by senior quarterback Adam Pate. A Falcon touchdown and two-point conversion tied the game at 14 with under five minutes to play in the half.
In the final possession of the first half, Avery’s offense moved the ball into field goal range, where kicker Sutton Stanley booted a 32-yard field goal to stake the Big Red to a 17-14 halftime edge.
Avery took advantage of a West turnover early in the third quarter, scoring on a four-yard Travis Thomas run to build a 24-14 lead. West got back on the board in the final seconds of the period, however, capping a nine play drive with a touchdown run to make the score 24-20 after three quarters.
The Avery defense made two huge defensive stands inside the red zone in the fourth quarter to preserve its lead. An intentional grounding penalty called in the end zone against Avery resulted in a safety to cut Avery’s lead to a pair at 24-22. On Avery’s next offensive series the team scored on Thomas’ second touchdown run of the evening, padding the Viking lead to 31-22 with 2:06 left to play.
With little time remaining, West responded quickly with a three-play, 63-yard drive culminating in a touchdown pass. A successful two-point conversion cut the Big Red margin to 31-30.
Avery’s special teams recovered the ensuing onside kick and appeared to have the game in hand, but West Henderson’s defense forced Avery to punt with under a minute remaining. A long pass play from West quarterback Baker to wideout Keenan Young advanced the Falcons into field goal range, but West opted for the touchdown rather than rely on a shaky kicking game. A fourth down quarterback sack by senior lineman Christian Montgomery put the final nail in the Falcon coffin to seal the emotional Big Red win.
Tournament Thriller: Mitchell Holds Off Avery in WHC Women’s Varsity Basketball Tourney Championship Game The Western Highlands Conference women’s tournament final between Avery and Mitchell was surrounded by a lot of hype, considering both teams advanced into regional competition a season earlier and had played a pair of closely fought games during the regular season, with Mitchell capturing both victories. Avery was determined, however, hosting the tournament and having the advantage of playing on its home floor. An overflow capacity crowd cheered loudly for both teams through 32 minutes of heart-stopping action as Mitchell captured the crown with a 61-59 win.
The two teams were as equal in talent and desire as any game in recent memory. Neither team built a lead of greater than five points throughout the entire contest. The teams were knotted at 16 after one quarter, tied at 32 at halftime, and tied once again at 46 points apiece.
A brief scoring run by Avery gave the Lady Vikings a four point lead midway through the final period.
With a little over two minutes remaining in the game, Avery lost forward Katelynn Eudy due to fouls and senior Samantha Shook to injury.
A late free throw miss and rebound gave Mitchell an opportunity to hold for the final shot. The team held the ball and ran out the final minute of play with the teams tied at 59.
Conference Player of the Year Laken Norris served as surprise distributor with a pass to teammate Samantha Smith, who drained a 17-foot jumper with under three seconds left to give the Lady Mountaineers the win.
Sweet Victory: Lady Vikings Soccer Snaps Polk’s Undefeated Conference Record with 2-1 Triumph
Both Avery and PolkCounty brought top ten rankings into their first regular season showdown at MacDonald Stadium. Polk was undefeated in Western Highlands Conference play since joining the league back in 2005, but the Lady Vikings brought that streak to a screeching halt on a cool mid-April evening.
Polk scored the only goal of the first half in the 33rd minute on a tally from junior Anna Trakas. Avery roared back with resilience in the second half. Emily Banner headed a Mary Chesnut Smith corner kick into the goal to knot the score at 1-1.
Avery’s defense contributed heavily to the winning score. At the 54 minute mark, defensive pressure from forward Melinda Eggers forced a bad Polk pass that was stolen by Smith. The sophomore attacked the goal and slipped a low shot through the grasp of the keeper for what proved to be the winning goal.
The veteran Avery defense made the lead stand up for the final 25 minutes of action to seal the historic win.
Let’s Play Two! (days, that is): Avery Blanks Highlands in Opening Round of State Baseball Playoffs
On a sunny Friday morning the Avery baseball team ventured to HighlandsHigh School to play a first round contest in the 1A state playoffs. Little did the Vikings know they would be seeing more of the town of Highlands than they bargained for.
Leadoff hitter Chris Childress opened the top of the first inning with a solo home run. Brooks Oakley and Adam Pate also reached base before a lengthy rain delay and lightning forced the eventual postponement of Friday afternoon’s game until the following morning.
Avery stayed overnight in a local hotel and showed no ill effects from the unexpected circumstances, walloping the Highlanders by the final score of 10-0.
Daniels, Avery’s first hitter of the game, brought Oakley, Pate, and himself home with a long three-run homer over the fence to spot Avery a 4-0 lead when play resumed on Saturday morning.
Avery’s lineup mashed the baseball in the top of the second frame. Pate and Daniels went back-to-back with home runs to push the Avery lead to six runs. One inning later, Childress helped his own cause further by blasting his second home run of the game, a two-run shot which staked Avery to an 8-0 lead.
Two more runs plated for the Vikings in the final two innings. Daniels walked and was driven in by a Jack Buchanan single in the top of the fourth, and Pate smacked his second solo home run of the day to close the scoring. Nine of Avery's 10 runs scored jogged across the home plate due to home runs.
PHILADELPHIA — Appalachian State University quarterback Armanti Edwards, the 2008 Walter Payton Award winner, headlines the initial candidates for the 2009 Payton Award, The Sports Network announced on Tuesday.
The Payton Award is presented annually to the nation’s top NCAA Division I FCS (Football Championship Subdivision — formerly Division I-AA) player. In a departure from past years, this year’s official Payton watch list will include 20 candidates, as opposed to 16. Additionally, The Sports Network is spreading the announcement of its official candidates over five weeks, with four names added to the list each week. The full list will be revised in October and November before the final ballot is announced at the end of the regular season.
Last year, Edwards won the award in the landslide, easily out-distancing James Madison quarterback Rodney Landers with 398 total points and 53 first-place votes, compared to 290 points and 17 first-place nods for the JMU signal-caller. In doing so, Edwards became only the sixth underclassman in the 22-year history of the Payton Award to receive the honor. This season, the senior attempts to become the first player to win the award twice.
The consensus first-team All-American and Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year racked up 2,902 passing yards, 941 rushing yards and a SoCon-record 41 touchdowns responsible for (30 passing, 11 rushing) in 2008. He ranked second nationally with a 170.19 pass-efficiency rating, seventh with 3,843 yards of total offense and 58th in rushing. He threw only two interceptions in 224 regular-season pass attempts, with a school-record string of 176 passes without an interception that spanned over two months — eight full games and parts of two others.
For his career, Edwards already owns 12 school and eight conference records, including the ASU and SoCon records for total offense (10,783 yards) and touchdowns responsible (109) in a career. The Mountaineers are 32-5 in games that Edwards has started behind center.
Appalachian is one of only two programs — Montana being the other — to boast winners of the Payton, Buck Buchanan (FCS Defensive Player of the Year) and Eddie Robinson (FCS Coach of the Year) awards.
Mountaineer senior linebacker Jacque Roman (Kingland, Ga./Kingland) and junior defensive back Mark LeGree are leading candidates to be included on the initial Buchanan Award watch list as it is unveiled over the coming weeks.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Mars Hill College football team is listed No. 24 in the 2009 Lindy’s Sports Preseason Poll. The Lions are one of four South Atlantic Conference teams listed in Lindy’s Preseason Poll.
Carson-Newman is listed ninth, while Catawba is holding down the No. 15 spot. Tusculum is 20th, while Mars Hill is ranked 24th in this year’s preseason listing.
Northwest Missouri State, last year’s national runner-up, is Lindy’s favorite to win the championship in December. Grand Valley State is second, followed by 2008 national champion Minnesota-Duluth. Delta State, who defeated Tusculum in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs, is listed fourth. California (Pa.) is fifth, followed by Pittsburg State, Bloomsburg, Abilene Christian, Carson-Newman and Valdosta State to round out the top 10.
Chadron State is 11th, followed by West Texas A&M, Ashland, North Alabama, Catawba, Tuskegee, West Chester, Nebraska-Kearney, Indiana (Pa.), Tusculum, Edinboro, Wayne State (Neb.), Seton Hill, Mars Hill and Central Washington.
Lindy’s Sports Preseason Division II Football Poll
Rk. Team 1 Northwest Missouri State 2 Grand Valley State 3 Minnesota-Duluth 4 Delta State 5 California (Pa.) 6 Pittsburg State 7 Bloomsburg 8 Abilene Christian 9 Carson-Newman 10 Valdosta State 11 Chadron State 12 West Texas A&M 13 Ashland 14 North Alabama 15 Catawba 16 Tuskegee 17 West Chester 18 Nebraska-Kearney 19 Indiana (Pa.) 20 Tusculum 21 Edinboro 22 Wayne State (Neb.) 23 Seton Hill 24 Mars Hill 25 Central Washington
The Asheville Citizen-Times is reporting that the NFHS has ruled to change the distance of the softball pitching rubber nationwide beginning in 2011.
Added safety and scoring could be the result of a major change coming to North Carolina high school softball as soon as next spring.
The National Federation of State High School Associations has mandated that the pitching rubber be moved back from 40 to 43 feet in 2011. States have the option of doing it in 2010.
The NCHSAA will make a decision later this month and have an announcement at the N.C. Coaches Association Clinic, NCHSAA assistant executive director Carolyn Shannonhouse said Friday.
Shannonhouse said the NCHSAA is leaning towards making the change next season.
Tommy Burleson Basketball Camp July 20-24 9-11:30 am - boys & girls 3rd-8th grade 6:30-8:30 pm- high school boys Cost: $50 before day of camp; $60 day of camp
Baseball Camp
July 27-31 for K-9th graders 9am-noon: K-5th grade 1-4 pm: 6th-9th grade Cost: $45
Avery Volleyball Camp July 28th - 31st for K-High School 9:00 - 11:30 3rd - 5th grade 9:30 - 12:00 6th - 8th grade 2 -4 pm and 6-8 pm high school
Elementary: $55, Middle: $70, High Sch.: $85 Discounts for families with 2 or more kids.
Cost includes College Coach Instruction and camp t-shirt. For more information, contact Avery HS volleyball coach Kim Hayes at 733-0151.
Dance Camp August 3-7 for K-rising 9th graders 8am-noon Cost: $60 (registration deadline July 20th)
A total of three Avery County Little League Baseball and Softball All-Star teams were in action across the High Country on Saturday afternoon.
9 and 10 Softball: The 9 and 10 year old Little League Softball tournament reconvened at Hodge Turbyfill Baseball Complex in Newland as Avery faced a tough Wilkes American squad. Avery was unable to find an answer for the well-rounded Wilkes team, falling in four innings by the final score of 17-0.
In the early going the contest remained close as Avery starter Bri Cuthbertson held the Wilkes club to only a pair of first inning tallies in the top of the first inning. Avery threatened to narrow the gap as the squad put two runners on base. A caught stealing at third base ended the rally and the frame with Wilkes up by a pair.
Wilkes was unable to explode offensively through the first three innings but still managed to manufacture runs to build its lead. Wilkes plated three runs in both the second and third innings, taking advantage of seven walks during the stretch to build its lead to 8-0.
Offense against the Wilkes pitching staff was hard to come by for Avery, as the team managed only a pair of hits for the game. Wilkes put the contest away with nine runs in the top of the fourth inning to provide for the final margin.
11 and 12 Softball: Avery’s 11 and 12 year old softball All-Stars hoped to stave off elimination when they took the diamond at Watauga High School in Boone against a Watauga National squad. Watauga was too tough to tame in the contest, however, defeating Avery 15-0 in four innings.
Starting pitcher Ashlie Yoder ran into early difficulty against Watauga, surrendering a pair of runs. The right hander worked out of a bases-loaded jam, however, to surrender no further damage in the inning.
Avery’s bats found the going tough against Watauga pitching. Offense was at a premium for the squad, as Stacie Brewer provided a base hit in the second inning and Kylie Polsgrove reached base in both her turns at bat for the contest.
Watauga scored five runs in the second inning to increase its edge to seven runs, then put the contest out of reach with an eight-run third inning to provide for the final margin.
Overall, the Avery coaching staff felt their team performed admirably in this year’s All-Star tournament. “To sum it up, we beat the teams we were supposed to beat and lost to the teams that we should have also,” Avery coach Craig Rieger said after the contest. “We didn’t play our best, and wished things could have been closer.”
“We didn’t make the outs on plays that we needed to, and we made some errors,” Coach Kevin Brown added.
11 and 12 Baseball: Despite a long layoff of around ten days between games, the Avery 11 and 12 year old Baseball All-Stars took the field on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Optimist Park to play a Watauga National ballclub in District 7 tournament action. Avery managed to put runners in scoring position multiple times in the game, but Watauga’s hit parade was too strong as the Nationals took a 17-1 win in four innings.
Southpaw pitcher Gabe Stanley got the starting nod for Avery in the contest, but the Watauga bats began to hit early. A pair of solo home runs started the flurry for the Nationals club, and the team continued to put the ball in play, scoring six runs in the frame to take an early lead.
Avery best scoring chance came early in the game, as the team loaded the bases in the top of the first with no outs as Jerry Lunsford singled, Kyle Hoffman drew a walk and Wade Smith was hit by a pitch. Watauga pitching worked out of the trouble however, as a fielder’s choice and pair of strikeouts prevented Avery from plating a run in the inning. Avery held Watauga to a lone run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the second, but Watauga increased its bulge to 7-0. Watauga put the contest out of reach in the top of the third inning. The team rallied with two outs in the inning to score three runs for a 10-0 lead.
Avery threatened for its own big inning in the bottom of the third, again loading the bases. A bases-loaded walk plated Avery’s first run, but Watauga again retired the Avery club before further damage could be inflicted.
The proverbial door was slammed by the Nationals in the top of the fourth with a seven-run frame. The big blow for Watauga was a two-run home run by Matt Lambert. Avery could not rally to keep the contest going in the bottom of the inning, enforcing the ten-run rule to end the contest.
“We got off to such a bad start. When you give up home runs early and walk a few runners, you find yourself in a mess. But after the first inning we played all right. We made an error or two, but it is what it is,” Avery coach Jerry Lunsford said after the game. “As far as doing what they needed to do in practice and in games, this has been the best team in the three years that I’ve coached All-Stars. We were a little inexperienced, but the players wanted to come to practice and work hard to get better together.”
Overall, the Little League season for Avery County has been a successful and fun time for all. “We had a great year. The all-stars represented Avery County well,” League President Jerry Moody said. “The Board of Directors are very proud of all of the kids, parents, coaches and volunteers.”
Congratulations to all the Avery All-Stars for great effort throughout their respective district tournaments.
On July 6 and 7, the Avery Vikings welcomed a number of visiting teams to MacDonald Stadium for a 7-on-7 passing league. Joining the Big Red in the activities were the Highlanders from neighboring Cloudland (TN), as well as another neighbor in the Mitchell Mountaineers. WestWilkesHigh School, who held a team camp throughout the week in AveryCounty, took part in the action. A pair of additional schools, DraughnHigh School during Monday’s events, and PattonHigh School, who participated on Tuesday, took advantage of the close proximity to BurkeCounty and picture-perfect AveryCounty weather.
Teams took part in what amounted to round-robin competition as schools took turns playing one another. The goal of the offense was to drive the football to the end zone through the air from 40 yards away against an opposing defensive secondary.
Multiple teams played without key contributors at times due to family vacation and other summer activities, but players who participated left everything on the field as they worked to improve both themselves and their team.
“This has been really good for us. It has allowed our receivers to run some sharp routes on offense, and it makes your secondary concentrate solely on defending the ball and defending the pass,” Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer said regarding the event. “It is competition, and you can see the kids out there competing hard and wanting to win. We have got a team of competitors this year, and I’ve been really proud of them.”
On Monday Avery was without a number of regulars who had been participating and contributing throughout the spring and summer. However, those players in attendance stepped up admirably, and the group who worked together the following day ran like a well-oiled machine.
“We had several kids missing on Monday who had attended the Gardner-Webb camp and we were out of sync a little with out new kids. But we came together Tuesday and didn’t miss a beat,” Coach Brewer continued. “I was proud of the team’s focus, especially on that second day.”
The Vikings continue to build up to the season-opener at Robbinsville, working to improve in all areas and erase the sour taste of a 2-10 campaign in 2008.
“Going into spring practice, I knew that most of the varsity team this year would be players from last year’s junior varsity team, with the exception of about five returning players. It’s a whole new group of young kids, but you really forget how young they really are,” Coach Brewer explained. “The players are such competitors and play with such passion, that you look at them and sometimes forget that they’re just pups. We’ve been pleased with their progress.”
Following the event, it was obvious to see the respect the competing teams had for one another, as well as the desire to help each other improve as the fall approaches. It allowed the Vikings a unique opportunity to watch and compete against partial squads from three of their opponents in the upcoming season.
“I think both Mitchell and Cloudland had a few kids missing and was in kind of the same boat we were in. Both of them are teams we know as rivals but we know that neither team takes a play off. You always expect them to play disciplined, hard-nosed football,” Coach Brewer added. “West Wilkes had brought their entire team up for camp, and they basically had all hands on deck.”
Although the Vikings may not quite possess the offensive firepower in years past, this year’s squad is out to prove it can achieve great things, executing offensively in a variety of ways, whether by running or throwing the football.
“Alex (QB Villanueva) is one of those kids that you forget is only going to be a sophomore. The way he’s handled himself throughout the summer doesn’t give any indication that he’s just in his sophomore season,” Coach Brewer added. “He’s just got an air about him, and we believe we will throw the football with success.”
The recent 7-on-7, as well as activities such as the upcoming six-squad scrimmage in August, are events the Avery coaches hope can take place annually given the ability to use the stadium’s Field Turf surface in greater volume than the natural surface of years past.
“Having the field we have, the sky’s the limit to the things we can do. We’ve never had anything like this in the past because we’ve had to stay off the field as much as possible to allow the ground to recover and grass to grow,” Coach Brewer said. “I would love for us to have a huge passing tournament with a lot of schools coming in, doing t-shirts and trophies and that type of thing. With what we enjoy now, we’re able to have six-team scrimmages and the 7-on-7s that we just had no way of doing before.”
Avery’s next large-scale team event will be a scrimmage that will take place in the second week of August, a final tune-up as teams prepare for opening night on August 21st.
The Avery 11 and 12 year old Little League Baseball and Softball All-Stars returned to the diamond on Saturday afternoon in Boone.
In softball action, the Watauga team played well and took advantage of limited openings by the Avery defense to take a 15-0 final score in four innings. Unfortunately for the Avery faithful, the 11 and 12 baseball team had difficulty shutting down a hot hitting Watauga National club, leading 6-0 after one frame and went on to take a 17-1 win in four frames.
Congratulations to both Avery teams on a great All-Star tournament run!
ROCK HILL, SC - Defending South Atlantic Conference champion Carson-Newman College leads the 2009 preseason All-Conference football team with 11 selections. 
