Vols Stumble to UCLA

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

KNOXVILLE- The Volunteer defense played well enough for the victory on Saturday in Neyland. Unfortunately, the Tennessee offense didn’t.

The Volunteers fell 19-15 to the Bruins despite having the ball inside the UCLA 2-yard line in the closing minutes and outgaining UCLA in total offense. The Bruins were helped by three interceptions by fifth year senior Jonathon Crompton and also a fumbled snap. The result was the first loss of the Kiffin era.

"It was not a surprise, not a lot of new stuff,” UT head coach Lane Kiffin said. “They just out-executed us. By the stats, you can see 206 yards or something, that's embarrassing. You're not going to win many games when you turn the ball over four times. On the other side of it, we got six fumbles out of it and somehow only got one of them. We've got to do a much better job as a whole team, but especially on offense."

Tennessee struggled on offense all day as they couldn’t seem to get anything going. The Vols managed 208 total offensive yards for the game, but the one yard left on the field proved to be the most costly.

UT had the ball on fourth and two on the UCLA 2-yard line inside the closing minutes and Montario Hardesty was stopped short of the end zone turning the ball over on downs. The Volunteer defense was able to sack UCLA Quarterback Kevin Prince in the endzone for a sack, but could not move the ball on the ensuing possession as UCLA took over on downs after a sack and three incompletions. "I would like to think that any time you have two plays that we should be able to run it with the mentality that we have, and score,” Kiffin said.

“That was very discouraging to see. I should have called a different type of run, but you'd like to think when we have one yard to run to win the game that we could do it." Crompton was 13 of 26 for 93 yards with three interceptions. Hardesty had one touchdown and 89 yards rushing on 26 attempts. Freshman Bryce Brown had 34 yards on 11 carries.

However, it was Crompton’s performance that drew the most scrutiny sparking Kiffin to take part of the blame when asked if he considered pulling Crompton. “I thought I didn't do a very good job today of taking care of Jonathan,” Kiffin said. “I tried to stay with the run game a lot of times as you can see with the lopsided ratio of run-to-pass. I think we ran the ball 44 times or something. We've got to do better. I think that showed today, which is my fault for playing some players who haven't practiced enough because of injuries and hoping they would go out there and make plays. That really makes Jonathan suffer. So we didn't do very many good things around him."

The Volunteer defense pounded the Bruins all day, but Kiffin also acknowledged they made some mistakes.

"I think they played really well, considering they had 150 or 160 yards or so,” Kiffin said. “Even after that, we still killed ourselves. I thought Coach [Monte] Kiffin made a number of great calls. We screwed some things up by not doing things right.”

Kiffin also noted that the big game atmosphere may have gotten to the Vols.

“Somehow we got out of whack today in everything that we talked about in letting the emotions of a big game get to us,” Kiffin said. “We got out of character and did things that we don't expect to do."

The Vols travel to Gainesville on Saturday where the Florida Gators will be waiting for them. The game will be televised on CBS with a 3:30 kickoff.

Volleyball Captures First Triumph of 2009 Campaign

Last week the Avery Lady Vikings picked up their first win of the 2009 season when both the junior varsity and varsity teams swept the Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy Lady Gryphons in Viking Gym. Avery also hosted traditional 1A power Hendersonville, falling in straight sets last Thursday.

On Tuesday, September 8^th, the Avery junior varsity began the evening with a 25-12, 25-11 win over the TJCA jayvees. Once the varsity teams hit the floor, things got no better for the visitors from Mooresboro. Thomas Jefferson put up a tough fight in the first game of the match, but the Lady Vikings managed to pull away late to capture a 25-20 first set win.

Avery looked confident and in control as the Big Red dispatched the Lady Gryphons easily by a 25-9 margin in the second set to take a 2-0 advantage. In the third game, Avery faced a little stronger competition from TJCA but was fundamentally sound in closing out the match by a 25-16 final score.

Megan Tennant recorded 7 kills and three blocks in the match, with 11 kills from Megan Robbins. Savannah Dellinger recorded five kills, to go along with three digs and three service aces. Lacey Barrier and Johanna Pittman had five kills each, with nine digs and three service aces from Jennie Elrod. Melinda Eggers recorded two digs, with 31 assists from Cassie Bumgarner.

“It’s always good to get a win, particularly against a 1A school for playoff reasons,” Avery head volleyball coach Kim Hayes said after the win. “The match gave us a chance to really work on our offense. Against the other teams in the conference we focus on defense first, so some players got to record quite a few kills.”

Two nights later the Lady Vikings welcomed the Lady Bearcats of Hendersonville High School to town. Hendersonville proved a tough team, but Avery fought tooth-and-nail with the perennial 1A power to the bitter end.

Hendersonville captured the junior varsity match by final scores of 25-11 and 25-23, respectively. In the varsity matchup, it was apparent that the Lady Vikings and Lady Bearcats were not very different in skill sets, evident by the final scores and the battles for each and every point in the match.

The Lady Bearcats took the first set in the match by an 18-25 final score, and won the final two games in the match by identical 21-25 scores. Despite the loss, Coach Hayes felt the experience will prove beneficial to her club.

“I told the girls if we practiced everyday with the same intensity as the Hendersonville game, we would start winning and upsetting some teams. Losing in three games on paper does not show that we were totally in it to until the end,” Coach Hayes said. “Hendersonville has been a major contender in the 1A division. Playing at that level every day, we can only get better.”

Savannah Dellinger had eight kills and four digs in the match. Megan Robbins added six kills, with seven kills by Megan Tennant. Cassie Bumgarner registered 23 assists. Lacey Barrier was strong defensively with six digs, while Melinda Eggers and Johanna Pittman added four digs each.

The Big Red returns to the court this week with matches at Polk County early in the week, and home matches Wednesday, September 16 against Draughn and Thursday, September 17 against Madison.

Vikings Use Dominant Second Half to Regain Avery Journal-Times Border Battle Trophy

The Avery Journal-Times Border Battle has belonged to the home team the previous two years. On Friday night, the Avery Vikings continued to enjoy the home sweet home element of the Border Battle.

The Vikings overcame early miscues to take a 51-20 victory over the Cloudland Highlanders for their second victory in the renewed series.

“They came out and hit a big play on us early,” Viking coach Darrell Brewer said. “We have been worried about them all week and with a young football team you never know how it is going to go. I told them last week that sometimes a good football team has to come from behind and we did that tonight.”

For the ‘Landers, they saw a chance to capitalize on the early Viking mistakes slip away despite a hard fought effort.

“The penalties and fumbles really set us back,” ‘Lander coach Robbie Turbyfill said. “We had a chance to keep momentum early on, but we couldn’t maintain it. Avery was able to run successfully on us and we had stressed the pass so much that our run defense suffered.

In the first quarter, it looked like the ‘Landers might just walk away with the contest. After being forced to punt, the ‘Landers Trey Hitechew picked off Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva. On the ensuing possession, Seth Miller lateralled to Seth Houstma who found Logan Morgan downfield for a 63-yard touchdown with the extra point giving the ‘Landers an early 7-0 lead.

Both defenses settled down for the remainder of the quarter as Avery forced the ‘Landers to punt once and forced a fumble that was recovered by John Masters, while the ‘Landers got interceptions by Morgan and Miller and also held the Viking to a punt.

The Vikings blocked a ‘Lander punt at the start of the second quarter by Keith McKinney which went out of the back of the end zone and cut the ‘Lander lead to 7-2. After the ensuing free kick, the ‘Landers forced another turnover as Miller recovered a Viking fumble. Cloudland could not take advantage of the field possession as they fumbled it back to the Vikings as Tyler Long recovered.

The first play of the next drive saw Kenny Hicks rumble in from 11-yards out to score, and Colton Blackburn ran in for the two point conversion to give Avery a 10-7 lead. The ‘Landers moved the ball to midfield on their next possession, but was stopped when they attempted a fake punt. The Vikings make use of the short field as they scored six plays later when Nathaniel Buchanan scored on a run from 5-yards out giving Avery the 17-7 lead at halftime.

After the break, it was all Avery. The ‘Landers forced a Viking punt, but on the first play of the ‘Lander offensive series Long intercepted a Miller pass to set the Viking offense up at the Cloudland 26-yard line. Eight plays later saw Villanueva run in from three yards out to make the score 24-7 with the extra point made. The Viking defense forced another ‘Lander turnover on the next possession as Masters got his second fumble recovery of the night. That set up Villanueva’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Remington Austin as Andres Castandei’s extra point was successful giving them a 28 point lead. In all, the Vikings scored 31 unanswered points.

The ‘Landers got a break on their next possession as they kept the ball after a penalty overturned a Viking fumble recovery. Cloudland took advantages as Morgan ran in from 25 yards out to score. The extra point was unsuccessful as the score was 31-13 at the end of the 3^rd. Avery’s offense kept clicking on all cylinders in the final period as Villanueva found Blackburn for a six yard touchdown pass, and after the Avery defense forced another ‘Lander turnover Villanueva hit Hunter Shields for a 46-yard touchdown.

Cloudland managed to get back on the board after Trey Hitechew found some running room and went 95 yards on the ensuing kickoff. The scoring was capped off as Dustin Childress got in the act on the Vikings final drive as the extra point made for the 51-20 final.

For the Vikings, it was an impressive showing and a statement that they will never give up.

“We played as a team, and I believe our boys are growing up a little bit,” Brewer said. “This football team even in our losses this year these guys have never quit. They play hard. This is going to be a good football team.”

Villanueva led the way for the Vikings with 19 of 32 passing for 205 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. He also added a touchdown on the ground, and drew high praise from his coach.

“He didn’t look like a sophomore tonight did he,” Brewer said. “Alex is a special kid and we feel like he won’t do anything but get better.”

Blackburn had 68 yards on eight carries for Avery, while Buchanan added six carries for 32 yards and a touchdown. Hicks and Childress each had a rushing touchdown. McKinney had six catches for 53 yards and also was credited with a blocked punt for the Vikings while Andy Gonzalez had seven catches for 63 yards. Shields, Austin and Blackburn all had a receiving touchdown.

For the ‘Landers, Hitechew had 195 return yards on five attempts, while Cole had 49 yards on 11 carries. Morgan had a touchdown on the ground and one through the air with 88 combined rushing and receiving yards, while Miller was 9 of 13 passing for 53 yards and one interception. Houstma was credited with a touchdown pass as well as three catches for 23 yards.

Cloudland lost Tony Chambers for the second half after he received two personal fouls right before halftime and Lucas Whitehead suffered an injury early in the second half.

“There is a lot of stuff that we can work on,” Turbyfill said. “There was stuff that we did good we can point out, but there was a lot of things we are going to have to work on this week in practice.”

For Brewer, Friday’s victory over the ‘Landers is a special one for him.

“This game is something that everyone in both communities cares about,” Brewer said. “It’s got a little special extra meaning for me. It is a hard game to play because I hope these guys go 9-1 every year. I always have a little soft spot in my heart for Roan Mountain. I wanted our team to come out and play well. It is like playing your family. You want to compete, but you want to do well and come out on top. That is the way I feel about this game.”

The Vikings will enjoy their off week this coming Friday while the ‘Landers travel to Stoney Creek as they take on conference and county rival Unaka.

Vikings Soccer Loses Heartbreaker to Owen; Shuts Out Patton

Last week the Avery men’s soccer squad squared off with a pair of talented teams, traveling to Black Mountain to take on Owen on September 9^th and taking on the Patton Panthers in Morganton the following evening. Avery fell 4-2 in a hard-fought match with the Warhorses, but bounced back to shut out the Patton by a 1-0 final score.

Wednesday’s match with the undefeated Warhorses was a highly physical affair. Despite a total of seven yellow card administered to the Owen club, the Avery team kept its cool to play cleanly throughout the 80 minutes of action without being carded.

The underdog Vikings showed early that they were no pushovers. The Big Red drew first blood when Isauro Estrada assisted on a goal from Jorge Arreola in the 20^th minute to stake Avery to a 1-0 advantage.

Just three minutes later the Vikings struck the stunned Owen club for a second goal. Kyle Griewisch passed a ball ahead to Javier Bravo who peeled a shot into the back of the net for a 2-0 Avery lead.

Owen continued its physical brand of soccer and continued to test the patience of the Avery players. In the final minute of the first half, the Warhorses slipped a shot into goal to cut the Vikings lead to 2-1 at halftime.

As the second half ensued the Warhorses ramped up the intensity and put a good deal of pressure on the Avery club. Owen knotted the match at 2-2 with a goal in the 53^rd minute, and following it up with a go-ahead goal in the 69^th minute and in the final four minutes of the match to escape with a 4-2 win.

“I don’t teach that physical brand of soccer that we saw tonight. You play soccer to play the game and not to see how many players you can take out of the match. They were coming at everybody hard and we kept our cool. The only thing that beat us with tonight was the three goals on throw-ins, and we dominated in everything else except for fouls,” Avery head soccer coach Tom Evaul said after the match. “I’m proud of how we played. There wasn’t much we could do in such a physical match. We’ll have to do a better job of protecting the sidelines when we play them at Avery. But I can’t say enough about this group of guys and how proud of them I am. It’s been a long time since we gave Owen a run for their money. People are going to know about Avery soccer.”

The squad looked to put the Wednesday loss behind them when they journeyed to Burke County to play the Patton Panthers, another highly talented team out of the 2A ranks.

The two teams played to a scoreless first half, which served to fire up the Vikings for a strong second half of play.

In the 51^st minute of the match, Avery broke the ice when Kyle Griewisch scored off an assist from Jorge Arreola in what proved to be the lone scoring play of the match for either club.

“We had a slow, sluggish start in the first half. We talked about more movement away from the ball and being tied at the half really seemed to build up the team’s confidence and fire them up,” Coach Evaul said after the win. “We had much more movement, aggression, and determination in the second half. Every single player we put on the field, including the substitutes, just played as hard as I have seen them play yet.”

Senior keeper Morgan Bounds earned a shutout win as he made ten saves on the night.

“I told the guys at the end of the game that they continue to amaze me with what they are doing this season despite injury or other factors. Patton was fast and quick, and at times more physical than us, but we played hard and smart,” Coach Evaul said. “Our team played as though it was the last game of their lives, and I’m so proud of their attitude towards the game, each other, and what we as a team want to happen this season.”

Avery returns to the pitch this week for a pair of home matches against Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy September 14^th and a conference matchup with Hendersonville on Wednesday, September 16^th.

Griewisch named SAC Runner of the Week

(Rock Hill, S.C.) Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Kate Griewisch has been named the South Atlantic Conference Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week.

The Avery County High School graduate was the top NCAA Division II runner against mostly Division I competition at the Covered Bridge Open in Boone, N.C., last Friday.

The sophomore from Banner Elk, N.C., finished seventh out of 47 runners on the 5K course with a career-best time of 18:37.

Griewisch is a 2008 All-SAC First-Team and NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region honoree. The 2008 SAC Women's Freshman of the Year also led L-R to its first-ever league championship last year as she became the squad’s top runner at the end of the season.

Catawba's Christian Crifasi was the men's winner.

Lenoir-Rhyne next competes in the Elon Invitational this Saturday.

New Winner in Weekly Picks Contest; Week Five Games

Congratulations to Lisa Whorten of Bakersville who correctly picked 15 out of 20 games to win Week four of our Football Picks Contest. Lisa will be entered in our end-of-season prize drawing. Special thanks again to Avery Tire and Service of Newland (Hwy 181 on the four lane), the Avery Journal-Times of Newland, as well as the Avery High School and Cloudland High School football programs.

Below are the slate of games for this week:

1. Ashe County at Elkin

2. Cloudland at Unaka

3. Freedom at McDowell

4. Owen at Enka

5. A.C. Reynolds at Watauga

6. Mitchell at North Buncombe

7. Hendersonville at East Henderson

8. Erwin at Mountain Heritage

9. Thomas Jefferson at Southside Christian

10. East Carolina at North Carolina

11. Elon at Wake Forest

12. Michigan State at Notre Dame

13. Tennessee at Florida

14. Boston College at Clemson

15. Nebraska at Virginia Tech

16. Florida State at BYU

17. NFL: Carolina at Atlanta

18. NFL: Houston at Tennessee

19. NFL: N.Y. Giants at Dallas
20. NFL: New Orleans at Philadelphia

Tie Breaker: Tennessee at Florida

Total # of points scored: ________

Brokaw Brings NBA Experience to Bobcat Bench

BANNER ELK, N.C. – Head men’s basketball coach, Scott Polsgrove has announced the hiring of assistant coach Gary Brokaw who brings a wealth of basketball experience to the Lees-McRae College Bobcat bench in 2009.

“I am very excited that Coach Brokaw has chosen to become part of our program,” Polsgrove said. “The broad range of experience that he has had at the NCAA DI and NBA levels will be a benefit to everyone associated with our program.”

Brokaw was a former All-American at Notre Dame and was on the 1974 team that pulled one of the greatest collegiate upsets of all time, defeating UCLA to snap their 88-game winning streak.

He also spent four years as a NBA player after being drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks as the 18th overall pick in the 1974 draft. He averaged eight points in 241 career games with Milwaukee, Cleveland and Buffalo.

After his time as a player in the NBA, Brokaw spent time as an assistant at his alma mater, Notre Dame, under Digger Phelps for five seasons. He made his head coaching debut at Iona College where he was 72-74 in five seasons.

He broke onto the NBA scene in 1990 as the community relations manager for the NBA league’s office. From 1991-1995, he was the NBA’s director of basketball operations under NBA executive and current New Jersey Nets President Rod Thorn.

His next stop came in Orlando as director of player personnel for the Magic. While he was there, the team reached the playoffs five times, signed Tracy McGrady as a free agent, hired 2000 NBA Coach of the Year “Doc” Rivers and drafted 2001 NBA Rookie of the Year Mike Miller.

His final stop in the NBA came with the Charlotte Bobcats. He joined the staff in 2003 as director of player personnel in preparation for the team’s Expansion Selection and NBA Draft. He joined Charlotte’s bench as assistant coach in 2004.

“Gary and I spent some time with the Orlando Magic together and to think he is helping our basketball team here at Lees-McRae is a great opportunity for everyone,” Athletic Director Craig McPhail said. “He is a skilled and accomplished teacher of the game, with loads of experience and contacts, thus making his abilities so valuable to our athletic department and our men’s basketball program. I look forward to the continued development of our men’s basketball players as well as those future Bobcats!”

Brokaw and his wife, Renee, have two daughters, Sommer and Natalie, and two sons, Brendan and Dylan. (courtesy LMC Sports Information)

High Country Soccer Association News

A number of High Country Soccer Association teams opened league play over the weekend. For many of the teams, this weekend was the beginning of the quest for a league championship which would bring with it promotion to the next competitive level.

Saturday, September 12

The U12 Girls Red team opened league play at home against Catawba Valley Youth Soccer Association (Hickory) on September 12. This is a new team, playing together for the first time. While the result was a 5-0 loss, they show a lot of promise and look to improve throughout the season.

Also on Saturday, the U12 Girls Navy team opened their league play with a 3-0 victory over Kernersville. Two goals by Kassandra Alvarez and one by Amber Popoola paced the team to the victory.

The U14 Boys opened their campaign in NCYSA 1st Division play with a 3-2 win on the road at CVYSA Blast in Hickory. Tucker Chasteen completed the rare hat-trick on the day, scoring his third goal in the 56th minute.

The U16 Girls opened their season with a 2-0 road loss to Highland Football Club (Asheville). While controlling the game through the first half, the Lady Avalanche were unable to convert on some key scoring opportunities. Despite strong play from Molly Wells (Watauga) and Aspen Domske (Ashe) in the center of the defense, HFC was able to break through in the 2nd half to net the two goals.

The U17 Girls began their drive for a 1st Division championship with a 1-1 draw with HFC (Asheville). With co-captain Mary Chesnut Smith (Avery) seeing limited action due to an ankle injury suffered in the CASL Shootout the previous weekend, the Lady Avalanche went into the match with a limited bench. In goal for the match was Caitlin Curley (Wilkes). Scoreless at half, the match was a hard fought battle played mostly in the center third of the field. With fewer than 5 minutes left in the game, HFC converted a penalty kick to open the scoring. In the final minute of the game, midfielder Kebrina Keys (Ashe) converted a free kick resulting from 20 yards out, placing it beautifully in the near corner of the goal to tie the game at 1-1.

The U18 Girls opened their season with a 2-0 home win over the Carolina Mountain Soccer Club (Waynesville). Tiffany Dickens (Watauga) opened the scoring in just the 10th minute on a pass from Caitlyn Soukup (Watauga). Seven minutes later, Avalanche keeper Katherine Mayhew (Watauga) got her first assist on a punt that slipped past the defense allowing Alix Cline (Wilkes) to net the second goal.

Sunday, September 13

After winning the championship at the CASL Labor Day Shootout in Raleigh the previous weekend, the U14 girls opened their league play on Sunday with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Hurricanes from South Gaston County. The Avalanche fell behind early in the 2nd half on a penalty kick however they were able to equalize in the 49th minute off a Madi Critcher free kick. Just three minutes later, Brittany Brown was able to capitalize on a rebound off the SGCSA keeper to net the winning goal.

The U14 Boys played their second game of the season at home against Gaston United, coming up short 1 – 0. Missing on four clear opportunities, the Avalanche were disappointed to give away a home game that saw them dominate the play throughout.

Upcoming Matches

Saturday, September 19
U14 Girls vs Charlotte Soccer Academy Torsion 2:00pm Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex
U17 Girls vs North Meck Soccer Club 2:00pm @NMSC
U18 Girls vs Hendersonville Soccer Assoc. 7:00pm Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex

Sunday, September 20
U11 Boys vs Highland Football Club 3:00pm Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex
U14 Boys vs Triad Area Soccer Club 2:00pm @ TASC
U16 Girls vs Waxhaw 3:00pm Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex
U18 Girls vs Triad Area Soccer Club 4:00pm @TASC

Hi Hi Yikes! McNeese Spoils ASU's Home Opener as 'Neers Fall to 0-2

(courtesy Appalachian Sports Information)

BOONE, N.C. — Josh Lewis’ 18-yard field goal with four seconds remaining was the difference in No. 2 Appalachian State University’s 40-35 loss to No. 16 McNeese State on Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

Lewis’ kick snapped a 35-35 tie and capped McNeese’s 10-play, 79-yard drive that began with 2:05 left to play. Appalachian lateralled the ensuing kickoff three times in hopes of a miracle return but MSU’s Kentrel Butler dragged down Travaris Cadet (Miami, Fla./Central) in the end zone for a safety to end the game and account for the final margin.

The Cowboys’ game-winning drive was indicative of the entire second half, as the teams combined for eight scores in 10 second-half possessions. Trailing 14-7 at halftime, the Mountaineers took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 77 yards in eight plays to knot the score at 14-14 on an eight-yard touchdown run by Armanti Edwards (Greenwood, S.C./Greenwood). From there, the squads traded touchdowns on the next four series, all within a span of 8:42. However, Lewis was wide right on an extra-point attempt following McNeese’s second touchdown of the period, which allowed Appalachian to grab its only lead of the game at 28-27.

With the one-point lead in hand, the Apps appeared to take a firm grasp of the momentum when Ed Gainey (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) intercepted McNeese’s Derrick Fourroux and returned his first-career pickoff four yards to the MSU 38 yard line. The Mountaineers subsequently moved within field-goal range but on third-and-10 from the 27, MSU’s Josh Ellison nabbed a blind-side sack of Edwards for an eight-yard loss that forced the Mountaineers to punt instead of adding to their slim lead.

Sam Martin’s (Fayetteville, Ga./Starr’s Mill) punt pinned the Cowboys at their own five yard line but they proceeded to march 95 yards in 10 plays and capped the seven-minute-and-55-second drive with a two-yard touchdown dive by Fourroux to regain the lead. Running back Todd Pendland took a direct snap and converted the two-point-conversion attempt to make it 35-28, McNeese.

Once again, the Appalachian offense responded and, highlighted by a 26-yard run from Devon Moore (Mebane, N.C./Cedar Ridge), drove 62 yards to knot the game at 35-35 with 2:05 to play. Cedric Baker’s two-yard touchdown dive sealed the six-play drive.

However, 2:05 proved to be too much time to give the McNeese offense. The Cowboys converted a fourth-and-seven play with a 12-yard completion from Fourroux to Pendland and moved to the two yard line on a 27-yard connection from Fourroux to Corday Clark. After one attempt to punch it in the end zone, Lewis came on to punch a knuckleball threw the uprights for the 18-yard game-winner.

The story of the game was the Apps’ inability to corral McNeese on third and fourth downs. MSU converted 10-of-16 opportunities on third and fourth down on the afternoon, including 6-of-9 in the second half.

The other storyline was the Mountaineers squandering a pair of scoring opportunities in the first half to leave a potential 10 points on the field. Jason Vitaris (Seneca, S.C./Seneca) hit the right upright on a 22-yard field-goal attempt in the first quarter and Brian Quick (Columbia, S.C./Ridge View) fumbled on the one yard line while stretching for the goal line with 32 seconds to play in the half.

The highlights for ASU included the play of Edwards and Moore. In his first game after injuring his right foot in a lawn-mowing accident on Aug. 5, Edwards amassed 307 yards of total offense — 235 on 19-of-25 passing and 72 on 13 rushes, including two scores. Moore added a career-high 155 rushing yards on 23 carries (6.7 avg.).

However, Appalachian’s 493 yards of offense was overshadowed by the Cowboys’ 522 total yards. Fourroux and Pendland did the lion’s share of the damage with Fourroux throwing for 341 yards and three touchdowns and Pendland racking up 248 all-purpose yards (127 rushing, 121 receiving) and three scores (one rushing, two receiving. Clark chipped in with 137 yards on six receptions.

Facing an 0-2 hole for the first time since 2003, Appalachian has a bye next Saturday before opening Southern Conference play on Sept. 26 at home versus Samford. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.

NOTES: McNeese snapped Appalachian’s string of 16-straight victories in games that immediately followed a loss ... the Mountaineers had not lost back-to-back games in the same season since opening ‘03 with losses to Hawaii and Eastern Kentucky ... after winning 42-of-44 home games, ASU has lost consecutive outings at Kidd Brewer Stadium for the first time since falling in the 1999 NCAA Division I-AA first round to Florida A&M and the 2000 home opener to Troy State ... the loss to Troy was also the last time the Apps dropped a home opener ... ASU fell to 58-19-2 all-time in home openers, including 18-3 under head coach Jerry Moore ... the Mountaineers are 0-8 all-time versus teams from the state of Louisiana and 1-7 versus current members of the Southland Conference ... Saturday’s crowd of 27,914 was the eighth-largest in Kidd Brewer Stadium history ... Edwards upped his career total offense total to 11,081, moving him from 19th to 16th on the NCAA Division I FCS all-time list ... Moore’s 100-yard effort was the second of his career (100 vs. Eastern Washington, 2007).

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM... McNeese State at Appalachian State!

Thanks for following along as we buckle up for another exciting home season of Appalachian State University Mountaineers football.

This afternoon the Mountaineers unveil for the first time its new west side Press Box and stadium facility enhancements. I must give great kudos to the folks here in Boone...when they do something related to ASU football, they do it right. The press box is spacious, climate-controlled (something not taken for granted after braving the elements covering games the past couple seasons), and a crown jewel that the football program and university can be proud of. Appalachian Sports Information and the university's Athletics Department are first-class and see the labors of the past several seasons fulfilled today.

And now without further ado... on to the game preview.

#2 FCS ranked Appalachian lost a 29-24 heartbreaker to East Carolina in Greenville last Saturday. Sophomore quarterback Travaris Cadet engineered ASU’s rally from a 22-point fourth quarter deficit at ECU, leading the Mountaineers to three scoring drives in the final period and moving the ball to midfield before time ran out on the comeback and upset bid.

As good as Cadet was in the final 20 minutes of last Saturday’s nail-biter, All-America quarterback Armanti Edwards returns to the starting lineup. The 2008 Walter Payton Award winner missed all of fall camp and the season opener due to a foot injury sustained in a lawn-mowing accident on Aug. 5th.

No. 16 McNeese State (1-0) overcame an 18-point deficit in the second half to defeat Division II foe Henderson State, 27-24, last week in Lake Charles, LA. Appalachian and McNeese State have combined for 29 NCAA Division I FCS/I-AA postseason berths and five national championship game appearances. McNeese lost title games in 1997 and 2002, ASU won in 2005,
‘06 and ‘07.

The Mountaineers are 58-18-2 (.776) all time in home openers, including a sterling 18-2 mark under head coach Jerry Moore. The Apps have not lost a home opener since 2000, when it fell to Troy State by a final score of 34-28.

Appalachian is just 1-6 all-time versus current members of the Southland Conference, including a 1-2 mark at home. Saturday’s meeting is the first of three between the Mountaineers and Cowboys scheduled for the next seven seasons. The programs will square off again in 2014 in Lake Charles, La. and 2015 in Boone.

We'll be posting updates periodically during the game, in addition to any observations on other games going on today and interesting tidbits that we may see or hear this afternoon. Stay tuned!

Update #1: McNeese State wins the coin toss and will receive the opening kickoff. Welcome back to college football in the High Country!

Update #2: McNeese State misses a 45 yd. field goal attempt with the game's opening drive. Armanti Edwards is in the starting lineup at QB for ASU and looks like he's 100 percent on offense. ASU moves the ball just past midfield, but a sack kills the drive and forces the Mountaineers to punt the ball away. Scoreless about 5 minutes in.

Update #3: McNeese State scores on its second possession of the game. An impressive 9-play, 65 yard drive that elapsed nearly four minutes off the game clock. MSU tailback Toddrick Pendland carried the ball in from 24 yards out to help the Cowboys draw first blood. MSU 7, ASU 0 in the first qtr.

Also, we'll be posting updates from Neyland Stadium in Knoxville as Matt reports on the UCLA-Tennessee game for the AJ-T throughout the afternoon.

Appalachian kicker Jason Vitaris misses a chip shot 22 yard field goal, hitting the upright. ASU still trails by a touchdown after a 10-play, 59-yard drive took the Apps inside the MSU 5 yard line. At the end of the first quarter, the Cowboys are in ASU territory again and leading it by a 7-0 score.

Update #4: The teams have traded punts as the second quarter has ensued. Appalachian is back inside the MSU 30-yard line after a long pass play from Edwards to Coco Hillary. Appalachian caps off the drive a couple plays later when Devon Moore rambles into the end zone from 12-yards out. The 7-play, 53-yard drive takes 2:45 off the clock and the game is tied 7-7 with just over five minutes left before intermission.

Update #5: McNeese State quickly moves downfield 6 plays and 56 yards over just 2:39. The Cowboys hit pay dirt with a nine-yard touchdown pass from QB Fouroux to Pendland. The PAT gives the Cowboys back the lead at 14-7 with 2:21 left to play before the half.

Update #6: with 32 seconds left, ASU completes a pass from Edwards to Quick. As Quick tried to stretch the ball across the goal line, McNeese's Darrell Jenkins swipes the football loose and Seth Thomas recovers for the Cowboys. MSU take a knee to close the half leading 14-7.

Update #7: Appalachian opens the second half with an eight play, 77 yard drive taking 3:01. Armanti Edwards capped the scoring drive with an 8-yard touchdown scurry. The PAT ties the score at 14-14 with around 11 minutes to play in the third qtr.

Update #8: Wow! The pesky Cowboys answer immediately to regain the lead with a 4 play, 46 yard drive taking 1:46. The connection to Fouroux to Pendland works again for a 31-yard scoring pass. McNeese now leads 21-14 at the 10:02 mark. Back and forth we go. Now we'll see if the Mountaineers can again answer to tie things up.

Update #9: Back come the Mountaineers. Armanti Edwards leads the Apps on a drive and ends it himself with a 20-yard touchdown run. The drive took 8 plays and went over 76 yards. Edwards is responsible for his 111th touchdown as a Mountaineer (passing & rushing) to bring ASU back even 21-21 with six and a half minutes left in the third period.

Update #10: It's like a prize fight between these two teams! Every punch has a counter-punch, and the Cowboys come back downfield to score again. A 7 play, 80 yard drive was topped off by a six-yard TD pass from Fouroux to Corday Clark. The PAT was wide right, however, leaving McNeese St. leading by a 27-21 margin with 3:19 left in the third qtr.

Appalachian answers again for the Black and Gold, as the Mountaineers march to the end zone. A 5 play, 78 yard drive ends with a TD pass from Edwards to Matt Cline, who did a good job following blockers the final five yards to the goal line. The PAT was good, and the Apps lead by a single point at 28-27 with 1:20 left in the third. Great home opener, great offense, and hopefully a great finish!

Update #11: On the first play of the final period, Appalachian DB Ed Gainey picks up his first career interception. Unfortunately the Mountaineers were not able to move the ball and kicked back to MSU, pinning the Cowboys deep in their own territory.

A couple of quick player notes: Devon Moore has rushed for a career-high 121 yards through three periods, while Armanti Edwards has moved from 19th to 16th on the FCS career yardage list, topping the 11,000 yard mark.

Update #12: The Cowboys have taken the long field and driven from its own 5 yard line all the way to the Mountaineer 5-yard line. Facing a fourth and inches, McNeese head coach Matt Viator takes a timeout to think over strategy. The Cowboys chose to go for the first down and converted the old QB sneak to move the chains and set up first and goal.

Two plays laterDerrick Fourroux blasts across the goal line from a couple of yards out, capping a 95-yard drive. The Cowboys go for two points and get the conversion. 16 plays on the drive summary which took 7:55 of clock time. With 4:50 left in the ballgame, McNeese is back on top by the score 35-28. It was just announced that a crowd of 27,914 paid to watch today's game. Good crowd for a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

Update #13: Appalachian's next offensive series was bolstered by a long run by Devon Moore, who is having a career afternoon with close to 200 yards rushing. Appalachian is inside the MSU 30-yard line with 2:45 remaining. A pass interference penalty call against MSU moves the ball to the Cowboys 11-yard line. Edwards races to the two-yard line and the Mountaineers score on the next play when Cedric Baker bullies his way across the end zone from two yards out. The PAT ties it at 35-35 with 2:05 to play.

With 34 seconds left in the game the Cowboys have the football at the ASU 40-yard line, looking to drive for possible game winning points. On 4th and 6, MSU converts a screen pass for 11 yards and a first down to the ASU 29. From this spot, it would be a 46-yard FG attempt for kicker Josh Lewis. McNeese instead hits a HUGE pass play to WR Corday Clark to the ASU 2 yard line with 13 seconds left to play.

ASU snuffs out the next run play, keeping MSU out of the end zone and forcing the Cowboys to attempt the game-winning field goal from 18 yards out by Lewis with 8 seconds to play. Appalachian takes a time out to try to ice the kicker. High drama at Kidd-Brewer this afternoon!

Kicker Josh Lewis hits the field goal with four seconds to play. McNeese State leads 38-35! Can the Mountaineers now pull a rabbit out of the proverbial hat and tap into some more magic at the Rock? We'll see...

On the final kickoff, ASU tries to lateral its way upfield. The play ends with the ASU KO returner tackled in the end zone for a safety. McNeese State wins it in dramatic fashion by the final score of 40-35!

We'll try to get final stats and more when they become available. Great exciting game to open the ASU home season.

Avery Journal-Times Week Four of Picks Contest

Congratulations again to Thomas Jackson, whose 18-2 prognostications earned him a third straight win in our weekly picks contest!


This week is the fourth week of the AJ-T Weekly Picks Contest! Below are this week's games. Make your picks and email them to sports@averyjournal.com by midnight Thursday, or drop them by the paper's office on the four-lane in Newland (next to Avery Tire and Service) by noon on Friday, September 11th. Weekly winners are entered in the end-of-season drawing for several great prizes!

1. North Carolina @ Connecticut
2. James Madison @ Maryland
3. Stanford @ Wake Forest
4. Murray St. @ N.C. State
5. McNeese St. @ Appalachian St.
6. St. Augustine’s @ Mars Hill
7. Cloudland @ Avery
8. Watauga @ West Stokes
9. Rosman @ Hendersonville
10. Thomas Jefferson @ W. Lincoln
11. UCLA @ Tennessee
12. Notre Dame @ Michigan
13. Duke @ Army
14. USC @ Ohio State
15. Polk Co. @ Landrum (SC)
16. Madison @ Hayesville
17. Robbinsville @ Mt. Heritage
18. Furman @ Chattanooga
19. NFL: Philadelphia @ Carolina
20. NFL: Jacksonville @ Indianapolis

Tie-Breaker Game: Cloudland at Avery
Total Points Scored: _______________

Volleyball Sweeps Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy

The Avery Lady Vikings volleyball teams came away with a clean sweep at home Tuesday afternoon over the Lady Gryphons of Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy.

Avery's JV squad took the floor first and captured two straight sets by scores of 25-11 and 25-12 to pick up its first win of 2009.

In varsity action, the Lady Vikings were dominant against a Thomas Jefferson club making its Western Highlands Conference debut in 2009. TJCA played a competitive first game with the Lady Vikings, as the score remained within a two-point difference for much of the affair. Avery pulled away late, however, using its strong service and return game to post a 25-20 set victory.

The Lady Vikings settled into an offensive rhythm in the second contest and seized control early and often as they made quick work of the Lady Gryphons in a 25-9 final score to lead two games to none.

TJCA made a better showing for itself in the third and final game of the match, but the Lady Vikings were simply too strong and too talented for the Lady Gryphons to overcome as Avery closed out the match with a 25-16 win and clean 3-0 match sweep.

The Lady Vikings will be in action this afternoon in a pivotal 1A home match against the Lady Bearcats of Hendersonville. Junior varsity action will begin at 5 p.m., with the varsity match starting shortly following the conclusion of the JV match.

Villanueva Among Region Passing Leaders

Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva is currently ranked second among leading passers in Western North Carolina.

The sophomore signal-caller is 41 for 88 passing for 649 yards and five touchdowns. Villanueva is second only to Tuscola quarterback and U. of Virginia recruit Tyler Brosius in passing yards. Wide receiver teammates Andy Gonzalez and Taylor Potter rank in the top ten in yardage among pass catchers in the region.

The Vikings will be back in action at home Friday night when they take on the neighboring Cloudland Highlanders in the third annual Avery Journal-Times Border Battle Classic.

Pioneers Extend Win Streak over Vikings

An old proverb states that “Opportunities always look bigger going than coming”. The Avery Vikings were unable to seize an early opportunity that came to them to seize momentum against Watauga, while the Pioneers made the most of many opportunities afforded to them to put points on the scoreboard. By evening’s end, Watauga captured its fourth straight rivalry game over Avery and seventh in the last nine contests by a 35-12 final score.

On the opening drive of the game, Avery’s Dustin Childress forced a fumble from Watauga quarterback Devan Corum. Viking John Masters recovered the loose ball to give Avery possession for the first time in the game at the Watauga 14 yard line.

The Pioneer defense held Avery on three straight plays, however, and the Vikings could not capitalize as a field goal attempt sailed wide left to keep the game scoreless.

Having dodged a bullet, the Pioneers fired their own shot when, just three plays later, Corum found wide receiver Travis Oliver in stride for an 84-yard touchdown pass play. Anderson Proffit’s point-after kick put Watauga ahead 7-0 at the 8:12 mark of the opening period.

“We had our opportunity to score and didn’t, then we had them third and long and let them throw the long touchdown pass. That was a huge swing in momentum,” Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer said after the game. “I felt at that point when we had the ball that we needed some points out of that. We shut down their run the first couple of plays, but we had a misread on the pass play and they capitalized.”

the visitors to the 15-0 edge late in the first period.On the first play of its ensuing drive, Avery returned the turnover favor as quarterback Alex Villanueva’s pass attempt was intercepted by Watauga’s Caleb Watson. An eight play, 51-yard drive followed the turnover as the Pioneers eventually found its way to the end zone as Logan Smith’s one-yard run capped the scoring march. Corum ran in a two-point conversion to stake

The Vikings offense could not get moving against a stingy Pioneers defense. Avery was held to three-and-out, and Watauga continued its offensive flurry. The Pioneers constructed another long scoring drive (9 plays, 66 yards) against the Avery defense, ending when Smith scored his second one-yard TD run of the half. The PAT gave the Pioneers a commanding 22-0 lead early in the second quarter.

The Vikings committed a second turnover in the half with a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, but the Pioneers returned the favor as Cole Blackburn forced a fumble by running back Kevin Rook that the Big Red pounced on. Avery was unable to move the football with consistency with its opportunity, as a sack and an intentional grounding penalty helped stall a drive that had crossed into Watauga territory.

It seemed Watauga was set to add to its large margin in its next offensive series, as a pair of completions to wide receiver Trey Kavanaugh gave Watauga a 1st and goal at the Avery 6-yard line, but the Big Red defense kept the Pioneers out of the end zone and forced a turnover on downs.

As the first half wound down, Avery moved into Watauga territory on the heels of a 41-yard dash by running back Cole Blackburn, who saw his first action after missing Avery’s first two games due to injury. The Vikings could move no farther, however, as the Watauga defense forced four straight incomplete passes to get the football back.

In its last drive of the half, Watauga made it count as it drove 55 yards over 14 plays and scored on a Corum five-yard pass to tight end Jordan Pineda with 39 seconds left in the half to put the Pioneers up by a halftime score of 29-0.

“They played a great first half. I don’t feel like our kids didn’t play hard or anything like that. But there are times when a good football team can make you look bad, which is exactly what they did,” Coach Brewer added.

Avery could only muster four first downs and 57 yards in total offense for the first half, while Watauga racked up 360 yards in offense, highlighted by a 11 of 15 passing effort for 238 yards by Pioneers signal-caller Devan Corum.

The Vikings moved the football to near midfield with its first offensive series of the second half, but Watauga turned Avery away with a Mo Gore interception on a fourth down pass play.
Watauga effectively put the game away with an eight play, 86-yard touchdown march on its first series of the third quarter. A Robbie Sherrill 31-yard run opened the series, while a 40-yard pass from Corum to Oliver moved the club inside the Avery red zone. Corum capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion attempt failed, but Watauga held a 35-0 advantage with 3:41 to play in the third period.

Avery was able to finally put points on the board with a 14 play, 78 yard drive that elapsed 5:41 off the clock in the fourth period. Running back Kenny Hicks accounted for 27 rushing yards on the possession, including the final four yards that ended across the goal line for a touchdown.

Watauga was held to a three-and-out for the first time in the contest, and Avery rallied to score a second touchdown in the game’s final minute. Villanueva hit wide receiver Remington Austin for a 45-yard scoring strike with under a minute to play to provide the final margin in the Vikings defeat.

“I felt at times our run defense played as well as it has all year. The offensive line looked good at times, but Watauga was a team that was hard to get a feel for on film,” Coach Brewer said after the game. “They were quite a bit bigger in size and were better up front than I thought they were. You’ve gotta give Coach Pruitt and his staff a lot of credit. That’s one of the most physical Watauga football teams that I’ve ever seen which really surprised me.”

Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva was 8 of 24 passing for 102 yards, with a touchdown and three interceptions. Devan Coram led the Pioneers with 12 completions in 17 attempts for 278 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“Our guys fought and scratched until the final gun. I think we looked like a young team Friday night, and the pressure threw us off a little bit,” Coach Brewer added. “They got to us more than we thought they would.”

The Vikings fall to 1-2 on the season, and they will host the neighboring Cloudland Highlanders this Friday night at MacDonald Stadium in the 3rd Annual Avery Journal-Times Border Battle Classic.