Weekly Picks Contest Winner; This Week's Games

Congratulations to Sam Burleson, who correctly picked 18 out of 20 games in this week's picks contest to win for the second consecutive week. Sam is 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 is the slate of games for this week:

1. Avery @ Madison
2. Watauga @ Alexander Central
3. Mitchell @ Mtn. Heritage
4. McDowell @ AC Reynolds
5. Owen @ Hendersonville
6. Thomas Jefferson @ Polk Co.
7. Maryland @ Duke
8. Georgia Tech @ Virginia
9. Clemson @ Miami (FL)
10. Boston College @ Notre Dame
11. Florida @ Mississippi State
12. Tennessee @ Alabama
13. Georgia Southern @ Appalachian State
14. Lenoir Rhyne U. @ Mars Hill College
15. NFL: New Orleans @ Miami
16. NFL: Minnesota @ Pittsburgh
17. NFL: Buffalo @ Carolina
18. NFL: Atlanta @ Dallas
19. NFL: Indianapolis @ St. Louis
20. NFL: New England @ Tampa Bay

Tie Breaker: Owen @ Hendersonville

Total # of Points: _________________

Vikings Look to Return to Winning Circle at Madison County

Following a pair of blowout losses over consecutive weeks against Hendersonville and Polk County, the Avery Vikings (4-4, 2-2 WHC) travel to Marshall in an attempt to pick up their elusive first win over the Madison Patriots (3-5, 1-3 WHC). Avery defeated Madison 22-14 at MacDonald Stadium a season ago and has beaten the Patriots in every contest played this decade. Avery fell 46-20 last week to Polk, while Madison lost 34-14 to Owen last Friday night.

Scouting the Patriots
The Madison Patriots are led by first-year head coach Mark Gosnell, a former assistant coach at Erwin, Tuscola, and Stephens County (GA). Gosnell is a Madison alum, playing quarterback for the school before concentrating on baseball during his collegiate career at Wingate University.

Gosnell is the school’s athletic director and is the fourth Patriots head coach in the past five seasons, and helped the school break a 23-game winless streak entering this season with an opening week blowout of Rosman.

The Patriots employ a multiple-I offense, as Robbie Shelton (46 for 108, 667 yards, 8 TD in 2009) calls signals behind center. Thus far this season Madison has relied heavily on its junior running back Brandon Henderson (152 rushes, 1047 yards, 12 TD in 2009) to carry the offensive burden.

Madison also looks to bolster its running game by using senior running back Corry Heath Miller (30 rushes, 230 yards, 4 TD in 2009). Its passing game, when utilized, relies upon a pair of senior receivers in Austin Nix, Garrett Cuthbertson, and Cameron Garrison.

The Patriots rely on a strong running game due to a young yet large offensive line, including junior Robert Taffer, sophomore Lucas Garrett, and junior Brandon Lisenbee.

Madison has switched to a 4-3 defensive scheme in 2009, with Garrison, Cuthbertson, Ethan Ball, and junior Craig Mace anchoring the secondary.

The Low Down

Avery has enjoyed a decade of dominance against Madison, taking advantage of a usually hapless Patriots club to chalk up victory after victory. The Vikings do not have the luxury of overlooking Madison this year, however. The Patriots have a strong rushing attack that can potentially pose problems to the Avery defense.

Madison’s wins have come against less-than-stellar teams in Thomas Jefferson and Rosman, in addition to a victory over Hayesville.

When the Vikings have been successful, the team has held turnovers to a minimum. Avery has committed nine turnovers over the past two contests, allowing its opponent to take large early leads en route to victories. The Vikings must take better care of the football if they wish to have any chance at victory on the road this week.

By the Numbers
0 – wins by Madison over Avery in varsity football since 1999.
3- touchdown passes by Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva in last Friday’s game against Polk County.
22- points per game allowed by the Madison defense this season.
58 – combined points given up by Avery in the first half of its last two games.
80- rushing yards gained by the Big Red in last week’s game against Polk County.
236- rushing yards surrendered by the Vikings in last week’s loss to the Wolverines.

Check out next week’s edition of the Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s game against Madison, as well as a preview of next week’s Senior Night home finale against Mountain Heritage.

Soccer Blanks Thomas Jefferson, Shuts Out #2 Hendersonville and #13 Wolverines in Conference Action

On Monday, October 12^th, the Avery soccer team traveled to Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy for a Western Highlands Conference match. The contest was all Vikings, as seven different players scored goals en route to an 11-0 shutout win.

The Vikings got the early lead in the first couple of minutes in the match and never looked back en route to the win.

“I was sorry and not happy about the final score of the match. I told our guys that our objective, especially in the second half, was not to score but to work on our passing game to get ready for Hendersonville,” Avery soccer head coach Tom Evaul said after the win. “Kyle could have scored at will in the match, but he worked on his game, with his passing and ended up with four assists through getting everybody involved.”

The weather may have been cold and raw to the fans Avery High School Wednesday night, October 14^th, but the Avery Vikings men's soccer team kept the action red hot, as it used smothering defense and timely goals to defeat 1A #2 ranked Hendersonville 3-0.

The matchup was originally scheduled to be played in Hendersonville, but poor field conditions at Dietz Field prompted the teams to relocate the match to the turf of MacDonald Stadium.

Avery struck in the very first minute of the match as a shot from Kyle Griewisch rebounded to Zack Strange, who was in perfect position to bury the shot in the back of the net to spot Avery a 1-0 advantage. The two teams jockeyed for position throughout the remainder of the half, as the Vikings defense remained stern and keeper Morgan Bounds turned away every Bearcat shot. The game remained a 1-0 lead for the Big Red until halftime.

In the second half, Avery scored in the 60th minute off a Kyle Griewisch goal assisted by Isauro Estrada to extend the Vikings advantage to 2-0. Just over a minute later, Hendersonville was a beneficiary of a foul in the penalty box and was awarded the penalty kick. In a harbinger of the remainder of the night, the penalty shot ricocheted off the post and the Bearcats were again denied.

"I definitely think that penalty shot miss was a change in momentum for us," Avery head coach Tom Evaul said after the match. "I think they would have gotten the momentum they needed if they had made the shot."

Instead of a one-goal margin, Avery preserved its 2-0 lead and added a third goal in the 67th minute when Jorge Arreola assisted on a second goal by Griewisch to close the scoring in the 3-0 triumph.

Playing without the services of senior defensive stopper Daniel Huff, who underwent knee surgery earlier on Wednesday, the Vikings defense rose to the challenge and blanked the talented Bearcats club.

"This win ranks right up there with the girls victory over Polk last season to give them their first-ever conference loss,” Coach Evaul said after the win. “I was really pleased with the defense. Brock (Yackey) has stepped up, Heraclio (Flores), and Cody (Shadoin) have all stepped up and played well of late. We have had to play a lot of the season without Daniel, and we have put in a number of players like Daniel Lusk and Forrest Sickler at stopper who keep us strong on defense," Coach Evaul added. “Morgan had another great game in goal. We had a lot of shanks and balls that we couldn't clear, yet we still kept them out of goal which says a lot about the players. I’ve never seen our team that excited and ecstatic, and I hope this will give us a boost."

On Monday night, the Vikings hosted another solid squad in the Polk County Wolverines, ranked 13^th in the latest 2A soccer poll. Another strong defensive contest and a pair of timely goals were the difference in a 2-0 Viking victory.

In the early going, the Vikings spent the first several minutes on its defensive end of the field. Avery turned field position around, however, and scored the lone goal of the first half when Daniel Lusk blasted a shot from 25 yards out that found the back of the net.

The Avery defense and keeper Morgan Bounds was sharp through the first 40 minutes. Bounds made a number of athletic saves on shots to help preserve the Big Red advantage.

Throughout the second half the Wolverines pressured the Avery defense, but the Vikings were up to the challenge, turning Polk away at every forward push.

Avery almost extended its lead to two goals when a header from Jorge Arreola found the left goal post. Just a minute later, in the 75^th minute, senior Kyle Griewisch went on an offensive run up the left side of the field and powered a low ball to the right corner of the goal to stake the Vikings to the two-goal edge that proved to be the winning margin.

Avery soccer improves to 11-5-2 on the season with a 7-3 mark in conference play, and will take on the Madison Patriots in Marshall for a conference matchup on Wednesday.

Women's Golf Sends Pair to Regional Tournament

The Avery women's golf team embarked on the two-day conference tournament last Monday, October 12^th at Black Mountain Golf Course. Combating the rain and wet course conditions, the girls battled hard all day against fellow conference foes Mountain Heritage, Owen, Polk County, and Hendersonville.

The original 18-hole round was shortened to only nine holes due to inclement weather. Avery girls participating in the opening day of the tournament (scores in parentheses) were: Catalina Lehmann (52), Mary Chesnut Smith (56), Nikki Wright (56), Noelle Henline (62), Kelli Burleson (62).

The Owen Warlassies finished in first place after day one of competition, while Mountain Heritage sat in second, Hendersonville third, and Avery sat only two strokes back in fourth place.

The next day the teams completed the 2009 tournament with 18 holes of play at Mountain Glen Golf Club in Newland. The lowest three individual scores from Monday's nine holes at Black Mountain Golf Course were added to the best three individual low scores in Tuesday's 18-hole round to tabulate team totals.

When the day's competition was complete, the Owen Warhorses took the overall team championship with a total score of 433. Mountain Heritage captured second place with a combined score of 458. Hendersonville finished third with a score of 486, followed in fourth place by the Lady Vikings with a team score of 505. Rounding out the team totals was Polk County with a team score of 541.

Avery's Catalina Lehmann finished tied for sixth overall in individual performances with a total of 162, which earned her a berth on the All-Conference team and entry into the Regional tournament. Avery freshman Arden Stanley qualified for Regional competition by virtue of scoring under 55 for nine holes.

"I think it's great for our team. Most of the girls we competed against have had long established programs. We took it slow and practiced twice a week just to get the girls interested in playing. In our first year to have two girls qualify for regionals is just outstanding," Avery golf coach Boe Barinowski said after the tournament.

The ladies traveled to regional competition in Asheville on Monday. Monday’s tournament was delayed 90 minutes due to frost on the course. Avery’s duo of Lehmann and Stanley played hard, but the short game proved to be a difficult obstacle as the tandem finished the 18 holes with scores of 128 and 130, respectively which landed them in the 25^th percentile.

Although the girls were unable to qualify for the state tournament, but the experience and milestones gained by the Avery women’s golf team in its inaugural season is of the utmost value.

“This was the first tournament where the girls weren’t allowed to pick up their ball on a hole, and some players had scores of 15, 16, or even 17 for an individual hole. Our girls each had 11s on holes, which was something they hadn’t seen before,” Coach Barinowski said following the round. “I really like the way the regional tournament is structured. It is a better snapshot of your golfers in high school sports and rewards individual play more. In boys golf you can be a poor golfer on a good team and go to state, where in girls golf if you go as a team, you’re probably good enough to also go as an individual. The best method for building talent is girls teaching girls, and now we have two girls see what it is like at regional level and can share that experience with their teammates.”

The success of this year’s team can be traced to the generosity of a number of individuals and groups, including the local golf courses allowing the girls to practice and hold matches, as well as organizations who donated space to allow the team to better prepare for the season.

“The fact that we had a girl qualify for All-Conference in our first season in existence validates the decision by Mark Garrett to start the program. I want to thank him for helping us move in the right direction with athletics in a more equitable way,” Coach Barinowski added. “JROTC helped to fund the multi-use complex that allows us to also utilize the facility to practice golf indoors, particularly for boys golf in the winter. The VFW allowed ROTC to hold its annual banquet there for free rather than us using our budget to hold a banquet elsewhere. That allowed us to put the funds toward our indoor rifle range facility and lay down the carpet for golf and other activities.”

The coach was also quite appreciative of the local golf courses and personnel who continue to help the school’s golf teams succeed and improve.

“We are so appreciate the golf staffs that allow our boys to practice before even the members are allowed to play in order to help them prepare for their season. The support of the staff at Linville Golf Club has been huge, as well as the people at Mountain Glen and Sugar Mountain courses who have helped our teams to hold practice and matches during their respective seasons.”

Congratulations to the Avery ladies golf team on a fantastic first season, and best of luck to the boys golf team in the spring.

First Quarter Mishaps Sink Vikings Ship against Wolverines

Last Friday night the Avery Vikings hoped to avoid a repeat of the previous week’s rout in Hendersonville as they played host to the Polk Country Wolverines at MacDonald Stadium. In the final analysis, three turnovers in seven plays doomed Avery’s hopes to remain in second place in the Western Highlands Conference race, as the Wolverines dispatched of the Big Red on a cold night in Newland by the final score of 46-20.

Avery received the opening kickoff but was forced to punt to Polk. The Wolverines featured the all-around athleticism of quarterback Andre Overholt for the first of many times over the course of the evening, as the signal-caller scampered 23 yards into the end zone for the first Wolverine score of the game and a 6-0 lead.

Already facing an early deficit, Avery inflicted its first self-inflicted wound in the form of a fumble on its first offensive play of the ensuing series. Polk’s Chandler Miller recovered the ball at the Avery 25, and a 24-yard pass connection from Overholt to Kasey Jackson set up a one-yard plunge by Overholt to pull Polk ahead 12-0.

Avery’s next series ended much as the previous one. This time the Vikings turned the ball over as quarterback Alex Villanueva was picked off by Polk’s Ryan Thomas near midfield. A 34-yard scramble by Overholt on a 3rd and 23 kept the Wolverine drive alive, which was capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass from Overholt to Justin Blackburn. Following two unsuccessful two-point conversions on its previous scores, Polk chose to kick the extra point to build a 19-0 advantage.

The Vikings continued to shoot themselves in the foot on its next offensive series when, on the team’s second play, a center-quarterback exchange resulted in a fumble recovered by Polk inside the 20-yard line. The Wolverines immediately capitalized, as Jackson rumbled 16 yards on the very next play to spot Polk a commanding 25-0 lead before the end of the first quarter of action.

After the first period, Polk had out-gained Avery in total yardage 147-43 and had forced three Viking turnovers. After the Vikings turned the ball over on downs to Polk, the Avery defense rose up when Tyler Buchanan forced a fumble that teammate Tyler Long recovered. Unfortunately, the Vikings were unable to capitalize when Villanueva was intercepted by Justin Blackburn at the Wolverines 9-yard line and returned to near midfield.

Avery’s defense had a hard time stopping the diversified Polk offensive attack. Jackson capped a 6-play, 52-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run. The point after gave Polk an insurmountable 32-0 lead.

In the final minutes of the half, Avery used a Dylan Aldridge punt to pin Polk deep in its own territory. The Vikings defense forced a Jackson fumble on the first play, recovered by Dylan Aldridge inside the Polk 20-yard line. The Big Red wasted little time scoring when Villanueva found Colton Blackburn for an 18-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful, but Polk’s lead was cut to 32-6 at halftime.

The Vikings hoped to mount a comeback with two quarter of action to be played, but the hopes were quickly dashed by the Polk County special teams. Andre Overholt received the opening kickoff of the half, dodged a number of Viking tacklers, and raced 80 yards to pay dirt. The extra point restored the Wolverines advantage to 39-6.

After an Avery three-and-out, Polk mounted its longest drive of the evening, a 10-play, 70-yard march culminating in a second touchdown pass from Overholt to Blackburn to push the lead to 46-6 at the 3:34 mark of the third quarter.

The two teams combined for three turnovers over the next four minutes of play as the final quarter ensued. Late in the game, the Avery offense finally got untracked as Villanueva led the Vikings on a pair of touchdown drives. Remington Austin caught a 25-yard touchdown pass, while a Kenny Hicks two-point conversion run pulled Avery to within 46-14. After the Avery defense held Polk on a fourth down near the Viking red zone, Avery’s offense took over and drove 78 yards in eight plays. A 13-yard pass from Villanueva to Dylan Aldridge closed out the scoring.

“Avery was its own worst enemy tonight,” Avery head coach Darrell Brewer succinctly summed up after the loss. “Polk was a good football team, but we sure helped them along as well as we could.”

Avery’s record drops to an even 4-4 on the year, with a 2-2 conference mark. The Vikings travel to Marshall to take on the Madison Patriots this Friday night.

Johnson and Johnson Cause Tears to Brevard

Avery Viking alums Josh Johnson and Zach Johnson were each forces on their respective sides of the football on Saturday as the Mars Hill College Lions defeated the Brevard Tornadoes 28-13 on a cool, rainy afternoon to move into second place in the South Atlantic Conference.

Mars Hill's quarterbacking duo of Luis Cruz (Anaheim, Calif.) and Jon Richt (Watkinsville, Ga.) combined for 258 yards and three touchdowns as the Lions broke the Tornados' three-game home winning streak.

Brevard battled both the muddy field conditions and the Mars Hill defense as the Tornados were held under the 100 yard rushing mark for the first time this season, as the Lions held the duo of Neville Bryce and Michael Crumbaker to 45 yards on the ground.

Matthew Gaines was able to find some success through the passing game for the Tornados, connecting with Shaton Pratt for a 36-yard gain late in the fourth quarter, setting up Brevard's second score of the evening, finishing 4-11 for 65 yards. Eric Watts was the Tornados leading receiver for the evening, with two catches for 20 yards.

On the defensive side of the ball Stanley Jones led all tacklers with 15 stops and the Tornados were able to extend their sack and interception streaks to 10 games as the Salonik Amos picked off a pass late in the second quarter and Justin Jefferson and Richard Ray combined for a sack in the third quarter.

The damage the Lions did throughout the game came in the air, as Richt was 8-12 for 146 yards and a touchdown, while Cruz finished the game 8-16 for 112 yards and a pair of scoring tosses to go with the interception. Josh Johnson (Newland, N.C.) was the team's leading target, with six catches for 52 yards and a score, while Travis Prince (Jacksonville, Fla.) turned both of his receptions for 146 yards, including a 90-yard touchdown reception on the Lions' opening possession of the game.

The Tornados opened the game with the ball, but the Mars Hill defense stood strong, forcing a three-and-out. Reigning SAC Special Teams Player of the Week, Watts booted a 55-yard punt down to the Mars Hill 10, pinning the visiting team deep in their own territory for their opening possession.

Off a play-action fake, Richt stepped up into the pocket and delivered a strike to Prince who slipped behind the Tornados secondary and out-raced the Brevard defenders the rest of the way to the end zone to give the guests the 7-0 lead 1:34 into the game.

Brevard wasted no time coming back and putting points of their own up on the board as the Tornados churned out 63 yards on 12 plays, with Church rumbling in from 10 yards out as the Brevard tied the game up at 7 with 6:12 remaining in the opening period.

The Lions would strike on their second possession in the second quarter, breaking the tie as Cruz found Allen Woerner in the back of the end zone to cap off an 83-yard drive in 3:52 and Michael Pinkerton's extra point put the game at 14-7 with 4:03 remaining in the half.

The Tornados were forced to another three-and-out on the following possession, with Mars Hill taking over on the Lions 38-yard line. On third down, Cruz attempted to put the game away early, launching a bomb down the left hash, but Amos, making a great read on the play, picked off the ball and slipped to the ground at the BC 21-yard line.

The joy for the Tornados was short-lived as Bryce, carrying the ball up the middle, had it slip out of his hands down to the turf where it was recovered by Mars Hill's Mazarius Samon at the Brevard 19. Two plays later Cruz found Josh Johnson up the middle for 13-yards for a touchdown to put the Lions up 21-7.

The score would remain the same through halftime and most of the third quarter before the Lions put together a drive with time running out in the period, capped off by Garrison McDowell's one-yard plunge to take a commanding 28-7 lead after three periods.

Brevard mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter as Gaines found a streaking Shaton Pratt on fourth-and-seven at the Mars Hill 37-yard line for a 36-yard pick-up at the goal line, where Church bulldozed his way through the pile for his second score of the evening. A muffed hold on the extra point kept the score at 28-13.

The Tornados had possession one more time in the contest, but Brevard was unable to convert on fourth-down as the stretch by Cory Pertz on fourth-and-nine came up just short and the Lions were able to run out the clock to seal the victory, 28-13.

Mars Hill was led defensively by redshirt junior Zach Johnson, who wreaked havoc on the Brevard offense by recording a team-high eight tackles. Mars Hill will host Lenoir-Rhyne University next Saturday in the Lions' annual Homecoming game. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m.

Avery High Winter Sports Schedules

Avery High School has released its winter season schedules for basketball and wrestling. Schedules may be found at the school's website at www.averyschools.net, or by clicking the wrestling or basketball link.

A couple of notes from the schedules:

• Seeing the 2009-10 Avery wrestling team at home will be a premium this season, as the team will have only three home matches for the entire season (11/23 vs. Freedom, 1/21 vs. Mitchell, and 1/26 vs. Hendersonville)
• Avery's varsity teams will be participating this year in the Mitchell County basketball tournament in Ledger immediately after Thanksgiving, while the varsity women will compete for two days over the Christmas holiday in the Draughn High School tournament in Burke County.
• Avery opens the regular season basketball schedule with neighboring rival Cloudland (TN) in Roan Mountain on November 24th.
• Both the Western Highlands Conference wrestling and basketball tournaments will be held at Owen High School, with wrestling's tournament on February 5th and the basketball tournament from February 15th-19th.

Avery Sports Roundup: Lady Vikings Tennis Sweep Conference Championships; Avery Volleyball Recognizes Coaches in Home Finale, Golf Tee Times Announced

The Avery tennis team continued its terrific roll of late, crowning champions in both singles and doubles competition on Thursday at Gardner-Webb University.

In singles play, senior Anna Melton received a bye as a result of holding the #1 seed. In the semis Melton defeated Hendersonville's Christian Bobek by a 10-2 final score. Anna advanced to the title match where she faced Thomas Jefferson's Kasey Owens. Melton was dominant in dispatching the Lady Gryphon by a 10-2 final match score.

In doubles competition the team of seniors Lauren Avery and Morgan Stout received an opening round bye. The duo faced Hendersonville's Ellie Crane and Rose Stroupe, beating the Lady Bearcats tandem by an 8-1 final score. Avery/Stout then faced the pair of Claire and Grace McCurry in a two-set final match score of 6-3, 6-0.

Avery received a bye in state team competition, and will return to action to continue postseason play on October 27th.

On Thursday night the Avery Lady Vikings hosted their final home match of the season, tangling with the Lady Cougars from Mountain Heritage. The Lady Vikings junior varsity team captured the first setin their best-of-three match by a 25-21 final score. In a hard fought second set, the Cougars battled in come-from-behind fashion to even the match at a set apiece with a 27-25 win.

In the rubber set of the match, Avery built an early advantage and led 22-11 midway through the last set. The Lady Cougars cut the deficit but Avery finished the match in style with a 25-17 victory.

Thursday's match was originally set as Senior Night, but since the 2009 Lady Vikings have no seniors on its roster, the Avery volleyball parents and players honored head coach Kim Hayes and assistant Caroline Turner for their time and efforts. The coaches were presented with flowers by the players in an emotional pre-match recognition.

As for the match itself, the Lady Vikings played inspired and put up a valiant fight against a tall and talented Lady Cougars club. Heritage used a number of strong kills and a power game to deny victory to the Big Red, defeating Avery in straight sets by scores of 25-18, 25-16, and 25-19, respectively.

Avery will travel to Mitchell on Tuesday for its final match of the 2009 season.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association has announced tee times for the 1A regional golf tournament to be held at Asheville Municipal Golf Course on Monday, October 19th.

Avery's pair of regional qualifiers will be teeing off within ten minutes of one another. Avery's top finisher and lone All-Conference selection Catalina Lehmann will tee off at 11:14 a.m., while teammate Arden Stanley will be starting her round at 11:22 a.m.

The top three individuals at Regionals will qualify to participate in the state golf championships at Longleaf Golf and Country Club in Southern Pines, NC on October 26th and 27th.

Vikings Soccer Upsets Second-Ranked Bearcats

The weather may have been cold and raw to the fans Avery High School Wednesday night, but the Avery Vikings men's soccer team kept the action red hot, as it used smothering defense and timely goals to defeat 1A #2 ranked Hendersonville 3-0.

The matchup was originally scheduled to be played in Hendersonville, but poor field conditions at Dietz Field prompted the teams to relocate the match to the turf of MacDonald Stadium.

Avery struck in the very first minute of the match as a shot from Kyle Griewisch rebounded to Zack Strange, who was in perfect position to bury the shot in the back of the net to spot Avery a 1-0 advantage. The two teams jockeyed for position throughout the remainder of the half, as the Vikings defense remained stern and keeper Morgan Bounds turned away every Bearcat shot. The game remained a 1-0 lead for the Big Red until halftime.

In the second half, Avery scored in the 60th minute off a Kyle Griewisch goal assisted by Isauro Estrada to extend the Vikings advantage to 2-0. Just over a minute later, Hendersonville was a beneficiary of a foul in the penalty box and was awarded the penalty kick. In a harbinger of the remainder of the night, the penalty shot ricocheted off the post and the Bearcats were again denied.

"I definitely think that penalty shot miss was a momentum builder for us," Avery head coach Tom Evaul said after the match. "I think they would have gotten the momentum they needed."

Instead of a one-goal margin, Avery held its 2-0 lead and added a third goal in the 67th minute when Jorge Arreola assisted on a second goal by Griewisch to close the scoring in the 3-0 triumph.

Playing without the services of senior defensive stopper Daniel Huff, who underwent knee surgery earlier on Wednesday, the Vikings defense rose to the challenge and blanked the talented Bearcats club.

"I'm really pleased with the defense. Brock (Yackey) has stepped up, Heraclio (Flores), and Cody (Shadoin) have all stepped up and played well of late. We have had to play a lot of the season without Daniel, and we have put in a number of players like Daniel Lusk and Forrest Sickler at stopper who keep us strong on defense," Coach Evaul added. "Morgan had another great game in goal. We did have several shanks and balls that we couldn't clear, yet we still kept them out of goal which says a lot about the players."

Avery's record improves to 10-5-2, and will next return to action on Monday evening at home against the Polk Wolverines, who won 2-1 over Mitchell in a 40-minute match played at MacDonald Stadium immediately following the Avery/Hendersonville match.

Congratulations to the Avery men's soccer team on a great victory!

Vikings Volleyball Falls in Four at Madison; Ladies Golf Competes in Day Two at Conference Tourney

The Lady Vikings volleyball and golf teams were busy on Tuesday with action on the court and on the course.

Avery's women's golf team completed the 2009 Western Highlands Conference Tournament with 18 holes of play at Mountain Glen Golf Club in Newland. The lowest three individual scores from Monday's nine holes at Black Mountain Golf Course was added to the best three individual low scores in Tuesday's 18-hole round to tabulate team totals.

When the day's competition was complete, the Owen Warhorses took the overall team championship with a total score of 433. Mountain Heritage captured second place with a combined score of 458. Hendersonville finished third with a score of 486, followed in fourth place by the Lady Vikings with a team score of 505. Rounding out the team totals was Polk County with a team score of 541.

Avery's Catalina Lehmann finished tied for sixth overall in individual performances with a total of 162, which earned her a berth on the All-Conference team.

Other players from the participating schools to garner All-Conference honors include Conference Player of the Year and top overall finisher Allea Hawkins from Hendersonville, Rachel Trent, Eme Gwynn, and Caitlin Wald from Owen, and Jerrica Ledford, Katlyn Angel, and Megan Reecer of Mountain Heritage.

A pair of Avery golfers, Lehmann and Arden Stanley, qualified for Regional competition by virtue of scoring under 55 for nine holes.

"I think it's great for our team. Most of the girls we competed against have had long established programs. We took it slow and practiced twice a week just to get the girls interested in playing. In our first year to have two girls qualify for regionals is just outstanding," Avery golf coach Boe Barinowski said after the tournament.

Results for Avery players from the Conference Tournament are listed in the table link below:

Congratulations to the Lady Vikings on a great inaugural women's golf season and best of luck at Regional competition.

On Tuesday night, the Avery Lady Vikings volleyball team traveled to Marshall to take on the Madison Lady Patriots. The varsity squad battled to take one set in the best-three-out-of-five match, but the home team Lady Patriots held off the Big Red charge to take the match in four sets.

Avery returns to Viking Gym this Thursday night for the regular season home finale against the Mountain Heritage Cougars.

Lees-McRae Men's Soccer Reaches Highest Ever National Ranking

(Courtesy Lees-McRae Sports Information) BANNER ELK, N.C. – The Lees-McRae College Bobcats men’s soccer team moved up to the number one spot in the NSCAA National Rankings Tuesday after starting the season on a ten-match win streak.

The number one ranking is the highest ranking in school’s history.

The Bobcats moved up to number one after going 1-0 the previous week with a 3-0 win over Belmont Abbey. The Bobcats have started the season 10-0 overall and 5-0 in the Conference Carolinas to earn the number one ranking. The team currently ranked number one in the Southeast Region and has held that ranking since September 8th, six consecutive weeks.
Here is this week's complete rankings

“We are happy and very proud of where we are at right now, but this wasn’t a goal of ours in October,” head coach Chris Whalley said. “We have plenty of soccer left to play this season before we can reach our goals we set at the beginning of the season.”

The Bobcats have a tough schedule left in the 2009 season. They have to travel to currently ranked No. 22 Anderson for a conference match and host regionally ranked Tusculum.

Vikings Seek to Rebuild Momentum at Expense of Wolverines

With a 40-7 loss in its rear view mirror following last Friday night’s contest with Hendersonville, the Avery football team will look to rebound by picking up a win this Friday night at MacDonald Stadium against the Polk County Wolverines.

Last week’s defeat dropped Avery (4-3 overall, 2-1 conference) into a tie for second in the Western Highlands Conference standings, while Polk County (5-2 overall) shut out Mitchell 29-0 last Friday night and is part of the logjam along with the Cougars and Vikings at 2-1 in WHC play.

Last season the Wolverines defeated Avery by a 28-7 score in Columbus, and have won the last three battles between the teams.

Scouting the Wolverines
The Polk Wolverines are led by eighth-year head coach Bruce Ollis. The team was 7-5 a season ago with a young ball club after winning the conference in 2007. In the recent past, the club has utilized a pass-oriented offense, but the Wolverines have adapted a more ground-based running game.

“We’re always optimistic here in Columbus,” Coach Ollis remarked during the preseason. “Our players expect to win and we feel very good.”

2009 marks the first season that the Wolverines play in the Western Highlands Conference as a 2A team, encouraging news to Vikings teams who have also had to face Polk in postseason play over the past four seasons.

Polk entered the season with high expectations behind starting quarterback Andre Overholt (5’9”, 145 lb. Jr.), but an injury forced the run/pass dual threat quarterback out of action before returning two weeks ago against Mountain Heritage.

Backup Dakota Turner filled in admirably in Overholt’s absence however, by ranking among the region’s leaders in passing with 768 yards, mostly in connections with teammate and senior wide receiver Justin Blackburn. Running back Keenan Littlejohn (81 yards on 16 carries in last week’s win over Mitchell) continues to emerge as a ground threat to keep the pressure off the Polk signal-callers.

Defensively, the Wolverines are led by J.J. Maxwell who averages around 12 tackles per contest, while Overholt was All-Conference as a sophomore at defensive back a season ago.

Polk returns a number of players at key positions this season, including RB/LB Justin Ridings, running back/cornerback Landon Schlabach, and tight end/defensive lineman Seth McCool.

The Low Down:
Avery will need to quickly recover from the blowout loss to the Bearcats, as the Wolverines will prove to be another stern conference test. Turnovers plagued the Vikings in last Friday’s loss, while the Wolverines, though not possessing the sheer speed of Hendersonville, still have its share of fast athletes who can quickly get to the football.

Friday’s loss was a watermark for this year’s Avery Vikings team. How they respond in this week’s game may speak volumes on how well the team can respond from adversity and get back into the win column.

Polk County can throw the ball with the likes of Blackburn as the wide receiver position, but the running game and stingy defense was the bread-and-butter last week against Mitchell. Avery must keep the Polk defense guessing to have its greatest chance for success at MacDonald Stadium this Friday.

By the Numbers:
2- special teams touchdowns surrendered by Avery in Friday’s 40-7 loss at Hendersonville Friday night.
4- Avery turnovers in the second quarter of last week’s contest.
19 – passing yards on two completions as Avery sophomore quarterback Alex Villanueva was held in check by the Bearcats last week.
141 – yards in total offense gained by the Vikings in last week’s loss to Hendersonville. Ironically enough, also the total yardage the Polk defense held Mitchell to in its victory last Friday.
446- receiving yards by Polk County wide receiver Justin Blackburn entering last week’s win over Mitchell, good enough for third in the region.

Read next week’s edition of the Journal-Times for a full recap of Friday’s game with Polk County, as well as a preview of next week’s game at Madison.

Vikings Falls to Owen, Providence Academy, Blasts Gryphons

On Wednesday night October 7^th, the Avery soccer team hosted rival Owen in a conference battle at a cool and breezy MacDonald Stadium. The Vikings drew first blood in the match when Dillon Gentry sent a pass ahead to Kyle Griewisch, leaving Avery scorer for the season, slipped through the Warhorse defense and planted a low shot into the lower left-hand corner of the goal to spot the Big Red a 1-0 lead.

Owen managed to answer with a goal late in the half, however, when a long throw-in by Tony Halvorson was headed in by Owen's Pedro Jose Bernio Bernio to tie the match at 1-1 which was the score at halftime.

The first half was physical as the teams combined for 14 fouls, while both defenses were strong, allowing only three shots apiece through the opening 40 minutes. In the second half, the Warhorses managed a pair of goals which served as the difference in the 3-1 final score.

Avery soccer played its second match in two days the following afternoon when it traveled to Johnson City for a non-conference match against Providence Academy. The teams battled to a 1-1 tie in their earlier matchup in Newland. On Thursday Providence took advantage of a non-call inside the box, scoring a goal that proved the difference in a 1-0 Avery defeat.

The clubs brought a powerful defensive effort to the pitch, as neither team could crack the scoreboard through the opening 40 minutes of play. Providence was the beneficiary of a non-call which should have stopped play. Providence took advantage of the situation by scoring a goal that ended up being the game-winner.

On Monday the Vikings traveled to Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy for a Western Highlands Conference match. The contest was all Vikings, as the Big Red blew out the Gryphons by a final match score of 11-0. Avery's record now stands at 9-5-2 on the season.

On Wednesday the Vikings now HOST Hendersonville this Wednesday. The venue has been changed to Avery due to poor field conditions at Hendersonville High School.

Football Contest Week Eight Winner and Week Nine Picks

Congratulations to Sam Burleson, who won the football contest for the second time this season. Sam was correct with 17 out of 20 games last week

Sam is 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 is the slate of games for this week:

1. Polk County @ Avery
2. Hancock Co. @ Cloudland
3. Fred T. Foard @ Watauga
4. Hendersonville @ Mitchell
5. Asheville @ McDowell
6. Hickory @ Freedom
7. Madison @ Owen
8. Mt. Heritage @ Thomas Jefferson
9. Unaka @ Hampton (TN)
10. Appalachian State @ Wofford
11. Mars Hill College @ Brevard
12. Virginia Tech @ Georgia Tech
13. N.C. State @ Boston College
14. Virginia @ Maryland
15. Wake Forest @ Clemson
16. NFL: Carolina @ Tampa Bay
17. NFL: Cleveland @ Pittsburgh
18. NFL: Tennessee @ New England
19. NFL: Philadelphia @ Oakland
20. NFL: Baltimore @ Minnesota

Tie Breaker: Polk County @ Avery

Total # of points: ______________

Avery HS Scholar-Athletes of the Week

Dylan Aldridge (Football) and Anna Melton (Tennis) are the Edward Jones Scholar Athletes of the Week. Each student currently participates in a varsity sport at Avery High School and maintains an unweighted GPA of 3.5 or better. The Scholar Athlete Award is given for their outstanding performance – not only on the playing field, but also in the game of life. Congratulations to this week’s winners!

Previous Winners:
Week 1 – Kyle Griewisch and Caroline Crenshaw
Week 2 – Cody Shadoin and Morgan Stout
Week 3 – Brock Yackey and Kaley Faulkner
Week 4 – Morgan Bounds and Ariel Franklin

Avery Thursday JV Football Game Cancelled; Soccer Venue Moved

Avery High School Director of Athletics Matthew Bentley has announced that the Avery Vikings junior varsity football game at Polk County originally scheduled for Thursday evening has been cancelled due to illness and injury depleting an already thin Vikings roster this week.

According to Coach Bentley, the team currently plans to return to action on Thursday, October 22nd to host Madison in its next JV contest at MacDonald Stadium.


SOCCER VENUE CHANGE:
Wednesday afternoon's soccer match pitting Hendersonville and Avery which was originally slated to take place at Dietz Field in Hendersonville has now been relocated to take place Wednesday at MacDonald Stadium in Newland. Be sure to come out and support the Vikings Soccer program as it looks to knock off the 2nd ranked team in the state of North Carolina.

Avery Tennis Closes Out Home Portion of Regular Season with Pair of Wins

The Avery ladies tennis team closed out the home portion of its regular season in style, first in beating Hendersonville Tuesday on Senior night, then by avenging a loss suffered earlier this season at the hands of Mountain Heritage on Thursday.

On Tuesday, October 6^th the Avery tennis program recognized five seniors on Senior Night. In pre-match festivities Lauren Avery, Hayden Blackburn, Anna Melton, Leah Powell, and Morgan Stout were lauded for their contributions to Avery Lady Vikings Tennis.

As action ensued, the Lady Vikings did not allow the emotion of the afternoon to affect their play, taking a 7-2 overall match win as the team remained in the top three teams in the Western Highlands Conference.

Two evenings later, the Lady Vikings returned to Lees-McRae College to host the Mountain Heritage Lady Cougars in the final home match of the regular season.

In singles action, the Lady Vikings got strong play from senior teammates Lauren Avery and Morgan Stout, the latter playing a dominant match in winning by a 10-3 match score. Haley Shell was victorious in her singles match, while senior Anna Melton beat Heritage's #1 Penny Lane Buckner by the final score of 10-6 in a great display of tennis between two strong and talented competitors.

The singles match victories put the Big Red ahead by a 4-2 overall scores going into doubles play, where Avery captured two out of the three doubles matches to earn a hard-fought 6-3 team victory.

The victories this week improves the Lady Vikings to 6-3 this season, and will look to pick up its seventh victory overall when they traveled to Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy on Tuesday. Full results of the match can be found in next week’s edition.

Avery Golf Begins Conference Tournament; Soccer Trounces Thomas Jefferson

The Avery women's golf team embarked on the two-day conference tournament on Monday at Black Mountain Golf Course. Combatting the rain and wet course conditions, the girls battled hard all day against fellow conference foes Mountain Heritage, Owen, and Hendersonville.

Today was supposed to have been an 18-hole round, but weather caused a change to only nine holes. Day two will also be a nine-hole affair at Mountain Glen Golf Club in Newland on Tuesday.

Avery girls participating in round one were as follows:

Catalina Lehmann – 52
Mary Chesnut Smith – 56
Nikki Wright - 56
Noelle Henline – 62
Kelli Burleson – 62

The Owen Warlassies finished in first place after day one of competition, while Mountain Heritage is in second place. Hendersonville sits in third place, but has only a two-stroke advantage on Avery. The Lady Vikings will field Leymann, Smith, Wright, as well as Arden Stanley at Mt. Glen in an attempt to overtake the Lady Bearcats for third in conference action, while Lehmann will look to qualify for regional competition with a good tournament showing.

Soccer Shuts Out Gryphons

On Monday night the #12 ranked Avery mens soccer team blanked the Thomas Jefferson Gryphons by the final score of 11-0. The Vikings improve to 9-5-2 overall on the season, with a 5-3 conference record.

The Vikings return to the pitch on Wednesday when they face #2 ranked Hendersonville in a tough road test.

Vols Dominate Georgia, Get 45-19 Victory

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

In the week leading up to the Georgia game, many fans questioned why Jonathon Crompton was still the starting quarterback for the Vols. On Saturday afternoon, Crompton showed them why he should remain the starter.

Crompton led the Vols with an impressive performance as the Vols took the 45-19 victory over SEC East rival Georgia.

"Very big win for us to get our first (SEC) win at home and an SEC game, it was really powerful,” UT Coach Lane Kiffin said.

Crompton’s issues on the field have been documented. However on Saturday, it looked like the beleaguered quarterback had turned the corner.

Crompton was 20 of 27 for 310 yards and had four touchdowns. He also recorded an interception early in the second half, but kept his composure.

“To see Jonathon play so well was really great,” Kiffin said. “Four touchdowns and 300 yards passing verses a very talented defense was great to see."

Crompton’s performance perhaps overshadowed another impressive defensive performance for the Vols.

"I think the storyline of the day is the defense and I hope it doesn't get missed,” Kiffin said. “The score doesn't really show it. But think about this, the defense didn't give up many points. They gave up a 52 yd field goal but they never got inside the red zone. I don t know that I've ever been a part of a game that the defense didn't let a team into the red zone one time.”

The defense held the Bulldogs in check as they allowed the Georgia offense 241 yards compared to the Vols’ 472 yards on offense. The Bulldogs got on the board with a 100 yard kickoff return, an interception returned for TD, a safety, and the field goal.

The Volunteer offense looked the best it has all season. UT got on the board early in the second quarter when Crompton found Gerald Jones for a six-yard score. Georgia got on the board on the ensuing kickoff Brandon Boykin found a seam and went the distance on the return. UT quickly answered again as Crompton found Denarius Moore who made some moves and went 33-yards for the touchdown. Crompton also found Marsalis Teague for a five-yard touchdown before the half as UT entered the locker room leading 21-12.

Tennessee got on the board first in the second half with a field goal. The Bulldogs tried to seize momentum when Bacarri Rambo intercepted a pass and ran in from 28-yards to pull the Bulldogs within five points.

Kiffin’s Vols wouldn’t let them get any closer. Montario Hardesty broke loose for a 39-yard scamper to answer the Georgia score, and then Crompton hit Jones for a 51-yard touchdown pass. By the time Bryce Brown capped the Volunteer scoring when he dived into the checkerboard from 1-yard out with 7:48 left in the fourth, the party was on in Neyland Stadium.

Hardesty had 20 carries for 97 yards. Jones ended the game with five catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns, while Moore had four catches for 74 yards and the touchdown. Luke Stocker and Quentin Hancock added 68 and 31 yards respectively.

"They really responded and had a good week of practice,” Kiffin said of the receivers. “We had talked about stepping up. We had one less receiver this game so we needed guys to step up and play some more plays and they did that."

Tennessee was without receiver Brandon Warren who was dismissed from the team on Monday.

Despite the success, Kiffin was not happy with all of his units as the special teams drew the coach’s ire after giving up a safety on a punt as well as the kickoff return.

“I don't know what more you can do on kickoff coverage than we did this week,” Kiffin said. “Unfortunately, we got momentum and then they got a 100 yd return again. So, we'll have to look at the film and figure something out. We put everybody that we could on that team to try and make a play so we're going to have to figure it out. Obviously the safety on the blocked punt, we got beat inside on that. It was very disappointing.”

For the coaching staff, the win on Saturday meant more than just a normal victory.

“This is a big time match up for us,” Kiffin said. “[Georgia] is a state we do a lot of recruiting at so it was very important for us. I don't know all the Tennessee history and traditions of all the matchups nor do I ever pretend to, but GA is one of the great teams in this conference. I told [the team] that to me, this is the biggest matchup. To me, Georgia, because of what we need to do in recruiting, will be the biggest matchup for this staff and for our team so it was a great win for us.”

The Volunteers will take a much needed week off before heading to Tuscaloosa to face the #2 team in the nation Alabama.

ASU's Moore Named SoCon Offensive Player of the Week

(courtesy Appalachian Sports Information) SPARTANBURG, S.C. — On the strength of 124 rushing yards on just 11 carries in Saturday’s 55-21 win over North Carolina Central, Appalachian State University running back Devon Moore (Mebane, N.C./Cedar Ridge) has been named the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the SoCon office announced on Monday.

Moore’s award-winning performance included a 73-yard touchdown run that gave Appalachian a 7-0 lead on its fourth play from scrimmage. The run was the longest of the junior’s career and the second-longest play of the season for ASU.

He went on to record his third 100-yard game of the season with a gaudy 11.3 yards-per-rush average and a career-best two touchdowns, all while pacing the Mountaineers’ 407-yard rushing attack. After rushing for 400 yards as a team just three times from October 1977-October 2007, the Apps have accomplished the feat six times in their past 26 games.

Just a year removed from a foot injury that cost him all but three games in 2008, Moore ranks 17th nationally with 488 rushing yards this season (97.6 per game). The SoCon recognition is the first of his career.

Moore and the Mountaineers (3-2, 2-0 SoCon) return to conference action on Saturday when they travel to Wofford (1-4, 0-2). The SoCon battle kicks off at 3 p.m. at Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg, S.C. and will be televised live on SportSouth.

Mountaineers Roll Over NCCU 55-21

Courtesy of Appalachian Sports Information

BOONE, N.C. - No. 9/10 Appalachian State University football racked up 644 yards of total offense and 34 first downs and held a 407-5 advantage in rushing yardage en route to a 55-21 homecoming rout over North Carolina Central on Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Appalachian (3-2) dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball to claim the commanding triumph. Led by 124 yards from Devon Moore, ASU rushed for more than 400 yards for the sixth time in its last 25 games while its defense held an opponent to fewer than 50 rushing yards for the third time since the beginning of the 2003 season and less than five rushing yards for the second time in the past eight games (ASU limited Western Carolina to minus-two yards on the ground in last year’s regular-season finale). In all, Appalachian out-gained N.C. Central, 644-194. ASU’s 644 yards were the most NCCU has ever allowed in its 86-year football history. Despite the eye-popping numbers, the Mountaineers had to overcome a sluggish start to post the dominating win. Thanks to a pair of turnovers deep in their own territory, the Apps trailed, 14-7, after one quarter. ASU wasted little time in grabbing a 7-0 lead, as Moore scored on a 73-yard run on the Mountaineers’ fourth play from scrimmage but turnovers on their next two possessions ­— Armanti Edwards’ first interception in 85 attempts this season and a fumble by Moore ­­— led to NCCU touchdown drives of 11 and 24 yards and a 14-7 deficit. From the second quarter on, however, it was all Appalachian. The Apps scored on eight of their final nine possessions, driving at least 53 yards on all nine series, and out-gained the Eagles, 574-130, over the final three periods. The Mountaineers scored 17 points in the second quarter, 10 in the third and 21 in the fourth to turn the early scare into a comfortable victory. The Mountaineers didn’t punt in 12 possessions on the afternoon (seven touchdowns, two field goals, an interception, fumble and one turnover on downs) while forcing NCCU to kick the ball away seven times, including five three-and-outs. Moore led the way with his third 100-yard rushing performance of the season. Thanks in large part to his 73-yard touchdown scamper, which surpassed the previous longest run of his career by 27 yards, the junior needed only 11 carries to amass his 124 yards, good for an 11.3-yards-per-rush average. In addition to the 73-yarder, Moore also scored from three yards out, giving him two touchdowns in a game for the first time in his career. Edwards turned in his usual terrific day with 334 yards of total offense, including 237 on 17-of-29 passing and 97 on 10 rushes. His favorite target was junior Matt Cline, who set career highs with eight catches for 107 yards. It was the first 100-yard performance of his career. Linebackers Jacque Roman and D.J. Smith combined for 15 tackles (eight and seven, respectively) to pace the Mountaineers’ stout defensive effort. Smith recorded two of the Apps’ nine stops behind the line of scrimmage while Malcolm Bennett and Lanston Tanyi each registered one of ASU’s three sacks. Quarterback Michael Johnson starred for N.C. Central with 186 yards and two touchdowns on 16-of-23 passing. Will Scott and Geovonie Irvine each had three catches for the Eagles. With its non-conference slate now behind it, Appalachian embarks on six-consecutive Southern Conference duels to close out the regular season, beginning with next Saturday’s tilt at Wofford. The 3 p.m. affair at Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg, S.C. will be televised live on SportSouth. NOTES: Appalachian’s six 400-yard rushing efforts in its last 25 games are made even more impressive by the fact that it has only accomplished the feat three other times since 1977 ... ASU extended its home winning streak over in-state opponents to 26 games ... the Mountaineers haven’t lost to an in-state foe at home since it fell to Western Carolina, 34-7, on Oct. 6, 1984 at then-Conrad Stadium ... ASU moved to 35-11-2 all-time in homecoming games at Conrad/Kidd Brewer Stadium ... ASU kicker Jason Vitaris’ 40-yard field goal in the third quarter moved him to 4-for-4 this season from 40 yards and beyond ... the Mountaineers donned gold jerseys in honor of ASU’s 2009 homecoming theme “Solid Gold” ... the game-worn Nike jerseys will be auctioned off this week at GoASU.com.