Madison Prolongs Avery Losing Skid with Elusive Gridiron Victory

Last Friday night was a benchmark for the Madison Patriots football team and a low point in the season for the Avery Vikings. Not only did Madison pull off a come-from-behind 33-27 win over the Vikings at a breezy and drizzly O.E. Roberts Stadium in Marshall Friday night, but they also snapped a 16-game losing streak to Avery dating back to 1990.

The early portion of the first period saw Avery and Madison battle for field position. Avery punted on its first series, while Madison drove the football with a bruising running game to the Viking 7-yard line. Avery’s defense held on a fourth down play, however, to keep the contest scoreless.

The defensive stand gave the Big Red the pigskin deep in its own territory, and Avery managed to gain a first down before being forced to punt again. Dylan Aldridge’s punt was fumbled as Avery converged on the Madison return man and Avery’s Kenny Hicks recovered near the Viking 40-yard line.

Avery capitalized on the created opportunity. A pass connection from Vikings quarterback Alex Villanueva to wide receiver Kody Hughes netted 20 yards, and Villanueva immediately followed up the play with a 23-yard scramble and run. Two plays later, Villanueva hit Andy Gonzales with a 20-yard pass to give Avery first-and-goal, and Kenny Hicks capped the drive with a three-yard plunge. The Andres Castaneda extra point put the Vikes ahead 7-0 with 32 seconds left in the opening period.

On its ensuing possession Madison was again unable to move the football on the Vikings defense and was forced to punt. The Patriot punt was derailed by Avery’s Colton Blackburn, who penetrated through the front line to block the kick, scoop up the football, and advance it to the Madison 6-yard line. On Avery’s next play, Villanueva scurried the remaining yards to the end zone, spotting the Vikings a 14-0 lead at the 10:27 mark in the second period.

Madison’s offense began to move the ball on its first full series of the quarter, marching to midfield before Avery buckled down and forced another punt from the Patriots.

Appearing in the driver’s seat to turn the contest into a blowout, the momentum of the game changed with a Viking turnover. A pass attempt by Villanueva was intercepted by Madison’s Craig Mace at the Avery 26-yard line. The short field allowed Madison to march into the end zone, converting a fourth down along the way to reach the end zone on a one-yard sneak by quarterback Robbie Shelton. The extra point cut the Avery lead to a single touchdown at 14-7 with 3:32 to play before halftime.

Avery’s next offensive series resulted in three consecutive incomplete passes and a forced punt. Madison returned the favor to the Vikings, getting in to block Aldridge’s punt. The Patriots recovered the football to set up its offense inside the Avery red zone.

With under 90 seconds to play in the half, Madison found the end zone when running back/workhorse Brandon Henderson barreled in from two yards out. The extra point tied the game at 14-14.

The Vikings had time to move downfield on its next series and attempt to break the tie. Following a pass completion that moved Avery near midfield, the Vikings were snake bitten again as Madison’s Blake Moore intercepted a pass and returned the ball inside the Avery 40-yard line. Four plays later quarterback Shelton found fullback Corry Heath Miller in the end zone for an 8-yard scoring pass, giving the Patriots 21 unanswered points for the quarter and a 21-14 halftime edge.

The third quarter saw neither team put points on the scoreboard, but the period was not void of action. The Patriots were held to a three-and-out with its first offensive series. Avery was unable to initially take advantage of good field position following the Madison punt and had to kick the ball away itself. The Viking punt was fumbled by Madison’s Austin Nix, and Kenny Hicks recovered the ball at the Patriot 14-yard line.

Faced with an opportunity to tie the game, Avery could not muster points from its good fortune, as the Vikings forewent a field goal attempt and were unable to convert a fourth down pass inside the Madison 10, turning the ball over on downs.

Avery’s Tyler Long intercepted a Shelton pass on the next Patriot possession to again give the Vikings the football in Madison territory. The Madison defense rose up, however, to deny Avery on a fourth-and-one running play to quell another scoring opportunity as the third period expired with the Patriots clinging to its 21-14 lead.

Possessing the football to begin the final quarter, Madison made perhaps its biggest play of the game. Brandon Henderson, who ended the night with 198 rushing yards on 39 carries, picked up 53 yards on a single carry that concluded in the end zone for a touchdown. The PAT was blocked, but Madison’s lead was extended to 27-14 with 9:13 left to play.

When the Viking offense returned to the field after the Patriot score, it struck for its longest play of the game. Villanueva found teammate Andy Gonzalez on a post pattern that covered 58 yards for a touchdown. The extra point cut the Madison lead to six at 27-21.

With the outcome of the game in doubt, Madison turned to a heavy dose of its rushing game to not only chew up yardage, but also burn time from the game clock. The Patriots used 11 plays and over five minutes of clock time to drive 75 yards. Madison converted a key fourth down play along the way and finished the scoring march with Shelton’s second one-yard touchdown run of the game. The two-point conversion failed, leaving Madison ahead 33-21 with 2:57 left in the contest.

“That last drive was a back breaker. We didn’t stop them and they were able to convert the fourth down. They used a lot of the clock and made it tough on us,” Avery head coach Darrell Brewer said after the game.

Facing a two-score deficit, Avery went to work to pull victory from the jaws of defeat. Taking just over a minute off the game clock, the Vikings went 82 yards over 7 plays, ending with a 32-yard touchdown connection from Villanueva to Gonzalez. Avery’s extra point kick failed, but the Vikings drew to within six points at 33-27 with only 1:07 left in the game.

Avery lined up for an onside kick, but Madison recovered the football and expired the remaining time on the clock to preserve the win.

“Even late in the game, we felt we had a chance to win. We turned around and scored quickly after their last touchdown and tried an onside kick to give ourselves the chance to win,” Coach Brewer said.

The loss is the third in a row for the Vikings, dropping Avery to a 4-5 overall record and 2-3 in conference play. Madison improves to an identical record with the win. This Friday night the Vikings return to MacDonald Stadium for Senior Night, as Avery hosts the 7-2 Mountain Heritage Cougars.

“We’ve got to believe we can win, and that anything is possible. Every Friday night there are upsets,” Coach Brewer added. “But the biggest thing we’ve got to do is figure out how to contain their bulldozers in the middle who come off the line and block well.”

Statistical Summary

Box Score

Viking Soccer Downs Madison; Hosts Heritage for Senior NIght

The Avery boys soccer team continued its torrid streak of winning soccer on October 21^st in Marshall with a 1-0 shutout victory over Madison. The team then honored its senior soccer players with a pre-game recognition at MacDonald Stadium and post-match meal hosted by the parents of the senior players on Monday night. As for the game itself, Avery saw its shutout streak and victory streak end in a 2-1 loss.

In the contest with Madison, the Vikings battled a pesky Patriots team as well as a holey and uneven surface at O.E. Roberts Stadium. Avery struggled to find its offensive rhythm in the first half, but the defense was taut, holding the Patriots scoreless through the opening 40 minutes of action.

Eventually the Vikings broke through on Madison's Senior Night, as Kyle Griewisch took a pass and scored on the Patriots keeper in the 65th minute to score the only goal of the match.

Avery senior keeper Morgan Bounds and the Vikings defense extended its shutout streak to four games, all in conference play, as the Vikings improved to 12-5-2 overall and 8-3 in Western Highlands Conference matches.

On Monday evening, the Vikings welcomed rival Mountain Heritage to MacDonald Stadium for Senior Night. Seniors Morgan Bounds, Dillon Gentry, Kyle Griewisch, Daniel Huff, and Cody Shadoin were honored with their families prior to the match.

Once things got underway, the Cougars showed they came prepared to upend the hot Viking team. In just the second minute of action, Mountain Heritage got on the scoreboard with a cross-net shot by Santiago Escamilla that slipped into the back of the net for a 1-0 advantage.

The score remained unchanged until Escamilla struck again, getting inside the Avery box and scoring in the 38^th minute for a 2-0 lead the Cougars took into halftime.

As the second half progressed, it was an obvious defensive struggle as both sides fought hard to maintain control of the ball in their offensive end of the field. Avery took a ball in the 61^st minute, and Kyle Griewisch broke free of the Cougars defense, peeled off a shot against the Cougar keeper and ripped the shot into the net to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Avery had a couple of additional opportunities in the final 20 minutes to net the equalizer, but the Heritage defense was up to the task, holding Avery scoreless for the remainder of the match to escape Newland with a 2-1 win.

The loss drops Avery to 12-6-2 and 8-4 in Western Highlands Conference action. Avery concludes its regular season schedule with matches at Mitchell on October 28^th, and at Polk County on Thursday night. State playoff competition begins the following week.

Avery High Prep Roundup

As the fall sports seasons wrap up, the Avery High School athletics teams continue to shine and represent the Big Red admirably.

Cross Country:
Last Wednesday October 21^st the Avery Vikings cross country team traveled to Jackson Park in Hendersonville to compete in the Western Highlands Conference meet. Avery took a number of runners to tackle the challenging course, and emerged with a regional qualifier and several outstanding finishes.

In girls competition, the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats captured the team title, as the host school had four girls, including meet winner Kristen Stout, finish in the top ten.

Avery junior Mary Chesnut Smith was the lone Lady Viking to garner All-Conference honors with a top 10 finish at the conference meet, finishing the course at a time of 21:57.26 to finish fifth overall despite battling recent illness and injury.

Other Avery ladies who ran in last week’s meet included seniors Caroline Crenshaw (24^th overall) and Taylor Lacey (39^th), as well as Arizona Clawson (57^th place), and Arden Stanley (73^rd).

“The ladies all ran a gutsy race. Chesnut was still battling congestion which has been hampering, but competed hard,” Avery cross country coach Reggie Oakes said following the meet. “Caroline Crenshaw, Taylor Lacey, and Arizona Clawson always give their best effort and are continuing to progress. Arden Stanley ran for the first time all year and turned in a gutsy performance on a gimpy ankle.”

The five ladies, with the addition of senior Elyse Perry, are scheduled to compete in this weekend’s 1A regional meet, hosted by Polk County but held at the same Jackson Park in Hendersonville as last week’s meet.

Hendersonville senior Thomas O’Connell captured first place in the boys race, while the Owen Warhorses captured the team title and placed four runners in the top ten.

Avery’s boys team was unable to qualify a runner for All-Conference runners, but they continue to show signs of improving both individually and as a team.

“The guys’ times were still not where we want them to be, but they are working hard for improvement,” Coach Oakes said. “I was proud of the effort at the conference meet, as all their times have improved.”

Avery runners scheduled to compete at this weekend’s conference meet include freshman Heraclio Flores, freshman Justin Gragg, junior Mark Polsgrove, junior Joey Potter, sophomore Gary McFee, junior Dustin Clarke, and sophomore Timmy Stewart.

Volleyball:
On Tuesday, October 21^st, the Avery Lady Vikings played its final regular season match, traveling to Ledger to take on the Mitchell Lady Mountaineers. It was Senior Night for the home team, as emotions and the desire to win were high.

Avery battled through the drama of the evening and remained focus on the task of ending the regular season with a win.

The Avery junior varsity team started the night with a three-set win over the Lady Mountaineers by scores of 15-25, 26-24, and 25-16, respectively.

The varsity team came out looking for a season sweep over Mitchell, opening the match winning eight of the first nine points en route to winning the first set by a dominant score of 25-14.

Avery held a 7-2 lead to open the second set of the match, but Mitchell battled back with an 8-1 scoring run in the second set to tie the set. The teams went back and forth with winners and solid defense, but Mitchell prevailed to tie the match at a set apiece, winning 25-21.

Avery was not to be denied on the evening, pulling away from an even 5-5 start with an 11-2 scoring run to pull away for a set three win by a final score of 25-13.

The fourth and final game began as a close affair. Mitchell cut a five-point Avery lead to within a single point at 13-12, but Avery rebuilt its lead with a number of kills and Mountaineer errors to 19-13. The Big Red pulled away with six of the final eight points in the match to win the final set 25-16 and take the Western Highlands Conference victory.

"It is always great to beat Mitchell, and to know that secured us a playoff game at home was even better," Avery Lady Vikings head coach Kim Hayes remarked. "Our record did not show it but we were the second best team in the 1A."

The win was Avery’s fourth on the season, qualifying the Big Red for the 1A state volleyball tournament. Awaiting the Lady Vikings in the brackets was the Lady Black Hawks from West Wilkes High School.

West had defeated Avery in straight sets in two prior meetings earlier this season, but the Lady Vikings turned in one of its strongest efforts of the year last Saturday afternoon at Viking Gym.

The first set was a close contest, as Avery utilize the knowledge learned from its previous matchups with the Black Hawks. Late in the set, West regrouped to pad a slim advantage and take a 25-18 victory.

In the second set, the Vikings captured early momentum using some stellar defensive digs and error-free volleyball to build an 11-8 win and force a West Wilkes timeout. Avery’s Johanna Pittman had a strong service game in the set, as she contributed to nine consecutive points scored by the Lady Vikings. The run helped propel Avery to a 25-18 win to tie the match at a set each.

West Wilkes rebounded from its first set loss to Avery this season with a hard fought 25-20 win in set three. Neither team held greater than a three-to-four point edge in the set, but West relied on its tall front line to generate enough offense late to take the two-sets-to-one advantage.

In the fourth and final set of the match, the trend of close sets continued, as West held a slip 14-13 lead over midway through the set. The teams battled one another to a 22-22 tie late in the set. Avery staved off match point on a couple of occasions to tie the match at 24-24, but West scored the final two points of the set to capture a 26-24 win and advance to the second round of the state playoffs.

"I thought that was by far the best game all season. No one likes to lose, but I totally was okay with that," Coach Hayes said following the match. "We ended the season with an awesome, awesome game, which makes it exciting for next year. I told the girls next season that is how we should start of the season and get better from there."

The young Lady Vikings will return its entire roster from this season, making the team both an early conference favorite in 2010 and a force to be reckoned with throughout the region.

"Honestly, this is my ninth season of being a head coach. This is by far the best, the best, from oldest to youngest group of girls I have ever had. The parents have been totally awesome!" Coach Hayes added. "It was a very frustrating season because I do not like to lose. It is just my nature. as I am very competitive. But the girls were able to handle me and except it. My hats go off to all of them and their parents."

Bobcats Remain Unbeaten with 1-0 Win over North Georgia

(courtesy Lees-McRae Sports Information) BANNER ELK, N.C. - The No. 1 Lees-McRae College Bobcats men's soccer team defeated the North Georgia College and State University Saints, 1-0, Tuesday afternoon in a downpour at the Ried Estus Practice Fields in a nonconference match.

The match was originally scheduled for Tate Field at 7:00 p.m., but moved to the Ried Estus Practice Field due to field conditions and the impending rain.

The only goal of the match came in the 11th minute when David Palmer ripped a shot from inside the box. The Saints keeper, Rade Tanaskovic made the save, but Richard Guffens was there to put the rebound away from the goal.

Sean Paradise earned his fifth shutout of the season with three saves between the pipes for the Bobcats. Tanaskovic made nine saves for the Saints.

Lees-McRae outshot North Georgia 19-4 and held a 9-1 corner kick advantage.

The No. 1 Bobcats wrap up their regular season Saturday at Pfeiffer with kick off scheduled for 3 p.m.

Box Score

Avery Tennis Competes at Regionals

By virtue of its strong play this season, the Avery Lady Vikings tennis team received a bye in the opening round of the NCHSAA 1A State Tennis Duals Tournament. Avery found out last weekend that its second round opponent is Mount Airy, the 2nd ranked team in the state in 1A tennis with a 16-1 overall record. The Lady Bears defeated East Wilkes 9-0 to advance and host the match held Tuesday afternoon.

Full results on Avery’s performance in the state duals will be available here on the blog, as well as in next week’s print edition.

Avery’s regional qualifiers traveled to East Montgomery High School last weekend to compete in the Western Regional individual tournament.

In doubles action, Avery’s team of Morgan Stout and Lauren Avery competed valiantly in opening round play, but fell to a duo from Albemarle High School in a three-set thriller 4-6, 6-2, 4-6.

Viking senior Anna Melton entered the weekend’s regional play as the #4 seed. In the opening round of action Melton defeated North Rowan’s Corben Bennett in straight sets 6-1, 6-1. In round two Melton defeated Kaylea Brown from Elkin High School in a 6-1, 6-4 straight-set victory

Saturday’s semifinals and final match was postponed due to rain, forcing the reschedule and relocation of the matches to Monday at West Stokes High School. Melton squared off on Monday in a semifinal match with top seed Megan Shelton from East Surry High School. Melton was unable to overcome the talented Shelton, as she was defeated in straight sets 6-0, 6-0.

Anna’s final match on Monday put the senior against third-seeded Jessica Gentry from Alleghany. Facing another tough foe, Melton was upended by scores of 6-4, 6-0.
Anna’s first two victories in regional play guaranteed her a berth in the state individual tournament, scheduled for October 30-31 at Cary Tennis Center, as the #4 seed from the West.

Avery Tennis Dual Match at Mount Airy Postponed

The second-round state duals tennis match at Mount Airy between Avery and Mount Airy scheduled for today has been postponed due to weather. The teams will attempt to play the match on Wednesday.

Scholar-Athletes of the Week

Taylor Lacey (Cross Country) and Jared Clark (Cross Country) 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!

Weekly Picks Contest Winner and This Week's Contest

Congratulations to Lisa Whorten, who correctly picked 16 of 20 games to win last week's Avery Journal-Times Online Weekly Picks Contest. Lisa 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. Mountain Heritage @ Avery
2. Madison @ Mitchell
3. Polk Co. @ Owen
4. Hendersonville @ Thomas Jefferson
5. Hickory @ Watauga
6. Enka @ McDowell
7. Chase @ Freedom
8. Appalachian State @ Furman
9. Mars Hill College @ Tusculum
10. N.C. State @ Florida State
11. Georgia v. Florida
12. Duke @ Virginia
13. Georgia Tech @ Vanderbilt
14. Miami (FL) @ Wake Forest
15. South Carolina @ Tennessee
16. NFL: Seattle @ Dallas
17. NFL: Carolina @ Arizona
18. NFL: Jacksonville @ Tennessee
19. NFL: Minnesota @ Green Bay
20. NFL: N.Y. Giants @ Philadelphia

Tie Breaker: Georgia v. Florida

Total # of points: _______________

Live from Kidd Brewer Stadium: Black Saturday

1:45: We are live in a gray looking Boone for today's Black Saturday showdown between the Mountaineers and Georgia Southern. These two teams have have a fierce rivalry, and today's contest looks to be no different. I am standing in for Jamie today as he is covering Avery Volleyball's first round playoff game. We will bring you updates as we get them from that match as well as keeping an eye on the UT-Alabama game. This ASU game is on SportSouth as well as the excellent broadcast by Appalachian ISP Radio Network. We hope you enjoy and keep checking with us! -Matt

2:00: Update from Newland: Avery wins set two 25-18 and the match is tied at 1 set apiece. West Wilkes won set 1 by a score of 25-18. It is a best out of five set match.

2:30: West Wilkes takes set three 25-20 as they take a 2 to 1 lead in the match.

2:45: The Lady Vikings season comes to a close as West Wilkes wins set four 26-24 win the playoff match 3 to 1. Congrats to the Lady Vikings on an excellent season.

3:00: IT"S FOOTBALL TIME AT THE ROCK! The teams will be entering the field momentarily as Kidd Brewer is packed out! This is my first trip to the new Kidd Brewer Press Box and I echo Jamie's previous comments about how beautiful it is.

3:02: App won the toss and deferred to the second half so Southern will get the ball to start the game.

3:16: TOUCHDOWN ASU! After forcing a GS three and out, the Mountaineers went on a 10 play 79 yard drive that was capped off when Armanti Edwards hit Matt Cline for a 15-yard touchdown pass. ASU 7 GSU 0 with 9:03 remaining in first quarter.

3:30: Georgia Southern gets on the board after a ASU fumble is recovered and the Eagles goes the distance for the 38-yard touchdown. ASU 7 GSU 7 5:11 left in the first.

3:45: End of 1 sees the Mountaineers leading 14 to 7 and in scoring position again. Edwards became the 2nd player in D-I history to have 8,000 passing and 4,000 rushing yards.

4:00: How quickly things can change. Devon Moore has got two touchdowns since the start of the 2nd quarter as the 'Neers lead 28-7. The ASU defense has played tough as the Eagles have -13 total yards so far. ASU28 GS 7 12:02 left in 2nd.

4:30: With 3:13 remaining in the second quarter, Georgia Southern has tacked on a field goal. A scary moment has just happened as training staff are attending to an injured Eagle. The personnel have had to bring out a back board and a stretcher. The press box staff believes it is Hudson Presume. We will update you on the condition as soon as we get it.

4:40: We just went to the break and the 'Neers lead 35-10 after a quick ASU score when Edwards hit Quick for a nine yard TD. According to APP SID staff, Presume has been taken to the WMC for observation for a possible spinal cord injury. He was conscious when he left the stadium. Quick SEC Update: UT is trailing Alabama 6-3 with 8:00 left in the second quarter.

5:10: We are back at for the second half. Some first half stats: Edwards is 23 of 29 passing for 304 yards and three touchdowns and added 39 yards rushing. CoCo Hillary has seven catches for 104 yards and Matt Cline has nine for 96. Hillary has two touchdowns and Cline has added another one. ASU has 391 yards of total offense to GSU's 96.

5:38:ASU hit paydirt again when Moore scrambled in for four yards, but GS responded with a 15 play drive that took 5:47 off the clock as App continues to lead and the crowd continues the crawl out of a cold Kidd Brewer that began at halftime. Travaris Cadet has taken over the ASU offense in relief work for Edwards. Edwards finished the game 26 of 34 for 320 yards and 3 TDS as well as 6 rushes for 61 yards. Several other ASU starters are also done for the day.

5:45: Injury update: The GSU SID staff has informed us that Presume has movement and that his tests came back negative.

5:50: The Apps will enter the fourth quarter with the game in hand as they lead 45-16.

5:56: It's been a blast, but it is time to join the masses as we must pack up and head to press conferences. We will have a full story later on this weekend on this game. As it stands now, ASU leads 45-16 with 13:00 left in the contest. Thanks for reading the Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog!

Avery Volleyball Hosts Opening Round of State Playoffs

Avery Volleyball will play the West Wilkes Black Hawks tomorrow, Saturday October 24, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. School system employee, Booster Club, and other passes will not be accepted for playoff games.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association sets the gate price at $5.00 and only allows the following passes to be accepted: NCCA, NCHSAA, Senior Tar Heel, Officials passes and media passes.

Avery played West Wilkes on two occasions earlier this season, with the Black Hawks winning both contests.

Vikings Soccer Picks Up Shutout Victory at Madison

In a tight defensive contest, the Avery Vikings earned a hard fought 1-0 victory over Madison in Marshall Wednesday night.

The teams played to a scoreless tie after the first half on the bumpy and rocky surface of O.E. Roberts Stadium. Eventually the Vikings broke through on Madison's Senior Night, as Kyle Griewisch took a pass and scored on the Patriots keeper in the 65th minute to score the only goal of the match.

Avery senior keeper Morgan Bounds and the Vikings defense extends its shutout streak to four games, all in conference play, as the Vikings improve to 12-5-2 overall and 8-3 in Western Highlands Conference play. Avery returns home for Senior Night this Monday against the Mountain Heritage Cougars, then finish the regular season with matches at Mitchell on October 28th and at Polk County on Thursday, the 29th.

Viking Volleyball Roundup

On Tuesday, October 14th, 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.

Last 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 set in 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 traveled to Mitchell on Tuesday night as the Lady Mountaineers celebrated Senior Night. The Avery junior varsity team started the night with a three-set win over the Lady Mountaineers by scores of 15-25, 26-24, and 25-16, respectively.

The varsity team came out looking for a season sweep over Mitchell, winning the first set by a dominant score of 25-14. Mitchell battled back in the second set to tie the match, winning 25-21. Avery was not to be denied on the evening, capturing the third set 25-13 and pulling away in set four to win 25-16 and take the Western Highlands Conference victory.

Chances are good that the Lady Vikings will be hosting West Wilkes in an opening round matchup of the NC high school playoffs on Saturday. We’ll have the official word on the Lady Vikings playoff fate when brackets are released later in the week by the NCHSAA.

Avery Scholar-Athletes of the Week

Kyle Greene (Football) and Mary Chesnut Smith (Cross Country/Golf) 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 grade point average of 3.5 or greater. 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!

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!