1A GIRLS WESTERN REGIONAL TOURNAMENT TEAM PROFILES

1A GIRLS WESTERN REGIONAL TOURNAMENT TEAM PROFILES

AVERY LADY VIKINGS

Record: 24-3

Road to Greensboro:

d. Elkin 81-53

d. Hiwassee Dam 60-58

d. Robbinsville 68-67 ot

Scoring Leaders:

Lauren Avery: 13.1

Sara Wiseman: 11.3

Rebounding Leaders:

Sara Wiseman: 8.2

Lauren Avery: 7.5

Assist Leaders:

Elyse Perry: 5.7

Lauren Avery: 3.5

Steals Leaders:

Elyse Perry: 3.1

Lauren Avery: 2.4

Knowledge Nuggets:

- Avery avenged last year’s sectional final as it looks to capture its first Western Regional championship.

- After starting the season with a loss, the Lady Vikings reeled off 2 different win streaks of ten games or

greater.

- Avery logged over 700 bus miles en route to its last two sectional playoff victories.

- Head Coach Missy Lyons eclipsed the 100-win mark at Avery earlier this season.

- 2 of Avery’s 3 losses came against Western Highlands foe Mitchell.

Coach’s one-word team description: Dedicated

Avery Head Coach Missy Lyons

BISHOP McGUINNESS LADY VILLAINS

Record: 20-7

Road to Greensboro:

d. Bessemer City 79-21

d. Chatham Cent. 55-38

d. Highland Tech 56-25

Scoring Leaders:

Megan Buckland: 19.5

Erin Fitzgerald: 9.4

Rebounding Leaders:

Erin Fitzgerald: 8.7

Megan Buckland: 7.7

Assist Leaders:

Megan Buckland: 4.6

Sammi Goldsmith: 1.7

Steals Leaders:

Megan Buckland: 5.1

Sammi Goldsmith: 2.2

Knowledge Nuggets:

- Bishop McGuinness is the four-time defending state 1A champions
and hold an 8-game winning streak in regional play.

- Megan Buckland has scored in double-figures in 24 of
her team’s 27 games this season.

- Bishop McGuinness finished second in the Northwest 1A/2A Conference

losing to fellow Regional qualifier Mount Airy three times.

- Coach Brian Robinson is looking for career win #200 at Bishop

in Friday’s semifinal game and is 246-87 overall

.

Coach’s one-word team description: Entertaining

Bishop McGuinness
Head Coach Brian Robinson

MITCHELL LADY MOUNTAINEERS

Record: 23-4

Road to Greensboro:

d. Swain 60-22

d. Murphy 55-37

d. East Wilkes 67-54

Scoring Leaders:

Lakin Norris: 23.5

Rebounding Leaders:

Autumn Thompson: 5.9

Lakin Norris 4.2

Emily Glenn 4.1

Steals Leaders:

Lakin Norris:5.3

Danica Huskins: 2.1

Ashley Greene 2.1

Knowledge Nuggets:

- Mitchell makes its 3^rd straight Western Regional appearance, its first at the 1A level.

- The Lady Mountaineers won the Western Highlands Conference regular season and conference tournament in ’09-’10..

- Senior Lakin Norris has been named to the Carolinas All-Star Classic girls team. Norris eclipsed the 2,000 point mark in her career earlier this season.

- Mitchell won the 2A Western Regional both in 1996 & 2003, with a pair of state titles.

Coach’s one-word team description: Heart

Mitchell Head Coach Dawn Lowe

MOUNT AIRY LADY BEARS

Record: 27-2

Road to Greensboro:

d. North Stokes 41-40

d. Albemarle 67-34

d. East Surry 59-47

Scoring Leaders:

Ellie Case: 14.5

Jordan Hiatt: 10.8

Rebounding Leaders:

Taylor Hiatt: 6.7

Andria Leonard: 5.9

Assist Leaders:

Jordan Hiatt: 3.5

Ellie Case: 1.7

Steals Leaders:

Jordan Hiatt: 2.4

Andria Leonard: 2.4

Knowledge Nuggets:

- The Granite Bears defeated fellow Northwest Conference rival
East Surry to advance to Regionals.

- Mount Airy has taken a whopping 677 3-point shots this season and hit 211, (31 percent).
Ellie Case leads the team with 50 trifectas.

- The Lady Bears post five players who average seven points or more per contest,
and five players with at least two steals per game.

- Mount Airy’s offense averages over 63 points per game, netting over 70 points ten times.

Coach’s one-word team description: Together

Head Coach Howard Mayo

GREENSBORO BOUND! Pair of Buzzer-Beaters Lead Lady Vikings to Sectional Championship

The dream of a 1A state championship is still alive for the Avery Lady Vikings after winning two heart-stopping playoff games. Last-second baskets at Hiwassee Dam in a 60-58 victory last Wednesday and at Robbinsville in a 68-67 overtime win last Friday night propel the Big Red to Greensboro and the Western Regional this weekend.

Avery jumped to an early lead in Wednesday’s road matchup at Hiwassee Dam High School. Hayley Pyatte paced the Big Red with the first six points for Avery as part of a 16-5 scoring run to open the contest. Hiwassee Dam rallied slightly in the final two minutes of the first period, but Avery held a 22-12 lead after one quarter.

The Lady Vikings continued to pour on the offense with an 11-5 flurry over the first three and a half minutes of the second quarter, taking a commanding 33-17 advantage. Hiwassee Dam, behind the play of team scoring leader Kareen Abling, found a way to score against the tough man-to-man defense employed by the Lady Vikings. The Lady Eagles outscored Avery 9-2 over the final 3:28 of the first half to cut the Avery margin to nine points at 35-26 at intermission.

Avery relied on its backcourt, primarily the scoring of senior guard Lauren Avery to maintain its advantage, but the Lady Eagles continued to slowly chip away at its deficit. The Lady Vikings kept a lead through three quarters, but led by only six at 48-42 going into the fourth period.

In the final stanza the Lady Eagles, led by Abling and sophomore Kayla Rose, forged a final rally to tie the contest at 51 apiece with 4:21 to play and grabbed its first lead of the contest at 54-52 with 2:39 on the clock.

Avery maintained its poise down the stretch, continuing to make the necessary plays to stay close. A three-point play helped the Big Red regain the lead at 55-54, only to see Hiwassee Dam answer on its next possession to take the lead back at 56-55 with under 90 seconds to play.

In the game’s final minute the momentum swayed back and forth. The Lady Eagles built a two-point margin at 58-56 with 40 seconds left in the game, but the Big Red scored a pair to tie the contest up at 58 apiece with just six seconds to go.

With possession and planning to take the last shot, Hiwassee Dam looked to inbound the basketball to Hiwassee’s top player Abling. Lauren Avery leaped to tip the inbound pass in the air, grabbed the loose basketball with 4.8 seconds left, dribbled the length of the court, and swished a pull-up jump shot from the left elbow as time expired to give Avery the 60-58 win and berth in the sectional final.

“In the third quarter we could feel the momentum shift when they switched to a zone defense. We tried to attack the basket and they capitalized to take the lead late in the game,” Avery head coach Missy Lyons said after the win. “We did a great job on the boards, primarily in the first half and defensively did a good job guarding the ball.”

Lauren Avery led the Lady Vikings with 22 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 6 steals. Hayley Pyatte added ten points, with nine points and 14 rebounds from Sara Wiseman and seven points from Katelynn Eudy.

On Friday night the Lady Vikings hit the road again to the Smokies, this time to Robbinsville for a highly-anticipated contest with the Smoky Mountain Conference champion Robbinsville Lady Knights. In a nip-and-tuck contest, four quarters was not enough to determine a winner.

Avery fell behind early as Robbinsville scored the first seven points of the game. The Lady Vikings bounced back, however, as Avery shot 9 of 12 from the field in the first period to erase the Lady Knight lead and tie the game at 21-21 after one period.

Robbinsville could build a lead of no greater than two points in the second quarter as the two teams traded baskets. Avery went on a mini-scoring run helped by two Lauren Avery field goals and a bucket from Mercedes Bentley to give the Lady Vikings a 32-27 lead with 3:40 left in the first half.

Unfortunately for the visitors, Avery cooled off from the field and was unable to score a point in the remainder of the half, allowing Robbinsville to score the half’s final seven points to take a 34-32 lead into halftime.

Both teams played to a standstill through the first few minutes of the third quarter, but Robbinsville used four points from Kristi Burchfield to build a six-point edge at 46-40 with two minutes left in the quarter. Avery outscored the Lady Knights 5-2 to close the quarter, as Megan Tennant scored on an offensive rebound and basket, and Sara Wiseman added a field goal to leave Avery trailing 48-45 with one quarter left to play.

Avery was hampered all night with poor free throw shooting, while Robbinsville shot a sterling 17 of 19 from the charity stripe for the game. Free throws were the largest factor in the Lady Knights’ ability to keep up with Avery on the scoreboard, as the Big Red converted only 6 of 15 free throws in the contest.

Consecutive baskets from Bentley and Hayley Pyatte to start the final stanza put Avery back on top by a point. A short time later two second-chance baskets by Wiseman and Avery gave the Lady Vikings a four-point bulge at 53-49. Robbinsville tied the game from the foul line, and the teams exchanged baskets to remain tied.

With the game knotted at 59, Katelynn Eudy scored with just over a minute remaining to give the Vikings the 61-59 lead, but a layup from Lynsey Crisp tied the game at 61. Neither team was successful on its final offensive possession of regulation, sending the game to overtime.

In the extra four-minute session, a number of players stepped up to hit big shots for both squads. A Lauren Avery field goal gave the Lady Vikings a 66-65 lead with 1:18 to play. After a defensive stop, an Avery missed free throw gave the Lady Knights a chance to take the lead in the final 30 seconds. All-Smoky Mountain Conference point guard Tacey Trammell drove into the paint and scooped in a layup to give Robbinsville a one-point edge.

With its season on the brink, the Lady Vikings rose to the occasion for the second time in as many games when a jumper by Lauren Avery fell short of the basket. Sara Wiseman did what she was so adept at doing the entire night…offensive rebounding. The senior alertly caught the ball in the air and made a game-winning layup with 0.4 seconds left to play to give the Lady Vikings the 68-67 triumph.

Wiseman scored 16 points and was a monster on the glass with nine rebounds (eight offensive). Lauren Avery scored 14 points with seven rebounds, while the Big Red received 11 points from Katelynn Eudy, 8 points from Hayley Pyatte, and seven points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks by Megan Tennant. .

“Sara did exactly what I needed her to do by stepping up, by playing big in the post, getting offensive rebounds, and hitting big shots for us all night,” Coach Lyons said after the thrilling win. “Hayley continues to play amazingly despite her torn ACL, Elyse (Perry) is playing good, solid basketball, and our seniors are just digging in and playing awesome basketball right now.”

The win secured Avery’s second berth in the Western Regional tournament in the past three seasons and the Lady Vikings set a new school record with its 24^th win of the season.

Avery joins Mitchell, Bishop McGuinness, and Mount Airy in the regional to be played this weekend. Mitchell will meet Mount Airy at 7 p.m. at Fleming Gym this Friday night on the campus of UNC-Greensboro. Avery and Bishop McGuinness will meet in the second half of the doubleheader, slated to begin around 8:30 p.m. Winners will play Saturday at 4 p.m. for the right to play in the state championship next weekend.

Follow the Avery Journal-Times for exclusive interviews, stories, live updates, and reports on this weekend’s Western Regional tournament, with a full report of this weekend’s action in next week’s print edition.

Vikings Grapplers Complete Season at State Championships

On February 19-20, Avery wrestlers Brock Yackey and C.J. Vance advanced to take part in the NCHSAA State Wrestling Championships, held last weekend at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.

Both wrestlers competed on Friday evening's opening round. Vance, wrestling in the 160 pound weight class, fell in his 1A quarterfinal match against a tough opponent in Dixon's Joey Dzurilla. Vance returned to action on Saturday and took on East Montgomery’s Matthew Reynolds. Reynolds came out on top via pinfall to eliminate Vance from the championships after a stellar conference and regional tournament performance.

Viking junior Brock Yackey was successful in his first match Friday night with a 11-1 win over Monroe's Zach Cooper. Yackey held a 2-0 lead after a takedown in the first period. Yackey earned another takedown to lead 4-0 after two periods. Brock added a takedown and gave up an escape, but earned another takedown and three back points to provide for the major decision win.

In Brock's semifinal match on Saturday he fell to Rosewood's Zach Behrend by a 4-0 decision to move into the consolation bracket. Behrend earned a takedown for a 2-0 margin after one period, the pair was scoreless in the second period, and with 16 seconds left in the match Cooper scored two back points, providing for the final margin.

At the consolation level Yackey wrestled in the semifinals and defeated Dixon's Chase Ponsock 10-3 to make the consolation finals and wrestle for third place overall. Brock earned a pair of takedowns and gave up an escape to lead 4-1 after one period. He then earned a takedown from the neutral position, gave up an escape, then earned another takedown to lead 8-2 after two periods. In the final stanza Yackey surrendered an escape when Ponsock chose the down position to start the period, but took down Ponsock a final time for the seven-point win

In the consolation finals, Yackey faced a familiar foe in Mitchell's Cody McKinney, winning a hard-fought bout 2-1 to capture the third-place medal.

Neither wrestler earned points in both the first and second periods. In the third period McKinney started from the down position and earned an escape for a 1-0 lead. Yackey shortly afterward garnered a takedown for a 2-1 advantage and held on to that margin to capture the victory.

Congratulations to C.J., Brock, and all the Avery grapplers on a great 2009-10 season.

Vikings Bow Out of Playoffs in Unfinished Bizarre Loss at Nantahala

Last Wednesday the Avery Vikings varsity boys basketball team made the three-hour journey to Macon County to take on the Nantahala Hawks in the second round of the NCHSAA 1A state playoffs.

After an evening of questionable officiating, multiple technical fouls and ejections, and a premature exit from the game officials, players and fans alike were left scratching their heads as Nantahala was awarded the victory to end an otherwise successful Avery season.

Throughout the game, held at the K-12 Nantahala School which boasted 40 high school students among its numbers, Avery found itself in an uphill battle against a talented Hawks squad as well as the men in the striped shirts.

In the first quarter Avery held its own against the up-tempo Hawks. A Dylan Eppley three-point play gave the Vikings their largest lead of the game at 7-4 just two minutes into the contest. The lead was short lived, however, as senior guard Josh Griffith and his Nantahala teammates utilized their height advantage and skill to push the Hawks ahead 15-9 after one quarter.

Avery found itself struggling to hit open shots as Nantahala used a 2-3 zone defense to stifle penetration inside by the slashing Viking ball-handlers. In turn Avery rushed a number of shots and was unable to cash in on open opportunities through the first ten minutes of the contest.

Griffith led the Hawks on a 22-5 scoring spurt over a seven-minute stretch in the first half to put the Hawks up by 20 points at 32-12, while the Avery offense went six minutes without scoring a point. The Vikings had a difficult time containing the senior guard who tallied a game-high 38 points, most coming by driving to the basket or at the free throw line. Hawks teammate Wesley Holden was also a handful for the Vikings defense, as the 6’5” center crashed the boards for 14 rebounds in the first half and converted a number of missed Nantahala shots into second-chance baskets.

Avery tried to use its defensive pressure to stay close, but the local Smoky Mountain Conference officials called tightly, whistling the Vikings for an astounding 15 fouls in the first half compared to just four for the press-defense-oriented home team.

Foul trouble mounted quickly against the Vikings. Avery spark plug Dustin Clarke was whistled for three quick fouls by midway through the second quarter, along with three assessed to teammate Timmy Stewart. Following a Joey Potter layup late in the period, Potter was issued a technical foul, counting for a fourth personal foul for the junior in the half.

With the Vikings hamstrung by fouls, the Hawks picked over a depleted Avery defense with a 10-2 scoring run in the final two minutes of the first half to lead 47-21 at intermission.

As a team with a penchant for second half comebacks throughout the season, the Vikings worked immediately to scratch its way back into the game. Avery opened the second half on a 16-7 run to cut its deficit under 20 points at 54-37 within the first three minutes of the half.

A Kody Hughes three-pointer and a Clarke field goal brought the Vikings to within 59-42 with 3:40 left in the third period, but things quickly unraveled for the Big Red. Clay Wooten built the lead back to 20 points with the second of three 3-point baskets in the period. Seconds later Dustin Clarke was whistled for a fourth personal foul, with fourth fouls assessed as well to Timmy Stewart and Kody Hughes on successive plays. A couple of trips down the floor later Avery head coach Bo Manis was assessed a technical foul disputing a traveling call on Viking forward Dylan Eppley which could have been ruled a jump ball.

Following the technical foul, Nantahala went on an 11-4 scoring run to build a 73-46 lead early in the fourth period. Avery’s 25^th team foul of the game was called at the 6:53 mark of the quarter as a charge was whistled against Clarke, his fifth foul disqualifying him from the rest of the game. The official then quickly assessed the junior guard an additional technical foul for not leaving the floor in a timely fashion. The next trip down the floor Kody Hughes was disqualified with his fifth personal foul, much to the dismay of the Viking faithful who made the trip to support the team.

Viking players, coaches, and fans were frustrated throughout the contest with what they felt was less-than-fair officiating. Five additional fouls, including a fifth foul on Potter, was assessed against Avery within a two-minute stretch, helping Nantahala take an insurmountable 80-50 advantage.

Although shorthanded, the Vikings continued to battle. Spencer Blackburn came off the bench to hit a pair of three-pointers in the quarter, while teammate Luke Pittman chipped in with six points in the second half.

With the game no longer in doubt, the frustration on the court escalated and the game situation bordered on absurd.

After free throws shot by the Hawks, one of the game officials assessed a second technical foul against Avery’s Manis, forcing the coach to leave the bench and go to the locker room. Assistant coach Reggie Oakes, upon asking for clarification on the reason for the technical foul was also given a technical foul and ordered to leave the floor. Avery’s players in solidarity stood to follow their coaches off the floor and the game officials jogged off the floor to the referees’ locker room.

After being urged to stay and finish the game by their coaches, the Viking players returned to the bench, but the officials refused to return to the floor and deemed the game over with over two minutes remaining to be played.

Dustin Clarke scored 12 points in limited action for the Big Red in the loss, with 10 points each from senior Luke Pittman and Kody Hughes, nine points from both Spencer Blackburn and senior Dylan Eppley, and four from Timmy Stewart.

“I’m proud of the players this year. They’ve worked so hard this season,” Coach Manis said following the end to his team’s season. “We began work right after the tournament back in March with open gym and they’ve been at it all the way up to this season besides the mandatory dead time in August. The kids put a lot of hard and soul into this year and it shows what hard work can do. I hope that next year the guys will continue to want to work harder to reach our goals.”

Avery ends its season with an 11-12 overall record, doubling its win total from the past two seasons combined. The Vikings lose a total of four seniors from this season’s roster, but will look to again contend for a Western Highlands Conference championship next season.

“We played right with the conference leaders and won several conference games this year. All I can do is tell our guys we can win conference next year. We have to work hard to get better as the other teams will be working hard to improve,” Coach Manis said. “By being this close this year, I believe our team will have renewed determination for next year.”

Trotman Named SoCon Wrestler of the Year

(courtesy Appalachian Sports Information)
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Austin Trotman (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) was named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Year, while Savva Kostis (Boone, N.C./Watauga) joined him in earning all-conference honors, the conference office announced Tuesday.

Trotman becomes the fifth ever Mountaineer and the second-ever sophomore to win wrestler of the year, joining Travis Drake, who won the award as a sophomore in 2001 and again in 2002.

The Winston-Salem native went 21-4 on year and 5-0 in conference action. He began the year at 174 pounds, but moved up to 184 to begin the new year. After losing his first match, he has not lost since, winning 13-straight matches.

His biggest win during the streak was a 10-6 decision over No. 21 Mike Salopek of Virginia. For the year, Trotman has three pins and seven major decisions. Trotman is currently ranked No. 19 in the 184 pound weight class.

Kostis finished the regular-season 20-15 and was also unblemished in SoCon matches. The sophomore leads ASU with nine pins and also had two major decisions.

The Boone, N.C. native has won five of his last seven matches heading into the SoCon Tournament this weekend.

Redshirt freshman Jacob Earp (Boone, N.C./Watauga) was named to the conference all-freshman team. Earp was 12-11 overall with two pins and three major decisions.

ASU is back in action this weekend when they travel to Davidson to compete in the Southern Conference Tournament.

2010 SoCon Wrestling All-Conference Team
125 Demetrius Johnson, So., Chattanooga
133 Josh Statum, Sr., Chattanooga
141 Ivan Lopouchanski, R-Fr., UNC Greensboro
149 Savva Kostis, So., Appalachian State
157 Josh Condon, Fr., Chattanooga
165 Brandon Wright, So., Chattanooga
174 Byron Sigmon, Jr., UNC Greensboro
184 Austin Trotman, So., Appalachian State
197 Niko Brown, Fr., Chattanooga
HWT Josh Wine, Jr., VMI

Wrestler of the Year
Austin Trotman, So., 184, Appalachian State

2010 SoCon Wrestling All-Freshman Team
Jacob Earp, Appalachian State
Niko Brown, Chattanooga
Josh Condon, Chattanooga
Dean Pavlou, Chattanooga
Jake Young, Chattanooga
Nick LaFevre, The Citadel
Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, The Citadel
Eric Chandler, UNC Greensboro
Ivan Lopouchanski, UNC Greensboro
Travis Sheehy, UNC Greensboro

Freshman of the Year
Jake Young, 174, Chattanooga

Bobcats Season Ends with 96-65 Loss to The Abbey

courtesy LMC Sports Information

BANNER ELK, N.C. -- Belmont Abbey's Kyle Phillips led all scorers with 25 points as the Crusaders men's basketball team ended the Lees-McRae College Bobcats season 96-65 win in Williams Gymnasium.

Belmont Abbey moves to 14-13 overall and 9-11 in Conference Carolinas, while Lees-McRae ends its season with a record of 3-24 overall and 2-18 in Conference Carolinas.

The Abbey shot 56 percent as Phillips sank nine of 16 field goal attempts with six rebounds, one blocked shot and one steal. Tyshawn Good added 15 points, while Terrone Sheffey posted 12 points and Patrick Kuhlman added 11 with four assists. Chad Patus posted nine points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Richard Barbee also had nine points.

Lees-McRae shot 39 percent as Adam McFerran led the Bobcats with 16 points. He was the only Lees-McRae player to reach double figures. Senior Josh Kurtz playing in his final game had eight points and three rebounds, and follow senior Vlady Nikolov didn't score in the contest.

Belmont Abbey led 37-28 at the half and outscored the Bobcats 59-37 in the final 20 minutes as it shot 57 percent from the floor in the stanza.

The Crusaders never trailed after being down 2-0 and led by as many as 14 points in the first half. In the second half, the the Abbey led by as many as 34 points at 95-61 with 1:32 left.

Related Item: Box Score

Visit lmcbobcats.com for the latest news and info on Lees-McRae College Athletics.

Belmont Abbey Rallies to Spoil Lees-McRae's Senior Day, 66-63

(courtesy LMC Sports Information)
BANNER ELK, N.C. - Senior guard Lauren Casey had 12 points and 10 assists for a double-double and senior forward Renee Roberson had 10 points and eight rebounds on Senior Day for Lees-McRae College, but the Lady Bobcats let a 14 point lead slip away as the Belmont Abbey Crusaders battled back to earn the 66-63 win.

Trailing 58-48 with 8:27 left in the game, The Abbey outscored Lees-McRae 16-5 in the final 7:20 to cap off the 2009-10 with a 17-10 overall and 15-7 in Conference Carolinas, while the Lady Bobcats end their season with a record of 4-22 overall and 4-18 in Conference Carolinas.

Belmont Abbey shot 52 percent from the field as Courtney Naquin led all scorers with 21 points, nine coming during the Abbey's late second half comeback. Asha Hardaway added 12 points, while Amanda McDonald, Ashley Giddens and Shayla Jackson all finished with ten points. Six of McDonald's ten points came in the final 8:45, the final one tying the game at 60 with 3:18 left.

Lees-McRae was led by Colette Montgomery's 18 points, while Casey and Roberson were the only other Lady Bobcats in double-digit points. The team shot 42 percent from the floor.

Lees-McRae built a 37-28 halftime lead behind a 53 percent shooting effort from the field as Montgomery totaled 14 of her 18 points in the half. Montgomery sank six of her eight field goal attempts but was just one for four in the second half with two free throws. Casey had seven of her ten assists in the half, as well.

In the second half the Lady Bobcats advantage grew to as high as 11 points, and the Abbey could not cut it to any fewer than four at 50-46 with 10:22 left. After that basket, Lees-McRae embarked on an 8-2 run to widen the gap to 58-48 with 8:27 left, but it would only score five more points the rest of the way.

McDonald closed the lead to eight with a jumper, followed by another one 1:25 later. A Naquin three-pointer followed by a basket by Jackson cut the deficit to three. Montgomery interrupted the run with a short jumper to move the lead back to five, but another three from Naquin closed the lead to two at 60-58 with 4:36 left, and McDonald tied the game for the third time1:18 later.

Flowers buried a three-pointer to briefly give the Lady Bobcats the lead at 63-60 with 2:20 left, but they would not score again. Naquin buried another three to knot the game for the fourth and final time at the 1:59 mark, and 1:09 later, Hardaway gave the Abbey the lead for good with an offensive rebound and conversion off of a Jackson miss to push the Crusaders ahead 65-63.

The lead held up as Lees-McRae missed its final three shots of the game, and Paula Regalado sank the final basket of the game with a free throw with one second left.

Lees-McRae's season ends with the loss.

Regional Pairings Set: Vikings to Meet Bishop McGuinness in Second Game of Greensboro Twin Bill

The NCHSAA has announced the pairings this afternoon for the 1A Western Regional tournament held next weekend at UNC-Greensboro's Fleming Gym.

On Friday, March 5th at 7 p.m. the Mount Airy Lady Bears (27-2) will take on the Mitchell Lady Mountaineers (23-4). The nightcap, slated to begin at 8:30 p.m. on Friday will pit the Avery Lady Vikings (24-3) against the Bishop McGuinness Villains (20-7).

Winners will square off in the regional championship on Saturday, March 6th at 4:00 p.m.

Avery State Tournament Wrestling Update

Avery wrestlers Brock Yackey and CJ Vance have been in action this weekend at the state wrestling tournament in Greensboro.

Both wrestlers competed on Friday evening's opening round. Vance fell in his first two matches, including pinfall against a tough opponent in Dixon's Joey Dzurilla to be eliminated from the tournament at 160 pounds.

Yackey was successful in his first match Friday night with a 11-1 win over Monroe's Zach Cooper. In Brock's semifinal match on Saturday he fell to Rosewood's Zach Behrend by a 4-0 decision to move into the consolation bracket.

At the consolation level Yackey wrestled in the semifinals and defeated Dixon's Chase Ponsock 10-3 to make the consolation finals and wrestle for third place overall. Yackey faced a familiar foe in Mitchell's Cody McKinney, and Brock won a hard-fought bout 2-1 to capture the third-place medal at the state championships.

Congratulations to the Avery grapplers on a great 2009-10 season.

Vikings Basketball Sweep Playoff Doubleheader, Hits the Road Wednesday for Round Two

On Monday night Avery opened its quest for a state 1A girls basketball championship with an opening round playoff game in Viking Gym against visiting Elkin.

The Lady Elks hung tough through a quarter and a half, but an Avery spurt to close the half and a strong third quarter surge propelled the Big Red to an 81-53 first round playoff victory.

Avery had a hard time hitting shots in the opening stanza as the club made only six of its 20 shots in the first period. Lauren Avery paced the way with eight of the total of 14 Lady Viking points for the quarter, but the Big Red held only a two-point lead after one period at 14-12.

In the second quarter the Avery press began to take its toll on the Lady Elks. Avery forced over 15 turnovers in the first half from Elkin, while the defense held the Lady Elks to just ten points for the quarter. In the meantime Avery’s offense generated off its defensive intensity. Katelynn Eudy scored three baskets in the interior, while Mercedes Bentley scored six points off the bench during the frame. Lauren Avery added another pair of buckets to slingshot the Big Red to a double-figure lead at 37-22 at intermission.

Avery put the contest away for good in the third quarter as its defense contributed to a cold shooting streak for Elkin. The Lady Elks made just two field goals and scored just five points in the frame (a combined 15 points over a two-period stretch). Avery meanwhile outscored Elkin 29-10 in the two-quarter span. Sara Wiseman scored a pair of baskets in the third and Bentley added five additional points to give the Vikings a 53-26 lead, and the squad cruised in the final eight minutes to finish the 28-point rout.

Four Lady Vikings scored in double-figures in the win, led by Lauren Avery’s double-double effort of 16 points and 14 rebounds, to go with four steals and four assists. Mercedes Bentley added 15 points, with 13 points, 5 steals, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists from Hayley Pyatte, and 10 points and 10 rebounds from Sara Wiseman. Katelynn Eudy finished the night with eight points, 10 rebounds, and three steals. In all, 12 different Lady Vikings scored points in the contest. Jordan Eldridge and Bailey Carter each scored 14 points to lead Elkin.

Avery improves its record to 22-3 for the season, but must travel on Wednesday evening to Hiwassee Dam out of the Little Smoky Mountain Conference for its second round matchup. The Eagles won their playoff opener over Rosman 50-29 to set up the playoff contest. Directions to the school as distributed from the Avery High School athletics departmentis listed below:

Hiwassee Dam High School

267 Blue Eagle Circle

Murphy, NC 28906

Hiwassee Dam is approximately 140 miles west of Asheville. Follow I-40 W past the Canton exit and take Exit 27. Exit 27 merges with US 23/74 west; follow 23S/74W past Sylva, Bryson City, Nantahala Gorge, Topton, and Andrews, to Murphy. Proceed west on 74/129. Turn right on Hwy 294 approximately 10 miles west of Murphy. Follow Hwy 294 for approximately 8 miles and turn left into the school driveway. Visitor parking is located in the front of the building.
TOTAL DRIVE TIME: Approx. 193 miles 4 hours and 22 minutes

Following the girls contest, the Avery boys opened its playoff journey in Viking Gym against a familiar foe in the West Wilkes Blackhawks, a team that had won four of its last five contests.

The Vikings defeated West 73-35 in Newland back on December 17^th as Dustin Clarke went off for 26 points, 13 assists, 6 assists and 6 steals with 18 points from Joey Potter in the lopsided triumph.

Monday’s contest was a tougher affair as West slowed down the pace of the contest and utilized a zone defense to neutralize the offensive firepower of the Big Red. Nevertheless, a strong fourth quarter allowed the Vikings to pull away in a 65-52 first round victory.

Avery led 14-7 after one quarter as senior Luke Pittman scored a pair of baskets off the bench to help the Vikings gain its advantage. A pair of three-pointers, one each from Kody Hughes and Mark Polsgrove, increased the Avery edge to nine points at intermission at 24-15.

The Vikings held West to just 22 percent shooting in the first half, and 1 of 9 from three-point range en route to building its lead.

In the third quarter, however, West’s offense, particularly its perimeter shooting, improved as a pair of three-pointers from Ethan Absher and a three-point basket from Logan Hallock allowed the Blackhawks to cut the Avery lead to 35-32 after three periods.

If the pace of the first three quarters was a crawl, the fourth quarter was a sprint to the finish. Both teams turned up their intensity and the points followed. West Wilkes cut the Avery lead to as little as two points at 39-37 early in the fourth quarter, but Avery pulled ahead for good with an 11-4 scoring run.

Avery’s leading scorer Dustin Clarke, who had scored only five points through three periods, scored 11 points in the fourth, while teammate Joey Potter scored three key baskets in transition under the basket during the rally to allow the Vikings to build its lead back to double-digits.

The Viking defensive pressure held West to just 1 of 9 shooting from beyond the arc in the final eight minutes, while Avery made good on 11 of its 15 shots from the field in the period to earn the win and advance to play at Nantahala on Wednesday in the second round of the state playoffs.

“Coach Oakes and I knew this was going to be a different game from the first time, even from the end of the first time we played. I think West Wilkes did a good job moving the ball around tonight. They played a low scoring game the past few games, and we made some turnovers that helped them. Their zone stopped us from penetrating, but we kept pushing to work the ball inside,” Coach Manis said after the win. “It took us some time to adjust to what they were doing, but eventually our working the basketball inside wore them down. We played better defense in the second half and our defense starting turning into more scoring opportunities.”

Dustin Clarke ended the night with 16 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds, with 15 points (10 in the second half) from Joey Potter. Kody Hughes scored 11 points, with ten points off the bench from Luke Pittman and eight points from Dylan Eppley. Ethan Absher paced West Wilkes with 14 points.

The win was a sweet one for the Vikings, considering its transformation from a team with only three wins each of the past two seasons to 11 victories in 2009-10 including a win in the state playoffs.

“It means a lot to us to get to this point. I’ve been with three of our four seniors since they started high school and we’ve been through a lot of good times and bad times,” Coach Manis stated. “These players as a group deserve to be where they are right now, and it means a lot to this school and this county. All the players work hard, and getting to play another night is another reward for their efforts this year.”

Avery will travel on Wednesday night for a 6 p.m. tip time at Nantahala High School, member of the Little Smoky Mountain Conference. Directions to the school as distributed from the Avery High School athletics department is listed below:

Nantahala High School

213 Winding Stairs Rd

Topton, NC 28781

Take I-40 West past Asheville. Follow I-40 W past the Canton exit and take Exit 27. Exit 27 merges with US 23/74 west; follow 23S/74W past Sylva, Bryson City, Nantahala Gorge, Topton, and Andrews, to Murphy. Turn right at W. Hwy 19/Us-19 S/US-74 W. Continue to follow US-19 S/US-74 W for approx. 7.7 miles. Turn left a Wayah Rd and continue for approx. 4.5 miles. Turn left at Winding Stairs Rd. Nantahala High School will be on the right.

Drive Time: Approx. 146 miles 3 hours and 5 minutes

A full report on Avery’s playoff push in the 1A basketball playoffs can be read in next week’s print edition, as well as online.

Wrestling Sends Pair from Regional to State Championships

The Avery wrestling team sent a total of four wrestlers to Alleghany High School last weekend to take part in the 1A Western Regional Tournament. Each of the grapplers fought hard for two days of action. By event’s end, Brock Yackey captured a regional championship at 119 pounds, CJ Vance qualified for the state tournament with a fourth place finish at 160 pounds, Nick Malgadey won a pair of matches in the 125 pound weight class, and Lucas Lecka came up one win short of qualifying for state with a strong effort at 215 pounds.

Each of Avery’s grapplers had a solid start to the regional with opening round victories.
Yackey, a #6 seed, won by second period pinfall over 11th seeded Billy Brady from Cherokee. Malgadey was a winner in his opening match, as the #7 seed was victorious by pin over #10 seed Zack Caldwell from Thomas Jefferson Academy. CJ Vance started strong as a #7 seed, winning by a 14-2 major decision over #10 seed Cody Bennett from North Wilkes. Lucas Lecka made it a clean sweep of opening round wins for the Big Red, as the #8 seed defeated #9 seed Cody Lefler from West Wilkes by first period pin.

For its strong first round performances, the second round was not as kind to Avery, as three of the four Viking wrestlers were defeated to drop into the consolation bracket. Malgadey fell 21-4 to #2 seeded Cody Smith from Alleghany, while Vance fell 7-2 to second-seeded Aaron Rabin from Elkin and Lecka was defeated via pinfall by Alleghany’s Daniel Aldaco.
Yackey advanced in the winner’s bracket as he dispatched Bishop McGuinnes’s Kevin Graban by a 19-8 major decision.

In his first consolation match, Malgadey upended Bradley Greene, the #9 seed from Swain High School, by an 11-9 match total before being eliminated in a 6-2 match score by third-seeded Robert Lynch of Mount Airy.

Vance reeled off a pair of wins after dropping into the consolation bracket. He defeated #6 seed Joe Anderson from West Wilkes by a 4-3 decision, and followed up that win with another one, defeating Mitchell’s Nate Brooks 7-2 in a rematch of conference rivals. Vance lost to Brooks in the recent conference tournament, but Vance got the upper hand in this meeting with a berth in the state tournament on the line.

“It means a lot to me to get to state. The competition doesn’t get any better,” Vance said after qualifying. “I’ve worked hard this year and have struggled at times, but to get there is a great feeling.”

Vance lost his final match in the consolation semifinals against Luke Hampton, the #3 seed, by a 15-9 decision.

Lucas Lecka regrouped from his loss to Aldaco to win a pair of matches. Lecka defeated #10 Sean Reems of Elkin by first period pinfall, and upended #5 Justice Littlejohn from Cherokee with a second period pin. With a state playoff trip on the line, Lecka’s dream came to an end when he lost by a 4-1 score to Colby White.

Brock Yackey with his two wins advanced in the championship bracket. Yackey defeated Chad Billings of North Wilkes, the #2 seed, by an 8-2 decision, then was able to defeat JJ LaPlante, the top seed from West Wilkes, 7-5 on a last second reversal.

“It means everything to me to get to go back to states. I’m excited about going back and I hope I can bring a medal back for Avery County,” Yackey said after winning the tournament.

Qualifying two participants out of four at the regional tournament is a great accomplishment for the Avery wrestling program, and the coaches are proud of the efforts of the team through the season.

“I think we overall had a pretty good week. Nick and Lucas didn’t quite make the states but were close in the consolations. They fought hard and did all you could ask of them,” Avery head coach Stacey Clark said after the tournament. “CJ really was kind of a surprise. We knew coming in that he had a long shot at getting to the state tournament, and he has worked his tail off in practice and it showed today. We expected Brock to be in the finals with JJ LaPlante, and with him taking home first place we got a little of a bonus. Seeing the grin on that kid’s face makes what we do worthwhile. I’m so thankful to Coach Harkey coming out and helping us this season. His working with Brock has made a big difference by having a coach at his weight to work with him and teach him intricacies of the sport.”

Avery took four wrestlers to the regional tournament, but Coach Clark hopes to see greater interest and participation in the program next season.

“It has been disappointing seeing the number of wrestlers we lost through this season. If we are able to have kids dedicated to working hard like the ones we had who made it to this weekend, I think we can do some great things.”

Musings and Ramblings: Nice Guys Don't Always Finish Last

It’s always neat in my line of work to see actions or performances that go above the beyond the box score or statistics on a score sheet. What makes sports so great is not just the wins and losses or the championships attained, but underlying stories that make a team or an athlete’s performance that much more special.

Filmmakers spend and make millions of dollars taking this idea and converting it to the big screen to attract moviegoers. Movies such as “Hoosiers”, “Miracle”, “Remember the Titans”, “Rudy”, and “The Blind Side” tell stories of extraordinary circumstances overcome by athletes and/or teams to achieve success.

Inspirational true stories aren’t solely reserved for theaters or on TV’s “SportsCenter”. Please indulge me as I briefly share a story from last week’s 1A Western Regional wrestling tournament that re-instilled my faith in fair play and character.

Avery Viking junior wrestler Brock Yackey faced a tough road to his dream of qualifying for this weekend’s state wrestling championships from the 119 pound weight class. His most difficult challenge in the bracket would be JJ LaPlante, a young man from West Wilkes High School who was state runner-up at 112 pound weight class last season and just last week was named Most Outstanding Wrestler as his Blackhawks captured the 1A State Dual Championship.

Brock won each of his matches and qualified for the regional final match in the 119 pound class. He then watched intently as LaPlante wrestled Mitchell’s Colton McKinney for the right to take on Yackey in the championship.

The bout between the West Wilkes and Mitchell grapplers was a tough one. During the match LaPlante sustained bleeding from a cut opened on his face. In wrestling a competitor is generally allotted five total minutes for “blood time”, when a wrestler can be treated for cuts, nosebleeds, or other injury that produces blood on the wrestler, the opponent, and/or the mat.

LaPlante used a large portion of blood time as his cut was dealt with by coaches and training staff. Yackey, who wears a protective mask on his face due to injuries he himself has sustained on the mat, looked on from the bleachers as LaPlante’s cut was worked on. Faced with the prospect of his toughest competition forfeiting a semifinal match due to injury and facing a familiar opponent he has already defeated during the season, Yackey made an interesting decision: he loaned his facemask to LaPlante.

“I thought about it a couple of seconds, but there was really no decision to be made. It was just the right thing to do,” Brock said after the incident. “You need to help when and however you can.”

In making such a choice, Yackey’s thought was also to McKinney, a wrestler of a conference rival whose chances of victory might have been dealt a blow by the gesture.

“My thoughts more at the time were ‘How mad would Colton and the Mitchell coaches be at me for letting him use my mask?’ because we’re in the same conference and I was doing something that would help their competition and not him,” Yackey added. “I didn’t want it to appear that I was favoring one competitor over another. It just seemed natural and nothing out of the ordinary, and I would hope that if I was in that situation someone would help me.”
LaPlante finished the match with the facemask and defeated McKinney to meet Yackey in the championship match.

Leading up the tournament Brock had already made one tough decision in staying at the 119 pound weight class to face stern competition rather than choose to move up a weight class for an easier road to a regional title.

“The coaches gave me the option to go up a weight class to 125 for the Regional Tournament because the competition was so strong at the 119 pound class. I told Coach Clark and my parents that this is what I have worked for all season, and yes, it may be tough, but why give in without even competing? If that happens, it isn't worth it,” Yackey added. “It's like what happened to me at the conference tournament. Two of my toughest competitors both moved up to 125 pounds. One of my friends asked them why and their response was they had a better change of winning at 125 pounds than facing me. That initially made be feel good, but kind of disappointed at the same time because they wanted to take what they thought was the easier route to winning. I didn't want to do that at this level of competition. If you’re going to compete, it is best to compete at the best of your ability, not because an opponent is hurt or you think you aren't as good as they are.”

In true Paul Harvey-esque form, here is “the rest of the story”. In Brock’s championship match with LaPlante he earned a two-point takedown, but LaPlante earned a reversal to tie the contest. An escape by Brock gave the Avery grappler a 3-2 lead after one period. Brock surrendered an escape but earned a takedown to take a 5-3 lead, but a late reversal tied the match at 5-5.

With the match looking to be destined for overtime and just four seconds left in the match, Brock reversed LaPlante to win the regional title by a 7-5 match score, joining junior teammate CJ Vance as Avery representatives in Greensboro at this weekend’s NCHSAA state championships.

Yackey was elated after the match, embracing his coaches and family. After the event’s conclusion, I was able to ask Brock what satisfaction he took away from winning the tournament, and if he thought his actions might serve as a lesson for other athletes and parents others about sportsmanship.

“I just thought it was the right thing to do. I would have always wondered how I would have done again JJ LaPlante, as he is one of the very best, if not the best wrestler in the state at 119 pounds,” Brock said. “I don't want to paint a rosy picture and say it was easy. I had to work very hard in training and conditioning and maintaining my weight. I can't go out with the guys in the heavier weight classes after practice and just eat whatever I want. I have to eat smart, do my workouts, practice, run on weekends or days we don't have practice, and go to Mountaineer Wrestling each week. It is just a way of life. Wrestling is a very hard sport, but the friends I have made through teamwork and competition make it all worthwhile. Although it might be quicker and easier to take a different route to winning, the satisfaction you get by defeating the best is so worth it.”

An extraordinary gesture by an ordinary student-athlete. Perhaps there’s a Hollywood film plot in this true story after all.

NCHSAA High School Hoops Scores from Opening Round of Playoffs + Second Round Matchups

Below are opening round scores from Monday night's opening round of the state high school basketball playoffs.

BOYS BASKETBALL
Mitchell 71, Elkin 64
Brevard 62, Forbush 60
Nantahala 79, Swain County 44
Lake Norman 69, McDowell 63
Hayesville 77, Hiwassee Dam 73
Smoky Mountain 84, Bandys 48
Enka 80, West Henderson 67
Tuscola 65, South Point 62
North Buncombe 70, East Henderson 43
Hendersonville 81, Andrews 38
Avery County 65, West Wilkes 52
Polk County 62, Ashe County 48
Pisgah 67, Madison 52
Murphy 78, Cherokee 67
Mountain Heritage 71, Wilkes Central 49
Garinger 67, Reynolds 63
Hickory 75, Asheville 43

GIRLS BASKETBALL
North Buncombe 70, Tuscola 52
Wilkes Central 67, Brevard 64
South Caldwell 56, Roberson 26
McDowell 71, Mallard Creek 57
Alleghany 54, Hendersonville 44
Mountain Heritage 43, North Henderson 35
Erwin 68, West Henderson 34
Reynolds 69, West Mecklenburg 42
Hickory 68, Asheville 46
Mitchell 60, Swain County 22
Hiwassee Dam 50, Rosman 21
Pisgah 83, East Burke 73
Avery County 81, Elkin 53
Cherokee 43, Highlands 36
Franklin 78, Hunter Huss 71
Owen 75, Starmount 64
Murphy 82, Nantahala 13
Robbinsville 81, Hayesville 58


Below are Wednesday's second round matchups of interest:

BOYS
3-A
Burns (14-11) at Tuscola (13-14)
Hibriten (17-9) at North Buncombe (17-6)
Enka (18-9) at Freedom (17-10)
2-A
Smoky Mountain (21-4) at Mountain Heritage (19-2)
Polk County (9-15) at Newton-Conover (16-12)
Pisgah (21-4) at West Stokes (21-8)
Brevard (18-6) at West Caldwell (23-2)
1-A
Mitchell (12-13) at Murphy (22-5)
Avery County (11-11) at Nantahala (21-6)
Robbinsville (15-9) at Hendersonville (21-4)
Hayesville (20-6) at North Wilkes (21-5)

GIRLS
4-A
Watauga (10-11) at McDowell (25-1)
Reynolds (18-3) at South Caldwell (22-1)
3-A
R-S Central (17-8) at Franklin (23-5)
St. Stephens (14-9) at Erwin (19-6)
North Buncombe (18-7) at Freedom (22-4)
2-A
Pisgah (20-6) at Owen (15-12)
Mountain Heritage (9-11) at North Surry (19-6)
1-A
Alleghany (14-10) at Robbinsville (21-2)
Avery County (22-3) at Hiwassee Dam (20-5)
Murphy (18-10) at Mitchell (21-4)
Cherokee (19-6) at East Wilkes (16-9)

Lady 'Landers fall to Unaka

By: Matt Laws (matt.laws@averyjournal.com)

The Cloudland Lady ‘Landers came up short against the Unaka Lady Rangers on Monday afternoon in the Student Center at King College. Cloudland fell behind early, and was never able to fully recover. Kersti Birchfield scored all six points in the first quarter for CHS as they trailed 18-6 at the end of the first quarter. CHS responded at the start of the second quarter with a 8-o run to close the gap to six, but a 3-pointer at the buzzer put CHS down 27-18 at the end of the first half. The second half saw Cloudland unable to respond in the third quarter as they only put four points on the board despite a hard fought effort. In the final period, the Lady ‘Landers did not give up as after trailing 43-24 early in the fourth quarter they closed the game on a 15-2 run. However, it was not enough to overtake Unaka.

Birchfield and Summer Hughes add 12 points apiece, while Kristie Turbyfill had five points. The Lady ‘Landers will start the Region 1-A tournament on Friday night as they will travel to either Cosby or Hancock County.

For a more detailed recap, check NEXT Wednesday’s Avery Journal-Times. The Sports Blog will also have updates on the Regional contests in addition to the Cloudland’s boys in the District 1-A championship tomorrow.