Pigskin Prelude: High School Football Preview (Part Two)

The following is the second in a three-part series previewing Avery football opponents in 2010. Last week’s story profiled Western Highlands Conference foes Owen, Hendersonville, and Polk County. This week’s piece features conference rivals Mitchell, Madison, Mountain Heritage, and Thomas Jefferson. The third and final installment next will preview Robbinsville, Avery’s Week One opponent to open the 2010 high school football season.

With the turning of the calendar to August, it’s obvious around high schools in our region that the 2010 prep football season has arrived. The Avery Vikings look to build upon a 5-7 season in 2009, a three-win improvement from the previous season, and contend for the school’s first conference title since 2005.

The 2010 edition of the Western Highlands Conference appears to be as competitive as it has been in the past three to four seasons, with at least five schools having a viable opportunity to claim conference supremacy come November.

Before tangling with the competition in the WHC, Avery opens its 2010 season with four non-conference tilts, hosting Robbinsville on August 20^th and West Wilkes on August 27^th. The Vikings then hit the road, albeit not long distances, for a pair of games, at Watauga on September 3^rd and at Cloudland for the fourth renewal of The Avery Journal-Times Border Battle Classic on Friday, September 10^th.

The following is a preview of four Western Highlands Conference clubs that come from a myriad of positions in terms of conference viewpoint.

One school finished as the co-conference champions last season and rode a magical playoff run to the 2A state championship game. Another school earned its first-ever football win over the Vikings a season ago and look to build much-needed momentum in 2010 following a tumultuous several seasons. Yet another school has a proud sports tradition and has qualified for state playoff competition in recent seasons, but come off a disappoint 2010, its first season as a newly-realigned 1A school. The final school is in just its second year in the WHC and hopes to find its first-ever conference win in 2010.

MADISON PATRIOTS (2009 record: 2-5 in conference, 4-8 overall)
In 2009, the Madison Patriots finished with its best record since the 2006 campaign and earned a berth in the 2A state high school playoffs. The squad earned lopsided wins over Rosman and Thomas Jefferson, as well as a win over Hayesville. The team’s greatest victory in 2009, however, was undoubtedly its come-from-behind 33-27 win in Marshall over Avery, the school’s first win in the season series between the schools.

Head coach Mark Gosnell returns for a second season as head coach of the club, and returns eight starters on offense and seven on defense, including a strong offensive line and senior starting tailback Brandon Henderson, who ran for over 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2009.

“We look to be a much stronger team strength-wise. We hope to compete for a conference title,” the coach said during the off-season.

Quarterback Robbie Shelton will trigger the Patriot offense. He passed for 1,042 yards with 14 touchdowns a season ago. Fellow senior Ronnie Gosnell returns to the team in 2010. He registered 76 tackles a season ago to lead the club.

Senior Blake Moore will anchor the team’s linebacker crew and hold down the tight end position, with help from a pair of junior linemen in Lucas Garrett and Tyler Gonzalez.

To equal or exceed the team’s success in 2010, the team will need to grow up quickly in the defensive backfield, where the secondary is young and lacks varsity experience. Depth has been an issue in recent years in Marshall, so injuries could also derail the Patriots’ potential success in the fall.

Avery will look to avenge its loss to the Madison when it hosts the Patriots on October 22^nd.

MITCHELL MOUNTAINEERS (2009 record: 2-5 in conference, 4-8 overall)
In 2009 the Mountaineers earned its first trip to the state playoffs as a 1A member of the Western Highlands Conference, losing to conference foe Hendersonville in the first round.

Mitchell defeated neighbor McDowell early in the 2009 season and had a winning record of 3-2 following back-to-back victories over North Buncombe and Thomas Jefferson. From that point, the team scuffled, losing six of its final seven contests to close out the season.

The Mountaineers look in 2010 to build its first season above the .500 mark since a 7-5 record in the 2003 season.

Mitchell returns 14 lettermen from last year’s club, with six starters on offense and five starters on the defensive side of the football. On offense, the Mountaineers return strength and experience at the running back position in senior running back Shawn Jackson. Jackson ran for 1,007 yards with 12 touchdowns in 2009. Defensively Mitchell’s 4-4 defensive scheme will be anchored by senior linebacker Ben Smith, who recorded 119 tackles a season ago.

For the Mountaineers to taste a greater measure of success this season, they will have to overcome inexperience at both the quarterback position as well as on the offensive and defensive lines. Mitchell will miss the talent and leadership of graduated starting quarterback Logan Jensen from this year’s team, but the club possesses talent. How well the team matures in the early season may tell the tale regarding the team’s ultimate fortune in 2010.

Mitchell and Avery played perhaps the most exciting game in the Western Highlands Conference last November, a seesaw affair won in the closing seconds by Avery in a 42-38 Viking victory. Avery hosts Mitchell close out the regular season on November 5^th.

MOUNTAIN HERITAGE COUGARS (2009 record: 6-1 in conference, 13-3 overall)
The most inspirational story of the 2009 Western Highlands Conference football season was the success of the Mountain Heritage Cougars. Normally perennial doormats in the conference that battle with Madison to stay out of the conference cellar, everything clicked for the Cougars a season ago. Heritage, who won only 15 games from the year 2000 through 2007, had the second of back-to-back season of 11 wins or more and earned a conference championship. The team showed it could compete with any team in the state, with a playoff run that took the Burnsville team all the way to the 2A state championship game in Chapel Hill, where the team’s Cinderella run ended with a 28-3 loss to state champion Tarboro.

The team’s success was a storybook season in 2009, as the Cougars set school records for wins, most rushing yards as a team (6231), which also is a state record, as well as school records for individual yards rushing (3,054 by Casey Randolph), and tackles (171) by Austin Rice, which also set a state record.

Cougars head coach Joey Robinson and his staff also received accolades for their terrific 2009 season, being named 2A head coach and coaching staff of the year, respectively.

It will be a tough act for the 2010 edition of the Cougars to follow, and the squad has lost a number of players to graduation, including the aforementioned Randolph and starting quarterback Josh Laws, in addition to behemoth linemen Taylor Fender and Casey Peterson.

“All this success did not just happen,” Coach Robinson said of last season’s accomplishments. “It has been a process that has demanded sacrifices from everyone involved with this program. Be it the hard work of the players and coaches, or the support of the school and our great fans, our season was a labor of love.”

Fans should not feel sorry for Heritage this season, however, as the team still returns a number of skilled stars that should step in and keep the Cougars in the conference hunt.

Replacing Laws as signal caller will be Tyson Tomberlin, who had great success triggering the junior varsity Cougars and has experience running the offense.

Also returning is running back Matthew Kardulis, who ran for 90 yards in the Cougars’ victory over Avery last season and also picked off six interceptions as safety on the Heritage defense.

Tomberlin will have several returning targets to catch passes, including tight end Dalton Woody and wide receivers Eli Buckner and Drew Lettermen. Lettermen and Buckner have each impressed the Cougar faithful in preseason camp, and Lettermen caught over 300 yards in passes and six touchdowns in 2009

The stingy Cougars defense will again be led by linebacker Austin Rice, who will look to build upon his record-breaking performance of a year ago.

“Our team will be more athletic than we have been,” the coach said of this season’s club. “We have good team speed on the defensive side of the ball. We should be able to throw the ball better this season.”

Mountain Heritage defeated Avery 35-14 at MacDonald Stadium a season ago. The Vikings make the trip to E.H. Briggs Stadium in Burnsville on October 29^th.

THOMAS JEFFERSON GRYPHONS ((2009 record: 0-7 in conference, 0-11 overall)
The maiden voyage in the Western Highlands Conference was bumpy one for Coach Tony Helton and the Thomas Jefferson Gryphons in 2009. In its first season as a 1A member of the WHC, TJCA scored only 12 total points in its seven conference contests, giving up an average of 61 points per game.

The road doesn’t appear to be getting any easier for the Gryphons in 2010 as the team continues to build a tradition and simply become competitive in the sport. The team returns some experience from a season ago, including senior quarterback Will Beam, who passed for over 1,600 yards in 2009.

Defensively the Gryphons will continue to get guidance from senior defensive lineman Trent Newton. Senior teammate Aaron Conner averaged over 40 yards per punt a season ago, and will also see time at the wide receiver and defensive end positions.

Avery upended the Gryphons 51-0 last season in a game originally scheduled to be played in Avondale but had to be relocated to MacDonald Stadium. Avery will again host Thomas Jefferson this season, with a Western Highlands Conference tilt scheduled on October 1^st.

Read next week’s edition of “The Avery Journal-Times” for the first game preview of 2010, as Avery hosts the Black Knights from Robbinsville High School in the NCHSAA Endowment game next Friday, August 20^th at MacDonald Stadium.

Avery Football Kicks off Season with Fan Frenzy

Last Friday night the Avery County Quarterback Club hosted the first annual Avery Fan Frenzy at the outdoor amphitheater behind Avery Middle School in Newland. A crowd of over 100 fans, parents, players, cheerleaders, and coaches turned out for the event to usher in the beginning of the 2010 high school football season.

The evening’s festivities began with a cookout hosted by the Club, complete with hamburgers, hot dogs, fixins, and a variety of side items and desserts fit that would satisfy the most ravenous of appetites.

After dinner everyone gathered at the amphitheater as Cale Smith and John Phillips, President and Vice President of the ACQC, respectively welcomed attendees and served as masters of ceremonies for the event.

“The mission statement of the Avery County Quarterback Club is that we are an organization designed to help the county’s schools and community football programs. We wish to assist with needs that may arise within the programs at the high school and middle school level, and intend to offer help with youth football in Avery County,” Phillips said to the gathering. “We want to be able to help with needs with the varsity and junior varsity football and cheerleading teams, and are working to raise funds to provide that assistance in those areas.”

The Quarterback Club welcomed new Avery County Director of Athletics David Wright onto the stage, and he shared his excitement about working with the athletic departments in the county middle schools and high school.

“I want you to know that I have spent 15 years as a principal, but spent 12 years before that at Avery High School, and I coached during that time,” Wright told the crowd. “Every time I go to a game I know that is where my heart is. I knew that all along. I am thrilled to be part of the athletic program at Avery High School and the two middle schools. “This group of players from everything I’m hearing was totally dedicated to the summer program, and it was hard to get some of the previous seasons’ teams to do that. Getting the players on board, as well as the support of you parents has been critical.”

Wright’s son Dixon, former player at Avery High, attends and plays football at James Madison University. Wright shared a story he heard at this year’s JMU football banquet about Arthur Moats, a former James Madison football player who played multiple sports and juggled a work schedule in high school. Moats was able to attend and excel in college as a student-athlete, and has recently signed a lucrative contract to play football for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.

“I tell you players this story because I want to tell you it takes commitment, a tremendous amount of commitment, to be able to make your way to the top,” Wright said.

The athletic director also assured parents and fans that this year’s version of the Avery Vikings could achieve great things this football season.

“They’re ready and primed, and these coaches have done a tremendous job at getting these players prepared for the season. I’m coming in as the county athletic director at a great time in Avery sports,” Wright said. “Let’s do everything we can to support this team, and let’s do everything we can to fill that stadium every Friday night, home and away.”

Varsity and junior varsity football players introduced themselves to the group at the Frenzy, followed by the Avery cheerleaders with new head cheerleading coach Amy Fortune. The cheerleaders had recently returned from a camp at Appalachian State University in Boone, where the junior varsity team won the Most Improved award and the varsity team won a trophy for Best Cheer and second-place honors for Best Fight Song Cheer.

“We look forward to cheering at our first game against Robbinsville,” Coach Fortune said after team introductions. “We want to be doing a lot of push-ups this season after touchdowns from the football team.”

The Avery football coaching staff introduced themselves, concluded by Viking head coach Darrell Brewer who shared remarks about the work the team has accomplished over the summer and his expectations for a special 2010 campaign.

“I’m thrilled to be here and I’m very proud of how the summer went. In this day and time, you can’t roll in here on August 2^nd and expect to win championships because it’s not going to happen. I tell the seniors that it’s their football team and that they can be as good as they want to be, and for these players right now, I think that’s going to be pretty darn good,” the head coach stated.

“Players, you’ve worked your tails off and I’m proud of you. I also will say about the young kids that I’ve never seen the group of younger players come out and work out this summer as I have this past summer. To you parents of the younger players, my hat is off to you for bringing the kids to work out. You’re the ones who have to get them here. Mamas and Dads, thank you for running up and down the roads to allow them to be able to be here.”

After introductions, the Quarterback Club drew tickets for several free items, including discount cards, Avery football t-shirts, and Avery hats. The ACQC also had additional pieces of apparel available for sale, and announced that the group would be selling items at Avery football games with proceeds assisting Avery County football programs.

Quarterback Club President Cale Smith and the newly-elected members of the group’s Board of Directors were introduced near the conclusion of the event, and Smith invited all attendees to be part of the meetings of the ACQC, who meet each second and fourth Tuesday of the month at The Ugly Mugg Coffee and Creamery in Newland.

Smith also announced the next meeting of the Avery Boosters Club, and emphasized that need for parents and fans to also back the Boosters in addition to the Quarterback Club’s efforts.

“As the Quarterback Club, we need all the support we can get, and any parents or anyone else is invited. Our Boosters Club supports every sport there is, and they need our help as well. We want to work beside the Boosters and don’t want to hurt them in any way,” Smith stated.

As darkness fell and the evening’s events concluded, the attitude of those gathered were best echoed by Avery head coach Darrell Brewer as he concluded his remarks when addressing the meeting.

"I'm proud to be here. This is home and this is where my heart is, and we're gonna get after it this season."

Pigskin Prelude: High School Football Preview (Part One)

The following is the first in a three-part series previewing Avery football opponents in 2010. This week’s story profiles Western Highlands Conference foes Owen, Hendersonville, and Polk County. Next week’s piece will feature conference rivals Mitchell, Madison, Mountain Heritage, and Thomas Jefferson. The third and final installment will preview Robbinsville, Avery’s Week One opponent to open the 2010 high school football season.

With the turning of the calendar to August, it’s obvious around high schools in our region that the 2010 prep football season has arrived. The Avery Vikings look to build upon a 5-7 season in 2009, a three-win improvement from the previous season, and contend for the school’s first conference title since 2005.

The 2010 edition of the Western Highlands Conference appears to be as competitive as it has been in the past three to four seasons, with at least five schools having a viable opportunity to claim conference supremacy come November.

Before tangling with the competition in the WHC, Avery opens its 2010 season with four non-conference tilts, hosting Robbinsville on August 20^th and West Wilkes on August 27^th. The Vikings then hit the road, albeit not long distances, for a pair of games, at Watauga on September 3^rd and at Cloudland for the fourth renewal of The Avery Journal-Times Border Battle Classic on Friday, September 10^th.

Let’s take a moment and breakdown a trio of teams who have often found their way to the top of the Western Highlands Conference standings over the past four seasons.

OWEN WARHORSES (2009 record: 4-3 in conference, 6-6 overall)
The Owen Warhorses bounced back from its first losing season in eight years to finish with a .500 overall mark in 2009. Veteran head coach Kenny Ford is chomping at the bit for his group of Warhorses to again rise to its perch atop the conference that it held for so many seasons in the 90s and early portion of the last decade.

Owen will have to restock its arsenal quickly from a club which had a blend of youth and experience a season ago. Graduated from the club is former all-conference running back Andy Coleman, but the team returns a veteran starting quarterback in Kaleb Fowler, who bounced back from a broken collarbone in 2008 to run for almost 500 yards and threw for 900 yards in 2009.

“Our starting quarterback returns with an experienced backfield due to playing time,” the coach said during summer workouts. “We have a group of kids returning that did get a lot of playing time last season at a number of positions on offense and defense.”

The Warhorses return only 10 lettermen from last year’s club, and will return just three starters on offense and four on defense.

“A couple of strong JV seasons showed that these kids know how to win and that’s what is expected of them,” the coach added. “If everyone does their job and understands both sides of the ball, good things could happen to this team.”

Two-year starter Jay Banks will anchor the offensive lines for the club from Swannanoa, and the team will look to runners like Austin Davis (500 yards rushing in 2009) to step up early and take pressure off Fowler.

Avery defeated Owen 14-7 on a rainy Homecoming night in 2009. The Vikings will travel to Owen on September 24^th.

POLK COUNTY WOLVERINES (2009 record: 6-1 in conference, 10-3 overall)
Each season it seems that any conversation regarding the best teams in the Western Highlands Conference has to include Coach Bruce Ollis’s Polk County Wolverines.

Polk improved on a 7-win season in 2008 to earn a 10-win 2009 campaign and tie Mountain Heritage for top record in the WHC.

The cupboard in Columbus appears far from bare for the Wolverines in 2010, as the squad returns 21 lettermen this fall. Polk will have nine starters returning this season on both sides of the football, giving the squad the most starters returning to the field in the conference leading into the season.

Polk’s Hybrid I-formation offensive attack served it well in its first season as a 2A member of the Western Highlands Conference.

The Wolverines return Conference Offensive Player of the Year Andre Overholt at quarterback and defensive back. The 5’10”, 160-pound senior ran for over 1,000 yards last season and 15 touchdowns. Overholt threw for over 500 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2009, while snagging six interceptions on defense.

Senior linebacker J.J. Maxwell will again anchor the Wolverine defense. Maxwell was named 2A All-State by North Carolina Prep Football News and registered 154 tackles to lead the team last season.

The Wolverines have amassed 69 victories and three conference championships over the past seven seasons, and could very well add another ten-win season in 2010, as well as a deep run in the state playoffs.

If the Wolverines have any Achilles’ heel it may be depth. The club has multiple players who play both offense and defense, so health will be key. The team will also need to complement Overholt by having an additional running back emerge to take pressure off the signal-caller from time to time.

Polk County defeated Avery 46-20 at MacDonald Stadium last season and will host Avery on October 15^th.

HENDERSONVILLE BEARCATS (2009 record: 5-2 in conference, 11-3 overall)
The Hendersonville Bearcats answered its fourth round playoff push in 2008 with an 11-win season in 2009, falling to West Montgomery by a field goal in the third round of the state playoffs.

Hendersonville’s quest for a state title in 2009 was derailed when team leader and quarterback Ben Walgenbach suffered a season-ending injury.

If there was any silver lining to the loss of its best player, the Bearcats saw a number of other players step up to the plate and assume leadership positions that will even greater benefit the team in 2010.

Western Highlands Conference Special Teams Player of the Year Desmond Whiteside returns for his senior season. The speedster will likely play at various offensive positions, but may see extended time behind center triggering the Bearcat offensive attack. Whiteside ran for 12 touchdowns and over 1,000 a season ago, while returning three kickoffs for touchdowns and adding six interceptions on defense.

Anchoring the defense will be senior LeQuan Young, who was named 1A All-State by NC Prep Football News and was the 2009 Western Highlands Defensive Player of the Year. Young tallied over 100 tackles for the second straight season and amassed 14 sacks last year to lead the conference.

Hendersonville will be a team noted for its speed, as over a dozen players run the 40-yard dash in under five seconds. The Bearcats defeated Avery 40-7 at Dietz Field in Hendersonville in 2009. Avery will host Hendersonville on October 8^th.

Read next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times as we preview the four remaining teams in the Western Highlands Conference.

Musings and Ramblings: Avery Top Ten Games of 2009-10 (Part Two)

The 2009-10 school year was a remarkable one for athletics in Avery County. Records were set, champions were crowned, and heights were achieved that surpassed any in recent memory.

To select only ten games or performances from the 2009-10 sports calendar was a difficult task. There were quite a few noteworthy efforts that deserved mentioning, such as three high school state track qualifiers in Caroline Crenshaw, Mary Chesnut Smith, and Alex Villanueva or the regional wrestling championship won by Avery wrestler Brock Yackey. The Avery Lady Vikings volleyball squad earned another state playoff berth, while the Lady Viking JV basketball squad claimed yet another conference championship. Avery’s Morgan Stout and Lauren Avery qualified for regional tennis competition, while senior teammate Anna Melton advanced to the state singles tennis tournament. C.J. Vance joined Yackey as state wrestling tournament qualifiers.

From the inaugural season of the Avery women’s golf program and the regional qualifying efforts of golfers Catalina Lehmann and Arden Stanley to middle school girls tournament championships by the Avery Lady Panthers in basketball and volleyball, it was a banner year for sports.

With the dawn of the 2010-11 sports seasons approaching, the AJ-T sports department wanted to look back at ten memorable contests that shaped the year in sports. Last week we highlighted five of the games that were chosen as tops for the school year. This week concludes the list with the final five…er, six games that shaped the year in prep sports.

Cardiac Vikes Strike Again: Avery Rallies for Win in Black Mountain over Warhorses (Boys Basketball)
Second half comebacks became the hallmark for the Avery varsity boys basketball team in ’09-’10. No game better showcased the theme than a 67-63 win in February over Owen.

Dustin Clarke scored 23 of Avery’s first 24 points as the Warhorses led 24-14 after one quarter and held a 39-30 halftime lead.

The Viking defense came out strong to start the second half and gained its first lead at 45-44 midway through the third quarter. An Owen run built its lead to 55-45 in the first minute of the fourth quarter all but buried the Avery squad’s hopes for victory.

Avery rose off the deck to score a dozen straight points to retake the lead by two late in the game. A pair of key free throws in the closing minute from Kody Hughes helped the Big Red take the win.

Clarke scored a whopping 36 points, along with 12 rebounds, 8 steals, and 5 assists to cement his place among the best players in the Western Highlands Conference.

Back-To-Back Playoff Thrillers: Lauren Avery Jumper Eliminates Hiwassee Dam, Wiseman Put Back Beats Knights in OT (Girls Basketball)
After a sterling regular season that included a top-ten ranking in 1A polls, the Avery Lady Viking varsity girls basketball team played the two most thrilling game of the 2009-10 school year, winning a 60-58 nail-biter at Hiwassee Dam, then two days later scored at the buzzer in overtime to earn a 68-67 win at Robbinsville and advance to the school’s second regional appearance in three seasons.

Avery led by as many as 16 points in the second half of its game with the Lady Eagles of Hiwassee Dam, only to see the Lady Eagles rally to lead by a pair with just over two minutes to play.

With possession and planning to take the last shot, Hiwassee Dam tried to inbound the basketball, but senior guard 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 win.

The basket capped an impressive overall evening as Lauren scored 22 points to go with 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 6 steals.

As if the Hiwassee thriller wasn’t enough, Avery played perhaps its most complete game two days later on the road again, this time at Robbinsville.

The Lady Vikings rallied from an early 7-0 deficit to tie the game after a period, but trailed by a pair at 34-32 at intermission.

Despite a difficult night at the free throw line, Avery rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit to tie the game at 61 and send the game to overtime.

With its season on the brink and Avery down a point, the Lady Vikings rose to the occasion for the second time in as many games when Sara Wiseman rebounded a Lauren Avery jump shot in the closing seconds and made a game-winning layup with 0.4 seconds left to play to pull out the victory and sectional championship.

Feels like the First Time: Lady Vikings Kicks Hendersonville for First-Ever Win in Series (Girls Soccer)

A mid-March home match between Avery and Hendersonville signaled a changing-of-the-guard in Western Highlands Conference girls soccer. A goal with 20 seconds in the match from Emily Banner unlocked a 1-1 tie to give the Big Red a 2-1 victory over the Lady Bearcats.

Hendersonville scored the first and its only goal of the match in the game’s seventh minute, but Avery equalized with a goal in the final minute of the first half by senior Elyse Perry to knot the match at halftime.

For Avery it was the first win against Hendersonville since the squad joined the Western Highlands Conference in 2005. The Lady Vikings went on to move up the 1A polls to the top spot a couple of weeks later. In an historic season, Avery went on to capture the Western Highlands Conference championship, sectional and regional titles, and finished as state runner-up in 1A girls soccer by season’s end.

Extra Inning Drama: Vance Joins Home Run Derby to Send Vikings to Third Round of Playoffs (Baseball)

Late in the 2010 season, the Avery baseball team seemed to bring everything together, riding a streak of hot hitting and strong defense and pitching into the 1A state playoffs. Avery opened the postseason with a home win over Swain County, then traveled to Hiwassee Dam to take on the Eagles from the Little Smoky Mountain Conference.

Avery used the long ball to take an early advantage. Steven Daniels belted a three-run home run to put Avery on the board, followed by a Joe Buchanan grand slam to lead 7-0 after the top of the first inning. Hiwassee Dam answered with two runs on a home run to cut the lead to 7-2 after one inning.

In the second, Avery had a two-out, three-run home run by Jared Clark, as well as a three-run home run to dead center field from Luke Pittman. The Big Red tallied a single run to build its largest lead of the game at 14-2.

Hiwassee Dam refused to die in its home park and was determined to go down swinging. From the third inning on, the Eagles scored 12 unanswered runs, eventually tying the contest at 14-14 on an infield hit in the bottom of the seventh frame.

Avery senior relief pitcher Steven Daniels worked out of trouble to record a strikeout and leave Hiwassee’s winning run stranded at third base and send the game to extra innings.

In the top of the eighth, senior Jared Clark worked a walk, which was followed by a towering home run to right field, his first home run of the year that proved to be the game-winning hit.

The victory proved to be the final win of the 2010 campaign for the Vikings and also the final win as Avery skipper for Benny Wellborn, who resigned as head coach at the end of the school year for family reasons. Championship

Kickin’ it in Raleigh: Lady Vikings Play for Program’s First State Championship (Girls Soccer)

An odyssey of a soccer season brought smiles to the faces of countless Lady Vikings fans as the Avery girls team made a magical run all the way to the 1A girls state soccer championship contest against Southwest Onslow High School. The match marked just the second time that an Avery High School team played in a state championship contest, equaling the feat of the 1992 Avery wrestling team’s dual team state finals appearance against Dixon High School.

The soccer match pitted the top two ranked squads in the state, and the game lived to its billing through the first half as the teams played to a scoreless tie through scorching temperatures at Dail Soccer Stadium on the campus of N.C. State University in Raleigh.

Southwest Onslow drew first blood with a pair of goals within two minutes of one another for a commanding 2-0 advantage that proved to be the final margin.

Despite a thin bench and injuries both prior to and during the match itself, the Lady Vikings battled with pride and determination throughout the 80 minutes of action.

The 2010 Lady Vikings set school records with its 20 wins during the season, 96 goals scored, and 10 goals scored against.

Avery head coach Tom Evaul was named 1A State Coach of the Year, while seven players were placed on the All-Western Highlands Conference team, junior Mercedes Bentley was named Conference Goalkeeper of the Year, and junior Mary Chesnut Smith earned Conference Player of the Year honors.

Best of luck to Avery’s student-athletes for even greater achievements in the 2010-11 sports seasons!

Knights Open Southern American Football League Schedule

The Carolina Golden Knights semi-pro football team opened season play in the Southern American Football League with a home game Saturday night in Cranberry against the Carolina Crusaders.

The Crusaders, a second-year club like the Knights, made the trip from Monroe to the High Country for the season opener on an unseasonably cool and overcast evening. Early turnovers proved fatal to the Knights’ chance for victory as the Crusaders shut out the home team by a 42-0 final score.

Fortunes turned sour for the Golden Knights on its opening series as the offense fumbled the football on its second play from scrimmage. The Crusaders recovered the ball at the Knights 40 yard line and wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. A scoring drive culminated in a three-yard fullback dive for a touchdown. A successful two-point conversion gave the visitors an early 8-0 lead with 9:37 to play in the opening period.

On its ensuing series, the turnover bug bit the Knights again, as a hit forced another fumble which the Crusaders recovered deep in Golden Knight territory. A touchdown pass of seven yards gave the Crusaders a 14-0 lead.

On its third offensive series a third down pass from the Knights was intercepted by the Crusaders and returned to the Golden Knights 40-yard line. Before long the Crusaders had pulled away with its third score of the quarter, a 22-yard touchdown pass. A successful two-point conversion increased the Knights deficit to 22-0 after one quarter.

The Knights settled down and maintained possession of the football on its offensive drives in the second quarter, but was unable to advance the pigskin downfield. The team was forced into a pair of three-and-outs, while the Crusaders put together a sizable 59-yard scoring drive and a 67-yard scoring drive before halftime to open up a commanding 36-0 halftime advantage.

In the second half the Knights defense showed great pride. Playing with just 16 players total, the Knights dug deep to hold their ground, as they held the Crusaders to only six points for the final two stanzas. The Knights offense also began moving the football effectively. Early in the fourth quarter the Knights marched the football inside the Crusaders 20-yard line, but a field goal attempt sailed just wide of the right upright to quell the Knights’ best scoring opportunity for the night.

“The Crusaders were a very athletic team tonight, and we were out here playing for fun. We have a lot of guys who have a hard time making practices because of family and job obligations, but we’re continuing to work on getting better,” Knights head coach Mark Beach said after the game. “If we’re able to get together and practice together, it will make a big difference. We played much better in the second half and our offensive line is coming together, but we have to get better at being able to play more than just three or four series on offense which starts with practicing more and playing a little less backyard football.”

In addition to playing for the love of the game, the Knights are also working to help local people in the community who are in need. The team is working on putting together a football fund raiser with charity walk, and is also making plans for a charity motorcycle ride and cookout to benefit local children and groups. The team has also donated items to help local school groups raise funds for worthwhile projects.

“We’re glad to help people out in the community. We’ve donated a couple of motorcycle helmets and about $400 worth of items to Newland Elementary School to help them with an auction to help their fifth graders raise money for a trip to Washington, D.C.,” Coach Beach stated. “We’ve had some things given to us to help sell and make money for our team, but we wanted to help others out as well that we see are in financial need or have other needs.”

The Golden Knights are back in action this Saturday at 7 p.m. at historic Cranberry High School field

Wellborn Steps Down as Avery Baseball Coach

Avery High School varsity baseball head coach Benny Wellborn resigned following the end of the 2009-10 school year. A successor has not been named by the school.

Wellborn spent seven seasons in all with the Avery baseball program, the first two as an assistant coach under former head coach Zack Wigstrom, and five seasons as the Vikings head coach. The coach will be moving from the high school to teach at Banner Elk and Riverside schools next school year

Wellborn cited the desire to spend more time with his family as the reason for his decision to step away from the position.

“For seven years I put baseball in front of family for six or seven months out of the year. With the new addition to our family, it helped me to realize that there comes a point in time where you have to put your family first, and I made that decision to do so,” Coach Wellborn said in an interview from his home last week.

The coach began seriously considering the option during last regular season when the team had some down time during the school’s week off for spring break.

“What got the ball rolling was a trip our family took up to Grandfather Mountain for a day. My son said to me “Dad, I really like having you around,” and that opened my eyes a little bit as to what was going on. The week after the season I had to stay home to keep the kids for a day alone for a day, and during that time I finally had the first real chance to spend time with my baby daughter and really bond with her for the first time since she had been born,” Coach Wellborn stated. “That time helped me to put things in perspective. My son will be turning five years old soon and he’ll be starting to play different sports, and I want to be the one who takes him to practice and games and that sort of thing.”

Wellborn admitted that he may miss some of the coaching aspects but that the benefit of family time exceeds the time would spend on the diamond.

“I will miss developing the relationships with kids through the game. As crazy as the kids might think I am sometimes, you hope that along the way you can touch the life of a kid through your coaching experience,” Wellborn added. “I’ll also miss the relationships I shared with the fellow coaches. As a group we developed a close-knit bond and have been able to confide in them. I’m a competitor, so of course I’ll miss the preparing and game planning for a game with them, but that will always be with me. I felt like I surrounded myself with good people and formed close bonds with those guys as we went through the day-to-day grind together.”

Winning in high school athletics at a consistent level takes enormous time and dedication, something the coach had exerted for a number of seasons. According to the coach, the point came that he could no longer give that amount of dedication at the expense of those closest to him.

“I always said that family comes first, even though for a few years I didn’t quite put them first, especially during the season,” Wellborn said. “I felt that I had to give the baseball program 100 percent to be successful, which took months of work, so I felt torn between two places and felt that I was no longer able to give that amount of dedication to the program, which wasn’t fair to the kids or the school.”

Coach Wellborn, who led the Vikings to multiple playoff berths that included a run to the state quarterfinals in 2007, leaves with a standing among the most successful baseball coaches in school history.

“Hopefully people will see a person who put everything they had into the baseball program while he was there. I demanded a lot from my players, but at the same time I demanded a lot from myself,” Coach Wellborn said. “I was never satisfied with mediocrity and wanted our school and our program to be represented in a classy manner. I wanted our to be a program that worked hard and didn’t care about getting their hands dirty and just believed that hard work pays off. All things were possible because of the players, the coaches, and the support of the parents and families as well as the school.”

Coach Wellborn expressed deep appreciation to those people who were seen every day during his tenure working as coach, as well as those folks who worked behind the scenes to help the team succeed.

“We had success as a program because of a lot of people that I appreciate who have been such a help. I first and foremost appreciate my wife who put up with me being away for so long. I appreciate Jay Smith who has really been a crutch to lean on and has been awesome, in addition to all my coaches. I appreciate folks like Dwayne Krege, who was always willing to help me with getting the fields ready and playable and everyone who was instrumental worked alongside me day in and day out,” the coach stated.

Wellborn hopes that the next head coach will remain steadfast to continuing to build up the program and build on successes the team has experienced.

“Of course I wish the best of luck to the next coach, and I hope they take what we tried to do the last few years and build on it to be even more successful and have people take pride in it,” Wellborn said. “I hope a person who comes in will look at baseball first and won’t have interest in coaching a lot of different sports because it’s hard to do one sport, much less two or three. To have a successful program you need to have someone willing to commit to giving 100 percent to the program not only during the season but in the summer and off-season as well.”

Musings and Ramblings: Avery Top Games of 2010 (Part One)

The 2009-10 school year was a remarkable one for athletics in Avery County. Records were set, champions were crowned, and heights were achieved that surpassed any in recent memory.
To select only ten games or performances from the 2009-10 sports calendar was a difficult task.

There were quite a few noteworthy efforts that deserved mentioning, such as three high school state track qualifiers in Caroline Crenshaw, Mary Chesnut Smith, and Alex Villanueva or the regional wrestling championship won by Avery wrestler Brock Yackey. The Avery Lady Vikings volleyball squad earned another state playoff berth, while the Lady Viking JV basketball squad claimed yet another conference championship. Avery’s Morgan Stout and Lauren Avery qualified for regional tennis competition, while senior teammate Anna Melton advanced to the state singles tennis tournament. C.J. Vance joined Yackey as state wrestling tournament qualifiers.

From the inaugural season of the Avery women’s golf program and the regional qualifying efforts of golfers Catalina Lehmann and Arden Stanley to middle school girls tournament championships by the Avery Lady Panthers in basketball and volleyball, it was a banner year for sports.

With the dawn of the 2010-11 sports seasons approaching, the AJ-T sports department wanted to look back at ten memorable contests that shaped the year in sports. The game selections are listed in chronological order, starting last August and advancing through the end of the recent school year. This week’s piece highlights the first five games to remember, with five (technically six) games revealed in next week’s edition.

Breakthrough: Avery Blanks Second-Ranked Hendersonville 3-0 for First Win in Series (Boys Soccer)
The Avery boys soccer team experienced perhaps its best season ever in 2009. The team won 13 contests in all and qualified for the state playoffs for the first time in several seasons.

A highlight of the year came in early October when the state’s second-ranked 1A team the Hendersonville Bearcats come calling at MacDonald Stadium. On a wet and dreary evening, the Vikings struck in the first minute on a goal from Zack Strange and an early lead.

Kyle Griewisch scored in the 60th and 67th minutes to boost the lead to 3-0. Avery played one of its strongest defensive matches all season without the services of strong defensive stopper Daniel Huff. Conference Keeper of the Year Morgan Bounds kept a clean sheet as Avery used the win as a springboard to a strong finish and successful season.

Foggy Mountain Homecoming: Vikings Upend Owen 14-7 on Rainy Homecoming Night (Football)
Riding a 148-yard rushing performance and an interception by junior Colton Blackburn, Avery held off the Owen Warhorses in a deluge on Homecoming night at MacDonald Stadium.

Owen struck first with a touchdown to cap a long drive for the 7-0 advantage. Avery knotted the game with just under six minutes left in the half on a one-yard quarterback sneak by Alex Villanueva.

After Hunter Gossett and Hayden Blackburn were named Homecoming King and Queen, respectively at halftime, the Vikings seized control of the game with a drive that elapsed nearly nine minutes off the clock and culminated in a four-yard Villanueva touchdown run for a 14-7 lead.

As the fourth quarter began, the rain lightened and a heavy fog beset MacDonald Stadium. It was impossible to see players from the stands or press box, adding another element to an already unique evening.

Owen’s last serious threat to score was quelled by a Blackburn interception which helped seal the Avery win.

Spoiled Senior Night: Last-Minute Touchdown Lifts Vikings to 42-38 Shootout Win (Football)
In another classic contest for the storied history of the Avery/Mitchell football series, the 2009 edition was a night to remember.

Avery led much of the game in the regular season finale, only see a Mountaineer rally leave the Big Red down three points in the final two minutes.

Avery regrouped, orchestrated a game-winning two minute drive culminating in a 22-yard touchdown strike from Alex Villanueva to Andy Gonzalez to take the come-from-behind triumph.

Villanueva converted a daring quarterback sneak on fourth down from the Mitchell 25 yard line to keep the drive alive to set the stage for the theatrics to come.

“I told the kids how proud I was of them. They fought hard all year, and I told them that when you keep battling good things will happen,” Avery head coach Darrell Brewer told the players after their fifth and likely sweetest win of the 2009 campaign.

Coming Out Party: Clarke Torches Mountaineers for 30 in Basketball Road Triumph (Boys Basketball)
The Avery boys varsity basketball team trailed the Mitchell Mountaineers after each of the first three quarters in Ledger in a mid-January matchup between the rivals. In the final eight minutes, Viking junior and eventual Conference Player of the Year Dustin Clarke heated up after battling a box-and-one defense throughout the night. Clarke tallied only 13 points through three quarters, but lit the nets for 17 in the fourth quarter on 4 of 5 shooting and a perfect 8 of 8 from the free throw line.

Clarke finished the night with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists in the 69-66 win, while teammates Joey Potter scored 12 points and Dylan Eppley emerged as an inside presence with 8 points and 11 rebounds.

Lyons Reaches Milestone: Avery Pummels Polk to Give Coach 100th Career Win (Girls Basketball)
The past several seasons have been halcyon times of success for the Avery Lady Vikings girls basketball program. Perhaps no sign greater pointed out the fact than the team’s 60-42 at Polk County in early January 2010.

Avery led by only seven points at halftime, but turned on the defensive pressure and the offensive afterburners to lead by 16 points after three quarters en route to the record victory.

“We’ve worked really hard at building this program up. The first few years were a little rocky and we didn’t get a lot of victories, but it took a little while to get to where we are. It was really special to get the win tonight, especially here at Polk where we haven’t always had a lot of luck,” Coach Lyons remarked after reaching the milestone victory mark.

Avery swept Polk in the season series and went on to another historic postseason basketball performance… which I have a feeling might be part of the remaining games in the conclusion of our “Best of” feature in next week’s edition.

Sickler Plays Soccer Overseas in Gothia Cup

Avery High School student and soccer player Forrest Sickler has spent the past several weeks in Sweden playing for the U.S. youth soccer team in the Gothia Cup. The Gothia Cup is a youth association soccer tournament held annually in Gothenburg, Sweden, open for both boys and girls of ages 11 to 19 years. With respect to the number of participants, it is the world's largest soccer tournament. The Cup was started in 1975 with 275 participating teams.

In 2009, the tournament witnessed 1,547 participating teams and 35,200 players representing 71 different countries. Since the tournament’s inception, 133 nations have sent teams to the event. The Gothia Cup involves over 4,500 matches played on at least 110 soccer fields. And annually brings over 295,000 visitors to the town of Gothenburg.

Sickler played as a member of the USA Revolution U-18 squad organized by 365 Sports in Durham, NC. The team lost a close 2-1 match to a team from Laos to begin tournament play and fell to a strong team from nearby Norway. Sickler was the lone player from North Carolina, with teammates from states as far away as California, New York, and Ohio, in addition to players from Virginia and South Carolina.

Forrest’s team was one of 93 U-18 teams in this year’s tournament. Similar to the World Cup, teams play three group games with the top two teams advancing into a knockout round.

“The opening ceremonies were very impressive and inspiriting. There were 70,000 people in attendance as a great stage show and fireworks highlighted the presentation of teams from all over the world,” Forrest’s father Skip stated regarding witnessing the tournament firsthand. “Lots of chanting and cheers radiated from the stadium. A strong theme of friendship and interconnectedness was present, as well as a celebration of different cultures.”

Avery County Quarterback Club Promoting Football at All Levels

From a young age, numerous kids in the Avery County area dream of one day playing football in the National Football League, college, or the high school level. One organization, the Avery County Quarterback Club, has been formed locally by concerned citizens and parents who want to make a difference in the lives of kids regardless of age who are excited about, wish to play, or are already playing the game at the local level.

“We’re not associated with the high school in any way. We’re just trying to raise funds while promoting football and helping kids play football in all of Avery County,” Club President Cale Smith said at the group’s meeting last week. “We are committed to helping the littler kids any way we can, as well as working with the middle schools and high school groups as well.”

Avery County Quarterback Club is laying the foundation to raise funds for various needs of football teams in the county. The group wants to help teams with needs ranging to t-shirts for players to assisting with purchasing football equipment and even the provision of meals for the high school football teams on game days. The group is also assisting the Avery High football teams with the sale of discount cards, a reusable card offering discounts at 17 High Country area restaurants and businesses. The cards cost only $20 and are available from players and parents, as well as at the front desk area at The Avery Journal-Times newspaper.

The Quarterback Club will be on hand at Avery football events and will have a plethora of items available for parents and die-hard fans to purchase to show their school spirit and support the sport in the county.

“We’ve been able to help out our local teams some already this summer. We’ve purchased shirts for the high school players who have went to camps earlier in the summer and we’ve raised money by doing a couple of road blocks, by selling doughnuts, and helping with the discount cards that are sold each year,” Smith stated.

The A.C.Q.C. is open for anyone to attend and join, as the group hopes to expand with additional parents and individuals who care about the game of football, as well as about making the game as safe, fun, and worthwhile to kids playing the sport locally as possible.

“Any funds that will be raised by the club will be used toward the kids,” Smith added. “We are a non-profit organization that meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, and we will be raising funds for the fall football teams as well as cheerleading during that season. We have a small group, and we want to get all the parents involved that we possibly can.”

The Avery County Quarterback Club is selling Avery apparel, such as hats, t-shirts, and sweatshirts, and is also helping with sponsorship of “Avery Fanfest”, a pigskin prelude cookout and program that will be held on the high school baseball field on Friday, August 6^th beginning at 7:30 p.m. to officially serve as a springboard to kickoff the coming season.

Avery County Quarterback Club meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the Ugly Mugg Coffee and Creamery in Newland. Anyone with an interest in football and in helping to give young people the resources to play the game is welcome to attend. For more information on the club, please email club president Cale Smith at gstrees@att.net.

50,000 Visitors and Counting!

The Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog, the online sports compliment to our weekly print edition, had its 50,000^th visitor this past weekend.

If you're a return visitor to our site, welcome back! If this is your first visit to the Blog, thank you for taking a moment to drop by and check out the site.

Since October 2007 the AJ-T Sports Blog has reported on-site from numerous live high school and college sports events, including the FCS Football National Championship, NCHSAA 1A girls state soccer championships, state high school basketball and football championships (NC and TN), college and minor league baseball games, and the Meineke Car Care Bowl, just to name a few. We continue to strive to provide the best online sports news of Avery County and the surrounding area to both a local and worldwide audience.

THANK YOU to all the readers of our online sports resource. We greatly appreciate the positive feedback we have received about the site and we will continue to be here to report local sports stories and breaking sports news like nobody else.

You can follow Avery Journal-Times Sports on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/the_shelldog, or check out our Facebook page by logging on and searching “Avery Journal Times Sports”!

ASU Favored to Win SoCon Again

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Appalachian State University is a near unanimous choice of the Southern Conference’s coaches to win the 2010 SoCon football championship, the conference announced on Monday.

Appalachian received first-place votes from 7-of-9 SoCon coaches in the conference’s preseason poll. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own teams, meaning that only one of eight possible votes was cast for a team other than ASU.

The Mountaineers are in search of their sixth-straight SoCon title, which would match the conference record for consecutive championships set by Georgia Southern from 1997-2002. The Apps return 20 starters (nine on offense, seven on defense and four specialists) from last year’s squad that went 11-3 overall, including a second-straight perfect 8-0 SoCon record, and finished ranked No. 3 in the major national polls.

Appalachian also had a league-high 13 representatives on the SoCon’s preseason all-conference squads, nearly twice as many as Samford, which landed the second-most players on the squad with seven.

Ten of ASU’s 13 preseason all-conference honorees are first-team selections, led by Walter Payton Award candidate Devon Moore (Mebane, N.C./Cedar Ridge) at running back and its trio of Buck Buchanan Award candidates on defense: end Jabari Fletcher (Atlanta, Ga./Grady), linebacker D.J. Smith (Charlotte, N.C./Independence) and defensive back Mark LeGree (Columbus, Ga./Pacelli Catholic).

Joining Moore, Fletcher, LeGree and Smith on the first team are offensive linemen Brett Irvin (Gaffney, S.C./Gaffney) and Pat Mills (Charlotte, N.C./Providence), tight end Ben Jorden (Weddington, N.C./Charlotte Latin), wide receiver Brian Quick (Columbia, S.C./Ridge View), defensive end Lanston Tanyi (Shelby, N.C./Shelby) and place kicker Jason Vitaris (Seneca, S.C./Seneca). ASU’s second-team selections include offensive linemen Daniel Kilgore (Kingsport, Tenn./Dobyns-Bennett) and Matt Ruff (Charlotte, N.C./Providence) and defensive back Ed Gainey (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mt. Tabor).

Appalachian officially begins preparations for the 2010 campaign on Friday, Aug. 6 when it opens fall practices. The season opener is Sept. 4 at SoCon-rival Chattanooga. The opener will be televised regionally on SportSouth and kicks off at 3 p.m.

Duncan Named New Head Wrestling Coach at Mitchell High School

As it turns out, Mitchell High School hired from within to fill its head wrestling coach vacancy.

Mitchell athletic director Ed Duncan will be working closely with the man who has been named new Mountaineer head wrestling coach: Ed Duncan.

Duncan has been hired to replace James Owings, who resigned in May after 13 seasons.

Duncan, standout wrestler as a student with the Mountaineers, has previously been the coach at Hickory (from 1993 to 2004) and athletic director at Avery High School (2004-05) before returning to Ledger. Duncan has worked with three state champions and 25 state tournament qualifiers in his coaching career. Duncan had been the coach at Mitchell Middle for the past three years.

Mitchell has also hired two coaches for its cross country teams – Matt Hollifield (boys) and Misty Farmer Self (girls).

Little League Softball Falls Short in Bid for District Championship

The Avery 11 and 12 year old Little League Softball All-Star squad had to endure a Tuesday rainout in Wilkesboro and made a second trip to Memorial Park on a warm Wednesday afternoon last week to compete for the District 7 championship against Wilkes County.

Avery’s lone loss of the tournament came at the hands of Wilkes, and the ladies from the High Country fought valiantly to the final out in the rematch, but the team could not avenge its defeat as Wilkes defeated Avery 19-0 in four innings.

Avery threatened in the first inning as Kaitlyn Arbogast walked and reached second base, but the offense was unable to bring the first baseman home before the close of the frame.

Wilkes County scored a pair of runs off two hits in the bottom of the inning to lead 2-0 at the close of the first frame.

Much as was the case in the first meeting between the teams, the second inning was the point where the Wilkes squad seized the upper hand in the matchup. Avery was retired in order in the top of the inning, while Wilkes struck for ten runs that effectively put the game out of reach.

Avery could only muster one base runner via walk in both the third and fourth inning, but the Wilkes starter was dominant inside the circle, allowing no Avery hits, recording each out of the contest by strikeout, and walking three batters.

Wilkes added seven runs in the third inning to provide for the final margin of victory as the game was called due to the ten-run mercy rule.

As runners-up, each Avery player was recognized by the district after the contest and received a pin. Even though the team fell short of its goal to advance into state tournament play, the team showed great heart and talent in winning a pair of tournament contests and representing Avery with great pride.

“I thought the girls played hard as they have all series. The score is not a representation of the effort the team gave. We faced their ace pitcher today and she threw well. We made a few errors that hurt us, and it’s hard to pick yourself up at that age after making a couple of mistakes in a row,” Coach Craig Reiger said after the game. “Regardless, the girls lived up to the Little League pledge and gave their all until the end of the game.”

The team has achieved measures of success since the inception of Little League Softball in Avery County six years ago. However, the coach feels that there is more progress which is necessary to reach the level of play indicative of top-tier squads within District 7.

“Avery County needs to play more than Little League ball. For softball to be competitive in Little League, middle school, and high school, the girls need to play travel ball and weekend ball. If the teams just want to play ball during the season, the team will remain at a similar level for the next twenty years,” Coach Reiger stated. “It takes the involvement and long-term investment of coaches and parents to achieve a greater measure of success.”

Congratulations to the Avery 11 and 12 year old girls softball All-Stars on their second appearance in the District Seven championship!

Burleson Basketball Camp Teaches Hoops and Life Lessons

Each July, legendary basketball star and Avery County native Tommy Burleson, in conjunction with the Avery Parks and Recreation Department, hosts the annual Tommy Burleson Youth Basketball Camp. Boys and girls ranging from grades 3-12 spend five days at the camp learning fundamental skills such as dribbling, passing, shooting, and defense, but also acquire a wealth of knowledge from the former N.C. State University, U.S. Olympic basketball, and NBA standout.

This year the group of over 50 campers received an official camp t-shirt. Throughout the history of the camp, Burleson, as well as his special guests and camp counselors, teach campers moral truth in addition to basketball principles.

“It’s important to set an example as a role model, and we try to teach kids to be consistent in doing that,” Burleson has said regarding the camp. “We hope that with the kids who come back each year, we can teach them basketball fundamentals as well as the importance of being a positive role model and person of Christian character.”

Campers were treated to a special event at this past Friday morning’s camp session when Burleson’s former North Carolina State teammate David Thompson made his annual visit to the camp. Thompson, known as “Skywalker” during his Hall of Fame collegiate and professional basketball career, spent time speaking to the attentive group of campers, sharing with them his professional and specifically his personal highs and lows in his life from being a top professional draft pick and highly paid athlete to his past difficulties and eventual conquest over substance abuse. Thompson shared his Christian witness of how his morals guide his life today.

Thompson and Burleson formed one of the most devastating duos on the basketball court in collegiate history, culminating with an NCAA men’s basketball championship in 1974.

For the past two decades the pair team up again at the camp out of their love for the game of basketball and desire to share their talents, gifts, and experiences to help youngsters grow into productive players and citizens.

“We’re planting seeds with these kids, and it’s special to see those seeds grow over three or four years and play high school and college football or basketball,” Thompson remarked. “Not every boy and girl will grow to become a college or professional player at a high level, but here at camps like these we can impact those boys and girls to make good choices throughout their lives.”

This year’s camp featured a talented group of kids who was passionate about the game of basketball and was thrilled to learn from hoops legends. Campers learned fundamentals regarding defense, dribbling, passing, footwork, and shooting, just to name a few, and the group was impressive with their skills and ability to learn concepts throughout the camp.

“I was tickled with the players. A lot of them are skilled, and you can see that they have had parents or teachers or coaches working with them,” Burleson noted. “A number of kids have good jump shots and good jump-stop moves and play good hard defense. You can see that they enjoy the game.”

Gonzalez Garners Pre-Season Accolade

Avery Vikings wide receiver Andy Gonzalez has been named a preseason all-state selection.

Gonzalez, a rising senior, has been named to the Class 1A All-State preseason team by North Carolina Prep Football News. Gonzalez, who also plays defensive back, was an All-Western Highlands Conference selection last fall. He caught 39 passes for 746 yards and he scored seven touchdowns, including four 100-yard or more receiving games last season.

Gonzalez and rising junior quarterback Alex Villanueva were a potent combination in 2009. After finishing 2008 with a 2-10 mark, the duo helped the Big Red to a five-win season in 2009. Villanueva completed 130 passes for 1,865 yards and he threw 18 touchdown passes. The Vikings return 16 lettermen from a season ago and open the 2010 regular season campaign at home against Robbinsville on August 20.

A number of Western Highlands Conference and Western North Carolina football players join Gonzalez as members of preseason All-State squads. Others named to teams include the following:

Class 1A: Jeremiah Holder (offensive lineman-Robbinsville); LeQuon Young (defensive lineman-Hendersonville); Tyler Mulligan (defensive lineman- Murphy);Desmond Whiteside (Athlete-Hendersonville)

Class 2A: Andre Overholt (quarterback-Polk); Travis Smalling (running back-Pisgah); Tyler Philpott (offensive lineman-Polk); J.J. Maxwell (linebacker-Polk); Austin Rice (linebacker-Mountain Heritage).

Vikings Capture “Rumble on the Roan” Championship

After winning seven games to take home a passing league championship at last month’s FCA team camp at Gardner Webb University, the Avery Vikings continued to open eyes on both sides of the football. With wins in all seven of its contests at Orr Field in Roan Mountain last weekend, Avery walked away as the champions of the second annual Rumble on the Roan Passing League Tournament.

“Anytime you win anything I think it builds confidence, and I’m really proud of our kids. It was good for the kids to win, and the way we were able to win by beating Watauga in the championship was just icing on the cake,” Vikings head coach Darrell Brewer said after Saturday night’s final. “It doesn’t mean a lot toward the season, but winning an event like this builds confidence, which is nothing but positive for us.”

Avery started with round-robin play on Friday evening, earning a 30-8 victory over Coach Brewer’s good friend and former Avery assistant coach Mike Lunsford. Junior quarterback Alex Villanueva hit Andy Gonzalez with a pair of scoring tosses, while Colton Blackburn and Lane Smith each scored in the win.

Avery followed up the win with a defeat of Happy Valley to go unbeaten leading into Saturday’s remainder of pool play and single-elimination tournament.

On Saturday afternoon, the Vikings picked up where they left off by defeating Cosby by a final score of 21-12. The second contest was a nail-biter as Avery fell behind to South Greene, but rallied with a late go-ahead touchdown pass in the final minute from Villanueva to Gonzalez. Defensive back Hunter Shields intercepted the last-gasp pass from South Greene to seal a 23-20 triumph.

After round-robin play only three schools, Avery, John Battle (VA), and the Watauga Pioneers were undefeated out of the 13-team tournament. By virtue of most points scored, Avery earned the top seed for the single-elimination tournament.

Following a first-round bye, Avery took on Happy Valley in a rematch from earlier in the tournament. The Vikings offense began slowly as the team went four-and-out to begin the contest. Happy Valley did not fare much better, however, as Avery’s Tyler Buchanan intercepted a Warrior pass to stall its drive at the Avery 25 yard line.

On its second series, catches from Spencer Blackburn, Lane Smith, and Andy Gonzalez drove the football near the Happy Valley 10-yard line. Avery again came up empty, though, and the game remained scoreless with just over five minutes left in the matchup.

On its second drive Happy Valley drove the field and scored and successfully scored two points on a conversion pass to take an 8-0 lead with just 1:15 left to play.

Avery’s offense quickly answered the Warrior touchdown in the final minute as Villanueva found tight end Remington Austin for a touchdown pass to cut the margin to 8-6. Colton Blackburn caught a two-point conversion pass to tie the game at 8-8 at the end of regulation.

The tiebreaker rules for the tournament stipulated that the team who advanced the ball the deepest downfield on one single play was declared the winner. Avery was on offense first and its pass play to Austin was incomplete. A pass interference penalty was called against Happy Valley to give Avery another opportunity, and Villanueva found Colton Blackburn with a long toss to inside the Happy Valley 5-yard line. The Warriors pass play was intercepted to end the game with Avery advancing to the semifinals.

“The long layover between games was hard on us. The kids played four games, then sat around for two hours. It was difficult to get back up, but we gave them a pretty good talking to,” Coach Brewer stated. “We were up against the ropes in that game against a dang good football team, and the boys found a way to win. They don’t ever quit and just keep digging and scrapping.”

The Vikings found the going a bit easier in its semifinal contest against Unaka. Avery scored on just three plays to take an early 8-0 lead. After holding the Rangers on defense, the Big Red struck again when Gonzalez caught a TD pass to take a 14-0 lead. An extra point kick from Dustin Clark was successful for a 15-0 Avery advantage.

Unaka scored on its first play after the Viking score to trail 15-6. Neither team scored for the remaining five minutes, advancing Avery into the championship round.

Avery squared off with a familiar foe in Watauga in the championship game, who had knocked off John Battle in the other semifinal to set up the border battle.

On its first possession Avery used just under three minutes to get on the scoreboard, as Villanueva hit Taylor Potter on a crossing pattern for the game’s first score. A two-point conversion pass to Hunter Shields gave the Vikings an 8-0 lead.

Watauga dodged a bullet on its first series as a pass was simultaneously caught by a Pioneer receiver and Avery defensive back Gonzalez. The official ruled in favor of the offense, and the Pioneers scored on their next play and made its two-point conversion to tie the game at 8-8 with just over 14 minutes left to play in the 20 minute contest.

On Avery’s ensuing possession, Villanueva was picked off by the Pioneers, but the Avery defense stood tall to keep Watauga out of the end zone, turning the football over on downs.

With 5:55 left to play Avery scored again on a fourth-down pass play from Villanueva to Shields. Potter caught the two-point conversion for a 16-8 Viking edge.

Watauga answered with a score of its own at the two minute mark to draw within two points, then tied the game with a well-executed two-point pass play, knotting the affair at 16 points apiece.

Working its two-minute drill perfectly, Avery scored in just four plays from scrimmage, capping the drive when Villaneuva found Potter in the front left corner of the end zone for the touchdown and the lead at 22-16 with 1:35 left.

Needing a touchdown to tie and conversion to take a lead, the Pioneers went to work. After three plays left Watauga three yards short of a first down, the Pioneers rolled the dice with a pass to the end zone. The toss was knocked down by the Big Red to regain possession with under 45 seconds left to play. Villanueva fired a pass deep downfield to Shields on the game’s final play to put the finishing touches on a 28-16 Viking victory.

The team received a championship plaque from Cloudland head football coach and tournament organizer Robbie Turbyfill after the game, and the entire team was awarded the Most Valuable Player award for the tournament.

“I don’t know who you could’ve picked individually as MVP, because so many of the guys were deserving of it on both offense and defense,” Coach Brewer said. “I thought the team award was awesome, as all weekend it was a team effort all the way around.”

Coach Brewer also spoke highly of the Avery junior varsity team, who also took part in the weekend’s festivities. Avery won over the Tri-Cities Silverbacks 6-0 on a touchdown reception by Harley Foster. The JV Vikings played took on the varsity team from North Greene in its other game on Saturday, falling only by a 12-0 final score. Hunter Johnson, Trevor Pickens, and Jonah Tenge each had interceptions on defense for Avery during the pair of contests.

“I thought the JV kids played awfully well. It was their first time to really line up and play together. That team has worked hard all summer long, and I was glad to see the work paying off for them,” Coach Brewer said of the effort. “Our junior varsity is primarily going to be freshmen, so we’ve worked to get them started quickly. They’ve really responded and been a great group to work with.”

The Vikings tentatively have plans to return to the gridiron in a possible 7-on-7 with Mitchell in the last week of July. The first official day of fall practice is August 2^nd, and shortly afterward the Vikings will take part in a pair of scrimmages, including hosting a scrimmage on August 12^th at MacDonald Stadium.

Avery kicks off the 2010 regular season on Friday, August 20^th when it hosts the Robbinsville Black Knights.