Vikings Visit 'Landers in Fourth Renewal of AJ-T Border Battle Classic

With three consecutive wins in its proverbial back pocket, the Avery Vikings varsity football team travels this Friday night to Orr Field in Roan Mountain for its annual tussle with the Cloudland Highlanders.

This week’s game marks the fourth season in the renewal of the friendly rivalry between the schools, with Avery winning two of the past three seasons. To the winner of each year’s contest goes The Avery Journal-Times Border Battle Trophy.

Avery (3-0) enters Friday’s matchup coming off a huge 28-14 rivalry victory over the Watauga Pioneers, while the Cloudland Highlanders (2-1) are fresh off a 35-0 shutout of North Greene in Baileyton, TN last Thursday night.

In 2009, the Vikings used a strong second half performance to defeat the Highlanders 51-20 at MacDonald Stadium.

Scouting the Highlanders:
The Cloudland Highlanders are coached by Robbie Turbyfill and have used a spread offense to open holes for both running lanes for its backs and passing lanes. Thus far in 2010, the ‘Landers have relied on its running game to crank out tough yards and score points

Leading the Cloudland ground game is senior running back Matt Cole. Cole heads up a 'Lander rushing attack that racked up 295 yards against North Greene last week. Cloudland will also use a pair of athletes in Tyler Shell and Taylor Whitehead who will both take carries in the backfield at running back and also have split time taking snaps at the quarterback position thus far this season.

In 2010 Cloudland returned several starters along the offensive line, including senior Lucas Whitehead, who returned this season after suffering a devastating knee injury in last year’s game against Avery.

As the season has progressed, a lack of depth has caused programs for the ‘Landers. Due to the thin ranks, many of the same offensive starters double on the defensive side the football as standouts. Shell has stepped up this season on both sides of the ball and is among the team leaders in tackles for the club.

The Low Down
Thus far the Cloudland club has shown glimpses of greatness when it comes to running the football. The team was dominant in the ground game last week at North Greene, but seemed to struggle in all phases in a loss two weeks ago at home to West Greene.

Meanwhile, the Vikings have shown the ability to handle various sizes of teams, from the 1A level (Robbinsville) to the 2A level (West Wilkes) and the 4A level (Watauga). Nevertheless, when these two clubs get together, one can throw out the record books. The rivalry is a friendly one, but neither team wants to leave the field Friday night on the short end of the scoreboard.

Avery was successful passing the football Friday night at Watauga, but the team still committed four turnovers in the game and rushed for less than 100 yards as a team.

For the Vikings to leave Roan Mountain undefeated, they must first take better care of the ball. Cloudland saw firsthand a season ago what effect turnovers can have on the outcome of a game, as the ‘Landers gave up the football four times to Avery, helping the Vikings run away with the game in the second half of last year’s game.

In last Friday’s win over Watauga, the Vikings coughed up the pigskin four times (two fumbles, two INTs), but managed to overcome the mistakes to come out on top. Ironically, the Vikings also committed four turnovers in last year’s win over Cloudland.

Friday’s game is always an emotional game as the teams play with all their heart and pride for their respective schools and teams. That emotion can translate into penalties and mistakes on the field, as the ‘Landers fell victim to in last year’s backyard brawl.

Look for the Vikings to attempt to exploit the Cloudland secondary on defense, as West Greene did to the tune of three touchdown passes in the Landers’ shutout defeat two weeks ago. Avery’s pass game was effective against the Pioneers, a team some pundits felt Avery would not be able to throw the ball against because of speed and depth.

For Cloudland to hoist the Border Battle Trophy at game’s end, they must control the game. Cloudland will have to play virtually error-free to keep the game interesting, and needs to control the time of possession. The best way for the Highlanders to defend the Vikings offense will be to keep Avery’s potent attack off the field.

By the Numbers:
5- turnovers the Cloudland Highlanders forced in their 35-0 shutout of North Greene last week.
6- number of Avery receivers with at least one catch in last week’s win over the Pioneers.
48- yards in total offense surrendered by the Cloudland defense in last week’s win.
77- yards rushing surrendered by the Avery defense in last week’s rivalry win over the Watauga Pioneers.
161- yards rushing by Cloudland running back Matt Cole in last week’s win over North Greene.
390 – yards of total offense in Avery’s 28-14 win at Watauga last Friday.

Read next week’s print edition of The Avery Journal-Times as well as our online sports blog at www.ajtsports.blogspot.com for a full recap of Friday’s game with Cloudland. Avery football is off next Friday, but returns to action on September 24^th when it opens conference play at Owen.

Vikings Soccer Drops First Match of Season, Ties Watauga

The Avery men’s soccer team tasted its first loss of the 2010 season last week when it traveled to Gamewell last Tuesday, August 31^st to take on the West Caldwell Warriors. Avery started well and scored the first goal of the match, but three unanswered West goals downed the Vikings in the end in a 3-1 loss.

Two evenings later the Vikings ventured to Boone to play neighboring Watauga in another non-conference match. Avery surrendered a goal to fall behind, but rallied for the equalizer, finishing the match in a 1-1 tie.

On an extremely warm evening for soccer, West Caldwell entered its match with Avery with great confidence and desire. In spite of the elements and a strong Warriors team, it was the Vikings who broke the ice and netted the game’s first goal. In the match’s 13^th minute, returning Viking player Jorge Arreola, who had missed a week’s action with a concussion, sent a through pass to teammate Daniel Lusk, who ran down the ball, raced past the defenders, and placed a shot past the keeper for a 1-0 Avery lead.

An aggressive West Caldwell club, who had been pressuring Avery’s defense since near the outset of the match, finally managed to break through to tie the match in the 18^th minute, when Alex Corrales notched the equalizer for West off an assist from Jonathan Nava. The match remained tied at 1-1 until halftime.

Early in the second half, the Vikings were dealt a serious blow when senior defenseman and leader Brock Yackey was sent off sent off the field with a red card. The referee determined that Yackey had come in on a tackle too aggressively making a play for the player and not the ball. The call left the Vikings a man down and looking to improvise.

“That sent us scrambling as we tried to figure out how to not only play a man down for the rest of the half, but more importantly, who do we replace Brock with?” Avery head soccer coach Tom Evaul said after the match regarding the call. “With two freshmen, a sophomore and a first year player playing defense, there wasn’t much to choose from without it totally changing
our defense. Our solution was to put Daniel Lusk back there, having played defense some last year. But that took all our speed off the front.”

In the 45^th minute, the Warriors were able to tally a second goal to grab the lead when Ivan Juventes slipped a shot just past Viking goalkeeper Alex Magner and into the goal. Just ten minutes later, West added a third goal off the weak side of the Avery defense for insurance.

It appeared that Avery would have a chance to cut the West lead when Daniel Lusk was aggressively taken down and fouled in the penalty box, which would mean an issued card against the offender and an automatic penalty shot. However, instead the official issued no card moved the ball outside the penalty area while awarding Avery only a free kick.

After the loss, Coach Evaul reflected on what factored into the defeat.

“My concern has always been the team’s mental toughness and their consistency. With a player down, the guys never gave up. As a matter of fact, I think they actually stepped up their game, but Brock was just too key a player to lose and we never could do what we needed to do to get back into the game,” the coach commented. “I feel we learned from the game lessons I hope we will take with us the rest of the season: staying tough until the very end, controlling the emotional and mental aspect of the game, dealing with heat and grass, dealing with frustrations of possible missed calls, playing a man short and compensating for that. Hopefully, the loss taught us what we needed in order to be a more competitive team especially as conference starts.”

A couple of days later the Vikings hopped the bus to Boone to play the Watauga Pioneers. Once heated rivals on the pitch in years past, this year’s renewal was a more civil affair as both teams played hard and gave great effort throughout the match.

The two teams played to a scoreless tie at halftime, but from the coach’s perspective it appeared the Pioneers had more pep in their step out on the turf at Jack Groce Stadium.

“Watauga came at us hard and aggressive just as West had done, with good quick passes, a lot of talking, winning the 50/50 balls, and transitioning back on defense. They had us on our heels the entire first half, but our defense held them at bay,” Coach Evaul said. “I wasn’t particularly happy with how we played the 1st half. I thought we were giving them too much space and time, and we weren’t doing much offensively as far as holding onto the ball and moving if effectively. I feel that if the coaching staff could get through to the offense how important a good passing game is with quick one and two touch passes, we would be a team to contend with the rest of the year, but I didn’t see any evidence of that in the first half, nor did I see much intensity from our team.”

Once play resumed for the second half a Watauga attacker weaved his way past several Avery defenders and found a wide open shot on goal. Avery keeper Alex Magner attempted a dive for the ball, but the Pioneers managed to slip the shot in goal for a 1-0 lead.

Rather than deflate the Avery club, the Watauga goal energized the Vikings and amped up the team’s intensity. Around the 60-minute mark, Forrest Sickler sent a pass through to teammate Isauro Estrada. Estrada then sent a 25-yard shot past the Pioneers keeper into the net for the equalizer.

It was almost as if the Watauga goal was what it took to bring the team alive and begin putting into play the good transition, passing and intensity we stressed at halftime. We started attacking the ball with more intensity, and some of the players were all over the field like mad hornets
going after Watauga,” Coach Evaul said. “We were doing a better job of getting the ball
downfield and putting pressure on Watauga’s defense.”

The final minutes of the match were a defensive battle, with both teams getting opportunities but could not net a game-winner, leaving the match in a 1-1 tie.

Prior to the match, the coaches agreed not to play overtime in the non-conference match, since Watauga had just played the previous evening and Avery had been through a pair of matches already during the previous three days.

“We gave everything we had in the second half, proving we did have the kind of team that can play good soccer when they do the things they are capable of doing. It was a team effort
with no one player standing out over any other,” Coach Evaul said after the match. “I was and continue to be pleased with the manner in which Alex Magner has come along at goalie. I
don’t believe I have ever coached a freshman who has learned a new position as fast and as effectively as he has, thanks to his determination, and the coaching of Daniel Jimenez and Morgan Bounds. Credit also has to be given to coach Mitch Bledsoe who has been working
with the experienced group, while coach Pat Daniels has been bringing the new players up to a level that will contribute to the team as the season progresses. This team wouldn’t be what it is without these four coaches.”

Avery finished the week with an overall record of 5-1-1, much improved from the 2-3-2 mark the team had at the same point last season.

The Big Red traveled for a non-conference match earlier this week against North Henderson, and the squad hosts Owen to open Western Highlands Conference play this Wednesday, September 8^th. The Vikings travel to Thomas Jefferson Academy on Monday, September 13^th.

Vikings Passing Game Too Much for Pioneers

Neither Avery nor Watauga could run the football with any effectiveness against each other in their annual border war Friday at Jack Groce Stadium. Avery quarterback Alex Villanueva made sure the passing game would make up for it for the Vikings.

Villanueva shook off two interceptions by completing 21-of-38 passes for 293 yards and two second-half touchdowns in the Vikings' 28-14 win over Watauga. The junior quarterback also scored TD runs of 5 and 3 yards, making him responsible for all four Avery touchdowns.

It was the first time since 2005 the Vikings have beaten the Pioneers and the first time since that same year Avery is off to a 3-0 start.

“Obviously we didn't get enough things going early,” Pioneers coach Tim Pruitt said. “It seemed that any time we'd get something positive going, we'd have a little penalty.”

The Vikings, who outscored their first two opponents 84-21, found themselves in a 7-7 tie with Watauga (1-2) at halftime. Neither team was moving the ball very well on the ground and that continued in the second half. Watauga finished with 77 yards on 30 carries, while Avery fared slightly better, gaining 97 yards on 27 carries.

Thanks to its passing game, Avery finished with 390 total yards on 67 plays and converted 6-of-13 third downs.

“They kept us so off-balance on offense,” Pruitt said. “They don't run a lot of passing routes, but they run some things very well and obviously they worked on throwing on rhythm, which I thought Villanueva does very well. And their receivers run good, precision routes.”

Villanueva caught fire in the third quarter and led the Vikings on an 81-yard, five-play drive highlighted by a 64-yard completion to Remington Austin, who also caught the drive-capping 10-yard touchdown pass to give the Vikings a 14-7 lead.

Avery made it 21-7 with a 91-yard, 10-play drive capped by a Villanueva 3-yard TD run.

“We felt like early we weren't in rhythm,” Vikings coach Darrell Brewer said. “We just weren't clicking and they came out fired up in the third quarter and played really well.”

Watauga, which scored first with 28 seconds left in the first quarter on a 1-yard Baker Stanley run, found some offense when quarterback Caleb Watson capped a 71-yard, 11-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Watson completed 3-for-5 passes on the drive and 8-of-16 for the game for 99 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.

Fellow quarterback Ethan Greene completed 3-of-8 passes for 13 yards with no interceptions or touchdowns.

“Our defense really stepped up tonight,” Brewer said. “We made some changes and moved some kids around. The first-half defense really kept us in the ballgame.”

Avery scored its final touchdown when Villanueva threw a strike to Andy Gonzalez for a 24-yard touchdown with 3:09 left.

Watauga's offense settled for 189 total yards on 54 plays. The Pioneers also hurt themselves by committing 13 penalties, eight in the first half, for 108 yards.

“It was kind of hard to get a handle on all that they were trying to do,” Pruitt said. “They were trying to mess up our blocking schemes and I don't know if they messed up our schemes or if we didn't maintain our blocks enough. It was hard to kind of get a handle.”

Watauga also suffered a tough loss when standout junior linebacker Alex Fox went down because of a knee injury. It was not immediately known how serious his injury was.
Avery will look to move to 4-0 this season when they travel to take on Cloudland (Tenn.) this Friday night.

Mountaineers Fall to Blue Devils in Quadruple Overtime

Mitchell and Brevard managed only 14 points apiece in the first four quarters of Friday’s non-conference contest. With overtime can offensive explosion, however, as the team’s answered each other score-for-score through three overtime sessions. Finally in the fourth extra session, the Brevard defense held Mitchell out of the end zone to earn a 41-35 victory.

The two teams were each held scoreless through the first 12 minutes of action, but the Mountaineers concluded the quarter with possession of the football.

In the quarter’s opening seconds, Mitchell finally drew first blood as quarterback Troy Self broke through the Blue Devils defense and jaunted 44 yards for a touchdown. The extra point from Isaac Edwards gave the visitors the 7-0 advantage.

For most of the half the Mitchell defense picked up where it left off the previous week in dominating its opponent. Brevard managed to knot the game at 7-7 with just over three minutes left in the half as Nick Mooney scampered loose for an 80-yard touchdown run. The score would remain knotted at intermission.

For most of the third period the teams battled for field position. The Blue Devils surged ahead with Mooney’s second touchdown run, this time a 7-yard run with 2:22 left in the quarter that propelled Brevard to a 14-7 lead, an advantage that was carried into the final quarter of regulation.

Needing to get back into the end zone to tie the contest, the Mountaineers worked hard on both sides of the football to set themselves up for the tying score. Midway through the period, Justin Hughes took advantage of his blockers up front and dove over the goal line from one yard out.

The Edwards PAT tied the game again, this time at 14-14. Neither team could break through for the game-winning points in regulation, sending the exciting contest into overtime.

In the first overtime session, Brevard received the opening possession and scored from the ten-yard line on a run by Justin Owenby. The PAT gave Brevard the 21-14 edge. Needing to score to keep the game alive, Mitchell standout running back Shawn Jackson found his way to pay dirt for the first time on the night, scoring on an 11-yard run. The extra point was good to force a second overtime session with a 21-21 score.

With the first possession of the second overtime, Mitchell again reached the end zone for a touchdown when Jackson blew through the Brevard defense for a seven-yard carry. The point-after put Mitchell in front 28-21. Brevard answered, however, with a two-yard scoring run by Dominique Wynn and extra point conversion to force a third extra session with a 28-28 score.

The third overtime was similar to the first two, as both teams again put seven points on the scoreboard. Jackson scored his third touchdown in the overtime period, while Owenby tallied his second touchdown tote.

The turning point of the game occurred in the fourth overtime. With the first possession of the overtime period, disaster struck for Mitchell as Jackson fumbled the football. Brevard’s Owenby recovered the football to end the series for the Mountaineers.

In Brevard’s series, Wynn scored on a four-yard touchdown run to provide for the final margin in a thrilling 41-35 final score.

The Mountaineers tallied 329 total yards of offense in the game, while holding Brevard to just 221 yards.

Jackson paced Mitchell with 119 yards on 25 carries, while Self added 88 yards on 16 carries. Ryan Sparks led the receiving corps with two receptions for 56 yards.

The Mountaineers have this Friday off, and will host North Buncombe in Ledger on September 17^th.

Middle Schools Open Conference Football Slate with Victories

For the first time in recent memory, both the Avery Middle School Panthers and the Cranberry Middle School Wildcats football teams opened Toe River Conference action with victories. Both squads bounced back from losses last week and earned their wins impressively away from home.

Avery Middle School football traveled to East Yancey for the opening of the Toe River Conference season last Tuesday night. Avery Middle had not defeated East Yancey since 2002, and East Yancey looked poised to keep the streak intact, scoring on a 90-yard touchdown run on its second offensive possession to lead 6-0. Avery stopped the two-point conversion.

Later in the period, Avery running back Tre Jackson broke loose for a 50 yard touchdown run to tie the score at 6-6 after one period.

In the second quarter, Avery quarterback Austin Phillips completed a long fly pattern pass to wide receiver Kobe Pittman, giving the visiting Panthers a first down in East territory.

Later in the drive, Jackson again carried the football, this time around the left end for 25 yards to put Avery inside the five-yard line. Wade Smith capped the drive when he weaved his way and dove over from three yards out to give Avery its first lead of the game at 12-6.

Avery quarterback Austin Phillips was successful in earning the two-point conversion when he sprinted around the left side, giving Avery a 14-6 lead.

Late in the first half, East Yancey scored on a quarterback run around right end, but the two-point conversion pass was intercepted by Jackson, keeping Avery in front 14-12 at intermission.

The second half was a showcase for both defenses, as they buckled down to refuse either squad’s offenses to cross the goal line.

East Yancey managed one offensive series that neared the Avery red zone, but the drive was turned away when Avery's Wade Smith intercepted an East pass attempt and returned it beyond midfield.

The drive was the closest East would get to the end zone for the rest of the game. Avery attempted to hold the ball late in the fourth period, but had to give East the football via punt one final time. Avery punter Luke Crowe forced East to start its final possession deep in its own territory, and from there, Avery forced a four-and-out with defensive plays from Kobe Pittman and an Andy Hughes quarterback sack to seal its victory.

The win was Avery’s first over East Yancey since 2002, and Coach Donnie Johnson was proud of his team’s effort and ability to bounce back to win after suffering a loss the previous week.

“It's really a whole team effort we turned in against East Yancey. We had some statistical leaders in different areas that stood out, but our overall effort on the line helped our players excel in their own areas,” Avery head coach Donnie Johnson said after the win. “We really had tremendous effort all over the field. The second half we were just extremely focused, and every kid did their job, played hard and finished the game.”

Although the win was a milestone, the team still believes it is only a step in a season-long journey to a title.

“This win was huge for our program and this was a step in the right direction. The road to the Championship has lead through Yancey County the past few years. The past five years either East Yancey or Cane River has been there in the Tri-County Bowl,” Coach Johnson added. “We feel really good about our team right now but we still have a lot of work to do. We are improving every week, and win or lose that's what you want to see as a coach. We just have to continue to get better.”

While Avery took care of business on the road, the Cranberry Middle School was doing the same thing during its road trip to take on Bowman.

On the game’s first play, the Wildcats were forced to play without the services of one of its more talented players in Tyler Pittman. The team’s leading rusher a season ago, Pittman suffered a collar bone injury on the play and was lost for the game.

Despite the loss on the field, the Wildcats rallied together and showed great heart in picking up a 26-20 win over the Bulldogs in Bakersville.

Avery defeated Bowman 30-20 this past Tuesday evening at MacDonald Stadium, while Cranberry traveled to Burnsville to take on Cane River, falling by a final score of 40-8. Recaps from this week’s action can be found in next week’s The Avery Journal-Times.

Epic Comeback Lifts Mountaineers in Season Opener

courtesy ASU Sports Information
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Trailing by 21 points with less than 14 minutes to go, No. 3 Appalachian State University football scored four touchdowns in a 7:51 span then thwarted a two-point-conversion attempt with under a minute to play to hold on for a heart-stopping 42-41 victory over Chattanooga on Saturday at Finley Stadium.

Appalachian (1-0, 1-0 SoCon) extended its Southern Conference winning streak to 21 games by overcoming a 35-14 fourth-quarter deficit. Chattanooga (0-1, 0-1 SoCon) led 28-7 at halftime and regained its 21-point lead when Garrett Hughes caught B.J. Coleman's third touchdown pass of the afternoon on the first play of the fourth quarter.

From there, the Mountaineers took over, scoring the game's next 28 points in under eight minutes, capped by a bizarre 33-yard touchdown "reception" by quarterback DeAndre Presley (Tampa, Fla./Middleton). Chattanooga jumped offsides on a third-and-one play from the Mocs' 29 yard line, giving Presley and the Mountaineers a free play. Presley threw a quick pass to wide receiver Matt Cline (Thomasville, N.C./Glenn), who was drilled by UTC defender Chris Lewis-Harris and fumbled. Presley picked up the loose ball and weaved his way through the UTC defense, picked up a number of key downfield blocks and scored the go-ahead touchdown from 33 yards out.

After the teams swapped scoreless series, the Mocs took possession at their own 14 yard line with 2:56 to go and drove 86 yards in 11 plays, capped by a three-yard touchdown run by Coleman on third and goal that cut the Mountaineer lead to one at 42-41 with 56 seconds left in the game. With a pair of UTC kickers having already combined to miss three extra points, Chattanooga head coach Russ Huesman elected to go for two points and a potential victory following the score. However, Buck Buchanan Award candidate Mark LeGree (Columbus, Ga./Pacelli Catholic) batted down Coleman's pass into the end zone on the two-point attempt to preserve the one-point lead. Brian Quick (Columbia, S.C./Ridge View) recovered the Mocs' ensuing onside kick attempt to seal Appalachian's epic come-from-behind triumph.

Both sides of the ball contributed to the epic comeback. On the offensive end, things started clicking at the end of the third quarter when the Mountaineers marched 86 yards in four plays, culminating the drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Presley to tight end Ben Jorden (Weddington, N.C./Charlotte Latin) that made it 28-14 with 1:17 to go in the third.

However, it looked like the touchdown would be inconsequential when UTC answered by driving 77 yards in three plays and stretched the lead back to 21 with on Coleman's 16-yard scoring strike to Hughes six seconds into the final period.

Appalachian answered quickly with an identical three-play, 77-yard scoring drive that took only 49 seconds off the clock. Cedric Baker (Wilmington, N.C./New Hanover) scored from three yards out to cut the ASU deficit to 35-21.

On the ensuing kickoff, redshirt freshman Tony Washington (High Point, N.C./T.W. Andrews) leveled Chattanooga returner Buster Skrine and forced a fumble that was recovered by fellow redshirt freshman Karl Anderson (Pilot Point, Texas/Pilot Point) and returned 18 yards to give ASU possession deep in UTC territory. Three plays later, Presley ran it in from four yards out to bring the Mountaineers within seven at 35-28.

Buck Buchanan Award candidate Jabari Fletcher (Atlanta, Ga./Grady) single-handedly took over the game on the next series, sacking Coleman twice, the second of which forced a fumble that Fletcher recovered himself at the Chattanooga seven yard line. It only took one play for the offense to capitalize, with Baker recording his second touchdown run in under three minutes to knot the score at 35-35.

A three-and-out by ASU's defense on the ensuing series set up Presley's wild go-ahead scoring run.

In his third-career start, Presley accounted for 365 yards of total offense and four touchdowns, completing 22-of-29 passes without an interception for 340 yards and two scores and running 11 times for 25 yards and another pair of touchdowns. He was also credited with 33 receiving yards and another touchdown on the bizarre score that gave Appalachian its first lead.

Quick was Presley's favorite target, catching five passes for 121 yards. Cline had a game-high eight receptions for 89 yards and Jorden had three huge catches for 45 yards and a score. Devin Radford (Fayetteville, N.C./E.E. Smith) ran 10 times for a team-best 85 yards.

Defensively, Fletcher stuffed the stat sheet with two sacks, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. Linebacker Jeremy Kimbrough (Decatur, Ga./Cedar Grove) registered a team-high eight stops. Troy Sanders (Chester, S.C./Chester) and Justin Wray (Covington, Ga./Eastside) added seven tackles apiece.

The teams combined for 83 points and 978 yards but were plagued by five total turnovers (two for ASU and three for UTC). Coleman led the Mocs with 340 yards on 23-of-37 passing and five total touchdowns (three passing, two rushing).

Appalachian opens the 2010 home campaign next Saturday when it hosts Jacksonville at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m.

Lees-McRae holds off Milligan for 2-1 victory

MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. --- The Lees-McRae women’s soccer team scored twice in the first half, and held off a furious rally by Milligan College en route to a 2-1 win over the Buffaloes on Saturday night. With the win, the Lady Bobcats improve to 1-1 on the season as first-year head coach Cally Morrill picks up her first career victory.

Mary Dorn (Shallot, N.C.) and Vickie Rich (Arlington Heights, Ill.) each tallied a goal to put the Lady Bobcats on the board early in the first half, with Rich’s 19th-minute strike proving to be the match-winner for LMC. Kaitlyn Kerrigan (Lakewood Ranch, Fla.) added an assist for the Lady Bobcats as Rachel Martin (Blountville, Tenn.) scored the lone goal for Milligan.

Milligan put on early pressure with a quick attack in the first minute. The Lady Bobcats answered back, pushing the flow of the contest and dominating the ball for much of the opening ten minutes. Dorn opened the scoring late in the 14th minute, driving a header past the Milligan keeper off a perfectly placed corner from Kerrigan to give Lees-McRae the early 1-0 lead.

The Lady Bobcats struck again in the 19th minute when Rich took the ball and negotiated the pitch, weaving her way past two defenders and finding the corner of the net off the Milligan keeper’s hands to give Lees-McRae the 2-0 advantage. The contest continued with a back and forth pace through much of the opening half, with Lees-McRae holding a 2-0 lead at the interval.

As the second half progressed, Milligan seemed to gain life, and in the 72nd minute, pulled within one of LMC when Martin found her way into the box, dribbling around the Bobcat keeper and netting the ball to cut the deficit to one. Milligan continued the pressure over the next six minutes, placing two shots close with one deflecting off the post in addition to two of Brittany Bolton’s (Roanoke, Va.) six saves for Lees-McRae.

The Lady Bobcats tallied 29 attempts on goal with 15 of those on frame, while Milligan registered 16, seven of which were on target. Rich recorded a match-high 10 shots, including six on frame, while Brooke Santerre (Port Republic, Md.) added seven of her own for Lees-McRae.

The Lady Bobcats return to the pitch on Wednesday, September 8, at 7 p.m. when they host Mars Hill College at Tate Field.

Lady Viking Volleyball Meets Watauga Twice, Sweeps North Wilkes

The Avery volleyball team looked to build off its emotional win over West Wilkes with a trio of matches over the past week. On Tuesday, August 24th, Avery traveled to new Lentz-Eggers Gym at the brand new Watauga High School for its annual rivalry against the Watauga Lady Pioneers.

For the first three games of its match with rival Watauga, Avery’s volleyball team was able to build an early lead. Keeping that lead proved to be somewhat difficult.

Though the Vikings were able to keep one advantage long enough to win the game, Watauga was able to rally and claim a 3-1 victory.

Watauga won the first game 25-23, but Avery came back to win the second 25-21. From there, the Pioneers beat Avery 25-17 and 25-15. The Vikings managed to break open a close second game and take a 14-9 lead it would never lose. Watauga closed to within two points three
different times, but Avery closed out the win when a Watauga kill attempt did not go over the net.

“We made really great defensive plays and we got our serves in. That makes a big difference.” Avery coach Caroline Turner said. “We had the momentum our way and that helped.”

Avery had a golden opportunity to put some heavy pressure on the 4-A Pioneers had the Vikings maintained their 12-4 advantage in the first game. However, the Pioneers slowly worked their way back into the match and cut Avery’s lead to 22-19.

From there, Watauga’s Hannah Stewart took over by knocking down three kills and serving up another point to lead the Pioneers to the win.

“Our girls played really hard,” Turner said. “They’ve come together as a team and played as a team and they’re doing a great job of doing that.”

With the match tied 1-1, Watauga started to establish its offense, though Avery took a 4-0 lead in the third game. Watauga recovered to turn a 19-13 lead into a 25-17 win. The Pioneers bolted to an 11-5 lead in the fifth game and never looked back.

Watauga’s jayvee team claimed a 25-1, 25-13 victory over Avery prior to the varsity action. The Pioneers took big leads at the beginning of both games, going up 7-0 in the first game and 6-1 in the second. Avery struggled with the serving of Kristen Carter, who had seven aces and scored 19 points while serving for the Pioneers.

The Lady Vikings bounced back with authority the next evening, traveling to Hays and defeating the North Wilkes Lady Vikings in straight sets in both JV and varsity matches.

The junior varsity team set the pace for the evening with a pair of decisive sets, winning by scores of 25-8 and 25-16 to make short work of their Lady Viking counterparts.

The varsity match proved to be much of the same, as the experienced and athletic Avery club was simply too much for North to handle. Avery gave up no more than 13 points in any set and swept away North Wilkes by scores of 25-13, 25-12, and 25-10 to close out a decisive win.

Wednesday’s win was a complete team effort. Savannah Dellinger netted four kills, seven ace serves, and six digs, with six kills and two ace serves from Lacey Barrier. Senior Megan Robbins recorded six kills and an ace serve, with seven kills from junior Megan Tennant and 25 assists from senior Cassie Bumgarner. Johanna Pittman had a pair of ace serves and seven digs, with seven digs and a service ace by both Melinda Eggers and Shayna Vance.

“Watauga and North Wilkes are completely different teams in the way they play volleyball. It took a little bit of an adjustment but the girls came out and played their style of volleyball and were very successful,” Coach Caroline Turner said after the win. “Everyone contributed to the North Wilkes game in every way, but I still believe our strongest showing this year was at West Wilkes. All of these non-conference teams and tournaments we have been a part of will give us great experience when we start conference play this Thursday with Owen. The girls have come together as a team and work very well together. They are a lot of fun to watch because they have love volleyball and have a great time playing the game.”

This past Monday evening the Lady Vikings looked for a measure of payback when they hosted Watauga in its home opener on the newly-reconstructed and repainted floor of Viking Gym.

The Avery junior varsity team took the floor first against the Lady Pioneers jayvees. The pair played a close first set as the teams stayed close throughout the game. Watauga came out on top in the first match by a 26-24 score, then took the second set in the best of three match in decisive fashion by the final score of 25-9.

Following the JV match the varsity teams took the floor for a rematch of a match held just six days earlier that was won by Watauga. In the first set of the match the Pioneers opened up a 7-3 lead with its strong service game. From that point the Lady Vikings had difficulty returning the Watauga service and the Lady Pioneers made key digs and kills, building its lead on an 8-1 scoring run to 15-4. Avery continued to fight in the set but the Pioneers took the first game by a 25-11 score.

The second set was the most competitive set of the match as Avery took an early 5-3 lead. Watauga battled back to take a 9-7 lead. Midway through the set the Pioneers used a 5-2 run to build a working margin at 14-9. then a 21-13 edge. Despite the lead, the Lady Vikings refused to fold as the service game of outside hitter Johanna Pittman helped Avery earn five consecutive points and get back to within three points at 21-18. Watauga withstood the Lady Viking flurry however, winning four of the final five points of the set to take a 25-19 win.

In the third and final set of the match, Watauga jumped out to an 8-2 lead before an Avery time out was called to try to stem the tide. The Lady Vikings rallied to get within 13-8, but Watauga answered with a 4-0 run to lead 17-8, forcing another Avery time out.

Watauga proved too tough to stop on the evening, however, extending its lead and eventually taking the match by a 25-12 final score.

Avery returns to the floor for two matches this week, a home match Wednesday against North Wilkes and the Western Highlands Conference opener at home against an improved Owen club.

Vikings Remain Perfect with Trio of Non-Conference Home Wins

The Avery boys soccer team continues to impress soccer circles with its unbeaten start to the 2010 season. Avery shut out the Ashe County Huskies last Wednesday evening in a 3-0 final score at MacDonald Stadium, and on Monday defeated a fellow undefeated Patton Panthers club by a 5-1 final score.

In Wednesday’s match against the Huskies Avery continued to show its positive progress and team approach that has been the hallmark of the team’s first two weeks of contests.

Avery got the scoring going in the 13th minute when Javier Bravo sent a pass to teammate Isauro Estrada, whose shot pealed past the keeper and into the back of the net for a 1-0 Avery lead.

Eighteen minutes later, the Vikings struck again when Bravo got into the scoring column off an assist from senior Daniel Lusk. The score would remain 2-0 until halftime.

“We came out somewhat slow offensively, unable to hold onto the ball past midfield, which gave Ashe more opportunity to attack our goal. Thanks to the defense and some great goalie play by Alex Magner, we were able to hold off a strong Ashe attack until our offense got its act together,” Avery head soccer coach Tom Evaul said following the win. “Our offense needs to do a better job of taking care of the ball once the defense gets it up to them, regardless of who we play. We seemed to be more effective with low shots as the Ashe goalie seemed to have trouble with those. We were lucky to score two goals before half as, again, the Ashe offense kept coming at us, but were unable to be productive.”

In the second half the Vikings defense continued to keep the Huskies clamped down, while freshman goalkeeper Alex Magner registered yet another clean sheet to continue his hot tending streak.

Avery added an insurance goal in the 60th minute when Estrada tallied his second goal of the match off an assist from Lusk. Lusk had attempted a cross pass in front of the goal to Isauro, but an Ashe defender stepped in front of the pass, resulting in an own goal credited to Estrada. The goal provided the final margin of victory.

“At halftime, the coaching staff tried to get the offense to be more effective by looking for passes to the open space instead of passing directly to their teammates. That seemed to work better in the second half. We also implored them to be more mentally tough, as a very physical Ashe team kept pushing the guys around, frustrating them and taking them mentally out of their game. In the second half, we seemed to be more focused and did a better job of protecting the ball,” Coach Evaul stated.

This past Monday evening the Vikings hosted the Panthers from Patton High School in Morganton. Avery struck for three first half goals, paced by the speed and precision of senior Daniel Lusk. Patton had a difficult time marking the Vikings and matching Avery’s intensity on both offense and defense.

Lusk began his scoring spree with a goal in the 12th minute of play to break the ice and give the Vikings a 1-0 lead. Nine minutes later, Isauro Estrada continued his recent trend of strong offensive play as he scored off an assist from Lusk for a 2-0 Big Red advantage.

Patton cut the margin in half with a goal in the 35th minute to draw within 2-1. In the final minute of play in the opening half, Avery got the goal back as Lusk netted his second goal of the half, giving the Vikings a 3-1 lead at halftime.

The score remained unchanged until Lusk netted his third goal for a hat trick in the 59th minute which gave the Vikings a 4-1 advantage. Following a brief respite on the sideline, Lusk re-entered the game and tallied a final goal for his fourth score of the night, breaking away to peal a shot past the keeper in the 64th minute to provide the final margin of victory.

Avery continues to play solid soccer that belies the team’s youth. A mesh of experience and talent has blended well since the team’s last scrimmage in Hickory just prior to the kickoff of the regular season.

“We are getting better as a team compared to the Hickory scrimmage, but we still have a ways to go, especially with mental toughness, and our offense holding onto the ball. This week will be a key week to see how mentally tough we actually are, as our competition will be strong all week,” Coach Evaul explained.

The coach also added how the team’s defense, a mix of older and younger players, has been an anchor to hold the team together in the early season.

“In my opinion defense is the strongest part of our game right now. It is led by senior Brock Yackey at sweeper, with two rookies in Alex Magner in goal and Carson Williams at fullback. Sophomore Heraclio Flores is the other fullback, and junior Austin Lyons complete a defense that has recorded four shutouts to start the season,” Coach Evaul said. “On the offensive end, senior Daniel Lusk is a major threat due to his speed, and as a result leads the team with assists, primarily due to his ability to effectively cross the ball from the corners. Leading the scoring right now is Isauro Estrada. We have missed Jorge Arreola due to a concussion and broken nose, but hope to have him back this week. With those three guys as threats, a defense will have to decide who the stronger player is to mark, and all that will do is open the game up for the rest of the guys.”

Vikings Blast Blackhawks to Remain Unbeaten

For the first time in five years, the Avery Vikings sought to win its first two games to start a football season when the West Wilkes Blackhawks flew into MacDonald Stadium Friday night. A 28-point first quarter explosion by Avery quickly removed doubt from the outcome of the evening’s matchup, as the Big Red cruised to a 48-8 rout.

The strongest and most complete offensive series for the Blackhawks occurred immediately after receiving the opening kickoff. West drove 70 yards downfield in six plays to reach the Avery 10-yard line. However, the first of a number of miscues sealed the Blackhawks’ fate when running back Cody Greene was stripped of the football by Avery lineman Kenny Hicks. Teammate Lucas Lecka scooped up the pigskin to turn the West threat aside.

Once on the field, the Avery offense carved up the West Wilkes defense with the precision of a master surgeon. Wielding the scalpel on the first offensive series was Viking junior quarterback Alex Villanueva, who connected with running back Colton Blackburn on a 26 yard pass play, then hit teammate Andy Gonzalez for pass connections of 31 yards. A penalty negated another pass completion, but Blackburn did the honors of finishing the drive in the end zone with a 17 yard touchdown jaunt. The Dustin Clark PAT staked the Vikings to a 7-0 lead.

After the Viking defense forced a three-and-out, Avery took advantage of field position beginning inside Blackhawk territory to quickly strike and score. Villanueva hit tight end Remington Austin for a 30-yard pass to the West 10-yard line, and Blackburn scored for the second time in as many series with a ten yard carry on the next play from scrimmage. The PAT gave the Big Red a 14-0 bulge with 4:07 to play in the first quarter.

West’s fortunes turned from bad to worse when a first-down pass from quarterback Seth Absher was ricocheted out of the hands of his intended target by Avery defensive back Andy Gonzalez. The football was caught in mid-air by linebacker Tyler Buchanan.

Just three plays after the turnover, the Vikings were back in the familiar confines of the end zone as a perfectly executed screen pass to Taylor Potter and great blocking up front helped convoy the senior running back to the goal line virtually untouched. The extra point put Avery ahead 21-0.

Another three-and-out on West’s ensuing offensive possession gave Avery another chance to score before the close of the first period. Avery was again quick to take full advantage of the possession. In just four plays the Vikings were celebrating another touchdown, this one on a 28 yard touchdown pass from Villanueva to wide receiver Kody Hughes. The Clark extra point ended a stanza where the Vikings lit up the scoreboard and led 28-0 going to the second quarter.

The Blackhawks continued to be their own worst enemy on its next series, as quarterback Absher rushed for a five yard gain only to fumble away the football. Avery’s Spencer Blackburn scooped up the football and darted 21 yards to the West 13-yard line to set up yet another Avery touchdown. On the first play after the turnover, Potter scampered the distance for a 13-yard touchdown. The conversion attempt failed, but the Big Red had a commanding 34-0 lead with 11:07 to play in the first half.

West failed to cross midfield for the remainder of the half with its next two offensive series, and both drives ended abruptly with interceptions, one from Hunter Shields and the other by Tyler Long. In the final second of the first half, Avery padded its lead with a 29-yard field goal from Dustin Clark to lead 37-0 at intermission.

As the third period began, one of the few mishaps occurred for the Avery offensive juggernaut when a Villanueva pass was picked off by West Wilkes’ Will Shepherd and returned inside the Avery 20-yard line. West capitalized on the turnover and scored following five consecutive Tyler Woods running plays, the final one a four-yard plunge to put the Blackhawks on the scoreboard. A two-point conversion run by Seth Absher was successful for a 37-8 Avery margin.

Midway through the period, Avery earned a safety when a Clark punt pinned West back to its own 1-yard line. Avery stifled the first run play following the kick as Taylor Potter tackled Tyler Woods in the end zone for two points and a 39-8 lead.

The Vikings defense continued to shine for the remainder of the contest, holding West on downs on one series and producing another fumble by the Blackhawks, which was forced and recovered by Kenny Hicks to kill another drive.

Avery added a pair of scores to provide the final margin of victory. Villanueva connected with Austin for a four-yard touchdown with 10:33 remaining in the game to give the Big Red a 45-8 lead, and Dustin Clark connected on his second of three field goal attempts on the evening, a 32 yard kick with 24 seconds left to play to boost the Vikings to a perfect 2-0 record to start the season.

Alex Villanueva paced the Avery offense as he was 12 for 23 passing for 239 yards and three touchdowns. Colton Blackburn rushed four times for 58 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Kody Hughes had four receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown, with two receptions and 63 yards from Andy Gonzalez.

The win culminated a winning weekend of high school football, as the Avery junior varsity squad earned a 10-0 shutout victory over the JV Blackhawks Thursday evening in Miller’s Creek. A fumble return for a touchdown, as well as a field goal from kicker Heraclio Flores was all the scoring Avery needed as the defense ran roughshod for the 40 minutes of play.

Both the Avery varsity and junior varsity squads will square off with the Watauga Pioneers in border battles this week.

Mountaineers Topple McDowell for First Win of Season

The Mountaineer running game and defense rose to the forefront Friday night as Mitchell scored 28 second-quarter points to erase a McDowell lead and overwhelm its border foe in a 49-15 blowout Friday night in Ledger.

With three minutes left in the opening period, Mitchell drew first blood when Michael Styles broke through the Titans defense for a 49-yard touchdown run. The successful point after by junior Isaac Edwards put the Mountaineers out in front 7-0.

McDowell, winless in 2009 after its one victory was forfeited due to eligibility issues, finally showed life following the score and jump-started its offense. Quarterback Grant Robinson capped a drive when he scored on a one-yard sneak to tie the game at 7-7 with 8:43 to play in the first half.

On the first offensive play following the Titan kickoff, running back Shawn Jackson darted through the McDowell front line and scampered past the secondary to pay dirt. The 67-yard jaunt gave the Mountaineers the lead it would never relinquish at 14-7.

On its next series the Titans went to the air to try to gain field position, but they paid dearly as Mountaineer outside linebacker Troy Self picked off a Robinson pass and scooted 45 yards to the end zone to put Mitchell ahead 21-7 with seven minutes left before halftime.

After McDowell was held to a three-and-out, Mitchell compiled a strong scoring drive. The ground game found holes in the Titans defense and exploited them for the rest of the half and the entire second half. Self again found the end zone, this time on a one-yard quarterback sneak, to boost the Mountaineer edge to 28-7, a lead Mitchell took to the locker room at halftime.

The second half continued in much the same fashion as the first, as Mitchell chewed up huge chunks of real estate with the running of Jackson and Styles. The pair each eclipsed the 100-yard plateau in the win as the Mountaineers racked up 378 rushing yards in the win.

Troy Self scored his third touchdown of the night on a 20-yard third quarter carry to further pad the Mountaineer lead, while fellow Mitchell quarterback Justin Hughes relieved Self in the second half and got into the act, hitting Matt Vaughn for a 75-yard touchdown pass play to give Mitchell a 42-7 lead after three periods.

McDowell scored a late touchdown in the final 12 minutes on a two-yard run by Rashawn Chambers, and Mitchell closed out the scoring when Styles scored on a tote from 16 yards out to provide for the final margin.

The Mitchell defense held McDowell to 135 total yards of offense, while Jackson ran for 137 yards, Styles racked up 136 yards, and Self raced for 94 yards on the ground in the win for the home team.

Mitchell (1-1) will travel to Brevard to take on the winless Blue Devils in non-conference action this week.

High School Football Week Two Final Scores

High School Football Final Scores as best we have them...

Avery 48 West Wilkes 8
Erwin 42 Owen 39
Mitchell 49 McDowell 15
Polk 56 Brevard 0
Madison 24 N. Buncombe 14
Andrews 48 Thomas Jefferson 30

Other scores in the area:
Shelby 34 Watauga 14
West Greene (TN) 27 Cloudland (TN) 0

Friday High School Football Scores and Updates!

Update #20: Mitchell runs three fullback dive plays and Styles scores his second TD of the night. the extra point gives the Mountaineers a 49-15 lead. Mountaineers will even their record at 1-1 this season. It's been another great night for the Western Highlands Conference.

Update #19: It's over in Newland and Avery wins it over West Wilkes by the final score of 48-8. Congratulations to the Big Red as they move to 2-0 on the season. The Vikings will travel to Boone to take on the Watauga Pioneers next week.

Also, McDowell scores in the early 4th qtr, capitalizing on a Mountaineer fumble to score a touchdown. The extra point was blocked, leaving Mitchell with a 42-13 lead but a penalty was called against Mitchell. McDowell made a two-point conversion for a 42-15 deficit.

Update #18: Justin Hughes rolls out and hits Matt Vaughn for a 75 yard touchdown pass. The PAT gives the Mountaineers of Mitchell a commanding 42-7 lead with 4:59 left in the third quarter.

Update 17: Mitchell takes second half kickoff and from its own 10 yard line runs the ball through the McDowell secondary. Troy Self caps the drive with a 20-yard touchdown run. 8:50 left in third qtr and Mountaineers lead 35-7.

Update 16: West Wilkes gets on the scoreboard late in the third quarter. Avery leads 39-8 over the Blackhawks after three quarters of play.

Update 15: Madison leads North Buncombe 13-7 3rd quarter
Shelby leads Watauga 28-7 3rd qtr
Andrews leads Thomas Jefferson 34-14 at half

Update 14: Avery kicks off for the second half and pins West back at its own 1-yard line. The defense then tackles the Blackhawk running back for a safety, giving the Vikings a 39-0 lead in the opening minute of the second half.

Update #13: Polk County leads Brevard 42-0 at halftime. Wolverines coming up with another big effort after beating Tuscola last week.
West Greene leads Cloudland 14-0 at halftime and Shelby leads Watauga 21-0 at intermission.
Mitchell leads McDowell 28-7 at halftime.

Update #12: Troy Self sneaks it across the goal line from a yard out. Isaac Edwards' PAT is good and the Mountaineers lead 28-7 with 3:15 to go in the half.

Update #11: Mitchell's Troy Self picks off a Robinson pass and takes it 45 yards for a touchdown. PAT is good and Mitchell leads 21-7 with around seven minutes to play in the half.

Avery scores as time expires in the first half on a 29-yard Dustin Clark field goal. Avery leads 37-0 over West Wilkes at halftime.

Update #10: Shawn Jackson of Mitchell busts loose on Mitchell's first offensive play after McDowell's score for a 67-yard touchdown run. The Edwards PAT is good and Mitchell leads 14-7.

Update #9: McDowell scores on a QB sneak Grant Robinson 1 yard. PAT is good. 7-7 with 8:43 to play in first half.

Update #8: Erwin 7, Owen 0

Update #7:
Avery absolutely rolling tonight. Taylor Potter with a 12 yard run to pay dirt. PAT fails, but the Vikings lead 34-0 with just under 11 minutes left in the first quarter.

Update #6:
Mike Stiles scores on a 48-yard touchdown run for Mitchell. Mountaineers lead McDowell 7-0 with 3:00 left in the opening quarter.

Cloudland leads West Greene 7-0 at the end of the first quarter

Shelby 14 Watauga 0 11:55 left 2nd quarter

Update #5: Villanueva to Kody Hughes on a 35-yard TD pass play. 11 seconds to play in the first quarter and the Vikings lead 28-0 over West Wilkes.

Update #4: Avery forces an interception and capitalizes almost immediately. QB Alex Villanueva hits Taylor Potter for a 36-yard touchdown pass. The PAT puts Avery up 21-0 with 3:00 left in the first quarter! Vikings on fire thus far tonight!

Update #3:
Avery is back on the scoreboard again. Colton Blackburn with his second touchdown of the quarter, this one a 17-yard gallop. The PAT gives the Vikings a 14-0 lead with 4:06 to play in the first quarter.

Update #2:
Vikings are on the board on a touchdown run by senior Colton Blackburn. The PAT is successful and Avery leads 7-0 over West Wilkes with 7:00 remaining in the opening quarter.

Update #1:
Here are several games we'll be keeping our eyes on this evening:

Erwin @ Owen
McDowell @ Mitchell
Madison @ North Buncombe
Watauga @ Shelby
Brevard @ Polk County
Thomas Jefferson @ Andrews
West Greene (TN) @ Cloudland (TN)


Quick update: The McDowell/Mitchell game has been delayed as a Titan lineman (Rich) has suffered an apparently serious leg injury. Medical personnel are tending to the player on the field and preparing him for transport to the hospital. Hopefully the injury will not be as severe as first believed.

High School Football Week Two (with updates):

Editorial note: For the first time since November 2003, health issues will prevent me (Shelldog) from attending tonight's regularly scheduled high school football game between Avery and West Wilkes. Due to this, there is no radio tape-delayed broadcast tomorrow (Saturday). My deepest apologies to the faithful listeners in the greater Avery County area who tune in each week. With some healing and grace, I hope to be back on my feet and back on the air with broadcast colleague Coach Donnie Johnson for next week's "Battle for the Bucket" at Watauga.

Our network of correspondents will be providing scoring and other updates throughout tonight's West Wilkes/Avery game during the course of the next few hours.

In addition, we will be posting scores and information right here on the blog from across the region.

Keep checking back here at the Blog throughout this Friday evening for score updates on this second week of the high school football regular season.

Best of luck to the Vikings on "Black Out" night at the stadium as Avery looks to move to a perfect 2-0 on the season.

AJ-T SPORTS LIVE FROM...MacDonald Stadium (Avery Men's Soccer)

We're LIVE at MacDonald Stadium for Vikings soccer against the Cardinals of East Wilkes High School. It's a sunny and breezy Monday evening at MacDonald Stadium as the Vikings are looking to move to a perfect 3-0 and are well on their way.

Update #5: We're done at MacDonald Stadium and the Vikings defeat East Wilkes 6-0. Avery will next be in action on Wednesday when they host Ashe County at 6 p.m. Way to go, Vikes!

Update #4: Brock Yackey tallies a goal with an assist from Daniel Lusk for a 6-0 Viking lead. Avery will move to 3-0 for the 2010 season and look to continue its winning ways on Wednesday when it hosts Ashe County.

Update #3: Estrada scores in the 44th minute for a hat trick as Avery now leads it 5-0 over East Wilkes!

Update #2: Avery adds a pair of goals in the final two minutes to lead 4-0 at halftime. Heraclio Flores blasts a goal to give the Big Red a 3-0 margin, then in the 40th minute Isauro Estrada guides a beautiful shot over the head of the keeper and into the back of the net for a 4-0 Big Red advantage at intermission.

Avery leads 2-0 midway through the first half. An own goal against East Wilkes in the 16th minute gets credited as an unassisted goal for Avery's Daniel Lusk. Four minutes later, Ian Franklin was fouled by the keeper in the penalty area, resulting in a penalty kick. Isauro Estrada took the PK and converted into the left side of the net for a 2-0 Avery advantage. Fifteen minutes remain in the opening half.

Explosive Offense, Stingy Defense Pace Vikings in Win over Knights

Avery took a 14-point lead in the second quarter and never looked back in its 36-13 win over Robbinsville Friday night in the season opener for both teams.

Colton Blackburn gained 158 yards rushing on 12 carries, including a 7-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Vikings rushed for 306 yards and gained 442 overall. Taylor Potter added 80 yards on just seven carries.

The Vikings (1-0) tied the game 7-7 when Alex Villanueva found Andy Gonzalez for a 4-yard touchdown pass, capping a 79-yard, seven-play drive. Potter added a 26-yard touchdown run and Villanueva scored on a 16-yard run to give the Vikings a 21-7 halftime lead.

Robbinsville (0-1) answered with a 17-yard Chris Daniels TD run in the third quarter, but the Vikings put the game away in the fourth with two touchdowns. Villanueva hit Gonzalez again, this time for a 38-yard scoring pass, and Blackburn scored his touchdown run with 2:15 left in the game to seal the victory. Gonzalez caught five passes for 60 yards, while Hunter Shields had three catches for 23 yards.

Villanueva connected on 11-of-21 passes for 136 yards and no interceptions.

Robbinsville finished with 232 yards in total offense, 203 of them on the ground. Knights quarterback Cassidy Galaviz completed just 3-of-11 passes for 29 yards with one interception.

C.J. Williams gained 103 yards on 15 carries for Robbinsville.

Avery looks for a second straight win next Friday night when it hosts the West Wilkes Blackhawks, who lost 21-7 against West Lincoln in their season opener Friday night.

Avery Journal-Times Pigskin Preview Edition

The Avery Journal-Times Pigskin Preview Edition is available to read and download. For previews of local teams, including Avery, Watauga, Cloudland, Mitchell, and Appalachian State University football, check out the document below.

AJT Pigskin Preview Edition

Mountaineers to Take Donations for Injured Football Players

As reported in Wednesday's edition of the Avery Journal-Times, six Mitchell High School football players were involved in a truck accident last Friday afternoon. Two of the players were unharmed but the remaining four players suffered varying injuries, with two of the players remaining hospitalized.

In light of the accident, football will be secondary in the minds of many at Mitchell on Friday when the Mountaineers host Swain County.

Mitchell will take donations at the Swain game to help defray medical expenses for the injured players' families.

The thoughts and prayers of Viking Nation are with our Mitchell County neighbors during this difficult time.

Men's Soccer Begins 2010 Season Ranked Second in the NCAA

BANNER ELK, N.C. -- The Lees-McRae College Bobcats men's soccer team will enter the 2010 season ranked second in the NCAA Division II according to the NSCAA.

The Bobcats finished the 2009 season ranked second after falling 1-0 to Fort Lewis in the NCAA Division II National Championship match in Tampa, Fla. This year's team returns seven of their 11 starters from their magical season where they went 18-3-2.

"We are excited to start the season ranked second in the country. It is a testament to the effort the lads put in last fall," said head coach Matt Thompson. "This is a new season and although we still have high expectations for the returning and incoming players, we know that we will have a target on our back in every game that we play this season."

Defending champions Fort Lewis top the NSCAA poll with the Bobcats the only Conference Carolinas team in the top 25. Southeast region opponents Anderson and Carson-Newman sit ranked 14th and 20th respectively.

The Bobcats will open their season September 3rd against Flagler at Tate Field.

NSCAA Top 25

Visit lmcbobcats.com for more information on Lees-McRae College athletics.

Cormac Joins Men's Soccer Staff

courtesy LMC Sports Information

BANNER ELK, N.C. -- Head men’s soccer coach Matt Thompson has announced the hiring of Patrick Cormac as his assistant coach for the 2010 season.

Cormac served with Thompson in 2009 at Slippery Rock University as a graduated assistant. That season the team posted a recorded of 18-4-1 and made it to the NCAA Sweet 16.

Prior to his time as an assistant, Cormac played for Slippery Rock from 2005-2008. He was the team captain in 2007 and 2008. In 2008, he was also named All-Tournament Team in the NCAA Regional, as the advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.

“Pat will be a huge asset for our team this year,” Thompson said. “His experience will help our team reach the goals we have set in place.”

AJ-T Sports LIVE FROM... Avery High School (Pre-Season Scrimmage)

We are live at MacDonald Stadium in Newland this evening for high school scrimmage action involving the Avery Vikings, as well as Mitchell, West Caldwell, West Lincoln, and Happy Valley (TN) High School.

Avery sits out to begin the proceedings, and the Mountaineers of Mitchell are in action against Happy Valley (TN) in ten-minute periods, with each team scoring as many times as possible from the opponent's 40-yard line over that span.

Mitchell scored on its first possession on an option run by QB Troy Self from about 30 yards out. It was the only score for the Mountaineers in their ten-minute series. Happy Valley scored on a pair of long touchdown runs by two tailbacks. Mitchell forced a turnover during another series, then held the Warriors out of the end zone to close the session.

Avery is preparing to take the field next against its first opponent of the evening. Updates to come...

6:30 PM - Mitchell tangles with West Caldwell while Avery will be on defense to begin against West Lincoln. Action will be fast and furious so we will try to keep updating with action from both teams

West Lincoln scores once on Avery in the ten minute series, while Mitchell allows one score to West Caldwell. The Vikings and Mountaineers will each take a crack on offense coming up momentarily against West Lincoln and West Caldwell, respectively.

7:00 pm - Avery scores twice on its offensive series, while Mitchell scores twice on West Caldwell. Avery and Mitchell both get the best of their respective opponents by identical 2-1 scores. Avery will scrum next with Happy Valley, while Mitchell takes on West Lincoln.

7:15 pm - West Lincoln gets one touchdown in the ten minute offensive span, while Happy Valley scores on a run on the final play of its series against the Viking defense. Avery and Mitchell take the offense after a short break to try their hands against Happy Valley and West Lincoln.

7:30 PM - Mitchell scores twice on the West Lincoln defense to win its series 2-1, while Avery scores on one series and turns the football over on another to finish its series with Happy Valley tied at 1 touchdown apiece.

Teams are taking a short break before starting back up with another series. Great weather in Newland and good work for these teams as they prepare for the opening week of the high school football season just eight days from tonight. The Vikings will be scrimmaging again tomorrow in a full one quarter scrimmage at Hampton (TN) High School.

Avery will tangle with West Caldwell next, while Happy Valley takes on West Lincoln. Avery works on defense for the first ten minute series.

7:40 PM- As soon as I say the weather is good...storm clouds begin moving in and the skies have started darkening. West Caldwell scored once on the Avery defense during its 10-minute session. The Avery offense will take the field and look to pick up a score or two. The connection of Villanueva to Gonzalez has been successful this evening, while running back Colton Blackburn has also ran the ball well.

On the Mitchell side, running back Shawn Jackson may be the most impressive player on the field today. He has broken a long 35 yard score and also picked up other touchdowns during the scrimmage today. Vikings offense up next...

7:55 pm - Lightning has forced the stoppage of play just at the conclusion of the 10 minute offense session. Villanueva connected on a pretty fade pattern into the left corner of the end zone for Avery's lone score. The Vikings did commit another turnover with an interception, however, and also fumbled a football inside the ten yard line. Avery and West conclude with a 1-1 tie.

Avery is still scheduled to play its final game against Mitchell, but rain and lightning may cancel the remainder of the event. Final word on the remainder of the festivities to come.

After a lengthy weather delay, the Vikings and West Caldwell rode out the storm and waqs able to play one final scrimmage with two 15-minute intervals. Both the varsity and junior varsity teams squared off and got in extra work to prepare for next week's regular season kickoff.

The Vikings take on Hampton Friday afternoon, then will again hit the practice field going into next week's opening contest against Robbinsville.

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.