Vikings Trample TJCA, Outrun Owen in Conference Battles

In its two games last week, the Avery Vikings (AHS) varsity boys basketball team proved that it can win games with both offensive explosion and defensive fundamentals.

On Friday, Dec. 17, the Big Red routed the Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (TJ) Gryphons 88-65 in Forest City, and used second half scoring spurts and tenacious defense to hold off a tall and talented Owen Warhorses club 74-72 on Saturday, Dec. 18, in the Viking Octagon.

Friday’s contest was a classic example that one player scoring alone cannot overcome a talented team. TJ boasted a high-scoring freshman in Travis Waldroup-Rodriguez, and he was as good as advertised, scoring a game-high 34 points. AHS countered with four players scoring in double-figures and nine different players tallying at least five points each for the game, led by Dustin Clarke’s 23 points, 12 points from Kody Hughes and 10 points each from Joey Potter and Andy Gonzalez.

AHS led 22-11 after one period behind a blistering 10-of-17 shooting performance from the field and led by 15 at 38-23 at intermission. Timmy Stewart tallied seven points for the Vikings in the half, with Clarke leading the club with 10 points and Hughes chipping in nine points through two frames.

As the second half began, Waldroup-Rodriguez, who tallied only eight points in the first half, caught fire with 12 of his team’s 17 points in the third quarter. AHS countered with the hot shooting of Clarke, who poured in 13 points of his own to bump the Viking advantage to 60-40 after three quarters.

Early in the final stanza the Vikings pulled away with a 12-5 spurt to seal the Gryphons’ fate. Included in the rally was a steal and thunderous slam dunk from junior Alex Villanueva, his second such play in as many contests, to slam the proverbial door on another AHS win.

Clarke added 11 rebounds for a double-double for the game, to go with seven assists and four steals. Timmy Stewart added six rebounds and three assists in the third straight win for the Big Red, who shot 54 percent from the field for the game.

“I think we are a good shooting team. The past four or five games we’ve shot the ball well. Their defense wasn’t what we were used to, but we were able to find ways to get good selected shots that I was pleased with,” Vikings head coach Bo Manis said after the victory. “We crashed the boards offensively for rebounds and put-backs that helped our percentages, plus we kept getting out quick on the break running the basketball. They had trouble recovering in the second half when we were out on the break.”

Despite the win, the coach was quick to praise the improved Gryphons ballclub.
“They’re definitely a better team than what we’ve faced in previous years. They continue to get better each game and each year, which makes me glad because it helps to keep our conference in check and serves to remind us that on any given night in the conference a team can play and beat us,” Manis said. “You have to be ready for every night, and they did a good job of moving the basketball around, which slowed the pace of scoring somewhat.”

The next day the Vikings hosted Owen for a Saturday night special make-up game, which had been postponed from earlier in the week. The first half was nip-and-tuck, as Avery led by two points at 17-15 after one quarter and 33-31 at halftime.

Part of the reason for the close half of action was the height advantage and offensive rebounding of the Warhorses, combined with two early fouls called against AHS’s Clarke, forcing the senior to the bench for the majority of the first half. In Clarke’s absence, nine different Vikings registered points through the first two periods, paced by seven by Timmy Stewart and six points off the bench from Villanueva.

“That’s what makes this team such fun to coach. It’s such a team effort. In order to be successful we have to pick each other up. Almost every game we’ve seen that happen. That’s what this team is about, and I’m excited to see what the team does each night because it can be a different player stepping up each game,” Manis said.

In the third quarter the Vikings built a lead as large as 15 points, and 53-39 at the end of the quarter. Early in the final stanza, however, the Warhorses charged back into the contest. Owen center Ben Marett carried his club, as he scored 15 of his game-high 30 points in the final frame to draw the Warhorses to as close as within two points.

AHS answered as Clarke scored eight of his team-high 16 points in the final period, including five straight free throws in the game’s final 80 seconds to keep the game out of reach.

The Viking bench played key minutes in the first half, as well as down the stretch in the final quarter. Austin Lyons and Benji Stewart each hit key three-point baskets in the second half to quell Owen scoring spurts, while the Vikings shot 10 of 15 from the charity stripe in the final quarter to come away with the team’s second conference win in as many nights.

In addition to Clarke, Villanueva added 11 points and Timmy Stewart added 10 in the winning effort. Colton Blackburn scored eight points while registering five rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals. Hughes and Benji Stewart scored seven points each.

“We started out sluggish and they had their way with us, but in the fourth quarter we shut them down and played harder defense. There were times we looked good and times where I honestly thought we could have played better. Owen is a scrappy ball team and will play that way no matter their size. They bring it every game and never give up,” Manis said after the win. “Defensively they came at us and they played a heck of a game. It could have went either way, but I’m glad we came out with the win and the way we finished speaks volumes about our team.”

Avery played at Hendersonville on Monday, Dec. 20, before the holiday break, falling by a final score of 84-64, and will return home to play Polk County on Jan. 4, 2011, inside the Viking Octagon.

Lady Vikings Open Conference Play with Two Wins

The Avery Lady Vikings played perhaps its best basketball of the young season thus far last week. On Friday, Dec. 17, Avery (AHS) obliterated the Lady Gryphons of Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (TJ) 74-23 in Forest City, then returned home to whip the Warlassies 62-38 last Saturday, Dec. 18, in the Viking Octagon.

AHS roared out to an early lead against the Gryphons and never looked back in the game at historic Cool Springs Gym in Forest City. The Lady Vikings defense surrendered only one first-quarter point and only four total points for the entire first half. AHS took 22 shots in the first period, hitting 10, while holding TJ to only 18 shots for the half.

AHS led 21-1 after one period, led by nine points from sophomore guard Kelsie Clarke. The Lady Viking press defense smothered the TJ offense, garnering numerous steals in the Gryphons backcourt and easy AHS hoops. The Big Red did not surrender a field goal through the first 10 minutes of the contest en route to taking a 36-4 halftime lead.

The second half was merely a matter of how many points the Lady Vikings would score and what the point differential would be, as AHS scored seemingly at will on the way to its first conference win.

“The game gave us the chance to work on some things and play everybody, kind of as we did against West Wilkes. But it also gave us the chance to get back in the flow of playing, with players not able to get to practices with the weather being so bad lately,” Lady Vikings head coach Missy Lyons said following the win. “It wasn’t a lot of competition, but it gave us an opportunity to run and get back into playing. The girls had a lot of fun.”

Clarke led all scorers with 25 points. Nine different Lady Vikings put points on the board, as Lauren Burleson was the only other Avery player who reached double-figures with 10 points. Katelynn Eudy added eight points, with seven points from Savannah Dellinger and six points apiece from Mary Chesnut Smith and Megan Tennant.

The following evening Avery met a potentially difficult foe in the Owen Warlassies, a team returning a number of players from last season and was predicted as a top-tier conference team in the preseason.

The first half of the game was physical, as both clubs struggled early to find the range shooting the basketball. AHS snatched an early four-point edge at 14-10 after one quarter but extended its lead to double-figures at halftime at 32-21.

The spurt was due largely to the hot shooting hand of senior guard Mercedes Bentley, who torched the Warlassies for three three-point baskets in the first half and 15 total points through two periods.

AHS utilized its press defense and tight man-to-man pressure to force several Owen turnovers in the third quarter, while guard Clarke heated up to score seven of her 10 points for the contest during the stanza to push the Big Red advantage to 51-31 after three periods.

Owen never threatened the AHS lead in the fourth period, as the Lady Vikings held the Warlassies to just seven points over the final eight minutes in running away for the win.

Bentley topped all scorers with 18 points, with 11 points from Eudy. Dellinger scored eight in the victory, with six from Burleson.

“I felt like we didn’t shoot well, but our defense really won the game for us. Our press looked good and we got a lot of steals. We knew they had beaten Mitchell the previous night and that they will likely be one of the better teams in the conference this season,” Lyons said after the win. “We just had to dig in and play well and play hard. We kept playing hard. Mercedes hit some key outside shots, especially in the second quarter to help us pull away. Chesnut and Katelynn played some great defense and picked up some steals which helped us get some scoring opportunities.”

The win gives Avery a perfect 2-0 record in Western Highlands Conference games, with one conference game this week at Hendersonville before taking a break from WHC play for the holidays. For the Lady Vikings, the wins were a solid springboard to help the club realize its goal of a regular season conference crown.

“We felt all season like we have a shot at a conference title, but we have to take it one game at a time. We know we have to beat Mountain Heritage and Owen because they are two tough teams, but we’re focusing on working toward our goal,” Lyons said. “Mountain Heritage and Owen play each other this week, which should give us a little better picture of where we stand in the conference at this point.”

Avery traveled to Hendersonville last Monday, Dec. 20, defeating the Lady Bearcats 72-21, and will travel to Draughn High School in Morganton for a Christmas tournament on Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 27 and 28.

Viking Wrestling Progressing as Trio Place at Tigerland Classic

Avery senior Lucas Lecka, C.J. Vance and Brock Yackey brought home top-four finishes at the conclusion of the Tigerland Classic wrestling tournament, held at Hickory’s Fred T. Foard High School on Saturday, Dec. 18.

Lecka, wrestling at 215 pounds, competed in five matches on the day, defeating Independence’s Charlie Kurtz by first period pinfall. After falling in a narrow 8-4 decision to Hibriten’s Tripp Patterson, Lecka rallied for wins over East Burke’s J.D. Buffamoyer (pinfall-26 seconds), West Caldwell’s Guillermo Solis.(11-7 decision) and host Fred T. Foard’s Zach Edwards (10-1 decision) to capture the bronze medallion.

Vance, competing at the 160-pound class, had Avery’s highest finish, placing second overall. The senior won a 4-1 decision over Freedom’s John Chaney and defeated Hopewell’s Tyler Kirpatrick by a 14-8 decision to reach the tournament final. In that match, Vance faced a tough foe from the host school in Foard’s Hayden Albert, who won the match by pinfall.

Yackey, wrestling at 140 pounds, brought home a fourth-place finish overall, with a major decision 13-3 win over Alexander Central’s Tyler Reese and a third period pinfall win over Draughn’s Jaron Draughn sandwiched around a loss to West Caldwell’s Matt Wooten by second period pinfall.

In the third place match Yackey took on Brandon Watts from East Lincoln. In a narrow, hard-fought match, Watts came out victorious by a 3-2 decision to win third place.

Six other Viking grapplers took part in the tournament, including Wesley Hobbs (103 pounds), Justin Gragg (125 pounds), Zac Freeman (135 pounds), Josh Gragg (152 pounds), Luke Price (171 pounds) and Brandon Huff (heavyweight).

“The Tigerland Classic was the most competitive tournament that we’ve entered thus far this season. Brock’s weight class had three state placers in it. The one loss that Lucas suffered was to a wrestler who finished second in the state in 3A last year. We’re wrestling some good people,” Avery head wrestling coach Stacey Clark said of the weekend. “Even though we have a young team, we backed off our schedule a little early, but at this point we’re wrestling the kids we should be wrestling, getting our guys prepared for state tournament.”

The 2010-11 edition of the Avery wrestling team is an exciting club that has seen the number of participants include and has experienced an infusion of young talent that, with time, will continue the tradition of excellence that has marked the Viking wrestling program for decades.

“We’ve got a great turnout this year. It’s the best turnout that we’ve had since I have been the head coach. For the first time we have the potential to fill all of our weight classes. We have some kids who are not quite down to their minimum weight classes, but once that happens, we should have every weight class filled, which is the first battle in wrestling, to get the kids out and get them on the mat,” Clark said. “We have our three returning wrestlers, along with a number of freshmen and a large group of sophomores and juniors who are first-year wrestlers out this year. They’ve taken some lumps and taken some losses, but they are improving and you can see their development in the wrestling room every week.”

Aside from the efforts of the veterans, the early season wins have been somewhat inconsistent, but the coach believes in his team and sees signs that the current team can experience great measures of success not only this season, but in the years to come.

“The younger guys who have shown continuity with getting in practice are showing improvement, while others who have not been able due to weather or other reasons to get to practice consistently are coming along a little slower. It’s put us at a little disadvantage, but it’s not anything this team can’t work through if we’re able to consistently get everyone in practice at the same time,” Clark added. “Our veterans have good chances to advance far this season. They have taken their lumps and paid the price, and have gained a lot of experience through the seasons to see what regional and state competition is like. None of them have lost to a 1A opponent this year, and the losses they’ve had have been to wrestlers in 2A and higher classes.”

This Wednesday, Dec. 22, and Thursday, Dec. 23, the Vikings compete at Mitchell High School in the KT Feldspar Duals, an event featuring many of the best wrestling squads in the Western 1A region, including the likes of Rosman, Robbinsville, Cherokee and host Mitchell. The event will prove a good fulcrum for the Vikings to measure its progress as it nears the midway point of the season.

“This tournament brings an opportunity for a high match number for our kids, especially given how we scheduled a bit less to start the season and anticipating that the football playoffs might go long this fall,” Clark said. “We knew coming in that we would have a young team with just three returners, so we scheduled individual tournaments early so that those who had been around the team longer could be successful. The KT Feldspar Tournament guarantees every wrestler on our team will get eight matches, helping us make up for our late start.”

Following the holiday break, the Avery wrestling schedule includes four home dual matches against conference opponents, including Madison on Jan. 7, Mountain Heritage on Jan. 11, Owen on Jan. 18 and Polk County on Jan. 28.

“We’re excited about the direction we’re going in. We have Coach Hank Hardin back in the wrestling room helping us again this year and he’s really teaching the kids well. Coach Puckett is helping me, and the three of us are focusing on keeping the freshmen interested and helping them to understand that even the losses are a part of the learning process,” Clark said. “We have a unique opportunity to build a really strong team for the future, and our focus and keeping these kids involved long enough to turn the corner and become the great wrestlers that we know they can become. We have a heavy home schedule in the month of January, and we really want to encourage the great wrestling supporters in Avery County that I know we have to come join us in January when we open with Madison.”

ASU Men's Basketball Hangs On Against Robert Morris

(courtesy ASU Sports Information)
Donald Sims tallied 23 points to lead four players in double figures as Appalachian State University (ASU) men's basketball remained perfect at home with a slim 71-66 win against defending Northeast Conference champion Robert Morris (RMU) on Saturday, Dec. 18. The senior hauled in four rebounds and was 12-of-14 from the free throw line on the night.

The Mountaineers broke open a one-point game with 11-straight points in the second half, and held a comfortable cushion until the Colonials rallied back in the final minutes.

ASU (4-4) worked up to a 16-point lead with 6:23 remaining before the Colonials (4-6) chopped it to four points with a minute to play and got as close as 69-66 with 33 seconds on the clock.

ASU scored their final nine points of the game from the free throw line, led by four foul shots from Omar Carter. ASU was a shaky 64 percent (9-of-14) at the stripe down the stretch, but hauled in three defensive rebounds on RMU's final four missed shots to solidify the win.

Carter finished with 14 points, three rebounds and a block, and was 8-of-10 from the foul line in the contest.

ASU shot 40.8 percent in the game and sank just 3-of-16 three-point attempts, compared to 48.2 percent shooting from RMU. ASU was 28-of-40 from the free throw line, coming just one foul shot attempt shy of the season high.

Andre Williamson nearly notched a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds to accompany an assist and a powerful block. Jeremi Booth made his third-straight start and reached 10 points for a third game in a row as he added a season-high six rebounds.

ASU was without assist-leader Mitch Woods and big man Petey Hausley due to injury, but were bolstered by Anthony Breeze, who played 22 minutes off the bench in his season debut.

Breeze provided a spark for the Mountaineers with six points and eight rebounds in his first game since transferring from Coastal Carolina following the 2008-09 campaign.

ASU won the war on the boards with a 39-29 advantage and turned 12 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points. RMU scored five second-chance points on five offensive boards.

Russell Johnson led the Colonial offense with 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting in 34 minutes before fouling out. He also grabbed a team-best six rebounds. Johnson was just one of several RMU players to find foul trouble as the visitors committed 28 penalties to ASU's 13.

ASU was held without an assist in the first half and dished out a season-low six in the contest. ASU was also only able to swipe two steals, though RMU turned the ball over 15 times.

The Mountaineers' brief homestand ends as the squad thaws out at the Cancun Governor's Cup next week. ASU tips off the tournament on Wednesday, Dec. 22, with an 8:30 p.m. contest against Colorado State.

Junior Varsity Weekend Hoops Roundup

The Avery junior varsity basketball teams had a light schedule heading toward the holiday break. The Vikings JV squads were idle on Friday as Thomas Jefferson does not field junior varsity basketball teams, so Avery’s only game of the week involved hosting Owen on Saturday, Dec. 18, in a makeup game from a matchup postponed earlier in the week. Avery’s teams pulled off the clean sweep, with both the JV girls and boys earning their first conference victories of the season.

The JV girls played a tight first half against the JV Warlassies, leading only by a 13-9 score after one quarter and by a half-dozen points at 21-15 at halftime. Freshman Katie Rigdon tallied eight points in the half to pace the Big Red, with six points from Bre Heaton.

In the third period, the pressing defense of the Lady Vikings began taking a toll on the Owen club, as Avery created several turnovers and converted them into points which helped the Lady Vikings outscore Owen 14-6 in the quarter and lead 35-21 heading to the final stanza.

Avery saved its best offensive quarter for last, as Heaton netted a pair of three-point baskets as part of an eight-point quarter for herself, while Rigdon scored nine points in the second half and a game-high 17 points for the contest.

In all, the Big Red tallied 15 in the period en route to a 50-33 victory.

Heaton scored 14 points to put a pair of Lady Vikings in double-figures, while Haley Woody added six points and Shannon Smith added four points in the win. Jessie Ramsey and Taylor Hobbs added three points each for AHS, with a pair from Karmen Gragg and a point from Sela Pittman. Whitney Montgomery paced the Owen scoring attack with 10 points, but Avery allowed no other Warlassies player to score more than four points in the contest.

“Our freshmen guards played hard and shot the basketball well for us tonight,” Lady Vikings JV girls head coach Pat Daniels said after the win. “Haley Woody did a good job for us playing inside rebounding and blocking out, and our press gave them some trouble, especially in the second half. We’re still a young team and we made some mistakes, but we’re continuing to improve and working hard to get better.”

In the JV boys game Avery battled Owen in a low-scoring contest, with the Vikings prevailing by a final score of 47-42.

The Viking offense raced out of the gates quickly, posting 17 points in the first quarter to grab an eight-point lead after one period. The inside combination of Payton Lowery and Luke Wotell were dominant on the glass and had their way in the paint, as the duo scored 12 of the team’s points for the stanza. The dynamic duo combined for all eight AHS points in the second quarter as well, but the Warhorses outscored the Vikings 12-8 in the frame to cut the Big Red advantage to only four points at 25-21 at halftime.

The third quarter proved decisive in the Viking victory effort, as the team outscored Owen 10-4 in the stanza. Bryce Pittman, Chase Buchanan and Ty Polsgrove each netted a field goal in the quarter to help the Vikings build its lead to double-figures at 45-35 with seven minutes to play.

As the final period ensued, the Warhorses refused to surrender as it scored 17 points in the frame, 10 coming by way of free throws, to keep the contest close.

The Vikings managed to withstand the Owen charge, however, with its own 12-point output, sparked by Buchanan, who scored six of his eight points for the game in the fourth quarter. Teammate Chance Watson added a pair of baskets, along with a bucket from Lowery to help secure the five-point win.

Lowery scored 14 points with nine rebounds to lead the Vikings, with 12 points and nine rebounds from Wotell. Buchanan’s eight points were supplemented by seven points from Watson to keep Avery unbeaten in conference play.

“Coming into this game, we stressed the need to establish the inside game, and Payton and Luke really stepped it up. The guys did a good job getting the ball in to them early. Owen’s scrappiness in the second half and the adjustments they made really kept them in the game. I was really pleased with the guys, especially considering we couldn’t have a full practice this week due to the weather,” JV boys head coach Reggie Oakes said after the win. “The defense in really improving both inside and on the perimeter, post play was great and we’re rebounding the ball better, which I believe actually won the game for us tonight.”

The JV teams traveled to Hendersonville on Monday, Dec. 20, to take on the Bearcats before an extended break for the holidays.

Girls Win, Boys Fall at Hendersonville

The Avery Junior Varsity girls defeated Hendersonville 47-16 Monday night in Hendersonville. Taylor Hobbs led Avery with 10 points. Jessie Ramsey added four points, five rebounds, four steals and two assists, while teammate Katie Rigdon added nine points, two steals, and two assists in the win. Shannon Smith and Haley Woody added six points each.

The Viking JV boys lost to Hendersonville 56-46. Avery trailed 21-11 after one period, but cut the lead to 29-25 at halftime. Avery trailed by only four at 41-37 after three quarters before Hendersonville pulled away in the final period for the ten-point win. Chance Watson led Avery with 15 points, with seven points each from Luke Wotell and Zack Guy, with six points from Ty Polsgrove.

The Avery Lady Vikings continued its winning ways by defeating Hendersonville 72-21. Avery led 19-3 after one quarter and held a 35-7 lead at halftime. The Big Red was paced by 14 points from Mercedes Bentley, to go with three steals and three assists. Lauren Burleson added 12 points, four rebounds, and two steals. Katelynn Eudy scored eight points with five rebounds, five blocks, and three steals, while Megan Tennant added eight points and seven rebounds. Savannah Dellinger scored seven points with seven assists in the win, with Kelsie Clarke and Mary Chesnut Smith scoring six apiece and Monica Estep chipped in with five points.

The Avery varsity boys trailed 5-4 early in the first quarter, and the Bearcats pulled away to take a double-figure lead as Avery fell behind 46-33 at halftime. Hendersonville used a hot shooting touch and strong pressure defense to extend its lead to 73-45 after three quarters before cruising to an 84-64 victory. 

The Bearcats pressured the Avery backcourt all game long and double-teamed reigning WHC Player of the Year Dustin Clarke virtually every time he touched the basketball, holding the senior to just three points for the game. Clarke did have nine assists, seven rebounds,and three steals.

Joey Potter led Avery with a season-high 23 points, with 15 points from Alex Villanueva and 11 points from Benji Stewart, both coming off the bench.  Avery committed 28 turnovers in the game.

For Hendersonville, Paul Posthumous scored a career-high 26 points, with 17 points and six rebounds from Marquis Johnson. Shawn Rogers finished with 12 points, six steals and three assists and Sam Wilkins finished the night with nine points and three assists. Rishad Felton added four assists and two points.

The Avery Lady Vikings varsity club will compete on Monday and Tuesday, December 27 and 28 in the Draughn Christmas Tournament. The varsity boys and jv clubs are off for the holiday break until Avery takes on Polk County on January 4.

Vikings Sweep Gryphons

The Avery Vikings varsity basketball teams went a perfect 2-for-2 in varsity games Friday night at Thomas Jefferson. The Lady Vikings blitzed the Gryphons early and often en route to a 74-23 win, while the varsity boys had a slightly more difficult time but pulled away in the second half in a decisive 88-65 triumph.

In the girls game, the Lady Vikings surrendered only one first-quarter point, leading 21-1 after one period and 36-4 at halftime en route to the win.

Kelsie Clarke paced the Big Red with 25 points, with 10 from Lauren Burleson and eight from Katelynn Eudy. The win evens the Lady Vikings record to 4-4 for the season.

In the varsity boys game Avery pulled out to a double-digit margin at 22-11 after one quarter and padded its lead to 38-23 at intermission. Dustin Clarke's 13 points in the third quarter helped the Big Red build a 60-40 advantage after three periods and cruise to the win.

Clarke's 23 led the Vikings, with 12 points from Kody Hughes and 10 points off the bench from Andy Gonzalez. Nine Avery players scored at least five points each in the lopsided win.

Travis Waldroup-Rodriguez of Thomas Jefferson led all scorers with 34 points for the game.

The Avery boys improve to 4-3 for the season. Avery returns to the floor on Saturday afternoon to take on Owen in the Viking Octagon. Junior varsity action will start at 2 p.m.

Avery Basketball Schedule Changes

Avery County Schools' Athletic Director David Wright has announced that the postponed home basketball games from Tuesday, Dec. 14 against Owen are now scheduled for Saturday afternoon, December 18, beginning with JV girls action at 2 p.m. at the Viking Octagon.

Avery's conference contests at Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy is still scheduled for Friday, December 17. TJCA has no junior varsity teams, so it will be a varsity-only event. The varsity girls contest will begin at 5 p.m. from Forest City, with the varsity boys game to follow.

Keep checking the Blog for any further changes to the Avery sports schedules.

Vikings Earn Road Sweep over Blackhawks; Returns Favor with Wins in Cloudland Rematch

The Avery (AHS) varsity basketball teams were impressive in victories in Miller’s Creek last Wednesday, Dec. 8. The Lady Vikings pulled away for a 63-41 win over the Lady Blackhawks, while the AHS boys routed West 70-34 for its second win of the season.

In the girls contest, the Big Red used its full-court pressing defense to generate multiple turnovers from West. Midway through the first stanza the Lady Vikings led by only a pair at 10-8, but then AHS used defense to generate offense. Mercedes Bentley also sparked the Lady Viking offense, draining three three-point baskets in the first period to help AHS take a commanding 28-11 lead.

West cut into the AHS advantage in the second stanza, as the Lady Vikings managed only seven points in the frame. The Lady Blackhawks cut its deficit as AHS backed out of its press defense attack, reducing Avery’s lead to a dozen at 35-23 by halftime.

In the third quarter the Lady Vikings returned to its tough defense, again forcing numerous West turnovers that helped the Big Red increase its lead to 48-30 after three quarters. The Lady Blackhawks had no answer for the AHS defense, while the Lady Vikings dominated the boards en route to the 22-point victory.

“We’ve been struggling in the first quarter. We haven’t been coming out well so we really focused on that,” said AHS head coach Missy Lyons. “We want our defense to create our offense, and we were able to do that with our press.”

Katelynn Eudy paced the Lady Vikings with a double-double, as she scored 18 points and pulled down 13 rebounds, while blocking five shots. Kelsie Clarke was the only other Lady Viking who scored double-figures with 12 points, but eight different AHS players scored in the win.

“Katelynn had a great game, and it was a good win. It gave us a chance to try different things and give everybody a lot of court time,” Lyons said. “Kelsie played great on the press and our half-court trap worked better than it has. We got to mix it up with some zone and some man-to-man and had the opportunity to relax and work on a lot of things.”

With the win, combined with a victory last Friday, Dec. 10, in overtime over Cloudland, the Lady Vikings has won three consecutive games and have a 3-4 overall record.

As with the girls contest, the AHS varsity boys grabbed the early lead over West and never trailed in the game. Six different Vikings scored in the opening frame as the Big Red took a 16-12 lead after one quarter.

The game remained close in the second period as AHS was bolstered by 10 points in the stanza by senior Dustin Clarke. Spencer Blackburn added a three-point basket as the Vikings led 31-21 at halftime.

“We started out slow, but I felt good about going into halftime and making adjustments, and we came out strong in the second half,” Avery varsity boys head coach Bo Manis said. “We just need to put two halves together and play a whole game. We were just running the floor playing good defense. That’s all I am asking for.”

The third quarter was the tipping point of the game as the Vikings vanquished the competitive portion of the matchup with a 20-5 scoring margin in the third period to lead 51-26. The theme of team contribution continued in the quarter, as seven different AHS players scored to put the game out of reach. The Vikings finished the game with a 19-8 scoring run to put the exclamation point on the decisive victory.

“We have a lot of athletes and I think that was the difference tonight. We can go 12-deep and not worry,” said Manis. “We were able to keep subbing in and plugging along, which was good for us and hurt them. We kept pressure on them and picked up some steals on defense. They moved the ball well and we got frustrated early, but we wore them down in the second half and ran the floor well.”

Just over a week after getting swept in varsity action, the Avery Vikings repaid the Cloudland ‘Landers with a sweep of their own on Friday night. The Lady Vikings rallied from an early deficit to take a 50-49 overtime victory, while the Avery boys took an 87-68 victory.

The opening varsity game proved to be an instant classic. In the first quarter, the teams traded shots before Courtney Clark sparked an 8-0 Lady ‘Lander run to give Cloudland a 15-6 lead at the end of the period.

Avery responded in the second with shots from Lauren Burleson, Savannah Dellinger and Mercedes Bentley during an 8-2 Avery run to close the gap to two points. Mattison McKinney drained a shot in the closing seconds to give CHS a 19-15 lead at half.

Cloudland extended their lead to eight points by the midway point of the third quarter, but the Lady Viking defense kept Cloudland from another field goal in the frame and began chipping away at the lead. Katelynn Eudy’s shot at the end of the quarter brought the CHS lead to 32-27.

The final quarter saw CHS lead 37-31 midway through. However, Avery stormed back with a 7-2 run to tie the game with 2:17 remaining in regulation. Clarke drained a 3-pointer with 1:20 left to put CHS up 43-40, but Bentley responded with a 3-pointer of her own to tie the game with 53 seconds remaining. The Lady ‘Landers held the ball for a last second shot, but was denied with Eudy blocked a shot with two seconds left on the clock to send the game into overtime.

Bethany Chambers put Cloudland on the board first in the overtime period, before Mary Chesnut Smith added a free throw for the Lady Vikings. Megan Tennant scored four straight points to put the Lady Vikings up 48-47 with a minute remaining. However, Clarke answered for the Lady ‘Landers with 54 seconds remaining. Bentley would not be outdone, however, as she put Avery back in front with a pair of free throws with 48 seconds left. The Lady Vikings secured the win with a steal from Smith at the end of the overtime period.

Bentley led the way for Avery with 20 points, while Tennant, who missed the first four games of the season, added 10 points, four of which were in the overtime period. Eudy scored eight points.

“We didn’t have Megan last time so we have been playing much better basketball since she came back,” Avery Head Coach Missy Lyons said. “We are still not shooting well and struggling with the shots we should be hitting, but I think we are doing a lot better.”

Cloudland was led by Wilson’s 13 points and Clarke’s 12 points.

“We took a few bad shots down the stretch and missed some free throws, but turnovers practically killed us,” CHS Head Coach Matt Birchfield said. “We had a chance to win big in the early going, but we failed to step up and put them away.”

In the nightcap, the Avery boys jumped out to an early lead with intense defense and never let up en route to the victory. Cloudland opened the game with six straight points from Zac Potter to give the ‘Landers an early 6-4 advantage. Spencer Blackburn scored five points to cap a 7-0 Avery run to give the Vikings the lead, and they used that to run to a 21-11 lead at the end of the frame.

After four Avery points to open the second, Matthew Potter and Michael Hyden sparked a 14-4 run to pull the ‘Landers within four points. The teams traded shots for the rest of the quarter, and Alex Villanueva’s shot at the buzzer gave Avery a 43-36 lead at the half.

Cody Bullwinkle opened the scoring in the third quarter for CHS, but the Vikings went on a 11-2 run to extend their lead to 64-49 at the end of the third. The fourth quarter saw both teams keep fighting as a Kevin Stevens 3-pointer closed the Viking lead to 10 points. However, that was as close as the ‘Lander would get down the stretch.

“It is a great win for us,” Avery Head Coach Bo Manis said. “I think it a win where we need help to see what happens when you work together. No one cared who got the credit, we just wanted to win. We won as a team.”

Villanueva led the way for Avery with 23 points, including a thunderous second-half slam dunk that put the Avery home crowd in a frenzy. Dustin Clarke had 15 points, and Timmy Stewart and Joey Potter had 12 and 11 points, respectively. Colton Blackburn added 10 points to the Viking cause.

“We didn’t come out with the intensity that you’ve got to have on the defensive side,” ‘Landers Head Coach Brandon Carpenter said. “If we don’t play hard on that end then we’re not very good.”
Hyden led the ‘Landers with 21 points, while Potter added 17 points.

AHS was scheduled to host Owen to open Western Highlands Conference play, weather permitting, on Tuesday, Dec. 14. The Vikings will travel to Thomas Jefferson Academy this Friday, Dec. 17, for the first conference road game of the 2010-11 season.

Panthers Prevail as Middle School Hoops Closes Season

A pair of teams unbeaten during the Toe River Conference (TRC) regular season finished their perfect campaigns by winning last week’s TRC postseason tournaments, held Dec. 8, 9 and 11, at Avery High School.

In the girls tournament, the East Yancey Panthers used its stifling press defense and the sterling play of All-Tournament and All-Conference player Abby Renfro to take home both the regular season and tournament titles. As well, the Avery Middle School (AMS) Panthers completed its perfect season in dominant fashion defeating both the Cane River Rebels and Bowman Bulldogs by double figures to cut down the nets and prevail as regular season and postseason champions.

In the girls tournament, the Cranberry Middle School (CMS) Lady Wildcats opened play against the Cane River Lady Rebels (CRMS). The game was a close defensive affair throughout, as neither team managed to score high point totals.

CMS led CRMS 14-12 at halftime behind eight first-half points from Elizabeth Pittman. In the third quarter, the Lady Wildcats suffered a difficult loss as point guard Bethany Burleson suffered an ankle injury and was unable to return to the game. The Lady Rebels took advantage of the loss and scrapped back to take a 20-18 advantage after three quarters.

CRMS held CMS scoreless in the final six minutes, scoring eight points in the process to close out the contest with a 28-18 victory.

The CMS boys team also played on the tournament’s first day of action, taking on Cane River in a hard-fought affair. CMS was unable to contend with the play of CRMS standout Avery Austin, who tallied only two first-half points, but rallied to score 23 second-half points to help defeat the Wildcats 51-43.

CMS got off to a fast start in the contest, taking a 13-6 lead after one quarter of play. A 13-4 second quarter margin in favor of the Rebels helped CRMS lead 19-17 at halftime.

Austin scored 14 of CRMS’s 18 third-quarter points to keep the Rebels out front, leading 37-30 after three periods. Tyler Pitman tried to help the Wildcats claw back in the game with 10 of his team-high 16 points in the second half, but the Rebels were too much as it advanced with the win.

The Avery Lady Panthers entered the postseason tournament looking to defend its tournament title from a season ago. Things began well for AMS, using a 14-4 run in the first quarter to take a 10-point advantage. The duo of Kylie Polsgrove and Jodi Poore combined for 10 points apiece in the first half, while Ashley Singleton scored five points in the second stanza to pace the Lady Panthers to a 29-10 lead at intermission and cruise to a 40-23 win to advance to the semifinals.

On Thursday, Dec. 9, the Lady Panthers met the second-seeded Harris Lady Blue Devils (HMS). The teams played an even contest for the entire four quarters. HMS took a 9-7 lead after one period and pressed ahead by a 20-16 score at halftime. Poore and Polsgrove continued to lead the way offensively for AMS with 12 of the team’s first-half points.

In the third quarter defense was the name of the game as AMS outscored HMS 6-5, trailing by only three at 25-22 going into the final period.

AMS trailed by five late in the final stanza, but a conventional three-point play by Poore cut the lead to 32-30. The Lady Panthers forced a Harris turnover in the final seconds, but was unable to get off a potential game-tying or game-winning shot, as HMS escaped with a 32-30 win to advance to the tournament final.

The AMS boys team entered last week’s tournament as the top seed, and proved to be both resilient and impressive, blowing out the Cane River Rebels 57-33 in the semifinal round. In the tourney final, AMS faced a pesky No. 2 seed in Bowman, as the Panthers led by only two points at halftime. A huge third quarter run by AMS preserved its perfect season, however, as the Panthers pummeled the Bulldogs by a final score of 67-50.

In the semifinal round, AMS got off to a slow start, trailing CRMS 11-9. Its defense stepped up, however, outscoring CRMS 14-0 in the second quarter to lead 23-11 at halftime.

AMS played strong coming out of the locker room, as Kobe Pittman and James Stewart combined for 14 of the team’s 18 points in the third quarter to post a 41-17 lead after three periods and advance with the 24-point triumph.

Pittman led AMS with 16 points, with 12 each from Stewart and Dylan Bauer, along with 10 points from Tre Jackson and seven from Dalton Tennant.

In the championship game, AMS squared off with Bowman, who had defeated Harris to advance to the final. The game was physical throughout, as the Bulldogs stayed close with the Panthers, trailing by just three at 15-12 after one period and by a pair at 28-26 at halftime.

AMS struggled on the boards in the first half, as Bowman out-rebounded the Panthers, especially on the offensive glass, through two quarters. Despite the discrepancy, Tennant kept the Panthers in the contest with 11 points, with eight points from teammate Jackson.

As the second half began, it was evident that the halftime speech from AMS head coach Gordon Polsgrove sunk in effectively. AMS came out on fire, outscoring the Bulldogs 22-8 to race out to a 50-34 lead. AMS guard Pittman, held in check in the first half, exploded for 11 points in the period. The Panthers was dominant on the glass as well, scoring several baskets off the offensive rebounding of center Tennant in the frame.

The final period proved more of a coronation than a competition, as AMS celebrated a 17-point win and the first middle school championship in the illustrious coaching career of veteran head coach Polsgrove.

Pittman paced the Panthers with 23 points, with 16 from Jackson and 14 from Tennant. Avery finished the season with a perfect 12-0 record in conference play and the team gathered in celebration to cut down the net in Viking Gym after the win.

Following the tournament, the Toe River Conference announced its boys and girls All-Conference and All-Tournament teams. The following players were selected for those squads.

Girls All-Conference:
Casey Cooper (Bowman)         Kylie Polsgrove and Jodi Poore (Avery)
Kendyl Neill (Cane River)      Amber Johnson and Madison Spurling (Harris)
Bethany Burleson and Sierra Jones (Cranberry)
Abby Renfro, Destiny Elkins and Hunter Young (East Yancey).

Girls All-Tournament: 

Casey Cooper (Bowman)             Anna Gragg and Jodi Poore (Avery)
Elizabeth Pittman (Cranberry)  Tiffany Goins and Tayler Duncan (Harris) 

Lacy Elkins and Emily Robinson (Cane River)
Abby Renfro, Hunter Young and Destiny Elkins (East Yancey)

Boys All-Conference:
Drey Phillips (Harris)           Tyler Pitman (Cranberry)
Gray McCurry and Avery Austin (Cane River)
Jared Sellers and Alex Cash (East Yancey)
Sam McKinney and Ryan McKinney (Bowman) Kobe Pittman, Tre Jackson and James Stewart (Avery)

Boys All-Tournament:
Trevan Riddle (Harris)         Tyler Pitman (Cranberry)
Avery Austin and Blake Fox (Cane River)
Jared Sellers and Alex Cash (East Yancey)
Sam McKinney and Zach Boone (Bowman) Kobe Pittman, Tre Jackson and Dalton Tennant (Avery)

Avery Native Fletcher Named Panther Coach of the Week

The Carolina Panthers High School Coach of the Week program recognizes high school coaches who, through their hard work and dedication to young people, have made a difference in the lives of their players, school and community. This program also provides high schools with financial assistance to help maintain and upgrade their football programs.

This week, the Carolina Panthers selected West Brunswick High School football coach Jimmy Fletcher as this season’s ninth Coach of the Week.

Fletcher, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Randall Fletcher of Minneapolis, played football for the Vikings under head coach Elmer Aldridge and is an Avery graduate. Fletcher went on to college at Lenoir-Rhyne College, where he played football and graduated with a master’s degree.

Fletcher began his coaching career as an assistant football coach at Richmond County High School before moving to the collegiate ranks as an assistant coach at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tenn. In 2003, Fletcher moved to Shallotte to take over as head coach of the West Brunswick High School football program.

In his eight years with the Trojans, Fletcher has led the team to seven playoff appearances and was named Waccamaw Conference Coach of the Year in 2009.

Fletcher has propelled more than 25 of his student-athletes to play at the collegiate level and one to play at the professional level.

As an active member of the New Beginning Community Church and the South Brunswick Rotary Club, Fletcher leads his student-athletes to participate in several community initiatives to help them better appreciate both their community and the opportunity that football has afforded them. The Trojan football team has delivered Thanksgiving dinners to underprivileged families in the community every holiday season as well as assisting local church work crews as they fix up, repair and rebuild homes of the less fortunate.

Fletcher also chooses players to speak to local elementary school pupils about character and perseverance.
“[All of] this is especially important,” Fletcher said, “because many of our players do not have much but are still willing to help those that are unable to help themselves. Our football team at West Brunswick is an integral part of our community. It is sometimes a connecting factor for people of all ages.

“I believe that the lessons learned in football are simply life lessons: when things are tough, work harder; when someone knocks you down, get back up; always play with integrity; give the other guy a hand up.
“Out of all these lessons though, I hope that the thing they always remember is to be a man of integrity and never quit,” he said.

West Brunswick’s athletics director John Floyd said, “a great testament to his influence is the great number of players that have gone on to become coaches themselves.”

“I have to say that the most joy I receive from coaching does not come on the field. It comes when a player tells me that they want to be a football coach or when they call me 15 years later to tell me what a difference I made in their lives,” Fletcher said. “That is the reason I coach football.”

In recognition of Fletcher, Carolina Panthers charities will donate $1,000 to West Brunswick High School’s athletic department. In addition, Fletcher and the rest of this year’s selected coaches will be honored with an on-field presentation during the Panthers last regular season home game versus the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday, Dec. 19. At that time, the 2010 Coach of the Year will be announced and the winning coach will receive an additional $2,000 grant for his school’s athletic department.

Fletcher will serve as an assistant at the Shrine Bowl this Saturday, Dec. 18, at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C.. He is married to the former Lyn Keeter and they have two children, daughter Megan and son Jay.

Viking Junior Varsity Hoops Roundup

Both Avery High School (AHS) junior varsity teams were in action last week with a pair of non-conference matchups.

Junior Varsity Girls

The Lady Viking JV club routed the West Wilkes Lady Blackhawks 40-17 last Wednesday, Dec. 8, for a momentum-building victory.

AHS’s press defense was strong in the early going, as it created a number of West turnovers. The Big Red led 12-5 after one period and took a 19-11 lead into intermission.

AHS blew the contest open in the third quarter, outscoring the Blackhawks 13-2 over the stanza to seize control of the game for good and lead 32-13. Kristen Burleson netted all five of her points in the frame, while teammates Taylor Hobbs, Katie Rigdon and Haley Woody each chipped in with a bucket. The Lady Vikings defense surrendered only four points in the final period to take the convincing victory.

Ten different Lady Viking players registered points in the victory, led by Bre Heaton, who tallied seven.

Last Friday, Dec. 10, the Lady Vikings ran into a buzzsaw in its rematch with the Cloudland Lady Highlanders (CHS). The neighboring Landers, who are allowed in its home state of Tennessee to dress players for both junior varsity and varsity contests, played a number of varsity players against the Lady Vikings. AHS fought hard, but an early 17-1 run by the Lady Landers was too much for the Big Red to overcome in a 61-24 loss.

CHS led 21-3 after one period and 35-12 at halftime behind 10 points in the half by Maddison McKinney and seven points from Haley Johnson. Woody led the Big Red with five points in the half.

CHS continued to add to its lead as Madison Wilson added seven points in the third quarter to boost the Lady Lander advantage to 52-16 after three periods en route to the win.

Shannon Smith led the Avery scoring charge with seven points, with four points each from Rigdon and Heaton.

“My girls just seemed to be intimidated from the start and didn’t help each other a lot,” said Avery Lady Vikings junior varsity head coach Pat Daniels after the game. “We didn’t play good team ball. We woke up eventually and played better defense, but we’ve got to find a rotation that’s going to work 100 percent.”

Daniels felt the addition of the Lander varsity players, who can play up to a combined six quarters in an evening, played a part in the lopsided outcome.

“It definitely gives the other team a decided advantage,” Daniels said. “If I could play Kelsie Clarke and Lauren Burleson on the junior varsity level tonight, we’d probably beaten them.”

Junior Varsity Boys

The Viking junior varsity boys team played an exciting contest in Miller’s Creek last Wednesday, Dec. 8, against West Wilkes. AHS fell behind by double-figures in the first half, but staged a roaring comeback to force the game to overtime. West managed to hold on over the extra session and escape with a 44-42 win over the Big Red.

Both squads struggled to score in a defensively-minded first period, with West gaining a 7-5 lead after one period. In the second period, however, the Blackhawks build a working margin behind eight points from Jacob Dancy. Four AHS players scored in the frame, but West held a 23-14 lead at halftime.

In the third stanza, the defensive theme continued as both teams managed only three field goals apiece, with the Blackhawks maintaining a nine-point lead at 29-20. In the fourth quarter, however, the Big Red furiously stormed back. Chance Watson’s hand was white hot, as he stroked three three-point baskets and 13 points overall in the period. Bryce Pittman added five points in the stanza to account for all 18 Viking points. The AHS defense held West in check and knotted the game at 38-38 at the end of regulation.

In the extra period, Luke Wotell paced the Vikings in scoring, as he netted all four AHS points in overtime. West managed six points in the frame, however, including two key free throws and four points overall by Sam Allen to put the Blackhawks over the top and escape with the win.

Watson led the Big Red with 16 points, with eight points from Wotell. Pittman finished with five points, with four apiece from Stetson Stafford and Payton Lowery.

“We dug ourselves an early hole, which was a trait of having such a young team with so many freshmen. Not to make excuses, but every team we’ve faced has been an older and more veteran group made up primarily of sophomores,” Viking junior varsity head coach Reggie Oakes said after the game. “They outmatched us physically early on and played us tough in the lane on defense. They used a three-quarter court trap that we tried to dribble through, which wasn’t working. We finally got some continuity through passing the ball and made a good run to send the game to overtime. We did things better fundamentally that sometimes takes a little longer for freshmen to figure out.”

On Friday, Dec. 10, the Vikings hosted neighboring Cloudland (TN) High School. The two battled for four quarters in a physical contest, but the ‘Landers came out on top by a 60-52 final score.

As with the game at West, the Vikings played closely with its opponent, holding a narrow 13-12 lead after seven minutes of action. Wotell and Lane Smith each scored a pair of buckets in the frame to help the Big Red hold the lead.

In the second quarter the Vikings spurted out to a working lead, as Chase Buchanan scored seven points in the period, with five points apiece from Smith and Lowery to take a 30-23 lead into the dressing room at halftime.

As the second half ensued, the ‘Landers showed that it had made several successful halftime adjustments, outscoring AHS 19-10 to take the lead at 42-40 going into the final period.

CHS opened up its lead to double figures in the final period. Watson and Smith each netted a pair of three-pointers in the quarter, but the margin was too great as the ‘Landers earned the victory.

The Vikings received a balanced scoring effort, as Smith and Wotell led the squad with 12 points each. Lowery was the only other AHS player in double figures with 11 points, with nine from Buchanan and six from Watson.

“I think we came out a lot stronger in the first half, and we did a better job of boxing out early. Then all of a sudden, it’s a freshman thing, we just got away from what got us the lead,” Oakes said after the loss. “Another thing is they made some halftime adjustments and switched their press over from a zone press to man. We tried to adjust with what we practiced because we expected that, and they were just beating us to the ball. We were trying to get a man in the middle to break the press like we normally do, and they were just beating us to the spot. I felt like they just out-hustled us there for a stretch and we let it get away for us. I think the kids are seeing now what it takes to win. If we can get all five guys to play team defense, we will be fine.”

Avery’s games with Owen on Tuesday, Dec. 14 were postponed and no makeup date has been set. The teams will travel this Friday, Dec. 17, to Rutherford County to take on Thomas Jefferson Academy.

Ten Vikings Named to Fall Sports All-Conference Teams

The 2010 Western Highlands Conference fall All-Conference teams were announced by the league last week, and Avery High School (AHS) was well represented as 10 Viking student-athletes were recognized for their performances on the field and court this past season.

The following is the list of sports and AHS students who were named All-Conference:

Cross Country: Mary Chesnut Smith (also named All-Region, narrowly missing All-State by one place)
Football: Colton Blackburn, Andy Gonzalez, Kenny Hicks, Lucas Lecka and Taylor Potter
Men’s Soccer: Daniel Lusk* and Brock Yackey**

*named to All-Region Team,

**named All-Region Team and NC Soccer Coaches Association 1A All-State Team

Volleyball: Cassie Bumgarner and Megan Tennant

Wrestling Loses Narrow Dual to Watauga, Competes at NEO

Last Thursday, Dec. 9, Avery (AHS) and Watauga (WHS) met on the mat at Avery Middle School to make up a dual match rescheduled from two days earlier due to bad weather. Last Saturday, Dec. 11, the Vikings traveled to Tuscola High School for the NEO Invitational, placing 8th overall with four wrestlers bringing home top four finishes for the tournament in their respective weight class.

In a match with WHS that remained tight through the duration, the Pioneers won the final bout of the evening to win last week’s dual match by the final score of 42-36.

The match began with two Viking wins: Brock Yackey and Ty McCoury by forfeit at 140 and 145 pounds, respectively. For the first actual competed bout, WHS’s Jonah Critcher won by pinfall over AHS’s Josh Gragg at 152 pounds. At 160 pounds, Jacob Gilliam won for WHS in the 160-pound bout by first period pinfall over Luke Price. AHS’s C.J. Vance, who usually competes at the 160-pound class, was unavailable for the dual due to an injury received at the West Wilkes tournament the previous weekend.

Following a WHS forfeit win at 171 pounds, Pioneer 189-pounder Robbie Sherrill defeated AHS’s Logan Corrai to put the Pioneers in front 24-12. AHS narrowed the deficit to 24-18 in its next bout, as Lucas Lecka won by first period pinfall at 215 pounds.

In the heavyweight class, Viking Brandon Huff defeated WHS’s Cody Miller by pin at 1:10 to tie the match at 24.

After a double forfeit at 103 pounds, WHS retook the lead with a Mark Townsend pin over AHS’s Wesley Hobbs at 112 pounds. In the 119-pound class, AHS’s Harley Rash continued to impress, winning by first period pinfall to knot the match at 30-30.

At 125 pounds, WHS’s Demetri Kostas defeated AHS’s Jacob McKinney by pin for a 36-30 advantage.
A forfeit win at 130 pounds by AHS’s Devin Buchanan tied the match yet again, setting the stage for a winner-take-all bout at 135 pounds, where WHS’s Bailey Blethen won by first period pin over AHS’s Zack Freeman to give the visitors from Boone the overall match win.

Over the weekend the Vikings dodged the winter weather for the annual NEO Invitational Tournament.

AHS earned 85.5 points for the tournament, which was won by Enka High School with a total of 209 team points. The Vikings had one champion at the tournament as senior Vance, returning from injury to win four matches, won the individual title at 160 pounds.

A pair of wrestlers, Yackey at 140 pounds and Lecka at 215 pounds, each won four matches to bring home second-place finishes, while Buchanan won three of five matches to capture third place at the 130-pound weight class.

The Vikings took a total of 13 wrestlers to the NEO Tournament, with nine of the competitors earning at least one victory during the event. Of those wrestlers, two of which, Hobbs (103 pounds) and Rash (119 pounds) finished in the top six in their individual tournament field.

The Big Red grapplers return to the mat this Saturday, Dec. 18, when the team travels to Fred T. Foard High School for the annual Tigerland Classic.

Apps Fall Short in FCS Playoffs

Julius Ceaser, among other things, is known for his famous saying “veni, vidi, vici” which means I came, I saw, I conquered.

On Saturday in Boone, it might as well as been Villanova’s Matt Szczur’s personal motto.

The Mountaineers were unable to counter the senior Szczur attack as he had a hand in five of Villanova’s six touchdowns as the defending national champs defeated Appalachian State 42-24 in the NCAA FCS Quarterfinals on Saturday inside Kidd Brewer Stadium. The Mountaineers had chances to pull back into the game, but were unable to do so as they saw their season end prematurely.

“They are a multi-talented team, probably as balanced as any team we’ve played in a long, long time,” ASU Coach Jerry Moore said. “We gave up a couple of big plays in the first half, and then we had opportunities that we were just not able to cash in on. We’d stick our foot in the door and then they’d slam it on us.”

For the Mountaineers, they had no answer for Szczur, who missed six games with an ankle injury during the regular season.

“He can do a lot of things, as we saw today,” said Moore. “He ran for it, threw for it, and made a lot of big plays for them. I think if you ask about a difference, he made a huge difference today.”

Szczur had three rushing touchdowns, one receiving touchdown and one passing touchdown. He finished the game with 207 combined yards (104 rushing, 45 receiving and 58 passing).

In the early going, it looked like the App offense was not going to have a problem with the Wildcats defense.

App took the opening kickoff, and it only took them three plays before Travaris Cadet scrambled into the end zone from 46-yards out. After Szczur ran in his first touchdown, the Mountaineers marched back down the field and scored on a 19-yard Jason Vitaris field goal. However, it would be the last points App would score until the second half, and Villanova added three scores from Szczur in the Wildcat formation to take a 28-10 lead into the locker room. Despite trailing, the Mountaineers seemed to have taken the momentum in the game as they forced three straight Villanova punts, but were unable to capitalize.

The opening of the second half saw the defenses rise to the occasion as both teams were forced to punt on consecutive possessions. App then began to try and cut the ‘Nova lead as Walter Payton Finalist DeAndre Presley hit Ben Jorden on a 14-yard pass for a score to cut the deficit to 28-17.

Villanova responded on their next possession when Szucur dived into the end one from a yard out. After the ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, the Mountaineer offense worked efficiently and quickly as Presley hit Brian Quick for a 38-yard touchdown pass. Appalachian nearly got an early Christmas present from the Wildcats as the Mountaineers recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, but was unable to convert it into points and turned the ball over on downs.

The next Wildcat drive was brief as it only took Villanova two plays to reach the endzone as quarterback Chris Whitney dove into the endzone for the game’s final score.

Presley ended the game 31-of-56 passing for 361 yards and also had 22 yards on 14 carries. The Mountaineers outgained the Wildcats 461-449.

Appalachian finishes the season with a 10-3 record overall.

Bobcats Capture 2010 Collegiate Cyclo-cross National Championship

The Lees-McRae College cycling team captured its tenth national title in program history on Sunday, earning the 2010 Collegiate Cyclo-cross National Championship by slipping past defending Champion Fort Lewis to earn the top spot in the team omnium by more than 30 points.

“This is another proud moment for our cycling team, student-athletes, coaches, fans and alumni as we have captured another National Championship,” said Director of Athletics Craig McPhail. “The dedication of these young people to accomplish this great achievement is a testament to Lees-McRae College.”

The national crown marks Lees-McRae’s fourth Division I championship in Cyclo-cross in the last five years, including a stretch of three-straight titles from 2006-2008. It is also the 10th team national championship in program history, and the sixth since the school ascended to the Division I level.

For alumni coaches Luke Winger (LMC class of ’07) and Robert Jameson (class of ’07) the hard work in prepping the riders for the conditions and course paid off as they have added barriers and jumps to our cycling trails.

Pacing the Bobcats to victory were four riders finishing in the top five, with Carla Swart and Erica Zaveta battling to third and fourth place finishes in the Division I women's race, and Bradford Perley and Eric Thompson grabbing top five marks in the Division I men's competition, with third and fifth-place finishes, respectively.

The Bobcats also placed two additional riders in the top 10, as Cinthia Lehner finished 10th in the women’s race, and Brian Sheedy placed eighth in the men’s competition. A total of seven Lees-McRae riders finished among the top 20 in the two races, including a 19th-place showing by Kerry Werner in the men’s competition.

Thompson and Perley also performed well in the U23 competition on Saturday, finishing fourth and eighth, respectively, while Sheedy placed 10th in the 35-39 year-old grouping of the master’s competition.

Bobcat Sports Roundup

Men’s Basketball: Eagles Rally Past Bobcats

John Holleman recorded a double-double with 20 points, and a game-high 10 rebounds to lead the Carson-Newman College (C-N) men's basketball team to a 79-76 come-from-behind victory over Lees-McRae College (LMC) in non-conference action last Saturday, Dec. 10, in Williams Gymnasium.

C-N (3-6) shot 45.6 percent from the floor on the afternoon, including a blistering 57.7 percent clip in the second half, while LMC (3-5) posted a 43.3 percent mark from the field, including an even 50 percent in the final 20 minutes. The Eagles edged the Bobcats on the glass by a 39-36 margin, including a 31-23 advantage on the defensive boards.

Leading the way for the Bobcats was senior Adam McFerran, who poured in a game-high 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting, while nearly missing a double-double with a squad-best nine rebounds. Daniel Sepokas and Tevin Friday joined McFerran in double figures with 15 and 10 points, respectively, as Sepokas chipped in a game-high four steals. Dairl Scott, Jr. added eight points and five rebounds, while Reshon Benjamin also dished out a team-high five assists for the Bobcats.

Holleman paced the Eagles with 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while pulling down 10 boards and converting each of his eight free throw attempts. Antonio Sullivan joined Holleman in double figures with 16 points, while Ishmael Sanders and Collin Crane chipped in 11 and 10 markers, respectively. Sanders also dished out a game-high eight assists, while Kevin Hare posted a contest-best two blocks.

LMC started strong, scoring the game's first 10 points before C-N responded, launching a 10-5 run to cut the lead to 15-10 on a Crane layup with 10:27 to play in the half. The Bobcats answered with a spurt of their own, opening their largest lead of the game at 30-14 with a McFerran triple at the 6:52 mark, on the heels of a 15-4 run. C-N charged back, closing the half with a 17-6 run surge to cut the margin to 36-31 at the intermission.

The Eagles carried the momentum into the second half, slowly chipping away at the lead until they charged forward with a 12-4 spurt midway through the period, taking their first lead of the game at 52-51 on a Sullivan triple with 11:28 to play. After C-N pushed the lead to 56-51 with a pair of quick baskets, the Bobcats answered, launching a 6-0 spurt to reclaim the advantage at 57-56 on McFerran's jumper with 9:21 left on the clock.

C-N answered with a 7-0 spurt of its own, opening its largest lead of the game at 63-57 with 6:57 to play on a Holleman jumper. LMC refused to give in, battling back to take a 66-65 lead on a Scott layup at the 5:09 mark.

The Eagles answered with a 9-2 run to reclaim the advantage and push the lead to 74-68 with less than two minutes to play, capping the spurt with a Holleman layup at the 1:44 mark. LMC exercised exceptional clock management over the next minute and a half, cutting the lead to 77-76 on a clutch three-pointer by Sam Youse with 13 seconds to play.

Sullivan connected on both free throws after the resulting Bobcat foul, pushing the lead to 79-76 and forcing LMC into another three-point situation. After the Eagles forced an ill-timed Bobcat miscue, LMC returned the favor, as Sepokas picked off the inbound attempt at mid-court with three seconds left. C-N held on for the narrow victory, as the Bobcats' tying attempt fell short as time expired.

Justice, Henderson Earn Conference Carolinas Scholar-Athlete Honors

LMC senior middle blocker Whitney Justice has been named the Conference Carolinas Women's Volleyball Scholar Athlete, announced league officials last Wednesday, Dec. 8.

Justice has been an integral part of LMC’s success over the last four seasons, garnering Conference Carolinas Player of the Year honors in each of the last two years and leading the Bobcats to three conference titles in that span. The six-foot middle blocker capped her career with a match-high 12 kills against Wingate University in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional, concluding her tenure at LMC with 1,347 kills.

The 2009 AVCA All-American has led the Bobcats to three conference titles during her four-year career, leading the league in hitting percentage in each of the last two seasons. Justice posted an outstanding season this fall in conference play, recording a blistering .450 hitting percentage against league opponents to lead the Bobcats to a perfect 18-0 mark in Conference Carolinas action, capping the program's 12th league title in the last 13 years.

During her career, Justice garnered all-conference first team honors twice, all-region recognition in back-to-back seasons, conference tournament MVP honors twice, as well as a spot on the 2009 AVCA All-America team.

LMC ended its season with a 25-8 record, including a perfect 18-0 mark in conference play en route to the program's 12th league title in the past 13 years.

LMC senior Hannah Henderson has been named the Conference Carolinas Women's Cross Country Scholar Athlete, announced league officials Wednesday, Dec. 8.

Henderson caps a tremendous career with the Bobcats, a tenure in which the senior posted seven top-10 finishes and garnered all-Conference Carolinas Third Team honors in each of the last two seasons. The Canvas, W. Va. native enjoyed an impressive season with LMC this fall, posting a trio of top-10 finishes and placing 14th at the conference championship meet to earn all-conference third team honors.

The Communication Arts major transferred to LMC from NCAA Division I member Marshall University prior to the 2009 season. As a multi-sport athlete at Marshall in cross country and track and field, Henderson posted 11 top-10 finishes while placing among the top-20 on 17 occasions. Henderson also tallied seven top-five finishes at Marshall, including a pair of victories.