Carolina at Duke- The Showdown

To get everyone pumped up more about the Carolina-Duke game, I thought I would share a video from ESPN that I found on Youtube. Enjoy!

2A Basketball Playoff Update - Mitchell Girls Eliminated by East Davidson

The final Western Highlands Conference team alive in playoff action, the Mitchell Lady Mountaineers, were defeated tonight by East Davidson by a final of 63-55. Laken Norris scored 18 points for the Lady Mountaineers, while WHC Player of the Year Samantha Blevins added 16 and Corie Peterson added 13 points. Anna Freeman led East Davidson with 27 points. East Davidson will advance to take on Salisbury in the Regional Final on Saturday.

Lady Vikings Soccer Improves to 2-0

(JEFFERSON) The Avery Lady Vikings soccer team remained undefeated with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Ashe County in Jefferson Thursday evening.

Ashe County scored in the latter stages of the opening half on a clear but cool evening to lead 1-0 at halftime. After making adjustments at the half, Avery came out more determined and active on the offensive half of the field, putting pressure on an Ashe squad. Around the 65th minute of the match, Avery freshman Mary Chesnut Smith slipped a shot to the right of the Huskies keeper for the equalizer to tie up the match.

With 8:20 remaining in the match, a Brianna Strange shot deflected off the Ashe keeper. Freshman Melinda Eggers alertly was on the spot to blast the rebound into the back of the net for the eventual game winning goal.

"We talked at halftime about not backing down against the bigger, more experienced girls from Ashe," head coach Tom Evaul said after the win. "We told the girls to not back down in the second half and to take the game to them. We made a couple of changes and changed our frontline to a 3-3 instead of a 2-4 which gave us a little more offense, and that seemed to work for us. We've asked Mary Chesnut to take shots for us when they are available to her, and she took a shot which worked well. We're really proud of the girls' effort tonight."

Although Avery is a relatively young squad with around 8 freshman players, the club shows experience and savvy which belies its age. Meanwhile, a number of returning players provide leadership which as the season continues will gel the Lady Vikings into a dangerous team on the pitch.

"I remember when the sisters of Melinda, Mary Chesnut, and Emily (Banner) were playing. In no way do I mean to upset those former players who may read this, but this group of freshmen is by far the best group of freshmen we've had come in as far as knowledge of the ball, knowledge of the field, the way they play the field, passing the ball," Coach Evaul commented. "I'm just really pleased with this group of freshmen. Our younger girls who are inexperienced have done a really good job considering they really haven't played. The past two games have helped us a lot but we still have a ways to go, but we'll also be mixing in the basketball players who we'll soon have joining us full-time and I believe we'll be ahead of schedule in terms of where we want to be as a team."

NOTE: The Avery home match against Owen originally scheduled for this Monday has been changed to a road game, as the team will instead now travel to Swannanoa for their conference opener next week.

Avery Journal Times Live from...Regional Semifinal

7:45: Greetings! The Avery Journal-Times is in Winston-Salem to cover the Lady Vikings showdown with Chatham Central. Due to lack of wireless internet at the game site, Jamie will be unable to blog from Winston. However, I will be updating and blogging during this game from Avery County. We have worked out a system where I will be able to blog and will have updated information here as soon as it comes in to me from Jamie. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at averysports@yahoo.com

The Lady Vikings are scheduled to tip off at 8:30pm. The game before pitted Bishop McGuinness and Robbinsville. Bishop is leading at the half 42-18 as they have shot an impressive 51% (19 of 37) from the floor. Robbinsville shot 25% (5 of 20) in the half. Brittany Cox is leading the way for Bishop with 11 pts. while Brandy Deddo has 12 pts. and 10 rebounds for Robbinsville. Check back for more details from this game and the updates on the Avery-Chatham Central Contest!

The contest by the Numbers:
24 - number of points Chatham Central defeated East Surry to reach Wednesday's contest.
25.3 - the average # of points Avery has defeated opponents by in its first three rounds of playoff competition.
30 - rebounds for the combination of Gragg and Ellis in Friday's Sectional final victory.
57- combined point total for triple-threat tandem of Bolton (25), Courie (14) and Varkey (18) in the Lady Bears' Friday night sectional win over East Surry.
79.6 - points per game generated by the Avery offense over the past three contests.

8:02: End of the third quarter Bishop is continuing to control the contest as they lead 58-24 at the end of the third quarter.

8:30: Bishop has taken the victory as they cruised past Robbinsville 69-35. Bishop was led by Erin Thompson's 16 points and Brittany Cox's 13 points. Bishop shot 28 of 55 (50%) while Robbinsville shot 12 of 43 (28%). Robbinsville was led by Brandy Deddo's 12 points and 11 rebounds. UP NEXT: The Lady Vikings take on Chatham Central!

AVERY vs. CHATHAM CENTRAL
9:00: The first quarter is in the books and the Avery Lady Vikings are leading Chatham Central 12-8. They are just now heading into the second quarter and will keep you updated as the game rolls along.
9:20: Chatham Central used a 19-6 run in the second quarter to erase a five point Avery lead, and Chatham Central leads 31-23 at the half. Avery is led by Kim Gragg who has 9 points and 8 rebounds so far. Becca Fulton has 18 of Chatham's 31 points. We will have some offical numbers in a minute from Winston-Salem.
9:25: Some offical stats. Avery shot 8 of 35 (23%) from the floor, while Chatham Central shot 13 of 29 (45%). Joy Jennings is Avery's second leading scorer as she has 7 points. Sapna Varkey has 9 pts. and 5 rebounds for Chatham. A huge stat for the Lady Vikings are Chatham Central has outscored Avery in the paint 14-6. We will keep you updated during the second half.
9:45: Chatham opened the second half on a 14-4 run to lead by as many as 20. Avery's Samantha Shook hit a 3-pointer to close the gap to 14 points and the Lady Vikings trail 52-38 going into the fourth quarter.
10:00: Avery trails 60-45 with 4:11 remaining in the fourth quarter.
10:15: The Lady Vikings fell 68-53 in a hard fought battle. We will have offical stats and some more info from Winston-Salem in just a few minutes.
10:30: The Avery Lady Vikings were led by Kim Gragg's 17 points, Joy Jennings 13 points, and Hayley Pyatte's 11 points. They cut the Chatham Central led to 63-53 late in the contest, but Chatham was able to shoot free throws down the stretch. Chatham was led by Becca Bolton's season high 33 points, and Sapne Varkey had 21 points.
10:45: That is a wrap for my blogging tonight. Jamie will have a recap of the game in next week's print paper and also on here later this week. I hope you enjoyed our coverage and hope you keep checking back. -Matt
Congratulations to the Avery Lady Vikings for an excellent season.

BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Breakdown of Wednesday's Regional Semifinal: Avery v. Chatham Central

In football-esque style, I thought it might be of interest to preview Wednesday's Regional Semifinal contest. Hopefully these notes will be informative and insightful.

On Wednesday night Avery (23-7) travels to Winston-Salem to take on the Chatham Central Lady Bears (26-2). The game marks Avery's first trip to the 1A Girls Western Regional, while Chatham Central has been regional champions on three occasions (1986, 1999, and 2000). Avery defeated Swain and Hiwassee Dam in Sectional Semis and Final contests to reach Regionals, while Chatham defeated East Surry and River Mill to earn a berth to Wednesday's showdown.

Scouting the Lady Bears:

The Chatham Central Lady Bears are members of the Yadkin Valley 1A Conference and are located at Bear Creek, just southeast of Siler City. The team is coached by Gerald Binkley and team colors are red and white. The team finished as co-champions in the YVC and are paced by a trio of players in Becca Bolton (17.1 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 5.5 apg), Sienna Courie (11.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg), and Sapna Varkey (10.3 ppg, 4.2 apg).

Chatham Central will use a mixture of defenses, but the coach explained at Monday's press luncheon that the team has relied greatly upon a zone defense the past 3-4 years.

The Low Down:

Avery's task will not be a simple one in upending the Lady Bears on Wednesday, but this team would not have it any other way. The Lady Vikings are well coached and boast five players that average over 8 points per contest, with Kimberley Gragg averaging double figures in both scoring and rebounding.

For Avery to win Wednesday, they must play sharply for much of the contest. The team missed a number of easy shots (admittedly due to nerves) to open the Hiwassee Dam contest, a feat which they will need to avoid repeating against the Lady Bears.

Chatham Central has faced pressure defenses from Thomasville, a conference foe which they played three times this season. However, the Lady Bears will likely not have faced a team with the depth, team speed, and defensive discipline that this year's Avery team possesses. Avery's defense MUST generate turnovers and easy scoring opportunities to earn a spot in Saturday's regional final. Expect senior leaders Gragg, Laura Lacey, and Joy Jennings to each continue playing key roles as they have throughout this year's playoff run.

By the Numbers:

24 - number of points Chatham Central defeated East Surry to reach Wednesday's contest.

25.3 - the average # of points Avery has defeated opponents by in its first three rounds of playoff competition.

30 - rebounds for the combination of Gragg and Ellis in Friday's Sectional final victory.

57- combined point total for triple-threat tandem of Bolton (25), Courie (14) and Varkey (18) in the Lady Bears' Friday night sectional win over East Surry.

79.6 - points per game generated by the Avery offense over the past three contests.

A full recap and details of Wednesday's Regional Semifinal will be posted shortly following Wednesday night's contest.

Lady Vikings take on Lady Bears of Chatham Central in Regional Semis, Special Broadcast to Air on WECR-AM

The Avery Lady Vikings will be playing the Lady Bears of Chatham Central High School on Wednesday night at 8:30 pm in the second of 2 regional semifinals held at Atkins High School in Winston-Salem. The first contest will pit the Robbinsville Black Knights and the 2-time defending state champion Bishop McGuinness Lady Villains at 7 p.m.

Chatham Central enters Wednesday's contest with a 26-2 record overall and were co-champions of the Yadkin Valley 1A conference.

In other news, WECR-AM 1130 will be airing a special entitled "Viking Pride", a 15-minute show previewing this week's regional semifinals, hosted by Yours Truly, with coaches interviews conducted at today's Coaches Press Conference and Luncheon held at Lawrence Joel Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem.

Keep checking in with the blog for full coverage of this week's Western Regionals!

SECTIONAL CHAMPS!!! Avery Demolishes Hiwassee Dam to Punch Ticket to Winston-Salem

The Avery Lady Vikings made history on Friday night as they
upended the Lady Eagles from Hiwassee Dam High School by an 80-53 final score, clinching a berth in the Western Regionals in Winston-Salem next week.

Avery looked nervous in the early going as they missed a number of close shots and layups. The team eventually regrouped, punishing the Hiwassee 2-3 zone with a 14-2 run to close out the opening period to the tune of a 25-13 lead.

The staple press defense smothered the Lady Eagles consistently all evening long, forcing a large number of turnovers in the backcourt that Avery turned into quick offense. Hiwassee Dam's offense sputtered throughout much of the contest, but most notably in the second period, where the Lady Eagles missed their first 12 shots of the quarter and made only two Kareen Abling field goals in the eight minute stretch.

Avery's offense slowed down somewhat in the quarter as well, converting only five field goals in the stanza, but still managed a 16-point halftime lead at 39-23. Senior Kim Gragg paced Avery with ten first-half points. Katie Ellis was the stalwart defensively, pulling down nine rebounds and picking up four steals in the first half to go with five points.

As the third quarter ensued, the wear and tear of Avery's press and depth began to show on the Lady Eagles. Six points from Joy Jennings in the period, as well as an 8-0 scoring run midway through the quarter, pushed the Big Red advantage to 59-37 after three periods.

Avery's lead grew to as many as 24 points before a mini-run by Hiwassee Dam cut the lead to 19 at 69-50. The Lady Vikings closed out the contest in style, finishing the contest with an 11-3 run to close out the game and cruise to the first sectional championship in the history of Lady Vikings basketball.

Gragg and Katie Ellis both posted double-doubles on the evening. Gragg finished the contest with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Ellis finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds. Jennings tied Gragg for team-high scoring honors with 20 points, to go with six rebounds and six assists. Hayley Pyatte also reached double-figures with 12 points scored. Hiwassee Dam's Kareen Abling led all scorers with 26 points in a losing effort.

Avery's next game will take place at Atkins High School in Winston-Salem at either 7 p.m. or 8:30 pm on Wednesday evening. Contrary to some previous reports, Avery's next opponent will be determined on Monday morning as the sectional championship team representatives meet and seeds are re-drawn at a press conference at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem. The Avery Journal-Times plans to be on the scene Monday morning and will post the draw right here on the blog soon after the conference concludes.

Congratulations to the Avery Lady Vikings-- 2008 Sectional Champions!

Lady 'Landers to host Oliver Springs with trip to the 'Boro on the line

On Saturday night, the Cloudland Lady 'Landers will be one step away from the reaching their season goal of Murfreesboro. However, Oliver Springs stands in the way.
"They are a good team," Lady 'Lander coach Matt Birchfield stated after practice on Friday. "They are a rich traditional program." Oliver Springs have played in sub-state games and the state tournament in both 1A and 2A. Birchfield looked for Oliver Springs to be a very fast team and have a lot of speed. The showdown between Cloudland and Oliver Springs is Saturday at 7:00pm. The gates will open at 6:00pm at Cloudland High School. The winner of the contest will advance to the state tournament.

Avery Routs Swain; Hosts Sectional Final Friday Night

The Avery Lady Vikings were decisive in winning 70-47 over visiting Swain County Thursday night. Kimberley Gragg led all Avery scorers with 12 points, followed by 10 points each from Laura Lacey and Joy Jennings.

Avery hosts the #7 ranked Hiwassee Dam Lady Eagles in the Sectional Final Friday night. Hiwassee Dam defeated Alleghany on Wednesday to advance to the third round. For a full recap of Avery's progress in this year's tournament, read next week's Journal-Times. In the meantime, we'll keep you updated after each game here on the blog.

Lady 'Landers Claim Regional TItle

The Cloudland Lady 'Landers defeated the Cosby Lady Eagles 54-30 to win the Region 1A title. The Lady 'Landers will host Oliver Springs on Saturday at 7:00pm with a trip to Murfreesboro at stake! Good luck Lady 'Landers, and keep checking back for updates.

From The Student Section.,.....Playoff Basketball

Hello on a cold and snowy night. I hope everyone is having a great week so far, and that you have stayed warm. Here is a quick look around the world of sports from my viewpoint:

• The Lady 'Landers and Lady Vikings are still playing basketball. The Lady Vikings play Swain tomorrow night at 7:00 in Newland in a makeup game. Jamie will have you covered on that contest, and any other developments on that front. The Lady 'Landers play in the Region Championship tomorrow night at 6:00pm in Chuckey-Doak. The Lady 'Landers will play in the sub-state round on Saturday night. If they win tomorrow, the contest will be at home. If they lose, they will travel. We will keep you updated on the tournament schedule.


• The college basketball season is really heating up. The Tennessee Vols beat Memphis in the game of the year, but then lost to Vanderbilt last night. The smaller conferences will start having their tournaments next weekend.


• Are you ready for some spring sports? It will not be long as Avery Baseball as already had a scrimmage. Jamie has a post below this one with the recap.


• The NFL combine had some impressive performances. One of those belonging to App State's Dexter Jackson. Jackson ran a 4.27 in the 40 yard dash (yes, I said 4.27) and improved his stock greatly. Who is going to be the #1 pick? It is anyone's guess.


• A special shout to AJT friend Matt Hill of the Johnson County Tomahawk. Matt always has an entertaining and informative take on the sports storys of the moment. Matt has posted an excellent article on his weekly blog about should writers be fans of the teams they cover (you can check it out at http://www.thetomahawk.com/Detail.php?Cat=SPORTS&ID=57313). His article brings up some excellent points, and it is a great read.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoy the playoff basketball!

Are You Ready for Some.....Spring Sports??

The weather may still be chilly, but spring sports regular seasons are just around the corner! Avery girls soccer takes to the pitch for the first time this week, and another sport, Avery baseball, took to the diamond for the first taste of live competition in 2008.

Coming off a state quarterfinal finish a season ago in varsity play, the Avery varsity and junior varsity baseball teams began the 2008 campaign on a clear, breezy day last Saturday with a trip to Wilkes Central High School for five-inning scrimmages against host Wilkes Central as well as Hibriten.

The scrimmages were structured to give a wide array of players the opportunity to both get at-bats as well as play defense in the field. Avery manager Benny Wellborn used the scrimmages to give several pitchers work on the mound and see an array of players at various positions in the field.

The Vikings struggled to score against Wilkes Central, a perennially strong 2A school who used one of its ace pitchers on the mound during the contest. Avery countered by starting right hander Brooks Oakley, a tall athlete with a strong arm and solid control.

“Brooks threw well for us. Wilkes threw their ace their first three innings and the score was only 3-0. Their ace has been shutting teams down for a long time, and we were able to get a few runners on,” Coach Wellborn remarked after the scrimmage.

Avery bounced back to score multiple runs in the second of the scrimmages against Hibriten. Vikings senior right hander Seth Phillips took the ball for Avery in the back half of the doubleheader, showing the velocity and tenacity that made one of the region’s notable prospects and one of the most respected hurlers in Western North Carolina.

“In the second game we were hurt by a lot of passed balls which cost us some runs, and we had some missed signs as well. We didn’t put the ball in play as much and we just didn’t have the mindset to swing the bats as much as I would have liked to see,” the coach added.

Progress at such an early time of the season is not measured so much by wins and losses or even by runs on the scoreboard. Rather, the early timing of last weekend’s contests simply gave seasoned players the chance to see live pitching and go through the paces of actual game pace and new players the opportunity to get some experience under their belts.

“This year we have some kids who haven’t played who I felt should have been playing for four years. We’re coming out and moving kids around. We have several returning kids who know the game, but it’s really a work in progress right now,” the coach explained. “The good thing is since I’ve been at Avery we have never played this early, and we’ve never seen a live arm until the time of our first ballgame. That was what my main goal to accomplish was today.”

Avery opens its season on Tuesday, March 4th with a non-conference contest at Wilkes Central. First pitch is scheduled at 6:30 p.m.

'Landers vs. Hampton

Half: The Highlanders are trailing Hampton 28-23 at the half.
Final: The 'Landers fall to Hampton 66-50 ending their season. More details to come later on. Congratulations to the 'Landers on an outstanding season.

The Lady 'Landers will play on THURSDAY at 6:00pm.

Lady Vikings Defeat Cherokee, Will Meet Swain in Second Round

The Avery Lady Vikings began their quest for a state title with a convincing 89-63 win over the Lady Braves of Cherokee.

Avery scored the first 15 points of the contest and never looked back in claiming the lopsided victory. Laura Lacey led four Lady Vikings in double figures with 18 points in the win, to go with five rebounds and five assists. Katie Ellis had an outstanding contest with 14 points, 11 rebounds, five steals, and five assists. Kimberley Gragg scored 10 points with nine rebounds and three steals, with ten points each from Hayley Pyatte and Samantha Shook.

Avery will take on a familiar foe on Wednesday night as Swain County rolls into Newland fresh off a 32 point win over Nantahala in its first round contest. Four players scored in double figures for Swain (16-11). Cayla Crawley and Kayla Myers led the Maroon Devils with 16 points each.

Wednesday will mark the third consecutive year the two squads will meet in the playoffs, as the teams have split the first two meetings with the home team winning on both occasions. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. in Viking Gym.

Lady Vikings to host Cherokee in 1A Basketball Playoffs

The Avery Lady Vikings will host the opening round of the NCHSAA 1A West state basketball playoffs on Monday night. The Lady Braves of Cherokee will roll into Viking Gym for a 7 p.m. tipoff.

Avery (17-7) hopes to build on the momentum of their thrilling overtime victory over Mitchell in the finals of the Western Highlands Conference Tournament. Cherokee (11-14) enters the tournament with a wild card berth. The winner of Monday's contest will play the winner of the Swain County/Nantahala contest. Avery will host Wednesday's contest with a win over Cherokee.

Hensley Finishes as State Runner-Up at NCHSAA 1A/2A Wrestling Championships

Congratulations to senior John Hensley, who advanced to the state finals in the 130 pound weight class. Hensley met defending state champion Jose Sanchez from Mount Pleasant High School. Hensley fell by a 6-2 final match score, but had an excellent run through the tournament.

'Landers Overcome Washburn

The Washburn Pirates came into Sonny Smith Gymnasium on Saturday looking to upset the Cloudland Highlanders. For a while, it looked they might just do that. The Highlanders struggled early, allowing Washburn to lead by as much as 13, before taking the victory over the Pirates 80-39.
The Pirates opened the game on a 13-0 run before the Highlanders could even get on the board. Logan Morgan hit a two for the ‘Landers with 1:39 remaining in the first quarter to end the Washburn run. Cloudland ended the quarter on a 5-0 run as they trailed Washburn 15-7 at the end of the first quarter. Cloudland continued their comeback in the second quarter as they outscored the Pirates 23-10 behind the efforts of Jordan Hughes. Hughes lit up the scoreboard as he scored nine of his game high 17 points. A Matthew Potter 3-pointer gave the ‘Landers their first lead of the night. Potter sunk two free throws right before the half to give the ‘Landers a 30-25 lead at the break.
“I didn’t think we came out ready to play,” Cloudland head coach Ned Smith said. “We were not focused, and the concentration wasn’t there. We weren’t doing the things we needed to do to win.”
However, it was a different story in the second half for the ‘Landers as they exploded offensively. The teams traded shots as the third quarter opened before the Highlanders went on an 18-0 run to put the game out of reach. The ‘Landers kept the pressure on the Pirates in the fourth as they outscored the Pirates 45-14 in the half.
“The second half we came out and got after it,” Smith said. “We played some defense, and we got some shots from up top to get us going. I think that we need to play to four quarters. We have to come ready to play every night.”
Cloudland had four players reach double figures as Hughes led the ‘Landers with 17 points, four steals, and three rebounds. Lucas Clawson had 15 points and six rebounds. Logan Morgan had 14 points, while Potter added 12 points. Randall Johnson pitched in eight points, and Brett Stockton had six points, nine rebounds, and three blocks.
The Pirates were led by Jacob Capps’ 12 points and Lucas Brooks’ 10 points.
The ‘Landers will face Hampton next Tuesday at 6:00pm at Chuckey-Doak High School with a sub-state berth at stake.
-----------------
Washburn (39)
Hixon 8, Capps 12, Beard 2, S. Thompson 2, Taylor 1, Brookes 10, Burt 4
Cloudland (80)
Hughes 17, Stockton 6, Johnson 8, Clawson 15, Gouge 2, Morgan 14, Sluder 2, Potter 12, Clark 4

Score by Quarter
Washburn- 15 10 11 3-39
Cloudland- 7 23 35 15-80

3-pt FG- Cloudland- 7(Hughes 2, Morgan 2, Clawson 1, Johnson 1, Potter 1) Washburn 2(Capps 2)
Technicals-None

FINALLY!!!!! Vikings Top Mountaineers in OT to Win WHC Tournament

The third time was the charm as the Avery Lady Vikings outlasted the Mitchell Lady Mountaineers 63-59 in overtime to capture the Western Highlands Conference Tournament Championship.

Laura Lacey was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player with 25 points 6 rebounds and 2 steals. Lacey scored 12 points in the second half and overtime, including the final free throw to clinch the win.

For sixth-year head coach Missy Lyons, it is her first win over the Lady Mountaineers, who trailed by as many as nine points in the second half before forcing overtime. Laken Norris scored a game-high 27 points in a losing effort, with 20 points and 12 rebounds from Samantha Blevins.

For the Lady Vikings, Kimberley Gragg tallied a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, with 13 points from Hayley Pyatte. For a full recap and photos from Avery's championship, as well as the Lady Vikings' tournament draw for next week's NCHSAA 1A state basketball playoffs, stay tuned to the blog over the weekend.

Score by Quarters:

A- 9 20 9 16 5 - 59

M- 15 13 16 10 9 - 63

Individual Scoring: A (63) - Jennings 6, Shook 2, Ellis 1, A. Vance 5, Lacey 25, Gragg 11, Pyatte 13 M (59) - Ayers 2, Norris 27, McKinney 2, Thompson 2, Blevins 20, Peterson 6

Ladies All-WHC Tournament Team:

Brooks Walz (Hendersonville), Kourtney Burchfield (Owen), Christina Ponder (Madison), Kayla Byrd (Polk), Aly Parker (Mt. Heritage), Hayley Pyatte (Avery), Katie Ellis (Avery), Laken Norris (Mitchell), Samantha Blevins (Mitchell)

Tournament MVP - Laura Lacey (Avery)

Men's All-Tournament Team (pending outcome of final game b/w Owen and Mt. Heritage)

Kyle Cable (Avery), Thomas Buchanan (Mitchell), Josh Twitty (Polk), Stephen Clay (Hendersonville), Ryan Henderson (Madison), Cole Huskins (Mountain Heritage), Daniel Miller (Mountain Heritage), Ian McVay (Owen), Nate Torrance (Owen)

Tournament M.V.P - Joe Halverson (Owen)

Avery Journal-Times LIVE from.... the WHC tournament!

We're live and online from the Western Highlands Conference basketball tournament, where the JV girls have finished the perfect regular and postseason in conference play with a 55-39 victory over the Mitchell Lady Mountaineers.

Avery finishes with a 12-0 conference mark, losing only two games to Ashe County during the year. The win marks Avery's third consecutive conference tournament title and second straight undefeated conference season.

Mountain Heritage and Hendersonville is squaring off in the JV boys championship, with the much-anticipated Mitchell-Avery showdown coming up to kick off the Varsity portion of the night.

Pair of Wrestlers to Compete at This Weekend's State Championships

Two Avery wrestlers travel to LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem this Friday and Saturday to compete at the North Carolina High School Athletic Association State Wrestling Championships. Senior John Hensley won the Western Regional at 130 pounds and will be competing on Friday night, as will junior Jordan English, who captured fourth place at the 140 pound weight class.


UPDATE: Jonathan Hensley won his first match in the 130 pound weight class to advance to 2nd round action. In the 140 pound class, junior Jordan English was defeated in his first two matches to close out an outstanding season. Hensley will wrestle in the second round of competition later this evening.

Lady Vikings In WHC Tournament Championship

Avery advanced to the finals of the Western Highlands Conference ladies basketball tournament, pasting the Polk County Lady Wolverines 72-49. Avery led 20-8 after one quarter and held a commanding 39-19 lead at intermission. Laura Lacey led Avery with another double-digit scoring effort.

The Lady Vikings will play the winner of tonight's Mountain Heritage/Mitchell contest. The Vikings won both regular season games against the Lady Cougars, but lost both regular season matchups with regular season champion Mitchell.

JV UPDATE: The Avery Lady Vikings JV squad was victorious 65-37 over Polk County in the tournament semifinals on Wednesday evening, and will take on Mitchell on Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. The JV boys final will take place after the JV girls contest, with the varsity girls tournament championship scheduled for around 7 p.m. and the varsity boys final following the girls game.

Lady Vikings Advance to WHC Semis

The #2 seeded Avery Lady Vikings had no trouble in dispatching of #7 Hendersonville Lady Bearcats 68-28 in the first quarterfinal game of the Western Highlands Conference basketball tournament at Mitchell High School.

Laura Lacey led the Vikings with 15 points, four assists, and three steals in the win. Avery held the Lady Bearcats scoreless in the first quarter en route to a 9-0 lead after one period. In fact, Avery held Hendersonville scoreless as part of a 20-0 run from the opening tip until the 5:10 mark of the second quarter. A Lucy Massagee layup finally broke the ice for Hendersonville, but Avery had already asserted itself too greatly for the Lady Bearcats to overcome.

The Vikings led 27-6 at halftime and lit up the Bearcats for 29 third quarter points en route to a 56-21 lead after three periods. A total of 11 Vikings scored as every player on the team played extended minutes in the rout.

Avery shot 49% from the field, but did commit 24 turnovers in the win. Avery will take on #3 seed Polk County in the first ladies semifinal at 4 p.m. at Mitchell. Mountain Heritage will tangle with host Mitchell in the other semifinal at 7 p.m.

In boys tournament action, #2 Mountain Heritage will take on #3 Madison, with #4 Owen challenging top seeded Hendersonville.

FINAL GAME STATS:
Scoring:

Avery 9 18 29 12 - 68

H'Ville 0 6 15 7 - 28

Individual Scoring:

Avery (68)- Singleton 7, Jennings 7, Peters 4, Shook 4, Buchanan 4, Ellis 8, Vance 3, Lacey 15, Gragg 4, Pyatte 10, McFee 2

Hendersonville (28)- Walz 14, Westmoreland 7, Lilly 2, Massagee 2, Hubert 2, Ward 1

Three Pointers: A - Singleton 2, Lacey, Jennings H - Walz 2.

Cloudland at the District Championship

Half: The Cloudland Highlanders trail University High 32-21 at the break.
2:56 remaining: Cloudland LEADS 57-53
FINAL: Cloudland WINS 72-61 after trailing by 11 at the half. We will have a recap of both games up later this week.

All-Conference: Jordan Hughes, Randall Johnson, Brett Stockton

All-Tournament: Randall Johnson, Jordan Hughes
MVP: Brett Stcokton

Note: Another big Crowd at Chuckey Doak to watch this contest. Both teams will be at home this weekend as they will host the first round of the Regional Tournament. The girls game is Friday night at 7:00 p.m. and the boys will play Saturday at 7:00.

Western Highlands Tournaments Underway This Week

The Western Highlands Conference boys tournament tipped off with opening round action on Monday.

In the first game of the afternoon the Avery Vikings (#7 seed) took on the #2 seed Mountain Heritage, a team they played to a tight 81-73 loss in Burnsville less than a week ago. The same scenario failed to play out for the Big Red on Monday as Cole Huskins' 16 points led four Cougars in double-figures as Mountain Heritage cruised to a 68-45 win to close out the Avery season with a disappointing 3-23 record.

In the second game of the evening, tournament host and #6 seed Mitchell took on the 3rd seeded Madison Patriots. The tandem of Ryan Henderson and Ramsey Elsayad helped the Patriots race out to a 31-12 halftime lead en route to a decisive 76-43 win. Henderson netted 31 points for the Patriots with 18 from Elsayad. Mitchell was led by Thomas Buchanan with 21 points. Heritage and Madison will square off in the tourney semis.

In the night cap, the best game of the night saw the #4 seed Owen Warhorses hold off #5 seed Polk County 57-55. Josh Twitty hit a 3-pointer to cut the Owen lead to one in the final minute, but clutch free throws down the stretch helped the Warhorses hold off the Wolverines as Twitty’s half-court shot fell short with time expiring.
The fourth-seeded Warhorses were led by Ian McVay’s game-high 22 points. Twitty led No. 5 seed Polk with 20.

Owen takes on top seed Hendersonville in the other semifinal contest.

Ladies action tips off at Mitchell this afternoon as #2 seed Avery will take on #7 seed Hendersonville. Coach Missy Lyons' squad swept the season series in convincing fashion with a pair of blowout victories.

The second game of the afternoon pits #3 seed Polk County against #6 seed Owen, while the final contest of the evening matches #4 seed Mountain Heritage against #5 seed Madison. Tourney host and top seed Mitchell has an opening round bye and will face the winner of the Heritage/Madison game.

Junior varsity Western Highlands Conference Tournament action continues as well this week with opening round and semifinal action at Viking Gym. Teams advancing to the finals in the boys and girls tournaments will meet in the first two contests of Championship Friday held at Mitchell High School.

Lady 'Landers at the District Championship

8:05: Halftime: The Lady 'Landers lead by one at the break, 25-24, as a fast tempo and physical game has been played so far. Brooke Johnson is leading the way for Cloudland with nine points, and Jordan Miller has added six. Hampton will have the ball to start the second half.

FINAL: The Lady 'Landers have claimed the District Championship as they defeated Hampton 59-40. They will host a game at Roan Mountain on Friday. Sydnie Buchanan led the way for the Lady 'Landers as she scored 12 points and five rebounds, Johnson added 11, and Tolley had 14 points.

ALL CONFERENCE- Rebekah Tolley, Jordi Miller, Sydnie Buchanan, Shellie McKinney
CONFERENCE CO-MVP-Brooke Johnson

ALL TOURNEY- Brittany Reece, Sydnie Buchanan, Rebekah Tolley,
TOURNEY MVP- Brooke Johnson
Note: There is a large contingent of Cloudland fans to cheer on the Lady 'Landers. If you couldn't be here tonight, I would recommend you make the trip tomorrow night. It will be a great game.