LIVE from.... Kidd-Brewer Stadium!

The Appalachian State Mountaineers football team holds its home opener this afternoon against Jacksonville University. The Apps lost 41-13 at LSU one week ago and look to rebound against the Dolphins.

It's throwback day at App as the team celebrates head coach Jerry Moore's 20th season as Mountaineer head coach by wearing uniforms from that 1989 season. We'll have continuous updates from the newly constructed temporary press box high above Kidd Brewer throughout the day, with possibly photos along the way.

3:30 PM - It's almost kickoff time at The Rock! A new video board, 4,400 new seats, a crowded house, and an overcast afternoon welcome the three-time defending NCAA FCS National Champion Mountaineers.

3:40 PM - ASU takes the opening kickoff and drives with its first possession to the JU 22 yard line, but an Edwards interception stalls the drive.

3:45 PM - JU's opening drive is halted inside App territory when Quavian Lewis and Dominique McDuffie stuff the running back on 4th and less than a yard, giving ASU possession for its second drive near midfield. App immediately capitalized on a 44 yard touchdown run by Robert Welton, his second score of the season. The successful PAT by Vitaris gives the Mountaineers a 7-0 lead with an even eight minutes to go in the first. Drive Summary: 3 plays, 52 yards, 0:56 for ASU's first home touchdown of 2008.

3:55 PM - Jacksonville is held to a three-and-out and App takes over around its own 30 yard line. A long draw run from Devon Moore moved the Mountaineers inside the red zone. Two plays later Moore finishes off the drive with an 11-yard scamper for the second score of the day. PAT makes the score 14-0 ASU with 4:42 to go in the opening stanza. Drive Summary: 4 plays, 67 yards, 1:16 on the second rushing TD of the quarter.

4:05 PM - UPDATE: Another three and out for the Dolphins who appear overmatched early. Appalachian takes over at the JU 35 and are back on the board again on a 28-yard QB draw from Armanti Edwards. PAT puts the Mountaineers up 21-0 with 2:58 left in the first quarter. Drive Summary: 2 plays, 35 yards, 0:43 as ASU wastes absolutely no time slashing through the Dolphin defense.

4:10 PM - First quarter closes with ASU leading 21-0. Jacksonville has gotten nothing going offensively as the App defense has been smothering JU quarterback Josh McGregor. A big hit by Tony Robertson knocked McGregor out of the game on the last possession as JU again had to punt the football away to App. The Mountaineers take over at the own 41.

1st Qtr stats:
ASU - 201 rushing yards, -1 passing yards
JU - 4 rushing yards, 32 passing yards
Armanti Edwards - 5 rushes, 64 yards, TD
Quavian Lewis - 5 tkls
DJ Smith - 4 tkls

4:25 PM - Appalachian back at it again. After a personal foul assessed against JU on a punt return, Appalachian drives only14 yards on three plays. A six yard TD pass from Edwards to Tavaris Washington with the PAT pushes the Mountaineer lead to 28-0. with 11:06 left in the half.

4:35 PM - DeAndre Pressley in the game at quarterback for the Mountaineers with 8:25 remaining in the first half and Appalachian leading 28-0. Seems a little early to pull Edwards, but it is good to see the freshman in the game for the Apps.

4:45 PM - The teams have been exchanging punts. No change in score as the Mountaineers lead by 28.

4:50 PM - Jacksonville attempts a field goal of around 37 yards, but the kick sails wide left, preserving the shutout with 1:12 left before halftime. ASU drives to the JU 38 where Jason Vitaris attempts a 55-yard field goal. The kick sails wide left and is no good as Appalachian holds a commanding 28-0 lead over Jacksonville at intermission.

HALFTIME STATISTICS:

Individual:
ASU Rushing: Devon Moore (9 rushes, 98 yards TD)
JU Rushing: Rudell Small (7 rushes 16 yards)
JU Passing: Josh McGregor (11 of 20, 133 yards)

Team:
ASU:
Passing Yards: 32 yards
Rushing Yards: 261 yards
Total Offense: 293 yards

JU:
Passing Yards: 136 yards
Rushing Yards: -3 yards
Total Yards: 133 yards

The Mountaineers open the second half with a touchdown as Edwards returns to the lineup to begin the first ASU drive. A six play, 61 yard drive over 2:15 culminated with a two yard touchdown run by Robert Welton, making the score 35-0 ASU.

5:32 PM - Jacksonville is finally on the scoreboard on a 60-yard punt return touchdown from Elliot Finkley, the first allowed by ASU since Jayson Foster ran one back for Georgia Southern against Appalachian in 2004. The PAT is successful to make the score 35-7 ASU at the 7:16 mark of the third period.

Talk about a quick answer! ASU immediately responds with a 72-yard touchdown run from Robert Welton on the first play from scrimmage following the JU score for his third rushing touchdown of the afternoon (the eighth time in the last 13 games that an App player has scored at least three rushing scores in a game). PAT good, ASU 42-7 (6:58 3rd)

5:40 PM -- Avery's own Josh Johnson has returned a total of three punts in the game. His second run went for 16 yards to set the Apps up at their own 46 yard line, with the team up big.

On a side note: The attendance this afternoon at The Rock -- 30,718 -- a new record.

5:50 PM -- Three quarters in the books -- 42-7 Appalachian.

6:05 PM -- Add a DEFENSIVE score to the tally for the Apps -- a 33-yard Interception return by Travis Dowda and PAT gives the Mountaineers a 49-7 lead with 9:44 left in the game. A number of substitutes are in the game and have been for a while.

ASU travels to James Madison in two weeks for a Saturday night special against the Dukes, who will be looking for revenge after last year's 28-27 playoff loss.

6:20 PM - Josh Jackson gets on the scoreboard for the Mountaineers after a 10 play 65 yard drive that took 3:16 with a three yard touchdown run. The score and PAT pushes the Apps over the half-century mark with a 56-7 lead, which provides for the final margin of victory.

Vikings Lose Bucket Battle to Pioneers

The Avery varsity football team played its best defensive football game of the season on Friday night, but a third quarter Watauga surge was too great to overcome as the Big Red fell 28-14 at Jack Groce Stadium.

A full recap of Friday's game can be found in the coming days as well as in next week's edition of the Journal-Times.

Pre-Game Interview with Avery Head Coach Darrell Brewer for this week's showdown with Watauga

Click the above link for an audio interview with Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer discussing tonight's "Battle for the Bucket" contest against neighboring Watauga. Game time is set for 7:30 pm from Jack Groce Stadium in Boone.

Other high school games taking place around the Western Highlands Conference tonight:

Erwin (1-1) at Madison (0-2)
North Buncombe (2-0) at Mitchell (0-2)
Rosman (0-2) at Mountain Heritage (1-1)
Owen (0-1) at Reynolds (1-0)
Polk County (1-1) at R-S Central (2-0)
West Henderson (0-2) at Hendersonville (2-0)

Avery sports roundup

Avery's high school sports programs have been busy as several sports continue to build momentum in regular season action.

TENNIS:
The Avery tennis team began regular season play with a pair of conference matches this week. On Tuesday the squad skunked the Polk County Lady Wolverines nine matches to zero, and also won both its exhibition matches for good measure. Anna Melton, Morgan Yackey, Judy Dillashaw, Hayden Blackburn, Leah Powell, and Echo Wise each won singles matches on the afternoon.

On Thursday the Lady Vikings defeated Owen 5 match victories to 4 to capture its first ever victory over the Warlassies. Melton, Yackey and Dillashaw each won singles matches, with the teams of Melton/Yackey and Dillashaw/Blackburn winning doubles matches to earn the win.

VOLLEYBALL:
The Avery volleyball team struggled against a tougher-than-expected Thomas Jefferson Academy, but the varsity team took a five-game match victory on Tuesday. The junior varsity team was dominant in winning two straight over TJCA.

On Thursday evening the Lady Vikings hosted the Hendersonville Lady Bearcats. Hendersonville picked up a pair of games for the win in junior varsity action to open the evening. In varsity play, Avery won the first game by a 28-26 score which was a harbinger of the tightness of the match.

Hendersonville won game two to even the match, but the Lady Vikings took game three to lead 2 games to 1. Hendersonville showed the heart of a champion in battling back to capture game four to again knot the match at two games each, then managed to win a hard-fought 15-11 win in the fifth and deciding game to escape Viking Gym with victory. Avery travels to Morganton to take on Patton to close out the week.

SOCCER:
Avery men's soccer took on a pair of tough rivals in hosting Watauga and Ashe County this week in a pair of entertaining matches.

On Tuesday the Vikings fell behind 2-0 at halftime on a a penalty kick by Jennings Rex as well as a second goal later in the opening half. Avery fell behind 3-0 after a Ben Robertson goal, but Avery rallied with goals by Andrew Ingram and Kyle Griewisch, the second a long direct kick from roughly 40 yards out which bounced over the keeper's head to cut the lead in the 58th minute to 3-2. A second Robertson goal gave the Pioneers a 4-2 advantage, but Ingram added a second goal off a throw-in to cut the lead to 4-3 in the 76th minute of action.

Avery could not tally the equalizer in the closing minutes of an exciting match for players and fans alike.

On a sunny Thursday afternoon the Vikings hosted the Ashe County Huskies and were looking for revenge after a loss to the Huskies earlier this season in Jefferson. The first half was a tight affair as both teams had scoring opportunites but could not capitalize offensively, resulting in a scoreless half.

The lone goal of the match came off the foot of Ashe County's Richie Absher, skirting a shot passed the sprawling Avery keeper. The score held up as the Avery offense was unable to convert a number of corner kicks and offensive runs.

JUNIOR VARSITY FOOTBALL:
The Avery junior varsity football team was unable to hold off a pressing Watauga offense on Thursday night at MacDonald Stadium. Watauga took a 14-0 advantage at halftime, and added another touchdown to take a 20-0 lead. Avery picked off a Watauga pass attempt and the offense used its I-formation rushing game to find its way into the end zone as Andy Gonzalez rolled out and scrambled left for a six-yard touchdown run. A conversion run by Trent Mitchell provided Avery's points in cutting the lead to 20-8.

The Pioneers added an insurance score late in the half to win by the final score of 28-8. The JV's have a week off before facing the Johnson County Longhorns in Mountain City on Monday, September 15th.

Highlander Gameday

On Friday night, the Cloudland Highlanders look to bounce back from a disappointing loss to the West Greene Buffaloes (for a complete review of the contest, check this week's Avery Journal-Times). The team they face is an improved Cosby Eagle team. The contest opens the conference slate for the 'Landers. For the ‘Landers, they must rebound as the Eagles travel to Roan Mountain for the conference opener. The Eagles are 2-0 on the season with victories over a pair of 3-A teams, Gibbs and Pigeon Forge. Last season, the ‘Landers took the victory over the Eagles 28-6 in Cosby.
“This is a tough loss but it’s not a season-ending loss,” Turbyfill said. “Last year we lost our first game then bounced back to have a good season. We’ll go back and practice then we see where we’re at. We’ve got a huge home conference game with Cosby next week. I believe we’ll be focused and ready to play.“
Kickoff is at 7:30 on Friday Night at Orr Field.
Weather: According to Weather.com, the weather for tonight's game is going to be mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 58F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.

Vikings and Pioneers Square off in Bucket Battle

Following Friday’s loss at the hands of the Robbinsville Black Knights, the Avery Vikings look to get in the win column for the first time in 2008 as they travel to Boone for the annual Battle for the Bucket against the Watauga Pioneers. The Vikings suffered a difficult 35-13 loss at home last week to the Knights, while Watauga is coming off a bye week following a 41-7 trouncing at the hands of Davie County.

The Pioneers won last season’s battle by the final score of 31-14 and have captured three of the past five meetings between the two squads.

Scouting the Pioneers:
The Watauga Pioneers are members of the Northwestern 4A Conference and are coached by Tim Pruitt. Pruitt is in his first season at Watauga, having previously coached at West Wilkes High School and taking over for former coach Adrian Snow who returned to coach his alma mater in Forsythe County following last season.

Although Pruitt’s clubs in Wilkes County were best known for a bruising running game, the coach decided to keep many of the elements of Watauga’s spread offense intact which have netted the team back-to-back state semifinal playoff appearances the past two seasons.

The Pioneers were 11-4 a season ago and return six offensive and defensive starters from one of the most successful teams in school history, including three all-conference performers in senior WR/DB Baine Martin (18 receptions, 514 yards receiving, 6 TD last season), senior WR/DB Jake Wallace (10 receptions, 232 yards, 2 TD last season), and senior WR/DB Cam Steury (22 receptions, 386 yards, 3 TD last season). Gone from this year’s club is current Wofford College running back Eric Britenstein, who rushed for 2,297 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior in 2007.

A number of other players with experience step in to fill holes left by last year’s graduates, including junior quarterback Devan Corum, and senior WR Ryan Campbell. The leading tackler returning on defense for Watauga is Logan Smith, a 6’0” 185 lb. Linebacker who registered 137 tackles a season ago, good for third on the team overall, while Martin led the team with four interceptions in 2007.

The Low Down:
It is difficult to believe that the two teams entering Friday night’s tussle are winless on the season. In recent years, the squads have entered the game with undefeated records, high-octane offenses, and stifling defenses. However, thus far in 2008, the defenses have given up an average of 40 points per game.

With a bye week so early in the season, the Pioneers have had two weeks to fix what ailed them in their opening week blowout loss against Davie County, while Avery failed to show significant improvement last week in its second consecutive loss on the year. Each year the two rivals seem to bring out the best in one another on the field, with neither team wanting the distinction of having lost the game and bucket trophy.

Watauga got off to a rapid start in taking an early lead in their game with Davie County, but the defense gave up too many big plays. Avery meanwhile has had a hard time stopping the run on defense.

The good news for the Big Red this week is that they will not have to see Eric Britenstein. The talented running back torched the Vikings with over 200 yards in each of the past two meetings.
Friday night’s contest will be won or lost at the line of scrimmage, with the team that is best able to run the football having a sizable advantage.

By the Numbers:
5- turnovers forced by the Avery defense in last week’s game against Robbinsville.
14- number of days between Watauga’s loss to Davie County and this week’s matchup with the Vikings.
43 – yards passing by Avery QB Adam Pate in last week’s loss to the Black Knights.
83- yards gained by leading rusher Baine Martin in Watauga’s opening week loss to Davie County.
244- yards rushing by Eric Britenstein against the Vikings in last year’s Watauga win.
260- yards in total offense gained by the Vikings in last year’s 31-14 loss to the Pioneers.
276 – yards rushing surrendered by the Watauga defense in its game two weeks ago at Davie County.
314- rushing yards gained by Robbinsville in last week’s game against Avery.

Read next week’s edition of the Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s Bucket Battle with Watauga.

Vikings Outdueled by Knights

Last Friday night the Avery Vikings hoped to put the sting of the prior week’s loss to Cloudland behind them when they hosted the Robbinsville Knights in a Class 1A non-conference tilt. The Knights jostled and jousted its way through the Avery defense for over 400 yards on the evening en route to a 35-13 Vikings defeat.

Avery looked poised to gain early control of the contest in its opening series. The Vikings offense used the I-formation with proficiency in the early going as a 48- yard run by senior quarterback Adam Pate rushed the Big Red inside the Knights 30 yard line. The drive stalled quickly as the Knights regrouped, holding Avery on downs four plays later.

Robbinsville came out firing on all cylinders offensively as its I-formation backfield consisting of running back Blake Anderson and fullback Kurt Odom helped the offense move swiftly downfield. An 18-yard run by Anderson was followed three plays later with a 45-yard gallop from Odom that took Robbinsville into the end zone for the first score of the night, giving the Smoky Mountain Conference contender the early 7-0 lead at the 7:49 mark of the first period.

Avery was held to a three-and-out on its next series, prompting the Knights again roll up yards on the ground. A nine-play drive featured seven running plays, but was capped by a nine-yard pass from quarterback Luke Perkins to Odom to give Robbinsville a 14-0 advantage.

Late in the period the Big Red looked to stifle the Knights’ momentum. Avery returned to its familiar spread attack offensively, but was stonewalled by the Robbinsville defense. Coach Darrell Brewer in an attempt to jump start the offense made the decision to go for a first down on a fourth down play near midfield, but Pate was hauled down in the backfield to turn the ball over on downs to the Knights.

As second quarter play started, the Knights showed little signs of slowing down. A key third down conversion pass play from Perkins to Anderson moved the Knights inside the red zone, and two plays later Odom rumbled over the goal line from six yards out. The extra point gave Robbinsville a commanding 21-0 advantage with 9:18 remaining in the half.

Fortunes turned from bad to worse for the Big Red, as Luke Perkins intercepted Pate on Avery’s first play from scrimmage following the Odom score. Robbinsville immediately capitalized on the turnover, this time with a 35-yard touchdown strike from Perkins to wide receiver Randy Hernandez, digging the Vikings an even deeper hole at 28-0 with just under nine minutes left in the period.

The Vikings compiled their best drive of the half on its next series following the turnover, holding the football for ten plays and consuming over six minutes off the game clock. Avery marched using primarily the running of power running back Chase Arrowood and quarterback Pate. The drive stalled inside the red zone, however, as a fourth down pass play fell incomplete.

Following the change of possession, Robbinsville committed its first of five turnovers on the evening, a fumble that Avery defensive back Chris Eggers recovered near the Knights 30. The play was just what the doctor ordered for the ailing Vikings psyche, as a pass from Pate to running back Travis Thomas netted 25 yards and Pate raced across the goal line from a yard out to put Avery on the board at 28-7, providing a positive end to an otherwise forgettable first half.

As the second half played out, the Avery defense played inspired football, forcing three additional fumbles over the final two quarters. Robbinsville’s first drive of the second half resulted in a turnover, but Avery was forced to punt back to the Knights after the inability to take advantage of the turnover.

Robbinsville was held to three-and-out with its second drive and was forced to punt. The kick was blocked by Avery and advanced to the Knights 33-yard line. Avery took only four plays to score what proved to be its final touchdown of the evening, a six-yard scamper by Pate. The extra point was blocked, leaving Avery trailing 28-13 late in the third quarter.

Avery forced yet another turnover on Robbinsville’s next possession, and the Vikings drove 55 yards over 13 plays in the most important drive of the game, keeping the football for over eight minutes of clock time. Avery had a golden opportunity to cut the lead to a touchdown with a first and goal from the Knights 3-yard line. However, the Robbinsville defense stiffened, denying Avery the score on three consecutive run plays. On fourth down, a Pate pass sailing toward the end zone was intercepted by Jaron Ayers to turn the Big Red away with 4:46 left in the game.

The Knights put the finishing touches on its win with a six play, 88-yard touchdown drive, featuring a 23-yard run by Anderson, a 22-yard pass from Perkins to Odom, and a 29-yard touchdown run by Odom, his third of the night, to provide the final margin in the 35-13 contest.

Avery falls to 0-2 on the season and look to capture its first victory of the season when it travels to Boone to play rival Watauga in the Battle for the Bucket this Friday night.

Bayou Blues: App Falls in Opener to LSU

(Courtesy of Appalachian Sports Information)

BATON ROUGE, La. ­— A year after stunning the college-football world with a season-opening victory at Michigan, No. 1 (FCS) Appalachian State University football couldn’t repeat the same feat at LSU in the 2008 season opener, falling 41-13 to No. 7 (FBS) LSU at Tiger Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

LSU’s front lines stymied the Mountaineers all day, as the Tigers rushed for 266 yards while limiting the Appalachian ground attack to just 52 rushing yards on 28 carries. Charles Scott did the majority of LSU’s work on the ground with 160 yards and two scores on 16 carries. ASU quarterback Armanti Edwards, facing strong pressure all afternoon, completed 13 of his 31 attempts for 155 yards to pace an offensive attack that had difficulty getting in rhythm before the hostile crowd of 91,922. His target of choice for most of the afternoon was CoCo Hillary set career highs with nine receptions for 80 yards.

Appalachian appeared to emerge from the locker room at halftime invigorated, forcing a three-and-out on LSU’s first possession and then stalling the Tigers’ second series of the half. The Mountaineers took over possession on their own 40-yard line and marched 74 yards to cross the goal line for the first time with a 44-yard strike from Edwards to Robert Welton on a route out of the backfield. The 44-yard touchdown pass, ASU’s longest offensive play of the game, capped a 7-play, 60-yard drive. After a 33-yard field goal from LSU’s Josh Jasper made the score 34-7, the Mountaineer defense continued to make plays with Jacque Roman picking off a Jarrett Lee pass on the LSU 24 yard line near the end of the third quarter. Roman returned the ball to the 11 yard line but the Mountaineer offense couldn’t fully capitalize on the field position, settling for a 24-yard Jason Vitaris field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter.LSU extended its lead to 41-10 on Brandon LaFell’s second touchdown catch of the afternoon, a 39-yard connection from Lee with a 10:03 left in the contest.

The Mountaineers narrowed that margin on their final possession of the game as freshman quarterback DeAndre Presley drove the Apps to the LSU 13 yard line with a 32-yard pass to Devin Radford. Presley was shaken up on the play and a botched snap and a sack quickly forced the Mountaineers to settle for a 44-yard field goal from Vitaris to close the scoring.The Tigers jumped to a quick 14-0 lead with 5:40 remaining in the first quarter, needing just two plays from scrimmage to take a 7-0 lead after the Apps’ opening drive stalled at LSU’s 36-yard line. Taking over after a failed fourth-down conversion, Scott went 55 yards on the Tigers’ first play from scrimmage all the way to the ASU 8-yard line. On the very next play, Scott scored from eight yards out. The Tigers’ ensuing possession found paydirt when a 10-play, 56-yard drive culminated with a 17-yard pass from Andrew Hatch to Demetrius Bryd.

Appalachian’s defense began to settle down at the onset of the second quarter when the ASU linebacking corps made a pair of stops at its own 3 yard line to limit the Tigers to a 21-yard field goal that gave LSU a 17-0 lead. D.J. Smith made both of the big stands with Pierre Banks and Roman assisting on one each to stymie the 9-play, 60-yard drive. For the game, Roman led the Apps with 12 tackles and Smith chipped in 11.LSU added to its first-half lead with a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter to carry a 31-0 lead into halftime. The Tigers added points on a 31-yard Jarrett Lee pass to a wide open Brandon LaFell with 5:35 left before intermission. A 29-yard touchdown jaunt by Scott on fourth-and-inches with less than a minute to play in the opening half gave the Tigers’ the 31-0 halftime advantage. In all, the Tigers out-gained the Apps, 323-119, in the first half, with 193 of those yards coming on the ground. Scott accounted for 144 rushing yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns in the first half alone.

The Mountaineers open their 2008 home slate next Saturday when they host Jacksonville at 3:30 p.m. at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

POSTGAME NOTES: Eight Mountaineers made their first career starts (DT Malcolm Bennett, WR Blake Elder, WR B.J. Frazier, WR CoCo Hillary, DB Mark LeGree, DE Quavian Lewis, DB Dominique McDuffie and WR Brian Quick) ... Robert Welton’s 44-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter were the first reception and touchdown of the sophomore’s career ... Jacque Roman’s third-quarter interception was the first of his career and it set up the first field goal of kicker Jason Vitaris’ career ... the crowd of 91,922 at Tiger Stadium was the second-largest to ever see ASU play, behind only the 109,218 on hand for last year’s opener at Michigan ... the crowd included a contingent of 3,500 Mountaineer faithful ... five true freshmen played in their first collegiate games – Demery Brewer, Wilson Fitchett, Ed Gainey, McDuffie and Lanston Tanyi ... due to the time change associated with Louisiana’s preparations for Hurricane Gustav, the game was broadcast on ESPN Classic and ASU’s perfect 12-0 record on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU remained intact ... however, Appalachian’s 13-game winning streak in nationally televised games was snapped ... it was the Mountaineers’ first loss on national TV since a 24-14 setback to Wofford on The Football Network in 2003.

App State-LSU Moved to New Time and Network Due To Tropical Storm Gustav

BATON ROUGE –
(From Go.ASU.com)

Due to the state of Louisiana preparing for the impending arrival of Hurricane Gustav, kickoff for Saturday’s football game between Appalachian State and LSU has been moved to 11 a.m. EDT (10 a.m. CDT). Pending SEC approval, the game will be shown live on ESPN Classic.“The impending situation is certainly more important than football, so we aren’t upset in the least by the time change” Appalachian head coach Jerry Moore said. “We’ll be ready to play tomorrow morning and will keep the people along the Gulf Coast in our prayers.”

(From LSUSPORTS.NET)
LSU’s football game against Appalachian State on Saturday has been moved to 10 a.m. Central time, director of athletics Joe Alleva announced Friday.
The move was made in consultation with state officials in anticipation of an evacuation of New Orleans and an anticipated traffic contraflow order by the governor of Louisiana in preparation for the impact of Tropical Storm Gustav.
“Public safety was the overriding concern expressed by all parties when we met with the governor and his staff today,” Alleva said. “10 a.m. is obviously not the optimal time for a football game, but when one of the options was to not play the game at all, this is a matter of making the best of an unfortunate situation.”
The gates of Tiger Stadium will open at 8 a.m. More information will be forthcoming regarding television and other issues.

NOTE: The Avery Journal-Times will keep you updated on this developing story as soon as we get details. Several places in our area was having viewing parties for the game, however we have no information on how the time change will effect those. ESPN Classic is broadcasting the game, and it will be available on-line through ESPN360.com. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Gulf Coast, and also those from our area who traveled to Baton Rouge. -Matt

Pre-Game Interview with Avery Head Coach Darrell Brewer for Robbinsville Game

Click the link above for this week's pregame interview with Vikings head football coach Darrell Brewer leading up to Friday night's home opener against Robbinsville.

Landers Fall to Buffaloes

The Cloudland Highlanders traveled to Mosheim to take on the West Greene Buffaloes Thursday night, falling by the final score of 35-22. A full recap of this week's game will be covered in next week's edition of the Journal-Times!

Avery Soccer Loses Tight Match with Knights

Avery soccer battled both the elements and opponent North Henderson on Wednesday evening at MacDonald Stadium. The remnants of Tropical Storm Fay continued to pelt the High Country with much needed rain, and the visiting Knights also rained on the Big Red's hope for victory, as North pulled out a narrow 1-0 win over Avery.

The lone goal of the match came in the 13th minute. A North corner kick was turned away with a leaping save by Avery goalkeeper Morgan Bounds. The loose ball found the foot of Vito Lozano, whose putback found the back of the net for the Knight tally.

Avery had opportunities to score the equalizer in the match. The squad had two more shots on goal than North through the first 40 minutes, and had an opportunity in the opening minute of the second half but was turned away.

Making things difficult for the Vikings to tie the match was an onslaught of rain that began during the halftime break and continued through much of the remainder of the match. The Vikings attempted to convert a pair of corner kicks in the second half, but the Knights were up to the task and successful and protecting its slim lead for the duration of the match.

Avery falls to 2-3 on the season and looks to even its record on Friday when it travels to Gaston County to take on Highland Tech. The teams met less than a week ago, with the Rams winning by a 4-2 score.

Avery's Johnson to partcipate in ESPN's 25 hours of college football

From Go.ASU.com and Appalachain Sports Information

BOONE, N.C. — A limited number of reserved seats for Appalachian State University football’s home opener versus Jacksonville on Sept. 6 have become available and can be purchased online at GoASU.com, by phone at (828) 262-2079 or in person at the ASU athletics ticket office in the Holmes Center.The tickets became available after a large group returned them to the ASU athletics ticket office.“The availability of these tickets was unanticipated but we are happy to offer Mountaineer fans an opportunity to enjoy the home opener next weekend from the comfort of a reserved seat,” athletics ticket manager Steve White said. “Since reserved seats sold out in early August, we have been in constant contact with several groups about their needs and trying to weigh that against the demand that has spiked in the past year. It’s always a good idea to check GoASU.com everyday to see if anything changes or develops.”

EDWARDS, JOHNSON PART OF ESPN’S 25 HOURS OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Appalachian quarterback Armanti Edwards and wide receiver Josh Johnson are both scheduled to participate in ESPN’s 25 Hours of College Football on Wednesday and Thursday.Edwards will be a guest on the 25 Hours of College Football Kickoff Show, which airs on Wednesday from 7-11 p.m. on ESPN.Johnson will be part of a coinciding 25-hour college football chat at ESPN.com on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Click here to join the chat.

MOUNTAINEER TALK MAKES 2008 DEBUT THURSDAY: Mountaineer Talk, the Appalachian ISP Sports Network’s weekly call-in radio show, makes its 2008 debut on Thursday at 7 p.m.The hour-long show can be heard live on the 100,000-watt flagship station of the Appalachian ISP Sports Network, WKBC 97.3 FM (North Wilkesboro, Charlotte, Hickory, Statesville, Winston-Salem, High Country), as well as WATA 1450 AM in Boone and online at GoASU.com. WPCM 920 AM in Burlington broadcasts Mountaineer Talk on tape delay Fridays at 6 p.m. and WEEB 990 AM in Southern Pines airs the show Saturdays at 7:30 a.m.Due to travel for Saturday’s season opener at LSU, the “Voice of the Mountaineers” David Jackson hosts this Thursday’s Mountaineer Talk from the press box at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. and will be joined by ASU head coach Jerry Moore live from the Appalachian ISP Sports Network studio in Boone. Each subsequent Thursday throughout the 2008 campaign, fans can join Jackson and Moore live for the show at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in Boone.

GUSTAV NOT EXPECTED TO IMPACT SATURDAY’S GAME: LSU issued the following statement on Wednesday with regards to Hurricane Gustav’s effect on Saturday’s game:“LSU athletics officials are working closely with university and state personnel to monitor the progression of Hurricane Gustav, but there is no anticipated impact on the LSU vs. Appalachian State football game at this time.LSU is scheduled to open its 2008 football season on Saturday against Appalachian State at 5 p.m. EDT.LSU will update fans on any changes via the news media and LSUsports.net (as well as GoASU.com) should conditions warrant it.”

Avery Volleyball Falls to Neighboring Watauga

Avery volleyball had a good idea about what Watauga volleyball was capable of after last Saturday's tri-match in Boone.

Knowing and stopping were two different things, though, as Watauga was impressive in a junior varsity and varsity victory over the Big Red in Viking Gym Tuesday night.

In JV action, the Lady Pioneers defeated the Avery JV club in two games by final scores of 25-17 and 25-13. The Lady Vikings varsity team fared no better in the early going of the match, as Watauga used its athleticism and size to run out to an early eight-point advantage. Behind the serve of Avery senior right side hitter Brittney Hagie, the Vikings cut the deficit to as little as five points at 16-11. A 9-3 run to close the game, however, gave the Lady Pioneers a 25-14 win in game one.

The second game quickly saw Watauga gain advantage, racing to a 12-5 lead. Watauga's strong front line play pushed the squad's lead to 18-9 before winning by an eventual score of 25-16.

The third and final game of the match was the closest of the three. The two teams were nip and tuck through the duration of the match as Avery held an 8-7 lead early in the game. A small lead seesawed between the clubs until the Lady Pioneers stretched a lead to a working margin at 21-18. Avery trailed by a 23-20 score when Watauga took a timeout. The stoppage proved wise to the visitors, as they won the final two points for a 25-20 game win and match victory.

Avery travels to Owen on Thursday evening to open Western Highlands Conference play.

Vikings Look to Regroup in Home Opener against Black Knights

On the heels of a humbling 43-21 defeat at the hands of the nearby Cloudland Highlanders, the Avery Vikings gridiron squad must circle the wagons as they prepare to play host to the visiting Robbinsville Black Knights in this year’s Endowment contest. The Knights roll into Newland on the heels of a 35-14 opening night victory over First Assembly Christian School of Concord.
Robbinsville defeated Avery 41-34 in a shootout in Graham County last season.

Scouting the Black Knights:
First year coach Dee Walsh, who takes over for former coach Gene Boley, coaches the Black Knights of Robbinsville. Robbinsville is a member of the Smoky Mountain Conference and finished 7-6 overall, with a 3-3 mark in conference play.

Coach Walsh is no stranger to the SMC, as he makes a second tour of duty as head coach at Robbinsville, where he coached from 1986-89. He also coached at Cherokee High School for three seasons and has coached the last seven as head coach at Hayesville High School.

The Black Knights return 13 starters from a season ago, and are predominately a junior class that returns a number of experienced players at skill positions. Two running backs, Kurt Odom and Blake Anderson, combined to rush for over 2,900 yards last season and 29 touchdowns. The Knights returns starting quarterback Luke Perkins, as well as backup quarterback and RB/DB Randy Hernandez. An agile front line consisting of junior Colby White, junior Cody Anderson, and senior Benji Calloway anchor the line of scrimmage. Robbinsville runs a multiple offense, but relied heavily on misdirection in last year’s contest, and primarily runs a 40 defense.

The Low Down:
The Knights rely heavily upon its running game, but will occasionally throw the football to keep a defense honest. In last season’s opener with the Knights, Avery struggled to tackle the strong Robbinsville running backs. The same problem reared its ugly head at Cloudland in the season opener last week.

For Avery to have a shot at winning this Friday night, they must improve its tackling and become a more physical team. The Landers ran roughshod over the team for much of last week’s loss, and Robbinsville will look to repeat the feat.

Robbinsville will look to the duo of Anderson and Odom to maintain a ball-control offense and chew up large chunks of yardage on the ground. Avery gained close to 200 yards rushing last Friday night, but could not stop the Lander offense, particularly in third down situations.

By the Numbers:
0 – number of times Avery forced the Cloudland team to punt in last week’s loss.
75- yards running from Avery RB Travis Thomas last week, resulting in two touchdowns.
91- rushing yards by Kurt Odom with three TDs in last week’s Robbinsville victory.
114- rushing yards by Blake Anderson in last week’s Black Knights triumph.
189- yards in total offense from Avery senior QB Adam Pate last week.
237 – yards rushing on 51 attempts by Robbinsville in its win last week over First Assembly.
334 – yards in total offense gained by Avery last Friday night.
537 – yards surrendered by the Avery defense in last week’s loss to Cloudland.

Be sure to pick up next week’s edition of the Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s game with Robbinsville, as well as a preview of next Friday’s Bucket Battle at Watauga.

Vikings Soccer Defeats Pisgah in Non-Conference Match

Avery men's soccer upended the Pisgah Bears 6-1 Monday night in a dominant road victory. Andrew Ingram recorded a hat trick in the match win, with goals from Kyle Griewisch and Austin Lyons.

"Pisgah is a rebuilding team, much as we are. We put J.C. and Andrew up front and it paid off immediately with a pair of long balls sent ahead and goals by Andrew in the first ten minutes," Coach Lou Brancourt said after the win. "We made a mistake in the back and gave up a goal to lead 2-1 at halftime."

The Avery coaching staff made adjustments during the match that proved to be wise as the Vikings offense exploded in the final 40 minutes of action. "J.C. was playing very hard, but was struggling a little, so we switched him with Kyle. Kyle took advantage by scoring a pair of goals," Coach Brancourt added. "Andrew scored his third goal, then Austin Lyons, one of our freshmen, scored his first goal."

Avery is 2-2 overall on the season and hosts North Henderson this afternoon before traveling to Highland Tech on Friday evening. "We made some mistakes, but we also did some good stuff. Scoring a lot of goals was nice, and it was easy to be positive with this win," Coach Brancourt explained. "North Henderson is a team we don't know very much about. We've played them well, but have lost to them each of the last two years when I know we could have beaten them. They tied Mitchell 3-3 and Pisgah 1-1. On paper I think it is a team we can beat, but we have a little payback in mind."

Junior Varsity Football Falls to Cloudland

On a wet Monday evening in Newland, the Avery junior varsity football team fell 26-0 to Cloudland in the first regular season football game played on the new synthetic surface at MacDonald Stadium.

Cloudland got on the board first when quarterback Seth Miller carried the football across the goal line for a 6-0 advantage. Avery's first possession resulted in a three-and-out, and the subsequent punt attempt was blocked, giving the Landers prime field position at the Avery 14.
On fourth and goal, Miller scored his second touchdown, a one-yard sneak to put Cloudland ahead 12-0.

Avery fortunes went from bad to worse as an option pitch play during Avery's next drive was fumbled. Cloudland defender Matt Cole scooped up the football and scampered 17 yards for another Lander score, making the score 18-0. The Landers converted the two-point conversion attempt to lead 20-0 at the end of the first quarter of play.

The Big Red struggled to move the football against a stingy Cloudland defense, as the Vikings' third possession resulted in a turnover on downs at the Avery 7-yard line. Avery's defense showed great pride in stopping the Landers on a fourth and goal attempt to get the ball back in the hands of the offense.

Avery finally moved the football with efficiency on its next drive, as the team benefitted from a long run by Trent Mitchell as well as a personal foul facemask and a defensive pass interference play to move the pigskin near midfield. An Alex Villanueva run moved the Vikings to the Landers 40, then a long pass connection from Villanueva to wide receiver Kenny Hicks brought the Big Red onto the Cloudland end zone's doorstep, setting up at the Cloudland 7 late in the half. On this occasion it was the Cloudland defense that dug in, pushing Avery back on a pair of runs, then sacking Villanueva on fourth and goal at the ten yard line to turn the Vikings away without points and preserve a 20-0 Landers halftime advantage.

Avery faced a greater hill to climb as starting QB Villanueva did not start the second half due to injury. Backup Trent Mitchell moved Avery to near midfield, but a high snap over the quarterback's head was recovered by Cloudland for another turnover. The Landers quickly returned the favor on its first play from scrimmage, as a Miller pass attempt was intercepted by Avery's Mitchell.

The Vikings were forced to punt back to Cloudland, and the Landers again gave the ball back to Avery as Hunter Shields intercepted a Tyler Shell pass attempt around the Avery 15 yards line. However, in a common theme throughout the evening due to conditions, the Vikings committed a fumble on its ensuing possession. Cloudland's Casey Pritchard scooped up the loose football and rumbled 15 yards for another Landers defensive score and provide for the final margin of victory.

Avery's JV squad will look to regroup when it hosts Watauga on September 4th.

'Landers Take Decisive Victory over Vikings in Border Battle Classic

The Cloudland Highlanders evened the score with the Avery Vikings on Friday night in Roan Mountain, seizing control early in a 43-21 final score.

Cloudland scored on seven of its ten offensive possessions, setting the tone by scoring touchdowns on each of the team's first drives on offense. Cloudland got on the board after the opening kickoff with a 7-play, 67 yard drive, capped off by a run of five yards from QB Randall Johnson to give the Landers the early 6-0 lead.

Avery moved the football on its first drive inside the Landers 20 yard line, but a fumble on an exchange between Vikings QB Adam Pate and his running back was recovered by Cloudland. The Landers immediately capitalized on the mistake, as Johnson found speedy wide receiver Seth Houtsma for a 79-yard touchdown pass on its first play following the turnover. A conversion attempt failed, but Cloudland led 12-0.

The Vikings got on the board with its next series when Travis Thomas recovered a fumbled snap and galloped 36 yards for an Avery score. Colton Blackburn's PAT narrowed the score to 12-7.

Cloudland scored on its next possession on a 1-yard run by Johnson, giving the Landers an 18-7 advantage as the second period began. Following an Avery three-and-out, Cloudland committed its first error when Jordan English intercepted a Johnson pass. Avery turned the miscue into points five plays later when Pate found Keith McKinney on a 33-yard touchdown strike. A 2-point conversion failed, but Avery again drew to within five points at 18-13.

It seemed for every Viking score, the Cloudland club found an answer. After a kickoff return gave the Landers field position near midfield to open its next series, the offense drove 53 yards over seven plays, culminating with another run by Johnson, a two-yard plunge to account for the eventual halftime score of 24-13.

As the second half began, the Cloudland defense continued to stifle the Big Red. Avery had the first offensive series to start the second half, but had a three-and-out and punted the ball to Cloudland. An eight play, 65-yard scoring drive that took four minutes off the third quarter clock appeared to sap the energy from the weary visiting Vikings. Matthew Tipton found paydirt with a 15-yard scamper along the sideline to push the Landers ahead by a 30-13 margin.

The Vikings hurt their own cause on its next offensive series with an interception near midfield, but the defense held on a fourth and inches run to get the football back. Avery's offense continued to move the football downfield as the third period wound down, but failed to convert on a fourth down play in Cloudland territory to stifle their longest drive of the game.

Cloudland put an exclamation point on an impressive performance with a pair of fourth period touchdowns, a 11-yard run by Tipton for his second score of the night, and a 9-yard run by Johnson for a 42-13 advantage. Avery's offense managed a late touchdown as Thomas scored on a 25-yard scurry and the Vikings successfully picked up a two-point conversion with two minutes remaining. The teams ran out the remaining seconds as the Landers celebrated a victory and possession of the Border Battle Trophy.

Avery returns to action on Friday night with its home opener against Robbinsville, while Cloudland travels to West Greene next week.

Pregame Interview with Cloudland Head Coach Robbie Turbyfill

Head Coach Robbie Turbyfill spoke with the Sports Blog prior to tonight's game with Avery at Orr Field in Roan Mountain. Click the title link above to go to the interview.

Comments from Avery head coach Darrell Brewer on Friday's Border Battle Classic

New ground is being broken by the Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog.... Audio Clips!

Listen to exclusive audio of an interview with Avery Vikings head football coach Darrell Brewer recorded for Saturday's tape-delayed broadcast on AM 1130 WECR of Friday night's Border Battle Classic matchup with Cloudland High School.

Follow the link by clicking the title of this post to access the audio.

Gosnell Hired as New AD in Madison County

Madison High School's vacant athletic director position was filled with the hiring of former Patriot player Mark Gosnell as countywide athletic director, replacing former high school AD Darren Ponder who resigned earlier this year.

According to a published story in the News-Sentinel newspaper in Madison County, Gosnell had applied for the football head coaching position which was recently filled by junior varsity head coach Eric Schneider.

“It’s going to be exciting,” Gosnell said. “The one goal that I have is to bring back togetherness … We need to be together in everything we do. We can’t make promises, but we’re going to bring some pride” back to Madison sports, Gosnell told the Marshall newspaper. "When I played there in 1987, there were five of us that received college scholarships in football … some type of college scholarship. Since then, “everywhere that I have been, I have coached college scholarships athletes. I have a lot of contacts all across the nation with college coaches in football and baseball, and I know a lot of basketball coaches. I’ve got a lot of contacts. The thing is, if we have the athletes who can play at the college level, we need to get their names out there.”

Gosnell's most recent employment was as assistant football coach and head baseball coach for Stephens County, Georgia, where he led his teams to an overall record of 51-14, a Region 8-AAA championship in 2007 and a berth in the AAA state finals in 2008 where the Indians lost to Cartersville. Stephens County's 29 victories under Gosnell in 2008 is a school record for wins in one season.

Gosnell came under fire last season due to a national controversy surrounding the conduct of a pitcher and catcher in the third game of his high school's team's state championship series against Cartersville High School. The video of the incident quickly circulated nationwide on the popular website YouTube, which can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tsFSALrA1o&feature=related According to the Toccoa Record newspaper, the school was fined $1,000 by the GA High School Association, and, as part of the GHSA’s penalty, Gosnell and his assistants were instructed to complete a sportsmanship education program. Gosnell resigned his position in early July, according to published reports.

Despite the recent events, Gosnell told the News Record and Sentinel that it was his experience on the field at Madison which will serve him well in his return to his alma mater. “I played football there from 1983 to 1987. I was the varsity quarterback my junior and senior years. We had winning records and made the playoffs. I broke the all-time passing record there, and also broke the all-time school record for touchdown passes,” he recalled. He said the Patriot football team in 1986 was “ranked as high as number two in Western North Carolina,” and he was the Western North Carolina pass leader in 1987.

Gosnell attended Wingate College on a double scholarship - in baseball and football - but “baseball bought out the football scholarship” so he could focus on being a catcher. He earned his degree in parks and recreation administration at Wingate, and then attended the University of North Carolina at Pembroke to earn his teacher certification in physical education.

Madison's football team finished with a winless 0-11 season in 2007.

Vikings and Landers Tangle in Second Border Battle Classic to Open Regular Season

The opening kickoff for the 2008 prep football season is upon us, and two local schools duke it out for bragging rights as the Avery Vikings travel to Orr Field in Roan Mountain to square off against the Cloudland Highlanders. The Vikings won the first installment of the Classic by a 35-14 score last season to take home the Avery Journal-Times Border Battle Trophy and advanced to the North Carolina High School football playoffs. Meanwhile, Cloudland used the defeat as motivation for an impressive 7-4 season and playoff appearance under first-year head coach Robbie Turbyfill.

Scouting the Teams:
Many faces have changed for both clubs entering this contest. Gone are both teams’ starting quarterbacks from a year ago, Preston Jennings of Avery and Jordan Hughes of Cloudland. For the Vikings, senior Adam Pate will call signals behind center for a team that finished 5-7 a season ago. Pate will not be new to the task, as he split time with Jennings for a formidable 1-2 punch in 2007.

Avery looks for continued success from the spread offense that has helped them to playoff appearances in each of the past five seasons, while the defense will use multiple formations out of its basic 50 front.

The Vikings return seven starters to its spread attack offense, but only four players hold over from last season’s defensive squad. The team is inexperienced at the linebacker position, but hopes that a strong and experienced front line can help the secondary mature quickly.

For the Landers, Randall Johnson and Seth Miller have been sharing snaps behind center in practice in a heated competition for the starting quarterback position. Johnson, who played wide receiver last season, is expected to be the starter for the ‘Landers.

Cloudland lost only four seniors from last year’s club and must rely on its experienced nucleus to keep last season’s momentum rolling. Besides Johnson, the ‘Lander coaching staff expects big things from running back Matthew Tipton. Lucas Clawson, Seth Houtsma, Nick Sluder, and Logan Morgan are all expected to contribute for the ‘Landers.

The ‘Landers feel they return eight starters to their spread system, which was implemented last season, and also eight starters to the defensive side of the ball. That kind of experience is what the Highlanders will need to be successful against the Vikings.

The Low Down:
A key to this year’s contest might be depth. Both teams will have a number of players who will take snaps on both sides of the football, and stamina in this opening game may come into play. It will be worth watching to see if the Avery squad has improved on its tackling from its recent scrimmage and practices, a flaw Coach Brewer and his staff has emphasized on shaping up leading to Friday’s showdown.

For Cloudland, they must do a better job of taking care of the football than they did in last year’s game. Two mistakes in execution, a muffed punt and early fumble, dug a hole too deep for the ‘Landers to climb out of a year ago.

As with most opening games, new players must step up and make plays for their respective clubs to escape with a win. Tensions, not to mention attendance, should be high for this emotion-filled encounter.

By the Numbers:
21 – number of unanswered first half points scored by Avery before a second quarter touchdown by Cloudland.
56 – yards gained by the Avery rushing attack in the pivotal scoring drive late in the third quarter of last year’s contest.
96 – yards of total offense allowed by the Avery defense in last year’s 35-14 win.
103 – yards rushing by former Avery RB Tommy Shea in last year’s victory.
63 – penalty yards accumulated against Cloudland in last year’s game.
162 – penalty yards Avery racked up last season against the ‘Landers.

Read next week’s edition of the Journal-Times and check the site for a full recap of this week’s game, as well as a preview of next week's games!

Western Highlands Conference Team-By-Team Football Preview

This season the Western Highlands Conference shapes up to be a wide-open campaign as a number of teams look to move to the top of the pack. This week is part of a two-part look at the teams that the Avery Vikings will face within conference play.

Hendersonville Bearcats – The Bearcats are picked by most pundits to win the Western Highlands Conference this season. The squad was 7-6 last season, with a 3-3 conference mark. Hendersonville returns more experience players at skill positions than anyone in the conference, and will boast one of the fastest squads in the region. The Bearcats are senior-laden, led by NCPreps.com Preseason 1A All-State selection Wesley Cook at offensive tackle. The 6’7”, 262-pound player was all-conference a year ago. His father was an All-American at East Tennessee State and has received a college scholarship offer from East Carolina University.
A trio of senior running backs returns for the Cats with speed to burn, including All-Conference returnee Cedric Allen, who rushed for 1,580 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2007. Also assisting Allen behind quarterback are Darren Perry and Darryl Demps. Both players rushed for over 350 yards last season and combined for nine rushing touchdowns.
Preseason NCPreps.com kicker selection Will Roper will anchor a strong special teams unit, with fellow seniors Corey Cook, Lance Allen, Eric Hanson, and Tory Sitton providing additional support. Behind center for Hendersonville will be junior signal-caller Ben Walgenbach, who passed for 1,095 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2007.
“We will contend for our conference title and make a deep run into the playoffs,” head coach B.J. Laughter remarked. “With the addition of Jim Fox (former long-time coach at Rosman High School) to our staff, we should really cause some problems for defenses.”

Owen Warhorses – Expectations in Swannanoa are always high for a squad that seems to contend every year for a conference championship. However, the Warhorses were a senior loaded club a season ago and will have to mature in a hurry to contend in 2008.
Gone from this year’s club is All-Conference running back Dion Wilson, who accounted for almost 1,400 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, as well as WHC special teams player of the year Aaron Reese.
For the first time in recent memory, the team will not have a returning feature back to rely on. With the Warhorses returning only four starters from last year’s team, Coach Ken Ford admitted recently that youth will be served on this year’s squad.
"We're going to have to play a lot of young guys," Ford said. "We're relying on a lot of people for the first time. Once we start the season, it might take us a little longer to get to where we normally are. We may go through some growing pains along the way."
Junior Andy Coleman will shift from receiver to Owen's feature back and run primarily behind the blocking of Josh Leake, a 6-foot-2, 300-pound senior. Senior linebacker Seth Blankenship, is the Warhorses' lone returning All-Western Highlands Conference selection.
Owen's five-year run as the WHC champion was ended last fall by Polk County. Owen may be young in ’08, but that does not guarantee a sub par season, as the 2007 JV Warhorses was undefeated in conference play en route to a 9-1 overall record.

Polk County Wolverines- Polk County captured the conference championship last season after a thrilling win in the regular season finale against Hendersonville. Unfortunately a week later the two teams played a rematch in the opening round of the 1A state playoffs with the Bearcats exacting revenge in a seven-point win.
The Wolverines will look to rebuild in 2008 without the services of graduated All-Conference quarterback Derrick Overholt, lineman Regis Bittle, and wide receiver Josh Twitty. Kamron Kerr appears in line to pick up the mantel of leadership for the young Wolverines this season. The rising senior had 872 yards receiving and eight touchdowns a year ago while averaging 17.1 yards a catch.
Other all-conference selections returning this season for Polk include Ryan Owens, J.P. Ruth and Tony Wicklund.

Madison Patriots- The Madison Patriots faced a tumultuous season in 2007 and hopes to turn the page in 2008. Head coach Darren Ponder resigned after a single season and a winless mark of 0-11. The season was also marred when a dozen football players received suspensions from varsity play after admitting "illegal use of alcohol, marijuana or prescription drugs". Further complicating the coach's situation was the arrest and conviction of one of his assistant coaches.
This season new Madison head coach Eric Schneider is looking to rebuild and turn around a club that has only posted 17 wins this entire decade. “We're going to surprise some people. I honestly feel that we will," Schneider recently commented at Patriots preseason practice.
The Patriots are installing a new multiple-formation offense and 3-4 defense, while returning only one All-Conference player in RB/LB Colby Coates. In all, Madison has about 40 total players out for football, with 22 expected to play varsity. Schneider led the Patriots junior varsity team to a 7-3 record in 2007. No member last year’s coaching staff remains on this year’s varsity staff.

Mountain Heritage Cougars – Hopes are high in Yancey County this season as eighth-year head coach Joey Robinson’s club boasts one of the most veteran-laden team in the conference. Heritage returns ten varsity starters on offense and nine on defense to a club that finished 4-7 last season and made the 2A state playoffs.
The team returns experienced players at skill positions, and just as importantly, along the line of scrimmage. Over the summer the Cougars have worked on implementing a shotgun spread offense, a similar move employed by Avery within the past five seasons.
“Overall, as a group, I feel like our skilled players and our line will be the best that we have put on the football field since I have been at Mountain Heritage. This is the best team speed that we have had, and a lot of teams will have trouble matching up with our big line,” Coach Robinson told a Yancey County media outlet the opening week of practice. “We should have a very good power running game this season, but what makes this team scary is its ability to throw the football.”
Twenty one of the 32 varsity players who turned out for fall practice are seniors, led by quarterback Kirk Burnette, who tallied 1107 yards passing and 10 touchdowns last fall, running back Jessie Ballew who rushed for 409 yards, and wide receiver Dylan McMahan (44 receptions, 577 yards).

Mitchell Mountaineers- Mitchell County brought a 6-4 record and possibility for a share of a conference championship into its home finale against Avery last season, only to fall by a single point, finish with a 3-3 conference mark, and lose 42-14 at Lincolnton in the opening round of the 2A state playoffs.
Russell Barnett enters his second season as head coach of the Mountaineers facing the prospect of rebuilding a team that lost many key elements due to graduation, most notably All-Conference quarterback Joe Hoilman. The graduated senior racked up 161 carries for 1,203 yards and 14 touchdowns and was the sixth leading passer in the state in terms of yards with 2,986 yards on 154 of 274 attempts to go with 29 TD. Leading receivers Jordan Jones (45 receptions, 1,001 yards, 8 TD), Randy Miller, and Joe Bomar must also be replaced from the high-octane passing attack. The key returnee for this year’s club is Jake Jarrett, one of the team’s leading rushers from last year.
The Mountaineers will get an early test in the opening week of the season when they will host traditional 1A power Murphy, a game originally scheduled to take place at Western Carolina University, but was moved due to new turf installation in Cullowee.

Vikings Triumph in Season Openers in Volleyball, Soccer

Avery picked up a pair of wins on Monday evening in soccer and volleyball action.

The Lady Vikings volleyball team won its opening contest against the Patton Lady Panthers. The junior varsity squad set the pace with a straight set victory, then the varsity team won its best 3 of 5 match in four games. Avery used a late run to hold off Patton in game one by a 25-20 score, then appeared poised to take command of the match with the first six points in the second game. Patton rallied back to tie the match at 1 game each, however, with a 25-23 win.

Avery broke open a close third game midway through the contest, turning a slim 11-9 advantage into a 19-11 lead with the help of strong kills by senior hitter Katie Ellis and strong service games by the pair of Sara Singleton and Savannah Dellinger. Avery rode the momentum to a 25-17 win to regain the lead in the match two games to one.

The Lady Vikings seized early control of the fourth and deciding game of the match, scoring 6 of the first 7 points as Dellinger continued a hot service game. Avery built its lead to 10-1 over Patton. The Lady Panthers cut the deficit to 12-6 later in the game, but the Big Red kept the pressure on the visiting Panthers squad to lead 19-11. The Vikings limited errors on the defensive side and used good ball placement and teamwork in upending the Panthers 25-17 to take the match victory.

In men's soccer action held at Lees-McRae College, the Vikings soccer team started its season on a positive note, shutting out the Cardinals of East Wilkes High School by a final score of 4-0. J.C. Steinbaugh put the Big Red on the scoreboard with an early goal, the first of two scored in the half. Kyle Griewisch added a goal late in the half to stake Avery to a 3-0 halftime advantage. Griewisch scored the only goal of the second half to provide the final margin as the Avery defense smothered its fellow 1A competitor from Ronda, NC. Morgan Bounds returned to goal after sitting out Thursday's scrimmage and shut out the Cardinals offense on the night.

The soccer team will travel to Jefferson on Wednesday to take on Ashe County. The volleyball team will return to action on Thursday, traveling to take on Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy.

Vikings Christen Turf with Four-Team Scrimmage

The Avery football team held a scrimmage on Tuesday evening, facing off with West Caldwell, Hampton (TN), and Morganton Draughn High Schools. Avery's offense scored on several occasions through the scrimmage, while the defense continues to build and focus on stopping the run and pass.

Avery methodically scored on its first drive against Hampton as Adam Pate dashed in for a nine-yard scoring run. The Vikings showed they could also effectively pass the football out of its spread atteck, connecting on a slant pass for a long touchdown on one drive against West Caldwell.

The Big Red continues practicing in anticipation of next Friday's regular season opener in Roan Mountain against Cloudland (TN) High School. Large crowds are expected at Orr Field next Friday night for the 2nd annual Avery Journal-Times Border Battle Classic. Avery captured the trophy last season in Newland with a 35-14 win, so the 'Landers will be seeking revenge on its newly renovated surface next week. A full preview of next week's game can be found in next week's edition of the Journal-Times.