App-Richmond Kickoff Set for Noon

Courtesy of Appalachian Sports Information

BOONE- Saturday's NCAA Division I Football Championship quarterfinal between No. 2-seeded Appalachian State University and Richmond has been set for noon, the NCAA announced on Sunday. The game will be played at ASU's Kidd Brewer Stadium.

The contest will be televised nationally as part of ESPN's GamePlan package, as well as in local syndication. As local networks carrying the game are confirmed throughout the week, GoASU.com will compile a complete list of outlets where the broadcast can be seen.

Additionally, the game will be shown live on ESPN's ESPN360.com online platform.

For more on Saturday's national quarterfinal, check back shortly to GoASU.com.

AJ-T Sports Live From... HOLMES CONVOCATION CENTER

It's time for part two of our Appalachian Football/Basketball doubleheader as the Appalachian State Mountaineers men's basketball team hosts the Camels of Campbell University. Appalachian is 1-2 on the season, while Campbell is 2-2 on the year.

The Mountaineers have had a week to prepare for the Camels after falling 95-80 at Niagara last Saturday. Donald Sims netted 20 points in last week's loss, and this afternoon's game features the second-highest combined scoring average among all 122 Division 1 games played today across the NCAA at 171.8 combined points per game.

Kellen Brand leads the Mountaineers with a 19.3 ppg scoring average, while Isaac Butts averages 10.3 rpg.

We'll be bringing the action throughout the contest.

5:15 PM - 14:52 left in the opening half. Appalachian opens with a 12-2 spurt to tip off the contest. Five early points from Eduardo Bermudez and four from Isaac Butts pace the Black and Gold, as the team has also dominated on the glass thus far, getting a number of second chance opportunities.

5:20 PM -- 11:57 remaining in the first half and the Mountaineers lead it 17-8. Bermudez with eight points in the early going, Kellen Brand has poured in five as well. Jonathan Rodriguez has four points for Campbell.

Back-to-back 3s by Donald Sims and Jeremi Booth force Campbell to take a 30-second T.O. 25-10 Appalachian has raced out to a strong 15-point edge. They've been quicker to the basketball and forced a number of steals and turnovers.

5:40 PM -- Under 4 minute TV timeout, Appalachian leads 32-18. Butts continues to play strong inside as the Camels have no player his size to match up in the paint. Eight points for the 6'10", 285 pound center to match Bermudez for team lead thus far.

5:50 PM - 38-24 Appalachian leads at halftime. Butts leads the Apps in scoring with 10 points go to with 7 rebounds, with nine points from Bermudez, 5 from Brand, 4 by Booth, 3 points apiece from Wright and Sims, with a pair of points by Williamson, and a point each by Hunter and Webb.

Jonathan Rodriguez leads the Camels with 11 points, with three points by Jabril Bailey, and three players with two points each.

6:20 pm -- The Mountaineers are up 42-30 with 15:41 remaining in the game. App has used some 2-3 zone defense and the Camels have not been able to score from the perimeter with any sort of consistency.

6:30 PM -- Appalachian continues to maintain its double-digit lead at 49-35. ASU held a 27-15 rebounding advantage at halftime and continue to maintain that edge, as second-chance points has helped the team to keep its lead to this point.

Just over 8 minutes remain in the contest and a Campbell 13-7 run has cut the lead to 8 points at 56-48. The margin is the closest the team has come in the second half. Eduardo Bermudez has not been a presence at all in this second half, possibly due to an injury. More information as it becomes available.

6:50 PM -- 63-54 ASU and Campbell asks for timeout. Bermudez had been out an extended period due to a third foul picked up early in the second half. He re-entered the game and has two points on free throws in the half. Isaac Butts also picked up his fourth foul at the 7:00 mark. It will be interesting to see when Coach Fancher decides to bring his big man back into the game.

Final official time out of the contest at 3:56 in the game. Appalachian leads 68-60 as they have not been able to extend the lead. Rodrigues has paced the Campbell team with 22 points in the game.

ASU timeout with 2:10 remaining has the Apps leading 74-64.

7:10 PM -- ASU goes 2 for 2 on the day with a win over Campbell. Final Score: 79-66. App evens its record at 2-2 on the season.

Avery Journal-Times Sports LIVE FROM... Kidd-Brewer Stadium

We're here at ASU for a doubleheader of sports action as the ASU football and basketball teams are in action today.

First off, it's the Mountaineer football squad hosting South Carolina State. We'll be blogging all day from Boone with the latest from the game.
12:10 - App. had the opening possession of the game and drove inside the SCSU 5-yard line, but a fumble turned the ball over to the Bulldogs. SCSU's first pass play was picked off by Mark LeGree to give the Mountaineers the ball at the Bulldogs 45 yard line.

Just 2 plays after getting the ball back, an ill-advised Armanti Edwards pass off balance and off his back foot was intercepted by SCSU to give the Bulldogs their second possession of the game via turnover.

The Bulldogs are able to capitalize on the second gaffe with a 50 yard scoring drive, capped by a touchdown pass of 13 yards to Octavus Darby, putting the Bulldogs on the board first. With 6:29 left in the first period, the Bulldogs are up 7-0 over ASU.

The Mountaineers answer quickly with a 73-yard drive, culminating with a 6-yard passing strike from QB Armanti Edwards to tight end Ben Jorden. The PAT ties it at 7-7 with 3:28 left in the first period.

App forces a SCSU punt on its ensuing drive, giving the Mountaineers back at its own 12. The Mountaineers run two plays for 23 yards to close out the first period. Game tied 7-7. The Apps get inside the Bulldog 10-yard line, but the SCSU defense holds, forcing ASU to settle for a 26-yard Jason Vitaris field goal. 12:44 to go in the half, ASU leads 10-7.

SCSU takes advantage of beginning a drive at its 40 yard line to move 60 yards for a go-ahead touchdown. A 16-yard pass from Long to Darby puts the Bulldogs up 14-10 with just over 8 minutes left in the half.

1:20 PM - The Mountaineers get back on the board to re-take the lead. The teams exchanged punts, then the Apps drove a short field, capping a drive with a 27-yard Edwards TD pass to CoCo Hillary, giving ASU the lead again at 17-14 in this back-and-forth affair. 2:28 left before intermission.

SCSU is held to a three-and-out, with the Mountaineer offense back on the field. Two plays later, Edwards is picked off for the second time in the half. SCSU takes over just inside ASU territory with under two minutes left. A last second heave to the end zone falls incomplete, ending the half with the Mountaineers leading 17-14. Looks like an exciting second half to come.

2:00 PM - Appalachian holds SCSU to a three and out, then scores with its first series on a one-yard run by Edwards, set up by a long pass play. Appalachian leads 24-14 with 8:42 left in the third quarter.

2:20 PM - The Bulldogs drive into ASU territory, but attempt a fourth down conversion pass that falls incomplete, giving the Mountaineers back the football at its own 40 yard line. 4:33 remains in the third quarter with the Mountaineers still leading by 10.

The Mountaineers were held and forced to punt, but Neil Young was unable to get a punt away on a blocked punt. SCSU takes over inside the ASU 15, where the Bulldogs convert with a touchdown run on the very next play. The PAT cuts the lead back to a field goal at 24-21 with 3:34 left in the third quarter. The game has tightened as the rain steadily falls on the stadium.

2:35 PM - Three quarters in the books. ASU 24 SCSU 21 as the game goes into its final 12 minutes with SCSU holding possession at its own 35 yard line.

SCSU is forced to punt, but ASU can't move the football either and kicks it back to the Bulldogs with 13:07 remaining.

Following an exchange of punts the Mountaineers get a huge third down conversion deep in its own territory on a scramble by Edwards who found TJ Courman to move the chains. The play sparked the Black and Gold, as they marched downfield with the running of Robert Welton and a pair of passes. Edwards found Quick for a touchdown pass on third and goal to add to the ASU lead, making the score 31-21 with 7:21 left in the contest.

On SCSU's ensuing possession, a fumble was caused by the App defense, and Jacque Roman fell on the football to give the Mountaineer offense the ball at the Bulldogs 30 yard line. App moved the football inside the 10, but the Bulldogs defense stiffened, forcing ASU to settle for a field goal attempt. ASU tried to fake the attempt with the holder flipping the football to kicker Vitaris, but he was unable to run for the first down yardage, giving the football back to SCSU at its own 8 yard line. 5:14 remains in the contest with ASU leading 31-21.

3:10 PM - South Carolina State moves the football inside ASU territory, but the defense holds SCSU to three straight incompletions to turn the ball over on downs with 1:40 to go. Appalachian picks up a pair of first downs to drive to the SCSU 40 yard line. Appalachian runs the football to force SCSU to use timeouts to stop the clock, but the game is effectively over as the Mountaineers will move on to take on the winner of today's Eastern Kentucky/Richmod game. That contest will be next weekend at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

Following the timeout Edwards finds Brian Quick for a 30-yard touchdown pass with 4.7 seconds remaining. A celebration penalty forced the Apps to kick an extra point from the 25-yard line, but the insurance has been provided as the Mountaineers put an exclamation point on a hard-fought 37-21 win.

After a short intermission, we'll be back on the Blog for coverage of this afternoon's basketball game between Appalachian State and Campbell from the Holmes Center.

BASKETBALL GAMES AT WATAUGA POSTPONED

This evening's scheduled basketball games at Watauga have been postponed due to inclement weather.

The game will be made up as part of a schedule change for the week of December 15-19. Changes to the current schedule are as follows:

Monday, December 15th: Watauga at Avery (previously scheduled for 12/16)
Wednesday, December 17th: Avery at Watauga (make-up of 11/25 ppd. game)
Friday, December 19th: Patton at Avery (as previously scheduled)

Middle School Basketball Roundup

The Cranberry Middle School Boys and Girls both had a tough week as both squads lost their two games against Harris and East Yancey. On Monday, the Wildcats traveled to Harris and the girls squad lost 35-27, while the boys team lost a nail biter 22-21. Thursday evening saw Cranberry host the East Yancey Panthers. The Wildcats lost their second close game as they fell 26-23, while the Lady Wildcats lost 43-15.

The Cranberry girls started the week at Harris, and Kristen Burleson started the game off strong as she scored four of Cranberry’s six first quarter points as they trailed 9-6 at the end of the first quarter. The Lady Wildcats held their own in the second quarter as Dani Carpenter and MaKenzi Hayes both hit key shots. CMS trailed 17-15 entering the third quarter. Burleson once again rose to the occasion as she hit a key 3-pointer and added another bucket. Kota Turbyfill also added two points to keep the Lady Wildcats within striking distance.

However, they could not pull closer as Harris took the victory with a final of 35-27. Burleson led the way for Cranberry with 12 points, while Turbyfill added five points. Katie Rigdon scored four points, while Brittany Clawson, Hayes, and Carpenter each had two points apiece.

On Thursday, the Lady Wildcats fought hard, but the East Yancey Lady Panthers came out on top for the 43-15 victory. Burleson and Rigdon led the Lady Wildcats with six points, while Carpenter added two points and Destiny Pryor chipped in a point.

In boys action, Cranberry started the week off with a strong showing at Harris. Shea Buchanan and Stetson Stafford each scored two points in the opening quarter as CMS trailed 4-7 at the end of the first. In the second quarter, Bryce Pittman scored four points as the Wildcats closed the gap and tied the game at 12 right before halftime.

Pittman continued his hot streak as he scored all six of the Wildcats points in the third quarter. Cranberry held Harris without a point in the fourth quarter, but came up short one point shy of the victory as Harris held on and won 22-21. Pittman was the leading scorer for Cranberry as he had 11 points. Buchanan added six points, and Stafford scored four points for the Wildcats.

Cranberry found itself in another tight game on Thursday night as they hosted East Yancey. The Wildcats jumped out quickly for a 5-4 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second frame, Pittman scored three points while Buchanan chipped in two points, and Alex Manger nailed a 3-pointer to put the Wildcats on top at the half 13-8.

The Panthers managed to hold the Wildcats to four points in the third frame as they chipped the CMS lead down to 17-15. The fourth quarter saw both teams trade the lead in the final minutes; however East Yancey came out on top 26-23.

Pittman led the way for the Wildcats with seven points, and Buchanan added six points. Chandler Austin and Ben Turbyfill scored three points apiece, while Stafford added one point.

Last week, the Avery Middle School Panthers traveled to East Yancey and hosted Bowman. The Lady Panthers swept their games as they won 42-38 over East Yancey and 51-15 over Bowman. The Panthers fell to East Yancey on Monday 31-15, and held on to a 33-30 victory over Bowman.

On Monday, the Lady Panthers traveled to East Yancey, and came home with a 42-38 victory. The Lady Panthers received four points apiece from Lauren Burleson and Megan Dellinger, but trailed by two points entering the second quarter .Kelsey Clarke sparked the Lady Panthers as she hit two 3-pointers in the second quarter, and Brooke Rhodes added four points as Avery Middle pulled within one point at the break.

The third quarter saw the Lady Panthers outscore East Yancey nine to seven, allowing AMS to take a lead into the final period. Sela Pittman scored six points in the fourth to help preserve the Lady Panther victory. Dellinger led the way with 12 points, while Clarke added ten points for the Lady Panthers. Rhodes scored eight points, and Burleson and Pittman added six points.

On Thursday, it was all Avery Middle from the start as they cruised to a 51-15 victory over Bowman. At the end of first quarter, AMS was up 11-1 after starting the game on a 9-0 run, and did not look back the rest of the contest. Ten Lady Panthers scored points during the contest, and was led by Rhodes’ 11 points. Clarke added nine points, while Dellinger tossed in six points. Abigail Vance and Heaton scored five apiece, and Paige Henderson and Burleson scored four points apiece. Pitman added three points while Ginny Leaman and Savannah Perry collected two points apiece.

In boys’ action, the Avery Middle Panthers came up short at East Yancey 31-15. The Panthers hung on tough, but could not keep up in the second half. Chance Watson scored five points, and Dalton Cook added four points. Jordan McClellan, Chase Buchanan, and Rob Wood all scored two points apiece.

The Panthers hosted Bowman on Thursday, and got a much needed victory. Wood scored three points, while Watson and Buchanan added two points apiece to give the Panthers a 7-5 lead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter belonged to Bowman as they roared back and took a two point lead into the locker room at the half. The Panthers outscored Bowman 9-4 in the third quarter, and that gave AMS a three point edge entering the final quarter. Buchanan rose to the occasion as he scored seven points int eh final six minutes for the Panthers to help preserve the three point victory.

Buchanan led the way for the Panthers with 14 points. Watson had nine points on the night, as Wood scored eight points. Cook also scored two points for AMS.

Manis to Lead Avery Men's Varsity Basketball in 2008-09

The Avery men’s varsity basketball team is looking to improve off a three-win effort in 2007-08. With a number of younger players, including three freshmen used on the varsity roster a season ago, a team returns that is hungry for success.

Taking the reins as head coach this season is Bo Manis. Manis has coached the junior varsity team the past several seasons and succeeds veteran head coach Art Williamson on the bench.
Coach Manis recently sat down with the Avery Journal-Times for a one-on-one interview to discuss the upcoming season.

AJ-T: Coach, you’ve had to split your duties between coaching both football and basketball as they overlap at this time of the year. How have practices gone with having a number of potential players still on the football field and unable to get on the basketball court?

Manis: We’ve been working hard and I’m pleased to have as many players out as we have right now. Basically at this point we’re doing a lot of running and conditioning. We have to because we’re small in size and we’ll have to rely a lot on our defense. We’re doing a lot of running to get in shape. We’ll hopefully be ready physically and mentally for our first game. Everything’s going well, and I couldn’t be happier with these kids.

AJ-T: Expectations change from year to year, and the team was only able to get three wins last season. What are some expectations that you have for your team, and things you hope your team can accomplish on the court this year?

Manis: What I hope first is that we work hard. I preach that when you work hard, good things will happen. I can’t really go into discussing numbers of wins or losses because my expectation for each player is to be a better person and someone of character as they continue to grow.

AJ-T: You had the opportunity to coach most of the players this season when they were junior varsity players. Does prior experience and familiarity with your players offer any sort of advantage?

Manis: I think so, because they know where I stand as far as discipline and what I expect from them. They know I want them in shape and they know what I want to run on the court, and they also know how I approach the game. That gives them a head start as players and gives me the same as their coach.

AJ-T: From your point-of-view, does it take some time to get the team to jell together as you have the football players coming in a few practices after the other players who have already been in the gym? How long do you feel it will take those players coming off the football field to adjust to playing basketball?

Manis: It takes some a longer period of time than others. I can remember when I played and making the transition. For some it may take a few days, while others make take a few weeks. It takes different muscles to use in your legs for basketball versus football. Where basketball is constant running, football is run hard, and then stop and you do that over and over. For the guys who are in shape, it won’t affect them greatly. For the football players it may take them a couple of days, but for those players who have played for me, they’ll know what I expect and what they will need to do to get ready to play.

AJ-T: Who do you have helping you on the bench as a staff of assistants, and what do they bring in helping this year’s team?

Manis: Reggie Oakes is helping me as my assistant. I couldn’t ask for anyone better. He has a great basketball background, and we’re also on the same page as far as discipline and conditioning goes. He’s great to work with and he’s helping me tremendously. Reggie has been involved with the players through the Avery Middle School program.

Kent Hayes is also helping as my assistant. He has been coaching players with the Cranberry Middle School program. They both help me as a coach to understand the players better as far as what each player can and cannot do.

These players come from the middle schools and play together as the Avery High School team, and I want the team to understand that they play for each other. Both Reggie and Kent are great to work with and they have great enthusiasm to work with the players and for the game of basketball.

Quest For Four: Apps Set to Host SC State in First Round of FCS Playoffs

Courtesy of Appalachian State Sports Information

Appalachian State University has been tabbed as the No. 2 seed in the 16-team NCAA Division I Football Championship and will begin its drive for a fourth-straight national title versus South Carolina State on Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Kickoff is slated for noon and the contest will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

Like Appalachian, SC State, out of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, posted an overall record of 10-2 in the regular season and earned its conference’s automatic postseason berth with perfect 8-0 league record. SCSU’s only losses came at the hands of FBS foes Central Florida and Clemson.The Bulldogs are led by running back William Ford, who led the MEAC and ranks 12th nationally with 1,382 rushing yards on the season.

Defensively, they rank among the nation’s top six in total defense, scoring defense, passing defense, tackles for loss and sacks. The matchup is only the second ever played between the two schools separated by just 228 miles. In their only other meeting, ASU thumped visiting SC State, 24-0, on Nov. 17, 1984.

Thanks to the No. 2 seed, the Mountaineers will play at home for as long as they’re still standing through the first three rounds of the playoffs. The national-title game is set for Friday, Dec. 19 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Apps have won a 12-consecutive postseason games, including nine in a row at home, en route to their three-straight national titles and have won 41 of their last 42 at home overall.

Tickets are available online now by clicking here and can also be purchased in person at the ASU athletics ticket office in the Holmes Center or by phone at (828) 262-2079 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Wednesday and Friday of this week. Tickets cost $25 for adults, $15 for children ages 3-12 and $5 for currently enrolled ASU students.

NOTE: Saturday’s ASU men’s basketball game versus Campbell at the Holmes Center will tip off at 5 p.m. in order to enable fans to attend both events while on campus that afternoon.

Appalachian Shakes off Rusty Start, Rolls Over Catamounts

Following a slow two quarters of play at Whitmire Stadium in Cullowee, the Appalachian State Mountaineers pulled away with a strong second half performance by freshman DeAndre Presley to capture the Old Mountain Jug and a 35-10 victory on Saturday.

App's first offensive drive was disastrous as Matt Cline fumbled the ball to give the Catamounts the first break of the game.

Western moved the ball fairly well on the ensuing drive but failed to turn their opportunity into points. With 22 seconds left in the first quarter, former Pisgah High School standout Zack Jaynes crossed the goal line for a one-yard score and a 7-0 lead.

Following WCU's scoring drive, the Mountaineers were forced into several three and outs before ASU reserve quarterback DeAndre Presley got into an offensive rhythm. A 10 play, 52-yard Mountaineer scoring drive was capped by a three-yard scamper to the right side to tie the score at seven. Western answered with a field goal to take a 10-7 lead into halftime.

The second half was a different story as the Mountaineers stepped up. Presley led the Black and Gold to 28 unanswered points in the final two quarters, showing glimpses of brilliance that have been evident at times throughout his first season as an App. Presley hit tight end Ben Jorden for a 17-yard touchdown strike as part of 156-yard throwing performance on 16 of 25 passing. The emergence of the freshman allowed the Appalachian coaches to keep a recovering Armanti Edwards on the sidelines without further risking injury.

The Mountaineer defense was stingy all game ling, holding a weak Western Carolina offense to 72 yards of total offense on the afternoon, including minus-two yards total on the ground. WCU's only success on offense game in the passing game, but only for a paltry 74 yards.

ASU forced Jaynes into a poor day, as he completed only five of 26 attempts for 63 yards. In the process, ASU sacked the Catamount signal caller five times, and added one more later in the game, with defensive end Lanston Tanyi posting 2.5 sacks in the contest and his counterpart, Jabari Fletcher added 1.5 sacks. Led by Pierre Banks' 11 tackles, the linebackers were once again strong shutting down anything across the middle - both the pass and rush. D.J. Smith and Jacque Roman followed Banks' lead, clogging running lanes all night and hurrying Jaynes out of the pocket consistently. The ASU secondary also had a busy day, but responded nicely containing Western's experienced receiving corps.

Appalachian racked up a total of 382 total yards of offense, with 224 on the ground. The Mountaineers await its first opponent for the 2008 FCS playoffs with Selection Sunday tomorrow afternoon.

SCHEDULE CHANGES FOR AVERY WRESTLING, BASKETBALL

The Avery wrestling home dual meet against Draughn High School that was scheduled for Thursday evening has been rescheduled to Friday, November 21st at 6 p.m.

Avery Middle School and Cranberry Middle School will each be hosting Toe River Conference girls and boys basketball games this evening.

Avery Basketball has a few changes of note to its regular season schedule:

Avery's contests against Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (Dec. 12 and Jan. 2) will both be VARSITY ONLY. The home game in December will begin at 6 p.m., with the road game beginning at 5 p.m.

In addition, the non-conference home game against Cloudland on January 27th is VARSITY ONLY.

Top Ranked Heels Rout Wildcats

Without the services of starters Tyler Hansrough or Marcus Ginyard, the North Carolina Tar Heels raced to an early lead of double digits and never looked back in a 77-58 victory before a capacity crowd at the Dean E. Smith Center on Tuesday night.

Carolina scored 15 of the first 17 points of the contest and took a 25-6 edge on an acrobatic alley-oop play from point guard Ty Lawson to teammate Wayne Ellington.

The Heels defense wreaked havoc on the visiting Wildcats on every trip down the floor, forcing six turnovers in the game's first five minutes en route to a 41-25 halftime lead.

"We had a fantastic 10 ten or 12 minutes, our defense was really aggressive with the intensity that we had hoped," Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams said following the win.

The offensive juggernaut of the evening was Deon Thompson. who tallied 14 of his team-high 20 points in the first stanza.

"I think I've just been doing the things that I've been doing over the summer. I guess I have just a little bit more of an opportunity with Tyler [Hansbrough] out of there and just taking advantage and not really trying to force anything," Thompson said post-game. "I think the way I've been scoring and getting rebounds has just been coming in the flow of our whole offense, just being in the right spot. So, I don't think I'm trying to force anything."

Kentucky had 17 turnovers in the first half and totalled 28 in all. "We're just making too many mental errors, even though it's the second game of the season against a really good team and really well organized team and fine executing team. You can't make the mistakes that we made like picking the dribble up, not being strong with the ball, getting destroyed on the offensive ball," Kentucky head coach Billy Gillispie said after the game. "Our transition defense had too many mistakes with guys who didn't communicate well enough."

If there was a negative point to Tuesday's win, it was that freshman Tyler Zeller, filling in for Hansbrough, injured his wrist after a hard foul by Kentucky's Ramon Harris. Zeller left the game and was taken to the hospital for x-rays. "It doesn't give us a good feeling right now," Coach Williams said in the media room following the game.

Thompson led three Heels in double-figures, including 16 points (3 of 5 on 3 point FG) by Ellington, and 11 from Lawson. Freshman Ed Davis added nine points and ten rebounds. Carolina travels to Hawaii for the EA Sports Maui Invitational Tournament, but makes a stop to take on UC-Santa Barbara on Friday at 10 PM EST on ESPNU.

Avery Winter Sports Schedules announced

The Avery High School wrestling schedule as well as the men's and women's basketball schedules have been released. Click the links below to access the schedules:


2008-09 Basketball Schedule


2008-09 Wrestling Schedule

Lady Vikings Basketball Hosts McDowell in Home Scrimmage

The 2008-09 Avery Lady Vikings varsity and junior varsity squads played before the home folks for the first time on Thursday night in a scrimmage at Viking Gym against the Lady Titans of McDowell High School.

Avery’s varsity team took the floor first for two 10-minute sessions with running clock, followed by the junior varsity teams squaring off in a pair of 10-minute periods.

The varsity teams again retook the floor to close the evening’s festivities, this time for five consecutive 10-minute sessions. The teams kept track of team fouls and took foul shots in the last 10-minute block of time for extra practice on those particular drills.

If Thursday’s scrimmage is any indication, this year’s version of the Avery ladies basketball teams will be as formidable, if not more so, than its predecessors from the previous handful of seasons, among the best in school history.

“We were a little nervous early, but I was really proud of the team,” junior varsity head coach Pat Daniels said after watching his team scrimmage. “We have three sophomores in Mercedes Bentley, Mary Chesnut Smith, and Logan Johnson, and they all played really well with several steals. They’ve stepped up as leaders. The freshmen looked really good, particularly Megan Tennant and Brooke Buchanan down in the post.”

The junior varsity appears poised to continue its consecutive string of conference championships with a strong class of eight newcomers to add to the three veteran players on the roster.

“I believe this is one of our best freshmen classes we’ve seen come through Avery. Savannah Dellinger is starting at our point guard, and Lacey Barrier is also a good point guard. We have several great hustling players like Emily Pritchard and Shayna Vance. Brooke Buchanan had been sick and missed a lot of practice, but she still played well in the time she was on the floor.”

Avery’s varsity club worked hard to correct errors that took place during its first scrimmage the previous weekend at Draughn High School, where the team admittedly committed a greater number of turnovers than they wanted. “We did correct many of our previous errors,” Lady Vikings varsity head coach Missy Lyons remarked following the scrimmage. “But we still need to work on passing and need to come together as a team more.”

Although there are areas that need work as the season is in its infancy, the coach was pleased with several facets of the team’s play and with a number of her players.

“I was very happy with the hustle and effort of all three of my post players, Katie Ellis, Katelynn Eudy, and Sara Wiseman. I was also pleased to see Megan Tennant coming in and giving us a boost at the post.”

The scrimmage was a good barometer of where the team is on the court as it prepares for the upcoming season opener on November 25th at Watauga.

“McDowell is a premiere team, and to be able to compete with them is a success, especially this early in the season,” Coach Lyons added. “Lauren Avery is giving us depth at the guard position, and Elyse Perry came in and shot the ball well. We need our senior guards to continue directing the court and being leaders on the floor, and I feel that will bring our game together.”

All-Stars Strut Their Volleyball Skills

On Saturday, November 8, 2008, the Greensboro Sportsplex in Greensboro, NC was booming with talent of senior volleyball players from across North Carolina. Each conference had the opportunity to showcase its outstanding seniors in one last high school event.

This year there was a total of 30 conferences competing, the largest in the past two years. The tournament was set up so each team played two 25-point games, with no third game tie breaker within their pool. The showcase allowed college coaches and recruiters to watch these talented young ladies in action against the best of the best. Some took the time to speak with the athletes to garner their interests in the college they represented.

“Each year there is more and more interest in the showcase from each conference,” stated Trevor Hewitt, director of the Sportsplex Volleyball Club. “First I want to thank Omega Sports and Crocs for making the event a success! Also Alps Screen-printing did another great job on the shirts! Without the help of Omega Sports, who sponsored the event for the second straight year, this event would not be possible. Secondly, I want to thank all the conference coaches who took the time to answer all my emails, and really buy in and support this event. It is these coaches who really take the necessary steps to get their conferences to select a team and then get to the Greensboro Sportsplex for the all-star festival, and give up their Saturdays to coach in the event.”

The Western Highlands Conference, comprised of Avery, Hendersonville, Madison, Mitchell, Mountain Heritage, Owen, and Polk High Schools, had the opportunity to have ten very talented seniors represent our conference this year.

Avery was represented by libero Rachel Buchanan and outside hitter/ right side hitter Katie Ellis. Madison was represented by outside hitter Laurel Gregg. From Mountain Heritage came outside hitter Lacey Blevins, right side hitter/ setter Alli Huskins, defensive specialist Carleigh Fox, and middle blockers Courtney Huskins and Landrie Fox. Polk sent setter Kaitlin Franks and middle blocker/outside hitter Denise Edwards.

The coaches this year were head coach Becky Morris, assisted by Ivy Gregg, both from Madison High School. The team was fortunate to have two workouts on Sunday afternoons in order to prepare for the event.

“The workouts gave us the opportunity to play as one and to be successful against our competition this past Saturday,” explained Coach Morris. The work paid off as the team went 3-1-1 against teams from 1A, 3A, and 4A conferences. They swept the Super Six 1A Conference (Team A), Queen City 3A/4A Conference (Team A & Team B), split with the Greater Neuse River 4A Conference team, and lost to the MECA 7 4A Conference team.

“The girls did an amazing job. They did not let the bigger size school conferences intimidate them. They stay focused, concentrated on the task at hand, and played as a team. They represented our conference with great pride,” boasted Coach Morris.

Katie Ellis of Avery High School did a remarkable job switching back and forth between outside hitter and right side hitter. Katie, who is being recruited already by Lenior-Rhyne College and Lees-McRae College, was approached on Saturday by Montreat College recruiters about her outstanding playing ability as well. She is also interested in attending Appalachian State and The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

“Katie possesses the ability, mechanics, and the leadership to contribute wonderfully to any coach’s program at the collegiate level. I enjoyed coaching her through the all-star event,” stated Coach Morris. Katie capped the day off with 36 service points, 10 aces, two assists, 16 kills, 12 digs, and two blocks.

Rachel Buchanan, also of Avery High School, did an excellent job as our lead libero. The libero is a designated back-row player, intended to be used as a ball-control specialist. Rachel is considering Appalachian State, Wake Forest University, and East Tennessee State to continue her education.

“She might have been the smallest player on the team, but don’t let her size fool you!” Coach Morris stated. “She moves with ease and grace. She possesses range on the court and excellent ball control. No matter how hard or how soft the ball was hit, she recovered it and held her own against the overpowering teams we faced. She was a great asset to our team and did a wonderful job.” Rachel finished the day with two service points and 15 digs.

Congratulations to the senior class of 2009 all-stars who represented the Western Highlands Conference with such greatness and achieved so much.

Rain Soaked Rout: Vikings Mauled by Bearcats in Playoff Opener

On a rainy, foggy night for football at Dietz Field in Hendersonville, the #14 seeded Avery Vikings tangled with the third-seeded Hendersonville Bearcats in the first round of the 1-AA high school football playoffs.
Avery scored the first touchdown in the game, forced a turnover on its ensuing kickoff, and gained two additional turnovers on the Bearcats’ first two offensive series of the game.

Despite all the good fortune, the Vikings could not capitalize with any points. The Bearcats made Avery pay when they finally found their groove on both sides of the football, scoring 56 unanswered points to rout the Big Red by the final score of 56-6.

With the first possession of the game, Avery’s new-look offense seemed to confuse the Bearcats. A 47-yard romp by senior running back Chase Arrowood moved the Big Red into Bearcats territory. Two plays later, a wide receiver end-around run by Adam Pate was good for a 32-yard touchdown. The PAT was blocked, but the Vikings led 6-0 just one minute into the contest.

The Vikings started freshman junior varsity quarterback Alex Villanueva in the contest, along with a number of other junior varsity players who saw extended action on both offense and defense to help bolster the team for playoff football. The infusion of new blood seemed to energize the Avery sideline, as the team burst into elation upon taking the lead.

Avery’s special teams unit made a big play on the ensuing kickoff, forcing a fumble from return man Cedrick Allen. The Vikings recovered the ball inside the Hendersonville 30, but could not move the football and had to punt.

The Viking defense appeared overmatched as the Bearcats drove the football downfield. Cedrick Allen broke off a 68-yard scurry to set the offense up inside the Viking red zone.

However, the stunned Bearcats were dealt another blow when defensive end Cole Blackburn caused a fumble by Bearcats quarterback Ben Walgenbach inside the Viking ten-yard line. Linebacker Nathaniel Buchanan fell on the football to turn the home team away.

The stout Hendersonville defense forced another Avery punt, but the defense rose to the occasion as the second Bearcats offensive series was snuffed out by a Chris Childress interception of Walgenbach. A recurring theme of inability to capitalize occurred again for Avery, however, as the Bearcats refused to allow the Vikings to build further momentum and forced another punt, the third of six straight punts to close Viking possessions in the first half.

Hendersonville finally scored for the first time with 49 seconds left in the quarter on a two-yard touchdown run by Corey Cook. Kicker Will Roper’s extra point gave the Bearcats a lead it would never relinquish as the quarter closed with the Bearcats up 7-6.

The second quarter of play was a complete nightmare for Avery, as Hendersonville scored on five straight possessions with its big-play offense. The Bearcats scored on pass plays of 78 and 81 yards to wide receiver James Foster, Cedrick Allen added a pair of touchdown runs of 61 and 43 yards, and a wide receiver handoff to Daniel Orr netted a 49-yard touchdown, staking the Bearcats to a commanding 42-6 halftime advantage.

Hendersonville used a total possession time of only 1:51 in the entire second quarter and scored five times, while Avery held the ball for ten minutes with nothing to show for it.
The Bearcats exploded for 314 yards of total offense in the quarter, turning the game into a lopsided contest.

The Bearcats tacked on a pair of touchdowns in the second half while the defense held the Big Red scoreless over the final two quarters to seal the win and advance to the second round of the playoffs.

Chase Arrowood led Avery with 85 yards rushing on ten carries, all in the first half of play as he sat out the second half due to injury. Villanueva ended his varsity debut with 4 pass completions on 21 attempts for 37 yards as he was harassed all evening by a relentless Bearcats defense. Cedrick Allen led the Bearcats with 288 yards rushing on only 13 attempts and three touchdowns. Walgenbach was 3 of 7 passing for 197 yards and two touchdowns.

The Vikings close the 2008 season with a disappointing 2-10 overall record, their worst finish since a 4-7 record in 2001.

App Survives Elon

By: Matt Laws (matt.laws@averyjournal.com)
Avery Journal-Times

BOONE- The Appalachian State Mountaineers are accustomed to using a high powered offense to dominate opponents. On Saturday, the Mountaineer defense proved they can get the job done also as the #2 Mountaineers defeated #11 Elon 24-16.

In weather fit more basketball as a rain/snow fell and temperatures fell into the 30’s, the Mountaineers clinched at least a share their fourth straight SoCon title and a guaranteed FCS playoff berth. App can win the conference outright next weekend with a victory over Western Carolina.

Armanti Edwards’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Ben Jorden gave the Mountaineers their first touchdown 11 minutes into the contest. Edwards tehn found Matt Cline from 33-yards to give App a 14-0 lead.

However, the Phoenix, who were just a half game behind the Mountaineers in the SoCon standings before the game, came rushing back as they scored the next 16 points and took their only lead of the day at 16-14.

The Mountaineers quickly answered as it only took them 1:12 to march down the field as Edwards hit Brian Quick for a 23-yard touchdown that put App up 21-16. A late 24-yard field goal by Jason Vitaris gave the Apps the final margin of victory.

Edwards ended the day 25 yards short of becoming the 26th player in FCS history to have 10,000 total offensive yards in a career as he had 251 yards on the day.

The Mountaineer defense held Phoenix quarterback Scott Riddle, who was the SoCon’s leading passer, to just 196 yards on 20 of 39 passes. Jacque Roman had ten tackles and Jabri Fletcher had two sacks and a forced fumble for ASU.

The Mountaineers have one game remaining before they will start their quest for their fourth straight national title. Appalachian will head to Cullowhee on Saturday for the annual Battle for the Old Mountain Jug. Kickoff is set for 3:30pm and the game will be televised on Sportsouth.

LIVE FROM "The Rock:" Apps Host Elon in Polar Weather

(Graphic Courtesy of GoASU.com)

We're live @ the Rock for today's rainy, chilly ballgame. We'll keep bringing updates as the weather allows (an outdoor press box means dealing with elements.)

App State wins the toss and chooses to receive. The Mountaineers get the ball first. A nasty weather forecast but no precip yet. If ASU wins today they will take at least a share of the SoCon Championship and the automatic bid for the upcoming FCS playoffs.

ASU drives inside the Elon 30 yard line, but an Armanti Edwards fumble gives possession to the Phoenix for their first series of the ballgame.

3:45 PM Elon drives downfield with the help of a couple key pass plays and a pass interference penalty, but ASU's defense forces an Elon field goal attempt which sails wide left. Still scoreless with just under seven minutes left in the opening quarter. The rain has begun to fall again on the field.

Note: Due to the weather elements, we were unable to blog from Saturday's game like we normally do.

Vikings Blasted By Bearcats in Opening Round of High School Football Playoffs

The Avery Vikings fell 56-6 in Hendersonville on a wet and foggy night at Dietz Field in Henderson County tonight.

Avery took an early 6-0 lead with freshman Alex Villanueva calling the signals as starting quarterback. Wide receiver Adam Pate scored on a 32-yard touchdown carry, then Avery forced and recovered a Hendersonville fumble on the ensuing kickoff. Avery could not capitalize on that turnover nor on two additional miscues by the Bearcats in the first half. Hendersonville scored late in the first quarter on a two-yard run by fullback Corey Cook to take a 7-6 lead after one period.

The floodgates opened for the Bearcats offense in the second quarter, piling up 35 points in the next 12 minutes for a commanding 42-6 lead at halftime. Cedrick Allen was a beast all night for the home team, as he racked up 288 yards on only 13 carries in the game and scored three times. Quarterback Ben Walgenbach also passed for a pair of scores, while Chase Arrowood led the Vikings offensively with 85 yards on ten carries, all in the first half of play.

Avery played hard throughout the contest, but was simply no match for a talented and speedy Hendersonville squad.

Avery's season ends with a disappointing record of 2-10, while Hendersonville improves to 11-1 and will host Jordan Matthews in the second round next Friday night. The two other remaining local squads, Watauga and Ashe, also were defeated Friday night.

On to basketball season in the High Country!

Vols JVs, Coleman Shine

(Courtesy of UTSports.com)
B.J. Coleman completed 22-of-31 passes for 325 yards and two touchdowns while Sam Edgemon rushed for 43 yards and a touchdown to lead Tennessee past Hargrave Military Academy, 37-21, in the lone junior varsity game of the 2008 season Thursday at Neyland Stadium.

It was just the second JV game for Tennessee since 1992. The Vols defeated Hargrave 37-20 last season at Neyland Stadium. The Tigers entered this year's game 10-0 on the season looking to close out a perfect 2008.

"It feels good to hurt right now; I haven't hurt in a long time," said Coleman, a Chattanooga product. "Anytime you can get any kind of game experience, it's important. The receivers played their hearts out today; they did a great job getting their hands on the football. When they did, they made something happen."

Nashville's Ben Bartholomew scored two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air, while Monroe, La., native Ahmad Paige led the team with five receptions for 93 yards. Maryville's Tyler Maples caught four passes for 77 yards.

Huntingdon native Chris Donald led the UT defensive effort with 10 tackles, including one for a loss.

Tennessee capitalized on two-straight turnovers by the Hargrave offense in the third quarter. Cookeville's Tyler Wolf picked off a pass at the UT goal line and returned it 71 yards into Hargrave territory. Cleveland's Tanner Shamblin hit Nashville-native Ben Lehning on a 14-yard scoring pass to cash in the miscue.

After a Hargrave fumble on its next possession was forced and recovered by Kingsport's Phillip Tritapoe, Bartholomew punched in a score from 15 yards out two plays later to give Tennessee a 30-13 lead early in the third frame.

The Vols' final score came on a 1-yard run from Pulaski's Edgemon midway through the fourth quarter.

Hargrave's only points of the second half came on a 1-yard pass from Kevin Newsome to Phillip Lefebvre. Newsome then converted the two-point PAT on the ground.

"This is the second time I've gotten to do this, and I wish we could have had this when I played because it would have been perfect for me," said Jim Bob Cooter, acting head coach on the field. "I though B.J. played really well. He looked good on a few sideline throws and had some screens that were good. He handled the game well, got us in and out of the huddle."

Tennessee led 16-13 at the intermission after reeling off a two-play, 52-yard scoring drive in the last 30 seconds. Coleman hit Maples from 24 yards out to cap the drive and a wild final minute of the second quarter.

The Vols got a Devin Mathis (Chattanooga) field goal from 25 yards out with 62 seconds to play in the half, but the ensuing kickoff was returned 91 yards for a touchdown by the Tigers' Jonathan Meeks. Troy Krepich missed the PAT, leaving the score at 13-9.

Tennessee opened the scoring with a 10-play, 83-yard drive late in the first quarter. Coleman hit Bartholomew on a 5-yard, play-action pass for the score that gave Tennessee a 6-0 lead after a missed PAT.

The Tigers responded with an impressive drive of their own, marching 63 yards in seven plays to take a 7-6 advantage. The big play was a 31-yard pass from A.J. Blue to Tyshon Goode that moved the Hargrave offense to Tennessee's 5-yard line. Tyler King paid off the effort with a touchdown run on the next play.

Tennessee takes the weekend off before reconvening at the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center on Sunday to continue preparations for Vanderbilt. Kickoff in Nashville is set for 11:30 a.m. Central time on Nov. 22.

Apps Set to Host Elon for Last Regular Season Home Game

No. 2 Appalachian State University (8-2, 6-0 SoCon) can clinch at least a share of its fourth-consecutive Southern Conference championship and earn the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA Division I Football Championship with a win over No. 11 Elon (8-2, 6-1 SoCon) on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

In addition to the title implications, Saturday's game also marks the final regular-season appearance at The Rock for 14 Appalachian seniors: LB Pierre Banks, OL Jonathan Bieschke, OL Brad Coley, WR T.J. Courman, WR Anthony Cruver, DB Josh Davis, TE Trey Hennessee, WR James Hill, WR Brandon Knox, DB Leonard Love, WR Clay McKnight, DB Billy Riddle, TE Brandon Simpkins and P Neil Young. Since 2005, when all but one of the 14 seniors were playing their freshman or redshirt-freshman campaigns, ASU is 47-8 overall and 29-1 at home.

Additionally, the class is striving to become only the second in NCAA football history (post-1900) to win four national championships. The only class to ever accomplish the feat was the 1986 senior class at Augustana (Ill.), which won Division III national titles from 1983-86.

NOTING SATURDAY'S MATCHUP:• Appalachian rides a seven-game winning streak into the game, which is tied for the second-longest streak in NCAA Division I FCS, behind only top-ranked James Madison (8).

• ASU has also won 10 conference games in a row, which is the third-longest string in the nation, behind only Dayton’s and Albany’s 12-straight wins in Pioneer and Northeast Conference action, respectively.

• ASU has won 12-straight games over Elon, including five in a row in Boone. Elon has not won a game in the series since 1964.• In five games since Elon joined the SoCon in 2003, the Apps have outscored the Phoenix by a combined 228-86, good for an average final score of 46-17.

• However, laying claim to its fourth-straight SoCon title and the automatic spot in the 16-team postseason field certainly won’t come easy to ASU, as Elon brings perhaps the best team in school history to the High Country this afternoon. The 11th-ranked Phoenix have been tabbed as high as No. 3 in The Sports Network’s national FCS poll this season. Their only losses have come at the hands of a pair of top-10 foes in Richmond and Wofford.

• The matchup features the unquestionable front-runners for first-team all-conference accolades at quarterback this season in ASU’s Armanti Edwards and Elon’s Scott Riddle. Edwards leads the league in total offense (278.5 yards per game) and pass efficiency (174.1) by wide margins while Riddle is tops in passing yardage (247.1 yards per game). The duo is tied for the conference lead with 22 touchdown passes apiece.

• Edwards has thrown just two interceptions all season and has attempted 157-consecutive passes without being picked off. On the other hand, Riddle has been picked off a SoCon-high 14 times and ASU’s defense leads the league with 17 INTs.

Volunteer JVs set to clash with Hargrave Military Academy

Courtesy of UTSports.com

Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer described Wednesday's mood as "business-like" as the Vols completed their brief open date practice schedule with a 90-minute session at Haslam Field.
UT is off this weekend before completing the 2008 season with games at Vanderbilt on Nov. 22 and home against Kentucky on Nov. 29.

"The team periods against each other were good," Fulmer said. "I think we've gotten a good start on Vanderbilt on both sides of the ball. I?hope by Monday we're healed up physically a lot better and emotionally ready to go, which I expect us to be.

"Nine weeks in a row with (six) of them SEC ballgames -- that's a tough road for anybody. It will be great to get a little bit of a break. They need it and the coaches need it. Hopefully, we'll come back refreshed and ready to go on Sunday."

Next on the agenda, however, is Thursday's junior varsity contest against undefeated Hargrave Military Academy of Chatham, Va. The Tigers enter Neyland Stadium 10-0 and looking to close out a perfect season, while also gaining a measure of revenge for last year's 37-20 setback to the Vols.

Fulmer expects another good outing from his reserve units, including starting quarterback B.J. Coleman.

"B.J. will do fine. He certainly will have great demeanor on the field, good leadership and management of the huddle and the clock. The last four or five weeks that we've been going with the full-speed stuff at the end of practice, that's helped him as much as anybody. It's not scrimmage, but it's really close to scrimmage.

"You can see him getting better, getting more confident and getting fundamentally better. B.J.'s one of those guys who has that personality you really like being around if you're a player or a coach. He's always patting guys on the back and helmet, encouraging everyone -- all those things you enjoy being around."

Musings and Ramblings: Is the High School Playoff System Broken?

This year the Avery Vikings football team finished the regular season with a record of 2-9, and a 2-8 record for playoff seeding, since a team can drop one non-conference loss for playoff seeding purposes. The team travels to Hendersonville Friday night for a rematch of a game played October 3rd in Newland. The Bearcats won that contest 35-6, and enter Friday's game as a #3 seed taking on the #14 seed Vikings.

A total of 64 teams in the 1A class are 'eligible' for the two levels (32 in the 1A and 32 in the 1AA classification) of playoff tournaments. By current count, there are only a grand total of 74 teams in the entire 1A classification, meaning that only ten schools will be kept out of playing a postseason game.

In other words, if a team is class 1A and goes winless for the season, there is a slim chance that team might STILL qualify for postseason play, despite earning ZERO wins.

There are proponents of the current high school playoff format who say that it is nice for give teams an opportunity to play an additional game to end the season. And there are others, like me, who question why football playoffs should be watered down by "rewarding" a team with little or no chance of upsetting a state-ranked team with a road trip (normally to play one of the top 3 to 5 teams in the state), which normally doubles as a financial loss for the school.

From my experience, it comes down to one simple reason: the color green, as in money. As I understand it, the NCHSAA web site spells out that schools that host a playoff game submits 15% of its gross proceeds from that contest back to the Athletic Association BEFORE deducting expenses. More eligible teams for playoffs equals additional playoff games, which... VOILA! Provides additional revenue to the NCHSAA to fund the championships for non-revenue sports.

With the current system, I can't help but wonder why teams who qualify for postseason play must be forced to travel long distances to serve as sacrificial lambs to top-ranked teams. Since moving to the 1A class in 2005, Avery has made the playoffs with 9 wins, 5 wins, and 5 wins, respectively, hosting a playoff game on two of those occasions. The first occasion was in 2005, when both Midway High School and West Columbus High School were forced to drive to Newland for playoff games. Midway, located near Dunn, was an over five hour drive by bus, with West Columbus taking over six hours by bus to travel to the High Country, arriving home at 5:30 a.m. after its second round loss to the Vikings.

In 2004, Avery's final season as a 2A playoff team, the squad traveled on Thursday to Tabor City (that's about 30 minutes north of Myrtle Beach, SC) to play South Columbus High School in a first-round playoff game. Does driving SIX HOURS ONE WAY for a playoff game make sense? I don't think so, even if a trip to the beach is a fringe benefit of the deal.

If a watered-down system is inevitable, why drain these small schools of high dollar amounts for gasoline, food, and other expenses, as well as take those students out of what can potentially amount to a day of class work to drive multiple hours to be a cupcake opponent for a team favored to win by 30 or 40 points?

My father taught me that if you're willing to complain and gripe, you'd better provide suggestions, answers, or at least feasible solutions to remedy the issue. Here are a couple of suggestions for the folks in Chapel Hill:

1. CLOSER REALLY IS BETTER.

If such a vast number of teams and games is a necessity (and if it is, I believe a piece of the football pie should be distributed to other school programs, BOTH ATHLETIC AND ACADEMIC), then why not make the matchups more travel-friendly and save the longer road trips for later rounds? This minimizes the dollar amounts that teams which will be 'one-and-done' have to invest, it maximizes the amount the schools will get to keep for their respective schools, plus it may boost attendance at those matchups of teams of closer proximity.

2. RECOGNIZE THE SENSITIVITY OF SCHOOL NEEDS AND CONCERNS

This issue ties in somewhat with the first point. I believe the problem of what is in the best interest of schools and student-athletes goes beyond football.

Look at the case in point of high school basketball. Last season the Avery ladies team played home playoff games against schools that had to make three-hour bus rides to Newland. If you're the home team, that's a great advantage. If you travel, it isn't easy.

Basketball's Western regionals have taken place the past few seasons in Winston-Salem, in a building where some of the games had to be shifted to the Joel Annex with minimal notice due to what was can only be perceived as lack of forethought. Scheduling the dates for the regional high school games to NOT conflict with the home games of the building's normal occupant, the Wake Forest University basketball team, seems to make better sense.

In my travels I speak often with other sportswriters and administrators at schools during sports regional and state events. During the regionals at Winston-Salem last spring, I spoke with representatives from Robbinsville High School, a team that traveled between 4 and 5 hours for their one regional game with Bishop McGuinness, the eventual state girls 1A champion. They were glad to advance as far as they did, but they and their fans were unhappy with the distance they had to travel to play a regional round.

In the past, games were played in a more central location for Western regionals: the greater Hickory area. With such a vast number of teams traveling from areas in southwest NC such as Swain, Cherokee, or Graham, or from the northwest such as Ashe, Caldwell, McDowell, or Burke, it appears that an area like Hickory would serve as a location fairly equidistant for schools from Boone, Winston-Salem, and the Asheville area alike.

I know the job of determining playoff teams, travels, locations, etc. can be and often is difficult. But for the sake of the student-athletes, the schools, and fans, it seems more can be done to alleviate this issue which often crops up at playoff time.

Have a thought about this issue? Leave a comment or drop an email to sports@averyjournal.com

Apps Crush Mocs

Courtesy of Appalachian Sports Information

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Appalachian State University quarterback Armanti Edwards racked up 328 yards of total offense in just one half of work to lead the second-ranked Mountaineers to a 49-7 rout over Chattanooga on Saturday afternoon at Finley Stadium.

Edwards, who topped 100 rushing yards on Appalachian’s second possession, finished with 152 yards on nine carries and 176 yards and two touchdowns on 9-of-17 passing. He was lifted after directing ASU to five touchdowns in seven first-half series and a commanding 35-7 halftime lead.

Four of the Mountaineers’ five first-half scoring drives went 80 or more yards. Edwards wasted no time in making his presence known, as he broke off a 28-yard run on the first play of the game. Four snaps later, Robert Welton scored on an 18-yard run to make it 7-0. The teams swapped punts on the next two series before Chattanooga knotted the contest at 7-7 on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Jare Gault to Clint Woods.

However, that would be the only bright spot of the half for UTC.On the first play after the Mocs’ score, Edwards ran 76 yards all the way to the UTC 4 yard line. The 76-yard rush more than doubled Edwards’ previous long carry of the season (35) and set up a one-yard touchdown dive by Welton two plays later that gave the Mountaineers the lead for good.

The Apps went on to score on three of their final four possessions of the first half to grab the 28-point halftime advantage. After UTC fumbled the kickoff following Welton’s second score, ASU only needed to go 35 yards to make it 21-7 on a 16-yard pass from Edwards to CoCo Hillary. On its next possession, Appalachian covered 86 yards in only five plays, highlighted by a 26-yard Edwards rush and 38-yard completion to tight end Ben Jorden and capped by a one-yard touchdown run by Welton – his third of the afternoon – which made it 28-7, ASU.

It looked like the three-touchdown lead would stand going into the half when the Mountaineers got the ball back on their own 5 yard line with 1:31 remaining in the second quarter. However, the Apps needed only 1:10 to march 95 yards in seven plays and stretched the advantage to 35-7 on a 48-yard connection from Edwards to a wide-open T.J Courman down the left sideline.

With the majority of first-teamers on the sideline, Appalachian’s reserves scored on two of their first three possessions in the second half to account for the final margin. True freshman quarterback DeAndre Presley did the majority of the damage after the break, rushing 12 times for 101 yards and a touchdown and completing 3-of-3 passes (ASU’s only three passes of the second half) for 51 yards and another score, a 38-yard strike to Blake Elder.

In all, the Mountaineers out-gained the Mocs, 655-227, including a 428-110 on the ground. The Apps had three 100-yard rushers – Edwards, Cedric Baker (107) and Presley. Defensively, linebacker D.J. Smith led ASU with eight tackles, including one for loss. Mark LeGree matched a 45-year-old school record with his NCAA Division I FCS-leading eighth interception of the season.

Appalachian can clinch at least a share of its fourth-consecutive Southern Conference championship and the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA Division I football championship with a win next Saturday over No. 11 Elon (8-2, 6-1 SoCon). Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. at ASU’s Kidd Brewer Stadium.

Rocky Top Low: Vols Fall to Wyoming For Homecoming

By: Matt Laws (matt.laws@averyjournal.com)
Avery Journal-Times

KNOXVILLE- Everyone associated with the Tennessee Football program wanted to send Phillip Fulmer out a winner in his last three games. However, the Wyoming Cowboys did not get the memo.

The Cowboys defeated the outgoing Fulmer’s Volunteer squad 13-7 in a less then happy homecoming at Neyland Stadium.

“The players don't owe me any kind of apology,” Fulmer said. “If anything, I should be apologizing to the fans and everybody for this whole week coming about. You get beat if you turn the ball over.”

On Monday, it was announced that Fulmer would not return next season as head coach of the Volunteers in an emotional press conference.

The loss was a painful one for the Vols, who had not lost a Homecoming game since the 2002 season.

“We're not going to make excuses,” UT Defensive end Wes Brown said. “It's been a tough week, but there's no excuse for how we played. No one wanted anything more than to win these games for coach Fulmer and these coaches. That's all I can say, it's been a tough week."

Tennessee quarterback Nick Stephens threw two interceptions, one that was returned for a touchdown and another that was returned to the Volunteer five-yard line, and that proved to be the difference. Right before halftime, Stephens was benched in favor of Jonathon Crompton, who started the season at quarterback for the Vols.

"Our quarterback play has been less than what we would like to have,” Fulmer said. “I did think Jonathan (Crompton) came into the game and threw it around and competed and kept us in the game.”

Stephens ended the game 3 of 9 for 27 yards and two interceptions, while Crompton was 11 of 27 for 91 yards and a touchdown.

The four touchdown underdog Cowboys entered the game as one of the lowest scoring teams in college football, but scored just enough to keep the Vols and their struggling offense in check.

“We did a great job today and I thought we deserved a victory,” Wyoming Coach Joe Glenn said. “We worked hard and went out and played hard and came away with a hard fought victory.”

Wyoming’s Mike Neuhaus intercepted Stephens on the Vols opening drive and returned it 55-yards. The Cowboys wasted no time in scoring as Chris Stutzriem hit Greg Genho on the next play for a four-yard touchdown.

Ward Dobbs intercepted a Stephens’s pass and returned it 24-yards for a touchdown to give the Cowboys a 13-0 lead. The ensuing extra point was blocked.

Tennessee’s offense showed signs of life at the start of the second half. Lennon Creer had a 23-yard run before Crompton found Gerald Jones in the end zone for an eight yard touchdown. The Vols had the ball at the end of the game, but the drive ended on fourth down at midfield with less than two minutes remaining.

“We're trying to make plays to win the game,” Crompton said of the last drive of the game. “You have to give credit to Wyoming. They played their game. I don't really know what to say because we're out there busting our butts."

Creer ended with 86 yards on 16 carries while Tauren Poole has 11 carried for 44 yards. Arian Foster and Montario Hardesty did not play due to injury.

Tennessee has two games to improve on their 3-7 record with a trip to Vanderbilt and a home contest with Kentucky. The Tennessee program has never lost eight games in a season

Vikings Get Second Crack at Bearcats in High School State Playoffs

The Avery Vikings (2-9, 1-5 WHC) received a #14 seed in this week’s opening round of the state high school football playoffs. The silver lining to the otherwise dark cloud of a disappointing season is that the Big Red gets to take on a familiar foe this week for a second time in the Western Highlands Conference champion Hendersonville Bearcats (10-1, 6-0 WHC).

Avery is coming off a 38-14 loss to Mitchell at home last week, while Hendersonville took care of rival Polk County 28-13 to clinch its first conference championship since 2003.

Scouting the Bearcats:
Hendersonville is coached by B.J. Laughter and utilizes a version of the wishbone offense. The Bearcats have been successful in 2008 largely due to their experience at most skill positions. Leading the charge for the Bearcats is senior running back Cedrick Allen (171 rushes, 1285 yards, 24 TD in 2008), good enough for fourth in rushing yards and second in scoring in all of Western North Carolina.

An All-Western Highlands Conference player last season, Allen ran for over 1,500 yards in 2007 and scored 23 touchdowns.

Triggering the offense for Hendersonville is junior quarterback Ben Walgenbach (54 for 93, 1,464 yards, 17 touchdowns in 2008). He is a player the coach calls one of the best quarterbacks he has ever coached, describing him as “a true field general.”

When Walgenbach throws the football, look for him to target a pair of talented receivers in Daniel Orr (26 receptions, 736 yards, 10 receiving touchdowns) and James Foster (15 receptions, 498 yards, 7 receiving touchdowns).

The offensive line is anchored by 6’8”, 263-pound senior Wesley Cook.

The Low Down:
For the Vikings to pull off the upset in Hendersonville on Friday, they must first win the battle between their collective ears and believe they have the talent on the field to defeat the Bearcats. Prior to the loss earlier this season, the Vikings had beaten this group of Bearcats twice and were robbed of a third win at Dietz Field in 2007.

The Avery offense will need to find a way to score more than six points against Hendersonville this time around, bucking the recent trend of struggles to get the football into the end zone.
Out of its possible opponents this week, Hendersonville was viewed by most as the “best case scenario”. Now that the Avery has the advantage of having already played its opponent once this season, perhaps it can learn from its earlier loss and shock the football pundits who have written off the Big Red.

Avery may very well be without a number of key starters this week, including Christian Montgomery, Travis Thomas, Paul Townsend, and Chris Eggers, so those players stepping into their shoes will have to step up and play with pride as well as a chip on their shoulders.

The best chance for Avery to win Friday will be if they can find the way to dominate the time of possession in much the way they were dominated last week by their opponent Mitchell. Long drives will not only keep the potent Bearcats offense off the field, but will force the Bearcats to play more plays on defense than they would like.

This week is the time for the Avery squad to rally alongside Darrell Brewer and the coaching staff, giving them its best effort of the season to date.

By the Numbers:
2 – fumbles lost by the Bearcats in last week’s gain against the Wolverines. Also the number of rushing touchdowns scored by Avery’s Adam Pate last week.
3 – rushing touchdowns by Cedrick Allen in last week’s win over Polk County.
241- yards in total offense gained by Avery in last Friday’s loss to Mitchell.
258- rushing yards by Hendersonville on 37 carries last Friday night.