Strong Second Half Bolsters Avery Soccer Shutout at Mountain Heritage

The Avery Lady Vikings soccer team continued its winning ways in a decisive 4-0 shutout win over the Lady Cougars of Mountain Heritage High School on Wednesday in Burnsville.

Avery, without the services of Hayley Pyatte and Elyse Perry for the game, got off to a slow start as it was unable to score through the first 40 minutes of action on the wet playing surface at Briggs Stadium. "We were making the Lady Cougars look good. We were reacting and not being proactive. We were being beaten to the ball and the girls were not connecting on their passes or connecting with the other team," as one Lady Vikings coach described the half.

The Lady Vikings appeared to break through for a score in the final five minutes of the first half, but the goal was disallowed after a handball ruling was made. The first half concluded with the teams in a scoreless tie.

The Big Red defense was bolstered in the half and througout the duration of the contest by the strong play of keeper Cailan Calloway as well as an impressive effort from the defensive back line of sweeper Hayden Blackburn and outside backs Kasey Brown and Megan Robbins. The defense continued to hold the Lady Cougars at bay and preserve the deadlock at intermission.

It was a case of "different half, different story" as the second stanza ensued. At the 47 minute mark, talented Lady Viking sophomore Mary Chesnut Smith made her presence felt as she received a pass from senior Rachel Buchanan and squeezed a shot by the Lady Cougars keeper to put the Big Red on the board.

Avery struck again for goals in the 55th and 63rd minutes, respectively to boost its lead to 3-0. Lady Vikings stopper Katelynn Eudy tallied both goals, one off a knee by Eudy following a Smith corner kick, the second also off a corner but with help from Melinda Eggers who settled the ball down to enable Eudy to put a foot to it.

The Lady Vikings registered its final score of the night as Buchanan sent another pass to Smith, who then eluded the defense and netted a left-footed rocket past the keeper to put the finishing touches on a 4-0 win.

The victory improves the Big Red to 6-2-1 overall, with a 3-1 mark in Western Highlands Conference play. Avery returns to action next week with a trio of matches, hosting Mitchell on Monday and Owen on Wednesday, with a trip to take on Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy squeezed in between on Tuesday evening.

Middle School Tournaments Postponed

This afternoon's scheduled Toe River Conference Tournament softball and baseball games at Mountain Heritage High School have been postponed due to rain. The start of the tournament will now take place on Thursday.

We have been informed that due to a high school baseball game at Heritage on Thursday, the TRC boys baseball first round games at 3:45 and 5:45 will now be played at Cane River Middle School. Cranberry Middle School will take on Bowman in the first game, with Avery Middle School taking on Harris in the night cap.

Middle School Baseball Teams Split Twin Bill to Close Regular Season

The Avery Panthers and Cranberry Wildcats played a pair of thrilling five-inning baseball games on Monday evening to wrap up regular season play in the Toe River Conference. In game one Avery defeated Cranberry 3-2 in extra innings, while in the second contest Cranberry came from behind to pick up a 6-3 victory. The victories were the first of the season for both clubs.

The Wildcats struck first in game one with a run in the top of the first inning as Patrick Jones reached base and came around to score on a single from Ian Franklin. Avery roared back in the bottom half of the frame to score a pair to take the lead at 2-1. Tyler Polsgrove singled for the Panthers with one out and both he and Chance Watson scored before inning's end to give the Avery club its edge.

Cranberry scored an equalizer in the top half of the third inning when Bryce Pittman laced a double to left field. Shea Buchanan came up next and also reached base on an error, helping Pittman come around to score the tying run.

The teams remained knotted at 2-2 despite both teams having opportunities to take a lead. In the fourth frame the Panthers stranded a runner at second base, while Cranberry stranded a runner at third in the top of the fifth inning. Avery looked poised to win in the bottom of the final frame in the five-inning regulation contest when it began the frame with a leadoff walk, but starting pitcher Shea Buchanan worked out of the jam to retire the side and force extra innings.

Avery starter Chance Watson retired Cranberry 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth inning and Watson helped his own cause in the bottom half of the frame when, with runners in scoring position, the right-hander laced a base hit to left-center field to plate Zack Dobson with the game-winner.

In the second game of the double dip, Avery took command off Cranberry starter Ian Franklin, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the second inning for an early 2-0 lead. Three walks and a hit batsman forced in one run, while an RBI groundout by Luke Wotell scored the other tally.

Avery starting pitcher Tyler Polsgrove struck out five hitters through his first two innings, but ran into trouble in the third when Cranberry plated three runs to erase the Panther lead and tie the contest at 3-3.

Relief pitcher Hunter Guinn led the inning off with a walk and later scored when a bases loaded walk to Franklin forced him in for Cranberry's first run. The Wildcats tacked on two additional runs when Bryce Pittman looped a two-run single to center.

Guinn settled in on the mound in the fourth inning, his second inning of relief work, as retired the Avery side in order.

The Wildcat offense again came to life in the bottom of the fourth. Trey Hicks singled to lead off the frame and stole second base. Guinn then walked to put two runners on. The runners advanced into scoring position on a passed ball and Patrick Jones brought in Hicks with an RBI groundout to first base to give the Wildcats the 4-3 advantage.

The key hit of the game came next as Franklin belted a two-out double to the right centerfield gap to score a pair of insurance runs and give the Wildcats a 6-3 lead going into the final inning.

Guinn took the hill to close out the final inning but Avery looked to rally as leadoff hitter Chance Watson reached first base on an errant throw. Watson's hit was followed up by a walk and hit batsman to load the bases and brought the go-ahead run to the plate.

In a season where two teams have seen little go right for them, Cranberry got a big defensive play when it needed it the most. A sharp line drive to shortstop by Avery's Walker Carswell was shorthopped by Shea Buchanan, who fired to home plate for a force play. Catcher Alex Barker then fired a throw to third base for another force and double play. Guinn then struck out the final batter of the game to seal the dramatic win.

Both squads will begin Toe River Conference Tournament action on Wednesday afternoon, with Avery as the #5 seed and Cranberry the #6 seed by virtue of a coin toss that occurred following Monday's games.

Smith Nets Four Goals as Avery Soccer Blanks Madison

The Madison Lady Patriots visited Newland on Monday night for their first meeting of the 2009 season. It took the Lady Vikings a little while to get back in the game mode after not having a game for eight days because of a rainy week, but Avery's offense hit high gear in a hurry in a 6-0 rout.

Avery finally managed to field a full roster of healthy players for Monday's match, though a number of players were still sporting tape or wrap jobs for minor injuries. The Lady Vikings looked plenty healthy from the outset, striking for a pair of goals within sixty seconds at the 14th minute of the match.

The first goal of the evening came when sophomores Melinda Eggers and Mary Chesnut Smith connected. Eggers sent Smith a short pass to the inside and Smith fired on goal for the first goal of the game. Less than a minute later, sophomore Emily Banner scored off a short cross from junior Hayley Pyatte.

In the 20th minute Avery built its lead to 3-0 as Mary Chesnut Smith placed a corner kick in front of the goal where sophomore Katelynn Eudy was able to head it into the goal. A pair of minutes later, Melinda Eggers passed the ball and Smith was able to take it to the goal for the final score of the first half as Avery held a commanding 4-0 halftime edge.

Avery picked up where it left off once the second half began. Seven minutes into the stanza, Smith challenged a short goal kick from the Madison keeper, won the ball from a Madison defender, and scored past the Lady Patriot goalie for a hat trick, pushing Avery's margin to five goals.

In the 69th minute of the match, a loose ball came back to Smith who shot from approximately 33 yards out, placing a ball just over the outreached hands of the keeper for the final goal of the match.

Following the tally, the Avery coaches pulled Smith from offense and placed her in goal for the remainder of the match.

A number of Lady Viking players had good looks at the goal and just missed, or the Patriot keeper was able to make a save. Senior keeper Cailan Callaway recorded her third shut-out of the young season and the Lady Vikings upped their record to 5-2-1, with a conference mark of 2-1.

Avery next takes to the pitch on Wednesday for a match in Burnsville against Mountain Heritage.

Avery Baseball and Softball Games at Hendersonville postponed

This afternoon's scheduled Avery baseball and softball games at Hendersonville have been postponed due to rain.

Avery baseball has rescheduled the Hendersonville contest to April 20th. The Vikings contest with North Wilkes which was originally scheduled for that same date, will now be either rescheduled or cancelled. A make-up date for the softball contest is TBD.

Avery Middle School Softball postponed today

AMS has confirmed that this afternoon's Avery Middle School softball home game has been postponed due to weather. The next scheduled game for the Lady Panthers will be this Monday's doubleheader against Cranberry Middle School.

Lady Vikings Soccer at Polk Postponed; Schedule Changes

Avery women's soccer's conference match on Wednesday at Polk was postponed due to inclement weather. The match will be made up near the end of the regular season.

A number of changes to the upcoming soccer schedule have also been made as follows:

- The McDowell match scheduled in early May has been cancelled.

- The Owen home match that was originally scheduled for Friday, April 10th has been moved up two days to Wednesday, April 8th.

- The Avery/Mitchell match scheduled for April 29th has been moved up one day to April 28th.

The Lady Vikings will next take the field at MacDonald Stadium on Monday, March 30th against the Madison Lady Patriots.

Avery Softball Blanks Asheville Christian Academy

The Avery girls softball team shut out Asheville Christian Academy 15-0 in Asheville on Tuesday afternoon.

In the top of the first inning, the Lady Vikings proved they were not to be trifled with on this day, rapping the softball and scoring ten runs to build an insurmountable lead.

The Big Red tacked on a pair of runs in the top half of both the second and third innings, as well as a final run in the top of the fifth, ,just for good measure.

"The girls got off to a great start in the top of the first inning scoring 10 runs. We are beginning to hit the ball with better consistency throughout the entire line up which is due to the girls hard work and focus during practice," Lady Vikings head coach Merritt Yackey said after the win. "Having 16 base hits in the game is very good."

Not only did the Lady Vikings swing the bats well, but the girls also played flawless defense on the diamond, committing no errors in the entire contest. "Defensively we did not have an error for the first time this year. Kaylea Davis made a couple of good plays at second base as did Kaylan Deese at third," Coach Yackey added.

Morgan Yackey was dominant on the mound as she put together one of her strongest performances inside the circle this season.

"Morgan had a strong showing on the mound striking out seven batters in five innings, allowing no walks and only giving up one weak hit which proved to be their only base runner," Coach Yackey stated. "I am hopeful that by scheduling these non-conference games and experiencing some success, we will be better prepared mentally and physically to do well in conference games starting later this week."

Yackey, Sara Singleton, and Sam Shook combined for nine of Avery's 16 hits in the contest, with five runs scored and four RBI. Avery also received multiple hits in the lineup from freshman Justina Rieger, who went 3 for 3 with a pair of RBI and a run scored.

The Lady Vikings return to the diamond with a Western Highlands Conference game on Friday at Hendersonville.

Vikings Baseball Upends 'Landers

Just what the doctor ordered.

That was the reaction by Vikings head baseball coach Benny Wellborn following his team's convincing 12-1 win in five innings over the Cloudland Highlanders on Tuesday afternoon in Roan Mountain.

Having just lost a heartbreaking 6-5 game at Freedom on Monday, Avery turned around for the second half of back-to-back games as they took on the 'Landers. The Vikings sent senior right-hander Adam Pate to the hill as the 'Landers countered with Seth Miller.

Avery began Tuesday's game with a similar issue as the day before, stranding two runners on base in the top of the first. The 'Landers were retired 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning, and the Vikings offense went to work in the top of the second. Avery tallied eight runs on four hits in the top of the second inning off Miller and reliever Cody Bullwinkle. Cloudland hurt its cause by issuing four walks in the inning and also hitting a batter, while the highlight of the inning was a three-run homer to right field by shortstop Brooks Oakley.

Cloudland was unable to answer the Avery rally with any runs in the bottom of the frame, and Avery added five insurance runs in the top of third, keyed by a two-run double by Adam Pate and a two-run single from pinch-hitter Jon Clark.

Starting pitcher Adam Pate made the lead stand up, as he gave up a single Cloudland as left fielder Jacob McKinney singled in the bottom of the third inning and came around to score on a base hit from shortstop Michael Hyden. It was all the 'Landers could muster off the tough hurler as Avery took the victory after five innings due to the ten-run rule.

"Today was just what the doctor ordered. We've been doing a lot of things right and a few things wrong, and today we had pretty much a complete ballgame," Vikings head coach Benny Wellborn remarked after the win. "It's what the kids needed and what we needed as a team. I couldn't be happier for them. They played loose today and that was a big key."

Pate pitched a complete game gem for the Big Red, as he surrendered one earned run on three hits, with two walks and six strikeouts. Miller, Bullwinkle, and Hyden each saw work on the mound for Cloudland in the contest.

"Anytime you get a complete game out of somebody it does nothing but help the staff, especially when you have three games a week. It was good to see Adam throwing strikes. We've been averaging seven walks per game which has put us in a difficult position to win games," Coach Wellborn added. "We only gave up a couple of walks today and when they put the ball in play we made plays, which is absolutely vital for our staff and does nothing but help us down the road."

Pate and catcher Steven Daniels each had a pair of hits in the game. In all, the top four hitters in the Viking lineup drew six walks and combined to score eight runs in the victory.

Avery travels to Hendersonville for a key 1A conference contest this Friday.

Avery Baseball Loses Narrowly at Freedom

The Avery Vikings varsity baseball team lost a tight game on Monday afternoon at Freedom High School in Morganton by a final score of 6-5, but bounced back quickly with a 12-1 win in five innings over the Cloudland Highlanders in Roan Mountain on Tuesday.

Chris Childress got the start for Avery in Monday's contest and pitched scoreless baseball through two innings. Unfortunately the Avery bats were unable to heat up in the interim to give their senior southpaw a lead to work with.

The Big Red's fortunes changed in the top of the third inning, however. Childress reached base on an error with one out in the frame, while Adam Pate followed him with a single. Cleanup hitter and catcher Steven Daniels brought the runners home with a two-RBI double to put Avery on the board with a 2-0 lead.

Freedom did not allow the lead to last long, though. The Patriots sent 11 batters to the plate, benefitting from three walks and three hits in the bottom of the third to score five runs to take its first lead of the game at 5-2. Neither team scored through the next two innings, although both teams stranded multiple runners on base during that span.

In the top of the sixth Avery rallied with a pair of runs to cut the deficit to 5-4. Jack Buchanan walked and Brooks Oakley singled to lead off the inning to put two runners on. Senior Sutton Stanley brought both teammates home with a two-out double to left field. The Vikings had the opportunity to retake the lead in the inning, but the squad left the bases loaded when Adam Pate flew out to centerfield.

Freedom added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth off reliever Stanley. A pair of one-out walks came back to haunt the right-hander as a key base hit scored a run to push the Patriot lead to 6-4.

Avery had one final opportunity in the top of the seventh to tie or take the lead. Steven Daniels led off with a double and reached third base on a Freedom error. The Vikings missed out on a chance to tie the contest as the runner at third was sent home on a passed ball but was tagged out on a bang-bang play at home plate.

Avery remained undaunted, however, and pushed a run across as Joe Buchanan doubled to score Jack Buchanan. The Big Red could not complete the comeback, however, as a popout with two runners on ended the game to leave the Vikings a run shy.

"We made a few mental errors, but we did some things right. We hurt ourselves by leaving nine runners in scoring position, though," Avery head baseball coach Benny Wellborn said after the game. "The bottom line is when we had our chances on multiple occasions, we didn't push runners across."

Daniels finished the game 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles and two RBI, while second baseman Brooks Oakley was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Pate, Stanley, Buchanan, and Daniel Huff also had a hit in the loss.

Chris Childress took the loss on the mound, as he gave up four earned runs on six hits, while walking five hitters and striking out a pair of Patriots. Stanley threw two innings of hitless relief and gave up a single run with two walks and two strikeouts.

Middle Schools Busy with Softball Action

Both the Avery and Cranberry Middle School softball teams were in action on Monday afternoon. Avery Middle School met a buzzsaw in the Cane River Lady Rebels, a talented team that often plays upwards of 100 games a year in traveling tournaments. The Lady Rebels were too tough to tame, as they defeated the Lady Panthers 15-0 in four innings.

Avery had a hard time getting hits off the Lady Rebel pitcher, but broke through with a base hit from Nikki Wright. The team loaded the bases in the final inning of play, but could not plate a run.

"Our girls don't quit. We've still got some trouble in our outfield, giving up too many errors out there, but we're getting a little better each time," Avery head coach Luke Henderson remarked after the game. "We won a pair last week to get us back to .500. Today we didn't have the best effort, but we hung in and tried to do the best we could."

The Lady Panthers are 2-3 on the season, and play a doubleheader this afternoon at the Avery Little League field against East Yancey. The team hosts Harris for a game on Thursday afternoon and will take on Cranberry in a doubleheader to close regular season play on Monday.

Cranberry's Lady Wildcats softball squad turned in one of its best offensive showings of the season, but it was not enough to overcome a tough North Mitchell squad, falling in an 18-7 final score in five innings on Monday.

Avery's Holly Cook started on the mound and went the distance, mixing up pitches and striking out a number of North hitters. Cranberry made several outstanding plays in the field as well, including a perfect relay throw home on a hard hit ball which was caught by catcher Mariah Lusk, who then tagged out the North runner attempting to score.

A five-run top of the fifth inning by North Mitchell allowed the ten-run rule to be enforced if Cranberry could not get the scoring margin under ten runs by inning's end. Cranberry put a runner on in the bottom of the fifth, but could not score as North sealed the win.

The Cranberry Lady Wildcats continue to improve as the season progresses. "It's amazing. We can see the improvement at every base with every player," Cranberry head coach Angel Dugger remarked after the game. "Holly pitched well and didn't walk many players today, either. Kota Turbyfill made a lot of good stops and throws today, and our catcher Mariah Lusk did an awesome job."

Cranberry's next game will take place next Monday in a doubleheader against Avery to close the regular season.

Lady Vikings Soccer Falls in Conference Match at Hendersonville

The Avery Lady Vikings traveled to Hendersonville on Monday evening for a matchup with fellow 1A competitor Hendersonville in Western Highlands Conference soccer action. Avery played hard and with intensity, but Hendersonville's Dietz Field continued to be a personal house of horrors to the Big Red, as the Lady Bearcats escaped with yet another home victory over the Lady Vikings, emerging with a 3-1 victory.

Avery played with less cohesion than in recent games as they took on one of the top teams in the WHC. From the outset, the Lady Bearcats played with the defensive mindset of containing and keeping the ball from Lady Vikings sophomore Mary Chesnut Smith. For the majority of the evening Smith faced two players or more defending her, preventing her from being able to catalyze the Lady Vikings offensive attack from the middle of the field.

The Bearcats got on the board first with a goal in the 9th minute to take an early 1-0 advantage. The Lady Vikings scored an equalizer in the 28th minute as Hayley Pyatte scored a goal which was assisted by Emily Banner.

Just three minutes following the Avery tally, a goal by Hendersonville's Torrey Jones gave Hendersonville the lead of 2-1 which held up for the remainder of the first half.

The Lady Vikings played with poise and control in the second half, with the exception of a brief lapse in the opening minutes of the second half. Hendersonville scored an insurance goal to build a two-goal lead at 3-1. Avery's defense held Hendersonville scoreless for the rest of the contest, but Avery could not musted the offensive attack to cut into the margin as the Lady Bearcats won by the same 3-1 score.

Avery returns to the pitch later this week when it travels to Columbus to meet another top-10 1A school in Polk County.

Middle School Sports Update

Avery County's middle school baseball and softball teams have been busy this week with lots of action.

On Tuesday the Avery Middle School girls softball team picked up a 9-8 victory over Bowman. The Lady Panthers built a commanding 9-0 lead with the hot bat of Serena Ramos and her teammates' offensive firepower, while starting pitcher Paige Henderson kept the Lady Bulldogs in check for the first four innings of play.

Bowman's bats woke up in the fifth inning, however, to score seven runs to cut the Avery lead to a pair at 9-7. Shannon Smith came on in relief and was able to quell the Lady Bulldog threat to preserve the advantage. The Lady Panthers could not add to its lead, but Smith finished the game strong inside the circle, striking out eight Lady Bulldogs in her three innings of work to pick up the save and preserve the Avery win.

Tuesday afternoon the Avery Middle baseball team hosted Johnson County for a doubleheader. A talented Longhorns middle school squad defeated Avery 22-1 in the first game of the twin bill, but the Panthers played much better in the second game, holding Johnson County to its lowest output of the season offensively and playing the Longhorns to its closest game of the year in a 4-2 loss.

Avery rallied in the fifth and final inning, scoring a run and loading the bases. With the potential winning run at first base, however, Johnson County recorded the final out to hold on for the win. Avery fell to 0-5 on the season and plays two additional games this week, highlighted by a game this afternoon against Bowman in Newland.

Cranberry softball took on Harris Middle School on Wednesday afternoon in Newland in a make-up game from a rainout on Monday. The Lady Wildcats played with tenacity and intensity, but the talented Lady Blue Devils squad was victorious in a 13-1 final score.

The Cranberry baseball team was also in action on Wednesday afternoon at home, hosting the Harris baseball team in its own make-up contest from Monday. Cranberry gave up eight runs over the course of the first two innings, but refused to give in, rallying to tie the contest. Harris broke the tie in the latter innings. Cranberry mounted another rally in the bottom of the seventh and final inning, but Harris held on to take a 12-9 victory.

Ian Franklin with 3 for 4 at the plate in the game, while Hunter Guinn started on the mound and threw four solid innings. Bryce Pittman and Ian Franklin came on in relief to finish the game for the Wildcats.

Cranberry returns to action with a doubleheader this afternoon at home against East Yancey. More information on the entire week of middle school sports action can be found in next week's edition of the Avery Journal-Times!

Avery Soccer Update

The Avery Lady Vikings have played a pair of matches this week with mixed results.

On a wet and rainy Monday evening Avery blasted the Owen Warlassies 9-1 in Swannanoa. All nine goals occurred in the first 62 minutes of a highly physical match.

Emily Banner scored an unassisted goal in the 6th minute to break the ice. Seven minutes later the Warlassies knotted the score at 1-1. In the 25th minute Rachel Buchanan found Emily Banner with a pass, who scored her second goal of the night to put Avery on top 2-1. Three minutes later Mary Chesnut Smith was fouled. She then laced a free kick past the Owen keeper to stake the Big Red to a 3-1 lead. Banner recorded a hat trick on an unassisted goal to take a 4-1 lead which Avery maintained for the remainder of the first half.

The Big Red picked up where it left off in the second half with five additional goals. The first tally came two minutes into the half off a corner kick from Mary Chesnut Smith. Katelynn Eudy headed the ball to the ground, which Melinda Eggers then passed to Emily Banner who netted her fourth tally of the match to push the Lady Viking margin to 5-1.

Seven minutes later Eudy sent a through pass to Smith who scored a second goal for a 6-1 Avery lead. Smith then lent a helping hand on an assist to Rachel Buchanan, who got on the scoreboard in the 55th minute to give the Lady Vikings a half-dozen goal lead. A couple of minutes later, Katelynn Eudy assisted on a fifth goal from Banner to continue the scoring onslaught. The final goal came in the 62nd minute when Kaley Faulkner drew a foul. Smith took a free kick and registered her own hat trick as her kick slipped through the Owen keeper's fingers and into the net, closing out the scoring in the victory.

Avery met a tougher foe on a warm Wednesday afternoon in Cleveland County to square off with traditional 2A girls soccer power Burns. The Lady Vikings played without the services of a number of players, as Katelyn Beverly, as well as Hayley Pyatte and Mary Chesnut Smith were unavailable for the match.

Burns netted a pair of goals in the first half off the revamped Avery lineup before the Lady Vikings calmed their collective nerves and settled into a comfortable playing groove.

In the second half, a Burns’ player was ejected after a flagrant and aggressive foul. Due to the reasoning for the red card, Avery should have had the luxury of playing the final 25 minutes of the match with an 11 to 10 player advantage. However, the officials allowed the Lady Dogs to continue playing at full strength until the decision was questioned by the Avery coaching staff.

Burns added a third goal in the second half to lead 3-0. The Lady Vikings refused to give up, however, as Emily Banner took an outside shot that surprised the Burns defense and found the back of the net in the 77th minute. Unfortunately, Avery drew no closer as Burns took the 3-1 victory.

The Lady Vikings enter a crucial portion of the regular season schedule next week with a pair of 1A conference duels, at Hendersonville on Monday and at Polk County on Wednesday.

Highlander Gameday: From the 'Boro

8:44 (7:44CT): It's a beautiful gameday in the Nashville area today. The Cloudland Highlanders start their quest for a gold ball in the round of eight in the Murphy Center today. We have you covered with all kinds of information from the TSSAA state championships. All four 1-A games are today starting at 11:00ET and 1-AA will have two of their games this afternoon. It looks to be a great day and we hope you keep checking with us all day.

Live Stats and Live Radio broadcast are available on www.tssaa.org for today's game.

9:00ET: The TSSAA is also hearing a proposal from Chattanoga Christian School to make the state tournament just four teams instead of the current eight and having the boys and girls tournament at the same times. For information on this can be found at The Daily News-Journal at http://dnj.com/article/20090317/SPORTS08/90317016/1006/SPORTS.

9:15ET: Looking around the 'net and have found an awesome story about today's game by Trey Williams of the Johnson City Press. http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/Detail.php?Cat=SPORTS&ID=67711 .

10:45ET: We are live in the Murphy Center for the 1-A contests now. Humboldt and Manassas are on the court warming up. We will bring you updates as allowed. Just another reminder that a live radio feed of these games are on www.tssaa.org.

11:15ET: The first quarter is over in this game, and it was exactly what everyone expected. Manassas leads 14-12 in a evenly matched affair.

12:00ET: Humboldt pushed out to a 12 point lead before Manassas has came back and took a one point lead with 2:27 remaining. Some quick facts on the 'Landers and Tennessee Temple. This will be CHS' fifth apperance in the state championships with the last time coming in 2007. The 'Landers are looking to grab their first win today as they are 0-4. Temple has made eight appereances and has captured three state championships with the last one being in 2007. They are 12-5.

12:22ET: We are coming closer to the wire as Manassas leads 58-57 with 1:13 remaining. We will have a brief recap up as soon as it is over. Up next is Grace Christian vs. Grace Baptist.

12:30ET: What a big time shot! Humboldt drained a 3-pointer with 15.2 seconds left, but it left plenty of time for Manassas to drain a major 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left to survive and advance.

1:04ET: Chattanooga Grace leds by 23-22 at the end of the first quarter. It has been just like our first one as neither team could get an advantage on the other.

1:20: Halftime and Chattanooga Graces leads 42 to 36. The Rams of Knoxville have knocked down nine 3-pointers so far. It is almost game time for the 'Landers as they are set to tip off at 1:30CT (2:30 ET).

1:46: Chatt Grace leads 50-42 at the end of the third quarter.

1:56: Grace Christian of Knoxville has begun to pull the starters as they trailed by 20 with 2:41 remaining in the contest. Chattanooga Grace will move on with the victory as they have a 70-48 lead at the moment. They will meet Manassas on Friday at the 10:00am CT slot. Up next: the 'Landers look to capture their first win in MTSU's Murphy Center,aka the "Glass House" against the Crusaders of Tennessee Temple. We will have you covered with updates as we can.

3:00: It's halftime as the 'Landers trail by six points 31-25. Logan Morgan has nine for the 'Landers and Matthew Potter has eight. Cloudland is still in game. We will update as soon as possible ater the contest.

4:37: The 'Landers made a comeback late, but they could not overcome a 20 point Temple lead as they fell 64-50. The 'Landers never gave up in the contest. We will have more on this contest later, and also a full recap in the Journal next week. As I type this, the Summertown Eagles lead Clarksville Academy by one with 1:00 left in the first half.

4:48: The official box score from the Cloudland game has just been posted below:

Cloudland vs Temple
3/18/09 1:30 PM at Murfreesboro, TN (Murphy Center)
At Murfreesboro, TN (Murphy Center)
TEMPLE 64, CLOUDLAND 50

CLOUDLAND (20-11)

Morgan, Logan 5-19 3-7 16; Potter, Matthew 5-11 3-4 15; Clawson, Lucas 4-5
1-3 9; Chambers, Tyler 2-6 0-0 5; Clark, Dillon 1-5 0-0 2; Johnson, Randall
1-6 0-0 2; Presnell, Sha 0-2 1-2 1; Bullwinkle, Cody 0-0 0-0 0; Stevens,
Kevin 0-0 0-0 0; Hyden, Michael 0-1 0-0 0; Starnes, Mikey 0-0 0-0 0; Farmer,
B.J. 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 18-55 8-17 50.

TEMPLE (27-5)
Sexton, Jeremy 6-14 6-10 19; Kemp, James 5-10 3-5 15; Johnson, Jarrod 5-5
1-10 11; Andrews, Brandon 3-7 0-0 8; Reaves, Josh 2-3 2-5 6; Pendergrass,
Nathan 1-1 1-3 3; Peterson, Dexter 1-3 0-0 2; Montgomery, Ben 0-0 0-0 0;
Rudolph, Ezekiel 0-0 0-0 0; Armour, Jamaal 0-0 0-0 0; Robinson, Jacqueze 0-0
0-0 0. Totals 23-43 13-33 64.

Cloudland.....................   10   15    6   19  -   50
Temple........................   14   17   17   16  -   64

3-point goals--Cloudland 6-22 (Morgan, Logan 3-9; Potter, Matthew 2-4;
Chambers, Tyler 1-5; Johnson, Randall 0-3; Hyden, Michael 0-1), Temple 5-16
(Andrews, Brandon 2-4; Kemp, James 2-7; Sexton, Jeremy 1-5).

Fouled out--Cloudland-Potter, Matthew; Clawson, Lucas; Presnell, Sha, Temple-None.

Rebounds--Cloudland 33 (Clawson, Lucas 8), Temple 38 (Sexton, Jeremy 11).

Assists--Cloudland 11 (Johnson, Randall 6), Temple 8 (Sexton, Jeremy 3).

Total fouls--Cloudland 26, Temple 14.

Technical fouls--Cloudland-None,Temple-None.

5:05: Summertown leads 35 to 25 with 1:24 remaining in the third quarter.

5:15 Summertown leads 43 to 34 with 5:27 in the contest.

5:33: Oh how momentum can swing. The Cougars of Clarksville Academy made a run to pull within three. The Cougars have the ball with 9.3 seconds left.

5:35: Clarksville couldn't score as they fall 53-50 in the contest. They will face Tennessee Temple on Friday. That wraps up the 1-A portion of the day. We have the first 2-A matchup with Bolivar and Livingston Academy.

Championship Recaps-TSSAA 1-A

By Matt Laws (matt.laws@averyjournal.com)

Avery Journal-Times

*Blog Exclusive*

Humboldt (33-1) 60 vs. Manassas 63 (25-2)-

Everyone expected this to be the game of the day. It didn't disappoint. Two late second shots sent Manassas into the semifinal round of the TSSAA 1-A championship.

The first quarter saw both teams fight through opening round jitters as Manassas took a 14 to 12 lead into the second quarter. Manassas started the second quarter on a five point run before Humboldt started their run back. The teams knotted the score at 19 before Humboldt pushed out their lead. Manassas responded and closed the gap before halftime. The Vikings of Humboldt made led by 28-24 at the break.

In the start of the second half, Humboldt quickly went on a 6-0 run in the opening minute. They pushed that out to eight to take a 36-24 lead. Manassas responded with another run of their own to cut the Viking lead to three. The Tigers eventually took the lead, but not before both teams began trading shots. Humboldt got a quick bucket and steal to spark a five point run that gave them a 49-45 lead entering the final frame.

In that frame, it was an even match as neither team could pull away. The Tigers managed to streak away and take a five point lead with two minutes remaining as Humboldt missed four key throws down the stretch. The Vikings got back on the board with 1:30 then got a steal off the inbound pass to pull within one in a ten second stretch. Manassas missed two free throws with 20 seconds left. Humboldt nailed a 3-pointer with 15.2 remaining to tie the game. However, Manassas’s Marcus Holloway hit a 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left on the clock to send the Vikings home with their first loss 63-60.

Tevin Crayton led the Vikings with 16 points and Charles Taylor added 12 points. Kendall Woodard also scored 16 for the Tigers and Hollaway added 15 points. Humboldt shot 49% while hitting 24 of 49 shots while Manassas hit 25 of 50 for an even 50%.

The Tigers advance to play the winner of Grace Baptist and Grace Christian.

BREAKING NEWS: Fancher Resigns as ASU Men's Head Basketball Coach

Courtesy Appalachian Sports Information

BOONE, N.C. ­— Houston Fancher resigned as men’s basketball head coach at Appalachian State University on Monday evening, effective immediately.

In nine seasons at the helm of the program, Fancher posted a 137-136 overall record, which included three Southern Conference North Division championships (2002-03, 2006-07 and 2007-08). In 2006-07, he led Appalachian to a school-record 25 wins, the San Juan Shootout championship and a berth in the National Invitation Tournament. He was named the SoCon Coach of the Year in 2002-03 after winning the first of his three North Division titles.

In addition to the success on the court, the NCAA presented Fancher’s squads with NCAA Public Recognition Awards in 2005-06 and 2006-07. The NCAA Public Recognition Awards honor programs that rank among the nation’s top 10 percent in their sport in Academic Progress Rate scores. ASU men’s basketball fell just hundredths of a percentage point shy of receiving the recognition for a third-consecutive year in 2007-08.

Prior to taking the reins as head coach in 2000, Fancher spent two seasons as an assistant coach and two as associate head coach at ASU under Buzz Peterson. During that time from 1996-2000, Fancher helped lead the Mountaineers to three 20-win seasons, three North Division crowns and the 2000 SoCon Tournament championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Before his arrival at Appalachian, Fancher spent one season as an assistant at Vanderbilt (1995-96). He began his coaching career with four seasons as an assistant at Maryville College (1988-92) and cut his teeth as a head coach with three seasons at North Greenville College (1992-95). In 12 total years as a head coach, Fancher sports a 181-177 overall record.

“We appreciate everything that Coach Fancher has done for Appalachian men’s basketball, Mountaineer athletics and the University as a whole over the past 13 years,” director of athletics Charlie Cobb said. “He has been a terrific ambassador for ASU, a valued member of the community and an outstanding leader of young men. We wish Coach Fancher nothing but the best in his future endeavors.”

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to represent Appalachian State University for the past 13 years, including the last nine as head coach. I hope that I have done so with the class and dignity that the position deserves” Fancher said. “I want to thank Chancellor (Dr. Kenneth E.) Peacock and Charlie Cobb for their support. It has been a wonderful experience for me to build a program. The next head coach at ASU will be fortunate to coach the terrific group of kids that are in the program.”

Fancher will be paid the remainder of his contract which runs through March 2010. A nationwide search for the 15th head coach in Appalachian men’s basketball history will begin immediately.

NCAA Men's Tournament Bracket Contest IS BACK

The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is only days away, and again this season the Avery Journal-Times Sports department staff invites YOU, the fan, to demonstrate your prediction prowess.

Again this year we have set up a group with ESPN.com's Tournament Challenge contest to see who can earn bragging rights as the greatest local prognosticator of this year's Big Dance.

You can get into the action by registering an entry at:
http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/group?groupID=13060&entryID=166029

The group is: AJ-T Sports Blog Fans

The Opening Round game is Tuesday night, with the first round starting around noon on Thursday, March 19th. Good Luck!

'Landers to Play Temple in Quarterfinals

The Cloudland 'Landers drew the Temple Crusaders for quarterfinal action on Wednesday. The game will be play at 1:30. Below is a quick look at the 'Landers first round opponent, Temple.

Temple Crusaders (26-6)

The Crusaders represent District 5-A. They are the only team not to win their region to advance to the state tournament. Temple’s Jeremy Sexton is a Mr. Basketball candidate and the Crusaders earned their seventh state berth in the last eight years and eighth appearance in the last 11 seasons. Temple is located in Chattanooga.

Their route to the ‘Boro:

Temple entered the region tournament as a #2 seed. However, it didn’t make a difference to the Crusaders as they defeated Sale Creek by 40 then got by Chattanooga Arts and Sciences 55-46 to advance to the region title game. In that title game, Temple fell to Grace Baptist Academy 74-42. However, Temple traveled to Clay County and came away with the 64-50 victory to claim a trip to the ‘Boro.