'Landers Wrap Up Spring Practice

‘Lander Coach Robbie Turbyfill is quietly making his mark on the Cloudland football program. Saturday night’s idea was just another stepping stone for the coach on returning the ‘Landers to past glory.

Turbyfill’s Highlanders wrapped up two successful weeks of spring practice with the first annual Blue and Gold game at Orr Field on Saturday night. The entire Cloudland team was divided equally into the Blue and Gold teams as the Blue team took a 27-7 victory.

“I thought the whole spring went well,” Turbyfill said. “I thought this was a great way to end spring practice. I thought both teams played hard out there tonight, and I thought the Gold had their opportunities but they just kind of threw it away with some interceptions and fumbles. I think this is something we can build on for the season because we can learn from our mistakes in this game like situation.”

Neither team had an advantage or treated the game as just an ordinary scrimmage as bragging rights were on the line. The Blue team struck first with trickery as Seth Houstma caught a halfback pass from Trey Hitchew, then outran the Gold’s defense to the end zone on their opening drive. Blue’s two-point conversion was incomplete. Blue team produced a turnover on Gold’s opening possession, but couldn’t capitalize as they turned the ball over on downs. On the ensuing Gold drive, Hitechew intercepted Seth Miller’s pass and rumbled to the end zone to give Blue a 12-0 lead.

Right before the half, Blue drove down the field, but was unable to score as the Gold squad forced a turnover at the one year line with 19 seconds left in the half keeping the Blue lead to 12 at the half.

The second half didn’t go much better for the Gold team as they fumbled the opening kickoff and the Blue team recovered at midfield. Later in the quarter, Chris Stevens put the Blue team back on the board as he recovered another Gold fumble and scrambled 40 some yards. A unique formation helped Blue scored on a two point conversion to take a 20-0 lead into the fourth quarter.

Miller’s Gold team finally got going in the fourth with key runs by Morgan and Tony Chambers. Miller scrambled into the end zone to give the Gold their first points of the night, and Kevin Stevens, who handled kicking duties for both teams, hit the extra point for the Gold.

On the ensuing kickoff, Gold’s attempted onside kick was picked up by Stevens and he outraced everyone into the end zone to add to the Blue total. With the extra point, it gave Blue a 27-7 lead which was the final score. The game was called with around seven minutes remaining due to lighting associated with an approaching storm.

Stevens was named the Defensive Player of the game, while Hitechew received the Offensive Player of the game honors.

The Blue and Gold game was well attended by a large and vocal group of ‘Lander supporters, including part of the Marching Highlander band.

“I think it was great that all the fans showed up,” Turbyfill said. “I think it is something that we can build on over the years because we are hoping to have this thing year after year. Hopefully, next year it will be bigger and better.”

For the ‘Landers, spring practice was a valuable learning tool where players were put into the roles they can expect to play next season. Turbyfill was pleased with what he saw this spring and the work that his players put in.

“I feel we are a lot more physical this year then we have been,” Turbyfill said. “I feel like we have some kids who stick their head in there and go with it. I am real proud of them and their great effort through the whole spring.”

In addition to the Blue and Gold game, the ‘Landers also scrimmaged South Greene during the spring. While the start of the season is three months away, the ‘Landers will continue to work hard to improve for the start of the 2009 season.

Trio of Former Athletes Named to SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll

Last week the South Atlantic Conference Named its Commissioners Honor Roll for the 2008-09 school year, with a conference-record 822 student-athletes recognized for their achievements in the classroom.

The SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll recognizes those student-athletes who carry at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and have completed at least one season in the conference-sponsored sports of football, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, men's and women's tennis and men's and women's golf.

The 822 student-athletes represent 36 U.S. states, 30 foreign countries and three Canadian provinces. More than 25 percent (211) of the honorees held grade point averages of 3.75 or higher. Of those, 21 student-athletes carried a perfect 4.00 GPA.

The sport of women's soccer had the most honorees with 114, followed by football with 100. They were followed by baseball (89), men's soccer (73), volleyball (71), softball (65), women's basketball (62), women's cross country (49), men's tennis (39), women's tennis (38), men's golf (35), men's basketball (31), men's cross country (29), and women's golf (27).

For the third year in a row, Newberry College led the way with 113 student-athletes recognized. Wingate University was close behind with 108. First-year conference member Brevard College had 100. Tusculum College placed 99 on the honor roll, followed by Mars Hill College with 93, Carson-Newman College with 87, Lincoln Memorial University (77), Catawba College (73), and Lenoir-Rhyne University (72).

Three former Avery County High School athletic standouts made the honor roll. Wingate University senior cross country runner and Elementary Education major Ashley Condrey was named to the list, as was freshman cross country runner and Pre-Medical Science major Kate Griewisch from Lenoir Rhyne University. Mars Hill College football senior quarterback and Recreation major Ricky Spradling was also named to the honor roll.

Congratulations to these student-athletes for their excellence both on the field and in the classroom.

Dicus Loses Five-Year Battle

Watauga High School senior baseball player Will Dicus passed away on Monday following a five-year bout with cancer. Dicus was 18 years of age.

Will threw a no-hitter as a JV pitcher against Freedom, and played the final two years of his varsity high school career as a Pioneer, pitching five innings in a game against West Wilkes his junior season for a victory, despite imminent danger if he were to be struck by a baseball.

Steve Behr, the sports editor at our fellow Jones Media newspaper Watauga Democrat wrote a column on Dicus and his love for life and baseball. You can read that piece by clicking here

Avery Middle School Honors Student-Athletes at Annual Athletics Banquet

On Thursday evening, May 28th Avery Middle School held its annual end-of-season athletics banquet for fall, winter, and spring sports. The evening was a combination of celebration and reflection of the year that was in Panthers sports.

The Avery Middle School family recognized the life and contributions of former coach Chris Buchanan as Susan Clark presented a memorial in honor of the late coach. A memorial display was prepared in front of the speaker’s podium in recognition of the coach’s life. Coach Buchanan tragically passed away earlier this year and his memory was on the minds and in the hearts of all who knew him, including all the athletes, coaches, and administrative personnel whose lives he touched.

Avery Middle School Director of Athletics Marilynne Phillips, as well as Principal David Wright addressed students and parents in attendance, thanking them for their participation and expressing appreciation for their sterling efforts both in the athletic and academic arenas.

The banquet was privileged to have as a guest speaker John Mark Bentley, former standout athlete at Avery Middle School who went on to become a four-time state wrestling champion at Avery High School and national high school wrestling champion.

Bentley excelled as a wrestler at the University of North Carolina, garnering ACC Freshman Wrestler of the Year honors and ACC Wrestler of the Year accolades, along with a trio of conference championships.

Bentley has had a successful coaching career as a high school head wrestling coach at Watauga High School, in addition to a coaching stints at Davidson and Appalachian State University before being named head wrestling coach for the Mountaineers following the retirement of 33-year veteran coach Paul Mance.

Athletes from a total of 11 sports were honored over the course of the banquet and recognized for their contributions to the Panthers athletic success in 2008-09. The Robin Carver Austin Scholar Awards were also presented to two students who excelled in the classroom as well as on the athletic field.

This year’s award recipients included the following:

Football: MVP – Rob Wood; Coach’s Award – Scott Simon; Most Improved – Dustin Barnard; Defensive – Chase Buchanan; Offensive – Chance Watson.

Cheerleading: MVP Football Season– Megan Daniels; MVP Basketball Season – Abigail Fortune; Coach’s Award – Mikaela Daniels; Coach’s Award – Katie Hall; Most Improved – Carson Clark; Most Spirited – Micaela Gragg

Soccer: MVP – Heraclio Flores; Coach’s Award – Kelly Jiminez; Most Improved – Leonardo Ortiz; Defensive – Carson Williams; Offensive – Isauro Estrada

Volleyball: Coach’s Award – Breanna Heaton; Most Improved – Chelsy Hofman;
Defensive – Kelsie Clarke; Offensive – Megan Dellinger

Girls Basketball: Coach’s Award – Megan Dellinger; Most Improved – Taylor Hobbs;
Defensive – Sela PittmanOffensive – Kelsie Clarke

Boys Basketball: Hustle Award – Chase Buchanan; Coach’s Award – Rob Wood; Most Improved – Dalton Cook; Defensive – Ty Polsgrove; Offensive – Chance Watson

Softball: MVP – Ashlie Yoder; Coach’s Award – Carson Clark, Ellie Lecka; Most Improved – Kaitlyn Sudderth; Defensive – Paige Henderson; Offensive – Shannon Smith

Baseball: MVP- Chance Watson; Coach’s Award- Walker Carswell; Most Improved: Tyler Edwards; Defensive- Zach Dobson; Offensive- Tyler Polsgrove

Golf: Best All Around- Daniel Childress

Track:Boys MVP- Carson Williams; Girls MVP- Shannon Smith

Wrestling: Most Valuable Wrestler- Luke Price; Most Outstanding- Brennan Clark;
Most Improved- Ethan Webb; Leadership Award- Grant Silliman

Robin Carver Austin Award Winners- Scott Simon and Serina Ramos

Congratulations to all the athletes and coaches throughout the county for a successful 2008-09 campaign!

Del Harris to Retire from Coaching

Sources are reporting that Chicago Bulls veteran assistant coach Del Harris will be announcing his retirement from coaching as early as today.

Harris compiled a 556-457 career coaching record as head coach of three NBA teams (L.A. Lakers, Houston Rockets, and Milwaukee Bucks) over a 14-season span and made the playoffs in all but two seasons as head coach. He also served as an assistant coach with the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets, and Dallas Mavericks.

Harris is a graduate of Milligan College, located in nearby Johnson City, Tennessee, where he played basketball from 1955-58. He is a member of the school's Athletic Hall of Fame.

"I'm proud of the 50 years," Harris told the Chicago Tribune newspaper. "I didn't want to quit after 49. And though I never won that title, I don't think that's a failure. I've impacted people. I still have players I coached in high school and college who call me. That means more to me than wins."

With a coaching career spanning 50 years, Harris spent last season as an assistant under rookie head coach Vinny Del Negro with the Bulls. Harris coached the Chinese National Team in the 2004 Athens Olympics. In this decade alone, he has been voted the NBA's top assistant in three of the previous four seasons by NBA general managers.

Stanley to Shine on Diamond at Next Level

As one of the region's leaders in batting average in Western North Carolina during his senior season, it would only be a matter of time before a school would have the good fortune of landing Avery Vikings senior infielder/pitcher Sutton Stanley. This past week Stanley made the decision to attend Lenoir Rhyne University, where he will attempt to earn a spot on the team's baseball roster.

The Viking batsman garnered much interest in his senior season at Avery. He hit for one of the state's highest batting averages with a .551 BA during this past regular season with a pair of home runs and 22 runs batted in. He maintained his strong offensive prowess in conference play with a .533 batting average.

Sutton proved his versatility around the field with spectacular defensive plays and pitching efforts. Stanley had a 1-0 win/loss record in six relief appearances as a right-handed hurler for the Big Red, and completed the season with a 4.82 ERA, good for second-best on the ballclub.

Stanley had recently traveled with family members to Hickory for a workout with the team, and the invitation was extended by head coach Paul Knight to walk-on with the club in the fall. Lenoir-Rhyne University was 24-23 overall this past season, with a 10-11 mark in South Atlantic Conference play under Coach Knight.

Congratulations to Sutton and all of Avery's athletes who will be continuing their athletic careers at the collegiate level.

Mountaineers Ranked Second in First Preseason Poll for 2009

The first preseason FCS football poll has been released by the AnyGivenSaturday.com website, and the Mountaineers are ranked 2nd overall. AGS has posted the first preseason poll of teams each year since its inception in 2004.

Reigning National Champion Richmond landed the top spot, garnering 59 first place votes in the sixth annual preseason AnyGivenSaturday.com (AGS) Poll. Following the Spiders in the top ten were (in order): Appalachian State, Montana, Villanova, Northern Iowa, James Madison, Southern Illinois, New Hampshire, Weber State, and Elon. The full results are listed below.

Five other teams received first place votes including Appalachian State (20), Villanova (11), Montana (5), Northern Iowa (2), and James Madison (1).

A total of 18 squads received more than the five votes required to receive mention outside of the top 25.

The Colonial Athletic Association, FCS's largest league lead the way with eight teams in the Top 25; the Southern Conference had five, the Big Sky Conference had four, the Missouri Valley Football and Southland Conferences had three each, and the Great West Football and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conferences were each represented with one squad.

The pollsters also named Delaware as the biggest rising team from 2008 and Cal Poly as the biggest falling team.

In comparison to other polls, the AGS Poll had as many or more of its preseason top 25 on its final regular season poll than either of the other two polls (coaches and media) had on theirs since the poll's inception five years ago. The AGS Poll also had as many or more of its preseason top 25 on its final regular season poll make the playoffs than either of the other two polls the past five years.

AGS is the world's largest online community devoted to all of the FCS. The AGS Poll was created in 2004 to give distinguished members of the AGS community a place to voice their opinion, vote for the top 25 FCS programs in the nation, and provide the media and coaches of FCS a valuable resource to gauge general sentiment. In order to ensure that the poll is accurate and fair, a committee of AGS veteran members has established guidelines for voter eligibility and accountability.

The AGS Poll will be announced weekly throughout the season on Mondays and a final poll will be announced shortly after the National Championship game.

2009 Any Given Saturday Poll Preseason Top 25
(First place votes in parenthesis), Points

1. Richmond (59), 2338
2. Appalachian State (20), 2292
3. Montana (5), 2154
4. Villanova (11), 2152
5. Northern Iowa (2), 2011
6. James Madison (1), 1746
7. Southern Illinois, 1703
8. New Hampshire, 1695
9. Weber State, 1692
10. Elon, 1398
11. Wofford, 1326
12. Cal Poly, 1159
13. William & Mary, 1105
14. Central Arkansas, 1034
15. Maine, 841
16. McNeese State, 687
17. South Carolina State, 617
18. Massachusetts, 602
19. Eastern Washington, 538
20. Delaware, 409
21. South Dakota State, 397
22. Furman, 386
23. Texas State, 323
24. Georgia Southern, 311
25. Montana State, 306

Others receiving votes (minimum of 5 votes): Jacksonville State (54), Liberty (48), Colgate (46), Harvard (43), Albany (36), Eastern Kentucky (36), Holy Cross (30), Samford (26), North Dakota State (24), Northern Arizona (24), Grambling State (14), Youngstown State (11), Florida A&M (10), Tennessee-Martin (8), Prairie View A&M (7), Western Illinois (7), Pennsylvania (5), UC Davis (5).

Avery Football Prepares for 2009 Season with Spring Practice

Spring has arrived, which means the Avery football team gets its first opportunity to work on drills, technique, and terminology. Last week the Vikings began its annual spring practice schedule, as over a ten-day period the team will work on conditioning and learning principles which will better prepare the team as it goes into summer camps, and eventually, the beginning of regular season play in mid-August. There has been a fair share of pleasant developments through the spring sessions.

“The biggest surprise has been how smooth everything has been. We’re a bunch of pups, but the players don’t act like they’re young,” Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer said in an interview last week. “Everything has looked good. Alex (Viking sophomore quarterback Villanueva) has looked like a veteran out here running the offense and looks like he’s been doing it for years.”

With 14 seniors graduated from the 2008 team, including a pair of kickers, Avery hopes to rebuild the roster and focus on bettering themselves as the days and weeks progress, leading up to the August 21 season opener at Robbinsville.

“We’ve got to replace a kicker, and graduation kind of wiped out our secondary and receiving corps, so that’s something we’re looking at intently during these spring practices,” the coach said.

An emphasis has been placed the past couple of weeks on strengthening the line of scrimmage and developing a rushing attack, especially considering that many team summer activities for the Big Red are of the 7-on-7 passing league variety.

“I think we’re working most right now on our line. The line the past couple of years has not been what I’ve wanted it to be, and we’re really working on the line play,” the coach said. “Come August we hope to spend less time teaching who to block. So through the spring we’ve worked a lot with the line on coming off the ball and who to block.”

There has been heated competition on the practice field, as players recognize that each one of them have a chance to be starting on the field when the Friday night lights fire illuminate the landscape come fall.

“One thing I think is exciting to this group is that they realize that every one of them has a shot to start,” Coach Brewer remarked. “In years past, you’ve looked and had an idea if a senior or a junior would be starting for you. But I tell you right now that everything’s wide open. That’s how we as coaches are looking at it, and we’re telling the players it’s up to them to step up and take that opportunity in front of them.”

This spring has offered the players and coaches an opportunity to turn a page from last season, to focus on bettering the Avery team rather than worrying or game planning against an upcoming opponent.

“A great thing about the spring is that we’re not game planning to play Robbinsville or an Owen. We’re strictly working on fundamentals and focusing 100 percent on Avery right now,” Coach Brewer said. “Once you’re into the season it’s harder to focus on Avery, so this is a great time for us to look at improving ourselves as a team. I enjoy this time of year at the start spring practice because you feel like it’s football season again, and coaching the players is all we have to worry about.”

With only two wins a season ago, the Vikings are looking at 2009 as a time to forget what is behind them and sail ahead toward greater success.

“Last year is something we’re not even talking about. We’re thinking about this year, and the kids are working hard,” Coach Brewer added. “They’re going to have to grow up to be ready for Robbinsville in the fall, because they’ll be loaded for bear. That will be a good test for us and help us grow up in a hurry and find out where we stand. There’s nothing more we can ask for than that. The team is excited and I feel good and am excited about what’s to come.”

Avery Baseball Season Ends with Second Round Loss to Bulldogs

After its two-day odyssey to Highlands that resulted in a 10-0 whitewash at Highlands, the Avery Vikings baseball team hopped back onto the bus last Tuesday May 19th for another four-plus hour bus trip, this time journeying to Murphy for a matchup with the Bulldogs.

The two teams stood toe-to-toe with one another in a closely fought game at Emerson Field in Konahete Park, but a late three-run Murphy rally in its final at-bat, as well as a half dozen Viking errors and only four hits proved too much for the Big Red to overcome in a 6-1 defeat.

Avery threatened to take the lead in the top of the first frame, as Brooks Oakley hit a one-out single and advanced to third on an Adam Pate base hit to put a pair of runners on base. The Big Red could not cash in, however, as a pair of groundouts to second base quelled the opportunity.

Murphy sought to draw first blood itself in its first at-bat of the contest, loading the bases on a base hit, an error, and a walk. However, right handed senior starter Brooks Oakley worked out of the jam, inducing a fielder’s choice to end the inning without a runner crossing the plate.

The Vikings looked poised to stake another claim on the lead when right fielder Daniel Huff led off with a base hit. Avery again came up empty when, following a pair of strikeouts, the runner was picked off by Murphy southpaw Josh Coker to close the inning.

In the bottom of the second, the Bulldogs struck for three runs off Oakley, two of which were literally off the pitcher. Murphy led off with a base hit, then the bottom hitter in the order bunted the runner to second. On the play, Avery third baseman Zac Hall slipped attempting to field the bunt, and was not able to throw the runner out at first.

Murphy’s chances of scoring dimmed when another Bulldog bunt was fielded by Avery catcher Steven Daniels who threw out the lead runner at third base. A slow roller toward the pitcher was mishandled, allowing the hitter to reach and load the bases, and a run scored when Bulldog right fielder Cook hit a grounder to shortstop. Avery’s Adam Pate fielded cleanly and threw home for a force out, but the throw pulled catcher Daniels off the plate for the game’s first run.

A frightening moment occurred one batter later when Oakley faced his opposite number Coker at the plate. Coker lined a 3-2 pitch off the leg of Oakley on the mound. The ball caromed away past the third baseman and rolled away which allowed a pair of additional runs to score.

The Avery hurler was on the ground for several minutes in obvious pain, but walked off the injury, ignored the pain, and remained on the mound for the Big Red. Oakley struck out the next two hitters to end the inning.

“That was the hardest hit ball I’ve ever seen hit off a player, as the ball didn’t land until it was halfway down the third base line. My first reaction was “Oh no, he’s broken his shin” because I thought that was where the ball had hit him. When a ball come off that hard and goes that distance, I thought he was hurt badly,” Avery head baseball coach Benny Wellborn said of the incident.

“Luckily the ball hit him in the meat of the inside part of his knee. It showed me a senior who wanted to play in his last ballgame and give it everything he’s got. It was an inspiration to me, it was an inspiration to our guys. The kid showed great heart and drive to stay in there and get the job done. I don’t know many kids who would have stayed in there and done that for any team. He was hit hard, managed to get back up, and I thought he threw harder and better after he was hit. That’s something I will never forget. He deserves a lot of credit for hanging in there.”

As the top of the third inning ensued, Avery managed to get back one of the three runs surrendered during the previous frame. Oakley laced a two-out double to left field. Shortstop Adam Pate came up to the plate next and hit a grounder to second base. The second baseman misplayed the baseball and it rolled into short right field. Pinch runner Ethan Sluder raced around third and scored under the Murphy catcher’s tag to cut the lead to 3-1.

Both teams were retired in order over the next two half-innings, and Murphy tried to pad its lead in the bottom of the fourth. Two Bulldogs reached base via single and walk, but Oakley worked around the trouble as he struck out a batter and got a fielder’s choice to close the inning.

Avery’s bats, which had been white hot leading up to the contest, suddenly cooled as Coker made life difficult for the Big Red. The Vikings were retired in order for the second time in a row in the top of the fifth, while the home team mounted another charge at the scoreboard and the Avery defense.

A single, a hit batsman, and a walk to the first three Murphy hitters in the inning loaded the bases. Oakley struck out the fourth hitter of the frame, then was the beneficiary of an induced ground ball back to himself. Oakley promptly fired home to catcher Daniels, who then gunned a ball to first baseman Jared Clark for the 1-2-3 double play which ended the inning and energized the ballclub.

Daniels momentarily broke the Murphy dominance on the mound in the top of the sixth with a two-out single, bringing the tying run to the plate. But Murphy’s Coker forced a groundout to again deny the Vikings.

As the sun began to set, Murphy added three insurance runs in the bottom of the inning, all with two outs, to dampen the spirits of the Avery faithful who made the drive to Cherokee County. The big blow was a two-run home run by Bulldog second baseman and cleanup hitter Luke Charles to stake Murphy to a 5-1 advantage.

Murphy continued to hit the ball hard off the Avery starter, who may have begun feeling the effects from the earlier hit to the leg. Right fielder Butterworth hit a deep ball to the outfield which was misplayed for an error by Avery, leading to the batter taking second base. The following hitter ripped a sharp RBI single to left field, which made the score 6-1 and signaled the end of the day on the mound for the Viking senior after 104 pitches and 5 2/3 innings.

Avery had one final chance in the top of the seventh and put two runners on base with only one out, but a 1-4-3 double play turned by the Bulldogs defense ended the game.

“It seemed like they caught quite a few breaks. We hit the ball right at people, and their pitcher did a really good job of hiding the ball. The kids had a hard time picking up the ball, so to only strike out five times was good,” Coach Wellborn said. “We caught some unfortunate breaks, like when Brooks was takes one off the knee and two runs score. That along with other little things was turning points in the game. If a couple of things go our way and we capitalize on a couple of chances, things might have ended differently. Their pitcher made adjustments when we hit his fastball, and his off-speed pitches were good. We had a hard time adjusting to his change-up, which was probably his best pitch.”

Brooks Oakley was the only Avery player with multiple base hits, as he was 2 for 3 with a single and a double. Adam Pate and Steven Daniels also rapped base hits in the contest.

Avery completed the season with a mark of 12-10 overall, with a winning record in conference play. The team loses seven seniors, but Avery will look to regroup with a number of young and talented players from this year’s junior varsity squad.

Congratulations to the Vikings for another strong season on the diamond!

Avery Baseball Update

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Avery trails Murphy 3-1. Pitcher Brooks Oakley was drilled with a line drive to the leg early in the game and a pair of runs scored on the play. He has stayed in the game and thrown well. Avery scored on a ball up the middle from Adam Pate in the top of the third.

Murphy has added 3 runs in the bottom of the sixth to their total as Avery continues to struggle to get an offense going.

Avery got 2 men on second in the 7th but the game ended on 1-6-3 double play as Murphy wins ut 6-1. Congrats to the Vikings on an outstanding season!

Lady Vikings Defeated 6-1 by Thomas Jefferson in Softball Play-In Game

A determined Lady Vikings team looked to play its way into the state softball playoffs, despite the best record in school history at 9-11 overall. Avery hosted upstart Thomas Jefferson, a team whom the Vikings had split two regular season games, with each team capturing victory at home. For the Lady Vikings, their season came to an abrupt end on a sunny Monday afternoon in Newland, as Thomas Jefferson escaped Avery with a 6-1 victory to advance in the state playoffs.

The Thomas Jefferson defense was outstanding throughout the game, as hit after Avery hit was robbed by a number of sterling defensive plays. Diving stops, accurate throws, line drive catches, and double plays may have been an early indication that is wasn't going to be a great day for the Big Red.

TJCA got on the scoreboard first with a pair of runs in the top of the first. An RBI base hit, as well as a wild pitch allowed a run to score, giving the Gryphons the early 2-0 lead. Avery threatened in the bottom of the frame when leadoff hitter Morgan Yackey got on with a double, but she was caught stealing at third base to end the inning.

The Gryphons put a pair of runners on in the second, but starter Morgan Yackey induced a pair of outs on a pop up and ground out to escape with no additional runs allowed to cross the plate. Avery's lineup was retired 1-2-3 in the second, then both teams repeated the feat in the third inning to hold the score at 2-0 in favor of the visitors.

After retiring the Gryphons in the top of the fourth, Avery looked poised to put runs on the board when senior catcher Sara Singleton laced a one-out single to right center field. Unfortunately she was doubled off base when the pitcher caught a line drive from the bat of Justina Rieger and fired the ball back to first in time for a double play to end the frame.

Thomas Jefferson added to its lead in the top of the fifth with a run off a trio of singles, the last one scoring a runner from second to pad the Gryphon lead to 3-0. The Thomas Jefferson pitcher was dominant throughout the contest, retiring the Vikings in order in the bottom of the fifth to preserve the three-run margin.

The top of the sixth was a tough frame for the Big Red, as the Gryphons took advantage of a number of errors for three more insurance runs. Three of the first four hitters in the inning reached base due to Avery gaffes. A wild pitch and pair of throwing errors in the field accounted for each of the runs in the inning which put the Lady Vikings in a 6-0 hole.

"Unfortunately that inning was kind of a microcosm of our season. When we have one bad mistake happen in an inning it seems that they compound on top of each other like that snowball that rolls downhill," Avery head softball coach Merritt Yackey said after the game.

Avery tried to rally yet again as Amber Clark rapped a two-out single in the bottom of the sixth, but was stranded on a pop-out to end the inning.

Thomas Jefferson worked a walk and advanced a runner to second base in the top of the seventh, but Yackey struck out a pair of hitters to quell the threat and give Avery one final attempt to come back.

Avery showed signs of life in the bottom of the seventh and final inning as leadoff batter Singleton ripped a double to center field. Justina Rieger followed Singleton's hit with an RBI double of her own, plating Singleton to put the Vikings on the board and cut the lead to 6-1. Samantha Shook singled to center field to put runners on the corners. The Thomas Jefferson hurler buckled down, however, and struck out Avery's next three hitters in succession to seal the Gryphon victory and halt the Lady Viking season.

"We didn't get a break today. It was one of those days that, to their credit, they made a number of great plays, and we just needed one thing for us to get on track offensively, and it never did," Avery head softball coach Merritt Yackey said following the game. "We put a runner on early but could not generate a run which really hurt. I think they had only one earned run, and defensively we struggled all year."

The coach also responded to whether he felt the late notice by the high school association and the fact his team had to play on Monday rather than on Tuesday affected his squad. "We met at around 9:30 a.m. with the team to discuss the game and try to get them ready. I'm sure it may have had an effect of some kind, how much I don't know because we had beaten them pretty easily the previous time we played them here."

Avery closes its season at 9-13 overall, with a 3-9 conference mark, school records in each category. Congratulations to Big Red Softball on a great season!

Lady Vikings Softball Fall to Thomas Jefferson 6-1 in Playoff Opener

The Avery Lady Vikings softball squad lost a hard-fought playoff game to Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy on Monday afternoon by a 6-1 final score.

TJCA scored a pair of runs in the first inning, one run in the fifth inning, and three more in the sixth inning, while Avery could only manage a run in the bottom of the seventh inning on a Justina Rieger RBI base hit which scored Sara Singleton.

Much more on this contest and the week's action for the Lady Vikings in the print edition of the Avery Journal-Times and here on the Blog!

Lady Vikings Tangle with Gryphons in Softball Opening Round

The Avery Lady Vikings softball team learned that it has qualified for the NCHSAA state 1A playoffs, but will have to take on the Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy Lady Gryphons in an opening round (also referred to as "play-in") game today (Monday afternoon) at 4:30 p.m. at Avery High School.

Avery completed its best regular season in school history with a 9-11 record and picked up three conference wins in the process. The two teams split their season series, with each squad winning at home. The latter was a 6-0 shutout in late April by Avery at home.

Senior pitcher Morgan Yackey has surrendered only three hits to the Gryphons in two complete games pitched, while freshman Justina Rieger had a pair of hits which drove in three runs in the Avery victory over TJCA.

The winner of this afternoon's game will travel to Rosman for the first round of the 1A state playoffs on Tuesday.

Movin' On to Murphy: Vikings Blank Highlands 10-0 in Five Innings

The Avery Vikings baseball squad wouldn't let even Mother Nature interfere with its quest for a state title, as the team had to stay overnight at Highlands due to poor weather that postponed Friday's scheduled opening round playoff game. The team awakened Saturday morning for a 10 a.m. start, and dismantled the Highlands Highlanders 10-0 on the road in five innings.

It was a power parade for the Big Red during the win. Nine of Avery's 10 runs scored jogged across the home plate due to home runs. Chris Childress belted a leadoff home run in the rain on Friday, and picked up where he left off with a second home run and had 3 total RBI. Adam Pate blasted a pair of solo home runs for a pair of RBI, Jack Buchanan tallied an RBI, and Steven Daniels was a perfect 2 for 2 with a pair of home runs, two intentional walks, and 4 RBI.

We'll have much more on this story later today. Avery will travel to Murphy on Tuesday for a second round matchup against the Bulldogs, who defeated Cherokee 9-1 on Friday evening.

'Landers to Wrap Up Practice with Blue and Gold Game

Orr Field will come alive on Saturday night as the 'Landers will wrap up their two weeks of spring practice with the Blue and Gold game. The game is an intra squad scrimmage and kickoff is at 7:00pm. Admission is set at $1.00. Come out and enjoy!

Avery Baseball Opens Playoffs with Highlands (maybe....???)

The Avery Vikings discovered on Wednesday morning that they were scheduled to travel to Hayesville to take on the Yellow Jackets in opening round action of the NCHSAA 1A high school baseball playoffs on Friday afternoon.

Things changed quickly, however, as the association made editions to its original bracket and, at last check, is now scheduled to travel Friday to take on Highlands High School out of the Little Smoky Mountain Conference.

Highlands is a four-win squad, while wild card Avery boasts an 11-9 overall mark, and 7-5 WHC record.

We'll post any further editions or changes as they occur.

Lady Vikings Tangle with Polk to Open 1A Soccer Playoffs

The Avery Lady Vikings have the opportunity to return to the scene of the crime on Wednesday as they venture to Columbus for another matchup with the Polk Lady Wolverines.

Avery split the season series with Polk County, with each team winning at home. The Vikings are a Wild Card in seeding purposes for the NCHSAA bracket with a 13-5-1 record, while Polk County earned the #1 conference seed as WHC champions and are 15-6 overall. The winner will play the victory of the Highland Tech/Gray Stone match.

The full 1A women's bracket can be found at; the NCHAAA website at www.nchsaa.org

JV final scores (each in 5 inn.): softball- 14-4 Mountain Heritage, baseball- 13-1 Cougars.

Avery JV softball comes up short against Mountain Heritage in 5 innings, JV baseball trails 9-1 top 5th.

Avery bitten by the error bug in the early going of the JV baseball game with Heritage. 8-1 Cougars bottom 3rd

Avery Baseball and Softball Tangles with Cougars This Afternoon

The Avery Vikings will square off with the Mountain Heritage Cougars in baseball and softball action this afternoon in Newland. With the conference season winding down, every game matters, so the teams will battle tooth and nail for victories.

Viking baseball begins around 4 p.m., with softball scheduled to begin around 4:30 pm.

Avery Baseball and Softball vs. Heritage Postponed

Avery's scheduled baseball and softball home games for this afternoon against Mountain Heritage have been postponed due to rain. The baseball game has been rescheduled to take place on Thursday, with no confirmed make-up date at this time for the softball game (hopefully Thursday also, according to Avery officials).

Avery's teams will also play at Mitchell Friday to close out regular season action.

Lady Vikings Fall in Non-Conference Battle with Neighboring Watauga

On Friday evening Avery hosted their neighbors to the north, the Watauga Lady Pioneers in a non-conference match. Two early Watauga second-half goals were the difference in a 3-1 Lady Pioneers win.

In years past, the battle between the rival schools has been a bitter one, but this year's encounter was a showdown of mutual respect, as players from both squads have competed together as teammates and friends on regional club teams. Nevertheless, a victory for the first time in women's soccer over the Lady Pioneers would be a feather in Avery's proverbial hat.

The Big Red got on the scoreboard early in the match. In the second minute, Avery sophomore Mary Chesnut found fellow sophomore Melinda Eggers with a pass through a number of Watauga players, who slipped a shot past the keeper to give Avery a 1-0 lead at the two minute mark.

Avery's lead would be short-lived. As the weather darkened, the Lady Viking lead faded to black. In the ninth minute, Watauga scored the equalizer as Ashlyn Clark capitalized on a strong individual effort to escape the Viking defense and score. The score remained knotted at 1-1 through the remainder of the first half.

With the exception of a two-minute breakdown, the two squads played to a virtual standstill. Watauga made the most of those two minutes, however. In the 45th minute of action, Watauga's Kendyl Baird fired an outside shot into the goal to put Watauga up 2-1.

Less than a minute later the Lady Pioneers struck for another tally. During a scramble in front of the Viking goal, Watauga managed to push another shot into goal. The Watauga 3-1 advantage remained unchanged through the remainder of the match, as the defense for both clubs was strong enough to prevent any scoring opportunities.

Avery senior keeper Cailan Callaway had 3 saves while Avery’s offense took 5 shots on goal in the match, a lower normal than in a number of Lady Vikings matches as Watauga’s defense kept Big Red from taking additional shots. Watauga had a total of 11 shots on goal, mostly from the midfield area. The Vikings were unable to convert on their five corner kicks.

The Lady Vikings fall to 13-3-1 overall, and remain at 9-1 in conference play. Avery has two remaining regular season conference games, hosting Hendersonville for Senior Night on Monday at the special match time of 5 p.m. The following evening, the Vikings travel to Polk County to tangle with the Lady Wolverines at 6 PM.

Avery Track and Golf News and Notes

Avery sophomore Mary Chesnut Smith won a pair of events and finished second in another at the Western Highlands Conference Track and Field Championships held last Wednesday, April 29th.

Smith finished first in the 1600-meter run with a time of 5:32.44, and captured first in the 800-meter run with a finishing time of 2:29.24. She finished second to Madison's Cynthia Griffin in the women's 3200 meter run with a time of 12:48.14.

Other female Avery athletes with top 8 finishes in events included Caroline Crenshaw, who was 4th in the 300m hurdles (54.07 sec) and 5th in the women's triple jump (27-11.5), and Sara Wiseman, who finished 8th in shot put (26'02") and 4th in discus (67'11.5")

The Lady Vikings finished third in the 4x100m relay, 4th in the 4x200m relay, and 5th in the 4x800m relay.

Avery's male athletes competed in individual and team events as well. The team finished 4th in the 4x100m relay, 3rd in the 4x200 relay, and sixth in both the 4x400m and 4x800m relay events.

Viking men competitors with top eight finishes at conference included senior Kyle Griewisch, who was third in the 100m dash with a time of 11.88 seconds, and finished 4th in the 200m dash with a time of 24.16 seconds.

Fellow senior Andrew Ingram finished sixth in the 100m dash (12.19 sec.), seventh in the 200m dash (25.10), and 5th overall in the long jump with a distance of 18-06. Phillip Corley finished seventh in both the men's high jump (5-04) and triple jump (35-06), while freshman Alex Villanueva finished sixth in the 300m hurdles (46.74 sec), 4th in the men's high jump (5-08), and sixth in the long jump (18-04).

A number of Avery track and field athletes have qualified for Western Regional competition, which will be held next week at Polk County.

In other news, the Western Highlands Conference Golf Championships were also held last Monday and Tuesday. Avery finished in fifth place at the event as a team.

Avery's Chase Watson was the Vikings' lone individual qualifier for Western Regionals, which will be held on Tuesday, May 5th at Meadowbrook Country Club in Rutherfordton. In addition, Avery head coach Boe Barinowski was named WHC Coach of the Year in his first season as Vikings golf team head coach.

Polk County was the 1A team winner at the conference tournament, while Owen and Mitchell qualified for the 2A regional tournament as a team, which will be held at Cedarbrook Country Club in State Road.

It's Official: Buzz is Back in Boone

Courtesy of Appalachian Sports Information

BOONE, N.C. — Buzz Peterson, who led Appalachian State University men’s basketball to three Southern Conference regular-season championships and an NCAA Tournament appearance from 1996-2000, has returned to Appalachian to once again serve as the school’s men’s basketball head coach.

Peterson led the Mountaineers to a 79-39 record, including a 47-12 mark in SoCon play, in his first four seasons at ASU. His .669 overall winning percentage and .797 winning percentage in conference play are both tops among head coaches in program history (minimum three seasons).

After orchestrating a turnaround from an 8-20 season in the season prior to his arrival to a 14-14 record in 1996-97, Peterson coached the Apps to three-consecutive 20-win seasons, SoCon North Division titles and appearances in the SoCon Tournament championship game. The 1999-2000 squad went 23-9 and defeated College of Charleston, 68-56, in the SoCon title game to give the program just its second NCAA Tournament appearance in school history (the first since 1979).

In his four years at ASU, he was twice named SoCon Coach of the Year (1998 and 2000) and mentored seven all-conference honorees.

Following the 1999-2000 campaign, Peterson accepted the head-coaching position at Tulsa. In his only season at TU, he led the Golden Hurricanes to a 26-11 record and the 2001 National Invitation Tournament championship.

He then moved on to Tennessee, where he posted a 61-59 record from 2001-05. The Vols earned two NIT berths in Peterson’s four seasons at the helm.

Following the stint at UT, Peterson compiled a 35-25 record in two seasons at Coastal Carolina. In his first season at CCU (2005-06), the Chanticleers registered their first 20-win season in 13 years and fell in heart-breaking fashion to Winthrop in the 2006 Big South Tournament championship game.

In his 11 seasons as a head coach, Peterson has compiled a 201-134 overall record (.600) and led his teams to four postseason appearances.

He left the college game in 2007 to become the Director of Player Personnel for the National Basketball Association’s Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats won a franchise-record 35 games in 2008-09.

Prior to accepting his first head-coaching position at ASU in 1996, Peterson spent nine seasons as an assistant coach, with stints at ASU (1987-89), East Tennessee State (1989-90), NC State (1990-93) and Vanderbilt (1993-96). The teams that he served as an assistant coach for made four postseason appearances (two NCAA, two NIT) and were a combined 154-117.

Peterson played for four seasons under legendary head coach Dean Smith at North Carolina from 1981-85. During his playing career at UNC, he helped led the Tar Heels to a 115-22 combined record and four Atlantic Coast Conference championships. He was a member of Carolina’s legendary 1982 national championship squad, where he teamed with future NBA stars James Worthy, Sam Perkins and Michael Jordan, who was his roommate and later hired him as part-owner of the Bobcats.

Peterson prepped at Asheville High School, where he was a Parade and McDonald’s all-American and beat out Jordan for North Carolina Player and Athlete of the Year accolades in 1981.

Peterson and his wife, Jan, have three children: Nicole, Olivia and Rob.

“After a very thorough search, there is no doubt that Buzz Peterson is the right person to lead our men’s basketball program,” ASU director of athletics Charlie Cobb said. “In his previous stint at Appalachian, he brought unprecedented success and excitement to the program and the University. His passion for ASU was evident when he met with his players for the first time Tuesday evening and his fit within the fabric of the community make him the perfect choice to bring our program back to the prominence and excitement that it previously enjoyed under his leadership.”