Four-of-Six ASU Home Kickoff Times Announced

(courtesy ASU Sports Information)
BOONE, N.C. – With the finalization of the Southern Conference’s 2010 football television schedule, Appalachian State University announced kickoff times for four of its six regular-season home games on Thursday.

Appalachian’s first two home tilts versus Jacksonville (Sept. 11 – Hall of Fame Day) and North Carolina Central (Sept. 18 – Fan Appreciation Day) and its Black Saturday showdown with Furman (Oct. 30) will all start at what has become ASU’s traditional home game time – 3:30 p.m.

Kickoff for the Oct. 9 homecoming contest versus defending SoCon runner-up Elon will be at 3 p.m. to accommodate a live television broadcast on SportSouth.

Kickoff times for games at Kidd Brewer Stadium versus The Citadel (Oct. 16) and Wofford (Nov. 13) remain TBA. ASU athletics is working with University officials to explore the possibility of a non-traditional kickoff time for The Citadel game and the Wofford game is subject to the SoCon’s new flexible late-season TV schedule which allows the conference and SportSouth to choose the most appealing game to broadcast in that week’s SoCon Saturday on SportSouth.

In addition to the possibility of two televised regular-season games at The Rock, Appalachian’s season opener at Chattanooga (Sept. 4) and the Battle for the Old Mountain Jug at archrival Western Carolina (Oct. 23) will also be televised at 3 p.m. on SportSouth. In all, SportsSouth will feature the Mountaineers at least three times with the possibility of a fourth in its SoCon Saturday Game-of-the-Week package.

With two selections, Elon is the only other SoCon team currently scheduled to make more than one appearance on SportSouth, which is available in over nine million homes across six southeastern States. ASU’s road affairs at Samford and Georgia Southern will kick off at 3 p.m. (ET) and 2 p.m., respectively. The regular-season finale at Florida remains TBA.

Scottish Sporting Events Highlight Endurance, Skill, and Strength

Scots have traditionally placed great emphasis on both strength and endurance in athletic events. There are two main classifications that participants compete in; namely, heavy athletic events and light athletic events.

The heavy athletic events are some of the better-known ones and are often the events that come to mind when Highland Games are mentioned. Of these events, caber turning (or tossing) is the one that receives the most recognition and is most readily associated with Scots heritage. Although it is commonly called the “caber toss,” this event has less to do with tossing and much more to do with technique.

In the event, the caber, a tapered log, is placed upright with the heavy end in the air. The athlete must then lift the caber and “turn” it, meaning that the small end must end facing away from the participant. Points are awarded based on the final position of the caber in relation to the athlete. If it is at a 12 o’clock position (lying in a straight line with the athlete), the maximum number of points is awarded. Less points are awarded for other positions.

Also involved in the games are the heavy weight toss, the hammer throw, sheaf tossing, and stone throwing. In both the heavy weight and sheaf toss, the implements must be thrown over a horizontal bar that continues to be raised incrementally as the games proceed. Participants whose throws do not clear the bar are eliminated. The heavy weights are usually 28 pounds and 56 pounds in the men’s competitions, while the sheaf weighs 16 or 20 pounds. The sheaf is tossed using a three-tined pitchfork.

The two throwing events, the hammer throw and stone throw, have similarities to the Olympic events that now exist of the same name. However, the hammer throw has remained much truer to its roots. The implement thrown is basically a sledgehammer with a spherical head instead of a ball attached to a wire. The athlete also must throw from a stand instead of taking three or four turns as is done in the track and field competitions. The hammer can be either 16 or 22 pounds in the men’s competitions, and it cannot exceed 4’6” in length.

The stone throw (also known as stone put or clachneart) is almost identical to the shot put. The athlete must throw the 16-22 pound stone without using overhand, underhand, or two-handed techniques. In this event, the athlete can spin to gain momentum.

Light athletic events include long runs, sprints, and highland dancing.

A number of local athletes have achieved success at the Games. Joe Welliver, formerly of nearby Banner Elk and Avery County High School grad who currently resides in Wilmington, NC, was named Outstanding Amateur "A" Class Scottish Heavy Athlete in 2008 after finishing first in his division in the Sheaf Toss, 28-lb. Hammer Throw for Distance, 22-lb. Hammer Throw for Distance, and 56-lb.Weight Throw for Distance, as well as second place in the Clachneart and fourth in the 56-lb. Weight Throw for Distance.

“Competing and winning the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games was a great experience. I had been to several in my life and used to work on the mountain as well, and being apart of the spectacle was a great feeling,” Welliver said of his involvement in the Games. “The best part is the huge crowds when they are cheering you on. What may be even cooler is when you miss a height and you can hear thousands sigh all at once because they were all watching you. It was also a way for me to get to see some old friends and allow my family to see me compete in Avery County.”

One of the best examples of this type of event in this year’s Highland Games is “The Bear.” This race to the top of Grandfather Mountain is an almost-constant uphill battle for five miles. Only athletes in supreme condition can finish the race running the entire way.

Mary Chesnut Smith, a rising senior at local Avery County High School, has excelled in many of the field events. Smith was named Outstanding Women’s Athlete at the 2009 Games, where she finished in first place in the 880-yard dash and the two-mile run, with third place finishes in the women’s long jump and in the one mile run, the latter an event that fielded both male and female competitors.

Smith regularly competes in The Bear, inspired at a young age by watching her older brother participate in the event. Participation at the Games has been a family affair through the years, as her family has competed in relay races. Mary’s older sister Katherine and older brother Nathaniel have regularly participated in track and field events in previous Games from a young age.

“Winning the female outstanding athlete last year was a surprise,” Smith said. “Competing up at the Games is fun, and it’s not as serious as the regular track meets and competitions in school. The Bear is hard, but I like the challenge of running it.”

The only event that may be as grueling as “The Bear” in the Grandfather Mountain games is the 26.2 mile marathon. It has gained a reputation as America’s toughest marathon. That reputation comes from the all-uphill 13-mile stretch to end the race.

Of course, sprints are open to more discerning athletes that would rather not punish themselves with “The Bear.” Sprints of 100 yards, 220 yards, and 440 yards are offered along with the 880-yard run, one-mile run, and two-mile run.

In addition, there are also jumping events such as the long jump, high jump, triple jump, and pole vault.

For the serious athlete, the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games offers a stern test of body, mind, and will.

Little League District Tournaments Heat Up

Last Saturday was an active day for all four Avery County Little League District 7 Tournament teams.

On a picturesque afternoon to play ball, the Avery 9 and 10 year old teams hosted tournament action in Newland, while the 11 and 12 softball team opened its tournament with a game at Watauga and the 11-12 baseball team traveled to Wilkesboro to open tournament play against Wilkes American.

After defeats in opening round games, the 9 and 10 squads could neither afford a loss. Unfortunately for both teams, however, they met traditionally powerful district teams. In 9-10 softball Avery took on Wilkes American and despite a worthy effort, was eliminated by a final score of 23-2.

The 9 and 10 boys baseball team looked to rebound after its opening round defeat to Wilkes National, but ran into a buzz saw in the squad from Lenoir National. Avery played hard through the final out, but Lenoir simply had too much offensive firepower in a 12-2 victory.

In the 11 and 12 year old divisions, both Avery teams got their first taste of District tournament action. Avery’s softball team picked up a three-run, first inning inside-the-park home run from Jerrica Reiger, while the pitching of starter Emily Brown and a brilliant Avery defensive display made the lead stand up in a 3-1 Avery win.

Avery held Watauga scoreless in the top of the first and did all its offensive damage in the bottom of the opening inning. Kesha Garland drew a walk to lead off the frame. Kaitlyn Arbogast reached base on a hit to left field to set the table for Reiger, who blasted the first pitch she saw all the way to the left field fence. Both base runners scored while Reiger raced around the diamond before the Watauga defense could relay the ball back to the infield.

The damage in the first inning could have been significantly greater, but Avery stranded two runners in scoring position after the home run to prevent Avery from holding more than a three-run lead.

Watauga scored its lone run in the top of the second inning. The ladies from Pioneer land put two runners on after a base hit and an error. Avery traded a run for an out, however, when Watauga second baseman Athena Millsaps rolled an RBI groundout to Avery third baseman Charity Ollis. Starting pitcher Emily Brown worked out of the jam for the Avery squad to prevent any further runs from plating.

Avery left a total of five runners on base in the innings 3-5 but could not manufacture any insurance runs to earn extra breathing room on defense. In each of the final two innings Watauga threatened to score, but sterling defense was turned in by Avery. A 4-3 double-play ended the fifth inning, while a catch from shortstop Garland and flip to third baseman Charity Ollis turned the second double play in as many innings to seal the victory. Avery survives and advance to play this Thursday evening at 6 p.m.

“The girls played well. We had a couple of girls out on vacation last week and they came back and played great today. This is really exciting. We felt we could be competitive and thought this was a game we should win and we did,” Avery head coach Craig Reiger said following Saturday’s triumph.

Avery starter Emily Brown picked up the complete-game victory inside the circle surrendering only one run over six innings, while Jerrica Reiger’s three RBI proved more than enough offense to win the day.

“Jerrica’s hit was a big boost for us, and we were able to put runners on base in every inning, which is a great sign,” Coach Reiger said. “Emily did a great job hitting her spots and didn’t give up many walks, Pitching is such a key in Little League tournaments, and Emily pitched great today.”

Later Saturday afternoon, the Avery 11 and 12 year old baseball team traveled to sizzling Westwood Park in Wilkesboro to take on a tough Wilkes (American) All-Star squad. Avery scored early to grab a lead, but the Wilkes bats woke up with a 10-run third inning en route to earning a 16-2 win in five innings.

Wilkes drew first blood in the top of the first inning of play with a double and a base hit off Avery southpaw Stanley, who got the ball to start on the mound. Stanley did a good job of keeping the Wilkes hitters off balance for the majority of the first two innings, as he and the Avery defense held Wilkes to the lone run scored.

In the bottom of the first, Avery shortstop Brett Smith reached base on a one-out walk, and Stanley helped his own cause with a base hit. Both runners came around to score to put Avery out in front by a 2-1 score.

Neither team could crack the scoreboard in the second inning. In the top of the third inning, however, Wilkes seized momentum and turned a close contest into a rout. A total of 13 batters came to the plate in the inning as the Wilkes hitters were able to time the Avery lefty and hit a number of good pitches between fielders in both the infield and outfield. Luke Crowe came on in relief for Avery and surrendered a couple of hits before retiring the Wilkes side, but not before Wilkes built an 11-2 lead.

Avery managed only one hit over the final three innings off the Wilkes pitching staff who appeared to only strengthen as the game lengthened. The Wilkes offense scored five runs in the top of the fifth inning as both Crowe and Lucas Powell pitched in the final frame. Avery was retired in the bottom of the fifth inning to end the game due to the ten-run mercy rule.

“Wilkes did a good job of hitting the ball in the hole in that third inning, and we made a few mistakes in the field to help them out some,” Avery 11 and 12 year olds head coach Sherrill Rominger said following the contest. “Gabe pitched probably the best game he’s thrown this year, but they just had some good hitting and pitching. We kind of ran out of pitchers today with a couple of pitchers hurting. We also definitely will need to work on our hitting, but we have a good bunch of boys and they gave a great effort.”

Avery’s next game in the 11 and 12 year old baseball district tournament will take place this Saturday.

Musings and Ramblings: Mixed Martial Arts Popular on National and Local Scale

For the past four years, I have developed a deep appreciation and respect for a sport that, as recently as ten years ago, was a pariah in most of the United States and was struggling to earn legitimacy in mainstream sports.

The sport of mixed martial arts, or MMA for short, has come a long way in the past couple of decades since jiu jitsu ace Royce Gracie first made a name for himself at the inaugural Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship, known to most simply as UFC with its world-renowned Octagon, began as a tournament-style format, without weight classes or time limits. MMA, then known as ‘NHB’ or ‘no holds barred’ quickly became popular.

Because of the sport’s brutality in the early years, it gained the attention of several politicians who passed legislation to ban the sport in most American states. Arizona Senator John McCain famously referred to the sport as “human cockfighting”, and even today six states, most notably New York and Michigan, continue to maintain its ban of mixed martial arts. McCain has since altered his stance in recent years following regulation of the sport, even stating in 2008 that “the sport has grown up. The rules have been adopted to give its athletes better protections and to ensure fairer competition.”

Today the UFC is the most popular and profitable of the large-scale MMA promotions. The company struggled for viability and fiscal survival until the company was purchased by casino owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, who along with former personal trainer and current UFC President Dana White, realized the significance of working alongside state athletic commissions and sought to clean up the barbaric image and rules of the sport.

Today’s MMA is regulated in a similar fashion to professional boxing and kickboxing organizations. There are rules of combat in place which are strictly enforced and weight classes, and with the legalization of MMA, many state athletic commissions have opened the door for smaller scale local and regional fighting promotions and training schools to flourish.

North Carolina passed legislation governing Mixed Martial Arts in 2007. The rise in fighter safety along with state rules and legislation has helped to fuel a major interest in the sport and helped the UFC and other major fighting promotions to become bigger than ever and a billion-plus dollar a year business.

Mixed martial arts have become an interest as a profession to some local residents. One such individual is my friend Luke Moody who resides in Crossnore. Luke has been participating in MMA sanctioned events in multiple states, and has a passion for the sport that I have seen in few folks.

“I personally became interested in the sport back in the late 1990’s but only as a fan. It was not until June 6, 2003 that I saw UFC 43 when Randy Couture defeated Chuck Liddell to win the UFC Light-Heavyweight Championship and become the first man to ever hold a title in two divisions that I became interested in fighting,” Moody shared with me recently. “The drama around the Couture/Liddell fight was huge. The fight was so exciting and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I had done some wrestling but that fight and the allure of what it would be to have the opportunity to get into the cage with another fighter and prove that I belonged to be there, that is what made me want to compete in a big show and take part in mixed martial arts.”

Kris Vance, an Avery County native who currently plays semi-pro football with the Carolina Golden Knights, also participates in MMA and is training for an upcoming fight in Kentucky. He echoes a similar passion and dedication to the sport.

“The reason I became interested in MMA is because I wanted to try something with a lot of discipline and courage. The first fight I took was in 2006 against a former Kentucky state trooper on short notice who knocked me out in about 45 seconds,” Vance shared regarding his experience in the sport. “After that I told myself I would commit myself to getting better, so I have been learning new moves, working with other fighters, and watching training videos. Being a fighter is a thrill, and when you to go to the arenas kids look at fighters as heroes.”

MMA has skyrocketed in popularity in the past five years, as live events held on a monthly basis routinely sell out large arenas, with hundreds of thousands of fans purchasing events via pay-per-view.

For the past three years, I’ve had the privilege of watching virtually every UFC event with avid MMA follower C.J. Laws and his family at their home in the Heaton community. C.J. has been an MMA follower since its inception in the early 90s. He participated in martial arts at a younger age and was attracted by the various disciplines involved in the sport, telling me that he would have been a fighter had the sport been available at the time.

“Mixed martial arts incorporate all the martial arts and fighting skills,” Laws stated. “You have grappling, karate, kickboxing, wrestling, and punching. Back in the 80s when I was in martial arts, MMA had not been developed. I took part in karate tournaments, but it wasn’t until Royce Gracie came along that mixed martial arts came along and eventually you had the stricter set of rules and multiple fighting styles.”

Mixed martial arts has reached the mainstream in recent months, as ESPN and other networks are covering events and are airing shows dedicated to the sport. Chances are mixed martial arts will be worth checking out if you’re a fan of boxing or wrestling. Like any sport, MMA isn’t for everyone, but as the sport continues to grow one thing is for certain: the Octagon won’t be going away anytime soon.

Summer Football Camps Offer Specialized Training, College Exposure

For many young boys growing up in Western North Carolina, their aspirations include one day possibly growing up to be a football player. For a select few, the talent and abilities mesh with work ethic and other intangibles to produce a player that may reach All-Conference status in football/ In the team dynamic, some student-athletes play well enough to propel their school to capture prep championships at the conference, regional, and sometimes even the state level.

But what about those students who wish to have a legitimate opportunity to play football at the collegiate level? It’s common knowledge that unless a player is a remarkable, one-of-a-kind type of talent, college recruiters and coaches overlook smaller high school talent in favor of players who might have similar talent, but play under a brighter spotlight in a traditional football hotbed, a more urban setting, or a larger football classification.

Fortunately for aspiring college football players in Western North Carolina, a number of collegiate coaches, recruiting coordinators, and visionaries are making a point not to forget those talented kids who could be an asset to a college football program.

Just this summer alone, a number of Avery football players have taken part in collegiate camps. One such camp took place from June 25-27, as Mars Hill College hosted the fifth annual Blue Chip Football Academy. The academy is limited to rising sophomores through rising seniors, and bills itself in its mission as “for the serious high school player who wants to play college football.”

During this particular camp, one of many camps offered throughout the Southeast and nation as a whole, players are coached and evaluated by college coaches, of whom most are major decision makers for their respective schools. Academies like the Blue Chip affords localized student-athletes the opportunity for tremendous exposure to help them fulfill their goal of playing football at the next level. As well, it affords players to learn about weight training, nutrition, injuries, and stresses the importance of academics.

Academy staff for the 2010 event included assistant coaches, head coaches, or recruiting coordinators from 43 separate institutions ranging from prep schools to junior colleges to all divisions of NCAA football. Coaches from as far as California commit to working the camp, as the academy and other various specialized camps are prime settings to find players who fly under the radar but may offer great skills and leadership to a coach’s particular program.

“By far it is the best camp I have witnessed to get players the most exposure in the shortest amount of time,” one parent has testified about the importance of the summer camps. “It was a very competitive camp. The kids learn a lot of fundamentals, but it was a working camp and fundamentals were stressed. I wish I’d known about the camp before.”

Kim Blackburn, whose son Colton was among a number of Avery High football players to attend the Blue Chip camp, came away impressed with the academy and everything it had to offer high school players hoping to play college ball.

“I felt that the Blue Chip Camp was a great experience for any high school player that is looking to play football in college at some level. They were able to meet and have access to 40 coaches from all divisions, as well as be coached by them on seven-on-seven teams. This gave the boys a glimpse into a college coach’s mind as to what they expect of their players, as well as improve on their individual skills,” Blackburn said of the camp. “The most beneficial part of this camp as compared to some other camps is the amount of exposure and contacts that could be made in one location. It was a positive experience for the boys that attended.”

For information on the Blue Chip Football Academy, visit www.bcfa06.com or visit the websites of other respective regional schools who are holding high school camps throughout the summer season.

Musings and Ramblings: A Little Technology Could Go a Long Way

For sports fans worldwide, the FIFA World Cup® has been a three-week-long odyssey as 32 teams have vied for the title of world’s best. With the roar of vuvuzelas providing the soundtrack, the tournament has borne witness to two major storylines.

The first storyline revolves around so many dramatic and athletic plays, as well as scale-tipping moments that have changed the fortune of nations looking to advance out of group play.

United States fans need only recall their team’s final group match with Algeria. With moments slipping away and the Yanks looking all but eliminated from the round of 16, a thrilling extra-minute goal from Landon Donovan snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Unfortunately the second storyline and perhaps more public issue of this year’s Cup tournament has been the spotlight on those who call the matches, the officials. A number of errors in judgment have affected multiple matches.

The United States was subject to a pair of judgment errors in their group matches. In the 20th minute of its match with Algeria a goal was called back when the referee ruled Clint Dempsey was offsides. A flurry of shots by the United States and Herculez Gomez ended up in a point blank finish by Clint Dempsey who truly did not appear to be in an offside position with an Algerian defender looking even.

Just one match earlier, in its encounter with Slovenia, the U.S. erased a 2-0 Slovenian lead to tie the match in the second half. The United States scored what should have been a game-winning goal in the 85th minute. I am still unsure whether offsides was called, or a penalty was called, but Michael Bradley was fouled on the play as a Slovenian player had him in a bear hug. Despite this, the United States scored, but shockingly the goal did not count. The call gave the United States only a single point for the eventual tie instead of the possible three points for a win.

Questionable calls were not limited to just the Stars and Stripes. Just this past Sunday there were two controversial calls in a pair of matches that could have stemmed the tide in both affairs.

In the Germany-England matchup and a 2-1 Germany lead, England’s Frank Lampard fired a shot that slipped by the German goalkeeper and struck the crossbar of the goal. The carom off the crossbar bounced down and made contact with the ground a full two feet over the goal line, which should have counted for a goal. However, both the referee and the assistant referee ruled the shot was not a goal. Instead of England equalizing the match, the score remained 2-1. England manager Fabio Capello admitted after the match that if the goal had counted, strategy for the second half with a knotted score would have differed from the plan with the team trailing.

In a game just hours later between Mexico and Argentina, Argentina was awarded a goal when a ball was scored by Carlos Tevez. Replay after the tally clearly illustrated the Argentinian player was offside and the goal should have been disallowed. Instead the score stood and Argentina went on to win the match.

The numerous controversies have sparked roaring debate over whether FIFA, the international soccer governing body, should change its stance regarding the usage of video and technology in these types of high-profile international matches. FIFA’s attitude is to keep all video and technology out of the game of soccer in order to play the game as they feel it is meant to be played, complete with judgment calls for better or worse.

FIFA has resisted the introduction of such technological aids as goal-line cameras and instant replay, arguing that those devices would rob the sport of its human element and interrupt the game's continuity. And it won't be until the next World Cup, coming up in Brazil in 2014, that five officials will oversee a match rather than the three officials currently in place. In addition, in an attempt to quell any uprisings over bad calls, FIFA has called for all stadiums to stop showing controversial plays on large screens in stadiums during matches for the rest of the World Cup tournament (how’s that for being proactive?).

Now I never profess to be a genius when it comes to “the beautiful game”, but even I can see how asinine it is that a sport has an opportunity to improve the quality and remove a large measure of controversy out of its game, yet choose not to do so.

I disagree with the comment from FIFA’s 74-year-old president Joseph “Sepp” Blatter, who was quoted last April as saying it would "not make sense to stop play every two minutes to review a decision as this would go against the natural dynamism of the game.”

From my assessment of the officiating snafus, simple goal-line technology as used in tennis to rule whether shots are in or out can be adapted to the game of soccer.

Regarding the use of instant replay, multiple options could be reviewed or implemented to ensure a more accurately called match. Replay could be utilized in questionable calls only upon a head coach/manager’s challenge. FIFA could give each coach one challenge to use, and a maximum amount of time (say, 90 seconds) would be allotted for an official to either get help from an official in the press box with a monitor seeing the replay, or watch the replay himself on the field.

Much like the current uses of replay in America’s major sports, scoring plays and only a few other instances (primarily coach challenges in football) are eligible for review. The same should be the case in soccer. I’m not saying FIFA needs to replace referees with robots, but using replay and technology in a limited yet effective measure would surely be lauded by nations around the world, especially those who felt they have been victims of human errors in officiating in this tournament and tournaments past.

With change comes resistance, but it only makes sense for FIFA to relent its stance. Following last weekend’s England/Germany match, robbed English scorer Lampard said "I don't know whether goal-line technology will change things, but technology would have made it 2-all today and given us big belief and confidence that we could beat the Germans." By being willing to show flexibility in this matter, the governing body of soccer could silence detractors and limit the heat the organization receives, in addition to better ensure that undisputed victors would emerge from group and knockout stage play.

Here’s hoping the remainder of this year’s World Cup won’t be tainted by further controversy and that FIFA will straighten up and fly right for the game’s sake.

Golden Knights Stung by Hornets in Semi-Pro Football Action

With the first non-forfeit win in franchise history the previous week against the Burlington Bulldogs, the Carolina Golden Knights looked for two wins in a row against a familiar foe in the Catawba Hornets. The clubs met last season with the Hornets picking up a lopsided victory. This year’s matchup proved to be no different, as the seasoned and experienced Catawba club shut out the Golden Knights 56-0 at Historic Cranberry High School field Saturday night.

Neither team was able to score with their first possession of the contest. A long Hornets punt return set up a short field, which Catawba transformed into its first score when quarterback Lynch found a receiver in the right corner of the end zone for a touchdown. The two-point conversion failed, but Catawba held the 6-0 at the 7:25 mark in the first period.

Carolina’s next possession was disastrous as a fumbled snap was picked up by a Catawba linebacker, who scurried 30 yards for a defensive touchdown. Another two-point try was no good, but the lead was doubled at 12-0 with 6:19 remaining in the opening stanza.

The Hornets defense was strong throughout the contest, as the Knights found little running room and struggled to offset the team speed of Catawba.

Another three-and-out from Carolina resulted in a punt and Hornets drive on the Knights side of the 50-yard line. The Knights defense showed the ability to stop the run on plays inside the tackles, but Catawba quickly utilized its quickness on the edges to get inside the Carolina 10-yard line as the first quarter expired.

Catawba scored on an off-tackle run on the first play of the second period, and converted on a two-point attempt to up its lead to 20-0.

On Carolina’s ensuing possession, the Knights moved the football with its greatest success, marching to near midfield. Former Avery football players Samson Jennings and Chase Arrowood operated out of the backfield for the Knights and saw plenty of action. Carolina’s drive stalled as a snap over quarterback Jennings’ head resulted in a large yardage loss, and Arrowood was stopped on a carry for loss, forcing another Golden Knights punt.

Catawba struck quickly as a halfback run almost resulted in a touchdown, but another former Avery gridder, linebacker Zach Johnson, ran the speedy back down before he could score. The Knights held Catawba on three plays from the ten-yard line to force a fourth and goal at the 11. The Hornets scored on a pass play to the left corner of the end zone with 6:15 left in the first half. Catawba’s conversion attempt was successful to push the Hornets to a commanding 28-0 advantage.

Carolina turned the ball over for a second time on a fumble inside its own 30-yard line to set up Catawba with another scoring opportunity. Two plays later Catawba scored on a 21-yard halfback run. The two-point conversion failed but the Hornets led 34-0, a score which remained unchanged until halftime.

In the second half Carolina’s offense continued to battle hard, but was unable to find an answer to the Catawba defense. Quarterback Jennings gave way to Deke Cooper, who moved from receiver to quarterback. With Jennings at wide receiver, the pair connected on a couple of occasions with wide receiver, once for a first down.

The Knights made one serious attempt to score, moving the football inside the Hornets 30, but the Catawba club was intent to keep the Golden Knights off the scoreboard and turned them away.

Catawba added 22 second-half points to put an exclamation mark on a hard fought contest by both clubs. The teams played through sweltering temperatures in the mid-80s at game time and gathered together at midfield at the game’s conclusion in an admirable display of sportsmanship.

The Golden Knights look to get back on the winning track when it returns to the gridiron next Saturday.

Avery Little League District World Series Teams Open Tournament Play

It was a tough pair of opening games for the 9 and 10 year olds as District 7 Little League Baseball and Softball tournament action got underway.

On a sweltering Saturday in Morganton, the Avery 9-10 softball squad battled both opponent Ashe County and oppressive heat, as temperatures skyrocketed to near the 100 degree mark. Due to the excessive heat, players were given every opportunity during the game to ask for a pause for water to keep hydrated on the hot diamond at Shuey Park.

The heat and a tough Ashe County squad got the best of Avery by game’s end, however, as Avery fell by a final score of 19-5 in four innings.

Ashe County got the offensive flurry going early on against Avery starting pitcher Leah Ricker. Ricker made good pitches, but Ashe found a way to put the aluminum to the ball to score eight runs in the opening frame. Zoe Daniels was called on in relief during the inning and was able to close out the inning.

Avery bounced back in the bottom of the stanza to cut the lead as Ricker drew a walk and scored one batter later when Zoe Daniels ripped an inside-the-park home run to the outfield fence in left field. By inning’s end Avery drew to within 8-2.

Daniels held Ashe scoreless in the top of the second, and in the bottom half Avery took advantage with another pair of runs. Multiple Avery players drew walks in the inning before Veronica Clark plated runs with a base hit. Avery drew three more walks following the hit to force in a run, but Avery was retired, leaving the bases loaded.

Ashe County extended its lead for good in the top of the third with another eight-run flurry. The Ashe club rapped out four hits in the frame to bring runs home and build a 16-4 lead.

Avery scored a single run in the bottom of the third as Cassie Harris walked and came around to score, but was unable to amass any further offense as Ashe plated three runs in the fourth inning and Avery was held scoreless in the bottom half to end the game due to the ten-run mercy rule.

Avery head coach Robert Garland was pleased with how his team battled both its opponent and the elements on a dangerously hot day for baseball.

“They kept beating us by innings. We played close until the end. These girls weren’t used to the heat and burned up, but they played their best and left everything on the field. The girls played really awesome, especially considering how hot they were,” Coach Garland said following the game. “I really thought that Little League should have done something in the mountains with two mountain teams playing, in my honest opinion.”

Despite the setback, the Avery coach was appreciative of the effort of the team and contends there is much fight left in the team for its next tournament game, a must-win contest held this Saturday.

“Some of them looked about ready to pass out, but these girls have a lot of fight in them and they’ll bounce back,” the coach said. The girls will return to action this Saturday with a game at a location TBD at 1 p.m. Updates on games and location can be found later this week on the Journal-Times Sports Blog at www.ajtsports.blogspot.com.

Meanwhile in 9 and 10 year old Little League Baseball tournament action, the Avery boys team squared off with a talented Wilkes County (National League) team on Monday evening at Sherrill Rominger Field inside the Hodge Turbyfill Baseball Complex in Newland. The Wilkes batters had on their hitting shoes from the first inning as the squad took an early lead and did not relinquish its strangle hold as Avery came up short in a 14-1 defeat in four innings.

Avery, the visiting team in the game, looked poised to draw first blood when leadoff hitter Jordan Lecka reached base and advanced to third base, but Wilkes pitcher Ethan Adams recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.

In the bottom of the frame Wilkes struck for four runs. A number of fielding errors hurt Avery as Wilkes picked up its runs off only one hit.

Avery again looked as if it was going to plate a couple of runs in the second inning when Josh Cook reached on a fielder’s choice and Lane Johnson drew a walk. Again, the Wilkes pitcher rose to the occasion as Adams recorded another strikeout to end the inning.

Batting through each player in the lineup for the second time in as many innings, the Wilkes lineup appeared to get the timing down of Avery starting pitcher Jordan Lecka. Wilkes picked up nine runs in the bottom of the second, forcing Avery to call on Josh McClellan in relief before inning’s conclusion. Wilkes had five base hits in the frame and was assisted with a couple of Avery gaffes which extended the Wilkes advantage to an insurmountable 13-0 lead.

Refusing to quit, Avery fought to prevent the shutout and was successful. McClellan singled in the top of the third inning, advanced to third after a stolen base and passed ball, then scored on a throwing error from the Wilkes catcher.

Unfortunately for the Avery club, it could no more to its run total. Wilkes added a run in the bottom of the third, then struck out the Avery side in order in the fourth inning to close out the win due to the ten-run mercy rule.

Avery’s next 9-10 baseball tournament contest will take place on Saturday afternoon, July 3^rd. Avery’s 11 and 12 year old teams start action this week. The 11-12 softball squad plays in Boone this Saturday at 1 p.m. against Watauga, while the 11-12 year old baseball team takes on Wilkes (American) on the road Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Lady Vikings Well Represented on All-WNC Soccer Team

Despite the season's end several weeks ago, the accolades and awards continue to be passed out to Avery High School's players and coaches following its historic 2010 season.

Head Coach Tom Evaul was selected as the Western North Carolina Coach of the Year, the Asheville Citizen-Times newspaper announced today. Evaul led the Lady Vikings to the 1A state championship game, and his team held opponents scoreless throughout the playoffs until the title contest with SW Onslow. The Lady Vikings finished the season with a 20-2-2 record overall, and Coach Evaul was named NC Soccer Coaches Association State Head Coach of the Year earlier this month.

Also making the All-WNC team was junior Mary Chesnut Smith. Smith was named the Western Highlands Conference Player of the Year after scoring 33 goals and dishing out 28 assists. She also earned spots on the N.C. Soccer Coaches Association's all-region and all-state teams, and plays this weekend in Charlotte, representing the West in the East-West All-Star Game.

Avery players receiving honorable mention to the squad was Kaley Faulkner, Megan Robbins, Katelynn Eudy, Melinda Eggers and Elyse Perry.

Vikings Football Camp Teaches Fundamentals to Area Youths

From June 14-16, the Avery Vikings in conjunction with the Avery Parks and Recreation Department held its annual youth football camp for elementary and middle school students at MacDonald Stadium.

During the three-day event, nearly two dozen campers were put through the paces by the Avery Vikings coaching staff and current players with various drills. Techniques such as blocking, footwork, pass catching, running, and throwing were emphasized as campers learned moves from players who one day they hope to emulate on the gridiron as a high school athlete.

“The biggest thing we try to do is for the kids to have a great time, and to try to give each kid a taste of everything related to the game. By the time a kid gets to high school, he may play a different position than he plays at this point, so we like to try to let the kids go through different stations and experience the game from all angles and positions as best we can,” said Avery High School head football coach Darrell Brewer.

“The camp is one of the most fun activities we get to do in the course of the year. Our main goal in the camp is to teach the students the game of football, but more importantly to develop a love for the game.”

Around a dozen current Viking football players worked during the camp as instructors at various stations on the field. Campers got the opportunity to learn up close a number of drills from Avery players who enjoyed taking time to work with the children who took part. The campers even enjoyed a frozen Popsicle at the end of the camp day.

As players take part in the camp, it is evident that the players who have played football previously through school or community teams bring more refined skills to the camp

“I tell you, this group of upcoming freshmen coming to the high school may be the best group of players coming in since I’ve been the head coach,” Coach Brewer stated. “You are starting to see the benefits of the work the coaches in the county have put into teaching the game.”

As the years go by, the camp has developed players from kids just learning about the game to seasoned veteran players who currently don jerseys on Friday nights.

“We have kids that we’re blessed to have come back each year. Also, many of our current players who are working as instructors stood in those same shoes the campers are in and have been here for several years. It’s a pretty neat deal,” Coach Brewer stated.

The Avery football program feels strongly about the importance of holding an annual football camp and about its benefits to area kids.

“If we get 15 to 20 kids coming to the camp and loving football, it’s well worth every minute we spend,” Coach Brewer said. “I’d love to see 50 kids here, and we’re hoping to work on some things next year in hopes of getting more kids involved.”

The Avery football team hopes the campers remember the good time they experienced at this year’s camp, and Coach Brewer hopes they will return to Avery High in the fall to cheer on the Vikings. “We’d love to see those guys wearing those camp t-shirts at ballgames on Friday nights, because they truly are the future of Avery Football.”

Golden Knights Earn Thrilling Semi-Pro Football Win over Burlington

After a rough start to the season two weeks earlier, the Carolina Golden Knights returned to the football field at Historic Cranberry High School and put on a great show. Carolina gave up a pair of scores in the second half, but roared back with a tough defense and efficient offense, as the Golden Knights captured a 14-12 win Saturday night against first-year club Burlington.

Both teams had measures of success moving the football, but each team’s blitzing defense wreaked enough havoc to keep either team from putting any points on the scoreboard. At halftime the game remained scoreless.

Burlington got on the scoreboard first midway through the third quarter on a 35 yard touchdown pass for a 6-0 lead. Burlington added a second touchdown on a ten-yard touchdown run in the waning moments of the third quarter to lead 12-0.

Burlington attempted an onside kick after its second score, but it was recovered by Carolina’s Mike Ward in good field position. The Knights took advantage with its first scoring drive of the game. Using a pounding ground game, the Knights pushed the ball inside the five-yard line. On fourth down, Knights quarterback and former Avery Viking Samson Jennings ran play-action and found former Watauga standout Mitchell Harris in the end zone for a four-yard touchdown pass. The point after try from Danny Ball was successful to shrink the Burlington advantage to 12-7.

Early into Burlington’s next possession, Golden Knights defensive back Mister Cooper leapt in the air to haul in his second interception of the game to give Carolina’s offense the football back. Carolina capitalized quickly as another former Avery Viking, running back Chase Arrowood, took the football to the right, reversed field to his left, and in shades of a memorable prep touchdown he scored his senior season, moved the pile and broke several tackles to race 45 yards to pay dirt.for the go-ahead score. Ball’s PAT was good, giving Carolina a 14-12 lead with around seven minutes left in the game.

It was up to the Golden Knights defense to make the lead stand up. The Knights appeared to hold on fourth down in Burlington’s ensuing possession, but a personal foul penalty kept the Burlington drive alive. Undaunted, the Golden Knights held firm, forcing and recovering a fumble in the final two minutes. Carolina then ran out the remainder of the clock to seal the narrow win.

Carolina Golden Knights head coach Mark Beach was excited about his team’s performance following the win. “The team’s emotions were high. We were excited to be able to score, much less think that we could win, considering how we’ve struggled the past year just to score points in a game. It was just enormous,” Coach Beach said.

The Golden Knights are infused with talent not only from the Asheville area and locations across Western North Carolina, but a majority of players hail locally from High Country, many having played high school football for the Avery Vikings or neighboring schools.

“I hope having the local players will inspire other local players who want to play to come out and see what we’re doing,” Beach added. “I know folks have busy lives with lots of things, but I’d love to see more guys come out to play and just give the game a shot.”

This Saturday the Golden Knights will host the Catawba Hornets, a veteran team that defeated the Knights handily last season. This year Carolina hopes to reverse the result from the 2009 meeting.

“Catawba is a really good team. If we can beat those guys, we’ll be ready to play football in whatever league they’d want to put us in!” Beach stated.

The Golden Knights have received support from a number of local individuals and businesses in order to be able to take the field for their second season of semi-pro football.

“I really want to thank the people who are coming out to watch us and those who have been supporting us, as well as the players. Without the players we wouldn’t have the games,” Beach said. “I appreciate the people who have helped out doing things from concessions to the gate to even officiating. Having local officials come and help us for a cheaper cost helps us put more investment back into the team. Our ultimate goal is to be able to save enough money where we’re able to help some person or some family in this area who is in need. Winning has been a slow process that I thought might take three or four years, but if we’re able to keep infusing young talent on the field to practice and work together we’ll keep improving.”

The Knights will host the Hornets at the Historic Cranberry High School football field this Saturday evening at 7 p.m.

Lady Vikings Basketball Holds Middle School Clinics, Camp Week

The Avery Lady Vikings basketball team continues to work to help themselves as well as area girls who love to play the game.

Each Thursday in the month of June the Lady Vikings held clinics for all middle school-age girls (rising 7^th through 9^th graders) who wanted to improve their game.

“Through the month we’ve had about 32 girls who have attended the clinics,” Avery Lady Vikings head coach Missy Lyons said of the clinics. “We have some really good younger talent, so we’ve been really excited about having them join us and working out with us.”

The middle school clinics differed from the usual youth camp in that they were designed more to emulate what a player might experience during a high school basketball practice. After participating in the weekly clinics, a middle school player should have an idea what is expected from them once they reach the high school level.

“We really work to organize the middle school clinics like a high school practice,” Coach Lyons stated. “For many middle school students it’s their first chance to try out for a middle school team, and for the rising 9^th graders to try out for a high school team. With that in mind we talk about how to improve and about some of those concepts. There’s a higher intensity to the middle school clinics.”

Not only do the weekly middle school clinics offer training for the present, but it also provides a glimpse into the future of the Lady Viking basketball program, as the middle school players get to train and learn from older players who in a couple of years play alongside them as teammates at Avery High.

“We’re really starting to see the fruits of our labor with the clinics. Katelynn Eudy and Mercedes Bentley attended our clinics in 5^th and 6^th grade and were able to play with the older girls. Now they are going to be seniors, and I’ve really seen the benefits of them having played in those earlier years,” Coach Lyons stated. “If they’re doing the stuff with us during the summers, I notice when these girls get to the high school level they really sort of fall right in and allows for a smooth transition.”

Despite a busy summer for many people, a good turnout of between 15 and 20 young ladies attended this year’s Lady Viking Basketball Camp, held from June 14-18 for rising third through sixth grade girls. At camp, players learned valuable skills that they can carry into league play for years to come.

This year’s camp, organized by Coach Lyons and instructed with the help of her varsity and junior varsity team members, featured teaching opportunities, floor fundamentals and drills that were useful to learn for the very first time or served as a refresher for those who have grasped them.

“There weren’t quite as many campers as we’d hoped for, but we had a great group of girls, several of which have been coming for several summers now,” Coach Lyons stated during the camp’s final day last week. “It’s really pleasing for me to see how they’ve progressed, and we’ve had some good younger players. Everybody has had a really great time this week.”

Not only does the camp offer instruction to the campers, but offers useful reinforcement to the Lady Vikings high school players who otherwise might not have the time or feel the desire to hone their fundamental skills during the offseason.

“This camp is terrific for my high school players who are helping with the camp. It’s an unbelievable learning opportunity for them to work with the kids every day, to interact with them, and to watch them all progress from day to day,” Coach Lyons said.

“A lot of the girls will comment that they didn’t realize how hard it was to officiate a game or work with the girls as a coach or work with them on individual skills. Any time you teach someone else it makes you think about it as well, and I’ve seen that with the girls working with the little girls this year.”

During each day at camp, youngsters were taught a different fundamental of the game, used as a building block in addition to skills learned from the previous days of the camp to come together for a well-rounded skill set.

“We’ve focused on something different every day. One day we focused on defense. Another day we focused on shooting form and another was on ball handling,” the coach added. “We’ve had competitions every day like dribbling relays, hot shot, free throw competitions to give the girls prizes. It’s a great chance for both the young girls in the community as well as my girls who play for me to have the opportunity to come out and to help and work with the campers.”

Due to the renovation at Viking Gym at the high school, the camp was moved to Cranberry Middle School, which in some ways both helped and hindered aspects of the camp.

“We’ve been everywhere over the years with this camp, from the high school to the middle school to the rock gym. The facility at Cranberry is a terrific facility to use as the renovation is taking place at our high school gym,” Coach Lyons explained. “It’s a good opportunity to get to another part of the county and we’ve had a few of the local girls join us this year. I think the move has been okay, but it’s a little hard to have had to move everything in and out each evening. Everything about the location and the camp were great.”

Avery Little League Announces World Series Tourney Teams

On Tuesday, June 15th, the Avery County Little League held its annual World Series tournament team selections, complete with inflatable games and a home run derby contest. The 9 and 10 year old baseball tournament team already got its postseason off to a great start this past weekend, participating in the Will Dicus Memorial Baseball Tournament in Boone and coming home with a sterling second place finish.

Avery Little League has been selling tickets through the season for a pair of items which were raffled off as a fund raiser for the league. Winners selected at random for last week's raffle items were Kenny Daniels, who won a $400 gift certificate to Mountain Jewelers in Newland, and Maria Accetturo, who won a $600 certificate to The Personal Touch in Linville.

District tournament brackets have been released for each of the four divisions of play. In the 9 and 10 year old baseball division, Avery plays on Monday evening, June 28^th against the winner of a game being played this Saturday the 26^th between Wilkes (National League team) and East Catawba (Avery game site TBD). In 9 and 10 year old softball action, Avery plays this Saturday, June 26^th at 1 p.m. against Ashe County in Morganton.

For the 11 and 12 year old baseball division, Avery will play on Saturday afternoon, July 3^rd against Wilkes County (American League team). Last, but certainly not least, in the 11 and 12 year old softball division Avery will play at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 3^rd in Boone against Watauga (National League team).

Congratulations to the raffle winners and tournament player selections, and best of luck to all our tournament teams in the upcoming District 7 Little League Baseball and Softball Tournaments!"

FCA Camp Offers Lessons to Avery Vikings in Football and Faith

Throughout the spring and early summer, the Avery Vikings football team has been going through the paces of preparation for the 2010 high school campaign. Last week the team traveled to Boiling Springs for The Fellowship of Christian Athletes Team Camp held June 17-19 on the campus of Gardner-Webb University.

Avery’s skill position players competed in a total of ten 7-on-7 games in sweltering temperatures soaring around 95 degrees. The squad finished with a 7-2-1 record in the games, winning first place overall at the camp. While the skill positions were taking part in the 7 on 7s, the Avery linemen were spending time in drills exclusively designed for offensive and defensive linemen, developing technique, footwork, speed, and conditioning skills.

In the 7 on 7 games, Avery tangled with a number of quality football teams like perennial 3A power Asheville Cougars, in addition to other quality regional schools such as North Henderson, Erwin, Saint Stephen’s, and Brevard.

“We lost our first game to Asheville and won straight through until a tie against Erwin,” Coach Brewer stated during Friday’s camp contests. “Our defense has looked really good. We’ve broken down some coverages, but we haven’t spent a lot of time working on 7-on-7s and coverages. Those things are coaches’ fault and not the kids.”

One particular contest during the camp demonstrated the kind of fortitude and resolve that fans are likely going to see on Friday nights this fall. In a contest with Erwin, the Vikings trailed 16-0 in the unique 40-yard game format where touchdown passes count for six points and interceptions/turnovers count for two points for the defense. Avery rallied from a deficit with 18 unanswered points during the latter portion of the contest to pull out a win.

“Our defense had three picks in that game and we really stood strong when we needed to most,’ Coach Brewer said of the win. “We’ve come from behind to tie a game today as well. The kids really haven’t gotten down about things. They continue to encourage each other on both sides of the ball, which has been really good to see.”

A major aspect of the team camp goes beyond the football field. Camp organizers, coaches, and counselors impart upon the teams the importance of high moral character and living a life for a higher calling. Following every 7-on-7 contest, players were asked to give words of encouragement about their opponent, and vice versa. The counselor shared a few words, often regarding unity and teamwork, then a player would lead the huddled group in prayer. The team has also heard testimony and messages from Tim Lewis, former standout player at Montreat who shared how his life changed for the better after learning from bad decisions and spending time in prison.

“The faith aspect of the camp has been great. I’ve been grateful for the team time that they have built into this year’s camp. It allows us to come together just as our team after the daily devotions and they gave us questions to ask the kids,” Coach Brewer explained. “It has made us take a good look at ourselves individually as well as look at ourselves as a football team.”

There will be a personnel change for the Vikings football team in terms of chaplaincy this season. Pastor Jeff Brewer of Stameytown Baptist Church will be handling chaplain duties during this football season, as Minneapolis Baptist Church Pastor Bryan Griffith, who has served as team chaplain for the past 15 years, will be stepping back in his capacities.

“Pastor Griffith is still going to be the assistant in case anything happens and he might need to fill in, but he told us he felt this was a move he felt the Lord wanted him to make,” Coach Brewer said. “Jeff is a cousin of mine, and it’s funny that I’ve heard Brewers preach all my life, but he’s the only one who was standing behind a pulpit doing it! But seriously, he’s really excited about it and has been doing a really good job so far.”

For Pastor Jeff Brewer, witnessed growth from the Avery team while at the camp with the players, and hopes that he as chaplain can be there as a positive role model to help them when needed.

“As far as coming together and unity, we haven’t seen any trash talk or anything negative between teams. This has been a good time for these players to come together to play football and hear the Word of God,” Pastor Jeff Brewer stated during a break between 7-on-7 games. “I want to be a positive role model for these guys, and show them what it’s like to be an encourager in both the good and bad times. I hope we can be there for these kids on and off the field, no matter the situation, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. I hope that these players will trust me with issues they might have, and that is the kind of responsibility I lay on myself toward this team.”

Avery football wishes to express its appreciation to a number of people who helped make attending this year’s FCA team camp possible.

“I’d like to thank Minneapolis Baptist Church, Crossnore Baptist Church, folks like Dwayne Krege and others from Mount Calvary Baptist Church, as well as the folks at Stameytown Baptist Church for giving us funds toward this camp. Their generosity helped to pay for the kids to attend camp who otherwise could not afford to come, and we were also able to pay for several meals for the kids during camp,” Coach Brewer said as another day of camp wound down. “We have seen such great leadership from these kids. It’s great for us to come here to Gardner Webb just to get away from everything, because here we’re focusing on Christianity and football. It’s just the perfect place to bring the kids.”

Avery’s next scheduled summer football event is a 7-on-7 tournament competition at Cloudland High School in Roan Mountain on Friday, July 16th and 17^th.

Lady Vikings Basketball Stays Sharp with Summer Hoops

Nine members of the Avery Lady Vikings varsity basketball squad spent three days in early June in hot and humid Charleston, South Carolina for a week of top-level camp basketball action.

During the camp the Big Red played a grand total of eight games against competition from both North and South Carolina. By camp’s end the Lady Vikings stood tall with a final record of seven victories and only one loss.

Avery defeated Charleston Math and Science by a final score of 51-12, Brookland Cayce by a 79-19 final score, as well as Mount Holly by a final score of 47-41 and Woodland High School by a 43-35 final score.

The Lady Vikings reeled off two additional victories, a 46-14 drubbing of Goose Creek and a 52-39 win over Wando before suffering its lone loss of the camp, a 36-35 loss to Northwest Guilford on a heartbreaking buzzer-beater shot. Avery bounced back and defeated Goose Creek a second time by a 34-29 final score.

“The girls did a really great job down in Charleston,” Coach Lyons stated last week. “There is nothing like that trip. We played basketball, but were also able to have some fun. We got out and rode bikes early on the beach and we had devotions on the beach. We had a lot of good time to bond together, and on the court we just played fantastic.”

Despite the loss of a number of seniors, including the entire starting backcourt, Coach Lyons was quick to praise the efforts of the group, efforts that exceeded even her own expectations for the week.

“Coming into the camp I was kind of thinking this might be somewhat of a rebuilding time, and in the three times I’ve brought teams to Charleston, this is the best team I’ve ever had down there,” Coach Lyons stated. “I was really happy to see it turn out that way because I knew we’d be losing a lot of talent, but these girls have worked and they just immediately started playing well together. They passed the ball well and bought into the whole team concept. Everything there really went smoothly, and it gives me a good feeling about where we’re at and how we’ll be this season.”

In addition to the success the team had, Avery was able to experience some unique experiences as a group during its trip, one of which occurred as the air conditioning unit in the bus they traveled in stopped working as the team began its return home from camp.

“Looking back on it we’re able to laugh at the air conditioning going out. Coach Young measured the bus temperature as over 100 degrees on the way back home,” Coach Lyons said. “A lot of that became a teaching moment as we talked about shared suffering, and we’re able to look back on it and have fun.”

The Lady Vikings will continue to be busy through the summer as it looks for its third sectional championship in four seasons. The team travels this week for summer league games at Wilkes Central and go to Patton the week of June 28^th for a total of ten games. The competition will be fierce, but Coach Lyons feels the team will be up to the task.

“We’ll be playing some really good team. We’ll see Ashe, Watauga, Hibriten, Davie County, Lexington, Wilkes Central, Patton, Draughn. We’ll be seeing different teams each time we take the floor, and we hope that will be a good second step in helping us to get ready for the fall,” the coach shared. “Because of the work we’re doing now, we will come in ready to start. We have the team dynamic and discipline issues taken care of, and the girls know the expectations. Our preseason is really short, so having the summer camps and the leagues do a lot to help us be ready to go once fall practice starts.”

NCHSAA, Coaches Collaborate on Football Playoffs Pod System, Adjust Regular Season Schedule

The often confusing and at times expensive N.C. High School Athletic Association football playoff system got a little more complex. It was announced on Tuesday, June 8^th that a group of high school football coaches and NCHSAA staff met and have developed a method to implement the 256-team football playoffs using a pod system.

The qualifying teams will be placed in eight brackets, then will be split into East and West regions, and then will be split into West, Midwest, Mideast and East pods.

The change is being made to cut costs. In recent years, some teams at the extreme ends of the state have played each other in the early rounds of the playoffs. The pod system is expected to reduce costs in each bracket.

The seeding process and bracketing has several steps:

* Teams will qualify just as they have in the past.

* The first, second and third finishers in most conferences will advance, along with enough other teams, selected based on overall records, to fill the 64-team bracket in each classification.

* Qualifying teams will be arranged within a class based on enrollment. The 64 qualifying 4-A schools, for example, will be listed by enrollment. The largest 16 qualifying schools will be assigned to the big school, or AA bracket, and the 16 smaller schools will go to the A, or smaller school, bracket. The small process will be done in each classification.

* The 32-teams in the AA playoff classification will be divided into East and West regions based on geography.

* The 16 teams in each region will be seeded according to conference finish (no conference champion can be ranked below a No. 2 finisher) and overall records. An undefeated league champion will be ranked ahead of a league champ with a loss, for example.

* After the teams are seeded by region, they will be placed in one of the four pods based entirely on geography. It is possible that the top three or more seeds from a region could be in the same pod. The No. 4 seed in the East region, for example, could be the No. 1 seed in the Mideast pod.

* Teams will be seeded in their pod, based on their initial seeding in the region. The pod seeding determines the pairings for the first three rounds. Regional finals will be played at the site of highest surviving seed from the regional seeding.

Avery head football coach Darrell Brewer likened the new format to the current format used in the state of Tennessee for their postseason football playoffs.

“I think the new system would cut down a lot on travel. The system is a lot like the Tennessee system, where teams play more regionally in the early rounds,” Coach Brewer said of the new format. “It might mean that more conference teams will be playing each other a second time in the playoffs, but to save money and time on travel those are the teams you should be playing. Either way the East and West will eventually meet.”

Ten head football coaches, representing each classification and region of the state, worked with the NCHSAA staff to develop the procedure.

"We tried to think of all the possibilities," said Que Tucker, the deputy NCHSAA commissioner. "It is an involved process, but you just take it step by step."

The Association met with coaches from across the state this past Tuesday to discuss the proposed pod playoff system. According to Rick Strunk, the associate executive director of the NCHSAA, the coaches are being asked to provide feedback, suggestions and ideas about the proposed system. Those ideas will then be brought to the Board of Directors for consideration.

Also at a NCHSAA meeting last month, the Board of Directors voted to change the length of football regular season from 12 weeks to 11 weeks. The number of playing dates, however, would not be reduced from 11, meaning teams would not get a bye week if they chose to play an endowment game.

“I think not having a bye week will make it a little more difficult because it will mean having to play 11 straight weeks of football,” Coach Brewer commented on the measure. “An open week can be both a good an bad thing. It can help your players heal who might be hurt, but it can also slow momentum if your team is playing well. We still intend to play an Endowment game regardless of the decision.”

The new season schedule is expected to be in place for the 2011 football season.

Viking Gym Floor Receives Repairs and Renovations

The playing surface inside Viking Gymnasium on the campus of Avery High School is undergoing renovation during the summer recess. The playing surface itself is being replaced, along with portions of the sub-flooring that was in disrepair.

“There were a number of dead spots and chipping occurring on the playing surface that necessitated the repairs,” Avery High School Principal Mark Garrett stated in an interview on the renovation site last week. “The seams in areas of the floor system below the playing surface where the sleepers met had some joint damage.”

The project of replacing and renovating the playing surface was a 2-3 year process. Funds allocated for the repairs were approved almost a year ago from county commissioners, according to Principal Garrett, but because a repair last summer would have affected fall sports, the school elected to delay the renovation until this summer, a move which allowed the school to look at several options in flooring renovation and shop the best value for the work.

“There was a good portion of the original flooring that was still intact and in good condition. About two-thirds of the sub-floor toward the concession stand half of the court was replaced due to water damage around 20 years ago. A lot of the original flooring below the surface will still be there as part of the two-ply sub-floor, with the playing surface over it,” Principal Garrett added.

While much of the old wood playing surface was primarily torn out and disposed of in a dumpster above the school, Avery officials elected to cut out into one piece the original center jump circle with the Avery “A”.

“The old “A” cutout will be integrated in the gym in a way I believe people will like,” said Avery Athletic Director Matthew Bentley earlier this week.

Although the playing surface will be repaired and new, officials are hesitant to divulge exactly what will be painted on the new Viking Gym floor. They did state that it would be a mix of familiar and modern.

“Once everything is sanded together we will add the design, with everything hopefully completed by mid-July,” Principal Garrett stated. “We hope that the new design will marry the current building style and other recent renovations on campus with some of the older, traditional designs.”

Because of renovations, several of the summer camps normally reserved for the Avery High School Gym have been relocated. The school blocked off the Cranberry Middle School gymnasium for high school open gym and sports camps usage for the rest of the month of June.