Lady Vikings Volleyball Contained by Cougars; Sweep Mountaineers

The Avery Lady Vikings volleyball teams took on a pair of local conference foes, hosting Mountain Heritage last Tuesday, September 21st, and journeyed last Thursday to Ledger to take on the Mitchell Lady Mountaineers.

In the match last Tuesday in Viking Gym, the junior varsity squad got things off to a great start with a thrilling three-set victory. Avery won the first set 27-25, but dropped the middle set 20-25 to set up the rubber set of the match. In the final contest, Avery was dominating in securing a 25-12 set win and 2-1 match triumph.

In the varsity match, Avery welcomed head coach Kim Hayes back to the bench following the birth of her child. The Lady Cougars were less accommodating however, as they came out strong in winning the first game in the best-of-five match 15-25. The second game was much closer as the team had to play extra points to decide a winner. Avery battled hard but came up just short in a 25-27 defeat.

Avery rallied and refused to surrender to defeat, rebounding to capture the third game by a 25-20 score. The Big Red continued to play defiant volleyball, but Mountain Heritage held on for a 23-25 win and 3-1 match victory.

Megan Tennant recorded 10 kills in the match, with 5 kills and a pair of service aces from Megan Robbins. Melinda Eggers had 13 digs for the Big Red, with 17 assists from Cassie Bumgarner.

Avery’s junior varsity squad played a strong match in defeating Mitchell last Thursday evening. The Lady Vikings won the first set 25-17 and was just as decisive in winning the second and final set by a 25-16 final score.

“The junior varsity team has got a lot of talent this year, and each player has shown improvements since the beginning of the season,” JV head coach Caroline Turner said after the week’s action. “The win over Mountain Heritage Tuesday was due in part to a great setter performance by Megan Dellinger. She’s a great leader on the floor with great hustle and a strong work ethic. We also have very strong and consistent servers on the JV squad which contributed to both wins this week.”

In the varsity contest, the Lady Vikings took care of business early in the first set, winning by a 25-11 score. In set two, Mitchell put up its toughest fight of the evening, but Avery persevered as the Lady Vikings took the 2-0 set lead with a 25-20 win. In the third and eventual final set, Avery’s team game rose to the forefront, upending the Lady Mountaineers 25-17 for a 3-0 match sweep.

“We started off the first game very strong with great serving by Megan Robbins and very good hitting by Savannah Dellinger and Megan Tennant. This varsity team is really good about being able adjust their positions during a match according to their strengths,” Coach Turner said of the varsity win. “Against Mitchell, our offensive efforts were thought out very well and led to the victory. Our setter, Cassie Bumgarner gave our hitters very good sets and that contributed to many kills. Our serving as a team was excellent as well.”

Bumgarner had 17 assists in the win, with 6 digs and 6 kills from teammate Savannah Dellinger. Megan Robbins had 5 service aces and 7 kills, with 8 kills from Megan Tennant.

The Lady Vikings traveled earlier this week to Owen to continue conference play, and the team’s next home match will take place on Monday against Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy.

Men’s Soccer: Squires' late goal propels Bobcats past Barton

WILSON, N.C. --- Lee Squires scored the lone goal of the match to lead the Lees-McRae men's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Barton College in Conference Carolinas play on Saturday night.
Lees-McRae (6-2, 4-0 CC) outshot the Bulldogs (1-7, 1-3 CC) by a 6-1 margin, including a 4-1 advantage in the first half, as the Bobcats were forced to play a man short for nearly 50 minutes due to a red card late in the opening period. Squires tallied his sixth goal and first match-winner of the season, while Jamie Bladen added his third assist of the campaign.

The match remained scoreless until midway through the 70th minute, when Bladen ripped a shot from distance that the keeper deflected back into play, leaving Squires in perfect position to deliver the deciding strike into the side netting to put the Bobcats up 1-0. Lees-McRae would hold on for the victory, staving off several magnificent Barton scoring chances despite playing a man down.

Lees-McRae returns to the pitch on Wednesday when the Bobcats travel to Bristol, Tenn. for a non-conference matchup with King College. The match is slated to kick off at 5 p.m.

Women’s Soccer: Lady Bobcats rally past Barton, 3-1
WILSON, N.C. --- Freshman MaryBeth Sullivan tallied a pair of goals, and Katelyn Custer  notched two assists to lead the Lees-McRae women's soccer team to a 3-1 win over Barton College on Saturday in Conference Carolinas action.

Lees-McRae (6-2, 3-1 CC) edged the Bulldogs (1-6, 1-3 CC) 7-5 in shots, including a 4-2 edge in the second half, as the Lady Bobcats tallied their third straight victory. Sullivan set a new career-high with her first collegiate brace, as Brooke Santerre added her third goal in her last two matches. Custer tallied her first two assists of the season as Santerre added a helper of her own.

Brittany Bobbitt recorded the Bulldogs lone goal of the match as Hilary Peterson notched an assist. Lees-McRae's Brittany Bolton tallied three saves, while Mileika Miki made four stops for Barton.

Bobbitt opened the scoring midway through the 10th minute, delivering the finish after the initial shot from Peterson rung off the bar, giving Barton an early 1-0 lead. Sullivan brought the Lady Bobcats back on terms in the opening seconds of the 38th minute, taking a centering ball from Custer and blasting it into the upper 90 to send the match into the interval level at 1-1.

The match remained even until late in the 61st minute, when Santerre broke the deadlock with a brilliant strike from 35 yards out off a corner kick from Kaitlyn Kerrigan to give LMC a 2-1 lead. Sullivan added a late strike to push the lead to 3-1 off crosses from Custer and Jessica O'Leary, delivering a well-placed shot inside the far post from the right flank for her fourth goal of the season.

Cycling: Warner captures 3k national championship on day one of Track Nationals
INDIANAPOLIS --- Rachel Warner turned in the performance of the day for Lees-McRae College at the 2010 Collegiate Track Nationals, recording the top time in the Women's 3K Pursuit Time Trial to capture her first career national championship.

Warner won the time trial by nearly seven seconds, crossing the finish line with a time of 4:02.852 to beat out Kaitlin Antonneau of Marian University for the Bobcats' first national championship of the season. Hannah Trimble finished 24th in the race with a time of 4:42.114.

Rodrigo Gomez turned in the Bobcats' top performance in the Men's 4K Pursuit Time Trial, finishing 17th with a time of 5:11.645, while Spencer Oswald placed 24th with a time of 5:14.217. Sondre Thorbergsen, Nathan Trimble, Wesley Rhoads, and Sam Massie finished 37th, 40th, 44th, and 45th respectively, with Thomas Goetz placing 50th to round out a solid Bobcat presence among the top 50 riders.

Zac Felpel paced the Bobcats in the Men's 1K Time Trial, finishing 17th with a time of 1:12.055, while Gomez placed 24th with a mark of 1:13.101. Rhoads and Oswald finished in the top 50 for the second consecutive race, placing 35th and 45th, respectively, while Nathan Trimble and Throbergsen finished 56th and 57th. Goetz and Massie placed 59th and 62nd to round out the finishers for LMC.

Adormarie Martinez-Adorno turned in the Bobcats' top performance in the Women's 500m Time Trial, placing 10th with a time of 40.441, while Warner and Hannah Trimble came in 19th and 26th, respectively. Kathryn Smith finished 35th to close out the day for Lees-McRae.

Mitchell Extends Win Streak with Rout of Gryphons

The Mitchell Mountaineers traveled to Rutherford County Friday night and made quick work of the Gryphons from Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy in a 53-15 victory.

Mitchell scored 40 total points through the first two quarters of play to take the game out of the realm of doubt early on. The Mountaineers used a lethal rushing attack to beat the Gryphons into submission, running a total of 49 times for 471 yards.

In the opening stanza, running back Justin Hughes picked up where he left off the previous week when he raced into the end zone from 18 yards out, helping to build a 7-0 Mitchell lead. Hughes accounted for a total of five touchdowns for the Mountaineers in the win.

Michael Styles got into the act with a 24 yard touchdown run on the next Mountaineer possession. After another run from Styles, this time a 21-yard tote, the visitors led TJCA 20-0, a lead that held through the end of the period.

Early in the second quarter Hughes scored on a one-yard run to take a commanding 27-0 edge, then Hughes quelled a TJCA drive with an interception and 65-yard return for a touchdown. Hughes added an 11-yard run for Mitchell’s 40^th point of the half. In the final two minutes Thomas Jefferson finally found the end zone when quarterback Aaron Connor connected with wide receiver Mark Martin, making the score 40-7 at halftime.

With the opening series of the second half, Hughes scored for the fifth and final time when he found pay dirt on a 27-yard touchdown run. Styles returned to the end zone for a third time with 7:18 to play in the third quarter when he scored from three yards out.

Thomas Jefferson closed out the scoring when Connor found Michael Gallette with a five-yard touchdown pass. The successful two-point conversion eventually provided for the final margin of victory.

Hughes ran 15 times for 163 yards and four touchdowns in the victory, while teammate Shawn Jackson had 116 yards on 11 carries.

Mitchell moves to 3-2 on the season, while Thomas Jefferson drops to 0-5 overall. The Mountaineers will host the Owen Warhorses at Memorial Stadium in Ledger Friday night.

Avery High Prep Sports Roundup

JV Football Falls to Owen in Conference Opener

The Avery junior varsity football team fell 42-12 in its Western Highlands Conference opening contest last Thursday night, September 23^rd at MacDonald Stadium.

Fortunes turned poorly for the Big Red from the opening kickoff, as Owen’s Drew Brown received the kick and returned it 90 yards for a Warhorse touchdown, giving the visitors a 7-0 lead just 15 seconds in the game.

Avery was forced to punt on its first two possessions of the contest. Owen on its third possession took advantage of good field position, using just two running plays to find the end zone. Dante Brown scored on a 14-yard gallop to put the Warhorses ahead by a 14-0 margin with 3:12 to play in the opening stanza.

After another Avery three-and-out, the Viking defense forced Owen to punt, but the Warhorse defense kept Avery from advancing the football past midfield. A great punt by Avery’s Bryce Pittman pinned Owen at its own 1-yard line with 3:30 to play in the first half, but Owen running back Bryan Johnson tied a state record when he took a handoff, broke through the Viking defensive line, and raced 99 yards for a touchdown. Avery blocked the extra point, but Owen led 20-0, a score which held up through the remainder of the half.

Entering the second half, the Vikings showed great pride and fortitude in mounting a 13-play, 57-yard drive that elapsed over seven minutes off the third quarter clock. A Stetson Stafford 18-yard quarterback run on third down, as well as a Stafford sneak on fourth down kept the drive alive. Stafford capped the drive with a five-yard touchdown run off the left side of the offensive line to put the Vikings on the scoreboard. The extra point was blocked, but Avery cut its deficit to 20-6 with 2:32 to play in the third period.

Owen answered the Viking score with one of its own. Johnson opened the scoring drive with a 46-yard running play, and ended the drive with a four-yard touchdown run. Johnson ran in a two-point conversion to extend the Warhorse lead to 28-6 at the end of the third period.

Midway through the final stanza Owen added a 24 yard touchdown run by Dante Brown to lead 35-6, and converted an Avery turnover into a four-play drive resulting in another touchdown run, a 28-yarder by Tyler White for a 42-6 Warhorse margin.

In the final two and a half minutes of the contest the Vikings forged ahead for a final scoring drive. Running back Chase Buchanan spearheaded the attempt with four carries for 47 yards, the final of which a 12-yard run on the final play of the game to provide for the final 42-12 score.

The Vikings JV football team is off this week, but returns to action on Thursday, October 7^th when it travels to Hendersonville to take on the Bearcats.

Lady Viking Tennis Continues Regular Season Play
The Avery tennis team has been busy on the hardcourt with Western Highlands Conference matches. The squad lost its top five players to graduation from last year’s club, so the group is building with experience this season and look poised to surprise a number of schools by season’s end and could be an unstoppable force in the conference in 2011.

The team has also been playing without the tutelage of head coach Rhiannon Manis, who recently gave birth to her and husband Bo’s first child. Filling in with coaching duties has been Pat Daniels, who also works as head JV girls basketball coach and assistant coach with the men’s soccer and women’s soccer programs at Avery High.

“We won our last match 5-4 over Thomas Jefferson. The girls have been improving with every match we’ve played,” Coach Daniels said of the team’s progress and performance. “Our first three matches were really tough, as most teams have their high seeds back from last season. Basically we’re rebuilding a bit, but I think we will be a strong team next season. We played in 115-degree temperatures at Boiling Springs when we played Thomas Jefferson, but the girls held up and played really well.”

Haley Shell, the team’s most experienced returning player, is the team’s #1 player this season, but she suffered a tendon injury in her last match. The injury has forced Coach Daniels to rearrange his lineup. Taylor Hobbs has stepped in as the #1, with Chelsea Hoffman, Savannah Perry, Carrie Hamby, Michelle Cuthbertson, and Erica Hughes stepping up to round out the singles players for the Big Red.

Avery tennis hosted Polk this past Tuesday, September 28^th in the team’s first home match of the season, held at Lees-McRae College. The team is also slated to host Owen on Thursday afternoon, September 30^th. Highlights from those matches will be available in next week’s edition.

Viking Cross Country Races at Freedom Invitational

The Avery cross country team was busy last Saturday, September 25^th, running in Morganton at the Freedom Invitational Cross Country Meet.

In the boys competition, Avery runner Justin Gragg led the pace for the Big Red, finishing 23^rd overall with a time of 19 minutes, 9 seconds. Gary McFee ran 38^th overall with a time of 20 minutes and 17 seconds. Dyllon Greene finished 58^th with a time of 22 minutes, 45 seconds. Hunter Guinn came in just behind Greene with a time of 22 minutes, 46 seconds.

In the girls race, Teddi Jablonski paced the Avery contingent, completing the course in 55^th overall with a time of 27 minutes, 46 seconds.

The team next races next Tuesday, October 5^th at the Madison Invitational, the final meet before the upcoming Western Highlands Conference championships.

Vikings Soccer Ties Polk, Pummels Patriots

Last week the Avery soccer team played a pair of Western Highlands Conference matches. On September 20^th, Avery played a talented Polk County Wolverines club to a scoreless tie at MacDonald Stadium, and last Wednesday traveled to Marshall and routed the Patriots by a 6-1 final score.

Monday’s match was a battle of wills between two teams that knew well the opponent’s strengths and tendencies. Avery played a terrific match considering the defeat handed to them by top-ranked Hendersonville on the road in its previous match.

“I expected one of two things from the guys as we prepared for the Polk game: either a defeatist attitude, or a desire to improve and work harder in order to turn things around,” Vikings head soccer coach Tom Evaul said after the match. “The two practices we had after the Hendersonville game went well, with the guys working hard and motivated, so I was optimistic about the remainder of the season.”

Avery weathered a number of offensive storms issued by the Wolverines, as goalkeeper Alex Magner and the Viking defense remained firm and kept Polk off the scoreboard. As well, the Vikings had its own share of chances to draw first blood, but could not tally anything on the Polk visitors.

“Both teams had plenty of opportunities to score with about equal amounts of shots on goal and saves by the two goalies. Toward the end of regulation, Polk had a great moment with several shots on goal inside the six-yard marker, but with a scrappy defense, and a goalie who stayed focused throughout the flurry, we were able to keep the ball out of the back of the net,” Coach Evaul said after the match.

Avery’s best shot at breaking through came near the 78 minute mark, as Daniel Lusk crossed a ball in front of the goal at teammate Jorge Arreola. Arreola’s kick was just a bit too powerful, however, and sailed over the crossbar and kept the match tied, where it would remain through a pair of ten-minute overtime sessions.

“Even though our offense didn’t score, they did play better than they did against Hendersonville, being more patient, passing more and better, and were not intimidated by the Polk attack,” Coach Evaul said. “It was good that the thrashing by Hendersonville did not totally destroy the players’ morale.”

Avery came out on fire in its matchup with the Patriots. The Vikings blasted a pair of shots between the pipes within the first half-dozen minutes of play to take a commanding 2-0 lead. Daniel Lusk scored first off an assist by Jorge Arreola, and then the pair switched roles as Arreola scored off a Lusk assist.

By halftime Avery’s lead had swelled to 6-0, with goals from Heraclio Flores off a Lusk assist, an unassisted goal from Isauro Estrada, another Lusk goal off an Estrada assist, and a goal by Javier Bravo off yet another Lusk assist.

The Vikings faced a number of shots defensively, but more than held its own, turning away shot after shot for the vast majority of the match.

The large halftime margin allowed the Big Red the chance to work on a number of key attacks and strategies in game situations, as well as give valuable minutes to a number of well-deserving reserve players.

“At halftime I told the guys to work for ten minutes not only on their passing game, but their crossing game. I asked for no shots on goal unless the pass came from the corner,” Coach Evaul stated. “At the 10 minute mark, I switched the defense with the offense and let those guys play up for about 10 minutes, then with 20 minutes to go, all the starters were off the field, giving playing time to those who get very little. Obviously we didn’t score in the 2^nd half, but scoring was not our objective unless it came from the sides.”

Madison scored its lone goal with just four minutes left when a foul committed by the second string defense resulted in a penalty kick. The Patriots scored a shot past reserve keeper Heraclio Flores for the squad’s lone tally.

“I was real pleased with the way the guys played. They had fun, yet were intense and working their game,” the coach added. “Everybody got a lot of play time, which is important for those that do not get the opportunity to play a lot. Hopefully this momentum will continue to build as we approach the second half of conference play.”

On this week’s docket, the Vikings soccer team hosted Heritage on Monday, September 27^th, winning a tough contest by a 2-1 final score. Avery travels to take on the Mitchell Mountaineers on Wednesday, September 29^th.

Unbeaten No More: Second Half Owen Rally Deals Vikings First Loss

Avery QB Dustin Childress made his first start for the Big Red Friday night.

For the first half of Friday night’s conference opener in Swannanoa, the Avery Vikings kept the Owen Warhorses guessing and dominated most statistical categories. Unfortunately for the Vikings, there are two halves to a football game.

A combination of key Avery second-half injuries, a resurgent Owen rushing offense and stiff Warhorse defense served to doom the Viking chances of spoiling Owen’s Homecoming as the home team rallied to defeat the Big Red 24-21.

The most intriguing question entering Friday’s matchup surrounded the Avery quarterback position, as Dustin Childress earned his first career varsity start after Vikings starting signal-caller suffered a broken collarbone in Tuesday’s practice.

In their first series, the Vikings displayed an immediate wrinkle: a variation of the Wildcat offense known to the team as “Wild Potter”. Rather than Childress taking snaps from center, direct snaps were made to the backfield to either running back Taylor Potter or running back Colton Blackburn, who would either hand off the football or run the pigskin.

Avery’s offense caused confusion among the Warhorse defenders and opened up holes for the Viking running game. Despite an Owen timeout during the drive, Avery marched upfield with little resistance.

Avery struck first on the scoreboard when the drive concluded with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Childress to fellow senior Andy Gonzalez. The extra point gave Avery a 7-0 lead with 7:24 left in the first period.

Owen was unable to gain back momentum as the Warhorses turned the ball over with a Taylor Potter interception on its first offensive series.

On the first play of the second quarter Potter wrapped up a second Avery scoring drive with a seven yard touchdown run. The extra point from Dustin Clark resulted in a stunned and silent Owen fan section and a 14-0 Avery lead.

After Avery’s defense forced a Warhorse punt, the Vikings appeared poised to make the game a rout. The Vikings marched the football from the Avery 47-yard line to the Owen 16-yard line over the course of over six minutes of clock time. However, the drive stalled when a Childress pass on third and goal was intercepted in the end zone by Owen’s Cory Watkins.

The turnover seemed to energize the downtrodden Warhorses, as Owen marched 82 yards over nine plays and scored its lone touchdown of the half on a 30-yard touchdown run by quarterback Kaleb Fowler. The Gerald Cruz PAT cut the Avery lead in half at 14-7, which remained unchanged through the remainder of the half.

With the first possession of the second half, Owen made it count, moving 57 yards over 11 plays. An Austin Davis four-yard touchdown run capped the series and tied the game at 14-14.

In desperate need of momentum, Avery regrouped and organized its strongest drive of the second half, a 7-play, 55-yard scoring march culminating in a 10-yard reception by Andy Gonzalez for his second score of the night. The touchdown put the Vikings back on top at 21-14 with 4:29 left in the third period.

On its ensuing series, the Warhorses showed their mettle by driving offensively on an Avery defense that was less than 100 percent. Owen converted on three key pass plays, and used its rushing attack to cover the remaining ground. Fowler dashed into the end zone from two yards out, and the extra point tied the game at 21 entering the fourth quarter.

Without a healthy Colton Blackburn and with a banged-up offense, Avery was held to three-and-out on its ensuing possession and punted the football to Owen.

The Warhorses continued riding its momentum on its ensuing offensive series until the Viking defense stonewalled the Owen drive at the Avery 6-yard line. Faced with a choice, Owen head coach Kenny Ford chose to kick a field goal, which proved wise as the Gerald Cruz 23-yard field goal gave the Warhorses back the lead by a slim 24-21 margin.

With under six minutes to play, Avery had one final drive to tie or win the game. Starting from its own 24, the Vikings picked up yardage quickly with a pair of Taylor Potter carries which netted a total of 37 yards and put the Vikings in Warhorse territory. Avery ran the ball on every play of the drive and was forced into a 4^th and 2 decision at the Owen 31. Head coach Darrell Brewer decided to go for the first down, but try to draw the Warhorses offside with a hard snap count. The plan appeared to work, but the officials did not blow a whistle or throw a penalty flag. Owen forced an Avery fumble and recovered the football.

The Warhorses held possession of the football with an 8-play drive that forced Avery to use all its remaining time outs and served to run out the remaining time to preserve the 3-point win.

“It was one of those games where you hated for either team to lose. I really felt like the kids left it all out there on the field. As a coach, this has probably been the easiest loss I’ve had to swallow because the kids absolutely played their hearts out,” Vikings head football coach Darrell Brewer said after the game.

Colton Blackburn led the Avery rushing attack with 108 yards on 13 carries, while Taylor Potter had a superb game with 15 rushes for 71 yards and a touchdown, to go with an interception on defense and numerous tackles.

In his first start, Dustin Childress was an efficient 6 of 8 for 116 yards and threw two touchdowns.

“I told the kids that there are a lot of schools across the state who don’t have a quarterback as good as Dustin. The only drawback against Dustin was time in the backfield taking snaps. For where he came in and stepped up and played, he really impressed all of us,” Coach Brewer said of his senior quarterback’s performance.

The Vikings look to get back on the winning track this Friday night, October 1^st when they host the Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy Gryphons for Homecoming 2010 at MacDonald Stadium in Newland. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.

Viking Football Opens Conference Play Against Improved Warhorses

Editor's note: This week's preview was published prior to the injury suffered by Viking quarterback Alex Villanueva.

After a two-week break in the schedule due to last Friday’s open date, the Avery Vikings (4-0) kicks off Western Highlands Conference gridiron action against an old familiar foe in the Owen Warhorses. The Vikings were impressive in a 43-24 victory on September 10th in the Avery Journal-Times Border Battle Classic, while Owen (2-2) trailed at halftime this past Friday against the Enka Jets before a strong second half propelled the Warhorses to a 49-21 win in Swannanoa.

A season ago, Avery hosted Owen for Homecoming and defeated the Warhorses 14-7 on a rainy, foggy night in Newland.

Scouting the Warhorses:
The Owen Warhorses are led by long-time head coach Kenny Ford and finished with a 4-3 record in conference play a season ago and 6-6 record overall. The record was an improvement from the 2008 campaign where Owen finished with a 4-7 record overall, its worst since the year 2000. Owen returned four starters on defense and three on offense from the 2009 season.

Traditionally, the Warhorses have employed a Pro I formation on offense, but this season the team has also utilized a single back offense as well as a Spread formation to move the football downfield. Owen is adept at using both its running back and fullback as active members in the offense, whether blocking or carrying the football.

Defensively the Warhorses use a 4-4 defense, but will at times line up only three linemen and blitz linebackers or other secondary members to force a bad decision by opponents. As displayed in last week’s win over Enka, Owen can drop as many as eight players into coverage when facing the Spread offense.

The Warhorses are led on the field by their senior quarterback Kaleb Fowler, who passed for 900 yards and rushed for 500 yards in 2009. This season Fowler has picked up where he left off, passing already for 614 yards on 34 of 59 passing with seven touchdown passes. The signal caller has also rushed for 258 yards on 39 carries and three touchdowns through the team’s first four games in 2010.

“Our starting quarterback returns with an experienced backfield due to playing time. We have a group of kids returning that did get a lot of playing time last season at a number of positions on offense and defense,” Coach Ford said prior to the opening of the 2010 season.

Senior running back Austin Davis has been a stalwart in the running game (68 rushes, 374 yards, 7 rushing touchdowns), as well as junior Jordan Littlejohn (24 rushes, 156 yards, 2 rushing touchdowns).

Austin Myers and Matt Marino are among the favorite receiving targets in the Owen passing game.


The Low Down:
This week’s showdown is the most difficult task for the Vikings to face thus far in 2010. Avery must go on the road this week and defeat an improved Owen team to prove to the doubters that this team is a contender and not merely a pretender.

Avery has had two weeks to heal up from any bumps and bruises and prepare for a more diversified Owen team than the Western Highlands Conference has seen in recent years. Although the head coaches share a good friendship, neither Coach Brewer nor Coach Ford would like nothing more than to get the upper hand with a win over the other.

In a loss to Erwin a little over three weeks ago, the Warhorse defense surrendered 379 passing yards to Erwin quarterback Garrett Brown. Aside from the Warriors, the Viking passing game offers comparable diversity and big-play ability. A key to Friday night will be how well the Warhorse secondary can contain the stable of Avery pass catchers and an emerging star in junior quarterback Alex Villanueva.

The Viking defense must also continue its streak of strong play. Against Watauga and Cloudland, Avery’s front seven has been active and limited opponents from gaining large chunks of yardage by ground. Continued consistency in that area will go a long way to helping the Big Red’s shot for victory.

A win this week would give the Vikings an early upper-hand in the Western Highlands Conference title chase, while a loss will not mean the end of the world, but could make the prospects of a conference championship somewhat slim.

By the Numbers:
2 – wins by the Vikings in the previous 10 matchups between Avery and Owen.
7 – margin of victory in points in both Avery’s wins over Owen since the turn of the 21st century.
10 – touchdown passes by Viking quarterback Alex Villanueva through four games in 2010.
39 – rushing attempts by Owen in its win last week over Enka, gaining 337 yards for the game.
100 – yards rushing by Austin Davis on 17 carries in Friday’s 49-21 Warhorse win last week.
245 – receiving yards by Avery receiver Remington Austin this season, including a season-high 108 receiving yards in the 43-24 win over Cloudland September 10th.

Read next week’s print edition of The Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s conference game at Owen, as well as a preview of next week’s Homecoming game against Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy. For more information on Avery sports, log on to The Avery Journal-Times Sports Blog at: www.ajtsports.blogspot.com

Villanueva to Undergo Surgery after Breaking Collarbone at Practice

The prospects of the Avery varsity football team capturing the 2010 Western Highlands Conference championship were dealt a crippling blow Tuesday afternoon when Avery junior quarterback Alex Villanueva was injured during practice, suffering a broken right collarbone.

Villanueva was participating in a 7-on-7 drill when the injury occurred after falling to the turf at MacDonald Stadium midway through practice. According to his family, Villanueva undergoes surgery for the broken bone on Thursday afternoon and is expected to miss a minimum of four weeks of action.

Senior Dustin Childress and sophomore Lane Smith have been taking snaps in practice, with Childress likely to start under center for the Big Red Friday night when the team travels to Swannanoa to open Western Highlands Conference play against the Owen Warhorses.

Through four games this season, Villanueva was 56 of 102 passing for 949 yards with 10 touchdowns and only three interceptions, to go with 143 rushing yards on 27 carries.

Vikings Soccer Triumphs at TJCA, Shut Out at Hendersonville

The Avery soccer team has had a tumultuous pair of weeks on the pitch. After a week that included a win over North Henderson and a conference loss to Owen, the Vikings bounced back early last week with a 3-2 win at Thomas Jefferson Academy.

Last Wednesday Avery met its most talented foe to date, traveling to Dietz Field to play at top-ranked and defending 1A state champion Hendersonville. The Bearcats were as strong as advertised, defeating the Vikings by an 8-0 final score.

Avery appeared to show no lingering effects from the previous week’s home defeat to Owen, as the Vikings netted all three of its goals in the first 40 minutes of play.

The Vikings played the match without the services of leading scorer Daniel Lusk, who was still sporting an injured knee. Due to the loss of firepower, the Vikings adapted its offensive formation, changing to a 4-2 offense rather than the usual 3-3 formation.

Ten minutes into the match, Heraclio Flores scored off an assist by Isauro Estrada. Around 10 minutes later, Estrada got into the scoring spree, netting a goal off an assist from Javier Bravo to give the Big Red a 2-0 advantage.

“Our offense seemed to be clicking, and the defense was holding its own,” Avery head coach Tom Evaul said after the match..

Just three minutes after the second score, Forrest Sickler pealed a shot inside the woodwork, scoring off an Estrada assist to increase the Avery lead to 3-0.

Thomas Jefferson took advantage of some miscommunication and decision-making which set up a direct kick. The Gryphons scored off the kick around the 28-minute mark to cut the Viking lead at halftime to 3-1.

“The team came off the field frustrated that their level of play in the first 20 minutes of play had dropped drastically in the second 20 minutes,” Coach Evaul stated after the match. “The cohesiveness we had at North and lost against Owen was fading away quickly, and the team just didn’t respond to what the coaches were trying to get them to do in the second half. We resorted to a game of “kickie ball”…no passing, no talk, no support. It was just a second half that was atypical of what Avery had been doing earlier in the season.”

Thomas Jefferson managed to score one goal in the second half to cut the Viking lead to 3-2, but Avery regrouped and was able to hold on to secure its seventh win of the season.

Later in the week, the Vikings ventured to Hendersonville for a matchup of top ten state ranked 1A schools. The matchup proved to be a one-sided affair as Avery was again without Daniel Lusk for the contest. The team also played without Jorge Arreola for the first half, and was dealt another blow with an injury to senior defenseman Brock Yackey.

The Vikings surrendered four goals in each half, and was unable to crack the scoreboard offensively. Nevertheless, the Viking head coach was pleased that his team played hard for the entire match against a strong and talented club in Hendersonville.

“I really thought we would give Hendersonville a better game than we did, but it wasn’t to be. They are obviously a much stronger team than they were last year, with more weapons, more speed, more aggression, and are a bigger and confident team compared to last year,” Coach Evaul stated. “The score could have been much worse, as Hendersonville’s coach didn’t take out his starters until the 73rd minute mark. Here lately, their scores have been 10 goals or better against opponents. Despite the barrage and humiliation, the guys played as hard as they could to the bitter end, not giving up nor getting so frustrated that it took their heads out of the game. I was proud of their effort against an excellent Hendersonville team…I’m truly surprised they have even lost a game.”

Coach Evaul was proud of the effort of his freshman goalkeeper Alex Magner, who faced a flurry of Bearcat shots all match long, and continued to fiercely defend between the pipes for the duration of the match.

“Alex stopped over 40 shots on goal, while allowing just the eight by Hendersonville. As a freshman goalie who has only played goalie for three months to take what he had to take at Hendersonville, and still stay focused and intense throughout that game, he made the coaching staff and his teammates admire him all that much more,” Coach Evaul shared.

The Vikings continue to battle in the thick of Western Highlands Conference action this week with a home match against Polk County and a road confrontation with the Madison Patriots mid-week in Marshall.

Mountaineers Roll over Blackhawks for Homecoming

The Mitchell Mountaineers forced four turnovers and rolled up 44 first-half points en route to a 50-23 pasting of the North Buncombe Blackhawks at Memorial Stadium in Ledger last Friday night.

The pageantry of the day-long celebration of Homecoming at Mitchell High culminated in the crowning of Ben Duncan and Ashley Greene as Homecoming King and Queen, respectively. In the meantime, Mitchell’s football team provided the punch to go with the evening pomp.

After a slow start to the first quarter, the purple-and-black clad Mountaineers club opened the scoring when Isaac Edwards booted a 26-yard field goal at the 5:21 mark to give Mitchell the early 3-0 lead.

In the second quarter, everything that could go right did for the Mountaineers. Troy Self scored the first touchdown of the night when he galloped across the goal line from three yards out, with the extra point giving the home team a 10-0 lead.

Following a Blackhawk turnover, Mitchell scored less than a minute later as Justin Hughes hit pay dirt with a one-yard plunge. The PAT put the Mountaineers ahead 17-0.

On the next series, the Blackhawks offense was victimized yet again by the Mitchell defense. After marching inside Mountaineer territory, a pass by North quarterback Christian Jewkes was picked off by Self, who took the interception 55 yards for a touchdown to boost Mitchell’s advantage to 24-0.

Mitchell went on to score 20 additional points in the final eight minutes of the first half. Hughes scored his second touchdown of the half with a five-yard run. Halfback Shawn Jackson got into the act as well when he crossed the goal line on a five-yard run of his own. Finally, Self found the end zone again for a third time when he reached the end zone on a two-yard run with just six seconds left in the first half. North Buncombe scored on an 86-yard touchdown pass at around the two minute mark of the second quarter, but the half was all Mitchell, as the Mountaineers took a 44-6 halftime lead.

Mitchell was never threatened by North in the second half, but the Blackhawks made the final score somewhat more respectable with 17 points over the final two stanzas well after the Mountaineers had begun playing its reserves.

Self ended the game with 197 yards in offense, while Hughes had nine carries for 95 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.

The win improved Mitchell to an even 2-2 on the season as the club opens Western Highlands Conference play next Friday night with a trip to Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy.

Middle School Football Roundup

Wildcats Defeat Harris for Second Conference Win

On Tuesday, September 14^th the Cranberry Wildcats played host to the Harris Blue Devils. The Wildcats ground game punished the Blue Devils defense and controlled the time of possession for a majority of the contest. A pair of Cranberry touchdowns staked the Wildcats to a 12-0 lead, and the team held off a late rally to defeat Harris by a 12-8 final score.

The Wildcats hit pay dirt early in the second period as running back Caleb Stansbury took a pitch play, and after momentarily losing possession of the football, the runner scooped up the pigskin, raced down the left sideline and scurried 70 yards for the first points of the ballgame. The conversion attempt failed, but the Wildcats held a 6-0 lead, a margin they kept until halftime.

Neither team could get past their opponent’s defense in the third quarter. Early in the fourth stanza, CMS added a key insurance touchdown when Canaan Singleton scored on a fullback dive to put CMS ahead by a 12-0 score.

“That was a big touchdown for Canaan. He was really excited about scoring his first touchdown,” Cranberry Middle School head football coach Kent Hayes said after the game.

Despite trailing, the Blue Devils refused to fold. With two minutes left to play, Harris scored its first points of the game and was successful on its two-point conversion to cut the Cranberry lead to 12-8. Harris tried an onside kick to get possession back for its offense, but the Wildcats covered the bouncing football to retain possession, run out the clock, and seal its second Toe River Conference victory this season.

“We had a lead and pushed Harris up and down the field the entire game. We had some trouble sealing the deal, you could say, as we started slowly,” Coach Hayes said after the win. “Our defense played great. It was really our first game where our defense played up to its potential. I’m proud of the kids.”

The Wildcats can finish as high as in second place in the TRC, and the team continues to work toward achieve its goals for the season.
“We’ll have a tougher challenge the next couple of weeks with East Yancey and Avery, but we want to finish strong,” Coach Hayes added. “We’re getting better every week and we’re trying to get lined up for the tournament coming up.”

For Cranberry the victory was a team effort, as the squad continues to grow closer together and has adapted from the loss of its starting quarterback Tyler Pittman, rallying around one another to play hard and play well.

“It’s a great group of kids. They’re a really good team and there are no individual mentalities. I’ve been impressed at practice with how some of our backs will hop back up and run with our linemen and some of our last players to finish when we run sprints or banks,” Coach Hayes stated. “The players are really committed to each other. It’s more than football a lot of times with this group. These guys are going to be fine young men.”

Shane Carpenter has stepped up at the quarterback position for Cranberry and has evolved into a team leader who displays toughness for the Wildcats on the field.

“Shane has done a fantastic job. He’s a tough kid. He took a lot of hits in the Bowman game and had to get stitches on his arm, but he kept playing. He also took some hard shots against Harris,” Coach Hayes said of his signal-caller. “He’s a smart kid who does what we ask to the best of his abilities. It was tough losing Tyler, but it’s been good having Shane step in and do what he’s done.”

Second Half Rally Rolls Rebels Past Panthers

The Avery Middle School football team had a tough task last Tuesday, September 14^th at MacDonald Stadium when it tangled with the Rebels from Cane River Middle School. The game was a close contest through the first half, but the Rebels used a 30-point second half to pull away for a 46-16 win.

Avery scored first in the contest with a three-yard quarterback keeper from Austin Phillips. Phillips also ran in the two-point conversion for an 8-0 Panther lead at the 5:40 mark in the first quarter.

Cane River answered with an eight play, 65-yard drive capped off by a one-yard run from Ben Rice. The two point conversion pass attempt was good, tying the game at 8-8 with 2:37 left in the first period.

AMS was held to three-and-out and punted the ball away. On the first offensive play following the punt, Cane River gave the ball back to its workhorse Rice, who galloped 75 yards for a Rebel touchdown. Another two-point conversion pass play was complete, giving Cane River a 16-8 lead with 22 seconds left in the opening stanza.

On its ensuing offensive series, Avery wasted little time driving downfield. A Phillips scramble netted 15 yards near midfield, and four plays later Pittman found Kobe Pittman on a 38-yard touchdown pass. Phillips ran in the two-point conversion to tie the contest at 16-16 with 6:03 left in the first half.

The Rebels appeared poised to regain the lead, driving inside the Panthers 5-yard line and elapsing over four minutes off the second quarter clock. Avery’s defense rose to the occasion with a goal-line stand, however, leaving the teams knotted at 16 at halftime.

Cane River opened the second half with the first offensive series. Avery held the Rebels to a fourth and short from its own 43-yard line, but a quick pass to Rebels tight end Blake Fox resulted in a 57-yard touchdown play, swinging the momentum of the game in favor of Cane River for good. The two-point conversion failed, but Cane River led 22-16 midway through the third period.

Following an Avery three-and-out, Cane River running back Ben Rice broke out for a 48-yard touchdown run. A penalty called back the score, however. The disappointment did not last long for the Yancey County fans, however, as Rice raced through the Panthers on the next play for a 38-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion pass was complete to give the Rebels a 30-16 edge with 41 seconds to play in the third period.

The Panthers were again denied on its next series by the Rebels defense and turned the football over on downs. Cane River’s offense continued its assault in the final eight minutes of the game, scoring twice more in the period to provide for the final margin in the 46-16 victory.

Cranberry hosted East Yancey this past Tuesday, while Avery hosted Harris. Avery and Cranberry will square off against one another in the 28^th annual Brad King Bowl next Tuesday, September 28^th at 6:30 p.m. at MacDonald Stadium. The game serves as a benefit contest to assist a local resident or family in need. This year’s contest will benefit Carolina Sky Odom, daughter of Anthony and Amanda Odom. Avery Middle School won last season’s game by the final score of 22-6.

Avery High School Prep Roundup

Junior Varsity Football:

Last Thursday evening the Avery Vikings junior varsity football team hosted the Elizabethton Cyclones freshman team in a non-conference matchup. In an exciting game that thrilled to the finish, the Vikings fell behind but mounted a huge fourth quarter comeback. Avery had one final opportunity in the final two minutes to win the game, but the Cyclones defense held stout as the Vikings came up just short in a 19-13 loss.

Elizabethton struck first with its opening possession of the contest, when quarterback Caleb Bailey found fullback Jacob Woodby for a 10-yard touchdown pass play. The extra point by kicker Cody Guess gave the Cyclones a 7-0 lead at the 4:00 mark of the opening stanza.

The Vikings wasted little time answering the Elizabethton score, marching downfield with the running game and behind the arm of quarterback Stetson Stafford. The key play of the Avery scoring drive came on a 18-yard pass completion which moved the Vikings inside the Cyclones 10-yard line.

Stafford completed the drive with a one-yard quarterback sneak. An extra point by Heraclio Flores was good, tying the game at 7-7 with 2:56 remaining in the first period.

As the first half transpired, both teams worked to move the pigskin downfield, but both defenses turned away offensive drives.

In the final minute of the half, Elizabethton used a hook-and-lateral pass play to advance the football to the Avery 3-yard line. On the next play Bailey put the Cyclones ahead with a three-yard run. The extra point kick failed, but Elizabethton held a 13-7 lead over the Vikings at halftime.

During the third quarter Elizabethton used a time-consuming drive after starting a possession deep in its own territory. The possession ended with a three-yard touchdown tote by Cyclones running back Landon Pearson. The two-point conversion pass play failed, but the Cyclones increased its lead to 19-7 with 3:19 left in the period.

Following the touchdown, Avery continued to show flashes of its ability to move the football on the Elizabethton defense. The Vikings advanced one series into Cyclone territory, but turned the football over on downs.

As the fourth quarter clock ticked away, Avery’s defense was faced with the task of needing to stop the Cyclones to get the football back into the hands of the offense. The defense did its job and forced an Elizabethton punt.

Having already hit one big play earlier through the air, the Vikings struck pay dirt in a hurry when Stafford connected with wide receiver Lane Smith on a 70-yard touchdown pass down the Avery sideline. The point after kick was unsuccessful, but Avery drew to within 19-13 with 3:19 to play in the contest.

Needing one final stop, Avery held the Cyclones to a three-and-out on its next series, forcing a punt with under two minutes remaining. Avery marched from its own 38-yard line to the Elizabethton 41, but could get no closer as Jacob Woodby intercepted a pass in the final 30 seconds of play to preserve the Cyclone win.

The Avery junior varsity football team will open Western Highlands Conference action this Thursday evening at MacDonald Stadium when it hosts the Owen Warhorses. Kickoff time is slated for 7 p.m.

Cross Country:

The Avery boys and girls cross country runners ventured to Buncombe County last week to race in the Owen Invitational.

A total of three Viking ladies competed at last week’s race, with Avery senior runner Mary Chesnut Smith setting the pace for the team in the girls event, completing the course in 13^th place overall with a time of 22:00. Catalina Adams (29:32) and Teddi Jablonski (30:56) also represented the Lady Vikings running at the event.

A large number of Vikings ran in the boys race. Some of which, including Justin Gragg (boys soccer), Mark Polsgrove (basketball, baseball) Dustin Clarke (basketball), and Joey Potter (basketball) are running on the boys team and hope to excel as they have in other sports for the Big Red.

Gragg was the first Viking to cross the finish line as all the male runners ran better times than the team’s opening meet, cutting anywhere from a minute to two and a half minutes off their times.

With a strong turnout of runners, head coach Reggie Oakes is excited about the potential for the team, and is also impressed with the effort of the student-athletes.

“The cross country kids have been working really hard in preparing for the season,” Coach Oakes said following last week’s event. “We have some work to do, but the kids are committed to getting better, and I expect to see the runners continue to improve their times as the season goes on.”

Ladies Golf:

The Avery High School girls golf team is just beginning to tee off for the 2010 fall season. The team, in just its second year of existence, opened its season last week in Black Mountain.

This year’s club has a new head coach, as Kaitlyn Mattox takes over the helm from Coach Boe Barinowski, who is still helping to advise the team. The squad lost a number of talented players from last season, but returns a number of returning experienced players in Kelli Burleson, Noelle Henline, Kendra Puckett, and Nikki Wright.

The Lady Vikings will host the team’s first home match on September 27^th at Sugar Mountain Golf Course in Banner Elk. The team will also host a match in Newland at Mountain Glen Golf Club in early October, with the season concluding with the state tournament in early November.