Bobcats Capture 2010 Collegiate Cyclo-cross National Championship

The Lees-McRae College cycling team captured its tenth national title in program history on Sunday, earning the 2010 Collegiate Cyclo-cross National Championship by slipping past defending Champion Fort Lewis to earn the top spot in the team omnium by more than 30 points.

“This is another proud moment for our cycling team, student-athletes, coaches, fans and alumni as we have captured another National Championship,” said Director of Athletics Craig McPhail. “The dedication of these young people to accomplish this great achievement is a testament to Lees-McRae College.”

The national crown marks Lees-McRae’s fourth Division I championship in Cyclo-cross in the last five years, including a stretch of three-straight titles from 2006-2008. It is also the 10th team national championship in program history, and the sixth since the school ascended to the Division I level.

For alumni coaches Luke Winger (LMC class of ’07) and Robert Jameson (class of ’07) the hard work in prepping the riders for the conditions and course paid off as they have added barriers and jumps to our cycling trails.

Pacing the Bobcats to victory were four riders finishing in the top five, with Carla Swart and Erica Zaveta battling to third and fourth place finishes in the Division I women's race, and Bradford Perley and Eric Thompson grabbing top five marks in the Division I men's competition, with third and fifth-place finishes, respectively.

The Bobcats also placed two additional riders in the top 10, as Cinthia Lehner finished 10th in the women’s race, and Brian Sheedy placed eighth in the men’s competition. A total of seven Lees-McRae riders finished among the top 20 in the two races, including a 19th-place showing by Kerry Werner in the men’s competition.

Thompson and Perley also performed well in the U23 competition on Saturday, finishing fourth and eighth, respectively, while Sheedy placed 10th in the 35-39 year-old grouping of the master’s competition.

Bobcat Sports Roundup

Men’s Basketball: Eagles Rally Past Bobcats

John Holleman recorded a double-double with 20 points, and a game-high 10 rebounds to lead the Carson-Newman College (C-N) men's basketball team to a 79-76 come-from-behind victory over Lees-McRae College (LMC) in non-conference action last Saturday, Dec. 10, in Williams Gymnasium.

C-N (3-6) shot 45.6 percent from the floor on the afternoon, including a blistering 57.7 percent clip in the second half, while LMC (3-5) posted a 43.3 percent mark from the field, including an even 50 percent in the final 20 minutes. The Eagles edged the Bobcats on the glass by a 39-36 margin, including a 31-23 advantage on the defensive boards.

Leading the way for the Bobcats was senior Adam McFerran, who poured in a game-high 26 points on 10-of-20 shooting, while nearly missing a double-double with a squad-best nine rebounds. Daniel Sepokas and Tevin Friday joined McFerran in double figures with 15 and 10 points, respectively, as Sepokas chipped in a game-high four steals. Dairl Scott, Jr. added eight points and five rebounds, while Reshon Benjamin also dished out a team-high five assists for the Bobcats.

Holleman paced the Eagles with 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while pulling down 10 boards and converting each of his eight free throw attempts. Antonio Sullivan joined Holleman in double figures with 16 points, while Ishmael Sanders and Collin Crane chipped in 11 and 10 markers, respectively. Sanders also dished out a game-high eight assists, while Kevin Hare posted a contest-best two blocks.

LMC started strong, scoring the game's first 10 points before C-N responded, launching a 10-5 run to cut the lead to 15-10 on a Crane layup with 10:27 to play in the half. The Bobcats answered with a spurt of their own, opening their largest lead of the game at 30-14 with a McFerran triple at the 6:52 mark, on the heels of a 15-4 run. C-N charged back, closing the half with a 17-6 run surge to cut the margin to 36-31 at the intermission.

The Eagles carried the momentum into the second half, slowly chipping away at the lead until they charged forward with a 12-4 spurt midway through the period, taking their first lead of the game at 52-51 on a Sullivan triple with 11:28 to play. After C-N pushed the lead to 56-51 with a pair of quick baskets, the Bobcats answered, launching a 6-0 spurt to reclaim the advantage at 57-56 on McFerran's jumper with 9:21 left on the clock.

C-N answered with a 7-0 spurt of its own, opening its largest lead of the game at 63-57 with 6:57 to play on a Holleman jumper. LMC refused to give in, battling back to take a 66-65 lead on a Scott layup at the 5:09 mark.

The Eagles answered with a 9-2 run to reclaim the advantage and push the lead to 74-68 with less than two minutes to play, capping the spurt with a Holleman layup at the 1:44 mark. LMC exercised exceptional clock management over the next minute and a half, cutting the lead to 77-76 on a clutch three-pointer by Sam Youse with 13 seconds to play.

Sullivan connected on both free throws after the resulting Bobcat foul, pushing the lead to 79-76 and forcing LMC into another three-point situation. After the Eagles forced an ill-timed Bobcat miscue, LMC returned the favor, as Sepokas picked off the inbound attempt at mid-court with three seconds left. C-N held on for the narrow victory, as the Bobcats' tying attempt fell short as time expired.

Justice, Henderson Earn Conference Carolinas Scholar-Athlete Honors

LMC senior middle blocker Whitney Justice has been named the Conference Carolinas Women's Volleyball Scholar Athlete, announced league officials last Wednesday, Dec. 8.

Justice has been an integral part of LMC’s success over the last four seasons, garnering Conference Carolinas Player of the Year honors in each of the last two years and leading the Bobcats to three conference titles in that span. The six-foot middle blocker capped her career with a match-high 12 kills against Wingate University in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional, concluding her tenure at LMC with 1,347 kills.

The 2009 AVCA All-American has led the Bobcats to three conference titles during her four-year career, leading the league in hitting percentage in each of the last two seasons. Justice posted an outstanding season this fall in conference play, recording a blistering .450 hitting percentage against league opponents to lead the Bobcats to a perfect 18-0 mark in Conference Carolinas action, capping the program's 12th league title in the last 13 years.

During her career, Justice garnered all-conference first team honors twice, all-region recognition in back-to-back seasons, conference tournament MVP honors twice, as well as a spot on the 2009 AVCA All-America team.

LMC ended its season with a 25-8 record, including a perfect 18-0 mark in conference play en route to the program's 12th league title in the past 13 years.

LMC senior Hannah Henderson has been named the Conference Carolinas Women's Cross Country Scholar Athlete, announced league officials Wednesday, Dec. 8.

Henderson caps a tremendous career with the Bobcats, a tenure in which the senior posted seven top-10 finishes and garnered all-Conference Carolinas Third Team honors in each of the last two seasons. The Canvas, W. Va. native enjoyed an impressive season with LMC this fall, posting a trio of top-10 finishes and placing 14th at the conference championship meet to earn all-conference third team honors.

The Communication Arts major transferred to LMC from NCAA Division I member Marshall University prior to the 2009 season. As a multi-sport athlete at Marshall in cross country and track and field, Henderson posted 11 top-10 finishes while placing among the top-20 on 17 occasions. Henderson also tallied seven top-five finishes at Marshall, including a pair of victories.

LIVE FROM KIDD BREWER...App State vs. Villanova

10:50: It's a beautiful morning in Boone for today's FCS Quarterfinals between App and Villanova. The top seeded Mountaineers enter today's contest with a 10-2 mark and advanced with a 42-14 victory over Western Illinois in last weekend's snow bowl, while the defending national champion Wildcats enter with an 8-4 record and advanced with a 54-24 victory over Stephen Austin. In the past five years, the teams have combined for four national titles.

Villanova is led senior quarterback Chris Whitney who has thrown for 2,040 yards and 21 touchdowns. Norman White has been Whitney's favorite target as he has 62 receptions and 10 touchdowns.

DeAndre Presley has been the leader for the Mountaineers has the Walter Payton finalist has thrown for 2,270 yards and rushed for 1,017 yards. Presley has combined for 32 touchdowns so far this season. (

While the sun is out today, the snow is still hanging around in the stands and hills surronding Kidd Brewer Stadium to help set the scene for this huge matchups. The matchup can be watched on ESPN at noon. (NCAA Graphics courtesy of http://www.ncaa.org/)

11:38: Both teams are on the field warming up as the clock continues to count down. The sun is peaking out as the weather looks to be pretty but cool. Of course, we would rather have the weather today then the weather forecasted for tomorrow and Monday. It's almost football time in Boone!

12:06: Gametime is finally here. App won the toss and elected to recieve.

Midway 1st: App made quick work of their first drive as they drove down the field in three plays and scored when Travaris Cadet broke free for a 46-yard touchdown. The Wildcats took 12 plays, but responded with a two yard touchdown from Matt Szczur to tie the game at 7 apiece.

End of the first: After the touchdown by Villanova, App moved the ball past midfield, but a fumble turned the ball over. However, the Wildcats were unable to get anything going. App got a 74 yard pass from Presley to Devin Moore but was unable to score and settled for a field goal to take a 10-7 lead. 'Nova got back on the board when Szczur found White for a 54-yard touchdown to take a 14-10 lead into the second period.

Midway 2nd: After App was unable to get their offense moving to start the period, 'Nova responded with a 30 yard touchdown pass from Whitney to Szczur to take a 21-10 lead. With that Szczur has already thrown, caught, and ran for a touchdown in the game. App went for a 4th and 1 on the Wildcat 40, but was stopped and turned the ball over on downs with 8:47 left in the game.

Half: The Mountaineers trail 28-10 at the break as Szczur scored again on a 24 yard run. App was forced to punt, but pinned the Wildcats inside their own 10 with a 63 yard punt. That led to a 3 and out and App took over at midfield. However, App was unable to convert on a 4th and long with a minute left in the half.

Midway 3rd: The second half as saw neither team's offense able to move the ball as the score remains 28-10 with 9:41 remaining in the third quarter.

End of the 3rd: App cut into the Wildcat lead when Presley hit Ben Jorden for a 14 yard touchdown pass with 4:39 left in the third. However, Villanova answered with a drive of their own that sees them inside the App five yard line as time expires in the quarter.

Midway through the 3rd: The Wildcats took advantage as Szuzur dived in from one yard out on a 3rd and one play. The ensuing kickoff went out of bounds setting the Mountaineers up at their 40. App responded when Presley hit Brian Quick for a 38 yard touchdown pass. The ensuing kickoff poised problems again for the Wildcats as a fumble gave the ball back to App at midfield, but App was stopped on 4th and six with 10 minutes left in the game. It only took two plays and 37 seconds for Villanova to take advantage as they scored when Whitney ran into the endzone from five yards out to take a 42-24 lead with 9:51 left in the game.

Final: The Mountaineers will come up short as they will see their season end with a 10-3 mark. The Wildcats will face the winner of Eastern Washington and North Dakota State. We will have more on the game later in the weekend!

Toe River Conference Basketball Tournaments Championships Set for Saturday

The Toe River Conference championship games are set for Saturday afternoon at Avery High School.

In the girls championship game, top-seeded East Yancey will take on #2 seed Harris starting at 1 p.m., with the boys championship game, pitting top-seed Avery against #2 seed Bowman starting at 2:30 p.m.

Admission for the tournament is $3.00 for adults and $1.00 for students and children.

Updated Tournament brackets are listed below. Click on image for larger version.

Avery Tripped by Cloudland, Upends Watauga in Home Opener

Last week started roughly for the Avery High School (AHS) girls varsity basketball team, as the Lady Vikings fell behind early at Cloudland (CHS) and could not muster a rally in a 64-47 loss on Tuesday, Nov. 30.

On Friday, Dec. 3, however, the Big Red earned a measure of revenge over rival Watauga High School (WHS) in Big Red Country, roaring back from a double-figure deficit to defeat the Lady Pioneers 58-49 at The Octagon.

In the matchup with the Lady Landers in Roan Mountain, Avery hung tough with the hot shooting Cloudland squad. A scoring burst by the Lady Landers midway through the period forced an Avery timeout as Cloudland led 19-11. The Landers went on to lead 25-14 after one period.

During the second stanza, the Big Red was as cold shooting from the field that a team could possibly be, as the squad made zero field goals for the entire quarter. A combination of tough CHS defense and offensive rebounding, Lady Viking turnovers and an unkind rim deepened the Viking deficit, as CHS outscored AHS 13-1 in the quarter for a 38-15 halftime lead. A Savannah Dellinger free throw prevented the Big Red from going scoreless for the frame.

Playing its fourth straight game without the services of junior starting center Megan Tennant, AHS opened the third quarter with four straight points to cut the margin under 20 points, but the teams played even for much of the remainder of the period. A Kelsie Clarke field goal as time expired shaved the CHS lead to 47-28 entering the final eight minutes of play.

As the closing period ensued the Vikings showed it had no quit in them. AHS outscored the Landers 10-6 over a span of just over two minutes, as a Mercedes Bentley basket drew the Lady Vikings to within 53-38 and forced a timeout from CHS head coach Matt Birchfield.

AHS continued to stage a rally, as a three-point play by forward Katelynn Eudy and a field goal by Lauren Burleson brought the Big Red to within a dozen at 55-43 with 3:20 to play in the contest. CHS staved off the comeback attempt, however, forcing three Avery turnovers over the next four Viking offensive possessions, and knocked down enough key free throws down the stretch to seal the 17-point win.

Bentley led the Lady Vikings with 12 points, while Eudy added eight points, eight rebounds and three assists. Burleson scored eight points with five rebounds, with five points apiece from Mary Chesnut Smith.

The Lady Vikings opened up its home schedule with a huge win over the Lady Pioneers for its first “W” of 2010-11. 

For a while, it looked like WHS (1-1) was going to pitch a shutout. Avery started off miserably from the field by making just 1-of-11 shots and not scoring until a Lauren Burleson basket went through with 3:07 left in the first quarter.

Though WHS claimed an 18-7 lead at the end of the first quarter, they could not add on to it in the second and took a 33-22 lead into halftime.
“We controlled the game in the first half,” Pioneers head coach Klay Anderson said. “I felt like we did what we needed to do. We threw it inside. We were consistent on offense and we were getting some good shots.”
AHS (1-4) finally pulled even in the third quarter by going on a 11-0 run to tie the game at 37-37. The Vikings went in front for good in the fourth quarter after an old-fashioned three-point play by Tennant, who played in her first game of the season since suffering a leg injury in the preseason, gave them a 44-41 lead.
“There was a time in the first half when the lead hovered about nine points or 11 points or 10 points and we never could push it up,” Anderson said. “We let them hang around with offensive rebounds and in that second quarter is what kept hope alive for them to have a chance in the third quarter.”
WHS did not score in the fourth quarter until a Shipp broke a drought with a basket 3:12 left in the game. The score left the Pioneers behind 46-43 and WHS was never able to make up the difference.
AHS put pressure on WHS's defense with a full-court press that bothered the Pioneers into either turning the ball over, or not getting smoothly into their offense.
“In the second half, I admire (Avery coach Missy) Lyons,” Anderson said. “She could have set back in a zone and we could have kept beating them to death, but she gambled and tried something different and on this night, we couldn't handle it.”
Tennant led all scorers with 18 points, while Bentley added 15. Burleson finished with seven.
The Big Red also held an advantage at the free throw line, converting 22-of-40 from the line, compared to 11-of-25 shooting from WHS. Bentley made 13-of-15, including all three attempts after she was fouled attempting a three-point shot.
WHS’s Brooke Rhodes, who dominated Avery in the first meeting between the schools with a double-double performance, led WHS with 15 points. Hannah Shipp had nine; Alford finished with eight points, all in the first half.

Avery’s non-conference contest scheduled for Monday, Dec. 6, at West Wilkes was postponed by inclement weather. The Lady Vikings will next take the floor on Friday, Dec. 10, with the return contest at home against Cloudland.

Wrestling Opens Season with Ashe Dual Meet, Blackhawk Tournament

The Avery High School (AHS) wrestling squad opened its regular season schedule with a dual meet in Jefferson on Friday, Dec. 3, against Ashe County High School (ACHS). AHS fought hard during the dual, but the Huskies were too strong to defeat on its home mat as the Vikings fell by a 69-6 match score.

In its lone victory of the meet, Viking senior Brock Yackey picked up where he left off a season ago. Moving up to the 145-pound weight class this season, Yackey earned a second-period pinfall victory over ACHS’s Jacob Caffey.

A trio of Vikings battled hard, but fell in matches by decision. At the 119-pound weight class, Harley Rash lost in a narrow 6-4 decision against Jake St. German. At 160 pounds, returning state qualifier C.J. Vance lost a tight 4-0 decision to ACHS’s Dylan Lewis, while at 171 pounds, Luke Price battled but lost an 8-3 decision to Blake Huffman.

On Saturday, Dec. 4, the Vikings traveled to Miller’s Creek for the West Wilkes Invitational Tournament. It was a solid showing for a quartet of AHS wrestlers who each placed in the top four in their respective weight classes during the event.

In the 125-pound weight class, Jacob McKinney brought home a fourth-place finish, as he won matches over North Surry’s Dakota Key by pin and West Davidson’s Sebastian Shanner by a 5-0 decision.

In the 135-pound classification, Devin Buchanan brought home fourth place as well, defeating Surry Central’s Rico Martinez by a narrow 8-7 decision and winning by second period pinfall over West Wilkes wrestler Casey Lewis.

The best finishes of the day for the Big Red were turned in by familiar faces, as seniors Yackey (145 pounds) and Vance (160 pounds) earned runner-up medals for their efforts.

Yackey received a first-round bye, then defeated West Davidson’s Jacob Robertson with a second period pin before falling in the championship final.

Vance won his first two matches of the tournament by pinfall over wrestlers from West Davidson and Surry Central, but lost by forfeit in the championship match.

The Vikings was scheduled to host Watauga and Mountain Heritage in a tri-match Tuesday, Dec. 7, but the match was postponed by inclement weather. The Big Red will travel this Saturday, Dec. 11, to Tuscola High School in Waynesville for the NEO Invitational Tournament.

Junior Varsity Hoops Roundup

It was a tough week for the Avery junior varsity basketball teams as both the girls and boys squads were knocked off in two contests each last week.

Junior Varsity Girls
The Lady Viking junior varsity girls fell in a 58-32 final score to the Cloudland Lady Landers in the opening contest on Tuesday, Nov. 30, at Sonny Smith Gym in Roan Mountain, Tenn.

The Lady Landers forced a number of turnovers in a physical contest, while Avery was unable to heat up offensively during much of the first half, as Cloudland took a 32-15 halftime edge.

“The referees really took us out of the game more than anything else,” Avery head coach Pat Daniels said after the game. “Haley Woody was elbowed in the throat and Taylor Hobbs was smacked in the eye which swelled up, and a foul wasn’t called on either play.”

During the early fourth quarter of the matchup, Avery head coach Pat Daniels received a second technical foul while disputing the physicality of the play on the floor and was ejected from the contest. The statistics bear out the coach’s concerns, as Avery shot only eight free throws in the game while the Lady Landers attempted 35.

“I probably got a little hotter than I should have,” Daniels said. “We played hard, but we really couldn’t get anything going.”

Freshman guard Katie Rigdon led the Lady Vikings with seven points, with six points and six rebounds from sophomore Sela Pittman. Haley Woody added four points and six rebounds, with four points and five rebounds by Shannon Smith. Bre Heaton and Taylor Hobbs also pitched in with four points each.

“We rebounded well in the contest, but what killed us was that we had 17 turnovers in the first half and 25 for the game,” Daniels said.

Haley Johnson led Cloudland with 14 points, with 13 from Courtney Wilson.

On Friday, Dec. 3, the Lady Vikings entered the contest without the services of Daniels, who served the first of a two-game suspension for his ejection from the team’s previous game.

Watauga defeated the Lady Vikings in the teams’ first contest of the season in Boone on Tuesday, Nov. 23, winning by a 33-25 final score. In the rematch last week, Watauga escaped Newland with a win over a scrappy Avery club by a 44-33 final score.

Avery took a 12-9 advantage after one period, but WHS battled back to grab a 20-19 halftime edge.

The turning point of the contest was the third period, where the Lady Vikings could muster only three Pittman points in the frame. The Lady Pioneers roared ahead with 12 in the stanza to lead 32-22 and went on for the win.

Avery took better care of the basketball, committing only 10 turnovers for the contest, but generated only six steals as a team in the game.

Pittman, Rigdon and Hobbs scored seven points each, with six points from Heaton. Kristen Burleson pulled down eight rebounds in the contest to lead the club, with four from Pittman and three from Hobbs.

“Sela and Taylor are doing a good job for us as sophomores, along with MacKenzie Thomas. MacKenzie’s not necessarily a high scorer, but she hustles, she steals the ball, and is a good leader. Our other sophomore Kristen and our whole team has been coming along well,” Daniels said.

Though the team’s start has been slower than desired, the coach sees areas where there is room for improvement and believes in the club.

“Thus far this season we’ve had a lot of shots that just haven’t been falling down. I think we have as many shooters as we’ve had in years past and we’re still getting good shots,” Daniels said of the team’s start. “I think the team is still used to playing together and getting used to the high school game. The schools we’ve played have been tough the past two seasons. I think once we get in conference, we’ll be fine.”

Junior Varsity Boys
Avery’s junior varsity boys team played its first game of the 2010 season on Tuesday, Nov. 30, in Roan Mountain, Tenn. against the Cloudland Highlanders.

The Vikings held a narrow 17-16 lead after one period of play, but a late second quarter scoring flurry from the Landers broke open a close game to give Cloudland a 37-24 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Avery club played hard, but the home-standing Cloudland club had a hot hand shooting the basketball. A number of Viking turnovers contributed to the Lander run, as Cloudland led 59-39 after three periods, and went on to capture the win by a final score of 73-52.

On Friday, Dec. 3, the Vikings returned to floor to take on the Watauga Pioneers at Viking Gym and the famed Octagon. The game was the home opener at Avery, as the school played its first high school games on its newly-refurbished playing floor.

Watauga's boys' JV team built a big halftime lead and went on to defeat the Big Red by a 60-42 final score.

The victorious Pioneers was paced by Ben Howser, who led Watauga in scoring with 14 points. Chris Winkler and Dewayne Mackey each added nine points and Allen Koppenhaver scored eight.
Avery held the Pioneers without a three-point basket for the night, but Watauga converted on 18-of-28 free throws to help widen its margin in the game.

Watauga held a 13-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, but outscored Avery 23-11 in the second period to claim a 36-19 lead. Avery rallied in the third quarter to pull within 14 points at 40-26 in the third quarter, but could get no closer as the Pioneers held off the Viking charge for the win.

Avery got nine points each from Bryce Pittman and Chase Buchanan. Luke Wotell added eight for the Vikings, who did not play Watauga during the first scheduled game because several players were brought up to the varsity to fill in while the football players were in the state 1-AA playoffs.

Chance Watson hit two of the Vikings' three-point baskets for the game.

Avery was scheduled to travel to Miller’s Creek on Monday, Dec. 6, to take on West Wilkes, but inclement weather postponed the contests to Wednesday, Dec. 8. Avery will also take on Cloudland High School in Newland on Friday, Dec. 10, in a rematch of last week’s showdowns.

Panthers Sweep In-County Rematch as Postseason Looms

With the Toe River Conference Tournament beginning later this week, the Avery Middle School Panthers and Cranberry Middle School Wildcats played its final full week of regular season basketball.

On Monday, Nov. 29, the Wildcats traveled to Harris to tangle with the Blue Devils. In the girls contest, the Lady Devils took charge early with an 18-4 scoring run and never looked back in a 43-17 win. Sierra Jones led Cranberry with seven points, with six from Bethany Burleson.

In the second half of the doubleheader, the Wildcat boys team hung tough throughout the contest, but dropped a close 31-27 decision to the Blue Devils.

CMS played tough defense through one quarter and took a 6-3 lead after six minutes. The strong play continued as the Wildcats led 14-8 at intermission.

CMS continued to dominate the action in the third quarter, outscoring the Devils 9-7 to carry a 23-15 lead into the final quarter. Over the last six minutes Harris rallied behind the hot hand of Drey Phillips, who drained a pair of three-pointers to bring the Blue Devils all the way back for the four-point win.

Tyler Pitman paced the Wildcats with 12 points, with six from Cainan Singleton, five from Levi McIntosh, and four from Caleb Stansberry.

On Tuesday, Nov. 30, the AMS squads hosted the Cloudland Highlanders in a pair of exciting games.

In the girls contest the game was knotted at six points each after one period and remained close throughout the game. AMS used an 8-4 scoring edge in the second stanza to lead 14-10 at halftime.

In the third period the Lady Lander defense stepped up, holding AMS to just two points on a Christian Burleson basket while scoring six itself to tie the contest at 16-16 entering the final six minutes of play.

The final quarter was nip-and-tuck throughout, but Cloudland held on for a 22-21 win. Kylie Polsgrove paced AMS with seven points, with five from Burleson and four from Destiny Ollis.

In the night cap it was a matchup of undefeated teams as Avery and Cloudland squared off. The Landers entered the contest with a long winning streak, but the Panthers came up big in earning an impressive 47-39 non-conference win.

Cloudland took a 9-8 lead after one quarter of action with balanced scoring by four separate players. In the second stanza, however, AMS roared back to outscore Cloudland 13-7 and lead 21-16 at halftime, as sixth man Dylan Bauer came up big with seven points in the period.

Coming out of the locker rooms, Cloudland showed its fighting spirit, rallying to trail by just a pair at 29-27 going into the final six minutes of play. Over the final period AMS poured on the offense, scorching the nets for 18 points to pull away for the win.

“Cloudland was a strong ballclub that handled the ball really well. We had to play our very best, and that helps us get better. We were able to hang on for an important win. It wasn’t a conference game, but it will help us become a better club,” AMS boys head coach Gordon Polsgrove said after the win.

Kobe Pittman paced the Panthers with 15 points, with 10 points apiece from Tre Jackson, James Stewart, and Bauer.

On Thursday, Dec. 2, the Wildcats and Panthers tangled in the second of its two regular season matchups. AMS honored its eighth-grade players and cheerleaders between the girls and boys games, recognizing the two years the student-athletes contributed to the school’s athletic programs.

In the girls game, the Lady Panthers and Lady Wildcats played a tight first half as AMS held a narrow 15-11 lead at intermission. The Lady Panthers pulled away in the third quarter with an 8-4 scoring run to lead 23-15 after three stanzas, and scored its highest point total of 14 in the final quarter to pull away for a 37-23 win.

Polsgrove netted 16 points to lead AMS with seven points from Christian Burleson, six from Ollis and five from Anna Gragg.

For the Lady Wildcats, Bethany Burleson led the way with eight points, with five points from Brandy Banner and four points scored by Emma Shell.

“They just outplayed us tonight, pure and simple. We didn’t play well and they played great,” Tilley said following the game. “There really wasn’t much we could do.”

In the final game of the night, the AMS boys were dominant in a 71-31 win over CMS. The Panthers opened the game with a 19-8 scoring run behind seven points in the period from Pittman. CMS looked to stay within striking distance behind eight first-half points from Tyler Pitman, but AMS was determined to keep the Wildcats at bay.

AMS outscored CMS 23-2 in the second quarter to lead 42-10 at intermission and went on to claim the victory in its final regular season home contest of 2010.

Three Panthers reached double-figures as nine players in all registered points on the scoreboard. Pittman paced the Panthers with 16, with 14 from Dalton Tennant and 10 from Stewart. Pitman led the way for Cranberry with 11 points, as teammate Jeremiah Vance chipped in with five and both Chandler Stansberry and Zack Guinn scored four points each.

“Avery is a very good team, the best in the conference,” Tilley said after the game. “I really wasn’t expecting them to defeat us that badly but they did. They shot very well and we shot very poorly. We just couldn’t play with them tonight.”

“We came out and got after them early,” Polsgrove said of his team’s effort against the Wildcats. “We were determined to get out quick after they led us down there in the first game. We had a great balanced scoring effort.”

For Avery, it remained perfect with a 9-0 record in Toe River Conference play and should receive the top seed and a bye in the conference tournament hosted by the Panthers later this week. Although AMS is a prohibitive favorite to capture the tournament title, Polsgrove and his team see each opponent as a challenge.

“Harris plays hard. Cane River plays hard. Bowman is under a new coach and was better the second time against us than the first game. All those teams scare me, but we have to take care of the ball and we have to play our game,” Polsgrove said. “We have to make sure we don’t get outworked, and I have to believe our chances are good. I’m optimistic, but you know what they say about beating a team three times in a season.”

Read next week’s edition of The Avery Journal-Times for a full recap of this week’s Toe River Conference Tournament.

Mitchell Football Championship Dreams Dashed by Bulldogs

All season long the Mitchell Mountaineers (MHS) has overcome tremendous obstacles to achieve great heights.

But the greatest obstacle faced on the field this season, the Albemarle Bulldogs (AHS) and its tougher-than-a-pine-knot defense, proved too great to hurdle last Friday, Dec. 3. The defending state champion Bulldogs will have a chance to defend its championship and win a fifth title in the last 10 seasons after fending off a competitive and capable MHS squad by a 22-7 final score.

AHS scored on the first offensive series of the game. Following a 41-yard kickoff return by Jaquez Wells, teammate Demetrius Hamilton capped a 7-play, 31-yard drive with a 9-yard touchdown run. The point after touchdown (PAT) by kicker Cory Dick gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead with 9:23 to play in the opening quarter.

MHS found the going tough against a strong and deep AHS defensive front. The two Mountaineer offensive possessions in the quarter resulted in punts, as MHS mustered just 16 rushing yards and 34 total yards in the period. The MHS defense came to play despite giving up the early score, forcing AHS to punt on its next two series to close out the quarter with the Bulldogs holding a tenuous 7-0 lead.

Mitchell held possession of the football deep in its own territory as the second stanza began. Looking to get breathing room away from its own end zone, the Mountaineers looked to run the football. Running back Shawn Jackson was stacked up on a left side run play near the line of scrimmage at the MHS 10-yard line. During the tackle, Jackson was stripped of the football by defensive back Jay Dockery, who dashed the 10 yards into the end zone for a defensive score. The PAT by Dick was unsuccessful as AHS held a 13-0 advantage in the opening minute of the second quarter.

The Mountaineers were unable to move the football on its ensuing possession and was forced into a three-and-out. The Bulldogs then drove the pigskin 58 yards over 11 plays on a drive that elapsed more than four minutes off the clock. AHS marched as far as the MHS 7-yard line, but the purple line held and forced the Bulldogs to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Dick to extend the AHS lead to 16-0 with 6:08 left in the first half.

Both teams exchanged punts before the Mountaineers compiled its most successful offensive drive of the entire contest.

With only 2:05 left on the second quarter clock, MHS drove 85 yards over 12 plays. The offense converted a pair of third down plays to keep the drive alive, and benefited from a personal foul late hit out-of-bounds penalty against the Bulldogs on quarterback Justin Hughes. Two plays later Hughes tossed an 11-yard pass into the back corner of the end zone which wide receiver Corey Greene hauled in for a touchdown. The Isaac Edwards PAT cut the Bulldog lead to 16-7 going into the locker room at halftime.

The first half was a defensive struggle with neither team gaining more than 140 yards in total offense.

With the first possession of the third quarter the Mountaineers advanced to midfield, but was stopped and forced to punt the ball away. With its first series of the half, the AHS offense churned out its only productive drive of the half, an 8-play, 63-yard scoring drive keyed by a pair of pass plays from quarterback Nat Dunlap, one covering 11 yards to receiver Desi Dockery and the other a 21-yard completion to Dick. Hefty fullback Larell Jones capped the drive with a two-yard plunge over the goal line. The PAT kick again failed and AHS held a 22-7 margin with 6:26 to play in the third quarter.

Late in the quarter MHS attempted to convert a fourth down near midfield, but Hughes was sacked by defensive lineman Julius Williams to turn over the ball on downs.

As the final period began the MHS defense again showed its pride and grit, holding the Bulldogs at bay and short of a first down when it attempted a fourth down conversion inside the MHS 30-yard line. Any momentum gained by the stop dissipated quickly, as two plays later a Hughes pass attempt was intercepted by AHS defensive back Montego Baldwin.The MHS defense forced the Bulldogs to punt one final time, but the boys from Ledger were unable to complete a pass play on fourth down with less than two minutes left to play, quelling the team’s final comeback attempt and clinching the victory for the home team.

The Mitchell defense surrendered only 252 total yards to one of the state’s most explosive offenses, but the MHS offense was held to just 115 rushing yards on 37 attempts. Hughes carried the football 18 times for 46 yards, with 36 yards on 11 carries by Jackson. Hamilton led AHS with 129 yards on 23 carries.

“We had a great season we will never forget, and I'm so proud of my players and staff,” Mountaineers head coach Russell Barnett said after the game. “We just couldn't move the ball against a great defense. Our defense was on the field the whole game and did a great job, but they were just the better team. We did this with just five seniors and a lot of heart, and our juniors learned some great lessons this season.”

MHS ends its remarkable playoff run with an 8-7 season record and returns a strong nucleus of players for the 2011 season.

Presley, ASU Run Over Western Illinois in Second Round

Behind a career-high 264 yards from quarterback DeAndre Presley, top-seeded Appalachian State University (ASU) rushed for 417 yards and routed No. 21 Western Illinois (WIU) in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Division I Football Championship on Saturday, Dec. 4, at snow-covered Kidd Brewer Stadium.

With several inches of snow on the ground at kickoff and falling with a mixture of sleet at times throughout the game, ASU turned almost exclusively to its running game. The Mountaineers threw only seven passes — the fewest they ever attempted in 38 all-time NCAA playoff games — but ran 59 times for 417 yards, by far its highest totals of the season.

Presley was the catalyst of ASU’s ground attack, collecting the 264 yards—the fourth-highest rushing total in school history—on just 16 carries (16.5 yards per rush). He ran for two touchdowns, including an 89-yarder, which was the longest in ASU postseason history.

In the process, the junior became only the fourth player in NCAA Division I FCS history to throw for 2,000 yards and run 1,000 yards in the same season. He joins David Dinkins (Morehead State—1999), Barrick Nealy (Texas State—2005) and his predecessor as ASU’s signal-caller, Armanti Edwards, who achieved the feat in 2006.

One of Presley’s few undesirable moments came on the Mountaineers’ second possession when he threw an interception that was returned 23 yards by WIU’s Kyle Glazier to the ASU 12-yard line. One play later, Matt Barr connected with Lito Senatus for a 12-yard touchdown pass that gave the Leathernecks an early 7-0 lead.

From there, it was all ASU, as it scored the game’s next 35 points to squash WIU’s hopes for an upset. ASU all but abandoned the pass after the opening minutes of the wintry contest, running the ball on 30-of-31 plays at one point in the first half. The strategy paid off with ASU scoring four rushing touchdowns in the final 20 minutes of the first half to take a commanding 28-7 halftime lead. ASU held a 291-52 edge in total yardage in the opening half, including a 291 to -26 advantage on the ground.

Coming out of the locker room, ASU went back to the air and completed its only two passes of the afternoon on its first drive of the second half. The first completion, a 12-yarder from Presley to CoCo Hillary converted a 3rd-and-9 and, three plays later, Presley found Brian Quick for a 35-yard touchdown that stretched the advantage to 35-7.

Following Quick’s team-leading eighth touchdown catch of the season, ASU kept it on the ground for 20 of its final 21 plays to run out the clock on the 28-point victory.

In all, ASU outgained WIU (8-5) 464-231, which included a 417-133 edge in rushing yards. Even more impressively, 185 of WIU’s season-low 231 yards came after ASU took the 35-7 lead. The 231 total yards were less than half of the Leathernecks’ 476.1-yard average coming into the afternoon, which ranked No. 2 nationally.

Linebacker D.J. Smith led ASU’s dominating defensive effort with 10 tackles, good for his ninth double-digit tackle effort in the last 10 games. Fellow linebacker Justin Wray added seven tackles, including a sack and 2.5 stops for loss, and Jabari Fletcher also notched a sack and 2.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Barr, who along with Presley is one of the top three vote-getters for the 2010 Walter Payton Award, managed just 98 yards on 13-of-35 passing and was intercepted a season-high three times. Glazier led all players with 13 tackles.

With the victory, ASU (10-2) moves on to next week’s national quarterfinals, where it will face the Villanova Wildcats, who defeated Stephen F. Austin. The game will be played this Saturday, Dec. 11, at Kidd Brewer Stadium. (story and photo courtesy ASU Sports Information)

LMC Roundball Roundup

Women’s Basketball: Barton Rallies Past LMC
The Barton College (BC) women's basketball team rallied from an early second half run by Lees-McRae College (LMC) on Saturday, Dec. 4, outscoring the Bobcats by a 19-11 margin over the final 10 minutes en route to a 65-46 win in Conference Carolinas play.

BC (6-1, 3-0 CC) connected on 40 percent of its field goal attempts on the night, while holding LMC (0-7, 0-2 CC) to a 36 percent clip from the floor and out-rebounding LMC by a 45-32 margin. The Bulldogs also forced 24 Bobcat turnovers, converting those miscues into 21 points.

Kesley Sill poured in a game-high 13 points to pace the Bulldogs, and was joined in double figures by Janae Jackson and Jolanda Mitchell, who each posted 10 points. Mitchell also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds, while Shante Neal recorded a contest-best two steals.

Icey Patterson paced LMC with nine points and a game-high five assists, as Chloe Parker and Zukye Smith chipped in eight points each. Sophie Witte posted a game-high eight rebounds, while Janina Thurau recorded seven points.

BC jumped out to an early 10-5 lead in the first half before LMC went on a 4-0 spurt to cut the margin to 10-9 on a Smith jumper with 10:31 left in the period. After the teams traded baskets, BC went on a 9-0 run to push the lead to 21-11 on a Sill jumper at the 6:58 mark. LMC cut the margin to 23-17 with a 6-2 spurt before BC closed out the half with an 8-6 spurt to take a 31-23 lead into the intermission.

LMC battled back in the early moments of the second half, opening the period with a 10-2 run to tie the score at 33-33 on a Parker layup with 16:04 to play. BC answered with a tremendous run of its own, reclaiming the lead with a 13-2 spurt to open a 46-35 margin on a Mitchell layup at the 9:51 mark. The Bulldogs would stretch the lead to as much as 20 points over the final 10 minutes of the game, maintaining a double-digit advantage for last seven minutes of the contest en route to victory.

LMC returns to the court at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 30, when it hosts Livingstone College in Williams Gymnasium.

Men’s Basketball: Bulldogs Outlast Bobcats
Gerald Boston tallied game-highs of 16 points and 12 assists to pace the Barton College (BC) men's basketball team to a 93-76 win over LMC in Conference Carolinas play on Saturday, Dec. 4.

BC (5-3, 2-1 CC) posted a field goal percentage of 50.7 percent on the night, including a 59.4 percent clip in the first half, while converting 25 LMC (3-4, 0-2 CC) turnovers into 30 points. The Bobcats shot 43.1 percent in the game, including a 50-percent clip in the second half.

Boston and L.J. Dunn each posted a game-high 16 points, as Dunn pulled down a contest-best seven rebounds. Jaren Haley, Aaron Coats and R.D. Dowdy joined Boston and Dunn in double figures with 14, 13 and 10 points, respectively, while Boston posted a game-high five steals.

Sam Youse paced LMC with 15 points, knocking down a game-high three shots from beyond the arc. Gerry Hairston chipped in 14 points for the Bobcats, while Daniel Sepokas and Jeremiah Henry each posted 13 points. DeAndre Tillman recorded a game-high two blocks, while Sepokas paced LMC with four assists.

BC opened an early 8-4 lead before pushing the margin to 17-6 on a Boston layup at the 14:52 mark to cap a 9-2 run. LMC cut the advantage to 17-11 with a 5-0 spurt before Barton regained control, pushing the lead to 25-11 with an 8-0 run that was capped by a Coats jumper with 11:11 left in the half.

BC continued to dictate the flow of play, widening the margin to 36-14 with an 11-3 run over the next four minutes. LMC battled back, cutting the advantage to 42-32 with an 18-6 run over the next four minutes, a spurt which was capped by a four-point play by Youse with 3:26 remaining in the half. BC closed out the half with an 8-3 spurt to carry a 50-35 lead into the intermission.

BC carried the momentum into the second half, opening the period with an 18-4 run to take a 68-39 lead on a three-point play by Coats with 15:16 remaining in the game. LMC battled back, trimming the margin to 70-52 with a 13-2 run before cutting the lead to 76-61 on a Sepokas layup at the 9:17 mark. The Bulldogs would push the lead back to 23 points on a trio of occasions down the stretch, before LMC closed out the game with a 7-1 run to equal the final margin of 93-76.

LMC returns to the court this Saturday, Dec. 11, when it hosts Carson-Newman College in a non-conference matchup. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. in Williams Gymnasium.

Avery Cagers Fall in Pair of Rivalry Games

The Avery High School (AHS) boys varsity basketball team dropped a pair of contests as it continues to jell with the addition of a number of varsity football players making the transition from gridiron to hardwood. On Tuesday, Nov. 30, the Vikings fell by a lopsided 92-57 final score to the Cloudland High School (CHS) Highlanders. AHS’s play improved last Friday, Dec. 3, but it was not enough as Watauga High School (WHS) escaped the Viking Octagon with a 100-93 win.

The Vikings got out of the gate quickly, but the sharpshooting CHS squad led 16-10 after one period behind 10 points from guard Matthew Potter. Benji Stewart paced the Big Red with four points in the period.

The Landers built its lead into a double-figure margin with five straight points in the first 37 seconds of the second period, forcing Vikings head coach Bo Manis to take a timeout. AHS used a 10-4 run of its own to cut its deficit to 25-20 midway through the quarter, but CHS responded with a 13-4 spurt to again lead by double digits at 38-24 and led 41-29 at halftime.

Potter was the CHS offense through two quarters with 24 first-half points, while AHS’s leading scorer Dustin Clarke netted only six points for the half.

As in its previous matchup at Watauga, the Vikings was again victim of a huge offensive onslaught by its opponent. CHS tallied seven points in the first 43 seconds of the third quarter to extend its lead to 19 points at 48-29, and outscored AHS 28-5 overall in the first 4:25 of the period to build a commanding 69-34 advantage. CHS made an astounding 7-of-8 shots from three-point range during the run as it put the contest out of reach.

CHS took a 79-44 lead after three quarters and played a number of reserves in the fourth quarter en route to the 35-point victory.

Potter led CHS with a game-high 29 points and 10 rebounds, with 18 points and nine rebounds from Michael Hyden and 11 points from Zac Potter.

For the Big Red, Joey Potter paced AHS with 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor. Clarke added 12 points and 10 rebounds, with eight points from Timmy Stewart.
AHS sought to bounce back from its loss to the Landers as it hosted WHS in a physical and emotional contest between rival schools.

WHS took a big first-half lead and then had to hold off a furious Avery rally to claim victory.

The Pioneers led 47-28 by halftime, but the Vikings rallied to within five points and scored a staggering 65 points in the second half to put the outcome of the game in doubt until the final minute.

WHS used steals from its perimeter defense took advantage of a number of early misses by the Big Red to build its lead of as many as 21 points at 47-26.

AHS, still learning the nuances of playing together as a full unit, committed 19 turnovers for the game, 14 of which came in the opening two quarters to feed the WHS attack.

From the outset, the strategy for the visiting Pioneers was to limit the touches of 2009 Western Highlands Conference Player of the Year Clarke, but the senior showed what made him one of the region’s most dangerous players, lighting up the Pioneers for a game-high 26 points.

AHS stormed back from its 19-point halftime deficit with 30 points in the third stanza and 35 in the fourth. The Vikings closed to within six points in the fourth quarter twice, the final time at 91-85 after Timmy Stewart hit back-to-back 3-point baskets, the second coming with 1:54 left.

The Big Red worked a pair of Pioneers, Will Koppenhaver and Caleb Watson, into foul trouble that weakened the interior defense. However, in the end WHS closed out the game by making 9-of-12 foul shots to seal the victory.

AHS had actually gotten closer in the third quarter. Trailing 55-40, the Vikings went on a 10-0 run capped by a Stewart layup. WHS which turned the ball over three times during that stretch, regrouped and took a 71-58 lead into the fourth quarter.

Indicative of the tough play that characterizes when the two heated rivals meet on the basketball court, WHS was the beneficiary of 33 Viking personal fouls in the contest. Four separate AHS players fouled out of the game and WHS converted 32-of-47 free throws.

Joey Potter, Timmy Stewart and Benji Stewart each pitched in with 12 points apiece. Timmy Stewart scored all of his points on four 3-pointers, giving him half of the Vikings' 8 3-point baskets for the game.

Colton Blackburn, one of four football players who did not play against WHS in the first meeting between the schools, added 11 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.

The non-conference game at West Wilkes scheduled for Monday, Dec. 6, was postponed due to inclement weather. AHS will next take to the court on Friday, Dec. 10, with a rematch against Cloudland inside The Octagon in Newland.

Cloudland Hoops Postponed

The Cloudland/Johnson County basketball game scheduled for Monday night has been postponed. It will be played this Thursday, December 9th.

Vikings/Blackhawks Basketball postponed

The scheduled high school basketball games for Monday evening, Dec. 6 at Miller's Creek between Avery and West Wilkes have been POSTPONED. The games have been rescheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 8th.

Middle School Hoops Roundup

It was a light week of action in county middle school basketball circles as the teams led up to the Thanksgiving holiday break.

On Monday, Nov. 22, Avery Middle School hosted Harris in its lone contest of the week. In an exciting back-and-forth game, the Lady Panthers came up big with a huge 33-31 overtime victory over the Lady Blue Devils.

The Lady Panthers started off very slowly as the Lady Devils took early control of the matchup, outscoring the Avery club 10-2 in the first six-minute period to take a commanding lead.
Avery’s offense clicked in gear in the second stanza as Anna Gragg came alive with five points in the frame. Teammates Destiny Ollis and Jodi Poore added a pair of points each, but Harris continued to score as well, leading 17-11 at halftime.

As the third quarter ensued the Lady Panthers clamped down defensively and continued to chip away at the Harris lead. Avery picked up a pair of baskets from Ollis, with two apiece from Gragg and Raina Wiseman. The Lady Panthers went on a 10-5 scoring run for the period to draw to within a single point of the Lady Blue Devils at 22-21 heading into the final period of regulation.

Over the fourth period, Avery’s defense played strongly, keeping the Harris offense at bay while holding it to only one field goal for the entire quarter. Avery got a boost from inside presence Jodi Poore, who came alive to help the Lady Panthers tie the contest at 30-30 and send the game into overtime.

In the three minutes of overtime, Avery held Harris to only a single point on a free throw and managed only three points itself, but the defensive intensity was the difference as the Lady Panthers held on for the two-point decision.

Two Avery players reached double-figures, paced by 11 points from Poore and 10 from Gragg. Ollis chipped in with six points, with three from Christian Burleson.

In the night cap, the Avery boys team dealt with the Harris boys ballclub. The Panthers took a stranglehold on the momentum of the contest in the first period, utilizing a strong offensive period to take a 15-4 advantage through six minutes. Avery was up big by halftime, as the squad led 33-10 at halftime behind 11 first-half points from Kobe Pittman, eight points from teammate Austin Phillips and seven points from Tre Jackson.

Harris hung tough with Avery in the third quarter, as the Panthers only outscored Harris by a 16-14 margin but still led 49-24. Avery’s bench players saw extensive minutes in the final quarter as the Panthers won by a 60-28 final score.

Pittman led all scorers with 20 points, with 13 from Jackson and 10 from Phillips. Dalton Tennant added eight points, with five from Dylan Bauer and two points apiece from Jacob Waldrop and Jeffery Puckett. Trevan Riddle led the Blue Devils with 14 points.

The same evening the Cranberry Wildcats took the floor on the road, traveling to Yancey County to take on conference foe Cane River.

The Cranberry girls team continued its recent streak of strong play, as the club picked up a 23-17 victory on the road against the Lady Rebels. In the boys contest, the Cane River club picked up a split for the evening as the Rebels defeated the Wildcats by a narrow final margin of 43-38.

Following a matchup out-of-conference with West McDowell before taking the Thanksgiving break, the Wildcats returned to the floor on Monday, Nov. 29, with another road test at Harris.

In girls action, the Lady Blue Devils bounced back from its loss at the hands of Avery, snapping the recent winning ways in conference of the Lady Wildcats by earning a decisive 43-17 win over the Lady Cats. In the second half of the twin bill, the Harris boys made it a clean sweep of the evening by defeating Cranberry by a narrow 31-27 final score.

The county middle school teams head down the home stretch of the regular season with the second of its two scheduled meetings this Thursday, Dec. 2, at Avery High School. Both schools are jockeying for position in the upcoming Toe River Conference Tournament, scheduled for Dec. 8, 9 and 11, at Avery High School.

Lady Viking Basketball Tips Off Season with Trio of Defeats

The 2010-11 edition of Avery varsity basketball began last week with a trip to Boone on Tuesday, Nov. 23, for the regular season opener against the rival Watauga Pioneers.

The Avery Lady Vikings varsity girls team met a tough foe at Lentz-Eggers Gym, falling by to Watauga by a 58-40 final score.

Avery seniors Katelynn Eudy and Mercedes Bentley combined for eight of the 10 Lady Viking points in the first period, but the Lady Pioneers opened the game with a 9-2 scoring run and held a 15-10 lead after one period.

Over the second stanza Watauga slowly seized control, scoring the final five points of the half to open up a double-figure lead at 31-21 into the intermission.

As the third quarter played out, the Avery defense held Watauga to just nine points for the quarter, but the Big Red offense could only muster seven points of its own as the Lady Pioneers led 40-28 going into the final eight minutes of play.

The Lady Vikings were often its own worst enemy, as it was unable to consistently knock down shots and were forced into a high number of turnovers by the Watauga defense. Avery struggled to find an answer inside for Watauga sophomore post player Brooke Rhodes, who scored a game-high 25 points. Avery center Megan Tennant suffered an ankle injury in the preseason and was unavailable for the first three Lady Viking contests to open the season, making the assignment of slowing down the Watauga inside game a difficult one. Rhodes scored seven of her 12 field goals in the second half as the Lady Pioneers pulled away over the final stanza for the win.

Eudy led the Avery charge with 14 points, with 12 points from Mercedes Bentley. No other Lady Viking scored more than four points.

“We really missed Megan in the game inside to guard Brooke. She did a great job guarding her back during the summer, and Megan is our best defender against back-to-the-post players, and we felt that that might have made a big difference,” Lady Vikings head basketball coach Missy Lyons said after the game. “We had trouble on the boards rebounding and that really got us in a bind. We started a freshman and a sophomore against Watauga, but it was good experience for those girls and for the entire team.”

On Friday, Nov. 26, the Lady Vikings traveled to Ledger and took on the R-S Central Lady Hilltoppers in the Unimin Harvest Hoops Invitational Tournament at Mitchell High School. Avery fell behind early, but rallied to tie the contest on three separate occasions before a late R-S scoring spurt proved too much to overcome in a 65-56 loss.

Central took advantage of several Lady Viking turnovers and scored the first six points of the contest to grab an early advantage, but three-pointers by Bentley and Monica Estep helped the Big Red stay within six at 16-10 after one period.

As the second period ensued the taller Lady Hilltopper club found success shooting inside and rebounding inside. Avery countered by utilizing a 1-3-1 zone defense. The strategy worked well as the Lady Vikings scrapped back into the contest, tying the game at 26 apiece with 1:18 left in the first half. R-S scored the final four points of the half, however, to lead 30-26 at intermission.

R-S came out strong to open the third quarter, as a 7-4 scoring run over the first two and half minutes helped Central build a 37-30 advantage. Following a timeout, the Lady Vikings used a Bentley three-pointer and a Kelsie Clarke layup to quickly cut the margin to just two points at 37-35. Central answered with its own 5-0 scoring run to lead by eight, but the Lady Vikings rallied in the final minute of the quarter to draw to within 48-44 after three periods.

Avery opened the final quarter with four points from Burleson to tie the game at 48. The game remained nip-and-tuck for the first three minutes of the quarter, but a five-point scoring run built a 56-51 Central lead. A pair of Clarke free throws with less than three minutes to play brought the Lady Vikings to within a point at 56-55, but the Lady Hilltoppers closed the contest with a 9-1 scoring run to seal the victory.

Eudy and Bentley scored 13 points each for the Big Red, with 11 from Burleson and eight points from Clarke. Central’s Shannon Hines led all scorers with 26 points.

“We fell behind but caught up. We stayed with them pretty much the rest of the game, but we turned the ball over way too much. Hopefully those mistakes are things we can correct here early on,” Lyons said following the game.

In Avery’s final game of the week, it tangled with the Lady Bears from Mount Airy in a matchup of regional qualifiers from a season ago. Mount Airy was strong virtually from the outset, lighting up the scoreboard for 12 three-pointers for the contest en route to a decisive 72-44 win.

Avery fell behind by double-figures in the first quarter and was unable to climb back into the contest thanks to the hot hand of the Lady Bears. Mount Airy led 25-13 after one period and took a commanding 40-22 lead into halftime. Senior Mary Chesnut Smith paced the Lady Vikings with seven first-half points, while Jordan Hiatt led Mount Airy with 14 points, including four 3-point baskets.

Mount Airy’s pressing defense, experience, and height was a lethal combination against Avery’s hopes for a second-half comeback. The Lady Bears pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring the Big Red 26-10 for the frame to take a 66-32 lead and went on to hand the Lady Vikings a third consecutive setback.

Eudy scored 17 to lead the Lady Viking scoring attack and was named to the All-Tournament Team, with nine points from Smith and eight from Bentley for the game.

“They shot the ball well, and Mount Airy is a tough team to match up with. We’re still missing Megan in the post, and they put a lot of man-to-man pressure on us,” Lyons said following the contest. “We have young ball-handlers who don’t have a lot of experience yet, but it was a good challenge for them. They just kept us from getting into our offense and they shot the eyes out of it to keep us from catching up.”

Avery returns to action this week with a road game on Tuesday, Nov. 30, at Cloudland and a rematch at home with Watauga this Friday, Dec. 3.

Musings and Ramblings: “Road Warrior” Mountaineers More Than an Underdog Story

The 2010 edition of the Mitchell Mountaineers football team has endured more than its fair share of adversity. On Aug. 13, just one week prior to the start of the high school football regular season, six players were involved in a truck accident after football practice. Although some of the injuries were serious, all of the players were able to escape life-threatening damage and rejoined the team either actively on the field or on the sideline to root on teammates.

In October, another difficult blow was dealt to the high school and community when a pair of students was fatally injured in a car accident. The accident made regional newscasts and rocked the Mitchell community.

Many teams dealing with a small dose of the difficulties surrounding friends and neighbors would easily have written off something as seemingly trivial as a game. However, the Mitchell football team rallied around its common hardships and has reached an historic place in the athletic annals of Mountaineer football with its first playoff win since 1989 and deepest playoff run since the 1986 season.

I’ve had the privilege and opportunity to cover both our Avery Vikings as well as the Mitchell Mountaineers with game stories each week in The Avery Journal-Times this season. I am grateful for the help from the Mitchell athletics department, statisticians and coaching staff, specifically to stat master Chris Pittman and his comrades, for the number-crunching they do on a weekly basis.

Last Friday, Nov. 26, the Mitchell football team continued its amazing ride toward a state championship with a 47-22 win over Avery in the third round of the state high school football playoffs.

Although the loss was stinging to Viking Nation, many fans have shared with me that, although they are disappointed about Avery’s elimination, they are rooting for the Mountaineers to pull off what many would deem an upset against the Albemarle Bulldogs this week in the state 1-AA semifinals.

“We knew we had a good group of juniors coming in, and we lost one of our seniors in the car accident early on. Six of our seniors play and have stepped up. It took a while for us to put in our new offense this season and for the team to come together,” Mitchell head coach Russell Barnett told me in a one-on-one interview on Wednesday, Nov. 24, after a Mountaineer afternoon practice in Ledger. “The boys came together despite the adversity, but it took a toll on us and put football in perspective. It’s a game and a sport. The kids know that, and it’s something that has taken their minds off the pain we were going through during those times we had here. The resilience of the kids was tremendous, and I couldn’t expect more out of them.”

Players like senior running back Shawn Jackson, junior quarterback Justin Hughes and offensive and defensive leaders Troy Self and Ben Smith, respectively, have provided the team with maturity and leadership both on and off the field. The team has took its cue from its coaches, who have provided a steady hand of guidance and genuine concern for the kids that they have been trusted as stewards over.

“We have a great group of men on our coaching staff. It’s truly been a pleasure to work with them and to coach these kids. I can’t believe that we’re here practicing over the Thanksgiving week,” Barnett said of the team and season. “It seems the season has gone by fast this year.”

The ups and downs of the regular season, which ended with losses in four of its final six games, served to galvanize a club that since has reeled off three consecutive wins in do-or-die situations, each of which while playing away from home.

“The kids have enjoyed this playoff run. I knew we could make some noise because of the teams we’ve faced during the conference. We played a tough schedule. With games against the likes of Polk, Owen, Mountain Heritage, Avery and Hendersonville it’s going to make you tough,” Barnett said. “Every team in our conference was battle tested and it showed as the teams have had successful playoff runs.”

It is amazing to see a team that at one point early in the season fielded only 21 varsity players experience such highs and lows in a matter of months. The development meant the coaching staff had to adjust not only the lineup in the early going, but to a point adjust its expectations of its squad.

“At first, getting down to just 21 players after the accident adjusted things. We had to move kids around a little more and kids had to back up other spots. If one kid went down we’d have to move three or four players,” Barnett added. “Our expectancies changed, sure. But as we’ve seen these kids grow, we’ve set our goals high and these kids picked them up, and I’m so proud of how the kids took on the challenge.”

Most outside the Mountaineer program point to the team’s 24-23 win over then-unbeaten Polk County as the turning point of the season. Interestingly enough, however, the coach points to another game a week earlier that served as a watershed moment in the 2010 campaign.

“We had a bad loss against Brevard early in the year after Polk and Owen had thumped them. It took a while for our juniors to believe that they could play at this level, go on the road and win. The game with Owen at home before we played Polk was a really hard fought game. At that point I sensed that was a turning point for us,” Barnett explained. “Even though we lost, I told them that the score on the clock didn’t indicate the amount of effort they gave, and that I took that as a win for us. The next week we played Polk and we built upon that. The kids started gaining confidence after that Owen game that we could play with any team, and we ran with that confidence. Of course, we came away with a win over Polk, and to beat a team like that, you have to have a lot of things go right for you, and they did that night. We just went with it from there.”

Perhaps a more astounding facet to Mitchell’s success this fall has been that the team will be playing its sixth consecutive road game and fourth in a row in the playoffs. One would be hard-pressed to find a large number of teams who have been able to win high-stakes playoff games away from home as Mitchell has achieved thus far.

“We’ve been on the road for the fifth straight week (editor’s note: six weeks after last week’s playoff win) and we call these boys ‘road warriors’,” Barnett said. “We’re just enjoying the ride right now and enjoying the fans coming out to the games. The community has rallied around us and supported us the whole way. This coaching staff has taken a lot of responsibility on themselves and they’ve given tremendous effort, and these kids took on playing this many games on the road as a challenge. We’re really proud of the way things have gone thus far.”

Good luck to the Mountaineers this week in Albemarle as it attempts to represent the Western Highlands Conference and us mountain folk in the state championship game.

Avery Boys Basketball Splits Pair to Open 2010-11 Season

The Avery varsity boys basketball season got off to a rocky start last week with a 95-54 loss at the hands of rival Watauga in Boone on Tuesday, Nov. 23.

Avery was feeling the effects of having as many as five of its players still playing football as part of the state 1-AA gridiron playoffs. However, the Pioneers felt little pity for the undermanned Big Red.

Avery hung tough with the Pioneers for much of the first half, as it held a 17-13 lead after one period. Viking senior standout guard Dustin Clarke paced Avery with 13 of the first-period points. Watauga stepped up its pressure and outscored the Vikings 24-10 in the second quarter to seize control and take a 10-point lead at 37-27 into halftime.

What occurred over the final 16 minutes of play was a decisive two-quarter rout by the home-standing Pioneers, who was christening its brand new Lentz-Eggers Gym for its first-ever night of regular season basketball.

Watauga was on fire on offense and lit up Avery for a 41-8 third quarter run to take a commanding 78-35 lead that Avery had no answer for.

“We just ran out of gas,” Avery head basketball coach Bo Manis said after the game.
Watauga was 26-of-33 from the foul line for the night and had the help of five 3-pointers from Jake Pifer, who led all scorers with 26 points. Teammate Will Koppenhaver added 22 points.

Clarke led Avery with 23 points, including four 3-pointers, and seven rebounds. Joey Potter
scored 10 points with three assists, while both Timmy Stewart and Benji Stewart scored seven points each.

“As much as I want to say it made a difference that we didn’t have our football players, I was still happy for them that they were out playing,” Manis said. “It was a good test for the varsity players who were playing to understand about battling adversity and dealing with it. It was a good test for us.”

The testing proved helpful for the Big Red as they turned it into triumph in the team’s lone game at last weekend’s Unimin Harvest Hoops Invitational tournament at Mitchell High School, defeating the Mount Airy Bears on Friday, Nov. 26, by a 63-55 final score.

The pace was quick in the first half as Mount Airy held a narrow 17-16 lead after one period. Avery stormed back behind eight second-quarter points from Clarke, highlighted by a leaping slam dunk, to seize the lead by a comfortable margin at 35-27 at halftime.

Avery came out on fire in the second half and built a lead as large as 19 points on the Bears. However, Mount Airy staged a comeback as the Bears took advantage of a young and thin Viking bench to cut the deficit to 47-41 at the end of three periods and to as close as three points.

Unlike the Watauga rally three days previously, the Vikings responded to the Bears run to catch its second wind. Clarke picked up the club with 11 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter, including a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line. Benji Stewart added a pair of baskets as the Vikings fended off Mount Airy to secure its first victory of the season.

In addition to Clarke, Timmy Stewart poured in 12 points, with 10 apiece from Benji Stewart and Potter.

“We worked on defense after the Watauga game and jumping to the ball, as well as closing in and boxing out better, and I think that was big. We moved the ball around really well and a lot of guys got touches with the ball,” Manis said of the win. “Basically we ran a six-man rotation which helped, but the defense played well and we made several corrections compared to Watauga. Mount Airy was well disciplined and played good defense. But we’re also a good defensive team, though, and we hung right in there with them.”

This week the Vikings traveled across the border to nearby Roan Mountain, Tenn. to take on the Cloudland Highlanders on Tuesday, Nov. 30, and Avery plays its home opener this Friday, Dec. 3, when it hosts Watauga looking for payback from last week’s loss.

Griewisch Earns Athlete of the Year Honors

Former Avery Lady Viking runner and Lenoir-Rhyne University's Kate Griewisch has been named the 2010 NCAA Division II USTFCCCA (United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association) Southeast Region Women's Athlete Of The Year.

Griewisch, a junior from Banner Elk, wins the award for the second consecutive year.

Griewisch won the NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country Southeast Regional Championship last Saturday in Charlotte, finishing the 6K course in 20:55 and besting her nearest competitor by 36 seconds.

The regional crown was Griewisch's second straight as well.

Griewisch, a three-time All-South Atlantic Conference First-Team honoree (2008-10), earned All-American honors last year after finishing 19th out of 184 runners at the national championship race in Evansville, Ind.

Griewisch won the 2009 South Atlantic Conference Championship meet and has been named the SAC Women's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete Of The Year for two years in a row.

Griewisch, who also led Lenoir-Rhyne to back-to-back league championships in 2008 and 2009, will next compete in the 2010 NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country National Championship race this Saturday, Dec. 4, at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Ky., beginning at noon.

Mitchell, Miscues Eliminate Vikings from State Playoffs

The Cinderella season of the Mitchell Mountaineers continued last Friday, Nov. 26, before a packed crowd at a cold MacDonald Stadium as five Avery turnovers and an efficient Mitchell ground game translated into a 47-22 Viking loss in the third round of the NCHSAA 1-AA state football playoffs.

“We missed too many tackles and turned the football over too many times to beat a good Mitchell football team,” Avery head coach Darrell Brewer said after the game. “Mitchell’s a dang good football team and were on their game. I don’t know if they’ve played a better game all season. You can’t beat a bad football team with five turnovers, much less a great team like Mitchell. They simply made plays and we didn’t.”

Things started well for the Big Red as it forced Mitchell to punt on the game’s first series. The Justin Hughes kick was downed inside the Avery 5-yard line to pin the Vikings in the shadow of its own goal post. On the second Avery offensive play, Viking senior running back Taylor Potter gained a first down, but Mitchell’s Logan McKinney forced a fumble from Potter and recovered the football to set the Mountaineers with excellent field position. Following a procedure penalty against Mitchell, quarterback Hughes broke several tackles and rambled 19 yards to the end zone for the first points of the game. Isaac Edwards’ point after touchdown (PAT) staked the visitors to a 7-0 lead with 8:38 to play in the opening period.

On Avery’s ensuing possession, the Vikings benefited from a 25-yard carry from Potter to advance the football close to midfield. The Mitchell defense bowed up, however, and forced Avery to punt. The long snap sailed over the head of punter Dustin Clark, however, who managed to retrieve the football and complete a pass to receiver Hunter Shields for a loss of yardage to turn the ball over on downs in Avery territory.

The opportunistic Mountaineers expended only two plays to find purple paydirt. Shawn Jackson did the honors, as the senior running back broke several tackles en route to a 27-yard score. Edwards added the PAT for a 14-0 Mountaineer lead with 3:45 to play in the opening stanza.

Avery was able to gain only one first down on its third offensive series and was again forced to punt the ball to the Mountaineers. Mitchell continued its tried and true method of offense, running the football and daring the Vikings to stop it. The strategy was effective throughout the game, and it produced a third score as the Mountaineers ambled 69 yards on just four running plays. Jackson accounted for 40 yards on the drive, culminating with a 26-yard touchdown tote. Edwards’ PAT gave Mitchell a commanding 21-0 lead before a stunned home crowd and rousing ovations from a crowd from Ledger that filled the visitor bleachers.

At its bleakest moment of the season to date, the Viking misfortunes made a 180-degree turn. Kick returner Hunter Shields caught Mitchell’s ensuing kickoff at his own one-yard line, maneuvered his way through teammate blocks and would-be tacklers and raced down the sideline for a school-record 99-yard kickoff return. Dustin Clark’s PAT trimmed the Mitchell lead to 21-7 with 43 seconds left in the first period.

Having seemingly lost a bit of momentum, the Mitchell offense proceeded to impose its will and control the clock during the second quarter of play. After Avery’s touchdown, the Mountaineers embarked on a 14-play, 71-yard touchdown drive to score for the fourth time in four possessions. The key play of the drive was a 22-yard pass completion on 3rd-and-10 from Hughes to receiver Troy Self. Hughes capped the successful drive with a one-yard plunge three plays later, and the PAT again gave the Mountaineers a 21-point lead at 28-7 with 5:36 left in the half.

Avery’s only successful offensive series of the entire first half followed the fourth Mountaineer score. The Vikings opened up the playbook with its spread formation, running a no-huddle, hurry-up offense to perfection. Avery marched 53 yards in six plays and elapsed only 1:18 off the game clock. Viking quarterback Alex Villanueva ran free for a 10-yard touchdown run, and Clark’s PAT pulled the Big Red to within 28-14, a score which remained unchanged for the remainder of the half.

Avery received the opening kickoff of the second half and set itself in excellent field position as Colton Blackburn caught a squib kick and returned the football for 39 yards to the Mitchell 30-yard line. The Viking offense moved 25 yards in eight plays, including a key 18-yard pass completion on fourth down to wide receiver Andy Gonzalez.

With first down inside the Mitchell 10-yard line, Avery needed a touchdown to draw to within a touchdown, but the Mountaineer defense left the Vikings empty-handed as linebacker Ben Smith intercepted a Villanueva fourth-down pass in the end zone.

Brewer saw the Mountaineer stop as a key moment in the contest. “I thought that was big. If we come out and put that ball in the end zone after halftime, we’re down by just a touchdown,” Brewer said