Transylvania County Fall Sports Report 2014

Page 1

The Transylvania Times, Brevard, N.C., Thursday, August 21, 2014–Page 1B

2014

A Special Supplement To The Transylvania Times

FOOTBALL

Page 2B - The Transylvania Times, Brevard, N.C., Thursday, August 21, 2014

2014 Rosman Tiger Varsity Football Team

Tigers Look To Make Noise In Smoky Mountain Conference A couple of words and phrases come to Tiger head football coach Freddie Whitman’s mind when talking about last year’s team: “young” and “fumbles.” His Tigers are still young, and the key to success in 2014 will be eliminating fumbles. All the keys are there: a solid line, a capable fullback and running back corps and a quarterback to marshal the ball down the field. “Last year we started eight sophomores on

record, the Tigers opened the 2013 season with the biggest win in school history — perhaps in any sport — a 40-28 win at Brevard. “We didn’t fumble the ball against Brevard and won it going away,” Whitman said.

offense and eight sophomores on defense,” Whitman said. “We were minus-20 on fumbles, but had more rushing yards than the year we went 7-7 (2012). “I’m not going to talk our losses into wins, but if we don’t fumble the football, we win several more games.” The Tigers were 3-9 last year, with close losses to Robbinsville (43-37), Andrews (26-21) and Madison (28-14). And despite that

Returning Personnel A year older — a year stronger — that’s another key to the Tigers’ success this season. “Everybody has been working hard,” Whitman said. “The kids are a lot

stronger than they were last year. I’ve already seen it in practice. We’re better than we were last year.” Not that the Tigers were that bad in ’13. The Tigers return a 1,000-yard rusher in junior tailback Tanner Green, who had 1,135 yards on 168 carries last season. He scored 11 touchdowns (first on the team) and averaged 6.8 yards per carry. On kickoffs, Green was just as formidable, averaging 27.1 yards per return, 569 total in 21

returns. His longest was an 85-yarder and Green scored two touchdowns from back there. Josh Rice, another junior, returns after a 533-yard performance in 2013. He carried the ball 128 times, averaging 4.2 yards per carry with 10 touchdowns scored. Rice also completed 21 of 63 passes for 247 yards. “He made two-a-day workouts all summer,” Whitman said. “I had to run him off. I’m also really pleased with the way he’s

running the offense so far.” Rounding out the offensive returnees are Landon Shipman and Gage Orr. Both turned in solid numbers last season in fairly limited playing time. Shipman had 352 yards on 79 carries, while Orr had 415 yards on 75 carries. They averaged 4.5 and 5.5 yards per carry, respectively. “Landon’s a good one, and I’m going to keep saying Gage Orr’s name,” Whitman said. “He’s tough as nails.”

ROSMAN HIGH SCHOOL 2014 FOOTBALL ROSTER No.

Name

Pos.

Gr.

Ht.

Wt.

1

Jacob Hall

OL, LB

Jr.

5-8

175

3

Tanner Whitman

QB, DB

So.

5-6

130

4

Alic Whitmire

WR, LB

So.

5-8

140

5

Colton Holbrook

WR, DB

So.

5-6

125

6

Nick McCall

OL, TE, MLB

Jr.

5-11

165

7

Gage Orr

RB, DB

Jr.

5-10

146

8

Evan Owen

WR, DB

So.

5-8

135

10

Josh Rice

QB, DB

Jr.

6-1

160

14

Tyler Petit

TE, LB

Jr.

5-10

167

19

Tristan Praytor

WR, CB

Jr.

5-6

107

25

Chris Daves

TE, LB

So.

6-0

160

30

Damon Messer

TE, LB

Sr.

6-0

170

32

Landon Shipman

RB, LB

Jr.

6-0

210

34

Neil Tesnow

TE, LB

So.

5-10

170

42

Tanner Green

RB, DB, FS

Jr.

5-9

200

45

Keen Jones

RB, LB

Sr.

6-2

210

50

Dakota Withrow

OL, Dl

Sr.

6-2

54

Cole Owens

T, DT

Jr.

55

Aaron Newman

OL, DB, MLB

58

David Burrell

63

RHS Varsity Footbal Coach Freddie Whitman

ROSMAN HIGH SCHOOL 2014 SCHEDULE Aug. 14

Easley, SC Jamboree (scrimmage)

Away

7pm

Aug. 15

West Henderson (scrimmage)

Away

7pm

Aug. 22

Brevard

Home

7:30pm

Aug. 29

Thomas Jefferson

Away

7:30pm

Sept. 5

Madison

Home

7:30pm

Sept. 12

Mtn. Heritage

Away

7:30pm

Sept. 19

Open

210

Sept. 26

Murphy

Home

7:30pm

5-0

170

Oct. 3

Hayesville*

Away

7:30pm

Sr.

5-10

200

Oct. 10

Andrews*

Home

7:30pm

OL, DL, DE

Jr.

5-11

175

Oct. 17

Robbinsville*

Away

7:30pm

D'Artagnan Harding

OL, DL, MLB

Sr.

5-10

185

Oct. 24

Cherokee*

Home

7:30pm

66

Manuel Suarez

OL, DL

Jr.

5-5

200

Oct. 31

Swain*

Away

7:30pm

67

Will Revis

OL, DL

Jr.

5-11

214

Nov. 7

Tri-Cities Christian School

Away

7:30pm

73

Andreas Villagomez

OL, DL

Jr.

6-3

275

Nov. 14

1st Round Playoffs

TBA

7:30pm

77

Gabe Hoffman

DL, OL

Jr.

6-0

230

82

Steven Brissey

WR, DB

So.

6-0

140

84

Adrian Villagomez

TE, LB

Jr.

6-1

160

Home Games In Bold *denotes conference games Head Coach - Freddie Whitman Assistant Coaches -Tyrea Allen, Patrick Chapman, Dusty Robinson, Josh Galloway

FOOTBALL

The Transylvania Times, Brevard, N.C., Thursday, August 21, 2014–Page 3B

With such a young core of players, the Tigers will field just five seniors in 2014: D’Artagnan Harding (lineman), Aaron Newman (lineman), Keen Jones (running back/linebacker), Dakota Withrow and Damon Messer (wide receiver). Offensive And Defensive Changes One of the biggest changes Tiger fans will see this year is the implementation of the I-formation rather than the usual wishbone or triple-option attack. That will put the ball into the hands of Whitman’s playmakers. “It puts the ball in Tanner’s hands, in Gage’s hands, with blockers in front of them,” Whitman said. “It ain’t going to be no secret (who’s getting the football).” Whitman then hopes the running attack will open up options for Rice at quarterback. “That’ll set up the passing, for sure,” Whitman said. “We’re going to set up a little wider, with some twins, but we’re not going to be too far from our running backs. We’re got some good ones, and some good linemen in front of them, too.” Whitman plans a pair of defenses to match the opponents the Tigers are playing: a 30-stack for those teams whose primary attack is to spread out and throw the ball; and a “50ish” for the run-based teams prevalent in the Smoky Mountain Conference. “With all the throwing going on, we’ve got to try and put pressure on the quarterback,” Whitman said. A Challenging Schedule The Tigers open the 2014 season with Brevard and the road doesn’t get any easier from there. Rosman shocked their neighbors to open last season, but Whitman is loathe to cruise on that single victory, historic though it may be. “We’re not putting the

score up on the scoreboard,” Whitman said. “It’s a ball game to us, but we want to win them all.” After that comes 1-A Thomas Jefferson and 2-A opponents Madison and Mountain Heritage. Whitman follows the Dan Essenberg school of thought when picking nonconference opponents – strong adversaries make stronger teams. “If we don’t get ready for our conference, we would be beat down,” Whitman said. “If we scheduled patsies, that ain’t going to help you win conference, and winning conference is our goal. “Dan made good runs into the playoffs every year,” Whitman added. Conference Outlook The Smoky Mountain Conference is loaded with talent, especially at the top end. Murphy won the 1-A championship last season, following up a runner-up campaign from 2012 and a state title in 2011. Whitman expects them to contend again. “Murphy’s got a lot of people back,” he said. Swain is similarly potent, although they fell in the finals two years ago and the semifinals last year. “With Swain it depends on how many they take away from Cherokee,” Whitman said. Next up in Whitman’s rankings are the R schools – Robbinsville and Rosman. The Black Knights went 9-3 last season, but fell 20-17 in the opening round of the playoffs to Hayesville, another Smoky Mountain Conference team. “The problem this year is we have to play them under the oaks,” Whitman said. “But I put us right up there with Murphy, Swain and Robbinsville.” Rounding out the SMC are Hayesville (6-7, 3-3), Andrews (4-8, 2-4) and Cherokee, winless in the league.

Tigers practice kickoffs. of the Tigers. Since taking over for Brian Bailey in 2010, the Tigers went from a winless season to 7-7 in 2012 and an appearance in the third round of the 1-A playoffs. His overall record at Rosman is 19-27. He has been a fixture on the Rosman sidelines since his playing days (1982-84), returning from Mars Hill to coach alongside Jim Fox.

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About The Coach Whitman enters his fourth year as head coach

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FOOTBALL

Page 4B - The Transylvania Times, Brevard, N.C., Thursday, August 21,2014

2014 Brevard High School Blue Devil Varsity Football Team

BHS Blue Devils Return Size For 2014 “Balanced.” That’s the word Blue Devil head football coach uses to describe his team in 2014. Last year, the first-year coach came in with ideas of a hurry-up, spread offense. A quick look at his personnel caused a change in tack, with Brevard going with a run-based attack that resulted in a 6-6 record and an appearance in the firstround of the state 2-A playoffs. This year’s personnel will mean a little different look — much more passing with hopefully similar success running the ball. “When I was younger (and I’m still young), I would go into a situation like we had last year and say ‘it’s just who I am,’” Lippard said. “But now that I’m older I realize it’s not about what ‘I’ can do, it’s about what ‘we’ can do.” X’s and O’s There are a couple of things about the 2014 team that has Lippard excited. One is a quarterback who can throw the ball and work in the pocket. The other is an offensive line that averages 300 pounds across the front. Better still, those 300 pounders are 80 percent juniors (one senior, four juniors). “Our smallest lineman is 6-4, 295 pounds,” Lippard said. “The left tackle is 6-4, 320, the left guard is 6-1,

310. The right guard is 511, 310, and the right tackle is 6-4, 295. “He’s the runt,” Lippard joked. “I tell him all the time ‘you’re going to have to eat.’ “I feel real good about them,” Lippard added. “We expect to be able to run the football. And best of all, they’re all been in the weight room busting it.” Now here’s where the balance part of the equations comes in — a sophomore quarterback (Tanner Ellenberger) with an arm and eight receivers capable of catching it – the ‘elite eight’ as Lippard describes them. “I am as excited about our young quarterback as any player, ever,” Lippard said. “He’s got to stay healthy. He’s done a great job getting stronger.” Ellenberger wrestled 160 last winter, but weighed in this summer at 185, within striking distance of his goal of 190. “This year you’re going to see what people knew me for,” Lippard said. “Nobody who looked at last year’s team would have known it was me coaching. That’s not who I was.” At North Stokes, Lippard had a pair of quarterbacks throw for 2,800 and 2,500 yards in a season. Six times they threw for 400 yards a game. Lippard expects similar numbers this season.

“This year we’re going to throw it 30 times a game. But we’re also going to run it. They’ll run me out of town if I don’t run behind that line.” Lippard hopes that balanced attack – throwing and running – will put opposing defenses off-balance. “We’re going to force them to defend the whole field – sideline to sideline – end zone to end zone,” Lippard said. “This year we’ve got the capability to do that.” Lippard cautions that many of the team’s skill players are sophomores, up from a successful jayvee season, but still 15 year olds. “We’re depending on sophomores. At times I’m sure they’re going to play like sophomores,” Lippard added. “My philosophy is, the only thing better than a two-year starter is a threeyear starter. I try not to have any four-year starters.” Returning Players Lippard expects to dress as many as 38-40 on any given Friday night, with a total of 75 (varsity and jayvee) wearing Blue Devil colors. That’s a little bit down from last year’s total of nearly 100, but still a far cry from the years when Brevard had to disband it’s junior varsity program.

“I lose sleep over 75,” Lippard said. “I lie awake at night wondering where all the players went.” The Blue Devils return a couple of seniors who earned accolades their junior years – Nick Siniard (all conference linebacker) and Issac Bingle (all conference honorable mention and preseason all state kicker). Siniard had 113 tackles his junior year, good for second on the team. Lippard expects Bingle to have a tangible impact with his leg. “That’s the X-factor,” Lippard said. “We want to kick it into the end zone and make teams run the entire 80-yards.” Hayden McCall, the lone senior in the line-up of big linemen, should provide leadership to the rest of his teammates. And Collin McCracken will step into the tight end spot and contribute right away. “Collin has just exploded in the weight room this spring,” Lippard said. “And he can flat catch the football and handle a beating. He ain’t afraid to go in among those linebackers and catch the football.” Mario Cassanova was the team’s leading receiver last season and returns for his senior campaign. Fellow senior Alec DuBruil will be expected to run behind that big line. Rounding out the senior corps will be Blake

Stephens and Caleb Hicks. Of the 75 who have stuck out a grueling post2013 and pre-2014 off-season conditioning program, they are all the ones Lippard wants on the sideline. “We’ve stuck their noses to the grindstone,” Lippard said. “If we’re going to compete with the Pisgahs and Franklins of the world, the weight room is where you do it. It comes down to how tough you are. And this year we worked on their mental toughness. Conference Outlook Lippard expects the usual suspects to sit atop the split 3-A/2-A WNC Athletic Conference. Overall, it looks like 2-A Franklin will again repeat as the class of the conference. The Panthers rattled off 11 straight wins before a surprising loss in the opening round of the 2-A playoffs. “They’re on top of the mountain until someone takes them down,” Lippard said. “Nobody beat them in the regular season last year.” That leaves Brevard and Smoky Mountain to fight it out for the final 2-A playoff spot. “Pisgah lost 19 seniors and they’ll feel that, but they’ll still be wellcoached,” Lippard said. “Smoky Mountain will also be good. Then I think

everybody else will be pretty even.” From the 3-A ranks, East and West had nowhere else to go but up after 0-11 and 1-10 seasons, respectively. “West may be the sleeper pick,” Lippard said. “Their jayvees went 9-1 and their only loss was to East Henderson. “I believe that we can compete with any team in the conference this year,” Lippard said. “We may not win them all, but they will be competitive games.” New Coaching Personnel One of the reasons Lippard deliberately shied away from talking defense is his new personnel, specifically defensive coordinator Marlon Morris, a defensive coordinator (and history teacher) from Charleston, S.C. “We’ll run multiple defenses,” said Lippard, who campaigned hard for the hiring of Morris. “It’s going to be huge – just the preparation and attention to detail.” Coming on to help out the offense is Mark Ellenberger, who will coach receivers. His son, Tanner, is expected to start at quarterback. “Mark is detail-oriented, has a positive attitude and his arrival has been an absolute shot in the arm,” Lippard said. Rounding out the new (continued on 5B)

FOOBALL

The Transylvania Times, Brevard, N.C., Thursday, August 21, 2014, –Page 5B

Brevard Blue Devils coaching staff is Adam Conley, a 2004 graduate of Brevard High School, where he was a standout wide receiver and defensive back. Most recently he played with the Asheville Grizzlies, a semi-professional football team. Conley has committed to coaching the Blue Devil defensive backs. “Number-one, Adam has a positive personality and that’s the number-one thing we’re trying to sell,” Lippard said. “Two, I want teachers. What’s your family life like? Adam is going to be a great positive role model. About The Coach Lippard enters his second year as head coach of the Blue Devils. In his inaugural season, he guided the team to a turnaround season at 6-6, including an appearance in the opening round of the 2-A playoffs. Brevard led early in that game, but

fell to top-seeded North Wilkes 31-28. Lippard came to Brevard High from North Stokes High School, where he was head football coach and athletic director. He was also a part of a staff that turned an 0-11 team around to back-to-back nine-win seasons. Along with Brevard native Scott Miller, Lippard was part of a staff that rebuilt South Iredell, which recently went undefeated for a state 2-A championship. High participation was a hallmark of Lippardcoached teams, where he coaxed 62 football players out of a school of 420. Lippard is a 2001 graduate of Statesville High School and a 2006 graduate of Greensboro College. He was an offensive linemen for both squads. His wife is Amanda and they have two sons.

(continued)

Blue Devil running backs practive drills.

BREVARD HIGH SCHOOL 2014 FOOTBALL ROSTER

BHS Varsity Head Coach Jason Lippard

BREVARD HIGH SCHOOL 2014 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Date

Opponent

Time

Aug. 22

@ Rosman

7:30 p.m.

Aug. 29

Owen

7:30 p.m.

Sept. 5

Mitchell

7:30 p.m.

Sept. 12

OPEN

Sept. 19

Cherokee

7:30 p.m.

Sept. 26

@ Franklin*

7:30 p.m.

Oct. 3

@ Tuscola*

7:30 p.m.

Oct. 10

East Henderson (Homecoming) *

7:30 p.m.

Oct. 17

West Henderson*

7:30 p.m.

Oct. 24

@ Smoky Mountain*

7:30 p.m.

Oct. 31

@ North Henderson*

7:30 p.m.

Nov. 7

Pisgah*

7:30 p.m.

* Denotes WNC Athletic Conference Games Home Games In Bold

No. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 20 21 23 24 28 32 33 35 41 42 44 48 50 51 52 53 55 64 65 66 68 71 75 76 77 79 80 84 85

Name Hunter Johnson Jeremy Bradley Alec DuBreuil Lane Pressley Mario Casanova Tanner Brooks Ceasar Valdez John Harris Tanner Ellenberger Collin McCracken Earon Wilkes David Bumgarner Nick Siniard Isaac Bingle Kaedin Robinson Ari Williams Caleb Hicks Matt Gasperson Langston Wilkes Jesse Lowery Tanner Pettit Tavon Hunter Aaron Stevens Gaylon Robinson Carver Nichols Nick Mehalic Rome Robinson Isaac Gant Riley Smith Nathan Golden John Jenkins Chris Larkin Dillion Pickford Blake Stephens Johnathon Byers Hayden McCall Caleb Gilbert Travis Mitchell Zack Fink Zack Davis Jace Frisbee Will Swann Nick Cabe

POS WR/DB WR/DB RB/OLB FS/WR WR/DB WR/DB ILB DL QB TE/OLB LB WR LB K RB/LB WR DL/OLB DB/WR RB RB/DB RB/OLB DL DE WR/DB OLB LB OL/DL OL/DL ILB/OL DL LB/OL OL/DL OL/DL LB/OL DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL OL/DL LB/TE OLB WR/DB

YR 12 11 12 10 12 12 12 11 10 12 10 10 12 12 9 9 12 12 11 10 10 9 11 11 11 12 11 11 10 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 11 11 12 11 10 11 10

Breaking news in Transylvania! Read it online as it happens. www.transylvaniatimes.com

VOLLEYBALL

Page 6B – The Transylvania Times, Brevard, N.C., Thursday, August 21, 2014

Lady Tigers Reload For 2014 Head coach Amanda McCall and the Lady Tiger volleyball team have a slogan for 2014: “Quality over quantity.� The slogan applies to the skills of the players as well as the smallish number on the roster – seven with a pair of floating players who will come up and down from the junior varsity ranks. “We’ve got a small team but a lot of good volleyball players on it,� McCall said. “It depends on who we play from night to night who gets moved up. “Our jayvee program is so strong, I don’t feel like it will make a big enough difference to take away from a feeder program to fill the varsity ranks. The jayvees are our future. The better they are, the stronger we’ll be.� McCall spends a fair amount of time thinking and talking about the jayvee team from whom the varsity ranks will be filled in a year or two. Rosman volleyball is a grassroots movement start-

ing at the middle school level with fundamentals and even sophisticated formations taught early. Rosman middle school is the only squad to play a 6-2 formation, McCall said. “That teaches better court position,� she added. “It protects the middle and opens up three hitters. We start them at what they’re going to be doing for the next seven years. “When they get to varsity, we just work on speeding up their game.� Returning Players McCall has a trio of seniors returning for their final year in Rosman orange: Hannah Reese, Hannah Sanders and Claire Harris. Reese, an all-Smoky Mountain Conference selection, was part of a formidable one-two punch at the net for the Lady Tigers. Reese was second on the team in kills with 318 and first on the team in digs with 329. “Honestly, we’re expecting Reese to kind of

lead us,� McCall said. “She did a pretty good job of it as a junior.� Sanders earned honorable mention from SMC coaches her junior year. She had 408 sets, splitting time at the setter position. Sanders also had 150 digs. She has worked on her game in the offseason, playing club volleyball. “Hannah’s put in a lot of work,� McCall said. “She’s faster, stronger and she’s smarter. She’s definitely making better decision as a senior – where to put the ball, which hitter to go to.� Harris returns at the middle position, turning in decent numbers her junior year. Harris had 87 kills and was second on the team in blocks with 57. McCall said she, too, has sped up her game in the offseason. “We expect her to be more aggressive, more eager,� McCall added. “She wants the ball to come to her – she wants the set. She’s talking more, and communication on the volleyball court is key.�

The Lady Tigers add a couple of talented and athletic juniors and sophomores to round out the lineup. Schedule And Expectations As usual, expectations remain high for the Lady Tigers, who went undefeated in Smoky Mountain Conference play last season and opened the year with a 17-game win streak. They finally lost to 3-A power Enka Oct. 5, and then rebounded for eight straight wins (gathering a regular season and conference tournament title in the process) before falling in the semifinals to eventual state champion Starmount (a former 2-A power). To get ready for the postseason, McCall has scheduled as many good teams as possible as early as possible. At preseason scrimmages, the Lady Tigers traveled to Asheville Christian Academy, then Kings Mountain, where they squareed off against the likes of Owen and Gaffney, S.C.

2014 RHS Lady Volleyball Team They opened with 3-A East Henderson and 2-A power Brevard before going straight into SMC play. McCall has scheduled this talent with no regards to overall records, even though they were 25-2 with a similar schedule last year. The state high school athletic association bases playoff seedings on overall records. McCall would rather the team have a worse record, but be battle-hardened. “I told the girls, ‘If I get you games that are easy wins, what’s the point?’� McCall said. “I would rather compete and give it all we’ve got and lose, than manslaughter a team.

“Who can you find to play that’s like Starmount?� About The Coach McCall enters her fourth year as head coach of the Lady Tigers, taking over for longtime head coach Mildred Powell, whom she served as assistant starting in the 2006 season. McCall has a 47-4 record at Rosman and was named SMC coach-of-theyear the past two seasons, leading the Lady Tigers to a 13-0 league mark in 2013, with a 25-2 overall record. McCall played at Western Carolina University and for East Henderson High School.

Lady Blue Devils Sport New Coach, New Outlook The Lady Blue Devils return a corps of seniors to greet new (but familiar) head coach Cori Bryson in 2014. Bryson, the Lady Blue Devils’ former junior varsity coach, takes the reins from departing head coach Jessica Merrill. The familiarity with the team will pay dividends in the shortand long-term, Bryson said. “We’ve got a great relationship,� Bryson said. “I coached all but two of the girls as jayvees.� Returning Players Bryson will enjoy a solid core of hitters and defenders, led by six seniors: Kjersti Anderson, Mac McNeil, Brittany Nicholson, Dory Walrath, Jamie Hyatt and Vana Gonce. Anderson had 101 kills in just 32 sets played before going down with a season-ending knee injury against West Henderson. That was still good for sixth on the team with less than half the number of sets played. She also had 106 digs in that short span of time. “I think she’s going to be one of our go-to players,� Bryson said. “We look for her to play all the way around the court and be the player to get you the point when you need it.� McNeil was a double threat as a setter and right side hitter, coming on strong in 2013. McNeil had 116 kills while dishing 371 assists (splitting time at the setter position). She was also second on the team in digs with 231. She earned honorable mention in her junior campaign. “I really see great things coming from her,� Bryson said. “Her court awareness is phenomenal. She’s always a step ahead of the ball.� Nicholson will move to the middle hitter position

to take advantage of her superior vertical leap. “She’s got a great block — a great vertical,� Bryson said. “Her quickness is what we need on the front row. I think she’s got the skill to put the ball where it needs to be, versus power.� Walrath will step into one of the vacant defender spots left by a plethora of graduating Lady Blue Devils. “I see her playing a rotation on the back row,� Bryson said. “She’s got a really strong pass and great defense. She’s going to do a good job for us.� Hyatt will come on in the right-side, outside hitter’s position. “Jamie’s hitting has improved tremendously,� Bryson said. “She’s got a lot of power behind her swing. She’s got a really great serve, which is going to help us as well.� Gonce, who transferred in last year, is one of two players that Bryson did not have a chance to coach. Bryson has been impressed with the senior’s leadership ......... ability. “She’s got a great attitude and is very energetic and supportive of her teammates,� Bryson said. “She has impressive passing and defense.�...........................

Freshman Ashley McBee came on to help replace the injured Anderson and put up big numbers in about a half a season. McBee had 140 kills from the outside spot and 148 digs. She also had 150 serve-receives for Brevard. She’ll team up with McNeil at the setter position in the Blue Devils’ 6-2 rotation. Expectations Bryson said she wants the offense to run quicker and to run a variety of defenses. As for expectations, the 2013 version of the team defeated back-to-back state champion Hendersonville twice in the regular season. The Lady Blue Devils also lost a heart-breaker to West Henderson after going up 2-0 in the best-of-five. Brevard fell 3-2 in that one. The Lady Blue Devils then lost in the second round of the state playoffs, one game shy of a rematch with Hendersonville. “That was tough, not expected and definitely should not have been,� Bryson said of the loss. She expects the team to rebound this year and refocus their goals towards beating the top 2-A teams in the state.

“Our whole team expectation is to make it to state,� Bryson said. “I feel like we’re competitive in the conference. We definitely want to finish first in the conference against 2-A teams. “I want to see us keeping our focus on where we want to go.� About The Coach Bryson enters her first year as head coach of the varsity squad. She spent three years as the junior varsity coach, posting a 376 overall mark. Prior to that, Bryson

2014 BHS Lady Volleyball Team played defensive specialist for the Lady Tornados of Brevard College. She grad-

uated from BC in 2010. Before that, she was a standout for Boiling

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SOCCER

The Transylvania Times, Brevard, N.C., Thursday, August 21, 2014–Page 7B

Blue Devil Soccer Looks To Be Aggressive In 2014 If there is one thing Blue Devil head boys’ soccer coach Chris Bennett would like to see more of in 2014, it’s scoring. The Blue Devils were out-scored by opponents 43-23 last year, but 14 of those goals came in two games – the first (6 goals) came from 3-A power A.C. Reynolds, the other eight came from eventual 4-A state champion T.C. Roberson. Take away those two matches and it’s only 29-23 in favor of the opponents. And against “mortal” teams – those with a winning record – the Blue Devils fared more evenly, falling by one at Enka (117-2) and by two at Franklin (11-8-1). Brevard even beat 10-7 North Henderson 1-0 and tied Franklin 0-0 in their rematch a month later.

Returning Seniors Four seniors return for their final year in Blue Devil blue: Jacob Smith, Cameron Cochran, Cole Woody and Ian Pierron. Smith, a center-back, joined soccer after a career with basketball, playing under Bennett for just two

seasons. “Jacob is just the nicest kid – just a good kid to be around,” Bennet said. “He’s learning the game real quick. He’s come a long way and is my main center-back. “He plays smart. You can’t rattle him. He’s not a kid who you can get inside his head.” Cochran, a mid-fielder/forward, has impressed his coach with his work ethic. “Cameron has probably the biggest work ethic on the field,” Bennett said. “My wife told me one game, and the college coach told me another game, he’s working really hard. “He’s one I’m looking to for leadership, and to keep motivation going.” Woody, another midfield/forward, has improved his play every season. “If he keeps going the way he’s going, he’ll play division I soccer,” Bennett said. “He holds onto the ball and goes through defenses easily. He makes good decisions, and for how tall he is, he’s quick with his feet and strong in the air. He’s just about the total package – smart.”

Pierron, the final senior (and third midfielder/ forward of the bunch) has impressed the coach with his speed. “Ian is the fastest kid on the field over 100 yards and 5 yards,” Bennett said. “He’s an incredibly fast and technical player – a very direct player. He probably asks the most questions out of all of them. He’s always wanting to learn. You can’t fill his head with enough knowledge. “They all have pretty high soccer IQs,” Bennett added. Conference Outlook The Blue Devils will have lots of competition in the split 2-A/3-A Western North Carolina Athletic Conference, with the Falcons of West Henderson looking to take the 2014 league crown. “West Henderson will be scary,” Bennett said. “They’ve got lots of good young players, and their leading scorer last year was a freshman.” The other two Henderson County Schools – North and East – will also compete well. The key, as always, will be defeating the 2-A

2014 BHS Men's Soccer Team schools in the league – Smoky Mountain (19-3-1) and Franklin (11-8-1). Smoky Mountain lost many of their players to graduation, Bennett said. “We feel like we can play with any team in the league,” he added. “We can hang with them.” Bennett has not spared the Blue Devils again this season, opting to keep Enka, Asheville and even T.C. Roberson on the schedule. He also picked up Highlands, a traditional 1-A power. “There’s only one way to get better,” Bennett said. “Now they’ll know what level is to be expected of them. You’re expected to always play well against those teams, you’re not expected to be run over.”

About The Coach Bennett enters his second year as head coach of the boys, guiding them last year to a 4-12-2 overall mark, 4-8-2 in the WNCAC. Bennett graduated from Brevard High School in 2003 as part of a Blue Devils squad that won the conference championship for the first time in school history. He played for four years at St. Andrews Presbyterian before returning home to begin his coaching career. Bennett has been the director of coaching for youth soccer and the jayvee coach since 2010. He is joined by Gordon Murray (assistant and head JV coach).

TENNIS

Expectations The key this year, Bennett said, will be aggression. “My first expectation is for us to score more goals,” Bennett said. “Not necessarily win, but based on how workouts are going this summer, I expect us to not have to defend as much, but attack more. The majority of my players are

attacking. “You can’t score goals if you don’t shoot. I want to get them to pull the trigger more, and not just pulling it, but pulling it on frame.” Bennett said he’s looking for shots as far out as the 18-yard line, but otherwise wants to keep the ball on the opponents’ half of the field – force them to play defense and keep pressure on the goal. “Another thing we want to do is make sure the work ethic is high,” Bennett said. “That means how hard to they work to get the ball back if it’s stolen, or how hard do they work to get it in the first place. “I want them to do everything they can to get the ball back when they lose it. I don’t want them to give up until the ball crosses the end line, out of bounds or hits the back of the net.”

Lady Blue Devil Tennis Reloading, Not Rebuilding Tennis at Brevard High School has always been about reloading and not rebuilding, and the idea of a “down year” was a rare conference loss. New head coach Jeff Shuler (taking over for long-time head coach Mike Vandegrift) knows this and has kept the Lady Blue Devils’ lofty goals for 2014, despite the loss of 2013 state doubles champions Taylor Snowdon and Emma McLeod, plus topsix player Allie Williams. “We definitely have a good group of girls,” Shuler said. “Hopefully I can make their tennis experience a little better. “We’ll try to keep that tradition up. We’re definitely going to do our utmost to keep Brevard High School tennis at the top.” Returning Players Shuler just took over the reins of Lady Blue Devil tennis, and as of Aug. 13, had only met the girls in

team meetings. Challenge matches to discover the top six players were scheduled for that afternoon. Brevard returns a solid corps of seniors, however, in Kathleen Williams, Ava Loftis and Victoria Roberts. Williams and Roberts were top-six starters for the Lady Blue Devils in their junior seasons. Williams played at the number-four spot, while Roberts flip-flopped between five-and-six singles. Roberts also upset Smoky Mountain’s number-one singles player in the conference tournament last season, finishing second overall to a German transfer at Franklin High. Loftis battled injury in limited playing time for the Lady Blue Devils. “We’re definitely looking at those seniors for leadership,” Shuler said. “We want them to show the underclassmen the ropes.” A pair of sophomores — Bailey Shuler and

Hannah Stancil — along with a duo of freshmen — Aly Henneberry and Delaney Holland (up from Brevard Middle) will round out the top six. Expectations As already mentioned, expectations are always high for the Lady Blue Devils, who have lost to perennial powerhouse (and multiple state defending champion) Salisbury the past three years. One positive that coach Shuler is looking for is depth. Where many teams have a powerful number-one singles player, like Franklin High, the Lady Blue Devils will be more solid throughout the line-up, with very little drop-off from number-one to number-six singles. “We’re going to be a good, solid team with a lot of depth,” coach Shuler said. “I would imagine the senior experience will help, and all of them are talented.”

Conference Outlook Coach Shuler comes in a little behind on the makeup of the split 2-A/3-A WNC Athletic Conference. Most years it’s Brevard and a flurry of teams battling for the second spot. West Henderson usually fields a decent team, while Franklin has the aforementioned international transfer. In the non-conference portion of the schedule, the Lady Blue Devils will square off against powerhouses T.C. Roberson, Hendersonville (twice) and Carolina Day School. Brevard opens their schedule at the Lady Rams and then go to Hendersonville. “The first two are tough,” Shuler said. “Right away we’ll know where we stand. If we can run with a real strong team, we say that’s what we have to shoot for.” About The Coach Coach Shuler begins his first year coaching the

2014 BHS Lady Tennis Team Lady Blue Devils, but has been a personal coach for many years and has been a player for 40 years. He played two years collegiately for the College of Suwanee before transferring to UNC. Like most tennis players in the county, he is an

active member of the Brevard Tennis and Athletic Club. “The facility is pretty phenomenal for the size of the town, and I think that makes a big difference (in the quality of the high school teams),” Shuler said.

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CROSS COUNTRY

Page 8B – The Transylvania Times, Brevard, N.C., Thursday, August 21, 2014

Future Looks Bright For Blue Devil Runners Cross country coach Jackie Witherspoon looks at the 2014 cross country team as clay — something to shape and build upon for a bright future. The main reason is the overall youth of the team. The Lady Blue Devils return just one senior – Maggie Dodson for the fall. The rest of the underclassmen are a mix of talent – raw, realized and unrealized. Returning for just her sophomore year is Eliza Witherspoon (the coach’s daughter). She won the conference championship as a freshman and turned in a ninth place finish at the state meet last fall. During the outdoor track season, Witherspoon finished fourth at the state meet in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter distance events. “Eliza has put in a great summer of training, stepped up her mileage, attended running camp at

Brevard College and looks forward to what her sophomore season brings,� coach Witherspoon said. Added to this mix will be a quintet of freshman – the building blocks of a future program that has been traditionally very strong. “This will be a very interesting season,� coach Witherspoon said. “I have no expectations. Last season did not go at all like it should have and I learned from that. “The only word that comes to mind is freshmen. We have four or five coming in who will – with time – be very competitive runners. Julia Smith, Sara Raintree, Ava Findlay, Loren Smith and hopefully Hannah Dickson and Emily Sheffield. The first four in that list have dedicated themselves to training this summer and thanks to the Spradlins at Brevard Middle School, have great

work ethic and understand the fundamentals of fitness. “I believe we are a year away from having a truly competitive team again,� coach Witherspoon added. Joining coach Witherspoon will be Kevin Spradlin, who comes on to coach the boys’ team, who fielded just two runners last season. They’ve picked up a talented newcomer from the track and field ranks. “Noah Graham, after having a very successful track season, is determined to fit in some cross country meets during his soccer season,� coach Witherspoon said. “He has true running talent and will have success as a multi-sport athlete.� In boys’ competition at the state outdoor track meet, Graham (then a freshman) finished in the top 10 in the 1,600-meter run with a timeof 4:50.20. He was ninth in the 3,200-

BHS MENS TENNIS SCHEDULE Opponent @ ACR Jamboree # Owen # Enka Highlands TC Roberson @ Asheville @ Franklin* @ Tuscola* East Henderson* West Henderson* @ Smoky Mountain* @ North Henderson* Pisgah* Franklin* Tuscola* @ East Henderson* @ West Henderson* Smoky Mountain* North Henderson* @ Pisgah* 1st Round Playoffs Cary, NC * Conf. Games # Scrimmages

Time TBA # 5:00/7:00# 5:00/7:00 6:00 (Varsity Only) 5:00/7:00 5:00/7:00 5:00 / 7:00 * 5:00 / 7:00 * 5:00 / 7:00 * 5:00 / 7:00 * 5:00 / 7:00 * 5:00 / 7:00 * 5:00 / 7:00 * 5:00 / 7:00 * 5:00 / 7:00 * 5:00 / 7:00 * 5:00 / 7:00 * 5:00 / 7:00 * 5:00 / 7:00 * 5:00 / 7:00 * TBD

Date 8/9 8/13 8/18 8/21 8/27 9/3 9/8 9/10 9/15 9/17 9/22 9/24 9/29 10/1 10/6 10/8 10/13 10/15 10/20 10/22 10/29

Home Games in Bold

RHS LADIES VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE Date Aug. 21 Aug. 26 Aug. 28 Sept. 2 Sept. 4 Sept. 9 Sept. 11 Sept. 16 Sept. 18 Sept. 23 Sept. 25 Sept. 30 Oct. 2nd Oct. 7 Oct. 8 Oct. 9 Oct. 14 Oct. 16 Oct. 18

Team Hayesville* Murphy* Robbinsville* Blue Ridge Swain* Highlands Andrews* Cherokee* Hayesville* Murphy* Robbinsville* Blue Ridge Swain* Highlands Hendersonville Andrews* Cherokee* Polk County 1st Round State Play-offs Home Matches In Bold * Denotes Smoky Mountain

Location Away Home Home Away Away Away Home Away Home Away Away Home Home Home Home Away Home Away

meter with a time of 10:15.12. About The Coach Witherspoon has been with Brevard High School since 1994, coaching Macy Little to a 1997 state title with a team finish of second place. In 1999, the team won the state championship and won it again in 2001. In 2003, the Blue Devils finished second behind private school Charlotte Catholic. Witherspoon is determined to return the Blue Devils to that championship form. “North Carolina is very competitive in the sport of running and BHS has seen a serious decline in student population,� coach Witherspoon said. “I continue to believe that we can adjust to this and be competitive again as a team.� Witherspoon was allstate in Alabama in cross country, indoor and outdoor track for the four years of

2014 BHS cross country team. her high school running career. She was the fourtime 6-A state champion in the 3,200-meter and was a part of a four-time state champion 4x800-meter relay team. She took a scholarship offer from the University of Alabama, where her teams won the SEC cross country title Witherspoon’s freshman and sophomore season. Her experiences with the Crimson Tide continues to shape her work ethic to

this day. “I was on a team with many international athletes, some of whom represented their countries in the Olympics,� Witherspoon said. “It was a great experience even though I was a bit out of my league! I learned tremendous discipline and sacrifice at the University of Alabama as we practiced 10 times a week and dedicated ourselves completely to the sport.�

BHS LADIES TENNIS SCHEDULE Date

Opponent

Aug 19 Aug 21 Aug. 26 Aug. 28 Sept. 2 Sept. 4 Sept. 9 Sept. 11 Sept. 15 Sept. 16 Sept. 18 Sept. 22 Sept. 23 Sept. 25 Sept. 30 Oct. 2 Oct. 7 Oct. 9 Oct. 10 Oct. 14 Oct. 17/18 Oct 21 Oct 24/25 Oct 28 Oct 30 Nov 1

@ Hendersonville @ TC Roberson @ Franklin* @ Tuscola* East Henderson* West Henderson* @ Smoky Mountain* @ North Henderson* Hendersonville Pisgah* Franklin* Carolina Day Tuscola* @ East Henderson* @ West Henderson* Smoky Mountain * North Henderson * @ Pisgah* 2A WNCAC Tournament @ Brevard 1st Round Dual Team Tournament Individual State Tournament (Regionals) District Round Dual Team Tournament Individual State Championships Sectional Round Dual Team Tournament Regional Round Dual Team Tournament State Championships

TBD Conference Game

BHS LADIES VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE Date Team 08/9 Xcel Scrimmage (Xcel Sportsplex) 08/18 Hendersonville High School 08/19 Rosman High School 08/20 Polk High School 08/30 Erwin High School 09/02 *Tuscola High School 09/04 *East Henderson High School 09/09 *West Henderson High School 09/10 Polk High School 09/11 *Smoky Mountain High School 09/15 North Buncombe High School 09/16 *North Henderson High School 09/18 *Pisgah High School 09/23 *Franklin High School 09/24 Hendersonville High School 09/25 *Tuscola High School 09/30 *East Henderson High School 10/02 *West Henderson High School 10/09 *North Henderson High School 10/14 *Pisgah High School *Conference Games

Location Away Away Home Away Away Away Home Home Home Away Away Away Home Home Home Home Away Home Home Away

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