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Week of June 3 - June 10
Kyle Barrus Receives Freddy Brown Memorial Scholarship by David Grindstaff
A Mountain Heritage High School linebacker on the varsity football team, Kyle Barrus was recognized for his excellent performance both on the field and in the classroom on Friday as he was awarded the Freddy Brown Memorial Scholarship; it was announced by Cougar Athletic Director Joey Robinson. He is the first student/athlete to receive the honor and is a perfect choice for the award, according to Coach Robinson. "Kyle exemplifies what being a student/athlete is all about." Coach Robinson said of the Mountain Heritage senior. “He is a kid who is probably not going to be playing college ball anywhere, but he has an unbelievable work ethic and is a great leader and a great teammate. He was the heart and soul of our football team this past year and he will be one of the hardest players I will have to replace,” Robinson said. “Kyle is a great kid who has overcame several hurdles in his life,” Robinson added. “He could relate to every kid on the team and was always involved.” "I would like to thank everyone who was had a part in my being nominated for this scholarship and thank those who made the decision for choosing me. It is truly an honor,” Barrus said after learning of his good fortune. “ I would also like to give a big thank you to the coaches I have had for their support ,” said Barrus, who will attend Mayland Community College with plans to return to Mountain Heritage some day as a coach.

Kyle was a team captain this past season where he led the Cougar defense to its best season ever. He was a Western Highlands Conference first team selection and an honorable mention to the All-WNC team as well. The scholarship was established last year in the memory of Freddy Brown, a former football player at Mountain Heritage.
Kyle Barrus, above, became the first recipient of the Freddy Brown Memorial Scholarship at Mountain Heritage High School
Week of June 3 - June 10
Future Looks Bright For Heritage Softball Program by David Grindstaff

The Mountain Heritage
Junior Varsity Softball Team
(not in order)

Andi Allen,
Christina Ballew,
Penny Lane Buckner,
Krista Deyton,
Haley Johnson,
Maria Kardulis,
Jessica Peterson,
Summer Ray,
Melanie Riddle,
Tiffany Robinson,
Brittany Sneller,
Taylor Tipton,
Delaney Trimble,
Robert Buckner, - Assistant Coach
Barry Johnson - Head Coach.
With successful seasons in both the middle school and junior varsity softball programs in Yancey County this past year, it appears that Mountain Heritage coaches will have a wealth of talent to work for the foreseeable future. “East Yancey and Cane River have some excellent players coming up and with the blend of those girls with what we currently have, it will be great,” Heritage JV coach Barry Johnson said. Coach Johnson’s Lady Cougars just finished up a very successful season, finishing 13-7 overall and 7-3 in league play, good enough for second place in the always tough Western Highlands Conference. “Our best asset this season was teamwork” Coach Johnson said. The girls were great at helping each other get it done and not giving up.” Coach Johnson pointed to two games this season games that illustrated that point. Down 9-5 at Polk, the Lady Cougars came back to win 13-10. In a total team effort, Penny Lane Buckner stole home and Jessica Peterson and Taylor Tipton’s big hits to allow Haley Johnson to shut the Wolverines down with a big game in relief on the mound as everyone contributed. At Madison the team was down three runs going into the 4th inning. No problem. Summer Ray pounded two home runs and Penny Lane Buckner stole multiple bases to allow the team to pull away 12-5. “The success at the middle school and junior varsity levels is very important, Coach Johnson stressed. “But the development of the players is a must.” With that in mind Coach Johnson scheduled stern test this season with bigtime programs Pisgah and Enka. Both varsity teams were ranked #1 in the state in their respective divisions when the Lady Cougars took them on. Heritage responded well to the challenge and had a chance to beat Pisgah in one of the games. “To be the best you have to beat the best. If you don’t play them how will you ever know how you stack up and what you need to work on,” Coach Johnson explained. The 7 games lost this season were to outstanding programs with strong softball traditions, Enka, Pisgah, Owen and Madison. Haley Johnson led the junior varsity team on the mound this season winning eight while loosing four, while Delany Trimble helped the team to 5 wins with 3 losses at pitcher. Penny Lane Buckner topped the hit chart, batting.627 while also leading the team in stolen bases. Haley Johnson (.584), Jessica Peterson (.553) and Summer Ray .500 and Delany Trimble (.478) also gave solid production behind the plate for the Lady Cougars this year. Defensively the team was paced by Buckner, Johnson, Trimble, Maria Kardulis, Tiffany Robinson, Mel Riddle and Summer Ray, according to Coach Johnson. “I am very proud of these girls,” Coach Johnson said. “They represented MHHS well by going out and competing every game. These girls want to be good and they have taken the first step to getting there,” Johnson said. In their final outing of the season Mountain Heritage pounded Erwin 23-0. The Lady Cougars smacked 24 hits in 4 innings in the runaway non-conference road win. Heritage laid down several bunt hits and did an outstanding job running the bases. None was better at that than Maria Kardulis who time and again took advantage of the bunt and ran the bases great, according to Coach Johnson. The hit parade was led by Haley Johnson 5-5 & 2 doubles, Summer Ray 4-5 & 2 doubles, Delany Trimble 3-4 & 2 doubles, Taylor Tipton 2-3 and Maria Kardulis 2-2. Delany Trimble limited Erwin to 3 hits, 0 runs and struck out 6.
Week of June 3 - June 10
John Cannon All-State For Cougar by David Grindstaff

Mountain Heritage sophomore John Cannon was rewarded for an outstanding effort on the hardwood this past season with a selection to the NC Preps.com All-State first team, the school announced this week. John was also named the All-WNC second team this season after leading the Cougars to the Sectional Title game for the second straight year. He is a two time WHC All-Conference performer, and this season was voted to the WHC All Tournament team after scoring 22 points, pulling 18 rebounds and blocking 9 shots in the title contest against Madison. John also was named to the Pisgah Christmas Tourney all-tourney team in 08-09. Cannon broke the all-time school record for career blocked shots as a freshman at Mountain Heritage and he currently has a tally of 273 career swats, which puts him on pace to break the State record in his junior year. His season stats are phenomenal-- 435 total pts, 15.5 ppg average, he shot 56.7 % from the floor and 71% from the line, he had 304 rebounds a 10.9 rpg average, he blocked 169, shots a 6.0 average per game and he recorded 7 triple doubles. Although John did not win the Player of the Year award for the Western Highlands Conference this past season, it is a sure bet that all league coaches would agree that he was the biggest force to deal with. “I feel that he is the best defensive player in WNC,” Cougar Coach Barry Johnson said of his super center. John, who currently holds down a 4.3 GPA, is being recruited by NC State, Wake Forest, Davidson, Va Tech and Auburn. All-State 2A Men’s
Basketball Team

John Cannon - Mountain Heritage
Tommy Spagnolo – Ashe County
JT Terrell - Cummings
Eric Mayo - Shelby
Keith Rendleman - East Lincoln
Kendall Jones - West Caldwell
Jake Houck - Northwood
Blake Lanier - East Duplin
Mark Clyburn - Forest Hills
Brandon Abel - Salisbury
Darien Rankin - Salisbury
Colton Hunt - Smoky Mountain
Marcellous Hampton-Perez - Northside-Jax Glenn Patterson, Jr. - Red Springs
Jackson Simmons - Smoky Mountain
Ervin Hall - South Brunswick
Week of June 3 - June 10
Athletes Enjoy New Weight Room At Mountain Heritage by David Grindstaff
If you want to excel in high school athletics, a commitment to the weight room is a must. With their old weight training room short on space and issues concerning supervision mounting, the athletic department at Mountain Heritage High School recently renovated the weight room/wrestling room at the school. Heritage Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Joey Robinson oversaw the project that used capital outlay money designated for the athletic department to double the size of the weight room and provided a way for coaches to maintain supervision at all times. Coach Robinson was also able to purchase two full size competition mats for the wrestling program as part of the expansion. “We knocked down a wall and installed a window in the coach’s office that makes it possible for us to get our work done and still be able to keep an eye on what the kids are doing,” Robinson said. The new weight lifting and workout room is twice the size it was, with workout machines stretching the whole length of the room. According to Coach Robinson, the facility is pretty well equipped but he would like to add some free weights, a treadmill and a couple of exercise bikes to the mix in the future to help the kids who need rehabilitation. “Weight training has made a tremendous difference in all of our sports programs here at Mountain Heritage” he said. The “Green and Black” painted facility that opened in the Spring, will be used primarily by the football team. However, other sports teams like basketball, track and field and tennis will also have access to the workout room. The expansion also helped the athletic department move some coach’s offices closer to their athletes. “Coach Johnson will be moving into the office in the gym while Coach Shelton will move into his old office, which is located next to the girls’ dressing room,” Coach Robinson said. “This will allow for better supervision in both situations,” he added. According to Coach Robinson, this year's returning players will have to work even harder than they did last year if they want to advance in the NCHSAA playoffs. Robinson plans to have the weight room open to his football athletes Mondays through Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. till 5:30 p.m. throughout the summer. "More of our guys will be able to work out together," Coach Robinson said. "I think that will pay off for us in the long run.


Week of June 3 - June 10
Basketball Athletes Honored At Boosters Banquet by David Grindstaff
Mountain Heritage varsity and junior varsity basketball teams, players and coaches were honored last week at the annual Booster Club Basketball Banquet. Cougar athletes, coaches, parents, faculty and fans gathered at the Family Life Center at Higgins Memorial United Methodist Church Tuesday night to pay tribute to the young women and men who represented Yancey County on the hardwood this past season.

The Cougar varsity boys had a very successful season in 08-09, winning a couple of non-conference tournaments while taking home top honors in the Western Highlands Conference Tourney. After finishing second in the conference during the regular season, Heritage went deep into the state 2A playoffs. For the second straight year the Cougars made a trip to the Sectional title game before falling. “Although we had some talent, this team’s success came from its unselfish play,” Mountain Heritage Coach Barry Johnson said of his young men who helped him win his 400th game this season. “No matter how much talent you have you have got to have leadership on the court, and our seniors all provided that leadership this season,” Johnson said. Taking home top honors for the varsity Cougars this season were senior Michael Fender and sophomore John Cannon. Fender, the teams point guard, was the emotional leader on both sides of the court this year. For his efforts he received the Cougar Award. Cannon, a 6-10 center who averaged a double-double this season and is set to break the state record for blocked shots next year, was named the teams MVP. Taking home honors for “Best Defense” for the Cougars this season were Matthew Kardulis and Thomas Burleson. Senior Will McCurry, who shattered the old career mark for 3 point shots with 111, was also recognized by Coach Fender. This eclipsed the 17 year record of Stony Norris (87). All varsity boys, managers and coaches also received a plaque for winning the WHC tournament this season. The Lady Cougar varsity suffered through some ups and downs this year with sickness and some injuries, but still managed to make the state playoffs. Coach Susie Shelton told the gathering that her girl’s biggest asset was their ability to shake off adversity and stick together as a team.

Three players shared the “Cougar Award” this season. Nicole Swick, Heather Laws and Landrie Fox received the honor, while Courtney Huskins was named the team MVP. The Mountain Heritage JV boys have won 40 games over the past two seasons including back to back regular season and Western Highlands Conference Tournament titles. Coach Tracy Bishop handed awards to Alex Biggerstaff (Cougars Award) and Trenton Burleson (MVP). All JV boys received a plaque for winning the WHC regular season and tournament. Bringing home hardware for the junior varsity girls, who won 14 games this season, were Gabby Neil (Cougar Award) and Molly McIntosh (MVP). The awards were voted on by the Cougar players.
Week of May 4 - May 17
Lady Cougars Finish Fourth At WHC Meet by David Grindstaff
Lady Cougar athletes finished just ten points out of third place in the Western Highlands Conference meet held last week at Polk County High School. After dominating portions of the field events, Mountain Heritage finished the competition with a total of 91-points, just behind the host Lady Wolverines. Owen dominated the event with 153-points while Hendersonville finished a distant second with 118-points. Heritage placed three throwers on the All Conference list where Kandis Fox won the discus throw with a toss of 86'1/2-feet, while teammates Rebecca Hagerman (81'7 ½) and Kelsie Fox (62'1 ½) captured 2nd and 6th place, respectively for the Lady Cougars in the event. The Lady Cougars also made a very strong showing in the shot put as Rebecca Hagerman won the event with a toss of 29'1 ½, while Kandis Fox placed 4th with a distance of 28-5 and Jodie Davis took 7th with a throw of 27-2 ½. In the track portion of the meet Lady Cougar Megan Reecer showed the way for Mountain Heritage. The speedy Reecer captured 2nd in the 100 dash with a time of 13.83, just behind winner Danica Huskins of Mitchell (13.29). Reecer also took home the Silver medal in the 200 dash, finishing the course in a time of 28.67, and the Bronze in the 400, with a time of 1:06.68. Penny Lane Buckner also had a good meet for Mountain Heritage. She took home third place honors in the 300 hurdles (17.13) and placed 8th in the 200 (29.93) to score more points for the Lady Cougars. With a 6th place finish in the 300 hurdles (58.24), and an 8th place finish in the 100 hurdles (20.56) Raegan Reeves also contributed to the Lady Cougar success, while Catharine Rothskinner carried the torch in the distance races finishing 4th in the 800 run (2:40.84) and 5th in the 1600 run in a time of 6:07. The Lady Cougar 4x400 relay team brought home 4th place honors with Penny Lane Buckner, Katlyn Angel, Catherine Rothskinner and Megan Reecer sharing the load. Final standing for Western Highlands Track and Field for 2009 went like this: Owen –153 points, Hendersonville-118, Polk County-101, Mountain Heritage 91, Mitchell- 77.5, Madison- 64 and Avery- 58. The Lady Cougars now move on to regional competition this week at North Henderson High School.
Week of May 4 - May 17
Cougar Athletes Advance To Regional Competition by David Grindstaff 		Men’s Final WHC Standings
1. Hendersonville 166
2. Polk County 145
3. Owen 123
4. Madison 83
5. Mountain Heritage 69
6. Avery 52 7. Mitchell 23

After a regular season filled with highs and lows, the boys track and field team at Mountain Heritage High School made a strong showing at the Western Highlands 1A/2Aconference meet at Polk County last week. Stuart Johnson, who was one of the top sprinters in Western North Carolina this year, finished 2nd in the 200m dash with a time of 23.34, just off the winning pace of 22.77 turned in by Hendersonville’s Daniel Orr. Johnson led the Cougars on the track where he also finished 3rd in the 400m dash with a time of 54.36, behind winner Brandon Neale (51.35), also from meet winner Hendersonville. In the field events the Cougars were paced by the second place finish of Casey Peterson, who came up just short in the shot-put final round, with a throw of 45 feet 4 and half inches. The event was won with a toss of 45-08 by Madison’s Jose Gonzales. The team effort continued as many Cougar athletes finished strong and scored points for Mountain Heritage. Other notable performances were turned in by: Stuart Johnson and Eli Bucknerm who finished 4th and 5th respectively in the triple jump, Winston Reinbolt, who came in 4th in the 3200 meter run, Morgan Rotheskinner, who finished 7th in the 400 meter run, Mitchell Whitt, who took 5th in the 110 hurdles, Taylor Fender and Sean Swick, who finished 4th and 5th respectively in discus throw and Sean Swick, who captured 4th place in shot-put. “We were mostly young, but the kids competed very well in every meet we took part in”, said Mountain Heritage coach Erik Buchanan, who feels that this season may have been the turning point in finally establishing a track program at Mt. Heritage. “With the way we finished this year and the fact we will have a new track at the school some time this summer, all the young talent that I have seen at the middle school level on the way up should help us see a lot of improvement over the next couple of years, he added. Even though the regular season is over there are still two big meets left; Regionals at North Henderson on Saturday May 16 and the state meet at NC A&T on May 22. This year’s team was led by senior David Michalove and junior Stuart Johnson, according to Coach Buchanan.

Week of May 4 - May 17
Landrie Fox Chooses North Greenville University by David Grindstaff

Mountain Heritage High School senior Landrie Fox has signed a letter of intent to play basketball next season for North Greenville University. In ceremonies at the school last week, Fox, surrounded by her family, as well as her coaches, inked a deal for a full scholarship at the Southern Baptist liberal arts university in Tigerville, South Carolina. Landrie, a two-year starter and a team captain, helped lead the Lady Cougars to the 2A State playoffs in 2008. She was named to the “Best of the West” Pre-Season All-WNC Team and was an honorable mention to the All-Western Highlands Conference team this year. According to Coach Shelton, “Landrie is a great fit for North Greenville. She is self motivated, has great quickness and speed, and has a tremendous work ethic. Landrie is also a great student and will be successful on campus, she said. Landrie is the daughter of Doug and Lisa Fox of Micaville. She began playing basketball in kindergarten, where she picked up the basics from her father, a former player at Mountain Heritage. “I am very proud of Landrie and of all of the hard work and dedication that she has put in,” her father said. “As a family we are so proud of her and the determination that she has shown in achieving this goal,” said Landrie’s mother Lisa, who thanked the Lord for all of His blessings and His hand in the family’s life. Landrie, who sports a 4.2 GPA as she heads towards graduation, hopes to study pre-med at North Greenville. Fox, who chose North Greenville over Montreat Anderson and Mars Hill Colleges, hopes to see some early playing time this Fall at guard for the Crusaders.

Heritage senior Landrie Fox, seated right, is joined by he mother Lisa, seated left, her brother ? standing left, father Doug, and Coaches Susie Shelton and Jackie Shelton as she signs a letter of intent to play at North Greenville University last week. Photo by David Grindstaff