Avery County is 0-10 against Mountain Heritage since January of 2022 but things could change on Friday. The Avery County Vikings will face off against the Mountain Heritage Cougars at 6:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Mountain Heritage will be up against a hot Avery County team: the squad just extended their winning streak to seven. Avery County simply couldn't be stopped on Tuesday as they easily beat Mitchell 60-28.
Maddy Barrett
| 02/18/25 @ Mitchell | 3 |
| 02/17/25 vs Owen | 1 |
| 02/13/25 @ Draughn | 1 |
| 12/17/24 vs Rosman | 1 |
| 12/13/24 vs Ashe County | 1 |
| 11/19/24 vs NCSSM: Morganton | 3 |
Avery County can attribute much of their success to Maddy Barrett, who went 7-for-13 to rack up 16 points in addition to five boards and three steals, and Caroline Hollifield, who went 7-for-11 on her way to 16 points and three steals. What's more, Barrett also posted three assists, the most she's had since back in November of 2024. Another player making a difference was Hallie Johnson, who put up 12 points.
Meanwhile, Mountain Heritage waltzed into their contest on Tuesday with nine straight wins... but they left with ten. They took their matchup with ease, bagging a 67-30 win over the Wildcats. Given the Cougars' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 79th, while the Wildcats are ranked 284th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Avery County better focus on containing Layla Worley and Lilly Neill as the pair were huge in Mountain Heritage's win. Worley went 7-for-16 en route to 17 points along with eight rebounds and four steals, while Neill dropped a double-double with 14 points and ten boards. Neill has been hot, having also posted three or more steals the last five times she's played. Callie Capps was another key player, putting up 11 points and six rebounds.
Mountain Heritage smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in 23 consecutive games.
Avery County's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 19-6. Those victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 29.6 points over those games. As for Mountain Heritage, their win bumped their record up to 22-3.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Avery County has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.1 boards per game. However, it's not like Mountain Heritage struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Avery County came up short against Mountain Heritage in their previous meeting back in January, falling 57-50. Can Avery County avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
