By Mark Schmerling

Thirty-five seconds. That’s how quickly Polk County established its dominance over Avery County, as the Wolverines whipped the Vikings, 37-13, in Western Highlands Conference football action at Columbus on Friday night.

Polk is now 7-2 overall (all seven wins in a row), and 4-0 in the WHC. With an off week, they willprepare to take on Owen, on Oct. 31. The Warhorses might be better than they were last year. On Friday, Owen knocked off Madison, 44-13, to reach 8-0 overall, and 4-0 in WHC competition. This Friday the Warhorses visit Hendersonville, which defeated Mitchell, 24-18, to move to 7-2/3-1.

Three plays after Polk’s Jordan Smith returned Avery’s opening kickoff (Avery won the toss, and elected to kick to Polk) to the Wolverine 30, Smith took quarterback Jamal Wheeler’s handoff and tore up the field for a 31-yard-gain to the Viking 39.

Defensive offsides on the next attempted play took the ball to Avery’s 34. On the next snap, Wheeler kept the ball, and dashed in for a score, with just those 35 seconds gone in the first quarter. A slick-looking pass play after a fake PAT, failed, but Polk still led 6-0.

At halftime, the Wolverines enjoyed a 30-0 lead, and had all but pushed the Vikings back into the Avery team bus.

After Polk’s initial score, their kickoff went into the hands of the Vikings’ fine quarterback/running back Tre Jackson, who returned the ball to the Avery 41. Avery’s first three plays left them on their own 40, facing a fourth and 11.

Avery’s punt went to the Polk 24, and Polk’s ground game hammered away at the Vikings. Smith began modestly with a four-yard gain, then fought to the Polk 37 for a first down. Storm Wheeler added seven yards, before Jamal Wheeler’s long pass went incomplete. However Smith dashed to the Avery 44 for another first down, followed by Jamal Wheeler’s sparkling 34-yard run to Avery’s five.

On the next snap, it was all Wheeler, with Jamal pitching to Storm, who scored from the five, with 5:31 left in the first quarter. Davis Derkach’s PAT attempt split the uprights, and Polk led, 13-0. Polk led, 16-0, still in the first quarter, which ended with Avery facing a fourth and 25 from its five, after Jordan Smith tackled a runner for a five-yard loss, and Avery managed to recover a dropped ball.

With 7:36 left in the half Derkach added the PAT, and Polk led, 23-0.

Avery took Polk’s kickoff to the Viking 33. A 14-yard pass completion gave Avery a first down at their 47, but a motion penalty against the Vikings, plus another Smith tackle for an Avery loss, forced the visitors to punt, a good one that stopped at Polk’s 20. From there, Storm Wheeler ran for gains of five and eight yards, the second notching a first down. Jerry Cox then caught a Jamal Wheeler pass for another five yards. Storm Wheeler took a Jamal Wheeler pitch and ran to the Wolverine 47, for another first down. Wheeler tossed a TD pass to Smith. Polk took a 30-0 lead on Derkach’s PAT kick.

Starting with Tre Jackson’s solid return of Polk’s kickoff, the Vikings marched to inside the Polk 40, before the clock signaled the end of the half.

This was Polk’s Homecoming Night, with halftime devoted to announcing the Homecoming candidates and their escorts, and to crowning the 2014 Homecoming Queen– Sarah Phipps.

Avery received Polk’s kickoff to start the second half, but lost the ball, and fell further behind, when Dillon Overholt intercepted a Viking pass, and ran it back for a touchdown with 8;25 left in the third quarter.  Polk led, 37-0, after Derkach made the PAT. That would end Polk’s scoring, but not all the scoring.

Unable to do much against the Wolverines in the first half Avery got its passing game going, with Changler Stansberry and Austin Phillips doing the catching. With just under six minutes left in the third quarter, the Vikings scored on a TD pass from Luke Crowe to Phillips. The PAT was good, but Polk still had a comfortable 37-7 lead, which stood with 12 minutes to go in the game.

Opening kickoff in Polk’s next game will be 7:30, when the Wolverines host Owen on Senior Night, Oct. 31.  For more highlights and photo’s of Friday’s game visit www.tryondailybulletin.com