In Mac Bryan’s first year as Avery High’s head football coach (2018), the Vikings struggled to find their new identity, only finishing 2-9 over-all and 1-4 in the Western Highlands 2-A, 1-A Conference. Their victories came over 2-A schools Draughn (32-28) and Madison (48-46), the latter a conference foe.
2019 football practice started for North Carolina High School Athletics Association schools August 1, and indications point to the 1-A Vikings being improved. Some publications are predicting Avery could be one of the area’s surprise prep teams this season.
Nothing would please Bryan any better. The veteran coach has had coaching tenures as either an assistant or head coach at thirteen schools on various collegiate and prep levels, including a highly successful one as Lees-McRae College’s head coach.