By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Four Mountaineers got into double figures scoring but it was not enough to overcome a tough-minded Troy women’s basketball team on Jan. 9. The Trojans led by as many as 17 points late in the fourth quarter and stopped App State’s 3-game winning streak with a dominating, 85-68 win.
The Mountaineers had few answers for Trojan starting forward Zay Dyer, a 6-2 junior from Atlanta. Dyer recorded a double-double with game-highs in scoring 22 points and pulling down 16 rebounds.
Troy’s senior starting guard Ashley Baez, a Dominican Republic native and transfer from Florida Gulf Coast, was also a strong contributor with 20 points and a game-high four steals.
A bright spot for the Mountaineers was the play of guard Zada Porter, here shooting from long range early in the first half. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country SportsJunior guard Emily Hege, a Lexington, N.C. native and transfer this year from DII-level Wingate, takes aim from the free throw line on Jan. 9 vs. Troy. She was a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Troy won the opening tipoff and quickly built a 5-point lead just three minutes into the first period. The slow-starting Mountaineers battled back to tie the game at 10-10, went ahead 14-12 with 1:23 left in the opening quarter, and the two teams battled to a 16-16 tie at quarter’s end.
An 8-0 run by Troy to open the second period gave the visitors from Alabama a measure of momentum and they never gave it back. They led 42-31 at halftime, 67-54 at the end of the third quarter, and finished off the Mountaineers in the fourth quarter, outpointing App State, 18-14 in the final stanza to get to the eventual outcome.
App State created a lot of opportunities with 28 defensive rebounds and limiting the Trojans to just seven offensive rebounds, but could not capitalize. They were victims of their own making in many respects, all too frequently missing layups and lackluster ball-handing coming up court. Those missed layups proved costly as Troy finished the game with 39 defensive rebounds vs. 16 offensive rebounds by App State.
Troy dominated in the paint, scoring 42 points vs. the Mountaineers’ 26 and the Trojans also were more effective in transition outpointing their hosts, 16-4 on fastbreaks. Troy’s reserves also were more productive, contributing 23 points vs. just 11 points produced by the Mountaineer bench.
The brightest spot on the court for App State was starting guard Zada Porter, who poured in a team-high 18 points, including hitting on 4-of-8 shots from behind the 3-point arc. Others in double figures for the Mountaineers were Elena Pericic (10 points), Eleyana Tafisi (11 points) and Emily Hege (10 points).
Even down by as many as 17 points late, the estimated “Education Day” crowd of more than 400 that braved the snowy elements to be in attendance witnessed a team that fought hard to the bitter end, even if the outcome was not in their favor. The hustle and work ethic were ever present — the shots just didn’t go in.
The Mountaineer women will try to get back on track Jan. 11 in the back end of a hoops doubleheader. The App State men tipoff against James Madison at the Holmes Center at 1 p.m., followed by the App State women hosting Coastal Carolina.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Jumping out to an an 11 point lead by the halfway mark of the first half is a good start. Keeping the pedal to the proverbial medal and winning by 23 points is even better. App State led from start to finish on Jan. 8, defeating Coastal Carolina, 74-51.
Grad student forward C J Huntley recorded yet another double-double, pouring in 21 points while collecting 15 rebounds. The Huntersville native warmed up the crowd on this snowy night (paid attendance: 1,703), bringing to their feet and appreciative roars with three dunks.
Senior guard Myles Tate burned the net for 17 points and distributed a game-high seven assists and two steals. Forward Jalil Beaubrun was also in double digits scoring, with 11 points.
Six threes from our bigs… that’s big!
Head coach Dustin Kerns used an eight-man rotation against the Chanticleers, with Huntley (38 minutes) and Tate (35) doing yeoman’s work on the floor. As the sixth man, guard Jackson Threadgill came off the bench to be part of the mix for 25 minutes, while guards Alonzo Dodd (21 minutes) and Dior Connors (25 minutes) joined Beaubrun (22 minutes) as the principal players in the rotation. Freshman big man Michael Marcus, Jr. (14 minutes, 8 points) and Jamil Muttlib (12 minutes, 4 points) were the only other Mountaineers to see meaningful court time.
The Mountaineers started the game with a 24-7 run, with contributions from a broad array of scorers including Beaubrun, Huntley, Tate, Marcus, Threadgill and Muttilib. App State played almost error-free, committing just six turnovers while distributing the ball freely, generating 14 assists.
Meanwhile, the Mountaineers capitalized on 11 Chanticleer turnovers, scoring 14 points off Coastal miscues. They also had control of the inside, outrebounding the visitors 40-33, with a 30-24 advantage for points in the paint.
With 21 points and 15 rebounds, CJ Huntley recorded his second consecutive double-double.
Led by Marcus and Muttilib, App State’s bench was the biggest factor in recent memory, contributing 16 points.
With two Sun Belt Conference wins in a row now in the books, the Mountaineers have evened their record in league play at 2-2, and improved overall to 8-7. Responding to a media question in the post-game press conference, Beaubrun pointed out, “In the 4-game losing streak before these two wins, those were some pretty good teams and they were all close games. We knew we just a couple of plays away and the last two games we made those plays. We are breaking through. Now we have to keep it up.”
Head coach Dustin Kerns was also upbeat.
“From start to finish, that was the most complete game we have played, on both sides of the floor… Coastal Carolina is a good team. They are well-coached in Year 1 (of new head coach Justin Gray). They rank really high in a lot of categories, especially defensively, which presents some problems,” said Kerns.
Now in his sixth year at the helm of the Mountaineer program, Kerns had special praise for forwards Huntley and Marcus, who combined for six of the team’s successful shots from beyond the arc.
“Six threes from our bigs… That may be one of the things (Coastal) is willing to live with, to give up. Fortunately for us, we made them,” said Kerns.
Left unsaid: when your bigs are dominating inside and taking command from outside, too, it becomes a powerful offensive combination.
App State will conclude its longest home stand of the season (four games) on Saturday, Jan. 11, vs. James Madison with tipoff scheduled for 1 p.m., the front side of a matinee doubleheader also featuring the App State women’s tilt at 3:30 p.m., vs. Coastal Carolina.
The Mountaineers’ men look to extend their winning ways before a 4-game road trip that includes at Old Dominion (Jan. 16), at James Madison (Jan. 18), and a nationally televised faceoff with Arkansas State (Jan. 23), then concluding with a Jan. 25 contest at ULM (Louisiana-Monroe).
Meanwhile the App State women’s team is currently undefeated in Sun Belt Conference play at 3-0, playing some exciting basketball under new head coach Alaura Sharp. The distaff version of the Mountaineers dispatched Arkansas State, (at) South Alabama, and (at) Southern Miss, returning home to host Troy on Jan. 9 (12 noon), before playing Coastal Carolina on Jan. 11.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It might have been freezing cold outside but inside the Holmes Convocation Center on Jan. 4, it was hot, hot, hot for the App State men’s basketball team. The Mountaineers shot almost 53 percent from the field and over 54 percent from beyond the arc en route to a convincing, 72-61 win over Texas State, with 2,512 in attendance.
Coming into the game, App State was ranked No. 28 out of the 355 NCAA Division I programs in field goal percentage defense — and they didn’t disappoint vs. the Bobcats. The Mountaineers held Texas State to just 37.7 percent from the field, including 36.4 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.
The App State cheerleaders and fans had a lot to smile about after the team’s 72-61 victory over Texas State at the Holmes Center. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
In getting a first Sun Belt Conference win for the 2024-25 season, App State had three players in double figures, including a game-high 22 points by Myles Tate. The senior guard from Spartanburg, S.C. (Dorman HS) was good on 4-of-6 from beyond the arc (67 percent, 12 points). Tate played his first three seasons at Butler University before transferring to App State a year ago. In addition to racking up his third straight 20-point game, Tate was strong on the boards against the Bobcats, collecting seven rebounds on the night. Even while earning game-high scoring honors, he also dished out a game-high six assists and plucked two steals.
Grad student forward CJ Huntley was celebrated on Jan. 2 for having scored his 1,000th career point for the Mountaineers. As unlikely as it might sound to those who have watched the Huntersville, N.C. native’s previous four years playing for App State, against Texas State he recorded his first double-double, with 10 rebounds and 12 points. Huntley and Tate were both on the court for more than 35 minutes. During that time, the Davidson Day School alum made four of five free throw attempts for one of his best nights from the charity stripe.
Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Also scoring in double figures for the Mountaineers against the Bobcats was Alonzo Dodd, a junior guard from St. Paul, Minn., with 14 points, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Dodd, who played his first two years at Texas A&M-Commerce, also was credited for six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
“I’m really proud of our guys,” said App State head coach Dustin Kerns in opening his post-game press conference. “We beat a really quality team (in Texas State)… They have had some really good wins this year. We led for 37 minutes (36:58), but we had a really complete game. Our bench helped us, our starters played well. We had to make some adjustments against (Tyrel) Morgan, who has been averaging 17 points a night. He got 16 tonight. They were going small with him and it created some matchup problems, but we adjusted to that.”
Not surprisingly, App State forward CJ Huntley (15) was awarded a pair of free throws on this shot attempt. He made 4-of-5 on the night, on his way to a first career double-double (10 rebounds, 12 points). Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
The sense of relief in getting the 2024-25 season’s first Sun Belt Conference win was evident in Kerns, now in his sixth season at the helm of the Mountaineers. With almost an entirely new roster of players after last year’s regular season Sun Belt Championship, it has taken some time for things to “gel” for App State.
“We finished off the game well,” said Kerns, comparing the most recent win to the last four losses. “We’ve been playing really good teams and fighting hard, but we got through today.”
Coach Kerns makes a point to one of the officials during the Mountaineers’ 72-61 win over Texas State on Jan. 4. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
In describing his expectations going into the game vs. the Bobcats, Kerns offered some details.
“If you look at some net numbers, this was the No. 3 ranked team in the Sun Belt going into today. So it is a really quality team. They are a team that ranks in the top 50 in the country in setting ball screens. They are really dynamic with it and one of the reasons we started in zone (defense) to change up. I don’t think we have done that in six years, but it was to not let them get into a rhythm, ball screen wise. We gave up some rebounds, then went to a man-to-man defense which was good for us,” said Kerns.
CJ Huntley puts a shot up and in vs. Texas State on Jan. 4, 2025. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
“Texas State is also a team that shoots the three pretty well,” added Kerns, “but they don’t shoot a lot of them… We did a pretty good job of forcing them to shoot threes. They don’t normally have 22 attempts (from behind the arc).
“The stat we really harped on with the guys is (Texas State) is undefeated when they get 13 or more offensive rebounds,” Kerns added. “But the flip side of that is they haven’t won when they get eight or under offensive rebounds. We held them to eight (tonight). Our guys did a really good job on the glass.”
Kerns noted that Texas State is also one of the top teams in the country in getting to the free throw line — and making them. Against App State, the Bobcats shot 100 percent from the charity stripe, but only had seven opportunities.
“I thought our guys did a really good job at not fouling and holding them to only seven free throws,” said Kerns.
App State (7-7 overall) will stay at home for its next two conference tilts, Jan. 8 vs. Coastal Carolina (6:30 p.m. tipoff) and Jan. 11 vs. James Madison (1 p.m.).
The Chanticleers join a total of seven Sun Belt teams, including App State, at 1-2 in conference play, but are 8-7 overall with key wins vs. Western Michigan, South Carolina-Upstate, Alabama A&M, Campbell and Louisiana-Monroe (ULM).
JMU is one of four teams at 2-1, tied for second in the Sun Belt and 9-6 overall. Key wins include vs. Ohio, East Tennessee State, and conference wins at home against Southern Miss and Arkansas State.
By Katherine Jamtgaard. HATTIESBURG, Miss. — The App State women’s basketball team defeated Southern Miss, 76-56, in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Jan. 4. The win marked the Mountaineers’ first victory over Southern Miss in program history, only having met the Lady Eagles three times in this millennium.
App State rises to 3-0 in Sun Belt play as well as 7-6 on the season. This is the Mountaineers’ first ever 3-0 start in Sun Belt play and first 3-0 start in conference games since 2011-12, when the team competed in the Southern Conference (SoCon).
“We are really proud of our team for completing the road sweep,” said head coach Alaura Sharp. “We challenged our team to win this game with their defense and they did just that. Our second half defense was really composed and we attacked the glass hard. We are really showing our growth as a unit.”
A quartet of Mountaineers netted double-figures, led by junior Elena Pericic and senior J’Mani Ingram, each scoring 17 points. Pericic knocked down five-of-six from beyond the arc, accounting for all but two of App State’s treys, and grabbed six rebounds. Ingram drained 7-of-9 from the field and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe in addition to pulling down seven rebounds. Junior Rylan Moffitt netted 12 points while senior Emily Carver scored 10 points.
App State’s top rebounder for a second consecutive game —and fourth game this season — was senior Zada Porter, who grabbed eight rebounds. Fellow senior Eleyana Tafisi dished out a team high nine assists, coming within one of her career high of 10, originally set on March 7, 2024.
App State recorded 38 points by its reserves while holding Southern Miss to nine bench points. The Mountaineers also netted 17 second chance points compared to Southern Miss’ 11. App State limited Southern Miss to eight offensive rebounds and four fastbreak points. Over the course of play, App State and Southern Miss knotted the score on five occasions, swapping the lead six times.
Tafisi put the Mountaineers on the board with a fastbreak layup in the paint, which Porter followed up with a layup of her own. Pericic drilled her first trey of the game to extend App State’s lead to 7-2. The Mountaineers and Lady Eagles knotted the score thrice before Southern Miss broke an 11 all tie to take a 14-11 lead. Despite a jumper from Pericic, Southern Miss closed the first period ahead, 17-13. Pericic and Tafisi had combined for 11 of App State’s 13 points in the first quarter.
Pericic opened the second quarter with a 3-point bucket to bring the Mountaineers within one (17-16), but the Lady Eagles answered with a trey of their own. A layup from Moffitt and another Pericic 3-pointer kept the Mountaineers within one of Southern Miss’ lead (22-21). Midway through the quarter, App State faced a scoring drought as Southern Miss extended the deficit to 27-21. Carver knocked down a trey for the Black and Gold and, coming off the bench, Ingram went to work accumulating eight points in four minutes, knocking down 4-of-4 from the field. App State entered halftime with a 33-32 edge over the Lady Eagles. The Mountaineers shot 60% from the arc and 53.3% from the field in the second quarter.
Southern Miss edged ahead, 34-33, after opening the third quarter with a jumper. The Mountaineers answered with a 9-0 run that featured treys from Carver and Pericic as well as a tip-in basket from Ingram. The trio combined for 18 of App State’s 29 points in the period. Ingram extended the lead to 46-35 after sinking a pair of freebies and making a layup in the paint. With layups from Tafisi and Moffitt, App State reached a 50-37 lead. Jumpers from Moffitt and senior Asjah Inniss, a Pericic trey, a Carver layup, and a pair of Inniss freebies brought the Mountaineers to a 61-42 lead. Senior Samantha LaFon contributed a free throw as the Mountaineers took a 62-46 lead at the end of the quarter.
Ingram opened the fourth quarter with a freebie, which she followed with a jumper. Moffitt netted six points for the Mountaineers over 1:38, draining a pair of jumpers and making a tip-in basket. With a LaFon layup, Carver free throw, and Inniss jumper, App State took its biggest lead of the game, 76-51. Despite a Southern Miss trey and pair of free throws, the Mountaineers took the win, 76-56, notching their fourth consecutive victory since Dec. 21.
Up Next
The Mountaineers return to Boone to host Troy at noon on Jan. 9 for their Education Day game. Admission for all fans is free for Thursday’s game.
On Jan. 11, App State hosts Coastal Carolina at 3:30 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the men’s basketball program. The men’s team will play James Madison at 1 p.m. Fans are encouraged to come early for the men’s game and stay late for the women’s game, as one ticket will get fans into both games. The doubleheader will also be the Mountaineers’ “stripe out,” in which fans are encouraged to wear either black or gold depending on the section their seats are in.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — In what evolved as a back and forth contest between host App State and visiting Troy on Jan. 2, in front of 2,406 basketball fans at the Holmes Convocation Center, it was a one-point basketball game with under three minutes to play. But with the clock winding down, the Trojans made “big time plays in big moments” and the Mountaineers didn’t. Result: Troy 69, App State 61.
Guard Jackson Threadgill puts up a shot vs. Troy on Jan. 2. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Now 6-7 overall and 0-2 in the young Sun Belt Conference season, App State is playing exciting basketball, with thrills, spills and hustle aplenty. The Mountaineers just aren’t finishing. They have now lost four nailbiters in a row to some very good Division I teams: High Point, at Louisiana, at North Texas and back home vs. Troy. In crunch time, the shots just aren’t falling, even with open looks.
Going into the Jan. 2 matchup, Troy’s reputation included a pesky defense that forced a lot of turnovers, one of the top 40 teams in that department out of 355 Division 1 programs, according to the NCAA maintained statistics. The Mountaineers were able to thwart that supposed strength, only guilty of nine turnovers on the night vs. 12 committed by the Trojans. Advantage: Mountaineers.
Troy also had a reputation as a good 3-point shooting team. Against App State, they were 12-of-35 from beyond the arc (34.3 percent).
“We can live with that,” App State head coach Dustin Kerns pointed out after the game. “You have to credit Troy. They are a good team. Tonight they hit big time shots at the big moments and we didn’t.”
The Sequence
App State forward Jalil Beaubrun on a power dunk in the first half on Jan. 2, vs. Troy. Photographic images by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Although the Mountaineers held a 15-2 advantage in points off the opposing team’s turnovers, where they faltered was offensive production from the bench. Troy’s reserves outscored App State’s reserves, 21-4.
Among the Mountaineer starters, guard Myles Tate earned game-high scoring honors with 20 points, but only one teammate got into double figures, scoring. That was forward Jalil Beaubrun’s 12 points while also posting a team-high 7 rebounds.
Troy had three players in double figures scoring, including guard Tayton Conerway (16 points), forward Thomas Dowd (12) and guard Marcus Rigsby, Jr. (12).
The Trojans also played spoiler in the paint, with five blocks.
App State will look to get back in the scoring column on Saturday, Jan. 4, in a 1 p.m. tilt vs. Texas State at the Holmes Center. They follow with two additional home games before going back on the road, Wednesday, Jan. 8 vs. Coastal Carolina (6:30 p.m.) and Saturday, Jan. 11 vs. James Madison (1 p.m.).
By Katherine Jamtgaard. MOBILE, Ala. — The App State women’s basketball team defeated South Alabama, 82-67, on Thursday in a road matinee matchup. The victory marked the fourth consecutive win for the Mountaineers in the series against South Alabama and third consecutive win for App State since Dec. 21. The Mountaineers are 2-0 in Sun Belt action and improve to 6-6 on the season.
“I’m really proud of our team for fighting back in the first half,” said head coach Alaura Sharp. “We dug a big hole and showed great stick-with-it attitude to come back to take the lead before halftime. Learning to handle that kind of adversity is really important for a team. We played really hard and are showing signs of growth.”
Four Mountaineers netted double figures, led by senior Zada Porter, who scored a career high 23 points. Her previous career high was 16 points, set against Wofford on Dec. 7. Porter knocked down 10-of-11 from the charity stripe as well as 6-of-9 from the field. She also grabbed a team high seven rebounds, dished out three assists, and matched her career high four steals for a second time this season. Junior Elena Pericic netted 16 points, knocking down 4-of-6 from the arc. Additionally, Pericic made two of App State’s four blocks. Fellow junior Seneya Martinez and senior Mara Neira netted 11 points and 10 points, respectively, and combined for four of App State’s 11 treys. Senior Eleyana Tafisi dished out a team high five assists.
Porter shot 100% from the charity stripe, knocking down all six of her freebies.
App State shot 52.4% from the arc, 78.9% from the line, and 46.7% from the field. The Mountaineers netted 37 points off turnovers compared to South Alabama’s 12. The Black and Gold also netted 29 points off the bench compared to the Jaguars’ nine. App State caused 26 South Alabama turnovers and held the Jaguars to five treys over the course of play.
Despite a slow start for the Mountaineers in the first quarter, Porter and Neira combined for 11 of App State’s 13 points. Porter shot 100% from the charity stripe, knocking down all six of her freebies. Neira knocked down the Mountaineers’ first trey of the game as well as a second-chance jumper.
App State shot better than 50% from beyond the arc and almost 80% from the charity stripe.
The Mountaineers found their stride in the second quarter, despite trailing, 21-13. Pericic opened the quarter with a 3-point bucket, which Porter followed with a layup to cut the deficit to 21-18. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Porter and Martinez brought App State to within one of South Alabama’s lead (24-23). Junior Rylan Moffitt knocked down a trey of her own to push the Mountaineers ahead, 26-24. South Alabama knotted the score at 26-26 for the only tie of the game, but then broke the tie with a Tafisi layup and maintained control and the lead for the remainder of play.
Neira and Martinez knocked down another pair of treys to extend App State’s lead of 34-29. Martinez made another layup, netting all 11 of her points in the second quarter. With another Tafisi layup and a second Pericic trey, App State took a 45-31 lead. Over the course of the period, App State shot 87.5% from the arc, 80% from the field, and outscored South Alabama, 32-17.
Early in the third quarter, Porter sank another pair of freebies before Pericic knocked down back-to-back 3-point buckets for a 53-38 lead. Building off layups from Pericic, Porter, senior Emily Carver, and Moffitt, in addition to a freebie from freshman Hekla Nökkvadóttir, App State maintained a 66-50 lead at the close of the quarter.
Tafisi opened the fourth quarter with a layup, which Pericic followed up with a pair of free throws to keep the Mountaineers ahead, 70-55. Despite an early scoring drought, Porter sank another set of freebies. Carver also contributed a point from the charity stripe before Porter made a second-chance layup on a fastbreak. Carver knocked down her sole trey of the game to put App State up, 78-64. Neira and Porter made a last pair of layups before sealing the win, 82-67.
Up Next
The Mountaineers will head to Hattiesburg, Miss. to take on Southern Miss on Jan. 4. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. ET (2 p.m. CT) and the game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Special Report. BOONE, N.C. — App State alum D.J. Smith, a championship-winning player and coach during his previous tenures on the mountain, has been tabbed as the program’s next defensive coordinator by new head coach Dowell Loggains.
One of the best linebackers in school history who also played four years in the NFL, Smith spent the past five seasons on Eliah Drinkwitz’s Missouri staff, including the last three as co-defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator.
“We are very excited to welcome D.J. and his family back to Boone,” Loggains said. “D.J. played, coached and recruited for elite defenses at the highest levels of football. As an App State alum, he understands the championship tradition and standard of excellence here on the mountain.”
Smith helped Mizzou make bowl appearances in each of the last four seasons. The Tigers were led by a top-25 scoring defense in each of the last two years on their way to a 20-5 record entering Monday’s Music City Bowl.
“I’m excited and honored to come home to App State,” Smith said. “App is a special place with special people. This is where my collegiate career started as a player and as a coach. I appreciate Coach Dowell and Doug Gillin for entrusting me with this opportunity to return and lead this defense. Can’t wait to get started and continue the traditions of App State. It’s always a great day to be a Mountaineer!”
In 2024, Smith’s linebackers helped Missouri boast a top-20 scoring defense (19th, 20.1 points per game) and total defense (20th, 319.3 yards per game) as one of the SEC’s best units.
Smith’s 2-year tenure as App State’s outside linebackers coach coincided with two of the best seasons in school history.
Missouri’s defense was 25th nationally allowing 20.8 points per game en route to an 11-2 season in 2023. Smith’s pupil, Ty’Ron Hopper, earned All-SEC honors, was a Butkus Award finalist for the nation’s best linebacker and was chosen in the third round (No. 91 overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.
Smith also mentored one of the nation’s best linebackers and one of the most decorated in Missouri history in his first year in Columbia. Nick Bolton led the SEC with 67 solo tackles in 2020 on his way to second-team All-America recognition (from six different outlets) and first-team All-SEC honors. He was named a Butkus Award finalist, a Jason Witten Man of the Year semifinalist and a member of the SEC Community Service Team before being selected in the second round (No. 58 overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Smith helped Mizzou to bowl appearances in each of the last four seasons.
Smith’s two-year tenure as App State’s outside linebackers coach coincided with two of the best seasons in school history. The Mountaineers won 24 of 27 games during that span under two different head coaches and defensive coordinators, with the defense ranking fourth in the country in scoring in 2018 (15.5 points per game) and 21st in 2019 (20 points per game).
Working under Drinkwitz in 2019, Smith helped lead the Mountaineers to a Sun Belt Conference title with a 12-1 overall record and a No. 20 national ranking before being hired at Missouri, prior to App State’s win in the 2019 New Orleans Bowl.
Smith’s outside linebackers were a big reason why App State won the first two Sun Belt Championship games in 2018 and 2019. Akeem Davis-Gaither, who is currently a team captain with the Cincinnati Bengals, was the 2019 Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, while Noel Cook earned All-Sun Belt honorable mention. Davis-Gaither and Cook also earned all-league recognition in 2018.
Throughout his first four years after returning to the staff at his alma mater, App State amassed a 42-10 overall record, won or shared four-straight Sun Belt championships, and went a perfect 4-0 in bowl games. He joined Scott Satterfield’s staff in 2016 as the director of recruiting relations and worked in 2017 as a senior defensive analyst.
Smith amassed 525 tackles as an App State linebacker from 2007-10 and played four NFL seasons.
A Charlotte native, Smith started the final nine games of App State’s 2007 national championship run as a true freshman and had more than 120 tackles in each of his four college seasons, including two in which he earned All-America recognition. He finished his career with 50 straight starts and ranks second behind only Dexter Coakley on the App State career tackles list.
A sixth-round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2011, he made three starts in 16 games as a rookie and started six more games the following year. He totaled 82 tackles, two sacks and one interception with the Packers before spending time with the San Diego Chargers, Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns from 2013-14.
Smith and his wife, Charla, are parents to a son, Carter.
SMITH AT A GLANCE
Alma Mater: App State, 2010
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
Wife: Charla
Son: Carter
Twitter: @CoachDjSmith
Coaching Experience
2015: Vance H.S. (Defensive coordinator)
2016: App State (Director of recruiting relations)
2017: App State (Senior defensive analyst)
2018-19: App State (Outside linebackers)
2020-21: Missouri (Linebackers)
2022-24: Missouri (Co-Defensive coordinator/linebackers)
Playing Experience
2007-10: App State (LB)
2011-12: Green Bay Packers (LB)
2013: Houston Texans (LB)
2014: Carolina Panthers (LB)
Bowl/Postseason Experience
Coach
2016: Camellia (App State)
2017: Dollar General (App State)
2018: New Orleans (App State)
2019: New Orleans (App State) – did not coach in the game
2021: Armed Forces (Missouri)
2022: Gasparilla (Missouri)
2023: Cotton (Missouri)
2024: Music City (Missouri)
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It is almost a certainty that the App State women’s basketball team, on Dec. 29, convinced their Arkansas State counterparts that size matters. Taking advantage of a height advantage, the Mountaineers doubled up on the Red Wolves for points in the paint en route to a decisive, 77-62 win in both teams’ Sun Belt Conference season opener.
In front of paid attendance of 604 mostly App State fans and roughly 100 teddy bears, App State started slow but soon got things rolling. A 12-6 run in the final three minutes of the first quarter thrust the Mountaineers into the lead and they never relinquished it.
Zada Porter makes good on a second half fall away jumper for App State vs. Arkansas State on Dec. 29. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
App State finished the opening stanza with a 22-16 lead and went to their locker room at halftime with a 35-29 advantage. They outscored Arkansas State 24-10 in the third period, which was enough to survive a 3-pointer barrage by the visitors from Jonesboro in the final quarter.
Led by the Mountaineer “bigs” Rylee Moffitt and Elena Pericic, as a team App State outscored the Red Wolves 48-24 in the paint and pulled down 41 rebounds to Arkansas State’s 27. Pericic crashed the boards for a game-high 9 rebound as well as finished the game in double figures scoring, with 10. Moffitt was also in double figures, scoring 9 of her 13 points on the night in the second half while adding 4 rebounds, a block and an assist in coming off the bench.
Eleyana Tafisi looks to drive the lane vs. Arkansas State on Dec. 29, in the 77-62 App State win. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
In addition to the strong inside play, App State proved effective in transition, with 21 fastbreak points. Led by Moffitt, the Mountaineers exhibited greater roster depth, their bench outscoring the Red Wolves’ reserves, 41-34.
On 4-of-9 shooting from behind the arc, guard Mara Neira recorded a team-high 20 points. She also led App State’s disruptive defensive effort, with 4 steals on the night, tying for game-high honors in that department with Arkansas State’s Kyanna Morgan.
The Red Wolves’ starting guard, Kennedi Montue mustered a game-high 21 points but was the visitors’ only player in double figures.
Next up for the Mountaineers is a road trip to the Deep South, facing South Alabama in Mobile, Ala. on Jan. 2 and Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss. on Jan. 4. Both are scheduled for 3 p.m. Eastern Time tipoffs.
By David Rogers. DENTON, Texas — After App State fell behind North Texas by 15 points early in the second half, senior guard Myles Tate scored 19 of his game-high 21 points after intermission to bring the Mountaineers to within two points of tying the Mean Green. It wasn’t quite enough, however, with North Texas holding off their visitors from Boone, 68-64.
The Mean Green win came in spite of four Mountaineers scoring in double figures, including forward C J Huntley recording his 1,000th career points. The Huntersville, N.C. native and alum of Davidson Day School is just the 37th Mountaineer to achieve that milestone.
In addition to Tate’s 21 points and Huntley’s 17 points for the game vs. North Texas, Alonzo Dodd and Jalil Beaubrun each scored 10 points on the night.
The Mean Green led by just five points at halftime, but scored the first four points of the second half to take a 9-point advantage, 37-28, following a fast break layup and two free throws from 6-1 senior guard Atin Wright, a native of Hawthorne, Calif. who started his college career playing at Cal State Northridge for three years before transferring to Drake University a year ago, then using the transfer portal again to arrive at North Texas. He played in 32 games at Drake in 2023-24, starting in all 32 of them.
Four App State turnovers in the first seven minutes of the second half allowed North Texas to jump out to a 15-point lead, a run that included five straight made free throws by the Lone Star State players, two by Rondel Walker and three by Brenen Lorient.
But the Mountaineers clawed back into the fray, led by Tate’s four buckets from long distance in the last 11 minutes along with scoring contributions from Dodd, Huntley and Beaubrun and a tightened App State defense.
With time running out (only 19 seconds remained when Tate hit on a 3-pointer to close the deficit to 64-62), App State was forced to foul. Unfortunately, the Mean Green’s Jasper Floyd was good on 4-of-4 from the charity stripe in the last 19 seconds, effectively thwarting the Mountaineers’ comeback rally.
App State (6-6 overall, 0-1 in Sun Belt) will take some time off for the holidays, returning to the court on Thursday, Jan. 2, to take on Troy in a Sun Belt Conference home opener at the Holmes Convocation Center. Tipoff is slated for 6:30 p.m.
North Texas (8-3 overall), a member of the American Athletic Conference, stays at home to host Houston Christian on Dec. 22 and University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) on Dec. 31, before opening the new year at Memphis on Jan. 5 in a first AAC contest for the season.
By Bret Stelow. BOONE, N.C. — On Dec. 19, App State Football head coach Dowell Loggains announced the hiring of Riley Watkins as an offensive assistant coach.
Watkins has worked on SEC staffs at Arkansas, Missouri and South Carolina during the last four seasons. He has spent the previous two seasons as an offensive graduate assistant working with quarterbacks and wide receivers at South Carolina, where Loggains was the offensive coordinator in 2023 and 2024.
“Riley has been a huge part of our offensive success at both South Carolina and Arkansas,” Loggains said. “We’re excited for him to join our staff and to welcome him and his wife, Kaylee, to App State.”
Loggains and Watkins also worked together at Arkansas in 2021, when Watkins was an offensive/recruiting undergraduate assistant. He was an offensive quality control coach at Missouri with former App State head coach Eliah Drinkwitz in 2022.
“I’m really excited to join the App State staff with Coach Loggains. He is a great man and a great offensive mind. I have so much respect for the history and tradition of the App State program. My wife, Kaylee, and I are excited to get here. I’m ready to get to work and compete for more championships here on the mountain.”
With Loggains and Watkins on the same offensive staff at South Carolina, wide receiver and future NFL first-round pick Xavier Legette teamed with future NFL quarterback Spencer Rattler in 2023 to form one of the most lethal pass-and-catch combinations in the country. Legette was a first-team All-SEC performer and third-team All-American during a season in which he caught 71 passes for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns.
In 2024, 15th-ranked South Carolina ended the regular season with top-50 national rankings in scoring, yardage, first downs and completion percentage. LaNorris Sellers turned into one of college football’s most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks, with 10 players having at least one receiving touchdown.
Missouri averaged 214.1 passing yards per game in 2022, with Brady Cook throwing to the likes of Dominic Lovett (846 receiving yards) and Luther Burden (six receiving touchdowns).
Arkansas finished the 2021 season with final rankings of No. 20 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 21 in the AP Top 25 thanks to a 9-4 record that included an Outback Bowl win against Penn State.
A native of Republic, Missouri, Watkins was an all-region performer at Republic High School before spending time as a quarterback, running back and tight end at Pittsburg State in Kansas. He graduated from Pittsburg State in 2022 and has a wife, Kaylee.
