Category: College

By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — App State Baseball announced 17 additions to the program heading into the 2025 season. The newcomers are comprised of seven freshmen, four junior college transfers, one Division II transfer and five transfers from Division I institutions.

Conner Barozzino is a right-handed pitcher from Cornelius, N.C. 6-1, 185, bats right, throws right. Barozzino joins the Mountaineers from Hickory Grove Christian, where he was a high school teammate of Kameron Miller. Barozzino was rated as the 21st-best right-handed pitcher in the state of North Carolina by Perfect Game, as well as the 50th-best prospect overall. He was also a top-500 prospect nationally. Barozzino possesses a high-spin-rate fastball that tops out in the high 80s, as well as a changeup, curveball and slider. As a senior, he posted a 1.41 ERA and struck out 94 batters in 59.2 innings of work. He finished his high school career with more than 250 strikeouts across four seasons.

Liam Best is a right-handed pitcher, a redshirt junior from Sterling, Va. and Potomac Falls High School. 6-1, 205, bats right, throws right. A transfer from State College of Florida, Best has a power right-handed arm, featuring a low-90s fastball. In two seasons with the Manatees, Best fanned 67 batters in just 45.2 innings of work. Best began his collegiate career at George Washington University, where he made five appearances as a freshman in 2022. In high school, he was ranked the 21st-best right-handed pitcher in the state of Virginia and a 2021 Perfect Game Preseason All-American Honorable Mention as well as a 2020 Perfect Game Preseason Underclassman All-American.

Cameron Carpenter is a freshman outfielder from Palm Beach, Fla. 5-10, 175. Switch hitter, throws right. Carpenter batted .307 across his final two seasons at Palm Beach Gardens High School while also making nine appearances on the mound, where he recorded three saves as a senior. Additionally, Carpenter played Area Code Games, East Coast Pro league and in the Diamond Club All-Star games. His father, Doug, played Minor League Baseball for seven seasons and has since worked in Major League scouting for over 30 years, currently with the Cleveland Guardians.

Cal Clark is a right-handed junior pitcher from Charlotte, N.C. 6-4 205. Bats right, throws right. A high school teammate of Everette Harris at Charlotte Christian, Clark began his collegiate career at Charlotte in 2023, playing in 20 games, including six starts. Clark transferred to Gaston College in 2024 but was limited to just two appearances due to injury. A highly touted recruit out of high school, Clark was ranked as the 13th-best overall prospect in the state of North Carolina as well as a top-60 right-handed pitcher in the country. Clark helped lead Charlotte Christian to three state championships in high school and finished his career with a 1.81 ERA and 128 strikeouts on his way to being invited to participate in the MLB Draft Combine.

Juan Correa is a senior first baseman from Weston, Fla. 6-5 220. Bats right, throws right. A well-traveled addition to the Mountaineers, Correa was an academic all-conference selection last season as a member of the Charlotte 49ers. Correa batted .264 on the year and ranked second on the team with 12 home runs and tied for fourth with 32 RBIs. He also boasted a team-best 10-game hitting streak. Correa began his career with the Stetson Hatters in 2022 before transferring to the College of Central Florida, where he led the Patriots to a National Championship and was named JuCo World Series MVP. Correa was named a second-team All-American at West Broward High School.

Charlie Evans is a junior outfielder from Levittown, Pa. (Pennsbury HS). 5-9 175. Bats right, throws right. A transfer from Winthrop, Evans started in 39 of the 40 games he played for the Eagles a season ago. He paced the team with a .303 average and a .517 slugging percentage while posting a .990 fielding percentage in center field. A highly touted recruit out of high school, Evans was rated as the ninth-best prospect out of the state of Pennsylvania in 2022. He was also named a Perfect Game Preseason All-American that year.

Tyler Figueroa is a sophomore infielder from Colonie, N.Y. (Colonie Central). 5-8 165. Bats right, throws right. A transfer from Siena, Figueroa faced the Mountaineers in a three-game series to open the 2024 campaign in Hickory, N.C. As a freshman last season, Figueroa led the Saints with a .315 batting average and 35 RBIs. He also boasted a .523 slugging percentage and .392 on-base percentage in his first college season, earning him a spot on the 2024 MAAC All-Rookie team as well as four Rookie of the Week selections during the season. He finished the season by hitting safely in 40 of 52 games, including 16 multi-hit efforts.

John Kramer is a redshirt junior outfielder from Wildwood, Mo. 6-1 220. Bats left, throws left. Kramer transferred to App State from Ole Miss, where he was a member of the 2022 national championship squad as a freshman. Across three seasons with the Rebels, Kramer appeared in 44 games and made 17 starts before having his 2024 season cut short due to injury. Named the 2021 Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year, Kramer was rated as the fourth-best prospect from the state and a top-60 outfielder, nationally. He holds the Lafayette High School record for career home runs (19) and single-season home runs (11). Kramer hails from an impressive athletic family, as his father, Jack, played basketball at Michigan and UAB and his aunt, Nicole Kramer, swam in the 1976 Olympics.

Tyler Lichtenberger is a freshman infielder from Boca Raton, Fla. 6-0 180; Bats left, throws right. Lichtenberger delivered a strong finish to his high school career at West Boca Raton HS. As a senior, he batted .340, with 16 of his 33 hits going for extra bases. On the mound, he posted a 4-0 record with two saves in 2024. He did not allow an earned run in 9.1 innings of work. He was named a top-100 shortstop in the state of Florida by Perfect Game.

Xavier Lopez is a junior outfielder from Orlando, Fla. 6-0 187. He bats left and throws left. Lopez has transferred to App State after playing two years at Daytona State. Last season, he was named a First Team All-FCSAA D1 and All-Citrus Conference selection, slashing .414/.505/.637 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs in 45 games. He walked 24 times compared to 27 strikeouts and posted a .978 fielding percentage across multiple positions. Lopez was an all-state selection at Oviedo High School in Orlando, Fla.

Riley Luft is a freshman utility player from Boca Raton, Fla. 5-11 185. Bats right, throws right. Luft joins the Mountaineers out of North Broward Prep, where he was rated by Perfect Game as the eighth-best third baseman in the state of Florida as well as being a top 50 overall player in the state. Luft led North Broward Prep to three state titles in four years as well as a runner-up finish, totaling 98 wins across four seasons. He earned all-county and all-district honors in each of his four seasons and batted over .330 each of his final three high school seasons. He finished his four-year career with eight homers, 74 RBIs and over 100 hits. He also walked as many times as he struck out across four seasons.

Caleb Marks is a senior right-handed pitcher from Murfreesboro, Tenn. 6-1 180. Bats right, throw right. A Division II transfer from Trevecca Nazarene, Marks is coming off a sensational 2024 campaign. He was named a First-Team D2CCA All-American Midwest Region and the G-MAC Conference Pitcher of the Year after posting an 8-0 record and a 2.25 ERA. Marks struck out 99 batters while walking just 20 and threw four complete games on the season. He also issued just one wild pitch and did not hit a batter in 88.0 innings of work. He posted a 2.62 ERA as a sophomore and combined to fan over 200 batters across three seasons at Trevecca. Marks played for Siegel High School, where he earned two honorable mention all-district awards.

Tanner McCammon is a sophomore infielder from Matthews, N.C. 6-3 195. Bats right, throws right. McCammon made 21 appearances, including four starts, as a freshman at Elon last season. He competed for the Danville Otterbots of the Appalachian League this summer, recording 25 hits in 34 games. McCammon competed for Charlotte Christian High School, where he was a 2021 and 2022 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American and a two-time state champion. He was ranked by Prep Baseball Report as the 15th-best shortstop in the state of North Carolina and the 60th best player overall for the class of 2023.

Mason Middleton is a right-handed freshman pitcher from Pfafftown, N.C. 6-2 220. Runs right, throws right. Middleton joins the Mountaineers out of Reagan High School, where he was ranked the 19th-best player in the state of North Carolina and the 10th-best right-handed pitcher by Perfect Game. His arsenal is highlighted by a low-90s fastball and complimented by a changeup, slider and curveball. Middleton was named the CPC 4A Player of the Year as a senior, in addition to all-conference and all-region recognition. Across his three-year varsity career, Middleton made 28 appearances, including seven starts, and was victorious in six of his eight decisions. In his final season, he posted a 1.15 ERA and struck out 48 batters in 36.2 innings of work, leading Reagan to a conference title. Middleton pitched at Fenway Park in 2023 as part of the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series Main Event.

Luke Oblen is a freshman right-handed pitcher from Chicago, Ill. 6-3 193. Bats right, runs right. Oblen comes to the High Country from DePaul College Prep, where he was recognized as the fourth-best right-handed pitcher in the state of Illinois and the 18th-best overall player in the state by Perfect Game, leading DePaul Prep to a sectional championship. Oblen touches the mid-90s with his fastball and possesses a changeup, curveball and slider. He was a member of the 16U/17U USA Baseball National Team Development Program.

Reyn Watson is a junior left-handed pitcher from Green Sea, S.C. 6-3 175. Bats left, throws left. A transfer From Florida Southwestern State, Watson combined to post a 4.41 ERA and a strikeout rate of 10.06 per nine innings. Watson also excelled in the classroom, garnering NJCAA All-Academic recognition as well as earning academic all-conference and all-state honors. Watson was a two-time SCISA Player of the Year at Pee Dee Academy, going 9-1 with a 1.75 ERA as a senior. In his career at Pee Dee, he struck out 185 batters in 93 innings, and as a senior, he led his team to a state championship and a 21-3 record.

Sam Weinstein is a freshman catcher from Brookeville, Md. 6-1 183. Bats right, throws right. The top-ranked catcher in the state of Maryland, Weinstein joins the Mountaineers out of Georgetown Prep, where he was also ranked the 18th-best player in the state by Perfect Game. Weinstein helped the Little Hoyas capture their fifth consecutive conference championship in 2024, catching a no-hitter in the championship game. Weinstein was named an IAC All-Conference selection. He is one of seven Georgetown Prep players from the class of 2024 to go on to play collegiately.

The Mountaineers have announced two fall ball contests at Smith Stadium next month. App State will host Wofford on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. before hosting ECU on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 1 p.m. Admission is free.

By Bret Strelow. BOONE, N.C. — With several high-profile opponents set to visit Varsity Gym, which has been upgraded via seating and visual enhancements for the 2024-25 season, App State Wrestling announced its complete schedule and season ticket availability Tuesday.

Key Home Events  

The Mountaineers’ home schedule includes visits from nonconference foes West Virginia (on Nov. 22, a Friday night before a Nov. 23 home football game against James Madison), Virginia Tech (Sunday, Jan. 19) and Duke (Monday, Jan. 20) as well as SoCon counterparts Chattanooga (Sunday, Feb. 9) and Campbell (Sunday, Feb. 23).

Counting two Saturday tournaments and seven duals, there are nine home events on the schedule for App State, which closed last season with a second straight SoCon Championship tournament title and a No. 24 national ranking.

New Seating Opportunities

General admission season tickets with seating on the familiar sets of sideline bleachers are available for the low cost of $70 for the nine home events. For faculty/staff, the discounted price is $60.

New endline seating, facing the new competition mat and the Varsity Gym scoreboard, will be in place as a premium seating option for the 2024-25 season.

A season ticket in the Premium Gold section — which has a reserved seat that includes a seatback, a cupholder and more leg room than a traditional bleacher seat — costs $100. A season ticket in the Premium Black section, which is a general admission seat (that also has a seatback) within the Premium area, outside of the Premium Gold seats, costs $85.

Single-match tickets will go on sale at a later date, with the matches against West Virginia, Virginia Tech and Campbell serving as Varsity Plus duals, so the best value for App State Wrestling fans is purchasing a season ticket.

This season, home duals will be streamed live on FloWrestling, which has a subscription model.

Schedule Details

The Mountaineers’ schedule begins Nov. 3 with a tournament appearance at the Battle at The Citadel, and App State will host the Mountaineer Invitational the following Saturday. The dual schedule begins Friday night, Nov. 15 at NC State.

App State hosts West Virginia in Varsity Gym at 7 p.m. on Nov. 22 before competing away from home for nearly two months.

Those events are the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 6-7), the SoCon opener at VMI (Dec. 12), the Wilkes Open (in Pennsylvania on Dec. 20), the Southern Scuffle (in Chattanooga from Jan. 4-5) and another SoCon road dual against The Citadel (Jan. 12).

The Mountaineers host Virginia Tech and Duke on back-to-back days, with the Sunday dual against the Hokies scheduled for 3 p.m. and the Monday night dual against the Blue Devils scheduled for 7 p.m., following a high school match.

The Appalachian Open is set for Jan. 25, followed by a SoCon visit from Presbyterian two days later. The Mountaineers then conclude their road schedule with visits to Louisville-based Bellarmine on Jan. 31 and Gardner-Webb on Feb. 4.

The last three Sundays of the regular season feature 3 p.m. home duals against SoCon opponents Chattanooga (Feb. 9), Davidson (Feb. 16) and Campbell (Feb. 23).

The location and date have yet to be finalized for the SoCon Championship tournament, although it is expected to be March 7 or March 8, and the NCAA Championships begin March 20 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

By Matt Present. DAVIDSON, N.C. — In the first meeting since Feb. 2021 between two teams separated by less than 100 miles, App State dropped a road match to Davidson by a 4-1 final on Sunday at Alumni Stadium.

Sophomore midfielder Olivia Simon scored the Mountaineers’ (2-3-2) lone goal of the match. Trailing 1-0 in the 13th minute, App State put the clamps on the Davidson (4-1-1) defense with Izzi Wood poking the ball away from the Wildcats center back. Simon pounced on the loose ball and buried a right-footed shot into the bottom right corner of the net for her second goal of the season, tying the score at one apiece.

With the score still tied at 1-1 in the second half, the Wildcats jumped back in front. Davidson scored three unanswered goals to finish the match, helped by two assists from Savannah Pruitt. Maddie Moody scored the game-winning goal in the 54th minute, completing a brace, after opening the scoring with a seventh minute tally.

Despite coming up short on the scoreboard, the Mountaineers out-shot the Wildcats 11-10 for the match, including a 6-4 advantage in shots on target. Davidson recorded all five saves in the match and earned nine corner kicks on the afternoon.

The Mountaineers return to action on Sept. 12 in Ft. Myers, Fla., where they will take on Florida Gulf Coast at 7 p.m. to round out non-conference play.

By David Rogers. CLEMSON, S.C. — Plays to celebrate were few and far between for App State’s football team at Clemson on Sept. 7. Down 35-0 at the end of the first quarter and 56-13 at halftime, the Mountaineers fell victim to an historic offensive performance by the Tigers in losing by a final score of 66-20.

For Clemson, it was the most yards of total offense (525 yards) in the first half in the program’s history, 349 of them in the first quarter. The Tigers’ starting quarterback, Cade Klubnick, only played the first half but achieved career highs in passing yards, passing TDs, and rushing TDs. He finished with 378 passing yards, a whopping five passing TDs and, oh yeah, two rushing touchdowns.

On the third play from scrimmage, Klubnick connected with wide receiver Bryant Wesco, Jr. just past midfield and the much talked about freshman took it to the house for a 72-yard catch-and-sprint TD.

While the Clemson defense kept the Mountaineers’ offense off-balance and punting, Klubnick and Wesco combined for another 52-yard big gain to the 1-yard line, from which the nimble QB took the ball to the end zone all by himself (through a gaping hole made possible by his offensive line).

After more App State misadventures, Clemson running back Phil Mafah found nothing but daylight ahead of him and ran for an 82-yard score.

With the Tigers scoring three TDs on their first three possessions and the orange-and-white uniformed defensive unit all but putting a stranglehold on the Mountaineers’ Joey Aguilar-led offense, the hosts’ 21-0 lead with still 7:08 remaining in the first quarter had written on the proverbial wall how this contest was going to turn out.

To their credit, even though schooled by Clemson’s starters, App State played gamely until the final whistle blew. As the game wore on, Aguilar finally began to connect with receivers Christan Horn, Kaedin Robinson and others.

Among the most impressive Mountaineer performances from the start was that of running back Anderson Castle, who seemed to be able to move the football when hardly anyone else among the visitors could. The Watauga High School alum finished the night with seven rushes for 80 yards, an 11.4 average, with his longest a 21-yard run. On each occasion, he proved difficult for the Tigers to bring down. A highlight was his 4-yard power drive into the end zone for his first TD of the year. Of the Mountaineers’ eight rushing plays of 10 yards or more, Castle had five of them, for 11, 12, 17, 21, and 10 yards. To round out his “big play” night, the redshirt junior had one of the Mountaineers’ six pass plays of 15-plus yards, a 19-yard gain coming out of the backfield with under a minute to go in the first half.

Robinson was targeted 10 times by Aguilar, eventually catching three passes for 58 yards. Christan Horn caught three of five targets for 47 yards, while Makai Jackson proved to be the most proficient Mountaineer on the night, catching six of 11 targets for 54 yards, including a touchdown on a twisting, 17-yard catch-and-tumble into the end zone, in the third quarter.

After struggling in the first half, Aguilar seemed to get back in sync with his receivers in the second half, finishing the game with 18 completions in 41 attempts, including one TD and not interceptions.

Facing a powerful Clemson offensive line, the App State defense recorded no sacks and only three tackles for loss, one each by linebacker Derrell Farrar and defensive backs DJ Burks and Jordan Favors.

Underscoring Clemson’s offensive performance against the Mountaineers, the Tigers scored touchdowns on all eight of their first half possessions.

App State will look to rebound next week at East Carolina, a 20-14 winner over another Sun Belt Conference East Division member, Old Dominion. Although Clemson might wish they could play again soon to reinforce the winning momentum, the Tigers will have to wait for a Sept. 21 date vs. the North Carolina State Wolfpack, in Death Valley.

 

 

 

By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE, N.C. — The App State volleyball team swept Gardner-Webb, 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-22), in the Mountaineer Classic finale on Saturday, improving to 3-3 on the season.

“I’m proud of our team after three hard-fought matches,” said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. “We got to see a lot of different combinations of players this weekend and I know we got better this week. This team wants to be good and is driven to that end when they step on the court.”

Junior Maya Winterhoff and sophomore Ava Leahy landed on the Mountaineer Classic All-Tournament Team for their efforts over the weekend. Both started all three matches and appeared in all 11 sets over the weekend. Winterhoff, who was also tabbed as a Preseason All-SBC selection and was named to the Bobcat Invitational All-Tournament, totaled 31 kills on the weekend for a hitting percentage of .429. She also made nine block assists, five digs, and served up one ace. Across the three matches, Winterhoff averaged 2.82 kills per set and 3.32 points per set. Leahy tallied 22 kills on the weekend and a hitting percentage of .378. She also made seven blocks (one solo, six assists) on the weekend. Leahy averaged two kills per set and 2.36 points per set.

Match Notes

Freshman Maddie Smith led the team with 14 kills, while sophomore Caroline Farthing made a team-high 13 digs. Freshman Julianna Horta made 19 assists and served up two aces, while redshirt-junior Addison Heidemann led the team in the aces category, with up three. She also made 13 assists and 11 digs. Winterhoff made a team-high three blocks against Gardner-Webb. App State outpaced Gardner-Webb in the points, kills, aces, assists, and digs categories and tallied 15 kills in each set.

In the first set, Gardner-Webb only held a lead for its first four points, before the Mountaineers took a 6-4 edge with back-to-back kills from freshman Maddie Smith and Winterhoff. The Bulldogs answered with a kill before App State distanced itself with a 9-2 run, building off kills from senior Lulu Ambrose, freshman Bella Hutchens, and Leahy, as well as a pair of Horta aces, and a solo block from Leahy, which pushed the Mountaineers to a 15-7 lead. A kill from Marchal, an ace from junior Kenady Roper, and a block from the duo of Marchal and Winterhoff put the Black and Gold up 19-10. The Bulldogs worked to close the deficit with a pair of 4-0 runs, cutting App State’s lead to two at 23-21. A kill from Leahy and a Bulldog error sealed the point for the Mountaineers, 25-21.

A kill from Elise Marchal put the Mountaineers on the board early in the second set. A Smith kill, followed by a block from Smith and Winterhoff, and an ace from Heidemann, established a 4-1 lead. After a trio of 3-0 runs, the Mountaineers pulled ahead, 15-6. Late in the set, App State took a 22-10 lead after a 4-0 run that included a block from Winterhoff and Horta and kills from Leahy and Ambrose. The Bulldogs answered with a 7-1 run, but Leahy made back-to-back kills as the Mountaineers took the set, 25-17. The Mountaineers held the Bulldogs to eight kills in the second set.

The Mountaineers and Bulldogs fought point-for-point in the third and final set. Gardner-Webb took a 12-8 lead with a 4-0 run, but the Black and Gold fought back with a 6-1 run of its own, building off kills from Leahy, Winterhoff, Smith, and a Heidemann ace to take a 14-13 edge. The Bulldogs pulled ahead, 16-14, but the Mountaineers were quick to answer with kills from Winterhoff and an ace from Farthing to regain an 18-16 edge. App State held the lead for the remainder of the match as Leahy made two kills and Smith tallied three more kills to bring App State to set and match point. App State won the set and the match after a final kill from Winterhoff.

All-Tournament Selections

Maya Winterhoff – App State
Ava Leahy – App State
Amanda Lowe – ETSU
Whitley Rammel – ETSU
Manu Johnsen – Kennesaw State
Olivia Burrage – Kennesaw State
Molly Littlefield – Gardner-Webb

By Layne McNary. RICHMOND, Va. — The App State Field Hockey team faced their first setback against Richmond on Friday. Despite leading the shot count 18-6, a late fourth period goal by the Spiders (2-1) resulted in a 2-1 setback for the Mountaineers.

How it Happened

1st: The first period began tight for both teams, with the Mountaineers pressing the attack throughout the period. Henriette Stegen scored her second goal of the season nearly halfway through the second, giving the Mountaineers an early lead. App State ended the period with five shots to Richmond’s two.

2nd: The Mountaineers turned up the intensity in the second, forcing four corners in the period. App State got seven shots up in this period, many being good looks, but could not find the back of the cage. App State went into halftime with a 1-0 lead, while leading the shot count 12-2.

3rd: It was back and forth between both teams in the third period, ending with a shot count of 4-3. Richmond midfielder Madelyn Curtis found the back of the net at the end of the third, tying the game going into the fourth period. Curtis’ goal was the first goal scored on the Mountaineers this season.

4th: The game continued to be tight, leading to a shot count of 2-1 favoring the Mountaineers to finish the period. Richmond forward Valen Luna Paratore scored with 2:12 left on the game clock, giving the Spiders the final 2-1 lead late the game.

By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — Izzi Wood scored two first half goals, both assisted by Ellie Garrison, but Radford scored three unanswered goals in the second half to defeat the Mountaineers, 4-2, snapping App State’s 13-match home unbeaten streak.

The Mountaineers (2-2-2) opened the scoring on a set piece in the 13th minute of play. With a free kick from the defensive side of midfield, Aleesia Ambrosio served the ball forward. Garrison lept in the air, flicking a header forward to Wood, who was able to finish with a strike into the bottom right corner of the net to give the Mountaineer a 1-0 lead.

After Radford (5-1) tied the score on a Paige Olson goal in the 32nd minute, the Mountaineers were quick to respond. In the 35th minute of play. Garrison fed Wood on a give-and-go at the top of the box, and Wood drilled a shot into the top-left corner of the cage for her second goal of the match.

For Wood, the goal was her third of the season and 18th of her App State career, moving her into a tie with Allison Osborne (1995-98) for seventh place on the career scoring list.

The graduate student had a chance for a hat-trick just eight minutes into the second half. Wood drew a foul in the Radford box but her penalty kick was saved by the Radford goalkeeper, Jordan Phillips.

Not long after, the match turned south for App State. Just three minutes later, Jashyra Johnson scored the equalizer for the Highlanders and then less than three minutes later, Johnson netted the go-ahead goal to give Radford its first lead of the match.

In the 66th minute, Helena Wilson was fouled in the App State box and converted the penalty kick to push the deficit to 4-2.

Garrison nearly got on the scoreboard for the third time in as many games in the 60th minute, but her shot went ringing off the crossbar. Garrison finished the match with nine shots, equaling Wood for the game high.

The Mountaineers out-shot the highlanders 25-11, but Radford held the advantage 8-7 in shots on target.

Gracie Giacoletto led the Mountaineers’ bench with 55 minutes of playing time. She made a spectacular defensive play in the 39th minute, making a back post save on a Radford corner kick to keep App State in front 2-1 going into halftime.

The four goals allowed were the most by the Mountaineers at home since conceding four goals to Pittsburgh in 2020.

The Mountaineers will look to rebound on Sunday when they face Davidson on the road at 1 p.m. The match will be televised on ESPN+.

By Peyton Ash. BOONE, N.C. — With 36,232 braving inclement weather, the Appalachian State Mountaineers hosted East Tennessee State University on Aug. 31, for a strong season opener at The Rock.

App State set the tone early, as Christan Horn caught a long ball down the middle from quarterback Joey Aguilar for an 83-yard touchdown. The score happened in the first three minutes of play and was the longest pass of Aguilar’s career.

“We had it planned out throughout the week for certain plays,” said Aguilar after the game. “Every play we got, we’ve got a deep shot somewhere and it’s just my alert… Today the safety jumped on K-Rob (Kaedin Robinson) and left the middle field open for C-Horn (Christan Horn), so I just threw it out there.”

The Mountaineers got the ball again after a short drive from ETSU and marched downfield with ease, throwing and running their way through the Buccaneers. Close to the goal line, a Christan Horn touchdown was called back due to an illegal block in the back by Horn himself, according to game officials. App State settled for a field goal by Michael Hughes to put the team up 10-0 as the first quarter came to an end.

After another juggle of possessions, Aguilar and the Mountaineer run-game set up a first and goal at the one-yard line, Kanye Roberts punched in App State’s second touchdown to make the score 17-0.

With 7:19 left in the second quarter, App State linebacker Derrell Farrar rocked ETSU quarterback Jaylen King. Farrar was penalized for the alleged late hit that left King off the field for a play. Initially ruled to be targeting, upon review that aspect of the penalty was overturned.

The Buccaneers did not go out of the half without a fight. ETSU running back Devontae Houston cracked an 80-yard run down the heart of the Mountaineers logo — and through a gaping hole in the Mountaineer defense — to shorten the App State lead to 17-7.

In his post-game press conference, App State head coach Shawn Clark was critical of his team’s penalties and the late-first-half 80-yard touchdown run.

“It’s one play. Anytime you miss-fit a gap and it goes to, you know, a 70-yard run, that stuff doesn’t look good for us and it’s not what we wanted,” Clark said.

Halftime arrived with the Mountaineers still holding the 17-7 advantage.

Following the intermission, ETSU rallied with back-to-back big plays that put them in prime scoring position, at App State’s 23-yard line. Tight End Cameron Lewis led the charge with a 28-yard physical catch and two other receptions during the drive.

App State’s defense buckled down and held ETSU to a field goal, led by inside linebackers Brendan Harrington and Jalik Thomas. ETSU capped off the drive with a 25-yard field goal to once again shorten the lead to 17-10.

Aguilar and the Mountaineers responded with eight consecutive passes. The Antioch, Calif. native delivered another deep ball to tight end Eli Wilson across the middle for a 34-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 24-10. The catch-and-run was the longest of Wilson’s career.

“We’re going to use him a lot this year,” Clark said later. “We didn’t use him enough today but anytime we need a big fourth down he’s one of our first progressions.”

Back-to-back sacks put ETSU at the one-yard line, forcing the Buccaneers to punt the possession away. Outside linebacker Thomas Davis was involved with both sacks on QB Jaylen King.

“I feel like this game went really good for the D-Line,” Davis said. “If we stop the run, we get to have fun; That’s our ‘lingo’.”

App State capitalized on the next drive with Makai Jackson running for a 47-yard reverse and into the endzone to extend the Mountaineer lead. Just six minutes later, Aguilar punched in another touchdown from the one-yard line.

App State will travel down to Clemson next week, looking for yet another Power 4 FBS win. It has been nearly a decade since the two last met, with Clemson winning the past matchup, 41-10.

“We’re going to Death Valley. It’s a big game,” Clark said. “We’ll make sure we’re firing on all cylinders come Saturday.”

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Things may have bogged down a bit in the middle but Appalachian State was stellar at the beginning and the end against East Tennessee State in the Aug. 31 football season opener, pulling away from the Buccaneers, 38-10.

Kidd Brewer Stadium was rockin’ and rollin’ with a standing room only crowd to watch quarterback Joey Aguilar’s return after a record-setting debut a season ago. The transfer from California’s Diablo Valley Community College didn’t disappoint against ETSU, completing 22 of 37 passes for 325 yards through the air, two TDs and no INTs (a 151.3 efficiency rating) while toting the pigskin five times in short yardage situations for another two TDs.

The Mountaineers amassed 500 yards of total offense, adding 175 rushing yards to Aguilar’s passing totals. Counting Aguilar, App State employed seven rushers in a methodical attack. Wide receiver Makai Jackson used his one carry on a jet sweep around the left side to ramble for 47 yards and a TD, to lead all rushers. Juniors Kanye Roberts  and Anderson Castle accounted for most of the ground game workload, each carrying the ball nine times for 35 and 28 yards, respectively.

Just like they did a year ago, Aguilar and wide receiver Kaedin Robinson proved an effective tandem, with Robinson on the receiving end of 8 Aguilar passes for 103 yards, the biggest a 47-yard aerial as Robinson crossed to the middle for a 47-yard gain, to the ETSU 21 yard line.

Aguilar’s biggest play, however, seemed to be supercharged by the lightning storm  preceding the game, an 83-yard catch-and-run to veteran wide receiver Christan Horn. With the ball snapped from App State’s own 17 yard line, the 6-2, 190 lb. senior collected the ball near the ETSU 37, then sprinted the rest of the way to the end zone. On App State’s third play from scrimmage, it was the first of five Mountaineer TDs on the day.

The matchup between two former SoCon adversaries also pitted former Watauga Pioneers against each other. Castle, Orlando Leon and Carter Everett are now on the Mountaineers’ roster. Redshirt senior Zach West, an outside linebacker, joins Carlton and Cole Horine, both freshman defensive backs and first year offensive lineman Eli Greene as Pioneer representatives on the Buccaneer roster.

Although the Mountaineer offense seemed to bog down in the middle of the contest while ETSU was gaining some momentum, midway through the third quarter Aguilar found tight end Eli Wilson crossing across the middle for a 34-yard passing TD. It seemed to provide a new spark for App State, on both sides of the ball. Up to that point, ETSU had narrowed the early Mountaineer lead to just a single possession, 17-10. Whether discouraged or worn out, the Buccaneers never really threatened for the rest of the game.

GAME NOTES (Courtesy of App State Athletics):

• Attendance at Kidd Brewer Stadium was 36,232, the third-largest crowd in Kidd Brewer Stadium history behind the 2022 game against North Carolina and the 2023 game against East Carolina, which both announced a crowd of 40,168.
• App State won its 10th home opener in the last 11 tries.
• The Mountaineers improved to 33-14-1 all-time against ETSU and won against an FCS team for the 11th time in 12 tries since moving up to the FBS ranks in 2014. It was App State’s eighth straight win in the series against ETSU.
• App State improved to 54-10 in home games since 2014, the seventh-best winning percentage nationally in that span (and best among Group of Five programs).
• App State’s 96 wins since its 2014 FBS debut are tied for sixth-most in the nation behind Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia and Oklahoma.
• First-time starters for the Mountaineers included LG Griffin Scroggs, C Jack Hollifield, RT Thomas Shrader, DE Montez Kelley, NOSE Joshua Donald, DE Michael Fletcher, STAR Avarion Cole and CB Seth Robertson.

OFFENSE

• On the Mountaineers’ second offensive play of the season and first passing play, Joey Aguilar connected with Christan Horn for an 83-yard touchdown, the longest throw and catch of their careers, respectively. Aguilar also threw a touchdown on his first pass of the season in last year’s opener against Gardner-Webb.
• Aguilar – the only returning FBS QB with 33+ touchdown passes and 3,700+ yards from last year – finished the day completing 22 of 37 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns, while adding two more scores on the ground. It was his first game with multiple rushing touchdowns after scoring on the ground three times all of last season.
• Aguilar’s 34-yard touchdown pass to Eli Wilson on a fourth-down play was Wilson’s career-long reception. The starting tight end found the end zone for the third-straight regular season game.
• Kaedin Robinson led the receiving corps with eight catches for 103 yards, his fourth career triple-digit receiving yard outing. Robinson ranks among the top 15 players in the country with his 26 consecutive games with a reception.
• Wide receiver Makai Jackson found the end zone via rush on an end-around toss that he took 47 yards to pay dirt. It was his first career rush as a Mountaineer.

DEFENSE

• App State’s defense held the Buccaneers to just 122 passing yards and 305 total yards. ETSU converted only 3 of 13 third downs and 1 of 3 fourth downs.
• Starting inside linebacker Kyle Arnholt led all players with a career-high 10 tackles.
• Outside linebacker Thomas Davis surpassed his sack total from all of last season with 1.5 sacks and a career-high 2.0 TFLs on five total tackles. His back-to-back third-quarter sacks (shared the second one with Kevin Abrams-Verwayne) turned the momentum in the Mountaineers’ favor and helped turn a seven-point lead into a multiple-touchdown advantage.
• Derrell Farrar, on his birthday, recorded his first career full sack.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Michael Hughes was good on a 33-yard field goal that gave App State a 10-0 lead. The Groza Award watch lister also made all five PATs.

SELECTED TEAM STATS (courtesy of StatBroadcast)

• Net Total Yards: ETSU 305, APP 500
• Net Rushing Yards: ETSU 183, APP 174
• Net Passing Yards: ETSU 122, APP 326
• Rushing TDs: ETSU 1, APP 3
• Passing TDs: ETSU 0, APP 2
• Total 1st Downs: ETSU: 15, APP 22
• 3rd Down Conversions: ETSU 3-13, APP 6-14
• 4th Down Conversions: ETSU 1-3, APP 1-2
• Penalties: ETSU 7-65, APP 6-61
• Turnovers
  • Fumbles: ETSU 0, APP 0
  • Interceptions Thrown: ETSU 0, APP 0
• Time of Possession: ETSU 30:30, APP 28:25
• DEF Tackles for Loss: ETSU 2, APP 6
• DEF Tackles for Loss Yards: ETSU -3, APP -26
• DEF Pass Breakups: ETSU 5, APP 0
• DEF QB Hurries: ETSU 5, APP 3
• DEF QB Sacks: ETSU 0, APP 3

SELECTED INDIVIDUAL STATS (courtesy of StatBroadcast)

Passing (completions-attempts-yards)

• APP – Joey Aguilar: 22-37-326, 2 TDs
• ETSU – Jaylen King: 10-19-122

Rushing (carries-yards)

• ETSU – Devontae Houston: 15-126, 1 TD
• APP – Makai Jackson: 1-47, 1 TD
• ETSU – Bryson Irby: 12-40
• APP – Kanye Roberts: 9-35
• APP – Anderson Castle: 9-28
• APP – Joey Aguilar: 5-19, 2 TDs
• ETSU – Jaylen King: 13-17
• APP – Maquel Haywood: 4-19
• APP – Ahmani Marshall:3-13
• APP – Kaedin Robinson: 1-13

Receiving (catches-yards)

• APP – Kaedin Robinson: 8-103
• APP – Christan Horn: 2-89, 1 TD
• ETSU – Cameron Lewis: 3-47
• APP – Eli Wilson: 3-43, 1 TD
• APP – Kanye Roberts: 4-37
• ETSU – AJ Johnson: 2-25
• APP – Makai Jackson: 2-24
• ETSU – Karim Page: 2-23
• APP – Anderson Castle: 2-20
• ETSU – Jonathan Burns: 1-16
• ETSU – Hakeem Meggett: 1-11
• APP – William Fowles: 1-10

By Katherine Jamtgaard. ATHENS, OHIO — The App State volleyball team opened the season with a gritty, five-set thriller against Xavier (24-26, 25-19, 21-25, 25-17, 15-11) Friday morning before falling short to Wright State in three sets (18-25, 24-26, 13-25) on the first day of the Bobcat Invitational.

App State 3, Xavier 2

Junior Maya Winterhoff led the charge against the Musketeers with a team-high 16 kills, three aces, and five blocks (four assists, one solo). She also recorded a hitting percentage of .536. In her collegiate debut, freshman Maddie Smith matched senior Lulu Ambrose with 12 kills apiece and made six digs. Freshman Julianna Horta also had an impressive debut, recording 29 assists and seven digs, while fellow setter and redshirt junior Addison Heidemann recorded 23 assists and eight digs. Junior Kenady Roper led the team in digs, with 26. App State had 62 kills compared to Xavier’s 59, to go along with 58 assists to the Musketeers’ 55.

The Mountaineers came out hot in the first set, establishing a 6-0 lead before Xavier managed to catch up late in the set at 17 all. As Xavier pulled ahead, App State managed to tie things up at 23-23 with a kill from Smith and a block from the duo of freshman Bella Hutchens and Winterhoff. The visitors held Xavier to a set point with a kill from Winterhoff, but the Musketeers managed to take the first set, 26-24.

It was Xavier’s turn to jump to an early lead in the second set, but the Mountaineers were quick to meet the Musketeers at 10 all after back-to-back kills from freshman Elise Marchal and Smith. Building off of a 4-0 run that featured a kill and a pair of aces from Winterhoff, App State took a 19-14 lead. Sophomore Ava Leahy slammed down a pair of kills to extend the lead to 21-17. App State secured the second set, 25-19, with a late 3-0 run.

App State and Xavier battled through a close third set, fighting for each point and not allowing for more than three points in a run, until Xavier found its footing, jumping ahead 18-12 after five consecutive points. Despite this, the Mountaineers chipped away at the deficit, coming back within one point (21-20) before Xavier pushed forward, 24-20. Marchal mustered one last kill before Xavier took the set, 25-21.

The fourth set started off closely matched as the teams traded the lead until the Mountaineers met Xavier at 12 all. Finding momentum, App State went on a 9-0 run that included kills from Winterhoff, Ambrose, and graduate student Cierra Huntley, to jump ahead, 20-12. A kill from Leahy, an ace from Horta, and a kill from Huntley brought the Mountaineers to set point. Marchal made the final kill to seal the fourth set, 25-17, and push for a fifth.

Early in the fifth and final set, App State edged ahead, 6-3, after kills from Smith and Winterhoff. Xavier managed to take a 10-7 lead, but couldn’t hold on, as the Mountaineers earned five consecutive points that included a kill from Ambrose, a block from Marchal and Leahy, and an ace from Horta. Back-to-back kills from Leahy and a Xavier error sealed the Mountaineers’ victory as they took the set, 15-11, and the match, 3-2.

Wright State 3, App State 0

In App State’s second match of the day, Winterhoff led the Mountaineers with 11 kills, while Horta led the team in assists with 13. Roper recorded a team-high 13 digs against Wright State, as well as the Mountaineers’ sole ace of the match.

Wright State took a commanding lead in the first set after an early 9-0 scoring run. Despite closing the gap to 19-14 with a pair of 3-0 runs that included kills from Marchal, Winterhoff, and Smith as well as Roper’s service ace, the Raiders managed to take the set, 25-18.

The Mountaineers took a 7-3 lead early in the second set before battling point for point with Wright State, meeting at 15 all. Wright State took a 20-17 edge, but Smith brought the Black and Gold back within one with two consecutive kills. A block from Hutchens and Winterhoff, in addition to a kill from each, and a Raiders’ error brought App State to set point. Wright State mustered three points to edge past the Mountaineers, 26-24.

The Mountaineers were held to 13 points in the third set as Wright State took the set, 25-23, and the match, 3-0. Winterhoff landed five of the Mountaineers’ seven kills as well as a solo block during the set, while Smith and Ambrose each contributed a kill.

Looking Ahead

The Mountaineers will close out competition at the Bobcat Invitational with a 1 p.m. clash against the host, Ohio, on Saturday. The match will be available to stream on ESPN+.