Category: College

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A missed field goal for the would-be game winner as time expired spelled heartbreak for the App State Mountaineers on Nov. 29, losing to the Arkansas State Red Wolves, 30-29, in Kidd Brewer Stadium.

This Sun Belt Conference matchup of two 5-6 teams needing a win to become bowl eligible and prospectively add another game to their respective 2025 campaigns was about as close a contest as could be. Pregame, oddsmakers had Arkansas State a 1.5-point favorite and the teams lived up to the tight billing. The score was tied 3-3 at the end of the first quarter, 16–16 at halftime and 23-23 at the end of the third quarter.

The Mountaineers’ star freshman placekicker, Dominic De Freitas, made five of six field goal attempts earlier in the game when App State offensive drives stalled, with one blocked, but on the decisive seventh attempt pushed the ball just outside the right upright, allowing the Red Wolves to win the game and, in the process, become bowl eligible.

While the freshman placekicker may have reservations about his performance at game’s end, a sometimes sputtering Mountaineer offense that required them to settle for seven field goal tries must share a good portion of any blame. That said, on the final drive with only 42 seconds remaining to work with, QB J J Kohl led an impressive advance to get De Freitas and the special teams unit into range. Starting from their own 29-yard line, in seven plays Kohl hit three different receivers, including senior tight end David Larkins twice, to move the ball 44 yards to the Arkansas State 27-yard line. The 45-yard attempt was certainly in the mix of his earlier successful efforts from 43-, 38-, 45-, 48- and 29-yards, but the fickle finger of fate — and a strong, swirling wind — denied the potential game winner.

Although the offense had difficulty in scoring touchdowns, not all of the blame can fall on the shoulders of sophomore quarterback J J Kohl, who completed 26 of 39 passes for 271 yards, two TDs, and suffered zero interceptions. His favorite receivers on this day were Sam Mbake (9 receptions, 68 yards, 1 TD), David Larkins (6-72-0) and Dalton Stroman (3-64-1).

The Red Wolves QB, Jaylen Raynor, completed 32 of 47 passes for 363 yards and 3 TDs, offset by one interception. While senior wide receiver Corey Tucker caught 10 Raynor passes on 16 targets for 90 yards and 2 TDs, junior wide receiver Chauncy Cobb was the “big play” target with five receptions for 117 yards. Cobb’s yardage came in chunks of 43-, 22- and 37-yard gainers.

Credit Arkansas State’s defense for keeping the Mountaineers out of the “red zone” and forcing long field goal attempts by De Freitas, who made five (the team record is six), had one blocked and then suffered the fatal miss at the end. The Red Wolves defenders were disruptive, tallying four tackles for loss, 3 pass breakups, and eight quarterback hurries to go with one sack.

By comparison to the Mountaineers having to settle for seven field goal attempts, almost all outside of the “red zone,” the visitors did their scoring with TDs (4) and only two field goal tries, one from 24 yards out and the other missed from 52 yards.

At the end of the day, Arkansas State now awaits its potential post-season bowl opportunity. Meanwhile, App State looks ahead to next season, the upcoming “National Signing Day” on Feb. 4, 2026, with early signing opportunities Dec. 3-5.

Scoring Summary

 

By Bret Strelow, BOONE, N.C. — With 10 entries advancing to title matches, App State Wrestling produced four champions at the Mountaineer Open on Nov. 23 in Varsity Gym. The event featured wrestlers from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, NC State, Ohio University, Duke University, Tennessee-Chattanooga, Presbyterian and unattached competitors.

Stephan Monchery (heavyweight), Tomas Brooker (184 pounds), Kaden Keiser (149) and Cooper Foster (125) secured titles. App State’s other finalists were Colby McBride (also at 125), Aldo Hernandez (141), Jeremiah Price (157), Anthony Conetta (165), Colt Campbell (174) and Logan Eller (197).

Monchery overcame what was essentially a 5-0 deficit (because of riding time) in a 9-6 overtime victory against North Carolina’s Jacob Levy.

Monchery had a second-period takedown and then posted another one with 24 seconds left in the third period, with Levy’s escape a few moments later meaning the match would go to a Sudden Victory period at 6-all. Monchery fought off an immediate shot and earned a takedown just six seconds into the overtime period against Levy, who entered the final with six pins as part of a 9-0 record.

Brooker trailed 3-1 after one period in the 184 final against North Carolina’s Nick Fea, rode out the second period and finished on top to win 7-3 after recording a takedown with 1:30 remaining. It was Brooker’s first title since he suffered a season-ending injury in the first dual of the 2024-25 season.

Foster topped McBride in the 125 final thanks to an early takedown in a 5-3 victory, and Keiser won by fall in the first period of the 149 final against Bentley Sly, a high school senior and top-60 national recruit who has signed with the Mountaineers.

North Carolina accounted for champions at 133, 141, 165 and 174 pounds, while Ohio won a title at 157. Patrick Brophy, formerly a standout at The Citadel, won the 197 title while officially wrestling as an unrostered entry.

Campbell drew some of the loudest cheers of the day in his quarterfinal and semifinal wins. He trailed 4-2 before getting a takedown and two near fall points with 48 seconds left in a 7-4 quarterfinal win, then trailed 4-1 entering the third period of his semifinal win against UNC’s Cade Tenold. Campbell was still down 4-3 before he recorded a takedown with 23 seconds left, and he won by fall with three seconds remaining.

The Mountaineers got a quarterfinal pin with three seconds left from Kai O’Dell, who trailed 7-6 against UNC’s Joey Showalter before executing a reversal with eight seconds left and then winning by fall.

O’Dell (157), Jarvis Little (133) and Brayden Fahrbach (149) all finished third in their brackets, with Fahrbach bouncing back from an overtime loss in his first match to win five consecutive times, including the rematch against Ohio’s Carson Weber.

App State’s 2025-26 season is presented by Hungry Howie’s and Penn Station. The Mountaineers host No. 10 NC State next Sunday in a 3 p.m. dual at Varsity Gym.

APP STATE RESULTS

125	Colby McBride (2nd place)
	Logan Johnson, UNCP	W, TF	16-0
	Brayden Teunissen, Ohio	W, Dec	9-2
	Cooper Foster, App State	L, Dec	5-3
125	Cooper Foster (1st place)
	Dallas Canoyer, Presbyterian	W, TF	15-0
	Ryan Meek, Ohio	W, Fall	3:48
	Colby McBride, App State	W, Dec	5-3
133	Jarvis Little (3rd place)
	Marco Tocci, North Carolina	W, Dec	4-3
	Matthew Botello, North Carolina	L, Dec	4-2
	Liam Hickey, North Carolina	W, Dec	5-3
	Marco Tocci, North Carolina	W, Dec	7-3
141	Joe Fongaro (4th place)
	Austin McKee, Ohio	W, MD	16-3
	Thadeus Gerstenacker, N/A	W, TF	18-3
	Nikolaus O’Neill, North Carolina	L, Dec	9-5
	Kaden Jett, Ohio	W, Dec	5-1
	Ryan Luna, Presbyterian	L, MD	9-1
141	Aldo Hernandez (2nd place)
	Prestyn Parks, Ohio	W, TF	17-1
	Charleston Baglio, Gardner-Webb	W, MD	11-3
	Nikolaus O’Neill, North Carolina	L, Dec	4-2
149	Kaden Keiser (1st place)
	Gage Helms, Gardner-Webb	W, TF	16-1
	Trent Donahue, Presbyterian	W, TF	18-3
	Paul Woo, Ohio	W, MD	18-4
	Bentley Sly, N/A	W, Fall	2:00
149	Brayden Fahrbach (3rd place)
	Carson Weber, Ohio	L, Dec	9-6 (SV)
	Land Bell, UNCP	W, TF	15-0
	Hayden Hughes, Chattanooga	W, TF	17-0
	Trent Donahue, Presbyterian	W, MD	13-0
	Carson Weber, Ohio	W, Dec	5-3
	Paul Woo, Ohio	W, MD	11-1
157	Kai O’Dell (3rd place)
	Carson Gardner, Greensboro	W, Fall	1:46
	Joey Showalter, North Carolina	W, Fall	6:57
	Derek Raike, Ohio	L, Dec	11-5
	Cullen Kane, North Carolina	W, NC
157	Jeremiah Price (2nd place)
	Max Salerno, Gardner-Webb	W, Fall	1:37
	Cullen Kane, North Carolina	W, Fall	6:51
	Phil Cuttino, Presbyterian	W, TF	17-0
	Derek Raike, Ohio	L, MD	17-6
157	Kenneth Pritz
	Dominic Serio, Ohio	L, Fall	4:54
	Logan Fite, Duke	W, Dec	8-6
	Latrell Schafter, NC State	L, TF	16-0
165	Anthony Conetta  (2nd place)
	Ryan Mann, Presbyterian	W, TF	21-6
	Jack Lledo, Ohio	W, TF	15-0
	Jason Kwaak, NC State	W, MD	20-7
	Charles Darracott, North Carolina	L, MD	11-3
165	Dawson Bond
	Augustus Elliott, UNCP	W, TF	15-0
	Noah Gonzalez	W, Dec	4-1
	Charles Darracott, North Carolina	L, MD	15-3
	Kody Sigmon, UNCP	W, TF	17-1
	Pete Winterstein, NC State	W, Dec	8-5
	Jason Kwaak, NC State	L, Fall	4:51
165	Caleb Cady
	Gunther Gerstenacker, Gardner-Webb	W, TF	23-8
	Pete Winterstein, NC State	W, Dec	4-2
	Charles Darracott, North Carolina	L, Dec	5-1
	Jack Lledo, Ohio	L, Dec	8-4
165	Noah Gonzalez
	Dawson Bond, App State	L, Dec	4-1
	Nick Menjivar, Greensboro	W, MF
	Nick Grizales, App State	W, Dec	14-12
	Jack Lledo, Ohio	L, MD	13-5
165	Nick Grizales
	Kody Sigmon, UNCP	W, MD	15-1
	Jason Kwaak, NC State	L, Dec	10-7 (SV)
	Noah Gonzalez, App State	L, Dec	14-12
174	Alex Hopper
	Jordan Warren, Greensboro	W, Fall	5:43
	Sabino Portella, North Carolina	L, MD	11-3
	Kyser Kostoff, Presbyterian	W, TF	17-2
	Josh Roe, Presbyterian	W, Dec	8-3
	Cade Tenold, North Carolina	L, MD	14-5
174	Colt Campbell (2nd place)
	Ethan King, Greensboro	W, TF	17-2
	Omaury Alavarez, North Carolina	W, Dec	7-4
	Cade Tenold, North Carolina	W, Fall	6:57
	Marcus Murabito, North Carolina	L, Dec	9-4
184	Tomas Brooker (1st place)
	Andrew Macchiavello, NC State	W, TF	17-1
	Aidan Schlett, North Carolina	W, TF	21-6
	Drew Lincicome, Ohio	W, MD	17-4
	Nick Fea, North Carolina	W, Dec	7-3
184	Pierce White
	Carson Tenold, North Carolina	L, Fall	6:33
	Collin Carrigan, North Carolina	L, Dec	6-2
197	Hunter Adams
	Michael Calcagno, North Carolina	L, Fall	4:17
	Evan Wingrove, Ohio	L, Fall	1:52
197	Logan Eller (2nd place)
	Kendrick Curtis, Chattanooga	W, MD	11-3
	Evan Wingrove, Ohio	W, MD	10-0
	Michael Calcagno, North Carolina	W, Dec	11-7
	Patrick Brophy, N/A	L, Dec	8-1
197	Gunnar Pool
	Toler Hornick, Presbyterian	W, Dec	4-2
	Patrick Brophy, N/A	L, TF	17-2
	Evan Wingrove, Ohio	L, Fall	4:17
197	Reid Hiltunen
	Perry Riggle, UNCP	W, Fall	0:24
	Patrick Brophy, N/A	L, TF	17-1
	Kendrick Curtis, Chattanooga	L, MD	17-5
Hwt	Stephan Monchery (1st place)
	Mason Blue, Gardner-Webb	W, Fall	6:18
	Kwasi Bonsu, Duke	W, MD	14-2
	Morvens Saint-Jean, Presbyterian	W, Dec	9-2
	Jacob Levy, North Carolina	W, Dec	9-6 (SV)
Hwt	Hayden Haynes
	Wyatt Schmitt, Ohio	L, TF	15-0
	Daniel Karmanov, UNCP	W, Fall	3:59
	Morvens Saint-Jean, Presbyterian	L, Fall	2:08

By Bret Strelow. BOONE, N.C. — The first fumble recovery of the fourth quarter produced the go-ahead points. The second recovery sealed an emotional, dramatic rivalry win at The Rock.App State defenders Caleb Sandstrom and Colton Phares made critical plays in the final six minutes, both recovering fumbles they also forced, and those takeaways were sandwiched around Dominic De Freitas’ go-ahead field goal from 23 yards out with 2:02 remaining in a 26-24 win against Marshall, Nov. 22 in Kidd Brewer Stadium.

It was Black Saturday and Heroes Day in Boone, with a crowd of 31,322 on hand to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the 2005 national title team and cheer on a 2025 squad that overcame a double-digit deficit against the Thundering Herd (5-6, 3-4). App State (5-6, 2-5) closes the regular season next Saturday against Arkansas State with a chance to clinch bowl eligibility at The Rock.

True freshman Jaquari Lewis rushed for a season-best 175 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries Saturday, and JJ Kohl threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to David Larkins late in the first half, after Marshall had moved ahead 21-9.

That touchdown with 53 seconds left before the break, coupled with Lewis’ 5-yard touchdown run to cap a 75-yard drive that lasted more than five minutes at the start of the third quarter, pushed App State ahead 23-21.

Marshall went back in front on a 25-yard field goal with 5:29 remaining in the third quarter, but it wasn’t able to add to the lead thanks to DeNigel Cooper’s block of a 28-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. The next three drives ended with punts, but App State punter Ian Ratliff’s 70-yarder to the 1-yard line forced the Thundering Herd to start a drive from the shadow of its own end zone with about nine minutes remaining.

Marshall picked up two first downs, but Sandstrom wrestled the ball away from backup quarterback Zion Turner on a rush to the Thundering Herd 40, setting up App State’s go-ahead possession that began with 5:33 remaining. Sam Mbake’s 13-yard reception to the 22 on a third-and-5 throw from Kohl and Lewis’ 13-yard run to the 9 put the Mountaineers in scoring range.

After De Freitas’ kick, Marshall started its last drive at the 25-yard line and advanced past midfield, but Phares punched the ball out on a carry by Michael Allen and then won the race to the loose ball at the App State 39 with 55 seconds remaining.

The Mountaineers ended a four-game skid, including two straight home losses in league play, while totaling 276 yards of offense. They did account for all three takeaways in the game, with Emory Floyd intercepting a first-half pass to go along with the pair of forced fumbles.

The teams traded the lead frequently in the early going, with Marshall posting its first touchdown after De Freitas opened the scoring with a 32-yard field goal and the Thundering Herd taking a 14-9 lead on starting quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson’s 16-yard touchdown run to cap a four-play, 75-yard drive just 90 seconds after Lewis scored on a 18-yard rush in relief of a banged-up Rashod Dubinion.

Marshall quickly regained possession after a three-and-out punt covered 25 yards, then increased the margin to 21-9 on Del Rio-Wilson’s 4-yard touchdown run.

App State was forced into another three-and-out punt, but its defense forced a punt with less than five minutes remaining before halftime, and Larkins’ touchdown started a 17-3 run to end the game.

The Mountaineers, who trailed at the end of the first, second and third quarters, had been 0-5 when facing a halftime deficit and 0-5 when facing a deficit entering the fourth quarter.

MORE POST-GAME NOTES

• App State snapped a four-game losing streak and moved to within a win of bowl eligibility at 5-6 on the season.
• App State improved its lead against Marshall in the all-time series to 17-11, including 11-3 in Boone. The home team has won each of the last six years.
• The Mountaineers forced three turnovers and allowed no takeaways. They are now 4-0 when winning the turnover battle, 1-4 when losing and 0-2 when turnovers are tied.

Attendance at a sold-out Kidd Brewer Stadium was 31,322. It was the 15th sellout in the last 16 home games and the 23rd straight crowd above 30,000.

DEFENSE

• Defensive coordinator DJ Smith‘s unit allowed only three points and created two takeaways after halftime.
• Two of the game’s most impactful plays were fourth-quarter takeaways in which Caleb Sandstrom forced and recovered a fumble at the 5:33 mark and then Colton Phares did the same with 0:55 left to seal the App State victory.
• Emory Floyd recorded his first collegiate interception after a pass deflected off a Marshall receiver’s hands.

App State sacked Marshall quarterbacks twice in the game – by Dylan Manuel and Aiden Benton. It was Benton’s team-leading fourth of the season.

OFFENSE

• True freshman Jaquari Lewis rushed 33 times for a career-high 175 yards and two touchdowns. The touchdown runs of 18 and 5 yards were his fifth and sixth scores of the season. He also had five catches for 39 yards to total 214 all-purpose yards.
• Lewis ran for the second-most yards by an App State freshman. Jalin Moore holds the freshman record of 244, which he set against Idaho on Nov. 14, 2015.
• Lewis’ 20-yard gain on a fourth-and-1 late in the second quarter set up a touchdown on the next play to cut the Mountaineers’ deficit to five points.
• David Larkins caught four passes for 27 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown catch that pulled the Mountaineers to within one score at 21-16 in the first half’s final minute.
• JJ Kohl returned to the starting lineup and completed 19 of 27 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown, with no turnovers.

Sam Mbake had a career-high seven catches (for 39 yards), including a key third-down conversion during what proved to be the game-winning drive with less than five minutes remaining in the game.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Dominic De Freitas made field goals of 32 and 23 yards. His 23-yarder with 2:02 left in the fourth quarter proved to be the game winner. The true freshman has made 15 of 18 field-goal attempts, including each of his last eight. He has made all 10 attempts from inside 40 yards.
• DeNigel Cooper blocked a field goal for the second time this season when he got a hand on Marshall’s 28-yard attempt early in the fourth quarter that would have given the Herd a four-point advantage.
• Ian Ratliff punted six times for a 47.7-yard average, including a career-long 70-yarder that came to rest at Marshall’s 1-yard line.

 

By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE, N.C. — The App State women’s basketball team (2-0) chalked up the program’s second, 100-point game of the head coach Alaura Sharp era (No. 21 in program history) in Boone on Nov. 7, with a 110-35 victory over Bob Jones University.

Friday’s win tied the Mountaineers’ second-highest scoring output in program history, originally set on Nov. 14, 1982, against Tennessee Tech. The Mountaineers (2-0) last surpassed 100 points in a game on Nov. 20, 2024 against Clinton College, which was head coach Sharp‘s first 100-point game as head coach of App State Women’s Basketball. The game also marks the program’s second-largest margin of victory (75 points), just shy of the record of 78, which was set during the 1979-80 campaign against Milligan.

“I think everyone can tell just how awesome this team is just from a culture standpoint,” said Sharp. “They are amazing people and I think it’s really important that they’re committed to wanting to win and doing the things that it takes to win at a high level.

“We set some goals before this game today,” Sharp added. “We wanted to hold them under 40 – it got a little dicey there at the end – but I thought they were committed to that. I’m proud of the group. I still feel like there’s things that we can clean up. It’s early in the season, but 20 assists and (only) eight turnovers I think is awesome.”

Six Mountaineers scored in double-figures against Bob Jones (1-2), led by freshman Addie Biel. Biel netted a career high 22 points, knocking down 10-of-11 from the field and draining 2-of-2 from the charity stripe. She also matched graduate student Zoë McCrary with a team-high eight rebounds. Freshman Isa Roman scored a career-high 14 points, while seniors Emily Hege, Elena Pericic and junior Daisia Mitchell combined for 36 points, each contributing 12. Hege shot 100% from the arc and the field and Pericic now stands one point shy of 1,000 collegiate points. Knocking down a perfect 5-of-5 from the field, graduate student Jada Burton accounted for 10 points, while senior Emma Smith dished out five assists for the Black and Gold.

App State scored 68 of its 110 points off the bench and shot 61.8% from the field, while holding Bob Jones to a field goal percentage of 22.8% and a 3-point percentage of 18.5%. Additionally, The Mountaineers scored 21 points off turnovers and 20 points off fast breaks, shutting out Bob Jones in both categories. The Mountaineers pulled down 57 rebounds to Bob Jones’ 18 and caused 15 Bruin turnovers.

From the jump, the Mountaineers controlled the lead, leaping ahead, 11-0, within the first three minutes of play. Sophomore Feryal Defne Atli made a layup in the paint to put App State on the board, and Mitchell promptly followed with a layup of her own. Mitchell netted 10 of her 12 points in the first quarter to elevate the Black and Gold to the large lead. Over 34 seconds, Burton made three trips to the basket to put App State up 23-5. Then, Hege beat the buzzer with a layup to close the quarter, giving App State a 35-12 lead after one quarter of play.

In the second quarter, App State netted 26 points while the Bruins faced a scoring drought that lasted the duration of the period. Biel and McCrary combined for 12 of App State’s points, both shooting perfectly from the field, and Biel knocked down a pair from the charity stripe.

The Mountaineers boasted a field goal percentage of 71.4% and a 3-point percentage of 57.1% in addition to extending the deficit to 68 points in the third quarter. Over 2:47, App State went on a 12-0 scoring run, which featured a trey from McBride, a layup from Smith, freebies from Smith and Pericic and layups from Burton and Roman.

In the fourth quarter, Biel went to work, scoring 12 of App State’s 19 points, draining 6-of-6 from the field, and grabbing five boards. Biel brought the Mountaineers to the brink of 100 points (99-29) with a layup in the paint, assisted by Burton, before Burton got to the hoop to push the Mountaineers over the 100-point threshold (101-29). Biel made a pair of tip-in buckets before sealing the victory, 110-35, with a final layup in the paint.

Up Next

The Mountaineers’ homestand continues next week as App State hosts Davidson on Nov. 12 and Wofford on Nov. 16. Wednesday’s 6:30 p.m. game against Davidson is Heroes Night and Camp Out at Holmes. Sunday’s 2 p.m. clash with Wofford is Sunday Funday.

By Bret Stelow. BOONE, N.C. — App State Football rallied for three touchdowns over the final 20 minutes, but needed one more score to complete a comeback win. Georgia Southern was able to run out the clock in a 25-23 victory at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Nov. 6.

App State’s red zone defense made a comeback possible by forcing the Eagles to kick field goals from 21, 26, 23 and 24 yards during the midweek rivalry game that drew a crowd of 31,876. The Mountaineers (4-5, 1-4) trailed 19-0 when Dominic De Freitas made a 36-yard field goal to put points on the board as the first half ended, and they were behind 22-3 before scoring touchdowns with 4:51 left in the third quarter (David Larkins’ 1-yard reception) and 13:50 remaining in the fourth quarter (Jaquari Lewis’ 27-yard run).

The Eagles (4-5, 2-3) pushed a 22-16 lead to a two-score separation with their final field goal at the 9:05 mark, and AJ Swann’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Barnes with 1:56 remaining prolonged the comeback bid. Georgia Southern recovered the onside kick but still needed to move the ball given that App State had all three of its timeouts remaining.

The Eagles collected a first down with an 11-yard run on the first play and sealed the game by converting a fourth-and-inches run from the App State 27 with 34 seconds remaining.

Barnes totaled 13 catches for 160 yards and a score, posting App State’s highest reception total since Sean Price had 13 catches for 167 yards against Illinois State in 2012, and Swann threw for 348 yards with two scores in his return to the starting lineup. He completed 34 of 51 passes on a night when the Mountaineers rushed 23 times for 77 yards.

Defensively, Colton Phares delivered a big third-down sack to force a punt between App State’s back-to-back touchdowns, and DJ Burks led the way with 12 tackles.

Larkins tipped the ball to himself on his 1-yard score that cut Georgia Southern’s lead to 22-9 in the third quarter, with Barnes’ 32-yard reception on a fourth-and-2 throw from the 33 setting up that touchdown, and Phares’ sack forced Georgia Southern to punt from its 32. Barnes made a diving grab for 6 yards on a fourth-and-1 throw from the App State 40 to prolong that drive, and Lewis rushed for 15 yards to the Eagles’ 27 before scoring untouched on the next play — he cut between key blocks from pulling offensive linemen Griffin Scroggs and Will Flowers.

Georgia Southern needed just six plays to go from its own 28 to the App State 6 on the next series, but Aiden Benton’s stop for a 2-yard loss and Kevin Abrams-Verwayne’s tackle on a 1-yard gain to the 7 preceded another short field goal.

The Mountaineers reached the Georgia Southern 23 on the next series thanks to Barnes’ improbable catch for 22 yards on a fourth-and-14 pass, but Georgia Southern intercepted a throw just shy of the end zone from a pressured Swann on the next play.

Time and field position took a hit when a three-and-out punt resulted in App State regaining possession at its 34 with 5:24 left, and Swann’s 17-yard pass to Davion Dozier on a fourth-and-17 play from the Georgia Southern 47 extended an 11-play, 66-yard scoring march.

Barnes scored his seventh receiving touchdown of the season on the first play after the two-minute timeout, but the Mountaineers never got the ball back.

App State hits the road next weekend to face division-leading James Madison at 3:30 p.m. in Harrisonburg, Va.

 

By Layne McNary. BOONE, N.C. — The App State field hockey team posted a 9-0 shutout over Kent State for Senior Day Friday to close out the regular season.

The nine-goal performance is the most goals scored against a MAC opponent in program history, and most scored in a game since a 10-1 win over Queens in 2022.

With the win, the Mountaineers solidified their spot as the No. 3-seed in the MAC Field Hockey Championship, facing Ohio in the first round of the tournament on Nov. 5.

Sophia Baxter, Lise Boekaar, Sarah Callery, Samantha Connors, Frederique Grimbergen, Hadley Kuzmicky, Kate Richardson and Henriette Stegen all found the back of the cage, making it six out of seven seniors to notch goals in Friday’s shutout.

How It Happened

1st Quarter: The Mountaineers (13-5, 7-2 MAC) got on the board twice in the first, with Baxter scoring her 13th goal of the season. Kuzmicky followed shortly, scoring off a deflection after inserting a penalty corner. The Mountaineers outshot Kent State (4-11, 3-6 MAC) 5-0 in the first.

2nd Quarter: App State tacked on another goal in the period, with Frederique Grimbergen scoring off a goalie deflection to give the Mountaineers a three-score advantage heading into halftime.

3rd Quarter: The Mountaineer offense exploded in the second half, adding two more goals to the total. Boekaar also found her 13th goal of the season, slamming it past the goalkeeper to put App State up 4-0. Kuzmicky scored her second of the day and 10th on the season in the tail end of the period. The Mountaineers generated four penalty corners to Kent State’s one.

4th Quarter: The Mountaineer offense poured it on in the final period of the regular season, scoring four goals. Richardson scored her seventh goal of her senior season after a scrum around the goal. Stegen scored her third of the year after a pass from Kuzmicky, making it a 7-0 lead with less than 3 minutes remaining. With less than a minute in the game, Connors scored her second goal this year off a penalty corner, followed by a sliding goal from Callery to close out the 9-0 win.

Match Notes

• Goals: App State: Baxter (1), Boekaar (1), Callery (1), Connors (1), Grimbergen (1), Kuzmicky (2), Richardson (1), Stegen (1) | KSU: N/A
• Assists: App State: Kuzmicky (1), Perkins (1), Richardson (1), Schwartz (1), Stegen (1) | KSU: N/A
• Winning Goalkeeper: Claire Grenis (13-5) — 4 saves, 0 goals allowed
• Losing Goalkeeper: Allison Wood (4-11) — 7 saves, 9 goals allowed

Up Next: MAC Conference Tourney

The Mountaineers will hit the road to Harrisonburg, Va., for the 2025 MAC Field Hockey Championship. The No. 3-seeded Mountaineers will take on the No. 6-seeded Ohio Bobcats on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 2:30 p.m., streaming on ESPN+.

By Katherine Jamtgaard. FOLEY, Ala. — For the second consecutive year, the App State men’s and women’s cross country teams were the class of the conference, with the men polishing off a Sun Belt Championship three-peat Friday morning after the women captured their second consecutive Sun Belt title.

By Bret Strelow. NORFOLK, Va. — App State followed a pair of fourth-quarter stands with two touchdowns to keep its comeback hopes going, but Old Dominion recovered a late onside kick to close out a 24-21 home win Saturday.

AJ Swann directed two fourth-quarter drives and threw two touchdown passes, leading possessions that followed a Zyeir Gamble interception near the end zone and a missed 39-yard field goal from the Monarchs. Kanen Hamlett scored on a 35-yard touchdown reception after the takeaway, and Davion Dozier hauled in a 34-yard touchdown pass with 1:35 remaining, but the Mountaineers (4-4, 1-3 Sun Belt) had only one timeout left when ODU (5-3, 2-2) recovered the onside kick.

App State threw for 301 yards and three scores as a team, as Swann entered in relief with 11:23 remaining and completed 12 of 16 passes for 140 yards in his first action since Sept. 27. Making his fourth straight start, JJ Kohl threw a touchdown pass to Jaden Barnes late in the first half and finished with 138 yards through the air, while Ian Ratliff completed a 23-yard pass to Colton Phares on a fake punt.

Defensively, the Mountaineers limited ODU to 3.4 yards per carry for the game and allowed only 10 first-half points despite giving up a 70-yard touchdown on a short pass to an open running back just beyond the line of scrimmage. Gamble recorded a team-high 13 tackles to go with his interception, which was caused by Rondo Porter’s tip near the line, and Phares’ two-way effort included 11 stops.

Receiving to open the third quarter, the Mountaineers trailed 10-7 at halftime despite facing adversity from every direction, but the first four drives for each team in the second half resulted in one App State first down and two ODU touchdowns.

The Monarchs nearly got a third touchdown in that stretch, reaching the App State 1 after making a fourth-down stop at the Mountaineers’ 34, but Gamble came down with an interception after Porter tipped a third-and-goal pass. Swann, who had missed the previous three games while being sidelined by injury, absorbed two roughing-the-passer penalties before capping a 91-yard drive with his 35-yard touchdown pass to Hamlett.

That score cut App State’s deficit to 24-14 with 9:26 remaining, and ODU chewed up nearly six minutes before Kevin Abrams-Verwayne forced a red-zone fumble with 3:31 remaining. DJ Burks made a sliding recovery near the sideline, but officials ruled that part of his lower body touched out of bounds during the sequence.

ODU missed a 39-yard field goal nine seconds later, and Swann completed seven of his nine pass attempts on a 79-yard touchdown drive, capped by Dozier scoring for the fourth straight game.

With App State playing three of its first four Sun Belt games on the road, the Mountaineers begin the second half of their league schedule with a Thursday night home game against Georgia Southern on Nov. 6.

The Mountaineers stayed within striking distance in the early going even though a long ODU touchdown immediately followed an App State takeaway wiped out by a flag and an ODU interception in the end zone immediately followed an App State touchdown wiped out by a flag.

After forcing an early punt, App State moved to the Monarchs’ 27 on its first series, but an interception ended that march. The Mountaineers appeared to return the favor two plays later, with Gamble’s deflection leading to a Burks interception on an across-the-body throw over the middle at the ODU 36, but a flag for roughing the passer and targeting on Myles Farmer’s hit of Colton Joseph negated the big play.

Farmer had been inserted into the starting lineup as part of a dime package with six defensive backs to employ against ODU’s spread-wide scheme, and the Monarchs took advantage of Farmer’s absence on the next play with a 70-yard touchdown that resulted from a short, over-the-top pass to an open running back in the middle of the field.

App State lost standout tight end Izayah Cummings to a serious injury on the next series yet moved into ODU territory when Ratliff completed a 23-yard pass to Phares on a fourth-and-8 play from the Monarchs’ 47. The Mountaineers were set to tie the game thanks to Kohl’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Stroman, but a flag for offensive interference (ruled a pick by another route runner) backed App State up 15 yards, and that third-and-20 pass was intercepted in the end zone.

Despite all those events, the Mountaineers trailed by only three points at halftime.

ODU missed a 47-yard field goal early in the second quarter before increasing its lead to 10-0 on a 33-yard field goal with 2:10 remaining in the second quarter. The Mountaineers responded with a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive, prolonged by Barnes’ fourth-and-6 catch for 6 yards to the ODU 37 and ended by his 16-yard touchdown on a third-and-6 throw from Kohl.

The Monarchs moved into scoring range with time running down before halftime but missed a 50-yard field goal.

App State managed only 35 offensive yards and one first down on 16 third-quarter plays, punting from its 27, 36 and 24. ODU started its first third-quarter drive at the Mountaineers’ 49, scoring eight plays later on a third-and-13 pass for a 16-yard touchdown, and the Monarchs followed App State’s third punt of the half with a 61-yard drive highlighted by a 24-yard touchdown pass to move ahead 24-7.

 

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Punch, counterpunch. It was a gridiron chess match played around key injuries on both teams’ offensive lines. In the end, though, App State was checkmated by Coastal Carolina in the fourth quarter, the Mountaineers losing, 45-37.

The casinos and sportsbooks had the over/under total for this game at a seemingly generous 47.5 points. What materialized almost immediately was an offensive showcase wanting for defense. The longtime Sun Belt rivals combined for not only the betting line but more than half again as much, at 82 total points.

App State took an early, 7-0 lead on the opening possession with a 15-yard TD pass from quarterback J J Kohl to wide receiver Davion Dozier. It came at the end of a 10-play, 75-yard drive that took almost five minutes off the game clock. When Coastal Carolina responded with a scoring drive of their own, albeit a 43-yard field goal, the tone was set for the remainder of the game: the teams’ alternating scores.

After Kohl completed his second TD pass early in the second quarter, a 6-yarder to Jaden Barnes to finish an impressive, 15-play, 75-yard possession, the Mountaineers took a 21-10 lead. Undaunted, Coastal Carolina’s redshirt senior quarterback Samari Collier responded by leading the Chanticleers on an 11-play, 75-yard possession, finished off with a 4-yard keeper by Collier up the middle of the line of scrimmage. It closed the gap to 21-17.

A Special Teams Showcase, Too

Did we mention this game was an offensive showcase? Well, you could call it a special teams showcase, too. After closing the gap to 21-17 and hoping to take the lead before halftime, Coastal Carolina executed a successful onside kick, getting the ball back with under four minutes remaining before intermission and the ball near midfield.

On this occasion, however, App State’s defense rose to the occasion and forced a three-and-out. After receiving the punt and a 23-yard return by Barnes, the Mountaineers started their possession from their own 35 but, like the visitors from Conway, S.C., could do nothing with it.

The ensuing CCU drive was short-circuited when Collier was intercepted by App State DB Elijah Mc-Cantos and returned the ball 33 yards, to the Chanticleers’ 13-yard line but with only four seconds remaining before the break. A 31-yard field goal by APP’s freshman placekicker Dominic DeFreitas ended the first half scoring and gave the Mountaineers a still tenuous, 24-17 lead.

Things looked more promising for the Mountaineers early in the second half. The defense held Collier & Co. to another three-and-out, and then junior wide receiver Jaden Barnes found a crease in CCU’s punt coverage, swerved to the outside and outran everyone for a 77-yard punt return TD, the first punt return to paydirt for the Mountaineers since Clifton Duck managed it way back in 2018 against Gardner-Webb in an early season, non-conference game.

The score (and DeFreitas PAT) gave App State a more comfortable, 31-17 lead and something positive for the Homecoming crowd to enjoy.

One of the key considerations coming out of halftime, given the offensive performances of the two teams, was which defense would make the best adjustments during intermission. It turned out, Coastal Carolina won the day with those defensive adjustments. In the second half, the Chanticleers held App State’s offense to two field goals to pair with Barnes’ opening punt return TD. Meanwhile, Collier led the Coastal offense to two TDs in the third quarter and added two more in the final period. The visitors didn’t take their first lead until just 3:19 remained in the contest.

After CCU’s second TD of the fourth quarter, App State trailed 45-37, making it a one possession ball game with just under two minutes left on the clock. The Mountaineers needed a TD and 2-point conversion.

Kohl, who was masterful for most of the game, chipped off chunks of gridiron real estate with consecutive short passes to running back Jaquari Lewis and Barnes. Then he appeared to complete a pass for a first down to tight end Izayah Cummings, who was pushed out of bounds at the Coastal 25-yard line — but away from the ball fellow wide receiver Dalton Stroman was flagged for pass interference, putting the Mountaineer offense back to midfield.

After successive incomplete passes and facing 3rd-and-25 from the CCU47 and just 43 seconds showing on the clock, Kohl was sacked, the ball punched out by Ezekiel Durham-Campbell, recovered by the Chanticleers’ Noah Arinze.

A big bugaboo for App State in its early games — that seemed to have gotten fixed the past two weeks — were penalties, but Mountaineer infractions in this contest again were costly drive killers. The Mountaineers were flagged seven times and set back a net of 70 yards.

Some of the game stats point to just how close this contest was. Both had 410 yards of net total offense. The Chanticleers dominated on the ground, churning out 246 rushing yards to the Mountaineers’ 132. App State’s offense rolled up 276 yards through the air, compared to 164 by CCU.

Now all but eliminated from the Sun Belt Championship Game race to represent the East Division, the Mountaineers are 4-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play. Next, the travel to Norfolk, Va., to take on Old Dominion also 4-3, 1-2. The Monarchs have notable wins over NC Central, Liberty, Virginia Tech and Coastal Carolina, with losses to Indiana, James Madison and Marshall.

Difference makers in App State vs. Coastal Carolina

• The aforementioned penalties. The Mountaineers were flagged seven times for 70 yards, the Chanticleers three times for 35 yards.
• The CCU defense recorded 7 tackles for loss (-22 yards) vs. just 3 TFLs for App State (-9 yards).
• CCU posted 6 QB hurries, APP just 2.

NOTEWORTHY INDIVIDUAL STATS

Coastal Carolina

• • QB Samari Collier rushed 17 times for 74 yards and 2 TDs, while completing 12-of-19 passes for 118 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT
  • MJ Morris, who started the season as the starting QB, came on to complete 2-of-2 passes for 39 yards and a TD.
  • RB Dominic Knicely rushed 5 times for 51 yards and a TD.
  • RB Jevon Edwards rushed 6 times for 41 yards and a TD.
  • Collier and Morris completed passes to 9 different receivers, including TDs to Tucker Jameson and Malcolm Gillie.

App State

• • QB J J Kohl completed 27-of-41 passes for 278 yards, 2 TDs and no INTs, but one fumble
  • The Mountaineers’ rushing attack was evenly spread between freshman RB Jaquari Lewis (15 carries, 43 yards) and senior Rashod Dubinion (10 carries, 38 yards, 1 TD).
  • Kohl completed passes to 8 different receivers, including TD passes to Jaden Barnes and Davion Dozier.
  • Dozier was the leading receiver with 4 catches for 70 yards and the TD, while tight end Izayah Cummings had 6 catches for 60 yards,

By David Rogers. ATLANTA, Ga. — Two methodical offensive drives in the first half directed by App State quarterback J.J. Kohl along with a shutdown defensive performance set the tone against Georgia State on Oct. 11. The Mountaineers cruised to a convincing, 41-20 win.

With Kohl at the helm, completing 21-of-32 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns — and no interceptions or fumbles — the App State offense hummed, rolling up 435 yards of total offense (311 passing and 124 yards rushing). Protection was good as Kohl was only sacked once for a 2-yard loss.

Unlike early games when turnovers in the red zone plagued the Mountaineers, against the Panthers App State made six trips inside the 20-yard line and capitalized on all six opportunities.

Kohl and 4th quarter replacement Noah Gillon combined to complete passes to 11 different receivers, with four of them tallying touchdowns.

If no one thought senior Izayah Cummings was exciting to watch in previous games, he made believers out of Mountaineer fans against Georgia State, collecting six receptions on all six targets for 94 yards and a TD. Most impressive: 55 of those yards came after the catch.

Four of Cummings’ receptions picked up big chunks of gridiron real estate, including 2nd quarter catches of 17, 18 and 26 yards before 3rd quarter receptions of 24, 6 and topping the day off with a 3-yard TD.

Among the most impressive pass plays of the day was a short flare to the left side targeting senior tight end David Larkins, who turned a four-yard catch into a 40-yard power dance down the sideline. It may not have been a TD but it certainly extended a memorable scoring drive in the third quarter that was finished off by Cummings’ 3-yard TD.

Defensively, App State held the Panthers scoreless until late in the third quarter. It was 31-0 before the Mountaineers’ hosts saw the end zone at the 4:40 mark of Q3 when quarterback Cameran Brown found tight end Grant Hollier for a 15-yard TD. Even though Georgia State manufactured a trio of TD-scoring drives in the third and fourth frames, the Mountaineers always countered with points of their own, never allowing the Panthers to seriously threaten.

While a lot App State’s offensive performances earlier in the season featured running back Rashod Dubinion, this time the senior transfer from Arkansas evenly shared the rushing duties with freshman RB Jaquari Lewis, the pair rolling up 56 (12 carries) and 57 yards (14 carries), respectively.

 

 

 

 

The game was still relatively close at halftime, with the Mountaineers leading 17-0. Georgia State received the second half kickoff, but their possession was short-circuited when App State’s sophomore linebacker Colton Phares stepped in front of a T J Finley pass intended for GSU wide receiver Ted Hurst with still 13:23 left in the third quarter. That led to a virtual explosion of TDs manufactured by the Mountaineers to all but put the game away in the third quarter.

App State head coach Dowell Loggains was candid in opening his post-game press conference.

“We need to finish the game better but I like the way we started, in all three phases,” said Loggains. “I’m happy with the game. We cut down on the penalties… defense was good and special teams showed up.”

Loggains could feel his team’s confidence building as the game progressed.

“Any time you give yourself a three-possession lead and then start the second half the way we did… at that point I felt pretty good about the game,” said Loggains. “We still need to learn how to finish, to play all four quarters.”

Kohl was similarly candid in assessing the App State offense’s performance.

“We started kind of slow with a couple of three and outs,” he conceded, “but then we got into the flow of things. We got some confidence going and then it was pretty cool from there. It was (great) to see different guys making plays from both the receivers and running backs rooms. The offensive line… they fought their butts off for me.

“The thing about this offense,” Kohl added, “is that it is multi-dimensional. We can move the ball running or throwing.”

Next up for the Mountaineers is a Homecoming date with Coastal Carolina at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Oct. 18, with kickoff slated for 3:30 p.m.

SCORING SUMMARY

TEAM STATS

INDIVIDUAL STATS

DEFENSE