Category: College

By Matt Present for App State Sports. MARTIN, Tenn. – An early second half surge for App State Women’s Soccer resulted in two goals across a seven-minute span, as the Mountaineers claimed a 2-0 road win over University of Tennessee-Martin Thursday night at Skyhawk Soccer Field.

The Mountaineers’ advantage came long before their first tally on the scoreboard. App State (2-1-0) tallied the first ten shots of the game, including a flurry of several good opportunities in the opening 10 minutes of play. App State closed the night with a 17-2 shot advantage, including 6-1 in shots on target. The Mountaineers have totaled 38 shots in their last two matches.

App State opened the scoring in the 50th minute of play. Felicia Erkenfeldt gained possession of the ball just on the App State side of midfield. After freeing herself from her defender, she pushed the ball ahead for Lela Stark. Stark carried possession forward, chipping it on for Olivia Simon, who headed the ball on to Izzi Wood for the finish to make it 1-0.

Moments later, off a Stark corner kick, Stephanie Barbosa ripped a shot from 25 yards out past the diving effort of the UT Martin goalkeeper to give App State a 2-0 advantage.

Kerry Eagleston made just two saves in the match, with her first coming in the 65th minute, when she smothered a loose ball on the doorstep to preserve the shutout, her 20th career clean sheet.

Hannah Löfmark made her first career start in the match, tallying three shots, while Mumu Guisasola, Kaitlyn Little, and Skyler Walk all played all 90 minutes on the Mountaineers’ back line. Olivia Simon also registered three shots in the match, while Wood led the team with five attempts.

App State will return to Boone where they will face off with in-state foe High Point, Sunday at 1 p.m. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.

By Bret Strelow for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — He broke countless records and inspired hard-to-believe highlight reels. His teams captured consecutive national championships and captivated the nation with a headline-making upset.

App State’s Armanti Edwards: One for — make that 14 — the ages.

App State Athletics announced Thursday that Edwards, a star quarterback for the Mountaineers from 2006-09, will have his No. 14 retired this fall. The retirement ceremony will occur at halftime of the App State-Georgia Southern home game on Nov. 25, the culmination of a season-long celebration of Edwards’ unique and illustrious career.

“There aren’t enough words to express the amount of gratitude I have right now,” Edwards said. “Thank you to my family, the town of Boone, my coaches and teammates for the great deal of confidence you all had in me since day one. All of the support, the many sacrifices and the everlasting friendships are forever cherished. Boone will always have a place in my heart.”

he broke countless records and inspired countless highlight reels.

Earlier this year, Edwards was nominated for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, giving him an opportunity to join Dexter Coakley as the only members to have played for the Mountaineers. Coakley (No. 32), John Settle (No. 23), Dino Hackett (No. 38) and Larry Hand (No. 71) already have their numbers retired in Boone.

The honoring of Edwards’ No. 14 is the last time App State plans to take a jersey number out of circulation due to limited inventory of jersey numbers for the roster each season. Current student-athletes wearing No. 14 will have the option to wear it for the remainder of their time at App State. App State Athletics will plan to recognize alums who have made a historic impact on the program in other ways moving forward.

To be sure not to miss out on a historic day at Kidd Brewer Stadium, where Edwards’ teams posted a 30-3 record during his career, you can purchase tickets for the Nov. 25 regular-season finale. App State will have number 14-themed promotions throughout the 2023 football season.

“We are thrilled to honor Armanti’s immense legacy at App State by retiring his No. 14 jersey,” said Director of Athletics Doug Gillin. “His impact as the most decorated quarterback in school history includes leading the team to back-to-back national championships and the historic win at Michigan. Armanti will always be known as one of the greatest Mountaineers to ever wear the Black and Gold.”

During his four years in Boone, Edwards was a four-time first-team All-American, the first two-time FCS National Player of the Year (Walter Payton Award) and a two-time national champion who went 42-7 as a starter, including the historic 34-32 upset of No. 5 Michigan to open App State’s 2007 championship season. The Mountaineers went 28-2 in conference games with three unbeaten runs to league titles in his four seasons.

He spent 12 years in pro football after being a third-round selection in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Eye-Popping Stats

Edwards amassed 14,753 yards of total offense in his App State career (10,392 passing with 4,361 rushing) and 139 total touchdowns (74 passing with 65 rushing) while helping lead App State to a 48-9 record from 2006-09 with back-to-back national titles in 2006 and 2007.

Edwards became the first Division I player (FBS or FCS) with more than 10,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards in his career and currently has only one other player (Colin Kaepernick of Nevada) as company on that list.

Edwards remains an FCS record holder for career rushing TDs by a quarterback and most seasons with 3,000-plus yards of total offense (four seasons, tied for first with Steve McNair) while ranking No. 2 in career rushing yards by a QB and No. 4 in career total offense.

His four first-team All-America honors from 2006-09 include first-team recognition from the Associated Press in 2008 and 2009.

Edwards posted single-game highs of 433 passing yards (still a school record) and 313 rushing yards (in a 2007 FCS semifinal win to currently rank No. 2 in single-game rushing yards by an FCS quarterback and No. 2 by any App State player, broken in 2020). In the upset of Michigan, he accounted for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) and 289 yards of total offense (227 passing, 62 rushing).

Editor’s Note: This article has been corrected to accurately reflect the order in which App State’s goals were scored.

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Deft ball-handling, pesky defense and constant pressure on the opposition goal were the order of the day on Aug. 20, as App State women’s soccer produced a 3-0, home opener win over George Mason at the Ted Mackeroll Soccer Stadium.

BONUS PHOTOS @ BOTTOM OF ARTICLE

An estimated 700 fans packed the stands and grassy knolls above the field, enjoying the warm sunshine as late summer begins its transition into fall.

“We knew George Mason would be a tough, scrappy opponent since they fought us to a 0-0 draw at their place last year,” said Mountaineer head coach Aimee Haywood after the match. “I expected a lot of fight from them and that is what we got. The first 20 minutes of each half they were battling us hard, physically. So to score three goals against them today is big time. It shows a lot of growth in our team this year. We had a lot of ball throughout the game and a lot of opportunities so I am pleased with that. There were some mistakes, of course, that we have to fix but the intensity and possession was good, as was our roster depth. We played a lot of our roster today.”

A junior forward from Durham, N.C., Stephanie Barbosa accounted for the first and second Mountaineer goals, both timely punches that found the back of the net after moments of mayhem in front..  Barbosa’s goals established clear Mountaineer momentum before a penalty kick awarded to Izzi Wood, a senior forward from Hickory, N.C., in the 58th minute. While Barbosa’ second goal was unassisted, Sarah Widderich and Shannon Studer were both credited with an assist on the first goal. It came just 31 seconds into the second half, bringing a roar from the crowd and jumpstarting the Mountaineers’ second half energy.

Of the first goal, which game in the 11th minute of play, Barbosa was particularly excited about it.

“That first one, it really got us pumped up and we just kept carrying the energy,” said Barbosa, the former all-state high school player. “As a team, we have recently been saying we need to play with passion. That’s what we did today.”

Of the play leading up to her penalty kick, Wood said, “I just remember we connected in the back and had a great through-ball. Somehow I ended up with the ball and when I went for the shot, there was a hand ball in the penalty box.”

Wood said she knew exactly where she was going to place the ball on her penalty kick.

“I practice it all the time,” she said.

App State dominated possession and that was reflected in the team’s statistical performance. The Mountaineers worked themselves into position to take 21 shots, compared to just four for the Patriots. George Mason goalkeeper Ginny Fronk played the full 90 minutes, crafting four saves on the afternoon, two of them dramatic, diving stops and a third leaping high to deflect a hard shot over the top of the net.

Next up for App State is a road game at University of Tennessee-Martin on Aug. 24, before returning to play High Point on Aug. 27, at Ted Mackeroll Soccer Stadium, 1 p.m.

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RELATED LINKS

• Barbosa brace sinks George Mason

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It was a case of “bookends,” of sorts. App State field hockey played Liberty to a 0-0 draw in the second and third quarters on Aug. 18. The devil was in the first and final periods, where the visiting Flames scored three goals in each to register a 6-0 shutout against the Mountaineers at Adcock Field Hockey Stadium.

BONUS PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF ARTICLE

New turf made for faster play and both teams took advantage. The Flames’ play was sharp for the early season, one- and two-stick passing whipping the ball from sideline to sideline and very decisive in search of space to attack. Especially in the first and final periods, the Mountaineers’ fell victim to stick-handling errors that frequently cost them possession.

“Liberty is a very good team and we relished the opportunity to play against them,” said Mountaineer defense specialist and team captain Grace Ball afterward. “We are learning. We are working on things. Being able to play against this kind of competition in an early season exhibition match makes us better prepared for the upcoming season.”

Mountaineer head coach Emily Dinsmore, who is a Liberty alum and knows the Flames coaching staff very well, seemed pleased with the growth of her Mountaineers.

“We are trying to play at a really fast pace and matching up against an exhibition opponent like Liberty is a real test. I thought we held up pretty well in the middle part of the game. Not only did we not allow any goals after those three in the first quarter, but in the second period we had three shots on goal to their one, so we were doing a better job in attack, too. We just have to sustain that kind of performance through all four quarters,” said Dinsmore.

SCORING

First Quarter

• LIB (7:03) – Goal by Pima Iturraspe, assist by Lexi Hosler
• LIB (11:53) – Goal by Jodie Connolly, assist by Reagan Underwood and Bethany Dykema
• LIB (14:11) – Goal by Ellie Livingston, assist by Martu Cian

Fourth Quarter

• LIB (45:57) – Goal by Kyleigh Faust, assist by Bethany Dykema
• LIB (51:26) – Goal by Pima Iturraspe, assist by Bethany Dykema
• LIB  (52:23) – Goal by Ellie Livingston, assist by Lexi Hosler

App State has one more exhibition match, Aug. 20 at Wake Forest, before consecutive matches in Towson, Md., against Towson University on Aug. 25, followed by a match against Georgetown at Towson on Aug. 27. They return home to host Drexel University on Sept. 1 at Adcock Stadium.

BONUS PHOTOS

Special Report from App State Sports. WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — App State went toe-to-toe against 2022 NCAA tournament qualifier Wake Forest in a 1-0 loss. It was the Mountaineers’ season-opener, on Oct. 17 at Spry Stadium.

Fifth-year senior goalkeeper Kerry Eagleston led the defensive effort with six saves, including several highlight-reel efforts, playing back in her hometown of Winston-Salem. The App State defense as a whole limited the Demon Deacons to just seven shots on target, and forced turnovers in the midfield throughout the match.

The lone blemish on the evening came in the 25th minute, when a Wake Forest cross attempt was blocked, but ricocheted into the back of the net.

The Mountaineers had several quality scoring chances in the opening 45 minutes. Just two minutes into play, Sarah Widderich had an opportunity inside the Demon Deacon box off of a Mountaineer forced turnover. Midway through the half, the Deacs narrowly prevented an own goal, clearing a ball off the goal line.

In the second stanza, freshman Olivia Simon, who earned a start in her first career match, drove a shot toward the top of the goal but the Wake Forest goalkeeper got a glove on the ball, deflecting it over the crossbar in the 55th minute. Summer Bowman also saw action in her collegiate debut, tallying a shot on goal.

Stephanie Barbosa put pressure on the Demon Deacons in the second half as well. In the 60th minute, Barbosa turned a two-on-one into a shot for Izzi Wood. Then, with seven minutes to play in the match, ripped a one-timer on goal off of an App State free kick.

Barbosa, Shannon Studer, Mumu Guisasola, Kaitlyn Little, and Skyler Walk played all 90 minutes for the Mountaineers.

App State returns to Boone on Sunday where they will face off with George Mason in their home-opener at 1 p.m. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.

By Bret Strelow for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — Saturday started with referees coming up the mountain to officiate the first preseason scrimmage and continued with sage advice being dispatched from a high-profile guest speaker in Jon Gordon.

Gordon, also a well-renowned author (including his best-selling book titled “The Energy Bus”), addressed the App State football team on a day when he also spoke to other student-athletes on campus. Gordon talked to a large gathering of Mountaineers in the Holmes Center at the same time the football team was conducting Fall Camp practice No. 8, which included a scrimmage with more than 100 plays.

Defense provides bookend highlights, but QBs throw TDs, too

The scrimmage began with a free-play deep throw (because of defensive offsides) that was intercepted in acrobatic fashion by cornerback Ethan Johnson and ended with outside linebacker Caden Sullivan delivering a sack on a fourth-and-goal snap.

There were plenty of offensive, defensive and special teams highlights in between, as Ryan Burger threw touchdown passes to Kaedin Robinson (a 7-yarder with six seconds showing on the clock to complete an end-of-half scenario that had begun at the 50-yard line) and Nate Noel (a 14-yard connection in a red-zone scenario). Burger scrambled for one touchdown.

Joey Aguilar also delivered a pair of touchdown passes, with Coen Sutton breaking a tackle on a 30-yard score to cap a 75-yard drive and tight end Kanen Hamlett scoring an 11-yard touchdown on a third down, a few plays after a 46-yard gain by receiver Makai Jackson.

The offense moved effectively under Burger’s direction after a strong start by the defense — Burger went through his progressions well on a patient check-down throw to Noel for 22 yards and then completed a 16-yard pass to Robinson before Robinson’s score — and Aguilar showed great accuracy in completing a high percentage of his throws.

The run game featured several productive carries from Ahmani Marshall and some open-field explosiveness from Kanye Roberts.

Defensively, in addition to the previously mentioned efforts from Johnson and Sullivan, officials credited sacks to defensive end Michael Fletcher (two solo sacks), safety Nick Ross, outside linebacker Nate Johnson and outside linebacker Brodrick Gooch with some of the Mountaineers’ top units on the field. Inside linebacker Jack Scroggs also had a sack, and redshirt freshman safety DJ Burks intercepted a deep pass.

Castle finds end zone against first team defense

Jordan Favors, a candidate to start at one safety spot, made several nice plays in run support and forced a fumble that was recovered by Derrell Farrar, a candidate to start at one inside linebacker spot. Defensive end Shawn Collins’ downfield tackle after continuing to swarm to the ball shows he’s fitting in with how App State wants to play defense.

Another takeaway came via Kevin Abrams-Verwayne’s fumble recovery, and Milan Tucker blocked a kick on special teams.

In addition to drives beginning with long fields, there were also instances of the offense starting inside the defense’s 5-yard line. Anderson Castle scored on a 1-yard run with first-team units going head to head, while freshman quarterback Mason McHugh threw a short touchdown pass to freshman tight end Max Drag. With penalties backing up one offensive group, the defense held strong, forcing a 36-yard field goal attempt that was made by Michael Hughes.

The regular season begins in three weeks, with App State welcoming Gardner-Webb to Boone for a Sept. 2 opener in Kidd Brewer Stadium.

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Three more Appalachian State football players garnered national attention this week by being named to preseason “watch lists” for individual awards. The trio includes Isaiah Helms for the Rimington Trophy, which goes to the nation’s top center; Milan Tucker for the Paul Hornung Award, given annually to the most versatile FBS-level player in the country; and tight end Miller Gibbs, for the Wuerffel Trophy, recognizing the FBS player who best combines exemplary community service with leadership achievement on and off the field.

PLAYER PROFILES FROM APP STATE SPORTS

Isaiah Helms

An All-Sun Belt performer, Helms started the last six games at center in 2022 and started in all 25 of his game appearances for the Mountaineers since transferring from Western Carolina before the 2021 season. He was the Catamounts’ starting center for two seasons and was named a HERO Sports FCS Sophomore All-American during the 2020-21 season (that didn’t count against his college eligibility).

Since its inception, the Rimington Trophy raised more than $5 million for the Boomer Esiason Foundation, which is committed to finding a cure for cystic fibrosis. Dave Rimington, the award’s namesake, was a consensus first-team All-America center at Nebraska in 1981 and 1982, during which time he became the John Outland Trophy’s only two-time winner as the nation’s finest college interior lineman.

Milan Tucker

The Paul Hornung Award is presented by Texas Roadhouse and given by the Louisville Sports Commission in memory of the late football legend and Louisville native, Paul Hornung.

Over the last three seasons, Tucker returned kicks while spending time at both cornerback and wide receiver, depending on team needs. He earned second-team All-American recognition as a kick returner by the Football Writers Association of America last season, when he ranked second nationally (among qualifying players) with a kick return average of 28.2 yards (with 620 yards on 22 returns).

Tucker scored his first career touchdown with a 96-yard kickoff return at Marshall. He also had key returns of 47 yards against North Carolina and 63 yards in the win against Georgia State. On defense, he contributed as a cornerback, starting at that position against Robert Morris.

Miller Gibbs

Named after 1996 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Danny Wuerffel from Florida, the Wuerffel Trophy honors college football players who serve others, celebrate their positive impact on society and inspire greater service in the world.

During his App State career, Gibbs and other teammates spent time coaching and as a positive influence for participants in the Girls on the Run program. Gibbs also leads a bible study group involving members of App State’s football team.

Gibbs, who earned a management degree in December, has returned to App State for a sixth year and is pursuing a graduate certificate in business analytics. He played in 45 career games so far, including all 12 during a 2022 season in which he made five starts and received the team’s Jerry Moore Award.

RELATED LINKS

• Wuerffel Trophy
• Hornung Award
• Rimington Trophy

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• 2022 App State vs. North Carolina Game

By Bret Strelow for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — App State Wrestling head coach JohnMark Bentley announced Wednesday that Jarrod Patterson has been promoted to a full-time assistant coach.

“Jarrod did a great job with our team during his first year in Boone,” Bentley said. “We’re excited that he’ll continue to work with our program and our wrestlers.”

Patterson joined App State’s staff as a volunteer assistant in May 2022 and contributed to a banner 2022-23 season in which the Mountaineers finished with a dual team ranking of No. 20 in the nation, secured a SoCon regular-season title with an 8-0 league record, earned a SoCon sweep by winning the conference tournament and had six wrestlers qualify to compete at the NCAA Championships.

“I am grateful for the opportunity and look forward to helping the program continue to produce champions on and off the mat,” Patterson said.

After being a four-time NCAA qualifier and an All-American at 125 pounds during a decorated career at Oklahoma from 2009-14, Patterson’s work with the top portion of App State’s order and the entire roster helped produce championship results. The Mountaineers went a combined 21-2 in SoCon duals at 125, 133 and 141 pounds last season.

Patterson, who earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology and master’s degree in human relations from Oklahoma, was a three-time Academic All-American and four-time Academic All-Big XII selection during his collegiate career.

RELATED STORIES

• SoCon Championships

RELATED LINKS

• Southern Conference