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Brice gets nod for Hula Bowl in Central Florida

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Brice gets nod for Hula Bowl in Central Florida

By Bret Strelow for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — App State quarterback Chase Brice has accepted an invitation to play in the 2023 Tunnel to Towers Foundation Hula Bowl, which will be held Jan. 14 at UCF’s FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando, Fla.

The 77th annual Hula Bowl game will showcase 100 top collegiate players, matched with legendary NFL coaches, and be broadcast live on the CBS Sports Network.

In just two years, Brice put up some of the best career totals in App State history, ranking No. 1 in passing yards per game (240.7), No. 5 in touchdown passes (54) and No. 6 in passing yards (6,258).

Brice threw 27 touchdown passes (No. 1 in the Sun Belt) and just six interceptions during a 2022 season in which he passed for 2,921 yards (243.4 per game) and completed 62.8 percent of his attempts.

A native of Grayson, Ga., Brice opened the season by throwing for a school-record six touchdowns against North Carolina, including four during a 40-point fourth quarter for App State, which lost 63-61. He helped lead the Mountaineers to a 17-14 win at No. 6 Texas A&M the following week, then delivered a 53-yard touchdown pass to Christan Horn on a last-play Hail Mary to beat Troy 32-28 on the same day ESPN’s College GameDay aired from Boone.

As fans stormed the field, video of Brice walking toward the stands and helping fellow students jump safely from their elevated front row onto the field went viral. One of eight team captains, he also showed leadership by giving up his Senior Day captain’s spot to tight end Henry Pearson, who was in his fifth year at App State.

Brice, who spent his first three collegiate years at Clemson and played for Duke in 2020, totaled 62 game appearances, 9,451 passing yards and 73 touchdown passes as an FBS quarterback.

Greenhalgh returns as App State Director of Athletic Performance

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Greenhalgh returns as App State Director of Athletic Performance

By Joey Jones and Bret Strelow for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — Matt Greenhalgh has returned home to App State as Director of Athletic Performance to oversee the football program’s strength and conditioning, head coach Shawn Clark announced Thursday.

“We’re excited to welcome Matt and his family back to App State,” Clark said. “Matt’s enthusiasm and ability as a strength coach will be critical to our program. We will be relentless and smart with all of our strength and conditioning habits.”

Greenhalgh (pronounced GREEN-hall) was Assistant Director of Football Strength and Conditioning at Virginia Tech during the 2022 season after being Georgia Southern’s Director of Football Strength and Conditioning from 2018-21.

That role as director came after he served as App State’s Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning from 2014-17, when the Mountaineers posted a record of 37-14 with two Sun Belt Conference championships and a 3-0 bowl record.

“My family and I are extremely excited to be rejoining the App State football family,” Greenhalgh said. “Boone is a special place, and I am looking forward to building upon the rich tradition of App State Football. I am unbelievably thankful to Coach Clark and Doug Gillin for this opportunity. I cannot wait to get to work!”

Georgia Southern made an eight-win improvement to go 10-3 during Greenhalgh’s first season in Statesboro. The Eagles had winning records in each of the next two seasons, going 8-5 in 2020, and a coaching transition coincided with Greenhalgh relocating to Virginia Tech to work alongside first-year head coach Brent Pry in 2022.

Prior to his first stint in Boone, Greenhalgh was a strength and conditioning graduate assistant at The Citadel from 2013-14. A native of Chepachet, Rhode Island, he also worked as a strength and conditioning intern at Rhode Island, his alma mater, and South Carolina.

A four-year letterwinner on the offensive line for Rhode Island from 2008-12, Greenhalgh graduated with a degree in kinesiology. He served as a team captain during his senior season after earning a spot on the Allstate Good Works Team as a junior in 2011.

He holds a master’s degree in sports management from Western Carolina.

Blowing Rock races past Valle Crucis in Round 1, 47-9

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Blowing Rock races past Valle Crucis in Round 1, 47-9

By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. —  Ten Rockets got into the scoring column on Dec. 8, as Blowing Rock dominated Valle Crucis in Round 1 of the Watauga County Middle School Championship Tournament, 47-9.

Louie Winger is fouled driving to the basket for Blowing Rock against Valle Crucis on Dec. 8, in the first round of the County middle school championship tournament. Photographic image by David Rogers

Behind Lucas Cash’s game-high 13 points, nine of them in the first half, the Rockets led 25-6 at intermission and only allowed another three points to Valle Crucis for the rest of the night.

For most of the first quarter, the Cougars hung with the Rockets but that thought soon evaporated as Blowing Rock exploded for 19 points in the second period and limited VC to just two in the period.

Joaquin Miranda (24) drives the baseline against Valle Crucis on Dec. 8. Blowing Rock won, 47-9, in the first round of the Watauga County Middle School Basketball Championship tournament. Photographic image by David Rogers

Among the other top scorers for the Rockets, Louie Winger tallied seven; Joaquin Miranda. six; Fletcher Farris, five; and Noah Blevins, four.

With the win, Blowing Rock advances to the tournament’s semifinal round for a rematch with Parkway on Dec. 12, 7 p.m.

With the big win, a number of Blowing Rock’s younger reserves saw court time against Valle Crucis on Dec. 8 in Round 1 of the county playoffs. Evan Cutlip (30) launches a 3-point attempt in the 4th quarter. Photographic image by David Rogers

OTHER SCORES

In the other first round games, Parkway got by Bethel, 35-20, and in the upper half of the bracket, Hardin Park was a convincing winner over Mabel, 57-11, while Green Valley defeated Cove Creek, 36-30, in the lone lower seed upset of the night.

SCORING SUMMARY

  • BR Lucas Cash (13)
  • BR Louie Winger (7)
  • BR Joaquin Miranda (6)
  • BR Fletcher Farris (5)
  • BR Noah Blevins (4)
  • VC Jamie Canter (4)
  • BR Wilson Henline (3)
  • BR Carson Morris (3)
  • VC Lucas Aldridge (3)
  • BR Cullen Sukow (2)
  • BR Sean Rea (2)
  • BR John Wilson Mills (2)
  • VC Quinn Cashwell (2)

Watauga District boys survive late rally by TA Dugger, 42-41

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Watauga District boys survive late rally by TA Dugger, 42-41

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — At the end of the first half of the middle school boys basketball team between the Watauga District team and T.A. Dugger Middle School of Elizabethton on Dec. 7 in Lentz Eggers Gym, the host Pioneers sported an 11-point lead. The visiting Cyclones got hot on the scoring end and grew more disruptive on the defensive to close the gap, but Watauga survived to record a 42-41 win.

Aiden Amasen (1) was active under the basket for the Watauga District middle school boys team on Dec. 7 vs. T A Dugger Middle School (Elizabethton, Tenn.). Photographic image by David Rogers

Guard J J Everett recorded a game-high 23 points, while teammate Aiden Amasen accounted for nine points, the duo providing most of the Pioneers’ fire power.

On the other end, three T A Dugger players got into double figures, including Isaiah Adams (13), Brawlon Britt (10) and Evan Chambers (10).

With the win, the Watauga District boys team improves to 5-5 on the season. Their next action will be on Dec. 15, against Heritage Middle School of Valdese, N.C.

SCORING SUMMARY

  • WAT JJ Everett (23)
  • DUG Isaiah Adams (13)
  • DUG Brawlon Britt (10)
  • DUG Evan Chambers (10)
  • WAT Aiden Amasen (9)
  • DUG Grayson Blair (4)
  • WAT Quincy Honeycutt (3)
  • WAT Hunter Townsend (3)
  • WAT Truett Healy (2)
  • WAT Mason Tate (2)
  • WAT Colby Whiteside (2)
  • DUG Brycen Blevins (2)

Woods sends it to OT, but Watauga falls to TA Dugger girls, 22-20

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Woods sends it to OT, but Watauga falls to TA Dugger girls, 22-20

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Watauga’s Presli Woods drained a 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining to tie the game at 19-19 and send it into overtime, but the Pioneers’ middle school District team fell in OT to TA Dugger (Elizabethton, Tenn.), 22-20, on Dec. 7 at Lentz Eggers Gym.

For Watauga Middle School District girls basketball team, Paige Shuman (23) goes up for a shot against TA Dugger (Elizabethton, Tenn.) on Dec. 7. Photographic image by David Rogers

The visiting Cyclones led the entire way until Woods’ tying shot. It was a mostly a defensive battle, with plenty of steals and other varieties of turnovers. The Pioneer girls frequently poached the ball on the defensive end but often lost it back to the Cyclones as they dribbled up the court on a fast break, unaware that someone was sneaking up from behind with larcenous intentions.

TA Dugger’s Reagan May poured in a game-high 13 points, while Woods and Blair Haines each scored nine points for Watauga, accounting for all but two points scored by Stephanie Morales-Mendez.

With the loss, the Watauga Middle School District girls fall to 8-2 on the season. Their next action will be Dec. 15 at Heritage Middle School in Valdese, N.C.

SCORING SUMMARY

  • DUG Reagan May (13)
  • WAT Presli Woods (9)
  • WAT Blair Haines (9)
  • DUG Daisy Parks (3)
  • DUG Jasy Shell (3)
  • WAT Stephanie Morales Mendez (2)
  • DUG Rylee May (2)
  • DUG Molly Wallin (1)

Blowing Rock girls squeak by Cove Creek, 16-13

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Blowing Rock girls squeak by Cove Creek, 16-13

By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — There were a few things that weren’t supposed to happen when the Watauga middle school tournament’s No. 6 seed, Cove Creek, played the No. 3 seed, Blowing Rock on Dec. 7.

For starters, the game ball wasn’t supposed to get stuck between the metal frames in the backboard. Maybe wedged between the rim and the backboard, but way up there? What are the odds…

Mmmm… Now how did that happen? Photographic image by David Rogers

And then, when Blowing Rock started off 7-0 early in the first quarter and led 9-2 at intermission, who would have thought that the Cove Creek Raiders would rally back to challenge the Rockets for the right to advance to round 2 of the playoffs?

Apparently, the understaffed Raiders (just six rostered players) thought the unthinkable because in the second half they played pesky defense, forced Blowing Rock turnover after turnover, and outscored the Rockets 11-7 after the halftime break. Blowing Rock did just enough to win, but not by much, 16-13, when all was said and done.

Blowing Rock’s Anna Byrne has her sights on driving the baseline against Cove Creek in Round 1 of the 2022 Watauga middle school playoffs on Dec. 6. Photographic image by David Rogers

From a scoring standpoint, Cove Creek’s second half surge was a two-player show. Addison Foster (6) and Kayden Kaufman (4) scored 10 of the Raiders 11 second half points.

In Blowing Rock’s winning effort, Susanna Goff and Francis Davis tied Foster for game-high honors with six points each, while Anna Byrne and Kate Rex each added two points.

Cove Creek’s Payton Carter didn’t score any points, but as the point guard and playmaker, she drives the Raiders’ offensive attack on Dec. 6 vs. Blowing Rock in Round 1 of the Watauga middle school championship tournament. Photographic image by David Rogers

With the win, Blowing Rock advances to the semifinals at Watauga High School on Monday, Dec. 12, 5 p.m.

This story will be update with all Round 1 scores as soon as they become available.

More Random Photos

Any question here whether Anna Byrne (with ball) is being fouled? Photographic image by David Rogers
Blowing Rock’s Sarah Goff (3) shoots from outside. Photographic image by David Rogers
Cove Creek’s players are for sure guarding Blowing Rock’s Kate Rex closely on Dec. 7. Basketball sandwich, anyone? Photographic image by David Rogers
On a fast break, that’s Kate Rex (with ball) doing her best Michael Jordan ‘sticking his tongue out while going for the basket’ imitation. Photographic image by David Rogers
With Cove Creek’s Elizabeth Cook (12) giving chase, Blowing Rock’s Susanna Goff (3) chases down a long pass. Photographic image by David Rogers
Susanna Goff (3) concentrates on a free throw attempt during the Rockets’ Round 1 game vs. Cove Creek on Dec. 7. Photographic image by David Rogers

Watauga WBB powers past A C Reynolds’ Rockets, 72-47

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Watauga WBB powers past A C Reynolds’ Rockets, 72-47

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Watauga varsity women’s basketball coach Laura Barry may have to start calling forward Brooke Scheffler and shooting guard Charlotte Torgerson her “bookends.” In the Pioneers’ more than convincing, 72-47 win over A C Reynolds on Dec. 6, Scheffler scored 17 of her 19 points in the first half, while Torgerson tallied 17 of her game-high 23 points in the second half.

It was raining Pioneer three-pointers — 15 of them — against the Rockets. Scheffler (4) and Torgerson (7) had 11 of them combined. Point guard Kate Sears made two shots from beyond the arc, while Laurel Kiker and Caroline Farthing were successful on one each.

While Sears may have had an “off” night in the scoring column with 14 points, her distribution (AKA assists), rebounds, steals and overall defense more than made up for any offensive deficiency.

The ball is arching above the picture frame, but Brooke Scheffler (20) has stylish followthrough in making this 3-pointer in the first half against A C Reynolds on Dec. 6. Photographic image by David Rogers

In fact, Watauga’s overall team defense was outstanding against a very good A C Reynolds team that appeared to have a distinct height advantage, particularly in the form of senior center/power forward Landyn Stewart. At one point in the second half, the Pioneer women had a 40-point lead over their Asheville-based rivals, Barry admitting after the game that she wanted to address with the team its allowing the Rockets to cut that lead in half during the fourth quarter.

“When these girls are ‘on’ like they were tonight,” Barry said to High Country Sports after the game, “this team is very good.”

At 4-1 on the young season, with signature wins over two quality Charlotte-based schools, Myers Park and Chambers, Watauga is now ranked No. 17 by MaxPreps in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 4AWest Division, behind No. 1-ranked Northern Guilford, as well as behind Northwestern Conference rival Alexander Central, which MaxPreps has at No. 3 in the West.

Next up for the Pioneers is a home tilt on Dec. 9 against Mountain Heritage (Burnsville), the as yet undefeated (5-0) 1A/2A power. Watauga and Mountain Heritage complete their 2022 non-conference series four days later, on Dec. 13, when the Pioneers travel to Burnsville to face the Cougars on their home court.

SCORING

  • WAT Charlotte Torgerson (23)
  • ACR Peyton Harvey (21)
  • WAT Brooke Scheffler (19)
  • WAT Kate Sears (14)
  • ACR Landyn Stewart (11)
  • ACR Jenna Barnes (11)
  • WAT Caroline Farthing (5)
  • WAT Laurel Kiker (5)
  • WAT Kaitlyn Darner (4)
  • ACR Anna Wilcox (4)
  • WAT Julie Matheson (2)
  • ACR Julie Janus (2)

Bishop, Ellis lead Watauga JV men’s basketball past A C Reynolds, 47-43

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Bishop, Ellis lead Watauga JV men’s basketball past A C Reynolds, 47-43

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Broad participation in the scoring column produced a winning outcome for Watauga’s junior varsity men’s basketball team on Dec. 6, defeating A C Reynolds (Asheville), 47-43 in Lentz Eggers Gym.

Matthew Habich launches a 3-pointer against A C Reynolds on Dec. 6 in the JV Pioneers’ 47-43 win. Photographic image by David Rogers

Eli Bishop and Orin Ellis paced the Pioneers with nine and seven points, respectively, with nine other players contributing to the offensive output.

J. Pavone scored a game-high 12 points for the visiting Rockets while teammate J. Bartley added 10, but the broad amount of scoring across the Pioneers’ roster more than offset the concentrated ACR output.

The Pioneers had a 25-12 lead by intermission and led 35-26 at the end of the third quarter.

SCORING

  • ACR J. Pavone (12)
  • ACR J. Bartley (10)
  • WAT Eli Bishop (9)
  • ACR A. Jordan (8)
  • WAT Orin Ellis (7)
  • ACR C. Brillis (7)
  • WAT Matthew Habich (6)
  • WAT Nate Gutschall (5)
  • WAT Logan Greene (4)
  • WAT Noah Dishman (4)
  • WAT Jackson Love (4)
  • WAT Paul Taylor (3)
  • ACR J. Miles (3)
  • ACR M. Peak (3)
  • WAT Brady Lindenmuth (2)
  • WAT Landon Smith (2)
  • WAT Seth Greene (1)

Mountaineers dominate Carlow, 103-43

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Mountaineers dominate Carlow, 103-43

BOONE, N.C. – App State men’s basketball defeated Carlow 103-43 to improve its home record to 4-3 on Tuesday night.

The Mountaineers (6-4) scored at least 51 points in both halves and led by as many as 66 late in the second.

Head coach Dustin Kerns inserted senior Andrew Muse into the starting lineup, helping the Mountaineers jump out to a 14-0 lead to start the game. App State never trailed for the third time this season.

The Celtics (1-13) kept within 15 until the Black & Gold went on a 22-0 run that spanned from the 2:42 mark of the first half to the 17:32 mark of the second half.

App State saw points from 11 different players, five of which earned double figures: CJ Huntley (12), Justin Abson (12), Terence Harcum (11), Dibaji Walker (10) and Zocko Littleton Jr. (10).

Littleton Jr. scored the first field goal of his career on a pull-up jumper with six and a half minutes left in the game. Over the next few possessions, he rattled off two three-pointers and another made basket to score all 10 of his points within a 14-0 run that spanned until the two-minute mark.

Abson and Xavion Brown both went perfect from the floor, shooting 6-6 and 4-4, respectively.

App State forced 21 turnovers that led to 31 points and assisted 29 of its 42 made field goals.

The Mountaineers will return to action next Wednesday as they visit Wake Forest, their second ACC opponent of the season.

Watauga JV WBB runs past AC Reynolds, 58-13

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Watauga JV WBB runs past AC Reynolds, 58-13

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Stout defense and a flurry of shooting from long range led the Watauga junior varsity women’s team to a decisive, 58-13 win over visiting A C Reynolds on Dec. 6 in Lentz Eggers Gym.

Gracie Lawrence earned game-high scoring honors with 12 points, four in each of the first three quarters. Izzy Torgerson and Addy Healy were close behind with 11 points each. Torgerson got all of hers in the first half, including three, 3-pointers, while Healy poured in all but two points before intermission.

Natalia Byrd tallied a team-high six points for the visiting Rockets of A C Reynolds.

This game got out of hand from the start, Watauga jumping out to a 20-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and 40-12 by halftime. The Rockets scored only one point more in the second half, while the Pioneers put up another 18.

SCORING

  • WAT Gracie Lawrence (12)
  • WAT Izzy Torgerson (11)
  • WAT Addy Healy (11)
  • WAT Sarah Thompson (8)
  • WAT Shelby Thompson (6)
  • ACR Natalia Byrd (6)
  • WAT Olivia Foskey (4)
  • ACR Taia Lytle (3)
  • WAT Chloe Weigl (2)
  • ACR Kniya Wynn-Collins (2)
  • ACR Carrigan Hill (2)
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