By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Turnovers and penalties were costly for visiting South Iredell on Nov. 4, at Jack Groce Stadium in Round 1 of the NCHSAA 4A Football Championship. Host Watauga powered past the Vikings, 42-13, to keep the Pioneers’ state title hopes alive.
After stopping South Iredell’s opening drive, Watauga took over on downs at their own 45-yardline and quickly went into its patented grinding, ground control mode, picking up chunks of yardage by quarterback Maddox Greene and running back Will Curtis. A senior, Curtis finished off the six-play drive with a 16-yard TD run, weaving between his own blockers and would-be tacklers, to give the Pioneers an early 7-0 lead — and they would never again be trailing or tied in the contest.
Morgan Henry was the offensive star on the Pioneers second possession, after again taking over on downs when South Iredell failed on a fourth down conversion attempt. Henry surprised everyone except the Pioneers in taking a quick pitch before sweeping around the right side for 27-yard TD scamper.
A strong Watauga defensive effort, highlighted by a line of scrimmage stop by Isaiah Shirley and a sack by J.T. Cook forced the Vikings into another fourth down situation. Given their failures on the previous tries at “going for it” on fourth down, this time they elected to punt.
Watauga would find the end zone one more time before intermission, Greene finding Curtis along the right sideline for a 27-yard TD pass to put the Pioneers ahead 21-0. South Iredell finally got on the scoreboard with a nifty, 21-yard TD strike from senior QB Brice Warren to senior WR Will Vuk in the back of the end zone.
By halftime, Watauga sported a 21-7 lead. By game’s end, placekicker Grant Kight would be a perfect 6-for-6 on PAT attempts, as the Pioneers scored three more TDs in the second half. Greene found the end zone twice in the fourth quarter, highlighted by a 37-yard keeper, outracing all defenders across the goal line. Curtis also added a 21-yard run in the third quarter.
SELECTED TEAM STATS
Total Offense: WAT 359, SI 246
Turnovers: WAT 0, SI 1 (Interception by Maddox Greene)
Penalties: WAT 5/50, SI 7/80
More story to follow after game stat clarifications.
By Bobby Neal for App State Sports. OXFORD, OHIO – App State field hockey punched its ticket to the Mid-American Conference championship for the first time ever on Friday by defeating the No. 2 seed in the tournament, Kent State, 1-0 in the semifinals.
This was the 10th straight win for the Mountaineers (14-5, 5-2 MAC), continuing their second-longest winning streak in program history. The Black & Gold won 11 in a row during their inaugural season in 1968. App State’s 14th win also ties the school’s record for most wins in a season, set in 1978.
App State will face the Miami RedHawks (12-7, 6-1 MAC) on their own turf in the MAC championship game on Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will be streamed live on the MAC Digital Network and live stats will be available to follow the action. The champion will earn an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.
“This is a huge win,” head coach Meghan Dawson said. “Kent State has an excellent program that defeated us earlier this season. Being able to show the growth that we’ve had by coming out today and winning is a significant milestone for our program.”
Dawson was named MAC Coach of the Year on Thursday for the role she played in App State’s incredible regular season.
After a scoreless first half that saw just two shots from each team, Carli Ciocco found the ball in the middle of a scramble and dished it to Charlotte Bosma who had two defenders in front of her. Bosma immediately shot it past both Kent State players into the goal for the only score of the game.Bosma, who missed the first six games of the season due to injury and came back to score four goals, had one word to describe her team’s mindset going into the championship game tomorrow.
“Relentless,” Bosma said. “We are not going to give up and we are hungry for more.”
After her assist, Ciocco became the all-time leader for single-season assists at App State with 13. That number puts her at No. 10 in the nation for assists this season.
Addie Clark recorded her seventh shutout this year, alongside Grace Ball and Allison Corey who each played all 60 minutes for the Black & Gold. App State has recorded the seventh-most shutouts of any team in the country this season, and Clark now ranks fourth in the nation in save percentage (.796) and goals allowed per game (1.00).
UP NEXT
App State looks forward to its matchup with the No. 1 team in the MAC on Saturday. The RedHawks defeated Ball State 2-0 on Friday with goals from Paula Peña Martinez and Katherine Groff.
Claudia Garcia Negrete assisted both of Miami’s goals on the day. Negrete was named to the All-MAC First Team on Thursday, along with three of her teammates.
Tomorrow’s contest will be a battle between two of the top goalkeepers in the nation. Miami’s Isabelle Perese was named MAC Goalkeeper of the Year after earning five shutouts, a save percentage of .816 and allowing just 0.99 goals per game.
RALEIGH, N.C. — App State Wrestling started the 2022-23 season by taking four of 10 matches from No. 9 NC State, which claimed a 26-12 victory in front of a big opening-night crowd at Reynolds Coliseum.
A top-30 team entering the season, the Mountaineers got three-point decisions from Jon Jon Millner (149 pounds), Will Formato (165), Caleb Smith (125) and Sean Carter (133), with Formato and Carter prevailing in overtime. Smith recorded a tiebreaking takedown in the final minute of his match, and Millner pitched a shutout.
NC State had two pins and two major decisions to earn bonus points in four of its six wins.
Winning against the Wolfpack for the second straight year, the 26th-ranked Carter ended the dual with a 3-1 (SV-1) victory against 11th-ranked Kai Orine thanks to a takedown with 1:04 left in their two-minute overtime period. Carter had a third-period takedown overturned, but he still came out on top after each wrestler traded escapes in regulation.
Before that match, the 20th-ranked Smith won 3-2 against two-time NCAA qualifier Jarrett Trombley by earning a tiebreaking takedown with 39 seconds left.
Formato’s 3-2 (SV-1) victory against Don Cates ended with a one-point penalty against Cates for a second stall call in overtime. Cates posted an early takedown, and Formato tied the match with an escape after that takedown and an escape early in the second period. The wrestlers began the third period on their feet — Formato is extremely tough on top.
Millner recorded takedowns in the first and third periods of his 6-0 win against Jackson Arrington.
The other most competitive matches occurred at 174, with Will Miller recording a third-period takedown in his dual debut, a 12-8 loss to Brock Delsignore, and in the heavyweight division, where Jacob Sartorio trailed 5-3 in the third period of an 8-3 loss to Owen Trephan. Miller, Sartorio and Luke Uliano (184 pounds) all made their dual debuts for the Mountaineers.
Returning starters Heath Gonyer, Cody Bond and Wyatt Miller dropped matches against wrestlers ranked No. 22, No. 6 and No. 17 nationally.
No. 9 NC State 26, App State 12
141: #22 Ryan Jack (NCSU) def. Heath Gonyer (APP), 11-2 maj. dec.
149: #6 Jon Jon Millner (APP) def. Jackson Arrington (NCSU), 6-0 dec.
157: #6 Ed Scott (NCSU) def. #23 Cody Bond (APP), 14-5 maj. dec.
165: #15 Will Formato (APP) def. Don Cates (NCSU), 3-2 (SV-1)
174: Brock Delsignore (NCSU) def. Will Miller (APP), 12-8
184: #3 Trent Hidlay (NCSU) def. Luke Uliano (APP), fall (3:14)
197: #17 Isaac Trumble (NCSU) def. Wyatt Miller (APP), fall (2:43)
HWT: Owen Trephan (NCSU) def. Jacob Sartorio (APP), 8-3 dec.
125: #20 Caleb Smith (APP) def. Jarrett Trombley (NCSU), 3-2 dec.
133: #26 Sean Carter (APP) def. #11 Kai Orine (NCSU), 3-1 (SV-1)
BOONE, N.C. – The App State volleyball team edged past Georgia Southern, 3-2 (25-23, 20-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-11) on its home court on Friday. The Mountaineers improve to 15-9 (8-5 SBC) on the season with three remaining regular season matches.
“We had a hard-fought match,” said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. “We battled for every point and believed in playing App State Volleyball. Everyone on our team made a big time play in a big moment. I’m really proud.”
The Mountaineers return to the court Saturday afternoon for their second battle against the Eagles at 1 p.m. The match will be broadcasted on ESPN+. Half-price tickets will be available to fans who bring in canned food items, which will benefit the Health and Hunger Coalition.
Match Details
Sophomore Lulu Ambrose led the Mountaineers with 21 kills and was followed by senior McCall Denny, who earned a double-double with 20 kills and led the team in digs with 19. Freshman Maya Winterhoff held the team-high in aces (4), and was third on the team for blocks (3) and kills (10). Seniors Sarah Missroon and Sam Bickley posted the team-highs in the blocks (4) and assists categories (28), respectively.
App State outpaced Georgia Southern in points (79-72), kills (66-57), assists (59-53), and digs (87-84).
A kill from junior Meghan Dombrowski and an ace from Winterhoff put the Mountaineers up 2-0 in the first set, but Georgia Southern was quick to respond. Going point-for-point, neither team could pull away for a substantial lead. Down 16-13, the Mountaineers came back with two consecutive kills from Ambrose and a block from Ambrose and Winterhoff to tie things at 16-16. The Black and Gold kept pace with GS, tying the score at 17 all with another kill from Ambrose, followed by a kill from Denny and an error from the Eagles to take a 19-17 lead. Georgia Southern kept up with App State, taking a 22-21 lead, but App State notched two points off a GS error and kill from Missroon to take the lead back at 23-22. The Eagles matched the Mountaineers at 23 all, but App State cliched the first set, 25-23, after a pair of GS errors.
Georgia Southern jumped to a 5-3 lead in the second set, which App State responded with a 3-0 run that included a kill from junior Madison Baldridge and a block from Baldridge and Missroon, to edge past the Eagles, 6-5. The Mountaineers extended their lead to 10-6 after a 4-0 run that included back-to-back kills from Ambrose and a kill by junior Sophie Cain. App State kept a slight edge over the Eagles until Georgia Southern broke a 17-17 tie with a four-point run (21-17) followed promptly by three more points to push the score to 24-18. Ambrose and Winterhoff mustered two more kills to bring App State within four, but Georgia Southern’s Paige Powers slammed down a kill to secure the set 25-20 in favor of GS.
Much like the first two sets, App State and Georgia Southern stayed neck and neck in the third. App State posted a 3-0 run that included kills from Dombroski and Winterhoff to jump ahead to 10-6. GS answered with a 4-0 run to tie things at 10 all. The Mountaineers went on a four-point run of their own with back-to-back kills from Denny and a pair of GS errors to lead 14-10. GS pushed the score to 15-14 with five consecutive points and eventually pushed the score to 23-19. Kills from Ambrose and Winterhoff, as well as a block from Winterhoff and Dombrowski put the Black and Gold within one of GS’s lead (23-22), but GS rounded out the third set, 25-22.
App State kicked off the fourth set with kills from Winterhoff and Denny to take a 2-0 lead. Despite Georgia Southern catching up at 2-2, the Mountaineers earned three points from a GS error, a block from Missroon and Baldridge and a kill from Denny to lead 5-2. The Mountaineers’ momentum carried throughout the set. A kill from Baldridge tied the score at 12 all and was promptly followed by two consecutive kills from Winterhoff, which pushed the score to 14-12. Tied at 18-18 after matching each other point-for-point, a GS error and kills from Cain and Winterhoff put App State up 21-18. Freshman Kenady Roper served up an ace to put App State up 23-19, and despite a late 3-0 run from Georgia Southern, a kill from Winterhoff and error from GS closed out the set with App State winning 25-22 to tie things at two sets apiece.
A kill from Denny followed by an ace from Winterhoff put the Black and Gold up 2-0 in the fifth and final set. GS answered with three consecutive points to take a slight 3-2 lead, but App State kept pace, regaining the lead at 4-3 after back-to-back kills from Denny. GS jumped to an 8-5 lead after a 4-0 run, but App State answered with a four-point run of its own with back-to-back kills from Ambrose, an ace from freshman Alyssa McBean, and a GS error to take a slight 9-8 lead. Kills from Ambrose and Winterhoff put the Mountaineers up 11-9 and a kill from Baldridge kept App State ahead at 12-10. Georgia Southern came within one at 12-11. A kill from Denny and an ace from Winterhoff extended the deficit to 14-11. A final kill from Baldridge sealed the set 15-11 for App State and cliched the match at 3-2.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Drawing first and last blood, Watauga prevailed in a double overtime thriller on Nov. 3, defeating Cornelius-based Hough High School, 3-2, in Round 2 of the NCHSAA 4A Men’s Soccer Championships tournament at Jack Groce Stadium.
Played in front of the season’s largest crowd, including a large contingent of fellow classmates at the grandstands’ rail near the 50-yard line, it was one of those games you hated that either team had to lose. It was thrill-a-second high school soccer at its best, played by equals in almost every way.
Watauga senior Noah Jamison scored the first goal of the evening, still early in the first half. On attack, Jamison and Hough midfielder Matthew Barnes battled for control of the ball on the right side of the Hough-defended goal. The Huskies’ goalkeeper, senior Cole Kennedy, came out to secure possession, but during the three-way collision at the ball, it popped out toward the right goalpost. Jamison quickly chased it down to put it away, striking it across the goal face and into the left side of the net before Hough senior defender Bryson Waller could scramble back to challenge him.
Hough, which captured the Queen City 3A/4A Conference regular season title over North Mecklenburg and Hopewell, battled back to take a 2-1 lead with 25 minutes to go in the second half as the two teams raced up and down the field. Nearly out of breath, a sideline official quipped to a photographer, “I’m afraid I might pull a hamstring!”
Andrew Hill (17) shoots at goal — and scores — in the upper right corner of the net to pull Watauga even with Hough, 2-2, with 4:10 remaining in regulation in Round 2 of the NCHSAA 4A men’s soccer tournament at Jack Groce Stadium. Watauga won in double overtime, 3-2. Photo by David Rogers
In the early going of the first half, Watauga was able to control possession, but not long after the Jamison score, momentum shifted and much of the rest of the opening half was played in the visitors’ attacking third. Only a stellar defensive effort allowed the Pioneers to take a 1-0 lead into intermission, but then the Huskies knotted the score at 1-1 early in the second half, and surged ahead in the 65th minute, 2-1.
Desperate to at least tie the game, Watauga couldn’t quite get it done until midfielder Andrew Hill secured the ball on the left side and whipped the ball around a mass of players in front of the goal — and a surprised goalkeeper — with just 4:10 remaining on the clock in regulation.
And that is where things stood at the end of the second half. In the first overtime period, the teams battled without scoring. Then, midway through the second OT, Watauga’s Stryker Ward cleaned up a lose pinball in front of the net to punch it home for a 3-2 Pioneer lead.
Pioneer striker and midfielder Emmit Coffey pushes the ball ahead on attack, Nov. 3, in the NCHSAA 4A Men’s Soccer Championships Round 2 match against the Hough Huskies at Jack Groce Stadium. Watauga won in double overtime, 3-2. Photo by David Rogers
The final five minutes were tense for the Watauga faithful, as Hough mounted several attacks. At one point, a Husky forward seemed to have dead aim on an all but open Watauga goal when senior defender Kai Suyao flashed from across the field to clear the ball and avoid the Husky tally.
After the game, Watauga head coach Josh Honeycutt pointed out the differences in the two teams’ approaches.
“We watched film and knew that No. 19 was their main goal scorer and No. 9 was their second guy. Then we knew that No. 20 was going to try and push in and get in on the attack,” said Honeycutt. “What we didn’t anticipate is how much they were going to boom the ball directly forward. Eventually, we were able to handle it and adapt, but it is challenging when your style of play is to keep the ball at your feet, try to possess and try to penetrate with possession and combinations. But then, every time they get the opportunity it is long ball, long ball, long ball… It is a difficult adjustment to make. But we were pretty effective, overall, minus a couple of marking letdowns that let them on the board. But I think we had an unbelievably effective defensive day.”
The Hough goalkeeper just missed on his dive to prevent Stryker Ward’s goal in double overtime to carry Watauga past the Huskies, 3-2, and into Round 3 of the NCHSAA 4A Men’s Soccer Championships tournament. Photo by David Rogers
With a less competitive conference schedule, Watauga’s preparations for this matchup with Hough really began in the early, non-conference schedule, when the Pioneers lost seven of their first 10 games, mostly playing against teams that were likely to be in the state playoffs. Among the non-conference 4A opponents the Pioneers faced in the early going that made the playoffs were Cuthbertson, West Forsyth, Northwest Guilford, and Ardrey Kell. At the 3A level, North Iredell, Ledford, and Franklin were playoff bound, too.
“We could play a cupcake schedule and have great won-loss record going int our conference schedule,” said Honeycutt, “but to prepare for the actual playoffs at the end of the regular season, we needed to play against playoff-caliber competition. We get here now, and we are prepared.”
Part of the process against any opponent in any sport is making adjustments both at halftime, as well as during the game.
“We knew how hard we work, but on film it is hard to see how hard they would work,” said Honeycutt. “Credit to Hough. They were an unbelievably hard-working group. They were making it very difficult for us to possess and move the ball out of the back because they would press so quickly and so hard. We had to adjust there at halftime, to make sure that when we gained possession we could get it a little bit quicker into midfield, so we could secure possession and not give their forwards an opportunity to press us so much. At halftime, we said we have to go out and execute. They want to get us into the boom ball, long ball sort of game, but we have to possess to do what we do. Obviously, there were momentum swings”
Hough head coach David was very complimentary of the effort by both sides, telling High Country Sports, “I loved the fight in both teams. It was a well-played game and both teams played a pretty clean game. Watauga played with a lot of class and what it came down to was they made one more play than we did.”
Next up for Watauga is a trip south of Charlotte on Monday, Nov. 7, to face the West bracket’s No. 1 seed, Weddington, who defeated No. 16 seed Cuthbertson, 2-1, on Nov. 3 to advance. In other West bracket games, No. 12 Myers Park defeated No. 5 T C Roberson, 2-0; No. 4 Lake Norman swamped No. 13 Asheville, 5-2; No. 3 Northwest Guilford finished off No. 14 Charlotte Catholic, 1-0; No. 11 Cox Mill blanked No. 27 Mooresville, 4-0; No. 7 Ardrey Kell beat No. 23 Independence; and No. 2 Providence dominated No. 15 Hickory, 6-0.
By David Rogers. CONWAY, S.C. — Two half-ending rallies came up short for the Mountaineers as Appalachian State’s slim hopes for another Sun Belt Conference championship were effectively extinguished on Nov. 3, losing to Coastal Carolina, 35-28.
Down 35-14 with just over 13 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Mountaineers made a game of it with two touchdowns in the final period and stalwart defensive stops.
Two TDs by Coastal Carolina early in the 4th quarter seemed to all but seal the Mountaineers’ fate for this trip down the mountain to the coast. On the first play of the final period, Chanticleer quarterback Grayson McCall found tight end Jacob Jenkins for an 8-yard scoring aerial, to make it 28-14 (with the PAT kick good). Mountaineer QB Chase Brice was hit as he delivered a pass and the ball came down in the arms of Coastal defender Tavyn Jackson, who returned it 54 yards before being brought down just short of the goal line. CCU running back Reese White finished things off with a 2-yard plunge up the middle, and the Chanticleers had a commanding, 35-14 lead with the clock winding down.
With 11:02 remaining, App State’s Brice finished off a 6-play, 80 yard drive with a 42 yard TD pass to Tyler Page. A Michael Hughes PAT kick tightened the score to 35-21. Then, after a 9-play drive by Coastal that got the ball to the App State 45, running back C J Beasley fumbled at the 42-yardline. The Mountaineers’ Nick Hampton recovered it and App State was back in business.
If anything, the Mountaineers’ ensuing 11-play scoring drive that was completed when Brice maneuvered through the line of scrimmage from five yards out took too much time to move the 58 yards. It only took 1:56 for the drive with a series of no-huddle plays, but with only 3:01 on the clock when CCU took over, that almost two minutes were precious.
Behind a courageous effort by the Chanticleers’ McCall, who limped on and off the field in the final quarter between big plays, Coastal was able to run the final 3:01 off the clock and keep Appalachian State at bay.
Midway through the second quarter, Brice hit redshirt freshman Dalton Stroman for a 41-yard TD pass, the 6-4 receiver out of Richmond Senior High School in Rockingham, N.C. making a highlight reel-worthy catch with one arm. That was enough to pull the Mountaineers to within one score going into intermission, but that was as close as they got.
It was only the second win for Coastal Carolina in eight games against Appalachian State, dating back to 2005 when both programs were competing at the FCS level.
The win puts Coastal Carolina (5-1 SBC, 8-1 overall) in the driver’s seat for the East Division title and a likely berth in the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game on Dec. 3. With the loss, App State drops to 2-3 in Sun Belt play (6th place in the East Division standings) and 5-4 overall. Three games remain on the schedule, at Marshall on Nov. 12, vs. Old Dominion on Nov. 19, then at Georgia Southern on Nov. 26 to close out the regular season.
The announced attendance of 21,224 was one of the largest crowds to watch a Coastal Carolina football game in Brooks Stadium, according to school officials.
Game Notes (Courtesy of App States Sports):
App State’s lead in the all-time series against Coastal Carolina dropped to 7-2, with the Chanticleers’ two wins coming in the last two contests in Conway.
The Mountaineers have lost four regular-season games for the first time since 2017, a year they claimed a Sun Belt title and beat Toledo 34-0 in the Dollar General Bowl.
This is the first time App State has lost three Sun Belt games in a season.
Since the Mountaineers’ 2014 FBS debut, App State has the sixth-most wins (85) in the FBS in that span behind just Alabama (111), Clemson (107), Ohio State (101), Georgia (94) and Oklahoma (91).
App State’s road record since transitioning to the FBS ranks in 2014 fell to 32-18. The 32 wins are tied for fourth-most among FBS teams over that span.
Both of App State’s Sun Belt road games have featured record crowds. Coastal Carolina set its attendance record with 21,224 fans, while Texas State set a record for its largest attendance in a Sun Belt Conference game (25,613).
Offense
Chase Brice completed 19 of 28 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 22 yards and a score on the ground. It’s the eight time in nine games that Brice has accounted for two or more touchdowns.
Dalton Stroman caught his fourth touchdown of the year, tied for most on the team. Four of his 15 catches this season have been in the end zone.
Tyler Page had a 42-yard touchdown on his only catch of the game. It was his second straight game with a score.
Daetrich Harrington scored his second touchdown of the season on a 2-yard run that tied the game at 7-7 late in the first quarter.
App State completed a pass to nine different receivers, the eighth time in nine games this year that the Mountaineers have had at least nine different pass catchers.
Defense
Nick Hampton posted his seventh sack of the year. His 26.5 career sacks are fourth-most among active full-time FBS players and tied for fourth in school history with Demetrius Taylor (2017-21). Hampton also recovered a fumble for the second time this year.
Jalen McLeod got his fifth sack of the year among career-high six total tackles and 1.5 TFLs.
Tyler Bird led all players with a career-high 11 tackles
Ronald Clarke recorded a career-high seven tackles.
By Bobby Neal for App State Sports. CLEVELAND, Ohio — App State field hockey earned a cumulative nine postseason Mid-American Conference awards, the conference announced on Thursday.
Meghan Dawson was named Coach of the Year, and Friederike Stegen was named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year. Stegen and Anna Smarrelli were named first-team All-MAC, while Pauline Mangold, Sarah Farrell and Addie Clark were named second-team All-MAC. Lise Boekaar and Henriette Stegen were named to the All-MAC freshman team.
“I am so proud of our group for all the awards they have earned,” Dawson said. “The individuals that have gotten recognized have been working hard all year to make our group better. I always tell our team that anytime someone gets an individual award, it represents all the hard work our entire group has done. All of these awards and recognitions show how strong our team is, the work they’ve done all season, and the strong mentality they have held all season long.”
Meghan Dawson – MAC Coach of the Year
Dawson has led the Mountaineers to their most wins since the Jan Watson era, tallying 13 wins and achieving a conference record of 5-2, the best they have had since entering the MAC. After starting the season 4-5, Dawson flipped the script, earning nine straight wins to close the regular season, the squad’s second-longest winning streak of all time. The Mountaineers went 8-1 at home and came within one goal of defeating No. 16 Duke and No. 15 Wake Forest on the road.
Friederike Stegen – MAC Offensive Player of the Year
Stegen led the App State offense to its most successful season since 1981 by attaining a conference-leading 30 points, made up of 12 goals and six assists. Stegen’s dynamic abilities have forced opposing defenses to strategize against her all season. Yet, she scored against both of the top two teams in the MAC this year and assisted the crucial double-overtime goal against Ball State to keep the Mountaineers in the race for a tournament seed. The Germany native also had four assists in one game, the second-most by anyone in the nation this season. Against an impressive Rider team, Stegen proved her skill by dribbling through defenders to score the game-winner in double-overtime. Finally, the midfielder is ranked ninth or better in the MAC in every offensive category.
Friederike Stegen, Anna Smarrelli – First-Team All-MAC
Smarrelli scored nine goals and two game-winners this season, the sixth-most in the MAC in each category. The graduate student forced overtime against No. 16 Duke and also had the diving goal that ended the double-overtime thriller against Ball State to keep App State alive in the race for a spot in the tournament.
Pauline Mangold, Sarah Farrell, Addie Clark – Second-Team All-MAC
Mangold facilitated a high clip of App State’s offense this year, scoring seven goals and assisting eight, combining for 22 points, the sixth-highest in the MAC. Her assist rate was the third highest in the conference and the senior also had three game-winning goals. In the midfield, Mangold rarely subbed out. She averaged 58 minutes per game as a catalyst for App State’s nine-game win streak.
Farrell had a career season for App State this year by scoring seven goals and earning two game-winners, ranking in the top 10 in the MAC for each category. Most notably, Farrell punched the Mountaineers’ ticket to the conference tournament by scoring the game-winner against Ohio. The senior also had three games with two goals this season, two being against MAC opponents. Farrell won Offensive Player of the Week in October for her two goals against Longwood.
Clark was a two-time Defensive Player of the Week this season for her career year in the cage. The senior led the MAC in shutouts with a whopping six and had a save percentage of .792, the second-most in the conference and the eighth-best clip in the nation. Also, her goals allowed average of 1.05 is the eighth lowest in the nation. Clark never allowed more than three goals in a game and had 11 games with one or fewer goals allowed.
Lise Boekaar, Henriette Stegen – All-MAC Freshman Team
Boekaar scored three goals on five shots this season, leading the Mountaineers in shot percentage at 60%. She also had four assists and 15 starts, including eight starts during App State’s historic nine-game winning streak. The freshman averaged 46 minutes per game to help the Black & Gold to its 13 wins.
Henriette Stegen had an impressive freshman season, scoring four goals and earning a shot-on-goal percentage of .850. Stegen scored against the No. 15 Demon Deacons and earned her biggest goal of the season against Ohio when the Mountaineers clinched their spot in the MAC Tournament by defeating the Bobcats, 2-1.
UP NEXT
The Mountaineers will face Kent State in their semifinal game of the MAC Tournament on Friday at 2:30 p.m. in Oxford, Ohio. The winner will play against either Miami or Ball State in the championship game on Saturday at 2 p.m.
All-MAC First Team
Friederike Stegen, App State
Anna Smarrelli, App State
Fleur Knopert, Ball State
Amber Hofenk Jerembo, Bellarmine
Patricia Strunk, Kent State
Maria Cambra Soler, Kent State
Luli Rosso, Miami
Claudia Garcia Negrete, Miami
Macy McHale, Miami
Mijntje Ligentberg, Ohio
GK: Isabelle Perese, Miami
All-MAC Second Team
Pauline Mangold, App State
Sarah Farrell, App State
Kate Biglin, Central Michigan
Alice O’Hagan, Central Michigan
Maia Sarrabayrouse, Kent State
Iris Bekker, Kent State
Maroussia Walckiers, Longwood
Paula Navarro, Miami
Paula Pena Martinez, Miami
Katelyn Whittle, Ohio
GK: Addie Clark, App State
All-MAC Freshman Team
Lise Boekaar, App State
Henriette Stegen, App State
Fleur Knopert, Ball State
Patricia Strunk, Kent State
Maia Sarrabayrouse, Kent State
Iris Bekker, Kent State
Paula Navarro, Miami
Mijntje Ligtenberg, Ohio
Coach of the Year
Meghan Dawson, App State
Defensive Player of the Year
Maria Cambra Soler, Kent State
Offensive Player of the Year
Friederike Stegen, App State
Goalkeeper of the Year
Isabelle Perese, Miami
Co-Freshmen of the Year
Patricia Strunk, Kent State
Mijntje Ligtenberg, Ohio
By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — Out of 32 men entered into one of the nation’s elite road running events on Nov. 5th after qualifying for it, four of them represent Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance. The local quartet that will be racing through New York City’s Central Park and beyond include ZAP’s three newest team members, all making their professional running debuts.
High Country Sports met with the ZAP runners following a recent workout around the Brookshire Park area and, as might be expected, there was a high level of anticipation for the upcoming event.
Eric van der Els of ZAP Endurance, preparing for the USATF 5k Road Championships in New York, being held on Nov. 5. Photo by David Rogers
“I am so excited to be making my pro debut just 40 minutes from my hometown of Norwalk, Conn.,” said Eric van der Els, one of ZAP’s rookies. “Coach Pete Rea has given me a lot of great guidance over the last eight weeks since I joined the ZAP team, so yeah, I am excited to mix it up with the pros for the first time.”
Since ZAP runners have historically focused primarily on marathons and longer cross country events, a 5k race is almost a sprint at only 3.10686 miles compared to the 26.2 miles of a marathon. All three of the ZAP rookies have shorter distance collegiate pedigrees.
“My distance specialties in college were the 5k and the 10k,” said Ryan Ford, another one of the ZAP rookies making his professional debut. “I am hoping as my career advances to move up in distance, though. It would be amazing to do some of the stuff that ZAP runners like Tyler Pennel and Josh Izewski have done at those longer distances. For me, the 5k and 10k are a good mix, sort of a meeting point of speed and endurance. There are a lot of opportunities at those distances in college, but I am looking for pro opportunities at longer distances with ZAP, too.”
ZAP’s third rookie making his pro debut at the USATF 5k Championships is Dan Shaffer, who put an insightful spin on this opportunity.
Ryan Ford of ZAP Endurance, preparing for the USATF 5k Road Championships in New York, being held on Nov. 5. Photo by David Rogers
“Being my pro debut, this is a special race. It is incredibly exciting to have this opportunity,” said Shaffer. “Not many men or women really have the chance in college to run at the Division I level and, when you think about it, not very many of those Division I athletes go on to run professionally. So, I am extremely fortunate to have this opportunity.”
Like van der Els, Schaffer was a sub-4 minute miler in college, putting them in elite company, globally. Having run a 4.05 in college, Ford (the longer 5k and 10k specialist) isn’t very far behind.
“Coming out of college, my distance specialties were the mile and 5k,” said Schaffer. “Moving forward, I want to focus more on the 5k and 10k.”
How about the 26k? asked High Country Sports with a smile.
Laughing, Schaffer quickly replied, “I tell you what, if I ever want to do that I am in the right place here at ZAP because I have a lot of guys on this team to learn from. And Coach Pete has coached countless successful marathoners.
“As a professional, I am so thankful to be here and to be a part of ZAP,” Schaffer added. “I have so many teammates from which I can learn. They have all had their own pro debuts, previously. They all have had a lot of experience and sharing those experiences and advice with myself, Eric and Ryan. It is making the transition from college to pro a lot easier.”
Dan Schaffer of ZAP Endurance, preparing for the USATF 5k Road Championships in New York, being held on Nov. 5. Photo by David Rogers
The “old man” of the ZAP quartet racing around Central Park on Nov. 5th is veteran road racer and cross country specialist, Andrew Colley.
“I didn’t know until last week that I was going to be able to run in the 5k national championships,” said Colley. “I was looking for another race and the coaches were able to get me in this one as a late addition because I have worked out well at this distance.”
How does running a 5k compare to his usual marathon runs?
“A 5k is a lot different than a marathon – a lot nicer!” said Colley. “I typically have done marathons and long distance cross country running with ZAP, but I am not in a marathon block right now. I am training for the U.S. Cross Country Championships, which is a 12k or about 7 miles. This U.S. 5k will be a good chance to get some speed work in. The distance is much shorter than a marathon, but much more intense, too, so it will be a good chance to flex different muscles.”
Expectations among the quartet for the Nov. 5 race in NYC are practical, to be sure.
“Being my pro debut, there is not a ton of pressure,” said Schaffer. “The No. 1 goal is to go out there and have fun. Since I have been here, I have learned that is a big part of ZAP. Running is fun, so job 1 is to enjoy what we are doing. I saw the field of runners the other day and I would be happy being able to finish in the top 15 among the 32 elite athletes entered. From a grading perspective, Top 15 would be a B-plus kind of day. If maybe I can finish in the Top 10, that would be an A-plus kind of day.”
While Colley is using the U.S. 5k Championships as almost a speed training run in prepartion for the upcoming U.S. Cross Country Championships, van der Els is similarly realistic.
“The field for the 5K championship was just released and there are guys on the list who have been in the professional circuit for a long time. They have a lot of experience. So I am excited about racing with and against the best in the U.S. for my debut. My goals are relatively modest, to get in there and compete and try to beat as many guys as I can. After this, we have a race on Thanksgiving morning up in Manchester, Conn., so I have another race close to home. That will be a little longer, about 4.7 miles. That will be a test, aerobically, to see where I’m at. Following that, I will racing on the track, in the 5k in Boston, Dec. 3.”
Andrew Colley of ZAP Endurance, preparing for the USATF 5k Road Championships in New York, being held on Nov. 5. Photo by David Rogers
Becoming a professional
“Being a professional athlete now is surreal. I feel like I am living the running dream, especially me, because I didn’t realize this could be a possibility until my final year of college. That is when I saw a lot of improvement, in the final stages of my college career. It has been a blessing for me to turn pro and I have really enjoyed it so far,” said Ford.
“I thought it was very cool that there is a pro team at this level on the East Coast,” added Ford. “Almost all other teams are in Colorado, Arizona, or other places out west. ZAP has found a unique location here and it is very beautiful. I just wanted to be a part of it. I live in Boone, but I am in Blowing Rock almost every day for practice.”
“I have a connection with Pete and (ZAP founder) Zika Rea in that Pete is a Connecticut native like myself. He also went to UConn. So I have known Pete for awhile and heard very good things about the program here and I liked everyone here on my visit. I really felt this team would really push me out of my comfort zone and get me to be where I want to be,” said van der Els.
“Blowing Rock and the High Country are a lot different from home, in Connecticut. It is more rural than I thought I might be, but I am really happy about the places we get to run. Having national park settings like the Moses Cone Estate and Bass Lake, those are great places where we train and do loops, as well as long runs. I am really happy with the environment I am in. I can be focused, to get the job done,” van der Els continued.
Colley is one of ZAP’s longest tenured team members as a professional, elite distance runner.
“ZAP is a completely different team now than when I joined,” said Colley. “Back then, we had that facility in the Blackberry Valley and it was all guys, so it was like a ‘Lord of the Flies’ scenario, kind of just living down there wildly in the valley. Now, it is a bit different. We don’t have that facility and we are all out on our own, residence-wise, but the team comes together every day. It is different, but it is great and we have these three new guys that just rolled in, in Eric, Ryan and Dan. They’ve got some really good energy about them so it has been a lot of fun.
“Besides energy, they are bringing different perspectives, too.” Colley continued. “Most of us on the team have been more on the marathon distance, but they are mostly focused on the shorter distances, the 1500, mile and 5k. So they are bringing some track speed, which is helping get us old guys whipped into shape!”
The top 10 runners earn prize money ranging from $12,000, $8,000 and $4,000, respectively, for the first, second and third place finishers, to $250 for 10th place.
Starting in front of the United Nations and Tudor City on First Ave., the race course travels west on 42nd Street, then north on Sixth Ave. to Central Park. The last, approximately 1200 meters of the course meanders through the park until its finish in front of Tavern on the Green, the same finish line as the New York City Marathon, which will be run on Nov. 6.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Out of the creeping mists enveloping Jack Groce Stadium, the No. 8-seeded Watauga men’s soccer team tricked and treated their way to a second half rally. They spooked a talented No. 25-seeded West Cabarrus side, 3-2 — with two goals by senior Nathan Bishop in the final 15 minutes of play.
Seedings have proven deceptive in state tournament play almost every year, in every sport. Watauga knew that West Cabarrus might pose a problem in advancing to the next round, even though they were the fifth place team in the Greater Metro 4A Conference during the regular season. The conference produced five state tournament seeds compared to the Northwestern Conference just two (South Caldwell was awarded the No. 31 seed out of the 32 teams selected for the 4A West bracket of the state playoffs). The other four teams from the Greater Metro conference and their seedings are No. 4 Lake Norman, No. 11 Cox Mill, No. 15 Hickory Ridge, and No. 27 Mooresville. All five had winning overall records during the regular season.
The Pioneers dominated possession for the first 13 minutes of play against the Wolverines, highlighted by a rocket off the foot of senior midfielder Silas Jackson. Cleaning up loose ball, Jackson moved the ball left into space just outside the top right corner of the penalty box. Then, with one step he hammered a shot that curled around a mass of players and sliced into the upper left side of the net for the match’s first goal.
Watauga’s Nathan Bishop (11) and West Cabarrus defender, junior T J David, Jr., are in hot pursuit of a ball — with different objectives. Photo by David Rogers
Then, with the first half clock having ticked down to 4:10 remaining before intermission, the Wolverines put together an attack that saw junior T J David, Jr. find the net off of a pass from junior midfielder Jason Hernandez-Salinas to tie the game.
Early in the second half, Hernandez-Salinas put the Wolverines ahead on a penalty kick awarded because of a Pioneer hand ball in the penalty box. That’s the way things stood until Bishops goals in the final 15 minutes.
Especially during the first three-quarters of the match, West Cabarrus often peppered the Watauga net with shots, including some challenging saves by goalkeeper Kyle Painter. By game’s end, Painter had been credited with six saves on the evening.
“I think we were the better team but they had a couple of really quality players with a lot of speed. No. 10 (junior striker Drew Waller) and No. 15 (senior midfielder Fabian Caceres) was very good with the ball,” said Watauga head coach Josh Honeycutt. “The only thing they really looked to do was get the ball in space for No. 10. Overall, as a whole, we were better at possession, better at connections, better penetrating and better getting into opportunities that were dangerous vs. just kicking the ball to their speed. I am super proud of our guys.”
West Cabarrus defender Sean Gordick slides in to disrupt Keowen Arguello’s attack down the right sideline on Oct. 31, in Round 1 of the NCHSAA playoffs. Photo by David Rogers
By the last 15 minutes of the game, the Wolverines looked to be tiring and the Pioneers didn’t hesitate to pick up the pace.
“I think our hard work and fitness level was a key factor in the second half,” said Honeycutt. “It was pretty easy to tell that we still had our feet on the accelerator and they were exhausted. They were tired.”
Honeycutt shared that stopping No. 10 was a primary objective coming into the match.
“We knew that the West Cabarrus offense ran through No. 10,” the Pioneer coach said. “He had scored 37 goals this season and the next most among his teammates was 16, so I assigned senior defender Noah Jamison to be his shadow. Everywhere No. 10 went, Jamison was there and he did a very good job of neutralizing him for this game.”
A half moon shone eerily across the field in the first half but even it became invisible as incoming fog hung over the stadium lights at intermission before descending down to envelop the playing surface. Only the keenest eyes could see any of the action occurring on an opposite sideline. Even then, there were startled shouts erupting as a ball would come into view. It was a night for fog-piercing glasses — or Ghostbusters — to be sure.
“They were difficult conditions with that fog,” admitted West Cabarrus head coach Demetrius Marlowe to High Country Sports after the match. “Both teams played well. Watauga has a great side and I wish them good luck as they move forward. Both teams played hard and fought, but someone had to win tonight. Unfortunately it went the wrong way for us tonight, but Watauga’s last goal was a great goal. It was great touch inside, then he turned and hit it.”
With the win, Watauga’s record improves to 12-8-1 overall. In advancing to the second round of the playoffs, the Pioneers will leverage their high seed to host Hough High School (Cornelius, N.C.) on Thursday, Nov. 3, at Jack Groce Stadium.
By Matt Present for App State Sports. FOLEY, Ala. — Picked to finish 13th out of 14 teams in the Sun Belt to begin the season, App State more than doubled its conference win total from 2021, and battled to the final whistle in the opening round of the conference tournament before ultimately falling, 2-1, to Marshall.
The 110 minutes needed to decide a winner between the 7th-seeded Mountaineers and the 10th-seeded Thundering Herd was indicative of how even the match was throughout. App State outshot the Herd,15-14, and the teams were tied with five shots on goal apiece. It was also a physical match throughout, with the teams combining to be whistled for 47 fouls and five yellow cards.
Shannon Studer capped a stellar freshman campaign with her third goal of the season in the final minute of the opening half. It was initiated by a free kick from Skyler Walk, who served the ball into the box before Mumu Guisasola redirected the ball to Studer for the finish.
Marshall evened the score in the second half when Makai Laguines was able to put away a goal on a counterattack in the 59th minute.
Both teams saw quality opportunities over the duration of regulation. Breckyn Monteith finished with four shots and two on goal for the game, while Izzi Wood added three shots and one on target.
Less than two minutes into the first extra period, Kat Gonzalez curled a ball into the top right corner to put Marshall in front, 2-1.
Seven Mountaineers played over 90 minutes in the contest with Studer, Walk, Monteith, and Olivia Cohen playing all 110 minutes.
Kerry Eagleston recorded three saves in her final start in goal. She concludes her App State career with 352 saves and 18 shutouts, both marks rank third in program history.
The Mountaineers close the 2022 season with a record of 6-9-4 overall and 5-5 in Sun Belt play.
