By David Rogers. NEW ORLEANS, La. — Versatile athlete Donovan Gregory, a Mountaineer senior forward that App State head coach said the team will move around for more opportunities, garnered a Pre-Season All-Sun Belt Second Team nod by vote of the 14 head coaches, the conference announced on Monday, Oct. 17.
Louisiana is the preseason favorite to capture the 2022-23 Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball title, according to the coaches poll. The Ragin’ Cajuns’ Jordan Brown was chosen as the 2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Player of the Year.
The Ragin’ Cajuns, who advanced to the Sun Belt Conference tournament championship game last season, received 10 first-place votes. Texas State was picked second, while South Alabama, James Madison and Georgia State rounded out the top-five of the poll, each receiving one first-place vote in the poll.
Sun Belt Conference play begins on Thursday, December 29. Teams will play 18-game regular-season conference schedules with games being played primarily on Thursdays and Saturdays. The final day of the conference regular season will be Friday, February 24.
The season will culminate with the 2023 Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Championship at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla., from Tuesday, February 28 to Monday, March 6. All games will air on ESPN+ with the title tilt broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
2022-23 Sun Belt Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Louisiana – 190 (10)
2. Texas State – 162 (1)
3. South Alabama – 150 (1)
4. James Madison – 149 (1)
5. Georgia State – 127 (1)
6. Marshall – 122 7. App State – 120
8. Coastal Carolina – 100
9. Old Dominion – 93
10. Troy – 76
11. Georgia Southern – 69
12. Arkansas State – 48
13. Southern Miss – 34
14. ULM – 30
2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Jordan Brown, Louisiana (JR | F | Roseville, Calif.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Jordan Brown, Louisiana (JR | F | Roseville, Calif.)
Mason Harrell, Texas State (SR | G | Midwest City, Okla.)
Taevion Kinsey, Marshall (SR | G | Columbus, Ohio)
Vado Morse, James Madison (R-SR | G | Suitland, Md.)
Kevin Samuel, South Alabama (GR | C | Codrington Village, Barbuda)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Donovan Gregory, App State (SR | F | Charlotte, N.C.)
Felipe Haase, Southern Miss (GR | F | Osorno, Chile)
Kobe Julien, Louisiana (R-SO | F | Baton Rouge, La.)
Essam Mostafa, Coastal Carolina (R-JR | C | Cairo, Egypt)
Greg Parham II, South Alabama (GR | G | Richmond, Va.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Kamdyn Curfman, Marshall (JR | G | North Bethesda, Md.)
Caleb Fields, Arkansas State (JR | G | Lewisburg, Tenn.)
Nika Metskhvarishvili, ULM (JR | F | Tbilisi, Georgia)
Andrew Taylor, Marshall (R-JR | G | Corbin, Ky.)
Zay Williams, Troy (SR | F | Birmingham, Ala.)
Special Report from App State Sports. NEW ORLEANS, La. – App State redshirt senior Janay Sanders and junior Faith Alston earned spots on the Sun Belt All-Conference Team, the league announced on Oct. 17. Sanders was named to the second team, while Alston earned a spot on the third team.
Last season, Sanders started all 26 games during the 2021-22 campaign, clocking 691 minutes on the court. Over the course of the season, Sanders scored 324 points, averaging 12.5 points per game, which landed her second on the team in the points category. The Charlotte, N.C. native posted a field goal percentage of .521, and a free throw percentage of .560, sinking 65 free throws. Sanders totaled 77 rebounds (57 defensive, 20 offensive), made 54 assists and posted 23 steals. At the end of season, Sanders ranked 11th in the conference in scoring, finished in the top-18 in free throw percentage and was ranked in the top-25 in assists. Sanders capped the 2021-22 season with a Third-Team All-Conference nod for her efforts on the court.
Last season, Alston started 18 of the 25 games she appeared in, was on the court 739 minutes and scored 246 points. Alston boasted a .729 free throw percentage, making 35 of 48 free throws, and posted a .385 field goal percentage, sinking 90 shots. The Centerville, N.C. native led the team in assists last year, notching 81 and averaging 3.2 per game. Over the course of the season, Alston totaled 70 rebounds (54 defensive, 16 offensive), and averaged 2.8 per game. At the end of the season, Alston ranked eighth in the SBC in assists and landed in the top 25 for minutes played as well as three-pointers made per game.
Alston and Sanders join seven Mountaineers who have earned spots on the Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference teams since App State joined the conference in 2014.
In the SBC Preseason Women’s Basketball Coaches Poll, the Mountaineers were picked eighth with 102 votes.
Last season, App State went 14-12 (8-4 SBC), achieving its best conference record and highest league finish since joining the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers went on a three-game win-streak in non-conference action from Nov. 28 to Dec. 5, defeating UNC Asheville, ETSU and Gardner-Webb. In Sun Belt play, App State went on a five-game win-streak from Jan. 15 to Jan. 29, and included wins over Little Rock, Louisiana, ULM, and a pair of back-to-back victories over Coastal Carolina. The Mountaineers capped the regular season with a home win against South Alabama on Feb. 26. In the SBC Tournament, the No. 4 seeded Mountaineers fell to Nov. 5 seeded Little Rock in the quarterfinals.
App State will open the 2022-23 season on Nov. 8 against Charlotte at Halton Arena in Charlotte, N.C. The Mountaineers’ home opener is slated for Nov. 14 against Lees-McRae at the Holmes Convocation Center.
2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Troy (12) – 194
2. Old Dominion (1) – 166
3. Louisiana – 161
4. Southern Miss – 137
5. Texas State – 135
6. James Madison – 130
7. Georgia Southern (1) – 108
8. App State – 102
9. Arkansas State – 96
10. Marshall – 91
11. Georgia State – 50
12. Coastal Carolina – 45
13. South Alabama – 38
14. ULM – 17
2022-23 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Felmas Koranga, Troy
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team
Felmas Koranga, Troy
Da’Nasia Hood, Texas State
Domonique Davis, Southern Miss
Terren Ward, Georgia Southern
Keya Patton, Arkansas State
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team
Kennedy Taylor, Texas State
Brandi Williams, Louisiana Janay Sanders, App State
Kiki Jefferson, James Madison
Melyia Grayson, Southern Miss
Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team
Lanay Wheaton, Louisiana
Amari Young, Old Dominion
Lauryn Pendleton, Arkansas State
Jashanti Simmons, Troy Faith Alston, App State
Previous App State SBC Preseason All-Conference Team Honoree
First Team
Maryah Sydnor (2014-15)
Madi Story (2017-18)
Second Team
Madi Story (2016-17, 2018-19)
Bayley Plummer (2018-19, 2019-20)
Pre Stanley (2020-21)
Third Team
Joi Jones (2015-16)
Lapresha Stanley (2018-19)
Pre Stanley (2019-20)
Michaela Porter (2021-22)
By David Rogers. INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Going without an offensive touchdown rarely earns a win in the NFL. On Oct. 16, the Carolina Panthers’ mostly stagnant offense managed only an early field goal in losing to the Los Angeles Rams, 24-10, at SoFi Stadium.
With the team’s third starting quarterback of the 2022 campaign in P J Walker, who played college ball at Temple and starred with the XFL’s 2020 edition of the Houston Roughnecks, the Panthers repeatedly used check-down and other short passes to star running back Christian McCaffrey, as well as occasional runs by the versatile athlete. Still young at age 26, the former first round pick in 2017 out of Stanford University didn’t disappoint. McCaffrey came into the game tied for the NFL lead with the most consecutive games producing at least 100 scrimmage yards — and kept that string going with 69 yards rushing on 13 carries and 89 yards on 7 pass receptions against the Rams
But no touchdowns for McCaffrey, nor for anyone else on the Panthers’ offensive side of the ball.
Allen Robinson II high points this TD pass from Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford on Oct. 16, vs. the Carolina Panthers at SoFi Stadium. Rams won, 24-10. Photo by Craig Weston for High Country Sports
The game started promising enough for Carolina, with Walker and McCaffrey leading the offense’s march of 51 yards in 12 plays and taking more than six minutes off the game clock. They didn’t score a touchdown, but got points on the board with a 42-yard Eddie Piniero field goal.
Los Angeles went ahead early in the second quarter with a 5-yard pass from veteran QB Matthew Stafford to wide receiver Allen Robinson II to finish off a 13-play drive that gained 73 yards and took almost 8 minutes off the clock, shrinking the time available for the Panthers’ offensive opportunities.
Carolina’s defense played well for most of the day, none better representative of that than defensive back Donte Jackson’s 30-yard “Pick 6” interception return that, with Piniero’s PAT kick, tied the game at 10-10 going into halftime. And yet, as the time of possession advantage swung the Rams’ way, the Panthers defense began to falter.
The second half belonged solely to the Rams, who scored a field goal (12 plays, 87 yards, 6:46) and touchdown (5 plays, 80 yards, 2:50) in the third quarter, then put an exclamation point on the win with a 4th quarter TD (10 plays, 61 yards, 5:17) and an intercepted pass thrown by the Panthers 4th quarterback of the season, Jacob Eason, recently called up from the practice squad.
Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey runs around the left side on Oct. 16 against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Photo by Craig Weston for High Country Sports
The former Georgia and Washington QB has a backhanded relationship with the High Country. He was a five-star recruit with offers from many Power 5 schools before enrolling at Georgia. After a memorable year leading the Bulldogs as a freshman in 2016, Eason started the first game of 2017 against Appalachian State, but injured a knee on an out-of-bounds tackle by Mountaineer defensive tackle Myquon Stout. The backup Georgia QB, freshman Jake Fromm took over the reins of the offense and never relinquished the No. 1 QB role even when Eason returned, so the 6-5, 207 lb. native of Lake Stevens, Wash. returned to his home state, transferring to the University of Washington. After sitting out the requisite year, he played all 13 games for the Huskies in 2019, passing for 23 TDs vs. 8 INTs, before being drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the 4th round of the 2020 draft.
The Panthers now return to Charlotte for a home game vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who were upset by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, 20-18, in a game widely predicted to be a landslide win for the Florida team led by future Hall of Fame member, Tom Brady. The Oct. 23 matchup is scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Bank of America Stadium. Then Carolina goes on the road for consecutive games against the Atlanta Falcons (Oct. 30) and Cincinnati Bengals (Nov. 6).
Carolina defensive back Donte Jackson reaches for the ball on this first half interception of a Matthew Stafford pass on Oct. 16, at SoFi Stadium against the Los Angeles Rams. Jackson returned the INT 30 yards for a ‘Pick 6’ touchdown. Photo by Craig Weston for High Country Sports
SELECTED TEAM STATS
Total Offense – CAR 203, LAR 360
Yards Passing – CAR 110, LAR 249
Yards Rushing – CAR 93, LAR 111
Red Zone – CAR 0-1, LAR 3-4
Penalties – CAR 3-30, LAR 7-49
Turnovers, INTs – CAR 1, LAR 1
Time of Possession – CAR 22:55, LAR 37:05
SELECTED INDIVIDUAL STATS
Passing
LAR Matthew Stafford 26/33, 252 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
CAR P J Walker 10/16, 60 yards
CAR Jacob Eason 3/5, 59 yards, 1 INT
Rushing
CAR Christian McCaffrey 13 carries, 69 yards
LAR Darrell Henderson, Jr. 12 carries, 43 yards, 1 TD
Special Report from App State Sports. ST. LOUIS, Mo. — App State field hockey earned its fourth consecutive win and second straight shutout with a 2-0 victory over Saint Louis on Sunday afternoon.
The Mountaineers (8-5, 3-2 MAC) tallied an outstanding season-high of 29 shots, 20 of which were on goal.
Rachel Fleig struck first midway through the opening period on a goal that was assisted by Lise Boekaar. Fleig has four goals this season, and two game-winners. The assist was the third of Boekaar’s season.
Friederike Stegen gave App State a comfortable lead over the Billikens (2-13, 0-5 A-10) in the third period with a goal that was assisted by Charlotte Bosma. In her career, Stegen now has 25 goals and 25 assists. 11 of those goals have been scored this season, the second most in the Mid-American Conference.
The incredible shot total came from Anna Smarrelli (7, 4 SOG), Stegen (6, 4 SOG), Fleig (5, 5 SOG), Sarah Farrell (5, 4 SOG), Bosma (2, 1 SOG), Carli Ciocco (2, 1 SOG), Bridget Donovan (1, 1 SOG) and Pauline Mangold (1).
This was the fourth shutout of the season for Addie Clark and the defense, who lead the conference in that category. Clark also leads the MAC in save percentage (.785).
App State has one more game tomorrow at Lindenwood at 2 p.m. ET before returning to Boone for two home games next weekend.
By David Rogers. LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Sitting at the bottom of the NFC South with a 1-4 overall record, the Carolina Panthers fired head coach Matt Ruhle last week and overhauled the assistant coaching staff. Now, with reports flying around major media outlets, including Sports Illustrated, CBSSports, and ESPN that the team will consider trade offers for star running back Christian McCaffrey as well as its defensive standouts, one has to wonder whether the organization has given up on the 2022 season as we enter just Week 6 of the campaign.
Have the Panthers already started a rebuild as they prepare to face the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams tonight, Oct. 16, at SoFi Stadium? How will the news of potential trades for star players affect team morale and performances in the current season?
Certainly, those are concerns. NFL players are, first and foremost, professional athletes who know that at the foundation of their sport is a business. They know that they are “businessmen,” as are the guys using the lockers next to them. Personal friendships developed can quickly be reshaped as rivalries with the stroke of two general managers’ agreeing pens.
On Fox Sports’ pregame show on Oct. 16, NFL Media’s Peter Schrager suggested that it would take multiple first round picks for the Panthers to even consider a deal for McCaffrey or any of the team’s other top players. A CBS Sports report on Oct. 16 said that a fire sale after Rhule’s firing is unlikely. Quoting Schrager, “They will listen, though, and that includes Christian McCaffrey, that include the stars on defense. But it’s going to [take] multiple picks, and multiple round picks before they even start listening about trading off their prime assets.”
According to the CBS report, the Panthers have already rejected two trade offers for McCaffrey this year and that they seek high draft picks for their multi-talented, multi-dimensional running back who has four years and $63.338 million remaining on his contract.
The trade deadline is Nov. 1. McCaffrey, who is only 26 years old, is the fastest player in NFL history to total 3,000 career rushing yards and 3,000 career receiving yards. While hampered the past two seasons with injuries, he has so far played in all five games this season, rushing 72 times for 324 yards (4.5 yards per carry average), including two touchdown runs. He has also caught 26 passes for 188 yards and a TD.
It is a business, after all, even if many fans either don’t agree with the business decisions or simply don’t understand them. While it is a little surprising that the club would give up on current season not even a third of the way into it, the entrepreneur in us wouldn’t blame the Panthers for “selling high” and receiving a boatload of future in return.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Saturday upsets in the Sun Belt Conference on Oct. 15 are sure to bring added importance to the remaining conference games after Old Dominion pummeled Coastal Carolina,49-21, and Georgia Southern manhandled James Madison, 45-38.
In other conference matchups this week, Louisiana defeated Marshall, 23-13, in a nationally televised, Wednesday night game (Oct. 12), while Troy edged Texas State, 17-14, South Alabama got by Louisiana-Monroe, 41-34, and Southern Miss survived Arkansas State, 20-19 on the weekend.
Appalachian State and Georgia State had the weekend off before next week’s Wednesday night tilt at Kidd Brewer Stadium, on Oct. 18.
While ODU is 3-3 overall, at 2-0 in conference play it remains one of only two undefeated Sun Belt teams. The win over the Chanticleers catapults the Monarchs into first place in the highly competitive East Division of the conference. Old Dominion has yet to play Georgia Southern (Oct. 22), @Georgia State (Oct. 29), Marshall (Nov. 5), James Madison (Nov. 12), @Appalachian State (Nov. 19), and @South Alabama (Nov. 26).
At 5-1 overall, 2-0 in conference, South Alabama may have a stronger grip on the West Division, but it also faces a gauntlet in finishing out the regular season. That series of games begins with Troy (Oct. 20), @Arkansas State (Oct. 29), @Georgia Southern (Nov. 5), Texas State (Nov. 12), @Southern Miss (Nov. 19), and vs. Old Dominion (Nov. 26).
With apparent parity emerging in the Sun Belt given losses by traditional powers Appalachian State, Georgia Southern and Coastal Carolina along with Saturday’s loss by the season’s latest SBC darling, James Madison, in the East Division, every remaining game becomes “must win” for every school harboring realistic hopes for reaching the Sun Belt Championship Game, a matchup of East and West division winners.
In the West, South Alabama is threatened by Troy and Southern Miss, each with one loss, while all of the other teams in the division have more than one conference loss already to date, including 2021 SBC title holder, Louisiana.
To date, only Coastal Carolina, at 6-1 overall, has reached bowl eligible.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — They came from as many as three different generations, but humility, grit, passion, sense of family, support, self-discipline… these were all terms shared on Oct. 15 at the Watauga High School Hall of Fame Banquet, “Night of Champions.” Many of those words were eloquently introduced by keynote speaker, Dustin Kerns, head men’s basketball coach at Appalachian State University, but echoed by the recipients and their presenters, along with heartfelt thankfulness for the honors and recognition received.
Former school board member and longtime supporter of Watauga athletics, Ron Henries, served as emcee and reflected back to his long tenure to the area and community that “adopted” him so generously some 53 years ago.
Dustin Kerns, App State men’s basketball head coach, served as keynote speaker on Oct. 15 for ‘Night of Champions’, the induction ceremony for the Watauga Hall of Fame. Photo by David Rogers
Athletic director Dustin Kerley was a principal facilitator for the night, making sure that everyone that contributed to the evening’s events were recognized, as well as handing out the actual Hall of Fame certificates and plaques to the honorees.
But it was Kerns, the inductees and their presenters that brought smiles, laughs and even a few tears in recalling the exploits of athletic teams long gone from the hallowed halls, the importance of athletics’ and even other extra-curricular activities to personal development as a young person growing up, and the contributions of that early participation to individual successes once the trophies have been placed fireplace mantels or stored away, and the accolades faded into the past.
The 90-plus minute ceremony, preceded by a generous meal in the Commons area of the school’s center, was at once emotional, thought-provoking, and entertaining.
The following members, with brief summaries of their accomplishments, were inducted into the Watauga Pioneer Athletics Hall of Fame:
Jerry Harmon was introduced on Oct. 14 at Jack Groce Stadium at halftime of the Watauga High School football game as one of the newest members of the school’s Hall of Fame. Photo by David Rogers
Jerry Harmon, Athlete
Jerry is a 1971 graduate who played football and track & field. He was team Co-Captain in 1970 and named Watauga Player of the Week on several occasions. Jerry was named All Northwestern Conference as a Linebacker, tight end, and kicker in 1970. He signed a scholarship offer to play at Appalachian State University who at the time was Division 1. They dropped down to Division 1AA in the 1980’s. He also participated in track and finished fifth in the state (Western NC High School Athletic Association) in 1971 in the Shot Put with a throw of more than 47 feet.
High School Accomplishments
Started at linebacker and tight end in 1969 and 1970
Led team in tackles in 1970
Led team in receptions and yardage receiving in 1969 and 1970
Handled kickoff and extra point/field goal duties
Kicked first field goal in Watauga history
Kicked a 32 yard field goal in the last minute of the game to help Watauga beat Newton Conover in 1970
College Accomplishments
Led App State Freshman Team in scoring in 1971
Set App State field goal record with a 44 yard field goal in 1972
Led App State in scoring in 1974
Set record for most field goals in a game with 3
Set record with most field goals in a season with 10
Set records for points in a season and career by a kicker
Twice named Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week
First Team All Southern Conference in 1974
Broke own field goal record by kicking a 47 yard field goal at the end of the game to help App State beat East Carolina 23 to 21 in 1974
Billy Herring being introduced Oct. 14 as a 2022 inductee into the Watauga High School Hall of Fame. Photo by David Rogers
Billy Herring
Billy is a 1983 graduate who was on the swim team. He qualified for the State Swim Meet all 4 years. Billy’s freshman year he qualified with the relay teams. In his sophomore & junior season he qualified individually and as a relay member. In Billy’s senior year he was State Champion in men’s backstroke, State runner-up in men’s butterfly and 3rd place in men’s 200-yard medley relay. Watauga finished 5th as a team his senior year.
Billy attended UNC Wilmington and was a member of the swim team. He was an all conference swimmer in 1985 and held the 200 backstroke school record for 4 years before it was broken in 1989. Also in 1985 Billy was the team MVP along with qualifying for the Eastern Region NCAA Championships in the 100 and 200 backstroke.
Eafton Hill
Eafton is a 2000 graduate who played basketball. She led the team to a final four appearance in her senior season. She went on to play and letter three years at Wake Forest University. She was invited to tryout for the 2001 Junior National Team. She also played one year at Drury University.
1st team All Conference Freshman, Junior and Senior seasons
East-West All Star Game
NC-SC All Star Game
Charlotte Observer All Region Team
State Playoff All Region Team as a freshman
Holds school records in blocks in a season and career.
Mary Sheryl Horine was celebrated at halftime of the Oct. 14 Watauga football game as a 2022 inductee into the school’s Hall of Fame. Photo by David Rogers
Mary Sheryl Horine
Mary Sheryl is a 1981 graduate who played tennis, basketball, softball and track & field. In tennis she was MVP three years, Conference Player of Year three years, State sectionals four years, State regionals three years, State finals one year. In basketball Mary Sheryl was MVP two years, All conference two years, and Conference Player of the Year one year. In her senior year, Mary Sheryl was All Conference and Conference Player of the Year in three sports in the Northwest 3A conference.
Tennis
1978: MVP, All conference, Athletic Honor Roll
1979-81: MVP, All conference & Conference player of the year, Athletic Honor Roll
1978: State sectionals, singles
1979: State regionals 2nd round, doubles
1980: State finals, doubles
1981: State sectionals, singles
First WHS Athlete to be named “Conference Player of the Year” 3 consecutive years in the same sport (Tennis)
Basketball
1979-80: MVP, All Conference
1981: MVP, All Conference, Conference Player of the Year
Softball
1978 Athletic Honor Roll
1980 All conference
1981 MVP, All Conference, Conference Player of the Year
Additional Awards
1980 — First student athlete to have lettered in 4 sports in one year (tennis/basketball/softball & track as a junior) 1981- WHS Hall of Fame Award for student athletes
1981- Senior department award for girls in athletics- All conference and Conference Player of the Year in 3 sports 1981- US Army Reserve National Scholar & Athlete Award
College Accomplishments
1984: UNC Chapel Hill Ski Team- Conference Champs, MVP, 6th place in Giant Slalom at the National Collegiate Ski Association U.S. National Championships held in McCall, Idaho
Former Watauga head coach Bill Mauldin, introduced at the Oct. 14 halftime ceremony in Jack Groce Stadium as a 2022 inductee into the school’s Hall of Fame. Photo by David Rogers
Coach Bill Mauldin
Coach Bill Mauldin served from 1970-1986. He coached football, basketball, golf, and track & field. He received the NC Football Coaches Association Lifetime Achievement Award. Coach Mauldin received honorary lifetime membership in the NC Coaches Association. He was the head football coach from 1978 to 1986 and was the head coach for the 1978 State Champion Football Team.
1975 — Golf Conference Champions
1977 — Track Conference Champions
1977 — Northwestern Conference Coach of the Year
1977 — 1979 and 1981 — Football Conference Runner-Up
1978 — Western NC Football team of the year
1978 — NC 3-A Football State Champions
1978 — Western NC Coach of the Year
1978 — Kelloff North Carolina Coach of the Year
1979 — ‘84 — Board of Directors, NC Coaches Association
1980 — Shrine Bowl Coach
1980 — Northwestern Conference Champions
1987-1991 — Head Coach, Catawba College
1988 — SAC-8 Conference Champions
1988 — Catawba College makes NAIA Playoffs
Highly decorated, former head coach and athletic director Marc Payne was one of the 2022 Watauga Hall of Fame. Photo by David Rogers
Coach Marc Payne
Coach Marc Payne served as head basketball coach at Watauga High School from 1989 — 2002 and as athletic director from 1991 — 2002. His record at Watauga was 182-153 and led his team to a conference championship in the 1998-99 season. During the 2001-02 season Coach Payne marked his 400th win of his career.
In his career Coach Payne coached basketball, football, baseball, and golf. He coached 37 years of basketball at three different schools, Beaver Creek, Watauga, and Ahe County. His career record is 573-383. His teams have won 13 regular season conference championships, 7 conference tournament championships, 5 sectional championships, made 4 regional appearances and had a 3rd place finish in the State Tournament.
Additionally, in 2018 Coach Payne was inducted into the NCHSAA Hall of Fame. He is also in the George Whitfield Hall of Fame, the NCADA Hall of Fame and the NCHSAA Hall of Fame. Coach Payne is the recipient of the 2007 National Interscholastic Athletics Administrators Association Distinguished Service Award.
Complete lifetime basketball statistics and awards:
1974-79 Head Basketball Coach – Beaver Creek High School
1979-80 Assistant Basketball Coach – USC-Coastal Carolina College
1980-89 Head Basketball Coach – Beaver Creek High School
1989-02 Head Basketball Coach – Watauga High School
2002-12 Head Basketball Coach – Ashe County High School
1989 NCHSAA Region 7 Male Coach contributing most to HS Athletics
1989 West Basketball Coach – NCCA McDonald’s 40th Annual East-West All-Star Game
1988 and 1990 Head Coach of Region 7 State Games of NC
2000 Head Coach of NC All-Stars in NC-SC Carolinas Classic
George Whitfield Hall of Fame
NCADA Hall of Fame
NCHSAA Hall of Fame
Special Contributor: Dan Shelton
Dan was an integral part of the behind the scenes happenings of 3 sports, football, basketball and baseball. Filmed football 1999-2010
Filmed basketball 2002-2009
Baseball PA, scoreboard and music 2002 to present
Booster club for 7 years including 5 as president
Charter member of Will Dicus foundation
Randy MacDonough was earlier in his career as head track and field coach in 1997, in 2022 being inducted into the WHS Hall of Fame. Photo by David Rogers
1997 Women’s Track Team
The 1997 team won the state championship by 41 points. No other team even scored 41 points. They were also conference and regional champions. At the State Championships the team scored points in 8 events. Scoring points in individual events for the team were Marina Chase, Catherine Hall, Brenday Taylor, and Lindsay Taylor. The team also won the 1600m relay and were 2nd in the 4x800m relay. In addition, the team won the prestigious TacoBell/Reebok Track & Field Classic in Columbia SC.
1997 Track Team Coaches
Head Coach: Randy McDonough
Assistant Coaches: Steve Breitenstein, George Trivette, Leigh Wallace, and Joel Williams.
Joel Williams and Steve Breitenstein were assistant coaches for the 1997 Women’s Track Team for Watauga High School, introduced to the halftime crowd on Oct. 14 and inducted to the 2022 Hall of Fame on Oct. 15. Photo by David Rogers
Special Report from App State Sports. SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The App State men’s and women’s cross country team wrapped competition at the USC – Upstate Invite in Spartanburg, S.C. on Saturday with the men’s squad clinching first in the team standings with 30 points and the women taking second with 75 points.
Six Mountaineers rounded out the top-10 in the men’s 8K race, with junior Oliver Wilson-Cook leading the pack. Wilson-Cook clocked a time of 25:03.9 to place fourth individually. Following Wilson-Cook was fellow junior Dwayne Lillie, who placed fifth, stopping the clock at 25:10.6. Sophomores Garrett Bivens and Chase Burrell finished sixth and seventh, respectively, with times of 25:10.6, and 25:13.8. Senior Ryan Teuscher crossed the finish line with a time of 25:14.8 to place eighth, and freshman Tucker Sangster clocked a time of 25:22.9 to place tenth.
In the women’s 5K, sophomore Linnea Maynard set pace for the Mountaineers, clocking a time of 18:28.8 to place fifth. Senior Madison Christy was the next Mountaineer to cross the finish line, stopping the clock at 19:04.1 to place 17th. Sophomores Bianca Copeman, Karsyn Kane, and senior Lila Peters placed 20th (19:11.4), 21st (19:13.1), and 22nd (19:13.4), respectively.
Up Next
The Mountaineers will compete in the Wildcat Invite in Charlotte, N.C. on Oct. 21 before traveling to Foley, Ala. for the Sun Belt Cross Country Championships on Oct. 29.
Special Report from App State Sports. MONROE, La. – The App State volleyball team defeated Louisiana Monroe, 3-1 (23-25, 25-15, 25-20, 25-16), in Monroe, La. on Saturday afternoon. The Mountaineers are now 11-8 (4-4 SBC) on the season and have won their last four road matches, three of which were five-set thrillers.
“I’m super proud to get the weekend sweep,” said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. “We started off a little slow, but our offense really got going this match. Senior McCall Denny had a great weekend for us and really drove us to win both matches.”
For a second consecutive match, Denny led the Mountaineers in the kills category, posting 16 on the afternoon, two off from her newly set season high, which she recorded in Friday’s match against the Warhawks. Freshman Maya Winterhoff led the team in aces, serving up four, which matches her season and career high set on Sept. 16 against Norfolk State. Senior Sarah Missroon led the Mountaineers once again in the blocks category, totaling five on the afternoon, while junior Sophie Cain led the team in assists with 26. Senior Sam Bickley led the team in digs, posting 13, and had the second-most assists, earning 26, for her second double-double on the weekend.
The Mountaineers led the Warhawks in points (78-56), kills (63-47), aces (9-2), assists (60-45), and digs (64-57).
Match Details
App State trailed during the first set, as ULM built off of an 8-1 lead. The Mountaineers steadily chipped away at the deficit, posting a 5-0 run to come within two (8-6) and a 3-0 run to close the gap to 12-10 with a kill from junior Madison Baldridge, a block from Winterhoff and sophomore Lulu Ambrose, and a ULM error. ULM pulled away, eventually building up to a 21-17 lead. App State managed to come within two at 23-21 after a kill from Winterhoff, and then again at 24-22 after a kill from Denny, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Warhawks, who took the set 25-23.
The Mountaineers jumped to a 3-0 lead in the second set after a kill from junior Meghan Dombrowski, a block from Missroon and Denny, and a ULM error. Missroon later posted a solo block followed by a block assist with Baldridge to push the score to 8-2 in favor of the Mountaineers. The Black and Gold pulled ahead to 15-10 after kills from Winterhoff, freshman Alyssa McBean, and two consecutive kills from Denny. The Mountaineers went on a 3-0 scoring run that included kills from Dombrowski and Baldridge, as well as an ace from Cain, which made the score 18-11 in favor of App State. App State went on another 3-0 run that included another kill from Baldridge and an ace from Denny to put the Mountaineers up 21-12. Back-to-back kills from Missroon and Winterhoff extended the lead to 23-13, and Baldridge brought App State to set point with a kill of her own. Ambrose slammed down a last kill as the Black and Gold took set two, 25-15.
Bouncing back from an early 4-0 deficit in the third set, App State went on a 7-0 scoring run that put the Black and Gold up 7-4, and included a pair of aces from Winterhoff, a pair of kills from Denny, and a kill from Winterhoff. Back-to-back kills from Ambrose put the Mountaineers up 13-9 mid-set. The Black and Gold went on a 4-0 scoring run as Ambrose delivered a kill and an ace, ULM made an error, and Dombroswki slammed down a kill, which pushed the score to 18-12 in favor of App State. A kill from Denny followed by an ace from Winterhoff put the Mountaineers up 20-14. As ULM chipped away at App State’s lead, Denny posted two more kills to push the score to 22-18 and Ambrose notched three kills to secure the set, 25-20, in favor of App State.
Leading the match two sets to one, the Mountaineers came out hot in the fourth set, taking a 5-0 lead after a ULM error, kills from Dombrowski, Missroon, and Denny, and an ace from Winterhoff. The Mountaineers went on a 4-0 scoring run after kills from Denny, Missroon, and Baldridge and a block from Missroon/Baldridge, extending the lead to 11-5. Kills from Winterhoff and Ambrose, as well as an ace from Bickley, put App State up 16-7. A pair of back-to-back kills from Denny and Ambrose pushed the score to 22-11. Winterhoff, slamming down her 11th kill of the match, put the Mountaineers up 24-14, and Ambrose posted the final kill to take the set, 25-16, and match 3-1, for the Mountaineers.
Up Next
App State is set to host new Sun Belt Conference member Marshall at the Holmes Convocation Center on Oct. 21 and 22. Friday’s match is slated for 6 p.m. and will be ’90s Night. Saturday’s 1 p.m. match will be App State’s Pink Game, benefiting the High Country Breast Cancer Association.
By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — Adventure takes many forms, with many different experiences in the High Country, even a relatively tranquil walk around Blowing Rock’s Bass Lake. Almost a mile around, it is an easy hike, but filled with spectacular autumn scenes during peak season for the “leaf peepers.”
Here are some scenes from the afternoon of Oct. 14, ranging from almost ghostly looking into a dark bog, to the luminous golden glow of trees preparing to shed their leaves before winter. Add in some reflections across the lake’s still waters or angular criss-crossings of tree branches — maybe even catch the sun peeking through the branches and leaves — and Mother Nature is on fine display.
