By David Rogers. WEST JEFFERSON, N.C. — Now halfway through the regular season slate in the women’s tennis fall season, Watauga took down another Northwestern Conference opponent on Sept. 19, 8-1, over host Ashe County. The Pioneer women are now 8-1 overall, 5-0 against NWC adversaries. The lone loss came on Aug. 24 at T.C. Roberson, 2-7, although Watauga exacted a measure of revenge on Sept. 13 when the Pioneers defeated the Rams in Boone, 8-1.
“It has been a pretty good season, so far,” said Jennifer Pillow, Watauga’s head coach, “but there is still a lot of tennis to play. We are hoping to qualify athletes to regionals, and then qualify them for the state tournament. We have five more league matches, the last on Oct. 5 against Ashe County. Typically, the regionals are scheduled for early to mid-October and the state tournament for late October.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Across the Watauga men’s soccer roster, there are some really fast, exceptionally skilled student-athletes. Against Ardrey Kell at Jack Groce Stadium on Sept. 19, the Pioneers met their match — and then some.
The visiting Knights took home a 4-0 shutout against what the team’s head coach, Rob Dalton, explained after the match was much needed: stiffer competition — and that was exactly what they found in Watauga.
Watauga goalkeeper Kyle Painter recorded 10 saves against Ardrey Kell on Sept. 19, including this one in the first half. Photo by David Rogers
“I was pleased with our performance tonight,” said Dalton. “In our conference we have had some less than competitive games recently. So we were looking forward to coming up here to Boone and having a much more competitive game. And Watauga gave us just that. Our guys were on it from the beginning and we obviously got the good start with a penalty kick in the first minute. I don’t think we took our foot off the accelerator for the full 90 minutes. We are still building. When others see this result against a very well coached and capable Watauga side, it may not send shockwaves (around the state) but it will raise a few eyebrows. Watauga is that good.”
From a momentum standpoint, the visitors benefited from a penalty kick awarded to them when the starting whistle had barely faded into the early autumn night. The Knights’ senior captain Quinn McGuire sent the ball past Watauga’s goalkeeper, Kyle Painter, for the opening salvo.
Kyle Painter didn’t have an 11th save for lack of trying during the Sept. 19 Watauga match vs. Ardrey Kell at Jack Groce Stadium. Photo by David Rogers.
On attack, Ardrey Kell was relentless, peppering the Watauga-defended net with shots. Against most High Country and regional opponents, Watauga is fast to the ball and quickly finding teammates with one-touch passing to move the ball into space. The Knights were, simply put, faster and equally skilled. They were also effective in disrupting nearly every Pioneer possession.
Said Dalton, “It is difficult for the opposition, once you are all over them, to break the stranglehold.”
Watauga head coach Josh Honeycutt knew full well what his charges would be facing against Ardrey Kell and, despite the loss, knew that his team benefited in the long run from this non-conference scheduling.
Ardrey Kell’s Neil Singh pushes the ball up the left sideline in a full sprint during the first half of play against Watauga at Jack Groce Stadium. Photo by David Rogers
“Ardrey Kell is a really good team,” acknowledged Honeycutt after the game. “We may not have played our best game, but we didn’t play badly. What happened tonight is that we played a really good team that could move the ball really well. They were solid defensively. They threw numbers in on attack and had a lot of good speed. Hopefully, we learned that to battle, to fight, to continue to grind with another good team… We had good moments.”
For much of the game, the Watauga players in general moved away from their patented one-touch passing that they have exhibited so skillfully against other opponents. It wasn’t until the last 13 minutes that those combinations worked to put real pressure on Ardrey Kell’s defense.
In a battle of No. 5s, Ardrey Kell’s Sammy Lee, who had two goals on the night, goes one-on-one with Watauga defender Kai Suyao in the first half of the Sept. 19 non-conference match between the Knights and the Pioneers. Photo by David Rogers
“Yeah, that is one thing we talked about at halftime,” said Honeycutt. “You can’t hold onto the ball and take so many touches. Keep the ball moving, let the ball do the work. Take one or two touches and make the defense shift. We didn’t do a great job of that tonight but credit to Ardrey Kell, they didn’t allow us, really, with their pressure to connect a whole lot of passes. A lot of that was them but a lot of it was us holding the ball too long.”
The outcome could have been much worse if not for the athletic Painter’s diving this way and that to record 10 saves on the night.
At the other end, Watauga could do little against the Knights’ defense. The Pioneers recorded only one shot on goal during the 90 minutes, by junior midfielder Andrew Hill.
According to MaxPreps.com, Ardrey Kell was the No. 18-ranked team in the entire state of North Carolina last season and the No. 8 team in the North Carolina 4A West region, when they recorded a 14-4-4 season, losing to Cornelius-based Hough in the fourth round of the 4A state playoffs. At 6-3-1 this year, so far, that ranking has slipped only a little while posting a 4-0 record to date in the 4A South Mecklenburg Conference, which includes Myers Park, South Mecklenburg, Palisades, Berry, Olympic, and Harding high schools.
“If we are going to win a state championship,” said Honeycutt, “Ardrey Kell is the kind of team we are going to have to beat.”
With only two officials calling the game, players and refs alike were frustrated during the Sept. 19, highly competitive pairing of Ardrey Kell and Watauga at Jack Groce Stadium. Photo by David Rogers
As good as this game was played, it was marred to an extent by a total of five yellow cards and 10 called fouls. Normally, there are three officials, a primary referee and two sideline judges. Only two officials were assigned to call this match, each having to not only be in position to call offsides, when they occurred, at the extreme ends of the field, but also to monitor what was going on in the middle of the field. Under that kind of pressure, the officials appeared to lose patience with the players in the second half, either backtalking or kicking the ball away after the whistle had blown.
“This is the first time we have played with only two officials and it is unfortunate that for this competitive of a match the full complement could not have been assigned. In conference play in Charlotte, we would not play without three officials. We would wait for the third to begin play,” said Dalton, suggesting how important it is to have three.
Next competition for Watauga (2-7-1 overall, 0-0 NWC) is on Sept. 21, at home against another strong non-conference opponent in Concord-Cox Mill (8-0-4), before beginning Northwestern Conference play on Sept. 26, also at home against South Caldwell (5-1-2, 0-0). Ardrey Kell resumes league play on Sept. 22 against Palisades (2-5-1, 1-2).
Special Report from App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. – Despite playing with 10 players for the final 41 minutes of regulation, the Mountaineers were able to strike for the only goal of the match, and defeated ULM, 1-0, to open Sun Belt play.
Freshman defender Shannon Studer scored that decisive goal for the Mountaineers, with a right-footed strike in the 64th minute, curling the ball from the far side of the 18-yard box into the top of the near corner of the net. Izzy Lusardi picked up her first assist on the play.
App State (2-3-4, 1-0-0) was able to overcome playing down a player, as midfielder Katie Fuller was whistled for two yellow cards in the match, with the second coming just over three minutes into the second half.
Goalkeeper Kerry Eagleston recorded her 16th career shutout and fourth of the season. She also registered her 300th career save in the opening half to become just the fourth player in program history to reach that milestone. Eagleston finished the match with nine saves, highlighted by a diving effort with 12 minutes to play to maintain App State’s one-goal lead.
Offensively, the Mountaineers finished with a season-high 19 shots and a season-best 13 shots on goal, led by Stephanie Barbosa who fired all three of her shots on target. Studer, Breckyn Monteith, and Izzi Wood added three shots on goal apiece.
App State opens conference play 1-0 for the first time since 2018 when they outlasted Troy on the road, 3-2, in double overtime.
The Mountaineers close out their three-match homestand by facing Coastal Carolina at 6 p.m. on Thursday for their Pack the Mack game. Fans 8th grade and younger can participate in a penalty kick shootout on the field following the game. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — College football games are comprised of 3,600 seconds’ playing time. In defeating Troy, 32-28, at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Sept. 17, Appalachian State used — and needed — every tick of the game clock.
The 53-yard “Hail Mary” pass from QB Chase Brice, tipped back by WR Dalton Stroman and fielded by WR Christan Horn as he scooted around the mass of humanity gathered at the 5-yard line was just what the playbook called for. And the improbable TD was only made possible by a key block from WR Kaedin Robinson as Horn sprinted around the right side into the end zone — and Brice’s deft maneuvering out of the pocket and into position to throw the bomb at the start of the play. In short, everything came together for the Mountaineers’ latest miracle finish.
Troy had good pass protection for most of the game on Sept. 17 at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Photo by David Rogers
Just the Latest Miracle
The most recent Mountaineer win was improbable, at best. It was magical. It was a fitting completion to what has arguably been the most exciting three weeks for one team in college football history. Call them the Cardiac Kids, if you will. The only question remaining: what could possibly be next for the 2022 football edition of the Appalachian State Mountaineers.
In Week 1, App State rallied from a 20-point deficit at the end of the third quarter to almost win a 63-61 offensive shootout against North Carolina. That game saw three TDs scored in the last 31 seconds. And that is just the start for explaining all the highs and lows in between the crossing of goal lines.
App State’s Tyler Bird sacks Troy QB Gunnar Watson in the first half, Sept. 17. Photo by David Rogers
In Week 2, App State dominated No. 6 ranked Texas A&M in carving out a 17-14 win, controlling offensive possession 41.5 minutes (2,490 seconds) and leaving just 18.5 minutes (1,110 seconds) for the Aggies. It may not have been the “prettiest” football, but it was a beautiful result for the AppNation faithful.
Week 2 had resounding implications, including a decision by ESPN to flip their College Gameday show scheduled for College Station, to Boone. As Mountaineer head coach Shawn Clark suggested in his post-game press conference, there isn’t enough money in all the North Carolina university system to pay for the Appalachian State, Boone and High Country brand promotional benefits garnered from ESPN Gameday coming to town.
App State running back Daetrich Harrington (4) sprints to a sizable gain in the second half vs. Troy. Photo by David Rogers
So then we have Week 3, even with all the weeklong distractions of what can only be described as a media invasion. It started promising enough for 34,406 mostly Mountaineer fans cramming the grandstands and on the grassy knoll below the scoreboard. Troy received the opening kickoff and on the first play from scrimmage, junior QB Gunnar Watson, a fifth year Troy veteran, slightly overthrew his downfield receiver, the ball snatched out of the air by App State senior defensive back Dexter Lawson, Jr. for his first career INT.
On App State’s third play from scrimmage, Brice handed off to WR Dashaun Davis, who lofted a pass to wide open Christian Wells in the right flat of the end zone for the game’s first score. The well-designed play had the Troy defensive backs coming forward in anticipation of a Davis run around the right side, leaving Wells in the end zone with nary a Trojan soul within 15 yards of him.
The turnover and quick score to capitalize on it had Kidd Brewer rockin’ with thoughts of a blowout win by the Mountaineers. Hardly a minute was gone off the game clock and App State already had a 7-0 lead.
App State QB Chase Brice passes against Troy on Sept. 17. Photo by David Rogers
First year Troy head coach Jon Sumrall, his assistant coaches, and the Trojan players had other ideas. They responded with a 13-play, 75-yard offensive possession reminiscent of what the Mountaineers did to the Aggies a week ago in College Station. The Trojans’ drive kept App State’s offense off the field for one second shy of 7 minutes. Although the Mountaineers’ Tyler Bird sacked Watson on the second play of the drive, the Troy QB recovered to methodically engineer a “move the chains” possession that knotted the score, 7-7.
The Trojan defense gave up a first down on App State’s next possession when running back Camerun Peoples gained 14 yards on the first play, but that was all the Mountaineers could muster, offensively, before having to punt.
Troy and the Mountaineers exchanged punts entering the second quarter, then Troy scored again on an 8-play, 81 yard drive that put the visitors ahead 14-7.
Camerun Peoples escapes a Troy tackler in the first half of App State’ electric, 32-28 win on Sept. 17. Photo by David Rogers
Local Mountaineer fans got to celebrate at the end of App State’s more than 7-minute drive that covered 75 yards in 14 plays, ending with Watauga High School alum Anderson Castle powering through three Troy defenders into the end zone, tying the game at 14-14 with just 1:22 left on the clock before halftime. Lining up in a two-back set, Castle slipped through the middle of the line of scrimmage and turned to receive Brice’s pass just inside the five yard line, then broke through the Trojan defenders for the TD. Castle, the former Pioneer QB, was converted to running back by the coaching staff his freshman year after being recruited to App State as a defensive back and outside linebacker. Now, as a junior, he has become a key role player in the running back room, with special scripted plays designed to take advantage of his size, speed and athleticism. Against North Carolina, we saw him in the wishbone formation to get a first down.
With only 1:22 remaining in the half, Watson didn’t have time to waste before halftime and engineered a fast-moving, 12-play drive that covered 75 yards before the QB pushed over the goal line from one-yard out as time expired in the opening half of play.
Troy’s Gunnar Watson gets a throw off under pressure from Mountaineer LB Kesean Brown on Sept. 17. Photo by David Rogers
Halftime Concern?
With the Trojans taking a 21-14 lead at intermission, the concern for the fate of App State was palpable. The Mountaineers tied the game at 21-21 early in the second half with a 19-yard run by senior Daetrich Harrington and followed that up by settling for a 23-yard Michael Hughes field goal to take a nervous, 24-21 lead.
Minutes later, Troy responded with another ball-controlling offensive possession by going 79 yards in 12 plays, taking 5:14 off the clock and taking a 28-24 lead when running back Kimani Vidal punched over left tackle from one yard out for the go-ahead score.
Taking over possession with 10:10 to go in the game, App State methodically marched downfield 73 yards in an astonishing 17 plays to take almost 9 minutes off the play clock. They got the ball down to the 2-yard line, but on 4th down could not get the ball into the end zone. With only 1:44 left, they had to go for the TD because a field goal would leave them with still a 1-point deficit.
So, with 98 yards in front of them, Troy took possession at the 2-yard line. They needed to burn as much time off the clock as possible to ensure victory and with only 1:13 left the Trojans knew that App State’s two timeouts would leave time on the clock and used as much of the play clock as possible.
Had Troy managed a first down, they would have been able to run down the clock and claim victory in this first Sun Belt league encounter in 2022. But in three plays, they were only able to get the ball out to their own 11, one yard short of that needed first down. On 4th-and-one with 25 seconds on the clock, the Trojans lined up as if to go for the needed first down, but surprised everyone when Watson took the snap and immediately sprinted backwards, into the end zone. The play took 10 seconds off the clock and resulted in a safety, shrinking the Trojan lead to 28-26 and punting the ball to the Mountaineers.
Troy’s Zach Long did his part, punting 46 yards to the App State 34 where it was fielded by Ahmani Marshall and returned 13 yards to the Mountaineers’ 47. And that is where Brice & Co., took over, the initial objective he told reporters later to get downfield and get within field goal range for placekicker Hughes. After three incomplete passes, there was only one option on 4th-and-10 and only 2 seconds left on the clock.
With good protection from the Mountaineer offensive line, QB Chase Brice (7) spots a receiver downfield on Sept. 17 against Troy at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Photo by David Rogers
Repeated perfect execution in practice (sometimes) results in perfect execution come game time. Head coach Clark and wide receiver Horn acknowledged in the post-game presser that they have practiced the ‘Hail Mary’ situational play time after time in practice. Without doubt, practice made perfect on this day.
In his press conference, Brice told reporters that more than any other team he has been associated with, the Mountaineers rehearse situational opportunities like the Hail Mary in practice.
“In the last three weeks,” said Brice, “I think we have had to use 95 percent of those situational plays.”
Next up for the Mountaineers is another game at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Sept. 24 against former FCS rival James Madison, now a new member of the Sun Belt Conference after choosing to make a quick transition to the FBS level during the latest round of conference realignment. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
The Dukes arrive in the High Country with a 2-0 record, including big wins over Middle Tennessee (44-7) and Norfolk State (63-7).
Troy (1-2 overall and 0-1 in SBC) returns home for an evening matchup against Marshall on Sept. 24.
By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — A 22-year-old Vilas resident Christopher Vega finished a full minute ahead of the nearest finisher on Sept. 17, in the 22nd annual running of the Stick Boy Bread “Mayview Madness” 5k, staged in benefit of the Blue Ridge Conservancy.
Jessica Howard of Newland was the top female finisher in the 2022 Mayview Madness 5k run on Sept. 17. Photo by David Rogers
Vega completed the course in 17:24, a 5:36 mile pace, on a beautiful day for long distnce running in Blowing Rock. The race started a block off Main Street, at the intersection of Laurel Lane and Wallingford Street, and headed west on Laurel Lane into the Mayview neighborhood.
Jessica Howard (32) of Newland, N.C., was the top female finisher, coming in 12th overall in a time of 22:15. Stephanie Sales of Deep Gap was second in the distaff division, in 22:37.
Christopher Vega, 22, Vilas, 17:24
Peter Alexander, 43, Durham, 18:27
Brian Ulrich, 34, Jefferson, 19:23
Gabe Gomez, 28, Wilmington, 19:51
Jeremy Jones, 44, Boone, 19:53
TOP 5 WOMEN
Jessica Howard, 32, Newland, 22:15
Stephanie Sales, 34, Deep Gap, 22:37
Maddie Bollman, 15, Boone, 22:38
Bethany Jobe, 22, Boone, 22:58
Taylor Sherrill, 31, Statesville, 23:01
Christopher Vega comes across the finish line first on Sept. 17, in the 22nd edition of ‘Mayview Madness’ in Blowing Rock. Photo by David Rogers
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Watauga High School Principal Chris Blanton speculated after the Sept. 16 “Homecoming” football game that it was probably the largest crowd at least in the Pioneer grandstands in quite some time. And, by the way, they had a lot to cheer about with Boone’s favorite sons running away with a 55-21 win over regional rival, Ashe County.
For scheduling purposes, it was a non-conference game. With last year’s NCHSAA realignment of all North Carolina high school conferences and the growing Ashe County enrollment pushing the Huskies from the 2A to 3A level, both institutions are now in the 3A/4A Northwestern Conference that Watauga has seemingly dominated for the last several years.
The Pioneers student section was out en masse on Sept. 16, for Homecoming vs. Ashe County. Photo by David Rogers
Watauga head coach Ryan Habich discounted any notion that the early non-conference encounter provided either team with insight into the other’s game plan when they meet for the official conference game on Oct. 28. He noted that both he and the Huskies head coach, Brian Hampton, have led their respective programs for the last 10 years, so “… he knows what we do and we know he runs an ‘Air Raid’ offense,” said Habich. The only thing that changes, through the years, are the players’ names, he suggested.
Opening the playbook a little further as league play officially approaches, the Pioneers rolled up 482 yards of total offense, 353 yards of it on the ground and 129 yards — more than usual — through the air. While running back Will Curtis carried the ball 14 times for 101 yards and a TD to lead the rushing attack, he was joined in rushing TDs by Maddox Greene, Cole Horine, Carlton Horine, and Peyton Ash.
Meanwhile, Greene completed 8 of 11 passes for those 129 yards — and 2 TDs.
In this one, Watauga wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard. Ashe received the opening kickoff for the first offensive possession, but on the Huskies’ second play from scrimmage, the Pioneers’ Morgan Henry came up with an interception — and only 43 seconds had ticked off the clock. Then, on Watauga’s first play, Greene hit Jackson Pryor over the middle for a 28-yard TD. With a successful Grant Kight PAT kick, the score was 7-0. Arguably the largest Pioneer student section of the last 10 years, costumed in “white out” attire, had barely gotten to exercise their lungs.
After the Pioneer defense stopped the Ashe advance at their own 46 yard line, Greene & Co. staged an 11-play, 71-yard drive that took more than four minutes off the game clock. On a keeper off right tackle, Greene found a whole and galloped 9 yards for Watauga’s second TD of the night, with more than five minutes remaining on the first quarter clock.
Cole Horine (21) celebrates his TD run of 45 yards in the second quarter on Sept. 16, vs. Ashe County on Homecoming night. Photo by David Rogers
Although Watauga’s defensive end Isaiah Shirley at times seemed to take up residence in Ashe County’s backfield for QB sacks and tackles for loss, the Huskies’ QB Blake Peters and running back Matthew Peterson shook off those setbacks and orchestrated an 11-play, 60-yard drive that ended in an AC touchdown: Peterson finished it off with a one-yard punch into the end zone.
Peters completed 24 of 41 pass attempts on the night for 236 yards but to the dismay of the many Husky fans filling the south grandstands of Jack Groce Stadium, that yardage produced no TDs — but two interceptions that gave the ball back to the Pioneers. Unlike in many Watauga games where the Pioneers control time of possession, Ashe County’s 23:09 with the offense on the field was nearly identical to Watauga’s 24:44. Simply put, the Pioneers did more with their opportunities and committed no turnovers.
In spreading the ball around, Peters’ favorite targets on the night were wide receive Colin Estes (10 catches, 89 yards), receiver Ian Graybeal (7 catches, 88 yards), and Peterson (5 catches, 34 yards).
After the game, Habich conceded that Ashe County exposed an area of vulnerability in the Pioneer pass defense. “We have to get better,” he said, “if we are going to win a conference championship.”
Peterson also proved to be an elusive target at times once he got ahold of the football. Habich said, “He is a good player and good players make you miss tackles. That was another area of concern where we need to improve, tackling.”
Watauga wingback Carton Horine runs for a TD on Sept. 16 vs. Ashe County in Jack Groce Stadium, on Homecoming for the Pioneers. Photo by David Rogers
Even with Ashe County showing a lot of Northwestern Conference potential if it can only avoid turnovers (fumbles and interceptions), Watauga was much more consistent in playing near-error free football, with no turnovers.
And, the Pioneers showed off a number of offensive weapons in running back Will Curtis (14 carries, 101 yards rushing, 1 TD), Cole Horine (4 carries, 77 yards, 1 TD), Greene (8 carries, 75 yards, 1 TD) and Carlton Horine (4 carries, 48 yards, 2 TDs).
Greene also had an opportunity to show off his arm, passing. Wide receiver Jackson Pryor had 5 catches for 88 yards and a TD, while Cole Horine’s versatility led to 2 catches for 33 yards and a TD.
Watauga’s Cole Horine runs for a big gain against Ashe County on Sept. 16 at Jack Groce Stadium. Photo by David Rogers
Although he rambled over the century mark with 101 yards rushing on the night, Curtis was quick to point out that Watauga’s game plan relies on a total team effort.
“We are not always the biggest nor the fastest,” said Curtis, “so a lot of our success begins with the blocking upfront, the fakes, and then the reads in finding the gaps. It is a team game. I am just the one who happens to be carrying the ball but I can do very little without those blocks from our offensive line.”
Next up for the Pioneers is the first game of the Northwestern Conference slate in 2022, but it doesn’t come for two weeks, Sept. 30, at South Caldwell (4-1). They have a bye next week and it comes at a fortuitous time, allowing for players to “heal” after being a little banged up in the five early, non-conference games from which they emerged, 4-1.
Ashe County (2-3) also has a bye on Sept. 23, opening NWC play on Sept. 30 at home against Alexander Central (2-3).
SCORING
Q1 WAT – Maddox Greene TD pass, 28 yards to Jackson Pryor (Grant Kight PAT is good)
Q1 WAT – Maddox Greene TD run for 9 yards (Grant Kight PAT is good)
Q1 ASH – Matthew Peterson TD run of 1 yard (PAT kick is good)
Q2 WAT – Cole Horine TD run for 45 yards (2-point conversion run by Greene)
Q2 WAT – Carlton Horine TD run for 17 yards (2-point conversion run by Greene is no good)
Q2 WAT – Maddox Greene TD pass, 32 yards to Cole Horine (Grant Kight PAT is good)
Q3 WAT – Carlton Horine TD run for 16 uards (Grant Kight PAT is blocked))
Q3 WAT Will Curtis TD run for 4 yards (Grant Kight PAT is good)
Q3 ASH Matthew Peterson TD run for 6 yards (PAT kick is good)
Q4 WAT Peyton Ash TD run for 5 yards (Grant Kight PAT is good)
Q4 ASH Matthew Peterson run for 1 yard (PAT kick is good)
SELECTED TEAM STATS
Total Offense: WAT 482, ASH 286
Passing Yards: WAT 129, ASH 236
Rushing Yards: WAT 353, ASH 50
Penalties: WAT 1-15, ASH 1-10
Turnovers: WAT 0, ASH 2
Time of Possession: WAT 24:44, ASH 23:09
First Downs: WAT 28, ASH 19
3rd Down Conversions: WAT 2/3 (66.7), ASH 7/12 (58.3%)
4th Down Conversions: WAT 1/1 (100%), ASH 1/2 (50%)
Special Report from App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — Missteps, figurative or literal, can serve as a painful reminder within App State’s football program.
The hallway floors in Kidd Brewer Stadium’s north end zone facility have contained small, wooden mousetraps this week. The Mountaineers have been riding high after a win at No. 6 Texas A&M, with that result triggering a trip to the High Country from ESPN’s College GameDay show, but App State’s pursuit of a Sun Belt Conference title hinges on quickly turning its attention to the upcoming league opener against Troy.
College GameDay wraps up on Sanford Mall at noon, and kickoff for the ESPN+ game between the Mountaineers and Trojans is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
The message from head coach Shawn Clark has been clear since App State returned home — many hours later than expected due to a flat tire on the airplane — from its attention-grabbing outcome.
“When you do well, it’s human nature to think you’ve arrived, but don’t take the cheese,” Clark said. “Be careful out there when people want to tell you how good you are. This is a friendly reminder to be locked in.”
App State (1-1) has won four straight games against Troy (1-1) and seven straight Sun Belt openers. In the last 100 games overall, dating back to their 2014 FBS debut, the Mountaineers are 80-20.
It’s a no-brainer that ESPN guest picker and country music star Luke Combs will pick his alma mater to win. When ESPN’s Lee Corso puts on the headgear of a Sun Belt mascot to close Saturday’s pregame festivities, it will be the 66th different school headgear he has worn since the show’s inception in 1993.
Across campus, the Mountaineers will be in game mode.
Troy has a new head coach in former Kentucky co-defensive coordinator Jon Sumrall, who has joined familiar names such as Carlton Martial, Kimani Vidal and Gunnar Watson. The Trojans opened the season with a 28-10 loss at Ole Miss and a 38-17 win against Alabama A&M.
A sixth-year senior linebacker, Martial has 457 career tackles and needs just three more to become the Sun Belt’s all-time leader. He’s made 52 stops against App State in his career.
Martial leads a defense that limited the Rebels to 167 passing yards, and Troy has intercepted multiple passes in a game 28 times since the start of the 2016 season. That total ranks second nationally to App State’s 29 instances.
“They’re very aggressive on defense,” Clark said. “They’re a 3-4 defense that’s very similar with what we do, and there’s some connections there with coach Eric McDaniel, who I coached at Purdue and brought to App State (in 2016) and is their defensive line coach. Shiel Woods, who was at Wofford with Nate Woody, he’s there as their defensive coordinator.”
The Mountaineers are still seeking their first interception of 2022, but cornerback Dexter Lawson Jr. came up with a huge play by forcing a fumble that teammate Nick Hampton recovered during the win at Texas A&M. Strong safety Nick Ross delivered a key stop behind the line of scrimmage on a third-down screen pass en route to making a team-best seven tackles, and the Mountaineers scored touchdowns after both of their forced turnovers.
App State’s defense will face a Troy offense with Watson in his third year as a starting quarterback and Vidal in his third year as a feature back. Vidal has rushed for 1,303 yards in 22 career games, and Watson has thrown for 626 yards through two games in 2022, including 351 with four touchdowns in the win against Alabama A&M.
“The quarterback is outstanding,” Clark said. “He has a 70-percent completion rate, and their receivers do not drop footballs. They have a very good offensive line, and they’re very aggressive on special teams.”
A key to App State’s success in College Station was complementary football. After scoring 40 fourth-quarter points in a 63-61 loss to North Carolina, the Mountaineers used a methodical, clock-consuming offense and stingy defense to shut down the Aggies, who managed one offensive touchdown.
With the likes of Cooper Hodges, Anderson Hardy, Isaiah Helms, Bucky Williams, Damion Daley and Troy Everett up front, App State’s offensive line has an average height of 6-foot-4 and weight of 292 pounds, and the Mountaineers have run well while also protecting quarterback Chase Brice against bigger defensive lines with highly recruited prospects.
Grinding out tough yards at Texas A&M, App State went 9-for-20 on third down and 3-for-5 on fourth down while finishing with big advantages in plays run (82 to 38) and possession time (41:29 to 18:31).
That kind of mistake-free ball control could be important against a Troy defense that has recorded four sacks and forced five turnovers through two games.
“You watch the tape, they get better and better as you watch them,” Clark said. “As the season goes on, they’re going to be a very good football team, so we have our work cut out for us. We have to be very sound and execute on Saturday to have a chance to win.”
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Perfect weather for long distance running marked the Firetower Project cross country races at Appalachian State’s State Farm Intramural Fields and the Don Kennedy Trails.
The men’s and women’s high school divisions were dominated by Watauga and West Henderson harriers. Brianna and Gwendolyn Anderson swept the first two spots in the women’s division (19:38.91 and 19:43.70, respectively), with eight Pioneers finishing in the top 15. West Henderson countered with six athletes in the top 15, among the 51 runners from seven schools.
Don Kennedy, namesake for the Don Kennedy Trails at State Farm Intramural Fields was on hand for the Firehouse Project races. He is believed to have been the first Mountaineer XC athlete to earn All-American recognition. Photo by David Rogers
Other top finishers for the Pioneer women included Savannah Duval (Sr., 5th), Rachel Cathey (Jr., 7th), Janie Beach-Verhay (Fr., 10th), Andriana Rink (Sr., 11th), Maddie Bollman (Soph., 14th), and Sydney Cate Townsend (Fr., 15th).
In the men’s division, Watauga’s Will Bradbury finished second (16:43.95) behind West Henderson’s Hudson Rice in first (16:28.49). West Henderson took four of the top six spots, while the Pioneers placed seven in the top 16.
Bradbury, a sophomore, was followed by fellow Pioneers Collin Anderson (Jr.) in eighth, Roman Sibaja (Jr.) in ninth, Elliott Taft (Fr.) in 11th, Sam Nixon (Jr.) in 14th, Jonah Norris (Soph.) in 15th and Sam Rex (Soph.) in 16th. Sixty-seven athletes competed in the high school men’s division, from seven schools.
BOONE, N.C. Freshman Ethan Lipham clinched first in the men’s 8K and led the App State men’s cross country team to a first place finish with 20 points at the Firetower Project Run on Friday. Five Mountaineer men landed in the top-10. The women’s squad secured second in the team standings with a score of 71 and four runners finished in the top-20.
Photo by David Rogers
Garnering gold in the men’s race, Lipham clocked a personal-best 8K time of 25:19.13. Following close behind was junior Oliver Wilson-Cook, who secured silver with a time of 25:24.45. Junior Dwayne Lillie took fourth (25:37.51), and sophomores Calbert Guest and Chase Burrell placed sixtr.h (25:46.47) and seventh (25:47.14), respectively.
Molly Jones of Coastal Carolina captured the collegiate women’s title in the Firetower Project cross country race on Sept. 16. Photo by David Rogers
TOP 10 MEN’S RESULTS, INDIVIDUAL
Ethan Lipham, App State (Fr.), 25:19.13
Oliver Wilson-Cook, App State (Jr.), 25:24.45
Maddon Muhammad, Charlotte (Fr.), 25:32.30
Dwayne Lillie, App State (Jr.), 25:37.51
Austin Mathews, East Carolina (Soph.), 25:40.82
h.Calbert Gues, App State (Soph.), 25:46.47
Chase Burrell, App State (Soph.), 25:47.14
Daniel Vo, Charlotte (Jr.), 25:50.33
Bryce Anderson, Charlotte (Fr.), 25:51.03
Chase Osborne, East Carolina (Jr.), 25:55.21
MEN’S TEAM RESULTS
Appalachian State (20)
Charlotte (50)
East Carolina (73)
Montreat (104)
UNC Greensboro (129)
USC-Upstate (172)
Charleston (232)
Bob Jones (265)
King (266)
Coastal Carolina (272)
The App State men’s harriers dominated the collegiate men’s division of the Firetower Project on Sept. 16. Photo by David Rogers
Women’s Race
In the women’s race, sophomore Linnea Maynard was the first Mountaineer to cross the finish line, clocking a personal best 5K time of 17:58.58 to place eighth. Fellow sophomore Karsyn Kane was next across the line, stopping the clock at 18:18.45 to place 13th. Senior Lila Peters followed close behind, placing 14th with a time of 18:19.72. Sophomore Annie Amundsen rounded out the top-20 for the Mountaineers, placing 17th overall (18:28.47, PR).
TOP 10 WOMEN’S RESULTS, INDIVIDUAL
Molly Jones, Coastal Carolina (Jr.), 17:26.82
Alina Rovnak, Charlotte (Jr.), 17:42.79
Lauren Johnston, Charlotte (Soph.), 17:42.87
Jessie Connick, Charlotte Soph.), 17:54.15
Alyssa Zack, East Carolina (Jr.), 17:57.27
Emma Fredericks, Charlotte (Soph.), 17:57.92
Jade Martin, Charlotte (Jr.), 17:58.43
Linnea Maynard, App State (Soph.), 17:58.58
Jenna Newman, Charlotte (Jr.), 18:00.27
Sophia Brown, Charleston (Soph.), 18:00.63
WOMEN’S TEAM RESULTS
Charlotte (22)
Appalachian State (71)
Charleston (115)
Coastal Carolina (130)
Montreat (145)
East Carolina (150)
UNC Greensboro (170)
King (184)
USC Upstate (247)
Bob Jones (274)
The Mountaineers will head to Louisville, Ky. for the Live in Lou Cross Country Classic on Oct. 1.
