By Jacob Plecker. LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In the final road game of the 2023 season, the App State Mountaineers (12-4, 5-1 MAC) flew the flag over the No. 8 Louisville Cardinals (12-5, 2-3 ACC) in shootout fashion on Oct. 22. The win marks the highest ranked win in program history, the first win ever against a top-10 opponent and the first win over an ACC opponent since 1999.
With the shootout period tied at two goals apiece heading into App State’s final attempt, freshman Florine Koopman calmly addressed the ball and made her way into the circle where she slapped the ball past the Cardinal keeper and sent the App State faithful into a frenzy. Koopman’s game-winning goal in the shootout gave App State its second consecutive shootout win.
It was an incredible defensive display put on by the Mountaineer defensive unit at Trager Stadium on Sunday, limiting Louisville to just one goal in regulation and stopping all 15 Cardinal corner chances. Fifth-year goalkeeper Addie Clark saved an impressive 12 shots in the game and held Louisville to just two goals in the shootout.
“Beating Louisville on their home turf on their senior day is a crazy feeling,” senior defender Grace Ball said. “We knew we had to come in and give it our all. We needed to slow them down and play together and that’s what we did. It’s a great feeling to come out on top.”
Having already clinched a spot in the MAC Tournament with their win on Friday against Ball State, the Mountaineers and head coach Emily Dinsmore now have 12 wins on the year. The 12 wins for Dinsmore in her first season at the helm ties Mountaineer legend Jan Watson’s record for wins by an App State first-year head coach. Dinsmore’s first chance to break that record will come on Friday at home against the Ohio Bobcats.
“All the credit goes to the girls for this win,” Dinsmore said. “They fought to the very end and withstood corner after corner. I knew that if we could get to shootouts we would win this game. It’s so exciting and I’m so happy for the group.”
By Bret Strelow. NORFOLK, Va. — App State had plenty of fourth-down magic, but Old Dominion’s late fourth-down conversion set up a go-ahead touchdown in the final minute of a 28-21 Sun Belt Conference victory against the visiting Mountaineers.
Each of App State’s last four games and five of the last six have been decided in the closing seconds.
After a fourth-and-10 completion of 19 yards from the App State 40 set up ODU’s go-ahead, 16-yard touchdown run with 48 seconds left, the Mountaineers (3-4, 1-2 Sun Belt) moved from their own 21 to the Monarchs’ 23 thanks to Joey Aguilar’s completions of 13 yards to Eli Wilson, 20 yards to Kaedin Robinson (to the ODU 44, with a 15-yard flag for defensive targeting reversed) and 21 yards to a sliding Christan Horn.
A spike with 11 seconds remaining from the 23-yard line gave App State two shots at a touchdown — the Monarchs (4-3, 2-1) had turned a 21-20 deficit into a seven-point lead with their touchdown and successful two-point conversion. ODU defensive back Khian’Dre Harris was credited with consecutive breakups on high, deep passes directed toward 6-foot-4 receiver Dalton Stroman in the end zone.
“Heartbreaking loss,” App State head coach Shawn Clark said. “I hurt for our players and hurt for our team. The kids played their hearts out tonight, and we came up one play short.”
Aguilar (22 of 31 passing for 252 yards) had a hand in three fourth-down touchdowns on a night in which App State went 4-for-4 on fourth down, with one touchdown run on a QB keeper preceding TD passes to tight end David Larkins and wide receiver Kaedin Robinson, who finished with 103 yards on seven catches. Starting in place of injured back Nate Noel, one of the nation’s top rushers before he suffered an injury in the previous game, Kanye Roberts posted the first 100-yard game of his career with 109 yards on 26 carries.
Nate Johnson led the defense by recording a season-high two sacks, increasing his season total to five with a pair of first-half takedowns, while Santana Hopper added 1.5 sacks, including a big one in the final six minutes to help force a punting situation in a one-point game. Hopper also teamed up with Derrell Farrar on a first-half sack.
Tight end David Larkins catches TD pass at Old Dominion. Photo by David Katzenmaier, courtesy of App State Sports
Leading 21-20, App State regained possession at its own 34 with 4:50 left and faced a second-and-1 scenario before a fumble that the Mountaineers recovered for a loss preceded a third-down incompletion. ODU took over from its 31 with 3:46 remaining and moved to the App State 33 for a third-and-3 play. An offensive holding penalty negated a long run, and a short QB keeper on third down set up a fourth-and-10 play from the App State 40 with 1:08 remaining.
Grant Wilson scrambled and completed a 19-yard pass to Javon Harvey to get the Monarchs into short field-goal range, and Keshawn Wicks rushed for a 16-yard touchdown that at least gave the Mountaineers time to respond with 48 seconds showing on the clock.
All three App State touchdowns resulted from fourth-down execution, as Aguilar scored on a fourth-and-goal keeper around right end from the 1 in the first quarter and threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Larkins in a fourth-and-2 with 4:14 remaining before halftime.
Trailing 14-7, with a 12-play, 87-yard drive producing its first touchdown, ODU had runs of 19, 36 and 20 yards (a touchdown from Wicks) to march 92 yards on five plays to tie the game. The Monarchs then forced a quick three-and-out punt and followed a late 16-yard run to the App State 30 with a 47-yard field goal as the half ended.
ODU added a 46-yard field goal to open the third quarter, but App State had a pair of fourth-down conversions late in a go-ahead touchdown drive on the next possession. Aguilar gained 2 yards on a fourth-and-2 keeper from the ODU 25, then threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Robinson in the back of the end zone on a fourth-and-5 delivery.
App State returns to action next Saturday with a homecoming game against Southern Miss. The game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
By Katherine Jamtgaard. HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The App State volleyball team fell short to Marshall in five sets on Oct. 21, 3-2 (25-20, 25-23, 20-25, 19-25, 15-10).
Marshall 3, App State 2
Sophomore Maya Winterhoff, along with freshmen Ava Leahy and Delanie Grevengoed posted double-digit kills on the afternoon with Winterhoff recording 16, Leahy recording 12, and Grevengoed recording 11. Redshirt freshman Katie Cruise and senior Sophie Cain both recorded double-doubles, as Cruise posted 29 assists and 12 digs and Cain tallied 21 assists and 20 digs. Five Mountaineers tallied double-digit digs, led by sophomore Kenady Roper, who had 30. Fifth year senior McCall Denny and Winterhoff served up two aces apiece. Winterhoff also totaled eight blocks on the afternoon. App State recorded five aces compared to Marshall’s one, as well as 13 blocks to Marshall’s 11.
In the first set, Marshall built off a pair of 4-0 runs to take a 14-7 lead. App State chipped away at Marshall’s lead, going on a late 3-0 run that included kills from Grevengoed and Denny, but Marshall capped the set, 25-20.
App State and Marshall fought point-for-point in the second set, until Marshall broke a 17 all tie with a 4-0 run to take a 20-17 lead. Kills from Winterhoff and Grevengoed, as well as an ace from Winterhoff brought App State within two of Marshall’s 22-20 lead. A kill from Denny brought the Mountaineers within one (24-23), but Marshall took the set, 25-23.
In the third set, App State kept pace with Marshall early. Back-to-back kills from Winterhoff gave App State a 10-9 edge. The Mountaineers found momentum with a 4-0 run that included a pair of blocks from Denny/junior Lauren Pledger and Pledger kill (15-11). With another 4-0 run, the Black and Gold took a 20-13 lead. The run included a pair of kills from Leahy. Despite a run from Marshall, App State secured the third set, 25-20, after a Denny kill.
App State took an early 5-2 lead in the fourth set after a block from Leahy/Pledger and ace from Denny. A kill from Pledger and ace from Cain extended App State’s lead to 12-8. As Marshall chipped away at App State’s lead, the Mountaineers answered with a 4-0 run that included kills from junior Lulu Ambrose and Winterhoff, as well as a pair of block from Ambrose/Winterhoff (17-11). Back-to-back kills from Pledger and Winterhoff closed out the set for App State, 25-19.
Grevengoed opened the fifth and final set with a kill and tied things up at 2-2 with a second kill. Marshall took a 6-3 lead that the Mountaineers chipped away at with an Ambrose kill and Marshall error. Marshall jumped ahead, 11-5, after a 5-0 run. Despite kills from Ambrose and Grevengoed, Marshall took the set, 15-10, and match, 3-2.
UP NEXT
App State will host Old Dominion on. Oct. 26 and 27 for its last two home matches of the season. Both matches are scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be available to stream on ESPN+.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Host Watauga took command early in the No. 5 seeded Pioneers’ Round 1 matchup vs. No. 28 North Mecklenburg, cruising to a dominating, 3-0 sweep of the VMikings on Oct. 21 (25-7, 25-19, 25-12).
Madi Combs and Lainey Gragg recorded 20 and 14 assists, respectively in helping set up Watauga’s offensive attack. Emma Pastusic sliced 14 kills through the Viking defenders, while senior teammate Brooklyn Stanbery added 13 of her own.
As usual, the Pioneers proved dominating on defense. Evie Robbins collected 10 digs on the afternoon and Stanbery added seven. Middle hitters Grace Twillery and Kora Knight frustrated the Viking attack with three stuff blocks each, with Stanbery contributing two more.
The Pioneers return to action on Oct. 24 when they host No. 12 seeded Ardrey Kell in Lentz Eggers Gym for Round 2 of the NCHSAA State 4A Volleyball Championships.
By David Rogers. MORGANTON, N.C. — Call it a barnburner. Call it a first class, old-fashioned shootout. Call it a contrast in styles, if you will. But make sure you call Watauga’s 54-48 win over Northwestern Conference rival, Freedom, a championship performance.
With the win, Watauga’s Pioneers clinched a sixth consecutive Northwestern Conference championship, with one regular season NWC game remaining on Oct. 27, at home vs. Ashe County and the Huskies’ high octane offense. All contenders, including Ashe County, no fewer than four Northwestern Conference foes are tied for second place in the league standings at 2-2. The others are Alexander Central, Hibriten and Freedom.
In each of the previous five seasons, Watauga sported an unblemished conference record. Through the latest win over Freedom, the Pioneers are 29-0 against NWC opponents.
What is different in the 2023 season: the Pioneers have an unbeaten non-conference record, too, against some tough opponents, including A C Reynolds, Maiden, T C Roberson and North Davidson.
The Watauga student section was again out in numbers, for the road game at Freedom on Oct. 20, with a ‘Halloween costume’ theme. Photographic image by David Rogers
Against Freedom, it was not an easy win. Watauga head coach Ryan Habich warned all week that the Patriots were a young, deep and very athletic opponent. With shallow roster depth, especially at the skill positions, Watauga is forced to play a number of key athletes all ways: offense, defense and special teams. As a games wears on, the “tired” factor increases.
An obvious Watauga tactic was to keep Freedom’s high-powered, dangerous offense off the field with long, grinding, clock-consuming drives focused on running the football. In the first quarter, they used that rushing focus to great effect, taking a 14-0 lead while limiting Freedom to a turnover on downs in their only offensive possession of the opening stanza.
Of the Pioneers’ two offensive drives, the first was a 7-play, 78-yard drubbing that culminated with a 31-yard TD scamper around the right side by sophomore wingback Evan Burroughs. The second drive was also 7-plays, but covered 91 yards. A highlight? Quarterback Maddox Greene got the drive jumpstarted with a 44-yard keeper on an early 1st-and-10. From that point in the drive, no Watauga play covered more than 10 yards as the Pioneers returned to their patented, ball possession style, ending with a one-yard plunge up the middle by sophomore workhorse running back Everett Gryder.
As the first quarter turned into a second period, the Pioneers limited the Patriots to a three-and-out, forcing their hosts to punt.
What starts as an Evans Burrough breakaway run…Ends in an Evan Burroughs TD on Oct. 20, at Freedom. Photographic images by David Rogers
As they have done in so many other games during the 2023 campaign, the Pioneers looked like they were in control. When Watauga scored a third touchdown in as many drives, highlighted by a 30-yard pass completion to tight end Morgan Henry to setup another punch-in TD by Gryder, the Freedom football stadium was all but silenced. Placekicker Jack Wilson rarely misses on a PAT attempt, but he did so on this occasion, leaving Watauga with a commanding, 20-0 lead.
But football games are not comprised of just a quarter and a half. It is why they play the full 48 minutes. Players get tired, increasing the chances for mistakes. Coaching staffs make strategic adjustments, modifying blocking schemes, pass coverage assignments, tweaking offensive plays.
The highly athletic Freedom team proved a challenging adversary for Watauga on Oct. 20. Photographic image by David Rogers
On this night, Watauga had to play almost error-free on offense. Toward that end, the Greene, Gryder, Burroughs, Pryor, Henry & Co scored a TD on every offensive possession except one late in the third quarter when Gryder fumbled and the ball was recovered by Freedom. Remarkably, that turned out to be the only turnover by either team on this night.
Leading 20-0 early in the second quarter, it did seem like Watauga’s ballgame to lose.
Freedom took advantage of a facemask penalty against the Pioneers on another short Watauga kickoff, taking possession with good field position at the visitors’ 45-yard line.
And the Patriots made short work of the opportunity to get on the scoreboard. A 25-yard ramble by senior Jaylen Barnett and a 15-yard pass from sophomore QB Kaden Davis to junior wide receiver Kayden Lytle got the ball to the 5-yard line, from where Barnett took it the rest of the way for the Patriots’ first TD of the night.
Although Watauga countered with another grinding, 11-play drive that ended with Burroughs’ second rushing TD, getting the Pioneers back to a 20-point lead they would hold at halftime, 27-7, both teams had plenty more offense to showcase on this night.
In the second half, they basically took turns scoring touchdowns, Freedom explosive, Watauga mostly grinding. Just like the Pioneers got first possession to open the game in the first half, Freedom went first in the second half and quickly closed the gap to 27-14. The teams went back and forth trading touchdowns until the Patriots again closed the deficit to just 13 points, at 47-34.
Watauga’s Maddox Greene finishes a big run on Oct. 20 vs. Freedom in a thrilling, 54-48 win. Photographic image by David Rogers
But when Gryder fumbled and Freedom recovered, the Patriots took advantage of an opportunity to close within six points at 47-41 early in the final period, and the Pioneer faithful began to worry.
No need, as it turned out, because Greene, Gryder and Burroughs collaborated on a 12-play, 57-yard TD drive that only ended Gryder’s fourth rushing TD of the game but kept Freedom’s offense off the field as time ticked off the clock.
Freedom would score again to close the deficit to its final six points, 54-48, but there simply was insufficient time on the clock to get the ball back again.
Although the final outcome was similar to the Alexander Central game a couple of weeks earlier, Watauga head coach Ryan Habich saw something different.
“Our guys lost their focus against Alexander Central and tonight they didn’t,” said Habich. “They fought hard tonight. I have said before that Freedom is a challenge for us because they don’t just have one or two guys, but four or five guys that we just cannot tackle in space. We didn’t do a good job on defense, but give Freedom a lot of credit for how athletic they were… I thoujht we were in control of the game, but then we turn the ball over. We are still a young team, but we are turning the ball over more than we should be.”
Next up for the Pioneers is the final regular season home game of the year, hosting Ashe County (6-3 overall, 2-2 NWC). With a strong second half effort, the Huskies defeated South Caldwell on Oct. 19, 13-6.
SELECTED INDIVIDUAL STATS
WAT – Maddox Greene: 17 carries, 194 yards, 2 TDs
WAT – Everett Gryder: 32 carries, 207 yards, 4 TDs
By Zach Smith. MORGANTON, N.C. — The high school football action was wild and wooly on Oct. 20, as a highly athletic Freedom team hosted a precision-focused, disciplined contingent from Watauga. The visiting Pioneers outlast the Patriots, 54-48, with a number thrills and spills, twists and turns and could-have-beens along the way. Beginning with our Pregame Notes, here is how it unfolded.
Pregame Notes
Watauga (8-0, 3-0) faces Freedom (3-5, 2-1) on the road
Watauga can clinch Northwestern Conference title with victory
Watauga leads NWC in scoring offense (42.3 pts/gm) and scoring defense (18.4 pts allowed/gm)
Freedom ranks third in NWC in both scoring offense and scoring defense
Watauga has not lost to Freedom since 2015
Watauga Team Leaders
QB/DB #4 Maddox Greene (Jr)
TE/LB #9 Jackson Pryor (Sr)
RB #44 Everett Gryder (So)
LB #6 Trathan Gragg (Jr)
WB/DB #12 Evan Burroughs (So)
PLAY BY PLAY
Freedom wins toss, defers to second half
Watauga ball at their own 22
Everett Gryder carries right for 13 yards
Maddox Greene carries left for 6 yards
Gryder carries up the middle for 6 yards
Gryder carries right for 14 yards
Penalty: False start against Watauga, 1st and 15 at Freedom 44
Gryder carries up the middle for 6 yards
Gryder carries left for 7 yards
TOUCHDOWN WATAUGA
#12 Evan Burroughs 31-yard rush (1) for TD
#41 Jack Wilson PAT is good
Watauga 7 Freedom 0
After short kickoff, Freedom ball at their own 41
Jaylen Barnett carries left for 17 yards
Kaden Davis pass incomplete
Davis pass complete right to Kaleb Greene for 5 yards
Davis pass complete right to Kayden Lytle for 8 yards
Barnett carries left for 20 yards
Davis pass complete left to Kobe Johnson for 2 yards
Davis pass incomplete
Barnett carries up the middle for 3 yards
Penalty: False start against Freedom, 4th and 8 at Watauga 9
Davis pass incomplete
Turnover on downs
Watauga ball at their own 9
Gryder carries up the middle for 16 yards
Greene carries left for 44 yards
Gryder carries up the middle for 4 yards
Gryder carries up the middle for 9 yards
Penalty: Holding against Watauga, 1st and 17 at Freedom 25
Burroughs carries right for 10 yards
Greene carries up the middle for 8 yards
Gryder carries up the middle for 6 yards
TOUCHDOWN WATAUGA
#44 Everett Gryder 1-yard rush (1) for TD
#41 Jack Wilson PAT is good
Watauga 14 Freedom 0
Freedom ball at their own 33
Davis pass incomplete
Barnett carries up the middle for 5 yards
Davis pass incomplete
Second Quarter
Freedom ball, 4th and 5 at their own 38
Freedom punts
Watauga ball at their own 31
Gryder carries up the middle for 4 yards
Burroughs carries right for 16 yards
Greene carries up the middle for 11 yards
Offsetting personal fouls, Watauga given 5 additional yards
Greene pass complete right to Morgan Henry for 30 yards
By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — App State soccer defeated Southern Miss 1-0 in their home finale, capping an undefeated home season at The Valley, and extending their home unbeaten streak to a program-record ten consecutive games.
“It’s huge for our program, it’s huge for these girls who give their all for App every day on this field, and I think a lot of the pride and hard work that they put in on this field goes into those unbeaten games,” said head coach Aimee Haywood.
“The student presence tonight was awesome, we’re super grateful for that, and hope to have more of that next season and in the spring. We’re really proud of our team and how far they’ve come, and we’re excited about the future of soccer at The Valley, it just keeps getting better.”
It was the Mountaineers’ seventh shutout of the season, tying a program record.
App State (7-5-3, 4-2-2) wasted no time taking the lead in front of a lively Thursday night crowd in Boone. Just over two minutes into the contest, Izzi Wood dribbled the ball towards the end line and fired a pass towards the middle that deflected off of the Southern Miss goalkeeper and right to Olivia Simon who headed in the finish for her fourth goal of the season.
The Mountaineer defense was strong throughout the match, making the lone goal hold up. Kerry Eagleston recorded four saves and collected her 24th career clean sheet, tying Breland Meany (’01-’04) for the Mountaineer shutout record.
The defense was good in front of Eagleston, limiting the quality of the Golden Eagles (6-8-1, 3-4-1) chances, on their way to their seventh shutout of the season, tying the program record which has been accomplished four times prior.
App State and Southern Miss finished the match with 13 shots apiece, but the Mountaineers held the advantage 7-4 in shots on target. Wood, Simon, and Summer Bowman each tallied a trio of shots for the Black and Gold.
App State will conclude regular season play with a pair of road trips, beginning with a match at Arkansas State on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, and continuing with a Thursday night showdown with Georgia State at 6 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — With straight set sweeps across the board, Watauga women’s tennis dominated play in Round 1 of the NCHSAA 4A West Dual Team Tennis Championships, defeating Independence (Charlotte), 5-0.
At No. 1 singles, freshman Addison Cohen continued her strong play with a 2-0 win over Independence senior Melanie Orellana, 6-1, 6-4.
At No. 2 singles, Watauga sophomore Larson Berry too command early and dispatched Independence senior Lily Thorson, 2-0 (6-2, 6-0).
No. 4 singles was won by WHS sophomore Fiona Russell, who blanked Avarie Phommarath, an Independence sophomore, 2-0 (6-0, 6-0),
The Pioneers’ senior No. 5, Abbi Shuman cruised by the Patriots freshman Madison Dean, 2-0 (6-3,6-1).
And to round out the singles matches, WHS junior Hatherly Armfield defeated Independence sophomore Sarah Morgan, 2-0 (6-0,6-0).
In Round 2, Watauga will take on Ardrey Kell, Oct. 23, in Boone. The No. 16-seeded Knights defeated Northern Guilford in Round 1, 6-3.
Individuals from the Watauga team are scheduled to play in the Individual state tournment regional, Oct. 20 and 21, at Hough High School
This report will be updated as we have additional information.
By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — Now a freshman at Watauga High School, Blowing Rock School alum Evan Cutlip will undoubtedly remember Oct. 17 as the culmination of an early life journey. It was on that evening at Boone United Methodist Church that Troop 109 celebrated him as the High Country’s latest Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Scouting.
As Arvil Sale, one of the Scoutmasters proclaimed during the solemn ceremony recognizing young Cutlip’s accomplishments, “There is nothing in Scouting doctrine or practice that says you WERE an Eagle Scout. No, once you attain it, you ARE an Eagle Scout for the rest of your life with all the responsibilities that go with it.”
Scoutmaster Arvil Sale introduces new Eagle Scout, Evan Cutlip. Photographic image by David Rogers
For Cutlip, the final step in achieving Eagle Scout status was completing a community service project. His was ambitious, requiring him to stand before the Blowing Rock Town Council, request the rights to a small parcel of land adjacent to Davant Field, and persuade the board of commissioners to let him design and build Blowing Rock Bike Park.
Then, of course, he had to marshal together the resources to get it done. The parcel — filled with a tangle of rhododendron bushes, trees and even a small stream — would not be a proverbial “piece of cake” to transform it into a biking asset. It required ingenuity and a lot of hard, physical labor.
Evan Cutlip enjoys a first ride on his Eagle Scout community service project, the Blowing Rock bike Park. Photographic image by David Rogers
In fact, the Scoutmasters reported, Cutlip’s project required more than 600 hours of labor provided by Cutlip, his family members, friends, other Eagle Scouts, and community members. Without question, young Cutlip was in command of his vision for the Blowing Rock Bike Park, considering unforeseen challenges as they presented themselves, approving some suggestions, deflecting others as not in keeping with what he hoped to achieve.
To marshal together the material and volunteer labor resources, as much as anything Cutlip was the consummate salesperson with his energy and enthusiasm for what the project could mean for the community. This was not just a matter of calling in favors but of persuading people to get on board with the mission. And the mission was not to become an Eagle Scout. The mission was to build Blowing Rock Bike Park for the enjoyment of the community.
Parents Ron and Cheryl Cutlip join Evan on stage Oct. 17 for his Court of Honor ceremony upon becoming an Eagle Scout. Photographic image by David Rogers
At the outset, Cutlip estimated that it would take three weekends to complete the project. That proved optimistic. Instead, it took about three months, but his enthusiasm and commitment never wavered.
Upon addressing the crowded sanctuary honoring him for his Eagle Scout achievements, Cutlip acknowledged and was thankful for the help he had received with his project, but in reflecting on the experience noted one of the most valuable of life lessons: self-discipline.
‘Mom’ gets to do the honors on Oct. 17 at Boone United Methodist Church during Evan Cutlip’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony. Photographic image by David Rogers
You have to go back a few years to find the beginning of Cutlip’s early life journey through Scouting. Much of that journey is comprised of earning merit badges. There are 138 of them in all, according to Scouting.org, across a range of subjects to suit just about every educational palate, from energy to engineering, from fly fishing to forestry, from nuclear science to oceanography, from photography to plumbing.
Several merit badges, not all, are required to have been attained on the journey to becoming an Eagle Scout: lifesaving, camping, hiking, personal fitness, sustainability, first aid, emergency preparedness, communication and cooking, to name a few. To be sure, all are useful life skills.
The end, or just the beginning?
Some, of course, will see Cutlip’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony as the end of a boyhood journey. Many others look at it as the beginning of yet another journey, perhaps one of accomplished adulthood.
A roll call of young-boys-becoming-men attaining the Eagle Scout rank in the 113-year history of Boy Scouts is dotted with the featured profiles of accomplished historical figures, as well as role models.
For Cutlip, he looks no further than the man sitting across from him at the dining room table. His father, Ron Cutlip, is an Eagle Scout and now an accomplished landscape architect and golf course designer with completed projects up and down the East Coast.
Evan Cutlip gets to ‘pin’ his father, Ron, during the Eagle Scout Court of Honor Ceremony. Photographic image by David Rogers
Eagle Scouts are present in nearly every walk of life. They include astronauts, doctors, explorers and inventors, guys like Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, and Philo T. Farnsworth, the inventor of modern television.
They include athletes, coaches and sports executives. Don Garlits, now 91, is an engineer considered the father of professional “drag racing.” Their number also includes former NFL head coaches Ray Malavasi, Jim Mora, and Ken Whisenhunt.
Former App State football head coach Jerry Moore likes to tell his own story of being a Boy Scout in Texas, and the values it helped instill in him growing up. Photographic image by David Rogers
Eagle Scouts include authors and journalists, like the late Clive Cussler, an underwater explorer and award-winning adventure novelist, as well as Harrison Salisbury, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who covered the civil rights movement in the U.S., the Kennedy assassination, and the Vietnam War.
They include civil rights leaders, like Percy Sutton, a Tuskegee Airmen pilot in World War II who came home to revitalize the famed Apollo Theatre in New York City.
Eagle Scouts include entertainers, too. Steven Spielberg, the Academy Award-winning director of Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan, among other iconic movies of the last half century, was part of the Eagle Scout “Class of 1961.” David Lynch, the Academy Award-winning director of The Elephant Man and the hit TV series, Twin Peaks, is an Eagle Scout.
Evan Cutlip cuts the first slice of celebratory cake following his Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony. Photographic image by David Rogers
In 1995, I met an octogenarian Eagle Scout, William Hanna, at the Oysters restaurant and bar in Corona del Mar, Calif. He was a creative genius, a cartoonist and animator who created Tom & Jerry, and with business partner Joseph Barbera, arguably created the most successful television animation studio of its day, Hanna-Barbera, creating such shows as The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, The Smurfs, The Jetsons, Scooby Doo, and Huckleberry Hound.
Politicians and public officials are Eagle Scouts, too. Former New York City Mayor and business icon Michael Bloomberg is one. So is U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, U.S. President No. 38 Gerald Ford, former independent presidential frontrunner Ross Perot, former Governor of Texas Rick Perry, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and former Secretary of State and former CEO of ExxonMobil, Rex Tillerson.
Like Tillerson and Paulson, business leaders abound in the list of Eagle Scouts: Stephen Bechtel Jr. (Bechtel construction and civil engineering), Sam Walton (Walmart), Charles Dolan (HBO), and Bill Marriott (Marriott International), for example.
Being an Eagle Scout is not a requirement for being successful in life, but it is a good launchpad, given the weight of the evidence. Up what path will Evan Cutlip’s journey take him? He, and other boys-becoming-men Eagle Scouts like him seem to have a headstart.
Ron, Evan and Cheryl Cutlip. Photographic image by David Rogers
By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — You just never quite know who you are going to meet out and about in Blowing Rock nor what gifts they are willing to share.
Oleg Zhuravel came up from behind (that is not hard to do, these days) at Bass Lake and paid my camera a compliment. That turned into a conversation about his visit from Pennsylvania and his current adventure visiting the Southern Appalachian Mountains, as well as his own interest in photography.
It turns out, Zhuravel was born in Belarus of a Ukrainian mother and Russian father. At some point in his early life they migrated to the Philadelphia area. He said he grew up in Olney, describing it as a “… pretty rough part of Philadelphia, but I still grew up happy.”
After discovering North Carolina and buying a home in the Tar Heel State a few months ago, he says, “I have been exploring North Carolina for its beauty and for my hobby of photography.”
From Wiseman’s View, Rough Ridge, and some unusual images of the Blue Ridge Parkway, we are happy to share selections from young Mr. Zhuravel’s work this week. He reports using a Sony A7, as well as an iPhone 15 Pro Max and a DJI Mini 3 Pro drone.
