Category: College

By David Rogers. LARAMIE, Wyo. — It was special teams, defense and clock management night on Sept. 23 in War Memorial Stadium. In the end, it was special teams and defense that powered host Wyoming to an improbable, come-from-behind win over Appalachian State, 22-19.

In one sense, the fifth time was the charm for the Cowboys. After Mountaineer placekicker Michael Hughes slotted four field goals in the first half and redshirt senior Tyrek Funderburk seemed to put the game away for App State with an 18-yard return of a pass interception in the fourth quarter to put his team ahead, 19-7, things started going remarkably wrong for the Boone boys.

On the first play from scrimmage following Funderbunk’s INT, Wyoming’s junior running back Harrison Waylee broke through the left side and rambled the distance, a 75-yard TD run. Junior placekicker John Hoyland’s successful PAT pulled the Cowboys within a TD, 19-14, the Mountaineers still leading.

App State got the ball back with 11:24 left on the clock and seemed to have two objectives: take as much time off the clock as possible in keeping the Wyoming offense off the field and, in the end, put points on the board. A field goal would put them ahead by eight points, the preferred TD and PAT by 12.

Right on cue, App State quarterback Joey Aguilar orchestrated a 17-play drive that took all but 2:02 off the clock. Facing 4th down and 11 at the Wyoming 29-yard line, the estimated 47-yard kick seemingly well within Hughes’ range, the coaching staff opted for the field goal.

What they got instead was the worst case scenario: a blocked kick by the Cowboys’ Jakorey Hawkins, who followed it up with a “scoop and scoot,” returning the blocked kick 62 yards for a TD — putting Wyoming ahead, 22-19, for the first time since a QB keeper run by senior QB Andrew Peasley gave them a tenuous, 7-6 lead in the second quarter.

With 1:53 remaining, App State had plenty of time to march down for a TD to win or a field goal to tie the game and send it into probably overtime. Again right on cue, in nine plays Aguilar & Co. marched down to the Wyoming 35, for what would have been a challenging, 52 yard field goal attempt. On second and 10, with 18 seconds remaining on the clock and no timeouts, Aguilar aimed a pass to wide receiver Milan Tucker in the end zone, drawing a pass interference penalty against the Cowboys’ defensive back.

Although the Mountaineers had clearly moved to within field goal range with the ball at the 20 yard line, with 10 seconds remaining they had enough time to get either a TD or move the ball just that much closer for a field goal by gaining some insurance yards.

Unfortunately, Aguilar was pressured by the Cowboys’ defensive line and his pass over the middle intended for tight end Eli Wilson came up short — and was intercepted by junior defensive tackle Jordan Bertagnole — and immediately downed to preserve Wyoming’s come-from-behind win.

Except for Appalachian State offense’s inability to score touchdowns even upon getting the ball into the red zone, the Mountaineers played brilliantly. The time of possession was as lopsided as a football game could get, with App State controlling the ball for 40:25 vs. just 19:35 for Wyoming.

Give at least some credit to the Cowboys’ kicking team and punter Clayton Stewart. The graduate transfer from Texas State had four punts downed inside the 20, two of them at the Mountaineer 1-yard line to give App State’s offense poor starting field position.

App State won almost every statistical category except turnovers and red zone TDs, which came back to haunt them.

• The Mountaineers more than doubled Wyoming’s offensive production, with 417 yards of net total offense compared to just 208 yards for their hosts.
• App State converted on 10-of-19 third downs, vs. just 3-of-12 for the Cowboys.
• The Boone contingent racked up 17 first downs, vs. just 7 for the Laramie bunch.
• And they ran 90 total offensive plays compared to just 42 for the regular tenants of War Memorial Stadium.
• The Appalachian defense recorded three QB sacks, setting the Cowboys back 28 yards and disrupting those otherwise promising offensive possessions.
• On offense, Aguilar completed 22 of 40 pass attempts for 200 yards while Peasley was just 5-15, for 31 yards.
• As advertised the Mountaineers were successful in controlling the clock largely by running the football. Running back Nate Noel, who entered the game as the nation’s FBS rushing leader, carried the ball 30 times for 107 yards but App State also got good ground game production from a supporting cast that included Kanye Robers (6 carries, 59 yards) and Maquel Haywood, the transfer from Navy (8 carries, 31 yards).
• Aguilar’s 22 pass completions for 200 yards were spread among nine receivers, most notably to WR Kaedin Robinson’s three catches for 51 yards.
• Hughes’ made field goals in the first half included from 25, 28, 20 and 50 yards (the longest of his career).

The Mountaineers next open Sun Belt Conference play at Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 30, before coming home to play Coastal Carolina on Tuesday, Oct. 10.

 

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Blockbuster kill shots, defenders diving headlong across the floor in desperate attempts to keep the ball in play — and often accomplishing the miraculous. Bang-bang stuff blocks, service aces that impossibly found an open space in a corner. That was App State Volleyball at the Holmes Center on Sept. 22, on Youth Team Night.

BONUS PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF ARTICLE (click on any image for slideshow mode)

And yet, on this night, visiting James Madison was all that and one notch more, ripping away a victory over the host Mountaineers in a 3-1 thriller, 25-22, 25-21, 19-25, 25-21. An estimated 700 fans got their money’s worth of top-notch volleyball thrills and spills.

SET ONE: JMU 25-22

The Dukes and the Mountaineers went point-for-point with each other early in the first set until JMU went on a 5-point run to take a 13-6 lead. Unfazed, App State fought back to tie the set at 13-13. In powering her App State team back, freshman middle blocker Maya Winterhoff rattled off three kills while fellow freshman libero Alyssa McBean recorded one of her two service aces on the night.

The Mountaineers couldn’t quite gain the advantage, however. They tied the Dukes again at 19-19, but dramatic kill shots by JMU’s Elizabeth Helmich, Annie Smith, Bre Reid, and Sophie Davis were too much for App State to overcome.

SET TWO: JMU 25-21

It became obvious that James Madison had gained some confidence with the first set win and they used that momentum to their advantage, jumping out to a 6-0 lead off consecutive, powerful kills by senior outside hitter Mitte Veldman, a stuff block by Veldman and fifth year senior middle blocker, Sophie Davis, and kills by Davis and a kill by freshman setter Rebecca Watkins.

The Mountaineers rallied after a timeout, but could never quite recover that opening point differential. They pulled within two on a service ace by sophomore defensive specialist Kenady Roper, at 20-18, but that was as close as they could get.

SET THREE: APP 25-19

App State head coach Sarah Rumely Noble said after the match that between the second and third sets the conversation was about attacking.

“When we went into the locker room at the break, we just talked about being assertive. Any time that we applied pressure from our serve or what we were doing offensively, we could feel them kind of step back a little bit. We kept that assertiveness up in the third but we just couldn’t maintain it in the fourth.”

The teams battled point for point in the third until the Mountaineers captured eight of nine points to gain separation at 10-7, a run that included three monster kills by junior outside hitter Lulu Ambrose. With even more kills off the arms of COVID-19 senior McCall Denny, Winterhoff and Ambrose, as well as timely blocks by Winterhoff and Ambrose, the Mountaineers marched out to a seemingly insurmountable 22-11 lead.

But JMU wasn’t quite done. On seven consecutive points scored off of stuff blocks (Davis, Watkins) and kills by Davis, Watkins and Julia McNeley, the Dukes closed to within 23-19. App State put an end to the run to win the set, 25-19, on service and setting errors by the Dukes.

SET FOUR: JMU 25-21

James Madison got their “mojo” back in the decisive fourth set, winning six of the first eight points en route to an early, 13-5 advantage the Mountaineers could never overcome. They narrowed the gap late in the set with blocks and kills by Winterhoff and Denny, as well as a service ace by Winterhoff that shrunk the deficit to a single point at 20-19, but the Dukes picked up four of the last five points, with Veldman’s kill nailing the match shut at the end.

JMU and APP go at it again on Saturday (Sept. 23), at 1 p.m. in the Holmes Convocation Center.

“Everything has got to be assertive, all of the time,” said Rumely Noble about her team’s next day work. “The exciting thing for us is how hard our team always works. Our kids are locked in. They believe in what we are doing. We didn’t execute our best tonight but when we are executing at our best we are going to be a really fun team to play against.”

SELECTED STAT LEADERS

Kills

• • JMU – Mitte Veldman, 25
  • APP – McCall Denny, 12
  • JMU – Sophie Davis, 12
  • APP – Lulu Ambrose, 9

Assists

• • JMU – Rebecca Watkins, 50
  • APP – Katie Cruise, 16
  • APP – Sophie Cain, 14

Digs

• • APP – Kenady Roper, 16
  • JMU- Mitte Veldman, 16
  • JMU – Jaydyn Clemmer, 16
  • APP – McCall Denny, 13
  • JMU – Rebecca Watkins, 13
  • JMU – Julia McNeley, 10

Blocks

• • APP – Maya Winterhoff, 7
  • JMU – Sophie Davis, 5
  • APP – Lauren Pledger, 4
  • JMU – Rebecca Watkins, 4
  • APP – McCall Denny, 3
  • APP – Ava Leahy, 3
  • APP – Delanie Grevengoed, 3
  • JMU – Mitte Veldman, 3

BONUS PHOTOS

By Jacob Plecker for App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — Bridget Donovan notched the first goal of her sophomore season in the fourth quarter on Sept. 22, but the App State Mountaineers (5-3, 1-1 MAC) fell 4-1 to the Miami RedHawks (6-3, 2-0 MAC) at Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field.

The Mountaineer defense held the RedHawks to just 10 shots in the contest, with fifth-year goalkeeper Addie Clark saving four of those. Clark posted another shutout quarter in the game but saw her streak of consecutive games holding the opposition below three goals come to an end.

Donovan became the 10th Mountaineer to score a goal this season, coming off a stroke in the fourth quarter. With Donovan’s goal, 14 Mountaineers have recorded a point this season. App State leads the MAC Conference in points with 48.

Addie Clark’s four saves in Friday’s contest gives her 25  for the season and 230 for her career.

How it Happened

1st Quarter: Miami started the scoring, drawing the game’s first penalty corner in the fifth minute of play. Paula Peña Martinez recorded her third goal of the year off the corner. The Mountaineers came out aggressive early in the game, drawing two corners and firing two shots. Charlotte Bosma and Noa Ginjaume Matas each attempted a shot in the first 15 minutes, but each one wide of the mark. Miami added another score in the ninth minute of play after drawing a penalty stroke. Claudia Negrete Garcia was able to get the ball past Clark, giving the RedHawks a 2-0 lead  the first quarter’s end.

2nd Quarter: The Mountaineer defense turned up the pressure in the second quarter and held the RedHawks scoreless in the period. Miami drew just one corner opportunity in the period, with Clark picking up her first of four saves on the day on a Negrete Garcia shot attempt. App State maintained control of the ball for most of the second period but were unable to capitalize on any scoring chances. Miami kept the 2-0 lead into halftime.

3rd Quarter: App State came out of halftime aiming to break the Miami defense and generate scoring opportunities. Just three minutes into the period, the Mountaineers drew their third corner of the game, providing a good scoring opportunity. Charlotte Bosma took her second shot off the insert but fired it high. Later in the period, the RedHawks forced a turnover deep on the Mountaineers’ side of the field and Reese Wearren fought her way past the App State defenders and scored an unassisted goal to make it 3-0 Miami. Clark and the Mountaineer defense held out the rest of the period, stopping two more RedHawk shots to keep the Miami lead at 3-0 after 45 minutes of play.  Clark picked up her second save of the day on a shot attempt by Miami’s Carlie Servis.

4th Quarter: In the final quarter, the Mountaineers played outshot Miami, 4-3, and drew two penalty corners to Miami’s none. App State finally broke through on the scoreboard with Donovan’s goal and only five minutes left on the game clock. The goal was Donovan’s first of the season and sixth of her career.  Clark picked up two more saves in the fourth period to give her four on the day, but Miami was able to tally one more goal in the final stanza to round out RedHawk scoring for the contest. By day’s end, App State drew more penalty corners than Miami but couldn’t execute effectively, losing for the first time in the MAC this season.

App State’s next matchup is in Chapel Hill on Sept. 24, at nationally ranked (No. 2) North Carolina, with gametime slated for 12 noon.

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — With a record, sellout crowd at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Sept. 16 for the App State football game vs. East Carolina, there were a lot of photo opportunities off and around the field of play.

RANDOM IMAGES

 

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — When Yosef ziplined into Kidd Brewer Stadium carrying an American flag, the Sept. 16, in-state rivalry game between Appalachian State and East Carolina took a dramatic turn even before the first snap of the football. A record-tying stadium crowd of 40,168 got their money’s worth in watching the two teams battle to a 43-28, come-from-behind win by the Mountaineers over the Pirates.

BONUS PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF ARTICLE (click any image for slideshow mode)

The fans, even a large contingent of Pirate sympathizers massed in the North End Zone bleachers and northeast corner grandstands, brought energy to the moment-after-moment action on the field.

Mountaineer head coach Shawn Clark acknowledged after the game that East Carolina is a better football team than their now 0-3 early season record suggests. Certainly, the way the Pirates’ junior quarterback Alex Flinn directed ECU’s opening possession to a TD supports that notion. It was a 9-play, 75-yard drive that took almost five minutes off the clock — and kept the Mountaineers’ potent offense off the field.

App State proved why keeping their offense off the field might be important for an adversary when it took just two plays and a Michael Hughes PAT kick to tie the game at 7-7. Quarterback Joey Aguilar rifled a short pass to WR Kaedin Robinson for seven yards on the right side, then running back Nate Noel maneuvered himself through traffic on the left side before sprinting down the sideline for a 68-yard finish in paydirt.

After a subsequent trade of first quarter possessions and the Mountaineers stalled at the ECU 19, Hughes put App State ahead with a 36-yard field goal to end the first stanza’s scoring, but the 10-7 lead would not hold up for very long.

Aguilar has not given up much in the way of takeaways — interceptions — so far this year, with a 9-2 TDs vs. INTs ratio in the first three games. One of those INTs came against East Carolina, facing pressure with the Mountaineers pressed back against their own goal line after Pirate junior Luke Larson’s punt was deftly downed at the Mountaineer 1-yard line, early in the second quarter. Noel gave his team a little “breathing room” with a four-yard run up the middle on first down, but on 3rd-and-6 from the 5-yard line, Aguilar’s pass to the left flat was picked off by EC U freshman defensive back Antoine Jackson and returned the 8 yards to the end zone for a “pick 6.” With the PAT kick, the Pirates bagged a 14-10 lead, looking for still more “treasure” that might be hidden on The Rock.

And they found it. With App State’s offense unable to respond, ECU got the ball back with good field position at their own 43-yard line. Flinn, with whom many Watauga area football fans may be familiar as an alum of NCHSAA 4A powerhouse A C Reynolds High School in Asheville, manufactured an 11-play, 57-yard drive and put the visitors even further ahead on Rahjai Harris’ 4-yard rush, his second TD of the day.

A two-score deficit was hardly what AppNation was hoping for with just over two minutes remaining in the first half, but the Mountaineers took just four plays and barely a minute to narrow the gap. The big plays on the drive included an Aguilar-to-Christan Horn pass for 16 yards, immediately followed by an 18-yard jitterbug weave by running back Kanye Roberts down the right sideline before cutting back to cross into the end zone closer to the center of the field.

Turning the Tide?

When the APP defense stopped Flinn and the Pirate offense in the final minute of the first half, it proved a harbinger of things to come.

If the second half was an offensive gem for the Mountaineers, it was a defensive masterpiece. Whatever adjustments were made at halftime, they were golden. For the final two quarters of play, ECU ran 25 plays and gained just 42 yards of total offense, minus 5 yards rushing and completing just six of 14 passes for 47 yards. Oh, and the App State defense picked off two Flinn passes to stop whatever drives the Pirates were trying to get started. Jordan Favors, the Mountaineers’ redshirt sophomore safety out of Griffin, Ga., got one of those INTs near midfield early in the third quarter. Philyaw Omari, a redshirt freshman out of Charlotte’s Hough High School, got the second of the half — the third of the game for App State — with three minutes left in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Aguilar & Co. were having their heyday. Receiving the second half kickoff, it took the California junior college transfer just eight plays to connect with Robinson for a 34-yard strike for a TD, with the Hughes PAT putting the Mountaineers back ahead, 22-21.

Forget for a moment that shortly after Favors’ interception near midfield, Pirates linebacker B J Davis forced a fumble by Roberts that was scooped up by defensive back Shavon Revel and run back for 43-yard fumble return for TD, putting the Pirates back ahead 28-22. Blessed by extra possessions thanks to the defensive unit’s takeaways, Aguilar and the App State offense lanced the Pirates for 253 yards in the second half, 114 rushing and 139 passing. Through the air, Aquilar completed 10-of-15 passes, including three touchdowns to put the game all but away.

After Revel’s fumble return, the Mountaineers reeled off three consecutive TD possessions to complete the day’s scoring, including a 34 yard pass from Aguilar to WR Milan Tucker, a one-yard keeper run by Aguilar, and a 6-yard pass to redshirt sophomore tight end David Larkins, who has battled injuries and was playing in his first game as a Mountaineer, head coach Shawn Clark  told reporters later.

The Mountaineers will now prepare for a long road trip to the Rocky Mountains where they will face Wyoming, a BCS contender competing in the Mountain West Conference, another of the so-called “Group of 5” conferences. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 23, and is slated to be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network.

NOTEWORTHY, from App State Sports:

• Attendance at Kidd Brewer Stadium was 40,168, tying the school record set during last season’s opener against North Carolina. Eight of the top 10 crowds in Kidd Brewer Stadium history have occurred since the start of the 2022 season.
• App State now owns two of the three 40,000-attendance games in the history of the Sun Belt Conference. The record is a 2009 Louisiana home game against Southern that had 41,357 fans.
• The Mountaineers increased their all-time series lead over East Carolina to 21-12 and have a 2-0 advantage with both teams as FBS members.
• App State improved to 50-9 in home games since 2014, the sixth-best winning percentage nationally in that span (and best among Group of Five programs).
• The Mountaineers improved to 31-1 when winning the turnover battle since 2018, including a 17-1 mark with Shawn Clark as the head coach.
• App State’s 81 wins since the start of the 2015 season are tied with Notre Dame for sixth-most in the country among FBS teams behind Alabama (105), Clemson (102), Georgia (94), Ohio State (93) and Oklahoma (87).
• First-time starters for the Mountaineers included TE David Larkins and OLB Thomas Davis.

OFFENSE

• App State has started the season with three straight 40+ point performances for the first time since 2010. The Mountaineers finished 10-3 that season and were Southern Conference Co-Champions.
• Nate Noel rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown and tied his career high from the previous game with 26 carries. It was his fourth straight 100-yard game dating back to last year, becoming the first App State player to do that since Darrynton Evans in 2018.
• Joey Aguilar threw for 241 yards with three touchdowns, an interception and a rushing touchdown. Through two-and-a-half games after he entered in the second quarter for injured starter Ryan Burger against Gardner-Webb, Aguilar has thrown for nine touchdowns and accounted for 10, while only tossing a pair of interceptions.
• Kaedin Robinson led the receiving corps with four catches for 57 yards, including his second touchdown of the season, a 34-yard grab that gave App State a 22-21 lead early in the third quarter.
• Kanye Roberts rushed for 42 yards on six carries with his first touchdown of the season and the third of his career.
• Returning All-American kick returner Milan Tucker scored his first career receiving touchdown, a go-ahead score in the third quarter to put the Mountaineers up 29-28. It was his second career score of any kind (kickoff return at Marshall last year).

DEFENSE

• App State played stingy defense, allowing just 14 points from the Pirate offense (their other 14 came from a pair of defensive touchdowns).
• The Mountaineers held ECU to 79 rushing yards in the game, including -5 in the second half.
• App State hauled in three interceptions in the game, the first time doing that since 2021 at Arkansas State.
• The interceptions came from Nick Ross (fourth career), Jordan Favors (first career) and Omari Philyaw (first career).
• Inside linebacker Derrell Farrar racked up a career-high eight stops to lead all Mountaineer tacklers.
• App State’s season-high four sacks were by Markus Clark (first career), Brodrick Gooch (first career), Andrew Parker Jr. (second career), and Nate Johnson (first career).

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Michael Hughes made a 36-yard field goal on his only attempt.

HEAD COACH SHAWN CLARK POST-GAME PRESS CONFERENCE

 

SELECTED TEAM STATS (StatBroadcast.com)

• Net Total Yards: ECU 240, APP 465
• Net Rushing Yards: ECU 79, APP 224
• Net Passing Yards: ECU 161, APP 241
• Rushing TDs: ECU 2, APP 3
• Passing TDs: ECU 0, APP 3
• Defensive TDs: ECU 1, APP 0
• Time of Possession: ECU 27:25, APP 30:44
• 3rd Down Conversions: ECU 3/11, APP 7/14
• 4th Down Conversions: ECU 0/1, APP 0/1
• Penalties: ECU 11-80 yards, APP 3-25 yards
• Turnovers
  • Fumble Recoveries: ECU 1, APP 0
  • Interceptions By: ECU 1, APP 3
• Sacks By: ECU 1, APP 4
• Tackles for Loss By: ECU 3, APP 7
• Runs Stuffed By: ECU 2, APP 19

SELECTED INDIVIDUAL STATS (StatBroadcast.com)

Passing

• APP – Joey Aquilar 17-29, 241 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
• ECU – Alex Flinn 17-31, 158 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INTs

Rushing

• APP – Nate Noel, 26 carries, 178 yards, 1 TD
• ECU – Rahji Harris, 12 carries, 56 yards, 2 TDs
• APP – Kanye Roberts, 6 carries, 42 yards, 1 TD
• ECU – Javious Bond, 3 carries, 20 yards
• APP – Joey Aguilar, 6 carries, 13 yards, 1 TD

Receiving

• APP – Kaedin Robinson, 4 catches, 57 yards, 1 TD
• APP – Milan Tucker, 2 catches, 51 yards, 1 TD
• ECU – Jhari Patterson, 4 catches, 44 yards
• APP – Makai Jackson, 2 catches, 43 yards
• ECU – Jaylen Johnson, 3 catches, 41 yards
• APP – David Larkins, 3 catches, 31 yards, 1 TD
• ECU – Shane Calhoun, 3 catches, 28 yards
• ECU – Chase Sowell, 4 catches, 26 yards
• APP – Christan Horn, 2 catches, 24 yards
• APP – Nate Noel, 3 catches, 18 yards
• APP – Dalton Stroman, 1 catch, 17 yards

BONUS PHOTOS (Click on any image for slideshow mode)

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Florida State sophomore Matthew Neill raced across finish line some five seconds ahead of UNC Asheville junior Adam Hessler, the duo going 1-2 in the Appalachian State hosted Covered Bridge Open cross country race on Sept. 15, across the Don Kennedy Trails.

Neill finished the 8k course in 24:15.63, with Hessler just behind in 24:20.84.

With all five its scorers finishing in the top 10, the Seminoles of Florida State were the clear winners in the team competition. Appalachian State had two men in the top 10, including No. 5 Oliver Wilson-Cook and No. 9 Calbert Guest, powering the Mountaineers to a second place team finish. Three more App State harriers finished among the top 17 of the 129 competitors from 13 schools.  The three Mountaineers completing the scorers for the hosts included No. 14 Ethan Lipham, No. 15 Garrett Bivens and No. 17 Dwayne Lillie.

Results provided by NCRunners

MEN’S DIVISION TEAM SCORES

1 Florida State 22
2 Appalachian State 51
3 UNC-Asheville 86
4 Radford 119
5 Montreat 133
6 Tennessee Tech 177
7 USC Upstate 231
8 Winthrop 244
9 Lees-McRae 257
10 King 261
11 Brevard 334
12 Mars Hill 339
13 Wofford 348

INDIVIDUAL RACE RESULTS

1 Matthew Neill SO Florida State 24:15.63
2 Adam Hessler JR UNC-Asheville 24:20.84
3 Aidan Ross UNA-Wake Forest 24:21.94
4 Zachary Cloud SR Florida State 24:23.44
5 Oliver Wilson-Cook SR Appalachian State 24:23.73
6 Cooper Schroeder SR Florida State 24:29.21
7 Zach Leachman SR Florida State 24:32.69
8 Coleman Cronk SO Florida State 24:33.69
9 Calbert Guest JR Appalachian State 24:43.86
10 Joshua Daggett JR Radford 24:45.69
11 Joe Farley JR Florida State 24:46.98
12 Patrick Donnelly FR Florida State 24:47.88
13 Andrew Hammel JR Florida State 24:52.24
14 Ethan Lipham SO Appalachian State 24:55.36
15 Garrett Bivens JR Appalachian State 24:58.90
16 Martin Prodanov SR Florida State 25:03.12
17 Dwayne Lillie JR Appalachian State 25:05.85
18 Daniel Hopkins JR UNC-Asheville 25:06.58
19 Ethan Stamey JR Montreat 25:09.77
20 Lucas Bouquot FR Florida State 25:10.11
21 Quinn Jacquez SO UNC-Asheville 25:11.13
22 Jonah Bird SR Appalachian State 25:18.08
23 James Hyland JR Tennessee Tech 25:19.34
24 Clay Kelly JR Radford 25:19.94
25 Dylan Branch SR Montreat 25:20.50
26 Bryce Gilmore FR Wake Forest 25:21.28
27 Paul Specht FR Wake Forest 25:21.91
28 Daren Hinds JR Winthrop 25:24.39
29 Chase Faudi JR Tennessee Tech 25:25.30
30 Yates Hockaday JR UNC-Asheville 25:27.19
31 Tucker Sangster SO Appalachian State 25:28.55
32 Nathan Stamey JR Montreat 25:31.40
33 Max Geckler JR Lees-McRae 25:34.21
34 Ty Garrett UNA-Wake Forest 25:36.37
35 Alex Haines SR UNC-Asheville 25:37.25
36 Sam Sikora JR Radford 25:42.94
37 Ben Datte JR Appalachian State 25:44.22
38 Maxton Sowers SO Radford 25:45.35
39 Luke Richards JR Radford 25:48.19
40 Miceal McCaul JR Tennessee Tech 25:51.35
41 Colin Chapman FR Wake Forest 25:54.45
42 Caleb Wright JR Montreat 25:54.61
43 Nick McCumsey JR Radford 25:55.69
44 Jonas Roach FR UNC-Asheville 26:00.44
45 Andrew Okon JR UNC-Asheville 26:12.28
46 Jackson Nichols JR Appalachian State 26:17.01
47 Caleb Potter JR Montreat 26:21.59
48 Sam Shimanskiy SO USC Upstate 26:22.92
49 Nigel Dos Santos SR USC Upstate 26:24.15
50 Nate Sullivan FR UNC-Asheville 26:26.99
51 Kelvin Kiprop FR Mars Hill 26:30.22
52 Brock Newsome SR UNC-Asheville 26:31.22
53 Ethan Barber JR Appalachian State 26:32.41
54 Dalton Hawley SR Brevard 26:32.84
55 Noah Woodbury JR Winthrop 26:33.97
56 Jordan Keith SR King 26:34.05
57 Philip Riddle FR Montreat 26:34.92
58 Vince Mwangi FR Wake Forest 26:36.64
59 Ian Kelbert SO Lees-McRae 26:37.27
60 Jonah Morris SR Appalachian State 26:37.48
61 Nick Beattie JR Tennessee Tech 26:43.04
62 Liam McDonald SO Radford 26:43.41
63 Monroe Thompkins SR USC Upstate 26:46.28
64 Austin Spencer SR Winthrop 26:57.85
65 Lance Hatcher FR King 26:59.70
66 Sam Hulsey JR UNC-Asheville 27:01.31
67 Carter Sexton SR USC Upstate 27:02.91
68 Josh Booher SR King 27:03.72
69 Mason Sanders JR King 27:03.91
70 Tom Germann SR UNC-Asheville 27:05.12
71 Garrett Spangler SR Brevard 27:05.22
72 Jared Keklak SR USC Upstate 27:11.58
73 Alejo Cobos JR Radford 27:12.28
74 Carson Archie SR Wofford 27:14.80
75 Isaac Legault SO Tennessee Tech 27:23.49
76 Aaron Retana FR Montreat 27:24.76
77 Gabe Herron JR USC Upstate 27:26.77
78 Hunter Smathers FR Montreat 27:29.92
79 Rien Freeman SO Lees-McRae 27:32.03
80 Rene Tamez JR Montreat 27:34.21
81 Cameron Adair SR Lees-McRae 27:36.26
82 Landen Williams FR Montreat 27:37.50
83 Griffin McNeish SO Winthrop 27:38.74
84 Brennen Pierce JR Lees-McRae 27:39.55
84 Sean Kilpatrick FR King 27:39.55
86 Mason Parish SO USC Upstate 27:42.37
87 Dylan Major JR UNC-Asheville 27:45.89
88 Sean Doherty Unattached 28:01.04
89 Liam Jones FR Wofford 28:04.09
90 Jakob Gerlach FR Lees-McRae 28:04.16
91 Maliki Pope SR Mars Hill 28:09.81
92 Eric Perry FR USC Upstate 28:11.69
93 Connor Herold FR USC Upstate 28:16.10
94 Max Davis SR Winthrop 28:16.87
95 Gabriel Hunt FR Mars Hill 28:22.65
96 Devon Brodmyer SR Brevard 28:25.29
97 Derek Staton SR USC Upstate 28:26.98
98 Nolan Weisdorfer JR Winthrop 28:33.79
99 Carter Bradford SO Tennessee Tech 28:41.71
100 Brendan Roper FR Wofford 28:45.21
101 James Moon JR Wofford 28:47.79
102 Ryan Thornburg JR Montreat 28:49.36
103 Ethan Urichko SO Lees-McRae 28:51.51
104 Eddison Bridges FR Lees-McRae 29:04.60
105 Nathan Hopkins SO Wofford 29:06.11
106 Ashton Kirkpatrick SO Lees-McRae 29:07.95
107 Lance Surles FR UNC-Asheville 29:08.44
108 Braxton Cummings FR Mars Hill 29:09.41
109 Jack Tillman FR Wofford 29:20.66
110 Preston Core FR UNC-Asheville 29:27.77
111 John Bolinger SO Wofford 29:40.11
112 Payne Sisson FR Winthrop 29:41.87
113 Jackson Olson SO Lees-McRae 29:46.47
114 Logan Rangnow SO Winthrop 29:46.67
115 Mack Stancil JR USC Upstate 29:50.04
116 Shea Granger FR Brevard 29:50.62
117 Matthew Morin FR Montreat 29:54.13
118 Dillon Shin FR Wofford 30:07.94
119 Ben Gribbins JR Lees-McRae 30:27.63
120 Will Berger SO Wofford 30:29.41
121 Ethan Hearn SO Wofford 30:38.30
122 Ivan Diaz FR Winthrop 30:47.31
123 James Blackwelder JR Wofford 30:57.78
124 Brandon Wright FR Mars Hill 31:44.11
125 Diell Mehmedi SO Mars Hill 31:44.34
126 Luke Childress FR King 32:38.44
127 Adin DeJesus FR Brevard 33:16.20
128 Johnathan McIntyre FR Mars Hill 34:39.63
129 Jake Thomas FR Brevard 38:24.24

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — While Wake Forest and Florida State harriers dominated the “top 10” finishers in the Covered Bridge Open on Sept. 15, Appalachian State used a cluster of scorers junior Jasmine Donohue’s No. 26 finish and junior Catherine Breault’s No. 46 to secure a fourth place team finish.

Out of 119 athletes competing from 14 schools, Florida State senior Alyson Churchill was first to cross the finish line after a 5k run on the Don Kennedy Trails, stopping the clock in 16:08.30, a full 40 seconds ahead of Wake Forest’s second place competitor, freshman Brooke Wilson (16:48.41). The Demon Deacons had five runners place in the top 10, the Seminoles four in the top 11.

Abbey D’Agostino Cooper, now a Boone-based former professional runner at 5,000 meters and U.S. Olympic team member in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, was No. 3 in the Covered Bridge Open identified as running for New Balance, crossing the finish line in 16:59.88.

At No. 26, Donohoe was the Mountaineers’ top finisher in 18:17:44, followed by No. 29 Karson Kane, No. 33 Rhys Ammon, No. 34 Linnea Maynard, and No. 43 Breault.

Statistics provided by NCRunners

WOMEN’S DIVISION TEAM SCORES

1 Wake Forest 23
2 Florida State 36
3 Radford 79
4 Appalachian State 127
5 Tennessee Tech 160
6 UNC-Asheville 162
7 Wofford 229
8 Winthrop 262
9 Lees-McRae 274
10 USC Upstate 318
11 Tusculum 330
12 Mars Hill 340
13 King 343
14 Brevard 379

INDIVIDUAL FINISHERS

1 Alyson Churchill SR Florida State 16:08.30
2 Brooke Wilson FR Wake Forest 16:48.41
3 Abbey Cooper New Balance 16:59.88
4 Caroline Garrett SR Wake Forest 17:08.36
5 Lydia Van Dijk SR Wake Forest 17:12.70
6 Leigh Walters JR Wake Forest 17:25.01
7 Bieke Schipperen FR Florida State 17:28.11
8 Caitlin Wilkey SR Florida State 17:32.40
9 Chloe Wellings JR Radford 17:33.97
10 Madeline Rehm SR Wake Forest 17:35.89
11 Sydney Nowicki JR Florida State 17:38.66
12 Sophie Magson SO Radford 17:39.98
13 Anna Sentner JR Florida State 17:40.59
14 Helen Pacurariu-Nagy SR Tennessee Tech 17:44.72
15 Alyssa Preisano FR Wake Forest 17:47.48
16 Alli Boehm JR Wake Forest 17:47.56
17 Isabel Richardson FR UNC-Asheville 17:59.11
18 Evie McIver SO Florida State 18:02.85
19 MegAnne Gilmore JR Radford 18:03.71
20 Clara Heppner FR Florida State 18:04.64
21 Ella Mickler FR Florida State 18:09.37
22 Mackenzie Hart SO Wake Forest 18:11.76
23 Lily Moore FR Florida State 18:13.95
24 Dani Thompson JR Florida State 18:15.38
25 Mackenzie Brownrigg SR Radford 18:16.11
26 Jasmine Donohue JR Appalachian State 18:17.44
27 Kate McLearen SO Radford 18:22.32
28 Natalie Weiner SR Wake Forest 18:24.54
29 Karsyn Kane JR Appalachian State 18:24.81
30 Grace Wassell FR Wake Forest 18:26.61
31 Ava Povich FR Florida State 18:29.69
32 Abby Seigel JR Radford 18:30.33
33 Rhys Ammon FR Appalachian State 18:31.19
34 Linnea Maynard JR Appalachian State 18:37.19
35 Emily Coddington SR Tusculum 18:37.48
36 Makaleigh Jessee FR Tennessee Tech 18:38.39
37 Gabriella Castro JR Wake Forest 18:40.73
38 Lauren Bing JR Florida State 18:44.74
39 Sophie Lundin SO UNC-Asheville 18:46.20
40 Emma Kennett SO UNC-Asheville 18:55.48
41 Rachel Millirons SR Radford 18:59.94
42 Palmer Walstad FR Wake Forest 19:02.46
43 Catherine Breault JR Appalachian State 19:03.06
44 Ella Moore FR UNC-Asheville 19:04.24
45 Campbell Dille SO Lees-McRae 19:04.31
46 Chloe Wade JR Tennessee Tech 19:06.75
47 Lana Farris JR Appalachian State 19:07.75
48 Becca Hinds FR Wofford 19:11.51
49 Olivia Kemp SO Winthrop 19:12.33
50 Alexus Atkins SR Wofford 19:19.37
51 Bianca Copeman SR Appalachian State 19:20.44
52 Rahab Chepkorir SR Tennessee Tech 19:20.64
53 Deanna Betzer SR Lees-McRae 19:21.84
54 Kayla Fields FR Radford 19:22.07
55 Mia Farley FR Radford 19:27.39
56 Albane Fery FR Wake Forest 19:31.17
57 Madilyn Long JR Tennessee Tech 19:38.07
58 Riley Knoyle FR Tennessee Tech 19:38.89
59 Kimber Keene JR Wofford 19:39.52
60 Inmacaluda Delgado SO Tusculum 19:40.62
61 Clarkson Graham JR Wake Forest 19:45.42
62 Morgan Ruff SR Winthrop 19:46.86
63 Jordan Thornton FR USC Upstate 19:51.46
64 Kylie Thomas FR Florida State 19:53.41
65 Ava Costello SO Tennessee Tech 19:53.55
66 Chloe Gilbert JR Wofford 19:54.29
67 Lexi Taylor FR Winthrop 19:54.46
68 Erin Melitski FR Winthrop 19:55.57
69 Elizabeth Fuller SR Appalachian State 19:56.08
70 Morgan Kornke JR Appalachian State 19:57.38
71 Hayley Stegall FR Tennessee Tech 19:57.61
72 Lauryn Jackson SO Tennessee Tech 19:59.08
73 Hannah Frazer FR Mars Hill 20:01.26
74 Emma Bradford SR Tennessee Tech 20:04.79
75 Abby Granberg JR Appalachian State 20:05.36
76 Alyx Beausoleil SO UNC-Asheville 20:11.21
77 Madison Quinn SO Lees-McRae 20:14.75
78 Lindsey Jenkins SO Mars Hill 20:15.91 8
79 Emily Leo SO UNC-Asheville 20:21.34
80 Frances Tocco SO Wofford 20:27.88
81 Angelina DiBlasi SR Appalachian State 20:33.06
82 Amanda Lowery SO King 20:33.79
83 Makenna Merkley SO Tennessee Tech 20:37.21
84 Ermay Vazquez FR King 20:39.19
85 Zoe Bos FR UNC-Asheville 20:43.53
86 Ava Fowler JR Wofford 20:43.78
87 Hanna Guyton FR UNC-Asheville 20:44.40
88 Amanda Orban SR UNC-Asheville 20:45.13
89 Kaylee Kraver SO Lees-McRae 20:46.97
90 Lauren Sochia FR UNC-Asheville 20:48.21
91 Zoe Capps SR Brevard 20:53.61
92 Maureen Ortiz FR USC Upstate 20:58.62
93 Grace Miller SO USC Upstate 21:04.24
94 Morgan Roberts SR Wofford 21:08.51
95 Addison Ollendick-Smith FR Appalachian State 21:12.17
96 Adalie Harrison SR USC Upstate 21:12.61
97 Sandra Diaz JR Brevard 21:13.53
98 Kristen Hallman FR Wofford 21:14.65
99 Lexie LaDuc FR King 21:22.59
100 Alanie Foster SR USC Upstate 21:37.27
101 Maddie Hamuka SO UNC-Asheville 21:54.65
102 Gabby Sanchez FR USC Upstate 22:04.80
103 Haylea Layne Miller JR Brevard 22:16.48
104 Caroline Bend FR Winthrop 22:27.58
105 Destiny Haller SR King 22:30.22
106 Sophia LeBrun FR Mars Hill 23:00.30
107 Emma Bridges SO Mars Hill 23:00.89
108 Megan Van Etten SR Mars Hill 23:21.56
109 Lauren Sedberry FR King 24:03.88
110 Kaitlyn Rowe SO Lees-McRae 24:36.
111 Alexis Greene FR Lees-McRae 25:09.01
112 Brenna Hicks FR Mars Hill 25:16.04
113 Anahi Reta JR Mars Hill 25:26.61
114 Judy Chellah SR Tusculum 26:15.19
115 Ava Thrift FR Brevard 33:05.54
116 Victoria Caliendo SO Tusculum 33:38.07
117 Silvia Bah JR Tusculum 33:53.10
118 Summer Crist FR Brevard 34:05.26
119 Victoria Sylvester FR Brevard 34:44.18

By Jacob Plecker for App State Sports. WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Despite a career day on the defensive side for junior goalkeeper Claire Grenis, the App State Mountaineers (4-2) fell to the No. 17 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-2) on Sept. 10, 3-0.

Grenis saved a career high six shots on Sunday in just her second career start. Even in the loss, the Mountaineers had another excellent showing. Along with Grenis’ six saves, the Mountaineers stopped several more Demon Deacon scoring chances in the contest, with pressure throughout the match.

App State was aggressive on offense in this contest, controlling the ball for much of the second half and putting pressure on the Wake Forest defense. The Mountaineers drew seven corners, tying a season high, and hammered five shots on goal. The pressure was good, but none of the App State shot attempts found the back of the cage as No. 17 Wake Forest would prevail.

How it Happened

1st Quarter: The Mountaineers started hot in Sunday’s contest, drawing a penalty corner just 35 seconds into the match. The team was able to take control of the ball early and generated a scoring chance, which saw Charlotte Bosma attempt the first shot of the game, missing wide.

The defense stepped up huge in the first quarter and held No. 17 Wake Forest scoreless through the first 15 minutes. Sarah Perkins made an incredible play to block a Wake Forest shot and Claire Grenis notched her first save of the game.

Despite a few Demon Deacon Scoring chances, the Mountaineer defense didn’t let any into the cage in the first quarter. The Mountaineers have now held their opposition scoreless in eight of their last nine quarters of play.

2nd Quarter: The second quarter turned in the favor of No. 17 Wake Forest, who controlled the ball for much of the quarter and put great pressure on Grenis and the defense.

Early in the quarter, Wake Forest would find the cage as Faye Janse would slip one past Grenis to record the first goal of the day. Shortly after Janse’s goal, the Demon Deacons would score again, this time coming off the stick of Rachel Thetford.

Despite the rough stretch in the quarter, App State played very well to finish out the half. They would allow just two more shots for the quarter, with Grenis grabbing another save, and apply pressure of their own on the offense. Lise Boekaar closed the half by attempting a shot that missed high, but Dinsmore liked the attack and resolve of her team to close out the half.

After 30 minutes of play, No. 17 Wake Forest led the contest 2-0 off the two second quarter goals and outshot App State 10-2.

3rd Quarter: The Mountaineers would seize control of the game coming out of the halftime break, rattling off multiple shots and drawing multiple corners. App State drew three penalty corners in the third, generating multiple chances. Birdget Donovan would attempt her first shot of the game off the first penalty corner, but had it blocked.

Later in the quarter, the Mountaineers generated a great scoring opportunity after a pass ahead from the midfield. Noa Ginjaume Matas took the pass into the circle and fired a shot that was saved by Jodi Brine. Brine tallied five saves for the match, all coming in the second half.

In the 39th minute of play, Wake Forest attempted a flurry of shots, but Grenis stood strong between the posts, saving two shots in six seconds. The two save stretch in the third would be her third and fourth of the game, setting a new career high for saves in a game.

Bridget Donovan would fire App State’s third shot of the third quarter with four minutes to play, but the Wake Forest defense played it well and stopped it. After 45 minutes of action, No. 17 Wake Forest still led 2-0.

4th Quarter: The Mountaineers had another solid quarter of play to close out the match, applying pressure and playing great defense. Wake Forest drew two penalty corners in the final 15 minutes, but App State stood firm and thwarted both opportunities.

The aggressive play of the Mountaineers was on display all afternoon, but especially in the fourth quarter as Charlotte Bosma would attempt two shots and Hadley Kuzmicky attempted a shot off three penalty corners, but each were stopped by the defense.

The Mountaineers would attempt four shots in the quarter, but still couldn’t pay off their aggression as the Demon Deacons stopped each chance App State generated.

No. 17 Wake Forest would pick up their third goal late in the quarter to reach the game’s final score of 3-0, but Claire Grenis and the defense played another outstanding game despite the loss.

Coach’s Thoughts
“When we press with numbers and press together, that is when we are successful,” head coach Emily Dinsmore said. “You saw that in the third and the fourth when we earned those penalty corners. Now we just need to go back to the drawing board and execute on those corners, but I’m proud of the way the team played today.”

Up Next
App State will open conference play on the road, Sept. 15, against Bellarmine at Trager Stadium. First touch is scheduled for 3 p.m. and can be streamed on the BU Sports Network.

By David Rogers. CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Appalachian State had a lot of answers for heavily favored North Carolina on Sept. 9, but none for Tar Heels running back, Omarion Hampton. The sophomore RB punished the Mountaineers at the line of scrimmage, rambling for 234 rushing yards and three TDs in helping UNC carve out a thrilling, double overtime win, 40-34.

When the Mountaineers’ defense denied the Tar Heels a 4th down conversion in the red zone on their opening offensive possession, it set the tone for yet another UNC-APP rivalry slugfest. In the first of the 3-game series, App State came away from Chapel Hill with a 34-31 win when Akeem Davis-Gaither tipped a UNC field goal with less than five seconds left. In 2022, Chapel Hill visited The Rock and wriggled away with a 63-61 barnburner of a victory.

In the last game of the series, the Mountaineers did just about everything they could to win the game except stop Hampton — and the Tar Heels braintrust used that to their advantage in the second OT period, using the sophomore RB as a decoy, when QB Drake Maye faked a handoff to Hampton plunging into the middle of the line of scrimmage, leaving Maye to stroll around the left side for a 13-yard TD run.

App State still had a chance to tie the game and send it into extended uncertainty as to an outcome, but came up short vs. the aggressive Tar Heel defense.

That last OT offensive possession was just about the only time over the course of the game that the Mountaineers underperformed. Promoted to starting QB after last week’s stellar leadership in the win over Gardner-Webb and the injury to Ryan Burger, junior transfer Joey Aguilar simply proved that maybe the job should have been his all along. While UNC’s Maye is deservedly ballyhooed as a Heisman Trophy candidate and a future No. 1 NFL Draft choice, Aguilar was every bit as effective as Maye in this one.

Maye completed 21-of-30 passes for 208 yards, no TDs and no interceptions. Aguilar was 22-of-43 for 275 yards, 2 TDs, and one INT.

Take out Hampton — who UNC head coach Mack Brown said later was poised for a breakout game and, “I’m just glad it was this game.” — and App State was the more likely winner. Toward that end, credit defensive coordinator Scot Sloan and his assistants, as well as the players who executed a masterful defensive scheme to limit Maye & Co.’s production.

But also credit the Mountaineers’ offensive coordinator Frank Ponce, along with his unit’s Aguilar-led efficiency, for keeping Maye off the field as much as possible, especially in the first half when the Mountaineers almost doubled the Tar Heels time of possession (18:26 vs. 11:34). By the end, Chapel Hill had narrowed the gap, but App State still controlled the ball 33:39 vs. 26:21 for the Tar Heels. The disparity was enough to harken back to last year’s upset victory over nationally-ranked Texas A&M, when the Mountaineers carved out a 17-14 win while holding onto a 41:29 vs. 18:31 time of possession advantage.

On the receiving end of Aguilar’s passes, Dashaun Davis made an impression with seven catches for 117 yards and one TD. The 6-4 WR Dalton Stroman only caught two of six targets, but they were big ones, including one in the third quarter facing 3rd-and-9, where he used his large frame to wrestle the ball from two UNC defenders for an 18-yard gain to extend the Mountaineer drive.

In all, Aguilar and his receivers manufactured seven big plays making up 161 of his 275 total passing yards.

APP STATE’S BIG PLAY SUMMARY, PASSING

Yards Gained	Context/Play
21	1ST QUARTER Situation: 1st and 10 on ASU14 No Huddle-Shotgun Aguilar,Joey pass complete deep right to Davis,Dashaun for 21 yards to the ASU35 (Allen,Marcus), 1ST DOWN.
34	2ND QUARTER Situation: 1st and 10 on UNC44 No Huddle-Shotgun Aguilar,Joey pass complete deep right to Davis,Dashaun for 34 yards to the UNC10, End Of Play, 1ST DOWN.
16	3RD QUARTER Situation: 2nd and 10 on UNC49 No Huddle-Shotgun Aguilar,Joey pass complete short left to Stroman,Dalton for 16 yards to the UNC33 (Chapman,Don; Allen,Marcus), 1ST DOWN.
33	3RD QUARTER Situation: 1st and 10 on UNC33 No Huddle-Shotgun Aguilar,Joey pass complete deep left to Davis,Dashaun for 33 yards to the UNC00 TOUCHDOWN, clock 12:43, 1ST DOWN.
20	3RD QUARTER Situation: 3rd and 12 on ASU49 No Huddle-Shotgun Aguilar,Joey pass complete short right to Robinson,Kaedin for 20 yards to the UNC31 (Biggers,Giovanni; Echols,Power), 1ST DOWN.
19	3RD QUARTER Situation: 4th and 1 on ASU44 No Huddle Aguilar,Joey pass complete short middle to Gibbs,Miller for 19 yards to the UNC37 (Gray,Cedric), 1ST DOWN.
18	3RD QUARTER Situation: 3rd and 9 on UNC36 No Huddle-Shotgun Aguilar,Joey pass complete short right to Stroman,Dalton for 18 yards to the UNC18 (Allen,Marcus), 1ST DOWN.

Data courtesy of StatBroadcast

While many thought last season’s APP-UNC matchup that saw more than 1,200 yards could not be matched, the 2023 edition of the rivalry came close, at 1,021 (APP 494, UNC 527).

That’s because in addition to the aerial production by both teams, the run production was also prolific. In addition to UNC’s 236 yards rolled up by Hampton as the real difference maker, App State’s Nate Noel had among his best days as a Mountaineer in carrying the ball 26 times for 127 net yards and two touchdowns. Behind an offensive line that opened holes in the line of scrimmage, Noel slashed ahead for big gains of 24 yards (Q1), 15 yards (Q2), 14 yards (Q4) and 12 yards, (Q4), all in critical situations.

In addition to Hampton’s exploits on the UNC side, Maye carried the ball 10 times for 57 yards, including the decisive TD in overtime. Among the UNC receivers with big days were Kobe Paysour (8 catches, 73 yards) and JJ Jones (5 catches, 91 yards).

The Mountaineers will now try and put this heartbreaker behind them, knowing once again they can compete with a nationally ranked, Power 5 adversary. They return home to face East Carolina Sept. 16, with kickoff slated for 3:30 p.m., in a sold-out Kidd Brewer Stadium.

SCORING SUMMARY

Team	Qtr	Clock	Score	Type	Play	Drive	Score
ASU	2	11:10	FG		Hughes,Michael 46 yd FG	19/66/08:10	0-3
UNC	2	10:43	TD	RUSH	Hampton,Omarion 68 yd rush	2/75/00:27	7-3
ASU	2	07:14	TD	PASS	Wilson,Eli 5 yd reception thrown by Aguilar,Joey	9/75/03:29	7-10
UNC	2	03:05	FG		Coe,Ryan 47 yd Field Goal	9/46/04:09	10-10
ASU	3	12:43	TD	PASS	Davis,Dashaun 33 yd reception thrown by Aguilar,Joey	6/75/02:17	10-17
UNC	3	08:57	TD	RUSH	Hood,Caleb 5 yd rush	11/75/03:46	17-17
UNC	3	01:25	FG		Coe,Ryan 31 yd Field Goal	11/51/05:01	20-17
ASU	4	10:44	TD	RUSH	Noel,Nate 7 yd rush	12/75/05:41	20-24
UNC	4	09:19	TD	RUSH	Hampton,Omarion 7 yd rush	4/75/01:25	27-24
ASU	4	01:22	FG		Hughes,Michael 33 yd Field Goal	12/69/02:48	27-27
ASU	OT	00:00	TD	RUSH	Noel,Nate 7 yd rush	3/25/00:00	27-34
UNC	OT	00:00	TD	RUSH	Hampton,Omarion 17 yd rush	3/25/00:00	34-34
UNC	OT	00:00	TD	RUSH	Maye,Drake 13 yd rush

 

SELECTED TEAM STATS

• Total Yards: APP 494, UNC 527
• Net Rushing: APP 219, UNC 319
• Net Passing: APP 275, UNC 208
• First Downs: APP 30, UNC 27
• Time of Possession: APP 33:39, UNC 26L21
• Penalties: APP 7-70, UNC 5-60
• Interceptions By: APP 0, UNC 1
• 3rd Down Conversions: APP 8/17, UNC 8/13
• 4th Down Conversions: APP 2/3, UNC 0/1

SELECTED INDIVIDUAL STATS

Passing

• APP – Joey Aguilar 22-43, 275 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
• UNC – Drake Maye 21-30, 208, 0 TDs, 0 INTs

Rushing

• UNC – Omarion Hampton 26 carries, 234 yards, 3 TDs
• APP – Nate Noel 26 carries, 127 yards, 2 TDs
• UNC – Drake Maye 11 carries, 57 yards, 1 TD
• APP – Joey Aguilar 6 carries, 42 yards,
• APP – Maquel Haywood 10 carries, 42 yards
• UNC – Caleb Hood 6 carries, 26 yards, 1 TD

Receiving

• APP – Dashaun Davis 7 catches, 117 yards, 1 TD
• UNC – JJ Jones, 5 catches, 91 yards
• UNC – Kobe Paysour 8 catches, 73 yards
• APP – Dalton Stroman 2 catches, 34 yards—
• APP – Kaedin Robinson 2 catches, 33 yards
• APP – Eli Wilson 2 catches, 18 yards, 1 TD

RELATED LINKS

• App State Sports
• UNC Sports

By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE, N.C. — The App State volleyball team swept UNC Greensboro in the final match of the Black & Gold Tournament on Sept. 9 at the Holmes Convocation Center.

Saturday’s win marks the sixth sweep for the Mountaineers this season. The team is 9-0 (0-0 SBC) so far during the 2023 campaign, recording its best start since 2014, when it posted 13 consecutive wins from Aug. 29, 2014 to Sept. 21, 2014.

“I am so proud of this team,” said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. “We talk all the time about showing up and doing the work — and we did that this weekend. The fan support was incredible, as well, and it was a fun environment to play in all weekend.”

A junior, Lauren Pledger and sophomores Kenady Roper and Maya Winterhoff made the Black & Gold All-Tournament Team. Pledger, who also earned Tournament MVP honors, posted 19 kills on the weekend with a hitting percentage of .567 through three matches. She also totaled 14 blocks and three digs.

Roper posted 50 digs, averaging 4.55 per set this weekend. She also served up five aces and made four assists during the tournament. Winterhoff tallied 22 kills, five aces, three assists, and 10 blocks (two solo, 8 assists) over the course of the weekend.

App State 3, UNC Greensboro 0

Junior Lulu Ambrose posted a team-high 10 kills on the afternoon with a hitting percentage of .417. Winterhoff and freshman Ava Leahy followed with nine kills and three block assists each. Leahy also posted two solo blocks. Redshirt sophomore Katie Cruise recorded a team-high 15 assists, while Roper recorded a team-high 12 digs.

App State outpaced UNCG in kills (41-28), aces (5-1), blocks (8-1), and assists (33-24). The Mountaineers held the Spartans to under 20 points each set.

The Mountaineers took a commanding, 6-0 lead in the first set. The Spartans struggled to catch up, closing the deficit to 13-9, but the Mountaineers padded their advantage with a 5-0 run that included kills from Denny, Ambrose, and Pledger. Kills from Ambrose and Winterhoff brought App State to a 22-12 lead. App State took the first set, 25-15, after a kill from Winterhoff and a Spartan error.

A Spartan serving error and a trio of kills from Winterhoff and Ambrose put App State up 4-0 early in the second set. The Mountaineers extended their lead to 9-2 with kills from Ambrose and Leahy, a block from Leahy/Winterhoff, and ace from junior Alexis Hardison. UNCG managed to close in on the Mountaineers with a 4-0 run, cutting App State’s lead to 17-14. App State responded with a 5-0 run of its own, which included back-to-back kills from Ambrose and Leahy and an ace from senior Sophie Cain to push the score to 22-14. Leahy and Denny closed out the second set, 25-16, with a pair of kills.

App State and UNCG fought point-for-point early in the third set, meeting at 8-8 after a kill from Pledger tied things up. App State gained momentum, following Pledger’s kill with a kill from Winterhoff, ace from Roper, and block from freshman Delanie Grevengoed/Winterhoff to take an 11-8 lead. The Mountaineers scored four more consecutive points to jump ahead, 15-9. Leading 16-11, freshman Taylor McNear entered the match, making her first collegiate appearance, and served for the Mountaineers as they went on an 8-0 scoring run that extended the Black and Gold’s lead to 24-11. The run included kills from Denny, Pledger, and Leahy, as well as a block from Leahy/Pledger. A block from Pledger/Leahy capped the set, 25-12, and match, 3-0, for the Mountaineers.

Up Next
App State will close out its non-conference slate with the Davidson Tournament on Sept. 14-15 in Davidson, N.C. The Mountaineers will take on Davidson at 6 p.m. on Sept. 14 and Wake Forest at 7 p.m. on Sept. 15.

Black & Gold Invitational All-Tournament Team
Lauren Pledger, App State
Kenady Roper, App State
Maya Winterhoff, App State
Maya Johnson, North Carolina A&T
Liselotte Spoormakers, North Carolina A&T
Madeline Timmerman, UNC Greensboro
Ady O’Grady, USC-Upstate

Tournament MVP: Lauren Pledger

Full Black & Gold Invitational Tournament Scores & Schedule

Thursday, Sept. 7

App State 3, North Carolina A&T 2

Friday, Sept. 8

App State 3, USC-Upstate 0
North Carolina A&T 3, UNC Greensboro 0
UNC Greensboro 3, USC-Upstate 0

Saturday, Sept. 9

USC-Upstate 3, North Carolina A&T 0
App State 3, UNC Greensboro 0