Richardson Sets School Record in Win over Mocs; Apps Host James Madison in FCS Opening Round

Appalachian State revved the offensive engine early and often as it dialed up an early 14-0 first quarter lead behind a 10-yard Armanti Edwards touchdown run on the Mountaineers' opening drive. The Apps' second drive resulted in a score as Armanti Edwards used a Josh Johnson block to scamper 28 yards to give ASU a 14-0 lead.

Late in the period Chattanooga capped a 10 play, 78-yard drive with a Joseph Pitman 3-yard touchdown reception, cutting the Mountaineer lead to 14-7 at the 1:39 mark of the opening period.

Appalachian immediately answered on its next drive using only three plays, as Edwards raced 40 yards on an option keeper to stake the Black and Gold to a 21-7 advantage with only seconds remaining in the first quarter.

Chattanooga continued to hang in the game midway through the second quarter as Spencer Nolan booted a 35-yard field goal to cut the Mocs deficit to 21-10.

Chattanooga had an opportunity to cut further into ASU's lead around the four minute mark of the half, but a Nolan 34-yard FG attempt was partially deflected, turning the Mocs away.

The Moc defense forced a three-and-out and looked to again dent the App deficit. A two-yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds left at the half made it a ballgame at 21-17. The Mountaineers managed to move into field goal range in the final dozen seconds of the half, but a Julian Rauch 52-yard attempt was wide right, keeping the Mocs in the contest.

The majority of the third period was a jockeying for field position between the two clubs, as the teams exchanged punts. A key Chattanooga fumble was recovered by ASU at the Chattanooga 30 yard line. A reverse to Dexter Jackson moved App to the UT-C 10 yard line as the third quarter expired with no further scoring by either club.

Appalachian converted the turnover into points as the fourth period began, with Edwards capping the drive with a two-yard run for his fourth TD of the day. The PAT was blocked, leaving athe Mountaineers with a ten-point bulge at 27-17 with 13:52 remaining.

A shanked Chattanooga punt gave the Mountaineers favorable position inside the UTC 30. Appalachian cashed in on the good fortune to the tune of a 23-yard Rauch field goal to up the ASU lead to 30-17 at the 8:54 mark.

The Black and Gold defense put the finishing touches on the victory with 36 seconds remaining, when Buck Buchanan Award candidate Corey Lynch drilled Moc receiver Clint Woods as he caught a pass and Justin Woazeah scooped up the loose ball and returned it 32 yards for his first-career touchdown to close out the scoring.

Offensively, Edwards and Richardson both went over the 100-yard rushing mark for the fifth time in the last 11 games they’ve played in together, with Edward rolling up a game-high 157 yards on the ground and Richardson chipping in with 103. Richardson’s record rushing total now stands at 4,486 yards while Edwards became the fastest player in school history to reach the 2,000-yard rushing plateau. In just 22 career games, Edwards has rushed for 2,081 yards, already the ninth-highest mark in school history and most ever by an ASU quarterback.

Appalachian State University’s defense of its back-to-back NCAA Division I football national championships begins on Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium versus James Madison. Appalachian (9-2, 5-2 SoCon) is not one of the four seeded teams in the 16-team Division I Championship field, despite winning its third-consecutive Southern Conference championship and looking to become the first team to ever claim three-straight national titles at the Division I FCS (Football Championship Subdivision — formerly Division I-AA) level. James Madison comes into the postseason with an 8-3 overall record and finished 6-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association’s South Division, a game behind Richmond. Between them, the Mountaineers and Dukes have won the last three national titles (JMU in 2004, ASU in ‘05 and ‘06). “James Madison is one of the best teams in the 16,” ASU head coach Jerry Moore said. “We’ll start off against a great football team.”

Information from Appalachian State University Sports Information was used in compiling this report.

Vikings Look to Build on Successful Past in 2007-08

The 2006-07 Avery Vikings men’s basketball season was one of highs and lows. The low point perhaps came in a pair of contests at Madison in regular season play and at Mountain Heritage in the postseason conference tournament, as Avery struggled in a pair of defeats.

The high points came late at the most welcome time: the end of the season. Avery made an impressive run into the third round of the NCHSAA 1A basketball playoffs with a pair of home wins, then took the third-ranked (and preseason 2007-08 top five) Cherryville Ironmen to the limit on their home floor in a 102-92 thriller in the season finale.

Many components of last season’s Cinderella run are gone, but enough firepower remains to consider the Vikings to be a player in this year’s Western Highlands Conference race.
Avery returns a pair of senior sharpshooters in all-conference player Kyle Cable and swingman Seth Phillips, each of whom showed ability to both slash to the bucket and drain the long bombs a season ago.

In addition, Avery returns senior Pedro Benavides, a key contributor off the bench who may be called upon this season to increase productivity. The Vikings will have a number of newcomers this season whose performance will likely determine how good this year’s squad can be. A number of senior football players transition from the gridiron to the hardwood, including Preston Jennings, who is recovering from a collar bone injury, Logan Lecka, and Michael Pittman, who was unable to play basketball a season ago due to a broken bone in his leg suffered in last season’s football playoffs.

A number of junior varsity players will move up to contribute this season as well, including guards Chris Childress, Jared Ward, and Tyler Blalock.

“The biggest thing we’re trying to do is get into basketball shape. We’ve played more summer basketball this year than we have in the past, but it takes a little time to get the wrinkles out. We’ve had to practice with what we’ve had, but having the football players come out a little later does put us a step behind,” Vikings head coach Art Williamson said during a recent practice.

Early practices before the end of football season have resulted in a good number of players who are trying out for roster spots and helping to round up the shape of this year’s version of the Big Red. “We’ve had 16 to 18 kids come out to practice and we have only two upperclassmen, senior Kyle Cable and junior Jared Ward. We have a lot of young kids. Cole Blackburn has looked good off the hoof, Dustin Clark Cody Hughes, and Joey Potter have played with a lot of enthusiasm and energy. It’s exciting to work with those young guys who are excited and want to be here,” Coach Williamson added. “It has impressed me to have the turnout of young players. When we get the eight or so varsity players come back to join us in the coming days, it will be interesting.”
The infusion of young talent and how quickly they will be able to adjust to the varsity system will be important to how long it takes this year’s team to gel. “People thought we shot the ball fast in the past, and we’re probably gonna have to shoot it faster this season,” the coach explained. “You look at teams like Mountain Heritage with their height and talent, Mitchell has a couple of big kids, Madison has had a great JV program moving up, Owen has been notorious for having big players, and Hendersonville returns most everybody back. Polk County only lost one player off their team, which means our conference will be deep, big, and talented this year. Knowing that, we’re going to focus a lot on defense, probably more than I’ve ever spent in the past. We’ll hope to create some shots off our defense in transition and make some of these bigger teams tired.”

Avery starts out of the gate quickly with regular season play at a Thanksgiving tournament at Mitchell, and a non-conference schedule featuring Watauga, Ashe, North Buncombe, and a Christmas tournament at Freedom High School before conference season starts full-force after New Year’s.

“The early season will be a learning experience. We’ll have so many kids who haven’t played basketball in a while, so we’re going to work on getting some games under our belts. Watauga is loaded, Ashe County is playing the likes of Oak Hill, so we’re going to have to come out and play hard with our defense and intensity,” Coach Williamson added. “I’ve been a strong believer in ‘it’s not how you start, but how you finish’. Hopefully we can use those three games from the playoffs last year as building blocks, instilling in our kids the confidence that we gained going into Cherryville’s gym last year and playing with them.”

Lady Vikings Title Quest Begins This Monday

As hoops season tips off, one thing is certain: The Lady Vikings will be off and running.

For a team that was the quickest in the conference a season ago at pushing the basketball up and down the floor, the Lady Vikings offense of 2007-08 look to accomplish the feat from frenetic pace to breakneck speed. Meanwhile, the stifling defense that sparked many a fast break last season hopes to be new and improved with the infusion of several faces who have helped lead the junior varsity squad to three straight conference tournament championships.

“We’re real excited about this season, and we know the Western Highlands will be strong as ever,” Lady Vikings head coach Missy Lyons commented during a recent practice. “We know Mountain Heritage, Mitchell, Polk, and Owen are stronger. We have a lot of girls participating and we’re trying to start out very intense.”

A lot of girls may be an understatement as practices have been loaded with talent from over 30 girls who are taking part in the opening weeks of practice as the teams get ready for the junior varsity and varsity campaigns.

“We have a lot of girls who can play basketball, and we want to give them the opportunity,” Coach Lyons remarked. “A lot of the girls have worked hard this summer and attended camp. We got a good start, and as soon as we got some of our girls from cross country to join us, we began working hard in practice just trying to get into basketball shape with sprints, shooting a lot, and are beginning to work on offensive and defensive sets.”

Avery lost three starters from last season’s sectional runner-up team, but boasts the return of a number of key contributors and new additions. Six-foot senior Kim Gragg has led the squad in scoring the past two seasons and will anchor the inside for the Lady Vikings. Gragg is already generating interest from several colleges in her basketball services after graduation.

Fellow seniors Laura Lacey and Katie Peters will provide leadership at the forward positions, as the girls will be part of Coach Lyons’ system for their third season. Also working down low this season at the forward and center positions will be senior Andrea McFee and junior Katie Ellis, the junior varsity team’s leading rebounder a season ago.

The guard spots will be manned by a number of talented returning players, including Tasha Buchanan, Samantha Shook, Sara Singleton, and Allison Vance, along with players such as Hayley Pyatte who contributed to Avery’s junior varsity success. One of the most welcome returnees to the Avery team is senior guard Joy Jennings, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last season at Alleghany and whose leadership on the court was sorely missed for much of last season.

“We’re not going to have the big inside power players this season but we’re going to be very fast. We have some great shooters back, and we have several girls who did a great job playing YBOA together over the summer. The girls are really meshing together and I’m just amazed at how much teaching I don’t have to do anymore because these girls play year round and have really bought into our program,” Coach Lyons added. “Every year we just seem to be better when we get started.”

Avery came within nine points of claiming a berth in the regional tournament in Winston-Salem a season ago. While that loss continues to sting, it also motivates this year’s club to push harder and beyond even their own limitations this year.

“We’ve already talked about last year’s loss, and the seniors came up with the theme of ‘The Will to Win’, and sometimes that’s what it’s about, the will to win over teams that might be more talented, to just want it more. The girls saw that last season and saw what one single player can do on a certain night, and you have to be up every night or someone can knock you down,” Coach Lyons added. “It was a great learning experience for us and it fuels our desire to win. The girls just don’t want to lose, and I think it will take them a long way this year.”

Appalachian Notebook: Mountaineers Dismantle Catamounts; WCU Fires Coach Following Defeat

Appalachian State scored the second-most points in a single game in school history Saturday, running up a 79-35 victory over rival Western Carolina to capture the Old Mountain Jug for the 21st time in the last 23 meetings.
On a Saturday when Nebraska posted 73 points and Navy got 74, the Mountaineers (8-2, 4-2 Southern Conference) produced the most points in a game since a 115-0 beating of Piedmont in 1936.
The final score was also the most points in the series by a big margin. In 1966, Western Carolina took a 35-33 victory.
At the half, Appalachian State held a 45-21 edge, matching the most points it has scored in the opening two quarters since 2001.

Kevin Richardson had 230 all-purpose yards for Appalachian State, including a career-high 215 yards rushing on 22 carries and three touchdowns. Armanti Edwards completed a career-high 26 passes in 31 attempts for 295 yards and two scores, and he also ran for three more touchdowns.
Corey Lynch collected his 21st career interception, which he turned into Appalachian State's last score on a 65-yard return with 4:10 left to play.

Western Carolina (1-9, 0-6 SoCon) actually led 7-3 when Adam Hearns scored on a 5-yard run with 7:21 left in the first quarter to cap an 80-yard drive. Richardson scored on a 4-yard run on the ensuing possession to put the Mountaineers up for good.
Mike Malone rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns for the Catamounts.
Appalachian State finished with 743 yards of offense, including 347 yards passing on 32-of-40 attempts. The defense intercepted four Western Carolina passes, three of which were thrown by Hearns.
Following the loss, Western Carolina University announced on Monday that head football coach Kent Briggs will not return to lead the team next season.
Athletic director Chip Smith said the search for a replacement for Briggs would begin immediately. Smith said in a prepared statement that Briggs, who will coach the season finale against Furman on Saturday, would be reassigned to a position within the university.
Briggs has a career-mark of 22-42, with a Southern Conference mark of 12-31. The Catamounts have lost their last 14 conference games dating back to 2005.
Last season, Briggs received a three-year contract extension to lead the Catamounts after the team challenged for the conference title in 2005. He finished 2006 with a 2-9 record, including an 0-7 finish in the conference. It marked the first time Western Carolina had gone winless in the Southern Conference since 1977, when it joined the league.
After last Saturday's 79-35 loss to the Mountaineers, Western Carolina fell to 1-9 with an 0-6 conference mark.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Avery Journal Covers ................. Tennessee Football

This past Saturday, the Tennessee Vols took control and kept Heisman Candidate Darren McFadden to just 117 yards rushing in a 34-13 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks in Neyland Stadium. The stingent Vol defense held the highly touted Razorback running attack to just 127 yards, 117 of which Darren McFadden, SEC's leading rusher, accounted for. The Vols also had 3 interceptions. The Vol offense was led by Arian Foster and Montario Hardesty rushing for 158 yards combined. Senior Quarterback Eric Ainge had a steller day as he was 12 of 25 for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns. "The first thing I want to tell you is never doubt the heart of a Volunteer. I’m really, really proud of this football team. It was a great team win. And the game was won in the preparation. Regardless what else happens in the Southeastern Conference, we are still in control of our own destiny. Our focus is now on Vanderbilt and improving as a football team,” Volunteer Coach Phillip Fulmer stated.

Fulmer also thought the home crowd was a key part in the victory. “I think our young team feeds off the home crowd a lot. It’s exciting. We’ve been a very good road team too. It’s been incredible. I didn’t think there would be anybody at all this morning on the Vol Walk, but it was packed. The people were so supportive.”

The Volunteers host Vanderbilt for Senior Day on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2:00 pm.