2022 Catamount Football Digital Game Day Program - vs. VMI (10/1/22)

EXTRA POINTS, the official game program and online digital program for Western Carolina Catamount Football, is a publication of the WCU Athletics Media Relations Office. Editorial content, layout and design has been provided by Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations, Daniel Hooker (WCU, 2001).

Special thanks to the staffs of both WCU Athletics Media Relations and Todd Charles. Photography provided by Ashley Evans, Charlie Bulla, Sam Wallace and various student assistants in the Western Carolina Public Relations Department; WCU PR retiree, Mark Haskett; Andy Padyk; Jason Hall of Valleytown Photo; Phil Polito, Paul Setliff, and WCU students, Spencer Douglas and Jared Draney. Printing is by the WCU Print Shop.

Advertising sales for EXTRA POINTS are administered by Chad Gerrety and Ric Sisler. To advertise, contact WCU Athletics at (828) 227-2767 or (828) 227-2038.

E.J. WHITMIRE STADIUM POLICIES AND INFORMATION

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES:

Outside alcohol and alcoholic beverages are prohibited in E.J. Whitmire Stadium. Also, containers and/or coolers are also prohibited in the stadium. Alcoholic beverages will be sold within Whitmire Stadium with two points of sale on either side of the stadium and one point of sale on Paws Porch. Must be 21 years of age and present valid ID at the time of purchase and may only purchase one (1) alcoholic beverage per valid ID with the ID holder present at the time of transaction. Sales will begin when gates open 90 minutes prior to kickoff and close at the end of the third quarter.

UMBRELLAS:

Umbrellas are not permitted in the seating area of Whitmire Stadium. No umbrellas will be allowed through the stadium gates.

ARTIFICIAL NOISEMAKERS:

Unapproved and unsanctioned artificial noisemakers (air horns, cowbells, etc.) are not permitted in E.J. Whitmire Stadium as per Southern Conference rules. However, in accordance with SoCon regulations, sanctioned noisemakers such as "Thunder Sticks" or "Bam-Bams" are permissible. Fans are asked to be considerate and allow your neighbor to enjoy the game. Please keep portable radios at a low volume.

CONCESSION STANDS:

Concession stands by Catamount Dining are located on the main concourse on both the East and West sides of the stadium serving a variety of drink products from Pepsi and many other items. Conces sion stands do accept credit cards, and there are also cash-only drink and snack lines available. Other concession options include Bojangles and snacks from Tubby's Caramel Corn & More.

COVID PROTOCOLS / FACE COVERINGS:

Catamount Athletics and WCU continues to encourage the use of face coverings while in densely populated areas during game day activities. Physical distancing, washing of hands and using hand sanitizer remain common practice recommendations to help stop the spread viruses including COVID-19.

FIRST AID / EMERGENCY SERVICES:

First aid tents are located on the concourse level of both sides of Whitmire Stadium. Local physicians and emergency medical per sonnel are also in attendance at all WCU football games and can be paged through the public address system in the press box. An oxygen-equipped ambulance is in the stadium during the games. For games where forecasted temperatures are high, misting cooling stations for spectators will be made available on the concourse level.

FIELD REGULATIONS:

No one is allowed on the playing field before, during, or after the game without proper credentials (Zone 1 & 2; Pregame Recruit). Fans will also be ejected for throwing any objects in the stadium.

GAME TIMES:

All game times are subject to change. WCU will publicize any game time changes through its social media channels (@catamounts) and website, CatamountSports.com. Ticket refunds will NOT be made available because of a change in kickoff times

GATE INSPECTION / CLEAR BAG POLICY:

Western Carolina University has implemented a "Clear Bag Policy" – ALL parcels, bags and alike are subject to inspection upon entry into E.J. Whitmire Stadium. All alcoholic beverages, outside food and beverages, and other items not permitted in the stadium must be discarded prior to entering the stadium. See Page 7 for more info.

LOST AND FOUND:

If you find an item, please return it to an usher. To recover a lost item, please visit the check bag location near the main entrances of either side of the stadium to make a proper ID of the lost item.

MERCHANDISE:

Catamount apparel and game day merchandise from the WCU Bookstore can be found at stands on both sides of the stadium. Mer chandise is also available anytime at CatamountSports.com, or also at the WCU Bookstore located near the center of the WCU campus.

CHANCELLOR'S BOX, PRESS BOX & CAMERA DECKS: No one is allowed in the Chancellor's box, press box, camera decks, Paws Porch, Catamount Corner, or field level without proper credentials (Zone 1 & 2). Those not adhering to this policy will be escorted out of the stadium.

REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE: Requests for assistance should be directed to stadium ushers, located at every ramp throughout the stadium.

STADIUM RE-ADMITTANCE: There is no re-admittance policy at E.J. Whitmire Stadium. Once you enter the stadium, you must purchase another ticket to re-enter.

TICKETS FOR CATAMOUNT FOOTBALL:

Tickets for WCU football games can be purchased at the WCU Athletics Ticket Office Monday thru Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.

Tickets can be purchased on game day beginning at 10:00 am at the Northwest ticket booth near the main entrance – or anytime online at CatamountSports.com.

WESTERN CAROLINA CODE OF FAN CONDUCT

It is the policy of Western Carolina University that all fans at athletic sporting events must maintain the highest degree of credibility and decorum possible.

All fans must make every attempt to conduct themselves in a manner as not to embarrass the institutions by their actions.

Behavior by fans that does not meet this standard and which has the potential of harming the reputation of the institution or any of its units is prohibited.

Good sportsmanship must be an integral part of every sport sponsored by WCU. The ethical environment of the university must assert and reflect primacy of human dignity, must encourage growth and achievement, and must insist on respect in all interpersonal relations.

WCU students and fans must be held accountable for their use of profane and vulgar language, banners, posters, signs, flags, treatment of opponents, and treatment of officials.

In respect to NCAA policies, WCU is held accountable for the actions of its fans.

THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE CODE OF SPECTATOR CONDUCT

Southern Conference teams shall be supported with enthusiasm and dedication, for strong spectator support is a vital part of the experience of college competition.

We expect good sportsmanship from players and coaches. They have a right to expect the same from spectators.

Therefore, we urge Southern Conference students, alumni and friends to cheer their teams to victory while upholding those ideals our colleges and universities have nurtured during the long history of the Southern Conference.

Our spectators should be courteous and judicious in choice of expression, and should exhibit good manners and kindness to all others.

The scoreboard will reflect the quality of the teams in competitions while the kind of support given by the spectators will reveal the character of Southern Conference fans.

SCOUTING WESTERN CAROLINA

u Western Carolina opens the home portion of its 2022 Southern Conference schedule, hosting the VMI Keydets on Family Weekend and EBCI Day in Cullowhee the Catamounts look to bounce back from a 35-12 road loss at Samford last weekend as the potent, high-octane WCU offense was held out of the end zone for the first time against a NCAA FCS opponent under Kerwin Bell WCU finished 4-of-6 in the redzone at Samford, but all four were field goals;

u The Catamounts saw their four-game FCS road game winning streak that dated back to last season snapped – WCU had scored consecutive FCS road wins at Charleston Southern (9/3/22), at VMI (11/20/21), at Wofford (10/30/21), and at The Citadel (10/23/21);

u Western Carolina is wearing a special logo emblem on the back of its football helmets today to celebrate the relationship with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) the helmets are also adorned with pink ribbons for breast cancer awareness month aimed at raising awareness about the impact of breast cancer;

u Western Carolina and VMI meet for 29th time on the football gridiron on Saturday . . . WCU leads the all-time series that dates back to 1978, 24-4 WCU has won 18 of the last 19 meetings in the series including 13 of the 14 all-time series meetings played in Cullowhee VMI snapped a 17game series losing skid and scored its first win at WCU the last time the two met in Cullowhee;

u The WCU–VMI series laid dormant following the 2002 meeting until it was rekindled in 2014 as VMI briefly moved to the Big South Conference;

u The last time WCU opened its league schedule at home vs VMI was 2018 – and a track meet broke out in a wild, 52-50 WCU victory the two teams combined for a Whitmire Stadium record 102 points including 13 offensive touchdowns – six rushing and seven through the air –with one TD on defense and two field goals, one aside . . . the two squads combined to rack-up 1,100 yards of total offense including 553 by the Catamounts and 547 for the Keydets With an astounding 67 yards in losses including 59 in sacks, VMI was held to just 56 yards rushing;

u WCU placekicker RICHARD McCOLLUM collected his second SoCon Special Teams Player of the Week honors last week after accounting for all 12 of WCU's points in the loss at Samford, hitting four field goals McCollum has connected on 19 straight field goals dating back to March 27, 2021 and includes 12-for-12 in the 2021 season and all six made attempts this season;

u Earlier this season, McCollum set a school-record for consecutive made PATs which is active at 76-straight (and counting) He currently ranks third the SoCon in scoring with 38 total points, averaging 9 5 points per game on the season;

u Western Carolina continues to LEAD the SoCon in total offense early in the 2022 season, averag ing 557 0 yards per game including the best passing attack with an average of 349 0 yards through the air and 208 0 yards per game on the ground, second-best in the league WCU leads the SoCon in scoring offense, averaging 39 5 points per game – third-best scoring in the NCAA FCS;

u 12 different Catamounts have recorded touchdowns this season WR TERRENCE HORNE and RB DESMOND REID lead the way with three scores apiece;

u WCU freshman tailback DESMOND REID ranks third in the SoCon in rushing, averaging 87 2 yards per game on the ground WR RAPHAEL WILLIAMS is tied for third with 4 8 receptions and fifth with 60 0 receiving yards per game;

u Western Carolina's defense LEADS the SoCon in sacks entering the weekend with 17 total for 115 yards of losses 11 different Catamounts have recorded at least half a sack this year DL CHRIS MORGAN ranks tied for the SoCon lead with 3 5 sacks this season, averaging 0 88 per game LB EJ PORTER is tied with DE KJ MILNER for sixth with 2 5 sacks;

u Head coach KERWIN BELL is closing in on the century mark for career victories, entering this weekend at 99-51 Bell had a 66-35 record at Jacksonville from 2007-15 and was 27-7 with a national championship at Valdosta State from 2016-18 Bell is 6-9 in his second year at WCU

WESTERN CAROLINA / VMI

INSIDE THE ALL-TIME SERIES

ALL-TIME SERIES WCU LEADS, 24-4

In Cullowhee WCU leads, 13-1

In Lexington, Va WCU leads, 11-3

Current Streak WCU, W–1

Longest WCU Win Streak: 17 games (1992-21)

Largest Margin of Victory WCU, 38 pts (1999)

Longest WCU Losing Skid: 1 games (4x)

Total Series Points WCU 883 / VMI 550

WCU Average Points 31 54 ppg

VMI Average Points 19 64 ppg

LAST 10 SERIES MEETINGS (9-1):

Nov 20, 2021 Lexington, Va W, 52-24

March 6, 2021 Cullowhee L, 30-7

Nov 2, 2019 Lexington, Va W, 43-35

Sept 22, 2018 Cullowhee W, 52-50

Oct 21, 2017 Lexington, Va W, 26-7

Nov 5, 2016 Cullowhee W, 32-29

Nov 21, 2015 Lexington, Va W, 24-20

Nov . 15, 2014 Cullowhee W, 42-27

Nov 2, 2002 Lexington, Va W, 35-23

Oct 27, 2001 Cullowhee W, 44-17

DEFENSIVE END #6 KJ MILNER

PK #89 RICHARD McCOLLUM

WCU HEAD COACH KERWIN BELL

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A LOOK AT TODAY’S OPPONENT: VMI

u Virginia Military Institute (VMI) (1-2) comes to Cullowhee to open its Southern Conference sched ule on the heels of its bye week Most recently, the Keydets scored 20 unanswered points over the game's final six minutes against Cornell, cutting the deficit to six inside the final minute but were unable to collect the onsides kick attempt in the home loss;

u VMI enters the week seventh in the SoCon in scoring offense (18 7 ppg) and eighth in scor ing defense (28 7 ppg allowed) the Keydets rank seventh in total offense (301 3 yds/gm) including eighth in rushing offense (86 3 yds/gm) and fifth in passing offense (215 0 yds/gm) Defensively, VMI is third in the SoCon in limiting teams to just 318 3 yards per game, tied for fifth against the run (135 0 yds/gm) and third against the pass (183 3 yds/gm);

u VMI was picked to finish seventh in the SoCon preseason coaches poll and was sixth in the media tabulations in the preseason;

u VMI won on its last trip to Cullowhee, giving the Keydets their first victory in program history in Cullowhee and marked the first time defeating Western Carolina since 1991, snapping a 17-game losing skid to the Catamounts in the series;

u VMI redshirt sophomore quarterback COLLIN IRONSIDE was named the SoCon Student-Athlete of the Week on Sept 21 Ironside entered the Cornell game and helped engineer a comeback effort against the Big Red, finishing 16-for-18 with a career-high 275 yards while passing and rushing for a touchdown He is a Business and Economics major and has previously earned SoCon Honor Roll status and has a 4 0 GPA ;

u Senior linebacker STONE SNYDER is a two-time All-American (Stats Perform, Athlon, HERO Sports, 1st team) and a two-time finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award for the top defensive player at the NCAA FCS level the two-time SoCon Defensive Player of the Year has led the conference in tackles the past two seasons and has 268 career tackles He leads the SoCon this year (12 0);

u ABOUT HEAD COACH SCOTT WACHENHEIM: Is in his eighth season as head coach on post in Lexington, Va In the Spring 2021 season, guided VMI to a 6-1 regular season record before fall ing to James Madison in the FCS Playoff, the first FCS playoff appearance in program history with VMI also earning its first national ranking in program history In the Fall of 2021, guided VMI to a 6-5 record representing the first back-to-back winning seasons for the Keydets since 1961-62;

u Was named the Stats Perform FCS Coach of the Year, AFCS National Coach of the Year, and SoCon Coach of the Year (media & coaches) in the COVID Spring season

u DID YOU KNOW: Much like Western Carolina's Catamounts, VMI has a very unique nickname in the Keydets And no, a Keydet is not a Kangaroo, although the term "Keydets" has been used over the years to refer to VMI's athletic teams and the kangaroo has become the established mascot;

u The source and/or meaning of the nickname "Keydets" is not as easy to find, according to VMIKeydets com The problem lies in the fact that there is no definite meaning that has been found for the word There have been plenty of explanations offered – but none have been convincingly substantiated The United States Military Academy claims that it was a word used to denote the gray of the standard uniform of a cadet One less factual definition is that due to the Southern drawl of some of the members of the VMI Corps, the common term cadet was transformed into "Keydet"

u The story behind the kangaroo mascot is relatively simple: Back in 1947, two VMI cheerlead ers saw a picture of a kangaroo on the front of the magazine and realized how uncommon the animal was as a mascot As one of the mascots was finally procured, a contest was held to give the creature an appropriate name – the prize winning name was "TD Bound" Sometime later, the kangaroo's name was changed to "Moe" in order that he might be associated in all sports at VMI and not just football

ABOUT VMI SCOUTING THE KEYDETS

QUICK FACTS:

Location: Lexington, Va.

Founded: 1839 Enrollment: 1,685

Colors: Red, White, & Yellow

Conference: Southern (SoCon)

Facility (Capacity): Foster Stadium (10,000)

Superintendent: Major General Cedric T. Wins

Athletics Director: ................... Jim Miller

Senior Woman Administrator: Emily Fulton

Head Coach: ...... Scott Wachenheim (Air Force, '84)

Record at VMI: 24-54 (8th yr)

Overall Record: Same

Basic Offense: Air Raid

Basic Defense: 3–4

2022 SCHEDULE / RESULTS:

Sept. 4 at #22/19 Wake Forest L, 44-10

Sept. 10 BUCKNELL W, 24-14

Sept. 17 CORNELL L, 28-22

Oct. 1 at Western Carolina * 3:30 pm

Oct. 8 ETSU * 1:30 pm

Oct. 15 at Chattanooga * 1:30 pm

Oct. 22 FURMAN * 1:30 pm

Oct. 29 MERCER * 1:30 pm

Nov. 5 at Samford * 3:00 pm ET

Nov. 12 at Wofford * 1:30 pm

Nov. 19 THE CITADEL * TBA

WIDE

LINEBACKER #5 STONE SNYDER

HEAD COACH SCOTT WACHENHEIM

WESTERN CAROLINA CATAMOUNTS 2022 NUMERICAL ROSTER

0 T.J. Jones RB 5-11 205 Sr. Lakeland, Fla. (Tusculum / GMC / Lake Gibson HS)

0 Jaylen Floyd S 5-9 180 Gr. Miramar, Fla. (Lehigh / Miramar HS)

1 Desmond Reid RB 5-8 170 Fr. Hollywood, Fla. (Miramar HS)

1 Cameron McCutcheon CB 6-3 200 5th Seneca, S.C. (Gardner-Webb / Seneca HS)

2 Raphael Williams WR 5-10 165 R-So. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Tusculum / Dillard HS)

2 Rod Gattison CB 6-0 190 Jr. Hartsell, S.C. (Georgia Military / Hartsell HS)

3 Calvin Jones WR 5-10 190 So. Forest City, N.C. (East Rutherford HS)

3 Jacob Harris S 6-1 195 Jr. Greer, S.C. (Independence CC / Greer HS)

4 Kason Lincke QB 6-0 200 R-Fr. Mobile, Ala. (Mobile Christian HS)

4 C.J. Williams CB 5-10 170 So. Gallion, Ala. (Alabama / Demopolis HS)

5 Carlos Davis QB 6-3 225 Jr. Baltimore, Md. (East Mississippi CC / Mergenthaler Vo-Tech HS)

5 Mateo Sudipo S 6-1 205 R-So. Wake Forest, N.C. (Coastal Carolina / Wake Forest HS)

6 Terrence Horne Jr. WR 5-8 185 Jr. Miami, Fla. (USF / Miramar HS)

6 K.J. Milner DL 6-4 265 Sr. Hinesville, Ga. (Bradwell Institute)

7 David White Jr. WR 6-4 200 Jr. Jacksonville, Fla. (Valdosta State / Westside HS)

7 Hayward McQueen III LB 6-1 195 Fr. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (TRU Prep Academy)

8 Jalynn Williams RB 5-10 205 Jr. St. Petersburg, Fla. (Toledo / St. Petersburg HS)

8 Va Lealaimatafao LB 6-1 230 Jr. San Antonio, Texas (Cisco College / Warren HS)

9 Cole Gonzales QB 6-0 190 Fr. Ocala, Fla. (Trinity Catholic HS)

9 Micah Nelson DE 6-3 255 R-So. Murphy, N.C. (Murphy HS)

10 Censere Lee WR 5-11 160 Fr. Clearwater, Fla. (Clearwater HS)

10 Taurus Dotson Jr. CB 5-11 200 Sr. Miami, Fla. (Valdosta State / Northwestern HS)

11 Ajay Belanger TE 6-3 245 Jr. Green Cove Springs, Fla. (Tusculum / Clay HS)

11 Caleb Fisher DL 6-3 235 So. Decatur, Ga. (Columbia HS)

12 Brody Palhegyi QB 5-10 180 Fr. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Cardinal Gibbons HS)

12 Ken Moore Jr. CB 5-10 155 Fr. Miami, Fla. (Christopher Columbus HS)

13 Jaylin Terzado WR 6-0 170 Fr. Overtown, Fla. (Champagnat Catholic HS)

13 Tanner Cromer DL 6-4 250 So. Cincinnati, Ohio (Ellsworth CC / Reading HS)

14 De’Andre Tamarez WR 5-11 165 Fr. Overtown, Fla. (Carol City HS)

14 Nick Louis S 6-2 200 Jr. Miami, Fla. (Independence CC / North Miami HS)

15 Corey Reddick Jr. RB 5-10 170 Fr. Delray Beach, Fla. (Atlantic HS)

15 Ja’morri Downing S 6-0 190 Fr. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Stranahan HS)

16 Parish Metzger QB 6-0 200 R-Fr. Matthews, N.C. (David W. Butler HS)

16 Marquis Lymon S 5-10 205 Fr. Delray Beach, Fla. (Atlantic HS)

17 Samuel Cornett QB 6-6 225 Fr. Woodstock, Ga. (Frederick Douglass (Ky.) HS)

18 Malik Knight WR 6-2 170 Fr. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Fort Lauderdale HS)

19 Toler Keigley WR 6-1 190 R-Fr. Pensacola, Fla. (Mobile Christian HS)

20 Ed Jones IV LB 6-1 205 So. Arlington, Texas (Cisco College / Martin HS)

21 Andreas Keaton S 6-2 200 So. Powder Springs, Ga. (Hillgrove HS)

22 Branson Adams RB 5-9 185 So. Greensboro, N.C. (Dudley HS)

24 Samaurie Dukes CB 5-10 185 Fr. Miami, Fla. (Miami HS)

25 Darian Anderson Jr. CB 5-10 160 Fr. Miami, Fla. (Dade Christian School)

26 Jeremiah Noel S 6-0 185 Fr. Opa-Locka Fla. (Miami Killian HS)

27 Skylin Thomas LB 5-10 205 R-So. Lenoir, N.C. (Hibriten HS)

28 Jordy Lowery CB 5-11 190 Fr. Bartow, Fla. (Bartow HS)

29 Jhamari Pierre-Louis S 5-11 185 Fr. Delray Beach, Fla. (Atlantic HS)

30 Justin McMullen CB 5-10 170 Fr. Miami, Fla. (Booker T. Washington HS)

31 Joshua McMullen CB 5-10 170 Fr. Miami, Fla. (Booker T. Washington HS)

32 Malik Richardson DE 6-4 225 R-So. Sumter, S.C. (Lakewood HS)

33 Jaiden Bond RB 5-9 185 So. Boone, N.C. (Watagua HS)

34 Quenten Zanders RB 5-8 175 Sr. Shelby, N.C. (Cleveland CC / Crest HS)

35 Christian Murphy LB 6-1 220 Fr. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Dillard HS)

36 Brandon Benjamin RB 5-9 220 So. Fort Myers, Fla. (Missouri State / Dunbar HS)

37 Lee Campbell S 6-0 205 Fr. Charlotte, N.C. (Queen City Prep / Vance HS)

38 Brandon Dickerson P 5-11 190 Sr. Indian Land, S.C. (Indian Land HS)

39 Brayden Blackmon TE 6-3 230 So. Duncan, S.C. (Byrnes HS)

40 Cory Hennings S 6-1 210 R-Fr. Matthews, N.C. (Weddington HS)

41 Caleb Scott LB 6-2 240 So. Black Mountain, N.C. (Owen HS)

42 Jayion McMillan S 5-9 185 Fr. Chapel Hill, N.C. (Ahop Christian Leadership Academy)

43 Camury Reid RB 5-11 185 Fr.

Gastonia, N.C. (Forestview HS)

44 Antarron Turner LB 6-2 245 Fr. Kannapolis, N.C. (A.L. Brown HS)

45 Justin Wallace DL 6-3 235 Fr. Miami, Fla. (Killian HS)

46 Paxton Robertson K 6-0 205 So. Knoxville, Tenn. (Knoxville Catholic HS)

47 Blue Monroe LB 6-1 235 Fr. Concord, N.C. (Jay M. Robinson HS)

48 Brady Elms P 6-4 175 R-Fr. Raleigh, N.C. (Wakefield HS)

49 Payton McCracken WR 6-0 170 Fr. Murphy, N.C. (Murphy HS)

49 Corbin Shirley K 5-10 155 Fr. Seneca, S.C. (Seneca HS)

50 Jayelin Davis LB 6-0 230 So. North Augusta, S.C. (Morgan State / GMC / Fox Creek HS)

51 Aaron Sanez OL 6-2 295 Fr. Clearwater, Fla. (Clearwater HS)

52 Antwann Fann OL 6-3 320 R-So. Perry, Ga. (Kennesaw State / Perry HS)

53 EJ Porter LB 6-1 245 Jr. Atlantic Beach, Fla. (Coastal Carolina / The Bolles School)

55 Kevin Thompson LS 5-10 185 Jr. Rock Hill, S.C. (Northwestern HS)

56 Richard Garrett DL 6-4 230 Fr. Jacksonville, Fla. (Andrew Jackson HS)

57 Tyler Anderson LB 6-0 225 R-Fr. Greensboro, N.C. (Northern Guilford HS)

58 Giovanni Ricciardi LB 6-0 220 So. Clemmons, N.C. (West Forsyth HS)

59 Anthony Joseph LB 5-9 195 Fr. Winter Garden, Fla. (West Orange HS)

60 Joaquin Layno DL 5-10 295 R-So. Cherokee, N.C. (Cherokee HS)

61 Hudson Jones OL 6-2 280 Fr. Matthews, N.C. (Charlotte Christian)

63 Peyton Davis OL 6-2 305 R-Fr. Mooresville, N.C. (Lake Norman HS)

64 Colby Cross LS 6-0 220 R-So. Mooresville, N.C. (Lake Norman HS)

66 Derek Simmons OL 6-6 320 So. Jacksonville, Fla. (Abilene Christian / Fletcher HS)

67 Dalton Tomlison OL 6-4 325 5th Beaver, Ohio (UMass / Iowa Western CC / Eastern HS)

70 Christian Coulter OL 6-5 320 Jr. Thomson, Ga. (Tusculum / Thomson HS)

71 Cade McClellan OL 6-3 295 Fr. Plant City, Fla. (Durant HS)

72 Blake Whitmore OL 6-2 295 R-So. Raleigh, N.C. (Millbrook HS)

73 Samari Saddler OL 6-2 320 Jr. Cincinnati, Ohio (Eastern Michigan / Moeller HS)

74 Tyler Smith OL 6-8 310 R-Jr. Laurinburg, N.C. (Scotland County HS)

75 Caleb Carter OL 6-3 295 So. Jacksonville, N.C. (Southwest Onslow HS)

76 Nate Linkous OL 6-5 295 R-Fr. Cramerton, N.C. (Stuart W. Cramer HS)

77 Neyland Walker OL 6-5 305 R-Fr. Canton, N.C. (Charleston Southern / Pisgah HS)

78 Evan Carney OL 6-3 290 Fr. Nashville, Tenn. (Christ Presbyterian Academy)

79 Aidan Alston OL 6-2 295 R-So. Southern Pines, N.C. (Pinecrest HS)

80 Ryan Sims WR 5-8 160 Fr. Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Ft. Lauderdale HS)

81 Ca’Lique Cunningham WR 5-9 180 Fr. Rock Hill, S.C. (Northwestern HS)

82 Nate Abraham WR 5-9 160 Fr. Charlotte, N.C. (Providence Day School)

83 AJ Colombo WR 5-8 165 Fr. Waxhaw, N.C. (Cuthbertson HS)

84 Bryce Yaggi WR 6-0 195 R-Fr. Waxhaw, N.C. (Marvin Ridge HS)

85 Talon James TE 6-4 235 R-Jr. Fairview, N.C. (Univ. of Richmond / A.C. Reynolds HS)

86 Clayton Bardall TE 6-3 235 Jr. Cumming, Ga. (North Forsyth HS)

87 Cade Snotherly WR 6-0 195 R-Fr. Ramseur, N.C. (Emory & Henry / Eastern Randolph HS)

88 Antoine Bell WR 6-4 215 Fr. Charlotte, N.C. (Berry Academy)

89 Richard McCollum K 5-9 175 R-Jr. Sanford, N.C. (Southern Lee HS)

90 Marlon Alexander DL 6-0 300 Jr. Smyrna, Tenn. (Gardner-Webb / Smyrna HS)

91 Jaquarius Guinn DL 6-2 280 So. Clover, S.C. (Clover HS)

92 Brandon Smiley DL 6-2 300 Fr. Durham, N.C. (Palmetto Prep)

93 Chris Morgan DL 6-0 285 So. Maiden, N.C. (Maiden HS)

94 Timothy Jamison DL 6-4 255 Jr. West Columbia, S.C. (Hutchinson CC / White Knoll HS)

Desmond Barkley DL 6-2 345 So. Stockbridge, Ga. (Troy / Stockbridge HS)

Isaac McLellan DE 6-2 220 Fr.

Rock Hill, S.C. (Northwestern HS)

Caleb Bradford DL 6-1 280 R-Fr. Canton, N.C. (Pisgah HS)

98 Wisdom Simms DL 6-3 310 Fr. China Grove, N.C. (South Rowan HS)

99 Ronald Wilson DL 6-3 318 R-So. Mocksville, N.C. (Gardner-Webb / Davie County HS)

Juan Allen WR 5-10 140 Fr. Murphy, N.C. (Murphy HS)

Anthony Badgett CB 5-9 190 Jr. Greensboro, N.C. (Southeast Guilford HS)

Bryson Grabowski QB 6-1 180 R-Fr. Copperhill, Tenn. (Copper Basin HS)

Don Robinson III CB 5-10 170 Fr.

Winston-Salem, N.C. (West Forsyth HS)

Cam Rog WR 6-4 190 Fr. Wake Forest, N.C. (Rolesville HS)

Chris Van Kleeck LB 6-0 200 Fr.

Winston-Salem, N.C. (West Forsyth HS)

NO. NAME POS. HT. WT. YR. HOMETOWN (PREVIOUS COLLEGE / HIGH SCHOOL)

NO. NAME POS. HT. WT. YR. HOMETOWN (PREVIOUS COLLEGE / HIGH SCHOOL)

VMI KEYDETS 2022 NUMERICAL ROSTER

0 Eric Weaver DL 6-3 300 R-Sr. Fort Meade, Md. (Meade HS)

1 Korey Bridy RB 6-0 205 R-Sr. Chesterfield, Va. (Monacan HS)

1 Aljareek Malry DB 6-0 195 Sr. Lanham, Md. (Duval HS)

2 Evan Eller LB 6-1 210 Jr. Roanoke, Va. (Lord Botetourt HS)

2 Collin Ironside QB 6-2 205 R-So. Knoxville, Tenn. (Bearden HS)

3 Jack Caussin WR 6-3 200 R-Jr. Springfield, Va. (West Springfield HS)

4 Christian Dunn LB 6-3 215 R-So. Richmond, Va. (Benedictine HS)

4 Seth Morgan QB 6-3 200 R-Jr. Pittsburgh, Pa. (Mount Lebanon HS)

5 Rashad Raymond RB 5-10 185 R-So. Newark, N.J. (Cinnaminson HS)

5 Stone Snyder LB 6-3 225 Sr. Richmond, Va. (Monacan HS)

6 Chance Knox WR 5-10 160 Jr. Charleston, W.Va. (Capital HS)

7 Kyser Samuel DB 5-9 165 R-Jr. Columbia, S.C. (Gray Collegiate Academy)

7 Aidan Twombly TE 6-3 225 Jr. Waxhaw, N.C. (Marvin Ridge HS)

8 Max Brimigion WR 6-1 176 Sr. Weddington, N.C. (Weddington HS)

9 Julio DaSilva WR 6-0 170 Jr. Philadelphia, Pa. (West Catholic HS)

11 Andre Cooper WR 6-5 195 R-So. Orlando, Fla. (Lake Nona HS)

11 Alex Oliver DB 6-0 175 Jr. Mechanicsville, Va. (Atlee HS)

12 Wyatt Hagan QB 6-0 175 Fr. Chantilly, Va. (St. John’s College HS)

12 Jordan Smith DB 6-2 185 Fr. Louisa, Va. (Louisa County HS)

13 Tahj Summey DB 6-0 185 R-So. Herndon, Va. (Westfield HS)

14 Kaden Sonnabend TE 6-5 215 Fr. Savannah, Ga. (New Hampstead HS)

15 Leroy Thomas WR 5-11 180 Sr. Roanoke, Va. (Patrick Henry HS)

16 Jahleel Porter DB 6-0 185 Fr. North Charleston, S.C. (West Ashley HS)

16 Collin Shannon QB 6-1 200 Fr. Sevierville, Tenn. (Sevier County HS)

17 Josh Knapp DB 6-3 200 Jr. Abingdon, Md. (Archbishop Curley HS)

18 Miller Jay QB 6-3 195 Fr. Lexington, Va. (Rockbridge County HS)

18 Jason Johnson LB 6-2 215 R-Fr. Glen Allen, Va. (Glen Allen HS)

19 Sam Clendenin QB 6-0 195 R-Fr. Castroville, Texas (Medina Valley HS)

19 VJ Johnson WR 5-10 165 R-So. Virginia Beach, Va. (Catholic HS)

20 Shamus Jones DB 6-3 205 So. Chester, Va. (Thomas Dale HS)

21 Amari Baylor LB 6-4 215 Fr. Henrico, Va. (Varina HS)

22 Ty’rell Holley DB 6-0 175 R-Jr. Gatesville, N.C. (Gatesville HS)

22 Grant Swinehart RB 6-1 190 R-So. Bridgewater, Va. (Turner Ashby HS)

23 Austin White DB 5-11 175 Jr. Norfolk, Va. (Maury HS)

24 Hunter Rice RB 6-0 225 So. Daleville, Va. (Lord Botetourt HS)

25 Ebenezer McCarthy RB 5-11 190 Fr. Charlottesville, Va. (Albemarle HS)

26 Kouri Crump DB 6-3 180 Fr. Charlotte, N.C. (Wiliam A. Hough HS)

27 Jason Armstrong WR 6-0 182 R-Fr. Charlottesville, Va. (Monticello HS)

28 Marquan Jones DB 5-9 178 R-Jr. Charlottesville, Va. (Albemarle HS)

29 Aladdin Elroumy LB 6-2 185 R-Jr. Bedford, Va. (Liberty HS)

30 Robert Soderholm LS 6-1 230 R-Sr. Stafford, Va. (Mountain View HS)

31 Noel Innocent DB 6-1 170 R-Fr. Fredericksburg, Va. (Colonial Forge HS)

32 Bishop Cook DB 5-10 175 Fr. Abingdon, Va. (Abingdon HS)

32 Montrell Stanley DB 6-1 195 R-Jr. Battleboro, N.C. (Rocky Mount Prep)

33 Aaron Horton DB 6-1 160 Fr. Suwanee, Ga. (Collins Hill HS)

34 Steven Doldy DB 5-10 165 R-Jr. Pennington, N.J. (Hopewell Valley HS)

35 Stephen Dean LB 6-2 205 Fr. Mineral, Va. (Louisa County HS)

36 Elijah Quamiley DB 5-10 170 R-So. Norfolk, Va. (Norfolk Academy)

36 Ezra Varney RB 5-9 185 Fr. Wytheville, Va. (Fort Chiswell HS)

37 Eric Rankin LB 6-3 215 So. Ashland, Va. (Hanover HS)

38 Jason Cole LB 6-0 190 Fr. Suffolk, Va. (Kings Fork HS)

39 Luke Schalow RB 5-10 190 Fr. Ashburn, Va. (Briar Woods HS)

40 Jake Liberatore LB 6-0 205 R-So. Richmond, Va. (Douglas Freeman HS)

41 Jack Culbreath K/P 6-4 175 Jr. Charlottesville, Va. (Monticello HS)

42 Gavin Hudson LB 6-0 235 Fr. Oakboro, N.C. (West Stanly HS)

43 Mark Shelton RB 5-10 187 R-So. Stafford, Va. (Mountain View HS)

44 Dorien Starnes DL 6-2 250 So. Waco, N.C. (Burns HS)

45 Ernie Campbell DL 6-2 220 R-Jr. Richmond, Va. (Douglas Freeman HS)

46 John Covert DL 6-1 215 R-Fr.

Winfield, W.Va. (Winfield HS)

47 Tyrel Dobson LB 5-11 195 Fr. Radford, Va. (Radford HS)

47 Jabary Haslem LB 6-1 227 R-Fr. Woodbridge, Va. (Woodbridge HS)

48 Luke Mayr WR 5-10 187 R-Fr. 5 Lexington, Va. (Rockbridge County HS)

48 Bret McClung LB 6-1 220 Fr. Lexington, Va. (Rockbridge County HS)

49 Jonathan Hunter-Horton LB 6-1 195 R-Fr. Ashburn, Va. (Broad Run HS)

50 Tristan Mann OL 6-6 245 R-Jr. North Chesterfield, Va. (Monacan HS)

51 Terrell Jackson DL 6-1 265 R-Fr. Washington, D.C. (The Bullis School)

52 Tyler Swann DL 6-1 280 Fr. Mableton, Ga. (Pebblebrook HS)

53 Malachi Mills OL 6-4 265 R-Jr. Richmond, Va. (Douglas Freeman HS)

54 Ayden Jilson OL 6-5 307 R-Sr. Fredericksburg, Va. (Colonial Forge HS)

55 Charles Dixon DL 6-0 250 R-Jr. Chesapeake, Va. (Indian River HS)

56 James Bangura LB 6-0 225 Fr. Dumfries, Va. (Potomac HS)

57 Joseph Franson LS 6-1 198 R-So. Reidsville, N.C. (Reidsville HS)

58 Grayson Owens OL 6-3 205 R-Jr. Arlington, Va. (Yorktown HS)

59 Justin Peterson LS 5-11 205 R-So. Nokesville, Va. (Patriot HS)

60 Nathan Payne LS/T 6-3 210 Fr. Burke, Va. (Lake Braddock HS)

61 Jayson Tarpeh OL 6-6 295 R-Fr. Woodbridge, Va. (Freedom HS)

62 Jacob Griles LB 5-8 178 R-So. Chesterfield, Va. (Manchester HS)

63 Melsy Bonilla OL 6-0 245 R-So. Charlotte, N.C. (Independence HS)

63 Trey Reiter OL/DL 6-0 265 Fr. Daleville, Va. (Lord Botetourt HS)

64 Jarvis Chandler OL 6-5 270 R-Jr.

Bon Air, Va. (James River HS)

65 Owen Ham DL 6-0 245 Fr. Mechanicsville, Va. (Atlee HS)

67 Kaleb Priddy DL 6-0 225 R-So. Springboro, Ohio (Springboro HS)

68 Cole Holtz OL 6-2 240 R-So. Richmond, Va. (Douglas Freeman HS)

70 Will Reid OL 6-4 285 R-So. Richmond, Va. (Douglas Freeman HS)

71 Stephen Castle OL 6-5 235 R-So. Mechanicsville, Va. (Hanover HS)

72 Michael Perry OL 6-3 275 Fr. Fredericksburg, Va. (St. Michael the Archangel HS)

73 Austin Doyle OL 6-5 250 R-So. Lexington, Va. (Rockbridge County HS)

74 Marshall Gill OL 6-4 270 R-Sr. West Point, Va. (West Point HS)

75 Stacy Williams OL 6-3 294 Fr. Salem, Va. (Salem HS)

76 Jacob Ashley OL 6-6 295 Fr. Mount Pleasant, S.C. (Oceanside Collegiate)

77 Tyriq Poindexter OL 6-5 300 R-Fr. Roanoke, Va. (William Fleming HS)

78 Ben George OL 6-4 230 R-So. Clarksburg, W.Va. (Robert C. Byrd HS)

79 Tommy Inge OL 6-3 277 R-Fr. Blackstone, Va. (Kenston Forest HS)

80 Isaiah Lemmond WR 6-0 185 Fr. Sterling, Va. (Broad Run HS)

81 Trace Pedigo WR 6-4 185 R-Fr. Roanoke, Va. (Patrick Henry HS)

82 Isaiah Crockett WR 6-5 200 Fr. Woodbridge, Va. (Gar-Field HS)

83 Ivan Thorpe WR 5-10 170 Fr. Philadelphia, Pa. (Springside Chestnut Hill HS)

84 Ryan von Brandt TE 6-7 215 Fr. Middletown, Del. (Appoquinimink HS)

85 Travis Buchanan WR 5-7 155 R-So. Duluth, Ga. (Northview HS)

86 Joe Comello WR 6-0 190 Fr.

Olney, Md. (Our Lady of Good Counsel HS)

86 Jimmy Murphy DL 6-2 215 R-So. Golden Valley, Minn. (Hopkins HS)

87 Jaxson Clarke WR 6-2 180 Fr. Christiansburg, Va. (Christiansburg HS)

87 Shane Washko TE 6-4 225 R-So. Purcellville, Va. (Loudoun Valley HS)

88 Tice Toomy WR 6-4 210 R-Jr. Glen Allen, Va. (Glen Allen HS)

89 Daniel Cox WR 5-10 167 R-Jr.

90 Morgan McPhaul TE 6-2 230 Fr.

Roanoke, Va. (Patrick Henry HS)

Kinston, N.C. (Arendell-Parrott Academy)

90 Doug Sabol LS 6-1 195 Fr. Woodstown, N.J. (St. Augustine Prep)

91 William Dixon DL 6-4 220 Fr. Midlothian, Va. (James River HS)

92 Max Cullen DL 6-4 240 R-Fr. Richmond, Va. (Trinity HS)

93 Jerry Rice K/P 5-7 146 R-Jr.

94 Hunter Robbins DL 6-2 240 R-Fr.

95 Aaron Vardell K/P 5-9 175 R-Jr.

Daleville, Va. (Lord Botetourt HS)

Mechanicsville, Va. (Hanover HS)

Midlothian, Va. (Midlothian HS)

97 Geoffrey Speight DL 6-1 281 Fr. McDonough, Ga. (Union Grove HS)

98 Caden Beck K/P 5-9 155 R-Fr. Greenville, S.C. (Powdersville HS)

99 De’Andre Robinson DL 6-2 215 Fr.

Goochland, Va. (Goochland HS)

NO. NAME POS. HT. WT. YR. HOMETOWN (PREVIOUS COLLEGE / HIGH SCHOOL)

NO. NAME POS. HT. WT. YR. HOMETOWN (PREVIOUS COLLEGE / HIGH SCHOOL)

WESTERN CAROLINA – DEPTH CHART

CATAMOUNTS OFFENSE (PRO SPREAD)

QB 5 CARLOS DAVIS 6-3 225 JR.

9 Cole Gonzales 6-0 190 Fr.

RB 0 TJ JONES 5-11 205 SR.

1 Desmond Reid 5-8 170 Fr.

- or - 8 Jalynn Williams 5-10 205 Jr.

WR 2 RAPHAEL WILLIAMS 5-10 165 R-SO.

83 AJ Colombo 5-8 165 Fr.

WR 6 TERRENCE HORNE JR. 5-8 185 JR.

19 Toler Keigley 6-1 180 R-Fr.

- or - 14 De'Andre Tamarez 5-11 165 Fr.

WR 7 DAVID WHITE JR. 6-4 200 JR. 10 Censere Lee 5-11 160 Fr.

TE 11 AJAY BELANGER 6-3 245 JR.

86 Clayton Bardall 6-3 235 Jr.

LT 74 TYLER SMITH 6-8 300 R-JR.

75 Caleb Carter 6-3 295 So.

LG 77 NEYLAND WALKER 6-5 305 R-FR.

76 Nate Linkous 6-5 295 R-Fr.

C 72 BLAKE WHITMORE 6-2 295 R-SO.

73 Samari Saddler 6-2 320 Jr.

- or - 51 Aaron Sanez 6-2 295 Fr.

RG 52 ANTWANN FANN 6-3 320 R-SO.

67 Dalton Tomilson 6-4 325 5th

RT 70 CHRISTIAN COULTER 6-5 320 JR.

78 Evan Carney 6-3 290 Fr.

CATAMOUNTS DEFENSE (4–2–5)

DE 6 KJ MILNER 6-4 265 SR.

45 Justin Wallace 6-3 235 Fr.

NOSE 90 MARLON ALEXANDER 6-0 320 JR. 99 Ronald Wilson 6-3 318 R-So.

DT 91 JAQUARIUS GUINN 6-2 280 SO. 93 Chris Morgan 6-0 285 So.

BNDT 9 MICAH NELSON 6-3 255 R-SO.

94 Timothy Jamison 6-4 255 Jr.

LB 53 EJ PORTER 6-1 245 JR.

- OR - 8 VA LEALAIMATAFAO 6-1 230 JR.

LB 7 HAYWARD McQUEEN III 6-1 195 FR.

20 Ed Jones IV 6-1 205 So.

LB 14 NICK LOUIS 6-2 200 JR.

27 Skylin Thomas 5-10 205 R-So.

CB 2 ROD GATTISON 6-0 190 JR. 4 C.J. Williams 5-10 170 So.

S 21 ANDREAS KEATON 6-2 190 SO.

0 Jaylen Floyd 5-9 180 Gr.

S 5 MATEO SUDIPO 6-1 205 R-SO.

37 Lee Campbell 6-0 205 Fr.

CB 1 CAMERON McCUTCHEON 6-3 195 5TH

10 Taurus Dotson Jr. 5-11 200 Sr.

CATAMOUNTS SPECIAL TEAMS

KO 46 PAXTON ROBERTSON 6-0 205 SO.

89 Richard McCollum 5-9 175 R-Jr.

PK 89 RICHARD MCCOLLUM 5-9 175 R-JR.

46 Paxton Robertson 6-0 205 So.

P 38 BRANDON DICKERSON 5-11 190 SR.

46 Paxton Robertson 6-0 205 So.

H 38 BRANDON DICKERSON 5-11 190 SR.

9 Cole Gonzales 6-0 190 Fr.

LS 55 KEVIN THOMPSON 5-10 185 JR.

64 Colby Cross 5-11 220 R-So.

KOR 6 TERRENCE HORNE 5-8 185 JR.

- AND - 24 SAMAURIE DUKES 5-10 185 FR.

PR 83 AJ COLOMBO 5-8 165 FR.

8 Jalynn Williams 5-10 205 Jr.

25 Darian Anderson Jr. 5-10 160 Fr.

VMI – DEPTH CHART

KEYDETS OFFENSE (AIR RAID)

QB 2 COLLIN IRONSIDE 6-2 205 R-SO.

4 Seth Morgan 6-3 200 R-Jr.

RB 1 KOREY BRIDY 6-0 205 R-SR. 5 Rashad Raymond 5-10 185 R-So.

WR–X 15 LEROY THOMAS 5-11 180 SR. 9 Julio DaSilva 6-0 170 Jr.

WR–H 6 CHANCE KNOX 5-10 160 JR. 19 VJ Johnson 5-10 165 R-So.

WR-Z 11 DRE COOPER 6-5 195 R-SO. 8 Max Brimigion 6-1 176 Sr.

TE 7 AIDAN TWOMBLY 6-3 225 JR. 3 Jack Caussin 6-3 200 R-Jr.

LT 70 WILL REID 6-4 285 R-SO. 76 Jacob Ashley 6-6 295 Fr.

LG 73 AUSTIN DOYLE 6-5 250 R-SO. 61 Jayson Tarpeh 6-6 295 R-Fr.

C 54 AYDEN JILSON 6-5 307 R-SR. 68 Cole Holtz 6-2 240 R-So.

RG 79 TOMMY INGE 6-3 277 R-Fr. 71 Stephen Castle 6-5 235 R-So.

RT 50 TRISTAN MANN 6-6 245 R-JR. 78 Ben George 6-4 230 R-So.

KEYDETS DEFENSE (3–4)

DT 97 GEOFFRY SPEIGHT 6-1 281 FR. 52 Tyler Swann 6-1 280 Fr.

NOSE 0 ERIC WEAVER 6-3 300 R-SR. 55 Charles Dixon 6-0 250 R-Jr.

DE 45 ERNIE CAMPBELL 6-2 225 R-JR. 44 Dorien Starnes 6-2 250 So.

BANDIT 4 CHRISTIAN DUNN 6-3 215 R-SO. 29 Aladdin Elroumy 6-2 185 R-Jr.

WLB 2 EVAN ELLER 6-1 210 JR. 18 Jason Johnson 6-25 215 R-Fr.

MLB 5 STONE SNYDER 6-3 240 SR. 37 Eric Rankin 6-3 215 So.

SPUR 1 ALJAREEK MALRY 6-0 195 SR. 12 Jordan Smith 6-2 185 Fr.

CB 11 ALEX OLIVER 6-0 175 JR. 7 Kyser Samuel 5-9 165 R-Jr.

S 17 JOSH KNAPP 6-3 220 JR. 20 Shamus Jones 6-3 205 So.

S 23 AUSTIN WHITE 5-11 175 JR. 13 Tahj Summey 6-0 185 R-So.

CB 16 JAHLEEL PORTER 6-0 185 FR. 31 Noel Innocent 6-1 170 R-Fr.

KEYDETS SPECIAL TEAMS

PK 93 JERRY RICE 5-7 146 R-JR. 95 Aaron Vardell 5-9 185 R-Jr.

P 41 JACK CULBREATH 6-4 235 JR. 95 Aaron Vardell 5-9 185 R-Jr.

H 95 AARON VARDELL 5-9 185 R-JR.

8 Max Brimigion 6-1 176 Sr.

LS 30 ROBERT SODERHOLM 6-1 238 R-SR. 59 Justin Peterson 5-11 220 R-So.

KOR 1 KOREY BRIDY 6-0 205 R-SR.

- AND - 6 CHANCE KNOX 5-10 160 JR.

PR 6 CHANCE KNOX 5-10 160 JR.

11 Alex Oliver 6-0 175 Jr.

- or -

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WESTERN CAROLINA vs. vmi keydets

2022 WESTERN CAROLINA INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS

RUSHING

GP–GS Att Gain Loss Net Avg TD Long Avg/G

Desmond Reid 4–1 46 377 28 349 7.6 3 58 87.2

Corey Reddick Jr. 4–0 20 120 1 119 5.9 1 25 29.8

TJ Jones 3–3 25 97 0 97 3.9 0 18 32.3

Jalynn Williams 3–0 12 74 2 72 6.0 0 24 24.0

PASSING GP–GS Effic Cmp-Att-Int Pct Yds TD Lng Avg/G

Carlos Davis 3–3 159.47 75-107-6 70.1 967 8 72 322.3

Cole Gonzales 3–1 185.24 25-32-1 78.1 314 3 49 104.7

RECEIVING

GP–GS No. Yds Avg TD Long Avg/G

Raphael Williams 4–4 19 240 12.6 1 44 60.0

Ajay Belanger 4–4 14 119 8.5 1 18 29.8

TJ Jones 3–3 11 98 8.9 0 17 32.7

David White Jr. 4–4 9 159 17.7 2 53 39.8

Jalynn Williams 3–0 9 117 13.0 1 30 39.0

PUNT RETURNS No. Yds Avg TD Long

AJ Colombo 4 48 12.0 0 22

KICK RETURNS No. Yds Avg TD Long

Terrence Horne 7 169 24.1 0 39 Jalynn Williams 2 51 25.5 0 30

PUNTING No. Yds Avg Long TB FC I20 50+ Blkd Brandon Dickerson 9 398 44.2 58 0 3 3 2 0

PATs

SCORING TD FGs Kick Rush Rcv Pass DXP Saf Points

Richard McCollum 0 6-6 20-20 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 38

Terrence Horne 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 18

Desmond Reid 3 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 18

TOTAL OFFENSE G Plays Rush Pass Total Avg/G

Carlos Davis 3 137 62 967 1,029 343.0

Cole Gonzales 3 43 39 314 353 117.7

Desmond Reid 4 46 349 0 349 87.2

ALL PURPOSE G Rush Rec PR KOR IR Tot Avg/G

Desmond Reid 4 349 85 0 0 0 434 108.5

Terrence Horne 4 0 173 0 169 0 342 85.5

Jalynn Williams 3 72 117 11 51 0 251 83.7

RUSHING

2022 VMI INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS

GP Att Gain Loss Net Avg TD Long Avg/G

Hunter Rice 3 33 139 0 139 4.2 2 31 46.3

Rashad Raymond 3 25 113 3 110 4.4 1 19 36.7

Korey Bridy 3 6 30 2 28 4.7 0 9 9.3

Grant Swinehart 3 6 23 7 16 2.7 0 15 5.3

PASSING GP Effic Cmp-Att-Int Pct Yds TD Lng Avg/G

Collin Ironside 3 174.48 24-44-1 72.7 345 2 63 115.0

Seth Morgan 3 91.41 34-64-2 53.1 300 1 55 100.0

RECEIVING

GP No. Yds Avg TD Long Avg/G

Chance Knox 3 18 159 8.8 1 20 53.0

Leroy Thomas 3 14 109 7.8 0 41 36.3

Max Brimigion 3 4 90 22.5 1 55 30.0 Isaiah Lemmond 2 3 80 26.7 0 63 40.0

Andre Cooper 3 2 58 29.0 0 42 19.3

PUNT RETURNS No. Yds Avg TD Long Max Brimigion 1 15 15.0 0 15

KICK RETURNS No. Yds Avg TD Long

Korey Bridy 9 142 15.8 0 23 Chance Knox 1 13 13.0 0 13

PUNTING No. Yds Avg Long TB FC I20 50+ Blkd Jack Culbreath 18 707 39.3 50 1 5 2 1 0 |------------- PATs -------------|

SCORING TD FGs Kick Rush Rcv Pass DXP Saf Points

Hunter Rice 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 12

Jerry Rice 0 2-2 6-7 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 12 Five players tied 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 6

TOTAL OFFENSE G Plays Rush Pass Total Avg/G

Collin Ironside 3 38 -13 345 332 110.67 Seth Morgan 3 80 -10 300 290 96.67 Hunter Rice 3 33 139 0 139 46.33

ALL PURPOSE G Rush Rec PR KOR IR Tot Avg/G

Korey Bridy 3 28 28 0 142 0 198 66.0 Chance Knox 3 0 159 10 13 0 182 60.7 Hunter Rice 3 139 6 0 0 0 145 48.3

HEAD–TO–HEAD TEAM COMPARISONS:

WCU Offense VMI 158 ..............................Scoring ............................. 56 39.5 Points Per Game 18.7 117 First Downs 47 2,228 Total Yards Gained 904 557.0 Yards Per Game 301.3 832 Rushing Yardage 259 208.0 Rushing Average per Game 86.3 1,396 Passing Yardage 645 349.0 .......... Passing Average per Game......... 215.0

WCU Team Stats VMI 35–374 (93.5) Penalties–Yards 18–147 (49.0) 20/49, 41% 3rd Down Conversion 13/44, 30.0% 2/6, 33% 4th Down Conversion 2/6, 33%

WCU Defense VMI 129 Points Allowed 86 32.2 Points Allowed Per Game 28.7 1,505 Total Yards Allowed 950 376.2 Yards Allowed Per Game 316.7 533 Rushing Yards Allowed 400 133.2 Rushing Average Allowed 133.3 972 Passing Yards Allowed 550 243.0 Passing Average Allowed 183.3

202 VMI DEFENSIVE LEADERS:

Tackles Leaders: GP UA–AA = Total Avg.

Stone Snyder 3 16–20 = 36 12.0

Evan Eller 3 12–15 = 27 9.0

Alex Oliver 3 13–12 = 25 8.3

Christian Dunn 3 11–11 = 22 7.3

Aljareek Malry 3 6–10 = 16 5.3

Josh Knapp 3 6–9 = 15 5.0

Jahleel Porter 3 5–5 = 10 3.3

Ernie Campbell 3 4–4 = 8 2.7

Dorien Starnes 3 3–5 = 8 2.7

Eric Weaver 3 4–4 = 8 2.7

Austin White 3 2–6 = 8 2.7

TFL Leaders: Total Yds

Christian Dunn 4.0 22 Evan Eller 3.5 12

Sacks Leaders: Total Yds

Christian Dunn 3.0 13

Evan Eller 1.0 8

Interceptions Leaders: Total – Return Yds

Josh Knapp 2 – 7

Fumbles Forced Leader: Total Stone Snyder 1

Fumbles Recovered Leader: Total none

LOOKING BACK: LAST TIME WE MET WESTERN CAROLINA AT VMI

TEAM STATS: WCU VMI

FIRST DOWNS 27 24

Rushing 8 13

Passing 17 10

Penalty 2 1

RUSHING 217 223

SCORING SUMMARY:

QTR TIME PLAY

1st 12:25

ATTENDANCE: 5,000

DRIVE SUMMARY WCU VMI

WCU – Owen Cosenke 6 yd pass from Rogan Wells (McCollum kick) 9 plays, 68 yds, 2:35 7 0

11:02 WCU – Daquan Patten 78 yd punt return (McCollum kick) 14 0

6:55

4:37

0:45

2nd 11:27

WCU – Kenny Benjamin 5 yd run (McCollum kick) 9 plays, 90 yds, 2:27 21 0

VMI – Leroy Thomas 39 yd pass from Seth Morgan (Jerry Rice kick) 6 plays, 70 yds, 2:18 21 7

VMI – Aidan Twombly 12 yd pass from Seth Morgan (Jerry Rice kick) 5 plays, 59 yds, 1:26 21 14

VMI – Hunter Rice 2 yd run (Jerry Rice kick) 8 plays, 55 yds, 2:52 21 21

6:40 WCU – TJ Jones 1 yd run (McCollum kick)

3rd 7:36

4th 14:51

14 plays, 75 yds, 4:47 28 21

WCU – Calvin Jones 59 yd pass from Rogan Wells (McCollum kick) 1 plays, 59 yds, 0:10 35 21

VMI – Jerry Rice 28 yd field goal

12 plays, 75 yds, 4:54 35 24

10:42 WCU – Raphael Williams 30 yd pass from Rogan Wells (McCollum kick) 2 plays, 51 yards, 0:58 42 24

6:33 WCU – McCollum 23 yd field goal

5 plays, 38 yards, 2:38 45 24

0:30 WCU – Daquan Patten 3 yd pass from Rogan Wells (McCollum kick) 11 plays, 48 yards, 6:00 52 24

Rushing Att 36 37

Yds per rush 6 0 6 0

Rushing TDs 2 1

Yards Gained 237 223

Yards Lost 20 0

PASSING 399 205 Comp-Att 30-51-0 23-47-3

Yds per pass 13 3 8 9

Passing TDs 4 2

TOTAL YARDS 616 428

Plays 87 84

Fumbles–Lost 2–2 1–1

Interceptions 0 3

PENALTIES 8–73 4–37

TURNOVERS 2 4

TIME OF POSS 33:16 26:44

3RD DOWN CONV 7 of 19 8 of 18

4TH DOWN CONV 4 of 4 0 of 2

WCU senior quarterback ROGAN WELLS threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns on 30-of-51 passing while rushing for a team-best 86 yards in the road win, his final collegiate game. Wells found four different receivers for scores as CALVIN JONES, RAPHAEL WILLIAMS, OWEN COSENKE, and DAQUAN PATTEN each tallied receiving scores –Patten added a 78-yard punt return for a score in the win.

FGS MADE 1 for 1 1 for 1

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS:

PASSING

Rogan Wells, WCU 30-51-0 399 yds, 4 TDs

Seth Morgan, VMI 23-47-3 205 yds, 2 TDs

RUSHING

Rogan Wells, WCU 15 carries, 84 yds

TJ Jones, WCU 11 carries, 75 yds, TD

Rashad Raymond, VMI 19 carries, 105 yds

Seth Morgan, VMI 5 carries, 44 yds

Catamount wide receiver and return specialist CALVIN JONES had a career day against the Keydets, finishing with a career-high 10 receptions for a career-best 195 receiving yards including a 59-yard touchdown catch. Jones amassed 233 allpurpose yards, adding 38 yards on a pair of kickoff returns in the winning effort.

Defensive back CAMERON McCUTCHEON tallied one of WCU's three interceptions on the day as IVAN HOGANS had a pair of picks. LB KAREEM TAYLOR led WCU with 11 stops defensively as the unit created four takeaways in the victory in WCU's 2021 season finale.

RECEIVING

Calvin Jones, WCU 10 rec. 195 yds, TD

Kenny Benjamin, WCU 5 rec. 57 yds

Aidan Twombly, VMI 8 rec. 88 yds, TD

Leroy Thomas, VMI 7 rec. 65 yds, TD

DEFENSIVE LEADERS:

TACKLES

Kareem Taylor, WCU 11 tckls (6ua, 5a)

Ty Harris, WCU 8 tckls (3ua, 5a)

Andreas Keaton, WCU 6 tckls (6ua)

Ethan Caselberry, VMI 14 tckls (10ua, 4a), FF/FR

Josh Knapp, VMI 11 tckls (7ua, 4a)

Stone Snyder, VMI 9 tckls (7ua, 2a), 4 TFLs

SACKS none

Stone Snyder 2 sacks, 15 yds loss

2022 CATAMOUNT FOOTBALL – SEASON GAME-BY-GAME

at Charleston Southern Saturday, Sept. 3 Charleston, S.C. W, 52-38

at Georgia Tech Saturday, Sept. 10 Atlanta, Ga. L, 35-17

PRESBYTERIAN Saturday, Sept. 17 CULLOWHEE W, 77-21

at No. 21/22 Samford * Saturday, Sept. 24 Birmingham, Ala. L, 35-12

VMI * Saturday, Oct. 1 CULLOWHEE 3:30 pm

at Mercer * Saturday, Oct. 8 Macon, Ga. 4:00 pm

at Furman * Saturday, Oct. 15 Greenville, S.C. 2:00 pm

THE CITADEL * Saturday, Oct. 22 CULLOWHEE 2:00 pm

WOFFORD * Saturday, Nov. 5 CULLOWHEE 2:00 pm

at ETSU * Saturday, Nov. 12 Johnson City, Tenn. 1:00 pm

CHATTANOOGA * Saturday, Nov. 19 CULLOWHEE 1:00 pm

2022 NCAA FCS PLAYOFFS Saturday, Nov. 26 TBA

CHARLESTON, SC – Western Carolina raced out to a 31-7 lead over Charleston Southern and held on for its first season-opening road win in 20 years with the 52-38 win at Buccaneer Field. QB Carlos Davis amassed 461 yards of total offense including a career-high 433 passing yards and a school-record six touchdown passes to six different players – 5 receivers, one running back. It was the second career 400-yard passing game for Davis. Dating back to last season, the Catamounts have won five of their last six games overall that includes four-straight road games.

ATLANTA – Carlos Davis threw a pair of first quarter touchdowns as Western Carolina jumped out to an early 14-7 lead, but four turnovers proved costly as Georgia Tech used a strong ground attack and four-consecutive touch downs including a 14-point second quarter to upend the upset-minded Catamounts 35-17 at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Western Carolina outgained Georgia Tech 390-to-343 in total offensive yards in the loss, with the Catamounts losing a fumble and tossing three interceptions to thwart the upset bid.

CULLOWHEE, NC – Western Carolina shook off a sluggish offensive start to match a school-record for points and set a program record with a balanced 766 yards of total offense in cruising to a 77-21 home-opening victory over Presby terian. Five different quarterbacks orchestrated scoring drives with freshman Cole Gonzales tossing three TD passes and scoring one on the ground with three Catamounts – running backs Desmond Reid and Corey Reddick and wide receiver De'Andre Tamarez – scoring twice, while Reid rushed for 175 yards. WCU had seven sacks defensively.

BIRMINGHAM – Western Carolina amassed 456 yards of total offense including 310 yards through the air and 156 rushing yards but was held out of the endzone in settling for a career-best four Richard McCollum field goals as No. 21/22 Samford handed the Catamounts a league-opening 35-12 setback at Seibert Stadium. Bulldog QB Michael Hiers finished 24-of-30 for 292 passing yards with four touchdown passes to four different receivers while tossing his first interception of the season.

WCU begins the home portion of its league schedule by hosting VMI on Sat., Oct. 1 for the Family Weekend and EBCI Day in Cullowhee. The Catamounts lead the all-time series, 24-4, over VMI – but saw its 17-game series win streak snapped in the most recent meeting in Cullowhee in spring 2021 as the Keydets won, 30-7. Four different receivers caught TD passes, Calvin Jones caught 10 passes for 195 yards, and Daquan Patten returned a punt 78 yards in last year’s 52-24 Catamount victory in Lexington last fall.

Western Carolina looks to halt a six-game slide in the series with the Mercer Bears when it visits Five Star Stadium in Macon, Ga. The Catamounts rallied from a two touchdown, first-half deficit in Cullowhee last fall, clawing even in the fourth quarter only to see Mercer capitalize on a pair of fourth quarter WCU miscues to spoil Homecoming with a 34-23 win at Whitmire Stadium / Waters Field. QB Carlos Davis made his first career start for WCU.

Western Carolina visits chromatic rival Furman in mid-October for the “Battle for Purple Supremacy: in the South ern Conference. WCU halted a five-game slide to the Paladins in Cullowhee last season, edging Furman 43-42. WCU trails in the all-time series, 13-34-2 all-time. WCU has dropped three-straight at Paladin Stadium since upend ing Furman, 35-17, back in 2014.

The Catamounts look to make it three-in-a-row in the series against The Citadel as the Bulldogs come to Cullowhee on “Heroes Day.” QB Carlos Davis had a career day, passing for 401 yards and three touchdowns while RB TJ Jones amassed 205 total yards including 132 on the ground last fall as WCU scored its first victory under head coach Kerwin Bell, halting a six-game seasonal slide.

Following its bye week, Western Carolina hosts Wofford in Cullowhee. WCU ended a four-game series slide against the Terriers with a convincing 41-21 win in Spartanburg, S.C., in 2021. WR Raphael Williams caught a WCU singlegame school-record 16 passes for 177 yards and two TDs in the victory. Wofford leads the all-time series, 15-28. The early-November match-up is the first in Cullowhee since 2018 after COVID cancelled the 2020 series meeting.

The mountain-rivalry is rekindled in WCU’s final road game of 2022 as the Catamounts visit defending SoCon champion ETSU in the “Blue Ridge Border Battle” with the traveling trophy again on the line. ETSU retained “the Rock” with a 56-35 win in Cullowhee in 2021. The all-time series now stands even at 25-25-1 with three of the last four series meetings decided in one-possession games including a pair of overtime games.

Western Carolina concludes the regular-season portion of its 2022 schedule by hosting one of the league’s fa vorites, Chattanooga, at Whitmire Stadium. The Mocs have won three-straight over WCU with victories in 11 of the past 12 meetings overall. The last two series meetings – 2019 and 2021 – were both played in Chattanooga with the Nov. 19 match-up marking the first in Cullowhee since 2018 after COVID cancelled the 2020 series meeting.

Western Carolina looks to halt a 39-year drought of advancing to the NCAA postseason. WCU looks to make a return to the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs for the first time since making a run to the national title game in 1983 – the FIRST SoCon team to play for the national title. The Southern Conference regular season champion will garner the league’s automatic bid into the postseason field.

head coach

KERWIN BELL

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

BORN: June 15, 1965

HOMETOWN: Mayo, Fla.

ALMA MATER: Florida, 1987

FAMILY: Wife, Cosette Odom; Three children; Kade, Kolton, and Kenzley

PLAYING EXPERIENCE:

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, former walk-on, three-year starter at QB (1984-88); SEC Player of the Year (1984); First-Team All-SEC (1985) and Honorable mention AllAmerica (1985, 1986)

u Florida–Georgia Hall of Fame, 1996 inductee

u Univ. of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame, 1997 inductee

MIAMI DOLPHINS (NFL), 7th-round draft pick (180), 1988

ATLANTA FALCONS (NFL), 1988

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (NFL), 1989

ORLANDO THUNDER (WLAF), 1991-92

SACRAMENTO GOLD MINERS (CFL), 1993-94

EDMONTON ESKIMOS (CFL), 1995

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (NFL), 1996-97

TORONTO ARGONAUTS (CFL), 1998

An accomplished player who worked his way from walkon to All-American to the National Football League, and a 12-year veteran head coach who won a combined four conference championships and the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championship, KERWIN BELL was named the 14th head football coach at Western Carolina University by Director of Athletics Alex Gary on April 27, 2021.

Bell entered the 2021 season with 97 career victories between his three coaching stops.

Western Carolina rebounded from a six-game slide to start Bell's first season in Cullowhee in 2021 by winning four of its final five games to finish the Southern Conference slate at 4-4. After being picked ninth in the preseason, the Catamounts finished tied for fourth in the league SoCon standings, defeating both teams amongst the tie including a 43-42 win over Furman in Cullowhee and a 52-24 win over defending conference champion VMI to end the regular-season.

Bell came to Cullowhee having served as the offensive coordinator at the University of South Florida under head coach Charlie Strong in 2019. He most recently walked off the field as a head coach following the 2018 NCAA Division II national championship, leading the Valdosta State Blazers where he coached for three seasons, twice making playoff appearances.

Over a 12-year head coaching career, Bell led the football programs at Valdosta State (2016-18) and Jacksonville University (2007-15). He did this coming on the heels of a 13-year playing career in professional football that included several stops in the NFL and the Canadian Football League.

Bell served three seasons as the head coach at Valdosta State where he also guided the offense. He led the Blazers to a 27-7 record during his tenure including a school-record 15 straight victories, two Division II playoff appearances, and won both a conference and a national championship in 2018. He was named the 2018 Don Hansen NCAA Division II Co-Coach of the Year and the Gulf South Conference Co-

Coach of the Year after leading VSU to a 14-0 record – the first unbeaten season in program history that included a thrilling 49-47 victory over Ferris State in the D-II National Championship game. Picked fifth in their conference in the preseason and the No. 3 seed entering the playoffs, the Blazers finished No. 1 nationally in the final AFCA D–II poll.

Bell’s 2018 offense led the nation in scoring (52.0 ppg), ranked second in first downs (341), and was fourth in total offense (523.9 ypg), red-zone offense (.901), and pass efficiency (167.37). The Blazers scored 728 points on the year, the most in NCAA Division II history, as they posted 7,334 yards (3,676 rushing/3,658 passing) and 7.9 yards per play on the year.

Within Bell’s system, VSU sophomore quarterback Rogan Wells finished as the runner-up for the Harlon Hill Trophy, presented to the Division II Player of the Year, and was named both the Region Two and Gulf South Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Wells accounted for 50 touchdowns on the year (including one receiving), led the nation in points responsible for (300), was second in passing

u CFL East All-Star (1998)

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (CFL), 1999-2000

TORONTO ARGONAUTS (CFL), 2000-01

COACHING EXPERIENCE:

UNIV. OF FLORIDA, graduate assistant (1990)

TORONTO ARGONAUTS, offensive coordinator (2000-01)

TRINITY CATHOLIC HIGH, head coach (2002-06)

JACKSONVILLE UNIV., head coach (2007-15)

u Pioneer Football League Coach of the Year (2008)

VALDOSTA STATE UNIV., head coach (2016-18)

u Gulf South Conference Co-Coach of the Year (2018)

u Don Hansen NCAA Division II Co-Coach of the Year (2018)

u NCAA Division II National Champion (2018)

UNIV. OF SOUTH FLORIDA, offensive coordinator (2019)

WESTERN CAROLINA UNIV., head coach (2021–)

touchdowns (38) and points responsible for per game (21.4 ppg), 10th in passing yards (3,075), 12th in passing efficiency (160.6) and 25th in total offense (271.9 ypg). He finished second on the team with 732 yards rushing and led the team with 11 rushing touchdowns.

Additionally, senior offensive linemen Jeremy King was the runner-up for the Gene Upshaw Award presented to the most outstanding Division II lineman.

Bell led VSU to runner-up conference finishes in his first two years guiding the program and went 8-3 with a playoff appearance in his first season at the helm in 2016 as the Blazers led the nation with 27 interceptions on defense.

Prior to Valdosta, Bell led Jacksonville University for nine seasons, guiding the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) program to a 66-35 record and three Pioneer Football League (PFL) championships. Serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach as well as head coach, Bell was named the 2008 PFL Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award after leading the Dolphins to a 9-4 seasonal record and conference title.

He also led Jacksonville to a school-best 10-1 record and conference championship in 2010 as the Dolphins led the nation in total (486 ypg) and scoring (42.2 ppg) offense. JU also posted a 9-2 overall mark and won a conference title in 2014.

Before taking over the Jacksonville program, Bell led Trinity Catholic High School in Ocala, Fla., for six seasons (2001-06), earning a Florida 2B state title in 2005 and runnerup finish in 2006. His coaching career began in earnest at the end of his professional playing career as he served as the offensive coordinator for two seasons while still a player for the Toronto Argonauts (2000-01).

Originally from Mayo, Fla., Bell was a quarterback at the University of Florida from 1983-87 where he completed over 57 percent of his 953 pass attempts for 7,585 yards and 56 touchdowns. A former walk-on, Bell concluded his collegiate career as the SEC Player of the Year in 1984 after leading Florida to a 9-1-1 record and a conference championship, and both a first-team All-SEC selection and

All-America honorable mention in 1985, a season that saw the Gators earn the programs first-ever No. 1 national ranking in the Associated Press poll. Garnering a second honorable mention All-America honor in 1986, Bell was a 1987 team captain and earned the program’s Fergie Ferguson Award.

Bell was ranked the No. 26 Greatest Gator of all-time from the first 100 years of football at Florida in 2006 by The Gainesville Sun. Bell later served as a graduate assistant for the 1990 season under Steve Spurrier at Florida after earning a degree in psychology in 1987.

He was selected in the seventh round of the 1988 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, beginning his 13-year professional career that saw stops with the NFL teams in Miami, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, and Indianapolis as well as stops in the Canadian Football League, where he passed for 19,538 yards and 101 touchdowns in nine seasons, and the World League of American Football (WLAF).

Married in 1986 while both students at Florida, Bell and his wife, Cosette, have three children: sons Kade and Kolton, and a daughter, Kenzley.

DANIEL HOOKER

JEFF BRYSON

GARY AYERS

KADE

CHRIS

BRIAN COCHRAN

JEREMY DARVEAU

TODD

TRENT

SYDNEY

LARRY MURPHY

RUDI SMALL

RYLAN WELLS

WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY – 2022 FOOTBALL SUPPORT STAFF

WCU ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT STUDENT ASSISTANTS

WCU FOOTBALL VIDEO ASSISTANTS

WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY – SPORTS MEDICINE STAFF

MIKE TAYLOR

HEAD ATHLETIC EQUIPMENT MANAGER

Dylan Quick Student Assistant Klein Sawtelle Student Assistant

Jacob Floyd Student Assistant Ethan Harris Student Assistant Dante Johnson Student Assistant

Jeff Burger Volunteer Assistant Coach

Landon Brown Volunteer Assistant Coach

Adam Bobo, Jonathan Daniels, Carter Honeycutt Matthew Horne, Bryson Jusko, Bradley Krpejs, Josh Stapelton

TJ Earle, Eli Lautzenheiser, Josh Martinez, Trey Pickard, Andrue Smith, Cole Watkins

BEN JACOBS DIRECTOR OF SPORTS PERFORMANCE & NUTRITION

BAILEY FORST ASSISTANT SPORTS PERFORMANCE COACH

CONNOR OWENS ASSISTANT SPORTS PERFORMANCE COACH

AUSTIN DAVIS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF SPORTS PERFORMANCE

JULIA

HALEY BENNINGTON

AURORA GOUJON

KAYLYN

LINDSEY BARTLE

LEEANN GRAYSON

STEVEN HONBARGER

ROB REYBURN

To keep your life in motion.

like knee, hip, shoulder or back injuries can rob you of the activities you enjoy most From sports medicine to joint repair or replacement, we ’ re here to address the pain and get you moving again, close to home.

From the routine to the unforeseen, count on us.

CAROLINA

ALEX GARY

WESTERN CAROLINA DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

championship baseball team and participated in the NCAA regionals held in Wilson.

“I have a strong affinity and love for WCU. Three groomsmen in my wedding came from my time in Cullowhee as a three-year student athlete. WCU had an immeasurable impact on my life, and I welcome the opportunity to come back in a leadership capacity,” Gary said.

“My personal experience as a former student-athlete at WCU deepens my understanding of this institution and what is needed to advance Catamount Athletics. I couldn’t ask for a better opportunity to help develop student-athletes during a critically important time in their lives, especially at a place where I spent those same significant years,” he said.

At Oregon State, he has been a member of the execu tive leadership team responsible for the athletics depart ment’s $85 million budget, 150 employees and more than 500 student-athletes. He oversees the 16-member athletics development team, which raised nearly $26 mil lion in 2019, a record for the Beavers’ athletics program. That fundraising effort included a $3.5 million sports performance center renovation, $2.3 million women’s locker room renovation, and $2.6 million baseball stadium expansion.

Alex Gary, a former student-athlete on the Western Carolina University baseball team was dubbed the next director of the Catamount athletics program in late February 2020. Gary had most recently served as senior associate athletics director for development at Oregon State University.

WCU Chancellor Kelli R. Brown announced the selection of Gary on Friday, Feb. 28 to serve as director of athletics following approval of his contract by the university’s Board of Trustees during a special confer ence call meeting earlier in the day. The appointment, which is effective May 1, follows a national search conducted by a 15-member committee work ing with the assistance of the North Carolina-based executive search consulting firm Col legiate Sports Associates.

During his first couple of years as the Athletics Director at WCU, Gary successfully navigated the department through the COVID-19 pan demic while also overseeing the hiring of 50 employees including three high-profile sport head coaches – men's basketball head coach Justin Gray; Kerwin Bell, head football coach; and Alan Beck, head baseball coach.

Gary was appointed to the 2022-23 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee, officially beginning his appointment on Sept. 1, 2022 with a term running through Aug. 31, 2027. He was also appointed to the NCAA Baseball Rules Committee. His four-year term on that committee also began Sept. 1, 2022, and continues through Aug. 31, 2026.

Prior to coming to Cullowhee, Gary served as senior associate director of athletics and the department’s chief development officer at Oregon State beginning in Sep tember 2017. He previously served as associate athletics director for development and external relations at the University of Maryland from 2014 until 2017. He also has held development positions at the University of Michigan and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Gary’s professional experience in major collegiate athletics conferences, such as the Pac-12 and Big Ten,

combined with his personal familiarity with WCU as a former student-athlete make him a perfect fit to take over the helm of the Catamount athletics program, Brown said.

“I asked the search committee to identify an extraor dinary leader to guide the Catamount athletics program into the next era and who will provide our coaches and professional staff with the resources necessary to help our student-athletes enjoy the same level of success on the fields and courts of competition that they have had in the classroom in recent years,” she said.

“The committee has found exactly that in Alex Gary,” Brown said. “To borrow some terminology from the sport that Alex once played while representing the Cata mounts, this hire is a grand slam homerun and one that touches all of the bases.”

A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, who grew up in Charlotte, Gary was an outfielder on the WCU baseball team from 2001 until 2004, earning Southern Confer ence Player of the Week honors in March 2004. During his junior year of 2003, he was a member of WCU’s regular season and Southern Conference Tournament

During his stint at the University of Maryland, Gary chaired a committee focused on the financial sustain ability of the athletics department, and he led annual giving growth in the Terrapin Club by 22 percent in 2015 and 13 percent in 2016. As a member of the develop ment team at the University of Michigan from 2010 until 2014, he worked closely with the university’s athlet ics department, raising $12.8 million to support the Wolverines’ athletics program’s capital and endowment needs. He began his career in 2009 as assistant director of annual giving at UNC Charlotte.

“Western Carolina University’s growth and develop ment over the past decade have been impressive. WCU athletics has the ability to assist in that growth by raising the competitive bar across the 16 sports,” Gary said. “Research has proven that high-level athletics perfor mance is symbiotic with university success, allowing the university to increase its visibility and further its mission. I am confident in my ability to lead what may not be the most important room in the house, but potentially the most visible.”

He earned a degree in business administration in 2005 from Virginia Commonwealth University and his

master’s degree in business administration at UNC Charlotte in 2009.

Gary was selected from a slate of more than 40 quali fied candidates for the position after an initial narrowing of a larger list of possibilities, said Ivy Gibson, WCU asso ciate general counsel and chair of the athletics director search committee. Six candidates were interviewed by the search committee off-site in Charlotte.

“We had a very strong pool of candidates with a vast array of professional and personal experiences in the profession of athletics administration,” Gibson said. “I think that Alex Gary’s track record in athletics fundraising in particular will be a tremendous asset as the university begins to work toward implementation of some of the construction and renovation projects proposed in the recent athletics facilities master plan ning process.”

Brown appointed the search committee on Dec. 18 and set an ambitious and accelerated timetable to find a permanent successor for Randy Eaton, who served as WCU’s athletics director from Dec. 14, 2011, until Dec. 10, 2019. Mike Byers, WCU vice chancellor of administration and finance, managed the athletics department until Gary officially took over the helm in May 2020.

Gary and the former Katie Mavis of Saint Joseph, Mich., were married in a mountain-top ceremony in Oregon on Aug. 28, 2020. The couple has one daughter, Gianna.

Tyler Pope Director of Marketing and Fan Engagement

Jonathan Sessoms Director of Athletics Ticketing

Ric Sisler Director of Corporate Sponsorship

Greg Camillone Director of Creative Media

Kim Jamison Athletic Department Administrative Assistant

Mark Conlin Director of Athletic Facilities

Rory Jimerson Director of Game Operations

Trey Fisher Assistant Director of Game Operations &

Denise Gideon

Director of Media Relations

Arman Jones Assistant Director of Academics

Football

Haley Mitchell Assistant Director of Academic Support

Isaiah Lunsford Academic Support Assistant

Steven Grandy Director of Media Relations

Patrick Mullaney Assistant Director of Video Operations

Evan Ellis Director of Video Operations

Michael Gilbert Athletics Ticketing and Marketing Assistant

ALEX GARY DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

DANIEL HOOKER ASSISTANT AD FOR MEDIA RELATIONS

TRAVIS CHANDLER ASSISTANT AD FOR COMPLIANCE

KYLE PIFER DEPUTY ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

AMANDA MURCHIE

ASSISTANT AD FOR BUSINESS OPERATIONS

CHAD GERRETY ASSOC. AD FOR EXTERNAL OPERATIONS

ASHLEIGH SIMMONS ASSOC. AD FOR STUDENT SUCCESS / SWA

DR. ALEXANDER MACAULAY

WCU FACULTY ATHLETICS REPRESENTATIVE

JULIE MILLER ASSOC. AD FOR DEVELOPMENT / CATAMOUNT CLUB

WESTERN CAROLINA, CATAMOUNT FOOTBALL TO HONOR BRAD HOOVER’S NO. 41

Western Carolina Athletics today honors a well-known football student-athlete alum BRAD HOOVER and the No. 41 that he wore during his standout four-year Catamount career.

As a part of today's special ceremony, Hoover's number 41 will be enshrined alongside three additional honored numbers from WCU's football past and displayed at Bob Waters Field / E.J. Whitmire Stadium. Hoover's No. 41 will join the No. 54 of Art Byrd (1946-49), the No. 23 of Jerry Gaines (1970-75), and the No. 14 of four-time All-Southern Conference selection kicker Kirk Roach (1984-87). See more on Catamount Football's Honored Numbers on Page 84

A 2008 inductee into WCU's Athletics Hall of Fame and a two-time All-SoCon selection at running back, Hoover starred at tailback for the Catamounts from 1996 through 1999 before playing 10 seasons for the Carolina Panthers in the National Football League.

Affectionally known as "Hoov," Hoover continues to rank third in Western Carolina football history with 3,616 career rushing yards, trailing just second-place Detrez Newsome (3,728 yards from 2014-17) and all-time leader Darrell Lipford, (4,089 yards from 1974-77). His career tally includes a WCU single-season record of 1,663 rushing yards in 1998 which came on a single-season best 331 carries. Hoover's 708 career rushes additionally rank him third in program history, finishing fourth with a 5.10 career rushing average and tied for eighth with 23 scores on the ground.

During his record-setting 1998 season, Hoover keyed an upset of archrival Ap palachian State by rushing for 195 yards on a school single-game record 49 carries. WCU upended the second-ranked Mountaineers 23-6 in Cullowhee, returning the "Old Mountain Jug" to Cullowhee.

It's somewhat fitting that VMI provides the opposition today as he rushed for a career-high – and at the time, a program record – 251 yards and four touchdowns against the Keydets on Oct. 31, 1998. That mark currently represents the third-most rushing yards by a WCU back.

All told, Hoover recorded 15 career 100-yard rushing games, which is also third among Catamount running backs, surpassing the century mark in a program-best, seven-consecutive games in 1998.

Signed as a free agent by the Carolina Panthers in 2000, Hoover played 10 sea sons in the NFL, retiring after the 2009 season. Adding four digits to his honored No. 41, Hoover wore No. 45 as a professional, playing in 152 career games for the

Panthers. He finished with 961 rushing yards with three touchdowns on the ground while adding 1,046 receiving yards on 145 catches with six scores through the air over his pro career.

Among the highlights of his professional career was a start at tailback for the Panthers under the bright lights of Monday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers. In just his second professional start – and with the familiar chorus of "Hoov" raining down, Hoover rushed for 117-yards on Nov. 27, 2000, in Carolina's 31-14 victory becoming just the second rookie in team history to post a 100-yard rushing performance.

As a lead blocker, Hoover also helped pave the way for running back Stephen Davis to rush for a franchise-record 1,444 yards in the 2003 season, helping guide the Panthers to an NFC Championship and appearance in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY – CATAMOUNT CLUB / DEVELOPMENT STAFF

MARK WARREN DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

LAUREN RHYNE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, EVENTS, AND STEWARDSHIP

TAYLOR HOLMAN

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

JP HILL ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

JULIE MILLER

ASSOCIATE

WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY – COACHING STAFF

Alan Beck Head Coach Baseball

Derek Beasley Assistant Coach Baseball

Jeff Korte Assistant Coach Baseball

JD Mundy Volunteer Assistant Coach Baseball

Seth Graves Director of Player Development – Baseball

Justin Gray Head Coach Men’s Basketball

Jim Clift Head Coach Softball

Jayson Gee

Associate Head Coach Men’s Basketball

Zack Freesman Assistant Coach Men’s Basketball

Ryne Lightfoot Assistant Coach Men’s Basketball

Jaylen Gore Graduate Assistant Coach Men’s Basketball

Cody Cohen Video Coordinator Men’s Basketball

Molly Bachand Director of Men's Basketball Operations

Eileen Van Horn Assistant Coach Women’s Basketball

Kendra Samuels-Eaton Associate Head Coach Women’s Basketball

Megan Brown Assistant Coach Women’s Basketball

Jordan Worrell Director of Women's Basketball Operations

Karen Glover Head Coach Volleyball

Gillian Urycki Assistant Coach Track & Field

Daniel Haakenson Assistant Coach Track & Field

Bret Beaver Head Coach Women's Tennis

Taylor Svehla Assistant Coach Volleyball

Ashley Gasaway Assistant Coach Volleyball

Caitlyn Davis Head Coach Cheerleading

Hailey Schenk Assistant Coach Cheerleading

Lauren Brooks Assistant Coach Cheerleading

Jesse Norman Head Coach Cross Country / Track & Field

Courtney Gunter Head Coach Women’s Golf

Tim Eckberg Head Coach Men’s Golf

Madison Armstrong Assistant Coach Softball

Kiley Hill Head Coach Women’s Basketball

Chad Miller Head Coach Women’s Soccer

Nick Whiting Associate Head Coach Women’s Soccer

Maryanne Kilgore Assistant Coach Women’s Soccer

Jaylen

Jacob

Jalynn

Kason

Raphael Williams

Carlos Davis

Micah

Caleb

Ajay

Ken

De'Andre Tamarez

Nick Louis

Malik Knight

Jhamari

Jaylin

Samuel

Joshua

Justin

Kevin

Lee

Christian

Malik

Joaquin Layno

Giovanni Ricciardi

Cade McClellan

Plant City,

Nathan

Nate

Dalton Tomlison

Evan

Caleb

Neyland Walker

Christian Coulter

Thomson,

Hudson Jones

Matthews,

Tyler

Anthony Joseph

Copperhill,

Richard

Chris Morgan

Ronald

Juan

Brandon Smiley

Desmond Barkley

Stockbridge, Ga.

Chris Van Kleeck

Timothy Jamison

Anthony Badgett

Jaquarius

Richard McCollum

Antoine

Clayton

Talon

Bryce

2022 "PRIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS" MARCHING BAND

The students and staff of the 2022 "Pride of the Mountains" Marching Band are proud to present our 2022 production entitled, “Let It Burn” presented by B.H. Graning Landscapes, Inc. The directors, staff, student leadership team, and membership have worked incredibly hard to provide audiences with another unforgettable performance experience.

The "Pride of the Mountains" Marching Band is poised to set new performance standards in 2022, while continuing to push boundaries of design innovation and entertainment at the collegiate level. In addition to their halftime support, B. H. Graning Landscapes, Inc. is making possible the opportunity for The Pride of the Mountains to be a member of the Marching Health team. Marching Health is a nationwide physical conditioning initiative that serves as a training program for students in the marching arts. Through our involvement, students are receiving instruction on preemptive techniques that will reduce injury, and build a stronger body. We look forward to a long relationship with Dr. Elliot Cleveland, founder of Marching Health and feel confident that this program will build longevity to our students’ physical health while teaching best practices for life long wellness.

This fall promises to again be one of the busiest on record with regard to recruitment performances. Beginning Saturday, September 24th, the band will perform for over 3,000 spectators in exhibition at the J.F. Byrnes High School, SC competition which showcases 30 of the upstate’s top high school bands. The 21st annual Western Carolina University Tournament of Champions takes place on Saturday, October 15th, when we welcome 27 high school bands from around the Southeast to our campus as well as our world- class evaluation panel assimilated from across the United States. The "Pride of the Mountains" will perform twice during this event for over 10,000 attendees.

We are also very pleased to announce that the "Pride of the Mountains" has been asked to perform in exhibition at the Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis, Ind. This is the most elite high school marching band competition in the world, and we feel honored to be invited to share our talents at such an esteemed venue. Lucas Oil Stadium will play host to this world class showcase of elite bands, and we cannot wait to participate in this celebration of the pageantry arts!

About our 2022 production… ”LET IT BURN”

Part 1 – JOY

“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” – Henri Nouwen

We begin our show with a testament to living our lives with Joy in our heart, and in our daily lives. “Firework” by Katy Perry gives us a reminder that life is a gift, and should be celebrated every day. Living each day with Joy is a choice. We have to make that choice, and try to envision ourselves as being the hero of our own life story. Who do we want to be? How can we get there? It begins with Joy, and knowing that our internal flame must be fanned by our own positive choices. “Ode to Joy” by Beethoven symbolically states this idea of the power of positivity. “The Heat Is On” by Glenn Frey, and “This Girl is On Fire” by Alicia Keys are spirited songs that help fuel our flame, and gives focus as to why we should all make Joy a part of our lives, every single day.

Part 2 – LOVE & PASSION

“Northing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.” – Georg W.F. Hegel

It is so very important to begin with loving oneself, then focusing on what we can be passionate about in our lives. “Believe” by Cher is set in a ballad style that swells to an intense crescendo and encourages us to believe in ourselves. Our outstanding student vocalist, Ms. Kennedy Cox, will be featured and will certainly inspire you! “Love on Top” by Beyonce’ pushes us forward and really let’s Kennedy shine with her amazing talent. We must make ourself important, we must make our life passions a priority, and true happiness and fulfillment will follow.

Part 3 – ADVERSITY

“We don’t develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.”

– Barbara De Angelis

The pursuit of our purpose as people is always a challenging one. It is a difficult journey that is worth every step, because each step defines who we are. “Play with Fire” by Sam Tinnesz sets the tone as our percussion section is featured. Pushing our personal limits, and not being afraid to take chances along the way will help us to grow, but we will most certainly be faced with adversity. Our Gold Drumline and our Purple Drumline will demonstrate a musical and visual drum battle that represents the turmoil that we face, the conflicts we will deal with, and the coming to terms of moving through these difficult times, to be stronger in the end for it, and hopefully arriving with our own purpose defined.

Part 4 – PURPOSE

“Let your passion burn brighter than your fears.” – Mark Anthony

“Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele begins the final part of our show. It will once again feature Ms. Kennedy Cox, and will help to focus what we have learned. Living our life with Joy each day, loving ourselves and embracing our passion, and not being afraid to go through and grow from adversity in our life journey, will ultimately help us to arrive at our focused life purpose. As Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days in our life are the day you were born, and the day you find out why.”

Once you find that purpose, fan that flame, fuel that fire, and set your heart and soul ablaze with meaning and Joy. Once you find it – “LET IT BURN!”

"Pride of the Mountains" Marching Band Instructional Staff and Design Team

Dr. Jack Eaddy Director of Athletic Bands

Matt Henley Assistant Director of Athletic Bands

Trevor Bailey Assistant Director of Athletic Bands

Doug Thrower Music Arranger

Matt Henley Gold Drumline Director / Arranger

Jon Henson Front Ensemble, Rhythm Section and Sound Design/Arranger

Jamey Thompson Drill Designer

Bob Buckner Pregame Drill Designer

Emily Lawson Director of the Colorguard

Katie Pacifico Colorguard Director

Billy Pacifico Colorguard Choreographer

Ian Lewis Colorguard Choreographer

Kris Harris Colorguard Choreographer

Adrian Galvin Colorguard Choreographer

Rebekah Chadderdon Colorguard Instructor

Bobby Richardson Colorguard Instructor

Matt Henley Purple Drumline Director / Arranger

Tucker McGrew Front Ensemble Director

Heath Ballard Audio Production Director

STAFF COORDINATORS:

Jude Hahn, Brandon Rice, Keaton Shaw

2022 DRUM MAJORS:

Megan Newton (Head), Samantha Cannon, Cody Dalton, McKenzie Yazan

CAPTION COORDINATORS:

Andrew Brown, William Finigan, Gillian Robbins, Hannah Taylor, Katie Whitehouse

WESTERN CAROLINA FIGHT SONG

Fight on! You Catamounts, Fight for purple and gold. Fight on to victory, True warriors bold. Wave the royal banner high, And let it fill the Western sky. So, fight on! you Catamounts, Fight to vic–to–ry!

Western, Western, Go–Western!

Go—Cats!

Fight on! You Catamounts, Fight for purple and gold. Fight on to victory, True warriors bold. Wave the royal banner high, And let it fill the Western sky. So, fight on! you Catamounts, Fight to vic–to–ry!

Adopted in 1981, Western Carolina’s fight song was composed by members of the University faculty including Mr. Dick Trevarthen. Western Carolina and Catamount Athletics was saddened to learn of his passing this past August 2022

WESTERN CAROLINA ALMA MATER

Hail to thee, our Alma Mater; Faithful, kind, and true; Every son and every daughter Offers praise to you.

– CHORUS –

Hail to the dearest spot of all; Hail to WCU! Light and life and fond devotion, All to thee are due.

Purple robes and colors golden, Streaming everywhere, Swell our hearts with pride for olden Days and friendships dear.

– CHORUS –

Under shade trees’ friendly bowers, Voices, ever gay, Mingles with breath of flowers And the song birds’ lay.

– CHORUS –Shout aloud with one loud chorus, Voices clear and true, Lifted high in praise and honor, All for WCU!

– CHORUS –

DR. KELLI BROWN WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR

Western Carolina University is led by the Chancellor, the university’s chief administrative officer, with guid ance and policy oversight from the Board of Trustees.

As one of the 16 universities in the University of North Carolina system, WCU also falls under the adminis tration of the UNC system president and the Board of Governors, advised by the UNC Faculty Assembly.

As Provost, the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs serves as the top administrator for academics and as the senior member of the Chancellor’s Executive Coun cil:

WESTERN CAROLINA EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Dr. Kelli R. Brown, Chancellor

Dr. Richard Starnes, Provost / Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Mr. Michael T. Byers, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance

Mr. Alex Gary, Director of Athletics

Mr. Craig Fowler, Chief Information Officer

Mrs. Jamie T. Raynor, Vice Chancellor for Advancement

Dr. H. Samuel Miller Jr., Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

Mr. Shea Browning, General Counsel

Dr. Melissa Wargo, Chief of Staff

Ms. Jessica Woods, Assistant to the Chancellor

Dr. Kelli R. Brown is chancellor of Western Carolina Uni versity, a regional comprehensive university that serves more than 12,000 students with a wide range of bachelor’s degrees across the spectrum of arts and sciences disci plines and professional pro grams in business, education, health care, and engineering; more than 30 master’s degree and certificate programs; and five professional doctoral pro grams.

Dr. Brown took office as the 12th chancellor of WCU in July 2019, becoming the university’s first permanent female chancel lor. She previously served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Georgia College & State University. In July 2016, Chancellor

Brown was appointed interim president of Valdosta State University, a regional comprehensive university in south ern Georgia. She served in that capacity until a permanent president took office in January 2017, after which she then returned to her position at Georgia College. In addition to her leadership at Georgia College, she has taught under graduate and graduate students and has served in aca demic leadership roles at the University of Florida, Univer sity of South Florida, Illinois State University, and Western Illinois University.

Since her arrival at WCU, Chancellor Brown has high lighted several priorities that continue to enrich Western Carolina University’s profile and reputation: an institutional emphasis on quality and excellence; a commitment to di versity and inclusive excellence; and a focus on the uni versity’s role as an engine of economic development for its communities. Under Chancellor Brown’s stewardship, WCU will continue to capitalize on the opportunity to be a thought leader in regards to how regionally engaged uni versities can maintain a student-centered focus, with high

levels of teaching innovation.

Chancellor Brown has received awards for her leader ship. She is the former editor of the Journal of School Health and has served on five other editorial boards, including as an inaugural member of the Pedagogy in Health Promotion: The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning editorial board. A published and funded author, she has written extensively on school and community partnerships, school health, and the use of community-based prevention marketing.

Chancellor Brown earned her doctorate in education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; a mas ter of science and education in public health degree and bachelor of science degree in public health services, both from the University of Toledo; and an associate in applied sciences degree in dental hygiene from Michael J. Owens Technical College in Toledo, Ohio.

Brown is originally from the Midwest, and she and her husband of more than 30 years, Dennis, live in Cullowhee.

WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY – 2022 CATAMOUNT CHEERLEADERS

FRONT ROW (L-R): Hannah Wing, Airica Anderson, Caroline Lopp, Molly McAvoy, Sara, Grace Smith, Olivia Hawkins and Sarena Burrell MIDDLE ROW (L-R): Riley Ledford, Lindsey Mendzoa, Emma Shue, Kate Ammend, Marissa Clontz, Becca Kilpatrick, Kamdyn Anderson, Scotting Branning and Tiana Scarchilli

BACK ROW (L-R): Isabella Fazio, Savannah Jones, Catie Osborne, Nathan Campbell, Riley Sanz, Kasi Jones and Makenna Shipley

WESTERN CAROLINA’S POSTSEASON TEAMS

1949

North State Conference Champions

Western Carolina had struggled through its first 15 seasons of football with only two winning seasons in two decades, but all that frustration was forgotten in 1949 when Coach Tom Young completed a four-year, post-World War II building program with an 8-2 regular season and the school’s first North State Conference championship and first postseason appearance.

The Cats, led by a stingy defense, won its first five games and allowed only two touchdowns in those victories. The only blemishes on the season were non-conference losses to Maryville (20-13) and Emory & Henry (27-26) as Western finished unbeaten in conference play.

The team was rewarded by a bid to play in the Smoky Mountain Bowl in Bristol, Va., where the Cats lost to West Liberty State.

Art Byrd, a 165-pound guard, was named to the As sociated Press Little All-America Team, Western’s first AllAmerica selection. Linemen Buffalo Humphries and Hugh Constance along with backs Hugh “Pee Wee” Hamilton and Ralph McConnell joined Byrd on the All-North State Conference Team.

NCAA Division II Playoffs

Coach Bob Waters, who saw a perfect season and a trip to the NAIA playoffs denied by a loss in the final game of the 1969 season, led WCU to its first NCAA postseason appearance the hard way five years later.

The 1974 Catamounts, playing in a sparkling new stadium, lost their season and stadium opener to visiting Murray State and struggled the next two weeks before establishing themselves as one of the nation’s top NCAA Division II teams.

After the season-opening loss, the Cats continued to struggle offensively for the next two weeks but did man age wins over Tennessee Tech (9-7) and Appalachian State (21-14) with outstanding defense. The offense, behind the running of freshman Darrell Lipford and passing of quar terback Jeff Walker to Jerry Gaines and Eagle Moss, found the right gear and the defense continued its great play. In the process, the Catamounts won nine in a row—including victories over top 10 teams Indiana State and Western Ken tucky—and won a bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs where they lost a heartbreaker to No. 1 ranked Louisiana Tech, 10-7.

The 1974 Catamounts finished the season ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press College Division poll and their defense established team records that still stand to this day. Most significant was allowing a mere nine touchdowns on the season (eight rushing and one passing) and only three over the last six games. Gaines and linebacker Steve Yates were first team All-America selections.

• 1983 • NCAA Division I-AA National Finalist

Like the 1974 team, the 1983 Catamounts got off to a slow start by losing its first two games to Clemson and Wake Forest. After the two setbacks, WCU would go through the next 12 Saturdays unbeaten en route to the NCAA Division I-AA championship game – the first by a Southern Confer ence school.

The winning streak started in the third week of the season when WCU rallied from a 10-point deficit in the closing two minutes to defeat East Tennessee State, 17-16, and ended with a loss to Southern Illinois in the national championship game in Charleston, S.C.

Despite the strong comeback in regular season play that produced an 8-2-1 record and No. 9 national ranking, Waters’ Cats barely made it into the I-AA playoffs. They proved their worthiness the next three weeks with comefrom-behind, heart-stopping wins over Colgate (24-23), Holy Cross (28-21) and Furman (14-7). The win over Furman was particularly pleasing as the teams had tied, 17-17, in the regular season, and allowed the Paladins to win the SoCon title as they had played and won one more league game due to a scheduling quirk. Over 5,000 WCU fans traveled to Greenville, S.C., for the rematch which was aired by CBS-TV.

On the 1983 team, WCU had eight players named All-SoCon with head coach Bob Waters named Coach of the Year. Wide receiver Eric Rasheed and defensive back Tiger Greene selected All-America. Seven members of the ‘83 squad went on to play in the NFL and the team set an NCAA record for the most games played (15) in a season.

ART BYRD, a 165-pound two-way guard for the 1949 North State Conference championship team, was Western Carolina’s first All-America selection.

Linebacker STEVE YATES was leader and first team All-American on the 1974 team, which was WCU’s first to reach the NCAA playoffs, doing so at the NCAA Division II level.

The 1983 Catamounts advanced to the NCAA I-AA championship game after its 14-7 upset at Furman. WCU was the first Southern Conference team to play for the national title.

Friends. Family. Community.

Charles Wolfe, Agent

180 Webster Road Sylva, NC 28779

Bus: 828-586-4026

charles.w.wolfe.bwll@statefarm.com

We’re all in this together.

State Farm® has a long tradition of being there. That's one reason why I'm proud to support Western Carolina University.

Get to a better State® .

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WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY – 2022-23 DANCE TEAM

FRONT ROW (L-R): Skylar Poulos, Naidelyn Cruz and Nicole Stauffer

MIDDLE ROW (L-R): Matigan Rowe, Alex Henry, Kenzie Davis, Kimberly Hydrick, Alyssa Malgrat and Megan Normandin BACK ROW (L-R): Liv Wiesenhart, Samantha Harp, Bailey Burk, Julia Gerrer, Ashley Avant, Michelle Davis and Madison Tadlock

BOB WATERS FIELD AT E.J. WHITMIRE STADIUM

E.J. WHITMIREBOB WATERS

Construction of E.J. Whitmire Stadium was completed in 1974 at an initial cost of $1.66 million that was granted by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1971. The new facility, located on the southern-most expanse of the Western Carolina University campus, replaced Memorial Stadium and included the construction of the Jordan-Phillips Field House.

Dedicated on October 5, 1974, the Catamounts defeated Morehead State, 31-12, in their second game at the new facility. Murray State won the first-ever game played on the artificial surface at Whitmire Stadium on September 14, 1974.

Over the years, Western Carolina has posted highlight victories at the facility including wins over nationally-ranked squads such as No. 2 Marshall in 1992; sixth-ranked Appalachian State in 1998 to regain the Old Mountain Jug; and over No. 2 Furman in 2006.

Goal posts have also been removed from the premises on several occasions. Brad Hoover set a stadium and school-record with 49 rushing attempts in 1998 as WCU upset Appalachian State, ending a 13-year losing skid its archrival. In 2004, Western Carolina again reclaimed the Jug, posting a dramatic, 30-27, come-frombehind win over the Apps, and the goalposts fell once again in what was the program’s 100th victory at Whitmire Stadium.

In 2006, Western Carolina’s defense recorded five intercep tions and Darius Fudge rushed for 133 yards on offense to lead the Catamounts to a 41-21 victory over second-ranked Furman, setting the stage for another goalpost celebration.

The stadium has also hosted numerous television games over the years. One of the earliest came in 1978 as ABC showcased the Catamounts and Mountaineers from Cullowhee. Other broadcasts include ESPNU, SportSouth, Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast (CSS-TV) and most recently, the combined efforts of WLOS-TV and WMYA-TV in Asheville to air select WCU home games..

Currently with 13,790 seats, the football facility is located on the south end of the WCU campus and is bordered by the picturesque Cullowhee Creek on the west side; Jordan-Phillips Field House and WCU Weight Room on its north end; and the Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center, which in addition to serving as the home venue for men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball also features the Dale and Diane Hollifield Football Locker Room, WCU Football Offices and Team Room as well as the athletic training / sports medicine facilities.

Construction Completed: June, 1974

West Side Stands Completed: August, 2003

Current Seating Capacity: 13,790

Playing Field: Bob Waters Field, Artificial Turf (IRONTURF)

First game: Sept. 14, 1974 vs. Murray State (WCU lost 10-3) Dedicated: Oct. 5, 1974 vs. Morehead State (WCU won 31-12)

Largest Attendance: 15,247 on Nov. 12, 1994 vs. Appalachian State

BOB WATERS FIELD PLAYING SURFACE / FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS:

Western Carolina first installed AstroTurf on the playing surface in 1974. A similar product material was used in replacing the artificial surface several times. Following the facilities’ silver anniversary in 1999, a newer version of synthetic grass called AstroPlay was installed in 2000 for a cost of $1.2 million and was the surface that adorned Waters Field for the next eight years.

Amidst the 2008 season, the artificial surface was replaced by the Carolina Green Corporation which installed the Desso Challenge Pro 2 turf, a product of the overseas Desso Sports Systems. That surface remained until the summer of 2020 when Waters Field received a new surface. Designed by Woolpert, Inc., of Charlotte and executed by GeoSurfaces Southeast Inc., out of Mooresville, N.C., the group handled the removal and demolition of the old synthetic surface and replacing it with a new turf called “IronTurf” over a shock pad. The 2020 project also included resurfacing the perimeter immediately around the field and the addition of a new synthetic turf sled and practice area referred to as the “Hog Pit.”

In 2002, the creation of a $93,000 Team Room complete with meeting and office space, as well as storage, was completed on the second floor of the Ramsey Center.

Prior to the 2003 season, more facility improvements and upgrades to the stadium were completed. A $3.1 million addition featured a 4,000-seat West Side grandstand seating area that in cluded concessions and restroom facilities as well as new, updated lighting. The weight room in the Jordan-Phillips Field House was expanded, nearly doubling its previous capacity which also added a hospitality patio that overlooks the stadium on the north end zone. It also includes additional team meeting space, computer lab and visit ing team locker room. The field house and East Side stands were also bricked to match the brickwork of the Ramsey Center and of the new West Side stands.

Also, on September, 16, 2006, the Dale & Diane Hollifield Football Locker Room facility located on the first floor of the Ramsey Center was dedicated. At a cost of $225,000, the 100-plus locker facility was expanded with beautiful, wooden lockers located throughout.

During the off-season prior to the 2010 campaign, a new Dak tronics scoreboard with HD video screen were installed in the south

end zone – Ramsey Center end – of the facility. The state-of-the-art video screen measures 17-feet tall by 32-feet wide and includes a scoreboard with a matching score and time board adhered to the facade of the Jordan-Phillips Field House.

STADIUM BENEFACTORS AND NAMESAKES:

Western Carolina’s football facilities are named after two promi nent figures in Catamount Athletics. The late E.J. Whitmire, for whom the stadium is named, spent most of his adult life involved with the University. An educator, contractor, agriculturalist and public servant, Whitmire – from nearby Franklin, N.C. – served WCU for more than a quarter century with the attitude, leadership and “get it done” ability that made him successful in every walk of life.

Whitmire was on the WCU Board of Trustees from 1949-72 and was the driving force behind the University’s unparalleled period of growth. His tireless work served as the cornerstone of the structure that now bears his name. He was granted the Patron Award in the WCU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993.

In 1988, the playing surface where Robert Lee Waters made a name for himself in the coaching and administrative ranks while also putting WCU football in the national spotlight was dedicated in his honor and memory.

Bob Waters served as the University’s head football coach for 20 years and worked in a dual capacity as its athletics director for 15 years. During his tenure, he became the school’s winningest football coach with 116 victories, 13 winning seasons and top 10 national finishes at three different levels – NAIA, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division I-AA, now FCS). He also had the privilege of coaching 13 national All-Americans and 36 All-Southern Conference players.

As athletics director, Waters directed the school’s rise from NAIA to NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I competition and move into the Southern Conference in 1976. He was also instrumental in the planning and constructing of Whitmire Stadium, Childress Field (baseball) and the Ramsey Center.

Waters died on May 29, 1989 following a six-year battle with amyotrophic lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He was posthumously inducted into the WCU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1993.

ABOUT THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE

The Southern Conference, which celebrates its 101st year in 2022, is a national leader in emphasizing the development of the studentathlete and in helping to build lifelong leaders and role models.

The Southern Conference has been on the forefront of inno vation and originality in developing creative solutions to address issues facing intercollegiate athletics. From establishing the first postseason college basketball tournament (1921), to tackling the issue of freshman eligibility (1922), to developing women’s cham pionships (1984), to becoming the first conference to install the 3-point shot in basketball (1980), the Southern Conference has been a pioneer.

The Southern Conference is the nation’s fifth-oldest NCAA Divi sion I collegiate athletic association. Only the Big Ten (1896), the Missouri Valley (1907), the Pac-12 (1915) and the Southwestern Ath letic (1920) conferences are older in terms of origination.

Academic excellence has been a major part of the Southern Conference’s tradition. Hundreds of Southern Conference studentathletes have been recognized on CoSIDA Academic All-America and all-district teams. A total of 20 Rhodes Scholarship winners have been selected from conference institutions, most recently in 2012-13, when former Wofford volleyball player Rachel Woodlee earned the prestigious award.

The conference currently consists of 10 members in six states throughout the Southeast and sponsors 21 varsity sports and champi onships that produce participants for NCAA Division I Championships.

The Southern Conference offices are located in the historic Beaumont Mill in Spartanburg, South Carolina. A textile mill that was in operation from 1880 until 1999, Beaumont Mill was reno vated in 2004 and today offers the league first-class meeting areas and offices as well as a spacious library for storage of the confer ence’s historical documents.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE – MEMBERSHIP HISTORY

On Feb. 25, 1921, representatives from 14 of the Southern Inter collegiate Athletic Association’s (SIAA) 30 members met at Atlanta’s Piedmont Hotel to establish the Southern Intercollegiate Confer ence. On hand at the inaugural meeting were officials from Ala bama, Alabama Polytechnic Institute (Auburn), Clemson, Georgia, Georgia School of Technology (Georgia Tech), Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi A&M (Mississippi State), North Carolina, North Carolina State, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech) and Washington & Lee.

Dr. S.V. Sanford of Georgia was chosen as acting chairman and N.W. Dougherty of Tennessee was named secretary. The decision to form a new athletic conference was motivated by the desire to have a workable number of conference games for each league member. With 30 schools in the SIAA by the early 1920s, it was

impossible to play every school at least once during the regular season and many schools went several years between playing some conference members. In addition, in 1920, the SIAA voted down proposed rules that an athlete must be in a college a year before playing on its teams and refused to abolish a rule permitting athletes to play summer baseball for money.

Play began in the fall of 1921, and a year later, six more schools joined the fledgling league, including Tulane (which had attended the inaugural meeting but had elected not to join), Florida, LSU, Mississippi, South Carolina and Vanderbilt. VMI joined in 1923 and Duke was added in 1929.

By the 1930s, membership in the Southern Conference had reached 23 schools. C.P. “Sally” Miles of Virginia Tech, president of the Southern Conference, called the annual league meeting to or der on Dec. 9, 1932, at the Farragut Hotel in Knoxville, Tenn. There, it announced that 13 institutions west and south of the Appalachian Mountains were reorganizing as the Southeastern Conference. Members of the new league included Alabama, Alabama Poly technic Institute, Florida, Georgia, Georgia School of Technology, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Mississippi A&M, University of the South, Tennessee, Tulane and Vanderbilt.

According to the minutes of the meeting, Georgia’s Dr. Sanford stated that the division was made along geographical lines. Flori da’s Dr. J.J. Tigert, acting as spokesman for the withdrawing group, regretted the move but believed it was necessary as the Southern Conference had grown too large. The resignations were accepted and the withdrawing schools formed the new league, which began play in 1933.

The SoCon continued with membership of 10 institutions, includ ing Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Virginia, VMI, Virginia Tech and Washington & Lee.

The second major shift occurred some 20 years later. By 1952, the Southern Conference included 17 colleges and universities. Another split occurred when seven schools – Clemson, Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina and Wake Forest – departed to form the Atlantic Coast Conference, which began play in 1953. The revamped Southern Conference in cluded members The Citadel, Davidson, Furman, George Washing ton, Richmond, VMI, Virginia Tech, Washington & Lee, West Virginia and William & Mary.

A third major shift occurred in 2012-13, when five members an nounced their departures and three schools were added. College of Charleston announced its decision to leave for the Colonial Ath letic Association following the 2012-13 season, while Appalachian State (Sun Belt), Davidson (Atlantic 10), Elon (Colonial) and Georgia Southern (Sun Belt) announced they would depart following the 2013-14 campaign. At the Southern Conference’s 2013 spring meetings in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, the league offi cially extended invitations to former members ETSU and VMI, as well as Mercer, to join the league for the 2014-15 academic year.

Today, the league continues to thrive with a membership that includes 10 institutions and a footprint that spans six states: Ala bama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Current league members are The Citadel, ETSU, Furman, Mercer, UNCG, Samford, Chattanooga, VMI, Western Carolina and Wofford.

at Charleston Southern

Sept. 3 – W, 31-28

at Georgia Tech

Sept. 10 – L, 35-17

PRESBYTERIAN

Sept. 17 – W, 77-21

at #21 Samford * Sept. 24 – L, 35-12

VMI *

Oct. 1 – 3:30 pm

at Mercer *

Oct. 8 – 4 pm

at Furman *

Oct. 15 – 2 pm

THE CITADEL *

Oct. 22 – 2 pm

WOFFORD *

Nov. 5 – 2 pm

at ETSU *

Nov. 12 – 1 pm

CHATTANOOGA *

Nov. 19 – 1 pm

at Campbell

Sept. 1 – L, 29-10

#8/9 ETSU

Sept. 10 – W, 20-17

at #20 Mercer * Sept. 17 – L, 17-0 at App State Oct. 1 – 3:30 pm

FURMAN *

Oct. 8 – 2 pm at Wofford *

Oct. 15 – 1:30 pm

at Western Carolina *

Oct. 22 – 2 pm

SAMFORD *

Oct. 29 – 2 pm

CHATTANOOGA *

Nov. 5 – 2 pm

VA. UNIV. LYNCHBURG

Nov. 12 – 2 pm at VMI *

Nov. 19 – TBA

MARS HILL

Sept. 1 – W, 44-7 at The Citadel * Sept. 10 – L, 20-17

FURMAN * Sept. 17 – L, 27-14 at Robert Morris Sept. 24 – W, 45-3

CHATTANOOGA *

Oct. 1 – 7:30 pm

at VMI * Oct. 8 – 1:30 pm at Mercer * Oct. 15 – 4 pm

SAMFORD * Oct. 22 – 3:30 pm at Wofford * Oct. 29 – 1:30 pm

WESTERN CAROLINA * Nov. 12 – 1 pm

at Mississippi State Nov. 19 – TBA

NORTH GREENVILLE Sept. 1 – W, 52-0

at Clemson Sept. 10 – L, 35-12 at #18 ETSU * Sept. 17 – W, 27-14 at Charleston Southern Sept. 24 – W, 24-19

SAMFORD * Oct. 1 – 2 pm at The Citadel * Oct. 8 – 2 pm

WESTERN CAROLINA * Oct. 15 – 2 pm at VMI * Oct. 22 – 1:30 pm CHATTANOOGA * Oct. 29 – 2 pm at Mercer * Nov. 12 – 3 pm

WOFFORD * Nov. 19 – 1 pm

MOREHEAD STATE Aug. 27 – W, 63-13 at Auburn Sept. 3 – L, 42-16

THE CITADEL * Sept. 17 – W, 17-0 at Gardner-Webb Sept. 24 – W, 45-14 at Wofford * Oct. 1 – 1:30 pm

WESTERN CAROLINA * Oct. 8 – 4 pm ETSU * Oct. 15 – 4 pm at Chattanooga * Oct. 22 – 1:30 pm at VMI * Oct. 29 – 1:30 pm

FURMAN * Nov. 12 – 3 pm at Samford * Nov. 19 – 1 pm

#8 KENNESAW ST Sept. 1 – W, 27-17 at #2 GEORGIA Sept. 10 – L, 33-0 at Tennessee Tech Sept. 17 – W, 33-28

WESTERN CAROLINA * Sept. 24 – W, 35-12 at Furman * Oct. 1 – 1 pm

WOFFORD * Oct. 8 – 1 pm ET at ETSU * Oct. 22 – 2:30 pm at The Citadel * Oct. 29 – 1 pm VMI * Nov. 5 – 3 pm ET at Chattanooga * Nov. 12 – 12:30 pm MERCER * Nov. 19 – 1 pm ET

WOFFORD * Sept. 3 – W, 31-0 at Eastern Illinois Sept. 10 – W, 38-20

NORTH ALABAMA Sept. 17 – W, 41-14 at Illinois Sept. 22 – L, 31-0 at ETSU

Oct. 1 – 7:30 pm

VMI * Oct. 15 – 1:30 pm

MERCER * Oct. 22 – 1:30 pm at Furman * Oct. 29 – 2 pm at The Citadel * Nov. 5 – 2 pm

SAMFORD * Nov. 12 – 1:30 pm at Western Carolina * Nov. 19 – 1 pm

at #22/19 Wake Forest Sept. 1 – L, 44-10

BUCKNELL

Sept. 10 – W, 24-14

CORNELL Sept. 17 – L, 28-22 at Western Carolina * Oct. 1 – 3:30 pm

ETSU * Oct. 8 – 1:30 pm

at Chattanooga * Oct. 15 – 1:30 pm

FURMAN * Oct. 22 – 1:30 pm

MERCER * Oct. 29 – 1:30 pm

at Samford * Nov. 5 – 3 pm at Wofford * Nov. 12 – 1:30 pm

THE CITADEL * Nov. 19 – TBA

at Chattanooga * Sept. 3 – L, 31-0

ELON

Sept. 10 – L, 26-0

at Virginia Tech Sept. 17 – L, 27-7 at Kennesaw State Sept. 24 – L, 24-22

MERCER *

Oct. 1 – 1:30 pm

at Samford * Oct. 8 – 1 pm ET

THE CITADEL * Oct. 15 – 1:30 pm ETSU * Oct. 29 – 1:30 pm

at Western Carolina * Nov. 5 – 2 pm

VMI * Nov. 12 – 1:30 pm at Furman * Nov. 19 – 1 pm

W

THE

WOFFORD

#14 • KIRK ROACH – (1984-87)

Kirk Roach was Western Carolina’s – and the Southern Conference’s – first, three-time All-America Selection (1984, 1986 and 1987) ... He additionally was the first player in league history to be a fourtime, first team All-SoCon selection (1984-87), an accomplishment which has since been duplicated just three other times ... Continues to rank as Western Carolina’s all-time scoring leader with 302 points ... He connected on 71-of-101 (70.3-percent) field goals in his career and only missed one extra point, making 89-of-90 (98.9-percent) .... Roach also still holds the distinction of being the highest Catamount taken in the NFL draft, selected in the fifth round overall by the Buffalo Bills in 1987 ... Was listed on the 2019 College Football Hall of Fame divisional ballot. Inducted into the WCU Hall of Fame in 1996; his jersey was honored at WCU in 2006 and he was inducted into the Southern Conference Hall of Fame in 2021.

HONORED FOOTBALL NUMBERS

#23 • JERRY GAINES (1970-75)

Jerry Gaines was an Associated Press and Ameri can Football Coaches Association All-America se lection in 1974 ... Also earned All-America honors in baseball and track & field while at WCU ... Set WCU records with 3,449 career receiving yards, a 20.6 average yards per reception for his career and 15 games with over 100 receiving yards ... Only the second WCU football player to have his jersey retired. Inducted into the Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990.

HISTORY OF THE VICTORY BELL

Western Carolina continues a tradition resumed in 2009, returning the “Victory Bell” – a mounted, transport able bell that rings the football team’s arrival for pre-game and also accompanies the “Pride of the Mountains” March ing Band and the Catamount Cheerleaders in their pregame parades to E.J. Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field.

#41 • BRAD HOOVER (1996-99)

Brad Hoover starred at tailback for the Catamounts from 1996 through 1999 before playing 10 seasons for the Carolina Panthers in the National Football League. Affectionally known as "Hoov," Hoover ranks third in Western Carolina football history with 3,616 career rushing yards, trailing just secondplace Detrez Newsome (3,728 yards from 2014-17) and all-time leader Darrell Lipford, (4,089 yards from 1974-77). His career tally includes a WCU single-season record of 1,663 rushing yards in 1998 which came on a single-season best 331 carries. Hoover's 708 career rushes additionally rank him third in program history, finishing fourth with a 5.10 career rushing average and tied for eighth with 23 scores on the ground. During his recordsetting 1998 season, Hoover keyed an upset of archrival Appalachian State by rushing for 195 yards on a school single-game record 49 carries. WCU upended the second-ranked Mountaineers 23-6 in Cullowhee, returning the "Old Mountain Jug" to Cullowhee. Hoover was a 2008 inductee into West ern Carolina's Athletics Hall of Fame and a two-time All-SoCon selection at running back.

#54 • ART BYRD (1946-49)

Art Byrd was the first football All-America selec tion at Western Carolina, playing guard on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball ...

Helped the Catamounts to an 8-2 regular-season mark in 1949 and their first North State Confer ence title ... That team additionally holds the distinction of being WCU’s first team to earn a postseason bid, playing in the Smoky Mountain Bowl (Bristol, Va.) ... Byrd sas the first Western Carolina student-athlete to have a jersey and number retired.

Inducted into the Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990.

Whereas the bell is a relatively new tradition, it is ac tually the re-birth of an old tradition on the WCU campus as is noted on the plaque which adorns the Alumni Bell Tower, the centerpiece in the quad. The tower houses the original “Victory Bell,” which hung in the old Madison Hall from 1904 until 1938 and was run to signal class periods. After the building was torn down, the bell was mounted on a stone base between the Moore and former Joyner Building – which was destroyed by fire – and was rung in celebration of Catamount athletic victories.

The bell was later moved closer to the Old Student Union building before making its last active move in the late 1960s to the lawn of the Hinds University Center.

The bell and its traveling apparatus were designed and constructed by Mr. Ron Bumgarner, an assistant professor of engineering technology at Western Carolina, and sev eral students in his class.

Official Football Signals

Igniting Dreams

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