App State Football

Aiming high: App State football looking for return to mountaintop in 2021 season

BY IAN TAYLOR

Few things go together as well as crisp, fall weather and a football game. From backyard scrimmages to Friday night lights, autumn is the season of the pigskin.

Boone is where to find some of the best football in North Carolina when it plays host to the Appalachian State Mountaineers every year. When September rolls around, the students have settled, the leaves are changing and the excitement for kickoff builds.

Since moving to the FBS in 2014, the Mountaineers have established themselves as a powerhouse in the Sun Belt Conference — made up of 12 teams in the Southeast United States. Heading into the 2021 season, App is looking to secure their fifth conference championship.

After a 9-3 (6-2 conference) season under firstyear head coach Shawn Clark, the Mountaineers are returning a large group of players who used their extra year of eligibility. While they capped their season by winning the Myrtle Beach Bowl, many of the players were not satisfied with missing out on a fifth-straight conference title.

“I think it says a lot about how much we care about keeping the winning tradition in this program,” receiver Jalen Virgil said at the team’s media day. “Last year, we feel like we came out shorthanded. Anytime we don’t come up with a championship, after the season’s over we’re all going to be disappointed. So we felt like we should all come back and finish strong this year.”

Virgil, a super-senior, is part of a receiving corps catching attention for their depth and talent, headlined by fellow super-seniors Corey Sutton, Thomas Hennigan and Malik Williams.

Sutton, who opted out of the 2020 season while recovering from an ACL tear, said at the team’s media day that it was good to be back and ready for the season.

They are part of an offense featuring mauling offensive lineman Baer Hunter and dangerous running back Camerun Peoples. The offense is being joined by quarterback Chase Brice, a transfer from Duke, while under the guidance of a returning Frank Ponce.

Ponce, the offensive coordinator for the Mountaineers, came back to Boone after a stint with Louisville under former App coach Scott Satterfield. Like Jones and Clark, Ponce has Boone in his blood with a long history in the App State program.

Hennigan, meanwhile, is one of eight Mountaineers to land on preseason watch lists for national awards. Defensive titan Demetrius Taylor landed on the lists for the Chuck Bednarick, Walter Camp and Bronko Nagurski awards, while fellow defender Shaun Jolly received nods for the Bednarik and Jim Thorpe awards.

Taylor and Jolly are to of the standouts for a defense returning 10 of 11 starters from the 2020 season. With that level of consistency, defensive coordinator Dale Jones said they have high hopes for a unit so well-versed in the system.

If App is to return to the Sun Belt mountaintop, they will have to go through some stiff competition. The conference’s preseason poll had them tied for first place in the East Division alongside Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers finished the 2020 season ranked 14th in the AP Poll, while fellow conference powerhouse Louisiana-Lafayette finished 15th.

The matchups with the Chanticleers and the Ragin’ Cajuns in October are two of the highlights on the Mountaineers’ schedule. Televised games against East Carolina and Miami open the regular season that culminates in a home rivalry game with Georgia Southern on Nov. 27.

Helping the Mountaineers continue to aim high is a return to a normal offseason schedule. After the 2020 season and the build up to it were heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Clark said the team was back on track and “full speed ahead.”

To keep up with App State football information, visit appstatesports.com/ sports/football.

PHOTO COURTESY APP STATE ATHLETICS Camerun Peoples ran for five touchdowns as part of a record-setting performance in App State’s Myrtle Beach Bowl victory over North Texas.

MOUNTAINEERS SCHEDULE

Vs. East Carolina — Thursday, Sept. 2 — Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C. At Miami — Saturday, Sept. 11 — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.

Vs. Elon (Hall of Fam/Jerry Moore Tribute) — Saturday, Sept. 18 — Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, N.C. Vs. Marshall — Thursday, Sept. 23 — Kidd Brewer Stadium,

Boone, N.C. At Georgia State — Saturday, Oct. 2 — Atlanta At Louisiana-Lafayette — Tuesday, Oct. 12 — Lafayette, La.

Vs. Coastal Carolina — Wednesday, Oct. 20 — Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, N.C. Vs. Louisiana-Monroe (Homecoming) — Saturday, Oct. 30 — Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, N.C.

At Arkansas State — Saturday, Nov. 6 — Jonesboro, Ark.

Vs. South Alabama — Saturday, Nov. 13 — Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, N.C.

At Troy — Saturday, Nov. 20 — Troy, Ala.

Vs. Georgia Southern (Black Saturday/Senior Day) — Saturday, Nov. 27 — Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, N.C.

HORSEBACK

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century, Bertha Cone had the trails designed to be no more than an 11 percent grade. Moses Cone was also known as “The Denim King,” and the couple made the estate their summer respite. Now the entertaining guide, owner Tim Vines, leads individuals or groups out onto the trails, year-round, weather permitting.

You might also check out Leatherwood Stables down the mountain a little bit in Ferguson, with some 75 miles of trails to ride and explore. They consist of woodsy paths along beautiful ridges, old logging roads, creek crossings, as well as a mixture of long climbs and descents. It is a 4,000 acre resort on the boundary separating Watauga and Wilkes counties. (800) 462-6867 (www. leatherwoodmountains.com).

Whether an experienced cowboy or a little green in your horsemanship, Dutch Creek Trails offers horseback riding adventures in Vilas, a little east of Boone. Known as a “cowboy poet,” owner Keith Ward admits that he lives on the wrong side of the Mississippi, born and raised on a farm in the Appalachian Mountains. (828) 297-7117 (www.dutchcreektrails.com).

At Banner Elk Stables, in addition to a scenic ride on th flanks of Beech Mountain in Avery County, you might be riding a horse that was used in a movie, according to the business’ website. They describe it as, “a memorable, high mountain trail ride in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains.” (828) 8985424 (www.bannerelkstables.com).