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Paul
Sherar - Chief Photographer
Furman
running back Louis Ivory (34) dives for the end zone during the second
quarter of the Paladins 28-22 win Saturday as ASU’s Steve Kitchens
(29) hits the Paladin Stadium turf. Ivory had his streak of 10-consecutive
100 yard rushing games snapped as the ASU defense held him to just 40
yards on 18 carries and one
touchdown.
Mountaineers
shut down Ivory; costly
mistakes shut down Mountaineers
John
T. Bennett - Editor-In-Chief
Furman
University running back Louis Ivory’s quest to become the all-time
leading rusher in school history was put on hold Saturday afternoon, but
a trio of Mountaineer mistakes allowed the third-ranked Paladins to capture
a key 28-22 Southern Conference win.
With Ivory neutralized by a stingy Mountaineer defensive unit, kickoff
return specialist Brain Batton, quarterback Billy Napier and flanker Isaac
West combined to convert three Appalachian State miscues into touchdowns,
lifting Furman to the victory.
Just 50 yards shy of becoming the school’s top rusher, the Mountaineers
avoided becoming a footnote in the history books, holding Ivory to just
40 yards on 18 carries.
Appalachian State head coach Jerry Moore credited the Mountaineer defensive
line and linebackers for holding Ivory to his lowest single-game rushing
output since he totaled only 37 yards last season in Boone.
“Those guys deserve a better fate than what they got today,”
Moore said. “[Preventing Ivory from setting the record] is kind of
a consolation prize.”
With the exception of an 18-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter,
Ivory was a non-factor for much of the game as Appalachian linebacker
John Mannino (6 tackles, 1 QB sack) and the Mountaineer front seven repeatedly
converged on the Paladin back every time he touched the football.
But before Ivory even stepped foot on the soggy Paladin Stadium turf,
the Mountaineers kickoff coverage collapsed, allowing Brian Bratton to
return the opening kickoff 100 yards to give Furman an early 7-0 advantage.
“Mistakes just killed us in a game like this right from the opening
kickoff,” said Moore. “We had too many mistakes to win a big
ball game.”
Leading 14-7 early in the third quarter, the Paladin big-play attack took
advantage of another Mountaineer error, this time a fumble by running
back Jerry Beard (14 carries, 45 yards, 1 fumble) as Furman quarterback
Billy Napier connected with Isaac West (6 catches, 120 yards, 2 TDs) on
a 39-yard scoring strike.
“We came down here knowing a lot about Ivory, but we had no idea
[West] was that fast,” said Mountaineer defensive coordinator John
Wiley.
The Mountaineers would get a second and third glimpse of the freshman
flanker’s speed on back-to-back plays midway through the fourth quarter,
both set up by another Mountaineer mistake.
West returned a Nathan McKinney punt 17 yards into Mountaineer territory
just moments after Appalachian State quarterback Joe Burchette slammed
the ball to the turf after being sacked, drawing an un-sportsman-like
conduct penalty.
Burchette’s frustration forced Appalachian punter Nathan McKinney
to kick from his own end zone and gave the Paladins the field position
needed for what would be the knockout punch.
Just one play after West’s return to the Appalachian 39-yard line,
the freshman sprinted past the Appalachian State defensive backfield and
hauled in a pass from Napier in the center of the end zone to give Furman
a 28-14 lead.
With Ivory slowed by the Mountaineer defense, Napier made several key
throws to keep drives alive, completing nine of 15 pass attempts for 159
yards and two touchdowns.
Appalachian State linebacker Justin Seaverns said he thought the defensive
unit played well enough to win Saturday, but said he finds the trend of
mistakes by the offensive unit worrisome.
“The safety just got beat [on West’s two TD catches,]”
said Seaverns. “But when you give them the ball [in your territory],
you don’t get a second chance.”
Paul
Sherar - Chief Photographer
Yosef
cheers a big Mountaineer play Saturday in Greenville, S.C.
Fans
still excited in aftermath of terrorist attacks
Catherine
Quill - Associate Editor
Fans
at Paladin Stadium Saturday said the tragedies of Sept. 11 have not greatly
diminished the excitement of the rivalry between Furman University and
Appalachian State University.
More than 14,000 fans crowded Furman’s Paladin Stadium in Greenville,
S.C., to watch the third-ranked Paladins host the fifth-ranked Mountaineers.
The game has historically been a tough match-up, with Appalachian barely
defeating Furman last year 18-17, and Furman dominating Appalachian 35-21
in 1999.
“I don’t think it dulled the excitement of the game. I think
people are trying to get back to normal,” said Tara Patton, a 1998
Appalachian alumna who drove from Charlotte to watch her first Appalachian
football game of the season.
Kathy Allen drove three hours from Mt. Airy and has attended every Appalachian
State game this season.
“I don’t think [the excitement has diminished] for myself. The
only way we wouldn’t have been here is if it was called off,”
she said.
Many agreed attending football games helps lift the spirit of a country
still coping with last month’s events.
Cathey Billings and family have also attended every Mountaineer game this
season and drove from China Grove to watch son Brian Billings, a freshman
offensive lineman for Appalachian.
“It has been dulled a little bit,” she said. “But we’re
just happy to be here. It makes you appreciate everything more.”
Billings said football games have started to affect her at a deeper level.
She said she has always been touched when hearing “The Star Spangled
Banner,” but the national anthem now brings tears to her eyes.
Ken Billings, Brian’s father, said his feelings for the game remain
intact.
“Anything that makes it a little brighter,” he said. “I
still get the butterflies in my stomach. I still get the goose bumps.
It’s just as big as it’s ever been.”
Brad Finney, from Sparta, said he chose to attend Saturday’s game
because of the rivalry between the two teams. He also agreed that watching
football games is a way for the nation to unite and resume normal activities.
However, one fan said he felt the initial shock hampered the enjoyment
of past football games this season, pointing to a lack of enthusiasm from
Mountaineer fans at Kidd Brewer Stadium Sept. 29.
“I think it dulled the excitement of last week’s game [against
East Tennessee State University],” said Michael Finney of Lenoir.
“I can only speak for myself, but it hasn’t dulled the excitement
of this game.
“Of course, it’s a concern. This is part of the American way
of life. We’re trying to enjoy what we’ve always enjoyed.”
Josh Brown - The Appalachian
The Davidson
College Wildcats defeated the Mountaineers 3-0 Saturday night. The Mountaineers
next take on Western Carolina Oct. 11
Inconsistent
efforts lead to team’s 14th loss
James
Nix - Sports Beat
Losing
has become part of the routine for the Appalachian State University women’s
volleyball team.
With a 2-14 overall record, it is no surprise that the Davidson College
Wildcats had no problem defeating the Mountaineers 3-0 (24-30, 26-30,
20-30) Saturday night at the George M. Holmes Convocation Center.
The loss came after Appalachian’s second victory of the season on
Friday night against the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG).
ASU toppled the Spartans 3-1 (30-23, 30-22, 29-31, 30-26).
Senior Claire Reynolds said the team hoped to carry over the momentum
from the win to the Davidson game. But that didn’t work out.
“I don’t think [Davidson] beat us; I think we beat ourselves,”
said Reynolds.
The Mountaineers are having a hard time communicating on the court, resulting
in too many costly mistakes.
Over-passing the ball and not covering the hitter are two key problems
the ASU squad is facing.
But these are hard problems to tackle given the team’s state of mind
right now.
Head coach Chris Redding said the team is very disappointed in the season
thus far.
A losing record is sure to put a damper on any team’s performance,
which looks to be the case for Appalachian volleyball.
The Mountaineers lost its first 11 games of the season before defeating
The Citadel on Sept. 21. Two more losses filled the gap before ASU won
against UNCG.
This record seems to speak to Appalachian’s performance on the court.
“We came out really flat and up until the last five minutes of the
game I don’t think we played with any emotion,” said Redding.
Appalachian may be far from the end of the tunnel, but its potential isn’t
lingering too far behind.
With UNCG, Redding said his team controlled the tempo of the game and
played with a lot of emotion.
It’s the emotion of the game that ASU seems to lack. A disappointed
team can have a difficult time finding the right emotions to win ballgames.
The Mountaineers found that emotion against UNCG. Now all it must do is
find it again and keep it.
“At times we’ve played with every team in the conference,”
said Redding. “We’ve just got to do it on a more consistent
basis.”
“We want to get into the gym every day and improve,” said Redding.
“If we do that, we’ll put ourselves in the conference tournament.”
If Appalachian can build up enough confidence in its on-court performance
and find the emotion it needs to win, there may be a future for the team.
But practice in the gym differs slightly from the game experience.
“It’s all a matter of things clicking on the court at game time,”
said Redding.
Next up on its schedule, the Mountaineers take on in-state rival Western
Carolina University Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. in Holmes Convocation Center.
Paul
Sherar - Chief Photographer
Furman
flanker Bear Rinehart (7) is brought down after hauling in a pass by
Appalachian State defensive back Steve Kitchens (29) and a Mountaineer
teammate as DB Remi Awolowo closes in during Furman’s 28-22 SoCon
victory Saturday in Greenville, S.C.
Mistake-prone
Mountaineers toppled by Paladins
Seaverns:
Defense played well enough to defeat Paladins
Chris
Boyce - Sports Beat
Few
people would have predicted the Appalachian State University defense
could hold Furman University’s star running back, Louis Ivory,
to less than 50 yards Saturday afternoon in Greenville, S.C. Even fewer
would have expected the Mountaineers to walk away with a loss after
doing so.
The Paladins (3-1, 3-0 in SoCon) used timely passing and a suffocating
defense to beat Appalachian State (3-2, 2-1 in SoCon) 28-22 in one of
the Southern Conference’s premier contests of the season.
Needing only 50 yards to pass Carl Tremble’s career rushing mark
of 4,746 yards and needing only 100 yards to tie Tremble for most 100-yard
rushing performances in school history, last year’s Walter Payton
Award winner Ivory was held to only 40 yards on 18 carries and one touchdown.
Paladins’ wide receiver Isaac West took the offensive spotlight
for third-ranked Furman Saturday, catching two touchdown passes in the
second half.
The biggest West touchdown was set up by a horrific Appalachian State
possession on a third and 10 from the Mountaineers own 30-yard line
with less than nine minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Furman’s
Cedrick Ritter sacked
quarterback Joe Burchette.
Burchette slammed the ball onto the turf after the play and picked up
an un-sportsman-like conduct penalty that made it fourth and 29 from
the Appalachian State 11-yard line.
West returned the ensuing punt to the Mountaineer 30-yard line and on
the Paladins first play, Billy Napier found West in between two Mountaineer
defenders in the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown strike that put the
Paladins up 28-14.
West’s first touchdown came with 4:43 left in the third quarter
on a similar play and was set up by a similar breakdown from the Appalachian
State offense.
The breakdown occurred on the Mountaineers’ fourth drive of the
second half. Starting from their 40-yard line with 4:56 left in the
third quarter, Appalachian State’s Jerry Beard fumbled the first
play and Furman’s Will Bouton recovered the loose ball.
The Paladins made the most of the opportunity with a 39-yard touchdown
pass over the middle from Napier to West making the score 21-7 in favor
of the Paladins.
The Appalachian State offense never seemed to get in rhythm, even after
the Mountaineers compiled a seven-play 41-yard drive early in the fourth
quarter that resulted in a one-yard touchdown run by Joey Hoover. The
touchdown left Furman clinging to a 21-14 lead. West’s second touchdown
catch less than four minutes later gave the Paladins a more comfortable
cushion.
Burchette finished the game 21 of 45 for 148 yards and one touchdown
and one interception. Beard finished with 45 yards on 14 carries and
one touchdown.
Penalties once again killed Appalachian State as the most penalized
team in the SoCon racked up 11 penalties for 83 yards.
Furman opened the game with a 100-yard kickoff return by Brian Bratton
to give the Paladins the 7-0 lead. The Mountaineers responded with 13:51
left in the half on a 13-yard touchdown run by Jerry Beard.
The Paladins broke the tie and went into the half up 14-7 after Louis
Ivory’s 18-yard touchdown run with a little over four minutes left
in the half. Ivory finished the half with just 20 yards rushing.
Furman’s defense gave up 222 net offensive yards to the Mountaineers
but contained the Appalachian State attack with solid run and pass defense.
“We’re not a team that thrives on big plays,” said Appalachian
State head football coach Jerry Moore. “We’re a team that
thrives on driving the ball and sustaining the ball and we couldn’t
do that today.”
“They [the Furman defense] dropped guys back 40 yards downfield
and when they’re that deep you can’t get too many big plays.
They schemed us well and had a good game plan against us coming in,”
said Burchette.
Linebacker Justin Seaverns commented after the game that field position
really took a toll on the Mountaineer defense.
“I don’t even think they should’ve had 28 points on us,”
said Seaverns. “We got bad field position from our offense and
that really killed our momentum. Furman had most of the momentum most
of the game.”
After the game, the Mountaineer defense was happy with their success
on Ivory but frustrated with the loss.
“We knew they were gonna come out and try to run it down our throats,”
said defensive tack Ryan Watson.
“We ended up shutting him down pretty well, and I was happy with
our defense today.”
“Our defense went out and played hard. Ivory’s a good back,
but we’ve never had a hard time against him except for two years
ago. I think defense played well enough to win this football game, but
we just came out with a loss,” said Seaverns.
The loss to Furman makes the game Saturday in Boone against the top-ranked
Georgia Southern University Eagles even more important.
“It’s the biggest game of the year,” said Mountaineer
punter Nathan McKinney. “If we’d won this one a lot of stress
would’ve been off of us for next week.”
Instead, the stress of Adrian Peterson and the Eagles’ phenomenal
ground game will loom large in all Mountaineers’ heads this week
as ASU prepares for the 3:30 p.m. Satruday showdown.
Josh
Brown - The Appalachian
Midfielder
Fredrik Hendriksen advances towards the goal in Saturday’s 4-1
loss to the third-ranked Furman Paladins.
Mountaineers
stifled by Furman defense; look to recover vs. Davidson
Andy
Morris - Sports Beat
Nationally
ranked Furman University buried three second-half goals against the
Appalachian State University men’s soccer team on its way to a
4-1 victory at Kidd Brewer Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Appalachian falls to 1-2 in the Southern Conference and 5-3 overall,
and Furman improves to 3-0 in the conference and 8-1 overall.
Furman, ranked as high as No. 3 in the Soccer America poll, led 1-0
at halftime as the Appalachian defense managed to keep the Paladin forwards
away from the net. But Furman’s pressure on the Mountaineer goal
began to increase and Paladin Scott Hoch broke through and slotted a
ball into the left side past Appalachian goalkeeper Greg Brooks for
a 2-0 lead.
The Mountaineers had trouble cracking Furman’s defense as each
ball played in was quickly headed or kicked away. Appalachian got a
break with about 15 minutes left in the game as the referee awarded
the Mountaineers a penalty shot. However, Furman goalkeeper Scott Blount
denied Jordy Broder’s shot to keep the Mountaineers off the scoreboard.
“That penalty needed to be stuck away because it really could’ve
changed the way the game ended,” said Broder.
Furman’s Andy Chase made the score 3-0 with a volley to the upper
left corner of the goal in the 76th minute, and Sergei Raad added another
goal to the Furman tally at the 80th minute.
Appalachian was able to break the net with a minute and a half remaining
with Brian Fowler putting the ball in off Broder’s cross.
Appalachian put strong offensive pressure against Furman early in the
first half, including a shot by Broder that missed the goal by about
a foot. The Paladins broke the deadlock in the 21st minute when Asgeir
Asgeirsson fired in a low free kick from about 20 yards out to put Furman
ahead 1-0.
Appalachian coach Dave Golan said the Paladins were able to Cash in
on chances while the Mountaineers struggled to finish their opportunities.
“They showed they’re a very experienced team that knows how
to take advantage of opportunities when they come,” he said. “We
needed to stick away our opportunities; if we can make it a 2-1 or a
3-2 game, we’re right back in it.”
Defender Mark Thornton said the Mountaineers expected a tough defense
from Furman but were not able to capitalize.
“We knew that against Furman, our chances are going to be limited
and that we would take them as they come,” he said. “We just
have to finish. 4-1 is a stupid score and we shouldn’t be getting
beat like that.”
A
significant change in the Mountaineers’ lineup was the move of
Broder from forward to outside midfielder.
“We felt that the way to get around Furman was to take them on
the flanks and Jordy [Broder] is about the best one-on-one player in
the conference,” said Golan. “I thought he had a lot of success
and set up a lot of opportunities for us today.”
Broder said the position change did not negatively affect his game.
“It was a change that coach wanted to make, and it’s not a
big deal,” he said. “You’re still the same person, just
in a different position.”
The Mountaineers have a potentially crucial Southern Conference match
on Tuesday at Davidson College.
The Wildcats are 2-0 in conference play, and an Appalachian loss could
almost knock the Mountaineers out of the hunt for the regular-season
title.
“This team has a lot of character and there’s a lot of chips
on the Davidson game now,” said Golan. “I expect us to come
out fighting and ready to play.”
Thornton remains confident the Mountaineers can take the Wildcats.
“We’re focused now and we’re going to be fired up,”
he said. “If we can put our chances away, we’ll beat Davidson.”
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