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| The running game |
James Nix
Associate Editor |
Josh Brown | Cheif Photographer |
Appalachian’s feature running
back, Jerry Beard
It’s kind of a family tradition.
His brother, Robert Hearst, was a running back.
Two of his cousins, Anthony and Chris Hearst,
were running backs.
And his famous cousin, Garrison Hearst, a former
Bulldog at the University of Georgia and current
starter for the San Francisco 49ers, is a running back.
To say the least, the position of running back
runs in the family of Appalachian State University’s senior
running back Jerry Beard.
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| Injury report: Hayward, Burchette
out |
Jennifer Brannock
Staff Writer |
Paul Sherar | The Appalachian |
Appalachian
State University’s football team is no stranger to pain, as
they look to begin the 2002 season with a laundry list of injuries
depriving them of many key starters.
The most notable injury loss is that of starting
quarterback Joe Burchette. Burchette has already missed the season
opener versus Marshall University and will continue to be a spectator
for at least two more weeks.
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| Conversation with the coach |
Josh Dernosek
Staff Writer |
Paul Sherar | The Appalachian |
This is the year for
Coach Moore. Sitting on possibly the best football team he has seen
over his tenure at Appalachian State University, Moore (the winningest
coach in ASU history, 107-51) needs only three more wins to become
the most prolific coach in Southern Conference history.
Head football coach Jerry Moore enters his 14th
season at the helm of the Appalachian State Football team and looks
to have his best season yet. I recently had a chance to sit with
him and talk about everything from the quarterback situation to
conference opponents.
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| ASU defensive end strikes fear into
hearts of competitors |
Josh Dernosek
Sports Beat |
Josh Brown | Cheif Photographer
Jeffries leads the Appalachian defense with 25.5 career sacks and
95 career pressures. He also is one of the four captains on the
team. |
To opposing quarterbacks
the number 58 is not just a number. It is something to fear, something
to keep their eye on throughout the game.
To the Mountaineers, that same 58 is a sign of
strength, leadership and pure passion for the game of football.
Josh Jeffries enters his senior season at Appalachian
State University on top of his game in every aspect of the expression.
Jeffries is first in career sacks (25.5), first in career quarterback
pressures (95), one of four captains on the squad, and he is viewed
as a role model on and off the field.
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| Mountaineers adapt to life without
senior quarterback Joe Burchette |
Jennifer Brannock
Staff Writer |
Josh Brown | Chief Photographer |
Despite the temporary
loss of starting quarterback senior Joe Burchette, Appalachian State
University head football coach Jerry Moore is optimistic about his
team’s performance this season.
Obvious concern has been voiced regarding the
momentary absence of Burchette, who is recovering from recent back
surgery, and how his injury will affect the team. Burchette is a
fifth year senior who has started at quarterback since mid-season
in 2000 and has led the Mountaineers to a 4-2 record in the I-AA
playoffs.
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| Is this the year for ASU? |
Allie Woods
Sports Beat |
Josh Brown | Cheif Photographer |
The Appalachian
State University football program opened practice Aug. 12 with the
excitement and ambition that a new season always brings. This year,
however, the expectations are a little higher due to a preseason
No. 2 ranking by the Sports Network.
ASU plays in the Southern Conference, which has
proven to be a very strong conference over the past few years. The
SoCon has placed three teams in the playoffs each of the last three
seasons and five out of the last seven. SoCon for Georgia Southern
University won the championship in 1999 and 2000 and Furman University
was runner up in 2001.
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| Mountaineers continue season with
EKU Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium |
James Nix
Associate Editor |
Two weeks off a hard
loss to Marshall University, Appalachian State University will kick
off its home opener against Eastern Kentucky University on Saturday.
Kick off is set for 3:30 p.m. at Kidd Brewer Stadium.
The Mountaineers hold a 5-2 record over the Colonels
and are currently undefeated at home.
The Mountaineers will look to improve on their
performance two weeks ago in Huntington W.Va., when the Thundering
Herd, led by Heisman Trophy candidate Byron Leftwich, trampled ASU
50-17.
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| The Southern Conference |
Allie Woods
Sports Beat |
The Southern Conference,
the nation’s fourth oldest, is back with goals of making waves
again in 2002. After a 2001 season marked by great accomplishments,
SoCon teams look to repeat the success of the last four years.
In 2001, Southern Conference teams Georgia Southern
University, Furman University and Appalachian State University were
all primed to make a run at the National Championship. However,
due to the tragic events of 9-11, the division I-AA playoffs were
regionalized to reduce air travel.
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