Sports Archives

North Carolina High School Athletics Association Sanctions Women’s Wrestling as a Sport Beginning with the 2023-2024 Season

May 4, 2022 The Board of Directors of the governing body of prep sports in the state — the North Carolina High School Athletics Association (NCHSAA) — has announced that women’s wrestling will officially become a sanctioned high school sport in North Carolina, starting in the 2023-2024 season. North Carolina had a record 594 women participating in high school wrestling for the past 2021-2022 season, making it the 19th largest state in America in terms of total female participation. By Tim Gardner

April 15, 2022 The world’s largest snowboarding and freeskiing competition just wrapped up this week at Copper Mountain in Colorado, and some High Country residents were named National Champions. The United States of America Snowboard and Freeski Association (USASA) 2022 National Championship took place from April 2-13 with around 2,000 athletes competing from across 31 regional divisions nationwide, including the Southeastern Series from North Carolina. By Harley Nefe

March 3, 2022 The Sun Belt Conference announced its 2022 football schedule this last Tuesday. Each Sun Belt football program will play eight conference games, six against divisional opponents and two against opponents from the opposite division, which will result in a total of 56 league games. The 22nd season of Sun Belt football will be remembered by the competition on the field and by the addition of four new members James Madison, Southern Miss, Marshall, and Old Dominion.

February 28, 2022 High Country Soccer Association is proud to announce Booneshine Brewing Company as the new title sponsor for the Adult Soccer League. Booneshine replaces Appalachian Mountain Brewery, who sponsored the league for the past 10 years. “We are thrilled about our new partnership with Booneshine,” says Rick Suyao, HCSA’s executive director. “AMB was a fantastic partner the last 10 years, and we appreciate all they have provided to the adult league, but Booneshine, being right beside the Ted Mackorell Soccer Complex, is just a natural fit. There are so many partnering opportunities we can collaborate on together.”

February 17, 2022 Season ticket renewals for one of the most anticipated home football seasons in App State history are now available for purchase. Last season, the Mountaineers won 10 games, claimed a Sun Belt East division title and appeared in their FBS-record seventh consecutive bowl game in as many eligible seasons after making the transition from FCS. App State’s record among all FBS teams since its transition to the top level of college football trails only Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Georgia.

February 9, 2022 Avery County rallied from a late nine-point deficit to defeat Uwharrie Charter, 39-30, February 5 at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex Fieldhouse to win a fourth consecutive North Carolina High School Athletics Association 1-A wrestling state championship. Avery finished the season with a stellar 36-2 record. The Vikings have won the last four NCHSAA titles available — winning both the dual-team and the team-tournament title in 2020, winning the team-tournament in 2021 when dual-team was not available and the dual-team again this season.. By Tim Gardner

Farmer Named Avery County High School Head Football Coach

February 8, 2022. Ethan Farmer has been named by the Avery County Board of Education as the new head football coach at Avery County High School. He served as an assistant at Avery High, coaching the defensive line in 2021, before being elevated to the head coaching post. Farmer replaces Mac Bryan, who compiled a 10-29 record at Avery from 2018 through 2021. That includes a 1-10 mark during the 2021 season. Avery County Schools Superintendent Dr. Dan Brigman said of Farmer and his promotion: “Coach Farmer is an outstanding individual, athlete, coach and mentor. He has proven to be a student-centered leader who puts the best interest of the student in the forefront of all decisions. We (Avery County Public Schools) are very fortunate to have him on staff and for his willingness to step into the head football coach role. I feel confident our athletes will benefit from his outstanding leadership as he strives to move our football program forward.” By Tim Gardner

February 7, 2022 Avery County native Tommy Burleson and his teammates on the 1972 United States Olympic Men’s Basketball Team have been nominated for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in the Direct-Elect Category by the Hall’s Veterans Committee, the organization has announced. It’s the first time this team has been nominated for the Hall of Fame. The finalists for the Class of 2022 Hall of Fame enshrinement will be announced during the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star weekend on February 18-20 in Cleveland, Ohio. Burleson, a member of the silver medal-winning United States team 50 years ago as a 7-foot, 2-inch center, played in one of the most controversial games in Olympics history. The Soviet Union defeated the United States 51-50 in the championship game in Munich, Germany in 1972. By Tim Gardner

February 4, 2022 The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics have officially started on February 4 with the Opening Ceremony, and the Games will continue to run through February 20, when the Closing Ceremony is scheduled. The events can be viewed live on both NBC and Peacock television networks. There will be 223 U.S. athletes competing for gold medals, along with 91 other nations. So far on the first day, viewers have been able to see alpine skiing, curling, figure skating, ice hockey, luge, and ski jumping. After day one, Team USA leads the figure skating men’s short program with 28 points, followed by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) with 26 points, and China with 21. By Kayla McCorrison

January 27, 2022 Appalachian State and Arkansas State will each put their winning streaks on the line tonight at the Holmes Convocation Center in Boone. The Mountaineers, winners of four straight Sun Belt Conference games, will take on first-place Arkansas State, who has won three straight SBC contests. App State (12-9 overall, 6-2 SBC) are coming off of a 70-62 road win over Georgia Southern on Saturday afternoon. Arkansas State (13-4 overall, 4-1 SBC) will enter play coming off of a 67-60 win over Texas State on Saturday. The winner of tonight’s game will hold down first place in the Sun Belt. App State senior guard Justin Forrest will most likely join the 2,000-point club tonight as he needs just three points to reach that career milestone. He will be just the third player to ever score 2,000 points in a Mountaineer uniform, joining Ronshad Shabazz (2,067 points from 2015-19) and the program’s all-time leading scorer Donald Sims (2,185 points from 2007-11). By Nathan Ham

Waddell Wilson-NASCAR Legend with NC High Country Ties to be Honored on January 31

January 24, 2022. A North Carolina High Country legend who lived in two of its counties during his ‘growing up’ years is being honored by the county where he first lived. In 2020, the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners designated January 31 each year as “Waddell Wilson Day” in that county to honor Wilson, who was enshrined into the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) Hall of Fame on the same day in 2020. Wilson is a former resident of Crossnore School & Children’s Home in Avery County and a native of Bakersville (Mitchell County). He was a NASCAR engine builder and crew chief. By Tim Gardner

January 21, 2022 Appalachian State senior Justin Forrest nailed the game-winning shot with 1.4 seconds left on the clock to give the Mountaineers a 61-60 victory over Georgia State on Thursday night. The Panthers took a 60-59 lead on a layup from Justin Roberts with 14 seconds left. Forrest was able to get inside the three point line but had to take a tough fadeaway jumper that he ended up hitting for the win. It has certainly been a week to remember for the senior guard. In addition to his heroics on Thursday night, Forrest blocked Coastal Carolina’s game-winning shot last Thursday in Boone to give the Mountaineers a 61-60 victory. On Saturday in a rematch with the Chanticleers, Forrest hit a big three-point shot in overtime that helped lead the Mountaineers to an 84-76 road win. Senior guard Adrian Delph led all scorers with 29 points on 11-of-18 shooting for the Mountaineers. Michael Almonacy had 10 points and four rebounds. Donovan Gregory scored 8 points to go along with five rebounds and a team-leading six assists. Forrest finished the contest with seven points. By Nathan Ham

January 20, 2022 Appalachian State is hoping to pick up their fifth Sun Belt Conference win in their last six games when they face Georgia State tonight at 7 p.m. The Mountaineers (10-9, 4-2 SBC) finished off the season sweep of Coastal Carolina last Saturday with an 84-76 overtime win on the road after beating them in Boone two days earlier, 61-60. Those two victories moved the Mountaineers into second place in the SBC. Georgia State was the preseason pick to win the Sun Belt, but their season certainly hasn’t started like they had hoped. The Panthers are 6-7 overall and have lost both of their conference games so far. Georgia State has also dealt with COVID-19 issues within the program and have had four SBC games postponed. This game will mark the 17th meeting between the two programs with each team having eight wins. Most recently, the Mountaineers have won three of the last four games including the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship game last year that sent App State to the NCAA Tournament. By Nathan Ham

January 14, 2022 Appalachian State’s Donovan Gregory hit a shot in the lane with 30 seconds left that turned out to be the game-winner for the Mountaineers, giving the home team a 61-60 win on Friday night. Senior guard Justin Forrest blocked a three-point shot attempt by Josh Uduje with just over a second left in the game to seal a hard-fought victory. Neither team led by more than eight points in the entire game and the largest second-half lead was a 41-34 advantage for the Mountaineers two minutes into the second half. App State was able to build a 39-32 halftime lead thanks to the team hitting nine shots from three-point territory while Coastal Carolina was ice cold from three-point range, hitting just 1-of-7 from three in the first half. The Chanticleers ended up shooting just 3-of-19 (16%) from three-point range in the game. The Mountaineers ended up shooting 34% from three, hitting 11-of-32 attempts. With the victory, Appalachian State improved to 9-9 overall and 3-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. Coastal Carolina dropped to 9-7 overall and 1-3 in the SBC. By Nathan Ham

January 13, 2022 The Mountaineers will look to get back in the win column on Thursday night when App State and Coastal Carolina takes the court at the Holmes Convocation Center for a 6:30 p.m. Sun Belt Conference game. The first 150 students will get a free t-shirt and students can also get free pizza while supplies last. In the Mountaineers’ last game, Troy cruised to a 68-53 win on Saturday. App State trailed by just one point at the half, but Troy slowly pulled away in the final 20 minutes to secure a conference victory. App State enters tonight’s game with an 8-9 overall record and a 2-2 record in the SBC. Coastal Carolina is 9-6 overall and 1-2 in the SBC. The Mountaineers are led by guard Adrian Delph, who has played the sixth-most minutes of any player in the country this season at just under 34 minutes per game. He leads the Mountaineers in scoring at 16 points per game and so far in Sun Belt action, Delph is averaging 19.5 PPG and shooting 44% from three-point territory. By Nathan Ham

January 10, 2022 The 2021 major college football season concludes Monday night, January 10 with Georgia and Alabama meeting in an all-Southeast Conference (SEC) showdown to decide the national championship. It will be the second time these two teams will play each other this season. Alabama upset the then-undefeated Bulldogs 41-24 in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 4, which lifted coach Nick Saban’s team to the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoffs. Although Georgia stumbled in that game, coach Kirby Smart’s team was arguably the better team throughout the season. This game marks the third time since the BCS era that two SEC teams will meet for the title. Louisiana State (LSU)-Alabama played for the ’11 in the BCS title and Alabama and Georgia did so in ’17. After a 10-3 victory over Clemson in the opener, Georgia won its next 11 games by at least 17 points. And just four opponents even got to double figures against the Bulldogs. That included wins against Arkansas (37-0), Kentucky (30-13), Florida (34-7) and Tennessee (41-17). However, the loss to Alabama in Atlanta, GA showed the vulnerabilities of Smart’s team. But the Bulldogs rebounded to convincingly beat Michigan 34-11 in the Orange Bowl (College Football Playoffs Semifinal) on Dec. 31. By Tim Gardner

December 22, 2021. Donovan Gregory scored a season-high 18 points, but App State men’s basketball dropped its non-conference finale at North Carolina by a 70-50 score on Tuesday evening. Gregory went 8-of-12 (66.7 percent) from the field and added a season-high tying nine rebounds (four offensive). His eight made field goals also ties a career-high. Adrian Delph also reached double figures with 10 points. Delph has now reached double figures in scoring 11 of 13 games this season. Justin Forrest added six points, three rebounds and a pair of steals. After North Carolina (9-3) opened the game with a 3-pointer, App State (6-7) countered with a 7-0 run, capped by five consecutive points from Delph, to open an early 7-3 lead. The Tar Heels came right back with a 10-0 run to open a 13-7 edge with just over 14 minutes left in the first half. Trailing 19-12, the Mountaineers used back-to-back jumpers from Gregory to pull within three points at 19-16. The two teams exchanged baskets before UNC used a 7-0 spurt to extend its lead to 28-18 with 5:43 left in the opening half. The Mountaineers came right back with five straight points to pull within five points at 28-23. The Tar Heels held the lead for the remainder of the half and took a 35-27 lead into the break.

December 21, 2021. For the second straight game, the Appalachian State Mountaineers will be tested by a tough Atlantic Coast Conference opponent when they take on the UNC Tarheels tonight at 7 p.m. Last Thursday, App State (6-6) traveled to Durham to take on #2 ranked Duke. The Mountaineers battled back from an early hole and got to within five points early in the second half (53-48), but Duke would be able to pull away after that and secure a 92-67 victory. App State outrebounded the Blue Devils, 31-30 and held a 13-7 edge on the offensive glass. The Mountaineers also outscored the Blue Devils 19-12 in second chance points. Michael Almonacy led Appalachian with 17 points and Justin Forrest added 16 points. James Lewis Jr. had 11 points and seven rebounds and the team’s leading scorer on the season, Adrian Delph, had 10 points, six assists and four rebounds. “I thought we got off to a really good start. I thought we battled. We responded in the second half. We didn’t finish the first half like we wanted, but we responded to start the second half and went on an 11-3 run to force a timeout,” said Appalachian State Head Coach Dustin Kerns. “We’ll be proud of the way we battled. I learned that I have a good team and that we’ll battle.” By Nathan Ham

December 19, 2021. Appalachian State lost in the Boca Raton Bowl Saturday against Western Kentucky, 59-38, to end a six-bowl-game winning streak. A crowd of 15,429 attended the game at Florida Atlantic University Stadium, while millions more watched the nationally televised ESPN broadcast. The Mountaineers could not consistently stop Western Kentucky’s highly-prolific offense and the Hilltoppers gun-slinging and record-setting quarterback Bailey Zappe. The 59 points surrendered is the most Appalachian State has surrendered since 2017 when it lost to Louisiana-Monroe, 52-45. The Hilltoppers scored on nine of their 14 offensive series. The team combined for 1,246 yards and 51 first downs. Western Kentucky had 637 yards to 609 for Appalachian State. The Hilltoppers picked up 27 first downs, while the Mountaineers had 24. By Tim Gardner

December 15, 2021. Shawn Clark, the winningest second-year head coach in the FBS who on Saturday will try to lead the Mountaineers to their seventh straight bowl victory in as many seasons, has received a contract extension through the 2026 season. Upon recommendation by Appalachian State University’s Chancellor Sheri Everts, the university’s Board of Trustees voted to approve the extension at their meeting on Wednesday. Clark, a 1998 graduate of App State, has led his alma mater to a 20-6 record since being named the full-time head coach ahead of the 2019 New Orleans Bowl. His .769 winning percentage is topped by only five active FBS head coaches: Ohio State’s Ryan Day, USC’s Lincoln Riley, Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Alabama’s Nick Saban and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney. “Shawn Clark has done an outstanding job with our football program,” App State Director of Athletics Doug Gillin said. “He has led us to two bowl wins, a Sun Belt championship game appearance, historic academic achievement, community engagement and continued recruiting success, while also navigating a challenging first year as a head coach. We look forward to continued momentum with our football program.”

Mac Bryan Resigns as Avery County High School Head Football Coach

December 15, 2021. Mac Bryan, head football coach at Avery County High School in Newland the past four seasons, has submitted his resignation from the post, according to Avery Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Dan Brigman. Bryan compiled a 10-29 record at Avery from 2018 through 2021. That includes a 2-9 mark in 2018; a 5-7 tally in 2019; 2-3 in the COVID-shortened/ postponed 2020 season to the spring of 2021; and a 1-10 mark this past 2021 full season. Bryan posted a 4-16 record in Western Highlands Conference play as the Vikings head coach. One of Bryan’s top achievements at Avery was helping mold Mitchell High transfer Troy Hoilman into one of the State of North Carolina’s most prolific prep passing quarterbacks through his tutelage of the already highly-talented passer and Hoilman playing in Bryan’s Spread Offense that featured much passing. Hoilman earned a walk-on position on the Wake Forest University football team. By Tim Gardner

December 5, 2021. Louisiana-Lafayette beat Appalachian State for a second time during the 2021 season Saturday-both on the former’s home field-and the latter in the Sun Belt Conference Championship game by a 24-16 tally. The Mountaineers (10-3), who won the Sun Belt’s East Division, will learn their bowl destination Sunday. Appalachian State has won bowl games in all six of its seasons since moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision (Major Level). This also marks the fifth time in seven seasons that the Mountaineers have won 10 or more games. By Tim Gardner

December 2, 2021. Two familiar foes will battle for the Sun Belt Conference Championship this Saturday with the Mountaineers traveling to Lafeyette to take on the Ragin’ Cajuns. This will be the third meeting between the two teams in the conference championship game. App State won the previous two meetings in Boone, first a 30-19 triumph in 2018 and a 45-38 win in 2019. Mountaineer fans are encouraged to come out on Friday morning and line up on King Street as the team will depart Boone at 11:45 a.m. and head to Louisiana to try and capture their fifth Sun Belt Championship. Appalachian closed out the regular season last week with a 27-3 win over rival Georgia Southern at Kidd Brewer Stadium. The Mountaineer defense dominated the game, holding Georgia Southern to just 87 rushing yards on 46 carries, less than two yards per carry. App State linebacker D’Marco Jackson was named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year as the captain of a stout Mountaineer defense all season long. By Nathan Ham

November 28, 2021. The Appalachian State Mountaineers won their 10th game of the 2021 season by beating long-time rival Georgia Southern 27-3 Saturday at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone. It marked the third time in the last six seasons that the Mountaineers (10-2 over-all, 6-1 Sun Belt Conference) have recorded 10 wins in the regular season. They did so in 2019 (finishing 13-1) and 2015 (11-2), and potentially missed out on the sterling accomplishment in 2018 because of a cancellation with Southern Mississippi because of Hurricane Florence. By Tim Gardner

November 21, 2021. Appalachian State offense exploded by scoring the last 42 points versus homestanding Troy University and the Mountaineers defense held the Trojans scoreless the last 51-plus minutes of the game enroute to a 45-7 Sun Belt Conference romp Saturday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Troy, Alabama. With the victory, the Mountaineers clinched the Sun Belt East Division title outright and a spot in the December 4 league championship game at West Division champion Louisiana-Lafayette. By Tim Gardner

+ More Articles

North Carolina High School Athletics Association Sanctions Women’s Wrestling as a Sport Beginning with the 2023-2024 Season

High Country Residents Bring Home Gold Medals From USASA 2022 National Championship Including Blake Broussard

The Sun Belt Conference Announces 2022 Football Schedule

Booneshine Brewing Company is New Adult League Sponsor for High Country Soccer Association; 2022 Spring Adult Soccer League Registration is Open through March 8

App State Football Season Tickets Now On Sale; Deadline is April 29

Avery High Wrestling Team Rallies to Beat Uwharrie Charter to Claim Fourth Consecutive State Championship

Farmer Named Avery County High School Head Football Coach

Avery County Native Tommy Burleson’s 1972 United States Olympic Men’s Basketball Team Nominated for Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics Officially Kick Off with Opening Ceremony

Mountaineers Host Arkansas State in Battle for First Place in the Sun Belt Conference

Waddell Wilson-NASCAR Legend with NC High Country Ties to be Honored on January 31

Forrest Plays Hero Again to Give Mountaineers 61-60 Win Over Georgia State

Mountaineers Seeking Fifth Win in Last Six Games Tonight Against Georgia State

Appalachian State Mountaineers Win Thriller Over Coastal Carolina, 61-60

Coastal Carolina Travels to Boone to Face Off Against Appalachian State Tonight at 6:30

Alabama vs. Georgia: College Football National Championship Game Preview and Prediction

App State Drops Non-Conference Finale at North Carolina, 70-50

App State Men’s Basketball Wraps Up Non-Conference Play Tonight in Chapel Hill

Western Kentucky Rolls Past Appalachian State, 59-38, in Boca Raton Bowl

App State Extends Football Coach Shawn Clark’s Contract through 2026

Mac Bryan Resigns as Avery County High School Head Football Coach

Appalachian State falls 24-16 to Louisiana-Lafayette in Sun Belt Conference Championship Tilt

Appalachian State Faces Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for the Sun Belt Conference Championship this Saturday; Team Sendoff Happening Friday Morning on King Street

Appalachian State Routs Georgia Southern 27-3 for 10th Win of 2021 Season

Appalachian State Mountaineers Roll Past Homestanding Troy Trojans 45-7 to Clinch Sun Belt Conference East Division Crown Outright