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Appalachian State Mountaineers Football Gears Up for Fan Fest During a Two-Hour Practice on Thursday

Aug. 16, 2013. Appalachian State University football held its 17th practice of fall camp on Thursday at Kidd Brewer Stadium. The Mountaineers worked out for two hours in full pads on an unseasonably cool afternoon in the High Country.

One day after holding a 93-play scrimmage, the Mountaineers did not scale back from the 11-on-11 work that has been a staple of its practices throughout fall camp.

The defense dominated at the beginning of Thursday’s first full-team period. On the very first snap, redshirt freshman safety Alex Gray undercut a would-be receiver to haul in an interception. Two plays later, tackle Stephen Burns pulled down a low pass at the line of scrimmage for the defense’s second interception in three snaps. 

On the fifth and sixth plays of the period, Appalachian ramped up the pass rush for back-to-back sacks. Tackle Thomas Bronson recorded the first sack and Ronald Blair and Deuce Robinson teamed up for the second.

The offense faired slightly better to close the period. Highlights included a first-down pass from backup quarterback Kameron Bryant to true freshman Dante Jones, an 11-yard pickup by running back Eric Davidson and a first-down strike from true freshman signal-caller Taylor Lamb to local product Mo Gore.

The offense carried the strong play into the second 11-on-11 period. On the ground, Davidson and Paul Magloire both picked up long gains. Through the air, starting quarterback Jamal Londry-Jackson found Simms McElfresh and Tony Washington for first-down connections, with Washinton’s first-down catch coming on an acrobatic one-handed grab in traffic. However, the highlight of the period came when Bryant hooked up with Tacoi Sumler for a spectacular touchdown pass. Bryant’s throw initially looked like it would be picked off by true freshman T.J. Watkins, but Sumler skied in front of Watkins to snatch the ball then used his world-class speed to scamper 60 yards for a score. 

The Mountaineers closed practice with their familiar final period of two-minute drills. The offense opened the period by finding the end zone on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Londry-Jackson to Sean Price. The defense responded with a stop but the offense closed the practice on a high note when Drew Stewart nailed a 42-yard field goal despite intense pressure from both the field-goal block unit and his teammates on both sidelines. 

Appalachian’s Friday practice session is closed to the public but a full practice report will be available at appstatesports.com. Additionally, fans have the opportunity to watch the Mountaineers conduct their final intrasquad scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday during Appalachian State football’s annual Fan Fest at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Gates open at 5 p.m.