kennywanchizoate Posted January 31, 2006 Author Share Posted January 31, 2006 [b][u]Week Fifteen[/b][/u] 11-0, number one team in the nation, and champions of the Southern Conference! Big year in my first head coaching year. We finish up this season at home against Ivy League cellar dweller Dartmouth. The Big Green come in 3-8 and finished 1-6 in the Ivy. Offensively, quarterback Fredd Andrews and wide out Dominic Jones are the keys to holding them down. In the backfield, Nick McDaniel is their top back, and Art Minnis at fullback is a good blocker. Our D-line could have a field day in their backfield, with some of their best blockers being injured. Defensively, Greg Kent is their anchor, but everything else is about average. Jeff Kent and Paul Freitas will have good games, and if we get up early, we'll play some 2nd and 3rd string guys to get them some playing time and rest our number 1s. [u]First Quarter[/u] We drive the opening kickoff right down the field with no huge plays, but Freitas takes it in from 1 yard out to get us on the board first. Dartmouth picks up a first down, but Barrett Wiley picks off a deep ball over the middle, and sets us back up with the ball at our 35. Unfortunately we go three and out, and we punt it back. 3 and out for Dartmouth, and we move the ball down the field but stall at the 17, so Zimmerman tacks on 3. Dartmouth takes the next kickoff and pick up a first down as the quarter runs out. [i]ASU 10, DART 0[/i] [u]Second Quarter[/u] We start out with a huge roughing the passer that negates an interception, and they get it down and kick a field goal. It's a long drive and this time Freitas catches a 2 yard screen to put us up 17-3. Good return, but it's for naught as we force 3 and out. A couple of big passes from Kent and a pair of big runs by Johnathon Cappadona and Paul Freitas sets up a 3 yard touchdown reception by Todd Bennett. Looks like we'll get to rest our starters soon. Next play after the kickoff is a deep ball that Hoyle Comella picks off at our 29. 61 yard pass to Bennett puts us in field goal range with a minute left. Two more runs put us at the 2, where Cappadona catches a pass from Kent for another score. Dartmouth runs the clock out on the half. [i]ASU 31, DART 3[/i] [u]Third Quarter[/u] Kent and Freitas come out of the locker room with their helmets off, and watch Dartmouth march down the field and Nick McDaniel pound it in from 3 yards out. Jason Baugh drives us down the field with Jonathon Ellis running as well, but we stall and Zimmerman misses a 39 yard field goal. 25 yard pickup on first down for Nick McDaniel, but that's all they muster and they punt it away. Baugh leaads us down the field again, and this time Zimmerman hits the 39 yard field goal when we bog down. Dartmouth gets to moving the ball down the field as the quarter runs out. [i]ASU 34, DART 10[/i] [u]Fourth Quarter[/u] We hold Dartmouth after they moved the ball, and we take the ball over after a punt to the 21 yard line. Ellis picks up nine, then after a Baugh incompletion, Ellis blasts up the middle for a 70 yard touchdown run! Zimmerman has another point after blocked. We're gonna have to talk to him about that. Andrews gets picked again by Hoyle Comella, and it's our ball again. Baugh gets a pass batted, and Dartmouth pick it off at our 29. Our defense holds and makes them kick a field goal. We drive down to the Dartmouth 4 with a good mix of rush and pass before we get stopped and Zimmerman kicks a 22 yard field goal. First offensive play after the kickoff, Barrett Wiley picks backup Dartmouth QB Mike Hankton and he takes it to the house! They move the ball down the field but a completed pass gets fumbled, and it's our ball with les than a minute left. Ellis drives the ball up the field, and we put the cap on a perfect regular season! [i]ASU 50, DART 13[/i] What a day we had today tuning up for the playoffs. Over 300 yards rushing and passing, and our backups got their playing time preparing for next season as well. We've got a week off as the conference championship games are played before the playoffs begin. [b]Total Yards 657-244 Passing 327-137 Rushing 330-107 TOP 3826-21:34[/b] [b]ASU Stats[/b] [u]Passing[/u] J. Kent 21-23 208 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT J. Baugh 14-20 119 yards, 1 INT [u]Rushing[/u] J. Ellis 20-189, 1 TD P. Freitas 18-109, 1 TD J. Cappadona 4-30 M. Doornink 1-2 [u]Receiving[/u] T. Bennett 6-89, 1 TD M. Doornink 10-71 V. Norton 6-58 P. Freitas 5-49, 1 TD J. Ellis 4-39 W. Smith 3-19 J. Cappadona 1-2, 1 TD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted January 31, 2006 Author Share Posted January 31, 2006 [b][u]Mountaineer Awards and Recognition Day[/u][/b] The Appalachian State Mountaineers recognize the outstanding play of all of their players this season, and are proud to announce their award winners, All Americans, and All Southern Conference picks. [u]Division I-AA Coach of the Year[/u] Kenneth Choate [u]Division I-AA Most Outstanding Tight End[/u] Todd Bennett [u]1st Team All American Team[/u] Wide Receiver Mike Doornink [u]2nd Team All American[/u] Tight End Todd Bennett [u]3rd Team All American[/u] Linebacker Nick Bennett [u]1st Team All Southern Conference[/u] Fullback Johnathon Cappadona Wide Receiver Mike Doornink Tight End Todd Bennett Guard Earl Fasani Linebacker Nick Bennett Cornerback Tavon Thompson Kicker Jed Zimmerman [u]2nd Team All Southern Conference[/u] Quarterback Jeff Kent Running Back Paul Freitas Tackle Tony Umenyiora Defensive End Tony Michaels [u]3rd Team All Southern Conference[/u] Center Todd Adams Defensive End Gary Emmons [u]Appalachian State Mountaineers Regular Season MVP[/u] Quarterback Jeff Kent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted January 31, 2006 Author Share Posted January 31, 2006 It's true, oh it's true! We're headed to the playoffs as the lone representative of the Southern Conference, and we are the number one seed! It's a dream come true, but it's still a long way to the end of the road. [b][u]2005 Division I-AA Playoff Seeds[/b][/u] (1) Appalachian State v. (16) Saint Peter's (2) UC Davis v. (15) Coastal Carolina (3) Harvard v. (14) Colgate (4) Massachusetts v. (13) Dayton (5) Western Kentucky v. (12) Monmouth (6) Grambling State v. (11) Hampton (7) Idaho State v. (10) North Dakota State (8) Texas State v. (9) Jacksonville State Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted January 31, 2006 Author Share Posted January 31, 2006 [b][u]Final Regular Season Statistics[/b][/u] [b]Offensive Statistics[/b] [u]Passing[/u] Jeff Kent 361-478 (75.5%), 3848 yards, 27 TD, 8 INT, 158.4 Rating Jason Baugh 14-20 (70.0%), 119 yards, 1 INT, 110.0 rating [u]Rushing[/u] Paul Freitas 261-1348 yards (5.16 ypc) 15 TD, 3 Fumbles Jonathon Ellis 162-757 yards (4,67 ypc) 7 TD, 1 Fumble Jonathon Cappadona 38-183 yards (4.82 ypc), 1 TD, 1 Fumble Jeff Kent 16-27 yards (1.69 ypc) Mike Doornink 11-20 yards (1.82 ypc) Art Nelson 2-4 yards (2.00 ypc) [u]Receiving[/u] Mike Doornink 103-1126 yards (10.9 ypc), 355 YAC, 8 TD, 2 drops Paul Freitas 68-682 yards (10.0 ypc), 376 YAC, 6 TD, 1 drop Todd Bennett 54-606 yards (11.2 ypc), 237 YAC, 3 TD, 2 drops Jonathon Ellis 45-470 yards (10.4 ypc), 273 YAC, 2 TD, 2 drops Vince Norton 46-462 yards (10.0 ypc), 118 YAC, 3 TD, 3 drops Wayne Smith 26-341 yards (13.1 ypc), 88 YAC, 2 TD, 2 drops Curtis Greissen 17-168 yards (9.9 ypc), 41 YAC, 1 drop Jonathon Cappadona 7-61 yards (8.7 ypc), 26 YAC, 1 TD, 0 drops Louis Sweet 9-51 yards (5.7 ypc), 12 YAC, 2 TD 0 drops [u]Kicking[/u] Jed Zimmerman 21-30 FG, 52-54 XP [b]Defensive Statistics[/b] [u]Tackles[/u] Nick Bennett 107 Kevin Brenner 86 Barrett Wiley 71 Albert Shields 49 Duane Jones 45 Tavon Thompson 39 Terry Nix 20 Jeff Nails 17 Tony Michaels 17 Mike Brown 14 Hoyle Comella 14 Gary Emmons 12 Ray Keisel 7 Ron Weary 6 Lincoln Paige 2 Jonathon Cappadona 2 Donnie Branch 1 [u]Sacks[/u] Gary Emmons 7 Tony Michaels 7 Terry Nix 6 Nick Bennett 4 Kevin Brenner 4 Ron Weary 3 Tavon Thompson 1 Jeff Nails 1 [u]Passes Defended[/u] Tavon Thompson 19 Duane Jones 5 Kevin Brenner 3 Hoyle Comella 3 Ray Keisel 3 Jeff Nails 2 Barrett Wiley 2 Nick Bennett 2 [u]Interceptions[/u] Barrett Wiley 6, 1 TD Tavon Thompson 4, 1 TD Hoyle Comella 4 Nick Bennett 3 Albert Shields 2, 1 TD Jeff Nails 2 Ray Keisel 1 Kevin Brenner 1 Ron Weary 1 [u]Forced Fumbles[/u] Nick Bennett 3 Ron Weary 3 Kevin Brenner 3 Tony Michaels 2 Lincoln Paige 2 Jonathon Cappadona 2 Terry Nix 1 Albert Shields 1 [u]Fumbles Recovered[/u] Jonathon Cappadona 3 Earl Fasani 2 Ron Weary 2 Gary Emmons 2 Jon Ashworth 1 Wayne Smith 1 [u]Punting[/u] Jason Richard 43-1770 yards, 41.2 avg, 31.7 net, 5 TB, 2 inside 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted January 31, 2006 Author Share Posted January 31, 2006 [b][u]Playoffs Round One[/b][/u] Saint Peter's comes out of a weak Metro Atlantic Conference, and they draw a rough game against us. They barely crossed .500, and lost all of their out of conference games. On offense, Brad Bear is a pretty decent quarterback, as are his receivers Gary Hunter and Kevin Thompson. Running Back Deon Williams isn't anything special, and their O-line is made of Swiss cheese. Their defense will have trouble stopping us all game, especially with their weak front 7. [u]First Quarter[/u] Our first drive is 3 and out, as is Saint Peter's first. We drive the next one down the field, but have to settle for a Zimmerman field goal. 3 and out for them again, and we drive down to the Saint Peter's 36, and instead of punting, we go for it on 4th down and don't get it. 3 and out again for Saint Peter's, and we drive down before we get stopped again, and we can't convert on a fake punt. [i]ASU 3, STPT 0[/i] [u]Second Quarter[/u] We get another break as the quarter starts as Barrett Wiley picks off Bear and takes it back 23 yards down to the Saint Peter's 30. A couple of first downs, and Kent hits Victor Norton for the touchdown. 3 and out to the punt, and it's a line drive that Mike Doornink takes 75 yards to the house! It's their ball again, and they pick up a couple of first downs before Barrett Wiley gets his second pick of the day, and he takes it 60 yards for the touchdown! Zimmerman has his extra point blocked. I thought we had fixed this issue. They move the ball down the field some, but we hold at mid field and get the ball on our 9. We get the ball out some, but we have to punt it away. Bear hits a big pass play into our territory, and then he nails a 33 yarder for a touchdown with 1:20 in the first half. Kent fires back with a 53 yard pass to Victor Norton, and then 22 yards to Todd Bennett on the next play for the score. They run the clock out, and its halftime. [i]ASU 30, STPT 7[/i] [u]Third Quarter[/u] Saint Peter's takes the opening kickoff down the field methodically but they had to settle for a field goal. We head right back downt he field and Kent hits a 3 yard pass to Freitas for the score. They get down the field again just as we did, but they have to kick another field goal. Freitas takes a wicked, and arguably dirty, hit and we go ahead and pull him since we're so far out in front. Kent gets hit late by DT TC Fletcher, and I've decided to go ahead and run up the score, since they want to play dirty. We pound the ball down their throats to the end of the quarter and Kent hits Louis Sweet for a touchdown as time expires. [i]ASU 44, STPT 13[/i] [u]Fourth Quarter[/u] They move the ball down the field, but we hold and they have to kick yet another field goal. We drive down the field, but we also have to settle for another field goal. They get all the way down to the 5, and they are able to get into the endzone again. They kick an onside kick, but Johnathon Cappadona holds onto it. Jonathon Ellis pounds it out and the clock runs out, so we're moving on. [i]ASU 47, STPT 23[/i] Not nearly as good a showing as I was expecting from my defense, but our offense played up to snuff. Saint Peter's got dirty there in the middle of the third quarter, so we turned it back around on them and finished them off. No rushing touchdowns, a special teams touchdown and a defensive touchdown. Definitely not the kind of game I wanted against the weak caliber of Saint Peter's [b]Total Yards 445-350 Passing 292-238 Rushing 153-112 TOP 32:43-27:17[/b] [b]ASU Stats[/b] [u]Passing[/u] J. Kent 26-33 292 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT J. Richard 0-1 [u]Rushing[/u] P. Freitas 19-76 J. Ellis 15-56 J. Cappadona 4-23 [u]Receiving[/u] M. Doornink 8-102 V. Norton 5-91, 1 TD T. Bennett 3-31, 1 TD P. Freitas 4-19, 1 TD L. Sweet 2-18, 1 TD J. Ellis 1-4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted January 31, 2006 Author Share Posted January 31, 2006 [b][u]Playoffs Week Two Matchups[/b][/u] (1) Appalachian State v. (8) Texas State (4) Massachusetts v. (5) Western Kentucky (3) Harvard v. (11) Hampton (10) North Dakota State v. (2) UC Davis We got our token pass to the second round, but Texas State is a true contender. One loss at Harvard, and they beat the stuffing out of some of the best teams in the Southland Conference. Very surprising indeed that Grambling State lost to Hampton, and Idaho State should have beaten North Dakota State. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 [b][u]Playoffs Round Two[/b][/u] Texas State comes in ranked 11th in the country with an 11-1 record after their win in round one of the playoffs, and we're still number 1 and 13-0. We're favored in this one by 6 points. Jim Felt is the quarterback, and he's good. Dave Spilis is his top receiver, along with James Thomas and tight end Rashod Braxon. Senior Don Williams is a pretty good running back, but with a weak right side of the line, we'll be stacking up the left against him all day. Corner Seth Brees will anchor their defense against us with a solid secondary and front seven, so it'll be grind it out and short passes for the most part today. [u]First Quarter[/u] Our ball first in the game, and a 34 yard pass to Johnathon Cappadona starts us off, and we give it to Freitas a few times as we continue to move down the field before Kent drops back and hits Vince Norton for the score. They move the ball some before a few penalties back them up and force a punt. We move right on down the field yet again, and this time Ellis runs it in from 4 yards out to give us a two touchdown lead to start with. 3rd down on the ensuing series, and Felt hits Thomas with a pass, but Ron Weary jars it loose and Gary Emmons picks it up at the Texas State 26. 3 plays later, Freitas takes it in from 7 out for a 21-0 lead. Texas State picks up a first down, but we force another punt as time runs out in the first quarter. [i]ASU 21, TXST 0[/i] [u]Second Quarter[/u] 28 yards to Norton puts us in Texas State territory again, and we move a few more yards down with the running game before Kent hits Curtis Greisen with a 20 yard touchdown strike! Well, we knew we weren't going to contain Spilis all game, and Felt hits him with a 48 yard strike and then a 25 yard quick hitter before he goes to Thomas for the score. We go back down the field, but they hold us up in the red zone and force Zimmerman to kick a 31 yard field goal to re-extend our lead with a little over 3 minutes in the half to go. They get a first down, but we force a punt over the next 3 plays, and it's our ball with 50 seconds and 2 timeouts at our own 38. We get held to 3 and out after they use all their time outs, but they only run one play to take us to the half. [i]ASU 31, TXST 7[/i] [u]Third Quarter[/u] Their ball to start the half, They march down the field with another big gain by Spilis, and they get in the end zone for the second time today. They go for 2 and get it, making it 31-15. We go back down the field with a good mix of run and pass until they stop us on third down with inches to go. We line up in a shotgun and fake the quarterback draw as he flings it out to Freitas on the wing, and he takes it in from 11 yards out. They move down the field more themselves but we hold them up for a field goal. We take a 5 yard 12 men on the field penalty to back them up, but they hit it anyway to make it 38-18 with time winding down in the quarter. [i]ASU 38, TXST 18[/i] [u]Fourth Quarter[/u] We go three and out after a good kick return and pin them at their 7, then we hold 3 and out to get the ball back on their 39. We only get 5 yards on 3 downs, so we go for it at the 34 rather than punt. We only get 3 yards, but they put a late hit on Kent and that moves us to the 16 with 1st down. Doornink frees up 2 plays later for an 11 yard touchdown completion, and we're all out in front now. Freitas and Kent have earned the rest of the day off. Spilis makes another huge grab of 55 yards to put them inside our 20. If it weren't for Spilis, they would have had no offense today. We hold to another field goal with half the quarter left. We can't convert on 3rd down so we go three and out. So much for ball control. They get a first down but only one, and it's our ball back at our 25. We go to a little trickeration on first down, and Doornink comes out on the end around for 29 yards! Afer that, it's pound, pound, pound as Ellis and Cappadona run the clock out. It's a dead issue that they force 4th down, and Zimmerman kicks it through as time expires because they called their last time out! We're headed to the semifinals! [i]ASU 48, TXST 21[/i] Our defense could have played better and held them to fewer yards, but we're playing some of the top teams in the nation now. Our offense rolled most of the day, especially in the first half. All in all, a solid performance by our entire team. Johnathon Cappadona shows what veteran leadership is supposed to be by coming through with perhaps his biggest game of his career. [b]Total Yards 475-371 Passing 288-290 Rushing 187-81 TOP 31:36-28-24[/b] [b]ASU Stats[/b] [u]Passing[/u] J. Kent 25-29 285 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT J. Richard 1-1 3 yards [u]Rushing[/u] P. Freitas 17-89, 1 TD J. Cappadona 11-56 M. Doornink 2-32 J. Ellis 10-22, 1 TD [u]Receiving[/u] V. Norton 6-109, 1 TD M. Doornink 8-59, 1 TD J. Cappadona 2-52 P. Freitas 6-35, 1 TD C. Greisen 1-20, 1 TD T. Bennett 2-8 J. Ellis 1-5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 [b][u]Playoffs Semi Final Matchups[/b][/u] (1) Appalachian State v. (4) Massachusetts (3) Harvard v. (10) North Dakota State What a win for us against Texas State, but it won't be nearly that easy against one of the best teams in the nation in U Mass. They held the number one spot for several weeks this year before being beaten by Rhode Island, which is their only loss. Harvard ended the Ivy League's long running boycott of the playoffs, and they're proving why the Ivy is a great football conference. North Dakota State took the Great west by beating UC Davis, which was Davis' only loss on the season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 [b][u]Playoffs Semi Finals[/b][/u] It's the semifinals, and we're playing U Mass! They're 13-1 and ranked 3rd in the country, where we're 14-0 and still 1st. Right now they're favored by 10 points against us, which really makes no sense at all. They're good, and they have a good chance of beating us, but there's no way I'm losing to them by that much. Their only loss came this year to Rhode Island in a 48-39 shootout, and they trounced most of the rest of their competition. Jeff Baschnagel is a top notch quarterback, and they split carries at running back with Mike Tyree and Trent Arrington, both of whom very well might start over Paul Freitas had they been at ASU. Cedric Williams and Reuben Dodd anchor the receivers, and they're pretty good. Their line is solid for the most part, so we may have problems getting to Baschnagel. Defensively, they're not quite as good as we are, but they have a good secondary, so most of our yards will probably come from Paul Freitas on the ground. [u]First Quarter[/u] U Mass starts out with the ball here in the first half, and after they pick up a first down, Hoyle Comella picks off Baschnagel at the 31 and he takes it to the house! What a way to start the game! They pick up one first down this time and our defense holds to get us the ball for the first time on offense. Freitas picks up some good yards with a mix of Jeff Kent passes before Freitas takes it in from 2 yards out for the score! 3 and out this time for U Mass and we're looking good before Freitas gets nailed on a screen and fumbles in our territory. Tyree runs 4 straight times and puts it in the end zone. Turnovers are a washout now. We have to punt it away after a first down, and that brings the first quarter to a close. [i]ASU 14, UMAS 7[/i] [u]Second Quarter[/u] They march down the field, but we hold at the 13 to force them to kick a field goal. We get good field position off the kickoff and Kent takes advantage of it, but we're forced to kick a field goal ourselves. We hold again after a first down, and we head down the field methodically. Our O-Line breaks down though as they let Kent get sacked twice, leaving Zimmerman to kick a 42 yard field goal right before the half. [i]ASU 20, UMAS 10[/i] [u]Third Quarter[/u] After the opening kickoff, it's fireworks as Doornink streaks down the field for a 69 yard touchdown strike from Kent! They get a good return and a big pass to Reuben Dodd, who goes in from 23 yards out after making defenders miss to pull it back to within 10. Paul Freitas got hurt right towards the end of the first half, and his absence is noted on the next drive as we go 3 and out. Reuben Dodd does it to us again as Baschnagel hits him for a 57 yard gain, and their fullback pounds it in from 3 yards out to make it a 3 point game. 3 and out for us, and U Mass has all the momentum. We finally hold and they punt it away to our 22. We move the ball fairly well until our line gives out yet again, letting Kent get sacked and take us out of field goal range. Jason Richard does his job though, and pins them at the 5 as the quarter is over. [i]ASU 27, UMAS 24[/i] [u]Fourth Quarter[/u] 3 and out, and we're back in business with good field position. Kent goes deep for Doornink, but Pat Easy comes away with it at the 5! They move the ball up to midfield before Albert Shields forces a fumble on a pass play, and Terry Nix picks it up! Kent hits Doornink for a 23 yard corner route, and then Ellis picks up 18 and then 5 before another Kent sack makes a Zimmerman field goal more difficult. He converts though, and it's a full possesion game to draw even. We force them to punt after a huge pass to their backup tight end of 44 yards, so it's our ball at our own 3 with four and a half minutes left. Ellis goes 20 yards on the first play and give us breathing room. We do have to punt, and they can't get the ball moving as Baschnagel misses a pass to Tyree, and Kent takes a knee on the next play! We're going to the national championship game! [i]ASU 30, UMAS 24[/i] Not the kind of game that should have went our way, but a quick start and U Mass was playing from behind the whole game, something they haven't had to do all year. Reuben Dodd almost did us in in the third quarter, but we finally held up. Kent did a fine job of managing the game, and Jonathon Ellis is proving why he's my number one choice for starter next year already after Freitas went down at the end of the first half. Hopefully, we'll be heading into next year the defending national champions! [b]Total Yards 401-426 Passing 238-261 Rushing 163-165 TOP 28:48-31:12[/b] [b]ASU Stats[/b] [u]Passing[/u] J. Kent 19-32 238 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT [u]Rushing[/u] J. Ellis 17-121 P. Freitas 10-60, 1 TD M. Doornink 1-3 J. Cappadona 1-2 J. Kent 2-(-2) [u]Receiving[/u] M. Doornink 7-131, 1 TD V. Norton 5-52 T. Bennett 3-30 J. Ellis 3-20 P. Freitas 1-5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 [u][b]Division I-AA National Championship Game is set[/b][/u] The NCAA Division I-AA National Championship game is set, and it will be two teams that no on expected to be there when the season began. The Appalachian State Mountaineers ended the Atlantic 10's stranglehold on the season yesterday as they defeated the University of Massachusetts 30-24, and the North Dakota State Bison ended the first Ivy League school in the D I-AA playoffs run of Harvard with a fourth quarter come from behind victory. First year head coach of the Mountaineers, Kenneth Choate, said, "This has been our goal all season long, was to get to the national title game. Yes, we went undefeated during the regular season, but it would have been for nothing had we not gotten here. We're fighting for the first football national title for Appalachian State, and we're not going to let this opportunity pass us by. NDSU is a good team, but we're going to play our best and leave everything on the field this coming Saturday." North Dakota State head coach Robert Ford had this to say after their stunning upset of Harvard: "We knew we were a good football team, but this is a testament to the heart of our team. Now we get a chance to play for the national title against a great team in ASU, and we'll see what happens then." The Atlantic 10 will not have a representative in the title game this season, despite having 7 teams in the top 25 polls. The next closest was the conference that Appalachian State hails from, the Southern Conference, which had 4. Early lines on the game from Las Vegas have the game even or a single point in North Dakota State's favor, despite the fact that NDSU is currently ranked 19th in the polls and ASU is undefeated and ranked 1st. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 [b][u]Pre National Championship Game Scouting Report[/u][/b] [u]NDSU Offense[/u] [i]Skill Players[/i] Quarterback Marlin Ogden was one of the best in the game this season, throwing for over 3600 yards and 30 touchdowns with only 6 interceptions. He threw enough to have two All-American wide receivers in 2nd team AA Hunter Engelberger and 3rd team AA Norris Rochester. Sophomore tight end Israel Boone is a good blocking tight end, but he can catch passes as well. Ogden also has a good running back in Claxton Evans, who ran for almost 1300 yards and had 16 touchdowns on the season. [i]Offensive Line[/i] On the offensive line, they're anchored by a strong left side, starting with tackle Zack Brown. He's coming into the game injured, but as a senior, he's going to be there playing. Another senior, Jason Jones is the guard on his side, and he's just as good. Center Michael Atkins is playing hurt, but again, he's a senior with nothing to lose. Junior Jack Enis and sophomore Ben Pearson round out the line as nothing special, but all five of these guys will need to be attacked constantly. [u]NDSU Defense[/u] [i]Defensive Line[/i] On the defensive line, senior right defensive end Al Lamar is the anchor. He's hurt, just like some guys on the offensive line, but he'll be out there. His opposite is Ken Wycheck, a sophomore with tremendous potential. The inside is manned by Al Nichols and Bruce Velva, both of whom are tremendous talents. If anyone goes down, they'll be awfully thin though. [i]Linebackers[/i] The NDSU defense is held together by the linebacking corps, as senior Ron Barney in the middle linebacker position is an All American. He's flanked in their 4-3 by fellow senior on the strong side Aaron Green, who led the team in tackles, sacks, and interceptions, and weak side by Seth Bell, a junior who has been injured much of the season. Same as with the defensive line; if someone has to come out, it's a tremendous blow to their depth and the quality of player they can put out there against us. They're already beaten up at outside backer with a shoulder injury to Bell that's finally healing up and injuries to the next two men on the outside 'backer depth chart. [i]Secondary[/i] In the secondary, senior Howie Hamilton is the definition of a shutdown corner, and his counterpart sophomore Greg Atkinson will be a top corner for years to come. Their safeties leave some to be desired as free safety Kurt Clayborn is a true sophomore and lacks some game experience. Strong safety is a true freshman in Raymond Burris. Both safties have bright futures, but we might can torch them over the top if they start playing up on the run. This is the one spot on the defensive side that they do have depth, as they have mostly veteran juniors deep. [u]Special Teams[/u] [i]Kicking[/i] Dave Duhe has a huge leg as a kicker, but he's not terribly accurate yet. Still in all, he's a quality guy who will do well. Brock Burris is an outstanding punter, and he has the leg of a Reggie Roby, and the accuracy as well. They hold an advantage in the kicking game, that's for sure [i]Returns[/i] Norris Rochester returns both punts and kickoffs, and boy is he dangerous. He's averaging 24 yards per kick return, and he's returned 2 punts for touchdowns. We have to be careful on kick coverage or he'll burn us all day long. [b][u]Analysis[/b][/u] This North Dakota State team is solid all around, but other than their quarterback and receivers, nobody really stands out from the pack. They have a good offense, but we have a better defense, and their defense was ranked in the middle of the pack. Our offense was one of the best in the nation, and our defense even better than that, so we should be coming into this game with an outstanding chance of winning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 [b][u]Division I-AA National Championship Game[/b][/u] After an entire year of working and pounding and holding our breath at moments, here we are at the place we wanted to be: the national championship game! We're trying to become the first ever national champions in Appalachian State history, so we can make things great here, and do something that has never been done before. [u]First Quarter[/u] We get the ball first, but it's three and out for us, and they get a good return on Richard's punt. We hold them 3 and out, but now it's our ball at our 2. Freitas moves it out some, but Kent gets sacked and we have to punt it from the shadow of our own goal line. They bring it back 36 yards down to our 24, so we might as well not have even punted at all! Luckily, Ogden gets picked by Tavon Thompson and he brings it back to our 31. Another sack and an incomplete pass, but Vince Norton streaks across the middle wide open for a 71 yard touchdown! 35 yard return on a short kick and they're at our 47. Claxton Evans picks up 4 then springs free on a screen for the other 44 yards for the score and a tie game. After a kick that goes out of bounds, Freitas gets a 15 yard pass from Kent then runs of 9 and 15 to put us in prime scoring position. We get to third and goal at the 3 when Kent drops one into the outstretched arms of Curtis Greisen for the score! Another good return on another short kick, and Ogden moves them down the field as time runs out on the quarter. [i]ASU 14, NDSU 7[/i] [u]Second Quarter[/u] They get into position for a long field goal, and Dave Duhe kicks the 48 yarder. We move the ball down the field pretty well, but another sack of Kent forces another field goal, this time a 30 yarder from Zimmerman. They get a big pass play to Rochester from Ogden, but we hold them and they punt it away to our 23. Paul Freitas carries us down the field and Jonathon Ellis gets a few rushes in before he carries it in from 4 yards out for the score. 3 and out for ASU, and we get the ball back with a minute left. We can't do anything with it and punt it back, and Rochester nearly breaks it loose before the Jason Richard brings him down. Two big pass plays put them in field goal range, but the last completion came down in bounds, so the clock runs out on them in the half. [i]ASU 24, NDSU 10[/i] [u]Third Quarter[/u] They move the ball a few yards before having to punt on the opening kickoff of the second half, and Burris pins us at the 3 yard line. Freitas carries us out, but we stall out at midfield and Richards punt goes out of the end zone. One first down and we hold, so it's our ball back at our own 8. 3 and out, so we kick it away to their 44. Another 3 and out for them, and this time the kick just barely gets into the endzone for the touchback. 3 and out for us again, and we punt away. They punt to us after they move the ball some in the drive, but it's our ball at their 49 as the clock expires in the 3rd quarter. [i]ASU 24, NDSU 10[/i] [u]Fourth Quarter[/u] The good field position is helped by a 19 yard pass to Todd Bennett, but we can't get moving any further and have to settle for a Zimmerman field goal from 36. A 20 yard then a 48 yard pass to Engelberger does us in as he catches a 1 yard pass for the score. 43 yards to Mike Doornink on the ensuing drive and we're in scoring range, and Kent moves the ball with some short passes before hitting Vince Norton for his second touchdown of the game! That makes it 34-17 with 7 minutes left. All we have to do is run out the clock now. 35 yard return by Rochester and a face mask on the return befor Rochester catches a 46 yarder, and a backup receiver catches a 16 yard touchdown pass. 34-24 with 6 minutes left now. 3 and out now for us, and it's a 41 yard streak by Engelberger! 3 yards to the TE Harris, and now it's a 3 point game with 3 and a half minutes left. We get held for a 3 and out yet again! Where did our offense go, and a terrible punt by Richard and an 18 yard return puts them at our 29 with 39 seconds to go. They move the ball a few yards and kick the game tying field goal with little time left. We do get the ball back with 20 seconds left, and Kent hits a 17 yarder to Freitas and 29 yards to Cappadona for a field goal try from 51 for Zimmerman. He gets it low, but it's blocked and nearly returned for a touchdown, but time expires on regulation. The national title game is going to overtime! [i]ASU 34, NDSU 34[/i] [u]1st Overtime[/u] Kent hits a 15 yard pass to Doornink, but gets sacked on 3rd down, so we have to settle for a field goal from Zimmerman and pray. Claxton Evans gets 8 on second down after an incompletion but only one on 3rd down. Coach Ford across the sidelines calls timeout, and then sends his offensive unit back on the field with 4th and inches. Ogden drops back, and Tony Michaels blows off his blocker and comes away with the sack!!! WE'RE THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! WE'RE THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! [b][i]Final Score: Appalachian State 37, North Dakota State 34[/b][/i] The long road is over, and we're the national champions! After my Gatorade shower, I look over at my guys and see none other than my predecessor, Coach Jerry Moore coming over to shake my hand and congratulate us on our fine season. We hoist the Division I-AA National Championship plaque into the air, and all the guys celebrate all over the field. It's the last time that Jeff Kent, Paul Freitas, Jeff Nails, and so many others will wear the black and yellow of ASU, so I try to make my way quietly into the locker room as the festivities wind down, but the guys catch up to me and carry me off the field after handing me the trophy. What a photo that'll be on the local papers tomorrow! [b]Total Yards 511-408 Passing 350-342 Rushing 161-66 TOP 37:23-24:30[/b] [b]ASU Stats[/b] [u]Passing[/u] J. Kent 21-32 350 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT [u]Rushing[/u] P. Freitas 35-126 J. Ellis 6-31, 1 TD J. Cappadona 5-13 J. Kent 2-3 [u]Receiving[/u] M. Doornink 9-160 V. Norton 3-75, 2 TD J. Cappadona 2-32 P. Freitas 2-32 T. Bennett 2-28 C. Greisen 3-23, 1 TD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 [b][u]Appalachian State Playoff Statistics[/u][/b] [u]Passing[/u] Jeff Kent 91-126 (72.2%) 1165 yards, 12 TD, 1 INT [u]Rushing[/u] Paul Freitas 81-351 yards (4.33 ypc) 1 TD Jonathon Ellis 48-230 yards (4.79 ypc) 3 TD Johnathon Cappadona 18-113 yards (6.28 ypc) Mike Doornink 3-35 yards (11.67 ypc) [u]Receiving[/u] Mike Doornink 32-452 yards (14.13 ypc), 2 TD Vince Norton 19-327 yards (17.21 ypc), 4 TD Todd Bennett 10-97 yards (9.70 ypc), 1 TD Paul Freitas 13-91 yards (7.00 ypc), 2 TD Curtis Greisen 4-43 yards (10.75 ypc), 2 TD Jonathon Ellis 5-29 (5.80 ypc) Louis Sweet 2-18 yards (9.00 ypc), 1 TD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 [b][u]The First Days Back Home[/b][/u] We get back to school the heroes of the hour. Parades, luncheons, festivities, and all the like. I let the kids enjoy most of it, but I buckle down and try to get things rolling for next season. The recruiting season is about to start into full swing, so I want to be prepared to get the best possible recruiting class that I can get for us. I get quite a few phone calls over the next couple of days with job offers to be the head coach elsewhere in Division I-AA. Jackson State, Valparaiso, Drake, Fordham, and even in-conference foe Western Carolina among others try to woo me with more money, but I just won a title here, and this is where I'm staying. The athletic department is ecstatic over what we accomplished this season, and the boosters pitch in some extra money to help with recruiting. I've got a load of money to recruit with, so it'll be fun to go after these young guys with all I've got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 [b][u]The Assistant Coaching Situation[/b][/u] Well, Adrian Parrish, my offensive coordinator, comes into my office a few days after being home, and he tells me that he's leaving to go elsewhere, after saying that he enjoyed working for me, but that he wanted a chance at being a head coach somewhere else. I told him that I understood, and wished him well. As for Joe Strachan, my defensive coordinator, even though he did an outstanding job this year, I really think that we can have a better coordinator than him, so I decide to let him go. Just as well; he got a job back in Louisiana coaching high school immediately afterward. Seth Mercer will probably be staying as our special teams coordinator, but he had better step it up this season on punt coverage or he'll be finding somewhere else to work. I had my eyes set on the coordinators I wanted, but I instead settled for two lesser candidates that I had on my radar. Hakim Klein is my new offensive coordinator; he's a guru that studied under George Seifert and Bill Walsh back with the San Francisco 49'ers and is a West Coast offense guy. We just might implement that this season. Jermaine Barker is a heck of a defensive coordinator, and he's been around a long time. He's proficient in a 4-4 defense, so we may be switching from a 4-3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 [b][u]Transfers and the beginning of Recruiting[/u][/b] I was truly upset when Fran Francis, a stud inside linebacker, decided that he didn't like my redshirting of him as a true freshman, and he transferred to Gardner-Webb. Turns out his parents didn't like him sitting last season, so they convinced him to transfer. I had a few choice words for them in the solitude of my office. We've got a few holes in our team, especially with Johnathon Cappadona as our only fullback. Everywhere else we look to be solid on the offensive side, but I'll be going after a quarterback after all. Jonathon Ellis is a junior, but I'll be going after another running back, and wide receivers as well. Defensively, we're probably going to be average, but we didn't lose too much on that side of the ball. With the players we have, we should be just fine. So, knowing all that, we go out and start the scouting process, and let's see how we wind up in recruiting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 [b][u]Weeks One thru Five of Recruiting[/b][/u] [u]Week One[/u] We go out and scout for the most part all of the guys that we're interested in. We don't want to start slinging around scholarships for guys that may not ever want to come here. We bring in strong safety Raymond Welbourn, the number 5 overall prospect in the nation, along with running back #13 overall Jimmy Brown, #15 prospect running back LaMont Watts, and a pair of offensive linemen for visits. [u]Week Two[/u] More visits this week, and the recruiting begins in earnest after scouting and talking to these guys last week. The guys that we had visit last week all had great visits, and hopefully we can go ahead and land those guys in the next couple of weeks. [u]Week Three[/u] We get two of my favorite recruits in Raymond Welbourn and guard Eugene Walker, but we don't fill any holes that we had, and in fact lose a fullback prospect. I don't want to have to depend of Cappadona being healthy all year long. [u]Week Four[/u] We don't get any new committments, and only a couple of recruits we were on went elsewhere. We really need to get some more guys in here though. [u]Week Five[/u] Still no more committments, and I'm getting ancy. We've still got some great kids we're working on, but we need something more tangible than what we have right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 [b][u]Weeks Six thru Ten of Recruiting[/b][/u] [u]Week Six[/u] Well, it's not a total wash this week as we pick up TE Clif Teresa, who may be moved to fullback if we don't get anyone else. We lost a lot of guys we had been recruiting, but no scholarship guys. [u]Week Seven[/u] We get two more committments this week with inside linebacker Tony Lassic, who will be an outstanding linebacker, and fullback Musa Kearse, an impact player from the get go. We lost a boatload of recruits we had been spending money on, so that's not so good. [u]Week Eight[/u] We got Ray McCormick, a game-breaking wide receiver out of California, and Reno Jervey, a solid defensive end who may get a chance to move up to outside linebacker if needed. Other than that, it was a who's who of who didn't come to ASU. I'm not really happy right now about that. [u]Week Nine[/u] Outside backer Tyji Smith and punter Billy Todd commit this week. At least it isn't nothing. Smith is a solid backer, and Todd, well, he can take up space on the field. [u]Week Ten[/u] We land a solid quarterback in Carey Jacobs, but nothing else. We didn't lose any of our scholarship guys, and we're up to 10 committments now. Hopefully we'll land another fullback this week on signing day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 1, 2006 Author Share Posted February 1, 2006 [b][u]National Signing Day[/u][/b] Well, we landed some more guys this week and filled all of our scholarships! We landed another fullback in Damon Hakim, who will be third on the depth chart and is a pretty good blocker, along with running back Fred Layne, who has a good upside and may make the squad as a true freshman. We also got a decent center in Claude Gold, who will be second on the depth chart, and inside linebacker Brandon Paige, who will be a solid player after a redshirt year Overall, not bad for my first signing class, but not as good as I wanted. We had a lot of carry over from this past season with 13 seniors graduating and 1 transfer, so a lot of guys were scared off with our already solid depth. We did wind up with the 24th best recruiting class in the nation, and while I wish we had done better, we did fill all the holes that we needed to fill, and everybody is happy across the board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 2, 2006 Author Share Posted February 2, 2006 [U][B]Coach Choate breaks down the offense[/B] [/U] After much deliberation with my new offensive coordinator, we decide to continue with a balanced attack, rather than swap to the West Coast. We had thought about depending more on the running game, but we have quarterbacks who are as good as Jeff Kent was last year, and Jonathon Ellis came along wonderfully over the off season. [U]Quarterback[/U] Six guys here, and we have three quality candidates for the starting position. Juco transfer Carey Jacobs may be the best guy that I have, but redshirt freshman Bill Davis may very well topple him from the top spot. Third on the depth chart is senior Rod Pinkard, and the other guys aren't much to speak of. Jason Baugh, last year's backup, was perfectly unimpressive in the off season, and moves way down the depth chart. [I]Starter - Carey Jacobs, 2.5/3.0, balanced passer[/I] [U]Running Back[/U] No other choice makes me so happy as to name Jonathon Ellis as my opening day starter already. No question here. Art Nelson will be second on the depth chart with redshirt freshman Greg Hester sharing carries with him. Freshmen Fred Layne and Dashon Culp will take redshirts. [I]Starter - Jonathon Ellis, 5.0/5.0, outside runner[/I] [U]Fullback[/U] Senior Johnathon Cappadona will be the starter, with two true freshmen backing him up in Musa Hearse and Damon Hakim. [I]Starter - Johnathon Cappadona, 3.5/4.0, receiving fullback[/I] [U]Wide Receiver[/U] Last year's Division I-AA receptions leader is back in Mike Doornink, and sophomore Victor Norton has a year under his belt, but isn't improved very much. Senior Wayne Smith will see a lot of playing time this season, and Rien Muhammed will be playing special teams along with Daryl Hunter and Mike Whittington. Top prospect Ray McCormick will be redshirted. [I]Starters - Mike Doornink, 5.0/5.0, balanced / Victor Norton 3.0/5.0, possession[/I] [U]Tight End[/U] A good group again, with junior Louis Sweet taking over for last year's tight end of the year in Todd Bennett. Sean Pile will be our second tight end, and true freshman Clif Teresa will be in goal line sets over Randy Stephens, who didn't impress in spring practice [I]Starter - Louis Sweet, 4.0/5.0, blocking[/I] [U]Offensive Line[/U] Earl Fasani at guard was our only loss here, so we're junior and senior laden. At the tackles, we return junior Dick Johnson and Tony Umenyiora, with Jamal Hopkins and Frank Glenn as more than adequate backups. Junior Chris Hughes and senior Lawrence Manning are our guards, with good backups there, and Todd Adams will be a hoss in the center Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 2, 2006 Author Share Posted February 2, 2006 [U][B]Coach Choate breaks down the defense[/B] [/U] Another long session with the defensive coordinator, and we decide to run a 4-2-5 this season. We have more quality depth at defensive back, and a lot of the teams we'll be playing will be those with good receivers. We have good run stopping safeties, so that's what we'll do there. [U]Defensive End[/U] Junior Jesse Blair anchors the defensive end position with senior Terry Nix opposite of him. Fred Claybrooks will be the main backup to the pair, and true freshman Reno Jervey will be staying on the team to help out. Willie Fasani will be down the depth chart. [I]Starters - Jesse Blair 3.5/4.5 / Terry Nix 3.0/4.5[/I] [U]Defensive Tackle[/U] No inside depth issues this year, as junior Gary Emmons and senior Ron Weary are back with a vengeance. Senior Ben Quilan and sophomore Mike Wulfeck are deep with an unimpressive Chris Taylor rounding out what is otherwise an outstanding interior line. [I]Starters - Ron Weary 4.0/4.5 / Gary Emmons 3.5/5.0[/I] [U]Linebackers[/U] In running a 4-2-5, we only are going to use 2 linebackers, who will be outside backers. When we do run a 4-3 on the occasion, Jon Stinchcomb will be the inside backer, with Jon Ashworth as his backup. Two true freshmen will be taking their redshirts. [I]Starter - Jon Stinchcomb 3.0/4.0[/I] [U]Outside Linebacker[/U] Itula Patten and Duane Jones come in here as the definite players. We're a little weak on depth here, so that's why we'll play the 4-2-5, as all the backups aren't all that hot. [I]Starters - Itula Patten 3.0/4.0 / Duane Jones 3.0/4/0[/I] [U]Cornerback[/U] Hoyle Comella and Tavon Thompson are back for their senior seasons at cornerback, and boy are they ready to play. Ray Keisel and Rod Schelsinger will be the main backups. [I]Starters - Tavon Thompson 4.0/4.5 / Hoyle Comella 3.5/4.0[/I] [U]Safety[/U] True freshman Raymond Welbourn comes in to start at strong safety, and Mike Brown is at the free safety position. Albert Shields will play the run supporting and pass coverage third safety since he's the one most suited for the job. Depth here won't be a problem. [I]Starters - Raymond Welbourn 4.0/4.0 / Albert Shields 3.0/4.0 / Mike Brown 3.0/5.0[/I] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 2, 2006 Author Share Posted February 2, 2006 [U][B]Coach Choate breaks down the special teams[/B] [/U] What a difference a year makes. Jed Zimmerman wasn't that hot last year, but he's developed very nicely into a solid kicker. Maybe all the blocked extra points from the end of the season last year are over with. Senior Andre Thomas takes over for Jason Richard, and it shouldn't be that big of a deal. Freshman safety Raymond Welbourn and running back Art Nelson will be running back kicks, as they are both pretty good at it. Mike Doornink will be running back punts again this year, although if I see he needs a break, redshirt freshman safety Gary Ford has done some returning this off season. [I]Starters Kicker - Jed Zimmerman 2.5/4.0 Punter - Andre Thomas 4.5/5.0 Kick Returners - Raymond Welbourne (90) and Art Nelson (85) Punt Returner - Mike Doornink (99)[/I] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jestor Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 Nice, unique dynasty you've got going here. :) BTW, could you also keep tabs on Princeton for me? :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennywanchizoate Posted February 3, 2006 Author Share Posted February 3, 2006 Thank ya sir Glad someone is enjoying it, and I'll check on Princeton for ya KennyWan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandMof Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 I've been reading and enjoying as well, keep up the good work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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