Quarterback Armanti Edwards prepares a pass during the ASU-NCCU matchup Saturday. Photo by Tommy Penick

by LINDSEY HUNTSINGER
Sports Reporter 

The Mountaineers got to work quickly Saturday as they took on the Eagles of North Carolina Central in Appalachian's Homecoming game.

Just five minutes into the game, quarterback Armanti Edwards completed a pass to running back Devon Moore. Moore then ran the ball a career-long 73 yards to give the Mountaineers their first points of the game.

“It's been a while since a hole opened like that,” Moore said. “They didn't have any safeties or anything like that so as soon as I broke the line it was just green grass.”

Kicker Jason Vitaris's extra point and made the Apps early lead 7-0.

The Eagles answered four minutes later, as linebacker Calvin Hillie intercepted Edwards's pass, running it back his teams' 10-yard-line.

Two plays later NC Central scored, tying the game at 7-7 with a little less than six minutes remaining in the first quarter.

After a series of missed tackles, the Apps set the Eagles up at fourth and one on the 14-yard-line. Central elected to go for the first down and gained it easily.

They capitalized on ASU's mistakes, scoring their second touchdown of the day on a 2-yard over the top pass to Earthan Ward with 34 seconds remaining in the first quarter.

The extra point put Central ahead 14-7 heading into the second quarter.

“We've been down every game we've played this year I think,” Edwards said. “So it was nothing different. I was having a bad first half and I was more frustrated about the bad first half I was having myself.”

The second quarter began much like the first with an Appalachian touchdown drive by Devon Moore. The three yard touchdown run tied the Apps with the Eagles at 14, and gave Devon Moore his career first multiple touchdown game.

Three minutes later defensive back Jared Reine intercepted the ball and took the Apps their own 40-yard-line. But, the turnover was quickly revoked and the Eagles were pushed closer to the goal line as both pass interference and delay of game were called on the Apps.

“Penalties and turnovers can hurt,” wide receiver Matt Cline said. “During the first half we made a couple turnovers and allowed them to stay in game for long time. Turnovers will keep anybody in the game.”

But the defense held them and Franki Cardelle was forced to attempt that was wide to the left, keeping the score knotted at 14.

“We just executed the game plan really well. They allowed us to run the ball, so we did.

We caught them blitzing on a couple plays,” Moore said. “When you blitz, you take gamble.”

The Mountaineers took over and were able to get the ball into the end zone, but a holding penalty took the score away and pushed them back to the 21-yard-line.

After a series of three more penalties, a call of pass interference on the Eagles gave Appalachian the field position they needed for Edwards to make a  two yard run into the end zone, pushing the score to 21-14 with five minutes left in the half.

Appalachian wouldn't settle for a seven point advantage, and upped their lead to 10 with a 23 yard field goal by Jason Vitaris in the final seconds of the half.

“We we're down [in the red zone] a few times in the first half that we probably should have scored,” Cline said. “Our goal is to score every time we get in the red zone, preferably six instead of three.”

Two minutes into the second half, a second Mountaineer touchdown was revoked. This time it was called back due to illegal formation.

The Mountaineers had to settle for a field goal from Vitaris from 40 yards out. The successful kick made Vitaris 4-4 from 40 yards and beyond this season, and put the Apps up 27-14.

With 3:15 remaining in the third quarter Edwards made a 35 yard pass to Matt Cline to put the Mountaineers inside the 10-yard-line. A hole opened up and  Edwards was able to rush the ball seven yards for the fourth Appalachian touchdown of the game.

The Eagles were not willing to lay down, as quarterback Michael Johnson completed a 44 yard pass to Andrew Johnson 30 seconds into the fourth quarter to decrease their deficit to 13.

Edwards responded with a 26 yard touchdown pass to CoCo hilary. The score put App over 500 yards in total offense for the first time this year, and reaffirmed their 20 point lead.

“We were able to run the ball and throw the ball,” Cline said. “When you have both working it makes it a  lot easier.”

With 9:30 left in the game, the spark plug of the East Carolina game, Travaris Cadet, entered play as quarterback. After a 44 yard drive, Cadet was able to leg it the final 17 yards into the end zone to make the score 48-21.

The never-quit spirit of the Mountaineer's was evident as they scored a final time with only 13 seconds left in the game to make the final score 55-21.

After the game head coach Jerry Moore said that the score was unintentional and the team was told to take a knee on their final drive.

“We were going to take a knee. I apologized to their coach. If locker rooms were like they used to be I would ask if I could go in and apologize to their players,” J. Moore said. “They just didn't see the signal.

“There's two sides. There were 59 minutes and 30 seconds that were great, but kids in the ballgame last were here all summer and they want to play, they want to perform and they want to execute.”

Photo by Tommy Penick  |  The Appalachian

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