Appy--Castlewood - Dawgs chomp away!

Appy took it 47-14. The score was 32-6 at the half, and 47-6 up until the fourth quarter when Appy started showing mercy, giving the second string players a shot at it.

Dawgs looked great tonight, despite a slow start. Excellent pass coverage on defense and an absolutely loaded backfield. The Stuart kid wearing #2 laid out some vicious hits on almost every defensive play. I also couldn't keep count of the number of running backs they used, each producing very respectable results. #12 is an absolute beast - one of the hardest runners I've seen, often requiring several opposing players at once to take him down - and the kid is a sophomore. Their QB threw some very good passes, too, most of which were long completions that were right on the dot and often led to touchdowns. Every receiver did an exceptional job catching the ball, even in coverage, and getting plenty yardage following the catch.

There's no way Appy will go 1-9 this year. This team is much larger (in both player numbers and size) and has much more versatility. I wouldn't pick them over tough teams in the LPD such as Burton, Clintwood, or Powell Valley at this point, but I see them giving Pound and Kelly great games. Don't overlook Appalachia just yet! This team is different, and boasts much more confidence based on what I saw tonight versus the glimpses I had of them last year.

I think their next game versus Burton will really tell the story and show how much they've improved. It will also show how easily they break (or how well they hold themselves together) when faced with a high-caliber team as opposed to one in the process of rebuilding, such as Castlewood in this case. I think Burton will give them fits, but I would love to see them at least keep the game competitive enough so as to send a message to the other teams in the LPD.

Was anyone else at the game? Agree/disagree based on what you saw?