Piling on – “I’m really at a loss for words. In my 12 years as head coach … this is one team I’ve never seen struggle like this to find an identity. We’ve got a lot of what I call independent contractors, wanting to do it their own way. I don’t know what else to do or say to them.” In other words …

Tomorrow Today is signing day, a grand occasion when highly touted prep football players pledge the next five years of their lives to the college program of their choice.

For some, it’s a day when dreams come true! They can’t believe it’s finally happened! They’re suiting up for the team they’ve always hoped to play for!

For the rest, they’re just settling for some place like App State. Or so says the head man in ‘Nooga.

“I don’t think there’s anybody coming to Chattanooga that just grew up loving it, saying, ‘I always dreamed of going to Chattanooga.’ That’s not a knock on Chattanooga,” Huesman said. “I guarantee you App State doesn’t have a kid on their roster that grew up saying, ‘I dreamed of going to Appalachian State.’ … I guarantee you every kid Appalachian State has from the state of North Carolina wanted to go to N.C. State or North Carolina.”

Debatable, we guess. Although we bet most kids grow up also dreaming of being a champion, conference or otherwise. The ones who came to App State – dream accomplished.

App State does have one huge bragging point over the other in-state “big boys” – a high school senior today will have no recollection of a losing team in Boone. None.

That last time App failed to go above .500 was 17 years ago, waaaayyyy back in 1993. The Mountaineers finished 4-7. Since then there’s been only one 5-loss season (2004), and two 1-loss seasons, and a whole bunch of 3- and 4-loss marks.

We would submit that any toddler-to-tween who’s spent a recent fall Saturday in Boone may well be inclined to now dare “dream” to one day wear Black and Gold. But when any recruiting calls come from those with just one A, will they then really “want” to?

And, just for the record, this opinion echoes many of our own thoughts on the “importance” of signing day.

First off, this is not the end of the season. App State can still win a division title. It can still win a tourney title. Last night did nothing to hamper those efforts.

All it did was kill reasonable expectations that either effort will be successful.

King College stormed over NCAA Division I Appalachian State (N.C.) University 87-76 Monday in the program’s first win over the Mountaineers.

King went to 13-4 while Appalachian State has a 12-10 record after the game. It had been since 1986 since Appalachian State lost to a team outside the NCAA Division I ranks.

/sighs

We do wonder one wonder though. All season long we’ve heard, primarily after poor outings, “Oh well, these aren’t Peterson’s players. Wait ’till next season.” In theory, next year App State will suddenly be loaded.

We also submit that is unfair to begrudge Peterson the lack of any freshmen sensations. Last summer, back during the hokey pokey coaching “search,” the App State AD admitted publicly that immediate recruiting was not a priority.

we are not losing immediate ground in recruiting because the NCAA only allows 13 scholarship positions and it was unlikely that we would sign a player in the late signing period that would be a difference maker next season or beyond. Written another way, the core of next year’s team is already on campus and working together academically and athletically.

So we wonder – if you’re a player this season, how do you respond to the notion that you’re not your coach’s player? Do you ever hear it? Do you care? Does it make any differnece? /rubs chin thoughtfully

And if you’re a coach famous for being famous, do you accept that these aren’t “your” players? Do you just mail it in until your “real” players take the floor?

And if you’re a fan, just when will “next” year ever get here? And when it does, how patient you gonna be then?

So who’s up for the big game tonight? Huh? Huh? HUH?!? It’s the third and final non-D1 team of the year. The other two were plus-20-point wins. While you wait for tipoff, feel free to evaluate this season’s Your Ad Here SelfEsteemBoosters matchup, scheduled to be announced at 6:30 on “the U.”

SAY WHAAAA. Tennessee Tech is the SEB foe. Winner busts the South bracket or something. /shrug. Meanwhile, KING LEADS AT THE HALF, 39-31. Apparently the team walked back from ‘Nooga.

THAT WAS UNEXPECTED. A few days ago, we wondered if the last home game was the “biggest” win ever in Jones Arena. Tonight’s game has to be the nadir.

App State and ‘Nooga seemed to play a pretty even game last night, shooting-wise.

They put up similar FG numbers – App 26 of 62, UTC 27 of 63.

They put up similar trey stats – App 11 of 34, UTC 14 of 36.

They each made the exact same number of free throws – 17.

The one glaring difference? Free throws missed. App made most all theirs. ‘Nooga missed 19(!). And still won(!!) by just five, 85-80.

Weird.

The Mocs led by as many as 18 points in the first half, but the Mountaineers rallied and got as close as one point three times down the stretch. The Mountaineers, however, missed chances on seven possessions to tie or take the lead.

The Mountaineers first cut their deficit to one point with 5:15 left, but then went 0 for 6 from the field and turned the ball over once on seven possessions in which they could have tied or taken the lead.

Donald Sims got his 24, but on 6 of 22 shooting(!). The rest of the team was an even .500 from the floor. While Jeremi Booth had a career high 21 and Kellen Brand scored 8, Ike Butts and Josh Hunter combined contributed just 4 points and 8 rebounds.

That last stat was the difference – ‘Nooga won on the boards, 43-31 overall, 14-6 offensive.

App is now in second place and still hasn’t built any tournament-needed consistency. The team owns just one 3-D1-game win streak on the season. Nine D1 games remain on the schedule, four on the road.

Poor guy – “While Kiffin finishes assembling his USC staff, Reaves is stuck in coaching limbo after new Vols coach Dooley chose not to retain him. Reaves said Kiffin’s exit came at “probably the worst timing there could possibly be” for finding a job.” Karma?

The surging Apps take on the defending SoCon tourney champs, who just took out the ‘Whee – “The Mocs are a dangerous foe on their home court, posting a 9-3 mark at the McKenzie Center.” App ain’t scared – “We’re not perfect, but we are playing better together.”

Baseball season is fast approaching. And Baseball America is out with its top 10 prospects for the upcoming season.

Among them, a Mountaineer.

Zach Quate, rhp, Rays
Born: Sept. 12, 1987. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 190. Drafted: Appalachian State, 2009 (14th round). Signed by: Brad Matthews.

In his first pro summer, Quate was one of the biggest surprises from the Rays’ 2009 draft class. Undrafted as a junior at Appalachian State in 2008, he turned heads that summer by posting a 1.31 ERA for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots, earning team MVP honors and leading them to their first-ever Alaska Baseball League title.

he has a chance to move rapidly in 2010, just as Matt Gorgen did in the Tampa Bay system a year after going in the 16th round of the 2008 draft. He could jump to high Class A out of spring training.

Meanwhile, wow. Anyone wanna bet?

More SoCon schedules are out. Furple gets to play with South Carolina. ‘Nooga gets Auburn. El Cid heads west to Arizona. Down the mountain, Butch baby will get his W&M on. And we think this is cute.

Pretty cool – “The App State Marching Mountaineers have been invited to perform in the Cabalgata de Reyes Parade Jan. 5, 2011, in Madrid, Spain. Cabalgata de Reyes or “Night of the Kings” is a major celebration in the Spanish calendar, and a parade has occurred in Madrid for nearly 800 years.”

Look what EWash wants – “Welcome to Woodward Field at Eastern Washington University, where I hear that they’re planning to install a new … Oh my Lord, it burns! Is there a certified eyewash station on campus?!” Mercy! An all red field! Still looks better than this.

Stylin’ and profilin’ at Legends Day. Thanks to Appfan James for the sweetest thing we’ve seen since our stocking Christmas morn!

Seems the past couple season App State attracted several QBs. Here’s the latest – “Elijah Adamiak, a three-year starter for the Lions under center, threw for 957 yards and rushed for 688 more this past season, while scoring 15 TDs.” Looks fast. Signing day is next week.

Kinda hard to call a 13-point win a close call, but last night wasn’t good for the nerves.

The Mountaineers never trailed and jumped to an early 18-4 lead. The Bulldogs made just one of their first nine field-goal attempts. The Mountaineers missed just one of their first five and hauled in six offensive rebounds in little more than six minutes on the way to the early lead.

The Bulldogs chipped away again, getting as close as 60-52 on a Davis 3-pointer with 2:25 left, and had a chance to close to five points with a little more than a minute left. But a steal by Sims and a charge drawn by Brand on back-to-back possessions gave the Mountaineers some breathing room.

Whewwwww! /wipes brow

Maybe those last- minute collapses are a thing of the past! /throws salt over shoulder, strokes rabbit’s foot, shoots black cat

App State’s win combined with a ‘Whee loss at Chattanooga leaves both teams tied for first in the North. And check out who’s also No. 1!

But now’s not the time to get cocky. Up next is a DII sandwhich – sweet ‘lil King College (Mon.) between trips to ‘Nooga (Sat.) and the ‘Whee (next Sat.) After that? Davidson, which managed to beat the last once-beaten last night.

Over/under – one loss out of that four?

Not sure what to add. Every game is important now. And lots of league action tonight. Feel free to ponder this – was last Saturday’s win over the ‘Whee the “biggest” win ever in Jones Arena? Neither team was ranked, but ‘Whee came in with a good resume. Great crowd too. Whatcha think?

The comments from yesterday’s post moves us to ask – Just how many great names and people have set foot within Varsity Gymnasium?

We started thinking about this a few months ago when the App alumni office mentioned a photo of The Champ speaking on campus. The. Champ. We had no idea The Greatest had ever been to Boone.

Though it’s not specified, we do believe he’s speaking within Varsity Gym. We could be wrong. Varsity was built in 1968 and the photo is from 1969, so it’s a guess.

Given the wealth of knowledge our commenters bring (reminder – we love you all), we’d like to reminisce on the Who’s Who that have breathed the clean, fresh, invigorating air of Varsity.

We know of some.

- Former President Bill Clinton, spoke during the 2008 presidential campaign season
- James Taylor, played concert in 90s
- Larry Brown, then-coach of the Carolina Cougars who once ran a practice or camp there
- Michael Jordan, attended a bball camp as a high schooler
- Doc Watson, spoke at 1973 commencement
- former NC Governor James Holshouser, spoke at 1973 commencement
- former CBS newsman Harry Reasoner, spoke at 1989 commencement
- Bobby Cremins, former App State bball coach
- Alonzo Mourning, along with the rest of his Charlotte Hornets, practiced there for a playoff run in mid-90s

We know we’re missing some concerts and pro wrestlers other famous names. So fill us in.