Scanning the SoCon - Week Sixteen

Each week, twelve bloggers/message boarders (one representing each team) all will vote on a Game of the Week and Power Rankings. At least four will answer a series of questions on their team and around the SoCon.




Game of the Week 
Elon at Samford

Power Rankings 
1) Davidson 132 (11)
2) College of Charleston 117
3) Elon 114
4) Samford 94
5) Western Carolina 89
6) Appalachian State 75
7) UNCG 53
8) Georgia Southern 52
9) Chattanooga 51
10) Wofford 48
11) The Citadel 19
12) Furman 14

Questions
Read the entire article and see the answers to this week's questions, visit MocsMania



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Charleston comes to Cullowhee

Doug Wojcik - CoC head coach

More than likely for the last time ever, Charleston will make it's final visit to Cullowhee, on Wednesday, February 20th 2013.

The Cats and Cougars could possibly meet one more time, in the final SoCon tournament appearance for Charleston, but other than that possibility, this will be the last meeting between Western Carolina and College of Charleston.

Hopefully, the Catamounts can give the Cougars a proper send off to CAA land.

The Cougars will come to the Ramsey Center sporting a 19-8 overall record, and are 11-4 in the SoCon, firmly in control of second place in the South Division.  The Cats are only a half game out of second place in the North, and with that, the all important "fourth" tournament bye.  The Catamounts need to do some soul searching, and figure out how to win this game, or once again face the prospects of a play-in game to reach the quarter finals of the tournament.

I've got a couple of suggestions on how to win.

#1. Stop the fouls.
Elon's 40 free throw attempts marks the third time this season an opponent was put on the charity stripe for 40-or-more free throw tosses: Western Kentucky had 43 free throws, Tennessee had 42, while Elon had 40. Now I realize that both Davidson and Elon stock homer refs just for their home games, these are ridiculous numbers of fouls committed by the entire team.  We have been beaten numerous times this season by the number of times we sent

#2. A ridiculously high number of field goal attempts.
These numbers would be fine, if we were making in the neighborhood of 50% of them.  However that's not the case. The made percentages usually fall out like they did against Elon.  Western attempted 62 field goals, and only made 25 baskets, that's a whopping 39% shooting. Has Hunter given the entire team the freedom to throw the ball up at will? It's quite obvious that WCU for many seasons has had very poor shot selection. This should be addressed.

#3.  Protect the ball.
Poor and sometime even sloppy passing practices causes many turnovers.

This team has the talent, but to they have the patience to execute?  Only they can and will answer this question in how they play the game.


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Baseball: Cats open the season with a win

The Catamounts' Jeremy Null allowed just two runs in seven innings, and had a career-high 13 strike-outs to lead the Cats to an opening season win over the Washington State Cougars.  The Cats' 8-5 win came at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.

Western Carolina cranked out five runs in the fifth inning to take a 6-2 lead over the visiting Cougars, however, in top of the eighth inning, with two outs and runners on first and second, the Cougar's designated hitter Yale Rosen hit a 3-run home run to bring the Cougars within two runs.

However, in the bottom half of the eighth inning, the Cats' Cody Jones scored on an error by Cougar left fielder Ben Roberts.

The Cats and Cougars returns to Hennon Stadium for the second game of the three-game series as WCU junior RHP Jordan Smith faces off against Cougar sophomore LHP Joe Pistorese.  Saturday's game is slated for a 2 p.m. start time.

WCU at Elon - It's 1 vs. 2 in the North

On Saturday evening, the Catamounts will travel from Geensboro to the Burlington suburb of Elon, NC for a quick stop-off at the smallest basketball venue in the Southern Conference.

Seating less that half of Wofford's BenJo Arena, Elon's Alumi Gym seats around 1,544. Expect it to be full, as North Division #1 team meets the North Division #2 team.

A win by the Phoenix will all but wrap up the top position in the North for Elon, which has won 9 of their last 10 games on their way to a 17-8 overall record entering the game.  For Western to remain in the hunt for a divisional championship or just that 4th tournament bye, the late season run mounted by the Catamounts must continue.

Leading the Phoenix in scoring is the duo of Lucas Troutman and Jack Isenbarger.  Troutman is putting up 15.1 points per game and Isenbarger is just behind with 14.2 points.  To come away with that victory, the Cats must protect the basketball,  reduce the stolen balls and other turnovers and control their fouls.  Elon is another good free throw shooting team, so we don't want them to win this game at the charity stripe.

Go Cats !!!!

Opening Day Preview

Cats win in Greensboro

Western Carolina takes the seasonal sweep from UNCG by virtue of their win tonight over the Spartans by a 70-68 final score. The Cats now have a 11-1 record with the Spartans in their last 12 games.

Western held the SoCon's leading scorer to a total of 15 points during the game, allowing Trevis Simpson just two points in the second half, after scoring 13 in the first period. Trey Sumler led all scorers with 21 points, 2 rebounds, and four assists. Tawaski King and Brandon Boggs also scored in double figures for the Catamounts, getting 13 and 11 points respectively. James Sinclair led the Cats in rebounds, with 8.

The Catamounts dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Spartans 41-30, as the Cats pulled down 16 offensive rebounds to UNCG's six.  The Catamounts followed up those offensive rebounds with 19 second chance points, while allowing the Spartans only 5 second chance points.

An area that is usually a WCU strong point is steals, but the Spartans only allowed 4 steals by the Cats, while Western gave the ball up to UNCG times.

With the Western win tonight, coupled with Appalachian State's loss, Saturday's game at Elon will pit the number one and number two teams in the North Division against each other.

That's what winning will do for you.  Do you think the Cats are peaking at just about the right time?

In his post game radio show tonight, Coach Hunter made the statement that the Cats were not playing for second place, they want the Championship.  Go Cats !!!!!


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Cats win over GSU

Cats travel to Greensboro

The Catamounts travel to Greensboro on Thursday for the 43d meeting all-time between the Cats and the UNCG Spartans. Western lead the all-time series by a 25-16 margin, including a 10-1 mark against the Spartans in the last 11 games.

Last season, Western and UNCG split the regular season series with each team winning at home, then Western eliminated the Spartans from the Southern Conference Tournament.

UNCG enters Thursday’s game having lost 3 out of the last 4, and are 7-16 overall and 5-7 in Southern Conference play.

Junior guard Trevis Simpson leads the Spartans and the SoCon in scoring at 20.0 points per game, while senior guard Derrell Armstrong is second on the team with 14.5 points per game.  Despite the numbers of UNCG's top two scorers  the Spartans are currently 7th in the conference in scoring at 67 points, 9th in free throws and 11th in field goal percentage.

Earlier this year, the Cats earned a hard-fought 62-59 win over the Spartans in Cullowhee, but UNCG played without the services of Simpson and Van Dussen due to injuries.  With the Spartans sitting only one and a half games out of second place in the North Division and a possible tournament bye, the Spartans will go all out for a win and to prevent a seasonal sweep by the Cats.


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McKinny selected "Leggett No. 7 Legacy"

Western Carolina senior pitcher Morgan McKinney has been selected this season's "Leggett No. 7 Legacy" player as chosen by head coach Bobby Moranda and the Catamount baseball coaching staff.

McKinney, a left-handed starter, will wear the No. 7 jersey which was made famous at WCU by former coaching great, Jack Leggett. 

McKinney, who was voted a 2013 team captain at the conclusion of fall workouts, is the third player to have the legacy honor bestowed upon. Former Catamount catcher Stephen Notaro was the first recipient with left-handed pitcher Vance Chavis receiving the honor in 2012.

Courtesy WCU Media Relations - Read more on CatamountSports.com

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Cat Chat with Coach Larry Hunter

It's basketball season, and head coach Larry Hunter takes over WCU's "Cat Chat" feature.


The Feburary 12th edition of Cat Chat on Big Wise radio (ESPN 1310), with Catamount Head Basketball Coach Larry Hunter.



                Listen here 



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Navy SEAL Sniper Chris Kyle’s Funeral Procession Is 200 Miles Long

Chris Kyle, the Navy SEAL sniper given the nickname “The Devil of Ramadi” by Iraqi insurgents for recording 255 confirmed kills, was slain on February 2 by fellow military veteran Eddie Ray Routh — a man who Kyle was helping recover from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).

Today, Kyle’s life is being celebrated in his home state of Texas in grand fashion, with a 200-mile long funeral procession. Texas residents and patriots are lined up along U.S. 287 and Interstate 35 to show support.

Chris Kyle Funeral Procession Arrives in Austin

Sumler Named SoCon Basketball Player of the Week

Trey Sumler has been named the Southern Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for all games played February 5-11.

Sumler is currently ranked second in the Southern Conference with 18.0 points per game, and leads the league in steals (2.2 spg), as well as fifth in assists (3.8 apg).

Sumler averaged 19.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists as the Catamounts went 2-1 last week. After losing at Davidson (73-59), the Cats won at Georgia Southern (71-62) , then won at home holding off  Wofford (57-56).

In the Wofford game, Sumler put up a game-high 26 points, including the game-winning jumper with 2.3 seconds left against the Terriers. Sumler shot 40 percent (6-of-15) from 3-point range, 75 percent (9-of-12) from the free throw line while averaging  2.3 steals in the last three games.

The Purple & Gold congratulates Trey Sumler.

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Young's trip to his own personal hell

Once again, Wofford Head Coach Mike Young did not enjoy his latest trip to a place he likes to refer to as hell, Cullowhee's Ramsey Center. 

Giving the Wofford coach a big case of indigestion Monday night,  Trey Sumler finished the game with 26 points, including a game-winning jumper with just two seconds remaining, defeating the Wofford Terriers in a last second thrilling fashion, 57-56, at the Ramsey Center.

Sumler shot 9-of-17 from the field, and 4-of-7 from 3-point range for the Cats, who are now on a two game win streak, and smack in the middle of the race for the final conference tournament bye again. 

Western took a 28-23 lead into halftime, then on a strength of a 16-4 run midway through the second half, the Terriers took a 48-41 lead with just over eight minutes left in the game.  

However the Cats clawed their way back into the game and took a 55-54 lead with just 30 seconds remaining on the clock. The Terriers retook the lead on on their next possession on a Spencer Collins jumper, but the Catamounts got the final points with Sumler's heroics in the last seconds of the contest.

In another post game interview, Young put his foot into his mouth again saying by saying, “I thought we outplayed them and that we deserved a better fate, but they made a couple more plays than we did down the stretch.”

Talk about sour grapes from a coach -  had you actually outplayed the Catamouts in Cullowhee, your fate just might have been better, and not the 7 straight losses to the Catamounts in the whee.

The Cats outscored Wofford 26-12 in the paint, and had a rebounding edge of 35-26. The Cats also had more offensive rebounds, assists, steals, and one less turnovers that the Terriers.  So much for outplaying the Cats.

The Catamounts are now 14-8 against the Terriers in Cullowhee all-time.

  

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David Patten joins WCU football coaching staff

David Patten, the 12-year veteran of the National Football League and former Catamount wide receiver, has joined the Catamount football coaching staff.

Patton's return to Western Carolina was announced by WCU Head Coach Mark Speir on Monday night at the Western Carolina National Signing Day reception held in the Ramsey Center Hospitality Room. Speir was on the Catamount staff of former head coach Steve Hodgin while Patten was a Catamount student-athlete.

"We're very excited that David Patten is joining our football coaching staff for the 2013 season," Speir said in a news release. "David will bring a lot of energy, knowledge and passion to our program. Having someone like David with 12 years of NFL experience and three Super Bowl rings around our players and coaches will be a tremendous asset and boost to our program. He knows what it takes to compete at a high level and it's awesome to be able to have a guy on staff that came through our program at Western Carolina and excelled on the highest stage."

At Western Carolina, Patten was one of the Catamount's heralded "three amigos" receiving corps which included Patton, Craig Aiken and Kerry Hayes.  Aiken and Hayes finished their WCU careers with over 2,600 yards receiving from 1991 through 1994. Patten finished with 96 career catches for 1,563 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Catamounts.

In the NFL, Patton was a part of three Super Bowl Championship teams - all with New England in Super Bowl XXXVI, XXXVIII and again in Super Bowl XXXIX.


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Scanning the SoCon - Week Fifteen

Each week, twelve bloggers/message boarders (one representing each team) all will vote on a Game of the Week and Power Rankings. At least four will answer a series of questions on their team and around the SoCon. 




Game of the Week
Davidson at College of Charleston

Power Rankings  
1) Davidson 132 (11)
2) College of Charleston 119
3) Elon 112
4) Samford 94
5) Appalachian State 82
6) Western Carolina 81
7) UNCG 62
8) Chattanooga 49
9) Georgia Southern 47
10) Wofford 42
11) The Citadel 20
12) Furman 19

Questions
Read the entire article and see the answers to this week's questions, visit MocsMania



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“I would rather go to hell” said Wofford's Mike Young

Wofford's Mike Young

Cullowhee, NC - It's that time of the year, Wofford head Coach Mike Young must once again travel to Cullowhee, a trip he's not very comfortable making. 

Last January (2012), Young told the Asheville Citizen-Times Newspaper that “I would rather go to hell,” said Wofford Head Coach Mike Young, “than go to (expletive) Cullowhee."

Young's post game statement came after The Cats ended Wofford's two-game win streak which included wins over Wake Forest and Charleston. This season, Young's team comes to Cullowhee with a 4-8 Southern Conference record, hoping to battle their way into a conference tournament bye.  Their record includes the just completed, back to back home wins over North Division foes Elon and UNCG.  However, the Terriers have had their problems on the road this season, and are only 2-12 on away games.

The Catamounts still have their sights set on a spot in the top four in the Southern Conference, which would include that bye in the conference tournament.  However, Western has struggled to just two wins in the last eight games and are currently ranked 5th in the North.

The Cats did manage to get consistent scoring for two halves Saturday in their victory over Georgia Southern. The offense hit the basket for 52.7% shooting, including 6-14 on threes.

If The Cats can continue this consistency at home, Mike Young will have yet another reason to dislike traveling up the mountain to Cullowhee.  Wofford has not won in Cullowhee since 2001, a stretch of seven games. 


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"I'm embarrassed" said GSU Coach Charlton Young

GSU Coach Charlton Young

"I’m embarrassed," said GSU coach Charlton Young after his Eagles loss Saturnday night to Western Carolina in Hanner Fieldhouse.

"This is the most embarrassing loss I’ve had since I’ve been head coach here. We’ve got to do some soul searching and find a way to play with some heart and soul, and like a Georgia Southern team," said Young.

Western Carolina exploded on a 17-5 run coming out of the halftime break, and Georgia Southern never recovered as the Eagles fell, 71-62, on Saturday in Statesboro.  It is the fourth-straight loss for the Eagles.

"We were out-rebounded, 37-29 and gave up 52 percent (shooting). That’s all you have to say," Young said. "They played harder than us, and it’s unacceptable. We’re going to come in and practice, and practice and practice until we figure out who we want to be and what we want to be."

"All we had to do was throw the ball inside and drive the ball, and we didn’t do it," Young said. "Because of their transition (defense), we had to put Eric (Ferguson) at the four and play small. They played good enough to win."

"We’re going to watch film tonight, we’re going to take one day off and we’re going to practice on Monday," Young said. "We’re going to do some soul searching to figure out what we want to be. We’re in a rut right now. We’re not playing well. We’ve got six games left, and the (SoCon) tournament to figure it out."


Read more here: WCU rolls up win

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Catamount Football: National Signing Day Event

The Football National Signing Day Event to be held on Monday, February 11th, join Head Football Coach Mark Speir and the Catamount Football Staff as they introduce the 2013 signing class!

The National Signing Day Event will be held on Monday, February 11th in Ramsey Center Hospitality Room in conjunction with the Purple Zone before the Catamount Men’s Basketball team hosts conference foe, Wofford.

The event will begin with a social at 4:00 p.m., followed by a presentation of the signees by the Catamount Football Coaching staff at 4:30 p.m. A question and answer session will follow the presentations followed by tip off of the Basketball game at 7:00 p.m.

To RSVP, please contact the Catamount Club office at 828-227-3794, or Bradley@wcu.edu.

The Catamount Club Staff


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WCU at NDSU game moved to 2016

What made today's release of the Western Carolina 2013 foorball schedule possible, was an agreement between Western Carolina and North Dakota State athletic officials to move the game between the two schools that is scheduled for Sept. 21, 2013 to a new out year date.

By mutual agreement, the football game between Western Carolina University and the two-time defending NCAA Division I FCS national champion North Dakota State University Bison will be moved to Sept. 1, 2016.

It had been widely speculated that Western Carolina had bought out the contract for that game, since the Catamounts had scheduled three Football Bowl Sub-division (FBS) teams (better know as money games) for the 2013 season.

Western Carolina's expanded, 12-game schedule features four non-conference opponents including Mars Hill, Middle Tennessee, Virginia Tech and Auburn, in addition to the eight-game Southern Conference slate.


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WCU releases 2013 Football Schedule

Courtesy WCU Media Relations

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Coach Speir's comments on Wednesday's signing day

"We're excited to welcome these football players to the Catamount Nation today," said WCU Head Football  Coach Mark Speir on Wednesday.

"We feel like we addressed a lot of our football team's needs on both sides of the ball with quality student-athletes. Today is the culmination of a lot of hard work not only by our coaching staff, but also the efforts of our Catamount Club, the staff across our campus and our administration."

Speir added, "A lot of these players are coming from quality, winning programs and have experience with winning state championships at the high school level. We feel like each one of these recruits is a winner and is going to help our program reach new heights."

"Offensively, we feel like we added a lot of depth to a productive unit. On defense, we feel like we've brought in players that have an opportunity to make an immediate impact on the field this fall," said Speir.

The Catamount football team is scheduled to break winter gym and open its annual spring drills on March 13 with the NCAA-mandated 15 practices to be spread over five weeks. Practice will culminate with a spring event tentatively scheduled for Saturday, April 20 in Cullowhee.

Courtesy WCU Media Relations


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Five Bat Cats Named Preseason All-SoCon

Senior closer Preston Hatcher was named first team All-Southern Conference, leading a combined five Catamounts on the preseason squads.

Hatcher, was joined on the preseason All-SoCon team by fellow senior captain Tyler White on the second team, along with juniors Aaron Attaway and Julian Ridings, and sophomore Jacob Hoyle as the designated hitter.


The Catamounts put a league-best five players on the preseason All-Southern Conference team which was selected by the conferences head coaches.

The Catamounts were picked second in the coaches' preseason poll and sixth in the media tabulation as announced by the SoCon office.

2013 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll 

Place Team (1st -place votes) ............... Points

1. Elon (5) ............................................... 93

2. Western Carolina (3) ............................ 88

3. College of Charleston (3) ...................... 87

4. Samford .............................................. 65

5. Georgia Southern ................................. 64

6. Appalachian State ................................ 61

7. Furman................................................ 42

8. The Citadel .......................................... 39

9. UNCG ................................................. 37

10. Wofford ............................................. 16

11. Davidson ........................................... 13

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2013 Catamount Softball Preview

Subway Upstate Classic Game Notes

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Carter Named Track Athlete of the Month

Western Carolina's Tayla Carter was named Southern Conference Women's Track Athlete of the Month.

Carter won three races, with victories in the 55m (6.99) and the 300m (40.17) at the Appalachian Invitational.

On Jan. 1 at the Niswonger Invitational, she won the 60m (7.54).

At the McCravy Memorial, Carter tied a seven-year old school record in the 60m, running a 7.48 to match s record that has stood since 2006.

On Jan. 11, Carter placed third in the 60m at the Tiger Challenge. The conference leader in the 60m was also named the SoCon's track athlete of the week on Jan. 24.

Courtesy WCU Sports Information


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Campbell Named Student-Athlete of the Week

Western Carolina's Makensey Campbell, a sophomore women's basketball player, has been named the Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Week for February 6, the league office announced today.

Cambpell scored a season-best 18 points in the win over UNCG helping Western Carolina earn a series sweep over UNCG. The sophomore guard also tied her career-high with five three pointers, scoring 10 of her 18 points in the first half. A biology major, Campbell currently holds a 3.98 GPA.

Courtesy SoConSports.com


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2013 Western Carolina Catamount Football Incoming Class

Where are they from?  North Carolina (13), Georgia (7) and South Carolina (2)

Brandon Berridge
OL - 6-4 - 250 lbs. Sophia, N.C. (Randleman HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Played both offensive and defensive line at Randleman High for head coach Shane Handy ... Played at right tackle on the offensive line ... Recorded 30 tackles including 20 solo stops as a senior ... Credited with four quarterback hurries ... Tabbed as "perhaps the best lineman in (Randolph) County" by MyRandolphSports.com, earning All-County plaudits as a senior.
Personal: His grandparents, Elbert and Anna Berridge, are his guardians ... Has a younger brother, Bradley.

Tyson Dickson 
LB - 6-1 - 215 lbs.
Ellenwood, Ga. (Cedar Grove HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Played in 22 games as a two-year varsity letter winner at Cedar Grove High ... As a senior, finished third on the team with 88 total tackles including 55 solo stops and seven tackles for loss ... Credited with two quarterback sacks ... Had 31 tackles during his junior season with 21 solo hits.

Steffon Hill 
WR - 6-0 - 185 lbs.
Hendersonville, N.C. (East Henderson HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Played both wide receiver and defensive back for head coach - and former Catamount - Brett Chappell ... Was a two-time All-Western North Carolina Athletic Conference selection ... Caught 55 passes for 960 yards and six touchdowns to go along with 274 rushing yards with a TD on the ground ... Defensively, credited with 33.5 tackles and an INT in his final season as a prep ... Tabbed as the WNC Athletic Conference's Special Teams Player of the Year ... As a junior, made 43 receptions for 814 yards and eight touchdowns while also rushing for 405 yards and four TDs ... On defense, had a pair of interceptions ... One of just 100 players to attend the invitation-only Shrine Bowl combine in the summer of 2012 ... Offered by WCU coach Mark Speir as a junior.

Austin Jacobs 
OL - 6-4 - 260 lbs.
Four Oaks, N.C. (Cleveland HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Played along the offensive and defensive line at Cleveland HS for head coach Marc Morris, leading the Rams to an 11-win season and the eastern 3-AA regional championship game in 2012 ... As a senior, earned All-Eastern Carolina Conference (ECC) honors ... Recorded 69 tackles including 29 tackles for loss, five sacks, recovered three fumbles while forcing two and had an interception ... In November of 2012, was named the Student-Athlete of the Week by the Raleigh Sports Club ... As a junior, earned ECC Defensive Player of the Year accolades.
Personal: Full name is Austin Taylor Jacobs ... Is the son of John and Amy Jacobs ... Has two brothers, Zach and Ben.

Ethan James 
OL - 6-2 - 250 lbs.
Hudson, N.C. (South Caldwell HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Was a three-year varsity starter for South Caldwell High and head coach Butch Carter helping the Spartans to back-to-back conference championships in his final two seasons ... Was a two-time All-Northwestern 3A/4A Conference selection and twice named first team All-Caldwell County ... Named the team Offensive MVP as a junior and senior while serving as a team captain both seasons ... As a senior, was selected to the East-West All-Star game ... Could see time as a long-snapper for the Catamounts.
Personal: Full name is Ethan Michael James ... Is the son of Mick and Laurie James ... Has one sibling, Landyn.

Justin James
OL - 6-2 - 285 lbs.
Savannah, Ga. (Calvary Day)
Prior to Western Carolina: Was a two-time All-Region 3-A first team selection, as well as an All-Savannah Morning News first team honoree, leading the offensive line ... Earned second team All-State accolades at the Class A level ... Listed as a two-star prospect by Rivals.com.

Bryson Jordan 
LB - 6-2 - 195 lbs.
Flowery Branch, Ga. (Buford HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Helped lead Buford High to the Georgia Class AAA championship, tallying eight tackles in the title game ... Forced and returned a fumble for a touchdown during the playoff run to the championship game ... Selected to the Gwinnett All-Star game at linebacker as a senior ... Also played basketball as a prep where he was mentioned by ESPNHS Georgia All-State Hoops, listed among the top high school players in the state. 

Garry Lewis 
RB - 5-9 - 185 lbs.
Fayetteville, N.C. (Douglas Byrd HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Enrolled at Western Carolina in the spring semester and is on-campus in January ... Rushed for over 2,700 yards and 33 touchdowns in three seasons at Douglas Byrd High including over 1,200 yards his senior season ... Tabbed the Cape Fear Valley 3-A Athlete of the Year, garnering all-conference accolades... Earned Cumberland County Prep Athlete of the Week three times as a senior ... In 2011, rushed for 884 yards and 11 touchdowns ... As a high school sophomore, rushed for 575 yards on 92 carries with six touchdowns ... Listed as a two-star prospect by Rivals.com.

Stedman Lucas
LB - 6-2 - 225 lbs.
Orangeburg, S.C. (Orangeburg-Wilkinson HS) Prior to Western Carolina: Played tight end and linebacker in high school ... Recorded 139 tackles over his final two seasons as a prep including 66 stops as a senior and 73 hits as a junior ... Led Orangeburg-Wilkinson back to the state playoffs in 2012 for the first-time in six years ... Posted seven sacks combined over the two years, with nine pass deflections, three forced fumbles and 12 total tackles for loss during his senior season.
Personal: Is the son of Steven and Jeanette Lucas ... His older brother, Sterling, played linebacker at North Carolina State.

Andrew Mayton
DL - 6-3 - 235 lbs.
Midway, N.C. (North Davidson HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: A four-year varsity letter winner, helped North Davidson High and head coach Mark Holcomb to the 4-A state playoffs all four seasons including a 14-1, Western Region runner-up finish as a senior ... Finished his prep career with 292 tackles and 47.5 career sacks including leading the state of North Carolina with 23.5 sacks as a senior ... Had a career-high 103 tackles and forced three fumbles in his final season at NDHS ... Was a two-time All-Central Piedmont Conference selection, earning both the CPC's and Davidson County's Defensive Player of the Year plaudits as a senior ... Also a two-time All-Northwest pick by the Winston-Salem Journal ... Tabbed All-State by NCPreps ... Moving up to the varsity squad as a freshman, recorded a quarterback sack and forced a fumble in his first game to earn his roster spot ... Listed as a two-star prospect by Rivals.com.
Personal: Full name is Andrew Raymond Mayton ... Is the son of Buddy and Chantel Mayton ... Has a younger sister, Jordan ... His uncle, Robert Mayton, won a state championship as the coach at Thomasville High ... Was also a two-year varsity letter winner in baseball in high school and played for Lexington Post 8 in the American Legion summer league ... Learned to play the piano.

Trey Morgan 
DB - 6-1 - 180 lbs.
North Augusta, S.C. (North Augusta HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Played wide receiver and safety for head coach Dan Pippin at North Augusta High, leading the Yellow Jackets to the Division II Class AAAA state quarterfinals ... Helped North Augusta win 44 games over the past four seasons ... Tabbed the Augusta Chronicle's South Carolina Football Player of the Year, as well as the 2012 Aiken Standard Defensive Player of the Year ... As a senior, recorded 119 tackles and three interceptions on defense ... Rushed for 226 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 38 carries, adding 441 receiving yards and five TDs, earning his team's MVP award ... Scored a touchdown ever 4.7 times he touched the ball on offense ... Selected to play in the North-South All-Star game.
Personal: Full name is Trey DeShaun Morgan ... Is the son of Lewuana Morgan ... Has one older sibling ... Grew up around mechanics and automotive work, likes to fix things and to work on cars.

Daniel Nash
DL - 6-3 - 215 lbs. Holly Springs, N.C. (Holly Springs HS) Prior to Western Carolina: Earned All-Tri-Nine Conference accolades as a senior, garnering first team defense honors ... Selected as the Holly Springs High Defensive Player of the Year ... Played as a defensive lineman and linebacker as a prep ... Was named the overall MVP as a junior at the National Underclassmen combine held in Greensboro.
Personal: Full name is Daniel Lawrence Nash ... Is the son of Evelyn Worthy and step-father, Patrick Worthy ... Was born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. ... Has an older brother, Michael Bayon Jr ... Is a member of the media ministry at his church, Wake Chapel, where he operates the boom camera during Sunday services.

Detrez Newsome 
RB - 5-10 - 180 lbs.
Raeford, N.C. (Hoke County HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Named the Southeastern 4-A co-Offensive Player of the Year by the Fayetteville Observer, tallying all-conference accolades ... According to NCPreps.com, rushed for over 2,000 yards on over 240 carries with 37 touchdowns as a senior ... Recorded 402 yards on the ground on 20 rushes for an average of 20.1 yards per carry, scoring six touchdowns in the 2012 season-opener against Wilmington Ashley HS ... It was the 23rd time a 400-plus yard game had been reported to the NCHSAA ... Also ran track & field as a prep.

Fred Payne 
DB - 5-11 - 185 lbs.
Gainesville, Ga. (Gainesville HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: A four-year varsity letter winner, credited with 360 career tackles with 14 interceptions and a quarterback sack ... Was a two-time first team All-Area selection and earned All-State in his final season ... As a senior, posted a career-high 121 tackles and five INTs while also catching five passes for 296 yards and four touchdowns ... Had a 90-yard kickoff return for a TD against Apalachee High ... Returned an interception 72 yards and a fumble 35 yards for a touchdown in a state playoff game ... Additionally tallied five receptions for 296 yards and four receiving touchdowns in his final season as a prep ... Finished with a career-best 136 total tackles including 88 solo stops as a junior ... Listed as a two-star prospect by Rivals.com.
Personal: Full name is Fredtavious Diquan Payne ... Is the son of Anita Harrison, grandmother Edith Williams and aunt, Crystal Wilmont ... Has two siblings - Anika Carrington and Nikita Payne ... His cousin, A.J. Johnson, plays football at Tennessee ... Worked as a mentor and volunteered with local elementary schools and the Boys & Girls Club.

Roderick Poag 
TE - 6-3 - 215 lbs.
Marshville, N.C. (Forest Hills HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Two-year varsity letter winner at Forest Hills High ... Tallied 87 career tackle including 1.5 sacks and six career interceptions ... Named to the All-Rocky River Conference team ... Recorded 30 tackles as a senior including a season-high six at Porter Ridge HS ... Led the Yellow Jackets with five interceptions on defense, returning three for touchdowns ... the five picks ranked him tied for sixth in the school's record books ... Added 110 yards receiving on two receptions - both touchdown catches - and rushed for a two-point conversion for 32 career points ... Also played basketball as a prep.

Tanner Poindexter 
OL - 6-3 - 285 lbs
Pfafftown, N.C. (Ronald Reagan HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Is the first four-year player in Ronald Regan High history to sign with a NCAA Division I program ... Named All-Central Piedmont Conference at guard along the offensive line, keying Ronald Regan High to an 8-4 season and the school's first-ever playoff berth ... Garnered All-Northwest accolades from the Winston-Salem Journal ... Selected to the North Carolina roster in the 2012 Shrine Bowl, playing every snap at center ... Was named the offensive line MVP as a junior at the National Underclassmen combine held in Greensboro ... Listed as a two-star prospect by Rivals.com.

Willie Police 
WR - 5-10 - 175 lbs.
Marietta, Ga. (Lassiter HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Named the Region 5-AAAAAA Offensive Player of the Year ... Tabbed second team offense at wide receiver in the 2012 Georgia Sportswriters Association (GSWA) All-State ... Also listed on the 2012 Football All-Senior team by the GPB Sports Blog ... An All-County WR, was selected to the Cobb County All-Star Senior Bowl ... Recorded a 206-yard receiving performance against Kell High in Sept. of 2012 which included a 90-yard touchdown catch as a part of the four TD game ... Earned the TD Club of Atlanta's Back of the Week honor ... Played running back as a junior.

Tyler Sexton 
TE - 6-4 - 215 lbs.
Flat Rock, N.C. (East Henderson HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Played both tight end and defensive end for head coach - and former Catamount - Brett Chappell ... Was a two-time All-Western North Carolina Athletic Conference selection as a junior and senior ... Named a Times-News All-Area selection ... As a senior, caught 35 passes for 779 yards and 18 touchdowns, a school record for a tight end ... Also credited with 35 tackles on defense ... Named the TE MVP as a junior at the National Underclassmen combine ... Also played basketball as a prep.
Personal: Full name is Aaron Tyler Sexton.

Tommy Tate
LB - 6-2 - 220 lbs. Norcross, Ga. (Norcross HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Named first team All-State in Georgia's highest classification (Class AAAAAA) as a senior, guiding Norcross High to a 15-0 record and the 2012 state championship ... Posted two double-digit tackle games during the state playoffs for the Blue Devils including 18 stops against Colquitt County and 15 tackles in a win over Camden County High ... Recorded 183 total tackles including 117 solo stops as a senior ... Credited with four pass breakups, two sacks, two forced fumbles, three quarterback hurries and a blocked punt in his final year as a prep ... Was an All-County selection by the Gwinnett Touchdown Club ... Additionally handled punting duties for Norcross High, posting a 33.7 average including a season-long 47 yarder ... Tallied 110 total tackles as a junior.

Kelvin Ume 
DL - 6-3 - 260 lbs.
Acworth, Ga. (North Cobb HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Split time along the defensive line as a defensive end and tackle ... Came to the United States from Nigeria in the early 2000's and did not play football until his freshman year of high school in Ohio ... Finished with 85 tackles as a senior, leading the North Cobb Warriors to an 11-3 season and berth in the Class AAAAA state semifinals ... Posted a 16-tackle game in a win over Valdosta, helping limit the opposing offense to just 22 rushing yards ... Was an honorable mention on the All-County team and was selected to the Cobb County All-Star Senior Bowl.
Personal: Full name is Chibuzor Kelvin Ume.

Tahjai Watt 
DL - 6-5 - 210 lbs.
Huntersville, N.C. (North Mecklenburg HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Two-time All-I-Meck Conference selection who was a conference player of the year finalist as a senior ... Played both ways as a defensive end and a tight end on offense ... Also played power forward on the basketball court as a prep earning all-conference accolades.
Personal: Full name Tahjai Henri Watt ... Is the son of Todd Lynch and Constance Watt, both of whom played sports in college ... Has one sibling, Eric Lynch.

Avery Worsham 
DL - 6-1 - 205 lbs.
Indian Trail, N.C. (Porter Ridge HS)
Prior to Western Carolina: Helped guide Porter Ridge High to the NCHSAA football finals two-straight season as the Western Region champion ... Playing as a defensive end, recorded 90 total tackles including 20 for loss as a senior as a part of earning the Southern Carolina Conference Defensive Player of the Year accolades ... Credited with 10 quarterback sacks, 21 QB hurries, four fumble recoveries including one for a touchdown and one interception ... Was selected to the first team defense on the Charlotte Observer All-Area team ... Had 68 total tackles as a junior with 10.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hurries.
Personal: Full name is Avery Maurice Worsham ... Is the son of Antonio and Latonja Worsham ... Has an older sister, Kayla, who serves in the United State Army.

Courtesy WCU Sports Information


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2013 Football Signing Day Teaser

Courtesy WCU Catamount Sports

National Signing Day on Wednesday, Feb. 6

Catamount football fans can follow all of the excitement of the 2013 National Signing Day on Wednesday, Feb. 6, by visiting CatamountSports.com, the official web site of Western Carolina athletics.

As the National Letters of Intent (NLI) are signed and approved, updated player information and student-athlete bios will be made available online.

National Signing Day Roster: CatamountSports.com will be the home for Western Carolina's coverage of National Signing Day 2013 on Wednesday, Feb. 6. Beginning Wednesday morning, CatamountSports.com will unveil the names of each signee as soon as the National Letter of Intent (NLI) is received and reviewed by WCU's compliance official.

Full Player Bios: CatamountSports.com will also include full player bios of each signee.

Twitter Coverage: Follow @Catamounts on Twitter for real-time updates throughout the day. Use the #CatamountNSD to join in on the conversation.

Aaron (Tyler) Sexton - Football verbal commit to WCU

Aaron (Tyler) Sexton 

Position: TE
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 225
School: East Henderson High School






East Henderson senior tight end Tyler Sexton committed to play football for Western Carolina University. Sexton earned All-Western North Carolina Athletic Conference and All-WNC honors in 2012. He made 35 receptions for 779 yards and a school-record 18 touchdowns.

Sexton will be joining his teammate, senior wide receiver/defensive back Steffon Hill, who committed to Western last year. \

 

Daniel Nash - Football verbal commit to WCU

Daniel Nash 

Position: Outside Linebacker
Height:  6-3
Weight:  195
Class of 2013
Hometown:  Holly Springs, N.C.
School: Holly Springs High School




The News & Observer reports that Daniel Nash has committed to WCU, also has an offer from Old Dominion