The preseason kicked off for several Southern Conference teams on Saturday, as teams began to knock off the rust before the opening 7s tournament at The Citadel on February 25. 

Appalachian State, East Carolina, and Coastal Carolina started their preseasons with 15s matches, while UNC Charlotte and Wake Forest played in a 7s tournament at UNCC’s pitch that included several DI teams, as well. 

Coastal Carolina rolled over Fort Bragg in a developmental match 50-0. UNC Charlotte finished with wins over NC State, Georgia, and South Carolina at their 7s tournament. 

ECU and App State faced off in a developmental match Saturday in Greenville, NC. App State started off the scoring early with a penalty kick conversion to make it 3-0, but would not find another opportunity to score for the rest of the match. ECU answered soon after with a long run for a try from scrumhalf Thomas LaMuraglia to make it 7-3 going into halftime. 

In the second half, ECU continued upon their momentum when hooker Austin Rabah shrugged off several Appalachian State defenders on his way to the tryline. ECU would find the try zone one more time during the final minutes of the defensive battle to make it a 17-3 final score. 

“The effort was there,” says App State flanker Gabe Cash, “we have a lot of new guys out there, so this match was definitely good to get them some experience.” The same is true for ECU, as both teams are actively recruiting to grow their programs. 

- Thomas Lamuraglia