Bearcats weather storm to down Mountaineers

GREENWOOD - In front of a loud home crowd on a rainy, muddy afternoon, the Lander Bearcats battled through adversity to secure a gritty 21-14 victory over Appalachian State in Southern Rugby Conference play Saturday, Sept. 27.

The Bearcats struck first when Calvin Henderson powered over the line for the opening try, setting the tone for a physical contest. Job Madi took over from there, crossing the line for two more tries to cement his impact on the game. Chase Langston was perfect from the tee, calmly slotting all three conversions to account for Lander's 21 points.

Appalachian State responded in the second half with a penalty try, then added a late converted score to close the gap. Despite sustained pressure, Lander's defensive resilience held firm to preserve the win.

The Bearcats showed remarkable determination after suffering a double-yellow red card that left them a man down for 60 of the 80 minutes. Additional yellow cards meant long stretches of the second half were played with just 13 men against 15. Even so, the defense's physicality and aggression kept the Mountaineers in check, with their only scores coming off turnovers deep in Bearcat territory.

Standout performances

Job Madi – Two crucial tries; named Bearcat of the Match for his relentless work rate and finishing ability.
Calvin Henderson – Early try that set the momentum for the match.
Chase Langston – Perfect day with the boot (3-for-3 on conversions) and steady presence at fly-half.
Joaquin Villegas – Directed play well at scrumhalf, keeping tempo high and contributing with strong defense.

Coach Buck Billings praised his squad after the hard-fought win.

"I'm very proud of our team. They showed a lot of will and determination to win. This was a tough match against a well-coached, rising Appalachian State program. Playing down numbers for most of the game, our guys dug deep and found a way. Our Bomb Squad finishers came in the second half and brought energy and physicality to help secure the win."

Lander now turns its focus to its next challenge, hosting North Carolina on Saturday at 1 p.m. at New Res Field.

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Players Mentioned

Joaquin Villegas: Freshman

Job Madi: Graduate Student

Calvin Henderson: Freshman

Chase Langston: Freshman

Players Mentioned

Joaquin Villegas
: Freshman

Job Madi
: Graduate Student

Calvin Henderson
: Freshman

Chase Langston
: Freshman