Dalrymple chooses App. State

Bradley Dalrymple looks to follow in the same footsteps as other standouts that have graced the Lincoln County gridiron.
Dalrymple had Western Carolina, Lenoir Rhyne, Methodist and Appalachian State all vying for his services.
When all aspects were taken into consideration he chose the black and gold of the Mountaineers in Boone, North Carolina.
Dalrymple, who squats 450 lbs. and benches 305, had three main reasons he chose App.
“It’s closer to home. I thought it was a bigger football environment and a better chance for me to excel,” he said.
When Bradley steps on the campus there is potentially going to be position change in his football future. Whichever one happens is fine with the six-foot 190 lb. athlete.
“Starting off I would probably want to play free safety, but if they put weight on me then I would definitely like to play linebacker,” he said.
Dalrymple felt certain areas elevated the Mountaineers to his No. 1 choice.
“I liked their facilities, thought they were real nice. I like the environment—it seemed like a good environment,” he said.
Wrapping up a stellar senior year garnering Midwest 2A All-Conference honors, Dalrymple covered great range accounting for 137 tackles, nine sacks and forced five fumbles.
One of Appalachian’s recruiters sees a bright future in black and gold for him.
“Coach Elliot was a real positive guy as far as my chances getting on the field. They said they liked my hard work, my hitting ability, my speed and said I had a good nose for the football,” Dalrymple said.
Known for his hard work and effort, Dalrymple has several goals for his freshman year.
“Just go up there and work, lift and try to get bigger. I just want to make my mark and let them know that I’m there,” he said.
“I eventually want to earn a starting spot and have a good college career there,” Dalrymple said of his long-term goals.
The two-sport standout credits a close-knit support group for helping him reach this point in his career.
“Foremost, God has been most responsible sowed the talent on me, my parents (Fred and Susan), my whole family and all of the Lincolnton coaches have been real supportive,” he said.
Dalrymple is currently wrapping up a career on the baseball diamond. He’s batting over .300 and on a regular basis makes spectacular catches in center field look routine.
So how does he do it?
“My speed and over time my arm developed a lot. My speed allows me to cover a large range and I feel like I can read the ball as soon as it comes off the bat,” Dalrymple said.
Dalrymple garnered a selection to the Carolina Trust Easter All-Tournament Team and the Wolves are 15-4 in their last 19 games. They could host a 2A State Playoff game next Monday.
Dalrymple does not plan to play baseball at Appalachian State, instead chosing to concentrate on football.by John Mark Brooks