Josh Hunter sings
Appalachian State, playing its final home game of the season, kicked off Senior Day with a special touch.
Josh Hunter, a senior forward for the Mountaineers, sung the national anthem.
He said that Wes Berry of ASU’s marketing and promotions department asked him to do it. Hunter reluctantly obliged, and did a fine job.
“He found out I could sing last year,” Hunter said. “He wanted me to do it last year at the last home game, and I told him I’d do it my senior year – just messing around with him. He said he had me down for it and I couldn’t back out. I decided I might as well go out with a bang.”
Hunter said that he had never sung in public before, but isn’t afraid to knock out a tune in earshot of friends.
“You can’t shut him up in the locker room,” teammate Kellen Brand said. “But he’s talented.”
Hunter said that he was a bit nervous, so he had the Mountaineers’ other four seniors stand with him at midcourt while he sang.
“I’m just thankful that the other four didn’t chime in,” said Coach Buzz Peterson, who didn’t know that Hunter planned to sing the anthem.
“I didn’t know he could sing like that. But that made for a special afternoon.”
Brand said: “It gave me chill bumps…. I knew he was going to sing it. I’m just glad they didn’t ask me to.”