I've already stated my opinion about Appalachian State's Friday night football game, but I don't think people understand it fully.

Over the last week or so, I have talked to people on the phone, through e-mail, and read your comments on WRAL.com. I've also read what people have to say on other sites, message boards, and blogs.

My opinion remains unchanged.

Appalachian fans have e-mailed me, asking why I, as a member of the media in Raleigh, care so much about what is going on some five hours away in Boone. It's pretty simple. Appalachian State may be a ways away, but N.C. State is just down the road, Duke and North Carolina are an arms length away, East Carolina isn't too far, and neither is Wake Forest. Don't forget about all of the smaller schools in our area.

That is the problem. Appalachian State is one school, but there are so many other schools in our area, and in our state, who would love the chance to be the only nationally televised game one night.

And

You may have heard the rumor about Gary Merrill returning to Northern Durham as an assistant coach, possibly the defensive coordinator.

If you did. Forget it. It's not true.

"There has been no dialog between us about Gary coming back to Northern," Northern Durham athletic director Walt Hensler told WRAL Thursday morning.

In fact, Hensler said he had not spoken with Merrill since late March, well before he announced his retirement from Person.

Merrill resigned from Person about two weeks ago, citing retirement as his reason. The veteran head coach became known as one of North Carolina's best at Northern Durham.

Paul Rodio will not return next season as the Knights' head football coach, and former Millbrook assistant coach Anthony Sullivan will take over.

"That is very interesting," Sullivan told WRAL late Wednesday night, "However, there has been no communication between Coach Merrill and myself, or anyone else at the

Appalachian State has announced that they will play a game with Wofford of Halloween night, televised on ESPN2.

Normally, this would not be a big deal, but this year, Halloween falls on a Friday night - the night that is reserved for high school football across the country.

The game, which will be played at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone, is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., the same time that numerous high school football games across the state will be going on, and it is sure to draw attendance and attention away from high school football - especially in the western part of the state.

ESPN2 has been broadcasting these obscure Friday night games since 2004. Last year, No. 5 West Virginia played No. 18 South Florida on a Friday night, and it ended up being ESPN2's second-highest rating since they began showing college football games.

Charlie Adams, the executive director of the N.C. High School Athletic Association, put out a written statement on Wednesday morning

Wow. I cannot believe the number of e-mails I have received over the last week regarding AEDs - not only in high school athletics - but in schools in general.

I've had people e-mailing me to ask if I knew where to find them; e-mails from AED manufacturers providing information about their products and offering to help get the machines in schools; and, I have received some more personal e-mails with personal stories from parents, grandparents, and friends of children who are at risk for, or fell victim to, Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

Did you know that there are groups meeting regularly to lobby for a mandate that would require schools to make AEDs accessible? I didn't before last week, but there are.

Aimee Euson was one of the people who sent me an e-mail. Aimee works for an AED manufacturing company, Defibtech, based out of Guilford, Conn., but she is from Greensboro.

Aimee read WRAL's article about Alex Beuris, as well as my blogpost about AEDs in high school athletics,

If you haven't read the story about Cardinal Gibbons senior lacrosse player Alex Beuris, you need to.

Alex was hit in the chest with a lacrosse ball from about 10-feet out, causing his heart to stop - a condition called Commotio Cordis. Cardinal Gibbons coach Mike Curatolo, with the help of two player's grandfather, purchased an AED in 2001. That purchase saved Alex's life.

If it can happen at Gibbons, it can happen at any school.

Sure, not every school has lacrosse, but deaths caused by Commotio Cordis have been recorded in baseball, softball, and hockey as well. Not to mention that coaches, spectators, and officials could be the victims of some sort of cardiac emergency - and in the youth, these emergencies often come without warning.

So, what can be done?

Every school that fields any athletic team needs to have a AED readily available, and they need to have staff trained