Apex Friendship overcomes early deficit to edge Watauga in ‘Classic’ championship game, 64-62

December 30, 2022

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Watauga's Grant Morrison (3) sidesteps a flying Apex Friendship defender in Terry Hicks (2) before tossing in a 3-pointer from behind the arc on Dec. 30, in the championship game of the High Country Holiday Classic at Lentz Eggers Gym. Photographic image by David Rogers

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — After Watauga jumped out to a 12-0 lead over Apex Friendship, many in Lentz Eggers Gym for the championship game of the High Country Holiday Classic thought the game would evolve as a runaway rather than the nail biter everyone expected. Those thoughts proved premature, because nail biter is exactly what fans got with the Patriots rallying, then surviving to defeat the Pioneers, 64-62.

Apex Friendship defeated Watauga in the championship game of the High Country Holiday Classic on Dec. 30. Photographic image by David Rogers

Watauga was the men’s division runners up for the High Country Holiday Classic tournament, Dec. 28-30. Photographic image by David Rogers

And the outcome came down to the final seconds, including Pioneer junior forward Jackson Pryor’s poach of an Apex inbounds pass from near the Watauga basket and his immediate put-in for a score with just 12 seconds on the clock. That narrowed Watauga deficit from four to two, but the Pioneers were unable to capitalize any further.

Pioneer guard Grant Morrison tallied half of the team’s 14 first quarter points as they took a 14-7 lead to the quarter break, but the Patriots’ beginning to eat away at Watauga’s early commanding lead corresponded closely to Pryor being whistled for his second foul midway through the first quarter — and forced to sit for the rest of the first half. Without Pryor clogging up the middle, the Pioneers’ inside defense softened enough for Apex Friendship to rally.

Maddox Greene drives the lane on Dec. 30 in Watauga’s championship game vs. Apex Friendship. Photographic image by David Rogers

Watauga’s advantage narrowed to just five, 31-26, at intermission, then Apex closed to within two points, 40-38, with not even half of the third quarter gone. Then then=y tied the game, 46-46, to start the fourth quarter.

From there, tensions rose. First one, then the other would jump out to a four or five point lead only to have the advantage quickly reeled in. It was that kind of game, a nail biter to be sure and an entertaining end to a well-run holiday season basketball tournament.

Watauga’s Wyatt Kohout attacks the basket on Dec. 30 against Apex Friendship in the championship finale of the High Country Holiday Classic. Photographic image by David Rogers

In the third place game serving as the finale’s curtain raiser, Ashe County nearly overcame a large early deficit against Pine Lake, but in the end the Pride defeated the Huskies, 59-57.

Morrison and Ashe County’s Jake Grubb were both voted by the coaches to the all-tournament team, while Apex Friendship’s Noah Toster was named tournament MVP.

Next up for Watauga is a road trip on Tuesday, Jan. 3, to Lexington, where they will take on Central Davidson. The Pioneers open Northwestern Conference play on Friday, Jan. 6, at South Caldwell. The game at Central Davidson is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., following the two teams’ women’s game, while the men are slated to tipoff at South Caldwell at 8 p.m.

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