High Country Sports

Author: David

  • Pioneer swimmers prevail, with numbers in tri-meet

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — There is strength in numbers when it comes to competitive team swimming and Watauga demonstrated just that on Jan. 14 against University Christian and Ashe County at the Watauga County Parks and Recreation Center.

    A good example: the Pioneers swept the first ten places in the Women’s 50 Free and the first six spots in the Men’s 50 Free. The women were led by No. 1 Athena Elliott (senior, 26.01), No. 2 Merritt Powell (freshman, 26.90) and No. 3 Chessy Martin (sophomore, 27.32).

     

     

    Jan. 14 was Senior Night for the Watauga Pioneers swim team. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

     

    In the Men’s 50 Free, the Pioneers were championed by No. 1 Lanson Gilbert (sophomore, 22.55), No. 2 Silas Powell (senior, 23.57) and No. 3 Aiden Culpepper (freshman, 26.35).

    While Watauga celebrated Senior Night with 18 graduating seniors, including six on the men’s side led by consistently strong performers Silas Powell and Michael Makdad, one of the up and comers for the Pioneers is Culpepper, the freshman, who added an individual No. 1 finish in the Men’s 200 Free with a 31 second gap to the No. 2 finisher, as well as competed in two No. 1 relays. He led off the Men’s 200 Freestyle Relay that also included Powell, Makdad and Gilbert, then led off the last race of the night, the Men’s 400 Freestyle Relay, passing the baton to Stacy Eggers, Powell, and Gilbert to finish a full 15 seconds ahead of No. 2 University Christian.

    Some of the races between Watauga and University Christian were extremely competitive. In the Women’s 200 IM, Watauga’s Ayla Crawley led for most of the race until University Christian’s Lucy Kelty edged her out at the finish. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    The strength in numbers theme played itself out in other events, too. For example, Watauga captured six of the top seven places in the Women’s 100 Breaststroke, led by No. 1 Addie Wilson (junior, 1:16.49) and No. 2 Zoe Critcher (junior, 1:25.04).

    Late in the evening (Event 17), Watauga again sported strong numbers by capturing the top five spots in the Women’s 200 Freestyle Relay, an event that featured 10 relay teams, eight of which were representing the Pioneers — or 24 swimmers in all competing in just that one event.

    Watauga head coach David Gragg seemed happy with the performance in spite of the team challenges.

    “Overall, we had a pretty good night.  The team has been battling illness and studying for exams, so it has been a tough week,” said Gragg. “Add in a quick turnaround from the meet on Saturday (Jan. 10), and I thought we had some good swims tonight. 

    “I split up several of the relays just to see what we could do if we needed to make changes during the next few weeks,” Gragg shared.”  Some went over well, others not as much.  Heading into the conference meet, I feel the women have a strong chance to defend their title.  We have a lot of depth other teams are not as fortunate to have. 

    “The men will have a tougher challenge since our numbers are somewhat limited,” the longtime Pioneer head coach added. “We are fortunate that several of our athletes are on the local club team and their Senior level coach, Ashley Turak, was an All-American swimmer at Indiana.  She has picked up their training and worked them hard the past few months.  If the team can get — or stay — healthy, that will benefit us a lot as we head into the next competitions.”

    TEAM SCORES – MEN

    • Watauga 75, University Christian 61
    • Watauga 86, Ashe County 9
    • University Christian 92, Ashe County 15

    TEAM SCORES – WOMEN

    • Watauga 113, University Christian 44
    • Watauga 127, Ashe County 11
    • University Christian 92, Ashe County 15

    FULL RESULTS

     

     

  • Furious 4th quarter rally falls short for Watauga vs. South Caldwell, in 70-63 loss

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Down by 17 points entering the fourth quarter, Watauga rallied behind suddenly hot shooting by guards Cade Keller and Jackson Love to narrow the deficit to just a single point — but couldn’t quite complete the comeback in losing to South Caldwell, 70-63, on Jan. 13 in Lentz Eggers Gym.

    Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    Turnovers plagued the Pioneers throughout the contest but especially in the first three quarters, including missed layups as well as 3-point attempts gone awry and ball-handling miscues.

    Meanwhile, visiting South Caldwell was getting good production from a quartet of Spartans. Gavin Frasure and Colby Greene led a second quarter SC surge that put the visitors ahead, 38-32, by intermission. They finished the game with 20 and 26 points, respectively, while Carter Anderson (9 points) and Sam Keaton (10) had critical contributions.

    Cade Keller leans in to score on Jan. 13 vs. South Caldwell. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    Keller scored 16 of his team-high 22 points and Love added 9 of his 13 total points in the fourth quarter to fuel the Pioneer rally.

    Watauga (8-5 overall, 0-2 in Northwestern Conference play) will try to return to its winning ways on Friday, Jan. 16, at Alexander Central, in Taylorsville. The Cougars sport a 10-5 overall record, 2-0 in NWC play, after road wins at St. Stephens (73-54) and McDowell (72-69).

    South Caldwell is now 11-5 overall and 1-1 in conference play. The Spartans return home to host Freedom on Jan. 16.

    SELECTED WATAUGA PERFORMERS

    • Cade Keller: 22 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals
    • Jackson Love: 13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
    • Cole Lewis: 12 points, 4 rebounds
    • Evam Burroughs: 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals
    • Eli Bishop: 4 points, 1 assist, 1 steal
    • Brady Lindenmuth: 5 rebounds, 1 blocked shot

     

     

     

  • Pioneers WBB sweeps past Spartans, 58-33

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — For the second Northwestern Conference game in a row, Watauga women’s basketball rolled decisive over an opponent, this time with a resounding, 58-33 domination of longtime rival, South Caldwell.

    The Pioneers used a pesky, pressing defense to create Spartan turnovers, then capitalized on the offensive end.

    Charlie Mattox (23) came off the bench with key playmaking contributions on Jan. 13 vs. South Caldwell. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    On this night, it was Izzy Torgerson’s turn to lead the way in scoring for Watauga, finishing the night with 15 points, leading a trio of Pioneers in double figures with Izzy Mohr (13 points) and Josey Mayo (12) not far behind. Mia Mitchell came off the bench to add seven points to the Pioneer onslaught.

    Watauga jumped out in front, 17-10, by the end of the first quarter and kept piling it on by outscoring South Caldwell, 20-5, in the second period to lead 42-15 going into intermission.

    Izzy Mohr (24) maneuvers toward the basket on Jan. 13 vs. South Caldwell, finishing with 13 points on the night. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    Watauga (8-7 overall, 2-0 in Northwestern Conference play) next travels to Taylorsville to face Alexander Central (13-2, 1-1) on Friday, Jan. 16. The Cougars defeated St. Stephens (61-29) on Jan. 9 before falling to the Northwestern Conference’s lone 7A entry, McDowell, 54-41, on Jan. 13.

    LEADING SCORERS

    • WAT – Izzy Torgerson (15 points)
    • WAT – Izzy Mohr (13)
    • WAT – Josie Mayo (12)
    • SC – Emma Bumgarner (12)
    • SC – Maggie Wilks (10)
    • WAT – Mia Mitchell (7)

     

  • Watauga women pour it on @ Freedom, 61-39

    By David Rogers. MORGANTON, N.C. — With five Pioneer players at or near double figures in scoring, Watauga overcame a sluggish first quarter to win going away against host Freedom on Jan. 9, 61-39.

    With plenty of fans in attendance supporting both schools for the season opening conference game of 2025-26, it was a high energy, even raucous atmosphere.

    Watauga head coach Bill Torgerson talks to his players about adjustments on Jan. 9, at Freedom. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    The Pioneers jumped ahead 5-0 to start the game but Freedom came roaring back to lead 15-11 at the end of the first quarter. With a Presli Wood layup midway through the second quarter, Watauga recaptured the lead at 27-26, then went on a 6-2 run to close out the first half with a 33-28 lead.

    Although the Pioneers’ freshman playmaker Josie Mayo was relatively quiet to start the game and off the mark, she quietly rallied to score a game-high 16 points. The Pioneers’ Charlie Mattox came off the bench to add 12 points while Izzy Mohr and Shelby Thompson were close to double figures, each contributing nine points.

    Whatever adjustments head coach Bill Torgerson made for the Pioneers at intermission, the Patriots had no answers. Watauga went on a 14-0 run to start the second half and never looked back.

    Now 7-7 on the season, overall, and 1-0 in Northwestern Conference play, the Watauga women’s basketball team will next host South Caldwell on Jan. 13.

    SELECTED WATAUGA SCORING

    • Josie Mayo, 16 points
    • Charlie Mattox, 12
    • Izzy Mohr, 9
    • Shelby Thompson, 9
    • Mia Mitchell, 8
    • Presli Wood, 4
    • Ellie Hege, 4

    BONUS PHOTOS (Click any image for larger version and Slide Show Mode)

  • UPDATED: Post-game drama overshadows 67-65 Patriot win over Pioneers in Morganton

    By David Rogers. MORGANTON, N.C. — A bizarre post-game incident involving fans that drew an estimated two dozen Burke County sheriff’s deputies and Morganton police officers to Freedom High School’s gymnasium and campus grounds overshadowed a dramatic basketball finish and a heartbreak loss (67-65) for Watauga High School’s varsity men’s team on Jan. 9.

    BONUS PHOTOS at bottom of story.

    Watauga held a 10-point lead early in the third quarter but the host Patriots rallied with pesky defense and sure-handed shooting to gain control and earn a 6-point advantage late in the final period. It was a phase of the game also marked by the Pioneers’ shooting suddenly grown cold, often rushing shots, with frequent turnovers.

    Watauga’s Cade Keller goes up for a fall-away jumper at Freedom on Jan. 9. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    At the end, with under two seconds remaining, Watauga senior Jackson Love had what seemed to be a clean look for a layup from the right side that would tie the game and send it into overtime — but a brilliant play to block by Freedom junior Jaden Watkins, an athletic 6-3 forward, instead sent the ball sailing out of bounds with 0.8 seconds remaining on the game clock and the Pioneers still facing the 2-point deficit. Throwing in from the baseline with Freedom’s towering, 6-7 forward Nate Surrat defending the inbounded pass, the Watauga throw-in was forced long and time expired before a shot could be taken.

    “Freedom’s basketball team was very well coached and everything that happened on the court during the game was clean and competitive,” said Watauga head coach Bryson Payne by email in response to High Country Sports’ questions. “I thought our guys played well for the most part except for that 4-5 minute segment in the 3rd quarter. During that run, we beat ourselves by turning the ball over and taking a few quick shots. That allowed Freedom to get back in the game and take the lead through points in transition off our mistakes. But I am still proud of the way we battled. We were basically 1-2 shots away from winning or going into overtime against one of our toughest conference opponents. And that was on the road. I thought we did a lot of things well, but we still have a lot to improve on to reach our full potential as a team.”

    For the Jan. 9 road game at Freedom (Morganton), the Patriots’ gym was packed with Pioneer fans, including the cheerleaders. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    In spite of the loss, Payne had high praise for a trio of Pioneers.

    “As for individual performances, I thought Brady Lindenmuth did a great job hustling and leaving his all on the floor. He did a good job staying out of foul trouble, but the biggest highlight he had to me was the effort he gave when he put his body on the line, diving out of bounds to save a loose ball. Extremely proud of his effort. Another performance was Evan Burroughs. I thought he hit some huge shots for us. Also, Bryce Scheffler gave us big minutes and took a very important charge for us.”

    Notes on the Aftermath

    It was a heartbreaking loss for Watauga and a thrilling victory for Freedom in the teams’ first Northwestern Conference game of the 2025-26 season, but all emotions stemming from the game were cast aside in the aftermath.

    Several students from the Watauga fan section were streaming towards an alternative exit near the locker rooms when a woman from the nearby Freedom grandstands struck one of the Watauga students on his back and head with a chair, reportedly unprovoked, just outside the gym. No injuries were immediately reported, but reports surfaced that “… a gun was pulled…” by a Freedom bystander during the melee. Apparently, those unconfirmed reports were enough to call in a brigade of sheriff’s deputies and police officers. Neither head coaches nor any players were available for post-game comments as they were confined to the teams’ respective locker rooms awaiting police escorts to their departing vehicles or team buses.

    Additional Notes: We have intentionally not identified any students by name to protect their privacy as minors. This story has been corrected to reflect that the incident happened just outside the gym, not inside the gym, and the students had reportedly received instructions to use an alternative exit, not the main entrance. In addition, another Watauga student was allegedly assaulted and choked by another bystander, who reportedly thought the student was filming the incident and/or the woman’s subsequent apprehension. There has been no confirmation that a gun was involved, but the unconfirmed reports or suspicions of one remain the most likely explanation for the call for so many additional law enforcement personnel, as well as the initiatives taken promptly by school administrators in coordination with law enforcement to protect the respective teams by delaying their exits from the locker rooms, awaiting police escorts. Casting doubt on a gun being present is that all fans are screened for weapons of any kind before entering the gym.

    Again, we are awaiting an official statement from the Burke County Sheriff for any further clarifications of the incident.

    The Burke County Sheriff’s Department lieutenant in charge of the scene declined to provide an official statement of what transpired, saying simply, “The Sheriff won’t allow me to.”

    The unidentified woman was observed, restrained with her hands cuffed behind her back, speaking with a deputy before being transferred from one patrol car to another, presumably for transport to the Sheriff’s station. After reviewing the Burke County Sheriff’s Office website of people currently in jail, there is no mention of anyone matching the woman’s description in custody. There was also no one listed as in jail on a gun charge.

    High Country Sports will update the information about this incident after attempting to speak with Burke County Sheriff Robert “Banks” Hinceman, as identified on the department website, on Monday.

    Getting back to basketball, Watauga will try and put the gut-wrenching loss behind them as well as the brouhaha when they face Northern Guilford on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 5:30 p.m. in another non-conference matchup.

    SELECTED WATAUGA INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES @ FREEDOM

    • Cade Keller: 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
    • Evan Burroughs: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
    • Brady Lindenmuth: 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 blocked shot
    • Bowen Mayo: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
    • Jackson Love: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

    BONUS PHOTOS (Click on any image for larger view and Slide Show Mode)

    All images by David Rogers for High Country Sports

     

  • A C Reynolds overcomes Pioneers’ late rally in double overtime to win, 94-91

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A double-overtime thriller didn’t go Watauga’s way on Jan. 7, losing to A.C. Reynolds, 94-91, in Lentz Eggers Gym.

    Plagued by fouls in the overtime periods that resulted in the exits of key veteran starters Bowen Mayo, Jackson Love and Evan Burroughs, the loss overshadows clutch 3-pointers made by Cole Lewis and a 27-point night by Cade Keller.

    With the Pioneers trailing as the clock ticked down to the end of regulation play, Lewis nailed a three-pointer to knot the score at 71-71 just before the buzzer. In overtime, he dropped in two more at critical junctures to keep the Pioneers close and force the second overtime period.

    Watauga opened the contest seeming to have the upper hand, going into intermission with a 31-27 lead. The Rockets made some halftime adjustments that led to a 23-13 performance in the third quarter to go into the final stanza with a 50-44 advantage. Including a big 3-pointer by Cole Lewis to beat the buzzer in regulation, the Pioneers battled back to tie it at 71-71, a deadlock the two Western North Carolina rivals carried to an 84-84 knot to prompt a second overtime. Unfortunately for Watauga, losing three players to fouling out in overtime was a dealbreaker.

    Now the Pioneers start the “real” season with a first Northwestern Conference game on the road at Freedom, in Morganton, on Jan. 9. Sporting an 8-2 record for a challenging non-conference schedule in which several players were unavailable due to Watauga’s state championship run in football, the Pioneers will face one of their fiercest conference rivals in the Patriots, who recorded a 9-3 record in non-conference play. A C Reynolds and West Caldwell were the only common opponents. Freedom defeated both, surviving a 69-65 nailbiter vs. A C Reynolds and post a 72-60 win over the Warriors of West Caldwell.

    Tipoff for the Pioneers @ Patriots tilt will be approximately 8 p.m., following the women’s varsity game.

    SELECTED WATAUGA INDIVIDUAL STATS VS. A.C. REYNOLDS

    • Bowen Mayo: 5 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
    • Kyle Williams: 6 points, 2 steals
    • Cole Lewis: 9 points, 2 rebounds
    • Jackson Love: 19 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals
    • Cade Keller: 27 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
    • Evan Burroughs: 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal
    • Eli Bishop: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal
    • Brady Lindenmuth: 13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists

  • Veteran St. Stephens grapplers pin young Watauga team, 66-9

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — There weren’t too many bright spots in Watauga’s first conference wrestling dual vs. St. Stephens on Jan. 6, the veteran Indians team leaving Lentz Eggers Gym with a decisive, 66-9 team win.

    Arguably the brightest match of the evening for the Pioneers was Mikey Portante’s pin of Saint Stephens’ Davis Kerns at the 4:53 mark. Portante seemed in control for the better part of the match, punctuated by a resounding upending of Kerns in the late going of the 190 lb. weight class.

    Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    The only other points earned by the Pioneers was at 144 lbs., with Beattie Hendley pulling off a 9-6 decision over the Indians’ Benry Odom.

    FULL RESULTS

    • 106: Tommy Kishpaugh (SSHS) win by forfeit
    • 113: Henry Franklin (SSHS) p. Canaan Woodring 1:17
    • 120: Zane Taylor (SSHS) win by forfeit
    • 126: Malachai Esclamado (SSHS) p. Justice Hendley 2:39
    • 132: Koen Killian (SSHS) p. Thaddeus Martin 0:53
    • 138: Alexander Stewart (SSHS) p. Bennett Ward 2:45
    • 144: Beattie Hendley (WHS) SV D. Carson Powell 9-6
    • 150: Atticus Lail (SSHS) p. Benry Odom (WHS) 0:36
    • 157: Jacob Morgan (SSHS) d. Cole Kleman 6-4
    • 165: Jake Hoke (SSHS) d. Michael Morgan 20-13
    • 175: Nathan Moretz (SSHS) forfeit
    • 190: Mikey Portante (WHS) p. Davis Kerns 4:53
    • 215: Avery Rhymer (SSHS) forfeit
    • 285: Davante Johnson (SSHS) p. Cayman Hayes 1:04

    Portante leads a Pioneer roster that is reportedly up to 35 athletes competing for spots in the various weight classes. Nonetheless, on this night Watauga was unable to field grapplers in four weight classes, including 106 lbs., 120 lbs., 175 lbs, and 215 lbs.

    After the match, Pioneer head coach Terreyl Williams was proud of the effort put in by all of his wrestlers, acknowledged that he is still missing some athletes at certain weights, and said the team is still building its identity.

    When asked by High Country Sports about the fast-growing Watauga middle school program, which earlier in the evening defeated Avery County, 52-33, Williams broke into a big grin, noting that middle school head coach Zack Strickland was previously the Watauga High School team’s head coach.

    “To have him back (coaching) down there (at the middle school level) is pretty awesome,” said Williams. “He’s got about 45 kids already, so he is really growing that program. He is doing a phenomenal job and that is going to do nothing but help us (at the high school level) in the future.”

    Watauga’s wrestlers will next host Freedom in another Northwestern Conference tilt on Friday, Jan. 9, in Lentz Eggers Gym.

    BONUS PHOTOS (Click any image for larger view and Slide Show Mode)

    All photographic images by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    Photographic image by david Rogers for High Country Sports

    Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

  • Castle runs for TD in final collegiate football game at Sun Bowl, vs. Arizona State

    By David Rogers. EL PASO, Texas — Not even a minor leg injury that kept him off the field in the second half of the Dec. 31 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl could dampen Anderson Castle’s enthusiasm for Duke’s 42-39 win over Arizona State.

    It was a devilish good time, with the Blue Devils facing the Sun Devils. A three-yard run into the end zone late in the first half for a touchdown was just icing on the proverbial cake for Castle, who played his last collegiate football game against Arizona State in the historic, 92nd Sun Bowl.

    Anderson Castle’s family was well represented at the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31, for his last collegiate football game. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    Castle is a compelling Watauga County story. A four-year starter at quarterback for head coach Ryan Habich’s Watauga High School Pioneers, he enrolled at App State as a defensive back, with a four-year, “full ride” scholarship. It wasn’t long before the Mountaineers moved him to outside linebacker.

    Then, on one fateful day during practice, then Mountaineer head coach Shawn Clark was assessing a running back room that had been thinned out by injuries. As he passed the water cooler, the story goes, he saw Castle and asked “You played option QB at Watauga, right? You are now a running back at App State.”

    Castle embraced the challenge of converting to running back and showed flashes of talent for the position, talent that Pioneer football fans already knew about. He battled minor injuries that limited his appearances the first couple of season. After hitting the weight room and beefing up, he showed a lot of power in his second year at the position, especially in short-yardage situations but never seemed to be effectively utilized while playing for the Mountaineers.

    Anderson Castle (4) carries the ball around the right side on Dec. 31, in the first half of the Sun Bowl against Arizona State. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    So with a coaching change for the 2025 season, his final year of eligibility, Castle entered the transfer portal and, having earned his undergraduate degree at App State, chose to pursue an MBA at Duke — and play football for the Blue Devils, too.

    “I can hardly put into words how thankful I am for my decision to transfer to Duke for this final year of eligibility,” Castle recalled in a post-game one-on-one in El Paso with High Country Sports. “God had a plan for me and I am thankful to be here. The people at Duke have been amazing. I transferred here not really knowing what it was going to be like, how everything was going to go. I just trusted God’s plan. The people around me helped out so much. I made so many good friends and those friendships will last a lifetime. I am just thankful for this journey. It has been awesome.”

    The year of both gridiron and personal success did not come without work, both in the weight room and on the practice field.

    “On the football team, I carved out a role in short-yardage situations. I worked hard in the spring and in fall camp. I have to give a shoutout to Coach (Chris) Foster (assistant coach/running backs). It has worked out well and I am very happy to have done this,” said Castle about his year with the Blue Devils.

    There was plenty of fanfare on Dec. 31, leading up to the Duke vs. Arizona State Sun Bowl game. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    “There have been so many special moments,” he added. “I don’t think I can pinpoint just one. There were a lot of fun games and definitely our winning the ACC championship this year was special. The three TDs against North Carolina and NC State, those were definitely memorable games. Clemson… I didn’t have a lot of stats against Clemson but that sticks out as one of the most fun games I will look back on.”

    The former Pioneer QB was especially appreciative of the opportunity to play in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.

    “This bowl game is historic,” said Castle. “I heard it is the second oldest bowl game. It was an honor to be able to play in it. The Sun Bowl organizing committee treated us so well this whole week. It was a great bowl experience. Ultimately, the goal was for us to get a win and that is what we did.

    “I couldn’t go the second half today,” he explained. “My leg was pretty banged up and I felt it was better if someone else was in.”

    While Castle may not be wrangling any more TDs in college, he is bringing home some of El Paso’s cowboy culture.

    “I couldn’t pass up the deal Lucchese, a Sun Bowl sponsor, gave us on boots. I have bought cowboy boots before, but not this kind of quality,” said Castle of the handcrafting bootmaker, which has collaborations with the Dallas Cowboys, the University of Texas Longhorns, the University of Texas A&M Aggies, and country-western star Chris Stapleton, as well as the Sun Bowl and others.

    Castle finished his last year of eligibility with the Blue Devils tied for No. 30 in the nation for rushing touchdowns, with 12 in 14 games this season. He was one of Duke’s go-to guys in short yardage situations, including as No. 9 in the ACC for scoring TDs, all rushing and responsible for 72 of the Blue Devils’ points, according to the ACC website.

    App State’s Shawn Clark, the late and former head coach, once described Castle to High Country Sports as potentially “the next John Riggins,” the former Washington Redskins power running back. Others have suggested he reminds them of Larry Csonka, the former Miami Dolphins’ fullback. Both men emerged as Hall of Fame running backs, Csonka in the 1970s and Riggins in the 1980s and 1990s.

    Whether Castle chooses to pursue a football career at the next level is a question yet to be answered. In addition to his power, we learned from covering him as an option quarterback at Watauga that he also has exceptional flat-out speed (which he flashed at Duke) as well as a quick lateral step, all good attributes for NFL running backs.

    Will he get that opportunity? Or does God have other plans for his coming MBA degree from Duke University?

    Editor’s Note: This story has been corrected to reflect Castle’s receiving a full, four-year scholarship, not a preferred walk-on opportunity as originally reported.

     

     

     

  • Pioneers secure 3rd place in Holiday Classic with 76-71 win over Hopewell

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A day after getting schooled by a talented Apex Friendship team, Watauga used a fourth quarter rally to win the Holiday Classic 3rd place game over Hopewell, 76-71, on Dec. 30.

    A see-saw battle that ended the third quarter knotted at 55-55, pulled away in the final stanza.

    The win saw key contributions in different aspects of the game from multiple Pioneers. Cade Keller saw high-scoring honors with 25 points, while Jackson Love and Evan Burroughs added 15 and 11 points, respectively.

    Love and senior power forward Brady Lindenmuth shared team-high honors in rebounding, with six apiece. Wit Williamson wasn’t far behind, with five rebounds.

    Burroughs led the way in sharing the ball with teammates for scoring opportunities, dishing out four assists, while Love and Bowen Mayo also got in the distribution act with three assists each.

    Defensively, Watauga’s Mayo, Lindenmuth, Williamson, Keller and Cole Lewis were each able to record a steal.

    Now 7-1, Watauga goes on the road for a non-conference matchup at Davie County to open the new year, on Jan. 2.

     

  • Eagles run past Mountaineers, 29-10, in JLab Birmingham Bowl

    By David Rogers. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — It may have been one of the loudest, most audio-effective bowl games of the college football season given the JLab sponsorship of the Birmingham Bowl, but an arguably short-handed App State was unable to make enough noise of their own as Sun Belt Conference rival Georgia Southern celebrated with a 29-10 win in Protective Stadium on Dec. 29.

    Jaquari Lewis (22) looks for running room at the JLab Birmingham Bowl vs. Georgia Southern. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    The Eagles’ O.J. Arnold led a quintet of ball carriers rolling up 252 yards rushing, the 5-9, 195 lb. senior running back accounting for 152 of those yards.

    Meanwhile, Georgia Southern’s junior quarterback J.C. French IV spread the ball around to six different receivers in completing 72 percent of his passes (18-of-25) for 171 yards, including one TD vs. one pass interception.

    The real story in this game and, arguably, the real difference was in the number of turnovers yielded by the Mountaineers. With the three most veteran QBs on the roster opting out of the bowl game (AJ Swann, JJ Kohl and Billy Wiles), App State head coach Dowell Loggains and his offensive staff were forced to put the ball in the hands of true freshman Noah Gillon and redshirt freshman Matthew Wilson. While that posed a defensive challenge for the Eagles in preparing for the young QBs for which there was little in the way of tape, Georgia Southern came away with four pass interceptions, two each by Gillon and Wilson. Three of them came with the Mountaineers driving, inside or near the proverbial “red zone,” and all of them came inside the GSU 40-yard line.

    It was a bright, if cold and blustery day for the JLab Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 29, with plenty of photo opportunities for App State dignitaries in attendance. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    Turnovers aside, there were noteworthy performances that stood out among the Mountaineers:

    • Senior wide receiver Dalton Stroman had among the best games of his App State career, with three catches for 96 yards — and all three grabs were highlight-reel worthy.
    • QB Matthew Wilson turned in quite a story. Initially recruited as a QB, his tenure in the crowded QB room this year didn’t materialize as expected, so he spent this season converting to defensive back, a position where he also starred at Rock Hill High School (SC). With the three veterans opting out of the bowl game, Loggains brought him back to the offensive side and he ended up producing some remarkable numbers for his first meaningful Mountaineer appearance at the QB position: completing 12 of 22 passes for 128 yards and recording a team-high rushing with 12 carries for 110 yards and a TD.
    • Senior defensive back Ethan Johnson intercepted a Georgia Southern pass late in the first half, giving the Mountaineers good field position just inside the Eagles’ territory. Early in the fourth quarter, Johnson tackled a GSU receiver for a loss.
    •  Sophomore linebacker Colton Phares had a busy day, accounting for 12 total tackles (six solo), while sharing credit for a tackle for loss with teammate Kevin Abrams-Verwayne in the second quarter.

    The Mountaineers’ appearance in the JLab Birmingham Bowl for its second meeting in 53 days with “deeper than hate” rival Georgia Southern was all but surprising. Finishing the regular season 5-7 and not technically bowl eligible, the App State players had already had their season exit meetings with head coach Loggains. With the fall academic semester drawing to a close, many were already scattering home for the holidays, some to faraway locales. But when the Birmingham Bowl had seven invitations rejected to face 6-6 Georgia Southern, App State may have been late-to-the-party, but was quick to say, “yes.”

    With some notable exceptions, a majority of the Mountaineer roster returned to campus to prepare for the bowl game. Seniors were excited to extend their collegiate playing careers. All who returned looked forward to one more chance to compete, especially in a bowl game with its special atmosphere in an unfamiliar venue.

    Georgia Southern went up, 7-0, early on Dec. 29 and never let up. Their cheerleaders had a lot to cheer about in the Eagles’ 29-10 win. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports

    The 41,000-plus capacity Protective Stadium is the recently built home of the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Its modern facilities, especially with the JLab-sponsored audio and entertainment enhancements, made for a first class football stage for these two Sun Belt rivals.