By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Cold weather soccer fans got their money’s worth on Nov. 11 at Jack Groce Stadium. Visiting No. 5-seeded Mount Tabor and No. 4-seeded host Watauga battled to a 2-2 draw in regulation, but the Pioneers claimed the night with 59.8 seconds remaining in overtime when sophomore midfielder Maddrey Long hammered home a goal to take the 3-2 win.
With the victory, Watauga advances to the fourth round of the NCHSAA 6A state playoffs. They will face No. 1 seeded A.C. Reynolds, a Round 3 winner over No. 8 Alexander Central on Nov. 11.
Watauga seemed to own the visiting Spartans in the first half, scoring a pair of goals midway through the opening period to take a 2-0 lead into intermission.
The first goal was scored by David Ganley, who started the sequence with a centering pass from the right side which senior striker Asher Hampton quickly returned. Ganley powered the ball with his left foot into the upper right corner of the net for the Pioneers’ opening salvo.
For the second goal just a few minutes later, a long throw-in across the field from the right side to the left by Miller Hankins found Koa Lancaster all alone, some 35 yards out from the goal and 10 yards in from the left sideline. A quick start down the left side past a Spartan defender put Lancaster in space, with an opening to make a centering pass. Lucas Hamilton didn’t hesitate, using his right foot for a one-touch shot to the upper left corner.
If Pioneer fans thought they had a comfortable halftime lead, it turned out they didn’t. The Spartans’ junior forward Yuto Shiozawa found a loose ball in front of the right post and hammered it to the left side of the net to narrow the Pioneer advantage.
A few minutes later, Mount Tabor’s freshman midfielder Graham Francis tied the game by cleaning up a messy ball some 15 yards out from the left post, then scooted it past Pioneer goalkeeper Solomon Triplett.
The game was as close as the score indicated, the two 6A adversaries almost a mirror of each other in their style of play: quick, short one- and two-touch passes with possession and adaptive pressure on defense.
After the first 10-minuter overtime period remained scoreless, it appeared the second would end that way, too — until Long’s goal off an alert pass by Hampton with 59.8 seconds remaining.
The 6A West semifinal match will be hosted by the higher seeded (No. 1) A.C. Reynolds in Asheville, tentatively scheduled for Thursday evening, Nov. 13.
By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE, N.C. — The App State women’s basketball team (2-0) chalked up the program’s second, 100-point game of the head coach Alaura Sharp era (No. 21 in program history) in Boone on Nov. 7, with a 110-35 victory over Bob Jones University.
Friday’s win tied the Mountaineers’ second-highest scoring output in program history, originally set on Nov. 14, 1982, against Tennessee Tech. The Mountaineers (2-0) last surpassed 100 points in a game on Nov. 20, 2024 against Clinton College, which was head coachSharp‘s first 100-point game as head coach of App State Women’s Basketball. The game also marks the program’s second-largest margin of victory (75 points), just shy of the record of 78, which was set during the 1979-80 campaign against Milligan.
“I think everyone can tell just how awesome this team is just from a culture standpoint,” said Sharp. “They are amazing people and I think it’s really important that they’re committed to wanting to win and doing the things that it takes to win at a high level.
“We set some goals before this game today,” Sharp added. “We wanted to hold them under 40 – it got a little dicey there at the end – but I thought they were committed to that. I’m proud of the group. I still feel like there’s things that we can clean up. It’s early in the season, but 20 assists and (only) eight turnovers I think is awesome.”
Six Mountaineers scored in double-figures against Bob Jones (1-2), led by freshman Addie Biel. Biel netted a career high 22 points, knocking down 10-of-11 from the field and draining 2-of-2 from the charity stripe. She also matched graduate student Zoë McCrary with a team-high eight rebounds. Freshman Isa Roman scored a career-high 14 points, while seniors Emily Hege, Elena Pericic and junior Daisia Mitchell combined for 36 points, each contributing 12. Hege shot 100% from the arc and the field and Pericic now stands one point shy of 1,000 collegiate points. Knocking down a perfect 5-of-5 from the field, graduate studentJada Burtonaccounted for 10 points, while senior Emma Smith dished out five assists for the Black and Gold.
App State scored 68 of its 110 points off the bench and shot 61.8% from the field, while holding Bob Jones to a field goal percentage of 22.8% and a 3-point percentage of 18.5%. Additionally, The Mountaineers scored 21 points off turnovers and 20 points off fast breaks, shutting out Bob Jones in both categories. The Mountaineers pulled down 57 rebounds to Bob Jones’ 18 and caused 15 Bruin turnovers.
From the jump, the Mountaineers controlled the lead, leaping ahead, 11-0, within the first three minutes of play. Sophomore Feryal Defne Atli made a layup in the paint to put App State on the board, and Mitchell promptly followed with a layup of her own. Mitchell netted 10 of her 12 points in the first quarter to elevate the Black and Gold to the large lead. Over 34 seconds, Burton made three trips to the basket to put App State up 23-5. Then, Hege beat the buzzer with a layup to close the quarter, giving App State a 35-12 lead after one quarter of play.
In the second quarter, App State netted 26 points while the Bruins faced a scoring drought that lasted the duration of the period. Biel and McCrary combined for 12 of App State’s points, both shooting perfectly from the field, and Biel knocked down a pair from the charity stripe.
The Mountaineers boasted a field goal percentage of 71.4% and a 3-point percentage of 57.1% in addition to extending the deficit to 68 points in the third quarter. Over 2:47, App State went on a 12-0 scoring run, which featured a trey from McBride, a layup from Smith, freebies from Smith and Pericic and layups from Burton and Roman.
In the fourth quarter, Biel went to work, scoring 12 of App State’s 19 points, draining 6-of-6 from the field, and grabbing five boards. Biel brought the Mountaineers to the brink of 100 points (99-29) with a layup in the paint, assisted by Burton, before Burton got to the hoop to push the Mountaineers over the 100-point threshold (101-29). Biel made a pair of tip-in buckets before sealing the victory, 110-35, with a final layup in the paint.
Up Next
The Mountaineers’ homestand continues next week as App State hosts Davidson on Nov. 12 and Wofford on Nov. 16. Wednesday’s 6:30 p.m. game against Davidson is Heroes Night and Camp Out at Holmes. Sunday’s 2 p.m. clash with Wofford is Sunday Funday.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It was a “Chamber of Commerce” autumn evening on Nov. 6 at Jack Groce Stadium, a rare “Beaver Moon” (also known as a “supermoon”) lighting things up over the grandstands in the night sky. The Watauga High School men’s soccer team was “feelin’ it,” often dominating possession vs. North Iredell in Round 2 of the NCHSAA 6A state playoffs. A 3-0 win vs. a strong opponent in the Raiders was the evening’s post-Halloween treat.
BONUS PHOTOS @ Bottom of Article (Click any image for larger version and Slide Show Mode)
Quincy Honeycutt led things off with a “worm burner” from in front of the net early in the first half (Ben Myers was credited with the assist) for the game’s first score. It was a tenuous lead that held through halftime intermission.
Then, in the second half, Noah Van Werkhoven headed a corner kick that first appeared to have been stopped by the Raiders’ goalkeeper — but the ball ripped through his hands and trickled through to the net for Watauga’s second goal.
The Series: Noah Van Werkhoven’s header goal
Later in the half, Luke Hamilton lofted the ball to upper right corner of the Raiders-defended goal, but the goalkeeper made a sensational save, deflecting the bullet over the crossbar. Not much later, Hamilton got another opportunity and this time sent the ball whizzing by the diving keeper for the last score and game clincher for the Pioneers.
Two things stood out in this contest. First, for a good part of the match a well-skilled, very talented North Iredell team went toe-to-toe with Watauga, turning back most of the Pioneers’ opportunities in Watauga’s attacking third of the field.
Second, and this may well have been the difference-maker, Watauga’s high level of fitness seemed to wear down the Raiders as the match evolved. The second half saw the Pioneers not only keeping possession with their one- and two-touch, short passes to open teammates, but manufacturing more relentless opportunities in the attacking third. Periodically, North Iredell developed some counterattacks, augmented by long, downfield passes, but the Watauga defenders and midfielders responded quickly to turn away any threats.
With the win, No. 4-seeded Watauga advances to Round 3 of the state playoffs and will host No. 5 Mount Tabor (Winston-Salem) on Monday, Nov. 10, with kickoff slated for 6:30 p.m. It should be an interesting, early winter test for both sides as the weather forecast on Nov. 10 is for 28 degrees Fahrenheit as the high, 18 degrees low.
The winner of the Watauga vs. Mt. Tabor match will advance to play the winner of No. 1 seed A.C. Reynolds and No. 8 seeded Alexander Central in Round 4.
BONUS PHOTOS (Click on any image for larger version and Slide Show Mode)
All photographic images by David Rogers for High Country Sports
By Bret Stelow. BOONE, N.C. — App State Football rallied for three touchdowns over the final 20 minutes, but needed one more score to complete a comeback win. Georgia Southern was able to run out the clock in a 25-23 victory at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Nov. 6.
The mid-autumn ‘supermoon’ scored big on Nov. 6 when App State hosted Georgia Southern in the annual ‘hate’ game. Photo by Jon Pearl, courtesy of App State Athletics
App State’s red zone defense made a comeback possible by forcing the Eagles to kick field goals from 21, 26, 23 and 24 yards during the midweek rivalry game that drew a crowd of 31,876. The Mountaineers (4-5, 1-4) trailed 19-0 when Dominic De Freitas made a 36-yard field goal to put points on the board as the first half ended, and they were behind 22-3 before scoring touchdowns with 4:51 left in the third quarter (David Larkins’ 1-yard reception) and 13:50 remaining in the fourth quarter (Jaquari Lewis’ 27-yard run).
The Eagles (4-5, 2-3) pushed a 22-16 lead to a two-score separation with their final field goal at the 9:05 mark, and AJ Swann’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Barnes with 1:56 remaining prolonged the comeback bid. Georgia Southern recovered the onside kick but still needed to move the ball given that App State had all three of its timeouts remaining.
The Eagles collected a first down with an 11-yard run on the first play and sealed the game by converting a fourth-and-inches run from the App State 27 with 34 seconds remaining.
Barnes totaled 13 catches for 160 yards and a score, posting App State’s highest reception total since Sean Price had 13 catches for 167 yards against Illinois State in 2012, and Swann threw for 348 yards with two scores in his return to the starting lineup. He completed 34 of 51 passes on a night when the Mountaineers rushed 23 times for 77 yards.
It was a packed Kidd Brewer Stadium on Nov. 6, 2025, for the annual ‘greater than hate’ rivalry game between App State and Georgia Southern. Photo by Joseph Chapman, courtesy of App State Athletics
Defensively, Colton Phares delivered a big third-down sack to force a punt between App State’s back-to-back touchdowns, and DJ Burks led the way with 12 tackles.
Larkins tipped the ball to himself on his 1-yard score that cut Georgia Southern’s lead to 22-9 in the third quarter, with Barnes’ 32-yard reception on a fourth-and-2 throw from the 33 setting up that touchdown, and Phares’ sack forced Georgia Southern to punt from its 32. Barnes made a diving grab for 6 yards on a fourth-and-1 throw from the App State 40 to prolong that drive, and Lewis rushed for 15 yards to the Eagles’ 27 before scoring untouched on the next play — he cut between key blocks from pulling offensive linemen Griffin Scroggs and Will Flowers.
Georgia Southern needed just six plays to go from its own 28 to the App State 6 on the next series, but Aiden Benton’s stop for a 2-yard loss and Kevin Abrams-Verwayne’s tackle on a 1-yard gain to the 7 preceded another short field goal.
A J Swann led the Mountaineers in a 2nd half comeback that fell just short in the 25-23 loss to Georgia Southern. Swann completed 31-of-54 passes for 348 yards and two TDs. Photo by Taylor Newton, courtesy of App State Athletics
The Mountaineers reached the Georgia Southern 23 on the next series thanks to Barnes’ improbable catch for 22 yards on a fourth-and-14 pass, but Georgia Southern intercepted a throw just shy of the end zone from a pressured Swann on the next play.
Time and field position took a hit when a three-and-out punt resulted in App State regaining possession at its 34 with 5:24 left, and Swann’s 17-yard pass to Davion Dozier on a fourth-and-17 play from the Georgia Southern 47 extended an 11-play, 66-yard scoring march.
Barnes scored his seventh receiving touchdown of the season on the first play after the two-minute timeout, but the Mountaineers never got the ball back.
App State hits the road next weekend to face division-leading James Madison at 3:30 p.m. in Harrisonburg, Va.
By David Rogers. NEW YORK CITY — Blowing Rock-based Amanda Vestri has enjoyed a storybook year in distance running — and that 2025 journey just got more memorable after she finished No. 9, overall among women in the New York City Marathon. She was the No. 4 American woman, finishing in 2:25:40, behind three Kenyans, three Americans, one athlete from The Netherlands and one from Great Britain. It was Vestri’s marathon debut on Nov. 2 — and the fastest marathon debut in history for any American woman.
A member of Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance and sponsored by Brooks sports apparel, Vestri’s historic jaunt through the five New York City boroughs puts an exclamation mark on her 2025 season. Earlier this year, she won the U.S. Women’s 6K Road Running Championships in Canton, Ohio (July 12); was No. 2 in the U.S. 4-Mile Road Running Championship in Peoria, Ill. (June 14); placed No. 6 in the Mastercard New York Mini 10K (June 7); was No. 3 in the USA Half Marathon Championships in Atlanta (March 2); No. 4 in the Aramco Houston Half Marathon (Jan. 19); No. 4 in the Medtronic Twin Cities 10-Mile in Minneapolis (Oct. 5); and No. 8 on the track for the U.S. Track & Field Championships 10,000 Meters in Eugene, Ore. (July 31).
For the ZAP Endurance team, Vestri now owns the club records at a range of distances, including the 3,000 Meters; 5,000 Meters; 10,000 Meters; Half Marathon; and the Marathon. In New York for her marathon debut, her 2:25:40 time was 12 seconds faster than teammate Tristin Colley’s 2:25:52, set in Chicago.
“Amanda ran the first half of today’s race close to a minute faster than I wanted her to go out,” said ZAP Endurance head coach Pete Rea. “The concern was that she wouldn’t have enough gas in the tank to finish the last half strongly. But overall, her race today was impressive. When she got to the 21 miles marker, she was No. 9 and that is where she finished. She didn’t let any of the following runners pick her off in the closing miles.”
Rea reported that Vestri was running with the lead pack until about the 15 mile marker. “That’s when the eventual top three runners, all from Kenya, put the hammer down,” said Rea.
Those three included No. 1 Helen Obiri, who set a new course record that had stood for 23 years, in 20:19:51. She was followed by No. 2 Sharon Lokedi (2:20:07) and No. 3 Sheila Chepkirui (2:20:24).
Next to cross the line were Americans Fiona O’Keefe (No. 4, 2:22:49) and Annie Frisbie (2:24:12). Rea said Vestri was running with American recordholder for the marathon, Emily Sisson for a good bit of the closing laps, but the veteran gained some separation to finish 35 seconds in front of the High Country’s newcomer.
“Amanda had a great debut marathon,” said Rea. “She was controlled and relaxed through 30 kilometers and then maintained a courageous effort home in her first stab at this distance. New York is the toughest of the world’s seven elite marathons, which also include Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney, Chicago and Berlin. Starting on Staten Island, running through the five boroughs is probably two and half minutes slower for most athletes. You don’t run New York for time, but for the competition and Amanda competed very well. She executed our plan for Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Manhattan beautifully. Her future in the marathon is bright.”
With ZAP Endurance’s imminent closure by the end of the year, most of its team members have already signed contracts with other teams, including teams affiliated with shoe companies like adidas, Puma and On.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It has already been an historic season for Watauga High School’s athletics program, with women’s tennis, women’s golf, cross country, and volleyball going deep into the state playoffs, but two more Pioneer teams have a chance to make history after the brackets were announced for the 6A state playoffs in men’s soccer and football over the weekend.
MEN’S SOCCER
As the No. 4 seed in the 6A West bracket, Watauga receives a bye for the first round of the state playoffs and are in the upper half of the 6A West bracket, where the No. 1 seed is A.C. Reynolds (Asheville). In the second round, the Pioneers will host the winner of No. 13-seeded North Iredell (Olin) and No. 20 Piedmont (Monroe).
The Pioneers went undefeated in Northwestern 6A/7A Conference play. In addition to Freedom, NWC-member school Alexander Central, the No. 8 seed, is also in the upper bracket.
In the lower half of the bracket, other NWC schools include No. 19 South Caldwell and No. 23 St. Stephens.
As the No. 2 seeded team, Charlotte Catholic is the top-ranked school in the lower half of the bracket.
Full Seedings and First Round Pairings
No. 1 A.C. Reynolds – BYE
No. 16 Berry vs. No. 17 Statesville
No. 8 Alexander Central – BYE
No. 9 Western Guilford vs. No. 24 Ashbrook
No. 5 Mt. Tabor – BYE
No. 12 T.C. Roberson vs. No. 21 Freedom
No. 4 Watauga – BYE
No. 13 North Iredell vs. No. 20 Piedmont
No. 3 Asheville – BYE
No. 14 Olympic vs. No. 19 South Caldwell
No. 6 Ragsdale – BYE
No. 11 Northern Guilford vs. No. 22 Ben L. Smith
No. 7 Glenn – BYE
No. 10 Asheboro vs. No. 23 St. Stephens
No. 11 Dudley vs. No. 18 Sun Valley
No. 2 Charlotte Catholic – BYE
FOOTBALL
With its undefeated overall record, 10-0 and 5-0 in Northwestern Conference play, Watauga earned the No. 1 seed, positioned in the 6A West upper bracket. Joining them in the upper bracket are three other NWC teams, including No. 16 St. Stephens, No. 24 South Caldwell, and No. 4 Freedom, which also received a BYE.
The lone NWC member school in the lower 6A West bracket is No. 19 Alexander Central. Other opponents faced by the Pioneers who earned spots in the 6A West bracket are No. 15 Asheville and No. 7 T.C. Roberson (also a bye).
FULL 6A WEST FOOTBALL BRACKET
No. 1 Watauga – BYE
No. 16 St. Stephens vs. No. 17 Mt. Tabor
No. 8 Charlotte Catholic – BYE
No. 9 A.C. Reynolds vs. No. 24 South Caldwell
No. 5. Sun Valley – BYE
No. 12 Olympic vs. No. 21 Ragsdale
No. 13 Southeast Guilford vs. No. 20 Central Cabarrus
No. 4 Freedom – BYE
No. 3 Ashbrook – BYE
No. 14 Statesville vs. No. 19 Alexander Central
No. 6 Asheboro – BYE
No. 11 Dudley vs. No. 22 Glenn
No. 7 T.C. Roberson – BYE
No. 10 Kings Mountain vs. No. 23 Ben L. Smith
No. 15 Asheville vs. No. 18 Western Guilford
No. 2 Northern Guilford – BYE
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been corrected to accurately reflect the prospective second round pairing for Watauga Men’s Soccer.
By David Rogers. RALEIGH, N.C. — It was a comeback win deserving of a post-match celebratory dogpile at center court.
Victorious in the 2025 6A state final vs. Watauga on Nov. 1, the J H Rose Rampants all rush to center court for a celebratory ‘dogpile.’ Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
After Watauga women’s volleyball captured the first two “nail biter” sets on Nov. 1 at Reynolds Coliseum, J.H. Rose (Greenville, N.C.) stormed back to take the final three “cliffhanger” sets to be crowned the 2025 NCHSAA 6A Women’s Volleyball champions, 3-2 (26-28, 23-25, 25-21, 25-22, 15-7).
Whether you were rooting for the Pioneers or the Rampants, the see-saw, back and forth action was enough to grind your teeth down to their nubs.
It was a mixture of smiles and tears for Watauga’s volleyball team on Nov. 1 after finishing ‘runner-up’ to J H Rose in 6A state championship final at Reynolds Coliseum. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
It’s a fact of life in any competition. There may be “ties” now in the NFL, but only winners and losers in North Carolina high school volleyball. The state championship final match between 6A West champion (Watauga) and 6A East (J.H. Rose) featured 20 lead changes and 46 tie scores across the five-set thriller. Certainly, it is hard to call anyone a lost cause. A break here or there, a reversed call undone, a ball hitting “in” instead of “just out”… and you might have a different final result. All credit to J.H. Rose for the team’s resilience in not panicking after losing the opening two sets.
In the beginning, the Rampants didn’t seem to have an answer for the Pioneers’ dynamic outside hitter, senior Emma Pastusic. As the match wore on, they were better positioned to block or dig those powerful Pastusic smashes.
“We knew Watauga had a strong outside hitter,” Rose libero Caroline Bayes noted in the post-match press conference.
If there was any fear in that knowledge, it didn’t show. While Pastusic recorded a game-high 31 kills, Bayes was the match-high leader in digs, with 25, and the team-high leader in serve receptions, with 39.
Watauga’s student section was out in force for the 6A state volleyball match on Nov. 1 at Reynolds Coliseum, part of the largest crowd of the weekend. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Testimony to the strong defensive effort Watauga recorded, the quartet of Carolina Childers, Ashlyn Smith. Lilli Combs and Emma Pastusic combined for 72 of the team’s 86 digs on the night to keep the ball in play, most of the attacks coming off the arm of match MVP and Rampants senior outside hitter Clara Evans.
More than in any other recent match, the Pioneers were more active at the net, defensively, including nine total team blocks. Senior middle blocker Kora Knight’s four solo blocks led the way, with one solo and two assisted blocks each by junior outside hitter Julia Rowan and sophomore middle blocker Addie Stough.
J.H. Rose has been in Watauga’s shoes in recent years, including runner-up to West Henderson, 3-1, in the 2024 3A state championship under the old classifications. In 2023, they lost in the 3A East final to Orange, 3-1. In 2022, they lost to the 3A West’s North Iredell in the state championship match, in a 5-set thriller. And in the 2021 state playoffs, they lost, 3-0, to Cedar Ridge in the 3A West final.
Post-match, Rampants senior Mia Kendrick said that even in losing the first two sets, her team channeled the disappointment and frustration of the last few years with the knowledge they could come back and win, which they did.
By David Rogers. KERNERSVILLE, N.C. — With all five scoring members of the Watauga Women’s Cross Country team finishing in the Top 25 out of 139 student athletes competing in the NCHSAA 6A State Cross Championships, the Pioneers ran away with the state title on Nov. 1.
All six members of the team, including only one backup, completed the 5K Run at the Redmon Sports Complex among the Top 33. The team score of 64 easily beat the team runner-up, East Chapel Hill (82) and the No. 3, Middle Creek (107).
While senior Georgy Helmers of E.E. Smith HS (Fayetteville) won individual honors (17:21.40), followed by Asheville senior Sofi Alexander at No. 2 (17:30.41) and sophomore Elle Dawson of Ragsdale (Jamestown) at No. 3 (17:35.07), Watauga sophomore Cali Townsend’s No. 4 (18:15.46) finish led a brigade of Pioneers, including freshman Josie Mayo (No. 9, 19:00.77), sophomore Lilly Kimbrough (No. 14, 19:32.68), senior Janie Beach-Verhay (No. 21, 19:55.96) and junior Lainey Johnston (No. 25, 20:06.26).
Not counted as part of the team score (only the top 5 finishers from each school go into the team totals), junior Susanna Goff crossed the finish line in the No. 33 position, well ahead of the vast majority of the field with a time of 20:41.85.
By David Rogers. HICKORY, N.C. — It wasn’t the prettiest or most artful Watauga gridiron performance, but it was just enough to secure the program’s eighth straight, undefeated Northwestern Conference championship. The Pioneers prevailed against a big, athletic and physical St. Stephens squad, 28-18.
Given the number of seniors that graduated last year, including from key positions, there was widespread, preseason speculation Watauga would not repeat as conference champions, even with the reorganization of the Sun Belt into a 6A/7A league under the revamped NCHSAA classifications. This would be a rebuilding year, or so the pundits wagged.
To lose proven veterans like Maddux Greene (QB/DB), J.T. Cook (OL/DL), Caleb Dewey (OL/DL), Carson Gunnell-Beck (OL/LB), Dillon Zaragoza (WR/DB), Landon Smith (TE/LB), Trathan Gragg (TE/LB), Matthew Habich (WR/DB), and others left a hard-to-fill void, especially in the defensive and offensive line trenches. For the 2025 campaign, the returning juniors, sophomores and freshmen, by and large, had limited playing experience.
The Series: Evan Burroughs (12)
There were exceptions, of course, like the dynamic playmaker, Evan Burroughs (now a senior) at wide receiver and defensive back, as well as senior Brady Lindenmuth, an anchor to build around in the line on both sides of the ball.
That veteran returning group this year also included a pair of speedy, slash-styled running backs in Everett Gryder and Matthew Leon, but there were still a lot of holes to fill on both offense and defense, as well as on special teams — and they presented opportunities for the younger guys to step up and embrace their new, starring roles.
That is the nature of high school football, every year: younger guys growing, developing and taking over for the players that went before them.
With the help of what Pioneer head coach Ryan Habich describes as one of the best teams of assistant coaches in North Carolina high school football, that core group of returnees and younger players have developed into what many local pundits consider is one of the best Watauga teams to ever take the field.
That said, St. Stephens even further exposed some vulnerabilities if the often undersized players of Watauga don’t execute. Against the Indians, their big, athletic backs and receivers all too frequently broke what should have been tackles for loss on first contact, turning the plays into big gainers. On offense, run blocking was uneven, perhaps missing the aforementioned Lindenmuth, inactive because of a nagging, lower body injury.
Then there were a couple of turnovers, fumbles recovered by St. Stephens, and post-play penalties (i.e., unsportsmanlike conduct) that Habich bemoaned after the game as uncharacteristic of Watauga football. Those mental errors are costly, he said.
“We often started offensive drives with poor field position, backed up inside our 15-yard line, and that makes it (challenging) for the offense,” said Habich.
In the end, when the final buzzer had sounded, the Pioneers had done enough to secure the win. They survived a grueling season to emerge 10-0 overall and 5-0 in Northwestern Conference play.
WATAUGA STAT HIGHLIGHTS (UNOFFICIAL)
In the win, quarterback Cade Keller completed 12-of-19 passes for almost 200 yards and two TDs. Everett Gryder carried the ball 9 times for 46 yards and a pair of TDs. Matthew Leon had 5 carries after intermission for 32 yards, punctuating a key drive that used up a lot of second-half clock.
Matthew Leon (14) finds a big hole in the line of scrimmage, in the second half of Watauga’s 28-18 win over St. Stephens on Oct. 31. Photographic image by Jared Everett for High Country Sports
Gryder was also effective on defense, credited with a pass deflection and a pair of TFLs (tackles for loss).
Evan Burroughs was on the receiving end of some big aerials, five pass receptions of 10 yards or more, including an early 25-yard pickup and a 47-yard TD romp. He was also responsible for one of Watauga’s key plays, defensively, with an interception of St. Stephens’ QB Ryland Milligan’s pass near midfield and returned about 15 yards to setup rare good field position for the offense.
Bowen Mayo caught two passes for 24 yards, including a 7-yard TD reception. An even bigger contribution may have been on defense, where he recorded five tackles, including a pair of TFLs and a pass breakup.
Kyle Williams was relatively quiet on offense, but was instrumental in five tackles and a pair of defended passes.
Aidan Plemons was a menace on defense, credited with five solo or assisted tackles, a quarterback hurry that forced Milligan to throw the ball away in the second half, and a QB sack.
Nyle Peays’ night, on offense, was marred by a lost fumble after a 29-yard pass reception-and-run, but he made amends on defense with 6 tackles and a pair of pass breakups.
Not to be left out, sophomore linebacker John Wilson Mills was again all over the place, defensively, credited with at least 13 tackles, a TFL and a quarterback hurry.
SCORING SUMMARY
7-0: WAT – 6-yard run by Everett Gryder, PAT kick by Miller Hankins is good
14-0: WAT – 4-yard run by Everett Gryder, PAT kick by Miller Hankins is good
14-6: SS – 55-yard run, PAT kick is blocked
14-12: SS – 3-yard run by Izzy Payne, PAT fails
21-12: WAT – +47-yard pass from Cade Keller to Evan Burroughs, PAT by Miller Hankins is good
28-12: WAT – Pass from Cade Keller to Bowen Mayo, PAT by Miller Hankins is good
28-18: SS – +40-yard screen pass to Izzy Payne from Ryland Milligan, PAT failed
BONUS PHOTOS (Click on any image for larger version and Slide Show Mode)
All photographic images captured and processed by Jared Everett for High Country Sports
By Layne McNary. BOONE, N.C. — The App State field hockey team posted a 9-0 shutout over Kent State for Senior Day Friday to close out the regular season.
The nine-goal performance is the most goals scored against a MAC opponent in program history, and most scored in a game since a 10-1 win over Queens in 2022.
With the win, the Mountaineers solidified their spot as the No. 3-seed in the MAC Field Hockey Championship, facing Ohio in the first round of the tournament on Nov. 5.
1st Quarter: The Mountaineers (13-5, 7-2 MAC) got on the board twice in the first, with Baxter scoring her 13th goal of the season. Kuzmicky followed shortly, scoring off a deflection after inserting a penalty corner. The Mountaineers outshot Kent State (4-11, 3-6 MAC) 5-0 in the first.
2nd Quarter: App State tacked on another goal in the period, with Frederique Grimbergen scoring off a goalie deflection to give the Mountaineers a three-score advantage heading into halftime.
3rd Quarter: The Mountaineer offense exploded in the second half, adding two more goals to the total. Boekaar also found her 13th goal of the season, slamming it past the goalkeeper to put App State up 4-0. Kuzmicky scored her second of the day and 10th on the season in the tail end of the period. The Mountaineers generated four penalty corners to Kent State’s one.
4th Quarter: The Mountaineer offense poured it on in the final period of the regular season, scoring four goals. Richardson scored her seventh goal of her senior season after a scrum around the goal. Stegen scored her third of the year after a pass from Kuzmicky, making it a 7-0 lead with less than 3 minutes remaining. With less than a minute in the game, Connors scored her second goal this year off a penalty corner, followed by a sliding goal from Callery to close out the 9-0 win.
The Mountaineers will hit the road to Harrisonburg, Va., for the 2025 MAC Field Hockey Championship. The No. 3-seeded Mountaineers will take on the No. 6-seeded Ohio Bobcats on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 2:30 p.m., streaming on ESPN+.
