By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It was a beautiful, if warm evening of football on Aug. 15, with Watauga hosting North Surry, Maiden and South Point. Here is a sampling of the action at Jack Groce Stadium.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It was only an early, preseason scrimmage but the Watauga and East Surry high school teams and their fans got a late summer taste of what the upcoming season will be like. Yes, football at all levels is fast upon us, so time to get a glimpse of some of the action.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — With a promising display of roster depth, Watauga High School’s volleyball team swept visiting West Wilkes, 3-0 (25-15, 25-12, 25-16), on Aug. 12 at Lentz Eggers Gym.
After the match, Pioneer head coach was all smiles, especially in having seen a consistent level of play throughout, regardless of which student-athletes were on the floor, representing Watauga.
“This was an opportunity to try a lot of things. The strength of the opponent we saw yesterday vs. Hickory doesn’t allow you to make some of the (early season) changes you really want to make, so seeing the consistent level of play and, in some cases, a rising level of play from the players coming in, was really good to see. I was able to make subs and we were able to continue the game plan. There was no drop in the level of play. We have a strong team, all the way through.”
Leading 2-0, Pryor substituted freely early in the third set and there was an opening period of concern when West Wilkes jumped out to a 6-0 lead. That advantage didn’t last long as the new group of Pioneers found their footing and sparked a rally. Pryor said she was confident that her group could play through and overcome the deficit.
“I was pretty confident they could pull it together. We were losing focus a little bit, being the first game (of the year for several of the players). And they did. They brought the focus back in and dominated,” said Pryor. “Overall tonight, we were able to execute things according to the game plan, both on offense and defense.”
We were playing together and we were winning.
It was another match where hard-hitting senior outside hitter, Emma Pastusic, was again featured in both the front row as well as at the service line. The 2-sport athlete has developed significant arm and upper body strength while training for volleyball as well as for discus and shot put in track and field. And yet, her explosiveness — elevation off the floor — may be one of the defining skillsets to mark the Watauga season. Her strong connection with setter Lainey Gragg was obvious, with Gragg racking up 35 assists, about half leading to one of Pastusic’s 17 kills.
“My serving was a little off last night (vs. Hickory), but I worked on it in practice today,” said Pastusic. “(On the throws up) I was able to get the ball a little more in front of me, so I was able to direct the ball a little better. I obviously have my top-spin serve, which is the most aggressive, but it also remains a high risk serve so there may be more misses. If I need something more reliable, I go to a float serve or standing serve. With a top-spin serve, you are throwing the ball higher so you are able to get the top spin on it. It is designed to go over the net and drop really fast. With the float, it is more of a flat serve that runs off of people’s platforms.”
On her explosiveness off the floor, especially in kill shot opportunities, Pastusic is reaping the rewards of plain, hard work in preparation for the season.
“I have definitely been working on my vertical this summer,” said Pastusic. “I reached 10 feet during the summer and 10-feet, two inches in a game. It’s starting to ramp up and my work is starting to pay off.”
Almost all, if not all, of the Watauga players compete with travel teams in the summer, most with Appalachian Volleyball Club but some off the mountain as well. As much as they enjoy those opportunities to compete and hone their skills, they are universal in wanting to play for and represent Watauga High School.
“It is just amazing. We all play ball in the summer, but with these girls as teammates, on this court and with all of these fans, it is a different kind of feeling,” said junior outside hitter Ashlyn Smith. “With the loss last night, we had (extra motivation) to do better. We were playing together. We were playing united and that showed up on the court. We were playing together and we were winning.”
Now 1-1 in the young season, Watauga has a rematch with Hickory on the road, Aug. 18, with first serve slated for 5:30 p.m. in the Red Tornadoes’ gymnasium.
By David Rogers. TAYLORSVILLE, N.C. — It is just the beginning of the 2025 high school cross country season in the High Country but the Watauga Pioneers seem to have returned to dominant form in the new 6A/7A Northwestern Conference.
In the Aug. 11 NWC Triple Threat meet, the Pioneer men and women exceeded expectations in both times and finishing places.
The “Triple Threat” event is unique in that it is 5K of running — but broken into three separate races, each separated by 5-10 minutes. The three segments are 1-mile, a half-mile, and then a 1.5 mile run to finish things.
According to Pioneer assistant coach Scott Townsend, all the men start each segment, with the women starting 30 seconds later. Then, once the final women’s harrier has completed the segment, there is a five to seven minute break and the next segment starts.
“The race was held on the campus of Alexander Central and multiple terrain changes from grass, to trail to track,” explained Townsend.
Head coach Randy McDonough was pleased with what he saw.
“The kids really showed up today,” said McDonough. “The times most of the kids ran are times we hoped for at the end of the year. We are pretty excited about our chances this year.”
As usual, the Pioneers have a big contingent of runners this year, pushing each other as well as themselves. Some are in it to win, others for the camaraderie, and still more for their personal development when you talk to them individually.
In the Women’s 1.5 Mile race, Watauga had 37 student athletes competing, compared to St. Stephens with nine, McDowell with one, Alexander Central with three, Freedom with 13, and South Caldwell with three.
Watauga swept the first five places at the 1.5 Mile distance, led by Cali Townsend (No. 1), Janie Beach-Verhay (2), Josie Mayo (3), Lilly Kimbrough (4), and Nora Price (5). After St. Stephens’ Jade Gonzalez-Cardenas crossed the finish line at No. 6, Watauga captured the next four spots with Lainey Johnston (7), Sophia Stull (8), Susanna Goff (9) and Sydney Townsend (10). All in all, the Pioneers captured 17 of the top 25 finishing positions in the Women’s 1.5 Mile segment.
In the Men’s 1.5 Mile segment, Watauga swept the first six spots, led by James Bostrom (No. 1), Sean Rea (2), Zeke Walker (3), Grady Gates (4), Elliott Taft (5), and James Isaac (6). In total, the Pioneers took 12 of the top 25 places, with Cormac Walker, Brian Newmark, Levi Anderson, AJ McAulay, Parker Williams and Caleb Duvall rounding out the leading two dozen.
In the Women’s 1-Mile segment, Watauga swept the first six spots, with Townsend, Beach-Verhay, Kimbrough, Johnston, Mayo and Price capturing the honors. Again, the Pioneers were overwhelmingly dominant in taking 15 of the top 25 places.
In the Men’s 1-Mile run, South Caldwell upset Watauga in the team standings, thanks to a first place finish by the Spartans’ Bryce Corpening. Watauga nonetheless finished second, with nine runners in the top 25, led by Bostrom (No. 2), Rea (7), Gates (8), Zeke Walker (9), Taft (10), Anderson (13), Newmark (16), James (17) and McAulay (25).
In the Women’s Half-Mile, Watauga took the seven of the top 10 spots, including Townsend (No. 1), Beach-Verhay (3), Mayo (4), Johnston (5), Kimbrough (6), Price (7) and Stull (10). The Pioneers took team first place honors, including 14 of the top 25 finishers.
In the Men’s Half-Mile race, the Pioneers captured nine of the top 25 spots, led by Bostrom (No. 1), Zeke Walker (8), Gates (9), Newmark (12), Rea (15), Anderson (16), Taft (17), James (18) and McAulay (20).
The Pioneers’ assistant coach, Scott Townsend, put the early season performance into perspective.
“We performed well and have positioned ourselves for a great season,” said Townsend. “We measured up well against the conference competition and many of our student-athletes, when their times were compiled, are hitting their season goal times in just week 3 of the season. The summer work is paying off and both the women’s and men’s teams are poised to finish well at the regional and state levels.
“MileSplit NC has recently ranked the our women’s team No. 18 out of all classifications in North Carolina and No. 3 in the 6A class. The men’s team is projected as No. 5 in 6A based on last year’s returners. So we have work to do, but love where we are this early in the season.”
Next up for the Pioneer harriers is “Class of the Classes” on Saturday, Aug. 16, beginning at 9 a.m. at the Watauga High School home course, starting below the Football Stadium, down the gravel road to the starting field and to the Greenway.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Watauga jumped out to a 2-0 lead early in the second half, but visiting Hickory battled back to earn a 2-2 tie on Aug. 11 at Jack Groce Stadium.
Near the end of a first half defensive battle, Watauga junior forward Evan Mawhinney attacked from the left, zipping a shot along the ground past the outstretched arms of Hickory goalkeeper Anthony Jarrett, to give the Pioneers a slim advantage going into halftime. He added the Pioneers’ second goal early in the second half, seemingly giving Watauga control, but the Red Tornadoes’ senior forward Braeden McCourt tallied two goals of his own in the second half, the final tying shot coming with seven minutes to go in the game.
Afterwards, Watauga head coach Josh Honeycutt implored his charges not to relax at any point in a game, no matter how comfortable they felt a lead might be.
“Overall, it was a good game,” Honeycutt said after the final whistle. “First half, we played quality soccer. We did exactly what we wanted to do. We were able to exploit them with our speed, but then we didn’t finish our opportunities… We can’t let (teams) hang around and give them hope. We played great, but we got out of our style in the second half and got a little bit lazy. We lost track of their guy.”
Watauga’s preferred “style” is keeping possession with short, crisp passes, working the ball down the field.
“A long, diagonal ball works for us because we have speed,” Honeycutt said, “but we can’t rely on that. Ball control is our style. We have to stay composed, keep the ball and move it around. We can’t lean into what another team does.”
After a young team last year, Watauga could be a team to watch in the upcoming season and possibly into the state playoffs.
“We are loaded with juniors and seniors this year,” said Honeycutt. “We have two sophomores, 13 juniors and eight seniors, so we are very upperclassmen heavy. That is certainly something we need to take advantage of this year. They work well together and they are a great group of guys. It is a good opportunity to make something special this year.”
The Pioneers are back in action at Hibriten on Monday, Aug. 18 (6:30 p.m.), then back at home vs. Cuthbertson on Aug. 21 (6 p.m.).
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Certainly, a four-set loss (21-25, 25-20, 19-25, 22-25) to the visiting Hickory Red Tornadoes was disappointing, but the see-saw battle was something to build off of for the Watauga High School volleyball team.
“This was our first match coming into the season,” said Watauga head coach Kim Pryor, afterwards. “I feel great about where we are. We have a few adjustments to make but I am really, really pleased with what I saw today.”
Watauga is bringing a fairly young team into the 2025 season.
“We had a lot of sophomores last year that are now juniors,” said Pryor. “We grew together last season and I feel that will be even more evident as we get further into our season. Hickory is a tough team to play right out of the starting gate, but as we adjust and make changes and work on some things, we will be fine.”
In three of the four sets, the Pioneers jumped out to early leads only to have the Red Tornadoes scramble back and take control.
“Overall, as a team, we can be scrappier,” said Pryor. “We had a few lulls that are uncharacteristic of Watauga volleyball but we will fix those and move on.”
Starting libero Caroline Childers was one of the very few freshmen on last year’s varsity, so part of the growth from one year to the next — and comes into the season with a lot of optimism.
“I am very excited to be back playing. I love my team and I love my teammates. I think we are going to have a great season. Over the summer, I played travel ball with App Volleyball 15 Elite, but playing for the high school team is a little different. Tonight, I thought we fought pretty hard. There are some things that we can tune up but after a few more practices I expect we will do better, next time.”
One of the notable features of Watauga’s attack is senior Emma Pastusic’s powerful hits, including big serves.
“Emma has been working on her serves and, as a team, we have been talking about serving aggressively,” said Pryor. “She has multiple serves that can be effective, from a top spin to a (different rotation). We use her serves as an advantage for the team. She can attack on all levels, attacking back row, attacking front row. As we perfect that, and with everyone else doing the same thing, we should have great (results).”
Statistical leaders for the Pioneers:
Watauga will have little rest before their next action, Tuesday, Aug. 12, vs. West Wilkes, also at Lentz Eggers Gym. The junior varsity match is slated for 4:30 p.m., with varsity scheduled to follow at 6 p.m.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It was hot, hot, hot for a mid-morning summer day in the High Country — but the Watauga High School football team’s players and coaches embraced the moment.
Close to 100 eager student-athletes were put through their paces on July 30 on the lower athletic field named in honor of former Watauga lacrosse coach, Leigh Cooper Wallace.
The activity was fast and furious, the only breaks coming for periodic hydration opportunities or when one of the coaches stopped drills to bark out instructions, correct mistakes, or offer a ‘thattaboy’ in high praise for a job well done.
Having lost a brigade of seniors to graduation this past spring, Watauga will be looking for younger guys to step up around key, rising senior playmakers like quarterback Cade Keller, offensive and defensive line anchor Brady Lindenmuth, running backs Everett Gryder and Matthew Leon, as well as speedsters Evan Burroughs, Kyle Williams and Nyle Peays.
Head coach Ryan Habich admitted that a lot of area fans may be looking at the 2025 season as a rebuilding year for the Pioneers, but added that the other teams in the Northwestern Conference may think otherwise after Watauga earned its seventh consecutive, undefeated conference championship in 2024.
Beyond the conference competition, the 2025 season offers a unique opportunity if things come together on the field. With the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) reorganizing the competition levels to take effect this fall, going even deeper into the state playoffs is withing the realm of possibility.
Previously, Watauga competed in the statewide large school category (4A), often running into much larger, Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Greensboro schools — with deeper rosters — in the playoffs. This year, the NCHSAA has expanded the number of classifications, to include from 1A to 8A. Watauga was assigned to the 6A category, so will compete against schools more similar in size.
The 6A/7A Northwestern Conference in 2025 includes Watauga, Alexander Central (Taylorsville), Freedom (Morganton), South Caldwell (Hudson), and St. Stephens (Hickory), all classified 6A, and one 7A school in McDowell.
“In the playoffs,” noted Habich, “we could still face (good programs) like Dudley in Greensboro, Charlotte Catholic, and Asheville’s A.C. Reynolds, but not the much larger 8A schools like Mallard Creek, Independence and Hough. from the more densely populated urban areas.”
Watauga is bringing a large number of freshmen into the high school program from the very successful Watauga middle school program, but it is yet uncertain who, if any of them will have developed into varsity players.
“This is going to be a great opportunity for guys who may have been younger last year and very good, but playing behind one of those really good seniors we had. Guys like Thomas Dieters, a very versatile athlete who can play on both offense and defense,” said Habich.
Habich suggested that senior Cade Keller at quarterback may surprise a lot of people because he is an accomplished athlete who happened to play behind last year’s senior phenom, Maddox Greene. Keller got a lot of second half snaps last season when the Pioneers ran up early scores, showing exceptional promise as both a runner and a passer in Habich’s system.
As previously reported, Watauga will be without a Breitenstein on the sideline as an assistant coach for the first time since 1978, when Steve Breitenstein joined the coaching staff under former head coach Bill Mauldin. He stepped away for a couple of years, but came back in 2013 with Habich’s arrival. His son, Eric Breitenstein, was a standout running back for the Pioneers, going on to star at Wofford and even getting some interest from NFL teams, but eventually came back to the High Country to teach high school and joined Habich’s assistant coaching staff in 2019. He has taken a student-athlete advisory position at App State, so is unavailable to coach football at Watauga this year.
Habich is excited about the opportunity to add Hamilton Castle to his coaching staff this year. Castle was an all-Northwestern Conference quarterback and defensive back for Watauga, and the first quarterback Habich coached for all four years in playing for the Pioneers. The head coach indicated that Castle will work primarily with the wide receivers this year.
The Pioneers officially open their 2025 campaign with three consecutive non-conference home tilts against Ashe County (Aug. 22), T.C. Roberson (Aug. 29) and Mount Airy (Sept. 5). Kickoffs are scheduled for 7:30 at Jack Groce Stadium.
After a bye week, Watauga then goes on the road for its final non-conference tilts at Erwin (Sept. 19) and Asheville (Sept. 26), before starting Northwestern Conference play at Freedom on Oct. 3.
The remainder of the regular season schedule includes home vs. South Caldwell (Oct. 10), away at Alexander Central (Oct. 17), home vs. McDowell (Oct. 24), and away at St. Stephens (Oct. 31).
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — For most of the last 46 years, there has a Breitenstein on the Watauga High School football team’s sideline as an assistant coach and, more recently, a pair of them. For 2025, that won’t the case.
The Pioneers lost two Breitenstein assistant coaches in the off-season — but are adding a landmark new assistant coach, too.
Steve Breitenstein became a Pioneer assistant in 1978, under then head coach Bill Mauldin. That season was the last Watauga football team to win a state championship. Officially, Breitenstein is retiring from high school football — but it didn’t take long for him to find a new football-related gig.
“My wife will get me for the ‘honey-do’ list until about 2 p.m. every day,” Breitenstein chuckled in an interview with High Country Sports. “Then I will be going to Hardin Park School to help coach the Watauga middle school football team, as an assistant under head coach Byron Towner.”
After a stellar high school career at Watauga and an award-winning stint with Wofford College (including induction into the Southern Conference Hall of Fame), Steve Breitenstein’s son, Eric Breitenstein, enjoyed some interest from NFL teams but eventually pursued his other interest: teaching science. He was hired as a science teacher and assistant football coach in 2020, joining head coach Ryan Habich’s staff and getting to coach alongside his father.
He is also leaving the Pioneer football program, having taken a job as an advisor for student athletes competing for App State Athletics, with primary responsibilities for the men’s and women’s golf teams.
“Change is inevitable,” said Watauga head coach Habich, in a separate interview with High Country Sports, “but this will be a very different year without the Breitensteins on the sideline with me. They are truly special coaches, but also very special people. Steve has been a mentor for me. He is not the kind of guy that tells you what you want to hear, but a guy who tells you what you need to here. To be successful, you need that honesty and constructive criticism in your corner.”
Although both Steve and Eric have coached multiple positions, Steve started out coaching the offensive line in 1978 and for the last several years as coach of the offensive line under Habich.
“It is a funny story,” said Habich, grinning, “but last year I was walking on the track with Steve and he said, ‘In 1978, I was an assistant here and getting yelled at by the head coach (Bill Mauldin) when the offensive line was making mistakes. Fast forward a few decades and I am still getting yelled at by the head coach (Habich) when the offensive line isn’t doing its job!’”
For Steve Breitenstein, coaching football has been nothing short of a wonderful, life-fulfilling experience. He was the son of a football coach, Bob Breitenstein, who was backfield coach for the University of Miami in Florida before taking the head coaching job at App State in 1959 for one year — which is what brought the Breitenstein family to the High Country.
“Coaching is in my blood,” said Steve. “I was recruited to play football at Catawba College but it didn’t take me long to figure out I wasn’t really good enough. So I started to serve the sport in other ways, like filming games. When I applied for a teaching job at North Davidson, they asked me what kind of extra-curriculars I could teach. I had always wanted to coach football, so that is where I got my start.”
For the elder Breitenstein, teaching and coaching have gone hand in hand.
“Mentoring young men and women and watching them grow is such a privilege,” he said.
As for football, Breitenstein said he was made to be a position coach.
“I never wanted to be a head coach and I have had an opportunity to be an assistant under some of the best,” said Steve. “That started with Bill Mauldin and the state championship team in 1978. He is now retired, of course, but he was a terrific football coach and leader of men. And here at the end of my high school coaching career, I have had an opportunity to work under Ryan Habich since 2013. Watauga was a program in transition when Habich took over the program and he turned it around almost from the get-go. Can you believe that in the last seven years we won SEVEN consecutive, undefeated conference championships? As my son, Eric, says, ‘That’s ridiculous!’
“I mean this in all sincerity,” Breitenstein added, “but Ryan Habich is a genius when it comes to football.”
As a freshman for the 2013-14 academic year at Watauga, Hamilton Castle was the first quarterback to play all four years for Ryan Habich. In 2025, he returns to the Pioneers as an assistant coach under Habich, focused on coaching wide receivers.
“This is a special opportunity for me,” said Habich. “Hamilton was the first QB I had all four years, succeeding Aaron Dobbins, then giving way to his brother, Anderson Castle (now a running back at Duke after transferring from App State in the off-season for his remaining year of eligibility).”
Castle was an all-conference performer in high school, both as a quarterback and a defensive back. For the Hudl highlight reel, CLICK HERE.
According to LinkedIn, Castle graduated from App State with an undergraduate degree in business administration (banking and finance), then in 2023 earned an MBA from App State, with a combined GPA of 3.64. After graduating with his undergraduate degree and while working on his MBA, Castle was employed full-time by Lifestore Bank as a credit analyst. In 2024, he became owner-manager of 581 Consulting, a sales and use tax refund company for North Carolina-based truck companies.
“Although we hate losing Steve and Eric Breitenstein, change is inevitable and Hamilton is a welcome addition to our coaching staff,” said Habich. “He brings a wealth of knowledge about football, business and life. Just as Eric was a Watauga alum who came back to serve his alma mater and contributed in a positive way, now Hamilton is doing the same thing.”
Watauga football training officially begins on July 30.
By David Rogers. ORLANDO, Fla. — Summer is the season for “travel ball” for the athletically gifted and serious young men and women throughout the nation. That includes volleyball — and Watauga County student Ember Honeycutt joined with other 15-and-under female athletes from Western North Carolina to bring home a national championship runner-up trophy for their club, the Hickory-based Carolina Select Volleyball Club 15U Black (CSVC 15U Black).
Competing in the Gold bracket of the National 15U Club Division, Honeycutt and her teammates finished the 4-day tournament at the Orlando Convention Center with a 13-1 record, the only loss coming in the championship game where they lost to the Midwest Elite 15-1, 18-25, 25-21, 15-6.
“After winning the first set, our girls just ran out of steam in losing the No. 2 and No. 3 sets,” Ember’s father, Josh Honeycutt said. “But finishing No. 2 out of 158 teams from all across the country is a pretty big accomplishment.
Over the course of the four-day tournament, CSVC 15U Black played 14 matches, losing only the championship game to finish 13-1. In the best two-out-of-three sets format, the CSVC 15U Black team won 11 of the matches in straight sets, often by lopsided scores.
Several of the girls competing on the CSVC 15U Black squad compete for other high schools in the NCHSAA’s Northwestern Conference, including South Caldwell and Alexander Central, as well as schools in other regional schools in different conferences under the NCHSAA realignment that goes into effect for the 2026-26 academic year. Those schools include Patton (Morganton), Ashe County, Maiden and Hickory Christian Academy.
The Midwest Elite 15-1 club is organized by MVP Volleyball (www.mvpvolley.org), based in western Iowa.
The Carolina Select Volleyball Club is based in Hickory, N.C., offering programs for a variety of ages, including boys and girls teams.
By David Rogers. HUDSON, N.C. — In spite of two late inning threats where they loaded the bases — even with nobody out in the decisive 7th inning — No. 18-seeded Watauga was unable to capitalize and fell to No. 2-seeded South Caldwell on May 9, 7-2, in the second round of the North Carolina 4A state baseball playoffs.
The Pioneers didn’t waste any time in validating they belonged in the playoffs. Senior shortstop Maddox Greene was the second batter up in the first inning and promptly knocked the ball out of the park, giving Watauga the early, but still tenuous, 1-run lead.
South Caldwell turned things around in the bottom of the third with a 6-run outburst. Senior Bryson Genwright served up the big blow of the inning with a 2-run home run, following a double by fellow senior Walker Hartley to get things started.
But the Spartans were hardly done. South Caldwell continued to rough up Pioneer starting pitcher Everett Gryder. Consecutive singles by John Paul Smith and Chase Johnson, followed by a walk issued to Luke Williams, loaded the bases for the Hudson crowd. A single by Nate Hall scored a run and a sacrifice fly by junior Chase Cardwell added another. Then senior Carter Bley ripped a double through a gap in center, scoring the final two runs of the inning.
At 6-1, it proved a lead the Pioneers could not overcome. They loaded the bases in each of the final two innings, including with nobody out in the 7th, but South Caldwell was able to wiggle its way out of trouble with good pitching and stellar defense. By game’s end, Watauga had left nine runners on base during the contest.
While Watauga’s often magical season comes to an end, South Caldwell advances to Round 3 in the 4A West bracket, where they will face No. 10-seeded Marvin Ridge, a 9-3 upset winner over No. 7 Hough High School. South Caldwell is 25-2 for the 2025 season — one of those losses coming to Watauga on May 1, 10-8, in the Northwestern Conference tournament championship.