By David Rogers. LENOIR, N.C. — Getting hot from beyond the 3-point arc is often a formula for a basketball win. Combine that with suffocating defense, and victory is almost a certainty. With a whopping 10 made 3-pointers and disruptive defense, a Watauga men’s junior varsity win at Hibriten was never in doubt, 71-28.
Pioneer guard Cole Lewis lit up the hoop with six made 3-pointers, enroute to a game-high 20 points. Mason Tate added another pair of treys, contributing to a 13-point offensive performance. Forward Colby Whiteside also muscled his way into double figures, scoring 10 points, mostly from inside the paint.
A suffocating defensive effort by Watauga helped explain the Pioneers’ 71-28 win over Hibriten on Feb. 7. Here, Hibriten’s Deagon Ogborn (3) tries to get by Watauga guard Miller Hankins. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
The Panthers had few answer for the Pioneers. Only Colin Cook could get things going on the offensive end for Hibriten — and only in the first half — on his way to tallying 11 points, the only Panther player to reach double figures.
Now 13-2 on the season and the two losses coming to non-conference opponents (T C Roberson and Northern Guilford), Watauga will challenge Freedom on Feb. 11, in Morganton, before hosting Ashe County on Feb.14 in the final regular season game.
By David Rogers. LENOIR, N.C. — Three Watauga players scored in double figures on Feb. 7, as the Pioneers used a dominating fourth quarter to pull away from Hibriten for a 44-29 win.
Watauga guard Stephanie Mendez was consistent throughout the four periods in recording a game-high 16 points, while Charlie Mattox came alive in the final stanza to pour in six of her 11 points on the night. Izzy Mohr’s offensive production in the first and third quarters propelled her to 12 points for the game.
Steph Mendez slips by a Hibriten defender on Feb. 7, for the score in Watauga’s 44-29 win. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
In the final analysis, though, it was the Pioneers’ suffocating defense in the fourth quarter that won the day. Clinging to a tenuous, 29-27 advantage at the end of the third quarter, Watauga allowed the Panthers to score only two points in the final period.
Hibriten was led by Makenzie Burgess’ 10 points and Matty Walker’s seven points.
Watauga is now 10-3 on the season, with two of those losses coming at the hands of Alexander Central and the other on the road against Ashe County. The Pioneers will close out the regular season against the Huskies on Feb. 14, but first they will have to deal with Freedom, in Morganton, on Tuesday, Feb. 11.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A strong rebounding performance by Watauga — and punishing defense — marked the Feb. 4 men’s basketball game between the Pioneers and visiting Alexander Central. In front of a packed Lentz Eggers Gym, Watauga throttled back the Cougars, 55-43.
The Pioneers’ senior forward Landon Smith drew the assignment of guarding AC’s all-everything guard Jayon Connor for most of the night. While the 6-5 junior guard scored almost 56 percent of Alexander Central’s 43 points, pouring in 24, the 6-4 Smith’s disruptive effort helped keep Connor somewhat neutralized and below his season averages in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals.
A massive student section helped propel Watauga to a convincing, 55-43 win over Alexander Central on Feb. 4. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
On the other end of the court, Smith neared double figures in scoring a season-high 9 points, adding to the featured scoring efforts of Jace Blocker (16 points), Josiah Railey (a double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds) and Cade Keller (13 points).
Keller has been Watauga’s leading scorer for most of the 2024-25 season and Alexander Central was clearly aware of that, sometimes double-teaming the junior guard on the perimeter. But the combo threat (point guard and shooting guard) used the opportunity to find open teammates and recorded an impressive stat line regardless: 13 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot. He hit on 5-of-6 free throws, mostly in the fourth quarter as the Cougars were desperately forced to foul in an effort to get the ball back.
It was Coaches vs. Cancer Night at Lentz Eggers Gym on Feb. 4, as Watauga hosted Alexander Central. Photographic image by David Rogers
The 55 points was Watauga’s lowest scoring output of the 2024-25 season (averaging 74 points), but the Pioneers’ disruptive defense allowed the team to post its fourth straight win at home, pushing the season’s overall record to 14-6, 5-2 in Northwestern Conference play. Now in a 3-way tie with South Caldwell and Freedom for first place in the league standings, Watauga needs to “win out” in the regular season to secure a high seeding and home court advantage in the 4A state playoffs.
Next up: at Hibriten on Friday, Feb. 7. Watauga defeated the young Panthers, 84-58, but Hibriten, under first year head coach and former App State star Ronshad Shabazz, will surely be looking to defend its home court and exact a measure of revenge.
Josiah Railey (13, in foreground) had a lot of help behind him for this 3-point shot vs. Alexander Central on Feb. 4. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Maybe call the Feb. 4 women’s basketball game between host Watauga and 4A rival Alexander Central a “Here’s Chloe!” party after the 6-foot senior and first year basketball player Chloe Wilson blossomed before everyone’s eyes at Lentz Eggers Gym. Drawing a crowd inside the paint and proving a disruptive force defensively, Wilson was a major factor in Watauga’s convincing, 63-48 victory in front of a standing room only crowd at Lentz Eggers Gym.
Watauga sophomore guard Blair Haines finishes a fast break vs. Alexander Central with a layup. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
A strong third quarter by Alexander Central, led by junior guard Meredith Wike, tightened things up a bit in the second half but host Watauga shrugged off the Cougars’ comeback rally. Watauga countered Wike’s game-high 30 points (and double-double in adding 12 rebounds) with a broad-based team effort.
Three Pioneers, including Wilson’s 14 points, scored in double figures. Senior guard Kate Sears recorded another triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, all team-highs, and sophomore guard Blair Haines added 10 points. Two more Pioneers were within an eyelash of double figures: senior guards Julie Matheson and Kaitlyn Darner, each with nine points.
Watauga fans had a lot to cheer about on Feb. 4 as the women’s basketball team dismantled Alexander Central, 63-48. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Fans of Watauga have come to expect Virginia Tech-bound Sears to put up gaudy numbers, often with the ability to put the team on her back and will the Pioneers to victory when it doesn’t seem possible. But Watauga’s team performance against the Cougars proved that the Pioneers’ supporting cast is nothing to be trifled with. In addition to having five players with nine or more points scored, Watauga had five players with four or more rebounds.
Wilson’s late season emergence is noteworthy. An accomplished softball player, the senior was persuaded to come out for basketball in her final year, a sport in which she had previously not competed, at least formally. Watauga head coach Bill Torgerson noted after the game that where Sears, Matheson, Darner, Haines and others on the Pioneer roster had played organized basketball from a young age, Wilson had not been exposed to some of the game’s fundamental skills, do’s and don’ts, much less the intricacies of a team working together for a common purpose.
Kaitlyn Darner (30) scores from ‘downtown’ for Watauga vs. Alexander Central on Feb. 4. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
“It is a credit to Chloe’s athleticism and hard work, as well as her teammates helping to bring her along,” said Torgerson in applauding Wilson’s performance against Alexander Central. Especially with her presence inside the paint, said Torgerson, it takes some of their opponents’ defensive pressure away from Sears, as well as from the other Pioneer outside shooters.
Winning nine of the last 10 games buoyed the Pioneers’ overall record to 14-5, 6-1 in Northwestern Conference play. Next up: a Friday, Feb. 7 appearance at Hibriten. Last time out, Watauga beat the Panthers, 59-44, on Jan. 17.
Watauga’s Kate Sears is in ‘launch mode’ (with her best Michael Jordan imitation) on Feb. 4, recording another triple double vs. Alexander Central in Lentz Eggers Gym. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports.
SELECTED TEAM STATS
Field Goal%: WAT 43.1% (25-58), AC 31.9% (15-47)
3-Point%: WAT 26.9% (7-26), AC 33.3% (7-21)
Free Throw%: WAT 60.0% (6-10), AC 73.3% (11-15)
Points in Paint: WAT 34, AC 6
2nd Chance Points: WAT 11, AC 10
Fast Break Points: WAT 8, AC 0
Bench Points: WAT 17, AC 6
Turnovers: WAT 5, AC 9
KEY PERFORMERS
WAT – Kate Sears: 18 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 5 steals
AC – Meredith Wike: 30 points, 12 rebounds, 1 steal
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It was a basketball game with more thrilling twists and turns than the famed “Tail of the Dragon” highway in the Great Smoky Mountains. There were ups and downs to take your breath away faster than the massive, “Falcons Flight” roller coaster in Qiddaya, Saudi Arabia. It was one of those games you didn’t want to end but knew at some point one of the adversaries would have to be declared the winner and another, the loser.
On this Jan. 31 night, the South Caldwell women’s basketball team earned the right to dance with joy at midcourt, 93-91.
Watauga head coach Bill Torgerson gives instructions to his Pioneers during an overtime period ‘timeout’ on Jan. 31. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
There were just nine seconds on the clock when the Spartans in-bounded the ball after Watauga took the lead, 91-90. Despite the Pioneers’ stifling defensive pressure, the ball found its way into the hands of the Spartans’ freshman guard, Ava Anderson, just past midcourt, some 15 feet inside the left sideline. With a desperation heave for the ages, Anderson’s shot arched through the air and bounced off the rim to the other side of the hoop, rolled around precariously and flirting with both victory and defeat before dropping through the net — just as the orange lights framing the backboard flashed game’s end with the final buzzer.
It was a moment of unbounded, exuberant joy for the South Caldwell players and coaches, who had fought to the finish and earned the win. It was a moment of gut-wrenching despair for a Watauga team that led by 10 points after just the first quarter of play, trailed by nine late in the fourth period, but rallied to send the game into overtime.
Watauga’s student section was out in full force for the Jan. 31 Northwestern Conference rivalry games vs. South Caldwell. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
For the game to have been this close was somewhat of a surprise for most onlookers. Watauga had put a double-digit licking on the Spartans in their first meeting, in Hudson on Jan. 9, 74-55. With a 13-4 overall record and 5-0 in Northwestern Conference play coming in to this game, the Pioneers were ranked No. 17 in all of North Carolina, South Caldwell way down the list at No. 111. MaxPreps had Watauga at No. 5 in the 4A West, the Spartans (then at 11-7) at No. 20.
Well, add a loss to Watauga’s record and a win to South Caldwell’s after this barnburner. For both teams, there was no level of certainty as to the eventual outcome, from start to finish.
Senior guard Julie Matheson (1) takes aim from beyond the 3-point arc on Jan. 31 vs. South Caldwell. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
There was a time in the second half when Watauga senior Kate Sears seemed to put the team on her back and willed them back into the fray. Sears scored 21 of her game-high 50 points in the fourth quarter — then scored 14 more in the two overtime periods. To say she entirely carried the load, however, would not be accurate. There is no way to discount the critical 3-pointers in overtime from other players, two of them by senior guard Julie Matheson and one by junior guard Izzy Torgerson.
When all was said and done, however, it wasn’t quite enough. Watauga simply had few answers for the Spartans’ “youth movement,” led by freshman guards Anderson and backcourt teammate Maggie Wilks.
Blair Haines (21) goes up and in for a layup against South Caldwell on Jan. 31. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Besides the final buzzer-beater, Anderson poured in a team-high 36 points while Wilks added another 30. Altogether, the Spartans were deadly from long distance, hitting on 16 shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Wilks recorded a game-high seven 3-pointers, Anderson another five treys.
While a lot of Watauga’s scoring came from Sears driving to the basket, the Pioneers also made some critical shots from long distance, including three from the Virginia Tech-bound senior and three more by Matheson. Others contributing from beyond the arc included Shelby Thompson, Torgerson, Blair Haines and Kaitlyn Darner.
Almost as remarkable was South Caldwell’s shooting from the free throw line: 14-of-17 (82.4 percent). By contrast, as a team the Pioneers were good on just 8-of-16 (50 percent) from the charity stripe.
Senior guard Kate Sears makes an acrobatic finish after driving the lane vs. South Caldwell on Jan. 31. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Up next for the Pioneers is a home date vs. Alexander Central on Tuesday, Feb. 4. Watauga got by the Cougars on Jan. 14 in Taylorsville, 48-44. Although the loss to South Caldwell tarnished their Northwestern Conference record to 5-1, the Pioneers remain in sole possession of first place.
South Caldwell stays at home for their Feb. 4 matchup. At 4-2 in conference, they are tied with their next opponent, Freedom, although the Patriots prevailed when the teams met in Morganton on Jan. 14, 55-49. Riding a 4-game win streak and facing Freedom at home, South Caldwell may rightfully have an elevated measure of confidence in facing the Patriots, which has sandwiched losses to Watauga and Alexander Central between wins over Ashe County and Hibriten since the last time they faced South Caldwell.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Finishing has not always been an arrow in the Watauga men’s basketball team’s proverbial quiver in the 2024-25 season, but it was on full display Jan. 31 vs. South Caldwell in a convincing, 80-61 win.
A standing-room-only crowd packing Lentz Eggers Gym for this Northwestern Conference 4A rivalry game was still abuzz when the guys took the floor. The visiting Spartan women’s team had just earned a surprise, double overtime victory with a buzzer-beater from well behind the 3-point arc by freshman Ava Anderson. What did the nightcap feature have in store for the Watauga and South Caldwell guys?
Watauga’s student section was out in full force for the Jan. 31 Northwestern Conference rivalry games vs. South Caldwell. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
South Caldwell’s men had trailed Watauga, 42-39, at halftime of the teams’ Jan. 9 encounter in Hudson, but used a dominating fourth quarter to turn back the Pioneers by a dozen points at game’s end, 76-64. On Jan. 14, Watauga was ahead of Alexander Central in Taylorsville by seven points with just five minutes remaining, only to lose, 68-65.
Since the last meeting with South Caldwell, Watauga had won games against 3A rivals Hibriten, Freedom and Ashe County, thumped 1A school Elkin in a rare midseason non-conference contest, but fell in a non-conference game to 4A adversary, East Forsyth, 65-58, even after leading the Eagles at halftime.
So forgive the skeptics if they had questions about this very talented Watauga men’s team.
Josiah Railey (13) finishes off a fastbreak with a dunk, Jan. 31 vs. South Caldwell. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Against the Spartans in Lentz Eggers Gym, Watauga looked sharp at the outset, leading 20-14 at the end of the first quarter. Led by the versatile, junior Carter Anderson, who splits his time between forward and shooting guard, South Caldwell battled back to take a tenuous lead at halftime, 35-34.
Defensive adjustments at halftime, though, allowed Watauga to explode to a 60-43 lead at the end of the third quarter, with offensive production in the period coming from Cade Keller (10 of his game-high 29 points), Josiah Railey (6 of his 19 points) and forward Jace Blocker (6 of his 11 points).
In the final period, Watauga kept the proverbial pedal to the medal, led by another 10 points from Keller. The Pioneers outscored the Spartans in the fourth quarter, 20-18, to answer all questions about their ability to “finish.”
Next up for Watauga is another 4A rivalry rematch vs. Alexander Central in Lentz Eggers Gym on Feb. 4. South Caldwell returns home to host Freedom on the same night.
By David Rogers. WEST JEFFERSON, N.C. — Full court pressure by Watauga in the second half disrupted host Ashe County’s offensive possessions, allowing the Pioneers to run away with a convincing, 76-52 win to complete the first round of conference games during the 2024-25 regular season.
BONUS PHOTOS @ Bottom of Article (click any image for Slide Show Mode)
A large Watauga student section shrugged off the snowy conditions to take in the Jan. 24 ‘rivalry game’ at Ashe County. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Senior guard/forward Josiah Railey poured in seven points in the first quarter and added eight more in the second half to record a team-high 15 points. Railey’s early effort was critical in keeping the Huskies at bay in the first half, the Pioneers taking a 34-32 lead into intermission.
But Watauga’s defensive adjustments at halftime proved bothersome for Ashe County, creating turnovers and missed shots in quarters three and four. The Huskies’ Cole Treva recorded 17 of his game-high 27 points in the first half. Although the Pioneers limited the 6-4 junior forward to “just” 10 points in the second half, Treva was a force to be reckoned with inside the paint throughout the contest.
Versatile Watauga guard/forward Josiah Railey poured in a team-high 15 points at Ashe County on Jan. 24. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Whereas Ashe County’s offensive success was centered around Treva, Watauga’s attack was more balanced. In addition to Railey’s team-high 15, forward Jace Blocker pounded the inside for 14 points while junior guard Cade Keller contributed 13 points, mostly from the outside.
Watauga had what could be called season “breakout” performances in seeing 9 points from point guard Maddox Greene and 7 points (all in the first half) scored by junior forward Brady Lindenmuth. Greene was again fearless in driving down the lane to the basket while Lindenmuth was a genuine force in the paint, bringing much needed energy to the court in coming off the bench for the Pioneers.
Brady Lindenmuth came off the bench with high energy on Jan. 24, scoring 7 points in the paint and pulling down rebounds. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Altogether, Watauga (11-6 overall, 3-2 Northwestern Conference) had scoring contributions from 10 rostered players.
Next up for Watauga is a rare road trip to Elkin on Jan. 29, with a 6 p.m. varsity only tipoff. A 1A school competing in the
By David Rogers. WEST JEFFERSON, N.C. — After Ashe County won the opening tipoff, the Jan. 24 game against Watauga was a proverbial nail biter — at least for the first quarter. The visiting Pioneers dominated the final three periods en route to an 86-48 win over the host Huskies.
Four Watauga players finished in double figures, scoring, led by Kate Sears (31 points), Blair Haines (16), Izzy Torgerson (15) and Kaitlyn Darner (11).
Continuing her high performance but unselfish play, Watauga’s Kate Sears (12) passes to a teammate down low on Jan. 24, at Ashe County. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
For the third time this season, the Pioneer offense put more than 80 points on the board in the 48-minute affair. The Jan. 22 victory over Freedom — during which senior guard Sears recorded career highs in points scored (43), rebounds (21) and assists (15) — matched the an earlier 83-point effort by Watauga at East Lincoln on Dec. 14, so the 86-point effort at Ashe County sets a new Pioneer standard for the 2024-25 regular season campaign.
As Watauga head coach Bill Torgerson pointed out to reporters after the game, the squad’s 18 made three-point shots against the Huskies is at or near a program record and “up there” in the state record book for women’s high school basketball. The 3-pointers came from five different players. Sears accounted for seven of them, Haines for four, Torgerson for five, Darner for one and Julie Matheson for one.
Pioneer guard Julie Matheson gets off a 3-point shot on Jan. 24 at Ashe County. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
While Watauga all but shut down almost all of the Huskies on this night, the lone exception was senior point guard/shooting guard Abby Sheets, whose 31 points matched Sears for game-high scoring honors. As a team, Ashe County had a credible night from long distance, hitting five 3-pointers, three by Sheets and one each by Kinzley Blevins and Abby Eller.
Next up for Watauga (12-4 overall, 5-0 Northwestern Conference) is a non-conference home encounter vs. Daniel Boone High School (9-9) of Gray, Tenn., on Jan. 29. This date will feature only the women’s teams at home, with the junior varsity starting at 4:30 p.m. and the varsity to follow.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — No event was closer on Jan. 22 than the Women’s 100 Yard Butterfly during the 3A/4A Northwestern Conference Swimming Championships. South Caldwell’s Peyton Felts edged out Watauga’s Athena Elliott by a mere 1/100th of a second to capture the Butterfly title, recording a 1:00.60 vs. Elliott’s 1:00.61.
Another thriller was in the Women’s 500-Yard Freestyle. Just three seconds separated the event’s top two finishers, with Watauga’s Addie Wilson completing the day’s longest race in 5:34.90, vs. runner-up Hannah Wasson of South Caldwell, in 5:37.93.
In the Men’s 100-Yard Backstroke, No. 1 Nate Carswell (Freedom) edged out No. 2 Max Clark (South Caldwell), 1:00.22 vs. 1:00.92, so just over half a second separating the two.
Watauga varsity swimmer Lola Herring opens the 200 IM Relay with the backstroke during the Northwestern Conference championships. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Among the relays, one of the most thrilling races of the night came at the evening’s end with the Men’s 400-Yard Relay. Watauga’s relay team of Stacy Eggers, Lanson Gilbert, Silas Powell and Michael Makdad touched the finish pad just ahead of South Caldwell’s Owen Griffith, Harriss Inman, Max Clark and Nathan Hall, 3:38.63 vs 3:39.07.
There were a few decisive or “blowout” performances, too, beginning with Watauga’s Maggie Cheves in the Women’s 200-Yard Freestyle. The Pioneer senior’s 2:01.84 was almost 11 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor. Similarly, in the Men’s 200-Yard Freestyle, Hibriten’s Nathan Mull recorded 1:59.97, almost a 10 seconds ahead of his nearest rival.
In the Men’s 200 Individual Medley, Watauga’s Michael Makdad swam to a 2:11.80, almost 10 seconds before the next Northwestern Conference swimmer recorded a finish.
At 57.05, Watauga’s Lola Herring was a full two seconds ahead of No. 2 Ama Higgs of Hibriten in the Women’s 100-Yard Freestyle. Out of the 30 swimmers in the event, the Pioneers had six athletes in the top 11, with Chessy Martin (No. 3), Amelia Bennett (No. 8), Kaitlyn Meyer (No. 9), Grace Lesesne (No. 10) and Zoe Critcher (No. 11). Only the top 3 from each school are actually scorers, but the Watauga performances reflect the women’s team’s roster depth.
In the Men’s 100-Yard Freestyle, South Caldwell’s Owen Griffith outswam 19 other Northwestern Conference competitors, finishing in 47.93, almost 7 seconds ahead of Hibriten athlete JP Andrews’ No. 2 time of 54.88. Watauga junior Silas Powell was No. 3, less than a second behind Andrews at 55.65.
Watauga’s Athena Elliott swims the butterfly leg of the 200 IM Relay on Jan. 22, in the Northwestern Conference league championships. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Michael Makdad (Watauga) was a clear winner in the Men’s 100-Yard Breaststroke, finishing five seconds ahead of his nearest competitor, Mason Hubbard of South Caldwell, 1:07.74 vs. 1:12.73.
Among the top freshman swimmers competing in the Northwestern Conference regular season finale was Watauga’s Lanson Gilbert in the Men’s 500-Yard Freestyle, his 5:25.54 top time more than 10 seconds ahead of Freedom’s No. 2 finisher, Nicholas Chiota.
Watauga head coach David Gragg offered a candid assessment after the meet, suggesting it lived up to expectations.
“Going into the meet, the Watauga women and South Caldwell men would have been the favorites based on the regular season. Both teams took the best shots from the others in the conference but came out on top,” said Gragg. “On the women’s side, I knew we would be tough to beat. Seniors Maggie Cheves, Lola Herring, and MK Riddle led a talented group and put down performances that showed why they were the captains. They stepped up this year when it was not always easy. Michael Makdad and Silas Powell led a group of Watauga guys that were not as seasoned in the water but just as hungry to win.
“At the end of the night there were some great swims,” Gragg added. “Maggie Cheves broke the conference record set by Virginia St. Clair in the 200 Free. Michael Makdad lowered his own 200 IM mark and Owen Griffith of South Caldwell bested Watauga alum Henryk Kosmala’s 50 and 100 Free times. Both the Watauga women and men set conference records in the 400 Free Relay and the South Caldwell men lowered the 200 Medley Relay time.”
Given some challenging circumstances, Gragg was especially heartened by the High Country swim community’s support.
“Many of the Watauga swimmers had season or personal best swims which was impressive since we have been out of school for break or because of weather for nearly a month. Several of the swimmers remained in the water with the local club team (Watauga Swim Team). I have to commend the club team’s head coach Adaira Brewer, assistant Tommy Mozier, and assistant Jing Russell for having our athletes ready to swim fast. I am fortunate to have such a good feeder system.”
On Monday, Northwestern Conference coaches, including Gragg, will learn which of their swimmers qualified for the Regional meet in Charlotte on Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — This time, the Pioneers circled their wagons and finished.
After two losses on the road where the Watauga men’s basketball team led in the fourth quarter but ended up falling to South Caldwell and Alexander Central, against Freedom at Lentz Eggers Gym they got it done.
Josiah Railey goes up for a slam dunk vs. Freedom on Jan. 22. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Junior guard Cade Keller poured in a game-high 24 points and junior forward Jace Blocker added another 21 to lead the Pioneers past the Patriots.
Senior guard Maddox Greene only had four points on the night, scoring, but proved to be a critical playmaker with 9 rebounds, 8 assists and a pair of steals. Teammate Josiah Railey, a combination guard/forward, added 16 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks to record the broadest individual stat line.
“It felt good for us to be on the other side of those late games,” said Watauga head coach Bryson Payne after the game. “We played really good. We feel we are better than our record. We played some really tough games early but that is part of it. You are playing teams that are good and they know how to win, too. Those close ones that we lost, previously, they shot well at the end and we didn’t.”
Payne added that the Pioneers did a better job of managing the clock against Freedom, and making their shots.
Cade Keller drives to the basket on Jan. 22 vs. Freedom. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
A lot of Freedom’s success (13-3 overall, now 3-1 in conference play) in the Patriots’ previous games has been due to the play of senior guard Amore Connelly. On this night, the Watauga defense limited Connelly to 17 points.
“Amore is a good player and we wanted to make everything he did difficult. Our guys accepted that challenge. He hit some really tough shots, some high level shots, but I am proud of the way our guys battled, stuck to the game plan and stayed consistent,” said Payne.
Watauga point guard Maddox Greene stressed afterward that his team stayed in the moment.
And one? Maddox Greene made the layup but did not get the foul on Jan. 22 vs. Freedom. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
“We were more patient in this game,” Greene said. “At Alexander, we took some bad shots that we didn’t need to take. We shot ourselves out of that game when we didn’t need to. This game we were more patient, only taking the good ones and we stayed ahead, kept the lead.”
Next up for the Pioneers is a trip to West Jefferson on Jan. 24, to face High Country rival Ashe County in the last of the first round of regular season in-conference games.
