By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — In front of a throng of family members, teammates, faculty and friends, four Watauga High School baseball team members signed commitment letters to colleges or universities on Feb. 13. The quartet of Pioneers included:
By David Rogers. CARY, N.C. — Several “top 10” individual finishes and strong performances in the relays allowed Watauga’s men’s swimming team to come home with a No. 7 team finish at the NCHSAA 6A State Swimming & Diving Championships on Feb. 13.
A notable Pioneer performance was the No. 7 finish by Lanson Gilbert in a highly competitive 50 Free event, a mere second behind Northwestern Conference rival Logan Kelly (Saint Stephens), the ultimate winner. Among the 31-swimmer field, eight competitors, including Gilbert, went under 22 seconds for the sprint distance and within 1.18 seconds of the No. 1 spot on the podium.
The Saint Stephens athlete, Kelly, was a double winner. He also captured the 100 Free title in 45.71.
Watauga picked up valuable team points by finishing No. 3 and No. 5, respectively, in the 200 Freestyle Relay and the 400 Freestyle Relay. The 200 Free team from Watauga was comprised of Aidan Culpepper, Michael Makdad, Silas Powell and Lanson Gilbert. The 400 Free Relay team included Stacy Eggers, Makdad, Powell and Gilbert.
With almost 60 member schools in the NCHSAA 6A classification and 26 teams scoring points in the state championship meet, Watauga’s No. 7 team result is something special and testimony to the program’s depth.
By David Rogers. CARY, N.C. — Almost 60 schools are in the NCHSAA 6A classification for sports. Twenty-five (25) of them earned team points in the 6A State Swimming & Diving Championships Feb. 12-13 hosted by the Triangle Aquatic Center. Thanks to Wataug
a High School’s depth in several individual races, including a No. 2 finish by senior Athena Elliott, and top five finishes in the relays (No. 2, 200-Yard Medley Relay; No. 3, 200-Yard Freestyle Relay; No. 7, 400-Yard Freestyle Relay), the Watauga women’s team turned in a No. 5 team performance behind only highly regarded Charlotte Catholic, East Chapel Hill, Mount Tabor and J H Rose high schools.
By David Rogers. BOONE,N.C. — It was “bling night” in Lentz Eggers Gym as the gathered basketball crowd not only celebrated Watauga High School’s Senior Night, but also the school’s NCHSAA 6A Women’s Cross Country State Championship team. The glittering ceremony, though, complete with rings for the individual harriers, was just the undercard of the evening.
The main event saw the Pioneer men’s varsity extend its winning streak to five games with a convincing, 71-63 victory over St. Stephens in the final regular season tilt of 2026 — and completing what on Jan. 22 was considered an unlikely comeback to stake claim to the likely No. 2 seed in next week’s Northwestern Conference tournament.
A sluggish start by Watauga and a determined effort by the visiting Indians resulted in a 12-12 tie at the end of the first quarter and a narrow, 31-28 lead by the Pioneers at intermission. In the second half, Watauga had runs where it looked to be pulling away, much like they did against the team’s previous four Northwestern Conference opponents. But a dogged St. Stephens five kept battling back, narrowing the gap or at least keeping their deficit at 6-8 points.
Don’t tell the men’s basketball Pioneers about any of those bad luck myths about Friday the 13th. They’re not true. A whopping five Watauga players — all seniors — finished in double figures, scoring. Senior forward Brady Lindenmuth was one of them and finished just two rebounds shy of a double-double after scoring 11 points, 8 rebounds, and swatting away 2 blocked shots.
Point guard Cade Keller tied with St. Stephens’ Chatham Donley for game-high scoring honors (20 points), and was joined in double figures by Jackson Love (14), Kyle Williams (11) and Bowen Mayo (10), as well as Lindenmuth.
With a late basket, St. Stephens tied the Pioneers at 12-12 at the end of the first quarter, but Watauga did just enough to take the lead and add to it ever so slightly in each ensuing period. At halftime, the Pioneers held a tenuous, 31-28 advantage, then expanded it to 50-44 by the start of the final period.
St. Stephens finished the regular season 1-9 in conference play, with their only league win coming against Watauga on Jan. 22. Since the Pioneers rematch wins against the other conference opponents have been by more convincing margins, head coach Byron Payne was asked whether there was anything special in the St. Stephens matchup that proved more challenging for his Pioneers.
“It was a battle tonight. I am proud of the way our guys competed, having had to play five games in seven days (because of the weather-induced rescheduling). They stayed n the battle and were able to pull away in the end. St. Stephens plays hard. They are well-coached. They are patient on offense and they work us really hard on defense,” said Payne.
“I am super proud of our seniors and what they have meant for our program,” Payne added. “The time they have spent… they are helping to build the legacy of this program.”
With the win, Watauga is tied with Alexander Central at 6-4 in conference play but, according to MaxPreps, is listed as owning the No. 2 at the end of the regular season and 15-7 overall. Watauga will get a first round bye into the semifinals of the Northwestern Conference tournament and play the first round winner of No. 3 Alexander Central and No. 6 St. Stephens on Thursday, Feb. 19, with an 8 p.m. scheduled tipoff.
As the No. 1 seed, Freedom receives the other first round bye and will play the winner of No. 4 South Caldwell vs. No. 5 McDowell on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 8 p.m., in the first seminfal.
The semifinal and final games are all hosted by Watauga High School this year.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It was Senior Night, so hardly surprising that Watauga senior Izzy Torgerson had a big game in the Pioneers’ 62-24 thumping of St. Stephens on Feb. 13, in a packed Lentz Eggers Gym. The 5-8 guard recorded one of the game’s most complete statistical lines: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals and 1 blocked shot in helping lead Watauga.
On the other end of the age spectrum, freshman guard Josie Mayo closely matched Torgerson’s stat line with one of her own: a game-high 18 points, tied for team-high 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. The Pioneers’ only other senior, Shelby Thompson, tied Mayo for game-high honors in assists (5). Listed as a 5-9 freshman forward, Mia Mitchell tied Mayo for team-high honors in rebounds (8).
The game got away from the visiting Indians very quickly, finding themselves on the wrong end of a 23-6 score after the first quarter — and it didn’t get any better for them until the fourth quarter when the Pioneers had emptied their bench. It was 37-9 at intermission, and 51-15 at the start of the final period.
With the win, Watauga has a firm hold on the No. 3 seed in next week’s Northwestern Conference tournament, finishing the regular season with a 6-4 conference record, 12-11 overall. McDowell (19-5) and Alexander Central (21-2) are tied with 9-1 conference records. Both should be awarded first round byes into the semifinals.
The pairings have not yet been announced, but Watauga will likely host a first round rematch with St. Stephens on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Tipoff will be announced at a later date.
By David Rogers. WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Thirty-eight (38) schools had athletes qualify for the NCHSAA 6A Women’s Indoor Track & Field State Championships on Feb. 12 at the JDL FastTrack venue — but only one program was crowned the North Carolina 6A Women’s team champion.
With three of the top six performers in the Women’s Pole Vault, including No. 1 Sydney Helms, No. 4 Sophie Robbins and No. 6 Gracyn Blanton) and strong showings in multiple events by Cali Townsend, Tessa Buchanan, Lily Stough and Lainey Johnston, the Watauga Pioneers powered their way to the NCHSAA 6A Women’s State Indoor Championship title on Feb. 12 at JDL Fasttrack in Winston-Salem.
In addition to Pole Vault, where the Pioneers were the only team with three athletes qualifying for the state meet, Watauga had “top 5” placings in several events, including 55m Hurdles (No. 5, Tessa Buchanan), 300 Meters (No. 3, Lily Stough), 500 Meters (No. 4, Tessa Buchanan), 1000 Meters (No. 3, Cali Townsend), 1600 Meters (No. 2 Cali Townsend), 4×800 Relay (No. 3: Lainey Johnston, Lily Kimbrough, Sydney Townsend, Cali Townsend), High Jump (No. 2, Lily Stough), Long Jump (No. 2, Lily Stough), Pole Vault (No. 1, Sydney Helms; No. 4, Sophie Robbins) and Triple Jump (No. 3, Lily Stough)
By David Rogers. WINSTON-SALEM — More than 40 men’s teams had entries in the NCHSAA 6A State Indoor Track & Field Championships on Feb. 12, so finishing in the top 10 is a notable achievement for the Watauga High School men’s team in 2026.
The team performance was highlighted by Nyle Peays’ No 2 finish in the 300 Meters sprint, Coy Johnson earning the No. 4 spot in the Shot Put, and the Pioneers’ 4×800 Relay squad picking up a valuable team point with their No. 8 finish.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?”
— Shylock in The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
Just three weeks ago (Jan. 22), Watauga men’s basketball was staring at a 1-4 Northwestern Conference record. It was the end of the first round of games against the other five league opponents and many High Country basketball fans questioned whether the Pioneers would do well in the conference tournament, much less make the 2026 NCHSAA 6A state playoffs.
Fast forward. In the interim, Watauga etched out a 4-game win streak in NWC play, highlighted by a 75-59 conquest of previously undefeated Freedom on Feb. 11. Now, all that stands in the way of a likely No. 2 seed in the Northwestern Conference Championship tournament — and a first round bye that goes with it — is a home matchup against St. Stephens on Friday, Feb. 13. Win, and the Pioneers should be crowned No. 2 after any combination of tiebreakers (they are also assured a matching conference record with either Alexander Central or South Caldwell).
With disciplined, punishing defense and a strong shooting performance by a quintet of Pioneers, Watauga made a statement with its Freedom win: “We have football and disruptive High Country weather behind us now and are ready to play some good basketball.”
Freedom forward Dayvion Feaster-Hicks collected a quick pass from teammate King Johnson underneath the basket and put it up and in for the first basket on Feb. 11, against Watauga in Lentz Eggers Gym — but it would be the Patriots’ only lead of the game. Watauga went on a 14-6 run en route to a 20-12 lead after the first quarter.
The Patriots gathered themselves in the second period and narrowed the gap slightly by intermission (32-25), but the Pioneers all but put the game away with a 25-14 outburst in the third period for an 18-point lead going into the final stanza (57-39). Then, with several of the reserves getting some valuable minutes with the clock ticking down in the fourth quarter, Watauga held on for a decisive, 16-point victory.
Senior guard Cade Keller lit up the scoreboard for a game-high 26 points. Senior guard Jackson Love (11 points, 9 rebounds) and senior forward Brady Lindenmuth (10 points, 8 rebounds) were each within an eyelash of double-doubles for the night. Meanwhile, senior guards Bowen Mayo and Evan Burroughs got in on the action with 12 and 8 points, respectively.
For the visiting Patriots, Kobe Johnson posted a team-high 16 points, joined in double figures by King Johnson’s 11 points.
Interestingly, much of the scoring action in this game came from inside the paint. The Pioneers were good on only four shots from behind the 3-point arc, two by Keller and one each from Williams and Love. The Patriots only made three long-range shots, one each by King Johnson, Jewlez Pearson and Amare Williams.
Because of the weather-induced rescheduling, Watauga has now played four games in five days, running through its Northwestern Conference opponents in the rematches, defeating South Caldwell, 72-59 (Feb. 7), Alexander Central, 93-57 (Feb. 9), McDowell, 70-67 (Feb. 10) and Freedom, 75-59 (Feb. 11). With each win, the Pioneers shot up the NWC standings.
Freedom’s loss to the Pioneers is the lone blemish on its 2026 record in conference play so will undoubtedly be the No. 1 seed in next week’s conference tournament, whatever it does at McDowell on Feb. 13. At the moment, Alexander Central and South Caldwell are tied with Watauga for the No. 2 spot in the standings, all at 5-4 and reflecting how competitive this year’s edition of the Northwestern Conference has proven to be.
That second place “knot” should be a little more unwound on Feb. 13, as South Caldwell hosts Alexander Central for their regular season finale. At 1-8 (with the sole win being a home win vs. Watauga, 54-43, on Jan. 22), St. Stephens is almost assured of the lowest seed (No. 6) in the conference tourney, but could prove to be a spoiler in the Pioneers’ quest for the No. 2 seed if the Indians can upset Watauga in the rematch.
By David Rogers. MARION, N.C. — Host McDowell overcame an early 10-point deficit but in the end, visiting Watauga emerged from the ensuing see-saw battle with yet another victory, 70-67.
One of the big stories from the game was the continuing development of freshman Pioneer Jaden McInnis, who toyed with game-high scoring honors with 16 points. McInnis also pulled down a team-high 7 rebounds, 6 of them on the defensive end to deny the Titans second chance scoring opportunities.
Actual game-high scoring honors, however, went to senior guard Evan Burroughs and his 17 points, but also adding 2 assists and 2 steals.
Senior guard Cade Keller continued to add to his school career scoring record with 14 points, along with 2 rebounds, 7 assists and a steal.
One of the most complete stat lines of the night belonged to Jackson Love, with 7 points, 6 assists, 4 steals 2 deflections and a steal for good measure.
Watauga jumped to a 22-15 lead by the end of the first period, but McDowell roared back with a 21-13 second quarter to take a 36-35 lead into intermission. With adjustments, the Pioneers dominated in the third quarter (27-17), then survived a 14-8 run by the Titans in the final stanza.
With the win, Watauga improved to 13-7 overall, but remained tied with South Caldwell for the No. 3 spot in Northwestern Conference standings, at 4-4. While the Pioneers were taking care of business in Marion, the Spartans went on the road to Hickory and eked out a 51-47 win over St. Stephens.
Watauga returns home Feb. 11 for a key matchup vs. league leader Freedom, so far undefeated in NWC play, including a narrow 67-65 win over the Pioneers in Morganton on Jan. 9.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Getting a late start on the men’s basketball season because of the football team’s 6A state championship campaign and periodic adverse weather conditions throughout December, January and early February that cancelled school and practices, Watauga High School’s varsity has struggled to “gel” — but have shown flashes of what they can be. With a dominant, 93-57 revenge win over Alexander Central on Feb. 9, the Pioneers made a statement: “We have arrived.”
Head coach Bryson Payne’s up-tempo offense and disciplined defensive schemes were on full display against the Cougars, in front of a nearly full house in Lentz Eggers Gym. The Pioneers jumped out in front early and kept building on the lead, rarely letting the proverbial pedal off the metal. In the second half, ACHS made a run that would cut Watauga’s 20-point advantage in half, to 10, but that didn’t last long — and the lead kept expanding even when the Pioneers’ most rarely used bench players took the floor. If there was a statement moment, it might well have been when 6-4 junior forward Mason Tate finished off a fast break with a resounding dunk that left him hanging by his knuckles on the rim — as the Pioneer bench filled with the starters exploded in celebration for their young brother.
Senior guard and playmaker Cade Keller did his usual damage to the stat sheet with 21 points, continuing to extend the school’s career scoring record he broke on Feb. 7 in a 72-59 road win at South Caldwell, but also added 5 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal in the Monday night effort.
On this night, though, credit for the dominant team performance has to go to the entire Pioneer roster. Senior guard Jackson love made 3-of-6 attempts from beyond the arc and drove fiercely to the basket for more to record a game-high 23 points. He was 6-of-6 from the charity stripe, pulled down 6 rebounds, recorded 5 assists, and poached 3 steals.
Senior Bowen Mayo who, like Keller, Brady Lindenmuth, Evan Burroughs, Love and Kyle Williams was late to join the team because of their football state championship involvement, shot 50 percent from the field, including 2-of-4 3-point attempts. For good measure, he added 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
The lone starting forward in the 4-guard starting lineup was senior Brady Lindenmuth and he promptly corralled a game-high 9 rebounds, 6 of which were on the offensive end to give the Pioneers valuable second chances for points.
Burroughs had a relatively quiet night in the scoring column (9 points), but was seemingly everywhere on defense, utilizing his quick hands and speed to the ball. The scorekeepers only credited him with one steal, but his relentless pressure had the desired effect of disrupting several Cougar possessions.
The Feb. 9 tilt vs. Alexander Central may wel
prove to be the breakout performance of freshman Jaden McInnis, who came off the bench to score 10 points and collect 5 rebounds, as well as record a blocked shot.
With all of the recent rescheduling due to the postponed games because of ice and snow, the Pioneers’ basketball schedule has become condensed. They will return to action on Feb. 10 at McDowell, in Marion, N.C., and follow-up with a rematch against Freedom in Lentz Eggers Gym on Feb. 11.
Now 12-7 overall, 3-4 in conference, after the slow start to the season Watauga is fighting for every seed in the upcoming conference tournament. The Pioneers are currently tied with McDowell and South Caldwell for No. 3 in the standings, behind No. 1 Freedom (7-0 in Northwestern Conference play) and No. 2 Alexander Central (4-3). With wins in their remaining three games against McDowell, Freedom and St. Stephens, the best they can possibly do in the conference tournament seedings is likely No. 2 (Freedom is 7-0 at this point, but as they start to gel, the Pioneers are showing they can play with anyone in the Northwestern Conference. Doing well (i.e., No. 1 or No. 2) in the conference tournament title could be critical in getting an invitation to play in the 6A state playoffs.
Game stats credited to Jonathan Watts