By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Not to take anything away from the Watauga Pioneers’ gridiron exploits of yesteryear, but the Round 2 playoff win, 20-14, over Mallard Creek on Nov. 10 was improbable at worst — and may well be recorded as the biggest upset in Watauga program history.
In the state playoffs, seedings can be misleading. A more urban or even suburban oriented conference could have as many as four strong programs qualify for the playoffs, with little difference between the four in terms of team strength. But because those teams might have finished in second, third or fourth place within their conference, they end up getting a lower seed in the playoff bracket. Arguably, they have a tougher path to a state title.
Mallard Creek, which finished second in the 3A/4A Queen City Conference behind Hough High School of Cornelius, had a couple of tough, non-conference, out of state losses, including a narrow, 3-point loss (10-7) to nationally ranked Buford, Ga. When all was said and done, the net result was a No. 18 seed in the North Carolina 4A West bracket.
Meanwhile, Watauga had arguably an easier schedule, even if facing some formidable non-conference opponents in A C Reynolds, Maiden and North Davidson. Going undefeated led to a favorable RPI rating and, ultimately, to the No. 2 seed in the 4A West bracket.
Without question, the home field advantage of being a No. 2 seed was at play on Nov. 10, because the Pioneers came into the game vs. the Mavericks as decisive underdogs. At least one North Carolina high school football prognosticator had Mallard Creek winning by as many as 40 points.
And the Mavericks looked like they should have been favorites, too. Top to bottom of the roster, they were bigger. Top to bottom of the roster, they seemed more athletic. Top to bottom of the roster, they looked fit and fast.
That the Mavericks had speed to spare was clearly evident. Three of the four members of last spring’s sprint relay teams that broke North Carolina state records in the 4×100 and 4×200 relays are on this year’s football team, including Benjamin Black, a senior advertised as having run the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds; as well as junior running back Curtis Clark and versatile junior wide receiver/running back Christian Dixon.
And that is just a sampling of Mallard Creek’s speed. Get one of those guys in space with the ball, and they are as dangerous a scoring threat as anyone in high school football.
And yet, Mallard Creek’s offense was not even Watauga head coach Ryan Habich’s biggest concern.
“Mallard Creek has probably the best defense in the state,” said Habich. “They are hard to block with their size and athleticism. We knew we were going to have to take some shots.”
Certainly Mallard Creek’s defensive braintrust did their homework on Watauga’s use of the B-back, which was sophomore Everett Gryder’s role until he got hurt three weeks ago. So up steps sophomore Matthew Leon, who last week rambled for more than 200 yards, rushing the football.
On Nov. 10, the big and physical Mallard Creek defensive line was ready, effectively containing Leon, limiting him to just 18 yards on 17 carries.
Stopping Leon was a good start, but what Mallard Creek doesn’t have is Watauga junior quarterback Maddox Greene, who seems to get better and better with each season and each game. Greene accounted for 278 yards of total offense in this one and was involved in all three Pioneer touchdowns. He completed nine of 14 passes for 157 yards and two TDs, with no interceptions. He also carried the ball 22 times for 121 yards, including the game’s first score, a 42 yard scamper by Greene emerging off of left tackle and maneuvering into the Maverick secondary where he outran all defenders.
After Mallard Creek tied things up when Black showed off his speed on 17-yard TD run around the left side, Watauga’s Greene hurled a 20-yard TD pass to tight end Morgan Henry early in the second quarter to reclaim the lead, 14-7, Henry finding himself wide open when gathering in the ball as he stepped into the end zone.
With both teams finding advancement of the ball challenging for what remained of the first half, the only drama came when the Pioneers’ senior linebacker/wide receiver Jackson Pryor blocked a Mallard Creek field goal attempt.
Late in the third quarter, Mallard Creek seemed to find the formula for getting their speedy playmakers in space with the ball when junior quarterback Evan Rambert connected with the lightening-fast Black for a 42-yard TD, tying things up at 14-14 with the successful PAT.
Setting up for a dramatic finish
On Watauga’s next offensive possession, a promising drive from their own 32 took the ball into the red zone, highlighted by a swing pass from Greene to Evan Burroughs on the left side. The sophomore sprinted down to near the 10-yard line, but that is where the drive stalled, ending on fourth down when Greene passed to a wide open Trathan Gragg on the left side of the end zone, the ball thrown a little high and the junior tight end unable to bring it in for the TD.
Mallard Creek took possession at their own 7-yard line, but couldn’t get past midfield before the stingy Pioneer defense forced the Mavericks to punt as the game turned the corner into the fourth and final period.
What followed was perhaps Watauga’s most masterful demonstration of clock management. After taking possession with just under 12 minutes remaining in the game, used 17 plays to get the ball to the Maverick 16 yard line and take all but a minute and 30 seconds off the game clock. The drive included a couple of fourth down conversions where failure to convert would have given the ball back to Mallard Creek with good field position. Taking one of those “shots” Habich said they needed in order to get past the Maverick defense, Greene found Pryor in the end zone along the right side for the go-ahead TD.
With Watauga ahead and 1:30 left to play, the drama was just beginning because Jack Wilson’s PAT kick was blocked. If the Panthers could get down the field and scored a TD they would tie it, but a made PAT would win the game for them.
As masterful in clock management as Watauga was on that final drive, they almost left too much time on the clock. Taking possession on their own 30-yard line, the Rambert-led Mallard Creek offense quickly got the ball into Pioneer territory when the junior QB hit Black along the left side for a 32-yard gain. He was good two more times on passes of seven and 15 yards, getting deeper into Watauga territory.
Mallard Creek’s aim to steal victory in the last seconds was foiled on two brilliant defensive plays by the Pioneers. First, was quarterback pressure by blitzing senior linebacker Morgan Henry that resulted in an incomplete Rambert pass. Then, on the very next play Maddox Greene playing in the defensive backfield broke up another Rambert pass in the end zone. Then, with time running out, when Rambert’s last pass of the evening fluttered incomplete in the right flat, a jubilant Watauga sideline raced onto the field and the home grandstands erupted into a roar.
It has been a long time since Watauga has gotten past the second round of the state playoffs at any classification level, but now the Pioneers will host No. 23-seeded Independence (Charlotte) in the third round game at Jack Groce Stadium. Charlotte-based Independence upset No. 7 East Forsyth in Round 2, 34-28.
The Patriots completed their Southwestern 4A Conference schedule 5-1 (9-3 overall), behind No. 6 seeded Butler, which the winner of the Pioneers and Patriots might face the following week if the Bulldogs can get past their Round 3 matchup vs. No. 19 Mount Tabor. Just to show how strong the Southwestern 4A Conference is, three conference members (Butler, Independence and Charlotte Catholic) are among the eight remaining teams in the 4A West third round.
NCHSAA 4A West Scores
- @No. 1 Weddington 14, No. 16 Chambers 10
- No. 24 Charlotte Catholic 24, @No. 8 T. C. Roberson 21
- @No. 5 Hough 45, No. 12 Porter Ridge 12
- @No. 4 Grimsley 56, No. 13 Sun Valley 24
- No. 19 Mt. Tabor 19, @No. 3 Mooresville 14
- @No. 6 Butler 47, No. 11 West Forsyth 7
- No. 23 Independence 34, @No. 7 East Forsyth 28
- @No. 2 Watauga 20, No. 18 Mallard Creek 14
