Category: High School

By David Rogers. HUDSON, N.C. — If Watauga third baseman Cooper Riddle had only hit a triple, he would have accomplished one of baseball’s most prized feats for a single game: “hitting for the cycle.” He still had a big night at the plate on March 21 at South Caldwell, slugging a double, hammering a home run and lacing a single into the outfield. His stat line included three RBIs and three runs scored during Watauga’s 11-8 win.

Teammate Johnny Ray nearly equaled Riddle’s prolific offensive production, going 2-for-4, with two runs scored and three RBIs while ripping a triple and slamming a home run.

The Pioneers got on the board in the top of the first inning when Maddox Greene tripled to right, then scored on a throwing error by the catcher trying to pick the Watauga sophomore off third.

South Caldwell responded in the bottom of the first with three runs to take an early lead, but the Pioneers exploded for 9 runs in the top half of the 2nd inning, giving the visitors a commanding, 10-3 early lead.

Riddle started things off in the top of the second inning with a bloop single to center that dropped just in front of the South Caldwell centerfielder. Ray followed with a line drive down the right field line for a triple, scoring Riddle. Pioneer catcher Cooper Critcher grounded out to second base, scoring Ray.

When South Caldwell senior pitcher Dylan Dula struck out Jake Henderson on three pitched balls, it would have been easy to think the Pioneers offensive threat was about done. Instead, it was just getting started.

David Pastusic started things off with a single to center. The Spartans had a chance to get out of the inning when Jameson Hodges hit a ground ball to second, but the second baseman mishandled it, Hodges just beating the throw to first and Pastusic taking second. Greene followed with a single to center, the base runners playing conservative and not risking the third out.

With bases loaded, Jacob Dilley was hit by a Dula pitch that was just a little too far inside, forcing Pastusic home and advancing the other runners. With the bases loaded anew, Tristan Salinas hit a line drive single to left field, scoring Greene and Hodges. Dilley, still running conservative, advanced to second.

That brought Riddle back up for his second at bat of the inning. After a wild pitch by Dula that saw Dilley and Salinas taking third base and second base respectively, Riddle promptly doubled to the gap in left field, Dilley and Salinas both scoring, putting the Pioneers in the proverbial driver’s seat with an 8-3 lead.

But Ray wanted more and he finished off the scoring with a monster home run over the right field fence, scoring Riddle ahead of him to complete the second inning scoring at 10 runs.

Watauga was retired in order in the third and fourth innings. Riddle led off the top of the fifth inning with a towering home run over the left field fence, expanding the Pioneer advantage to 11-3. South Caldwell held the Pioneers scoreless in the sixth and 7th innings while punching in one run in the sixth and three in the seventh inning, but it was not enough to overcome Watauga’s early lead.

Sophomore starting pitcher J T Cook was credited with the win, Dula took the loss for the Spartans.

With the win, the Pioneers improve to 9-1 on the season, 1-0 in Northwestern Conference play. With the loss, South Caldwell drops to 4-3 overall, 0-1 in Northwestern Conference competition.

South Caldwell will entertain West Caldwell in a non-conference matchup on March 23 before going on the road to Freedom on March 24.

Watauga travels to Taylorsville on March 24 to challenge Alexander Central, then hosts Hibriten on March 28.

SELECTED INDIVIDUAL WATAUGA PERFORMANCES

• Cooper Riddle: 3-for-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBIs, 3 runs scored
• Johnny Ray: 2-for-3, 3B, HR, 3 RBIs, 2 runs scored, 1 walk, stolen base
• Maddox Greene: 2-for-3, 3B, 2 runs scored
• Tristan Salinas: 1-for-4, 2 RBIs, 1 run scored

By David Rogers. HUDSON, N.C. — South Caldwell starting pitcher Katie Becker took command of the circle from the get-go on March 21 and gave nary an inch, shutting out the visiting Watauga softball team while her Spartan teammates went to work, offensively, and the high school “mercy rule” went into effect to halt play. For both teams, it was their regular season conference opener. (3A/4A Northwestern Conference).

The abbreviated game was halted after the Spartans scored 5 runs in the 1st inning, 5 in the second, and 7 more in the third.

With the loss, the Pioneers fall to 3-4 on the still young season, 0-1 in Northwestern Conference play.  With the win, South Caldwell improves to 6-1 overall, 1-0 in league play.

Watauga will to rebound in another non-conference tilt on March 23 at Patton before another Northwestern Conference game on the road at Alexander Central, March 24.

For South Caldwell, the next scheduled opponent is at Freedom on March 24.

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Jumping out to three early goals helped, but then Watauga women’s lacrosse team had to overcome a late first half lull that saw North Lincoln tighten the deficit. With a second half barrage of goals, the Pioneers raced to a convincing, 12-4 win on March 20 on the Leigh Cooper Wallace athletic field.

BONUS PHOTOS @ BOTTOM OF ARTICLE

Seven Pioneers found the scoring column against the Knights, led by Lilly Farley’s three goals and two each from Juliet Eagles, Juna Gersonde, and Katie Kriley. Other goals came on attacks by Aiden Stroud, Karla Ruiz Alegria, and Maddie Ellis.

Watauga head coach Julia Harrison seemed pleased by her team’s performance.

“We figured coming in that our teams would be evenly matched, so the 12-4 result is a pleasant surprise. The most impressive thing about this win was the improvements we have made on defense, as well as the movements of players when they don’t have the ball to create space and opportunities,” said Harrison.

BONUS PHOTOS (all photographic images by David Rogers)

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — There were several common themes expressed by the six Watauga High School student-athletes recognized on March 10 for their commitment to play football at the college level. Some thanked God, but all expressed appreciation for their parents and family members, their coaches, the team athletic trainers, their teammates, and the High Country area community members who supported the team during the young men’s participation at Watauga.

But one number shared by head coach Ryan Habich during his introductory remarks stood out — and deservedly drew the most raucous applause from the parents, teachers, friends and fellow students packing the north grandstands in Lentz-Eggers Gym: 4.17.

That was the aggregated GPA of all six athletes combined, 4.17.

In offering his introductory observations, Habich said he appreciated all of the great contributions to the Watauga football team from the guys as football players, “…but they are even better young men.”

Habich added, “As they did in high school, we know these players will continue to represent Watauga County in a positive way.”

Habich called each player to the podium to speak, but he provided some highlights for each one before they took to the microphone.

Will Curtis

“Will has committed to Wheaton College (Wheaton, Illinois) to play running back. Will was a two-year starter at running back and cornerback and was a two-time, First Team all-Northwestern Conference selection. This year, Will had a major role not only on offense but was also a starter at the corner on defense. On offense, Will rushed for 1,323 yards and scored 26 touchdowns. On defense, Will had 24 total tackles, 1 sack, 3 pass breakups, and one interception. We are excited about Will’s future at Wheaton College.”

Carlton Horine

“Carlton has committed to East Tennessee State University to play linebacker and strong safety. Carlton was a 3-year starter at multiple positions on offense and defense. He was a 3-time all-Conference player. He was our starting QB his sophomore year and helped lead the team to a conference championship during the COVID-19 season. This year, as a senior on defense he had 54 total tackles, two tackles for loss, 3 pass breakups, and four interceptions. On offense, Carlton rushed for 186 yards and two TDs, and had two pass receptions for 42 yards and one TD. We are excited about Carlton’s future at ETSU.”

Isaiah Shirley

“Isaiah has committed to North Carolina State University to play defensive end. He was a 3-year starter at defensive end and tight end and a 3-time all-Conference player. As a freshman, he had an interception against Weddington in the 2019 NCHSAA 4A West championship game. This year, as a senior on defense he had 51 total tackles, 7 sacks and 16 tackles for loss, even with opposing teams running away from him. On offense, he had six receptions for 60 yards and one TD along with being the primary blocker on our run plays. We are excited about Isaiah’s future at NC State. He is actually attending classes there now and practiced with the NC State football team this morning before driving back up her to participate in this ceremony.”

Trey Thompson

“Trey has committed to Davidson College to play running back. He was a 3-year varsity player and starter at the running back position. He was a two-time First Team all-Conference selection. He played both the B-back and wing-back positions in our offense. Trey led the team in rushing his junior year. Despite missing some games his senior year due to injuries, he was able to still rush for over 1,400 yards and 12 TDs during his junior and senior seasons. We are excited about Trey’s future at Davidson College.”

Cole Horine

“Cole has committed to East Tennessee State University to play linebacker and strong safety. He was a 3-year starter at wing-back and defensive back and a two-time First Team all-Northwestern Conference selection. Cole played a lot of football, going both ways for three straight seasons. This year, as a senior on defense Cole had 42 total tackles, one tackle for loss, 8 pass breakups, and four pass interceptions. On offense, he rushed for 229 yards and one TD, and had nine pass receptions for 140 yards and four touchdowns. We are excited about Cole’s future at ETSU.”

Levi Temple

“Levi has committed to NC State University to play linebacker. Levi was a 3-year varsity athlete playing multiple positions on offense and linebacker on defense. He was First Team all-Conference his junior season. During his junior season, he had 35 tackles, 3 quarterback sacks, and five tackles for loss. Levi worked very hard in the offseason and was going to be one of the top linebackers in the Northwestern Conference his senior year. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn ACL in the first game of the season and was not able to play on the field. But Levi was still a huge part of our success this year, leading his team and being the team’s vocal leader throughout his senior year. We are excited about Levi’s future at NC State University.”

In his closing remarks, Habich said, “They say when your best athletes are your hardest working players, you have a chance to be good. There is no doubt these six athletes were among the hardest-working players. They allowed us to have another successful football season on and off the field.”

Habich underlined the “blue collar” work ethic that his program aspires to instill in all of the student-athletes who participate in the Watauga football program. “They are not primadonnas and understand the importance of putting the team first, ready to play wherever they are need to help the team succeed.”

By David Rogers. WILKESBORO, N.C. — Asked to choose the most impactful play in Watauga baseball’s 17-0 win over Allegheny in the third round of the non-conference tournament at West Wilkes, the answer might be one of several. And, truth be told, the Pioneers’ Maddox Greene likely was involved, directly or indirectly.

Was it Greene’s fielding a sharply hit ground ball and throw to first to get a third out in the first inning, with Allegheny having the bases loaded? Instead, they left three men stranded on base.

Was it Greene ripping a triple down the left field line at the start of the bottom half of the third inning? The ball rolled under the left fielder’s stab at it and rolled all the way to the fence. There might have been a temptation for Greene to try for an inside-the-park home run, but instead he was smartly satisfied with the 3-bagger.

Perhaps it was Greene scoring on teammate Tristan Salinas’ home run over the centerfield fence in the bottom of the fourth inning — on his first at-bat during the stanza. That put the Pioneers ahead 10-0 and the game subject to the high school “mercy rule” if only they could keep Allegheny from scoring in the top of the fifth.

Then again, maybe it was Greene’s second at-bat in the bottom of the fourth inning as the team batted around.  That is when the sophomore shortstop sent a fly ball sailing over the centerfield fence for a grand slam home run, giving Watauga a 17-0 lead.

Finally, maybe it was when relief pitcher Jameson Hodges fielded a ground ball back to the mound, whirling 180 degrees and throwing to Greene for the force out at second, and Greene whipping the ball to first, completing a game-ending double play.  Game-ending, of course, because a 17-run deficit by the assigned home team (Watauga) after Allegheny had gone to the plate for the top half of the fifth inning had definitely triggered the high school “mercy rule.”

Greene, of course, was not the only Pioneer making an impact on this game. Watauga got home runs from Greene, Salinas, and Johnny Ray. In addition to Greene’s triple, the Pioneers saw doubles banged against the outfield fences by Hank Matthews, Cooper Riddle and freshman David Pastusic.

Not that the Pioneer runners had many opportunities with all the hitting behind them, but Jameson Hodges and Ray each had a stolen base.

In short, the Pioneers scored 17 runs on 9 hits, so there were a large number of walks and guys reaching base on errors, as well as one hit by pitch.

Seventeen runs scored, in and of itself, is pretty impressive but when you look at the other half of the final score, a zero, you also want to know that Watauga used three pitchers to obtain a 2-hit shutout. Senior Whit Shellman was the starter and pitched three full innings, giving up the two hits while walking two and striking out five. David Pastusic followed by pitching the fourth inning (no runs, no hits, 1 strikeout. And Jameson Hodges closed it out in the 5th inning (no runs, no hits, and two walks).

With the win, Watauga moves to 6-0 on the young season and currently ranked No. 4 in the state behind East Rutherford, Burns, and East Forsyth. They are ranked No. 2 in the NCHSAA 4A West region.

The Pioneers will host Mitchell on Monday, March 13 (6:30 p.m.) in the team’s first home game of the season, then Murphy will visit Pioneer Field  on March 15 (4 p.m.).

NOTABLE WATAUGA BATTING PERFORMANCES

• Maddox Greene: 2-for-3, 3 runs scored, 4 RBIs, 1 walk, 1 HR (grand slam), 1 triple
• Tristan Salinas: 1-for-4, 2 runs scored, 4 RBIs, 1 HR
• Jameson Hodges: 1-for-3, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, 1 stolen base
• Johnny Ray: 1-for-3, 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs, 1 HR, 1 walk, 1 stolen base
• David Pastusic: 1-for-2, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, 1 walk
• Cooper Riddle: 1-for-2, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI, 1 walk
• Hank Matthews: 1-for-3, 3 RBIs

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A five-run scoring outburst in the first inning was just a prelude for things to come for Watauga High School’s softball team on March 8 vs. Wilkes Central. Combined with strong defense (and pitching) that kept the visiting Eagles off-balance, limiting them to just one run, the Pioneers’ offensive production over four innings triggered the high school “mercy rule,”  an 11-1 win in just four and a half innings.

BONUS PHOTOS at bottom of article.

After squandering a huge lead in the previous night’s game against North Surry, losing in the last inning, 23-22, the Pioneers seemed determined not to let that fate befall them on this night against the Eagles of Wilkes Central.

In her four innings pitching, Watauga sophomore Jordin Greene had a big night in the circle. She struck out five, walked three, hit one batter, and allowed just two hits, both singles, for her night’s work.

Greene also was instrumental in the Pioneers’ offensive production. At bat, she laced two singles and drew a walk, scored two runs and stole two bases.

Junior designated player Elise Presnell also had a productive night at the plate, smacking a single and a double, stealing two bases, scoring 3 runs, and pushing across a runner ahead of her to earn an RBI.

Sophomore shortstop Julie Matheson hit a hard line drive to her Eagle counterpart in the first inning, but that “out” didn’t spoil her night. She followed up with a double, a single, a run scored and had 2 RBIs.

Getting around the base paths didn’t seem much of a problem for the Pioneers, who scattered six stolen bases across the four innings and advanced runners on four passed balls by the Eagle pitchers and catchers. The Pioneer base stealers included Greene (2), Kara Brooks, Chloe Wilson, and Elise Presnell (2).

“We certainly have speed when we get on base,” Watauga head coach April Yandle said after the game, “and that is something we want to take advantage of.”

Watauga also demonstrated a degree of roster depth. When inserted into the lineup in the fourth inning as a replacement second baseman, sophomore Elizabeth Watson promptly ripped a bases-emptying triple down the right field line.

For the 2-3 Pioneers, so far it has been either win big or lose big in the early 2023 season. They have defeated Wilkes Central twice (19-6 on Feb. 28 and 11-1 on March 8), and lost to Surry Central (7-1 on March 1 and 23-22 on March 7) and to Starmount (14-4 on March 6).

Next up is another home encounter, this time vs. Allegheny on March 15, then a final non-conference home tilt against Polk County on March 17. The Pioneers open Northwestern Conference play on March 21, at South Caldwell.

BONUS PHOTOS

By David Rogers. WILKESBORO, N.C. — An Arctic cold front may have swept across the West Wilkes Blackhawks’ baseball field on March 7, but the Watauga offense was hot, hot, hot in a 12-7, seven inning win.

The visiting Pioneers scored in every inning except the third frame and saved the best for last, scoring four runs in the top half of the seventh inning. Watauga scored their 12 runs on 12 hits and just one Blackhawk error.

The teams traded single runs in the first inning, but the Pioneers broke things open and secured the lead for good in the second with a 3-run outburst. With one out, Watauga starting pitcher Johnny Ray helped his cause at the plate by rapping a single through the infield and into center field. Catcher Cooper Critcher followed by striking out, setting up what turned out to be a 2-out scoring barrage. A walk to David Pastusic put runners on first and second, then Jameson Hodges lined a single to right, scoring Ray. Shortstop Maddox Greene kept the rally going with a single to center, scoring Pastusic, and moving Hodges to third.

It didn’t take long for Greene to take advantage of a runner on third with second base empty. On a 1-1 count with Jacob Dilley at bat, Greene stole second easily. Perhaps the Blackhawks’ starting pitcher, Carson Edmiston was a bit rattled by the activity, but a wild pitch on a 2-1 count sent Hodges to the plate, sliding head first with the dirt flying around him and West Wilkes catcher, Eli Johnson — and under the versatile freshman’s tag attempt. Greene took third on the play but was left stranded when Dilley grounded out to second. The damage had been done, however, with Watauga leading, 4-1.

Edmiston seemed to settle down for the Blackhawks, retiring the side with no damage by Watauga in the third inning and striking out the first two batters in the top of the 4th. But the Pioneers managed a 2-out, 2-run rally in the top of the 4th, added another run in the top of the fifth to give the Boone boys a 7-2 lead.

Although Watauga added another run in the top of the 6th when senior rightfielder Tristan Salinas hammered a 2-out home run over the center field fence, expanding the lead to 8-4, West Wilkes manufactured three runs in the bottom of the inning to tighten the deficit to a single run, 8-7.

The Pioneers were far from petered out, however. In the top of the 7th, they responded with a one-out double to right by Ray, a single on a pop fly by Critcher, a single by junior leftfielder Jake Henderson, a walk to Hodges (scoring Ray), and another walk to Greene (scoring Critcher) to load the bases. Dilley then lined a single to left, scoring Hodges from third and Henderson racing from second. With Salinas now pitching, the Blackhawks were unable to make anything happen in the bottom of the 7th.

Although Salinas rapped the big home run, the Pioneer offensive production was solid up and down the roster with a number of contributors. Ray had a double, as well as three stolen bases on the night, going 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI. Dilley banged out three hits in five at bats and was credited with 5 RBIs as well as a stolen base. Leadoff hitter Hodges went 2-for-4, scoring 4 runs and 2 RBIs. Greene was credited with a stolen base, too, with one walk while going 1-fo-3, scoring a run and recording a pair of RBIs.

All totaled, the Pioneers poached seven stolen bases, one each by Dilley, Salinas, Greene, and Henderson to go along with Ray’s three.

With the win, Watauga moves to 5-0 on the young season. The scheduled tournament opponent for Friday has been moved up to Thursday, March 9. First home game is March 13, vs. Mitchell.

BONUS PHOTOS