Category: Middle School

By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — In the Rockets’ last middle school basketball home game of the 2022 season, Blowing Rock defeated Cove Creek, 28-11, in front of a raucous home crowd on hand for the occasion.

Susanna Goff put an exclamation point on her “8th grade night” by scoring a game-high 9 points, including five in the opening quarter to set the tone for the host Rockets. Anna Byrne was close behind with 8 points.

The game ebbed and flowed, but Blowing Rock built on their lead with every quarter. A narrow 5-3 lead at the end of the first quarter became 13-6 at halftime, 20-9 at the end of the third quarter, and then the 28-11 final result as the pestering Rockets’ defense clamped down on the Raiders.

Cove Creek’s Emily Morales Mendez recorded a team-high six points, accounting for more than half of the Raiders’ total by game’s end.

Additional Photos at Bottom

SCORING

• BR Susanna Goff (9)
• BR Anna Byrne (8)
• CC Emily Morales Mendez (6)
• BR Kate Rex (4)
• BR Francis Davis (4)
• BR Caroline Durham (2)
• CC Payton Carter (2)
• CC Elizabeth Cook (2)
• BR Nara Westwood (1)
• CC Addison Foster (1)

ALL WATAUGA MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS SCORES

• @Blowing Rock 28, Cove Creek 11
• @Parkway 12, Bethel 9 (overtime)
• @Mabel 16, Valle Crucis 12
• @Hardin Park 20, Green Valley 11
• Watauga District Girls 32, @Liberty Bell-Morganton, 31

Watauga School Specific Girls Standings Through Nov. 29

• 1. Parkway (5-0)
• T2 Blowing Rock (4-1)
• T2 Bethel (4-1)
• 4 Mabel (3-2)
• T5 Cove Creek (1-4)
• T5 Green Valley (1-4)
• T5 Valle Crucis (1-4)
• T5 Hardin Park (1-4)

By David Rogers. MORGANTON, N.C. — Of the 13 girls on the Watauga District Middle School girls basketball team, 10 of them got on the board, all scoring points in the Pioneers’ 47-3 win over host Table Rock on Nov. 28.

Watauga’s Blair Haines poured in six of the visitors’ 13 points in the third quarter, then added seven more in the the second and third quarters before sitting for most of the final frame. Izzy Mohr recorded all six of her points in the third quarter, including a pair of baskets and two free throws. Quinn Haines and Stephanie Morales Mendez added six and five points, respectively, for the contest.

Also getting on the scorebook for the Pioneers was Emma McGuire (4), Charlie Maddox (4), Paige Shuman (3), as well as Charlotte Moretz, Lilly Wilson and Peyton Isaacs with two each.

Watauga’s disruptive defense led to a whopping 28 steals on the night, led by Quinn Haines (6), Blair Haines (6) and Izzy Mohr (5). Emma McGuire recorded a blocked shot. Mendez-Morales and Moretz led the team in rebounding, with 5 and 4, respectively.

While Table Rock continued to battle throughout, they were shut out in the first half by a disruptive Watauga defense. Simone Wright accounted for all three of Table Rock’s points on the night, all in the third quarter.

Since losing its first game of the 2022 campaign to West Alexander on Nov. 3, Watauga has now reeled off five straight wins, sporting a 5-1 record.

The next action for the District girls team will come quickly, on Nov. 29 at Liberty Bell Middle School, also in Morganton, with a 5 p.m. tip off time.

Watauga’s District boys team lost to Table Rock, 41-29. Hunter Townsend had nine points for the Pioneers.

The District boys team travels to Asheville on Nov. 29 to face Carolina Day School, with a starting time scheduled for 4 p.m.

 

By David Rogers. MORGANTON, N.C. — Scoring 12 of her game-high 20 points in the first quarter, Blair Haines led the way for the Watauga Middle School District girls team in defeating Walter Johnson Middle School, 53-11, on Nov. 21. Izzy Mohr added 12 points for the visiting Watauga team and Paige Shuman contributed 8 more.

Charlotte Moretz also got in the scoring column with 5 points on the night, along with Charlie Maddox (4), Presli Wood (2) and Mia Mitchell (2) to round out Watauga’s scoring.

Shuman also pulled down 7 rebounds, while Stephanie Mendes-Morales (5), Emma McGuire (4) and Presli Wood (3) were also active in clearing the boards for Watauga.

Defensively, the team as a whole poached 17 steals, led by Shuman (5), Haines (4), and two each by Maddox, Mohr, Moretz, and Lilly Wilson.

Now 4-1 on the young season, the Watauga District Girls next go back to Morganton on Nov. 28, to face Table Rock Middle School, with a 4 p.m. tipoff.

By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — Living up to our expectations for Monday’s middle school basketball action as the “Game of the Week,” Blowing Rock survived a second half rally by visiting Mabel on Nov. 21 to win, 25-21. Both teams came into the game with 2-1 records on the young season and tied for third place in the middle school girls division standings.

After a see-saw battle through midway into the second quarter, the Blowing Rock girls team burst ahead on an 11-2 run to take a 17-10 lead into intermission. They got the offensive out they needed from Anna Byrne, who got five of her team-high 11 points with just a couple of minutes remaining in the first half.

After jumping out to a commanding lead, the Rockets only got two more points in the third quarter because surely the Mabel quintet had consumed some defensive Kook Aid during the break, as well as gotten a dose of offense. Led by 6 points from Gwen May in the 3rd quarter alone, the visitors from Watauga County’s west side went on a 9-2 run to tie the game at 19-19 as the final quarter began. But Blowing Rock’s Byrne (4 points in the 4th period) and Nora Westwood (2) put enough on the scoreboard to keep the game out of reach. Meanwhile, a pestering defense led by guards Suanna Goff, Kate Rex and Caroline Durham limited Mabel to just two points scored in the final stanza, allowing the Rockets to pull away.

Although she had capable help from a supporting cast, Mabel’s offensive production was almost a one-girl show with May scoring 14 of the team’s 21 points, Kailey Greer 5 of them, and two by Lyla Maylum.

The two squads are in action again on Nov. 29, Mabel hosting Valle Crucis and Cove Creek visiting Blowing Rock.

SELECTED INDIVIDUAL SCORING

• BR Anna Byrne (11)
• BR Susanna Goff (6)
• MAB Kailey Greer (5)
• BR Frances Davis (2)
• Nora Westwood (2)
• Ellie Hege (2)

ALL GIRLS SCORES ON NOV. 21

• @Blowing Rock 25, Mabel 21
• Parkway 32, @Hardin Park 7
• @Green Valley 18, Cove Creek 7
• Bethel 35, @ Valle Crucis 12

STANDINGS THROUGH NOV. 21

• T1 Bethel (4-0)
• T1 Parkway (4-0)
• 3 Blowing Rock (3-1)
• 4 Mabel (2-2)
• T5 Cove Creek (1-3)
• T5 Valle Crucis (1-3)
• T5 Green Valley (1-3)
• 8 Hardin Park (0-4)

 

By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — For Blowing Rock’s middle school boys basketball game against visiting Mabel, the outcome was only in doubt at the beginning. The Rockets jumped out to a 19-0 lead before the Mabel contingent scored their first point midway through the second period, on their way to a convincing, 49-6 win.

The Rockets led 15-0 at the end of the first period, with 10 of those points accounted for by Fletcher Ferris (6) and Louie Winger (4). In the second period, Joaquin Miranda dominated the scoring column with 8 points, but the Rockets also got contributions from up and down the roster, including 2-pointers from Cullen Sukow, Caison Morris, Wilson Henley, and Orian Bowling, along with a foul shot from Winger. At intermission, Blowing Rock led 32-2.

Mabel scored 4 points in the third quarter but the Rockets, playing mostly second and third teamers in the second half, shut out the visitors in the final stanza while adding 17 points of their own. The Rockets’ second half scoring effort was let by Bowling (4), John Wilson Mills (4), Lucas Cash (2), Henley (2), Winger (2), and a 4th quarter 3-pointer from Noah Blevins.

The next action for both teams is on Nov. 29, when Cove Creek visits the Blowing Rock gymnasium and Valle Crucis ventures out to Mabel.

ALL BOYS SCORES ON NOV. 21

• @Blowing Rock 49, Mabel 6
• Parkway 36, @Hardin Park 27
• Cove Creek 40, @Green Valley 25
• Bethel 42, @Valle Crucis 14

BOYS STANDINGS THROUGH NOV. 21

• 1 Parkway (4-0)
• T2 Hardin Park (3-1)
• T2 Blowing Rock (3-1)
• T2 Cove Creek (3-1)
• 5 Bethel (2-2)
• 6 Green Valley (1-3)
• T7 Mabel (0-4)
• T7 Valle Crucis (0-4)

 

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Chase Watts didn’t play much for Parkway’s middle school boys team in the 4th quarter vs. Valle Crucis. That’s because he did quite enough in the first three periods, scoring a game-high 14 points with 8 in the first half and 6 in the third quarter as the Patriots ran away with this one, 37-5.

Parkway led 14-2 after the first stanza and it never got closer. They got 6 points each from Avery Tester, Chance Triplett, and Xander Law to round out the highest scoring contributors for the team.

Credit Valle Crucis for continuing to fight hard for possession and baskets all the way through the match.

The Valle Crucis girls fared only a little better, losing 25-9 to strong Parkway contingent that featured balanced scoring.

Dylan Buckwalter was credited with a team-high 5 points for Parkway, with 4 points each contributed by Callie Critcher and Ember Honeycutt. The Patriots had 6 players adding 2 points each to the scoring column, including Lindsay Wade, Caroline Childers, Mary Flynn Sevensky, Addin Hodges, Brynn Slagle, and Glo Lutz.

All of Valle Crucis’ points were tallied by Tessa Gragg (5) and Ava Carrington (4).

We will update this article with all of the Nov. 17 middle school scores as soon as they are available.

ALL MIDDLE SCHOOL SCORES FROM NOV. 17

• Watauga District Boys 50, Grandview 37
• Watauga District Girls 47, Grandview 32

SCHOOL SPECIFIC GIRLS

• Blowing Rock 30, Hardin Park 15
• Mabel 36, Green Valley 7
• Parkway 25, Valle Crucis 9
• Bethel 21, Cove Creek 9

SCHOOL SPECIFIC BOYS

• Hardin Park 50, Blowing Rock 27
• Green Valley 43, Mabel 17
• Parkway 37, Valle Crucis 5
• Cove Creek 43, Bethel 16

GIRLS STANDINGS

• Bethel 3-0
• Parkway 3-0
• Mabel 2-1
• Blowing Rock 2-1
• Cove Creek 1-2
• Valle Crucic 1-2
• Green Valley 0-3
• Hardin Park 0-3

BOYS STANDINGS

• Hardin Park 3-0
• Parkway 3-0
• Blowing Rock 2-1
• Cove Creek 2-1
• Bethel 1-2
• Green Valley 1-2
• Mabel 0-3
• Valle Crucis 0-3

 

 

 

By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — A basketball game that isn’t decided until the final few seconds is fertile ground for a story. A shot by Lucas Cash that touched nothing but net tied the game with those few seconds remaining, then a foul shot by Lovie Winger put the Blowing Rock Rockets ahead of Green Valley with only 8 seconds remaining in the game. Then there were some tense moments of hard defense before Blowing Rock’s players, coaches and fans erupted, jumping for joy in celebration of the team’s 34-22 win.

Rocket forward John Wilson Milk scored a team-high 10 points in leading Blowing Rock. Flesher Ferris added 9 points, while Cash and Winger contributed 7 and 6 points, respectively.

The game went back and forth the whole evening, the lead changing hands at least 10 times as no one could take control.

Green Valley was led by forward Chauncey Garvin, who recorded a game-high 16 points. GV’s Eli Lee was not far behind with 12 points on the night.

All Watauga middle school boys scores for Nov. 14:

• @Blowing Rock 34, Green Valley 33
• Hardin Park 50, @Valle Crucis 11
• @Bethel 26, Mabel 7
• Parkway 34, @Cove Creek 22

By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — Opening with a 19-0 lead over Green Valley with just a minute to go in the first half, Blowing Rock allowed the visitors to pocket a basket before intermission — and then the Rockets didn’t score another point until early in the fourth quarter and then held on to win, 23-11.

Blowing Rock forward/guard Susanna Goff led the charge in the first half, scoring 10 of the team’s 19 points, then add two more after the break to take game-high scoring honors, with 12. Teammate Nava Westwood added 4 points, all in the first half, while Kate Rex, Ellie Hege and Anna Byrne all chipped in 2 points each.

Camden Otto posted a team-high 5 points for Green Valley.

All School Specific Middle School Games on Nov. 14

• @Blowing Rock 23, Green Valley 11
• @Valle Crucis 13, Hardin Park 11
• @Bethel 27, Mabel 15
• Parkway 34, @Cove Creek 22

By David Rogers. LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Out of 212 middle school aged girls competing in the 2022 Middle School Cross Country Nationals on Nov. 5, at Louisville’s Tom Sawyer State Park, Watauga’s Cali Townsend finished in 10th place and secured All-American honors (top 25 finishers) in the process.

Cheyenne Thomas of the Red Sea Running Club (Tavares, Fla.) won the 4K event, crossing the finish line in 14:11.80. Townsend completed the course just 68 seconds behind in 15:19.20, a remarkable 6:09.2 minutes per mile pace.

Each of the Watauga team members competing at nationals in or near the top half of the field. Maggie Visser finished at No. 53 (16:31.5), Lainey Johnston at No. 69 (16:51.8), Sophia Stull at No. 71 (16:53.6), Lily Kimbrough at No. 94 (17:18.9), Noelle Bollman at No. 99 (17:24.5) and Carrie Bradbury at No. 118 (17:44.7).

Among the numerous middle school teams and running clubs participating, from Florida to Alaska, Watauga’s girls team finished in 5th place. Thomson Training, a professionally-organized running club out of Paris, Kentucky (suburb of Lexington), was the top team in the girls competition, with six athletes finishing in the top 30.

Watauga’s seven athletes were the only North Carolina girls competing at nationals. Ranked by state, the top five U.S. states represented were Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia, Florida and Tennessee.

Watauga’s two boys finish in top third of large field

Among the 190 middle school boys entered in the 4k national championship race, Watauga’s Andres Roman rose to the occasion at No. 32 (14:20.80), and Grady Gates at No. 68 (15:06.80). With only two athletes competing in the boys division, Watauga did not figure into the team scoring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watauga Noteworthy:

• • Sophia Stull was the fifth overall 6th grader
  • Cali Townsend was the third overall 7th grader
  • The girls team finished in third place among middle schools, fifth overall (including club teams)
  • Andres Roman posted a PR for the 4k
  • ALL of the Watauga boys and girls competing finished in the top 55 percent of runners