By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — One press box pundit aptly described the Sept. 5 high school football game in saying, “Watauga is playing chess, but Mount Airy came to play checkers.”
Well, the game was “chess,” so the visiting Granite Bears came up well short in the Pioneers’ 61-7 win.
It was the third game in a row Watauga’s “complementary football” performance triggered a “mercy rule” running clock in the second half, after lopsided wins over Ashe County (56-7) and TC Roberson (42-0).
Mount Airy arrived at Jack Groce Stadium undefeated at 2-0 (wins over Starmount, 21-6, and East Wilkes, 23-16) but was mismatched vs. Watauga. Committing eight turnovers that included four fumbles, two interceptions and two turnovers on downs, it could be argued the Granite Bears self-destructed.
That, of course, would detract from a stellar effort by the Pioneers’ defense, led by defensive line menace Brady Lindenmuth and his linebacker sidekicks, Thomas Deiters, Cooper Greene and John Wilson Mills, among others.
On offense, senior quarterback Cade Keller was again in step with his playmakers, completing 9-of-17 passes for 157 yards and 3 TDs, while tucking and running for 51 yards on 7 carries and 2 TDs. He spread the ball around to four different receivers. Meanwhile, seven different Pioneers carried the ball for 231 yards and a combined 6 rushing TDs.
Watauga enjoys a bye week next, then goes on the road for three consecutive games beginning with at Erwin (Asheville) on Sept. 19 (7 p.m.), at Asheville on Sept. 26 (7:30 p.m.), and opening Northwestern Conference play at Freedom (Morganton), on Oct. 3 (7:30 p.m.).
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter
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- WAT: TD Pass, Cade Keller to Nyle Peays, 29 yards, PAT by Miller Hankins is good (7-0)
- WAT: TD Pass, Cade Keller to Evan Burroughs, 29 yards, PAT by Miller Hankins is good (14-0)
- MA: TD Pass, Ahmad Francis to Zach Goins, 41 yards, PAT by No. 88 is good (14-7)
2nd Quarter
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- WAT: TD Run, Everett Gryder, 6 yards, PAT by Miller Hankins is good (21-7)
- WAT: TD Run, Cade Keller, 7 yards, PAT by Miller Hankins is good (28-7)
- WAT: TD Run, Cade Keller, 5 yards, PAT by Miller Hankins is good (35-7)
- WAT: TD Run, Evan Burroughs, 3 yards, PAT by Miller Hankins is good (42-7)
3rd Quarter
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- WAT: TD Pass, Cade Keller to Kyle Williams, 19 yards, PAT kick by Cameron Nance, FAILED, 48-7)
4th Quarter
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- WAT: TD Run, Merrix Oakes, 11 yards, PAT by Cameron Nance is good (55-7)
- WAT: TD Run, Easton Burns, 4 yards, PAT by Cameron Nance is BLOCKED (61-7)
INDIVIDUAL WATAUGA GAME STATS (unofficial)
Passing
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- Cade Keller: 9-of-17, 157 yards, 3 TDS, no INTs
Receiving
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- Evan Burroughs, 3 catches, 64 yards, 1 TD
- Nyle Peays, 3 catches, 57 yards, 1 TD
- Kyle Williams, 1 catch, 19 yards, 1 TD
- Tyler Leyshon, 1 catch, 10 yards
Rushing
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- Matthew Leon, 9 carries, 74 yards
- Everett Gryder, 11 carries, 61 yards, 1 TD
- Cade Keller: 7 carries, 51 yards, 2 TDs
- Brayson Gough, 3 carries, 20 yards
- Merrix Oakes, 1 carry, 11 yards, 1 TD
- Evan Burroughs, 2 carries, 10 yards, 1 TD
- Easton Burns, 1 carry, 4 yards, 1 TD
BONUS PHOTOS (all photos by Jared Everett for High Country Sports. Click on any image for larger size and SLIDE SHOW mode)
