By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A 5-run outburst in the first inning by visiting Cuthbertson proved to be all the visitors needed to overwhelm host Watauga on May 9, 7-3, in the first round of the North Carolina state playoff tournament.

With Watauga’s sophomore pitching ace J T Cook on the mound, Cuthbertson junior right fielder Blake McKinney sliced a a 1-out double to the fence in the left field corner, just inside the foul line. That got things started for the Cavaliers and senior Thomas Paxton followed, patiently watching a low, 3-2 pitch by Cook just miss the inside corner to draw a walk.

Cook seemed to recover with a strikeout of junior Tyler Potts for the second out, but when McKinney stole third base and Paxton stole second, the Cavaliers suddenly had two runners in scoring position should the next batter, junior Calvin Douglas, come through with any kind of a hit.

Douglas came through for the visitors, ripping a single to center that scored both runners, the relay throw from the outfield arriving just a bit too late to catch the speedy Paxton diving across the plate.

Watauga looked to get out of the inning when Cuthbertson’s Ryan Greenspan knocked a grounder toward third, but a double fielding error — one by third baseman Cooper Riddle and another by first baseman David Pastusic — allowed Douglas to advance to third and then find home for the Cavaliers’ third run of the opening frame. The sequence also allowed Greenspan to put himself in scoring position by claiming second base.

Senior Ty Fratarolli put runners on the corners for Cuthbertson with a line drive single to left, the third base coach stopping Greenspan at third.

Their caution paid off on the next batter. After Fratarolli took advantage of having a teammate on third and stole second to put himself in scoring position on any kind of hit, senior Mark Salicco ripped a double to the gap in right field, plating both Greenspan and Fratarolli.

A fly out to centerfielder Johnny Ray ended the inning, but the Cavaliers had gotten all they would need in offensive production to win the day and move on to Round 2 against either No. 4 seed Hickory Ridge or No. 29, Southwest Guilford.

The Cavaliers added two more insurance runs in the second inning and that early offensive production, along with solid pitching by NC State-bound junior Tristan Potts and no errors by the Cuthbertson defense won the day for the visitors.

The Pioneers manufactured two runs in the bottom half of the 6th inning when Jameson Hodges led off with a line drive to the centerfield gap and sophomore shortstop Maddox Greene followed with a single to put runners at first and second (Hodges unable to advance on the play). Jacob Dilley loaded the bases with a shallow single to right that advanced the runners, then Tristan Salinas lifted a long fly ball to left, with Hodges tagging up and running home for the Pioneers’ first run on the sacrifice fly.

Greene was held up at second, but the speedster was able to score when Riddle singled to left. Potts wiggled out of the inning without any further damage, the score now 7-2.

Watauga got another leadoff double in the bottom of the 7th inning when Cook hammered a double to the fence in center, yielding to pinch runner Evan Burroughs. After waiting through two strikeouts, Burroughs raced home when Greene laced a grounder through the infield to left for the Pioneers’ final run.

In picking up the win, Potts’ recorded 102 pitches. Cook was credited with the loss for the Pioneers.

Key Performers

• WAT – Cooper Riddle 1-3, 1 RBI
• WAT – Maddox Greene 2-4, 1 run scored, 1 RBI
• WAT – Tristan Salinas 0-2, 1 RBI, Sac Fly
• WAT – J T Cook, 3-3, 2B
• WAT – Jameson Hodges 1-3, 1 run scored, 2B
• CUT – Blake McKinney 1-3, 1 run scored, 2B, SB
• CUT – Thomas Paxton 1-2, 2 runs scored, 1 RBI
• CUT – Calvin Douglas 1-1, 1 run scored, 2 RBIs, 3 walks, SB
• CUT – Ty Fratarolli 2-4, 1 run scored, SB
• CUT – Mark Salicco 2-4, 2 RBIs, 2B

North Carolina 4A Playoffs, West Bracket, Round 1 Scores

• No. 1 T C Roberson 16, No. 32 Lake Norman 0
• No. 17 Southeast Guilford 7, No. 16 Asheville 3
• No. 8 Hopewell 4, No. 25 Glenn 3
• No. 24 South Caldwell 4, No 9 Butler 0
• No. 5 Weddington 14, No. 28 Moore 2
• No. 12 Myers Park 7, No. 21 Hough 5
• No. 20 Cuthbertson 7, No. 13 Watauga 3
• No. 4 Hickory Ridge 14, Southwest Guilford 2
• No. 3 Northwest Guildford 9, No. 30 Marvin Ridge 8
• No. 14 West Forsyth 5, No. 19 Charlotte Catholic 4
• No. 6 Alexander Central 16, No. 27 A.C. Reynolds 11
• No. 11 Providence 3, No. 22 Porter Ridge 0
• No. 7 Ardrey Kell 6, No. 26 Sun Valley 0
• No. 10 Reagan 1, No. 23 South Mecklenburg 0
• No. 18 Davie 12, No. 15 Ragsdale 1
• No. 2 East Forsyth 8, No. 31 Olympic 3

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It is a dream come true and Watauga High School senior Grant Morrison will soon be living it.

On May 5, in front of friends, family, coaches and faculty members, Morrison signed a commitment letter to play college basketball at Southern Wesleyan University, a private, 4-year school (enrollment: 1,300) in Central, South Carolina. SWU is a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association and Conference Carolinas, competing in athletics at the NCAA Division II level. Current members of Conference Carolinas include Barton, Belmont Abbey, Chowan, Converse, Emmanuel, Erskine, Francis Marion, King, Lees-McRae, Mount Olive, UNC Pembroke, North Greenville and Southern Wesleyan.

“A very small percentage of student athletes get to compete in their sport after high school,” said Watauga head men’s basketball coach Bryson Payne. “Not everybody has seen the extra work that Grant has put in to get to this point. It is shooting the ball at every gym he could get into, whether out at Mabel School or Watauga High School, among others. It takes a lot of work that Grant has done, behind the scenes. We do a lot of stuff here, at the high school, with workouts and skill development, but there were many nights when he has worked on his own and with help from his father, rebounding for him.”

Payne recounted Morrison’s senior year stats, which was significant considering the abbreviated time his sophomore year due to COVID-19 and a hand injury his junior year.

• 13.4 average points per game
• 334 total points
• 45.9% effective field goal percent
• 34% from behind the 3-point arc
• A total of 38 3-pointers
• 4.1 average rebounds per game
• 104 total rebounds
• 1.7 average assists per game
• 43 total assists
• Average 1 steal per game
• 25 total steals
• Took 2 charges

Payne stated that rebounding was a particular area of emphasis for Morrison in his senior year.

“We told him that if he wanted to play at the next level he was going to have to get more physical and get on the glass. He made a big jump,” said Payne. “We are building a program here and Grant has had a significant role in that.”

A Northwestern Conference all-conference selection, Payne added that Morrison was co-MVP of the Watauga team in 2022-23.

“We haven’t had a student athlete from Watauga go on to play basketball at the next level for several years,” said Payne. “He is not only a good athlete. He is also a good person.”

Watauga head track and field coach Mike Neff also offered some thoughts on Morrison’s transition to playing basketball at the next level, including some amusing anecdotes.

“I met Grant before he played basketball in high school, when he would play some pickup games with us as a middle school student,” said Neff. “That was when I could look down on Grant, which was a lot more fun… I have had a chance to watch Grant grow as a basketball player, literally, and as a good young man.

“Grant is an important piece of our track team this year,” Neff added. “He ran in middle school and he came out this year, too, for the high school. He scored points in three of the four events in which he competed in the Northwestern Conference meet the other day.”

In speaking with High Country Sports about his decision, Morrison stressed two considerations: location and coaching.

“It’s down in South Carolina, near Clemson University, so in one sense I will get both the small school experience and even the big school feel,” said Morrison. “But I really like the coaching staff at Southern Wesleyan. It felt like home as soon as I stepped on campus.”

Morrison said he was still undecided about an academic major but added there is strong desire to teach physical education and become a basketball coach.