By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — At least part of what was being raised as a county commissioner campaign controversy turned out to be a non-issue on Oct. 24 when representatives of High Country Press and High Country Sports independently measured the length of the Watauga Community Recreation Center’s swimming pool.
It had been widely asserted that the pool was 2.5 to 2.75 inches longer than the advertised 25 yards, so beyond the acceptable tolerance for sanctioned events. After Sam Garrett, owner of High Country Press and a Rec Center member measured the pool under the watchful eye of Rec Center Aquatics Director Kyle Disney and David Rogers, owner and publisher of High Country Sports, they determined that it was 25 yards and one-half inch in length.
“We measured from the intersection of the black tees on the pool walls, under the water’s surface, on both ends,” said Garrett, “and I suspect that the extra half-inch is due to a little bit of slack in the measuring tape over that 75 feet distance as it ran through the water. So the length of the pool appears to be spot on. Those black tees are where competitive swimmers make their turns.
Sam Garrett, owner of High Country Press, prepares to measure the swimming pool at the Watauga Community Recreation Center in Boone. Photo by David Rogers
“When someone comes to us with these sorts of claims,” Garrett added, “especially trying to make it an election issue, we cannot take their word for it. We need to independently very those claims. If our measurements had come out with that same 2.5 to 2.75 discrepancy, too, then we would have hired a contractor to certify the pool’s actual length.”
While the pool’s length is now a non-issue, there remains a question of what to do about the tennis courts on the north side of the Rec Center, outside. Apparently, the facility designers and contractors did not allow for enough space between the courts, nor in back of the service lines or between the side fences and the courts.
The tennis court issue was brought before the currently sitting board of commissioners on Oct. 18, by local resident Cary Davenport during the public comment portion of the meeting.
Davenport and his wife, Bridget, are now retired in the High Country, but report that they have previously owned and managed large health clubs and recreation centers in the Chicago area. Davenport said that he had played competitive tennis for more than 50 years and the Rec Center courts are not safe. They represent a liability to the County, he said.
“The way these courts are now,” Davenport explained to High Country Sports after the commissioners meeting, “you can’t have sanctioned tennis events because the venue is not safe. That is troubling because part of how this facility was sold to taxpayers is that it would be an economic driver for area businesses, as well as generate sales and occupancy tax revenue through the hosting of tennis tournaments and other competitions, including swimming and basketball. Frankly, given the measurement issues in the tennis courts, every playing area in the center should be measured and certified for its accuracy.”
High Country Sports will have a future report on the tennis court issue after speaking with county officials and other local business interests.
By David Rogers. MORGANTON, N.C. — If ever a high school men’s soccer team heeded a head coach’s pre-game exultations, there was none better than Oct. 24 at the Catawba River Soccer Complex. Northwestern Conference leader Watauga dominated host Freedom, 6-1.
Just moments before the Pioneers took the field, head coach Josh Honeycutt reminded his players that it was Freedom’s “Senior Night.”
The Freedom goalkeeper dives for a ball headed into the net on Oct. 24. Watauga won, 6-1. Photo by David Rogers
“They are winless in conference play,” said Honeycutt. “They have nothing to play for except pride and they would like nothing better than to upset the league leader, Watauga, on their Senior Night. We have a target on our backs. So go out there and put this game away early and keep your feet on the accelerator.”
And they did just that. Barely a minute had gone by when senior striker Emmit Coffey pushed the ball in front of a Patriot defender near midfield and dribbled at a full sprint toward the goal with the defender in hot pursuit. Just inside the penalty box, the Patriot backline player made an ungainly tackle attempt that sent Coffey sprawling — but a penalty kick was Coffey’s just reward. Senior midfielder Luke Hunter sent the PK scooting past the goalkeeper and into the net, Watauga taking an early, 1-0 lead.
The Pioneers dominated possession from the start and disrupted the Patriots’ opportunities at every turn. Only another couple of minutes had gone by when junior midfielder Micah Duvall dribbled down the left sideline, edged toward the goal, and delivered a crossing kick that was pounded into the upper reaches of the net by Stryker Ward on one-touch contact with the ball.
From there, the rout was on, punctuated by more first half goals by Coffey and Nathan Bishop, and second half exclamation points into the net by Bishop and Andrew Hill.
Afterward, Honeycutt observed, “We did our jobs from the beginning. We controlled possession and pressed on defense. I couldn’t be prouder of this team’s performance tonight.”
Emmit Coffey is tackled awkwardly from behind in the penalty box, leading to Watauga’s early first score on a Luke Hunter penalty kick. Photo by David Rogers
Considering that the Catawba River Soccer Complex proved an awkward venue for a league match on Freedom’s Senior Night, the game between Freedom and Watauga was mishap free. Adjacent fields were host to pee-wee flag football games and other youth soccer contests, with whistles galore and easily audible. Somehow, the Patriots and the Pioneers were able to ignore the unrelated whistles, especially considering that a Freedom drum corps, talented as they were, pounded the sounds of percussion throughout the match, just a few feet from the field and between the two grandstands. The combination of random whistles that could have potentially interrupted play and the beat-beat-beat, rata-tat-tat of the drums made for a surreal playing environment for a league match.
Next up for Watauga (10-8-1 overall, 8-1 Northwestern Conference) is a home finale to the regular season against Ashe County (9-9-3, 1-6-2), before the beginning of the state playoffs. That Senior Night match is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 26, with varsity kickoff slated for 6 p.m. In the previous meeting of the regional rivals, Watauga edged the Huskies on Oct. 10, 3-2.
Kai Suyao (5) follows the ball after pushing past a Freedom defender, with Stryker Ward (2) in support, Oct. 24, in Watauga’s Northwestern Conference match against Freedom at Catawba River Soccer Complex. Photo by David Rogers
By David Rogers. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A more diverse offensive attack that spread the ball around to several previously “hidden” playmakers might well be just what the pro football doctor ordered for the Carolina Panthers. In spite of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ future Hall of Fame QB Tom Brady passing for 290 yards (32-of-49) with no interceptions, the Carolina defense bent but did not break as the Panthers won, 21-3.
Appalachian State alum Steve Wilks earned his first win as interim head coach of the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 23, a decisive 21-3 defeat of NFC South rival, Tampa Bay. Photo by Chanelle Smith-Walker, courtesy of the Carolina Panthers
It has been a tumultuous past couple of weeks for the Panthers. First the firing of head coach Matt Ruhle after a 1-4 start to his third season at the helm, then there was the dispatch of fleet wide receiver Robbie Anderson to the Arizona Cardinals after some sideline discord involving his position coach. The final stunner was the Oct. 20 announcement of the team’s trading star running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a boatload of future draft picks. That transaction had fans, talking heads, and newspaper pundits thinking the organization had already given up on the 2022 season. Surely, the Panthers were in rebuilding mode, some even saying out loud that the organization was “tanking” to possibly secure a top first round draft pick in 2023.
Someone forgot to tell the Panther players and coaches that they were supposed to lose from here on out with their fourth quarterback, an “interim” head coach, a wide receiver corps with only one big name, and a depleted running back room.
Carolina Panthers wide receiver DJ Moore stayed inbounds long enough to complete this TD catch against Tampa Bay on Oct. 23. Photo by Jacob Kupferman for the Associated Press, courtesy of the Carolina Panthers
In defeating the Buccaneers, Carolina’s D’Onta Foreman rushed for 118 yards on 15 carries while collecting a couple of pass receptions for another 27 yards for a total of 145 scrimmage yards on the day. Oklahoma State alum Chuba Hubbard, now in his second year in the NFL after being drafted by the Panthers in 2021, added another 73 scrimmage yards (63 rushing). The duo helped Carolina to 343 yards of total offense on the day. For his part, Foreman has a good start on replicating what he did for the Tennessee Titans last year in “filling in” for an injured Derrick Henry. Now he is replacing another star running back gone bye-bye, McCaffrey.
Quarterback P J Walker — the former undrafted free agent out of Temple signed by the Indianapolis Colts in 2017, and who later starred with the Houston Roughnecks of the upstart XFL league in 2020 — completed 16 of 22 passes for two TDs and no interceptions.
In a game with few penalties, no turnovers by either team, and nearly dead even in time of possession, the point differential is somewhat surprising. It is perhaps best explained by saying that Carolina capitalized on its opportunities and Tampa Bay didn’t — thanks largely to the Panthers’ punishing defensive efforts.
The Carolina Panthers’ defense put pressure on Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady all afternoon, including this sack by defensive lineman Frankie Luvu. Photo by Rusty Jones, Associated Press, courtesy of Carolina Panthers
Although Brady and the Bucs rolled up a lot of yards through the air without scoring, the Panthers were efficient. Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans caught nine passes for 96 yards, one of four Buccaneers with at least 39 receiving yards, but nothing to show for it. Meanwhile, Carolina’s D J Moore caught 7 passes for 69 yards and a TD. Young tight end Tommy Tremble only caught one pass for 29 yards, but it was for a TD. And promising wide receiver Terrace Marshall, Jr. brought his season alive with two catches for 31 yards.
After giving interim head coach Steve Wilks, who played defensive back for App State from 1987 to 1991, his first win of the season, the Panthers head to Atlanta next week to play the Falcons in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
By Bobby Neal. BOONE, N.C. — App State field hockey fired away 24 shots on Senior Day and defeated Queens 10-1.
This was the seventh straight win for the Mountaineers (11-5, 4-2 MAC), which ties the second-longest winning streak in program history, set during the team’s second season (1969). The longest streak was set the year before when App State rattled off 11 straight wins during its first season (1968).
App State’s 10 goals were also the second-most in program history. The Mountaineers scored 13 in a shutout win over Clemson in 1977.
Six different Mountaineers got on the board, including Sarah Farrell, Pauline Mangold and Bridget Donovan, who each had two goals.
Farrell set the tone for the afternoon in the 10th minute with a goal, the assist credited to Friederike Stegen. A graduate student midfielder from Germany, Stegen assisted four of App State’s 10 goals, a career high for a single game despite already owning the career-assist record at App State, now with 30.
The Royals (0-12) scored the game’s second goal two minutes later, but App State immediately responded with a goal from Mangold to close the first period. Mangold now has 20 points on the season, earned by six goals and eight assists.
App State owned the last three periods of the game. Rachel Fleig assisted Charlotte Bosma five minutes into the second to increase the lead to two before Anna Smarrelli scored on a corner play that was assisted by Mangold and Allison Corey.
Just before the half, Donovan notched her first goal of the game to make the score 5-1 at halftime.
Midway through the third, App State saw two back-to-back goals from Fleig and Lise Boekaar. The first goal was assisted by Stegen and the next was assisted by Donovan.
Farrell tallied her second goal at the end of the third period on a play that Corey and Carli Ciocco assisted. Ciocco now has 11 assists this season, trailing Bridgette Burkhardt by one for the all-time single-season assists record at App State. Burkhardt assisted 12 goals during the 2003 season.
In the fourth period, Grace Ball notched her first assist of the season to Mangold who scored the Mountaineers’ ninth goal. Donovan brought App State to double-digits in the final minutes by way of Boekaar’s assist.
This was the ninth game this season that Addie Clark and the defense allowed one goal or fewer. The senior goalkeeper played the entire fourth period alongside her sister, Ruby Clark, in the backfield, allowing no goals on one shot. Corey and Ball played the entire game on the defensive end, holding back the Royals.
Ines Yofre also had a significant contribution in the midfield, starting and playing 20 minutes for the Black & Gold.
App State will finish its regular season on the road next weekend as the final MAC Tournament standings will be determined. The Mountaineers will visit Ohio (8-8, 3-3 MAC) on Friday afternoon before traveling to Davidson (4-13, 0-6 A-10) on Sunday afternoon.
By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — In their most dominant offensive performance of the season, App State closed out the home season with a 3-1 victory over Louisiana, clinching a berth in the Sun Belt Tournament.
Katie Fuller scored two first half goals for the App State (6-7-4, 5-4-0), and Izzi Wood put the game away with a second half tally, her sixth of the season.
Fuller’s first goal was scored in the 30th minute when she headed home a cross from Breckyn Monteith, who collected an assist for the second straight match. Then, less than a minute before halftime, Fuller connected on a second header, this time it came off a service from Stephanie Barbosa. The goals were Fuller’s second and third of the campaign.
Wood’s goal came on a thru ball from Emma McGibany, who picked up her first assist of the season.
Louisiana (3-8-5, 2-5-2) broke up the shutout in the 74th minute on a breakaway goal from Megan Bradley.
App State controlled the majority of the match, out-shooting the Ragin’ Cajuns 16-8. Wood led the way with seven shots, including four on target, on the way to their third straight win.
App State will travel to San Marcos, where they will face Texas State in their regular season finale, Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+.
The Sun Belt Tournament begins October 31 in Foley, Ala. If App State is able to secure a top-six finish in the conference, they will earn a first-round bye, and advance into the quarterfinals of the tournament.
By David Rogers. KERNERSVILLE, N.C. — With 9th and 10th place finishes, respectively, Grady Gates and Andres Roman helped the Watauga Middle School cross country team to a strong performance on Oct. 22, at the Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in the 2022 North Carolina Middle School State Meet.
Gates (11:35.97) and Roman (11:45.37) led a strong Watauga team that officially finished 8th out of 13 teams, but three of those finishing ahead were club teams rather than school teams and a fourth “team” was comprised of all the top unattached individual athletes. Although only the top five runners on a team contribute to the team score, Watauga only had a team of six competing instead of the seven allowed.
In all, 98 boys competed in the state meet, from 20 schools and clubs.
Also finishing in the top half of the field for Watauga was Brian Newmark (46th, 12:52.14)
By David Rogers. KERNERSVILLE, N.C. — A pair of seventh graders served as bookends to eight graders on Oct. 22, at the Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville, and Watauga’s Cali Townsend was one of those top finishers.
While seventh grader Kaitlin Estep, running for club team Without Limits Triangle, finished the two-mile cross country course in 11:51.58 to take top honors, Watauga’s own middle school seventh grade threat, Cali Townsend, captured fourth place out of 88 runners — just 13 seconds out of the state title position, in 12:04.35. In between were two eighth graders, Caitlin Kasten running unattached in 11:55.98 and Tatum Snow (12:01.30), representing High Point Blaze, another club team.
Other top finishers for Watauga in the girls division included Maggie Visser (20th, 13:10.57), sixth grader Sophia Stull (24th, 13:11.49), Lily Kimbrough (29th, 13:26.22), Lainey Johnston (33rd, 13:38.56) and Noelle Bollman (34th, 13:39.85). Rounding out the top Watauga runners was Carrie Bradbury (46th, 14:06.95).
Of the North Carolina middle school teams competing, Watauga placed second behind Marvin Ridge Middle School, although fourth overall behind Without Limits Triangle (1st), Marvin Ridge (2nd), and Run Cabarraus (3rd). While a number of individuals competed that were not affiliated with a team, Watauga was one of 19 full teams competing.
By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE, N.C. – The App State volleyball team capped the weekend with its second 3-0 (25-21, 25-10, 25-20) sweep of Marshall on Oct. 22. The afternoon match marked the Mountaineers’ sixth consecutive win, now 13-8 (6-4 om SBC) on the season.
“We played really good volleyball this weekend and we played as a unit,” said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. “We were locked in and we get better every time we put the uniform on. I love coaching this team.”
Match Details
Sophomore Lulu Ambrose led the Mountaineers once again in kills, recording 12 on the afternoon and was followed by senior McCall Denny, who posted 10. Denny, junior Sophie Cain and freshman Alyssa McBean each served up two aces. McBean led the team in digs with 12, and senior Sam Bickley recorded 18 assists. In the blocks category, senior Sarah Missroon, junior Madison Baldridge, and freshman Maya Winterhoff totaled two blocks each.
App State outpaced Marshall in points (50-38), kills (38-30), aces (8-2), assists (34-28), and digs (38-31).
App State took an early 3-1 lead in the first set after back-to-back kills from Denny and a kill from Dombrowski. The Mountaineers went on a 4-0 scoring run, building off kills from Dombrowski and Missroon and two Marshall errors to lead 7-2. Another kill from Missroon, a kill from Ambrose and three errors from the Herd put App State up 12-5. The Mountaineers kept a steady lead through the remainder of the set, despite the Herd finding momentum. Late in the set, Marshall recorded a five-point run to cut App State’s lead to one (22-21). After two errors from Marshall, Ambrose took the set for App State, 25-21, with a kill.
App State jumped to an early 4-1 lead to start the second set before Marshall caught up to tie things up at 4-4. A kill from Denny broke the tie and was followed by a Marshall error and ace from Cain to push the score to 7-4, in favor of App State. The Mountaineers built off a 3-0 run that included back-to-back kills from Ambrose and an ace from McBean to lead 11-6. The Mountaineers found momentum with a 4-0 run that included kills from Winterhoff, junior Meghan Dombrowski, and Denny to put App State up 18-9. Marshall mustered one last kill before the Black and Gold capped the set with a 7-0 run, taking the second set 25-10.
In the third and final set, App State came back from a 2-0 deficit with a 4-0 run that included a kill and ace from Winterhoff and a kill from Denny. After going point-for-point, App State broke a 9-9 tie with a kill from Ambrose, which was promptly followed by a kill from Winterhoff, error from Marshall, and block from Dombrowski and Winterhoff to extend the home team’s lead to 13-9. The Mountaineers built off another 4-0 run to take an 18-11 lead. Kills from Ambrose and Dombrowski put App State up 23-18, and a kill from Winterhoff put the Mountaineers within reach of set and match point (24-19). App State took the third and final set, 25-20, and the match, 3-0.
Up Next
The Mountaineers will set out on their final regular season road trip as they travel to Norfolk, Va. to take on Old Dominion on Oct. 28 and 29. Friday’s match is set for 6:30 p.m. and Saturday’s match will be at 1 p.m.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — At this point, it is anybody’s guess as to which teams will be vying for the Sun Belt Conference Championship in early December. Upsets in a couple of key matchups raised havoc among the early contenders.
Marshall (4-3 overall, 1-2 in Sun Belt) put more doubt in James Madison’s (5-2, 3-2) inaugural FBS season’s “Cinderella story” with a 26-12 win over the Dukes. The Thundering Herd was led by Khalan Laborn’s 151 yards rushing on 30 carries, with 2 TDs, while wide receiver Corey Gammage hauled in 5 passes for 107 yards and a TD.
Meanwhile, Georgia Southern (5-3, 2-2) breathed new life into its title hopes by upsetting Old Dominion (3-4, 2-1), 28-23. The Eagles’ Jalen White ran for 138 yards and a TD in carrying the ball 30 times, while Gerald Green added 91 yards rushing on 12 carries. Georgia Southern won in spite of Old Dominion’s Hayden Wolff completing 23 of 40 passes for 328 yards and a TD.
While Coastal Carolina has the weekend off before its Oct. 29 trip to West Virginia to play Marshall, then host Appalachian State on Nov. 3 in another nationally televised game on ESPN, the Chanticleers currently sit nervously atop the Sun Belt East Division standings with a 3-1 SBC record. Close behind is Old Dominion (2-1) and James Madison (3-2), but Georgia Southern (2-2) and Appalachian State (2-2) may still have something to say about who becomes the East Division representative if they can win out, depending on the leaders’ mix of wins and losses for the rest of the 2022 campaign.
In the Sun Belt West Division, Troy (4-1) is the decisive leader to date, but Southern Miss and South Alabama also only have one conference loss, both with 2-1 conference records. At 2-2, Louisiana may still be in the hunt, but needs to win out and get some help in handing losses to the leaders.
To date, only Coastal Carolina and Troy have the required six wins to become bowl eligible, although Georgia Southern and James Madison in the East and South Alabama in the West are just one win away.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Foregone conclusions are not permitted in athletic competition. That’s why they play the games. And yet, after twice sweeping Alexander Central in the regular season, Watauga’s 3-0 sweep (25-15, 25-14, 25-20) of the Cougars in the first round of the NCHSAA 4A state volleyball tournament may have been expected by the many Pioneer fans in Lentz Eggers Gym.
An interesting tidbit in this matchup was that Alexander Central drew the proverbial first blood (first point) in each of the three sets. Especially in the first two sets, the Cougars battled evenly with the Pioneers in the early going, even securing a 9-9 tie in the second frame. But each time Watauga would pull away behind some combination of good service runs, effective setting, forceful kill shots and good ball placement.
Watauga’s Brooke Scheffler (20) and teammate Kate McCullough (11) go up for a block against Alexander Central’s Kenzie Church (11) on Oct. 22 in the first round of the North Carolina 4A state playoffs. The Pioneers swept the Cougars, 3-0, at Lentz Eggers Gym. Photo by David Rogers
“It is always hard to beat a good team three times in any given season,” said Watauga head coach Kim Pryor after the match. “Teams grow and develop as a season progresses. We never come into a match expecting to win because we have to have our focus and be prepared. Alexander Central is a great ball control team, so being on top of our game was vitally important.”
Although Watauga has been without a couple of team members because of illness, the depth of the Pioneer roster was clearly evident against the Cougars. Pryor employed several player combinations throughout the match and both the individual and team performances rarely slipped.
Watauga outside hitter Brooklyn Stanbery (12) powers a kill shot past Alexander Central blockers on Oct. 22, during the Pioneers’ first round matchup against the Cougars in the NCHSAA 4A state volleyball tournament. Watauga went on to win, 3-0, at Lentz Eggers Gym to advance to Round 2 on Oct. 25, when they will face No. 18 Mallard Creek. Photo by David Rogers
“We do have a lot of depth,” said Pryor. “We have a lot of girls who can step in at any time.”
One of the more impressive performances among the individual Pioneers against Alexander Central was by libero Kenzie Baldwin, who recorded 25 digs in the three sets.
“I feel like at times there are balls I can’t get to, but today I gave it my all to get to those balls hit in my general direction,” said Baldwin, afterwards. “At this point in the season, in the playoffs, that’s what we need to be doing, giving our all no matter what game it is and what role we are playing. I like it when balls get hit to me. ”
Brooke Scheffler’s performance included a “triple-double” with 18 kills, 15 assists and 15 digs, reflecting her remarkable versatility.
Watauga senior libero Kenzie Baldwin digs a ball hit by Alexander Central, keeps it in play, and readied to be set for an outside hitter on Oct. 22 at Lentz Eggers Gym, in the first round of the NCHSAA 4A state volleyball tournament. Watauga defeated the Cougars, 3-0, to advance to an Oct. 25 second round date with No. 18 Mallard Creek, which upset No. 15 Charlotte Catholic, 3-2. Photo by David Rogers
“I am not like Kenzie in that not all balls are hit to me, but I do get the touches because of being a setter. Being able to get those reps in at setter, because I had never been in that role before this year, has really helped me grow throughout the season. I continue to focus on getting better at the position,” said Scheffler. “I want to put up a good ball.”
Scheffler offered kudos for Alexander Central, saying, “They have some really good, all-around versatile players. I don’t remember every time we played them this year, but they definitely came up today and were firing away. They want to win, too, and we have a target on our backs.”
Watauga’s Madi Combs had a team high 3 service aces during the NCHSAA 4A West first round match with Alexander Central. The No. 2 seeded Pioneers won, 3-0, over the No. 31 seeded Cougars. Photo by David Rogers
Watauga was awarded the No. 2 seed in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s 4A West bracket, behind No. 1 seed Reagan High School, of Pfafftown. By advancing into the second round, the Pioneers will host No. 18-seeded Mallard Creek on Oct. 25. The Mavericks upset No. 15 Charlotte Catholic, 3-2, in a first round match in Charlotte on Saturday.
