By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — More than doubling the offensive production of an opponent while controlling possession twice as long is usually a good formula for winning football games. Watauga’s Pioneers did just that on Oct. 21, defeating a large, athletic Freedom High School contingent, 49-14, at Jack Groce Stadium. With the win, Watauga leaves little doubt that they deserve at least a share of the Northwestern Conference championship in 2022 — with one regular season fixture remaining to potentially secure sole claim to the conference title.

It was Senior Night in Boone, a packed grandstand filled with well-wishers for an accomplished senior class of football players, as well as members of the marching band, cheerleading squad, and Pacers dance team. Emotions ran high, with buoyant smiles and tearful eyes recognizing the precious moments heralding the life changes a-coming for the young men and women of the Class of 2023.

For some high school football teams, the Senior Night festivities might prove to be distractions from the task at hand. That wasn’t the case for Watauga, which took care of business early and often against the Patriots. Behind a punishing ground attack and a forceful defense, the Pioneers jumped out to a 35-0 lead at intermission and put an exclamation point on their dominance late in the third quarter, triggering the “mercy rule” running clock at 42-0 before letting their feet ease off the throttle by playing second tier and younger team members.

“Some teams like to run up the score and produce more impressive stats,” acknowledged Pioneer head coach Ryan Habich, after the game. “That isn’t us. We didn’t want to let Freedom stay close because you can see the many good athletes they have. But with a big lead, we want to get our younger backups in. They come to the same practices and put in the same work as the starters and deserve the chance to perform on the field. Plus, that gameday experience helps them develop. We may need them this year when it is time for ‘next man up,’ and at the very least their playing now provides a foundation for next year.”

As North Carolina high schools head into a final regular season weekend before the state playoffs, Watauga left little doubt that it deserves a shot at least a shot at the 4A state title with its decisive win over Freedom. Rolling up 467 yards of total offense, including 395 yards rushing while limiting the Patriots to just 202 yards of offense is certainly persuasive enough, but controlling possession of the ball for 32:00 and allowing Freedom just 15:26 speaks well of both the Pioneers’ offense and defense.

By game’s end, Watauga had two rushers over the century mark behind an impressive offensive line performance. Senior Will Curtis carried the ball 22 times for 137 yards, including four touchdowns, and sophomore QB Maddox Greene rambled 113 yards on 11 carries, with one TD. Senior wingback Trey Thompson didn’t get into the end zone on this night, but contributed significantly to the Pioneers’ early dominance with 12 carries for 66 yards rushing. In that critical second half, senior running back Josh Bollinger added 7 carries and 57 yards to all but complete Watauga’s rushing production.

Of significance in this matchup, the Pioneer defense produced three turnovers, including two recoveries of forced fumbles as well as a pass interception by Morgan Henry on the second play of the third quarter. The two fumble recoveries by the Pioneers occurred on sacks of Patriot QB Landon Cox. On Freedom’s opening possession, Watauga defensive end Brody Martin was credited with the forced fumble that was recovered by Jackson Pryor at the WAT 49-yardline. Later in the first half, Cox was sacked on 1st and 10 by Watauga’s Jackson Lang, the fumble recovered by Morgan Henry.

In a final league test to close out the regular season on Oct. 28, Watauga will take on an always dangerous Ashe County team in West Jefferson. The Pioneers dispatched the Huskies, 55-21, in a final non-conference tilt on Sept. 16, but a more seasoned Ashe County defending their home turf could prove troublesome for Watauga.

“They have a high-powered offense and Coach (Brian) Hampton always throws defensive schemes at us that we haven’t seen,” said Habich of his upcoming opponent,” so this will be a challenge for us. Plus, they are more familiar with playing on their natural grass field.”

After defeating a 4A rival, South Caldwell on Oct. 21 in a 56-48 shootout, the 3A-level Huskies’ offense may well prove a test for Watauga. Look for the Pioneers to control possession with its vaunted rushing attack to keep Ashe County’s offense off the field. And when they are on the field, expect Watauga to be playing “in your face” football, with pressure from the defensive line to disrupt Ashe County’s opportunities.

SCORING SUMMARY

SELECTED TEAM STATS

• • Total Offense – FRE 202, WAT 467
  • Yards Passing – FRE 121, WAT 72
  • Yards Rushing – FRE 81, WAT 395
  • Penalties – FRE 5/50, WAT 7/70
  • Turnovers – FRE 3, WAT 0
    • INTs thrown – FRE 1, WAT 0
    • Fumbles/Lost – FRE 3/2, WAT 0/0
  • Punts/Avg. Distance – FRE 3/34.0, WAT 0/0
  • Time of Possession – FRE 15:26, WAT 32:00
  • 3rd Down Conversions – FRE 1/7, WAT 6/8
  • 4th Down Conversions – FRE 0/2, WAT 1/2

SELECTED INDIVIDUAL STATS

Passing

• • FRE Landon Cox 9-15, 99 yards, 1 INT
  • WAT Maddox Greene 2-6, 37 yards, 1 TD
  • WAT Matthew Habich 1-1, 35 yards, 1 TD
  • FRE Jaylen Barnett 2-2, 22 yards, 1 TD

Rushing

• • WAT Will Curtis 22 carries, 137 yards, 4 TDs
  • WAT Maddox Greene 11 carries, 113 yards, 1 TD
  • FRE Jaylen Barnett 3 carries, 88 yards, 1 TD
  • WAT Trey Thompson 12 carries, 66 yards
  • WAT Josh Bollinger 7 carries, 57 yards

Receiving

• • FRE #18 3 receptions, 59 yards, 1 TD
  • FRE Sacred Baylor 5 receptions, 45 yards
  • WAT Parker Fisher 1 reception, 35 yards, 1 TD
  • WAT Isaiah Shirley, 1 reception, 19 yards
  • WAT Cole Horine, 1 reception, 18 yards, 1 TD

WATAUGA DEFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS

• • Morgan Henry 4.5 tackles, 1 QB sack, 1 tackle for loss, 1 INT
  • Isaiah Shirley 4.5 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss
  • Brody Martin 1 forced fumble
  • Jackson Pryor 1 fumble recovery, 0.5 tackle for loss
  • Jackson Lang 1 forced fumble, 1 sack

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Leading start to finish, Watauga sophomore Will Bradbury crossed the finish line for the Northwestern Conference Cross Country Championships a little more than 30 seconds ahead of second place harrier, Collin Anderson, a Pioneer junior. Bradbury’s 17:04 and Anderson’s 17:35 led a cavalcade of Pioneer runners, including four of the top six finishers and five of the top 10, and eight of the top 15.

In the women’s race, Watauga was even more dominant. Gwendolyn Anderson Brianna Anderson and Savannah Duvall finished 1-2-3, but only Freedom’s Katie Deacon separate the top three from Pioneers Virginia St. Clair, Andriana Rink, Rachel Cathey, and Sullivan McAulay in the 5-6-7-8 positions. To put an exclamation point on the Pioneer dominance, Janie Beach-Verhay crossed the finish line in 10th, giving Watauga eight of the top 10 among the 65 runners representing the six NWC teams.

Watauga’s top two finishers, Anderson and Anderson, were the only athletes to finish the 5000m course under 20 minutes, in 19:48 and 19:59, respectively. It was an accomplishment that head coach Randy MacDonough described as impressive given the weather. Temperatures had plunged in the late afternoon from near 40 to a reported wind chill of 21 degrees Fahrenheit.

Watauga’s men’s team captured first place team honors with 23 points with its top five scoring runners finishing in the top 10. Alexander Central followed in a distant second place, with 77 points, and South Caldwell was third, with 91. The men’s division had 80 runners among the NWC’s six competing teams.

The Pioneer women’s team finished even closer to a perfect team score, with its top five scoring runners all finishing in the top six. Ashe County scored 65 points to finish second and Freedom was third with 73 points.

“I felt goo the entire race,” said top men’s fiinisher Will Bradbury. “It is really important in these cold conditions to get good and warm just before the race.”

Gwndolyn Anderson rushed “to get some clothes on” in the frigid temperatures before talking with High Country Sports and describing her race.

“The Freedom runner went out hard,” said Anderson. “You might even say she out too hard. She was comfortably ahead as she cam through the first mile, but Brianna and I just worked together to reel her in, managing it by the end of the second mile. I passed her going up the hill.”

Watauga now looks to run in the NCHSAA West 5A Regionals event on Oct. 29, hosted by Providence High School at Charlotte’s McAlpine Park. For those who qualify, the North Carolina state meet is Nov. 5, in Kernersville.

INDIVIDUAL MEN’S TOP FINISHERS

1. Will Bradbury, Watauga 17:04
2. Collin Anderson, Watauga 17:35
3. Rylan Sedlacek, Hibriten 17:40
4. Roman Sibaja, Watauga 17:47
5. Colby Anderson, Freedom 17:59
6. Sam Nixon, Watauga 17:59
7. Noah Farmer, Ashe County 18:00
8. Thomas Campbell, Alexander Central 18:07
9. Parker Bowman, South Caldwell 18:16
10. Eilliott Taft, Watauga 18:20
11. Jadent Buchholz, Hibriten 18:28
12. Zachary Zirkle, Alexander Central 18:28
13. Maxwell DePriest, Watauga 18:37
14. Jonah Norris, Watauga 18:37
15. Sam Rex, Watauga 18:38
16. Calvin Zwetsloot, Watauga 18:57
17. Alex Gremmell, Watauga 19:17

Other Watauga men’s team runners included Silas Powell, Santino Wood, Miles Page, Davis Crymes, Kade Maiden, Elijah Healy, and Zeke Walker, all finishing in the top 30.

INDIVIDUAL WOMEN’S FINISHERS

1. Gwendolyn Anderson, Watauga 19:48
2. Brianna Anderson, Watauga 19:59
3. Savannah Duvall, Watauga 20:27
4. Katie Deacon, Freedom 20:51
5. Virginia St. Clair, Watauga 21:03
6. Andriana Rink, Watauga 21: 10
7. Rachel Cathey, Watauga 21:14
8. Sullivan McAulay, Watauga 21:16
9. Sherry Billings, Ashe County  21:19
10. Janie Beach-Verhay, Watauga 21:31
11. Sydney Cate Townsend, Watauga 21:44
12. Leah Kirksey, Freedom 21:59
13. Sadie Buchanan, Watauga 22:00
14. Emily Kania, Freedom 22:01
15. Maddie Bollman, Watauga 22:04
16. Abilene Dollar, Ashe County 22:25
17. Ellary Smith, Watauga 22:30

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Pulling up to the Watauga High School parking lot on Oct. 17, you just knew it was going to be an electric atmosphere in Lentz Eggers Gym for the Northwestern Conference rivalry match between the Pioneers and Ashe County. It was a 3-0 sweep (25-9, 25-16, 25-21) for Watauga on Senior Night, but the entertaining action was well worth the price of admission.

Especially after the Huskies’ junior varsity prevailed over Watauga with a third set tiebreaker in the curtain-raiser contest, the enthusiasm and anticipation among the visiting Ashe County supporters jamming the south grandstands was palpable for a potential varsity upset. And, to their delight, in both of the first two sets the Huskies drew first blood.

But by midway through both sets the Pioneers firmly took control with aggressive playmaking, in attack mode. The Huskies’ greatest offense threat, arguably, is in the form of junior outside hitter, Paige Overcash. With the Pioneers’ attacking kill shots and serves away from Overcash, many of the attempts by the Huskies to keep the ball in play and setup the powerful junior hitter were more off-balance.

“We know Paige is a good hitter,” said Watauga senior outside hitter Faith Watson after the match. “She is very tall and very smart with her hits. We tried to put blocks on her the best we could, to kind of front her. We also knew that she is smart enough to hit around our blocks, so we have been preparing our defense for her all week. We tried to put pressure on their defense, especially on the serve receive, because the harder the ball is to the setter the harder it is for them to get a good set to slam the ball back at us.”

Another senior Pioneer outside hitter, Caroline Farthing provided a slightly different assessment.

“Last time out against Ashe County, they had super good defense and they attacked really well,” said Farthing. “We knew coming in they would be really scrappy in keeping the ball in play and, from what we saw last game, could be really strong on offense. Ashe County is a super confident team. They came into the last match ready for us, very prepared. Tonight, I think we were more prepared than they were. They didn’t find Overcash as much in this match. I don’t know whether it was the serve/receive or what, but they didn’t find her as much until the third set.”

Pioneer head coach Kim Pryor understood the significance of the matchup when she said, “On both sides of the net, there was some high level volleyball being played. I was proud of our girls for being mentally prepared. We attacked from the beginning. When your opponent is attacking hard, it is hard to get the ball to where you want it to go. Because of our attack, it was a game changer in keeping the ball away from Overcash’s kill shots, especially. I am proud of our girls for their attack all they way through. In our last match with Ashe County, we spent a lot of time trying to place the ball. Tonight we just attacked and hit balls with force. It makes it difficult for a team to get their offense going when our offense is so forceful.”

Farthing also put a premium on the proverbial “7th man”, in terms of the gym atmosphere.

“It was a packed house and we really appreciate all the people who came out to support us, especially on Senior Night. And, really, all the Ashe County supporters, too. It made for a great atmosphere with a lot of excitement,” Farthing added.

For all of the Watauga athletes and coaches, this Senior Night was especially emotional.  Pryor held back tears in sharing that Senior Night is the beginning of the end of her time with so many of the young women who have become her friends.

“I have coached so many of these players since they were young girls, just starting out playing volleyball. We have had a lot of shared experiences through the years,” said Pryor.

Now 20-2 overall on the season and an undefeated 10-0 in Northwestern Conference play, the Pioneers will now turn their attention to the state playoffs. According to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association website, the seeding will be announced on Oct 20, with first round play on Oct. 22. There is a high probability that Watauga will be at home for the first round, based on the team’s record.

SELECTED INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATS VS. ASHE COUNTY ON OCT. 17

• • Kenzie Baldwin 10 digs, 2 service aces
  • Evie Robbins 7 digs, 1 service ace
  • Cam Norris 19 assists, 4 digs
  • Faith Watson 4 kills, 1 dig
  • Brooke Scheffler 15 kills, 19 assists, 2 stuff blocks, 8 digs
  • Caroline Farthing 19 kills, 1 stuff block, 2 service aces, 7 digs
  • Sara Marlowe 2 kills, 3 stuff blocks, 1 dig
  • Emma Pastusic 5 kills, 2 stuff blocks, 1 dig

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Whether you call it reversal of fortune or mirrored redemption, the Oct. 17 high school men’s soccer match between Watauga and Alexander Central at Jack Groce Stadium was a “backatcha” moment for the host Pioneers.

After dropping a 3-0 decision to the Cougars on the road in an early season matchup on Sept. 28, the Pioneers returned the “favor” on Oct. 17, defeating the Cougars by the same 3-0 margin.

With the win, Watauga maintains its slim lead over Hibriten for first place in the Northwestern Conference standings. Although the Pioneers hold a slim advantage by virtue of their Oct. 3 defeat of the Panthers at Jack Groce Stadium, any combination of a Pioneer loss and Hibriten running the table and winning out for the remainder of the regular season would reverse the two two teams atop the NWC standings. A critical juncture in the schedule: Oct. 19 when the Pioneers travel to Lenoir to play Hibriten on the Panthers’ home turf.

Against Alexander Central, the teams battled to a 0-0 halftime score, although Watauga arguably won the possession battle even if unable to put the ball in the net. Then, early in the second half, the Pioneers’ junior midfielder Keowen Arguello broke through for the match’s first goal. Junior striker Stryker Ward followed that up with two more goals in the balance of the second half to put the match away.

“We controlled possession the entire game,” said Watauga head coach Josh Honeycutt, “so credit Alexander Central for not allowing us to score in the first half. But we finally found the net in the second half with Arguello’s score, then closed things up with Ward’s two goals.”

Next for the Pioneers is the key Oct. 19 match at Hibriten.

NORTHWESTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS

1. Watauga (6-1 NWC, 8-8-1 overall)
2. Hibriten (5-1, 13-2-3)
3. South Caldwell (3-3-1, 9-4-3)
4. Alexander Central (3-3-1, 4-7-3)
5. Ashe County (0-4-2, 8-7-3)
6. Freedom (0-5-2, 5-9-3)