By David Rogers. MORGANTON, N.C. — With five Pioneer players at or near double figures in scoring, Watauga overcame a sluggish first quarter to win going away against host Freedom on Jan. 9, 61-39.
With plenty of fans in attendance supporting both schools for the season opening conference game of 2025-26, it was a high energy, even raucous atmosphere.
Watauga head coach Bill Torgerson talks to his players about adjustments on Jan. 9, at Freedom. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
The Pioneers jumped ahead 5-0 to start the game but Freedom came roaring back to lead 15-11 at the end of the first quarter. With a Presli Wood layup midway through the second quarter, Watauga recaptured the lead at 27-26, then went on a 6-2 run to close out the first half with a 33-28 lead.
Although the Pioneers’ freshman playmaker Josie Mayo was relatively quiet to start the game and off the mark, she quietly rallied to score a game-high 16 points. The Pioneers’ Charlie Mattox came off the bench to add 12 points while Izzy Mohr and Shelby Thompson were close to double figures, each contributing nine points.
Whatever adjustments head coach Bill Torgerson made for the Pioneers at intermission, the Patriots had no answers. Watauga went on a 14-0 run to start the second half and never looked back.
Now 7-7 on the season, overall, and 1-0 in Northwestern Conference play, the Watauga women’s basketball team will next host South Caldwell on Jan. 13.
SELECTED WATAUGA SCORING
Josie Mayo, 16 points
Charlie Mattox, 12
Izzy Mohr, 9
Shelby Thompson, 9
Mia Mitchell, 8
Presli Wood, 4
Ellie Hege, 4
BONUS PHOTOS (Click any image for larger version and Slide Show Mode)
By David Rogers. MORGANTON, N.C. — A bizarre post-game incident involving fans that drew an estimated two dozen Burke County sheriff’s deputies and Morganton police officers to Freedom High School’s gymnasium and campus grounds overshadowed a dramatic basketball finish and a heartbreak loss (67-65) for Watauga High School’s varsity men’s team on Jan. 9.
BONUS PHOTOS at bottom of story.
Watauga held a 10-point lead early in the third quarter but the host Patriots rallied with pesky defense and sure-handed shooting to gain control and earn a 6-point advantage late in the final period. It was a phase of the game also marked by the Pioneers’ shooting suddenly grown cold, often rushing shots, with frequent turnovers.
Watauga’s Cade Keller goes up for a fall-away jumper at Freedom on Jan. 9. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
At the end, with under two seconds remaining, Watauga senior Jackson Love had what seemed to be a clean look for a layup from the right side that would tie the game and send it into overtime — but a brilliant play to block by Freedom junior Jaden Watkins, an athletic 6-3 forward, instead sent the ball sailing out of bounds with 0.8 seconds remaining on the game clock and the Pioneers still facing the 2-point deficit. Throwing in from the baseline with Freedom’s towering, 6-7 forward Nate Surrat defending the inbounded pass, the Watauga throw-in was forced long and time expired before a shot could be taken.
“Freedom’s basketball team was very well coached and everything that happened on the court during the game was clean and competitive,” said Watauga head coach Bryson Payne by email in response to High Country Sports’ questions. “I thought our guys played well for the most part except for that 4-5 minute segment in the 3rd quarter. During that run, we beat ourselves by turning the ball over and taking a few quick shots. That allowed Freedom to get back in the game and take the lead through points in transition off our mistakes. But I am still proud of the way we battled. We were basically 1-2 shots away from winning or going into overtime against one of our toughest conference opponents. And that was on the road. I thought we did a lot of things well, but we still have a lot to improve on to reach our full potential as a team.”
For the Jan. 9 road game at Freedom (Morganton), the Patriots’ gym was packed with Pioneer fans, including the cheerleaders. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
In spite of the loss, Payne had high praise for a trio of Pioneers.
“As for individual performances, I thought Brady Lindenmuth did a great job hustling and leaving his all on the floor. He did a good job staying out of foul trouble, but the biggest highlight he had to me was the effort he gave when he put his body on the line, diving out of bounds to save a loose ball. Extremely proud of his effort. Another performance was Evan Burroughs. I thought he hit some huge shots for us. Also, Bryce Scheffler gave us big minutes and took a very important charge for us.”
Notes on the Aftermath
It was a heartbreaking loss for Watauga and a thrilling victory for Freedom in the teams’ first Northwestern Conference game of the 2025-26 season, but all emotions stemming from the game were cast aside in the aftermath.
Several students from the Watauga fan section were streaming towards an alternative exit near the locker rooms when a woman from the nearby Freedom grandstands struck one of the Watauga students on his back and head with a chair, reportedly unprovoked, just outside the gym. No injuries were immediately reported, but reports surfaced that “… a gun was pulled…” by a Freedom bystander during the melee. Apparently, those unconfirmed reports were enough to call in a brigade of sheriff’s deputies and police officers. Neither head coaches nor any players were available for post-game comments as they were confined to the teams’ respective locker rooms awaiting police escorts to their departing vehicles or team buses.
Additional Notes: We have intentionally not identified any students by name to protect their privacy as minors. This story has been corrected to reflect that the incident happened just outside the gym, not inside the gym, and the students had reportedly received instructions to use an alternative exit, not the main entrance. In addition, another Watauga student was allegedly assaulted and choked by another bystander, who reportedly thought the student was filming the incident and/or the woman’s subsequent apprehension. There has been no confirmation that a gun was involved, but the unconfirmed reports or suspicions of one remain the most likely explanation for the call for so many additional law enforcement personnel, as well as the initiatives taken promptly by school administrators in coordination with law enforcement to protect the respective teams by delaying their exits from the locker rooms, awaiting police escorts. Casting doubt on a gun being present is that all fans are screened for weapons of any kind before entering the gym.
Again, we are awaiting an official statement from the Burke County Sheriff for any further clarifications of the incident.
The Burke County Sheriff’s Department lieutenant in charge of the scene declined to provide an official statement of what transpired, saying simply, “The Sheriff won’t allow me to.”
The unidentified woman was observed, restrained with her hands cuffed behind her back, speaking with a deputy before being transferred from one patrol car to another, presumably for transport to the Sheriff’s station. After reviewing the Burke County Sheriff’s Office website of people currently in jail, there is no mention of anyone matching the woman’s description in custody. There was also no one listed as in jail on a gun charge.
High Country Sports will update the information about this incident after attempting to speak with Burke County Sheriff Robert “Banks” Hinceman, as identified on the department website, on Monday.
Getting back to basketball, Watauga will try and put the gut-wrenching loss behind them as well as the brouhaha when they face Northern Guilford on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 5:30 p.m. in another non-conference matchup.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A double-overtime thriller didn’t go Watauga’s way on Jan. 7, losing to A.C. Reynolds, 94-91, in Lentz Eggers Gym.
Plagued by fouls in the overtime periods that resulted in the exits of key veteran starters Bowen Mayo, Jackson Love and Evan Burroughs, the loss overshadows clutch 3-pointers made by Cole Lewis and a 27-point night by Cade Keller.
With the Pioneers trailing as the clock ticked down to the end of regulation play, Lewis nailed a three-pointer to knot the score at 71-71 just before the buzzer. In overtime, he dropped in two more at critical junctures to keep the Pioneers close and force the second overtime period.
Watauga opened the contest seeming to have the upper hand, going into intermission with a 31-27 lead. The Rockets made some halftime adjustments that led to a 23-13 performance in the third quarter to go into the final stanza with a 50-44 advantage. Including a big 3-pointer by Cole Lewis to beat the buzzer in regulation, the Pioneers battled back to tie it at 71-71, a deadlock the two Western North Carolina rivals carried to an 84-84 knot to prompt a second overtime. Unfortunately for Watauga, losing three players to fouling out in overtime was a dealbreaker.
Now the Pioneers start the “real” season with a first Northwestern Conference game on the road at Freedom, in Morganton, on Jan. 9. Sporting an 8-2 record for a challenging non-conference schedule in which several players were unavailable due to Watauga’s state championship run in football, the Pioneers will face one of their fiercest conference rivals in the Patriots, who recorded a 9-3 record in non-conference play. A C Reynolds and West Caldwell were the only common opponents. Freedom defeated both, surviving a 69-65 nailbiter vs. A C Reynolds and post a 72-60 win over the Warriors of West Caldwell.
Tipoff for the Pioneers @ Patriots tilt will be approximately 8 p.m., following the women’s varsity game.
SELECTED WATAUGA INDIVIDUAL STATS VS. A.C. REYNOLDS
Bowen Mayo: 5 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
Kyle Williams: 6 points, 2 steals
Cole Lewis: 9 points, 2 rebounds
Jackson Love: 19 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — There weren’t too many bright spots in Watauga’s first conference wrestling dual vs. St. Stephens on Jan. 6, the veteran Indians team leaving Lentz Eggers Gym with a decisive, 66-9 team win.
Arguably the brightest match of the evening for the Pioneers was Mikey Portante’s pin of Saint Stephens’ Davis Kerns at the 4:53 mark. Portante seemed in control for the better part of the match, punctuated by a resounding upending of Kerns in the late going of the 190 lb. weight class.
Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
The only other points earned by the Pioneers was at 144 lbs., with Beattie Hendley pulling off a 9-6 decision over the Indians’ Benry Odom.
FULL RESULTS
106: Tommy Kishpaugh (SSHS) win by forfeit
113: Henry Franklin (SSHS) p. Canaan Woodring 1:17
120: Zane Taylor (SSHS) win by forfeit
126: Malachai Esclamado (SSHS) p. Justice Hendley 2:39
132: Koen Killian (SSHS) p. Thaddeus Martin 0:53
138: Alexander Stewart (SSHS) p. Bennett Ward 2:45
144: Beattie Hendley (WHS) SV D. Carson Powell 9-6
150: Atticus Lail (SSHS) p. Benry Odom (WHS) 0:36
157: Jacob Morgan (SSHS) d. Cole Kleman 6-4
165: Jake Hoke (SSHS) d. Michael Morgan 20-13
175: Nathan Moretz (SSHS) forfeit
190: Mikey Portante (WHS) p. Davis Kerns 4:53
215: Avery Rhymer (SSHS) forfeit
285: Davante Johnson (SSHS) p. Cayman Hayes 1:04
Portante leads a Pioneer roster that is reportedly up to 35 athletes competing for spots in the various weight classes. Nonetheless, on this night Watauga was unable to field grapplers in four weight classes, including 106 lbs., 120 lbs., 175 lbs, and 215 lbs.
After the match, Pioneer head coach Terreyl Williams was proud of the effort put in by all of his wrestlers, acknowledged that he is still missing some athletes at certain weights, and said the team is still building its identity.
When asked by High Country Sports about the fast-growing Watauga middle school program, which earlier in the evening defeated Avery County, 52-33, Williams broke into a big grin, noting that middle school head coach Zack Strickland was previously the Watauga High School team’s head coach.
“To have him back (coaching) down there (at the middle school level) is pretty awesome,” said Williams. “He’s got about 45 kids already, so he is really growing that program. He is doing a phenomenal job and that is going to do nothing but help us (at the high school level) in the future.”
Watauga’s wrestlers will next host Freedom in another Northwestern Conference tilt on Friday, Jan. 9, in Lentz Eggers Gym.
BONUS PHOTOS (Click any image for larger view and Slide Show Mode)
All photographic images by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Photographic image by david Rogers for High Country Sports
Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
By David Rogers. EL PASO, Texas — Not even a minor leg injury that kept him off the field in the second half of the Dec. 31 Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl could dampen Anderson Castle’s enthusiasm for Duke’s 42-39 win over Arizona State.
It was a devilish good time, with the Blue Devils facing the Sun Devils. A three-yard run into the end zone late in the first half for a touchdown was just icing on the proverbial cake for Castle, who played his last collegiate football game against Arizona State in the historic, 92nd Sun Bowl.
Anderson Castle’s family was well represented at the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31, for his last collegiate football game. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Castle is a compelling Watauga County story. A four-year starter at quarterback for head coach Ryan Habich’s Watauga High School Pioneers, he enrolled at App State as a defensive back, with a four-year, “full ride” scholarship. It wasn’t long before the Mountaineers moved him to outside linebacker.
Then, on one fateful day during practice, then Mountaineer head coach Shawn Clark was assessing a running back room that had been thinned out by injuries. As he passed the water cooler, the story goes, he saw Castle and asked “You played option QB at Watauga, right? You are now a running back at App State.”
Castle embraced the challenge of converting to running back and showed flashes of talent for the position, talent that Pioneer football fans already knew about. He battled minor injuries that limited his appearances the first couple of season. After hitting the weight room and beefing up, he showed a lot of power in his second year at the position, especially in short-yardage situations but never seemed to be effectively utilized while playing for the Mountaineers.
Anderson Castle (4) carries the ball around the right side on Dec. 31, in the first half of the Sun Bowl against Arizona State. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
So with a coaching change for the 2025 season, his final year of eligibility, Castle entered the transfer portal and, having earned his undergraduate degree at App State, chose to pursue an MBA at Duke — and play football for the Blue Devils, too.
“I can hardly put into words how thankful I am for my decision to transfer to Duke for this final year of eligibility,” Castle recalled in a post-game one-on-one in El Paso with High Country Sports. “God had a plan for me and I am thankful to be here. The people at Duke have been amazing. I transferred here not really knowing what it was going to be like, how everything was going to go. I just trusted God’s plan. The people around me helped out so much. I made so many good friends and those friendships will last a lifetime. I am just thankful for this journey. It has been awesome.”
The year of both gridiron and personal success did not come without work, both in the weight room and on the practice field.
“On the football team, I carved out a role in short-yardage situations. I worked hard in the spring and in fall camp. I have to give a shoutout to Coach (Chris) Foster (assistant coach/running backs). It has worked out well and I am very happy to have done this,” said Castle about his year with the Blue Devils.
There was plenty of fanfare on Dec. 31, leading up to the Duke vs. Arizona State Sun Bowl game. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
“There have been so many special moments,” he added. “I don’t think I can pinpoint just one. There were a lot of fun games and definitely our winning the ACC championship this year was special. The three TDs against North Carolina and NC State, those were definitely memorable games. Clemson… I didn’t have a lot of stats against Clemson but that sticks out as one of the most fun games I will look back on.”
The former Pioneer QB was especially appreciative of the opportunity to play in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.
“This bowl game is historic,” said Castle. “I heard it is the second oldest bowl game. It was an honor to be able to play in it. The Sun Bowl organizing committee treated us so well this whole week. It was a great bowl experience. Ultimately, the goal was for us to get a win and that is what we did.
“I couldn’t go the second half today,” he explained. “My leg was pretty banged up and I felt it was better if someone else was in.”
While Castle may not be wrangling any more TDs in college, he is bringing home some of El Paso’s cowboy culture.
“I couldn’t pass up the deal Lucchese, a Sun Bowl sponsor, gave us on boots. I have bought cowboy boots before, but not this kind of quality,” said Castle of the handcrafting bootmaker, which has collaborations with the Dallas Cowboys, the University of Texas Longhorns, the University of Texas A&M Aggies, and country-western star Chris Stapleton, as well as the Sun Bowl and others.
Castle finished his last year of eligibility with the Blue Devils tied for No. 30 in the nation for rushing touchdowns, with 12 in 14 games this season. He was one of Duke’s go-to guys in short yardage situations, including as No. 9 in the ACC for scoring TDs, all rushing and responsible for 72 of the Blue Devils’ points, according to the ACC website.
App State’s Shawn Clark, the late and former head coach, once described Castle to High Country Sports as potentially “the next John Riggins,” the former Washington Redskins power running back. Others have suggested he reminds them of Larry Csonka, the former Miami Dolphins’ fullback. Both men emerged as Hall of Fame running backs, Csonka in the 1970s and Riggins in the 1980s and 1990s.
Whether Castle chooses to pursue a football career at the next level is a question yet to be answered. In addition to his power, we learned from covering him as an option quarterback at Watauga that he also has exceptional flat-out speed (which he flashed at Duke) as well as a quick lateral step, all good attributes for NFL running backs.
Will he get that opportunity? Or does God have other plans for his coming MBA degree from Duke University?
Editor’s Note: This story has been corrected to reflect Castle’s receiving a full, four-year scholarship, not a preferred walk-on opportunity as originally reported.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A day after getting schooled by a talented Apex Friendship team, Watauga used a fourth quarter rally to win the Holiday Classic 3rd place game over Hopewell, 76-71, on Dec. 30.
A see-saw battle that ended the third quarter knotted at 55-55, pulled away in the final stanza.
The win saw key contributions in different aspects of the game from multiple Pioneers. Cade Keller saw high-scoring honors with 25 points, while Jackson Love and Evan Burroughs added 15 and 11 points, respectively.
Love and senior power forward Brady Lindenmuth shared team-high honors in rebounding, with six apiece. Wit Williamson wasn’t far behind, with five rebounds.
Burroughs led the way in sharing the ball with teammates for scoring opportunities, dishing out four assists, while Love and Bowen Mayo also got in the distribution act with three assists each.
Defensively, Watauga’s Mayo, Lindenmuth, Williamson, Keller and Cole Lewis were each able to record a steal.
Now 7-1, Watauga goes on the road for a non-conference matchup at Davie County to open the new year, on Jan. 2.
By David Rogers. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — It may have been one of the loudest, most audio-effective bowl games of the college football season given the JLab sponsorship of the Birmingham Bowl, but an arguably short-handed App State was unable to make enough noise of their own as Sun Belt Conference rival Georgia Southern celebrated with a 29-10 win in Protective Stadium on Dec. 29.
Jaquari Lewis (22) looks for running room at the JLab Birmingham Bowl vs. Georgia Southern. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
The Eagles’ O.J. Arnold led a quintet of ball carriers rolling up 252 yards rushing, the 5-9, 195 lb. senior running back accounting for 152 of those yards.
Meanwhile, Georgia Southern’s junior quarterback J.C. French IV spread the ball around to six different receivers in completing 72 percent of his passes (18-of-25) for 171 yards, including one TD vs. one pass interception.
The real story in this game and, arguably, the real difference was in the number of turnovers yielded by the Mountaineers. With the three most veteran QBs on the roster opting out of the bowl game (AJ Swann, JJ Kohl and Billy Wiles), App State head coach Dowell Loggains and his offensive staff were forced to put the ball in the hands of true freshman Noah Gillon and redshirt freshman Matthew Wilson. While that posed a defensive challenge for the Eagles in preparing for the young QBs for which there was little in the way of tape, Georgia Southern came away with four pass interceptions, two each by Gillon and Wilson. Three of them came with the Mountaineers driving, inside or near the proverbial “red zone,” and all of them came inside the GSU 40-yard line.
It was a bright, if cold and blustery day for the JLab Birmingham Bowl on Dec. 29, with plenty of photo opportunities for App State dignitaries in attendance. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Turnovers aside, there were noteworthy performances that stood out among the Mountaineers:
Senior wide receiver Dalton Stroman had among the best games of his App State career, with three catches for 96 yards — and all three grabs were highlight-reel worthy.
QB Matthew Wilson turned in quite a story. Initially recruited as a QB, his tenure in the crowded QB room this year didn’t materialize as expected, so he spent this season converting to defensive back, a position where he also starred at Rock Hill High School (SC). With the three veterans opting out of the bowl game, Loggains brought him back to the offensive side and he ended up producing some remarkable numbers for his first meaningful Mountaineer appearance at the QB position: completing 12 of 22 passes for 128 yards and recording a team-high rushing with 12 carries for 110 yards and a TD.
Senior defensive back Ethan Johnson intercepted a Georgia Southern pass late in the first half, giving the Mountaineers good field position just inside the Eagles’ territory. Early in the fourth quarter, Johnson tackled a GSU receiver for a loss.
 Sophomore linebacker Colton Phares had a busy day, accounting for 12 total tackles (six solo), while sharing credit for a tackle for loss with teammate Kevin Abrams-Verwayne in the second quarter.
The Mountaineers’ appearance in the JLab Birmingham Bowl for its second meeting in 53 days with “deeper than hate” rival Georgia Southern was all but surprising. Finishing the regular season 5-7 and not technically bowl eligible, the App State players had already had their season exit meetings with head coach Loggains. With the fall academic semester drawing to a close, many were already scattering home for the holidays, some to faraway locales. But when the Birmingham Bowl had seven invitations rejected to face 6-6 Georgia Southern, App State may have been late-to-the-party, but was quick to say, “yes.”
With some notable exceptions, a majority of the Mountaineer roster returned to campus to prepare for the bowl game. Seniors were excited to extend their collegiate playing careers. All who returned looked forward to one more chance to compete, especially in a bowl game with its special atmosphere in an unfamiliar venue.
Georgia Southern went up, 7-0, early on Dec. 29 and never let up. Their cheerleaders had a lot to cheer about in the Eagles’ 29-10 win. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
The 41,000-plus capacity Protective Stadium is the recently built home of the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Its modern facilities, especially with the JLab-sponsored audio and entertainment enhancements, made for a first class football stage for these two Sun Belt rivals.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Even though the final score may have been lopsided, the Dec. 27 high school varsity basketball tilt between Watauga and Saluda (SC) may well prove to be one of the most entertaining of the year: fast-paced, high pressure defense, and plenty of offensive action with the Pioneers earning the 91-61 win in the first round of the 2025 Holiday Classic at Lentz Eggers Gym.
This was a game featuring focal point players on both sides, offensively. Watauga’s Cade Keller poured in a game-high 45 points on the night, almost half of the Pioneers’ total, while Saluda’s C.J. Springs countered with a team-high 36 points — more than half of the Tigers’ offensive output.
Jackson Love (5) played a key role in Watauga’s 91-61 win over Saluda (SC) on Dec. 27 in the first round of the Holiday Tournament. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
There were two key difference-makers:[1] Keller had a more productive supporting cast and [2] the Pioneers’ pesky defensive play, particularly in the second half.
Watauga’s secondary offensive output came from Jackson Love’s 17 points, as well as key contributions from Bowen Mayo (7) and Bryce Scheffler (6).
The Pioneers’ defense produced a whopping 15 steals, including Brady Lindenmuth (4), Mayo (3) and two each by Wit Williamson and Evan Burroughs.
Defensively, the Pioneers were also active on the boards, with a team total of 50 rebounds, 33 of which were on the defensive end to deny the Tigers of second chance opportunities. Love pulled down a leading nine rebounds, with a trio of Pioneers cleaning the glass seven times each, including Williamson, Keller and Burroughs. Scheffler and Lindenmuth added 6 and 5 rebounds, respectively.
A frequent sight on Dec. 27 was Watauga’s shooting (and making) 3-point shots from beyond the arc. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
If there was a dark spot on Watauga’s team performance against Saluda, it was the number of turnovers (18), although that might be expected in such a fast-paced contest. Nonetheless, an overall pleased Pioneer head coach Bryson Payne said later, “We have to clean those up.”
Next up for Watauga is a second round matchup in the winner’s bracket, a Dec. 29 game vs. Apex Friendship, which ran past South Iredell, 88-53, in the first round. Both teams are undefeated in the young, 2025-26 season, AF at 12-0 and the Pioneers at 6-0. Tipoff in Lentz Eggers Gym is slated for 6:30 p.m.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A stifling defensive effort in the second half and dominant rebounding up and down the Watauga roster helped the Pioneers to a dominating, 79-57 win over West Caldwell on Dec. 22 in Lentz Eggers Gym.
Pioneer guard Bowen Mayo finishes a fast break on Dec. 22 against West Caldwell. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Fresh off the football field where he was named the “Offensive MVP” in the NCCA East-West All-Star game the day before, senior point guard Cade Keller showed only a little basketball rust in recording a game-high 24 points against the Warriors, including knocking down five 3-pointers from beyond the arc.
Fellow senior gridiron stars Evan Burroughs and Bowen Mayo poured in 16 and 10 points, respectively, joining Keller in double figures.
Watauga point guard Cade Keller scored a game-high 24 points — but also dished out a game-high 6 assists against West Caldwell on Dec. 22. Brady Lindenmuth (20) sets up a screen for Keller. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
As a team, the Pioneers pulled down a whopping 34 rebounds, mostly on the defensive end to take away second chance opportunities that might have been considered by the Warriors. Watauga were also not bashful about sharing the ball, dishing out 21 assists, including a game-high six by Keller.
A total of eleven different Pioneers got on the scoreboard. In addition to the three in double figures, sophomore big man Bryce Scheffler contributed eight points as well as four rebounds while getting significant court time with senior Brady Lindenmuth in foul trouble for a good part of the night.
The Series: Evan Burroughs’ defensive play produces points on the other end
A steal by Evan Burroughs on the defensive end prompted a fast break by the speedy senior and a layup at the other end. Photographic images by David Rogers for High Country Sports
With Lindenmuth, Scheffler and junior Colby Whiteside rotating as the Pioneer big inside jobbers, Watauga enjoyed a good presence in the paint, defending the basket.
The Pioneers started the game fairly even with the Warriors, finishing the first quarter tied at 16-16. Watauga pulled ahead marginally in the second period to take a 40-31 lead into intermission. Then opened things up in the third stanza (59-41).
After the game, Watauga head coach Bryson Payne noted that the defensive adjustments made as the game wore on were not just stoppers of any West Caldwell attack, but frequently turned into points by the Pioneers.
Jackson Love (5) has emerged as a key playmaker for the 2025-26 Watauga Pioneers, here looking to drive baseline to the basket vs. West Caldwell on Dec. 22. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Mayo led the team in steals with three, but Keller and Burroughs were close behind with two each.
Now 5-0 overall on the young season and yet to play a Northwestern Conference game, the Pioneers next line up at home against Saluda on Dec. 27, then host the Holiday Classic on Dec. 29 and Dec. 30, with opponents yet to be announced. They will start the new year on the road at Davie County (Jan. 2), face A.C. Reynolds in Lentz Eggers Gym on Jan. 7, then open league play on Jan. 9, at Freedom.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — The hardest thing about watching Watauga High School’s varsity women’s basketball team is trying to take your eyes off freshman mainstay, Josie Mayo. Whether on offense or defense, Mayo was seemingly everywhere on Dec. 22 in the Pioneers’ 67-32 win over a hard-working, but outmatched West Caldwell team in Lentz Eggers Gym.
Mayo led all scorers with 18 points on the night, but her quick hands on defense was a difference maker. You want to do a crossover dribble in front of her? Prepare to have the ball taken away. The freshman recorded 10 steals on this night, more than half of the team’s total of 17 poaches.
Izzy Mohr (24) came up with critical second half points against West Caldwell on Dec. 22 in Lentz Eggers Gym. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
In reality, the entire Watauga roster saw action in this runaway victory and effectively demonstrated how deep head coach Bill Torgerson can go and still put a capable lineup on the court. The only concern is how young and relatively inexperienced so many of his best players are at the varsity level.
Starting guards Shelby Thompson and Izzy Torgerson are the only seniors on the 2025-26 roster and certainly demonstrated their key roles against the Warriors. Thompson tallied 17 points while Torgerson put up nine points. Torgerson may have jumpstarted the Pioneer rout with a trio of 3-pointers in the first quarter.
Watauga senior guard Izzy Torgerson (5) lit up the scoreboard with three 3-pointers in the first quarter to jumpstart the Pioneers on Dec. 22 against West Caldwell in Lentz Eggers Gym. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
West Caldwell had few answers for the Pioneers. Junior guard Sierra Brown scored a team-high eight points, followed closely by junior guard Amazin Icenhour’s six points.
Watauga dominated inside, including 26 total rebounds (a whopping 15 on the offensive side to feed second chance points). Mayo recorded triple double on the night with 18 points, 10 steals and 10 rebounds.
The Pioneers also made 11 of 26 (42 percent) three-point attempts from the perimeter to complement their inside game. Thompson was especially effective from beyond the arc, making good on three of five attempts (60 percent). Mayo hit on two of three attempts from long range (67 percent).
What really sets this edition of the Pioneers apart is their support for one another. The loudest cheers from the Watauga bench came a-screechin’ in celebration when second line players were on the floor and scored or outrebounded an opponent. None were louder than when junior Susanna Goff — a member of Watauga’s 6A state champion cross country team — drove the baseline for a layup or calmly lofted a 3-pointer from beyond the arc, showing her versatility.
Watauga junior Susanna Goff dribbles baseline to the hoop against West Caldwell on Dec. 22. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Now 5-6 overall and yet to play a Northwestern Conference game, the Pioneers next go on the road at Davie County (Jan. 2) and R.J. Reynolds (Jan. 6) before opening league play on the road, at Freedom (Jan. 9).
