By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It has already been an historic season for Watauga High School’s athletics program, with women’s tennis, women’s golf, cross country, and volleyball going deep into the state playoffs, but two more Pioneer teams have a chance to make history after the brackets were announced for the 6A state playoffs in men’s soccer and football over the weekend.

MEN’S SOCCER

As the No. 4 seed in the 6A West bracket, Watauga receives a bye for the first round of the state playoffs and are in the upper half of the 6A West bracket, where the No. 1 seed is A.C. Reynolds (Asheville). In the second round, the Pioneers will host the winner of No. 13-seeded North Iredell (Olin) and No. 20 Piedmont (Monroe).

The Pioneers went undefeated in Northwestern 6A/7A Conference play. In addition to Freedom, NWC-member school Alexander Central, the No. 8 seed, is also in the upper bracket.

In the lower half of the bracket, other NWC schools include No. 19 South Caldwell and No. 23 St. Stephens.

As the No. 2 seeded team, Charlotte Catholic is the top-ranked school in the lower half of the bracket.

Full Seedings and First Round Pairings

• No. 1 A.C. Reynolds – BYE
• No. 16 Berry vs. No. 17 Statesville
• No. 8 Alexander Central – BYE
• No. 9 Western Guilford vs. No. 24 Ashbrook
• No. 5 Mt. Tabor – BYE
• No. 12 T.C. Roberson vs. No. 21 Freedom
• No. 4 Watauga – BYE
• No. 13 North Iredell vs. No. 20 Piedmont
• No. 3 Asheville – BYE
• No. 14 Olympic vs. No. 19 South Caldwell
• No. 6 Ragsdale – BYE
• No. 11 Northern Guilford vs. No. 22 Ben L. Smith
• No. 7 Glenn – BYE
• No. 10 Asheboro vs. No. 23 St. Stephens
• No. 11 Dudley vs. No. 18 Sun Valley
• No. 2 Charlotte Catholic – BYE

FOOTBALL

With its undefeated overall record, 10-0 and 5-0 in Northwestern Conference play, Watauga earned the No. 1 seed, positioned in the 6A West upper bracket. Joining them in the upper bracket are three other NWC teams, including No. 16 St. Stephens, No. 24 South Caldwell, and No. 4 Freedom, which also received a BYE.

The lone NWC member school in the lower 6A West bracket is No. 19 Alexander Central. Other opponents faced by the Pioneers who earned spots in the 6A West bracket are No. 15 Asheville and No. 7 T.C. Roberson (also a bye).

FULL 6A WEST FOOTBALL BRACKET

• No. 1 Watauga – BYE
• No. 16 St. Stephens vs. No. 17 Mt. Tabor
• No. 8 Charlotte Catholic – BYE
• No. 9 A.C. Reynolds vs. No. 24 South Caldwell
• No. 5. Sun Valley – BYE
• No. 12 Olympic vs. No. 21 Ragsdale
• No. 13 Southeast Guilford vs. No. 20 Central Cabarrus
• No. 4 Freedom – BYE
• No. 3 Ashbrook – BYE
• No. 14 Statesville vs. No. 19 Alexander Central
• No. 6 Asheboro – BYE
• No. 11 Dudley vs. No. 22 Glenn
• No. 7 T.C. Roberson – BYE
• No. 10 Kings Mountain vs. No. 23 Ben L. Smith
• No. 15 Asheville vs. No. 18 Western Guilford
• No. 2 Northern Guilford – BYE

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been corrected to accurately reflect the prospective second round pairing for Watauga Men’s Soccer.

By David Rogers. RALEIGH, N.C. — It was a comeback win deserving of a post-match celebratory dogpile at center court.

After Watauga women’s volleyball captured the first two “nail biter” sets on Nov. 1 at Reynolds Coliseum, J.H. Rose (Greenville, N.C.) stormed back to take the final three “cliffhanger” sets to be crowned the 2025 NCHSAA 6A Women’s Volleyball champions, 3-2 (26-28, 23-25, 25-21, 25-22, 15-7).

Whether you were rooting for the Pioneers or the Rampants, the see-saw, back and forth action was enough to grind your teeth down to their nubs.

It’s a fact of life in any competition. There may be “ties” now in the NFL, but only winners and losers in North Carolina high school volleyball. The state championship final match between 6A West champion (Watauga) and 6A East (J.H. Rose) featured 20 lead changes and 46 tie scores across the five-set thriller. Certainly, it is hard to call anyone a lost cause. A break here or there, a reversed call undone, a ball hitting “in” instead of “just out”… and you might have a different final result. All credit to J.H. Rose for the team’s resilience in not panicking after losing the opening two sets.

In the beginning, the Rampants didn’t seem to have an answer for the Pioneers’ dynamic outside hitter, senior Emma Pastusic. As the match wore on, they were better positioned to block or dig those powerful Pastusic smashes.

“We knew Watauga had a strong outside hitter,” Rose libero Caroline Bayes noted in the post-match press conference.

If there was any fear in that knowledge, it didn’t show. While Pastusic recorded a game-high 31 kills, Bayes was the match-high leader in digs, with 25, and the team-high leader in serve receptions, with 39.

Testimony to the strong defensive effort Watauga recorded, the quartet of Carolina Childers, Ashlyn Smith. Lilli Combs and Emma Pastusic combined for 72 of the team’s 86 digs on the night to keep the ball in play, most of the attacks coming off the arm of match MVP and Rampants senior outside hitter Clara Evans.

More than in any other recent match, the Pioneers were more active at the net, defensively, including nine total team blocks. Senior middle blocker Kora Knight’s four solo blocks led the way, with one solo and two assisted blocks each by junior outside hitter Julia Rowan and sophomore middle blocker Addie Stough.

J.H. Rose has been in Watauga’s shoes in recent years, including runner-up to West Henderson, 3-1, in the 2024 3A state championship under the old classifications. In 2023, they lost in the 3A East final to Orange, 3-1. In 2022, they lost to the 3A West’s North Iredell in the state championship match, in a 5-set thriller. And in the 2021 state playoffs, they lost, 3-0, to Cedar Ridge in the 3A West final.

Post-match, Rampants senior Mia Kendrick said that even in losing the first two sets, her team channeled the disappointment and frustration of the last few years with the knowledge they could come back and win, which they did.

SELECTED INDIVIDUAL STATS

Kills

• WAT – Emma Pastusic, 31
• JHR – Clara Evans, 26
• JHR – Mia Kendrick, 15
• WAT – Ashlyn Smith, 12
• JHR – Kate Wallen, 11
• WAT – Kora Knight, 9
• WAT – Julia Rowan, 7

Service Aces

• WAT – Ashlyn Smith, 3
• JHR – Anna Price Duke, 3
• JHR – Caroline Bayes, 3
• JHR – Mia Kendrick, 3
• JHR – Clara Evans, 2
• JHR – Breanna Joyner, 2
• JHR – Jamy Howard, 2
• WAT – Emma Pastusic, 1
• WAT – Graycie Collins, 1
• WAT – Lainey Gragg, 1

Assists

• WAT – Lainey Gragg, 53
• JHR – Breanna Joyner, 27
• JHR – Campbell Rhodes, 22
• JHR – Caroline Bayes, 5

Digs

• JHR – Caroline Bayes, 25
• WAT – Lilli Combs, 24
• WAT – Caroline Childers, 23
• JHR – Clara Evans, 16
• WAT – Emma Pastusic, 13
• WAT – Ashlyn Smith, 12
• JHR – Breanna Joyner, 9
• WAT – Lainey Gragg, 8
• JHR – Madison Long, 7

Blocks

• WAT – Kora Knight, 4 solo
• JHR – Maya Swaggerty, 2 solo
• JHR – Jamy Howard, 2 solo, 1 block assist
• JHR – Kate Wallen, 1 solo
• WAT – Julia Rowan, 1 solo, 2 block assist
• WAT – Addie Stough, 1 solo, 2 block assist
• WAT – Lainey Gragg, 1 solo

Serve Receives

• WAT – Caroline Childers, 45
• JHR – Caroline Bayes, 39
• WAT – Ashlyn Smith, 24
• JHR – Clara Evans, 23
• WAT – Emma Pastusic, 18
• JHR – Anna Price Duke, 16
• JHR – Kate Wallen, 5

By David Rogers. KERNERSVILLE, N.C. — With all five scoring members of the Watauga Women’s Cross Country team finishing in the Top 25 out of 139 student athletes competing in the NCHSAA 6A State Cross Championships, the Pioneers ran away with the state title on Nov. 1.

All six members of the team, including only one backup, completed the 5K Run at the Redmon Sports Complex among the Top 33. The team score of 64 easily beat the team runner-up, East Chapel Hill (82) and the No. 3, Middle Creek (107).

While senior Georgy Helmers of E.E. Smith HS (Fayetteville) won individual honors (17:21.40), followed by Asheville senior Sofi Alexander at No. 2 (17:30.41) and sophomore Elle Dawson of Ragsdale (Jamestown) at No. 3 (17:35.07), Watauga sophomore Cali Townsend’s No. 4 (18:15.46) finish led a brigade of Pioneers, including freshman Josie Mayo (No. 9, 19:00.77), sophomore Lilly Kimbrough (No. 14, 19:32.68), senior Janie Beach-Verhay (No. 21, 19:55.96) and junior Lainey Johnston (No. 25, 20:06.26).

Not counted as part of the team score (only the top 5 finishers from each school go into the team totals), junior Susanna Goff crossed the finish line in the No. 33 position, well ahead of the vast majority of the field with a time of 20:41.85.

TEAM TOTALS

By David Rogers. HICKORY, N.C. — It wasn’t the prettiest or most artful Watauga gridiron performance, but it was just enough to secure the program’s eighth straight, undefeated Northwestern Conference championship. The Pioneers prevailed against a big, athletic and physical St. Stephens squad, 28-18.

Given the number of seniors that graduated last year, including from key positions, there was widespread, preseason speculation Watauga would not repeat as conference champions, even with the reorganization of the Sun Belt into a 6A/7A league under the revamped NCHSAA classifications. This would be a rebuilding year, or so the pundits wagged.

To lose proven veterans like Maddux Greene (QB/DB), J.T. Cook (OL/DL), Caleb Dewey (OL/DL), Carson Gunnell-Beck (OL/LB), Dillon Zaragoza (WR/DB), Landon Smith (TE/LB), Trathan Gragg (TE/LB), Matthew Habich (WR/DB), and others left a hard-to-fill void, especially in the defensive and offensive line trenches. For the 2025 campaign, the returning juniors, sophomores and freshmen, by and large, had limited playing experience.

The Series: Evan Burroughs (12)

There were exceptions, of course, like the dynamic playmaker, Evan Burroughs (now a senior) at wide receiver and defensive back, as well as senior Brady Lindenmuth, an anchor to build around in the line on both sides of the ball.

That veteran returning group this year also included a pair of speedy, slash-styled running backs in Everett Gryder and Matthew Leon, but there were still a lot of holes to fill on both offense and defense, as well as on special teams — and they presented opportunities for the younger guys to step up and embrace their new, starring roles.

That is the nature of high school football, every year: younger guys growing, developing and taking over for the players that went before them.

With the help of what Pioneer head coach Ryan Habich describes as one of the best teams of assistant coaches in North Carolina high school football, that core group of returnees and younger players have developed into what many local pundits consider is one of the best Watauga teams to ever take the field.

That said, St. Stephens even further exposed some vulnerabilities if the often undersized players of Watauga don’t execute. Against the Indians, their big, athletic backs and receivers all too frequently broke what should have been tackles for loss on first contact, turning the plays into big gainers. On offense, run blocking was uneven, perhaps missing the aforementioned Lindenmuth, inactive because of a nagging, lower body injury.

Then there were a couple of turnovers, fumbles recovered by St. Stephens, and post-play penalties (i.e., unsportsmanlike conduct) that Habich bemoaned after the game as uncharacteristic of Watauga football. Those mental errors are costly, he said.

“We often started offensive drives with poor field position, backed up inside our 15-yard line, and that makes it (challenging) for the offense,” said Habich.

In the end, when the final buzzer had sounded, the Pioneers had done enough to secure the win. They survived a grueling season to emerge 10-0 overall and 5-0 in Northwestern Conference play.

WATAUGA STAT HIGHLIGHTS (UNOFFICIAL)

In the win, quarterback Cade Keller completed 12-of-19 passes for almost 200 yards and two TDs. Everett Gryder carried the ball 9 times for 46 yards and a pair of TDs. Matthew Leon had 5 carries after intermission for 32 yards, punctuating a key drive that used up a lot of second-half clock.

Gryder was also effective on defense, credited with a pass deflection and a pair of TFLs (tackles for loss).

Evan Burroughs was on the receiving end of some big aerials, five pass receptions of 10 yards or more, including an early 25-yard pickup and a 47-yard TD romp. He was also responsible for one of Watauga’s key plays, defensively, with an interception of St. Stephens’ QB Ryland Milligan’s pass near midfield and returned about 15 yards to setup rare good field position for the offense.

Bowen Mayo caught two passes for 24 yards, including a 7-yard TD reception. An even bigger contribution may have been on defense, where he recorded five tackles, including a pair of TFLs and a pass breakup.

Kyle Williams was relatively quiet on offense, but was instrumental in five tackles and a pair of defended passes.

Aidan Plemons was a menace on defense, credited with five solo or assisted tackles, a quarterback hurry that forced Milligan to throw the ball away in the second half, and a QB sack.

Nyle Peays’ night, on offense, was marred by a lost fumble after a 29-yard pass reception-and-run, but he made amends on defense with 6 tackles and a pair of pass breakups.

Not to be left out, sophomore linebacker John Wilson Mills was again all over the place, defensively, credited with at least 13 tackles, a TFL and a quarterback hurry.

SCORING SUMMARY

• 7-0: WAT – 6-yard run by Everett Gryder, PAT kick by Miller Hankins is good
• 14-0: WAT – 4-yard run by Everett Gryder, PAT kick by Miller Hankins is good
• 14-6: SS – 55-yard run, PAT kick is blocked
• 14-12: SS – 3-yard run by Izzy Payne, PAT fails
• 21-12: WAT – +47-yard pass from Cade Keller to Evan Burroughs, PAT by Miller Hankins is good
• 28-12: WAT – Pass from Cade Keller to Bowen Mayo, PAT by Miller Hankins is good
• 28-18: SS – +40-yard screen pass to Izzy Payne from Ryland Milligan, PAT failed

BONUS PHOTOS (Click on any image for larger version and Slide Show Mode)

All photographic images captured and processed by Jared Everett for High Country Sports

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Volleyball broke new ground in the High Country on Oct. 28. In part, it was because No. 1 seeded Watauga outlasted the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 6A West’s No. 2 seed, Kings Mountain, 3-2, in a sizzling 5-set thriller (20-25, 25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 15-9).

Mostly, though, it was because of the records broken. Let’s get the individual records out of the way, first.

Now at 565 kills and counting, the Pioneers’ senior outside hitter Emma Pastusic established a new single season record for kills on Oct. 28. At the same time, setter Lainey Gragg went over the 1,000 mark for assists in the season. She now sits at 1,023, with one more game — the NCHSAA 6A State Championship — to go, in Raleigh on Nov. 1.

Those are great accomplishments and kudos to the Pioneers’ dynamic duo, to be sure. But the “new ground?” Well, that is the opportunity for a record crowd — including opposing student sections whipping themselves into a proverbial frenzy — to watch high school volleyball at its finest.

You might have been able to squeeze a dozen more people into Lentz Eggers Gym. Kings Mountain brought a large contingent of supporters. They are arguably a little more experienced in going far into the playoffs since they previously won three 3A state titles under the old NCHSAA classification system.

Watauga had not only the largest student section in recent memory — augmented to a large degree by football and men’s soccer players — but also the largest number of supporters from the High Country communities.

In fact, it might have been the largest crowd crammed into Lentz Eggers Gym for any athletic competition, including basketball. And they all got to experience the thrills, spills and chills of a women’s volleyball, 5-set “cliffhanger” played at the highest level.

At first, Watauga couldn’t do anything right. Kings Mountain scored the first eight points of the first set, then jumped out to a 13-5 lead before the Pioneers were able to steady the proverbial ship. The visiting Mountaineers had early control and their grandstand supporters smelled an upset in the making.

But the Pioneers became.. well, they became Pioneers, battling back to make the first set a more respectable 20-25 loss. It was a loss, to be sure, after they had dug a hole for themselves with early errors and mishits, but the late rally spoke to what would come.

The second and third sets were both secured by the Pioneers with identical, 25-23 scores. The fourth set was won by Kings Mountain, also by the slimmest of margins, 25-23. All of them were see-saw battles with long rallies, multiple lead changes, hard to imagine digs to keep the ball in play and, of course, slamma jamma kills by both teams, especially some monstrous attacks off arms of Pastusic and junior outside hitter Ashlyn Smith.

If ever there was a set where the Pioneers bordered on comfortable, it was in the decisive fifth set, which they won, 15-9. As Watauga appeared to assert control, the Mountaineers became more mistake-prone.

Next up for Watauga is the penultimate match of the season, the NCHSAA 6A State Women’s Volleyball Championship. The Pioneers will take on the winner of the 6A East Championship match on Oct. 28, J.H. Rose, which defeated No. 2 seeded Gray’s Creek, 3-0, according the Fayetteville Observer. Set scores were unavailable.

SELECTED WATAUGA INDIVIDUAL STATS

Kills: Emma Pastusic (29), Ashlyn Smith (15), Julia Rowan (10), Kora Knight (7), Lainey Gragg (2)

Service Aces: Ember Honeycutt (2), Caroline Childers (2), Emma Pastusic (1), Ashlyn Smith (1)

Blocks: Addie Stough (3), Emma Pastusic (2), Julia Rowan (1), Lainey Gragg (1), Kora Knight (1)

Assists: Lainey Gragg (54), Caroline Childers (5), Ashlyn Smith (1)

Digs: Caroline Childers (33), Emma Pastusic (20), Ashlyn Smith (15), Lilli Combs (12), Gracie Phelps (2), Kora Knight (1), Addie Stough (1), Julia Rowan (1)

BONUS PHOTOS

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Making it to the NCHSAA 6A West Women’s Tennis Championship final is one thing. Getting to the NCHSAA 6A State Championship match proved quite another for the Watauga High School women’s tennis team on Oct. 28 when they ran into Charlotte Catholic at the Deer Valley Athletic Center. The Cougars prevailed, 5-2, on the strength of their top singles players.

BONUS PHOTOS at bottom of article (Click any image for larger view and Slide Show Mode)

After Charlotte Catholic’s No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 singles players vanquished their Pioneer counterparts in competitive, but relatively dominant fashion, the writing was on the wall: it would take a miracle for Watauga to rally in the lower singles and force the match to be decided in doubles play.

The Pioneers’ Kennedy Moore (No. 5) and Neave Tuberty (No. 6) did their part, Moore besting Catholic’s Anna Groccia, 7-5, 6-3, and Tuberty getting by CC’s Ariana Valenta, 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (10-3).

Miracle, maybe possible.

But as soon as Charlotte Catholic’s No. 1 (Ella Davis) and No. 3 (Madison McWilliams) singles players teamed up in doubles to take down Watauga’s No. 1 Addison Cohen and No. 3 Poppy Summey, 8-2, the match was over and the Cougars were declared the winners. They will now move on to the NCHSAA 6A State Championship in Burlington, on Friday, Oct. 31. As the 6A West champion, Charlotte Catholic will take on the winner of the 6A East championship match, East Chapel Hill or Terry Sanford HS (Fayetteville).

In the top singles matches, Catholic’s No. 1 Davis, a senior, defeated Watauga junior Addison Cohen, 6-2, 6-1.

CC’s senior No. 2 Carla Perezgrovas got the best of Watauga No. 2, senior Larson Berry, 6-2, 6-2.

At No. 3, the Cougars’ McWilliams, a junior, defeated Watauga’s Poppy Summey, 6-3, 6-2.

Charlotte Catholic freshman Avery Johnson only had a little trouble with Watauga No. 4, Abby Talton, winning 6-4, 6-0.

After the match, Charlotte head coach Jo Cabana described her team’s trip up the mountain as, “… it was a little rainy and cold but we made it, we got some action and we are super happy. With the win, it was a great trip.

“Watauga has a great, great tennis program,” Cabana added, “with strong players. It was a battle. We had a fight on our hands every single match. It really came down to the wire, to be hones.”

Watauga head coach Shay Casey acknowledged Charlotte Catholic’s singles strength, but also saw her team’s potential. That the lower singles matches pushed the match to the brink was not surprising.

“They were fighters, Charlotte Catholic. They definitely had a great game. They always have a strong program. We gave it our all and gave them a good challenge and we wish them well going forward,” said Casey. “We have had a deep roster this year. That (lower part of singles) was what got us through most of the year. I am so proud of them all. They were fighters for every point.

Under Casey, the Pioneers went undefeated in non-conference and league play. After receiving the No. 1 seed in the 6A West bracket and a first round bye, the Pioneers defeated A C Reynolds, 7-0, in Round 2; South Caldwell, 5-1, in Round 3; Northern Guilford, 6-3, in Round 4; before taking on Charlotte Catholic in the 6A West championship match.

SUMMARY SCORES

• CC – Ella Davis def. Addison Cohen, 6-2, 6-1
• CC – Carla Perezgrovas def. Larson Berry, 6-2, 6-2
• CC – Madison McWilliams def. Poppy Summey, 6-3, 6-2
• CC – Avery Johnson def. Abby Talton, 6-4, 6-0
• WAT – Kennedy Moore def. Anna Groccia, 7-5, 6-3
• WAT – Neave Tuberty def. Ariana Valenta, 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (10-3)
• CC – Ella Davis and Madison McWilliams def. Addison Cohen and Poppy Summey, 8-2

BONUS PHOTOS