By David Rogers. MORGANTON, N.C. — The Watauga men’s and women’s cross country teams got out their brooms on Oct. 17 and it was not to give to the Wicked Witch of the West for Halloween. No, the Pioneers had some house cleaning on their minds.
Led by sophomore Janie Beach-Verhay, the Watauga women’s team took nine of the top 10 places in the Northwestern Conference XC Championships hosted by Freedom High School, including a sweep of the top six finishers comprised of two sophomores (No. 1 Beach-Verhay and No. 6 Sydney Cate Townsend), two freshmen (No. 2 Lainey Johnston and No. 4 Maggie Visser), a junior (No. 3 Sadie Buchanan) and a senior (No. 5 Ellary Smith).
Watauga’s Sam Nixon took top honors in the men’s race Oct. 17, for the NWC XC Championships hosted by Freedom High School in Morganton. Photo by Jason Taft
Led by senior Sam Nixon at No. 1, the Watauga men did almost as well, sweeping the top six positions and placing seven of the top 10. The Pioneers also have a bit of a youth movement going on when it comes to cross country. Two sophomores, Elliott Taft and Calvin Zwetsloot finished the 5000 meters course at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, followed by No. 4 Collin Anderson (senior), No. 5 Sam Rex (junior), and No. 6 Zeke Walker (sophomore). After a pair of South Caldwell seniors at No. 7 and No. 8, Levi Bowman and Parker Bowman, respectively, Watauga junior Jonah Norris crossed the line at No. 9.
Elliott Taft crossed the finish line No. 2 in the NWC XC Championships hosted by Freedom High School on Oct. 17. Photo by Jason Taft
In the women’s race, Beach-Verhay had to be feeling good, crossing the finish line in 20:10, a full minute and 19 seconds ahead of second place Johnston. Rounding out the top 10 for Watauga were No. 8 Rachel Cathey (senior), No. 9 Winter Shaw and No. 10 Katherine Rex, both freshmen.
A total of 83 athletes competed in the women’s division, with other noteworthy Watauga performances by Keatyn Wuest (No. 13, freshman), Mia Libre (No. 14, junior), Sophie Parker (No. 15, freshman) and Elyse Rea (No. 16, freshman).
A total of 75 athletes competed in the men’s division of the NWC XC Championships. Watauga also saw strong performances by Davis Crymes (No. 11, senior), Grady Gates (No. 12, freshman), Roman Sibaja (No. 13, senior), Silas Powell (No. 15, sophomore), A J McAulay (No. 20, sophomore), Wes Coatney (No. 21, senior), Santino Wood (No. 22, sophomore), Hayden Walker (No. 23, junior) and Levi Anderson (No. 24, sophomore).
By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — It is that perfect time of year for fall colors and a Sunday evening stroll around Bass Lake in Blowing Rock. Dark limbs and tree trunks provided stark contrasts to the vivid gold reaching out over blue waters. Dark, ghostly reflections in still pools harken the days before Halloween. A shadowed trail with glimpse of color overhead, brightening the way…
All photographic images by David Rogers. Click on any image for slideshow mode.
By Jacob Plecker. CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A seven-goal outburst from the App State Mountaineers (10-4, 4-1 MAC) — highlighted by multi-goal games from Sarah Farrell and Sophia Baxter — powered the Mountaineers to a 7-0 win over the Queens Royals (0-14) on Oct. 15. The win marks the Mountaineers’ fifth straight win, which is the longest active winning streak in the MAC.
Five Mountaineers found the back of the cage on Sunday. Hadley Kuzmicky, Charlotte Bosma and Bridget Donovan each netted one score, while Farrell and Baxter each netted two in the contest. With the seven goals, App State capped off the weekend outscoring their opponents 10-0 over the two games played.
Addie Clark and Claire Grenis combined to post the Mountaineers’ second consecutive shutout and third of the season. The Mountaineer defense has not allowed a goal since the second quarter of their game against Kent State on Oct. 6, marking 12 consecutive scoreless periods for Coach Dinsmore’s defense.
Sunday’s road win also marks the Mountaineers’ eighth win away from home this season, which is the most in the MAC. No other team in the conference has won more than six road games this season.
How it Happened
1st Quarter
App State’s stellar offensive day got started early on Sunday as Sarah Farrell attempted the game’s first shot and scored the game’s first goal just 94 seconds into play. Hadley Kuzmicky was credited with the assist on Farrell’s goal, marking her first assist of the season. For Farrell, it was her second goal of the year.
In the fifth minute, the Mountaineers notched a second goal, this time off the stick of Bridget Donovan. The Mountaineers started the game with a score on each of their first two shots after Donovan netted her third goal of the year.
With just 18 seconds left in the period, the Mountaineers scored a third first-quarter goal to give them a 3-0 lead after the first 15 minutes. Hadley Kuzmicky, who has been on fire over the past month, was the goal scorer, her fifth goal in the last month.
After one period of play, the Mountaineers led by three. The three first-quarter goals were tied for the most the Mountaineers have scored in a single period this season.
2nd Quarter
Offensive production slowed down for the Mountaineers as play started in the second period, but App State maintained its aggressiveness throughout the quarter. In the 18th minute, App State drew a corner, but the resulting shot by Donovan was saved by Queens’ goalkeeper Manisha Desai. Desai made 12 saves on the day between the posts for the Royals.
The Royals drew their first corner of the game in the 20th minute to give them their first scoring chance. Nothing resulted off the try, as App State has shown great discipline on corners over the past two games.
After drawing their third penalty corner of the match in the 22nd minute, App State scored its fourth goal of the first half, this time off Sophia Baxter’s stick. Baxter’s score marked her first time finding the back of the net since Aug. 27, when she scored two goals against Georgetown.
The Mountaineers held control of possession after Baxter’s score and fired off three more shots before halftime with none finding the mark. When the horn sounded, App State took a 4-0 lead into the halftime break. App State’s four first-half goals are the most goals the team has scored in a single half this season.
3rd Quarter
The Mountaineers made a goalkeeper change to begin the second half as Claire Grenis stepped between the posts for the first time since Sep. 10 against Wake Forest. She was tested immediately as Queens established the ball in the circle and fired a shot at Grenis who made her first save of the day.
Off the rebound from Grenis’ save, Jarmilla Richter fired another shot on goal, but Sophia Baxter was there to swat the ball out of the circle and end the chance. Baxter’s defensive save marks the third consecutive game that App State has recorded a defensive save.
The Mountaineers drew their first second-half penalty corner in the 33rd minute, giving them yet another chance to score. Charlotte Bosma took a shot off the insert, but her shot was saved by Desai.
A minute later, Bosma found the cage for her team-leading fifth goal of the year. The junior from The Netherlands has had a breakout season this year as she set career highs in goals scored and points with four games yet to play.
After firing off a flurry of shots after Bosma’s goal, the Mountaineers found paydirt again in the 44th minute as Sarah Farrell slapped her second shot of the contest past Desai for the sixth Mountaineer goal of the game. Farrell’s goal marked the second consecutive game that App State has had a multi-goal scorer and was the first time Farrell has notched a multi-goal game since last October when she scored two goals against Queens in Boone.
It was another strong period of play for the Black & Gold, scoring twice and extending their lead to 6-0 as play headed to the fourth. Bosma’s goal in the 34th minute set a Mountaineer season-high for goals scored in a game.
4th Quarter
The fourth quarter started with a flurry again for the Mountaineers as they fired off two shots within the first five minutes. Henriette Stegen, who scored twice on Friday, had a shot saved while Perkins had a shot attempt that was blocked.
In the 51st minute, the Mountaineers drew their second penalty corner of the period, resulting in Sophia Baxter’s second score of the contest. Baxter, who hadn’t scored since she scored twice against Georgetown on Aug. 27, now has two multi-goal games in her freshman season.
The defense did not allow a single Royal shot attempt in the final period and only allowed three for the game. When the buzzer sounded at the end of the quarter, App State had posted their fifth-straight win, their second straight shutout and extended their streak of consecutive scoreless quarters to 12. It was an impressive showing for Coach Dinsmore’s team on the road.
“The team came out hungry for a win today,” Dinsmore said. “We are proud of the way they were able to build and execute attacks today. We are looking forward to progressing our growth as a team at practice this week in preparation for our next conference game against Ball State on Friday.”
Up Next
The Mountaineers will head back on the road to Muncie, Ind., to battle the Ball State Cardinals in a MAC showdown next Friday. First touch is slated for 1 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE N.C. — The App State volleyball team capped the weekend’s competition against ULM with a thrilling, five-set victory on Oct. 14 at the Holmes Convocation Center. After losing the first two sets, App State rallied to defeat ULM, 3-2 (20-25, 24-26, 25-21, 25-18, 15-11). Saturday’s victory marked the Mountaineers’ fourth five-set victory as well as their second reverse sweep of the season.
“I am so proud of the grit of this team,” said head coach Sarah Rumely Noble. “We responded after being down 0-2 and found a way to win. It was a great way to end the weekend.”
After the match, the Mountaineers honored their seniors, Meghan Dombrowski, McCall Denny, Alec Quinn, Sophie Cain, and Madison Baldridge for Senior Day.
App State honors the seniors of the 23-24 volleyball team. Photo by Kristin Schaffer, courtesy of App State Sports
DETAILS: App State 3, ULM 2
Fifth-year senior McCall Denny and sophomore Maya Winterhoff split the team-high in the kills category, both posting 13 kills on the afternoon. Denny recorded her 27th career double-double, posting 20 digs in addition to her 13 kills. Redshirt freshman Katie Cruise earned her fifth double-double this season with 27 assists and 12 digs. Winterhoff led the team in the blocks category, tallying eight (two solo, six assists). Sophomore Kenady Roper recorded a team-high 31 digs, while fellow sophomore Alyssa McBean recorded a career high six aces against the Warhawks.
App State led ULM in aces (9-5) and blocks (12-8).
Maya Winterhoff serving for App State vs. ULM on Oct. 14. Photo by Kitana Tucker, courtesy of App State Sports
In the first set, ULM came out hot, creating a 5-0 deficit that the Mountaineers had to catch up to. The Black and Gold met the Warhawks at 9-9 after back-to-back kills from freshman Ava Leahy and junior Lulu Ambrose, but ULM answered with a 5-0 run to take a 14-9 lead. ULM kept a steady lead through the set, clinching it 25-20.
The Warhawks jumped to a 10-6 lead in the second set, building on the foundation of a 4-0 run at the start of the set. The Mountaineers closed in on the Warhawks at 10-9 after a pair of kills from Ambrose, and took the lead with a 5-0 run that included kills from senior Madison Baldridge and Denny as well as three consecutive aces from McBean (14-11). App State extended the lead to 20-16 after an Ambrose kill. ULM erased the deficit and took a 23-22 edge with a 5-0 run, but App State answered with a kill from Ambrose that was followed by a ULM error (24-23). ULM met App State at 24 all before taking the set, 26-24.
App State and ULM went point-for-point in the third set until ULM took a 10-5 lead. With a 4-0 run that included kills from Denny and junior Lauren Pledger, App State managed to edge ahead, 13-12. Kills from Pledger and Leahy, as well as a ULM error, put App State ahead 16-13. As ULM worked to keep pace with the Mountaineers, the Black and Gold extended its lead to 20-16 with kills from Ambrose and Winterhoff. The Mountaineers closed out the third set, 25-21 with an Ambrose kill.
App State volleyball is jubilant after a five-set winning thriller on Oct. 14 vs. ULM. Photo by Kitana Tucker, courtesy of App State Sports
In a tight fourth set, App State took a 10-9 edge after a McBean ace and Winterhoff kill. The Mountaineers and Warhawks battled point-for-point, meeting at 15 all. The Mountaineers broke the tie with a 6-0 scoring run that featured kills from Leahy and Ambrose, a pair of Cruise aces, and a block from Ambrose/Winterhoff (21-15). The duo of Baldridge/Winterhoff posted a pair of strong blocks late in the set. Pledger sealed the set, 25-18, for the Mountaineers with a kill.
With App State and ULM tied at two sets apiece, App State recorded the first two points of the fifth and final set. ULM met App State at 4-4 and took a slight 5-4 lead. Pledger tied things up at 5-5 with a kill. App State took an 11-9 lead with a kill from Winterhoff and ace from McBean. Kills from Winterhoff and Denny brought App State to set and match point. ULM managed a final block before Pledger clinched the set for the Mountaineers, 15-11, and match, 3-2.
UP NEXT
The Mountaineers will head to Huntington, WV for a pair of matches against Marshall on Oct. 20 and 21. Friday’s match will be at 6 p.m. and Saturday’s match is set for 2 p.m. Both will be available to stream on ESPN+.
By David Rogers. LENOIR, N.C. — It was a perfect night for football and a perfect night for Hibriten’s “Homecoming” — except the Panthers may have invited the wrong opponent. No patsy, visiting Watauga ran and passed roughshod over their hosts, 41-21, at Jeff Storie Memorial Stadium.
BONUS PHOTOS @ BOTTOM OF ARTICLE ( click any image for slideshow mode)
For Watauga, the Oct. 13 performance was the perfect response to a week earlier when the Pioneers’ gridiron misadventures against Alexander Central in Jack Groce Stadium nearly led to a comeback rally by the Cougars. Watauga escaped with their unblemished 2023 record intact but it was not without some anxious moments.
Head coach Ryan Habich addresses the players after the Oct. 13, 41-21 win over Hibriten, the 100th win for Habich as Pioneer coach in his 11 seasons at the helm. Photographic image by David Rogers
Fast forward to meeting the red-and-black-clad Panthers, and the longtime Northwestern Conference adversaries traded touchdowns in the first quarter, in different ways. Watauga’s came after a failed onside kick by Hibriten on the opening kickoff gave the Pioneers good field position at midfield.
On the second play from scrimmage, QB Maddox Greene punched off tackle on the right side, catapulted himself into the secondary, then outraced all but one Panther defender across to the other side of the field before being shoved out of bounds at the 4-yard line. Just two plays later, he weaved his way through the middle for a 4-yard TD run.
Watauga’s defense played a key role in the team’s 41-21 win over Hibriten on Oct. 13. Photographic image by David Rogers
Hibriten countered with a grinding, ball possession rushing attack, seeming to exploit a vulnerable Pioneers’ defense on the left side of the Panthers offensive attack. The 12-play, 68 yard drive was complete when the Panthers’ big running back Gabe Sudderth punched the ball across on a one-yard TD rush. With Ammon Blanton’s PAT kick, the score was tied 7-7.
Not to be outdone in the “grinding” department, a combination of rushes by Greene and running back Everett Gryder, intermixed with short passes to wide receiver Jackson Pryor, moved the ball from the Pioneer 36 to the Hibriten 24 by the end of the first quarter. Switching ends of the field, Gryder finished off the 13-play, 64 yard drive with a 1-yard dive into the end zone, followed by yet another Jack Wilson PAT kick. A highlight of the drive was a 19-yard pass to Pryor.
Apparently, the Pioneers’ defensive braintrust used their offensive counterparts’ lengthy possession to make some needed adjustments because Hibriten’s offense never again proved to be a potent factor in this contest.
The football moms gather for prayer and fellowship before every game, here joined by some of the students making those cowboy hats look good with big smiles. Photographic image by David Rogers
After the game, Pioneer head coach Ryan Habich was asked about any defensive adjustments following the Panthers’ first TD.
“We did. We made some adjustments on our defensive line,” Habich acknowledged. “They came out on both sides of the ball and were cutting us. On defense, they used a double tight edge and were running right at us. Our guys were getting shot down and we weren’t tackling very well and tackling high some of the time. They kept getting two, three yards and keeping the ball. It was a long drive. They didn’t score quickly and we didn’t give up the big play. That was one of the things we worked on all week. When you play an option team sometimes they fake and throw a play-action pass. We didn’t give up that, but we had a hard time getting them off the field.”
None of the Hibriten Panthers were going to catch Evan Burroughs (12) on the receiving end of a 63 yard pass from Maddox Greene in the first half. Photographic image by David Rogers
In addition to making adjustments on the defensive line, Habich said there were a number of guys who stepped up.
“You have to give our guys a lot of credit. We don’t have a lot of quality depth, so we have a lot of guys playing both ways. Plus, we had some guys out,” said Habich. “And that happens this late in the season. Carson Gunnell-Beck was missing, who plays both defensive tackle and also guard on offense. So we had guys step up and make plays. That’s what you have to do when you get this late in the season. When you are competing for a conference championship and a chance to get in the state playoffs, you have to have guys step up when players go down. I thought our guys responded well from the way we played last week.”
It was “cowboy night” for the student section at the Oct. 13 Watauga @ Hibriten football game. Photographic image by David Rogers
As an example of guys stepping up, Habich called out Cameron Hall, a junior offensive and defensive lineman.
“Cam is a role player, but he had a bigger role this week with (Gunnell-Beck out). Hibriten has a defensive player of the year in No. 44 and we knew he liked to blitz a lot,” said Habich. “So we worked all week in picking up that blitz and Cam did a really good job.”
With defensive adjustments made, Watauga all but ran off the Panthers’ offense. While Watauga’s offense was scoring almost at will in all manner of ways — rushing, passing and even trick plays — Hibriten punted, punted and, desperate to catch up, turned the ball over on downs for the rest of the first half.
Maddox Greene (4) is “flying” downfield on this scamper to jumpstart Watauga’s opening drive on Oct. 13. Photographic image by David Rogers
Watauga’s offensive efforts included Gryder’s 1-yard plunge to finish off the long drive, a 63-yard Maddox Greene pass to Evan Burroughs, and a clever Greene lateral back to reserve QB Cade Keller, who lofted a pass downfield to a wide open Jackson Pryor for a 48-yard catch-and-run TD.
SECOND HALF FINISHERS
The start of the second half was more of the same. Hibriten turnED the ball over on downs and Watauga took possession at the Panthers’ 44. They scored quickly, Greene completing a 22-yard pass to Pryor, then Burroughs rambled 23 yards for a diving touchdown to the pylon on the right side of the end zone (see our cover image, top). With another Wilson PAT kick, the score was 34-7.
Some Pioneer reserves began to filter into the defensive mix and Hibriten made some creative adjustments on offense. That led to a 13-play, 64 yard drive by the Panthers, taking time off the clock and keeping Watauga’s potent offense off the field. Aided by a face mask penalty against the Pioneers, Hibriten got into the red zone and the Panthers’ hulking, 6-1, 235 lb. senior fullback Sudderth pushed across the goal line from one-yard out for another home side TD.
The score and PAT kick tightened the deficit to 20 points, 34-14, as the clock was winding down to just nine seconds left in the third quarter.
Greene & Co. quickly made sure last week’s second half collapse wouldn’t be repeated. After Hibriten attempted an onside kick that was recovered by Watauga at their own 46 yard line, it took just one play for Greene to scamper through, around and past all Hibriten defenders and deliver a 54-yard TD run. Jack Wilson’s PAT was the Pioneers’ final point of the night but it proved more than enough.
Jackson Pryor had 5 catches for close to 100 yards on Oct. 13 at Hibriten. Photographic image by David Rogers
With even more Pioneer reserves getting an opportunity to see game action, Hibriten manufactured one more long drive, moving the ball 53 yards in 11 plays, finishing with an 8-yard run by senior Gerard Felder.
A 20-point lead and time fast slipping away, Watauga’s coaches all but emptied their bench. Junior QB Matthew Habich took the reins in guiding the offense while sophomore running back and speedster Matthew Leon became the featured rusher. A highlight of the Pioneers’ final drive: a 17-yard power run-and-scoot by Leon.
After a group of starting players emptied a bucket of icy Gatorade on top of Habich while he was being interviewed by reporters to celebrate his win No. 100 just during his 11 years as head coach of Watauga, in typical fashion Habich deferred any accolades.
“I never thought about 100 wins until someone mentioned it to me yesterday. It is not something I think about. The players play. The players win,” said Habich.
SELECTED INDIVIDUAL WATAUGA STATS by Zach Smith for High Country Sports
:Maddox Greene:
Passing: 5-for-8, 119 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: 8 carries, 136 yards, 2 TDs
Jackson Pryor: 5 receptions, 104 yards, 1 TD
Evan Burroughs:
Receiving: 1 reception, 63 yards, 1 TD
Rushing: 3 carries, 42 yards, 1 TD
Cade Keller: 1 pass, 63 yards, 1 TD
SELECTED TEAM STATS by Jonathan Watson
Total Plays: WAT 42, HIB 63
Total Yards of Offense: WAT 383, HIB 250
Total Passing Yards: WAT 157, HIB 10
Total Rushing Yards: WAT 226, HIB 240
3rd Down Conversions: WAT 5/7 (71%), HIB 4/11 (36%)
4th Down Conversions: WAT 1/2 (50%), HIB 1/4 (25%)
By Zach Smith for High Country Sports. LENOIR, N.C. — Watauga stampeded through Hibriten’s Homecoming Night on Oct. 13, defeating the Panthers, 41-21. Here are our pre-notes about the contest, as well as our play-by-play as the action unfolded.
Pregame Notes
Watauga (7-0, 2-0) faces Hibriten (3-4, 1-1) on the road
Watauga is averaging NWC-best 42.4 points/game while allowing 18.4 points/game, fewest in the NWC
Hibriten is allowing NWC-worst 32.1 points/game
Watauga has not lost to Hibriten since 2016
Teams did not play from 2016 to 2021
Watauga Team Leaders for the 2023 Season
QB/DB #4 Maddox Greene (Jr)
TE/LB #9 Jackson Pryor (Sr)
RB #44 Everett Gryder (So)
LB #6 Trathan Gragg (Jr)
WB/DB #12 Evan Burroughs (So)
Play by Play
1st Quarter
Hibriten wins toss, defers to second half
Hibriten attempts onside kick, Watauga ball at the 50
Gryder carries right for 3 yards
Maddox Greene carries left for 44 yards
Gryder carries for loss of 1 yard
TOUCHDOWN WATAUGA
#4 Maddox Greene 4-yard rush (1)
#41 Jack Wilson PAT is good
Watauga 7 Hibriten 0
Hibriten ball at their own 32
Gabe Suddreth carries right for 2 yards
DK Mitchell carries up the middle for 19 yards
Johnny Miller carries right for 4 yards
Avin Crawford pass complete left to Austin Ballard for 10 yards
Mitchell carries up the middle for 4 yards
Dillan Earp carries left for 7 yards
Crawford pass incomplete
Mitchell carries right for 13 yards
Suddreth carries right for 4 yards
Mitchell carries left for 3 yards
Gerard Felder carries up the middle for 1 yard
Timeout Hibriten (1)
TOUCHDOWN HIBRITEN
#45 Gabe Suddreth 1-yard rush (1)
#82 Ammon Blanton PAT is good
Watauga 7 Hibriten 7
Watauga ball at their own 36
Greene carries right for loss of 4 yards
Greene pass complete left to Jackson Pryor for 5 yards
Greene carries right for 13 yards
Greene fumbles, Gryder recovers for loss of 1 yard
Greene pass complete left to Pryor for 10 yards
Gryder carries up the middle for 9 yards
Gryder carries right for 5 yards
Greene carries up the middle for 3 yards
2nd Quarter
Watauga ball, 3rd and 2 at Hibriten 24
Gryder carries up the middle for no gain
Greene pass complete right to Pryor for 19 yards
Gryder carries up the middle for 1 yard
Gryder carries up the middle for 3 yards
TOUCHDOWN WATAUGA
#44 Everett Gryder 1-yard rush (1)
#41 Jack Wilson PAT is good
Watauga 14 Hibriten 7
Hibriten ball at their own 35
Penalty: False Start against Hibriten, 1st and 15 at their own 30
By Zach Smith. LENOIR, N.C. – It was a battle of triple option offenses as Watauga took the short road trip to Lenoir. The Pioneers faced off against Hibriten in a Northwestern Conference battle on Oct. 13.
The Pioneers seemed to have met their match early on, but the 7-7 score at the end of the first quarter proved misleading as Watauga walked away victorious over the Panthers, 41-21.
Watauga entered Friday’s contest on a hot streak. The Pioneers were riding a seven-game win streak powered by their conference best offense and dominant defense. Hibriten, however, had sputtered into their homecoming game, the Panthers’ only win over the previous four weeks being a two-point overtime victory at Freedom.
Hibriten won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half, but that proved costly as the Pioneers took just four plays to reach the endzone. Hibriten responded on their next possession, though, and the game looked to be shaping into a thriller.
Watauga then took control in the second quarter, scoring three unanswered touchdowns before the halftime break. The most notable of those touchdowns was a 48-yard strike to senior tight end Jackson Pryor, courtesy of sophomore QB Cade Keller after a backwards pass from Maddox Greene. The long touchdown was the first of Keller’s career. The Pioneers never lost the lead again.
Head coach Ryan Habich spoke on Watauga’s gameplan against a team that, much like the Pioneers, utilizes a triple option offense.
“When you play an option team, a lot of times they fake and throw a play action pass,” Habich said. “We didn’t give that up.”
Habich also spoke on dealing with injuries and depth in the late stages of Watauga’s 2023 campaign.
“You give our kids a lot of credit. A lot of our guys are going both ways. We don’t have a lot of quality depth,” Habich said. “And we have some guys out, too. This time of year you have some guys out so we had some guys step up and make plays. Next man up. That’s what you gotta do when you get this late in the season, trying to finish up the season strong.”
With the victory, Habich reached an important career milestone. It was his 100th win as Watauga head coach. When asked post-game if any of those victories stood out, Habich mentioned the Pioneers’ 2018 victory over Freedom to clinch a conference championship for the first time since 2007.
Much like Watauga’s 2018 season, the Pioneers remain unbeaten through eight weeks and can clinch at least a share of the NWC title next week as they travel to Morganton for a matchup against Freedom. Kickoff is set for 7:30p.m. and can be streamed on the NFHS Network website.
By Katherine Jamtgaard. BOONE N.C. — The App State volleyball team swept ULM, 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 28-26), on Oct. 13 at the Holmes Convocation Center. The win marked a second consecutive sweep, following last Saturday’s sweep of Georgia State. It was the team’s eighth sweep of the season.
App State returns to the Holmes Center court on Saturday, 1 p.m. for a second weekend match against the Warhawks. The Mountaineers will honor their seniors, Meghan Dombrowski, McCall Denny, Alec Quinn, Sophie Cain, and Madison Baldridge for Senior Day.
DETAILS: App State 3, ULM 0
Cain recorded her 20th career double-double, leading the team in assists (18) and digs (10). Cain also posted a team-high three aces on the night. Redshirt freshman Katie Cruise posted 13 assists as well as a kill. Junior Lulu Ambrose recorded a team-high 13 kills while Denny recorded nine. Sophomore Maya Winterhoff posted a team-high four blocks.
App State led ULM in kills (42-41), aces (4-3), blocks (6-4), and assists (36-32).
The Mountaineers took a 4-2 edge in the first set after a pair of back-to-back kills from Winterhoff and an ace from Cain. As the Warhawks tried to catch up, the Mountaineers extended the deficit to 8-5 after a kill from Ambrose. As ULM closed in on App State’s lead, cutting the deficit to 12-11, the Mountaineers went on an 8-0 run to jump ahead, 20-11. After kills from Winterhoff and freshman Ava Leahy, App state led, 23-15. An Ambrose kill brought the Mountaineers to set point (24-17). ULM held App State to three set points, but a kill from Ambrose broke through the defense and clinched the set, 25-20, for the Mountaineers.
In the second set, App State took a 6-1 lead with a 6-0 run that featured a trio of kills from freshman Delanie Grevengoed, a kill from Denny, and a block from Winterhoff/Grevengoed. App State posted two 3-0 runs shortly after, holding ULM to 15-4. A kill from junior Lauren Pledger brought App State to an 18-6 lead. A kill from Baldridge extended the deficit to 22-11. ULM chipped away at App State’s lead with a 3-0 run, but it wasn’t enough, as back-to-back kills from Ambrose closed out the set for the Mountaineers, 25-14.
ULM scored the first point of the third set and found momentum to take a 6-3 lead. The Black and Gold tied things up at 7-7 and at 13-13. App State came within one of the Warhawks’ lead after a kill from Leahy and Warhawk error (16-15). As ULM maintained its edge, App State kept pace, cutting the deficit to 23-21 after a kill from Ambrose. ULM reached set point, 24-21, but the Mountaineers answered with a kill from Ambrose, block from Pledger/Cain, and a kill from Pledger to tie things at 24 all. After ULM edged ahead, 25-24, an Ambrose kill tied things up at 25 all. ULM managed one last kill before the Mountaineers took the set (28-26) and match (3-0) after a kill from Denny and a pair of consecutive kills from Winterhoff.
By David Rogers. TAYLORSVILLE, N.C. — For win No. 100 as the Watauga High School men’s soccer team head coach, Josh Honeycutt could hardly ask for more than what he got: a 2-0 “revenge game” victory over Alexander Central — on the road, no less.
BONUS PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF ARTICLE (click any image for slideshow mode)
Both Watauga goals were unassisted, the first early in the first half by Stryker Ward, the second late in the game by Lade Oguntoyinbo.
“This is the Watauga team I have been waiting for,” Honeycutt said after the game. “We put two great halves together against a very good team. We have had glimpses of it. We have had halves. We have had decent games but we have not had it come together the way I know these guys can play until tonight. If they commit to being that team every time we step on the field we will be a very hard team to beat.”
:Lade Oguntoyinbo shoots the final goal of the Oct. 11 matchup with Alexander Central. Photographic image by David Rogers
Right from the get-go against the Cougars on Oct. 11, Watauga played with a sense of urgency. The intensity of their play was obvious in beating their opponents to the ball and controlling possession.
“We also did well tonight moving the ball, staying connected. We moved the ball around tonight without losing possession”
The Pioneer defense was impenetrable on this night.
“We defended really well tonight,” said Honeycutt, now in his seventh year as head coach of Watauga. “Their No. 22 (freshman forward Jaylen Bennett) is really, really fast and we didn’t give him many opportunities tonight.”
Midfielder Alex Aguilar (16) takes aim at the goal on Oct. 11 at Alexander Central. Watauga won, 2-0. Photographic image by David Rogers
Honeycutt added that the performance wasn’t perfect.
“Finishing is one area where we can still improve,” he said. “As much as we controlled possession, there were probably two, maybe three or four more goals we should have scored. We have to finish.”
Now at 5-2 in Northwestern Conference (7-10-1 overall), Watauga holds a slim, one-half game lelad over Alexander Central (4-2-1, 10-4-2) as the top 4A school in NWC play. The Pioneers will try to spoil 3A contender, Hibriten’s unblemished conference record (7-0, 14-2-3) on Monday, Oct. 16, back home in Jack Groce Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., following the junior varsity game.
BONUS PHOTOS
:Lade Oguntoyinbo shoots the final goal of the Oct. 11 matchup with Alexander Central. Photographic image by David Rogers
Watauga’s Adam Hill (5), right, goes up for a header among a crowd in front of the Alexander Central goal on Oct. 11. Photographic image by David Rogers
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Watauga women’s volleyball took care of business on Senior Night, Oct. 11, thumping the Freedom Patrots, in straight sets, 3-0 (25-16, 25-14, 15-15).
The Pioneers celebrated the high school volleyball careers of a whopping seven seniors, including Brooklyn Stanbery, Olivia Kop, Evie Robbins, Madi Combs, Kasey Gragg, Sara Marlowe and Kate McCullough.
