By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Visiting St. Stephens turned away a number of Watauga assaults on their goal, Oct. 27 — but not all of them. With superb ball control in the rainy conditions, the Pioneers’ men’s soccer team secured their last regular season victory, 2-0, to remain undefeated in Northwestern 6A/7A Conference play.
The overall team defense was outstanding, limiting the Indians to negligible scoring threats of their own. Meanwhile, Watauga came away with a goal in each half:
1st Half: 27:35 – Asher Hampton, tapped along the ground into the net after a cross from the left side by Evan Mawhinney.
Second Half: 26:26 – Evan Mawhinney breaks down the center after a midfield through pass from Asher Hampton. As the goalkeeper comes out, Mawhinney pushes ball out right past a diving goalkeeper, then slams the ball into the net from about 15 yards out.
Now the Pioneers await news of the state playoffs’ seeding for the NCHSAA 6A West bracket.
At 15-3-3, the Pioneers are ranked No. 4 in the 6A classification for all of North Carolina, behind No. 1 Charlotte Catholic, No. 2 Middle Creek (Apex), and No. 3 A.C. Reynolds (Asheville). Seven of the top 10-ranked teams are in the strong 6A West division. Of the top four, only Middle Creek is in the 6A East. The 6A West representative in the ultimate championship game will likely have survived strong challenges from the beginning of Round 1 to the end.
By David Rogers. MONROE, N.C. — Among the 46 young women competing in the 2025 NCHSAA 6A Women’s Golf State Championship tournament on Oct. 27, Watauga senior Chloe Weigl shot a 6-over 79 to earn a No. 10 finish at Stonebridge Golf Club.
Only six schools had enough entries to qualify for team scoring, led by a powerful Charlotte Catholic squad with five student athletes qualified for the state championship. The winning Cougars included No. 1 Elizabeth Guthrie (70, sophomore), No. 3 Lainey Baursfeld (73, senior), No. 11 Maya Claffey (80, junior), No. 24 Charlotte Cox (86, junior) and No. 37 Claire Walby (92, freshman).
While no Northwestern Conference schools had enough state qualifiers to bid for the state team title, the conference qualifiers included Weigl (No. 10), Kailey Fisher (No. 24, St. Stephens, freshman), Meredith Wike (No. 26, Alexander Central, senior), Caroline Ingle (No. 37, South Caldwell, senior) and Shaylen Boston (WD, Alexander Central, senior).
Watauga @ Regionals
Weigl was among five Pioneers who qualified for the 6A West Regionals where Weigl shot an 80 at Brushy Mountain GC to finish No. 5, which earned her a spot in the state championship tourney. Helping Watauga to a No. 5 team score among the 11 6A West schools competing for the Regionals team title were Theresa Copenhaver (No. 24, senior), Ariall Lewis (No. 31, senior), Kaitlyn Meyer (No. 37, junior) and Sofia McEvoy (No. 41, junior).
The Northwestern Conference schools with team members at Regionals included Alexander Central (No. 4), Watauga (No. 5), South Caldwell (No. 7), and Saint Stephens (No. 10)
By David Rogers. MILL SPRINGS, N.C. — All seven members of the Watauga men’s cross country team finished in the top 50 of a field featuring 105 of western North Carolina’s best on Oct. 25, all helping to power the Pioneers to a No. 6 team finish in the NCHSAA 6A West Regional Cross Country Championships. The race was staged on the 5K Bridge Course of the Tryon Equestrian Center.
Among the 105 harriers competing there were 14 qualifying teams and a smattering of individual entries (where schools did not have enough entries to make up a full scoring team).
Whit Longhurst of Mount Tabor finished No. 1, his time of 16:02.7 almost 14 second ahead of the No. 2 competitor from Asheville, Asa Mehler (16:16.6).
The Northwestern 6A/7A Conference was well represented in the top 10 with South Caldwell’s Bryce Corpening coming in at No. 7.
Watauga’s Zeke Walker and Grady Gates were the No. 16 and No. 17 finishers with Jonah Pearson at No. 22, Sean Rea at No. 28, Levi Anderson at No. 37, Calvin Zwetsloot at No. 38 and Parker Williams at No. 44.
The Watauga team now looks ahead to the NCHSAA 6A State Cross Country Championships in Kernersville, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2 p.m., at the Redmon Sports Complex.
By Bret Strelow. NORFOLK, Va. — App State followed a pair of fourth-quarter stands with two touchdowns to keep its comeback hopes going, but Old Dominion recovered a late onside kick to close out a 24-21 home win Saturday.
AJ Swann directed two fourth-quarter drives and threw two touchdown passes, leading possessions that followed a Zyeir Gamble interception near the end zone and a missed 39-yard field goal from the Monarchs. Kanen Hamlett scored on a 35-yard touchdown reception after the takeaway, and Davion Dozier hauled in a 34-yard touchdown pass with 1:35 remaining, but the Mountaineers (4-4, 1-3 Sun Belt) had only one timeout left when ODU (5-3, 2-2) recovered the onside kick.
App State threw for 301 yards and three scores as a team, as Swann entered in relief with 11:23 remaining and completed 12 of 16 passes for 140 yards in his first action since Sept. 27. Making his fourth straight start, JJ Kohl threw a touchdown pass to Jaden Barnes late in the first half and finished with 138 yards through the air, while Ian Ratliff completed a 23-yard pass to Colton Phares on a fake punt.
Defensively, the Mountaineers limited ODU to 3.4 yards per carry for the game and allowed only 10 first-half points despite giving up a 70-yard touchdown on a short pass to an open running back just beyond the line of scrimmage. Gamble recorded a team-high 13 tackles to go with his interception, which was caused by Rondo Porter’s tip near the line, and Phares’ two-way effort included 11 stops.
Receiving to open the third quarter, the Mountaineers trailed 10-7 at halftime despite facing adversity from every direction, but the first four drives for each team in the second half resulted in one App State first down and two ODU touchdowns.
The Monarchs nearly got a third touchdown in that stretch, reaching the App State 1 after making a fourth-down stop at the Mountaineers’ 34, but Gamble came down with an interception after Porter tipped a third-and-goal pass. Swann, who had missed the previous three games while being sidelined by injury, absorbed two roughing-the-passer penalties before capping a 91-yard drive with his 35-yard touchdown pass to Hamlett.
That score cut App State’s deficit to 24-14 with 9:26 remaining, and ODU chewed up nearly six minutes before Kevin Abrams-Verwayne forced a red-zone fumble with 3:31 remaining. DJ Burks made a sliding recovery near the sideline, but officials ruled that part of his lower body touched out of bounds during the sequence.
ODU missed a 39-yard field goal nine seconds later, and Swann completed seven of his nine pass attempts on a 79-yard touchdown drive, capped by Dozier scoring for the fourth straight game.
With App State playing three of its first four Sun Belt games on the road, the Mountaineers begin the second half of their league schedule with a Thursday night home game against Georgia Southern on Nov. 6.
The Mountaineers stayed within striking distance in the early going even though a long ODU touchdown immediately followed an App State takeaway wiped out by a flag and an ODU interception in the end zone immediately followed an App State touchdown wiped out by a flag.
After forcing an early punt, App State moved to the Monarchs’ 27 on its first series, but an interception ended that march. The Mountaineers appeared to return the favor two plays later, with Gamble’s deflection leading to a Burks interception on an across-the-body throw over the middle at the ODU 36, but a flag for roughing the passer and targeting on Myles Farmer’s hit of Colton Joseph negated the big play.
Farmer had been inserted into the starting lineup as part of a dime package with six defensive backs to employ against ODU’s spread-wide scheme, and the Monarchs took advantage of Farmer’s absence on the next play with a 70-yard touchdown that resulted from a short, over-the-top pass to an open running back in the middle of the field.
App State lost standout tight end Izayah Cummings to a serious injury on the next series yet moved into ODU territory when Ratliff completed a 23-yard pass to Phares on a fourth-and-8 play from the Monarchs’ 47. The Mountaineers were set to tie the game thanks to Kohl’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Stroman, but a flag for offensive interference (ruled a pick by another route runner) backed App State up 15 yards, and that third-and-20 pass was intercepted in the end zone.
Despite all those events, the Mountaineers trailed by only three points at halftime.
ODU missed a 47-yard field goal early in the second quarter before increasing its lead to 10-0 on a 33-yard field goal with 2:10 remaining in the second quarter. The Mountaineers responded with a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive, prolonged by Barnes’ fourth-and-6 catch for 6 yards to the ODU 37 and ended by his 16-yard touchdown on a third-and-6 throw from Kohl.
The Monarchs moved into scoring range with time running down before halftime but missed a 50-yard field goal.
App State managed only 35 offensive yards and one first down on 16 third-quarter plays, punting from its 27, 36 and 24. ODU started its first third-quarter drive at the Mountaineers’ 49, scoring eight plays later on a third-and-13 pass for a 16-yard touchdown, and the Monarchs followed App State’s third punt of the half with a 61-yard drive highlighted by a 24-yard touchdown pass to move ahead 24-7.
By David Rogers. MILL SPRINGS, N.C. — Sophomore cross country sensation Cali Townsend of Watauga High School took the individual title for the 2025 6A West Regional XC Championships on Oct. 25, hosted by the Tryon Equestrian Center, leading the Pioneer harriers to the team title. All five of Watauga’s scorers for the team total placed in the top 11 among the 93 women’s XC athletes competing from 13 western N.C. schools with full 5-runner teams and a smattering of teams with fewer than needed to qualify for team title consideration.
Watauga’s 35 team points was far ahead of second place A.C. Reynolds (66 points) and third place Mount Tabor (72).
While Townsend conquered the demanding course in 17:31.1, a little more than 16 seconds ahead of No. 2 Sofi Alexander, a senior from Asheville HS (17:47.2), her Pioneer teammates also had strong finishes, the seven harriers representing Watauga all finishing in the top 25.
Among the most impressive was Pioneer freshman Josie Mayo, who completed the course as the No. 4 finisher (18:59.4). The final trio of Watauga scores crossed the finish line No. 9, No. 10 and No. 11, including Janie Beach-Verhay, Lainey Johnston, and Lilly Kimbrough, respectively. While seven runners could represent each team, only the top five from each school go into the team total calculations. Watauga’s Sophia Stull and Susanna Goff finished No. 18 and No. 24, respectively.
Next up for the Pioneers is a trip next week to Kernersville for the state championship meet. According to the NCHSAA website, the 6A and 8A North Carolina State XC Championship races will begin at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It is almost unheard of, but the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in both of the NCHSAA 6A West and 6A East brackets of the 2025 state playoffs have advanced to the celebrated “Final Four.” Among those playing next Tuesday evening will be Watauga, the No. 1 seed in the West, which advanced on Oct. 25 by defeating a strong North Iredell squad, 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-18).
BONUS PHOTOS at bottom of article (Click any image for larger version and Slide Show Mode)
In the bottom half of the 6A West bracket, No. 2 Kings Mountain also advanced with a 3-0 sweep of Northern Guilford. In the 6A East, No. 1-seeded J.H. Rose (Greenville) took care of business with a 3-0 sweep over Union Pines (Cameron) and No. 2-seeded Gray’s Creek (Hope Mills) unsaddled the Middle Creek Mustangs (Apex), 3-0.
One of the aspects of the 2025 Watauga women’s volleyball team, says head coach Kim Pryor, is that when any of the team members are not on the court, they are enthusiastically cheering for their teammates. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Inside Lentz Eggers Gym, Watauga took on a foe they had seen and defeated earlier in the early season. Like Watauga, North Iredell has gotten much better as the 2025 campaign wore on and proved an even more difficult challenge than in the first meeting. As in the Pioneers’ Round 3 match vs. Sun Valley, the the visiting Raiders were adept at keeping the ball in play, defensively, and forcing long rallies against the Pioneers.
In the end, though, the 1-2 power punch of Pioneer outside hitters Emma Pastusic and Ashlyn Smith was just too much for North Iredell in the electric atmosphere that was Lentz Eggers Gym. In addition to a large and vocal Watauga student section comprised mostly football and men’s soccer players, as well as High Country community fans, North Iredell brought a large contingent of supporters, too.
Members of the Watauga football and soccer teams were vocal and enthusiastic in supporting their volleyball counterparts on Oct. 25, in Watauga’s 3-0 sweep of North Iredell in Round 4 of the state playoffs. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
The Watauga team members literally thumped and banged each other after every good play. Their enthusiasm was worthy of the best mosh pit.
The student section was not only vocal, but acted out “skits” of some sort between sets and members of the Pioneer bench threw themselves headlong across the floor after an errant North Iredell shot, then dragged back by teammates pulling them by the legs.
It all made for some animated fun, even if a bit intimidating for the visitors.
On the court, the Pioneers were led, offensively, by Pastusic and Smith with 17 and 12 kills, respectively, while junior outside hitter Julia Rowan has rounded back into form after an early season shoulder injury, contributing a solid 8 kills.
At the center of the offensive attack, of course — and facilitator of the mayhem — was junior setter Lainey Gragg tallying 37 assists on the afternoon.
Senior outside hitter Emma Pastusic (18), who has committed to play next year at The Citadel, was again a powerful force for Watauga vs. North Iredell in Round 4 of the state playoffs. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
And lest we forget the impact of service aces in discouraging an opponent, as a team the Pioneer recorded nine of them, four by sophomore libero Caroline Childers.
When asked by High Country Sports about her string of aces in Set No. 2, Childers said she was just trying to exploit gaps in the North Iredell alignments and that it was something the team had focused on in recent practices, to be more aggressive with serves.
Testimony to the offensive prowess of North Iredell, the Pioneers had five players in or near double-digit digs, including Childers (26 digs), Smith (13), Pastusic (11), Gragg (7) and Lilli Combs (7),
The Pioneers also seemed more active at the net in this match, recording four blocks, one each from Pastusic, Rowan, Kora Knight and Addie Stough.
The Pioneers are slated to host Kings Mountain on Tues., Oct. 28. The time has yet to announced.
SELECTED WATAUGA STATS
Kills: Emma Pastusic (17), Ashlyn Smith (12), Julia Rowan (8), Kora Knight (5), Lainey Gragg (2), Lilli Combs (1), Addie Stough (1)
Service Aces: Caroline Childers (4), Emma Pastusic (2), Ashlyn Smith (2), Ember Honeycutt (1)
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — As “Senior Nights” go, it doesn’t get much better than for the Watauga High School varsity footballers, who all but shrunk the McDowell Titans on Oct. 24, 55-21.
BONUS PHOTOS at bottom of article (Click any image for larger view and Slide Show Mode)
Five senior Pioneers had a hand in the evening’s scoring barrage, most of it in the first half (49-7 at intermission). That triggered another “mercy rule” running clock and gave a legion of non-starters a chance to see meaningful live action in the final two quarters.
Watauga QB Cade Keller (10) was again efficient as field general for the Pioneers. He’s not only an accurate passer, but is a running threat, too. Photographic image captured by Jared Everett, processed by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Senior quarterback Cade Keller completed 9-of-12 passes for 290 yards and four TDs, three of them to a fellow senior, wide receiver Nyle Peays. Keller’s aerials were on target, but the only three passes to Peays were caught for TDs, piling up 185 yards in the process. Important to note: an estimated 160 of those yards were earned by the speedy and elusive Peays after the catch.
Senior teammate Evan Burroughs had a relatively quiet night, at least by his recent standards. He “only” had four catches for 82 yards and a TD.
Primary running back duties this year have been evenly split between speedster Matthew Leon and the hard-charging Everett Gryder, both seniors. In a game primarily characterized by Watauga’s quick-strike capabilities through the air, Leon rushed just twice but averaged 5.5 yards per carry and hauled in a short pass, turning it into a 15-yard gain. Gryder, rushed four times for 54 yards and a touchdown, outrunning a platoon of Titans to paydirt.
Maybe the Pioneers should enter a football-only, 4×100 or 4×200 relay team for next spring’s track season.
Evan Burroughs (12) drags a McDowell Titan into the end zone. Photographic image captured by Jared Everett, processed by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Defense, Too
Coming into the game, McDowell’s senior quarterback Danny Charles Brown was ranked as the No. 1 passer in the Northwestern Conference, with some 1,800 yards through the air. At least through the first half when Watauga had all of its starters on the field, Brown looked unsettled and constantly under pressure. The Pioneers all but contained him.
Senior Bowen Mayo turned in a highlight reel-worthy big play in the first quarter, on defense, when he picked up a fumble forced by sophomore linebacker John Wilson Mills. Bowen ran it back some 40 yards for a “scoop and scoot” TD.
Mills led the defense with eight tackles, the forced fumble, and a quarterback sack. Gryder was in on five tackles, while the versatile senior lineman (offense and defense) Brady Lindenmuth recorded three tackles, including a tackle for loss (TFL).
The Series: The ‘Tackling Machine’, John Wilson Mills
Watauga head coach Ryan Habich calls sophomore standout John Wilson Mills a ‘tackling machine.’ The McDowell Titans would probably not argue. Photographic image captured by Jared Everett, processed by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Senior tackle Crue Stoddard also had a big night, with four tackles, two TFLs, as well as a pass breakup (PBU).
Peays, who like many of the top Pioneer athletes plays on both sides of the ball, stepped in front of McDowell pass in the second quarter for an interception and 40-yard INT return, while also recording a pair of tackles. The INT occurred on the Watauga side of the field and the Pioneer faithful in the grandstands could see Peays closing in for the “poach” as the play was developing.
Another versatile senior not wanting to be left out of the defensive fun, strong safety Kyle Williams tallied an INT, three PBUs, and another three tackles.
The Series II: The Nyle Peays (9) Show?
On offense, as well as defense, Nyle Peays (9) had arguably the biggest Senior Night on Oct. 24 at Jack Groce Stadium. Photographic image captured by Jared Everett, processed by David Rogers for High Country Sports
After the game, head coach Ryan Habich was generally pleased by his team’s play and especially the opportunity to get every senior playing time on Senior Night, but still had reservations about the performance of the mostly non-starters in the fourth quarter, including giving up a turnover (fumble). Whether a starter or not, Habich said the coaching staff’s expectation is for any and every Watauga player to execute, to do their job as they are trained to do.
“I didn’t like the way we finished,” said Habich.
Next up for Watauga is a visit to Hickory, to play St. Stephens in what has evolved as the de facto Northwestern Conference championship game. With the Pioneers at 4-0 in conference (9-0 overall) and St. Stephens at 3-1, the Oct. 31 tilt on the road should be a good one. The Indians’ only loss in conference was to Freedom, 28-21, on Oct. 10, in Hickory.
St. Stephens was a 48-2 winner over South Caldwell on Oct. 24. At halftime, Freedom was poised to move into a tie with the Indians for second place, leading Alexander Central, 35-0 (final score unavailable).
Evan Burroughs (12) turns the corner vs. McDowell on Oct. 24. Photographic image captured by Jared Everett, processed by David Rogers for High Country Sports
A win next week at St. Stephens, especially with a good showing, puts Watauga in the drivers seat for what should be a high seed in the 6A West playoffs bracket, perhaps even the No. 1 seed. Not counting all of this week’s games because not all scores are yet available, the only other undefeated (overall) team in the 6A West is Ashbrook (Gastonia). MaxPreps has Watauga ranked No. 1 in North Carolina’s 6A classification, 5-3 Sun Valley at No. 2, and Ashbrook No. 3, all in the 6A West. Two more 6A West teams, Charlotte Catholic (No. 4) and Northern Guilford (No. 5) round out the top 5, statewide.
If Watauga loses to St. Stephens, then its seeding and any home field advantage that comes with a high seed will suffer and probably catapult the Indians to a higher seed.
Freedom (8-1) is currently ranked No. 13 and could improve on that ranking after facing McDowell on Oct. 31 to close out the 2025 regular season. At 5-4, St. Stephens is ranked No. 30 in North Carolina’s 6A classification but has had some impressive wins and close losses, so the Pioneers have little room for error next week.
BONUS PHOTOS (Click any image for larger view and Slide Show Mode)
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — In one of the closest, most hard-fought matches of the 2025 Watauga varsity women’s volleyball season, the Pioneers overcame the challenge of “not playing their best” to sweep No. 8-seeded Sun Valley (Monroe, N.C.) on Oct. 23, 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-21).
BONUS PHOTOS at bottom of article (Click any image for larger view and Slide Show Mode)
Watauga led for most of all three sets, but the visiting Spartans rallied to tie the score at critical moments, including at 19-19 in the third and decisive set. Neither team led by as many as four points throughout the contest, which was punctuated by several long, exciting rallies featuring dramatic digs and blocks by both sides.
The Round 3 win had Watauga’s bench jumping for joy on Oct. 23, vs. Sun Valley. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
For the Pioneers, there was an element of “revenge” in this win. When this year’s seniors were freshmen during the 2022-23 academic year, it was the No. 3-seeded Sun Valley that bounced the Northwestern Conference champions and No. 2-seeded out of the state playoffs, the 4A quarterfinals, 3-1 (20-25, 25-16, 31-29, 25-16). Back then, the thrilling, hard-fought battle also had long rallies and dramatic play on both sides of the net, but left the Pioneers with the bitter taste of disappointment and what could have been while Sun Valley went on to be the state runners-up, losing to Millbrook, the No. 2-seed in the 4A East bracket, 3-0.
This time, though, Watauga turned the tables on the Spartans. In the electric atmosphere of Lentz Eggers Gym with a large student section behind them, the Pioneers were up for any challenge.
A large student section, dominated by members of the Watauga football team, contributed to the electric atmosphere in Lentz Eggers Gym for Round 3 of the state volleyball playoffs. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Former Watauga head football coach Bill Mauldin was in the stands and pointed out to High Country Sports, “When a team doesn’t play their best and still sweeps an opponent, that’s a testament to how good they are.”
The Pioneers’ setter, Lainey Gragg again was proficient in distributing the attack opportunities to Watauga’s multiple offensive weapons, led by Emma Pastusic’s 20 kills. but with three other Pioneers recording eight kills each: junior outside hitter Ashlyn Smith, Gragg and senior middle blocker Kora Knight.
Senior outside hitter Emma Pastusic leaps high for one of her powerful, ‘top-spin’ serves vs. Sun Valley in Round 3 of the 6A state playoffs, Oct. 23, in Lentz Eggers Gym. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
If there was an area where the Pioneers were visibly lacking against the Spartans, it was at the net, defensively, where the recorded only one block. Instead, they relied on stellar play by back row players to dig out the frequent offensive attacks by Sun Valley and keep the ball in play. Caroline Childers (15 digs) and Ashlyn Smith (14 digs) were at the forefront of that defensive effort, but Lilli Combs (9 digs), Pastusic (8) and Gragg (6) were also key defensive contributors.
In advancing to the state 6A quarterfinals (also the Regional semifinals), Watauga is the last remaining Northwestern 6A/7A Conference member still in the hunt for the coveted state championship crown. They will face the No. 4-seeded North Iredell Raiders in the quarterfinals, which advanced by defeating No. 5-seeded Alexander Central.
Earlier this season (Aug. 23), Watauga defeated North Iredell in Lentz Eggers Gym, 3-0 (25-12, 25-17, 25-12), but all bets are off in the state playoffs after all the teams have had a regular season to improve and “gel.” For North Iredell to have advanced this far in the playoffs, the Pioneers will have to be at the top of their game if the mission is to advance to the Final Four and eventual state championship.
In one of the more unusual team rituals, some of the Watauga bench players throw themselves forward across the floor while other teammates drag them back by their feet when an opposing team hits the ball out of bounds (or at least that’s what I think they are doing!). That is head coach Kim Pryor, walking the sideline, taking in stride her players’ form of celebration. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
In other 6A West bracket action, No.2-seeded Kings Mountain advanced with a 3-0 sweep of Asheville (25-22, 25-16, 25-20), while No. 3 Northern Guilford defeated Southeast Guilford, 3-0.
According to MaxPreps, Watauga’s Round 4 matchup with North Iredell is scheduled for 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 25.
SELECTED GAME STATS
Kills: Emma Pastusic (20), Ashlyn Smith (8), Lainey Gragg (8), Kora Knight (8), Julia Rowan (3), Addie Stough (1)
Service Aces: Ashlyn Smith (3), Graycie Collins (1), Lainey Gragg (1)
Assists: Lainey Gragg (26), Caroline Childers (2)
Digs: Caroline Childers (15), Ashlyn Smith (14), Lilli Combs (9), Emma Pastusic (8), Lainey Gragg (6), Addie Stough (2)
Blocks: Julia Rowan (1)
BONUS PHOTOS (Click any image for larger view and Slide Show Mode)
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Take 21 shots on goal in a high school soccer match and something is bound to go in. Even though visiting McDowell often had as many as nine and 10 players “stacking the box,” defensively, Watauga earned success from its 21-shot barrage not once, not twice, but three times, winning its Northwestern 6A/7A Conference varsity match, 3-0, on Oct. 22 at Jack Groce Stadium.
It was relatively rare for the ball to leave Watauga’s attacking half of the field, maintaining good possession with deft one- and two-touch passes back and forth across the field, moving it steadily toward shot opportunities near the goal. The only real possessions by the Titans resulted from long, desperation launches downfield that were usually scooped up by alert Pioneer defenders. In the first half, there was one high arching, long shot on goal that curved toward the upper right corner — before caroming off the right post, near the top.
Observed one onlooker, “If they score on one of those long, lucky shots, this will be a different game.”
Fortunately for the Pioneers, McDowell’s luck ran out, thanks to a plucky defensive effort by Watauga’s backline and midfielders — and the dominating possession of the frontline and midfielders.
First to score for Watauga was senior David Ganley, a header off a cross from striker Asher Hampton. Ganley was quick to know his shot was good, already turning to celebrate with teammates in the right corner as the ball was just striking the back of the net (see photo).
David Ganley (6) is already turning to celebrate with teammates in the corner as the ball strikes the back of the net for Watauga’s first score of its game vs. McDowell on Oct. 22. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Given McDowell’s stacking the box, it was tough sledding for the Pioneers, offensively. At least two would-be goals were denied by a sideline official who didn’t seem to understand the offside rule, that if you are onside when a teammate kicks the ball as a pass, you can be beyond the last defender when you take possession of the ball.
Two second half goals were both scored by junior wing Quincy Honeycutt, one on a penalty kick.
Next up for Watauga is a Senior Night match at home against St. Stephens, the last conference game of the regular season before playoffs, on Oct. 27, 6 p.m.
BONUS PHOTOS (Click any image for larger view and Slide Show Mode)
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — If there was any doubt Watauga High School’s varsity women’s volleyball team deserved the No. 1 seed in the state playoffs 6A West bracket, they were cast aside in Round 2 vs. A C Reynolds (Asheville) on Oct. 21. The Pioneers swept a tall, athletic Rockets side, 3-0, 25-16, 25-15, 25-12.
BONUS PHOTOS at bottom of article. Click any image for larger version and Slide Show Mode
With the regular tenants of Lentz Eggers Gym falling behind (6-2) the visitors in the first set, there may have been some uncertainty in the grandstands about whether the Pioneers had met their match, but if those sentiments existed they weren’t shared by the players on the court.
An athletic sophomore libero Caroline Childers digs out an A C Reynolds kill attempt on Oct. 21, in Round 2 of the stat playoffs. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Junior outside hitter Ashlyn Smith explained afterwards that falling behind helps the Pioneers become more focused.
“Not just one person, but the whole team… We get a chip on our shoulder,” said Smith. “Our team is built on competitiveness and the mission. We all share that passion and wanting to win. So whenever we get down by any amount, we get fired up.”
The Series: Views to A (Emma Pastusic) Kill
While the Watauga offensive attack was again led by setter Lainey Gragg, outside hitters Smith and Emma Pastusic, and middle blockers Kora Knight and Rae Coffey, at critical moments the Pioneers got inspiring play from reserve and role players.
Case in point: defensive specialist Graycie Collins came on to serve in the third and final set when the Rockets seemed to be gaining some momentum — and promptly rattled off three straight service aces.
Asked later if she had eaten her Wheaties that morning, Collins smiled broadly.
“There was a lot of energy in the gym,” said Collins. “Plus, this was my first time playing in the state playoffs. We knew AC Reynolds is a good team, that this wasn’t going to be a complete blowout and they gave us what we expected. As far as the serves, I was just aiming for the seams (in the opposing team’s positioning), with pace.”
Watauga’s Emma Pastusic not only is a dangerous, powerful ball striker as an outside hitter, but offers some thunderous serves, too, such as here vs. A C Reynolds in Round 2 of the North Carolina 6A state playoffs. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Head coach Kim Pryor said later, “Serving is one of the most underrated spots in volleyball. A lot of times you have players come into serve for your (middle blockers). Some of that is for serving but some of it, too, is to play tougher defense. I look down the bench and I have multiple people I could put in those roles, at any time. Graycie (Collins) and Ember (Honeycutt) are among those and they just step up and do the job.”
Overall, Pryor pointed out a lot of positives for the Pioneers’ first match in the playoffs against a quality opponent.
“You could tell A C Reynolds is a solid team and they have some height. They were pretty effective on offense and had great servers, too. We just prepared our normal game and were prepared to play our game. We passed real well and had some good serve receive play, defensively. That (enabled) our offense to get clicking. Lainey (Gragg) was able to spread the ball around to multiple hitters. We just found success in every component of our offense. Defensively, we covered behind the blocks really, really well. It was just a complete game.”
Freshman Ember Honeycutt serves up an ‘ace’ in Set 3 of Watauga’s match vs. A C Reynolds in Round 2 of the state playoffs. After the 3-0 sweep of the Rockets, Honeycutt told High Country Sports, ‘Honestly, this is such a great experience being a freshman playing on varsity with all of these amazing teammates. It is such a great environment. On the ace, I was just aiming for the seam between their libero and defensive specialist.’ Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Watauga’s defensive prowess as well as A C Reynolds’ abilities in attacking were borne out in the numbers. Four Pioneers were in double figures for digs, led by sophomore libero Caroline Childers with 16, setter Lainey Gragg with 12, while Pastusic and Smith recorded 10 apiece. Lilli Combs added seven digs.
That setter Lainey Gragg received some good passes from her back row teammates serve receives was also evident in the numbers and her ability to spread the ball around to various Pioneer attackers. Watauga’s powerful outside hitter, Pastusic, led the team with 16 kills, but six other Pioneers recorded kills, led by Knight (kills), Smith (8) and Julia Rowan (6) in her welcome first return from an early season shoulder injury.
Watauga outside hitter Julia Rowan (foreground), shown here with middle blocker Rae Coffey, made a welcome return to the Pioneers in Round 2 of the state playoffs vs. A C Reynolds after suffering an early season shoulder injury. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Reflecting back on Watauga’s 24-1 record overall and undefeated (10-0) Northwestern 6A/7A Conference play, Pryor acknowledge her roster depth — and team attitude.
“Because I can put two quality teams on the court (in practice), we face good competition within every practice. But what makes this team truly special and is probably the greatest reason for our success is that they are all cheering for each other,” said Pryor.
Up next for the Pioneers is a Round 3 pairing with No. 8-seeded Sun Valley (Monroe, N.C.), which posted a 3-0 sweep over No. 9 Asheboro in Round 2 (25-12, 25-15, 25-18).
Watauga’s junior outside hitter Ashlyn Smith could well be called, ‘Miss Versatility” — shown here making a back row ‘dig’ to keep the ball in play and passing to setter Lainey Gragg in Round 2 of the NC 6A state playoffs against A C Reynolds. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Other Northwestern 6A teams to advance to Round 3 included No. 5 Alexander Central, a 3-1 winner over No. 21 Charlotte Catholic (25-21, 23-25, 25-14, 25-15). Like Watauga, Alexander Central had a Round 1 bye. Charlotte Catholic advanced by upsetting another NWC team, No. 12 St. Stephens in a 5-set, Round 1 thriller, 3-2 (25-20, 19-25, 20-25, 25-17, 15-9).
No. 11-seeded South Caldwell, another Northwestern Conference 6A member school, advanced from Round 1 with a 3-0 sweep over No. 22 Eastern Guilford, but fell to No. 6 Southeast Guilford in Round 2, 3-1.
If No. 5 seeded Alexander Central and No. seeded Watauga both win in Round 3, the Northwestern Conference rivals will get a chance to meet for a third time during the 2025 season in Round 4, the Regional semifinals.
Not all scores have been reported to NCHSAA as of this writing, so we will update the story with the full Round 2 winners and Round 3 pairings after they become available.
SELECTED WATAUGA GAME STATS VS. A C REYNOLDS
Kills: Emma Pastusic (16), Kora Knight (9), Ashlyn Smith (8), Julia Rowan (6), Lainey Gragg (1), Addie Stough (1)
Service Aces: Graycie Collins (3), Caroline Childers (2), Ember Honeycutt (1), Emma Pastusic (1), Ashlyn Smith (1), Lainey Gragg (1)
