By Zach Smith. BOONE, N.C. — The often erratic weather in the High Country reared its head Sept. 13, but that didn’t keep the Watauga offense from showing out in their matchup against perennial powerhouse AC Reynolds. The Pioneers moved to 4-0 on the season, defeating the Rockets in a rainy blowout, 48-21.
Senior quarterback/cornerback Maddox Greene showed his ability on both sides of the ball, producing five touchdowns while making key tackles on defense.
Watauga opened the game with a 15-play, 80-yard drive that took over half of the first quarter, a contrast to the usual “NASCAR” offense that head coach Ryan Habich employs. The Pioneers followed their opening score with another touchdown late in the first stanza, before Reynolds quarterback Ely Hamrick drove his squad to the end zone early in the second frame.
Watauga responded with four consecutive touchdowns, widening the gap to 34 points early in the fourth quarter. AC Reynolds hit paydirt two more times before the game clock reached zero, but it was too little, too late for the Rockets.
Ryan Habich shared his thoughts on Watauga’s second victory in as many years over AC Reynolds, postgame.
“Who would’ve thought that we’d beat AC Reynolds two years in a row?” Habich said. “That’s a huge win for our program, for our school and our community. I’m really proud of the kids, I thought we played a complete game.”
Watauga typically uses a fast-paced offense, dubbed the “NASCAR offense” by Habich. In their victory over AC Reynolds, the Pioneers shifted to a slower, more time-consuming style. Habich talked about how that played into the coaching staff’s game plan.
“That was the game plan, to keep the ball away from AC Reynolds’ offense,” Habich said. “When you keep the ball away from that offense, it frustrates them. They start forcing balls and start pushing the ball down the field. That was the game plan. When you can get a 15-play drive and then score a touchdown, that’s huge. I think it takes the wind out of the other team.”
AC Reynolds senior running back Max Guest is a crucial player for the Rockets, and was a focus for the Watauga defense. The App State commit was largely held in check by Habich’s squad.
“I thought our defense did a really good job,” Habich said. “When you play a special player like Max Guest… we wanted to stop the run. We want to make sure that we’re covering the receivers, but we want to stop their running back (Guest). We put a lot of effort on that throughout the week in practice and our defensive coaches did a tremendous job. Our defense is playing some pretty good football this year.”
Watauga moves to 4-0 on the season, the last undefeated school in the Northwestern Conference. The Pioneers host North Davidson Sept. 20 in their final matchup in non-conference play. Kickoff is set for 7:30p.m..
