By David Rogers. MORGANTON, N.C. — A bizarre post-game incident involving fans that drew an estimated two dozen Burke County sheriff’s deputies and Morganton police officers to Freedom High School’s gymnasium and campus grounds overshadowed a dramatic basketball finish and a heartbreak loss (67-65) for Watauga High School’s varsity men’s team on Jan. 9.
BONUS PHOTOS at bottom of story.
Watauga held a 10-point lead early in the third quarter but the host Patriots rallied with pesky defense and sure-handed shooting to gain control and earn a 6-point advantage late in the final period. It was a phase of the game also marked by the Pioneers’ shooting suddenly grown cold, often rushing shots, with frequent turnovers.
At the end, with under two seconds remaining, Watauga senior Jackson Love had what seemed to be a clean look for a layup from the right side that would tie the game and send it into overtime — but a brilliant play to block by Freedom junior Jaden Watkins, an athletic 6-3 forward, instead sent the ball sailing out of bounds with 0.8 seconds remaining on the game clock and the Pioneers still facing the 2-point deficit. Throwing in from the baseline with Freedom’s towering, 6-7 forward Nate Surrat defending the inbounded pass, the Watauga throw-in was forced long and time expired before a shot could be taken.
“Freedom’s basketball team was very well coached and everything that happened on the court during the game was clean and competitive,” said Watauga head coach Bryson Payne by email in response to High Country Sports’ questions. “I thought our guys played well for the most part except for that 4-5 minute segment in the 3rd quarter. During that run, we beat ourselves by turning the ball over and taking a few quick shots. That allowed Freedom to get back in the game and take the lead through points in transition off our mistakes. But I am still proud of the way we battled. We were basically 1-2 shots away from winning or going into overtime against one of our toughest conference opponents. And that was on the road. I thought we did a lot of things well, but we still have a lot to improve on to reach our full potential as a team.”
In spite of the loss, Payne had high praise for a trio of Pioneers.
Notes on the Aftermath
It was a heartbreaking loss for Watauga and a thrilling victory for Freedom in the teams’ first Northwestern Conference game of the 2025-26 season, but all emotions stemming from the game were cast aside in the aftermath.
Several students from the Watauga fan section were streaming towards an alternative exit near the locker rooms when a woman from the nearby Freedom grandstands struck one of the Watauga students on his back and head with a chair, reportedly unprovoked, just outside the gym. No injuries were immediately reported, but reports surfaced that “… a gun was pulled…” by a Freedom bystander during the melee. Apparently, those unconfirmed reports were enough to call in a brigade of sheriff’s deputies and police officers. Neither head coaches nor any players were available for post-game comments as they were confined to the teams’ respective locker rooms awaiting police escorts to their departing vehicles or team buses.
Additional Notes: We have intentionally not identified any students by name to protect their privacy as minors. This story has been corrected to reflect that the incident happened just outside the gym, not inside the gym, and the students had reportedly received instructions to use an alternative exit, not the main entrance. In addition, another Watauga student was allegedly assaulted and choked by another bystander, who reportedly thought the student was filming the incident and/or the woman’s subsequent apprehension. There has been no confirmation that a gun was involved, but the unconfirmed reports or suspicions of one remain the most likely explanation for the call for so many additional law enforcement personnel, as well as the initiatives taken promptly by school administrators in coordination with law enforcement to protect the respective teams by delaying their exits from the locker rooms, awaiting police escorts. Casting doubt on a gun being present is that all fans are screened for weapons of any kind before entering the gym.
Again, we are awaiting an official statement from the Burke County Sheriff for any further clarifications of the incident.
The Burke County Sheriff’s Department lieutenant in charge of the scene declined to provide an official statement of what transpired, saying simply, “The Sheriff won’t allow me to.”
The unidentified woman was observed, restrained with her hands cuffed behind her back, speaking with a deputy before being transferred from one patrol car to another, presumably for transport to the Sheriff’s station. After reviewing the Burke County Sheriff’s Office website of people currently in jail, there is no mention of anyone matching the woman’s description in custody. There was also no one listed as in jail on a gun charge.
High Country Sports will update the information about this incident after attempting to speak with Burke County Sheriff Robert “Banks” Hinceman, as identified on the department website, on Monday.
Getting back to basketball, Watauga will try and put the gut-wrenching loss behind them as well as the brouhaha when they face Northern Guilford on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 5:30 p.m. in another non-conference matchup.
SELECTED WATAUGA INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES @ FREEDOM
- Cade Keller: 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
- Evan Burroughs: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
- Brady Lindenmuth: 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 blocked shot
- Bowen Mayo: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
- Jackson Love: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
BONUS PHOTOS (Click on any image for larger view and Slide Show Mode)
All images by David Rogers for High Country Sports
