By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Post-season honors keep piling up for Kate Sears. Adding to earlier recognition in her remarkable 4-year career playing high school basketball, the Watauga senior point guard was named the Gatorade North Carolina “Player of the Year” this week for women’s basketball.
With 13 “triple-doubles” in 28 games during the 2024-25 season, Sears nearly averaged a triple-double: 27.2 points, 13.1 rebounds and 9.3 assists.
Sears led Watauga in all statistical categories in helping the team to an NCHSAA 4A quarterfinals berth in the state playoffs, where the Pioneers lost to the 4A West bracket champion, Lake Norman, who play the 4A East champion, Wakefield, on March 15 for the state title.
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Also this week, Sears was named to the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association District 11’s all-district team and the District 11 “Player of the Year.” Watauga head coach Bill Torgerson also was recognized as the District 11 “Coach of the Year.”
In a mid-week press release from the Northwestern Conference, Sears and Torgerson were also named the league’s player- and coach-of-the-year, respectively.
Sears finished her high school career with a remarkable, 2,613 points scored, 978 rebounds, 715 assists, 242 steals, 89 blocked shots vs. only 261 turnovers, according to MaxPreps.com. The ultimate teammate, Sears’ average per game in assists during her senior season puts her No. 2, nationally.
She will take her 4.54 weighted grade point average to play NCAA Division I basketball at Virginia Tech after she graduates later this spring.
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