By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A couple of times during the second half of Watauga’s Dec. 9 tilt vs. 1A power Mountain Heritage, the Pioneers closed its deficit to just two points. They just couldn’t get over the proverbial hump in the 67-57 loss to the Cougars.
Cougar big men Max Smoker and Jesse Shelton accounted for 25 and 13 points, respectively, while guard Colby Capps added 12 to lead the visitors from Burnsville.
Now 4-1 overall in the early 2022-23 season and ranked No. 4 in the North Carolina 1A West Division, the Cougars’ combination of size and athleticism proved a challenge to the Pioneers, especially in a highly physical game where the officials “let the boys play.”
Watauga countered with three players in double figures, including Grant Morrison (20), Jackson Pryor (12) and Wyatt Keller (10). Josiah Railey came off the bench to add 8 points to the Pioneer cause.
Except for a couple of free throws in the game’s opening period, Morrison was held in check by the Cougars until he got hot in the second half. Along with four 3-pointers after intermission, Morrison went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe, accounting for 16 of his team-high 20 points. He was 6-for-6 from the foul line by game’s end.
The Cougars’ Shelton was effective on both ends of the court, quickly placing his massive body between the basket and any Pioneer with rebounding aspirations to “box out” and collect the rebound himself. His 13 points, including 5-of-6 from the free throw line were a bonus, complementing his eight points from inside the paint.
Mountain Heritage’s Max Smoker (his brother, Vaughn, also played) was consistent through the game, getting six points in each quarter from the field and then adding 1-of-3 from the foul line in the fourth quarter’s closing seconds as Watauga was desperate to get the ball back.
“I am proud of the way our guys played, especially the effort in the second half,” said Watauga head coach Bryson Payne afterward. That team, Mountain Heritage, was big and they worked really hard on the glass. They were disciplined, knew what was expected of them and they did a really good job of executing. Offensively, we got some good looks. We just didn’t shoot as well as we have in the past few games. That kept us from closing the gap. Mountain Heritage did a really good job of keeping us out of the paint. They were also shooting threes and, unfortunately, we couldn’t seem to hit (our opportunities).”
While Watauga couldn’t seem to shoot straight, its defensive play kept them in the game.
“Yes, I was very proud of the way we played defense,” Payne said. “Our pressure forced a lot of Mountain Heritage turnovers, but we couldn’t convert those into points. When Jackson Pryor got into foul trouble, we weren’t rebounding as effectively as we need to. Morgan Henry stepped up for us, but overall we didn’t box out and secure enough rebounds.”
Watauga will get another crack at the Cougars on their home court in Burnsville on Tuesday, Dec. 15 in the back end of the home-and-home series. Then the Pioneer men will complete their pre-Christmas non-conference slate at Lake Norman on Dec. 16, home against Davie (Mocksville, N.C.) in a rare Saturday matchup on Dec. 17, and close with a Dec. 21 road test at T.C. Roberson in Asheville. After Christmas, they close out the 2022 calendar year with three games in the High Country Holiday Classic tournament hosted by the Pioneers.
SELECTED SCORING LEADERS
- MTN Max Smoker (25)
- WAT Grant Morrison (20)
- MTN Jesse Shelton (13)
- WAT Jackson Pryor (12)
- MTN Colby Capps (12)
- WAT Wyatt Keller (10)
- WAT Josiah Railey (8)
- MTN Vaughn Smoker (8)
