By Zach Smith. BOONE, N.C. — All good things eventually come to an end and here is how the Watauga Pioneers’ 2023 football season came to a close at Jack Groce Stadium on Nov. 17.
Team Leaders
#2 Watauga
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- QB/DB #4 Maddox Greene (Jr)
- RB #44 Everett Gryder (So)
- Has not played since Oct. 27 injury
- WB/DB #12 Evan Burroughs (So)
- TE/LB #9 Jackson Pryor (Sr)
#23 Independence
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- QB #7 Justin Little (Jr)
- RB #21 Jayden Jones (So)
- WR #3 Vontrez Burch (Sr)
- TE #17 Will Brown (Sr)
Play by Play
- Watauga wins toss, elects to receive opening kickoff
- Watauga ball at their own 20
- Penalty: False start against Watauga, 1st and 015 at their own 15
- Everett Gryder carries up the middle for 1 yard
- Gryder carries up the middle for 2 yards
- Maddox Greene scrambles right for 28 yards
- Cade Keller scrambles for no gain
- Gryder carries up the middle for 3 yards
- Evan Burroughs carries right for 7 yards
- Gryder arries up the middle for 3 yards
- Greene carries left for 6 yards
- Greene carries right for 4 yards
- TOUCHDOWN WATAUGA
- #4 Maddox Greene 31-yard pass (1) to #14 Morgan Henry (1)
- #41 Jack Wilson PAT is good
Watauga 7 Independence 0
- Independence ball at their own 49
- Jayden Jones carries right for 5 yards
- Penalty: Holding against Independence, 2nd and 11 at their own 48
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- Justin Little pass complete left to Jones for 45 yards
- TOUCHDOWN INDEPENDENCE
- #21 Jayden Jones 7-yard rush (1)
- #87 Lyric Kopera PAT is good
Watauga 7 Independence 7
- Watauga ball at their own 20
- Greene tackled for loss of 1 yard
- Gryder carries up the middle for 3 yards
- Greene pass complete right to Jackson Pryor for 12 yards
- Greene carries left for 8 yards
- Penalty: Facemask against Independence, 1st and 10 at their own 47
- Greene carries right for 1 yard
- Greene carries up the middle for 5 yards
- Burroughs carries right for 1 yard
- Timeout Watauga (1)
- Greene carries up the middle for 1 yard
- Turnover on downs
- Independence ball at their own 45
- Jones carries left for 13 yards
- Jones carries up the middle for 11 yards
- Penalty: Ineligible man downfield against Independence, 1st and 15 at Watauga 36
- Jones carries up the middle for 10 yards
- Travis Hill carries right for 4 yards
- Jones carries right for 9 yards
- Little scrambles left for 3 yards
- TOUCHDOWN INDEPENDENCE
- #21 Jayden Jones 11-yard rush (1)
- #87 Lyric Kopera PAT is good
Watauga 7 Independence 14
- Watauga ball at their own 17
- Gryder carries left for 9 yards
- Gryder carries for no gain
- Gryder carries left for 4 yards
- Greene pass incomplete
- Greene pass incomplete
- Greene pass complete left to Burroughs for no gain
- Watauga punts
- Independence ball at their own 34
- Hill carries right for 2 yards
- Little scrambles left for 14 yards
- Jones tackled for loss of 6 yards
- Carson Gunnell-Beck with the TFL
- Little pass complete over the middle to Will Brown for 16 yards
- Penalty: Unsportsmanlike conduct against Independence, 1st and 10 at their own 47
- Jones carries up the middle for 9 yards
- Little pass complete right to Coleton Belcher for 12 yards
- Jones carries up the middle for 9 yards
- Hill carries right for 5 yards
- Jones carries left for 2 yards
- Little pass complete right to Belcher for 11 yards
- TOUCHDOWN INDEPENDENCE
- #7 Justin Little 4-yard rush (1)
- #87 Lyric Kopera PAT is good
Watauga 7 Independence 21
- Watauga ball at their own 19
- Greene carries for no gain
- Matthew Leon carries left for 2 yards
- Penalty: Offsides against Independence, 3rd and 3 at their own 26
- Greene carries left for 38 yards
- Greene pass incomplete
- Greene pass incomplete
- Penalty: Illegal touching against Watauga, 4th and 16 at Independence 42
- Greene pass incomplete
- Turnover on downs
- Independence ball at their own 42
- Jones carries right for 5 yards
HALFTIME
Key Stats
Watauga
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- QB/DB # 4 Maddox Greene
- 10 car., 90 yards, 9.0 avg.
- RB #44 Everett Gryder
- 8 car., 25 yards, 3.1 avg.
- QB/DB # 4 Maddox Greene
Independence
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- QB #7 Justin Little
- 4/4, 84 yards
- RB #21 Jayden Jones
- 12 car., 85 yards, 7.1 avg., 2 TD
- QB #7 Justin Little
3rd Quarter
- Independence ball at their own 49
- Jones carries right for 6 yards
- Little carries for no gain
- TOUCHDOWN INDEPENDENCE
- #7 Justin Little 45-yard pass (1) to #3 Vontrez Burch
- #87 Lyric Kopera PAT is good
Watauga 7 Independence 28
- Watauga ball at their own 20
- Burroughs carries right for 4 yards
- Gryder carries up the middle for 6 yards
- Greene carries left for 2 yards
- Greene pass incomplete
- Greene pass complete left to Henry for 14 yards
- Gryder carries up the middle for 8 yards
- Greene pass complete right to Pryor for 15 yards
- Greene sacked for loss of 5 yards
- Greene tackled for loss of 1 yard
- Greene pass complete left to Pryor for 16 yards
- Gryder carries left for 2 yards
- Greene pass incomplete
- TOUCHDOWN WATAUGA
- #4 Maddox Greene 19-yard pass (2) to #14 Morgan Henry (2)
- #41 Jack Wilson PAT is good
Watauga 14 Independence 28
- Penalty: Offsides against Watauga, Watauga to kick off from their own 35
- Penalty: Illegal touching on onside attempt by Watauga
- Independence ball at Watauga 49
- Jones carries up the middle for 6 yards
- Little pass complete over the middle to Burch for 20 yards
- Jones carries right for 13 yards
- Jones carries up the middle for 8 yards
- TOUCHDOWN INDEPENDENCE
- #21 Jayden Jones 2-yard rush (2)
- #87 Lyric Kopera PAT is blocked
Watauga 14 Independence 34
- Watauga ball at their own 20
- Gryder carries up the middle for 2 yards
- Greene carries up the middle for 9 yards
- Penalty: Personal foul against Independence, 1st and 10 at their own 46
- Gryder carries right for 4 yards
- Gryder carries up the middle for 3 yards
- Sideline warning against Independence, 1st and 10 at Independence 32
- Gryder carries right for 1 yard
- Henry tackled for loss of 1 yard
- Penalty: Pass interference against Independence, 1st and 10 at Independence 17
- Turnover: Greene pass intercepted
- Independence ball at their own 1
- Penalty: Facemask against Watauga, 1st and 4 at their own 6
- Jones carries right for 5 yards
- Jones carries left for 2 yards
- Jones carries up the middle for 5 yards
- Little pass complete right to Belcher for 5 yards
- Laramey Watson carries left for 2 yards
- Hill carries up the middle for 3 yards
- Little pass complete left to Burch for 12 yards
- Watson tackled for loss of 2 yards
- Henry with the TFL
- Watson carries left for 3 yards
- Little sacked for loss of 8 yards
- Timeout Independence (1)
- Independence punts
- Watauga ball at their own 38
- Greene pass incomplete
- Gryder carries up the middle for 2 yards
- Greene pass complete left to Burroughs for 8 yards
- Greene pass incomplete
- Burroughs tackled for loss of 3 yards
- Timeout Watauga (1)
- Greene pass complete left to Burroughs for 14 yards
- Greene pass incomplete
- Penalty: False start against Watauga, 2nd and 15 at Independence 46
- Greene pass complete right to Burroughs for 9 yards
- Greene pass incomplete
- Greene pass complete left to Pryor for 7 yards, Pryor pitches to Gryder, Gryder carries for 22 yards
- Turnover: Greene pass intercepted
- Indpendence ball, QB Little takes a knee
FINAL: Independence 34, Watauga 14
Key Stats
Watauga
- QB/DB #4 Maddox Greene
- 11/23, 145 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
- 13 car., 100 yards, 7.7 avg.
- RB #44 Everett Gryder
- 17 car., 75 yards, 4.4 avg.
- WB/LB #14 Morgan Henry
- 3 rec., 64 yards, 21.3 avg., 2 TD
Independence
- QB #7 Justin Little
- 8/8, 166 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
- RB #21 Jayden Jones
- 20 car., 132 yards, 6.6 avg., 3 TD
- WR #3 Vontrez Burch
- 3 rec., 77 yards, 25.7 avg., 1 TD
