By David Rogers. ASHEVILLE, N.C. — After a brilliant fall season, Watauga High School’s varsity men’s soccer team ran into a buzz saw on Nov. 13, falling to the NCHSAA 6A West No. 1-seeded A.C. Reynolds, 2-1, effectively bringing the season to a close for the Pioneers.
For arguably the first time in the 2025 campaign, Watauga played a team that consistently beat them to the ball, dominating not only possession but the number of scoring opportunities. The Rockets kept the Pioneers’ goalkeeper Solomon Triplett busy, their ranks fortified by arguably two of the best men’s soccer players in the state, in any of the classifications, in senior forward Christian Penland and sophomore striker Alex Golovchuk. The duo took turns sending… well, sending “rockets” at the Watauga-defended goal, eventually each finding success in spite of Triplett’s courageous efforts.
The Series: A.C. Reynolds’ “Own Goal”
Watauga actually got on the board first, thanks to an “own goal” inadvertently delivered by A.C. Reynolds defender Oliver Brunner. Watauga took a free kick some 30 yards out, about 10 yards in from the left sideline. The free kick was well placed to the center of the field, to a spot roughly 8 yards in front of the Rockets’ net when an unidentified ACR player trying to clear the ball with a header instead punched it into his own goal.
The score remained 1-0 at intermission and the large number of Pioneer supporters in the grandstands were hoping for an upset of the No. 1 seeded Rockets by the No. 4 seeded Pioneers.
A critical adjustment made by the Rockets in the second half was to apply more pressure when Watauga’s defenders had the ball, looking to force more errors.
Led by Penland and Golvchuk, the Rockets’ attack was persistent, resulting in goals by the dynamic pair of offensive-minded players.
With the win, A.C. Reynolds advances to the NCHSAA 6A West championship game (also the 6A state semifinals) while the Pioneers’ season ends.
