By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — When Watauga senior Eli Greene pinned his Freedom opponent just 16 seconds into the start of the first contested match on Jan. 5, it set the tone for the evening’s action. Greene, David Brooks and Creed Casner each recorded pins in the first period of their respective matches while Watauga took advantage of forfeitures in four weight classes by the Patriots, cruising to a dominating, 59-15 team win at Lentz Eggers Gym on Senior Night.
BONUS PHOTOS at bottom of article. Click on any image for slideshow mode.
With only five conference dual meets in the 2023-24 season and the first two Watauga encounters at home, it may have seemed strange to celebrate the team’s six seniors with three Northwestern Conference dual meets still to be contested. But that is the luck of the draw, with all three of the remaining meets on the road: Ashe County (Jan. 9), South Caldwell (Jan. 12) and Alexander Central (Jan. 16). Next year, according to the Pioneers’ head coach Zach Strickland, Watauga will have three home conference meets and two on the road (assuming the conference composition remains the same).
The first scheduled match of the evening was in the 215 lb. weight class, where Watauga senior Trabey Shepherd earned the Pioneers’ first points with a forfeit by Freedom. Greene then followed with his 16 second blitzkrieg over the Patriots’ senior Briar George.
With Watauga opening a 12-0 team lead, it was up to Freedom’s Yaleen Khang, a female freshman, to get the Patriots on the scoreboard and she took care of business in the third period vs. Bryan Chen in the 106 lb. class, pinning the Pioneer sophomore late in the third and final period to cut the team deficit in half, 12-6.
At 113 lbs., Watauga’s Liam Perry got the Pioneers back into the win column with a 7-1 decision over Freedom’s Xander Vue.
It was Watauga senior Creed Casner’s turn to wow the large crowd at 120 lbs., earning a first period pin after initially seeming to toy with his Freedom opponent, Carson Harvet. He traded shooting takedowns with letting Harvet escape so he could take him down again before finally earning the fall midway through the first period. The team score at this point was 21-6.
At 126 lbs., Watauga’s Isaac Hensley was overmatched vs. Freedom’s Kaleb Pearson, the Pioneer junior losing to the Patriots’ sophomore, 12-5, in one of the few matches that went the full, three-period distance.
Cole Kleman began a string of Watauga victories vs. Freedom sophomore Hank Hall at 132 lbs., pinning Hall midway through the second period while leading 6-2. The decision by fall extended Watauga’s team lead to 27-9.
At 138 lbs. and 144 lbs., respectively, Watauga picked up another 12 points by forfeit. Ryder Sullivan and Lucas Bishop each appeared briefly in the center of the mat to be awarded the gimmes.
Pioneer junior Camden Brock continued the Watauga scoring streak with a 13-3 decision vs. Aiden Piscopo at 150 lbs. It didn’t take long for Watauga junior David Brooks to earn his team another first period pin, credited with the honors at 157 lbs. vs. Freedom’s Christian Truax.
By now the team decision was well within hand for the Pioneers at 49-9, but senior Palmer Smith, a state qualifier as a junior in 2023, kept Watauga moving with a 13-3 major decision over Freedom’s Josh Glynn. When he was done with the 3-period victory, Watauga led, 53-9.
Freedom’s second decision by pin on the night came in the next to last match of the evening when Watauga’s Edwyn Vickery suffered a first period pin to Freedom’s Alan Vicente Perez in the 175-lb. weight class.
The last match of the evening was another Freedom forfeit, this time to Watauga senior Grayson Elliott at 190 lbs.
With the win, Watauga has opened the Northwestern Conference schedule at 2-0, 5-3 in dual meets overall.
BONUS PHOTOS (Click on any image for slideshow mode)
All photographic images by David Rogers
