Watauga WSOC rolls over Ragsdale in Round 1, 9-0

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Based on Watauga’s Round 1 performance, it is easy to understand how the Pioneers earned the No. 1 seed in the NCHSAA 4A West bracket of the North Carolina state playoffs.

BONUS PHOTOS at bottom of article. For best viewing on a laptop or desktop monitor, click on any image for Slide Show mode.

When a soccer team spends most of the game time controlling possession in the attacking half of the field there is a high probability for it to emerge the victor. That is exactly what happened on May 13 at Jack Groce Stadium, with No. 1-seeded Watauga women’s soccer rolling over No. 32-seeded Ragsdale (Jamestown), 9-0.

Watauga’s Katie Durham sizes up the Ragsdale goalkeeper…

… then pummels the ball into the back of the net for one of her two second-half goals. Photographic images by David Rogers

Executing the team’s short-passing, ball possession strategy almost to perfection, the deft-ball handling and one- and two-touch passing of the Pioneers dominated, from the defense to the attacking third of the field.

Six Watauga players were credited with assists on a night where rain clouds poured in early in the second half and made ball-handling a bit trickier. The assists went to Katie Durham, Georgia Parker, Savannah Duvall, Sammy Morgan, Sam Bertrand and Morgan Flynt.

On the receiving end of those assists were a pair of “hat tricks,” three goals each by Flynt and Parker. Durham shrugged off a first half bloody nose to return and tally two goals in the second half while Bertrand added a goal, too.

“Overall, it was a great way for us to start our playoff run at home,” said Watauga head coach Chris Tarnowski after the game. “The rain certainly made the ball roll faster, but we adjusted to that and to Ragsdale’s game. We were able to find some openings in their defense. Our offense is really clicking and our forward/midfield players are so unselfish in the final, attacking third; they’re looking for one another and making some beautiful passes. Our defense is playing strong and communicating, non-stop, so front to back we’re really in a good spot as we advance in the playoffs.”

In Round 2, Watauga will host No. 17 South Mecklenburg, which upset No. 16 Cox Mill in Concord, 2-1.

FULL ROUND 1 SCORES IN THE 4A WEST BRACKET:

• No. 1 Watauga def. No. 32 Ragsdale, 9-0
• No. 17 South Mecklenburg def. No. 16 Cox Mill, 2-1
• No. 8 Mooresville def. No. 25 Hickory Ridge, 1-0
• No. 9 Providence def. No. 24 Northern Guilford, 3-2
• No. 5 Asheville def. No. 28 Hopewell, 9-0
• No. 12 Reagan def. No. 21 Mount Tabor, 1-0
• No. 13 Charlotte Catholic def. No. 20 Page, 5-1
• No. 4 Ardrey Kell def. No. 29 East Mecklenburg, 9-0
• No. 3 West Forsyth def. No. 30 Davie, 2-1
• No. 14 Cuthbertson def. No. 19 Lake Norman, 3-0
• No. 6 Marvin Ridge def. No. 27 Alexander Central, 9-0
• No. 11 T C Roberson def. No. 23 Grimsley, 5-1
• No. 26 Myers Park def. No. 7 Northwest Guilford, 1-1 (shootout 3-2)
• No. 10 Weddington def. No. 23 R J Reynolds, 4-0
• No. 15 East Forsyth def. No. 18 Sun Valley, 5-2
• No. 2 Hough def. No. 31 Porter Ridge, 7-0

OTHER SCORES OF INTEREST

• 1A West: No. 9 NC School of Science and Math def. No. 24 Avery County, 3-0
• 2A West: No. 3 Wilkes Central def. No. 30 Southwestern Randolph, 6-2
• 3A West: No. 1 Hibriten def. No. 32 West Charlotte, 10-0
• 3A West: No. 16 Crest def. No. 17 Ashe County, 4-3
• 3A West: No. 5 Hickory def. No. 28 Ledford, 8-0
• 3A West: No. 7 A C Reynolds def. No. 26 St. Stephens, 4-0

BONUS PHOTOS