By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — One of the greatest reasons our culture so enthusiastically promotes young people’s participation in high school athletics are the “life lessons” learned along the way. Learning to adapt to a new set of circumstances could well explain the Watauga’s 74-55 women’s basketball win over Northern Guilford on March 4, in Lentz Eggers Gym.
Country music icon Dolly Parton is credited with saying, “We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” Watauga found the “wind” blowing in the wrong direction in the first quarter, falling behind 16-8 at one point, but some key adjustments allowed the Pioneers to claw back and take a 32-25 lead at intermission. It was an advantage they steadily built on in the second half.
A big student section cheered on Watauga WBB vs. Northern Guilford on March 4. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
In Watauga’s earlier meeting with Northern Guilford on Dec. 21, in Greensboro, Pioneer head coach Bill Torgerson recalled that the Nighthawks’ point guard Leena McField got into early foul trouble and senior shooting guard Cara Trippett sprained an ankle early and hardly played. Both were healthy and available for the rematch with state playoffs implications.
Add an officiating crew that allowed a much more physical game than Watauga was used to seeing, and you had a perplexing set of new circumstances — with a lot on the line if the Pioneers were to advance.
Two of the visiting Nighthawks key offensive threats opened “hot” in the first quarter, McField and senior shooting guard Malena DeLisa each netting a pair of 3-pointers. Meanwhile, the Pioneers were mostly missing from long range and senior point guard Kate Sears stubbornly forced down-the-lane and baseline drives against stiff, physical defensive efforts by Northern Guilford defenders — and they most often resulted in shots gone awry and turnovers.
It was sometimes rough going for Watauga’s Kate Sears (12) as she attacked the basket vs. Northern Guilford on March 4. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
But throughout her playing career, Sears has become a master in making adjustments. As soon as she started opting for short jumpers, the lanes opened up for her drives. She even found the bottom of the net from long range a couple of times in the second half, en route to earning game-high honors with 32 points.
Sears’ success was contagious. Fellow senior guard Julie Matheson also finished in double figures for Watauga, with 18 points, and sophomore Blair Haines added eight more.
The Nighthawks also finished with two players in double figures: McField recorded a team-high 23 points and Trippett added 16.
With the win, No. 3-seeded Watauga (22-5 overall, 10-1 in Northwestern Conference) advances to the Elite 8 in the NCHSAA 4A Women’s Basketball Championship tournament. They will play at No. 2 Lake Norman on Friday, March 7. According to the NCHSAA 4A brackets, tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Watauga’s Kaitlyn Darner (30) goes up for two vs. Northern Guilford on March 4. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — Strong staff-day pitching and the first of two homers from Juan Correa enabled App State Baseball to take a one-run lead into the seventh inning against No. 15 Wake Forest, but the Demon Deacons moved ahead for the first time with a nine-run seventh and posted a 14-6 victory on Tuesday at Smith Stadium.
Igniting a five-RBI day, Correa hit a 411-foot, two-out homer to left with two runners aboard to produce a 3-0 advantage in the third inning. The Mountaineers (6-6) were still ahead 3-2 after six innings, but they trailed 11-4 by the time Correa stepped into the box and recorded his seventh homer of the season on a two-run, opposite-field shot that hit the pole down the right-field line in the eighth.
App State starting pitcher Cal Clark (five outs), Bradley Wilson (four outs) and Zach Lewis (scoreless inning in his season debut) combined to hold Wake Forest (11-3) without a run through four innings.
The Demon Deacons used a solo homer and a two-out RBI double to pull within 3-2 in the fifth before Cody Little, the third pitcher of the frame, took the mound with two aboard. He recorded a swinging strikeout with two runners in scoring position, then ended the next frame by getting a swinging strikeout on a 3-2 pitch with the tying run on second.
Wake Forest opened the seventh inning with four straight walks, including two on 3-2 offerings. The bases-loaded walk that tied the game preceded pinch-hitter Matt Scannell’s two-run double down the line in right.
The Demon Deacons followed a fielder’s choice that ended with an out at the plate by delivering an RBI single for a 6-3 advantage. The margin was still three runs in a two-out, bases-loaded situation when a Wake base runner going toward second beat a long, underhanded flip to the bag after a cleanly fielded grounder. One run scored on that potential inning-ending play, and the Demon Deacons used consecutive two-RBI hits to push the lead to 11-3.
App State made some late noise, cutting into its deficit on Graham Smiley’s 415-foot homer to left in the seventh and Correa’s two-run shot in the eighth, but Wake Forest scored three times in the top of the ninth.
By Jacob Plecker. NEW ORLEANS – App State Men’s Basketball standouts Myles Tate and CJ Huntley each garnered All-Sun Belt honors, the Sun Belt Conference announced Monday. Tate was named All-Sun Belt first team, becoming the fifth Mountaineer in the Dustin Kerns era to receive first-team distinction, while Huntley was named to the second team.
Tate’s first-team honor marks the second consecutive season that App State has had at least one player named to the All-Sun Belt first team. Additionally, two Mountaineers were named all-conference for the second straight year and the third time overall under Kerns (2023-24 and 2020-21). Tate and Huntley are also the 11th and 12th players to earn postseason All-Sun Belt distinctions in the Kerns era.
App State’s two All-Sun Belt honorees were tied for the most in the league.
Whether shooting or making a game-winning pass, Myles Tate seems to come up big every game for the App State Mountaineers. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Myles Tate | First Team All-Sun Belt
Tate, who was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt third team, earned his first career postseason all-conference honor after posting one of the best statistical seasons by an individual in the league this season. Tate finished the regular season by averaging 16.5 points, 5.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals per contest. Tate is currently the only player in the country to average at least 16 points, five assists, five rebounds and 1.9 steals a game. He has accounted for 12 20-point games this season, making him one of only two players in the conference with that distinction, along with Cesare Edwards of Georgia State.
The Spartanburg, S.C., native was KenPom’s Player of the Year in the Sun Belt Conference. He finished in the top 15 in the league in scoring (second), assists per game (first), field-goal percentage (12th), free-throw percentage (10th), 3-pointers made per game (T-12th), steals (second) and minutes per game (fourth). Additionally, the senior point guard carries top-50 marks nationally in assists, assists per game and steals.
Tate has scored 496 points this season and has dished out 162 assists. He sits just four points away from becoming the 24th member of the Mountaineers’ single-season 500-point club and currently owns the third-most assists in a season in program history. He is the only Mountaineer in the Sun Belt era with multiple 10-assist games in the same season, doing so against William & Mary (Nov. 24) and Southern Miss (Feb. 5). He also has two double-doubles this season, one with assists (William & Mary on Nov. 24) and one with rebounds (Coastal Carolina on Jan. 13). He is one of just two Sun Belt players to post at least one double-double with both assists and rebounds (Dezayne Mingo, Marshall).
“I am so happy for Myles,” Kerns said. “He has earned this recognition with his play and leadership. He has worked extremely hard, and being named first-team All-SBC is a big deal. Myles Tate is a winner, and this is another accolade that is well-deserved.”
CJ Huntley | Second Team All-Sun Belt
A second-team All-Sun Belt Preseason selection, Huntley earned the first postseason distinction of his five-year career. He has blossomed into a star in his fifth and final year as a Mountaineer, averaging career highs in scoring, 3-point percentage, rebounding and assists. He enters the Sun Belt Tournament in fifth place in the league in scoring at 15.6 points per game and is sixth in rebounding at 7.9 boards per game. He is one of five players in the conference to be in the top five in the league in both scoring and rebounding entering the Sun Belt Tournament.
Huntley posted a career-best nine 20-point games this season, which makes him one of seven players in the conference to boast at least nine 20-point games for the year. He has also recorded a team-best 10 double-doubles for the year, which is the third-highest total in the Sun Belt. He tallied his first career double-double on Jan. 4 against Texas State and recorded a double-double in 10 of his final 16 contests to close the regular season.
After hitting four 3-pointers and grabbing a career-best 15 rebounds against Coastal Carolina on Jan. 8, he became the first player in the country to tally 15 rebounds and four made 3s in the same game. He also became the first Mountaineer since Marshall Phillips in 1998 to post a 20-point, 15-rebound game. Huntley capped off a 20-point, 12-rebound contest against Southern Miss with a buzzer-beating dunk to beat the Golden Eagles on Feb. 5 and matched his career high of 27 points against Marshall on Senior Day.
“CJ has had an incredible season,” Kerns said. “He is among the league leaders in many statistics. I am really proud of all of the hard work CJ has put in, and his hard work has paid off. Being All-SBC is a huge honor, and this is another accolade that adds to his legacy at App State. He has certainly earned this with his consistent play and mindset. I am so happy for CJ.”
App State now turns its attention to the Sun Belt Tournament, which will be played at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Fla. App State earned the sixth seed and will play its first game of the tournament on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. CT). Due to the new tournament format, the Mountaineers will not know their opponent until the conclusion of Thursday’s matchup between No. 7 Texas State and either No. 10 Old Dominion, No. 11 Louisiana or No. 14 ULM at 8:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. CT). All Sun Belt Tournament games will be streamed on ESPN+, with the championship game on March 10 also broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
2024-25 Sun Belt Conference Men’s Basketball Postseason Awards
Joe Gottfried Coach of the Year: Richie Riley, South Alabama
Player of the Year: Tayton Conerway, Troy
Defensive Player of the Year: Obinna Anochili-Killen, Marshall
Newcomer of the Year: Mark Freeman, James Madison
Freshman of the Year: Bryce Lindsay, James Madison
Sixth Man of the Year: Bryce Lindsay, James Madison
By David Rogers. ATLANTA, Ga. — A hard-charging Amanda Vestri, a member of Blowing Rock-based ZAP Endurance professional running team, surged past race favorite Weini Kelati of Flagstaff, Ariz. in the final two miles of the U.S. National Half Marathon Road Racing Championships on March 2, to capture third place and earn the final spot on the U.S. national team. The trio of Americans, led by No. 1 finisher Taylor Roe (Oklahoma State University alum now living in Durham, N.C.) and No. 2 Emma Grace Hurley (originally from Roswell, Ga., Furman University alum, now living in Indianapolis, Ind.) will compete in the 2025 World Athletics Road Running Championships to be hosted in San Diego, Calif., September 26-28.
The 24-yearold Roe completed the hilly course through downtown Atlanta in 1:07:22, followed by Hurley (age 27, 1:07:35) and Vestri (25, 1:08:17). ZAP Endurance teammate Tristin (Van Ord) Colley, a relative newcomer to the 13.1-mile distance, crossed the line at No. 16 (30, 1:11:50).
On the men’s side, ZAP Endurance veteran Andrew Colley ran in the lead pack for most of the race, even pressing to the lead about two-thirds of the way through. Another Oklahoma State alum, Alex Maier (24, Chapel Hill, N.C.) and veteran road racers Shadrack Kipchirchir (36, Colorado Springs, Colo.) and pre-race favorite Hillary Bor (35, Colorado Springs) broke away in the final miles to capture the top three spots to be selected for the World Athletics race in September, representing the U.S. Colley finished No. 5 (1:01:09), less than a minute off Maier’s winning time of 1:00:48. ZAP Endurance teammate Ryan Ford crossed the line No. 7, in 1:01:29.
“It was a really good weekend for ZAP Endurance,” said the team’s head coach Pete Rea after the race. “We are really proud to be represented by Amanda (Vestri) at the World Athletics championships. Plus, the performances of Tristin (Colley), Andrew and Ryan today were really top-notch in what were really deep fields this year. A lot of the country’s top runners were gunning for spots on the team that will represent the USA in San Diego.”
Rea noted that on Saturday, March 1, two more ZAP team members placed high in the Gate River Run 15k (a little more than 9 miles), in Jacksonville, Fla. Veteran marathoner Josh Izewski (34) finished No. 13, while ZAP teammate and middle distance specialist Daniel Schaffer (27) was right behind, at No. 14.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It was “only” a spring non-conference volleyball exhibition with no one keeping track of game stats except the score, but the match between host App State and visiting North Carolina provided plenty of action — and loads of quality photographic moments.
The tight set scores reflect how entertaining this match was at the Holmes Convocation Center.
SET SCORES
Set 1: UNC 26, App 24
Set 2: UNC 25, App 18
Set 3: App 25, UNC 20
Set 4: App 25, UNC 23
Set 5: UNC 15, App 12
All photographic images by David Rogers for High Country Sports.
By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — App State scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and brought the winning run to the plate in the ninth, but the Mountaineers were unable to take the lead in the late stages, falling 16-14 to Gardner-Webb on Saturday at Smith Stadium.
The contest featured almost everything you could imagine – 30 runs (each team scored six runs in the seventh inning), an immaculate inning from App State’s Caleb Marks and a four-homer, 12-RBI effort from Gardner-Webb’s Dale Francis Jr.
After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first inning, App State (5-5) chased Gardner-Webb (6-6) starter, Jace Presley, before he had recorded an out in the bottom of the frame. App State grabbed the lead, pushing across runs on a John Kramer hit by pitch with the bases loaded (that ended Presley’s outing), followed by a walk to Kameron Miller to push in a second run. Miller walked four times in the contest after not drawing a single walk his freshman season.
Later in the inning, Braxton Church lifted a sac fly to put the Mountaineers ahead, 3-2. App State expanded its advantage to 7-3 at the end of four innings of play, highlighted by a Dillon Moquin RBI double in the third and a Church RBI double in the fourth.
After Marks gave up three runs over his first two innings, he bounced back to put up a pair of zeros in the third and fourth. The right-hander retired seven straight and one point and finished his outing with a season-high eight strikeouts. The outing was highlighted by an immaculate inning in the fourth, where he picked up two swinging strikeouts and a looking strikeout on four foul balls, three called strikes and two swinging strikes.
Gardner-Webb then broke through with 12 runs between the fifth and seventh innings, with Francis homering in all three frames (he also homered in the first). The redshirt-senior hit a two-run homer in the fifth, a three-run dinger in the sixth and a grand slam in a six-run seventh inning to push the Runnin’ Bulldogs lead to 15-8. He becomes the first player in Division I baseball this season to hit four home runs in a contest.
App State battled back with a six-spot of their own in the home seventh. The Black and Gold sent 12 men to the plate in the inning and worked four walks and got hit by three pitches, while Tyler Lichtenberger accounted for both hits in the inning including a two-run single to pull the Mountaineers to within a run.
Cody Little gave the Mountaineers some stability out of the bullpen, tossing the final 2.2 innings and escaping a bases loaded jam in the eighth inning with back-to-back strikeouts, after the Mountaineers intentionally walked Francis to force in a run.
In the bottom of the ninth, App State mounted a two-out rally. Tyler Figueroa walked, and Joseph Zamora singled to right, but Juan Correa grounded out to end the threat.
Church led the App State offense with three hits, while Kramer and Lichtenberger each drove in three runs in the contest. As a team, App State drew 13 walks and was hit by five pitches in the contest.
App State will face Gardner-Webb in the rubber game of the three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m. at L.P. Frans Stadium in Hickory, N.C.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Down by as many as 13 points in the second half, the No. 7 seeded Watauga Pioneers flipped the script down the stretch and roared back to tie the game at 73-73 by the end of regulation, then prevailed in overtime to defeat the No. 10 seeded Mount Tabor Spartans, 80-77.
Watauga’s Cade Keller drives the lane vs. Mount Tabor on Feb. 28. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
For the Pioneer faithful, it was as thrilling a game as a high school basketball contest in the second round of the NCHSAA 4A playoffs can get. Watauga had to overcome a 40-point performance by Virginia Tech football (wide receiver) commit Shamarius Peterkin, a 6-3 point guard who is rumored to also be going to the Hokies to play basketball.
“Really proud of the guys,” said a smiling Watauga head coach Bryson Payne afterward. “They stuck in and played hard all game. There were times when the momentum was going the other way, but we continued to fight. Then we went on a run late.”
A loud and enthusiastic Watauga student section had a ‘Hawaii’ theme on Feb. 28 for the basketball team’s Round 2 matchup with Mount Tabor. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Payne admitted to having few answers for the Spartans’ Peterkin — and being thankful when he fouled out late in the fourth quarter.
“The scorebook will tell you. He (Peterkin) was lighting it up,” said Payne. “And a lot them were tough shots. We tried to make it hard on him to get to the rim, but he just kept getting those threes. He is a phenomenal player. Getting him in foul trouble and off the floor eventually was huge for us because they were going to him every possession. With him off the floor, they were looking for somebody else to help (score) and they really didn’t get it.”
Jackson Love lays it up and in on Feb. 28 vs. Mount Tabor, in Round 2 of the state playoffs. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Meanwhile, Watauga stayed within shouting distance of the lead with 20 combined points from senior guard/forward Josiah Railey and junior combo guard Cade Keller in the third quarter. Complemented by additional scoring inside from junior forward Jace Blocker, Railey and Keller’s third quarter production helped Watauga establish some semblance of momentum, closing the gap to 58-63 to open the final stanza.
In the fourth quarter, Watauga chipped away at the lead, forcing Mount Tabor turnovers and errant shots on defense and limiting the Spartans to just 10 points while Keller, Jackson Love, and Railey combined for 15 points in the period, allowing the Pioneers to knot things up at 73-73 with 2:01 to play.
Watauga forward Jace Blocker (21) muscles up a shot vs. Mount Tabor’s Dorian Moore (5) on Feb. 28. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
When Peterkin fouled out with 36 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and the game went into overtime, the advantage clearly shifted to the Pioneers.
With the win, Watauga advances to the third round where they will travel to challenge No. 2 seeded West Forsyth (26-3, 14-1), which edged out Mount Tabor to claim the 4A Central Piedmont Conference championship in the regular season.
The Pioneers’ Cade Keller makes an acrobatic move to the basket on Feb. 28, in Watauga’s Round 2 win over Mount Tabor, in overtime, 80-77. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
SCORING SUMMARY
MTB – Shamarius Peterkin (40 points)
WAT – Josiah Railey (27)
WAT – Cade Keller (25)
WAT – Jackson Love (16)
MTB – Will Koonin (15)
WAT – Maddox Greene (9)
MTB – Dorian Moore (9)
MTB – Jayden Smith-Muhfooth (7)
MTB – Aidan O’Gara (6)
WAT – Jace Blocker (3)
OTHER ROUND 2 MEN’S GAMES OF LOCAL INTEREST
4A WEST – No. 2 West Forsyth 54, No. 18 South Caldwell 47
4A WEST – No. 13 Chambers 65, No. 4 McDowell 58
3A WEST – No. 11 Ben L. Smith 79, No. 6 A.C. Reynolds 61
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Visiting Hough High School women’s basketball came roaring back from a big first quarter deficit to tie the game before halftime, but host Watauga built on a 2-point, buzzer-beater lead at intermission — and held on in the second half to take a 66-56 win in front of a standing room only crowd in Lentz Eggers Gym on Feb. 28.
With a Hawaiian theme for their attire on Feb. 28, Watauga’s student section gave boistrous, enthusiastic support for the Pioneers. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
With the win, the No. 3-seeded Pioneers advance to the third round of the state 4A playoffs and will host No. 6 Northern Guilford on Tuesday, March 4. Watauga defeated the Nighthawks, 61-41, in a non-conference contest on the road, in Greensboro, but Northern Guilford grew into the season and finished No. 1 in the highly competitive, 4A Metro Conference and into the state playoffs with a 20-7 overall record, 12-4 in conference play.
Against Hough, Pioneer senior Kate Sears scored 12 of her game-high 33 points in just the first quarter, helping Watauga get off to a fast start, complimented by dramatic 3-pointers off the hands of sophomore Blair Haines and senior Julie Matheson. The Pioneers took a 20-13 advantage into the second quarter.
Kate Sears battles to the basket on Feb. 28 vs. Hough in Round 2 of the 4A state playoffs. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Hough recovered from the slow start, however, and tied the game at 24-24 with a little more than four minutes remaining in the first half, propelled by a deadly outside shooting performance from senior point guard Chloe Galombeck and the strong inside play of junior guard Kate Breault and sophomore guard Ka’Leiya Jones, the trio combining for 14 of the Huskies’ 19 total points in the second quarter, briefly taking the lead before Watauga’s Matheson buried a 3-pointer from the left corner, the half-ending buzzer going off as the ball arched through the air. The timely shot brought a roar from the crowd, giving the Pioneers a tenuous, 34-32 lead and their fans something to think about during the break.
“Hough is a really good team,” said Watauga head coach Bill Torgerson after the game. “The score (in Hough’s schedule) that really got our attention was they lost to Mallard Creek, 64-60… To have played Mallard Creek that tough alerted us that Hough would have a really good team. They have a bunch of shooters and they do a really nice job of driving and getting it to them. We were in a little bit of trouble, at least in the first half.”
Ultimately, said Torgerson, his team hung in there, executed and was able to pull away.
Early on, during the Huskies’ comeback rally, Torgerson admitted that Hough was taking advantage of the Pioneers’ defensive scheme.
“We had to make some changes, which helped, and then we started getting some good shots, including Julie Matheson’s buzzer beater 3-pointer at halftime,” said the Pioneers’ second year head coach. “They were doing a good job of cutting on the back side… but our vision got better as the game went along.”
Blair Haines attracts a crowd during Watauga’s 66-56 win over Hough in Round 2 of the state playoffs. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
Torgerson credited the chemistry between Sears and Kaitlyn Darner at the top of the key and some smart defensive stops by forward Chloe Wilson coming off the bench as major contributors to Watauga’s ability to extend the lead in the second half.
In Round 3, Watauga will meet a Northern Guilford team that romped past Rocky River in the first round, 48-31, then held off Charlotte Catholic, 65-57, in the second round.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — It may have been seen as a minor play in the overall result, but when Watauga forward Landon Smith received a pass in the left corner and raced down the baseline to deliver a resounding slam dunk with only a couple of minutes left in the game, it put an exclamation point on the Pioneers’ 56-42 win over East Mecklenburg in Round 1 of the 4A state playoffs.
Watauga’s Josiah Railey, Cade Keller and Maddox Greene were playing “keep away” just inside the half-court line, with the desperate Eagles pressing, trying to get the ball back. Suddenly, the ball was passed to an open Smith and the senior punctuated the opportunity made possible by Watauga’s team strategy.
The Sequence
Photographic images by Jared Everett for High Country Sports
Landon Smith slams home a dunk in the final minutes of Watauga’s Round 1 win over East Meck in the 4A state playoffs. All photographic images in the sequence by Jared Everett for High Country Sports
Whenever high school teams from urban areas who placed down in their league standings meet even the top teams from some of the more rural conferences in the state playoffs, seeding upsets may occur. That may have been the fear of No. 7-seeded Watauga fans on Feb. 25, but the Pioneers held off the No. 26-seeded Eagles of East Mecklenburg to advance to Round 2 of the NCHSAA 4A West bracket. On Feb. 28, Watauga will host No. 10 Mount Tabor, a 69-55 victor vs. No. 23 Grimsley.
East Meck finished No. 4 in a very strong Charlotte area conference, the 4A Southwestern Conference, behind Independence, Charlotte Catholic and Butler, but finished 15-11 overall and 7-5 in conference.
“East Meck finished well with some of their players out with injuries,” said Watauga head coach Bryson Payne after the game. “So we really didn’t know what team we were going to be facing.”
Watauga senior Maddox Greene directs the Pioneer offense on Feb. 25, in Round 1 of the state playoffs vs. East Meck. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
What Payne and the Pioneers did know is that like a lot of Charlotte area teams they like to run up-tempo, pushing the ball in transition. While Watauga also likes to run, part of the strategy against the Eagles, Payne explained, was to slow things down a bit.
Combined with a strong defensive effort, Watauga hit East Meck from both the inside and outside. Junior forward Jace Blocker and junior guard Cade Keller shared game-high scoring honors with 17 points each. Keller managed it with a lot of Eagles seemingly glued to his every move. As the Pioneers’ leading scorer, it was obvious East Meck came into the game seeking to blanket Keller.
A large and robust student section helped along the Pioneers in their Round 1 win over East Meck. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
The attention drawn by Keller on the perimeter, though, created some of the opportunities exploited by Blocker in the paint as well as by seniors Josiah Railey (9 points) and Maddox Greene (6).
Watauga only trailed in this game early in the first period, finishing the opening stanza with a tenuous, 13-11 advantage. They built on their lead to 30-24 at intermission, then to 44-33 to begin the final period. But against a talented and athletic East Meck team, no lead seemed “safe” until the final minutes, even seconds.
The Eagles’ offense was centered around guard Ahmari Hicks (16 points) and Jordan Buzzard (8).
Watauga forward Jace Blocker floats one to the basket on Feb. 25, vs. East Meck in the first round of the state playoffs. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
SCORING SUMMARY
WAT – Cade Keller (17 points)
WAT – Jace Blocker (17)
WAT – Josiah Railey (9)
WAT – Maddox Greene (6)
WAT – Landon Smith (5)
WAT – Brady Lindenmuth (2)
EM – Ahmari Hicks (16)
EM – Jordan Buzzard (8)
EM – Nixon Wright (6)
EM – James McIver (6)
EM – Braylan Caldwell (5)
EM – Vance Johnson (1)
Round 1, 4A West Bracket Results
BOLD – Seeding Upsets
No. 1 Lake Norman 89, No. 32 Cuthbertson 74
No. 17 Hopewell 53, No. 16 Charlotte Catholic 52
No. 25 Reagan 69, No. 8 Northern Guilford 57
No. 9 Myers Park 74, No. 24 Butler 65
No. 5 Independence 54, No. 28 Palisades 34
No. 12 Mooresville 61, No. 21 Ardrey Kell 50
No. 13 Chambers 73, No. 20 Hickory Ridge 72
No. 4 McDowell 64, No. 29 Hough 59
No. 3 North Mecklenburg 68, No. 30 Mallard Creek 51
No. 14 Davie 69, No. 19 South Mecklenburg 66
No. 6 Weddington 68, No. 27 Cox Mill 55
No. 11 East Forsyth 86, No. 22 Olympic 60
No. 7 Watauga 56, No. 26 East Mecklenburg 42
No. 10 Mount Tabor 69, No. 23 Grimsley 55
No. 18 South Caldwell 77, No. 15 Southwest Guilford 75
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Visiting T.C. Roberson’s women’s basketball team could have been forgiven had they broken out umbrellas in Lentz Eggers Gym on Feb. 25. Early and often, it started raining Watauga “threes” in the first round of the NCHSAA 4A Basketball Playoffs. Behind a dozen 3-pointers from six different Pioneer players and disruptive defense, No. 3-seeded Watauga waltzed to a dominating, 74-37 win over the Rams.
With the victory, Watauga advances to the second round on Friday, Feb. 28, hosting No. 19 Hough (Cornelius, N.C.), which got past No. 14-seeded Weddington, 48-43.
Hough (20-7 overall, 10-4 in the 3A/4A Queen City Conference), placed third in a strong Charlotte area conference behind North Mecklenburg (24-3, 13-1) and Mallard Creek (25-3, 13-1).
Watauga’s big lead over TC Roberson in the first round of the state playoffs allowed elevated JV players like Presli Wood (11) to get valuable court time and contribute. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
By any measure, Watauga’s performance vs. T.C. Roberson was a rout from the get-go. With senior guard Kate Sears ripping the nets for 22 points in the first quarter alone, the Pioneers jumped out to a 32-11 lead after just the opening period. Sears, per usual, tallied a game-high 32 points (15 points from behind the arc) but did not play large chunks of the second half. By intermission, with the lead extended to 51-19, many among the packed crowd of onlookers started hoping for a 40-point lead so the “mercy rule” would be triggered.
Sophomore guard Blair Haines sizes up a 3-pointer in the first round of the state playoffs vs. TC Roberson. Photographic image by David Rogers for High Country Sports
They got their wish only a couple of minutes past halftime. With a running clock, Pioneer head coach Bill Torgerson started deploying a number of non-starters in different combinations with individual or duos of regular rotation players, including Sears. A total of nine Watauga athletes got on the scoreboard, including valuable minutes for elevated junior varsity athletes, Steph Mendez, Presli Wood and Charlie Mattox. Equally important, senior first-year basketball player and forward Chloe Wilson — who continues to steadily improve as she becomes more familiar with her role on the court and the team strategies — played extended minutes before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
T.C. Roberson got reasonably good offensive production from freshman forward Ryleigh Owen (9 points) and senior guard Kylie Carrington (15), but little else from the rest of the Rams.
SCORING SUMMARY
WAT – Kate Sears (32 points)
WAT – Julie Matheson (17)
WAT – Kaitlyn Darner (6)
WAT – Steph Mendez (5)
WAT – Blair Haines (5)
WAT – Izzy Torgerson (3)
WAT – Presli Wood (3)
WAT – Charlie Mattox (2)
WAT – Chloe Wilson (1)
ROB – Kylie Carrington (15)
ROB – Ryleigh Owen (9)
ROB – Ellie Morgan (5)
ROB – Skylar Gribben (4)
ROB – Addison Tissot (3)
ROB – Olivia DeMoss (1)
FIRST ROUND SCORES, NCHSAA 4A WEST BRACKET
BOLD – Seeding Upsets
No. 1 McDowell 57, No. 32 Mount Tabor 30
No. 16 Alexander Central 63, No. 17 Porter Ridge 56
