High Country Sports

Author: David

  • Mountaineers’ softball rides strong pitching to win over Cleveland State, 4-2

    By Jacob Plecker. RALEIGH, N.C. – After numerous delays and time changes, the App State Mountaineers finally took the field at the Wolfpack Classic and struck for four runs in the first inning to jump in front early against the Cleveland State Vikings. Then, Sejal Neas took over in the circle and mowed down the Viking bats, leading the Mountaineers to a 4-2 win on Friday.

    The Vikings (2-4) struck first with an RBI single, but six straight baserunners in the bottom of the inning allowed the Mountaineers (5-4) to plate a four-spot in the inning to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Two-RBI singles by both Peyton Darnell and Olivia Cook helped spark the Black and Gold to the crooked number in the first.

    With a lead after her first inning of work, Sejal Neas pitched marvelously en route to her second win of the season. Overall, Neas left six runners on base while also retiring 14 of the final 15 batters she faced to close the game. She was resilient all game in the circle as she escaped multiple jams, including stranding two in scoring position in the second inning to keep the Vikings off the board.

    The Mountaineer offense loaded the bases in two separate innings and had at least one runner on in every inning, putting pressure on the Vikings all game. Six different players recorded at least one hit in the weekend-opener with Kayt Houston’s two-hit day leading the way.

    How it Happened

    In Neas’ fourth start of the season, it was Cleveland State who got the scoring started on Friday as they strung together a pair of hits to open play. Neas bounced back strongly after allowing the run, tallying her first of five strikeouts on the game to end the inning.

    Neas’ strikeout to limit the damage proved vital as the Mountaineer offense immediately paid off her work with four first-inning runs. First, it was Houston who roped a single into left field to start the game and Grace Barrett reached first on a fielder’s choice to put two runners on with no one out. Darnell then stepped to the plate and cleared the bases with a hard-hit single into the center that scored Houston. Barrett came around to score on the play as well, using aggressive baserunning to capitalize on a Viking error to give App State the lead.

    Walks to both Killian Roberts and Taylor Thorp loaded the bases in the first inning for Olivia Cook, who delivered a single into right that plated two. Cook’s opposite-field approach helped drive in her sixth and seventh runs this year.

    The Vikings eventually got out of the inning, but six baserunners, three hits and four runs from the Mountaineers gave App State its first lead of the game after one.

    Now with the lead, Neas came back out in the second and kept the Vikings at bay, stranding two runners in the inning. The Vikings’ first two runners reached base and were moved to second and third with just one out, but Neas’ ability to miss barrels led to two straight weak fly balls that ended the threat and maintained the three-run lead after two.

    Fired up after Neas’s solid inning of work, Abby Cunningham drew a walk to lead off the second inning after a seven-pitch battle. Grace Barrett then singled to center and Darnell reached base for the second time of the game to load the bases for the second consecutive inning. But just as Neas did in her half of the inning, Viking starting pitcher Holzopfel stranded the bases loaded to keep the Mountaineer lead at three.

    The first two Vikings reached base in the third inning, putting another runner in scoring position against Neas. Neas got the next hitter to ground the ball back to her and she calmly fired to third to get the lead runner for the first out. Despite the nice play on defense, Gilkerson singled into right field to bring in Cleveland State’s second run. Gilkerson’s single would be the second-to-last runner that reached against Neas in the game.

    Neas retired the Vikings in order in the fourth inning, racking up another strikeout in the process, which allowed the Mountaineer bats to come back to the plate. Looking to add on, Houston smoked a double to the left-field fence to lead off the inning, putting a runner in scoring position with no one out. It was Houston’s eighth double of the young season.

    Holzopfel did well to escape the Mountaineer rally in the fifth, but the Vikings couldn’t crack Neas in the fifth as she worked around a one-out walk to retire the side in the fifth.

    After a one-out walk in the fifth, Neas settled in and retired each of the last eight hitters she saw. An eight-pitch sixth inning and a clean seventh inning capped off her fourth complete game and second win of the season.

    The Mountaineers’ hot start and another solid outing from the defense helped lead App State to its fifth win in the last six games. Neas needed just 99 pitches to complete the game.

    Friday Notes
    Home runs
    App: N/A
    CSU: N/A

    WP – Sejal Neas (2-2): 7 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts
    SV – N/A
    LP – Melissa Holzopfel (2-2): 6 IP, 7 hits, 4 runs (0 earned runs), 5 walks, 5 strikeouts

    Up Next
    App State continues play at the Wolfpack Classic with a doubleheader on Saturday. App State will take on Iona for the first time ever in game 1 while a rematch with Cleveland State caps off the day. First pitch against Iona is slated for 1 p.m.

  • Watauga MBB closes fast to turn away Freedom, 76-63 in NWC tourney semifinal

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — With all five starters finishing the game in double figures, Watauga survived the onslaught of a hot-shooting Freedom team in the first half of their Northwestern Conference tournament semifinal, defeating the Patriots, 76-63, to advance to the Feb. 23 tournament championship game against Alexander Central.

    Freedom’s Braxton King shot 50 percent from behind the 3-point arc (7-of-14) to record a game-high 23 points, but broad-based scoring from the host Pioneers — especially in the second half and the decisive fourth quarter — proved too much for the Patriots. The Pioneers were led by junior guard Maddox Greene’s team-high 20 points, with key contributions from Josiah Railey (16 points), Jackson Pryor (14), Wyatt Kohout (13) and Cade Keller (10).

    student section
    Watauga’s student section took home court advantage to a new level on Feb. 22 as the Pioneers battled Freedom.

    The athletic Freedom team — which featured a 15-man rotation even though the starters played the lion’s share of the minutes — shot 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from behind the 3-point arc in the first half to take tense, 32-11 lead into intermission. Watauga edged ahead to close out the third quarter with a tentative, 47-46 lead, then used a combination of pressure defense and up tempo offense to gain separation in the fourth quarter, outscoring their guests, 29-17, in the final frame.

    Perhaps the most telling statistic reflecting the oppressive defense brought to the floor by the Pioneers: Freedom committed 22 turnovers on the night, compared to just five by the sure-handed Watauga team.

    Railey just missed recording a double-double by pulling down nine rebounds to go with his 16 points, four assists and five steals. Point guard Greene not only had the team high 20 points, but also a game-high eight assists in distributing the ball to his ball-hawking teammates.

    josiah railey
    Josiah Railey scored 16 points on Feb. 22 in the NWC tournament semifinal vs. Freedom. Photographic image by David Rogers

    When a reporter suggested that Watauga might have been a bit lackadaisical in the game’s opening frame and the first half, head coach Bryson Payne had another perspective.

    “I don’t know whether I would call our performance lackadaisical early on,” said Payne. “They were just hitting some tough shots. No. 12, King, hit four threes in the first quarter and three in the second quarter. Some of those shots, when a player is hot, you just live with. I told the guys at halftime to just be consistent. Defend. We just have to hope that someone is not going to make those kind of shots throughout the game.”

    Wyatt Kohout served up 13 points for Watauga in the NWC tournament semifinal on Feb. 22 vs. Freedom. Photographic image by David Rogers

    In fact, the Patriots made just 3-of-10 from long range in the second half, to reinforce Payne’s halftime message.

    “We just tried to stay consistent with our transition offense and, ultimately, that is how we were able to pull away,” added Payne. “I thought Freedom played really well. I don’t think they did a whole lot differently than in the regular season, they just played better, with more confidence. It was a battle. I know we won by 13, but it was closer than that for most of the game. We were never really comfortable until maybe the last 20 seconds.”

    Payne admitted to a bit of nervousness when Pryor got into foul trouble in the second quarter.

    “You never want to see Pryor have to leave the game and sit because of foul trouble, but I thought Brady (Lindenmuth) came in and gave us some good minutes in relief, especially in starting the second half, clearing the boards,” said Payne.

    jackson pryor
    Watauga’s 6-6 center Jackson Pryor got into foul trouble in the first half, but poured in 14 points and hauled in 4 rebounds in his 23 minutes on the floor on Feb. 22, in the NWC tournament semifinal vs. Freedom. Photographic image by David Rogers

    Railey said afterwards that the Pioneers may have taken Freedom more lightly than they should have.

    “I think we underestimated them a bit,” said the junior guard. “We beat them twice in the regular season, so maybe we didn’t think we would have any trouble. At halftime, we said we had to step it up. As far as adjustments, that shooter, No. 12, was really racking them up in the first half so we put Maddox (Greene) on him defensively, to lock him up.”

    With the win, Watauga improves to 20-5 overall and 9-1 in conference. They will now play the winner of the other semifinal Alexander Central, on Feb. 23. Tipoff should be approximately 8 p.m., following the women’s final pitting Watauga against Hibriten.

    Key Performances

    • WAT – Maddox Greene: 20 points, 8 assists, 1 steal, 4 rebounds
    • WAT – Josiah Railey: 16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals
    • WAT – Jackson Pryor: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal
    • WAT – Wyatt Kohout: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
    • WAT – Cade Keller: 10 points, 2 assists
    • FDM – Braxton King: 23 points
    • FDM – Elijah Davidson: 13 rebounds, 5 points
    • FDM – Gavin McNaughton: 9 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists
    • FDM – Kobe Johnson: 18 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists

     

     

  • Huntley, Harcum spark latest Mountaineer win at Old Dominion, 82-67

    By Jacob Plecker. NORFOLK, Va. — With Old Dominion ahead by two at the 10:10 mark in the second half, CJ Huntley’s hustle play off a missed free throw led to an open three-pointer by Terence Harcum, giving App State a one-point lead. That dagger from long distance sparked a 21-6 run from the App State Mountaineers as they raced past ODU for an 82-67 road win on Feb. 22.

    App State’s (23-5, 13-2 SBC) road conference win marks win No.13 in Sun Belt play this season. That breaks the previous record for Sun Belt wins in a season set in 2021-22. It also secures the first winning season on the road for the Mountaineers since the 2009-10 campaign. With Thursday’s win over Old Dominion (6-22, 2-13 SBC), the Mountaineers are one of just 10 Division I teams with at least 23 wins.

    Hartley’s hustle was all the spark the Mountaineers needed.

    Terence Harcum’s 18 points after intermission fueled App State’s second-half barrage as he buried four threes in the final 20 minutes, including three in the first 10 minutes — leading to a 22-point game. Harcum has played in two games at Chartway Arena and posted 28-point and 22-point performances, giving him an average of 25 points a game in Chartway Arena in his career.

    The Mountaineers buried nine of 18 threes they attempted on the night, marking the second consecutive game that App State has shot 50 percent from behind the arc. Three players hit multiple threes: Harcum, Donovan Gregory, and Myles Tate.  Harcum’s four threes were his eighth game this season with at least three made from behind the arc leads the team. App State has won 11 straight games in which they shoot at least 40 percent from three.

    Offensive rebounding played a huge role in App State’s 23rd win of the season as the Mountaineers used 16 offensive rebounds to get 19 second-chance points. CJ Huntley kept multiple possessions alive in the game, picking up six offensive boards, which is a season-high.

    The Mountaineers shot 50 percent (9 of 18 attempts) from behind the arc.

    Overall, two players recorded double-digit rebounding performances, with Tre’Von Spillers tallying his eighth double-double of the season. His eight double-doubles this season are the most by a Mountaineer in a season since Isaac Johnson tallied eight in 2019-20.

    How It Happened
    It was ODU who kicked off the scoring in the Mountaineers’ final road trip of the year as Chaunce Jenkins hit a three to open play at Chartway Arena. But Spillers quickly got his night going, scoring two easy buckets to get App State on the board and tie things up at five by the 16:53 mark.

    Both teams struggled to score as play hit the first media break, with neither team tallying a basket for over three minutes. Myles Tate and Christopher Mantis broke the drought. Mantis’ 3-pointer gave App State its largest lead of the game to that point, at five.

    ODU retook the lead at 12-10 by the 10:06 mark of the first half but Gregory’s finish through contact in the lane brought the Mountaineers back ahead by one. The Monarchs, who have played their opponents tough recently despite the poor record, worked back ahead by three as play hit the under-eight timeout. Jenkins’ 10th point of the first half sent things to the break.

    Myles Tate and Christopher Mantis broke the scoring drought.

    After Jordan Marsh buried two free throws, Harcum’s first points of the game pushed the Mountaineers back ahead by two by the 4:07 mark. A put-back bucket by Spillers jumped the lead up to four as the final media timeout came. The Mountaineers were +15 in the first half with Spillers on the court, feeding off his energy on the offensive glass to get easy baskets.

    The lead changed hands seven times in the first half but Spillers’ put-back gave App State the spark it needed to finish the stanza. After two free throws from Tyrone Williams, the Mountaineers scored the final four points to close the half with its largest lead of seven, capped off by Tate’s step-back three.

    Three-point shooting in the first half played well for App State as 25 percent of their first-half points came via the three-ball. Gregory’s season-high two first-half threes helped fuel the Mountaineers during cold stretches as he led the way in the first half with nine.

    Defensively, the Mountaineers held the Monarchs to just 34 percent from the field and 27 percent from three. Because of this, the Mountaineers took a lead into the halftime break for the 17th time this season. Heading into App State’s visit to ODU, the Mountaineers were 15-1 when leading at the half.

    Despite the Monarchs scoring the first points of the final half, it was Harcum who found his rhythm. He nailed two shots from long distance almost immediately after the break to give him 10 points for the game to that point. ODU fought to trim the lead to just two by the 14:57 mark, but a third Harcum 3-pointer ballooned App State ahead by five as he started to catch fire.

    App State took a three-point lead into the first media timeout of the final half but the competitiveness of the Monarchs tied the game at 50 apiece with 11:52 to go in the final frame. Despite the spurt from ODU, the Mountaineers maintained their lead at the under-12-minute break courtesy of a Spillers steal and a Marsh driving layup through contact on a sweet finish.

    ODU took its first lead since the score was 23-20 in the first half, using a 13-5 run to jump back in front after a Dani Pounds dunk. A four-point possession, however, brought App State back in front as a free throw from Gregory and a hustle play that led to Harcum’s fourth three of the half gave App State the lead heading into the under-eight timeout.

    Huntley’s hustle was all the spark the Mountaineers needed to build separation as App State outscored the Monarchs by 12 before the next timeout. Huntley continued to leave his mark on the game as he threw down two huge hammers consecutively during the run to give him six points. A huge alley-oop jam from Spillers capped off the big stretch by App State as he and Huntley combined to jolt Chartway Arena in the final stages of the game.

    The Mountaineers jumped ahead by as much as 17 late in the game, continuing to run away from the reeling Monarchs as they went on an extended 19-2 run down the stretch. Harcum continued his second-half heroics in Norfolk as he eclipsed 20 points for the game by the 2:17 mark.

    When the final horn sounded, the Mountaineers had pulled away with a 15-point victory. The win marked App State’s 15th double-digit victory of the season. It was also App State’s 13th Sun Belt victory, which is the most Sun Belt wins App State has recorded since joining the league in 2014 and the most conference wins in a season since 2009-10.

    Top Performers

    • For the 16th time this season, all nine players who touched the floor for the Black and Gold recorded a point.
    • Additionally, four players reached double-figures, which is the 34th game in a row App State has seen multiple double-figure scorers.
    • Terence Harcum’s 18-point second-half barrage paced App State as he posted a game-high 22, marking his fourth 20-point game in conference play.
    • Myles Tate’s near-perfect night helped him finish with 14 points but he also recorded five assists and six rebounds. Tate needs just one more assist for 100 this season.
    • Tre’Von Spillers continued to be a force down low for head coach Dustin Kerns as his 12 points and 11 rebounds marked his eighth double-double of the year. Spillers’ effort and hustle were huge as App State outscored ODU by 26 points with Spillers on the floor.

    Next Up
    App State heads to Huntington, W. Va., for a battle with the Marshall Thundering Herd in what will be the Mountaineers’ third nationally televised game of the season. It will also be the second meeting in the last nine days between the Mountaineers and Thundering Herd. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN2.

  • Hibriten surprises cold-shooting Ashe County, 66-47, to advance to NWC tourney final

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Hibriten freshman Aamori Patterson lit up the scoreboard with 6-of-14 shooting from behind the 3-point line, including four in the first half, while senior teammate Emma Poarch made 16 consecutive free throws in the second half to account for all but two of her 18 points. The dynamic duo helped power the Panthers past regular season co-champions, Ashe County, 66-47, on Feb. 22 in the semifinals of the Northwestern Conference tournament.

    With the win, Hibriten will face Watauga in the tournament championship game on Friday, Feb. 23, with tipoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in Lentz Eggers Gym.

    Aamori Patterson
    Freshman guard Aamori Patterson goes up for one of her six 3-pointers for Hibriten in helping the Panthers defeat Ashe County on Feb. 22, 66-47. Photographic image by David Rogers

    Poarch, the Hibriten senior guard who head coach Maury Patterson described as the team’s floor leader, recorded a double-double on the evening with 11 rebounds to go with her 18 points. She was on the court for all but two minutes of the 32-minute contest. Patterson, the freshman guard, poured in a game-high 22 points, including 18 of those accounted for by her shooting from long range. Patterson also poached a game-high three steals.

    Ashe County came into the conference tournament semifinal heavily favored after embarrassing Watauga in the regular season finale in West Jefferson to share the regular season title with the Pioneers. Hibriten was 5-5 in league play, losing twice to both the Huskies as well as Watauga, but also splitting the home-and-home series with Alexander Central and South Caldwell.

    emma poarch
    Hibriten’s Emma Poarch drives baseline in the second half of the Panthers’ 66-47 upset of Ashe County on Feb. 22. Photographic image by David Rogers

    On this night at least, the Huskies could hardly find the bucket, shooting just 29 percent from the field (making just 17-of-58 shots) and good on only 3-of-17 attempts from behind the 3-point arc. Even worse, the shot only 43 percent from the foul line (10-of-23) and committed a whopping 17 turnovers.

    Husky guard Lexie Dawson recorded her own double-double in the losing effort, with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Ally Greer pulled down 10 rebounds.

    Hibriten head coach Maury Patterson was understandably pleased after the game.

    “We worked hard for this,” he said. “Every practice. All credit goes to Jesus Christ and the girls. Emma Poarch is the floor leader and her (success) has come from her tremendous work ethic.”

    Patterson’s freshman daughter, Aamori Patterson, was instrumental in helping the Panthers gain separation in the first half with her 3-pointers.

    “I started out in one place and knew I really had to pick it up. I really wanted to do my part,” she said afterwards.

    Hardly a week removed from surgery to repair a broken nose, by halftime against Ashe County Poarch had discarded her protective gear.

    “I could hardly breathe,” she said, before admitting that her free throw performance of 16 straight catching nothing but net resulted from a lot of work. “I shoot a LOT of free throws, every practice.”

    Including non-conference games, with the win Hibriten now sports an 18-7 overall record for the season while Ashe County dips to 16-8.

    Key Performances

    • HIB – Emma Poarch: 18 points, 11 rebounds, 16-of-16 from the free throw line. 3 assists
    • HIB – Aamori Patterson: 22 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals
    • HIB – Karlee Starnes: 9 points, 5 assists, 2 steals
    • HIB – Parker Boggs: 9 points, 3 assists
    • HIB – Jada Brown: 6 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals
    • ASH – Lexie Dawson: 18 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists
    • ASH – Ally Greer: 10 rebounds, 5 points
    • ASH – Abby Sheets: 9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals
    • ASH – Abby Eller: 6 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists
    • ASH – Paige Overcash: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals

  • Watauga WBB earns berth in championship finale with edgy, 45-42 win over Alexander Central

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — A double-double by Kate Sears (22 points, 10 rebounds) along with key rebounding support by Laney Shook (9) and Kaitlyn Darner (6) allowed host Watauga to turn back a withering attack from Alexander Central on Feb. 21 at Lentz Eggers Gym, 45-42, in the women’s semifinals of the Northwestern Conference tournament.

    With the win, Watauga will advance to the Feb. 23 championship game vs. the winner of the Ashe County and Hibriten semifinal to be played on Feb. 22.

    mcglamery
    Watauga’s Diane McGlamery controls an offensive rebound vs. Alexander Central in the NWC semifinal, Feb. 21. ACHS’ Addie Jack (22) is defending. Photographic image by David Rogers

    Fresh legs may have been to the Pioneers advantage against the Cougars. As the No. 1 tournament seed, Watauga had a bye into the semifinals while Alexander Central played and defeated Freedom the night before in a quarterfinal matchup, winning 53-46.

    Against the Pioneers, Alexander Central head coach Jon Presnell went with just a six-player rotation. In one sense it was successful in that the three players who were on the floor for the full 32 minutes of the contest each scored in double figures. Forward Kirstyn Herman recorded a double-double of her own with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while guards Meredith Wike and Malayah Adams tallied 11 and 15 points, respectively.

    torgerson
    Charlotte Torgerson (33) only had five points against Alexander Central on Feb. 21 in the Northwestern Conference tournament semifinal, but they included a made three pointer and the final two foul shots that gave Watauga a 3-point lead. Photographic image by David Rogers

    That said, Watauga head coach Bill Torgerson countered with a much deeper bench, deploying a 9-player rotation. Only three Pioneers were on the floor for more than 20 minutes, including Sears (32 minutes), Darner (28) and Charlotte Torgerson (26). While forward starters Shook and Julie Matheson saw a generous amount of floor time at 16 and 18 minutes, respectively, the Pioneers deeper bench saw strong contributions and floor time from Diane McGlamery, Gracie Lawrence, Blair Haines, and Izzy Torgerson.

    “We felt it important to keep as many of our starters’ legs as fresh as possible, knowing that Alexander Central had played the night before and might suffer from a little bit of fatigue,” Torgerson acknowledged after the game. “Our bench players were important for this win.”

    matheson
    Julie Matheson (1) looks to drive baseline against Alexander Central in the NWC semifinal on Feb. 21. Alexander Central’s Meredith Wike (20) applies defensive pressure. Photographic image by David Rogers

    It was a see-saw battle throughout the contest, with the favored Pioneers unable to gain much in the way of separation.

    “Alexander Central is very well coached, so they always bring a tough test for us,” said junior point guard and playmaker, Sears, after the game. “And that was the case tonight.”

    With a one-point lead and nearly three minutes to go in the game, Watauga went into “keep away” mode, passing the ball around and forgoing several clear shots at the basket.

    “We wanted them to foul us,” said Torgerson, later.

    kaitlyn darner
    Pioneer guard Kaitlyn Darner (30) recorded a ‘half double-double’: 6 points and 6 rebounds vs. Alexander Central on Feb. 21. Here, Kirstyn Herman of ACHS comes up from behind, looking to block. Photographic image by David Rogers

    While the ploy was risky with so much time left, it turned out OK for the Pioneers, made possible by their being one of the better ball-handling teams in the Northwestern Conference, as evidenced by just eight turnovers against the hard-pressing Cougars.

    They passed around the perimeter as well as inside and back outside and around again several times without taking a shot, obviously frustrating the Cougars as time clicked off the clock. Under a minute left, Alexander Central was forced to foul and that sent senior Charlotte Torgerson to the line, who promptly dropped two from the charity stripe to give Watauga a 3-point lead. With time winding down, a desperate shot by the Cougars to try and tie the game was rebounded by Darner, who quickly directed an outlet pass to Torgerson, who dribbled out the clock.

    While the final scheduled time for the Championship matchup has not yet been announced, it is believed to be Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m., before the men’s championship final.

     

     

  • Tuthill makes triumphant return to mound in App State road win over High Point, 7-1

    By Matt Present. HIGH POINT, N.C. — The smoothness of the three-up-three-down second inning wouldn’t have signaled anything out of the ordinary, but the embraces in the dugout moments later told a different story. Using his patented curveball to get a swinging strike three to end the inning, Tyler Tuthill capped off his long-awaited return to the mound in App State’s 7-1 win over High Point.

    After undergoing Tommy John surgery in July of 2022, the veteran left-hander was forced to watch the entirety of the 2023 season from the dugout. But in the fourth game of 2024, Tuthill, donning his familiar No. 21 uniform and Block A cap made his return to the bump, providing a triumphant conclusion to an arduous rehab process.

    App State (3-1) already had an early lead when Tuthill entered. In fact, they led 3-0 three batters into the ballgame. CJ Boyd led off the afternoon by reaching on an infield single, and Austin St. Laurent followed with a double to the gap in left-center field. That set up Banks Tolley who launched his first home run of the season to deep left field.

    Tyler Tuthill. Photo courtesy of App State Athletics

    Redshirt freshman Carter Boyd started the game for App State. Boyd induced three ground ball outs in the first inning, working around a hit batter, to post a scoreless frame in his first outing for the Mountaineers.

    App State used the long ball again to pad their lead in the third. After a walk to Tolley led off the frame, Braxton Church cranked a two-run homer to right field, his second homer of the season, to push the advantage to 5-0.

    The Mountaineers pitching staff meanwhile did not allow a hit until the sixth inning, when Cael Chatham homered off of Trey Tujetch, who had worked 2.2 scoreless innings to that point. Tujetch allowed two base runners thereafter, but App State minimized the damage as Collin Welch wiggled out of a bases loaded jam to end the frame.

    Photo courtesy of App State Athletics

    Welch went on to work 1.2 scoreless innings before turning the ball over to Cody Little, who worked a scoreless eighth inning. Zach Lewis escaped a bases loaded jam in the ninth, striking out two in a scoreless frame to end the ballgame. App State pitchers allowed just three hits on the day.

    Meanwhile the offense plated a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Tolley led off the inning with a double, and Drew Holderbach doubled him home later in the frame. After Holderbach advanced to third on a wild pitch, Adam Quintero lifted a sacrifice fly to center to make it 7-1.

    St. Laurent led the offense with a 3-for-4 day, while Tolley reached base four times on two hits and a pair of walks.

    For the third consecutive season, App State will host a game in Hickory, as it faces off with Siena in a three-game weekend series, Feb. 23-25. First pitch on Friday is set for 3 p.m. with action on Saturday and Sunday slated to begin at 1 p.m. All three games will feature an audio broadcast on appstatesports.com.

  • Pioneers shred Huskies, 67-43

    By David Rogers. WEST JEFFERSON, N.C. — A 50 percent shooting night from the floor, led by Jackson Pryor (20 points), Wyatt Kohout (14), Cade Keller (12) and Josiah Railey (10), powered the Pioneers of Watauga over the host Ashe County Huskies on Feb. 16, 67-43. The win secured a tie for first place in the Northwestern Conference for the regular season, with South Caldwell, also at 9-1 in league play.

    The Pioneers defeated South Caldwell on Jan. 11, 69-51, in Lentz Eggers Gym, then the Spartans defended their home court on Feb. 2, 64-62, to account for the longtime rivals’ only blemishes to their respective conference records.

    Watauga led Ashe County from start to finish and were particularly strong in the first and third quarters. In Q1, the Pioneers outpointed the Huskies 29-14 to gain early separation, battled evenly in Q2 (10-11) to take a 39-25 lead into halftime, then gained even more separation in Q3 with an 18-6 performance before cruising to the final buzzer.

    Pryor dominated inside the paint, collecting six offensive rebounds for second chance points on his way to an 83 percent shooting night. The senior forward padded his stat line for the night with two steals, one assist, and a blocked shot while committing just two turnovers.

    In addition to his 12 points, Keller shared the ball for seven assists and created Ashe County turnovers with four steals.

    UPDATED:

    For the conference tournament hosted by Watauga this year, as the No. 2 seed Watauga receives a first round bye and will play the Round 1 winner between Freedom and Hibriten on Thursday, Feb. 22, 8:00 p.m. in Lentz Eggers Gym. The Round 2 (semifinals) winners will play in the tournament championship game on Friday, Feb. 23. The women’s final is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. with the men’s final to follow at approximately 8 p.m.

  • Defending home court, Ashe County WBB gets past Watauga, 62-59

    By David Rogers. WEST JEFFERSON, N.C. — Ashe County varsity women’s basketball team saved their best for last on Feb. 16 and earned a first place, Northwestern Conference tie with their victim, Watauga, in the process with a 62-59 win.

    For the Pioneers, it was a “chilly” night shooting, very different than the 72-42 shellacking of the Huskies in the friendly confines of Lentz Eggers Gym just three weeks ago, on Jan. 26.

    Watauga rallied from a 13 point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to tie the game and send it into overtime.

    To say that the Pioneers’ latest performance was a misadventure against their High Country rivals on the Huskies’ home court is an understatement. And their troubles started at the outset. Only two Pioneers, Kate Sears and Kaitlyn Darner, found the bottom of the net in the first quarter and that was for only five points apiece. The team only scored seven points in the second quarter, improving to 11 in the third period before finally finding their mojo with 20 points in the fourth.

    In that final stanza, Watauga rallied from a 13-point deficit to tie the game and send it into overtime, but in the 4-minutes of OT found themselves outscored by the Huskies, 14-11.

    Abby Sheets’ seventh 3-pointer of the night, in overtime, was a dagger that put the Huskies in command.

    While the Pioneers were struggling through the first three quarters of the game, the Huskies were celebrating their Senior Night and HOT, HOT, HOT, led by Abby Sheets. The 5-8 junior guard tied with Watauga’s Kate Sears for game-high honors in scoring 25 points, including a remarkable seven 3-pointers. Senior forward Paige Overcash tallied 15 points and was especially effective in the paint on both ends. Senior guard Lexie Dawson was also an offensive force in scoring 19 points on the night.

    In overtime, Sheets’ 3-pointer was a dagger that put the Huskies in command and Dawson made good on 5-of-6 shots from the charity stripe as a desperate Watauga team was trying to get the ball back and make up the deficit.

    Afterward, Watauga head coach Bill Torgerson gave credit where credit was due.

    “I give lots of credit to the Ashe team,” said Torgerson. “It was senior night and they had a chance to get a share of the conference title and they did it. Obviously, Abby Sheets was on fire with her seven three pointers. She banked in a half courter and she hit several that were contested pretty well.”

    In assessing his Pioneers, Torgerson was straightforward.

    “Our kids played hard,” he said. “We had a subpar shooting night but we kept fighting even after being down 13 points after three periods and 10 points with just 4:30 to go. We’re going to be back in the gym on Saturday, working, and we’re excited to get to play in the conference tournament at home next week.”

  • Watauga WBB JVs end season on the highest note

    By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Often overlooked in high school athletics are the performances of junior varsity teams, but those younger squads are comprised of the varsity’s future.

    That’s why Watauga girls JV team’s 17-1 overall record for 2023-24, 8-1 in Northwestern Conference and a dominating, 41-26 win over Ashe County on Feb. 16 should not be overlooked.

    Against the Huskies in West Jefferson, Watauga allowed only five Ashe County players to get into the scoring column, and only one in double figures. That was freshman guard Madason Cox, who recorded a game-high 14 points.

    They allowed Ashe County to score just four points in the first quarter and only five points in Q4.

    The Pioneers countered with eight players scoring points, two in double figures: Sarah Thompson (13) and Blair Haines (12). While Thompson and Haines accounted for more than half of the Pioneers’ offensive production, Presli Wood and Izzy Torgerson contributed six and five points, respectively while also dishing out assists with key passes and helping clear the boards, rebounding.

    A hallmark of the Pioneers’ varsity teams (women and men) is tenacious defense and those individual and team skills have filtered down to the JVs. In none of the four quarters played on Feb. 16 did Ashe County score more than 9 points, in the third period. The Watauga team proved especially stingy at the beginning and end, allowing the Huskies just four points in the first quarter and only five points in Q4.

    They are a really special group of sophomores. They led this team with a lot of compassion and competitive spirit. Their legacy will definitely be felt on future JV teams.

    Reflecting back on the 2023-24 season, the girls junior varsity Pioneers were only two points removed from a perfect, 18-0 season. On Jan. 24, Watauga lost to Alexander Central in Lentz Eggers Gym, 49-47. A couple of weeks later, on Feb. 6, the young Pioneers returned the favor and then some, defeating the Cougars, 44-37, in Taylorsville.

    We caught up with Watauga JV coach Kalie Eppley after their last game of the season and, not surprisingly, she was pretty enthusiastic about what her team had accomplished.

    “I couldn’t be more proud of this group of girls. They were an absolute joy to coach,” said Eppley. “They consistently showed up with great energy and work ethic. Chloe Weigl, Shelby Thompson, Sarah Thompson, and Izzy Torgerson are a really special group of sophomores. They led this team with a lot of compassion and competitive spirit. Their legacy will definitely be felt on future JV teams.
    “It was fun to play our last game vs. Ashe,” Eppley added. “They are a good team that has improved a lot over the season. We were able to sustain a run from them in the second half to play a competitive fourth quarter.”

     

     

  • Smith, Casner qualify for State wrestling tourney at Regionals

    By David Rogers. MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Two Watauga High School wrestlers advanced to the North Carolina State Tournament, to be held Feb. 15-17, at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex Fieldhouse. Eight Pioneers qualified to compete in the NCHSAA 4A West Regionals.

    In the Regionals’ 165 lb. weight class, No. 3 seeded Palmer Smith advanced to the semifinals with two consecutive falls, but lost by fall in the semifinals match to T C Roberson’s Connor Reese, placing No. 3 for the tournament. The top four in each weight class qualify for the state championship tournament.

    To get to the quarterfinals, Smith pinned Matthew O’Dell of Marvin Ridge in Round 1 and Marlon Castro of Mooresville Senior in Round 2. Creed Casner had a little easier route to the semis at 120lbs. , receiving a bye in the first round before losing to LaShaun Going of South Caldwell in the quarterfinals.

    Although the No. 3 seeded Casner lost in the quarterfinals to Going, he took a 6-0 decision in the third place match vs. Mooresville Senior’s Landon Neith, the No. 5 seed.

    Other Watauga entries:

    • 106 lbs. – Bryan Chen lost in Round 1 to South Mecklenburg’s Blake Dover, which relegated the Watauga sophomore to the Consolation bracket, where he lost in the first round to East Mecklenburg’s Edward Mayers.
    • 113 lbs. – Liam Perry lost in Round 1 of the Championship bracket to Ian Whitt of Ardrey Kell, 2-1. In the Consolation bracket, he defeated Lake Norman’s Cooper Mathon in a major decision, 13-0; then by technical fall over Lucas Messer of Hopewell; before losing to Olympic’s Cameron Massey, 10-5.
    • 126 lbs. – no Watauga entry
    • 132 lbs. – no Watauga entry
    • 138 lbs. – Ryder Sullivan dispatched Providence’s Lucas Otero by fall in the first round, then lost by fall to McDowell’s Rylan Patterson. In the Consolation bracket, he lost to Mallard Creek’s Isaac Marez, 7-2.
    • 144 lbs. – Lucas Bishop lost his first round match to eventual champion Austin Emmert of Mooresville Senior by fall, then dropped his first round consolation match to South Caldwell’s Mason Hollar.
    • 150 lbs. – no Watauga entry
    • 157 lbs. – no Watauga entry
    • 175 lbs. – no Watauga entry
    • 190 lbs. – Watauga sophomore Mikey Portante battled fiercely in his first round match, but lost, 15-10, to eventual quarterfinalist, Logan Shoemaker of Alexander Central. He then lost his first round of the Consolation bracket by fall to James Davis, a Charlotte Catholic senior.
    • 215 lbs. – no Watauga entry
    • 285 lbs. – Watauga’s Eli Greene pinned his Round 1 opponent, Kearon Redfeam of Myers Park, then was outpointed in Round 2 by Charlotte Catholic sophomore Dominic Basrawala, 5-2. Dropped to the Consolation bracket, he was pinned by McDowell’s Edward Cervantes.