September 30, 2022 HUDSON, N.C. — Turnovers can define momentum in football. Watauga took advantage of five miscues by South Caldwell — in just the first half — on Sept. 29, the Pioneers storming to a decisive, 56-7 win in the opening game of Northwestern Conference play By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 29, 2022 HUDSON, N.C. — With matching, 4-1 non-conference records, Watauga and South Caldwell meet on Sept. 29 at the Spartans’ stadium in Hudson for their respective Northwestern Conference football season openers. Both have played challenging non-conference opponents. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 27, 2022 BOONE, N.C. — Caroline Farthing’s 16 kills and fellow senior Brooke Scheffler’s 12 kills and 18 assists helped host Watauga to a dominant, 3-0 women’s volleyball sweep over visiting Morganton-Freedom on Sept. 26, 25-7, 25-11, 25-4, at Lentz Eggers Gym. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 27, 2022 BOONE, N.C. — Watauga’s Pioneers won all but one singles match and swept the doubles competition on Sept. 26 over visiting Alexander Central, led by Sienna Davidson’s 6-0, 6-4 defeat of ACHS’ Emmy Rogers. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 27, 2022 BOONE, N.C. — A barrage of second half shots on goal by Watauga were rewarded by the most unlikely of outcomes: an “own goal” scored when the South Caldwell goalkeeper whiffed on a clearing kick. It was the only score in the Pioneers’ 1-0 overtime win over the visiting South Caldwell Spartans. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 27, 2022 WILKESBORO, N.C. — Competing against four Wilkes County middle schools and one from Ashe County at Oakwoods Country Club, Watauga’s middle school golf team captured another tournament on Sept. 26. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 25, 2022 BOONE, N.C. — West Henderson sophomore Noelle Houlihan crossed the finish line first (19:51) in the women’s varsity division of the High Country Cross Country Classic on Sept. 24, but Lexington (S.C.), led by 8th grader Kendra Miles’ second place finish (20:02), captured team honors with all five of its scoring athletes finishing in the top 15 of the 84 athletes competing. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 25, 2022 BOONE, N.C. — On a perfect day (cool and dry) for long distance running in the North Carolina mountains, Watauga’s Cali Townsend and Grady Gates took top honors in the girls’ and boys’ middle school divisions, respectively, in the High Country Cross Country Classic. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 22, 2022 BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — Several split decisions marked the Watauga County middle school volleyball action on Sept. 20. Hardin Park and Parkway continued to roll through opponents, while the standings in the bottom two-thirds of the league got more muddled as teams that lost in the first two weeks seem to have gotten stronger and more confident with experience. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 20, 2022 BOONE, N.C. — Across the Watauga men’s soccer roster, there are some really fast, exceptionally skilled student-athletes. Against Ardrey Kell at Jack Groce Stadium on Sept. 19, the Pioneers met their match — and then some. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 20, 2022 WEST JEFFERSON, N.C. — Now halfway through the regular season slate in the women’s tennis fall season, Watauga took down another Northwestern Conference opponent on Sept. 19, 8-1, over host Ashe County. The Pioneer women are now 8-1 overall, 5-0 against NWC adversaries. The lone loss came on Aug. 24 at T.C. Roberson, 2-7, although Watauga exacted a measure of revenge on Sept. 13 when the Pioneers defeated the Rams in Boone, 8-1. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 17, 2022 BOONE, N.C. — Watauga High School Principal Chris Blanton speculated after the Sept. 16 “Homecoming” football game that it was probably the largest crowd at least in the Pioneer grandstands in quite some time. And, by the way, they had a lot to cheer about with Boone’s favorite sons running away with a 55-21 win over regional rival, Ashe County. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 16, 2022 Special Report from App State Sports. BOONE, N.C. — Junior forward Izzi Wood scored twice in the opening half for the Mountaineers, but Radford responded with a pair of goals in the second half and App State settled for a 2-2 draw, Sept. 15, at The Valley.
September 16, 2022 BOONE, N.C. — Few, if any, middle school volleyball matches on Sept. 15 could have featured as much tension and excitement on both sides as the Bethel vs. Blowing Rock match at Hardin Park School. It was the second game of the tri-match format, played after Bethel had lost, 2-0 (25-3, 25-12) to the host Golden Eagles. In the first set between Bethel and the Rockets, the west siders had Blowing Rock on the ropes with a 24-18 lead and just needing one point to win the set. But behind masterful serving by young Elouise Cascio, the Rockets went on a 7-0 run that put them ahead 25-24. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 16, 2022 As a former athlete, coach, current fan, and lover of sports, I am fond of phrases and words that lift up the teams I support and jabs and jokes towards teams I do not support. Numerous times in my life I have connected with amazing people because of our mutual affection for a team, disdain toward an opposing team, or friendly rivalry between “my team” and theirs. By Sam Garrett
September 15, 2022 HUDSON, N.C. — Whether spiking a kill, demonstrating ballet between sets, or even mishitting a serve into the net, Watauga’s women’s volleyball team had fun on Sept. 14 in Hudson, against South Caldwell. They staged a 3-set sweep of the Spartans, 25-15, 25-8, 25-13. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 15, 2022 HUNTINGTON, W. Va. — As first impressions go, good luck topping this one. Opening its fall schedule this week, App State Men’s Golf was dominant at the start and resilient at the finish in winning the Joe Feaganes Marshall Invitational. The Mountaineers completed the 15-team, 54-hole event with a 7-under team score of 845, giving them four shots of separation from second-place Marshall. The tourney was hosted by Guyan Golf and Country Club in Huntington, W. Va. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 14, 2022 COVE CREEK, N.C. — Close calls and comeback rallies were the order of the day on Sept. 13, at Cove Creek School, where the Raiders played host to tri-match volleyball in welcoming Parkway and Blowing Rock. None were more thrilling than Cove Creek rallying from an 11-1 deficit in the second set, surge ahead at 22-21, but then fall to Parkway in overtime, 27-25. Given the Parkway girls first set win of 25-19, the match goes down as a straight set sweep even if the outcome was much closer than the set score suggests. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 14, 2022 BOONE, N.C. — After T.C. Roberson sophomore dispatched Watauga sophomore Sienna Davidson in the No. 1 singles match on Sept. 13, some of the Pioneer supporters feared that the women’s tennis rematch results would be similar to the 7-2 drubbing on the Rams’ home court in Asheville on Aug. 24. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 13, 2022 It was another near-sweep of a conference opponent for Watauga women’s tennis on Sept. 12. This time, their Northwestern Conference victim was Lenoir-based Hibriten. The Pioneers lost only the No. 6 singles match to the visiting Panthers, going 8-1 on the day. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 13, 2022 Even though Watauga’s Sept. 12 men’s soccer match will be recorded as a 1-0, non-conference loss to Northwest Guilford, the Pioneers left Jack Groce Stadium knowing they had battled toe to toe with one of the better high school teams in western North Carolina. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 9, 2022 Letters to the Editor. By TERRY OLDHAM / After reading Jay Fenwick’s response to Mark Murphy, I remained curious with regards to his endorsement of Newsela, the teaching supplement purchased by the Watauga Board of Education. I was neither for nor against Newsela and expected in advance to find both positive and negative aspects. Here’s what I found…
September 9, 2022 Letters to the Editor. BY MARK A. MURPHY PhD, JD / In my prior Letters to the Editor of the High Country Press (on August 10, 22, and 30th) I raised very serious and specific concerns, and supporting factual information, about the “woke political indoctrination” and associated “woke” teaching methods that have occurred and are still occurring in the Watauga Public Schools. In my August 30 letter, I stated my intent to formally submit a request to the Watauga Board of Education for an Agenda item for their September 12, 2022 meeting. I did formally submit a request for a 10-minute Agenda item at that meeting, to discuss the factual evidence I have collected that supports my concerns.
September 8, 2022 It was a straight set sweep on Sept. 7 at Lentz Eggers Gym, but visiting Hickory rallied to challenge Watauga volleyball’s roster depth, 25-11, 25-18 and 25-21. The Pioneers’ big hitters, seniors Caroline Farthing and Brooke Scheffler, powered their way through the contest with 22 and 11 kills, respectively. Scheffler added 18 assists to her stat line, along with a serving ace, two stuff blocks and eight digs, reflecting her balanced production all across the court. By David Rogers for HighCountrySports.net
September 3, 2022 Let it be known that Appalachian State and North Carolina were not playing basketball on this picture perfect, early autumn weekend, even if a 63-61 score in favor of the Tar Heels suggested it. No, they were playing football on Sept. 3, a brilliant Saturday afternoon — and many in attendance at Kidd Brewer Stadium left at the end believing they had just witnessed the greatest show on turf. By David Rogers