WATAUGA SCHEDULE
(all games at 7:30 p.m.)
August
18—Asheville Roberson
25—at Ashe County
September
1—at Avery County
8—Wilkes Central
22—S. CALDWELL
29—at ALEXANDER CENTRAL
October
6—HICKORY
13—at ST. STEPHENS
20—McDOWELL
27—at FREEDOM
November
3—W. CALDWELL
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
Conference: Northwestern 3A-4A.
Head coach: Ryan Habich (83-30, 9 years; 33-16 at Watauga, 4 years).
Last season’s records: 9-4 overall; 6-1 Northwestern 3A-4A, second place.
Last season’s results: at Alexander Central, L 35-46; at Ashe County, W 78-48; Avery County, W 55-21; at A.C. Reynolds, L 43-45; at ST. STEPHENS, W 56-17; FRED T. FOARD, W 61-28; at FREEDOM, W 45-7; at HIBRITEN, L 27-28; PATTON, W 49-7; at HICKORY, W 49-13; S. CALDWELL, W 63-21; SW Guilford, W 50-49; Greensboro Dudley, L 20-55.
SCHOOL FOOTBALL HISTORY
Last season in state playoffs: 2016, 4A.
Last state playoff victory: 2016, d. SW Guilford 50-49, first round.
All-time state playoff bids: 15.
Conference titles since 1980, last: 3 (1 outright, 2 shares); 2007 Northwestern 4A (share)
BY THE NUMBERS
OVERALL
Returning starters: 10.
Returning lettermen: 15.
OFFENSE
Returning starters: 3.
Leading returning rusher: Jackson Greene (4-92, no TDs).
Leading returning passer: Anderson Castle (1-2-0, 40, 1 TD).
Leading returning receiver: Jamie Gough (5-58, 1 TD).
Other players to watch: Josh Hardee (Sr., OL); Alex McConnell (Sr., OL); Phillip Shukis (Sr., TE); Micah Mast (Sr., OL); Zach Johnson (Sr, WR); Isaiah Finger (Sr., TE); Ben Critcher (Jr., FB).
DEFENSE
Returning starters: 7.
Players to watch: Josh Headlee (Sr., DL); Alex McConnel (Sr., DL); Phillip Shukis (Sr., LB); Jackson Greene (Jr., DB); Ben Critcher (Jr., LB); Braeden Myers (Jr., LB).
OUTLOOK
The Pioneers got hit very hard by graduation, losing QB Hamilton Castle and RB Evan Suggs, and they have only three returning offensive starters from a unit that averaged 47 points per game last season.
They’re in better shape defensively, with seven returning starters, and they are expected to be a factor in the conference race because of how well Habich has them prepared.
Habich is hoping his experienced players on defense can hold the fort and give some time for the new offensive starters to get their feet under them and more comfortable.
The Pioneers could be a bit slow out of the gate and look for them to play better as the season progresses.
Overall, there may not be many games like their first playoff game last season – Watauga 50, Southwest Guilford 49 – but the Pioneers will still be very entertaining to watch.
A bold prediction: If the teams favored to win the league — Alexander Central and Freedom among them — don’t play well against the Pioneers, one of them could be a league champion (or co-champ) with one loss that didn’t come head-to-head.
And it goes without saying, when you have to go up that mountain to play, anything can happen – and South Caldwell, Hickory, McDowell and West Caldwell all get to do that this season.