HobbsDailyReport.com
HUDSON – Sparked by two first-quarter interception returns for touchdowns, Watauga High rolled to a 46-12 road victory over South Caldwell on Friday night in Northwestern 3A-4A football.
Grant Oliver and Zach West had pick-sixs in the first 12 minutes to help the Pioneers (5-0, 1-0) win and set up a key home game Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Boone against undefeated Alexander Central (5-0, 1-0).
WATAUGA 46
SOUTH CALDWELL 12
Watauga outgained South Caldwell (1-4, 0-1) by 138 yards – 406-268 — as quarterback Jackson Greene rushed nine times for 131 yards (he also went 4-for-4 passing for 87 yards) and running back Bryce Satterfield added 15 carries for 92 yards and one rushing TD.
The Pioneers led 13-0 through one quarter and extended that to 26-0 by halftime on a 9-yard TD run by Greene and Green’s 21-yard scoring throw to Eli Suggs.
Spencer Piercy (14 rushes for 94 yards) had both Spartans TDs, on a 16-yard pass from quarterback Jason Martin early in the third quarter and on a 1-yard run that was the first score of the final quarter.
West and Jaiden Bond had TD runs after Piercy’s final score had made the score 33-12.
Greene, who moved under center when returning starter quarterback Anderson Castle was injured in the first quarter of Watauga’s first game, now unofficially has more than 1,000 yards of total offense (541 yards rushing, 529 passing), this season.
The Pioneers won in Hudson for just the sixth time in 18 games there since 1982. They had last won at South Caldwell in 2013 (22-21).
The win keeps head coach Ryan Habich headed toward 100 career wins in his 11th season as a head coach. He’s 48-19 in his sixth season at Watauga and 98-33 as a head coach.
While the Pioneers battle Alexander Central next Friday, the Spartans play Caldwell County rival West Caldwell in a league game, at 7:30 p.m., at West Caldwell.