By David Rogers. MAIDEN, N.C. — When a talented NCHSAA 4A-level football team like Watauga meets a perennial 2A state powerhouse, i.e. Maiden, it is a good bet that some spectacular action is in the offing. The teams’ Sept. 1 non-conference game matched those expectations, even if a bit lopsided by the end in the visiting Pioneers’ favor, 47-21.
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For Watauga, junior quarterback Maddox Greene enjoyed a big night at the expense of the Blue Devils, carrying the ball nine times for 62 yards and two TDs. His greatest impact, however, may well have been completing seven of eight passes for 168 yards, including two TDs vs. one second half interception. One of several Pioneer athletes playing both ways, as a defensive back Greene also picked off a Maiden pass in the second half and recorded a 33 yard INT return, as well as making several key tackles and pass breakups.
On the receiving end of Greene’s aerials, senior wide receiver Jackson Pryor also enjoyed a big night with four catches for 98 yards and two TDs, the first a 28-yard catch, wrestle-free and outrun all defenders for the game’s first score, on the Pioneers’ opening possession. Another special athlete playing both ways, from his outside linebacker position Pryor nade frequent appearances in the Maiden backfield and plugging up gaps in the line of scrimmage, including being credited for a forced fumble.
Sophomore B-back Everett Gryder is establishing himself as just the latest in a successive line of running backs groomed by head coach Ryan Habich and his staff. Gryder carried the ball 23 times as the workhorse running back in Habich’s run-oriented scheme, gaining 115 yards and pushing the ball across the goal line for two TDs.
One of the defensive highlights of the Pioneers’ evening of work came in the second half when linebacker Carson Gunnell-Beck scooped up an errant Maiden lateral and ran the fumble recovery back 43 yards for a touchdown. His “scoop and score” extended the Pioneers’ advantage to 40-14, all but putting the game out of reach for the Blue Devils.
Prominent in the Pioneers’ defensive effort were senior wingback/linebacker Morgan Henry, as well as sophomore Brady Lindenmuth, playing on both the offensive and defensive lines.
In the losing effort, Maiden QB Josh Stover completed 16 of 30 passes for 164 yards and one TD vs. one interception. Receiver Will Stover had four pass receptions for 21 yards, while running back Kendall Roberts carried the ball 13 times for 27 yards and two TDs vs. one fumble. He also had four receptions for 29 yards.
After the game, a smiling Watauga head coach Ryan Habich disclosed that the 2021 Watauga Democrat article (penned by David Rogers), “Maiden manhandles Watauga, 47-0″ was plastered all over the Pioneer locker room as a motivational ploy, reminding his Pioneers what they had to be ready for.”
Given the 2023 result, it was a ploy that worked.
“We made 80 copies of it,” said Habich, before settling into his thoughts on the 2023 edition of the rivalry.
“Tonight, we played a really good first half and we won the ‘middle eight.’ the last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half,” said Habich. “We played really sloppy in the second half, missing assignments on defense and giving up some big plays. In a game like this you can’t turn the ball over on offense and we had two turnovers.”
Habich suggested that conditioning might have been a factor, too.
“I wouldn’t say we are out of shape, but we have several guys going both ways,” said Habich, now in his 11th season as the Pioneers’ head coach. “We have to find some roster depth as well as get those guys to take care of themselves with Monday through Thursday hydration so we aren’t cramping up as much on Friday. We had too many cramps tonight. I didn’t think it was hot, but coming off the mountain 75-degrees is hot for our kids. On the flip side, we have to find ways to create more depth (at certain positions).”
OTHER HABICH COMMENTS
- Of Gunnell-Beck’s “scoop and score” to open the second half: “Any time a defensive lineman scores a touchdown, that is huge. And that was really heads up play. Any time an offense throws those swing passes or laterals, there is the potential for the ball to be mishandled, fumbled. So that scoop and score speaks well of our defensive coaches for (teaching the players about those opportunities).”
- Of Maddox Greene’s pass that was intercepted in the second half: “We wanted to take a shot. Maddox has to do a better job and he took ownership (of the mistake) like a good player is going to do. He should have thrown the out route and didn’t see the safety. It was a poor read, but he is going to learn from that. You know, sometimes we want to keep our foot on the gas pedal. With the turnover, we wanted to take a shot. But when you take that shot, you don’t want to turn the ball over… We have to do a better job of ball security as we get to A C Reynolds and then Northwestern Conference play.”
- Of guys who might want to play at the next level: “One thing that we want to do is help the guys who might want to play at the next level. Someone like Maddox, for instance, has the potential to play in college as a defensive back, so our matching him up against Maiden’s really dynamic wide receiver provides good film for Maddox on that matchup. We want to put players in positions to show what they can do for college scouts. Jackson Pryor is going to college to play tight end, but he also has the potential at linebacker.”
- On creating roster depth: “It has to be quality depth. When you put a guy in, he has to know his job and execute his job. That may be where we are lacking right now in having that quality depth.”
Next up for the Pioneers is the second of three consecutive road games. They travel to Asheville to face perennial 4A contender A C Reynolds (1-2), with a big win over Shelby (29-21) sandwiched between narrow losses to Winston-Salem area schools, West Forsyth (7-8 on Aug. 8) and East Forsyth (21-27 on Sept. 1).
In the third game of the road series, on Sept. 15 Watauga will travel to Lexington to battle North Davidson in a final tune-up before starting Northwestern Conference play at home against South Caldwell on Sept. 29.
SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
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- WAT – Jackson Pryor, 28-yard pass from Maddox Greene (PAT kick by Jack Wilson)
- MAD – Kendall Roberts, 1-yard run (PAT kick by Davis Higgins)
- WAT – Maddox Greene, 5-yard run (PAT kick failed)
- Q1 Score: Watauga 13, Maiden 7
Second Quarter
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- WAT – Maddox Greene, 18-yard run (PAT kick by Jack Wilson)
- WAT – Everett Gryder, 3-yard run (PAT kick by Jack Wilson)
- MAD – Hampton Reid, 10-yard pass from Josh Stover (PAT kick by Davis Higgins)
- WAT – Jackson Pryor, 29-yard pass from Maddox Greene (PAT kick by Jack Wilson)
- HALFTIME SCORE: Watauga 34, Maiden 14
Third Quarter
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- WAT – Carson Gunnell-Beck, 45-yard fumble return (PAT kick failed)
- MAD – Kendall Roberts, 6-yard run (PAT kick by Davis Higgins)
- WAT – Everett Gryder, 2-yard run (PAT kick by Jack Wilson)
- Q3 SCORE: Watauga 47, Maiden 21
Fourth Quarter
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- FINAL SCORE: Watauga 47, Maiden 21
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