By Zach Smith. BOONE, N.C. — A career-defining performance from graduate forward CJ Huntley led the Mountaineers over Queens Nov. 19. App State closed out a low-scoring battle with the Royals, winning 65-53, in front of 2,678paid attendance.

Huntley led the way for the Mountaineers with a career-high 27-point performance, while senior guard Myles Tate netted 19 of his own. Huntley and Tate both posted eight rebounds, also leading the team.

Queens had just one player reach double-digit points, freshman guard Asjon Anderson with 13. Senior center Malcolm Wilson used every inch of his seven-foot height on his way to blocking six shots and grabbing 10 rebounds.

The game began with three minutes of no score before Tate found Huntley on an alley-oop, before a deadlock at 4-4 entering the first media timeout. Later in the half, the Mountaineers found themselves trailing their visitors by five, 17-22. App State then went on a 14-2 run to close the opening period, punctuated by a dramatic buzzer-beater by Tate, a three-pointer just before time expired. The 3-pointer gave the Mountaineers a 31-24 lead at the break.

Coming out of the locker room, Huntley drained a three-pointer before App State went on a scoring drought of nearly three minutes. Fortunately for the hosts, Queens was able to make just one shot from the field during that stretch, a three-pointer off the hands of Anderson. Two Tate free-throws and another Anderson three-pointer later, the Mountaineers went on a 6-0 scoring run to extend their lead to 12. With just under four minutes on the clock, Huntley hit on a layup through traffic to secure his career-high in both points and field goals made. The 6-11 forward followed that up with a three-pointer to secure his 27th point of the night.

As a team, App State shot at a 47% mark, topping Queens’ 32% clip. The Mountaineers outrebounded the Royals, 43-39, and forced the visitors to shoot just 6-37 from beyond the arc.

App State head coach Dustin Kerns shared his thoughts on his team’s 65-53 victory postgame.

“Queens is a team that, I think, in three of the last five years have won 30 games,” Kerns said. “They’ve got a really good program, and a program of winning. So, a hard fought, App State kind of ‘grind it out’ win. Really proud of our guys.”

Kerns went on to speak of CJ Huntley’s performance in practice leading to his career night.

“He had a really good week of practice,” Kerns said. “When you talk to your players about the importance of practice and every rep, not taking those things for granted, it pays off. CJ is going to be a perfect example. [It will] be easy for me, when we get back with our team on Thursday (Nov. 21), to say ‘listen, we all know CJ practiced really well, and he played well.’ So, really proud of him.”

The Mountaineers kicked off a stretch of seven straight games in North Carolina with their victory over Queens, including a tournament series in Wilmington. Kerns spoke on the importance of playing in-state games.

“It’s very important for us to play in-state,” Kerns said. “Certainly, we try to. We’ve played a lot of teams in the Carolinas, a lot of teams in this region, so, certainly it’s very important. We’ve got so many passionate fans and alumni.”

Queens drops to 2-3 with the loss. The Royals look ahead to Nov. 23, when they face South Carolina-Upstate at East Tennessee State’s tournament. Tipoff is set for 6:00p.m..

App State improves to 2-2 with their victory. The Mountaineers face William & Mary Nov. 24, where Dustin Kerns looks to become the fourth-fasted Mountaineer head coach to reach 100 career wins. Tipoff at the Holmes Center is slated for 1:00p.m..

By David Rogers. WATAUGA COUNTY — In school-based, middle school basketball on Nov. 18, Cove Creek proved much more than the Blowing Rock boys and girls teams could handle, the Raiders’ girls winning 50-10 and the boys, 68-28.

Size matters in basketball and Cove Creek’s combination of height and athleticism won the day. In other middle school action, Green Valley’s girls surprised Hardin Park, 18-14, while the GV boys prevailed in a 41-40 thriller.

Parkway’s girls ran away from Valle Crucis, 23-6, but the Valle Crucis boys won the night vs. Mabel, 45-17.

The Watauga District teams both had big nights vs. Providence Academy, the girls led by Mia Mitchell (14 points) and Sophie Stull (10 points) to a 41-30 victory.

The Watauga District boys had a closer game but still won 53-46, seeing three players in double figures, including Isaiah Shreve (18 points), Jaden McInnis (13 points) and Joaquin Miranda (10 points).

By Katherine Jamtgaard. NEW ORLEANS, La. — The App State Volleyball team earned the Sun Belt East Division’s No. 1 seed in the 2024 SBC Volleyball Championship bracket, the league announced on Nov. 16.

As the East’s No. 1 seed, App State enters the tournament in the quarterfinal round on Friday, Nov. 22 (2:30 p.m. ET, 1:30 p.m. CT). The Mountaineers will face the winner of the match between West No. 4 seed Troy and East No. 5 seed Georgia State. App State’s opponent will be determined after Thursday’s 2:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. CT) first-round matchup between the Trojans and the Panthers.

Head coach Sarah Rumely Noble’s squad is the first App State team to earn the East’s No. 1 seed since the conference began divisional seeding in 2020.

Since joining the conference, the Mountaineers and Trojans have met twice in the SBC Tournament. App State swept the Trojans, 3-0, in the quarterfinal round of the 2015 tournament on the way to the SBC championship match. Last season, the No. 6-seeded Mountaineers fell short to the No. 3-seeded Trojans in the second round. App State and Georgia State have yet to meet in the Sun Belt Tournament.

This is the first season that the tournament field will feature only 10 of the Sun Belt’s 14 teams.

Season Review

App State clinched the Sun Belt East Division title for the first time since 2018 and are 17-8 (11-3 SBC) this fall. The Mountaineers went on a seven-match win streak from Oct. 24 to Nov. 14. App State’s conference stretch was highlighted by the program’s first back-to-back victories over James Madison since the Dukes joined the Sun Belt as well as the first pair of wins over Coastal Carolina since the 2018 campaign. Only dropping a match to Old Dominion on Oct. 12 and Georgia State on Oct. 19, the Mountaineers clinched the division title with a 3-0 sweep of Marshall on Nov. 8. The Black and Gold split its final matches with Troy, defeating the Trojans, 3-2, on Nov. 14 before falling short by a 3-1 margin on Nov. 15.

In nonconference action, App State swept Gardner-Webb (Sept. 7) and Winthrop (Sept. 13) and posted five-set victories over Xavier (Aug. 30), ETSU (Sept. 6) and Wofford (Sept. 14).

Individually, redshirt-junior Addison Heidemann garnered a pair of Sun Belt Setter of the Week honors. Heidemann was the first Mountaineer to earn the SBC Setter of the Week distinction since 2019. She first earned the accolade for her performance at the Wake Forest Invitational (Sept. 20-21), where she totaled 93 assists and helped the Mountaineers to a .329 team hitting percentage. She collected her second honor after the Mountaineers clinched the SBC East Division title with a pair of victories over Marshall (Nov. 8-9). Against the Thundering Herd, she totaled 99 assists, averaging 12.38 per set. She also served up three aces, made 11 digs, and went up for one block.

Senior Lulu Ambrose surpassed 1,000 career kills in the Mountaineers’ regular season finale against Troy on Nov. 15. In her time at App State, Ambrose has tallied 1,002 career kills, averaging 2.41 kills per set, in addition to 262 career digs. This season, Ambrose has tallied 265 kills and 104 digs.

Road to the NCAA Championship

The winner of the Sun Belt Volleyball Championship will earn one of 32 automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. The Dec. 1 selection show will announce the remaining 32 teams, selected at-large, that will fill out the field of 64.

The first and second rounds will be held Dec. 5-7 at non-predetermined campus sites. Regionals will be held Dec. 12-15, also at non-predetermined campus sites, and the semifinal and championship rounds will be held Dec.19-22 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

2024 Sun Belt Volleyball Tournament Schedule
Nov. 21-24, 2024 | Foley, Ala. | Foley Sports Tourism Complex

First Round – Thurs. Nov. 21

• Match 1 – 2:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. CT) – (4W) Troy vs. (5E) Georgia State
• Match 2 – 5:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. CT) – (4E) Coastal Carolina vs. (5W) Southern Miss

Quarterfinals – Fri. Nov. 22

• Match 3 – 12:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. CT) – (2W) Texas State vs. (3E) James Madison
• Match 4 – 2:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. CT) – (1E) App State vs. Winner Match 1
• Match 5 – 5:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. CT) – (1W) Arkansas State vs. Winner Match 2
• Match 6 – 8 p.m. ET (7:00 p.m. CT) – (2E) Georgia Southern vs. (3W) South Alabama

Semifinals – Sat. Nov. 23

• Match 7 – 3:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. CT) – Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4
• Match 8 – 6:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. CT) – Winner Match 5 vs. Winner Match 6

Championship – Sun. Nov. 24

• Match 9 – 4:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. CT) – Winner Match 7 vs. Winner Match 8

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Even though Watauga failed to move the ball much on their first offensive possession to start the game with a three-and-out, it hardly mattered. The Pioneers played the kind of complementary football frequently advertised by head coach Ryan Habich as the team’s goal, en route to a convincing, 43-19 win in the first round of the NCHSAA 4A Football Playoffs.

With the win, No. 4 seeded Watauga advances and will host No. 13 Mallard Creek on Nov. 22. The Mavericks advanced with a 34-9 win over No. 20 seeded Lake Norman.

Complementary football, indeed. Faced with a 4th-and-5 situation from their own 38 yard line on the game’s first offensive possession, the Pioneers lined up as if they were going to roll the dice and try converting on fourth down. With the wind at his back and nobody back deep for the Tigers to receive a punt, quarterback Maddox Greene executed a perfect “quick kick.” A favorable bounce set the ball rolling and rolling and rolling… where the special teams pursuit downed the ball at the Ragsdale 15-yard line.

“That was very intentional,” said Habich after the game. “That play flipped the field.”

After special teams turned a negative into a positive, it was time for the defensive unit to have an impact, too.

Much of Ragsdale’s offense revolves around running back Fabian Diggs, who averaged close to 200 yards per game in total yards and nearly 150 yards per game rushing. He is athletic, elusive and has a sprinter’s speed (he competes for Ragsdale’s track team in the 100 meters, long jump and triple jump in the spring, as well as the 55 meters indoor).

On the Tigers first possession, starting from their own 15 yard line, as expected quarterback Braylon Louis started by handing the ball off to Diggs. The Pioneer defense limited him to two yards on first down then, led by senior defensive lineman Callan Riordan, the Pioneers tackled Diggs for a 7-yard loss. Pinned back on his own 10-yard line, Louis looked to pass down the left sideline, which is where the Pioneers’ defensive back Nyle Peays swooped in to pluck the ball in midair and race 24 yards to the end zone for a “pick six.” The interception gave the Pioneers momentum with an early lead and made a statement: they were not going to be intimidated.

The Pioneer defense again proved a stopper on Ragsdale’s next possession — after Jack Wilson’s kickoff sailed into the end zone for a touchback, canceling any Ragsdale hopes for a Diggs kickoff return. With Watauga’s Luke Edmisten, Landon Smith, Matthew Leon and Riordan filling the gaps in the line of scrimmage and applying pressure, Ragsdale was only able to run five plays and gain 13 yards before being forced to punt.

With adjustments made on the fly after the first series, it was time for Watauga’s offense to get in on the complementary football act — and unleash QB Maddox Greene. After modest gains on keepers the first two plays, Greene found himself running through a big gap left by his offensive linemen, burst into the second level, breaking tackles, weaving through defenders and angling toward the right sideline. What began as a keeper up the middle morphed into a 61-yard foot race, with Greene “breaking the tape” as he crossed the goal line for the TD. Another Jack Wilson PAT kick, and the Pioneers had a 14-0 lead with still 5:48 left in the first quarter.

Ragsdale’s efforts to respond were muted. Watauga’s defensive efforts were again led by Smith, Edmisten, Leon and Dillon Zaragoza. The two teams traded penalties, but still the net result was a three-and-out for the visitors from Jamestown (a suburban town wedged between High Point and Greensboro).

The Tigers having to punt from their own 13 yard line gave Watauga good field position, Burroughs backpedaling for a fair catch at the Ragsdale 38. Greene and running back Everett Gryder combined for 30 yards rushing over six plays before Burroughs scooted around the outside and into the end zone to widen the Pioneer lead. A surprise rushing PAT by Cade Keller gave Watauga a 2-point conversion and a commanding, 22-0 lead with the second quarter barely begun.

This time, though, Ragsdale mounted the kind of offensive response expected from one of the top teams in the powerful Metro 4A Conference, which placed seven teams in the 32-team 4A West bracket for the playoffs.

Highlighted by Louis passes to Diggs of 22 and 27 yards, the Tigers fashioned a 13-play, 71 yard drive that kept Watauga’s offense off the field for almost five and a half minutes, shrinking the Pioneer lead to a more manageable deficit at 22-7.

After halftime, Ragsdale cut into the Pioneer lead even more, fashioning a 12-play, 88 yard drive that took another 5:31 off the clock before Louis punched into the end zone for a 1-yard TD keeper. It was preceded the kind of rushing production for which Diggs was known, ripping off big chunks of 13 and 25 yards in and amongst Louis passes to Aiden Young and Jahveer Branch. Although Wrenn Gardner’s PAT kick into a strong, gusting wind sailed just wide of the left goalpost upright, Ragsdale was threatening to turn the game around, now trailing by only nine points at 22-13.

Undaunted, Watauga looked like it was going to fashion a ball control, grinding offensive possession of its own. With chunks of gridiron real estate being churned up by Burroughs, Gryder and Greene, Watauga advanced from its own 25 yard line to the Ragsdale 34. That’s when, on 3rd-and-1, the Pioneer offensive braintrust brought in the unexpected, what Mike the PA announcer described as “razzle-dazzle chicanery trickeration”: a double reverse, “flea flicker” lateral of the ball back to Greene, who rifled a dart to Dillon Zaragoza all by himself in the right flat. The senior WR calmly collected the pass and waltzed across the goal line. Another Jack Wilson PAT kick and the Pioneers had recaptured their double-digit advantage, 29-13, regained momentum and very possibly took the wind out of Ragsdale’s proverbial sails.

The Tigers might well have been done, but weren’t quite done in. Behind a defensive holding penalty against Watauga, Ragsdale was given a second chance and capitalized with a 37 yard Diggs run up the right sideline. A 14-yard TD bass from Louis to Branch allowed the Tigers to again tighten the deficit, to 29-19, but a failed 2-point conversion attempt around the right side fell short.

With the game clock having ticked into the fourth quarter, Watauga iced the game with two more scores and a dominating defensive effort.

In speaking with reporters afterwards, Habich noted that the 4A West bracket was among the most competitive in the nation, according to what some of his players had researched on MaxPreps. To come away with the win, the veteran head coach credited the Pioneer defense for limiting Diggs and the offense for making key adjustments for the second half.

“We found ways to move the football,” Habich said, before adding, “We talk all year about complementary football. We had that 3-and-out (to start), punted, but then our defense scored.”

Habich added that he was really pleased with his players and coaches, saying, “This is a big time win for our program.”

Looking forward, Habich described the upcoming game in Round 2 vs. Mallard Creek as a great opportunity. He said his message to the Pioneer players after the Ragsdale win was that when you get into the playoffs, especially into the second round and beyond, all of your opponents are very athletic and well coached, so they have to be at the top of their game.

“Our players respect everyone, but fear no one,” said Habich.

By Katherine Jamtgaard. ROCK HILL, S.C. — App State redshirt senior Calbert Guest and senior Lauren Johnston set the pace for the Mountaineers in the men’s 10K and women’s 6K, respectively, at the NCAA Cross Country Southeast Regional in Rock Hill, S.C. on Thursday.

In the men’s 10K, Guest led the charge for the Mountaineers, recording a time of 31:17.1 to finish 44th out of 235 competitors.

“I’m incredibly proud of the group we had racing today and the team as a whole,” said Guest. “The year brought a variety of challenges, but I’m thankful for the dedication and resilience the team has shown. It’s been an honor to represent App State for the last four years and I’m encouraged for the future of this team.”

Junior Ethan Lipham stopped the clock at 31:42.5 to finish 69th. In his first appearance at the regional meet, freshman Thomas Wlazlowski recorded a 10K personal best of 32:10.6 to place 84th. Graduate student Ethan Turner rounded out the top-100 with a personal best time of 32:21.9 and freshman Henry Stark posted a personal best of 32:24.0 to finish 104th.

The men’s team placed 14th out of 33 teams with a score of 396.

“Today was a learning opportunity. The group we raced today brought good effort.” said men’s distance coach Brad Herbster.

Senior Lauren Johnston was the first Mountaineer to cross the finish line in the women’s 6K, recording a time of 21:50.7 to place 53rd out of 248 runners.

“This season we overcame so much adversity and all had to work that much harder to get to where we are today,” said Johnston. “I couldn’t be more proud of my team for showing up and giving it their all. Each one of us really stepped up a lot this season, showcasing our strength and resilience from winning conference and making a mark at regionals. I am especially grateful to end my final cross country season with such an amazing team. I can’t wait to take this momentum into the indoor track and field season.”

Fellow senior Jasmine Donohue stopped the clock at 22:22.7 to finish 88th. Seniors Emma Russum and Lana Farris rounded out the top-100 with times of 22:27.5 and 22:35.4, respectively. Freshman Breanna Budzinski rounded out App State’s scoring five, stopping the clock at 22:47.5 to finish 112th in her first NCAA Southeast Regional appearance.

In the women’s 6K, App State finished 16th out of 34 teams with 425 points. App State last finished 16th in the team standings in 2015.

“The NCAA Southeast Regionals today marked the end of a great season,” said women’s distance coach Annie Richards. “The women have been consistent and brought a positive and resilient attitude week after week. I look forward to seeing how their work transfers over into the upcoming indoor track & field season.”

Virginia Tech’s George Couttie took the individual title in the men’s 10K with a time of 29:41.7. In the team standings, Virginia and North Carolina placed first and second, respectively, to advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be held in Madison, Wis. on Nov. 23.

NC State’s Grace Hartman clinched the crown in the women’s 6K with a time of 20:04.2 and led the Wolfpack to a first-place team finish and automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. Virginia placed second in the team standings, also earning automatic qualification to the championship meet.

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Athletic performance ultimately begins and ends with the individual player or players. That said, when it comes to a team competition, like football, there is a whole ‘nother layer of influencers in between that can make a difference between winning and losing.

From the head guy to the water boy, coaches and support staff play important roles in athletic success. They organize training and teach skills. They hone an athlete’s natural abilities and get teammates in synch with one another.

Watauga head football coach Ryan Habich describes his staff of assistant coaches and support personnel as “the best in North Carolina, at any school.”

Habich had a plan and process but he needed ‘buy in’ from coaches and players.

Success started early

A high school football team recording an undefeated, regular season conference championship is pretty special. But stringing together seven undefeated conference championships since 2018… well, as Watauga assistant coach for wide receivers, Eric Breitenstein, describes it, “That is just ridiculous.”

Breitenstein means “ridiculous” in a very good way. But it doesn’t happen accidentally. It is purposeful and the natural outcome from a well-executed plan and process.

Watauga High School has not lost a 3A/4A Northwestern Conference game since 2017, meaning they have won a “ridiculous” seven undefeated conference championships since.

The groundwork for success, though, started a few years earlier, when then athletic director and interim head football coach Tom Wright fired himself as the head football coach and lured Habich away from Fuquay-Varina High School, near Raleigh, to be Watauga’s next head coach.

Watauga’s success isn’t just about football… the pillars are about maturity and respect  — attitude, effort, discipline.

For the outsider, the almost instant success Habich seemed to forge was like flipping a light switch but there was much more to it than that. Habich had a plan and a process but, it turns out, he needed what assistant coach Marshall Thomas (running backs, head JV coach, and weight room) describes as “buy in”. Thomas has a good perspective after being with the program since Habich’s first year, 2012.

“From the moment he arrived, Coach Habich wanted ‘buy in’ from the players and coaches, everybody involved,” Thomas recalled. “He did everything he possibly could, communication wise, to get that buy-in, from the spring he was hired to the first kickoff that first year. Our guys were working at a level that they had not experienced, previously. The level of buy-in he nurtured, the work ethic, what it takes to be successful. Ultimately, it was having the belief in his system.”

It is about this team being a team.

But the plan and process were not just about football.

Defensive backs assistant coach Kevin Yandle grew up in Durham, N.C. and matriculated from Northern Durham High School before attending Appalachian State, beginning in 2003. In joining the Watauga coaching staff, Yandle said he was attracted to a program that featured some of the same things that appealed to him as a young athlete and that he wanted to pass on to a new generation.

“Maturity, respect, the principles… the pillars of Coach Habich’s program: attitude, effort, discipline. It is all the things he talks about on a constant basis with these guys,” said Yandle. “They are not just athletic skills, but life skills, too. He keeps all of that in the front of their minds, even in front of football at times. Knowing about him and his program, when he asked me to be a part of it, there wasn’t much thinking to it. He is promoting what I want to promote, through sports. This is a great platform to be part of.”

Nathan Cable is one of the youngest assistant coaches, working with the defensive line. He is a Watauga alum who went to the University of Georgia not to play football but to study turf management.

“Coach Habich is all about business. He eats, sleeps and lives football. He is very smart and technical but he is all about this team being a team,” Cable put it, succinctly.

Transformational vs. transactional coaching

That evolution as a team does not happen, accidentally.

Assistant coach Phillip Hicks is now in his 11th year coaching, his second at Watauga. He started at the high school level, became a graduate assistant for quality control under Scott Satterfield at App State, was hired to Satterfield’s staff when he took the University of Louisville job, then came back to App State working with the defense and linebackers. He graduated from Bunker Hill High School before coming to App State. As a player, he was a center and inside linebacker.

Some coaches speak family, others live it. This program lives it.

“This program is about transformational coaching rather than transactional coaching,” said Hicks. “We are not looking to get something out of it, personally, but trying to be the best we can be, as a group. No one has an ego. None of us are looking for credit. We are always working together, heads down, working to do what is best for our kids. At the end of the day, the results take care of themselves.

“But, every day, we are doing our best — every day,” he added. “The success of this program stems from the camaraderie and consistency of the coaching staff. Things might not be great at the beginning (of a season) but our people are sticking together. And that is even before I got here. It is a family group of people. I have been around a lot of different programs. Some coaches speak about family, others live about family. This is one of those living it.”

Building character

Living as a family also implies that the players and coaches encounter “life lessons” along the way.

Eric Breitenstein enjoyed one of the most successful high school playing careers in Watauga history, rewriting the history books as a running back and defensive back before Habich arrived. As a star for the Pioneers as well as for Wofford College playing NCAA Division I football, then some tryouts with a few interested NFL teams, Breitenstein brings a certain amount of “street cred” to the coaching staff.

He also understands that the game’s importance is more than about X’s and O’s.

WTW, GPE, TBM… those acronyms are the team culture in a nutshell.

“The most impressive thing for me is, Day One, when I came back here to teach and coach with Habich at Watauga, the first thing we ever talked about was character development. Ryan is truly passionate about that and he makes sure our kids are growing in their leadership. Each of our seniors is leader of a team within the team. He makes them read books and they help lead training. Those acronyms of his — WTW (work to win), GPE (give perfect effort) and TBM (team before me) — are the team’s culture, right there in a nutshell.”

Bill Carr has also been with the program for 10 years, currently as defensive line coach. Previously, he coached Watauga’s middle school defensive line for seven years. He grew up in central Florida, then enrolled in the U.S. Naval Academy, graduating in 1986. He spent 21 years as naval officer. For Carr, the opportunity for students to participate in extracurricular activities, whether football, choir, drama, student government or something else is an important aspect of a high school education.

“With my military background, what is special to me about being involved with Watauga’s football program is our ability to have an influence on these guys with key values and life lessons. How important that is to Ryan really spoke to me,” said Carr. “Football is important and we are going to teach you the skills and drills and all that stuff, but we are also going to try to impact each kid in a positive way off the field. If we can make a dent in their lives in a positive way, great. Same with other extracurriculars. My daughter was in Playmakers and grew because of those experiences. Any of that extracurricular stuff is great.”

Steve Breitenstein… he is the legend.

Working together

How the coaching staff has evolved and coalesced through the years is not lost on the individual assistants. The “family” aspect with a joint mission to serve the growth and development of the student athletes put in their charge is a calling card of sorts.

Heath Tucker is in his fifth year of coaching after graduating from North Davidson High School, then App State. He works with Steve Breitenstein in coaching the offensive line.

“Working with Steve Breitenstein… He is the legend so it is cool to learn under him, to see how he operates. We work hand in hand. He has allowed me to work with him and to learn alongside him. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience, so that has been fun,” said Tucker, who also teaches PE at Mabel School.

For Tucker and the other assistant coaches, they are a team within the team.

“As a player, I had some good coaches,” said Tucker, “but as a younger coach now, I am able to be around some veteran coaches and learn from them. When you have a challenging home life, with a wife working and a young toddler at home, having a great group of guys around you all pulling the same rope in the same direction makes your job a lot easier.

“With Ryan, I definitely see a different perspective, coaching wise,” Tucker added. “It is cool to see how this program is run. Being able to work under Ryan and learn from him puts me in positions to be successful as a young coach, learning different position groups. I have had responsibilities for wide receivers, inside linebackers and defensive backs, last year. Now I am coaching offensive line, learning new things and enabling me to be multi-faceted.”

There is a new challenge, every day.

Steve Breitenstein, father of Eric and siblings, brings one of those veteran perspectives. He graduated from Boca Raton High School in Florida, before graduating from Catawba College. He has been coaching “for 112 years,” son Eric suggested. He coached at North Davidson for seven years before coming to the High Country.

“I was a running back, quarterback and defensive back in high school,” said Steve, before adding with a twinkle in his eye, “I was a lot smaller back then! I tried out for football my freshman year at Catawba, but found myself very inadequate. So I moved on from playing football. Sports remained important, though. Both of my sons played football, collegiately, and my daughter played volleyball. So I got to follow my kids.”

Coaching football has proven a special endeavor for Breitenstein.

“There is a new challenge, every day. I am not sure I would still be coaching if at any place other than Watauga. You look at our kids. They are ‘yes sir’ and ‘no sir’ kids. They will try to do everything you ask of them,” said Breitenstein.

Other coaches echoed Brietenstein’s sentiments about coaching and, specifically, the Watauga program.

Weight training is our equalizer. It is our ‘lab.’ It is our secret weapon.

Watauga athletic director Dustin Kerley is in his 15th year coaching high school football, 13 years at Watauga. His role is head coach of the Watauga defense and also focuses on the outside linebackers. A graduate of Alexander Central High School and Mars Hill University, Kerley is a multi-sport athlete, playing football, basketball and baseball at ACHS and was an infielder for the Mars Hill baseball team.

Coaching is a priority for him.

“I love everything about it!” said Kerley. “The relationships with players and fellow coaches are what I enjoy the most (the camaraderie is like no other).  I also love the preparation, game-planning, and practices.  Your best coaches love practices because that is where you see growth (in the student athletes) and spend the majority of your time building relationships and working with your players and fellow coaches.”  

Eric Breitenstein said, “Coaching is a cool way to see the kids. When you are in the school building, you see one side of the kids. When you get out here on the football field, sometimes it is the same but you can also see a different side of a kid, too: How hard they are willing to work. How much passion they have for their teammates and things like that. For me, it is rewarding to come from the building to the field and see what these kids CAN be, see what their potential is in a different light.”

We have great kids who want to do what is good for their buddy, their teammates, their coaches, and their school.

Adds Hicks, “I love seeing the growth of kids, whether it be on or off the field, their growing maturity, or the positive impact we have. There are situations where it can be a negative thing, but we may be able to help turn it into a positive. The impact on the youth, that is the main driver. The wins and losses come and go, but the impact on these kids is what really matters.”

Jason Phelps is in his 30th year coaching high school football. He is also a Watauga alum who went on to App State. He started coaching while still in college, at his alma mater, Watauga. His first job was off the mountain, where he was coaching at Starmount for a few years, then Rockingham, Fred T. Foard, Yancey, Bunker Hill, and Avery County before he finally made it back to Watauga in 2018. Today he is assistant head coach, with position responsibilities for the defensive backs.

“I love working with the kids and love the game of football,” said Phelps. “Growing up, coaching had an impact on me so I want to make an impact on the kids. This is the best coaching staff I have ever worked with, either as a head coach or an assistant coach. We have no egos. We come to work with each other every day. Coach Habich does a great job organizing everything.  We enjoy being around each other.”

Among the most dramatic changes in the Watauga football team’s character from the beginning of Habich’s tenure was the physicality of the players. It is just one of the details Habich stresses in preparation to compete.

“Weight training is our equalizer,” said Thomas, who works with the running backs, is the head JV coach, and runs the weight room for the Pioneers. “We call it ‘the lab.’ It is our secret weapon. Freshmen don’t come in physically ready. It takes them a couple of years in the weight room but by the time they become varsity players, they are fit and ready to handle the demands, what is required of them to play varsity football.”

“I have worked with some good coaches, like Bill Mauldin who I love to death,” said Steve Breitenstein. “Ryan Habich is that good. He is the smartest, most organized head coach I have ever worked with and it has been my pleasure to work with some good ones. He makes our jobs easy. Of course, if we do our jobs incorrectly, we hear about it!

“But the proof is in the pudding,” added the senior Breitenstein. “We have won seven consecutive conference championships, undefeated in each, and it is because we have great kids who want to do what is good for their buddy, their teammates, their coaches, and their school.”

The Staff and their Roles

Ryan Habich (Head Coach) 

Jason Phelps: Assistant Head Coach/ Defensive Backs 

Defensive Staff 

• • Dustin Kerley: Head Coach of Defense/ Outside Linebackers 
  • Phillip Hicks: Defensive Coordinator/ Inside Linebackers 
  • Bill Carr: Recruiting Director/ Defensive Line 
  • Kevin Yandle: FCA Coordinator/ Assistant Defensive Backs 
  • Nathan Cable: Assistant Defensive Line

Offensive Staff

• • Marshall Thomas: Head JV coach/ Offensive Coordinator/ Running backs 
  • Steve Breitenstein: Offensive Line 
  • Heath Tucker: Offensive Line & TE’s
  • Eric Breitenstein: Wide Receivers 

Support Staff 

• Hannah Blevins: Athletic Trainer 
• Jonathan Watson: Game Day Football Statistician/ Max Preps 
• Andrew Wilson: Game Day HUDL and Film coordinator. 

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — An opportunistic Ragsdale men’s soccer team took advantage of almost every Watauga mistake on Nov. 13 at Jack Groce Stadium, edging the Pioneers, 3-2, and eliminating the High Country’s favorite sons from the state playoffs in Round 2.

That is hardly the end of the story, though. Watauga has a championship pedigree, always contending for a Northwestern Conference title and looking to go deep into the 4A state playoffs. But after losing 13 seniors to graduation a year ago, 2024 was supposed to be a rebuilding year — NOT!

Somebody forgot to tell this year’s roster of five seniors, 10 juniors, and seven sophomores that expectations were low. They promptly went out and recorded an undefeated Northwestern Conference championship season (10-0), going 19-4-2 overall and advancing into the state playoffs’ second round.

Against Ragsdale, Watauga controlled possession for a good portion of the first half but the Tigers fashioned a counterattack after roughly 10 minutes of play that ended with senior midfielder Ethan Lam headiing a ball into the net from a corner kick for the game’s first score.

The Pioneers answered some five minutes later on a long crossing kick from the right side to the middle by midfield David Ganley, to open space just outside 10 yards from the goal face to an awaiting Ben Myers. The well-placed pass from Ganley served to pull the Tigers’ goalkeeper, Jairo Ledezma out, but the senior arrived just a bit too late as Myers’ shot at goal zipped past him and into the net.

GOOOAAAALLLLL!!! The Ben Myers sequence

Knotting the score at 1-1 proved only temporary, however, as Ragsdale sophomore striker Owen Justice crafted two more goals for the visitors, giving the Tigers a 3-1 lead going into intermission.

The second half was a defensive battle royale, with both teams’ goalkeepers playing central roles in turning back challenging shots for saves. To their credit, Ragsdale looked to protect that 2-goal lead and dropped players into more defensive positions, making Watauga’s mission that much more difficult.

With under 10 minutes to go in the game, however, Quincy Honeycutt proved up to the challenge, leaving Ledezma sprawled out on the right side as he maneuvered past him to tap the ball into the open goal.

Honeycutt’s goal gave the Pioneers inspiration and momentum but they were unable to send the game into overtime with another goal (or win it with two quick goals).

Perhaps more than any other opponent Watauga has played at least in recent games, the Tigers were able to close space more quickly in defense and disrupt Watauga’s one- and two-touch passing for possession and advancement.

After a two-hour bus ride from Jamestown, N.C. (on the eastern outskirts of High Point), Ragsdale was ready to stretch their legs and play.

“We got here in plenty of time,” Ragsdale head coach Brien Braswell said, speaking to his team’s game day preparation. “We scored first but they scored right away, too. We knew this was going to be a good ball game. We knew we had to score goals. We didn’t score as many as we could have because they didn’t make it easy. Watauga is a good team, very fast. They are a class act. We were able to keep them out of the net just long enough.”

For his part, Watauga head coach Josh Honeycutt had nothing but praise for his players and what they both endured and accomplished this season, especially post-storm in the condensed conference schedule.

“I am proud of the guys. They fought hard and never quit. I knew they would do their best to battle back,” said the veteran Pioneer coach. We just made a few early defensive mistakes, getting caught high, allowing Ragsdale to get behind and flick the ball on, into space. That cost us.”

Honeycutt added how important it is for his team not to lose focus on the Pioneers’ preferred style of play, keeping the ball on the ground with short, possession-centric passes and working the ball down the field.

“I thought we were the better team, that early in the game we had better possession and in moving the ball but once we allowed their game to dictate our game… It became ‘boom ball’, they started winning. If we keep the ball on the ground and possess, they are just going to chase us and we win the ball game. But we lost control when we started playing their style. It hurt us. They caught us with the counterattack three times and that was the difference in the game.

“Ragsdale is a good team, very fast, which allowed them to take advantage of those counterattacks. If we play a full first half (with our style), I think we win the ball game,” added Honeycutt. “This is the playoffs. In both the first and second rounds we faced teams that may have finished No. 2 or No. 3 in their conference for the regular season, but they are from strong conferences and are really high quality opponents. That was the case for Palisades as well as for Ragsdale. When we get to the playoffs, the seedings don’t mean anything other than we want to be as highly seeded as possible to have home games. We have to play our very best to win in the playoffs, no matter what the opponent’s seeding number is on the bracket.”

Watauga’s five seniors this year includes Curtis Sevensky, Thomas Moss, Orin Ellis, Bennett Munson and Alex Aguilar. That quintet of athletes will be missed, but with 10 juniors and seven sophomores returning from the 2024 roster, but some talented, up and coming freshmen, Watauga is poised for a strong showing in 2025.

BONUS PHOTOS