By Bret Strelow. BOONE, N.C. — App State alum and staff member Lance Ware has been named an assistant coach overseeing the tight ends, head coach Shawn Clark announced Saturday, Jan. 6.

A title-winning coach who won multiple state championships before returning to his alma mater, Ware has served as App State’s Senior Assistant to the Head Coach since being hired to that position by Eliah Drinkwitz in February 2019. In that role, he has assisted Drinkwitz and Clark with all aspects of organization and running the football program.

“Lance has been an extremely valuable member of our staff for the last five years after a successful run of winning five state championships as head coach at Shelby High School. I’m excited for him to serve in this new role,” Clark said. “He and his family are true Mountaineers. He is a great teacher and mentor of young men who will continue to help us compete for championships and provide a world-class experience.”

In his time on staff since 2019, App State has won a Sun Belt championship, made two additional conference title game appearances, earned four bowl berths and won three bowl trophies.

“I am extremely grateful to Coach Clark and Doug Gillin for giving me the opportunity to lead the tight ends in my new role at App State,” Ware said. “I look forward to continuing our outstanding tradition of excellence on and off the field, while competing for championships.”

As head coach of Shelby High School just outside of Charlotte from 2011-18, Ware compiled a 99-25 overall record over eight seasons and won five state championships in his last six years.

Ware led the Golden Lions to 2A state championships in 2013, 2014 and 2015 and 2AA state titles in 2016 and 2018. During his eight-year tenure, Shelby went 33-3 in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association playoffs. In 2022, he was inducted into the Cleveland County Sports Hall of Fame.

During his 22 total seasons coaching at Shelby, the Golden Lions played for 11 state titles, winning eight.

A four-year letterman at App State under head coach Jerry Moore from 1992-96, Ware was the Mountaineers’ long snapper for four seasons. In 1995, Ware helped the Mountaineers go undefeated in the regular season and win a Southern Conference title while playing alongside Clark and two other current FBS head coaches (Georgia State’s Shawn Elliott, Cincinnati’s Scott Satterfield), as well as College Football Hall of Famer Dexter Coakley.

Ware and his wife, Catherine, have three children – Reece, Stockton and Presley.

WARE AT A GLANCE

Coaching Experience
1997-2000: Shelby H.S. (Assistant coach)
2001-10: Shelby H.S. (Defensive coordinator)
2011-18: Shelby H.S. (Head coach and athletic director)
2019-23: App State (Senior assistant to the head coach)

Playing Experience
1992-96: App State (Long snapper)

Alma Mater: App State, 1997
Hometown: Shelby, N.C.
Birthdate: Dec. 13, 1973
Wife: Catherine
Children: Reece, Stockton, Presley
Twitter: @lgware

By David Rogers. HAYS, N.C. — Behind for most of the first half, the Watauga women’s basketball team rallied in the second half at North Wilkes to earn a hard-fought, 45-42 non-conference win on Jan. 5.

Kate Sears and Julie Matheson provided most of the Pioneers’ offensive firepower with 25 and 11 points, respectively.

“We were behind for almost the entirety of the first half,” said Pioneer head coach Bill Torgerson. “We made a few adjustments to our defense at halftime and challenged the players to string together stops on defense. They did it — and that led to a 10-0 run to open the second half and after that we were able to hang on for the win.”

Torgerson also observed, “It was a really tough game, a hard place to play with a passionate crowd. That (the Vikings’ Olivia) Rhodes opened the game with three 3s in the first quarter got them off to a great start and gave them confidence. We also had a tough night shooting at the free throw line, going 7-18. The players overcame a lot to get this win.”

Both teams are now 10-3 as they prepare for conference action, with both highly ranked in North Carolina and their respective NCHSAA classes. According to MaxPreps, Watauga is ranked No. 14 in North Carolina, No. 7 in the strong NC 4A West, and No. 8 in the Charlotte region. North Wilkes is currently ranked No. 2 in the NCHSAA 2A West behind only undefeated East Burke and No. 37 in the entire state, regardless of classes, out of more than 400 competing schools.

Key Watauga Performers

• Kate Sears – 25 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 blocked shot, 2 deflections
• Julie Matheson – 11 points, 1 steal, 2 deflections
• Kaitlyn Darner – 3 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 4 deflections
• Charlotte Torgerson – 3 points, 2 assists, 2 deflections
• Lainey Shook – 3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 deflection, 1 blocked shot

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — When Watauga senior Eli Greene pinned his Freedom opponent just 16 seconds into the start of the first contested match on Jan. 5, it set the tone for the evening’s action. Greene, David Brooks and Creed Casner each recorded pins in the first period of their respective matches while Watauga took advantage of forfeitures in four weight classes by the Patriots, cruising to a dominating, 59-15 team win at Lentz Eggers Gym on Senior Night.

BONUS PHOTOS at bottom of article. Click on any image for slideshow mode.

With only five conference dual meets in the 2023-24 season and the first two Watauga encounters at home, it may have seemed strange to celebrate the team’s six seniors with three Northwestern Conference dual meets still to be contested. But that is the luck of the draw, with all three of the remaining meets on the road: Ashe County (Jan. 9), South Caldwell (Jan. 12) and Alexander Central (Jan. 16). Next year, according to the Pioneers’ head coach Zach Strickland, Watauga will have three home conference meets and two on the road (assuming the conference composition remains the same).

The first scheduled match of the evening was in the 215 lb. weight class, where Watauga senior Trabey Shepherd earned the Pioneers’ first points with a forfeit by Freedom. Greene then followed with his 16 second blitzkrieg over the Patriots’ senior Briar George.

With Watauga opening a 12-0 team lead, it was up to Freedom’s Yaleen Khang, a female freshman, to get the Patriots on the scoreboard and she took care of business in the third period vs. Bryan Chen in the 106 lb. class, pinning the Pioneer sophomore late in the third and final period to cut the team deficit in half, 12-6.

At 113 lbs., Watauga’s Liam Perry got the Pioneers back into the win column with a 7-1 decision over Freedom’s Xander Vue.

It was Watauga senior Creed Casner’s turn to wow the large crowd at 120 lbs., earning a first period pin after initially seeming to toy with his Freedom opponent, Carson Harvet. He traded shooting takedowns with letting Harvet escape so he could take him down again before finally earning the fall midway through the first period. The team score at this point was 21-6.

At 126 lbs., Watauga’s Isaac Hensley was overmatched vs. Freedom’s Kaleb Pearson, the Pioneer junior losing to the Patriots’ sophomore, 12-5, in one of the few matches that went the full, three-period distance.

Cole Kleman began a string of Watauga victories vs. Freedom sophomore Hank Hall at 132 lbs., pinning Hall midway through the second period while leading 6-2. The decision by fall extended Watauga’s team lead to 27-9.

At 138 lbs. and 144 lbs., respectively, Watauga picked up another 12 points by forfeit. Ryder Sullivan and Lucas Bishop each appeared briefly in the center of the mat to be awarded the gimmes.

Pioneer junior Camden Brock continued the Watauga scoring streak with a 13-3 decision vs. Aiden Piscopo at 150 lbs. It didn’t take long for Watauga junior David Brooks to earn his team another first period pin, credited with the honors at 157 lbs. vs. Freedom’s Christian Truax.

By now the team decision was well within hand for the Pioneers at 49-9, but senior Palmer Smith, a state qualifier as a junior in 2023, kept Watauga moving with a 13-3 major decision over Freedom’s Josh Glynn. When he was done with the 3-period victory, Watauga led, 53-9.

Freedom’s second decision by pin on the night came in the next to last match of the evening when Watauga’s Edwyn Vickery suffered a first period pin to Freedom’s Alan Vicente Perez in the 175-lb. weight class.

The last match of the evening was another Freedom forfeit, this time to Watauga senior Grayson Elliott at 190 lbs.

With the win, Watauga has opened the Northwestern Conference schedule at 2-0, 5-3 in dual meets overall.

BONUS PHOTOS (Click on any image for slideshow mode)

All photographic images by David Rogers

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Watauga District Middle School point guard Chase McInturff all but took over the home team’s second half scoring on Jan. 4 vs. Carolina Day, propelling the Wolverines to a convincing, 47-29 win at the the Watauga County Recreation Center.

BONUS PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF ARTICLE (Click any image for slideshow mode)

McInturff drove the lane seven times in the third and fourth quarters, usually putting the finishing touches on a Wolverines fast break. His 14 second half points, combined with 3-of-4 shooting from the charity stripe in the first quarter, gave him a game-high 17 points on the night.

Watauga forward David Ruele sprinkled in 13 points throughout the contest, almost all from inside the paint. Meanwhile, the Wolverines’ Brycen Scheffler continues to improve at the post position, adding valuable rebounds, executing clearing passes, and even adding four first quarter points.

Carolina Day’s Evan Groome kept things close in the first quarter with two made shots from beyond the arc, the first quarter Watauga lead only 11-8. The visitors got seven points in the second quarter, including a 3-pointer from the hands of Jaylin Macafee and two inside buckets from Lucas Nunez, but the Wolverines extended their halftime lead to 19-15 thanks to buckets from Ruele, Devon Shook, and Brodie Lippard.

The Wolverines’ defense clamped down after the break, limiting Carolina Day to just 12 points the rest of the way. Meanwhile, McInturff and Ruele combined for 21 points after intermission, with additional tallies from Shook, Marshall Kilma and Joaquin Miranda-Aponte.

SCORING SUMMARY

• WAT – Chase McInturff (17)
• WAT – David Ruele (13)
• CAR – Evan Groome (11)
• CAR – Jaylin Macafee (7)
• CAR – Lucas Nunez (6)
• WAT – Devon Shook (5)
• WAT – Brycen Scheffler (4)
• CAR – Nathaniel Martinez (3)
• WAT – Austin Vestal (2)
• WAT – Brodie Lippard (2)
• WAT – Marshall Kilma (2)
• WAT – Joaquin Miranda-Aponte (2)
• CAR – Max Rodriguez (2)

BONUS PHOTOS

MOBILE, Ala. – In a tight matchup between two of the top teams in the Sun Belt Conference on Jan. 4, the App State Mountaineers outlasted the South Alabama Jaguars, 91-84 — in a barn burner that needed overtime to be decided.

The Mountaineers showed poise in the extra five minutes, holding the Jaguars to just two points while forcing two turnovers.

With Thursday’s overtime win, the Mountaineers (11-3, 2-0 SBC) are 2-0 to start Sun Belt Conference play for the first time since Coach Kerns’ first year as head coach and just the second time since 2012. The victory over the Jaguars (8-6, 1-1 SBC) is the third time under Kerns that App State has started its Sun Belt road schedule 1-0.

Five players notched double-figure nights for the Mountaineers on Thursday. The team scored 91 points, which is the most points scored against a Sun Belt opponent under Kerns and the first time in just over three years that App State has scored at least 90 points against a conference foe.

Top Performers
Balanced scoring paced the Mountaineer charge on Thursday as five players reached double figures for the game. Spillers’ 23 points on 11-13 shooting led the way for Coach Kerns’ squad as the junior tallied a season-high against the Jaguars. Terence Harcum played one of his best games of the season, notching 15 points on 6-7 shooting, while hitting timely shots when App State needed a bucket. Myles Tate played the role of floor general nicely for the Mountaineers as he tallied 13 points while dishing out a team-best four assists.

Next Up
App State will take 167 miles up the road to take on the Troy Trojans at Trojan Arena in their next contest on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.

SCORING LEADERS

• SAL – Isaiah Gaiter (29 points)
• APP – Tre’Von Spillers (23)
• SAL – Tyrell Jones (19)
• APP – Terence Harcum (15)
• APP – C J Huntley (14)
• APP – Donovan Gregory (13)
• APP – Myles Tate (13)
• SAL – Elijah Ormiston (10)
• SAL – Thomas Howell (10)

LEADING REBOUNDERS

• SAL – Thomas Howell (10)
• APP – Tre’Von Spillers (9)
• APP – Justin Abson (6)

By Zach Smith. BOONE, N.C. — An early, 11-point lead wasn’t enough for App State’s women’s basketball team Thursday night (Jan. 4), as the visiting Texas State Bobcats defeated the Mountaineers, 67-58.

App State had just six point-scorers in their first matchup of 2024. Of those scorers, reigning Sun Belt Player of the Week Chaé Harris led the way with 16 points. Sophomore forward Rylan Moffitt earned a double-double, scoring 11 points to go along with her 11 rebounds. Sophomore guard Alexis Black posted a career-best six steals.

For the Bobcats, graduate guard Ja’Niah Henson recorded a game-high 19 points, while guard Crystal Smith (15) and forward Morgan Hill (12) rounded out the team’s top scorers.

The first quarter was all App State. The Mountaineers opened with stifling defense, allowing just four points by the first media break while forcing seven Bobcat turnovers. App State held Texas State to another four points in the period, taking a 19-8 lead into the second quarter.

The next frame was where Texas State found their stride. The Bobcats weren’t able to come within seven points through the first six minutes of the period, but went on an 8-0 run to bring the game within a point. App State guard Faith Alston drained a three-pointer to stop the bleeding, but The Mountaineers’ 11-point, first quarter lead had all but vanished.

Back-and-forth scoring was the theme of the third period. Neither team was able to score more than four consecutive points. Despite trading blows, App State held their lead through the first eight minutes of the frame. With just under two minutes to the buzzer, though, Henson drained a jumper to give Texas State their first lead of the game. Striking back, App State responded with two quick makes of their own to take a three-point lead into the final quarter.

Things fell apart quickly for the Mountaineers in the fourth quarter. App State got into foul trouble early, putting the Bobcats into the bonus just over four minutes into the period. Texas State used the bonus to immediately go on a 7-0 run, giving the Bobcats a lead that they never gave up. 

Senior guard Faith Alston shared her thoughts as to what went wrong for the Mountaineers, as well as what it will take to get back into the win column.

“We stopped playing us,” Alston said. “These are the times where we need to learn and we need to grow. We need to figure out how to put four quarters together.”

App State head coach Angel Elderkin echoed that thought post-game.

“I just don’t feel like we played our brand of basketball,” Elderkin said. “I’ll tip the cap to Texas State. They are a very good defensive team, but some of our mistakes today were self-made. They were ones that, you know, we did to ourselves.”

Elderkin explained the Mountaineers’ rough second quarter, and gave an insight on the locker room at halftime.

“We played a really good first quarter,” Elderkin said. “And then you look at the second quarter and it was 16-9. At that point, even though we go into halftime ahead, I don’t feel good about the game. I mean, at halftime, my speech was not nice. My speech was trying to motivate a group of players.”

Texas State was without Timia Jefferson, the second-leading Bobcat scorer, but had help filling that role through their bench. Elderkin credited Texas State for playing well despite missing a key player.

“I feel like, in so many ways, they flipped the script,” Elderkin said. “They were a woman down and they had a woman up. They had [Jefferson] not dressed, and then they had a couple role players that go for 12 and 15, and, you know, that’s what it takes to be good.”

As a team, Texas State shot 47%, compared to App State’s 29% mark. The Bobcats out-rebounded the Mountaineers, 45-37, but App State had the advantage on offensive rebounds, grabbing 16 to Texas State’s seven. They just didn’t get the second chance points you might expect from offensive rebounds. App State outscored Texas State in the paint, 30-26, but the Bobcats rode their 33 points off the bench to victory over the Mountaineers.

Texas State’s win marks their 10th on the season, including five of their last six. The Bobcats look to maintain their form Saturday (Jan. 6), as they travel to Atlanta for a matchup with Georgia State. Tipoff is set for 2:00p.m., and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.

The Mountaineers’ play again on Saturday, Jan. 6, taking on South Alabama at the Holmes Convocation Center. The game can also be streamed on ESPN+, and is slated to tip-off at 2:00p.m.

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — What a difference a year makes in high school basketball. After losing six seniors to graduation after last season, including some top performers, West Wilkes couldn’t keep up with host Watauga on Jan. 3, losing to the Pioneers 88-51.

A year ago, Watauga barely eked out a 99-95 win over the resilient Blackhawks. Fast forward and the game would not have been as close as the final 37-point deficit had head coach Bryson Payne not pulled his starters and top bench players for the entire fourth quarter. Even so, this was a game for Pioneer Nation to be introduced to the future and they didn’t disappoint. With smothering defense, the Watauga up-and-comers outscored West Wilkes 11-7 in the final stanza.

“They had a game last night,” Payne acknowledged to reporters after the final buzzer had mercifully sounded, “so they might have been a little tired. We played up-tempo and they couldn’t keep up. Plus, we executed up and down the roster and shot very well tonight.”

In big man Harrison Holbrook, West Wilkes actually had the game’s highest scorer on the floor with his 22 points, but the Blackhawks had little else to show for their offensive production. Meanwhile, Watauga had three players in double figures, led by Josiah Railey’s 19 points, along with 16 points scored by Wyatt Kohout and 12 points by Jackson Pryor. Altogether, 12 Pioneers put points on the board for Watauga on the night.

Now 9-3 on the young season, Watauga goes on the road Jan. 5 to play at North Wilkes before returning home on Jan. 12 for their Northwestern Conference opener vs. 4A rival South Caldwell.

SCORING SUMMARY

• WWK – Harrison Holbrook (22 points)
• WAT – Josiah Railey (19)
• WAT – Wyatt Kohout (16)
• WAT – Jackson Pryor (12)
• WAT – Maddox Greene (8)
• WAT – Landon Smith (7)
• WAT – Cade Keller (7)
• WWK – Blake Broyhill (7)
• WWK – Cameron Greer (6)
• WAT – Brady Lindenmuth (5)
• WWK – Ja’Kaden Larrimore (5)
• WAT – Levi Stone (4)
• WAT – Logan Greene (3)
• WAT – Paul Taylor (3)
• WWK – Eli Johnson (3)
• WAT – Eli Bishop (2)
• WAT – Jackson Love (2)
• WWK – Hayden Frye (2)
• WWK – Branson Davis (2)

BONUS PHOTOS

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Buoyed by strong performances in the lower weight classes, Watauga High School’s wrestling team defeated Hibriten on Jan. 2, 38-33, in the teams’ first Northwestern Conference dual meet of the 2023-24 season.

The Pioneers’ 106-lb. competitor, Bryan Chen, got things started with a quick pin of the Panthers’ Annie Vanegas midway through the first period. Then in the 113 lb. weight class, Watauga’s Liam Perry recorded a forfeit when Hibriten did not field an athlete.

At 120-lbs, Creed Casner kept thing going for the Pioneers in a close match, defeating Hibriten’s Braydeb Reid, 6-4, giving the Pioneers an early, 15-0 team lead. The visitors got their first points on the board at 126 lbs. when Bryan Reid recorded a fall over Watauga’s Isaac Hensley with 55 seconds remaining in the second period. Watauga still held the team lead, 15-6.

Watauga’s Cole Kleman all but dominated Hibriten’s Landan Baker at 132 lbs. After giving up an early takedown in the first period, Kleman followed with a reversal to knot the score 2-2 at the end of the first period, but the second frame saw the sophomore Pioneer record four near falls in the last two frames before securing a 14-4 decision and expanding the Pioneers’ team lead to 19-6.

Ryder Sullivan made short work of Hibriten’s Noah Koenig at 138 lbs., picking up six more valuable team points with a pin at the 1:14 mark of the second period. Hibriten’s Drew Martin returned the favor one match later, pinning Watauga freshman Lucas Bishop, also in the second period. The team score after the 144-lb. match: Watauga 25. Hibriten 12.

Watauga’s Camden Brock gave the Pioneers a little more early separation with a 7-1 win at 150, prevailing over the Panthers’ Chase McGhinnis, who was competing up a couple of weight classes over what the Hibriten roster has him listed. The Pioneers’ David Brooks looked every bit the dominating force in taking on Hibriten’s Jacob Stillwell at 157 lbs., recording takedowns vs. the Panther senior and letting him escape before finally pinning him in the second period. The win gave the Pioneers a seemingly insurmountable, 34-12 lead, but the Hibriten heavyweights proved formidable and almost won the day for the visitors.

Senior Palmer Smith, who was one of two Pioneers making the 4A state championship tourney a year ago, moved up in weight class, to 165 lbs., vs. Hibriten and somewhat toyed with his Panther opponent, Joshua Stillwell, recording takedowns, letting his opponent escape, and repeating the process for the full three rounds before taking a 12-4 decision.

Smith’s win, expanding the Pioneer lead to 38-12, proved to be Watauga’s last points. Hibriten pins at 175 lbs. 190 lbs. and 215 lbs. caused the Pioneer lead to all but evaporate. At 175, Ashton Woodruff took care of business in pinning Edwyn Vickrey midway through the first period. Dillon Earp did the same vs. Watauga’s Mikey Portante at 190 lbs. Then, Hibriten senior Caleb Walker posted a second round pin against Watauga junior Nick Turnmire, shrinking the Pioneer lead to just 38-30.

Arguably the tightest match of the night was saved for the heavyweight division, which saw Watauga’s Eli Greene edged, 1-0, by Hibriten’s Elijah Amaya-Perez. It was a match that saw Amaya-Perez escape his “down” set position in the second period. Greene was in that position to start the third period. Although he exploded to his feet three times during the final period, trying to escape, he was unable to pry loose his opponent’s fingers and hands before being brought back down each time.

After the match, Watauga head coach Zach Strickland was pleased with the team win in the season’s first conference dual meet, praising the hard work and competitiveness of his athletes, top to bottom.

“Our lower weights won the day,” observed Strickland.

Watauga’s grapplers next compete vs. Freedom, hosting the Patriots on Friday, Jan. 5 in Lentz Eggers Gym, with a scheduled first whistle at 5:30 p.m.

BONUS PHOTOS

By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Battling back from a 13-point deficit at halftime to just two points with 3:04 left to play in the fourth quarter was not quite enough for Watauga in Round 3 of the High Country Holiday Classic, losing to Apex Friendship, 58-47, in the final game of the tournament.

BONUS PHOTOS AT BOTTOM OF ARTICLE (click any image for slideshow mode)

The visiting Patriots’ roster includes five players 6-3 or taller, including the biggest of the bigs, 6-6 senior center/forward Chuks Ezeonu, named most valuable player of the tournament after the game. Ezeonu scored 12 points for Apex Friendship, but had a greater impact on the outcome with his rebounding and blocked shots.

Also in double figures for the Patriots were David Major (14 points) and Jake Mattachione (14).

Watauga’s Josiah Railey poured in a game-high 16 points but only Jackson Pryor (10) also made double figures for the tourney hosts.

Now 8-3 on the young season, Watauga hosts West Wilkes on Jan. 3 (6:15 p.m. tipoff), then travels to North Wilkes on Jan. 5 (8:30 p.m. tipoff) before opening Northwestern Conference play vs. 4A rival South Caldwell on Jan. 12 (8 p.m.) at Lentz Eggers Gym.

SCORING SUMMARY

• WAT – Josiah Railey, 16 points
• APF – David Major, 14 points
• APF – Jake Mattachione, 14 points
• APF – Chuks Ezeonu, 12 points
• WAT – Jackson Pryor, 10 points
• APF – Kendall Lanier, 9 points
• WAT – Cade Keller, 6 points
• WAT – Maddox Greene, 6 points
• WAT – Wyatt Kohout, 5 points
• WAT – Brady Lindenmuth, 4 points
• APF – Jackson Green, 4 points
• APF – David Lozada, 3 points
• APF – Tristan Kent, 2 points

BONUS PHOTOS (click any image for slideshow mode)