Commentary: Pioneers play for NWC title
By Steve Behr, sports editor

sports@wataugademocrat.com

MORGANTON — For years, 22 I’m told, Watauga would go to Morganton, take a whipping from Freedom, and head back up the mountain.

Some games would be downright ugly. One ended in a 58-7 Freedom victory and I’m told the game wasn’t that close. While the Patriots were building a winning football tradition, Watauga was struggling just to win games.

So it would seem that one of the teams that played at Freedom’s stadium Friday would be playing for a share of the Northwestern 4-A Conference championship this weekend.

Yep, it’s Watauga.

The Pioneers will host A.C. Reynolds in a showdown for the NWC title. A win over the Rockets gives the Pioneers a share of the conference crown. A win over A.C. Reynolds and a Freedom win over East Burke on “Fat Friday” and Watauga shares the title with A.C. Reynolds.

However, Watauga wins the tiebreaker with the Rockets and gets the No. 1 seed from the league in the 4-A playoffs.

But that’s just part of the fun. Beating A.C. Reynolds two times in a row is what folks will remember.

Let’s review for those who just moved into the High Country, or who were not paying attention last year.

It was the third round of the 2006 state 4-A playoffs. A.C. Reynolds was 13-0, the No. 1 seed of the 4-A West bracket and the reigning NWC champion. The Rockets hosted a talented, but inexperienced Watauga team earlier that year and smacked the Pioneers 31-6.

Fast-forward to that chilly November night. Watauga shocked the Dalton Stadium crowd with a 24-23 victory that sent them into the 4-A state semifinals against West Charlotte and the Rockets into basketball season.

Don’t remember that? I’ll bet the Rockets do.

Remember that good A.C. Reynolds halfback who had trouble holding on to the football that night? Well, Darius Spencer is second in the conference in rushing to McDowell’s Terrance Kincaid. He still has terrific speed and could be thinking of a way to prove to anybody in a dark blue uniform that his bad November night was a fluke.

Last year’s win over A.C. Reynolds caught everybody but the Pioneers by surprise. Because the Pioneers got beat so badly the first time the teams played last year, head coach Adrian Snow dumped 2-A lightweights West Caldwell and Wilkes Central for 4-A power Davie County and 2-A dynasty Shelby.

Yes, the Pioneers lost big to those teams. Davie County passed, literally, the Pioneers into submission with a 34-13 win, and Shelby’s speed was too much for Watauga, earning the Lions a 34-15 win.

The losses gave Watauga games against outstanding competition. They were designed to toughen the Pioneers up for games like this Friday against the Rockets.

They certainly didn’t hurt last Friday. Watauga dominated Freedom like it never had in the first quarter.

Watauga outgained the Patriots 131-9 and in time of possession, Watauga held a 9:38-2:22 edge.

The total numbers don’t reflect the beating Watauga delivered to Freedom Friday. However, the Pioneers can’t dwell on that now.

They’ve got a conference championship to win.