Pioneers ready for showdown
By Steve Behr

sports@wataugademocrat.com

After what happened last year, it only makes sense that Watauga’s game with A.C. Reynolds Friday night has the Northwestern 4-A Conference championship at stake.

Watauga (7-3, 4-1 NWC), which hosts the Rockets at Jack Groce Stadium Friday at 7:30 p.m., can win a share of the NWC championship with a victory over A.C. Rey-nolds (7-2, 5-0). Should East Burke beat Freedom tonight, the Cavaliers would also win a share of the conference crown with a Watauga victory.

But if Freedom beats East Burke and Watauga wins, the Pioneers and A.C. Reynolds would share the title.

Of course, all of that means nothing if the Rockets roll into town and beat the Pioneers, something they have done in six of their last seven meetings with Watauga.

Winning the NWC championship is nothing new to A.C. Reynolds. The Rockets, since joining the league in 2001, has won every conference championship except one, back in 2004.

A.C. Reynolds won the state 4-A championship in 2002 and was the No. 1 seed in the 2006 playoffs after finishing the season 11-0, which included a 31-6 thumping of the Pioneers.

However, Watauga got its revenge in Asheville by upsetting the Rockets 24-23 in the third round of the playoffs.

Much has changed in Asheville. The Rockets are guided by first-year coach Shane Laws, who took over for Steve McCurry.

Laws brought the spread offense to Reynolds, which is quarterbacked by Alexander Wahl, who has completed 46 of his 101 attempts for 640 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions.

However, this is still a running team led by All-NWC running back Darius Spencer, who is being recruited by East Carolina. Spencer rushed for 235 yards on just 16 carries in Reynolds’ 38-0 win over South Caldwell last week. The Rockets piled up 452 yards rushing in that victory.

Spencer has piled up 1,510 yards and 21 touchdowns on 162 carries. He also has 12 receptions for 214 yards and two touchdowns.

Watauga also uses the spread offense, which has allowed Eric Breitenstein to rush for 1,456 yards and 17 touchdowns on 169 carries. Defensively, Breitenstein is second on the team in tackles with 121, just four behind Pioneers linebacker David Alger’s 125.

Quarterback Adam Chiarolanzio is second on the team in rushing with 480 yards on 99 carries. He also Blake Beason have provided the Pioneers with a solid passing game, hitting 60-of-127 attempts passes for 1,094 yards and eight touchdowns.