State 4-A playoffs: Mount Tabor at Watauga, 7:30 p.m. Friday
Pioneers return to 4-A semifinals for second straight year
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com

Watauga gets a second chance to do something few prep football teams get to do: play for a state championship.

Should the Pioneers beat Mount Tabor Friday night at Jack Groce Stadium, they’ll reach the state 4-A championship game for the first time since the school went to the 4-A classification. It would be the first time they Pioneers would play for a state title since 1978, when they won the 3-A championship.

Last year, the Pioneers fell 21-0 to West Charlotte, also at Jack Groce Stadium. The loss ended Watauga’s Cinderella season at 12-3, which was highlighted by playoff wins over North Forsyth, Greensboro Page and A.C. Reynolds.

This year, the Pioneers (11-3) have rolled over Alexander Central and Central Cabarrus en route to Friday’s game. They take on a Mount Tabor team that is also 11-3 and is the Central Piedmont Conference champion.

“There are only 32 teams playing this week, so everybody out to be pretty good,” Pioneers coach Adrian Snow said.

Mount Tabor brings to Boone an offense that is deep with skill players and along its offensive line. The Spartans’ offense is directed by junior quarterback Donny McElveen, whose grandfather is a football coach in South Carolina. McElveen has thrown for more than 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns this season and is considered a college prospect.

One of his favorite targets is Ed Gainey, a 6-2, 185-pound receiver/defensive back.

Gainey, who returned a kickoff 95 yards in the regular-season finale against West Forsyth, is headed to the Shrine Bowl.

Hunter Furr is the Spartans’ top running back, having gained 1,842 yards and scored 29 touchdowns as a sophomore at Forsyth Country Day last year.

“I think it starts with Hunter Furr,” Snow said. “Their tailbacks do a heck of a job. Then they’ve got Gainey and Lemar Wilson at the halfbacks. They’re talented. Their offensive line gets after you. I’m impressed watching them block. It’s going to be a challenge.”

The Pioneers would like to counter with a balanced attack led by running back Eric Breitenstein and quarterbacks Adam Chiarolanzio and Blake Beason. Breitenstein has been on a tear during the playoffs, having gained 318 yards and scoring six touchdowns against Central Cabarrus and following with 184 yards and two touchdowns in Watauga’s 25-14 win over Purnell Swett.

Breitenstein has gained 642 yards and scored nine touchdowns rushing for the Pioneers. He also took the ball away from Swett and raced 39 yards for a defensive touchdown.

Snow liked the week of practice the Pioneers have had.

“It’s gone pretty well. We’ve had a good week of preparation,” Snow said. “We’ve started toning it down. If you don’t know it by now, you’re not going to know it. We’re going in the right direction doing the right things.”

Note: Watauga fans are encouraged to wear a white T-shirt over their jackets and participate in the first ever “Snow-out.”

The event is similar to the “Blue Wave” that the Pioneers had the first week of the playoffs. The idea Friday night is to have everybody in the Watauga grandstands to be wearing white by the 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

“We want everybody to put a white T-shirt over their coat,” Snow said. “Just steal dad’s undershirt and put it on.”

Snow said it’s a chance for everybody in the stands to show team unity.

“We’re just trying to rally the troops and do something that everybody can be a part of,” Snow said.