Pioneers take on AHS
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com

Rob Sanders knows full well about the need to beat rival Avery County Tuesday night.

Sanders is coach of 4-A Watauga, which will be the favorite in just about any game they Pioneers play against a 2-A team, such as Avery.

Yet Avery has been able to match up with the Pioneers (0-1). Usually, the records and the classifications can be thrown out the window when the Vikings host Watauga, according to Sanders.

“It’s kind of the downside of the Ashe and Avery games because we are the 4-A school and in people’s eyes, we’re supposed to win those games,” Sanders said. “When you put the rivalry part into it and the energy and emotion that goes into it, your can throw the school sizes out.”

The boys will play at 6:30 p.m. instead of at 8 because of the schedule of Watauga girls coach Klay Anderson. He is an assistant coach for the Watauga football team and could not make the girls’ game had it begun at 6:30. The girls will play at 8 p.m.

Watauga is looking for its first victory after losing 86-66 to a solid Forsyth Country Day School last Tuesday. The Pioneers struggled with the Furies’ ability to penetrate into the lane and then pass the ball out to their 3-point shooters.

Forsyth hit nine 3-pointers against the Pioneers, including four by Colby Lewis, who finished with 21 points.
“The main thing was when we broke down film of the game, they dictated everything on both sides of the ball,” Sanders said. “They played the game we wanted to play and we lacked of some mental toughness.”

Sanders said establishing some mental toughness was a point of emphasis during practice last week.

“We concentrated on that and understanding what we wanted to do offensively,” Sanders said.