Watauga defense bends but holds
By Steve Behr

sports@wataugademocrat.com

At a quick glance, it may not look like Watauga’s defense played all that well in its third-round playoff game with Purnell Swett at Jack Groce Stadium Friday night.

Consider that they allowed Purnell Swett to score on a touchdown drive that took 17 plays, went 80 yards and ate 7:53 off the clock in the first quarter.

Then consider that Swett controlled the cock for 30:06 out of a 48-minute game and it would be easy to think that the Rams won the game.

However, it would be the Pioneers that would pull off the two biggest defensive plays of the game.

Both took place in the second quarter 10 seconds apart from each other. After Watauga’s Eric Breitenstein scored on a 5-yard touchdown run, the Rams took over at their own 21-yard line. Four plays later, Breitenstein took the football away from the Rams and raced 39 yards for a touchdown.

It gave the Pioneers a 19-8 lead, but the Pioneers were not finished. On the ensuing kickoff, Devan Corum forced a fumble. Trey Dunnigan was on the spot and scooped up the ball, returning it 14 yards for another touchdown.

Watauga suddenly had a 25-8 lead, which helped the Pioneers claim a 25-14 victory.

“In a matter of a minute, the whole game changed and we were playing catch-up and we’re not a good catch-up team,” Swett coach Mark Heil said.

Breitenstein, who would end up gaining 184 yards on 23 carries offensively, left a no-so subtle reminder that he was an All-State safety last season. His theft of the ball helped start a momentum changer that was too much for the Rams to overcome.

“I hit him pretty good,” Breitenstein said. “The ball kind of spit up and I just grabbed it and took it back.”

Dunnigan credited Corum’s hit for jarring the ball loose on his play.

“I just ran down there and Devan Corum reached in and punched it out,” Dunnigan said. “It was Devan that caused it. I didn’t know what to do. I’m just glad I didn’t run the wrong way. I pretty much ran for my life.”

Dunnigan may have run for his life, but the play did a lot to end Swett’s chances of winning the game. Swett opened the second half with a drive that took 9:59 off the clock, but the Rams came up empty when it came to points and had to punt the ball away.

Ironically, it only took the Rams 1:48 to score their second touchdown, a 31-yard pass from quarterback Patrick McCartney to Rosszell Pittman with 10:37 left in the game. But the Rams’ previous drive that ended in a punt did what the Pioneers wanted it to do — eat up some clock.

“When they have to take up a whole quarter to score a touchdown, getting up three touchdowns helps us big-time,” Breitenstein said. “It was a huge momentum swing.”

Dunnigan, who plays guard on offense, felt that the early success Watauga had running the football helped put the Rams on their heels. Breitenstein scored on a 16-yard run on a game-opening drive that saw the Pioneers march 68 yards in seven plays.

Watauga hosts Mount Tabor in the fourth round of the playoffs Friday.