Teammates

make All-State
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com

It’s rare for one player from a football team to be named all-state. The odds are even longer for two players to receive the honor.

Yet that’s what happened last week when running back Eric Breitenstein and offensive guard Casey Augustine were both named All-State by the Associated Press.

Breitenstein, who was an AP All-State defensive back last year, was switched to the offense by the panel of AP prep writers. He gained 2,625 yards and scored 28 rushing touchdowns, 30 overall, this season.

Breitenstein also received an individual honor when he was named to the North Carolina Shrine Bowl roster. That game was played Dec. 15 in Spartanburg, S.C.

“It’s a great honor to be named to the All-State team,” Breitenstein said. “I’m really proud that I’ve got a teammate joining me. He did a great job for us. He’s really an anchor on our offensive line and he did a great job blocking for me this year. He gave me a chance to be All-State this year.”

Augustine found out he was on the squad when Breitenstein gave him a phone call to tell him.

“I was sitting in my room and he calls me and says “You’ve just made All-State,’” Augustine said. “At first, I didn’t know it was Eric. Then I asked him if he was kidding. I went downstairs to the Internet and when I saw it, I was ecstatic. I couldn’t say anything.”

Both were part of a Watauga team that finished 11-4 this season and reached the fourth round of the state 4-A playoffs for the second straight season. The Pioneers’ offense generated an average of 329 yards and scored 29.5 points per game. Watauga scored at least 50 points in two games, including a 52-36 victory over Central Cabarrus in the second round of the playoffs. Before the playoffs, the Pioneers beat Freedom for the second straight year and ended the regular season with a 25-13 win over A.C. Reynolds to claim a share of the Northwestern 4-A Conference championship.

Augustine said it helped that the offensive line started playing better after a loss to East Burke. Trey Dunnigan was moved to left guard, and soon after, the line started to gel.

“We couldn’t figure out who was going to play there,” Augustine said. “Trey Dunnigan never played offensive line in his life, but he stepped in and did an amazing job for us and we made our run at the end after the East Burke game.

“We just came together as a team,” Breitenstein added. “Everybody wanted to win and to work to a common goal.”