Commentary:

Good stuff going

on this weekend
By Steve Behr, sports editor
sports@wataugademocrat.com

Sports fans in the High Country should not be hurting for things to attend if they want to drive the extra mile, or miles as the case may be.

It all starts Thursday night when Appalachian State hosts Furman in a Southern Conference showdown. The Mountaineers then host Niagara in a BracketBusters matchup Saturday.

Appalachian State got into the BracketBusters last year when they played at Wichita State last year. The Mountaineers went into a hostile gym and walked out with a 60-58 victory.

Niagara comes into Holmes with a 17-8 record. They have the top scorer in the country in 6-foot-4 forward Charron Fisher. They have another high-scoring player in guard Tyrone Lewis.

They should be fun to watch. Appalachian State has not beaten Niagara in three tries, including a loss at old Varsity Gym.

The games are the first option since an ice storm is expected to come through the area. Hopefully, the ice will melt by the 1 p.m. tip-off time, so folks can venture to the Holmes Center.

Another option is just 87 miles east of Boone. Three Watauga wrestlers — Jacob Earp, Savva Kostis and Justin Hyatt — are wrestling for state championships this weekend.

The matches begin Friday at Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem. Earp, who is 26-2, takes on Larnell Edgerton of Fayetteville 71st in the first round of the 135-pound weight class.

Edgerton, a sophomore, is 44-18 this year. Earp finished second in the state tournament last year.

Kostis, who is 33-3, takes on Derek Adams of Southeast Raleigh. Adams, a senior, is 36-5, while Kostis, also a senior, finished second in the state tournament last year.

Making his first appearance in the state tournament is Hyatt, who is 46-4 at 152 pounds this year. His first opponent is John Newton, 40-6, or Roxboro Person. Newton is a junior.

“I think we’ve got pretty good chances,” Watauga coach James Eichmiller said. “All three guys have a good chance of winning a state title. They all got good draws and I expect all of them to be in the semifinals on Saturday.

The tournament begins Friday at 9 a.m., and goes on Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. The finals are Saturday night at 6.

Eichmiller said none of the Pioneers have wrestled against their opening opponents. Watauga wrestled in a tournament at Chapel Hill, but that was the only time they faced much competition from the eastern part of the state.

Eichmiller also said the Pioneers practiced hard Monday, but switched to lighter workouts during the rest of the week.

“We worked a little technique to stay loose,” Eichmiller said. “We want them peaked and ready to go.”