BOONE — The Watauga football team returns to the western regional finals for the first time since 2007, when the Pioneers were in the 4-A classification.

BOONE — Watauga cross-country runner Avery Cannon finished ninth in the South Region of the Footlocker Championships and will compete in the national championships in San Diego on Dec. 14.

BOONE — The Watauga football team went into its state 3-AA playoff game with visiting Mount Tabor averaging 51 points per game, but facing a Spartans team that has one of the top defenses in the 3-AA playoffs.

BOONE — The Watauga boys’ basketball team has already seen two games postponed this season.

STATESVILLE — The Watauga freshmen boys’ basketball team won its first game of the season by knocking off South Iredell 42-40 in double overtime on Nov. 23.

BOONE — The Watauga girls’ basketball team held a lead during most of its game against the defending 2-A state champions Mountain Heritage.

BOONE — Seven of the nine junior varsity girls’ basketball players were getting a first look at playing high school basketball at Lentz-Eggers Gym on Nov. 26.

BOONE — Appalachian State head football coach Eliah Drinkwitz confirmed Nov. 25 that receiver Corey Sutton has a torn ACL in is knee and is out for the season.

Watauga football coach Ryan Habich would prefer that the Pioneers practice on Thanksgiving then take the entire day off.

BOONE — The Watauga boys’ basketball team has gone through several changes since the end of the 2018-19 season.

Watauga boys’ and girls’ basketball coach Laura Barry is attempting to do something that few have tried — coach two programs at the same time.

BOONE — It’s no secret that Watauga’s offense is capable of piling up big yardage to go along with the big points the Pioneers have scored this season.

BLOWIING ROCK — The Blowing Rock boys’ basketball team used its size and its ability to get out on a fastbreak in its 55-25 win over visiting Cove Creek on Nov. 21.

BLOWING ROCK — In an early battle of unbeaten teams, visiting Cove Creek left the Blowing Rock gym with a 30-20 victory over the Rockets in middle school girls’ basketball on Nov. 21.

BOONE — When Watauga faces A.L. (Kannapolis) Brown in the second round of the state 3-AA football playoffs, the Pioneers face the Wonders themselves and the tradition that comes with them.

CONCORD — The Watauga boys’ soccer team had plenty of chances to reach the next level of the state 3-A soccer playoffs. The problem was the Pioneers could not convert those chances into points.

ZIONVILLE — The Mabel girls’ basketball team got 22 points from Diane McGlamery and cruised to a 38-17 win over visiting Green Valley in middle school girls’ basketball.

ZIONVILLE — Every member of the Green Valley boys’ basketball team scored in its 41-4 victory over host Mabel Nov. 18 at Mabel School.

BOONE — The high school basketball games that were scheduled to be played between Watauga and Avery on Nov. 22 have been postponed.

BOONE — Watauga quarterback Anderson Castle, wingback Jaiden Bond, running back Jake Watson and receiver Grant Thomas are familiar names on the Pioneers’ roster.

BOONE — Western Union County has produced its share of competitive football programs over the past 10 years.

BOONE — The Appalachian State men’s basketball team added two recruits on National Signing Day on Nov. 13, signing 6-foot-5 guard Michael Eads and 6-10 forward C.J. Huntley.

BOONE — The Watauga girls’ basketball team got a chance to face an opponent in a rehearsal with a scrimmage against visiting North Wilkes at Lentz-Eggers Gym on Nov. 14.

BOONE — The Blowing Rock middle school boys’ basketball team took a big first-quarter lead and never looked back in a 61-31 victory over Hardin Park at Hardin Park School on Nov. 14.

BOONE — The Blowing Rock girls’ basketball team used solid defense in the second half to beat Hardin Park 31-18 in middle school basketball at Hardin Park on Nov. 14.

BOONE — The Watauga boys’ soccer team overcame temperatures that dropped into the 30s and a physical showdown with visiting Statesville by taking a 3-1 victory over the Greyhounds in the third round of the state 3-A playoffs at Jack Groce Stadium on Nov. 13.

BOONE — Trey Kavanaugh has returned home to Boone more than once since graduating from Watauga High School and then from Appalachian State University.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Appalachian State gave up a lot of rushing yards in a 24-21 home loss to Georgia Southern on Oct. 31.

BOONE — When the Watauga boys’ soccer team hosted Marvin Ridge in the second round of the state 3-A playoffs, Pioneers coach Josh Honeycutt walked away very impressed with the Mavericks.

BOONE — The Appalachian State football team has plenty in common with Georgia State, the Mountaineers’ next opponent on Nov. 16.

BOONE — With weekend visits from five Sun Belt Conference opponents, along with midweek home games against ACC programs Wake Forest and North Carolina, App State baseball coach Kermit Smith announced on Nov. 11 the Mountaineers’ schedule for the 2020 season.

KERNERSVILLE — Watauga senior Avery Cannon thought the pace at the start of the 3-A state championship cross-country race was a bit slow.

HICKORY — The All-Northwestern Conference cross-country teams were officially announced Nov. 9.

RALEIGH — The Watauga football team was seeded second in the 3-AA western bracket and will face 15th-seeded Cuthbertson in the first round of the state playoffs Nov. 15 at Jack Groce Stadium.

BOONE — Appalachian State guard Bryant Greene got his chance to officially take the court for the first time in a regular-season game Nov. 7 at the Holmes Center.

BOONE — Appalachian State shot out to a big lead and never looked back in an 83-56 win over Ferrum in front of 1,021 fans at the Holmes Center Nov. 7.

VALLE CRUCIS — The Valle Crucis boys’ basketball team overcame an early 10-point deficit and took a 42-36 victory over visiting Hardin Park in the Cougars’ gym Nov. 7.

VALLE CRUCIS —Brielynn Meyers scored 19 points to lead the Hardin Park girls’ basketball team to a 35-22 victory over host Valle Crucis at the Valle Crucis gym Nov. 17.

BOONE — The Watauga boys’ soccer team cruised to a 5-0 victory over visiting Monroe in the first round of the state 3-A playoffs at chilly Jack Groce Stadium.

MORGANTON — Avery Cannon and Gavin Sweeney led the Watauga boys’ cross-country team to a 3-A west regional championship at the Freedom High School 5K course Nov. 2.

DEEP GAP — The Parkway girls’ basketball team took a big early lead against visiting Bethel in the Patriots’ 41-15 victory on Nov. 4.

DEEP GAP — The Parkway boys’ basketball team got 15 points from guard Maddox Greene and rolled to a 45-18 victory over visiting Bethel on Nov. 4.

BOONE — The Watauga boys’ soccer team hosts Monroe in the first round of the state 3-A playoffs at 6 p.m. Nov. 6 at Jack Groce Stadium.

MOUNT ULLA — The Watauga volleyball team saw its unbeaten streak come to an end in the fourth round of the state 3-A western regional Nov. 2 when top-seed West Rowan claimed a 25-23, 25-17, 22-25, 25-23 victory over the visiting fourth-seeded Pioneers at West Rowan’s gym.

HICKORY — The Watauga volleyball team was highly decorated in Northwestern Conference voting, which was released Nov. 2.

Watauga faced a formidable roadblock on its way to a second straight Northwestern Conference championship. A loss at Freedom on Nov. 1 would put a Watauga league title in serious jeopardy.

BOONE — The Watauga volleyball team wants not just to play with power and strength, but it wants to play with speed.

BOONE — The Watauga volleyball team, two days away from Halloween, turned Lentz-Eggers Gym into a house of horrors for visiting Concord Robinson.

HICKORY — Watauga’s No. 1-seeded singles player Jadyn Kadyk was named the Northwestern Conference girls’ tennis Player of the Year. The All-NWC team was announced Oct. 29.