Freedom hasn't had much luck against Watauga recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Patriots will face off against the Pioneers at 7:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Watauga will take on a team with plenty of momentum: Freedom extended their winning streak to five last Friday. The Patriots blew past A.C. Reynolds 70-20. The Patriots' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Kaden Davis
| 09/19/25 vs A.C. Reynolds | 6 |
| 09/12/25 @ T.C. Roberson | 2 |
| 09/05/25 @ East Burke | 3 |
| 08/29/25 @ Draughn | 2 |
| 08/22/25 vs Patton | 4 |
Freedom had a senior duo take command as Kaden Davis threw for 318 yards and six touchdowns while completing 92.9% of his passes and Kobe Johnson picked up 252 receiving yards and six TDs. Thanks to that big game, Davis is now up to 17 passing touchdowns on the season. Cam Brown helped Davis out on the ground, rushing for 68 yards and a pair of scores.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Freedom proved: they limited A.C. Reynolds to a paltry 1.2 yards per carry. The team can thank Zaydrian Hausley for the heroic effort on defense: he. Freedom didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged 7.7.
Freedom didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Johnson and Hausley. Freedom received some extra help from Johnson, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, Watauga won against Erwin last Saturday with 49 points and they decided to stick to that point total again on Friday. The Pioneers took their matchup with ease, bagging a 49-7 victory over Asheville. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 35-7.
Watauga had a senior duo take command as Cade Keller rushed for 42 yards and one touchdown and Everett Gryder rushed for 43 yards and a pair of TDs. Keller showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 69 yards. Speaking of playmakers, who could forget Nyle Peays, who went all the way with a kickoff return for a touchdown.
Freedom's win bumped their record up to 5-0. As for Watauga, their victory bumped their record up to an identical 5-0.
Friday's game will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Davis and Keller. Davis just won't slow down this season and has thrown 17 touchdowns while averaging 220.6 passing yards per game. Keller has been a dominant force too and has thrown 13 touchdowns (and no picks) while averaging 164.6 passing yards per game.
Freedom was dealt a bruising 42-6 loss at the hands of Watauga in their previous meeting back in November of 2024. That matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point the Patriots were down 21-0.
