Football Game Preview: Watauga Pioneers vs. St. Stephens Indians

The Watauga Pioneers will head out to take on the St. Stephens Indians at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Watauga's favor is that they have posted at least 31 points every time they've taken the field this season.

On Friday, everything came up roses for Watauga against McDowell as the squad secured a 55-21 victory. The win continues a trend for the Pioneers in their matchups with the Titans: they've now won five in a row.

Cade Keller

Passing Touchdowns

10/24/25 vs McDowell	4
10/17/25 @ Alexander Central	3
10/10/25 vs South Caldwell	3
10/03/25 @ Freedom	2
09/26/25 @ Asheville	2
+ 4 more games

Watauga's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Cade Keller led the charge by throwing for 289 yards and four touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes, and also rushing for 32 yards and one TD. That's the most passing touchdowns Keller has posted since back in August. Another player making a difference was Nyle Peays, who picked up 186 receiving yards and three scores.

St. Stephens hadn't beaten South Caldwell on the road since October 23, 2015 but that history sure didn't bother them on Friday. The Indians took their contest with ease, bagging a 48-2 victory over the Spartans. That 46 point margin sets a new team best for the Indians this season.

Watauga's win bumped their record up to 9-0. As for St. Stephens, they now have a winning record of 5-4.

Everything came up roses for Watauga against St. Stephens in their previous meeting back in March of 2021, as the team secured a 49-13 victory. In that matchup, the Pioneers amassed a halftime lead of 35-6, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.