Football Recap: Watauga Takes Down Northern Guilford in a Playoff Battle

Pioneers

Previous Games

12/06/25 vs Northern Guilford	43-42
11/28/25 vs Sun Valley	31-28
11/21/25 vs Charlotte Catholic	27-19
11/14/25 vs St. Stephens	47-6
10/31/25 @ St. Stephens	28-18
+ 9 more games

Watauga had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. In a tight game that could have gone either way, they made off with a 43-42 win over the Northern Guilford Nighthawks. The Pioneers' victory was nothing new given the team hasn't lost yet this season.

Cade Keller was his usual excellent self, throwing for 267 yards and four TDs. Matthew Leon helped Keller out on the ground, rushing for 33 yards and one score, while also picking up 30 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Watauga didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Northern Guilford to a completion percentage of just 42.1%. The Pioneers weren't nearly as limited: they posted one of 70%.

Watauga didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Evan Burroughs and Bowen Mayo. Burroughs got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.

Northern Guilford's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Amare Akers, who rushed for 150 yards and three TDs. Akers is on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in each of the last four games he's played. Jaxson Kemp was another key player, rushing for 105 yards and a pair of scores on only ten carries.

Watauga's win bumped their record up to 14-0. As for Northern Guilford, their loss ended a five-game streak of away wins and brought them to 12-2.

Looking ahead, Watauga will face off against Middle Creek at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The Pioneers will need to watch out since the Mustangs have now posted at least 31 points in their last six contests. Northern Guilford does not have any more games scheduled as of now.