Basketball Battle: Watauga Vs Hickory, Who Took The Crown?

who won mens basketball watauga at hickory

The Watauga boys' basketball team and the Hickory Red Tornadoes are both high-school basketball teams from North Carolina. On December 15, 2019, the Hickory Red Tornadoes beat the Watauga boys' basketball team 66-59 at Watauga's Lentz-Eggers Gym. The Red Tornadoes' victory was led by Cody Young and Davis Amos, who scored 25 points each. This win stopped Watauga's two-game winning streak. Watauga has had other notable wins and losses, including a 70-43 victory over Ashe County High School in February 2025 and a close 77-81 loss to Freedom High School in the same month.

Characteristics Values
Date of the game December 15
Venue Lentz-Eggers Gym
Winner Hickory
Final score 66-59
Top scorers for Hickory Cody Young and Davis Amos (25 points each)
Top scorers for Watauga Zach West (19 points) and Blane St. Clair (15 points)
Watauga's record before the game 7-7, 2-3 Northwestern Conference
Hickory's record before the game 11-2, 4-1 NWC

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The Red Tornadoes beat Watauga 66-59

The Hickory High School boys' basketball team, nicknamed the Red Tornadoes, beat the Watauga Pioneers 66-59 in a close game on December 15, 2019, at Watauga's Lentz-Eggers Gym. This win stopped Watauga's two-game winning streak and was the Red Tornadoes' seventh victory in their last eight games.

The Pioneers started strong, taking a 20-14 lead by the end of the first quarter. However, the Red Tornadoes fought back in the second quarter, outscoring Watauga 15-12. Despite this, Watauga maintained a slim 32-29 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, Hickory's Cody Young and Davis Amos took over, combining for 25 points each and giving the Red Tornadoes a 22-10 advantage in the quarter. Young, a running back for Hickory's football team, added 10 points to his tally, while Amos contributed eight. This surge gave Hickory a significant lead going into the final period.

Watauga's Zach West and Blane St. Clair tried to keep their team in the game, scoring 19 and 15 points, respectively. However, it wasn't enough to overcome Hickory's duo of Young and Amos, who dominated throughout.

The Red Tornadoes' victory showcased their resilience and determination, coming back from an early deficit to secure the win. Hickory's ability to adjust and find their rhythm in the second and third quarters was crucial to their success, with Young and Amos' scoring prowess proving too much for Watauga to handle.

This game highlighted the talent and competitiveness of both teams, with Hickory ultimately edging out Watauga in a thrilling contest, adding to the rivalry between these two schools.

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Hickory duo Cody Young and Davis Amos scored 25 points each

The Hickory boys' basketball team emerged victorious over Watauga in a thrilling contest. The dynamic duo of Cody Young and Davis Amos stole the show, each scoring 25 points to propel the Hickory Red Tornadoes to a hard-fought 66-59 victory over their rivals.

Young, a talented guard, and Amos, a formidable 6-foot-6 forward, combined for a dominant performance that proved too much for Watauga to handle. The game, held on December 15 at Watauga's Lentz-Eggers Gym, saw the home team start strong, taking a 20-14 lead by the end of the first quarter. However, Hickory slowly but surely began to find their rhythm, outscoring Watauga 15-12 in the second quarter.

Despite this surge, Watauga maintained a slim 32-29 lead at halftime, with their players moving the ball effectively and getting contributions from their key scorers. Yet, it was in the third quarter that the Hickory duo of Young and Amos truly ignited, sparking a remarkable 22-10 run that turned the game on its head. Young's athleticism and playmaking abilities, honed as a running back for Hickory's football team, coupled with Amos' size and skill in the paint, created a formidable one-two punch that Watauga struggled to contain.

Young and Amos's combined 50 points accounted for nearly 76% of Hickory's total score, showcasing their immense impact on the game. Their performance not only halted Watauga's two-game winning streak but also extended Hickory's impressive run to seven wins in their last eight games. The victory improved Hickory's record to an impressive 11-2, showcasing their dominance in the highly competitive basketball landscape.

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Watauga's Zach West scored 19 points

Watauga's Zach West was the team's top scorer in their game against Hickory on December 15. West scored 19 points, with Blane St. Clair close behind with 15 points. Despite their strong performance, Watauga lost to Hickory 66-59, bringing an end to their two-game winning streak.

West's performance contributed to a close game, with Watauga leading 20-14 at the end of the first quarter and maintaining a 32-29 lead at halftime. However, Hickory's duo of Cody Young and Davis Amos proved too strong, each scoring 25 points to secure the win for the visiting team.

The game was a hard-fought contest, with Hickory pulling away in the third quarter, outscoring Watauga 22-10. This gave them a significant advantage going into the final quarter, and despite Watauga's efforts, they were unable to regain the lead.

West's 19 points were crucial in keeping Watauga in contention for most of the game. His scoring, along with the contributions of St. Clair and other teammates, showcased the team's ability to move the ball effectively and get shots from their key players.

While the final score resulted in a loss for Watauga, West's performance, along with the team's overall effort, was commended by their coach, Rob Sanders, who acknowledged their strong start and ability to compete with a talented Hickory team.

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Watauga's two-game winning streak was stopped

This result was a setback for Watauga, who had been looking to build on their recent wins and challenge traditional basketball power Hickory. Despite the loss, Watauga's coach Rob Sanders praised his team's performance, acknowledging that they had come up against a strong opponent:

> "Our guys came out of the gate playing pretty well... We went into halftime pretty confident that we could play with them and a lot of their run in the end of the second quarter we felt was us."

Hickory's coach, Andy Poplin, also acknowledged Watauga's strong performance, while noting that his own team had not played to their full potential:

> "I don’t want to make excuses, but I thought we were a little bit flat... They were up, so a lot of credit to Watauga. They moved the ball. They got shots from the guys who were supposed to be shooting. They scored the ball. They rebounded the ball, all credit to them."

This game was a closely contested battle, with Watauga putting up a strong fight but ultimately unable to overcome the duo of Young and Amos, who combined for 50 points. Watauga's top scorers were Zach West with 19 points and Blane St. Clair with 15 points.

The loss brought Watauga's record to 7-7, 2-3 in the Northwestern Conference, while Hickory improved to 11-2, 4-1 in the NWC.

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The game took place on 15 December 2019

On 15 December 2019, the Watauga boys' basketball team faced off against Hickory in a closely contested match. The game, held at Watauga's Lentz-Eggers Gym, saw the home team start strong, taking a 20-14 lead by the end of the first quarter. However, Hickory had other ideas and rallied back, outscoring Watauga 15-12 in the second quarter. Despite this, Watauga maintained a slim 32-29 lead going into halftime.

The turning point came in the third quarter as Hickory's duo of Cody Young and Davis Amos caught fire. Young, a guard, and Amos, a 6-foot-6 forward, combined for 25 points each, sparking a 22-10 Hickory run. Their dominant performance put the game out of reach for Watauga, as the visiting team took a commanding 46-36 lead.

Watauga's Zach West and Blane St. Clair tried to keep their team in the game, with West scoring 19 points and St. Clair adding 15. Despite their efforts, Hickory's defense proved too strong, and they closed out the game with a 66-59 victory, ending Watauga's two-game winning streak. This win marked Hickory's seventh victory in their last eight games, showcasing their dominance in the sport.

The game was a hard-fought battle, with both teams displaying their skills and determination. Hickory's coach, Andy Poplin, acknowledged Watauga's strong performance, while Watauga's coach, Rob Sanders, praised his team's initial momentum and their ability to keep up with Hickory in the first half. Despite the loss, Watauga's players and coaches demonstrated a positive attitude and a commitment to improvement, embodying the spirit of sportsmanship and teamwork.

Frequently asked questions

Hickory won the game with a final score of 66-59.

The game took place on December 15, 2019.

The game took place at Watauga's Lentz-Eggers Gym.

The top scorers for Hickory were Cody Young and Davis Amos, with 25 points each. The top scorer for Watauga was Zach West, with 19 points.

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