South Caldwell provides great rivalry
by Steve Behr Sports Editor
SAWMILLS - It's rare when you can be a one-high school county, and get a good rivalry in any other sport besides football.
Watauga's baseball team has such a rivalry in South Caldwell. A new chapter was written last night when the Spartans rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat Watauga 4-3 in eight innings.
As of 2010, this is the best rivalry any team at Watauga has. Technically, this could be classified as a border war since Watauga and Caldwell counties share a border.
But geography has nothing to do with this one. This one is based on performance.
It's based on two teams usually battling it out for the Northwestern Conference championships with players that often can be seen at a local college near you.
This rivalry is about Watauga winning the regular-season championship last year, but South Caldwell winning the tournament.
It's about former South star left-hander Madison Bumgarner going 9-1 against the Pioneers, the only loss being his first game he faced Watauga.
It's about South Caldwell winning a state championship one year, and then Watauga's Tyler Moore tossing a one-hitter - an infield hit at that - and stunning the Spartans 1-0 in Sawmills. South was ranked seventh - in the nation - at the time.
It's about Jon Sharpe, Cody Penny and Cody Poarch (is every 10th boy born in Caldwell County named Cody?), Baine Martin, Dalton Hardee all excelling in games that always have a playoff feel.
It's about Bumgarner, Jimmy Messer, Penny and Poarch, South Caldwell's seemingly endless supply of pitchers who throw 90 miles-per-hour rockets at the Pioneers face, no matter where the teams are in the standings.
It's about Watauga's Will Littlejohn, who pitched a terrific game against the Spartans, but fell in the NWC Tournament finals last year. The game was pushed back from a Thursday to the following Monday because of a wet M.S. Deal stadium.
With Watauga ace Sharp being saved for the state playoff game that Friday, and will Cal Hardee already pitched the previous game, Littlejohn turned in a gutsy performance that would have likely beaten any other NWC team except South Caldwell.
And it's about two coaches, Watauga's Pete Hardee and South Caldwell's Jeff Parham, who would rather lose their pensions than lose this game.
It's nothing personal. It's just Watauga vs. South Caldwell, the best rivalry the Pioneers have.
Watauga's baseball team has such a rivalry in South Caldwell. A new chapter was written last night when the Spartans rallied from a 3-1 deficit to beat Watauga 4-3 in eight innings.
As of 2010, this is the best rivalry any team at Watauga has. Technically, this could be classified as a border war since Watauga and Caldwell counties share a border.
But geography has nothing to do with this one. This one is based on performance.
It's based on two teams usually battling it out for the Northwestern Conference championships with players that often can be seen at a local college near you.
This rivalry is about Watauga winning the regular-season championship last year, but South Caldwell winning the tournament.
It's about former South star left-hander Madison Bumgarner going 9-1 against the Pioneers, the only loss being his first game he faced Watauga.
It's about South Caldwell winning a state championship one year, and then Watauga's Tyler Moore tossing a one-hitter - an infield hit at that - and stunning the Spartans 1-0 in Sawmills. South was ranked seventh - in the nation - at the time.
It's about Jon Sharpe, Cody Penny and Cody Poarch (is every 10th boy born in Caldwell County named Cody?), Baine Martin, Dalton Hardee all excelling in games that always have a playoff feel.
It's about Bumgarner, Jimmy Messer, Penny and Poarch, South Caldwell's seemingly endless supply of pitchers who throw 90 miles-per-hour rockets at the Pioneers face, no matter where the teams are in the standings.
It's about Watauga's Will Littlejohn, who pitched a terrific game against the Spartans, but fell in the NWC Tournament finals last year. The game was pushed back from a Thursday to the following Monday because of a wet M.S. Deal stadium.
With Watauga ace Sharp being saved for the state playoff game that Friday, and will Cal Hardee already pitched the previous game, Littlejohn turned in a gutsy performance that would have likely beaten any other NWC team except South Caldwell.
And it's about two coaches, Watauga's Pete Hardee and South Caldwell's Jeff Parham, who would rather lose their pensions than lose this game.
It's nothing personal. It's just Watauga vs. South Caldwell, the best rivalry the Pioneers have.