Published: 11:37 AM, 11/03/2009

Last updated: 12:52 PM, 11/17/2009

By: Steve Behr Sports Editor

It started out as a disaster. It ended as a touchdown.
Watauga's first drive of the game got off to a rough start when usually sure-handed Trey Kavanaugh muffed the opening kickoff and recovered the ball at the Pioneers' 5-yard line. It's not an ideal way to start any game, let alone a team such as Hickory.
But Kavanaugh, and the rest of the Watauga offense set the tone for a dominating performance against the Tornadoes. The Pioneers marched 95 yards in 16 plays to the end zone and a 7-0 lead. Logan Smith did the scoring honors by running the ball over the goal line from three yards out.
The drive chewed up 7:25 off the clock and was the only score in the first quarter.
"It seems in games that we usually open up with a good drive," Watauga quarterback Devan Corum said. "I saw the bobble and stuff, but I felt confident about it. We went out there and we executed and one thing that helped is we didn't have any penalties on that drive. We were able to execute and coach (Tim Pruitt) put together something great and we just did it."
Of the 16 plays in the drive, 14 were running plays.
Just two, a 31-yard pass from Devan Corum to Travis Oliver (on a third-and-10), and a third-and-six completion to Oliver, were the only pass plays. Actually, Corum was sacked on his first pass attempt, but that was overcome with Oliver's diving catch on the 31-yard catch.
"Almost every game we seem to come out the first drive and score," Pioneers tackle Matt Horney said.
The drive was a sign that Watauga's offensive line could control the line of scrimmage. Watauga finished with 219 yards rushing on 52 carries. It was not a season high, but Watauga's 33:23 in time of possession was.
Watauga was able to pile up the yardage despite not having one run go for more than 21 yards. That run was a touchdown scamper by Baker Stanley in the fourth quarter that gave the Pioneers a commanding 34-10 lead with 10:01 left in the game. Corum's longest run was 13 yards and Smith's longest was just 11.
"I'll take three fours any day," Horney said. "That's a first down. Whatever we can get, if it can keep the chains moving, it's what works."
The first drive was not Watauga's lone drive to start deep in the Pioneers' territory, Watauga marched 74 yards in 12 plays with the final 22 yards coming on a Corum TD pass to Oliver. That play gave Watauga a 13-7 lead, and Watauga led 13-10 at halftime.
Stanley's touchdown capped a 62-play, seven-play drive.
"We worked hard on the run all week," center Jared Pitts said. "We had a little bit of trouble with the passing game in the beginning,  but we got caught up with it and took it down the field."
Corum completed 7-of-11 passes for 122 yards, giving the Pioneers 341 total yards on 63 plays.
"It was a good night, especially on Senior Night," Oliver, a senior, said. "I gave all the credit to the seniors tonight. We worked our butts off to get here all year. The line did a great job protecting Devan  and Devan just threw it up there. He threw perfect passes all night."

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