All maroon in Warhorse Stadium

Owen opens football season with 28-14 win at home against West Henderson

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
February 27, 2021

When the Owen Warhorses took the field for their season opener, Feb. 27, they were wearing maroon helmets, jerseys and pants. As the game against West Henderson got underway, it was, like the uniforms, all maroon.

Owen opened the season 1-0 with a 28-14 victory over West Henderson Falcons.

The Warhorses, led by senior quarterback Caleb Scott and senior running back Dequan Boyce, never trailed during the contest. The win in front of the home crowd at Warhorses Stadium was especially sweet, according to head coach Nathan Padgett, because of the uncertainty surrounding the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We were excited for the opportunity just to play and finish the game,” Padgett said following the victory. “We’re not guaranteed any game at this point, so to win on this field after our Senior Day festivities, makes me super proud of those 11 kids who have been here all these years.”

Padgett opted to honor the seniors before the first game of the season, instead of the traditional final home game, to ensure the ceremony would take place.

The Owen senior football players, band members and cheerleaders stood on the field before the game.

The Warhorses also honored a pair of influential people associated with the football program who passed away between the final game of the 2019 season and Saturday’s contest. Each player wore decals memorializing former head coach Jim LeVine, who passed away Jan. 3, and Tate Brown, a star player on the Warhorses’ 2014 squad who succumbed to cancer last summer after a courageous battle against the disease.

It was important for the team to recognize the two men, Padgett said, calling them key figures in the community and football program.

Boyce led the ground attack for the Warhorses, picking up 77 yards on 10 carries. Scott rushed for 42 yards while going 6 of 11 on pass attempts for 134 yards.

Owen will attempt to pick up its second win of the season next Friday when they host East Henderson. The Eagles will enter the contest 0-1 after falling to North Henderson on Feb. 26.

To see photos of the Warhorses’ win over West Henderson, view the gallery below.