Cougars maul Warhorses in conference clash

Mountain Heritage unleashes offensive attack in 59-24 victory over Owen

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
September 30, 2023

The Owen Warhorses were attempting to avoid a three-game losing streak, Sept. 29, on the road in E.L. Briggs Stadium, where they faced off against a powerful Mountain Heritage offense.

The overwhelming attack of the Cougars, however, was too strong, as Owen fell, 59-24, in the Western Highlands Conference matchup.

The Warhorses, who entered the contest with a 1-5 mark against 3-2 Mountain Heritage, opened the night with a successful onside kick, followed by a drive deep into Cougar territory. The pass-heavy Owen offense, led by senior quarterback Jakob Knighton, ended at the 2-yard-line, when an errant snap was recovered by the defense.

Mountain Heritage capitalized on the turnover with a quick touchdown drive, adding another later in the quarter to establish an early 14-0 lead. The Cougars extended their first half advantage to 28-0 before Knighton, who finished the night with 392 passing yards and a pair of touchdown passes on 44 attempts, found senior receiver Hudson Minks in the end zone in the second quarter.

Mountain Heritage added another score before the half to take a 35-8 lead, but the Warhorses responded with a touchdown drive to open the third quarter.

The Cougars lead ballooned to 59-16 in the fourth quarter, when senior running back Will Johnson found his way into the end zone in the final minutes of the contest.

The Warhorses will look to rebound from the loss at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 6, when they host conference foe Rosman for homecoming.

Photos of the matchup between Owen and Mountain Heritage can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.