High-flying Lions win big in season finale

ACA air attack lands 49-12 victory over Mount Zion Christian

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 29, 2022

The football was flying in Swannanoa, Oct. 28, when Asheville Christian Academy hosted their final game of the season. When it landed, it was often in the hands of a Lions receiver.

ACA closed out its 4-6 campaign with a 49-12 victory over Mount Zion Christian Academy, showcasing an aerial attack that was led by junior quarterback Javier Rice and senior wide receiver Jacob Price.

In their first season under head coach Rusty Bradley, the Lions unveiled a high-powered passing offense that quickly overwhelmed the visiting Warriors. Rice, who finished the night with 362 passing yards on 18 completions in 23 attempts, hit Price within the first two minutes of the game for his first of 6 touchdown passes in the contest.

The quarterback put the finishing touches on a junior season in which he passed for 3,287 yards and 37 touchdowns on 234 completions in 369 attempts.

Price, who hauled in 3 of those touchdowns Friday, finished his final high school game with 161 yards, while fellow senior receiver Bram Lowery racked up 120 yards and 2 touchdowns.

ACA found the end zone early and often in the first half, establishing a 14-0 lead in the opening quarter. Rice and his receiving corps picked up the pace in the second quarter, which got underway with a season-long 84-yard touchdown reception by Price. As the Lions defense forced a turnover on downs on the ensuing Mount Zion Christian possession, the offense capitalized when Rice lobbed a 24-yard touchdown pass to junior Kyiwonn McMorris, increasing their lead to 28-0.

Junior linebacker Max Dasher picked off his second pass of the game on the next Warriors drive, and Rice quickly connected with Lowery for a 59-yard pass down the sideline, which the duo followed with a touchdown reception.

ACA established a 42-0 lead by halftime and added a second half touchdown to the tally, while the Warriors offense found the end zone twice.

The victory marked the “bittersweet” end to a high school football career for Price, a Black Mountain native who transferred to ACA from Owen after his junior season.

“As a freshman, playing at Owen, playing my last football game, especially for ACA, was really something I couldn’t imagine,” said the receiver, who finished the season with 1,043 yards and 17 touchdowns. “But, getting a win tonight and ending the season right was really special to me.”

Price, who joined the Lions program in its second season, credits the coaching staff for his growth as a player.

“Coach Bradley has helped me and and my teammates so much, and in the next five years you’re going to see ACA really take off,” he said. “He has this way getting his players ready to play and wanting to play well for him, and that’s been a fun thing to be a part of.”

Price, who plans to continue his football career in college, is one of four seniors who played their final game in a Lions uniform on Friday night. The group played a major role in ending the season “on a high note,” the head coach said after the game.

“The team played so well on both sides of the ball,” Bradley said. “It was really important for us to come out, start fast, play well and try to get everybody into the game, which we were able to do in the second half.”

The coach was impressed with his team’s ability to adjust to a new coaching staff this season.

“When you look at where things were when we got going in the summer, and see how far these guys came, it’s exciting,” Bradley said. “We lost 48-19 to open the season, and ended up 4-6, which really could’ve easily been 5-5. The progress we’ve made, and with only losing four seniors, I’m really excited about the future of this team.”

Photos of the Lions’ victory over Mount Zion Christian Academy can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.

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