Owen slides to 0-2 in home loss

North Buncombe runs to 32-13 victory over the Warhorses

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 26, 2023

A pair of first half touchdowns against North Buncombe, Aug. 25, were not enough to secure Owen’s first victory of the season, as the Warhorses fell to the Black Hawks, 32-13.

Owen slipped to 0-2 with the loss, while North Buncombe won consecutive games for the first time since 2020.

The Warhorses entered their home opener without seniors and team captains Will Johnson and Ben Austin, and struggled to contain the ground game of North Buncombe, which established a 10-0 lead in the opening quarter.

The Owen offense responded early in the second, when senior quarterback Jakob Knighton connected with wide receiver Hudson Minks on a deep pass along the right sideline. Sophomore Brandon Ledbetter put the Warhorses on the scoreboard with a 17-yard touchdown run.

The Black Hawks extended their lead to on the subsequent possession, before Knighton found Minks again for a 60-yard touchdown pass. Following a blocked extra point attempt, Owen entered the half down 17-13.

Owen opened the second half with a short drive that ended with a fumble that was recovered by North Buncombe, which capitalized on the change of possession with an early touchdown. A Black Hawks interception on the ensuing Warhorse drive led to another North Buncombe touchdown in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter.

The Black Hawks added to their lead with a safety in the closing minutes of the game.

Owen will return to Warhorse Stadium at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 1, when they host North Henderson, which defeated Rosman, 41-14, on Friday night.

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