Warhorse winning streak snapped at 14

Owen unable to overcome Reynolds on the road

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 21, 2021

When the Owen Warhorses made the short trip to A.C. Reynolds, Oct. 20, for an eastern Buncombe County soccer matchup against the Rockets, who entered the contest with a 13-3-2 mark, they brought a 14-game winning streak to R.L. Dalton Stadium with them.

By the time the dust settled on the physical contest, the Warhorses came away with their first loss since their mid-August season opener.

The Rockets escaped with a 2-1 victory, despite a fierce second half comeback attempt by Owen. The home team took an early lead with a goal by senior Cyrus Anger just in just under eight minutes. The Warhorses would launch a sustained attack on the Reynolds goal a short time later, but were unsuccessful in their attempts to even the score.

Reynolds carried their 1-0 lead into the half, as Owen head coach David Fiest discussed strategic adjustments with his players.

The Rockets extended their lead in seventh minute of the second half, but Owen sophomore Daniel Garcia would cut into that advantage after racing past several defenders and blasting a shot past the opposing goalkeeper.

Reynolds relied on a combination of precision passing and tenacious defense to hold on for the win.

The loss was the second of the season for the Warhorses, who have outscored their opponents by a combined 99-14 through 16 matches. The reigning Western Highlands champions are 8-0 in conference play.

Owen will wrap up its final week of the regular season, beginning Monday, Oct. 25, when the team travels to Newland to face Avery. The Warhorses will play their final regular season home of the campaign at 7 p.m., Oct. 25, when they host Madison for Senior Night.

A gallery of photos from the Oct. 20 match between Owen and Reynolds can be found at the top of the page.