Warhorses come up short against Mitchell
Owen hosts Youth Night, recognizes longtime assistant coach Jack Slaughter
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
September 23, 2023
A celebratory evening energized the Warhorses, Sept. 22, as Owen hosted Youth Night and recognized a beloved assistant coach before taking on an unbeaten Western Highlands Conference rival. A packed Warhorse Stadium buzzed while players from the Warhorse Youth Football and Cheer League greeted their high school counterparts as they took the field, and students, staff and coaches honored Jack Slaughter, who will retire this year after working decades at his alma mater.
On the field, the home team responded with a hard-fought first half, but a powerful ground game propelled the Mountaineers to a 35-18 victory.
Dozens of the Swannanoa Valley’s youngest athletes greeted the Warhorses before the game and exchanged high-fives as players ran onto the field. In the minutes before the opening kickoff, Owen Principal Dawn Rookey escorted Slaughter to midfield.
Slaughter, a native of the Swannanoa Valley, attended Owen and played football under former longtime coach Kenny Ford, returned to his school as a physical education and health teacher, while serving as an assistant under four Warhorse head coaches.
His fellow coaches and the Owen student section wore camouflage pants and bucket hats, as an homage to Slaughter’s trademark style.
“I had no idea they had any of this going on,” Slaughter said on the sideline before the game. “I showed up, and was like, ‘why does everybody look like me?’”
While many onlookers sported a similar appearance, the Owen offense came out with a fresh new look. Head Coach Zach Gibson relied on a diverse aerial attack, led by senior quarterback Jakob Knighton. The Warhorse defense, however, established momentum early.
Owen seniors Elba Njee, Will Johnson and sophomore Tru Davis ended the opening Mitchell drive at midfield, forcing a turnover on downs. The Mountaineers scored the first points of the night on their next drive, as a pass by junior quarterback Caleb Cook was deflected and hauled in to move the team into Warhorse territory. Mitchell capped the drive with a 14-yard touchdown run, while a low snap foiled the extra point attempt.
The Warhorses responded with an ensuing drive in which Knighton connected with sophomore Hayden Burpeau and seniors Hudson Minks and Johnson. A short pass on the right side to Burpeau, who made big plays on offense, defense and special teams throughout the night, tied the game to start the second quarter.
Owen, which came into the contest with a 1-4 mark, entered halftime locked in a 6-6 tie with the conference leader.
The Warhorse offense, with athletic catches by Ben Austin and Ryland King, moved deep into Mitchell territory to open the second half. The drive ended with a Mountaineers interception on the goal line, while the visiting team capitalized on the turnover with a run-heavy drive that ended in a touchdown and successful 2-point conversion.
Penalties plagued the subsequent Owen drive, which ended with a deep Burpeau punt that was returned to the Warhorse 7. Mitchell extended its advantage on the first play of the drive, converting another 2-point conversion for a 22-6 lead.
Knighton and his receiving corps responded with a series of big plays late in the third quarter, as Minks drew a pass interference penalty to extend a possession. The quarterback floated a pass to the fingertips of King later in the drive, before Austin snagged a 35-yard touchdown reception to close the gap. The Warhorses were unsuccessful in their own conversion attempt, and trailed 22-12 by the end of the third quarter.
The running game of the Mountaineers offense strengthened in the fourth quarter, leading consecutive scoring drives on the way to a 35-12 lead, before the Knighton found Austin for a 45-yard touchdown pass late in the game.
The three-touchdown performance represented a season-best for the Owen offense through its first six games, as the pass-heavy approach created a high-tempo attack that created running opportunities late in the contest. The Warhorses will travel to Burnsville at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 29, to take on WHC foe, Mountain Heritage, which will enter the night, 3-2, coming off a 42-12 victory over Rosman.
Photos of Youth night and the game between Owen and Mitchell can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.