Warhorses cook up winning culture in spring football
Owen players take the field as Booster Club holds BBQ fundraiser
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
May 18, 2023
Footballs and barbecue smoke are floating through the air in the Swannanoa Valley this week, as the Warhorses kick off spring practice while the Owen Athletic Booster Club hosts its BBQ Fundraiser supporting the team.
They’re both key ingredients in a winning culture being cooked up by the Owen football coaching staff and the community the program represents.
The Warhorses strapped on helmets and shoulder pads, May 15, to open their two-week spring football program. The daily practices offer a glance into the progress players have made since the season ended in the fall, according to head coach Zach Gibson.
“We took a couple of weeks off after last season,” said Gibson, who is entering his second campaign at the helm. “These kids have been working their tails off since then, and spring practice gives us a chance to see what we’ve been building since January.”
The workouts come as coaches and players adjust to what Gibson describes as an overhaul of the team’s culture.
“We put a lot of energy into establishing who we are, as a team, and they ran with it,” he said. “These players have been serious in the weight room, pushing themselves and each other. Our average (maximum) squats, as a team, has increased by 60 pounds. So, they’re starting to see the impact of that hard work.”
The formula for success on the field, Gibson continued, centers around shared accountability and team chemistry.
“The foundation for everything we do is hard work,” he said. “But, we have four pillars - discipline, fellowship, preparedness and physicality - that are built off that. There’s no sitting in the weight room, the locker room is kept clean, the players get to classes and school on time, so we’re doing everything the right way.”
Players have bonded over that approach, according to the coach.
“The unity within the team right now is amazing; it’s one of the closest groups I’ve seen,” Gibson said. “It’s been something we’ve all noticed since February, and then into March. Here we are in May, and that bond keeps getting stronger, so we feel good about what that will look like, Aug. 18, when we roll over to Enka.”
The Warhorses will open the season on the road against the Jets before coming back to the Swannanoa Valley, Friday, Aug. 25, to host North Buncombe in their home opener. Players will spend most of the summer around their teammates, at the school.
“We’ll be back in the weight room that Monday after school lets out,” Gibson said. “We have two dead weeks in July, and we’ll be ready to go full-speed after that.”
Learning the basics of a new system and steady improvement will continue to be the focus of the spring session.
“The goal is for day eight to look far better than day one,” Gibson said. “These kids are excited about football, and they’re all looking forward to the season. We’re installing a base, so when these guys line up on offense and defense, they’ll understand what everything means. We want to walk away from the spring with smiles on our faces, feeling like it was a successful couple of weeks.”
While the Warhorses will be hard at work on the practice field, their biggest supporters - the Owen Athletic Booster Club - will hold a fundraiser, May 19. The nonprofit organization will set up at the Black Mountain Golf course where they will sell barbecue plates for $10, with all proceeds going to the football team.
To place an order and support the Warhorses, call the booster club at 828-713-7871. The meals will be available for pick-up from 4 -6 p.m.
Photos of the Owen Warhorse spring practice on May 17 can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.