Warhorses defend home turf in season finale

Owen honors nine seniors with 35-21 victory over Madison

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 28, 2023

In old western movies, the good guy often shows up wearing white in the final act, as he dispatches his foes, but in eastern Buncombe County, Oct. 27, the Owen football team stepped on the field in Warhorse Stadium wearing all black, and nine seniors rode off in the sunset victorious. 

Owen closed out the 2023 regular season with its first home win of the season, outdueling Madison, 35-21, on Senior Night. 

The Warhorses, who entered the night 1-8, hosted the 2-7 Patriots in a Western Highlands Conference clash. The game marked the last time seniors Will Johnson, Elba Njee, Ben Austin, Ryland King, Jakob Knighton, Hudson Minks, Vaden Aldridge, Mason Cook and Alex Greene would buckle their chin straps as Owen football players. 

The team responded by delivering head coach Zach Gibson the first home victory of his Warhorse career. 

Madison jumped out to an early lead with a 70-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage, but Knighton, who finished his Owen career as the first quarterback to throw for more than 2,000 yards in a season, connected with Austin to tie the game at 7-7. 

The teams traded touchdowns later in the first quarter, as Knighton again found Austin in the end zone to cut the Patriots lead to 14-13, which remained the score going into the second half. 

As Owen took the field to begin the third quarter, Johnson, who finished the night with 210 yards and 3 touchdowns, took over. 

The running back and reigning conference defensive player of the year gave his team the lead with a 42-yard touchdown run, and successful 2-point conversion, early in the second half. The Patriots capitalized on a fumble later in the third quarter to tie the game, 21-21.

Knighton led another Warhorse drive into Madison territory with a pair of completions to Austin and Minks, before Johnson capped it off with his second touchdown run of the night.

A 71-yard touchdown carry by Johnson in the fourth quarter put Owen ahead by 14, and the Warhorse defense held the Patriots in check to close out the contest.

As the final seconds ticked away, the Warhorses showered their head coach with ice water to celebrate his first home victory.

“I couldn’t be more proud of you guys,” an emotional Gibson told his players at midfield after the game. “We’ve been through so much, but to send these seniors out like this, I’ve never been more proud, and I want to thank you all for letting me coach you this season.”

The nine seniors, he added, were walking off the field for the final time as winners.

“Our offensive line has been ridiculed, but you guys absolutely manhandled them tonight,” Gibson said, as his team erupted in cheers.

Closing out his high school football career with a victory at Warhorse Stadium was “a feeling like no other,” according to the quarterback.

“I hadn’t won at home in two years, and this is the best feeling in the world,” Knighton said. “Playing in front of your family on Senior Night and going out with a bang is amazing.”

Knighton reflected on his Owen playing career.

“I love this game with all my heart,” he said. “I want to win, and tonight we’re winners.”

Johnson said he was finally feeling like himself coming into the final game of the season.

“I’m a little disappointed it took me so long to fully recover from an injury early in the season, but this week I knew I was coming in at full strength,” he said. “Most people don’t get to walk off the field with a win in their final game, so I’m going to remember this feeling for a long time.”

Gibson praised his seniors and underclassmen for not giving up on a challenging season.

“This has been a long time coming, and it’s hard to put into words,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of missed opportunities and things that haven’t gone our way. These kids absolutely played their hearts out.”

All nine seniors, he added, will be remembered as a close-knit group that led the program through adversity.

“The maturity and determination of this group is why we won this game tonight in dominating fashion,” Gibson said. “We’ve been criticized on defense and for our rushing game, but tonight we had a 210-yard rushing performance by Will and four stops on fourth down.”

Gibson credited his quarterback with maintaining his composure throughout a difficult season.

“That kid is going to do great things in life,” Gibson said. “We went from a wing T to an air raid, and he carried us on his back. Not a lot of kids can do that, but he sure can, and I’m grateful to his parents for letting me coach him.”

Winning in front on of the home fans to close out the campaign was a great feeling, he continued.

“It felt great to get that first home win, but tonight is all about these players,” Gibson said. “These seniors are a special group of players, and their teammates came out and put it all on the line to give them this moment.”

Photos of Owen football Senior Night can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.