Warhorses fall hard in home opener

Albemarle stuns Owen, 57-12

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
September 3, 2022

The Owen football team stepped onto the field at Warhorse Stadium, Sept. 2, looking for its first win of the season, but was greeted by an Albemarle squad that was more than ready to spoil the occasion.

What followed was a stunning 57-12 defeat for the Warhorses, who fell to 0-2 in their 2022 home debut.

Owen entered the contest a week removed from a 57-15 loss on the road in its season opener against Chase, while the Bulldogs brought an 0-2 record to the Swannanoa Valley. Both teams had yet to hold a lead this season coming into Friday’s matchup.

That changed quickly for Albemarle, which picked off Warhorse senior quarterback Alex Sanchez in Owen territory on the opening drive. The Bulldogs found the end zone on their first play from scrimmage, giving them a 6-0 advantage, after a failed 2-point conversion attempt.

The teams exchanged punts on their subsequent possessions, before Sanchez and senior wide receiver Hunter Inabinett connected on a pair of passes late in the first quarter. The first of those completions moved the Warhorses into Albemarle territory, while the second came as Inabinett caught the ball over a defender for a touchdown. The game would remain tied, 6-6, through the first quarter, after the Bulldogs blocked Owen’s extra point attempt.

The Albemarle offense responded with its first sustained drive of the contest, consistently moving the ball on the ground against the Warhorse defense. The visiting team pulled ahead, 12-6, early in the second quarter with its second rushing touchdown of the night, which was followed by a missed extra point attempt.

The back-and-forth first half continued when the Owen offense returned to the field, with Sanchez once again connecting with Inabinett to move the ball to midfield. Junior running back Will Johnson led the Warhorses back into the end zone with a long touchdown run, but the game remain tied, 12-12, following another missed extra point attempt.

The Bulldogs pulled ahead, 18-12, with a pair of big running plays before halftime, and never looked back.

While the Owen defense forced an Albemarle punt to begin the third quarter, the Bulldogs defense extended the lead by stripping the ball from Inabinett and retuning it more than 50 yards for the score. The Warhorses turned the ball over in their own territory on the next drive, and Albemarle capitalized with another rushing touchdown.

Owen’s turnover troubles continued on the ensuing kickoff, which was recovered by Albemarle after the Warhorses failed to field the ball. The Bulldogs scored their fourth unanswered touchdown on the next play, taking a 38-12 lead.

Albemarle added three more touchdowns during the contest, improving to 1-2 on the season.

The Warhorses will attempt to pick up their first victory of the campaign, Friday, Sept. 9, when they travel to North Henderson to face the 1-1 Knights.

Photos of the Sept. 2 matchup between Owen and Albemarle can found in the gallery at the top of the page.