Warhorses notch first victory of Brint Russell era
Owen outlasts Albemarle on the road, 34-21
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
September 4, 2021
As the Journey power ballad “Don’t Stop Believin’” echoed from the loudspeakers around the stadium at Albemarle High School, Sept. 3, the lyrics were drowned out by the cheers of the Owen Warhorses, who were celebrating their first victory under head coach Brint Russell.
It was a fitting moment for the Owen football team, which battled back from a 7-point halftime deficit to secure the 34-21 win.
“We’re a good football team, and we can be a really good football team if we start games with our hair on fire and play with energy and passion,” Russell told his team on the field after the game. “I said get 11 hats to the football, and once we started doing that, they weren’t getting first downs and we were playing great. Now, we have to start games like that.”
If the Warhorses were impacted by the 150-mile bus trip to Ablemarle, they didn’t show it in the first quarter, posting an early 14-0 lead with touchdowns from junior quarterback Alex Sanchez and senior running back Briggs Barker.
The Bulldogs responded in the second quarter with a deep touchdown pass by sophomore quarterback Ander Artis. The home team cut Owen’s lead to 1 after recovering a Warhorse fumble on the ensuing drive. Powered by a sequence of successful runs, the Bulldogs offense scored its second touchdown of the night, but failed to convert the extra point.
Albemarle would score again in the final seconds of the half, and a successful 2-point conversion put them up by 7.
The Warhorses wasted little time evening the score when they opened the third quarter with a short kickoff that was recovered by senior Eli Lanter in Bulldog territory. With Sanchez hobbled by an injury in the first half, Lanter took over at quarterback, leading the Owen offense down the field for a game-tying touchdown.
Owen would take the lead later in the quarter, after recovering an Albemarle fumble. Senior Cadyn Cook put the Warhorses ahead for good with a long touchdown run. The Warhorses added another touchdown in the fourth quarter, scoring 20 unanswered points in the second half.
The victory was sweet for Russell, who fulfilled a lifelong dream of returning to his alma mater to coach his former team.
“If you would’ve told me we’d be out here at Albemarle High School, where they have a storied program with five state championships, and getting a gutsy win for our own storied program, I would’ve taken it,” he said of his first win as the coach of the Warhorses. “But, really it’s about these kids, and I can’t say enough about them. I’m so proud of the way they played, especially in the second half.”
Credit for the win starts with the offensive line, according to the coach.
“They decided they were going to take the game over in the third quarter, and that’s exactly what they did,” he said.
The line cleared the way for the Warhorses to rush for 296 yards on 46 carries, creating opportunities for Lanter when he lined up under center to start the third quarter.
“Alex got hurt in the first half, and Eli came in and did what seniors do,” Russell said. “He played great for us.”
The effort of Johnson, who led Owen with 94 rushing yards on 18 carries, was another key to the team’s success, he added.
“Will came in after (Kameron Moore) went down, and I was super proud of him and the way he responded,” Russell said.
As the team prepared for the long journey home, the coach anticipated the trip back to the Swannanoa Valley would be a fun one.
“If we lost, it would be a long, quiet ride,” Russell said. “Now, maybe we’ll watch Air Bud or something on the bus ride back, or the kids will dance and have fun, but I’m just excited for them.”
The Warhorses improved to 1-1 this season with the win, and will host North Henderson, Friday, Sept. 10. The Knights enter next week’s contest with an identical 1-1 mark, after their first victory of the season, Aug. 27, when they defeated Rosman, 56-21.