Warhorses score big in first win of the season
Owen defeats Rosman, 43-0, in Gibson’s first head coaching victory
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 8, 2022
The Owen Warhorses looked like a team on a mission, Oct. 7, when senior quarterback Alex Sanchez rolled to his right on the first play from scrimmage and fired a 31-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Ben Austin on the road against Rosman.
Four quarters later, as they gathered around first-year head coach Zach Gibson on the field in Silversteen Memorial Stadium, it was clear from the smiles on everyone’s faces they had accomplished it.
Owen notched its first win of the Gibson era in convincing fashion, blanking the Tigers, 43-0, led by 4 passing touchdowns from Sanchez. The team captain added a 98-yard rushing touchdown to his stat line in the fourth quarter.
Gibson, drenched from the ice water his players dumped on him after the win, praised the quarterback.
“He doesn’t waiver, he stays the course,” he said of Sanchez. “Wherever he plays, on offense or defense, he motivates the guys. I couldn’t be more proud of that young man.”
Sanchez connected with four different receivers for touchdowns, hitting fellow senior and running back Kameron Moore for his second of the night. Junior wide receiver Hudson Minks hauled in the third touchdown pass of the first half, which also included a 50-yard touchdown run by junior running back Will Johnson.
The Owen air attack continued in the third quarter when Sanchez found senior wide receiver Hunter Inabinett on the sideline for a 76-yard score.
The defense, led by Johnson, senior captain Daniel Rueda and brothers Jason and Logan Dash, allowed few scoring opportunities for Rosman, which fell to 0-7 in the loss. Whenever the Tigers did manage to make it into Owen territory they were stifled by a stout Warhorse defense.
“I could not be more proud of you guys and what you did tonight,” Gibson told a crowd of cheering players around him after the game. “You could’ve come in here like everybody predicted and won by 10, gave up 30 points and all this other stuff. But you bought in and did what you were supposed to do, and that’s the result.”
Then he ran out of words.
“I don’t even know what to say anymore,” he said, smiling. “That’s my first win.”
Players and coaches erupted in cheers, and Gibson later reflected on his team’s performance.
“They had a mission and they came out and executed it,” he said. “Offense, defense and special teams, this is the first game all year we’ve played complementary football. We played for each other and helped each other out. It was great to see everybody come together like that.”
The Warhorses will look to build on the shutout victory, Gibson said, as they prepare to host West Henderson for homecoming at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 14.
“We have to seize this momentum,” he said. “This was a big win, and now we need to keep going.”
Photos of the Warhorses’ 43-0 victory over Rosman can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.