Warhorses stay hot with sixth straight win
Owen overcomes Mountain Heritage, 71-64, in conference showdown
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
January 4, 2025
Patches of snow dotted the frigid landscape on the Owen campus, Jan. 4, while inside a packed gymnasium, the Warhorses remained hot, extending their winning streak to six games with a 71-64 over Mountain Heritage.
Led by 24 points from Senior Jack Wesley Burk, Owen improved to 6-2, defeating the Cougars for the first time since 2016.
The Western Highlands Conference matchup, originally scheduled for the previous night, was postponed due to wintry weather. The delay did little to disrupt the surging Warhorses, as senior Jared Kelley posted his second double-double of the season, with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Two more Owen players finished the night with double-digit scoring efforts, with senior guard Asante Martin collecting 16 points and junior Jackson Warnock adding 10.
The Cougars established a small lead in the opening minutes of play, before a Warhorse run late in the first quarter put the home team ahead, where they remained throughout much of the contest. Mountain Heritage battled back to a 6-point advantage midway through the second quarter, but Kelley, who finished the night 3 of 7 from behind the arc, put his team ahead, 41-40, with a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the half.
An aggressive defense and hard-charging offensive attack led to Owen’s biggest lead in the third quarter, but the Cougars battled back, closing the gap to 54-51 in the final seconds. A Kelley 3-pointer to start the final frame set the tone for the Warhorses, who never trailed in the second half.
The victory epitomized the team’s philosophy, according to Owen head coach Joe Valencia.
“We believe in each other and we look at everything as ‘family first,’” he said. “We move the basketball and whoever is hitting their shots is hitting. We just trust in each other, more than anything.”
While snow prevented the contest from being played Friday, the Warhorses, led by assistant coach and daughter of the head coach, Ashley Valencia, chose to practice instead.
“She had them up here in the gym, and they were even here working today, before this game,” Joe said. “These guys eat, breathe and live this, so they were ready tonight.”
The contest against the reigning back-to-back conference champions was one Owen was eager to meet, he added.
“They felt like they wanted this game, anywhere, at any time,” he said. “When the game was canceled last night, they were fine if we had to go up to Mountain Heritage to play. They didn’t care, they just wanted to play.”
The coach’s six-player rotation adapted to the challenges of a physical game, Joe added.
“That’s another thing we focus on,” he said. “Everybody does everything necessary for us to be successful, and that’s part of our family first approach. Go out there and find ways to contribute, and the scoring will come to you.”
Owen will attempt to extend its winning streak at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 6, when it hosts 2-4 Brevard.
“Everything starts on the defensive end for us, and we just filter it into the offense and let everybody cook,” the coach said. “All we have to do to keep being successful is keep working. These three-hour practices we have matter, and when these guys leave here having left everything on the floor, it makes the games easier.”
As one of two programs to open the conference season 2-0, the Warhorses are bonded by faith, according to their coach.
“We’re riding a wave called God,” Joe said. “I want people to know that. Our belief in each other is a direct reflection of that, and these kids are motivated to go out there and do what they have to do to help each other succeed every night.”
Photos of Owen’s 71-64 victory over Mountain Heritage can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.