Warhorses trample Madison to earn playoff bid
Owen celebrates Senior Night with 48-21 win over Patriots
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 30, 2021
The Owen Warhorses punched their ticket to the NCHSAA 2A State Playoffs, Oct. 29, with a 48-21 win over Madison, in a Western Highlands Conference contest.
The victory in the regular season finale was the second straight for the Warhorses, who finished the season with an overall 4-6 record, and a 3-3 mark in conference play.
Eleven Owen senior football players, five cheerleaders and 16 members of the band and dance team were recognized before the final regular season home game of their high school careers. The significance of the night was elevated by the game that followed, which determined the top 2A team in the split WHC, and a playoff berth.
Madison entered the contest with an overall 4-5 record, with conference victories over Avery and Rosman. They were facing a Warhorse team that beat Rosman, 50-7, earlier in the month, and was coming off a thrilling last-second victory over Avery last week.
Senior running back Briggs Barker put Owen on the board early, scoring the first touchdown of the night with a 67-yard run on the opening possession. The Patriots responded with a long touchdown run from senior running back Zander Fender, but Warhorse senior Eli Lanter blocked the extra point attempt to maintain a 1-point Owen lead.
Senior Cadyn Cook extended Owen’s lead to 14-6 minutes later with an 8-yard touchdown run. Madison battled back with another touchdown from Fender, but was still trailing after a failed 2-point conversion attempt.
The home team began to pull away later in the second quarter when junior quarterback Alex Sanchez connected with Briggs for a pair of touchdown passes. The Warhorses were ahead, 27-12, as the teams went into halftime.
Madison closed the gap with an early third quarter touchdown, but Owen incorporated a bit of trickery, by way of a perfectly executed swinging gate play, to take a 16-point lead. A pair of rushing touchdowns by sophomore running back Will Johnson helped the Warhorses put the game out of reach.
The team celebrated in front of its home fans, and together on the field after the victory.
“I’m very, very proud of your effort tonight, and proud of the way you played football,” head coach Brint Russell told his team. “I’m super proud of you seniors. I’m proud of how you led tonight, and everything you did. Seniors, we’ll have another week this season because of you.”
Lanter, who caught the game-winning touchdown pass against Avery last Friday, was among the seniors who had impactful performances on both sides of the ball against Madison. Lanter hauled in two interceptions, and finished the game with a rushing touchdown.
“Eli is such an impressive player,” said Russell, who guided the Warhorse to the playoffs in his first season at the helm. “He’s played three different positions on offense, three different positions on defense, and he’s exactly what you want in a leader.”
The head coach also highlighted the play of Barker, who finished the game with 3 touchdowns.
“Briggs was a little banged up, but he’s a warrior and he fights through,” Russell said. “He is our hype man, and he always brings the energy. I love the way he plays, and tonight he had a huge hit on defense that kind of woke everybody up.”
Owen will wait until playoff brackets are released by the NCHSAA on Saturday, Oct. 30 to find out which team they will play in the opening round.
“Once everything is finalized, it’ll be a late night Sunday, as we try to put a game plan together for whoever we’re going to play,” Russell said.
The Warhorses will enter the postseason as the team is playing some of its best football this season.
“This was the second week in a row we didn’t have any turnovers, so we’re taking care of the ball,” Russell said. “If you’re a decent triple option football team, which we’re becoming, if you take care of the football, then you’re tough to defend. We’re hitting our stride in the last part of this season.”