Football Game Preview: Madison Patriots vs. Mountain Heritage Cougars

Madison hasn't had much luck against Mountain Heritage recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Patriots will be playing in front of their home fans against the Cougars at 7:30 p.m. Madison will be strutting in after a win while Mountain Heritage will be coming in after a loss.

Madison is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They breezed past Avery County to the tune of 47-20 on Saturday. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.

Madison's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Dallas Bartlett, who rushed for 66 yards and three touchdowns on only eight carries, and also threw for 99 yards and one TD. Another back making a difference was Ivan Blankenship, who rushed for 121 yards and a pair of scores on only nine carries.

Meanwhile, Mountain Heritage didn't have quite enough to beat Swain County two weeks ago and fell 16-14. The loss was the Cougars' first of the season.

Madison will need to focus on slowing down Ervine Rodriguez, one of several Mountain Heritage players who made an impact when they last played. He rushed for 101 yards and one TD.

Madison pushed their record up to 3-2 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 35.3 points over those games. As for Mountain Heritage, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 3-1.

Madison was taken down by Mountain Heritage 55-13 in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. Will the Patriots have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.