Football Preview: Owen Warhorses vs. Madison Patriots
The Owen Warhorses will venture away from home to square off against the Madison Patriots at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. Owen will be hoping to continue their four-game streak of scoring more points each matchup than the last.
Owen took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They won a contest that couldn't have been any closer, slipping by Asheville Christian Academy 50-49. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Warhorses as it put an end to their seven-game losing streak.
Owen found their leader in sophomore Stephen Anderson, who rushed for 332 yards and a touchdown while picking up 11.1 yards per carry. Anderson showed off some serious burst, cutting through the defense on one rush that went for 57 yards. Another player making a difference was Emmett Minks, who rushed for 34 yards and two touchdowns.
Owen was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 450 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've posted since the start of last season.
Owen didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Emerson Autrey and Hayden Burpeau.
Meanwhile, a win for Madison just wasn't in the cards last Friday as the squad wasn't able to take the lead at any point. They came up short against Swain County, falling 39-13. The Patriots were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 26-0.
Despite the loss, Madison had strong showings from Chance Penland, who rushed for 60 yards on only six carries, and Gavin Gault, who picked up 75 receiving yards.
Owen's first victory this season bumped their record up to 1-7. As for Madison, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 1-6.
Owen strolled past Madison when the teams last played back in October of 2023 by a score of 35-21. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Madison's Levi Shelton, who rushed for 231 yards and a touchdown while picking up 10.0 yards per carry. Now that he won't be playing on Saturday, will it be easier for Owen to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
