Owen hasn't had much luck against Mountain Heritage recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Warhorses will head out on the road to face off against the Cougars at 7:30 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
The home team had won the previous four meetings between Owen and Madison, and Owen kept the tradition alive. The Warhorses came out on top against the Patriots by a score of 29-22 last Friday.
Owen had a senior duo take command as Hayden Burpeau rushed for 113 yards and one touchdown on only seven carries and Haiden Small gained 117 total yards and two touchdowns. Small got the majority of those rushing yards when he took off on a run that went for an incredible 78 yards.
Owen was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 281 rushing yards. They are 4-1 when they've run for more than 200 yards.
Meanwhile, Mountain Heritage had already won four in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 39.3 points) and they went ahead and made it five on Friday. They took down the Bearcats 36-20.
Owen better keep an eye on Cason Jones. He was instrumental in Mountain Heritage's win, rushing for 152 yards and a pair of scores on only 14 carries, while also picking up 30 receiving yards and one TD. Those 152 rushing yards gave Jones a new career-high. Ervine Rodriguez helped out on the ground, rushing for 82 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Mountain Heritage's defense and their four sacks. In fact, those sacks all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Braxton Batchelor.
Mountain Heritage's record is now 8-1. As for Owen, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Owen has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 211.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Mountain Heritage struggles in that department as they've been averaging 307.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Owen was dealt a bruising 59-24 loss at the hands of Mountain Heritage when the teams last played back in September of 2023. Thankfully for the Warhorses, Brandon Quinn (who rushed for 226 yards and a pair of touchdowns while picking up 13.3 yards per carry, and also threw for 42 yards and one TD) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
