Hendersonville hasn't had much luck against Mountain Heritage recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Bearcats will host the Cougars at 7:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Hendersonville is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Avery County 78-26. The victory was nothing new for the Bearcats as they're now sitting on four straight.
Jordan Buford and JaRon Ward were among the main playmakers for Hendersonville as the former gained 179 total yards and four touchdowns and the latter threw for 242 yards and four TDs while completing 80% of his passes.incredibly, Buford got all that yardage with just one huge grab
Hendersonville didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off three passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Eric Glisson and Buford. Buford got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Mountain Heritage blew past Mitchell, posting a 45-13 win. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Cougars' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 65th, while the Mountaineers are ranked 207th).
Mountain Heritage's win came from a few key players Hendersonville will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Cason Jones, who rushed for 118 yards and a pair of touchdowns. What's more, he posted two rushing touchdowns, the most he's had since back in August. Ervine Rodriguez was another key back, rushing for 148 yards and one score while picking up 8.7 yards per carry.
Wins are hard to come by when you can't run the rock, something Mountain Heritage proved: they limited Mitchell to a paltry 2.6 yards per carry. The team can thank Jones for the heroic effort on defense: he. Mountain Heritage didn't have any issues in that department, having averaged ten.
Mountain Heritage's victory bumped their record up to 7-1. As for Hendersonville, their win bumped their record up to an identical 7-1.
Friday's matchup might be decided on the ground. Hendersonville has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 202.2 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Mountain Heritage struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 312.8 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's contest turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Hendersonville took a serious blow against Mountain Heritage when the teams last played back in September of 2024, falling 42-7. Thankfully for the Bearcats, Brandon Quinn (who rushed for 82 yards and a pair of TDs on only seven carries, and also threw for 63 yards and two touchdowns while completing 80% of his passes) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
