Cherryville spoils Owen home opener
Warhorses come up short in 57-38 loss to Ironmen
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 29, 2026
A pair of 1-0 teams met in the Swannanoa Valley, Aug. 28, as Owen hosted its first home game in the second week of the season.
Despite an early Warhorse lead and a tightly contested first half, Cherryville ran away with a 57-38 victory.
Junior Nathaniel Rollins returned the opening kickoff to the opposing 22-yard line, setting up a quick Owen drive that was capped by a Stephen Anderson touchdown run. Following an unsuccessful 2-point conversion attempt, the Warhorses established a 6-0 lead within the first two minutes of the contest.
The Ironmen offense responded on the ensuing drive, when senior receiver Elijah Proctor caught the ball on a slant route and sprinted 54 yards into the end zone. Cherryville claimed a 7-6 advantage, following the extra point, before extending the lead later in the quarter with a touchdown run by senior Javarius McElhaney.
The Ironmen pulled ahead, 21-6, in the early minutes of the second quarter, before Rollins sprinted down the Owen sideline for an 81-yard touchdown run, followed by a successful 2-point conversion. An interception by junior LaSalle Jones ended the subsequent Cherryville drive, allowing senior quarterback Emmett Minks to finish the ensuing Warhorse drive with a rushing touchdown. An errant extra point attempt set the score at 21-20 with under two minutes remaining in the second quarter.
The Ironmen needed a 65 seconds to respond, recovering from a low snap to complete a deep touchdown pass. Owen junior Parker Halford responded by returning the kickoff to the Cherryville 19-yard line, with the ball spotted at the 12, following a personal foul on the Ironmen. A pass from Minks to Jones gave the Warhorses the ball on the goal line, as Anderson scored his second touchdown of the night. Owen’s 2-point conversion attempt was stopped short, as Cherryville entered the half with a 28-26 lead.
The Ironmen opened the second half with three touchdowns, establishing a 50-26 advantage in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, with the Warhorses scoring a pair of touchdowns late in the contest. Owen fell to 1-1 in the loss, as Cherryville claimed their second straight victory in the series between the teams.
The Warhorses will return home at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 4, when they host Patton, which will enter the contest with an 0-2 mark, following an 18-0 loss to Avery in the second week of the season.
Photos of the 2026 Owen football home opener can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.