Owen comes up short in conference clash with Mitchell

Warhorses fall, 36-15, in tough loss to Mountaineers

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 4, 2026

There was a moment, Oct. 2, in the opening quarter of a Western Highlands Conference matchup against Mitchell, the visiting Warhorses seized an early lead, following an 88-yard touchdown reception by junior receiver LaSalle Jones.

The key possession in Owen’s 36-15 loss to the Mountaineers, however, came minutes after the halftime homecoming celebration.

The Warhorses were down, 22-7, when they received the ball to start the second half, before senior running back Stephen Anderson broke free on a 33-yard run up the middle, carrying the ball to the opposing goal line. The Owen offense ran four straight plays, but none were ruled a touchdown, before Mitchell responded with a scoring drive, putting the game out of reach as it entered the fourth quarter.

“I thought we scored on third and fourth down, but the line judge obviously saw things differently,” Owen head coach John Faircloth said. “If he can go to sleep knowing it was the right call, then it was the right call.”

Both teams entered the contest with 4-2 records, as the Mountaineers settled into an early 6-0 advantage, following a touchdown drive that ended with a blocked extra point attempt. Owen responded with a short pass to Jones, who sprinted down the opposing sideline for his fourth receiving touchdown of the season.

Mitchell scored two touchdowns and successful 2-point conversions in the first half, building a 29-7 lead before the final frame. Owen senior Bear Dasher added a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter, as the Warhorses fell to 4-3 and 2-1 in the WHC.

Jones finished the night with 114 receiving yards on 4 receptions, while senior quarterback Emmett Minks complete 9 passes with 14 attempts for 149 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Anderson led all Owen rushers with 67 yards on 7 carries.

The loss snapped a 2-game winning streak for Owen, which played well against a good team, according to the head coach.

“Our kids played hard. They showed a lot of grit,” Faircloth said. “I thought we moved the ball well and did some stuff that gave them issues.”

While the offense failed to convert some opportunities to points, the defense handled itself well against a larger offensive unit.

“A few times we didn’t adjust to motions or check into the correct call, but overall I felt solid about how we played,” Faircloth said.

The Warhorses will face another challenge on the road, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 9, when they travel to Hendersonville for another conference matchup with the 6-0 Bearcats. The top team in the WHC comes into the game, following a 42-7 victory over Madison.

Photos of the game between Owen and Mitchell can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.