Owen falls in battle with West Henderson

Warhorses slip to 2-2 as Swannanoa Valley celebrates heroes

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
September 13, 2025

Honoring the men and women who serve their country and the local community was the theme in Warhorse Stadium, Sept. 12, when Owen hosted West Henderson on Heroes Night.

The Warhorses were met in the first half with an onslaught from the Falcons offense, while a late push by the home team fell short, 37-15.

Owen slipped to 2-2 in the loss, while West Henderson improved to 2-1.

The night began with a ceremony marking the 24-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. Local veterans representing the Black Mountain VFW Post 9157 and first responders from the Swannanoa Fire Department, Black Mountain Fire Department and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office were joined by the Warhorse Battalion Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, as they unfurled a large American flag at midfield. As students, faculty and fans looked on, many clad in camouflage, the Owen Marching Band performed the national anthem.

The Warhorses fell behind early, following a stalled drive, as West Henderson began its opening possession on the 8-yard-line, before driving down the field to take a 6-0 lead. The Falcons added three more touchdowns in the second quarter, establishing a 27-0 lead going into the half.

Both teams traded possessions to begin the third quarter, with the Falcons opening their third drive with a long touchdown run to establish a 34-0 advantage.

Owen responded on the subsequent drive, which started on its own 25-yard-line, with a first down pass from junior quarterback Emmett Minks to sophomore receiver Slade Gardner. Senior Haiden Small, who returned to the lineup after being forced to sit out last week while recovering from an injury, broke free on a 53-yard touchdown run. Junior running back Stephen Anderson added a 2-point conversion to close the gap.

A Falcons field goal to start the fourth quarter extended their lead to 37-8, but the Warhorses responded with a touchdown drive, capped by a 27-yard touchdown pass to senior Hayden Burpeau.

Minks finished the contest with 36 yards through the air, a touchdown pass and 26 rushing yards. Small led the way on the ground with 47 yards on 5 carries, while Anderson toted the ball 13 times for 35 yards. Burpeau notched 38 rushing and 27 receiving yards to go along with his touchdown reception.

The battle between 3A Owen and 5A West Henderson represented a unique challenge, according to Warhorse head coach John Faircloth.

“I’m proud of you, because you guys didn’t roll over,” he said to his team at midfield, following the game. “We’re all a little disappointed because we expected to have a better game, but that’s a 5A high school, you were a 41-point underdog coming into tonight, and we didn’t back down.”

Faircloth told his players not to allow themselves to get discouraged.

“What we’re doing is working,” he said. “We’re still a .500 team and still in position to make the playoffs, which is our goal.”

The Warhorses were tested in the contest, the coach added later.

“West Henderson is a great team, and Coach (Paul) Whitaker has been there for a long time, establishing their culture and foundation,” Faircloth said. “They are what we are trying to be. So, as the great Ric Flair said, ‘to be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.’”

Faced with a significant deficit at halftime, the Owen players represented their community well, he added.

“Our kids are tough, because they’re from the Valley,” Faircloth said. “They don’t have the option to roll over. There is more than enough pride in this valley that our players and coaches weren’t going to just allow us to do that.”

The Warhorses are ready to put the loss behind them and focus on their first Western Highlands Conference matchup of the season at 7:30 p.m., Friday, Sept. 19, in Polk County. The game is one that has been circled on the coach’s calendar “for a while,” he told his players.

“I want you guys to spend tomorrow watching some football, letting go of this game and come back Monday, ready to work,” he said. “We had a great week of practice this past week, and we need to do that again if we want to start the conference schedule off the way we know we can.”

Photos of Heroes Night at Warhorse Stadium and Owen’s matchup against West Henderson can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.