Mud overcome in squashing Mitchell
Dy non Price
The Owen Warhorse
wrapped up the Little Ma
Conference football title and
trip to the state AAA play-off
as they blew out the Mitchel
County Mountaineers 21
Friday night. An unes
pectedly large crowd bravei
threatening weather to watd
the contest played on sogg
Shuford Field which had beei
transformed into a gian
mudhold by three days o
steady rain.
Despite the miserabli
conditions the Warhorse:
played relatively error-free
football, losing only twi
fumbles, but were stung tr
penalties at bad times.
The Warhorses drove deej
into Mountie territory in the
first quarter behind thi
running of Randy Scott bu:
were stalled by a fumble at tlu
visitors'6 yard line. Mitchel
retaliated with their onlj
serious threat of the game a:
they unleashed a furious drive
to the Owen 15 highlighted bj
49-yard burst by Jeff Byrd.
Will Goure saved the touch
down as he fought off a terrific
downfield block from an of
ficial and wrestled Byrd dowr
at the Owen 45. Allen Silvers
passed the Mounties in dost
before the Warhorses solved
the Mitchell passblockine and
sacked Silvers twice for long
losses.
The Warhorses took over
and drove to the first score of
the night with Randy Scott
carrying for the final yardage
and the six-pointer. Brad
LeVine added the conversion
for the 7-0 halftime lead as
the balance of the half was all
defense on both sides.
During the halftime show a
strong wind blew up out of the
east and Coach Hicks In
structed his forces to defend
the east goal instead of asking
for the ball. The strategy paid
off beautifully as the
Warhorses kept Mitchell
bottled up in their own end
during the entire third
quarter.
After forcing a Mitchell punt
the Warhorses took over on
their own 35 yard line and
began digging the Moun
taineers’ grave. Robbie
Rucker swept the left side and
raced 65 yards untouched for
a would-be score but the play
was called back due to a
personal foul. Unable to pick
up the first down Owen was
forced to punt and Don Reese
pinned the Mountaineers to
the wall with a 66 yard kick.
Mitchell couldn't move and
punted back to the Warhorses
with the kick traveling only 29
yards to their own 37.
Scott powered the
Warhorses to the Mitchell 7
but another penalty stifled the
threat and the Mounties took
over on downs still bottled up
neat the goal line.
With the final twenty
seconds of the quarter running
out and faced with another
punt into a strong wind the
Mountaineers attempted to
run out the clock and get the
wind behind them but the
Warhorses spotted the ploy
and called time out. Once
again the strategy workpd as
the ensuing punt traveled only
25 yards to the Mitchell 43.
This time the Warhorses
were not to be denied. After a
holding penalty set Owen bad?
across midfield Rucker hit
Scott with a neat screen pass
and the big fullback powered
to the Mitchell 23 for the first
down. BradLeVine ripped into
the mo untie secondary twice
to put the ball at the 9 and
Scott pou nded out the score on
three straight carries. LeVine
fought off the wind to kick the
point after and the Warhorses
led comfortably 14-0 with only
8 minutes left to play.
Owen added another score
in the last minute when Don
Reese intercepted a Silvers
pass at the 50 and returned it
to the 12 yard line. Senior
defensive specialist John
Payne came in at fullback and
plowed in from the three for
his first touchdown in over a
year and LeVineS kick capped
the scoring.
After the final horn the
Champions went to the center
of the field to receive
congratulations from the
Mitchell team and then retired
to the sidelines to celebrate.
To show their heartfelt
gratitude and affection the
Warhorses promptly threw all
the Owen coaches and Prin
cipal Charles Lytle into a
large mudpuddle near the
sideline gate as the crows
cheered wildly.
Randy Scott had a terrific
night on offense as he carried
213 times for 169 yards. Randy
reached a milestone as he
passed the magic 1000 yard
mark in the third quarter, a
goal he missed by only 8
yards in 1976.
David Ford led a stingy
Owen defense with 15 tackles
despite a cut on the head
suffered at the end of the first
half. The Warhorse defenders
returned to their old form by
limiting the Mounties to only
56 yards rushing of which 49
came on one play. The shut
out was the fourth of the
season which saw the
Warhorses give up an average
of only 8.5 points per game.
Now the Warhorses enter
the second season as they
travel to Brevard Friday night
to meet the Blue Devils who
are undefeated and ranked
first in the west. How long the
season lasts will depend on
whether they can upset the
Blue Devils who must be
slightly favored. The
Warhorses feel if they can
contain Duane Norman they
have a good chance and could
bring home the first state
championship ever in any
sport to Owen High. The
Warhorses need all the fan
support they can muster for
the showdown so lets everyone
turn out and support them.
From the Black Mountain
News: Congratulations,
Champs! Best wishes in the
playoffs.
-..
Randy Scott sloshes to extra yards. (Tom Albright)
Terri Matone
wins scholarship
Terri Matone has won the
Century III Leaders
Scholarship competition at
Charles D. Owen High School,
according to Charles A. Lytle,
principal.
The 17-year-old senior is
now eligible to compete with
other high school seniors
throughout North Carolina
for one of two $1,000
scholarships and also for a
$10,000 national scholarship
that will be awarded in a
conference cf state winners in
historic Colonial William
sburg, Va.
The century in Leaders
Scholarship Program is a
national future studies,
writing, citizenship, and
current events awareness
competition. Terri scored
highest at the school in a
current events examination
and the writing of a brief
essay on America’s needs and
challenges for the future. The
program is administered by
the National Association of
Secondary School Principals
and funded by SKell Oil
Company.
Ms. Matone, the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. John Matone of
Black Mountain, now com
petes with other high school
winners form around the state
for two scholarships and an
opportunity for the »10,000 top
national scholarship.
The two North Carolina
winners will receive an all
expense-paid trip to the third
annual Century in National
Leadership Seminar in
Williamsburg, February 24-27,
to participate in seminars on
current issues. In previous
years, speakers at these
seminars were such notables
as architect-futurist Buck
minster Fuller and an
thropologist Rene Dubos.
Entries were judged on the
basis of the student’s*
demonstrated leadership
potential and their viewpoints,
as written, on particular
issues that America is likely to
confront «nd how such
challenges iould be met.
r 1st PRIZE ^10
L 2nd PRIZE S5 *ljfc
3rd PRIZE $3
Pick the Winners....
I Be a Winner in
P THE
BLACK MOUNTAIN
. _ NEWS _
! OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM
:!
• K
- I
HAM
' I
' I
ham
i
•I —■
[Winner and Scora
• t
• i
— ■ . :!
Owen vs Brevard ... —.....
i
;[ NAME..ADDRESS.PHONE.. [
f Contest Rules
# Winners will be announced the following week.
1) Predict the winners in the football games of the
week. Ties can be picked also, print your predictions
clearly on the official entry blank on this page.
2.) be sure to include your name and address in the
Blank.
3) Entries must be received at the Black Mountain
News no later than 5:00 Friday of each week.
4) Mail to: Black Mountain News,, P.O. Box 8, Black
Mountain, N.C. 28711
5) Tie breaker must be closest to total combined score
of the winning team.Winner must be picked.
6) Decision of the judges will be final. Contest open to
everyone except employes of this newspaper and
their families.
1st Place
BRUCE NELSON
15 out of 16
2nd Place
BOBWHEELON
15 out of 16
3rd Place
BRAD FRANKLIN
Draw
(not available for photo >
The following patrons support our local sports.
Arkansas vs Texas A& M Auburn vs Georgia
Bantam Chef
US Highway 70, Swannanoa
686-5360
FISH PLATE
2 pieces of batter-dipped fish, french fries, $1 491
cole slaw, hushpuppies and tartar sauce
Nebraska vs Kansas Notre Dame vs Gemson
Collins Dept, Store
119 Broadway, Black Mountain
___669-7395
Mars Hill vs Newberry
WANTED:
advertiser for this spot
California vs Oregon Duke vs N.C. State
Beacon Mfg. Co.
202 Whitson Ave., Swannanoa
686-3861
Miami of Ohio vs Kent State North Carolina vs Virginia
Garland Tire Co.
US Highway 70, Swannanoa
_ 686-3842
Tennessee Tech vs Austin Peay Oklahoma vs Colorado
The C ellar
Come celebrate A1JU. ,
the vuiory with „8 ^Highway 9
Applications for membership may be picked up at the club
Georgia Tech vs Navy Kentucky vs Florida ’
Charles D. Owen
Mfg. Co.
Farm School Road, Swannanoa
298-6802_
| LbU vs Mississippi
Ideal for large family - Older 3 te 4
bedroom home well Insulated including
storm windows and doors, easy
Arnold Jones
& Son
669-8417
US Highway 70, Black Mountain
maintenance with aluminum aiding.
Clone to town on a well kept lot. Quiet
neighborhood. IZ3.5Qe.ao_
South Carolina vs Wake Forest Tennessee vs Mississippi
The Black Mountain News
and
Mountain Living Magazine