The West Henderson Falcons traveled North Henderson to take on the Knights on Friday, Oct. 18, at 7:30 p.m.. The Falcons came out County Champions in a 37-14 win.
The Knights were ranked second to last in the conference, with a 0-4 record in conference play, and 0-7 on the season. Comparatively, the Falcons were ranked second only to A.C. Reynolds, with a 4-0 record in the conference, and with an undefeated record on the season.
Friday, Oct. 11, the North Henderson varsity football team took on the North Buncombe Warriors in a game that ended in a 34-12 win for North Buncombe. The Knights were met with a strong rushing game from the Warriors, who amassed four rushing touchdowns and 206 rushing yards from 32 total carries.
The Falcons were up against Enka High School that Friday as well. The game resulted in a 35-14 win for the Falcons. The team was led by seniors Austin Jenkins and Peyton Dimsdale, who ran for a combined 126 yards, with Jenkins scoring one rushing touchdown and two receiving touchdowns. The Falcons were able to keep pressure on Enka’s quarterback for the entirety of the game, with six sacks for a total loss of 46 yards.
The North Henderson Knights had struggled to gain traction up to this point in the season. The Knights had been competitive in two of their games this season, against East Henderson and Charles D. Owen High School. The Knights’ scoring record this season shows they have struggled on both sides of the ball, with their defense allowing double digit scores in every game this season.
The Knight’s defense did hold up well against the Falcon passing game. They held senior quarterback Auden Brennan to no completions and an interception. However, the Falcons were heavy with their rushing attack and that formula proved effective. Dimsdale had 20 carries for 167 yards and a touchdown and Brennan had 10 carries for 136 yards and four touchdowns. That combined total is 30 carries for 303 yards with an average of 10.1 yards a carry.
After the first half, fans were uncertain if the Falcons would come away with a win. The score was tied at 7-7 with no team being able to score in the second quarter. The Falcon offense came to life in the third quarter, putting up 23 points and another touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The Falcons were poised to win this game as it put them in first place in the county. Currently, the Falcons have a tied overall record with A.C. Reynolds, 8-0 on the season. However, the Rockets beat the Asheville Cougars 62-7, putting them at 5-0 in the conference, which is just slightly above the Falcons.
West Henderson will take on the 3-5 Tuscola Mountaineers at home on Friday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m.
By: Stone Hogan, Sports Editor; and Johnathan Austin, Feature Writer
