With victory over Madison, Owen extends season into the playoffs

Briggs Barker opened the Warhorses last game of the season with a 67-yard touchdown run and Owen went on to defeat Madison, 48-21, sending the Warhorses into the playoffs.

Barker ended the night with five carries for a total of 109 yards. 

"Going in it's pretty evenly matched," coach Brint Russell said of the Oct. 29 game. "It was a good game, I'm just glad that we came out on top."

Fifth-seeded Madison answered with a touchdown of its own, but the extra point was blocked by cornerback Eli Lanter. With 30 seconds left in the first quarter, running back Cadyn Cook scored the second touchdown of the game for Owen, which is fourth in the conference.

Quarterback Alex Sanchez completing three passes for the Warhorses and had 8 carries for a total of 136 yards. He had no interceptions.

Madison began the second quarter with a touchdown, answered by two more touchdowns from Barker by halftime. Trailing Owen 27-12, Madison scored its final touchdown of the night at the start of the third quarter. 

Soon after, an Owen trick play led to a touchdown courtesy of Lanter. The Warhorses lined up farther down the line of scrimmage, away from the Patriots, snapping the ball directly to Lanter, who ran in the touchdown with a whole squad of blockers. 

"All week long coaches told me I was crazy," Russell said. "It's a cool play, you can get it maybe once a year and that was our time."

Tight end Will Johnson ran in a second Owen touchdown before the fourth quarter, where he again scored to put Owen up for the final score. 

Johnson ended the game with 15 carries for a total of 116 yards. Lanter secured two interceptions and carried 82 yards. 

In the last home game for the seniors, Russell expressed his appreciation for their hard work over the years and throughout the season. 

"These seniors, they weren't going to leave the field losers," Russell said. "They represented that jersey, and they represented this school with a lot of class and a lot of pride." 

Owen faces off against first-seed Shelby in a round one playoff match on Nov. 5.