Mountain Heritage Grounds Erwin

WRITTEN BY: Joe Myers

LEICESTER — Friday night’s matchup between the Mountain Heritage Cougars and the Erwin Warriors featured two vastly different offensive styles. Mountain Heritage leaned on its multi-faceted rushing attack, while Erwin looked to move the ball through the air. In the end, the Cougars grounded out a victory — in more ways than one — taking a 30-15 win.

Erwin won the toss and elected to receive. True to form, the Warriors opened with three straight passes, but the third was intercepted at the Cougars’ 41-yard line. Mountain Heritage wasted no time, pounding the ball on eight consecutive runs before quarterback Brayden Deyton connected with versatile Cason Jones for a 7-yard touchdown. The extra point was no good, leaving the Cougars up 6-0.

Erwin responded with a 12-play, 69-yard drive. Quarterback Caden Ingle was perfect on the march, completing all six passes for 48 yards to five different receivers. He capped it with a 10-yard rushing touchdown to give the Warriors their only lead at 7-6.

The Cougars answered immediately, marching 71 yards in 11 plays. Carter Bennett hauled in an 18-yard reception to set up the score, and two plays later Ervine Rodriguez punched it in from a yard out. A successful two-point conversion put Mountain Heritage ahead 14-7 midway through the second quarter.

Erwin caught a break on the ensuing kickoff, aided by a facemask penalty that advanced the ball to the Cougar 41. A 20-yard completion to Kadarrion Brown put the Warriors in the red zone, but they fumbled at the 15-yard line. Mountain Heritage then chewed up the rest of the half with a 15-play drive that stalled without points, sending the Cougars into halftime up 14-7.

The third quarter belonged entirely to Mountain Heritage. The Cougars opened with a methodical 15-play drive that ate up eight minutes of clock but ended on downs. After a quick three-and-out by Erwin, Mountain Heritage struck again with a five-play scoring drive to make it 22-7. By the end of the quarter, the Warriors’ defense was clearly wearing down.

Mountain Heritage sealed control early in the fourth quarter with 12 straight running plays, including two fourth-down conversions and a 32-yard burst by Jones. Rodriguez capped the drive with his second touchdown run, extending the lead to 30-7.

Erwin mounted a late rally, piecing together a touchdown drive highlighted by Sawyer Parker’s scoring grab. The Warriors recovered an onside kick with 1:30 left, but their comeback attempt ended with an interception.

Mountain Heritage (2-0) dominated possession, holding the ball for 19 of 20 minutes during one stretch. The Cougars rushed 52 times for 290 yards. Rodriguez led with 100 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries. Jones added 75 yards on 11 carries, plus two receptions for 16 yards and a score. Deyton went 5-of-8 passing for 50 yards and a touchdown while adding 37 rushing yards. Bennett chipped in 51 rushing yards.

For Erwin (0-2), Ingle finished 15-of-27 for 124 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He also rushed for 18 yards and a score. His completions were spread among eight receivers, led by Brown (3 catches, 34 yards), Noah Houdham (3 for 23), Jackson Davis (2 for 31), and Parker (2 for 25, TD). As a team, the Warriors managed just 28 rushing yards on 10 carries.