Sports

Cherryville Ironmen Begin Football Season 2-0

Cherryville High School vs Owens High School - Warhorse Stadium - Black Mountain, NC - August 28, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

Posted Saturday, August 29, 2026 4:49 pm

By: Roger Sigmon - Wise News Network

Black Mountain, NC (WNN) - The Ironmen traveled to Black Mountain, NC, on August 28, 2026, to take on the Warhorses of Charles Owen High School. Kickoff was pushed back half an hour due to lightning in the area. After that, all the electricity was on the field in an offensive showcase that Cherryville won 57-38 as they improved to 2-0. Last year, these same teams met in week two, and Cherryville had to hold off a late surge by Owen as they stopped a two-point conversion as time expired to win that one 28-27. This game looked eerily similar in the first half as the Ironmen sprinted out to a 21-6 lead, only to have some crucial penalties allowing Owen to close the score to 28-26 at half-time. Fortunately for Cherryville, their offense was on point tonight as they racked up 518 yards of total offense. They took control of the game in the second half. The Ironmen were strong on both sides of the ball; however, penalties were not their friends, as several stopped drives and others gave Owen new life on a few drives. This was a long game that took over three hours to complete, leaving many players with cramps.

Coach Patrick Bowman showing his pride in his players after the game - Cherryville High School vs Owens High School - Warhorse Stadium - Black Mountain, NC - August 28, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

Coach Bowman gave his thoughts on the team's performance to WNN's Mason Beam. "First off, I'm really proud of our kids. Owen is a good football team; they're a tough-nosed team, and they're well coached. I'm proud of our guys and how we attacked the week. The triple option is not easy to prepare for, so overall, I'm very proud. Obviously, some things we can improve on, but it's a lot better to improve on when you get a win."

Tonight's game was the first of four that the Ironmen will play on artificial turf. Many of the players prefer to play on natural grass, so an obvious question for Coach Bowman was how he thought the turf affected the game. He jokingly responded, "I thought they looked fast, I'll tell you that much." He added his real answer, "I'll tell you, they locked in on assignment football tonight. They didn't let anything become an excuse, and that's what I'm most proud of them, but like I said sometimes you get on this turf, and you look a little faster." Cherryville should look even faster next week as they expect to have Jackson Heavner back in the lineup.

Game Highlights

J.J. McElhaney running the ball towards a touchdown - Cherryville High School vs Owens High School - Warhorse Stadium - Black Mountain, NC - August 28, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

Owen received the opening kickoff, and Nathaniel Rollins looked as if he was taking it to the house before the turf monster struck, and he tripped over his own feet around the 22-yard line. Stephen Anderson scored from 5 yards out to cap off a 5-play, 22-yard scoring drive that took 1:31 minutes. The 2-point conversion attempt was no good, leaving the score 6-0. Cherryville returned the kickoff to the 47 and quickly scored on a catch-and-run pass from Jayden Adams to Elijah Proctor for a 51-yard touchdown. After the Cole Kelly kick, Cherryville led 7-6 with only 2:17 gone off the game clock. Owen's drive faltered, and the ensuing punt netted 3 yards. J.J. McElhaney ran 39 yards for a touchdown that gave Cherryville a 14-6 lead after Cole Kelly's point after was good. Owen had a huge kickoff return that a score-saving tackle by Landry Pruitt stopped. Again, the Owen drive stalled, and they turned the ball over on downs. The Ironmen opened the second quarter with Elijah Proctor scoring on an 18-yard pass play, and Cherryville led 21-6 after Cole Kelly added the point after. That drive covered 89 yards in 10 plays. Cherryville's next drive was explosive, with a reception of 34 yards from Enijahe Whitworth, followed by an apparent touchdown reception from Adams to McElhaney. Still, a holding penalty took the points off the board. Another penalty put them in a fourth-and-long, forcing a punt. Owen took advantage as Nathaniel Rollins streaked 80 yards on a pitch and run for a touchdown; the two-point conversion closed the score to 21-14. The Ironmen were moving the ball when Lasalle Jones intercepted a Jayden Adams pass. After the play, 15 more yards were assessed for a targeting call on Adams. Emmett Minks scored on a quarterback sneak to trim Cherryville's lead to 1 after the kick was no good. The Ironmen had a quick answer as they executed a trick play that resulted in 69 yards from Adams to McElhaney. Enijahe Whitworth then scored on a 12-yard touchdown pass. Cole Kelly's kick was good, and the score was now 28-20. Cherryville had seemingly stopped Owen on their next drive, but a couple of penalties gave them new life, which led to another quarterback sneak by Minks, just inches from the goal line. At halftime, Cherryville led 28-26.

Elijah Proctor moving the ball downfield - Cherryville High School vs Owens High School - Warhorse Stadium - Black Mountain, NC - August 28, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

In the third quarter, the Ironmen extended their lead to 36-26 on a run up the middle on a direct snap by J.J. McElhaney. Cherryville added a 2-point conversion from McElhaney on a wildcat play. Adams hit Narian Hopper for a 62-yard touchdown bomb on their next possession. The lead was 43-26 after Kelly added the kick. The drive only took 2:13 but covered 93 yards in 5 plays. As the fourth quarter began, Jayden Adams' punt pinned Owen at their own 2-yard line. The Warhorses would see their drive end with a Jayden Adams interception. The Ironmen would extend the lead to 50-26 on a 48-yard touchdown run by McElhaney. Cole Kelly added the extra point. Allijah Raines scored a long touchdown run for Own on an end sweep, but the kick failed, leaving the score 50-32. Cherryville's next drive was all Elijah Proctor. He ripped off a 33-yard run on the first play and ended the drive as he dragged a lineman over the goal line on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Adams. The Kelly kick was successful, and Cherryville was up 57-32. Thomas Russell scored a 1-yard touchdown run for Owen's final touchdown, the kick failed, and the final score was 57-38 in favor of the visiting Ironmen.

The defensive lineup in the first quarter - Cherryville High School vs Owens High School - Warhorse Stadium - Black Mountain, NC - August 28, 2026

Mason Beam (WNN)

Maddox Carrigan, Jayden Adams, Landry Pruitt, and Elijah Proctor were stellar on defense. Carrigan had 9 tackles, Pruitt made some crucial hits, as did Adams and Proctor. The Ironmen had 252 passing yards and 286 yards of rushing for a total of 518 yards. J.J. McElhaney had 19 carries for 202 yards and 3 touchdowns. Elijah Proctor carried 10 times for 77 yards and added 2 receiving scores. Jayden Adams defensively made 7 tackles and grabbed an interception. On offense, he was 7-12 for 252 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception.

Next Game

The Ironmen have their conference opener against the powerhouse Lincolnton Wolves on September 4 in Lincolnton. Cherryville has improved offensively this season and will need every bit of that scoring power and defensive prowess, as they will be up against a very tough opponent. They'll also need to eliminate costly penalties. Coach Bowman added these comments about facing Lincolnton. "You know, Lincolnton is a very good football team, so we'll have to have a great week of preparation and play our best game next week and see where we're at. We're excited, we're 2-0, and we couldn't be more excited going into next week". That game kicks off Labor Day weekend in Lincolnton at 7:30 pm on September 4.

Game Gallery

Cherryville High School vs Owens High School - Warhorse Stadium - Black Mountain, NC - August 28, 2026

J.J. McElhaney running the ball towards a touchdown - Cherryville High School vs Owens High School - Warhorse Stadium - Black Mountain, NC - August 28, 2026

Cherryville High School vs Owens High School - Warhorse Stadium - Black Mountain, NC - August 28, 2026

The defensive lineup in the first quarter - Cherryville High School vs Owens High School - Warhorse Stadium - Black Mountain, NC - August 28, 2026

Cherryville High School vs Owens High School - Warhorse Stadium - Black Mountain, NC - August 28, 2026

Elijah Proctor moving the ball downfield - Cherryville High School vs Owens High School - Warhorse Stadium - Black Mountain, NC - August 28, 2026

Cherryville High School vs Owens High School - Warhorse Stadium - Black Mountain, NC - August 28, 2026

Coach Patrick Bowman showing his pride in his players after the game - Cherryville High School vs Owens High School - Warhorse Stadium - Black Mountain, NC - August 28, 2026