Asheville – Reynolds (5-3; 4-0 MAC) is at Erwin (7-1; 4-0) on Friday, in a clash of the only teams undefeated in conference play. This game also decides the league’s top 3A playoff seed.
Asheville (4-2; 2-1) and Roberson (4-3; 1-2), duel at AHS to determine the MAC’s number one 4A seed. These contests on Nov. 8 end the extended regular season.
Reynolds Rockets are the two-time reigning MAC champions. They crushed Roberson 27-10 at home on Oct. 25, by outscoring the Rams 24-0 in the second half.
The Rockets again surged in the second half to win their 20th MAC win in a row on Friday, Nov. 1, over Asheville. AHS Cougars led 21-7 at halfime. Meek Slydell threw for three touchdowns. Kyheem Plummer rushed for 116 yards and a score in the game.
But Reynolds outscored them 23-6 the rest if the way, and won 30-27 on Rossi Santelia’s 42-yard field goal.
Asheville, the last MAC team to beat ACR, won the league in 2021 when it edged Reynolds 6-5.
Last year, the Rockets decisively beat MAC rivals AHS 28-14, TCR 28-7, and Erwin 45-3. But Erwin is improved. The Warriors won 26-21 at TCR on Oct. 18, and earlier beat Mountain Seven co-leader West Henderson 27-21. West (6-3), Erwin, and Reynolds could collide in 3A playoffs.
Special Guest
A.C. Reynolds is revvin’ it up to the MAX — Max Guest. The Shrine Bowl selectee has switched from running back to quarterback, after the sudden transfer of QB Ely Hamrick to Crest. Hamrick reportedly worried that Buncombe games might not resume after Hurricane Helene. This season harkens to 2015, when star RB Rico Dowdle played QB as a senior. Dowdle was a Parade All-American, a Clemson star, and is a Dallas Cowboys tailback.
With Guest as QB in post-Helene play, Reynolds beat Enka 48-0 and defeated T.C. Roberson (by 27-10) for the 13th year in a row. Rocket head coach Shane Laws said that “Max can throw it deep. But we’ve been careful” and conservative in play-calling, to lessen interception risks. Guest debuted at QB by passing for 218 yards in a 48-0 tune-up win over Enka on Oct. 18. Guest accurately tossed short throws while on a full run.
App State-bound Guest ran for two TDs and 87 yards versus Roberson, with one of his dazzling long touchdown runs. Guest ran left on a keeper, zig-zagged, smashed off of a Ram, sped toward the left sideline, cut right to elude a Ram, and sprinted to the end zone. Guest grinned when talking to the Tribune about that run, his self-confidence as the new quarterback, and appreciating trust of coaches and teammates.
Ty Patterson rushed for 114 yards for ACR. On his 49-yard TD run, as veered left at midfield, then cut sharply back across the field. Reynolds thus tied it at 10-10, midway into the third . Recovering a Ram fumble on the TCR one ensuing kickoff return “was the game,” Coach Laws reasoned. Guest powered in for the lead, on the first of his two TD runs. West White also scored for ACR.
Ram head coach J.D. Dinwiddie didn’t take solace in the first-half play, considering what came next.
Asheville pummeled North Buncombe in its first post-Helene game, leading 54-0 at halftime and winning 67-0. Meek Slydell screen to Cayden Ray for the first TD. Kyheem Plummer ran for the second TD, set up by Kareem Williams’ long gain on a screen. Josh Ellis ran for the next score.
Falcons Co-lead M7
West Henderson’s 16-game Mountain Seven football win streak ended last Friday, in a 47-28 loss to Smoky Mountain. West led by eight points at halftime. West, Smoky, and Pisgah are all 4-1 in M7 play with a week to go. If they are still tied, a drawing could break their three-way deadlock. West welcomes M7-winless East Henderson.
The Falcons had spectacular post-Helene wins of 27-24 at Pisgah, 20-17 over Tuscola in overtime, and 31-28 at Franklin.
A 35-yard field goal by Josh Sandoval versus FHS capped a 57-yard drive with 1:06 left. Coach Paul Whitaker’s Falcons outscored the Panthers 17-7 in the fourth quarter.
Cade Young passed for 328 yards, completing 72% of his attempts (26 of 36), with three touchdown passes: 25 yards to TE Tyler Nash, 3 yards to RB Zane McCraw, and 53 yards to Asa Ostman.
Young evaded an unblocked rusher to throw to Ostman, who navigated through defenders for a touchdown, giving West a 28-21 lead. Earlier, he avoided a sack to connect with Ostman near the goal line, allowing McCraw to tie the game at 21. The teams exchanged touchdowns before the winning field goal.
McCraw rushed for 103 yards (5.4 YPC). Ostman caught six passes for 131 yards. Nash had eight receptions. Neil Robinson made five catches.