Draughn, Freedom squads enter regular-season finales with plenty on the line
VALDESE — In a game originally scheduled for last Friday night, then moved to this Saturday afternoon, and finally moved back to this Friday night's slot, the Draughn football team will host Mountain Heritage with a shot at a share of the Western Highlands 1A/2A Conference championship.
Through the first three years of the current NCHSAA conference alignment, Mitchell (2021), Draughn (2022) and Mountain Heritage (2023) have taken turns as the WHC's champion. And when the Wildcats and Cougars kick off at 7 p.m. this Friday in Valdese, those three squads will be the ones alive for at least a share of the league crown, though only Mountain Heritage can win it outright.
The Cougars (7-0 overall) are 3-0 in the conference while the Mountaineers (6-2) and Wildcats (5-3) are 3-1, with Mitchell having already beaten Draughn 33-14 on Oct. 19 in Valdese before falling to the Cougars 54-12 at home last weekend. If Mountain Heritage wins, it will be the outright league champion. If Draughn wins, the Wildcats can either win the WHC outright or tie atop the final standings with Mitchell, which visits Avery County at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Through three years together in the WHC, Mountain Heritage leads the series with Draughn 2-1. The Wildcats' only win came 49-21 in Valdese in 2022 and was bookended by losses in Burnsville, 45-20 in 2021 and 52-15 a season ago.
This year's DHS team is led by dual-threat senior quarterback Sterling Radabaugh, who accounted for five total touchdowns in last week's 37-0 win over Avery County. Marshall Brinkley is the top running back and Kayden Lytle, Connor Houston and Jacob Mull are the leading receivers. All are seniors.
Mountain Heritage is a run-heavy team, led by senior quarterback Brandon Quinn (94-983-17), along with classmate Lane Chandler (45-395-4), junior Cason Jones (28-348-2) and senior Caleb Roy (18-202-1). Seven other players have at least one of the Cougars' 35 rushing TDs this fall. Quinn also has completed 26 of 44 passes for 420 yards and seven touchdowns with zero interceptions, favoring Jones (9-253-4) as the leading receiver.
Prediction: Mountain Heritage.
Freedom (5-4, 2-2) at Hibriten (2-6, 1-3)
The Patriots once led the Panthers 8-3 all-time, but in the decade since, Hibriten has won five straight games to even that mark at eight wins apiece.
If FHS can end that skid on Friday night in Lenoir, the reward likely would be second place in the Northwestern 3A/4A Conference and a home game in the first round of the NCHSAA 3A state playoffs next weekend.
Since Freedom's 54-0 NWC win over the Panthers in Morganton in 2015, Hibriten has won 53-0 in Lenoir in 2016, 42-14 on the road in the fall of 2021, 14-13 at home in the first round of the postseason in 2021, 43-20 in Lenoir in 2022 and 35-33 in overtime in Morganton one year ago.
This fall against the NWC, the teams split versus Ashe County, with Freedom winning 35-14 on the road and Hibriten falling 46-38 at home. The others have all gone into the same column as both defeated South Caldwell (Freedom 36-22 and Hibriten 21-20 in double-overtime, both at home), both lost to Alexander Central (Freedom fell 30-20 at home and Hibriten lost 35-21 on the road), and both lost to Watauga (Freedom lost 42-6 and Hibriten fell 49-14, both in Boone).
The biggest question mark for Freedom is the availability of starting junior quarterback Kaden Davis, who missed last week's loss at Watauga after suffering a shoulder injury in the second quarter at Ashe County the week before. The backup in his absence has been sophomore Jaiveon Belin. Senior Jaiden Belin is the lead running back and Kobe Johnson, Tiras Walker, Justice Dominguez and Kaleb Pearson lead the receiving corps.
Ball-carriers D.K. Mitchell and Avin Crawford, both juniors, lead the way for Hibriten.
Prediction: Freedom.
Bandys (6-3, 3-3) at East Burke (2-7, 1-6)
In a Saturday afternoon Catawba Valley 2A Conference matinee, the Cavaliers and Trojans will wrap up the regular season with a 1 p.m. kickoff in Icard.
Bandys leads the all-time series 6-1, including all three matchups since the teams joined the CVAC together ahead of the fall 2021 season. The Trojans won 36-32 in Catawba that fall, 35-14 in Icard in 2022 and 48-30 at home last year.
Senior Cannon Morrison is expected to make his fourth start at quarterback for the Cavaliers following a midseason switch. Along with Darren Hammons (64-356-3), Morrison (48-250-2) is one of EBHS' rushing leaders this fall. Barger Shook (14-193-1) leads the team in receiving.
Bandys has a dual-threat junior quarterback in Brady Swett, who has completed 115 of 176 passes for 1,632 yards and 14 touchdowns with two interceptions while amassing 409 yards and 10 touchdowns on 90 carries. The ground game also is led by junior Tanner Stewart (147-860-9) and senior Wyatt Wesson (62-278-4). The Trojans' top receivers are junior Kayden Henrickson (31-466-7); seniors Evan Turner (26-410-4) and Christian Etter (34-352-1); and sophomore Ryder McClure (13-219-1).
Prediction: Bandys.
Justin Epley can be reached at or .
