Weaverville -- The Asheville Cougars wrapped up the regular season as what some call an "improbable" conference co-championship with a win over North Buncombe 29-6. The North Buncombe game was the second for the Cougars this week who made their Monday Night Football debut earlier in the week defeating Franklin, and secured their fourth MAC championship in five years.
Asheville led the Blackhawks from the start, securing a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. Greg Ray put the first few points on the board with a 1 yard run. Asheville almost immediately regained possession with a drive capped off by a 29 yard field goal by Reed Turchi. Rico Parks finished off the quarter with a short TD run.
In the third quarter, Rico Parks caught a 11yd pass for a touchdown, followed by a failed 2-point conversion. In the fourth quarter, Greg Ray made his second short TD run of the night, also followed by a missed 2-point conversion. North Buncombe put its only points for the night on the board with 2:11 remaining, a 10 yard TD run by Miles Rice with an incomplete pass during the 2-point conversion.
As conference co-champion, Asheville earned a #5 seed in the playoffs and will play Fred T. Foard at home this week. Should Asheville win, they are likely to face Concord away in a game with "revenge" implications after the 2004 loss.
