Freedom football defeats EB in 52nd Fat Friday game
The Freedom varsity football team was a 27-12 winner over East Burke in the 52nd installment of the Fat Friday rivalry on Sept. 4 in Morganton, while other Week 3 games saw Draughn fall by a 61-6 final at Wilkes Central on Sept. 3 and Patton suffer a 38-21 road defeat at the hands of Owen on Sept. 4.
Draughn’s first touchdown of the season came on a 90-yard kickoff return from Bryson Seagle in a 61-6 road loss to Wilkes Central on Sept. 3, while Patton found the end zone three times in a 38-21 defeat at Owen the following night. The Panthers’ offensive effort was led by Alex Ryan (14 carries, 95 yards, TD), Trenton Kidd (4-of-8 passing, 46 yards, TD; 10 carries, 39 yards), River McCrary (four catches, 46 yards, TD), and Mason Black (eight carries, 40 yards, TD).
WEEK 4 GAMES
Freedom (3-0) hosted T.C. Roberson late Friday, while East Burke (1-2) welcomed Winston-Salem Prep Academy to Icard and Draughn (0-3) traveled to Mountain Island Charter. Patton (0-3), meanwhile, was in action late Thursday at Polk County.
See the Sept. 19 edition of The Paper for details from all Week 4 contests involving Burke County squads.
Freedom’s Jalen Mills (left) and Zaydrin Hausley (right) work together to bring down East Burke quarterback Carter Bennett during a varsity football game on Sept. 4 in Morganton. The game represented the 52nd all-time meeting between the Patriots and the Cavaliers, with Freedom now owning 33 victories over EB after collecting a 27-12 triumph to remain unbeaten in 2026. Mills (tackle for loss, pass breakup) and Hausley (interception) were two of the Patriots’ top defensive performers in the contest, while Ty Adkins also had an interception for Freedom’s other takeaway.
- JAMES LYNCH JR. / THE PAPER
Freedom’s Wyatt Cantrell celebrates after scoring the only touchdown of the opening half with 44 seconds remaining in the first quarter on Sept. 4 against East Burke. Cantrell’s 3-yard run capped an 11-play, 81-yard drive, with Clayton Bell adding his first of three successful extra-point attempts. Both teams then scored in the third quarter as EB got a 1-yard TD run from Malachi Bennett before Freedom's Jusian Perkins scored from 19 yards out to make it 14-6. As for the fourth period, it saw the Cavaliers’ Cayson Mooneyham haul in a 17-yard TD pass from Carter Bennett before a 56-yard scoring scamper from Perkins on the next play from scrimmage and a 13-yard TD run from Freedom’s Christian Chapman later in the quarter.
- JAMES LYNCH JR. photos / THE PAPER
Freedom’s Jusian Perkins (8) runs toward the end zone as East Burke defenders give chase on Sept. 4. Perkins (10 carries, 120 yards) and Christian Chapman (17 carries, 167 yards) combined for nearly 300 rushing yards in the 15-point win, while quarterback Ryder Huffman completed 9 of 14 passes for 77 yards — one of his passes was intercepted by EB’s Cayson Mooneyham just over 3 minutes into the contest — including six connections with Julius Dominguez for a total of 53 yards. On the other side, the Cavaliers struggled to get anything going on the ground but did receive strong performances from Carter Bennett (16-of-26 passing, 172 yards), RJ Williams (four catches, 73 yards), Cash Oyola (six catches, 54 yards), and Mooneyham (five catches, 33 yards).
- JAMES LYNCH JR. / THE PAPER
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Freedom’s Jalen Mills (left) and Zaydrin Hausley (right) work together to bring down East Burke quarterback Carter Bennett during a varsity football game on Sept. 4 in Morganton. The game represented the 52nd all-time meeting between the Patriots and the Cavaliers, with Freedom now owning 33 victories over EB after collecting a 27-12 triumph to remain unbeaten in 2026. Mills (tackle for loss, pass breakup) and Hausley (interception) were two of the Patriots’ top defensive performers in the contest, while Ty Adkins also had an interception for Freedom’s other takeaway.
- JAMES LYNCH JR. / THE PAPER
Freedom’s Wyatt Cantrell celebrates after scoring the only touchdown of the opening half with 44 seconds remaining in the first quarter on Sept. 4 against East Burke. Cantrell’s 3-yard run capped an 11-play, 81-yard drive, with Clayton Bell adding his first of three successful extra-point attempts. Both teams then scored in the third quarter as EB got a 1-yard TD run from Malachi Bennett before Freedom's Jusian Perkins scored from 19 yards out to make it 14-6. As for the fourth period, it saw the Cavaliers’ Cayson Mooneyham haul in a 17-yard TD pass from Carter Bennett before a 56-yard scoring scamper from Perkins on the next play from scrimmage and a 13-yard TD run from Freedom’s Christian Chapman later in the quarter.
- JAMES LYNCH JR. photos / THE PAPER
Freedom’s Jusian Perkins (8) runs toward the end zone as East Burke defenders give chase on Sept. 4. Perkins (10 carries, 120 yards) and Christian Chapman (17 carries, 167 yards) combined for nearly 300 rushing yards in the 15-point win, while quarterback Ryder Huffman completed 9 of 14 passes for 77 yards — one of his passes was intercepted by EB’s Cayson Mooneyham just over 3 minutes into the contest — including six connections with Julius Dominguez for a total of 53 yards. On the other side, the Cavaliers struggled to get anything going on the ground but did receive strong performances from Carter Bennett (16-of-26 passing, 172 yards), RJ Williams (four catches, 73 yards), Cash Oyola (six catches, 54 yards), and Mooneyham (five catches, 33 yards).
- JAMES LYNCH JR. / THE PAPER
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