The 2026 Western North Carolina high school football season is nearing the halfway point, following the conclusion of Week 4.
Here are three takeaways from Week 4, including No. 7 Smoky Mountain's statement win vs. No. 10 Pisgah.
Murphy overcomes five turnovers to defeat Reynolds
Class 2A Murphy’s 21-17 win over Class 6A Reynolds was anything but pretty. The Bulldogs turned the ball over five times, but their defense repeatedly kept Reynolds from taking advantage.
Bulldogs coach Joseph Watson said his defense kept the team in the game long enough for Murphy to eventually pull out the victory.
“They played like we like them to play,” Watson said. “We play fast and run to the ball. We play physical.
Relentless pursuit to the ball, and that’s what we preach.”
Smoky Mountain impresses in dominant win vs. Pisgah
It only took Smoky Mountain four games to surpass its 2025 win total. The Mustangs continued their strong start Friday with a 33-7 win over Pisgah.
The defense allowed a touchdown in the first quarter, then shut out the Bears the rest of the way. Defensive back Damon Young arguably had the best defensive performance of any WNC player so far, recording three interceptions in the win.
“We didn’t try to do anything fancy like that,” coach JT Postell said. “We just tried to do what we do and get better at it. It’s just assignment football."
Hendersonville holds off late surge to defeat Erwin
The Bearcats went up three touchdowns early, but then Erwin scored, recovered an onside kick and scored again to make it a one-score game.
Hendersonville coach Kirron Ward said his senior leadership helped the team avoid folding after the momentum swung toward Erwin.
“There were times where after the two onside kicks we could have cashed it in and felt sorry for ourselves,” Ward said. “But the seniors were determined not to lose. I’m proud of that group for that because we could have folded the tents when we were up three touchdowns.”
Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on X @zacharyahuber.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: 3 takeaways from Week 4 WNC football, including a Smoky Mountain statement win
