Football Preview: Hatley Tigers vs. Walnut Wildcats
After two games on the road, Hatley is heading back home. A feisty cat fight will be fought when Tigers faces off against the Walnut Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hatley's defense has only allowed 14.5 points per game this season, so Walnut's offense will have their work cut out for them.
Last Friday, Hatley was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 29-24 to East Union. The Tigers have struggled against the Urchins recently, as their game on Friday was their third consecutive lost matchup.
Meanwhile, Walnut was not the first on the board last Friday, but they got there more often. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Hamilton 22-20. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Wildcats.
Kemarrian Gray and Trent Braddock were among the main playmakers for Walnut as the former rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown and the latter picked up 61 receiving yards and a touchdown. Austin Watson also deserves a mention for his punt return touchdown.
Walnut wouldn't let Hamilton keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. Walnut can thank Wit Wright and Skylar Wilbanks for forcing both of them.
Hatley's defeat dropped their record down to 4-4. As for Walnut, they pushed their record up to 6-2 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home.
Hatley came out on top in a nail-biter against Walnut when the teams last played back in October of 2023, sneaking past 29-26. Does Hatley have another victory up their sleeve, or will Walnut turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
