After flying high against the Cathedral Fighting Irish last Friday, The Walnut Grove Wildcats came back down to earth. Walnut Grove had to suffer through a rough 70-35 loss at the hands of St. Thomas Catholic. Walnut Grove was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 35-7.
When it comes to explaining why Walnut Grove lost on Friday, one person who can't be blamed is Braden Butler. Despite the final result, he threw for 345 yards and four touchdowns, and also rushed for 115 yards on only 13 carries. Butler was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 59 yards. Jax Stewart was another key contributor, picking up 182 receiving yards and a touchdown.
St. Thomas Catholic got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Donte Lewis out in front who threw for 292 yards and six touchdowns while completing 81.5% of his passes, and also rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries. Another player making a difference was Johann Cardenas, who rushed for 196 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 9.3 yards per carry.
St. Thomas Catholic's defensive line stepped up as well, laying out the QB three times. Leading the way was Dominic Ori and his two sacks.
Walnut Grove's defeat dropped their record down to 2-7. As for St. Thomas Catholic, the win for they keeps them at an undefeated 8-0.
Walnut Grove will head out on the road to face off against Central Catholic at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for St. Thomas Catholic, they will be playing in front of their home fans against St. Pius X at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. St. Pius X is hoping to put an end to a five-game streak of away losses.
