After having lost a blowout in their previous game against Rowland, Walnut was happy to have turned things around on Friday. They walked away with a 21-13 victory over the Valencia Tigers. The score was all tied up 7-7 at the break, but the Mustangs were the (much) better team in the second half.
Walnut's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Christopher Mardueno, who rushed for 102 yards and two scores. That's the most rushing touchdowns Mardueno has posted since back in October of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Damian Banuelos, who rushed for 97 yards on only 12 carries.
Walnut didn't let much get past them through the air: they limited Valencia to a completion percentage of just 44.4%. That dominant aerial defense primarily came from two players: Keneh Ejike and Aamir Zayid, who each logged one passes deflected. Walnut wasn't nearly as limited: they posted one of 20%.
Although Valencia took the loss, they still got scores from Armando Gamboa and Ediel Nicholas. Nicholas also deserves some recognition as he punched in his first rushing touchdown of the season.
Walnut's record now sits at 4-1. As for Valencia, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 1-3.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Walnut will have some time to savor their victory since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Diamond Bar at 7:00 p.m. on October 3. As for Valencia, they will take on Gahr at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Tigers will be up against the Gladiators' rather soft defense (which has allowed 36 points per matchup), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
