Willow Canyon lost against Goldwater back in November of 2023, and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Friday. The Willow Canyon Wildcats took a 54-47 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Goldwater Bulldogs. Even though they lost, the Wildcats' still made a splash on offense and bumped their average scoring up to 25.9 points per game (they're now ranked -1th in scoring overall).
When it comes to explaining why Willow Canyon lost, don't look at Joel Cooper. Despite the final result, he rushed for 205 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 10.8 yards per carry. Cooper showed off some serious burst, cutting through the defense on one rush that went for 61 yards. Tyus Dragon was another key player, picking up 61 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Even though they lost, Willow Canyon was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 306 rushing yards. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their rushing yard total in four consecutive games.
Dylan Hayhurst was his usual excellent self, rushing for 413 yards and six touchdowns while picking up 8.8 yards per carry for Goldwater. The dominant performance gave Hayhurst a new career-high in rushing yards.
Willow Canyon dropped their record down to 3-7 with the loss, which was their third straight at home. As for Goldwater, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matches, which provided a nice bump to their 7-3 record this season.
Willow Canyon does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Goldwater, their road trip will continue as they head out to face ALA - Gilbert North at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Goldwater is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 40.6 points per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
