It was a good run, but Walnut Grove unfortunately witnessed the end of their seven-game winning streak dating back to last season on Friday. They lost to the Anna Coyotes on the road by a 55-41 margin. The Wildcats lost against the Coyotes in their previous head to head back in September of 2023, too, but the margin this time around was much closer than the 52-7 score last time.
When it comes to explaining why Walnut Grove lost, don't look at Cameron Newton. Despite the final result, he rushed for 265 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 9.8 yards per carry. Those 265 rushing yards gave Newton a new career-high. Luke Watkins was another key player, picking up 158 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Even though they lost, Walnut Grove was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 298 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 174 rushing yards in 11 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Anna was led to victory by Edward Chumley and Ziondre Williams. Chumley rushed for 171 yards and five touchdowns, while Williams threw for 339 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 10.6 yards per attempt. Chumley is on a roll when it comes to rushing touchdowns, as he's now punched in two or more in the last five games he's played dating back to last season. Michael Kennedy was Williams' top target, picking up 138 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Having lost for the first time this season, Walnut Grove fell to 6-1. As for Anna, the victory was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 4-3.
Walnut Grove will look to defend their home field on Friday against Lovejoy at 7:00 p.m. Walnut Grove will be looking to keep their three-game home win streak alive. As for Anna, they will face off against Denison at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Denison will be hoping to continue their three-game streak of scoring more points each matchup than the last.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
