The Manila Lions lost against the Walnut Ridge Bobcats back in October of 2022, and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Friday. Manila took a serious blow against Walnut Ridge, falling 45-6. Manila was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 30-6.
Isaac Moore threw for 93 yards and a touchdown. Jacob Baugher was his top target, picking up 56 receiving yards and a touchdown. On the ground, Drake Morris rushed for 100 yards.
Leading Walnut Ridge to victory were Enrique Perez and Jersie Cunningham. Perez rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown on only 15 carries, while Cunningham rushed for 76 yards and two touchdowns. Cristian Gonzalez did his part by putting the 'special' in special teams, booting in three field goals.
The team's defense also helped out by holding Manila to a paltry 248 yards. A big part of that defensive dominance came down to Walnut Ridge's ability to keep the quarterback under pressure: the team laid him out four times before it was all said and done. Manila's QB won't forget Dawson Ward anytime soon given Ward sacked him four times.
Manila has been struggling recently, as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-6 record this season. As for Walnut Ridge, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 7-2.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Manila will take on Osceola at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Arkansas (Osceola is ranked 135th, while Manila is ranked 149th). As for Walnut Ridge, they will head out on the road to face off against Hoxie at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hoxie is also coming in off of a big victory, so somebody is in for a big reversal of fortune.
