1A Team of the Week: Walnut Springs Hornets
Walnut Springs has faced plenty of adversity this year. After starting the season with 14 players, the Hornets have lost three key players due to injury.
This past Friday wasn’t any different as the Hornets had a number of challenges to overcome heading into their district opener against Cranfills Gap.
In addition to being considered as 17-point underdogs coming into the game, the Hornets also had to wait out a two-hour delay caused by a referee shortage.
After officiating the Bluff-Dale-Iredell game, the referees made the 10-mile trek from Iredell to Walnut Springs to allow the game to eventually get underway at 9:30.
And once the game got underway, Walnut Springs rose to the occasion. In a back-and-forth game, junior running back Diego Muniz led the Hornet rushing attack with 133 yards and four scores, while sophomore quarterback Josue Ontiveros added 171 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
Meanwhile, sophomore Jesse Lamb had a massive impact on both sides of the ball, bringing in five catches for 86 yards and a score. He also led the team defensively with 13 tackles.
Late in the game down 52-50, Ontiveros connected with Muniz for a five-yard score to give Walnut Springs a 56-52 lead. Cranfills Gap had one last chance in the waning seconds, but Adrian Chavez, who finished with nine tackles on the night, sealed the game with a tackle that prevented Cranfills Gap from picking up a first down at the Walnut Springs 20-yard line.
Texas 1A Fan Helmet Sticker winner for Week 9 Cranfills Gap @ Walnut Springs!
– Blake Allen, Junior, Cranfills Gap
– Diego Muniz, Junior, Walnut SpringsCongratulations, Gentlemen!https://t.co/5puvoRGmD2@LemanSaunders @sixmanfb @6manfootballfan pic.twitter.com/Wt8NynK7yg
— Texas 1A Fan (@Texas1AFan) October 22, 2022
Walnut Springs head coach Lonnie Flippen said he was incredibly proud of his football team, which does not have a single senior on its roster and has faced those aforementioned injury challenges this season.
With the win, the Hornets now have the chance to all but seal a playoff appearance with another victory at home against Iredell this Friday.
Previous 1A Winners
Week One: Rankin
Week Two: Jayton
Week Three: Westbrook
Week Four: Follett
Week Five: Garden City
Week Six: Southland
Week Seven: Cherokee
Week Eight: Blum
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