The Walnut Wildcats mounted a thrilling comeback Friday night, erasing a two-touchdown deficit in the second half to defeat the visiting Hawks and notch their first win of the season. The victory moves Walnut to 1–2.
Walnut struck first in the opening quarter when Mason Wilbanks ran in a 15-yard touchdown. The Hawks responded quickly, building a 14–6 halftime lead and pushing the margin to 20–6 with six minutes left in the third quarter.
The Wildcats then came alive. Konner Morgan powered in a 13-yard touchdown run, followed by a 43-yard burst from Isaac Sauceda, with Morgan tacking on the two-point conversion to close the gap. In the fourth quarter, Wilbanks blocked a punt, setting up another Morgan touchdown run. Morgan later added a third score on the ground, plus another two-point conversion, to give Walnut a comfortable lead.
With just a minute to play, Tripp Malone sealed the win with a late interception, snuffing out the Hawks’ last chance at a rally.
Morgan finished with over 120 rushing yards and three touchdowns, earning Player of the Game honors.
The Wildcats will try to keep the momentum rolling next week when they host Alcorn Central for Homecoming. That game will be broadcast on RCTV 19.
