Mike Vasquez experiences how physical Walnut can be.
(Walnut) The Walnut Mustangs improved their record to 4-0 with a solid 27-16 victory Friday night over the visiting Arroyo Knights.
Arroyo controlled the ball and the clock most of the first half limiting Walnut to only three first half offensive possessions and a lone touchdown. The score came on a one yard run by Leonard Rhodes off the direct snap.
The Knights got on the board early in the second quarter on a 35-yard field goal by Rogelio Sotelo. The score capped an eight play 61-yard drive.
Mid way through the second period, Arroyo went on an eight play drive that started at their own 49-yard line. Steven Rivera scrambled away from the Mustang rush and found the corner of the end zone for an 11-yard score.
The score was a bright spot on the evening for Rivera who took a beating from the Walnut defense.
“We’ve been okay up front but I think tonight we had a bad night. They (Walnut) definitely wanted to get after our quarterback more than we wanted to stop them” commented Head Coach Jim Singiser after the game.
Momentum turned late in the first half.
The Knights were forced to punt with just a few seconds left in the first half. Jeff Salazar’s punt angled toward the sideline but didn’t make it out of bounds as designed. The Mustang’s Darian Lindsey fielded the ball at his own seven and headed up field. Not finding much room along the near sideline, Lindsey cut back across field and got to the edge. 93-yards later Walnut had a 13-10 lead and the momentum going into the half.
Arroyo did all they could to stem the tide in the second half and controlled the ball and kept the athletic Mustang offense in check until late in the third.
A bad spot by the officials gave the ball to Walnut at their own 48 after the Knights went for it on fourth and one. The play came towards the Arroyo sideline and the official on that side marked the Knight ball carrier down for what appeared to be a first down. The officials however decided to go with the mark from the official form the other side of the field leaving Arroyo short.
Walnut took advantage of the field position and marched their way down field keyed by receptions from the 6’6” Aubrey Coleman. Milan King finished the drive punching it in from seven yards away.
The Mustangs went up 27-10 mid way through the final frame with King getting the score again on a 15-yard run that capped a seven play drive. King was the leading ground gainer in the game getting 105-yards on 13 carries and two scores.
Arroyo managed a score with 1:38 left to play on a 14-yard strike from Rivera to Hunter Duran. Rivera finished the evening hitting on 17 of 28 for 157-yards, a touchdown, bloody nose, a sore shoulder and various other contusions from the beating he took.
After the game Walnut Head Coach Michael O’Shields stated “We knew they would be a physical team, Arroyo always is. I felt we had the athletes and we were prepared but the physical part was going to be the test and we focused on that all week.”
Next week Arroyo goes on the road to face an improved La Canada team while Walnut stays home to face Freeway League opponent Sonora.
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