Wall Hawks Start Fast, Steamroll 6A La Joya

UVALDE, TX — It seemed like the Wall Hawks might be in for a big challenge Thursday against Class 6A La Joya.

Instead, it was the Hawks who overwhelmed their much larger opponent.

Class 3A Wall, with only 370 students, raced out to a 42-point halftime lead on the way to a 55-14 win against La Joya, which has six times as many students with 2,236. 

"We have incredible confidence right now," Wall quarterback Gunner King said. "We're the first 3A team to ever beat a 6A team, so that’s pretty cool to know that you’re the first."

Wall scored five touchdowns in the first quarter, then added two more in the second — capped by a 99-yard drive — to take a 49-7 lead into halftime.

King threw for 225 yards and five TDs on 16-of-21 passing, while Gunner Garza rushed for 122 yards and a TD on 10 carries. Jaxson Kennedy also added a TD run.

Evan Boehle had six catches for 88 yards and two TDs. Lawson Dankworth, Hudson Surber and Jager Thompson each had one TD grab.

The matchup between a 3A and 6A school in Uvalde was a unique meeting between schools located about 450 miles apart (La Joya is located in the Rio Grande Valley outside McAllen), but it just served as a showcase for Wall, which rolled to its 18th straight win.

"It was just a great team win," King said. "The offensive line did another amazing job, the playmakers made plays, and the defense only gave up 14 points. What an outstanding performance for them."

Wall scored on the fourth play from scrimmage on King's 4-yard pass to Dankworth, then the Hawks forced a fumble on La Joya's second play. Wall again took just four plays to capitalize with Surber's 10-yard TD catch, and the Hawks were suddenly up 14-0 just 3:09 into the game.

After Wall stuffed La Joya on a fourth-down run, the Hawks capped a 36-yard drive with Garza's 5-yard TD run. 

An interception by Wall's Krue Thompson set up a 15-yard TD catch by Boehle for a 28-0 lead with 2:30 left in the first quarter.

La Joya finally broke through with a 49-yard TD pass from Owen Benoit to Luis Aronja, but Wall took just one play to respond on a 50-yard TD pass from King to Thompson.

Kennedy's 1-yard TD run made it 42-7 with 5:50 to go in the second quarter.

Wall then finished off the first half in style after a punt pinned the Hawks on the 1-yard line. The Hawks drove 99 yards in 11 plays and scored with six seconds remaining on King's 5-yard pass to Boehle.

King has now thrown nine TD passes in his first two starts.

"He's obviously gaining confidence," Wall head coach Craig Slaughter said. "He's using those weapons, and the offensive line was just solid again. ... I thought Gunner would get there eventually, but he's already playing like a kid who's played 15-plus games. I couldn't be happier with what that kid's doing. And over there on the sideline, he's a steady leader. He's an awesome dude."

Wall gave its backups plenty of playing time in a second half that featured just two scores. La Joya's Benoit scored on a 10-yard run to pull the Coyotes within 49-14 midway through the third quarter. Wall's Sutton Robertson scored on an 18-yard run with 4:50 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Slaughter praised his team's defensive performance for holding a 6A opponent to just two scores.

"All week, I wanted them to communicate a little better. And it's weird, there's no bands here. It was quiet. So I told them, 'You better do it, because I'm going to hear it tonight,'" Slaughter said. 

Wall, the No. 4-ranked team in 3A Division I, improved to 2-0, while La Joya fell to 1-1. The Hawks will play again next week against the team Slaughter called their biggest rival, Jim Ned, in Tuscola.

Wall 55, La Joya 14

Wall   35   14   0   6 — 55

La Joya   7   0   7   0 — 14

First Quarter

W - Lawson Dankworth 4 pass from Gunner King (Tyler Klinesmith kick), 10:39 remaining

W - Hudson Surber 10 pass from King (Klinesmith kick), 8:51

W - Gunner Garza 5 run (Klinesmith kick), 4:21

W - Evan Boehle 15 pass from King (Klinesmith kick), 2:30

L - Luis Arjona 49 pass from Owen Benoit (kick good), :53

W - Jager Thompson 50 pass from King (Klinesmith kick), :32

Second Quarter

W - Jaxon Kennedy 1 run (Klinesmith kick), 5:50

W - Boehle 5 pass from King (Thompson kick), :06

Third Quarter

L - Benoit 10 run (kick good), 4:28

Fourth Quarter

W - Sutton Robertson (kick failed), 4:50