Battle of the Birds as Wall Takes on TLCA in District Matchup

SAN ANGELO, TX — The Wall Hawks look to continue their winning way against the TLCA San Angelo Eagles in their second district matchup.

No. 4-ranked Wall (6-1 overall, 1-0 in District 3-3A Division I) had a few questions lingering last week as many believed injuries would hamper the team. The Hawks put all those questions to rest as they ignited against the Llano Yellowjackets in the district opener, 50-14. Quarterback Gunner King went off with 292 passing yards and five touchdowns after being limited in practice due to an injury suffered against Midland Christian the week prior.

King has been outstanding for the Hawks this year, completing 66% of his throws as he has gone 110-of-166 for 1,967 yards, 24 TDs and three interceptions. He has also been efficient on the ground, running when he has to and adding 267 rushing yards and three scores.

The running game has been moving in the right direction with Gunner Garza and Caden Sturm. Garza missed last week, but Sturm went off for 106 yards and a score. Altogether, the rushing attack has produced over 1,000 yards and 14 TDs.

But the aeriel attack has been the key to success for the Hawks ever since Slaughter took over a few years ago. This year is no different as five different receivers have over 200 yards, led by Jager Thompson with 500 yards. He is closely followed by Hudson Surber with 471 yards and eight scores. Evan Boehle comes in third in yardage with 391 yards and eight scores. Braylon Nelson and Garza both have over 200 yards and four TDs between them.

The Hawks' defense is just as good as the offense, holding teams to 18 points per game. With an offense that averages 43 points per game, all the defense needs to do is keep playing solid football.

Slayton Hallmark, Kaden McFarden and freshman Krue Thompson lead the team in tackles with 74, 66 and 53, respectively. In fact, 20 Hawk defenders have double-digit tackles this season. McFarden leads the team in sacks with six, followed by Hallmark with three. Five other players each have gotten home one time.

The Wall defense also gets the ball back for the offense quite a bit. Kalen Sanders leads the way with four interceptions, while Krue Thompson has two and Blaize Benson has one. They've also forced seven fumbles and recovered seven fumbles.

The TLCA Eagles have had a tough run the past few seasons, but they got the monkey off their backs this year. After going 0-20 over the past two season, the Eagles are 2-5 this season, beating Abilene TLCA 67-20 and shutting out Winters 42-0. Continuity has been rough at TLCA, but new head coach Robert Ontiveroz to get the team on the right track. 

Still, playing the defending state champions is a tall task for any team. That being said, look for backups like Wall quarterback Ian Reichenau to get plenty of playing time. This season, Reichenau has gone 22-of-32 for a 68% completion percentage. He has 231 passing yards and two TDs with no interceptions. Against Llano last week, Reichenau led the Hawks to a score on his first drive, proving that he can move the ball in the right direction.

The Wall Hawks play the San Angelo TLCA Eagles at 7 p.m. Friday at Clayton Weishuhn Field in Wall.