WALL, TX-- Wall head coach Houston Guy loves the phrase “Iron sharpens iron.” So, it was no surprise that the Hawks had Mason, Cisco, Midland Christian, Sonora and Big Spring scheduled when the Hawks’ 2018 schedule came out.
While the game against Cisco got rained out, the Hawks’ nondistrict schedule still prepared them for games like this week against Eastland (6-1, 2-0), where a district champion could be decided.
“I think when we made that preseason schedule, this is kind of where we saw ourselves,” Guy said. “We knew it was gonna be a tough preseason schedule, but I knew it would help us in the end … So, we’re sitting right we wanna be and we’re happy to be here.”
That preseason schedule and the first two games of District 3-3A Division I have been crucial for a young Hawk team.
On the roster, they don’t look young with only a handful of underclassmen listed. But the Hawks returned just three starters total. Drake Hollifield was the third defensive starter returning from 2017, but has not seen action yet this season due to injury.
Guy alluded to the injury bug that has bitten the Wall Hawks. Yet, despite some injuries, the Hawks appear to be immune to that bite.
The coaching staff at Wall is to thank for that immunity, according to Guy.
“I think [it’s] the consistency in the coaches,” Guy added. “You know, we’ve all been here for so long. Coach [Craig] Slaughter is the young coach on our staff as far as being here...and he brings a lot of energy. But most of our coaches have been here over eight years … Everybody understands their role and I think the kids understand that.”
The close-knit nature of the Wall community has also played a role in Wall’s younger guys like Kye Herbert and Chase Rios stepping up.
“We have a small team, so we know we have to [step up],” said senior receiver Hunter Teplicek. “With players out, it just give us more motivation. Not only for us, but the players who went down just so we can help them out and do everything we’re supposed to do.”
Those sophomores filling those roles usually filled by upperclassmen is also a welcomed sight for the Hawks.
“It’s something you can look a couple years down the road and see these guys are going to be playmakers for us,” Guy said. “They’re young right now, but I can see a bright future for these sophomores. They’re shining now, but they’re really gonna shine their junior and senior years.”
Speaking of familiarity, this will be the sixth meeting all-time between Eastland and Wall. The Hawks lead the all-time series 4-1 and won the last meeting 31-7 in 2017. Eastland won the first meeting 15-14 in the 2011 postseason.
“We’ve played Eastland for a long time,” Guy said. “We’ve played them in the postseason, for the regional championship games, we’ve played them in the preseason just for bragging rights. We’ve played them many times in many different situations.”
However, that Eastland team is different than the one that will take the field Friday night.
Led by sophomore QB Behren Morton’s 1,231 passing yards, Eastland is 6-1 overall and 2-0 in district. The 6-foot-3 gunslinger has already received an offer from Texas Tech.
Eastland has also relied heavily on junior running back Brandon Fielding to get their run game going this year. Fielding has already rushed for 892 yards and 15 touchdowns on 148 carries.
“There’s really no secret to what each team is gonna do,” Guy said. “They know we’re gonna run the ball and be aggressive defensively. We know they’re gonna be very aggressive up front defensively and they’re gonna throw the ball and hand it to that big running back.”
Over the course of their four-game win streak, the Hawks have gotten back to their ground game, but the Hawks have had to throw the ball more in 2018 than in previous years.
Junior QB Mason Fuchs has dropped back to pass 43 times this season. He’s completed 26 of those attempts for 519 yards and five touchdowns.
“It’s a lot more fun because we’re not just doing linemen drills,” Teplicek said. “We’re out wide a lot more than we’re in tight.”
Wall travels to Eastland for a 7:30 kickoff this Friday.
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