Tough Scrimmage May Predict a Wall Hawks' Winning Season

OFFENSE

“That was a tough scrimmage. We talked to the kids and coaches after the scrimmage and said that it was pretty spicy,” Guy said. “It was pretty heated on both sides of the ball. Nearly every possession was contested. It was a fun scrimmage to be a part of because [Midland Christian] is a very talented ball club.”

The biggest positive the Hawks took away on offense was their ability to move the ball, even though the talented Mustangs brought incredible athleticism to the field.

“I thought our kids fought,” Guy said of his offense. “We moved the ball, at times, really well.”

Wall practiced throwing the ball more than they usually do during a regular season game to check on the progress junior quarterback Gunnar Dillard has made over the offseason. Dillard hit some of his throws and missed others, but overall, the young man’s hard work looks to have paid off. 

“There are times when I think he is progressing really nicely,” Guy said of his quarterback. “We got a ball picked that got tipped. I think [Dillard] made the right read but just did not get the ball over the top [of the linebacker]. But, for the most part, I thought his reads are really progressing nicely. We still want to get the ball downfield a bit better…He will keep improving.”

The receivers ran clean routes but dropped several key passes that had the ability to go to the house. After everything was said and done, the Hawks’ passing game looks better, but it definitely still needs some work.

However, on the ground, Wall looks as dangerous as ever. Running back Nathan Pepper returns this season after leading the Hawks in the backfield a season ago. The young man has done nothing but become bigger, stronger, and faster. Wall also adds a few new faces to the backfield, namely Hagyn Barbee, who adds tremendous speed to the backfield. The only negative aspect of the run game on Friday were fumbles during the snap and pitching in the option. These mistakes happen every year during the early parts of a season. These coaches will address the issues and clear them up quickly.

Watch the full interview with Coach Houston Guy below:

DEFENSE

The Hawks sport one of the best defenses (projected) in 3A football this season. While Wall showed flashes of that on Friday night, there is still work to be done. Conditioning is an issue with how hot this summer has been. Guy said that some of his guys looked gassed at certain times during the scrimmage and as the night wore on, but despite that, Wall’s defense built some confidence on Friday. 

“It was a long scrimmage, and we were getting kinda tired,” Guy said. “Some of those guys were out there for a long time. But, you know, they bowed up their neck and got a big stop early at about the 30-yard line and got the ball for us offensively. The confidence that comes with playing with a team like Midland Christian for so long gives us a sense of how good we can be.”

Wall struggled to keep up with Midland Christian's speed on occasion but did a good job at keeping the Mustangs out of the end zone when it mattered. Miscommunication and breakdowns in the secondary led to some explosive plays, but even those were held to a minimum. The important takeaway on the defense was that guys flew around the field, laid down some big hits, and looked like they wanted to be out there despite the heat.

On two different occasions, Brylan White, last year’s All-COVER1 Defensive MVP, and Logan Thomas laid the wood on Midland Christian’s ball carriers. The crowd loved every second of it, and those stops gave the rest of the defense confidence to move forward.

Wall gained some valuable experience against a talented team on Friday. Wall might not face another team like that again until they play Jim Ned or even Canadian again in the playoffs. The Hawks need to consolidate their gains quickly and strive for continuous improvement throughout the early parts of the season. Wall kicks off its 2023 campaign next Friday, August 25, when the Hawks host Eastland in Wall at 7 p.m.