OXFORD - After an impressive win last week against Bainbridge-Guilford, the Oxford Blackhawks were in for a true test when Walton came to play under the lights Friday, September, 11. In an impressive showing Walton beat Oxford on their home field 42-14.
Starting off the game Oxford won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball. Taking it from their own 35 yard line, the game started with a huge Walton sack and a Blackhawks penalty, making it a long second and almost 30 for Oxford. The very next play Oxford quarterback Angelo Gonzalez dropped back to pass, only to have a Walton defender jump in front of his intended target and pick the ball off.
Now it was Walton's turn to get some offense going. Starting first and goal from the Oxford nine yard line, Walton powered through the Blackhawk defense and scored on their second play from scrimmage. Running it straight up the middle, Walton scored on a run from one yard out and successfully completed the two point attempt to make the game now 8-0 Walton with just under ten minutes to go in the first quarter.
After another short Walton kick off, Oxford began their second drive on their own 39 yard line. This drive the Oxford offense found themselves against a wall of Walton defenders, only gaining yardage on a two yard run by Xavier Cruz. Forced to punt, Oxford was now on the defensive side of the ball on the Walton 29.
Walton was a team that would grind out plays and mostly run between the tackles, earning four or five yard gains the majority of the time. Like a well oiled machine Walton marched their way down field to the Oxford three yard line. Now first and goal, Walton quarterback Blake Hitt stepped back to pass and found Derek Mead on a short pot pass in the end zone for the second score of the night. After a failed two point attempt the score was now 14-0 Walton Warriors with just over 30 seconds left in the quarter.
Oxford received another Walton kick and only rattled off two plays before time ran out and the second quarter began.
After switching sides of the field, the Blackhawk offense was again shut down by a stalwart Walton D. Oxford again had to punt and gave Walton the ball on their own 23 yard line. This time the Warriors started off their drive with two big runs by Christian Rutherford to bring the ball up to their own 46 yard line. After Rutherford's runs it was business as usual for the Warriors, sharing the ball between a multitude of backs, their small gains were capped off by a 23 yard run up the middle by Derek Mead. Mead's run would set up a score from two yards out by Dawson Beers on the ensuing play. Oxford again stopped the two point attempt to bring the score to 20-0 Walton with 6:40 left in the half.
