WG Football Dominates Alcovy County in Crushing Victory

Photo courtesy of MV Photo Concepts

On Friday, August 28, Walnut Grove Varsity Football traveled to Alcovy County to prove everyone wrong. WG Football decimated Alcovy County in a 24-6 win for The Grove. Even after gaining a win under their belt, the team doesn't plan on stopping their determination anytime soon.
by Harrison Smith, Grayson Brandenburgh, and Markeis Hardeman

On Friday, August 28, Walnut Grove Varsity Football traveled to Alcovy County to prove everyone wrong. WG Football decimated Alcovy County in a 24-6 win for The Grove. Even after gaining a win under their belt, the team doesn't plan on stopping their determination anytime soon.

Mike Eck (junior) is the kicker for the team. On Friday night, he managed to drill all four of his kicks straight through the goalposts. However, this skill doesn't come without having the right mindset. “My mindset was to put in all the work we did in practice, bring it to the game setting, and be victorious.” Mindset isn't the only thing Mike and the team took into this game. They also carried motivation into the game, and Mike's motivation came from his coaches. “Probably the coaches. They cracked down on us really hard about walking places quicker and being more physical.”

While Friday night's game was full of many memorable moments, Mike's personal favorite moment was off the field. “Celebrating with the band after; that was really fun.” This victory sent a message to Mike, the team, and the team's future opponents. “One loss doesn't define us, and one loss doesn't define how we play the next week.” Mike will continue to kick for the Warriors varsity football team, and with him on the team, the future looks bright.

Mike wasn't the only one who had shining moments during the game. Houston Fowler (junior) is the quarterback for the Warriors. During the game, Houston threw one touchdown and ran in for two. A big factor in how the whole team plays, but Houston especially, is the atmosphere of the game. “There weren't that many fans there, so we were just focused on what was going on at the field.” While there weren't many fans at the game, Houston still had something to prove to himself, his team, and everyone around him. “We knew we just had to prove something since last week we lost to our cross-town rivals, so we went in hoping to gain a win, and we managed to do that.”

Similar to Mike, Houston's motivation came from the coaches. “Probably the coaches. They pushed us hard this week, and we knew we had to step up.” It's clear to everyone that the motivation from the coaches was very effective. Houston managed to run the ball in for a touchdown twice, which isn't easy. These moments, among many others, stood out to Houston. “Both rushing touchdowns. They really helped boost my drive in the game.” Walnut Grove was looking to send a message with this victory, and the message Houston sent is powerful. “One game doesn't define who we are, and we can come back next week stronger.”

One win is special, but two wins are even better, and after their bye week, The Grove hopes to gain a second win against Rabun County. Come out on September 11 at 7:30 p.m. and cheer on your Warriors at our home stadium.