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PROSPER — Prosper Walnut Grove running back Cam Newton lived up to his name Friday night, bulldozing his way into the end zone just like the former NFL MVP quarterback.
Newton scored the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute to go to give Walnut Grove a 41-37 victory over Lovejoy and the lead in 4-5A Div. II, the area’s most competitive 5A district.
Newton rushed 29 times for 210 yards and three touchdowns for Walnut Grove (7-1, 5-1). There were multiple times when he looked stopped in the backfield, and his 5-10 frame was able to squeeze through the hole.
Entering the game, Newton was third in rushing yards with 1,053 among Dallas-area 5A teams.
“Cam is special,” Walnut Grove coach Tommy Allison said. “He’s one of those kids that misses the hole and you start yelling at him, ‘Hit the hole.’ And the next thing, he came out the backside for a touchdown. So I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut and just let him do his thing.”
He said this might be the 2-year-old football program’s biggest win yet.
“We’ve had some big, monumental moments,” Allison said. “Our first game was in Arkansas, too, but this was a big win. I’m proud of our kids and proud of their fight.”
Walnut Grove, The Dallas Morning News’ No. 10 team in Class 5A, trailed by two entering the fourth quarter. Lovejoy quarterback Jacob Janecek threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Daylan McCutcheon to give the Leopards (5-3, 5-1) a 37-28 lead with 9:12 left.
Less than two minutes later on Walnut Grove’s next drive, Newton burst down the right sideline for a 51-yard touchdown run to cut Lovejoy’s lead to 37-35.
Walnut Grove then forced a punt and followed with an 18-play, 76-yard drive to take the lead.
Walnut Grove quarterback Hayes Hackney, a freshman, completed 23 of 30 passes for 358 yards and three touchdowns. Hackney was calm during the moments when Walnut Grove trailed and led them on multiple scoring drives to retake the lead.
“He’s a stud,” Allison said. “He’s a great kid and what you see is what you get. He’s even-keeled. He’s happy when others make plays. It’s never about him. He’s been unbelievable. So proud of him.”
Hackney’s main target was senior wide receiver Luke Watkins. The 6-4 deep threat hauled in a 79-yard touchdown to score the game’s first points, one of his 12 catches for 212 yards.
“We just keep slinging it and throwing fast screens,” Watkins said. “And then when they start biting on it, we’ll take a deep shot every now and then.
“So this is just what we do. We practice it all day. We run tempo. It gets tiring at practice, but it makes the games good.”
Entering the game, Lovejoy and Walnut Grove boasted the top two scoring offenses among Dallas-area 5A teams. Walnut Grove led with the No. 1 total offense, averaging 575.4 yards per game, while Lovejoy, No. 5 in The News’ rankings, ranked fifth at 438.6.
Walnut Grove averaged 53.3 points per game, with Lovejoy close behind at 51.2.
Lovejoy has won three of five games this season decided by seven points or less. The team had outscored its last two opponents 108-7.
Walnut Grove has scored 40 or more points in seven of its eight games this season.
After Walnut Grove lost its first game of the season to Anna last Friday, Allison said he didn’t need to make any changes because he trusted his team, which will face Melissa next week in a game with district seeding on the line.
“It doesn’t matter who’s in front of us,” Allison said. “Our preparation is the same and we expect to win when we play. And so we were disappointed with our performance last week, but it didn’t change our preparation for this week.
“And I’m so happy. I love these boys. They’re such great kids and no matter the outcome, whether they win or lose, I love them. But for them to be able to celebrate this moment, my heart is full.”
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