3A Wall Hawks Face Titanic Matchup Against 6A La Joya

WALL, TX — The defending state champion Wall Hawks opened the 2026 football season with a statement victory last week, rallying from a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat 4A Division I No. 10 Canyon West Plains 42-35. 

Now the Hawks (ranked No. 4 in 3A D-I) face another major challenge, traveling to Uvalde on Thursday for a neutral-site matchup against 6A La Joya at the Honey Bowl.

Head coach Craig Slaughter said the comeback showcased the resilience that has become a trademark of the Wall program.

"You know, just proud of the kids. They don't quit," Slaughter said. "Down 14, we scored 21 in the fourth quarter to win that thing. Offense had a couple of turnovers that we normally don't have, but they were cash money all night. They just made huge plays. It was (quarterback Gunner King's) first-ever start, and he did that well. Again, just a great team victory. Those kids just keep playing."

King made the most of his first varsity start under center, throwing for 415 yards and four touchdowns with a 70% completion percentage, while adding another score on the ground. King credited the offensive line and his receivers for making the breakout performance possible.

"It was a great start to the season," King said. "I give credit to the O-line and the receivers. The O-line absolutely played lights out all night long. I don't think I got pressured one time, and I think the receivers played great."

Wall's offensive line answered preseason questions with a dominant performance, helping the Hawks produce both through the air and on the ground.

"What more can you ask from them?" King said. "Gunner Garza had 110 rushing yards in the first game. That goes to the O-line, too. They have 110 rushing yards in my book because without them, Gunner doesn't get anything. With the passing too, all the receivers, including me and Gunner, we all thanked them after the game."

Slaughter praised the protection and the balance displayed by his offense against one of the state's top-ranked teams.

"My God, our O-line protection and the run game were absolutely outstanding," Slaughter said. "All those weapons — Gunner King, Gunner Garza, Evan Boehle, Jager Thompson, Braylon Nelson, Hudson Surber and all those receivers — they all got to showcase it because that O-line played so good."

King highlighted several teammates who made big contributions in the passing game.

"Obviously Evan stood out," King said. "First drive, he had three receptions, and they finally started putting the safety over the top, so it kind of slowed him down. He's going to be a dude for us this year. Then Jager and Surber had monster nights from the slot, and Braylon Nelson had a great night, too."

The defining moment came in the closing seconds after Wall erased the 14-point deficit. On the game-winning touchdown pass with less than a minute remaining, King said he recognized the defensive coverage before the snap.

"I had a pre-read on the defense," King said. "I knew what coverage they were in, and I knew the play fake would suck them down. I just kind of gave Braylon a little wink and let him know he was about to be there for a touchdown."

King said the comeback reinforced the confidence the Hawks have in themselves.

"Our defense gave up zero points in the fourth quarter," he said. "That shows tremendous effort and guts, getting the ball back after our mistakes and allowing us to come back and have an opportunity to win the game."

Despite the victory, both Slaughter and King pointed to areas that need improvement before Thursday's game.

Wall turned the ball over twice inside the red zone against West Plains. That and a muffed punt turned a lead into a deficit in a hurry.

"The second one was on me," King said. "I just dropped a snap. It got on me quicker than I thought it would, and I dropped it. That's fully on me. We'll fix those two."

Slaughter said the defense also has room to improve after allowing several explosive plays, including a 77-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.

"We gave up three explosive plays last week, including the first play of the game," Slaughter said. "We didn't give up one 50-yard play last year. We want to make people drive the ball on us."

Next up: Class 6A La Joya

The challenge becomes even steeper this week against a much-larger 6A La Joya program. La Joya (1-0) jumped out to a hot start last week when the Coyotes beat Zapata, 35-12.

The Coyotes feature a veteran quarterback entering his fourth season as a starter, Owen Benoit (6-0, 185 lbs), along with a sizable offensive line and downhill rushing attack.

"Four-year starter at quarterback — he is very in control of the game," Slaughter said. "Big, big O-line. I'm very worried about the downhill running game. I don't think they're as athletic as the dudes we just played up front, but they're bigger than the dudes we just played. It's a 6A program."

La Joya, a South Texas school just outside McAllen, has more than six times as many students — 2,236 compared to 370 for Wall. That's depth that Wall cannot hope to match. As the game goes on, those fresh bodies will wear on Wall. They need to jump out to an early lead to never allow a long grind to be an option for La Joya. King called the matchup a unique chance for the Hawks.

"I think it's a tremendous opportunity for us," he said. "They're going to be big, fast and physical — everything you'd expect from a 6A team. We just have to bring our game and be ready."

Slaughter believes Wall's speed could be the difference if the Hawks execute offensively.

"Our perimeter speed — most teams we play, I'll take those dudes outside," Slaughter said. "We make so many explosive plays. The O-line needs to do what they did last week to let Gunner get the ball to those guys in space."

King agreed that getting the ball into Wall's playmakers' hands will be critical.

"On the perimeter, I think we're going to be able to take advantage," he said. "Just get Jagger, Hudson, Evan and Braylon the ball in space and let them make a move. Use that speed to their advantage."

For both coach and quarterback, the formula for another victory is straightforward.

"We've got to limit the mistakes and play our game," King said.

Slaughter echoed that message.

"Offensively, it's the two turnovers inside the 10-yard line that we don't do," he said. "Those are mistakes we can clean up."

Wall (1-0) and La Joya (1-0) are scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Honey Bowl in Uvalde.