DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — Gators have a lot of teeth and a long memory. This time last season, Baker suffered a home loss against a Walton Braves team — which went 10-0 in their regular season — in a virtual shootout at the Swamp.
This time the Gators went to Walton on their Homecoming night coming off a big win against Blountstown and a bye week. The Braves hadn’t won a game all season, and the Gators had momentum on their side.
In the game’s first two series, it looked like it would be another virtual shootout, with Walton scoring on their first drive against a Baker defense that needed to work out their bye-week rust. The Gators answered back, however, with their strong running game and a 13-yard touchdown run by Junior McLaughlin.
The Baker defense came back energetically, forcing a fumble at the Walton 17-yard line, giving the Gators a drive that ended with a fourth-and-goal touchdown run from Logan Rickmon.
Baker’s defense forced a three-and-out and Junior McLaughlin returned the punt for his second touchdown of the night, putting the score at 21-7 at the end of the first quarter.
The remainder of the half was a ground-and-pound defensive period, with Baker only allowing a field goal from the Braves followed by a run-dominant drive that took up the remainder of the period, resulting in a Jayson Moore 1-yard touchdown, ending the half 28-10 with Baker in the lead.
The third quarter was another defensive chess match. However, Walton turned the ball over on downs, giving Baker only half the field to work with, resulting in another ground-and-pound drive that gave Jalen Ciurleo a 10-yard touchdown run, handing Baker a 35-10 lead.
However, in the fourth quarter, the Gators were too comfortable with their 25-point lead, allowing Walton to score 14 unanswered points and succeed with an onside kick.
Coach Matt Brunson credited Walton’s offense for stepping up.
“Walton had some players and made some plays,” he said, adding that Baker still had some work to do for the season. “We’ve got to just keep working on us and get in better shape; keep fielding out package and keep playing with confidence.”
The Gators stopped Walton and drove to within a few yards of the end zone, running the clock out without scoring, with a final score of 35-24.
The Gators return home 3-0 with a game against Rocky Bayou Christian School on Sept. 23.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baker football team battles Braves after break