Sawyer Boyd has provided quite the jolt in his first (and final) season with Walker Valley High School’s football program.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pound senior continued his emergence as one of the top receivers in the Chattanooga area when he finished with eight catches for 127 yards and scored the first three touchdowns of the Mustangs’ 40-37 comeback win Friday night at East Hamilton. He finished the game with 316 all-purpose yards to help lead the way to a crucial TSSAA Region 3-5A victory.
Boyd’s catch radius and elite speed — as showcased by his time of his 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash, along with being a three-time indoor track and field All-American — have helped him team up with quarterback Chase Stephens for 746 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 46 catches through a 6-1 start to the season that includes a 4-0 mark in region play.
Friday’s walk-off win was secured by sophomore kicker Christopher Malick’s 31-yard field goal as time expired after the Mustangs never led until then, and the night is one Boyd won’t soon forget. In addition to scoring on catches covering 18 and 54 yards, he returned a kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown.
“Our coaches said this game was the most impactful and important game in Walker Valley history,” said Boyd, who transferred from intracounty rival Cleveland in the offseason. “The celebration on the field was something I had never been a part of before.