Rees Goodall is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication student assigned to cover Tempe High School for AZPreps365.com.

Following their 28-21 loss away to Greenway, the Tempe Buffaloes football team met a fork in the road, with a leader needing to step up to guide the team.

Tempe had just fallen to an even record of 3-3, and needed a spark in the team’s engine to make a potential playoff push.

Up stepped senior defensive lineman Zihyon Walters, who delivered a fiery speech to his teammates that head coach Sean Freeman called one of the most inspirational speeches he’d heard in his time in football.

“This is a guy who’s out there barking at his teammates. That’s what it takes,” Freeman said. “That’s senior leadership: ‘Hey, I’m not ready to go home. Not ready to give up yet.’”

Walters' speech immediately paid dividends as the Buffaloes won their next game 40-0 over Moon Valley. He made his impact felt with a sack and a tackle for loss.

The aftershock waves moved into Tempe’s matchup against Independence, with Walters again tallying a sack and a tackle for loss en route to a 22-20 victory.

Now, Tempe sits with its playoff hopes in the destiny of others, but with each win, the Buffaloes move closer to accomplishing their goal.

“I feel they have taken a lot out of it because after that talk, it just seems like we’re all more confident and they want to play football now,” Walters said. “We have a goal that’s set for us, and now they want to pursue this goal. I need them to keep pursuing this goal.”

For those around the Buffaloes, Walters’ leadership is nothing new.

It has been displayed both on and off the field throughout his tenure in Tempe, but has taken off in his senior campaign.

Prior to the season, Walters worked with numerous different members of the Arizona Cardinals, including 18-year veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell.

“They gave me a mindset to never give up on myself,” Walters said. “Late in the game [against Independence], I felt like I was doing bad. But then I talked to myself and boosted myself up to keep playing. ‘The game is not over, you have to keep playing.’”

Walters’ leadership in his senior year, met with his great performances, has caught the radar of numerous colleges from a variety of different levels. He has seen an uptick in offers recently, with offers from San Bernardino Valley College, Ottawa University Arizona, Fullerton College and more.

After the win over Independence, Walters took an on-campus visit to Sacramento State, an FCS-level school, with hopes of an offer.

“His senior year, we knew it was going to be a big one,” Tempe recruiting coordinator Phil Braxton said. “He’s been a guy on and off the field, he’s one of our captains, and I am really proud of him.”

However, as of now, Walters isn’t worried about where he’ll end up playing football next fall, but instead has his attention locked on making the playoffs with his team.

“I don’t think about no other game on the schedule, but the next one every week,” Walters said. “We have this goal, where it’s 1-0 every week. Don’t focus on the other team until the team you play is done.”