Ryson Nunez accounts for four touchdowns and Rhyder Armstrong scores twice as New Waverly moves into a tie atop District 12-3A Division II
Bulldogs deliver their response
NEW WAVERLY, Texas - One week after suffering its first loss of the season, New Waverly faced a Hardin team that had already defeated Newton and arrived at Bulldog Stadium alone atop the district standings.
The Bulldogs answered with their most efficient offensive performance of the season.
New Waverly scored on all five of its meaningful possessions, answered both times Hardin pulled within three points and defeated the Hornets 31-14 Friday night in a pivotal District 12-3A Division II matchup.
Quarterback Ryson Nunez accounted for all four New Waverly touchdowns. He threw scoring passes of 19 and 42 yards to Rhyder Armstrong and added touchdown runs of 10 and 4 yards.
Leo Escobedo made all four extra-point attempts and kicked a 26-yard field goal.
The Bulldogs improved to 7-1 overall and 2-1 in district play. Hardin fell to 5-3 and 2-1, creating a three-way tie with Newton at the top of the district standings.
Hardin entered the game with a physical, clock-controlling offense that had limited the number of possessions available to previous opponents. The Hornets did it again Friday, holding the ball for long stretches and running more than eight minutes off the clock on one third-quarter touchdown drive.
New Waverly made its limited opportunities count.
The Bulldogs’ first five possessions ended with four touchdowns and a field goal. Their only other possession came after Collin Namken’s late interception, when Nunez took a knee to end the game.
“We just told the kids, Hardin is physical,” New Waverly coach Dean Schaub said. “Match their physicality, and you have a chance to win. We did.”
Three third-down conversions set the tone
New Waverly won the opening coin toss and elected to receive.
Carlos Taylor returned the kickoff near the Bulldogs’ 29, where Nunez and the offense began the night.
The opening two plays produced no yardage, leaving New Waverly in an immediate third-and-10 situation. Hardin brought pressure, but Nunez stood in the pocket and delivered a first-down completion to Nathan Dipprey near the 46.
Nunez followed with an 11-yard completion to Armstrong, who spun through the Hardin defense and moved the ball into Hornets territory.
Braylin James caught a pass for another strong gain before the Bulldogs faced their second third down. Nunez returned to James for the conversion.
Khalil Major later powered through the middle on third-and-4 to give New Waverly its third third-down conversion of the possession and move the ball into the Hardin red zone.
On the next play, Nunez looked toward the corner of the end zone and found Armstrong for a 19-yard touchdown.
Escobedo made the extra point, giving New Waverly a 7-0 lead with 6:20 remaining in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs had driven 71 yards, converted all three third downs and removed nearly six minutes from the clock.
The opening possession established the formula New Waverly would follow throughout the night: extend drives, protect the football and finish with points.
Garcia and Weinland force the first stop
Hardin’s offense immediately showed why it had caused problems for opponents.
The Hornets used a tight formation and direct snaps to Kolton Bishop, Jackson Ponton and Jayden Phelps. Bishop converted a third down with his legs and helped Hardin move into New Waverly territory.
The Bulldogs remained patient against Hardin’s power rushing attack.
Otto Weinland made an important stop before a holding penalty moved the Hornets backward. William Colley delivered a strong tackle on Phelps, and Weinland followed by dropping Phelps for a significant loss after a mishandled snap.
Facing third-and-long, Hardin attempted to go through the air.
Roger Garcia stayed with the receiver and knocked the pass away, ending the Hornets’ opening possession.
Hardin punted with 46 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Luke Doll returned the kick to the New Waverly 45, giving the Bulldogs another opportunity.
Garcia’s breakup was the first of several important plays he made in the secondary.
Escobedo adds three points
New Waverly carried its second possession into the second quarter.
Armstrong took a delayed handoff into Hardin territory before Major converted another third down with a strong run. Major followed with another first-down run, and Nunez completed a pass to Armstrong inside the red zone.
The Bulldogs reached the Hardin 9 but were stopped on third down.
Schaub sent Escobedo onto the field.
Escobedo converted the 26-yard field goal with 8:14 remaining before halftime, extending New Waverly’s lead to 10-0.
The Bulldogs had now scored on each of their first two possessions. More importantly, they had taken advantage of every opportunity against an opponent capable of controlling the clock.
Ponton puts Hardin on the board
Hardin answered with a methodical drive that began at its own 38.
Ponton carried for a short gain before Ryan Hessler broke free on a sweep and moved the Hornets deep into New Waverly territory.
Bishop kept the ball on a play-action run, and Hessler added another first down to the New Waverly 21.
Hardin then turned to Ponton.
The senior fullback carried the ball inside the red zone and followed with another run to the 1. Ponton completed the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with 3:34 remaining in the second quarter.
Justin Avila made the extra point, cutting New Waverly’s lead to 10-7.
The Hornets had used their physical running game to pull within three, but the Bulldogs did not allow the momentum to remain on Hardin’s sideline.
Nunez answers before halftime
New Waverly began its third possession at its own 33.
An illegal-shift penalty erased a positive play to James and moved the Bulldogs backward. On first-and-15, Hardin brought pressure and hit Nunez as he released the ball.
Escobedo made the catch in traffic and carried it to the Hardin 40.
After two incomplete passes, New Waverly faced third-and-10. Nunez initially considered running before spotting James open downfield. He delivered the pass, and James carried it to the Hardin 23.
Nunez went back to James on the following play. The junior receiver caught the pass and fought his way to the 10.
From there, Nunez kept the ball.
The quarterback found a lane, spun through contact and used a final effort to cross the goal line for a 10-yard touchdown run.
Escobedo’s extra point restored New Waverly’s 10-point advantage at 17-7 with 1:40 remaining before halftime.
Hardin had pulled within three. The Bulldogs needed less than two minutes to answer with seven points.
That pattern would repeat itself in the second half.
Defense protects the halftime lead
An out-of-bounds kickoff allowed Hardin to begin its final first-half possession at its own 40.
Ponton and Bishop carried the Hornets into New Waverly territory, and Hardin reached the Bulldogs’ 25 with 17 seconds remaining.
The Hornets attempted to attack through the air.
Garcia stayed with the first pass and knocked it away near the end zone. On the next play, he was again in position as a pass intended for Phelps fell incomplete near the goal line.
Hardin had one final chance with 4 seconds remaining, but New Waverly brought pressure and forced another incomplete pass as time expired.
The Bulldogs carried a 17-7 lead into halftime.
New Waverly had possessed the ball only three times. Those possessions had produced a touchdown, a field goal and another touchdown.
Hardin also had three first-half possessions. The Hornets punted once, scored once and were stopped at the end of the half.
Hardin consumes the third quarter
Hardin received the second-half kickoff and began at its own 22.
The Hornets did exactly what Schaub expected them to do. They stayed with their power running attack, shortened the game and kept New Waverly’s offense on the sideline.
A face-mask penalty against the Bulldogs extended the possession and moved Hardin near midfield. A later personal-foul penalty gave the Hornets another first down inside New Waverly territory.
Weinland, Stash Buckner, Colley, Luke Doll, Dub Simmons and Maleek Smith were among the Bulldogs who contributed tackles during the drive, but Hardin continued moving the chains.
Ponton converted a third-and-6 inside the red zone and moved the Hornets into a first-and-goal situation.
Colley stopped Ponton near the goal line, and Simmons delivered another strong hit to keep Hardin out of the end zone on second down.
Ponton finally broke through on third down, scoring on a 2-yard run with 3:30 remaining in the third quarter.
Avila made the extra point, cutting New Waverly’s lead to 17-14.
Hardin’s drive lasted approximately 8½ minutes. The Hornets had controlled nearly the entire third quarter and again moved within three points.
New Waverly’s response took only 83 seconds.
Nunez and Armstrong strike again
Hardin attempted an onside kick following the touchdown, but New Waverly recovered it. An offsides penalty against the Hornets gave the Bulldogs possession at the Hardin 47.
Major opened the drive with a strong run into Hardin territory.
The Hornets stopped Major on the next play and pressured Nunez into an incomplete pass, leaving New Waverly in another third-and-long situation.
Nunez remained calm.
He found Armstrong behind the defense and delivered a 42-yard touchdown pass. Armstrong secured the ball and completed the scoring play with 2:07 remaining in the third quarter.
Escobedo made the extra point, pushing New Waverly’s lead back to 10 at 24-14.
Hardin had used 8½ minutes to score. New Waverly needed only 1:23 to answer.
It was Armstrong’s second touchdown reception of the game and gave him scoring catches covering 61 yards.
“I trust my quarterback, the guy in the backfield,” Armstrong said. “I trust him the most.”
Armstrong said his connection with Nunez goes beyond the plays they make on Friday nights.
“On the field, we have a great connection,” Armstrong said. “Off the field, it’s even better. We sit in that locker room and talk all day. We are brothers.”
Bulldogs stop Hardin on fourth down
Hardin began its next possession at its own 30 late in the third quarter and again attempted to control the clock.
Bishop and Ponton moved the Hornets near midfield as the third quarter expired. Hardin continued the possession into the fourth, eventually facing fourth-and-8.
Bishop completed a pass to Phelps near the New Waverly 35 to keep the drive alive.
A false-start penalty pushed the Hornets backward. Garcia and Weinland helped cover another pass intended for Phelps, and Hardin soon faced fourth-and-15.
Bishop rolled away from pressure and attempted to keep the play alive, but his pass fell incomplete.
Simmons was in the area as New Waverly forced the turnover on downs with 8:58 remaining.
Hardin had taken more than five minutes off the clock but had no points to show for it.
The stop gave New Waverly an opportunity to put the game away.
“We stopped them when we needed to, and we played extremely physical,” Schaub said. “I believe we won the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. When you do that, you’re probably going to win most games.”
Major and Smith set up the final touchdown
New Waverly began its fifth possession near its own 37.
Major immediately broke free and carried the ball deep into Hardin territory.
Maleek Smith entered the backfield and continued the push. Smith broke through the first level, crossed the 20 and carried the ball to the Hardin 15.
Smith powered forward again on the following play, reaching the 5 and setting up another short-yardage situation.
After Hardin stopped Smith near the goal line, Nunez kept the ball to the right. He spun through the defense and crossed the goal line for a 4-yard touchdown run.
Escobedo’s extra point gave New Waverly a 31-14 lead with 6:26 remaining.
Nunez had now accounted for four touchdowns, two through the air and two on the ground.
The Bulldogs had also scored on each of their five possessions.
“We scored every single possession,” Armstrong said. “That’s a big step in the right direction. It matters this year, and we’re going to prove ourselves.”
Garcia continues to control the secondary
Hardin attempted to answer with its first extended passing attack of the night.
Jayden Bell caught a pass near the sideline before Phelps grabbed another completion for a first down. Bishop then broke free for a long run into New Waverly territory.
Armstrong made his presence felt on defense by chasing Bishop down and dropping him for a loss.
On third down, Garcia broke up another pass and forced the Hornets into a fourth-down situation.
Hardin converted after Simmons tipped a pass into the air and the Hornets secured the deflection. The Bulldogs did not allow the unusual play to change the outcome.
Garcia continued to challenge Hardin’s receivers and closed the game with several pass breakups.
“It’s just routine every single day,” Garcia said. “The same footwork, the same steps, the same routine every single day. Get better and better, and you’ll perform.”
Garcia said his first responsibility at cornerback is preventing the opponent from creating a big play.
“Stay deep,” Garcia said. “You don’t want to get beat deep. Always do your job first and foremost. Do what you have to do to win.”
Namken closes the door
Hardin reached the New Waverly 31 in the final two minutes but faced third-and-11.
Bishop attempted another pass, and the ball was deflected.
Namken secured the interception and returned it toward midfield before a blindside-block penalty brought the ball back.
The penalty affected only the return. New Waverly retained possession with 1:35 remaining.
Nunez took the final snaps and kneeled, closing out the Bulldogs’ seventh victory of the season.
Hardin finished with only six offensive possessions. Two ended with touchdowns, one with a punt, one at the end of the first half, one on downs and the final possession with Namken’s interception.
New Waverly’s defense held Hardin scoreless on four of those six possessions.
The Bulldogs also limited the Hornets to 14 points after Hardin entered the game averaging more than 40 points per game.
Complete performance after first loss
New Waverly’s response carried extra weight after the Bulldogs suffered their first loss at Newton one week earlier.
The offense protected the football and scored every time it had a meaningful possession. The defense matched Hardin’s physicality and made stops at the end of both halves. Special teams produced five points from Escobedo and prevented Hardin’s onside kick from changing the game.
Nunez accounted for all four touchdowns. Armstrong caught two touchdown passes and made an important fourth-quarter tackle on defense. Garcia repeatedly denied Hardin through the air. Namken created the game’s only turnover.
Major and Smith provided the fourth-quarter running that helped New Waverly finish the game.
The Bulldogs also received important contributions from James, Dipprey, Escobedo, Doll, Weinland, Colley, Purvis, Trenton Harrison, Simmons, Ethan Petross, Bobby Gilbert, Buckner, Brayden Nelson and the offensive line.
Schaub said the performance began with New Waverly’s willingness to meet Hardin’s physical style.
“We told them that offense was going to take six or eight minutes off the clock, and they did a lot of that,” Schaub said. “But we stopped them when we needed to.”
District race tightens
The victory moved New Waverly, Newton and Hardin into a three-way tie at 2-1 in District 12-3A Division II.
New Waverly owns a head-to-head victory over Hardin, Hardin defeated Newton and Newton defeated New Waverly.
The Bulldogs have two regular-season games remaining, beginning with Friday’s road game at Warren. New Waverly will then return home to face Kountze in the regular-season finale Nov. 6.
The 31-14 victory gave New Waverly an important head-to-head result while handing Hardin its first district loss.
Next matchup: New Waverly at Warren
New Waverly will travel to Warren for a District 12-3A Division II game at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30.
Warren is 0-3 in district play after falling to Newton 70-8 last week.
The Bulldogs can strengthen their playoff position and remain in the district championship race with another road victory.
New Waverly will enter the game 7-1 overall, one victory away from matching its highest regular-season win total since 2021.
Box score
Hardin 0 7 7 0 - 14
New Waverly 7 10 7 7 - 31
Scoring summary
First Quarter
NW - Rhyder Armstrong 19-yard pass from Ryson Nunez (Leo Escobedo kick), 6:20.
Second Quarter
NW - Escobedo 26-yard field goal, 8:14.
HARD - Jackson Ponton 1-yard run (Justin Avila kick), 3:34.
NW - Nunez 10-yard run (Escobedo kick), 1:40.
Third Quarter
HARD - Ponton 2-yard run (Avila kick), 3:30.
NW - Armstrong 42-yard pass from Nunez (Escobedo kick), 2:07.
Fourth Quarter
NW - Nunez 4-yard run (Escobedo kick), 6:26.
Complete rushing, passing, receiving, penalty and defensive totals were not officially available. Individual yardage and scoring times above come from the SHN Sports game broadcast.
Football
Bulldogs answer every challenge, knock off Hardin 31-14
