New Waverly erases a 20-point deficit, scores with 36 seconds left, and survives a field-goal attempt off the crossbar
Bulldogs make the call
NEW WAVERLY, Texas - Coach Dean Schaub was prepared to play for overtime.
His players wanted no part of it.
After Ryson Nunez connected with Braylin James for a touchdown with 36 seconds remaining Friday night, Schaub asked his Bulldogs a simple question: Do you want to go for the win or the tie?
The answer came back loud and clear.
Win.
Nunez took a high snap on the 2-point conversion, darted toward the goal line and received a final push into the end zone. New Waverly had its first lead of the night, but one final twist remained.
Trinity raced into field-goal range during the closing seconds, giving Alex Sanchez a 37-yard attempt to win the game. The kick struck the crossbar and fell short as time expired, preserving New Waverly’s dramatic 36-35 victory at Bulldog Stadium.
“I told the kids, ‘Listen, do you want to go for the win or the tie?’” Schaub said. “They all yelled, ‘Win.’ So, we called the two-point play, and it worked. The kids made that call. I did not have the guts. I was going to go for one and tie it.”
The victory improved New Waverly to 4-0, while Trinity fell to 2-2.
It was the second consecutive comeback victory for the Bulldogs, who defeated Crockett 30-28 one week earlier after trailing at halftime.
Trinity races to a 20-point lead
Trinity controlled the opening quarter with its speed, physical running game and the playmaking ability of quarterback Terian Maxie.
The Tigers took the opening kickoff and marched 78 yards, finishing the drive with a 10-yard touchdown run. Sanchez made the extra point to give Trinity a 7-0 lead with 8:15 remaining in the first quarter.
New Waverly attempted a fake punt on its opening possession, but the play came up short and gave Trinity the ball at its own 49-yard line.
One play later, Maxie found Cord’e Walker for a 51-yard touchdown. The extra-point attempt struck the upright, but Trinity had built a 13-0 lead with 6:21 remaining in the quarter.
The Bulldogs moved inside the Trinity red zone on their next possession, but a holding penalty pushed them backward. Trinity brought pressure on fourth down and forced an incomplete pass, ending another New Waverly threat.
Maxie added a 1-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, and Sanchez made the extra point to stretch the Tigers’ advantage to 20-0.
New Waverly’s first three possessions ended with two turnovers on downs and a lost fumble.
Bulldogs find life before halftime
New Waverly finally found a spark late in the second quarter.
The Bulldogs’ defense forced Trinity to punt, giving the offense possession near midfield. Nunez directed the drive and completed a critical pass to Khalil Major before moving New Waverly into scoring position.
Nunez finished the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run with 54 seconds remaining before halftime. Leo Escobedo made the extra point, cutting Trinity’s lead to 20-7.
It was the first sign of a comeback from a New Waverly team that had struggled to finish drives during most of the opening half.
The Bulldogs carried that momentum into the locker room and returned with a different level of energy.
“We told them before the third quarter, ‘How are you going to respond?’” Schaub said. “I thought we responded very well.”
Major gets the comeback moving
Carlos Taylor opened the second half with a strong kickoff return to the New Waverly 42-yard line.
Nunez scrambled for one first down and connected with Rhyder Armstrong to move the Bulldogs inside the Trinity 10. Major then took the handoff, launched himself over a defender and landed in the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown.
Escobedo’s extra point cut the deficit to 20-14 with 8:25 remaining in the third quarter.
The New Waverly defense forced Trinity to turn the ball over on downs on its next possession, giving the Bulldogs an opportunity to tie the game.
Nunez escaped pressure and found Nathan Dipprey for a long gain that moved New Waverly inside the Trinity 30. The Bulldogs reached the red zone, but a holding penalty and a failed fourth-down conversion ended the drive.
New Waverly’s defense continued to answer. The Bulldogs forced four consecutive Trinity possessions to end on downs, repeatedly giving the offense opportunities to complete the comeback.
The Bulldogs reached the red zone again late in the third quarter, but a fumble stopped another promising drive.
Nunez and Doll give Bulldogs their first lead
New Waverly finally broke through early in the fourth quarter.
Malik Smith opened the possession with a strong run from the Trinity 36. On the next play, Nunez delivered a pass toward the corner of the end zone, where Luke Doll climbed over the coverage and secured a 30-yard touchdown reception.
Escobedo’s extra point gave New Waverly a 21-20 lead with 10:11 remaining.
The Bulldogs had scored 21 unanswered points after falling behind 20-0.
Trinity answered behind Maxie, who broke loose on a long quarterback run to move the Tigers deep into New Waverly territory. A penalty for too many players on the field gave Trinity another opportunity near the goal line.
Maxie scored on a 3-yard run and added the 2-point conversion, putting Trinity back in front 28-21 with 7:53 remaining.
Bulldogs answer, but Daniels strikes back
Facing third-and-long on the next possession, Nunez escaped pressure and delivered a pass to Escobedo for a first down.
He later converted another third-and-long with a pass to Colton Miller before finding Escobedo inside the red zone. Nunez completed the drive himself, fighting through the Trinity defense for a 13-yard touchdown run.
Escobedo made the extra point, tying the game at 28 with 4:58 remaining.
The tie lasted only 12 seconds.
Antwone Daniels fielded the ensuing kickoff and raced 75 yards for a touchdown. Sanchez made the extra point, restoring Trinity’s seven-point lead at 35-28 with 4:46 left.
New Waverly drove inside the Trinity 20 on its next possession, but the Tigers brought pressure on fourth-and-6 and stopped a short completion before it reached the first-down marker.
The Bulldogs’ defense responded by forcing a three-and-out, giving Nunez and the offense another chance with 1:45 remaining.
Two fumbles change everything
Nunez immediately ran for a first down and followed with another scramble that moved the Bulldogs inside the Trinity 20.
Then the ball came loose.
Jace Wells lost a fumble with 1:08 remaining, and Trinity recovered. It appeared the Tigers would need only to protect the football and run out the clock.
Instead, Trinity ran an offensive play and fumbled the ball back to New Waverly six seconds later.
The Bulldogs suddenly had possession at the Trinity 15 with 1:02 remaining.
“That is the kind of team they are,” Schaub said. “They rise to the occasion. As coaches, we get frustrated, and sometimes they prove us wrong. They stepped up. They wanted the win, and they got it.”
New Waverly gained little on its first play before calling a timeout with 42 seconds left.
On second down, Nunez received strong protection and spotted James open in the end zone. The quarterback delivered, and James made the 15-yard touchdown reception with 36 seconds remaining.
“I just knew what I had to do,” James said. “I knew what I had to get done, and I went out there and did it. That was the mentality I kept for this game.”
James said the Bulldogs never doubted Nunez when the game was placed in his hands.
“Ryson is like my brother,” James said. “Our whole team was ready. They were ready to get after it.”
Players vote to go for the win
New Waverly initially lined up to attempt the tying extra point before calling a timeout.
That was when Schaub presented the choice to his players. Tie the game and potentially play overtime, or attempt a 2-point conversion and play for the victory.
The Bulldogs chose the latter.
Nunez handled a high snap and pushed toward the goal line. His teammates helped drive him across for the successful conversion. Trinity was also called for a face mask, but New Waverly declined the penalty after taking a 36-35 lead.
“Anytime he has the ball in his hands, we have a chance to make yardage and score,” Schaub said of Nunez. “He can be a dynamic player. We’ve got offensive weapons, and hopefully we keep spreading it out and using them.”
Nunez said his approach throughout the comeback was to avoid looking too far ahead.
“Get a first down. That’s all it is,” Nunez said. “First down each play. By that time, a touchdown will come with it, but first down first.”
One final scare
Trinity still had 33 seconds to answer.
A face-mask penalty against New Waverly helped the Tigers reach midfield. Maxie then completed a pass near the Bulldogs’ 40 before scrambling down the sideline and stepping out near the 20-yard line with 5 seconds remaining.
Trinity used its final timeout and sent Sanchez onto the field for a 37-yard field-goal attempt.
The kick had enough distance but struck the crossbar and fell short. As the ball fell away, New Waverly’s sideline and home crowd erupted.
The Bulldogs had completed the 20-point comeback and survived one final push from a Trinity team that came within inches of taking the victory back.
New Waverly has now won its first four games after finishing 3-7 in 2025. The Bulldogs also defeated Trinity 42-35 in last season’s meeting, making this the second consecutive one-score game between the teams.
“To be honest, the goal is to win some football games,” Nunez said. “My varsity record isn’t too great, and we’re changing it around. We’re 4-0. We want to go 5-0 next week.”
Next matchup: New Waverly at Hempstead
New Waverly will close its non-district schedule Friday, Sept. 25, at Hempstead. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
The Bobcats are 1-3 after falling to Hearne 45-7 on Friday. Hempstead’s lone victory was a 65-29 win over Scarborough on Sept. 11.
The Bulldogs will have an open date the following week before beginning District 12-3A Division II play at home against Woodville on Oct. 9.
Box score
Trinity 13 7 0 15 - 35
New Waverly 0 7 7 22 - 36
Scoring summary
First Quarter
TRIN - 10-yard run (Alex Sanchez kick), 8:15.
TRIN - Cord’e Walker 51-yard pass from Terian Maxie (kick failed), 6:21.
Second Quarter
TRIN - Maxie 1-yard run (Sanchez kick), 10:53.
NW - Ryson Nunez 5-yard run (Leo Escobedo kick), 0:54.
Third Quarter
NW - Khalil Major 2-yard run (Escobedo kick), 8:25.
Fourth Quarter
NW - Luke Doll 30-yard pass from Nunez (Escobedo kick), 10:11.
TRIN - Maxie 3-yard run (Maxie run), 7:53.
NW - Nunez 13-yard run (Escobedo kick), 4:58.
TRIN - Antwone Daniels 75-yard kickoff return (Sanchez kick), 4:46.
NW - Braylin James 15-yard pass from Nunez (Nunez run), 0:36.
Complete rushing, passing, receiving and defensive totals were not officially available.
Bulldogs choose victory, rally past Trinity 36-35 in instant classic
