By Rob Hipp, SHN Sports
WARREN, Texas - New Waverly did not leave its postseason fate in anyone else’s hands Friday night.
The Bulldogs scored on every meaningful possession, received three first-half touchdown runs from Khalil Major and held Warren without an offensive touchdown in a commanding 55-7 District 12-3A Division II victory at Warren Warrior Stadium.
New Waverly improved to 8-1 overall and 3-1 in district play, officially securing its first playoff berth since 2024. The Bulldogs reached the Class 3A Division II bi-district round that season before falling to New Diana.
New Waverly also remained tied atop the district standings with Newton and Hardin entering the final week of the regular season.
The victory was New Waverly’s second straight following its only loss of the season. One week after responding with a physical 31-14 win over Hardin, the Bulldogs carried that momentum onto the road and controlled Warren in every phase.
New Waverly led 17-0 after the first quarter and 45-0 before Warren’s Beaux Cox returned a kickoff for the Warriors’ only touchdown on the final play of the first half.
The Bulldog defense never allowed Warren’s offense to reach the end zone.
Major scored on runs of 64, 25, and 11 yards, giving him exactly 100 yards on his three touchdown carries alone. Ryson Nunez threw touchdown passes to Rhyder Armstrong and Leo Escobedo before adding a 1-yard rushing score in the third quarter.
Jace Wells added a 15-yard touchdown run, Escobedo made field goals from 29 and 24 yards, and Dub Simmons produced a blocked punt that created another short-field scoring opportunity.
New Waverly scored on all seven of its first-half possessions and added points on both of its second-half possessions before ending the game in victory formation.
Defense establishes control immediately
Warren received the opening kickoff, but the Bulldogs gave the Warriors nowhere to go.
Brayden Nelson helped clog the middle on the opening series, and Simmons finished the possession by helping stop Warren on third down. The Warriors went three-and-out and were forced to punt.
That opening stand set the tone for the game.
Warren quarterback Cooper Shell and the Warriors’ running backs repeatedly found New Waverly defenders waiting at or behind the line of scrimmage. Nelson, Simmons, Cedrick Polhamus, Collin Namken, Stash Buckner and Jacob Hammond were among the Bulldogs who contributed to a dominant defensive effort.
Warren did not record its first offensive first down until late in the second quarter.
Armstrong’s catch sets up the opening points
New Waverly’s first possession began near midfield following a Warren punt and penalty.
Nunez immediately attacked downfield, connecting with Armstrong for approximately 30 yards and moving the Bulldogs into the red zone. Warren’s Mason Sharp broke up another pass intended for Armstrong, and pressure on third down forced Nunez to escape the pocket before throwing an incomplete pass.
The Bulldogs still came away with points.
Escobedo entered on fourth down and drove a 29-yard field goal through the uprights, giving New Waverly a 3-0 advantage.
It was the beginning of a nearly perfect offensive night.
Major breaks the game open
After the defense forced another Warren punt, New Waverly began its second possession at its own 36-yard line.
The Bulldogs needed one play.
Major took the handoff, found an opening and exploded through the Warren defense. Once he reached the second level, no Warrior could catch him. The senior raced 64 yards for the first touchdown of the night.
Escobedo’s extra point extended the advantage to 10-0 with 3:41 remaining in the first quarter.
Major entered the game averaging more than 100 rushing yards per contest. By halftime, his three touchdown runs alone had reached that number.
Nunez and Armstrong turn a deflection into six
New Waverly’s third possession produced one of the night’s most memorable plays.
Facing pressure, Nunez kept the play alive and fired a pass toward Luke Doll. The football glanced through Doll’s hands, but Armstrong was positioned behind him.
Armstrong secured the deflection in stride, turned upfield and raced to the end zone for a 49-yard touchdown.
What could have become an incompletion instead became another explosive scoring play because Armstrong stayed with the play and Nunez continued working through the pressure.
Escobedo added the extra point, giving the Bulldogs a 17-0 lead with 41 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
Armstrong’s two first-quarter receptions covered approximately 79 yards. His first catch set up Escobedo’s field goal, and his second ended in the end zone.
Turnover gives Major another opportunity
Warren’s next offensive possession lasted one snap.
The Warriors lost a fumble at their own 25-yard line, giving New Waverly another short field. The Bulldogs did not waste it.
A short pass to Colton Miller lost two yards on the final play of the first quarter. On the first snap of the second, Major took the handoff and powered through the defense for a 25-yard touchdown.
Escobedo made the extra point, extending New Waverly’s lead to 24-0.
The sequence demonstrated how quickly the Bulldogs could turn a defensive takeaway into points. Warren’s offense had barely returned to the sideline before Major was celebrating his second touchdown.
Doll’s catch sets up Major’s third score
New Waverly’s defense forced another punt and gave the offense possession at the Warren 46.
Nunez went back to the air, delivering a well-placed pass to Doll for approximately 35 yards. Doll made the catch near the Warren 10-yard line and stepped out of bounds, placing the Bulldogs inside the red zone.
Major finished the drive from there.
He took the handoff from 11 yards out, bounced through traffic and crossed the goal line for his third touchdown of the half.
The three touchdown runs covered 64, 25 and 11 yards.
Escobedo’s extra point gave the Bulldogs a 31-0 advantage with 7:55 remaining before halftime.
Simmons delivers on special teams
The Bulldogs’ defense stopped Warren again, and Simmons then made sure the ensuing punt never escaped.
Simmons broke through the protection and blocked the kick, giving New Waverly possession at the Warren 15-yard line. Ethan Petross was also in the area applying pressure as the Bulldogs overwhelmed Warren’s protection.
Wells needed one play to convert the opportunity.
He took the handoff, found space and carried the football 15 yards for a touchdown. Escobedo added another extra point, and the Bulldogs’ lead grew to 38-0 with 6:02 remaining in the half.
New Waverly’s defense and special teams had now created two short-field possessions. Both ended in touchdowns.
Dipprey and Miller help extend the final first-half drive
New Waverly’s final possession of the half began at its own 38-yard line and required the Bulldogs to overcome multiple penalties.
Nathan Dipprey gave the offense an early spark by taking a short pass approximately 22 yards. Later in the drive, he appeared to produce another long catch and run, but a holding penalty erased the gain.
The Bulldogs kept moving.
A Warren roughing-the-passer penalty provided a first down, and Miller followed with one of the most athletic catches of the night. Miller reached with one hand and pulled the pass into his body, moving New Waverly into the red zone.
Wells appeared to score his second touchdown, but a penalty brought the run back.
Nunez remained composed. With 17 seconds left, he found Escobedo for a 10-yard touchdown pass.
Escobedo then added the extra point after catching the touchdown, increasing New Waverly’s lead to 45-0.
The drive covered 62 yards and showed the Bulldogs could produce a sustained scoring march in addition to taking advantage of short fields and explosive plays.
Cox answers on the ensuing kickoff
Warren finally found the end zone on special teams.
Cox fielded the ensuing kickoff near the Warren 15, found a lane and raced approximately 85 yards for a touchdown as time expired in the first half.
A New Waverly penalty on the first conversion attempt gave Warren another opportunity after Levi Ledbetter’s initial kick missed. Ledbetter converted the second attempt, sending the game to halftime with New Waverly leading 45-7.
Cox’s return was Warren’s only touchdown of the game.
Nunez finishes the opening drive of the second half
New Waverly received the second-half kickoff and continued scoring.
The Bulldogs began at their own 45. Major opened the drive with a 9-yard run and followed with another long gain that moved the ball deep into Warren territory.
Nunez connected with Escobedo near the 4-yard line, and Wells carried the ball to the 1.
From there, Nunez kept the football and powered across the goal line for a 1-yard touchdown. Escobedo added the extra point, pushing the lead to 52-7 with 7:22 remaining in the third quarter.
The touchdown gave Nunez three scores for the night, two through the air and one on the ground.
Reserves receive an opportunity
New Waverly began rotating younger players into the game during the second half, but the production did not immediately stop.
Simmons again disrupted Warren’s punt protection, helping give the Bulldogs possession near the Warrior 7-yard line.
Keygann Garza entered at quarterback, while Isaac Bara-Hail, Carlos Taylor and Petross were among the Bulldogs receiving additional playing time.
Warren stopped the Bulldogs short of the end zone, but Escobedo came out for another field-goal attempt. He converted from 24 yards to give New Waverly a 55-7 advantage as the third quarter ended.
Escobedo finished with two field goals, a touchdown reception and seven successful extra points, accounting for 19 points.
Defense protects the end zone
Warren mounted its longest offensive possession of the night against New Waverly’s reserves in the fourth quarter.
Miles Edwards, Caston Hutto and the Warriors’ rushing attack produced several first downs and moved the football into New Waverly territory. Warren eventually reached the Bulldog 14-yard line.
The New Waverly defense still refused to surrender an offensive touchdown.
Hammond, Gage Rullo, Doll and Buckner contributed stops during the drive. Warren faced fourth-and-10 near the Bulldog goal line with an opportunity to score.
Shell dropped back and tried to deliver a pass toward the corner of the end zone, but Isaiah Hulings applied pressure on his birthday and forced an incompletion.
The goal-line stand gave New Waverly possession at its own 12. The Bulldogs entered victory formation and allowed the remaining time to expire.
It was an appropriate ending for a defense that controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the night.
Complete performance sends Bulldogs into postseason
New Waverly’s offense scored on all nine of its meaningful possessions.
The Bulldogs produced explosive touchdowns, converted short fields, sustained a 62-yard drive and received contributions from their passing game, rushing attack, defense and special teams.
Major’s three touchdown runs led the offense. Nunez accounted for three more scores. Armstrong, Doll, Dipprey, Miller and Escobedo each contributed important receptions, while Wells finished a short-field opportunity with a strong touchdown run.
Simmons delivered the game’s biggest special-teams play with his blocked punt. The defense recovered a fumble, repeatedly forced three-and-outs and did not allow Warren to score an offensive touchdown.
New Waverly’s first-half possessions ended with a field goal and six consecutive touchdowns. Its two second-half possessions ended with a touchdown and another field goal.
The result was the Bulldogs’ most complete offensive performance in district play and their eighth victory of the season.
The playoff berth is New Waverly’s first since 2024, when the Bulldogs finished fourth in the district and advanced to face New Diana in the bi-district round. This year’s team enters the postseason under far different circumstances, with a district championship still within reach.
District championship remains within reach
New Waverly, Newton and Hardin will enter the final week of the regular season tied for first place at 3-1 in district play.
The Bulldogs have already secured their place in the postseason because Kountze cannot match New Waverly’s three district victories. New Waverly can now turn its attention toward earning a share of the District 12-3A Division II championship.
The Bulldogs will host Kountze on Friday, Nov. 6, in the regular-season finale.
A victory would move New Waverly to 9-1 overall and 4-1 in district, guaranteeing the Bulldogs at least a share of the district championship.
Newton will host Woodville, while Hardin will host Warren. If New Waverly, Newton and Hardin all win, the three teams will finish tied at 4-1 after defeating one another in a circle. New Waverly beat Hardin, Hardin beat Newton and Newton beat New Waverly.
The district’s official tiebreaking procedure would then determine playoff seeding.
For now, the Bulldogs have taken care of the first piece of business.
For the first time since 2024, New Waverly is going back to the playoffs.
BOX SCORE
New Waverly 17 28 10 0 - 55
Warren 0 7 0 0 - 7
SCORING SUMMARY
First quarter
New Waverly: Leo Escobedo 29-yard field goal.
New Waverly: Khalil Major 64-yard run. Escobedo kick.
New Waverly: Rhyder Armstrong 49-yard pass from Ryson Nunez. Escobedo kick.
Second quarter
New Waverly: Major 25-yard run. Escobedo kick.
New Waverly: Major 11-yard run. Escobedo kick.
New Waverly: Jace Wells 15-yard run. Escobedo kick.
New Waverly: Escobedo 10-yard pass from Nunez. Escobedo kick.
Warren: Beaux Cox 85-yard kickoff return. Levi Ledbetter kick.
Third quarter
New Waverly: Nunez 1-yard run. Escobedo kick.
New Waverly: Escobedo 24-yard field goal.
Fourth quarter
No scoring.
Bulldogs overwhelm Warren 55-7, clinch first playoff berth since 2024
