Story by Rob Hipp, SHN Sports
Rhyder Armstrong fuels the final drive before Leo Escobedo wins the district opener with 11 seconds remaining
Bulldogs find another way to win
NEW WAVERLY, Texas - New Waverly needed a turnover, a quarterback who could handle the pressure, a receiver who understood the clock and a kicker willing to forget what had happened before.
The Bulldogs received all four.
Keygann Garza recovered a Woodville fumble with 1:26 remaining, Ryson Nunez directed an 85-yard drive without a timeout and Rhyder Armstrong caught four passes while repeatedly getting out of bounds.
Then Leo Escobedo finished it.
Escobedo kicked a 41-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining Friday night, lifting New Waverly to a 23-22 victory over Woodville in the District 12-3A Division II opener at Bulldog Stadium.
The victory improved New Waverly to 6-0 overall and 1-0 in district play. Woodville fell to 1-5 and 0-1.
Even after Escobedo’s kick, the Bulldogs needed one more big play. Woodville took possession at the New Waverly 42 with 10 seconds remaining, but Colton Miller intercepted Corey McDaniel with 4 seconds left to secure the victory.
It was New Waverly’s third win by three points or fewer this season. The Bulldogs defeated Crockett 30-28, rallied from 20 points down to beat Trinity 36-35 and then survived another dramatic finish against Woodville.
“It was messy, and it made me nervous, but hey, we won,” New Waverly coach Dean Schaub said.
New Waverly scores on its first play
New Waverly’s defense established control on Woodville’s opening possession.
Roger Garcia knocked down a third-down pass and forced the Eagles into a three-and-out. A short punt gave the Bulldogs possession at the Woodville 48.
New Waverly needed only one snap.
Nunez dropped back and found Escobedo downfield for a 48-yard touchdown. Escobedo added the extra point, giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead approximately two minutes into the game.
The exact scoring time was unavailable because of a scoreboard malfunction at Bulldog Stadium.
Miller helped end Woodville’s second possession by breaking up a third-down pass intended for Kolton Falkenberry. The Eagles punted again, giving New Waverly the ball at its own 37.
The Bulldogs crossed midfield behind consecutive runs by Nunez and Khalil Major. Facing fourth-and-1 at the Woodville 38, New Waverly handed the ball to Major, but the Eagles stopped him short.
Woodville could not capitalize on the defensive stand. The Eagles moved into New Waverly territory before the Bulldogs forced another punt.
New Waverly began its third possession at its own 22 and drove at least 58 yards to reach the Woodville red zone. Penalties pushed the Bulldogs backward, however, and another promising possession ended without points.
That became one of the game’s continuing storylines. New Waverly repeatedly moved the ball into Woodville territory but struggled to finish drives because of penalties, turnovers, and missed opportunities.
Garcia’s interception leads to points
Woodville began its fourth possession near its own 7 early in the second quarter.
The Eagles earned their first first down of the night, but New Waverly’s defense soon produced the game’s first takeaway.
McDaniel attempted a pass while facing pressure, and Garcia intercepted it near the Woodville 40. The New Waverly defensive back returned the ball to the Eagles’ 11 with 7:16 remaining in the half.
The Bulldogs immediately went to work with the short field.
Jace Wells carried the ball on first down before Nunez moved New Waverly to the 1. After Woodville stopped Wells just short of the goal line, Major entered the game and powered across for a 1-yard touchdown.
Escobedo’s extra point extended New Waverly’s lead to 14-0 with 5:31 remaining before halftime.
Garcia’s interception and return had given the Bulldogs an 11-yard scoring drive and their first two-possession advantage.
Austin Land brings Woodville back
Woodville answered with its best possession of the first half.
Starting at its own 38, the Eagles began moving the ball through a combination of McDaniel’s passing and Austin Land’s running. A difficult third-down completion to Amare Stephens kept the drive alive before a completion to Neko Mitchell and a New Waverly face-mask penalty moved Woodville into the red zone.
Land completed the 62-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run.
Woodville does not use a traditional kicking game, so the Eagles kept their offense on the field. Land took the ball again and crossed the goal line for the 2-point conversion, cutting New Waverly’s lead to 14-8.
The Bulldogs moved from their own 35 into Woodville territory on their next possession. Nathan Dipprey and Armstrong made receptions during the drive, but an incomplete pass on fourth down ended another scoring opportunity.
New Waverly’s defense forced one more punt before halftime, and the Bulldogs entered the locker room with a six-point lead.
The defense had forced four punts and created Garcia’s interception on Woodville’s six first-half possessions.
Offensively, New Waverly had scored twice but also had two possessions end on downs and another reach the red zone before ending with a punt.
Hoot ends another red-zone threat
New Waverly received the second-half kickoff, and Carlos Taylor provided an immediate lift with a return to the Bulldogs’ 43.
Major moved the ball near midfield before New Waverly faced fourth-and-1 at the Woodville 48. Nunez kept the ball, broke through the defense and carried it deep into Eagles territory.
Major followed with another strong run that placed New Waverly inside the Woodville 20.
The Bulldogs again appeared ready to extend their lead, but the Eagles created a turnover. Mitchael Hoot intercepted a deflected pass at the Woodville 15 with 8:32 remaining in the third quarter.
New Waverly’s defense refused to allow the turnover to become points.
Garza helped limit Land on the ground, and Braylin James broke up a pass intended for Landon Harris. Woodville eventually punted, but New Waverly could not secure the ball.
James attempted to field the punt, and the ball came loose. Mitchell recovered it for Woodville at the New Waverly 41.
Once again, the Bulldogs’ defense responded after being placed in a difficult situation.
Luke Doll broke up a pass on second-and-long. Armstrong knocked away another pass intended for Falkenberry on third down, and New Waverly forced the Eagles to punt without allowing a first down.
The defensive stand kept the Bulldogs ahead 14-8.
Land breaks through on fourth down
New Waverly’s next possession began at its own 20.
Nunez completed a third-down pass to Escobedo by inches to move the chains, but the Bulldogs soon found themselves facing another long-yardage situation. Three consecutive plays produced little, and New Waverly punted with 2:40 remaining in the third quarter.
Woodville took over at its own 45.
Land gained 12 yards on the opening play of the drive, moving the Eagles into New Waverly territory. McDaniel later carried the ball on third down but was stopped short by Otto Weinland, bringing up fourth-and-1 at the Bulldogs’ 32.
Woodville gave the ball to Land.
Land broke through the line, found open space and raced 32 yards for a touchdown with 1:15 remaining in the third quarter.
The Eagles attempted to take the lead with another 2-point conversion, but New Waverly stopped Land short of the goal line. The defensive stand kept the game tied at 14.
The stop would become important later. Woodville converted three of its four 2-point attempts, but the one New Waverly stopped eventually forced the Eagles to protect a two-point lead instead of a three-point advantage.
Woodville takes control
New Waverly’s next possession was disrupted by another holding penalty and a delay-of-game call.
The Bulldogs were forced to punt on the final play of the third quarter. Woodville fielded the short kick near midfield and returned it to the New Waverly 24, giving the Eagles their best starting position of the night.
Woodville capitalized.
Land broke several tackles on a long run and carried the ball to the New Waverly 2. He finished the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run and then scored again on the 2-point conversion.
The Eagles had their first lead of the night, 22-14, with 11:16 remaining.
New Waverly began its next possession at its own 40. After two plays produced no yardage, Nunez delivered a deep pass to Escobedo in stride.
Escobedo appeared ready to make the catch, but the ball came loose and deflected directly to a Woodville defender for an interception with 10:03 remaining.
It was a crushing turn for Escobedo, who had a potential touchdown in his hands.
He returned to the sideline with his head down, but his teammates and coaches would not allow him to remain there mentally.
“They said, ‘We’ve got 10 minutes left. Keep your head up,’” Escobedo said. “There’s still a lot of time on the clock. Don’t blame this on yourself. Keep your head up and push through it.”
That encouragement became one of the most important moments of the game.
Purvis and Harrison keep Bulldogs alive
Woodville took possession at its own 13 with an eight-point lead and an opportunity to take control of the clock.
The Eagles handed the ball to Land on consecutive plays, setting up third-and-1.
Brody Purvis and Trenton Harrison broke through the Woodville protection and dropped McDaniel behind the line of scrimmage. The sack turned a manageable third down into fourth down and forced the Eagles to punt.
The play gave New Waverly another opportunity with 7:43 remaining.
The Bulldogs began at their own 49, but another penalty pushed them backward. A short completion to Armstrong left New Waverly facing third-and-13 from its own 46.
Nunez took the snap, saw an opening and ran.
The junior quarterback broke into the secondary, crossed midfield and raced more than 30 yards before being brought down near the Woodville 22.
It was one of the biggest offensive plays of the night and immediately changed the energy inside Bulldog Stadium.
Major carried the ball inside the red zone before Nunez completed a third-down pass to Doll at the Woodville 6.
On the next play, Nunez looked toward the right corner of the end zone and found Armstrong for a 6-yard touchdown with 4:42 remaining.
New Waverly attempted to tie the game, but Nunez was stopped on the 2-point conversion. Woodville maintained a 22-20 lead.
The Bulldogs still needed their defense to create another opportunity.
One penalty appears to end it
Woodville began at its own 36 following the kickoff and turned again to its running game.
Land gained a first down before Adailius Williams carried the ball for 11 yards into New Waverly territory. The Eagles reached the Bulldogs’ 41 as the clock moved toward two minutes.
New Waverly stopped McDaniel for little gain on second down and limited Woodville on third-and-8, creating fourth-and-5 at the Bulldogs’ 38 with 1:45 remaining.
It appeared the Bulldogs had preserved one final chance.
Then New Waverly jumped offsides.
The 5-yard penalty gave Woodville a first down. With the Bulldogs running out of timeouts, the Eagles appeared to need only to protect the football and drain the remaining time.
Schaub delivered a simple message to his defense.
“We called the defense and said, ‘Listen, you’ve got one play. The game’s going to be over with. You’ve got to get the ball back,’” Schaub said. “And my God, they did it.”
Woodville ran the ball on first down, and New Waverly used its final timeout.
On second down, Adailius Williams took the handoff, but New Waverly’s Roger Garcia flipped him over and forced the fumble. Keygann Garza recovered the ball at the Bulldogs’ 15 with 1:26 remaining.
The Bulldogs had the football, but they were 85 yards from the end zone, outside field-goal range and out of timeouts.
Armstrong takes over the final drive
New Waverly spread the field with four receivers as Nunez took the first snap of the winning drive.
Armstrong found an opening, caught the pass and immediately worked his way out of bounds at the 30. The 15-yard gain stopped the clock with 1:20 remaining.
After an incomplete pass, Nunez went back to Armstrong.
Armstrong made the catch near the New Waverly 45 and again got out of bounds, stopping the clock with 1:11 left.
Nunez looked for Armstrong on the next play and found him across midfield. Armstrong secured the pass and reached the Woodville 39 before stepping out with 1:03 remaining.
The same combination connected for a fourth time. Armstrong caught the ball at the Woodville 32 and got out of bounds with 59 seconds left.
Four catches. Four moves toward the sideline. Four times Armstrong gave the officials a reason to stop the clock.
New Waverly had moved from its own 15 to the Woodville 32 without using a timeout, and Armstrong had been at the center of nearly every step.
“It was just in the zone,” Armstrong said. “Me and Ryson just connect. We’ve been doing it since my sophomore year and his freshman year. It was just like flipping a switch.”
Armstrong said knowing the situation was every bit as important as making the catches.
“You’ve got to get out of bounds,” Armstrong said. “You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to win, and we did that.”
Taylor moves Bulldogs into range
With Woodville focused on Armstrong, another New Waverly receiver delivered the next important play.
Pressure closed around Nunez, but he stood in the pocket and fired a pass to Carlos Taylor near the Woodville 20. Taylor made the catch and got out of bounds with 53 seconds remaining.
The completion placed New Waverly near the edge of Escobedo’s field-goal range.
Nunez then carried the ball to the Woodville 15 before spiking it to stop the clock with 28 seconds remaining.
The Bulldogs were in position for a manageable field-goal attempt, but the same issue that had followed them throughout the night returned.
A holding penalty pushed New Waverly back to the Woodville 24 with 21 seconds left. After an incomplete pass, the Bulldogs turned the game over to Escobedo.
A kick from that spot would cover 41 yards.
“It all started on defense,” Escobedo said. “That fumble, we had momentum. I looked at the clock, a minute and 15, and I knew it was going to come down to a field goal. I knew I had to make it. It’s what we practice for.”
Escobedo gets his redemption
Dipprey took his position as the holder while Escobedo lined up for the longest field goal he had attempted in a game this season.
The earlier interception no longer mattered. The dropped pass no longer mattered. The penalties that had made the kick longer no longer mattered.
Schaub wanted to make sure his kicker had put the previous play behind him.
“I told him after that mess over there, ‘Nobody cares about that. Let’s get ready for the next one. Flush it, flush it, flush it,’” Schaub said. “When it was time for the kick, I asked him, ‘Is it flushed?’ He said, ‘Yes.’”
The snap reached Dipprey, the hold went down and Escobedo drove the ball through the uprights.
New Waverly led 23-22 with 11 seconds remaining.
“It was amazing,” Escobedo said. “We practice hitting 55, 60, so I knew this was going to be easy for me.”
Escobedo had gone from one of the most difficult moments of his night to delivering the biggest play of the game.
Miller closes the door
New Waverly attempted a short kickoff designed to use time, but Woodville recovered at the Bulldogs’ 42 with 10 seconds remaining.
The Eagles still had one timeout and one final opportunity.
McDaniel took the snap and looked downfield. New Waverly brought pressure from his right, forcing the Woodville quarterback to release the ball.
Colton Miller was waiting.
The sophomore defensive back intercepted the pass with 4 seconds remaining. It was Miller’s second major pass breakup or takeaway of the game after he had helped force Woodville’s second three-and-out in the first quarter.
Nunez took the final snap and kneeled, allowing New Waverly to escape with another one-point victory at Bulldog Stadium.
Armstrong said New Waverly’s ability to handle those difficult moments comes from a message Schaub continues to emphasize.
“Coach Schaub preaches to us about adversity,” Armstrong said. “You’re going to fight it every single day of your life. You’ve just got to fight through it and find a way.”
On a night filled with penalties, turnovers, missed opportunities, and momentum changes, New Waverly found a way again.
Defense answers repeatedly
The final field goal will be the play most remembered, but New Waverly’s defense kept the game within reach.
Garcia broke up a third-down pass and later intercepted McDaniel to set up Major’s touchdown.
Miller contributed an early pass breakup before making the game-sealing interception.
James, Doll, and Armstrong each broke up passes in the secondary. Weinland stopped McDaniel short on third down before Land’s 32-yard touchdown. Purvis and Harrison combined for a critical fourth-quarter sack. Garza recovered the fumble that gave New Waverly its winning possession.
The Bulldogs also stopped Woodville’s 2-point attempt in the third quarter, a play that ultimately left the Eagles with a two-point lead and allowed Escobedo’s field goal to win the game.
Woodville received short fields following two New Waverly special-teams mistakes and an interception. The Bulldogs’ defense repeatedly prevented those mistakes from becoming additional points.
That defensive effort gave Nunez, Armstrong, Taylor, Dipprey, and Escobedo the opportunity to decide the game in the final 86 seconds.
Next matchup: New Waverly at Newton
New Waverly will travel to Newton for a District 12-3A Division II matchup at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16.
Newton is 3-2 overall and 0-1 in district play after falling to Hardin 25-24 in its district opener.
The Eagles reached the Class 3A Division II state championship game last season and defeated New Waverly 54-0 in 2025.
The Bulldogs will enter the matchup unbeaten, but Schaub said the team must continue learning how to move past mistakes.
New Waverly has shown it can win comfortably, rally from large deficits and survive tight finishes. The challenge at Newton will be putting together a cleaner performance against one of the district’s most established programs.
Box score
Woodville 0 8 6 8 - 22
New Waverly 7 7 0 9 - 23
Scoring summary
First Quarter
NW - Leo Escobedo 48-yard pass from Ryson Nunez (Escobedo kick), time unavailable.
Second Quarter
NW - Khalil Major 1-yard run (Escobedo kick), 5:31.
WOOD - Austin Land 11-yard run (Land run), time unavailable.
Third Quarter
WOOD - Land 32-yard run (Land run failed), 1:15.
Fourth Quarter
WOOD - Land 2-yard run (Land run), 11:16.
NW - Rhyder Armstrong 6-yard pass from Nunez (Nunez run failed), 4:42.
NW - Escobedo 41-yard field goal, 0:11.
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.
Escobedo’s 41-yard field goal lifts Bulldogs past Woodville 23-22
