Anderson-Shiro Secures a 34-13 Victory Despite a Spirited Performance from the New Waverly Bulldogs
Ed Watto, SHN Sports
Excitement filled the stadium as the 1-4 Bulldogs met their 4-1 rival Anderson-Shiro in New Waverly, Texas on Friday evening. Despite differences in accumulated victories, the 2100 spectators on hand at Bulldog stadium witnessed an early battle of two evenly matched teams. Each team possessed the ball four times through a series of punts into the 2nd quarter. The Owls struck first with a 45-yard touchdown pass and successful 2-point conversion putting eight points on the board. On the next New Waverly possession, a Bulldog fumble offered Anderson Shiro an instant red-zone opportunity. Anderson-Shiro quickly took advantage with a 14-yard touchdown pass.
The resilient Dawgs were undaunted and ready to answer. Starting from their own 38, New Waverly, quarterback, Cade Garrett, effectively moved the offense into the red zone to the Owl 6-yard line. New Waverly’s offense demonstrated creativity by lining up in a shot-gun formation featuring 6’5” senior tight end, Houston Forester. Forester received a direct snap and lumbered across the goal line to put the Dawgs on the board. Callaway Edney’s kick made the score New Waverly 7 to Anderson-Shiro’s 14. The Owls started the next possession from their own 40. Junior defensive back, Mason Buehler, and the Bulldog defense would remain focused. Pressure on the Owl quarterback, Connor Daley, from junior defensive tackle Jackie Harper and end Jude Shields would trigger Buehler’s 1st interception of the season. From the 48 yard-line, Garrett and company got to work, quickly getting into Anderson-Shiro territory and the red zone. From the 11-yard line, Houston Forester took another direct snap for a 2nd score with 1:18 remaining in the first half. With the Dawgs fighting valiantly, the Owls immediately responded. After receiving the kickoff at their own 35, the Owls took only 2 plays to score on a devastating 63-yard run by senior running back, Jarvis Haynes.
The 3rd quarter would begin with New Waverly down by a score of 22-13 and an Owl possession. On the first play from scrimmage, at the Owl’s 30, Junior Connor Daley handed off again to Haynes who rushed 70 yards to add another score. With Anderson-Shiro now leading by 15 points, New Waverly continued to battle, looking for an offensive rhythm. The Dawg defense comprehensively shut down the Owl running attack in the mid-3rd and 4th quarter, including a caused fumble by Forester, recovered by senior linebacker Noah Vick. As precious time ticked off the clock, the Dawgs offense could not find a spark and had a turnover on downs after a challenging 4th-down play. The Owls would add one more score through the air to seal their margin of victory with 6:37 remaining in the game. The Bulldogs had one final offensive chance, but staunch Owl defense destroyed any hope of a comeback leading to a final turnover on downs. Final Score: Anderson-Shiro 34, New Waverly 13.
The next stop for the Bulldogs in District 12 play is on the road as they take on Hemphill on Friday, October 13 at 7 p.m. The game broadcast, presented by Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home, will be streamed live on YouTube and Facebook by SHN Sports.
