New Waverly scores seven first-half touchdowns and forces four turnovers in a dominant neutral-site victory
Bulldogs deliver early knockout punch
MARLIN, Texas — New Waverly did not wait long to take control Thursday night.
The Bulldogs scored on their first eight possessions, forced four turnovers and rolled past Keene 56-6 at Marlin High School, improving to 2-0 for the first time in several years.
New Waverly built a 28-point lead in the opening quarter and carried a commanding 49-0 advantage into halftime. The Bulldogs have outscored their first two opponents 101-13 after opening the season with a 45-7 victory over Tarkington.
“I thought that we were on a high last week, and we topped it this week,” New Waverly coach Dean Schaub said. “Hopefully, next week we can step up a notch and have a chance to win.”
The Bulldogs produced touchdowns on the ground and through the air while repeatedly taking advantage of short fields created by their defense.
Six of New Waverly’s nine possessions began in Keene territory. The Bulldogs turned four takeaways into touchdowns and scored on all seven of their first-half possessions.
Major starts the scoring
Khalil Major opened the scoring with a 40-yard touchdown run on New Waverly’s first possession.
The Bulldogs began the drive at their own 39-yard line and faced an early third-and-long before quarterback Ryson Nunez connected with Leo Escobedo to move the chains. Major later found an opening up the middle, cut toward the right side and raced into the end zone.
Escobedo made the extra point to give New Waverly a 7-0 lead with 9:08 remaining in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs’ defense immediately added to the momentum. William Colley helped stop Keene on fourth down, giving New Waverly possession in Chargers territory.
A holding penalty pushed the Bulldogs backward, but Nunez answered on third-and-long with a deep touchdown pass to Rhyder Armstrong. The scoring strike covered approximately 40 yards and extended New Waverly’s lead to 14-0.
Nunez soon added his first rushing touchdown of the night.
The Bulldogs forced a Keene fumble and took possession at the Chargers’ 22-yard line. Nunez found Colton Miller near the sideline for a 19-yard gain before keeping the ball for a 3-yard touchdown.
New Waverly’s defense created another turnover late in the quarter when Dub Simmons recovered a fumble. Nathan Dipprey moved the Bulldogs inside the 10-yard line with a long reception and run before Major powered across the goal line from 1 yard out.
The touchdown was Major’s second of the night and gave New Waverly a 28-0 lead with 1:07 remaining in the opening quarter.
Smith takes over in the second quarter
The Bulldogs continued their offensive surge when Maleek Smith entered the backfield early in the second quarter.
New Waverly forced Keene to punt and took possession at its own 33-yard line. On the first play of the drive, Smith found an opening, accelerated through the secondary and completed a 67-yard touchdown run.
“All my team was blocking for me, and I felt like I couldn’t let them down,” Smith said. “I needed to get the touchdown. I felt awesome.”
Smith struck again after Otto Weinland intercepted a tipped pass, giving the Bulldogs possession at the Keene 30.
Nunes converted a third down with a pass to Dipprey before Smith ran 15 yards for his second touchdown. The score increased New Waverly’s lead to 42-0 with 5:55 remaining before halftime.
Smith finished with more than 100 rushing yards, two touchdowns and a fourth-quarter sack. He credited his teammates for helping him produce one of the strongest performances of his high school career.
“I feel great,” Smith said. “I’m really impressed with our team right now. We’re 2-0, and we’re all working on 3-0 and more to come.”
The New Waverly defense quickly created one more first-half opportunity.
Collin Namken made a diving interception near the Keene 25, giving the Bulldogs their fourth takeaway of the half. Jace Wells carried three consecutive times, finishing the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run.
Escobedo made his seventh extra point of the half, sending New Waverly into the locker room with a 49-0 lead.
Defense creates constant pressure
Keene struggled to establish any consistency against New Waverly’s defense.
The Bulldogs forced two fumbles, intercepted two passes and stopped the Chargers on multiple fourth-down attempts. Keene managed only a handful of first downs during the first half and repeatedly found itself backed up in its own territory.
Schaub said the physical performance was particularly encouraging because weather conditions had limited New Waverly’s outdoor practice time.
“We’ve been shocked by lightning and haven’t been able to practice outside,” Schaub said. “This was really the fourth time we’ve gone full pads consistently. It was nice to see that they remember how to hit.”
The defense received contributions throughout its lineup. Colley and Simmons helped control the line of scrimmage, while Weinland and Namken delivered interceptions in the secondary.
Keene finally broke through during the third quarter when Dalton Benkim found a seam and raced 41 yards for a touchdown. The Bulldogs stopped the ensuing 2-point conversion, leaving the score at 49-6.
It was the only score New Waverly allowed.
Smith later dropped Keene quarterback Gabriel Contreras near the goal line for a long loss, helping force another Chargers punt.
Nunez directs balanced attack
Nunez led an offense that displayed the ability to score in several ways.
The junior quarterback threw a touchdown pass to Armstrong, ran for two scores and distributed the ball to several receivers and running backs.
With New Waverly leading 49-6 late in the third quarter, Nunez capped the Bulldogs’ final scoring drive with a 15-yard touchdown run. He avoided pressure near the right side, changed direction and worked his way into the end zone.
Isaac Bara-Hail made the extra point to produce the final 56-6 margin.
“I think with Ryson Nunez back there, when he takes a snap, lots of things can happen,” Schaub said. “He’s got some of the best receivers in 3A and one of the best running backs in 3A, in my opinion. When we make a clean handoff or pass, I think we can score at will.”
New Waverly’s first eight possessions ended with touchdowns. The Bulldogs did not punt until the fourth quarter, after their starters had begun leaving the field and the game was being played with a running clock.
The performance continued an impressive start for a program that opened the 2025 season with four consecutive losses before finishing 3-7.
Escobedo makes impact in all three phases
Escobedo played on offense, defense and special teams while delivering a nearly flawless night as New Waverly’s kicker.
He made all seven of his extra-point attempts and repeatedly drove kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. He also caught an early third-down pass that extended New Waverly’s opening drive and later broke a long run that helped set up the final touchdown.
Escobedo credited his soccer experience for his success in the kicking game.
“I’ve been playing soccer my whole life,” Escobedo said. “This comes natural. Playing all three ways is really nothing, and I just hope next week against Crockett we can get the same thing.”
Escobedo said the Bulldogs have their sights set well beyond a 2-0 start.
“Last year, we were a little bit down,” he said. “This year, our team is up. We’re coming for it all.”
Next matchup: New Waverly at Crockett
New Waverly will face its biggest test of the young season when the Bulldogs travel to Crockett on Friday, Sept. 11. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Crockett enters the matchup 1-1 after defeating Coldspring-Oakhurst 41-20.
“The big test is Crockett, and they’re going to come to play,” Schaub said. “They’re very athletic. If we can step up a notch, we have a chance to win.”
New Waverly will attempt to improve to 3-0 and continue a start that has already produced 101 points, 14 touchdowns and two decisive victories.
BOX SCORE
Keene 0 0 6 0 — 6
New Waverly 28 21 7 0 — 56
SCORING SUMMARY
First Quarter
NW — Khalil Major 40-yard run (Leo Escobedo kick), 9:08.
NW — Ryder Armstrong 40-yard pass from Ryson Nunez (Escobedo kick), 5:29.
NW — Nunez 3-yard run (Escobedo kick), 2:50.
NW — Major 1-yard run (Escobedo kick), 1:07.
Second Quarter
NW — Malik Smith 67-yard run (Escobedo kick), 9:42.
NW — Smith 15-yard run (Escobedo kick), 5:55.
NW — Jace Wells 5-yard run (Escobedo kick), 2:47.
Third Quarter
KEE — Dalton Benham 41-yard run (2-point conversion failed), 5:55.
NW — Nunez 15-yard run (Isaac Barahal kick), 0:00.
Fourth Quarter
No scoring.
Complete rushing, passing, receiving and defensive totals were not officially available. Individual yardage above comes from the SHN Sports game broadcast.
Bulldogs overwhelm Keene 56-6, improve to 2-0
