By Gene Schallenberg
It won’t be long now.
After Friday’s game against Huntington, the Bulldogs will dive headfirst into the part of the schedule that matters the most when they begin District 21-2A play against Centerville on Oct. 9
But are the reigning district champs ready? Despite having two losses, the pressure will only get worse as teams like Corrigan-Camden and Buffalo have the Bulldogs in its sights.
Before getting started on the grueling five-game district slate, it’s time to take a closer look at the Bulldogs and see where they are at this point in the season. Today, sports writer Gene Schallenberg will give the New Waverly players and coaches grades on their progress so far this season.
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks — B
There was no doubt that quarterback X’Zavious Harrison had speed, but it is evident that he has become more comfortable in the pocket. While Harrison has been able to hit receivers on short routes, he also displayed the arm strength needed to throw the ball downfield.
Eight of Harrison’s 17 completions have been for gains of more than 20 yards with three of those going for touchdowns.
Running backs — A-
One of the advantages the Bulldogs have over a lot of Class 2A teams is that they have multiple running backs that have an array of skills.
Senior Tyren Watts has breakaway speed, junior K.D. Scott may not have as much speed, he makes up for it when he knocks oncoming defenders over and junior Kevin Major is a mixture of both. Whatever the situation calls for, the New Waverly coaching staff can plug whichever back is needed.
That certainly takes a huge weight off Watts, who has been New Waverly’s workhorse the past two seasons and also plays on defense.
Watts, Major and Scott have been effective in their roles so far, but there’s also plenty of room for improvement.
Receivers — B+
The Bulldogs receiving corps has done a good job so far, which has been a pleasant surprise.
Along with senior Kyren Watts, senior Colton Wyatt, juniors Dillian Scott and Deremy Jones have contributed a great deal to the Dogs success through the air.
The receivers have shown to have soft hands even when they had to make some acrobatic catches.
For a team that strives to have balance, this group certainly adds to that with their ability to run routes correctly and catch deep passes.
Offensive line — C-
Outside of seniors Jesse Elias and Justin Ward, the Bulldogs offensive line has plenty of sophomores and their youthfulness has been exposed at times.
False start penalties have been a problem,but as these guys get more experience, those mistakes will occur with less frequency.
DEFENSE
Defensive line — C
In the trenches, the Dogs’ defensive line won’t win many battles with their size, so they have to be able to counter with quickness.
They had to learn that the hard way after lining up against Franklin this past Friday. The Lions ran all over the Bulldogs for 420 yards.
Getting a good jump on the snap will be key for New Waverly as it heads into games against teams like Corrigan-Camden and Buffalo that run the ball a bunch.
Linebackers — B-
It’s hard to give the linebackers too bad of a grade because of how much this group has been affected by injuries. Senior linebacker and defensive leader Matt Gray tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) against Hearne and will miss the rest of the season. Tate Maddox is still suffering from a concussion and has missed the last two games. Major sprained his shoulder in practice last week and couldn’t play against Franklin.
When all were healthy, the linebackers were one of the Dogs best units on defense. Maddox and Major should return soon and once they do, the Bulldogs will be better for it.
Secondary — B
The cornerbacks and safeties have done a good job so far. The secondary has accounted for four interceptions, with one returned for a score.
When senior cornerback Eli Amador returns after suffering a broken arm against Teague in the season-opener, the Bulldogs should expect to have even better results defending the pass.
Special teams — B-
Just like the linebackers, the special teams were affected by the injury to Gray, who served as the team’s kicker and punter. In his place, sophomore Cole Bohannon stepped in to take kicks and senior Kody Coleman has also punted a few times.
The special teams unit is not as strong without Gray, who could kick the ball off within the opposing team’s 10-yard line.
The Bulldogs have also had to adjust their play-calling as kicking field goals and point-after kicks have not been as successful or consistent.
Coaching — B+
Head coach Ken Craig has certainly had his work cut out for him this fall as many of his players have become injured.
With two weeks until the district opener at Centerville, the New Waverly coaching staff has to work with the team on being better disciplined. The Bulldogs have racked up almost 400 yards in penalties in four games.
New Waverly has to also emphasize protecting the football. The Bulldogs have given up six turnovers. They won’t have much success in district play if they continue to have problems holding onto the ball.
