Gene Schallenberg
NEW WAVERLY — A storybook ending was being written for New Waverly on Friday. The Bulldogs took the lead with a minute to go in the season finale, which was also the last game at the aging Bulldog Stadium.
But much like the previous two district losses, the Bulldogs suffered another heartbreak.
Using big plays, especially at the end with only seconds left, the Hearne Eagles handed New Waverly a 34-29 nail-biting loss Friday night.
“We played real hard,” New Waverly coach Ken Craig said. “There’s not much you can say. They never quit. They never laid down. We played against a team with more athletes. ”
Hearne (3-3 in 26-2A) finished the season with a 5-5 overall record. New Waverly, which won only one game last fall, dropped to 2-4 in district and 4-6 on the year.
The Bulldogs found themselves in an eerily similar situation in the fourth quarter, trailing by a score with little time left and a chance to take the lead.
The Dogs came through this time.
With two minutes remaining, New Waverly trailed 28-21 after Hearne defensive back Demarcus Blue returned an interception 66 yards for a touchdown.
The Bulldogs needed 58 yards to either tie the game or take the lead. It only took them 60 seconds before they found the end zone.
On a second-and-goal from the 1-yard line, New Waverly sophomore running back Tyren Watts pounded his way in for a touchdown to pull New Waverly within 28-27.
The Dogs then faced a dilemma: kick the extra point to tie the game at 28 or go for 2 and the lead. A personal foul against Hearne following Watts’ touchdown put the ball on the 1-yard line and made the decision easier.
New Waverly relied on its running back and Watts carried them — at least for the moment. Watts took the handoff and burst through the defensive front to give New Waverly a slim 29-28 lead with a minute to go.
It turned out to be five seconds too many.
With only 14 seconds remaining, the Eagles were 43 yards away from victory.
Hearne quarterback Justin Evans rolled out to the pocket and hurled a pass to a wide-open Jamie Smith for the game-winning touchdown with five seconds left on the clock.
“This game was crazy,” an emotional Hearne head coach Ralph Lymas said. “We’ve had a crazy season. We’ve had three coaches go down. One passed away. We made mistakes on the road. The biggest thing is that the kids never gave up. Jamie (Smith) wanted the ball at the end and ended up making a huge play for us. That’s what great players do.”
The seniors, knowing they played their last game as Bulldogs, had a hard time leaving the field afterward.
“We improved so much this year,” Bulldog senior linebacker Cody Ziober said. “It’s hard seeing it be that close. I had fun these past four years, but I wish we had won this one. I just hope they keep improving.”
