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October 31, 2009

Dogs smack Indians

New Waverly steamrolls past Groveton 37-16

By Gene Schallenberg

NEW WAVERLY — The Bulldogs are playoff bound again.

After blasting Groveton 37-16 Friday night, the Dogs not only assured themselves a spot in the playoffs, but also claimed at least a share of the District 21-2A title for the second consecutive season.

“We knew that only we could keep ourselves from the playoffs,” New Waverly senior quarterback X’Zavious Harrison said. “We just had to keep working hard and take things day by day.”

With a playoff berth and a league championship on the line, the Bulldogs, who improved to 4-0 in district and 7-2 overall, didn’t want to leave things to chance and played as if they were on a mission.

On the opening kickoff, junior Dillian Scott found a hole in the coverage and streaked 53 yards down to Groveton’s 23-yard line. Three plays later, senior running back Tyren Watts got the ball on a pitch and sprinted between defenders for a 23-yard score.

On the ensuing possession, Groveton (1-3 in district, 3-7 overall) got four first downs and moved the ball 58 yards before Calvin James was stuffed on a wide receiver reverse for a loss on fourth down.

On the next play, Watts ran the ball up the middle, breaking a tackle and headed up the New Waverly sideline for a 91-yard score.

But with a 12-0 lead, the Bulldogs didn’t let up.

On third-and-6 from the Indians’ 42, Harrison hit a wide-open Eli Amador for a 40-yard gain, which set up New Waverly’s next score. Watts ran a counter and eased his way into the end zone.

The Bulldogs scored one more time before halftime, thanks in large part to a Groveton miscue.

The Indians attempted to punt on fourth-and-12 from New Waverly’s 48, but the ball sailed over the head of Calvin Williams. Williams fell on the ball, preventing the Bulldogs from scooping it up and scoring.

New Waverly took over on the 25 and junior running back Kevin Major broke through the defensive line for a 10-yard score.

“We wanted to start strong and we wanted to put them away early,” New Waverly head coach Ken Craig said. “That’s what we wanted to do and we came out sharp.”

Groveton, trailing 24-0 at the half, tried to prevent things from getting any worse by controlling the clock and keeping the New Waverly offense on the sidelines.

But despite having success moving the ball, Groveton couldn’t take advantage. The Indians didn’t score until the fourth quarter, but by then, New Waverly had begun to insert its backups and junior varsity players.

“I like the way we came out both times,” Kevin Major said. “We played even harder in the second half.”

With a playoff berth and a share of a district title in their pocket, the Bulldogs have a chance to finish the season with an outright 21-2A championship for the second straight season at Buffalo next Friday.

“We’re looking forward to it. We’re going to go out with a bang,” Harrison added.

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