Pictured is #1 Gabino “The Rhino” Grano
The Waldron Bulldogs have achieved a task that has not been done by a Sr Bulldog team in two decades. They have beaten Gentry and Mansfield, and on Friday, September 19th they defeated the Atkins Red Devils to start the season with a 3-0 record. This isn’t a lucky shot or merely by chance. Head Coach Doug Powell has the Waldron football program whipped into shape and has built a confidence that cannot be shaken in these young men. That confidence is something that seems as new to Waldron as Powell is and the Bulldog community is ecstatic about it.
Both Waldron and Atkins entered last night’s contest at Bulldog Stadium with a 2-0 record. Last year, the Red Devils ended their season with a 9-3 total play record while the Bulldogs fared less at 2-8. So it’s safe to say that Atkins had a little more pep in their step due to the fact that they assumed this would be a quick win and they’d be back home in no time. But as more people are coming to find out the hard way, it is never a good idea to count your chickens before they hatch. And when all was said and done, the Red Devils walked away with that memo too.
Coming off of a bye week, the Bulldogs took to the turf ready to terrorize, pulverize, and mesmerize. The entirety of the game was jam-packed with plenty of action around every corner. This football tango got underway with Atkins possessing the ball first. But unfortunately for the Red Devils, it was started on the wrong foot. In what would have been a massive pass play for Atkins, Caden Fuller blindsided the Red Devils receiver jarring the ball loose and stopping the play. When the Bulldogs offense took to the field, QB Braden Williams catapulted the ball downfield to Bryson Bailey for an 18-yard reception. Positioned nicely in Bulldog territory, the Williams/Bailey duo connected again with a 51-yard pass reception for a TD at 8:19 in the first quarter. With the two-point no good, the score was set at 6-0 Waldron.
Waldron continued their hammering of Atkins when they recovered a Red Devils fumble crushing any hopes Atkins might have had of earning any points. The first quarter ended with Waldron up 6-0. Starting the second quarter, senior Isaac “The Real” Villarreal nailed the first punt of the night with his 53-yard kick to Atkins offense. Three minutes later, Villarreal was once more in the punting spotlight this time bagging 59-yards. At 4:46 left in the half, Williams handed the ball off to Gabino “The Rhino” Grano who drove the pigskin in for a second Bulldog TD. With an unsuccessful PAT, the scoreboard was upgraded to 12-0 Waldron which is where it stayed going into halftime.
Things picked up even more in the second half of the game when at the 6:30 mark in the third, Grano had the stadium feeling like they were experiencing deja vu when he bulldozed the ball down the middle for another TD. With better kicks than Route 66, sophomore, Leo Lopez, secured the extra point putting the Bulldogs to 19-0. After Atkins failed to make magic happen, the ball was back in Waldrons hands. With 2 minutes remaining in the third quarter, Williams left the Red Devils scratching their heads in confusion when he hit paydirt with a QB keeper for a TD. As the Bulldogs continued inflating the score, Atkins continued having trouble possessing the ball. During a Red Devils pass with 3 seconds left, the receiver found himself with butterfingers as the ball slipped through his hands and right into the hands of waiting Bulldog Villarreal for an interception.
The match went into the final quarter with Waldron dominating the board 25-0. Waldron remained relentless as they made sure the Red Devils felt the burn from the Bulldogs backdraft. At 9:09, Willaims gave the handoff to Grano who obtained a 38-yard running TD. And with kicking help from Lopez, the board was set ablaze 32-0. Sophomore, Matthew Brigance, was swapped in as QB and immediately started taking the cake by earning positive yardage with blocking help from Villarreal and Trevor Hunt. After a Bulldog fumble bumble, Atkins gained possession, which allowed them to trade in their goose egg for a TD. In closing up shop, Villarreal laid claim to his third punt of the evening which acquired him 34-yards. The stadium went black with the scoreboard lights shining brightly into the night reading 32-6 Waldron.
Everyone loves to cheer a touchdown, but the Dogs’ defense has been a big-time game changer. Defensive Coordinator Mark Brigance has the Bulldogs defense rompin’ and chompin’ their opponents like never before. After giving up 73 points in their first three games last year, the Bulldogs have only yielded an impressive 35 points this season. The Bulldogs beefy D Line consisting of Patrick Poor, Brayden Houston, Dayton Lovett, Jesse Dees, and Cody Starr have dug deep in the trenches in each game and dared teams to run into their steel jaws.
It seems that Powell Power mixed with a deep Waldron talent pool has been a recipe for success. That success will soon be put to the test though. The (3-0) Waldron Sr High Bulldogs will open conference play next Friday, September, 25th when they host the (1-3) Mena Bearcats for Homecoming. Mena has owned the Bulldogs for well over 15 years. The Bulldogs have broken two steaks though by beating Mansfield and going 3-0. Mena’s streak over Waldron very well could be the next streak snapped.
Pictures courtesy of the always awesome, wonderful, awe-inspiring Sandy Tull
