What a way to open the season! After only hitting in pads for the last 3-4 weeks due to Covid restrictions coupled with a canceled scrimmage against DeQueen, the Waldron Sr High Bulldogs touched the turf in their first live contest Friday night against the Gentry Pioneers. With home-field advantage, the Sr Bulldogs made it clear from the get-go that they weren’t about to start the season on the wrong paw like they did last year finishing the 2019-2020 season with a 2-8 record. With a new head coach in Doug Powell and a new attitude, the Sr Bulldogs were a brand new crew.
Starting QB for Waldron this year is senior, Braden Williams. Seven minutes into the first quarter, Williams connected with senior, Isaac “The Real” Villarreal for a TD with sophomore kicker, Leo Lopez making the PAT. The first quarter ended with Waldron up 7-0. To start the second quarter, Bryson Bailey took a pass from Williams for an astonishing 59 yard TD moving the score up 13-0. Getting frustrated by the Bulldogs dominance, Gentry finally put points up with a 19-yard passing TD. Not to be outdone in their own territory, Waldron answered back with a Williams to Caden Fuller TD. With seconds until the half, Lopez really put the boot to the Pioneers with a 29-yard field kick sending the teams into halftime 31-7 Waldron.
Returning from halftime, Gentry changed things up by turning to a rapid-fire pace earning them a TD from a QB keeper. After a Bulldog pass gets intercepted, Gentry takes the ball in for another TD upgrading the score to 31-21. As fatigue and cramping started to set in for both teams, Williams dug deep finding the strength to deliver his own QB keeper TD lighting up the scoreboard 37-21. With five minutes left in the game, Williams musters up one final epic 22-yard pass to “The Real” Villarreal for a TD. Lopez earned the PAT and with mere minutes left, Gentry attempts to catch up offering one last TD to the score. But it’s not enough to chain up the Bulldogs and the night ends with Waldron snagging their first win of the season 44-29 and placing them with a 1-0 record.
“Obviously, we are happy with a win,” exclaimed Coach Powell. “We were fortunate to make some big plays on offense and played solid defense in the first half to give us a big lead. We were tired and it showed in the second half. Our fundamentals broke down and we allowed Gentry back into the game. Credit should go to Gentry. They came out in the second half and scored two quick touchdowns. I am proud of my guys for not putting their head down or anticipating old outcomes. They continued to work and drove down the field to score.”
“This victory was definitely a team effort. Many kids rotated into the game and left everything on the field. We will enjoy this victory and will go back to work on Monday.” On September 4, the Sr Bulldogs will host the Mansfield Tigers in an always enthralling head-to-head rumble in the “Battle of Scott County”. “Our next opponent will be no stranger to us. I expect both sides will be focused and ready to play. It looks like Mansfield had a really good game last night against Magazine. As a result, we will have our work cut out for us. We need to be in better shape for next Friday’s game, and we must correct our mistakes to beat a tough rival like Mansfield.”
Photos courtesy of Chris Lipham and Sandy Tull
