Bulldogs unleash offense late
Travis Anderson tackles a Bulldog ball carrier during action at Owl Stadium Friday, Oct. 7.
Anderson-Shiro quarterback Connor Daley breaks free for a good gain in the Owls 35-12 loss to New Waverly. He had two scores on the night.
Kagan Stephens hails in a big catch in district action at Owl Stadium.
ANDERSON – After a stout first half, the Anderson-Shiro Fighting Owls fell to the New Waverly Bulldogs 35-12 Friday, Oct. 7, at Owl Stadium.
The Owls more than held their own in the first half of play with the defense keeping the Bulldogs kenneled. New Waverly was held to a field goal.
Anderson-Shiro’s offense drove the ball into the Bulldog’s backyard a few times but came up short on downs. Late in the half, facing another fourth down inside the five, sophomore quarterback Connor Daley would not be denied on a fourth down run. He stretched out as he was being tackled for the score, giving the Owls a 6-3 halftime lead.
The Owls extended their lead, 12-3, in the second half on a crisp pass from Daley to junior Pierce Goodwin. “We really dominated the first 30 minutes of the game,” said Anderson-Shiro Head Coach Brad Hodges. “Unfortunately, New Waverly capitalized on just a couple of plays late that turned the game in their favor.”
With just 3 minutes left in the third, the Bulldogs used great field position after a big kickoff return to quickly answer Goodwin’s score. The Dawg offense struck on a big pass play to cut into the lead 10-12. The Owls had an unfortunate turnover that led to another quick score on a short field just a minute and half later, giving New Waverly an 18-12 lead.
The fourth quarter saw the veteran laden Bulldogs overwhelm the young Owl squad. “Give them credit, they pounced on us and they capitalized on opportunities and mistakes,” said Hodges after the game. “Still, I am very proud of how we responded this week. We came out and played hard following a tough game. This district is tough. We will bounce back and be ready for a great Warren team this week.”
The Owl stat leaders on the evening were Daley who finished with 133 yards passing, a rushing and a passing touchdown. Defensively he had six tackles, and two interceptions. Travis Anderson had nine tackles, three for loss and junior Kevin Cabrera had six tackles and a fumble recovery. Goodwin led the receivers with six catches for 57 yards and a touchdown.
Looking ahead to this Friday, the Owls face a ball control Warren Warrior team with a lot of playoff implications on the line. Hodges stated, “After this week, we will get a much clearer idea of the playoff picture for us.” The Owls will again travel to the Piney Woods of East Texas on Friday night. Kickoff in Warren is set for 7 p.m. If you can’t make it, please follow along for game updates and videos of great plays at the Navasota “EXAMINER SPORTS” Facebook page. We will give updates on the Owls as well as all Grimes County Teams on Friday night!