50 years in the making : New Waverly ’ s
Colton Foster Sports Editor
In December of 1972 at Pritchett field , New Waverly football squared off against Big Sandy , the home of coach Lovie Smith .
The Bulldogs would come away with a 7-6 win , advancing the Bulldogs to the UIL Texas semi-finals game , where they would lose to Chilton 21-14 the next week .
After that former New Waverly head coach , Tim Edwards would leave for Hallettsville and the team would disband for nearly 50 years . That all changed when the team got back together last Friday .
“ It was just heartwarming ,” Edwards said . “ To see what they have done in life , and tell me that I was a part of it . It ’ s just overwhelming . There were just a lot of really good success stories that I heard today . Just hearing about those stories , the girls they married , it ’ s been a wonderful day .”
The former coach was able to travel back to New Waverly for the Bulldogs ’ game against Hemphill where he reunited with several members of the team , some of whom he hasn ’ t seen since 1972 .
The reunion saw several members drive in for the event to see their old head coach . When Edwards arrived at the Junior high , which was the former high school , and saw some of his former players , the memories of them flourished through his mind .
However , the real memories start when Edwards left his hotel in Huntsville and purposely took Highway 75 the entire way . Driving through the pine trees brought back memories from the three years that Edwards served in New Waverly .
“ You wanna cry one minute and you wanna yell the next minute ,” Edwards said . “ Just mixed emotions . What gets you is just how quickly time flies , but that ’ s life . I spent the night in Huntsville and I drove 75 back . It ’ s a lot of gladness and a lot of sadness too . I went out by the old house we rented . It just passed by so fast .”
In seeing several of his former players , Edwards got to see their families as well . Specifically , former Bulldog Ike O ’ Bryant and his grandson senior receiver Jeremy Miles .
Edwards ’ former team also surprised him with a team photo
Several members from the 1972 Bulldog team were
from the 1972 team .
“ Seeing Ike , Ike is always so full of energy ,” Edwards said . “ Seeing his grandson play tonight . That ’ s been a big thrill . I ’ ve been meeting everybody ’ s kids . It ’ s just priceless . The thing that gets me is Donnie and Ike and they reached out and gave me a picture of the team . They told me where every one of those kids is now .”
While it has been 50 years since most of them have seen each other , the stories and the memories have had a lasting effect on his team . Clayton Loll was one of those players that have already held coach Edwards at a special place in his life .
“ There were a lot of kids that didn ’ t have fatherly figures in their life and he made that kid feel like he was there as that figure ,” Loll said . “ He will always be
18 | HUNTSVILLE LIVING | FOOTBALL REVIEW 2023