Waller 40, Spring 0: Gaines Throws 3 TDs as Bulldogs Stay Perfect 2-0 in 2026 season

Waller Sentinel (follow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WallerSentinel) 

SPRING, Texas (Sept. 4, 2026) — The Waller Bulldogs walked into Planet Ford Stadium at 1-0 and left 2-0 after a 40-0 non-district shutout of the Spring Lions on Friday night.

The score looks like a mismatch. The tape, the official stat sheet, and head coach Marcus Mendoza’s postgame comments tell a more precise story: Waller piled up 407 yards, cashing in six touchdowns, while a bend-don’t-break defense allowed 234 yards and zero points.

“This is just what our team and what our guys have been working for,” Mendoza said. “To come out and show the hard work and how we built this program, and how we’re playing some tough football, some tough team football, is just exciting.”

How the 40 points happened

Junior quarterback Tristin “TK” Gaines completed 12 of 20 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. His long was 50 yards. He also ran four times for 45 yards.

Senior running back Dariyin Smith carried 11 times for 84 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Freshman Makhy Adams and seniors Glowin Mbobile and Michael Tshitenge each found the end zone through the air. Tshitenge added a rushing score on his only carry.

Receiving leaders:

• Glowin Mbobile — 5 catches, 98 yards, 1 TD
• Kevin Silas — 4 catches, 82 yards
• Davion Wilkins — 1 catch, 18 yards (plus 43 rushing yards on six carries)
• Makhy Adams — 1 catch, 7 yards, 1 TD
• Michael Tshitenge — 1 catch, 5 yards, 1 TD

Junior kicker Omar Alvarez was 4-for-6 on extra points and handled seven kickoffs for a 47.6-yard average.

Waller’s scoring breakdown from the coaching staff sheet: Smith 12, Tshitenge 12, Mbobile 6, Adams 6, Alvarez 4.

Mendoza has given Gaines the green light to check protections and route concepts based on leverage — empty sets, doubles, automatic looks.

“He’s able to see the field so well,” Mendoza said. “We have a lot of checks within our offense. I give him the green light. If we call something and by leverage they’re giving us a different look, he can make that check. He’s a coach on the field.”

He also pointed at the offensive line’s protection and the chemistry with the skill players after months of the same looks in practice.

“Just as a collective, as a whole offense, we’re doing really well. He’s leading that charge, but the guys around him are really doing all the things to make our entire offense successful.”

The shutout

Spring moved the ball — 163 rushing yards and 71 passing yards — and reached the red zone. Waller did not let them finish.

The official sheet credits Waller with two fumble recoveries and one interception (junior safety Weston Hubertus). Senior linebacker Trace Geigley and freshman linebacker Luke Wisnoski each recovered a fumble. Hubertus also forced a fumble.

That matches what Mendoza saw from the sideline.

“Our defense is resilient, and Coach Brown’s doing a great job with those guys,” he said. “They play tough, physical. When they get into those situations, it’s bend don’t break. You’ve seen it from last week to this week. A couple teams have gotten to the red zone and they get some huge turnovers.”

He said the defense bailed the offense out twice in the first half after Waller failed to score from the red zone — an interception or a fumble on the next series — then stood up again on a long Spring drive just before halftime.

“It was a long drive, but they freaking fought and did a great job.”

Tackle leaders vs. Spring:

• Trace Geigley — 14 tackles (2 solo, 12 assists)
• Luke Wisnoski — 8
• Brinon Johnson — 7
• Weston Hubertus — 6
• Javion Hogg and Mackenzie Dean — 5 each

Sacks went to Mackenzie Dean, Chase Harris, and Deshune McGary. Elijah Lewis led the team with four quarterback hurries.

Through two games Waller has allowed six points. Mendoza called that identity, not a one-week spike.

Who Mendoza is watching

Asked which Bulldogs look like college-level pieces right now, Mendoza started with the tackles.

“Both of our tackles, Ballard and Hall, they’re both big 6-5, 6-6, over-300-pound guys that play some physical football that I think are still underrated.”

He named Mbobile (already holding offers), Tshitenge (“our most athletic kid on the team by percentage… just playing amazing”), corner Deshune McGary, Geigley, and the safety play that has been flying around for two weeks.

“We got a lot of underrated guys. We’re still kind of new-ish to 6A. I think this is only our fourth or fifth year 6A. Once we start making those big wins with the guys that we have on the team, they’re going to start getting a lot more notice.”

Next: Conroe, and don’t get content

Waller visits Conroe on Friday, Sept. 11, at 7 p.m. A three-day weekend sits in between. Mendoza’s message is the same one he said he delivered at halftime while the Bulldogs were already up.

“Something I’ve been telling our kids… we’re up is not getting content. We’re going to have that game, and it’s going to come up this season at some point where we’re being challenged, and we gotta play at our level, not the level of the opponent that we’re playing.”

He wants execution in a tight, uncomfortable game — the kind of two-or-three-play swing that used to decide whether Waller made the playoffs.

“Last season you guys made the playoffs, you guys were able to flip those plays around,” he was told. He agreed. That work, he said, is the point of nights like Friday.

“I think we’re really putting Waller on the map. We got the ‘Where’s Waller’ last year, and early on I think we’re starting to put a staple on it, and I think we’re making some noise. But it’s the team’s buy-in… They’re just doing a great job representing our program. Just proud of those guys.”

Waller is 2-0. Spring is 1-1. The Bulldogs have scored 81 points and allowed 6 in two weeks.

Go Bulldogs.

Box (Waller vs. Spring, official coaching staff sheet)
Score: Waller 40, Spring 0
Waller offense: 197 rush, 210 pass, 407 total
Waller defense: 163 rush allowed, 71 pass allowed, 234 total
Turnovers: Waller 0 given, 3 taken (1 INT, 2 fumble recoveries)

Passing: T. Gaines 12-20-0, 210 yds, 3 TD, LG 50
Rushing: D. Smith 11-84, 2 TD; T. Gaines 4-45; D. Wilkins 6-43; M. Tshitenge 1-6, 1 TD
Receiving: G. Mbobile 5-98, 1 TD; K. Silas 4-82; D. Wilkins 1-18; M. Adams 1-7, 1 TD; M. Tshitenge 1-5, 1 TD
Tackles: T. Geigley 14, L. Wisnoski 8, B. Johnson 7, W. Hubertus 6
Kicking: O. Alvarez 4-of-6 PAT

Stats provided by Waller coaching staff, game of Sept. 4, 2026.

Next game: Waller at Conroe, Friday, Sept. 11, 7 p.m.