1968
A New Environment

As was the case with Judson’s Class 1A Rocket Program, the first two (2) seasons of their 2A Program would present some trying moments. Compounding the challenges naturally associated with inaugurating a newer and advanced Program, the Rockets were placed in one (1) of the more challenging 2A Districts in the State, given that they would be going up against the Randolph Ro-Hawks, who entered the 1968 campaign coming off an appearance with the Plano Wildcats in the State 2A Finals. In non-District as well, their schedule would include the 3A Clemens Buffaloes, the 1A Poth Pirates (who would make the 1A Finals in 1968), the 1A Junction Eagles out of Region I [who would soar to great heights with talent and speed in the two (2) seasons the Rockets were tasked with dealing with them], and St. Gerard (one of the premier TCIL 3A programs in the State). All told, the Rockets had a stiff challenge from the get-go.

Judson nevertheless had a decent nucleus of flight-ready talent from the stellar 1967 campaign ready to answer the stiff 1968 challenge.

Clemens
September 13, 1968
The Buffaloes helped scrub the Rockets’ launch. Partially a result of a wet, slippery field and partially the result of a Rocket Offense that for the game netted only 21 yards on the ground and five (5) through the air, the 1st Half ended in a double goose-egg. Timmy Booker, however, erased the Buffs’ contribution to that phenomenon in the 3rd Quarter by bouncing off tackle and zipping in for a 33-yard score, and thereafter carrying in for two (2) points. Later in the penultimate period, David Blair returned a punt for 43 yards to put the Buffs up 14-0. Booker finished things off with 84 seconds left in the game with a 20-yard dash for six (6).

Cotulla
September 20, 1968: Converse
The Cotulla Cowboys came to Converse on September 20 to lasso the Rockets and extend the hold. Cotulla grabbed a 7-0 Halftime lead when Craig Franklin punched in from two (2) yards out to cap a 50-yard drive, and this was followed up by the 1-point PAT. In the 3rd Quarter Robert Elkins got the Rockets on the board by snaring an 11-yard pass from Clayton Irey, but the pass for two (2) points was no good. The Cowboys, however returned the concomitant kickoff to the Judson 20-yard line, and shortly thereafter Sergio James went up the middle for an 8-yard run to extend the Cotulla advantage to 13-6. The PAT, however, was no good. In the final period Barry Tauch hooked up with Kenny Venuto for 13 yards and the score. The conversion pass for two (2) points, however, was no good, and that was the ball game.

Junction
October 4, 1968: Converse
On September 27, the Poth Pirates raided the Rockets for 58-0 points enroute to a Class 1A appearance in the Finals, and this apparently threw the Rockets for a loop so badly that the Junction Eagles were also able to fly higher and faster than the Rockets, who were still stuck on the ground. The Rockets nevertheless scored 21 points---all in the 1st Half---when

• Kenny Venuto crashed in for a 3-yard score
• Barry Tauch connected with Kenny Venuto for a 47-yard pickup and the score
• Venuto bulled his way in for a 2-yard score
• Gary Kinard took Tauch’s pass for two (2) points
• Venuto drilled one (1) PAT.

The Eagles scored 35 points in the First Half, and the 35-21 score remained through the 3rd Quarter. In the final period, however, the roof caved in on the Rockets and the Eagles bombed the Rockets for 26 additional points.

Scores for the Eagles involved:

• Jimmy Bankston with a 50-yard dash
• Bankston with a 61-yard punt return
• Bob Allen connecting with Bankston for 43-yards and the score
• Allen on hookup with George Perez that Perez then took to the house for a 77-yard score
• Jimmy Baugh punching in on two (2) occasions, once from three (3) yards out and once from two (2) yards out.
• Brent Rice zipping in for a 12-yard run and a 23-yard dash.
• Scotty Phillips snatching an INT and returning it 35 yards for the score.

In the extra point department, Allen connected hit Rice for two (2) points, Bankston ran it in for two (2) points, and Joe Dechert nailed three (3) PAT’s. Spectacular. The Eagles would fall short of a District 8-A Title, but the District would be well-represented, in this case by Sonora, who would meet Poth in the 1A Finals and emerge with a 9-0 victory.

St. Gerard
October 11, 1968: St. Gerard
Earlier in the day, Apollo 7 lifted off on the first manned flight of the Apollo Program. The launch came 21 months after the fatal Apollo 1 launch pad fire that grounded the program and spurred some major modifications to the vehicle. The Judson Rockets, however, were still grounded after four (4) games, and St. Gerard made that five (5) games. The Royals scored once each in the two (2) opening Quarters. The penultimate period remained scoreless, but in the 4th Quarter the Rockets cut the Royal advantage to 14-8 when Tauch carried for twelve (12) yards for the score and thereafter hooked up with Robert Elkins for two (2) points. A 30-point Royal explosion, however, thereafter blew the Rockets off their launch pad. This was an ugly game for both teams. The Rockets and Royals experienced three (3) INT’s apiece, and they each lost two (2) fumbles. The Rockets were assessed eight (8) times for 100 yards of infractions, and the Royals had ten (10) penalties for 135 yards. The Rockers picked up only 89 yards split almost evenly between air and ground, but the Royals did a little better with 131 yards on the ground and 97 through the air. All told, it allowed the Royals to run their record to 5-0.

Randolph
October 18, 1962
The 1967 Class 2A Finalists jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the 1st Quarter and then increased their total output to 34 points by the end of the 1st Half. With time expiring in the Half, Barry Tauch connected with Robert Elkins for a 43-yard pickup. Shortly thereafter Kenny Venuto crashed in from a yard out to put the Rockets on the board with 101 seconds to go. The 3rd Quarter was scoreless, but the Ro-Hawks restored the advantage with still one (1) more TD, and the Rockets answered back with a 6-yard pass from Tauch to Gary Tschoepe. The Ro-Hawks nevertheless scored once more to seal the deal and drop the Rocket record to 0-6 and, more critically, 0-1 in District 29-2A.

Boerne
October 25, 1968: Converse
Whether it was the incentive of seeing the highly-successful flight of the Apollo 7 that splashed down three (3) days earlier, or the inspiration of athletic performances such as Bob Beaman's record-breaking long jump in the rarified high-altitude air at the Mexico City Olympics that were winding down, Judson finally had liftoff on its 2A Rocket Program and took the score into rarified altitudes. The Rockets got on the board in the opening period when Kenny Venuto zipped in for a 38-yard TD and thereafter toed the PAT to put Judson in front 7-0. In the 2nd Quarter, the Rockets passed through Max Q and were able to "loft" in their trajectory and coast from there and into orbit, as facilitated by the following events

• Barry Tauch's 12-yard QB keeper for the score
• Whitney Booth concluding a 60-yard Rocket drive with his 1-yard run
• Venuto punching in from a yard out following a fumble recovery inside the Greyhound 5-yard line, followed by Tauch's pass to Robert Elkins for two (2) points
• Clayton Irey's INT and 20-yard runback, which was supplemented by another Tauch-to-Elkins hookup for two (2) points

In the final period, Venuto received a 2-yard pass from Tauch for still one (1) more TD, and for the final time of the day Tauch connected once more with Elkins for two (2) points.

Hays Consolidated
November 1, 1968: Buda
The Rebels got on the board in the 1st Quarter when Kenny Gold blocked the Rockets' punt and took it in for a 45-yard TD. Johnny Hancock drilled the PAT and the Rebels had a 7-0 lead. Thus the score remained as the final period commenced. The Rockets reached Hays' 14-yard line, but the Rebels' Fred Sturdivant intercepted in the endzone to kill the threat. With time running out, however, the Rockets started from their 20-yard line, from where Barry Tauch engineered a masterful drive by completing two (2) passes of 20 and 40 yards that moved Judson to the Hays 20-yard line. From there, Tauch hooked up with Gary Kinard for the score, and they thereafter collaborated through the air for two (2) points and the lead. The Rebels, however, got one (1) final chance with 30 seconds to go when the Rocket punter got nailed on 4th Down at the Judson 15-yard line. The Rebels were unable to punch it in, however thus requiring that they attempt a FG on the final play of the game. The FG fell short, and the Rockets escaped with the win that left both teams' District records at 2-1.

Southside
November 8, 1968
Come high wind or rain----or perhaps both---the passes of QB Barry Tauch were starting to cause a certain amount of pain for the Rockets' opponents, as he completed 88 passes and surpassed 1000 aerial yards to set a Judson record in this rainy and windy affair. In the opening period, the Rockets undertook a 60-yard drive that culminated in Tauch's 30-yard hookup with Robert Elkins for the score. They combined once more for the 2-point play to put the Rockets up 8-0. In the 2nd Quarter, Tauch connected with Gary Kinard for an 11-yard TD that polished off a 65-yard drive. All told, this gave the Rockets a 14-0 advantage. Later in the 2nd Quarter, the Cardinals blocked the Rockets' punt at the Judson 6-yard line, and shortly thereafter QB Elroy Lopez ran in for four (4) yards and the TD, which cut the Rocket lead to 14-6 at the Half.

On the second play of the 2nd Half, Tauch hooked up once more with Elkins, this time for a 45-yard scoring play. The 2-point play was no good, but the Rockets nevertheless had a 20-6 lead. With two (2) minutes left in the final period, the Rockets were facing a 4th-Down at their own 6-yard line. In view of the strong winds and the unfortunate turn of events on an earlier punt, the Rockets elected to snap the ball out of bounds and take a Safety. This brought the tally to 20-8, it gave Judson a little more room to maneuver on the concomitant Free Kick and this was sufficient, as the Cardinals were unable to do anything with it. The adverse weather conditions and some strong defensive play undoubtedly facilitated some turnovers: The Cards snared two (2) of Tauch's passes while the Rockets picked off one (1) Southside pass. The Rockets gained only 69 yards on the ground, while doing all the significant damage through the air for 170 yards. The Cardinals gained only twelve (12) yards---all on the ground---and completed none of their four (4) pass attempts.

Cole
November 15, 1968: Cougar Stadium, Fort Sam Houston
The Rockets' irregular play on punts continued into the meeting with their Army friends and neighbors when, early in the 1st Quarter, a bad punt set the Cougars up at the Judson 36-yard line. The Cougars from there worked it in on five (5) plays and went up 6-0 when Jim Pilisbury punched in for a 1-yard score at the 7:49 mark. The 2-point conversion run, however, failed to produce. Early in the 2nd Quarter the Rockets were still looking to get untracked. Meanwhile, Buddy Eckenrod split the uprights with an 18-yard FG to increase the Cole advantage to 9-0. To the Rockets' credit, however, the Defense caused the drive to stall out at the 8-yard line. This moral victory of sorts was sufficient to fire up the Rockets' Offense, and following the kickoff they drove down and got on the board when Tauch passed for 22 yards to Elkins for the score. A pivotal play on the drive was a 25-yard hookup from Tauch to Venuto that set things up. Elkins' nailed the PAT, the deficit was cut to 9-7, and thus things remained until the final period. In that period, the Rockets started from their 13-yard line and slowly but deliberately moved in for the kill. Kenny Venuto contributed 84 yards on the 9-play drive and capped things off by punching in from a yard out. The Tauch-Elkins connection came through one (1) final time on the 2-point play, and Judson was able to bag the cats and clinch a 2nd-place finish in their inaugural season of its 2A Rocket Program.

The 1968 Class 2A Playoffs
NOTE: Given in RED is the team representing the District Judson was in

Semifinals
Daingerfield 14 Iowa Park 0
Dunbar 22 Klein 18
Final
Daingerfield 7 Dunbar 6