1969
Sophomore Jinx

In 1969, Judson was essentially grounded for the year, hoping to fly another day and eventually achieve the objectives of its Class 2A Rocket Program---no matter how short-lived that 2A Program would be. The Rocket Launch, Training, and Mission Support facilities were growing steadily with an increasing number of people (students and faculty) to "man" them. New facilities were being added, and it was becoming abundantly clear to those in the Judson ISD that it was only a matter of time before the opportunity would come to have a Class 3A Rocket Program and, even more exciting, a prospective Class 4A/5A Rocket Program capable of deep space missions to the "moon" and beyond, and the funding, equipment, facilities and above all personnel (ie students) available to accomplish those goals.

The Rockets traveled to Cotulla on September 19, hoping to get off the ground for the first time in 1969. The effort showed promise, with the Rockets getting on the board first with a 30-yard pass from Clayton Irey to Robert Elkins that put Judson on the board at 6-0. The Cowboys, however, had other plans on this evening and thereafter did a masterful job in cutting the Rockets off shortly after ignition and scrubbing the launch. In the 2nd period QB Isaac Soza completed a pass to Fran Jones for a 19-yard aerial, and Charlie Salazar toed the PAT. With 25 seconds left in the 1st Half Soza connected with Joe Lozano for 30 yards and still one (1) more score, Salazar drilled the PAT and the Cowboys had a 14-6 advantage at the break. They extended the advantage early in the final period on a 10-yard run for paydirt that was set up by a blocked punt. All told, the Rockets were unable to mitigate that kind of damage.

The Poth Pirates, coming off a 1A Finals appearance with Sonora the previous December, hosted the Rockets on September 26. The Pirates got off to a 6-0 lead in the opening period, extended it to 24 by Halftime and 37 by the end of the penultimate period, and had a 45-0 lead before the Rockets were able to answer with an 18-yard pass from Irey to Elkins for the TD and an Irey-to-Mike Barker hookup for two (2) points. A similarly unpleasant experience awaited the Rockets in Junction on October 3, where the Eagles bombed the Rockets for 56 points before Judson was able to get anything of substance going. Finally, Clayton Irey hooked up with Eddie Shivitz for two (2) scores, one (1) from 31 yards out and one (1) from two (2) yards out. The Rockets also had two (2) points to show for the effort as a result of a conversion pass from Irey to Kerry Lambrecht. The Eagles, who at one (1) point would be ranked as high as 5th in the State in 1A, went on to have a stellar 9-1 season (they would run amuck once more with Sonora in District 8-A and hence miss the playoffs), backed up by a cast that had become familiar for many: Jimmy Bankston, Bob Allen, Charles Allen, Charles Haygood, Brant Rice and a talented host of others.

In the matchup with the Pirates, the Rockets had 243 yards through the air. This reliance on air power was even more pronounced in the meeting with the Eagles, as they netted 146 yards on a 14-of-46 passing effort that they also paid for with two (2) INT’s [in Defense of the Rockets it is nevertheless worth noting that the Eagles also experienced two (2) INT’s]. Of grave concern for the Rockets, however was the minus-16 yards netted on the ground.

Things didn’t get any better for the Rockets thereafter once they got back to Converse, where on October 10 it was St. Gerard’s turn to punish the Rockets in rolling up 611 yards. Alex Devora netted 20 points, and Pat Jupe [who returned a kickoff 90 yards for one (1) score] and Mike Kannion each got 18 out of this Royal flush of the Rockets. The two (2) scores for Judson came courtesy of the Irey-to-Shivitz aerial combo: One (1) TD from ten (10) yards out, and another from seven (7) yards.

The Royals, however, who put a 70-12 spanking on Southside the week before, would eventually encounter someone that could neutralize their scoring machine and, on November 7, the Royals got paddled at their own school's field by the Holy Cross Knights. Pat Jupe broke open a scoreless tie by returning the 2nd-Half kickoff 85 yards to put the Royals up 6-0, but from there the Knights shut them out 21-0 and knocked them out of the ranks of the undefeated. More significantly, it put the Royals in a 0-1 hole in TCIL District 4-3A, and it gave the Knights a 2-0 record and a 6-1-1 record overall. That ultimate development, however, would be small consolation for the Rockets. On October 17, the Randolph Ro-Hawks would jump out to a 36-0 lead over the Rockets by Halftime, and would then start the 2nd Half by ripping off three (3) consecutive 1st-Down conversions in as many plays. This was enough to convince Bob Mickler and his staff to have some mercy on the Rockets and put in the Backup Crew, which was nevertheless able to maintain the Rockets’ goose-egg for the day.

On November 7, the Rockets tried their luck with the Southside Cardinals, but nevertheless went into the Half trailing 7-0 as a result of a 3-yard run by Mariano Bryan and Tony Trevino’s PAT. The Rockets got on the board in the 3rd Quarter with a 25-yard scoring pass, courtesy of the Irey-to-Shivitz connection. Early in the final period, Irey put the Rockets in front with a 20-yard dash, but the Cards snatched victory from them with two (2) TD’s and a PAT. The Cards picked up their first win in District 29-2A by playing turnover-free ball, while the Rockets experienced two (2) INT’s. The Cole Cougars thereafter finished the Rockets’ season off by scoring 34 points and giving them a goose-egg on November 14. Earlier that day, Apollo 12 lifted off in a thunderstorm and in fact got struck by lightning less than a minute into the flight in an episode that nearly aborted the flight as soon as it began. With help from Mission Control in diagnosing the problem and quickly responding to it, the crew of Pete Conrad, Al Bean and Dick Gordon went on to have a supremely successful flight to the Ocean of Storms. The Rockets, nevertheless, saw lightning strike their launch pad repeatedly so that they were never really able to recover sufficiently and get off the ground in 1969.

The 1969 Class 2A Playoffs
NOTE: Given in RED is the team representing the District Judson was in

Semifinals
Iowa Park 21 Jacksboro 0
Klein 23 Dunbar 23
Final
Iowa Park 31 Klein 14