1971
Going-Away Present

Southwest
September 10, 1971: Southwest
High winds and rain, and ultimately some untimely offensive fire from the Dragons, delayed and ultimately scrubbed the Rockets’ launch of the 1971 mission. The Rockets stymied the Dragons on two (2) forays into Judson territory in the 1st Half, which resulted in a double goose-egg at the Half. In the 3rd Quarter, the Rockets got untracked and engineered a 40-yard drive that Paul Hambrick polished off with a run around right end for the score. Bobby Horton’s run for two (2) points, however, was stopped short. With time running down in the final period, QB Charlie Guzman hooked up with Hector Ruiz for a short pass and score for the Dragons to knot the game at six (6). The score remained knotted after a bad snap on the intended conversion, and that’s how things ended. The Dragons lost five (5) fumbles although they experienced no INT’s, while the Rockets experienced one (1) INT and lost one (1) fumble. The Dragons’ 4-punt, 40-yard average nevertheless helped pin the Rockets down somewhat, while in comparison Judson’s 5-punt 28-yard average probably didn’t help the Rockets’ cause all that much.

Medina Valley
September 17, 1971: Castroville
Robert Rosenbusch ran the opening kickoff back 75 yards to put the Rockets in front early. The PAT was good and Judson was up 7-0. Things settled down somewhat thereafter, but in the 2nd Quarter Glen Tschirhart connected with Steve Keller to put the Panthers on the board. The PAT, however, was no good. Later in the period Armando Pimentel took a Rocket punt and took off on a 70-yard dash to put the Panthers ahead 12-7. Once again, however, the PAT was no good, but the score stood up at the Half. The penultimate period was scoreless, but in the final period the Rockets regained the advantage with a 5-yard scoring run by Rosenbusch. Bobby Horton was successful this time on the 2-point play, and the Rockets were able to get out of town without too many scratch marks from the cats.

Luling
September 24, 1971: Luling
The Eagles thumped the Rockets with a single score on a waterlogged field in this game played in an intermittent downpour, but it was sufficient to give the Rockets their first "L" for the year. The damage came four (4) minutes into the contest when Delfino Sanchez took off for a 64-yard run and the score. The PAT was wide right, but it didn’t matter in the end. The Rockets were unable to penetrate inside the Eagles’ 20-yard line. That’s not to say that the Eagles really set the world on fire either. They picked up only two (2) First Downs and 141 yards---all of which were on the ground----with nearly half of that coming on only one (1) very productive play. They punted the ball eight (8) times for a 39.6-yard average, which helped pin the Rockets down. The Rockets meanwhile picked only four (4) First Downs, 64 yards on the ground and five (5) through the air. Their 5-punt, 36.6-yard average helped keep them in the game, but their five (5) lost fumbles and one (1) INT most certainly didn’t. Comparatively, the Eagles had only two (2) lost fumbles and no INT’s (helped partially by the fact they didn’t even attempt any passes).

East Central
October 1, 1971: Converse
The Rockets didn’t lose any fumbles and experienced only one (1) INT, but they did lose the game to the Hornets. The opening stanza was scoreless, but in the 2nd Quarter the Hornets stung the Rockets with a 24-yard scoring pass facilitated by a hookup from Wayne Milner to Gary Robbins. Ben Blandford nailed the PAT and EC took a 7-0 lead into the break. The 7-0 lead held up through the 3rd Quarter, but in the final period the Hornets put this one away when Melvin Dove punched in from a yard out, shortly thereafter Larry Causey got away for a 58-yard dash, and Blandford drilled still one (1) more PAT. The Rockets were then able to salvage what they could out of this particular Detailed Test Objective (DTO) when Bobby Horton zipped in for an 8-yard TD.

Clemens
October 8, 1971
The Rockets made history on a rain-soaked field to get past the Buffs for the first time ever. The effort to erase the double goose-egg was set up when the Rockets recovered a Buff fumble at the 24-yard line and from there worked their way to the 8-yard line in eight (8) plays. On the ninth play, Tom Staudt hauled in Steve Renner’s pass and the Rockets were in front. The 2-point play failed due to a fumble, but the 6-0 advantage, along with sterling defensive play, was sufficient to get the win.

Randolph
October 15, 1971: Converse
Judson made some more history by defeating the Ro-Hawks for the first time since the initial meeting in 1962 and by basically finishing the job from the previous season when they forced the tie but couldn’t close the deal. A bad snap from center forced the Ro-Hawk punter to recover the ball in the endzone just in time to get tackled for a Safety. With time running down in the 1st Half, Steve Renner found Tom Staudt for a 33-yard hookup and the score. John Green punched in for two (2) points, and with seven (7) seconds remaining the Rockets had a 10-0 lead. The Rockets continued their defensive assault in the 2nd Half and it was enough to put the Ro-Hawks back into their Rocket-preferred Air Force role as chase-planes in this particular launch.

Boerne
October 22, 1971: Boerne
In the opening period, the Rockets punted to the Greyhounds, where they fumbled it to set Judson up at the Boerne 30-yard line. A quick pickup to the 1-yard line was followed up by John Green’s 1-yard run to get the Rockets on the board, although the PAT was no good. In the 2nd Quarter, the Rockets recovered still one (1) more fumble, this one at the Greyhound 5-yard line. In fairly short order Paul Hambrick took it in, once more the PAT failed, and the Rockets had a 12-0 advantage. Later in the 2nd Quarter Steve Renner’s QB sneak from a yard out raised the score once more for Judson. For the 3rd time of the day, however, the PAT failed to produce the intended result. In the final period, Paul Hambrick punched in for a 2-yard TD, and for the fourth and final time of they day the PAT was no good. Boerne did its damage with a 62-yard 4th-Quarter drive that Martin Garcia capped with a 1-yard run for the score. A Rocket fumble at the Judson 25-yard line put the Greyhounds in business for their 2nd TD of the day, which Dan Vallerie provided and Bobby Racer followed up with a reception from QB Lloyd Whitworth for two (2) points.

In the 3rd Quarter David Garza came through once more for the by Rebels recovering a fumble at Judson’s 33-yard line. The Rebels advanced to the Judson 4-yard line in five (5) plays, on the 6th play on 4th-and-Goal Rodney McGee connected with Horace Green for the score, and Carlos Martinez put the Rebels in front for the first time of the day by drilling the PAT with 55 seconds remaining in the penultimate period. The Rockets responded to this turn of events by driving to the Rebels’ 4-yard line after the kickoff, but a 4th-Down pass fell incomplete. Judson kept Hays pinned down on that series, and after the punt the Rockets were back in business at the Rebel 35-yard line. They advanced to the 5-yard line, but Rodney McGee came through for the Rebels and shut Judson off by breaking up the 4th-Down pass. In spite of the fact that the Rebels never advanced out of their own 10-yard line in the final period, they did what they needed to do to hit the Rockets with their first 1971 loss in District play.

Southside
November 5, 1971: Southside
In the opening period Tom Staudt recovered a Cardinal fumble to put the Rockets in business at the Cardinals’ 5-yard line. Bobby Horton took it in from there shortly thereafter, and Larry Stobaugh drilled the PAT to put Judson up 7-0. A little later in the period David Mundt sequestered Rudolph Rodriguez in the endzone for a Safety. In the 2nd Quarter, John Green punched in from a yard out to cap off a 50-yard Rocket drive, and once more Stobaugh was good on the PAT. The Rockets were thereafter able to take a 23-0 advantage into the locker room after Gerald Lockey collaborated with Staudt for a 22-yard aerial for the TD, and Stobaugh once more nailed the PAT. In the 3rd Quarter Russell Schmidt zipped in for an 8-yard TD, and the Cardinals also got on the board for the only time of the day when Rodriguez got in for a 2-yard run for the TD. In the final period, Jeff Hooks snatched Steve Renner’s aerial for 37 yards and the final TD of the day for the Rockets.

This was the best offensive performance for the Rockets thus far in 1971, as they netted 201 yards on the ground and 150 through the air as part of a 6-of-11 effort that also experienced one (1) INT. The Rockets nevertheless lost two (2) fumbles, but so did the Cardinals, who also experienced one (1) INT as part of their 2-of-6 passing effort that netted five (5) yards. The Cardinals weren’t much more successful on the ground, either, as they were limited to 52 yards.

Cole
November 12, 1971: Converse
The Cougars did what they could to give the Rockets a case of ‘cat scratch fever’ serious enough to cancel an extension of their mission into the post-season. The cats opened the game with a 61-yard drive that QB Tom Williams finished by tossing a 29-yard aerial to Artis Barnes for the score. Al Poerner thereafter nailed the PAT to put the cats on top at 7-0. Cole then recovered an onside kick and advanced to the Judson 20-yard line, where the Rockets were finally able to shut the cats off. Judson thereafter got its Rocket thrusters out of cold storage and engineered an 11-play, 80-yard drive. Paul Hambrick took it in from three (3) yards out and Lockey thereafter collaborated with Bobby Horton for the 2-point play to put the Rockets on top at 8-7, and this lead stood up through the end of the 1st Half.

In the 3rd Quarter the Rockets drove 66 yards in twelve (12) plays, chewing up 6:07 from the clock. Hambrick charged up the middle for the final three (3) yards and Stobaugh got the PAT to give Judson a 15-7 advantage. On the concomitant kickoff John Holland took it and blew down that field like a jet-mobile for an 85-yard return. Tom Williams then kept around left end for the 2-point play and the tie at 15-each. The cats thereafter attempted an onside kickoff, but the Rockets recovered and went to work from the Cole 47-yard line. Five (5) plays into the 4th Quarter Staudt hauled in a 17-yard pass----the only one (1) attempted by the Rockets in the 2nd Half---from Gerald Lockey to put the Judson ahead once more. A 2-point conversion run, however, was no good and the Rockets still had a vulnerable 21-15 lead. The Rockets, however, were soon back in business when, following the kickoff, the cats’ Tom Williams "completed" a pass to the Rockets’ Stephen Marbach to set Judson up at the Cole 13. On the first play Bobby Horton took off for the score, and Lockey hit Staudt for two (2) points to give the Rockets a 29-15 lead with 9:23 to go in the game. Undeterred, the cats drove 87 yards to close the gap once more, which was brought about when Gerald Shepherd took it in from five (5) yards out with 89 seconds remaining. The cats got the onside kick and had a chance to cancel the Rockets’ District Championship reservation, but Staudt put a stop to things with 79 seconds remaining by snaring Williams’ pass, thus keeping Judson’s Class 2A Rocket Program in business for at least one (1) more week. It is worth noting that this would be the only season in which Judson would defeat both the "Army"(Cole) and, more significantly, the "Air Force" (Randolph). The "Air Force" win, of course, was pivotal in snaring the Rockets’ District 27-2A title, thus giving them DOD bragging rights, in a sense, among their friends, neighbors, peers and co-workers. Of bigger note, perhaps, is that this marked the first time in eight (8) seasons that someone beside Randolph would represent the District in the post-season. For the Rockets, call it the perfect Class 2A going-away present.

Of further historical note was a teacher-pupil success. Frank Arnold, who played for Coach Wallace at Burbank and was in his first season at Sam Houston, likewise clinched a District title for the Cherokees, this one in 29-4A.

Semifinals
Jacksboro 17 Eastland 6
Rosebud-Lott 30 Hondo 7
Final
Jacksboro 20 Rosebud-Lott 14

Hondo
November 19, 1971: Barry Field, Hondo
The Rockets fumbled the opening kickoff and Robert Blackshear recovered for the Owls at the Judson 20-yard line. The fired-up Rocket Defense, however, made the Owls earn those twenty (20) yards separating them from the endzone. Owl QB Tom Hill passed to Terry Mechler for a 6-yard pickup to the 9-yard line on 4th-and-5 to keep the drive going, and eventually John Abrego cracked the goal line from the 1 to finish a march that required three (3) minutes to complete. Hill nailed the PAT and the Owls led 7-0. Later in the opening period and at the end of an unproductive Rocket drive, a fumbled snap and hastily executed kick that the Rockets managed to get off only went for twelve (12) yards to give Hondo possession at the Judson 39-yard line. Highlighting the Hondo drive was Faron Helvey’s 7-yard pass reception at the 5-yard line in a three-on-one situation. From there, Abrego cashed in for more paydirt with 78 seconds left in the 1st Quarter, Hill was good on the PAT and the Rockets now found themselves in a 14-0 hole. The Rockets nevertheless responded to this turn of events with a 44-yard pass play from Gerald Lockey to Tom Staudt that Staudt caught at the 20 by beating the Owls’ Eric Grant to the catch and taking off from there unencumbered for the goal. The PAT was no good, and the 1st Half ended with the Rockets trailing only 14-6.

In the 3rd period Hondo reached the Judson 18-yard line but fumbled the ball away. A little later, however, the Owls atoned for that mistake with a 53-yard drive that Keith Ligon capped off with a 5-yard run. Once more Hill was good on the PAT to extend the Owl advantage to 21-6. The Rockets went right back to work and mounted their only sustained drive of the day, traveling 72 yards and facilitating John Green’s 6-yard run on the first play of the 4th Quarter. Once again, however, the PAT was no good, and the Rockets trailed 21-12. The Owls responded with a 20-yard return to the Hondo 40 on the kickoff and proceeded to execute a 10-play drive. The big gainer in the drive was Hill’s 18-yard pickup to the Judson 25-yard line. A little later a 14-yard pickup carried to the 1-yard line, and from their Abrego punched in to put the Owls up 27-12 with 7:02 to go. Once the Owls got back on defense, Eric Grant snatched a Rocket aerial and took off for 30-yards and the score. On the first play of Hondo’s next defensive series, Fred Broder recovered a Rocket fumble at the Judson 19-yard line. In fairly short order Abrego raced in from eight (8) yards out, Hill drilled the PAT, and the verdict was for all intents and purposes in with 204 seconds left to play.

Thus ended Judson’s Class 2A Rocket Program. They were looking to advance the state of the art in Rocket science, and the only way to do so was to go where no Judson Rocket had gone before: Up to 3A. In many ways this truly marked the end of the beginning for Judson football, the end of an era and the beginning of a big, new one in this great pigskin space adventure.