One rap against Judson for quite some time prior to 2005 or so had been its enrollment size. But, in the very beginning in 4A/5A, it wasn't so. In fact, until about 1978-79, it was somewhat smaller than average. Enrollment size in and of itself, therefore, does not explain why Judson had such a quick and thereafter sustained turn-around from 1976 to 1977. It was only fair, nevertheless, that Judson be moved into a more competitive district starting in 1980. Also joining Judson in its new district was Madison, which had just finished its first two (2) years of varsity competition at the 3-A level. Madison, having been assigned to Judson’s one-time place in the East Zone of District 13-3A, was coming off a sterling 10-2 season. Having beaten the West Zone champion the previous week, Madison finished its tenure as a 3-A school with a 23-0 Bi-district loss to eventual 3-A Runner-up Bay City, concurrently with Judson’s 28-0 debacle with Jay.

In January, 1980, Coach Sanders accepted the Head Coach position at Fort Worth Haltom. This came at a most ominous time, because the Rockets had just recently learned they had been realigned into District 32-5A with Churchill and the other Northeast ISD teams. Compounding the high level of concern and anxiety about future prospects was the fact that they would arguably be in the first bone-fide rebuilding year since before 1977. Now the Rockets had to find a new Coach, learn a completely new system with a largely rookie Flight Crew, and do it in one of the most competitive Districts in the state of Texas. What a way to start a new decade.

Late the year before after I found out that Judson would be realigned in with "the big boys," I got a certain amount of ribbing, from a few of the guys in Moses Hall that were from San Antonio, along the lines of "now you’re gonna’ be like Alamo Heights and Clemens." They were referring to the fact that Alamo Heights and Clemens had been having a certain amount of difficulty (an understatement) in 32-5A. Ironically, Alamo Heights was realigned into 29-5A in place of Judson, and was furthermore joined by Eagle Pass, which had been having similar major difficulties in its time with the Northside ISD teams in 30-5A. Since Judson had been criticized and belittled in some quarters for playing in a "weak" District, there were some that feared----and others that hoped----that the Rockets would soon fall out of orbit and burn up on re-entry as had happened against Jay the previous November, or simply perhaps blow up on the launch pad or shortly after launch.

Judson Athletic Director Roy Wallace, nevertheless, saw the long-term potential that still existed for the Rockets to eventually make some extended missions into deep space----even to the "moon" or beyond----so he went after only those whom he considered the best. It so happened that one of his former players from Burbank was interested when asked, and by the beginning of February he had his man: Frank Arnold. I made my first visit back from TAMU on the 2^nd weekend in February, and my parents told me the news. I was simultaneously glad, somewhat amused, but also kind of concerned. Glad, because Coach Arnold did a good job at Holmes (he knew how to beat Judson, as we unfortunately discovered in the Bi-District match-up in 1977) and more recently had revitalized the MacArthur program. Amused, because he had been to something like four (4) different schools in the space of about ten (10) years or so, and I thus wondered how long he would be at Judson and whether or not it would be long enough for the Rockets to eventually get past Churchill, Lee, Roosevelt and the like and back into the playoffs. Concerned, because he had a "perfect" record in the loss column in games with Churchill and Lee. Sometimes, however, things just simply fall into place if the time, place and people are right and other conditions are right. This would soon prove to be one of those cases.

As in the previous two (2) seasons, Judson was slated, in Week Three, for a major match-up with a formidable opponent. This time, however, it would be with Churchill, and it would also be the first game of a murderous 8-game District 32-5A schedule. Those still being the days when only one (1) team from each District would enter the playoffs, it was quite possible that Judson’s quest for a playoff spot would end just as it was beginning. Another twist to this saga was that Frank Arnold’s son Jeff was the Churchill place-kicker and QB backup to future Baylor Bear and Houston Oiler Cody Carlson. In Judson’s favor, perhaps, was that Churchill would be making its first visit to Converse

East Central (6-4; 4-3)
September 5, 1980: Converse
New engines…..A new craft entirely…..A hundred firsts here….
Reid Collins of CBS Radio News a minute before the Space Shuttle Columbia’s first launch in April, 1981
The Judson Rockets opened the new decade in a stadium that had just been expanded to accommodate ~8500. They would largely have a new set of "engines" on Offense, and a new system to test out under Flight Director Frank Arnold. Maybe not "a hundred firsts," but it was definitely a new beginning. The Rocket Offense was fairly conservative to start the game, moving deliberately downfield on its second possession. In all, the Offense held the ball for 15 plays in the opening period. The Rockets completed the 52-yard scoring drive, drawing first blood on a tight end reverse by Kevin Nason. The PAT was no good, so the score remained 6-0 with 1:49 left in the opening period. Neither team mounted any serious threats in the middle two (2) periods, and Judson in fact was hobbled by penalties (for the game the Rockets were flagged 10 times for a total of 131 yards). The Rockets, however, were not the only ones to get stung via the penalty. EC had six (6) infractions for 70 yards, one of them a 15-yard penalty on a Judson punt that allowed the Rockets to retain possession. Late in the 3^rd Quarter, the Rockets began an 80-yard, 12-play drive that they polished off as the final stanza got underway. Phillip Thompson hit Karl Wagner for a 19-yard aerial for the points, Mike Fisher’s run provided a 2-point play, and Judson was now up 14-0. Then, with 87 seconds left to play, Thompson kept for 13 yards and Judson's final score of the day. David Chamness booted the PAT, and Judson had a 21-0 advantage. The Hornets thereafter engineered a 4-play, 67-yard drive that featured a 41-yard completion from Wade West to Carlton Byrd, a 15-yard penalty on the Rockets, and then a half-the-distance penalty against Judson. Ronald Hicks carried in from five (5) yards out, Byrd drilled the PAT and with 36 seconds to go the final tally was in at 21-7. For the game Judson had 220 yards on the ground and 23 through the air on 2-of-6 passes and no INT’s. The Rockets lost two (2) fumbles. EC played turnover-free ball, completed 7-of-9 passes for 120 yards, but only picked up 67 yards on the ground. It was nevertheless a "W" for the Rockets, and it provided some good data on what required work.

Burbank (1-9; 1-6)
September 13, 1980: Alamo Stadium
The Rockets’ Offensive Propulsion System had now been performing sluggishly for six (6) consecutive games dating back to the Nixon game the year before. Now the System was essentially a brand new one in many respects, as was the Defensive Propulsion System under the tutelage of Defensive Coordinator DW Rutledge. The question was therefore on the table as to whether the Rockets could put together anything close to a complete game anytime soon. This was a critical question, actually, since this Saturday evening match-up would have to serve as a final tune-up for the showdown with the Churchill Chargers. Compounding Judson’s predicament even further would be that Highlands, highly regarded in preseason evaluations, would be busy knocking off Churchill 16-13 at Northeast Stadium on this same evening. The Chargers would hence be coming to Converse in a bad mood and fully focused on atoning for this apparent "lapse." The only thing Judson could do, though, and the one thing it would do well in what would amount to a "Saturday Night Massacre," was to take care of Judson. This process got underway early (and also often). The Bulldogs took the opening kickoff but turned the ball over to the Rockets on the 3^rd play of the game. The Rockets turned it over to the ‘Dogs on their 2^nd play, but on the ensuing play the ‘Dogs fumbled it into the endzone, where Judson’s Corey Linscombe was ready and waiting to recover it for the score. David Chamness’ PAT was good, and Judson led 7-0. Shortly thereafter Wayne Scott lifted off for an 84-yard scoring dash. The PAT failed, but the lead was now 13-0. The Rockets would score two (2) more TD’s in the opening period. Scott zipped in from 15 yards out, QB Phillip Thompson sped away for a 50-yard run, and Chamness contributed two (2) more PAT kicks to give Judson a 27-0 advantage entering the 2^nd period. Things slowed down in that period, but Judson nevertheless extended the lead----on a 9-yard run by Thompson----and Gerald Echard’s PAT made the count 34-0 going into the break.

Wayne Scott contributed a 17-yard scoring run, Kevin Nason produced on a 35-yard pass reception from Phillip Thompson, and Gerald Echard chipped in one (1) PAT to increase the count to 47-0 by the end of the 3^rd Quarter. With the Backup Crew at work in the final period, Vince Rathke hauled in a 15-yard aerial from Herbie Smith, the PAT failed once more, but the Rockets had a modestly impressive 53-0 tally. For the game the Bulldogs had only four (4) First Downs as a result of 26 yards on the ground and 24 through the air. The ‘Dogs lost four (4) fumbles and experienced one (1) INT, and also were set back ten (10) times for 106 yards in penalties. In contrast, Judson had 22 First Downs as a result of 331 yards on the ground and 135 through the air. The Rockets were 5-of-10 in the passing department, had no INT’s but lost two (2) fumbles and were penalized seven (7) times for 62 yards. In spite of the near-perfect performance, the Rockets still had much to prove, and this time the Rocket Proving Ground would be in Converse the following Friday.

Churchill (9-1; 8-0)
September 19, 1980: Converse
Although TAMU was slated to play Penn State at Kyle Field the following evening, I went ahead and came on down to see the game before hurrying back to see the Nittany Lions avenge the 27-14 loss the Aggies pinned on them at State College, PA, the year before.

The Rockets held their own against the Chargers through most of the 1^st Quarter, but overall the Chargers seemed to have the upper hand in most aspects of the game, and this became most evident with 34 seconds remaining when Sammy Carr snatched Phillip Thompson’s late-developing option pitchout and returned it 32 yards for the score. The PAT was blocked, but Churchill was up 6-0. A little later the Rockets, backed up at their own 6-yard line, had trouble handling a punt. The punter still managed to kick the bouncing ball off the ground and get it away for 28 yards, but the Chargers were nevertheless able to start from the Judson 34. On the 2^nd play of the drive Darryl Johnson got behind the Judson secondary and Cody Carlson connected with him for the perfect aerial. Jeff Arnold booted the PAT, Churchill led 13-0 with 7:23 remaining in the 1^st Half, and the count stood up for the intermission.

The Chargers continued to have the upper hand but continued to be plagued by various miscues in the form of fumbles and untimely penalties. One (1) of those penalties nullified a score that would have really put the Rockets in a hole. Somehow, by shear grit and luck that was facilitated by superior preparation, the Rocket Defense managed to turn the Chargers away, and came close at times to turning the tide permanently in Judson’s favor. Late in the 3^rd Quarter, Judson recovered a fumble on the Churchill 18-yard line. Two (2) plays later the Rockets had 1st-and-Goal at the 5. Thompson got a yard, Scott picked up three (3) yards, but on 3^rd-and-Goal from the 1 Thompson was sacked for a 3-yard loss, and then came up a yard short on 4^th Down. Churchill thereafter engineered an effective and efficient drive to the Judson 7-yard line, but William Scott recovered Cody Carlson’s fumble back at the 12 to put the kibosh on the Chargers’ scoring plans. A little later, with time running down and the Chargers threatening again, the Rockets recovered a fumble at the Judson 20-yard line. Thompson hit Karl Wagner through the air for 9 and 24 yards, and Wayne Scott got a yard to put Judson at the Churchill 47. The 2^nd dramatic moment for the Rockets this evening got underway thereafter when Thompson hit Wagner again at the Churchill 40-yard line, and Wagner broke three (3) tackles and sped away for the score. A conversion run failed, the onside kick recovery attempt was pretty much stillborn (for Judson), and Churchill killed the remaining time.

Someone may contend that the score was kept low by Churchill’s turnovers. Then again, with a Defense directed by DW Rutledge, who’s to say that Judson didn’t cause many of those turnovers?? These institutional, organizational, and individual experiences in responding to adversity in a way that could preserve the Rockets’ chances and keep hope alive would soon prove to be invaluable and become a continuing source of inspiration for the "Judson Rocky’s" and the various support teams. Although we didn’t win, we did much in this game to ‘save our name from disgrace and shame.’ Although we couldn’t as yet show that there was a brand new sheriff in town, we did serve notice that that there was indeed a brand new flava’ in the 32-5A air known as Rocket Pride. The "total effort" preached early and often by Frank Arnold and his coaches was beginning to manifest itself.

Judson and Churchill parted ways, and the question remained: Could Judson win in this District, especially against teams that had beaten them into the next millennium back in 1974 and 1975?? An affirmative answer to this question would be put to the test the following Thursday, when they would meet Coach Arnold’s previous team.

MacArthur (3-7; 2-6)
September 26, 1980: Northeast Stadium, Blossom Athletic Center
The Rockets made the best of their opening possession, undertaking a methodical 9-play, 55-yard drive that culminated in Phillip Thompson’s 13-yard scoring toss to Joe Carter. David Chamness drilled the PAT and the Rockets led 7-0. The Brahmas responded to this by moving from their own 22 to the Judson 37. They recovered a bad pitchout but had to take a loss back to the 44, and a 15-yard penalty moved them back into their end of the field and the drive died. A little later they reached the Judson 33, but the Rockets summarily terminated the drive with an INT at the 11-yard line. In the 2^nd Quarter the Rockets drove from their own 15-yard line to the Mac 11, but a penalty moved them back a little and the ensuing 30-yard FG attempt was NG. All this activity by both parties created more heat than light, but the First Half ended with Judson still in charge at 7-0. The Rocket Defense stiffened at the outset of the 2^nd Half, and the Brahmas were unable to get past the midfield stripe for the rest of the day. Meanwhile, in the 3^rd Quarter a bad snap required the Mac Punter to chase after the fugitive ball and get sequestered on the Brahma 26. From there the Rockets bled a large part of the 3^rd-Quarter clock by taking eight (8) plays to go the distance for the score. Wayne Scott punched in from the 1, Chamness’ kick was good, and Judson had a 14-0 lead. This is how things ended, and the Rockets had their second-ever victory over a Northeast ISD team, and their first victory in District 32-5A. For the game Mac had only seven (7) First Downs, which came as a result of only 84 yards on the ground and 30 through the air on a 3-of-10 passing effort. They experienced only one (1) INT and lost no fumbles, but four (4) infractions for 49 yards set them back at times. Judson, meanwhile, was flagged only two (2) times for ten (10) yards. The Rockets lost both of their fumbles, experienced no INT’s, and had 25 yards through the air on a 2-of-4 passing effort, while on the ground they picked up 199 yards. Wayne Scott possessed 125 of those on 26 touches.

Next up for the Rockets: A team that had beaten them quite severely----45-7 and 49-0----in 1974 and 1975 respectively.

Seguin (6-4; 4-4)
October 3, 1980: Converse
This epic defensive duel was a sight to behold. The Offensive Propulsion System misfired for the better part of the evening, and this was best demonstrated when QB Phillip Thompson was arrested in the endzone for a Seguin Safety with 6:14 to go in the 1^st Half. The trend continued as the 2^nd Half got underway, as Defense for both teams dominated. The Matadors, however, seemed to have the overall advantage, and although the Rocket Defense had repelled threats deep in their own territory on numerous occasions, in many ways it only seemed a matter of time before this one would perhaps get away from Judson. This pattern continued as the final period got underway, but the Rockets’ Defensive Propulsion System decided to truly get things started and make the job of the Offense a little bit easier. Mark Simmons intercepted the Seguin pass at midfield and returned it to the 28. A Late Hit penalty on the Matadors put Judson in business at the 13-yard line. Shortly thereafter JJ Lewis took a pitchout around the right side for the score. Thompson hit Lewis through the air for two (2) points, and the Rockets had their first lead of the day with 9:40 left in the game. The game settled down once more after that, but the Defense was ready to become the Offense once more when Joe Wolfe snapped up a Seguin fumble to put Judson to work at the Seguin 23. JJ Lewis carried around right side once more, and scratched and clawed his way to the endzone for the 23-yard score. The PAT was no good, but Judson now led 14-2 with 2:23 remaining. The Mats now knew for sure they were in trouble, and they knew they perhaps needed to make things happen through the air. This is when Keith Marbach laid the wood on the Seguin QB just as he was preparing to pass, the ball popped loose and Defensive End Russell Bednarz snatched the ball in mid-air and took off for the endzone for the points. David Chamness nailed the PAT, and Judson was now up 21-2 with still two (2) minutes left to play. Judson got the win, had raised its record to 4-1, and was not looking not too bad, all things considered. Next up: A Thursday meeting with the Madison Mavericks, who were struggling somewhat but not all that far off Judson’s pace, especially given that this was Madison’s first year in 5A as well as their first year in a tough district.

A much anticipated match-up between the two New Kids on the Block would pre-figure the intensity that would be displayed on numerous occasions in the decades to come when these two teams would meet. The Mavs took the opening kickoff and drove 60 yards to the Judson 7-yard line, but on 3rd-and-2 the Mavs fumbled but recovered for a 4-yard loss. On 4^th Down, Pancho Hedfeldt crashed through and sacked QB David Montgomery back at the 24, and the Rockets went to work. A short pass to Kevin Nason was sandwiched between runs by Wayne Scott and Mike Fisher to bring Judson to midfield, and from there Scott (who would finish the day with 116 yards on 16 totes) cut right, then reversed left and got away for a 50-yard dash. The PAT, unfortunately, was very much dead on arrival when the snap got away from the Center, thus leaving the Judson advantage at 6-0. The game thereafter settled into a standoff whereby the offenses would get decent yardage, but the defenses would rise up in time to shut the drives down and force a punt or a turnover. In the 3^rd Quarter, for example, Madison drove from its own 22 down to the Judson 1-yard line, but the Mavs fumbled and Steve Dimando recovered for the Rockets back at the 5. Judson proceeded to drive down to a 1^st-Goal at the Maverick 4, but the Mavs tightened up and a 21-yard FG in the opening minute of the 4^th Quarter was wide right. The Rockets continued to hold on by a thread, but disaster was just right around the corner. The Mavs recovered a Judson fumble at the Rocket 31-yard line with eight (8) minutes remaining, and they bled a liberal amount of time off the clock in making their move. From the 14-yard line David Montgomery passed to Given. The pass was nearly intercepted by the Rocket defender at the 10, but Given had it and sped in for the score. The Mavs were a little more successful than the Rockets were on their PAT, and with 4:46 remaining Madison was now up 7-6. The Rockets responded to this turn of events by returning the kickoff up to the 30. From there they moved methodically in five (5) plays down to the Madison 43-yard line. The 1^st Down pass went INC, and the next two (2) pass attempts were flagged for an Ineligible Receiver. This particular episode pushed Judson back to its own 27, and the Rockets soon knew that they had been had in this first meeting of the New Kids. This result caused both Judson and Madison to have the same 2-2 District records exiting this match-up, and severely jeopardized the Rockets’ lingering hopes that they could snatch away the title should Churchill slip up---which at this point was a long, very remote way from happening. Now, they had a return trip to Converse, where they hoped they could avenge the 45-0 and 62-13 murders committed in the mid '70's by the San Marcos Rattlers.

San Marcos (2-7-1; 1-6-1)
October 17, 1980: Converse
The 1^st Quarter was scoreless, but the Rockets eventually got started on a 90-yard drive. Phillip Thompson completed three (3) passes for 54 yards, with one (1) of those being a 19-yard toss to Karl Wagner to the 1-yard line. Wayne Scott crashed in from there, David Chamness booted the PAT, and Judson was up 7-0. The Rattlers reached midfield, but they failed on a fake punt and Judson took over at their own 49. On the first play Thompson hit Wagner for a pickup down to the San Marcos 18, and two (2) plays later this combo teamed up again, this time for a 9-yard pass play for the score. Chamness’ PAT was good and the Rockets took a 14-0 lead into the intermission. Judson returned the 2^nd Half kickoff up to the 33, and from there engineered a 27-play drive that consumed 11:14. The Rockets got to the Rattler 23-yard line, where they ran into some difficulties. Three (3) consecutive Holding penalties turned a 3^rd-and short situation into a 3^rd-and-very-long situation. Soon, the Rockets punted, but the Rattlers fumbled and David Hambrick recovered to keep the drive alive for Judson at the San Marcos 44. This 27-play drive still had a ways to go, but finally----ten (10) plays later----Mike Fisher carried in for the score. The PAT failed this time, but Judson had a 20-0 lead. The San Marcos offense was pretty much on ice at this point, and the Rattlers failed to produce anything substantial and they ended up with a goose-egg.

The Rattlers picked up 93 yards on the ground and 71 through the air, registering eight (8) First Downs as a result. They completed 6-of-19 passes, experienced one (1) INT, lost one (1) fumble and were penalized three (3) times for 35 yards. The Rockets continued to have "yellow-flag disease," picking up (6) penalties for 90 yards. They lost one (1) fumble, but experienced no INT’s while "experiencing" 12 pass completions on 19 attempts that netted 143 yards through the air. On the ground they picked up 187 yards. All told this netted 19 First Downs-----and a "W" that guaranteed at least a non-losing season. This was significant in view of what many people feared-----and some non-Judson people hoped-----might happen to the Rockets in this "killer" District 32-5A. Unfortunately for the Aggies, the Southwest Conference was turning into somewhat of a killer. Baylor totally dismantled them in a driving rainstorm at Kyle Field, and it was becoming progressively likely that TAMU would soon clinch a losing season for the first time since 1973.

Roosevelt (7-3; 6-2)
October 23, 1980: Northeast Stadium, Blossom Athletic Center
The Rockets returned for their 3^rd consecutive Thursday night game at Northeast Stadium and their 2^nd consecutive such Thursday night game with Roosevelt at that particular location. Roosevelt entered this contest still undefeated in District and in possession of only one (1) loss---this coming in the season opener with Jay. Judson, reeling somewhat offensively in spite of the impressive air show the previous week, was really no match at this point, and consequently a "payback" goose-egg was in the works here. After the opening kickoff, the Riders drove 85 yards on twelve (12) plays, with Wilbert Wright finishing things off with an 8-yard run for the score. The PAT was good and the Riders were up 7-0 with 5:35 left in the opening period. On TR’s next drive, the Riders drove up to the 45-yard line, where QB Jeff Ricks was sacked and fumbled the ball. Corey Linscombe recovered to put the Rockets in business at the Roosevelt 34, but Judson fumbled on the very next play and Bremond McClinton recovered for TR at the 39. The Riders thereafter traveled 61 yards in nine (9) plays, and Ricky Lott got the honors from two (2) yards out for the score. The PAT was good, and Judson was now in a 14-0 hole, and there was still 9:15 left to play in the 1^st Half. The remainder of the Half was nevertheless scoreless. The Rockets exited the locker room following the break, and once more were unable to really get anything done on offense. Soon, TR was back at it, this time traveling 74 yards in nine (9) plays for the score. Ricks punched in from the 1, the PAT was good, and the Riders now led 21-0. A little later Bremond McClinton snatched his 2^nd INT of the day at the Roosevelt 32, and from there TR drove to a 1^st-and-goal at the Judson 4-yard line. The ball, however, was fumbled into the endzone, the Rockets recovered and the verdict would remain at and end at 21-0. TR got 22 First Downs, 299 yards rushing and 68 passing. The Riders completed 3-of-8 passes with no INT’s. They did lose three (3) fumbles. Judson, meanwhile, had five (5) First Downs and picked up 54 yards on the ground and 40 through the air. They lost two (2) fumbles, and suffered three (3) INT’s as part of a 5-of-19 passing effort. This dropped Judson’s record to 5-3, thus giving the Rockets their 3^rd season loss for the first time since 1976. This game for sure reinforced to all the fact that Judson’s Rocket Program in this New Frontier of District 32-5A was still very much in a development and testing phase that was prone to a certain amount of errors and many more trials---and some would say tribulations.

Lee (6-4; 4-4)
October 31, 1980: Converse
The Rockets had their first-ever meeting with the Lee Volunteers in a Halloween match-up in Converse. Although Lee was by this time only an echo of its illustrious past, the Vols still carried a mystique that commanded a certain measure of respect. Judson, nevertheless, was building its own culture of winning (and also losing) with pride, and was not at all "spooked" at the prospect of meeting its new district opponent.

Judson took the opening kickoff and conducted a 10-play, 55-yard scoring drive that Mike Fisher finished off with a 3-yard run. Chamness drilled the PAT and the Rockets led 7-0. Lee answered back with a scoring drive that saw Robert Tant pick up 25 yards on the ground and then 25 yards through the air on a pass from QB Rene Rodriguez. The PAT following the aerial was no good, and Judson still led----this time at 7-6---and the 1^st period came to an end. The Rockets would take a 14-6 lead into Halftime as a result of another 10-play drive, this one covering 67 yards. Phillip Thompson hit Karl Wagner for the score from 11 yards out, and the PAT was good. So far, so good.

The 2^nd Half was a different matter altogether. The Volunteers took the kickoff and commenced a 13-play, 70-yard campaign that Robert Tant finished off with a 2-yard run. Andy Ojeda carried in for two (2) points, and the game was knotted at 14-each. The Rockets’ Offensive Propulsion System failed to ignite on the ensuing possession, and soon Lee was back at it again, this time for a 76-yard drive. On the 8^th play Rodriguez once more hit Robert Tant for the score, this time with a 7-yard aerial. A pass play on the 2-point conversion failed, but Lee had its first lead of the day at 20-14, still in the 3^rd Quarter. The Volunteers---and Robert Tant---still weren’t finished. Midway through the final period, Tant took a Judson punt and raced 77 yards for the prize. The conversion was no good once more, but with 6:20 to go the Rockets were losing altitude fast. They did narrow the gap with time getting short, and Phillip Thompson scored on a QB sneak to finish off a 12-play, 69-yard drive. The PAT was good and, with 86 seconds remaining the Lee advantage had been cut to 26-21. The onside kick failed to get the desired result for the Rockets, and Lee bled the clock from there for the win. The Rockets actually out-gained the Volunteers with 131 yards on the ground and 172 through the air, compared with Lee’s 137 ground yards and 114 air yards. Lee had no turnovers, whereas Judson lost one (1) fumble and experienced one (1) INT as part of a 14-of-21-passing effort. Lee was good on 11 of 15 pass attempts and was penalized six (6) times for 71 yards, whereas Judson was flagged four (4) times for 64 yards. First Downs were identical for both teams at 17 apiece.

This was only the third (and final) game I would see that season. In spite of the Rockets "losing with honor" (if there is such a thing), it was nevertheless very disconcerting to all of a sudden be 5-4 overall, and 3-4 in district, at least in view of recent overall experiences. As a consolation, at least, over in Schertz the Clemens Buffaloes, neither spooked nor "buffaloed" by TR that Halloween evening, rose up and knocked the ‘Riders off their high horse(s), winning their first game of the season, 16-7, and giving TR its first 32-5A loss of the year. With the Buffaloes reinvigorated for the moment at least, it was overall little consolation for the Rockets. They would be visiting the scene of the crime following an open week and a national Election in which the voters would swap Jimmy for Ronnie in an apparent electoral version of the Twisted Sister lyric "we’re not gonna take it anymore," what with "The Hostage Crisis" approaching and then surpassing "Day 365" in conjunction with an assortment of other festering foreign and domestic issues.

The Rockets picked up where they left off to start the 2^nd Half. Mark Simmons ran the kickoff back to the Clemens 36-yard line, and was stopped from going all the way by a shoestring tackle. The Buffaloes tightened things up and made it difficult for the Rockets to advance as quickly or as easily, but Thompson loosened things up once more with a 22-yard pass to Kevin Nason. Shortly thereafter Wayne Scott went the distance for an 8-yard TD, the pass for two (2) points was no good, but Judson was now in front at 12-6. Late in the 3^rd Quarter John Risely returned to form and helped advance Clemens to the Judson 33-yard line, but Eddie Martinez got rapped pretty good, he fumbled and Russell Bednarz recovered. Unfortunately, rhe Rockets returned to their 1^st- Quarter offensive form, thus giving Clemens one (1) final chance in the final two (2) minutes. Starting from their own 6-yard line, the Buffs advanced up to the 38 on a pass play, and thereafter advanced to the Judson 48 on a Pass Interference call. That was as close as they would get, however. Two (2) passes were INC, and finally David Chamness sacked Eddie Martinez to put a stop to all this and allow the Rockets to get out of town with the win. As a result of the deliberate and sustained nature of Clemens’ offensive performance to start the game, the Buffaloes actually led in First Downs 16 to 11. Otherwise, the game was pretty even overall. Clemens had 136 yards on the ground and Judson had 134. Judson had 42 yards through the wind and Clemens had 48. Both teams attempted eight (8) passes, with Judson completing three (3) of them and Clemens completing four (4). The Rockets, however, played near-error-free ball, whereas the Buffaloes lost three (3) very costly fumbles. Judson, in its first season in the "District of Champions," thus clinched a winning season at 6-4 and, with the exception of the 21-0 whitewash delivered by TR, performed respectably. Somewhat disturbing, however, was the late-season swoon and the nail-biter with Clemens. What did (or would) it all mean long-term??? Madison, the other New Kid, finished at 4-6. Not bad, considering, but they, like Judson, expected much more.

Meanwhile, the Aggies were having their own problems and, coming off a 10-6 loss to Rice at Kyle Field on October 25, were beginning to wonder if it were even possible to beat TCU (which never did very well in its final 30 years in the SWC). On November 1 SMU----with Craig James, Eric Dickerson and Co.----beat TAMU 27-0 at Texas Stadium, in spite of both teams having nearly equal yardage, because SMU instead led in the blocked kick category, and TAMU thus clinched its first losing season since 1973. In cold, blustery conditions in Arkansas on November 15, the Razorbacks jumped out to a 24-0 lead by Halftime. They fumbled the 2^nd Half kickoff, TAMU capitalized for a short-distance score, then scored again to make it 24-14. A Safety drew the Aggies to within 24-16 and, following the Free Kick, they went down and tied things up on another TD and a 2-point conversion. Alas, the Razorbacks beat the clock and kicked a FG to pull this one out, and the Aggies were now 2-7 for the first time since 1970.

Semifinals
Permian 21 Highland Park 3
PA Jefferson 34 Holmes 7
Final
Permian 28 PA Jefferson 19

Churchill won the district "as scheduled"---with a 9-1 record----and beat Sam Houston 21-7 in the 1^st Round in the rain at Alamo Stadium. The previous week, Sam Houston, which started 0-3 but ran the tables in 31-5A to finish 7-3, defeated Highlands 9-7, permanently clipping the Owls' wings for that season with a 9-1 record [keep in mind, there was still one (1) full season to go before more than just the District Champions would advance to the postseason. Meanwhile, Holmes concluded its first 10-0 season, this after beating Jay 24-22 with a last-second FG that locked Jay out with an 8-2 record. South San, also with an 8-2 record under a new Head Coach from Midland, was Judson’s successor representative in 29-5A-----except for a major complication: An ineligible player ruling resulted in South San being disqualified, and East Central (with a 6-4 record and having been beaten earlier by the Bobcats, 20-9) instead entered the 1^st-Round match-up with the Huskies. Given the short notice in which the Hornets had to prepare, they were pretty much dead on arrival, and Holmes easily won. TAMU, also seemingly DOA at this point, broke a 3-3 4^th-Quarter tie with TCU that same weekend, hanging on for a 13-10 win at a cold, drizzly Kyle Field and breaking a 5-game losing streak.

Although Churchill was the supposed favorite entering the "City Championship" with Holmes on a Thanksgiving Friday evening, there was a distinct sense that it was the Huskies' game to win if they played as well as they had been playing. But, everyone knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Sure enough, Churchill was leading 13-7 deep into the Fourth Quarter, before QB Rene Maldonado connected with the all-purpose Jimmie Hawkins for a 52-yard TD strike with about 2:30 left. Holmes held on for the win, and suddenly a second straight team from outside the Northeast ISD had won a "City Championship." The Northside ISD thus won its first, and what Wheatley had done the previous year looked less and less like the fluke that many people still feared, assumed, or hoped it was. The NEISD was apparently beginning to lose its "privileged" position in the City Championship throne room. The next day, the Aggies, almost as if taking their cue from the previous season’s script, repeated the previous year’s scenario by surprising the ‘Horns for a second year in a row. This time it would be in Austin for one of the few times, and one of the few times in which TAMU had done so with a losing record and UT with a winning record.

Holmes beat the Alice Coyotes 23-14 at UT the following Friday, then succumbed 34-7 to Port Arthur Jefferson’s offensive juggernaut led by QB Todd Dodge in the Semi-Finals at UT. The next week at Texas Stadium, Jefferson got off to a 19-7 lead, but got "Mojoed" in the Second Half and failed the Final.

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