1982: Two Bolts of Lightning

Shortly before the earth-orbit flight of Apollo 7 (the first manned Apollo flight), NASA made a very risky decision to change the sequence of flights and eliminate a few of them in preparing to get men to the moon before 1970: Instead of a high elliptical earth orbit test Apollo 8 would be sent around the moon. It was a truly bold decision that would capture the imagination of many, and inspire all. After nearly two (2) seasons of fits and seeming false starts at times, the Judson Rockets under Flight Director Frank Arnold finally got off the ground with their "Apollo 7" moment in the final four (4) games of the 1981 season. Then, at the outset of the off-season the following January, Frank Arnold made a bold prediction to the team: The 1980’s would be the decade of the Rockets. Translated to "Space-ese": The Judson Rockets were going to the "moon." 1982, it would turn out, would be Judson’s "Apollo 8" moment" that would capture the imagination of many and inspire all. For some time dating back to the turn-around season of 1977, many Rockets basically believed they were on a Mission to Make History. What would soon develop, however, would be nothing short of a Great Crusade. But, as with any Great Crusade, there would still be a lot of hard work, many trials, and even some setbacks in order to reach the ultimate goal. For one thing, the Rockets’ Offensive Propulsion System, although having seemingly turned the corner especially in the final two (2) games from the year before, still had many bugs to work out. Similarly, NASA had two (2) unmanned flights of the Saturn V Moon Rocket with Apollo’s 4 and 6. The Apollo 4 test---once it finally got off the ground after a drawn-out Countdown Demonstration Test that took weeks instead of days to complete----came off flawlessly. The Apollo 6 flight----now that was another matter altogether. Nearly everything that could go wrong short of actually losing the vehicle happened on that test. Nevertheless, NASA felt it knew enough about it to use it the next time manned-----on Apollo 8. Nevertheless, sending men around the moon for the first time on Apollo 8 would be truly bold and even more risky.

As for the Judson Rockets, they had installed a brand new Offensive Propulsion System in the late-going in 1981, scrapping the Split-Back Veer for the Power I Formation that also provided for a modified if not limited "run-and-shoot" scheme that accounted for backfield and receiver speed that required support from a small but quick offensive line. Doing so helped keep opposing defenses guessing as to whether the Rockets would stay on the ground or go to the air on any given play. The Flight Operations Directorate soon knew that it basically had in place Judson’s version of the Saturn V Moon Rocket, along with the Flight Crew that could operate it. In the 1^st six (6) games of 1982, however, they pretty much had everything go wrong with it at times short of actually losing. They would experience numerous turnovers and games with triple-digit penalties, but somehow they moved closer and closer to truly lifting off with it with the Flight Crew aboard. What follows below hopefully provides the reader with a sense of the excitement, the tension, the uncertainty, but ultimately-----the jubilation……and the inspiration.

Austin Johnston (1-9; 1-7)
September 3, 1982: House Park, Austin
The Rockets got out to a 7-0 lead in the opening period by virtue of JJ Lewis’ 35-yard dash and Donald Martin’s PAT kick. In the 2^nd period, Lewis contributed a 31-yard scoring run, and Chris Pryor scored twice---on runs of 17 and 19 yards. Martin was successful on only one (1) of three (3) PAT’s, but this was mitigated somewhat by his 35-yard FG. All told, this gave Judson a 29-0 advantage for Halftime. Much of the 2^nd Half was played in a late-summer evening shower, and both teams fumbled the ball on countless occasions. That, along with the slippery field and the developing mud-bath pretty much kept both teams in check, but the Rams were finally able to generate some points and erase the goose egg when Aaron McKinley score on an 8-yard run and Clark Wheatley booted the PAT. The Rams nevertheless only had two (2) First Downs as a result of the paltry 54 yards on the ground and 18 through the air that came as a result of a 2-of-5 passing effort. They were penalized five (5) times for 45 yards, and lost five (5) of eight (8) fumbles. Judson, similarly, was punished twelve (12) times for 62 yards, and lost five (5) of six (6) fumbles. In contrast to Johnston’s offensive production, the Rockets moved the chains eighteen (18) times, these coming as a result of 239 yard on the ground and 139 through the air from 9-of-21 pass attempts. Neither team set the world on fire with their punting, with Judson averaging 17 yards on two (2) kicks, and the Rams averaging 24 yards on seven (7) attempts.

Round Rock Westwood (3-7; 2-4)
September 10, 1982: Converse
The Westwood Warriors, in only their 2^nd year of varsity competition, played as if this were indeed the case, turning the ball over on numerous occasions [for the game they would lose 4-of-5 fumbles and experience two (2) INT’s]. The Judson Rockets, on the other hand, did a pretty good job of playing down to the level of the competition----or so it seemed. The game got off to a good enough start, with Chris Pryor scoring from a yard out in the opening Quarter. The run for two (2) points was unsuccessful, and as a result of what transpired for much of the next two-and-a-half Quarters, this miss on the extra point loomed large. The Rockets were very giving with the ball themselves, and proceeded to lose 6-of-8 fumbles and experience one (1) INT. This cycle of mutual, multiple and repeated turnovers by both teams was becoming almost comical, but the downside for the Rockets was that the longer the Warriors were allowed to hang around, the better chance they had of maybe turning things permanently in their favor. This in spite of the fact that both the Judson Offense and Defense seemed to be a step or two better than the Warriors’ entries. Finally, the Offensive Propulsion System was able to hold onto the ball long enough to complete a drive, and with 141 seconds gone in the final period Allen Dear hooked up with JJ Lewis for a 13-yard scoring aerial. Lewis thereafter caught Dear’s pass for two (2) points, and the lead was now extended to 14-0. Westwood appeared to be making its move on the ensuing drive, reaching the Judson 25-yard line. Danny Slater and Ken McBynum each put the kibosh on the drive with sacks that pushed the Warriors back to their own 46-yard line, thus forcing a punt. Slater surged through and blocked the kick, and Donald Martin picked the ball up at the 26 and returned it for the score. Ricky Balderas was good with the PAT, and with 4:14 remaining Judson now led 21-0. Westwood immediately fumbled the ball back after the concomitant kickoff, and Mark Milligan recovered at the Warrior 30. Dear kept the drive alive by hitting Eddie Nelson on 4^th Down for a pickup down to the 14-yard line. Finally, six (6) plays later Nelson hauled in Dear’s 9-yard pass for the score, Balderas nailed the PAT, and the score was 28-0. The Warriors fumbled the ball after the next kickoff as well, and this pretty much allowed the Rockets to make their de-orbit burn and call it an evening.

For the game, Westwood was flagged ten (10) times for 109 yards, had very poor punting [nine (9) punts for a 23.8-yard average with two (2) being blocked], completed 3-of-13 passes for 37 yards, and picked up a net total of only 47 yards on the ground. All that caused the chains to be moved only nine (9) times. Judson didn’t really impress that much either w/r First Downs, picking up only thirteen (13). The punting average was much better, with two (2) punts yielding an average of 43 yards. In addition to the turnovers, seven (7) penalties for 67 yards retarded the Rockets’ forward progress. Once the Rockets did move, they picked up 110 yards on the ground and 77 through the air on 7-of-21 passes. Overall not too impressive, but it was still early, and at least it was a non-District match-up.

Churchill, meanwhile, came back from a 34-16 deficit in the final period to defeat Jay on the final play of the game. Churchill was looking every bit as deadly as ever.

East Central (7-3; 6-0)
September 17, 1982: Converse
Back in March, the Space Shuttle Columbia completed an 8-day test on STS-3. In this next-to-last test flight of the Shuttle, the two (2) astronauts carried a special Life Sciences experiment known as the "Bees in Space" experiment in order to observe the flight patterns of the critters in a weightless environment. On this particular evening in Converse, the Judson Rockets conducted their own pre-district experiment involving the East Central Hornets. The bees aboard the Columbia remained safely in their flight container and the crew was able to safely do the experiment without getting stung. The job of the Judson Rockets would basically be to see if they could contain the Hornets and not get stung while testing out various components of the Offensive Propulsion System. Once more, though, the Offense was hobbled and slowed by penalties in what promised---going in at least---to be a marquee match-up of two (2) teams with high aspirations in 1982. In the 1^st Quarter Judson was backed up at its own 18-yard line on 2^nd-and-42, but undeterred, JJ Lewis took the handoff and blasted off for an 82-yard run. Balderas toed the PAT and Judson led 7-0 at the 6:53 mark. On Judson’s next possession, Lewis left the ball on the ground at the Judson 28 and the Hornets were ready to go. On the fourth play of the short drive Larry McHorse hit Darryl Flowers in the endzone from 15 yards out, Carlton Byrd was good on the PAT and the score was knotted at 7-each with 3:59 to go in the opening stanza. The Rockets were nevertheless able to beat the 1^st-Quarter clock, moving 54-yards in ten (10) plays. The clincher came on Allen Dear’s 12-yard pass to Eddie Nelson, the PAT was good and Judson was back on top with twelve (12) seconds to go in the 1^st period. Things settled down somewhat in the 2^nd Quarter, but with time running down in the 1^st Half an EC punt hit Clarence Johnson in the back and the Hornets easily recovered at the Rockets’ 28-yard line. McHorse hooked up once more with Flowers from 13 yards out, and the PAT deadlocked the score once more with "four zeroes" on the clock.

The Rockets came out of the break and were ready to flawlessly execute a classic "2^nd-Half surge." Judson picked up 17 yards on the 1st play following the kickoff, and Lewis took off on the 2^nd play for a 41-yard dash. The PAT was good and Judson was on top once more with 35 seconds gone in the 3^rd Quarter. The Hornets were unable to produce on their ensuing possession, and so were the Rockets on their next one---or so everyone thought. It was EC’s turn to fumble a punt, and the Rockets were more than happy to recover it at the EC 20. The Rockets appeared to have some trouble moving in from close range, but on the 3^rd play JJ Lewis took the handoff and then lofted the ball toward Chip Lambert to complete a 22-yard play for the score. The PAT was good and Judson had some breathing space at 28-14 at the 7:32 mark of the penultimate period. The Defense continued to clamp down on the EC offense, and on the next possession the Offense drove 52 yards in five (5) plays to extend the lead even more, this coming on a pitchout to Lambert that went for 28 yards. The PAT was good and Judson was clearly in control at 35-14 with 3:28 to go in the 3^rd Quarter. In the final period, the Rockets put the exclamation point on this affair when Dear hit Nelson with a 51-yard bomb that rounded out a 3-play, 76-yard drive. The PAT was good once more and the lead was now 42-14 with 4:25 left. The McHorse-to-Flowers duo came through one final time for the Hornets shortly thereafter, and the final verdict was in at 42-21. Wow.

Elsewhere, Madison was now 3-0 after defeating Holmes 14-7 and handing the Huskies their first regular-season loss since the final game of the 1979 season.

Lee (5-5; 2-5)
September 24, 1982: Converse
The Defense was once more operating as a well-oiled machine from the get-go, holding the Volunteers on their opening drive. The Vols moved from their own 41 to the Judson 35, but a 4^th-Down pass went INC. The Offensive Propulsion System nevertheless still had its issues. The initial performance on a 57-yard drive was promising, especially when the Rockets arrived at the Lee 5-yard line. That’s when a familiar "friend"---known as untimely penalties----returned for a visit, helped by some untimely misfires that were at least partially facilitated by a stiff Volunteer defense. Allen Dear was sacked for a loss of twelve (12) yards, and Judson was further driven back by penalties. One (1) of the penalties came as a result of an Illegal Procedure call on what appeared to have been a 15-yard pass from Chris Agisotelis to JJ Lewis. On 3^rd Down Dear hit Eddie Nelson for a 20-yard pickup that essentially recouped the losses, but Ricky Balderas was wide right on the FG attempt and the double goose-egg remained. The Defense did its part and on the Rockets’ next possession they executed an efficient and effective 7-play, 49-yard drive that Chris Pryor finished by bouncing off defenders around left end for four (4) yards and the score. Balderas’ PAT was good and Judson was up 7-0 with "four zeroes" on the 1^st-Quarter clock. In the 2^nd Quarter the Defensive Propulsion System was still operating flawlessly, and soon the Special Teams would have an opportunity to shine. AJ Jones took a Lee punt at the Judson 42-yard line and got away down the left sideline for the score. The PAT was good, Judson now led 14-0 with 4:52 to go in the 1^st Half, and the lead held up at the Half. At that point Lee----which had been held to three (3) yards total offense in the opening period----had 52 yards total.

The first part of the 3^rd Quarter was pretty much a standoff, but after a short Volunteer punt to the Judson 40-yard line the Rockets soon began to make their move once more. Steady ground gains by Pryor and Lewis propelled the Rockets downfield, but Lewis proved that the airways were also friendly by hauling in a 12-yard pass for the score. The PAT was perfect once more, and Judson would carry a 21-0 advantage into the final period. The Volunteers finally came to life on their ensuing drive, chewing up both yards and time. They penetrated past the Judson 35-yard line for only the second time of the day, and Chris Reams carried in to put the Vols on the board. A little later in the final Quarter Chris Pryor got loose for a 70-yard scoring dash---except for the canary-yellow piece of laundry on the grass. The Rockets were flagged for an Illegal Use of the Hands call, the score was no good, and soon the drive proved to be of little use other than to help run the clock down somewhat so Judson could claim the win.

For the game the Vols had only 92 yards on the ground. A 5-of-21 passing effort only picked up 42 yards, and furthermore experienced one (1) INT. They were penalized seven (7) times for 61 yards, did not lose any fumbles, but also had to punt eight (8) times for a 36.3-yard average. The Rockets meanwhile were in the triple-digit territory on penalties, being flagged twelve (12) times for 120 yards. They lost one (1) fumble and experienced one (1) INT, which overall wasn’t too bad in view of their more recent experiences. The punting was once more a point of great pride, what with a 5-kick, 40.6-yard average. JJ Lewis contributed 99 yards on 19 carries, and Pryor turned in 87 yards on 15 trips. After sacks and other losses were added in, the Rockets netted 174 yards on the ground. The air performance of Dear and his receivers was a high point of pride as well on this evening, as numerous passes helped keep drives alive. The air crew did experience one (1) INT, but the 7-of-14 pass completion rate was good enough to pick up 134 yards. The Vols had entered this game undefeated, and hence were much improved from the previous meeting. Hence, Judson’s performance in this showdown was a great confidence booster for what lay ahead in the weeks to come.

Seguin 4-6; 2-5)
October 8, 1982: Converse
A relatively wimpy cool front with some over-running that arrived earlier in the day nevertheless provided some rather windy conditions, and this helped set the stage for Judson’s first score. The Offensive Propulsion System once more had a somewhat delayed and prolonged ignition sequence, so after the 2^nd possession the Special Teams came in to provide the catalyst. Ricky Balderas’ punt got caught up in the wind on the way down, Seguin couldn’t get a good handle on it and Brian Crook recovered at the Matador 10-yard line to put the Rockets in business from close range. JJ Lewis took off on the ensuing play to put Judson on the board, and Balderas drilled the PAT to provide a 7-0 lead with 2:11 left in the 1^st Quarter. The Matadors’ first two (2) possessions had been terminated by INT’s---one (1) by Freddie Nickson and one (1) by Bruce Cochran. As a general rule, though, the Judson Offense seemed to be out of rhythm once more, and the score would remain only 7-0 at Halftime. At the break Allen Dear had only one (1) pass completion----for only seven (7) yards----out of seven (7) attempts. Production would nevertheless pick up somewhat in the 2^nd Half.

Judson elected to kick with the wind to start the 2^nd Half, and once more the wind gave Seguin some trouble when the return man had trouble handling it and stepped out of bounds at the Matador 4-yard line. The Mats were unable to get anything substantive done from this location, and on 4^th Down Danny Slater charged through and blocked the punt out of the endzone for a Safety. Judson mounted a pretty good drive following the Free Kick, but stalled out at the Seguin 9-yard line. With time running down in the 3^rd Quarter Judson was able to make up for this miss by completing a 4-play, 55-yard drive. Keyed by Dear’s 18-yard pass completion to Alton Martin, the drive ended successfully when Dear hooked up with Cap Watters from 18 yards out for the score. A run for two (2) points failed to produce, but Judson had some breathing room at 15-0 with 158 seconds left in the 3^rd Quarter. The Mats were finally able to get on the board in the final period when TB John "Tiny"" Francis caught Jay Voss’ pass at the Seguin 44 and took off from there for a 62-yard play. The wind wreaked havoc on the pass for two (2) points, the ball floated over the head of the intended receiver, and the score stood at 15-6 with 7:20 to go. For a time it appeared that Seguin had seized the momentum, but with less than five (5) minutes to go Albert Kennedy put an end to any such notions by snatching Voss’ aerial. From there the Rockets chewed up some of the time, but also found the time for Dear to complete passes to Eddie Nelson and Chip Lambert, for 20 and 19 yards respectively. Mike Calabro finished things off on the ground by plunging over from a yard out, Balderas was good on the PAT, and the advantage was up to 22-6. Seguin continued to persevere, but so did the Rocket Defense. With time running down Albert Kennedy stepped in front of a Voss pass and returned it to the Matador 1-yard line, but it was fumbled into the endzone and Seguin recovered for a touchback with "four zeroes" left on the clock.

Francis gained 100 yards for Seguin on 22 carries, and JJ Lewis picked up 98 on 19 totes. Although not in the triple-digit realm, Judson continued to have issues with penalties, with the most egregious perhaps being a 35-yard pass from Dear to Lambert that went for naught due to an Illegal Procedure call, thus negating what appeared to be a TD. Defensively there were some very good signs once more in this game, but the offensive performance, while also impressive at times, was inconsistent at best. And, ready or not, Churchill was next.

To an outside observer, perhaps, the overall prospects didn't look all that good for the Rockets going into the showdown at Northeast Stadium. The one thing the Rockets had going for them was perhaps not having a long history with Churchill, and the fact that they had thus far managed to match up much better with Churchill in those three (3) previous games than they perhaps ever did on paper. Actually beating Churchill, however, was another matter. Such feats were basically difficult and rare at that point in San Antonio football history. Furthermore, Judson had never even led against Churchill in its three (3) previous meetings……..

That, however, would change very quickly following the kick-off. Chris Pryor took the kickoff at the 4 and returned it up to the 29, and on the first play from scrimmage he lifted off and went 71-yards for the score, eluding wannabe tacklers at the Judson 45 and the Churchill 30 (Gary Delaune's countdown to the end-zone on that play was so fast it sounded more like a radio broadcast of an auction).

The Chargers mishandled the ball on their second play from scrimmage, and Chris Agisotelis recovered at the Churchill 36. The Offensive Propulsion System was unable to get anything done with this opportunity, but Special Teams came through for the Rockets once more when Jay Lyons snapped up the bobbled ball at the Churchill 11 on the ensuing punt. Once more, the Offense was unable to produce, and Balderas’ 23-yard FG attempt was just to the right of the mark. If nothing else was accomplished by any of this, the Rockets were at least able to run the clock and keep the Churchill offense on ice. By the time the Chargers did take the field to hang onto the ball, the Rockets’ Defensive Propulsion System was ready and waiting to continue its attack, helped by the likes of Ken McBynum, Freddie Nickson, David Malesky and Arnold Baker. With QB Mark Comalander flustered and the ground efforts of Harold Huggins and David Baker stifled, the Chargers would end the 1^st Half with only 66 yards rushing and only 3-of-11 pass completions. Judson, on the other hand, would finish with only 70 yards and one (1) First Down-----from the TD play. Everyone that knew anything about anything knew that it would be a major task for Judson to complete the game (successfully). All anyone had to do was think of Churchill's game with Jay a few weeks earlier.

Sure enough, Churchill came out smoking to start the 2^nd Half. Judson, on the other hand, was well-prepared, and on the 2^nd play of the 2^nd Half Bruce Cochran hauled in the INT at the Churchill 41. From there the Rockets went to work. Allen Dear completed a 13-yard pass to Eddie Nelson to advance the Rockets to the 27-yard line, and a few plays later Dear hit Chip Lambert for a 14-yard pickup to the Charger 14. Dear thereafter kept on the option down to the 3. Now things were looking pretty serious here. Nevertheless, I for one thought, for sure, that they would still be lucky to get in, given the historic stinginess of Churchill in such situations. Let’s just say I was one startled listener from 150 miles away when J.J. Lewis went in standing up on the very next play. 14-0. Still a long way to go, though (7:04 left in 3rd Quarter).

Roosevelt (5-4; 4-3)
October 22, 1982: Northeast Stadium: Blossom Athletic Center
Many people were thinking that (or at least wondering if) what had happened on October 15 was a fluke, given the number of turnovers (5) that were committed by Churchill in that game. Nothing that immediately followed did anything to really refute those suspicions. For starters, the wire service polls, which had Churchill ranked in the top 10 going into the meeting with Judson, still had the Chargers ranked the following week, with no such ranking for the Rockets. More irritating than Judson not being ranked was the fact that Churchill was still in the rankings, because, if a team goes down, and unless the team beating them was previously ranked as well, usually the loser drops out. Then again, maybe the pollsters still knew something that Rocket supporters couldn't accept, especially given the on-and-off offensive performances that had plagued the Rockets for much of the season. This included this Friday evening affair with Roosevelt---a team which, in John Ferrara's first year at Roosevelt, was rebuilding and struggling to stay at .500. The challenge for the Rockets would basically be three-fold, but would include

• Coming down from the emotional high, getting back to work and focusing on an old neighbor and nemesis now under a Coach with a proven ability to develop winning programs
• Working on some of the offensive issues that continued to bedevil them---even in their moment of great triumph
• Beating a neighbor and nemesis for a second straight time---a fete neither team had been able to accomplish since the renewal of the still relatively young series in 1978

Indeed, the Rough Riders came out swinging on the opening series of the game. After the kickoff TR drove from its own 38 down to the Judson 22. David Malesky, however, put a stop to the early threat by snaring the aerial. Once more, though, the Booster Engines (RB’s) and the Thrust Vector Control System (o-line) had trouble maintaining any kind of consistent burn, and the only thing keeping Judson in the game for a greater part of the 1^st Half would be the Defense, which performed flawlessly in slowing drives and in picking off two (2) additional passes. Finally in the 2^nd Quarter the Propulsion System was fully up and running. Chris Pryor got a 24-yard pickup to the Judson 41-yard line. Two (2) plays later Dear hooked up with Alton Martin for a 13-yard pickup to the Roosevelt 47, and on the next play JJ Lewis got loose for the score. Balderas drilled the PAT, and Judson was up 7-0 with 6:44 left in the 1^st Half.

The 7-0, advantage would remain at the intermission. Judson exited the locker room to start the 2^nd Half, and proceeded to execute an effective and efficient 11-play, 68-yard drive. Dear was the biggest producer on the drive, picking up 20 yards on two (2) different occasions, and hitting Alton Martin two (2) different times for 16 yards each. JJ Lewis finished things off by zipping in from two (2) yards out, and once more Balderas provided the PAT. Things calmed down thereafter, but the Defense continued to keep TR in check. Early in the final period Judson took possession at its own 46-yard line, and on the first play Eddie Nelson caught Dear’s aerial at the Riders’ 20, broke one (1) tackle and took off to complete a 54-yard play for the points. On the PAT Holder Chris Agisotelis took off instead to give Judson a 2-point play, and with 9:58 to go the Judson advantage was now 22-0. Late in the game Balderas was unable to get his hands on the snap for the ensuing punt, and this gave TR possession at the Judson 19-yard line. This is when Agisotelis came to the rescue with one (1) of his two (2) INT’s of the day, thus preserving the goose-egg.

For the game TR picked up only 64 yards on the ground and 77 through the air. The airways were very dangerous, as the 9-of-25 passing effort also experienced four (4) INT’s. On the other hand, the Riders did not lose any fumbles. Judson, meanwhile, lost one (1) fumble but experienced no INT’s whatever. That no-turnover passing effort was a reasonably successful 6-of-14 aerial campaign by Dear that netted 86 yards. On the ground Judson picked up 216 yards, with 127 of that turned in by Lewis on 14 carries, and 74 additional yards contributed by Pryor.

Elsewhere, in a game at this particular location the night before, Churchill knocked previously 7-0 Madison out of the undefeated column by coming back from an early 7-0 deficit to win 20-7. Next up would be a meeting in Converse between Judson and Madison in a game that could give the Rockets the 27-5A title should they win. That, however, would be a potentially tough order, given the 2-0 record that the Mavs had against the Rockets, but also given the fact that both games had been decided by a TD or less, and finally that both games had been decided in the 2^nd Half after Judson had grabbed 7-0 leads at the intermission.

Madison (7-3; 4-3)
October 29, 1982: Converse
10200 witnesses converged in Converse to see if Judson could make some history in becoming the first team in quite some time to beat all of the NEISD teams in the same season, or whether or not the Mavericks could perhaps force a potentially sticky 3-way tie with Judson and Churchill. Judson got on the board first by moving 76 yards in the 1^st period, with Chris Pryor and JJ Lewis sharing duties in propelling the Rockets down to the Madison 4-yard line. Allen Dear finished things off by hitting Eddie Nelson with the short aerial for the score. Balderas booted the PAT and Judson led 7-0 with only 236 seconds gone in the game. From there, the Defense took over and shut the Mavs off, and the Offense then came back on and this time took to the air occasionally to loosen things up and better allow Pryor and Lewis to get away for some gains to move the chains. Nevertheless, the Mavs finally got going themselves, undertaking a 7-play, 70-yard drive for points. On the final play of the drive the ballcarrier took a delayed pitchout from QB Rusty Cooper and darted the final 22 yards. The PAT knotted things up at 7-each with eight (8) seconds gone in the 2^nd Quarter. The Rockets’ Offensive Propulsion was unable to produce on its subsequent possession, but the Guidance, Navigation and Control Special Teams came in to help ’save their name from disgrace and shame’ when the Mavericks fumbled the ensuing punt. John Saunders recovered to put the Offense back in business, this time at the Madison 12-yard line. Chris Pryor went the distance on the first play, Balderas nailed the PAT and Judson was up 14-7 with 8:01 left in the 1^st Half. The Mavs thereafter fumbled the ball at midfield on their next possession, and Danny Slater recovered for the Rockets. From there Judson moved down to the 1-yard line for a First-and-Goal. Pryor got in on the next play, but a Delay of Game call just before the snap pushed the Rockets back to the 6-yard line and erased the score. Finally, on 4^th-and Goal back at the 1, the Mavs stuffed Pryor just outside of the stripe. On the final play of the 1^st Half, AJ Jones stepped in front of Cooper’s pass, but he was unable to hang on just as it appeared he had an unfettered route to the goal line, and thus the Half ended. The 2^nd Half was a defensive standoff, the game ended 14-7, and the Judson Rockets claimed a piece of history by clinching a District title that had been pretty much owned by the NEISD for the better part of the past 20 years. Nevertheless, as in most of the other head-to-head comparisons, it once again appeared that Churchill was perhaps a step or two ahead of Judson (considering the 20-7 verdict over Madison the week before, among other examples). Consequently, it was just enough to make people wonder if the statewide pollsters were correct about keeping Churchill in the top ten, and if everything that had happened was a fluke of the first order. But, there was nothing Judson could do about this except continue to win, and at this point that was pretty much the plan-----on this Mission to Make History.

Clemens (2-8; 1-6)
November 5, 1982: Schertz
The Buffaloes’ break-through poster depicted ET telling the Rockets to "go home." Indeed, the Rockets would be home----for Christmas. But first, they intended to orbit the moon and, if conditions proved favorable, land on it. So, on this evening the Rockets concluded their stay in a District 27-5A parking orbit with a tune-up game before heading on out on what they hoped to be a playoff trip to the moon. The ignition sequence once again was kind of slow, but with 3:34 left in the opening period the Rockets got on the board when JJ Lewis provided the thrust, and William Galvan, Scott Winton and David Trees provided the steering in completing a 65-yard dash. Balderas kicked the PAT and Judson led 7-0. With 56 seconds gone in the 2^nd Quarter Allen Dear had trouble phoning home and did a good deal of scrambling around, but finally Chip Lambert was able to pick up the call and he hauled in the 25-yard pass in the endzone for the score. The PAT was good once more and Judson led 14-0. JJ Lewis, who would finish with 206 yards for the game, had precisely half of that by Halftime, but the Rockets were unable to light up the scoreboard any more until the 3^rd Quarter. Lewis would carry the ball only four (4) more times, but two (2) of those would go for scores in the penultimate period. He got away for a 43-yard run, and a little later for a 49-yard run for the prize. Balderas would contribute two (2) additional PAT’s, and the count would be at 28-0 entering the final period. The Backup Crew pretty much took over at that point and basically mopped up with a 10-yard scoring run by backup QB Cap Watters, and a 7-yard run for points by John Saunders. The first of the scores was followed by an unsuccessful run for two (2) points, and the second score was followed up by a successful PAT kick by Don Martin. For the game the Buffs picked up only 31 yards through the air on a 5-of-12 passing effort that experienced one (1) INT. Clemens also lost two (2) fumbles. The Rocket Defense had a line that was made of steel---and of course it didn’t yield. Julio Torres, and Melvin Echard and several others saw to it that it wouldn’t yield either yards or points, and consequently the Buffs had only 100 yards on the ground. The Rockets, meanwhile, had 295 yards on the ground and 88 yards through the air. Special Teams once more performed soundly, averaging 42.5 yards on three (3) kicks. And with that, Judson was ready to go where no Rocket had gone before.

Semifinals
Bell 21 Carter 13
West Brook 27 Judson 12

Final
West Brook 21 Bell 10

Given the new, expanded format for the Playoffs, the opening night of the postseason looked like just another Friday night slate of games. At Northside Stadium, Churchill easily and somewhat surprisingly goose-egged a Holmes team that was still to be reckoned with in spite of having lost, to graduation, the likes of Jimmie Hawkins and Rene Maldonado. Meanwhile, East Central and Highlands (took 2^nd place to Fox Tech on the basis of a fierce defensive battle that ended in a 0-0 deadlock in Week 7) "borrowed" Judson’s stadium for a game that gave East Central a 14-6 verdict. Of course, there was also a healthy slate of "down-ballot" games at the sub-5A level. In all, a fairly busy evening.

Clark (6-3-1; 4-1-1)
November 13, 1982: Northside Stadium
Two (2) days prior, the Space Shuttle Columbia lifted off on STS-5 to mark the first operational flight of the Space Shuttle Program. Later that day, and again on the following day, the 4-man crew released commercial satellites that were launched into geo-synchronous orbit The following evening at Northside Stadium the Judson Rockets would "go operational" in their first trip to the playoffs since 1979. Their opponent: The Clark Cougars, who were in the playoffs for the first time after having entered on the statistical strength of a 21-21 deadlock with Jay that occurred as a result of a Clark recovery of a Jay fumble in the Endzone. Going into the game, the Rockets had only one (1) previous postseason victory, which came in 1978 over Jay. It was also their first visit to Northside Stadium since Frank Arnold and his then-Holmes Huskies beat the Rockets in 1977. With this kind of historical backdrop and in spite of the Rockets being heavily favored in at least this 1^st Round game, I at least was feeling somewhat apprehensive going in. I came down from TAMU to see the game, given that the Aggies at that same hour would be in the process of being thoroughly humiliated by Arkansas up at Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium. Judson’s 2^nd possession got off to a dramatic start when AJ Jones took the punt and returned it 23 yards to the Clark 27. On the 3^rd play of the drive Chris Pryor took off on the sprint draw for a 14-yard pickup to the Cougar 1-yard line. On 2^nd Down Pryor punched in for the score, and the PAT made it 7-0. In the 2^nd Quarter, a Cougar punt by Butch Deckert was killed at the Judson 1-yard line. Things got exponentially worse for the Rockets thereafter when Jeff Schorr hit Allen Dear just as he went back to pass, knocking the ball loose. Joe Molinar recovered for the Cougars in the endzone and the score was narrowed to 7-6. Disturbingly (for Judson, at least), this was the same kind of play in which Clark forged the tie against Jay. Albert Kennedy, however, saved the day from disgrace and shame (for Judson, at least) by blocking the PAT. That was the extent of the scoring in the 1^st Half.

The majority of the 2^nd Half would belong to the Rockets. Judson extended the lead to 14-6 when JJ Lewis spun out of a tackle at the 25-yard line and got away for a 33-yard score, and Don Martin---in for Ricky Balderas after he was injured on the final play of the 1^st Half----drilled the PAT. Clark’s ensuing possession was summarily terminated when Danny Slater stepped in front of a screen pass and returned it 32 yards to the Cougar 11. Soon thereafter Pryor got in from two (2) yards out, Martin toed the PAT and the advantage was extended to 21-6 with 4:12 left in the 3^rd Quarter. The Cougars were unable to accomplish very much of consequence on their next possession, and Judson conducted an effective and efficient 11-play, 90-yard drive. The drive was able to keep going as a result of a Roughing the Kicker call on Clark, and was further supplemented by two (2) passes, totaling 36 yards, to Chip Lambert. Pryor went the final yard, the PAT was good and Judson now led 28-6 with 6:54 left in the final period. It was starting to look like a pretty good bet that Judson would pick up only its second-ever post-season win, but the Cougars, who somehow managed to sneak aboard as stowaways on this Rocket trip, were intent on giving the Flight Crew a little "cat scratch fever" to take along on their post-season moon trip. A few members of the Apollo 8 crew suffered a bout with a 24-hour stomach virus on that real historic first flight out of earth orbit. Similarly, what would follow next for the Judson Rockets would be short-lived, but just like the Apollo 8 episode in which some NASA officials toyed with the idea of terminating the trip, the Cougars "toyed" with the Judson Rockets in hopes of terminating their trip. With 4:19 left to play the Cougars got into the endzone from 27 yards out when Butch Deckert took off on a guard-around "trick" play that left the Rocket Defense basically looking flat-footed. QB Mitch Finnie passed to Andy Hunter for two (2) points, and the Judson lead was down to 28-14. The Rockets were unable to do anything on their next possession, but that was only the beginning of the potential problem, and it was enough to upset the stomachs of the Flight Crew, the Flight Operations Directorate and the Mission Support Teams present on the visitors’ side of Northside Stadium. From the Judson 34-yard line a high snap from Center on the ensuing punt got away from Don Martin, he went chasing after it and attempted to punt back at the 5, but Joe Molinar blocked it into the endzone, where Chris Agisotelis ran it down and recovered it to take a Safety. That narrowed the gap to 28-16 with 2:03 to go. The Cougars took the Free Kick, but were unable to move the chains on the ensuing four (4) plays. Arnold Baker came through for the Rockets by registering a sack for 15-yards, and they were able to run out the clock, bag the cats and stow them in the Lower Equipment Bay until after the flight---hopefully sometime around Christmas----and with that this inaugural episode of ‘Coogs in Space’ came to a happy end (for Judson). As for me, I was glad to see Judson win, but once again I was left wondering how they ever managed to beat Churchill and then Madison for the district title. Based on what I saw, at least, I was somewhat concerned about the Rockets’ long-term prospects. And, unless the Rockets made it to the Finals, this was to be the last time I would see them this season.

The Offense was unable to move thereafter, but on 3^rd-and-Goal from the 12 Guard David Trees retrieved the ball from between the legs of Center William Galvan and took off for the score. Yes, this was the same guard-around play that Clark burned Judson with the week before. The PAT was nevertheless wide right (Ricky Balderas was still hobbled from the week before and Donald Martin was trying his best with the kicking here), but Judson had the early lead with only 132 seconds gone in the contest. Overall, however, the Offensive Propulsion System would once more operate in fits and starts in the First Half, losing fumbles at the Judson 17 and 13-yard lines. The Jags, on the other hand, were unable to get a whole lot done against the Judson Defense, which recorded eleven (11) sacks totaling 79 yards in this match-up, and to compound their difficulties the Jags were unsuccessful on a 39-yard FG attempt in the 2^nd Quarter. Midway through the 2^nd Quarter, though, Ricky May recovered a bobbled punt at the LBJ 18, and from there Judson advanced toward the goal little by little, with Chris Pryor getting the final two (2) yards for the score. A pass for two (2) points was unsuccessful, but the Rocket advantage was up to 12-0 with 4:14 to go in the 1^st Half, and this tally stood up for the intermission.

The Flight Crew was apparently expecting to be informed by the officials that the Halftime was about to expire, but instead had to rush out of the locker room with very little final consultation, and this, along with a fired-up Jaguar team intent on giving a little ‘cat scratch fever,’ helped set the stage for a very impressive 8-play, 75-yard drive to start the 2^nd Half. Two (2) trap plays by Eric Stewart netted 39 yards on the drive, and Darryl Brown finished things off by carrying in from a yard out. John Schindler was good on the PAT and the Rocket advantage was reduced to 12-7. This is when the Offensive Propulsion System got started for good for the Rockets. Allen Dear got a 48-yard run off the option down to the Jaguar 10-yard line, Chris Pryor polished off the 85-yard drive with a 12-yard option run, and Allen Dear kept for a 2-point play that raised the count to 20-7. Judson’s next possession was a work of offensive artistry. JJ Lewis took a handoff and passed to Chip Lambert for a 32-yard pickup, and shortly thereafter Dear lofted a 27-yard aerial to Lewis for the score to raise the score to 26-7 with time running down in the 3^rd Quarter. An option run for two (2) points was nevertheless no good. The Jags were still unable to produce offensively on their ensuing series, but the Jag defense did the work instead the next time the Rockets had the ball, when Guy Washington snatched Dear’s pass and returned it 15 yards for the score. The PAT cut the lead to 26-14 with 8:51 to go in the final period. Well, I’ve always said that one good thing about having an INT returned for a score is that at least you get the ball back right away. The "adage" would prove true in this particular instance for the Judson Rockets. With Lewis lined up in the FB position with an 8-man front, he took the handoff following an audible by Dear at the line of scrimmage and lifted off on an 88-yard ground scorcher for the score, this time outrunning Pat James. Pryor successfully carried in for two (2) points, and the 34-14 tally would soon go final. Ironically, at the same time Judson was doing all this I was on the 3rd deck of Kyle field, watching the Aggies pin an identical 34-14 score on TCU, in what would be F.A. Dry's final game as Frogs coach. He would soon be replaced by Jim Wacker, Defensive Coordinator DW Rutledge's TLC and North Dakota State coach and mentor.

For the game JJ Lewis had 201 yards on only twelve (12) carries, and Chris Pryor finished the day with 113 yards on 17 totes. The following afternoon the Space Shuttle Columbia made an overnight stop at Kelly AFB, piggy-backed atop the specially equipped 747, enroute back to KSC after landing at Edwards the previous Tuesday at the end of the fairly successful STS-5 flight. It was a "victory tour" of sorts for the rocket ship, because it would not fly again for another year, until STS-9 and the first flight of the European Space Agency’s Spacelab. The Judson Rockets, on the other hand, did not intend to take a "victory tour" any time soon, they intended to keep flying in fact, so they got back to work for a Thanksgiving weekend TDY mission to the coast and a meeting with the Edinburg Bobcats.

In a cold drizzle at Buccaneer Stadium on a Thanksgiving Friday evening, Churchill came back from a 7-0 1^st Half deficit and won 21-7. The following evening and with less than 24 hours for the field to dry out and recover somewhat under clear skies and slightly lower humidity, it was then the Rockets’ turn to visit what was left of the Buccaneer Stadium grass for a meeting with Edinburg. Ricky Balderas would once more not be at full strength, and Don Martin would also pull up lame in this one as well; hence the kicking game had gone from superior to highly questionable. Some other critical team components were also hobbled somewhat. The Rockets were consequently experiencing their share of glitches---both major and minor----on this attempt to orbit the post-season "moon" and possibly land. This was not at all unlike what would take place during the Apollo Program, when any number of interesting, strange, bizarre and unusual flight crew and technical issues would come up during the Translunar coast. The Offensive Propulsion System was once more kind of sluggish to start out, but finally with 3:42 left in the 1^st Half Allen Dear handed off to Chris Pryor on a belly play and then rolled out as if he was thinking of passing. Meanwhile, Pryor was already penetrating his way through the first layer of Bobcat defenders, and by the time the ‘Cats assigned to pursue their prey in the rear knew what was happening, he was well on his way to what amounted to a 76-yard score.

Unfortunately, Balderas kicked wide on the PAT, and the score remained 6-0. Smelling an opportunity, the ‘Cats took the concomitant kickoff and thereafter drove from their own 33 to the Judson 15-yard line by virtue of three (3) pass completions and a Pass Interference assessment against Judson. The goose-egg nevertheless held up at the break when John Steites’ 32-yard FG attempt was wide left with "four zeroes" on the clock. The penetration to the 15-yard line was the closest Edinburg would get to the Judson goal line for the remainder of the day. The 3^rd Quarter was scoreless, although Judson seemingly had the upper hand in most phases of the game in spite of the muddy field. Nevertheless, with time running down, it was still only 6-0, and the slightest mistake could radically transform the game----and most likely not for the better for the Red and Grey. Nevertheless, the Rocket Defense came through when needed to shorten the field for the Offense, and Freddie Nickson picked off an Edinburg pass at the Bobcat 35 with 3:52 left to play. With Pryor providing the blocking, JJ Lewis carried for 16 yards down to the 17. Then, on 4^th Down, Dear hit Lewis in the endzone for the score. Lewis’ run for two (2) points was pretty much dead on arrival when he tried to circle left end, so the score remained 12-0 with 113 seconds left to play. The scoring play was somewhat of a gamble coming on 4^th Down, but neither the Flight Operations Directorate, the Flight Crew nor the Support Teams were feeling all that confident at that point about the prospects of a successful FG, but fortunately for Judson the ‘Cats played what they felt were the odds and played run rather than pass, given that Dear had completed only one (1) other pass prior to the scoring play. Nevertheless, soon the game clock said "four zeroes," and Judson had earned its second appointment with the Churchill Chargers in seven (7) weeks. This time, though, the stakes would be infinitely higher. The winner would be vaulted into rarified territory. In the case of the Judson Rockets, it would catapult them into the "terminal phase" of the playoffs that would be akin to entering Lunar Orbit for the very first time.

The rematch game, for the "City Championship"/State Quarterfinals, was set for 2:00 PM on December 4, 1982. The game, attracting an almost unprecedented amount of interest area-wide, sold out days in advance, and KMOL Channel 4 announced it would provide live coverage, making it the first time a High School game would be on live television in San Antonio since the heralded Lee-Brack game of 1963.

Churchill got the ball to start the game, but the Judson Offense was ready and stuffed the Chargers on three (3) consecutive plays, forcing a punt into a strong northerly wind that gave Judson good field position at the Judson 46. On Judson’s 2^nd play, however, Allen Dear "completed" a pass to the Chargers’ Chris Eichler to put the Chargers in business at the Churchill 46. Once more, the Rocket Defense forced a 3-and-out. Once more Judson had good field position, and on this particular drive Chris Pryor picked up a 1^st Down on a 3^rd-and-short situation. The Chargers stuffed them on the ensuing 1^st-Down play, and the Rockets also shot themselves in the foot by fumbling---albeit recovering. Special Teams---with Ricky Balderas back in his punting role----came to the rescue when Ricky May recovered the fumbled punt at the Churchill 15. An Illegal Procedure call moved Judson back five (5) yards, Pryor recouped the loss on the next play, but two (2) INC passes brought up 4^th Down, so Don Martin came on and nailed the 31-yard FG to put Judson in front with 4:05 left in the opening period. The Chargers once more had trouble handling the kick but nevertheless got it, only to be nailed by the Judson Defense at the 8-yard line. Wally McCampbell got a good pickup on the 1^st play, the 2^nd play got considerably less, but on 3^rd Down a Late Hit penalty gave the Chargers a fresh set of Downs. From there the Chargers continued with their patented "pound-it-out" ground game, supplemented by judiciously-selected ball-control passes that ate up yardage and clock, and soon the 1^st Quarter was history. Shortly thereafter the Chargers reached the Judson 15-yard line at the end of a 3^rd-Down play, but the impending 22-yard FG was no good and the Rockets retained the lead. The Rockets could not move the chains, but the Chargers were Offside on 4^th-and-6 to make it 4^th-and-very short. Nevertheless, the Flight Operations Directorate still chose to punt. Once more---and this time into the wind mind you---the Rockets got the advantage by pinning Churchill back at the 20. Judson pushed Churchill back ten (10) yards, a 2^nd-Down pass went INC, and a 14-yard pickup was unable to move the chains. Even with the wind, the Charger punt gave Judson possession only at midfield. The Rockets were able to pick up a First Down by a millimeter or so, but the Charger Defense regrouped and forced a punt. Allen Dear attempted to pass on 3^rd-and-5, but was dragged down for a loss, and the punt got caught up in the wind and Churchill was able to take possession at the 18 with approximately four (4) minutes remaining in the 1^st Half. Some keepers by McCampbell, pickups by David Baker, and a pass reception by Robert Locke were followed up by a screen pass reception by Harold Huggins that Huggins advanced down to the Judson 14 with a little less than a minute left before intermission. A First Down pass went INC, on 2^nd Down Huggins carried down to the 5, and on 3^rd-and-1 McCampbell kept down to the 1-yard line, where he was stopped short of the goal by Albert Kennedy. Albert Kennedy and a host of others stopped David Baker short of the goal again, but with the clock still running and about to run out the Chargers went no-huddle on the ensuing play. It looked as if McCampbell was going to be sacked back at the 10-yard line so that the clock would run out, but he instead managed to get the pass off in time. The intended receiver was well covered by numerous Judson defenders, but it was somehow caught by David Baker, who seemingly stepped in from nowhere to snatch it with four (4) seconds remaining (anyone who says that low-scoring defensive games are boring because there's no offensive activity to speak of, hasn't seen or heard of this game). John Sivek punched through the PAT, and Churchill thus led at the Half, 7-3 (the first time all season that Judson trailed at ANY point in a game).

The Rockets had some trouble handling the 2^nd-Half kickoff but Alan Hendrix covered it and they started from their own 25. JJ Lewis picked up five (5) yards off the sprint draw on 1^st Down. On 2^nd Down Dear’s pass toward the sidelines was caught by Chip Lambert but he was not able to advance it due to the strong Charger defense. On 3^rd Down Dear faked a sprint draw and lofted a pass to Eddie Nelson but it was INC and time to punt. Once more, the Chargers dropped the punt and Judson recovered at the Churchill 25. On 1^st Down Dear was hit just as he pitched the ball out, and the Rockets had to take a loss back to the 33 on the recovery. Then, on 2^nd Down Dear got swarmed under while looking to see if JJ Lewis was open downfield. A 3^rd Down pass also went INC, the ensuing punt went into the endzone, and Churchill took possession at the 25. The Chargers were likewise unable to move the chains, but on the impending punt the Rockets were flagged for Roughing the Kicker and Churchill had a new set of Downs. Once more the Judson Defense rose up and this time was able to finish the job and take the punt at the Judson 26-yard line. The Chargers would nevertheless soon have the ball again when, on 2^nd Down, JJ Lewis had trouble on the pitchout and Danny Lopez recovered for the Chargers deep in Judson territory. The Chargers got off to a good start, but on 3^rd Down the Rocket Defense disrupted McCampbell’s passing plans and dropped him for a loss instead, bringing up 4^th Down. The punt into the wind rolled dead at the Judson 1-yard line, and the Rockets were in big trouble. By virtue of a good gainer by Lewis on 2^nd Down, Judson managed to move out to the 9-yard line before punting. Balderas launched a booming, wind-aided kick down to the Churchill 28-yard line, and moments later the 3^rd Quarter expired with the score still at 7-3. It is interesting to note that, with the exception of the Roughing the Kicker call that allowed Churchill to retain possession, neither team picked up a First Down in that penultimate period in what was turning into a defensive war of historic proportions.

The ensuing kickoff into the wind went out of bounds, Judson had to re-kick and the second attempt gave the Chargers some decent field possession. Harold Huggins got a good 9-yard pickup to midfield, and he moved the chains with a 4-yard pickup on the following play. McCampbell then rolled out to pass but took off when no one was home, advancing to the Judson 40. On the next play, Arnold Baker trapped McCampbell in a crowded maul, McCampbell fumbled on an attempted option play, and once more Danny Slater came through with the fumble recovery with 4:08 to go. Chris Pryor got a 5-yard pickup on 1^st Down, Dear kept for four (4) yards on 2^nd Down, and Pryor picked up the chain-mover by just a nose on 3^rd Down. The next play didn’t really get anything, the next couple of plays were short-circuited by Illegal Motion calls, and soon, with 1:08 to go, it was 4^th Down and time to punt from the 49-yard line. With the Chargers coming hard and fast, Balderas got the punt away on a low kick. It looked as if Churchill would have a chance at a decent return, but John Saunders was there in time to put a stop to it before it could really even get started, and Churchill had to start from the 12-yard line. On the 1st play, McCampbell almost got dragged down deep in the endzone when Slater chased him down like a cheetah pursuing a gazelle, but he instead was able to step out in time and get sequestered at the 1-yard line by Arnold Baker, Ricky Balderas and a few others. On 2nd down, the ball was tipped and nearly intercepted (it probably would have been returned for a score if it had been caught). 3rd down was a pass to the sideline to stop the clock. The 4th down pass only made it to the 17-yard line, and Judson ran out the last 15 seconds. The Judson Rockets were now in Lunar Orbit for the 1^st time in history. With only two (2) prospective games remaining, the ultimate goal was now close enough to reach out and grab

San Antonio football would never quite be the same after that 63-yard pass play, and this game was truly a defining moment in San Antonio-area history (not just High School sports, either---I'm talking about overall). What made the play so "electrifying" (the words used on KTSA, moments after the play, in their progress report I heard up in College Station) was the fact that, at that point Judson had been having a very difficult time moving the ball and, especially after getting very little on First Down after recovering the fumble, it just didn't look like it was going to happen for the Rockets. Then again, the Red Sea didn't look like it was going to part, for the Moses of the Bible, until it actually parted, any more than it would "part" figuratively for the High School named for the Moses (Judson) of Bexar County.

West Brook (6-4; 5-2)
December 11, 1982: The Astrodome, Houston
It would perhaps only be appropriate that the Judson Rockets’ historic first mission into the football equivalent of Lunar Orbit take them to the Space City and, even more appropriately, the Astrodome to meet a team that likewise had reached rarified heights. The West Brook Bruins from Beaumont were in their first season of play and in fact the school was in its first year of existence. West Brook was actually a two-campus school, combining the former Hebert (almost exclusively African-American) with Park Forest (almost exclusively Anglo). This was done as a result of a court order, and people were not particularly thrilled to see the amalgamation, the least of which involved the end of the storied 4A football history of Hebert. The Bruins started out 0-2, and at one point were 4-4. They "slipped" into the playoffs as the #2 team in the district (Jefferson was the undefeated #1 team and beat the Bruins 28-14). The Bruins had some close calls in the early rounds of the playoffs, including a tie in which they advanced on penetrations. By the time they met Judson, they were definitely not the same team that started the season (or, for that matter the same team which had entered the playoffs just a few short weeks earlier). By then all of the intangibles, necessary in winning had caught up with the talent they were always loaded with, and they were ready to go for the gold.

The Bruins took the opening kickoff in front of the 15275 witnesses, from there they proceeded to ram the ball down the Rockets’ collective throats, and it was abundantly obvious early on that this 5A Lunar environment could indeed be very unforgiving. QB Gerald Landry got a 28-yard pickup to the Judson 34, and four (4) plays later he hit Darrell Colbert with a 14-yard pass to draw first blood. Eric Gauthia drilled the PAT and West Brook led 7-0 with only 3:44 gone in the contest. The Rockets’ Offensive Propulsion System had a supremely difficult time advancing the ball, but the Special Teams were successful in keeping hope alive when Donald Martin went back to punt but instead launched a 21-yard pass down to the Bruin 21-yard line. Once more, though, the Offense had trouble moving and in fact was thrown for a total of 20 yards in losses by Rudy Harmon, and Judson soon punted. The Rocket Defense seemed to have gotten its bearings a little bit, and early in the 2^nd period managed in fact to push the Bruins back, forcing a punt from midfield on 4^th-and-38. The snap sailed over Punter Kevin Randle’s head, and he had to go chasing after it back at the 12-yard line. It thus appeared that Judson had the break it needed, but a good team like the West Brook Bruins will create its own breaks and have a certain amount of luck, and thus the stage was set for what happened next. Randle saw that Rudy Harmon was wide open back at the 50, so he heaved it toward Harmon, and Harmon, with a whole slew of Bruins to escort him with not a Rocket in sight, took off for the score. The PAT was no good, but the Bruins now had a 13-0 lead with 9-1/2 minutes left in the 2^nd Quarter. The Rockets’ Offensive Propulsion System once again had trouble getting anything going, but once more the Defense and Special Teams came in to save Judson’s name from disgrace and shame. Midway through the 2^nd Quarter, a Bruin punt was partially blocked, and Judson was in business at the West Brook 24-yard line following a 14-yard punt. Allen Dear connected with Chip Lambert for a 16-yard pickup on 3^rd-and 10, Chris Pryor carried for three (3) yards, and JJ Lewis rescued a low-sailing toss by Dear to complete a 5-yard play for the score. The PAT was no good, but Judson had narrowed the deficit to 13-6 with 4:05 left in the 1^st Half. On West Brook’s next possession, the Rockets’ Defensive Propulsion System was true to its name, and the "defense became the offense’ when Freddie Nickson stole Gerald Landry’s pass at the Judson 46 and returned it all the way for the score to draw Judson to within 13-12. The Rockets elected to go for two (2), but Dear’s pass to Eddie Nelson went INC and Judson still trailed with 2:54 to go before Halftime. The Bruins, however, were able to beat the clock, driving 65 yards in seven (7) plays. Landry dropped back to pass, but saw an opening on the ground and instead got away for 17 yards and the score. Eric Gauthia’s PAT was good, and West Brook now led 20-12 with seventeen (17) seconds to go.

In the 2^nd Half, defenses dominated for the most part, but the Bruin offense was able to move somewhat whereas the Judson Offense was pretty much left in a cold soak on the dark side of the moon. It thus appeared that the Rockets would perhaps need some additional experience on a later mission in knowing how to function in the 5A Lunar environment. Well, in the real moon program operated by NASA, after the successful and historic Apollo 8 mission, they wouldn’t actually land on the moon until two (2) additional crucial test flights had been conducted, one of which actually went back to the moon for a final dress rehearsal. In Judson’s case, it appeared the Rockets would require least one (1) more trip to the Semifinals---hopefully not later than December, 1983----in order to prepare for a possible landing attempt. Meanwhile in the 3^rd Quarter the Bruins undertook a 77-yard scoring drive that Landry finished off by hooking up once more with Darrell Colbert, this time for 28 yards. Gauthia’s kick was good, and the Bruins now had a 27-12 advantage with 96 seconds to go in the 3^rd Quarter. That would prove to be all the Bruins would need to finalize their rendezvous with history, which was set for this same location the following week. The Rockets continued to "work the problem" and give it their best Rocket Pride Total Effort, not believing until the clock said "four zeroes" that their appointment with destiny on the 5A Lunar Surface would have to wait----for now, at least. Indeed one team of destiny had collided head-on with another team of destiny. This game nevertheless confirmed once and for all, perhaps, that Rocket Pride isn’t just about winning a ball game or establishing or "upholding" a so-called "winning tradition," but that it’s instead about how each person’s and a team’s Total Effort responds to adversity in winning the more important Game of Life. Although the Judson Rockets would have to "punt" following this "series" of "downs" in the Space City, before they even arrived back at their Moonport in Converse they were already putting together their plan to go the final distance in 1983 and plant the Diamond J Flag on the 5A Lunar Surface.

The Bruins, meanwhile, beat Hurst Bell, 21-10, in the Finals the following week. Similar to Judson, Bell had had a rematch game with a District rival in the Quarterfinal round. The night before Judson's rematch with Churchill, Bell and Euless Trinity squared off in front of about 40000 people at Texas Stadium for a literal District rematch of a game played earlier in the season. In this case, the teams were also represented the only two (2) High Schools in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD. They played to a 14-14 tie, and Bell advanced by the statistical advantage

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