Three (3) days before, the Space Shuttle Discovery landed at EDW to conclude STS-51-I. The launch had been scrubbed on two (2) consecutive days before finally getting off a few days later with just minutes to spare before a weather system arrived that could have kept it on the ground for still another day. In Judson’s previous meeting with Marshall, the Rams scrubbed the Rockets’ first launch attempt under DW Rutledge. Now, 364 days later, the Rams were doing a pretty good job of forcing a scrub once again. Judson was unable to get anything done in the early going. Meanwhile, Sophomore QB Jason Deleon, operating out of the Wishbone, set up a score for the Rams on an option run for 34 yards to the Judson 6-yard line. From there Deleon tossed a short aerial to Larry Frost, who made a diving catch for the points. A bad snap, however, kept the Marshall advantage at 6-0 with 91 seconds left in the opening period. Judson got as far as midfield on the ensuing drive, but it was summarily terminated when Marshall recovered a fumble at the Ram 48-yard line. On the very next play, George Harris took the pitch-out from Deleon and went all the way for the score. The run for two (2) points was stopped by the Judson Defense, so the count remained at 12-0 with 54 seconds gone in the 2^nd Quarter.

One of the objectives of STS-51-I was to fix an antenna that would enable the activation of the booster rocket for the Syncom IV-3 satellite. The satellite and booster rocket were released during the flight of STS-51-D back in April, but did not respond to ground commands. Efforts by the 51-D crew, during an unscheduled space walk, at using an improvised fly-swatter kind of device at the end of the Remote Manipulator System (RMS)---ie the "robot arm"---were unsuccessful, and at first NASA officials were ready to declare the rocket and satellite dead---until plans were made for the 51-I crew to go up and fix the antenna. The 51-I crew was successful, and soon thereafter the booster rocket got activated from the ground, came alive and did what rockets are supposed to do. Meanwhile in Converse, no one as of yet was willing to declare the 1985 Rockets "dead," but they were early on in a 12-0 hole, and they needed to quickly get activated, come alive and do what Rockets are supposed to do, and lift off. The 12-0 deficit did get the Rockets’ Offensive Propulsion System "activated," and on the ensuing drive things moved very quickly toward launch. On 2^nd-and-1, QB Steward Perez did a play-action into the line, but instead pulled up and lofted a pass play downfield to Chris Samuels-----a Junior transfer from Cole---who took it and lifted off for the TD. Jesus Escobedo booted the PAT, and the deficit had been reduced to 12-7 only 61 seconds after George Harris had scored for the Rams.

The Rockets thereafter got "activated" on Defense. Midway through the 2^nd Quarter, a 50-yard punt return by George Harris was nullified by a Clipping call, and Marshall had to start the ensuing possession at its 15-yard line instead. Soon thereafter the swarming Rocket Defense got a good hit on Deleon, jarring the ball loose, and Tim Howard recovered it at the Marshall 12. On the very next play Roland Cravey took it in for the score, Escobedo’s PAT was good, and Judson was on top at 14-12 with 5:02 left in the 1^st Half. With the 1^st Half winding down, the Rams gave every indication of playing conservatively with the idea of simply regrouping during the break. Deleon gave two (2) handoffs to Larry Frost, and on both occasions he dove into the line. On the next play, though, Harris took Deleon’s pitch-out and lofted a Halfback pass to Mark Maxfeldt, who carried down to the Judson 20 to complete a 53-yard play with two (2) seconds remaining. A reverse to Harris was unable to get the intended result, and the Half expired with Judson in the lead at 14-12.

George Harris had done a substantial amount of damage in the 1^st Half, but the Rockets’ Flight Operations Directorate (FOD) implemented some substantial adjustments in the 2^nd Half and the Rams went silent. Judson, meanwhile, pretty much dictated the tempo of the game offensively, this bled the clock nicely, and in the final minutes the Offensive Propulsion System powered its way on a 6-play, 67-yard drive that reached the Marshall 3-yard line, and with that the FOD chose to take a knee a few times and call it an evening---a relatively successful one at that considering how things started.

Highlands (5-4-1; 4-2-1)
September 13, 1985: Converse
The 1^st Quarter ended with a double goose-egg. Thus far, it was looking like the way things started the previous week, and this was somewhat unnerving---except perhaps for the fact that in Week 1 the Rockets came alive thereafter and got stronger as the game wore on in spite of what turned out to be a very narrow verdict for the Red and Grey. The "getting stronger" part was about to manifest itself big-time in Week 2 as the 1^st Quarter drew to a close. Byron Saunders snatched an Owl aerial at the Highlands 32 and Judson was able to go to work from short range. Two (2) plays later on the first play of the 2^nd Quarter, Chris Samuels took the handoff on Judson’s patented Sprint Draw play, cut left and took off down the sideline for the 26-yard score. A high snap on the PAT forced a run for two (2) points instead, the play basically went nowhere, but the Rockets were nevertheless in front at 6-0. Chris Samuels was at it with the Sprint Draw once again soon thereafter when he bounced off three (3) tacklers at the line of scrimmage and got away for an 80-yard dash for points, breaking a final, desperation tackle at the Highlands 25. Steward Perez carried in for two (2) points, and Judson had a 14-0 lead with 4:37 left in the 1^st Half. Finally, with 43 seconds to go in the Half, Sophomore place kicker Earl Kaufman---in his first varsity start---hit on a 26-yard FG and the Rockets took a 17-0 lead into the break.

Judson quickly extended its advantage as the 2^nd Half got underway. David Ewing recovered an Owl fumble at the Judson 44. On the 6^th play of the ensuing possession, Steward Perez connected with Scott Burris on a 42-yard pass play with only 116 seconds elapsed off the 3^rd Quarter clock. Jesus Escobedo made good on the PAT and Judson now led 24-0. Then, at the 3:33 mark of the 3^rd Quarter, Earl Kaufman nailed his 2^nd FG of the day, this one a 32-yarder, and a possible long-term kicking habit seemed to be in the early stages of development. Finally, with 164 seconds left in the penultimate period, Mike Madkins blocked a punt out of the endzone for a Safety, and this facilitated a final score of 29-0.

For the game Highlands had only five (5) First Downs and 109 yards total offense, split nearly evenly between air and ground. Judson, meanwhile, had 15 chain-movers, which were facilitated by 292 yards on the ground and 103 through the air. Steward Perez completed 6-of-10 passes with no INT’s, while on the ground Chris Samuels had 206 yards on 17 carries. Areas requiring work, however, were the 2-of-5 lost fumbles and eight (8) yellow flags that amassed 81 yards in setbacks.

Houston (7-3; 5-2)
September 20, 1985: Alamo Stadium
The Rockets took the kickoff and commenced the opening drive from the Judson 31-yard line. From there the Rockets reached the Cherokee 6, but on 4^th-and-1 Steward Perez was stopped and Sam Houston took over. The Rocket Defense was definitely "on," though, and soon it was punt time. Mike Madkins took the punt at the Judson 40-yard line and returned it back to the Sam Houston 31. On the 2^nd play of the drive, Perez hit Steve Huntsman for 18 yards for the score, Jesus Escobedo hit on the PAT, and Judson was in front at 7-0 with 126 seconds remaining in the opening Quarter. SH took the ensuing kickoff, and on the first play QB Manuel Richardson went back to pass, but Tim Howard ran him down and sacked him in the endzone for a Safety. Compounding the situation for the Cherokees, they were flagged for a Personal Foul, thus requiring them to make the Free Kick deep in their end of the field. But that was only the beginning. Twice the ball went out of bounds, and by the time the Free Kick stayed in-bounds, SH found itself kicking from its own 3-yard line. Judson was unable to use the concomitant possession to get points, but on the subsequent punt two (2) prospective Cherokee return men collided with each other as one of them attempted to field it, and Jay Trees easily recovered the ball for Judson at the SH 17. On the 3^rd play, Roland Cravey zipped in from the 7-yard line, and Judson now had a 15-0 advantage. The count would remain when the PAT failed. The Tribe’s Quest for points almost yielded results with time running down in the 1^st Half when a 44-yard pass from Richardson to Gerald Hayes helped propel a drive down to the Judson 9-yard line. A 4^th-and-7 play, though, only got six (6) yards, the drive died and Judson retained its 15-0 lead for Halftime.

Judson pretty much dominated the 2^nd Half. With 4:14 left in the 3^rd Quarter, Perez connected with Huntsman for the second scoring toss of the day, this one from 17 yards out. Escobedo’s kick raised the score some more and the Rockets carried a 22-0 advantage into the final period. Judson then iced the thing away in the 4^th Quarter with

• A 1-yard QB sneak by Perez at the 9:03 mark that was supplemented by a successful PAT by Earl Kauffman
• A 68-yard punt return by Mike Madkins with 4:33 to go that was supplemented by Escobedo’s final boot of the day.

Sam Houston was limited to 12 First Downs, and only 64 yards on the ground. The Cherokees were much more successful through the air, getting 120 yards as part of an 8-of-16 passing effort that experienced one (1) INT. SH also lost two (2) of four (4) fumbles. Judson, on the other hand, had 17 First Downs. Most of the chain-movers came about through the 210 ground yards. Chris Samuels had 90 of those on nine (9) carries, Cravey contributed 71 on 16 totes, and the balance was turned in by David Wojcik and Steward Perez. Perez was also good on 6-of-10 aerials for 72 yards.

MacArthur (6-4; 3-3)
September 27, 1985: Northeast Stadium, Blossom Athletic Center
Under the tutelage of Head Coach John Osborne---now entering his third season at MacArthur----the Brahmas had made steady progress and had in fact come a long way since the 0-10 debacle in 1981. Nevertheless, they still had not been able to break through with a winning record since Frank Arnold’s 2^nd and final season at Mac in 1979. The Brahmas started the 1985 campaign at 2-0, but then got pasted 33-7 by Holmes in the lead-up game to this particular test. Judson, meanwhile, appeared to be getting stronger with each Quarter of play after finding itself in a 12-0 hole early on in its Week 1 contest with Marshall. Getting a hot start to open District competition was a vital objective for both teams, and for Judson it would help in preparing for an always challenging match-up with Madison only eight (8) days hence.

It would be Judson with the hot----make that white-hot----start. On the 2^nd play from scrimmage, Steward Perez---in a manner not unlike what happened in Week 1----faked the handoff but instead pulled up and found Tim Lambert wide open for what would be a 52-yard scoring strike. Jesus Escobedo drilled the PAT and Judson was up 7-0 with only 42 seconds gone. The Brahmas were unable to get anything going on their first possession, and Chris Samuels took the ensuing punt and returned it 40 yards to the Mac 48-yard line. The 6-play drive stalled out, but Earl Kauffman came on and notched a 28-yard FG at the 7:26 mark of the opening period. Once more the Brahmas were unable to move, and this time, on 3^rd-and-23, Roland Cravey took the Sprint Draw-style handoff and got away on a 55-yard dash. The PAT was no good, but the Rockets already led 16-0 with plenty of time to spare in the 1^st Quarter. Things settled down for a while thereafter, but with 81 seconds gone in the 2^nd Quarter, it was Roland Cravey again, this time for a 23-yard run for points. Escobedo’s PAT was good this time, and Judson now had a 23-0 advantage. With 7:58 to go before Halftime Steward Perez collaborated for the 3^rd time of the year with Steve Huntsman for a TD by hitting him with a 15-yard toss for the prize. Kauffman iced the PAT this time, and the lead was up to 30-0. Things settled down some more thereafter, but not enough to prevent Judson from scoring again before the break. With 23 seconds to go, Perez carried in from five (5) yards out, Escobedo booted the PAT, and Judson took a 37-0 tally into the locker room.

With only 144 seconds gone in the 3^rd Quarter, Perez connected with Chris Samuels for a 23-yard score through the air, the PAT failed, but the lead was now 43-0. Mac got untracked thereafter and got on the board with 2:54 to go in the 3^rd Quarter with a 4-yard run by Greg Johnson---who got 116 of his 122 rushing yards in the 2^nd Half. The PAT closed the gap (somewhat) to 43-7. Then, with 96 seconds to go in the penultimate period, Len Blanchard zipped in for a 35-yard score, the PAT was good, and the lead was trimmed even further---to 43-14. Roland Cravey provided Judson’s final points of the day with a 10-yard run with 6:54 left in the game, and almost immediately thereafter, Greg Johnson got the final tally for the Brahmas on a 68-yard run with 6:02 to go.

Mac had a truly miserable 1^st Half, but by the end of the game looked much better and gave indications as to why anyone playing them had better be prepared to go all four (4) Quarters with them. The Brahmas moved the chains 13 times. Most of those were the result of a 230-yard ground performance. The airways weren’t nearly as useful, though, as they got only 33 yards on a 3-of-11 passing effort that also experienced an INT. Mac also lost a fumble, but overall it could be regarded as a fairly clean performance that showed promise. Judson also showed promise, what with a 183-yard aerial performance by Steward Perez on 8-of-13 pass attempts that had no INT’s whatever. On the ground, Judson picked up 262 yards, with 191 of those turned in by Roland Cravey. Judson did lose one (1) fumble, but overall it was about as good as things could possibly get for a Week 4 performance.

Matchups. A keyword that many wannabe "analysts" like me oftentimes overlook when evaluating how different teams are going to do when pared up with each other. And in the 5-year history of this particular series, Judson and Madison had always seemed to match up well with one another, and you could pretty much throw out both teams’ records and however many---or few---points one or both of the teams had scored both preceding and following the showdown----even against common opponents. The season before, Judson’s Offense----decimated by the graduation of numerous offensive contributors from the 1983 Championship squad----was still struggling somewhat but the Defense propelled things along, while Madison seemed to be doing well in both respects both before and after the showdown in Converse and later in Alamo Stadium. Now, entering this meeting a year to the day since the meeting in Converse, the roles were reversed. The Maverick offense---decimated in similar fashion by the graduation of some key offensive difference-makers from 1984----was struggling, but its defense was carrying them along. Meanwhile, Judson seemed to be ticking along quite nicely both offensively and defensively this time. This time, the Rockets were heavily favored------but would it actually work out that way, or would the Rockets be in for a proverbial "upset"? 10500 congregated at Northeast Stadium on this Saturday evening to find out.

Judson started off doing what was expected by thrusting downfield on an 8-play, 66-yard drive to start the game. On the final play for the points, Chris Samuels took off around left end and zipped in from 16 yards, Jesus Escobedo booted the PAT, and Judson had an early 7-0 lead with only 164 seconds gone in the opening period. For the longest time it appeared that it would only be a matter of time before Judson would do it again and break this thing wide open, but finally, just as Judson had done in the previous two (2) meetings following inauspicious starts, Madison started to get untracked, and soon the crowd would be witness to a very competitive ballgame. Madison was able to start its possession for points when a 17-yard punt allowed the Mavs to start from the Judson 44-yard line. The final play went for 23 yards when Tony Senna----a transfer from New Jersey----eluded a tackle behind the line of scrimmage on 4^th-and-1 and got loose around left end for the score. The PAT was good and the score was knotted at 7-each with 7:28 to go in the 1^st Half. The Maverick defense was also in the process of coming alive, and it kept the Rockets from scoring again in the 1^st Half by limiting them to no additional 1^st Downs following the opening drive.

Coming out of the break, the Rockets took their first possession of the 2^nd Half and drove from their own 46 down to the Madison 20. There the drive stalled and Earl Kauffman came in and split the uprights to give Judson the lead once more---this time at 10-7----at the 6:30 mark of the 3^rd Quarter. Nevertheless, everyone could pretty much see that, for all the heat that the Rockets had generated on the drive, the only "light" was only an additional three (3) points, which meant that what was about to happen next wasn’t all that surprising. Madison responded in kind, moving deliberately downfield, and with 58 seconds gone in the final period Carlton Johnson regained the lead for Madison with a 10-yard run. The PAT was good and Madison was now in front at 14-10. The ensuing possession for Judson did not obtain the desired result, now things were starting to get somewhat critical for the Rockets, but Jesse Cortinas came through by catching a fumble in mid-air and returning it six (6) yards to the Madison 29. On the very next play Roland Cravey went all the way and put Judson back on top, Escobedo’s PAT was good, and Judson now led 17-14 with 7:37 left to play. The Rocket Defense, however, would not have much of a chance to enjoy the potential smell of blood had the Mavs been pinned deep on the ensuing kickoff. Instead, Stafford Johnson took the kickoff and returned it 57 yards to the Judson 36. From there, the Mavs initiated a deliberate, time-killing drive in moving in for the kill, giving the witnesses at least on the visitors’ side of Northeast Stadium that "exhausted and scared gazelle being chased by the cheetah" feeling. Tony Senna got a critical chain-mover for the Mavs on 4^th-and-1 from the 16 by picking up two (2) yards, and the Judson "gazelle" was indeed about to get run down by the Madison "cheetah." On the 10^th play of the short-distance drive, Senna carried up the middle for seven (7) yards and the score, the PAT was good, and Madison now had the lead at 21-17 with 2:24 to go. The Judson "gazelle" still had some juice in it, however, and on the ensuing drive reached the Madison 44. It was 4^th-and-2, though, and the question now was whether Chris Samuels would be able to do what Tony Senna had done on two (2) different occasions on this evening. He could not, he was only able to get a yard when Mike Thompson sequestered him for only a 1-yard gain, and with 1:42 left the "gazelle" was firmly in the jaws of the "cheetah." Hence, the Rockets had no choice but to basically watch and wait for things to "expire."

Anyone familiar with this series should not have been too surprised to have seen this kind of result. Nevertheless, it was rather disconcerting for the Red and Grey. And, for the first time since a meeting with the Cole Cougars in 1969, the Rockets were on the short end of a score during a manned US space mission (for whatever that’s worth to know). The Space Shuttle Atlantis, on its maiden flight, was launched on a classified DOD mission two (2) days earlier.

Churchill (6-4; 4-2)
October 11, 1985: Converse
Perhaps still in a funk somewhat from the previous Saturday night, the Rockets’ Offensive Propulsion System was very sluggish to start the game. Mix that with the inspired play of a Charger team that had lost five (5) straight to Judson, and you pretty much get a 1^st-Half situation in which the Rockets picked up only 63 total yards and moved the chains only four (4) times, thus giving them very little-----make that none, as in a goose-egg----to show for any of it. Meanwhile, Churchill drove down and threatened to enter the endzone until the Rockets’ Alan Anderson saved the TD with a last-second tackle on Mark Scott. This forced a FG instead, and Scott Ansley booted the 20-yard to put Churchill in front at 3-0 with four (4) seconds gone in the 2^nd Quarter. 11:56 later, the score was still 3-0, and Judson was still looking to get main engine ignition.

The FOD chose to kick into a strong breeze to start the 2^nd Half, and this is where things finally began to turn somewhat. The Chargers had trouble handling the ball, they finally got it at the 1 and returned it only to the 12, and soon thereafter they punted. Chris Samuels took the kick and returned it 23 yards to the Churchill 30. Steward Perez completed the short, 6-play drive with a QB sneak, Escobedo provided the PAT, and Judson was in front finally at the 7:13 mark of the 3^rd period. The lead, though, was nowhere near to being secure, and the Chargers got busy in hopes of reinforcing that insecurity by moving on the ensuing possession from their 27 and down to a 1^st Down on the Judson 18. An Illegal Procedure call on the Chargers set them back five (5) yards, and then on 3^rd Down pitch-out went awry and Joe Young recovered for the Rockets at the 22. Judson made the very best of this particular possession by moving downfield in 12 plays. A pivotal moment on the drive included Perez’ only pass in the 2^nd Half, which went to Chris Samuels for a 22-yard pickup. A Face Mask call on the Chargers tacked an additional 15 yards on to the end of the play. Then, on a 3^rd-and-8 situation, Perez got a 13-yard pickup on a scramble to keep the drive going. Roland Cravey finished things off by spinning into the endzone from three (3) yards out, the PAT was good by Escobedo, and Judson now had some breathing space at 14-3 with 9:15 left to play. Things still weren’t guaranteed, though, and Churchill undertook a 13-play, 72-yard drive to the Judson 8-yard line. Once more, the bend-but-don’t-break style of the 1985 Judson Defense came through when needed. A Holding Penalty on the Chargers set them back, as did Kevin Matull’s 8-yard QB sack and finally, a screen pass that netted minus-1 when Tim Howard sniffed the thing out nicely. That brought up 4^th-and-Goal from the Judson 25, Mike Reneau’s pass went INC, and Judson took over with 4:51 to go. The Offensive Propulsion System ate up yardage and all the remaining time with 11 straight running plays, and Judson got the "W."

Meanwhile, over at Northside Stadium, Clark gave the Huskies a little "cat scratch fever," as well as a little heartburn if not heartbreak, with a 14-13 win as a result of a missed PAT very late in the game, and looked to be in the 28-5A driver’s seat.

Roosevelt (3-7; 2-4)
October 18, 1985: Converse
Roosevelt, suffering from several untimely injuries and thus in the process of clinching its first losing season since practically the beginning of time, entered the showdown in Converse with a 2-game win streak over the Rockets. Judson, meanwhile, had been experiencing some defensive injuries itself that forced some key positions to be filled by relatively inexperienced personnel on the one hand, and by moving some people into different positions. Most of the moves paid off the week before, but overall the bend-but-don’t-break Defense gave the impression at times of still having some unanswered questions---questions the Rough Riders were more than willing to ask and maybe even provide answers (and potentially unacceptable ones at that) for the Red and Grey. This match-up, was disconcerting for the better part of 2-1/2 Quarters, and compounding this was the fact that Mr. Paschall was unable to be there to assist in the proceedings. Meanwhile, the Rough Riders took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards in 14 plays that ate up a lot of time, kept the Judson Offense on ice and furthermore put the Defensive Thermal Protection System to an early, very severe test. It appeared, though, that the Rocket Defense had held by bringing up 4^th-and-6 at the Judson 28, but QB Mike Romo, hit Sig Gonzalez---who was nearly smothered by Tim Kennedy and Mike Madkins----in the endzone for the score. Paul Gutierrez nailed the PAT and Roosevelt was on top at 7-0 at the 6:56 mark of the 1^st Quarter. It is worth noting that, dating back to the Rockets’ 4^th-Quarter collapse two (2) years before, the Riders had now outscored Judson 41-0----another disconcerting item to add to the growing list on this evening.

For the game Roosevelt got 13 First Downs, 101 yards on the ground and 74 through the air. The 74 air yards came at a price, though, as they required 18 passes---of which only four (4) were complete----and two (2) of which were picked off. The Riders were pretty good in the punting department, though, averaging 44 yards on three (3) kicks. They also only lost one (1) fumble, but significantly, perhaps, that one put a stop to a drive that had the potential of changing the entire dynamic of the game. Instead, the fumble recovery changed the dynamic---in favor of Judson. Judson, meanwhile, had 29 First Downs, and 150 yards through the air as a result of a 10-of-15 performance by Perez that experienced no INT’s whatever. Chris Samuels was the recipient of four (4) of those passes for 83 yards, and Steve Huntsman also hauled in two (2) of them for a total of 34 yards. Judson did lose three (3) fumbles that couldn’t have come at a worse time, though, and this provided something to work on. Nevertheless, on the ground the Rockets picked up 240 yards. Roland Cravey contributed 191 of those on 26 carries. Judson never had to punt in the game, as all drives ended in either turnovers-----or scores.

Seguin (3-7; 1-5)
October 25, 1985: Converse
The Rockets---with Mr. Paschall back in service----would get off to a hot start and not look back in this affair, and the Defense would be largely responsible for the heat. There would also be plenty of light on the scoreboard-----49 points worth to be exact. With only 94 seconds gone in the contest, Roland Cravey took a handoff, swept around right end, and got away for a 62-yard dash. Earl Kauffman pushed through the first of what would be seven (7) consecutive and successful PAT’s, and Judson was up 7-0. The Rocket Defense thereafter collected the first of what would be seven (7) turnovers----three (3) fumbles and four (4) INT’s----and all six (6) of Judson’s remaining TD’s would take place as a result of said giveaways. At the 7:07 mark of the 1^st Quarter, Jay Trees would take Steward Perez’ 11-yard pass into the endzone. Then, at the 6:05 mark, Joe Young stepped in front of a Seguin pass and returned it all the way for the score. Things settled down for a while thereafter, and the 1st Quarter ended with the score still at 21-0. With 152 seconds gone in the 2^nd Quarter, though, things got busy once more. Richard Berry got lose up the middle for a 59-yard ground scorcher. Then, with 5:10 left in the 1^st Half, Roland Cravey got his second score of the day with a broken tackle up the middle for a 33-yard run. Then, immediately following the kickoff Tim Howard snatched a fumble in midair and returned it 18 yards for points. Thus, with 5:03 still to go before Halftime, Judson already had a devastating 42-0 advantage. The FOD substituted numerous members of the Backup Crew in the 2^nd Half, but even with that Seguin was able to only pick up three (3) First Downs. Meanwhile, Chris Samuels provided Judson with its final TD of the day on an off-tackle dive at the 7:34 mark of the 3^rd Quarter.

Seguin moved the chains only seven (7) times overall, as a result of 201 yards total offense split almost evenly between air and ground. Judson picked up 17 First Downs. Steward Perez was a perfect 3-for-3 through the air in picking up 33 yards passing. On the ground Judson had 339 yards, with Cravey picking up 111 of those on nine (9) totes, Berry getting 104 on only six (6) touches, and the balance split between Samuels and Perez.

A cold front blew in very late in the afternoon leading up to the late-season non-district meeting with Central Catholic, and by game time there was a pretty steady, very cold downpour that sent most of the Support Teams such as the Band, Galaxies and the like for drier locations----like back inside somewhere or at least under the stands. The game was slow-moving for both teams at the outset, as they tried to feel their way around the slippery conditions. Judson, however, seemed to have the upper hand. Late in the 1^st Quarter Chris Samuels took a Central Catholic punt and returned it eight (8) yards to the Button 32. Roland Cravey and Samuels got Judson to the 23 on two (2) plays, and then Horace Cotton got through a hole fat enough to fit the Space Shuttle’s External Tank through sideways, and he was off for the score. The run for two (2) points failed and left Judson with a 6-0 advantage with 79 seconds to go in the 1^st Quarter. On the Buttons’ ensuing possession, they were forced to punt deep in their own territory, and they were about to experience dejavu somewhat from its previous meeting with the Rockets. Punter Casey Sheppard bobbled the snap and was nailed for a 12-yard loss, thus giving Judson possession at the 17-yard line. Horace Cotton picked up 11 yards on two (2) totes, a 5-yard penalty pushed Judson to the 1-yard line, and Steward Perez carried in on an improvised sneak with 88 seconds gone in the 2^nd Quarter. A pass for two (2) points was no good, so the count stood at 12-0. The Buttons returned the concomitant kickoff 29 yard, but a jarring hit knocked the ball loose and Byron Saunders recovered to put Judson in business once more. Horace Cotton carried five (5) times on the 9-play drive, including the final time for a yard and the score. This time the 2-point play was good when Cotton burst up the middle, and with 6:03 to go before what was to be the band-less Halftime Judson had a 20-0 lead. Soon thereafter Judson collected still another fumble, this one at the Button 31. With the help of a good block, Steward Perez lifted off down to the 1-yard line, and on the next play he got in for the score. Earl Kauffman booted the PAT, and with 3:13 to go Judson had a 27-0 lead. A large majority of the witnesses on hand decided to leave at Halftime, and let’s just say that for those that remained it was eerily quiet during the wait for the teams to return, as most of the few people that remained retreated down below to await their return. The pitter-patter of the rain on the stadium above was one of the more lonely feelings I had experienced at a Judson game since the Rockets’ soggy inaugural meeting with MacArthur at Northeast Stadium in my Freshman year at Judson.

Judson pretty much had control of this game, and nothing that transpired as the 2^nd Half got underway gave evidence that the trend would change any. Just as Judson was preparing to score again, both coaching staffs and the zebra’s met at midfield and decided that it was best for everyone to get out of there, since it was pointless continuing in such conditions in a game that had no league bearings for either team [for the game the Rockets had 167 yards, all on the ground, and seven (7) First Downs, versus six (6) yards and one (1) First Down for Central Catholic]. Madison and Churchill, and most everyone else around the area, did have some critical match-ups and were pretty much obligated to continue on in spite of it all. I got back into sheltered conditions just in time to hear Madison come back from a 5-0 Halftime deficit for a 15-5 win and a conditional lock on the district championship, pending its performance with Roosevelt the next week.

In any event, this particular, rather peculiar two-season series thus came to an abrupt end. A few weeks later, the Buttons would get smothered 42-7 by Houston St. Thomas in the TCIL 4A Finals. The team that smashed the Rockets 82-12 in 1969 would fare much better, though, in the TCIL 3A Finals. The St. Gerard Royals scored twice in the 2^nd Quarter and that was enough to defeat the Beaumont Kelly bulldogs 13-0 for the 3A title.

Lee (2-8; 1-5)
November 7, 1985: Northeast Stadium, Blossom Athletic Center
The injury-plagued Volunteers were about to be the recipients of a full-scale Rocket attack on this Thursday evening. Judson would score on all six (6) of its 1^st-Half possessions. Steward Perez came out passing in this affair, with Steve Huntsman pulling in three (3) passes totaling 51 yards on the opening 65-yard drive alone. The 3^rd of those went for 11 yards and a score. Earl Kauffman’s first of eight (8) straight PAT’s was good, and Judson led 7-0 with only 144 seconds gone. With 4:34 left in the opening period Roland Cravey carried in from a yard out to complete a 71-yard drive, with 110 seconds left Scott Burris took Steward Perez’ pass in for a 27-yard score to finish a 53-yard drive, and with that the 1^st Quarter came to a close with Judson in command at 21-0. That’s not to say that Lee was ready to surrender at Northeast Stadium any more than the South was ready to at Gettysburg, and what happened next was just enough to keep the Rockets’ attention. Lee Punter Al Riedner caught the Rockets napping by completing a 40-yard pass to Troy Smith that carried to the Judson 5-yard line. Three (3) plays later Shawn Tyson got in from the 1 and the Judson lead had been reduced to 21-6 with 8:44 left in the 1^st Half. Judson responded quickly, though, with three (3) running plays. The third play was the charm, and Chris Samuels got the honors on a 22-yard dash with 7:37 to go. Steward Perez carried in from a yard out at the end of a 58-yard drive with 4:21 left, and with "four zeroes" on the clock Sergio Trevino hooked up with Randy Smoot with a 29-yard scoring toss, and all told this gave Judson a 42-6 lead at the break. In the 3^rd Quarter, Roland Cravey lifted off for 49 yards and a score at the 6:36 mark, with a single tic left on the 3^rd-Quarter clock Roland Cravey took off for a 36-yard dash to the endzone, and the final count of 56-6 was soon finalized.

Lee had only 52 yards on the ground and 92 through the air. The air yards came as a result of an 8-of-31 passing effort that also experienced four (4) INT’s---two (2) of which were collected by Mike Madkins that terminated drives at the Judson 5- and 6-yard lines. Judson had only one (1) turnover, this coming on a fumble. Steward Perez was good on four (4) of seven (7) passes for 78 yards and, in a preview of 1986, perhaps, Junior Sergio Trevino threw for 48 yards on a 2-of-5 effort. The ground crew, meanwhile, picked up 352 yards. Roland Cravey got 174 of those on 26 carries, and the balance was contributed by Samuels, Perez, and Trevino. The Rockets seemed to be peaking at just the right time, although Madison did claim the District title by virtue of the head-to-head game with Judson on October 5.

Semifinals
Permian 10 Cy-fair 7
Yates 34 Holmes 7

Final
Yates 37 Permian 0

The Flight Crew and Flight Operations Directorate, though, had other ideas and had developed some specific plans and procedures to counteract any concomitant ‘cat scratch fever’ in the lead-up to this Saturday night match-up, and they were ready to try them out as part of a classic Detailed Test Objective (DTO). Judson got the kickoff, and on the first play from scrimmage Steward Perez got loose for a 28-yard pickup, thus establishing the tempo early on for what would come. On 3^rd-and-5 at the Clark 10-yard line, Chris Samuels took a shovel pass from Perez, breaking a tackle just as he caught it, and went the distance untouched for the score to finish the 7-play, 73-yard campaign. Earl Kauffman drilled the PAT and the Rockets had the early lead at 7-0 with only 153 seconds gone. The Defense thereafter took the field following the kickoff and began a truly startling assault on the pumas’ offense. Very quickly it was time to punt, and the rout was on. A short kick put Judson in business with a short field to work with, and it would take only three (3) plays to crack the endzone once more. Jay Trees got in a good block at the 15 in facilitating Chris Samuels’ 35-yard pickup to the Cougar 3. On the next play, Roland Cravey was in for the score, Kauffman’s PAT was good, and Judson had a stunning 14-0 lead with only 5:33 elapsed. On Clark’s ensuing possession the Cougars did what they were best known for, namely ball-control drives, and they ate up much of what was left of the 1^st Quarter in doing so. Highlights of the 10-play, 80-yard drive included a 33-yard hookup from Bart LaRocca to Byron Hooper that brought them to the Judson 22. This duo finished things off and narrowed the gap by hooking up again for a 10-yard pass for the points. The PAT was good and the Judson advantage had been shaved to 14-7 with 2:15 to go. The Rockets knew, after witnessing this, that they for sure could not let up any, and with that in mind they mounted a 9-play, 70-yard drive at the outset of the 2^nd Quarter. Roland Cravey dove over Steve Huntsman from the 2-yard line to finish things off, Kauffman’s kick was good, and the Judson lead was now 21-7 with 7:57 left in the 1^st Half. The Rockets’ next drive was perhaps the most impressive, traversing 86 yards in an astounding 15 plays. Judson could apparently do ball-control, too. Of course, it helps when a penalty keeps a drive alive. The Cougars had apparently forced a punt from the Judson 21, but Clark had too many men on the field, and the penalty allowed Judson to retain possession. On 3^rd-and-10 from the Judson 36, Perez connected with Scott Burris for a 19-yard pickup. Perez finished the drive when he saw that no one was open, and decided to take off instead for what would turn out to be a 15-yard run for paydirt. The PAT was good, Judson now led 28-7 with 38 seconds left before Halftime, and this advantage held up.

The Cougars narrowed the gap to start the 2^nd Half by taking the kickoff and moving 87 yards downfield in ten (10) plays. David Shackelford got a 32-yard pickup to the Judson 9-yard line, and from there LaRocca took it in for the score, but Mike Madkins blocked the PAT, and this did not bode well for how this thing would end (for Clark, that is). Late in the 3^rd Quarter Earl Kauffman was good on a 30-yard FG, but he missed on a prospective 50-yarder as the final period got underway. Judson’s next possession, though, started right at mid-field and ended with a 1-yard punch into the endzone by Roland Cravey. The PAT was good, Judson now had a 38-13 stunner with 4:31 remaining, and that’s how things soon ended.

Elsewhere on this evening, East Central avenged a 14-7 pre-district setback against Fox Tech by winning the do-over at Alamo Stadium by a 29-15 count, and in arguably the more dramatic game of the evening, over at Northeast Stadium Holmes came from behind on three (3) different occasions to get a 21-17 win over Madison. The final score came on an 81-yard pass play when Wilbur Odom hit Keith Cash for the score with 2:52 left. Now, both Judson and Holmes had some stiff tests in Round 2, as did EC and Edison (who beat Harlandale the night before in a likewise dramatic finish), and it was anyone’s guess at this point as to what would really happen next.

The Jaguars presented a pretty stiff challenge to the Rockets from the get-go, and compounding this was a twisted ankle that Chris Samuels got hobbled with that for all intents and purposes made for a minimal effort in the 1^st Half. Overall, LBJ had the upper hand in most phases of the game, and a few Judson mistakes certainly didn’t help the Rockets’ cause, either. On Judson’s opening drive, Earl Kauffman was set to attempt a 42-yard FG, but the hold got bobbled, and that was the end of that idea. It had been said that Judson’s Defense in this particular campaign was a "big play" defense, soon this would be proven out, and the Defensive Propulsion System would be true to its name. With time running down in the opening period, LBJ elected to punt at its own 42. Troy Galvan burst through the line and blocked it, and lineman Marcus Booker snatched the ball off the carpet, broke one tackle and got away for a 38-yard TD. Earl Kauffman’s PAT boot was good, and Judson had a 7-0 lead with 11 seconds left in the 1^st Quarter. The Jags’ answer-back possession featured a 38-yard pass from Chuck Brooks to Donald Poland that got them in close, but soon thereafter Sid Nickson recovered a botched handoff to end the threat at the Judson 17-yard line. A little later, LBJ got as far as the Judson 31, but on a 4^th-and-1 situation Judson’s Kevin Matull recovered still another fumble. The Jags continued to render the Rockets’ Offensive Propulsion System rather sluggish, soon the cats had another opportunity, and this time things paid off. Backup QB Scott Thomas zipped in for a 14-yard score to finish off a 5-play, 54-yard drive to close the gap to 7-6. The snap on the PAT was botched, and although Thomas got the ball but the extra time required to do this enabled Mike Madkins to make the tackle, the play was essentially dead at the scene, and Judson still led at 7-6 with 7:53 left in the 1^st Half. On the final play of the 1^st Half, Earl Kauffman was back in to attempt a FG, but the 37-yarder was no good and the score stood at 7-6-----with the Jags having out-gained the Rockets 193-116 in yardage and 8 to 3 in First Downs.

LBJ fumbled on the first play from scrimmage to start the 2^nd Half, Mike Madkins recovered at the Jaguar 6-yard line, but Judson immediately fumbled the ball back. This nevertheless put LBJ at a field position disadvantage, soon the Jags punted the ball away and the Rockets were able to start their drive from midfield. Roland Cravey picked up 35 yards on three (3) carries on the ensuing series, and the 10-play, 51-yard drive eventually came to a happy end when Chris Samuels took Steward Perez’ 10-yard roll-out pass into the endzone with 4:58 left in the penultimate period. With Kauffman’s kick Judson now had a 14-6 lead. Judson began its first possession of the final period at the LBJ 38-yard line. After three (3) plays the Rockets had only picked up four (4) yards, and it was apparently punt time. Other things were in the works, though, and Mike Madkins did his part in bringing about those "other things" by taking off on the fake and picking up 23 yards. The drive stalled out at the Jaguar 3-yard line, and Earl Kauffman came in once more to attempt a FG. This time it was good, and with 7:33 left Judson had some breathing space at 17-6. The Jaguars initiated their response from their 27, and drove methodically downfield to a 1^st-and-Goal at the Judson 4. The Defensive Thermal Protection System kicked in, however, and kept the Rockets from getting burned for points by holding on two (2) occasions inside the 1, thus turning the threat away. LBJ did some good clock management and after only three (3) plays Judson had to punt. LBJ took possession at midfield and went the distance fairly quickly, but it was all basically academic at this point given the few seconds remaining. On the final play from the 7-yard line, Jeff Broaders took the handoff and swept right, then, seeing he couldn’t make it lofted the pass to QB Chuck Brooks for the score with "four zeroes" on the clock. The pass for two (2) points was no good, and the Rockets had withstood a stiff challenge to advance to the 3^rd Round. Meanwhile, over in Fort Bend County, Holmes earned a high level of Region IV and statewide respect by beating undefeated and sixth-ranked Willowridge 12-7. The game really wasn’t that close, as Holmes built the lead deliberately and confidently with a 1^st-Quarter FG, a 2^nd-Quarter TD and a very late 4^th-Quarter FG before Willowridge finally scored with time running down. The Husky defense went on the attack and hauled in five (5) INT’s to help secure this statewide attention-getter, while putting in a turnover-free performance themselves. Back at Alamo Stadium the following evening, East Central, which had been in the playoffs every year since being locked out by Nixon in 1981, up and beat an undefeated Edinburg team. Clinging to a 6-0 lead fashioned by two (2) 1^st-Half FG’s, the Hornets took advantage of some Edinburg turnovers beginning midway in the 4^th Quarter, and came away with a shocking win and a 3^rd–round appointment back at Alamo Stadium with long-time neighbor and nemesis Judson.

East Central (8-2; 7-0)
November 30, 1985: Alamo Stadium
Dating back to 2A and 3A days, the Hornets and Rockets had met on numerous occasions either in non-District or District. This was arguably the most important meeting between these two since Judson’s final game in District 29-4A in 1979, but the stakes were now much higher for these two (2) long-time East Bexar County nemeses.

Mike Madkins took the opening kickoff and returned it 53 yards down the left sideline to the EC 35. From the 33-yard line Steward Perez hit Steve Huntsman for a 21-yard pickup to the 12, and on the 4^th play of the drive he tossed a 9-yard aerial to Jay Trees for the score. Earl Kauffman’s PAT was good and Judson was out front with only 98 seconds gone in this historic contest. The Hornets responded with an effective and efficient drive, moving from their own 11 to the Judson 34. QB Steven Sanders was a perfect 3-for-3 in passing during the drive, but the whole thing eventually got short-circuited by a Holding penalty and Judson took over. The game settled down somewhat thereafter, but at the outset of the 2^nd Quarter Steve Huntsman pinned EC back at its own 8-yard line, and Judson’s own version of "The Refrigerator" was ready to execute an encore from the week before, by once more showing that the Rockets’ Offensive Propulsion System was true to its name. In other words, the Defense was about to become the Offense. Jesse Cortinas nailed Cedric Baker on a draw play for a loss back to the 3-yard line, but that was the least of EC’s problem. The ball popped loose in the process and right into the arms of "The Refrigerator"----aka Marcus Booker---at the 2, and he took it in from the for the score. Kauffman nailed the PAT, and Judson now led 14-0 with 58 seconds gone in the 2^nd Quarter. This fired up the Defense even more, EC very quickly had to punt on the ensuing possession, and the Rockets took over at their own 49. The impending 6-play drive featured a 23-yard scramble by Perez to the EC 23, and an 11-yard burst by Roland Cravey to the Hornet 8. From there Cravey took an option pitch from Perez and raced into the endzone with 7:26 remaining in the 1^st Half. Kaufman booted the PAT, and the teams would retreat to the locker room with Judson well in command at 21-0.

The Hornets came out of the break with every intention of trying to sting the Flight Crew bad enough to abort the remainder of the Rockets’ post-season mission. The first part of this process got underway when Bill Hagensick charged through to block a Judson punt, and lineman Corey Jefferson snatched the ball and returned it 39 yards down the left sideline for the score. Richmond Biggers pushed home the PAT, and Judson’s lead had been trimmed to 21-7 at the 8:09 mark of the 3^rd Quarter. The Rockets knew for sure what everyone pretty much figured entering this contest, namely that the Hornets were fully capable of putting the sting on a team, and it didn’t matter how far behind they may be or how late it was. With that in mind, Horace Cotton got a pivotal 16-yard pickup to the Hornet 45-yard line on a 3^rd-and-5 play. From there Steward Perez hit a wide open Mike Neal for a 29-yard pickup to the 16, and soon thereafter he went the final yard on a keeper to finish off the 66-yard drive. Kauffman notched the PAT and Judson had restored its 21-point advantage with precisely four (4) minutes left in the 3^rd Quarter. EC nevertheless responded in kind and drove 67 yards in ten (10) plays, aided by a 13-yard Pass Interference penalty. On 4^th-and-Goal Steven Sanders tossed a 2-yard pass to Carl Smith, who made the leaping catch in the corner of the endzone for the score. The PAT was good but it was nullified by a penalty, and the 2^nd attempt was no good, leaving Judson in front at 28-13 with 7:49 left to play. It was around this time that the crowd was getting reports from Buccaneer Stadium that undefeated Alice was in the process of whittling away at Holmes’ 28-7 lead and had narrowed the gap to 28-21. This kind of scenario looked like it could easily play out at Alamo Stadium as well, and indeed EC threatened late, but Alan Anderson came through for the Rockets by pulling in an INT at the Judson 29 with 88 seconds remaining, and this permitted the Flight Crew and Flight Operations Directorate to run out the clock and then find out what kind of dog-----in this case either Husky or Coyote----they would face in space the following week. The answer would come shortly thereafter once Holmes re-extended the lead to 35-21, then held on after the Coyotes scored a final time to narrow the gap to 35-29.

Judson would be slightly favored going into the match-up with Holmes, and there were also several people that had been looking more at what Clark did to Holmes and then what Judson did to Clark. On the other hand, I tended to look more at how Judson matched up with Madison, and how Madison in turn matched up with Holmes. On that latter basis, I figured both teams were going to have an interesting afternoon, especially since this was for the State Quarterfinals, and I was not totally convinced of the Rockets' long-term chances, given what still seemed to me in my gut some unanswered questions concerning the Judson Defense.

Holmes (9-1; 4-1)
December 7, 1985: Alamo Stadium

In the history of Judson’s version of Rocket science [fiction], the Flight Crew had on three (3) occasions now been faced with "Coogs in Space" during the post-season. It is worth mentioning that cats have actually been flown in space. Ditto for dogs. Perhaps the most famous dog to go into space was the first one, namely Laika on Russia’s Sputnik 2 on November 3, 1957. Now, 28 years and 34 days later, the Judson Rockets found themselves in space with a very hardy group of dogs known as the Holmes Huskies, and this particular Pack had, in the past three (3) weeks of the post-season and throughout the season for that matter, proven itself quite capable of propelling its way into Rocket-like altitudes. Now, they threatened to put a big bite into the Rockets’ plans to continue their penetration into the frontiers of post-season space should the Flight Crew find itself unable to wrest control from the Pack, and the Rockets 48 minutes in which to set things right before having to declare an abort.

A healthy-sized crowd of 15832 showed up at Alamo Stadium on a classic, cloudless day and moderate temperatures. Judson, this time, was assigned to the visitors’ side. As long-time JISD resident Rick White and I took our seats about an hour before kickoff, we continued to discuss the fact that many people dressed in Red and Grey at least seemed to think the Huskies would be a pushover because of the head-to-head comparisons with Clark. We nevertheless agreed that the more accurate comparison perhaps was the head-to-head with Madison. With that said, Rick mentioned that he didn’t think there would be a blowout, and soon thereafter it was time to see what would happen. Holmes started the game with a time-consuming deliberate drive, using its by-now patented and deadly passing attack. What was quite unnerving from the start was to see QB Wilbur Odom step back in the pocket and, with seemingly all the time in the world, have time to spare in deciding who to throw to (Keith Cash or his twin brother Kerry, perhaps Lance Hilliard, Johnny Walker or two or three other possibilities, or for a little variety, maybe hand off to Jerry Arceneaux instead) from one play to the next. Not good (for Judson at least). The Pack converted on four (4) third-Down situations on the opening drive, and they finished the 13-play, 80-yard drive with a 14-yard pass from Odom to Hilliard. Gil Farmer’s PAT was good and Holmes was in front 7-0 at the 7:40 mark of the opening period. Judson was slow in getting started, and soon Holmes was back at it again. David Ewing nevertheless summarily terminated the drive by hauling in Odom’s pass at midfield, and from there the Rockets drove to the Holmes 4-yard line. The drive stalled and on 4^th-and-2 holder Sergio Trevino flipped a shovel pass to Chris Samuels on a fake FG attempt, but Samuels was instead thrown for a 4-yard loss by Gilbert Menchaca to end the threat. The Judson Defense seemed to have gotten untracked somewhat and seemed for the moment at least to have slowed the Huskies down a little bit, but in the 2^nd Quarter a good hit by the Huskies’ Armando Torres knocked the ball loose and Gilbert Menchaca recovered at the Judson 35. The natives in the Rocket Nation were definitely starting to get restive at this point, and Rick White, going back to what he said before the kickoff, went as far as to say "I’ll have to take back what I said earlier….this could be a blowout." Well, I wasn’t ready to go that far, yet, but if not pitiful, the situation was definitely critical. Of course, Mr. Paschall, the Band, the Cheerleaders the Flight Operations Directorate and above all the Flight Crew were doing what they could to help keep hope alive. But soon the Huskies were scratching and growling at the front door of Judson’s 3-yard line. Mike Madkins, however, came through by pulling in Wilbur Odom’s pass in the endzone, but only after holding the Rocket fans breathless some more as he juggled the ball as he came down. Fortunately, he held on, and Judson was able to move out to the 20-yard line with 4:20 left in the 1^st Half. At that point, Holmes had a 193-55 advantage in yardage; thus, with that much time left it was imperative that the Rockets get ignition and propel themselves into a higher orbit or else gravity---or in this case the Huskies----could perhaps pull them back to earth for a fiery re-entry even before Halftime. Instead, the Rockets lifted off on a 13-play, 80-yard drive of their own, and Steward Perez took the ball in from the 1-yard line with nine (9) seconds left. Earl Kauffman hit on the PAT, and the score was knotted at 7-each. The Rockets took the Huskies by surprise by recovering an onside kick at the Holmes 34. Perez hit Roland Cravey with a pass that went to the Holmes 19, but with that time expired. Assuming that the Huskies didn’t do what Judson had just done, things were suddenly looking up for the Rockets, as they were scheduled to get the ball to start the 2^nd Half.

There was no onside kick, and instead Mike Madkins took the 2^nd-Half kickoff for Judson and returned it 43 yards to the Holmes 49. From there Judson executed an effective and efficient drive in seven (7) plays. Perez faked a pass but instead took off for ten (10) yards and the score to provided Judson with its first lead of the day. With Kauffman’s PAT Judson was now up 14-7 with 170 seconds gone in the 3^rd period. The Huskies immediately came out of their mid-game hibernation and responded quickly to this turn of events. They quickly moved to midfield, and from there Wilbur Odom fired a pass to Kerry Cash, who caught it while wedged vertically between Judson defenders Troy Galvan and Joe Young at the 19, then got away from there for the score to cut the deficit to 14-13. Holmes elected to go for two (2) points. On the play Marcus Booker had the pass well-defended and batted it down-----right into the hands of Kerry Cash who was flat on his back in the endzone, and with that Holmes had regained the lead at 15-14 with 7:47 to go in the 3^rd Quarter. Judson responded in kind, but took a more deliberate approach in moving 67 yards downfield in 15 plays on the ensuing possession. Scott Burris pulled in a Steward Perez aerial for a 17-yard pickup to the Holmes 29, and a little later took off on an option end-around for four (4) yards and the score. Perez kept around right end for two (2) points, and in so doing gave Judson a 22-15 lead with 12 seconds left in the 3^rd Quarter. On Holmes’ next possession the Rockets’ Defense came fully alive and finally managed to pin the Pack for some losses. Marcus Booker and Byron Saunders both registered sacks during that defensive assault, and it forced Holmes to punt from its own 11-yard line. An exceptionally short punt also provided some added momentum for Judson, and the Rockets went to work from the Husky 34. Roland Cravey finished off the short, 6-play drive by taking a quick pitch and getting away for a 9-yard run to paydirt. Kauffman’s kick was good, and with exactly nine (9) minutes left, the Rockets seemed to be functioning at full thrust. Although it was finally starting to look pretty good, for some reason when I saw the clock saying exactly 9:00, I got this funny feeling that we were maybe about to see something that had not been seen in awhile, at least in Region IV.

Sure enough, Holmes answered back quickly. On the 1^st play Jerry Arceneaux got a 32-yard pickup to the Judson 48. Shortly thereafter, Odom hit Lance Hilliard for a 17-yard pickup down the middle to advance the Pack to the 22. From there Odom put the ball up and Kerry Cash came down with it in the right corner of the endzone for the points. Johnny Walker caught Odom’s pass for two (2) points, Holmes was back within reach, this time at 29-23 with 7:26 to go, and we knew for sure we were headed for some kind of white-knuckle, sweaty-palm finish. Or, put another way, I was starting to get that "exhausted-and-scared-gazelle-chased-by-cheetah" feeling again. On the Rockets’ next series, they moved the ball well enough, but ended up wasting a Down by having to recover a bobbled snap. For some reason, also, the Band percussion unit never got going when Mr. Paschall started the HEY!! HEY!!, and the crowd seemed kind of distracted so that the overall effect was out of whack for one of the few times ever (the collective "scared-gazelle" effect, maybe?). So, the Rockets had to punt with 5:49 to go, the Huskies took possession at their own 31, and at this point everyone knew what to expect next. Jerry Arceneaux got things started by carrying for twelve (12) yards on the drive, but that was (unfortunately for Judson) only the beginning. Wilbur Odom soon thereafter fired a 35-yard pass downfield that Lance Hilliard hauled in before going out of bounds at the Judson 10-yard line. Arceneaux carried for five (5) yards, but on 2^nd Down Kevin Matull and Troy Galvan stuffed him for a 5-yard loss. Odom’s 3^rd-Down pass went INC, and it was obvious that whatever would happen next would be potentially dramatic, historic, heroic, and a few other adjectives. For a team like Holmes, though 4^th Down meant nothing for the kind of offense showcased that afternoon. So, when the Judson cheerleader began yelling into the mic, "One More Time!!…One More Time!!…One More Time!!" with many of the Rocket supporters joining in--- Rick White and me included----I, with an already seared conscience perhaps, distinctly heard this wicked chuckle as an interior locution of sorts. Sure, I had my hopes that the Rockets would hold. But, I had this really bad feeling……..

Being close to the North Endzone and on the front row, I could see neither the play(s) nor the zebra’s reaching for the sky. Not to worry. I got to hear the roar across the way in due order when Keith Cash came down with Odom’s pass in the South Endzone. Gil Farmer, who had missed the potentially tying PAT in the showdown with Clark earlier, nailed it perfectly, Holmes was back on top at 30-29, and with that the roar increased a few more decibels. With 4:12 to go and with the Rockets’ Offensive Propulsion System finally untracked and (in its own way, at least) on an equal footing with the Pack’s offense, we were actually still in a good position, especially since, if we scored, it would probably be with very little time left. Well, that idea went bye-bye, along with the ball, when the Rockets fumbled the ball at their own 43 on the ensuing kickoff. Denny Moore recovered for the Huskies, and now it was starting to look a little too much like how things ended with Madison at this sun-soaked location the year before. And, just like the year before, the Huskies held onto the ball the rest of the way by staying on the ground, and we had to pretty much stand around like idiots as we waited to lose. That’s not to say that the Flight Crew and the Flight Operations Directorate weren’t still trying to figure out some way to get one more shot. Nevertheless, I for one felt like the "loser" on the Weird Al "I Lost on Jeopardy" video, while the crowd across the way continued to get louder with every tick of the clock. Known as the "gazelle-being-suffocated-in jaws of cheetah (make that Husky)-after-being-run-down" effect. Not fun. But, I’ll tell you this much: Similar to the two recent losses to Madison, I had no regrets having the honor of seeing this game, or, if it had to happen, losing to the Holmes team, coaching staff and the community they represented. They were and still are a class act. Any Rocket with any empathy whatsoever couldn’t help but appreciate precisely how it must have felt across the way as time expired. After all, we’d been there. And, in spite of the final result, it was another "Rocket Pride" moment, because the Rockets could very easily could have folded completely in the 1^st Half with a team like Holmes had that day. But, they didn’t.

The next week Holmes returned to Alamo Stadium, once again to a sunny, cloudless, day, but about 30 degrees colder. Yates also made a return to Alamo Stadium with a team full of third-year starters with a bad taste still in their mouth following their loss to Judson. Actually, Yates was hoping to get Judson for this Semi-Final Game, and was actually willing to come to Alamo Stadium, even if they had the option of playing in the Dome (or somewhere closer to Houston), in order to do so. As is usually the case in such affairs, the several thousand Huskies were joined by a healthy contingent and assortment of Region IV banished. For the better part of two and a half Quarters, it appeared that the Huskies were on the verge of coming out of hibernation and taking the advantage away from Yates. However, Yates was on a mission, they weren’t to be denied, and consequently, Holmes ended up with the same exact blowout score (34-7) they received from Port Arthur Jefferson in Austin in 1980. Mojo kicked a field goal in the ‘Dome as time expired and defeated Cypress-Fairbanks 10-7. At Texas Stadium the following week, Mojo was no match for what Yates had, and quickly saw a 9-0 Halftime deficit balloon into a 37-0 final (make that Final) score. They ‘were flying along, and hit something in the air.’ DOA, in other words. Indeed, mountain lions (aka Panthers) are no match for lion Lions, especially the ones belonging to Jack Yates in 1985.