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Unlike 1988, when the Rockets and the Flight Crew, manned by a group of talented but inexperienced Sophomores, had managed to spend much of the season under the radar somewhat all the way through a larger part of the playoffs, 1989 would offer no such opportunity. The Rockets, as the No. 1 ranked team in the State, would be the target of any number of heat-seekers watching and waiting for ways and opportunities to bring them back to earth the hard way before they could reach the mission objective that the crew of now Rocket Flight Veterans came so close to attaining the year before when, in disappointing contrast with the 1983 mission, they arrived in Lunar orbit only to have to abort the final descent not long after it started. And, to compound this, the Rockets would at one point be ranked as the No. 2 team in the nation according to ESPN.

Jay (7-3; 4-2)
September 9, 1989: Northside Stadium
First up was a Saturday evening matchup with Jay and new Head Coach Rusty Dowling, fresh from a stint at Mission where his offense had proven to possess the kind of aerial assault capable of providing at least chase to the Rockets, if not more. Fortunately for Judson, they came prepared for it, and the Mustangs got scorched by the Rockets' exhaust plume. In gaining 419 yards to the Mustangs' 158 in the 37-0 affair, the Rockets collected three (3) fumbles and two (2) interceptions on their way to scoring three (3) times through the air using two (2) different QB's: Mike Jinks and Mr. Everything Darnell Stephens. Just as with the 1988 meeting in Converse, this one was over by Halftime, as the Rockets got out to a 24-0 lead, scoring 17 points in the 2nd quarter and essentially giving the Mustangs little chance of providing chase. The Rockets passed the first-quarter Max Q, and were well out of sight after "throttle up" in the 2nd Quarter.

Clark (7-3; 4-2)
September 15, 2989: Converse
The following Friday before 11120 witnesses, the heralded pumas from Dezavala---also known as the Clark Cougars---paid their first visit to Converse since their near-miss attempt at giving the Rockets that terminal case of "cat scratch fever" we discussed in some detail in the 1983 write-up. With a much thicker thermal protective skin than that in place at this same point the year before when they got clawed 14-12, the Rockets passed the point of Maximum aerodynamic heating well before the cats even knew that the Rockets had long since cleared the tower. And they escaped without a scratch. In a rather odd statistic, both teams split almost evenly between air and ground. The big difference, however, was that the Rockets had 298 such yards split evenly, while the SAT 2nd-ranked cats were only able to muster 95 yards. The Rockets, aided by a 47-yard Jinks to Isom Lankford 1st Quarter TD pass, scored all their points in a 13-minute span in the 1st Half. Even more impressive was the fact that the Rockets did this without the aid of a single Clark turnover. Clark was a good team and the Rockets devised and executed a good Flight Plan to deal with this fact.

Highlands (6-4; 5-2)
September 21, 1989: Alamo Stadium
After such a hot start, there is always a concern that this kind of thrust intensity is only a fleeting thing, and that some anomalies will crop up in even the best of Rocket vehicles. Indeed, things got off to a good enough start following Thursday at Alamo Stadium with Judson jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the 1st Quarter, courtesy of two (2) TD runs from Darnell Stephens. The Owls, however, then answered with a 48-yard pass to bring the score to 14-6, and the Rockets' ensuing possession then failed to produce. Then, while attempting to improvise following a bad snap, Punter and Place Kicker Jeff Hunt was slammed hard to the ground, subsequently giving the Owls a short field to work with. That is, only after the game was halted for nearly half an hour while Hunt was tended to and taken away with what turned out to be a broken arm. With some of the Rocket crew now apparently suffering from motion sickness, the Rockets were immediately thereafter burned on a 22-yard pass that brought the score to 14-12. The Rockets appeared to have lost thrust if not altitude to the point that even an Owl could catch them. Momentum had definitely shifted, as the Owls kept the ball for more than four (4) minutes in the 2nd Quarter.

Although the score remained 14-12 at the Half, the Owls then forced and recovered a fumble early in the 3rd Quarter, and three plays later scored on a 42-yard run to take an 18-14 lead. Late in the 3rd Quarter, the Owls then recovered an Isom Lankford fumble into the end zone that aborted what was promising to be the Rockets' answering score. The Rockets, with a reeling but still alert crew, were nevertheless able to finish the game with a successful "abort to orbit" by compensating with their remaining thrusters. The Defense froze the Owl offensive guidance platform for the remainder of the game, and the Rocket Offense scored the final 21 points, starting with a 37-yard pass from Darnell Stephens to Luis Silva with 38 seconds remaining in the 3rd Quarter that provided a 21-18 lead. Some of the compensating thrust in that effort was from the 182 yards in 27 carries provided by Vincent Kyle.

East Central (2-8; 1-6)
September 29, 1989: Hornet Stadium
Any such anomaly, even after an ultimately successful Rocket burn, demands a full-scale review and operational adjustment. Such an adjustment occurred the following week in the 27-5A opener at East Central. The Rockets stung the Hornets with precisely 600 yards of offense----422 on the ground and 178 through the air (with Jinks completing 7 of 8 passes)----and 62 points: 14 each in the first two Quarters and 27 in the Third, and 30 First Downs. Darnell Stephens, Mike Hendricks and Mark Soto collected three (3) interceptions, and the Defense limited EC to only 71 yards for the game. On the truly ugly side, the Rockets collected 142 yards in penalties, and the Hornets had three (3) players go down.

Churchill (6-4; 5-2)
October 6, 1989: Converse
Back in Converse, the Rockets had another epic match-up with the Churchill Chargers. The Chargers were left in a somewhat unaccustomed position, arriving in Converse with a 1-3 mark after dropping some well-fought, close games with some stiff competition, one of them a 10-7 verdict in favor of the resurgent Marshall Rams under David Visentine. Just as in 1983 when Judson entered the showdown in Converse as the top-ranked team in Texas, the Chargers jumped out to a 10-7 lead, only for the Rockets to answer back and win 21-10. The Rockets grabbed the lead for good with 57 seconds left before the Half, and then held on at 14-10 before Jinks finished the scoring with 3:57 to go in the game. Statistically as well, the game eerily mirrored the 1983 affair. Meanwhile, in bringing their record to 5-0, TR beat Marshall 23-17 in one of the more classic meetings so far that season, and finally got past Churchill 14-0 for the first time since 1979. Somewhat eerie for Judson, because, of course, the Rockets posted a similar 14-0 score in their monumental first win over Churchill in 1982. Were the tables about to be turned? A meeting between the potentially undefeated neighborhood rivals was still a few weeks away.

Lee (2-8; 2-5)
October 13, 1989: Blossom
Meanwhile, the Rockets had a relatively easy time with the Lee Volunteers at Blossom, winning 48-0. The scoring began less than 90 seconds into the game when Demetric Mass blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for the score. Another non-scoring blocked punt would also occur, and Darnell Stephens would also return a 42-yard punt for a score to up the lead to 35-0 after the Half. Nevertheless, even the best of Rocket flight crews have their funky moments, and this evening provided one of them. On Judson's third possession, Lee picked off a dead duck put up by Jinks. After a three and out, Judson went two plays before Lee recovered a Rocket fumble. Three plays later, it was the Vols' turn. Judson then returned the favor two plays later with a fumble following an 18-yard reception. Alas, Lee likewise could not hang on, and they in turn gave it away for the sixth turnover in five (5) minutes. Flight Director D.W. Rutledge in his post-flight comments said, "Your first instinct is to yell at them. But then you realize the best thing is to just let them build back some confidence and regain composure." Indeed, self-control and composure would soon prove to be a haunting lesson about coaching styles that work, and some that don't work----at least not any more, or when they hit the wrong "target."

San Marcos (1-9; 0-7)
October 20, 1989: Converse
The Rockets kept their end of the bargain in setting up a battle of unbeatens with Roosevelt by getting the job done with a 41-13 win over San Marcos. Darnell Stephens stepped in once more at QB so that Jinks could nurse some cartilage issues in his knee, completing 6 of 10 passes for 141 yards. The only scoring in the First Quarter came, with only two (2) minutes gone, on a 12-yard Stephens to Silva pass that capped a 48-yard drive following a Rattler turnover. The score was brought to 21-0 by the Half with another Stephens to Silva pass, this one a 51-yarder. The Second Half was somewhat of a score-trading affair that Judson nevertheless stayed on top of, although nearly half of San Marcos' offense came late in the 3rd Quarter when Sophomore QB Keegan Clark took off for a 64-yard TD run. For the game the Rockets gained 329 yard on the ground, with Isom Lankford collecting the most at 108 and Kyle Arnell, Darnell Stephens and a whole host of others contributing respectably. Defensively the Rockets kept the snakes at bay with only 167 yards, while Mark Soto and Mike Hendricks each collected interceptions. On the other hand, Judson also led in penalties: 9 for 97 yards.

Roosevelt (9-1; 6-1)
October 27, 1989: Blossom
13651 witnesses turned out for this Saturday evening contest. Darnell Stephens returned a TR punt 25 yards to the Riders’ 46-yard line, and seven (7) plays later the Rockets grabbed the lead with a 3-yard run by Vincent Kyle. Jeff Hunt, back in action since breaking his arm in the meeting with Highlands, was good on the PAT, and the Rockets led 7-0 with 3:55 remaining in the 1st Quarter. Mike Hendricks intercepted a Mike Coolbaugh pass at the TR 26-yard line, but a 39-yard FG was no good. The next time the Rockets had the ball, however, Hunt was good on a 36-yarder at the 9:30 mark of the second period, which came at the end of a 7-play, 57-yard drive. Later in the 2nd Quarter, a 42-yard dash by Kyle set the Rockets up at he Rider 7-yard line, and shortly thereafter Jinks hooked up with Silva for an 11-yard pass with 3:26 left in the Half. The Rockets were able to make the best of a low snap on the PAT when holder Jason Krug was able to get away from a potentially crowded "maul" and get a pass off to Steve Chandler for two (2) points. On the Riders’ next possession, Robert Reed intercepted another Coolbaugh pass, the Rockets went to work at the TR 47-yard line, and with 25 seconds remaining Hunt drilled a 25-yard FG.

Coolbaugh had been harassed all day by the Rocket defense in a 1-of-14 effort that netted twelve (12) yards, four (4) sacks for 22 yards in losses, and four (4) dropped passes, and was furthermore unable to return for the 2nd Half after being hit by an errant clipboard---intended, by TR Head Coach John Ferrara, to hit the wall----during an animated halftime talk. Coolbaugh’s replacement, Brian Jolly, wasn’t any more successful as the 2nd Half progressed. Meanwhile, the Rockets tallied one (1) additional score when Jinks connected with Parker Towery for a 44-yard pass play that was caught at the 30 and run in from there. The Hunt PAT was good, and the Rockets were in the process of wrapping up a 28-0 verdict with 91 seconds remaining in the penultimate period. The Riders reached the Rocket 15-yard line with a 55-yard drive late in the game, but Hendricks got a 7-yard sack, Ronnie Fitzgerald bottled up an end-around run attempt with a two-yard loss, and Matt Roland shut the threat off for good with an 8-yard sack on 4th Down.

The Riders lost one (1) fumble and experienced two (2) INTS’, which came as part of a 2-of-16 passing effort that garnered 31 yards. The Riders punted six (6) times for a 37.8 average, which came as a result of their failure to produce in netting only 106 yards on the ground. The Rockets, in contrast, experienced no turnovers whatever, although they did have to punt four (4) times for a 36.3-yard average. Through the air Jinks was 8-of-18 for 126 yards, while on the ground the Rockets picked up 234 yards, with Kyle contributing 136 of that on 23 snaps, and the balance distributed between four (4) other ball handlers.

Madison (6-4; 4-3)
November 3, 1989: Converse
After the turmoil, outrage, shock and introspection that ensued after the Saturday night incident at Blossom, Judson and TR took care of business and clinched the two playoff spots. In the 'Riders' case, it was their first since shocking Ferrara and the Volunteers in the 1970 City Championship. Minus the still-recovering Coolbaugh and the "re-assigned" Ferrara, the Riders beat Mac 21-11 in Marty Shaughnessy's debut as Head Coach. Meanwhile in Converse, the Rockets, with Jinks back in at QB, beat Madison in a manner somewhat like that in which they beat San Marcos: They got a lone score in the 1st Quarter, raced out to a 24-0 lead by the Half, and then stayed in control of a scoring exchange in the 2nd Half. A highlight for the Rockets was a 48-yard interception return by Pat Johnson to finish the scoring, while Madison QB Rick James put Madison on the board late in the 3rd with a super freaky 72-yard TD pass play to David Price that accounted for a little more than a third of Mavericks' 199 total yards. Darnell Stephens contributed five punt returns for 93 yards, one of which was a 40-yarder that set up a score. A highlight for all fans at the Half was a performance by the Texas Tech Red Raider Band, which was spending the night nearby enroute to the showdown in Austin the next day with the Longhorns---a game that Spike Dykes and his Red Raiders would win.

MacArthur (4-6; 3-4)
November 10, 1989: Converse
In bringing their final regular season record to 10-0, the Rockets had a rather laid-back affair in Converse in which they dispatched the Brahmas with a single score in each of the four (4) quarters. The first score came on a five-play, 77-yard drive that was highlighted by a 47-yard Jinks to Silva completion. The Jinks-Silva connection worked again in the 2nd Quarter for a 10-yard TD, and the Rocket Defense blunted the Brahmas' best chance at a score just before Halftime. Early in the 3rd Quarter Isom Lankford set up a 1-yard TD run by Charlie Johnson with a 52-yard sprint. The Rockets suffered zero (0) turnovers while snatching two (2) fumbles and one (1) interception, and Isom Lankford and Vincent Kyle each hit the century mark in contributing the lion's share of the Rockets 287 ground yards.

Semifinals
Aldine 48 Judson 14
Permian 31 Marshall, TX 14

Final
Permian 28 Aldine 14

Jefferson (6-4); 5-2)
November 18, 1989: Alamo Stadium
The night before the Rockets' matchup with the Mustangs, the Rough Riders shocked an undefeated Sam Houston squad in a steady drizzle at Alamo Stadium. The following afternoon at the Rockpile, the Rockets began their post-season trip to the moon in a still-continuing drizzle with a meeting with Jefferson. The 1st Quarter was scoreless, but a six-play, 88-yard drive was capped off with 46-yard pass play from Jinks to Parker Towery at the 8:52 mark of the 2nd Quarter. The second play of the drive featured a 23-yard pass from Jinks to Luis Silva that brought the Rockets out to their 35-yard line. The PAT was good, and the Rockets led 7-0. Late in the 1st Half, Mark Soto blocked a Mustang punt, and after a mad scramble by both teams, the ball rolled 36 yards down the wet astroturf before the Rockets recovered at the Mustang 21. Vincent Kyle took it in from the 1-yard line with 61 seconds remaining, and the PAT gave the Rockets a 14-0 lead at the break.

Coming out of the break, the ‘Stangs took the kickoff and drove 55 yards to the Rocket 2-yard line. The ‘Stangs’ Eddie Weddington appeared to have broken the plane of the goal line before fumbling into the end zone, but the officials ruled otherwise, which meant that the Rockets preserved the 14-0 advantage as a result of Mike Reed’s recovery in the endzone for a touchback. Later in the 3rd period and with three (3) seconds remaining, Arnell provided the final TD of the day, and Jeff Hunt provided the final PAT of the day, and the 4th Quarter would end as the 1st Quarter did---scoreless. And, Jefferson would end the game with Judson as they did the year before in the 1st round---scoreless, although not nearly as severely as the previous result. The Mustangs finished with 52 yards on the ground and 28 through the air, one (1) lost fumble and one (1) INT. The Rockets, meanwhile, finished with 215 yards on the ground and 116 yards through the air. Jinks would complete 6-of-14 passes and experience two (2) INT’s, although the Rockets had no lost fumbles.

CC Carroll (9-1; 7-1)
November 24, 1989: Converse
The roles were somewhat reversed from the year before, with the Tigers this time entering the matchup with one (1) loss and the Rockets, of course, undefeated thus far, but the Thanksgiving Friday evening contest in Converse had nowhere near the drama and the color of the Quarterfinal meeting between these two the year before. The Tigers got on the board first, capping an 8-play, 37-yard opening drive with a 42-yard FG at the 7:34 mark of the opening period. The Rockets then responded with a 52-yard drive in seven (7) plays, taking a 7-3 lead on a 6-yard pass from Jinks to Parker Towery and a Hunt PAT with 2:39 left in the opening Quarter. The Rockets then upped the count with a 14-yard Vincent Kyle run 43 seconds into the 2nd Quarter, and the Hunt PAT was good once more. The Tigers’ Coniglio would then connect on a 20-yard FG with 70 seconds remaining in the 1st Half, leaving the Rockets with a 14-6 advantage for the intermission. The advantage would remain through the 3rd Quarter, but with 9:04 to go in the game, Kyle provided a 16-yard TD run, and the PAT was good. The Tigers then reached the end zone for the first time in the game, with 5:22 remaining, with a 25-yard pass from Carl Greenwood to Robert Hanna, but the pass attempt for two (2) points failed, the Rockets responded with a drive that consumed nearly the remainder of the game, Jinks took the ball in from the 1-yard line with 17 seconds to go, but the PAT failed. Jinks and Darnell Stephens alternated on the final drive, which covered 74 yards and took 16 plays. The only turnover experienced by either team was a lost fumble by the Tigers. The Tigers picked up 117 yards on the ground and 186 through the air. The Rockets, meanwhile, picked up 92 air yards on a 9-of-17 passing effort, while the ground forces got 256 yards.

"Cougs in Space: Part II." Somehow the Cougars managed to sneak aboard in the hopes of making their own post-season moon-flight, and the Rocket Flight Crew thus needed to get them under control. Otherwise, Cougs in Space could prove just as lethal an experience as Snakes on a Plane. In a dejavu experience, the Rockets once again had a 3rd-round appointment with the venerable pumas at Alamo Stadium. Just as had they did eleven (11) weeks earlier in Converse, the Rockets got off to a hot start, but that is where the dejavu aspect ended. First, the dejavu. On the Rockets’ opening possession, Jinks completed passes to Silva and Towery for 19-and 13-yard gains, and Kyle capped the quick-firing, 138-second drive with a 21-yard run for the score. The PAT was blocked. The Harold Massey then intercepted the cats on their next possession, and the Rockets then put together a 13-play, 58-yard drive. Jinks connected with Kyle on a last-second pitch-out and Kyle took it in from six (6) yards out. Jinks then passed to Towery for two (2) points, and the Rockets were up 14-0 with 80 seconds left in the opening period. The beginning of the end of the dejavu aspect, however came when Isom Lankford’s 31-yard TD was nullified by a holding call, and a 50-yard FG attempt by Hunt failed as time expired in the 1st Half. The Rockets nevertheless extended their lead with Hunt’s 46-yard FG at the 8:50 mark of the 3rd Quarter, but the Cougars narrowed the gap on a 1-yard run and PAT with 84 ticks remaining in the penultimate quarter, and by this time were showing evidence of having neutralized much of the Rockets’ quick-strike capabilities.

The Rockets were still unable to move the ball much as the 4th Quarter progressed and the clock bled away, but the pumas, being the swift, dangerous, stealthy and intelligent cats that they are, patiently waited to make their move from below the mid-deck, and they pounced with 3:11 left in the game when Josh LaRocca unleashed a 57-yard pass play that Keith Brown caught and, evading a Rocket defender near the sideline at the Rocket 17, took it in for the score, and Tony Rivera was good on the PAT. After gaining 175 yards in the 1st Half, the Rockets had been limited to 111 yards and seven (7) First Downs in the 2nd Half, and at that point in the contest the Rockets still only had (5) of those seven (7) First Downs. In addition to the fact that Clark was ahead in penetrations 3-2 and only needed a FG to abort the Rockets’ mission, head cat Mike Robbins made a reasonable decision in deciding to kick off to the Rockets and then work to get a 3-and-out or a turnover. The decision almost immediately paid off when Darnell Stephens fumbled on the return, but an alert Kenny Wilson recovered for the Rockets. The Rockets then were able to pick up 22 yards and their two (2) remaining First Downs in bleeding the clock before punting from the Clark 46. The cats were back in business at their own 29 with 13 seconds remaining. LaRocca fired incomplete on 1st Down, and then on 2nd Down sent a bomb downfield that Darnell Stephens hauled in at the Rockets 38, in what could have been a crowded "maul" had he not gotten it. Instead, the Rocket Flight Crew bagged the cats still one more time and stored them in the lower equipment bay of the spacecraft for safe-keeping. They had far too much respect for them to do otherwise. For instance, the cats picked up 127 yards on the ground and 152 through the air, although they did experience two (2) INT’s and lose one (1) fumble. In comparison, the Rockets picked up 217 yards on the ground and 69 through the air. They had no INT’s, but did lose one (1) fumble, which led to one of the Clark scores.

Harlingen (8-1; 5-0)
December 9, 1989: Bogus Stadium, Harlingen
The Rockets visited the Rio Grande Valley for the first time on a clear, dry but slightly-balmy Saturday afternoon meeting with the Cardinals at Bogus Stadium, who arrived by dispatching Austin LB the week before after LBJ had dispatched the Rough Riders the week before that. In front of an overflow crowd of 14500 and with the Rocket Band seated on the track in folding chairs, another epic Quarterfinal match was underway. The Rockets got on the board first, scoring on a 6-yard pass from Jinks to Isom Lankford at the 5:41 mark of the 1st Quarter, and the PAT by Hunt was good. With 5:43 to go in the 2nd Quarter, Jinks, under heavy pressure, got a side-armed pass off to Parker Towery for a 13-yard TD and, with still one more PAT, the Rockets were up 14-0. The Rockets extended the lead with 2:11 left in the Half on a 4-yard Vincent Kyle run and the Hunt PAT. The Cardinals then managed to get some momentum in the 3rd Quarter by picking up a 37-yard FG by Rigo Tapia at the 5:03 mark, but the Rockets continued to chew the clock up and, with 5:01 left in the game Hunt added a 30-yard FG. The Cardinals then undertook a 6-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard run by James Duncan with 2:49 left, but the Rockets still led 24-9 after the failed PAT. The onside kick attempt also failed, and the Rockets then iced the deal with a 6-play, 50-yard drive that ended with a 25-yard Kyle run with 38 seconds remaining, and Hunt finished the scoring with the PAT.

The Cards picked up 143 yards on the ground, with James Duncan getting 98 of those on 18 carries. Freddy Cavazos completed 8-of-23 passes for 137 yards, but he was also picked off thee (3) times: Twice by Mike Hendricks and once by Brent McCollum. The Cardinals also experienced one (1) lost fumble, but they committed not penalized at all in the game, while the Rockets were flagged nine (9) times for 70 yards. Meanwhile, the Rockets picked up 80 yard through the air on a 7-of-14 effort by Jinks, who was also picked off twice. The Rockets also picked up 370 yards on the ground, with Vincent Kyle contributing 183 on 25 carries, Kyle Arnell getting 99 on 16 totes, Jinks chipping in 70 yards on 13 carries, and the balance provided by Isom Lankford and Kenny Wilson. The strong gulf breeze that had just returned after several days of high-pressure-fueled winds from the northwest also seemed to favor the Cards, as a two-punt, 50-yard average and a two-punt, 24.5-yard average for Judson helped slow the Rockets down somewhat

Going into the game, the Rockets and Mustangs appeared to be made for each other. They both featured run-oriented offenses, strong, big-play defenses, major demographic similarities save for the military aspect of the Judson community, very similar histories of once-tiny, rural High Schools becoming major players in the greater metropolitan areas of major Texas cities, and two (2) overall football programs known for their high level of ethical standards as personified by the respective Head Coaches: The Rockets’ DW Rutledge and the Mustangs’ Bill Smith, who had been Head Coach for the Mustangs since 1975, and associated with the Aldine ISD since the 1960's when the only airport Houston had was still Hobby and the District consisted primarily of farmland and a mail-stop and one-time rail-stop named Aldine. An ill wind blew into South Texas the day before the Mustangs rolled into town for the meeting at Alamo Stadium----the second 4A/5A semi-final to be played in San Antonio since the Rockets moved past the Yates Lions in 1983, but only the third Semi-final to take place in San Antonio since at least the late 1940's. Leaden skies were forecast, with temperatures expected in the low-forties to upper thirties for the Saturday afternoon match-up, and by game time, in front of the 12131 witnesses, it was just as advertised.

Also performing as advertised was the Mustang Defense, which allowed the Rockets to pick up only two (2) hard-earned First Downs in their opening drive. It was then the Mustang Offense's turn to perform as advertised. After the Rocket punt, they drove 66 yards in 16 time-consuming, ground-oriented plays, converting two (2) 3rd-Down plays and a 4th-and-1 play at the Rockets' 18-yard line. Being only the second overall series for both teams in the game, it chewed up nearly all of the remainder of the opening period, and only 44 seconds remained by the time Herman Hopson crashed in from two (2) yards out after shaking off a hit at the line of scrimmage. The PAT by Richard Elder was good, and the 'Stangs led 7-0. The Rockets' next offensive series was terminated when Chris Dixon intercepted Jinks' pass at the Mustang 22-yard line after the Rockets picked up a 1st-and-10 at the Aldine 48-yard line. In most situations, this may have functioned as a decent punt, but the Rockets chose the wrong team on the wrong day to try and prove this theory. Shortly after the ensuing Mustang drive got underway, Hopson picked up 22-yards to the Rocket 39-yard line, and he finished the drive on the next play by going the additional 39 yards. Elders' kick was good, and the Mustangs were on top 14-0 at the 8:57 mark of the 2nd Quarter. The Rockets were still unable to produce anything consistent on the next series, but the Defense seemed for the moment, at least, to have contained the Mustangs on their next series. After still one more unproductive series for the Rockets, however, they punted to the Mustang 31-yard line with two (2) minutes remaining in the Half. On the first play, Rocket defenders appeared to have QB Doug Womack bottled up, he bobbled the ball momentarily which could have been a major momentum changer for the Rockets, but Derrick Johnson got his attention in time for him to pitch the ball to him, and Johnson was off on a one-man race to the end zone with 97 seconds left in the Half. Mike Hendricks, however, crashed through to block Elders' PAT. Stunned would nevertheless be an inadequate description for the people on the west side of the Rock-pile dressed in red. The Rockets mounted an 8-play drive that netted 17 yards before Gary Martins terminated the effort by intercepting Jinks' pass as time expired.

After finally seeing what the Rockets really were capable off and not wanting to leave anything to chance, the Mustangs picked up where they left off by undertaking a 7-play, 71-yard drive that Womack concluded with an 18-yard run and Elder complemented with a one-point kick with 71 seconds gone in the final period. The Rockets failed to produce on their ensuing series, and the Mustangs, now under the field direction of backup QB Eric Gray, iced the thing for the Mustangs with a 7-yard run with 4:08 remaining, and Forest Despain provided the Mustangs with their final PAT of the day. The Rockets, with their fuel lines, offensive engines and guidance platform frozen, by this point knew for sure that their lunar landing had been cancelled by the Mustangs, but they nevertheless in true Rocket Pride fashion made the best of what had become what NASA terms an "alternate mission" by getting the final word in this abortive Semi-final, driving 54 yards in eight (8) plays for a 8-yard TD run by Vincent Kyle with 2:23 to go. The final points of the day and hence the Rockets' mission were contributed by Hunt

The Rockets lost one (1) fumble and experienced two (2) INT's that came as part of a 7-of-18 performance by Jinks that picked up 95 yards. The Rockets averaged 29.5 yards on four (4) punts, while on the ground they netted only 162 yards. The Mustangs, meanwhile, punted only once for 41 yards, and they experienced no turnovers whatever. They completed only 1-of-2 passes for four (4) yards, and of course the real----and more than sufficient---damage came on the ground, where they picked up 466 yards. Hopson contributed 144 yards on 19 snaps, Womack contributed 140 yard on 24 carries, and Johnson got 113 on four (4) totes. The balance was provided by four (4) other ball carriers.

Unfortunately for both Judson and Aldine, both teams ended 1989 feeling a need to vindicate themselves as a result of how things ended. In the case of the Mustangs, their feeling came as a result of what happened in 6-degree weather at Texas Stadium the following week. One thing that can be deadly for an option-oriented offense is a high risk of turnovers. Partially as a result of what can happen when exceedingly cold air makes a ball somewhat heavier and hence more easily mis-handled on such pitch-outs, the Permian Panthers were able to take full advantage of a short field, good coaching and the play of a pretty good team in and of itself that hence gave the Mustangs their chance to play "coulda', shoulda', woulda' alongside the Rockets for the next eight (8) months or so. The good thing for both the Rockets and the Mustangs, however, is that they had the resources that were more than ready, willing, able, and hardly wanting to wait to do something about it almost as soon as time expired on the 1989 season. At least the sub-frozen ending in Irving and that day in general across Texas took place under blue, sunny skies, which was enough to reassure everyone that there's always still something to look forward to and, for the Permian Panthers at least, something to enjoy.