1992: No. 1 Chief Rocket

NOTE: Click HERE to view the season record

Highlands (4-5-1, 4-3)
September 5, 1992: Alamo Stadium
The Rocket Defense and special teams play highlighted the Saturday evening launch at Alamo Stadium. Jerod Douglas returned the opening kickoff 55-yards, and shortly thereafter Craig Vontur connected with a 44-yard FG less than 90 seconds into the mission. The Rockets quickly upped the tally to 10-0 with a 38-yard pass play from QB Aaron Carter to Andra Johnson. With 93 ticks left in the opening period Leslee Davee blocked a punt that Donovan Davis captured and ran in for a 3-yard TD to make it 17-0 following the PAT. With two (2) minutes gone in the 2nd Quarter, Jerod Douglas scored on a 12-yard run and Vontur followed with the PAT. Members of the backup Flight Crew were then called in, but in spite of this the Rockets still scored one more time before the break, this one coming on a 4-yard Mike Oliver run with 28 seconds remaining. Dorian Williams would contribute a 41-yard punt return which, along with a Wes Mooring conversion run, was the only tally of the penultimate quarter, this coming at the 5:38 mark. Alex Brown's 4-yard run and Vontur's PAT closed the scoring with 2:23 left in the game. Highlands experienced no turnovers, and the Rockets lost one (1) fumble. Douglas led rushers with 92 of the Rockets' 204 ground yards, and Carter completed 3-of-6 passes for 64 yards, while the Owls were limited to 80 yards total. In contrast with the Owls' poor punting average on eight (8) punts, courtesy of the blocked punt, the Rockets had two (2) punts for a 45.5 yard average. As Dorian Williams said in his post-launch comments, "This is a nice way to start the season." Or, to borrow from the comments of the crew of the 3rd manned flight to the Skylab space station minutes after their launch, "smooth as glass."

Marshall (4-6, 2-3)
September 11, 1992: Converse
A crowd of 14000 was on hand in Converse to view the match-up between the two (2) Region IV representatives from 1991. The Rockets got out to a 14-0 lead by Halftime by virtue of an 8-yard Douglas pass reception and Vontur PAT with 2:14 left in the 1st Quarter, and a 19-yard Douglas run and Vontur kick with 8:37 to go. The Rams narrowed the gap to 14-6 early in the 3rd Quarter, but the Rockets answered right back with a 44-yard pass play to Wes Mooring to bring the lead to 21-6. Marshall narrowed the gap back to 7 with a TD and two-point conversion with 2:50 left in the game following a two-play drive resulting from a Judson turnover near the goal line, but the Rockets held on for the win after Shawn Hatter recovered the Ram onside kick attempt. The Rams were only able to muster 133 ground yards and 9 through the air, while the Rockets had 194 on the ground and 92 through the air to go with a 41-yard punting average on two (2) punts. Jerod Douglas netted 144 yards on 23 carries.

Round Rock (8-2, 6-0)
September 18, 1992: Round Rock
The Rockets' flame proved to be far more effective that that of the Dragons in this match-up in Round Rock, as the Rockets would score once in each quarter. Jerod Douglas was held to only 50 yards and the Rockets were limited to 116 on the ground for the game, but Carter, Clint Rutledge and their receivers responded with 214 yards through the air, completing 12-of-18 passes with one (1) interception. The first score came on the opening drive when Carter connected with Buddy Matthews, putting Judson up 7-0 following the PAT. Vernord Hethington would then score on a two-yard run with 2:54 to go in the Half. Although the Dragons mustered only 50 yards in the 1st Half, they drove down to the Judson 33 before Donovan Davis shut things off with an 8-yard loss on 2nd Down, and this turn of events led to the Dragons punting shortly thereafter. With "four zeros" showing on the 3rd Quarter clock, Carter connected with Dorian Williams on a 65-yard play that brought the lead to 21-0 with the PAT. Douglas finally got in on the scoring action with 5:33 to go in the game with a 3-yard run that finished the scoring pending the failed PAT. The Dragons had no turnovers, and the Rockets experienced that (1) INT mentioned previously.

The Rockets continued to keep the 'Cats in check for the most part as the 3rd Quarter began, and they then regained the previous 14-point advantage with a Jerod Douglas 1-yard run and a Vontur 1-pointer with 4:13 to go. The Wildcats had a relatively quick response to that, scoring on a 4-yard Wilson run with 48 seconds remaining in the 3rd, although the PAT was no good. The 4th Quarter then began, and that was when the 'Cats completely emerged from hibernation, and the Rockets lost just enough offensive thrust to give Temple the opportunities on offense that they needed. With 18 seconds gone in the final period, Woodson connected with Damion Johnson for a 52-yard pass play that, combined with a Woodson run for two (2) points, evened the score at 21. The Wildcats were soon at it again, taking their first lead of the day on a 10-yard Wilson run. The Magana PAT gave Temple a 7-point advantage with 7:11 left to play. Shortly thereafter, Wilson scored on a 37-yard run, the Magana kick was good, and with 4:50 to go it had become indelibly apparent to the 13000 witnesses that they were seeing one of the more frenetic turnarounds to take place in Converse some time, perhaps excepting only the 31-28 Luis Fite demonstration in 1990 that the Rockets survived, and the Trigg exam administered by TR that the Rockets had trouble with in 1983. The Rockets had some additional opportunities to turn things around, but they weren't at all helped when, with 2:19 to go, the Temple defense, which had obviously cranked things up a notch or two as well as the game wore on, sacked Jerod Douglas in the endzone for a safety.

The Wildcats picked up 263 yards on the ground, with Wilson providing 172 of those on 28 carries. Woodson who also picked up 88 yards on 15 carries, was good on 9-of-13 passes for 251 yards and no INT's. The only turnover was a lost fumble. Aaron Carter was good on 8-of-18 passes for 90 yards and two (2) INT's, which gave the Rockets 90 yards through the air. The real damage was done on the ground, where the Rockets netted 300 yards. Jerod Douglas contributed 251 of that on 26 carries. In spite of the two (2) INT's the Rockets did not lose any fumbles, and were also penalized only twice for 20 yards. Interestingly, the Rockets had accumulated a 41-game regular season undefeated streak in Converse, the last defeat being the ignominious 35-24 debacle with TR in 1983 that toppled Judson from its No. 1 State ranking. Although everyone was hoping that there would be some kind of partial parallel here for the Rockets that would likewise ultimately involve a similar happy ending, there were plenty of DTO's (Detailed Test Objectives) necessary to complete successfully before the Rockets could really think about that. There were some people left wondering if maybe the Rockets and the Wildcats would meet again in the Finals. Unbeknownst to anyone at the time, the next best thing, and some could contend the best thing, would happen instead.

Taft (7-3, 3-2)
October 2, 1992: Northside Stadium
The Raiders, in their seventh (7th) season of varsity play all under the direction of former long-time Holmes assistant Mike Haynes, had always looked to be a potentially-stiff competitor for the Rockets. Indeed, the Raiders entered the game, played in front of 10221 at Northside, with a perfect 4-0 record, and they did not disappoint in this inaugural meeting of the two (2) programs. The Rockets were limited to two (2) FG's in the first 8 minutes of the game. The second came following a 14-yard Taft punt that put the Rockets in business at the Raider 25. Although the Rockets' Andy Scott shortly thereafter intercepted a pass, the Rockets returned the favor two (2) plays later, and the Raiders were in business at the Rocket 29. Following a 26-yard run to the three, the Raiders took the lead with a 1-yard plunge and a PAT with 29 seconds left in the 1st Quarter. Dorian Williams answered for Judson with a 50-yard kickoff return, and the Rockets were on the Taft 29-yard line following a 15-yard personal foul assessment. Douglas took it in on the next play, and Judson led 12-7 following a failed conversion run. On Taft's next possession, the Rockets' Lonnie Saunders blocked the punt, but punter Kent Wallis recovered the ball at the 5 and ran to the 37 for a 1st Down. Taft's Chris Brown shortly thereafter took it in from the Judson 35 to help give the Raiders a 14-12 lead with 8:01 to go in the Half. Douglas had a 95-yard kickoff return called back, and the Rockets instead had to settle for a 10-play, 61-yard scoring drive that Buddy Matthews finished off with a 2-yard run with 4:32 to go. Douglas' two-point conversion gave the Rockets a 20-14 lead and then, with 37 seconds to go before intermission, Adam Carter connected with Douglas for a 50-yard TD pass that gave Judson a 26-14 lead following a failed conversion pass attempt.

Judson would increase the margin to 33-14 early in the 3rd Quarter, and Taft answered accordingly to effect a 33-22 Judson advantage with 30 seconds to go in the 3rd. Douglas would get a 48-yard run with 11:51 to go in the game, Clint Rutledge would provide a 16-yard run at the 8:16 mark, and the Rockets would continue to miss on their PAT's. Chris Brown would score for the Raiders with 2:22 left, and it would then be the Raiders' turn to experience a failed conversion attempt. For the game, the Rockets gained 236 yards on the ground, 179 of those courtesy of Jerod Douglas on 14 carries, and Carter would complete 7-of-14 passes for 112 yards and zero (0) INT's. The Raiders gained 228 yards on the ground, with Chris Brown contributing 131 of those on 19 carries, and those pickups were complemented by 72 air yards. Judson would have two (2) punts for a 47.5-yard average. An interesting pre-district game for both teams.

Roosevelt (3-7, 0-5)
October 9, 1992: Converse
The Rockets began District play in Converse with a 271-yard rushing effort by Jerod Douglas on 18 carries. The onslaught began with a 63-yard TD run by Douglas with only 50 seconds gone, and the Rockets extended the lead to 21-0 by the end of the 1st Quarter with the help of a 6-yard pass from Carter to Dorian Williams, a 9-yard Hethington run, one (1) Vontur PAT and one (1) Douglas conversion run. Roosevelt got on the board early in the 2nd Quarter when TR recovered after Jerod was stripped of the ball at the Rocket 35, and the Riders scored from there shortly thereafter although they missed the PAT. The Rockets quickly answered with a 7-yard Douglas run and Vontur kick, and brought the 1st-Half scoring to a close with a 13-yard Carter to Johnson pass and Vontur PAT with 8 tics left. Roosevelt would open the scoring in the 2nd Half with 4:40 to go in the 3rd, but Jerod Douglas responded quickly with a 46-yard run. With 4:14 to go in the game, the Rockets brought their final tally to 55 with a 1-yard run by Josh Appleby, and the Riders immediately came back with a 73-yard pass from Richard Severyns to Robert Price that, with a Severyns run, gave TR 20 points to show for the effort. TR amassed 201 air yards and 62 on the ground in this meeting in which they had a 42.8-yard punting average. In contrast, Judson had no punts in this game, 475 yards on the ground (Hethington being the next-prolific contributor behind Douglas with 106 yards in 10 carries), and 76 yards through the air from 6-of-8 pass attempts from Carter.

MacArthur (1-9, 1-4)
October 17, 1992: Blossom
The Rockets met the Brahmas under first-year Head Coach Van Fuschak for a Saturday afternoon match-up at Blossom. Mac, still looking for their first win of the year, proved to be feisty ----both on offense and defense-------against the Rockets in a manner that would prove itself against the Rockets time and again during the Fuschak era. Jerod Douglas put the Rockets on the board first with a 1-yard run, but "only" at the 5:45 mark of the opening period. The Vontur kick was good, and on the Brahmas’ ensuing drive another kick---this one a 21-yard FG by Jonathan Dugas---was good with 3:12 remaining. Aaron Carter and Vontur then put the Rockets up 14-3 on a 2-yard run and a PAT with "four zeros" on the 1st Quarter clock. Andra Johnson extended the Rockets’ lead at the 7:56 mark of the 2nd period with a 2-yard pass reception from Carter, and Vontur made it 21-3 with another successful PAT. The Brahmas then answered with a 2-yard run by Marcus Warren to close the gap to 21-9 with 3:15 left in the 1st Half, but the pass for two (2) points failed. The Rockets then obtained a 28-9 lead for the intermission with a 1-yard Jerod Douglas run and Vontur kick with 17 seconds remaining.

The Brahmas narrowed the Rockets’ advantage with an 11-yard hookup from Blake Goodrum to Chris Schaper at the 6:26 mark of the 3rd Quarter, but the Rockets had an answer to this by adding another Vontur PAT, which was preceded by another Douglas run---this one for five (5) yards----with 95 seconds remaining in the penultimate period. 62 seconds into the final period, Josh Appleby increased the Rockets’ advantage with a 3-yard run, Vernord Hethington got away for a 34-yard run for the final TD of the day with 84 seconds remaining, and both Vontur PAT’s were good. The Brahmas netted 131 yards on the ground, with Warren getting 133 on 23 carries and the other two (2) contributors combining for a net negative "pickup" of two (2) yards. Through the air, Mac got 88 yards on a 3-of-11 effort that also experienced one (1) INT for the Brahmas’ only turnovers of the day. The Rockets, meanwhile, experienced zero (0) turnovers, and a 2-punt, 39.5-yard average helped make things difficult for the Brahmas. A combined 8-of-10 passing day for both Carter and backup QB Clint Rutledge that gained 104 yards also helped the Rockets, while the 286 grounds yards most definitely did. Douglas was the main contributor with 123 yards on 23 snaps, with the balance chipped in by five (5) other ball carriers.

Churchill (8-2, 4-1)
October 23, 1992: Converse
The revitalized Chargers arrived in Converse for a classic match-up. On the Rockets' 2nd possession, the Rockets drove 66 yards and capped off the drive with a 5-yard hook-up between Aaron Carter and Brandon Ercoline, with 51 of those yards provided by Jerod Douglas late in the 1st Quarter. Churchill narrowed the gap to 7-3 with a 34-yard FG by Todd Minister at the 8:59 mark in the 2nd, but Douglas took off on a 52-yard gainer that set the Rockets up at the 1-yard line, from where Douglas took it in a few plays later, this coming at the 6:39 mark. With 2:27 left in the Half, Vernord Hethington contributed an 81-yard TD run that brought the count to 21-3 following the PAT. The Chargers returned the kickoff to their 40-yard line, and QB Matt Christian directed the drive the culminated in a 10-yard TD toss to Ben Hogan with 1:10 to go. Josh Appleby was able to get the Rockets to the Charger 29 with time expiring in the Half, but the Vontur FG bounced off the upright to keep the score at 21-10.

The activity calmed down somewhat after this as both defenses made superior adjustments, but with time running out in the final Quarter the Chargers drove from their 24 to the Rocket 10 although the drive died out after four (4) downs. Alas, Churchill got a takeaway at the 13, running QB Steve Mason ran it in on the next play, and passing QB Christian connected with Matt Schultz on a 2-point conversion play with 1:38 left. Fortunately for the Rockets, Eric Brown recovered the on-side kick, and Douglas and backup QB Clint Rutledge then picked up some yardage and hence First Downs to kill the clock in a game in which Churchill had served notice it was back with the patented "we shall never surrender" ethic of its legendary namesake. The Rockets picked up 324 yards on the ground, and 46 on 6-of-10 passes through the air, had a 4-punt, 40-yard punting average, and only one (1) turnover that the Chargers nevertheless used to their advantage quite nicely. The Rockets' Lonnie Saunders collected two (2) interceptions that were a part of a 13-of-29, 150-yard passing effort by Churchill. The Chargers also picked up 146 yards on the ground. In spite of the stiff resistance put up by Churchill, Jerod Douglas still managed to gain 210 yards on 26 carries.

The last time the Volunteers came to Converse and beat the Rockets Jimmy was still President but was only a few days away from being fired in favor of Ronnie. As this Friday evening meeting got underway way in Converse, George HW Bush was still President but was only a few days away from being fired in favor of Bill, and the Volunteers, with outside hopes of a playoff berth still alive, gave every indication that the Rockets, still in their regular-season parking orbit, may very well be left in their parking orbit and with a still strong possibility of having their post-season trip to the moon cancelled. This, in view of the injuries on defense [five (5) sidelined starters, to be exact] and the on-the-field consequence of a high number of points allowed. The Rocket offense, which had only 14 plays in the 1st Half, was slow-moving at first, while the Vols did what they could to move the chains, bleed the clock, score, basically keep the defensive members of the Rocket Flight Crew and their FOD guessing, and leave the Rocket contingent of the 8000 witnesses on-hand with quite a Halloween-eve scare. Lee got on the board first with a 14-yard pass from Omar Cardenas to Danny Moya with 2:43 left in the opening period, and the PAT was good. Sixteen (16) seconds later, the Rockets then evened things up with a 56-yard run by Douglas and a Vontur kick. This quick score, however, meant that a burdened Rocket defense had to go back to work quickly, and this paid off handsomely for the Vols, as Richard Ruth scored on a 2-yard run with 29 seconds gone in the 2nd period, and the PAT gave Lee a 14-7 advantage which then went to 21-7 by virtue of a PAT that followed a 39-yard run by Moya with 4:11 remaining in the Half. The Rockets, however, quickly responded again with another Vontur kick that followed a 28-yard run by Douglas with 2:51 to go.

The Rockets came out of the break and marched downfield for another Douglas score, this one on a 32-yard run at the 7:51 mark of the 3rd Quarter, and Vontur was once again good with the PAT to knot things at 21. The Volunteers then drove to the Rocket 3-yard line, but a 31-yard FG attempt was unsuccessful, and two (2) plays later Carter hooked up with Wes Mooring for an 87-yard pass play, the PAT was good, and the Rockets had their first lead of the day with 46 seconds remaining in the 3rd period. Although the PAT failed, the Rockets poured it on with another score---this one on a 30-yard pass from Carter to Johnson----at the 9:21 mark of the final period. Lee then drove back downfield to get within seven (7) with an 18-yard pass from Cardenas to Charlie Villarreal with 6:50 to go, but the run for two (2) points was unsuccessful, and the Rockets ended this thing in a frenzy, with Douglas capping a short drive with a 16-yard run with 5:42 to go, Douglas getting one (1) final score on a 62-yard run with 60 seconds remaining, and Vontur connecting with both of his PAT’s.

The Volunteers experienced only one (1) turnover---a lost fumble----while keeping the Rockets pinned down somewhat with a 2-punt, 39.5-yard average. They were 16-of-25 through the air for 284 yards, while on the ground they netted 205 yards, with Ruth getting 110 on 26 carries, and the balance distributed between three (3) other participants. The Rockets similarly experienced only one (1) turnover----a lost fumble---while keeping the Volunteers pinned down somewhat with a 2-punt, 39.5-yard average. Carter was 4-of-5 passing for 149 yards, while on the ground Douglas got his 337 yards on 23 carries, and Hethington and Appleby split the balance. Although the Rockets were supposed to still be in a non-powered regular-season parking orbit, you’d have thought for sure that their engines were actually firing hot with, as threatened to be the case with Apollo 16 at one point, unstable Thrust Vector Control (ie, uncontrolled steering). And with that, the only thing even more excessive than this writer's over-use of NASA analogies was perhaps the nerve-wracking toll that certain aspects of this particular Rocket mission was starting to take on the Support Team, the Flight Crew, and the FOD.

Madison (7-3, 3-2)
November 6, 1992: Blossom
Like Churchill's, Madison's resurgent program under Jim Streety proved to be a stiff challenge to the Rockets in this chilly, cloudy and blustery evening at Blossom. The Rockets would get on the board first at the 8:03 mark of the opening Quarter with a 1-yard run by Douglas and the Vontur PAT, and Madison then responded with a 3-yard run with 2:18 to go. Early in the 2nd Quarter, the Mavs gained the lead with a 21-yard run and two-point play, and seemed to have the momentum when they recovered a Rocket fumble at the Judson 47 and then drove it down to the 30. A pivotal delay of game penalty, however, turned a 2nd-and-4 into a 2nd-and-9, and this was just enough to allow the Judson Defense to put a stop to the drive on 4th Down on the 28 with 4:08 to go in the Half and then allow the Offense to drive down the field for a score on Fourth Down to tie the game at 14 with "four zeros" on the clock.

The Rockets picked up where they left off when Eric Brown recovered an on-side kickoff to start the second Half and quickly followed this up with a 7-yard Hethington run 73 seconds into the 3rd Quarter. Paul Booker then returned an interception for a TD less than two (2) minutes later to up the advantage to 28-14 after the PAT. Madison responded quickly with a TD and failed PAT, but then Douglas contributed a 7-yard run at the 2:11 mark. Madison narrowed the gap again with a 12-yard TD pass play and 2-point play with 11:52 to go in the game, but Judson's Aaron Carter regained the 14-point advantage with a 15-yard run with 7:29 to go. The gap then briefly grew to 21 when Douglas scored on a 5-yard run that Vontur followed up with a PAT. Madison narrowed the gap once more with a 15-yard pass with 3:43 to go in the game, but Judson was able to hang on.

Madison had no punts, and Judson had one (1) for 29 yards. The Rockets experienced only one (1) turnover, while the Mavs lost two (2) fumbles, one each recovered by Eric Brown and Rudy Garza, and had two (2) interceptions, one by Brown and of course the one for the score by Booker. The Mavs gained 215 yards on the ground and 156 through the air, while the Rockets had 392 rushing yards and 36 passing. Douglas gained 285 of the ground yards, which also set a new regular-season rushing record of 1951 yards for the San Antonio area. Madison was on Judson's heals all through this one, and it felt sort of like the Mavs "chased" the Rockets to the win and a seventh consecutive District title. Although the Rockets had given up a gob of points and even more yardage so far in the season, the Defense was apparently a big-play Defense, and although Jerod Douglas pretty much anchored the offense, even a good Back needs good linemen such as Mike Breckenridge, Adam Means, Mike Lee, Eric Christiansen and Howard Zimmerman.

Semifinals
Trinity 17 Arlington 14
Judson 38 Eisenhower 20

Final
Judson 52 Trinity 0

Harlandale (8-2, 4-1)
November 13, 1992: Harlandale Memorial Stadium
After the sometimes wild ride during the Rockets' regular-season parking orbit the Rocket Flight Crew, although basically ready for the post-season flight out to the moon, was nevertheless entering with a few question marks. The Indians were about to give the Rockets something more like exclamation marks of alarm if not something worse in this Friday evening meeting at Harlandale Memorial Stadium. The Indians took the kickoff and, just as it appeared the drive had stalled at their 29-yard line, they faked the punt on 4th-and-10, instead picking up 24 yards on a Steven Sandoval Halfback pass to Frank Casso. The Indians thus continued on the 13-play, 71-yard drive, scoring on a 2-yard run by Frank Morales at the 8:08 mark of the opening quarter, and the PAT gave the Indians a 7-0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Obed Diaz recovered a fumble by Eric Brown at the Rocket 40-yard line, five (5) plays later Sandoval scored on a 7-yard run, and the PAT gave them a 14-0 lead with 5:21 left in the 1st. The Rockets, however, got untracked after that and finally went on offense for the first time in the game, going 65 yards in nine (9) plays. Douglas took it in from 7 yards out, and after the Vontur kick the Rockets had cut the deficit in half with 2:03 left in the 1st period. At the end of the Indians' next possession, a quick kick only netted 12 yards after being disrupted by Eric Brown, and the Rockets were in business at the Indians' 19-yard line. Six (6) plays later, Douglas carried the ball in from the 3, the PAT was good, and the Rockets had knotted things less than two (2) minutes into the 2nd Quarter. The Rockets took the lead at the end of a 10-play, 80-yard drive when Carter hit Johnson with a 22-yard pass play and, with a successful PAT, the Rockets were up 21-14 with 4:11 left in the 1st Half.

This lead stood up for the break, although the Indians had another scoring opportunity after Frank Casso recovered a fumble at the Rocket 35-yard line. The Rockets, however, literally stopped them cold on four (4) straight plays. The Rockets came out of the break and quickly went up by 14 on a 32-yard pass from Carter to Dorian Williams and a Vontur PAT with only 78 seconds gone in the 3rd Quarter, which came at the end of a Rocket-like 4-play, 53-yard drive. John Robertson would shortly thereafter recover an Indian fumble at the Harlandale 23-yard line, Douglas scored from the 8 with 9:13 to go, and the PAT was good. The Indians didn't simply crater, however. They reached the Rockets' 18- and 45-yard lines in the 4th Quarter. They also only had one (1) turnover, which to their misfortune led to a Rocket score. Nevertheless, they picked up 144 yards through the air on a 12-of-34 passing effort, while on the ground they got 147 yards, with Sandoval actually picking up 154 on 29 carries and three (3) other ball carriers as a group netting negative yardage. The Rockets lost two (2) fumbles, but experienced no INT's as part of a 10-of16 effort that picked up 126 yards through the air. Meanwhile on the ground Jerod Douglas contributed 160 yards on 26 carries, with three (3) other ball carriers bringing the Rockets' total ground yardage to 234. A 2-punt, 39.5-yard average also helped keep the Rockets alive.

Jay (8-2, 4-1)
November 20, 1992: Converse
Back in Converse on a Friday evening, the Rockets had their first post-season meeting with the Mustangs since the ignominious 28-0 debacle at Blossom in 1979 which, it turned out, was the only other time that the Mustangs made the post-season. Interestingly, the Mustangs' First Round meeting for the 1992 post-season was with Brackenridge---the school previously if not temporarily known as Wheatley and the team that eliminated Jay the week after Jay eliminated the Rockets in 1979. The result with the Eagles was somewhat different for the Mustangs this time and similarly for the Rockets, the result with the Mustangs was radically different as they scored on every one of their possessions, and Vontur was good on every one of his PAT's. The onslaught began with a 2-yard Douglas run at the 8:37 mark of the opening stanza. Douglas next scored with 4:02 left in the 1st on a 36-yard run. Shay Allen then got Jay on the board with a 78-yard run, the PAT was good, and the score was 14-7 with 3:39 left. Douglas then contributed a 40-yard run with 47 seconds remaining in the 1st period. Vernord Hethington then contributed a 20-yard run for a TD at the 7:43 mark of the 2nd Quarter, Allen countered with a 1-yard run for Jay although the PAT failed with 2:46 left in the Half, Clint Rutledge then added his own 1-yard run for the Rockets with 48 ticks remaining, and the Rockets led at the break 35-13.

Douglas added another TD on a 2-yard run at the 7:22 mark of the 3rd Quarter, and 20 seconds later Scott Chapman dashed 75 yards for a Jay TD which was followed by a pass play for two (2) points. Douglas added another TD on a 9-yard run with 2:35 remaining in the 3rd, but Chapman then contributed a 70-yard dash with four (4) ticks left, although the run for two (2) points was no good. This left Judson with a 49-27 advantage entering the final quarter. Sixteen (16) seconds after Chapman's sprint, Clint Rutlege sprinted 66 yards for the Rockets' next TD. The Mustangs got their final score of the day on a 33-yard pass, but the pas for two (2) points failed. The Rockets' final TD of the day occurred on a Clint Rutledge 2-yard run with 43 seconds remaining. For all the wildness of the last several weeks of the regular season, this thing took the cake.

Where do we even start on the stats? Well, for one, both teams only had ten (10) yards each in penalties. The Mustangs did punt three (3) times for a 39-yard average. The Mustangs only had one (1) turnover, which ended a drive that promised to cut the gap to 42-28 and instead allowed the Rockets to march 72 yards on the ensuing drive that ended with Douglas' 9-yard TD run. The Mustangs completed 4-of-5 passes for 64 yards, and picked up 431 yards on the ground, with Allen contributing 170 on 18 carries, Chapman. getting 156 on only four (4) carries, and the balance turned in by three (3) others. The Rockets experienced no turnovers whatever, and they picked up 63 air yards on a 5-of-9 effort. Meanwhile on the ground, the Rockets got 563 yards, with Douglas netting 297 on 26 totes, Hethington contributing 153 on 16 carries, Rutledge providing 101 on 10 carries. To go with the scrape with the Indians the week before, this was one heck of a DTO (Detailed Test Objective).

McAllen (7-3, 7-2)
November 27, 1992: Javelina Field, Kingsville
The Rockets visited Javelina Field for a Friday evening match-up with the Bulldogs. The Rockets got on the board on their opening drive, capping it with a 10-yard Rutledge run and a Vontur kick at the 8:12 mark of the opening period. It was facilitated by a 32-yard kickoff return to the 'Dog 44-yard line by Josh Appleby, and a 4th-and-1 offisde call on McAllen at the Dogs' 35-yard line kept the drive alive. Later in the 1st Quarter Steve Sutton wrestled the ball from Jerod Douglas and returned it to the Rocket 29-yard line. The 'Dogs then picked up a First Down at the 18, but the T-N-T combo of Donovan Davis, Kelsey Frazier and John Robertson put a stop to any further Bulldog activity on the drive, and the Rockets took over on downs at their 33-yard line. A 62-yard pass play was called back on a clipping call early in the 2nd Quarter, the Rockets punted, three (3) plays later Sean McAuliffe recovered a fumble at the Bulldog 33, the Rockets were in business, and they finished it with a 16-yard pass from Carter to Andra Johnson at the 8:52 mark of the 2nd Quarter, and the PAT was good. Jerod Douglas got a 69-yard gainer to the McAllen 2-yard line on the next possession, and he took it in on the next play, and after the Vontur kick the Rockets led 21-0 with 5:31 left in the Half. Shortly thereafter, the Rockets mounted a 56-yard drive that Hethington finished with a TD with 2:07 to go.

In the 3rd Quarter, Paul Booker returned an INT 57 yards, putting the Rockets in business for another score, which came on an 8-yard Hethington run with 6:29 to go in the 3rd period, and the Vontur PAT. A little later, Rudy Garcia recovered a Bulldog fumble, at the McAllen 22, and in fairly quick order Douglas took it in for a 9-yard TD run. The PAT, however, failed with 4:36 left in the 3rd Quarter. In the final period, Joe Ruiz recovered a Rocket fumble that led to a 76-yard drive that was capped by a 28-yard pass play for a TD with 67 seconds remaining. The Bulldogs picked up 111 yards on the ground and 78 through the air on a 7-of-19 effort. They also suffered from two (2) INT's and two (2) lost fumbles. They had only four (4) penalties for 20 yards total, whereas the Rockets were flagged eleven (11) times for 103 yards. Two (2) lost fumbles also helped slow them down at times, although the two (2) punts for a 41.5-yard average helped keep the 'Dogs in somewhat of a hole. Carter was a perfect 6-of-6 for 67 yards through the air, while Rutledge's one (1) pass attempt was went into the INC category. On the other hand, he did pick up 54 yards on the ground in contributing to the Rockets' total of 281 rushing yards. Douglas chipped in 116 on 12 carries while, excluding Rutledge, five (5) other ball handlers also contributed.

Eisenhower (7-2-1, 6-1)
December 5, 1992: Memorial Stadium, UT Austin
"Today you focussed past the weather and did the things that champions do."
The words of Flight Director Rutledge to the Flight Crew

ALDINE Eisenhower. A team with a rejuvenated program under Pat Patterson, previously Defensive Coordinator at ALDINE when the Mustangs froze the Rocket offensive engines and guidance system, leaving them in gimbal lock and causing the Rockets to abort their mission in 1989 as they neared the target. Anything with the name "ALDINE" in it was enough to conjure images of bad, sad, stone-cold endings in the memories of all associated with the Rocket program operated out of Converse. The "ALDINE" part of Eisenhower's title notwithstanding, what the Eagles had been demonstrating the past several weeks in and of itself was enough to strike a certain amount of terror in the hearts and souls of nearly anyone tasked with getting past them. In the real rocket program operated by NASA, confidence and competence forms the basis of "rocket" pride that allows all involved to "work the problem" as long as there is still time, and even when time runs out to continue to make the best of a situation and get the best deal possible. Similarly, the Rocket Pride exemplified by the Judson Rockets was focussed on the goal that had continued to elude them since 1983, and the Rockets were determined to do what was necessary to live up to one of the Rocket program's mottoes: "Don't let them steal your dream." The weather, which had been for the most part unseasonably cold and had featured some rather bone-chilling Friday evening football games ever since Week 10, also promised to add an ultimate touch to the Saturday afternoon proceedings at UT Austin and, as weather is, didn't care one way or the other about anyone's dream. Dream or no dream, cold, clouds and sleet were forecast, and they did not "disappoint" for the 8000 witnesses from northwest Harris County and northeast Bexar County as they converged on the 40-acres for this contest.

That ominous feel was compounded when the Rocket kickoff went out of bounds, and on the resultant penalty the Eagles elected to have the Rockets kick again from five (5) yards back rather than take possession further out. So, the Rockets went back to kick again. This time the ball stayed in bounds but just barely at the 5-yard line or so, from where momentum took the Ike return man into the endzone for a touchback. OR, so it first appeared. The next thing people would see were the zebras having some kind of discussion, and at this point many Rockets were thinking, "Oh, sh----, it went out of bounds again." A few more seconds went by and the next thing people would see was the head zebra signaling "SAFETY," and almost simultaneously some understandably animated reactions by the Eagle coaching staff and team, Eagle fans reduced to stunned silence, Rocket fans with quizzical but not at all disappointed surprise as they watched the score go to 16-7, and the Rocket Flight Crew and their FOD truly fired up. The officials ruled that momentum did not carry the return man back into the endzone, and he instead should have taken it at the 5, or maybe simply let it go out of bounds again and reap the benefits and hence opportunity to come from another Rocket penalty. So, still one more kick would take place, although this time the Eagles would be kicking to the Rockets, and the Rockets would soon have what they needed to prepare for their moon landing. The main part of that process then got underway following the free kick with a 57-yard drive that Clint Rutledge finished off with a 4-yard run for the TD with 8:43 to go in the 3rd period. The PAT was good, and the Rockets were up 23-7. The Eagles, seemingly stone-cold and somewhat stunned at this point, had a relatively unproductive first possession of the 2nd Half, and in fairly short order the Rockets went right back to work. Andra Johnson caught a 34-yard pass from Carter to set the Rockets up at the Eagle 15-yard line, and on the next play Douglas took it in for the score. A Dorian Williams run for two (2) points was good, and the Rockets led 31-7 with seven (7) seconds remaining in the 3rd period.

Hence, the 5-5 Euless Trinity Trojans, historically no strangers to the post-season and deep playoff runs but nevertheless adjusting to the new system of first-year Head Coach Ed Hickman, who was fresh from a successful stint at El Campo, played by the rules set down and after a month of post-season play they earned a noontime appointment at UT Austin with the Judson Rockets for a Final Exam.

The Rockets, after two (2) consecutive unsuccessful moon landing attempts---one in 1988 and the other in 1990----were on a 1992 mission they had no intention whatever of not completing successfully, and they brought approximately 10000 Support Team members 70 miles up I-35 for the attempt. In the real rocket program operated by NASA, critical and/or tricky moments of a mission can see the Mission Control Center---and the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) in particular----populated with visiting crew members from previous missions providing technical and moral support to the FOD (Flight Operations Directorate---ie the Flight Director and his Controllers). Similarly, the Judson Rockets had on the sidelines at the 40-Acres members of previous Flight Crews to provide moral support for 1992's history-making event, among them (according to the San Antonio Light) Darnell Stephens ('91), Jerod Douglas' cousin Brent McCollum ('90), Robert Reed ('91), Vincent Kyle ('90), and Curt Young ('92), who summed it up nicely: