1998: Near-Perfection

NOTE: Click HERE to view the season record

Westlake (8-2, 5-0)
September 25, 1998: Westlake
The biggest DTO of the mission thus far was a visit with the Chaparrals, also fresh off an uncharacteristic "one-and-done" playoff run in 1997. In front of the standing-room only crowd the Rockets drew first blood, after a 3-and-out on the Chaps' opening series, when Max Price took the punt and raced 65 yards for the score with 73 seconds gone. The PAT was good, and the Chaps then got their chance for a response, which came on a 54-yard FG by Dan Walker at the 7:34 mark of the 1st. The Rockets answered quickly on a 78-yard dash by Morris Brothers with 6:52 left, and the Chaps then kept pace with a 38-yard pass from QB Adam Hall to Taylor Jobe with 3:49 to go. Westlake finally hit its stride in the 2nd Quarter, scoring on a 4-yard TD run and a 52-yard FG to give the Chaps a 19-14 advantage at the intermission.

The Chaps extended the lead with a 35-yard TD with 5:39 to go in the 3rd, but they once again missed the PAT. The Rockets were then able to narrow the gap with a 26-yard Chris Brown run and a Brown 2-point run with 3:16 left in the 3rd Quarter, but Walker would answer still one more time with a FG, this one a 38-yarder with 96 ticks left in the 3rd. Walker then nailed a 42-yarder at the 10:02 mark of the final period, and it was becoming progressively apparent that the Rockets seemed to be doing a good job of keeping the Chaps out of the red zone. On the ensuing series, the Rockets mounted a 12-play, 80-yard drive, culminating in a 3-yard Barnes run for the score with 5:28 remaining. The PAT was good, and the Rockets were within two (2) points. By virtue of a 21-yard run on the first play after the kickoff, the Chaps were in business at the 50-yard line, but with the drive faltering after three (3) consecutive, unproductive plays, the Chaps elected to kick, and the countdown to the endzone began for the Rockets. After taking over at their 40-yard line, the Rockets moved downfield in 10 plays, with the most important one being a 34-yard pass from Baker to McDougall, who hauled it in at the 1 with 1:18 left. Baker took it in from there shortly thereafter, and a pass from Baker to Shawn Harris for two points meant that the Chaps would have to be successful on the PAT to avoid a tie should they have one more trip to the endzone left in their system. The Chaps didn't, however, and after the Chaps reached mid-field, Bernard Jackson sealed the deal by breaking up a 4th-down pass attempt.

The only turnover for either team was a lost fumble by the Rockets. Westlake had a 46.7-yard punting average on three (3) punts, while the Rockets only punted twice for a 37-yard average. The Chaps picked up 122 yards on the ground, with Brett Robin getting 112 of that, and they also got 200 yards through the air on 12-of-31 passes. The Rockets got 356 yards on the ground, with the "Killer B's" Brown, Brothers and Barnes getting 148, 130, and 75 of that, respectively, while Baker completed 9-of-14 passes for 107 yards.

Temple (3-7, 1-4)
October 2, 1998: Converse
On their first visit to Converse since the epic meeting in 1992, the Wildcats committed four (4) turnovers that the Rockets were able to use to their advantage. The Wildcats held the Rockets on their initial drive, and then drove down inside the Rocket 15. Mike Washington, however, scooped up a bad pitch-out and returned it to the Temple 46-yard line. A pile-on penalty following a 10-yard sack of Baker instead advanced the ball to the 31, and shortly thereafter Shawn Harris caught an 18-yard pass from Baker for the score, the PAT was good, and the Rockets led 7-0 midway through the opening stanza. The Cats then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, the Rockets recovered, and they increased the lead, at the 4:37 mark of the 1st, with a 1-yard run by Barnes and Villastrigo PAT. Villastrigo connected on a 35-yard FG with 4:07 to go in the 1st Half, and the margin went to 24-0 after a 9-yard Barnes run and Villastrigo kick with 1:23 left.

With 3:58 left in the game, Maurice Redwine returned a fumble 25 yards for paydirt, and the Rockets' scoring was finished for the day by virtue of the missed PAT. The Wildcats finally got on the board on a 1-yard run with 56 seconds left, and the PAT failed, thus yielding the final tally. Overall in the turnover department, the Wildcats had one (1) INT as part of a 19-of-28 passing effort for 189 yards. The Cats also lost a total of five (5) fumbles, and they gained only 49 yards on the ground. The Rockets lost two (2) fumbles and had no INT's. Justin Baker completed 3-of-6 passes for 42 yards, while on the ground Chris Brown picked up 105 yards of the Rockets' 172 total.

Lee (4-6, 0-5)
October 9, 1998: Converse
The Vols entered the contest in Converse with a 4-1 mark, and immediately burned the Rockets on a reverse play that was not finished until after Wide Receiver Joey Cowin completed a 29-yard pass to Jesse Benavides. The Vols would take it in from the 1 in fairly short order, from where Eric Dietz, listed as a 298-pound Defensive Lineman, scored with less than three (3) minutes gone. The PAT was good, and the Vols led 7-0. The Rockets responded with a 23-yard pass from Baker to Muenchow and a Villastrigo kick with 2:09 left in the 1st Quarter. The Rockets then added 17-straight points in the 2nd Quarter, with the final tally being a 33-yard FG by Villastrigo with "four zeros" showing on the 1st-Half clock. The score was set up after the Rockets held the Vols at the Judson 35 with 31 ticks left, and went to work on a 21-yard sprint by Chris Brown, a gain of which was complemented by a face-mask penalty.

The Rockets added another TD in the 3rd, as would Villastrigo the PAT and a FG (for 29 yards). Lee scored twice in the final stanza. The Vols gained 86 yards on the ground, but typical for a meeting between the Rockets and the Volunteers, the Vols did most of the damage through the air, picking up 173 yards by QB Ray Robles on 13-of-35 passes and no INT's. The Vols did lose two (2) fumbles, but a 41.7-yard punting average on seven (7) punts helped keep the Rockets in check. The Rockets only had a 29.3-yard punting average on four (4) punts, but only lost one (1) fumble and had no INT's. The Rockets picked up 276 yards rushing, with Brown and Barnes contributing the lion's (or make that Rockets') share, with 145 and 112, respectively. Through the air the Rockets were able to burn the Vols with 132 yards on an 8-of-13 effort.

Churchill (4-6, 1-4)
October 16, 1998: Converse
The Chargers arrived in Converse and got sacked. Five (5) times, that is, by the Rocket Defense for a total of 39 yards in losses. The loss the Rockets were really interested in, however, was the one they inflicted on the scoreboard. The first step in that process was a 1-yard run by Barnes when the contest was only 94 seconds old, followed by the PAT. The score was set up by a 69-yard run by Barnes on the second play from scrimmage. Charger QB Mike Fanuzzi was forced to leave the game with a major injury with 4:06 left in the 1st Quarter, and Adam Walker entered in his place. The Rockets nevertheless added a 42-yard Villastrigo FG with 4:26 left in the 1st Half, and extended the lead with a 12-yard pass from Baker to McDougall for a TD and a Villastrigo PAT with 58 seconds to go.

The Chargers came out of the break, however, and marched downfield on a 12-play, 80-yard drive that was finished off at the 6:40 mark of the 3rd Quarter with a 4th-and-goal pass for three (3) yards from Walker to Aaron Chester, followed by the PAT. The Rockets regained the advantage with 5:20 left in the game with a 1-yard Barnes run. Once again the PAT was good. The Chargers quickly responded with a 29-yard pass from Walker to Phil Gentry, and the PAT brought the final tally to 24-14. The Chargers picked up only 39 net yards on the ground, but got 240 through the air on 12-of-28 passes and one (1) INT. The Chargers also lost two (2) fumbles. The Rockets, however, lost only one (1) fumble while experiencing no INT's whatever on a 2-of-6 passing effort by Baker. Those two (2) Rocket completions picked up 44 yards through the air. Meanwhile, the ground team picked up 245 yards, with the biggest contribution being the 136 yards from Adrian Barnes on 17 carries.

Another short field for the Rockets provided for another short scoring drive, which was culminated by a 31-yard run for the score by Barnes with 7:26 to go in the 2nd Quarter. Villastrigo was once more perfect with the PAT. Max Price would then return an interception 35 yards, and Villastrigo provided his one-point contribution with 6:20 left in the Half. Villastrigo made one (1) final contribution in the 1st Half by connecting on a 42-yard FG with 56 seconds left, and he finished the scoring for the Rockets with a 24-yard FG with 5:04 to go in the 3rd Quarter. The Rockets had no lost fumbles, while having one pass picked off. The Riders, on the other hand, lost three (3) fumbles and experienced one (1) INT. The Rockets picked up 179 yards on the ground using eight (8) different ball carriers, while also gaining 65 yards through the air on a 7-of-14 effort by Baker. As a testimony to how well-coached the Riders actually were, however, they were flagged only once for five (5) yards [similarly, the Rockets were flagged four (4) times for only 30 yards], and the quality of the coaching and the talent that they actually had would fully manifest themselves by the time the Rockets and Riders would meet for the final time of the millenium. Meanwhile, this game enabled the Rockets to pick up a "GO" for the post-season.

MacArthur (6-4, 4-1)
November 5, 1998: Blossom
In spite of the Rockets' 9-0 overall record, the Brahmas, like the Rockets, were undefeated in District 25-5A and, in view of what had happened the previous two (2) seasons, they were supremely committed to turning the corner against the Rockets in this Thursday evening affair at Blossom. The Brahmas, with a 39.7-yard punting average, forced the Rockets to begin their First-Half possessions three (3) times from their own 6-yard line, and on three (3) other occasions from their own 16, 22, and 14-yard lines. Meanwhile, partially as a result of the Rockets' 27.5-yard punting average, the Brahmas began their 1st-Half drives from their 46, and also from the Rockets' 48, 47 and 35. Somehow, the Defense managed to shut the Brahmas off when necessary, while the Offense staked a 7-0 Halftime lead by virtue of a 27-yard pass from Baker to Harris and a Villastrigo PAT with 1:44 left in the 1st Quarter, which came at the end of a 94-yard drive.

After another good-field-position start for the Brahmas to begin the 2nd Half, the Rockets shut them off again, they quickly responded with a 65-yard run by Adrian Barnes with 66 seconds gone in the 3rd Quarter, and the PAT was good. The Rockets then quickly went back to work with an 84-yard drive on their next possession, which ended with a 3-yard run by Morris Brothers. Villastrigo's PAT brought the Rocket advantage to 21-0 with 4:56 to go in the 3rd Quarter. Early in the final period Mac finally was able to put a stop to the Rockets' surge, forcing a punt that Mac's Brandon Conyers blocked in the endzone and Kenneth Williams recovered for the score. The PAT brought things to 21-7 with 10:06 left in the game. Mac then scored again with a 30-yard pass from Jonathan Schaper to Roydrick Runnels, and they were within 7 following the PAT with 3:17 to go. The Rockets went three-and-out, and with 2:15 left Mac was in business at their own 26, arriving at the Rocket 14-yard line with 55 seconds left. On 2nd-and-4 from the 8-yard line, Wade Lightsey and Otis Grigsby sacked Schaper for a 9-yard loss, forcing him to dink the ball to stop the clock with 22 seconds remaining. On fourth down, Schaper was stopped at the Judson 7-yard line---four (4) yards short of First Down----and with eight (8) seconds remaining, the Rockets had slammed the District 25-5A gate on the Brahmas.

This was a classic contest between two (2) well-coached teams. Mac had no penalties whatever, while the Rockets were flagged only three (3) times for 15 yards. There were no turnovers by either team. Mac picked up 158 yards on the ground on 41 carries. Runnels was the main contributor with 118 yards. Schaper was good on 12-of-26 passes for 115 yards. Baker was good on 7-of-13 passes for the Rockets' 111 air yards, and the Rockets also had 272 rushing yards on 46 carries, with Chris Brown and Adrian Barnes providing 138 and 116 of that respectively.

Final
Duncanville 24 Judson 21

Holmes (7-3, 5-1)
November 13, 1998: Alamodome
Although a certain number of High School games had been played at the Alamodome since it opened in May, 1993, such occasions in general were still relatively uncommon. That changed once and for all beginning with the 1998 playoffs, thanks primarily to the additional dates and time slots that became available as a result of the NBA’s lock-out strike. The Spurs and the continued emergence of Tim Duncan may not have been available for viewing at the Dome as of yet, but plenty of High School football would soon be possible---this season and in the seasons to come.

The Rockets’ Friday evening Alamodome debut, however, gave the initial appearance of a second-consecutive one-and-done experience and essentially an aborted post-season lunar mission. Indeed, the Huskies scored on their first three (3) possessions, all in the opening quarter:

• A 25-yard FG at the 7:44 mark
• A 25-yard pass and PAT with 4:58 left in the 1st
• A 16-yard pass and extra point kick with 2:47 left

Villastrigo then nailed a 30-yard FG at the 8:51 mark of the 2nd Quarter. Wade Lightsey then intercepted a pass and returned it 29 yards to the Husky 24-yard line, setting up the Rockets’ first TD, which came shortly thereafter on a 1-yard run by Adrian Barnes. The PAT failed, and the Rockets trailed 17-9 with 5:30 left in the Half. Mike Washington then got an INT and ran it back to the Holmes 33-yard line, and in fairly short order Chris Brown took the ball in on a 20-yard run. The run for two (2) points failed, and with 3:39 to go before intermission the Rockets still trailed, 17-15.

At the 8:51 mark of the 3rd Quarter, an 88-yard pass play and a successful PAT put the Huskies back up by nine (9) points. On their ensuing possession, the Rockets drove 75 yards to narrow the gap once more, with Brothers taking it in from seven (7) yards out. The PAT was good this time, and with 5:24 left in the 3rd period the Rockets had once again narrowed the gap to two (2) points. On the Rockets’ next possession, they drove 71 yards and with 21 seconds left in the 3rd Quarter, Barnes finished things off with a 1-yard run. The pass for two (2) points, however, was unsuccessful; nevertheless, the Rockets had their first lead of the day. A bad Husky punt snap then set up a short, 38-yard drive for the Rockets, Barnes would take it in from two (2) yards out with 6:37 left in the final period, and the PAT was good. The Rockets finished their scoring for the day at the end of a 61-yard drive, with Barnes going the final five (5) yards and Villastrigo drilling the PAT with 2:29 to play. The Huskies, nevertheless, would have the last word in this one by scoring on a 7-yard pass and a successful run for two (2) points with two (2) seconds remaining.

The Huskies finished with 53 yards on the ground, but they did very well with their 369 air yards that came as part of an 18-of-38 effort that also included two (2) INT’s that set up scores for the Rockets. The Huskies also lost one (1) fumble, and had a 28.3-yard average on three (3) punts. The Rockets, meanwhile, had a 3-punt, 38.3-yard average, they lost one (1) fumble, but had no INT’s whatever in an 8-of-17 effort that netted 66 yards through the air. On the ground, the Rockets picked up 350 yards, with Barnes contributing 163 on 26 carries, Brown getting 123 on 24 toes, and the balance distributed between three (3) others.

CC Carroll (8-2, 5-1)
November 21, 1998: Alamodome
The Rockets out-gained the Tigers 156-0 in the 1st Quarter of this Saturday evening match-up held in the Alamodome. Meanwhile, the Rockets raced to a 14-0 lead on a 24-yard pass from Baker to Shawn Harris at the 7:57 mark, a 4-yard Morris Brothers run with 4:50 to go, and two (2) Villastrigo PAT’s. Villastrigo added a 27-yard FG with ten (10) seconds gone in the 2nd period, and then with 5:51 left in the Half Adam Ibarra snatched up a Rocket fumble and returned it 60 yards to put Carroll on the board. The PAT was good, and Judson still led, 17-7. The Rockets went back to work, however, scoring on a 21-yard run by Adrian Barnes with 2:41 to go before the break.

Coming out of the break, the Rockets were unable to cash in on their first drive of the 2nd Half, but after Hector Munoz fielded the Rocket punt at the Tiger 20-yard line, he attempted to evade the Rocket pursuit before heading upfield, but as he was about to get nailed at the 5-yard line the ball popped out and was recovered for the Rockets by Bernard Jackson at the 1-yard line. Barnes took it in from there on the next play, and with the PAT the Rockets were up 31-7 at the 7:33 mark of the 3rd period. The Tiger QB then fumbled while being tackled just as he was attempting a pitchout, and Wade Lightsey recovered for the Rockets at the Tiger 44-yard line. A few plays after Baker completed a 37-yard pass to Jeff Muenchow, Barnes scored on another 1-yard run, and the PAT was good with 4:30 remaining in the 3rd Quarter. With 26 seconds gone in the final period, Barnes added a 78-yard run to tack on the Rockets’ final TD of the day, and the Rockets’ final points of the day came on a pass play for two (2) points.

The Tigers entered Rocket territory only twice all day: Once on a 53-yard kickoff return in the 3rd Quarter that started a promising drive that was snuffed out by a lost fumble two (2) plays later, and on a drive with time running out that finished with a 1-yard run and a conversion run for two (2) points with 3:03 to go. The Tigers picked up only 67 yards on the ground and 25 through the air that came as part of a 4-of-15 effort that also involved an INT. The Tigers also lost four (4) fumbles, although they did have a solid 38.8-yard average on eight (8) punts, and only two infractions that netted 20 yards in penalties. The Rockets had only a 33-yard average on three (3) punts, but lost only one (1) fumble and experienced only one (1) INT, which was part of a 5-of-13 effort for 114 yards by Baker. The ground unit picked up 324 yards, with Barnes providing 144 on 18 carries, Brothers chipping in 112 on 20 totes, and the balance provided by five (5) other ball handlers.

Edinburg (9-1, 4-1)
November 27, 1998: Alamodome
Another Friday evening affair at the Alamodome awaited the Rockets, this time with the Bobcats for the first time since the epic battle at Buccaneer Stadium in 1984 that saw the Rockets score twice in the final period and win 14-7. The Rockets experienced two (2) turnovers on their first two (2) possessions, but finally got things going so that Brothers drew first blood on a 22-yard run that was followed by a successful PAT with 44 seconds remaining in the opening period. At the 8:48 mark of the 2nd period, Harris caught a pass from Baker for an 18-yard score, and the PAT was good. The Bobcats then mounted a drive to bring things back to within seven (7) points as a result of a 23-yard pass from Clarence Cruz to Nick Lopez and a successful PAT with 6:10 remaining in the 1st Half. The Rockets, however, responded with a 6-play, 68-yard drive that Brothers iced with a 3-yard run with 4:29 left, and followed this up on their next possession with a 7-play, 65-yard drive that culminated in a 6-yard run by Brown with 74 seconds to go in the Half. Both TD’s were followed by successful PAT’s.

On the Bobcats’ second possession of the 2nd Half, they got as far as the Rocket 21-yard line, but Robbie Stager put an end to things with an INT. The Rockets then upped the count to 35-7 with a 16-play, 75-yard drive that ended with 65 seconds left in the penultimate period with a 5-yard TD pass from Baker to Bryan Clyatt and a successful PAT. The Rockets scored three (3) more TD’s in the 4th Quarter with:

• An 18-yard run by Brothers with 8:38 to go
• A 3-yard run by David Cowan with 3:59 left
• A 31-yard run by Cowan with 34 seconds remaining

Two (2) of the three (3) PAT’s, however, would fail. The Bobcats would get their final points on a 10-yard pass from Harold Gonzalez to Christian Handy with 2:49 remaining, but the PAT was blocked. The Bobcats picked up 41 yards on the ground, while through the air they netted 194 yards in a 12-of-27 effort. The ‘Cats were intercepted three (3) times, although they did not lose any fumbles. Two (2) bright spots were the 45.0-yard average on four (4) punts, and the relatively minimal two (2) infractions for only 20 yards in assessments. The Rockets, on the other hand, had no infractions whatever, nor did they punt at any point. They lost one (1) fumble although Baker was picked off twice as part of an 11-of-15 effort that netted 117 yards though the air. The Rockets netted 379 yards on the ground, with Brothers getting 101 yards on 18 carries, and seven (7) other participants providing the balance.

Eisenhower (7-3, 5-2)
December 5, 1998: Astrodome
For the fourth time since 1992, the Rockets arrived in lunar orbit (aka, "the Semi-finals") only to find that they had been on the same trajectory with the Eagles, who were once more seeking to land at the same site the following Saturday. And, once again the Eagles---just as they did in the icy meeting in Austin six (6) years to the day earlier----would provide some scary, inauspicious moments for the Rockets in this early Saturday evening affair at the Astrodome. The Rockets got off to a good enough start----or so it seemed----by driving deep into Eagle territory on the opening drive. The Eagles responded, however, when the ball popped out of Chris Brown’s hands and the Eagles’ Eddie Brown returned it 61 yards to take the lead at the 8:53 mark of the opening period, and the PAT was good. The Rockets came right back on their next possession, knotting the score at 7-each on a 24-yard Chris Brown run and Villastrigo PAT with 6:39 left in the 1st Quarter. Later in the quarter and with five (5) seconds remaining, Villastrigo drilled a FG to give the Rockets the lead at 10-7. The Rockets, who would outgain the Eagles in yardage 189 to 26 in the 1st Half---and with 102 yards of that through the air-----then put pressure on the Eagles on a punt that caused a bad snap to sail out of the endzone for a safety with 5:20 remaining in the Half. Following the free kick, the Rockets drove down and picked up one (1) more Villastrigo FG----a 33-yarder----with 3:03 remaining.

Ike picked up 133 yards on the ground, with Henderson contributing 106 of those on 22 carries. Henderson was also 7-of-13 passing for 139 yards and no INT’s. The Eagles had a 36.3-yard average on four (4) punts and lost only one (1) fumble, which of course went for a Rocket TD. The Rockets also only had one (1) fumble, which of course went for an Eagle TD. They also experienced one (1) INT that came as part of a 102-yard air effort on 7-of-12 passes. On the ground the Rockets picked up 177 yards, with Brown getting 93 and Barnes getting 89, and Baker and Brothers losing yardage to bring the net ground yardage to 177. The Rockets punted three (3) times for a 33.3-yard average.

Duncanville (7-3, 5-2)
December 12, 1998: Astrodome
We’re just not happy to be here. We’re coming to win
Duncanville Head Coach Bob Alpert in a pre-game interview with Fox Sports Southwest

Historically, the Duncanville Panthers were no strangers to successful regular seasons and good post-season runs; however, up to this point they had always ended up dropping out at some point in the annual DFW Metroplex post-season gauntlet that they had to face. Then, as the 1998 season progressed, things had an inauspicious look and feel after they

• Absorbed a decisive loss to 1997 Division I Finalist Longview in Week 3
• Experienced numerous injuries to key players including a broken collar bone to starting QB Jeremy Hurd that kept him out of the first six (6) games of the regular season
• Had to settle for a third place finish in District after getting dinged by District arch-rival De Soto in Week 7 and in the final game of the regular season by District power Lamar.

Head Coach Bob Alpert, however, was no stranger to adversity and in a similar situation at Aldine MacArthur took a 3rd-place finisher into the playoffs in 1993 and came up six (6) points and a few seconds short of a monumental upset of the undefeated Lewisville Farmers in the Division II Final Exam. The Rockets, coming off a one-and-done 1997 mission that saw them dip to 2-3 but then salvage things just in time to enter the post-season as the third-place team, were looking to earn a Final, perfect touch to a 1998 mission of redemption, and they were looking to do this in the Space City, where a similar attempt at a Division I moon landing came up just short in 1990. First, however, they needed to navigate a final descent trajectory that included an in-flight tussle with the Panthers, who like the Pumas of DeZavala (ie the Clark Cougars) had somehow stowed away on the spacecraft and in this case all the way to the final descent. But, with an Offense that featured the "Killer B's" trio of Barnes, Brothers and Brown, not to mention a Defense with the likes of Grigsby, Lightsey and Stager, they had a better than even chance of pulling it off.

Now, there are several different kinds of so-called "panthers." There are Florida Panthers, and also the same-species cats by other names such as the Patagonia Puma found in South America, and of course the classic North American Mountain Lion or Cougar. The Duncanville Panthers, however, could be likened more to those of Permian's Mojo (without an "e"), such as black Jaguars (which have also been seen at times in North America) or perhaps most appropriately Bagheera from "The Jungle Book." It was perhaps for these reasons that the Duncanville support crews would play G'nR's "Welcome to the Jungle" as the Duncanville Panthers left the dressing room to come out for the game. The rugged 5A Division I lunar terrain below the flight path for the Rockets' powered descent could also be likened somewhat to a jungle that needed to be navigated (make no doubt about it----winning in the terminal phase of the playoffs is hard work). The environment onboard the Flight Crew's Rocket ship, what with their needing to deal with the Panthers of Duncanville, had also been transformed into a jungle of sorts that the Flight Crew, their FOD and their Support Team would need to subdue if they were to land successfully and claim 5A Division I Lunar supremacy. The in-flight race against time was on.

Max Price took Travis Hale’s kickoff for the Rockets at the 1-yard line, returning it to the 26-yard line. Adrian Barnes carried for three (3) yards on the first play from scrimmage, but Chris Brown got gang-tackled on 2nd Down, which gave some indication that this was maybe going to be the kind of hardnosed defensive contest that the Rockets had the last time they attempted a moon landing in the Space City eight (8) years earlier. Nevertheless, on 3rd Down Baker connected with Shawn Harris for a 1st-Down pickup to the 36. Chris Brown got an 8-yard gainer on 1st Down, he got dinged on the play and headed for the sidelines, and then it was Barnes’ turn to get stuffed on 2nd Down. Andre Anthony came up short on 3rd-and-3, and it was time to punt. Eric Richardson briefly fumbled the punt but recovered for the Panthers before the Rockets were able to snatch it. Terrence Dean picked up four (4) yards on the cats’ first offensive play of the day. On 2nd Down QB Jeremy Hurd picked up first-down yardage, but the ball popped loose, and Chuck Mitchell recovered for the Rockets at the cats’ 30-yard line. At the end of the Rockets’ first play, however, it was their turn to return the favor when Mark West stripped the ball away from Chris Brown in the midst of an impending post-play pileup and Byron Johnson snatched it and returned it all the way for an apparent score. The zebras, however, ruled that there was an illegal block on the return, requiring the Panthers to start the prospective short-field drive from the Rocket 25-yard line. Terrence Dean advanced the Panthers to the 20-yard line, and then to the 19. An offside call on the Rockets, however, advanced the cats to the 15-yard line instead, and with his offensive line and his blockers in a near-perfect sequestration of the Rocket Defense, Jeremy Hurd scrambled in from there on the ensuing play. Hale was good on the PAT, and the Panthers were on top at the 7:10 mark of the opening period.

Once more Max Price took Hale’s kickoff, returning it to the 26-yard line; unfortunately, a 10-yard penalty set the Rockets back to the 16-yard line, and even more ominously (for the Rockets) Morris Brothers’ 1st-Down play went nowhere. On 2nd Down Morris Brothers carried to the 21-yard line. Shortly thereafter, Baker broke numerous tackles on a rollout play up to the 32, but on the ensuing 1st Down Richard Evans dragged Brothers down from behind at the 30. On the next play, Evans gave Baker a repeat performance, dropping Baker for a loss back to the 20-yard line when Shawn Harris couldn’t get open on the play. On 3rd Down Brothers got the Rockets back to the 30-yard line, and it was time for Harris to punt the ball once more. Eric Richardson fielded the 48-yarder at the 22, returning it to the 33-yard line. On the Panther 1st Down Floyd Wagner was called for defensive holding when Hurd attempted a long-range pass play. The subsequent 1st-Down play saw Brandon Kajihiro pick up three (3) yards, Terrence Dean’s 2nd-Down run got snuffed by Otis Grigsby, and Hurd was then stopped at midfield to bring up 4th Down. Hale’s punt was taken by Harris, and the Rockets started from their own 15-yard line. Barnes got a 4-yard pickup, Mark West batted down a Baker pass on 2nd Down, and Brothers’ carry to the 22 meant it was time once more for a punt by Harris, which was once more taken by the cats’ Eric Richardson. Antoine Doss made the stop on Richardson at the 43 after a short return. Terrance Dean went for no gain after taking a pitchout, and on 2nd Down Wade Lightsey recovered a Panther fumble for the Rockets at the Duncanville 45-yard line. On the 1st play Brothers got a pickup and another chain-mover to the 30-yard line as the 1st Quarter ended.

An illegal procedure call on the Rockets set them back to the 35, but on 1st-and 15 Barnes recovered much of the loss by reaching the 29. On 2nd Down Harris beat the cats’ Sherman Steptoe to the punch as he hauled in Baker’s pass at the 8-yard line. Following another illegal procedure call, Barnes carried to the 14, but on the next play Jeff Muenchow couldn’t hold onto Baker’s pass at the 1-yard line. Baker then got a swing pass off to Brothers, but there wasn’t anywhere for Brothers to go, other than to pick up a better fielding angle on the ensuing FG attempt once Kionne Franklin made the stop. The Jonathan Villastrigo FG, however, was no good and the Panthers regained possession at their own 20-yard line at the 10:10 mark of the 2nd Quarter. A holding call on First Down set the cats back to the 10-yard line, and on 1st-and-20 Hurd got stuffed by Lightsey at the 9-yard line. Kajihiro carried to the 11, and Dean carried up to the 21 to bring up 4th Down. Hale punted to Harris, who was stopped immediately at the 37-yard line by Miles Britt. On 1st Down Barnes carried to the 43, and then again to midfield. Brothers moved the ball into Panther territory at the 46, and penetrated further by reaching the 38 to pick up First Down. Barnes carried to the 33-yard line, and the Panthers called timeout, sensing a potential momentum swing as it was becoming apparent that the Rockets were finally firing with all offensive thrusters. The Rockets, however, scored anyway on the following play when Barnes sprinted in for the 33-yard score. Villastrigo nailed the PAT, and the score was knotted at seven (7) with 5:54 remaining in the First Half.

Linebacker Nick Howard took the kickoff for the Panthers, spinning out of numerous tackles along the sidelines to put the cats in business at the 45-yard line. The 1st-Down play resulted in a 2-yard loss. On 2nd Down, there appeared to be movement in the line that numerous Rocket defenders pointed out. The zebras, however, failed to detect possible movement by Kajihiro and what probably should have been a dead-ball foul and hence an aborted play, Hurd got the pass off, but Grigsby was there to snatch the INT and return it to the 1-yard line. Barnes scooted in for the score on the next play, Villastrigo’s PAT was good, and the Rockets had their first lead of the day at 14-7 with 4:37 remaining in the Half. The Rockets appeared to be in pretty good shape at this point in their attempted Powered Descent to the moon in spite of having some dangerous cats onboard, as they had a 155 to 26 advantage in total offensive yardage at this point.

The concomitant kickoff went out of bounds, and the Panthers elected to take the ball at the 30-yard line. On 1st Down Grigsby made the stop on Hurd at the end of a 3-yard pickup. On 2nd Down Hurd faked a handoff to Dean, but instead fired off a pass to Cotis Martin at the 46-yard line. On the next play Dean took the handoff and went up the middle and down to the Rocket 24, with Glen Settles keeping Dean from doing even more damage on the play. On a very similar play on the ensuing 1st Down, however, Brandon Daniels nailed Dean for a 1-yard loss, and Maurice Redwine then burned Richardson after he took a reverse, dropping him back at the 29. On 3rd-and-14 and under intense pressure from Wade Lightsey, Hurd launched a pass back at the 42. A pass interference call was overruled when it was decided the ball was uncatchable. Hale then came in to attempt a 45-yard FG, but it was partially blocked and the Rockets took over at the 29-yard line with 95 seconds left before the break. The Rockets got a 1st-Down pickup to the 41, and thus ended the 1st Half in a hard-hitting, defense-oriented game not much unlike the one the Rockets had with Dennis Parker and the Mavericks at this same location in 1990.

The Rockets came out of the break and sent a squib kickoff downfield that Alvin Mosby took and returned up to the 38. On 1st Down Robbie Stager made a stop for a 1-yard loss, but on 2nd Down Hurd get a modest pickup to the 39. On 3rd Down Hurd attempted a pass for which numerous Rocket "receivers" were open, but none of them could make contact or hold on. Following the punt, the Rockets began at their own 29-yard line, but the drive turned out to be fully unproductive, as they were stopped short on 3rd-and-3. Richardon took the punt at the 25, and the cats went back to work from their 28 after a chump-change gainer on the return. On a play-action fake Hurd kept the ball instead but got dropped back to the 21-yard line. An illegal procedure call on the Panthers during the play was declined by the Rockets. On the following play Hurd, in trouble, nevertheless took off to get up to the 33-yard line, but Kajihiro was stopped inches short at the 38 to bring up 4th Down. Dean, however, converted to keep the drive alive and put the Panthers in business at their 41-yard line. On 1st Down Grigsby stopped Dean for no gain, on 2nd Down Hurd’s pass went incomplete, on 3rd Down Grigsby, Bernard Jackson and Chuck Mitchell sequestered Hurd back to the 32, and this time the cats elected to punt. Bernard Jackson, however, also elected this time to rush in and block the Panther punt, and Robbie Stager picked the ball up and took it in for the score. Villastrigo toed the PAT, and the Rockets had a 21-7 advantage with 5:42 remaining in the penultimate period. In the real rocket program operated by NASA the final powered descent to the moon would begin at ~50000 feet with something called Program 63 (ie, P63)----a braking phase in which the vehicle would approach the surface on a 15 to 25-degree angle----and then, with P64 at ~7000 feet, the vehicle would pitch over onto a more vertical direction so that the Flight Crew could get a good look at the landing sight and bring the thing in. In the Judson Rockets' case, the Flight Crew now had the Division I goal in sight and appeared ready to close in and "land."

The Rockets, whom up to this point were trying to avoid kicking to where Nick Howard (or someone else) could field the ball and get a good pickup on the return (or worse), kicked off, but this time they got burned------big time. Nick Howard took the kick, breaking numerous tackles at the Panther 30-yard line, and raced along the Panther sideline for an 89-yard return for the score. Hale’s PAT kick was good, and with 5:25 remaining the Panthers had quickly narrowed the gap to 21-14. Shawn Harris took the Panther kickoff at the 1-yard line, returning up to the 19. On 1st Down Barnes got a 1-yard pickup and on 2nd Down got five (5) yards. Chris Brown converted to move the chains on a pickup out to the 31-yard line and got another 5-yarder to advance to the 36. A 5-yard face-mask call on the Panthers moved the Rockets to the 41, and thereafter Harris caught a short-range pass at the 45. Brothers carried up to the 48, but on 3rd-and 3 Richard Evans recovered a fumble for the cats at midfield. Dean got a 7-yard pickup for the Panthers on 1st Down, and then picked up a 1st Down at the 40. On the next play Dean got wrapped up by Maurice Redwine for a 2-yard loss. Grigsby and Lightsey stopped Dean for no gain, and then on 3rd-and-11 he got trapped and run out of bounds at the 42 to bring up 4th Down. Hale’s punt rolled dead at the Rocket 8-yard line with six (6) seconds remaining in the 3rd Quarter, and Barnes ended the Quarter by picking up very little on the ensuing 1st Down play.

The final period began with Barnes getting up to the 10-yard line, and on the following play Kionne Franklin got a good stop to bring up 4th Down. Following the punt the Panthers were in business at the Duncanville 49. Hurd’s option keeper on 1st Down went virtually nowhere when Floyd Wagner and Bernard Jackson put a stop to things at the 50. The next play, however, saw Dean get a pickup to the 44, but the next play saw Grigsby stop Dean short of a 1st Down, thus bringing up a 4th-and-2 situation where, with 8:50 left in the 4th Quarter, the Rockets called a timeout to get set defensively. Whatever defensive scheme was devised didn’t work, as Hurd sent a toss play to Dean, and Dean used his speed to get outside and convert to move the chains at the 36. Dean got a pickup to the 30 on 1st Down, and Kajihiro carried to the 27. Grigsby then got a tackle to bring up 3rd-and-1. Interestingly, the Panthers up to this point were 0-for-4 on 3rd-Down conversions. Undeterred, the Panthers converted on another Hurd-to-Dean toss play. The play looked very much dead on arrival, but Dean did what he needed to do when, headed for a possible loss back to the 30, he instead used shear determination to reach the 22 and get the First Down. The ball popped loose near the end of the play, but Cotis Martin, in true heads-up fashion, recovered at the 10-yard line. On 1st Down, Hurd completed a pitchout to Richardson, who carried to the 7 where he was tackled by Glen Settles. On the next play, however, Grigsby stuffed Dean for a loss back to the 10-yard line, and with 3rd-and-9 coming up the Panthers called timeout to decide how to punch it in.

The Rockets, whom at this point had figuratively passed from the P64 "high-gate" phase of what they planned to be their final approach phase to the Division I Lunar surface, were now in the P66 phase where they can start to hover around to find and decide precisely where to go, "set her down," and claim the title. The Rocket Flight Crew at various times had to deal with "Coogs in Space," they had a Lunar Orbital encounter with some Tigers in 1994, and of course they had some Permian Panthers to wrestle with during the PDI maneuver only three (3) years earlier. These particularly feisty cats, however, were causing the Flight Crew to go into an extended "attitude hold" maneuver so they could tie them down and complete the main mission objective before running out of fuel (ie, time).