2000: Snippy

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Unlike the Presidential Election held on November 7, the results of a February 12 election in Rocket-land left nothing in doubt, and hence no need for a recount. Although a growing consensus was actually developing below the surface on the need for some new facilities for the Rockets as well as those to support a prospective spin-off program, certain aspects of the latest proposal (an earlier one was rejected on November 13, 1999) were still not to most of the stake-holders' liking, this dynamic would once more form the back-drop to the Rocket Program's latest efforts to get off the ground, and the overall debate swirling around the Rocket community was leaving everyone on various sides of the issue feeling a little "snippy." The latest UIL realignment also made for an interesting situation. For the first time since their 3A days, the Rockets would be in the same District once more with both the East Central Hornets and the Clemens Buffaloes. And, to put the ultimate twist on things, the Rough Riders were moved into a 4A District, where they would occupy the spot previously held by the Buffs. The Rockets would hence get TR in non-District action instead, and the test would come in the opening game of the season, which meant that the Rockets would meet the Riders at Blossom for the 2nd time in their last three (3) games.

Roosevelt (7-3, 0-3)
September 8, 2000: Blossom
The so-called American Century that had just been concluded began with TR---who firmly believed in "Big Stick" American diplomacy----on the verge of succeeding to the Presidency. Rockets, of course, would come to characterize a major part of the 2nd half of that American Century. It was probably only appropriate that TR's Rough Riders play what turned out to be their final game of that American Century in a bi-district affair, with the Holmes Huskies, at the Rockets' Stadium. It was also probably most fitting that the 1st game of the new millenium and hence century for both the Rockets and the Riders be with each other.

The first game of the millenium took place in a Friday evening meeting at Blossom and started with a scoreless 1st Quarter, partially a result of three (3) consecutive 3-and-outs by the Rockets. The double goose-egg situation changed in the 2nd Quarter when TR QB Matt Sauceda completed a 45-yard pass to Ryan Duffee, which put the Riders in business at the Rocket 9-yard line. Mark Jackson took the ball in from the 1 at the 8:28 mark of the 2nd Quarter, TR led 7-0 after the PAT, and it was starting to look as if the Riders had simply picked up where they left off with the Rockets. That also changed quickly, when 74 seconds later Rocket QB Randy Moshier hit Brian Torrey with a 67-yard pass play for the score, and the score was knotted with the Elolf PAT. Thus things would remain at the break, but the Rockets would change that situation quickly to start the 2nd Half, when Morris Brothers took off on a 76-yard dash to the TR 2-yard line. TC Wilson took the ball in on the next play, and after the PAT the Rockets were up 14-7 with 128 seconds gone in the 3rd Quarter. The Rockets mounted a 54-yard drive early in the final period, Wilson finished it off with an 8-yard run, and the PAT was good with 9:27 to go in the game. Tito Betancourt intercepted two (2) passes, returning the first 23 yards to the TR 10, from where Brothers scored with 8:57 left. Following the PAT and the kickoff, Betancourt got his second INT after a tip from another Rocket defender and returned it to the Rider 36-yard line. Chris Walker took it in from the 22-yard line, and the PAT was good with 5:19 to go. The final Rocket score came on a 54-yard run by reserve QB John Morales and an Elolf PAT with 2:27 left. The Riders picked up 121 yards on the ground and 47 through the air, while experiencing one (1) lost fumble and three (3) INT's. The Rockets experienced one (1) INT but lost zero (0) fumbles. Moshier was 5-of-13 for 110 yards through the air, and the ground unit contributed 284 yards, with Brothers picking up 118 yards on 11 carries.

As for the Riders, they continued with an inauspicious start, losing two (2) more non-district games to some stiff competition, before ripping off seven (7) consecutive District wins to clinch their District 29 4A title. They thereafter advanced out of Region IV with a convincing 63-28 decision over Smithson Valley in a classic coaching showdown between the "Hills Brothers"---Larry coaching for Smithson Valley and Glenn coaching for TR---both sons of the long-time East Central coach of the 60's and '70.s. The campaign to claim the 4A Division I Crown Hill came to an end, however, in a Semifinal matchup in the Astrodome with Bay City, who clinched the 4A Division I title the following week.

Bryan (7-3, 5-2)
September 15, 2000: Bryan
The Rockets paid their first visit to the Vikings and converted (2) late turnovers into scores to pull away in a game in which they were out-gained by 150 yards in total offense. Bryan drew first blood in the 1st Quarter with a 21-yard TD pass and PAT, and the Rockets answered with a 1-yard Wilson run and Elolf PAT to tie things up, and the opening stanza ended with the Vikings leading after a 53-yard TD run and PAT. The Rockets knotted things up again in the 2nd Quarter on a 21-yard Brothers run and Elolf PAT, and the score remained knotted at the Half and through the 3rd Quarter. Early in the final period, Elolf hit on a 42-yard FG. Two (2) minutes later and with the Vikings in Rocket territory, Billy Hankins snatched up a Viking fumble and raced 70 yards for the score, and the PAT put the Rockets up by 10. After the kickoff, Jermaine Harris picked off a Viking pass, returning it 13 yards for the score and after the PAT the Rockets had a comfortable lead that could not be overcome by the single answering score that Bryan got.

San Benito (4-6, 3-4)
September 22, 2000: Converse
The Greyhounds were no match for the Rockets, and they had a goose-egg to show for the first varsity game to take place in Converse in the new millenium. Chris Walker had the honors of scoring first, with an 18-yard run midway through the opening stanza, and Elolf's PAT was good. Elolf would then nail the next three (3) PAT's of the Half, as the Rockets scored quickly. The first PAT came after a 28-yard pass from Moshier to Torrey at the 8:47 mark of the 2nd Quarter, which was set up on the play before by a 14-yard punt. The next PAT came following a 1-yard run by Brothers with 6:49 left in the Half, which was set up on the preceding play by a blocked punt that followed a Greyhound 3-and-out. The 3rd PAT came after a 64-yard Tory Stephens pass reception from Moshier with 3:42 to go in the Half. The Rockets would score two (2) more TD's in the 3rd Quarter, still one (1) more time in the final period, and Elolf would be perfect on all the PAT's. The 'Hounds picked up 58 yard on the ground and 49 through the air. Although they experienced only one (1) turnover, a blood-curdling seven-punt, 16.9-yard kicking average proved to be disastrous. The Rockets, on the other hand, had a two-kick, 44.5-yard punting average, and experienced zero (0) turnovers. The Rockets completed 7-of-13 passes for 147 yards, while gaining 194 yards on the ground with eight (8) different ball carriers.

Ronald Reagan (1-9, 0-9)
September 29, 2000: Converse
Gorbachev eventually heeded Reagan's exhortation to "tear down this wall." The Rattlers, however, were unable to penetrate the Rockets' defensive wall in this inaugural meeting held in Converse. Elolf was perfect on all of his PAT's, while the Rockets scored two (2) TD's in the opening Quarter, one (1) TD in the 2nd Quarter, and a TD-apiece in the 3rd and 4th Quarters. Elolf also contributed a 22-yard FG with 18 seconds gone in the 2nd Quarter, and a bad Rattler snap out of the endzone provided a Safety for the Rockets in the 3rd Quarter. With the Rockets up 40-0, the only Reagan points came on a 27-yard pass and PAT with 5:34 left in the game. The Rattlers had no turnovers whatever, while the Rockets experienced a lost fumble. Reagan was limited to 57 yards on the ground, and 95 through the air on 11-of-30 pass attempts. The Rattlers had six (6) punts for a 28.3-yard average, while the Rockets turned in a 47-yard average on a two-punt performance. Meanwhile, Moshier completed 6-of-10 passes for 91 yards, while the real damage was done on the ground with 305 rushing yards. Brothers contributed 128 of those on 16 carries, while a posse of nine (9) other Backs provided the balance.

Clemens (6-4, 4-3)
October 6, 2000: Schertz
A lot had taken place since the Rockets' last visit to Schertz in 1982: Four (4) out-right 5A championships for the Rockets, and the emergence of the Buffaloes as a major 4A power that commenced as soon as they got out from under the 5A shadow of Judson and the NEISD. Now that the Buffs were back at the 5A level for the first time since a miserable 8-season experience in the late 70's and early 80's, they were in no mood to return to that earlier form just because of stiffer competition. In fact, four (4) games into the first season of the new millenium, they were proving to be more than up to the challenge.

A 19-yard pass from Travis Hunter to Jason Maples on 4^th Down kept the Buffs’ opening scoring drive alive, and shortly thereafter Nicholas Polk scored on a 1-yard run. The PAT failed, and the Buffs led 6-0 at the 5:21 mark of the opening stanza. The Buffs had a short field to work with on their next possession by virtue of a Maples INT of Moshier’s pass, and Kyle Van Syoc drilled a 26-yard FG with 43 seconds to go in the 1^st Quarter. The Buffs then got another Maples INT, which led to a 21-yard TD pass on 4^th Down from Hunter to Cortez Perry. This time the PAT was good, and the count was 16-0 with 8:26 left in the 2^nd Quarter. At this point, things weren’t looking very good at all, because this was the very same way in which Bowie and Crockett had jumped in front of the Rockets in the 1996 and 1997 Bi-District games: Turnovers to give short fields, supplemented by time-consuming drives in which they would pick up small bits of yardage at a time and then burn the Rockets with a 5-to-10-yard gainer, usually on a pass. In this case, however, the Rockets were able to finally hold onto the ball and sustain a drive, scoring on a 6-yard Moshier run with 5:22 left in the Half. The PAT failed, however. The Rockets then quickly got the ball back and drove down for a 20-yard Elolf FG with 65 seconds left.

The Rockets climbed to within 16-12 with 4:07 to go in the 3^rd Quarter on Elolf’s 32-yard FG, thus setting the stage for the 4^th Quarter action. The Buffs, after being forced into the 4^th 3-and-out of the 2^nd Half, punted and Marcus Brown then raced 65 yards to give the Rockets the lead with 10:26 to go in the game. Elolf extended the lead with the PAT. The play appeared to be finished at the Buff 30-yard line, but Brown managed to break free from the herd that that everyone thought had corralled him. Following unproductive drives by both teams, the Rockets then drove to the Buff 27-yard line, where on 4^th-and-2 Brown took off, arriving in the endzone with 3:17 left. Once more the PAT was good. The Rockets then picked up a Safety with 1:47 to go when the Buff Punter was tackled in the endzone.

The safety was probably a fitting conclusion to the scoring in a game in which seven (7) different carriers picked up only 73 yards on the ground for the Buffs, but as a team they only had 21 net yards to show for it after the sacks were figured into the equation. The Buffs picked up 52 yards through the air on a 4-of-14 passing effort while experiencing no turnovers and only two (2) penalties for ten (10) yards. The 7-punt, 23.6-yard punting average probably didn’t help either, especially when viewed against the two-punt, 39.0-yard average for the Rockets. The only two (2) turnovers the Rockets experienced were the potentially disastrous INT’s that led to the Buff scores. The Rockets likewise had a low penalty assessment: Three (3) for 30 yards. The Rockets had no pass completions (other than the ones "completed" to Buff "receivers") for zero (0) yards through the air to go with their 198 yards on the ground. The Buffs had 60 yards in returns. The Rockets, on the other hand, had 160 yards, with a large chunk, of course, coming on the punt return that gave the Rockets the lead. Both teams were in single digits in First Downs: Clemens had five (5) and the Rockets had nine (9).

Lee (1-9, 1-6)
October 12, 2000: Blossom
The Rockets returned to Blossom for a meeting with the Volunteers that would occur on a Thursday evening for the second consecutive year. The Rockets got on the board first with a 1-yard run by Brothers and an Elolf PAT at the 8:08 mark of the 1^st Quarter, capping a 6-play, 56-yard drive. Brothers then added two (2) more scores, Moshier one (1) on a 4-yard run, and Elolf 2-of-3 PAT's in the 2^nd Quarter. The 3^rd Quarter was scoreless, but with 31 seconds gone in the final Quarter, Marcus Brown scored on a 32-yard pass from Moshier. Lee would get on the board with a 7-yard run with 4:07 to go, but the PAT failed. The final Rocket scores came on a 10-yard run by Ernest Jones and a Joshua Freeman PAT with 1:07 left. The Vols picked up 76 yards on the ground and 38 through the air on a 2-of-5 passing effort for no INT’s. They lost only one (1) fumble, but they no doubt also suffered from the effects of a four-punt, 28.7-yard punting average. The Rockets, meanwhile, did a little better with a 35.5-yard average on two (2) punts. The Rockets lost one (1) fumble, while Moshier completed 6-of-10 passes for 114 yards and zero (0) INT’s. The ground team turned in a 272-yard performance, with Brothers getting 107 of that, and the balance provided by seven (7) other ball carriers.

East Central (5-5, 2-5)
October 20, 2000: Converse
The Hornets, visiting the Rockets for the first time since 1988, got a rude reception. Brothers got the Rockets going with a 1-yard run with 2:26 to go in the opening period, and the PAT was good. The Rockets then picked up a Safety as a result of a bad snap on a punt when it sailed out of the endzone with 4:27 to go in the 1^st Half, and the Rockets capitalized on the possession following the free kick, scoring on a 4-yard Moshier run and an Elolf PAT with 60 seconds left. Brett Cannon blocked a Hornet punt, and Billy Hankins returned it six (6) yards for the TD with 6:50 to go in the 3^rd Quarter, and the PAT was good. The Rockets scored again in the 3^rd Quarter, with 3:13 to go, on a 38-yard pass from Moshier to TC Wilson. With six (6) seconds gone in the final period, Chris Walker upped the count on a 10-yard run, and Elolf added to the damage with the PAT. The Hornet quickly answered with a 80-yard run by Chris Scott with 11:24 to go, but Wilson would get one (1) more TD on a 15-yard run, and Elolf would get one (1) final PAT, with 3:06 left in the game. The Hornets experienced zero (0) turnovers, while the Rockets had one (1) lost fumble. The Hornets completed 2-of-20 passes for 22 yards and gained 171 yards on the ground. The Rockets picked up 57 yards through the air on 5-of-9 pass attempts, while also picking up 304 yards on the ground. Wilson was the main contributor with 128 yards, Brothers picked up 100 and the rest was turned in by Walker, Moshier, and Stephens.

Madison (7-3, 4-3)
October 28, 2000: Blossom
A mild, partly-sunny but windy afternoon provided the backdrop for this Saturday meeting between two (2) teams with 7-0 records. Were it not for the wind, which would prove to be a deciding factor for the Rockets, the Rockets’ decision to defer after the coin toss and take the wind may have been regarded by Al Gore as a "risky scheme." The Rockets, however, only had to go 43 yards on their first possession as a result of a 17-yard punt by the Mavs, TC Wilson scored from 13 yards out at the 7:57 mark of the opening Quarter, and the PAT was good. The Mavs quickly answered with a 65-yard drive that included a 42-yard keeper by QB Trey Ehrhardt to the Rocket 23, scoring with three (3) seconds gone in the 2^nd Quarter on a 1-yard run by Travis Pack, and the score was knotted following the PAT. The Rockets were back on top with 4:35 left in the Half with a PAT that followed a 17-yard reverse by Marcus Brown, which came one (1) play after Vincent Duncan pulled in an INT.

The 3^rd Quarter belonged to the Mavs. The first Mav TD came on an 11-yard run by Jacob Gutierrez and the PAT with 3:17 left. A few plays before that, Gutierrez reached the Rocket 28-yard line on a 20-yard gainer that was set up largely by a head-on collision between Jason McNeil and Brett Cannon, who sustained a concussion on the play. The concussion was bad enough in and of itself, and the actual play also had an ominous look to it, because it dredged memories of a similar (albeit non-injurious) collision that enabled a Dulles runner in the 1991 Semi-final at UT to get away on an 81-yard run that changed the dynamic of that game completely. Indeed the dynamic in this game had apparently changed as well when Paul Quirindongo got away on a 59-yard TD run and the PAT was good to give the Mavs a 21-14 advantage with 1:38 left in the 3^rd. The Rockets, however, responded with an 80-yard drive that culminated in a 5-yard Moshier run and an Elolf kick with 9:13 left in the game. The Mavs would then attempt to re-take the lead with 3:20 left, but the FG was no good, and the Rockets mounted a 76-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard Moshier run and Elolf PAT with 86 seconds remaining to give the Rockets the lead.

MacArthur (8-2, 6-1)
November 3, 2000: Converse
The Brahmas had beaten the Rockets by one (1) point in 1994, were blown out the following year, then had the gate slammed shut by the thinnest of margins in four (4) consecutive meetings with the Rockets leading up to this encounter in Converse. Each time Mac vowed to "return" and force a surrender on the Rockets. In the hours leading up to the contest, it appeared that the weather would force a surrender by all teams across the area, as scattered, occasionally heavy downpours plagued the region all afternoon. A small window of opportunity opened just in time, however, and most teams were able to take the field after all, even if the going would still be muddy if not drizzly.

The Rockets in this game ended up with twelve (12) First Downs and 205 yards total offense. 148 of those came on the ground, with Brothers contributing 89, Stephens 41, Moshier 21 and Brown going backwards with minus-3. Moshier was good on 2-of-9 passes and no INT’s for 57 yards. The Rockets punted nine (9) times for a 40.6-yard average, while the Brahmas punted seven (7) times for a 34.4-yard average. The Rockets experienced only one (1) lost fumble. Mac, meanwhile, experienced two (2) lost fumbles and had one (1) INT on a 7-of-14 passing effort that picked up 109 yards. On the ground, the Brahmas picked up 186 yards, with Esquivel supplying 142 of those. This game went into overtimes. Little would anyone know, but four (4) days later, the US Presidential Election would also go into overtime, and just as this game had a surreal, almost "twilight zone" feel to it, so too would the next five (5) weeks be in CONUS as efforts were undertaken to resolve things in Florida, but with the stakes much higher than the affair in Converse that required three (3) overtimes to resolve.

Churchill (8-2, 6-1)
November 11, 2000: Blossom
Early the previous Wednesday morning, Al called W back to retract his earlier concession call. Somehow word had not yet reached W, his friends and family about the extent to which the electoral "proceedings" in Florida were not as of yet "closed," and somehow W's reaction rubbed Al the wrong way and he retorted back to W "you don't have to get snippy about it." While top-ranked Oklahoma was in the latter stages of giving the Aggies something to be "snippy" about at Kyle Field by returning an INT for a score to take the lead late in a game in which the Aggies almost pulled off a monumental upset, and while stories of hanging chads, dimpled ballots and butterfly ballots in Dade and Broward Counties were giving US voters something to be "snippy" about as the recount lumbered on, the Churchill Chargers were about to give the Judson Rockets something to feel "snippy" about in a Saturday afternoon meeting at Blossom.

The Chargers, however, simply picked up where they left off to begin the 3^rd Quarter by driving 73 yards in six (6) plays to go up 28-14 at the 8:14 mark, with QB Kyle Kummer completing all five (5) passes attempted in the drive. At the halfway point of the final period, Fanuzzi "bobbled" the snap on the punt, but with a Rocket defender coming after him he instead took off on a 42-yard dash that put the Chargers in position to clinch the game with a 33-yard Fanuzzi FG with 4:44 left. The Chargers picked up only 98 yards on the ground, but they got 298 through the air on a 15-of-21 effort by Kummer. They had no turnovers whatever. The Rockets, however, experienced one (1) INT and one (1) lost fumble, both of which resulted in Charger scores. The Chargers had 17 First Downs, and the Rockets had 24. The Chargers had two (2) punts for a 27-yard average, while the Rockets had two (2) for a 40-yard average. The Rockets picked up 31 yards on a 5-of-11 effort by Moshier, while gaining 318 yards on the ground, with Brothers getting 143 of that on 19 carries, and the balance turned in by five (5) other ball carriers. Although this result dropped the Rockets into 3^rd place in the final 26-5A standings, there were nevertheless some bright spots that characterized the entire season. Hence, after being grounded for the entire 1999 season, the Rockets, back on orbit, were about to attempt another lunar mission (ie postseason play) in spite of being left feeling a little "snippy" as a result of this second consecutive, unsuccessful DTO (Detailed Test Objective).

One (1) other thing, however, also left me feeling a little "snippy."

Just as they were in the contest with TR the year before, the Rocket Band was missing in action when they should have been doing their part to help turn things around. As the 3^rd Quarter began and with Kummer doing his damage through the air, and just as had happened in a similar 3^rd-Quarter scenario with TR, someone in charge of the drumline apparently decided that this was the time to showcase the talent. I’ve got no problem with that, but there’s a time and place for everything. While this may have been the place, it was hardly the time at this critical juncture in the game. Oh, the Rocket Band did launch into a rendition of "Gonna Fly Now," (ie the "Theme From Rocky"), which the Band would very effectively do in earlier times, but there were two (2) slight problems with this: First, to my knowledge this was the only time I could recall they had done so during a game all season and for one of the very few times since the 1996 season; and, second, the score was already 31-14 and the damage had already essentially been done. Where was "Rocky" when the "Judson Rocky’s" could have used it when they still had a fighting chance either early in the 3^rd Quarter, or at any point in the 1^st Half? Also noticeable was that for whatever reason the Rocket Band, as the season progressed, had stopped playing "2001: A Space Odyssey" (aka Also Sprach Zarathustra) on all kickoffs during the game, as had been done since 1979. Overall (ie, not just w/r the Band), I was starting to sense that a poisonous element of some kind had somehow infiltrated Rocket-land from somewhere and was deliberately if not subtly or subliminally trying to kill the spirit. Like I said, I was left feeling rather "snippy" after this entire episode at Blossom, but the afternoon affair at least gave me a full evening to go check out the latest news over in Florida.

Semifinals
Midland Lee 13 The Woodlands 3
Westlake 45 Eisenhower 0

Final
Midland Lee 33 Westlake 21

Semifinals
Tyler John Tyler 34 Arlington Lamar 7
Katy 26 Marshall 0

Final
Katy 35 Tyler 20

Westlake (10-0, 5-0)
November 17, 2000: Alamodome
The Rockets, already feeling snippy after the experiences of the past two (2) weeks, would be rendered beyond the point of snippiness as a result of what the Chaps were about to do to them in this Friday evening meeting at the Alamodome in snipping the Rockets’ fuel lines to the point that they could not get their Translunar Injection burn off in time, thus forcing the Rockets to de-orbit and land as part of a considerably abbreviated (ie, snipped short) post-season mission. The Rockets stuffed Westlake on the first play from scrimmage, but on the second play Duke Hasson hit Aaron Garza on an 81-yard pass play, the PAT by James Baker was good, and the Chaps were up 7-0 with 57 seconds gone in the game. The Rockets were extremely unproductive on their first possession, the Chaps were quickly back in business, and with 7:39 left in the opening period the Chaps increased their lead on a 19-yard run by Brad Beaven and a Baker PAT. The Rockets couldn’t get anything done on their next possession, either, but the defense rose up on the Chaps’ next possession, and Tito Betancourt snatched an interception; unfortunately, 4th Down came once more, and this time the Rockets were unsuccessful on a fake punt. Five (5) plays later, Hasson hooked up with Keith Waddill for a 21-yard TD with 2:46 left in the 1st Quarter, and the PAT was good. In the 2nd Quarter, the Chaps missed on a FG attempt, two (2) plays later the Rockets turned the ball over on a fumble, and on the next play Brendan Dewan ran the ball in for a 28-yard score, the PAT was good, and at the 7:17 mark of the 2nd period the Chaps were up 28-0. With 36 seconds remaining in the Half, Scott Ballew got what would be the final TD of the day for the Chaps----this one on a 4-yard run-----and their final points of the day came on Baker’s PAT. In the 2nd Half, the damage already done, the Chaps took it easy while letting the Rockets finally get their lone score on a 16-yard hook-up from Moshier to Marcus Brown with 2:36 left in the game, and the PAT was no good.

The Rockets experienced only one (1) turnover, and they did have a 6-punt, 41.7-yard average. Through the air they picked up 77 yards on a 5-of-15 effort, while on the ground they were permitted to pick up 157 yards, of which 102 belonged to Brothers on 24 carries. The Chaps, meanwhile, lost one (1) fumble and experienced one (1) INT. They picked up 199 yards through the air on 6-of-16 passes, while on the ground they netted 254 yards, with Ballew getting 115 on 22 carries, and the balance provided by seven (7) other participants.

After this particular debacle and some other things that had happened earlier in the year, I was more than ready for a vacation. Hence, my dad and I left the following Tuesday for a 7-day Thanksgiving visit with my grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousins in Pembroke Pines, Florida (ie Broward County). It was a much-needed respite, in spite of the fact we descended right into the eye of the electoral recount storm that was continuing to leave everyone on all sides of the issue in CONUS feeling snippy. Well, the issue was ultimately sent up to the SCOTUS, where on December 12 it snipped off any further recount attempts, Al finally conceded, and W snipped his paid services to the State of Texas and prepared to depart for his new assignment in DC as the POTUS. The following Saturday Katy snipped off several attempts by the Marshall Rams to take the lead in the first Half at Kyle Field, and then blew past them in the 2nd Half enroute to their Division II championship. Meanwhile that day at UT, Cedric Benson and the Rebels snipped off any hopes the Westlake Chaparrals had of clinching the Division I title by scoring twice in the 2nd Half while shutting the Chaps out in said Half.

Later, on March 5, 2001, Rocket Flight Director DW Rutledge, sensing some better opportunities to make a wider-spread and longer-term contribution and impact elsewhere, snipped his formal ties with the JISD by accepting a position as Executive Vice President of the Texas High School Coaches Association. Shortly thereafter the District named long-time Assistant Jim Rackley to succeed Rutledge as the Rockets prepared for their 2001 Space Odyssey.