2001: Raiders of the Space Odyssey

NOTE: Click HERE to view the season record

Roosevelt (8-2, 7-0)
September 7, 2001: Converse
The Rockets began their 2001 space odyssey---with long-time Deputy Flight Director Jim Rackley now in charge----with a meeting with TR in Converse. As was the case the year before but this time with the Riders fresh off a Class 4-A Division I Semi-final appearance, TR got on the board first, this time on a 1-yard Reggie Carson run with 87 seconds elapsed that capped a 5-play, 70-yard drive. The PAT was no good, however. The Rockets then got a look at Sophomore Chancy Campbell for the first time in varsity competition, as he took off on the second play from scrimmage for a 51-yard pickup. The drive eventually would get snuffed out when Dustin Quinney’s pass was intercepted at the 2-yard line, but after the Riders failed to produce the Rockets started from their own 38-yard line. A 30-yard run by Campbell on 2nd-and-3 set the Rockets up at the TR 13-yard line, TC Wilson took it in from the 5-yard line two (2) plays later, and after a failed PAT the score was knotted at 6-each with 3:58 remaining in the opening stanza. In front of the 10000 witnesses on hand, the Rockets then had liftoff in the 2nd Quarter by virtue of:

• Campbell’s 12-yard run with 48 seconds gone
• A 13-yard run by Andre Williams at the 8:02 mark
• QB John Morales’ 5-yard score with eight (8) seconds remaining
• Joshua Freeman’s three (3) consecutive PAT kicks following the scores.

TR narrowed the gap with a 9-yard Carson run with 3:08 left in the 1st Half, but the pass for two (2) points was unsuccessful.

Things settled down in the 3rd Quarter, with the only tally being a 32-yard Rider FG that narrowed the gap to 27-15. The gap was narrowed further with a 7-yard run by Carson and a successful PAT with 153 seconds gone in the final period, but nineteen (19) seconds later Titus Brothers restored the advantage for the Rockets with a 90-yard kickoff return for a TD, and with a run by Morales for two (2) points, the Rockets led 35-22. Wilson and Freeman then provided insurance scores for the Rockets, with a 5-yard run and a PAT respectively, with 3:52 left in the game. The Riders lost no fumbles, but were intercepted once as part of an 8-of-19 passing effort by Matt Sauceda that generated 182 yards. On the ground TR netted 109 yards. A 3-punt, 37.3-yard average helped keep the Rockets bottled up somewhat, while for the Rockets their one (1) punt for 23 yards probably didn’t help support the launch very much. The Rockets experienced two (2) turnovers---one (1) INT and one (1) lost fumble, and they picked up 34 yards through the air in a 3-of-7 passing performance. On the ground, they got 340 yards, with Campbell contributing 166 yards on 16 carries, and the balance distributed between six (6) other participants.

September 14, 2001. With all major professional and college sporting events postponed or cancelled for the next several days, due only partially to the fact that the "plane" part of the "planes, trains and automobiles" equation would be unavailable for a while longer, and with continuous live television coverage giving the latest updates on the recovery, reaction and promised response by CONUS to the attacks, High School Football---the one institution that was undeterred at least logistically if not emotionally across much of CONUS---went on as originally scheduled. In Converse-----home to a sizable military community that had been and would be in the days to come directly impacted by the attacks on civility, dignity, and liberty-----home of the Judson Rockets and hence the alma mater of LTC Karen Wagner, a 1979 Rocket who died in the service of her country when Flight 77 was plowed into the Pentagon by terrorists some 83 hours earlier, the Rocket Flight Crew, their FOD, and their Bryan Viking counterparts lined up together for the National Anthem in a show of solidarity on the field, where the Diamond J had been repainted red, white and blue.

Earlier in the day W, standing atop the still-smoldering rubble at Ground Zero, spoke into a bullhorn promising the rescue and recovery workers that the people who knocked the buildings down would soon be hearing from all of US. Back in Converse that evening, the Judson Rockets would soon hear from the Bryan Vikings, as they jumped out to a 6-0 lead on two (2) FG’s: A 38-yarder and a 40-yarder at the 10:11 and 3:59 marks of the opening period. The Rockets then got untracked with a 28-yard run TD run by Chancy Campbell, and the Joshua Freeman PAT gave the Rockets a 7-6 lead with nine (9) seconds gone in the 2nd Quarter. John Morales then extended the lead with a 5-yard run with 8:39 left in the 2nd period, and the Freeman kick increased the lead a little more. The Vikes answered quickly on their ensuing drive, with Cedric Washington taking it in from 12 yards out and then knotting the score with a run for two (2) points with 7:15 left. The Rockets then responded in kind when TC Wilson punched it in from four (4) yards out, the PAT was good, and the Rockets were back in front by seven (7) with 4:24 to go before the break. Not to be outdone, Bryan knotted the score once more with 101 seconds left before intermission with a 2-yard run and PAT.

The 3rd period was scoreless, but Campbell put the Rockets back in front with a 2-yard run with 7:43 left in the game, the Freeman kick was good, and the Rockets led 28-21. Once again, however, the Vikes had a quick answer, this time with a 69-yard run by Will Bullock with 6:38 to go. The PAT failed, however, and the Rockets still led 28-27. The Vikes, however, quickly got the ball back and took the lead for good with a 42-yard run and a pass for two (2) points with 4:26 to go in the game. Bryan was threatening again, but with 1:53 left the Rockets recovered a fumble at their own 32-yard line; unfortunately, Morales was sacked on 4th Down at the Rocket 46 with five (5) seconds left, and the Vikings ran out the clock. The Vikings picked up 39 yards on the ground on a 6-of-18 passing effort, but the real damage was done on the ground, where they picked up 416 yards. Washington contributed 216 of that on 17 carries, and Bullock got 191 yards on 16 totes. They did experience two (2) turnovers---both lost fumbles----and they were slowed somewhat by a 3-punt, 29-yard average. The Rockets, meanwhile, were able to stay in the game with a 4-punt, 44-yard average, and no turnovers whatever. Through the air, the Rockets picked up 90 yards on a 6-of-15 passing effort, while on the ground they netted 276 yards. Campbell picked up 162 yards on 17 carries, and the balance was distributed between five (5) other ball handlers.

San Benito (2-8, 1-6)
September 21, 2001: San Benito
The Rockets outraced the Greyhounds in this Friday evening meeting-----the Rockets’ first non-Laredo regular-season visit to the Rio Grande Valley.

The 1st-Half scoring went as follows

• Andre Williams with a 30-yard run with 3:23 left in the opening period
• A 79-yard run by Chancy Campbell with 92 seconds remaining in the 1st Quarter
• A Greyhound score when Adam Garcia hooked up with Baldo Aguirre for a 27-yard scoring play for the Greyhounds at the 9:26 mark of the 2nd period, and Eddie Castillo narrowed the Rocket lead to 14-7 with the PAT
• Campbell with a 3-yard run with 5:04 left in the 1st Half
• Chris Walker with a 25-yard pass from Dustin Quinney with 96 seconds remaining
• Eric Berle’s four (4) successful PAT’s

Campbell got his final TD of the day on a 4-yard run at the 8:02 mark of the penultimate period, Rey Figoroa contributed a 6-yard run later in the period, in the final quarter he would pick up the final TD for the day for the Rockets on a 38-yard run with 8:49 remaining, Berle nailed the first two (2) PAT’s of the 2nd Half, and Quinney got the final one. Mike Mull and Eddie Castillo provided the final points for the Greyhounds with a 7-yard run and PAT, respectively, with 5:10 left to yield a 49-14 final score in favor of the Rockets, all this in spite of the Rockets’ five (5) lost fumbles and one (1) INT. Campbell contributed 162 rushing yards in this effort that saw the Rockets pick up a total of 399 yards on the ground.

On the second play of this Friday evening match-up at Blossom, the Rattlers’ Donny Lett snatched a Rocket fumble and returned it 28-yards for a TD----or so it seemed. An official blew the play dead prematurely. Later in the opening period, Chancy Campbell put the Rockets up with a 1-yard run, and with 5:57 left the Rockets led 7-0 after Freeman did his job with the PAT. The Rattlers tied things up with 2:53 left with a 16-yard pass from Chad Vacek to James Smeckner, and a Jeremy Jessop PAT. The Rockets then jumped out to a 21-7 lead with a 5-yard run by Campbell with five (5) seconds gone in the 2nd period, a 49-yard pass play connection from Morales to Chris Walker at the 8:11 mark of the 2nd Quarter, and two (2) successful PAT’s by Freeman. TJ Boykin and Jessop, however, served notice to the 6519 witnesses that the Rattlers weren’t going to willfully submit, bringing Reagan to within 21-14, with 93 seconds left in the 1st Half, with a 1-yard run and PAT respectively.

The Rattlers came out of the break and picked up where they left off, tying things up, at the 9:14 mark of the 3rd Quarter, on a 6-yard run by Matt Vallani and a Jessop PAT. They would then take a 28-21 lead, with a 57-yard run by Vacek and Jessop’s successful PAT, with 5:53 remaining in the 3rd period. With 3:47 left in the penultimate period and the Rockets once more bottled up---this time at their own 25-yard line----they were forced once more to punt, but a roughing-the-kicker call on the Rattlers kept the drive alive. A defensive holding penalty on the next play gave the Rockets another First Down, with 83 seconds gone in the final period the Rockets finished the penalty-facilitated 73-yard drive with a 1-yard run by John Morales, and the Freeman kick tied the game at 28. The Rattlers drove down on their ensuing drive and attempted a 47-yard FG, but it was wide left, and the Rockets then undertook a 70-yard quest for pay-dirt that Morales capped with a 7-yard run. Freeman’s PAT gave the Rockets a 35-28 advantage with 2:40 left to play. This was far from over, however. The Rattlers drove downfield, and the game ended with Vacek force out of bounds at the Rocket 8-yard line with "four zeros" on the clock.

The Rattlers picked up 94 yards through the air on a 9-of-16, zero-INT effort by Vacek. On the ground, the Rattlers ripped the Rockets for 356 yards, with Cameron Holbert contributing 162 yards on 18 carries, and the balance distributed between five (5) other ball carriers. The snakes lost only one (1) fumble, and they punted only once for 44 yards. The Rockets, meanwhile, punted twice for a 38.5-yard average, and they lost the ball once on a fumble, although they experienced no INT’s during Morales’ 6-of-12 effort that netted 119 yards through the air. On the ground, the Rockets netted 230 yards, with Campbell picking up 148 of that on 26 totes.

Clemens answered quickly to start the 3rd Quarter, scoring on a 74-yard pass from Chris McGill to Brad Wall and a Van Syoc PAT with 63 seconds gone. Campbell then restored the advantage for the Rockets with another run, and Freeman nailed the PAT at the 7:35 mark of the 3rd Quarter. Clemens narrowed the gap once more, however, with a Perry run for three (3) yards and a Van Syoc PAT with 2:47 left in the penultimate quarter of regulation. Brad Wahl and Van Syoc would then knot the score with 8:34 left in the 4th period with a 29-yard run and PAT, respectively, and the score would remain tied at 28 as regulation expired. Clemens went first in the initial OT, and Perry put the Buffs on top for the first time of the day on a 9-yard run, which Van Syoc followed with a PAT. On the Rockets’ turn on offense, Morales passed to Julian Humble for 17 yards and the Rockets’ first air yardage of the day. Campbell picked up a yard, on the next play Morales connected with Brian Urrutia for a 7-yard TD, and Freeman’s PAT gave the Rockets a continued lease on life. The Rockets went first in the 2nd OT, Campbell put the Rockets back on top with a 1-yard run, and the PAT extended the lead to seven (7). Undeterred, the Buffs quickly answered with a 25-yard pass from McGill to Eric Byrd, and the Van Syoc PAT knotted things once more. The Buffs went first in the 3rd OT, but failed to produce, thus giving the Rockets a chance to move in for the kill. Campbell immediately picked up 16 yards, he followed this up with a 5-yard pickup, and on 2nd-and-goal Campbell took it in from the 4-yard line for the win.

Neither the Buffs nor the Rockets experienced any turnovers. The Buffs picked up 163 yards through the air on 6-of-13 passes, while netting 322 yards on the ground. Perry contributed 186 of those on 25 carries, and the balance was turned in by six (6) other participants. The Rockets, meanwhile, got 24 yards through the air, all in the 1ST OT, which was part of a 2-of-4 performance by Morales. On the ground, the Rockets got 460 yards, with Campbell providing 269 yards on 33 carries, Morales contributing 123 on 12 carries, and the balance split evenly between TC Wilson and Urrutia.

Lee (1-9, 0-7)
October 12, 2001: Converse
In holding the Vols to only fourteen (14) points, the Rockets complemented seven (7) TD’s with seven (7) successful PAT’s and a Safety. This Friday evening meeting in Converse saw the Rockets limit Lee to 123 yards on the ground and 59 through the air, while the Rockets netted 388 yards on the ground and 44 through the air. Chancy Campbell, who was suffering from a stomach virus, still managed to pick up 82 yards on six (6) carries, while backup Brandan Jackson was the leading ground gainer for the Rockets in contributing 141 yards on 13 carries, one of which was a 75-yard dash to the endzone late in the 1st Half. In addition to Campbell and Jackson, six (6) other ball handlers got in on the act for the Rockets.

East Central
October 19, 2001: Hornet Stadium
On their first visit to Hornet Field since 1989, the Rockets were required to start their opening drive from their own 3-yard line as a result of a holding penalty on the kickoff. Another holding call later in the drive caused the drive to stall out, but Joshua Freeman was still able to drill a 40-yard FG at the 6:08 mark of the opening period. Later, the Rockets recovered a fumble at midfield following a 12-yard sack, the drive stalled at the Hornet 20-yard line, but shortly thereafter Jason Castillo recovered a fumble at the Hornets' 35-yard line and Chancy Campbell followed this up a few plays later with a 10-yard run. Freeman's PAT was good, and the Rockets led 10-0 with 5:53 remaining in the 1st Half. Richard Hammond then got two (2) consecutive FG's---a 40-yarder with 3:10 remaining, and a 41-yarder with eight (8) seconds left---which narrowed the Rockets' advantage to 10-6 at the break.

Coming out of intermission the Hornets picked up where they left off by undertaking a 12-play, 63-yard drive that Jamaine Washington capped with a 1-yard run, and Hammond's PAT gave the Hornets a 13-10 lead with 5:21 to go in the 3rd period. The Rockets continued to have trouble getting a sustained drive that could last long enough to get the Rockets close enough to convert on a FG or TD, but the defense came through when Derwin Watkins blocked Hammond's punt. Reginald Lowery's recovery put the Rockets in business at the Hornets' 15-yard line, and TC Wilson drove it home with thee (3) consecutive runs. The Freeman PAT was good, and the Rockets were back on top at 17-13 with 113 seconds gone in the final period. The Hornets were unproductive on their next series, and the Rockets went back to work from their own 18-yard line. Wilson had a 48-yard TD run nullified by a personal foul, the Rockets were forced to punt, but a defensive holding call on the kick kept the drive alive. The ensuing 12-play drive was capped by Wilson's 27-yard run, Freeman toed the PAT with 91 seconds remaining, and the Flight Crew escaped the Hornets without being stung too badly.

The Hornets picked up 52 yards on the ground and Colby Rapp connected with his receivers for 166 yards through the air on 13-of-30 passes and no INT's whatever. The Hornets, however, stung themselves by losing two (2) costly fumbles. The Rockets, like the Hornets, also picked up 59 yards through the air as part of a 7-of-9, zero (0)-INT effort by Morales, while on the ground they netted 275 yards, with Wilson picking up 122 yards on 18 carries, Campbell contributing 112 on 20 snaps, and Dustin Quinney, Morales, and Brian Urrutia also participating in the ground game. Although the Rockets experienced no turnovers whatever, thirteen (13) infractions that got 102 yards in negative assessments certainly didn't help in this east Bexar County endeavor by two (2) teams, with long histories pre-dating 4A/5A, that had strong chances at picking up two (2) of the three (3) playoff seeds.

Madison (8-2, 6-1)
October 26, 2001: Converse
On the eve of still one (1) more JISD election to determine if stakeholders could agree to a proposal to create a spin-off program and the all-critical financing of the facilities and equipment to support those and the other educational needs of the District, 9500 witnesses converged in Converse to see whether the Madison Mavericks or the Judson Rockets would represent District 26-5A as the top seed in the impending post-season. The Rockets got on the board first when Amon Barstow returned a Mav fumble 58 yards for the score. Freeman's PAT was good, and the Rockets were up 7-0 at the 9:45 mark of the opening stanza. The Mavs quickly answered back, essentially picking up where they left off on the previous drive, this time finishing things with a 52-yard run by Jacob Gutierrez at the 8:17 mark, and Brandan Logan's PAT knotted the score. Joey Gutierrez then gave Madison the lead with a 1-yard run at the 7:13 mark of the 2nd Quarter, he increased the count with a 1-yard run with 3:29 left in the Half, and Logan's two (2) successful PAT's gave the Mavs a 21-7 advantage for at the break.

The Rockets came out of the locker room and narrowed the gap with Brian Urrutia's 2-yard run and a Freeman kick at the 8:46 mark of the 3rd period. The Mavs regained the 14-point advantage with Jacob Gutierrez' 21-yard run and Logan's PAT with 2:43 left in the third period. The Rockets then narrowed the gap once more, at the 9:44 mark of the final period, with a 1-yard run by TC Wilson. Once more the PAT was good, and the Rockets were back within seven (7) at 28-21. Sixteen (16) seconds later, however, the Mavs' Anthony Arline regained the advantage for Madison with his 91-yard kickoff return, the PAT was good, and the Mavs led 35-21. Gary Green then increased Madison's lead with a 2-yard run with 5:40 left in the game, and Logan provided the final points of the day for the Mavs with his PAT kick. The Rockets got two (2) points at the end when, with "four zeros" on the clock and the Mavs in a 4th Down situation, Joey Gutierrez stepped out of the endzone for a Safety.

The Rockets picked up 220 yards on the ground, with TC Wilson contributing 122 of those in 17 snaps, while through the air they netted 51 yards as part of a 3-of-10, 2-INT effort, and they also lost one (1) fumble. The Mavs, meanwhile, where quite convincing in defeating the Rockets for the 2nd consecutive time in Converse, picking up 170 yards through the air as a result of Jacob Gutierrez's six (6) completions on eight (8) pass attempts. On the ground, the Mavs got 232 yards, with Gutierrez providing 141 of that on 23 snaps. The only turnover that the Mavs experienced was the one that gave the Rockets the TD, they did not punt once in the game, and the game-ending Safety guaranteed that.

The next day some 5000 stakeholders in the JISD turned out and approved four (4) of five (5) bond propositions, with one (1) of the propositions (Prop IV) to be approved being the financing for new facilities for a spin-off program that would begin in 2005 and match up with the Rockets for the first time beginning in 2006. Although the vote was close, it was actually by a somewhat larger margin than the other two (2) propositions (Prop II for renovations and Prop III for a new Middle School) that had narrow approval margins. Basically what it came down to was that, although passions were still high on both sides of the issue, some people still had mixed feelings both ways, and many still had some misgivings about the overall process and the proposal in general, they could see that the latest proposal, no matter how imperfect it may have been, was still better than the previous two, and they furthermore decided that the time was right to make some changes. In time, many of those who opposed Prop IV could see that it was the right thing to do, and to have to require a fourth attempt to come up with something different and try in still one more election to get it passed would have been truly disastrous, since the clock was ticking w/r the need for new facilities, new capacity, and a somewhat different organizational structure to supplant what had, to a certain extent, become a somewhat dysfunctional if not unsustainable situation in Converse. As a further proof that the voters as a whole were concerned more about increased capacity and improved educational facilities, they actually voted down in convincing fashion Proposition V, which proposed to rebuild the Stadium and furthermore establish it as part of a Sports Complex that would have featured a Natatorium. So much for accusations and insinuations by outsiders that the JISD was a community of rabid, backward-thinking extremists that only cared about sports in general and football in particular. The downside was that the latest proposal did not provide for any financing to upgrade or replace the existing educational facilities at Judson High School and, as a result of the rejection of Prop V the stadium, which had not seen any significant improvements since 1987, was fast becoming a potential fire and safety hazard that would eventually need to be dealt with.

In the lead-up to the Election, the latest Elementary campus to open as the final part of a 1995 Bond program was named for William Paschall, the late, great, beloved HEY! HEY! Man and Round Mound of Sound. In view of the high passions at that point, it was an excellent gesture toward restoring a certain amount of unity. The other event that galvanized unity extending beyond the JISD boundaries, of course, was what happened on September 11. The thought crossed my mind, going into the Election, that should any of the propositions for new campuses be approved, one (1) of those should more than likely carry the name of LTC Karen Wagner. This isolated thought, it turned out, was a smaller part of a collective evolution in thinking by numerous others as well, as people continued their quest for unity that continued to come with difficulty at times. Indeed, as the slow healing process began for the District in the weeks, months, and years leading up to 2005, the one truly unifying moment would come when, in March, 2004, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to name the campus that would accommodate the soon-to-be Thunderbirds (the aforementioned "spin-off program") for the 1979 Judson graduate.

MacArthur (1-9, 0-6)
November 1, 2001: Blossom
The Rockets rebounded from the previous Friday’s events in Converse by visiting Blossom for a Thursday evening slaughter of the Brahmas. The scoring activity took place as follows:

• Chancy Campbell with a 45-yard run at the 6:04 mark of the opening period
• Quinney connecting with Chris Walker for a 36-yard pass play 90 seconds into the 2nd Quarter
• Brandan Jackson on a 17-yard run with 6:57 left in the 1st Half
• Campbell with a 3-yard run with 64 seconds remaining in the Half
• Jackson on a 10-yard reception from Quinney at the 9:18 mark of the 3rd Quarter
• A 6-yard run by Andre Williams with eleven (11) seconds to go in the penultimate period
• Joshua Freeman drilling the Rockets’ first five (5) PAT’s, and Dominique Prince getting the final one.

The Brahmas were limited to nine (9) yards through the air and 138 on the ground, which came as part of a 2-of-9 passing effort. The only turnover experienced by the Brahmas was a lost fumble. The Rockets, meanwhile, experienced zero (0) turnovers, picked up 97 yards as part of a 5-of-9 passing performance by Quinney, and got 284 yards on the ground, with Campbell contributing 137 on 18 carries, and eight (8) other ball carriers participating.

Churchill (5-5, 3-4)
November 9, 2001: Converse
The Chargers had nearly the same amount of yardage as the Rockets did in the 1st Half, and in fact drew first blood in this Friday evening meeting held in Converse. On the Chargers’ second possession, Gilbert Harris brought the Chargers to the Rocket 2-yard line with a 43-yard run, and two (2) plays later QB Robin Kelner scored, Matt Fanuzzi was good on the PAT and the Chargers led 7-0 with 6:15 left in the opening stanza. On their 4th possession, the Chargers got as far as the Rockets’ 35-yard line, but a FG attempt was no good, and the Rockets drove down to knot the score at 7-each, with Quinney taking it in from the 22-yard line and Freeman notching the PAT with 5:11 left in the 2nd Quarter. The next time the Rockets had the ball, Quinney hooked up with Brian Robinson for a 45-yard airplay with 61 seconds left in the Half, and Freeman’s PAT put the finishing touch to a relatively swift 78-yard drive. The Chargers then answered with a Fanuzzi FG with one (1) second remaining in the Half.

The Rockets then opened the 2nd Half by keeping possession for nearly eleven (11) minutes in the 3rd Quarter, and on their first drive kept the ball on the ground for all twelve (12) plays of the 71-yard drive in eating up more than six (6) minutes. Andre Williams finished the drive off with a 1-yard run with 5:56 left in the 3rd Quarter, and Freeman’s PAT was good. The Rockets’ next time-consuming drive was capped by a 1-yard Quinney run with twelve (12) seconds left, and once again the PAT was good. The Chargers narrowed the gap with a 4-yard run by Brady Sprinkle with 5:29 left in the game, but the pass for two (2) points failed to produce. Andre Williams finished things off for the Rockets with a 1-yard run with 43 seconds to go, and Freeman’s PAT closed out the scoring for the day.

Churchill picked up 166 yards through the air on 9-of-20 passes and no INT’s, while on the ground the Chargers netted 160 yards. The only turnover experienced by the Chargers was a lost fumble, and they punted three (3) times for a 41.3-yard average. The Rockets punted twice for a 35-yard average, and they had no turnovers whatever. Through the air they picked up 102 yards on 5-of-11 passes, and the ground unit got 260 yards distributed between Jackson, Williams, Quinney, and Wilson.

Semifinals
Mesquite 28 Fossil Ridge 16
Taft 21 Pearland 10

Final
Mesquite 14 Taft 13

Bowie (8-2, 4-1)
November 16, 2001: Blossom
A drenching deluge all over South and Central Texas the day before left the Rockets’ field in Converse literally water-logged, the Bulldogs and Rockets were forced to borrow Comalander Stadium for their Friday evening match-up, and hence for perhaps the first and only time in history the Rockets were situated on the home side of the field at Blossom to witness this first meeting between Bowie and Judson since the Rockets’ dramatic 32-point comeback in Converse in 1996. The Rockets had a hot engine on their burn to start their Division I lunar voyage, scoring 28 unanswered points:

• Brian Urrutia on a 2-yard run with 100 seconds gone in the game
• Chancy Campbell with a 1-yard run with 3:55 remaining in the opening period
• Campbell with a 3-yard run with four (4) seconds gone in the 2nd Quarter
• Andre Williams for a 1-yard run with 9:03 left in the 2nd period
• Joshua Freeman on all four (4) post-TD PAT’s

The Bulldogs got untracked thereafter, and they scored the next 14 points to close the gap to 28-14 by Halftime:

• Ty Branyon with a 42-yard pass to Derek Cuellar with 6:53 left in the 2nd Quarter (this was preceded by a 45-yard pass)
• Michael Griffin on a 1-yard run with 31 seconds left
• Robin Greene with both PAT’s

The Bulldogs had the ball to start the 2nd Half, but on the 3rd play Jacob Webb tipped a pass that Titus Brothers snatched and returned to the ‘Dogs’ 36-yard line. The short drive ended with another score by Campbell, this one a 5-yard run that Freeman complemented with a PAT at the 8:01 mark of the 3rd period. TC Wilson would add another TD on an 8-yard run with 3:32 left in the 3rd Quarter, and the PAT increased the Rockets’ lead to 42-14. John Morales provided the final TD of the day for the Rockets on a 1-yard run with 64 seconds gone in the final period, and Freeman provided the Rockets’ final PAT of the day. Shortly thereafter, the still-dangerous and quick-striking Bulldogs answered with a 15-yard run by Branyon, and the Green PAT closed out the scoring with 9:20 left to play.

The Bulldogs picked up 215 yards through the air on a 10-of-22 passing effort that also saw the one (1) INT that led to a Rocket score. That was the only turnover experienced by the Bulldogs. The Rockets did a superb job of neutralizing the rushing attack anchored by Michael Griffin, limiting them to a net of only 17 yards. The Dogs had five (5) punts for a 31.8-yard average. The Rockets, on the other hand, had two (2) punts that averaged 42.5 yards. The only turnover they experienced was a lost fumble. Through the air the rockets picked up 98 yards on a 3-of-5 effort that included a 43-yard pass completion to TC Wilson by Dustin Quinney. On the ground, meanwhile, the Rockets netted 386 yards, with Campbell getting 140 of that on 16 totes, TC Wilson picking up 122 on 11 carries, and the balance distributed between nine (9) other ball carriers.

This late Saturday afternoon meeting in the Alamodome would see the Taft Raiders get on the board with 100 seconds gone in the game when Robert Merrill took off on a 58-yard run, and Patrick Puneda toed the PAT. The Rockets, however, would answer quickly on their opening 64-yard drive, and Campbell put the Rockets on the board to cap the five-play drive with a 7-yard run. The PAT was no good; hence, the Rockets still trailed at the 9:06 mark of the opening period. The Raiders increased their lead with 34 seconds gone in the 2nd Quarter, with Merrill taking it in from the 8-yard line, the Pruneda PAT was good, and the Raiders took a 14-6 advantage over the Rockets into the intermission.

The Rockets were still unable to produce as the 3rd Quarter progressed. Finally, the Raiders were tired of waiting for another score, so Merrill was more than happy to oblige with an 84-yard dash to the endzone with 6:21 left in the 3rd Quarter, but the PAT was no good. Faced with a certain amount of adversity at this point, the Rockets responded quickly on their next drive, and Morales narrowed the gap with a 5-yard run, the Freeman PAT was good, and with 2:21 left in the 3rd period, the Rockets were back within a touchdown at 20-13. The Raiders and Merrill (who would pick up 171 yards in the 2nd Half) continued to make it difficult for the Rockets to get the ball back, and finally they decided it was time once more to increase their lead, which QB Cody Kelso did on a 2-yard run with 5:37 left in the game. The PAT was unsuccessful. The Rockets, attempting to play catch-up and realizing that the Raiders were in the process of stealing their dream, instead would see the Raiders steal a Morales pass at the Taft 16-yard line and return it to the Rockets’ 10-yard line. On the next play, Merrill scored from there, the PAT was no good once more, but with 1:54 left in the game, it was quite evident that the Rockets would be aborting their lunar mission, and the Raiders, meanwhile, would be in the process of fulfilling their own dream. The Rockets picked up 98 yards through the air on a 4-of-15 effort that saw an INT that clinched the game for the Raiders. The Rockets also lost one (1) fumble, while on the ground they netted 166 yards, 127 of which were turned in by Campbell on 24 carries. They only had one (1) penalty for ten (10) yards, and the Raiders likewise had only ten (10) yards in penalties, in this case coming on two (2) infractions. The Raiders experienced no turnovers whatever, while picking up 87 yards through the air on a 4-of-8 effort. Meanwhile, the Raiders netted 334 yards, with Merrill, a true difference-maker as would be proven over the next three (3) weeks, getting 306 on 35 carries.

The day before and in fact the evening before the Final Exam, the skies were crisp, clear and dry, and it looked like we were headed for one of those classic Alamo Stadium playoff scenes reminiscent of the 80's and very early 90's. It wasn't to be. The front stalled out and began coming back as a warm front, and on game day morning people were greeted to a fine mist and overcast. As the morning wore on, the cold mist turned to fine drops of cold rain. As Noon and hence the kickoff drew closer the drops got bigger and more frequent, and a few minutes before kickoff there was even some isolated lightning and thunder, but the game was on. The Raider defense did a very good job, Merrill did his thing, and it was looking good. Mesquite, however, managed to slow Merrill down somewhat after Halftime, it was just enough to allow them to get a few things done offensively in the 2nd Half, and it all added up to a 1-point win for Mesquite.

It is interesting to note that in another 4A showdown between the "Hills Brothers," this time Larry's Smithson Valley Rangers emerged over brother Glenn's Rough Riders, and continued to the 4A Division I Final (in fact, while the Raiders were dispatching Pearland at the Astrodome, SV was up the road at Rice University where they dispatched Nederland in the 4A Semifinal). The Final Exam with Denton Ryan took place in a driving rainstorm at Waco ISD Stadium, where Ryan ermerged in OT to claim the 4A Division I Title.