Thomas Elbel successfully supplemented the additional Fox runs with PAT's

At the 8:21 mark of the 2nd stanza Demetrie Adams (who unfortunately would leave the game with a broken leg after being tackled in the 3rd Quarter) ripped off a 21-yard gainer for still one (1) more TD, although the PAT failed, and the Rockets were up 34-0 at intermission. Coming out of the break, the Rockets "lofted" in their launch trajectory in order to coast efficiently the rest of the way into orbit by adding another TD, this one on a Frank Saunders 12-yard run with 56 seconds left in the penultimate period. John Hall provided two (2) points on the conversion run. Then, in the final period, Kevin Taylor contributed the final TD of the day on a 31-yard pickup with 7:04 left to play, the final PAT of the day was turned in by Jordan Hartsfield, and with that the Rockets had MECO (Main engine Cut-off), having successfully arrived back on orbit.

The Rockets limited the Mustangs to minus 21 yards on the ground, but they yielded 279 yards through the air that QB Danny Madrigal contributed in collaboration with five (5) different receivers. Even during a very successful launch in the real Rocket program operated by NASA, there are usually a few anomalies and issues that bear evaluating and possibly addressing, and of course for the Judson Rockets the passing yards, especially in the face of a fairly good defensive attack (as indicated by the negative ground yardage), had to be one (1) of those "reminder and a warning" kind of things to work on. On the other hand, the Rockets hauled in three (3) INT's that came as part of Madrigal's 23-of-50 performance. The Mustangs also lost one (1) fumble. The Rockets, meanwhile, experienced no turnovers whatever, and they moved the chains 22 times while gaining 68 air yards as part of Elbel's 4-of-8 performance, in addition to the 422 ground yards. Fox contributed 160 yards on seven (7) carries---all in the opening period and seven (7) other ball carriers also participated.

The first Detailed Test Objective (DTO) was to see how well the Flight Crew could deal with "Dawgs in Space" (one of those Life Science Experiments that a Rocket Program occasionally plans as part of a mission). Once the experiment got underway, the snarling Dawgs gave every indication that it would not be easy. The Dawgs took a lot of time off the clock in penetrating deep into Rocket territory, but the Rockets were able to finally shut them off and go to work. On his second carry of the game, Kyle Fox took off on a 74-yard dash to the Dawg 19-yard line, and shortly thereafter Thomas Elbel took the ball in from four (4) yards out. Elbel drilled the PAT, and the Rockets were up 7-0 with 5:32 to go in the 1st period. The Dawgs responded at the 7:53 mark of the 2nd Quarter with a 32-yard FG by Kyle Matthews, but Brandon Williams boosted the Rockets' response with an 84-yard kickoff return. Elbel was good on the PAT, and the Rockets led 14-3 with 7:40 to go in the Half. Facilitated by three (3) Fox runs for double-digit yardage, Frank Saunders capped a subsequent drive with still one (1) more Rocket TD, going in from three (3) yards out. Elbel's kick was good with the PAT and the Rockets' advantage was up to 21-3 with 223 seconds left. The Dawgs, however, answered back effectively with a 13-yard scoring pass from Brent Garner to Alphonse Powell 19 seconds before intermission. The conversion run, however, failed to produce, and the Rockets took a 21-9 lead into the break.

The Dawgs still continued to put up stiff resistance as the 3rd Quarter progressed, and they tacked on another Kyle Matthew FG at the 6:41 mark. The Rockets immediately answered in kind with a 60-yard Fox run to the endzone with 5:50 remaining in the penultimate period, Elbel's PAT finished the scoring for the day for both squads, and the Flight Crew was able to get the Dawgs into the choke chain and onto the short leash and stow them below the mid-deck.

The Dawgs picked up 19 First Downs, gaining 233 yards on the ground, distributed between five (5) different ball carriers, while through the air they picked up 86 yards on a 9-of-21 effort. The punting differential was in the Rockets' favor: Cove had a 4-kick, 30.8-yard average while the Rockets had a 3-punt, 35.7-yard average. The Rockets only picked up eight (8) yards through the air as part of a 1-of-4 passing contribution from Elbel, whereas on the ground they did much better, chalking up 277 yards for only 12 First Downs. They obviously made the best of those possessions, however. Fox had 245 yards on 20 carries, and the change was shared between Jermaih Neely, Frank Saunders and Thomas Elbel.

The Rockets, having dispatched some Dawgs, next went to Pflugerville to deal with some cats (Panthers, in this case). These particular cats were particularly lethal, having given some tough Rangers from Smithson Valley a temporary case of cat scratch fever the week before. Another challenging Life Science DTO for the Rocket Flight Crew, in other words. The 1st period was scoreless, although the Rockets seemed to have the advantage. In the 2nd Quarter Kyle Fox sprinted in from eight (8) yards out, capping an 18-play, 80-yard drive. The advantage was supplemented by the Elbel PAT. On the cats' response drive, Panthers QB Todd Walker got dinged on the drive and missed two (2) plays. He was then re-inserted as a receiver, and his backup, Tyler Beatty, hooked up with Walker for a 42-yard pass play for the score after Walker and his 40-yard 4.4 speed got loose behind the Rocket secondary. The PAT, however, was no good, and the Rockets still led 7-6. The Rockets' response was a 6-play, 57-yard drive that Fox iced away with a 9-yard run. This time, Elbel was golden on the PAT and the Rockets took a 14-6 advantage into the break.

The cats came growling out of the locker room in a killing mood, driving down to the Rocket 1-yard line. The Rockets stiffened, however, and the cats settled for Garrett Lindholm's 19-yard FG instead. The Rockets responded with another TD, this one by Kevin Taylor from three (3) yards out. Taylor was also successful on the 2-point play, giving the Rockets a 22-9 advantage. The cats were beginning to hit their stride and effectively responded with a drive culminated by a 29-yard scoring dash by Walker, who had minus 13 yards in the 1st Half. The Panthers narrowed the gap even further to start the final period, picking up a 33-yard Lindholm FG. The Rockets kept things going, however, mounting a 7-play, 70-yard scoring drive that was finished with a 1-yard Fox run and 1-point Elbel kick to bring the Rockets' advantage back to 29-19. Undeterred, feisty and dangerous, the cats answered in kind and Prandon Zippe didn't disappoint, hauling in a 14-yard toss from Beatty with 38 seconds to go. Lindholm connected on the PAT, and the cats were once more within reach. The Rockets, however, recovered the onside kick, a 50-yard pickup by Fox helped put the cats into a distance hole that they would not be able to escape from, and hence the Rockets bagged the cats and stowed them in the lower equipment bay the same way they do with the pumas from DeZavala (aka Clark Cougars) whenever they try to join the Flight Crew on a Rocket mission.

This marquee match-up saw the cats get 21 First Downs and pick up 97 yards through the air as part of a 5-of-11 passing performance. Meanwhile, on the ground the Panthers netted 257 yards, with Evan Robertson picking up 124 yards on 21 totes. Antwan Cobb, however, spent the 4th Quarter on crutches after being dinged. The cats had no turnovers whatever, whereas the Rockets lost one (1) fumble. The Rockets picked up 34 yards through the air as part of a 2-of-7 passing campaign, while the vast majority of the Rockets' 19 First Downs came courtesy of the 284 net ground yards, 206 of which were provided by The Fox. The cats probably helped their cause somewhat with their 3-kick, 39-yard punting average, whereas the Rockets probably made it a little easier for the cats as a result of a 2-punt, 26-yard average.

Lee (2-8, 0-7)
September 24, 2004: Converse
Aided by two (2) instances of kicking team breakdowns by the Vols, the Rockets built a 35-0 lead in the 1st Half. The scoring activity took place as follows

• Kyle Fox on dashes of 9 and 22 yards at the 8:39 and 1:18 marks of the 1st period, respectively
• Fox on still one (1) more 9-yard run 57 seconds into the 2nd Quarter
• Kevin Taylor with a 52-yard sprint with 222 seconds remaining in the Half
• The Fox on a 32-yard scorcher with 47 seconds to go.

Thomas Elbel was good on all the concomitant PAT's

Thomas Elbel directed the first scoring drive coming out of the break, this one capped by a 3-yard pass from Elbel to Anthony Rosser with 122 seconds gone in the 3rd Quarter. After the prime Flight Crew played the first offensive and defensive series, respectively, the FOD (Flight Operations Directorate---aka Coaching Staff) then inserted the backup Flight Crew to finish things off. The final Rocket scores involved:

• Brandon Williams with a 94-yard INT return at the 6:31 mark of the 3rd
• Byron Hurd doing his best at replicating the prior feat with a 40-yard INT return with 5:23 remaining in the penultimate period
• Greg Payne getting in on a 4-yard run with 3:57 left in the game.

All PAT's but the final one of the day for the Rockets were good.

The Vols, who entered the game without a starting QB and rotated two (2) on each play, got into the endzone with a 69-yard run by Jesus Leza with 214 seconds to go, and Victor Garcia's kick was good to bring the final tally to 62-7.

The Vols netted 128 yards on the ground, but they were beset also by 41 yards in losses, while through the air the QB duo picked up 80 yards on a 3-of-9 passing effort that also experienced two (2) INT's---both of which resulted in the ultimate penalty, thanks to the Rockets' defensive speed and depth. They lost zero (0) fumbles, and also had a 2-punt, 47.5-yard average. The Vols picked up 13 First Downs, while the Rockets had only two (2) more than Lee but obviously made the most of them. The Rockets picked up eight (8) yards through the air on a 2-of-4 passing performance, while the overwhelming majority of the damage, as per tradition, was done by the ground crew: 365 yards. Fox contributed 167 of those on only twelve (12) carries, Kevin Taylor 84 on six (6) totes, Jermaih Neely 45 on a single carry, Greg Payne with 42 on nine (9) and the balance provided by three (3) other participants. A near-perfect performance that saw no turnovers whatever was marred somewhat, however, by six (6) Rocket infractions that incurred 50 yards worth of assessments.

The Smithson Valley Rangers and the Judson Rockets shared similar histories of once-tiny schools struggling meekly in the early-going and then coming to inherit a certain share of the earth. The Rockets’ story is well-known. The Rangers’ originally modest story showed a Rocket-like rise from oblivion beginning in the mid-1990’s, and the next few seasons saw the Rangers rise to 4A prominence and a near-miss at the State Title in 2001. The Rangers, in their first season in 5A competition as part of District 27-5A, made it all the way to the Division II Finals against the Southlake Carroll Dragons---whom interestingly were also in their inaugural season in 5A. A week to the day after the Rockets stunned Midland in the Alamodome with a 76-yard pass play to clinch the Division I title, the Dragons and Rangers likewise squared off at the scene of the drama, but there would be no miracles for the Rangers, and the Dragons won in convincing fashion. Another successful season in 5A in 2003 saw the Rangers yield to the Clemens Buffaloes in the 2nd Round of the Division II playoffs. Now, moving into 2004, they were realigned into District 26-5A along with the Rockets and the NEISD. Now that they had been supposedly moved in with the "big boys," there were many that arrogantly expressed doubts that the Rangers would be able to compete. I (Giles Babb) for one suspected that this kind of argument is always a set-up for a surprise in the same way that Judson shocked many after leaving a supposedly "weak" District to play with the NEISD "big boys" in 1980, only to run past the competition in fairly quick order. In the case of Smithson Valley, there were those that seemed to be willing to overlook what the Rangers did in 2001 and 2002, as well as their 26-game district winning streak. On the other hand, many---including the Rocket Flight Crew, their FOD and most of the Support Team-----had a high level of respect for the Rangers, and 9000 witnesses converged on the Hill Country to view the showdown, which lacked some of the luster that it otherwise might have given that the Rangers entered with a 3-1 record (they dropped a 23-17 decision to Pflugerville).

The Flight Crew immediately went to work following the kickoff, and on the 3rd play from scrimmage Kyle Fox took off on a 72-yard dash to the endzone. Elbel drilled the PAT and the Rockets led 7-0 with only 71 seconds gone in the contest. Tony Harp put the kabash to a subsequent Ranger drive on 4th Down, and The Fox immediately followed this possession-changer with a 52-yard sprint. Three (3) plays later, Elbel connected with Anthony Rosser for a 15-yard scoring pass, and Elbel’s kick gave the Rockets a 14-0 advantage with 137 seconds remaining in the opening Quarter. Following an unproductive Rocket possession, Elbel kicked a 70-yard boomer that put the Rangers in a hole that allowed the Rockets to continue the defensive attack, and in fairly short order they were back on offense. Elbel was more than happy to contribute to the action once again, and he connected with Derrick Williams on a 56-yard pass play that upped the count to 20-0 at the 8:33 mark of the 2nd period. The PAT, however, was blocked. Finally, with time running down in the 1st Half, the Rockets were able to get close enough for Elbel to put his foot into a successful 29-yard kick that netted still three (3) more points to give the Rockets a 23-0 lead with 139 seconds remaining.

The Rangers, showing evidence of "The Ranger Way" that had served them well under Larry Hill, came out of the intermission and initiated a time-consuming, 16-play drive down to the Rocket 9-yad line. The Rockets, however, put a stop to the threat by recovering a fumble at the 13-yard line. From there, the Rockets went downtown still one (1) more time, aided by a fake punt on 4th-and-2 in which Brandon Williams got loose for a 16-yard pickup after being hit in the backfield. Fox took the ball in from the 3-yard line, Elbel’s PAT was good, and the Rockets led 30-0 with 170 seconds to go in the penultimate period. The Rangers, however, weren’t going to simply stand around and wait for the clock to run down as part of an apparent rout; hence, they went to work and got their first tally of the day when Cody Beyer caught a 4-yard pass from Zach Bailey at the 8:16 mark of the final period, and David Sweet toed the PAT. With 3:11 to go, Bailey hooked up once more with Beyer---this time for an 11-yard scoring toss---a two-point pass from Bailey to Kyle Henry closed out the scoring in this showdown, and The Rocket Band and associated members of the Support Team would soon be back on the road aboard what was left of some JISD buses with less than complementary words written on them---allegedly by some rogue elements of the host committee. Apologies were given by the SVHS students, faculty and staff, and accepted by the Rockets, and the hooligans were dealt with appropriately by Comal ISD.

Roosevelt (6-4, 3-4)
October 8, 2004: Converse
The Riders fumbled on their first possession of the game, and it didn’t get any better thereafter (for them). The Rockets got on the board for what would turn out to be the only score they would need by virtue of a 14-yard pass from Elbel to Tim Longoria at the 7:00 mark of the 1st period, and the PAT was good. The Rockets’ next possession, however, failed to produce and the FG attempt was unsuccessful. TR’s first two (2) punts were almost blocked by the aggressive Rocket Defense, and the third time was the charm---for the Rockets. O’Marley Martin crashed through and blocked the punt, and Travis Houston was more than happy to scoop it up and take it in from 14 yards out. The Elbel PAT was good, and the Rockets were up 14-0 at the 8:04 mark of the 2nd Quarter Kyle Fox added still one (1) more TD with 2:21 remaining in the Half, and Elbel added still one (1) more PAT. The Rockets were able to coast from there in the 2nd Half, as they collected the following scores:

• Elbel’s 20-yard FG with 5:54 remaining in the 3rd Quarter
• Fox’s 4-yard run and Elbel’s 1-point kick with 138 seconds left in the 3rd
• Andrew McNair with a 2-yard run that was supplemented by a final Elbel PAT with 48 seconds left to play

TR picked up only three (3) First Downs and netted 47 total yards----42 on the ground and five (5) through the air. They lost two (2) fumbles although they experienced no INT’s. The Rockets, meanwhile, lost one (1) fumble and experienced one (1) INT. They punted once for 35 yards, but the Rocket Offense, when it wasn’t scoring, was putting the Riders in a hole. The Riders were forced to start possessions from their own 12, 8, 1, and 27-yard lines. The 20 First Downs came as part of a 406-yard ground effort. Fox chipped in 156 of those on 33 carries, Jermaih Neely contributed 155 on seven (7) carries, and the balance was turned in by five (5) other ball carriers.

Churchill (7-3, 4-3)
October 15, 2004: Blossom Athletic Center
Precisely 22 years to the hour after the Rockets stunned the Chargers for the 1st time, the Rockets returned to the scene of the historic deed for still one (1) more meeting with the Chargers. Nearly as startling as Chris Pryor’s 70-yard dash on the 1st play of the game in 1982 was Reggie Ward’s block of the Chargers’ first punt of the day, which Gene Vogelman returned 26 yards to open the scoring for the Rockets. Elbel drilled the PAT, and the Rockets were up 7-0 at the 7:27 mark of the opening period. Unlike the 1982 affair that left the Chargers with a goose-egg, Churchill responded on the answer-back drive with a 32-yard FG by Stephen Donley with 5:45 left in the 1st Quarter. The Rockets kept the pressure up, however, and with 3:45 remaining in the opening period Kyle Fox provided another tally by zipping 35 yards, as did Elbel with still one (1) more of his patented PAT’s. The Rockets lost their momentum as the 2nd Quarter progressed, however, but the Chargers didn’t lose theirs, and Donley tallied still one (1) more FG---this one from 22 yards out----with 91 seconds remaining in the 1st Half.

The Chargers continued to gain momentum coming out of the break, and finally with 198 seconds remaining in the penultimate period, Wes Toudouze connected with Ian Harris for a 4-yard scoring pass. Toudouze thereafter connected with Cody Boyd for two (2) points, and the score was knotted at 14. The deadlock remained entering the final period, the Rockets then found themselves backed up at their own 10-yard line, and it wasn’t looking all that good once The Fox took a pitch-out and appeared to be stopped in a crowded maul. Instead, The Fox managed to escape and sprint down the sideline with practically no one around to catch him. The 90-yard Fox run was followed up by still one (1) more Elbel PAT with 7:52 to go, and the Rockets led 21-14. Fox finished the Chargers off with a 2-yard TD run with 67 seconds left, and Elbel thereafter added his final PAT of the day.

To their credit, the Chargers experienced only one (1) turnover, this an INT that came as part of a 14-of-30 passing effort by Toudouze. Lane Maloney picked up 147 yards to produce all of the Chargers’ positive ground yards, given that Toudouze was minus-3 on nine (9) carries. All told, this helped produce ten (10) First Downs. The blocked kick notwithstanding, a 5-punt, 39-yard average probably helped keep the Rockets pinned down somewhat. The Rockets, however, did a pretty good job of pinning themselves down, given their ten (10) penalties for 91 yards. Fortunately for the Rockets, they experienced no turnovers whatever, and kept hope alive with a 5-punt, 42.6-yard average. They only picked up 13 First Downs, and all of this was a result of the ground activity-----they had zero (0) air yards as part of a 0-for-3 passing effort. Those ground yards consisted of 289 from Fox on 27 carries, 77 contributed by Jermaih Neely, and the change turned in by Elbel and Brandon Williams.

10361 witnesses converged in Converse to see the latest chapter in the Judson-Madison drama, this one between two (2) teams with 7-0 records. The showdown began as real defensive barn-burner, and for the larger part of the opening period both teams had negative offensive yardage as a result of strong defensive attacks and the resultantly harried offenses that would occasionally mishandle some of the snaps and hand-offs. The Mavs, in fact, were held to no First Downs whatever on their first three (3) possessions. Meanwhile, the Rockets finally got going on offense, and The Fox cracked the endzone on a 1-yard run 49 seconds into the second period. Elbel’s PAT was good, and the Rockets led 7-0. The Rockets continued to attack defensively, the offense continued its surge, as did Fox, who zipped 55-yards for still another TD. Elbel once again nailed the PAT, and the Rockets led 14-0 with 4:28 left in the 1st Half.

The Rockets poured it on coming out of the break, and at the 6:28 mark of the 3rd Quarter Tim Longoria snared an 18-yard pass from Elbel, Elbel’s kick was good, and the Rockets’ lead was up to 21-0. Later in the 3rd Quarter, however, the Mavs capitalized on a Fox fumble---his first one of the season----when Tony Green raced in from 22-yards out. The PAT was good, and the Rockets’ advantage was reduced to 21-7 with 47 ticks remaining in the 3rd. As the final period progressed, the Mavs approached midfield, but Amadeus Waters was stopped on 4-and-1, and the Rockets undertook a time-killing, 7-minute drive that Fox polished off with a 1-yard TD run with 110 seconds left to play. Elbel’s PAT provided the final point of the day.

For the game the Mavs picked up only ten (10) First Downs, lost one (1) fumble, and experienced two (2) INT’s that came as part of a 4-of-11 passing effort by Chris Caflisch that picked up 46 yards. On the ground, the high-powered Mavs were limited to 190 yards, 101 of which were contributed by Tony Green on twelve (12) carries, although they did have a respectable 5-punt, 37-yard average. The Rockets, meanwhile, put the Mavs in a hole somewhat with a 4-punt, 42.8-yard average, but one (1) lost fumble and six (6) infractions for 47 yards probably slowed the Rockets’ advance. On the other hand, Elbel’s perfect 5-of-5 passing for 69 yards was a most excellent contribution to the Rockets’ cause, as were the 257 Rocket rushing yards, 162 of which belonged to Fox on 30 carries, and the balance of which belonged to Elbel, Jermaih Nealy and Frank Saunders.

The strong Rocket performance notwithstanding, a simple "reminder and warning" to all was that the Rockets emerged intact from a battle of 7-0 teams following the 2000 meeting with the Mavs, only for the experiences of the next three (3) weeks to leave them feeling a little "snippy."

MacArthur (2-8, 2-5)
October 29, 2004: Converse
Mac returned to Converse for a pre-election meeting with the Rockets, but this time the proceedings were closed almost as soon as they opened, and this time the Rockets laid down the law and didn't need the Courts to decide the affair any more than Bush vs Kerry did the following Tuesday. Kyle Fox got things going for the Rockets when he cracked the endzone at the 8:25 mark of the opening period with a 5-yard run. Elbel’s PAT completed the deal. The Brahmas, however, responded effectively with a 4-play, 62-yard drive to the Rocket 8-yard line. The drive stalled out after three (3) subsequent plays, 23-yard FG by Eric Udell was wide left, and the Rockets took over. The Fox shortly thereafter zipped in from 39 yards out, and Elbel’s PAT gave the Rockets a 14-0 lead with 2:45 remaining in the 1st Quarter. Mac also failed to produce on their ensuing drive, and Brandon Williams was ready, waiting, able and more than happy to take the punt and return it 57 yards to extend the lead for the Rockets, this after appearing to be tackled at the 48-yard line, only to break free and sprint away unencumbered. Once more Elbel was good on the PAT, and the Rockets had a 21-0 lead with 84 seconds remaining in the 1st. Things calmed down for a few minutes thereafter, but in the 2nd Quarter the Rockets extended the lead with

• Kevin Taylor’s 1-yard run at the 6:34 mark of the 2nd period
• The Fox’s 25-yard dash with 3:31 to go before the break
• Elbel’s two (2) PAT’s

Kyle Fox provided a 1-yard run for paydirt with 77 seconds gone in the 3rd Quarter, Elbel provided still one (1) more PAT, and thereafter members of the backup Flight Crew were inserted. Rob Housler tacked on the final Rocket TD on a 1-yard run at the 7:36 mark of the final period, and Elbel provided the final PAT of the day for the Rockets. The Brahmas closed out the scoring for the day with a 1-yard run by Brian Lambert, followed by the PAT by Sean McNabb with 165 seconds remaining.

The Brahmas experienced only one (1) turnover---a lost fumble---while picking up 84 yards on the ground and 132 through the air as part of a 9-of-17 passing effort, and in addition to having one (1) punt returned, was limited to a 29.1-yard average on six (6) punts. The Rockets, meanwhile, did not have to punt at all, and they experienced no turnovers whatever. Elbel was 3-of-4 for passing for 31 yards, and the Rockets moved the chains twenty-three (23) times, largely a result of the 353 ground yards. 125 of those were provided by Fox on 16 carries, in addition to the 100 contributed by Brandon Williams in 11 totes and also those chipped in by six (6) other participants.

Reagan (3-7, 2-5)
November 6, 2004: Blossom Athletic Center
The Rockets, looking shortly to fire up their engines for a post-season flight in search of a higher objective, momentarily showing evidence of slow-starting fuel igniters and a frozen, listless guidance platform, got off to a slow start in this Saturday evening meeting. Consequently, the Rattlers drew first blood when Jordan Nelson nailed a 42-yard FG with 3:29 remaining in the opening stanza. The Rockets, however, finally got their systems up and running, and Brandon Williams capped off the response drive with a 1-yard run with 100 seconds left in the 1st Quarter. Elbel was good with the PAT, and the Rockets led 7-3. The Rockets were back at it shortly thereafter, and with "four zeroes" on the 1st Quarter clock, Derrick Williams scored on a 55-yard pass-play hookup from Elbel. Once more Elbel drilled the PAT, and the Rockets carried a 14-3 lead into the 2nd period. In that 2nd period, the Rockets hit their stride as follows

• Greg Payne with a 25-yard TD run and Elbel with a 1-point PAT kick at the 8:29 mark
• Kyle Fox with a 31-yard dash to the endzone and Elbel with still one (1) more PAT with 2:26 remaining
• Elbel with a 32-yard FG with three (3) seconds to go before intermission

The Rattlers came out of the break and failed to produce on their ensuing drive, and on the ensuing punt return Derrick Williams snatched it and took it all the way to the house with 115 seconds gone. Once more, Elbel successfully toed the PAT, and the Rockets had extended the advantage to 38-3. Finally, at the 6:42 mark of the penultimate period of the regular season, The Fox was on the run for the Rockets’ final TD of the regular season, this coming on a 37-yard scoring sprint. The PAT, however, was unsuccessful. The final TD of the season for the Rattlers came on a 16-yard pass from Thomas Specia to Greg Jones with 20 seconds remaining, and the PAT finished things.

For the game, neither team experienced any turnovers. The Ratters netted 198 yards split almost evenly between air and ground, and turned in a 36-yard punting average which came, unfortunately (for Reagan), as a result of needing to do so eight (8) times, courtesy of the Rocket Defense. The Rockets, meanwhile, punted three (3) times for a 40-yard average, and picked up 71 yards through the air as part of a 3-of-6 passing performance. The Ground Crew, meanwhile, netted 327 yards. Fox picked up 162 yards of that on 15 toes, Greg Payne got 94 on only four (4) carries, and the balance was provided by five (5) other participants.

Following the opening kickoff, the Rockets drove 46 yards on 11 plays for the first TD of the day, this coming on a 5-yard Fox run. Elbel nailed the PAT, and the Rockets led 7-0 at the 7:22 mark of the opening period. The Buffaloes had a quick 3-and-out (one of several), and the Rockets rammed the ball down the Buffs’ throats once more, getting the payoff in the form of a 25-yard Elbel FG with 194 seconds remaining in the 1st period. The Buffs’ offensive misery continued as the 2nd Quarter progressed, and the Rocket offense was more than happy to compound it with

• Kyle Fox’s 3-yard TD run with 57 seconds gone in the 2nd Quarter
• Frank Saunders’ 26-yard run for more paydirt with 91 seconds remaining in the Half
• Elbel with still two (2) more PAT’s

The Rockets came out of the break and did not let up their defensive assault, and the offense put the icing on the cake with a final Fox TD run (for 11 yards) and Elbel PAT, these coming with 127 seconds remaining in the penultimate period. The Rockets kept up their defensive assault through the final period, and the Rocket Defense had its double goose-egg of zero (0) points and zero (0) First Downs yielded to the Buffs.

The O’Connor Panthers, who started varsity competition in 1998 and were now in their 2nd year under the venerable Danny Padron----former long-time Clark assistant that split his stint with the pumas on DeZavala Road with some time as QB Coach for the Rockets from 1988-92----had made significant progress. Also making this late Saturday afternoon meeting in the Alamodome interesting was the presence on the Panther staff of David Malesky----son of NISD Asst. AD and legendary former Holmes Coach Gary Malesky----who played a pivotal role as member of the Flight Crew in the Rockets’ history-making first "moon landing" (aka State Title) in 1983. On paper, this particular Life Science DTO involving another ‘Cats in Space’ drama for the Rockets promised to be one of epic proportions, and what transpired over the ensuing hours did nothing whatever to disappoint the 11000 witnesses on-hand to see if the Flight Crew could either bag the cats, or suffer a terminal, season-ending case of ‘cat scratch fever.’

The Panthers came out snarling, and undertook a 98-yard drive that culminated with a 2-yard run for the TD by Colin Sotello with 3:33 remaining in the opening period. The PAT was good, and the cats led 7-0. Undeterred and wanting to get their thrusters out of cold storage following the long, 98-yard Panther drive, the Rockets immediately went to work following the kickoff, and on the first play Elbel hooked up with Derrick Williams for a 75-yard pass play for the TD. Elbel drilled the PAT, and the Rockets knotted the score with 2:52 to go in the 1st Quarter. The cats converted on a pivotal 4th-and-5 conversion on their subsequent drive, and Brian Galindo converted with a 37-yard FG at the 8:10 mark of the 2nd period. Once again, however, the Rockets responded quickly---and rather impressively----with a 100-yard kickoff return courtesy of Brandon Williams at the 8:56 mark. The Elbel PAT was good, and the Rockets led 14-10. Once more, however, the cats from Helotes responded, this time with a 2-yard run by Justin Olsen for the score with 3:46 to go in the Half. Once more, Galindo was good on the PAT, and the Panthers once more led, this time by a 17-14 count. The Rockets responded quickly---in the most literal of senses---with Kyle Fox’s first TD of the day, this one a 63-yarder. With 81 seconds remaining, Elbel toed still one (1) more PAT, and the Rockets had a 21-17 advantage at the break.

The Rockets came out of the break and extended the lead with a 2-yard run for the score with 162 seconds gone in the 3rd Quarter, and Elbel’s PAT made the score 28-17 in the Rockets’ favor. Once more, however the cats would not yield easily, and they responded with a 70-yard Tony Carillo run at the 8:56 mark. The kick, however, was blocked. The Rockets failed to produce on their ensuing drive, and shortly thereafter Carillo regained the advantage for O’Connor with a 39-yard TD sprint. Paul Olson connected with Paul Harle for two (2) points, and with 5:17 remaining in the 3rd Quarter the cats were back on top with a 31-28 tally. But, as long as The Fox was on the field for the Rockets, the Rockets were guaranteed to have some fun just as quickly as The Fox could once more get on the run. Indeed, on the Rockets’ next drive, he sprinted in from ten (10) yards out with ten (10) ticks remaining in the 3rd Quarter to regain the lead for the Rockets, and Elbel supplemented the advantage with still one (1) more PAT.

The Panthers went right back to work once more, and they penetrated deeply into Rocket territory, but the Rocket Defense was able to shut them off just in time and shortly thereafter The Fox was once more on the run. Helped by a key block by Frank Saunders and with other key members of the offensive line plowing the way, he raced down the O’Connor sideline and was about to stumble out of bounds at the Rocket 40-yard line when instead he ‘defied gravity,’ maintained his balance after going nearly ten (10) yards or so in nearly a forward-horizontal profile before up-righting himself, and then with much-improved traction sprinted the final way for the score. Elbel provided the PAT once again, and with 141 seconds gone in the 4th Quarter the Rockets had a 42-31 advantage. The Flight Crew could now visualize the cats in burlap and in their traditional stowage location below the mid-deck (pending completion of the Rocket mission), and the defensive component once more shut the cats off when necessary. The Fox then capped the ensuing drive with an 8-yard run for the Rockets’ final TD of the day with 4:34 left to play, and Elbel provided the Rockets with their final PAT of the day. The cats, successfully bagged, were nevertheless proving to be particularly sassy as they continued to squirm while the Flight Crew moved them below the mid-deck, and in fact they did get on the board one (1) final time, this by virtue of a 24-yard TD pass play from Justin Olsen to Anthony Hemphill---son of Darryl Hemphill, the Panthers’ first Coach---with 129 seconds left. The PAT, however, was blocked, and this particularly intense DTO was a wrap.

The Rockets made their first post-season visit to the Rio Grande Valley since the epic Bogus Field meeting with Harlingen in 1989. This Thanksgiving Friday showdown at sundown took place with some Coyotes in front of a rabid crowd of Coyote and Rocket supporters numbering upwards of 14000. The Rockets failed to produce on their opening drive, going 3-and-out. The Coyotes, intent on seeing to it that there would be 'no joya' for the Rockets in La Joya then rammed the ball down the Rockets’ throats, and capped off the 42-yard drive with a 6-yard run by Adan Montalvo. Carlos Enriquez drilled the PAT, and the Coyotes led 7-0 at the 7:43 mark of the opening period. The Rockets quickly failed to produce on their second possession as well, but this time the Rocket Defense got untracked and in fairly short order the Rockets had Enriquez trapped in the endzone for a Safety with 5:07 remaining in the 1st Quarter. Following the Free Kick, the Rockets had ignition on offense, and on the first play Frank Saunders was off on an 80-yard race to the endzone. The pass for two (2) points was unsuccessful, but the Rockets nevertheless had their first lead of the day with 4:58 to go in the 1st. It was only the beginning (for the Rockets).

In the second period, the Rockets recorded the following additional scoring activity:

• Derrick Williams with a 51-yard pass play hookup from Elbel with nine (9) seconds gone
• Williams converting a reverse for an 11-yard scoring run at the 8:23 mark
• The Fox with a 5-yard run for paydirt with 173 seconds to go in the Half
• Williams with still one (1) more TD pass reception from Elbel---this one facilitated by a blocked punt by Travis Houston---with 20 seconds to go
• Elbel connecting on all of the PAT’s

All told, this gave the Rockets a 36-7 lead entering the break.

Coming out of the intermission the Rockets kept up the pressure and raised the score some more, this time with a 48-yard dash by Fox with 152 seconds gone. Elbel was good on the PAT, and with that the Rockets were finished scoring for the day. The Coyotes narrowed the gap somewhat with four (4) seconds gone in the final period by virtue of a 2-yard Lloyd Loya run and Enriquez kick, but the Rockets were able to put the Coyotes to sleep and get out of town.

The Rockets were able to limit the Coyotes to 142 yards on the ground and 66 through the air. The Coyotes experienced only one (1) turnover---a lost fumble. The Rockets had no turnovers whatever. The Rockets had as many First Downs---13---as the Coyotes did, but obviously the Rockets were able to make the most of theirs. The Rockets were good on 3-of-7 passes for 96 yards, while on the ground they netted 328 yards, 148 of which belonged to Fox on 16 carries. Saunders contributed 114 on eight (8) totes, with the balance chipped in by five (5) other participants. One (1) statistic that would probably require some attention and hence work was the 72 yards assessed on nine (9) infractions.

The Rockets arrived in the historic Space City aiming to make a little Rocket history of their own inside the historic Astrodome and earn the right to attempt a "moon landing"---otherwise known as a Rocket trip to the Finals. First, however, they had to overcome a stable-full of Mustangs possessing offensive and defensive speed, quickness, strength and intelligence. Added to that was a degree of discipline heretofore unseen in the Rockets’ pre-district encounters with them the previous two (2) years. The Mustangs had always possessed superior talent and pretty good coaching, but now under first-year Head Coach Corby Meekins the Mustangs had taken things to another level, and this time they had a marquee match-up with the Rockets in a meeting in which the stakes were much higher than in their two (2) previous encounters. Although the Mustangs were also much-improved since the 2003 meeting with the Rockets at George Stadium, so also were the Rockets. In other words, the Rockets and Mustangs were two (2) teams that seemed to match up real well with each other, and it was hence quite likely that the one (1) ultimate determinant could be mistakes in this late afternoon duel.

Both teams played to a scoreless stand-off in the through most of the First Quarter, as both defenses essentially neutralized the other outfits’ offense with numerous 3-and-out scenarios. The FOD, however, was getting a little concerned that the Mustangs were slowly beginning to win the battle at the line of scrimmage, and it was felt that a certain amount of finesse or even deception was perhaps necessary to ensure that the Rockets didn’t go backward with each punt exchange. With time expiring in the opening period and the Rockets facing 4th-and-1 at their own 33-yard line, Flight Director Rackley ordered up a fake punt to the Flight Crew. Unfortunately, Brandon Williams fumbled the direct snap and lost two (2) yards on the play. The Mustangs took over and on the third play DeMarcus Conner caught Pierre Beasley’s pass for a 20-yard TD. Keenyn Crier drilled the PAT and the Mustangs were up 7-0 with 53 seconds gone in the 2nd Quarter. The Rockets failed to produce much of anything on their ensuing drive. Compounding that was a holding call on what would have been a 45-yard pick-up by Greg Payne on a fake reverse. The Rockets punted shortly thereafter, Terrance Sweeney fielded the punt at the Mustang 38-yard line and returned it to the Rockets 13. Sweeney zipped in from there on the next play, Crier was good on the PAT, and the Mustangs led 14-0 at the 9:07 mark of the 2nd Quarter. Things calmed down for a few minutes thereafter, the Flight Crew, their FOD and their support team had readily and willingly accepted the challenge with the intention of winning, and for sure were doing what they could to "work the problem." Sometimes, though, when things go to worms they get much worse before they get better. A perfect example is what came with time running down in the 1st Half. The Rockets attempted to go to the air, but Danny McCray snatched away Elbel’s 3rd-down pass, taking it all the way for a 34-yard INT return. Crier nailed the PAT, and the Mustang advantage was up to 21-0 with 211 seconds remaining in the Half. The stunned and stone-cold Rockets were unable to get much done with the remaining time, and thus the score remained at the Half. Interestingly, both offenses went into the break with nearly identical yardage of less than 100 yards apiece.

Although neither the Rockets nor the Mustangs had up to that point been able to mount a sustained, length-of-field drive, the Mustangs were more than happy to change that situation to start the 3rd Quarter, and they capped off a drive following the 2nd Half kickoff with a 4-yard run by QB Pierre Beasley at the 8:10 mark of the 3rd period. Crier’s PAT upped the count to 28-0, and the Rockets knew for sure their intended mission was in serious jeopardy-----that is, if the Flight Crew, their FOD and the Support Teams chose to simply let the clock run down and wait to get beat. Fortified by their dream, they fought on, and their patience, persistence and perseverance paid off with a 2-yard run by Brandon Williams. Elbel toed the PAT, and the deficit was reduced to 28-7 with 176 seconds remaining in the penultimate period. The Rockets continued pounding away on defense as well as offense, and the effort paid off once more, with 5:03 left in the game, with another 2-yard run and 1-point PAT by Williams and Elbel, respectively. The onside kick, however, was recovered by the Mustangs, they picked up some key 1st Downs thereafter to bleed the clock, and it soon became abundantly clear that the Rockets would have to settle for the "alternate mission."

Semifinals
Southlake Carroll 37 Lufkin 27
Smithson Valley 18 Clear Lake 10

Final
Southlake Carroll 27 Smithson Valley 24