2007
A Good Note

In the history of NASA’s rocket program, numerous concepts were considered----and some were even briefly used----that for one reason or another were discarded either because they ultimately were found to not be practical, or there was something better, or they simply were shelved for any other number of reasons. A classic example was the numerous design iterations of the Lunar Module in the Apollo Program, as well as the initial concepts considered for the Space Shuttle, before the final designs and systems were settled on and built. In the development of the science-oriented J-Missions (Apollo’s 15, 16, and 17) and before the Lunar Rover was finally decided on, designed and built, some consideration was given toward using---and some prototypes were actually tested in some cases----jet-powered backpacks, as well as two-wheeled, motorcycle-looking all terrain vehicles, to get around on the moon. None of those ideas ever got out of the lab or past some lunar training landscape in the desert Southwest. One (1) idea that did actually fly was the rather unique-looking G-5C spacesuit worn by Jim Lovell and Frank Borman during their 14-day duration test aboard Gemini VII in 1965. Those suits had kind of a ‘Jetsons,’ science-fiction look to them, and to a certain extent looked somewhat like white, puffed-up versions of the Judson Rocketman’s suit (especially the helmet). They had success with the suits, but for whatever reason that state-of-the-art fashion never flew again.

Coming off the rough re-entry and landing back on November 11 that ended the 2006 mission, there was a high level of concern among many that the Rocket Program had some potentially insurmountable challenges facing it as launch day for the 2007 mission drew near. Under that backdrop a relatively small "coalition of the truly committed" headed toward the exurbs of Austin. For the heck of it and also in order to avoid the hectic pace of I-35, I drove up the through the Hill Country on a leisurely Friday afternoon drive up US 281 through Burnet, then across to Liberty Hill and finally down to the big event. The drive gave me a little time to think, and to listen to Outkast’s "Idlewild" soundtrack CD (I loved the "Morris Brown" and the "Don’t Chu Worry ‘Bout Me" tracks) that I recently bought. The last track on that thing, however, is an almost 9-minute long track that takes nearly six (6) minutes to fully develop while the listener is "treated" to a bunch of discordant heavy metal guitar and piano notes and melodies in a mournful, minor key. Once the song, titled "A Bad Note," finally gets going with voices, it basically is a screwed but not necessarily chopped voice of someone (presumably Andre or Antwon) singing over and over ‘a bad note ain’t a bad note if it’s a good note,’ all the time a chorus is singing the same thing in the background. The first several times you hear it, all you’re thinking is, "this is a pretty bad note." Grim and depressing, in other words. I heard it and thought to myself, "I hope listening to this now isn’t a bad omen for what’s about to happen to the Rockets." Finally, in the latter stages of the song, Andre keeps saying in the background "it ain’t so bad……it ain’t so bad…..it ain’t so bad…" So, I filed that thought in the back of my mind, and pulled out a CD recording of the Apollo 16 lunar landing that I downloaded from NASA’s Apollo Lunar Surface Journal website, hoping to get into a more Rocket-appropriate mind-frame. I pulled into the stadium just as I listened to Charlie Duke and John Young touch down at the Cayley Plains of Descartes. Perfect timing. It was time to ‘face the giants.’ I got out and took my seat among the relatively sparse crowd about half an hour before kickoff.

It had been raining off and on in Central and South Texas all afternoon, but it was usually brief and interspersed with sunshine. It would be kind of steamy, but overall not too bad. Then, about fifteen (15) minutes before kickoff, the Rockets’ Mission Support Team in the stands could see a silver sheen in the sky behind the home side of the stadium, reflecting off the low sun angles. About ten (10) minutes to go, the sheen had turned a darker shade of grey. With five (5) minutes to go, the sky behind the home side was downright black. The Rocket Flight Crew came out for the "launch" with about two (2) minutes to go, and congregated in the endzone for the run-through just as a wickedly cool downdraft came blasting through the stadium. The reassuring words of Andre 3000 in the last three (3) minutes of the afore-mentioned song notwithstanding, I couldn’t help but think about the discordant first six (6) minutes of that darned song. For good reason I didn’t mention any of this to anyone around me, and I was also hoping that, just like the song, maybe what we were seeing here was the discordant "first six (6) minutes" that would precede the "final three minutes" that would leave a subtle but positive message that this would be ‘a good note.’ Fortunately there were present for this Rocket launch some real optimists, among them (to name only a few) Cynthia Shaw (No. 16’s mother) and Dustin Quinney, whose younger brother Austin was the prime QB for this 2007 mission. A small but spirited and confident chorus of ‘good notes,’ in other words.

Leander (7-3, 5-2)
August 31, 2007: Bible Stadium, Leander
It's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward
cf Rocky Balboa

The threatening black monolith to the east notwithstanding, apparently they were ‘still proceeding’ (cf Jack King, PAO for the Apollo 12 countdown). Judson got the kickoff and was immediately backed up at its 13-yard line after being stuffed attempting a fake reverse on the return. No sooner had the Rocket Flight Crew sprinted up to the line for the first snap, the Range Safety Officers (in this case the zebras) decided that this particular countdown to launch was going on hold due to lightning in the area. After all, one only needs to remember what happened on Apollo 12 (an ultimately successful flight to the Ocean of Storms once some early electrical problems were resolved ** ) to appreciate that you don’t launch rockets in a thunderstorm

** click HERE to see what I mean about 30 sec after liftoff

It started as a slight drizzle, with most of the action apparently taking place a few miles away. Just when it seemed that the storm cell would for the most part by-pass the area, cats, dogs and the kitchen sink came crashing and booming down, and this continued for nearly an hour. Once it finally stopped, the delay continued because of a UIL rule that prohibits play from resuming for at least fifteen (15) minutes or so if as much as one (1) bolt of lightning does its thing within ten (10) miles or so of the stadium. Apparently there were another three (3) or four (4) such instances, because the hold continued, and at this point it really did start to take on the feel of those really extended holds in a real rocket launch in which the launch is eventually scrubbed for the day. Finally, word came that play would resume at 945 PM. Indeed, the teams came back out and the Rockets had facing them the same problem they had 135 minutes earlier: Being backed up at their own 13-yard line.

Judson trotted out its run-oriented Power I-Formation Rocket propulsion system for the first time since 2004, picking up short chunks of yardage out to the 36-yard line before punting to the Lions. The Lions took it at their own 30-yard line, going with a no-huddle offense and a lot of shotgun formations that did a fairly good job of loosening up the Rocket Defense by their constant threat of passing, even if they went with a run instead. This allowed the Lions to pick up some decent chunks of yardage at times in reaching the Judson 10-yard line. The Rocket Defense, possibly inspired by Rocky Balboa, nevertheless put the pressure on when needed and recovered a fumble at the Judson 10-yard line. The Rockets went to work, once again picking up small chunks of yardage by Mitchell Swan, Robert Shaw, Chauncey Harris, and QB keepers by Austin Quinney interspersed with short-range passes. All told, this brought the Rockets to the Leander 1-yard line following a 13-yard pickup by Robert Shaw. Shaw took it in from there, Quinney nailed the PAT, and the Rockets were up 7-0 with less than three (3) minutes remaining in the opening period. Undeterred, the Lions took the Rockets’ squib kickoff and returned it to the Judson 23-yard line. This enabled Frank Rodriguez to eventually take it in on 4th-and-goal from the 1, and with the PAT the score was knotted at seven (7) early in the 2nd Quarter.

Dominick Maddox helped the Rockets respond to this turn of events by taking the kickoff and returning it to the Leander 46-yard line. Mitchell Swan carried on three (3) consecutive plays to advance the Rockets to the 38, and a 15-yard unsportsmanlike call on the Lions moved things down to the 23, from where Robert Shaw raced in for the score. Quinney was good once more with the PAT, and the Rockets were back in front at 14-7 with a little over nine (9) minutes left in the First Half. The Lions once again got a good return following the kickoff, but in this case it was also called back due to an illegal block to the back. This caused the Lions to start from their 11-yard line. The Lions once more had success moving the ball, but the Rocket Defense got good, quick pursuit and caused Leander to punt from midfield. The punt rolled dead at the Judson 6-yard line and, three (3) plays later, the Rockets lost a fumble and Leander was in business at the Judson 16. On First Down QB Eric Massoni hooked up with Tucker Hancock for the score, and the PAT once more knotted the score--this time at 14. The Rockets took a pooch-style kickoff at the 26-yard line, and in fairly short order went 3-and-out. The Lions likewise went 3-and-out, caused largely by an Offensive Pass Interference call that essentially short-circuited the drive, and the Rockets took over from their 32-yard line with about a minute left in the Half. Swan moved things to mid-field with an 18-yard pickup. A 25-yard pass on 3rd-and-10 advanced the Rockets down to the 25, and Quinney's keeper for nine (9) yards facilitated his successful 34-yard FG with "four-zeroes" on the clock. That gave the Rockets a 17-14 lead at the Half.

Following the Band-less and abbreviated (not to mention late) Halftime, the Lions came out as if they were looking to ambush a wildebeest in a crowded maul. They took the kickoff and on a reverse took it into Judson territory. In no time at all they were knocking at the door at the 13-yard line, firing passes toward the endzone. Chris McAllister nevertheless almost intercepted one (1) of the overthrown passes. He erased the "almost" on the next play, however, snatched a hastily-launched pass after the QB bobbled the snap while under pressure, and took off with the steal for a 90-yard return and the score. Quinney drilled the PAT, and the Rockets had a 24-14 advantage. The Lions once again came back with a vengeance, proving the adage that the bright side of having a turnover returned for a score is that at least you get the ball back right away. A big aerial gainer advanced the Lions to the Judson 28-yard line, and a few plays later Frank Rodriguez took it in from three (3) yards out for the score. The PAT, however, was blocked, leaving the Judson advantage at 24-20. The Lions and Rockets traded punts for the remainder of the penultimate period, but with time running down in that period Leander went to work and, at the beginning of the final period the Lions took the lead with a 13-yard run by Reggie Hodges. The PAT, however, was DOA as a result of a bad snap, and the Lion advantage remained at 26-24. Once more, the game settled into a series of punt exchanges, but with things starting to go critical the Rockets got a punt at their 40-yard line and went to work. The drive, however, died on 4th down at midfield with 3:19 to go.

The Rocket Defense had largely played well against a heavily-favored Leander team, but the Lions were just about to force a scrub for the evening on the Rockets' launch. The Lions were also doing a pretty good job of bleeding the clock; hence the Rockets called timeout on 3rd-and-6. When play resumed Eric Massoni was looking to burn the Rockets through the air, but the Rockets' Cory Williams got him out of his comfort zone, Luke Boswell stripped the ball, thereafter snatching it up off the ground and taking off to the 5-yard line. A Face Mask Penalty moved things in by half-the-distance. The first play was for naught and lost some yardage, but on the 2nd play Chauncey Harris took it in with a little less than two (2) minutes remaining. The pass for two (2) points was good, and the Rockets had a 32-26 lead. The Lions took a fair catch at the Leander 29-yard line on the squib kick, and Leander picked up five (5) yards on two (2) plays before calling timeout with 67 seconds remaining. When play resumed the Rockets snatched their final INT of the day, from there the countdown to launch picked up for the final time and, with fifteen (15) minutes to go till midnight, the Rockets finally had liftoff on the 2007 Mission for arguably the most dramatic beginning since the "Judson Rocky's" took flight against Clemens in 1977.

What looked on paper to be a nice little 4A junket to the Hill Country for Rocket supporters instead turned out to be the pigskin equivalent of the Union's experience at the first Battle of Bull Run (numerous civilians from Washington, DC, took a Sunday afternoon buggy ride out to see what they figured would be an easy Union victory). Shortly after the opening kickoff Mitchell Swan took off on a 72-yard sprint to the endzone, Austin Quinney split the uprights with the PAT, and the Rockets were up 7-0 with only 56 seconds gone. The Antlers, however, were able to shut Judson off on their subsequent possession and they thereafter engineered a drive of their own to knot the score at 7, this coming on a 10-yard pass from Colton Palmer to Matt Ayala and Connor Overby's PAT with 34 seconds remaining. The Antlers continued their bend-but-don't break defensive tactics to shut the Rockets off for a larger part of the 2nd period and this eventually paid off with still one (1) more offensive possession for points, in this case a 36-yard FG by Logan Vick with 257 seconds remaining in the First Half that gave the Antlers a 10-7 lead. Undeterred, the Rockets responded on the answer-back drive and regained the lead with a 26-yard pass from Quinney to Swan with 78 seconds remaining. Quinney's PAT increased Judson's Halftime advantage to 14-10.

The Rockets came out of the break with everyone dressed in red figuring they were ready to see a Rocket-ball style "2nd-Half surge." They hit some deer instead. Or rather, the deer--Antlers and all---hit the Rockets. Apparently deer really can fly, and these hit the Rockets in the lower traces of the atmosphere during the launch phase (remember, the Rockets got off late the week before). It began when a blocked punt deep in Judson territory set up a short drive for the Antlers that culminated in Colton Palmer's 6-yard hookup with Logan Vick for the score. The Overby PAT was good once again, and Tivy was back in the lead at 17-14 at the 6:22 mark of the 3rd Quarter. The Rockets failed to produce on their subsequent drive, Tivy went back to work and shortly thereafter had a 24-14 lead to show for it as a result of a Palmer 4-yard run and another Overby PAT with 131 seconds remaining in the penultimate period. In order to prevent any kind of return by Rocket speedsters, the Antlers sent a pooch kickoff downfield that the Rockets responded poorly to----which basically means that they fumbled it and Tivy recovered it, in this case at the Judson 38-yard line. Three (3) plays later, Alex Jackson zipped in from 11 yards out, the PAT was good, and the Antlers led 31-14 with 85 seconds left in the 3rd Quarter. The Rockets went to work following this turn of events, this time they held onto the ball, and this soon paid off with a 45-yard dash by Swan for paydirt. Quinney's PAT narrowed the deficit to 31-21 with 70 seconds gone in the final period. The Antlers were nevertheless able to bleed the clock on their subsequent possession and when Tivy did punt, the Rockets found themselves pinned deep in their own territory. The Antlers, with the perfect opportunity to attack defensively, did so by sequestering the Rockets in the endzone for a Safety with 231 seconds left. The Antlers took the Free Kick and in fairly short order helped finish things off with Colton Palmer's 5-yard run, Overby polished things off with his final PAT of the day, and this forged the final verdict with 137 seconds remaining. In spite of all this, Judson was able to limp into orbit but the question at this point was whether or not it had arrived with essentially a fatally damaged Rocket ship and hence one that for all intents and purposes would be ‘lost in space.’ All this would ‘sort itself out’ in the days to come.

As for the deer and their very hardy Antlers, the collision with the Rockets did no harm whatever, and in fact was a major catalyst in catapulting the Antlers on a 10-1 journey (their only regular season loss would be to Alamo Heights, the defending 4A Division I Champs) to the 2nd Round of the 4A Playoffs, where the Lake Travis Cavaliers found a way to stop them and continue from there to claim the 4A Division II Title.

The Flight Crew, the Flight Operations Directorate (FOD, aka Coaching Staff) and the Mission Support Teams (Student Body, parents and fans) entered into countless hours of introspections, evaluations and meetings in the days to come on how to repair the potential damage to the Rocket vehicle following the collision with the deer and their Antlers. Video reviews of the collision and some Flight Simulator tests (aka "practices") on how to work around and/or fix the damage took place in the Open Week-facilitated fifteen (15) days leading up to the meeting with the Chargers. It turned out, however, that most of the damage could indeed be fixed, was confined to the Thermal Protection Structure and System, and could be dealt with as follows.

• Offensive Thruster Attitude Control could solve the System problems in flight and put the Rockets on a Roll (in real NASA-speak a "rotisserie mode" Passive Thermal Control) to keep them cool.


• A few on-orbit (ie, in-practice and in-game) repairs by the Flight Crew, analogous perhaps to what was tested on "post-Columbia" (STS-107) Shuttle flights, to the Defensive Thermal Protection Structure could keep the Rockets from getting burned in a fiery reentry at the end of the mission, which they still fully intended to continue flying through Week 16.

• An 11-yard pass from Quinney to Kaleb Kocian with 5:22 remaining


• Another Quinney pass completion, this one to Michael Hilliard for fourteen (14) yards, with 28 seconds left in the Half


• Two (2) additional PAT’s by Quinney

Early in the 2nd Half, Erik Brown snatched Sam Mabry’s deep pass at the Judson 13-yard line. From there the Flight Crew had its first in-flight meal and ate up 85 yards---and hence the clock----by staying on the ground for the full time to reach the Churchill 2-yard line, where they shared the meal with the Chargers on a lost fumble on 3rd-and-goal. The Chargers thereafter drove 98 yards in 14 plays to finally get on the board with four (4) seconds gone in the final period when Jose Perez carried in from a yard out. Kyle Tomasini’s PAT narrowed the Judson advantage to 28-7. The Rockets undertook another long drive that ended with a failed 4th-and-1 conversion attempt. Dominick Maddox put a stop to the ensuing Charger drive by snaring still one (1) more INT, but the Rockets once again turned the ball over with a giveaway at the Charger 32-yard line. Finally, however, Charles Gifford put a stop to the Chargers for good by taking down Mabry on 4th Down.

The Rocket Defense surrendered only 109 yards on the ground, although they did allow 141 yards through the air as part of Mabry’s 13-of-28 passing effort that also experienced two (2) INT’s. Austin Quinney, meanwhile, completed 6-of-8 passes for 119 yards, while Kevin Majors completed one (1) pass for 43 yards. The Rockets experienced no INT’s whatever, although they did lose two (2) fumbles. The ground crew picked up 281 yards, with 161 of that turned in by Robert Shaw on 19 carries, and 93 contributed by Swan on nine (9) carries. Swan also had 117 yards on three (3) catches while having a 59-yard reception nullified by a holding call. The Rockets nevertheless still had some issues to work on, and these included four (4) fumbles----two (2) of which were lost----and nine (9) infractions that resulted in 77 yards worth of penalties.

The Rockets finally arrived in Converse for the 2007 Mission where they were looking to get a second-consecutive solid performance on Defense and Offense in this Friday evening DTO (Detailed Test Objective). Defense did its job in attacking the Brahma offense, and the Offense then did its job in getting to work by opening holes and eating up yards in deliberate, methodical drives. It was just what the Flight Surgeon (aka "doctor") ordered. The first medicinal payoff for the Offense came with 270 seconds remaining in the 1st Quarter when Austin Quinney carried for thirteen (13) yards to put the Rockets on the board. His PAT increased the advantage to 7-0. With time expiring in the 1st Half, Robert Shaw zipped in from nine (9) yards out, Quinney nailed the PAT, and the Rockets led 14-0 with 107 seconds remaining. In the penultimate period, the Defensive assault paid off in a direct and immediate way when Erik Brown snatched a pass from Brahma QB Tyler Chambers---who was under duress all day---and returned it thirteen (13) yards for the score. Quinney drilled the PAT, and the Rockets now led 21-0 at the 7:04 mark of the 3rd Quarter. The final offensive scoring act came in the final period when Joshua Wright received Quinney’s pass and went in from three (3) yards out. Once more Quinney’s PAT was good, and with 265 seconds remaining the Rockets had a final 28-0 verdict. The Brahmas were forced to punt six (6) times for a 30-yard average. They netted only 82 yards on the ground and 51 yards through the air as part of a 9-of-22 passing effort that also experienced two (2) INT’s. They also lost one (1) fumble, although one (1) bright spot was the 15 yards assessed for only two (2) infractions. For the Rockets, the story was much better. Quinney experienced no INT’s as part of his 7-of-11 effort that picked up 85 air yards. On the ground, the Rockets netted 252 yards, with Robert Shaw contributing 149 of that on 23 carries. Once again, some areas of concern included three (3) fumbles, two (2) which were lost, and the seven (7) penalties for 65 yards.

The Rockets got off to a hot start when, on the first play from scrimmage, Quinney completed a pass to Michael Hilliard for a 35-yard pickup. Three (3) plays later, Robert Shaw zipped in from 36 yards out and Quinney thereafter added the PAT to put the Rockets out front with 83 seconds gone. On the Rockets’ next possession Shaw finished things off with a 17-yard run, the PAT was good and the advantage was up to 14-0 at the 7:23 mark of the opening period. The Defensive assault continued, and hence the Offensive line continued to have ample opportunities to open some holes for Shaw, the healed-up Mitchell Swan and Austin Quinney to run through as the 2nd Quarter progressed. Scoring took place when Swan punched in from the 5-yard line at the 9:28 mark of the 2nd Quarter, and then with 5:43 remaining in the Half Quinney kept the ball around left end and was off to the races down the sideline for a 72-yard score. Both 2nd-Quarter TD instances were supplemented by Quinney PAT’s. All told, it gave Judson a 28-0 lead at intermission as a result of 282 yards of offense.

Things cooled down, however, as the 2nd Half progressed. TR got on the board on the opening drive of the 2nd Half, converting on three (3) 3rd-Down situations that facilitated a 3-yard run by Brandon Armstrong, an emerging Sophomore Back. The Riders held the Rockets to a quick 3-and-out and thereafter executed a time-consuming drive that ate up the remainder of the 3rd Quarter, moving from the TR 20 to the Rocket 20, where Brandon Armstrong was forced to leave for a few plays with cramps. This turn of events was sufficient to cause the drive to die out at the Judson 11-yard line. Shortly thereafter Shaw was off to the races for an 86-yard run for the score with 8:51 remaining. This time, however, the PAT was no good, but all of the scoring that preceded it was more than sufficient to allow the Rockets pass this particular DTO with flying colors.

The Riders were limited to 134 net ground yards, 79 of which belonged to Armstrong on 21 carries. Through the air TR had 71 yards as part of an 8-of-15 effort by Devin Haywood and Travis Menn. The Rockets netted 295 yards, 203 of which belonged to Shaw on 18 carries. Through the air they had 95 yards as part of a 5-of-9 effort. They did much better in the turnover department, and also committed only three (3) infractions for 25 yards in penalties, which was an improvement from recent performances.

The following evening at Blossom, the Reagan Rattlers and the Madison Mavericks squared off in a key 26-5A match-up. The showdown featured the Mavs’ Devin Thomas and the Rattlers’ Marcus Wright, who were scorching the earth at will with speed, grace, gaudy rushing statistics, and equally gaudy scoring totals. The Mavs had previously beaten Smithson Valley in another milestone tilt, and this one also went easily in favor of Madison. Unfortunately, late in the game Thomas went down with a broken ankle that was serious enough to send him to the sidelines for the duration of the 2007 campaign. Although he would soon accept a football scholarship to Ole Miss, for his sake he also had excellent academic credentials (a 3.7 GPA) that could help guarantee that he would have much to offer this world long after he played his last Down on a football field---whenever that would be. The absence of Thomas would nevertheless form the backdrop for the Mavs’ next game……in Converse as test articles in a Detailed Test Objective (DTO) to be conducted by the Rockets.

Coming out of the intermission, the Rocket Defense continued its assault in search of the break that could turn things around, and finally the first dividend came due when William Thornton recovered a fumble to put the Rockets in business at the Madison 49-yard line. A key play in the ensuing 8-play drive was Quinney's 30-yard aerial hookup with Caleb Kocian that advanced things to the 10-yard line. Three (3) plays later Quinney punched in from a yard out, the PAT was good and the Rockets were on the board at 10-7 at the 6:29 mark of the 3rd Quarter. The Mavs appeared poised to get back to work and regain the momentum, but Luke Boswell apparently wasn't in their plans. Jarring the ball loose from the Madison receiver so Erik Brown could snatch it up, however, was nevertheless in Boswell's plans, and the plan came off flawlessly. Brown returned the fumble 36 yards for the score, Quinney nailed the PAT and the Rockets had their first lead of the day at 14-10 with 5:28 left in the 3rd Quarter. Undeterred, the Mavs went to work again, this time staying on the ground for nine (9) straight runs. The final run---a 15-yarder by Ryan Ladd----capped off the 68-yard drive. Along with the PAT, the Mavs were back in the lead---at 17-14---with 97 seconds remaining in the period.

The Rockets' Offensive line continued to persevere in allowing Judson to move the ball and eat up the clock, but the Madison defense continued to see to it that the drives didn't amount to too much as the final period progressed. The Rockets, however, saw to it that the Mavs would continue to have trouble handling the ball, and this plan fully manifested itself, two (2) plays after a Judson punt rolled dead at the Madison 5-yard line, when Cory Williams recovered a fumble back at the 11. The Rockets were able to advance things to the 5-yard line, but Jonathan Flores sacked Quinney back at the 22-yard line on 3rd Down. Quinney nevertheless split the uprights with the FG, and the score was knotted at 17 with 5:52 remaining. The Rockets were then able to thwart the Mavs' ensuing possession when Dominick Maddox delivered a pivotal tackle and Erik Brown broke up a pass. All told, this convinced the Mavs to punt the ball and 'hope for the best' thereafter. The Rockets took the punt at their 21-yard line. Although Quinney was able to connect with Kevin Majors for a 22-yard aerial gainer on 3rd-and-7, the drive stalled out near midfield and it was the Rockets' turn to 'hope for the best' following a prospective punt. This strategy paid off when two (2) Mavs made contact with Taylor Spivey milliseconds after he got the kick away. This allowed the Rockets to retain possession and go to work from the Madison 40-yard line with 65 seconds remaining. Mitchell Swan was brought in and on three (3) carries got the Rockets to the 14-yard line with three (3) seconds remaining. The key play was his 17-yard gainer from the 31-yard line. Quinney nailed the FG with "four zeroes" on the clock---or so it seemed. Coach Streety apparently called timeout for the Mavs just microseconds before the ball was snapped. This same tactic was used again, the Rockets' FOD thereafter called one (1) of their own in order to get things calmed down somewhat, and then the moment of truth was finally upon everyone. The FG was good once more, this time it was for real, and Judson had passed a pivotal DTO for the 2007 Mission and in so doing added another epic chapter to the History of its Rocket Program.

The Flight Crew, the FOD and the Mission Support Teams got back to work following the disturbing celestial encounter with the T-Birds and returned to the basics of Offensive Thruster Attitude Control to keep the Rockets on a Roll and Defensive Thermal Protection to avoid being burned. It couldn't have come at a better time, because the previous week's episode gave the T-Birds a shot at the post-season should they win out and the Rockets lose two (2) of their three (3) final games. The Rockets got on the board with an 11-yard run by Robert Shaw that capped an 11-play drive. Quinney's kick was good and the Rockets led 7-0 at the 7:32 mark of the opening period. With 120 seconds remaining in the 1st Quarter Mitchell Swan raced in from 26 yards out, and Quinney's PAT extended the advantage to 14-0. On the Vols' subsequent drive Jerome Tiller zipped in for a 10-yard score, Javier Soto nailed the PAT, and the Judson advantage was cut to 14-7 with 47 seconds gone in the 2nd Quarter. After a good kickoff return by Dominick Maddox, the Rockets required only four (4) plays to restore the Rocket advantage. On that fourth play, Swan carried in from three (3) yards out at the 10:09 mark, Quinney nailed the PAT once more, and the score was 21-7. With time running down in the First Half, Mitchell Swan powered his way in on a 21-yard scoring run, the PAT, however, was no good, but the Rockets led 27-7 with 229 seconds remaining. The Vols responded quickly, however, narrowing the gap to 27-14 with 131 seconds left with a 34-yard pass from Tiller to Jon Zapata and Soto's PAT. The Rockets' relentless ball control strategy continued through the penultimate period, although they only had a 27-yard FG by Quinney with 46 seconds remaining to show for it. In the final period Robert Shaw zoomed in for a 24-yard scoring run, Quinney nailed the PAT and the Rocket lead was up to 37-14 with 5:34 to go. The Vols narrowed the deficit with fourteen (14) seconds to go with a 22-yard pass from Tiller to Zapata and one (1) final PAT by Soto. For the game Swan had 136 yards on 22 carries, Shaw 94 on 14, and the healed up Chauncey Harris with 74 on only five (5) totes.

Most significantly, the Rockets clinched a playoff seed because the T-Birds, in spite of rallying from a 22-point deficit to tie the game with only 3:38 to go, were surpassed 42-35 by Churchill over at Blossom when Sam Mabry took off on a 55-yard dash with 55 seconds to go

Smithson Valley (9-1, 7-1)
November 2, 2007: Ranger Stadium
It felt like it had been eons since the Rockets last visited Ranger Stadium in 2004 and Kyle Fox ran circles around the Rangers. The Rangers, however, had no intention whatever of allowing the Rockets to even the series record any more than they were of absorbing a second District loss, having a month earlier dropped a pivotal match-up with Madison. That's not to say the Rockets weren't committed to a mission of redemption and ultimately something greater---a chance at a District Championship should they win out. Indeed, the Rocket Defense came out and stopped the Rangers cold on the first series of the game. The Rocket Offense was somewhat more successful at moving the ball on its first series, but it still failed to produce the ultimately desired result and the Rangers took Judson's concomitant post-possession punt and went to work. This time, a deliberately-executed drive paid off with points when Trent Rios carried in from six (6) yards out for the TD. Taylor Cowart nailed the PAT and the Rangers led 7-0 with 229 seconds left in the opening period. The Rockets responded well on the answer-back drive, but the Rangers did what good defensive teams do by stalling the Rockets in the red zone and forcing a FG instead. Quinney successfully split the uprights to put the Rockets on the board with a 24-yard kick with nine (9) seconds gone in the 2nd Quarter. SV then got right back to work and in fairly short order had extended its lead with a 1-yard run by David Pawelek and a Cowart PAT at the 8:29 mark.

No time for the Rockets to necessarily panic, but the Flight Crew and the FOD definitely needed to respond and "work the problem." In the real rocket program operated by NASA, however, even the best of Flight Control Teams (FOD's) and Flight Crews can sometimes make mistakes and cause things to literally spin out of control. For example, after the Lunar Module (LM) Orion had lifted off from the Cayley Plain of Descartes and linked back up with the Command Module Casper in Lunar Orbit, plans were to jettison the LM and send it in a "controlled" crash onto the moon as part of a seismic experiment using seismometers at the five (5) previous landing sites. Unfortunately, the crew improperly set some switches and the LM started spinning in orbit after being jettisoned, thus ending that particular DTO before it even really began. For the Judson Rockets, now trailing 14-3, they were ready to "jettison" the adversity they were faced with and go to work on the kickoff. Unfortunately, there was some miscommunication between the FOD, the Flight Crew and in particular the return man, who took the kickoff, faked a kneel-down and then at the last second ran it out. This gave the Rangers just enough time to get downfield and nail the Rocket return man at the 4-yard line before he had a chance to gather any useful speed. That was only the beginning. The next play saw the Rangers' fired-up Defense---and Drake Lawsage in particular---secure Mitchell Swan in the endzone for a Safety, this coming at the 8:20 mark. The FOD immediately called timeout in the work-up to the ensuing Free Kick, and Flight Director Rackley did one (1) of the better Gene Kranz (NASA)-like General Savage "let's work the problem" exhortations. Sometimes, however, things continue to get worse before they get better. The Free Kick was short, and four (4) plays later Trent Rios punched in from a yard out. Cody Renken thereafter caught Pawelek's pass for two (2) points, and the Rangers were now up 24-3 with 7:02 to go before intermission. Defensive Thermal Protection did its job and kept the Rockets from getting burned any further in the First Half, and the Rockets were nevertheless on a "roll" of sorts, but it was the wrong kind---more like an uncontrolled tumble. Coming out of the break the Defensive Thermal Protection continued to keep the Rockets from getting burned, but the Offensive Attitude Control continued to have problems arresting the tumble, and things were in fact exacerbated when Jeff Cervantes picked off Quinney's pass and returned it 54 yards for paydirt. Cowart's PAT was good once more, and the Rangers were now up 31-3 with 5:56 to go in the penultimate period.

The Rocket Offense was finally able to ameliorate part of the tumble when Quinney unloaded a pass that Mitchell Swan caught in mid-stride and took off with for an 81-yard pass play and the score. Quinney drilled the PAT and the gap was narrowed to 31-10 with 43 seconds remaining in the 3rd Quarter. The Rockets were able to draw a little bit closer, with 58 seconds left in the game, when Quinney hooked up with Kevin Majors for a 55-yard aerial play for a TD. Quinney was good once more on the PAT, and the deficit had been shaved to 31-17. The Rockets thereafter got the ball back and moved in to close the gap some more, but on the last play of the game Quinney was picked off. The INT was nearly returned for a score, but the return man was forced out of bounds just in time, and not before Offensive Lineman Matt Atwell was clobbered pretty good on the play while doing his best to "work the problem." He remained on the ground for several minutes before he was able to be helped up and be walked to the dressing room. He would be out for a game or two thereafter but overall it wasn't as bad as it looked and most certainly felt at the time. To the credit of the Ranger supporters waiting outside the dressing room for their own posse to emerge, they applauded Atwell when he exited the Rockets' dressing room for the long ride back to Converse. As for the overall turn of events for the Rockets on this evening, it was what one could call 'a bad note.'

Whatever doubts there were about Wright's viability for the 2nd Half were quickly dispelled. On the first play after the kickoff, Wright---who had been held for "only" 96 yards in the 1st Half---nearly doubled that yardage by slicing straight through the Rocket Defense and taking off for a 78-yard dash for paydirt. Dallas Horner was good with the PAT this time, and the Rattlers had narrowed the gap to 22-19 with fifteen (15) seconds gone. The Rattler kicking game was definitely "on," because the long-distance but punt-like kickoff (it really didn't look like the classic "pooch kick") was seemingly designed to increase the chances of it being mishandled, and the Rockets were more than "happy" (not really) to do their part to bring this about. The Rattlers recovered at the 22-yard line, and four (4) plays later Horner split the uprights with a 29-yard FG to knot the game at 22-each with 109 seconds elapsed in the 2nd Half. The Rattlers held Judson to a quick 3-and-out, and thereafter effectively and efficiently undertook a drive that most generally alternated Walls and Wright and basically kept the Rocket Defense guessing. Walls completed a 10-yard pass to Zach Bensch to finish the drive off and regain the lead for Reagan, and Horner did his part to supplement that advantage with the PAT, thus giving the Rattlers a 29-22 lead with 5:34 remaining in the 3rd Quarter. The Rattlers continued to freeze up the Rocket Offensive Thrusters and force some more 3-and-outs, and all this helped facilitate some more carries by Wright and Walls that culminated in points. Hence, with 8:49 left in the game, Wright punched in from the 3-yard line, Horner closed out the scoring with his final PAT of the day, and thus it ended. Also ending was the Judson Stadium as people had come to know it since 1970. It was due for an extreme makeover as part of the Bond Program approved by JISD stakeholders in 2006, and was slated to be ready in time for the 2008 Mission.

Semifinals
Euless Trinity 30 Plano 27
Judson 28 North Shore 7

Final
Trinity 13 Judson 10

The Rocket Defense early showed itself able to hold its own, and the Offense was able to go to work and undertake a 19-play, 89-yard drive that ate up a larger part of the opening period and included eighteen (18) running plays. With two (2) seconds elapsed in the 2nd Quarter, Elliot Hudson punched in from a yard out, Quinney nailed the PAT and the Rockets led 7-0. Robert Shaw carried nine (9) times for 47 yards on the drive, but he would also be hobbled by a sprained ankle that would dog him for the remainder of the postseason and relegate him to Special Teams activity. He didn't go out easily, however. He tried to practice running on it after being taped up, but once he realized it was a "no go" he pounded the training table in disgust, knowing it had turned into a short day. Meanwhile back on the field, the Rockets held the 'Dogs on their response drive, but they fumbled the concomitant punt. Bowie recovered and was in business at the Judson 20-yard line. The Rocket Defense, however, held them and forced a 29-yard FG by Nick Grasshoff that narrowed the Judson advantage to 7-3 with 7:38 left in the 1st Half. A few minutes later the 'Dogs were in position to try another FG, but Anthony Moore put a stop to this idea by blocking the kick so that Dominick Maddox could return it to the Bowie 25-yard line. The Rockets finished the short drive with a 1-yard carry by Mitchell Swan (who also had a taped-up ankle to show for the effort thus far), Quinney's PAT was good and Judson had a 14-3 lead with 44 seconds left. So far, so good.

With this kind of backdrop, the game commenced and it became apparent early on that Salinas and the Dragons were fully capable of burning the Rockets’ Defensive Thermal Protection. Also apparent was that the Offensive Propulsion System seemed to be misfiring at times, and all this prevented the Rockets from getting on the desired roll. As a result the Dragons were able to play ball control and burn time off the clock as they undertook a 17-play, 80-yard drive that ate up 7:44. Eventually, this allowed Salinas to put the Dragons on the board with a 5-yard run with 111 seconds remaining in the opening period. Anthony Ortiz nailed the PAT, and the Dragons led 7-0. The overall pattern continued as the 2nd Quarter progressed, and with time running down in the 1st Half the Dragons threatened to increase their advantage when Salinas ripped off a 39-yard run to the Judson 36-yard line. Salinas, however, experienced a separated shoulder on the play and had to leave the game----for good, as it turned out. The Dragons’ drive fizzled somewhat, and they settled for a 39-yard FG with 87 seconds remaining. The Rockets would finish the 1st Half with only 75 yard of offense. For the Rockets’ last possession, however, Austin Quinney was able to convince the FOD to insert him in the game and hopefully kick-start things a little bit. Quinney entered and nothing came of it----for now.

The Dragons came out of the break and appeared to still have the momentum, as they drove down the Judson 21-yard line where they fumbled and Judson recovered. The Rockets, however, were unable to do much with the opportunity, and they punted back to the Dragons. The Rockets held the Dragons to a 3-and-out, but the snap on the ensuing punt was bad and the Rockets had possession at the Southwest 22-yard line. With Quinney directing things, Mitchell Swan took the handoff on 1st Down and raced in from there for the score. Quinney’s PAT was good, and the Dragon advantage was shaved to 10-7 with 5:43 left in the 3rd Quarter. The Dragons at this point appeared to be lacking a certain amount of firepower with the absence of Salinas, and on the answer-back possession they attempted a fake punt. Cory Williams, however, sniffed out the play and hit the punter just as he attempted a handoff on a reverse, jarring the ball loose and putting the Rockets in business at the Dragon 6-yard line. Two (2) plays later Mitchell Swan carried in from the 2-yard line, Quinney drilled the PAT and the Rockets had their first lead of the day at 14-10 with 189 seconds left in the 3rd period. The game had obviously undergone a radical transformation. This fact was driven home even further by what came next. On 4th-and-1 at the Southwest 41-yard line, the snap sailed past the Dragon QB, and Erik Brown snatched it up and returned it 28 yards for Judson. Quinney’s kick was good once more, and the Rockets had a startling 21-10 advantage with 48 seconds let in the penultimate period. The Dragons nevertheless responded to this turn of events by mounting a drive that culminated in a 1-yard run by Cody Zaointz at the 9:48 mark of the final period. The run for two (2) points, however, was unsuccessful, but the Dragons were once more within reach at 21-16. The Rockets, determined to see to it that the Dragons didn’t steal their dream, thereafter applied some Offensive Attitude Control that put them on a Roll by flawlessly executing a 10-play drive that stayed on the ground throughout and which brought them to the 5-yard line, where Quinney split the uprights with a 22-yard FG with 3:09 left to give Judson a 24-16 lead. From there, the Defensive Thermal Protection kicked in and kept the Dragons from burning the Rockets, and in so doing was able to extend the 2007 Mission for at least one (1) more week.

A relatively small crowd of Rocket supporters----the ‘coalition of the truly committed’----converged at this equidistant neutral venue for both teams for a Saturday afternoon affair. Under partly-cloudy, semi-humid conditions, temperatures in the upper 70’s and with a strong, 15-mph breeze, the Rockets kicked off to the Coyotes. After holding the Coyotes on the opening series, the Rocket Offense went to work and effectively and efficiently executed a drive that Austin Quinney finished with a 19-yard pass to Caleb Kocian on 3rd-and-3. Quinney’s PAT was good and the Rockets led 7-0 at the 7:12 mark of the 1st Quarter. The Coyotes answered by reaching the Judson 31-yard line, where Jose Bocanegra was dragged down and halted on a 4th-and-2 play. The Rockets, however, fumbled the ball back on the subsequent play, La Joya picked up where it left off, and shortly thereafter Bocanegra put the Coyotes on the board by hauling in a 7-yard pass from Stephen Ramirez. Sergio Castillo’s PAT was good, and the score was knotted at seven (7) with 7:37 left in the 1st Half. Excluding the one (1) play on which the Rockets fumbled, the Coyotes essentially completed a 14-play, 66-yard drive. The Rockets nevertheless wasted little time in responding to this turn of events, as Mitchell escaped for a 75-yard dash and the score. Quinney drove home the PAT, and the Rockets led 14-7 with 6:46 remaining in the 1st Half. The bad part, however, was that the Rocket Defense would have to take the field once more after only a very short rest. This enabled the Coyotes to drive downfield and set up a 58-yard FG by Sergio Castillo with "four zeroes" on the 1st Half clock. The 58-yarder was good, reportedly a Valley record, the 5th-longest in Texas history, and definitely right up there with Earl Kaufman’s kicks for the Rockets in 1986 and 1987. All told, it was just enough to serve notice to the Rockets that they would need to step up their game a notch or two (2) in the 2nd Half.

Castillo picked up where he left off to begin the 2nd Half by sending the kickoff through the uprights. Fortunately this wasn’t Canadian Rules Football. The Rocket Offense then took the field and engineered a 13-play drive that ate up 7:53. The 13th play was lucky for the Rockets, as Swan zipped in from 21 yards out. Quinney’s PAT was good, and the Rockets extended their lead to 21-10. The Coyotes responded on a drive that saw Matt Jones haul in two (2) passes for a total of 60 yards, and all this helped facilitate Lorenzo Garcia’s 2-yard carry for paydirt with six (6) seconds gone in the final period. The pass for two (2) points, however, was broken up by Phillip Gaines, but the Coyotes were back within reach at 21-16 with plenty of time left. The Coyotes were back at it shortly thereafter, but Luke Boswell answered the challenge by snatching an INT and returning it 54 yards to the La Joya 1-yard line. Quinney punched in from there on the next play, but it was the Rockets’ turn to experience an unsuccessful 2-point pass play. Nevertheless, the Rocket advantage was improved somewhat at 27-16 with 7:18 remaining. The Coyotes nevertheless went right back to work and once more penetrated into Judson territory, but QB Stephen Ramirez was hit as he tried to throw, and all this enabled William Thornton to snatch the ball and return it 53 yards for the score. Quinney’s PAT was good, the Rockets had a 34-16 lead with 4:05 left, and from there they held on for the win.

Meanwhile up in Victoria, the Rattlers recovered from a 14-0 1st-Quarter deficit and, aided by numerous INT’s---some of which were returned for scores----and a couple of 80-yard TD runs by Marcus Wright, beat Los Fresnos 49-28. With that, the rematch with the Rockets was on and would follow another 26-5A re-match between Smithson Valley and Madison in Division II. For the record, Wright's single-season rushing yardage was up to 3232 yards, which put him well ahead of Jerod Douglas, Robert Merrill (Taft, 2001), and Chris Pryor, to name a few.

Immediately following the rematch drama that preceded it (click HERE for details), the Rockets and Rattlers moved into place in the Alamodome and prepared for their rematch. The Rockets' preparations actually began on the ride back from Laredo the week before when the FOD and the Flight Crew developed the Tiger Team Flight Plan for this do-over of the unsuccessful 'snakes in space' Life Science DTO in Converse. One thing, among others, that needed to be done was to see to it that Judson could weather the Rattlers' "3rd-Quarter storm" that they inflicted on the Rockets in Converse in quickly erasing a Halftime deficit. This same thing occurred in the 2nd Round with O'Connor, and I mentioned to a few people that if the Rockets could weather the Rattlers' 3rd-Quarter storm, they'd at least have a chance in coming out on top. And thus it began, with Judson taking the kickoff. On the Rockets' 2nd play from scrimmage Mitchell Swan ripped off a 31-yard gainer to the Reagan 16-yard line, and Quinney scrambled in from there on the next play. Quinney's PAT was good, and the Rockets were up 7-0 with 78 seconds gone in the game. The Rattlers answered back quickly, with Derrick Walls hitting Taylor Morris with a 45-yard aerial, Walls scrambling for 16-yards, and Marcus Wright shortly thereafter punching in from a yard out to cap the 7-play, 70-yard drive. Dallas Horner nailed the PAT and the game was knotted at 7 at the 7:45 mark of the opening period. The game settled down somewhat thereafter, with neither team able to mount anything substantive, and thus the 1st Quarter ended with the score tied at 7.

The trend continued somewhat as the 2nd Quarter got underway, but finally the Rockets were able to put together an 8-play drive that featured all running plays and which Elliott Hudson polished off with a 12-yard tiptoe down the sideline for the score. The PAT was good and the Rockets were back in front at 14-7 with 5:49 left in the Half. Undeterred, the Rattlers responded well, with Walls completing a 32-yard pass to Morris on 3rd-and-5, and Wright zipping in for points from twelve (12) yards out. Horner was good on the PAT, and with 232 seconds remaining the score was knotted once more. Offensive Attitude Control, however, kicked in once more for the Rockets and put them on a Roll. Quinney hooked up with Chauncey Harris for a 13-yard pickup on 3rd-and-8 on the drive, and also helped sustain the drive with a 3-yard pickup on 4th-and-inches to facilitate Hudson's 9-yard run up the middle for paydirt with 41 seconds left in the Half. Quinney hit on the PAT, and the Rockets were back in the lead, this time at 21-14. The Rattlers failed to produce following the kickoff, and thus the Half ended.

The 3rd Quarter began and with it, perhaps the most critical phase of this particular 'snakes in space' Test----weathering the 3rd-Quarter storm. The Rockets held the Rattlers on their first series, but the Rattlers returned the favor and went back on offense. This time they got just inside the Judson 20-yard line but on 1st-Down Calvin Brown tracked down Derrick Walls and nailed him for a 9-yard loss. This helped short-circuit the drive, and shortly thereafter the Rattlers punted. The Rockets were somewhat more productive on the ensuing drive, but they were nevertheless facing 4th-and-1 and a prospective punting situation. The Rattlers, however, were flagged for an illegal substitution and this permitted the Rockets to continue the drive. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, Quinney immediately thereafter put up a 46-yard pass to Lamont Hooper that set the Rockets up at the Reagan 21-yard line. The Rockets continued to work it in from there, and in so doing brought the 3rd Quarter to a close. The Rockets had perhaps, just perhaps, weathered the storm, and they were ready to try and raise the score's apogee and hence the apogee on their mission. The 6th play following Hooper's reception, Mitchell Swan caught Quinney's backward pass at the 11 and carried in for what amounted to a net 4-yard run for the score. The PAT was good and the Rockets were up 28-14 with 38 seconds gone in the final period. The Rattlers went 3-and-out on their subsequent drive, and their next drive was terminated by the Rockets with an INT. Judson went from there to set up another 4-yard scoring run by Swan, the PAT was good once more, and the lead was up to 35-14 with 95 seconds to go. The Rattlers thereafter put together a drive to narrow the gap, with Josh York taking a 4-yard pass from Walls with twelve (12) seconds left. The PAT made it 35-21. Reagan thereafter attempted an onside kick in order to narrow the gap some more, but Devin Davis had other ideas on what to do in this situation, so he snatched it in mid-air and returned it 50 yards for a Judson TD. The PAT closed out the scoring for the day. The Flight Crew, having this time successfully completed the ‘snakes in space’ experiment, bottled up the serpents and put them in storage in the lower equipment bay, thus facilitating a continuation of the 2007 Rocket Mission for one (1) more week at least. Reportedly, Wright had been hampered by a sprained toe since the 1st Quarter, and this was perhaps a contributing factor to the final result. Then again, perhaps some other, at least equally-important, Rocket-related factors were also responsible. We will never know. We do know, however, that the Rockets were making new History faster than some of us could write it.

Owl Stadium at Rice University. A historic venue of sorts for rockets---both the real ones flown by NASA and the ones representing Judson High School. On September 12, 1962 [only five (5) days, in fact, after the Judson Rockets played their first Varsity football game], President Kennedy gave a major speech at the stadium on the Space Program, explaining why we were going to the moon and also discussing the vision as to how it would be done (it is also worth noting that the land to be used by what was soon to become the Johnson Space Center was originally owned by Rice University). He described a rocket (the three-stage Saturn V) that could get us there using the Thrust of five (5) first-stage engines, each of which by itself was more powerful than any other rocket that had been flown by either the US or the Soviet Union. He described a spacecraft with Thermal Protection that would be built to withstand the heat of a fiery reentry upon returning. 34 years later at this same location, the Judson Rockets used a combination of Offensive Attitude Control and good old-fashioned Offensive Rocket Speed (ie, Thrust) to keep them on a Roll, some Defensive Thermal Protection to prevent them from being burned, and finally some excellent Special Teams play, and shocked an undefeated, much larger and seemingly more powerful North Shore team in a clear-sky, sun-soaked Saturday afternoon Semifinal meeting. Part of the Special Teams activity came on the kickoff, when kicker Rudy Bagnato put a hit on Mustang return man and QB Cedric Comier that foreshadowed---and essentially set the tone for---- what followed.

Eleven (11) years and eight (8) days later, the Judson Rockets had another daunting task ahead of them with the same opponent at the same location on a Saturday afternoon, and the challenge was as steep as ever. The Judson Rockets, who had long before accepted their role as the "Judson Rocky’s," nevertheless willingly accepted the challenge because they intended to win. Whatever history tidbits on rockets---either the NASA ones or their own----could help were indeed used in the week leading up to the test, along with a properly devised Flight Plan by the FOD and the Flight Crew in "working the problem." Another potential problem looming as the week progressed was the weather. Texas was essentially between cold fronts, and there was a good possibility that the next one to arrive would do so by sweeping out moist Gulf air with a line of thunderstorms that were expected to last anywhere from 6 to 12 hours right around game time---assuming the front didn't stall out. Even if the front were to already pass the San Antonio area, Houston was 200 miles further to the east and hence the Rocket Nation would perhaps be leaving Converse under clear, dry conditions, only to drive into the abyss of a potentially driving rainstorm. The only consolation, of course, was that such prospective conditions would theoretically be equally hostile to the Mustangs. Turnovers could prove decisive should the field turn into a "lake" of sorts. So could wind.

As it turned out, the Rocket Nation arrived at the historic site of JFK's rocket-related "Moon Speech" and Judson’s Rocket-related Bagnato hit shortly after the clouds began to break. Conditions would be brisk, dry---save for perhaps a few lingering damp spots on the field----and windy. Not too bad, considering. In many ways, eerily similar to the conditions the Rockets and 'Stangs had in 1996. Once again, for the 3rd consecutive time for a road playoff game, the Rockets' Mission Support Team in the stands was essentially a small "coalition of the truly committed." An extenuating circumstance, of course, may have been the price of fuel, which was now almost up to a speculator-driven $3 (this doesn't necessarily explain the paltry 1st-Round crowd in San Marcos, however). Surprisingly, though, the North Shore contingent looked kind of small as well, and this in the Stadium that they regarded somewhat as their second home and where the Mustangs won their Division I championship in 2003. It was time for the Flight Crew, the FOD and the Mission Support Teams to put their Tiger Team Flight Plan into effect, 'work the problem,' and check off still one (1) more successful DTO in their quest for a Final Test.

The Mustangs kicked off with the strong northerly wind, and the Rockets went to work. The Rockets' 1st time on Offense was a quick 3-and-out and, to complicate things, they had to take a timeout before the 3rd-Down play. The Mustangs appeared ready to stampede the Rockets on their ensuing possession, and penetrated into Judson territory. A backward pass from QB Jeremiah McGinty was under-thrown, however, which made it a live ball. It nevertheless went out of bounds for a 4-yard loss. The Mustangs elected to punt, the wind-driven 44-yard punt easily went into the endzone and the Rockets had weathered the initial offensive storm by North Shore. From there, both teams went on to trade punts on a series of 3-and-outs, but with 123 seconds left in the opening period Rocket punter Taylor Spivey sent a 46-yard boomer into the wind. The Mustang return man began to initially head right, but he shifted direction and this allowed Phillip Gaines to lay the wood on him, jar the ball loose and permit Calvin Brown to snatch it up and take it in from sixteen (16) yards out. Quinney's PAT was good and the Rockets led 7-0.

Of course, this meant that North Shore could immediately get right back to work on Offense, and of course the Rocket Defense would have to put in some extra plays without much of a break. Chris McAllister, however, was fully up to the challenge, and he came through on 3rd-and-6 with the Mustangs at their own 44-yard line by dragging McGinty down for only a 3-yard gain, and all told this forced the Mustangs to punt to close out the 1st Quarter. The Rockets were able to cobble together a few First Downs on the ensuing drive, with a pivotal pickup being a 25-yard chunk by Mitchell Swan to the Judson 36-yard line. They nevertheless had to punt a few plays thereafter, and North Shore took over from its own 33. Passing into the wind this time, McGinty launched a pass that the Mustang receiver appeared to haul in at first, but Erik Brown instead managed to steal it away at midfield and return it to the North Shore 37. The Rockets deliberately moved in from there, reaching the 23 after Swan got the needed yardage on 4th-and-1. Immediately thereafter, Quinney put an aerial up that Lamont Hooper rendezvoused with in the southwest corner of the endzone. Quinney (who was 1-for-3 thus far passing) nailed the PAT, and the Rockets had a startling 14-0 advantage with 3:27 remaining in the Half. The Mustangs failed to produce anything substantive with their next time on offense, and they had a goose-egg to show for it entering the intermission.

It was looking good for Judson, but just as in some other classic situations in which they had to rely on the Defense to make things happen, the coin was still very much in the air as to how things would play out. The Mustangs still seemed fully capable of springing loose at any second and leaving the Rockets wondering how or why they thought they had any kind of a chance. The 'Judson Rocky's,' however, were fully prepared to accept the challenge, because they intended to win and they were unwilling to postpone such plans. The time was now, and the ‘Rocky’s were "gonna’ fly now." With the wind to their backs, the Rockets kicked off to the Mustangs to start the 2nd Half. On 2nd Down Cory Williams sacked McGinty to bring up 3rd-and-16, and on the ensuing play McGinty, unable to find any open Mustang receivers, had to take off on foot instead, only to come up a yard short. The Rockets took the punt and started from their own 36-yard line. From there they chewed up almost five (5) minutes before punting. Spivey's punt rolled dead at the North Shore 9-yard, and the Mustangs went back to work. Once more McGinty looked like he was about to spring loose on the ground or launch an aerial for a big pickup, but the Rocket Defense kept getting in his face just enough to keep him flustered. Eventually, one (1) of his passes was thrown into double coverage, and once more Erik Brown was part of the coverage, waiting at midfield to pick it off and return it, this time to the Mustang 28-yard line. On 3rd-and-12 Quinney hit Swan on a somewhat intriguing/startling crossing pattern and Swan took it in for a 30-yard play for the score. Quinney's PAT was good, and the Rockets now had a 21-0 advantage with 96 seconds left in the penultimate period.

The Mustangs took the concomitant kickoff and, realizing the seriousness of the situation, started clicking on offense. The biggest gainer was McGinty's 47-yard dash to the Judson 4-yard line. Shortly thereafter Tracy Woods punched in from a yard out, the PAT was good, and the Rockets' lead was reduced to 21-7 with 9:01 left in the game. The Rockets were thereafter relatively unproductive on their ensuing series, and suddenly, with the shadows continuing to lengthen toward the Rockets' side of the Stadium, there was a growing sense that this final Quarter could very easily present a protracted, Twilight Zone, scenario and feel similar to those experienced during the 4th Quarter in some other, albeit successful, Judson Semifinals. The Rockets' Special Teams, however, wanting to quickly ‘put the horse(s) to sleep’ and get out of town with the win, had other, more positive visions as to how things should play out; hence, Spivey booted a 41-yard punt into the wind that bounced several times before hitting a Mustang return man. Phillip Gaines recovered it at the North Shore 15-yard line with 5:40 remaining. From there, the Rockets worked it in slowly but surely, eating up the clock along the way, before Quinney kept on a 1-yard QB sneak for the score with 144 seconds left. Quinney nailed the PAT, and the Rockets had restored the 21-point advantage. The shell-shocked Mustangs were unable to get anything of substance done thereafter, and with a growing chorus of 'on to State!......on to State!' from the Rockets' Mission Support Team (the small "coalition of the truly committed" that had made the trip), soon the clock said 'four zeroes,' and another epic chapter in rocket history (both the NASA type and the Judson type) had been written at Rice University.

Now five (5) games into the post-season, Quinney had yet to throw an INT. Meanwhile, the Rockets had fully utilized the opportunities presented by four (4) Mustang giveaways, and this was a supreme determinant. As the clock wound down I mentioned to Charles Rivas, former Rocket Drum Major for 2002 and 2003, that some had been wondering if what had transpired with Southwest (Salinas leaves with an injury and the Rockets snatch the momentum and the game away) and Reagan (Wright is slowed with an apparent toe sprain and Judson pulls away), and to a certain extent in Laredo with LaJoya, was a series of flukes, but then I asked him rhetorically, "if those were flukes…..what do we call this?" I think I'll borrow a quote from Jim Rackley after Judson beat Elsik in 2002 to advance to the Final Exam: "You don't win by accident." And with that Judson had a "GO" to continue its 2007 Rocket Mission for still one (1) more week, and this time for the ultimate Detailed Test Objective (DTO)----the Final Exam.

So, here it was-----the Final Test of the Rocket Mission. Interestingly, all four (4) of the teams in the Semi-Final Round in Division I had won a State Championship at least once since 1993. The Rockets had dispatched the North Shore Mustangs at the site of their 2003 victory over The Woodlands. Later that day at Texas Stadium, the Trinity Trojans got past the Plano Wildcats in Double OT to set up a rematch of the 2005 Finals played at The Palace on Parmer Street. Ironically, the only team that ET had ever faced in the Finals was---that’s right---the Judson Rockets. A year before, while the Rockets were already two (2) weeks into their post-flight debriefings and evaluations, the 2005 Division I Champion Trojans met the 2005 Division II Champion Southlake Carroll Dragons at Texas Stadium, and appeared on their way toward pulling off an upset of sorts with time running down. Wanting to retain possession and keep the Dragons from striking quickly so that ET would have very little time left to respond, the Trojans gambled on a fake punt attempt, but it blew up in their face and the Dragons drove down, scored to snatch the lead, held on for the win and claimed the Division I title at the Alamodome a month later. Early in the 2007 season, in a non-District game seen on live statewide television, ET had its clock cleaned by the resurgent Permian Panthers. The Trojans, however, simply "got Haka," got back to business, and in so doing earned a shot at redemption. Similar to Judson with Reagan, they completely turned the tables on Mojo. Three (3) weeks later they were in position to put a stop to Judson’s all-up test of its Old Skool Power I-Formation Rocket Propulsion System, using their own Old Skool, ground-oriented scheme and a difference-making back---Samir Baker----that conjured images, at least in terms of stature and ability, of Judson speedsters such as Jerod Douglas and Kyle Arnell.

The ‘Judson Rocky’s,’ of course, had spent the past fifteen (15) weeks or so "facing the giants," and they were looking to complete one (1) final test (DTO) on this endurance flight. Knowing that the Flight Crew would need every ounce of inspiration possible, members of the Mission Support Team, in the days leading up to the meeting with Trinity, communicated via PM’s at the 5atexasfootball.com Forum, as well as through Myspace, Facebook, email blasts and the like, that the Rocket Nation shouldn’t simply wait there like a congregation of silent, intimidated idiots while the Trojans across the way did the "Haka" immediately preceding opening the kickoff. Hence, once things got going across the way, the Mission Support Team and the Flight Crew chanted the classic "We Believe…..in Rocket Pride." It’s still too bad that we couldn’t have gotten into a time machine and brought back Mr. Paschall(click HERE for a true Old Skool HEY! HEY!, but at least what was done seemed to work and the Dome was one (1) frenzied environment for about 90 seconds while both sides did their thing [just as was the case at The Palace two (2) years earlier, the HEY! HEY! did take place for a limited number of people, but in both instances there was no real institutional support for it so it was still as if it had never even happened].

The Final Test for the Rockets got underway as Pery Negreiros kicked off for the Trojans. Robert Shaw took the kick at the 28 and returned it to the 33. Two (2) chump-change pickups by Mitchell Swan followed, and on 3rd Down Austin Quinney dropped back to pass. No one was home, however, but he nevertheless took off up to the 45-yard line to pick up a First Down. Elliott Hudson carried for four (4) yards. A false start call on the Rockets brought up 2nd-and-11, but Quinney hit Hudson for a short 6-yard aerial pickup, with Eryon Bennett making the stop for Trinity. The next play saw another Quinney aerial, this one (1) to Swan. Swan momentarily bobbled the catch, but he recovered the bouncing ball and advanced to the ET 45-yard line. The 1st-Down play was essentially dead on arrival, but on 2nd Down Swan carried to the Trinity 35 and close to a 1st Down. Swan converted on the following play and in so doing advanced the Rockets to the 29-yard line. Quinney avoided a sack and threw the ball away on the ensuing play, but on the following play Swan carried to the 22. From there Swan penetrated up the middle to the 19 to pick up still one (1) more First Down. Swan’s next carry wasn’t nearly as successful, and he was stopped cold by Robert Griffin. Undeterred, Swan carried to the 9-yard line for another First Down, where Wayne Heimuli made the stop to save a possible Judson TD. Changing things up somewhat, Quinney faked the pitch on the subsequent play, handing off to Hudson instead, who punched it down to the 7-yard line before being ensnared at the ankles by Elikena Fielo. Swan punched it to the 5, where Heimuli stopped him. Quinney’s ensuing QB draw netted only a yard, largely because Siosaia Tuipulotu sniffed out the play. With that the Rockets elected to split the uprights with a FG, which Quinney did quite nicely from 22 yards out to put Judson out front at 3-0 with 3:53 to go in the opening period.

ET’s Jack Detvongsa took Quinney’s kickoff, returning it out to the 28. On the 1st play Samir Baker ripped off fifteen (15) yards for a quick First Down and in doing so surpassed the 2000-yard milestone for the season. Baker thereafter ran up the middle for eight (8) yards to the 47, where Erik Brown tripped him up and Anthony Moore made the final stop. On the subsequent play Denarius McGhee dropped back to pass, but it went incomplete and was nearly intercepted at the 27-yard line. Calvin Brown made the stop on Baker to bring up 4th-and-1, and ET chose to punt. Robert Shaw took the punt at the 18 to put the Rockets back in business. On 1st Down Mitchell Swan eluded numerous tackles for a 9-yard pickup, but he was also dinged on the play. Elliott Hudson nevertheless carried on the next play up to the 29 to move the chains. Earnest Norman thereafter nailed Chauncey Harris for no gain, and Prinz Kande did the same to Harris on 2nd Down to end the 1st Quarter.

On 3rd Down to start the 2nd period, Quinney kept when no one was open through the air, was chased to the sideline for no gain, and it was time to punt. Dustin Emery took Spivey’s punt at the ET 33 and carried all the way to the Judson 28, where Mitchell Swan made the stop. Emboldened by the excellent field position, ET attempted a reverse to Tyree Tucker, but the Rockets sniffed it out for no gain. The next play saw a pass on a play action fake to Tucker for an 8-yard pickup, with Phillip Gaines making the stop. On 3rd-and-3 Samir Baker carried to the 15-yard line---where Dominick Maddox made the stop----to move the chains for ET. On First Down Baker carried from there down to the 5, where Chris McCallister stopped any further advance---for now. Baker thereafter took it to the 1-yard line. The Rockets held on 1st-and-goal, but on 2nd Down McGhee punched in from a yard out. Negreiros nailed the PAT, and the Trojans were on top at 7-3 with 155 seconds gone in the 2nd Quarter.

The Rockets took the concomitant kickoff and got back to work doing what they seemed to do best on Offense: Ram the ball down the opponent’s throat. Starting from the Judson 28-yard line, Mitchell Swan carried up to the 31 and thereafter to the 36. Swan came off the field, but Chauncey Harris stayed on the field where, on 3rd-and-1, he converted to move the chains and advance the Rockets up to the 40. From there Quinney faked a handoff to Harris but instead connected through the air with Caleb Kocian for a chain-mover at the ET 45. On 1st Down Harris picked up three (3) hard-earned yards, with Cliff Miller making the stop for the Trojans. The Trojans thereafter sniffed out a mis-direction handoff to Harris, forcing him out of bounds instead. Hudson nevertheless forced his way up the middle for a First-Down pickup at the Trojan 30-yard line. After a modest gain by Harris on First Down, Harris advanced the state of the science in Offensive Rocket Propulsion by thrusting down to the 12-yard line, where Heimuli made the stop for ET. Hudson subsequently carried to the 7-yard line, and Swan got things from there down to the 2. With Ameer Townes and Deandre Schuler plowing the way, Swan got in from there, Quinney drilled the PAT, and the Rockets were back on top---this time at 10-7----with 4:37 left in the First Half.

Jack Detvongsa took ensuing kickoff at the 5 and returned it out to the 24, where ET set up shop. Cliff Miller lost the ball while carrying up the middle, but Keyth Poole beat the Rockets’ Charles Gifford to it, and Trinity retained possession. Samir Baker thereafter penetrated his way up the middle for a 17-yard pickup, with Erik Brown making the stop and preventing a TD. From there Baker kept around the left side and moved to the Judson 49, where Phillip Gaines and Taylor Spivey made the stop. It was thereafter Baker to the 39-yard line, where Gaines and Dominick Maddox halted the advance. Baker next carried toward the short side of the field for a pickup down to the 34, where Calvin Brown met him. It was Baker once more, this time down to the 30, where with 86 seconds remaining ET called timeout. When play resumed on 3rd-and-short, Denarius McGhee faked a handoff, rolling out to pass instead. No one was open, but he nevertheless took off with time to spare and got the First Down on a 2-yard pickup. Chris McAllister got the stop on Baker after a short gain on the ensuing play, but Baker made up for this modest gain by carrying around the left side to the 17 for still one (1) more First Down, where Calvin Brown met him. Baker got another short gain that Devin Davis helped put a quick end to, and with 38 seconds remaining Trinity called still one (1) more timeout. When play resumed McGhee faked the handoff and launched the ball toward the endzone, where Kulitapa Taumoepeau had gotten ahead of Spivey. The pass, however, was slightly overthrown and hence it went incomplete. It also meant that the First Half went incomplete, giving ET just enough time left to phone this one home for the score. Sure enough, ET and McGhee went wireless, again, this time sending the ball through the airwaves toward Justin Runningdeer, who caught it at the 4 and took it in from there. The PAT was no good, but the Trojans were back on top, at 13-10, with 28 seconds left. Robert Shaw took a short kickoff at the 20, returning it to the 30. Swan carried out to the 33-yard line, and with that time expired in the Half.

The basic key to victory for the Rockets, perhaps, was to continue pounding away on Offense and in doing so limit the number of touches Samir Baker (and also others) could have. The other determinant would be whether or not the Rockets’ Defensive Thermal Protection could win the battle at the line of scrimmage against a Trojan Offensive Line that had both size and much more speed than many people were willing to admit that it had. The objective in this Final Test of Judson’s 2007 Rocket mission, in other words, was to find just how far the Rocket Systems could go before time ran out on the experiment and it was necessary to come in and land. In the event the Offensive Propulsion System were to reach its limit prematurely, the contingency was to score either via the backup Defensive Propulsion System----where the "defense becomes the offense"----or by Special Teams, which had been done on numerous occasions during this particular mission. Should none of that work, however, the alternate Detailed Test Objective (DTO) was to make sure that the Defensive Thermal Protection held up so that the Rockets could have a safe re-entry without being burned with additional scores by Trinity. In other words, there would be numerous ways in which this particular Final Test could end on ‘a good note’ (in the NASA Rocket Program a flight that ends on ‘a good note’ if it returns safely and with the crew and spacecraft intact). It was time to ‘work the problem’ and finish the Test on ‘a good note.’

Austin Quinney booted the kickoff downfield to start the 2nd Half, and Jack Detvongsa took it at the 5 and returned it to the 32, where Dominick Maddox met him. On First Down Denarius McGhee faked a handoff but instead launched a pass intended for Michael Ellsworth that went incomplete. On 2nd Down Baker ran to the short side of the field and was forced out of bounds at the 35 by Taylor Spivey and Corey Williams. On 3rd-and-7 a McGhee pass directed toward Tyree Tucker fell incomplete, so Perry Negreiros punted. Robert Shaw took it at the 28. Mitchell Swan got dinged on First Down following a minimal gain, but on 2nd Down Elliott Hudson carried for three (3) yards up the middle to bring up 3rd-and-7. As was the case for McGhee, Quinney’s pass was incomplete, and the Rockets punted. Justin Emory took the relatively short punt at the Et 40-yard line and returned it to the Judson 40, but an illegal block to the back moved the Trojans back to their own 37-yard line. Samir Baker carried to the 41 on 1st Down, where Anothony Moore made the stop. On 2nd Down Spivey secured Baker by the ankles to bring up 3rd-and-short. Corey Williams made the stop on the attempted conversion, but not before Baker picked up the First Down at the Trinity 47. From there Baker carried up the middle to the Judson 49-yard line. He thereafter ran into a gaggle of Rockets at the 45-yard line, and on the next play he picked up another chain-mover with a gain to the 39, where Charles Gifford and Spivey halted the advance. It was Baker once more to the 34, and then again to the 28 for another First Down. The Trojans continued pounding away, but the Rockets’ Defensive Thermal Protection was making them earn literally every yard, to bring up 3rd-and-7. McGhee’s subsequent pass fell incomplete, hitting the carpet at the 14-yard line before Tucker could haul it in, and Negreiros was brought in for the FG. The ‘holder,’ however, instead took off with it on the fake but busted by Devin Davis at the 25 with 3:15 remaining in the 3rd Quarter. Defensive Thermal Protection had once more come through for the Rockets and kept them from being burned.

The Flight Crew members operating the Offensive Propulsion System took the field, and on 1st Down Quinney rolled out to pass but when no one was safely available downfield to take the pass he took off up to the 40 to move the chains for the Rockets. Chauncey Harris thereafter carried to the 46, and on the next play a mis-direction pitch to Harris netted two (2) yards. Quinney carried to midfield on 3rd Down, but as a result of a stop by Eryon Bennett and Wayne Heimuli it was short of the First Down, and the FOD elected to punt, with the idea being to pin ET deep and win a field-position battle. The punt went into the endzone, enabling Trinity to start from its own 20. On First Down Samir Baker took off to the 48, where Maddox and Erik Brown saved the TD. Baker thereafter carried to the Judson 48, and thus ended the 3rd Quarter.

Trinity began the final period with a pickup down to the 40 for still one (1) more First Down, but a false start call on the next snap set them back to the 45. Baker nevertheless advanced ET back to the original line of scrimmage on 1st-and-15, and from there McGhee connected with Baker on a screen pass for a pickup to the 35, where Chris McAllister was waiting for him. On 3rd-and-5 McAllister nailed McGhee following a modest gain that brought up 4th-and-2. Baker converted with a pickup to the 25, where Spivey met him. From there Samir carried to the 17-yard line, with Calvin Brown making the stop this time for the Rockets. It was Samir with another severe blow to the Rockets’ plans, this time to the 10, where Maddox nevertheless got the tackle. Baker carried to the 7, he was hit at the line of scrimmage on 2nd Down to bring up 3rd-and-5, but he thereafter took it to the 3, where Phillip Gaines made the tackle and Spivey and Gifford also participated in making the stop to bring up 4th Down.