Warren (2-8, 2-6)
August 27, 2009: Converse
Judson’s Rocket Program was in a Development and Testing Phase going into the 2009 season. Flight Director Jim Rackley openly admitted that this was the youngest and most inexperienced Flight Crew he had seen in all his time with the Rocket Program. In some ways, it would be akin to NASA inaugurating the use of an entirely new rocket vehicle and system. In such cases many weeks, months and sometimes years are required to work out the glitches and to gather development flight performance data. Judson’s Rocket Program would not necessarily have the luxury of nearly as much time to work out the kinks, but the good thing at least was that there would be three (3) non-district games as well as an early Open Date to try and get the Rocket Systems and Flight Crew sufficiently operational for at least a few flights.

The first test firing for the new Rocket System and Crew was set for a Thursday evening in Converse with the Warren Warriors, and it got underway with Jamal Washington taking the kickoff for the Warriors and handing off on a reverse to Nathan Castillo. Castillo advanced up to the 34. QB Daniel Horstman kept the drive alive on a 3^rd and short play up to the 48, and Washington advanced things down to the Judson 25. Two (2) pass attempts came up dry, and the Rockets got a reprieve when the Field Goal was no good. The Rockets were able to advance things with the help of Gabriel Hilliard and QB Cody Boswell, in addition to a 3^rd-and-short catch by Jordan Montgomery to the 45, but the drive stalled and Boswell punted to the Warren 3-yard line. From there the Warriors proceeded to pick up where they left off on the previous drive, first with a Castillo run up to the 18, a Washington advance to the Warrior 35 and finally, on 3^rd and 7, a Horstman completion to Washington to the Judson 35. A Holding call set the Warriors back to the 50, but Jamal Washington and Castillo recovered most of the loss by advancing to the 39. Washington pushed the Rockets down to the 13 on three (3) consecutive plays and on play No. 4 it was Washington for the score. Jordan Palacios nailed the PAT and the Warriors were out in front with 48 seconds remaining in the opening period. This was not a good sign for the Rockets’ Defensive Thermal Protection, having been badly burned with a 97-yard drive. Next up was another test of some of the new engine components in the Offensive Propulsion System. Sophomore Quaylon Jones took the kickoff at the 10 and returned it up to the 40, Elliot Arnold picked up 6 yards on First Down, Jones thereafter advanced things to the Warren 42, and a Face Mask call advanced the Rockets to the 27. From there Jones and Boswell chipped away a little at a time, and Boswell finished the job with a leap over the top from the 1. The PAT was good and the score was knotted with 114 seconds gone in the 2^nd Quarter.

A short kickoff was covered by Jamal Washington at the 20, and on First Down Castillo propelled himself up to the 44. Two (2) consecutive Horstman aerials to Marcus Smith set the Warriors up at the Judson 13, a Holding call on First Down momentarily set them back to the 23, but Horstman connected with Akhenaton Zakariyyaa from the 17 for the score. The PAT was good and Warren was back in front with 7:47 remaining in the Half. The concomitant kickoff was bobbled but recovered by the Rockets at the 15, and the drive was basically stillborn, with every advance nullified either by penalty or losses on the play. The biggest loss on the play, however, was saved for 4^th Down and a bad snap resulting in a Safety, this coming with 5:41 remaining. The Free Kick put the Warriors in business at midfield and, although the Warriors were probably smacking their lips at the possibilities, the Defensive Thermal Protection came through this time for the Rockets and forced a punt that managed to go into the endzone. Nevertheless, on 3^rd Down the Warriors stripped the ball and recovered at the Judson 26. The Defensive Propulsion System, however, came through for the Rockets when Kouri Jones stripped the ball and Jordan Spice returned it 68 yards for the score. The PAT was good and the Rockets were back to within 16-14 with 155 seconds to go in the Half. Undeterred, Jamal Washington took the kickoff for Warren and returned it to the Rockets’ 25-yard line, and three (3) plays later it was Washington again, this time for a 3-yard burst and the score. With the PAT Warren had re-extended the advantage to 23-14 with 61 seconds remaining. Judson was able to get in close, but time expired in the 1^st Half.

Quaylon Jones took the 2^nd- Half kickoff at the 5, handed off on a reverse to Hilliard, and Hilliard took it out to the 45. On 2^nd Down Boswell connected with Montgomery to the Warren 44, and Jones and fellow Sophomore Kenyon Clack did their part to get the Rockets to the 18-yard line, where the 34-yard FG by Donato San Filippo was good to draw the Rockets to within 23-17 at the 9:07 mark of the 3^rd Quarter.

Some storms that were along the I-35 corridor through the evening had for the most part not yet reached the Converse area, but the winds had started to pick up as the Warriors took the subsequent kickoff. The Warriors got a yard on 1^st Down, and Horstman’s 2^nd-Down pass went incomplete and in fact blew backward. By now, dust and debris from the nearby construction project for the Red Campus replacement facility started blowing in (the 3-story high pyramid of dirt from almost a year earlier was still there), and suddenly this whole affair had started to take on a bizarre, amusing but somewhat disturbing déjà vu feel of the 2^nd Half of the Stevens game from the previous November that aborted the 2008 Rocket Mission in the 1^st Round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, a 3^rd Down pass also went incomplete, Warren punted into the wind and the ball went backwards and out of bounds at the Judson 41.

The ensuing drive for Judson got off to an inauspicious start with a sack on Boswell. Boswell nevertheless hit Montgomery for a First Down at the Warren 48, and Hilliard lifted off from there for an apparent score---except for the little yellow flag that came out and nullified it. Following a modest 5-yard gainer and a wind-blown pass that went incomplete, Quaylon Jones carried to the 29 on a draw play. The rain, which had thus far skirted the area, began falling in scattered horizontal drops during a false start for Judson, a Hilliard no-gainer and another sack on Boswell. With all that, though, Boswell hit Hilliard for a pickup to the 9-yard line, and following a loss back to the 13 Montgomery pulled in the Boswell aerial at the 5. Jones carried to the 1 and he scored on 4^th Down. The PAT was good and Judson had its first lead of the day at 24-23 with 130 seconds remaining in the penultimate period.

The Warriors continued to misfire on their ensuing series and went 3-and-out. Zachary Jimenez took the punt at the 35 and returned it to the 18. Elliot Arnold, however, got popped and the Warriors recovered at the 5. Warren picked up some modest gains to keep the drive alive, but after Washington got hit in the backfield for no gain, Richard Griffin snatched Horstman’s pass and returned it 35 yards for the score. The PAT was good and the Rockets had some breathing room at 31-23 with 9:53 to go in the final period.

Castillo returned the ensuing kickoff to the Judson 45-yard line, some carries by Washington and a pass play brought the Warriors to the Judson 9-yard line, but this is where the Defensive Thermal Protection came through for the Rockets on a hit, fumble, and the recovery by Jimenez. The Rockets nevertheless punted on a 3-and-out, and the Warriors were back in business at the Rockets’ 41. Washington carried to the 35, and Jamal West advanced to the 10 for a 1^st-and-Goal. The Rockets got an apparent INT but the zebras blew the play dead on a false start call, another false start moved the Warriors back further and the subsequent pass was tipped and deflected by Jimenez. Horstman, however, was not to be denied and Marcus Smith pulled in the 19-yard pass for the score to bring Warren to within 31-29 with 90 seconds remaining in regulation. Of course, they were going for two (2) points. So was Judson, apparently. The option pitch to West was bobbled, West attempted a pitch-out to someone but apparently Ares Parker also wanted to be a pitchman----for the Rockets. He snatched it and returned it 80 yards to increase Judson’s advantage to 33-29.

The onside kick was touched by Judson but it also went out of bounds and the Rockets had possession. It was at this point that the Range Safety Officers, in this case the zebras, pulled the plug on everything when the lightning alarm sounded. At first, similar to the situation in Leander in 2007, nothing seemed to really happen in the immediate area, but, just as in Leander, the rain, thunder and lightning did finally arrive, and this time, after nearly an hour and a half the decision was made to truncate the remainder of the game. Hence, the Rockets were able to quit this particular test when they were literally ahead, and declare victory.

Smithson Valley (6-4, 5-3)
September 4, 2009: Converse
The Rangers received a very rude reception in their visit to Converse the week before when David Glasco and the rest of his Thunderbird friends totally dominated them. The Rockets were chomping at the bit to perhaps really put the hurt on the Rangers, but the Rangers, of course, had every intention of atoning for their miserable performance on August 28. What had been a perfectly dry, late-summer day once again degenerated around game-time into a blustery, increasingly cloudy situation with a threat of rain. The Rockets won the toss and elected to kick with the wind. The Rangers, however, took it at the 5-yard line and returned it to the Judson 35. From there the Rangers worked it in on seven (7) plays, with Matt Hilston punching in from two (2) yards out. Hilliard took the ensuing kickoff for the Rockets at the 24, and on 1^st Down Boswell hit Montgomery for an aerial pickup to the Ranger 48. The Rockets got as close as the SV 30, but on 4^th Down a procedure penalty set them back to the 35 and they elected to punt, giving the Rangers possession at their own 20 on the touchback. The Rangers proceeded to execute an effective and efficient 17-play drive that consumed nearly eight (8) minutes. The Rangers concluded the drive by scoring to up the count to 14-0. The Rockets quickly went 3-and-out, and following the punt SV drove 51 yards in nine (9) plays. The PAT was good and SV now led 21-0. The ensuing kickoff was downed at the Judson 1-yard line. The Rockets pieced together a few chain-movers but Boswell got plastered and the ball came loose. Alex Rubin scooped it up for the Rangers and returned it into Judson territory. Shortly thereafter, the Rangers scored once more, and the PAT increased the count to 28-0.

The 2^nd Half saw the rain---which had been coming down in small, isolated spurts at times---slowly evolve into a steady drizzle, and the game for whatever number of reasons remained at 28-0 going into the 4^th Quarter. Late in the final period Malcolm Johnson blocked a Ranger punt to put the Rockets in business at the SV 6-yard line. Shortly thereafter Hilliard carried in from the 5. The subsequent Judson possession also came to a successful conclusion when Elliot Arnold dashed in from the 8-yard line, reducing the final SV verdict to 28-13. This particular development test, while somewhat less than successful, nevertheless did provide some additional performance data.

Pflugerville (6-4, 4-3)
September 11, 2009: Kuempel Stadium, Pflugerville
Once again the rains arrived just in time for game day. Although NASA’s Rocket Program has seen its share of weather-related scrubs, Judson’s Rocket Program was going ahead with this particular test. This time the rain was an all-day kind of affair, and conditions hence promised to be quite soggy for all involved. Quaylon Jones took the kickoff in the endzone for a touchback, Gabriel Hilliard carried to the 27, and from there, on an end-around, Hilliard was off on a 73-yard dash to the endzone. The PAT was good and the Rockets were up early. The kickoff went out of bounds and the Panthers started from their own 34-yard line. Storm Woods got two (2) quick pickups to the 46, but a Holding call set Pflugerville back and, following an incomplete pass, a fumble on a busted play set the cats back even further. The Rockets recovered at the 25, Jones took a flare out pass and advanced to the 13, and shortly thereafter he carried in from six (6) yards out. The PAT was good and the Rockets now had a startling 14-0 lead. The kickoff once more went out of bounds, and this time the Panthers took it at their 42. Woods carried to the Rockets’ 44, and Julian Ward advanced things to the 35. The drive stalled out shortly thereafter at the 26, but the FG was good and the Judson advantage had been shaved to 14-3. The Rockets’ third drive was somewhat less than productive. An apparent First Down pickup by Hilliard was wiped out by a Chop Block call and, after remaining mired at the 12-yard line, the Rockets punted to the Pflugerville 45. A short pickup to midfield by Woods and a Woods reception to the 33 were supplemented nicely by a 33-yard pickup by Woods for the score. The PAT was good and the Judson advantage was reduced to 14-10 with time still remaining in the opening period. The next Judson possession came to an unfortunate end after a 7-yard pass reception was fumbled and the Panthers recovered at the Judson 34. The cats, however, failed to produce and a 4^th-Down pass went incomplete. The Rockets likewise failed to produce and, bogged down at their own 24, punted to midfield. On 2^nd Down Woods advanced to the Judson 31, but the drive stalled once more and the Rockets took over at the 31 following a 2-yard loss and two (2) incomplete passes. The Rockets’ 1^st-Down pass from Cody Boswell to Colton Wiemers, however, was not incomplete and in fact went the distance for the score. The PAT was good and the Rockets now led 21-10. The pooch kickoff was taken by Pflugerville at the 25. On 2^nd Down Woods got a pickup to the Rocket 42, and from there he advanced to the 35 after dragging some tacklers with him. The drive once more stalled out and the Rockets took over at the 35 after Woods was stopped on 4^th Down. The Rockets were unable to do much with the possession, and a 64-yard punt went into the endzone for a touchback out to the 20. The Panthers recovered their own fumble on 2^nd Down, a toss sweep netted only three (3) yards, and the ensuing punt was nearly blocked by Stephon Moody. The Rockets took over at midfield but, with time expiring, the deep pass went incomplete and the First Half clock said "four zeroes."

The cats came out of Halftime with every indication they intended to inflict a major malfunction on the Rocket Program. On the opening play following the kickoff Julian Ward advanced up to the 43, and from there Woods penetrated down to the Judson 23. Once again, the drive stalled, and the FG fell short. The Rockets likewise were unproductive and went 3-and-out. The punt was dropped, but Pflugerville nevertheless recovered back at the 13. Ward was dropped for a 4-yard loss, but Woods made up for this by carrying up to the 27. Jordan Spice, however, put the kibosh on Ward on 2^nd Down, the 3^rd Down pass went in and out of the hands of the receiver, and it was time to punt. The Rockets went for the block but got the punter instead, giving the Panthers possession out to the Pflugerville 43. A fake end-around instead turned into a pass to JP Carruth, who hauled it in at the 20 and took it in from there for the score. The PAT was dead on arrival, but the Rocket advantage was narrowed to 21-16. The next Judson possession got short-circuited by a Holding call, the Rockets punted from the 35, and the punt rolled dead at the 6-yard line. Woods got a 2-yard pickup, and Carruth followed this up with a gainer out to the 40. From there Woods advanced to the Judson 15-yard line. Woods penetrated to the 13, but was met by Kouri Jones and Jordan Spice for no gain on the next play. Carruth made up for this by snaring a short-range pass at the 5, and on the next play Woods dragged a tackler into the endzone for the score. The pass for two (2) points went INC, but the Panthers had nevertheless gotten their first lead of the day at 22-21. The Rockets went 3-and-out on the next series, and Pflugerville took possession at the Panther 24. Following a 3-yard pickup by Ward, Woods took off to the Judson 30. A flare-out pass thereafter advanced the cats to the 22. Ward penetrated to the 18, but on the next play the ball got stripped and the Rockets recovered at the 19. The Rockets immediately returned the favor with a dropped toss and the cats recovered at the 9. Woods immediately took it from there on 1^st Down for the score. The PAT was once more no good, but the Pflugerville lead was now up to 28-21. The squib kickoff was taken but fumbled, with the Panthers recovering at the Rockets’ 36. Carruth went all the way on First Down, the PAT was good this time, and the Panthers now had a somewhat more comfortable 35-21 advantage. The Rockets converted on 4^th and inches to move the chains on the ensuing possession, Hilliard advanced to the Pflugerville 45, but shortly thereafter the Panthers’ Michael Bowers snatched the pass and returned it 65 yards for the score. The PAT was good and it was abundantly obvious that all aspects of the Rockets’ Offensive Propulsion System, Attitude Control and Defensive Thermal Protection had experienced a major malfunction in this final unmanned (ie, pre-District) test.

South San (3-7, 1-6)
September 24, 2009: Converse
The Atlas rocket that propelled John Glenn into CONUS’ first manned orbit of the earth had seen some serious (to put it mildly) malfunctions right up until the flight of Friendship 7, but this didn’t deter NASA from going ahead with Glenn’s flight. Similarly, the second and final un-manned test of the Saturn V was less than fully successful on Apollo 6, but this didn’t deter NASA from using it manned for the first time on Apollo 8‘s historic lunar orbital flight. Judson’s Rocket program, although gathering plenty of Development Flight data on three (3) un-manned, pre-district tests of its new Rocket components, also had experienced some less than successful results. Nevertheless this did not deter the Rocket Program from going ahead with the first flight that would count, in this case the District 27-5A opener with South San. Once more, rains that had continued through much of the day promised to make this particular launch a wet one as well, but fortunately the moisture managed to taper off just in time for liftoff.

Jordan Montgomery took a fair catch on the kickoff to put the Rockets in business at the Judson 38. From there the Rockets undertook an effective and efficient drive in which Quaylon Jones took five (5) handoffs, Boswell carried for 13 yards to the 7-yard line, and Boswell completed three (3) passes (one of them to Jones). The final pass---to Colton Wiemers for seven (7) yards----was the most important as it lit the scoreboard up for the Rockets at the 7:14 mark of the opening stanza. The PAT increased the tally to 7-0. The Bobcats went 3-and-out, and Zachary Jimenez took the kick and returned it to the South San 33. After two (2) modest gains by Jones, he took it to the house for a 30-yard score. The PAT was good once more and the Rocket advantage was up to 14-0 with 194 seconds remaining in the 1^st Quarter. Following another Bobcat 3-and-out Jimenez received the next punt at the Judson 36 and returned it to the South San 31. Boswell completed a pass to Kenyon Clack at the 17, Clack carried to the 12, and three (3) modest Jones advances later the Rockets were in the endzone again. The PAT was no good but the Rockets led 20-0. The Rockets soon thereafter started their next drive from the Judson 34. Boswell connected with Montgomery at the Bobcat 45 and Montgomery continued down to the 18. Arturo Reyes advanced to the 11. A false start call momentarily moved the Rockets back but Boswell hit Elliot Arnold with an aerial that canceled the loss out and, on 4^th Down Quaylon Jones took it in, the PAT was good and the Rockets led 27-0 at the 8:50 mark of the 2^nd Quarter.

The next Bobcat punt went out of bounds at midfield. On 3^rd and 19 Tristan Hernandez hit Montgomery for a pickup down to the 23 and, two (2) Clack carries and one (1) Jamar Rowan carry later, Clack pulled in the 6-yard aerial from Hernandez. With the PAT the Rocket advantage was 34-0 with 29 seconds to go in the First Half. The Bobcats once more failed to produce on their ensuing possession, but so did the Rockets on theirs as time expired in the Half.

The Bobcats were able to get a 1^st Down to start the 2^nd Half, but they nevertheless punted soon thereafter, and the Rockets were in business at their own 41. A modest carry by Clack and a likewise modest aerial from Boswell to Montgomery was followed by three (3) carries by Jones to reach the 26, another carry by Jones on 4^th and 2 to the 10, and finally, a 7-yard Boswell to Montgomery hookup for the score. The kick was good and Judson was now up 41-0 at the 5:24 mark of the 3^rd Quarter.

San Filippo pushed through a 25-yard FG 97 seconds into the final period, and the game ended with some interesting fireworks:

• A 3-yard run by Joe Morales to put the ‘Cats on the board with 41 seconds remaining
• A 64-yard answer-back run by Arturo Reyes to increase the Rocket tally to 51-7 with 27 seconds left
• A 40-yard scoring pass from Morales to Ruben Ugalde with "four zeroes"
• One (1) PAT by San Filippo for the Rockets
• Two (2) PAT’s by Jose Moreno for the Bobcats

For the game the Rockets amassed 474 total offensive yards, split between 328 on the ground and 146 through the air. Quaylon Jones picked up 163 of those on 21 carries, and Arturo Reyes got 113 on seven (7) totes.

Wagner (8-2, 6-1)
October 1, 2009: Converse
The Stadium had been named for former Flight Director DW Rutledge in 2006, and a series of special activities marked that event during the inaugural match-up between the Rockets and the Thunderbirds. Intentions had been to have another ceremony to mark this event once the extreme makeover of the Stadium, provided for by a 2006 Bond Election, had been finished. When Judson and Wagner met in 2008, it was the first game to be played by either team at the facility since the makeover; however, due to the delays in finishing everything, it was decided to wait until everything had been fully completed in order to have the dedication ceremony for the refurbished facility. So now, in 2009, it was time, and the ceremony took place in the lead-up to this all-JISD showdown. The T-Birds, coming off a 6-4 second-place finish in 2008, began the season by totally dominating Smithson Valley. They dominated TR for the better part of three (3) quarters the following week at the new Heroes Stadium, but they couldn’t close the deal and the Rough Riders ran away with things in the end. While the Rockets were getting Stormed over in Pflugerville, David Glasco was putting on a stellar performance in Converse against the Tivy Antlers, and the T-Birds hence promised to be a very stiff test for the next phase of the Rockets’ Development and Testing Program.

Following the National Anthem by Shakiyl Washington (No. 37 on the 2008 Rocket Flight Crew) the 4^th annual Battle of the Hammer (ready and waiting to be given to the winners by Corey Sears, member of the 1988-90 Flight Crews) got underway. Elliot Arnold took the short kickoff out to the 38. The Rockets quickly went 3-and-out, and Kali Rashad took the punt and returned it to the Judson 30. David Glasco carried for two (2) yards, from where Sam Pierce launched the pass to Rashad for the quick score. The PAT was no good, but the T-Birds had the early lead at 6-0 with only 137 seconds gone in the game. Arnold returned the kickoff out to the 33, and on 1^st Down Quaylon Jones lifted off for a 67-yard dash for the score. The PAT was good and the Rockets led 7-6 at the 9:28 mark of the opening period. The T-Birds, now playing chase in this Rocket launch, responded strongly with a kickoff return to the Judson 40. On 2^nd Down Glasco carried to the Rockets’ 42 but the play was called back for Holding. Rashad was thereafter hit in the backfield for a loss, but Pierce hooked up with Rashad to get the T-Birds into Rocket territory at the 49. Glasco got the T-Birds to the Judson 40 on two (2) successive plays, but Stephon Moody stopped Glasco for no gain to bring up 4^th Down. The T-Birds got the yardage to move the chains, but on the subsequent play they also got a Holding call set them back once more, Pierce got sacked for a 1-yard loss back to midfield, and on the next play Darnell Bohannon-Bey hauled in the INT at the Rockets’ 33. Jones got a pickup to the Wagner 45, and .Hilliard got as far as the 36 before Jordan Jones put a stop to him. Boswell kept to the 35, Hilliard carried to the 24, and a short pass to Montgomery advanced the Rockets to the 20. Jones on successive carries advanced Judson to the 6-yard line, but after a 1^st –Down pickup was negated by Holding and Boswell’s aerial to Wiemers came up snake-eyes, San Filippo came in and registered a 33-yard FG with 74 seconds gone in the 2^nd period. On the T-Birds’ next possession, a steady stream of runs by Glasco got the T-Birds to the Judson 26-yard line, but a 4^th-Down push was short by the length of a football.

Tristan Hernandez’ pass on First Down to Montgomery was overthrown, but Hilliard zipped out to the 35 to move the chains. After a false start, Jones propelled the Rockets to the Wagner 47. Reyes was stopped for no gain but a Face Mask call moved the Rockets down to the 32. A false start call and Jordan Jones’s sack of Hernandez set the Rockets back to the 43, but Hernandez completed a short pass to Montgomery that was caught at the 40 and taken to the 36. Three (3) successive carries by Quaylon Jones brought the Rockets to the 12, Hilliard carried to the 2, and Jones punched in from there. The PAT was good and the Rockets now had a 17-6 advantage with 192 seconds remaining in the 1^st Half. The T-Birds started the ensuing drive from the Wagner 34 and got down to the Judson 6-yard line, but on 4^th and Goal the receiver got his hands on the ball but had insufficient Velcro on-hand to haul it in and furthermore, Richard Griffin broke it up as said receiver came down; hence, the pass went incomplete and the Half soon came to an end.

The T-Birds got as far as midfield on the opening possession of the 2^nd Half, but Pierce was sacked on 3^rd Down and the T-Birds punted to the Judson 24, from where the Rockets proceeded to go 3-and-out. Glasco moved the chains with a 1^st-Down pickup for 12 yards, but on the ensuing 3^rd Down Pierce’s pass was tipped and intercepted by Robert Griffin. Griffin fumbled on the return and Wagner recovered, but Wagner was flagged for Holding at a point BEFORE the INT, and this nullified Wagner’s fumble recovery as well as Judson’s INT, and it instead brought up a repeat of 3^rd Down for Wagner, which went nowhere. The Rockets took the punt at the Judson 34. Quaylon Jones carried up to the 46, and shortly thereafter to the T-Bird 42. Two (2) plays later Hilliard took it in for a 41-yard score, the PAT was good, and the Rocket tally was now 24-6 with 3:02 remaining in the penultimate period. The game thereafter settled into a series of back-to-back (and back) 3-and-out punt exchanges, but the Rockets broke this cycle finally after Jimenez took the punt on a fair catch at the 26. A healthy dose of Reyes, Jones and Hilliard advanced the ball to the Wagner 24-yard line, and from there three (3) consecutive carries by Jones got the Rockets into paydirt for the final time of the day, with the 3^rd of those carries going for five (5) yards. The PAT was good and the Rocket verdict was 31-6 with 213 seconds remaining. The T-Birds penetrated into Judson territory with time running down, but they failed to produce and the Rockets renewed possession of the Hammer for one (1) more year in one of the more stunning positive performances for Judson in nearly two (2) years.

Highlands (0-10, 0-7)
October 10, 2009: Alamo Stadium
Tommy Skalicky returned the short kickoff up to the 37 and the Rockets went to work in this, Judson’s first visit to the history-saturated Rockpile since 1996. Arturo Reyes advanced the Rockets to midfield on two (2) consecutive carries, and a toss sweep to Jones brought Judson to the Owl 10-yard line. Another toss sweep to Jones advanced the Rockets to the 2-yard line, and Boswell punched in on the QB sneak to put the Rockets up 6-0. San Fillipo drilled the PAT to make it 7-0 with 150 seconds gone in the game. The Owls quickly went 3-and-out, and Trevon Gamboa quickly and summarily blocked the punt for Richard Griffin to recover in the endzone for the score. San Filippo was good on the PAT, and the Rockets led 14-0 at the 8:31 mark of the opening period. The next Judson possession following another 3-and-out for Highlands began at the Rocket 41-yard line. Gabriel Hilliard converted on a 4^th-and-short at midfield, and thereafter took Boswell’s pass and advanced to the 36. The pass attempt to Wiemers went incomplete, but Hilliard took off on the next play for the score. The PAT was good and with 4:08 remaining in the 1^st Quarter the Rockets were out in front at 21-0. The Owls finally got a chain-mover on the ensuing possession, but they nevertheless punted thereafter, and Jimenez took the punt at the 29 and returned up the sideline to the 39. Jones carried to the 45, and Reyes was off on a 55-yard dash for paydirt. The PAT was good and with "four zeroes" on the 1^st Quarter clock Judson led 28-0.

Jordan Spice put a 7-yard kibosh on 3^rd Down but the Owls----at midfield---elected to try and get something going on 4^th Down. The pass, however, went incomplete and the Rockets were in business at the Highlands 48. The Rockets undertook an effective clock-runner, staying on the ground with contributions by Clack, Tristan Hernandez, and Rowan, with Rowan going the final distance from seven (7) yards out. The PAT was good and the tally was up to 35-0 with 3:54 remaining in the 1^st Half. The Owls soon thereafter had to punt again, but Reyes got smothered as he received the kick and the Owls recovered. The Owls failed to produce with the opportunity and the 1^st Half came to an end.

The Owls returned the 2^nd-Half kickoff to the 35, but a 1-yard gain was followed up by an Illegal Substitution call, an incomplete pass and another incomplete pass that was almost intercepted by Kouri Jones. The ensuing punt was almost blocked, and the overall effect was a vertical kick and a ballistic descent that put the Rockets in business at the Highlands 33. On the first play Quaylon Jones raced in, and the score was 41-0 with 107 seconds gone in the 2^nd Half. It remained 41-0 after a low snap that left the PAT DOA.

The next Judson possession began at the Rocket 37-yard line, and once again featured ground work exclusively----and primarily-----by Hilliard, Clack and Reyes. Boswell attempted a QB sneak for the score but was unsuccessful, a 5-yard procedure call moved things back to the 6-yard line, but Hilliard took it in from there with 39 seconds gone in the final period. The PAT was good this time and the count was up to 48-0. The final scoring campaign for the Rockets once more featured the ground crew, this time involving Reyes, Rowan and, for the finishing touch, a 5-yard run by Edgar Acevedo. The final PAT of the day brought the final result to 55-0 with 242 seconds remaining in the contest.

Corpus Christi King (4-6, 2-5)
October 16, 2009: Converse
Following the kickoff the Rockets went to work at their own 32-yard line. Two (2) modest Boswell to Montgomery passes moved the Rockets to midfield, three (3) carries by Quaylon Jones advanced things to the 12, Reyes chipped in five (5) yards to the 7, and Hilliard took it from there to put the Rockets out front. San Filippo notched the PAT and the Rockets led 7-0 with 137 seconds gone. King advanced as far as the Judson 31-yard line, but a false start and Charles Parks’ sack of QB Dezi Rodriguez for nine (9) yards forced a punt that went out of bounds at the Rocket 9-yard line. The Rockets proceeded to conduct a very deliberate 15-play drive, with Jones taking it in from the 5-yard line. The PAT was good and the advantage was 14-0 with 56 seconds gone in the 2^nd Quarter.

Robert Polanco fielded a very short Judson kickoff and returned it up to the 41. A Rockets’ offside on the kickoff furthermore allowed the Mustangs to start from the 46, and five (5) plays later they were knocking on the Rockets’ hatch at the 3. The close-out crew, however, didn’t allow the equines entry, forcing a FG try that was blocked and returned to the 32. The Rockets got as far as midfield before electing to abort the drive and punt. Starting from the 20, the Mustangs advanced to the 49 on a Polanco run, a false start backed them up five (5) yards, and then misfortune (for the Mustangs) befell them. The ensuing pass was tipped by Stephon Moody and intercepted by Kouri Jones. Jones fumbled but Darnell Bohannon-Bey picked it up and returned it for a 24-yard score. The PAT was good and with 4:25 remaining in the Half, the Rockets led 21-0. The next Mustang possession also was a 3-and-out, and the Rockets started the ensuing drive at the Judson 34. Boswell launched a pass that Montgomery hauled in and advanced down to the 3-yard line. Jordan Spice took it in from there, the PAT was good, the lead was up to 28-0 with 102 seconds to go before intermission, and the 1^st Half soon expired.

The Mustangs took the 2^nd Half kickoff and picked up one (1) First Down, but a bad exchange on the handoff and an incomplete pass on 3^rd Down forced a punt, which put the Rockets in business at the Judson 25. Some runs by Jones, supplemented by short passes from Boswell to Montgomery and soon thereafter Clack advanced things to the Mustang 41-yard line, and from there Jones took off down the sideline for the score. The PAT was no good but the lead was 34-0 at the 6:53 mark of the 3^rd period. Robert Polanco took the concomitant kickoff for King at the 10 and returned it up to the 44-yard line. From there Polanco zipped down to the Judson 10-yard line, where he was stopped from behind by Robert Griffin. Shortly thereafter Jheryl Stewart dashed in from the 6-yard line. Following a false start on the PAT kick, the Mustangs elected to go for two (2) and succeeded when Cristoval Avila received Dezi Rodriguez’ pass, thus reducing Judson’s lead to 34-8 with 5:36 remaining in the 3^rd Quarter.

Colton Wiemers took the short kickoff on a fair catch, and a neutral zone violation furthermore advanced the Rockets another fifteen (15) yards. From there Hilliard got away to the King 14-yard line, and Reyes took it in on the next play. The PAT upped the count to 41-8 with 5:11 left in the 3^rd Quarter. On the Mustangs’ ensuing possession the Mustangs reached midfield before a Defensive Pass Interference call advanced them to the Judson 38. Rodriguez carried to the 32, and two (2) runs by Chase Jones penetrated to the 14. The drive was summarily terminated on the next play when the ball popped loose and Kouri Jones recovered for the Rockets. Runs by Rowan and Clack and a completion from Tristan Hernandez to Elliot Arnold brought the Rockets to the King 44 to end the 3^rd Quarter. Clack and Hernandez pushed things to the 2-yard line, and Clack finished things off from there. The PAT increased the advantage to 48-8 with 9:36 to go. The Mustangs thereafter got the last word with a 7-play drive that Rodriguez polished off by punching in from the 2-yard line with 6:53 remaining. The PAT finished the scoring for the day. With the Backup Flight Crew largely running the show now, the Rockets managed to bleed the clock in reaching the 10-yard line where the ball was stripped and King recovered. The time, nevertheless, expired shortly thereafter.

The Rockets limited the Mustangs to zero yards through the air on three (3) incomplete passes and an INT. The real damage came on the ground, with King picking up 303 yards on 47 carries by seven (7) different ball carriers. The Rockets meanwhile picked up 542 yards total offense. Boswell and Hernandez completed 6-of-9 aerials for a total of 135 yards, while on the ground the Rockets piled on 407 yards on 44 carries. Jones snapped up 130 of those on 13 carries, with the balance chipped in by eight (8) other participants. The Rockets also kept the Mustangs in the hole by sending one (1) punt for 44 yards, whereas the Rockets didn’t have to work nearly as hard, what with King’s 3-punt, 32-yard average.

East Central (4-6, 4-3)
October 23, 2009: Hornet Field
The Rockets visited the Hornet Nest at East Central to execute their variation of a Detailed Test Objective (DTO) conducted on STS-3. But first, the Hornets had a real space-related DTO from the recently completed STS-127, as they held a presentation ceremony of an EC banner that had been flown on the Endeavour, courtesy of STS-127 Commander Mark Polansky, husband of 1989 EC graduate Lisa Ristow. With that historic piece of business complete, the awaited match-up between Judson’s Quaylon Jones and EC’s Chris Johnson got underway. The Rockets took the kickoff and successfully dissected the Hornet defense in a 13-play, 86-yard drive that featured two (2) short passes (to Skalicky and Montgomery) as well as a solid dose of runs by Quaylon Jones. Boswell finished things off by punching in from the 2-yard line, and the PAT was good to put the Rockets up 7-0 at the 7:46 mark of the 1^st period. Following a quick Hornet 3-and-out, Jimenez took the punt to the Judson 31, and a late hit advanced the Rockets up to the 46. Hilliard carried for only a yard on the first play, but on the second play Hilliard took off down the sideline to the EC 38, and a facemask call moved the Rockets down to the 23. Hilliard thereafter carried to the 9-yard line, and thereafter Boswell hit Wiemers for the score. The PAT was good and the Rocket advantage was now up to 14-0 with 6:08 to go in the opening stanza. The Hornets (and Chris Johnson) got untracked on the ensuing possession, and despite numerous illegal motion calls on the Hornets, Ryan Jackson finished things off by darting in from the 6. Another illegal motion call came on the PAT, and once the ball was snapped it was high and the improvised pass went incomplete to keep the score at 14-6 Judson with 180 seconds remaining in the 1^st Quarter.

The Rockets advanced as far as midfield on the next series, but they elected to punt. Starting from the EC 14, the Hornets reached the Judson 22-yard line, but could not convert. The Rockets thereafter reached the EC 13, but likewise could not convert when Gant Kiolbasa sequestered Hilliard for a loss on 4^th-and-inches. Following a bootleg by Eddie Lopez up to the 34 and a modest advance by Paul Dupart for five (5) more yards, Johnson (and the Rocket Defense) was off to the races for a 61-yard score. The pass for two (2) points went incomplete, but with 105 seconds remaining the Hornets had drawn to within 14-12. The ensuing kickoff was momentarily bobbled but picked up and carried to the 28 by Elliot Arnold. Three (3) plays a Holding call and a false start call later, the Rockets were at midfield, from where Boswell hit Montgomery for a pass that he caught at the EC 30 and carried down to the 22. The next pass went incomplete, but Boswell, under pressure, scrambled to the 14 with two (2) tics remaining. The 30-yard FG by San Filippo was good, and with that the First Half expired with the Rockets leading 17-12.

The Hornets took the 2^nd Half kickoff and went backward after an initial 4-yard pickup by Johnson---first with a fumble that they recovered by taking an 8-yard loss, and then with a sack by Kouri Jones that pushed them back to the 11. The Rockets took the punt at the 43, Quaylon Jones carried up the middle to the EC 45, and from there Arturo Reyes took off down the sideline to the Hornets’ 10-yard line. Jones advanced to the 1-yard line, and Boswell took the sneak to raise the score once more. The PAT was good and Judson led 24-12 at the 7:55 mark of the 3^rd Quarter. The Hornets got as far as midfield on their next possession but they came up dry on 4^th and 2 and the Rockets took over. The Rockets went backward on their ensuing possession, and on the punt Boswell instead sent an ill-advised pass downfield along with an ineligible receiver. The penalty was declined and the Hornets proceeded to make good on the opportunity, with Johnson taking it in from the 1-yard line with 45 seconds gone in the final period. Aided by a Boswell to Wiemers aerial to the EC 37 to keep the ensuing Judson drive alive, the drive came to a happy conclusion with a 31-yard scoring dash by Jones. The 2-point run by Jones also had a happy result, and the Rockets led 32-18 with 8:31 remaining. After the kickoff was returned up to the 30, Johnson carried up to the 36 and immediately thereafter took off on a 61-yard run down to the Judson 3. Paul Dupart took it in from there, but once again the Hornets were unsuccessful on the conversion when Johnson took the handoff and then launched it, with the Rockets making the INT. The Hornets had nevertheless narrowed the gap once more, this time to 32-24 with 7:26 to go.

The Rockets immediately answered back with a 75-yard dash by Jones, the extra point was good and the Rocket advantage was restored, this time at 39-24 with 7:11 to go. The next Hornet possession had an unfortunate ending at midfield when Kouri Jones jarred the ball loose and the Rockets recovered. From there the Rockets milked the clock with carries by Jones and Clack, and Jones cracked the endzone for the final time of the day from two (2) yards out. The PAT upped to Judson advantage to 46-24 with 36 seconds remaining. Numerous personal fouls permitted the Rockets to kick off from the EC 45-yard line. The pooch kick was nevertheless fielded at the 15 and returned down to the Judson 33. A personal foul advanced the Hornets to the 18, Edwin Dearring carried to the 5, and Dearring took it in from there. Once more, the pass for two (2) points was no good, and the Judson lead had been reduced to 46-30 with thirteen (13) seconds remaining. Jordan Montgomery recovered the onside kick, and the Rockets were able to get out of the Hornet Nest with the "W."

The Hornets stung the Rocket Defense with 403 yards total offense, with 298 coming on the ground. Chris Johnson was responsible for 215 of that on 21 carries. EC also made things tough for the Rockets with a 2-punt, 41.5-yard average. The Rockets, meanwhile, had one (1) punt in the game that went for 55 yards, and they registered a total of 508 yards, with 381 of that picked up on the ground. Quaylon Jones got the lion’s share of that with 256 yards on 24 carries.

Victoria Memorial (4-6, 3-4)
October 30, 2009: Victoria
Jordan Montgomery took the squib kickoff and returned it up to the 44. The opening series basically resided at midfield and the Rocket punt was taken by OJ Hughes back to the 13. Two (2) runs by Hughes advanced the Vipers to the 26, from where Roderick Warren took off to the Judson 39. Further activity by Hughes advanced the Vipers to the Rockets’ 20-yard line. The drive stalled when a pass went incomplete and was almost intercepted by Jordan Spice, and Warren got sequestered by Zach Jimenez to bring up 4^th Down. Mark Riojas nevertheless nailed a 38-yard FG and the Vipers led 3-0 with 4:20 remaining in the 1^st Quarter. This time it was Arturo Reyes’ turn to take a squib kickoff, and he returned it to the Viper 43-yard line. Shortly thereafter Boswell hit Wiemers for a pickup to the 27. The ball was fumbled but the Rockets retained possession. Boswell wanted to phone home by going wireless, but no one was there to take the call so he did a "tuck-and-run" down to the 18. From there Reyes went the distance for the score. The PAT was good and the Rockets were in front at 7-3 with 154 seconds remaining in the opening period.

The ensuing Viper possession was essentially the Roderick Warren show. With all that, however, OJ Hughes in his strong supporting role took it in from eight (8) yards out. Riojas’ PAT was good and the Vipers were back on top with 64 seconds gone in the 2^nd Quarter. The Archangel Gabriel is basically regarded as "God’s messenger," given the number of times in scripture in which he fulfilled that particular role. Judson’s messenger in this case----Gabriel Hilliard----fulfilled one of his roles by sending a 99-yard message on the ensuing kickoff, fielding it over the shoulder and taking off down the left sideline for the score. San Fillipo drilled the PAT and the Rockets were back in front with 77 seconds gone in the 2^nd Quarter.

The Vipers returned the kickoff up to midfield. On 2^nd Down Hughes had to chase down a high snap, which he recovered back at the 37. The 3^rd Down pass went incomplete and was almost intercepted by Robert Griffin, and the Rockets took the short punt at their own 37. On 2^nd Down Reyes took a flare-out pitch to race down to the Viper 19, and shortly thereafter Boswell hit Montgomery from the 17 for the score. The PAT was good and the Rocket advantage was up to 21-10. The Vipers continued to be plagued by bad snaps from center: On 3^rd Down Hughes had to take a 9-yard loss to keep possession, and on the subsequent punt "attempt" a low snap was recovered by the Vipers that allowed the Rockets to take possession at the Viper 17-yard line. Reyes got some modest gains to keep the drive alive, and Hilliard darted in from the 9. The PAT was good and Judson now led 28-10 with 2:38 left in the Half. The Vipers effectively and efficiently operated their 2-minute offense, with the big gainer being a 31-yard pickup by Roderick Warren down to the Judson 1-yard run. Hughes punched in from there. The PAT was blocked but the return was squelched, and the Judson advantage had been narrowed to 28-16 with 52 seconds left in the 1^st Half. The Rockets got as far as midfield before time expired but were unable to convert in time.

The Rockets sent the 2^nd Half kickoff deep but Hughes returned it up to the 26. Warren advanced the Vipers to the 39. It appeared that the Rockets had the snakes bottled up there after Kouri Jones stopped Hughes for only a yard, but with no one home downfield and after being mired 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage, Hughes scrambled out of the potentially crowded maul and down to the Judson 16. Shortly thereafter Warren carried in for the score, the PAT was good and the Rockets’ lead had been reduced to 28-23 with only 137 seconds gone in the 2^nd Half. After being nearly stung fatally by Hornets the previous week and now being vexed by Vipers, the Rockets could better understand why "Wild Kingdom" was sponsored by Mutual of Omaha. The Rockets could use some Offensive and Defensive insurance at this point. It would have to wait, however. Tommy Skalicky covered the squib kickoff at the 31-yard line, but on the ensuing play the ball came loose and the Vipers recovered. The Vipers also had to take a loss on a fumble when Hughes had to recover back at the 40. The 3^rd Down pass was thereafter tipped and the Vipers elected to punt. Boswell completed two (2) passes to Skalicky, Reyes carried for some modest gains, and finally Quaylon Jones raced in for a 45-yard score. The PAT was good and the Rocket advantage had been restored to 35-23.

The Vipers began their next drive from their 39. Hughes and Warren advanced the Vipers deep into Judson territory, and Warren in fact appeared to have advanced the cause down to the 1/2-yard line---except for the Holding call. They nevertheless kept coming. On 4^th and 13 Hughes connected with Jaret Dolezal to the 9, Hughes punched it closer from there, and Warren got in from the 4 with 41 seconds gone in the 4^th Quarter. The PAT was good and the lead had been cut to 35-30. Reyes took the squib at the 18 and returned it to the 40, he fumbled but the Rockets nevertheless recovered at midfield. Reyes and Jones propelled the Rockets to the 24, Boswell hit Arnold to get the Rockets to the 12, and Reyes finished the job from there. Jones carried it in for two (2) points, and the Rockets had a 43-30 advantage with 9:55 remaining. The kickoff went out of bounds and the Vipers took it at their own 41. Hughes thereafter took off downfield and was finally caught by Zachary Jimenez at the Judson 25. Warren and Hughes worked it in from there, with Hughes carrying and fumbling in the endzone. The Rockets recovered, but not before the zebras ruled that Hughes had crossed the plane before the ball came loose. Significantly, however, the PAT was NG. The Rocket advantage had nevertheless been reduced once more, this time to 43-36 with 7:11 to go. The Rockets advanced deliberately toward midfield on the ensuing possession, and Hilliard advanced the Rockets to the Viper 18. The drive stalled out at the 10-yard line, but San Filippo was good with a 27-yard FG that increased the Judson advantage to 46-36 with 3:44 to go.

The Vipers’ Travis Edwards dropped the kickoff but picked it up and returned it to midfield. Hughes evaded a hit by Kouri Jones and got away down to the 15-yard line. Shortly thereafter Hughes hit Austin Bevens for a pickup down to the 3-yard line. Once more, however, Hughes had to chase after a low snap from center, this time recovering back at the 16. On 4^th and 15 the FG was wide left and the Rockets were able to finally bottle up the snakes once and for all and get out of town with the win.

The Vipers bit the Rockets with 378 yards of offense, 338 of which came on the ground courtesy of Roderick Warren’s 170 on 22 totes, and OJ Hughes’ 166 yards on 25 touches. The Rockets got a total of 366 yards of total offense. Boswell completed 8-of-10 passes for 127 yards, and they picked up an additional 239 yards on the ground, split fairly evenly between five (5) different ball carriers.

Corpus Christi Carroll (7-3, 5-2)
November 6, 2009: Converse
Jamar Rowan took the short kickoff and returned it to midfield, and the battle for the District 27-5A title was underway. Hilliard carried to the Carroll 31 but the play was called back for Holding. In fairly short order, though, Jones took the bouncing ball from a deflected handoff and was finally caught from behind at the 11, and Hilliard took it in from there for the score. The PAT was good and the Rockets had the early lead at 7-0 with 75 seconds gone in the contest. On the answer-back drive the Tigers took the kickoff and returned it to the Judson 35. Shortly thereafter Charles Coleman advanced the Tigers to the Judson 40, and on subsequent carries reached the Judson 21. The drive nevertheless stalled out and the 35 FG was wide left. On 1^st Down Boswell got belted for a loss of 8, but soon thereafter Hilliard got away to the Tiger 42. Jones advanced the Rockets to the 11, but the drive petered out and the Rockets settled for San Filippo’s 25-yard FG to give them a 10-0 advantage with 4:26 left in the opening stanza. The Rockets and Tigers traded quick 3-and-outs, but things finally got interesting when the Tigers’ Coleman carried up the middle for 20 yards to the 37, and from there got away for a 63-yard scoring dash. The PAT by John Nelson was good and the Rocket advantage was reduced to 10-7 with 64 seconds remaining in the 1^st Quarter. The Rockets had a very unproductive series on their next possession, and they punted to the Carroll 20 to end the 1^st period. Carries by Coleman were punctuated by a completion to Devin Long to the Judson 27, Coleman thereafter carried to the 2, and from there Coleman crashed in. The PAT was good and the Tigers led 14-10 at the 9:06 mark of the 2^nd Quarter. The Rockets undertook a more deliberate drive on the next series, supplemented with carries by Jones, Clack, and a modest sustainer from Boswell to Arnold. Jones scored from five (5) yards out, the PAT was good and the Rockets were back on top at 17-14 with 6:16 to go in the 2^nd Quarter. The Tigers went 3-and-out on their next possession and on 1^st Down Hilliard took the Rockets all the way to the moon with a 76-yard dash. The PAT increased the advantage to 24-14 with 258 seconds remaining in the 1^st Half. The Tigers were nevertheless able to beat the clock and Nelson got a 22-yard FG as time expired in the 1^st Half.

The Rockets came out for the 2^nd Half and sent two (2) consecutive kickoffs out of bounds. Ten (10) penalty yards later, they were able to keep one in bounds and Charles Coleman took it for the Tigers and returned it up to the 40. The Tigers were able to penetrate into Judson territory at the 43, but Tunei and Spice sequestered Coleman back to the 45, the subsequent play saw Spice throttle the ball carrier for only a 2-yard gain, and it was time to punt. The Tigers, however, were back at it in fairly short order following a quick 3-and-out by Judson, taking the punt at the 41. Coleman carried to midfield, and a pass completion to the 34 kept things going. Coleman advanced the Tigers to the 7-yard line on four (4) consecutive carries, and two (2) plays later Sims carried in from the 1-yard line on a QB sneak. The PAT was good and the score was knotted at 24 with 3:26 remaining in the 3^rd Quarter. The deadlock would prove short-lived. Skalicky returned the kickoff up to the Judson 45, and on the second play from scrimmage Hilliard got loose for 52 yards and the score. The PAT was good and the Rockets were back in front---this time at 31-24---, with 155 seconds remaining in the 3^rd period. Coleman returned the ensuing kickoff up to the 31, and on 1^st Down he carried up to the 39. On 3^rd Down Coleman took off to the Judson 18, with Zach Jimenez making the stop and saving the TD. Carroll penetrated on two (2) straight plays to the 4-yard line, and Coleman broke the tackle and dashed into the endzone to draw the Tigers to within a point. The PAT knotted things once again with 17 seconds to go in the Quarter. Hilliard took the kickoff and zipped down to the Carroll 42, and Clack carried up the middle for three (3) yards to end the 3^rd Quarter.

The Rockets advanced on consecutive carries to the 19, and an unsportsmanlike call advanced them half-the-distance. Three (3) plays later Quaylon Jones punched in from the 1, the PAT was good and the Rockets were back in front at 38-31 with 101 seconds gone in the final period. The Tigers bobbled and then recovered the kickoff, and this particular episode required them to start from the 14. Sims connected with Turner up to the 31, Coleman carried up to the 38, but Coleman, under pressure, was sacked by Charles Parks and pushed back to the 20. They were able to recover part of the yardage back to the 27 on 3^rd Down, but it was nevertheless punt time. From the Judson 32 Jones carried up to the 46, and Clack carried into Carroll territory to the 48. Jones took the Rockets to the 34 on three (3) consecutive plays, and he lifted off for the endzone from there on the fourth carry. The PAT was good and the Rockets were now up 45-31 with 228 seconds to go. On the Tigers’ subsequent drive they advanced up to the 45, but two (2) plays later Trevon Gamboa hauled in the INT and the Rockets were able to bleed the clock to death from there and claim the 27-5A title.

For the game, the Rockets’ Defensive Thermal Protection got burned for 461 total yards-----112 through the air and 349 on the ground. Charles Coleman contributed 273 of those on 33 carries. The Rockets’ Offensive Propulsion System, meanwhile, netted 483 total yards. 60 of those came through the air on 3-of-7 pass completions by Boswell, and 423 on the ground. Jones provided 212 of those yards on 24 carries, and Hilliard added 154 on only eight (8) carries.

Semifinals
ET 35 STP 28
Westlake 42 Ranch 27

Final
ET 41 Westlake 38

Stevens (7-3, 6-2)
November 13, 2009: Gustafson Stadium
The Rockets still had a bad taste in their mouth as a result of the 1^st-Round exit inflicted on them by the Falcons in Converse the year before, and this showdown provided a rare opportunity for a do-over. Elliot Arnold took the kickoff at the 25-yard line, returning it out to the 29. Three (3) modest pickups by Hilliard supplemented by a Face Mask penalty advanced the Rockets to midfield. Two (2) carries by Quaylon Jones put the Rockets at the Stevens 32-yard line, and Boswell’s short pass to Jordan Montgomery advanced Judson to the 25. Hilliard came up short of a First Down but Boswell’s completion to Jordan Spice for six (6) yards kept things going. Kenyon Clack carried up the middle ten (10) yards to the 7-yard line, Jones carried to the 5, and from there he took it in to put Judson out front. The PAT was good in spite of a high snap, and the Rockets led 7-0 at the 6:56 mark of the opening period. Mykkele Thompson took the concomitant kickoff for the Falcons at the 12-yard line, returning it to midfield where Zachary Jimenez made the stop for the Rockets. On 1^st Down Thompson took the pass from Brandon Pratt and went all the way. Manuel Ramos toed the PAT, and the game was knotted at 7-each at the 6:44 mark. Elliot Arnold took off from the 21 with the kickoff, but he got smash-mouthed at the 34. Arturo Reyes got the Rockets back to the original line of scrimmage after a false start call, and Hilliard’s carry to the 37 was called back for Holding. A modest compensator was followed up by a screen pass to Jones, and he advanced the Rockets to the Stevens 42. Jose Herrera, however, dropped Jones for a loss on 1^st Down, but Boswell made up for this by completing a short aerial to Derek Lockhart for a pickup down to the 31. Modest gainers by Reyes and Jones netted another chain-mover to put the Rockets at the 19. From there, Jones made an excellent block for Reyes, permitting him to carry to the 11. Reyes was stuffed on the next play, but Jones took the subsequent handoff, faking toward the sideline and then returning toward the middle before heading for the endzone for the score. The PAT was good and the Rockets were back in front, this time at 14-7, with 51 seconds remaining in the opening period.

Greg Scott took the short kickoff for the Falcons and returned it up to the 41-yard line. Kyrone Randolph set the Falcons back somewhat by dropping John Tyson for a 6-yard loss, but Brandon Pratt hit Mykkele Thompson for a pickup to midfield, and Tyson thereafter took the handoff and zipped down the sideline to the 15-yard line. Ryan Villarreal dropped Tyson for a loss on the next play, but Pratt made up for this by hooking up with Thompson for the score. The PAT was good and the score was knotted once more with 73 seconds gone in the 2^nd Quarter. Quaylon Jones took the kickoff and put the Rockets back in business at the 22-yard line, and thereafter carried up to the 29. Clack advanced to the 34 to move the chains, another carry took things to the 39, and Jones got the Rockets to the 46. The Rockets penetrated into Stevens territory with Boswell’s aerial to Laroyce Hall. Jones’ gainer to the 32 was negated by a Holding call, but shortly thereafter Boswell took of on a draw play and reached the 26. The drive, unfortunately, was summarily terminated on a fumble between Center and QB, and Stevens recovered. On 1^st Down Pratt faked the handoff and took off to the Judson 45, from there Thompson took an end-around and zipped off to the 4-yard line, and on the 3^rd play of the drive Brandon Pratt went the remaining distance for the score. The PAT was good and Stevens had its first lead of the day at 21-14 with 5:32 remaining in the Half. The Rockets and Falcons essentially exchanged punts for the remainder of the Half, and the Falcons took a 21-14 advantage into the break.

After momentarily bobbling the pooch kickoff, the Falcons initiated the 2^nd Half at their own 31-yard line. The Stevens return man appeared to have gotten away for a lot more yardage, but the play was blown dead prematurely by the zebras. This would prove to be a preview of "things to come" from this particular officiating crew. The Falcons came up inches short of a 1^st Down, but only after the officials moved the ball around 2 or 3 times before finally "selecting" a spot for it. The shanked punt rolled dead at the Judson 27, and the Rockets went to work from there. Gabriel Hilliard took the toss and he advanced it up to the 45, and Kenyon Clack carried to the Stevens 48. Hilliard momentarily appeared to have lifted off for the endzone on the next play, but Jordan Davis managed to snag him just in time. Quaylon Jones contributed a carry, and thereafter Clack went all the way for the score. The PAT was hurried and hence was no good, and the Rockets still trailed---at 21-20---at the 8:02 mark of the 3^rd Quarter. Mykkele Thompson returned the kickoff out to the 32, and in four (4) plays the Falcons were at midfield. From there Tyson’s pass toward Thompson went incomplete, but Pass Interference gave Stevens a 1^st Down at the Judson 32-yard line. The Falcons got as far as the 16, but Kouri Jones dropped Tyson for a 4-yard loss on an attempted fake. The 3^rd-Down pass into the endzone was overthrown, but the FG was good and this extended the Stevens lead to 24-20 with 220 seconds remaining in the penultimate period. Arturo Reyes received the kickoff at the 20, and thereafter received a convincing hit at the 29. From there Judson reached the 43 before running into some problems. A toss to Jones resulted in a net loss on the play, and on the next play Boswell did a "tuck-and-run" and was apparently hit out of bounds. There was no flag on the play, however, and it was time to punt. After Boswell’s punt was halted by Colton Wiemers at the Stevens 1-yard line, it was also time for Boswell to momentarily retreat to the dressing room to get checked out after getting dinged pretty good on the hit.

The 4^th Quarter got underway with Pratt’s 2-yard keeper to move the chains. Tyson carried up to the 20 thereafter, but a Holding call wiped out the gain. Next Tyson carried back out to the 19, but a blown play lost four (4) yards. The Falcons continued to scratch and claw out to the 35-yard line but nevertheless came up short of a 1^st Down, and they punted to the Judson 21. On 1^st Down Hilliard carried up to the 38, Clack carried to the 43, and Hilliard thereafter up to midfield. On 4^th-and-3 Quaylon Jones got loose down to the Stevens 25, but the next two (2) plays failed to produce. The now-recovered Boswell kept things going by hitting Jordan Montgomery for a pickup at the 13, and Jones took off from there for the score. The PAT was good and the Rockets were back on top at 27-24 with 3:27 remaining.

The Falcons went to work from their 35-yard line following the kickoff. On 2^nd Down a deep pass went INC and was nearly INT. Nevertheless, on 3^rd Down Pratt hit Thompson at the 48, and the Falcons got another chain mover thereafter. Kouri Jones registered a sack that set Stevens back to the 43, a 3^rd Down pass was INC, and the 4^th Down pass was caught but short by a yard, giving the Rockets possession at the Judson 31. The next two (2) no-gainers by Judson were followed each time by the final two (2) Stevens timeouts. Quaylon Jones came up short on 3^rd Down, and the Rockets burned as much time as possible before punting to the Falcon 43 with 12 seconds remaining. The first pass was caught out of bounds, the second pass was INC, the clock said "four zeroes," and the Rockets had successfully atoned for 2008’s untimely mission abort the year before.

The rains, which had plagued the first half of the season, had virtually vanished for the second half of the regular season. For this game, however, they returned like an old "friend." Another "friend" accompanying much of the Rocket Flight Crew would be pain. Cody Boswell, when he got dinged late in the 3^rd Quarter the previous week, would be playing with bruised ribs, and this kind of pain would be a companion in this particular match-up. The Chaps, however, intended to inflict some additional pain, in this case a season-ending loss, and their plan worked to near-perfection from the get-go.

On the 1^st play from scrimmage QB Tanner Price faked the hand-off and hoisted a pass up for Miles Berger, who caught it and raced down to the Judson 9-yard line. The Chaps were in the endzone fairly quickly thereafter, the PAT was good, and they were up 7-0 with only 87 seconds gone. The Rockets went 3-and-out, but the Chaps’ next possession was basically stillborn when a Clipping call on the punt return backed them up half-the-distance to the goal. The Chaps’ ensuing punt was high and short, and went out of bounds at their own 41. The Rockets were able to advance to the Chap 8-yard line, but the drive stalled. San Filippos FG was nevertheless good and the Chap lead was reduced to 7-3 with 220 seconds remaining in the opening period. The Chaps, however, wasted little time in moving downfield for their next score, which came on a 4-yard pass from Price to Collin Shaw, who caught it in the corner of the endzone just behind the pylon. The Rockets blocked the PAT but could not advance it, but the Westlake advantage was up to 13-3 with four (4) seconds left in the 1^st Quarter. The Rockets briefly kept hope alive on the ensuing drive when Boswell completed a bootleg pass to Elliot Arnold, who took it down to the Westlake 38. The Rockets were able to advance to the 35 after an Illegal Motion call set them back on 1^st Down, and from there Hilliard took the Rockets to the 26 on an Old Skool Sprint Draw. Judson nevertheless had to take a 12-yard loss on a fumbled snap on 1^st Down, and after two (2) aerial misfires the Rockets elected to punt. The Chaps took possession inside their own 6-yard line, but they went the distance anyway in a few quick play, and the Chaps would take a 20-3 advantage into the Half.

Tristan Hernandez took over for the hurting Boswell to start the 2^nd Half, and the Rockets were able to advance up to the 35-yard line. The ensuing pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage, it was ruled a backward pass and the Rockets were thus backed up to their own 10-yard line. Soon after this debacle, the Chaps would register a 21-yard FG by Cody Rademacher, Van Gramann would register two (2) short-range runs, and Rademacher would add two (2) PAT’s to increase the count to 37-3 by the end of the 3^rd Quarter. "Thunder," however, would sound one (1) final time for the Rockets in 2009, when he took off on a 61-yard dash. San Filippo’s PAT was good and the Chap advantage was reduced to 37-10 with 45 seconds gone in the final period. Westlake nevertheless answered back to restore the advantage to 43-10 with 7:43 remaining, but the Rockets weren’t done quite yet. With 139 seconds remaining Hernandez completed a 16-yard pass to Jordan Montgomery for the score, San Filippo nailed the PAT and what would prove to be the final verdict was now reduced to 43-17. The Rockets were able to threaten one (1) final time, but with time expiring "Lightning" got bottled up at the 2-yard line, and the Rockets were forced to declare what NASA calls a "contingency" on this particular test and call it quits---for now. "Lightning," however, would soon lift off, along with fellow Rocket fleet-foot Clayton Vaughn, to UT Arlington on a track scholarship.

Semifinals
Abilene 29 Klein 21
Katy 14 NB 6

Final
Abilene 28 Katy 17