The Mule Fan

MULES BLOW AWAY BRACK 44-13

(This is the first of two posts this week. Check back by Wednesday to see our exclusive interview with Mules head coach Don Byrd and for other important updates like ticket information! As always, thanks for making the Mule Fan part of your busy week and Go Mules!)

The sportscasters and the weather folks predicted a blow out. Both were right. A warm, sunny Friday afternoon gave way to a fierce north wind that impacted every facet of Friday's first round playoff game between Alamo Heights and Brackenridge. By virtue of a playoff game between these two teams last year, the site of the evening's game was Harry B. Orem Stadium on the campus of AHHS. Pre-game festivities included the traditional Mule team sausage wrapping at the south end of the field. As the sun was setting, the smoke blew towards, and covered, the field. But by the time the teams came out for pre-game warm ups, the sausage smoke blew to the south, and away from the field (towards the McSween's house, the site of the Friday team luncheon). Brack's fan base was much smaller than the previous weeks influx from Steele, but the team and the fans were very spirited. With a number of Junior Varsity players suited up for both squads, the sidelines filled almost to both end zones with players. While the Eagles were the winners of District 28-4A, they knew that any District 27-4A opponent would be tough, especially the Mules at home. The Mules came ready to play. That fact was evidenced even before the kickoff. After the National Anthem, #48 Ryan Murphy made the first of what would be many great defensive plays on the evening as the talented senior sprinted onto the field and scooped up the rolling cowboy hat from a distraught Spur as the hat sped towards the south end zone helped by the 30 mile per hour gusts. The hat was retrieved and returned.

Brackenridge won the coin toss, but elected to defer to the second half. Coach Byrd, recognizing the strength of the wind and, more importantly, the strength of his defense, elected to kickoff. This decision turned out to be key as the field possession worked to the Mules advantage throughout the game. The kickoff team, that has been a major part of the teams success this year, went to work, pinning the Eagles deep in their own territory to start the game. Murphy made his second big play of the evening on second down with a stop of explosive Eagle running back Willie Culpepper. Culpepper, who averaged almost 140 yards on the ground this season, accounted for all of the Eagles offense in the first half with 67 yards. On this carry, he was held in check. A nice punt by the Eagles forced the Mules to start back at their own 23. With the wind at their backs, the Mules offense went to work. Senior Drew Allen found Andrew Richter and Tyler Marshall for short completions. Allen and Justin Rosenthal picked up some nice yardage on the ground before Allen hit John Cabell for a quick out and Cabell made two great moves to get free down the far sidelines for a 32 yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. For the first time in eleven attempts, the Mules scored first in the game. As an aside, the game ended very quickly and many Mule fans were able to get home to watch the 10 p.m. sports live. Cabell's catch and run was featured on all three networks, but all three networks pronounced his name "Kah-Bell," as most stadium announcers have done during the past two seasons. Apparently, young John has indicated to other players on the team that he wonders if, in fact, all of the commentators and announcers might be correct with their pronunciation and possibly his parents, John and Laura, have been mispronouncing his last name his entire life. The Mule Fan will dig into this sensitive issue and will report back any findings. It sure was a nice run, whatever his name.

The Mules kickoff with the wind was deep again and the Mules forced Brackenridge to a 3 and out, with the last stop by Collin Bibb. The Mules went to work from their own 40. After two short Rosenthal runs, he found a hole opened up nicely by the left side of the line and went 46 yards for a Mule touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 4:34 left in the first quarter. The Eagles best drive on the night followed, which was sparked by a 45 yard Culpepper run. Brack had the ball at the Mule 15 but two receivers dropped sure touchdowns (the third week in a row enemy receivers have dropped sure touchdowns). The Mule defense played very well on the evening. The dropped passes were surely the result of quick closing by the Mules linebackers and backs. On the evening, Brack did not complete a pass--a tribute to a great pass rush and great coverage by the speedy Mules backs. The Mules took over at their 15 and again went to work. Allen, using the wind, passed twice to Tyler Marshall for 12 and 15 yards and the quarter ended with Mules up 14-0 and the ball at the 50.

The Mules second quarter started with Heights facing a 4th and 9 from the 48. On the patented crossing route, Allen hit Andrew Richter who scampered 30 yards to the Brack 11. From there, Allen ran for 8 and, on 2nd down, Rosenthal carried it into the end zone for a 20-0 Heights lead with 8:30 left in the second quarter. The Heights kickoff went out of bounds giving the Eagles great field position with the wind at their backs. Brack went for the quick strike but the defensive play of the night (besides Murphy's pre-game heroics) was made by Tyler Keller who, with perfect coverage, came away with the pick at the Heights 31. Allen ran for 15 through a hole opened up nicely by Austin Amaro. Rosenthal ran for another 21 yards before Allen hit Victor Givens II in the end zone on a 4th and 11 for a 27-0 lead. The teams traded possessions and the Mules coaching staff, evidencing good sportsmanship, elected to run the clock out ending a solid first half by the Mules, 27-0.

The Mules kicked to start the third quarter, again kicking with the wind and the field position again worked to the Mules advantage. The defense held and after the punt, the Mules picked up where they left off. A.J. Lewis showed his speed and toughness with a run of 15 yards and, after a completion to Kyle Flores, Lewis found paydirt on an 18 yard carry, putting the Mules up 34-0 with 7:39 left in the third quarter. With the wind, the Mules kickoff again went into the end zone and a Brack turnover gave the ball back to Heights. Junior Cullen Mills replaced Allen and reminded the fans just how fortunate they are to have such a solid backup. Mills threw to Givens for 15 and then hit Andrew Richter for the 6 yard TD and a 41-0 lead. Brack's troubles continued as a fumble was recovered by either Terry Andersen, Collin Bibb or Zander Smith(sorry folks, it happened so quickly). After a 30 yard run by Lewis, the Mules settled for a 31 yard Andrew Bailey field goal and a 44-0 Mules lead with 1:07 left in the third quarter. The Eagles finally were able to give their fans something to cheer about. On the first play of the next drive, Culpepper got wide and sprinted past the Mule defenders for an 80 yard touchdown to end the third quarter scoring with 53 seconds left.

By the start of the fourth quarter, the game was out of hand and both coaches agreed to the "running clock" rule. What this meant was that the clock did not stop on incompletions, turnovers or plays ending out of bounds. In other words, we could all be home before 10 o'clock...something unheard of in most games starting at 7:30. The large lead was just what the Mules were looking for. This allowed the numerous players in uniform to get some experience in the playoff game , and equally as important, allowed the Mules to test the ginger leg of Senior Sergio Acosta, who made his return to the lineup after an injury to his MCL. This all adds up to good news for the Mules as they move forward in the playoffs.The Eagles, though, were not done. QB David Quiroga had been held in check by the Mules defense and by the wind. Thus, the Eagles coaching staff move Quiroga to running back, where he promptly skirted for a 50 yard touchdown run, cutting the lead to 44-13 (the final score). With the running clock, the Mules offense moved the ball well with Mills at quarterback and with Lewis and Acosta churning out yards on the ground.

Summary--The Mules came out and took care of business against the overmatched Eagles. Weather-impacted games normally work against the favored teams but, in this case, Heights used the wind to its advantage. On defense, the Mules again were without Senior Beau Wilson. The line played extremely well and the linebackers and backs closed with great speed, as always. The leaders in the back, Terry Andersen and Collin Bibb had their normal exceptional games. But for the two lengthy runs of 80 and 50 late in the game, the Eagles ran 20 times for 89 yards. The Eagles were 0 for 8 on passing and the defense came up with 4 turnovers while holding Brackenridge to 6 first downs. On offense, the Mules ran the ball with ease. The line blocked well for both the pass and the run. Between Allen, Lewis, Acosta and Rosenthal, the Mules racked up 252 yards on the ground. Allen again was poised in the pocket, in spite of the strong northerly wind, and completed 17 of 24 passes for 187 yards. On to the second round.

CLASS 4A, DIVISION I, REGION IV FIRST ROUND RESULTS:

Austin Lake Travis 55, Austin Johnson 14
Steele 42, Jefferson 14
CC Ray 34, McCollum 7
Alice 56, Mission 20
Killeen 34, Austin Crockett 21
Heights 44, Brack 13
Gregory-Portland 34, Uvalde 26
CC Flour Bluff 28, Weslaco 26

SECOND ROUND GAMES

Austin Lake Travis vs. Steele
CC Ray vs. Alice
Killeen vs Heights
Gregory-Portland vs. CC Flour Bluff

LOOKING AHEAD-KILLEEN KANGAROOS

It's not often that one gets to write that a football game will pit the Mules against the Kangaroos. Wouldn't Jay Leno or David Letterman have some fun with this match-up. Who can take this seriously? Well, let's hope our Mules do and that the Kangaroos (or the "Roos" as they are known in the Killeen area) do not. Forget about the names and think football. However, it does seem that Alamo Stadium would've been a great site for this game as it's only a stones throw away from the San Antonio Zoo--the only likely place in the area to see either a Mule or a Kangaroo. Unfortunately, the "Stadium Gods" were not so kind to the Mules. The Mules head up IH 35 for another trip to Round Rock--though this time Stony Point will not be waiting and the game is to be played at a DIFFERENT stadium. This time the Mules travel to Dragon Stadium(see below) to take on the 7-4 Killeen Kangaroos. Don't let the 6-4 regular season record fool you. Killeen come out of the tough District 25-4A. To give you some perspective, this District gives our own 27-4A a run for its money as the most difficult District in the state. Look at it another way--all four of our District 27-4A teams won their first round games (Heights, Tivy, Steele and Clemens) against weaker District 28-4A opponents. Our District 27-4A teams won by a combined score of 191-34. Who else could do that? No other District could be so strong, right? Not so Fast, Bracket Breath. I don't want to be a party pooper BUT, check out what the powerhouse 25-4A did in the first round against 4 talented District 26-4A opponents. The four District 25-4A teams went 4 and 0 as well, outscoring their 26-4A opponents by a combined score of 145-49 against teams from a very good district. Too much information? Okay, lets look at Killeen.

Killeen lost its first game of the year but then ran off three wins in a row. The Roos (probably easier to chant "Go, Roos, Go" rather than "Go, Kangaroos, Go") lost to the State's #1 team, Lake Travis and then Dripping Springs, when Dripping Springs was a top ten 4A team in the State. The Roos then beat Marble Falls, Hutto and Lampassas before losing to Hendrickson(Clemens opponent this week). The Roos opened the playoffs with a 34-21 victory over Austin Crockett in a game that was not as close as the score might indicate--see below.

The Roos ruturn 9 starters from their 2007 squad. Leading the way for the Roos (that's just fun to write), is offensive lineman, Rhontae Scales, a 6' 5", 298, 5.0 senior who was one of the first Texas A&M commitments for the next year (We've asked all Aggie fans to pledge that they hope he has a horrible game to end his Roo [singular] career before dominating for the Ags starting next year). The offensive line is huge and fast. The Mule Fan had an exclusive interview with Coach Mark Bond on Sunday evening. Coach Bond attended the Roo/Austin Crockett first round playoff game and provided some insight, though, knowing this blog is read worldwide, we do not want to disclose all of Coach Bond's secret findings. The offensive line averages about 270, only because they have one SMALL guy at 245 bringing down the average. The Mule Fan assumes the Heights defensive line averages under 200 pounds, so the Mules will count on speed to shut down the run. The Roos backfield and rushing attack is led by a pair of sophomores, QB Michael Cumming and RB Jacquil Haskins. On the season, Cummings was 84 of 159 and threw for 919 yards. Cummings also ran for 919 yards and 14 touchdowns while Haskins ran for 886 yards. Marcus Tillman added 446 yards and LeMarquis Jones ran for 213 yards( we try to pass on all we know). The wind blew at the Roo/Crockett game the same way it blew at the Heights/Brack game, making our analysis of the Roo passing game and pass defense difficult to analyze. The Roos do have two main receivers--Rodney Brown who finished with 22 catches and Ja'corie Baker who had 30 catches so the Roos can throw the ball. The Roos defense is extremely solid. The Roos have all 3 linebackers back from last year's squad and two defensive tackles, all of whom are big and fast. The Roos will be extremely tough gainst the run, but, hopefully with good protection, Allen will be able to find some open receivers. This team will look a lot like Steele....so be prepared.

Where do we go? Dragon Stadium in Round Rock...Friday Night at 7:30. The link to the site is noted below.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=230+N+Lake+Creek+Drive+-+Round+Rock,+Texas+78681&iwloc=A&hl=en

SIDELINE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS FROM THE BRACKENRIDGE GAME

Ever wonder what goes on down there on the Alamo Heights bench during a game? It's actually a very busy place. There are position meetings to discuss the previous possessions, players warming up, screamin' hollerin' drinkin'and dancin', special signals understood only by the players, coaches and Russian counter-spy agencies, celebrations after a score, supported by the melodious soundtrack of a jet engine overhead (oh sorry, actually that's Coach Mike Norment giving very constructive suggestions and pointers to his offensive line). Come to think of it, you don't actually have to wonder all that often what is happening in the offensive line meetings because you can hear it yourself. The Mule Fan has confirmed that Coach Norment's aim here is to give all the fans within earshot a very special chance to eavesdrop and get the backstage view. And all for the low, low price of one admission. That's value for money! (In all seriousness though, coach Norment is a great teacher and communicator and has a gift in holding the attention of our linemen.)

This week, the Mule Fan gives you a very special video view of those very sidelines on the night of the Brackenridge game. We know some have wondered aloud, why does everyone look over at the bench before a play? No it's not because they smell something funny comin' from over there, it's actually to get the play. All this stuff happens within the time allotted on the play clock. So when the clock gets to about :15, the offense will give a good look to Coach Byrd (or someone else maybe-we'll not confirm or deny that). You'll see one of those little transactions on this video as well as one of those offensive line meetings with coach Norment late in the game. Notice how happy Coach Norment is as this shot is later in the game when he was planning to rotate in some of our hard working lads who deserved some snaps and got 'em.

HOLIDAY GIFTS--DVD and PHOTOS:
Except for the Saturday morning film session with the coaches--and we're not invited--nobody can capture your Mules on video like The Murfman. Before you know it, that little Mule of yours will be kicking his way out of the house. Let him relive his high school football days forever. More importantly, let his girlfriend or future wife(what a thought) see what a stud he was(or thought he was) or let his grandparents relive the memories. Contact The Murfman and you can get the full season on DVD. While you are at it, you can talk to Murf about a special DVD he will create for you capturing all the great plays your Mule made during the year, with the ability to edit out the holding penalty or the dropped ball. This is probably the most reasonable gift you can buy and don't forget about extra copies for your household. In 10 years, instead of saying "Remember when?", you'll be able to say "Look at this." You can contact Murf at Michael@Murfman.net or mikepmurf@sbcglobal.net

Who is that at every event you've attended in the last year with any Mule squad involved? Why, of course, it is Mary Candee taking photo after photo of every event.She's like Santa---she's everywhere. Mary snaps about 500 pictures a minute so there definitely are some good pictures you can find to savor the moment. Mary will also go through and create a collage of photos of your Mule. You can oder one picture or 100 pictures but whatever you do, you've got to order them. You know you always order the Class Pictures in the posed position with 1 5X7, 2 3X5 and 600 wallet sized photos. Well, don't you think these will be better than that? And as a gift in a frame...Uncle Ralph will like it more than a new tie and Aunt Irma will think its even better than fruitcake.....So contact Mary at (210) 241-3112 or http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/storecontact.aspx or macandee@aol.com

By the way, these are not two mutually exclusive options---why not do both.

GO MULES! BEAT KILLEEN!