The Mule Fan

Looking Back:

AH Mules vs Lockhart Lions

"District Play Begins"

What was amazing to me is that we drove for a hour and a half to play our first district game and we were closer to Austin than San Antonio and still in our district!!!! That being said, it was a great night for football and the long drive wasn't in vain. When the final gun sounded, the Mules were 1-0 in district with a 31-6 victory over the Lockhart Lions. In addition, we had no injuries!!!

Mules started on defense and the guys locked them down early with a three and out. Garrett Hisle returned the punt to our own 43-yard line to begin our first offensive series. The Mules drove it down to the Lion 3-yard line on some solid running by William (Titter) Thompson who had 127 yards on 24 carries for the night. With 4th down and 1 on the 3-yard line, Kristian Stern put us on the board with 20 yard FG with 5:58 left in the 1st quarter for a 3-0 lead. On the next series the Lions got to mid-field with a 4th and 1 and decided to gamble and go for it. Well, the Heights defense rolled them and put our offense back on the field. Heights hammered down to the 26-yard line, where Andy Brooks took one up the sideline for 6 points. After Kristian Stern capped it off with the extra point, we had a 10-0 lead.

This the point were Steven Elder and Zach Richter (aka Forrest and Bubba, because they're like peas and carrots) went off on the first of three connections for touchdowns. From the 44-yard line, Elder hit Richter for a short pass, and with a few key blocks and solid running, Zach would not be denied the end zone. Now at 17-0, the defense kept pouring it on the Lions. With Blake Klumpp posting a sack and putting the Lions in a 3rd down and long, it was the perfect opportunity for Carter Thurmond to intercept a Lion pass and return the ball down to the 24-yard line where the offense once again took over. With a 3rd down from the 12-yard line, it was Elder-Richter # 2 and a 24-0 lead with 6:24 left in the 2nd quarter. Elder would finish the night 10 of 19 for 142 yards and three TD's.

The Mules opened the 2nd half with a long drive that ended with Elder-Richter #3 from the 3 yard line. That put Heights up 31-0 and was the Mules final score of the evening. The Lions put a drive together on the next series and prevented the shut out with 4:24 left in the 3rd quarter. With a missed extra point, the score was 31-6 and that's where it ended. The Mules defense held the Lions to 159 total yards with only 9 first downs. They were all flying to the ball.

Well, with the first district game in the books, $50 less money in my pocket due to gas prices to get there, and a victory, it's on to Homecoming and the Rebels from Buda. This is how we roll!!!

District Standings:

		Won	Lost
1	Alamo Heights Mules	1	0
2	Smithson Valley Rangers	1	0
3	Buda Hays Rebels	1	0
6	Clemens Buffaloes	Bye	Bye
4	NB Canyon Cougars	0	1
5	Lockhart Lions	0	1
7	Kyle Lehman Lobos	0	1
Friday's District Results:
	Alamo Heights defeated Lockhart 31-6
	Smithson Valley defeated NB Canyon 35-14
	Buda Hays defeated Kyle Lehman 27-14
	Clemens had a bye

Hats Off To The Seniors!

The Mule Fan would like to recognize our seniors! While not taking anything away from the talented juniors and sophomores that contribute to the Mules' success, it's our Seniors that are wearing the Blue and Gold for their last time.

The Mule Fan wishes all of you the best!

No.				No.
2	Kristian Stern	K		51	James Uhl	LB
4	Zach Montana	DB		54	Jonathan Lalinde	DL
5	Steven Elder	QB		56	Tyler Heinemeyer	OL
7	Wyatt Ponton	WR		58	Zane Narro	DL
12	Dean Meyer	RB/LB		60	Nick Martinez	DL
15	Jai Boatman	DB		62	Chris Bernal	DL
17	Armando Rodriguez	DB		65	Clinton Campbell	DL
18	Carter White	TE		66	Arron Rodriguez	OL
19	Braden Berry	DB		67	William Burns	OL
20	Carter Thurmond	DB		70	Beau Devine	DL
25	Luke Wakely	WR		72	Angel Galvan	OL
26	Travis Feste	TE		73	Zack Mullins	OL
28	David Cantu	TE		74	Peter Deluna	DL
30	Zach Richter	WR		75	Caton Sandoval	DL
34	David Dubinsky	DB		77	Ryan Meador	OL
39	George Shaw	LB		84	Garret Hisle	DB
40	William Thompson	RB		87	Jack Newman	DB
44	Jett Ploetz	WR		88	Jonathan O'Brien	DB
46	Anthony Knowles	OB		89	Zach Dubrof	LB

Chirps from the Byrd - Head Coach Byrd, that is:

Mule Fan: What do you expect Friday night against Hays?

Coach Byrd: Hays is a good football team. They are a big team and coach Shelton has been there since the school opened. They have won a lot of football games. Hays took a little step back when they opened the other high school,Lehman, and split their school district. But those growing pains are pretty much over now and they’re becoming a good football team. Their quarterback does a nice job of running their offense. They’ve got three backs that are all pretty good, but I understand that their better back hurt his ankle pretty badly in the last game. Hays is a contender for district playoffs and if we want to be a part of that party then we need to make sure we bring our game this Friday night.

Mule Fan: Can we expect any surprises from Hays?

Coach Byrd: On offense, they run every formation you can think of. They will line up in the wishbone one play and no back the next and then every other formation in between. They don’t run a whole lot of plays but they try to trick you with formations, so we have to be sharp and keep our bases covered with how we line up. On special teams, they have an outstanding kick returner, so we are going to have to make sure that we protect our punter, kick the ball high, then spread out and stay in our lanes as we get downfield. We don’t want to give their returner a chance to catch the ball and get a head of steam behind their blockers.

Mule Fan: Now that we are in district competition, do take advantage of games where you can score a lot of points and run the score high in case there is a tie between teams going into the playoffs?

Coach Byrd: Good question, because if there is a 3-way tie at the end of the season, the tie will be decided by total points. But the UIL has instituted a 17 point limit per game when they look at total points. And that’s a good rule because that keeps teams from running up scores of 60 to 70 points because they fear they might end the season in a tie for district playoffs.

Mule Fan: How is the kid’s demeanor right now?

Coach Byrd: I think it’s good. On offense, we had a great day yesterday and a great 4^th period practice today. Defensively, we have had two good days of practice. But I’ve been worried about the defense since Hays gives you so many formations that you spend the whole time figuring how to line up, and then suddenly the ball is snapped and you can find yourself not playing very good football. But they’re getting quicker each day and that’s what you want to see. This is somewhat of a challenging week with all of the distractions. We have had some kids out with illness and it’s the end of the six weeks grading period. On top of that, it’s homecoming week, and tomorrow night is Howdy Night and the bonfire, etc. It’s just keeping the boys focused - that’s the main thing, as we get ready for Hays on Friday.

JV Mauls Lockhart Lions 33-0:

The only loss the Mules had this evening was the loss of the coin toss! The Mules first series consisted mostly of running plays led by a strong Heights offensive line, opening holes all night for their running backs. It ended with a 23-yard scamper by Coby Bailey into the endzone for a TD. The PAT was good, but the referees could not decide if it was good until Ray Charles hollered from the stands that in fact, it was good! The second series was also positive for the Mules, capped by a 30-yard TD pass from Kevin Kujawa to Matt Kelly. The third series, well, much of the same as Kalen Brockwell found Cole Bailey in the flats for a 51-yard TD pass. The half ended and the Mules were up 27-0. The Mules took the pedal off the gas in the second half and the final score was 33-0.

Defensively, the Mules were very strong. The defensive line, led by Chase Stockton, held the Lions to minimal yardage all night up the middle. The linebackers, led by David Verette, and the Mules secondary kept the Lions from breaking the big play outside. Cole Bailey was huge on punt returns, with returns of 27, 15 and 40 yards. The defensive secondary had 2 interceptions: one by Matt Kelly and the other by Blake Rosenthal. Rosenthal returned his interception 47 yards for a touchdown as he goose stepped his way into end zone!

Freshman A-Team

The offensive and defensive lines led the way to a convincing 35-6 victory of the AH Freshmen A-Team over the Lockhart Freshmen A-Team. The Mules O-Line opened huge holes, paving the way for 5 AH touchdowns. Brandon Wasson scored twice on runs and Scott Uhl scored one TD run and threw a TD pass to Christian Lalinde. Justin Latimer had a 1-yard TD run following a 38-yard punt return. And to boot, Kicker Wesley Sparr, who moved from B-Team up to A-Team kicked 5 of 5 PATS! The Mules defense was equally outstanding, with the D-Line giving no ground and scoring 8 sacks. Max Reimenschneider had 2 interceptions, and Brandon Wasson forced a fumble.

Freshman B-Team

After playing 4 straight 5A teams, the freshman B team finally got to pick on somebody their own size and pick on them they did. A strong run game led by William Faz and a speedy touchdown run around the end by Kaw Ka Pow Htoo were too much for the boys from Lockhart. Jeffrey Dubrof also connected with Riley Zander for a touchdown pass. The defense was equally as impressive. Les Pilcher had a nice interception and Sean Levoyer was laying the big hits. All this resulted in a dominating 18-0 win for the mules.

Looking Ahead: AH Mules vs. Buda Hays Rebels

7:30 PM - Harry B. Orem Stadium. It's Homecoming!

District play continues this Friday night as our Mighty Mules take on the Rebels from Buda Hays. In case you're wondering what a Buda is, Wikipedia defines it as: Buda, in Ethiopian folk religion, is the power of the evil eye and the ability to change into a hyena. Now, isn't that special! In South Texas we call that a Chupacabra! Buda is actually located south of Austin. When you see the big Cabela's store, you have arrived in Buda.

The Buda Hays Rebels come into this week with an overall record of 3-2, and they are 1-0 in district after defeating Kyle Lehman last Friday 27-14. The Rebels have 7 returning starters - 4 on offense and 3 on defense. A key player to watch will be senior Torrance Smith who plays both running back and wide receiver.

JV Mules Travel to Buda Hays

4800 Jack C. Hays Trail, Buda, TX 78610

Thursday, September 30th

B-Team plays at 5:30

A-Team plays at 7:00

Map to Buda Hays Stadium

Tickets:

Tickets for Friday's Homecoming game are available at the AHHS Athletic office Tuesday through Friday from 8:30am - noon and from 1:30pm -3:30pm. Tickets are $6.00 for adults and $3.00 for students. Note that tickets bought at the gate will be $7.00 for both students and adults.

La Fonda Before and After the Game:

Don't forget to join your fellow Mules fans at La Fonda at Sunset Ridge before and after all Mules games. It's a great place to hang out with friends and get your cheese on before every Mules game. Then head up the street to enjoy Friday Night Football AH style! Also, don't forget that La Fonda is the place to be post game to celebrate the Mules victory! Rick Shaw plans to keep the kitchen open until 11:00 so come by and have a drink and reload the belly.

7^th Annual Fenley Trophy Golf Tournament:

Sign-up today for the 7^th annual Fenley Trophy Golf Tournament honoring the late great Mules head coach, Gaylard Fenley. The tournament will be held October 15, 2010 at The Quarry Golf club. All of the details are on the attached flyer. All proceeds benefit AHHS sports programs which are supported by the AH Mule Team. Participation and support is not limited to golfers. Tee sign sponsors and auction item donations are also needed. Please send to any alumni, parent, vendor or prospective supporter. Thank you in advance for your support and help getting the word out.

Mule for A Day: Punt, Pass and Kick:

Come join the AH Varsity Football Team for an afternoon of fun and games and to form the Spirit Line at the home game against Smithson Valley.

Sunday, October 3, 2010 - AH Football Stadium - 2:00 p.m.– 5:00 p.m.Four Year Olds– 5th Grades are welcome.

Mules Photos:

Many, many thanks to Mary Candee for supplying the Mule-Fan with great photos of the Mules in action. Her photos are available for purchase at www.dulcedesigns.photoreflect.com. The Mule-Fan would like to remind all you Mules football fans out there that Mary works extremely hard to photograph all Alamo Heights sports, so please generously support Mary and order your photos throughout the season. No question - her photos are far better than anything you could take from the stands!

Write to the Mule Fan:

The editor's of the Mule Fan would like to hear your story ideas! If you have something you think we should be covering or if there's an interesting story idea (actually we'll be the judge of that) then send us a note:

Contact the editors at: jfeste@kmcapitalmgt.com or jeff@baileycommercial.com

Go Mules!!!

Mules on Twitter:

Go to www.twitter.com/mulefanblog and sign up to follow the Mules and get quick updates on Mules football announcements. Activate Twitter on your mobile phones so you can stay on top of all the action!

Mules on the Radio:

Don't forget, if you can't get to the game on Friday night, you can listen to it on KKYX-680AM. Dave Parker and Ed Suarez will be bringing you all the action! This is a change from AM 1250, which was a much weaker channel. You can also hear the game on the internet live or archived at www.tsrnsports.com Go Mules!