Looking Back:
AH Mules vs Buda Hays
“Step 2 of a 6-Step District“
Homecoming has an extra special ring to it after a win and a 2-0 record in district. Between the arm of Elder and the foot of Stern, Hays didn’t have much of a chance Friday night. In the end it was 35-17 Alamo Heights!!! Elder was 18 of 22 with 197 yards and 3 TD’s , and Stern had 2 extra points, 1 field goal and 3 squib kick-offs that that resulted in 3 turnovers to help seal the victory.
The Mules started the game on defense and after three plays, Garret Hisle was back to receive the punt and gave the offense the ball on our own 35 yard line. After a few good runs by William (Titter) Thompson and a timely catch by Zach Richter, it was a dive up the middle from 19 yards out from WTT (see above mentioned name) that put the Mules on the board first. Hays answered with a grinding drive, and on a 4th and 4, threw a pass over the middle for a TD, and the lead 6-7. It didn’t take long for the Mules offense to get into a rhythm. With 11 minutes left in the 2nd quarter, and from 41 yards out, Forrest (Elder) and Bubba (Richter) connected for one of their 2 touchdowns of the night. The score was then 13-7, Heights. This is the time where the “foot of Stern” came into play. With the first of three squib kicks, Alex Cisneros recovered the ball on the 15-yard line. That resulted in a 32-yard field goal by Stern to put the Mules ahead 16-7 with 9:35 left in half.
The Rebels put another good drive together that put them on the Mules 5-yard line. Looking at a 4th and goal, a QB draw up the middle was the call for a touchdown and the Mules' lead was reduced to 16-14. With 6 minutes left in the first half and a 4th and long, Stern launched a punt that was fumbled and recovered by the Mules on the 39-yard line of Hays. The Mules burned three minutes off the clock and from 6 yards out, it was Forrest and Bubba # 2! Elder and Richter have really good chemistry. After the kickoff and a few plays, the Rebels tried to throw a deep pass over “G-Man” Hisle, who would have none of that. “G” intercepted and clinched a 23-14 halftime lead and the beginning of the Homecoming activities.
As the 2nd half started, we could see there was a lot of fight left in the Rebels. Their first drive was long and chewed-up precious clock time. With 2:31 left in the 3rd, the Rebels put 3 on the board with a field goal and closed the gap to 23-17. That is were the 3rd quarter ended and the Mules offense began to move the ball. From 11 yards out, Andy Brooks put another 6 points on the Rebels and with a missed attempt at going for 2, the Mules lead was 29-17 with roughly 11 minutes left in the 4th. The ensuing kickoff was another of Stern's perfect squib kicks. It was mishandled, giving the opportunity for Blake Klumpp to pounce on it and put the offence back on the field at the Rebel 24-yard line. After a few plays and the Mules on the 20-yard line, Wyatt Ponton went up and fought for his first touchdown pass of the year and won!!! With the extra point no good, the Mules would keep the score 35-17 until the final gun sounded. With the Mules at 2-0 in district and 5-1 overall, the confidence our boys have is growing. You can see the team coming together, with the vision of the playoffs and a state run. . This is how we roll!!
District Standings - Week 2
Won Lost 1 Alamo Heights Mules 2 0 2 Smithson Valley Rangers (Bye) 1 0 3 Buda Hays Rebels 1 1 6 Clemens Buffaloes 1 0 4 NB Canyon Cougars 1 1 5 Lockhart Lions 0 2 7 Kyle Lehman Lobos 0 2 Friday's District Results: Alamo Heights defeated Buda Hays 35-17 Smithson Valley had a bye NB Canyon defeated Kyle Lehman 42-7 Clemens defeated Lockhart 28-19
Chirps from the Byrd - Head Coach Byrd, that is:
Mule Fan: How is the team holding up injury-wise?
Coach Byrd: We're doing OK. Mullins' re-tweaked his ankle, but he should be ready for Friday. Newman hurt his ankle and a doctor put him in a cast for a few days, but that's come off now. I think he will only miss a game. Dubroff is still in a cast. Cantu broke the small bone in his heel that bears most of your weight, along with the ligaments around it. He told me today that they're going to put him in a boot and he might get his cast off in a week and half and w'ell see where he is from there. It sure is hard to see him over there on the sideline and I feel for our guys like David, Martinez, Shaw, Dubroff, etc. It's tough.
Mule Fan: What was the key to Friday's victory over Hays?
Coach Byrd: We did a lot of things right, but I think an important key was the incredible kicking of Kristian Stern. Those squibb kicks were crazy! I've never seen a football bounce like that. It would take two or three low bounces and then one big high bounce - right over the player trying to field the ball. Those kicks, and a high punt, resulted in three fumble recoveries that helped us put 17 points on the board.
Mule Fan: What's ahead for this Friday against Canyon?
Coach Byrd: New Braunfels has a very good football team. They have a new coach this year. He's from Southwest, so you guys that saw the Southwest game, get ready to see round two of that type of offense. Hopefully, we learned a lot against Southwest - there's not a whole lot of difference, just a little different style. I don't think they are as big as Southwest, but they are more athletic on the line and they do a nice job. I don't think their receivers and skill positions are as fast as Southwest, but they are fast.
Mule Fan: What about Canyon's defense?
Coach Byrd: Defensively, they line up in a 3-3 stack, which is three linemen and three linebackers. They will give us a lot of different blitzes and a lot of things out of that lineup, so we're going to have to be smart and take care of business. You just have to be patient and realize that it's a guessing game and if they're throwing a lot of junk at you, we've got to stay disciplined and believe in what we are doing. But they have a very good football team.
Coach Byrd: Canyon is a very solid football team and they play very well. It's going to be a great test for Alamo Heights. These are two good football teams. It's been a tough season so far and it's been rugged, game after game - very close football games against good teams. But we're excited and we really appreciate all the fan support. We've had great crowds and that really matters in these tough games.
JV-A Hazes Hays 44-0
After sitting in the stands for an hour and a half watching the JV-B and flirting with the Buda Hays cheerleaders, it was time for the JV-A to see what they could do against the Rebels. It didn’t take long for the Mules to take command of the game. On the first series of downs safety Blake Rosenthal intercepted a Hays pass at his own 45 and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown, putting the Mules up 7-0. That would start a scoring trend that would continue throughout the game. After the Mules defense forced the Rebels to punt, the Mules worked the ball downfield. Coby Bailey had several good runs, and QB Wes Yancy had a nice completion to Alex Bathie. But the Mules found themselves with a 4th and 5 on the 19-yard line. So the Mules pulled out their secret weapon, Matt Kelly, who proceeded to kick it through the uprights from 29 yards to move the score ahead 10-0 with 2:30 left in the 1st quarter. Hays received the ensuing kickoff and started their drive at their own 24-yard line. But once again, Hays made the mistake of throwing over the middle and Blake Rosenthal was there again to intercept and return the ball down to the 12-yard line. From there QB Kevin Kujawa wasted no time and found Bond Foster in the endzone for another Mules TD, ending the 1st quarter 17-0. Not much changed in the 2nd quarter as the Mules defense controlled the Rebels. John Rascoe and Aaron Rogers combined for a Hays sack, and Greyson Kale, Alex Rodriguez, and David Verette stuffed any attempt by Hays to move the ball offensively. After the Hays punt, the Mules offense took the field at their own 21 yard line. This time it was the Robert Low Show, as he ran the ball 80 yards in three plays for yet another Mules touchdown. The score was now 24-0, and after a big sack by Hunter Martin, the 1st half ended.
2nd half – same story! On the opening possession QB Kujawa orchestrated a nice two minute drive with passes to Cole Bailey and Alex Bathie, along with several tough runs from Coby Bailey. The Mules scored once again as Kujawa hit George Mixon in the endzone from 19 yards out to move the score to 31-0. The beatdown just kept coming, and on the following kickoff, Matt Kelly pulled a “kick and cover”, as he recovered his own kick to give the Mules the ball on the Rebels 26-yard line. Coby Bailey quickly responded by taking it to the endzone in three plays to make the score 37-0, and we were only halfway through the 3rd quarter! Heights decided to slow things down a little and the defense held the Rebels into the 4th quarter. After the Mules defense held the Rebels to a 4th down, Chase Stockton broke through the line and blocked a Hays punt. The game finally came to an end after Robert Low scored once again to finish the game 44-0 Mules! The Mules offensive line, led by Colton Bibb, Jesus Almanza, and Nick Vargas, played an outstanding game.
JV-B Win Streak is “Snapped”
It looked like it was going to be another successful night for the JV-B as Mosas Diaz intercepted a Buda Hays pass on the first play of the game, giving the Mules the ball with great field position. But unfortunately, the Mules offense was not able to capitalize on the turnover. Defense dominated the game in the first quarter, with great play by Josh Smith and Charles Kaufmann. Mules kicker Austin Reyna was also huge, as he had punts of 40 and 52 yards to keep the Hays Rebels deep in their own territory. The 1st quarter ended in stalemate 0-0. As the 2nd quarter started, the Mules were finally able to generate some offense. QB Kalen Brockwell hit wide receiver Robert Weigel for a 32 yard pass before he was shoved out of bounds at the 2-yard line. The Rebels held their goal-line, but a 4th down facemask penalty gave the Mules new life and a 1st down. This time the Mules were successful as Brockwell punched the ball in to take the lead 6-0.
Things got a little messy on the next few possessions. The Rebels were driving the ball downfield when Jesus Cerda intercepted a pass and returned the ball all the way down to the Hays 11 yard line. On the next play, Brockwell’s pass to the endzone was picked off by a Hays defender who returned the ball 100 yards for a Rebel score. But the TD was brought back due to an illegal block. A bad snap was then recovered by Chris Johnston and the Mules were back on offense, only to give the ball back again to Hays on another interception. This time Hays avoided mistakes and drove the ball down for a score. With 2 minutes left in the first half, Hays had the lead 8-6. Hays was able to quickly score again and the Mules went into halftime down 14-6.
The 2nd half didn’t start much better for the Mules as penalties stopped their opening drive, forcing a punt. Hays then methodically drove the ball downfied for yet another score, chewing up most of the 3rd quarter. The Mules were now down 20-6 and things looked a little bleak. But our Mules responded with fight. Brockwell again found Weigel open in the flats for a 53-yard pass play. Running back Christian Biedenharn quickly scored from 7 yards out and the score tightened to 20-12. In the 4th quarter, the Mules defense kept them in the game. But snap troubles by the Mules made it difficult for Kalen and company to generate any offense. In football, anytime the snap has "hang-time", that's not considered good. Repeatedly, high, loping snaps from center threw off the offense’s timing and allowed pressure on QB Brockwell. With 19 seconds left in the game, and the ball on the Rebels 20-yard line, the Mules tried unsuccessfully three times to pass into the endzone and force a possible tie. It was a very exciting ending, but unfortunately the JV-B Mules came up short, 20-12.
Freshmen A-Team:
Check Back - Update coming soon!
Freshmen B-Team:
The Freshman B team lost a close battle by the narrowest of margins 7-6. The boys were with out their place kicker who had been moved to the A team. Unable to convert the 2 point conversion, the B team fell just short. The defense played great and the offense moved the ball well. Over the course of the season the B team has shown great improvement in all areas.
Looking Ahead:
AH Mules vs. New Braunfels Canyon Cougars
Friday, October 8th - 7:30 pm
Canyon High School Stadium
Week three of district play continues this Frida evening as our Mules face off against the Cougars from NB Canyon. The Cougars come into this year's season with new head coach Matt Elliot, and a new offense. Last year the Cougars record was a disappointing 3-7 (hence the new coach) and this years record to date is tied at 3-3. But two of their three losses were due to forfeits as a senior tight end played in their first three games without meeting credit requirements. As a result, the Cougars had to forfeit wins over East Central and Lee. (Note to self: if you take over as a new head coach, check your players' eligibility!) The forfeited losses did not affect district play, so the Cougars are 1-1 in district with a win over Kyle Lehman 42-7 and a loss to Smithson Valley 35-14.
Head Coach Elliot, who was previously the head coach at Southwest, brings with him his running-style offense. Remember, the rugby game the Mules played against Southwest on Week Two? Well, get ready for more of the same. Coach Elliott will bring his leather helmet, three-back formation, trying to grind out first downs while chewing up the clock and keeping the Mules offense off the field. The Cougars return nine starters from last year, with key senior wide receiver Zach Williams. But the surprise has been sophomore running back George Williamson, who was brought up from the JV to start on varsity three weeks ago after injuries to Canyon's top two backs. Williamson has racked up 388 yards rushing over the past three games, while fellow running back Donovan Wright, who was back in action last week from a sprained ankle, had 187 yards on 10 carries against Lehman.
Clear your calendars for Friday evening and bring your friends and neighbors to make the short drive to New Braunfels to cheer on our Mules. This will be a tough football game and fan support is key! See you there! Go Mules!
JV Plays Only One Game This Week!
This Thursday, Oct. 7th - 5:30 pm
Alamo Heights Harry B. Orem Stadium
Tickets:
Tickets to this Friday's game against NB Canyon are available at the AHHS Athletic office 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 at Canyon Stadium will be $7.00 for both students and adults.
Pre-Game Get-Together:
All Mules fans are invited to meet before Friday's game with NB Canyon at Freiheit's Country Store - 830-625-9400 at 5:30pm. Come get ready to cheer on the Mules. See you there!
www.freiheitcs.tripod.com
From IH-35 go past Highway 46 and exit FM 306. Turn right onto FM 306 and go to
FM-1101 (Freiheit Rd). Turn right and the restaurant will be on your right.7th Annual Fenley Trophy Golf Tournament:
Don't forget that time is running out to sign-up for the 7th 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. The fee to play is $150 or a tee sign is also $150. Get them both for $250! 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. Contact Carter Speer at 210-862-8700 to sign up to play or to order a tee sign.
Varsity Car Wash:
Just a reminder about the "Varsity CAr Wash" scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 16th from 1:30 to 4:30 at the RAM Gas Station at the intersection of N. New Braunfels and Basse. The Varsity Football Team will be washing cars to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House. Tell your friends!
AHHS Cheerleader Fundraiser:
Come eat lunch, dinner, or both at EZ's in Sunset Ridge on Saturday, October 16th. Drop your receipt in the bucket and a portion of your meal expense will go to the Mules Cheerleaders. Hey, ya gotta eat, right!? So why not eat at EZ's and benefit the cheerleaders. They cheer for us, so let's cheer for them! Go Mules!
Again, the Mule Fan would like to offer it's sincere 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!
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!
The Mule Team would like to thank everyone involved in making last weekend's Punt, Pass, and Kick such a huge success! I think our football players had a wonderful time playing with our future Little Mules. I know the kids had a blast! Thanks again!
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