Mules Season Ends In Overtime 10-3

Well, the Mule Fan has finally emerged from mourning the season ending loss to Dripping Springs and decided to post the final Mule Fan blog for the 2011 season. For the second time this season, the Mules came away from overtime on the losing end. They say that timing is everything and the timing of the Mules offensive miscues was the difference in the game. Time after time, a drive killing penalty or quarterback sack kept the Mules offense from reaching the goal line. Add to that a very questionable offensive interference call that negated a Mules touchdown, and it made you wonder if a Mules win was possibly just not meant to be. The Mules defense played one of their best games of the season and held the Tigers to 126 total yards and only 9 first downs. At the end of regulation the score was 3-3 as the Mules and Tigers traded 40 yard field goals. But the Tigers were able to score in overtime and the game ended 10-3, stunning the Mules who were favored to advance in the playoffs.

Click Here to See Video of Controversial Penalty

But now that we have had some time to mourn our loss and look back, it really was a great season. The Mules finished the year 8-4 and were tri-district champions with a 5-1 record. The tough part about losing is the finality of it for our seniors. Our boys have been putting on the pads since 4th grade, and after nine years of blood, sweat and hard work, it's over in a flash. It's always over too soon. And the tears of disappointment outside the locker room were emotional for both player and parent. I think you have to be a player, or at least remember when you played high school football, to understand the bond of friendship and team unity that comes from playing football. It's all of the years of pain and hard work; weight room and trainer's room; victory and disappointment. I'm not sure any other sport can equal it.

But seniors, we are so very proud of you and what you have accomplished this season. You were a great example to the younger class that will emerge to take the reins next year. You set a high bar and inspired your school and community. We will miss you!

No.				No.
4	Zander Komet	K		53	Greyson Kale	DL
5	Wes Yancy	QB		57	Jack Berger	LB
7	Luke Donnelly	K		61	Warren Monnich	DL
9	John Geibel	TE		62	Zach Harris	OL
11	Dub Yarborough	QB		63	Nick Vargas	OL
12	Garrett Voss	DB		64	Jesus Almanza	OL
15	Jesus Cerda	DB		66	Chase Stockton	DL
20	Robert Low	RB		68	Sam Noe	OL
22	Coby Bailey	RB/DB		71	Alex Johnston	DL
24	Andy Brooks	RB		74	Frankie Alvarez	DL
32	Alex Cisneros	DB		75	David Birkey	DL
33	Lucciano Vizza	LB		76	Jake Molak	OL
34	John Durbin	TE		77	Derrick Vasaldua	DL
35	Bond Foster	WR		79	Carl Stephens	OL/DL
37	John Rascoe	DL		80	George Mixon	WR
42	Garrett Iverson	WR		81	Patrick Galvan	TE
46	Keith Ochoa	DB		82	Truman Biggs	WR
48	Tha Yu Htoo	DB		83	Crockett Speer	WR
51	Jimmy Russell	LB		88	Alex Bathie	WR
52	Sam Peacock	C		90	Skylar Nelson	LB

Thanks Mules Fans!

The Mule Fan would like to thank everyone who dedicated themselves and their time to make the Mules Football program the success that it is. Thanks to Gene Phillips (and his clever emails) and Patty Juarez in the Athletic Office for being the grease in this well-oiled machine.

Thank you to all of the coaches: Don Byrd, Mike Norment, Craig Westmoreland, Bobby Newton, Randy Osborne, Ron Harris, Chris Troilo, Luke Moody, Dean Herbort and Terroll Dillon. Our coaches are some of the most talented groups of high school coaches anywhere. Not only do they teach our sons the game of football, they teach them the principles of hard work, dedication, respect and teamwork. They love our kids, and it's what drives them to spend long, long hours each week to prepare our boys to be the best that they can be. I would especially like to thank Coach Byrd who shared his insights every week with the Mule Fan on "Chirps From The Byrd".

Thanks to Mike Post and Adriana Moody and to all the trainers for all the long hours keeping the boys healed-up and ready to play. Thanks to the Cheerleaders, the Spurs, the Band, and the JROTC for all of your dedication and hard work. Every time I drive by the field at 7:00 am and see you practicing, I realize how much hard you work you put in and what a great job you do. You guys turn a football game into a real exciting event that brings school spirit to our team, the fans, and the community.

Thanks to all the parents that volunteer to make signs, prepare and serve meals, and have volunteered to work in the concession stands. Thanks to Mary Candee for being at every game taking great photos, and thanks Mary for supplying The Mule Fan with great action shots all year long. Thanks to the Mule Team and Mule Pushers and to everyone who contributes their time and money to supporting all of our sports programs at Alamo Heights.

Thanks to Rick Shaw announcing in the booth and to his spotters. It just wouldn't be a home game without you! Thanks to Dave Parker and Ed Suarez for broadcasting all the Mules games on radio. And to anyone I have left out....a big thank you as well!

Now it's time to get ready for 2012! Offseason starts now with boot camp, spring practice, the spring game, Steue Quest, 7-on-7 and summer workouts. Before we know it, it will be time for football again!

Go Mules!

Adios Amigos!

As I have threatened for the past few weeks, this is the final post for this Mule Fan and I would like to say what a privilege it has been to blog about our Mules football team for the past two years. Thanks to each and every one of you for your support and encouragement of my efforts on the blog. It has been a lot of fun and I sincerely hope that the Mule Fan blog will continue for years to come. But the time has come for me to pass the torch to another set of Mule Dads. So far, my recruitment efforts haven't brought forth anyone to take the reins, but I have faith. Contact me if you are interested. Don't forget that training is complimentary!

I look forward to seeing you in the stands next year with a clapper instead of a tape recorder!

Go Mules!

Jeff

Looking Back

AH Mules vs. Boerne Champion Chargers

"Too Close For Comfort!"

The Mules pulled out a nail-biter in game one of the Division II 4A State playoffs last Friday night by beating the Boerne Champion Chargers 21-20 before a big Mules crowd at New Braunfels High Stadium. The Mules led 14-0 before Boerne Champion scored 20 points in the 4th quarter to almost pull out an upset. Although Boerne Champion put up better stats than the Mules, the difference in the game was turnovers. The Mules intercepted two Champion passes, blocked a punt, and blocked the game tying extra point to win the ball game and advance to the next round of the playoffs.

Champion received the opening kickoff and consumed a big chunk of the first quarter clock on a 14 play offensive drive behind the ground game of running back David Rogers and quarterback Kyle Poeske. But on 4th and six from the Mules 28 yard line, Poeske’s pass was intercepted by Mules cornerback Garrett Voss, stopping the Charger’s drive and giving the Mules offense the ball at the 32-yard line. The Mules offense had early success moving the ball as Andy Brooks and his crazy feet had a big run of 21 Yards and QB Wes Yancy scrambled for good yardage. But the Mules drive stalled at the 32-yard line due to an illegal procedure penalty, which forced the Mules to punt. But the punt was a good one, and the Chargers found themselves pinned at their own 2-yard line.

The Mules defense sensed an opportunity and held the Chargers to only 4 yards and Boerne found themselves punting as well, from deep in their own end zone. As the ball was snapped, Alex Cisneros came around the left side and blocked the punt into the waiting arms of Mules linebacker Skylar Nelson who gave the Mules offense the ball at the Charger 2-yard line. But two consecutive penalties by the Mules pushed the ball back to the 12 yard line and kept the offense from getting into the end zone. The Mules were forced to attempt a field goal but the kick was off the mark and the Mules walked away empty handed from a missed opportunity. Having a first down on the 2 yard line and letting mistakes keep you from scoring was a tough moment for the Mules. The Chargers offense took the field and again they chewed up the clock with another 14 play series that took the Chargers down to the Mules 17 yard line. But just when it looked like Champion might put the first points on the scoreboard, the Boerne drive was interrupted by Mules cornerback Kevin Kujawa who intercepted Poeske's pass at the 10 yard line. Now the offense was fired up and they weren’t about to make the same mistakes. Behind QB Wes Yancy, the Mules marched down the field as Yancy hit Garrett Iverson on two tough catches and Andy Brooks filled in the gaps with great running to advance the ball down to the 13 yard line. But making plays got tough inside the red zone and the Mules found themselves with a 4th down and 7 at the 13-yard line. On 4^th down, Yancy coolly dropped back and hit a wide-open Truman Biggs across the middle for the first score of the night and the Mules took it to halftime with 7-0 lead.

The halftime speech must have been a good one as the Mules started with the ball, and on their first play of the 2nd half, Yancy hit Truman Biggs, who out-jumped the defender to make the 25 yard catch and then sprinted the remaining 48 yards to the endzone. Suddenly the Mules had a 14-0 lead and it appeared that the Mules had the game under control. Our defense was stuffing the Chargers and we had just put up touchdowns on the last two offensive drives. But things were about to change. After the Mules defense once again held the Chargers to a quick 3 and out, Yancy came back in to continue his leadership of the offense. On 1^st down, as Yancy scrambled to his right, he was horse-collared with his left leg in an awkward position near Mules sidelines, causing him to dislocate his hip. This was an emotional blow to the Mules. It was also when Boerne Champion decided to throw the ball vs. run the ball. Up to that point the Chargers had had limited success running against the Mules defense. The 3^rd quarter came to an end with the score still 14-0 Mules. The Chargers came out passing to begin the 4^th quarter and quickly found an open receiver in the endzone and the Mules lead was cut to 14-7. Boerne was then able to quickly capitalize on a Mules fumble and the Chargers again went to the air, scoring on a 28 yard pass to tie the score 14-14 early in the 4^th quarter.

But there is no quit in our Mules!

With time running in the 4^th quarter the Mules defense stepped up once again and held the Chargers on a critical 4^th and 1. Kevin Kujawa, helped out by Skylar Nelson, held the Charger running back to no gain, giving the Mules offense the ball on the Boerne 41 yard line. QB Dub Yarborough then led the Mules down field on six consecutive runs by Coby Bailey who punched it in from four yards out to give the Mules the lead again with only 3:00 minutes left on the clock. That should have taken the wind out of Boerne’s sails, but this is the playoffs and Boerne wasn’t ready to throw in the towel. After receiving the kickoff, the Chargers proceeded to drive the ball downfield behind the running and passing of Boerne QB, Kyle Poeske. Twice the Chargers converted on 4^th down to keep the drive alive. With 54 seconds left on the clock, Poeske found an open receiver in the endzone to take the score to 21-20 Mules. Would Boerne go for the win on a two-point conversion attempt or would they kick the extra point and take their chances in overtime? The fans on both sides of the stadium waited in nervous anticipation. Boerne elected to kick the extra point. And as fate would have it, a seam opened in the line of scrimmage, which allowed Skylar Nelson to burst through the middle practically untouched. Nelson blocked the extra point! All the Mules had to do was take a knee and run out the clock. But the referees were determined to confuse the situation and stopped the clock after the Mules downed the ball on 2nd and 3rd down. So when all the Mules had to do to end the game was take a knee, they now found themselves punting the ball on 4th down because of the clock confusion. But again, fate was with the Mules, and Boerne Champion ran into Mules punter Zander Komet, drawing a roughing the kicker call which gave the Mules an automatic first down and one more play to end the game and take home the victory 21-20.

Check Back Tomorrow for Chirps from the Byrd – an interview with Head Coach Byrd about his take on last Friday’s victory over Boerne Champion, and what we can expect of the Mules next opponent, Dripping Springs. The Mules play Dripping Springs this Friday night at Vandegrift Stadium in Austin for the Area Championship in round two of the 4A Division II State Playoffs!

Go Mules!

Chirps From The Byrd – Head Coach Byrd, That Is:

Mule Fan: Congratulations on last Friday’s win against Boerne Champion! That was a close one!

Coach Byrd: Yeah a little closer than I wanted it, but I wouldn't change a thing right now. I was real proud of the boys effort. Boerne always brings a lot of excitement when we play them. We used to be in the same district with Boerne before they split into two high schools. It's Boerne Champion now, but it's still the same community. They are a good team. They were 5-5, but they lost a lot of games when their quarterback was hurt. Defensively, they probably played their best game in a lot of ways. We weren't hitting on all cylinders and then when Yancy got hurt it threw us off for awhile. We knew we could run the ball the 2nd half but then we got a holding call that threw us off, and then we fumbled. That killed two of our drives in the 2^nd half when we really needed those things to go. In the first half, we got a good turnover when we blocked the punt and Skylar caught it at the two. Then we made the two offsides and we couldn't get into the end zone. So we had some situations where we just didn't execute. But hey, we're still playing and that's a great thing. But it was a crazy game. And what a great finish when Skylar came in and did a great job blocking that kick at the end. It was a great overall effort. Kevin had a good game. Frankie Alvarez had a good game. I thought our offensive line all in all did a pretty nice job. It's kind of funny because especially on offense the week leading up to the game, we didn't have as good of a week as I wanted practice-wise. I think after the Boerne game they now see that it's for real. It’s like I told them yesterday; before the playoffs, half of the state has already put up their pads and then now half of the teams that are left have already put theirs up. At this point in the season you're not going to run into any bad teams. So if you don't want to practice hard, then you will also be putting away your pads as well. And this week we've had two good days of work. Dub hasn’t said much about it, but against Canyon he got his elbow hit pretty hard, and since then you can see that sometimes he's throwing the ball well and sometimes it takes off on him. It’s just been hard to rotate his arm. But he's through with that now and he's had two good days of throwing the ball this week. I'm proud of Dub. He's had a great year. And we're going to win with Dub. And I’m glad we’ve got a guy with experience. Yancys injury - boy I hated to see it. But what a great kid. What an outstanding kid. I'm so proud of where he has come since his freshman year to where he is this season. I’m so proud of him. There wasn't anything illegal about the tackle. The guys spun him around and kind of grabbed him by the neck, which some people say is a horse collar. But it wasn't that. He just got his foot caught funny when he got pulled around.

Mule Fan: What happened with the referees and the clock at the end of the Boerne game?

Coach Byrd: Well I got a page email from the timer up in the pressbox and he said a couple of times the box stuck and that they had some problems getting the clock to start. But I told the official that hey, that’s not our problem. And then that last call that the ref made I have never seen called before. The official said that after we downed the ball that our guys were getting up slow. Usually the official will momentarily stop the clock and wait for everyone to get up off the ground and then he will start the clock again. But the referee called an official timeout and wouldn’t start the clock again. That could have been a game changer. I kind of think personally that he was mad and he thought that the next play was third down. And so he called the timeout to show us he was boss and then when he realized it was 4^th down, not third down, he looked pretty nervous out there. I have never seen that call before and I wasn’t happy about it. And I have since talked to other coaches and none have seen the official stop the clock and not restart it because of players getting up slow. But we got the roughing the kicker call on the next play, which I thought was his other bad call, because our kicker took a couple of extra steps which would have established him as a runner vs. a kicker. I think it was a makeup call. So we came out even (laugh).

Mule Fan: Do the guys seem confident this week?

Coach Byrd: I think so I really do. I think they see now that they could have done a lot better against Boerne if they had had better practices. And this week we've had two great days of practices. I think they got a good enough scare that they're going to practice harder, take the little things more seriously, play with more intensity realizing that their is no more safety net. If you get called for penalties and you give up some passes and give up some third and fourth downs and you don't punt the ball well, then they’re going to be putting their equipment up. But if they do those things right then they can continue to keep playing. I think the close game was good, I really do. I'm glad they got scared a little bit. I wouldn't say that they are scared, but I think they are now thinking that I’ve got to start taking care of all the details and I better realize all the little things. I’ve noticed this week that if they drop a ball in practice, they are a little harder on themselves. They are getting on the scout team to give them a better picture. You hear people say that when you get to the playoffs you got to take it to a higher level. You, the parents and fans see it on Friday night, but I see it on Monday and Tuesday's practices. I saw it this week. I saw a sense of urgency but with confidence. The kids have embraced Dub well, knowing that he's the guy and were going to win with him. And Dub has worked his rear off and he's a good quarterback. People have to make plays now. You can't go along playing steady football and continue to win games. Somebody has got to step up and make an interception or cause a fumble or block a kick. These games from here on out will probably be left up to four or five plays. You don't when those plays are going to occur and you don't know who's going to be in position to make them. So you gotta play with the mindset that some opportunity going to be in front of me and I need to take advantage of it. And the the boys are seeing that now. They are doing everything they can to play their best game on Friday.

Mule Fan: Tell us about this week’s opponent – Dripping Springs.

Coach Byrd: Dripping Springs is not very big but they're very quick. By contrast, Boerne Champion’s line was huge. I've learned over the years that you can’t really worry about the other team’s size. There is nothing we can do about it so you don't dwell on it. You just tell your guys that they have to play with more intensity and be quicker than them. Dripping Springs is a well-coached team. They play with a lot of intensity. They have a receiver, #3, that makes plays every game. He ran back a kick against Lake Travis. I saw him play against Cedar Park and he made some huge plays against them. He's a complete ball player. Their quarterback gets it done. He's not like the Boerne kid and he’s not going to make huge plays to beat you. But he’s going to get the ball in the right guys hands. Their offensive line blocks well, but they’re not real big and they’re not real physical. They’re not going to blow us off the line. Their defense is very quick. I mean they're very quick. Their two defensive ends, #43 and 30, are very athletic. They make a lot of plays. #25 in their defensive secondary, he's a safety, he's had seven interceptions. Their defense already has 19 interceptions in11 games. They are very athletic. They can really go up for the ball. We’ve got to make sure we don't throw the ball up for grabs, because these guys can come down with it. Their kicking game looks very adequate. They are probably not going to beat themselves; Alamo Heights is going to have to come out and execute better than they do. We can’t have turnovers and we’ve got to have guys that step up and make a play when the opportunity is there.

Mule Fan: How did we end up playing this week at Vandegrift Stadium, which is even north of Dripping Springs?

Coach Byrd: I didn’t want to play in Dripping Springs. We played Killen there a few years ago and you have to go through a parking lot to get to their dressing room facilities. And we were the home team and the facilities weren’t very good, so I can imagine what the visitor’s locker room is like. So we started looking for sites and I was pulling for Ferris Stadium here. I would have loved to play there. There is nothing good south of Austin. There are a couple of the inner city fields. They’re nice but their turf has some sand in the base of it and it’s harder than most fields and I didn’t want play on that. So the Dripping Springs coach offered Vandegrift. It’s a brand new stadium and it’s only 12 miles farther than Dripping Springs. So I agreed to Vandegrift and he agreed to Ferris and I lost the flip so were on the road again. The boys were bummed that we weren’t getting to play closer to home, but I said hey, you get to play in cool stadium and you get out of class earlier! So now they are all excited about that! So I’m back to being the hero I think on that one! It’s nice to play in nice stadiums.

Mule Fan: Thanks so much Coach and have a great game on Friday Night! Go beat Dripping Springs!

Looking Ahead:

AH Mules vs. Dripping Springs Tigers

Round 2 - Area Championships, Division II - 4A State Playoffs

Friday, November 18th - 7:30 PM

Vandegrift Stadium, Northwest Austin

Click here for map of stadium

Woa! Hold the phone! Don't make plans to leave town just yet for the Thanksgiving holidays. Our Mules are playing this Friday night at Vandegrift Stadium in northwest Austin against the Tigers of Dripping Springs in the Division II - 4A Area Championships! After an exciting win last week against Boerne Champion the Mules have had a great week of practice and are ready to tame the Tigers to keep advancing in the state playoffs. Dripping Springs comes from District 25-4A which includes the powerhouse teams of Lake Travis and Cedar Park. Vista Ridge, who the Mules played in Round Two of the playoffs last year is also from District 25-4A. So the Tigers are used to playing tough football, just like our Mules. They also have a matching season record of 8-3 (4-2 in district with their two losses coming from Lake Travis and Cedar Park). Last Friday, Dripping Springs beat Austin Lanier 48-0 in the first round of the playoffs. Offensive players to watch are #17, QB Kyle Johnson who leads the team in total yardage and receivers #7, Lane Kelley, and #3, Joey Herrick, a big-play receiver who is averaging 26 yards per reception. The Tigers also rely on running backs Derek McLemore #45 and Omar Pereyra #22, who have rushed for 542 yards and 521 yards respectively.

Dripping Springs runs a spread offense and they like to run a balanced attack of both running and passing. To date they have rushed for 1,571 yards and passed for 1,678 yards. That compares with 1,637 yards rushing and 2,093 yards passing for the Mules. Defensively, the Tigers are a very quick team that gets to the ball in a hurry. They have two very talented defensive ends and a strong secondary that has a nose for picking off passes.

It's Round 2 and every team at this point deserves to be in the playoffs. Fan support is a key and we encourage you to make the roadtrip to Austin to cheer on our Mules. We had a great turnout last week against Boerne Champion and we are looking for even greater fan support this week. We will see you there!

Go Mules! - Beat Dripping Springs!

Announcement:

Last week no one seemed to take my retirement announcement seriously as, so far, the Mule Fan has not received any suggestions for replacement volunteers. So if you Dads think that ignoring me will force me into staying on another year, that would be incorrect! This Mule Fan needs to hang up his cleats and hand the ball to someone with new and improved bull. So come on Dads - let us hear your voice! What a great opportunity to serve your school and become a rock star in your community. If you can't volunteer yourself, then at least secretly volunteer your friends! Send all suggestions to the Mule Fan at jeff@baileycommercial.com

Go Mules!

Looking Back:

AH Mules vs. Samuel Clemens:

Mules Beat Up on Buffaloes 34-17

The regular season is over and the Mules are 27-4A co-district champs! In case you missed the news, Buda Hays beat Smithson Valley in overtime last Friday to rob the Rangers of the district title, putting the Mules in a three-way tie for first place with Buda Hays and Smithson Valley. The Mules now advance to the state playoffs after last Friday’s convincing 34-17 win over the Buffaloes of Samuel Clemens. The Mules finished the regular season at 7-3 and 5-1 in district 27-4A. Of the three Mules losses this year, two were to 5-A schools. Heights fell short against O’Connor in the season opener in double overtime and then the loss to Reagan was a 4^th quarter heartbreaker. Then there was the loss to Smithson Valley, who happened to play their best game of the season against the Mules. But all of that is behind us now and after finishing-off district play against Samuel Clemens, the Mules can look forward to post season play.

After a two-week break, the Mules had some trouble shaking off the cobwebs as both the offense and defense looked a little rusty in the 1^st quarter. When the teams switched ends of the field for the start of the 2^nd quarter, the Mules surprisingly found themselves down 7-0. But the Mules woke up in the 2^nd quarter with the return of quarterback Wes Yancy, who was back after only a 3-week delay due to knee surgery. Yancy came in to start the 2^nd quarter and proceeded to put together two impressive drives for touchdowns. The first Mules score came after a 28 yard run by Andy Brooks down to the Clemens 3-yard line. On the next play Yancy would run it in from three yards out to close the scoring gap to 7-6 Clemens. On Yancy’s next series, he moved the Mules downfield with a series of passes to John Durbin, John Geibel, Truman Biggs and finally an 11 yard TD strike to Garrett Iverson. After the two-point conversion was good, the Mules led 14-7. But that would not be all the scoring for the Mules in the 2^nd quarter. With time running low and with nowhere to run, Andy Brooks somehow found a sliver of daylight and ran 55 yards for the 3rd Mules touchdown of the 2^nd quarter. The Buffaloes were able to get a field goal to end the first half with the score 20-10, Mules.

The Mules would send the Buffaloes a message as the 2^nd half began. On the opening play of the 2^nd half, Andy Brooks caught a short pass from Yancy, and after shaking off two tacklers, sprinted 82 yards to score - giving the Mules a quick 27-14 lead. The Mules final score would come in the 4^th quarter on yet another Yancy pass, as he hit Truman Biggs on a fade route in the corner of the endzone to win the game 34-17.

Heights ended the game with 497 total yards. Yancy had a big game on his return from knee surgery to go 11 of 13 for 204 yards with 3 passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. Yarborough also had a good night at QB with 93 yards rushing. But the big highlight of the evening was the running of Andy Brooks. Andy wowed the Mules crowd with 186 total yards on 104 yards rushing and 82 yards receiving. Defensively, the Mules had a great game holding the Buffaloes to only 69 yards passing and 352 total yards. The majority of the Buffalo offense came from Clemens running back Anthony Matthews, who ran for 168 yards on 22 carries. Now it’s on to the playoffs where the Mules take on the Boerne Champion Chargers in round one of the 4-A Division II state playoffs! This is how we roll!

JV Beats Buffs 21-6

The defense wasted no time in setting the tone against the Clemens Buffaloes. On the first play of the game Juan Alvarez's big hit told the Buffaloes they were in for a long day. It was three and out for the Buffs when Tommy Tyng broke up a pass on third down. Robert Weigel had a great effort on the punt return breaking 4 tackles along the way.

The Mules offense had trouble getting going in the first half but the defense kept them in the game until the offense got rolling. A big hit by Robert Durbin forced another three and out by the Buffs. The punt was blocked and a beautiful scoop and score by Adam Luna gave the Mules the lead.

The Buffs drove the length of the field on the next drive, but the Mules forced a fumble on their own 6-yard line. Another three and out by the Mules and the Buffs were on the move. Deep in Mules territory, Robert Durbin made a touchdown saving tackle and then broke up a pass on fourth down. The Buffs did score on their next drive, but Tommy Tyng broke up two-point conversion.

In the second half the offense started clicking. Uhl to Dubrof for 30 yards, Uhl to Weigel on a very nice back shoulder pass to the two, and Uhl to Lalinde for a touch down. 14-6 Mules.

The defense continued to dominate and forced a fumble at the Buffs 21 yard line. Two plays later it was Wasson up the gut for a two-yard TD plunge. The defense held the Buffs scoreless in the 2nd half and finished the game off with a Josh Arnold interception.

Looking Ahead:

State Playoffs – Round One Bi-District

AH Mules vs. Boerne Champion Chargers

Friday, Eleven, Eleven, Eleven – 7:30 PM

New Braunfels High Stadium – 2593 Texas Loop 37 (Ruekel Road)

Click Here for Map to New Braunfels Stadium

Click Here for the 4-a Division II Playoff Bracket

OK Mules Fans, it’s playoffs time! This is what your Mules have worked for all season. From this point on, it’s Win or Go Home! Each week you get one shot. There are no do-overs!

This Friday the Mules face the Division II runner-up from District 28-4A, Boerne Champion Chargers. The Chargers came into last week’s final game of the season with a 4-5 record and needed a win over Uvalde to make the playoffs. And the Chargers earned their spot in the post season by soundly defeating Uvalde 56-14. Don’t let Boerne Champion’s record fool you. Although the Chargers ended the regular season with a 5-5 overall record and 3-3 in district play, their season was crippled early when starting quarterback Kyle Poeske broke his arm in their third game. Poeske, who is a dual threat as both a passer and a runner, returned to the starting lineup last week against Uvalde and passed for 2 touchdowns. Another Charger threat is running back David Rogers who has rushed for 1,389 yards and 24 touchdowns so far this season. Last week against Uvalde, Rogers rushed for 201 yards on 13 carries and 4 TDs. Much of Rogers’ running success can be attributed to a big Charger offensive line that averages over 250 pounds. The Chargers have scored over 50 points in 3 different games this season so this is not a team to take lightly and the Mules defense will have to be on top of their game this Friday.

Mules Fans; we will need big fan support this Friday so make the drive out to New Braunfels High School for round-one of the playoffs. Don’t be square – be there!

Go Mules! Beat Boerne Champion!

Announcements:

The Mule Fan is looking for replacements! Yes, it's time for me to throw in the towel, which I'm sure will be a relief to you Mules Fans that are looking forward to a refreshing change of pace. I've been at this gig for two years now and it's time for some fresh meat to step up and take the reins. Don't get me wrong, writing the Mule Fan Blog has been a fantastic experience, and the pay and perks are awesome. Who doesn't love the power of getting a complimentary sausage wrap when you flash your blogger badge at the concession stand? But, it's time for the younger generation to take over. Nominations will be accepted and tryouts will be held for all Dads with current sophomore and junior sons. Is there training? Yes! Do you have to do it my way? No! The blogging world is your oyster, whatever that means. Here's your chance to publicly gush over your son's football accomplishments and make him into the star you've always wanted him to be! Should the nomination process fail to bring forth the type of literary talent that this job requires (cursive is a plus) then we run the risk of a Mom trying to elbow her way in. That would be fine if you want to read about how cute the boys look in their uniforms or how unfair it was because "that boy was mean to my son!", or who had what purse and shoes in the stands during last week's game. (It's a joke Moms, it's a joke!) Please forward all nominations to the selection committee at jeff@baileycommercial.com. The Mule Fan must survive!

Looking Back:

AH Mules vs. Smithson Valley Rangers

Alamo Heights vs. Smithson Valley. This was The Express New game of night in the San Antonio area and the winner would go on to claim the title for District 27-4A. It was the Mules dressed in all white against the Rangers dressed in all navy. White vs. Dark. Good vs. Bad. And that’s pretty much how Mules fans felt when the final gun sounded with the Rangers taking home the win, 41-15.

When you look at the final game numbers, the score was much more lopsided than the stats. On paper the Mules offense had a pretty good game. But the Rangers played their best game of the year and took advantage of mistakes by the Mules. The big difference in the game was #21, Smithson Valley running back Lawrence Mattison, who ran for 208 yards and two TDs and caught a pass for an additional 32 yards.

But let’s not get too worked up about the loss to Smithson Valley. The Mules will likely advance to the playoffs as the top district seed in Division II and Smithson Valley will advance in Division I where they will probably face Lake Travis in the 2^nd round like they did last year. That will be a great game, but Lake Travis is the odds-on favorite to win it. Too bad, so sad, Smithson Valley.

The game started well for the Rangers with good field position at the Mules 40 yard line. Their first drive was highlighted by two big plays by Lawrence Mattison: one was a 37-yard reception, and finally a 12-yard spinning touchdown run that gave the Mules a taste of what all the Mattison hype was about. But the Mules fired right back and scored on their first offensive possession. QB Dub Yarborough, playing the entire game instead of splitting time with fellow quarterback Wes Yancy who was out with a knee injury, hit wide receiver Truman Biggs on a 46 yard pass down the right sideline. He then found Biggs again in the endzone to tie the score 7-7. That had Mules fans thinking; “OK, we can play with these guys!”

But that would be all the scoring for the Mules during the first half. One of the Ranger strengths all night was their kicking game, something that Coach Byrd had predicted would play a big part in the game. Whether it from Ranger kickoffs or punts, the Mules found themselves starting their drives deep in their own territory with a long field ahead. Conversely, Smithson Valley seemed to have good field possession most of the night. The other annoying part of the Ranger’s kicking game was that every time the Rangers kicked-off, Mules fans had to listen to their lounge act announcer tell everyone to get their guns up. Yuk! It sure made you appreciate the announcing of our own Rick Shaw (owner of La Fonda for before and after every home game…plug). Smithson Valley would capitalize on their good field position the rest of the first half, and behind the running of Mattison, the Rangers put two more touchdowns on the board and went into halftime up on the Mules 21-7.

The second half was pretty much the same as the Rangers again outscored the Mules 21-8. But things got a little ugly in the 3^rd quarter. After Garrett Iverson made a nice kickoff return to the 32-yard line (the Mules best starting field position of the night), quarterback Dub Yarborough engineered a tough and gutsy drive. Andy Brooks would spearhead the drive with 3 good runs totaling 33 yards. Andy would cap off the drive with an option pass to Christian Biedenharn in the back of the endzone. The two-point conversion was good on a pass from Yarborough to John Geibel and the score was 35-15 with time running low in the 3^rd quarter. But the real story of the drive was the Ranger assault on Yarborough. Play after play, what appeared to be late hits on Yarborough had angry Mules fans crying foul and Coach Byrd on the field, livid at the officials. Time after time, Yarborough would get to his feet in obvious pain, hanging his left arm. It smacked of unsportsmanlike play and really left Mules fans with a bad taste for the Rangers. I know this Mule Fan was anxious for revenge and thoughts of the 1974 Burt Reynolds movie, The Longest Yard, came to mind. You kind of felt like the Guards had been playing with brass knuckles, and it was time for the Mean Machine Mules to run the old “Split Right, Ball Curl” play!

The Rangers would get one more score to extend their lead to 41-15. But that wasn’t enough. With a four-touchdown lead, Ranger’s coach Larry Hill decided to go for two. Mules fans shook their heads at the two-point play call. As fate would have it, Mules linebacker Nick Uretsky blew through the line and sacked the Ranger quarterback, driving him to the ground and knocking his helmet off. And coach Hill felt it necessary to come onto the field and cry foul! It was a high-five moment for Mules fans who were still worked-up over Yarborough’s treatment on the previous series. Now, the Mule Fan isn’t advocating violence, but hey, it was a great hit by Uretsky. Just sayin!

The game ended with the final score 41-15. But this was a team-building game for the Mules as they head toward the final two games of district and then into the playoffs. Offensively, the Mules played solidly, but two interceptions cost the Mules 14 points. Yarborough was 18 of 29 passing for 287 yards. Truman Biggs and John Geibel were the two big receivers of the night, but all of the Mules receivers had catches in this game. Defensively, the Mules played tough. The defensive line of Warren Monnich, Danny Garza, Chase Stockton and Frankie Alvarez tangled with a Ranger offensive line that heavily outweighed them. Linebackers Skylar Nelson, Blake Klumpp, Lucci Vizza and Nick Uretsky, along with safeties Blake Rosenthal, Alex Cisneros and Ben Bass, worked hard to contain Ranger running back Lawrence Mattison. But Mattison had by far his best game of the season, rushing for over 200 yards. This was a big, strong Smithson Valley team that is near the end of its two-year term in 4A. Smithson Valley will likely move back to 5A next year, leaving the Mules without an opportunity to seek revenge of this year’s loss in what has quickly become a district rivalry. Next up, the Mules will take on the Lobos of Kyle Lehman at home this Friday evening. Go Mules!

District Standings - Week 4

		Won	Lost
1	Smithson Valley Rangers	3	0
2	Alamo Heights Mules	3	1
2	Buda Hays Rebels	3	1
3	NB Canyon Cougars	2	2
4	Clemens Buffaloes	1	2
5	Lockhart Lions	0	3
5	Kyle Lehman Lobos - Bye	0	3
Friday's District Results
	Smithson Valley 41, Alamo Heights 15
	Buda Hays 41, Lockhart 7
	NB Canyon 24, Clemens 14

Chirps From The Byrd - Head Coach Byrd, That Is:

Mule Fan: The loss to Smithson Valley was probably not what you expected. What were some of the contributing factors?

Coach Byrd: Smithson Valley has a great team, but they have two kids that are special: one on offense and one on defense. #21, Lawrence Mattison, has been playing decently, but that was his best game of the year. Defensive tackle #34, George Schwanenberg, has been playing great like that all year long. Tackle-to-tackle, with Schwanenberg in there, we couldn’t run it inside a whole lot. We also had to be very selective throwing the ball down the field because we knew we weren’t going to have a lot of time to throw it. And they have a good kicking game. Defensively, they got us on our heels and we couldn’t come back. Their offensive line was good and when somebody gets blown out of their position, then another player feels like he needs to start making tackles over there and that opens up his area, and it just dominoes. And then you start playing slow, where they are trying to do more than they are capable. I thought going into the game if we could get 28 points I thought we would win the game. We had 15 points and we were down there near the endzone two other times and had an interception and just couldn’t get the score. We had about 350 total yards and then we lost about 40 yards on sacks. So we could have had close to 400 total yards. I was hoping that we would have given them a better game. The kids played hard, no doubt about it, but we didn’t play the responsibilities we needed to be in a game like that.

Mule Fan: Do you think it got a little unsportsmanlike in the 3^rd quarter?

Coach Byrd: Yes, I thought so. I thought they got away with some late hits. After the game coach Hill came up and said that they really weren’t trying to hit our quarterback with anything extra. And then they went for two on that last touchdown because he missed the prior extra point. So in his mind, he’s wants to get back to 7s. When we got two on that crossing route after our last touchdown, that made him mad. And then when he went for two and we laid his quarterback out pretty good, I’m sure he was worried because he doesn’t have a backup. His backup is #19 that played in the secondary, and he hasn’t had many snaps. That could get them in trouble quickly if they lose that quarterback.

Mule Fan: Smithson Valley used to be 5A, then they dropped down to 4A. What caused that?

Coach Byrd: In October of 2009, when the UIL set the enrollment limit for 4A, the cutoff was 2040 students for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Smithson Valley said they made the cutoff by 4 students that year with an enrollment of 2036. But their enrollment grew above the limit by the time the 2010 season started, but it was already set at that point. This happens in places like Smithson Valley that are in high growth areas. Think about the number of homes that came on-line in the span from October until school starts in August. Then you have another year of residential growth during your second year in district. That is where they are now and their enrollment is up to 2180. They wanted to come down to 4A thinking they could win another a state championship. But the difference between 5A and 4A is not that much. I think the top teams in 4A can play, day-in and day-out, with the top teams in 5A. The difference is that in 4A, there are about 12 really special teams, and in 5A there are double that. There are just more teams at that top level in 5A. There’s not a whole lot of difference in the type of ball they play. I think Smithson Valley has seen that when they get to the playoffs and they have to face Lake Travis and Cedar Park. Alamo Heights enrollment is at 1509. It looks like Lake Travis will go up to 5A; Cedar Park will go up; Smithson Valley will probably go up; and Canyon has a decent shot at going up to 5A.

Mule Fan: How does the UIL figure out the districts?

Coach Byrd: Every two years the UIL will make a list of every high school starting with he greatest enrollment all the way down to the smallest one. They will say we need 228 5A schools. So they will count out 228 schools and see if there is a natural break in the list. That will then be enrollment line for the 5A schools. Then they take 228 schools for 4A and they will look for a line. And then they do the same for 3A on down.

Supposedly they used to take a state map and they would stick a pin for every high school and then they would take rubber bands and create districts based on how schools looked grouped together. Now supposedly they use some software that the telephone company uses that, based on populated areas, it determines the lines that are the most convenient for districts. In my prediction, what they do in our region is they start first with the Valley. They know the Valley is going to have two 4A districts. Corpus is probably going to need two districts. Then they move up to San Antonio. San Antonio and Edgewood make up 8 schools so they are going to be a district because they are so close together. And then they figure out how many schools are on the west side with Uvalde going up I-10 to Kerrville and Fredericksburg. Then they look up I-35 to Clemens, Canyon, Lehman and Hays. If you don’t get into either of those two districts, then you could end up south of town in Floresville, Beeville, Pleasanton - even as far as Victoria.

District realignment is coming up again this year and we should know sometime in February where we will be for the next two years. For a number of years, we were in the district with Uvalde, Kerrville, Boerne and Fredericksburg. But last realignment, for some reason they moved us with Hays, Canyon, and Lehman. We could go back to our old district out west. So if we don’t get into that west district then we are going to have be driving again. It doesn’t matter to me team-wise who we play. I just hate all the travel and fighting traffic on I-35 on a Friday.

JV Gives Rangers A Run For Their Money:

This past Thursday Smithson Valley came calling on the JV Mules. They had us out numbered and out sized but as is always the case with this bunch, The Mules did not care. I will go ahead and give it away, the outcome was not what we wanted, but this Mules team gave those boys a lot to think about. It is clear that the Rangers will not be looking past the Mules any time soon.

The Rangers held us to several 3 and outs and scored on a pretty convincing long drive to take a 7-0 lead. If you had not watched this group all year, you would have probably readied yourself for the worst. However, this group does not quit, ever. After holding the Rangers to a 3 and out, Scott Uhl got his number called and made the most of it. He scampered up the middle for 50 yard TD on a QB draw. The line opened up a great hole and Scott did the rest. The game stayed 7-7 until the very last of the first half when the Rangers punched one in to take 14-7 lead. The score would have come earlier if it were not for an incredible diving one-armed tackle by Tommy Tyng to save a touch down. Another highlight of the first half was a crushing tackle on punt coverage by Josh Arnold

In the second half, there was more great play from the Mules secondary. Daniel Mays made a beautiful solo tackle to save a sure TD by the Rangers. The Mules also stopped the Rangers on a 4th and one. Unfortunately the Rangers scored a gain on a long sustained drive. Being cocky, or just bad at math, the Rangers went for two and were denied. As usual The Mules would not lie down. Uhl to Wiegel for 20 yards and a 50-yard Sweep by Brandon Wasson led to the Mules second Touchdown of the game. 20-13 Rangers. Unfortunately the clock ran down on our boys. We did not really lose, we just ran out of time. Next up is Lehman and I am sure or boys will be ready to roll.

Looking Ahead:

AH Mules vs. Kyle Lehman Lobos

Friday, October 21st - 7:30 PM

Alamo Heights Harry B. Orem Stadium

From Coach Byrd: "Lehman stared out a much better team. They started out winning their first 4 games and then they got into district and they have lost 3 games. But they have had some injuries. They have a very good running back that is out with a concussion. They have another good running back that has been out with some disciplinary problems. They might be back, we don’t know. They are coming off their bye week so they have had two weeks to get ready for us. But they are good team, mainly because their offensive line. On defense, they are going to either bring an all out blitz and be in our face, or they are going to drop back with two safeties high, so we’ve got be smart. On the all out blitzes, we’ve got to make plays quickly. They haven’t had as much success with their kicking game. They are real erratic so its hard for us to work on that in practice when you don’t really know where the kick is going to go. But it is going to be a good test. We haven’t had a week off. Coming off a loss like last week, it’s a little hard to get the guys back mentally. But we’ve had a couple of good practices, so hopefully we will go out and take care of business on Friday night."

Last year, the Mules beat the Lehman Lobos 63-14. But this is an improved Lehman team that started off their season strong by beating San Antonio Edison 40-0, Austin Crockett 44-0, and then San Antonio Jefferson 41-12. Against Buda Hays, the Lobos only lost that game by one point. But as Coach Byrd mentioned above, injuries have plagued them since and we won't know for sure the strength of their lineup until we face off on Friday night. This will be our last home game so don't mis the opportunity to come cheer your Mules. See you there! Go Mules!