Alamo Heights 24 O'Connor 34 September 5, 2014

Mules Fall in Non-District Tug Of War to O'Connor 34-24
               -Short Non-District Schedule Done; On to District vs. Kennedy
By Bob Cohen
Editor-in-Cleats

Photos courtesy of Mary Candee

http://dulcedesigns.photoreflect.com

            (San Antonio)--One of these days, the Mules are going to get out of Farris Stadium with a win.  So what if Farris IS a nice stadium.   For as long as this reporter can remember, it has been a torture chamber.  Alamo Heights is always in a scrap there against tough non-district or playoff opponents.  On Friday, the Mules probably realize that they were within making just a few plays from getting that elusive Farris win AND O’Connor realizes they were in quite an early season test, one that was costlier than they’d expected unfortunately. The San Antonio Express News headline writers called it a shootout and that it was with the Mules falling to the Panthers 34-24. 

One can’t write a game story about this place and put it all in proper perspective without first covering the logistics involved.  First of all, once escape velocity is achieved from the Bubble, AH fans must contend with something called stop and go traffic trudging up IH-10 and then 1604 (to be fair, the same thing happens when we venture up IH-35, maybe worse).  If a north side restaurant is selected for a pre-game stop, then the typical Mule follower must endure the discomfort of walking past table after table of folks they’ve never even seen before that have probably never heard of Bun & Barrel or the Barn Door and might even be wearing popped collars.  Mortifying.  Thank heavens it must only be endured once per season usually.  Then, once seated in the stadium, visiting fans spend the first 30 minutes of their evening staring directly into a Super Nova until the western stands take over which invariably prompts such natural statements such as “Gawwd I miss home,” or “What time does Central Market close?”  Simply put, we deserve a win just to justify putting up with such an arduous four-hour odyssey.  Oh well, time to close the whine cellar and get on with it.  After all, district play awaits starting this Friday.

But as for last Friday, the fans got their money’s worth as the two teams combined for nearly 900 yards of total offense and a scoring to and fro.  Both offenses were potent.  Mules QB Dalton Banks led the Mules offense with 31 of 49 passes and 325 yards and two touchdowns to go with a rushing touchdown in the second quarter.  Banks’ performance was really a very strong mid-season type of night especially when one considers the level to which the talented Panther defensive backfield was all over Mule receivers.  And while the offensive line gave the Mules QB loads of protection there were just some plays where there was nowhere to throw it or it went a little long, short or in and out of receiver hands.  Still, seven Mules were on the receiving end those passing stats led by Greer Shetler who hauled in 10 for 157 yards and two scores including a 28 yard snare in the corner of the O’Connor end zone which brought the Mules to within three points in the late stages of the third quarter.  On the next series, O’Connor botched a snap on a punt after the Mules had held which gave Alamo Heights the ball on the Panther’s 43.  Alamo Heights was unable to convert and move the chains on that or the next series.   O’Connor was able to put it away by making it a two possession game finishing a drive with a six yard run by Brandon Bradford with 1:25 left. 

Bradford’s name was on that last touchdown after Panthers junior running back Jamontae Edwards went out with what turned out to be a season ending ACL knee injury in the fourth.  But not before he racked up 199 yards, this after an opening week 194 yard effort, on 20 carries and three touchdowns.  For most of the game, the only answer the Mules defense had for Edwards, who was as slippery as a buttered eel, was their own offense being successful at keeping him off the field.  Combine Edwards’ athleticism with a receiving weapon like Kolby Lunsford who had six catches for 125 yards and the Mules defense had its hands full.

As mentioned, Banks had a number of receivers who were able to wriggle open and catch passes.  In addition to Shetler’s big night, Zach Ford and Colton Courtney picked up some nice balls and in traffic.  Ford pulled in nine passes for 100 yards.  Courtney had four catches for 35.  Defensively, the Mules forced three fumbles, pressured the Panthers QB on passing downs, held him to 13 completions and made some timely stops but just fell a little short.  One particularly outstanding defensive play occurred with seven seconds left in the first half.  Trailing 17-13 O’Connor elected to take a shot at the end zone from the Mules 30 yard line.  This in spite of having magnum-legged kicker Ronnie Zuniga warehoused on their sideline.  With the Mules in deep prevent, O’Connor took a shot at a post route, which was swatted away by Mules defensive back Joseph McGrath just in front of the receiver and the Mules retained the first half lead.

27-5A Scores

Boerne Champion 48  Stevens 24

Kerrville Tivy 41  CC Calallen 37

Burbank 38  Kennedy 33

New Braunfels 42  Seguin 21

Pearsall 56  Memorial 34

Floresville 42  Edison 21

San Marcos 27 Victoria East 43

Lockhart 44 Austin Crockett 41

Hammin' Time

The pork prize this week goes to Mules senior receiver Greer Shetler for his effort Friday.  As reported above, Shetler collected 10 Dalton Banks passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns in his second game of varsity action.

"His Inside Voice"

A weekly discussion with Coach Mike Norment

Mule Fan:  Friday’s game against O’Connor was very competitive with the Mules having the chance to win. O’Connor knew they were in a scrap. If you make a play here or make a play there perhaps that’s the difference.  What did it come down to from the perspective of the coaches and what were your takeaways?

Coach Norment:  Games like these are always frustrating because you know you have a chance to win the game and you don’t.  If they would have beaten us by 35 points and you know you’re not even in the game, you say all right.  But this was a game that we could’ve won.  Now we didn’t make plays.  On offense we still had some mistakes.  We had some holding penalties.  We had receivers running the wrong routes.  We had some linemen not doing what they were supposed to. Quarterbacks not making the right read.  But overall we got much better than the week before so there are some positives.  On defense we played a much bigger, more physical, faster team and we got after them.  At times we didn’t wrap up but there were a lot of plays that we did.  And here at Alamo Heights there are no such things as moral victories because we expect that anytime we set foot on the field, we’re going to win.  But at the same time you have to look at the positives. We did get better and that was one of our goals to get better from the week before.

Mule Fan:  The Mules had a good passing night against a very skilled defensive backfield with the exception of a few plays where the receivers were either covered up or a pass may have been long, short or just not caught.  Ultimately, I know you want to get that balance with the running game to make passing even more productive.  How do you feel about that progress so far?

Coach Norment:  We’re still learning.  We’re running through some running backs.  We have two running backs that started the year on the JV and are now on the varsity.  We still have some injuries on the guys a little bit older and they’re starting to get healthy.  Overall when we did run the ball, we did pick up some yards.  So that’s the positive.  We’re still looking at some of the reads on the inside game.  And we knew that this wasn’t going to be a big run game. We went into this game pared down to three run plays from typically five. Even though you look at the stats, we didn’t run that much, we still were productive when we did run the ball in most cases. So the running game is coming along.

Mule Fan:  Jamontae Edwards had a big night before going with the knee injury early in the fourth quarter.  You often hear from coaches that the way to defend an athlete like that is to make him work really hard.  What can you do when it seems the harder he works, the better it gets for him?

Coach Norment:  You have to work harder.  He’s a great athlete.  It is unfortunate that he was injured.  You never want to see that with anybody.  But at times, we stopped him.  As good as he is, we stopped him cold.  So once again that shows you that when we execute we can play with anybody.  At times, we were there and he ran through our tackles and that shows us that we need to work on our tackling ability. 

Mule Fan:  Let’s look ahead now.  Kennedy and Memorial were the two teams that came over from the Edgewood District.  What sort of district competition have they faced in recent years and what sorts of challenges will district 27-5A present?

Coach Norment:  They’re coming from schools that don’t have as many numbers so they have some guys having to go both ways.  They won’t have the numbers that a lot of the teams in our district are going to have so the big challenge for them is that they’ll get worn down.  But it’s early in the year.  It’s only game three so that shouldn’t be a factor.  So we’re going to see Kennedy team that is healthy and at full strength so they’re going to give us some challenge. They have a good coach in first year Coach Mike Inco. He’s from Trinity University where he coached last year and he’ll have them playing well. They’ll give us a lot of different looks on defense and offense and try and cause confusion and try to get a play that way.  We’re going to have to be aware of that and come out prepared to play a tough team.

Mule Fan:  At this time of year in a district game, if you were to get a big lead, what’s more important-keep working with the regular players to improve on timing and reps or get as many kids into a game as possible?   

Coach Norment:  We just want to win and we will do whatever it takes to win.  In a game, if we get in that situation, we handle that in a game by game situation.

Mule for a Day Fund Raiser 

One of the highlights of every varsity season is the Mule For a Day event at Orem Stadium.  The players really get into this.  If you've got a young up and coming Mule from four years of age to 5th grade, get the info off of the form below and sign your little Mule (girls or boys) up for a fun day of football instruction from the big boys!

Pre Game Player Lunch Menu Controversy Erupts in Wake of Enchilada Entree

This story qualifies as a little bit “inside” but important nonetheless.  There is a tradition to get the team, coaches and cheerleaders together on game days for a lunch at a willing Mule parent’s home.  The boys all pool their funds for these lunches but well-intentioned Mule moms select the menus.  There is some science to sports nutrition.  Most of the time, we get it just right.  The staff of the Mule Fan feels though that it is only right to suggest to Mule moms that the selection of certain regional favorites be carefully considered for the law of unintended consequences.  Case in point, there was a problem last year after chilidogs were served at one of these lunches.  The problem didn’t occur at the lunch you understand.  But occur it did in rainbow colors several hours later during the game.  We won’t go into more detail but let’s just say a mop was needed and a mop is not a traditional piece of football equipment.  “Cleanup at the 36 yard line please!”

This past week, we understand enchiladas were served at the weekly lunch.  When your humble scribe heard earlier in the week that a Mexican food lunch was planned, there was a strong temptation to call and try to stop the madness.  While this reporter enjoys a bubbling dish of enchies just like the rest of you, there is a time and place for everything.  In the end, there were no problems such as the ones that were dealt with last season on the “eve of the chili dog.”  However, the Mule Fan feels we may have dodged a bullet and would like to suggest the following screener to the volunteers and hosts when working through menu selection.

Pretend you are within this scenario when planning the menu for the boys.  You are pouring asphalt on a TxDOT highway crew near Monahans, Texas on a broiling August midday suited up head-to-toe in a mohair jump suit with a wetsuit liner.  To hammer that country and western thirst, you’ve been served nothing but steaming coffee right off the boil out of a thermos the size of a scuba tank.  Now, it’s time to break for lunch.  Hmmm, what sounds good?  If tucking into a big bowl of beef stew, a roast breast of casserole or a tray of hot gooey cheese enchiladas with a chili relleno chaser sounds like something you’d be dying for at that moment, then by all means serve it up.  Otherwise change course or stand back.  One thinks there are vittles which are friendlier to the digestive system a few hours before a game.

Speaking of food, check the inspirational serving size of the weekend breakfast omelet consumed by one of the Mules offensive linemen living in the same home as this reporter.

Actual scale = half a manhole cover or one fireproof tile
from underside of space shuttle Endeavour

Fresh Photos Available Weekly

Mary Candee reloads her website with high quality action photos of the entire game day experience each week.  Check out her work at http://dulcedesigns.photoreflect.com. The photos you see on this very blog are her work (with the exception of the fine shot of our canned ham). Check it out.  There's more where those came from.

Mules Radio

We never want you to miss a game.  But sometimes you just can't be there in person what with the cooking and the washing….Never miss a play in that case. Tune in to KBUC 92.5 FM for the play-by-play or listen online from as far away as Gdansk, Poland if you prefer on www.tsrnsports.com.  Ed Suarez, Dave Parker and Albert Gonzalez bring you the action and the analysis each week.  If you have a retail or service business patronized by Mule Nation, this would be a good place to do a little branding, reminding, preaching and hollerin’.  Contact Dave Parker at dparker77@aol.com to create your sponsorship package today! There are still some available.

 GO MULES!!! SEE YOU FRIDAY NIGHT!