Boerne Champion 31, Alamo Heights 14 September 18, 2015

Mules Drop District Tilt to Boerne Champion

-       Alamo Heights Takes to Road Next to Lockhart

                        By Bob Cohen, Senior Editor-Hates-Beets

(San Antonio)—This is the stuff that keeps rivalries burning white-hot.  For the second straight year, but this time in front of a large AH home crowd, Boerne Champion left a mess on the rug for Alamo Heights to clean up.   The Mules (2-2, 1-1) had to deal with four full quarters of Champion quarterback Josh Green as he led the Chargers to a 31-14 victory in an important District 27-5A matchup sure to factor into playoff considerations later.  Alamo Heights will have to wait a year for their next chance to land a blow in this fierce rivalry.  In the meantime, is there a way for us to impose economic sanctions?

In the best of circumstances, it’s hard to win a football game when you’ve gone through the penalty and turnover buffet line.  The Mules had to digest both of those and a Boerne Champion team that served up 476 yards of total offense.  With the exception of a few possessions when the Mules had the ball, the tempo and pace that fuel the Mules attack, was elusive.  However, in spite of the rough ride, the Mules were in a one possession game with 10:43 left in the fourth quarter following a drive that featured a pass from running back Deryl Reynolds to Michael Kelleher for 33 yards and a Kelleher fingertip grab of a Jack Woodland nine-yard pass over the middle.  With Champion driving on the following possession and sitting third and four from the Alamo Heights 17, Josh Green threw to single coverage at the right sideline about eight yards out that Nik Proctor wrestled away from the intended receiver, giving the Mules the ball deep in their own territory but with plenty of time.  The Mules were unable to answer after another batted ball put the Mules into an unwanted punting situation.  The Chargers offense went to work and put the ball in the end zone on the following drive on a 20-yard run by running back Isaac Murdock and later finished off the Mules with a safety dropping Jack Woodland in his own end zone with just under two minutes to play.

The Mules played from behind all night.  The offense frequently found itself in third and fourth and long situations.  Untimely penalties, some turnovers and a pesky Boerne Champion defense that got its hands on Mules passes put an anchor on the Alamo Heights offensive attack.  The Mules defense turned up the intensity in the second period and helped give Alamo Heights the encouragement it was looking for knowing it would get the ball to start the second half.

In the end, the Mules found Champion and quarterback Josh Green a “tough putt.”  Green was 21 for 41 for 240 yards and a touchdown pass. He ran for three scores of his own while he picked up 51 yards on 12 carries.  The Mules put up big passing yardage with 292 yards with more attempts led by a big night of production by Antoine Cole who handled 13 catches for 95 yards and Michael Kelleher who collected four balls, two for touchdowns and 79 yards.  Woodland was 24-46 for 306 yards and two touchdowns but did suffer three interceptions.  But the balance of a potent rushing attack from the Chargers gave them the edge on Friday.  Running backs Chayce Bolli and Isaac Murdock paced the Champion ground game with 103 and 79 yards respectively.  Mules punter Dakota Brokaw had a solid game with four kicks and an impressive 45.3 yard average.

Alamo Heights finds itself exactly where it was a year ago after a loss to Boerne Champion.  It rolled to seven straight wins following that loss and was finally stopped in the second round of the playoffs.  2015 is a new year with different personnel.  Attention now turns to a road trip to Lockhart to a Lions team that is off to a fast start. 

Last Week’s District 27-5A Results

San Marcos 35, Seguin 21

Floresville 34, Kennedy 3

Lockhart 51, Memorial 20

Kerrville Tivy idle

District 27-5A Standings

Boerne Champion  2-0

Lockhart  2-0

San Marcos 1-0

Kerrville Tivy 1-0

Alamo Heights 1-1

Floresville 1-1

Seguin 0-2

Kennedy 0-2

Memorial 0-2

Area Leaders

The loss to Boerne Champion dropped the Mules to 4th from 2nd in the Express News Sub-6A rankings this week. Champion jumped from #5 to #2. Kerrville Tivy remains #1.  Mules starting QB Jack Woodland is ranked 16th in total offense and 10th in passing.  Receivers Antoine Cole is #2 in receptions with 32 and Brendon McClinton is 10th. Caleb Williams is tied for 14th.  In receiving yards, Cole is ranked #11 and McClinton is #20.  Lockhart running backs DJ Ellison and Stephon Huston are ranked 7-8 in area rushing in sub-6A.  Huston is averaging a whopping 15.6 yards per carry.

“His Inside Voice”

A Weekly Conversation with Coach Mike Norment

Mule Fan:  In games with two evenly matched teams, rivals or not, it can come down to turnovers and untimely penalties.  There were those on Friday.  What was your overall view of the way things went on Friday?

Coach Norment:  Unfortunately we were just not consistent on any of the phases of the game.  We need to do better on all three phases of the game.  When we played well, things went well and then we’d make mental mistakes, which gave Boerne some chances. And they took advantage of them. That’s what happens when you play a good team.  If you make mistakes, they’ll expose them.

Mule Fan:  Not enough went right for the Mules to get ahead in the game but with 10:43 left after the Nik Proctor strip, you’re in a one possession game.  What was the approach at that point and what are the steps you feel the team need to take to finishing a game like that?

Coach Norment: We just need to get the ball moving.  Unfortunately we couldn’t do that. We just need to get some first downs. We had breakdowns here and there.  Obviously we didn’t do a good enough job of getting the players ready to play.

Mule Fan:  Our quarterback had to flush from the pocket and scramble a lot during the game. Was it coverage, blitz packages or protection that drove that?

Coach Norment: It was a combination. They did a really good job of jumping our intermediate routes. We got the ball off when we threw short but they did a good job of taking away our intermediate routes.  They were able to collapse the pocket a little bit. We’ve just got to be aware of that. It flushed us out and they did a good job of having a “spy” there and would put pressure on the quarterback when they were able to flush them out.

Mule Fan: Their quarterback, Josh Green, played as advertised. What were your thoughts about his play?

Coach Norment: He’s a great player. We knew he was a great player two years ago when he was a sophomore. In fact, we knew it when he was on the freshman team.  He’s gotten better and he made a lot of good plays. He’s one of the best players in the district.

Mule Fan:  When you came off the field, what was the first thing that you and the coaching staff wanted to see on film?

Coach Norment:  We wanted to see if it was something that Boerne was doing or something we were doing. Boerne Champion did a great job of getting after us but there were a lot of things that Alamo Heights messed up on. The coaches have to do a much better job of getting the kids ready to play.

Mule Fan: You’re right where you were a year ago.  And you went 7-1 after the Boerne loss.  So now how did and how does senior leadership come into play after a tough loss?

Coach Norment:  They definitely have to take control of the team and look at what’s going on and take some ownership. They need to make sure that things are being done correctly. The coaches can do it but if the kids and especially the seniors will do it, it just makes the team function a lot better.  That’s where we need to seniors to step up and help the coaches out and help get the team going in the right direction.

Mule Fan: Let’s take a look at Lockhart. They’re off to their best start in years. They run a Slot Wing T offense designed for ball control. It is tough to simulate that offense in practice. What are the steps to preparing for them?

Coach Norment: Well we need our personnel to try to give the best look that we possibly can on defense.  Today we had a group of 11 guys trying to do the same thing over and over again so each day and each play they’re doing a better job of giving the defense a good look. That’s the biggest thing. Because what’s going to happen is the speed is not going to be the same, so the defense is going to struggle the first couple of plays because the speed is going to be a lot different. But hopefully we’re giving them a good look and each day it gets a little bit better. So hopefully once they get used to the speed they’ll be able to do what they’re supposed to do.

Mule Fan: What are they keys to victory this week?

Coach Norment:  Well hopefully we have a great week of practice.  We did well on Monday.  I think one of the reasons why we struggled on Friday is that we didn’t have a great week of practice. That’s my fault. So we’re going to do a better job of getting them prepared this week. And also we’re just going to have to come up with a lot of intensity and be ready to play.

Canned Ham Award 

This week’s canned delicacies go to senior receiver Antoine Cole and junior receiver Michael Kelleher. Antoine has established himself as a dependable target for Mules quarterbacks. Cole had 13 catches for 95 yards and barely missed a dazzling catch in the end zone in the first half. Junior receiver Michael Kelleher was also a bright spot for the Mules on Friday.  He was on the receiving end of four passes for 79 yards and touchdown catches of 26 and 10 yards.   Congratulations to Cole and Kelleher for their efforts. Enjoy your pork in a can.  Even the black cloud of a loss can’t hide the silver lining that can only come from munching down on a canned ham. It doesn’t get any better.

Up Next – Lockhart Lions

Mule Fans traveling to Lockhart this week will need to cleanse their palate of last week’s taste so that they can enjoy a pregame barbecue tailgate in the smoky haven of Lockhart, Texas all in preparation to watch the Mules take on the Lockhart Lions in a district matchup.  The Lions are off to their best start in years at 4-0, 2-0 in district play and a scoring machine rolling up 208 points and allowing only 73. Their wins have come against Austin Reagan, Austin Crockett, Seguin and SA Memorial.  The Lions finished 2014 7-5 overall and 4-4 in district.  They return four starters on offense and six on defense including their quarterback Nick Sanchez who only threw 45 passes all season, completing 22 of them for 303 yards.  Remember that Lockhart runs an old fashioned Slot T offense.  If the last time you ever saw anyone on “all fours” was when you last had the flu, then prepare to see guys all over the field in that four point stance including all 30 running backs.  Alamo Heights won this game last season at Harry B. Orem Stadium 52-20 to notch the first of seven straight victories.

Lockhart Tickets

Nobody thinks it’s very nice to try and buy tickets at the stadium with barbecue sauce all over your fingers.  So get them in advance and take an economic stand that you’ll save when you can.  Tickets for this week’s game are $6 in advance for adults and $3 for students.  At the gate, you’ll be flipping out $7 of your hard earned cash regardless of age and shoe size and have to leave the restaurant early.  But if you must, Lockhart school officials ask that you please wash up before.

Tickets can be purchased at the Alamo Heights athletic office during these hours:

Wednesday 8:30am-noon and 1:30pm-3:30pm, Thursday 8:30am-noon and 4:30pm-6:30pm at the JV football game and Friday from 8:30am-3:00pm at the athletic office.

Important Mule Notes

It’s upon us now.  A big weekend filled with fun for future Mules. Mule For a Day is on Sunday September 27^th. Kiddos can do drills with the varsity players, learn skills from the big boys and even hear some good football stories from the trenches. It’s from 2:00pm-4:00pm at the stadium…The Mules Car Wash is an important fundraiser as well.  Plan on having members of the varsity Mules scrub up your ride to a gleaming shine. That’ll happen on Saturday September 26 from 12:00pm-2:00pm. down at the Mobil station across from Sunset Ridge on New Braunfels. This is fun to watch as well.  Looks like a bunch of ants on a breadcrumb, except with sponges. The Mule Fan usually covers these events but will not be able to this year because we’ll be in Dallas on assignment. Somebody please send pictures so that we can use in the documentary.  EZ’s at Sunset Ridge will host a Dine-In/Out Day on Saturday from 11:00am-3:00pm.  You can grab lunch while the guys shine up your ride and portions of the lunch bill will also benefit the Mules. Jut put your receipt in the Mules Football Bucket.  It should be easy to spot since it will look surprisingly like a bucket.

Congrats to Nik Proctor for Play of the Week Honors

Nick won that competition last week on News 4 WOAI for High School Play of the Week for his opening kickoff return against Kennedy. We think it was good mojo from winning the “Ham Patty” recognition from the Mule Fan.

Mules on Radio

The Mules are on the road this week so pay close attention to what we’re about to tell you.  Follow the Mules home and away on KRDY 1160 AM yodeled by Dave Parker and Albert Gonzales.  You can also listen online at www.tsrnsports.com and on the TSRN mobile app.  Dave and Albert are still squinting from the Kennedy jerseys but we believe they’re coming out of it. Please patronize the sponsors and thank them for making it possible for the Mules to hit the airwaves.

Follow Alamo Heights Football on Twitter @ahmulesfootball

There are so many ways to follow the Mules.  Here’s another good one. The Mules are on Twitter.  Mules running backs maestro Bryan Narvaez tweets (obviously not during a game) his little tweeter off as do others.  Make sure and follow the mules @ahmulesfootball.  The Mule Fan is definitely following and has learned much about life from this experience. Why, just last week we saw the recipe for Irish Soda Bread made from playing cards.  Great for making “club” sandwiches.

“Giant Boys at Woodridge”

Mule Moms don’t miss a trick when it comes to promoting Mule For A Day.  Great idea to have a bunch of Heights gridsters come to Woodridge last week in their jerseys to let kids out in front of the school. Nothing like talking ball with a second grader. Reportedly there were a couple of little darlings who thought that was a rather intimidating site, hesitated exiting their vehicles, asking Mom “Why are all these giant boys here?” Great idea by Barbara Iverson.  The giants will also go to Cambridge this Friday. 

Cliché Corner

Becuz knot nowing football termz makes yu feal relly stoopidlee.

Choose the Actual Football Cliché from the list below.

A. Riboflavin

B. Look off

C. Look, it’s a bird, it’s a plane

Answer: B. Look off.  When a quarterback draws a defender away from his intended receiver by decoying a look to another.

Mule Fan Mail Bag

By this time of year, the Mule Fan mailbag begins to fill up with all kinds of constructive criticism.  Usually around this time, we start hearing from parents who don’t think we spell very well, wear properly fitting clothes, use enough words ending in the number 2 or mention their “big brave boys” enough.  We take that all on board as part of the job that pays our freight. But also by now, we start to get some darned good suggestions thrown our way about what people want to read more of, less of, and so on.  Feel free to weigh in with your favorite chili recipe, draw up a play that we can submit on your behalf to Coach Norment, make a tasteful request of some 50’s doo-wop for the Mules Marching Band, show us a schematic of how to make a lifelike replica of Mules PA announcer Rick Shaw using toothpicks and sugar cubes, cuss at us in Welsh.  Whatever.  Just let us know if we can do something better or by all means crush our souls with a plain statement of how much worse we’re likely to get. We know we haven’t heard it all yet and we count on you to get us over the mid-season hump. You can comment publicly if you want to in the comment bar or if you really want to keep it between you and our staff, just e-mail bobcohen@sbcglobal.net.

Go Mules!!! See you in Lockhart and wash your hands before entering the stadium!