Mules Proclaim Deer Season Open Bagging Tivy Antlers for 7th Straight Win!

LOOKING BACK: Kerrville 21, Heights 0....oops...HEIGHTS 28, KERRVILLE 21

NO TRICKS...JUST ONE HECK OF A HALLOWEEN TREAT

'Twas the night....nevermind.

On a beautiful Halloween evening, the Kerrville Tivy Antlers looked to sew up the District title by defeating the Alamo Heights Mules. Tivy still remembered last year's miraculous 19 point Heights comeback (surely such a thing could never happen again) and was poised to redeem itself in front of the large and loud home crowd. No doubt, the Tivy folks are not real fond of the '09ers. For those of you who have never traveled to Antler Stadium, it really is a neat stadium. The home side of the field is built into the side of a hill. The home team bleachers extend from end zone to end zone and a cool grassy knoll which allows for overflow seating. The visitors stands are fairly compact but provided enough room for a large Heights crowd. The Mule Fan noted that this week's Heights crowd was very interesting---it seemed there were fewer students (understandable due to Halloween) but this was offset by a very large turnout of parents and other adult supporters. And, led by Erik Andersen, this Mules crowd was as loud as we have seen all year. The Mules fan's bleachers are located in close proximity to the Mules bench--at times a little too close for those who got to "listen in" on Coach Norment's sideline "chat" with his offensive line and on occasion other select members of the offense (its called "tough love" folks-going three and out is among his least favorite things!). Nonetheless, the fans were close enough to get the attention of the team and keep them focused when things were not going so well in the first half....a lot of interaction between the fans and the team helped motivate everyone. Tivy was to be led by its own superstar quarterback, Colton Palmer, a 6'4" , 210 pound senior supposedly headed to either SMU or Oklahoma State. Palmer is complemented by Sophmore QB/WR Johnny Manziel, SR WR Matt Ayala, SR WR/K Logan Vick, JR WR Andy Kennison and JR RB Quincy Kibbett-obviously, they had game programs in Kerrville. This Tivy team is outrageously fast and they all seem to be on the field all at once--imagine trying to chase and cover five or six Sergio Acostas at the same time---that's what our defense would face. The Tivy defense was also known for its speed and aggressive play.

Tivy won the toss and elected to receive, opting to put its potent offense to work. The Mules held Tivy on three plays and, after a huge Tivy punt, the Mules tried to move the ball but had to punt.Tivy again went 3 and out and, quite frankly, it appeared that the Kerrville stands were a little surprised at what was happening. The Mules moved the ball on their next drive but, after two holding calls (see Coach Norment note above and let your mind wander), and a turnover, Tivy took over at their own 48. Palmer went to work hitting the speedy Manziel for 40 yards to the Heights 15 and then, on a reverse, Ayala sprinted in from the 15 for a 7-0 Tivy lead with 2:47 left in the first quarter. The Tivy kickoff pinned the Mules at their own 22. All season, the Mule Fan has bragged on the OUTSTANDING play of the special teams. The Mule Fan had an opportunity to visit with special teams coach Mike Walker before the game and learned that the Tivy kicking game is a huge weapon for Tivy and the Mules had worked extra hard during the week to counter some of the Tivy special team actions. The Mules took the ball and put together a nice drive including a pass to Trevor Lovelady and runs by Justin Rosenthal and Drew Allen. The quarter ended with the Mules down 7-0 but driving.

The Mule drive continued but finally stalled and a rare Andrew Bailey miss---looked good from our angle, left the score at 7-0. Things got a bit ugly for a while as Tivy switched to Manziel at quarterback and flanked Palmer as a receiver. Manziel is extremely fast and has a terrific arm requiring a different defensive scheme. Before the Mule Fan could stop taking notes, Manziel had run for 13, run for 20, passed to Junior Andy Kennison for 25 and then had located Matt Ayala for a 25 yard TD and a 14-0 Tivy lead. The teams exchanged posessions, one Tivy drive stopped by terrific pass coverage by Carter Thurmond. The Mules took the ball but after a nice catch by Trevor Lovelady, the Antler defender made a terrific play stripping the ball and Tivy took over. Again, Tivy's offense went to work. Ayala gained 25 yards on a reverse, Maziel (still at quarterback) threw to Palmer and then ran it in for a 21-0 Tivy lead--remember that score-- with 48 seconds left in the half. Can someone say, "uh-oh?" It appeared this Tivy offense was for real and though the Mules had moved the ball, they were likely going to go into halftime down 21-0. Somebody forgot to tell the Mules to take a knee and head to the locker room dreaming about next year. From this point, those of us in the crowd witnessed first hand how great coaches teach great kids great lessons in life....starting with the first lesson:"It ain't over until its over." A nice kickoff return gave the Mules a chance. On the first play, Allen found Victor Givens for 14...on the second play he found Rosenthal for 10 and on the third play, and with only 6 seconds left, he found Givens streaking towards the goal line for a 30 yard touchdown and a 21-7 score at halftime. Though down 14, this drive was possibly the biggest offensive drive of the year. With a little momentum and the ball in the 3rd quarter, this one wasn't over yet for our Mules.

Now, a brief halftime pause for one of those "you had to be there" things. Those of us "seasoned" Mules fans will recall the old song "Bye, Bye Miss American Pie..."One stanza in that song about the football game goes ..."Well the halftime air was sweet perfume..." .....Not so much at halftime in Kerrville. During halftime, the Mule stands smelled like a dead animal, likely the result of a pretty funny Kerrville prank. At halftime, Erik Andersen, performing his Bill Murray in Caddyshack impression led the Kerrville police with flashlights and a few other fans under the stands to locate and destroy the dead varment. By kickoff of the second half, things smelled much better and the stadium was not demolished with dynomite. We tease Erik but his dedication and love for the Mules, including the amazing banner he created and placed on Broadway (injury free thanks to help from Andy Allen, Paul McSween and Brent Marshall), is unmatched by any current Mule fan.

After the third quarter kickoff, the Mules started the second half with the ball on their own 27. Allen looked poised in the pocket and played catch with SR WR Andrew Richter twice for another Alamo Heights..."First Down"(We missed you Rick, but, led by Erik Andersen[Mule MVP of the week], the Mules fans managed to repeat that in unison as a group 27 times on the evening). Then Rosenthal uncorked the running game with his first of several lengthy runs in the half, this one a 25 yarder down the sidelines to the Antlers 25. Allen then found Richter again on the crossing route and Richter took it in for the score with 3:34 gone in the 3rd. The extra point was no good, but the Antler lead was cut to 8, 21-13.....go get the popcorn, this show is getting entertaining. The Antlers brought Palmer back in at quarterback on the next drive. Palmer has a great arm and, one of the three biggest plays of the game occurred when Palmer had a wide open Manziel down the sidelines and the super sophomore (no kidding, he is great) Manziel dropped the sure touchdown. This was huge as 28-13 would've shifted all the momentum back to Tivy and put the hopes of a comeback in jeopardy. Good teams get good breaks and this was a big one. A short Tivy punt gave the Mules the ball back at their own 38. On the first play, Rosenthal got wide and managed to find his way down the sidelines for 50 yards all the way to the Antler 5. On a 3rd and 5 from the 5, Rosenthal ran wide again and made it just inside the pylon for the touchdown. The Mule Fan had the fortunate exclusive opportunity to interview Rosenthal in the comfort of his bedroom Friday night. The quick conclusion was, as it always is in his household, that none of these runs work without outstanding blocking by the entire line and by each receiver, all of whom should get most of the credit for the success of any running play. Line blocking is the key to a passing play as well and due to great protection, Allen had time to find Lovelady for the 2 point conversion and suddenly we were tied at 21. The next Tivy possession started at the Antler 20 and a key 3rd down stop by Beau Wilson forced the Antlers to punt. It is worth noting that, throughout the night, both Tivy quarterbacks struggled to find leading receiver Logan Vick who made only 3 catches on the night being defended much of the time by Jello Andersen. Tivy's punt was handled by Cullen Mills who was hit out out of bounds setting the Mules up at the Tivy 35 to end the 3rd quarter tied at 21.

On the opening drive of the 4th quarter, Allen found his big red-zone target Victor Givens in the end zone for a spectacular leaping catch and, who'd believe it, the Mules had a 28-21 lead. The great kickoff team pinned Tivy at its 12. With Manziel back at quarterback, he was able to run for 15 and pass to Ayala for 12 but the defense again made a huge stop on the 40 forcing the Antlers to punt. The defense played terrific in the second half and this was huge for the Mules. However, Vick's 60+ yard punt into the end zone set the Mules back up at their own 20. Rosenthal's burst for 40 yards changed the field position and Allen scrambled for a first down on a 3rd and 15 before a turnover gave the ball back to Tivy at the Mules 32. With Palmer back at QB, he was able to pass to Vick and to Manziel and the Antlers looked to be driving for the tie. That's when the Mules defense came up with the play of the game. Great pressure by the D-line forced Palmer to throw the out route just a little quicker than he wanted and Junior Defensive Back Philip Massari (nice to have him back) perfectly timed his jump and dove for the pick at the Tivy 35. Momentum, Mules. Time to run some clock with 4:06 left. A couple of short safe passes and runs by Rosenthal for 11 and 15 set the Mules up at the Tivy 15. Brilliant coaching continued(and we're not sucking up). Three quarterback draws netted only 5 yards but the plays were as safe as anything one could imagine and all kept the clock rolling. The drive churned up the clock so much that only 20 seconds remained when the Mules lined up for a 4th and 5 field goal attempt from the 10. "But what if they block it, you say?" No sweat---a fake field goal was executed to perfection as SR Collin Bibb ran for 4 yards and, more importantly, for 7 seconds, giving the ball to Tivy at their own 6 with just 13 seconds left. Two plays later, the Mules and their fans hugged and screamed as the dejected Antlers left the field. Final: Mules 28, Tivy 21. The drive back to S.A. seemed much shorter than the drive up to Kerrville.

Summary---Defense will win you a game. Tivy was held to 275 yards total---on the season they averaged well over 400 in the air alone. Tivy was held to 21 points--on the season they averaged more than twice that!!! Tivy got only 45 offensive plays compared to the Mules 67 offensive plays. If the Mule defense can hold like that, the offense will find its timing. The Mules ran for 256 yards while Allen connected with at least 6 different receivers. The special teams were solid, as usual. The key? The coaching staff keeping the boys composed and believing in themselves, even when they were down to the Antlers by 21 in the middle of hunting season. Well done everyone....and thanks to everyone who made it out to Kerrville or listened on the radio.

Thanks to Patti Stewart who sent us these great images of the victory celebration! And also Bill Dawley for the picture of the Halloween pumpkin.

WHERE IS COACH BYRD'S INTERVIEW???? Keep your shirts on Mule Fan readers. Its coming, its coming. Just so you know, the Mule Fan editorial staff and board is no two-bit schlock operation. Each and every syllable of these Mule Fan posts is carefully hand-crafted using old-world skills, traditions and formulas for optimum Muleificience! In our zeal to get this riveting edition out early this week and to boost traffic on this rapidly growing "crossroad of the internet", our board was consulted and supported the editor's decision to use state-of-the-art promotional gimmicks to get you to come back again mid-week. Our weekly discussion with Coach Byrd will be posted by no later than Wednesday morning 5 November (we figured you'd be ready for something other than election night coverage). The other little item is that we threw Coach Byrd a curve this week with our request that he yodel some of his answers to truly capture that Hill Country feel. At presstime, he was still considering our request.

DISTRICT DOINGS:Week Six is in the books (District records after 6th week):

Steele (5-1) 38, Seguin(0-6) 14
Heights (6-0) 28, Kerrville Tivy(5-1) 21
Boerne Champion (2-4 ) 54, San Marcos(0-6) 35
Clemens (4-2) 25, N.B. Canyon(2-4) 21

Week FIVE Results(FYI):Kerrville Tivy(5-0) 34, Steele (4-1) 27…Heights(5-0) 30, N.B. Canyon(2-3) 10…Clemens(3-2) 26, San Marcos(0-5) 10…Boerne Champion(1-4) 54, Seguin(0-5) 35

Week FOUR Results(FYI): Steele(4-0) 49, Boerne Champion(0-4) 28...Heights(4-0) 42, San Marcos(0-4) 6...Kerrville Tivy(4-0) 40, N.B. Canyon(2-2) 28...Clemens(2-2) 28, Seguin(0-4) 14

Week THREE Results(FYI):Heights(3-0) 38, Seguin(0-3) 27…Steele(3-0) 28, N.B Canyon(2-1) 21…Tivy(3-0) 42, San Marcos(0-3) 28…Clemens(1-2) 35, Boerne Champion(0-3) 21


Week TWO Results(FYI):Steele(2-0) 45, Clemens(0-2) 35…Kerrville Tivy(2-0) 40, Seguin(0-2) 17…Heights(2-0) 17,Boerne Champion(0-2) 10…N.B. Canyon(2-0)48, San Marcos(0-2) 14


Week ONE Results(FYI): Steele(1-0) 49, San Marcos(0-1) 17…Kerrville(1-0) 50, Boerne Champion(0-1) 20…HEIGHTS(1-0) 35, Clemens(0-1) 3…N.B. Canyon 45, Seguin(0-1) 27


POST SEASON POSTINGS/SEEDINGS AND UPDATES: Contract negotiations between the writers and the management continue in an effort to determine whether the Mule Fan reporters will cover the Mules post-season run. The initial contract covered only the 10 game season. Early indications are that the two sides will work things out. However, while we don't like to negotiate in the press, the Mule Fan reporter whose son is the offensive lineman has indicated on more than one occasion that unless his demands are met, he will discontinue using vowels and punctuation will be used only every 1000 words. Seriously, here's who is in:


Small School-Kerrville(#1 seed), Clemens(#2 seed)...based on the size of the schools, Kerrville likely comes out of district with the best set-up, in spite of the loss to the Mules. The better teams in the area appear headed for the large bracket. Clemens is in based upon its wild last minute win at N.B. Canyon, knocking Canyon out of the mix and forcing Heights into the large bracket, meaning another Heights showdown with Kerrville will not occur.


Large School--Heights and Steele---winner of next weeks game will be #1 seed, loser will be #2 seed....the interesting dynamic here---we can not and will not look at the season more than one game at a time BUT the winner of Friday's Steele/Heights game will be the District's #1 seed BUT would face the State's #1 seed, Austin Lake Travis, in the second round, should they both win their first games. The loser of Friday's game will be in the other half of the area bracket but would go in as a #2 seed and would have to face the winner of another district in the first round. More on that in an upcoming posting-let's stay focused on Steele.


LOOKING AHEAD: Steele....and the District Championship is on the line. If Heights wins, it wins district. If Steele wins, point differences will determine the District champion, as 3 teams(assuming Kerrville wins its game) would finish 6-1 Need we say more? This is for all the marbles. All season, Steele has been the #1 or #2 Sub-5A team. These two teams presumably will be the areas Sub 5A #1 vs #2 when they kickoff next Friday at home at Harry B. Orem Stadium. Steele has been one of the top offensive and defensive teams in the area. Steele has scored 319 points this year, second only to Tivy in the district while giving up only 182 points, the least in the district. Steele has been around the top 10 in total offense in the City, traditionally rushing more than passing, averaging 282 yards rushing per game, prior to last week when Steele was held to 85 yards rushing. Steele's strong running attack is led by Malcolm Brown, a 6'1" Sophomore with lightning speed. Brown has not run the last two games or he would be one of the two or three top rushers in the City. Likely, Brown will be ready to go when the Knights take the field against the Mules this Friday night. Steele returns 8 starters on offense and 4 on defense from the 2007 11-2 team that was a DII regional semifinalist. Besides Brown, the Knights are led by QB Jake Trevino, who is a three year starter and WR Anthony Foster is 6'2" and runs a 4.4 40. This will be a challenge for our defensive backs. On defense, Steele is led by a free safety who had 81 tackles and a lineman (Bailey) and a linebacker (Flake) who were all-district last year. The Steele kicker is, like our own Andrew Bailey, a very important part of the Knights offense. This will be an interesting test for Heights as we have not faced Steele recently. Be there and be loud folks...We'll be taking attendance at 7:20 p.m. Friday.

OTHER MULE NEWS: The Junior Varsity plays its last game this Thursday at Steele while the Freshmen are at home against Steele. Come support these teams one last time.

MULES IN ACTION: Gio Vizza and North Texas got their first win of the year in a thrilling 51-40 win over Western Kentucky. Trailing 45-40, Western Kentucky drove to the North Texas one where, on the last play of the game UNT intercepted a pass and ran the return 97 yards for the an extra 6 points. Gio threw 4 TD passes in the victory. Former Mule Stephen Hamby was part of the huge Texas Tech offensive line that helped Texas Tech pull the dramatic last second upset win over Texas in Lubbock.

MULES ON THE RADIO: The Mules radio home for the rest of the year (unless advised otherwise) is KKYX-680AM. Follow the action there with Ed Suarez and Dave Parker. Airtime will be 7:00 p.m. Don’t forget to patronize and thank the sponsors for their commitment to Alamo Heights.


PLAY IT AGAIN, FAN: Hey Mule fans....Mike Murphy (The Murfman) videos all Mules games and has worked out a package for varsity parents to have each game on a DVD. Murf's video's are easy to view...limited to just the plays. These special video highlights on the Mule Fan are compliments of Murf. If you want a copy of games from this year or last year, or footage of your favorite Mule in action in a series of games, contact Murf at mike@murfman.net or on his cell at 210.216.1685.


MULES PHOTOS:View all the photos from Mules games and save those memories forever with Dulce Designs(Mary Candee)http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/store.aspx?p=23252
THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS: Recent losses have saddened many in the A.H. community. We ask all Mules fans to keep the families and friends in their thoughts and prayers.

Thanks for reading this edition and for your feedback. To those of you have sent us checks asking for us to mention your kids more (you know who you are), even if we were willing to participate in these corrupt practices, we believe you are way under the market right now.

On behalf of the editorial staff, management and board of directors of the Mule Fan, we are
Bob Cohen and Bobby Rosenthal

MULES ROLL INTO PLAYOFFS




LOOKING BACK: Heights 30, N.B. Canyon 10

Twas the night of the 24th...and at Alamo Heights,
There were TONS of game programs....unlike San Marcos nights.

Our programs are massive...'cause great sponsors who paid,
We've got pictures and listings of each players grade.

Our programs are terrific...and lest we forget.
They're a result of hard work....FROM Sue Wernette.

The Mules entered Friday's game at 4-0 in District play. This stretch of the final three games would certainly be the toughest as the Mules and their coaching staff knew. All year, everyone has talked about Kerrville and Steele, but the Mules knew that N.B. Canyon would rank up there as a tough game as well. Canyon is a very well coached team, and is solid on both offense and defense. Fewer players go both ways(used as an athletic term here) on Canyon than on other teams meaning your Mules were not likely to wear down the Canyon players. Canyon spreads the field on defense, meaning the Mules would get fewer big plays on offense and the Canyon offense would be led by Running Back--and New Mexico State signee--Robert Clay and the running/passing of Senior Quarterback Tyler Denson.

The greater Mules community had a very difficult week, to say the least...and a game of football was really put into perspective for many of us. For those of you who did not notice, each Mule had a piece of tape on the back of his helmet, which read "R.I.P.-A.W. & A.K." This statement really says it all about the bonds we form living where we do. As tough as it was, for 3 hours some of the Mules players temporarily had to set aside grieving and focus on football. The Cougar fans arrived early, most of them dressed in red. They were led by a band that appeared to be twice the size of the UT Marching Band. Lots of Mule fans entered by kickoff but many arrived during the first quarter--presumably these fans were at the stadium well before the kickoff BUT they returned home to change clothes after realizing they were wearing navy blue instead of the new Mule royal blue(see last week's School Song).

The Cougars took the opening kickoff and the coverage was terrific as usual. This Mule Fan reporter notices how important this is to the tone of each game. Coach Walker leads the special teams and deserves significant credit for having his crew execute Coach Byrd's desired plan---a high kickoff with great hang time, pinning a team in their corner allowing the coverage team to sprint downfield to make the tackle. Neither team got much of a drive going in the first quarter. On one early drive, Denson, the 6'1"(thanks Sue) Quarterback hit Chase Hoffman(thanks again Sue) for 20 and Robert Clay converted another 3rd and 5 with a 10 yard run. However, the Cougar drive stalled when Sr. Captain Collin Bibb made a critical stop on 4th and 1 from the Mules 8. This was only the first of many, many huge defensive stops on the evening. However, the Mules turned the ball over and gave Canyon good field position, the defense AGAIN held and Canyon settled for a field goal and a 3-0 lead. This was nothing new for your Mules as their opponent has scored first in EVERY game this year--all 8 games!!!! After a nice kickoff return by Terry Andersen to the 40, Drew Allen found Tyler Marshall for a couple of nice catches, including a big 3rd and 5. The quarter ended with the Mules down 3-0 but possessing the ball at the Cougars 20.

The Mules turned the ball over again but the defense AGAIN held, this time the big 3rd and 5 stop was made by Mike Warren. The offense couldn't convert again but a nice punt pinned the Cougars at their 13. A key stop on the next Cougar drive was Phillip Massari breaking up a long Denson pass.The Cougars tried to draw the Mules offsides on 4th and 1 but the focused defense did not jump and the Cougars actually did punt after a time out. Both teams had drives stall again until the Cougars punted giving the Mules the ball at their own 45. After a holding call, Drew Allen looked to make things happen by running instead of passing. He ran for 17 and then for 15(towards his game high 117) before hitting Victor Givens in the end zone on 3rd and 9 for a 7-3 Mules halftime lead

This is as good a place as any for an editorial comment---not every night will offense, defense and special teams play perfectly for 48 minutes. The mark of a great team is the ability to maintain composure when things aren't going your way, have the other areas of the team step up to keep the team in a game until things get on track.The defense definitely did this on this evening as they kept a potent Cougar offense from adding to a 3-0 lead by not giving up a huge play or another first half score. This allowed the offense to put together a drive, score and take a lead into the second half--this was huge.



The Mules took the 3rd quarter kickoff and looked to run a bit more in the second half. The Mules put together a good drive to start the half with nice runs by Justin Rosenthal and QB Allen(Sergio Acosta's injured knee kept the tough running senior leader out of the rotation for most of the game) and receptions by, among others, Andrew Richter. The Mules turned the ball over deep in Cougar territory but once again(you got it!), the defense held and the Mules got the ball back at the 45. On 3rd and 12, Allen connected with Trevor Lovelady for a key first down, Rosenthal found a hole for 20, Lovelady again caught a pass to the 2 but the Mules had to settle for an Andrew Bailey field goal and a 10-3 lead. A big hit by Harrison Park and Luke Maloy on the ensuing kickoff helped set the tone for the 4th quarter explosion to come. The Mules had definitely played better in the 3rd quarter but, nonetheless, had only extended their lead by 3 points.

Carter Thurman(a/k/a Car-Car), jumped in front of a Denson passed and gave the ball to the Mules at the Cougars 25. Time to put things into overdrive. On the first play, Allen ran a bootleg to the right and found the end zone for a 17-3 lead. BUT, the Cougars may have been down, but they weren't done. On the next possession, Denson threw for 20, #21 Clay ran for 21 and on a 3rd and 3 Denson ran for 10 setting up a 2 yard T.D. pass. Suddenly it was 17-10 with 7:12 left in the game. The Mules next drive started from their 12 and the game appeared a little shaky. Just when it was time to get concerned, on a huge 3rd and 7, Allen hit Andrew Richter in stride on a crossing pattern and Richter took it all the way to the Cougar 15. Allen ran it in from the 10 and the Mules were up 24-10 with 4:18 left. Terry Andersen made a nice interception and the Mules put together a final drive, capped by a 2 yard A.J. Lewis touchdown and a 30-10 final score. Kudos again to the defense, holding two explosive runners to just 157 yards on 38 attempts. The Mules offense clicked for 400 yards, with over 200 on the ground and Allen connecting with 6 different receivers.

A Few Words with the Head Coach of the Mules – Don Byrd
October 24, 2008 (just after the victory over New Braunfels Canyon)

The Mule Fan: The team seemed to struggle to find its footing and build momentum offensively in the first half. What was on your mind as you were assessing the first half?

Coach Byrd: We just turned the ball over a few times and just couldn’t hit on all cylinders. I don’t know the reason why. The game plan was good. There was a lot of stuff there. We just couldn’t execute it real well. In the second half we didn’t turn the ball over and we made the plays we needed to. All the turnovers we’re deep in their territory so we didn’t give them a short field. We just need to get that ironed out this week. When we finally got everything settled down the kids executed real well. I think we only punted once or twice so it shows we’re doing a lot of good things. We’ve got to protect the football better.

The Mule Fan: Drew Allen carried the ball a lot tonight and was very productive with his rushing. Was he just taking what the defense was giving him or was that part of your game plan going in?

Coach Byrd: Oh we’re going to run him a little more as we get deeper. He’s a big strong athlete. You’ve got to get him the ball. He made some good decisions in the second half and made some great plays for us.

The Mule Fan: You have to be pleased with the way the guys kept their confidence up. They seemed to come out in the second half with a swagger and the attitude that they could pull it off.

Coach Byrd: Yeah it’s really the second time we’ve done that. A little bit like the scenario against Boerne but we turned it on a little quicker tonight. I’m proud of those guys. They know when it’s not going well they can up the ante and get a great level of play. We just can’t get into a fog like we did tonight. We’ve got two great teams left and then the rest of it is playoffs. There are a lot of challenges ahead and we’ve just got to make sure that we’re executing at the highest level we can.

The Mule Fan: We have arrived at the game many folks circled on their schedules at the start of the season. Both teams are unbeaten in district play with a lot on the line. We play at Kerrville where we had great success a year ago. They just came off a dramatic overtime win over Steele and your team is on a roll as well. The scene is set for a big one.

Coach Byrd: It’s going to be wild up in Kerrville. We need a big group of fans coming up there because it’s a tough place to play. We won a big one up there last year and we’ve played well there. We’re going to have to make sure we take care of business. They’re very explosive on offense. They have two quarterbacks so if one is not doing as well they can sneak the other one in. They play a little different style so you have to change up what you’re doing. All their skill guys have tremendous speed. They remind me a little bit of our team a couple of years ago and their skill guys simply because of the speed they have. They have a lot of guys that can make huge plays out of nothing. Not just one or two but really across the board. They have good size in their offensive line and they have a scheme that has been successful for them. On defense they are very aggressive. They do a lot of blitzing. They like to mix things up. They play hard and fly around to the ball and they are always sound in the kicking game. We’re going to have to play a complete game. When you go up against teams like Madison and beat Roosevelt and beat Warren, some of those big 5A teams and blowing through this district it’s going to be a great challenge but it’s what high school football is all about.

The Mule Fan Goes Inside the Half Time Locker Room!

Another behind the scenes treat exclusively for Mule Fan readers. Coach Byrd allowed us into the dressing room at half time of the game against New Braunfels Canyon. Click on the video below for a look at some of the assistant coaches in conversation with their players about the first half. And, listen in on coach Byrd as he talks to the Mules at the half. If you get the chance, tell Coach Byrd how much you appreciate these special inside visits!

TICKETS FOR KERRVILLE
Tickets will be available in advance for the Kerrville game at the Alamo Heights Athletic office during these very special and accommodating hours:
Wed. - 8:30a - noon and 1:30p - 3:00p Thurs. - 8:30a - noon and 1:30p - 3:30p & 4:00p - 7:00p Fri. - 8:30a - 3:00p
General Admission Prices - Adults - $6 and Students $3 (pre-sale)All tickets at the gate in Kerrville - $7.

LOOKING AHEAD: HALLOWEEN IN KERRVILLE

Okay ghosts and goblins---get ready for a Halloween goodie this Friday. Put on your costumes(blue and gold, preferably) and head out IH-10 because the biggest treat of the night will be the Marquee Match-up in the San Antonio area---#1 Kerrville vs. Alamo Heights. We know many of you will want to go trick-or-treating with your younger kids on Friday but do us a favor...tell them they are sooooooo adorable in their costumes, take a bunch of pictures of them by the pumpkin , throw some candy in their bags THEN SHIP THEM OUT to your non-Mule fan friends(that is an oxymoron) for the evening--they won't care as long as they end up with a loaded bag of candy[Note:This Mule fan has already made plans to lead by way be example--just don't tell her]. Then you can head out to Kerrville and everyone will be happy.

For weeks, the Express News, and others, have talked about Kerrville/Steele, Steele/Kerrville...Steele, Steele, Steele and Kerrville, Kerrville, Kerrville. Well, it's time now to see how the Mules stack up against the areas top sub 5A teams. Kerrville, no doubt, will be pumped coming off the huge win over Steele(previously #1 in sub 5A) and likely will have posted in the Antler locker room, a reminder about last years 19 point come from behind 4th quarter victory by the Mules at the same venue in Kerrville. Probably, Kerrville will be a top 10-12 state team when the rankings come out this week.The district championship is again on the line--if Kerrville wins, the Antlers win district...if the Mules win, they clinch at least a share of the district. Vegas may need a calculator to come up with the projected over-and-under in this highly anticipated shootout...but we have a secret weapon(Mules defense).

Kerrville is led by its own Drew Allen-like quarterback, Colton Palmer. In case you don't recall, On August 24, 2008, in its High School Football preview, the Express News ran a full page feature with Drew Allen and Colton Palmer--the two joked with each other, talked about movies and stars and answered many of the reporters light-hearted questions.These guys are similar--both are 6'4", around 210 pounds, throw right-handed for over 60 yards in the air, and run a 4.6 40. Enough said? Senior quarterback Palmer is the starter now, having worked his way back into the Antler lineup after a two game suspension. In the Steele game, Palmer went 30 of 36 for 436 yards, including 15 passes to his favorite target, Logan Vick and 8 more to Matt Ayala. Palmer also has the ability to run and his 4 yard touchdown run with 27 seconds left put Kerrville on top of Steele 34-27. Steele was without 4A's leading rusher, Malcolm Brown, who was out with an injury, but who, unfortunately for the Mules, will be back for the Mules game in 2 weeks. Brown possibly could've made a difference in the outcome of the Kerrville game as he likely would have helped keep the high-octane Antler offense off the field. On the other hand, Kerrville's offense was so powerful, that three turnovers in Steele territory in the first half kept this from being a first half route by Kerrville. Folks, the Antler offense is GOOD. The Antler defense also played great football, holding a potent Steele rushing attack to under 200 yards rushing on 35 carries and take away one 65 yard pass, Kerrville's defense held Steele to 125 yards passing in the game.

DISTRICT DOINGS:Week Five is in the books (District records after 5th week):

Kerrville Tivy(5-0) 34, Steele (4-1) 27
Heights(5-0) 30, N.B. Canyon(2-3) 10
Clemens(3-2) 26, San Marcos(0-5) 10
Boerne Champion(1-4) 54, Seguin(0-5) 35

Week FOUR Results(FYI): Steele(4-0) 49, Boerne Champion(0-4) 28...Heights(4-0) 42, San Marcos(0-4) 6...Kerrville Tivy(4-0) 40, N.B. Canyon(2-2) 28...Clemens(2-2) 28, Seguin(0-4) 14

Week THREE Results(FYI):Heights(3-0) 38, Seguin(0-3) 27…Steele(3-0) 28, N.B Canyon(2-1) 21…Tivy(3-0) 42, San Marcos(0-3) 28…Clemens(1-2) 35, Boerne Champion(0-3) 21



Week TWO Results(FYI):Steele(2-0) 45, Clemens(0-2) 35…Kerrville Tivy(2-0) 40, Seguin(0-2) 17…Heights(2-0) 17,Boerne Champion(0-2) 10…N.B. Canyon(2-0)48, San Marcos(0-2) 14



Week ONE Results(FYI): Steele(1-0) 49, San Marcos(0-1) 17…Kerrville(1-0) 50, Boerne Champion(0-1) 20…HEIGHTS(1-0) 35, Clemens(0-1) 3…N.B. Canyon 45, Seguin(0-1) 27



GETTING TO KNOW COACH MARK BOND: As most of you know, Mark Bond has been a part of the Alamo Heights system for quite some time. His quick wit and great attitude with the Junior School boys prepares many of them for successful High School careers both on the field and off. This week we get to know Mark a little bit better. Be sure to thank him for all he and his great group do for Alamo Heights.

Name (how many years at Alamo Heights): Mark Bond (16 years)
Spouse's Name: N/A
Children Ages: 8 and 4
Hometown: San Antonio
College Attended: St. Mary's University High School: Edison
Coaching responsibilities this season: 8th Football, Varsity Baseball Assistant
Subjects you also teach at AHHS: Physical Education
Hobbies: Hunting, Fish, Golf
Things you had the most fund doing this past summer: Spending time with my kids at Seaworld, Fiesta Texas, Port Aransas, Lake
High School or College Athletics you played (position): St. Mary's University – 4 yr. letter in baseball – pitcher
What was your best subject in school: History, English
What teams do you follow as a fan: Mules, Astros, Cowboys
Fondest memory or the greatest moment in your athletic career: 4-1 win over University of Texas in 1980 (They won National Championship that year with Roger Clemens)
Most embarrassing moment in your athletic career: Looking back at those shorts we wore playing High School basketball
Most well known athlete(s) you've competed with or against in your playing career (who, what team or game, what level, where, those kinds of details): Against: Spike Owen (All American Shortstop at UT) (Boston Red Sox)
Outside of Coach Byrd (of course), what coach at any level of any sport do you admire most: Melbourne O'Banion, my Pony League Baseball Coach for his love of kids
What is your pre-game ritual or any superstitions: None
irst car: '74 Olds Cutlass
Favorite type of music or favorite artist(s): Country/some old school rock
Musical instruments played?: None
Which song from your youth would you consider your favorite: "Flirtin with Disaster" Molly Hatchett
If you were doing one song in an "air guitar" concert, which one would you tear 'em up with?: What is air guitar?
If you were forced to do one karaoke song, which would it have to be: "Just Not Today" by Kenny Chesney




GO VOTE(FOR CHASE): Chase Clement, former A.H. standout and current Rice Q.B. has been voted a finalist for the "Senior Class Award" sponsored by Lowe's. Please go to the site noted below and vote for Chase.

http://football.seniorclassaward.com/men...dates.aspx



KEEP THOSE CARDS AND LETTERS COMING: We listen to what you say. Thanks to Phyllis Viola for the weekly positive feedback that she provides to the Mule Fan. Thanks to those of you who report other scores or information about former players--we are happy to pass that information along. Because of such e-mails,we are able to report that the JV A beat Canyon in an exciting 22-20 victory and we also were able to include the "Vote for Chase" section in this week's edition.

OTHER MULE NEWS: The Junior Varsity plays its last home game this Thursday against Kerrville(Come support them!) while the Freshmen travel to Kerrville. From the Junior School, this week the 7th grade is at home and the 8th is at Krueger while next Tuesday the 7th grade is at home again and the 8th grade plays Tejeda at Commalander

MULES ON THE RADIO: The Mules radio home for the rest of the year (unless advised otherwise) is KKYX-680AM. Follow the action there with Ed Suarez and Dave Parker. Airtime will be 7:00 p.m. Don’t forget to patronize and thank the sponsors for their commitment to Alamo Heights.


PLAY IT AGAIN, FAN: Hey Mule fans....Mike Murphy (The Murfman) videos all Mules games and has worked out a package for varsity parents to have each game on a DVD. Murf's video's are easy to view...limited to just the plays. These special video highlights on the Mule Fan are compliments of Murf. If you want a copy of games from this year or last year, or footage of your favorite Mule in action in a series of games, contact Murf at mike@murfman.net or on his cell at 210.216.1685.


MULES PHOTOS:View all the photos from Mules games and save those memories forever with Dulce Designs(Mary Candee)http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/store.aspx?p=23252


THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS: Recent losses have saddened many in the A.H. community. We ask all Mules fans to keep the families and friends in their thoughts and prayers.

TICKETS FOR KERRVILLE
Tickets will be available in advance for the Kerrville game at the Alamo Heights Athletic office during these very special and accommodating hours:

Wed. - 8:30a - noon and 1:30p - 3:00p; Thurs. - 8:30a - noon and 1:30p - 3:30p & 4:00p - 7:00p; Fri. - 8:30a - 3:00p
General Admission Prices - Adults - $6 and Students $3 (pre-sale)

All tickets at the gate in Kerrville - $7.

trw

Mules Roll San Marcos 42-6

Remain unbeaten in district play.

Win streak at 5!

New Braunfels Canyon next.

SNAKES RATTLED: Heights 42, San Marcos 6

‘Twas the night of the 17th….and all through the night,
Not a football-game-program….was anywhere in sight.

Your Mule Fan writers…searched-for-help-that-would-tell,
Which Rattlers did poorly…and which ones did well.

But the programs were missing!…there were none to be found!
There were NO printed programs…not any-where-around!

So the names of Rattler players???....this week, WE may seem dumber...
Because this night-we-had-NO-names... just a jersey and a number.

First off---way to travel Mules fans!!! A large crowd made it through Friday afternoon traffic up IH-35 and headed 45 minutes north of town. Not looking ahead, BUT the ease of traveling to San Marcos should lead to a HUGE crowd traveling in two weeks to Kerrville. Those who attended know they helped make a difference on this night.

It was an absolutely beautiful football night as the Mules traveled north to San Marcos to play the San Marcos High School Rattlers. A full moon over Bobcat Stadium added to the excitement of playing in a college stadium. For those of you who did not attend, the only distraction of the evening seemed to be the constant stream of trains passing on the railroad track that runs adjacent to the stadium. No kidding, imagine playing a game on the crossing gates at Jones Maltsberger by 281, being stuck in the typical bottleneck traffic, your windows are jammed down and a train passes every 5 minutes. In San Marcos, one could not tell whether each train passing Bobcat Stadium blared its horn constantly to either (A) cheer on the Rattlers, (B) distract the Mules or (C) keep cars out of the railroad crossing. Now you have the background, lets talk football.

Prior to the game, the Mules and their coaching staff were most concerned about one thing---could the Mules slow the Rattler offense that runs on 90% of its plays, manages the game clock and churns up yardage. The Rattlers took the opening kickoff and went to work. As they had done in previous games, the Rattler offense was efficient on its first drive---really efficient. The Rattlers managed to run left, right and center, while the Mules defense learned the San Marcos running scheme. The Rattlers converted several 3rd downs on the drive including a run by Scooter somebody (missed his last name because of---you guessed it---the roar of a passing train and, of course, we had no program). Rattler #33 had a big run to the 9 and then #33 took it in from the 7 a play later. The extra point was blocked by Terry “Jello” Andersen (ask the Mule players about the nickname) and the Rattlers were up 6-0. {Note: Mule fan spotter, Charlie Wernette, advised the Mule Fan that goalposts at a college stadium are one foot narrower on each side than high school field goalposts--another needless fact from Mr. Wernette that did not impact Mule kicker, Andrew Bailey, on this night.}. However, the initial Rattler drive churned up OVER 9 minutes of the first quarter!!! Key tackles on the drive were made by, among others, Beau Wilson, Collin Bibb and Mitchell Dan. Now, the defense may have struggled on this opening drive but the MVP of the game??? According to this Mule Fan, the ENTIRE DEFENSE!! During the year, the Rattlers often scored on their first drive, so there was not a major concern as this smart coaching staff and defense would make the adjustments. And boy did they---holding the Rattlers offense scoreless for the rest of the game.

From that point, the Mules offense, defense and special teams went to work. A.J. Lewis picked up the short kick and took it to the Mules 40. Drew Allen, looking extremely efficient on the night (15 for 20), went to work hitting Trevor Lovelady and John Cabell (with yet another new twist on his last name this evening) and the quarter ended with the Mules facing a 3rd and 1 at the Rattlers 21. End of the quarter….Rattlers 6, Mules 0.

The Mules converted the 3rd and 1 and then later faced a 4th and 3. Sensing the momentum and a need for something big, the Mules went for it on 4th down. On an option keeper, Allen carried for 3.1 yards. This was an important statement by Coach Byrd and his staff---reflecting their confidence in the offense while realizing a score was important. On the next play, Justin Rosenthal carried it in from the 2 and Bailey converted easily through the "narrower" goalposts. This was a big drive as the offense allowed the defense to rest with its own 6:30 drive. The Rattlers looked to get back on track and after a 20 yard gain on first down, the Rattlers attempted to pass (what were they thinking??), when Mike Warren sacked the QB for a 15 yard loss. The Rattlers punted and the Mules started their next drive from their own 13. Allen found Sergio Acosta for 12, Tyler Marshall for 23, Cabell for 22 and then Marshall again for 14 to the 2. On a roll right, Allen dumped the ball to Acosta in the end zone for a 14-6 halftime lead. Incredibly, the half lasted only fifty minutes, but the Mules converted on their only two possessions and held the Rattlers scoreless on their last two possessions.

The Mules took the field in the 3rd quarter having done everything right in the first half, yet clinging to a 14-6 lead. What the Mules needed was to take the kickoff, score and pull away. And the Mules did just that. Starting on the 35, Allen found Tyler Marshall for 30, Rosenthal ran wide for 15 and Allen found Lovelady for 20 and a quick score. The drive---3 plays, 65 yards, 49 seconds and it was 21-6 before the crossing gates on the railroad track could get into the upright position (okay, now I'm even tired of the train comments). On the kickoff, Ryan Murphy made a nice tackle which was followed by stops by Collin Bibb and Forrest Hagar. Again, for some reason, the Rattlers attempted to pass but Mike Warren--exhibiting his baseball skills---moved left and reached back to his right to snag the hard hit line drive---I mean, the pass. The defense had held AGAIN and the offense went back to work. The offensive play of the night had to be Drew Allen's 60 yard pass to Andrew Richter, hitting him in stride for 40 yards with a 20 yard post-catch run. The offensive line continued its great work--giving Allen plenty of time to find Richter down field. A pass to Victor Givens to the two set up an Acosta burst for a 28-6 Mules lead with 1:18 left in the 3rd. On the following kickoff, Greg Rubiola's nice hit forced the Rattlers to start from their own 22.

The fourth quarter saw San Marcos complete its first pass of the night. Facing a fourth down and needing some offense, the Rattlers attempted a fake punt but were stopped by a swarming defense, including, among others, Tyler Keller. Mules ball at their own 48. On the first play, Rosenthal got outside and racked up 35 yards to the Rattler 17. Allen soon found Cabell for an 11 yard score and a 35-6 lead. The Rattlers next drive was stopped by a Collin Bibb pick and 40 yard return. Right away, Jr. QB Cullen Mills went to work. On third down, he hit Andrew Richter on the numbers in the back corner of the end zone for the 42-6 Mules lead. The biggest Rattlers play of the night was a 35 yard run by QB __?__ Canady who was stopped by Harrison Park. The Mules defense held the Rattlers out of the end zone on the last drive as time expired.

Final score....Mules 42, Rattlers 6 in a game that featured an outstanding effort by the defense and a solid well balanced offense. How good was the defense? The Rattlers had averaged over 330 yards on the ground this season--if you take away the opening drive and the big play at the end of the game, the Rattlers gained only 88 yards on the ground.

A Few Words with the Head Coach of the Mules – Don Byrd
October 21, 2008

The Mule Fan: The Mules get a blowout win to stay unbeaten in district play with a valuable road win at San Marcos, stay unbeaten in district play and extend the win streak. Obviously, you prepared the guys well for the unusual offense that San Marcos would run. At one point the Mule Fan editors were checking their sidelines to see if they had face masks on their helmets. After the Rattler’s first long drive which resulted in a score, the defense seemed to figure it out and shut them down holding San Marcos way under their average rushing output. I guess you really had to see it run a few times in a game situation to really get the feel for it. Were you expecting the defense to clamp down on them as quickly as they did?

Coach Byrd: It’s hard for what we do on offense to take our kids, teach them that offense and try to execute as well as San Marcos (in practice). Our kids did the best job they could and I was proud of them. You never know how it’s going to turn out because it’s such an unknown factor. We knew we were probably going to have to gamble some so we went for it on that fourth down early and were fortunate enough to make it and get us ahead 7-6. Then the offense built the lead and the defense held. Once they get a little bit behind that offense is a little bit easier to defend.

The Mule Fan: How big were the two defensive plays by Mike Warren to get the sack in the second quarter and the interception in the third quarter in terms of breaking any momentum they were attempting to build?

Coach Byrd: Well those were drive stoppers. You’ve got to get them out of sync. Their goal is to get 2½ to 3 yards per play is all they’re worried about. With those two plays, one of them was for a large loss which got them, which got them out of sync and made them half to gamble more. That offense is not suited well to do that. Then you have the interception which stopped their drive. We were ahead at that time 21-6. They could’ve made it within a touchdown and put a lot more pressure on us. When we got the turnover, of course it got our side of the field excited and our kids went down and scored.

The Mule Fan: Have you been in a game where you scored on every possession like this one?

Coach Byrd: It seemed like we did in Fredericksburg a couple of years ago. I can’t tell you for sure. But it doesn’t happen often. It’s hard to execute. When you’re talking about 11 guys having precise assignments and they have to take care of it. For them to do it throughout the game and never having three bad plays in a row was a tribute to the kids and how well they prepared.

The Mule Fan: Drew Allen was superb throwing only five incomplete passes. Two of them might have been throwaways and possibly one busted route. What about his performance and were you able to execute the game plan as well as you had hoped throughout the week of preparation?

Coach Byrd: Yes. It really fell in place nicely. Drew was mentally ready to play and did a great job. We talked about it before the game and felt we would have success on offense. The number one goal was don’t put the ball up for grabs. If it isn’t there, let’s either eat it or throw it away, re-group and try and get a first down on the next play. Drew understood and saw their offense. I told him if you do (throw an interception) you might not see the ball for another eight to ten minutes so I think that helped motivate him.

The Mule Fan: Would you say that this was the team’s most complete performance of the year thus far?

Coach Byrd: Yeah, it’s what we went in to accomplish. The kids did a nice job and played smart. No penalties or turnovers. They executed on both sides of the ball. You can see that by scoring every possession and holding them to six points. So yes there were a lot of plusses and things the kids really did well. It’s just so hard to get too excited about one game in this district because you come home and turn on the film on Saturday morning of New Braunfels Canyon and you just see a quality, well-coached football team. Its like forget about that. Let’s figure out how we’re going to put our kids into a position to have some success against them. It’s been a grind, it really has.

The Mule Fan: You mentioned the film and New Braunfels Canyon. What did you see there and what are you expecting out of them as we prepare for another important district game?

Coach Byrd: I saw a very athletic team. I saw a team that has an established program. They do a nice job up there. They’re fundamentally sound. They’re not a big frills team. They’re not going to come out and double-triple reverse you, or blitz a bunch or all kinds of exciting things in the kickoff game. They’re just going to be a well-coached team and try to put their kids in a position to make plays. So we’re going to have to come out and play. For any of these games, if you come out and don’t execute well for a little bit or turn the ball over, or get some penalties, its going to be hard to win. There’s a lot of pressure each and every game for the kids to go out and perform well. But they have confidence now. They’re excited about it and feel like they can continue to improve and continue to do things it takes to win big games. They’re going to be put in that situation here. Looking back to the beginning of the season and having all of this come together to this point has been a lot fun. The kids have really worked hard and are taking pride to do all the little things right so big things can happen in a game.


LOOKING AHEAD:

Next up for the Mules is New Braunfels Canyon AT HOME at 7:29 p.m. this Friday. One game at a time, but a win would propel the Mules into the playoffs. Other scenarios could back-door the Mules into the post season play, but a victory is what we are looking for. However, this will be no easy feat as the Mules face the three top teams--besides themselves--in the district (N.B. is actually tied with Clemens) to finish out district play. Dave Campbell's Texas Football projected the Canyon Cougars to be in the mix of the district playoff hunt, as they are. Every game is critical to Canyon as they look to improve on their 2-2 district record. Canyon's only two district losses are to district power houses Steele and Tivy. The Cougars return 9 starters from a team that was a D-II bi-district finalist last season. The Cougars are led by RB Robert Clay and QB Tyler Denson, as well as a solid group of defensive backs and highly touted linebackers. Last season, Clay rushed for 1267 yards and 14 TD's. The Cougars (4-3) are coming off a disappointing loss at home against Kerrville Tivy (see below).

The Mule Fan must be on the lookout at all times on game night and this particular Mule Fan was accused of focusing on Mule Fan football matters so much that he was unable, on the drive back to S.A, to engage in meaningful gossip about who was wearing what or who was sitting next to whom at Bobcat Stadium…..though this Mule Fan was able to recall that Liza Lewis had a nice sweater, Stan Studer had his traditional starched khaki pants and starched white shirt, while Bill Maloy wore his navy blue North Face sweatshirt hoping an unexpected cold front would blow south through San Marcos and possibly to his Poco Bueno Ranch…all so noted only because they were sitting on the immediate vicinity of this Mule Fan. Back to the issue at hand--- For those of you OTHER observant fans who attended the Mules/San Marcos game, what appeared to be a huge parking lot on the east side of IH-35 in the New Braunfels area was actually parking for approximately 5000 fans attending the Tivy/Canyon game. Tivy's powerful offense racked up a lot of yardage against Canyon. But don't be fooled. Canyon was actually tied with Tivy at 14 late in the 2nd quarter and the two were knotted at 21 until Tivy kicked a field goal at the end of the half. As the projected leaders, Clay ran for 135 yards and Denson(the QB) ran for 121 and passed for another 65. The Mules will have to watch Denson on the keeper as he ran 20 times. To realize how good Canyon can be, the Cougars led top ranked Steele by 7 at halftime AND were tied with Steele with 1:14 left in the 4th quarter before losing by 7. Canyon easily defeated Seguin and San Marcos. Canyon had some big wins early in the season, including a win against Austin LBJ.



DISTRICT DOINGS:Week Four is in the books (District records after 4th week):
Steele(4-0) 49, Boerne Champion(0-4) 28
Heights(4-0) 42, San Marcos(0-4) 6
Kerrville Tivy(4-0) 40, N.B. Canyon(2-2) 28
Clemens(2-2) 28, Seguin(0-4) 14


Week THREE Results(FYI):Heights(3-0) 38, Seguin(0-3) 27…Steele(3-0) 28, N.B Canyon(2-1) 21…Tivy(3-0) 42, San Marcos(0-3) 28…Clemens(1-2) 35, Boerne Champion(0-3) 21
Week TWO Results(FYI):Steele(2-0) 45, Clemens(0-2) 35…Kerrville Tivy(2-0) 40, Seguin(0-2) 17….Heights(2-0) 17,Boerne Champion(0-2) 10…N.B. Canyon(2-0)48, San Marcos(0-2) 14
Week ONE Results(FYI): Steele(1-0) 49, San Marcos(0-1) 17…Kerrville(1-0) 50, Boerne Champion(0-1) 20…HEIGHTS(1-0) 35, Clemens(0-1) 3…N.B. Canyon 45, Seguin(0-1) 27

MULE FOR A DAY: Make sure you sign up your kids, grandkids, cousins, and anyone who wants to hang around with the varsity players and learn some football skills from the "big kids" THIS WEEKEND! In fact, here are a couple of those big kids now to tell you more about what will surely be a memorable day for your young Mules!



(For a behind the scenes report about the making of the Mule for a Day Video - please see the excruciating details below.)

The annual Mule for a Day is on October 26, 2008. This is a fun punt, pass and kick event for kids grades 1-8 and is the Mules only football fundraiser. Meet all the varsity players on this fun-filled day. See the flyer below or contact Carissa Rullo at cmrullo@yahoo.com

The filming of Mule For A Day promo: What you see in the Mule Fan promo, slick as it is, was one of the more difficult shoots this Mule Fan editor has ever been associated with. Allow the director this little space to vent as this Mule Fan editor feels compelled to share the details of the arduous journey that resulted in this little video message. In the end, all we really want you to do is get your young Mules to the event. But in our efforts to be creative, we were saddled with the realities of working with "stars." Just so you know, you are looking at take #73. Yep, 72 very special attempts before this one, the "keeper", and seven hours later at the end of the blue and gold rainbow, we have two minutes of senior level pitchman perfection. Oh sure, we set it all up the way they wanted it. A 46 foot Prevost tour bus rented from George Strait (we had to customize it with the image painted on the side of a large shrimp boat captained by a muscular Egret with a sailor hat and Red Sox batting gloves-we couldn't understand why either), a masseuse, paisley colored M & M's, pizza with pepperonis assembled to look like a Big 12 Conference logo, and on and on it goes. Here's just a sample of what we heard during the day..."Sergio's jersey is cleaner than mine, I've forgotten all my lines until they get me another one", "Oh snap, I think Drew just swallowed a June bug," "Can we break? Where's the snack mom?" "Could we have the red light off please?" "Drew keeps talking over my lines" "I don't like your tie", "Is XBox the only game system you've got in this tub? What are we supposed to do on break?" "This doesn't fit with my idiom." "How am I supposed to work with these stinkin' airplanes going over." A special day indeed. But the guys grinded it out and got it done. So thanks Sergio and Drew. And even though this little tale is not the slightest bit factual, it is certain that the Mule for a Day Punt, Pass and Kick event is for real and an important day for Alamo Heights Football and to be sure, one your little Mules will remember for a long time. So please sign up and come on out. (And the guys really got it in one take with 2 minutes notice and completely ad-libbed! Thanks Sergio and Drew!)

BIG HEIGHTS QB WEEKEND:

As noted above, Senior Drew Allen went 15 for 20 for 269 yards. He wasn't the only Mule QB having a great weekend. Chase Clement through for 444 yards and six touchdowns while Gio Vizza completed 37-61 passes for 362 yards and two touchdowns. That was not a typo--Gio actually passed 61 times (to keep in perspective, the Mules had only 42 total offensive plays Friday night).

LET'S LEARN THE SCHOOL SONG:

Okay, a couple of weeks ago, we learned or perfected, as the case may be, the Fight Song...a bunch of “fights” and a few other words. This week, Mule Fan 101, takes us inside the School Song. Here we go:

School Song (Blue and Gold):

Here's to our BLUE and GOLD
Long may it wave
Over our dear old school
Colors never fade, rah, rah, rah.

BLUE and GOLD for loyalty
And for faithfulness
here's to our colors true
A.H.H.S.!

This song is much easier to learn and has much more meaning to a new Mule fan. A bit confusing at the start though--is "(Blue and Gold)" in parenthesis actually a part of the title or is that to remind us of the school colors should we forget?

First stanza-- Accent on the BLUE and GOLD...don't forget it when you belt it out. But do colors wave? I've never seen a waving color but I guess if you look skyward, those colors might reflect off of the inside of the bubble surrounding ‘09. Then "Colors never fade?" Are you kidding me? If that's the case, will someone please explain the new home jerseys—a “faded” version of the old color. Last year, we spent a hundred bucks on navy blue chair backs, shirts, caps, boxers and other merchandise all of which were very dark navy blue. Then, this year…”Oh, we can’t use that stuff—give it to Goodwill” we had to buy a bunch of new chair backs and caps and shirts because the old ones aren't the "right" color anymore. Now we're royal blue--something has faded in the off season and it wasn't my old chair backs--it was the school color. And "rah,rah,rah?"...nice filler to make the beat work right.

Second stanza- This one is much better. BLUE and GOLD for loyalty and faithfulness---can't really argue with this except WE weren't very loyal to the old dark navy blue now, were we? A nice ending with A.H.H.S. brings it on home. Much shorter than the Fight Song and much more meaningful to this Mule Fan. So, let's all stand together and sing our School Song this Friday night as the Mules take on Canyon at Harry B. Orem Stadium!! And be sure to wear you new royal blue attire…or bleach your old stuff.

OTHER MULE ACTION: The JV will play at New Braunfels Canyon and the Freshmen will play at home on Thursday. From the Junior School, next Tuesday the 7th grade faces Krueger at Home and the 8th grade goes to Krueger. Good luck to all of the Mules squads.

MULES ON THE RADIO: The Mules radio home for the rest of the year (unless advised otherwise) is KKYX-680AM. Follow the action there with Ed Suarez and Dave Parker. Airtime will be 7:00 p.m. Don’t forget to patronize and thank the sponsors for their commitment to Alamo Heights.

PLAY IT AGAIN, FAN: Hey Mule fans....Mike Murphy (The Murfman) videos all Mules games and has worked out a package for varsity parents to have each game on a DVD. Murf's video's are easy to view...limited to just the plays. These special video highlights on the Mule Fan are compliments of Murf. If you want a copy of games from this year or last year, or footage of your favorite Mule in action in a series of games, contact Murf at mike@murfman.net or on his cell at 210.216.1685.

MULES PHOTOS:View all the photos from Mules games and save those memories forever with Dulce Designs(Mary Candee)http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/store.aspx?p=23252

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS: Recent losses have saddened many in the A.H. community. We ask all Mules fans to keep the families and friends in their thoughts and prayers.

Alamo Heights 38 Seguin 27

October 10, 2008


Mules run win streak to 4!

Photos courtesy of Dulce Design Photography-Get your favorite Mule photo (see web link below for details)

LOOKING BACK:

MULES MAUL MATADORS....NO BULL!! Heights 38, Seguin 27

On a beautiful night at Harry B. Orem Stadium, the Mules looked for their third consecutive District win. Having defeated Clemens and Boerne, the Mules faced a Seguin Matador ball club that was 0-2 in District play and was looking to pull off the upset. With no recent game experience against Seguin, the Mules could only rely on film as they prepared for the Friday game. The Matadors were to be lead by Senior WR D'Shawn Singletary, who also played a bit on defense. The home crowd cheered loudly and, for some reason, appeared to articulate much better as the Heights band played The Fight Song just before kickoff.

The Mules won the toss and deferred to the second half. Therefore, the Mules kicked off to Seguin to start the game. The Mule defense held Seguin to three and out. Once again, an opponent tried to go deep on the first series and once again, they were unsuccessful, thanks in large part to a nice defensive play by Mitchell Dan. After the Seguin punt, the Mules first possession started at their own 23. Drew Allen quickly hit Tyler Marshall for a 30 yard reception and Justin Rosenthal rumbled for some nice yardage on the ground before a turnover gave the ball back to the Matadors at their own 6. The Mules offense moved the ball well which was an indication of things to come. However, on its next drive, the Matadors let the crowd know that they were still in the ring and ready to counter. The Matadors converted on a 3rd and 8 and then D'Shawn ran or caught passes for 3 consecutive first downs. Running back Wayne Clemons ran the ball well and a 4 yard pass capped a 94 yard drive and a stunned crowd watched the scoreboard indicate a 7-0 Matador lead with 3:30 left in the first quarter. The Mules took the kickoff and started to make some plays. A terrific one handed catch and run by Sergio Acosta and a catch by John Cabell followed up by a facemask took the ball deep in Seguin territory as the quarter ended.

The Mules started the second quarter with the ball but the drive stalled. Andrew Bailey's kick was good from 33 and Heights was finally on the board, down 7-3. The offense was only getting started as it would score all of its points in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. The Mules defense looked soft on the long Seguin first quarter drive, but all Mule fans know the capabilities of this speedy tough defense, as had been evidenced recently against both Clemens and Boerne. So the defense spent the 2nd and 3rd quarters reminding fans what they could do. The defense forced Seguin to a 3-and-out after the Mule field goal and the scoring attack would begin. Starting at their own 41, the drive was lead by the running of Drew Allen and after a lengthy run, Allen's pass to Kyle Flores from the 10 gave the Mules a lead they would not relinquish at 10-7 with 8:03 left in the 2nd quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, the kick team, AS USUAL, pinned the Matadors around their 20. A big hit on the kickoff was made by Greg Rubiola. The Matadors converted a 3rd and 6 for 24 yards to Alexander (he finished with 10 catches for 125 yards but wasn't even the leading receiver). The Matador drive stalled and on the punt, a bad snap forced the punter to run around and throw the ball where he was called for intentional grounding, changing the field position for the Mules dramatically. Kudos on the play go to Ryan Murphy, Miguel Vasquez and Thomas McSween. The Mules struck quickly as Allen hit John Cabell who, after several terrific moves found the end zone for a 17-7 Mules lead with 4:50 left in the half. Down by 10, the Matadors looked to make something happen...and they did so FOR the Mules. Mitchell (I'm-not-Tyler-Tyler graduated-already-would-someone-ask-Rick-Shaw-to-stop-calling-me-Tyler-over-the-P.A.-system) Dan's great read of a Seguin pass allowed him to pick the ball and return the INT to the Seguin 1. Drew Allen took it over from the 1 for the 24-7 lead. A pick by Tyler Keller gave the ball back to the Mules. Both teams had stalled drives to end the half.

The Mules started the 3rd quarter with the same intensity as they ended the 2nd half. Taking the opening kickoff, the Mules put together a nice 65 yard drive after the Colin Bibb kickoff return set them up at the 35. Rosenthal ran for 10 and then for another 30 and after a Drew Allen keeper to the 4, Allen found Victor Givens for the 4 yard TD and a 31-7 lead. The Matadors problems continued as Stewart Korte made a tough stop before Collin Bibb stepped in front a pass giving the ball to the Mules at the Matador 23 following a 15 yard penalty. Drew Allen scrambled for 14 before Acosta took it in from the 2 for a 38-7 Mules lead with 5:48 left in the 3rd quarter.

It's too bad that the game this evening wasn't a 40 minute game instead of a 60 minute game. Or maybe it's just unfortunate that The Mule Fan's pen didn't run out of ink at this time. But we must report the story and from this point two things happened. First, it appeared that the Mules lost some intensity. Any good bull would know that the bullfight isn’t over until the Matador is down and out...the Mules realized in film session Saturday that they let up on the intensity. Though the Mules made several substitutions, this is a deep Mules team and possibly slight focus was lost with such a lead. Second, and to this Mule Fan, the more important rationale for the remainder of the game(this is a positive blog) was that it actually appeared that the Matadors stepped up their intensity a notch. Knowing the game was over for all practical purposes, the Seguin squad dug down a little deeper and fought a little harder, also changing their offensive scheme by throwing short passes and giving themselves better opportunities. [EDITORS NOTE: At the request of The Mule Fan, Brent Marshall, a celebrated Matador himself, consented to, and passed, a post-game polygraph test confirming that he was not forwarding the Mules offensive and/or defensive signals to the Matador coaching staff to help bring some respectability to the score on behalf of his former school]. The Matadors put together a drive capped by a 40 yard pass from sophomore (watch out next year) Brig Gerlich to Alexander for a 40 yard touchdown and a 38-14 Mules lead at the end of the 3rd quarter.

The Mules failed to move the ball to start the fourth quarter and their first punt of the game came with only 10 minutes left in the game. The Matadors again drove the field and a 3 yard pass from Gerlich to JR RB Jay Kolbe made the score 38-21 with 8 minutes left. The Mules recovered the onside kick but again failed to move the ball, again gave the ball back to the Matadors and again allowed the Matadors to put together a nice drive capped by a 27 yard touchdown pass to Dustin Read. The extra point failed and the Mules led 38-27. Terry Andersen recovered the onside kick and the Mules retained the ball for the rest of the game after a 4th down lengthy pass downfield to Andrew Richter, reminding this Mule Fan of an old P-for-K playground football play.

Highlights: The Mules run defense was terrific---holding the Matadors to 52 yards rushing. The Mules offense was balanced with good rushing and passing. Special teams, as usual, were terrific as the Mules ran their record to 4-2 and 3-0 in District play.

PLAY IT AGAIN, FAN: Hey Mule fans....Mike Murphy (The Murfman) videos all Mules games and has worked out a package for varsity parents to have each game on a DVD. Murf's video's are easy to view...limited to just the plays. These special video highlights on the Mule Fan are compliments of Murf. If you want a copy of games from this year or last year, or footage of your favorite Mule in action in a series of games, contact Murf at mike@murfman.net or on his cell at 210.216.1685.

A Few Words with the Head Coach of the Mules – Don Byrd
October 14, 2008

The Mule Fan: The Mules extended their win streak to 4 games with a victory over Seguin and sit in a tie atop the district at 3-0. This one probably won’t win a beauty contest but a district win is a district win. While the game never seemed in doubt, Seguin never gave up and breathed life back into it in the second half. What were your thoughts about this win?

Coach Byrd: Well the defense went in first and got a three and out. The first drive we went down and set a great tone but had a turnover. We were still playing great football at that time but just had a turnover on one play, they drove down and scored and we’re down 7-0. That’s going to happen in this district. There are a lot of good teams and I’m not taking anything away from Seguin. They made the plays to get down there. Our kids upped the ante and I think scored 38 straight and shut them down when we needed to. Later on we started to conserve a little bit, playing kids and things you do toward the end of a game. Good teams come back like that. My hat’s off to their team. They never gave up and made plays when they needed to and got some momentum and cut the lead. I don’t think it was ever in doubt. In a tough district, things like that are going to happen.

The Mule Fan: I guess it’s good for the guys to have seen a team that hung in there, never did give up, came back and re-entered the game. They had to really get re-focused to close it out.

Coach Byrd: Yeah they sure did. After they scored the last one we used up the clock on offense and they didn’t get the ball back again. That’s what you want to do. That’s what happens in those games and we finished up on a good note.

The Mule Fan: On offense it was a balanced attack again with the run and the pass with 7 different receivers catching passes. You seem to be on a pretty consistent run with the passing offense. What is driving that?

Coach Byrd: Well its Drew (Allen). He’s gotten where he spots the receivers open. The key to a spread is to spread the wealth. You’ve got four receivers, a running back and a quarterback who can carry it like Drew has. You can’t let the defense think one thing is better than the other because defenses can take certain things away and do certain things. If you work it hard and do it right there’s got to be somebody to get the ball to and Drew has done a nice job of spreading the wealth. You hear all the coaches talk about spreading the wealth. That’s what we’re doing here and it’s really opened up the field and opened up a lot of lanes.

The Mule Fan: The Mules run defense was impressive holding Seguin to 52 yards rushing and that’s important to reflect on since you face a San Marcos team next that does nothing but run the football.

Coach Byrd: They did a nice job against Seguin but this week is going to be a totally different thing. Seguin never ran a tight end. They just had five down lineman, running back and quarterback. With San Marcos, all 11 guys are in there tight so there’s a lot more gaps you have to be responsible for. With them (San Marcos) being kind of “balanced” on offense where they have three man surfaces each way and a running back on each side, it’s harder to come up with stunts and things that you can do to overload certain areas. They do a lot of checking at the line of scrimmage. We’re just going to have to play basic hard-nosed aggressive football on defense and make sure we don’t fall asleep in the secondary because they come up and make so many running plays that it’s easy to slip a pass in on you.

The Mule Fan: You’ve seen a lot of passing teams already but this will be the first time that your defense has seen a team that rolls up over 300 yards rushing each game. And they’re doing it from somewhat of an older style “throw-back” offensive set. How do you defend that and how do you prepare for that sort of attack since you really haven’t seen anything like it this year?

Coach Byrd: Well the first thing we did was that we took our scout teams out while we were watching film with the varsity and taught them the offense because our guys have to have such a great picture. The kids aren’t used to doing the things like angle blocking, backs leading and things that we’re going to see. So we had to teach the scout team in order to give us a good picture. Then it’s just old-fashioned physical football. The defensive line has to come off the ball and hold their ground. The linebackers have to read their keys and be there as the play develops instead of the play developing and then getting there. Again, the secondary has to come up on great angles on the run but they have to check their tight ends and the different inside receivers to make sure that they’re not slipping out on a pass. It is a very physical but a very disciplined way you have to play this to have success.

The Mule Fan: This San Marcos offense chews up such big chunks of time on the clock, what sort of pressure does that put on your possessions?

Coach Byrd: The offense has got to make sure they execute well when they have it because if they make a mistake, they won’t get the ball back for a while. So it’s going to be a unique game with two different styles. And they’re playing great. They were ahead of Kerrville late in the third quarter. They’ve played a lot of teams tough. They just haven’t found a way to win because of some turnovers in the kicking game and a couple of execution problems but they’re knocking on the door to becoming a good team. Their backs are getting to the wall and they’re going to have to knock off some people to stay in the playoff hunt. Alamo Heights is the one that has the target on their back right now.

The Mule Fan REALLY goes behind the scenes!

You’ve come to expect that the Mule Fan can wiggle you readers exclusively into places and subjects never visited, uttered or considered by the other media outlets. This is a result of a combination of things. First and foremost, a very supportive coaching staff that knows there is a lot of interest in AH football and appreciates it. Second, a good set of AAA batteries and clever little recording devices that help your editors get in and out without much fuss and third, reasonable grooming and a balanced fiber-rich diet.

This week, we go inside the Mules locker room before the Seguin game to hear Coach Byrd fire up his troops before kickoff. These are not actors playing our young lads. They are our boys. You may even recognize a few of them.

LOOKING AHEAD—SAN MARCOS

The Mules travel up IH-35 to face the San Marcos Rattlers in Game 4 of their march through the tough District 27-4A. Friday's game will be played at Texas State's Bobcat Stadium (Exit is clearly marked as you drive through San Marcos--#206), which should be fun for the Mules and their fans. The Rattlers return 8 starters from last years squad that made it to the D-II bi-district finals. Last year, San Marcos was a 5A school but they've dropped down to Class 4A this year. For those of you Mule moms (ya'll are as easy to pick on as Rick Shaw) not used to traveling outside Loop 410, much less outside Loop 1604, the following might jog your memory: San Marcos is the town located adjacent to the IH-35 Outlet Malls (Bingo--now you've got it...Centerpoint, Exit 200... where you can get all the discounts on the high priced goods which means that you only pay slightly more than a normal price instead of outrageously more than normal while you insist that the selection is not nearly as good as in the real stores back home as you plan for your next trip back to the outlet malls with your girl friends so you can complain that there are too many stores to take in one day though you swear you are not going back because the parking is horrible but you can't see out of the rear of your Suburban because there are too many packages of clothes stacked up high in the back even with the rear seat folded down...this Dennis Miller-ish rant clearly will result in an upcoming trip to the marriage counselor). Hey guys...Bobcat Stadium is just a few exits this side of Cabela's.

But this is about the Rattlers...not the stores. This game will be worth the drive up 35 as the Rattlers run a very entertaining offense. The Rattlers average OVER 320 yards on the ground and they have played some very talented teams with very solid defenses. The Rattlers offense features 3 backs and 2 tight ends and razzle dazzle on every play as the quarterback fakes the handoff to the crossing players and the defense must play "Where's Waldo" with the football. This Slot-T offense is extremely difficult to defend and can be exhausting on a defense--so much so that the Rattlers are 5th in the City in Rushing Offense with 2000 yards after 6 games. A tandem of Junior running backs, who both run a 4.6 40 and a returning Senior, Yzaguirre, must be stopped. One recent Rattler drive churned off over 11 minutes of game clock. But for a combined 8 fumbles against Canyon and Steele, the Rattlers very well could've upset either team. The Mules must not let their guard down against this Rattlers team that will be hungry for a victory at home. The Rattlers defense is coming together as the season wears on so the offense will need to take advantage of every opportunity it gets when it has the ball.

TICKETS FOR SAN MARCOS

Patty Juarez, "the knower of all things Mule" or "The Mule Whisperer" as she is known among the equine set, informs that tickets for the San Marcos game are on sale at the Alamo Heights Athletic office during these very special and accomodating hours:

Wed. - 8:30a - noon and 1:30p - 3:00p
Thurs. - 8:30a - noon and 1:30p - 3:30p & 4:00p - 7:00p
Fri. - 8:30a - 3:00p

General Admission Prices - Adults - $6 and Students $3 (pre-sale)
All tickets at the gate at Bobcat Stadium - $7.

DISTRICT DOINGS:Week Three is in the books (District records after 3nd week):
Heights(3-0) 38, Seguin(0-3) 27
Steele(3-0) 28, N.B Canyon(2-1) 21
Tivy(3-0) 42, San Marcos(0-3) 28
Clemens(1-2) 35, Boerne Champion(0-3) 21


Week Two Results(FYI):Steele(2-0) 45, Clemens(0-2) 35…Kerrville Tivy(2-0) 40, Seguin(0-2) 17….Heights(2-0) 17,Boerne Champion(0-2) 10…N.B. Canyon(2-0)48, San Marcos(0-2) 14

Week One Results(FYI): Steele(1-0) 49, San Marcos(0-1) 17…Kerrville(1-0) 50, Boerne Champion(0-1) 20…HEIGHTS(1-0) 35, Clemens(0-1) 3…N.B. Canyon 45, Seguin(0-1) 27

MULE FOR A DAY: The annual Mule for a Day is on October 26,2008. This is a fun punt, pass and kick event for kids grades 1-8 and is the Mules only football fundraiser. Meet all the varsity players on this fun-filled day. Your young up-and-coming Mule won't want to miss this. See the flyer below and get more details by contacting Carissa Rullo at cmrullo@yahoo.com

OTHER MULE ACTION:The JV will play at home on Thursday and the Freshmen will travel to San Marcos on Thursday. From the Junior School, next Tuesday the 7th grade faces Harris at Home and the 8th grade goes to Harris. Good luck to all of the Mules squads.

MULES ON THE RADIO: The Mules radio home for the rest of the year (unless advised otherwise) is KKYX-680AM. Follow the action there with Ed Suarez and Dave Parker. Airtime will be 7:00 p.m. Don’t forget to patronize and thank the sponsors for their commitment to Alamo Heights.

MULES PHOTOS: View all the photos from Mules games and save those memories forever with Dulce Designs (Mary Candee) http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/store.aspx?p=23252

PERSONAL NOTE: The Mule Fan would like to express our condolences to Chris Troilo on the recent passing of his brother, Tom, also an A.H. graduate. All Mules fans thoughts and prayers are with Chris and his family at this difficult time.

Go Mules! BEAT THE RATTLERS...FRIDAY AT TEXAS STATE'S BOBCAT STADIUM....7:30pm. SEE YOU THERE.

To be added to a blast advising of new postings, e-mail brosenthal@trpsalaw.com. NEXT POSTING will be Wednesday morning, October 22nd.