LOOKING BACK

Mules Kick Cougars 31-28, Clinch Playoffs

Heights traveled to New Braunfels Canyon for another matchup with a District foe in need of a win. Coming into the game at 2‑2, the Cougars needed a win to keep pace with Clemens for the fourth playoff spot. The Mules, on the other hand, were looking to qualify for the playoffs as soon as possible. With the win, we can now talk about the "P" word that the Mules have been working towards since January of this year. More on that below.

Okay, here we go. Coin toss? Let's just say that these boys would not do well in Vegas. Any of you craps players would play the "Don't Pass" line if these boys were rolling the dice (craps players --- explain that to the non-craps players). On the other hand, one could make a fortune with these boys in Vegas. They play red, you play black … they bet on the over, you bet on the under.… They say hit, you stick.… They take the points, you give the points. So the Mules lose the toss for the eighth consecutive time. Mr. Bailey, will you please calculate the probability of that and have one of your statistics students provide the results to the Mule Fan writers? Canyon defers and in a sign of sportsmanship, the boys shake hands before the game.

The Mules took the opening kickoff at their own 15. When the drive stalled, the Mules were forced to punt. On the errant snap, Kristian Stern made a terrific play, gathering the ball, kicking it and being hit, allowing the Mules to keep the ball and dig out of a hole. The teams exchange punts, and the Cougars sixty yard punt forces the Mules to start at their own twenty. Mills pass to Cantu sets the Mules up at the 41. On a pitch right, Rosenthal scampers in from the 34 for the first Mules score of the night behind great line blocking and downfield receiver blocking by Bryson Marshall, David Cantu, and Zach Richter, with 4:13 left in the first quarter. The Mules on defense again looked to hold down the passing attack of QB Lane Fife. Fife, the leading passer (by yardage) in the district, had a knack of finding a receiver at the last second, so continuing the pressure was key for the Mules. Massari and Sandoval had nice tackles on the next drive and again the Cougars punter pinned the Mules back at the 20. [Note: The Mule Fan was unable to locate a program, so we have very few players names from Canyon.] The Mules dig out of danger on a 3rd and 13 scramble by Mills. The quarter ends 7‑0 Mules.

The Mules punted on the ensuing drive and A. K. Knowles was down on the tackle at the Cougars 40. The Mule Fan has been advised that Knowles is downfield on most, if not all, punts and his effort deserves special mention. Good hustle on special teams is critical. The teams exchanged possessions and the ensuing drive, Fife found ?? (#87) for 17, ?? (#23) for 15, ?? (#10) to the 10, Lawrence (his name was announced by the P.A. address system) to the 5 before Dunham (we cheated and looked at the newspapers) ran it in for a 7‑7 score with 7:18 left in the second quarter. On the next Mules drive, Steven Elder, at quarterback, found Bryson Marshall for 10 yards and connected with Zach Richter twice for 15 and 10 before a miscue gave the ball back to the Cougars. Canyon failed to mount a drive and the Mules took over. On a risky fourth down attempt, the Mules were unsuccessful, giving the ball back to Canyon at the 44 yard line. Fife threw a couple of short passes before hitting Alex Lawrence for a 20 yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone for 14‑7 Cougar lead with only 18 seconds left in the half. Halftime Canyon 14, Heights 7.

The cool evening caused many folks to congregate near the concession stand for coffee and hot chocolate. On the way to get a cup of coffee, this Mule Fan elected to first round the corner and "take care of some business." Much to his surprise, the entrance to the Men's Room was located adjacent to the entrance to the Visitor's Locker Room. Outside the locker room, the Mules defensive coaches were huddled, likely discussing a strategy for the second half. In such close proximity to the non-soundproofed locker room, it was very clear that Coach Norment was not pleased. It then struck the Mule Fan that those defensive coaches may not have been discussing strategy at all, but rather, they likely elected to vacate the locker room simply to ensure Coach Norment wouldn't scream at them too. In an exclusive post-game interview by the stands, Coach Norment declined to comment on the specifics of this week's half-time lecture – though his hoarse voice painted the picture. In any event, both the offensive and defensive coaches have been making terrific adjustments all season, so both Mule Fan reporters headed back to their seats for the second half with cautious optimism.

A quick stop in the third quarter would shift the momentum. On a 3rd and 5, it looked to the Mules faithful like this would happen until Fife hit Jenkins for a first down. Then lightning struck as Fife hit Grundle for a 67 yard touchdown. Suddenly, Canyon was up 21‑7 with 10:33 left in the 3rd quarter. Down, but not out, the Mules needed to regroup. A miscue and this might get out of hand. The Mules started at the 43 after the kickoff return. On a fourth and two, Rosenthal bounced outside behind Golden and Cohen for 11. On a fourth and seven, Elder was on target to David Garza with a strike to the 14. Rosenthal to the 1 and then Elder to Garza and it was 21‑14 Canyon with 5:40 left in the third quarter. Fife, leading the Cougars, looked to extend the lead. Cliff Molak made a nice sack, and Fife overthrew a receiver on a sure touchdown, but a pass interference call (there were several of these on the night that may or may not have been pass interference, according to spotter/referee Charles Wernette) gave the Cougars new life. However, a catch and a fumble on a big hit gave the ball to the Mules at the 38. The defense gave the offense the gift of a short field – now the offense needed to capitalize and they did. Elder passed to Scotty McIntyre who made a sensational diving catch to the 21 and then Elder passed to reliable John Cabell who somehow managed to elude tacklers and stay inside the pylon for the Mules touchdown. We were tied 21‑21 with 3:15 left in the third. The Cougars set up at the 25 after the pooch kick and on 3rd and 10, Luke "Quit Calling me Lucas" Maloy picked off the pass giving the Mules the ball again. Elder kept to the 4 and Rosenthal ran it from there for a 28‑21 lead with 1:17 left in the third. Quite a momentum shift – in a period of 9 minutes, the Mules raced back from 14 down to lead by 7 at the end of the third quarter.

To start the fourth quarter, the Mules had the ball after the Cougar punt. The Mules drove the ball downfield nicely, with the offensive line opening up large holes, allowing Rosenthal to pick up chunks of yardage. Unfortunately, a Mules turnover gave the ball back to Canyon, who was not done fighting on the night. On the drive, Thomas McSween outran the quarterback for a huge stop. As an aside, the Mules defensive line and linebackers were spectacular with pressure on the night and containing efforts by Canyon to run. With Canyon unable to sustain a series of short plays, Canyon went deep and was the beneficiary of some interesting pass interference calls. Obviously, one of the referees was a former receiver. Fife then found Lawrence for a 49 touchdown strike, and the Cougars suddenly had the game tied at 28 with 5:29 left in the fourth.

The defense has played incredibly well this year, and for the last several games, it seems the offense had needed to do its part with a drive late in the game. In Laredo, Clemens and Seguin, the late drive heroics worked, but not in the San Marcos game. So what would this week bring for the Cardiac Kids? Starting at the 30, tied at 28, the offense began to churn yardage. Rosenthal converted a third down play, and Elder passed to David Garza for 13. The Mules then went back to the ground, picking up yardage and running the clock. The drive stalled at the 8, and the Mules lined up for the field goal. Time out Cougars. Try to ice Stern? Not on this night. The snap, the hold, the kick. Stern's 28 yard field goal was good and the Mules led 31‑28. The Mules ran off 5 minutes on the clock and only 46 seconds remained. Canyon was not done. Did we mention that Canyon has the district's leading quarterback Lane Fife? Canyon started from their own 35.

A huge pass and suddenly Canyon is at the Mules 41. A holding call and Canyon is at the 31. Sweat is pouring out of this Mule Fan writer. Brent Marshall, anointed the fan cheerleader on the night, led the chants of "De-Fense." The metal stands shook with feet stomping. Fife's pass is complete – fortunately it is complete to Luke/Lucas Maloy at the 5 with 17 second left. Interception and Mules ball at the 5 with 17 seconds left. Canyon has two timeouts. This Mule Fan continues to sweat when he realizes that the Mules do not know how to go under-center (Jill – this is where the quarterback lines up behind the center and the center hands the ball to the quarterback, with little room for error). Therefore, the stress must continue. It is not over. We anxiously stand to be sure Reid Egger's deep snaps are perfect to Elder. One bad snap and Canyon could recover for a touchdown in the end zone. C'mon Reid. First one is perfect. Elder dives forward. Cougars timeout. Second Egger snap is perfect. Elder dives forward. Cougars timeout. Third Egger snap is perfect. Elder dives forward. Mules celebrate the 31‑28 victory.

A great win. The defense held Canyon to 13 yards rushing. Though Canyon passed for 317 yards, almost half came on three plays. Very good defensive coverage against terrific receivers and a great quarterback. And, no kidding, Egger's snaps were perfect in a critical moment. On offense, once again the offensive line allowed the Mules to gain yardage on the ground and through the air, for a total of over 400 yards. Stern's punts were great and, of course, kicking for a game winner with 45 seconds left is not an easy thing to do! The extra point/field goal team is to be commended once again.

LOOKING AHEAD

Kerrville Tivy Antlers – 7:30 p.m., Harry B. Orem Stadium

The Mules last home game of the season is against Kerrville Tivy, this Friday night. While Heights has clinched a playoff spot, Kerrville is very close. This is Kerrville vs. Heights, #1 vs. #2.

When you say Kerrville, you say John Manziel, the talented junior quarterback for the Antlers. Manziel is Mr. Kerrville. The junior is an awesome player and is a threat to run and to pass. He has picked apart almost every defense he has played and last week he led Kerrville to a stunning victory over Steele. Manziel has more nicknames than most kids, and all of them are well deserved. The Mules will have to contain him (you can't shut him down) to hang in this game. Most polls picked Kerrville to finish second in the district behind Steele. Tivy returns three starters on offense and five starters on defense.

Like Coach Byrd's strategy of tough non-district opponents, Tivy's Mark Smith believes that difficult non-district games lead to a team ready to play district opponents. This season, Kerrville started off with losses to 5‑A powerhouses Roosevelt, Madison (#2 in SA) and Wagner (#9 in SA). Tivy beat Champion and Seguin, before losing to San Marcos. Tivy has bounced back with a win over Canyon (38‑16) and an upset of Steele (38‑34). Based upon their last two performances, it is clear that the Mules are catching Tivy at a time when Tivy is hitting a stride.

Against Steele, Manziel was 29 for 40, passing for 319 yards while running for another 105 yards. The week before, Kerrville raced past a Canyon team that took the Mules to the wire. In the game, Manziel again passed for over 300 yards while the defense held Canyon to 200 passing yards. The loss to San Marcos was typical San Marcos football – running up 79 plays to the Antlers 36 plays. In the game, Manziel broke out for a 99 yard touchdown run. Against Seguin, Manziel rushed for 164 yards and passed for another 167 yards. Getting the picture? Against Champion, Manziel passed for 226 yards and ran for another 140 yards.

District statistics? Manziel's completion percentage is the best in the District, and he is the fourth leading rusher in the district with 658 yards, having run for 13 touchdowns. Manziel's favorite target is Mikkail Ironside who leads the district with 44 catches for 552 yards. Tivy and Heights average about the same yardage in rushing per game, but Tivy averages 204 yards per game through the air. Sonny Guzardo has caught 20 passes averaging 10 yards per catch. Defensively, Michael McKenzie is Tivy's rock solid safety. Tivy's defense has given up some yardage on the ground and in the air, but Tivy's offense has generated a lot of points to compensate. Should be an exciting game.

SNEAK PEAK AT THE PLAYOFFS

Since the Mules are in the playoffs, we can take a look at playoff possibilities, though the picture will be much clearer after this weekend. It appears that Heights, Steele and Tivy (if it wins one of its last two games) will be three of the four teams representing district. It appears that Clemens and Canyon are looking for the fourth spot – with a big showdown this week.

WEEK SIX

Tivy at Heights
San Marcos at Boerne
Steele at Seguin
Canyon at Clemens

WEEK SEVEN

Heights at Clemens
Boerne at Canyon
Seguin at San Marcos
Clemens at Tivy

The big game this week (besides Tivy at Heights) is the Canyon vs. Clemens game. A victory by Clemens would likely throw Heights into the Big Team Playoff Bracket with Steele, regardless of final standings. One of these teams would play Lake Travis (#1 in the State in 4‑A and 5‑A in some polls) in the second round, if they get past their first round matchup. Kerrville likely will be in the small team bracket if it makes the playoffs.


DISTRICT DOINGS

WEEK FIVE

Alamo Heights (5-0) 31,N.B. Canyon (2-3) 28
Boerne Champion (1-4) 52,Seguin (0-5) 41
Clemens (3-2) 28,San Marcos (1-4) 21
Kerrville (4-1) 38,Steele (4-1) 34

WEEK FOUR

Alamo Heights (4-0) 23,San Marcos (1-3) 22 [FORTUNATELY 22]
Steele (4-0) 42,Boerne Champion (0-4) 7
Kerrville (3-1) 38,N.B. Canyon (2-2) 16
Clemens (2-2) 28,Seguin (0-4) 0

WEEK THREE

Alamo Heights (3-0) 21,Seguin (0-3) 14
San Marcos (1-2) 44,Kerrville Tivy (2-1) 32
Clemens (1-2) 21,Boerne Champion (0-3) 10
Steele (3-0) 27,N.B. Canyon (2-1) 7

WEEK TWO

Alamo Heights (2-0) 58,Boerne Champion (0-2) 14
Steele (2-0) 28,Clemens (0-2) 7
Kerrville (2-0) 31,Seguin (0-2) 14
N.B. Canyon (2-0) 35,San Marcos (0-2) 14

WEEK ONE

Alamo Heights (1-0) 27,Clemens (0-1) 14
Steele (1-0) 44,San Marcos (0-1) 20
Kerrville (1-0) 28,Boerne Champion (0-1) 13
N.B. Canyon (1-0) 24,Seguin (0-1) 14



A Few Words with the Head Coach of the Mules – Don Byrd
October 27, 2009

Mule Fan: The offense had a little trouble in the first half finding its footing but the Mules still only trailed by a touchdown at the half. After Canyon scored to extend the lead early in the 3rd, the Mules roared back with three third quarter touchdowns. What was the difference and what adjustments did you make?

Coach Byrd: Well the running game was working very well in the first half. We had to mix in some throwing in the second half to back everybody up a little bit so we could continue to run the ball. We were just making some fundamental mistakes. The kids weren’t playing with enough intensity. So we just addressed those issues, went out and condensed our game plan a little bit and they just made plays. Of course the defense got some turnovers and got a short field. We had 277 yards rushing and 141 yards passing so it was a great output by the offense. Two fumbles hurt us and a couple of big penalties or we would have had more production than that.

Mule Fan: The defense continues to give the offense opportunities forcing turnovers and giving the offense a short field to work with but Friday was not an easy task with their potent passing attack of Lane Fife and Alex Lawrence. If you played back on #23 Lawrence they were throwing underneath coverage and when you came up tight on him in particular in the second half he showed he had the speed to get deep. How do you find the balance with a player or players who are the focal points of an offense like that?

Coach Byrd: Well he (QB Fife) was a huge weapon for their offense because he could move around. It’s hard to get to him and he made the right decision of who to throw to so my hat is off to their quarterback. He did a great job. We had a little bit of a mix-up in coverages at times. Sometimes we weren’t real coordinated with the secondary and linebackers so that kind of hurt us a little bit. But we made the plays we needed to win the game. They had their backs against the wall so they brought us their “A” game and we were able to withstand that.

Mule Fan: Teams that excel in the playoffs at any level often point to bench strength or a two-deep roster as a differentiator. It has to give you confidence that you have two quarterbacks tested in pressure situations. What were some of the highlights of Stephen Elder’s performance at quarterback on Friday night against Canyon?

Coach Byrd: Stephen did the things we needed to do. He got the ball to the receivers that needed to have the ball, made the correct reads and led the team well. Yeah we’re very fortunate. Cullen Mills has done an outstanding job for us. He’s the starter this week and he’s played great for us all year. I’m not down on Mills at all. But it is nice to have two quarterbacks that have made some plays out on the field.

Mule Fan: And while we’re talking about pressure situations, you can’t always get a kneel-down for the win. How important was it get game winning points on a pressure 26 yard kick from Kristian Stern?

Coach Bryd: The brought a great rush and Stern just timed it out great and hit the ball perfect. They protected well and got the ball down on the tee. So it was just a team effort and we have faith in him.

Mule Fan: So this week, it’s Kerrville. Are you sure you want to play them here?

Coach Byrd: I’d just as soon go up there (laugh). No we’ve had some great battles. You know everybody always wants to talk about Boerne being our rival but in football it’s been Kerrville. We’ve played so many big games over the years and this is another one. They’ve got a well-coached team. They’re very athletic. (QB) Manziel does a great job of running that offense. Ironside’s an outstanding receiver. But you know it’s not just those two. The other ones are blocking and doing the things that they need to. On defense they’re pretty solid across the board. Their defensive line has good size to them and do a lot of different stunts so we’re going to have to be smart when the ball is snapped, read it and go. We’re going to have to play a great game against them. They’re a good football team.

Mule Fan: We know the damage that Manziel can do if he gets outside. So what do you do to try and contain him and take away the outside?

Coach Byrd: What you’ve got to do is try to confine the space that he works in by keeping him inside the best you can. And when he does get outside, have the people responsible for that and again try and close the space. The less space he has the less his athleticism shows up. Don’t get me wrong. He’s going to make some plays and we’re going to have to play well to contain him. He brings a lot to the table.

Mule Fan: How has Kerrville progressed from the beginning of the season until now?

Coach Byrd: They were going along and played a tough non-district schedule and hung in there with the three 5A’s pretty well. They didn’t win but they played well. Then they got into district and really settled down. Against San Marcos they had some trouble. I think they just took them a little lightly. This district is tough to run the table, it really is. San Marcos was their downfall but boy did they come back roaring. They don’t want to make the same mistake twice so again Alamo Heights is going up against a good football team.


Mules Radio: ESPN 1250 The Zone

Follow the Mules on radio this season on ESPN AM 1250 The Zone. Airtime for the pre-game show this Friday is at 7:00 p.m. Ed Suarez and Dave Parker will call all the action. Please say thanks and patronize all of the generous sponsors. Don’t forget Dave Parker’s High School Coach’s Corner every Wednesday evening from Big Bob’s Burgers on Harry Wurzbach and Eventide. Dave hosts a live broadcast on ESPN 1250 The Zone from 7-8pm. Stop by, have a burger and talk a little high school football. This week, Dave’s guest is Van Fuschak from Mac Arthur.

Mule Fan 2010

Tryouts are just around the corner for the Mule Fan team. There have been some expressions of interest but most of it has centered on money and office space. That is not the way to approach the board and publishers. It got us nowhere. Plain old raw want-to is why they shower us with the dough. Some have asked if we would “hold their hand” through the process to understand how to do it. We’ve replied that we’ll be there for them to offer encouragement, support and technical assistance. But to be fair, you are not bound by our format. Do it your way. Someone asked if you have to know how to write legibly in cursive. We indicated that was a plus. What about expense accounts? We’d say that the publishers offered it to us but we turned it down because of all the paperwork involved. They have generously provided us with an occasional brownie from the press box and we felt spoiled rotten because of it. So you have that to look forward to. Do you have to work on Fridays? Yes. What about the union? Do you have to join it? We were able to get the big dough because we knew some tough guys who could crack heads. The union is good. And you get to join their health plan. Don’t delay. The offers aren’t going to get better than what they are now. Once you post a few times, then you can get silly with your demands. By the way, loyal Mule Fan readers have begun to nominate potential writers and have asked us what we think. If we hot-box you at a pre-game function, know that you are undergoing our careful and league approved due-diligence!

Mule for a Day a Great Success!

A good time was had by all kids involved in the events last Sunday afternoon. The players did a great job. The volunteer dads and moms were working hard as always. Thanks to Coach Luke Moody for running the show. Coach Moody runs a tight ship. If you missed it this year, be sure and get your kid signed up for next year. There has been some talk about a program for moms, dads and grandparents 30 years of age and older. At last glance there was a strong undercurrent of discomfort from the district. But it can be overcome. We love the smell of analgesic cream in the morning. Have a look at some of the fun in the video below.

KENS 5 Friday Night Football Tailgate

We were chosen by KENS 5 TV to be the Friday Night Football Tailgate Party for this week! Come on out and make a lot of noise, enjoy some Johsonville Sausage on Mission Tortillas and be one of the people in the background making funny wrinkled up faces while on TV cheering for the Mules! KENS 5 will broadcast live during the 5p and 6p Newscast. Representatives from KENS-TV will arrive at 4p and be around through 6:30p. We have been informed that it will all take place out on the practice field to the south of the stadium.

GO MULES!!!!!

LOOKING BACK:

MULES SURVIVE RATTLERS BITE

Heights Goes to 4-0 in District Play with 23-22 Win

A beautiful Friday night almost had an ugly ending for the Mules at Harry B. Orem Stadium. But, as this week's saying goes, "Almost doesn't count." The Rattlers spotted the Mules 16 points then raced back before dropping the game in the end. We report objectively and The Mule Fan believes this was a game where the Mules were one first half score away from possibly sending the Rattlers back on the bus at halftime. But it was a game in the end that the Mules were very, very, very (did we say very?) fortunate to win. In the second half, the Mules had no answers for the San Marcos offense, and the Mules offense never seemed to get untracked.

Not that we need to point this out, but, of course, the Mules lost the coin toss (0‑7...but who's counting), and San Marcos deferred to the second half. The Mules and Rattlers both went three and out on their first possessions. Garrett Hisle (again a spotlight player on the night) returned the Rattlers punt to the 30. Mills threw to Zach Richter whose yardage after catch has to be near the top in the district. Two false starts (c'mon guys!) forced the Mules to punt but Christian Stern hit a great one, pinning the Rattlers at their 4. Stern's punting has become a highlight for the Mules, especially on this windy night. The Stern punt and downfield coverage caused the Rattlers to start deep in their own territory. A bad snap led to a safety as James Uhl pounced on QB Schweers. 2‑0 Mules. The Mules took the punt and a Richter reception followed by a Justin Rosenthal run put the Mules down to the Rattler 15. A turnover gave the ball back to the Rattlers whose drive stalled after a dropped pass for a sure touchdown. On the drive, A. K. Knowles, made a noticeable nice defensive stop. The Mules then went to work. On the ground, the Mules ran Rosenthal through the tough offensive line and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty set the Mules up at the Rattler 13 as the quarter ended.

The drive continued and this time, the Mules "finished" (as Coach Byrd preached to the offense all week after many "non-finishes" in the Seguin game) with a Rosenthal touchdown and a 9‑0 Mules lead. The Rattlers fumbled on the next possession, and the ball was recovered by Thomas McSween, much to "Mama's" delight. I'm pretty sure "Coach" and his Jefferson Bank buddies were pretty pleased as well. The Mules, determined to capitalize on the fumble, did just that. Rosenthal, up the middle, appeared to be headed for a 20 yard touchdown. However, a Rattler defender blindsided him from the side [NOTE TO SELF: Can they make a helmet with a rear view mirror?]. The hit was so powerful that, as of the date of this writing, he still has his face mask imprinted on the left side of his cheek with the words "Riddell" visible if you look closely. On the next play, Rosenthal carried it in and the Mules were up 16‑0 with 7:00 left in the second quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, Mike Warren's terrific tackle forced the Rattlers to play a long field. The game was delayed when Rattler RB Terrance Wilburn was knocked motionless. Fortunately, reports are that Wilburn is okay, though leaving in an ambulance pained both teams and fans on both sides of the field. The importance of a game goes away immediately when an injury of that potential magnitude occurs. But the game had to continue. The Rattlers then gave the Mules a sneak preview of the second half to come – running Mike Wilburn and Andre Ray to the left, right and center. An errant passed was picked off by Luke Maloy. The teams exchanged drives and San Marcos missed a field goal at the end of the second quarter. The Mules led comfortably, 16‑0 at halftime.

To explain the change in the Rattlers second half offense, we can assume that possibly something happened inside the San Marcos locker room at halftime. Their coaching staff noticed a formation uncovered by the Mules? Maybe the Rattlers played together as a tribute to the fallen Wilburn? Maybe the Rattlers noticed Thomas McSween was out with a mild concussion? Maybe the desperation of the season surfaced? To explain the change in the Rattlers defense, possibly the pass coverage tightened. Maybe the Rattlers noticed Rosenthal's ankle was the size of a tennis ball? Maybe they stunted to get to the backfield quicker? Whatever the change, this was a different Rattlers team in the second half. One that well outplayed the talented Mules. However, the Mules made the big plays when they need to, as you will see if you continue with part two of this novel.

Due to the lost coin toss (again), the Rattlers took the ball to start the third quarter. The Rattlers began their ground attack with Wilburn and Ray running the ball. The defense stiffened including a nice play by Sophomore Skyler Nelson, to hold the Rattlers to a 30 yard field goal and a 16‑3 lead with 6:44 left in the third quarter. The Mules stalled and the Rattlers again took over and converted two third down with pass completions, including a 3rd and 17 pass to Payton Pringle to the Heights 22. Wilburn carried to the Mules 14 where the third quarter ended. With only 19 total points scored in the first three quarters combined, who would know that 26 points would be scored in the frantic fourth. 16‑3 Mules

With San Marcos poised to score, the Rattlers fumbled inside the Heights 10 and third baseman Mike Warren pounced on the hard grounder down the line… and recovered the fumble. The Mules needed to get the ball out of this territory, and they did so with a pass to Zach Richter. The Mules had to punt, but a terrific Stern punt into the wind rolled to the Rattlers 35. The Rattlers moved first on the ground and then Schweers passed from the 40 to Velasquez for a quick Rattlers touchdown. The extra point was no good (Store that fact in your head folks…more on that later), and the score was 16‑9, with 7:14 left in the fourth. The Mules took the kickoff and set up shop on their own 39. The first key play on the drive came on 3rd and 9 when Mills dropped back to pass, the right side of the offensive line let the pursuit through, and Rosenthal slipped out of the backfield (creatively, this is called the "slip screen") and caught the pass where he ran it to the 18. Mills followed with a great fake and kept it in for the Mules touchdown – a play that was worthy of a front page sports section picture and a 23‑9 lead. Oh, by the way, the Mules extra point was good. Great snaps (We believe Garza?), great holds by Elder, great blocking by the entire team, and great kicking by Stern have evolved as the season has progressed. With 6:12 left in the game the Mules were up 23‑9.

This fourth quarter deserves two paragraphs. The Rattlers were to pull out all stops [see Mule Fan blog posting from October 14….we told you so]. The Rattlers ran a double reverse pass, the receiver made an incredible adjustment surrounded by three Mules, and after a leaping catch, then a run, Mike Warren dropped the receiver at 20. Andre Ray continued his explosive running and Codgill ran it in from the two. This time, the extra point was good and the Mules led 23‑16. The Mules started the next possession at their own 35, looking for a lengthy drive to cap the game, as they had done previously in the year. But not on this night. The Mules went three and out and the Rattlers set up at their own 30. On another trick play, the Rattlers acted like the ball was fumbled, which caused the defense to pause long enough to allow Ray to scamper to the Mules 35. Ray ran to the 15, then again to the 10 and then the touchdown pass made the score 23‑22 Mules, with 45 second left in the game.

Okay, three fourth quarter paragraphs this week – because this is the suspenseful, climatic ending. Remember the missed extra point? Since you are likely close to a sleepy trance now, we'll do the math. 22 plus 1 is 23. The game would be tied at 23, if the earlier extra point was good. Under that scenario, the Rattlers would simply kick the extra point and 23 plus 1 would be 24, which is greater than the Mules 23, and we'd be feeling pretty crummy right now. But at 23‑22, and with the Rattlers on the road, needing a win, carrying all the momentum and having not been stopped in the second half, the Rattlers called time out as they elected to go for two. The Rattlers lined up to run the play and the Mules called time out. This is another instance where you have to really appreciate our coaching staff. The Mules coaching staff saw the formation the Rattlers were ready to run and decided to make a few adjustments of their own. They dropped a couple of backs, stacked the line and came with pressure [not sure if any of that happened but it just seemed like something good to write]. The Rattlers snapped the ball and instead of running Ray to the right, Schweers dropped back and passed deep to the end zone. In slow motion, Garrett "The Little Giant" Hisle jumped to knock the ball away and preserve the 23‑22 lead. The ending was not without more controversy. On the kickoff (from the 50 due to a Mules unsportsmanlike conduct), the Rattlers recovered the onside kick. But, an illegal procedure on the Rattlers forced a re-kick. The Rattlers re-kicked and the Mules fell on the ball (sure handed Zach Richter) to preserve the win.

Possibly this was a payback for the Clark loss where the Mules outplayed Clark but lost the game. Incredibly, the Rattlers gained twice as many yards as the Mules – gaining more yards both rushing and passing than Heights. The Rattlers had 21 first downs to the Mules 14 first downs, but the Mules made the plays when they needed to, holding on for the 23-22 victory in front of a relieved home crowd at Orem Stadium.



LOOKING AHEAD

New Braunfels Canyon at Cougars Stadium – Friday 7:30 p.m.

Once again, unfortunately, the Mules play a district game against a team with everything on the line. The Cougars are 2‑2 in district (3 and 4 overall) and are in a must-win situation to keep up with Clemens for fourth place in the district. The Cougars are led by quarterback Lane Fife and wide receivers Williams and Lawrence. On defense, Tyler Figol (6'0") is the leader of the Cougar defense. The Mules will have to contain another tall receiver (Ryan Keffer 6'3").

With 1451 yards, Fife has a 57% completion percentage. He spreads the ball to Lawrence, Williams, Wright, Keffer, Jenkins and Dunham, all of which have over 22 catches except Wright, most averaging over 10 yards a catch. Dunham is the leading rusher with 122 yards on the season. The Cougars are a passing team, like Laredo United and Seguin. On defense, Figol has six interceptions.

In their pre-district games Canyon lost to Pflugerville, New Braunfels and beat Austin LBJ. In its first district game, Canyon beat Seguin 24‑14 passing for 306 yards and forcing three interceptions. Canyon then beat San Marcos (remember them?) by a score of 35‑14, which means this is a very talented team when they are clicking. Canyon held San Marcos to 223 yards rushing (half what the Mules gave up), though San Marcos was without many starters, who were out with the flu.

Canyon lost to Steele 27‑7 in their third district game and Tivy 38‑16 last weekend. Canyon held Tivy under 100 yards rushing but four Canyon turnovers allowed Tivy to finally overcome the Cougars.

District statistics? Fife is the leading passer (by yardage) in the district so the Heights defensive backs need to be ready. Four of the top 10 receivers (by yards) are on the Cougar offense, with 8 touchdown receptions among them. Tyler Figol leads the district in interceptions with six. Canyon is first in the district in passing but last in the district in rushing. Canyon's defensive statistics are misleading since they were beat badly by New Braunfels early in the season.



DISTRICT DOINGS

WEEK FOUR

Alamo Heights (4-0) 23, San Marcos (1-3) 22 [FORTUNATELY]
Steele (4-0) 42, Boerne Champion (0-4) 7
Kerrville (3-1) 38, N.B. Canyon (2-2) 16
Clemens (2-2) 28, Seguin (0-4) 0

WEEK THREE

Alamo Heights (3-0) 21, Seguin (0-3) 14
San Marcos (1-2) 44, Kerrville Tivy (2-1) 32
Clemens (1-2) 21, Boerne Champion (0-3) 10
Steele (3-0) 27, N.B. Canyon (2-1) 7

WEEK TWO

Alamo Heights (2-0) 58, Boerne Champion (0-2) 14
Steele (2-0) 28, Clemens (0-2) 7
Kerrville (2-0) 31, Seguin (0-2) 14
N.B. Canyon (2-0) 35, San Marcos (0-2) 14

WEEK ONE

Alamo Heights (1-0) 27, Clemens (0-1) 14
Steele (1-0) 44, San Marcos (0-1) 20
Kerrville (1-0) 28, Boerne Champion (0-1) 13
N.B. Canyon (1-0) 24, Seguin (0-1) 14

A Few Words with the Head Coach of the Mules – Don Byrd
October 20, 2009

Mule Fan: You’ve said before that a key to beating San Marcos was keeping their odd run oriented offense from holding the ball too long. They held it for twice as many plays as the Mules. But the guys showed guts and the defense made big plays to secure the victory. On a night when our offense wasn’t on the field much, what did you learn about your defense?

Coach Byrd: The tone they started with was unbelievable. They did get worn down towards the end but all in all they did a fabulous job. They caused some turnovers that were probably the difference in the game. They played with a lot of heart but really everybody did. San Marcos is a good football team. To be ahead of Kerrville 44-7 at one point shows you what type of team that is and for our team to come out with a victory is great. It’s kind of a shame a team had to lose that game because so many kids played so hard. It’s a shame that somebody did have to come away the loser but thank goodness our kids made the plays at the end.

Mule Fan: Was this the most physical game your team has been in all year?

Coach Byrd: Probably across the board. Clark was a physical game. All of them have been somewhat but for them (San Marcos) to sit there and constantly pound with a condensed formation like that probably made it across the board very physical especially for our defense.

Mule Fan: The offense was short handed at receiver this past week. What were some of the other challenges the offense faced last Friday?

Coach Byrd: First of all, that defense had size and athleticism. They were just very talented. They had two cornerbacks that could cover any receiver and pretty much shut them down. Other teams outside receivers have not caught many balls against them. So then you come into your inside receivers and your running game. They were able to blitz. And we had schemes to pick it up but their size and speed put a lot of pressure on Mills. They did a lot of things to try to take Justin away which Mills read and turned the ball up. When they brought pressure we were able to hit that screen to set up the last score to help us win. So there were some things we did but that was a good football team.

Mule Fan: Going to the end of the game, San Marcos made some surprising decisions that baffled the folks in the stands. The biggest-they line up for a two point conversion after pulling to within one and attempt a pass after having rolled up 200 yards on the ground in the second half. The Mules made a big play and break it up to preserve the lead and the win. What did you believe that the chances were that they would pass there?

Coach Byrd: I was surprised and I think that was what they were counting on. You have to remember that they’d scored on a pass on that same drive. The kid was throwing the ball well. You go and you score and your kicker is not having a good game. He’s already missed a field goal and hasn’t kicked the ball as well. So do you want to put everything on his kick so you decide to go for two and like I said on that drive they’d had a couple of nice throws so it wasn’t like the guy hadn’t been productive as a quarterback and a passer. Our kids stayed at home on the backside and made a great play.

Mule Fan: You’ve been through a lot of physical games as you said and have a lot of kids banged up from the San Marcos game. At this point in the season, what changes if any do you make to the way you prepare for a game? Are you hitting in practice as much as you would earlier in the season?

Coach Byrd: The last thing you want for these kids or any team is for them to be beat up or their legs not under them. You don’t want to over work them. So there’s kind of a fine line of staying crisp, knowing your assignments, going quick enough to not be sloppy but by the same token you’re not wearing out their legs and joints and different areas where they’re sore or can be more inflamed. So those are the things you want to be mindful of. So we’ve tried to work through practice where we’re able to rest them but still get as good of a workout as we can. We’ve had a couple of good days of practice. The kids have really responded well. Usually after a physical game like that the last thing they want to do is run around and play football on Monday but they did a nice job with it.

Mule Fan: We’re getting to the sharp end of the schedule now. The game this week against New Braunfels Canyon has potential playoff implications. What about Canyon and the importance of the game this week?

Coach Byrd: Canyon is fighting for a playoff spot. They’re a team that decided that with a running back hurt they were not going to be able to run the ball very well so they changed their offense and style of play and have been throwing it a lot. They’ve got a very talented quarterback but it takes a while to make a change that massive. But each week they’ve gotten a little better and better on defense. So they’re a team that knows they have a couple of losses and needs to play well to make the playoffs. Alamo Heights is a team in their way so they’re going to come out and give us a great effort. They’re well coached and it is going to be a great football game. For us it’s just like I told the kids. We’re not in the playoffs. There are scenarios where we will not make it so this game is to get us in the playoffs. That’s our top goal is to make it to the eleventh week and Canyon stands in our way. So we’re hoping to clean up some things that we didn’t do well. Get our kids a little more rested. Get some injured kids out there and come out and play a good football game at New Braunfels Canyon and get in the playoffs.

Tickets for New Braunfels Canyon

It’s a road game this week so here’s your money saving tip for this week. Patty Juarez will be selling tickets at the AH athletic office.

Wednesday 8:30 - Noon & 1:30 - 3:30
Thursday 8:30 - Noon & 1:30 - 3:00
Friday 8:30 - 3:00
Ticket Prices Adults $6.00 Pre-sale
Student $3.00 Pre-sale
All seats $7 at the gate

Mules Radio: ESPN 1250 AM The Zone

Follow the Mules on radio this season on ESPN AM 1250 The Zone. Airtime for the pre-game show this Friday is at 7:00 p.m. Ed Suarez and Dave Parker will call all the action. Please say thanks and patronize all of the generous sponsors. Don’t forget Dave Parker’s High School Coach’s Corner every Wednesday evening from Big Bob’s Burgers on Harry Wurzbach and Eventide. Dave hosts a live broadcast on ESPN 1250 The Zone from 7-8pm. Stop by, have a burger and talk a little high school football. This week, Dave’s guest is Boerne Champion head coach Daniel Threadgill and next week it is Van Fuschak from Mac Arthur.

Get Punt, Pass and Kick on your Calendars Sunday, October 25th

Just one more week until the annual Mule for a Day event. Our younger Mules look forward to the event with the same enthusiasm. This is a really fun event for future Alamo Heights Mules (kindergarten-6th grade) as they get to interact and learn football skills from current players in the Alamo Heights football program. The date of the event this year is Sunday, October 25th (that’s this coming Sunday) from 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. and the event is brought to us by Jefferson Bank and Vivroux Sports. Stop by the athletic office for an official registration form. $30 covers the kids and includes a T-shirt, snack and halftime recognition at the October 30 home game against Kerrville Tivy! You can even pre-order an autographed football signed by the varsity team for $15.

Meet the Coaching Staff-Pap O'Dell

This week meet the new Alamo Heights assistant coach – Pap O’Dell

It is not very common that new coaches come in mid-season but this was an exception. Coach Byrd needed to fill an obvious hole in his coaching ranks and thus the debut this week of Coach O’ Dell. Since he’s just arriving, we don’t even have a picture of him. But we think you’ll get the picture after you review his profile below.


Name (how many years at Alamo Heights): Pap O' Dell Just starting this week Spouse’s Name: Cynthia but I call her Craig

Children (ages): Stan (60), Eddie (4)

Pets: A cat named Marty, porpoise named Gwen

Hometown: Bobbler’s Burp, Maine College Attended: Wassamatta U. (Graduated Magna Cum Lucky)

High School: Spanky McFarland Elementary

Coaching responsibilities this season: The guys who go out and pick up the kicking tee after kickoffs

Career path that got you to Alamo Heights: IH-35

Sports you played in high school, college: baseball, hopscotch

Subjects you’ll teach at AHHS: Fresh Water Geometry

Hobbies: Miniature golf, rugby, marbles, sack racing, making clay Volkswagens, singing

What kind of singer are you: A belter

The thing you had the most fun doing this past summer: Making an omelet on my sidewalk

Best job you had as a kid: Drove the harvester on a dental floss farm

Best prank you’ve ever pulled: Answering “Papstic” at the checkout stand at HEB when asked “paper or plastic” then running away

What was your best subject in school: coloring

What teams do you follow as a fan: Ms. Mayhew’s Powder Puff football team @ Wassamatta U.

Fondest memory or the greatest moment in your athletic or coaching career: Discovering that Corn Nuts was not a cereal

Military Service: Fought in the Boar Wars Rank Attained: King

Most embarrassing moment in your athletic career: Running straight to third from the batter’s box instead of rounding the bases on a bloop hit to right field and arguing with the ump that I tripled

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): Former President Gerald Ford, I once shined a flashlight in Britney Spears’ eyes at a concert (is that a sport?)

What is your pre-game ritual or any superstitions: I make the biggest kid on the team read me “Goodnight Moon”

Most recent book read: Archery for Dummies

Favorite song: Any Turkey Can Tango: The Reprise Artist: Unkown

Favorite Album: Fight Songs of the Southwest Conference by the Amazing Zithers of Marcus Putney and the Zithereens

If you were doing one song in an “air guitar” concert, which one you tear ‘em up with?: “Pop Goes the Weasel"

Four people alive or dead you’d most like to have dinner with: Barbara Feldon (Agent 99 from 60’s Get Smart), the guy who played the town drunk Otis on the Andy Griffith Show, Regis Philbin, Gumby

Favorite food: Fudgsicles Favorite concession stand food: Luden’s Cherry Cough Drops

Favorite place to go on vacation: Beaumont

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what three items would you want with you after your survival gear was covered: tortilla warmer, kettle drums and a Cabela’s Catalog

Favorite TV show from your youth (not a cartoon): Lancelot Link Secret Chimp (that was a darn good cop show)

Favorite Saturday morning cartoon show from your youth: Super Chicken

Favorite movie ever: Antelope Diaries II

What’s the best thing that you cook: Fritos

At what kind of trivia contest would you be invincible? Deep Sea Fishing

Thing you like most about winter: Wearing feet jammies Worst thing about winter: Stew

For my last meal, I would have to eat: Hostess snowballs and chocolate covered snow crab

You don’t want to play me at (game/sport/board game/video game/card game, etc.): Candyland

What advice do you have for your players at this point in their lives: Buy US War Bonds


Future Mule Fan Writers-We're waiting....Tryouts are soon. Don't miss this chance to stay up late on weeknights, write on little bits of paper at games, get interviewed by the radio guys and other neat stuff like that. Really this is is the big time in every way. We've made light of it but both of us would tell you that we get the benefits. We cut right to the front of lines in the men's room at home games at half time, park less than a 15 minute walk from the stadium, we can go in the press box anytime we want, we get an extra roster in 14 point font at freshman and JV games (and ours are alphabetized!) and perhaps the coolest of all, we are the ones who cue Mule Voice Rick Shaw to do the "another Alamo Heights first down" phrase. It is good to be us. But we'll be on the street by late December and another writer(s) must be shoved into these chairs. Don't make us beg for Pete's sake. Someone nominate someone. The approval process can take hours so let's get out ahead of it.

Let us know by e-mail or in person bobcohen@sbcglobal.net or brosenthal@trpsalaw.com.

And as always, we welcome your thoughts, criticisms, poems, and story suggestions. Please don't hold back. We can't bear the thought of coming up short. If you have an idea or just want to pop off a little-bring it!

GO MULES!!!!

Mules Say Ole' to Matadors in Exciting 21-14 win! Third Straight District 27-4A Victory-Fourth in a Row Overall


A WIN IS A WIN IS A WIN

Mules hold off Matadors 21-14 to go 3-0 in District Play

They say "it's not how you play the game, but whether you win or lose." Well, that's not exactly how the saying goes, but on this night, The Mule Fan watched from the stands as Head Coach Don Byrd gently took off his headset, placed it on the equipment table and breathed a huge sigh of relief as the Mules escaped Seguin with a 7 point victory. As expected, Seguin pulled out all the stops in what amounted to a must win game at home for the Matadors. This has to be the best 0-3 team in any district around. On this night, the Mules overcame a few miscues, but once again, halftime coaching adjustments and a tough defense paved the way to a victory.

The rains blew through the area Friday leaving behind a wonderful, cool evening for football. Coffee sales kept the concession stands busy as a brisk north wind blew towards the Mules faithful who came out to Matador Stadium. As has now become a tradition, the Mules lost the coin toss (possibly 0-6) and received the ball to start the game. The Mules drove into the wind with Cullen Mills connecting with Zach Richter for his first of seven catches on the night. As an aside, this Mule Fan writer believes Richter is possibly the toughest kid pound for pound on the field. Actually, it would be neat to see Richter and Car-Car square off in one of those WWF matches on Univision where the cage encloses the contestants and the duel is last man standing. Maybe throw an animated Chris Troilo in as the judge and we're all set. Let's wait until January before we pursue that pay-for-view special. After a Mules turnover, the Seguin offense, led by strong QB Brig Gerlich drove, including a third and 17 completion. The defense held after forcing an intentional grounding (Jill – that's where the quarterback throws the ball away to avoid getting sacked. Jill – that's where the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage. Jill – that's where the play begins). The Mules set up at their own 18 and drove again nicely, including runs and passes by Mills, including a fourth down catch by Justin Rosenthal and a 3rd down pass to David Garza to the one yard line. Mills ran it in for a 7-0 Mules lead at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Gerlich again was back on track. For those who missed the game, the kid has a great release and can throw the ball seven yards to the sideline as well as anybody in the district. After a Biltz stop, Gerlich's next pass was tipped and intercepted by Garrett Hisle. As another aside, Hisle is not the tallest kid on the team. But on this night, he played like a giant. All night, it seemed, he was man to man against #3, Dustin Reed, a 6'3", 205 pound, wide receiver with the most catches in the district. The teams exchanged possessions and with the Matadors driving to the Mules 21, Seguin decided to go for a 4th and 1. A bad snap gave the Mules the ball back at the 21, but the Mules were unable to drive the ball and again gave the ball back to Seguin. On the following drive, key defensive plays were made by James Uhl, who broke up a pass over the middle, and Hisle, who knocked down a sure touchdown in the end zone. Hisle's play forced the Matadors to attempt a field goal which was wide right. The Mules drove nicely with a minute left in the half but couldn't get close enough for a decent field goal attempt. The 50 yard field goal attempt into the wind was off. The Mules led 7-0 at halftime.

We mentioned how critical this game was for the Matadors. At 0-2 in the district, this amounted to a must win game for Seguin. That is concerning to a spectator knowing the Mules clung to only a 7 point lead and the Matadors are a well coached team, on the edge of desperation. But that same spectator would know how well coached the Mules are as a team with the eyes of Coach Harris and Coach White watching from up above (No – they didn't die, they are in the press box where they watch every offensive and defensive design attempted by the other team). And with Coaches Byrd, Hooks, Moody, Newton, Norment, Osborne, Troilo, and Walker (it's alphabetical, Mike – nothing personal) on the field, the Mules could make their own adjustments and respond to any Matador adjustments. In the second half – they would handle both with a grade of A+.

The third quarter opened with the Mules kicking off to the Matadors (see coin toss above). The Matadors took over with Gerlich as quarterback. Oh, excuse me. That's not Gerlich. He is at receiver. What? The district's leading passer at receiver? What is going on? Did the Matadors coach suffer a memory loss at halftime? No – it was wide receiver Thomas Cochrum running the wildcat offense. He ran for 15, then defensive back Matthews ran at quarterback to the Mules 10. On fourth down, the defense stiffened with Garrett Hisle again making a huge fourth down stop. Mills hit Trevor Lovelady on a pass for a key first down. Brad Sundin, doing his best impersonation of Rick Shaw and Eric Andersen led the cheers of "That's Enough for another Alamo Heights – First Down." The Mules, having established the pass with Mills in the first half, then went to work on the ground, driving the ball down to the Matador 10. A speedy Matador stepped in front on a pass and went 96 yards for a Matador touchdown and a 7-7 game. Both teams had made adjustments (the Matadors went to Wildcat and the Mules went to the ground), but now we would see who could handle the other teams adjustments best. The Mules took the kickoff and Rosenthal picked up huge chunks of yardage – behind the terrific offensive line. As the quarter ended, the Mules had taken away some of the Matador momentum by driving to the Matador one. Third quarter – 7-7.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Mills faked the handoff and walked in for a 14-7 Mules lead. But the Matadors were not done. Gerlich threw for 20 on a traditional quarterback play and then with Matthews and Lawson rotating in the wildcat offense, the Matadors bulled their way quickly down the field with Lawson carrying it in from the 34. Suddenly, it was 14-14, with still 9:11 left in the game. This is getting a bit common, but the Mules needed a long drive and they needed to run some clock. A Mules penalty and the fans become nervous. Fortunately, the Mules and their coaching staff did not. Mills connected with Trevor Lovelady on a key third down. On the play, Lovelady was injured, and we all pray for his quick recovery. Rosenthal moves the ball on the ground over and over, David Garza makes a huge catch on fourth and five and on a brilliant call, Mills lofts the ball beautifully to Steven Elder down the middle for a touchdown. The extra point made it 21-14 with three minutes left in the game. On the Mules kickoff, the pooch kick (sounds like a game played by Michael Vick and his friends) was bobbled and recovered by the Mules. The Mules seemed to be in good shape as they pounded out yardage on the ground. [This part gets tough folks!]. As Rosenthal was going in for the touchdown, he was gang tackled, and his momentum appeared to be stopped but no whistle blew. The ball was stripped and returned by the Matadors to the 27. The Matadors drove and on a fourth down play, with neither this Mule Fan writer nor his son able to watch, Carter Thurmond closed quickly on an open receiver batting down the Seguin pass and turning the ball back to the Mules for the win. Thank you defense! Ball game. 21-14 Mules.

The Mules are now 3-0 in district play – grinding out a great victory on the road against a solid team. The defense again was spectacular. The defense held the leading district quarterback to 15 28 for 151 yards. Though the Matadors wildcat offense was effective, the Mules were able to shut down the offense at key times. On offense, Mills was 22 for 29 with over 200 yards and Rosenthal ran for 201 yards. But, as we've noted all year, while those two players have statistics, they are absolutely nothing without the offensive line and tight ends that continue to open holes for the run and prevent holes while providing terrific pass protection. The receivers were terrific as well – catching everything and holding their blocks. The special teams continue to improve as the snaps, holds, blocks and kicks were good on all extra points, and the pooch kick was jumped on by no less than six Mules. Great game for the Mules.

LOOKING AHEAD

San Marcos Rattlers at Alamo Heights Friday at 7:30 Show your support for the Mules!!!

Once again, the Mules will face another team desperate for a victory. San Marcos is 1-2 in district play and will pull out all of the stops (like Seguin) to stay alive in the district playoff hopes. This will be another big test for the Mules. The Rattlers return 5 players on offense and 5 players on defense. The Rattlers play a slot T offense. For those of you who did not attend the game in San Marcos last year, this is an offense that runs ball control, similar to the Mules, but with essentially four running back options, its like watching a trick play every time as you never know who will have the ball. The Rattlers fake the ball to several people on every play, meaning if one runner is not guarded, the Rattlers can explode for big yardage at any moment. The Rattlers return three running backs---Codgill, Walker and Wilburn and a huge tight end Bagley (6'5", 245 pounds). Their leading tackler from last year, linebacker Jeremy Gonzalez, is back as well.

The Rattlers are for real. They stunned Kerrville Tivy last week 44-22. In the game, San Marcos jumped out to a 21-0 lead, led 30 to 7 at halftime and were ahead 44-14 before Tivy countered with three late scores. Can they run? Yes. Walker ran for an 80 yard touchdown and Ray ran for a 68 yard touchdown. The Rattlers ran an incredible 59 plays and passed only 12 times, though one was a 44 yard pass to Ray. Take away two long runs by Kerrville QB Manziel and Kerrville ran 17 times for only 50 yards. This is a very good team on both sides of the ball, and the Mules need to be on their game. In their second district game against Canyon, the Rattlers were missing 8 starters due to the flu (who can beat this reporting?). Though losing 35-14 to Canyon, San Marcos actually outgained Canyon and held Canyon to only 39 yards on the ground. Three turnovers cost San Marcos an opportunity to win the game. In their district opener against Steele, San Marcos ran for over 200 yards, but gave up big yardage to Malcolm Brown and the talented Steele squad. In their non-district games, San Marcos rolled past Lampasas 33-0 running for 269 yards and holding Lampasas to 5 first downs, 0 passing yards, and only 3 yards per carry against the run. San Marcos lost to Waco University in their season opener and beat Bastrop 20-0 in their second game of the season.

District statistics? Ray is fifth in the district on rushing. The Rattlers are second in district in yards rushing. The Rattlers average 251 yards a game rushing (behind only Steele) so the Mules defense must be ready. The Rattlers average more points than the Mules and have the #1 defense in the district based upon yards allowed. The Rattlers are the strongest defense against the pass. There is nothing easy in this tough district and this team will be out to show that it is a playoff contender as well.

DISTRICT DOINGS

Now that we are into district play, this segment does your homework for you. This segment allows Mule Fans to keep up with the season's district games, to determine who has done what when and captures district records.

WEEK THREE

Alamo Heights (3-0) 21 Seguin (0-3) 14
San Marcos (1-2) 44 Kerrville Tivy (2-1) 32
Clemens (1-2) 21 Boerne Champion (0-3) 10
Steele (3-0) 27 N.B. Canyon (2-1) 7

WEEK TWO

Alamo Heights (2-0) 58 Boerne Champion (0-2) 14
Steele (2-0) 28 Clemens (0-2) 7
Kerrville (2-0) 31 Seguin (0-2) 14
N.B. Canyon (2-0) 35 San Marcos (0-2) 14

WEEK ONE

Alamo Heights (1-0) 27 Clemens (0-1) 14
Steele (1-0) 44 San Marcos (0-1) 20
Kerrville (1-0) 28 Champion (0-1) 13
N.B. Canyon (1-0) 24 Seguin (0-1) 14

Photos courtesy of Mary Candee-Dulce Designs

A Few Words with the Head Coach of the Mules – Don Byrd
October 13, 2009

The Mule Fan: In the first quarter of the Seguin game and the first half it seemed like it was a “feeling out” process. The Mules were trying to find their rhythm. You saw that they would key on Justin Rosenthal, opening up running opportunities for Cullen Mills and the passing game. What were you learning in the first half that led to the offensive production in the 2nd half?

Coach Byrd: We were going to go in with the running game and short passing game for what they were giving us. In the second quarter we got put in a bind with a couple of penalties and a play that didn’t work out so it put us out of rhythm where we couldn’t just rely on short passes and Justin running the ball. So we got out of sync a little in the second quarter. But we only punted once. We got down deep in their territory twice and we had turnovers and didn’t get points out of it. The other one we were getting close and didn’t get in. We missed two field goals. So I guess the word “finish” comes in. On offense we’ve just got to finish. The defense played very well. It was also nice having those long running-short passing game drives that ate up a lot of clock where the defense didn’t have to be on the field as much. That’s kind of how the game flowed. But again we’re just going to have to finish drives and protect the football.

Mule Fan: You controlled the line of scrimmage a lot during the game and you mentioned the long drives. How was the offensive line’s performance and what was their contribution to the win?

Coach Byrd: They saw a lot of different stunts. A lot of different looks from Seguin’s defensive front. To be able to not only manhandle them but as the ball was snapped, different things occurred where they would have a different assignment and to be able to adjust on the run was the most impressive part of their play Friday night. That’s the first thing that comes to mind. And then just how physical they’ve been. They use great technique. Coach Norment does a great job with them. I’m proud of all of them.

Mule Fan: Jumping ahead to the 4th quarter for a moment, how did you feel about the way your offense responded after the 96 yard interception return for a touchdown? I wonder if the Clemens experience hardened them up a little and helped keep them focused?

Coach Byrd: Well a couple of things. Seeing what happened with Clark and not getting a win. Knowing that you’re going to have to fight to the end. With Clemens-being nice to another team and giving them 14 points right before the half and being able to fight-I think they’re getting confidence. We’re executing well on third and fourth down. So there are a lot of things coming together with the offense.

Mule Fan: Seguin went into a “Wildcat” style offense in the second half which was a big change after halftime. Had you seen that in their films and what adjustments did you have to make in the second half because the defense seemed to adjust well and quickly?

Coach Byrd: The defensive coaches had a great plan for both types of offenses. Of course they’re not throwing out of it. They’re attacking a lot of different gaps with people with motions, crosses and leads and so forth so you have to step up and play a little bit more a run-type defense. They did hurt us a little bit. You were looking at some very talented athletes. That’s just going to happen. But all in all we held them to seven points on defense. When you do that you’re going to win a lot of games.

Mule Fan: Looking at the sequence late in the fourth quarter. You’ve scored to take the lead and recover a pooch kickoff and now have a chance to drive and pad the lead. You drive down and on a play where Justin is barging forward and literally moving a pile of people almost to the goal line. He appeared to have the ball stripped but the ball actually came out of the pile then scooped and run back downfield. Take us through that and what was going on down there?

Coach Byrd: Well it was just Justin really fighting for yards and trying to get in the end zone. The pile kept moving and moving. The whole Seguin team is on him just about so you really can’t see what caused the fumble. But that’s just part of the game and sometimes that does happen. You can’t tell whether it will stop the momentum or not. After watching the film, you know Justin is so strong and as he’s fighting for yardage the ball just popped out. We had to show a lot of character by stopping them. Thank goodness that drive did two things. It got the ball where they had a very long field and then they had to burn up all their timeouts. So those were the two things that the drive accomplished. Of course the ultimate goal was to go ahead 28-14 and have a two score cushion with not much time left so thank goodness we were able to run that much clock out where they had to gamble and do a few things and was going to be hard for them to overcome.


Mule Fan: One of the highlights of the night was really what happened at that point with the defense having to make a stop. I’m sure everyone was in a little bit of shock at that point. What did you tell them on the sideline and during the timeouts after the defense had to jump back out there with the game on the line when they didn’t expect it to be?

Coach Byrd: Not really a whole lot. We work on that in practice. The secondary coaches, coach Hooks and coach White work hard on making sure we’re in a defense that will keep them in the field of play and not give them the big plays and so forth. They moved the ball a little bit. We got them out of sync and they felt like they had to go to the “wildcat” to try to move the ball. They can’t throw it so the clock would be running and they were out of timeouts so that worked in our favor. The defense made plays and got a stop. The offense finished the game.

Mule Fan: San Marcos comes into the game this week having upset Kerrville Tivy but they were obviously salty enough to pull that off. They still run an “old school” offense that you don’t see too often. What should we expect this week out of the Rattlers.

Coach Byrd: They’re very aggressive. They attack. They have deceptive speed. When you run a condensed formation with everyone in tight sometimes you don’t see them break into the open field but they did against Kerrville and made some great plays. This program is a good program. They made the playoffs a couple of years ago and beat Smithson Valley. They’ve done some great things over the years. They’re playing well for Coach Van Ness. They’ve got about five or six guys going both ways. They play hard and don’t get winded. Alamo Heights is going to have to come out and play just like they’re going to have to each and every week. We’ll be saying this about Canyon the next week and Kerrville and Steele the rest of the way and just like have said about teams up until now. It’s just a great district with unbelievable competition. Defensively they play a 4-2 with a lot of man coverage. They do a lot of games with their linebacker and their free safety. So we’re going to have to be prepared for a lot of different looks with their front and lot of different blitzes. Hopefully we can stay balanced and continue to run and throw the ball and this time protect it and finish drives and then good things will happen for the Mules.

Mule Fan: The win last Friday did not come cheap as we lost (senior receiver) Trevor Lovelady who tore his ACL on a leaping grab and he is now out for the season which is certainly a big disappointment and loss for the team. Did you get a good look at the play while it was happening and did it appear to you that he was hurt when he went down?

Coach Byrd: You know he went up in the air and twisted and the leg he really came down on was his left and that wasn’t the one that had the problem. What he tried to do was put his right leg out wider to try and get some balance to see if he could land on his feet and it buckled on him. I hate to see it for Trevor. What a fine young man. He always has a great attitude and is always working hard. He’s a big part of this team. You hate to see it for anybody. But Trevor has been special. I’m hoping for the best for him and Tammy and his family.

Meet Coach Jeff Hooks

Name (how many years at Alamo Heights): Jeff Hooks Spouse’s Name: Shan

Children (ages): Sam (30), Andy (27)

Hometown: San Antonio College Attended: Trinity

High School: Judson

Coaching responsibilities this season: Defensive Secondary

Career path that got you to Alamo Heights: After 31 years of teaching and coaching, Coach Byrd/Dr. Foster offered me a great opportunity

Subjects you also teach at AHHS: Finance

Hobbies: Outdoor activities

The thing you had the most fun doing this past summer: Visiting family and friends

High School or College Athletics you played (position): Football/Track-Wide Receiver

What was your best subject in school: Math

What teams do you follow as a fan: Texas Tech

Fondest memory or the greatest moment in your athletic or coaching career: Seeing “the light come on” for athletes that I coach

Most embarrassing moment in your athletic career: Fumbling the ball while running for an apparent, uncontested score

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): Sammy Baugh, before the Eastland-Rotan scrimmage

Outside of Coach Byrd (of course), what coach at any level of any sport do you admire most: Tom Landry

What is your pre-game ritual or any superstitions: Listening to music

First car: 1963 Pontiac Bonneville

Favorite type of music or favorite artist(s): Rock and Roll

Musical instruments played?: Dashboard drums

Which song from your youth would you consider your favorite: “Going up the Country” by Canned Heat

If you were doing one song in an “air guitar” concert, which one you tear ‘em up with?: “Communication Breakdown” (by Led Zeppelin)

Four people alive or dead you’d most like to have dinner with: Tom Landry, Marily Monroe, General George Patton, Bill Murray

Favorite food: Enchiladas Favorite concession stand food: Starburst

Most recent book read: Fleeced

Favorite place to go on vacation: Caribbean

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what three items would you want with you after your survival gear was covered: I-pod, yard darts, hammock

Favorite TV show from your youth (not a cartoon): FBI

Favorite Saturday morning cartoon show from your youth: Bugs Bunny

Favorite movie ever: Patton

What’s the best thing that you cook: Huevos Rancheros

Favorite breakfast cereal from your youth (or now if it still applies): Cocoa Krispies

At what kind of trivia contest would you be invincible? Pre 1990 Football

You don’t want to play me at (game/sport/board game/video game/card game, etc.): Washers

What do you like most about coaching at Alamo Heights: The players, coaches, administration, community, free meals

What advice do you have for your players at this point in their lives: Enjoy the moment.


Wanted: Two New (or one) Mule Fan Editors

No we're not going out on strike. We have a whole lot of weeks to go here. But eventually, los dos Bobby’s must hang it up. Our press passes will eventually expire. Our hands will curl up with writer's cramp. We will go to seed. We feel it is time to start trolling for new “talent.”

If you’ve ever sat here reading the Mule Fan and muttered to yourself or anyone who would listen, “These yutzes couldn’t write a prescription. Protozoa could do a better job.” If you think you can do this gig then we want to know who you are and not so that we can beat you up or anything like that. Your big chance is coming. We want to hand this hand-crafted body of work over to someone whose background has been thoroughly checked, whose fingernails are clean, who understands the difference between a semi-colon and an ampersand and who flosses regularly. You’ll need a computer but that comes later.

We know it is only October. But if you want to have time to go through the highly acclaimed Otis Yordnick Memorial Speed Writing and Mule Fan Training Program, we need to get you loose in the bullpen soon. It goes like this. First we see how you do with a chunk of charcoal. Then we move you on to a crayon in a primary color. Next we go old school and check you out on stone tablets and a chisel. If you can get through that gauntlet you face the ultimate test which is holding a Chicago Style hot dog in one hand and typing something about season tickets in the other and not get a spec of mustard on the keyboard.

If you think you can hack it and you are the dad or mom or grandparent or barber of a sophomore or junior, we want to hear from you. We’re gonna give you tips on how to negotiate with management at this rag. We’re going to give you passwords. We’re going to give you the kind of moral support and critical training which we got from our predecessors. All you need is passion and “want to.” And of course we’re going to protect this deal like a mama bear protects her cubs. If you can’t type your name without spell check, then don’t come near us. But if you’ve got the stuff, you’ve got a shot.

Let us know by e-mail or in person (seriously folks, someone please step up) bobcohen@sbcglobal.net or brosenthal@trpsalaw.com.


Mules Radio: Back on ESPN 1250 The Zone

Follow the Mules on radio this season on ESPN AM 1250 The Zone. Airtime for the pre-game show is at 7:00 p.m. Ed Suarez and Dave Parker will call all the action. Please say thanks and patronize all of the generous sponsors.

Get Punt, Pass and Kick on your Calendars Sunday, October 25th

The Mule Fan editors recall fondly the excitement in our homes when the Mule for a Day event rolled around each year. Our younger Mules look forward to the event with the same enthusiasm. This is a really fun event for future Alamo Heights Mules (kindergarten-6th grade) as they get to interact and learn football skills from current players in the Alamo Heights football program. The date of the event this year is Sunday, October 25th from 2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. and the event is brought to us by Jefferson Bank and Vivroux Sports. Stop by the athletic office for an official registration form. $30 covers the kids and includes a T-shirt, snack and halftime recognition at the October 30 home game against Kerrville Tivy! You can even pre-order an autographed football signed by the varsity team for $15.

Photos courtesy of Mary Candee www.dulcedesigns.photoreflect.com Your Personal PhotographerYour Community PhotographerDulce Design Photography

Video highlights courtesy of Mike Murphy. (Scroll down just a little...Yeah, yeah we know it would be easier if we just placed it higher up on the post but it's late and we're tired and we can't get it to work right so just scroll down four inches and let's get on with it and watch Murph's good shots here.)