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Go Mules!

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Austin LBJ 20 Alamo Heights 13 November 22, 2014

Mules 2014 Season Comes to Soggy End at Hands of Austin LBJ 20-13
By Bob Cohen, Senior Editor Still Drying Out
           
Just in case you think we're exaggerating about the rain!
            (San Marcos)—Back in the 60’s and 70’s the Dallas Cowboys had a thing about wearing their blue jerseys in playoff games as in “nothing good happened” when they did, or not usually anyway.  The editorial staff of the Mule Fan is typically indifferent to superstition but perhaps is just starting to get the heebie-jeebies about Bobcat Stadium and playoff games.  The Mules have been eliminated from the playoffs in three of the last six seasons on that field including the 2014-15 edition, which went down last Saturday afternoon to Austin’s LBJ Jaguars 20-13 ending a fine season on a down note.  Well heck, all the season-enders sting, no matter what round.  

            All of Mule Nation knew that the weather was going to play into this one.  And it did.  It could have been worse in the first half.  It could have been 36 degrees as one fan in the stands put it.  It bucketed down rain for most of the fans on the commute up IH-35 and throughout most of the first half.   As luck would have it, the rain let up for both bands at halftime. But it is fair to say that the Mules football team was harder done by it.  A slippery ball played a role in putting the Mules behind 14-0 in the first half.  The first Jaguar score was a result of a strip from the hands of running back Tucker Azar, which Jaguar’s linebacker Ashton Williams took for 45 yards to break the ice.  And later in the second period, with Mules on their own 26-yard line, the football squirted out of the hands of Mules quarterback Dalton Banks in a one-two combination initiated by a jarring hit from an LBJ defender and the resulting scoop by linebacker Sam Oyewale who barged eight yards to the end zone planting the Mules in a 14-0 hole under still darkened skies.  That’s the way the scoreboard looked at the end of the first half.
Photos courtesy of Mary Candee
www.dulcedesigns.photreflect.com
            It had been more than two months since Alamo Heights had even trailed in a game let alone by two scores.  This time, in addition to a slippery slope to climb in bad weather, Austin LBJ threw a net over the Mules passing game with defensive backs that seemed sewn on to Heights receivers.  Had there been any sun to see, one wouldn’t have been able to see it in the space between Mule receiver and Jaguar defender.  This issue caused visible timing issues with a Mules battery that feeds on reads and timing routes. 
Coach Mike Norment has talked often about taking what the defense gives it.  On Saturday, the Mules paid full retail for every yard on the ground and in the air.  There was no “give” involved, best evidenced by the Mules first scoring drive of the game.  Alamo Heights got on the board in the fourth quarter when quarterback Dalton Banks finally succeeded in getting the ball over the goal line from point blank range.  But this was only after the Mules were stopped inches away from the end zone on fourth down on the previous possession after several tries to push the ball over.  The Mules gave the ball back to LBJ but forced a fumble on the first play of the drive and made a huge recovery, then scored on the first play as Banks forced his will on the Jaguars with a dive into the end zone. 
Photos courtesy of Mary Candee
www.dulcedesigns.photreflect.com


The next Alamo Heights touchdown was also hard earned.  Banks connected with Cole Yoeman on a 15-yard pass over the middle, which Yoeman bobbled but recaptured in the end zone to get the Mules to within a point of the Jaguars.  The goblins jumped back on the Mules’ collective backs when Cameron Dawley missed the PAT leaving the Mules still behind by one point.

With the Mules back in business but requiring a crucial defensive stop, LBJ sharpened up. Quarterback Avery Jackson got to the outside of the Mules left side containment and raced 53 yards to the north end zone.  The Mules were able to stop the run attempt for two, which froze the LBJ lead at seven.
With three minutes left and two timeouts in their pockets, the Mules seemingly had a chance to let their offense, which had begun to find its footing in the second half, get to work on making a last run in a one possession game and by comparison, in “dryer” conditions.  This is where all of the field length drives that the Mules had during the regular season would surely come in handy.  However, the LBJ defense stayed on script and rose to the occasion one more time on this soggy afternoon when safety Zae Giles laid out to pick off a Dalton Banks pass attempt, ending the Mules 2014 hopes.
The stat sheet told the story in two places.  To begin with, Alamo Heights won almost every category.  But it was known that to win, the LBJ running attack needed to be stopped. For the most part, it was. The Jags went 189 yards in 44 carries and threw the ball only six times.  The Mules defense made stop-after-stop.  But LBJ got in THE key lick on the last rushing TD from their quarterback.  The last 53 yards of his 114-yard day were cyanide-laced and dictated the do-or-die nature of the final Alamo Heights possession.  In actual fact though, the serrated-edged dagger to the Mules was that they lost all four of their turnovers, two of which were for touchdowns.  The one fumble that LBJ did lose was crucial to the Mules as well and put them in a position to keep the pressure on.  But the task, while tough under any circumstances, becomes Herculean when the aquifer is in the “all you can eat” mode.
The Mules finished their season with an impressive 9-3 record but a quiet bus ride home would have definitely told the story of the team’s disappointment with the second round exit.  And so it goes in football.  As one varsity dad pointed out after a tearful hug from his senior son before boarding the bus for the unhappy trip home, “somebody has to win and somebody has to lose.” 

District 27-5A Playoff Results
Cedar Park 49 Boerne Champion 27
Kerrville Tivy 35 Georgetown East View 17
Austin Vandergrift 42 Lockhart 13

Photos and a Message by Mary Candee

As you know, the Mule Fan blog struggles to make sense each week.  On our best days, we hope we might entertain. Crucial to that effort is the photographic wizardry of one Mary Candee, without whom you’d be subjected to crayon on butcher paper and football stick figures from your editor.  That would hardly be up to scratch for the discriminating taste of the citizens of Mule Nation.  So each week, Mary comes through with great shots, which are a “net add” to our efforts and when you absolutely can’t stomach to drivel you’re reading, at least the action shots are worth the price of admission. Thanks Mary, for completing us.  Please see the message below directly from Mary Candee and her team.

Mule Fans,

It has been an honor and a privilege to capture all our 2014-15 Alamo Heights High School students this fall.

We have enjoyed capturing the fun, the effort and the community as the students have all excelled throughout these years.  Many of you know we archive all of our photos.  We hire our own students and we give back to our community.

We know our students, our families, our community.  For those families who have signed up for your sons' file of photos from the season - those will all be available for viewing by the middle of next week, around December 3rd.  From these file photos, your holiday selection will be an easy - customized option, with plenty of time for holiday delivery.

Thank you again for the wonderful opportunity this fall.  Mules, be proud - it was a fun vibrant season!

Thank you,
Mary Candee & Jeff Weigel
  Katie Weigel, Sean DeJong-Tinney 
   Alex Greenwood & Hannah Williams
Dulce Design Photography
Your Personal Photographers
  Your Community Photographers
www.dulcedesigns.photoreflect.com
macandee@aol.com
(210) 241-3112 

The Final Canned Ham

Traditionally, the pig gets this week off.  But not in the land of the Mule Fan.  To be accurate, it is true that the Mayflower came loaded with pigrims.  It just isn’t reported as commonly.  The swine was a stowaway on that voyage to Pigmouth Rock.  Remember, the turkey was for lunch. What do you think they had for breakfast that morning?? It wasn’t Pop Tarts. There was bacon for everyone.  There were no canned hams in those days because aluminum hadn’t been discovered. 
Anyway, this week in celebration of appyhay anksgivingthay (that’s pig latin), we dump out the cornucopia full of the pinkest turkey around, to all the parents (especially the cadre of Mule Moms) who worked so hard to make the season fun for everyone.  Arranging lunches, painting posters, booking busses, putting the program/rosters together, ordering and selling merchandise, hosting tailgates, and on and on and on.  There’s no way to properly say thanks for that awesome effort.  Hopefully a chunk of mouth-watering-preserved-in-natural-juices canned ham will be seen as some kind of gesture that at least gets us part of the way there.
 
How to Sum it All Up??

When we get to this time of year, it is emotional to say the least.  As the collective Mule Nation, there are so many people we want to thank.  As the editorial staff of the Mule Fan goes into off-season negotiations with the Grinch-like board of directors, there is always a chance that we’ll be kicked to the curb or won’t be able to strike a deal with the suited clowns called upper management for next season’s chronicles. We have enjoyed bringing you this mish-mash of vowels and consonants and thank you for paying the subscription. We hope you feel you got good value for money.  We thank all the coaches and staff for the access that they give us and for the information that they provide us.  And we wish the seniors all the best as they charge ahead into life.

Once again last Saturday, we watched players file out of the Bobcat Stadium locker room before boarding busses, some in tears, and head over to family members and girlfriends for a hug (and an occasional sob).  The red eyes were mostly seniors knowing in most cases that they’d played their last organized football game.

A few years ago, I penned a little piece, which some folks have remembered and have asked if I would reprise.  So it has now become somewhat of a tradition I suppose and it still works I think.  Consultation with my agent raised some questions of royalties and copyrights and our ongoing struggle with management.  What’s new about that?  We’ll go for it.

First some context for those who don’t know what the heck I’m talking about. This was originally written after the gut-wrenching conclusion to the 2009 season coincidentally in the same danged stadium as last week and last year for cryin’ out loud. This reporter’s oldest son had just finished his senior season, in the state quarterfinals against Lake Travis, the eventual state champion.  It was the end of a terrific and exciting season, a close game, and none of us were ready for it to end. But end it did.  Some of us knew we would get another bite at the apple in a few years, including your humble scribe.  Others knew that was it.  Next chapter starts now.  While the piece was a personal reflection, it was written thinking it would resonate with all parents of seniors.

So remember that it has not been altered at all from that original form.  But these are new eyes on the same emotions that many surely would have felt Saturday.  Next year, I imagine I’ll do something a bit different since I’ll be one of those senior parents putting a period on the sentence.  Hopefully that'll be about 56 weeks from now.

“The Drawer”
A Reflection by Bob Cohen  

While looking in my son’s closet for one of my shirts recently, I opened “the drawer”. Not “a” drawer. It was “the” drawer. After a pause, the realization of what I was seeing hit square. I’ll bet nearly everyone reading this has one of these drawers as well. Folded up inside the drawer, or wadded up to be truthful, were pants, jerseys, sweat bands, belts, 8 ½ inch long shin guards, mouth guards small enough to fit a puppet, socks and more representing the game gear from a career in kid’s sports.

How is it possible that my oldest son has played his last game? All the 8:00 am Saturday soccer games, the nights at the Little League fields, spring afternoons in the batting cage, the weekday fall afternoons watching football practice and then finally those indescribably wonderful Friday nights under the lights in all those stadiums in all those places. Poof-over! Only the intramural fields await but I won’t see any of those contests, not without causing nearly irreparable embarrassment anyway.

Obviously this is a moment that is typically reserved for the parent of a senior, or at least a senior that isn’t moving on to the next level of organized athletics. But most of us are having our own little moments like this right about now. While I watched it all wind down last Friday night in that cold stadium in San Marcos, I struggled hard to put a period on the sentence. Can you be ready for that moment? Those were hard yards…

I stood there silently with all of the other dads, moms, grandparents and friends surrounded by my own emotions and a teary wife. Mentally it felt like being yanked out of that stage of my life into the next (with this kid anyway). I watched him kneeling down on the goal line watching the other team's celebration and wondered what he was thinking. Did he realize that he would probably never again experience the feeling of “team and camaraderie” in quite the same way? Did he recognize that he had shared an experience and a journey that he will always remember with some guys with whom he will remain life-long friends and some with whom he will lose touch? He’ll remember them all and that includes the coaches. It’s a different memory than the one about the guy who sat next to you in biology.

From running up and down a soccer field at the age of 6, right arm thrust in the air shouting encouragement to teammates while staying as far away from the ball as one can and still be in-bounds to the first year of pads and getting into a three point stance that looked like something from a Three Stooges episode to locking up in the biggest game of his life with a defensive lineman with a weight and height advantage and probably a future of playing on Saturdays…these are the images that will be etched in this parent’s memory.

There are people to thank and I’ll leave some out but not mean to do so. You fill in the blanks with your own list as you look into your drawer. Thanks to all the dads who coached him early and gave positive encouragement and constructive criticism. Thanks to the moms who cheered from the camp chairs on the sideline and who car-pooled to practice and who went to Vivroux for the umpteenth time for another batting glove or mouth guard. Wait a minute; come to think of it Vivroux should probably thank me. There was enough merchandise in that one drawer to cover their rent for a month! Thanks to the trainers and docs for keeping him patched up especially for that all-important senior year. Thanks to all the parents and grandparents and other dads for the camaraderie. These are kindred spirits brought together for an experience that is naturally shared from the inside out. To all those people who were sick of the football parents who could seemingly talk about nothing else for four years, thanks for your understanding. It will ease off now we promise. Thanks to the boys for all of the time and effort spent making themselves the best players they could be and for the priceless memories. Yes it sometimes was a hassle to tell us about every syllable that was uttered by the coaches at halftime and after the game. We’re not sorry. It was as close as we could come to a do-over. And finally, thanks to the coaches at the junior high and high school. When we hand off to you, you play a vital role. In my very ordinary high school sports career I had a few good coaches and a few that were dreadful. I remember each of them. I personally am grateful, and I know others are as well, for the experience, skills, values, lessons and confidence that this Mules coaching staff imparted to our kids from junior high on up.

If you haven’t done so yet, approach “the drawer” with caution. Do it because you have to eventually cross over. But give yourself a few minutes and reflect on the importance of the moment. Don’t just open it and shut it like you would the one just above it. Remember the hours in the backyard tossing the football or baseball, tackling the guys in the hallway in their pajamas before bed, hauling the juice boxes and donuts on your snack day, painting their helmets, throwing batting practice, car-pooling to practice, playing H-O-R-S-E, and all the rest. Then close the drawer. Maybe you can use the stuff for the younger brother. If this is truly the end of it, I hope you soaked up every minute of this year and stored the memory in its own special place. I did.
 


See you next season Mule people.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Go Mules!!!!




Posted by The Mule Fan at 1:25 PM 1 comment:

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Harlandale 17 Alamo Heights 48 November 14, 2014

Alamo Heights Unloads Early to Crush Indians 48-17 and Advance in Playoffs
       -Second round foe Austin LBJ to face Mules in San Marcos on Saturday
Photos courtesy of Mary Candee
www.dulcedesigns.photreflect.com
       By Bob Cohen, Senior Editor Who's Cheap  

            (San Antonio)—Traditionally the Alamo Heights Mules have had little trouble pushing through the first round of the playoffs in the modern era.  There have been some exceptions and upsets, and one in particular a couple of years ago against Brackenridge (and there were plenty of upset folks that day spread hither and yon).  But those little hiccups in Mules playoff history tend to vaporize quickly.  Taking care of business is the norm and Friday proved not to be stressful. The scoring machine was set on “auto” and the defense was not hospitable as the Mules rolled Harlandale 48-17 in front of a chill-bumped home crowd at Harry B. Orem Stadium.
           The win was the Mules seventh straight victory and pushed their season record to 9-2.  And by halftime, the chatter in the stands was focused on “where and when” and the second round.  The opponent wasn’t going to be settled until Saturday afternoon.  The Mules will face Austin LBJ from District 26 -5A on Saturday, November 22 at Bobcat Stadium on the Texas State University campus in San Marcos at 2:00p.m.
           As you’d know if you are a Mules football parent or player, everyone is practicing together now.  The playoffs are a reward for everyone including those younger Mules still out there practicing who dressed and increased the sideline population on Friday.  And, of course, also rewarded are the parents, grandparents, friends and neighbors who get to hear Rick Shaw possibly belt out some new names.  There were plenty of substitutions on the night and lots of playing time for players on the two-deep and three-deep roster positions, which has fortunately happened a lot this season.  Here’s hoping there are more opportunities like that this post-season.
          It hasn’t been the easiest year to really get a handle on how good this 2014 edition of the Alamo Heights Mules actually is just yet.  Admittedly district 27-5A has some soft tissue in it, taking nothing away from the efforts and attitudes of some of the schools.  But 9-2 is 9-2.  And when your team can dissolve your opponents in a few cat-quick blows, put up big boy numbers and swat down threats with ease, there is talent and strong coaching there. Now obviously the level of play boosts a few levels each week and the Mules will have to kick down stronger fortification. 
For the opening act last Friday night, the Mules were once again quite efficient scoring every time they touched the ball on offense in the first half.  That offensive production was coupled with an effective defense that restricted the Indians’ running game and held Harlandale to 83 yards of ground game.  It did face a challenge with Harlandale quarterback Jacob Delgado, a left hander who liked the challenge of rolling right and throwing across his body, and pulled it off completing 19 passes on 30 attempts for 196 yards and one score.  Delgado could impressively hoist a long one every now and then.  But other than that, Harlandale had little success.  The Mules defense led by Rocky Tips, Cody Pfeiffer, Trevor Bagg, Trem Carr and Conoly Koontz applied liberal pressure all night.  And the ubiquitous Mitch Abramson took one interception back 22 yards following the block of senior Cameron Newton to go along with a scorching opening kickoff return of 34 yards.  
         Once again, quarterback Dalton Banks lit all the offensive fuses and notched another big night.  Banks didn’t pass that much nor did he need to. But while he was up, he completed all of them for a 12 for 12 night for 159 yards and two touchdowns.  His first TD pass was another deep post route to Greer Shetler, a play that has been effective all season, who halved a double team for 36 yards and the second Alamo Heights score of night, which came on the first play of the Mules’ second possession.  On the following possession, Banks found running back Tucker Azar isolated on a wheel route for a seven yard score.  Banks also mixed in a pair of rushing touchdowns in the first half.  On the opening drive, the Mules cruised downfield at an accustomed gas guzzling pace and on the third play of the drive, Banks rolled 30 yards for the score.  He added a 10-yard touchdown late in the second period, faking a defender right out of his shorts with a feinted throw and cruising on to the end zone from there.  Banks had 42 yards on the ground for the night.  Sophomore Jack Woodland took over for much of the second half and connected on five out of eight attempts.
Photos courtesy of Mary Candee
www.dulcedesigns.photreflect.com
          Regarding the Alamo Heights running game, junior running back Brendon McClinton had a nice night with 60 yards on eight carries including a very grown up 46-yard blast in the second quarter.  McClinton’s dazzler put the Mules in a position to tack on a fifth touchdown of the opening half when Deryl Reynolds cashed in a three yard run in the last moments of the second period.  And before we close, speaking of great runs, Colten Courtney picked up a highlight on a 42-yard kickoff return in the second quarter after a Harlandale field goal.
         As the week begins, the Mules will prepare for the second round against the Austin Johnson Jaguars.  Ticket information is highlighted below along with a preview of the Jaguars.







“His Inside Voice”
A Weekly Conversation with Coach Mike Norment.

Mule Fan:  The Mules got to cruising altitude quickly on Friday night, which is something the Mules are accustomed to.  How did you feel about the overall approach and preparation and did it all seem to go as you’d hoped?

Coach Norment: Yes it did.  We talked about how we wanted to jump on them quickly and execute well.  And we were able to do that in the first half very well.  In the second half we had some letdowns but that’s human nature when you’ve got a big lead.  And we were getting a lot of players some playing time because you never know when you’re going to need them. But overall I thought the kids played very well.  They accepted the challenge and got better so hopefully that will help in the week coming up.

Mule Fan:  You always talk about taking what the defense gives you.  The Mules seemed to have come from every direction offensively and a lot of guys got into the stat sheet.  Was there any particular part of the offense that was stronger than the other?

Coach Norment: You go into a game and you think you have an idea of what’s going to happen and then when the game starts unfolding sometimes you’re surprised and sometimes you’re not.  It was pretty much like we thought.  And we said we would take what the defense gives us.  In the first half we did a good job of mixing up the run and the pass.  In the second half we ran the ball more that we would have.  We had a comfortable lead and wanted to burn clock.  Overall I think the offense executed really well.

Mule Fan: It seems to us that the defensive line had one of its better games.  Tough to recall a game this year when they were as active in the offensive backfield as they were on Friday.

Coach Norment:  They did a good job of basically getting penetration.  Anytime you can get into the opponent’s backfield you’re going to cause problems with their blocking schemes.  Quarterbacks are funny people.  They don’t like people around them and they get a little skittish.  We were able to put pressure on the quarterback throughout the night so it was a great job on their part.

Mule Fan:  Let’s look ahead now to Austin Johnson.  We played Friday and they played Saturday so you got to take all the coaches up to watch that one.  What’s their style? What did you see?

Coach Norment:  They’re very multiple on offense.  They get in into a lot of different formations.  Just watching them they’re going to run the ball more than they throw but they can throw the ball.  They’re very athletic and have a lot of speed.  So we’re going to have to try to limit their big plays and make them have to drive the field.  We have to make them earn every yard.  Defensively they’re very big up front.  They have quite a few people back on defense.  They have a few people who are going both ways.  They don’t blitz a lot. They play a lot of base and give you a couple of different looks.  But what they try to do is put pressure on the offense by their big front pushing back on your offensive line so you have to be able to control the line of scrimmage to have any success against them.

Mule Fan: You always try to go fast on offense.  Does that give you any kind of advantage on a team that has players going both ways?

Coach Norment: We’re aware of it and it won’t hurt my feelings if they get fatigued. But we’ll just try and do what we do and try to find some weaknesses and try to attack those.

Mule Fan: LBJ lost to Vista Ridge earlier in the season.  Did you see any film from that far back or could you tell what they did differently to win Saturday’s game?

Coach Norment: I don’t know about the earlier game. I do know that Vista Ridge had some chances but they gave up some big plays.  And that’s the key is our defense can’t give up the big plays because that is what Johnson did. They won the big play battle.

Mule Fan: What was the atmosphere in the locker room after the win?

Photos courtesy of Mary Candee
www.dulcedesigns.photreflect.com
Coach Norment: We told them to take some time to relax and not to worry about the next game yet.  But we told them that playoffs are a different atmosphere.  You have to be focused at all times. Mistakes are magnified and you can’t afford a bad game in the playoffs or you’re putting your stuff away.  We just reiterated that we have to have great practices.  But they realize that and hopefully they’ll have a great week of practice.

Mule Fan: What do you expect from your seniors at this time of year?

Coach Norment:  Hopefully they want to keep on playing because that’s the difference between teams that go deep and teams that don’t. At some point during this playoff run it will be real easy to say that “yeah we’ve had a good year” because they’ve made the playoffs 12 years in a row and we’ve won a playoff game but at some point it’s going to be hard, and it’s that way anywhere, and you’re in a bad situation and you’re going to have to fight through it.  The teams that can do that and don’t want to give up and want to keep on fighting are a lot of times the team that’s going to come out with a win.  That’s hopefully what the seniors are going to want to do.

Austin LBJ Notes:  The Jaguars are from District 26-5A and finished with identical records in District play to Austin McCallum at 6-1 but McCallum won the crown because of a head-to-head win over LBJ…The Jaguars beat Cedar Park Vista Ridge on Saturday 26-21 to advance…Currently, the Jaguars are on a five game win streak…They average 44.82 points per game on offense and yield 17.73 ppg…LBJ has only been over .500 in three of the last six seasons and were 4-6 in 2012 and 2013…this weeks playoff game against Alamo Heights is only LBJ’s third playoff game in seven years…their best year in recent years was 10-3 in 2007.

Second Round Playoff Tickets on Sale:  This time of year, one must go to the mountaintop and speak to Patty Juarez, the guru of neutral stadium ticket sales info. She has spoken.  This week, as we return to Bobcat Stadium, we will face a tariff of $7 for adults and $4 for students.  Once Saturday rolls around, we are all equal in Texas State eyes and therefore will be assessed $10 each at the gate regardless of age or maturity level.  Make sure and go see Patty before 4:00 Friday or prepare to give another $3-$6 to the great State of Texas.

The guru will accept American currency only during these times this week:

Tuesday-Friday 8:30pm-12:00pm and 1:30pm-4:00pm

We know that some of you still have to put in your Winter Wheat and Saturday was going to be when you did that.  But rest ye and come out and cheer on your little blue and gold laddies as they try to push through to the next round!!  Fan support is really a big deal.  The bandwagon is cleared for jumpers and they are welcome!
  
To The Winner:  The winner of the upcoming game on Saturday will play the winner of the game between Victoria West and Edinburg Vela. Expect that the next game would be played on Saturday November 29th.

Area Leaders:  Since most of the games were area vs. area last week, this will probably be the last week the SA Express News shows these statistics…Dalton Banks ranks 6th in amongst area quarterbacks in total offense with 3,236 yards and 6th in passing with 2,598 yards…Greer Shetler is 9th in receiving yards with 901…In the category of receptions, Colten Courtney is 11th with 48 catches and Greer Shetler is 14th with 46 yards.  Congrats to these Mules for populating these categories most of the season!




District 27-5A Playoff Results November 14-15
Kerrville Tivy 54 Sam Houston 7
Boerne Champion 57 Edison 14
Lockhart 42 Brackenridge 21

Mules Playoff Radio:  
STATION CHANGE!!!! The Mules game this Saturday will be broadcast on KEDA 1540 AM.  Spread the word.  There is conflict on our traditional outlets but thankfully TSRN Sports has found us a home.  Of course, you can also listen online at www.tsrnsports.com.  This week it’ll be Mark Kusenberger shouting the play-by-play and the steady Albert Gonzales providing colorful commentary and analysis as well as ciphering all the statistical data. 


Playoff Pork:  The Canned Ham (from the Latin origin Piggus Tastius) finds a home on the shelf of Mitchell Abramson.  This guy has a nose for the football, often coincidentally referred to as the pigskin.  He collected an interception and the 22-yard return we described in hopefully colorful handcrafted prose above and also electrified the home crowd on the opening kickoff with a return of 34 yards.  In both cases, he put the Mules in excellent field position.  Perhaps #25 was motivated by the possibility of the porcine prize that was squealing his name. Hammarable mention to defensive linemen Cody Pfeiffer and Rocky Tips.


















 Go Mules!!!!  Keep this train rolling down the tracks!









Posted by The Mule Fan at 12:22 PM No comments:

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Alamo Heights 51 Kerrville Tivy 44 November 7, 2014


Alamo Heights Ignites Fireworks & Pop Kerrville Tivy 51-44
            -Mules finish regular season with momentum and a playoff date with Harlandale
            By Bob Cohen, Sr. Staff Editor, Sausage Wrap Advocate (Please sir, may I have some more)

Photos courtesy of the highly skilled Mary Candee
www.dulcedesigns.photoreflect.com
            (Kerrville)—Everyone knew this game wasn’t going to affect playoff brackets.  The district 27-5A crown was not in reach for either team.  But the Alamo Heights-Tivy rivalry is self-fueled.  While unlikely, both teams could be fighting to stay out of the cellar and it would be intense.  Friday’s clash in the hills did not disappoint as the Mules and the Antlers traded body blows all night in a cracker of a game with the Mules prevailing 51-44 to finish the league schedule in sole possession of second place. The win also extended the Mules winning streak to six games. The first round of the playoffs are set for Alamo Heights and Mule Nation is fortunate to have a home game against the Harlandale Indians on Friday night, November 14 at Harry B. Orem Stadium at 7:30pm. 

But before we look at the playoffs, let’s get back to the Thrill in the Hills.  The Mules would get the ball first and pushed downfield after a start at their 30 clearly trying to set a brisk pace. Heights combined run and pass but mainly took to the air using an assortment of receivers, took on two penalties, which slowed them, but completed the scoring drive.  Banks hit Cole Yoeman for a nine-yard touchdown and the Mules took the early lead.

The Mules defense forced a three and out on Kerrville’s first go with the ball.  Kerrville’s punt was returned 25 yards by Mitchell Abramson, one of many strong returns for Abramson on Friday, which put the Mules back in great field position.  Heights quickly tacked on another TD on a Dalton Banks keeper helped by a thundering block from left tackle Duncan Bartlett.  Having not even loosened up yet, the Tivy offense returned to the field but was quickly asked to leave when Tivy’s Cade Dyal was picked off by Holden Daum after facing heavy pressure from Rocky Tips.  The Mules went up three scores minutes later when Banks scored his second TD on a keeper sprung by a block from receiver Zach Ford.

Tivy got their wake up call before time ran out in the first quarter and moved the ball.  The Antlers scored twice in three minutes to pull back to within seven.  What followed was the first of two scoring drives on the night where the Mules started from either at or inside their own five-yard line, something they've done many times this season.  A 95-yard drive ended on a touchdown pass to an uncovered Deryl Reynolds who scampered 23 yards to put the Mules back up by two scores.

Coupled with that score by the Mules was an impressive defensive stand.  Tivy pushed it right down the Mules throat and had it first and ten at the Mules four yard line. The defense stiffened and two key stops, by Conoly Koontz and by Chandler Christopher shut Tivy down.  From their own four-yard line, the Mules went to work on a 96-yard drive highlighted by a dazzling 51-yard run by quarterback Dalton Banks and a series of nice runs from sophomore running back Tucker Azar who finished the drive with the one yard TD. The Mules finished the half with a 35-14 lead and a heap of confidence.  But important to note, as we are certain the Mules coaching staff did for the team as well, that the team that led at the half the last two times Tivy and Alamo Heights met, lost the game.

Tivy was able to get a quick score early in the third quarter on a Jessy Denais interception of a Banks pass hurried under heavy pressure.  Denais returned it 28 yards for the score.  The Mules and the Antlers traded scores for the balance of the third.  Heights cashed in a five yard touchdown pass from Banks to Courtney.  Tivy's Hayden Schreckenbach peeled off a 76 yard scoring run.  And Cameron Dawley knocked in a 26 yard field goal. Alamo Heights held a 45-34 lead entering the final quarter.

The Mules opened the fourth period with another impressive drive topped by a 38-yard strike to Greer Shetler on third and nine and most importantly created a three-possession game.  Tivy did go to work though and Cade Dyal engineered a big scoring drive, which he finished with a 17-yard touchdown keeper to cut the lead to 10.  The Mules were forced to punt it away on the following possession.  On the ensuing drive, Tivy was able to get the benefit of a controversial call on 36 yard reception which parked them on the Mules own one-yard line.  What followed was the second huge defensive stand of the night.  Two key stops by the Stone Tarver/Conoly Koontz twosome and a back-breaker by Trevor Bagg left Tivy with no choice but to kick a 31-yard field goal to make it a one possession game. 

Expecting the onside kick, Alamo Heights inserted the “hands team” and watched the kick go out of bounds, and took the ball at their own 48-yard line.  A time consumin’, third down convertin’ drive moved the line of scrimmage all the way down to the Tivy four-yard line.  When the Antlers looked at their watch, they were out of time outs and hope with a front row seat to the Mules’ victory formation and a great win by Alamo Heights.

Statistically, it was an evenly matched affair although Tivy will look at penalties as impacting their progress.  They’ll also look at Dalton Banks line, which displayed a huge night.  Banks completed 27 passes on 43 attempts, 325 yards and four touchdowns along with two rushing touchdowns and a handy 89 yards on the ground.  Greer Shetler and Cole Yoeman had great receiving nights with six and eight catches respectively.  There was lots of offense on both sides and 53 total first downs between the two teams.  Defensively the Mules rose to the occasion when they had to and kept the big play from doing critical damage.


"His Inside Voice"
A Weekly Conversation with Coach Mike Norment  


Mule Fan: Are you ever surprised at how these games go with Kerrville Tivy?

Coach Norment:  No it is a great rivalry.  Our kids like to get after them.  Their kids like to get after us. It is always going to be a great game no matter who the coach is.  There have been changes in coaches but it is always going to be a great game.

Mule Fan:  Were you expecting it to be so offensive oriented going in?

Coach Norment: Yes and no.  I knew that they had a great offense and I was very confident in our offense. I knew both defenses were good.  I thought that we needed to play defense.  And yes we gave up some big plays and we need to correct that but we were able to stop them more times than they were able to stop us and that’s what it came down to.

Mule Fan:  Obviously the theme of the game seemed to be offense but when you think about it, the game really turned on two key defensive stands by the Mules – the one in the first half and then the late one where you held Tivy to three.  What happened on those two drives that was different from most of the rest of the game when the Mules weren’t quite as successful stopping their attack?

Coach Norment:  Well they’re a big play offense.  They just try and get the big play.  And all of a sudden when you start compacting the field it’s harder to make those big plays because you don’t have as much room. And we’re better at it than they are I think.  That’s how it worked out.

Mule Fan:  Dalton Banks had a really big night – two nearly full field length drives, four TD passes, big passing yardage, two rushing TD’s and a nice rushing night.  What aspect of his night impacted the outcome the most?

Coach Norment: The biggest thing is to think back to last year a couple of times when we had to punt and had some things go against us he might have gotten his head down. Even when he threw that interception, it sort of changed the momentum.  We came right out and he drove us down the field and we scored.  That’s the biggest thing is his maturity and the change from last year to this year.  He’s always had a strong arm.  He could always run.  But his maturity and his ability to lead this team has grown.  It started to get a little interesting and they got some momentum, he knew he made a mistake. But he didn’t let it affect him and we drove down and scored and made it a two touchdown game. 

Mule Fan:  How do you expect having two hard fought games in a row helps your playoff preparation?

Coach Norment: We’ve played two good teams.  That can do nothing but prepare us for the playoffs because those are the types of teams you’ll see in the playoffs.  Tivy is a very good team.  I still don’t understand how Floresville is not in the playoffs. They’re a really good team and got after us and probably played their best game against us.  I think if they had played like that throughout the year they would have gotten that one more win and been in the playoffs.  We had to be mentally tough and make plays when we had to and we did.

Photos courtesy of  Mary Candee
www.dulcedesigns.photoreflect.com
Mule Fan:  Success feeds on itself.  And Alamo Heights has had many, many years of being in the playoffs which of course means extra practice for everyone including the Freshmen and JV teams because of our long playoff runs.  What has that meant to this program?

Coach Norment: I was telling the kids earlier.  It is “reps in the tank.” And that can’t help but help you out. We’re going to get three good practices this week.  That’s a week of spring training almost because we only practice four days a week during spring training. If we’re fortunate and win Friday now we have six practices. That’s over a week now of reps in the tank.  Hopefully you can use that to build on.  And also they see some of the excitement and they want to be part of that excitement.  I think making the playoffs and actually going out and working with these kids makes them want to experience the same thing and hopefully improves their skill level.

Mule Fan: What’s their role during the week? You have a lot of kids out there.  How do you balance getting them some work and also get ready for a playoff game?

Coach Norment:  They will get their work in “individual” drills.  When we start going with “team” and “group” they won’t get a lot because they won’t be in the game. They’ll be helping us stay a little bit fresher. We still want to go “good on good” because I don’t think we’ll get better going against a second team JV. We’ll do “good on good” for a couple of reps and then we’ll rotate those guys in to keep us a little bit fresher.  Their role is to help the varsity get better by running scout team and also when they do get into drills to use those reps to get better.  Also, blocking is blocking.  Tackling is tackling.  It doesn’t matter what offense you run.  Whether you’re running an Alamo Heights offense or Harlandale’s offense or defense, you’re still doing the same principles. You might be lined up a little bit differently. But by doing that they’re still getting better.

Mule Fan: The first round is Harlandale at home.  You’ve had a look at their film.  Is there anyone in our district who they resemble?

Coach Norment:  They have a lot of formations. They probably remind me a little bit of Tivy and Boerne Champion with the types of formations. They’re very balanced.  They’ll run and throw.  They’re well coached. Defensively they sort of remind me of Floresville in that I think we’ll see a 4-3 defense, a 4-2-5 and 3-4 defense like Floresville gave us.  They’re in the playoffs. Coach Martinez has been there forever and has those guys playing really well right now. We’ll have to play really good to beat them.
Coach Mike Norment was a guest of Bobby Stautzenberger
and TSRN Sports on SA Football Weekly on CBS Sports
Radio 860 on Sunday morning from Hooters


District 27-5A Scores
Boerne Champion 65 Seguin 43
San Marcos 35 Lockhart 21
Memorial 21 Kennedy 28
Floresville idle

Final District 27-5A Standings
Boerne Champion 8-0
Alamo Heights 7-1
Kerrville Tivy 6-2
Floresville 4-4
Lockhart 4-4
Seguin 3-5
San Marcos 3-5
Kennedy 1-7
Memorial 0-8

District 27-5A Playoff Matchups
Alamo Heights vs. Harlandale, Friday, Harry B. Orem Stadium
Boerne Champion vs. Edison, Friday-Heroes Stadium
Kerrville Tivy vs. Sam Houston, Friday – Alamo Stadium
Lockhart vs. Brackenridge, Friday - TBA (at press time)

Yep. Good call.  Certainly no offensive interference here. ;)

We agree.  This was a totally clean operation. They
deserve the ball at the two.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Weigel-Dulce Design Photography

One of the all-time non calls! But one can understand
when you see the ref in the background and how
his view might not have been clear given the
glare of the play clock. ;)
Area Leaders:
The SA Express News Sub-6A ranking remain the same 1. Boerne Champion 2. Alamo Heights 3. Kerrville Tivy.  Dalton Banks sits fourth in total offense with 3,035 yards, 6th in passing with 2,439 yards and also was the SA Express News Offensive Player of the Week (we agree).  Greer Shetler is 8th in receiving yardage with 836 and 12 touchdowns.

Harlandale Notes:  The Indians finished 2014 6-4 and 5-3 in district 29-5A play…Their records were 5-0 at home and 1-4 on the road…In 2013, they finished 10-3 and advanced to the third round in Division I where they lost to Leander Rouse. It was the second time in school history to advance that far…Head Coach Isaac Martinez is in his 21st season at the helm of the Indians…2014 was their third straight winning season…They won their last regular season game of the year against McCollum 7-6…The Indians returned 21 letterman off of their 10-3 team including four offensive and four defensive starters…Alamo Heights leads the series 2-0 having played the Indians two consecutive years in 2005 and 2004…The Indians averaged 20.5 points per game and allowed 21.4 points per game…Alamo Heights averaged 41 points per game and allowed 21.6 points per game in 2014.

Undefeated JV
Congratulations to the Mules Junior Varsity which completed a perfect 10-0 season with their own final victory over Kerrville Tivy at Harry B. Orem Stadium.  It is only the second time in 19 years that any Alamo Heights football team went undefeated.

Alamo Heights Playoff Radio
There is a change to the radio station where you can hear the Alamo Heights vs. Harlandale playoff game. Due to a conflict with UTSA Basketball, the Mules will be heard this week on CBS Sports Radio 860 AM and as usual online at www.tsrnsports.com.  Ed Suarez and Albert Gonzalez will call the action while Dave Parker plays tournament baseball way beyond his “use by” date.

Brackets-Who Plays Who Next
The winner of the Alamo Heights vs. Harlandale game will move on to play the winner of Austin    LBJ and Cedar Park Vista Ridge.

Venison Ham
Photos courtesy of the highly skilled Mary Candee
www.dulcedesigns.photoreflect.com
We may need to check Dalton Banks’ blood pressure. His salt intake is getting high. He’s won a few of these this season.  But the good news is you can save these and enjoy them whenever due to their handy aluminum cans being vacuum-sealed.  So flush some water through your system #7 before tucking into another one.  Congratulations to Dalton Banks for a big, big game on Friday and big production (as detailed above) against Kerrville Tivy.  Hammarable Mention goes to Mitchell Abramson for his excellent work on special teams and a mound of return yardage.

And the Oscar Goes to….
The Mule Fan and others loved watching film of Mules guard Travis Winn #51 "sell" two contact penalties.  After light brushes from the hands of the Tivy defensive tackle on two different plays, Winn did backwards somersaults complete with arms akimbo as if battling 100+ mph winds.  He did everything but loosen his shoelaces and kick off his cleats, lose socks and spit out his mouthguard. Each time, he got the call.  One critic called it "A glittering performance of rare perception." He is appearing weekly at left guard.

Playoff Ticket Sales Review

FOR SEASON TICKET HOLDERS:  If your want to secure your accustomed seats for this playoff game, you must make the trip to the athletic office on Monday or Tuesday.  After that, your seats go on sale to the general public.

Sales Hours

Tuesday: 8:30am-12:00pm and 1:30-4:30pm in the Athletic Office 
Wednesday (tickets open to the general public): 8:30am-12:00pm and 1:30pm – 4:00pm
Thursday: 8:30am-12:00pm and 1:30pm – 4:00pm
Friday: 8:30am-2:30pm

Ticket prices: Adult General Admission $7 (advance sale), Student general admission $4 (advance sale), Season reserved $8 (Monday and Tuesday only)
At the gate all tickets $8. Stadium box office opens at 6:00pm

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