OK, I didn’t write that headline. I actually had a Judson Rocket fan who also is a Twitter follower of mine write that for me. Thank you Roland Guajardo (@RolandJudsonRoc).
I want all the Judson Rocket football fans who read this to share your favorite Judson Football memory or game. Mine has gotta be the 2002 state championship game!!!
Before I dive into the game, I want to thank Dickeys BBQ on FM 78 for feeding us at the game. The folks at Dickeys are friendly and hey, they have really good food. Last night, I noshed on a sausage sandwich and green beans. Don’t forget that if Judson or Wagner win, you can get 10% off your order at the Dickeys on FM 78 on Saturday (I think all you have to do is mention the game and score).
Last night, the Judson Rockets defeated the San Marcos Rattlers at D W Rutledge stadium. With that win, the Rockets are in first place with 37 consecutive winning seasons!!! WOW!!! That just goes to show you how how good the Converse Judson Rocket football team has been in the past and present!!!
Here are some quickie Wiki facts:
Judson has made it to the state title game eleven (11) times: 1983, 1988, 1990, 1992-1993, 1995-1996, 1998, 2002, 2005, and 2007. Of these opportunities, Judson has claimed six (6) state titles by winning in 1983, 1988, 1992-1993, 1995, and 2002. That 2002 game was by far the most exciting game I have ever seen!!!
Check out the records since 1977 when the streak started (again thanks Wiki):
1977 10-1 (Sanders)
1978 10-2 (Sanders)
1979 10-1 (Sanders)
1980 6-4 (Arnold)
1981 7-3 (Arnold)
1982 14-1 (Arnold)
1983 15-1* (Arnold)
1984 11-2-1 (Rutledge)
1985 12-2 (Rutledge)
1986 12-1 (Rutledge)
1987 9-1-1 (Rutledge)
1988 15-1* (Rutledge)
1989 14-1 (Rutledge)
1990 14-2 (Rutledge)
1991 11-3 (Rutledge)
1992 14-1* (Rutledge)
1993 13-0-2* (Rutledge)
1994 10-3-1 (Rutledge)
1995 14-1* (Rutledge)
1996 13-2 (Rutledge)
1997 7-4 (Rutledge)
1998 14-1 (Rutledge)
1999 7-3 (Rutledge)
2000 8-3 (Rutledge)
2001 9-3 (Rackley)
2002 14-1* (Rackley)
2003 6-4 (Rackley)
2004 13-1 (Rackley)
2005 10-5 (Rackley)
2006 6-4 (Rackley)
2007 11-5 (Rackley)
2008 8-3 (Rackley)
2009 9-3 (Rackley)
2010 7-5 (Rackley)
2011 8-3 (Rackley)
2012 8-4 (Smith)
2013 6-2 (Smith)
Yes, if you do the math, just 5 coaches…Jerry Sanders, Frank Arnold, D W Rutledge, Jim Rackley, and Mark Smith!!! But the coaches wouldn’t have had any success without the players!!! One of those players was Mark Soto who is the head coach for San Marcos (he was an assistant at Judson for many years). Man, I really wish I could’ve gotten some post game thoughts from Mark Soto (I am fairly sure he had mixed emotions).
So, the Rockets also broke another record and that is the most points ever scored by a Judson Rocket team. I feel like a bully writing the final score, but I am going to do it and I don’t care about the consequences. The final score was Judson 72 and San Marcos 18!!!
When the Rockets hit the 70 point mark, I was in research mode cause I had a feeling that may be a record…scoring 70 points doesn’t happen often!! I know there is a website that chronicles the History of Judson Rocket Football and hey, I found that in 1998, Judson defeated Laredo Nixon by a score of 70 to 0 and that was the most points ever score by a Rocket team…well, until last night. WOW!!
The Judson starting quarterback didn’t play after the 7:20 mark in the 2nd quarter. The back-ups for Judson practice hard every day and heck, if I was them and playing in a game, I would play hard and would not give in at all and if I happen to score, well that is OK!!
The San Marcos Rattlers ran 70 plays for 290 yards. Time of possession for the Rattlers was 27:38. They also had 3 turnovers. The starting quarterback, Jonah Fabian, was 12 for 20 passing for 37 yards and 1 interception. Zach Sterling, the running back and quarterback, had 7 carries for 76 yards and was 5 for 7 passing for 79 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wide receiver, David Hamilton, had 6 receptions for 57 yards and 1 touchdown and he also had 5 carries for 33 yards.
The Judson Rockets ran 52 plays for 463 yards and only had the ball for 20:22!!! They had 9 offensive touchdowns, a punt return for a touchdown, and a safety for the last 2 points of the game!!!
You have to give a lot of credit to the Judson offensive line and I wish I knew all the kids names so I could mention them, but they know who they are!!
On Thursday, I got an email from a parent of an offensive lineman (not Judson) and she wanted to know if I ever give love to the offensive lineman? My reply was very rarely!! Just a quick rant…the offensive lineman never get the credit they deserve as they pave the way for the quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends. Next time you are at a High School football game, watch the offensive lineman and you will see how hard they work.
Rayjohn Austin-Ramsey, the Judson starting quarterback, was 8 for 8 for 144 yards and 3 touchdowns. Last week, Ramsey had 27 incomplete passes…wow, what a difference a week makes and also being at home!!! As I mentioned earlier, his last series came at the 7:20 mark in the 2nd quarter. The back-up quarterback, Weston Vecasy, was 6 for 7 for 43 yards and 1 touchdown.
The Rockets spread the ball around and when the game ended, my stat board was full, my marker was tired, and my arm needed a massage!!!
Here are the individual stats for each Rocket that touched the ball:
Wide Receivers
Andre Wilson – 2 receptions for 16 yards
Michael Akai – 1 reception for 10 yards
Cedric Williams – 2 receptions for 105 yards and 1 touchdown
Cameron Johnson – 1 reception for 8 yards (I am glad to see him return from his injury in Week 0)
Brandon Sanders – 2 receptions for 11 yards and 1 touchdown
Malik Pryor – 1 reception for 4 yards and 1 touchdown
Nick Ortiz – 1 reception for 10 yards and 1 touchdown
Blaine Albrecht – 1 reception for 2 yards
Xavier Day – 2 receptions for 18 yards
Jose Perez – 1 reception for 3 yards
Running Backs
Brandon Sanders – 6 carries for 108 yards and 1 touchdown (dude, he is super fast)
Rayjohn Austin-Ramsey – 1 carry for 26 yards and 1 touchdown
Malik Taylor – 8 carries for 18 yards and 1 touchdown (Malik is the future since he is only a Sophomore)
Malik Pryor – 4 carries for 13 yards
Nick Ortiz – 1 carry for 4 yards
Blaine Albrecht – 1 carry for 9 yards
Weston Vecasy – 4 carries for 36 yards and 1 touchdown
Andre Wilson – 1 carry for 10 yards (Andre took a few snaps at quarterback in the 2nd half and that was an interesting offensive scheme that worked well)
Cedric Williams – 1 carry for 34 yards and 1 touchdown
Jordan Bailey - 1 carry for 7 yards
Christian Daniels -2 carries for -1 yard
Montel Whitson – 3 carries for 0 yards
Donte Thomas – 2 carries for 3 yards
Erik Whittington – 2 carries for 9 yards
It was an absolutely amazing performance by the Judson Rockets and to be honest, even though I knew they were gonna win, I totally didn’t expect them to win in such a lopsided fashion.
Even though several Judson traditions have been changed under Mark Smith, they will always be the Converse Judson Rockets and I am so glad that for the past 11 years, I have been a part of it and last night, I got to witness history in the making!!! WOW!!!
Next Thursday, I will be at Farris stadium for a District 27-5A game between the Brandeis Broncos and the Marshall Rams.
On Friday, I will be at D W Rutledge stadium for a District 25-5A game between the New Braunfels Canyon Cougars and the Judson Rockets.
And, on Saturday, I will be at Benson stadium on the campus of Incarnate Word for the St. Anthony Yellow Jackets as they host Austin St. Michaels. I am not doing stats!!! I am going to be a “freelance sports reporter.”