Throughout the week, Brackenridge head coach Willie Hall told his team that it would have to play virtually error-free football to beat Alamo Heights.
That went out the window on the opening kickoff Friday night when the Eagles fumbled and Alamo Heights recovered at the Brack 48. The Mules didn’t capitalize on the turnover, but the damage had been done.
The Eagles, who lost two fumbles and had three passes intercepted, never got going and Alamo Heights was, well, Alamo Heights.
Even with starting quarterback Cullen Mills out for much of the game, the Mules rolled to a 35-0 victory in a Class 4A Division I bidistrict game at Orem Stadium.
The game was hardly a masterpiece for Alamo Heights, which had one pass intercepted and lost three fumbles. But unlike the Eagles, the Mules had a wider margin for error.
Alamo Heights (8-3) moves on to the second round against Killeen in a game set for 7:30 p.m. Friday at Dripping Springs.
Brackenridge finished 9-2.
“They’re a good team,” Hall said. “You can’t make mistakes like we did in a game like this. I thought we were pretty stiff defensively in the first half and they hit some big plays on us. Then they controlled the tempo in the second half.”
The Mules pretty much did what they wanted offensively, hitting the Eagles with passing plays of all varieties and hurting them with timely runs.
“It’s the diversity in what they do,” Hall said. “Their passing game is so refined. They can go vertical or they go with slip screens. They also have a very good running game. They do a lot of things well. You can’t lock in on one thing.”
Alamo Heights is 5-0 against Brack and has defeated the Eagles each of the past three years in the first round of the playoffs. The Mules won by 30 in 2007 and 31 last year.
While certainly not devoid of talent, Alamo Heights wins because it is highly disciplined and plays hard. The program is grounded in an unwavering commitment to team play.
“We’ve got 41 seniors out there and we can only play 11 guys at a time,” Mules head coach Don Byrd said. “They all contributed tonight.”
Mills, a senior, gave the Mules the lead for good with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Bryson Marshall with 7:03 left in the first quarter, but he went to the sideline late in the second period after getting his throwing hand stepped on. He returned for a series before the end of the half, but did not play in the second half.
Junior Steven Elder stepped in and looked sharp, completing 10 of 12 passes for 149 yards and two TDs. He had a 20-yard scoring strike to Marshall in the first minute of the second quarter, and connected with Sam Hall for a 56-yard TD with 8:30 left in the first half.
Elder, who had one pass intercepted, also rushed five times for 88 yards.
“Thank God we have another good quarterback,” Byrd said. “Steven did a good job.”
Elder suffered a concussion on a kickoff against Kerrville Tivy and didn’t suit up in the regular-season finale against Steele.
Mills completed 9 of 18 passes for 116 yards and one TD.
“They looked the same to me,” Hall said, comparing the Alamo Heights quarterbacks. “They’re like robots.”
The Mules’ two other TDs came on a 9-yard run by Justin Rosenthal in the third quarter and a 17-yard run by William Thompson with 1:49 left.
Kristian Stern converted four extra-point kicks, and Andrew Forney added the PAT after Thompson’s TD.
While Alamo Heights got great production from two quarterbacks, the Brack offense struggled from start to finish. With senior quarterback Michael Reyna sidelined with an ankle injury, sophomore Ervin Ellison drew the tough assignment of starting against the seasoned Mules.
Ellison looked every bit like a sophomore, going 0 for 13 and getting three passes intercepted. Linebacker Stuard Biltz had two interceptions for Alamo Heights.
As he did throughout the season, senior running back Willie Culpepper carried the Eagles’ offense with his quick feet and big heart.
Even with the Mules keying on his every move, Culpepper finished with 197 yards on 30 carries. He had a 44-yard run that gave Brack a first-and-goal at the 8 midway through the fourth quarter, but Ellison fumbled the snap and lost the ball on fourth-and-goal at the 1.
“They’re a good team,” Culpepper said, choking back tears. “Coach said we would have to play mistake-free, but we just didn’t come out and play our game. I’ve been blessed to have had the chance to play with these guys this year. That’s why it hurts to lose.”
Across the field, Byrd expressed empathy for the Eagles.
“They’re just like any other kids,” he said. “They put so much work and effort into it, and it’s a lonely, awful feeling when you lose in the playoffs. Willie Culpepper played his heart out."
Culpepper will be missed not only by Brack fans next season, but by many across the area who enjoyed seeing him play with such passion.
