Alamo Heights and Clark's magical football seasons hit a roadblock in last weekend's state quarterfinals round.
While the disappointment of being eliminated from the playoffs was the same, their downfall happened differently.
Alamo Heights gave a gutsy effort against defending Division I Class 4A champion Austin Lake Travis, but missed opportunities came back to haunt the Mules in a 27-13 loss.
For Clark, the problem was not taking care of the football as six turnovers led to a 37-20 loss to Austin Westlake in Division I Class 5A.
“We were right there,” Alamo Heights coach Don Byrd said. “We just couldn't finish the drives. Our defense played well. Lake Travis is a very good team. Our kids fought tooth and nail.”
Lake Travis never had it easy as the Mules threatened to snap the Cavaliers 44-game-winning streak.
Defense was a plus for Alamo Heights with big plays coming from such players as Michael Warren, Caton Sandoval and Forest Hagar.
On the other side, Lake Travis' defense was just as stout, especially in the fourth period where the Cavaliers recorded six sacks.
Still, Heights (10-4) had its chances. Quarterback Cullen Mills and receiver Bryson Marshall were an effective combination, along with running back Justin Rosenthal. In the long run, Lake Travis created more big plays.
“Our 41 seniors really set a high bar for next year,” Byrd said. “I will remember how this bunch played hard. When you're playing this late, it is a heck of a year. I'm proud of this program. This is the third time we have played in December the last six years.”
Among those seniors were Rosenthal, who rushed for 103 yards in his final game, Mills, Marshall and Warren, this was the final game of their high school football careers. Although they would love to be playing in this week's state semifinals, the season was still a big accomplishment.
“The best thing we had was chemistry,” Mills said. “That is what carried us so far. You didn't find bad chemistry on this team. Everyone was together.”
Rosenthal believes that will continue.
“We overachieved,” the Heights running back said. “We're as close as any team in the whole state of Texas. We're going to be friends for my life.”
Clark (13-1), which had relied on ball control and solid defense while feasting on opponents' mistakes, was in a hole immediately as Westlake jumped to a 30-0 advantage in the first half.
That was before the Cougars struck for two scores. Hayden Greenbauer grabbed a 15-yard touchdown pass from Daniel Durke and also scored on a 10-yarder.
“We just made too many mistakes,” Clark head coach Lloyd Alexander said. “You can't do that in the playoffs. Our kids still kept playing hard. I'm still proud of what they did this season. They worked hard and never quit.”
Clark's boys' basketball team had a banner week as the Cougars brought home the South Padre Island Beach Bonanza title with a 60-56 win over Houston Second Baptist.
The Cougars, who recently finished second in the North East Tournament, went into lastweek with a two-game losing streak after dropping decisions to Churchill and Reagan.
Clark recovered with a 64-52 win over Brackenridge and picked up steam in the tournament with wins over Brownsville Hannah (81-73), Judson (73-61) and Austin Lake Travis (74-62).
In the tourney semifinals against Plano West, a five-point third-period output got the Cougars into a 41-37 deficit going into the fourth period.
However, tournament Most Valuable Player Jason Brickman, and Elhad Emerllahu, who both finished with 21 points, led a fourth-period rally for a 55-54 victory.
In the finals against Second Baptist, Clark owned a 54-44 lead in the fourth period, but the Cougars had to hold off a late comeback bid to seal the win. Ansley Benjamin led Clark with 16 points.
Lee and Antonian continued their impressive looks during non-district as both teams advanced to the finals of the South San tournament.
Lee won the tournament as Paul Garnica (40 points) and Jose Chapa (17 point) paced the Volunteers to a 78-77 come-from-behind victory.
photography by John Albright/Express-News
