Mules’ turnaround ends
A year after a 3-7 season, Alamo Heights rebounds to finish 7-3 in 2020
Alamo Heights didn’t get a chance to celebrate a playoff victory Friday.
But the Mules didn’t pout, even in the aftermath of a 48-14 loss against Georgetown East View in a Class 5A Division II second-round playoff at Comalander Stadium.
From a team that won three games a season ago to the postseason’s second round, that was enough for senior defensive lineman Gage Maples.
“It’s an amazing thing,” Maples said. “We went from 3-7 last year to making it to the playoffs. I mean these are great guys coming together behind this coaching staff. It’s a great feeling, but it sucks it’s over.”
Alamo Heights found Friday’s playoff a little more challenging. Head coach Ron Rittimann wasn’t on the sidelines Friday. Defensive coordinator Jordan Ricker, who spoke for the coaching staff, did not disclose why.
Ricker was part of the coaching staff at Johnson, where Rittimann established the program and coached for 12 years before heading to Alamo Heights in right when schools closed earlier this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They fought through the season, and I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Ricker said of the team. “They had a lot of adversity coming into the season, a lot of new things for them, and they played their tails off and bought in. It’s a great group of guys, and they laid the foundation for years to come.”
The Mules (7-3) hoped to get into the third round for the first time since 2013. But East View squelched those thoughts be
hind quarterback Petyon Adams, who tossed five touchdowns and running back Isaiah QuintonJackson, who caught three TD passes and rushed for another.
The Patriots also scored 21 points off Mules turnovers.
“Hats off to them,” Ricker said. “They’re a great team. They came out and played a great game. Sometimes, it doesn’t go your way.”
The Patriots (7-4) will play Sharyland Pioneer or Marble Falls next week.
Getting to this point wasn’t easy for the Mules.
Rittimann was hired in March
from Johnson, a program he started. He didn’t have to build things from scratch like he did at Johnson, but it was still a challenge.
Thanks to delays brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Rittimann he didn’t get to hire a full staff until right before the school year started. He inherited a squad that had seven returning starters from a 3-7 team. He didn’t get a look at his players until fall practice began.
“It was difficult,” Maples said. “We were all over Zoom calls. I mean it was all over Zoom calls. We knew (Rittimann) was a great guy right from the start. (The coaching staff ) was very confident with what they were saying. They knew what they were going to do with us and how we were
going to work to how we were going to become where we are today.”
After a 1-2 start, the Mules reeled off six wins in a row, including a 5-0 run in District 15-5AII to capture their first outright league title since 2007.
“Becoming undefeated district champs,” Maples said of the most memorable things about the season. “(And) beating Boerne (Champion), (Kerrville) Tivy. I can’t remember the last time we did that.”
Adams tossed three touchdowns in the first half – a 9-yarder to Michael Sedwick, a 22-yarder to Jeremiah Barron and one for 5 yards to Quinton-Jackson that made it 21-7.
The Mules’ lone first half score was on Jaden Scott’s 85-yard kickoff return that made it 14-7 early in the second quarter.
The Patriots added to their lead at the 5:30 mark of the second quarter on Emarion Brooks’ 3-yard run. The score was set up by Sedwick’s 43-yard catch the play before.
Quinton-Jackson added scoring catches of 4 and 41 yards in the third quarter. He finished with an 11-yard TD run early in the fourth.