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Updated Sunday, December 13, 2009 9:35 PM
Bringing down the curtain on a great season
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Jason Della Rosa |
The show opened to mixed reviews at Munson Stadium three years ago featuring a group which at times showed promise and at others looked like a bunch of not-ready-for-Friday-night-lights players.
Produced by Cody White and directed by Eddie Hancock and Zack Smith, it had all the elements associated with strong performances seen by the Denison football program over the past quarter century.
"It's been a three-year process," White said. We ask the kids to leave it better than they found it and they did that. Last year's seniors did that too."
The curtain closed for the final time on Saturday in the Yellow Jackets' loss to Aledo, 40-28, in the Class 4A Division II state semifinals in Denton. One final bow for a cast of remarkable characters that left its mark on the program like only a few of its predecessors.
"If you look at history or whatever, we're one of the best teams in Denison history," senior center Corbin Boettger said. "It's good to put some paint up on the board at Munson Stadium. It was a good run."
The north side of the field contains the reviews, each year marking playoff performances worthy of adulation. One like this most recent vintage, however, hadn't been seen in more than a decade.
"It's very special." White said. "Not too many kids get to do this."
At Denison the 2008 and 2009 seasons will be handcuffed together, just like 1984-85 and 1995-97 have a permanent place in Yellow Jacket lore.
The past two years have seemingly blown by in a blur of record-setting outings and milestone victories. No other Denison team has scored more points or put up more yardage in a single season, a testament to some amazing talent.
In the wake of their toughest loss -- only of only three in a two-year stretch -- reflection came at different points before the last bus ride together.
"I'm going to miss the locker room," senior tight end Jimmay Mundine said.
"I'm just going to miss football," senior defensive Devonte Kemp said. "I'm just a regular student now."
There's going to be a lot to miss about this group, one heavy on seniors who provided magical moments and outstanding performances on an almost weekly basis.
"It was a special class man, all the way since Boys Club," senior defensive lineman Josh Holland said.
In an era where almost everything needs to be qualified as "the best ever," hype and hyperbole are never too far away and message boards and YouTube clips either enhance or degrade, Denison's senior class arrived four years ago with a heavy burden -- perhaps one too big for high school athletes to live up to.
But in winning 25 games since the start of last season, the proof was in the results. Only one loss in 2008, knocked out of the playoffs by the eventual state champion. Perhaps a similar ending again this season, except with one extra defeat, if Aledo wins on Saturday.
Who would have thought the only thing standing in the way of Denison's Class of 2010 were Sulphur Springs' Class of 2009 and the Bearcats' Class of 2012?
Reaching the state semifinals is a great achievement, done by the Jackets for just the fifth time. But Denison's players also realized just how close they were to winning a title -- a coronation bestowed on them years ago -- and for many this was the chance to make that happen.
"We knew a senior class this big and this good doesn't come through Denison all that often," Kemp said. "We were wanting to get here since the summer but then go on and win it."
White said there were times this season he felt his team was capable of winning a state championship. He also said there came points when he wasn't sure if the Jackets could handle the opportunity.
Denison proved it was up to the task to be in the fight for a title, one that would have come almost 25 years to the day of the program's only other championship. But it ran into a team almost the spitting image of the Jackets offensively and one that stifled the Denison offense like very few defenses have found a way to do.
Aledo stopped Denison on third down eight-of-12 times, including all four in the second half. When the Jackets built a 21-7 first-quarter advantage, they converted three-of-four attempts. Denison was unable to sustain drives over the final three quarters as the Bearcats fought back and eventually took the lead for good.
Sometimes, when teams are evenly matched, it takes only one or two plays in a singular moment mixed with some luck to produce a victory.
Jared Mitchell's jester hat and lucky bandana weren't able to do the trick this time, like they worked against Marshall and Sulphur Springs. Still, Denison had its chance in the fourth quarter, one last comeback attempt to somehow steal a one-point victory and send the show on the road for one final performance.
It didn't happen and so it is farewell. Farewell to D.J. Jones, the program's all-time leading rusher. Farewell to Jordan Taylor, who holds every single Denison passing record. Farewell to Mundine and Cody Reeves, two of the best receivers the Jackets have had. Farewell to The Dark Side. Farewell to the seniors who did their role when called upon as a starter or back-up, injured or healthy, to create a smashing success.
An encore never sounded so good right about now.
 Comments ... 8 found!
gotcha : 12/20/2009
real texas football fan - sure came back to me alright
jacket backer - i am home. with a ring on my finger.
you guys werent the best team we played. MAYBE in the top 5. dont let the record fool you guys. i looked at yalls schedule and its like you play a 3A school every week. who couldnt run for 200 yards against teams that our middle school could hang with. we dominated your team in almost every way. no part of ramming the football down your throat is luck. luck is your quarterback throwing a ball 40 yards down the field that gets tipped twice and then caught by a receiver it wasnt even thrown to or a defensive end number 9 tipping the ball at the line and it bounces right to his chest so he can run back like ten yards for a touchdown. those are 14 points on yalls part that can be contributed to luck. subtract those and its 40 to 14. even 40 to 28 is a two score game which is not a close game in my book. great season, great numbers, i guess. get a tougher schedule and pull some w's and you will quit constantly trying to defend your team on message boards. doesnt it get old? you played 2 legit teams. marshall and sulphur springs. both had 3 losses going into the game. the two 1st round teams you played were average at best. im not even sure if they had more wins than losses. how lame. not your fault i understand but dont make it more than it is.
aledo. state champs this year, next year, and the next.
get use to it.
aledo
Jason Della Rosa : 12/19/2009
what i want to know is where did you get that picture it looks like you sat on something when they took it find another one... (it not like you will post this cause this close-minded rag of a paper only prints what they wanna hear anyhow but i will continue to try)
loser of a excuse for a newspaper
Jeez, Jason... : 12/15/2009
You're gonna make me tear up! I've been to more Jacket games the last 2 years than I had been in the previous 17 years since I left DHS. Part of it was that, being in a district with the McKinney and Frisco schools, they made it down my way quite a bit more. But mostly it was because of this senior class. What a joy it has been following these guys. I don't know what's coming up behind them, but maybe we can get a couple of really good classes back to back sometime soon to get us where one great class almost did.
Still Happy
Football Boys : 12/15/2009
I really loved your story. My son was brought up from JV to Varsity last year at play off time. Last night my son said, I'm so tired even though I didn't practice. I told him that it was just emotions. He answered, it's so sad, the locker room is going to be so quiet. I realized he was talking about the seniors leaving, not the game. Usually all I hear about football is the aches, pains,& always tired of being tired. At that moment I understood that these boys had a special bond & the memories they made they will have forever. So here's to making new memories & always supporting the Jackets ...
Jacket Mom
But what a season ... : 12/15/2009
Ladies and Gents,
I must admit that I'm still having a hard time myself with the outcome of the Aledo game, but I can honestly say I've really enjoyed following the Jackets this year - they were by far one of the best teams that Denison has ever had take the field.
I'm a DHS alum that's living in Guam, and have been rising early (our Saturday morning here) to follow the Friday night games on the internet. The past couple of Saturday games have really been a pain as they came on even earlier on our Sunday - but such is life.
Being so far removed from the action, there's still nothing like Friday night (or Saturday playoff) Denison High School Football. Obviously I can't travel to the games from here (around 8K miles away), but I surely appreciate Jason's on-line blogs as well as the KATY Country broadcast - anything helps.
In any event, for my colleagues in the two previous post, the NFL saying goes, "On any given Sunday." For Denison's purposes in the semi-finals, it was a "Saturday," and for one reason or another, without laying any blame, if just didn't happen...
However, I'll put my faith in Coach White to get things done again next year, as in my limited opinion, he's put us back on the Texas 4A Football map. We'll obviously be missing a whole bunch of Senior talent (don't want to name them as you all know who they are), but I'm sure the program will continue to progress.
I know this was a long post, but I needed closure as much as some of the other DHS fans did. So, I guess for now it's game over, and end of season.
But heh, next year, right?
Thanks for the ride,
Greg Helm
LNC, USN (Ret.)
Santa Rita, Guam
DHS '80
p.s. Jason, thanks again for the on-spot reporting. How's our basketball team doing? :-)
Guamgreg
Aledo : 12/15/2009
Aledo, you missed the point. Most close games are decided by just a few key plays. Any knowledgeable football person knows this. Those 3rd down plays were key as Gray's final TD run. It was a six point game at that point. We obviously didn't execute our offense like we did against Marshall and S. Springs who certainly match up with Aledo. Gee, how about winning with some class or stay with your local newspaper. You won, go home.
Jacket Backer
Just another team... : 12/15/2009
Aledo's win was not a victory over Denison, just a win, undeniably weighted with luck, and officials. Aledo, just remember when you play this week, that what you put out there is what comes back to you...
Real Texas Football Fan
just a better team : 12/14/2009
i wouldnt call aledo's victory 'only one or two plays in a singular moment mixed with some luck'.
they outscored denison 33 to 7 during the last 3 and a half quarters of the game...
aledo
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