BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — A home video uploaded to YouTube illustrates the most celebrated season in Mission High’s recent football history. The phrase “Road to the Dome” flashes onto the screen, one word at a time, as the iconic theme from the film Chariots of Fire sets the mood.
On the heels of an era where Lupe Rodriguez and Frank Hernandez formed one of the most lethal quarterback-wide receiver connections in the 1980s, Mission High let the good times roll them into the start of a new decade. The 1990 Eagles earned a trip to the Houston Astrodome when they qualified for the state semifinal round. During that season, Mission High was led by another strong connection: quarterback Koy Detmer and his dad, Mission High coach Sonny Detmer.
The elder Detmer will return to Mission as the leader of the Somerset Bulldogs (7-3) when they face Sharyland High in a Class 5A Division II bi-district game at 6 p.m. Saturday at Richard Thompson Stadium.
Detmer faced former assistant David Gilpin and the Mission Veterans Patriots at Tom Landry Hall of Fame Stadium to open the 2011 regular season, but he will coach his first playoff game in the Valley since he roamed the Eagles’ sideline.
“It was one of the great experiences of my life,” Detmer said. “I’ve had several teams in several places that have been a great experience, but Mission was super for me. We loved it down there. The people were great and the Eagle fans were amazing. The players put a lot of work and dedication into it. We kept it going there for a long time. That (Astro)dome thing was an outstanding thing to go through.”
Koy Detmer, who now has his father’s former job leading the Eagles, did some scoreboard watching late in the regular season just in case Sonny’s Bulldogs were to make their way south.
“At first, it looked like they would be matched up with (Sharyland) Pioneer, but as everything unfolded, they were matched up with Sharyland (High),” Koy Detmer said. “At the same time, we have our own playoff game to look forward to against Laredo United. Because the games will be on separate days, we get to play our game Friday and be back on Saturday. We’re going to have a lot of family members coming down here. It’s really neat how that worked out.”
While Mission High and Sharyland High were in different classifications at the end of Sonny Detmer’s tenure in Mission, Sharyland High coach Ron Adame was a young assistant in the Rattler program when Detmer wrapped up his time in Mission in 1997.
“Somerset is coached by a gentleman who has a lot of experience,” Adame said. “He knows the game of football. He’s been there for a long time. Their kids believe in what he brings to the table. We know it’s going to be a special night with coach Detmer coming back. Our young men weren’t alive to see Mission (High) go to the final four, but we’re excited to play a playoff game in front of our home crowd. We haven’t hosted a playoff game since 2014.”
The Rattlers (7-3) will host a playoff game because they locked down the No. 1 seed in District 16-5A DII thanks to a squeaky-clean 6-0 district record. Sharyland High’s bye fell during Week 11 which gave the Rattlers extra time to prepare for a battle-tested Bulldog team.
“The bye at the end played well for us,” Sharyland High senior quarterback Edgar Longoria said. “Knowing that we didn’t stop, the last week was our chance to recover from little injuries and things like that. We feel good. We’ve looked real good this week. They’re a big San Antonio team, but I think we’ve got a little more speed than they do. It’s going to come down to who makes plays and not mistakes.”
“They (Somerset) faced some adversity last season when one of their coaches was hospitalized and they rallied around him,” Adame said. “We’ve told our boys this week that some of these players were starters on their team that went several rounds deep as a 4A. They know what it’s like to face a high-caliber opponent. They know what success tastes like in the state playoffs. Whether it’s 4A, 5A or whatever division it is, success is success. They like to play keep-away with the ball and manage the clock, but if they have to, they’re going to get into a four-wide shotgun formation. We’re preparing for both.”
Somerset lost 37 seniors from a senior class that won 36 games and at least a share of four district titles in four seasons. Sharyland High returned 14 starters from last season’s team that was a triple-overtime heartbreaker away from qualifying for the third round.
“Since a lot of us were in that position last season, we know where we stand,” Longoria said. “We know that nothing’s going to come easy, but we know what we have to do. From now on, all the teams we’ll face are great. We have to step up our game every chance we get.”