Oliver Jones and Zach Riemenschnider team up for a key stop.

It’s hard to miss the row of team pictures in the hallway between the basketball court and the boy’s locker room in the Alamo Heights High School gym. Twenty-five pictures line the walls, starting with the 1982 team that finished 23-9, and ending with last year’s team that went 20-12. Not a single team is missing from 1982 to 2006.

It’s a tradition and an honor to get your picture on that wall; one that coach Charlie Boggess began soon after he took over as head coach in 1978.

“The rule is you have to have a 20-win season or make the playoffs, and you get a picture on the wall,” Boggess said. “They’re still fighting to get a picture on the wall.”

Although this year’s team has had a few rough stretches throughout the season, they are still in position to add their picture to that collection.

Every game has been a “playoff” game to the Mules and the team has finally started to respond.

That was evident in the huge 56-53 win over the Kennedy Rockets Saturday. The Mules trailed 48-43 with just under five minutes to go when senior guard Pete Terracina went on a tear, hitting two straight three-pointers from the perimeter and then driving to the basket for another two, putting the Mules back on top.

Despite his heroics, the game was tied at 53-53 in the last minute as Alamo Heights began their final possession of regulation. Sophomore point guard Keith Hartle tried to penetrate to the basket, but the path was blocked. Instead, Hartle put up a three-pointer as time expired to seal the victory.

A chance for a playoff spot and a chance for a picture on the wall: These Mules are determined to have both.