San Marcos starts district play against the Schertz Clemens Buffaloes. The Rattlers defeated Clemens last year 28-24 for their first win over the Buffaloes since the 1981 season.
Daily Record photo by Gerald Castillo
San Marcos scored a late touchdown in the fourth quarter to beat Clemens 2824.
Daily Record photo by Gerald Castillo
COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF
The Countdown to Kickoff Series follows the San Marcos Rattlers as they slither through the 2023 season.
This week will take a look at the Rattlers district opener as San Marcos travels to Schertz to battle the Clemens Buffaloes.
In last year’s meeting, San Marcos stunned Clemens for a 28-24 win to start district off at 1-0.
Running back Jaidon Brown scored three total touchdowns in the game including catching the game winning score late in the fourth quarter.
Brown rushed for 116 yards on 23 carries and one score while catching four passes for 71 yards and catching two touchdown passes.
Clemens finished the 2023 season with a 4-6 record missing the playoffs for the third straight year.
The Buffaloes return six offensive starters and seven defensive starters for the 2023 season as Clemens looks to break their playoff drought.
Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine predicts the Buffaloes will finish fourth in district play qualifying for the 6A Division 2 Playoff Bracket.
The Buffaloes will be led by defensive back and wide receiver Paul Mencke who recorded 73 tackles along with 3 interceptions for Clemens while catching two touchdowns with 228 yards receiving.
On offense, Clemens will be led by running back Joshua Jackson who finished the season with all district honors despite moving to the position in the middle of the season.
Jackson finished with 258 yards rushing along with 253 yards receiving.
One of the key matchups for San Marcos will be the Rattlers passing attack against the Clemens secondary.
The Buffaloes return four starters from last season that played in the secondary and will surely give San Marcos a test.
The history between San Marcos and Clemens dates back to the 1960s where the Buffaloes lead the overall series at 9-6-1.
The Rattlers win over the Buffaloes was the first victory over Clemens since the 1981 season when San Marcos won 14-8.
San Marcos and Clemens have met in the playoffs twice with the Buffaloes taking both games in 1999 and 2003.
First playing in 1947, Clemens has won 16 district titles while qualifying for playoffs 26 times.
The furthest the Buffaloes have made in the playoffs in the State Semifinals qualifying in 1999, 2003, and 2006.
Kickoff is October 6 at 7:30 p.m. from Lehnhoff Stadium in Schertz.
cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
