COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF

Rattlers to take on Laredo Alexander

Countdown to Kickoff continues to follow the 2023 season for the San Marcos Rattlers.

This week will take a look at the Rattlers second straight home game of the season when San Marcos hosts the Laredo Alexander Bulldogs In last year’s meeting, the Rattlers and the Bulldogs combined to score 99 points total as San Marcos knocked out Alexander 65-34 for the road win.

The victory was highlighted by San Marcos outscoring Alexander 4420 in the second half en route to the win.

The Bulldogs finished the regular season with a 4-6 record while being in a three way tie for third place with Del Rio and Laredo United South.

Both Alexander and Del Rio qualified for the playoffs as the Bulldogs lost the Bi-District game against San Antonio Brennan 587.

This year’s Alexander team returns a total of 16 starters with seven on offense and nine on defense.

DCTF predicts the Bulldogs will finish third in 6A District 30 behind Eagle Pass and Laredo United and ahead of Del Rio in fourth.

On offense, the Bulldogs are led by running back Gael Rodriguez who rushed for 1,172 yards and 18 touchdowns last year.

A three year starter, Rodriguez is looking for his third straight 1,000 yard rushing season.

Rodriguez will also receive help from wide receiver Ivan Pena who caught 35 passes for 491 yards while catching five touchdown passes.

On defense, the Bulldogs are led by Jorge Alexander who made 48 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, eight sacks and one interception while earning All State honors last year.

One of key matches to keep an eye on will be the young Rattler defense against the explosive Alexander offense.

While the defense will have three games under their belt coming into the matchup, this will be a measuring stick game for the young unit going up against one of the more high powered offenses they will see this season.

San Marcos and Laredo Alexander have a brief history with last year being the first time the teams have ever met.

Alexander is the third high school created from the United Independent School District behind Laredo United and Laredo United South.

The Bulldogs first started playing football in 1994 and have captured three district titles and have qualified for the playoffs nineteen times.

One of the best seasons in school history came in 2011 when the Bulldogs completed the school’s only perfect season and won the first district championship since 2000.

Alexander advanced to the regional semifinals before falling to Cibolo Steele who advanced to the state championship game.

Kickoff for San Marcos vs Laredo Alexander is September 15 at 7:00 from Toyota Rattler Stadium in San Marcos.

cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc