Published: November 07, 2009 10:12 pm      

High School Football: A spirited ending

San Marcos — The San Marcos Rattlers wanted to end the 2009 season on a striking note Friday night against Seguin.

And strike they did, especially in the fourth quarter, handing the rival Matadors a 51-31 loss in the season finale at Bobcat Stadium. With the game tied at 24, San Marcos scored five touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away for the win.

“We just poured it on in the second half,” SMHS head coach Steve Van Nest said. “The kids played hard all the way through and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

The win ended the Rattlers’ season with a 3-6 record, and 2-5 in District 27-4A play, while Seguin ends its year on a seven-game losing streak without a district victory.

“The record doesn’t reflect what a great job these guys have done and how hard they have played,” Van Nest said. “Unfortunately a few tough breaks took us out of the playoff race, but the kids continued to battle and compete with passion.”

The game went back and forth for the first three quarters, with each team trading three touchdowns and a field goal.

San Marcos held a 24-17 lead when senior running back Tyler Walker scored on an 8-yard sweep with 10:03 left in the game, before Seguin quarterback Brig Gerlich connected with Jared Curnell for a 32-yard touchdown to even the score a minute later. That’s when the Rattler offense started to pour it on.

Senior running back Kristian Codgill capped solid drives with touchdown runs for four yards and one yard, while Luis Salazar’s 21-yard interception return put the Rattlers up 44-31 with 1:39 left in the game.

San Marcos recovered the ensuing onside kick, and after Seguin called two time outs to force third down, the Rattlers were in the end zone again.

This time it was senior quarterback Ryan Schweers finding Walker for a 50-yard strike that placed the proverbial nail in the coffin.

The score seemed to spark emotions on the opposite sideline. Seguin tried to mount a drive for points in the closing seconds, but things got out of hand with an on-field melee, forcing the game clock to wind down its last few seconds. Both teams cleared the field without any major incident.

“It got out a little bit out of hand. We were putting it on them pretty good and they probably thought we were running it up on them, but we were just running our base offense, and we just managed to break some things,“ Van Nest said. “The pass was the only thing they were giving us with 10 players up in the box, so we took what they were giving us.”

San Marcos started the game on a good note, stopping Seguin’s first possession while scoring on the team’s first offensive drive.

The Rattlers moved the ball 73 yards on nine plays, capped by senior running back Walker’s 1-yard touchdown dive. The series was fueled by a 13-yard jaunt from senior Mike Wilburn and a 14-yard run from Walker.

The lead didn’t last long, as the Matadors countered on their next possession. Lining up in the swinging gate formation on third down and four, Seguin’s Ronnie Lawson took the snap and sliced his way through the San Marcos defense for a 30-yard touchdown, evening the score at 7-all with 54 seconds remaining in the opening period.

Seguin took the lead with Isarel Rodrgiuez’ 33-yard field goal with 5:04 left in the half, giving the Matadors a 10-7 lead they would take into halftime.

San Marcos grabbed its first lead with 10 points in the third quarter — a 40-yard touchdown run from Wilburn and a 37-yard field goal from Aaron Nunez.

It was the most points a Rattler offense had put up in four years, as San Marcos racked up a total of 378 yards, 296 of which was on the ground. Wilburn led the rushing attack with 20 carries for 173 yards.

Defensively, the Rattlers benefited from strong play from Gonzales, Bob Eric Rodriguez and Pablo Nieto. Gonzalez also came through with a 43-yard kickoff return that help set up one of the Rattlers’ fourth-quarter scores.

It was also a special win for 19 seniors who played their last game in a Rattler jersey.

“It’s important for the seniors We wanted to send them out on a winning note and they deserved it,” Van Nest said. “They are going to remember it for a long time and it’s good that it is against our arch-rival Seguin.