RATTLING OPPONENTS

Rattlers find success at State 7-on-7 Tournament

San Marcos made history over the weekend as the Rattlers competed at the State 7-on-7 Tournament in College Station.

Head Coach John Walsh said he was proud of the group for not only winning their games but competing at a high level against quality opponents.

“I was very pleased with how we competed,” Walsh said. “The one game we lost on Friday, they (San Marcos) learned their lesson about bringing the energy every single time they compete. The rest of the tournament they battled and took the field expecting to win while finding themselves in the Championship Bracket on Saturday … I think we were as good as any team down there on Saturday.”

The Rattlers entered the tournament in Pool B and were paired with Keller Timber Creek, Cypress-Falls, and PSJA North.

In the first game of the tournament, the Rattlers defeated the Timber Creek Falcons in emphatic fashion, winning 38-19.

The second game of the pool play ended in an exciting game, which saw the Rattlers edge the Cy-Falls Golden Eagles 26-24 to move to 2-0.

In the final game of pool play, the Rattlers fought hard but fell to PSJA North, 31-18, to finish pool play with a 2-1 record.

While the Rattlers captured key wins on Friday, the ability for the players to step in during pivotal situations was the game changer.

“On Friday, one of our receivers, Corbyn Sebesta, collided with a defender which looked bad but it ended up being a split lip,” Walsh said. “He had to go to the hospital and get stitches so we had two kids, DJ Kano and Fabian Castaneda step in to fill those roles. They made some big time plays and gave the team confidence for the rest of the tournament.”

With both San Marcos and PSJA North sharing identical 2-1 records, both teams advanced to the Championship Bracket with a shot at the championship.

In the first game of the Championship Bracket, the Rattlers were paired up with the Wylie East Pirates.

Though the Rattlers were not in a favorable position in the first half, San Marcos fought back.

“We were down two scores at halftime,” Walsh said. “In 7-on-7, that usually means you are toast. But our kids battled back and beat a good Wylie East team.”

Rallying in the second half, San Marcos defeated Wylie East 27-20, to move on in the Championship Bracket.

The Rattlers faced off with hometown A&M Consolidated Tigers in the second round, where San Marcos was eliminated with the score of 20-18. But despite the loss, Walsh was not only happy with the team’s performance but also the way the upperclassmen and the underclassmen played together.

“It’s always important for the younger guys to watch the older guys compete and how they act when handling adversity,” Walsh said. “I thought Tony Diaz had a spectacular two days and Kutter Gage led us on. The younger freshmen were able to see the maturity of how to handle certain situations.”

As the Rattlers continue to gain their poise throughout the off-season, San Marcos will look to turn it into success come the 2023 season.

“Whether it’s from the spring game, summer workouts, or 7-on-7, any confidence you can capture you can turn it into momentum,” Walsh said. “Today we got back into the weight room and our skill sessions and we got after it.”

coltonbmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc