Rattlers place 13 on All-District 25-5A list

High School Football

By Randy Stevens

San Marcos — The San Marcos Rattlers were well-represented in the All-District 25-5A team, with 13 players receiving recognition for their solid play throughout the season.

Seniors D.J. Hemphill and Chris Garcia were first-team selections on offense and defense, while center Derek Dixon was a first-team offensive selection and senior Marquese McKinney was a first-team selection on defense.

Senior center Michael Moreno was a second-team selection on offense, while senior linebacker Zach Cruz and junior defensive back Aaron Canady were second-team selections on defense.

Receiving honorable mention accolades on offense were junior guard Mark Line, senior wide receiver David Palko, junior running back Joekkava Yzaguirre and sophomore running back Tyler “Scooter” Walker. A defensive honorable mention went to sophomore defensive tackle Blake Bagley, while senior kicker Gentry Contreras was an honorable mention selection on special teams.

San Marcos placed fourth in District 25-5A, advancing to the Class 5A, Division II playoffs where the Rattlers dropped a 22-14 decision to San Antonio-Madison. It was the Rattlers’ ninth straight playoff appearance.

“As a coach you always would like to see more players get named all-district, but there’s not much you can do about it since you can’t vote on your own players,” SMHS head coach Steve Van Nest said. “But overall, I think we were well-represented.”

Hemphill was the team’s leading rusher with 670 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season, and was a force to be reckoned with at defensive tackle, leading the Rattlers with six sacks.

At tight end, Garcia had five catches for 63 yards, but was recognized for his blocking, which played a key role in an offense that averaged more than 320 yards per game. On defense Garcia created plenty of problems for opposing offenses with solid tackling, especially against the run.

“D.J. and Chris both worked extremely hard this season and deserve every accolade they get,” Van Nest said. “They are both leaders on and off the field.”

At center, Dixon (5-9, 180) played a key role on the Rattlers’ Slot-T, run-heavy offense. With a small frame for an offensive lineman, Dixon follows a tradition of former SMHS centers who got the job done by consistently going low, cutting the defender’s legs from out under them.

“He’s small for a lineman, but that’s the way our centers usually are,” Van Nest said. “But we usually ask a lot from our center position and Derek did a great job this season. We’re glad that’s he’s going to be back for another season.”

McKinney transferred to San Marcos over the summer and quickly became an impact player at strong safety. He was one of the team’s hardest hitters and came through with two interceptions. He earned all-district honors despite missing two games with an ankle injury.

“Marquese was a player we weren’t sure how he was going to fit in, but he really developed into a great player and leader on defense,” Van Nest said.

The biggest disappointment, according to Van Nest was omitting Cruz from the first-team list. Cruz was the team’s leading tackler on defense and also played at free safety when injuries started to deplete the SMHS defense. He was often the first one in on tackles and the emotional leader of the defense.

“He’s one we really felt like should have made first team, but there were so many good linebackers in this district, that it just didn’t work out that way,” Van Nest said. “He’s definitely a player that we are going to miss.”

Grabbing Offensive Player of the Year honors was Westlake running back Ryan Swope, while Austin High linebacker Hayden Bowers was named 25-5A’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Jeff Ables, who led Austin Bowie to the district title, was named 25-5A’s Coach of the Year.