By Randy Stevens
Sports Editor
San Marcos — With a playoff ticket already secured, the San Marcos High School boys basketball team will go into a different sort of mode with its last two regular-season games.
Call it a sort of cautious aggression. The Rattlers want to make sure that they are playing the high level needed to make a long postseason run. But at the same time, the team can not afford any more injuries.
So when San Marcos hosts second-place Manor (another team that has already punched its ticket to the playoffs) for 7 p.m. game tonight at the Snake Pit, expect the intensity of a playoff game at least for the first two quarters before both teams start to utilize more bench players to make sure their starters are healthy for the state playoffs.
“We want to use these next two games to really get us in playoff shape I and can’t think of any better way to do that than to play the district’s top two teams,” SMHS head coach Rob Shivers said.
After tonight’s game, the Rattlers end the regular-season portion of their schedule with a Friday night game at first-place Del Valle, a team which is ranked No. 19 in the state according to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC).
“That’s a really strong way to finish and hopefully it will give us an edge if we can go into the postseason knowing that we can play with some of the best teams in the state,” Shivers said.
The Snakes reserved their spot in the state playoffs with Friday night’s 58-45 win at Lehman and are currently riding a three-game win streak. San Marcos’ last loss was Jan. 26 at home against Elgin.
Colin Hart was the Rattlers’ catalyst in the win over Lehman, throwing in a season-high 29 points against the Lobos. Hart scored 15 points in the second and nine in the fourth to lead the Rattlers, most of which were launched from 3-point territory.
“Colin shoots the ball well and when he gets hot like that and gets his feet set well, he’s tough to stop,” Shivers said.
In other District 17-4A boys action, the Lehman Lobos face a tough task at Del Valle tonight while the Hays boys are open tonight.
Lady Rattlers try to finish out strong
The SMHS lady Rattlers got the win they were needing last Tuesday, but unfortunately didn’t get the help they needed from others to keep their postseason hope alive.
Tonight, the Lady Rattlers will try to close out the season on a winning note when the team visits Manor for a 7 p.m. game tonight.
Domonique Miles powered her way for 15 points in the Lady Rattlers’ home win over Lehman Tuesday night, allowing SMHS to win the final home game for the team’s seniors.
Ali Gonzales tossed in nine points for the Lady Rattlers, Dani Doria had eight and Ashley Crayton came through with seven.
“I felt like it was a total team effort where everybody knew their roles, and that’s what I have been trying to get them to do all year,” SMHS head coach David Norris said. “I feel good about finishing up the year tonight on the same kind of note to where it can give us something to look forward to next year.”
In other District 17-4A girls action, the Lehman girls will try their hand at knocking off Del Vale with a 7 p.m. home game against Del Valle. Hays, which is now tied for first place after suffering a loss to Del Valle Friday night, is open tonight and will be hoping for an upset from the Lady Lobos. If that doesn’t happen, the two teams will likely flip to determine playoff seedings.
Area games
The first-place Wimberley Lady Texans will attempt to close out the regular season on a winning note tonight with a 6:45 p.m. home game against Bandera. The WHS girls are 7-1 in District 30-3A play with a two-game over Canyon Lake and Bandera…A win tonight on their home court against Bandera will give the Wimberley boys a playoff berth. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:45 p.m.
