San Marcos was one play away against Wagner.
The Rattlers battled back after being down 10 with just over five minutes left in the game, starting with a 39-yard connection from senior quarterback Isaiah DeLeon to junior receiver Kutter Gage Webb. The purple and white drove down the field until it was fourth and goal on the three-yard line, where senior h-back Jake Rodriguez-Scholz would punch in a three-yard touchdown run. Scholz had some big runs throughout the night for San Marcos, but no play was bigger than number 27 diving for the onside kick conversion and recovering — giving the Rattlers immediate life.
The purple and white methodically drove down the field using up the rest of their remaining timeouts while also draining the clock. A pass over the middle from DeLeon to junior receiver Tony Diaz to convert on fourth and sixteen was the drive’s most significant play. The Rattlers got down to the two-yard line with under a minute left and ran the ball twice — attempting to score in the same fashion they had earlier in the game — but were stopped by the Thunderbirds at the goal line on both runs. Two late timeouts from Wagner helped San Marcos stop the clock, which was crucial to giving the Rattlers one more shot at a walk-off score in regulation.
