SMHS FOOTBALL
FRIDAY FOOTBALL PREVIEW
It’s homecoming week for San Marcos as the Rattlers battle the Schertz Clemens Buffaloes in district action.
The Rattlers are coming off a 49-19 loss to Hays County rival Buda Johnson while the Buffaloes are coming off a 55-12 loss to the arch rival Cibolo Steele Knights. Clemens passed for 195 yards on the Knights and rushed for just 37 yards.
Clemens enters their showdown against San Marcos with a 1-4 overall record, with the Buffaloes only win against the Austin Del Valle Cardinals. In the Buffaloes win, Clemens passed and rushed each for 151 yards for 302 total yards of offense.
The history of the San Marcos-Clemens series dates back to 1964 when both teams were placed in the same district.
In the first ever game between the two teams, the Rattlers dominated the Buffaloes 56-0 en route to capturing the district championship.
San Marcos and Clemens met again during the 1965 season only for the Rattlers to come out on top once more, winning 66-0.
The two teams would not meet again until the 1976 season where San Marcos and Clemens would be placed as district rivals for the next six seasons.
The Buffaloes got their first win against the Rattlers during the 1976 season with a 24-14 win over San Marcos.
The Rattlers then won the next three meetings between 1977 through 1979.
In their showdown during the 1980 season, both the Rattlers and the Buffaloes played to a 14--14 draw, which remains the only tie between the two teams.
In their last meeting until 18 years later, San Marcos defeated Clemens 14-8.
The two teams would not meet again until their most famous clash in the playoffs during the 1999 season.
Both the Rattlers and the Buffaloes would meet in the Regional Final of the 4A Division II playoffs. Clemens entered the game with a 14-0 record, the program’s best overall record. The Rattlers came in with a 11-2 record, having both won their first playoff game and advancing to their first regional final since 1966.
Despite the Rattlers rushing for 231 yards, Clemens escaped with a 21-13 win over San Marcos.
San Marcos and Clemens met again in the playoffs during the 2003 season in the Bi-District round. The Buffaloes again got the advantage over the Rattlers, winning 28-6.
The two teams would be placed in the same district during the 2008 and 2009 seasons and later during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The Buffaloes began their winning streak over the Rattlers winning all four games against San Marcos.
The Rattlers would snap their losing streak against Clemens during the 2022 season, beating the Buffaloes 28-24 for their first win over Clemens since 1981.
In their last meeting during the 2023 season, Clemens jumped out to a massive lead before the Rattlers attempted to make their comeback. San Marcos fell short, losing 48-41.
Clemens leads the overall series against San Marcos 8-7-1.
Kickoff for San Marcos- Clemens is set for 7:30 p.m. tonight at Toyota Rattler Stadium in San Marcos.
cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
