SMHS GIRLS BASKETBALL
The Lady Rattlers are back in the postseason for the fourth time in the last five years after tying for second place in the district standings and finishing with a 23-8 overall record.
However, juniors Azariah Fennell and Melayna Perkins are not satisfied with just having one of the best seasons in over a decade. The Lady Rattlers are set on winning their first postseason game in 10 years when San Marcos battles Laredo Alexander in the Bi-District round of the playoffs.
“It’s a really big opportunity for us to show everybody what we were really capable of,” Perkins said. “We’re always looked at as being not as great compared to other [teams] in our district, but I think this is such a big opportunity for us to be able to show people who we are and what we can do. We can make it past the first round of playoffs, and we are not a one and done. This is a big opportunity for us to show who we are and do what we need to do.”
The success of the Lady Rattlers has seen the community rally behind the team, which was shown in their home record. At the Snake Pit, San Marcos boasted an impressive 10-1 record with their only loss coming against the No. 1 Judson Rockets in a five-point defeat.
“It definitely is an eye opener for not only us, but to the community to keep watching women’s sports and watching girls basketball,” Fennell said. “It’s definitely something we take pride in — going back [to the playoffs] and knowing that we can make it past the first round this year and set a different tone and culture for the school.”
The goal of not only reaching the playoffs but breaking the postseason win drought has been at the forefront for the Lady Rattlers since the beginning of the season. Even before becoming head coach, Cooper Haralson understood the importance for the team of reaching the benchmark.
“We always understood kind of what the goal has been,” Haralson said. “We set that last year, even before I was named the head coach. I told the girls what they were capable of. I know we didn’t win the district, but I feel like we were pretty close. I know that we didn’t perform well over at Judson, but it was down to the wire [at home] against Judson. We beat Steele the first time, and we competed with them shorthanded the other night.
“I know we’re capable of a [playoff] run. We just have to start off on the right track. The goal wasn’t just to make the playoffs, the goal is to make a run and see how far we can get.”
The Lady Rattlers’ history of success in the postseason dates back to the 1990s and early 2000s, when San Marcos qualified for the playoffs nine out of the last 11 seasons. The pinnacle of San Marcos’ success came during the 1991-1992 season when the Lady Rattlers captured the 6A State Championship.
Following the 20012002 season, the Lady Rattlers have made the playoffs seven times with only one win in the postseason. The last postseason win came during the 2014-2015 season when San Marcos defeated Harlandale in the first round.
Learning about the last playoff win, the Lady Rattlers are motivated to snap the drought.
“Originally when we heard about the decade season, that’s why I initially wanted to beat Judson because we haven’t won a district title or playoff game in 10 years,” Fennell said. “Even just finding that out and finding out, since we haven’t gone on a longer playoff run since that year, it definitely motivates us as a team to showcase and show alumni that; because y’all did it, we wanna do it, and pave the way for girls even after us.”
Seeing their goal is possible has also given the team a much needed boost.
“Getting that gold ball, knowing and seeing that is gonna boost every single one of us up on the team,” Perkins said. “It’s gonna make us realize that we can do this. … We could go farther than first rounds, so that people out here will stop calling this first round exit. Hopefully we start collecting more of these gold balls to put in our case to show this is what we can do. This team this year is way different from what we had.”
But a playoff victory for the Lady Rattlers isn’t all about breaking the drought; It is also giving the senior class their first chance to hoist the gold ball trophy after falling in the playoffs many times before.
“Those frustrations of the seniors that have been here and have experienced [are felt],” Haralson said. “They’ve been in the postseason three times out of four years. I feel this is the most confident we’ve been [due to] the kind of adversity and experiences that we’ve had this year. The way that we’ve played throughout the year, this is different because after three years of frustration for those seniors, they’re more determined.”
It is also a feeling both the younger players felt as well.
“Our juniors and sophomores really grasp the fact that nothing is guaranteed,” Haralson said. “We’ve had a great year, and obviously we hope we have a good year next year, but nothing is guaranteed. So they are living in the moment and taking advantage of it because you’ll never get it back.”
Knowing what a win would do for her senior teammates, Fennell is locked in.
“It would mean a lot to us honestly, not just for us but our seniors on the team who have never had this experience or this is their first time experiencing that,” Fennell said. “We understand the importance of this game. It’s the first round, so the first round sets the tone for the rest of the games.”
San Marcos will play Laredo Alexander Monday night at Corpus Christi Ray High School. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m.
cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
