GAME REWIND
Qualifying for the playoffs for the 1999 season, the Rattlers were on a mission as San Marcos took on old rival Kerrville Tivy in the Bi-District round of the playoffs.
Having snapped a 31 year postseason drought two seasons before, the Rattlers were back in the postseason, placing third overall and dropping into the Divison II bracket.
San Marcos finished the season with an 8-2 overall record, dropping two district games against rival Hays and Smithson Valley.
The Antlers won the district championship, defeating the arch-rival Fredericksburg Battlin’ Billies to win the title.
The Rattlers struck first when junior running back Juan Bastiste broke free for a 37-yard touchdown run, giving San Marcos a 7-0 lead in the first quarter following a Travis Salinas extra point kick.
The game turned into a defensive slugfest as neither offense was able to find their offensive rhythm. In the second quarter, the Antlers took advantage of a botched snap on a Rattler punt and recovered the ball on the three-yard line.
The San Marcos defense held Tivy to fourth down before the Antlers scored from the one-yard line, tying the game at 7-7.
The Antlers later made a successful drive down to the San Marcos 13-yard line late in the second quarter but ended up missing a 33-yard field goal, leaving the game tied going into halftime.
The Rattlers’ turnover bug continued to plague the team in the second half as San Marcos fumbled the ball on the second play from scrimmage.
However, the Rattler defense came up with a huge turnover on the next possession, recovering an Antler fumble.
San Marcos went on a 62-yard drive before Bastiste punched it in from the one-yard, giving the Rattlers a 14-7 lead.
In the fourth quarter, the turnover bug once again reared its ugly head for the Rattlers who committed two fumbles, which both were recovered by the Antlers.
However, Tivy was denied from seeing the endzone.
The Rattler defense came up with two crictical fourth down stops, keeping the Antlers from reaching the endzone, tying the game and sealing the playoff win.
The Rattlers held the Antlers to just rushing 167 yards and 45 passing yards. Bastiste led the team in rushing with 26 carries for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Lukinrick Ellison was second with 14 carries for 64 yards.
The postseason win for the Rattlers was the first for San Marcos in over 33 years and advanced them to the Area round. San Marcos defeated Austin Northeast 28-27 before defeating Floresville 24-9 in the regional semifinals. The Rattlers’ season came to an end in the regional final against Schertz Clemens.
