SMHS FOOTBALL
It’s the 25th anniversary of one of the greatest football seasons in the modern era of Rattler football both statistical and historically.
The Rattlers during the 2000 season were not only a historically dominant team not seen since the glory years of the 1960s but also raised the benchmark of a program in resurgence.
Prior to the 2000 season, the Rattlers were coming off an 11-3 season in 1999, marking the first time San Marcos had reached the regional finals since 1966.
But the foundation of the 2000 season was set in 1997.
Prior to the 1997 season, San Marcos had not qualified for the playoffs since 1966 let alone win a district championship. In fact, between 1967-1996 San Marcos had only six seasons where the Rattlers won more than six games.
In April of 1997, San Marcos hired Bruce Bush to be the new football coach and athletic director. Bush, known for his patent Slot-T offense, had previously coached at Alice, Gregory-Portland and Donna.
Despite coming off a 19 season, the Rattlers bounced back with a 7-4 season and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1966.
The next season, San Marcos again finished the season with a 7-3 record but missed the playoffs before going 11-3 in 1999 where the Rattlers ended their season in the Regional Final.
With the Rattlers moving into 4A District 26, San Marcos wasn’t just a playoff favorite but also the top choice to win the district championship and compete for the Region IV championship, being ranked eighth in the state going into the 2000 season.
The Rattlers returned both running back Lukinnick Ellison and fullback Juan Batiste where the duo led the team in rushing. Batiste ran for 1,583 yards and 18 touchdowns while Ellison ran for 1,067 yards and 12 touchdowns. Quarterback Jerry Montemayor also returned for the Rattlers having rushed for 158 yards and three touchdowns while passing for 518 yards and six touchdowns.
On defense, linebacker Joseph Lopez returned having made over 100 tackles last season along with defensive end Earl Anderson who made 59 tackles and three sacks.
Despite a shaky start in the season opener, San Marcos rolled through non-district play with a 5-0 record beating Austin LBJ, Austin Travis, New Braunfels Canyon, Cedar Park and Austin Bowie.
In non-district play, the Rattler defense allowed a combined 11 points through five games and shut out their last three opponents.
The San Marcos Slot-T offense averaged 31 points per game during non-district play.
The Rattlers continued their dominance in district play, walloping both Austin Del Valle and Dripping Springs in blowout wins, improving to 7-0 and setting up a showdown with the Bastrop Bears.
San Marcos and Bastrop previously played in one-score games in the last two games with the Bears winning in 1998 [27-20] and San Marcos winning in 1999 [24-21] In a hard-fought battle, San Marcos knocked off Bastrop using two third quarter touchdowns to defeat the Bears 22-14.
The Rattlers clinched the district championship for the first time since 1966 by beating Lake Travis 47-0.
But San Marcos was not satisfied with just a district championship and a playoff berth. The Rattlers wanted a perfect season which had not been done since 1966.
Against longtime rival Lockhart, San Marcos blasted the Lions 49-7, running for 506 yards on the ground in front of 10,000 fans at Bobcat Stadium to secure a 10-0 season.
With their perfect record, the Rattlers entered the playoffs as the No. 2 ranked team in Class 4A [now Class 5A] where San Marcos was a threat to contend for both the regional and state championship.
The Rattlers started their postseason journey with friendly comforts of then-Bobcats Stadium where San Marcos faced off with the Austin Anderson Trojans.
San Marcos led by a point at halftime at 7-6 but rattled off 21 points in the second half to secure the playoff win at 28-12.
In the Area round, San Marcos met up with an old foe in the Smithson Valley Rangers.
The Rattlers met their match but couldn’t overcome the Rangers offense, losing to Smithson Valley 42-34.
The 2000 season produced one of the best offenses and defenses in Rattler football history from a statistical standpoint.
The San Marcos offense averaged 36.8 points per game over 12 games. A mark that wouldn’t be topped until the 2015 season.
The San Marcos defense held offenses to an average of 9.4 points per game which has yet to be topped in the 2000s. Prior to the Rattlers game against Smithson Valley, San Marcos held offenses to an average of 6.5 points per game.
