SMHS FOOTBALL
Despite both San Marcos and New Braunfels Canyon clinching spots into the playoffs, the stakes between the Rattlers and the Cougars will still be high when both teams take the field on Friday.
Being the two smallest schools in District 29, both San Marcos and Canyon will automatically be dropped into the 6A Division II playoffs.
The result of Friday’s game is simple. The winner hosts Eagle Pass in the first round of the playoffs. The loser will be forced to go on the road to Medina Valley, the 6A District 30 champion.
For the Rattlers, a win will not only mean San Marcos hosting their first playoff game since 2017 but also clinching a winning record for the first time since that same season.
The San Marcos road to both having a winning season and hosting a playoff game will not be easy when the Rattlers make the trip down I-35 into New Braunfels to battle Canyon.
The Cougars enter the game with an identical record as the Rattlers, a 5-4 overall record with a 3-2 district record. Last Friday Canyon was unable to clinch a share of the district championship, falling to Cibolo Steele 49-7.
The Cougars are led by senior running back Jackson Reagan who leads the team in rushing with 84 carries for 607 yards and five touchdowns through seven games.
Along with Reagan, sophomore quarterback Knox Ford has also led the offense, creating a 12 punch for the Cougars. Knox has passed for 1,133 yards and nine touchdowns while rushing for 518 yards on 78 carries and 10 touchdowns through eight games.
Knox’s main target in the passing game has been senior wide receiver Donovan Craycraft with 20 catches for 320 yards and two touchdowns in seven games. Seniors Issac Early and Josh Wood have also helped, with the duo both catching 10 passes for more than 200 yards.
In nine games, Canyon has averaged 25.1 points per game but have slowed down in district play, averaging just 19 points through five district games compared to the Rattlers average of 27 points per game in district play. On defense, junior Devin Lagunas leads the team in total tackles with 69 along with 33 solo tackles. Second is senior Abram Ramirez with 65 total tackles and 33 solo tackles followed by junior Logan Andrews with 60 total tackles and 33 solo tackles.
Despite the rivalry between San Marcos and Canyon being relatively new, having first played in 1998, the series is one of the most competitive and fierce games over the years for the Rattlers. San Marcos leads the overall series 8-7. DAILY RECORD ARCHIVES
The Cougars defense has allowed an average of 26.2 points through nine games and 23.8 points through five district games. In comparison, the Rattles Purple Thunder defense has allowed an average of 17 points through five district games.
The series history between San Marcos and Canyon dates back to 1998 where the two teams have played consistently against each other throughout the 2000s, 2010s and the 2020s.
The first-ever meeting between the Cougars and the Rattlers took place in the 1998 season when San Marcos dropped down to Class 4A [Now 5A] into a district consisting of Canyon, Bastrop, Hays, Lockhart and Smithson Valley.
Despite the Cougars being the favorite, the Rattlers took down Canyon 45-15. Canyon qualified for the playoffs with an upset win over Hays while San Marcos missed the playoffs despite their 7-3 overall record.
The rematch in 1999 was highly anticipated as both teams looked to gain an advantage in the playoff race for the district opener. In the highest scoring game of the series, the Rattlers defeated the Cougar 49-42 when running back Gilbert Palomares scored on a two-yard touchdown late in the game to seal the victory. Future Texas State quarterback Bradley George passed for 319 yards passing and four touchdowns while rushing for two more in the loss.
San Marcos and Canyon continued to play as non-district opponents after being separated into different districts following that year’s realignment. The Rattlers continued to dominate the Cougars winning both games in 2000 [480] and 2001 [46-7].
The series took a fouryear hiatus before resuming in 2006 where the Cougars notched their first ever win against the Rattlers 23-21, scoring the game winning touchdown with less than two minutes in the game.
San Marcos got their revenge the next season, defeating Canyon 28-21.
The Cougars racked up four straight wins against the Rattlers during the 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2013 seasons.
San Marcos snapped their losing skid against the Cougars with a 2720 win in 2016 before racking up another victory in 2017 [39-20]. Canyon got their revenge in 2018 with a 49-21 win.
The showdown between the Rattlers and the Cougars during the 2019 season was another memorable moment for the series but for the wrong reasons. Heading into the final game of the regular season, both teams entered with 0-9 records with the loser getting the dread 0-10 season.
The Rattlers went up 27-9 over the Cougars in the fourth quarter before Canyon scored two late touchdowns to make it a one possession game. However, San Marcos recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal their first win of the season at 27-22.
In last year’s meeting between the two teams, Canyon soundly defeated San Marcos 52-7 in the final game of the season.
San Marcos leads the overall series against Canyon 8-7.
Kickoff for San Marcos and Canyon is scheduled for Friday Nov. 7 at Cougar Stadium in New Braunfels. Start time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
