SMHS FOOTBALL
For the first time since 2017, the Rattlers will be home for the playoffs as San Marcos hosts Eagle Pass for the Bi-District Championship.
San Marcos finished the 2025 regular season with a 6-4 overall record, making it the first time the Rattlers will finish a season with a winning record since 2017.
A big reason for the Rattlers success this year has been the dominance of the vaunted Purple Thunder defense. The Rattler defense has allowed an average of 19.7 points per game, the fewest number of points allowed in a single season since 2005 and just the fourth time since 2000 a Rattler defense has held opposing teams to under 200 total points in a single season.
As the Rattlers look to win their first playoff game since 2017, San Marcos will look to contain the high-flying Eagle Pass Eagles.
The Eagles finished the season with a 6-3 overall record and a 4-2 district record, finishing third in District 30.
The Eagle offense is led by senior quarterback Xavier Barrera who leads the team both in passing and rushing. Barrera has passed for 1,625 yards and 15 touchdowns while rushing for 602 yards on 75 carries and seven touchdowns.
The Eagles rushing attack is formed by the two-head monster of both Barrera and senior running back Luis Flores. Flores has rushed for 550 yards on 115 carries and 11 touchdowns.
Through the air, Barrera’s main target has been senior Sebastian Velasquez who has made 42 catches for 825 yards and eight touchdowns. Behind Velasquez is sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Silva who made 25 catches for 343 yards and five touchdowns.
On defense, senior Emmanuel Fernandez leads the team in total tackles with 84 along with 25 solo tackles. Senior Rodrigo Garcia is second in total tackles with 78 and first in solo tackles with 30 along with 4.0 tackles for loss.
This will be the third all-time meeting between San Marcos and Eagles Pass, having played during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The Rattlers will look to win their first ever game against the Eagles having lost both games by one possession.
The Rattlers have had a long history of hosting playoff games in San Marcos, mainly in the Bi-District round of the playoffs across three stadiums.
The first ever playoff game hosted by San Marcos came in 1940 when the Rattlers battled the San Antonio Lanier Voks in what was the first-ever playoff game for the Rattlers played at Evans Field. San Marcos came out on top, defeating Lanier 44-12 for the Rattlers first ever Bi-District championship.
The Rattlers would host San Antonio Harlandale in 1945 in the first round of the playoffs, losing 120.
Home playoff games returned in 1959 when the Rattlers captured the district championship and hosted San Antonio Sam Houston. San Marcos defeated Sam Houston 38-6 for the Rattlers first playoff win since 1940.
During the glory years of the 1960s, the Rattlers would host just one playoff game in the first round in their 1964 showdown against Austin Lanier, ending with a 2812 victory. The game marked the last Bi-District playoff game at Evans Field that featured the Rattlers.
Following the 1966 season, the Rattlers suffered through a 31-year playoff drought, with many wondering if San Marcos would taste playoff glory again.
The answer came in 1997 when the Rattlers broke their playoff drought, finishing with a 7-3 overall record, finishing tied for second place. San Marcos hosted rival New Braunfels at UFCU Stadium, then known as Bobcat Stadium, in the first meeting between the two I-35 rivals since 1991. In front of a standing room only crowd, the Rattlers fell to Kliff Kingsbury-led Unicorns 27-21.
The Rattlers returned to the postseason in 1999 when San Marcos hosted Kerrville Tivy. In a hard fought defensive battle, the Rattlers outlasted the Antlers 14-7, winning their first playoff game since 1966.
San Marcos then hosted four consecutive playoff games in a row, winning in 2000 and 2001 and losing in 2002 and 2003.
The last Bi-District playoff game hosted by the Rattlers at UFCU Stadium was played in 2005 against Smithson Valley where San Marcos fell 42-14.
Since the construction of Toyota Rattler Stadium, the Rattlers’ new home has seen two playoffs be played.
In 2016, the first playoff game hosted by the Rattlers at Toyota Rattler Stadium took place against the Round Rock Stony Point Tigers. In a thrilling game, the Rattlers fell to the Tigers 4035.
San Marcos was back in the playoffs in 2017 following the Rattlers first district championship since 2003 as the team hosted Round Rock Westwood in the first round of playoffs.
In another thrilling game, the Rattlers defeated the Warriors 64-50 to capture their first Bi-District championship since 2006.
Kickoff for San Marcos-Eagle Pass is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Toyota Rattler Stadium in San Marcos.
List of home Bi-District playoff game 1940 vs. San Antonio Lanier [W 44-12] Evans Field 1945 vs. San Antonio Harlandale [L 0-12] Evans Field 1959 vs. San Antonio Houston [W 38-6] Evans Field 1964 vs. Austin Lanier [W 28-12] Evans Field 1997 vs. New Braunfels [L 21-27] UFCU Stadium 1999 vs. Kerville Tivy [W 14-7] UFCU Stadium 2000 vs. Austin Anderson [W 28-12] UFCU Stadium 2001 vs. Pflugerville Connally [W 35-21] UFCU Stadium 2002 vs. San Antonio Madison [L 23-30] UFCU Stadium 2003 vs. Schertz Clemens [L 6-28] UFCU Stadium 2005 vs. Smithson Valley [L 14-42] UFCU Stadium 2016 vs. Round Rock Stony Point [L 35-40] Rattler Stadium 2017 vs. Round Rock Westwood [W 64-50] Rattler Stadium
