SMHS FOOTBALL
The Rattlers were back on the gridiron this week for the start of spring practice, coming off one of their best seasons in several years.
Despite losing several key starters from last year, some of which signed with Division I programs, Head Coach John Walsh is excited about his group.
“I’ve been saying since we started off the season how much I love coaching this year’s team,” Walsh said. “We have senior leaders, starting with Jordan Lampkin and Aidan Benavides, but we have a junior class that ever since they showed up as freshmen, they bleed purple. They play the game the right way and it’s very noticeable. We had 12 of those guys on the varsity last year as sophomores and all 12 contributed. … The senior class is so small but that junior class is a nucleus and we got some star power in the seniors, which has been fun. They’re a disciplined group who do the right thing and work hard.”
Coming off an 8-5 season where San Marcos advanced to the regional semifinals for the first time in 20 years, the Rattlers are hungry for more.
“They tasted the playoff run and that’s all they’re talking about,” Walsh said.“They have their own identity. We’re going to be a different-looking football team, but just having the swagger of being a playoff football team, they have that through hard work.”
San Marcos will have to replace their leading passer and leading rusher, but the Rattlers return senior wide receivers Jordan Lampkin and Aidan Benavides.
Lampkin made 37 catches for 584 yards and four touchdowns while Benavides caught 21 passes for 247 yards .
With experience at the wide receiver position and two quarterbacks in Ricardo Villalpando and Ayden Salik, Walsh is confident his offensive unit can continue their success from last season with a few changes.
“Because they’re a very intelligent group, we’re doing a lot of movement before the snap,” Walsh said.
”We’re starting the formation and moving. Ricky Villalpando and Ayden Salik, the two quarterbacks, have a good grasp of it. We’re not going to change what we do, even though there’s gonna be different people doing it. We feel like these guys, these quarterbacks can operate that same offense. We’re getting to do a little more smoke and mirrors because of their intelligence.”
Defensively, the Rattlers return juniors Cameron Bundage and Kaden Joseph. Bundage is the leading returning tackler from last year with 72 total tackles, the second highest last year. Joseph made 44 total tackles along with three interceptions.
For Walsh, the Rattlers biggest strength will be the secondary.
“The biggest, when people don’t take it for granted, is what our corners did last year,” Walsh said. “They played man to man the whole time allowing everybody to pressure and play the run. We feel like we can still do that with some of the guys that we have out there. [Braylen] Gatewood can cover and we have Lampkin in the secondary. Our second level played a lot last year, Luke Pactanac played a lot. Cam [Bundage] started and was all-district. That back end has to be special because we got a bunch of new guys on the front. And if you have a question mark for us, it’s going to be up front.”
The Rattlers will continue spring practice throughout the month of April and into May, concluding with the spring game on Thursday May 14.
