SMHS FOOTBALL
Despite needing to replace several star playmakers from last season, the Rattler offense will not be short on firepower, especially at wide receiver.
With leading wide receivers Jordan Lampkin and Aiden Benavidez returning from last year’s team, Head Coach John Walsh is excited about the potential of his unit.
“The secondary group and the receiver group, we have no issues there,” Walsh said. “We have Lampkin, the Benavidez boys, Braylen Gatewood and Darrian Cruz that are back and Dylan Bell, who’s fixing to be jumping tomorrow at the state track meet in long jump. So we’re pretty rich back there and I feel really fortunate.”
Along with Lampkin and Aiden Benavidez, looking to make their mark on the season is the junior duo of Xzavier Reyes and Aithan Benavidez.
Despite not being starters the season before, the pair have emerged as key contributors for the Rattlers going into 2026.
“When the season’s over, I put a depth chart together of what I think is going to be our next football team and then I present it to the guys,” Walsh said. “I had two guys not on there. Aithan Benavidez, who is Aiden’s little brother, and Xzavier Reyes. But both those guys were not on my watch list and all my coaches said that I missed a mark on both of them. It was really clear early that those guys were going to be varsity players and varsity players that saw the field quite a bit.”
In the ground game, the Rattlers will look to focus their rushing attack around sophomore Jarren Lopez.
Following the loss of JT Narro after tearing his ACL, Lopez has stepped up for the Rattlers and has become workhorse in the ground game while sharing the carries with junior Cameron Bundage.
“[Lopez] can start at receiver,” Walsh said. “He’s got really good hands and good lateral movement. But I think what sets him apart from a lot of high school running backs is his patience and vision.. So it’s pretty impressive to watch him be patient, know how our blocking schemes are supposed to end up after two seconds then find that hole and burst through it.”
One of the biggest questions of the Rattler offense is replacing several key starters on the offensive line.
With several new faces taking over new starter roles, their progression will be a determining factor of how far the Rattler offense can go.
“Our trenches will be where the magnifying glass is,” Walsh said. “Coach Wallace has done a good job of getting everybody strong but you have to be tough and you don’t know how tough you are until you get to line it up against a different colored helmet over there. So I’m going to be challenging those guys now in the summer and as we start the fall. You know as well as I do, we go as the trenches go. They’re definitely the unproven group of our football team and we’ll see when we get there.”
With junior Ricardo Villalpando and sophomore Ayden Salik taking the reins at quarterback, Walsh has been happy with the progression of his two young quarterbacks.
“What I’ve really been pleased with is that Ricky’s not released to throw until the end of this month so Aiden’s been doing all the passing,” Walsh said. “[Salik] definitely improved on his accuracy. He’s an accurate quarterback, but when you’re a freshman out there and the bullets are flying you become not as accurate.
“But in two weeks time, I’ve seen much improvement in him being able to keep his composure and throw the ball where it needs to be. Both have done a good job of having command in a huddle. Ricky sets the standard early on just his ability to gather everybody up, get the play called, and really know what everybody else is doing. Aiden’s just a year younger and he’s learning that,” Walsh said.
San Marcos continues spring practice in the month of May, ending with the spring game May 14.
