SMDR Top Sports Moments of 2021

This article is a part of the 2021 SMDR Sports Year in Review series.

San Marcos experienced a thrilling year in sports in 2021 with several players accomplishing historic feats, teams setting program records and some even winning championships.

Here were some of the best sports moments in 2021, in chronological order:

Texas State Men’s Basketball celebrates Sun Belt regular season championship

Feb. 26, 2021

The Bobcats clinched their first-ever Sun Belt title in the second-to-last game of the regular season, taking a 58-49 win over Louisiana-Monroe inside Strahan Arena. The man who drove them there, though, wasn’t in the building.

Head coach Terrence Johnson was forced to miss the game due to COVID-19 safety protocols. The team still made sure he was a part of the postgame celebration. While cutting down the nets, junior guard Mason Harrell called Johnson on FaceTime so that the coach could get an up-close view. Afterward, the players found Johnson parked outside the arena and swarmed his car — as close to in-person as they could get. -Drew King

Texas State Volleyball advances to the Round of 32, again

April 14, 2021

For the third straight season and the longest streak in program history, Texas State Volleyball qualified for the NCAA tournament. Led by Emily DeWalt’s 45 assists and the trio of Caitlin Buettner, Janell Fitzgerald and Tyeranee Scott’s 42 combined kills, the Bobcats beat Utah Valley 3-1 in the first round of the Big Dance.

The victory secured the maroon and gold’s second NCAA tournament win in school history, and the first of head coach Sean Huiet’s young career. This was the second NCAA win in the careers of multiple Bobcats, with Brooke Johnson, Kayla Granada, Jillian Slaughter, DeWalt, Fitzgerald and Scott all tasting victory on a national stage again. -Jude McClaren

Gianna Moreno earns gold medal in UIL 6A state tournament

April 24, 2021

It was a long time coming for Moreno when she took the 138-pound UIL 6A crown. She dreamed about that moment since she was a freshman. The champion had been to the state tournament her sophomore and junior seasons, finishing third and fourth, respectively. After a tough senior season dealing with COVID-19 constraints, Moreno accomplished her goal that she had been working toward her whole career.

With two seconds left in the second period of the final match of the state tournament, she secured a pin for the win. Not only did Moreno achieve her first state tournament victory, but she was also the first-ever champion in San Marcos program history. There had been others that placed at the tournament, but no one had come out on top until Moreno. -Kristen Cordani

Bobcat Softball upsets No. 10 Oregon in Austin Regional

May 21, 2021

Texas State hadn’t been to an NCAA Regional since the 2018 season but looked right at home in its first game back. The team knocked off No. 10 Oregon in the first game of the Austin Regional, snapping a 27-game win streak from the Ducks in Regional play.

Senior first baseman Hailey MacKay kicked things off with a two-RBI home run to centerfield in the top of the second. Head coach Ricci Woodard caught Oregon off guard by starting freshman pitcher Jessica Mullin, who brought the heat one and a half times through the lineup, then deployed junior right-hander Meagan King, whose changeups and drop-balls shut the Ducks out over the final 4.2 innings.

It led to a 5-1 win and a program-defining moment for the maroon and gold. -Drew King

Maggie Walsh joins the 1,000-1,000 club

Aug. 17, 2021

Walsh entered the 2021 season already halfway to the 1,000-1,000 club. Spending the first two years of her high school career as a defensive specialist at Denton Guyer, Walsh racked up hundreds of digs and came into this year with around 1,300 already.

The second leg of the achievement took a bit longer, but Walsh made it happen in a 3-0 sweep of Austin McCallum. The senior outside hitter racked up 11 kills in the second set, with the last one being the thousandth of her career, solidifying the Texas State commit as one of the premier talents in the state. -Drew King

Jaidyn Brown rushes for 444 yards and five touchdowns against Buda Hays

Oct. 8, 2021

Only two players in District 26-6A eclipsed 1,400 yards this season and the district’s second-leading rusher — Jaidyn Brown (1492) — literally carried his way through some impressive performances this season. 

“I’m ready, I hope you are too,” Brown texted his coaches the morning of the rivalry game.

Brown was certainly ready. After a dominant first half he continued flashing his elite running talent by shaking his defender to the ground on an 18-yard touchdown which gave San Marcos a 35-28 lead. He wasn’t done scoring. The Rattlers turned to their stud runner again, only for him to slip through the Buda Hays line for 57 more yards into the end zone. Brown finished the night with 444 rushing yards and 5 total touchdowns in, according to head coach John Walsh, San Marcos’ first win against Hays since 2006. Brown was the pioneer of igniting the most important stretch in the Rattlers’ recent memory. -DeShaun Hartley

San Marcos Academy punches ticket to TAPPS state championship game

Nov. 26, 2021

Bear country ran all the way to the state final with the help of 11 all-district players, eight of whom also received all-state honors, and first-year head coach Chris Chacon. The character of the young men was displayed throughout the season. They were resilient, with no consecutive losses. They were sportsmanly, and helped their opponents to their feet.

Many players gave lasting images. Mason Loep leapt for passes. Chizi Efobi sprinted down sidelines. Mitchell Howard kept plays alive, and often connected with the crafty back Cole Krackau. Wilson Guenther bowled over the opposition. Inaki Infante-Valenzuela showed off leg power, both on kicks and running into the end zone. T.J. Murphy, Jacob Hammock, and C.J. Crauthers disrupted offensive schemes. The Bears finished the year 10-4 made an impressive run on the field and an impression on their community. -Javi Love