HS Countdown to Kickoff: Rattlers ride to San Antonio Johnson for second game

San Antonio Johnson is all about speed.

San Marcos found out the hard way last season, as the Jaguars jumped out to a 34-7 lead in the first quarter of the teams’ matchup on Sept. 7, 2018 inside Rattler Stadium. Though the hosts did find a way to slow the visitors down, outscoring them 21-14 the rest of the game, it was already too late to make a comeback.

A lot of Johnson’s top playmakers on offense return this year. Junior quarterback Ty Reasoner, who threw for 238 yards and four touchdowns against San Marcos, is back along with senior running back Justin Rodriguez, who added another 153 yards and two scores on the ground. The Jaguars’ second- and third-leading receivers remain as well in junior Shane Johnson and senior Jaren Randle, who caught 27 passes for 571 yards and six touchdowns combined last year. None of them run slower than a 4.7-second 40 yard dash. Most of the team’s starting offensive linemen graduated in the spring, but Johnson is hoping to rebuild around junior Evan Mailloux, who played at center and tackle.

Defensively, the Jaguars will be led by senior edge rusher Brandon Brown, who racked up 62 tackles and three sacks in 2018, though they only return three starters from last season’s unit. Junior Sam Hall will contribute at both the defensive end and linebackers spots. Senior defensive backs Garrett James and Kaleb Meza will back them up in the secondary.

The Rattlers will ride to Jerry Comalander Stadium in San Antonio for it’s matchup with Johnson on Sept. 7, beginning at 7 p.m.