HS Countdown to Kickoff: San Marcos hits the road against rebuilding Schertz Clemens

It’s been nine years since San Marcos and Schertz Clemens squared off against each other, which might provide the Rattlers the clean slate they need against the Buffaloes.

In its previous four matchups with San Marcos in the 2004, ‘05, ‘08 and ‘09 seasons, Clemens won every game by an average of 11.75 points. The closest the Rattlers came to a victory was in 2009, in a 28-21 loss.

Coming off an 8-3 year and making an appearance in the playoffs, the Buffaloes are now tasked with rebuilding the team with a promising young core. Clemens will bring back just 15 players, fewest in the district, after graduating 44 seniors.

The bulk of the Buffaloes’ returning starters come on the defensive side of the ball. The team will lean heavily on junior linebacker Derrick Lewis, who started every game last season and registered the second-most tackles with 98. Quinton Mayberry, who led the team in sacks as a junior, will join fellow seniors Danny Williams and Shadane Brown to form an experienced defensive line. The trio racked up 136 tackles and 16 sacks last year.

Clemens’ offense is a little more of a mystery. Junior Jackson Macias was a starting cornerback in 2017, but will flip to the opposite side of the ball as a running back. The Buffaloes will also need to decide on a quarterback as junior Kahliq Paulette and sophomore Max Didomenico battle for the starting job.

San Marcos takes on Schertz Clemens in its seventh game of the season on Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Lehnhoff Stadium.