RATTLERS PUT ON PADS

San Marcos set to scrimmage Laredo United South this Friday in Jourdanton

The Rattlers are back on the gridiron this week, following their first full week of practice, as San Marcos prepares for the 2023 season.

Head Coach John Walsh said he is happy with his team and on how they have handled the grid during fall practice.

“I’m really proud of their maturity,” Walsh said. “Those were some long days where we met in the morning and did some things, then met on the field around 6:30 p.m., before getting off around 9 p.m.. But I like their mentality of business as usual, and getting their work in.”

This week will see the Rattlers practice in full pads for the first time since spring practice, as San Marcos not only prepares for their first scrimmage but also their Week One showdown with Hutto.

“It’s just an accumulation period,” Walsh said. “There is not a bunch of hitting going on, but getting them on the field is good and we are getting close to game time. So just moving around with the pads on, it just takes a little bit of time to get used to it, after going all summer without them.”

One of the major questions heading into the season was the Rattler defense, returning just three starters from last year’s team.

However, Walsh has the linebacker group taking charge, leading the young defense in the right direction in Larurus Union and Colson Geesee.

“Laz (Lazurus Union) and Colson Geesee are two guys who you want to be leaders right there in the middle,” Walsh said. “They, from what I’ve seen, have been flying around and their intent has been really good.”

Flipping to the offense, the Rattlers will have a bevy of senior leadership, with quarterback Kutter Gage Webb, wide receiver Tony Diaz and offensive lineman Ory Williams.

The offensive line has already been an key point of emphasis for Coach Walsh, as they will be lead by former Texas State offensive lineman Brian Hamilton.

“The offensive line with Coach Hamilton is going to be one of our biggest assets,” Walsh said. “I’m putting the pressure on them to do that, because they have the size, strength and athletic ability. As far as leadership goes, Kutter-Gage is by far the undisputed leader. Being a coach’s kid on the field, the cliche is that he is one of the coaches on the field, but he is. He runs the huddle like a coach, which is good for us.”

With the pressure on the offensive line to help lead the offense, Williams knows the group is up to the task.

“Coming off the summer, we are looking pretty good,” Williams said. “Day One wasn’t too good or too bad, just simple mistakes, but we are coming off of a new playbook. We are going to get it down.”

San Marcos will finally play someone not wearing a purple jersey as the Rattlers make the journey down to Jourdanton, to scrimmage against Laredo United South this Friday.

For the Rattlers, this will be an opportunity to not only play someone different, but also get better.

“This is the third time we have scrimmaged them (Laredo United South),” Walsh said. “Even though they are so far from us, we both have similar mentalities as programs on what we get out of these scrimmages. We are not trying to trick anybody. They are going to come out and run their base offense and defense, while we do the same. … Everyone just wants a good clean scrimmage.”

The scrimmage starts this Friday at 7 p.m. in Jourdanton at Indian Stadium.

cmcwilliams@sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc