Rattlers set to kickoff district play against Schertz Clemens

After a week off from the high school football scene, San Marcos (2-3) returns to the gridiron as they welcome Schertz Clemens (3-2) for their District 27-6A opener.

Entering the bye week, San Marcos lost a stunning comeback against Eagle Pass 39-31. The Rattlers allowed 20 unanswered points in the second half to fall short in regulation. The purple and white led the Eagles 19-0 going into halftime. With the conclusion of their game against Eagle Pass, the Rattlers begin preparing for their final five games of the regular season.  San Marcos will open district play with back-to-back home games against Clemens and Cibolo Steele.

During practice this week, San Marcos defensive coordinator Kurtis Kloiber described the key to controlling Clemens’ offense — stopping their running game. Kloiber believes the Buffs’ rushing offense is the most difficult they have seen this season, so the Rattlers must come out prepared from the first whistle.

“Their running back is really the person that their offense runs through,” Kloiber said. “He’s a good, powerful runner. He’s a bit bigger, a little bit thicker than some of the backs that we’ve seen in the previous games and he breaks tackles well. So we have to tackle really good and they use a lot of formations and motions — so the kids just gotta be really kind of keyed in and focused in on what coverages they do.”

Coach Kloiber believes there is still work to be done within the next few days, but is confident that both the players and staff can execute their game plan. The preparation will be critical if San Marcos wants to leave Toyota Rattler Stadium with a win.

“Just being prepared and knowing the mission we’re trying to accomplish,’’ Kloiber said. “I know Coach Walsh (has) got a good plan on the offensive side and I think the defense that Schertz runs is a little exotic — so, you know, that’ll be key on our blocking assignments and stuff. We’re going to run the rock like we always do and give Tony the ball and that kind of stuff.”

With district play kicking off, Coach Kloiber says the team understands how big this game is and knows it is a must-win for the purple and white.

“This is a huge game for us. It has playoff implications on the line,” Kloiber said. “Our kids know that and we’ve been very transparent with them. They know this is a big game for us, so (we) need to go ahead and take care of business on Friday night.”

Similar to the Rattlers, Clemens enters this week after losing their previous game against Odessa 35-14. The Buffs are one of three teams with a winning record in District 27-6A as they look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2019. 

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from Toyota Rattler Stadium in San Marcos.