Rattlers tackle the gridiron, look to reload for fall season

San Marcos found themselves back on the gridiron once more as the Rattlers prepare for the 2023 football season.

Though Head Coach John Walsh said he knows the team will be a little rusty, the ball coach is rather looking for the team’s zeal to set the tone.

“When you start spring ball, you are not looking to be completely sound in what you do schematically,” Walsh said. “You are just looking for good energy. I’ve been really excited about the energy we have had for the past week. It’s been coming from our young guys to our older guys.”

One of the major questions the Rattlers will look to answer is the role of quarterback following the departure of senior Isaiah DeLeon. San Marcos will be working out multiple players at the position.

“It’s different,” Walsh said. “Having Isaiah for so long makes things pretty comfortable. Kutter Gage , who we plan on playing at quarterback, is still in baseball so we have been working out with Bredan Haywood, Buck Stain and DJ Enos. They all bring something a little bit different.”

Despite not being at spring ball due to still playing on the baseball team, Gage is the only quarterback in the room that has taken a varsity snap.

“Isaiah has been such a constant and has been so reliable,” Walsh said. “Because of that, we hadn’t needed to dip into the bag of quarterbacks with one exception being Kutter Gage against East Central, which secured our berth into the playoffs. Kutter has plenty of experience not only on the football field but on the baseball field as well. He is a leader out there on a team that has won both a district championship and a Bi-District Championship.”

Though the Rattlers return wide receiver Tony Diaz, San Marcos will look to rely on a talented offensive line headed up by Ory Williams.

“Tony Diaz is a back [with] some experience,” Walsh said. “Ory Williams, Brendan Jones and Mark Ruiz up front bring experience. We are going to lean heavily on that offensive line.”

The defensive side of the ball will see a majority of new faces as the Rattlers will look to retool a senior heavy unit.

“On defense, we have a lot of guys to replace,” Walsh said. “We lost most of our experience on that side of the ball more than anywhere.”

But Walsh isn’t completely worried about the situation.

“I’ve been in high school athletics for nearly 20 years,” Walsh said. “That’s what we do–is cultivate year in and year out. We are planning for the 2023 season but you are also planning for the 2024 and 2025 seasons as well. We know who the kids are; it’s just the fans don’t know how they are yet.”

The Rattlers have made two consecutive postseason appearances along with strong JV and 9th grade team performances.

Walsh said he is excited about the future for the Rattler program.

“Making the playoffs for the last two years helps cultivate a winning program,” Walsh said. “But our sub varsity and freshman teams have been very successful over the last two years. So we are bringing up a bunch of young men who are used to winning, which makes us excited.”

The Rattlers will conclude spring practice next Thursday with the Annual Spring Game.

cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtomBMc