San Marcos hoping to bounce back in week two at San Antonio Holmes

San Marcos (0-1) and San Antonio Holmes (1-0) are looking to turn their programs around for good but they are in each other’s way this weekend.

Combined, the two opponents went 3-15 last season and come into the season with hopes to improve. For the Huskies, they are coming off of a 42-10 win over San Antonio Lee last Saturday in which they held the Volunteers without a touchdown for three-quarters of the game. The win ended a four-game losing streak dating back to Oct. 30. 

On the other end of the spectrum is a highly-motivated Rattler team still on the hunt for its first win of the season. This comes just days after head coach John Walsh ensured his team will make the playoffs this season. San Marcos’ ground game may be the answer. In the second half against New Braunfels, the team may have triggered something special as the offense scored on almost every possession in the second half. The Rattlers picked up 301 yards on the ground with every touchdown coming by way of the run. Senior tight end Elijah Pearson embraces his role upfront and when they do their job consistently, good things happen for the Rattler backfield.

“I take a lot of pride in (blocking). I think it's really important, it's one of my best skill sets, just to block, and I'm a smart player and I can look at defense and I know where they're going,” Pearson said. “I just told Kanui (Guidry) to follow me on that big run and he was following me then, boom, he was gone.”

Guidry went on to score a 64-yard touchdown on that play and only one game in, Guidry credits his offensive line with huge praise. It will be more of a challenge considering Holmes only relinquished 10 points to its first-week opponent.

“Building with them the last year or so, they really are the best line I’ve ever run behind. They make holes whenever you need them to make holes, they come in clutch when we get to the one-yard line,” Guidry said. “Our tight ends, all the way down the line, everybody blocks. So I’m very grateful to run behind them.”

“We know they (Holmes) runs a 3-3 stack so if we crash down a little bit on the linebackers then we can really break their containment.”

San Marcos travels to San Antonio this Saturday with a sharpened focus throughout the week. The Rattlers meet up with Holmes at 7 p.m. inside Gustafson Stadium. Pearson explained what it's going to take for his team to get their first win on the board this season.

“We just got to be locked in at practice, at film and everything, man,” Pearson said. “We just can't be playing around, we gotta take this seriously.”