WIN AND IN: San Marcos takes on East Central with playoff berth on the line

In a season that was surrounded by off the field drama, San Marcos will have one final shot at making the playoffs as the Rattlers travel down the road to San Antonio to battle the East Central Hornets.

The task for the Rattlers is simple. Win and you’re in. Lose and you’re out.

“If you can’t get your team excited about playing for an opportunity to be in the playoffs, I don’t know what to tell,” Interim Head Coach Kurtis Kloiber said. “Our boys will be ready and they had a good week of practice. They were really focused on what the game plan is against East Central.”

The Hornets enters the game with a 3-6 overall record with wins over San Antonio Roosevelt and Del Rio while being awarded a forfeit victory over Converse Judson as the Rockets used an ineligible player.

The Hornets playoff chances took a considerable hit last week as they fell to the Schertz Clemens Buffaloes, 48-35.

With the loss, not only does East Central need a win over San Marcos but also a loss by the Buffaloes to Cibolo Steele to keep Schertz Clemens out of the playoffs.

East Central is led by its junior quarterback Austin Vivier who leads the team in passing with 501 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing with 614 yards and 10 touchdowns on 88 carries.

“Coach Hubbard does a really good job over there at East Central,” Kloiber said. “He has a lot of kids that are similar to us including records … They do a great job of running to the football so we have to out match them physically.

“Offensively they run a pro style offense but they can get into some wild formations,” Kloiber said. “So our kids will be ready for those types of situations.”

The weather will also play a significant factor in the game with a line of rain storms set to cover the area Friday night.

However, due to the fact both teams rely on the rushing attack, the rain’s factor in the game could see minimal effects.

“I don’t think the weather is going to affect either team especially with the offenses we run,” Kloiber said. “Both teams want to run the football.”

As the Rattlers approach the final game of the regular season, the year is quickly coming to a close that was filled with off the field drama that affected none of the players in involved.

With talks of a postseason ban, including one that is set to take effect next year, along with Head Coach John Walsh being suspended for five games, making the playoffs will be a huge accomplishment for the team, especially for the senior class who is looking to make back to back playoff appearances for the first time since the 2016-2017 seasons.

“It will be awesome,” Kloiber said. “Our boys have worked really hard this year amid the off field drama especially with our senior class which is huge … We put in a plan in place here and our boys have been following it since we’ve been here.”

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday at East Central Stadium.

With the ongoing weather conditions, keep up to date with either the San Marcos Daily Record or San Marcos High School on the latest news.

San Marcos at East Central

• When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
• Where: East Central Stadium, 7173 FM 1628, San Antonio
• Radio: 89.9 FM, KTSW