The final regular season all comes down to this game as the San Marcos Rattlers host the San Antonio East Central Hornets in a contest with massive playoff implications.
The Rattlers enter the finale with an 0-9 record, following their loss to rival New Braunfels. They are looking to avoid their first winless season since 2010.
East Central comes into the game with a 3-6 record following the Hornets upset win over Clemens 2818. This team has its eye on getting their first playoff berth since 2021.
In last’s year meeting, the Rattlers and the Hornets met, with the winner advancing to the playoffs.
In a play that will go down in Rattler football lore, San Marcos completed a double-reverse pass to stun East Central, 20-16, in the game of the year for the Rattlers.
Though San Marcos will not be in contention for the playoffs, the Rattlers game with the Hornets holds serious playoff implications, for not only the teams involved, but also within the district–with the potential to shift the playoff landscape within Region IV.
With a win over San Marcos and a Clemens loss to Steele, not only will the Hornets advance to the playoffs but the team will also be sent to the Division I Bracket along with New Braunfels, while Judson and Steele will be sent down to the Division II Bracket.
A San Marcos win would not only eliminate East Central from the playoffs, but will send New Braunfels and Steele to the Division I bracket, while Judson and Clemens will be sent to the Division II Bracket.
The Hornets are led by quarterback Isaiah Mackey who has passed for 1,517 yards, with 21 touchdowns and six interceptions.
His main target through the air is Austin Vivier, who has caught 36 passes for 836 yards and nine touchdowns. Vivier has also carried the ball 15 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns.
Another main target for Mackey is receiver Deirionn Smith-Cline with 17 catches for 283 yards and five touchdowns.
On the ground, Mackey leads the charge for the Hornets with 77 carries for 224 yards and one touchdown.
Zechariah Jones and Cyelan Whitley both are second in carries with 50 each, with Jones rushing for 206 yards and Whitley rushing for 161 yards.
East Central leads the all-time series against San Marcos at 10-8, with the Rattlers winning the last two games of the series.
The series traces back to 1986 when San Marcos was moved from an Austin- based district to a San Antonio-based district.
The Rattlers were district opponents from 19861993 and the teams would not meet up again until 2004.
Since 2014, the Hornets have been a mainstay on the Rattlers schedule, with the lone exception being the 2020 season which was canceled due to the scheduling rules during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Toyota Rattler Stadium.
cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc
