San Marcos wasn’t able to build momentum in its 35-7 home loss to the I-35 rival Buda Hays on Friday night.
The Rattlers’ struggle to take care of the ball continued into this week. On 3rd and 4 late in the first quarter, junior running back Kanui Guidry ran it up the middle and was hit hard, causing the ball to come loose in the middle of the field and get recovered by the visitors on San Marcos’ 43-yard line — the sixth fumble in the last two games for the purple and white.
Head coach John Walsh talked about what those types of plays do to the team when they are driving down the field.
“As I'm talking about finding momentum-getters, those are momentum killers and we've been doing that even with the false starts,” Walsh said. “False starts are momentum killers. So we just gotta keep focusing and I think teaching them what it does to your ballgame. I think the biggest unspoken science of sports is momentum, and we're just not able to grab it right now.”
Hays (3-2, 2-1 district) recorded five-straight plays on the ground on the ensuing drive. On the fifth, senior running back Michael Boudoin II scored on a 4-yard rushing touchdown. The visitors missed the kick, leaving the score at 6-0 late in the first quarter.
Following the Hays touchdown, San Marcos (1-4, 0-3) took to the ground with sophomore quarterback Isaiah DeLeon and junior running back Kanui Guidry. The two combined for 15 consecutive carries, leading the team 74 yards down the field.
The offense earned a 1st and goal on the opponent’s 4 but a false start penalty moved the hosts back five yards. Guidry rumbled his way to the Hays 2, but the defense was determined to get a stop. Hays held the Rattlers’ rushing attack out of the end zone the next three plays, forcing a turnover on downs deep in its own territory.
“One inch on the goal line and not getting in. That's how close we are to building momentum. We gotta punch those in and build early momentum. And that's what we're not doing,” Walsh said. “We came out and scored in the second half. That's the momentum I'm talking about. It felt good.”
The offensive stint by San Marcos took 8:51 off the clock, leaving the Rebels with limited time to make something happen on offense in the second quarter. Both teams failed to put any points on the board in the remainder of the first half.
Hays senior quarterback Durand Hill showed off his ability to make plays on the ground and through the air in the second half. He broke a few tackles and took the ball 34 yards to the end zone early in the third quarter. Hays entered the red zone and brought up 4th and 12 on its next drive. With the wind pushing against the visitors, they called a timeout to talk over the big decision. Out of the break, Hill lofted a pass just over a Rattler defender's head to senior wide receiver Michael Boudoin III 19 yards for the score.
San Marcos got the chance to redeem itself in the second half. The hosts found themselves on the goal line again early in the fourth quarter. This time DeLeon handed it off to sophomore running back Jake-Rodriguez Scholz, who bullied his way down the middle for a 1-yard score. The touchdown marked the first for San Marcos in district play, cutting the lead down to 21-7.
Walsh felt like the game was still in reach.
“I never felt like it was slipping from us until the fourth quarter,” Walsh said. “You know for three quarters I feel like — we just gotta get some momentum somehow. So (we’re) just teaching them how to grab that momentum and make it work for us.”
Hill found Boudoin III again, this time on 1st and goal only 8 yards out to make it 38-7. The visitors scored once more to take the 35-7 win over its rival and avoid back-to-back losses for the first time this season.
San Marcos starts its three-game road stretch next Friday when it visits Austin High at 7:30 p.m. inside House Park Stadium.
San Marcos Stats
Passing
QB Isaiah DeLeon
2-10, 22 yards
Rushing
RB Kanui Guidry
23 carries, 96 yards
QB Isaiah DeLeon
21 carries, 36 yards (would be 69 yards without three sacks)
RB Jake Rodriguez-Scholz
6 carries, 34 yards, 1-yard TD
RB Moses Alva
4 carries, 29 yards
WR Kannon Webb
2 carries, 7 yards
Receiving
WR Kannon Webb
2 catches, 22 yards
