San Marcos is learning how to win in different ways.
After putting together an offensive clinic just a week ago, the Rattlers turned around and exhibited their ability to get stops on defense. The defense has been good in spurts this season, but in a 38-10 win over Austin High (2-5, 0-4 district) on Friday inside San Marcos Toyota Rattler Stadium, the unit played a complete game the whole way through, limiting the Maroons to one touchdown.
Head coach John Walsh used his past failures in the first half of the season as lessons for the second half.
.@RattlersSM head coach John Walsh on tonight's 38-10 homecoming win over Austin High ? @smdrsports #txhsfb (1/2) pic.twitter.com/NDYLGLPTSN
— Drew King (@drewking0222) October 16, 2021
“When we were playing Lake Travis and (Austin) Westlake, they're spread and really good and a lot better than us. But we were putting gameplans to stop the future spreads,'' Walsh said. “Westlake and Lake Travis are the best scout teams in the state. We were working our stuff for games like this against Bowie, against Austin High, against Del Valle, all those guys that were spread out. It was really two weeks to work for this, I think it showed.”
The defense did have some help from the patented John Walsh offense. Their run game opened up with a big first play which resulted in a 22-yard reception by junior running back Jaidyn Brown after the ball played hot potato in the backfield between three players. On 4th and 10, junior quarterback Isaiah DeLeon connected with junior wide receiver Ryan Hix for 29 yards after the pocket collapsed. The catch allowed junior Jake Rodriguez-Scholz to pound his way into the end zone from one yard out, giving San Marcos a 7-0 lead and the only score of the quarter.
Austin High did have one very long-winded drive that made the Rattler defense work to get off the field. The Maroons traveled from their own 43 to San Marcos’ 10 in 14 plays. The visitors were set to kick a field goal but a penalty moved the ball from 4th and 6 to 4th and 1 on the Rattlers’ 5-yard line. The visitors converted the fourth down with a run, but were shut down after three straight incomplete passes by tight defense in the red zone.
The defense didn't always play for the success of the team but after figuring out a formula to get stops when they need it, more wins are what the Rattlers are chasing.
“Coming from a linebacker, I've seen our linebackers and whole defense just really bond as a team and gotten phenomenally better,” junior King Diaz said. “We started off just kind of playing for ourselves and now we’re a tight brotherhood. Now that we got two wins, we are just trying to stack them.”
From the opening drive on, San Marcos only threw the ball nine more times in the first half, allowing the ground game to find a rhythm starting with DeLeon continuing his streak of rushing touchdowns. On 2nd and 12, DeLeon escaped the pocket, resulting in a 29-yard rushing touchdown down the middle of the Maroons defense, making it 14-0 with 6:37 left in the second quarter. While the Rattlers were running away from the Maroons on the scoreboard, the defense made its opponents feel like they were playing in quicksand by forcing them into consecutive three-and-outs.
As the Maroons were stuck, the Rattlers skated on ice, moving the ball down the field swiftly. Brown scored his sixth touchdown in two weeks from 11 yards, followed by a 34-yard field goal by Joseph Mendoza, giving San Marcos a 24-0 lead heading into the half.
More of the same literally carried into the 3rd and 4th quarter. Another three-and-out gave the Rattlers the ball on their own 40. That didn't stop DeLeon from worming his way down the right sideline for a 57-yard score — his second week in a row with a rushing touchdown. Walsh praised his quarterback's ability to get better over the last year.
“It's a tribute to his commitment to himself and to this team,” Walsh said. “Because we told him we needed to be physically strong and fast and that's what we're seeing. He just committed to track, he committed to the weight room and all that stuff translates to good football, so hopefully young kids are paying attention.”
San Marcos (3-4, 2-2) now has its first win streak since 2017. The team will look to keep it up in a short turnaround against Del Valle (1-5, 1-2) next Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
“I love it. You know, I think when you get past the first half, you don't need that much time,” Walsh said. “Before I had an indoor (practice facility), I was famous for calling in practice so we always had fresh legs. We're gonna be real smart with them. Luckily, Del Valle runs a 3-4 front, as does Austin High. So it's gonna be a different kind of spread, but they are spread. Same formation with the same alignment, we have to attack a little bit differently. They got some cats at Del Valle. I enjoy short weeks every now and then, it's a good break from the monotony.”
San Marcos Stats
QB Isaiah DeLeon
8-16, 95 passing yards, TD
11 carries, 148 rushing yards 2 TDs
QB Kutter Gage Webb
0-1, 0 passing yards
2 carries, 8 rushing yards
RB Jaidyn Brown
14 carries, 86 rushing yards, TD
3 catches, 33 receiving yards
RB Jake Rodriguez-Scholz
9 carries, 52 rushing yards, TD
2 catches, 22 receiving yards, TD
RB Joel Sandoval
5 carries, 31 rushing yards
WR Ryan Hix
1 catch, 29 receiving yards
WR Jamil Gordon
2 catches, 11 receiving yards
