By Josephfer Williams
Sports Reporter

With both teams coming into their matchup 0-2 in the district, it was the Byron Steele Knights who came away with a 56-3 victory over the San Marcos Rattlers on Friday night.

The Rattlers were able to take an early lead in the first quarter by kicking a field goal, but after that, it became clear why the Knights are one of the top teams in the state of Texas every year.

Steele’s defense was able to force six turnovers during the game that contributed to their dominant performance. After the Rattlers faced two teams–Judson and East Central–with excellent running backs, they had to face the slew of great Knights running backs.

Freshman running back Jaydon Bailey led the way for the Knights’ running-game as he rushed for three touchdowns. Bailey also received help from his teammates. Troy Gaddis rushed for two touchdowns, and De’Quavion Thomas added two touchdowns of his own. Steele was able to score just by rushing the ball with their run-heavy offense.

On the other side of the field, the Rattlers had a tough night against the Knights’ defense. San Marcos couldn’t get much action on the offensive side of the ball. The Rattlers offense became stagnant after running back Benito Canales went down with an injury in the second quarter.

Still, throughout the game, there were bright spots for the San Marcos defense. They were able to force an early interception on Steele’s first possession, and they were able to get hats to the ball the entire game.

Head coach Mark Soto wasn’t too pleased with his team’s performance on Friday. Coach Soto spoke about the struggles his team faced and what kind of improvements his team needs to make.

“I think it is hard to play when you turn the ball over six times,” Soto said. “We got to make all-around improvements and keep working.”

San Marcos will face Schertz Clemens at Toyota Rattler Stadium on Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. You can catch the pregame action on KTSW 89.9 starting at 7:15 p.m.

Featured image by Josephfer Williams.