Weiss Wolfpack takes down Rattlers

Jerry Castro  

KTSW Reporter 

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas- The San Marcos Rattlers fall short 25-15 against one of the top 60 teams in Texas, the Weiss Wolfpack. 

The Rattlers and Wolfpack were ready to go head-to-head at the Pfield at 7:30 p.m., but then they unexpectedly started the game 30 minutes early, so the kickoff was sooner rather than later.  

The Rattlers felt a range of emotions as they were fighting back and forth against the Wolfpack. It was a game of momentum and disappointment  

Right off the bat, Weiss returned the ball 60 yards and started off in Rattler territory to start off the game. Weiss has one of the best offenses in the state, but they had an unorthodox way of scoring their first touchdown of the game. Quarterback Jaxon Schad threw a checkdown pass to a receiver that got immediately tackled. But as you thought the play was done, the receiver pitches it back to one of his teammates, who ran it in for the first score of the game. 

The Pfield erupted with the Weiss crowd bringing the heat. With this momentum, the Wolfpack scored on back-to-back drives that led to a 13-0 lead to end the quarter. The San Marcos bench looked disgruntled and annoyed about this early deficit, but head coach John Walsh spoke about avoiding this kind of attitude. “We just have to make sure we stay together and don’t finger-point…it’s to early and we have a long way to get better”. 

The Rattlers kept their heads up, and they showed out on defense, which ultimately showed John Walsh’s leadership and the commitment of this team to win games. 

With under two minutes to go in the second quarter, San Marcos forced themselves down the field with big running plays and good passes. San Marcos was on the 30-yard line with under a minute to go when quarterback Buck Steyn threw a 30-yard dime into the endzone, which cut the score to a one possession game. The score was 16-6 heading into the half. 

Both teams had ups and downs but they both seemed confident going into the half. Weiss was getting what they wanted while San Marcos rallied up a drive to end the half, so it was anyone’s game. 

To start the third quarter, San Marcos brought the heat defensively.  The Rattlers got an interception, which gave them some life. But the Wolves didn’t let that slide as they blocked a punt attempt by the Rattlers that set them up in Rattler territory. The Wolves got all the way to the San Marcos twenty, but then a huge sideline miscommunication led to Jaxon Schad fumbling the ball. The Wolves ended up landing on the ball, and this entire quarter was just a defensive battle as the score stood still at 16-8.  

The Rattlers were looking at an uphill battle heading into the fourth. Weiss showed why they are a dynamic offense by scoring on the first drive and extending the lead to 22-8. This made the Rattlers play hurry up, and this led them to score a quick touchdown. The score was 22-15 with four minutes to go in the game. San Marcos got the ball on the 50 with 2 minutes to go, but Buck Steyn threw an interception that would ultimately end the game.  

The final score was 22-15, but the Rattlers look to get revenge this week as they go against the Wagner Thunderbirds this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in San Antonio.