The Gazette-Enterprise

SAN MARCOS — Whenever Seguin (2-7, 0-6) and San Marcos (2-6, 1-5) get together on the gridiron, you can throw out the teams’ records.

(Seriously, throw them out — and do it quickly.)

Despite was has happened throughout the first 10 weeks of the season, when the Rattlers and Matadors take the field tonight at Bobcat Stadium it won’t look at all like two teams that are a combined 1-11 in district play or 4-13 on the year.

What will be on display are a couple of squads fighting tooth and nail to earn bragging rights as the best football team along the 23-mile stretch of highway that connects the two towns.

“We want to be the champions of (Highway) 123,” said Seguin head coach Jim Carson. “That’s our whole focus.”

To do so, the Matadors must stop the Rattlers’ multiple offensive formations, including the run-heavy Slot-T. San Marcos has five players on its roster with more than 45 carries on the season, led by Andre Ray, who has 123 attempts for 771 yards and five touchdowns.

Behind Ray are Tyler Walker (74 carries, 445 yards, four touchdowns) and Mike Wilburn (49 carries, 396 yards, one score), who average six and eight yards per carry, respectively.

The Rattlers also run some spread, with quarterback Ryan Schweers going 61-123 for 749 yards and seven touchdowns so far this season.

And don’t be fooled by San Marcos’ won-loss record. The Rattlers have played some great football this season, posting a 44-32 win over Kerrville Tivy and a one-point loss to Alamo Heights (23-22) n consecutive weeks.

Head coach Steve Van Nest’s team averages just under 267 rushing yards per game, but has also given up some yards defensively, allowing Boerne Champion to roll up 457 of them in the Chargers’ 49-24 win a week ago.

Carson said that when his team lines up against the Rattlers’ stack defense or 4-3 package, the offense will have to make the correct decisions while reading San Marcos’ front.

“We’re going to take what they give us,” Carson said. “If they’ve got seven guys in the box, we’re going to throw the ball, if they’ve got six, it’ll be 50-50 and if they’ve got five, we’ve got to run every play — that’s the way our offense os designed.”

Junior Brig Gerlich will start for Seguin, trying to fight off the nagging injuries that he’s had to deal with ever since the Matadors’ Sept. 11 game against East Central.

Carson said that his team must give its signal caller time to throw if Seguin’s passing offense is expected to be efficient.

“We’ve got to protect (Brig),” Carson said. “We can’t have him running for his life.”

The Matadors will be trying to send their seniors out as winners tonight at Bobcat Stadium, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.

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