February 22nd, 2008
Van Nest pleased with ruling for Rattlers

from Staff Reports

SAN MARCOS, TX – When you see someone smiling from ear to ear on the San Marcos High School campus today it has to be Athletic Director Steve Van Nest. He met with UIL officials this week and got exactly what he wanted for the Rattlers.

San Marcos will continue to compete in football against District 27-4A teams like San Antonio Alamo Heights, New Braunfels Canyon and Boerne. In all other interscholastic athletic and academic competitions, San Marcos will compete in District 17-4A along with Lockhart and Hays CISD’s Hays and Lehman high schools.

Van Nest said,”It’s great, it was exactly what we are looking for; we were there with Dripping Springs and Hereford. These schools were there for the same reasons as us.”

The biggest concern was the loss of class time for the student athletes and coaches due to increased travel. As most coaches are primarily teachers first, the travel hurts not just those involved in athletics but other students as well.

“Eighty percent of these students that play sports are not football, the district move would add expense and loss of parent involvement,” added Van Nest, “The move made no sense at all with a 4A classification next door to the Rattlers.”

Van Nest and fans of Rattler football definitely consider this a win for the SMHS and their student athletes.

District 27-4A

(Football only)

Boerne
Cibolo Steele
Kerrville Tivy
New Braunfels Canyon
S. A. Alamo Heights
San Marcos (football only)
Schertz Clemens
Seguin

District 17-4A

All other UIL events

Buda Hays
Del Valle
Elgin
Kyle Lehman
Lockhart
San Marcos (all except football)
Manor