SAN ANTONIO – Life can come at you fast. In Week 1 of the high school football season, Reagan handed Brennan a season-opening loss 31-9 at Farris Stadium.
It was a non-district match-up that both teams with playoff aspirations scheduled with the intention of being challenged early in the season.
“That’s why we like to play each other,” said Brennan football head coach Stephen Basore. “You want to play a quality opponent to get ready for now and you’re not expecting the same guy — but here we are. I’m sure (Lyndon Hamilton) feels the same way as I do.”
Fast forward to the opening round of the high school football playoffs, 9-1 Brennan will once again host 7-3 Reagan. However, this time it will be for the Class 6A Division I Bidistrict crown.
“One of the hardest things to do is beat the same team twice in a season,” said Reagan senior safety Grant Schnieders. “But, we’re ready to play our best game of the football season and so are they. It’ll be a dog fight.”
Since defeating the Bears, the Rattlers have gone 6-3 overall and 6-1 in District 27-6A competition.
Reagan enters the postseason on a six-game winning streak, most recently defeating Brandeis 42-13 to end the regular season.
“We finished the regular season the way we wanted to,” said Reagan head football coach Lyndon Hamilton. “It carries us into the first round of the playoffs. The kids are on a high right now and buzzing a little bit and just excited about the opportunity to continue to play and extend our season.”
Meanwhile, Brennan hasn’t lost a game since that Week 1 defeat. The Bears captured the District 28-6A Championship by going 8-0 in district play.
“We’re a completely different team now,” said Brennan senior linebacker Jkhari Jones. “At the beginning of the season, we were still trying to get used to our new coordinator, get used to our new calls, but after a full season, we’re ready for Reagan now.”
“They’re not the same team at all,” added Reagan junior tight end/full back Ethan Hamlin. “They’ve gotten loads better. Their defense will bring everything that we want — their defensive ends are tough. They’ve got some all-star players.”
The Bears feel like they’re entering the postseason as a complete team and they aren’t giving any weight to what went down in Week 1.
Last season, Brennan advanced to the Class 6A Division I Regional Semifinals, where they fell 34-7 to Austin Lake Travis.
“We’re just doing our thing. The offense is doing their thing,” said Brennan senior defensive end Solza McCullough. “It gives us the right mindset to come out this week and get ready to play Reagan again.”
“It’s special,” said Brennan senior running back Malik White. “We all come out and have bonded so much and practice is so hard out here when it comes to times like this.”
Kick-off between the Rattlers and Bears is at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Farris Stadium. It’s KSAT 12′s Big Game Coverage Game of the Week. Tune into the Nightbeat for a full recap of the action, including highlights and postgame reaction.
Read more reporting and watch highlights and full games on the Big Game Coverage page.
