A one-time staple of the Hays County athletic scene is coming back for a two-year engagement. The football teams from San Marcos and Hays High Schools will play each other this fall and during the fall of 2011, according to the coaches for both programs.

The new University Interscholastic League (UIL) alignment for 2010-2012 returns San Marcos to Class 5A, while Hays, Lehman and Wimberley are brought closer to home.

A second half collapse at Smithson Valley led to the San Marcos Rattlers losing their second straight boys basketball game Tuesday night, 80-67.

Unable to keep up with Cibolo Steele’s speed and quickness, the San Marcos High School boys basketball lost for the first time this season, 67-43 at the Snake Pit Friday night.

The San Marcos Rattlers won their final game of the season Friday night, scoring 34 points in the fourth quarter to beat Seguin, 51-31. Also, Wimberley clinched the District 8-3A title with a 35-28 win at Fredericksburg.

Eliminated from high school football playoff contention, the San Marcos Rattlers encounter the final two weeks of the season as two more chances to win.

Another close game went against the San Marcos Rattlers Friday night, dropping them from the high school football playoff race. The Rattlers fell, 28-21, to Schertz Clemens at Bobcat Stadium.

In a sense, the playoffs begin Friday night for the San Marcos Rattlers, who face Schertz Clemens at Bobcat Stadium. As long as the Rattlers keep winning, they’ll keep playing.

San Marcos came within one two-point conversion of pulling off an improbable win Friday night at Alamo Heights. Also, Hays improved to 2-0 in District 17-4A, while Dripping Springs and San Marcos Baptist Academy ran their losing streaks to six and three games, respectively.

Only time will tell if the San Marcos Rattlers’ convincing win against Kerrville Tivy last Friday was a breakthrough or a flash in the pan. Could that time be Friday night, when the Rattlers go to Alamo Heights?