October 16, 2015 – After Reagan shot out to a huge lead over Churchill in their District 26-6A contest Friday at Comalander Stadium, there was really no doubt about the game’s outcome.
Even while the Chargers whittled down the Rattlers’ advantage by scoring 27 straight points in the second half.
Third-ranked Reagan made its big lead stick in recording a 51-40 victory to improve to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in district.
Reagan scored on its first seven possessions and took a 51-13 lead early in the third quarter. That put the game out of reach and let Rattlers coach David Wetzel empty his bench.
“We got a great start, a great first half,” Wetzel said. “The early part of the second half was really good. We felt like it was a great time to play some backups. We got a lot of guys in the game. Churchill kept coming back and fighting and made it much closer than the game probably was.”
Before he traded his helmet for a visor to watch from the sidelines, Reagan’s Kellen Mond completed 14 of 18 passes for 218 yards and four touchdowns.
Ian Leslie rushed for two touchdowns and caught a TD pass. His 6-yard run with 10:17 left in the third quarter finished the scoring for the Rattlers.
Tyler Liser caught two TD passes, including a 41-yarder that put Reagan ahead 30-6 in the second quarter.
“Our execution offensively was really good tonight in many ways,” Wetzel said.
The Rattlers tallied 30 points in the second quarter, which included a 74-yard two-point return by Leyton Leone after a blocked extra point.
Everyone got involved for Reagan. Alex Santiago scored on a 51-yard run. River Reed hauled in a 12-yard TD catch, his first varsity reception.
Reagan’s defense was just as impressive. The Rattlers’ starters held the Chargers to 13 points. Junior linebacker Kyle Anderson had a big first half with two sacks, including one that caused a fumble in the final minute before the break. The Rattlers cashed in that turnover with Reed’s touchdown.
The Chargers (4-3, 1-2) cut into Reagan’s lead with their starters playing against the Rattlers’ reserves. As Churchill kept scoring, Wetzel considered putting the regulars back in.
“You start thinking about it a little bit and then you realize you don’t want to take a chance on injuries,” Wetzel said. “We thought we were far enough apart that we felt that we were OK.”
It was Reagan’s 17th consecutive regular-season victory and the ninth straight over Churchill. The Rattlers lead the all-time series 12-4.
Click here for original article by David Hinojosa, San Antonio Express News, dhinojosa@express-news.net and more photos by Ron Cortes, Freelancer for The San Antonio Express-News