Reagan claims share of third straight district title

October 26, 2015

October 26, 2015 – The signs of the construction in progress inside Reagan’s athletic field house are scattered all over coach David Wetzel’s office.  Framed pictures and newspaper clippings, along with his Baylor degree, lean on the floor against the wall. Weztel also has two tables with various items scattered across them. Even though a framed team photo sits on a table to Wetzel’s left and needs to be hung, it still serves as a constant reminder of Reagan’s perfect regular season in 2013, when the program’s dominating stretch in district play began.

Reagan (9-0 overall, 5-0 District 26-6A) clinched at least a share of its third straight district title with a 56-35 win over MacArthur last weekend. The Rattlers lead Johnson, which the Rattlers beat earlier this year, by 1½ games for the district title. “It’s a big accomplishment to us,” Wetzel said of the rare feat. “We don’t take it for granted.”

One of the reasons Wetzel doesn’t take it lightly is because the team had a chance to record three straight titles in 2010. The Rattlers were coming off back-to-back crowns and Trevor Knight, now a reserve quarterback at Oklahoma, was a junior at the time.  Wetzel said injuries and discipline issues derailed a team that started the year 5-1 but lost the final four games of the season.

This season, Reagan returned few players who knew what it took to achieve a district title three-peat. On one of the tables in Wetzel’s desk, the coach typed a list of nine contributors from the 2013 team that are now seniors, including defensive lineman, Brooks Roy, and offensive tackle, Joe Latronico.

Roy said their varsity playing time gained as sophomores has paid dividends through the years. “It’s actually been a good thing for us because we’ve had more experience, and it’s helped us become more of a better team,” Roy said.

Last year, Reagan went undefeated in district play and reached the Class 6A Division I state quarterfinals.

Latronico wants to go two rounds deeper and play for a state championship this season. But he knows winning a district title is a necessity before a team starts to think about December. “It’s one of our main goals,” Latronico said. “That’s one of the first things you need to accomplish before playoffs.”

Click here for original article by Ben Baby (bbaby@express-news.net. Twitter: @Ben_Baby) & photos by Marvin Pfeiffer, San Antonio Express News.