SAN ANTONIO — Boerne Champion’s quick-strike offensive ability was on full display Friday night when the Chargers visited Pieper to close out district action.
The Chargers scored on their first six possessions of the game and went on to defeat the Warriors, 51-44.
Champion moved up to third place in the district standings on the final night of the regular season. Not bad for a team that was still hunting for a playoff spot a few weeks ago. The Chargers won their last four games and five of their last six.
Champion finishes the year at 7-3 and 5-2 in district. It looks like they’ll play Southwest to open the playoffs Thursday at Dragons Stadium, 7 p.m.
Chargers coach Blane Ellis said his team played its best game of the year Friday and likes how they’re executing as they prepare for the postseason.
“This is huge momentum for our guys heading into the playoffs,” he said. “We’ve been playing with that playoff mentality every week.”
Champion scored on its first play from scrimmage on a 57-yard bomb from Julian Navarette to Brogan Dempsey.
After Pieper tied it up on its next drive, Caleb Farias returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a score and the 14-7 lead, and the Chargers never looked back.
Still in the first quarter, Navarette hit Will Burgess on a 45-yard pass to set up the Chargers deep in Warriors’ territory. Seven plays later, Navarette played toss and catch with Burgess again, this time on a 10-yard throw, and it was 21-7.
Roman Flugence came up with two interceptions in the first half, the first one setting up another Chargers score in the second quarter.
Farias punched it in five plays later, and the Chargers had the Warriors on their heels with a 28-7 lead.
After Pieper cut the lead in half with a TD reception from Carson LaCombe to cap a 13-play drive that made it 28-14, Champion went deep again. This time Dempsey burned the Pieper defense with a 73-yard catch and run from Navarette and it was 35-21 late in the second.
Both teams scored once more before halftime. The Warriors had a kickoff return of 71 yards and took advantage of the short field with a 1-yard Brady Hopper plunge into the end zone and it was 35-28.
But the Chargers answered when Zach Lopez zipped past the Pieper defense for a 64-yard touchdown reception to cap a 2-play, 75-yard drive and the Chargers took a 41-21 lead into halftime.
Ellis said Pieper made some adjustments at halftime that slowed the Chargers down, but they still managed to hold on for the win. Champion was limited to a 30-yard field goal in the third quarter by Carter Thompson, while the Warriors tallied 15 points behind two touchdowns and a 2-point try, and the Chargers’ lead was down to 44-36 heading into the final stanza.
Owen Thornton hauled in a Navarette TD pass early in the fourth quarter and the Chargers had a little breathing room at 51-36, but the Warriors weren’t going down without a fight.
Pieper tallied a late touchdown and converted its two-point try, and the Champion lead was down to 51-44 with 1:47 left, but the Warriors were out of timeouts. They tried an onside kick, but it was recovered by the Chargers to seal the win.
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