SAN ANTONIO — The Boerne Champion boys are still the team to beat when it comes to water polo in the region.
Champion has won all five regional titles since the sport was introduced by the UIL in 2022. The Chargers claimed the 2026 regional championship after they dominated the tourney with two wins by a combined score of 47-11 last weekend.
The Chargers beat Brennan in the semifinals on Friday, 26-7, and then hammered Harlan on Saturday in the finals, 21-4.
Champion (25-3) plays at the state tournament on Friday against League City Clear Creek (32-3-1). Friday’s winner plays the winner of the Austin Westlake (29-1) and Lewisville Hebron (22-8) for the championship on Saturday at noon at Davis Natatorium.
Chargers coach Scott Slay says every one of his state teams has been different but added that this one plays great defense.
“Defensively, this is the best crew we’ve had as far as defensive concepts; they’re very solid in that aspect,” he said. “We’re going to take our defense to the semifinal game at state and see how it plays out.”
Against Brennan, the Chargers were winning 10-0 in the first quarter and outscored the Bears in the second 8-4 for the 18-4 halftime lead before outscoring their opponents in the second half, 8-3.
Julius Hoxhaj finished with 10 goals, Grant Perkins added 7 assists and EJ Altermatt recorded 3 goals and 5 assists, while Landon Muenchow came up with 3 steals.
Jackson Hankins, Knox Armstrong and Rodrigo Almaguer took turns in goal.
In the regional finals, Champion was up 5-1 in the first quarter and took a 9-3 lead into halftime after winning the second, 4-2. The Chargers won the third, 5-1, and closed it out with 7 goals in the fourth while not allowing a goal in the final period.
Hoxhaj led the team again with 7 goals, Altermatt had 5 goals, Perkins came up with 5 assists, while Muenchow and Altermatt had 4 steals each.
Hankins and Armstrong were in goal for the Chargers and Hankins came up with 17 saves.
Champion girls
The Lady Chargers dropped a tough one in the fourth round or regional semis last Friday to Harlan at the SWISD Aquatics Center.
Champion fell to the Hawks by a goal, 13-12, to end their season at 18-12 overall. The very next day, Harlan lost to Clark, also by a goal, 14-13, in the regional championship.
Slay said either Champion, Clark or Harlan was going to win the region and it ended up being Clark, which beat Brennan in the regional semis before edging Harlan in the finals.
“It was kind of a three-team race (with Harlan and Clark) and we just ran out of steam at the end,” he said. “We gave it our best and the girls got better as the year went on. They were really playing well last week and came into this game playing well.”
Against Harlan, Breanna Hempton led the team with 6 goals, while Olivia Dunn added 4 goals and Bennett Rice came up with 3 steals and 2 assists.
Ava Mueller was in goal for the Lady Chargers, which had won the last two regional titles.
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