Rangers come from behind to hand Champion first loss, 35-24

Smithson Valley scored two touchdowns in 14 seconds to turn a 24-13 fourth-quarter deficit into a 28-24 lead, capitalizing on numerous Champion Chargers turnovers en route to a stunning 35-24 win, to remain undefeated on the season.

The Rangers, who trailed 17-10 at halftime, scored 22 fourth-quarter points to take a firm grasp on another district title.  

Champion (7-1, 5-1 in District 13-5A DI) let the upset of the season slip away from them. Caleb Farias took a handoff on a third-and-17 from the Rangers 20 in for a 20-yard TD to give Champion a 24-13 lead with 8:53 left to play. But Smithson Valley answered quickly, Caleb Peagler scoring from 4 yards out. A two-poinnt conversion cut Champion's lead to 24-21 with 7:20 left.

The very next play from scrimmage turned the script. Two-way player Hunter Haug intercepted a Ryder Flugence screen pass and returned it for six points, giving Smithson Valley a 28-24 lead they would not relinquish. The next Champion drive ended in a lost fumble inside the Champion 30, leading to yet another Rangers touchdown, an 8-yard scamper by backup running back Gunnar Shoquist for the final 35-24 margin.

Champion fought hard to build a 17-10 halftime lead. A pick-six by Roman Flugence knotted the score at 10-10 with 10:24 left in the second quarter. After stopping Smithson Valley on downs, Champion drove 61 yards in six plays, capped by a 22-yard Ryder Flugence TD pass to William Burgess, who lost his footing and was kneeling in the end zone, with 6:32 before halftime for the 17-10 score.

The second half opened ominously for the Chargers. After forcing a Rangers punt, Champion committed the first of four second-half turnovers, a fumble by quarterback Flugence while scrambling in the pocket. The Rangers turned that miscue into three points, cutting the lead to 17-13.

Of the four turnovers, three led to 17 Smithson Valley points: a 30-yard field goal, the Haug pick-six and the Shoquist 8-yard run. Champion went fumble, interception, punt, touchdown pick-six and fumble in the second half after an error-free first half.

Champion looks  to get back on the winning track when it hosts 4-4  McCallum for Friday's Homecoming game.