The Champion Chargers knew who awaited them when they got off the bus in Spring Branch Friday night — The Smithson Valley Rangers, last year’s 5A D1 champion finalists.
This was the third game in the series, following 2022’s 49-0 and 2023’s 49-14 wins by Smithson Valley.
The Rangers proved their dominance once again and for the third year in a row, beat Champion, this time 42-10 behind quarterback Cade Spradling’s four touchdowns.
The Rangers spotted Champion an early score, a 27-yard Nathan Bell field goal for an early 3-0 Champion lead. But Smithson Valley scored on three of its next four possessions to take a 21-3 lead into halftime of the District 13 5A-1 district opener for both teams.
Champion (3-1, 0-1) forced two early turnovers, including a Garland Whitehead interception and a fumble recovery, but could not capitalize.
Smithson Valley’s Kyle Bierman blocked a Champion punt early in the second quarter. The Rangers then drove 48 yards in four plays with Spradling running in from 11 yards out, for a 14-3 lead.
After the two teams traded turnovers, the Ranger defense began to assert itself. Champion could manage just two first downs on its last three drives while the Rangers scored on another four-play drive. Quarterback Spradling hit a wide open Brody Day in the end zone for a 21-3 lead with 3:45 left in the second quarter.
Champion looked to regroup and make some adjustments along its defensive front at halftime, but Smithson Valley came out stronger in the second half, than the first. They took the kickoff and marched 83 yards in seven plays, with Spradling scoring from 1 yard out for the 28-3 lead.
After a Charger three-andout, Spradling capped their next drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass. With 1:30 left in the third, the Rangers had amassed an insurmountable 35-3 lead.
Never giving up, the Chargers responded with their best drive of the night. Quarterback Julian Navarrete hit Brady Lampkin, who slipped a defender and raced 50 yards to the 13-yard line. Whitehead came in and ran out of the shotgun, dicing up the middle for the 13-yard TD to cut into the lead, at 35-10.
That didn’t last long, however. Smithson Valley’s Day took the ensuing kickoff 98 yards to the house and with 11:01 left to play, Smithson Valley led 42-10.
After a Champion threeand- out, mass substitutions hit the field for both teams and the district opener was in the books, a 42-10 dominant performance by the home team.
The Chargers look to rebound this Friday when they host the Seguin Matadors in another district matchup, a 7 p.m. kickoff at Boerne Stadium.
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