The Boerne Champion Chargers took on the Alamo Heights Mules on Friday, November 6th. Champion entered the game with a 4-1 winning record and Alamo Heights with a 3-2. The schools have a long-standing rivalry and are competing for the top place in our football district.
Champion started off with the ball. Junior Alex Rodriguez put first down yardage, but the first down was short-lived when Alamo Heights scored their first touchdown, intercepting the ball and taking it all the way for an AHHS touchdown.
Alex “AROD” Rodriguez made two carries and another first down. Less than a minute later, junior Karson Kaiser’s pass to junior Aidan Pickett was complete. Pickett scored the Chargers first touchdown and junior Will Wallace’s kick for an extra point was good. The game was tied 7-7 with 8:40 left in the first quarter. Alamo Heights succeeded in a field goal and the first quarter ended with a score of 10-7 Alamo Heights.
The second quarter started with a Charger play by the end zone to break up an Alamo Heights touchdown, holding them and stopping the fourth down with around 11:30 left on the clock. All advances by either team were stopped before they could be completed. Seeming like the 1st half was going to end with the Mules leading, the energy from the stands began to die down. But with 0:39 left in the second Quarter, junior Ryan Brandon scored a touchdown and Wallace took yet another extra point for the Chargers, ending the first half at 14-10 Champion.
The third quarter was slow but defense was staying solid. Senior tight end Reed Cantrell caught the ball but was pulled back by an Alamo Heights player. Nearing the end of the third quarter, Cantrell said, “These guys, they’re good, they’re good, but we’re a lot better. We just gotta keep going.”
With around 4:50 left of the third, Alamo Heights caught a pass from the endzone, running it 70 yards to the endzone, giving AHHS another touchdown. The Mules didn’t get their extra point, making the score 16-14 Alamo Heights. Wallace then scored a field goal, putting Champion in the lead by one point.
“Our expectations were for our defense to come out here, play the game they know how to do and that our offense could come out here, put a few points on the board, for us to win the game,” junior Jacob Gresham said after the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Chargers were leading 20-16. AHHS threw a pass but it was fumbled and recovered by junior Kohl Kennedy. Then, CHS threw another pick six- a throw from Champion QB that was intercepted by Alamo Heights player who ran it to the endzone for a touchdown- putting Heights in the lead with 22-20 and then 23-20 with the extra point. With 0:40 left in the last quarter, Alamo Heights intercepted another pass putting Champion on defense, leaving little chance to score.
After their back-to-back victories against the Medina Valley Panthers and the Tivy Antlers, the Chargers left the stadium with a slim loss. The Champion Chargers hope to restore their winning streak when they take on the Floresville Jaguars at Eschenburg Field in Floresville next Friday, November 20.
“We can handle our bye week a few different ways, in the sense of we can dwell on our past or we can improve on our past and make corrections and we’re choosing the latter.” said Head Coach Keith Kaiser.