Pieper defeats Champion to end the regular season

Pieper was chasing perfection Thursday night when they played Champion at Boerne ISD Stadium to wrap up the regular season.

The Warriors defeated the Chargers, 69-27, to match the 2012 Brennan Bears as the only thirdyear varsity program in the greater San Antonio area to ever end the regular season at 10-0.

Pieper starts the playoffs Friday, while Champion concludes its 2024 year at 5-5. The Chargers ended district play at 2-5.

Champion coach Blane Ellis said he knew his team would have its hands full against the Warriors but added that he never has to question their effort.

“I’ll always remember the 2024 Chargers as being relentless,” he said. “They worked extremely hard all year, no matter the situation, they played as hard as they could and you couldn’t ask for more than that as a coach.”

Thursday’s game was competitive for most of the first half, and the Chargers even scored first in the game for the 3-0 lead on a Nathan Bell field goal, but four turnovers before halftime really hurt Champion’s chances and turned the tide in Pieper’s favor.

In the middle of the second, the Chargers cut into the Warriors lead on a Parker Davis touchdown run and it was 35-17 after the Bell PAT.

On Pieper’s next drive, Champion defensive back Cash Hill intercepted a Cayden Keeth pass to set up the Chargers offense at the Warriors 43.

Champion was moving the ball and a score there makes it 35-24, but Jackson Hopper flipped the game on its head with an interception that he returned 95 yards for a score and a 42-17 Warriors’ lead with 3:39 left until the break.

Instead of an 11-point game, it turned into a 25-point deficit, which proved to be a hill too steep to climb for the Chargers.

In that first half, Pieper came up with three interceptions and a fumble recovery on a kickoff and all four turnovers led to Warriors’ touchdowns.

“That string of turnovers early really put us behind,” Ellis said. “You can’t afford to have mistakes like that against a good team.”

Pieper took a 49-17 lead into halftime and then tacked on two more touchdowns in the third quarter to open up a 63-17 advantage.

Champion didn’t go down without a fight and outscored the Warriors in the fourth quarter, 10-6.

Bell knocked in a 48-yard field goal for his second FG of the game, while Declan Champie hauled in a short toss from Julian Navarrete on a jump pass on 4th and 1 inside the Warriors’ 5-yard line.

Navarrete also had a 5-yard rushing touchdown in the first half to round out the Chargers scoring.

Champion graduates 40 seniors and Ellis said he appreciated their commitment to the program over the years.

“I’m very proud of our seniors and all they invest into our program, from early morning workouts to summer workouts, to all the practices,” he said. “It’s a joy to be here in this community and coach kids like we have, especially our seniors. I’m very proud of them and proud of their work ethic.”