San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Alamo Heights 21, Boerne Champion 17
Quick take: Alamo Heights took one step toward repeating as District 15-5A Division II champions by beating Boerne Champion 21-17 Friday at Orem Stadium.
Alamo Heights (8-0, 3-0 15-5A-2) moved into sole possession of first place in district in a battle between the top two teams in the Express-News sub-6A rankings. The top-ranked Mules were led by quarterback James Scobey, running back George Flesher and wide receiver Rett Andersen, who came up with big plays in the fourth quarter to put Alamo Heights over the top.
Boerne Champion (6-2, 2-1), No. 2 in the Express-News sub-6A rankings, trailed 14-0 in the second quarter before rallying to take a 17-14 lead at halftime behind running back Alex Rodriguez and quarterback Karson Kaiser.
In a game pitting two teams with high-octane offenses, it was defense that proved to be the deciding factor as Alamo Heights came up with two interceptions and sacked Kaiser three times, with the last sack ending the game.
Highlights: Alamo Heights went up 14-0 within the first five minutes of the second quarter. Scobey connected with Andersen on a 16-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second quarter, and Flesher scored on a 3-yard touchdown run with 7:53 in the second to put the Mules up by two scores.
Champion stormed back behind Rodriguez, who went up the middle on a 49-yard touchdown run for the Chargers’ first score at 6:84 in the second quarter. Champion got to within 14-9 on a safety as a bad snap on an Alamo Heights punt went out of the end zone.
After receiving the free kick, Champion went to work and scored on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Kaiser to Ryan Brandon with 51 seconds remaining in the first half. Kaiser then made the two-point conversion on a run, putting the Chargers up 17-14.
Alamo Heights regained the lead in the third quarter on a 30-yard scoring toss from Scobey to Andersen, who showed great concentration and balance as he made the catch while falling backwards in the end zone. Ethan Ball then tacked on the extra point to put the Mules up 21-17 with 6:17 in the third.
The Mules’ defense sealed the game when Jackson Duffin made an interception on a ball that deflected off a Champion receiver with less than seven minutes remaining in the game. Alamo Heights then put the ball in the hands of its playmakers, Scobey and Flesher, who ran time off the clock until Champion got the ball back with just 24 seconds left. On the Mules’ last drive, Scobey came up with a clutch 25-yard run on third-and-14 to keep the offense on the field.
The game ended as Alamo Heights’ Tommy Colligan sacked Kaiser as time ran out at the Champion 36.
“Our offensive line did a great job, and when you can run time off the clock and drive the field like that, then you’re doing some
thing really good, and I couldn’t be prouder of the kids both offensively and defensively,” Alamo Heights coach Ron Rittimann said.
What it means: Alamo Heights is in the driver’s seat to reclaim its second straight district title with a
favorable schedule in the last two weeks of the season. The Mules round out the regular season by playing Lockhart and Kerrville Tivy, who have a combined record of 3-12 and are in near the bottom of the district standings.
Champion looks to have a much tougher matchup when it plays Floresville (7-1, 2-1) next week in a game that could determine the second- and third-place teams going to the playoffs from District 15-5A Division II. The Chargers end the season at Lockhart as they hope to gain momentum towards the postseason.
Game balls: Flesher paced Alamo Heights by rushing for 128 yards on 20 carries and one score. Scobey threw for 137 yards on 9 of 16 attempts and two scores. He also rushed for 59 yards, including his critical 25-yard run on thirdand-14 that kept a Mules drive going late in the game.
Duffin had two interceptions for Alamo Heights, including one in the end zone in the second quarter and the last one that sealed the game for the Mules. Cooligan was a menace in the Champion backfield, sacking Kaiser three times.
Champion was led by Kaiser, who threw for 166 yards and one score. Kaiser’s top target and receiver, Ryan Brandon caught four passes for 69 yards and one score.
Quotable: “It was crazy, back and forth between both teams,” Scobey said. “Both going as hard as we could the whole time. I’m really happy we came out with this one.”
Up next: Boerne Champion will hope to bounce back against Floresville in a critical district showdown at 7 p.m. Thursday at Boerne ISD Stadium. Alamo Heights hosts Lockhart at 7 p.m. Friday at Orem Stadium.