Hunter Haug provided the signature moment in a defensive slugfest with an interception return for a touchdown that helped Smithson Valley push past Boerne Champion 35-24 on Friday at Ranger Stadium.
Haug, who is committed to Texas Tech, picked off Champion's Ryder Flugence and returned the ball 17 yards to the end zone, staking the Rangers to a 28-24 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
"It obviously gave us the lead right there, and it really kind of shifted to where they started looking down on themselves, and we realized this is our game and we can take it," Haug said.
The Rangers capped it on the next drive when Holt Anderson recovered a fumble off Preston Pearce's strip sack on the Chargers' 31-yard line. Six plays later, Gunnar Shoquist scored from 8 yards out to seal it with 2:30 remaining.
The Rangers (8-0), the state's top-ranked team in Class 5A Division I, takes sole possession of first in District 13-5A-I at 7-0 in league play with one game remaining for them in the regular season. They also clinched at least a share of the title and can win it outright at Seguin next Friday. Smithson Valley enjoys an open date in Week 11 before beginning the postseason in three weeks.
"This is something we definitely needed," Rangers running back Caleb Peagler said. "This shows us where we are as a team. This shows us what we need to work on and things we need to get better. It is a big stepping stone for us. We need to come back next week, prepare, and do what we need to do."
Haug's score provided a much-needed jolt after the Chargers took a 24-13 lead with 8:53 remaining in the fourth quarter on Caleb Farias' 20-yard run on third-and-17. It seemed to be a deflater that threatened the Rangers' 18-game district winning streak.
"I was just sitting and waiting on the out route, and he threw it," Haug said. "So, I just took it the other way."
The Rangers began their comeback on the drive after Farias' scoring run. Caleb Peagler scored from 4 yards out, and he tacked on the catch on the subsequent two-point conversion to pull Smithson Valley to within 24-21 with 7:20 remaining.
A few plays later, Haug's pick-6 turned the tide. The Rangers have won 34 of their last 35 district games and haven't dropped a league contest since Sept. 27, 2024, a 39-34 thriller against Pieper.
Entering Friday's game, both teams put up gawdy scoreboard numbers with Champion winning by an average of 49.6 points, and Smithson Valley 57.1 points. In addition, Smithson Valley has scored at an historic clip, surpassing 70 points in four of its last nine games, including an 89-3 victory at Lockhart last week.
It was clear early in Friday's game, that kind of offensive showcase wasn't in the cards. Champion held a 352-257 advantage in total yardage and 21-13 in first downs. The turnovers made the difference. Champion lost two fumbles and threw two interceptions. Smithson Valley had one interception and didn't lose any of its three fumbles.
Flugence, the nation's top college recruit for the 2029 class, passed for 165 yards and one touchdown and rushed 29 times for 73 yards. His counterpart, Texas-pledge Ty Kuntson, threw for a 150 yards. He had a minus-32 rushing yards due to six sacks.
"They were a great defense," Peagler said of Champion. "They play very physical. They're technically sound. It was a challenge for us, for sure."
Champion opened the scoring on the first drive when Ethan Haines capped a 13-play drive with a 23-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
Smithson Valley answered with scores on its next two possessions. The Rangers took a 7-3 lead with 5:30 left in the first quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by Peagler. The score was set up by Schaeden Davis' 50-yard catch on third-and-11 down to the Chargers' 3-yard line.
The Rangers went up 10-3 on Wyatt Talbott's 33-yard field goal with a minute left in the first.
Champion evened it up after Roman Flugence, Ryder's older brother, picked off Ty Knutson and scored from 17 yards out early in the second quarter.
The Chargers added to it when William Burgess snagged a 22-yard touchdown reception on his knee in the end zone for a 17-10 lead at the 6:32 mark of the second. That sent the Rangers to a rare deficit this season.
The Rangers prevailed against Champion for the fifth time in five tries. Unlike those four previous matchups, the stakes had never been bigger until Friday.
Champion (7-1), ranked No. 5 in the state, falls to second place at 5-1 and is still one game ahead of the rest of the district with two weeks remaining on its regular season schedule. The Chargers last started the season 7-0 when they went 11-1 and reached the second round of the playoffs.
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There’s more to San Antonio with the Express-News. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Hunter Haug's pick six rallies Smithson Valley past Boerne Champion into first place.