San Antonio Pieper 53, Alamo Heights 46

Class 5A-Division II Regional Semifinals

November 25, 2023

Alamodome

San Antonio, TX

In the final game of a Saturday triple-header at the Alamodome, newcomer San Antonio Pieper showed they’d be a team to be dealt with in the Alamo City for years  to come as they upset previously unbeaten Alamo Heights in a shootout broadcast regionally on Bally Sports Southwest.

Despite the game tallying nearly 100 total points between the two teams, early on the game was dominated by the defenses as Piper opened the game with back-to-back three and outs, while Alamo Heights went three and out on their opening series. The Mules finally broke through late in the first quarter as Colin Ernst connected with Anderson Boggess for a 14-yard touchdown pass to put Alamo Heights up 7-0 with 1:58 left in the first quarter. Pieper needed less than a minute to answer as TE Jake Stratchan wrestled the ball away from an Alamo Heights DB for the touchdown reception from Jake South to cut the lead to 7-6 as PHS decided to go for two and the conversion failed. It would be the first of six touchdown passes South would throw on the night.

The shootout was officially on during the next possession as Alamo Heights would march back down the field, this time scoring on a two-yard run from do-it-all ATH Michael Terry, III to put the Mules back up 14-6 with less than a minute gone by in the second quarter. Just two plays later, Terry would strike again this time on defense as he picked off a tipped South pass and returned it 39-yards for a touchdown to give Alamo Heights a 21-6 lead.

Pieper would have an answer on the next drive marching deep into Alamo Heights territory and on fourth and goal from the five-yard line, RB John Hamilton would find the end zone to cut the Alamo Heights lead to 21-12.

Pieper’s defense would come up with the next big play as LB Laeton Lopez would fall on the Mules fumble and one play later the Warriors would climb right back into the game as South connected with junior WR Isaiah Champagne for a 32-yard touchdown to cut the Alamo Heights lead to 21-19 with just over five minutes left in the first half. Alamo Heights would tack on a 30-yard field goal from Linus Flores to take a 24-19 lead going into the halftime locker room.

Pieper would grab their first lead of the game early in the third quarter as after forcing an Alamo Heights three and out to open the third quarter, the Warriors would capitalize as South hooked up with Andrew Grinestaff for a twelve-yard touchdown pass, after the failed two-point try, Pieper held a slim 25-24 lead with just over eight minutes left in the third quarter.

Alamo Heights would answer on their ensuing drive as with 5:01 left in the third quarter Terry would score on a two-yard run to give the Mules the lead back at 31-25. The back and forth would continue on the next series with Hamilton scoring on a 25-yard run putting the Warriors back in front 32-31 late in the third quarter.

If the brakes weren’t cut in this game at this point the next sequence absolutely indicates a full cutting of the brakes as Pieper DB Jordan Grant would get an interception and just one play later RB John Hamilton would send the purple and gold clad Piper crowd into pure joy with a long touchdown run to give Pieper a 39-31 lead with 1:33 left in the third quarter. The lead didn’t last long for Pieper as Parks Zunker would return the ensuing kickoff 96-yards for the touchdown and after Terry’s two-point reception we were knotted up at 39-39.

Pieper would again have the answer with another sustained drive and this time South and Hamilton would connect through the air on a four-yard touchdown pass to give Pieper the lead at 46-39 with just over nine minutes left in the game. Pieper’s defense would hold Alamo Heights on a key 4th and 1 in their own territory and just two plays later. Pieper would seize control of the game as South would find WR Isaiah Champagne for a 59-yard touchdown pass to give the Warriors a 53-39 lead with 6:40 left in the game.

Alamo Heights wasn’t going to go away as QB Collin Ernst led the Mules back down the field and he found Zunker open in the end zone for a fourteen-yard touchdown pass with 3:19 left in the game to cut  the Pieper lead to 53-46. Alamo Heights would need a stop on the defensive side of the ball to give their offense one more shot to tie or win the game. However, the Mules would never see the ball again as Pieper’s big offensive line would help grind out a pair of first downs and the Warriors would run the clock out on a thrilling 53-46 win.

Pieper, who won the 13-5A Division II title saw their season end the next week losing to district rival Liberty Hill in the regional final to finish their second varsity season at 12-2, while Alamo Heights, the champions of 14-5A Division II finished the year at 13-1.