SAN ANTONIO – The first open-air KSAT Pigskin Classic on Thursday night had the atmosphere of a December playoff game inside the Alamodome.
The Boerne Greyhounds and Pieper Warriors feature high-powered offenses that rarely turn the ball over. However, two Greyhound miscues in the fourth quarter allowed enough daylight for the Warriors to earn a 38-36 win at the third annual KSAT Pigskin Classic at Pieper Warrior Coliseum.
“A lot of excitement, even though I know you probably can’t see it on my face. I think that’s a big win for us,” Pieper head coach Nick Rogers told KSAT’s RJ Marquez after the game. “Big crowd, obviously. Huge environment. Playoff environment (for the) first game.”
After both teams combined for four passing touchdowns in the first quarter and 385 passing yards in the first half, the ground game became the deciding factor.
In the fourth quarter, the Warriors’ defense handed its offense a golden opportunity after Boerne quarterback Hank Hendrix was sacked on a fourth down play near midfield.
Three plays later, junior running back Brady Hopper barreled his way for 19 yards to the Greyhounds’ 12-yard line.
Pieper running back John Hamilton did the rest, eating up the final 12 yards on two carries to give the Warriors a touchdown and a 38-34 lead with 4:19 left in regulation.
On Boerne’s next possession, senior running back Ivan Perez fumbled, and Pieper outside linebacker Caleb Gale fell on top of it.
Pieper couldn’t eat up enough time or yardage after the turnover, so the Warriors punted the ball back to the Greyhounds. The football took a Pieper bounce down to Boerne’s 4-yard line.
After two plays, Hendrix — with time ticking away and 79 yards to go — flung a pass down the left sideline that was intercepted by Pieper defensive back Grant Oling at the 50-yard line.
The Warriors melted the rest of the clock and took a safety to nail down the game for good.
“Our motto this year is, ‘Work the cut,’” Rogers told KSAT. “What that means is it’s a fighter analogy. You’re going to just keep ‘working the cut.’ Stick to the process, play by play by play, doing your job. And eventually, you’re going to get a shot to knock them out. I think that’s what we did. Our kids have bought into that. They have no quit in them. They continued to fight until the end, and we came out with the victory.”
The Warriors (1-0) will host the Johnson Jaguars, who have yet to play, on Sept. 6. The Greyhounds (0-1) will host the Laredo United Longhorns on Sept. 5.
Read more reporting and watch highlights and full games on the Big Game Coverage page.