SAN ANTONIO – District 13-5A-DI is a battleground, with defending state champion Smithson Valley setting the bar high. But the Pieper Warriors, a powerhouse since stepping onto the scene in 2021, are ready to challenge for the top spot in 2025 after a stellar 2024 campaign.
Last season, Pieper went a perfect 7-0 in district play, including a thrilling 39-36 victory over Smithson Valley, the eventual 5A Division I state champions.
Their only loss came in a heart-wrenching 57-56 overtime defeat to Flour Bluff in the area round of the Class 5A-DI playoffs. This year, the Warriors are reloading with a new quarterback and a defense primed for dominance.
“I think our defense is due for a breakout year,” said Pieper football head coach Nick Rogers. “I think this probably is going to be — I don’t want to speak out of turn here — this has potential to be the best defense we’ve had.”
With a new arm under center, first-year starting quarterback Isaiah Gaitan is confident the defense will elevate the entire team.
“It definitely makes us better having a great defense to go against and hopefully to help us in game,” said Gaitan.
“Obviously, the goal every year is a state championship, and that’s our ceiling,” said Pieper senior safety Bennett King.
Fueling the team’s drive is the sting of last year’s playoff exit.
Senior athlete Tyler Lancombe, a transfer from Whitewater High School in Georgia — where NFL star Patrick Mahomes graduated — believes the loss has ignited the squad.
“I think losing in the second round last year kind of, like, lit a fire under a lot of them because they thought last year they’re going to win state championship, too. So I think this year it’s kind of giving them that extra go to want to go get it,” said Lancombe.
Pieper opens its 2025 season on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. against Boerne, setting the stage for what could be a defining year for the Warriors in District 13-5A-DI.
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