Boerne Champion quarterback Chuck Thornally rolls out to throw during Saturday's scrimmage at Fredericksburg. Photo by Mike Reeder

An efficient, balanced offense, a swarming, bend-but-not break defense, steady special teams performances and big plays on both sides of the ball all added up to domination by the Boerne Samuel V. Champion Chargers Saturday at Fredericksburg in the team’s first scrimmage of the year.

While this year’s graduation-depleted Fredericksburg Battlin' Billies’ squad barely resembles the one that beat Boerne in the regular season each of the past two years, the Chargers also look to be a far different Boerne team than the one that stumbled to a 4-6 record last season while attempting to install a new offense on the fly.

Unlike those Greyhounds, the newly-minted Chargers look confident, business-like, and as befits their moniker, in charge.

“We still have a long way to go, but we’re happy with where we’re at right now,” Chargers Head Football Coach Danny Threadgill said. “We had five touchdowns and Fredericksburg had none, so we really exploited what they gave us.”

There were plenty of outstanding individual performances against the Billies. Senior strong safety Drew Roumelis, who led the team in interceptions his junior year, picked off a pass on the Billies’ first possession.

“Their receiver tried to plant and he slipped, and I just had an easy sprint for the ball,” Roumelis said. “It’s good to be back doing the same things as last year.”

“Drew’s one of the most instinctive secondary guys I’ve ever coached,” Threadgill said. “He just has a knack for being around the ball.”

Thornally had opened the scrimmage with a long completion to junior receiver James Hurd, who was the third option on the play. Senior fullback Josh Wray finished off the three-play drive with what would be the first of several explosive, bullish runs, as the Chargers took advantage of the rattled Billies defense. Senior placekicker Jelguin Vargas easily handled the extra point chores and looks set at the position.

The first possession set the tone for the entire scrimmage. Boerne receivers kept getting open and Thornally kept finding them with near-perfect throws, delivered both on the run and out of the pocket.

“They’re able to take the thinking out of the game now and just react,” Threadgill said. “That’s when you get much better at processing anything.”

The offensive line, anchored by senior center Kevin Peet, did its part, throwing up a wall of protection for Thornally and opening big holes for Wray.

“Josh can run around you or over you,” Threadgill said. “He’s going to be a big key to what we do, I guarantee.”

Boerne’s defense was also impressive. Free safety Dakota Mitchell added another interception, the defensive ends were exceptional and Boerne shut down the run. Fredericksburg completed a few short passes, but the Chargers’ gang-tackling defenders flowed to the ball and mostly limited yards gained to the catch.

“That’s a philosophy we’ve been instilling since last spring,” Threadgill said. “We’re talking about 11 men to the ball. We emphasize that every day.”

Best of all, the Chargers finished the scrimmage with none of the early injuries that plagued last year’s team. The next scrimmage comes tonight at six in Boerne, as the Chargers test themselves against South San’s rugged, pressure defense.