By Mike Reeder
Staff Writer

Now the real games begin.

With a successful scrimmage schedule behind them after a win over South San last week, the Boerne Samuel V. Champion Charger football team will make history Saturday when it takes the field in Waco for its first-ever regular season football game against the Midlothian Panthers.

The game kicks off at 1 p.m. at Waco I.S.D. Stadium. Dave Campbell’s Texas football picks Midlothian to finish fifth in District 16-4A, but the low prediction is not for lack of talent. The Panthers’ spread offense is triggered by senior quarterback Bryce Petty, a 6-3, 205-pounder who has verbally committed to Tennessee. Speedy safety Dante Floyd and linebacker Landon Freeman lead the Panthers’ blitzing, stunting 3-4 defense.

“They’ve got some great athletes and it’s an up-and-coming program,” Charger Head Football Coach Danny Threadgill said. “They’ve got a lot of firepower on offense. Defensively, they bring a lot of people a lot of times. It’s going to be a big preparation week for us to be able to handle them.”

That disclaimer aside, Threadgill is confident about his team’s chances.

“By no means do I think we have to do everything correctly to beat them, because I think we are going to beat them,” Threadgill said. “Any time we step on the field we step on to win. At the same time it’s not the end of the world. Our job is to get our team ready to peak in district and through district.”

The only real negative was the loss of junior lineman Dean Rittiman with a broken ankle.

Rittiman will miss the next four to six weeks. Starting offensive lineman and linebacker Caleb Hundley also briefly left the field with a leg injury, but was treated on the sideline.