A bleak, rainy night couldn’t dampen the spirits of the Academy boys varsity football team, as a rainbow brightened the field just before they kicked off their home opener with a resounding victory.

The Chargers hosted their annual “Under the Lights” game last Friday night, trouncing the Del Norte Knights by a score of 56-6. The Chargers, who were 0-1 coming into the game, bounced back to 1-1 on the season while the Knights fell to 0-2.

The Chargers beat Del Norte with a powerful ground game and skillful aerial attacks, keeping their opponent off balance and confused at times.

Academy broke the end zone eight times—scoring seven offensive touchdowns and one defensive one—while also recording a safety, ending the contest by scoring more than double the number of points in their season opener. The squad’s defense also contributed, holding the Knights offense to just two field goals and reeling in two interceptions. The Charger defense was a wall.

The only daylight for the Knights this night was after the Chargers’ opening kickoff when Del Norte put together a strong first drive. A 21-yard run on the first play set them up for a long 45-yard field goal, which sailed cleanly between the uprights. 3-0 Knights.

It would be the only time they led during the game.

The Chargers were unfazed, marching confidently up the field in seven plays and capping the drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Chargers quarterback William Braun ’27 to wide receiver Logan Hague ’27, sophomore to sophomore. Kicker Gage Conway ’26 added the extra point, giving the Chargers a 7-3 lead.

And they never let up.

The Chargers maintained their momentum, following their opening touchdown drive with a 65-yard interception for a touchdown from outside linebacker Ryan Williams ’26.

“The quarterback underthrew the receiver, (I) picked it off, saw some open field, broke a tackle and was looking for the right block, and I was able to get in (the end zone),” Williams said, recounting this play after the game.

Williams, who is also a running back, recorded a rushing touchdown later in the half, giving him a two-touchdown performance.

The Chargers closed out the half with two more touchdowns on consecutive drives (including one missed extra point). The squad’s defense added a safety as well, as Academy defenders applied relentless pressure on the Knights’ quarterback.

Academy led 36-3 at the half, scoring 36 unanswered points.

Like the first half, the second half started similarly with the Knights trotting down the field for a hard-fought three points.

The Chargers were then preserving a 30-point lead but remained hungry.

Moments after the Knights 41-yard field goal, Chargers wide receiver Jett Galles ’25 returned a 91-yard kickoff for a touchdown, weaving his way past defenders. Galles, who was the Chargers’ running back last season, has been moved to the wide receiver position this season.

He ended the night with three touchdowns, also catching two in the end zone.

The rest of the second half was no different—the Chargers scored three more touchdowns on their next three drives, though they didn’t attempt an extra point on the final one due to the “mercy rule.”

The game ended in a 56-6 rout.

Chargers second-year head coach, David Lee, was delighted with his team’s 50-point victory and the Chargers’ teamwork.

“We are building a brotherhood, we are building a team atmosphere, and we are playing together. The fact that we distributed the ball to five different guys was the key for us,” Lee said on the field after the game.

The squad’s head coach emphasized that the team’s focus on a few key improvements made all the difference this week, following their heartbreaking 28-27 loss to the Moriarty Pintos.

“We got a lot of new guys both offensively and defensively—those guys got better—and every day they are going to continue to get better. We are working toward the playoffs, so it’s all about practice,” Lee said.

Academy is set for a gridiron showdown at home this upcoming Saturday, September 7, against their district rival, the Hope Christian Huskies.