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Albuquerque Academy is experiencing a football season that is part "Revenge of the Nerds" and part "Remember the Titans."

In other words, a perfect double-feature for a school that has long emphasized, if not trumpeted, the Pythagorean Theorem over the two-deep zone.

"We get a lot of computer geeks and flute players but we don't get too many linebackers," joked longtime Chargers coach Kevin Carroll. "But the kids who come out for football, they're just great."

Academy? Football? Great?

In a word, yes.

The 8-4 Chargers, who meet Santa Fe St. Michael's on Saturday in the Class 3A semifinals, are one of only two Albuquerque teams left in the state playoffs. And they pulled one of the great upsets in school history to remain in the hunt.

Academy, seeded No. 8 in the Class 3A bracket, upset No. 1 Lovington 33-17 on the road last week, a stunner that makes all the sense of, say, Yale ripping Texas.

In terms of reputation, Lovington is southern New Mexico royalty - tough, talented, pedigreed. Its most famous football alum is a fellow by the name of Brian Urlacher. Perhaps you've heard of him.

Academy is college prep. Academy is we-don't-charge-admission-to-watch-football.

In fact, most years, Academy is a soccer school.

Nevertheless, the Chargers - who've produced just one Division I-A player and no pros in Carroll's 19 seasons - dominated the lordly Wildcats on their own blue, synthetic turf, despite coming to town with a roster that includes only 26 players. And most of those kids are about the size of, well, a flute player.

Didn't matter. Doesn't matter.

The Chargers say appearances and stereotypes go out the window when the game begins, and this team - the first Academy ballclub to reach the semifinals since 1985 - was built on drive.

"It's 11-on-11 and we always try to remember that," said stout Academy linebacker Ben Magnus, a varsity player since he was a freshman.

It's hard to play 11-on-11 for 10 games with just 26 candidates to choose from, but the classy, resolute Carroll has done it for years without complaint. Every coach makes accommodations or allowances for the school he's at, but Carroll says he knows the tradeoffs - fewer players, but terrific kids - is a good one.

"There are a lot more positives than drawbacks, I'll tell you that," said Carroll, who teaches U.S. history at the school. "The facilities are second to none. We've got great grounds people. We don't have to line fields and tape ankles. We just coach football."

The game is just that for most of the Chargers - a passion, but not necessarily a daily priority. It has to be that way, even for guys like Magnus, who wants to play ball in the Ivy League, or Academy co-captain and tackle Kyle Leggott, who hopes to attend Tufts University, which will not be in a Rose Bowl in this lifetime.

But that's OK, said Leggott. Once you've played at Academy and understood the balance Carroll expects, it's all good.

"Coach Carroll has two things we try to do as a team - be a class team, No. 1, and be a winning team, No. 2. We do those and it's a good year," Leggott said. "But since I've been here as a sophomore, we've gone to the playoffs each year, so I think that constitutes a good season."

So does this mean Academy is a football school now? Another Lovington in the making?

Kyle Leggott laughed.

"I wouldn't," he said, "go that far."

Maybe not, but the Chargers have traveled a long, long way. And they're not done yet.