The Bonita Vista High School football team took one big step closer to capturing this year’s Metro-Mesa League championship after recording a 32-13 come-from-behind victory over the Olympian Eagles last Friday. The Barons, now 2-0 in league play, twice rallied from deficits in the contest played at Olympian High School.
“I am proud of the way the kids battled to break open a tight game versus a well coached and solid team in Olympian,” explained BVHS head coach Chris Thompson, whose team improved to 6-2 overall. “As I have said many times this season, we have a goal and we are still in control of our destiny — eight down and two to go.”
Senior running back Greg Bell scored three touchdowns to key the Barons to their latest victory. He rushed 23 times for 178 yards, averaging 7.7 yards per carry. His longest run from the line of scrimmage was 47 yards.
The game was close through the opening three quarters before the victorious Barons blew the door open with 14 fourth-quarter points. Olympian led, 7-6, at the end of the opening quarter and built a 13-12 lead midway through the third quarter.
The visitors scored one touchdown in the second quarter to lead, 12-7, at halftime; the score was 18-13 in Bonita Vista’s favor entering the final quarter.
Baron quarterback Anthony Posada completed eight of 11 passing attempts for 188 yards with one touchdown and one interception. His longest play from scrimmage measured 58 yards on a pass to Quentin Harrison (three catches, 140 yards, one touchdown).
Atoa Fox had two carries for six yards and one rushing score.
The BV defense was active with seven sacks, one interception (Tristan Schultz) and one fumble recovery (Aaron Diehl).
Moli Faalogo led the Baron sack parade with two sacks, while Johan Alatorre was credited with 1.5 sacks. Luis Pena, Diego Torres and Gabe Melhorn each had one sack while Daniel Kemp was credited with a half-sack.
Schultz led the Barons with eight tackles. He returned his interception eight yards before lateralling the ball to teammate Trevian Lanier. Diehl, Fox, Chris Boguille and Pena each had six tackles.
Olympian (1-2 in league play, 5-3 overall) took a 7-0 lead on a one-yard sneak by quarterback Garry Cannon on fourth down and a PAT conversion by Ralphie Gomez about three minutes into the game.
The Barons got on the scoreboard with about two minutes to play in the first quarter when Posada hit Harrison for a 25-yard touchdown pass. The visitors missed the extra-point conversion, leaving the Eagles in front by a point.
The score stayed that way until Bell scored on a 17-yard run with one minute to play in the second quarter. The two-point conversion failed, putting Bonita Vista up by five points at halftime.
Olympian went ahead, 13-12, on a five-yard rushing touchdown by Noah Lacsina with eight minutes to play in the third quarter after taking over control of the ball on downs.
It didn’t take the Barons long to go back in front. Bonita Vista started at its own 34-yard line and a long pass play repositioned the ball at the Eagle three-yard line.
Bell scored on a three-yard rush to put the visitors up by five points again.
Olympian threatened to go ahead by advancing the ball inside the BV 10-yard line on a 70-yard fumble return by Paul Thompson Jr. but the Eagles turned the ball over on downs a minute into the fourth quarter.
The visitors didn’t waste their remaining opportunities.
Bell scored on a 42-yard run on the Barons’ ensuing possession to up the score to 25-13.
Fox added a two-yard insurance TD run with three minutes to play and Matt Michaud made the PAT conversion for a 32-13 lead.
The visitors then recovered a fumble on the Eagles’ next possession to effectively end the game.
The Barons, in sole possession of first place in the league standings and the Division III power rankings, next play at Chula Vista (0-2 in league, 1-7 overall) in a Halloween Eve contest on Friday.
The Eagles play at Otay Ranch in Friday’s annual O’s Bowl rivalry game. Otay Ranch is 1-1 in league play, 4-4 overall, and needs a win to stay in the race for an upper tier Division II playoff seed.
“It’s a big rivalry game for both squads,” Olympian head coach Paul Van Nostrand said.
