The Bonita Vista Barons are a much improved football team this season and continue to knock on the door of the San Diego Section’s top 10-rankings makers. Whether the Barons will kick that door down in the near future remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Bonita Vista has proven it remains a team that should be reckoned with.
After a 2-0 start to the season, Barons had a chance to break into the section’s elite group of teams with a Sept. 11 non-league match-up at the then fifth-ranked Madison Warhawks. Bonita Vista held the lead but fell, 29-28, on a late touchdown and two-point conversion.
“We are really proud for the effort against Madison,” BVHS head coach Chris Thompson underscored. “We went toe to toe with the No. 5 team in the county. Football is a crazy game and Madison got the ball to bounce their way on one very important play. They may have won the game but they did not beat us. We (continue to) have a clear goal for this season.”
While obviously disappointed by the result of the game against the Warhawks, the Barons came back to top the host Scripps Ranch Falcons, 27-24, in another key non-league contest last Friday.
This time, Bonita Vista came from behind to snatch a win.
“We did not play a real clean game,” admitted Thompson, whose team rallied from a 10-7 halftime deficit. “It was something we talked about all week leading up to the game — executing to expectations. We still have work to do as we head into the grind of the season.”
The Barons (3-1) have a week off to refine their strategy for the second half of the season before hosting the currently second-ranked Helix Highlanders (2-1) in a marquee match-up Oct. 2 at Southwestern College.
After that, Bonita Vista tips off Metro-Mesa League play Oct. 9 with yet another high profile game against the defending league champion Eastlake Titans, also scheduled at Southwestern College.
The Titans (2-2) enter this week ranked eighth among section teams after last Friday’s 37-36 non-league overtime win over visiting Madison.
The annual Bonita Vista-Eastlake rivalry game looks to be the game of the year for South County fans as it matches the top two ranked teams in the Metro Conference in a marquee setting.
Back in the win column
The Barons were facing a Scripps Ranch team coming off a 48-6 win over Serra the previous week.
Greg Bell, who has become Mr. Reliable for his new team four games into the season, rushed the ball 16 times for 107 yards and scored two rushing touchdowns. He ripped off one run for 38 yards.
Chris Boguille added 81 yards on 12 carries as the visitors accumulated 208 rushing yards on 38 attempts against the Falcons (1-2).
Anthony Posada completed eight of 12 passing attempts for 91 yards and one touchdown — a 12-yard scoring play to Bell, who finished the game with three touchdowns overall. It was Posada’s first TD pass this season.
Atoa Fox also had a big game with 173 all-purpose yards. He tallied 73 yards on two kickoff returns and 100 yards on three punt returns. He scored on a 76-yard punt return.
Defensively, Boguille led the team with six tackles while teammate Luis Pena had one sack and Gabe Melhorn caused one fumble.
On the season, Bell has rushed for 567 yards and scored eight rushing touchdowns while Boguille has rushed for 245 yards and scored three rushing TDs.
Posada has passed for 419 yards with one touchdowns and three interceptions in four games. He also has one rushing touchdown to his credit.
Bell leads the Barons with 627 all-purpose yards and nine total touchdowns. Fox has racked up 287 yards in kickoff returns and 137 yards in punt returns with two touchdowns.
The Bonita Vista defense has collected eight sacks on the season to go with three fumble recoveries. Moli Faalogo leads the team with two sacks while Boguille and Diehl top the team with 14 tackles each.
Helix defeated Cathedral Catholic, 37-7, last Friday to add fuel to its 56-7 rout of Eastlake two weeks ago.
