Bonita Vista and Hilltop high schools have been longtime rivals in many sports, soccer prominently among them.
The schools are starting to develop a rivalry in boys lacrosse as well.
Bonita Vista dropped into Hilltop last Thursday (April 12) for the first of two Mesa League encounters between the teams. The visiting Barons pulled away in the second half to post a 13-7 victory and, in the process, record its second league victory of the 2018 spring season.
“We have been geting better each week,” said BVHS head coach Peter Locke, whose teams faced off league play with a 15-4 loss to visiting Eastlake on April 2. “We played Grossmont on Monday. It was tied going into the fourth quarter. Our inexperience showed in the fourth quarter (in a 16-11 non-league loss to the undefeated Foothillers). Our underclassmen are getting better and it showed.”
Billy Esparza led Bonita Vista (2-1 in league play, 6-7 overall) with five goals in Thursday’s game while also collecting five ground balls on defense. Michael Lopez added three goals for the Barons while freshman Diego Posada scored two goals.
Peter Locke IV led the visitors with eight ground balls while brother Justin Locke had four ground balls, as did Timmy Tucker.
The score between the teams fluctuated throughout the first half until Bonita Vista took a 6-4 lead at halftime. Hilltop closed to within 9-7 on the scoreboard on back-to-back goals midway through the fourth quarter.
Bonita Vista closed out the game with four unanswered goals.
Brandon Townley and Kyle McLean each scored two goals for Hilltop while Trebor Hughes recorded five ground balls.
Both goalkeepers were active. Francisco Moreno was credited with 18 saves for Bonita Vista while David De La Torre was credited with 17 saves for Hilltop.
The host Lancers dropped to 1-2 in league play, 5-7 overall.
“Every year we seem to have a solid team but other teams have players have solid teams, too, with players who play club,” noted Pete Bishop has coached Hilltop since its first season in 2002.
Bonita Vista recorded its first league win on April 5 by defeating host Olympian, 14-6, and recorded its second consecutive win by defeating host Helix, 7-3, in a non-league game on Saturday.
The Barons are scheduled to host Otay Ranch on Monday (April 16) and will face off second-round league play on Thursday (April 19) at Eastlake (3-0 in league, 8-4 overall).
Hilltop faced off league play with an 11-6 win over visiting Olympian on April 2, then lost, 15-5, at Otay Ranch on April 9.
The loss to the Mustangs snapped a three-game winning streak posted by the Lancers, starting with a 7-5 win over visiting Del Lago Academy on March 29.
Bishop called the win over Helix the team’s most complete game this season. “We performed well in all areas,” he said.
Duplicating that effort will be on order the rest of the season.
Hilltop plays at Eastlake on Monday (April 16).
The Titans remained undefeated in league play after out-scoring visiting Otay Ranch, 15-12, on April 5 and tacking on a 16-4 win at Olympian on April 9.
Eastlake posted a four-game winning streak with wins over Bonita Vista, Otay Ranch, Point Loma (11-5 on April 6) and Olympian. The Titans dropped a 16-9 non-league decision to visiting La Jolla Country Day on Saturday.
