Football season is back on a roll, and with that, Buena High School took the first home game by storm on Friday, Aug. 29, crushing Canyon High School 44-30. But of course, success is never free of cost; after a turn of events ending in an injury, the game was called off in the 4th quarter.

Despite the circumstances, neither the school nor the players left the stands disappointed. From the guest sponsor, Chick-fil-a, to the three consecutive touchdowns, the bleachers were buzzing with excitement. 

“I wanted to turn around and scream to the crowd,” junior and wide receiver Jayden Hodgins said, remarking on the experience.

Throughout the game, Buena stayed on top, starting off strong with a touch down eight and a half minutes into the first quarter. The following play ended in a touchback from Junior defensive back Dylan Regazzo, leaving Canyon in the dust. The first quarter ended with Buena at seven points and the opposing team at zero.

In the second quarter, the pace started to slow down with a minor collision which left Senior tight end Andrew Silva down. However, Buena wasn’t discouraged. They squandered every play made by Canyon, leaving the opposing team without any more chances to score by the end of the first half, leaving the score at 30-15.

As the balls were set aside for half time, the pom poms came out. The half time show started with Buena’s hip hop group whose short segment hyped up the crowd. That energy carried into the cheer team, who stole hearts with their four routines performed with younger cheerleaders ranging from kindergarten to 8th grade. 

Junior cheer captain Mia Valdez explained how the weekend prior, Buena hosted an annual “Mini Bulldog camp” for younger girls, teaching them chants, dances and stunts.  

As the stands settled and the players lined back up, the second half started with a kick off from Buena. Canyon was able to get a touchdown, but Buena came back with two more touchdowns to bring them to the winning score of 44-30.

Just when stakes rose, Senior running back Colton Vargas was injured with five minutes of the game left. Vargas took a hard hit from a Canyon player while he was receiving an on-side kick. After medics assessed Vargas, the game was called and he was ushered off the field by ambulance.  

Even though the details of the injury were unclear in the moment, Vargas is now recovering.

“He was just shocked. He said he didn’t have feeling…He had neck pain so they called the ambulance to not risk anything,” Junior wide reciever Milo Hodgins said.

Despite the tense ending, Buena did ultimately secure the final win. “I believe we would’ve won [the game either way],” starting quarterback and Junior Ryder Bucy said.

Like most games in such a competitive sport, it had its rough moments, but the sacrifice the players endured only added to Bulldog pride. The courage and spirit Buena exhibited is what pushed them to victory in the first home game of the season.