In the fifth game of the season, the Buena girls flag football team fought against their cross-town rival, Ventura High School, in a combative game on Thursday Sep. 4th. Even though Buena fought hard until the end, the Bulldogs lost, 0–40.
After the start of the game at 7 p.m., a play from Ventura put the Cougars in the lead. Despite a rough beginning, players stayed motivated to keep playing through the game.
“I think we play great and know how to shake things off,” junior Kapi’olani Bocanegra said.
Throughout the half, Buena was unable to find an answer to Ventura’s relentless attack. The Cougars controlled the game from start to finish, piling up points methodically while keeping the Bulldogs scoreless.
Buena, meanwhile, struggled to generate momentum. Offensive possessions often stalled after only a few downs, and running lanes were quickly closed by Ventura’s defense.
As the minutes on the clock ticked away, Ventura continued to extend its lead, eventually reaching a decisive 40–0 victory. Buena’s defense fought hard to contain the damage, but the consistent pressure and efficiency of Ventura’s team finally proved to be too much.
Even after a hard defeat the team still managed to stay positive.
“It’s tough to take those losses, but we got to understand that those are elite teams., We are not there yet, [and] we are working on that,.” head coach Mike Gianelli said when asked how the team is taking the loss.
Gianelli also noted that the Bulldogs have been improving steadily over time. He pointed out that the team still managed to put together several strong plays during the game, but acknowledged that Ventura is simply one of the strongest teams they faced over the course of the season.
Although Buena left the field without points, they showed clear signs of growth by accepting defeat and still leaving the field with a positive minimum. The strong team spirit also hadn’t been extinguished and continues to drive the Bulldogs forward.
“We get to play them again, so we will make a better game plan, and we will keep getting better,” Gianelli said.
