During Buena’s annual rivalry game on Friday, Oct. 3, the Buena Bulldogs fought hard but lost to the Ventura Cougars 13-62 at Ventura’s home field for the third consecutive year.
The stands were packed shoulder to shoulder, an annual standard for the historic rivalry between Ventura county’s main high schools. Both sections waited with high anticipation, waiting to see if Ventura would secure another win or the Buena underdogs would take back the Suzanne Brown Memorial Trophy.
The first quarter was a rough start, with Ventura getting three touchdowns putting them up 21-0. Although the Bulldog morale was high, they weren’t able to get points on the board during the first quarter.
As the second quarter started, the Bulldogs strove to score some points but were unsuccessful, allowing Ventura to widen the gap, 48-0, putting the Bulldogs in a tough position going into halftime.
After halftime, Buena came out of its slump after a motivational talk with head coach and Athletics Director Ryan Bolland. The stands roared, not only in the student section, but from Ventura’s side as well due to the overwhelming Bulldog attendance.
“I mean, I think that [staying positive is] important for us… I’m glad that our kids [were able to] come out after the half and fight and work to try and continue to improve,” Bolland said.
Junior AJ Bishop was extremely supportive to his teammates throughout the game, encouraging all of his team when they needed it the most.
“One of the big things [about] this game was no matter what the score was, [you could] never give up and never let them run over us,” Bishop said.
Starting the third quarter with a miraculous bang, Buena drove down field as senior running-back Jaxson Roberts scored the first points of the rivalry game with a four yard run which led to the final score of the quarter, 55-6. In that same quarter, Roberts added another touchdown after Buena’s drive.
Buena’s cheer team was loud and proud throughout the game, giving support and positive chants and creating a positive atmosphere for the crowd and team even at their lows. The Buena band created a lively vibe, keeping it upbeat.
In the final quarter, the Bulldogs were able to add more points to the board, with Roberts once again running in another touchdown from the five yard line and grabbing the extra point. The final whistle blew off, and the year’s rivalry game came to an end, with Ventura taking another touchdown to win the Suzanne Brown Memorial Trophy.
After the game, Roberts mentioned that even though he was the one to score for the Bulldogs, they all needed that reset at halftime to acknowledge the loss but to not give up.
“I feel like at halftime, getting our minds right, getting out of that slump, and having that period to talk to the coaches for a minute, [our mindsets got] reset… just execute,” Roberts said.
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Buena player holding helmet.
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Bulldogs defend against cougars.
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Senior AJ Bishop hydrates himself.
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Buena coach strategizes with players.
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Senior Blake Eberhard.
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Senior Jaxon Roberts discusses with coaches.
