Buena Football Team : A reflection on the past, and what to look forward to
The Buena Bulldogs celebrating the win against Ventura to keep the Suzanne Brown Memorial Cup at home.
November 29, 2022
After a nail biting game in the first round of the CIF playoffs, the Bulldogs lost 21-20 against the Orange league champions, the Western Pioneers, the powerhouse team from Anaheim, landing them in the 4th rank in the Channel League. After making it to the CIF-SS Semi Finals last year, the Bulldogs fell short of getting there this year.
While the Bulldogs’ season has come to an end, finishing 4th in Channel League, and 5-6 overall, the Bulldogs are proud of how they have progressed throughout the year.
“We beat the teams we should have beat, and the teams we needed to beat to make sure that we got a shot in the playoffs,” Head Coach Ryan Bolland said.
Looking to next season, returning players know how important it is to use failures as a way to learn, and prepare for the future.
“It’s easier to use failures as a way to learn because you have an emotional feeling tied to it,” Bolland said.
This season the Bulldogs were in the Channel League, instead of the Pacific League they were in last year. The 2021 Pacific View League champions knew that moving to a new league meant new teams, and new challenges, but the players took this challenge head on.
“Our league is big, and qualifying in your league is what gets you in the playoffs, which we were able to do,” Bolland said.
While the Bulldogs did not go as far as they may have hoped, the season was not without its successes, a few school records were broken. Colin Guenther, the explosive receiver, put up 1,717 receiving yards, and 112 receptions; two records broken by Guenther standing for more than twenty years. Zane Carter, the dual threat 6’3” quarterback, set program records for the season (.705) and career (.642) in pass completion percentages.
Since the beginning of their high school careers, Carter and Gunther have been a dynamic duo. Not only do these athletes strive in football, they’ve been stars on the basketball team as well. “We’ve been friends for more than ten years,” Carter said. “I knew that if I threw the ball, he would catch it.”
As the season progressed, the chemistry on the team continued to grow.
“For a lot of us, we have been playing together since we first started at Buena, so it was really helpful to have those guys to rely on,” Guenther said.
It was not just football for many of these guys, it was a family. So many unforgettable memories have been created on and off that field. Football has been able to bring a diverse group of students together and create a brotherhood. “Football defines me,” senior right guard Joseph Delgado said.
The seniors of the team have all concluded one favorite memory from their high school career, that is beating their cross town rival Ventura, back to back. “We go most of the year preparing us for that game. We’re not always guaranteed a championship game, but we are always guaranteed a game against Ventura,” Guenther said.
