On the evening of Sept. 13, the Buena stadium erupted in cheers as varsity football secured a narrow victory against the San Marcos Royals in an intense homecoming game. The Bulldogs succeeded 21-20, preventing a comeback from the Royals in the last seconds of the game.
Leading up to the game, Senior Varsity Captain Hudson Machado expressed his confidence in his team.
“Extremely confident going into the game,” Machado said. “Practice was great all week, I had a lot of faith in my team.”
The first quarter of the game started off slow with both teams playing strong defense. Neither team was able to edge the other out, ending in a 0-0 quarter.
However, the Bulldogs offense found their momentum in the second quarter, getting past the Royals defensive linemen. During the Bulldogs third down, Buena’s number two, Tyler Hoff, caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from number six, Blake Eberhard, earning the first touchdown of the game.
In the third quarter, the Bulldogs were on a roll with Hoff scoring the second touchdown of the night, extending the lead to 14-0. Later in the quarter, Hoff ran nearly half the field from the 50-yard line scoring yet another; Hoff’s three touchdowns landed the bulldogs the lead 21-0.
Although the Bulldogs were far ahead, tensions flared after a Bulldog kickoff when Phoenix Cuenca was shoved by a Royals player when the play ended.
The Royal’s offense came alive in the fourth quarter, with number eighty scoring their first touchdown of the game, striking again with another touchdown and extra kicker’s point, closing the lead to 14-21 against the Bulldogs.
The Royals scored again once more, making the score 21-20. In a bold decision, they went for a two-point conversion in an attempt to take the lead, however, the Bulldogs’ defense held firm, blocking their play.
In a shocking turn of events, number 75 on the San Marcos team, Oliver Martinez, was injured from the previous play, causing the game to come to a stop while Ventura paramedics and ambulance were called to the field. The Bulldogs took a knee while the paramedics lifted the royal player into the ambulance to take him to the hospital, receiving sorrowful applause from the entire stadium.
The game resumed in Buena’s possession, where they attempted to run a play. When that failed, the Bulldogs let the clock run the last forty seconds, ending the game with a one point lead, 21-20 Buena.
“The end of the fourth quarter was intense,” Blanks said. “I’ve felt intense situations and been in intense situations, but nothing like that.”
