On Nov. 3, the Bonita Vista High (BVH) Barons varsity football team shut out the Coronado High School (CHS) Islanders 35-0 in the first round of their postseason run. Although BVH would end up in a close 10-14 loss in their second round playoff match against the Westview High School Wolverines, their initial playoff victory was the first of its kind in seven years.
Leading up to their short lived postseason the Barons would produce a 6-4 regular season record, resulting in the team having their first above .500 regular season win-loss ratio since the 2015-2016 season. Despite their success, the team would have their fair share of hardships throughout the season, especially when BVH starting quarterback and junior Isayah Luna (4) would come down with an injury late in the season. Luckily, BVH running back, linebacker, team captain and senior Caden Ada-Tannehill (22) valiantly stepped into the quarterback role allowing the Barons to continue their triumphant run.
“Whenever there is a [positional] need, there is always a player that we can count on to step up and fill that void,” Assistant principal, former BVH Athletic Director and varsity football Head Coach Tyler Arciaga said. “The ability to sub in players for new positions is a testament to the selflessness that these kids have shown.”
Defensive back, wide receiver, returner, team captain and senior Jayden Peterson (5) had firsthand experience with the various positional changes throughout the season. Although Peterson mainly had experience in his role as a defensive back, he would never back down from playing on offense or special teams if needed. Peterson attributes his and his teammates’ openness to change as a result of their demand for victory.
“As players, we did whatever we needed to so that we could win games and if that meant playing positions that we might have been uncomfortable but proficient in, then we would always take that sacrifice,” Peterson said.
The willingness of multiple players to change positions showcases the flexibility and cooperative mindset shared by the athletes on this year’s team, especially the seniors. Arciaga goes on to point out how the shared experiences of these seniors have fortified the team, allowing the team to achieve new heights.
“To me, [the seniors this year are] a model class as far as what it takes to run a successful program. Very few of them quit [football] as sophomores or juniors when they failed to get starting roles, so they have all paid their dues. This team is in the position that we are in today because of this team’s resilience as a class,” Arciaga said.
The challenges that the senior class faced in their varsity upbringing molded them into the commanding force that they would be during this year’s season. One challenge that Arciaga mentioned was the statistical nightmare that was the freshman year of football the seniors endured.
“During freshman year for [this year’s seniors] was especially a struggle, they did not score a single point for their team. For them to stick together like this and continually grow shows their resolve and resilience. It shows what hard work, dedication and perseverance can do to a single class,” Arciaga said.
The hardships faced by this year’s senior players expanded far past their freshman year of football. In the 2021 season, the varsity football team made the playoffs on a 4-6 record, where they were immediately crushed upon entrance. In 2022, the team ended their season with a 3-7 record and failed to make the playoffs. Years such as these came to the dismay of the team’s players especially offensive guard and senior Kelly Brown (75).
“In my sophomore year on varsity, the team went 4-6 and barely made the playoffs. I did not think that we deserved that spot and in some ways I felt ashamed to play. Then last year was a terrible season that I would rather keep in the past,” Brown said.
Leading up to this year, the team was utterly starved for success. Luckily, long-time players developed a “hungry dogs run faster” mentality as opposed to settling with mediocrity.
“We knew that we could not be worse than we were in the previous two seasons. Last year we did not make the playoffs and had a negative record so we knew that we had to take a step up. We were hungry to make a change and have a winning culture for this team,” Peterson said.
The amount of bonding and experience that was present in the team resulted in an effective culture in which every player knew the extent of their role. A common issue in sports such as tackle football is players having inflated egos and being unable to put their pride aside for the sake of their teammates, according to Arciaga, such a problem did not exist in this year’s team.
“Everyone plays off of each other in great ways and I think that is the beauty of this team. When assessing all of the individual parts [of this team], the total value would be of less quality than when we are together, sort of like a car. The spirit of collaboration is what has propelled this team to it’s heights, in that every player knows that they are not bigger than the team, the synergy that they create is bigger than the sum of the individual parts,” Arciaga said.
The team has capitalized on their collaborative nature by playing at their best on both sides of the ball. Arciga mentions how he has witnessed games in which the offense and defense would clean up for the other’s lacking performance.
“The success over the past season has been the result of a combination of all of the team’s units working together. [In terms of offense and defense], when one unit falters, the other picks it up,” Arciaga said.
In particular, the Barons’ defense has been playing to elite. Over the past season and postseason, the defense has played a major role in churning out two shutouts—when one team beats their opponent without letting that opponent score. On top of the shutouts, the gold standard defense has also played major roles in the team’s regular season victories over Olympian High School (OHS) and Otay Ranch High (ORH), in which the unit forced multiple pick sixes—when a defensive player intercepts a ball and scores a touchdown—to bolster their record.
“Our defense has been effective because of everybody understanding their role [on the team]. Sometimes defensive lineman have to sacrifice themselves by taking on blocks from offensive lineman to open up holes for linebackers to make tackles,” Arciaga said.
Going into the playoffs, the team shared a sense of perseverance and excitement for the journey that would soon unfold. The team had an undeniable sense of hope that could not be weighed down by any circumstances.
“At this point, we feel good with what we are doing. We have been able to hold our own against higher division talent such as Eastlake High School (EHS) and ORH. We feel like we can compete with anyone else in our division. They do not have any fear and they simply do the best that they can,” Arciaga said.
At the end of the day, tackle football remains to be the most popular sport in high schools across the country and with such popularity comes a sense of pressure. As Arciaga puts it, the players of this team just want to be a good “front porch” for BVH.
“If we can be a good front porch for the school, then we can set a good precedent for the student body and create a good perception of this community,” Arciaga said.
Although the Barons may have been eliminated from the playoffs, their 2023-2024 run remains as a glimmer of hope and joy for what used to be an unenthusiastic student body. According to Ariciaga, a good football team is more than just a good sports team, in many ways a great performance on the gridiron can lead to better days for the blooming BVH community.
“Football can help set a positive culture for the school. Tackle football is the most popular sport amongst high school campuses and although kids might not like football or watch the games, we still get high attendance because these games are more than just numbers, they are social events,” Arciaga said. “As a team, we realize that our ability to get people excited is powerful because of how that excitement carries over into our other activities and into their lives.”
