Emotions ran high friday night as the Bonita Vista High varsity football team took the field against Sweetwater High School for their first home game of the 2019-20 season. The Barons finished the night with a 35 to 14 victory, pushing them to a 2-1 record this season and earning them the current first place in their division. 

“It felt great and we came out with a lot of fire. We put up 35 points and we stopped them from coming close,” quarterback Christopher Kane (10) said.  

BVH coach Sam Kirkland III saw a lot of bright spots in friday night’s win, suggesting that the team’s attitude and consistency has upgraded to a new level. This is Kirkland’s third year as a coach for BVH, and he sees much of the team’s foundation built on the players from previous seasons. 

“I see more grit and more consistency with this group. All the teams that I’ve been a part of have all had heart. It  started with the 2017-2018 team laying a foundation,” Kirkland said.

Kane finished the game with accomplished game statistics, throwing a pair of touchdown passes, and taking a 15 yard run into the endzone. His performance in Friday night’s game earned him the game ball, a locker room award given to the most valuable player following a win. 

“It feels great to get the game ball. I want to thank all my linemen for hitting their blocks and my receivers for catching my balls as well as my defense for stopping them,” Kane said. 

In a game that produced many touchdowns, wide receiver Ronald Vann (13) continuously produced highlight-reel catches left and right, and had a total of three touchdowns. His longest play of the game being his 63 yard punt return, where Vann took the football to distance with the help of his blockers. 

“I couldn’t have done any of it without my teammates blocking for me. It was a great team effort,” Vann said. 

Vann was consistent throughout the night, beating opposing cornerbacks and drawing many pass interference calls in favor of BVH. Vann was able to catch the first touchdown in the first away and home games this season, being one of the team’s most reliable receivers. 

“At the end of the day, I’m just doing my job. I can’t do it without my teammates supporting me as well as my coaches supporting me behind my back,” Vann said. 

The defense was also strong friday night, obtaining a total of three sacks, as well as a fumble and onside kick recovery. The team stated their focus remains on winning the league title and qualifying for the playoffs, but first the team must turn their attention to the remaining seven games left in the regular season. BVH’s win is their second consecutive victory, a streak they look to continue in next week’s homecoming game against Steele Canyon High. 

“Next week’s homecoming game is going to have the same type of crowd, so the team will carry this win knowing that they got to play a little bit better,” Kirkland said.