Placentia, CA — The Buena High football team’s first CIF-Southern Section semifinal run since 1993 has been paved by steeled nerves and strong stomachs. After opening the postseason with a pair of routs, Buena returned to the type of fourth-quarter drama that has defined its resurgent season. Quarterback Zane Carter completed 19 of 26 passes for 172 yards and ran for two touchdowns as the Bulldogs came from behind to edge host Placentia-El Dorado, 24-20, in the CIF-SS Division 8 quarterfinals Friday night. “Our kids just keep finding a way,” Buena head coach Ryan Bolland said. Buena (9-3), which has won seven straight and nine of its last 10, will visit Victorville-Silverado in this Friday’s semifinals. “We’ve got game plans and we practice, but when it comes down to it, our kids find a way to make plays when it matters,” Bolland said. It will be Buena’s first semifinal since a 44-20 loss to Hawthorne in the 1993 Division III semifinals. The seven-game winning streak is the longest on the field for Buena since 1999. Without star running back Jake Murphy for the second straight week, Buena turned to the backfield duo of Camden Walker and Brandon Rice, who combined to run for 121 yards on 22 carries. Walker’s 2-yard TD run with 8:29 to play gave Buena a 21-20 lead with 10:21 to play. Rice tacked on a 22-yard field goal with 6:32 left after Colin Guenther recovered a fumble forced by linebacker Josh Torres on the El Dorado 48-yard line. Sonny Chantler’s late sack on fourth-and-14 put the game away for the Bulldogs, who were also led defensively by Carson Russell’s 12 tackles. “They’re really, really solid,” Bolland said. “The back is really good. They’ve got a good line. They’re got a good team. When they had to throw, that’s not what they do.” It was the sixth one-score game this season for Buena, which has played four games decided by a single point. “We’ve been in a lot of close games,” Bolland said. Buena recovered from letting an early 14-0 slip into a 20-14 deficit late in the third quarter. Buena jumped out to a 14-0 lead on Carter’s 3-yard TD run with 3:12 left in the first quarter and Carter’s 1-yard TD run with 10:23 left in the second quarter. |