Taking the long way: St. Bonaventure High football team heads to San Francisco
Scheduling has become one of the more difficult aspects of Joey Goyeneche’s job as St. Bonaventure High football coach.
“It’s hard to find games around here,” Goyeneche said. “You get (responses from) a lot of the Santa Margaritas and Servites and Mission Viejos.”
Deciding to expand his search for a good road matchup last year, when the Seraphs visited eventual CIF State Division 1-AA champion Lincoln in San Diego, he reached out to schools in Northern California, Las Vegas and Arizona.
“I wasn’t necessarily looking to play a juggernaut,” Goyeneche said. “I wanted to find a school that we’d want to match up with.”
More: Prep football notebook: T.O. is on the rise again and The Star's Top 10 rankings
More: Canceled football games at Nordhoff, Santa Paula is a sign of local COVID comeback
One of the bites’ Goyeneche received was from Adhir Ravipati, who labeled Archbishop Riordan “a sleeping giant” when he was hired last year at the West Catholic League school in San Francisco.
“They play in the toughest league up there with Serra and St. Francis,” Goyeneche said. “I knew it would be a tough game. … Their coach is really respected up there.
“When we have a chance to play a Catholic school, that’s always a plus. We love what those games stand for.”
Riordan hasn’t had a winning season in seven years, but Ravipati, who coached Menlo-Atherton to a state title in 2018, already has it 2-0 with a roster of at least 14 Division I recruits this fall.
“They’re going to be a test,” Goyeneche said.
St. Bonaventure (1-2) will take the six-hour bus ride north on Friday, a day ahead of Saturday’s 2 p.m. kickoff on Riordan’s campus, which is across the street from City College of San Francisco.
Coming off losses to the No. 1-ranked teams in Ventura County (Pacifica) and San Diego (Lincoln), the Seraphs are hoping the road trip sparks an improved performance.
“We need to get out of the rut that we’re in,” Goyeneche said.
The trip will include 52 student-athletes and 15 coaches and staff. The Seraphs paid for the trip, which will cost upwards of $10,000, with booster funds and a summer barbecue fundraiser.
More: With new starting QB delivering, Moorpark has been perfect so far
“We want to give our kids a great experience,” Goyeneche said.
Athletic director Raul Camacho said that the team plans to include a cultural outing Friday night. While the Golden Gate Bridge may be too far, due to Friday night traffic, a visit to Fisherman’s Wharf is the tentative plan.
“It’s important that they do get that part of it,” Goyeneche said. “They’re going to remember this for the rest of their lives. Hopefully we can play well and make it even better.”
Joe Curley covers high school, collegiate and professional football for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcspreps on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: St. Bonaventure High football hits the road for San Francisco test
