The Bucs’ football team made history last weekend, cinched

first-ever win.

KINGSTON — Finally.

On Friday evening at Buccaneer Field, Kingston won its first-ever varsity football game, defeating the 1A Cowboys of Chimacum, 13-8.

The bleachers were packed with gold and cardinal clad or Buc-jersey-adorned, yelling and cheering fans. Spectators spilled out of the seats to form a semi-circle perimeter around the northwest side of the field. The go-get-em energy was infectious as the cheerleaders jazzed up the crowd, who were wildly waving pompons of their own.

“It feels great,” said quarterback Paul Bagala at the game’s finale. “It shouldn’t have been this close, but it feels awesome.”

Fourteen plays, 73 yards and 14 minutes, 15 seconds after the game began, the Bucs gained control of the scoreboard. As the crowd began to whisper, “Oh it’s in, it’s in,” junior running back Travis Schriner plowed 3 yards up the middle and into the end zone.

Touchdown, Buccaneers, 7-0 Kingston.

Although Chimacum is a 1A school, head coach Dan Novick said the Cowboys run an offense that’s difficult to keep off the scoreboard, as it puts a lot of strain on the defense. But the Bucs defensive line answered the challenge, as it bounced the Cowboys’ offensive line around like balls in a pinball game.

In less than five minutes, the Bucs’ defense, led by sophomore linebacker Freddy Rodolf, put the stops on the Cowboy’s first drive. The Cowboys gained only 1 yard thanks to a Rodolf tackle, then 2 yards and then 6 and a few inches. It was fourth down and some change for the Cowboys, but the Buc defense formed an impenetrable wall and junior defensive lineman Roy Swearingen ensured the Cowboys did not garnish the much-needed inches.

The players launched themselves high into the air, as they jumped with excitement and the crowd vaulted to their feet in exhilaration.

“We’ve made defense a priority and it paid off,” Novick said during a phone conversation after the game. “Our kids had to play assignment football and tackle well, and we did that.”

Another thing the Bucs sure do well is rush up the middle.

Schriner and sophomore running-back Lou Hecker combined power, craft and fancy footwork to nab two first downs and a pretty placement on the Bucs’ own 13-yard line.

As the seconds in the first quarter ticked down to less than 50, senior defensive lineman Alex Van Deen cleared the corner, senior tight end Ian Brown sprinted to the end zone and Bagala took his time in the pocket, finding Brown.

“I just rolled out and saw Ian wide open and I made it so it was catchable and followed through,” Bagala said of the 13-yard touchdown pass. “They made a great play to get into the end zone.”

Seven plays, 45 yards and slightly more than two minutes later: Touchdown, Buccaneers.

The extra point was short.

The action dried up in the second and third quarters. With less than 10 minutes remaining in the game the Cowboys’ junior running back Josh Morgensen found a hole and rushed 70 yards for Chimacum’s sole touchdown. The Cowboys nixed the extra point and went for two, which they got.

On Friday, the Bucs travel to the North Kitsap Stadium to take on cross-town rivals the Vikings at 7 p.m. It will be a challenge, Novick said.

“It’s going to be about trying to get better and realize our potential,” Novick said of the pending matchup. “I’m very happy to be coaching our kids going into that game.”