It was a big day any way you slice it. It was Homecoming on Oct. 14 — and the team’s biggest fan presence of the season could be felt. It was a chance for the Mission Bay High School (MBHS) football team to show how far it’s come since a disastrous 2010 season. But perhaps most of all, it was a demonstration of support for a seriously injured former teammate. Just before the game, MBHS head coach Willie Matson informed his team that a senior on last year’s squad had suffered a major neck injury from a diving accident over the weekend. Buccaneers’ quarterback Nate Long was asked if his team would be playing for his friend. “Yes,” he replied simply. After opening the game with little emotion and falling behind 14-0 at halftime, the Bucs dug deep within to pull out a huge 17-14 win over Serra High. MBHS played a nearly-flawless second half to secure the victory. “We went in at halftime and told [the players] they were losing respect from the other team,” Matson said. “We tried to reach them that way and they took it to heart. The best thing for a coach is when you find out your team does have heart. They came out and said, ‘We’re not going to take it. We’re going to fight to the end.’” The comeback started when the Bucs drove down to the Serra 10-yard line to start the third quarter. Facing a daunting third-and-goal situation, Long dropped back to pass and lofted the ball to the far right corner of the end zone. Wide receiver Jaquan Madyun reached out with his body fully extended and caught the ball as his feet simultaneously dragged the turf just inside the end line. The touchdown cut Serra’s lead in half. “He pressed on me, so I got him off and used my hands and made a good play on the ball,” Madyun said. “The quarterback put it in a good spot where only I could get it and the defensive back couldn’t do anything about it. I looked down at the line to see my feet and I kept them in.” On the ensuing kickoff, Matson opted for some trickery by attempting and succeeding in recovering an onside kick. The Bucs used the momentum swing to their advantage. Two plays later, senior MBHS running back Chris Byrd took a handoff from Long and showcased his explosive speed and elusiveness as he zigzagged back and forth across the field before finally sneaking into the end zone just inside the pylon for a stunning 49-yard touchdown scamper. The score was tied 14-14 with 3:40 left in the third quarter. “I felt like I had enough energy to run side to side 20 more times, but it was the line [that opened the holes] and I followed their blocks,” Byrd said. “They kept blocking all the way down and (senior offensive lineman) Lorenzo Pittman got my last block and I just dove into the end zone.” The Conquistadors tried desperately to recover some momentum on their next drive, but Bucs’ linebacker Donshay Bandy continued the rally by picking off a pass by Serra quarterback and returning it 24 yards to Serra’s 20-yard line. “It was crazy,” Bandy said. “I dropped back to my zone and put my hand up. Thank God I’ve got long arms.. I slapped it up, looked around and saw it redirect. I put my hands on it and took off.” After a stalled drive, MBHS kicker Bryan Grnada split the uprights with a clutch 31-yard field goal, giving the home team a 17-14 lead with 48 seconds left in the third quarter. From there, the Bucs ran the clock on offense and used a suffocating defense, which included back-to-back sacks by Isaac Griffin and Aaron Cobbler to finish off the victory. The win propelled MBHS to 3-2-1 on the season, raising its record above .500 for the first time since 2009. “It’s just like a wildfire,” Matson said. “When it starts up, it isn’t much. But once it catches and the wind gusts up a little bit, it takes off. I’m hoping that’s what happens. We’ll see.” BUC NOTES • The MBHS football squad dropped a tough road game to Madison High, 43-7 on Oct 21. • The Bucs travel to Point Loma High on Friday, Oct. 28 for an important league matchup beginning at 3 p.m. Mission Bay rounds out its home schedule with a contest against Hoover High on Nov. 4 at 3 p.m. The Buccaneers then travel to La Jolla for their final game of the regular season on Nov. 10, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m.