Hiram Johnson High School opens state-of-the-art football stadium, but Bella Vista wins

Nathan Uebelhoer
·4 min read

Friday night lights came to Hiram Johnson High School as the Warriors played their opening game under brand new lights in a state-of-the-art stadium.

The Warriors fell 36-16 against Bella Vista on Friday night, but that did not take away from this special moment for the players and a packed crowd.

Johnson, founded in 1958, has played night games using portable lights on a grass field filled with potholes, dirt and the like, but that is a far cry from this stunning new venue.

The new lights, artificial turf and grandstands are seven years in the making, according to principal Garrett Kirkland.

The Hiram Johnson Warriors prepare to kick off against the Bella Vista Broncos in their season opener on Friday. It was the Warriors’ first game in the Sacramento high school’s newly renovated football stadium, where games can now be played under lights at night. Home and away bleachers with almost 1,700 seats, an overhead entrance sign and home and visitor concession and restroom buildings have also been added.

“We’ve been working on this for a few years,” Kirkland said. “It’s just amazing for it to finally happen. The energy in this place is completely different. It really feels like a big time football school, which is what we’re working on becoming.”

Kirkland described the pride students and parents felt when the stadium was unveiled. The venue includes the four massive LED lights, a brand new press box, new stands, concessions, new playing surface and a gigantic sign welcoming fans to the “Home of the Warriors” at the entrance. School does not start until next Thursday, but Kirkland made an effort to get as many fans in attendance as possible, even scheduling freshman orientation for Friday afternoon.

The Johnson staff made sure to utilize the lights, letting them bounce and flicker during the pregame ceremony, especially when senior lineman Diego Ocana pounded the drums for the inaugural tradition called the “Warrior Drum Bang”.

Hiram Johnson Warriors senior lineman Diego Ocana (64) pounds the drums for the inaugural “Warrior Drum Bang” on Friday before playing in the school’s first game in its newly renovated football stadium.
Hiram Johnson Warriors senior lineman Diego Ocana (64) pounds the drums for the inaugural “Warrior Drum Bang” on Friday before playing in the school’s first game in its newly renovated football stadium.

With Johnson High School located in the middle of a residential area, Kirkland said it was important to keep in contact with residents in the community.

“We had community meetings to make sure that everybody was comfortable and understood what was going on,” Kirkland said. “Just about everybody who lives around here has been supportive of the new lights and are excited for the kids who go to school here.”

Kirkland added that the new lights are designed to only light up the playing surface. He pointed out that even the track around the field was not lit, so residents of nearby homes would be undisturbed.

Athletic director Nathan Oltmanns commended Kirkland, saying the principal has the phone numbers of many of the residents in the area and stayed in close contact with them during the entire process.

“This game just feels big time,” Oltmanns said. “Before this, the games just didn’t feel like a big deal with parents in lawn chairs and just a poor playing surface. For so many years, the players at this school haven’t had the opportunity to play in a place that really feels like a big time school. This is such an important moment.”

Oltmanns addressed the crowd before the game, saying: “Johnson has never had anything as special as we have tonight.”

Bella Vista got its first win of the season after falling to Union Mine a week ago. Before the game, Broncos coach Jim Gray lamented penalties and late mistakes as the primary contributors to his team’s opening loss. He said they had to clean things up Friday night.

Gray returned to Bella Vista in 2021 after serving as head coach from 1990-1994. Before Gray came in, the team had been on a 48-game losing streak. He said his job was simple: Return the team to its former glory and make Bella Vista a respectable football program again.

Last year, the Broncos went 5-5 and were a game away from the playoffs. Gray has high hopes for the team this year, as do the players, whose team mantra is: “We are going to the playoffs.”

“I thought we played really well tonight,” Gray said. “We just had a high level of confidence and played like a team that other programs will fear. Just having that confidence that you believe you can win is really half the battle.”

Bella Vista Broncos running back Mathew Bunney (21) is escorted into the end zone by guard Tyler Eland (75) and running back Nolan Bernhard (2) against the Hiram Johnson Warriors on Friday.
Bella Vista Broncos running back Mathew Bunney (21) is escorted into the end zone by guard Tyler Eland (75) and running back Nolan Bernhard (2) against the Hiram Johnson Warriors on Friday.

Senior wide receiver and team leader Damian Rickett also praised his team after the game.

“We definitely improved tonight,” Rickett said. “There are still things we have to work on, but for the most part I feel like we have the pieces to make the playoffs and go far.”

Meanwhile, first-year Johnson coach Will Buck praised his young team.

“We only have five seniors,” Buck said. “This is a young group. But I got to tell you, we are almost there. There were just simple mistakes that we made that can be fixed with time. This is a young team that’s going to grow and just get better as time goes on.”

Johnson will play its next game at home against Valley Christian while Bella Vista will go on the road to face Ponderosa.