Get to know Buena HS football players, brothers Adrian and Andres Bonilla
SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. — Sitting in the Buena football training room before homecoming pregame warmups, the junior receiver starts shaking his head and moving to the rhythm of the beat. He is listening to Bruno Mars and halfway through the song, someone turns on Taylor Swift and he just can’t control himself. And with Adrian contagious smile beaming ear to ear, sophomore Andres “Scrappy” Bonilla – his younger brother – starts laughing too when the siblings look at each other.
Adrian and Andres are not only brothers, but teammates on the Buena football team. They have been for two years now yet were on the same team for many seasons before high school. They’ve experienced probably thousands of football moments together over the years, many of them even in this training room. It is good to see their laughter after recounting their favorite moment together in their careers and arguing who has the fastest 40-yard time.
It is no secret that the Bonilla combo is a major part of the offensive threat at Buena. With Andres 100 carries, totaling 917 yards and 9 touchdowns. Andres also has 1 reception for 15 yards and a touchdown. Adrian has 5 receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown. Adrian continues to shine on defense as he has collected 16 tackles and 1 interception.
As the brother’s chemistry continues to be refine, Andres commented that “It feels good knowing my brother has my back and I have his”. “Not a lot of people have brothers a year older than them, on the same football team. It has been like this for years and we can make history together.”
It’s been that way for the two since they were toddlers, starting in El Paso Texas, continuing in San Antonio Texas and Raeford North Carolina. When the football duet moved to Arizona, Adrian started his high school career at Tombstone High School. After his freshman year, he made the decision to transfer to Buena because he saw more opportunities to advance his skillset and stand out as a star defensive back. Unfortunately, due to the AIA transfer protocol of having to sit out the first 5 games of the following season, Adrian’s time on the field was limited but he is confident that this season he will showcase his defensive skills.
Adrian and Andres agree that playing the sport together has helped them grow their relationship as brothers, and both of them describe their bond as “strong.” Football has been part of the lifeblood between them, and both credited the sport as being the factor that has made them closer to each other than perhaps any of their other three siblings.
Andres has emerged as a standout running back for Buena since his arrival on the varsity team. Whether he gets a carry or goes out for a pass, Andres has played a substantial role on offense. He’s the team’s leading scorer, and sometimes doesn’t come off the field by also playing defense and serving as the punt and kick returner.
As for Adrian, he thrives on hitting people and fighting in the trenches. He is one of the major reasons why the secondary has exploded with success this year. The entire defense is thriving as a result.
A big part of their bond comes from witnessing first-hand how much each other has grown as a player and leader. Both are starters, team captains and leaders of the team. As this reporter have seen, the two feed off each other, which helps one another improve every day.
With athletics as their focus, both are great students with remarkable grades. Andres stated that his favorite subject is Math, and his favorite teacher is Ms. Claudia Bowman. Adrian disclosed his favorite subject is history and his favorite teacher is Ms. Amanda Hetero.
Both players look like excellent candidates to play in college. Adrian desires to stick closer to home, but Andres wants to play where it is cold, probably a good candidate for Northern Arizona University. Coaches expects both to get offers, and maybe they can play on the same team but there’s no guarantee what will happen in a couple of years. The Bonilla parents are more than proud of their sons’ accomplishments and excited to see them play together every week.
Same team or not though, you can count on these brothers to always have each other’s back. Football has partly done that for them. But we really want to see who is the winner of the 40-year dash! Family Focus Colts, Go Buena!
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