Van Horne loving BC's aerial attack this year
| Friday, Nov 20 2009 11:38 PM
Last Updated Friday, Nov 20 2009 11:38 PM
6th annual Golden Empire Bowl
When: Today, 3 p.m.
Where: Memorial Stadium
Teams: BC (9-1) vs. Allan Hancock (9-1)
Radio: 1180 AM
At stake: Berth in SoCal semifinals next Saturday
SoCal seedings: BC 4th, Hancock 5th
Earlier meeting: BC won 31-24 in Santa Maria Oct. 10
Tickets: $10 adults, $6 children. Ticket booths and stadium open at 1 p.m. No reserved seating.
Vince Van Horne is no stranger to playoff games, thanks to his years at Bakersfield High School and now as a sophomore wideout at Bakersfield College.
He hopes for a big game today when the Renegades play host to Allan Hancock in the sixth annual Golden Empire Bowl, which has a 3 p.m. kickoff in Memorial Stadium.
Today's game doubles as a first-round Southern California playoff game. Both BC and Hancock are 9-1, with BC handing the Bulldogs their only loss, 31-24, in Santa Maria on Oct. 10.
This may be Van Horne's first college postseason game, but he isn't the first one in his family to play in a bowl game.
His father, Rick, was MVP in the 1981 Shrine Potato Bowl when he played defense for a BC team that beat Taft 27-13 before nearly 19,000 in Memorial Stadium.
"I've never asked him about that game," Vince Van Horne said. "I know he was MVP. We have a wall of trophies in our house with all his college awards -- All-American stuff, the Potato Bowl MVP. It's pretty cool. ... I've got a little to live up to."
Van Horne has established himself as one of the Renegades' top threats.
He ranks third on the Renegades with 19 receptions. His 454 receiving yards gives him a 23.9 average and he has three touchdowns, including an 88-yarder that is BC's longest scoring play from scrimmage this season.
Van Horne also returns punts and is the holder when state kick scoring leader Josh Gallington takes the field.
Van Horne said it's like night-and-day when comparing this season to a year ago, when BC finished 4-6.
"Last year we couldn't throw a pass to save our lives, and this year it's all we do, basically," Van Horne said. "It's like 60-40 pass-run. That's pretty good."
Especially if you're a receiver.
"Oh, I love it," he said.
Van Horne said he has a good rapport with redshirt freshman quarterback Logan Kilgore, who was named this week as the National Northern Conference Offensive MVP. Kilgore is only the 11th BC quarterback with more than 2,000 career yards, and his 2,124 this season is the third-highest single-season total in the program's history.
Van Horne was a second-team All-NNC pick.
"I got to know him a little bit last year but once he stepped up into a starting role, we really started bonding as a duo, and with the other receivers, too," Van Horne said. "We love him."
"He runs great routes," Kilgore said of Van Horne. "He's the best route-runner I've ever thrown to.
"It's not his size (Van Horne is 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds), it's his mental knowledge of coverages. He gets open. You can't teach that. He reminds me of Wes Welker."
At Bakersfield High, Van Horne played on Central Section championship teams his sophomore and senior years, and the Drillers went 33-7 in his three varsity seasons.
He had 78 receptions and 13 TDs in his high school career.
Van Horne said he's developed a tougher edge on the field now that he's in college. He was penalized last week for handing the ball to an opponent who had just violently tackled him after a catch. And earlier this season, he was flagged for punching an opponent.
"All through high school I was pushed around a little bit, and I'm not going to put up with it anymore," he said. "I'm going to show my emotion out there every play. If I get a personal foul, I get a personal foul."
