Buckingham County High School’s varsity football team washed away the sour taste of its 2016 homecoming game by gaining a big lead Friday and maintaining it to defeat visiting Bluestone High School 34-19.

“They beat us on homecoming last year while it was pouring down rain, so it was nice to be able to get a win this year at homecoming,” Knights Head Coach Josh Wallace said.

With the victory, Buckingham (3-5) has improved on its run in 2016 — Wallace’s first season with the team — when the Knights finished 2-8.

The Barons beat Buckingham that year 33-0, but they did not have as much success offensively Friday.

“We played really good defense,” Wallace said. “I think that was kind of our key was playing really good defense.”

He noted it was more of a team defensive effort, refraining from highlighting any particular player.

“We had five interceptions, and four different players had interceptions, and we had some great plays by some of our linebackers,” he said.

Giving Buckingham a 6-0 lead less than three minutes into the game was sophomore running back Walter Edwards, who scored on a 15-yard touchdown run.

Senior quarterback Daniel Brickhill made the score 12-0 after a 25-yard run with four minutes, 39 seconds left in the first quarter.

With just under two minutes left in the first half, freshman defensive back/running back Gerry Toney pushed the score to 18-0 when he incepted Barons junior quarterback Dale Sturdifen Jr. and returned it approximately 45 yards for a touchdown.

Almost eight minutes into the third quarter, Bluestone got on the scoreboard, creating an 18-7 score.

The Knights went up 26-7 a mere 13 seconds later after Toney returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown and Brickhill reached the end zone for the two-point conversion.

The Barons showed they could strike quickly as well, scoring 13 seconds after that on a 65-yard touchdown pass for a 26-13 score with just less than four minutes remaining the third quarter.

The contest became a one-possession ballgame with 9:38 to go in the fourth quarter when Bluestone scored to make the scoreboard read 26-19.

The Barons got the ball back again, but they were not able to maintain possession as junior defensive back Tyrese Ayres recorded an interception and set up the Knights for a five-yard touchdown run with 6:03 left that helped seal the victory.

The Knights are taking significant momentum into their final two contests of the regular season, having now won consecutive games for the first time under Wallace.

Buckingham visits Randolph-Henry High School (0-8) on Friday at 7 p.m. and closes the regular season Friday, Nov. 3, when it hosts Prince Edward County High School, also at 7 p.m.