The 1970’s: The Tradition Begins

The decade was dominated by the upstart San Dimas Saints who won 6 Smudge Pot Bowl games during the 1970s. The first coaches to face off in a Smudge Pot game were Pete Lopez of Bonita High and Bob Biaz at San Dimas High. Biaz would win four Smudge Pot games in the 1970s (’72,’73,’74, and ’76) while Lopez would win two for the Bearcats (75 and 79). Biaz would win two CIF titles at Claremont in the mid 1980s. Lopez would retire from coaching and continue as a Spanish teacher at Bonita through the early ’90s.

The week before the big game, school spirit could be felt in both communities as rallies were held, posters were hung and lawn signs were posted in front yards. In the fall of ’72, there was something going on at Bonita. A mysterious battle cry was heard and written all over campus, “Azizleri Hakla! No one would tell anybody what it meant. As expected the strange slogan was pointing to the first ever Bonita-San Dimas football game. At halftime of the big game the secret was revealed – “Beat the Saints!” San Dimas would “cage the kitty” at their rallies while Bonita would  chant “crucify the Saints”.

Fifty years ago in 1972 the San Dimas Saints won the first Smudge Pot (and the next 3) and embarrassed the Bearcats 33-0. Randy Spahr recovered a blocked punt and ran it 23-yards for a touchdown. Saint running back, Wayne Moses scored 2 touchdowns including a punt return for 63 yards. Steve Barnard (Saints’ Quarterback, ’72), said “Wayne gained 1,000 plus yards all three years and in my humble opinion is the best Saints’ running back ever (and I’ve seen almost all of them). Damien even printed shirts that said ‘Stop Moses’ for their defense to wear all summer before our opener in ’72 (It didn’t work out for them).”  Steve Barnard threw a 14 yard touchdown in the first Smudge Pot game. However, there is a bit of a mystery. Who made the catch? The official record says it was John Kerfoot but others swear it was starting end Bob Rollins. Bonita’s Bruce McNaught had a tough game in ’72 completing only two passes, though in the ’73 game he would scramble for a 48 yard touchdown.

Quarterback Harold Drake and running back Brad Frick were the star offensive players on the 1974 Bonita team. The Bearcats would also have the number one defense in league. The highlight play of the season was a 55 yard pass from Drake to Dave Drury to beat Alta Loma with 59 seconds remaining in the game.  Bonita’s only loss of the season would be to the Saints in the Smudge Pot Bowl. They would go on to defeat Royal Oak 14-9 to clinch the Hacienda League Championship. The Bearcats defeated Norco and Mayfair in CIF only to lose to Neff in the CIF Quarter Finals.

In 1975 Bonita won it’s first Smudge Pot, 14-7. Bonita standouts were Quarterback Sanford Coggins with a touchdown, and running back Bob Pleasant gaining ’73 yards on six plays including a 50 yard touchdown. On the defensive side, Bruce Hines had a strong game with two interceptions and end Scott Sanborn recovered two fumbles.

1976 was a highlight season for San Dimas losing only one game and were crowned Hacienda League Champions. The Saints played well in the CIF playoffs, soundly defeating Indio (55-13), Northview (26-19) before losing to Antelope Valley in 28 degree weather in the semi-finalist game.

In the 1979 Smudge Pot game, team Captain Mike Riggs (and future PE teacher in the district), set up the winning play that led to the 10-7 win against San Dimas, thus bringing the Smudge Pot home to Bonita after four years.