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115 W Allen Ave, San Dimas, CA 91773

2023 Smudge Pot

2023BontiaTD

BONITA: 28 – SAN DIMAS: 0

Saturday, September 9, 2023 at Citrus College

In the annual Smudge Pot rivalry game, freshman quarterback Daniel Mielke confidently stepped into the spotlight for the Bonita Bearcats. With the towns of La Verne and San Dimas buzzing in anticipation, the young Bonita Quarterback had a lot to prove. Yet, by the end of the evening, Mielke tossed 13 of 21 passes for 187 yards and three touchdowns in a convincing 28-0 shutout against San Dimas at Citrus College, signaling his impressive entry into this long-standing rivalry.

“It was a crazy environment,” Mielke said. “The whole town came out and watched. It was exciting and a really fun game. It’s a big deal in La Verne. I think the community we have around us is so great. It’s not surprising to see this many people. We’re just so thankful. It’s really awesome.”

Bonita’s five consecutive wins in the Smudge Pot have now tied the record set by former San Dimas coach Dean Bennett from 1989-1993. The victory also solidifies Bonita coach Steve Bogan’s unblemished 5-0 record against his Saint counterpart, Mark Holman.

San Dimas’ defense kept the game tight in the first half with the favored Bearcats only up by a touchdown. Mielke’s 43-yard TD pass to Jayden Montenegro marked the only score. But a halftime huddle with Coach Bogan, which involved watching some film and sage advice, changed the course for Mielke. The freshman QB confessed, “We watched some film and [Coach Bogan] told me to trust my reads… In the second half, I was calm, put trust in my guys and got them the ball.”

Trust, it seemed, was the key. The second half witnessed a more resolute Bearcats team. Mielke continued his stellar performance, connecting with Ryder Cadam for a 14-yard TD and Noah Mikhail for a 19-yard TD. Mikhail also contributed with a 10-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter, sealing the deal for Bonita.

“I saw the ball coming and I thought I could make that catch,” Cadam said of his first Smudge Pot touchdown. “The guy in front of me didn’t see the ball so I knew I had this one. The ball hit my hands and I looked down and saw I was in the end zone and knew it was a touchdown.”

Though the Saints displayed resilience, their offense struggled against Bonita’s formidable defense. San Dimas managed only 6 first downs and 74 total yards from 37 carries and didn’t complete a single pass. 

“Defense played lights out the whole night,” Bogan said.

A few of the standouts for the Saints were running back, Caleb Morquecho (34) who rushed for 48 yards with runs of 13 and 10 yards in the fourth quarter. Defenseman Kingston Curtis had a highlight sack on Mielke late in the game. 

Reflecting on the intense rivalry, Coach Bogan commented on the community support, “This is one of the things both these communities get to do…these two schools have kept the rivalry going.”

The game was not just a test for Mielke but also held sentimental significance for players like Ryder Cadam, whose family legacy intertwines with the Smudge Pot’s history. “Both my brothers played in Smudge Pot games (for Bonita) and my dad too at San Dimas,” Cadam said. “This is the last one our family is playing in. Our family never lost one.” Senior Jayden Montenegro had a strong game for Bonita catching 5 passes for 86 and rushing for an additional 19 yards on 6 carries. Mikhail had another overall excellent game leading the team with 13 tackles in additional to his two touchdowns and 56 all purpose yards.

“We could’ve played better,” said San Dimas coach Mark Holman. “But (Bonita) is more poised. We shot ourselves in the foot a lot but Bonita is a really good football team.” Holman said we will bounce back and be ready for league play. “Short-term memory and move forward,” he said.

Baiotto, B. (2023, September 10). Bonita Freshman Daniel Mielke Throws for 3 TD’s in 28-0 Victory Over SDHS; Bearcats Extend Smudge Pot Win Streak to Five Games. Welcome. https://210prepsports.com/2023/09/10/bonita-freshman-daniel-mielke-throws-3-tds-in-28-0-victory-over-sdhs-bearcats-extend-smudge-pot-win-streak-to-five-games/

Bonita football extends Smudge Pot winning streak to five against rival San Dimas. (2023, September 10). San Gabriel Valley Tribune. https://www.sgvtribune.com/2023/09/09/bonita-extends-smudge-pot-winning-streak-to-five-with-victory-over-san-dimas/

[gem_table]

Teams
Q 1
Q 2
Q 3
Q 4
Total
Bonita 7 0 14 7 28
San Dimas 0 0 0 0 0
B: Jayden Montenegro 43 pass from Daniel Mielke (Manny Franco kick)
B: Ryder Cadam 14 pass from Daniel Mielke (Manny Franco kick)

B: Noah Mikhail 19 pass from Daniel Mielke (Manny Franco kick)
B: Noah Mikhail 10 run (Manny Franco kick)

[/gem_table]

Smudge Pot 2023 Game Video

Game Highlights

Video Highlights provided by Bonita Unified School District

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Video Highlights provided by Steve Ramirez

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Video Highlights provided by CLA Films @SportsRecruits

Bonita High Logo

Varsity Bearcats


Bonita’s football team, which missed the playoffs last year despite a strong performance, is gearing up for the 2023 season with significant talent on both sides of the ball. The team is particularly excited about junior linebacker Noah Mikhail, a highly touted college prospect. “Noah is phenomenal on defense. In those big moments, he will be that guy for us,” said co-head coach Steve Bogan. On offense, Mikhail will also contribute, although the coaching staff is cautious not to overuse him.

The team returns seven players on offense, including a strong receiving corps of Ryder Cadam, Jayden Montenegro, and Dylan Robinson. On defense, they bring back eight starters, led by Mikhail, Cole Parra, and Dom Avelar at linebacker. A major storyline is the addition of highly-touted freshman quarterback Daniel Mielke, who already has multiple college offers. “We’re excited, a little cautiously of course, but extremely optimistic,” said Bogan regarding Mielke’s potential impact.

Bogan emphasized the importance of the offensive line for the season’s success: “If we can stay healthy and our line plays well, then we can do a lot of things. We’ll see, you can never predict how those things will go.”

The team’s roster is brimming with talent on both sides of the ball. Top returning players on offense include Noah Mikhail, who plays both running back and wide receiver, Ryder Cadam and Jayden Montenegro at wide receiver, and Sam Valdez, Ethan Lorenz, and Carson Baruth as offensive linemen. Dylan Robinson and Jaylen Lawrence round out the receiving core. On defense, Noah Mikhail doubles as a linebacker, joined by Adrian McCoy in the defensive backfield, linebackers Cole Parra and Dom Avelar, and defensive backs Dylan Robinson and Jacob Maddox. Fresh faces to watch this season are freshmen quarterback Daniel Mielke II, sophomore Travis Lippert, who plays both quarterback and linebacker, and freshman defensive end Isaiah Lazarus.

Schedule:

  • Aug. 18:  56-21 Win against Monrovia
  • Aug. 25: 34-31 Win against Ontario Christian
  • Aug. 31: 44-0 Win against La Salle
  • Sept. 9: 28-0 Win against San Dimas (Smudge Pot Game)
  • Sept. 15: 28-14 Win against Los Osos
  • Sept. 28: 13-14 Loss against Northview
  • Oct. 6: 49-6 Win against Sierra Vista
  • Oct. 13: 26-29 Loss against Ayala* (League game)
  • Oct. 19: 35-0 Win against Alta Loma* (League game)
  • Oct. 26: 27-18 Win against Charter Oak* (League game)
  • Nov 3: 21-20 Win against Northview (CSF)
  • Nov 10: 19-13 Loss against Thousand Oaks
# Name Class Positions Height Weight
2 Jayden Montenegro Sr. WR, OLB 6’1″ 190 lbs
3 Noah Mikhail Jr. LB, WR, ATH 6’3″ 220 lbs
4 Ryder Cadam Sr. WR, CB 6’4″ 180 lbs
5 Cole Parra Jr. RB, OLB 5’10” 178 lbs
6 Adrian Mccoy Sr. RB, WR, CB 5’10” 160 lbs
7 Jacob Maddox So. WR, CB 5’9″ 160 lbs
8 Carter Alba Sr. FS, RB 5’10” 172 lbs
9 Dylan Robinson Jr. CB, WR 6’3″ 185 lbs
10 Travis Lippert So. QB 6’1″ 160 lbs
11 Daniel Mielke ii Fr. QB 6’4″ 188 lbs
13 Jaeden Rudulph Jr. WR, OLB 6’0″ 172 lbs
14 Parker Alexander So. S 5’7″
18 Anthony Tapia Sr. OLB, RB 6’0″ 200 lbs
21 Aden Jackson Sr. SB, OLB 5’9″ 140 lbs
22 Drew Apodaca So. RB, LB 5’8″
23 Bryon Alva Jr. WR, FS 5’11” 160 lbs
23 Jaxon Lawrence Fr. CB, SS 5’8″ 165 lbs
24 Daiveon Woodley Jr. RB, CB 5’7″ 155 lbs
25 Owen Hughes Jr. WR, FS 6’1″ 170 lbs
26 Zion Sells Jr. WR, CB 6’0″ 185 lbs
27 Joseph Lara Fr. RB, OLB 5’11” 185 lbs
28 Connor Milici Sr. RB, OLB 6’0″ 205 lbs
29 Donovan Sandru Jr. TE, OLB 6’1″ 195 lbs
30 Andrew Benavidez Sr. RB, LB 5’5″ 135 lbs
32 Lucas Legaspi Jr. RB, OLB 5’9″
33 Dominic Avelar Sr. MLB, TE 6’0″ 210 lbs
34 Izaiah Ochoa Jr. WR, CB
35 Jacob Gill Jr. WR 8’0″ 400 lbs
39 Manny Franco Sr. K
42 Kaden Quinn Jr. WR, CB 5’9″ 135 lbs
43 Stewart Graham So. WR, DE
44 Joshua Perez So. OLB
51 Nicholas Ramirez Jr. G, DE
52 Isaiah Lazarus Fr. G, T, DE 5’10” 210 lbs
53 Xavier Huipio Sr. RB, CB 5’7″ 147 lbs
54 Cesar Candia Sr.
55 Ayden Garcia Jr. TE, DE
56 Christopher Jimenez Sr. TE, DE
58 Joshua Marshall Jr. T, DE 6’1″ 200 lbs
60 Stephen Lenehan Jr. K 6’0″ 160 lbs
64 Carson Bahruth So. T, DT 6’2″ 290 lbs
66 Samuel Valdez Sr. G, C 5’11” 240 lbs
67 Dominic Bartilotti Sr. OL 6’1″ 235 lbs
70 Luis Estrada Jr. T, G 6’2″ 296 lbs
79 Kaden Paddock Sr. DT, G 5’11” 180 lbs
82 Nathaniel Kisaka Jr. WR, CB 6’2″ 180 lbs
91 Jacob Richard So. 5’11” 270 lbs
Name Class Positions Height Weight
Zachary Bayless So. SB, CB
Joseph Campos-fletcher So. WR, C
Gabriel Canchola So. SB, FS
Carlos Cardona So. WR, SS 5’9″ 135 lbs
Angel Cebellos Sr. RB, OLB
Peter Chapouris So. WR, FS
Abigail Coppolo So. K
Devin Cruz Jr. WR, C
Alden Duncan So. SB, C
Justin Gelskey Jr. WR, CB 5’8″ 130 lbs
Christopher Gomez So. SB, CB
Emmanuel Guerrero So. G, NG
Ethan Hawkins So. SB, CB
Isaac Hernandez So. RB, OLB
Darren Lass So. SB, FS
Lucas Legaspi Jr. RB, OLB
Lucas Lin So. T, DE
Micheal Lopez So. QB 5’7″ 130 lbs
Emilio Lupercio So. T, DT
Jerry Macedo So. WR, CB
Jd Mcdonald So. C, NG
Riley Navarro So. K
Sebastian Perla So. RB, SS
Jake Poplar So. SB, CB 5’6″ 123 lbs
Aiden Prieto So. WR, CB
Mateo Reyes So. G, NG 5’8″ 220 lbs
Blaine Ruiz So. QB
Ethan Sandoval So. SB, C
Johnathan Tyler So. WR, SS 6’2″ 144 lbs
Michael Valladares So. WR, C
Ian Vasquez So. OLB
Ezekiel Velarde So. WR, OLB
Josiah Villarreal So. SB, C

LEAGUE HONORS

Offensive MVP

  • Running Back: Jayden Montengro
1st Team Offense
  • Manny Franco (K)
  • Ethan Lorenz (OL)
  • Ryder Cadam (WR)
  • Daniel Mielke (QB)
2nd Team Offense
  • Carson Bahruth (OL)
  • Dylan Robinson (WR)
Honorable Mention
  • Sam Valdez (OL)

Defensive MVP

  • Linebacker: Noah Mikha1l
1st Team Defense
  • Dominic Avelar (LB)
  • Cole Parra (LB)
  • Dylan Robinson (DB)
  • Jacob Maddox (DB)
2nd Team Defense
  • Isaiah Lazarus (DL)
  • Adrian McCoy (DB)
Honorable Mention
  • Carter Alba (LB)
  • Cesar Candia (DL)
  • Connor Milici (LB)

Photography provided by Beth Qualline and  by @madeby.taeg on Instagram

Varsity Saints


The anticipation is high for the 2023 high school football season, and San Dimas is a team to watch. In 2022, they posted an 8-5 overall record, finishing second in the Valle Vista League and reaching the CIF-SS Division 9 semifinals.

San Dimas boasts a formidable running game, returning three all-league running backs—Caleb Morquecho, Julian Vigil, and Brian Jackson. Morquecho led the team with 1,050 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns last year. On defense, the team retains ends Kingston Curtis and Donovan Morrison, along with defensive back Vigil. The squad returns 22 starters overall, eight of whom earned all-league honors in 2022.

Head coach Mark Holman remarked, “This group has played a lot at a young age. Weakness? Can the line gel early on. We’ve got a tough schedule but it should prepare us for league. Question for us is do we have enough depth to hold up all season?”

Top returning players on offense include Julian Vigil, Caleb Morquecho, Brian Jackson, Brennan Valdivia, and Aaron Ibarra. On defense, key returners are Kingston Curtis, Donovan Morrison, Julian Vigil, and Brian Jackson. Newcomers to watch are Aaron Gomez, Robert Alvarez, and Dean Ruiz.

Schedule

  • Aug. 18 vs. Fullerton
  • Aug. 25 vs. Lakewood
  • Sept. 1 vs. Marina
  • Sept. 9 vs. Bonita at Mt. SAC
  • Sept. 15 vs. Sunny Hills
  • Sept. 22 vs. Monrovia
  • Sept. 29 at Don Lugo
  • Oct. 13 vs. Northview (League Game)
  • Oct. 20 at Diamond Ranch (League Game)
  • Oct. 27 at Los Altos (League Game)

 

# Player Grade Position Height Weight
1 Brian Jackson Sr.
3 Robert Alvarez Sr. SS
4 Drew Fierro Jr.
5 Nathaniel Almaraz Jr. RB
7 Devin Gonzalez So.
9 Mike Parada So.
10 Jacob Gonzalez Sr. QB 5’10” 165 lbs
11 Andrew Herrera Jr. RB, OLB
12 Timas Rodriguez So.
14 Blake Hutchins Jr. QB, FS 6’2″ 145 lbs
15 Brandon Meredith Jr.
17 Elias Del real So. OLB 5’10” 200 lbs
20 Daniel Baeza So.
21 Antonio Trejo So.
22 Jean-luc Brodeur Jr. FS, SS, RB
23 Julian Vigil Jr. CB, WR 6’1″ 165 lbs
24 Tristan Fierro Jr. MLB, FB 5’10” 205 lbs
25 George Picazo Jr.
27 Adrian Villalpando Sr. MLB, CB 5’10” 170 lbs
28 Aaron Kelsey Jr.
30 Jason Haro Sr.
32 Jose Camarena So.
33/7 Aaron Gomez Jr. QB, SS
34 Caleb Morquecho Jr. RB 5’9″ 190 lbs
40 Alex Torres Sr.
44 Brady Arriaga So.
45 Rome Alvarez
48 Liam Loyola Fr.
50 Adam Damato Fr. SS, FS 5’6″ 130 lbs
51 Evan Lopez So.
52 Elijah Aguilar Jr.
52 Christopher Del real Sr. G, OLB 6’0″ 205 lbs
54 Jordan Garcia Jr. ATH, ATH
57 Devin Gonzalez Fr.
58 Dean Ruiz So.
66 Donovan Morrison Sr. ATH 5’8″ 180 lbs
74 Joseph Zamorano So. 6’3″ 280 lbs
75 Aaron Ibarra Jr. T
78 Tommy Carlton So.
87 Jacob Gallegos Fr WR
90 Michael Baeza Fr

Smudge Pot Quotes

"“We could’ve played better,” said San Dimas coach Mark Holman. “But (Bonita) is more poised. We shot ourselves in the foot a lot but Bonita is a really good football team.” On getting ready for next week, “Short-term memory and move forward,” he said."

Mark Holman | San Dimas Head Coach, 2023

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