BONITA: 31 – SAN DIMAS: 6
Friday, October 14, 1994
Bonita was able to take home the Smudge Pot trophy in the game 31-6 victory over the Saints in the 1994 Smudge Pot Game. The smudge pot was the game opener for the Valle Vista league, and was held at Bonita’s Glenn Davis Stadium. With the victory the Bearcats were able to take home the coveted Smudge Pot trophy for the first time since 1988.
“From what I know, it’s been a long time coming,” Bearcats second-year head coach Dan Harden said. “I’ve taught at both schools so I knew how much this game means to each side. We had a good week of practice and the kids worked hard to get this one.”
From the start, Bonita had taken control of the game. Kory Bussey was the centerpiece for Bonita’s offense in the first quarter, and scored all their 10 points. Starting with a 41 yard field goal four minutes into the quarter, Bussey continued scoring after that with a 36 yard touchdown. At the end of the quarter, the Bearcats were up 10-0 over the Saints. “This makes our season right here,” Bonita’s Kory Bussey said during his team’s post game celebration. “This is what we talked about all week, to get it (the trophy) back. We knew we had to play hard and want it more.”
Forty-five seconds into the second quarter, Bonita scored again with a 37 yard touchdown thrown by QB Mark Rivera to Bussey. “I tipped it back to myself and pulled it in, “said Bussey.”It was a great pass.” Four minutes later, the Bearcats’ Nathan Ransom broke through on a 70 yard touchdown run. At the end of the half, Bonita was up 26-0, and had prevented San Dimas from scoring the entirety of the first half.
In the third quarter, San Dimas started to break through the Bearcat’s defense. With six minutes remaining in the quarter, Kevin Pedrola was able to score a 9 yard touchdown to put points on the board for the Saints. Continuing into the fourth quarter, the Saints offense had more attempts to score going deep into Bonita’s territory. San Dimas did have 316 yards of total offense, led by Pedrola’s 107 yards on 16 rushes. However, it was not the Saints’ night and they were unable to score, allowing the Bearcats to take home the Smudge Pot for only the 6th time in the 22 year history of the rivalry.
“We watched last year’s films and saw that they (San Dimas) simply wanted that game more than we did.” Harden said.
Teams |
Quarter 1 |
Quarter 2 |
Quarter 3 |
Quarter 4 |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonita | 10 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
| San Dimas | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Stats | B: 41 yard Field Goal Bussey B: Bussey 36 yard pass from Rivera (Bussey Kick) |
B: Hertz 37 yard pass from Rivers (Bussey Kick) B: Ransom 70 yard run (Bussey Kick) |
SD: Pedrola 9 yard run (PA run failed) | B: Scranton 1 yard run (Bussey Kick) |
Bonita |
TEam Statistics |
San Dimas |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | First Downs | 18 |
| 24 carries for 204 yards | Rushes | 43 carries for 214 yards |
| 137 yards | Pass Yards | 102 yards |
| 8 for 13 (no interceptions) | Passes | 8 for 22 (2 interceptions) |
| 4 punts for 38.0 yards | Punts Averages | 4 punts for 29.0 yards |
| 1 lost fumble | Fumbles lost | 1 lost fumble |
| 12 penalties for 113 yards | Penalties Yards | 6 penalties for 58 yards |
Rivera (Bonita)Passing8 for 13 137 yards
Player |
Position |
Game Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Ransom (Bonita) | Rushing | 13 carries for 169 yards |
| Pedrola (San Dimas) | Rushing | 19 carries for 117 yards |
| Rivera (Bonita) | Passing | 8 for 13 137 yards |
| Wade (San Dimas) | Receiving | 3 catches for 33 yards |
Varsity Bearcats
Top Row: Bill Bonner, Mike Luna, Steve Alaniz, Tim Linder, Carl Cole, Andy Cardamone, Jared Hertz, David Fleischmann.
Row 5: Brian Canny, Jimmy Una, Kent Fung, Bemenet Asseja Kay Sakue, Brian Paulson, Kory Bussey, Jacob Luera.
Row 4: Fred Miller, David Carrillo, Nathan Ransom, Devon Har- den, Brian Walper, Tim Robinson, Nick Fuller, Joey Votow.
Row 3: Roady, Earle Linder, Larry Hately, George King, Terri Hall, Dan Hall, Dan Harden, Bob Morgan, Juilian McFannon, William Mc-Clair.
Row 2: Robert Rico, Pete Baruth, Danny Diaz, Greg Castillo, Ricki Esparza, Joe Votow, Estaben Gomez, Mark Rivera.
Front Row: Albert Escalate, Jessie Esqueda, Arjang Farajollahi, Tsegab Assefa, Terrance Cadao, Mike
Tackle Talk ’94
Varsity Football came out with a great start, beating Sierra Vista. We played hard and kept a tight defense through the entire game. We came out on top with our first win of the season. The next couple of games (and wins) assured the team to end up with a tough reputation. The performance of Varsity also attracted more fans.
Then came Smudge Pot. Varsity came out strong and beat San Dimas 31-6. This was one of the toughest Smudge Pot games. This was the first time in five years that Bonita has had the Smudge Pot. With the win over San Dimas Bonita’s record was 3-3. Then came the South Hills game. South Hills was ranked #1 in League, and the game against them was one of the toughest. Though Bonita played great they came up short, with a score of 26-35. “It was a great year. We started out strong and ended really strong. I think we brought respect back to Bonita’s football program, said Mike Luna.
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Varsity Saints
Front Row: Jason Zepelin, Josh Coleman, Joe Nieto, Doug Snawder, Kevin Pedrola, Marquis Dawson, Chris Erod, Steve Spahr.
Row 2: Coaches Tim Pickett, Tom McFadden; Craig Sawyer, Bill Shroyer, Justin Torricelli, Shawn Calkins; Coaches Don Andrade, Dean Bennett, Jim Coombs.
Row 3: Trainers Tania Correa, Jill Tunstall; Jean Paul Boucheneau, Mike Plount, Roger Chapa, Lawrence Morris, Joseph Wright; Trainers Lori Bennett, Yvette Garcia.
Back Row: Tony Mason, Brian Erlendson, Shaun Murphy, Mike Wade, Chris Cervantes, Jason Johnson, Omar Farooqi, Dennis Hernandez.
A Trying Season
“We had some trying games and even though we lost, they were victories in their own way. Every game we improved on the mistakes we made in the last game, said offensive tackle junior Mike Plount. It was not whether they won or lost, but how they played the game; and the varsity football team knew that success wasn’t something you read on a scoreboard. Among the nine games of the season, the players favored the game against Workman which was their most successful. “In the Workman game, we went into overtime. The final play that gave us a two-point conversion and our win was exciting,” said halfback junior Lawrence Morris. “Even though we didn’t do very well as a team, we still had our high points such as our win against Workman where I threw a 150-yard pass with two touchdowns.
The varsity team held their head high through their defeats and came through their losses with a positive view. “The last four years have been the greatest of my life. After a lot of seniors quit and there were only seven of us left on the team, I knew who my real friends were, even though we weren’t the greatest football team. We’re proud of our efforts. Pain is temporary, but pride is forever,” said defensive end and offensive guard senior Jason Johnson. “Their biggest strength is their dedication and I honestly believe there is an extremely strong desire to improve and win. If they just use a little patience it will happen,” said head coach Dean Bennett. Some players were just in it for the fun. “It was a fun experience playing varsity when I was a sophomore because I like taking out the bigger guys,” said wide receiver sophomore Steve Spahr.
-Christie Prestella, El Santo ’94
Smudge Pot Quotes
""From what I know, it has been a long time coming," Dan Harden said. "I have taught at both schools so I know how much this game means to each side.""
Dan Harden | Bonita Head Coach, 1994
