BONITA: 19 – SAN DIMAS: 7
Saturday, November 2, 1996
Bonita accomplished their goal of bringing the trophy home with a 19-7 victory at the Smudge Pot Game against San Dimas on Friday night. Despite their record, many players put up impressive numbers during the season, and some significant errors made by the Saints secured the win for the Bearcats.Â
Bonita was hoping with the win to move closer to a playoff berth, after a difficult 1 – 9 showing last year. “I couldn’t care less about the Smudge Pot Trophy,” said Bonita running back Ben Drake. “It’s just another game we have to win if we’re going to CIF.”
Although a trophy may not have mattered much to Bonita’s running back Ben Drake, he played an important role in bringing the Bearcats to victory. Drake ran 14 times for 108 yards in the first half, and 90 yards in the second and scored two Bearcat touchdowns during the game. He also ran 51 yards to score another touchdown but the score was nullified due to a holding penalty.
The Saints’ first score occurred in the last quarter with 7:43 remaining in the game by Saint’s freshman quarterback, Cory Haygood. He scored from 8 yards out, and capped a 5 play, 42 yard drive. Later, Jake Tibbets recovered the ball for the Saints after a Drake fumble, which brought their score to 13-7.
The peak of the game occurred at the last five minutes of the game, where the Saints made a big mistake. Haygood retrieved the ball from the Bearcats at the 16 yard line with 3:39 on the clock. Shortly after, Miguel Ramos intercepted Haygood and brought the ball to the 8 yard line. Drake secured his second touchdown of the night when he ran 6 yards into the end zone, bringing the score to 19-7 and putting the Smudge pot out of reach for the Saints.
“Both teams played hard,” said first-year San Dimas coach Greg Setlich. “Bonita deserved to win. We had a chance but we had some crucial mistakes. I have faith that the Smudge Pot will return to San Dimas some day.”
Teams |
Quarter 1 |
Quarter 2 |
Quarter 3 |
Quarter 4 |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonita | 7 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 19 |
| San Dimas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Stats | B: Ramos 76 yard pass from Johnson (Gonzalez kick) | B: Drake 38 yard run (kick failed) | SD: Haygood 8 yard run (Litchfield kick) B: Drake 6 yard run (kick failed) |
[/gem_table][gem_table]
Bonita |
TEam Statistics |
San Dimas |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | First Downs | 12 |
| 30 carries for 159 yards | Rushes | 37carries for 148 yards |
| 106 yards | Pass Yards | 75 yards |
| 5 for 11 (1 interceptions) | Passes | 6 for 15 (1 interceptions) |
| 4 punts for 40.8 yards | Punts Averages | 5 punts for 35.2 yards |
| 2 for 1 | Fumbles lost | 2 for 1 |
| 10 penalties for 112 yards | Penalties Yards | 7 penalties for 87 yards |
[/gem_table][gem_table]Rivera (Bonita)Passing8 for 13 137 yards
Player |
Position |
Game Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Ben Drake (Bonita) | Rushing | 14 carries for 108 yards (2 Touchdowns including a 38 yard run) |
| Miguel Ramos (Bonita) | Defense | Interception (returned to the San Dimas 8 yard line) |
| Brian Moses (San Dimas) | Rushing | 20 carries for 123 yards. |
| Miguel Ramos (Bonita) | Receiving | 76 yard touchdown from Brett Johnson with 2:35 in the first quarter |
[/gem_table]
Varsity Bearcats
Top Row: Mike Donegan, Joe Ortega, Andrew Hughes, Eric Mc Intire, Ben Drake, Terry Carrigan, Joel Rivera, Eric Bakkedahl;
Row 2: Leslie Matthews, Jason Segal, Greg Hemenover, Bryan Segal, Jason Broderick, Tim Carder, Greg Wooley, Josh Ulm;
Row 3: Hunter Anderson, Ernie Garcia, Ryan Kreutzer, Jason Simison, Jeff Linder, Raul Garay, Jeff Carmack, Nathan Thompson, Frank Gonzalez;
Row 4: Alan Casas, Rudy Garcia, James Petrotta, Randy McCook, Larry Hatley, Derek Donoho, Steve Robles, Ray Austin, Leroy Johnson, Chris Huson; (
Row 5: Miguel Ramos, Ryan Tondee, Issac Aguirre, Tim Redshaw, Brett Johnson, Lucas Vinci, Jacob Medina, Steve Page, Lamont Dockery; (Bottom Row) Walter Dinsay, Chris Capello, Blayne Evans, Bryan Gutierrez, Jon Rosborough, Devin Diaz, Steve Gustin, Ricci Grant, Minh Vuong.
Bonita joins together at their Smudge pot Rally to show they support their Football team in style. Many of the students wear their football jerseys with pride. Other Bearcats support their team with a gamut of teen styles.
![]()
Varsity Saints
San Dimas Varsity Team
HARD NIGHT’S WORK
There were great expectations for the football team, but injuries and suspensions plagued their season. The Saints didn’t finish at the top, but they fought their way throughout every game. “When the season started, I had a good feeling about our success, but things just weren’t connecting for us. All we needed was a team effort,” said senior Alex Jackson. During the season, varsity players practiced about eight hours a week in order to prepare for their games. Players came in the day after the game to review the tape.
“Reviewing games on Saturdays was a great chance for me to improve myself and cut down on my mistakes by running the correct pattern or learning the snap count,” said senior Daniel Hollingquest. Despite their record, many players put up impressive numbers during the season. Senior Daniel Hollingquest led the team with 23 receptions for 247 yards, and offensive player of the year Brian Moses ended the season with 1243 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns.
The defense also had a few key players on its side who had a great year. Defensive player of the year, Billy Shroyer had 128 tackles, and J.D. Barnier helped out with 121 tackles. Anthony Fletcher dominated the line with seven sacks. Although the season did not end as well as hoped, each team member had his own memories to recall. “My favorite game was against Azusa because it really felt great to get our first win of the season.” said senior Robert Teter who along with J.D. Barnier, Daniel Holingguest and Chris Paramo were invited to play in the 8th Annual California-Hawaiian All-Star Football Classic on June 28 in Maui.
Smudge Pot Quotes
""We wanted to eat up the clock and put the game out of reach. We moved the ball. It was a hell of a job when you come right down to it", Larry Hatley, Bonita coach (1996)"
Larry Hatley | Bonita coach, 1996
