BONITA: 18 – SAN DIMAS: 16
Friday, September 29, 2000
Bonita defeated San Dimas 18-16 in the 28th Smudge Pot game with a 36 yard winning field goal by Sean Bernal from the right hash mark with 3:41 left. “I hate the right side,” Bernal said. “But everyone had faith in me.” His only field goal attempt of the game would have cleared from 50 yards or more. “I thought it would be a close game, but I didn’t think it would come down to a field goal. I worked real hard this week in practice,” said Bernal as he was getting doused by his teammate with Gatorade after the game.
The Smudge Pot victory was the first win for new Bonita coach, Eric Podley. “We wanted to stick with what we do best,” said Podley. “We wanted to put the ball in his (Cheyene White’s) hands. With Bonita’s focus on the option, White did not pass much but carried the ball 29 times for 147 yards. With the win, Bonita (1-3 overall, 1-0 in Valle Vista League) won the Smudge Pot Trophy for five straight years.
In the first quarter the Bearcats scored first with a safety, in which the Saints quarterback, Ryan Repp, recovered the ball, but was tackled in the end zone. Bonita then went up 9-0 when quarterback White connected on a 19-yard touchdown pass to Brian Reza, followed by a successful point after by Sean Bernal.
In the second quarter, the Saints battled back into the game first with a 28 yard field goal by Scott Ehret. With Bonita on the one yard line and ready to score, San Dimas’ Curtis Brown intercepted a White pass with 1:30 left in the half. San Dimas would take advantage of the turnover and take the lead with quarterback Ryan Repp’s short pass to Chris Greenwade who broke threw the Bearcat’s secondary for a 64 yard touchdown. Repp would throw 162 yards in the first half but only connected on 1 of 13 passes in the second half. San Dimas only had 6 offensive plays in the third quarter as Bonita’s running game controlled the time of possession.
Towards the end of the third quarter, Bearcats running back, Chris Riley, scored on a three yard touchdown run that capped a 57 yard drive for Bonita. With a failed two-point conversion, Bonita took the lead 15-10.
With less than eight minutes to play in the game, Saints running back, Curtis Brown, ran across the goal line on a 33 yard run, to put the Saints in the lead 16-15. The score remained that way until Bernal’s game winning field goal kick on fourth and eight. San Dimas had two possessions at the end of the game but couldn’t gain any momentum or even a first down.
“We’re not as mature as some other teams we’ve had,” San Dimas coach Ted Clarke said. “We need someone to take the bull by the horns and show everyone else what they need to do.”
Teams |
Quarter 1 |
Quarter 2 |
Quarter 3 |
Quarter 4 |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonita | 9 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 18 |
| San Dimas | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
| Stats | B: Safety, Repp recovered snap in his end zone. B: Reza 19 TD pass from White(Bernal Kick) |
SD: Ehret 28 yard field goal SD: Greenwade 64 yard TD pass from Repp (Ehret Kick) |
B: Riley 3 yard run (Point after run failed) | SD: Brown 33 yard TD run (2 point conversion failed) B: FG Bernal 36 yards |
Varsity Bearcats
Front Row: Kurt Rode, Mac Leonce, Ronny Alarcio, Tommy Musa, Anthony Gaxiola.
Row 2: Annie Rodriguez, Mike Stiteler, Jonathan Rojas, David Castillo, Karel Martinez, Thomas Kniffin, Chris Riley, Adrian Guerrero, Lilly Rodriguez.
Row 3: Cassie Murphy, Coach Vasquez, Coach Medina, Coach Bean, Coach Podley, Coach Rode, Coach Reclusado, Coach Hadley, Coach Thomas, Erin Clarke
Row 4: Ryann Sartor, Jerry Valenzuela, Richard Lopez, Matt Anderson, Trinal Stephenson, Jonathan Behr, Luke Phillips, Tavis Simison, Chris Sayegh, Matt de Mercado.
Row 5: Ivan Espinoza, Tim Thomas, Miguel Rodriguez, Richard Robles, Bubba Barnes, Korey Johnson, Brent Huigens, Ryan Bennet, Brian Reza, David Galindo, Anthony Crawford.
Row 6, Mike Morales, Chris Cassinelli, Manuel Espinosa, David Crestm Courtney Hawkins, Ara Abkarian, Martin Rico, Brandon Siegler, Matt Walker, Martin Padilla. Back Row: Allen Dade, Cheyne White, Ryan Cunningham, Sean Macualay, Brent Williams, Mike Galindo, Eddie Barlow, Ryan Bernal, Aaron Favatella, Cody Maldonado, Brian Dunlap.
Bonita’s League Record 5-2
Our football team did very well throughout the year. the smudge pot game was very intense, and fortunately the bearcats worked hard throughout the game for a victory. coach Podley says, “Courage is not defined by those who fought and never lost. it is defined by those who fought, fell and arose to fight again.
The Bearcat’s defense was solid this year. They didn’t just let anyone score a touchdown.
Smudge Pot Game
Bonita defeated San Dimas 18-16 in the 28th smudge pot game with a winning field goal by Sean Bernal, maintaining the Bearcats’ six year winning streak.
The Bearcats began with the coin toss in their favor and started strong with a safety, in which the Saints quarterback, Ryan Repp, recovered the ball, but was tackled in the end zone. Bonita then went up 9-0 with a connecting 19-yard pass from quarterback Cheyene White to Brian Reza, followed by a successful field goal by Sean Bernal.
In the second quarter, the Saints overtook the Bearcat’s lead 10-9, with a field goal by Scott Ehret and a touchdown with a one point conversion.
Towards the end of the third quarter, Bearcats running back, Chris Riley, closed the gap by scoring a touchdown. With a failed two-point conversion, the score became 15-10, Bearcats in the lead.
As the last quarter began, the Saints running back, Curtis Brown, ran across the goal line, moving Saints to lead the game 16-15. The score remained that way until Bearcats kicker, Sean Bernal, scored a field goal. With little time remaining and unsuccessful possessions for the Saints, the Bearcats won the game 18-16.
The Captains were David Crest, Manuel Espinosa, Allan Dade and Cheyne White.
- MVP Offense: Peter McGrath
- MVP Defense: Manual Espinosa
- Captain Award: Allan Dade
- Best Lineman: David Crest
For the fifth straight year, the Bonita Bearcats raised the Smudge pot over their heads. Since the rivalry began in 1972, Bonita has had the right to claim it as their own 12 times. / photo by Jason Cooper
LA VERNE — Bonita High School football coach Eric Podley told his players, “Play within yourselves,” when they entered the Valle Vista League bout against San Dimas High School for the 28th annual Smudgepot Bowl. For Bearcats kicker Brian Bernal, he did just that with 3:47 left in the game.
Bernal completed a 36-yard field goal to give Bonita the 18-16 final and the Bearcats their fifth consecutive Smudgepot victory. The first half was marred with errors by both sides, including a safety from a loose ball in the San Dimas end zone. After Saints quarterback Ryan Repp recovered the bad snap only to be tackled in the end zone, the Bearcats had a 2-0 lead early in the matchup. Despite the shaky performance from the teams, the ensuing portion of the half would bring each squad a touchdown with an extra point. However, a field goal in the second quarter by San Dimas kicker Scott Ehret was what gave his squad the 10-9 lead at the half.
Before the pivotal kick in the second half, the rushing game brought both squads their next scores. Bearcats running back Chris Riley carried the ball three yards into the end zone at 3:59 remaining in the third quarter for a touchdown. With a failed two-point conversion, the score was 15-10.
The Saints answered in the fourth quarter when running back Curtis Brown ran 33 yards down the middle of the field and across the goal line to make the score 16-15 before the game’s climax. A failed pass on the conversion left room for the Bearcats to strike. With the victory, Bonita took a 1-3 overall, 1-0 Valle Vista record while San Dimas slid to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in league.
The Saints finished the Fall 2000 season with a 3-4 league, 4-6 overall record. They placed fifth in the Valle Vista League. The Bearcats took third place in the Valle Vista with their 5-2 league, 5-5 overall record.
by Danny Craig – Originally published in La Verne Magazine. Reprinted with permission by George Keeler.
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Varsity Saints
Front: Kristina Petrossian, Christian Posadas, Josh Anguiano, Chris Ward, Ronnie Marquez, Steve Holguin, Mike Ornelas, Iby Jivangee, Ryan Hauser, Chris Turner.
Row 2: Phil Bessera, Demetrius Hughes, Daniel Cabrera, James Holm, Tom Quagliata, Thomas Prestella, Kevin Deal, Luis Anaya, Casey Carlson, Anthony Porter.
Row 3: Lisa Horn, Chanel Owens, Brian Murphy, John Brown, Rick Martin, Mike Goodwin, Ted Clarke, Jeremy Topete, Mark Oden, D.J. Hoyt, Craig Schuster, Safi Soraya Patty Gonzalez.
Row 4: Ryan Repp, Curtis Chen, Jared Siel, Bryan Borra, Mike Graden, Bryan Valdez, Steve Winkleman, Curtis Brown, Paul Bessera.
Row 5: Nick Beirne, Steve Bustillos, Bret Draper, Chris Greenwade, Nate Antunez, Skylar Scott, Daniel Matson, Mike Thurman, John Sidholm.
Back: Scott Heaton, Nick Ortiz, Ian Tyler, J.T. Rentschler, Oscar Duran, Nick Patton, Scott Ehret, Larry Bonomo, Cameron Nazemzadeh.
Pounding The pigskin
Before the season even started the 50 players had to go through an immense physical conditioning called ” Hell Week”. The inevitable five days of running, up-downs, 20-40’s, snakes and weight lifting during one of the hottest months in the summer determined who would make the teams. After try-outs, players began to fill out the teams and play the positions that best suited them. The team had a strong offensive line as well as defensive line that helped bring them to victory. As they tried their hardest to play the best game possible, some students exceeded their expectations and were recognized for these accomplishments. Senior Scott Heaton was recognized for All CIF and First Team All League for both offense and defense. Seniors Larry Bonomo and Chris Ward were acknowledged on making First Team All League and senior Mike Thurman for making Second Team All League, while tight end junior Ian Tyler was nominated for all CIF.
Motivation was the key to winning, and every player had his own way of getting pumped for the game: lifting weights a day before the game, listening to music, or just having a moment by themselves on game day, helped give the students the state of mind needed to play their best. Some players had good luck rituals that they claimed was for the better of the team. Junior quarterback Ryan Repp wore the same undershirt under his shoulder pads for every game. No matter how the students worked themselves up, it was the team effort that pulled them all together. Winning was not the only benefit from playing. Being able to make new friends and enjoy- ing the good and the bad times also allowed the players to take with them a memorable experience.” I enjoyed playing the game because my friends played along side me, “ said wide receiver Junior Paul Beserra. — Darnell Rico
Smudge Pot Quotes
"I think that's why we're in coaching. It's not the money; it's the pressure and excitement like this that make it fun. It would be more fun if every game had this kind of importance to it"
Eric Podley | Bonita High School Coach
