Aaron Castro
By Aaron Castro
Since the beginning of Keydet Football in 1871 the Corps has suffered through thousands of games. Why did I say suffered? Well just looking in modern times has suffered through many losing seasons. In my cadetship we have not approached a winning season. It’s honestly a sad thing, as I love football to my very bone. If we could but just win six games a season the morale of the Corps would be so much higher in the fall and would enjoy going to games again. We won three games this past season; however, it felt like an eternity as the semester has almost dragged to a close.
That gets to my next point; I am a rabid football fan. More specifically I love Bonita Bearcat Football. I graduated in 2007 and have followed them these last four years from when the ball was handed to Terry Paredez and then to the current quarterback in Garrett Pendleton. If anything that’s something Bonita has had, a talented signal caller. What’s the difference this year? Bonita is currently 11-1, but that again isn’t the point. I was at home in the fall of 2009 and got to watch a young team struggle through injuries. That team went 3-8, as a fan I never saw the same team twice. At the end of the season I had seen Garrett Pendleton retake the starting quarterback job through a tale of what seemed two seasons. I saw the consummate team player that was Evan Highley play quarterback for a three game stretch when he was asked by Coach Eric Podley.
I’ve followed the Bonita Bearcats this season through text messages, quarter-by-quarter updates on the phone with my father, the articles here at the Mid, LaVerneOnline, pictures taken by my Cousin Eric Davis and even the San Gabriel Valley Tribune I was able to put together a picture of what this current crop of Bearcats was doing. Friday’s victory over the John Muir Mustangs was a game where I saw something special, I saw these kids battle. To Garrett Pendleton’s credit, although he told me he had a horrible game, he limited his mistakes against that great secondary. He made the plays with his arm when it got third and really long, and even going for it on fourth down. He got back up when he was knocked down. Giamani Johnson had three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, shutting up my friend the Mid Man Joe Torosian.
That defense was amazing, the guys up front: Daniel Harriman, Cody McKenzie, and Tarez Lemmons tended to dominate that big offensive line that Muir had put in front of them. This allowed the linebackers in Eric Mikity, KC Huth, and Giamani Johnson to get in the backfield and wreak havoc.
Naming every Bearcat would be but too much to do, every single one of them put in the time in practice. I saw a bit of a preview of what Coach Podley was going to throw at the Mustangs during walk throughs on Thanksgiving morning. I had this stinking feeling that the Bearcats would be able to impose their will, and when I think about it, they did. And yet the Mustangs hung around for quite awhile. That’s where Giamani Johnson’s three TDs in the fourth quarter came in.
I am saddened that it will be the last time I see this group of seniors play: Garrett Pendleton, Matt Gelalich, Cameron Salce, Tarez Lemmons, Giamani Johnson, Danny Harriman, Cody McKenzie, KC Huth, Eric Mikity, Zach Brungard, Casey Horine and all of the Bearcats I don’t know. Thank you for going out there and allowing an entire community along with myself to live vicariously through you. We’re all as proud as can be of each and every one of you. It is exactly like Kenny Chesney sang in “The Boys of Fall.”
Coach said to me after it was over: “At least we could get a win for you, while you were here.” Honestly, I can only thank him for what he did teaching me so many life lessons and what he has taught this group of young men. I guess that’s why he was a recent NFL High School coach of the week.
My friend Justin said to me this morning that I had to be the most patriotic high school football fan there is. Maybe I am, but my alma mater gives me something to follow as La Verne is my home and high school was a shaping part of my life that got me to where I am today.
It is Keydet Basketball season 6-1!
Aaron Castro is a 2007 Bonita High School Alumnus and current First Classmen at the Virginia Military Institute.
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