(Los Angeles) After going 10-0 on the season and winning the Sierra League title, the Bonita Bearcats found themselves on the road at Cathedral High School Friday night in the first round of the CIF Division 3 playoffs. The Bearcats called on the running back firm of Parra, Lara and Mikhail to control the game and proved whether at home or on the road, Bonita will be a force to be reckoned with pounding the Phantoms to the tune of a 35-20 victory.
Cole Parra led the way with 96-yards and a touchdown followed by Joseph Lara with 68-yards and a score through the air and Noah Mikhail with a 3-yard score.
Thoughts and prayers for Mikhail has he needed assistance to get off the field late in the third quarter.
While the backfield team did most of the work, it was Dylan Robinson who provided the first blow for the Bearcats. Robinson fielded a punt at his own 40, got to the corner and outraced the Cathedral defenders to paydirt. Stephen Lenehan added the extra point and with 5:25 remaining in the first quarter Bonita was up 7-0.
With just under two minutes left in the opening frame, Bonita got on the board again this time on an 11-yard screen pass from Travis Lippert to Lara for his touchdown.
Down 14-0 the Phantoms got on the board via their special teams. Antonio Walton fielded a punt at his own 20 and worked his way through the Bearcat defenders for a 80-yard touchdown. Maizcer Villalobos added the extra point to cut Bonita’s lead in half.
Later on in the second quarter, Cathedral knotted the game at 14 when Jalen Jefferson was forced out of the pocket but left a few Bearcat defenders grabbing for air on a 9-yard scoring run.
Bonita pushed their advantage back to seven on the ensuing drive needing only four plays to cover 77-yards. They were assisted by a big run of 44-yards by Parra.
Lippert finished the scoring drive finding Isaiah Lazarus in the endzone from 19-yards out.
The Bearcats got the ball to start the second half and wasted no time adding to their lead.
Mikhail got his touchdown on a 3-yard run to cap a 9-play 84-yard drive.
Neither team would find the endzone for the rest of the third quarter.
In the fourth, Bonita went on a 13-play drive grinding up yardage and the clock and wearing out the Phantom defense.
Parra finished the drive with a six- yard run and with 7:05 left to play, Bonita led 35-14.
Cathedral followed up the Bonita score with a drive deep into Bearcat territory. The drive, only the second drive in the second half for Cathedral, was quashed when Zion Sells picked off Jefferson in the endzone.
The Phantoms did get one last score on the final play of the game, a 21-yard touchdown from Jefferson to Quentin Hale.
Up next for Bonita with be a quarter final contest at home next Friday night with the Edision Chargers
Put the bottle away, sober up you’re delusional.
@Lupe if they had any B @ L L S whatsoever they would man up and play in the division they belong. instead they take the coward route and decide to beat up on midgets. these are the facts and they are not disputed. this is so cal football not the bay area. men only. either nutt up or go back to folsom where you belong.
Bonita is supposed to be D 1? Put your computer away & stop talking about things you have no clue about.
are we supposed to be impressed? they are playing two divisions below where they are supposed to and beat up on a bunch of midgets. they accomplished nothing.
I watched coach Steve do his thing at South Hills, and sure as shooting, the man’s doing it again in La Verne. The best part of last night’s victory, believe it or not, wasn’t the Bearcats’ punishing ball-control ground game, but the DEFENSE. Ask anybody who knows the game, and you’ll be told in a biblical tone of voice: defense wins championships.
The best Bonita team since 2010’s monster team. Next week is truly big boy football. Edison for sure is a D1 D2 type team. They beat D2 Los Alamitos and played D1 ranked #4 in the Nation Mission Viejo tough. Bonita will show up for sure. Edison shut out North in round one so they are firing on all cylinders. For sure game of the week if Bonita brings their A game.