MidValleySports.Com

By Alex A. Gonzalez

Walnut – It was the 55th meeting between the Bonita Bearcats and the San Dimas Saints for the coveted Smudgepot Friday night at Mt. San Antonio College, with the Bearcats looking to make it an eighth straight win over their cross-town rival Saints.

​And after a pick-six and a passing touchdown by Matt Milazzo, and two rushing scores by Joseph Lara, the Bearcats retained the Smudgepot for the eighth consecutive year with their 28-16 win at Hilmer Lodge Stadium.

​“It feels amazing. I mean, it was a close game,” commented Milazzo postgame. “It was getting kind of close, but we really had a good game.”

​With both teams heading into their Week three matchup undefeated, it had looked like the Bearcats were going to cruise to their fourth straight win of the season in the first half.

​With their defense averaging less than a touchdown a game, Milazzo picked off Saints’ quarterback Kris Saris’ pass at their 34-yardline and took it back to the house for the score. Then after the special teams blocked a San Dimas punt that set the team up at the 7-yardline, Lara took the handoff and bulldozed his way in for the score.

​“The pick-six is better for sure,” said Milazzo about his performance. “Last year I had one get called back on an inadvertant whistle, so it was good to get it back.”

​Then, just as the second quarter started, Lara added to the Bonita lead when he took the handoff, darted up the middle and outran the defense for the 90-yard touchdown run, making the score 21-0. Lara, however, went down with an apparent knee injury and did not return to the game.

​The Saints responded and cut into the deficit with back-to-back possessions that produced nine points before the halftime buzzer.

​First, Saris was able to shake off the pick-six that he threw in the first quarter when he scrambled out of the pocket and found Jacob Gallegos, who took it 49 yards. But once the Saints got into the red zone, the offense stalled out and had to settle for a 32-yard field goal thanks to Matthew Witherby.

​Then on their next possession, they were able to break through the Bearcat defense and add six when Saris faked the handoff and found Mikey Baeza alone in the end zone for the score, making it 21-9 with 2:09 remaining in the first half.

​After the intermission, Bonita got creative on its first possession of the second half, starting the series in the Wildcat formation. After a slew of direct snaps to Sebastian Vasquez, he pitched the ball to Milazzo, who then launched a pass downfield to a wide-open Omari Sullivan, who then walked into the end zone, extending their lead to 28-9.

​The Saints then had a chance to make a comeback as the fourth quarter began. It started when the Saris-Baeza connection got the Saints within a possession after the two hooked up for a 15-yard pitch-and-catch.

​San Dimas then got Bonita to go backward on their next possession. First,  Evan Robbins completed his only pass on the drive for a two-yard loss. Then, on the next play, Michael Jimenez sacked him for another loss.

​With 7:12 remaining in the fourth quarter, and the ball spotted at the San Dimas 23, the Saints went into their hurry-up offense. On their first play from scrimmage, Saris threw a laser to Gallego for a 21-yard gain. Then he found Baeze for 26 yards, setting his team up at the Bonita 10-yard line.

​Unfortunately, the comeback attempt vanished after Saris threw his only incomplete pass of the drive and when Liam Loyola was stopped short at the goal line on fourth down.

​With the win, Bonita moves to 4-0 on the season and will look to stay undefeated when they host Schurr next Friday. San Dimas will look to get back into the win column next week when they travel to Western.