MidValleySports.Com

By Matt Schuler

(San Dimas)- With the score knotted at 31-31 and 25 seconds remaining in the game, all Bonita had to do was punt the ball as far as they could, maybe play one or two more defensive downs, wait for time to expire, and get ready for their overtime shot at clinching a share of the Hacienda League title.

That was until the Diamond Ranch defense blocked the fourth down punt, ran one more play to place the ball in the middle of the field, and Mario Giron’s 37-yard field goal attempt went through the uprights as time expired to give the Panthers a 34-31 victory over a Bearcats team riding a five-game winning streak averaging 46 points a game.

Giron, whose name is not even listed on the Maxpreps online roster, also knocked in a 32-yarder with 1:13 to play in the game, which was the equalizer at 31 after DR squandered away an eight point cushion.

Despite having one more game this season, Bonita (5-4, 4-1) would have clinched at least a share of the league title with a win over Diamond Ranch (6-3, 3-2) and looked poised to do it early in the second quarter after Brandt Davis 40-yard field goal put the Cats up 20-7 with 9:10 to play in the second.

But a hungry D-Ranch team, still fighting for a CIF birth, was not easily deterred.

Three plays later, Allen Salguero scored on a 1-yard touchdown plunge and it was 20-14 early in the second. The touchdown was set up by a Xavier Beltran pass to Donovan Smith, who then took it 87 yards down the field before being tackled near the goal line.

The following drive, Salguero did it again. This time receiving a 3-yard touchdown strike from Beltran for a 21-20 lead at half.

Salguero, who actually scored the Panthers first 28 points of the night, finished with a total of 193 yards on 21 carries. Salguero also scored on a 75-yard burst of speed through traffic.

His Bonita counterpart, Reggie Turner, finished with 172 yards and one touchdown on 27 carries, but fumbled twice, both recovered by the Panthers.

The Bonita loss now creates a tie for first and second in the Hacienda League with Bonita and Rowland both on top at 4-2 and DR and WC notched at 3-2 for second.

Bonita faces Diamond Bar in its last league game and Diamond Ranch plays Walnut on a short week hoping to finish strong for a good CIF ballot.