MidValleySports.Com

By Matt Schuler

(Diamond Bar)- In a game with a League title bid and major playoff implications on the line, there’s no room for error or any such thing as a comfortable lead. 

Bonita found out the hard way by giving up 18-unanswered points, as Diamond Bar stormed back from an early 24-7 deficit, and then saw Nolan Luzzi potentially end its season with a 20-yard field goal with 3:54 remaining to upset the visiting Bearcats 25-24 Thursday night on Elfelt Field.

“We could be flipping coins, or we could have just played our last football game right now,” said Bonita Coach Adrian Medrano after the loss.

Bonita (5-5, 4-2) with a victory would of been the sole leader atop the Hacienda League as top seeded Rowland lost to West Covina.

The loss instead creates a 4-2 four-way log jam for first place.

Rowland, West Covina, Bonita, and Diamond Ranch all now sit with even league records, but DR and Rowland hold the two best overall records at 7-3.

Diamond Bar (3-3, 4-6) was looking outmatched and uninterested after Shane Pitts 8-yard touchdown run and dive inside the left pylon put the Bearcats up 24-7 with 6:41 to play in the second quarter.

But the Brahmas hung around and made plays when needed late in the game.

After a safety on a errant Bonita snap gave DB the ball back, a 77-yard run by Tyron Kelley and a dart of a pass from Tyler Peterson to big play wideout Cordell Broadus on 4th and goal cut the deficit to 24-15 with 1:46 to play in the third.

Three plays later, JJ Terrazas picked off a Tanner Diebold pass and returned it all the way to the Bonita 15. The following play Tyler Brown ran unscathed to the end zone and  just like that it was 24-22 with a final quarter to play.

The next sequence of events seemed destined to bring Bonita points when a muffed punt return by Broadus was picked up and returned to the end zone by Noah Montoya.  The only thing unseen was the play was whistled dead in accordance to a high school rule that you cannot advance the ball on a fumbled punt return.

The Bearcats followed with a seven play drive and lined up for what looked like a chip shot and potential game winning field goal, but Instead the crowed bursted in celebration as the 20-yard field goal sailed wide right.

Diamond Bar then put together the 11-play drive that placed Luzzi in perfect position to take a kick at it; and he didn’t miss.

Bonita’s frustrations wore heavily on the face of the players following the loss, but CIF and their bid to playoffs is what weighed on Coach Medrano’s mind after the game.

“I know we get three entries in there so we’ll see what happens,” said Medrano referring to the three CIF slots the top 3 of the Hacienda League will fill. “I think we’re flipping coins now. I have to make some phone calls and see what we do where to go from here.”