GINA T GAME OF THE WEEK: Bonita ‘Drops’ Contest Against Panthers – Photos by Eric Davis

Cameron Griffin plunges ahead for a 2-yard touchdown run.

On cancer awareness night at Ganesha High School, Bonita was in a charitable mood, dropping several key passes, which stunted drive after drive.

“I counted seven dropped balls tonight, maybe eight,” Bonita head coach Eric Podley said. “When you get hit in the hands eight times by the ball and don’t catch it, you’re not going to have a very successful night throwing. If you don’t make big catches, you can’t win big games.”

The Bearcats also didn’t have an answer for Andrew Fischer, who accounted for all of the Panthers’ three touchdowns in helping Diamond Ranch defeat Bonita 21-13. On the opening kickoff, the senior with the 4.5 G.P.A returned the football 96 yards for a touchdown. On the night, he ran for 89 yards and had a 25-yard touchdown reception.

On Bonita’s opening offensive series, the Bearcats went four and out, but Fischer muffed the punt, his only mistake of the night, and the team was back in business at the Panthers’ 49-yard line. A big 25-yard hook-up from Bonita quarterback Tanner Diebold to Garrett Horine helped set up a Brandt Davis 32-yard field goal to put Bonita on the board.

Austin Venegas strides toward a big gain.

After its defense held, Bonita struck again, featuring power running from Cameron Griffin, who on his third consecutive carry bulled his way into the end zone on a 2-yard touchdown plunge, giving Bonita a 10-7 lead.

The lead was short-lived, however, as Fischer on third and 13 on Bonita’s 25, took a short pass in the flat from quarterback Isiah Lock-Ramirez and bounced off tackler after tackler to find pay dirt and give Diamond Ranch a 14-10 lead.

“We didn’t tackle particularly well,” Podley said. “We had guys wrapped up in the backfield, and they broke through time and time again. We did not play well on the corners. They were able to run that toss almost at will. They were physical, and we did not match that physical nature.”

Reggie Turner slashes ahead for positive yardage.

In the second quarter it was Fischer again making life miserable for the Bearcats. After Bonita made a valiant goal-line stand, led by D.J. Theard, Dan Hollar, Seth Balentine and Ryan Ramirez, Fischer punched the ball in on fourth and goal from the 1-yard line, the referees ruling that the football had broken the plane of the goal line before his knee touched the ground.

Trailing 21-10 at the half, Bonita took the opening drive of the third quarter 61 yards before Davis kicked his second field goal, a 29-yarder, through the uprights.

But that was all the offense Bonita could muster. While the defense pitched a shutout in the second half, Diamond Ranch played ball control, with Nick Gibson (75 yards) and Chris Miller (38 yards) helping Fischer chew up the clock.

Ryan Ramirez wraps up.

“We knew going in that Fischer was going to be the best guy we’ve seen all year,” Podley said. “It wasn’t the big long runs that got us but the constant, 6-, 5-, 4-, 6-, 5-, 4-yards at a time. It was just a slow death.”

Now Bonita faces a bye week, apparently just what the doctor ordered because the Bearcats are nicked up, especially on the offensive line. Besides health, Podley also will be looking for leadership from his players to help the team win the close games they are now dropping.

“We don’t have that right now,” Podley said. “We better come back with a little more fight than we had today.”

Brandt Davis continues to deliver when called.

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