Coach Eckler has Bonita playing at a high level. He may never want to say goodbye to the old gym as the new one rises up behind him.

On the opening play against Diamond Ranch’s zone, Bonita whipped the ball around faster than if it had been trying to keep a pork chop away from a hungry wolf. Finally, Brandon Ko settled under the basket for an easy deuce.

The Panthers never did recover from Bonita’s head-spinning opening performance, falling to the Bearcats 66-41, giving Bonita a perfect 7-0 league record and an 18-4 seasonal mark.

“Against the zone, our ball movement was fantastic,” said Bonita coach Greg Eckler who hands out compliments about as often as the United States changed presidents in World War II.

Leading the charge for Bonita was senior Garrett Horine, with a game-high 16 points, and Ko, who finished with 15.

Early in the second quarter, Ko already had eight points while also setting up other Bearcats for easy points.

“He works so hard,” Eckler said. “He’s one of the hardest players we’ve ever had at Bonita. “He’s a great floor general. He’s a phenomenal player.”

Since he was handing out praise, made easy by Bonita’s superior play in all facets of the game, Eckler also singled out sophomore forward Dane Hollar. “He must have had 15 boards,” Eckler marveled. “I thought his hustle was fantastic and it was consistent the whole game.”

And that’s what Bonita has been all year, a team with a blue collar ethic and consistency built in the mold of Jim Harbaugh’s San Francisco 49ers team in the National Football League. Many high school basketball watchers are calling Eckler’s current efforts his best yet, shaping a team without a superstar into a constant winner.

Bonita’s has a CIF playoff spot cinched, but no one expects to see any slack in the Bonita attack until the second season arrives.

“Hopefully, were hitting our stride, and getting better and better,” Eckler said.

After the game, head over Eddie’s New York Pizzeria and Eatery at 1065 W. Foothill in Claremont, (909) 398-1985