Bonita takes a knee after teammate Brandon Smith suffers an injury. All photos by Eric Davis.

Bonita seems to have it all: a solid passing game, an inside and outside running game, a proven kicker, a top coaching staff ….

The one weapon it’s missing, however, is a dagger!

“We need to step up and play; we had an opportunity to put the dagger in their heart when we were leading 20-3 and we didn’t do it,” Bonita head coach Adrian Medrano said seconds after watching his team blow a 20-3 lead to La Serna and ultimately fall to the Lancers 27-20 on a Friday night made worse after free safety Brandon Smith suffered a broken leg in the fourth quarter.

“We can’t take downs off,” Medrano added. “Right now we have to finish. We said that after the San Dimas game and again after the South Hills game. We have to find that killer instinct.”

Despite flashes of brilliance, Bonita has had trouble in its opening trio of of games sealing the deal. Turnovers and special teams aren’t helping.

“Special teams are absolutely killing us,” Medrano said.

Indeed on Friday, Bonita botched a punt that led to an easy field goal to put La Serna up 3-0 early in the first quarter.

Fortunately, Bonita running back Reggie Turner turned up the tempo for Bonita, scampering for a 27-yard touchdown run to give Bonita a 6-3 lead, although the Bearcats unchracteristically missed the extra point.

In the second quarter, Bonita struck again. On a broken play, scrambling quarterback Tanner Diebold found Christian Ramos all alone on the sideline  for a 67-yard scoring strike.

After Bonita stuffed La Serna, it was Turner time once more, with Turner, bouncing off one tackler and galloping for a 69-yards touchdown to put Bonita up, 20-3.

As it turned out, Bonita couldn’t handle all its success and prosperity. Late in the second, Diebold was picked off and La Serna went to work with just a little more than two minutes left in the first half. On fourth and goal from Bonita’s 6-yard-line, the Lancers scored and the game, which had all the hallmarks of an early Bonita blow-out, now was looking more like a game of blown opportunities by the Bearcats. 

In the second half, it was all La Serna, with more assists from Bonita. Bonita fumbled twice. On one series, Bonita drove the ball to the La Serna 6-yard line before coughing up the football.

Eventually, good teams (La Serna was ranked No. 2 in division entering the contest) beat sloppy teams that gift-wrap too many opportunties for their opponents.

Next week against Claremont at Glenn Davis Stadium, Bonita fans will be looking to see if the Bearcats can finally find that missing dagger!

For video highlights, see Reel People!

For a great read, check out www.HarvardReject.com, a motivational and inspirational book that will help any person, player or team overcome adversity.