Game Summary
Bonita Bearcats beat the San Dimas Saints 28- 14 in the first Smudge pot game since 2019. With the win Bonita tied the Saints for the most wins (24 – 24 -1) going into the fiftieth anniversary game next year. The Smudge pot game is one of the longest traditional football rivalries in Southern California going back to 1972.
Bonita scored on each of its first two possessions, then pulled away in the second half to finish off the Saints. Bonita (3-1) led 14-7 at halftime, then made it 28-7 with 5:58 left. Bonita’s offense (176 passing and 143 rushing years) was much more balanced than San Dimas (43 passing and 188 rushing years). Bonita quarterback Jose Andrade threw three touchdown passes and running back Kalim Mikhail rushed for 112 yards on 12 carries.
Principal Message
What a busy night it was on Saturday night. We were able to honor our first responders and our military prior to the game. It was extra special being that it was on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. The game went as is should have with us keeping the Smudgepot! There are so many people who make this game possible and I wanted to recognize the groups that all shared in making Saturday night special.
- Football Team – Thank you for all the preparation over the last season of time to get ready to play in such a big game. To Coach Bogan and all the coaches who worked tirelessly to prepare the boys to perform at a high level, Thank you. Coach is 3 for 3.
- Athletic Training Staff – Thanks to Michelle Okayama and the athletic training team for all the work they did to prepare and take care of our athletes before, during and after the game.
- Band – You did a great job of keeping the momentum up throughout the game with your music. Your halftime show was great and we appreciate everything you did to make the night incredible. Thank you to Mr. Bird and all the band boosters who dedicated their time to make this happen.
- Cheer – You all looked amazing and it is so great to see all the cheerleaders there supporting the team. No one knows how much time and effort goes in to making it look so great. Your halftime performance was great and thank you to Chae, Kelly and Justice for your hard work.
- D Street – Thank you to all the dancers who performed at halftime. D Street always brings it! Thanks Kelly.
- ASB and the Den – Our student section was off the charts! Thanks to ASB who showed up early to decorate the stadium. Julie Pocino and ASB, we really appreciate everything you do.
- The new voice of the Bearcats! – Thanks to Jordan Dynes for announcing the game. When he said he wanted to do this, I said absolutely. Your first game is the Smudgepot! You did a fantastic job!
- Boosters – If you get a chance, please say thank you to the Athletic Boosters. They bought all the food and ran 2 snack bars the entire night. That was an a huge undertaking, and they did it so well that they ran out of food with just a few minutes left in the game!
- Volunteers – To all the workers who had to deal with 5,000 people getting into the game, we could not do it without you. From ticket takers, to security, to monitoring the gate that got people onto the field, you are all amazing and we cannot thank you enough. Thank you to Beth Oualline who was taking pictures so that we can relive those moments in the yearbook.
- BHS Staff and families – It was so great to see all the staff members and their families who showed up to support BHS in this game. Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to share in this experience. The kids love seeing you at their events and it really means a lot to see you there.
As you can see, it takes a whole lot of people to make a game like this successful and Bonita did a great job of putting on a high quality event for both communities. I hope you slept a lot yesterday! #awwyeahbearcats
Kenny Ritchie
Principal, Bonita High School
