Football:

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

To say there was an inordinate amount of pressure on Sean Jastrab as he took over the reigns of the Bonita offense would be a massive understatement.

The Bearcats junior replaced a Bonita legend in quarterback JP Andrade, who now plays for Ohio State.

In 2018, Andrade capped off his remarkable prep career by throwing for nearly 4,400 yards and 38 TD passes.

On top of that, Jastrab gets his marching orders from one of the San Gabriel Valley’s greatest coaches of all time, Steve Bogan.

Bogan is in his second year at Bonita and he’s racked up 214 victories and four CIF-SS championships over a remarkable 26-year career.

And if that wasn’t daunting enough, there’s a guy in Jastrab’s home that he calls ‘dad,’ who’s led the Mt. San Antonio College football program to state titles in 2009, 2010 and 2014.

Bob Jastrab is an incredibly accomplished college football coach, and it hasn’t been just his Mounties that he’s “coached up” over the past 15 years.

Sean Jastrab can recall being a little boy and watching college and pro football on TV with his father and mentioning in a good natured way that it was kind of annoying how often his dad would stop every play and quiz his young son.

But Sean Jastrab said all that time spent with and learning from his father has helped tremendously in being able to read a defense, as well as becoming a highly-intelligent student of the game.

After years around his dad at football games or just watching it together, Sean Jastrab got his first shot as a starting varsity quarterback on August 23, 2019, when the Bearcats hosted Arroyo in the season opener.

How did he do?

Jastrab threw for 220 yards and four touchdowns.

Oh, and he only played the first two quarters, because Bonita had a 42-0 lead at the half.

He also had four scores and 315 yards passing in the 35-25 Smudge Pot victory over San Dimas at Citrus College on September 14.

In all, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound junior has completed 83 of 125 passes for 1,340 yards.

Jastrab has a 66-percent completion ratio, and he’s thrown 17 TD passes to just one interception.

His QBR or quarterback rating is 138.3 and he averages 268 yards passing per game.

Jastrab has helped lead Bonita to a 5-0 record, as the Bearcats have defeated Arroyo, Diamond Bar, Riverside Poly, San Dimas and Covina by a combined margin of 216-32.

Jastrab credits almost everyone besides himself for his and the program’s early success, including coaching early on from Chris Rix and Cameron Dean, to his father Bob, current coach Steve Bogan and most importantly, the enormous contributions from a very talented group of receivers and teammates.

The Bonita receiving corps are as deep as they are talented, and it gives Jastrab plenty of options to throw to.

In just five games thus far, Jastrab has connected with Ethan Durham for (19 catches for 288 yards & 3 TDs), Jacob Horne (16 for 355, 5 TD’s), Aalias Williams (17 for 296 and 5 TD’s), Isaiah Portillo (9 for 137, 3 TDs) and AJ Moreno (7 catches for 164, 1 TD).

Since 2018, Aalias Williams has 100 catches for 1,543 yards and 15 TD receptions.

The Bearcats ground attack, that averages 121 yards per game is spearheaded by Elijah Maldonado (32 carries, 174 yards, 5 TD’s) and Joseph Flores (39 carries, 226 yards, 3 TD’s).

The defense is led by Brandon Stone (31 tackles), Zion Longsine (28), Bryce Valore (27), Joseph Ochoa (26), Luis Perez (25), Katin Suprenant (25) and Kenny Coulson, who has 24 tackles and two sacks.

Ethan Durham, Jacob Horne and Aalias Williams have two interceptions apiece on the defensive side of the ball and of the 12 picks by the Bearcats ‘D,’ eight different players have at least one interception.

Some 42 days after the season kicked off against Arroyo, Bonita will get its biggest test of the season Friday night when Glendora makes the short 5.1 mile bus trip to La Verne in the Palomares League opener.

The top-ranked program in Division 5 brings a staunch defense and a very balanced offense.

As big as this game is, especially considering it’s the league opener, the Tartans and Bearcats are in different divisions, so it’s the first and only time they will meet this season.

For their part, Bonita is ready both mentally and physically, and it’s because they are well coached, loaded with talent and they believe in one another, and that includes the ultimate faith and trust in their quarterback.

Jastrab knows what he has to do if the Bearcats are to knock off the Tartans, but then again he’s known what it takes from a quarterback to win games even before he could throw a spiral.

He’s big and still growing, he’s got a healthy balance of confidence, and Jastrab is a guy that wants to be better tomorrow than he was today.

Those that have played against the Bonita junior say he has a very strong and accurate arm and he makes very few mistakes that could cost the Bearcats a game.

His unusual ability not to get flustered in the heat of a game goes back to his lifelong training for this moment.

While people in the football world know him well, Jastrab has yet to get any attention from college coaches or scouts, but that will change quickly.

And true to form, Jastrab wants to make his own name through hard work and accomplishments on the field, as opposed to only being known as the son of a championship college football coach.

His teammates say Jastrab is a better kid, friend and teammate than even a quarterback, and that says a lot.

Said Sean Jastrab: “I know Glendora is a great team and they are very talented, so we’re going to have to play our best football, but I believe in my guys and they believe in me and we’ll be ready to go. I learned a lot watching JP play and I’ve worked really hard to be the best quarterback and teammate I can be. I’m always looking to get better and my goal each week is to be the best player on the field. I’ve always wanted to be a quarterback, because you get to control the game, and I love doing everything I can to help my team win games every time we play under the lights.

My dad has spent so much time since I was a young boy teaching me the game and I think that’s part of the reason I felt ready to step in when I got the chance. I’ve had great coaches around me my entire life and I have so many great teammates who all do their part in our success. I feel like I read a defense well and make good decisions and I take pride in not turning the ball over. My parents, Bob and Barbara Jastrab, have instilled in me to be the best person, student and athlete that I can be, and in that order. I hope I’m making them proud.”

Quotable:

Bonita coach Steve Bogan: “Sean has been tremendous, both running and passing. He runs the offense very, very well. His dad is a tremendous coach, and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. He’s very composed and doesn’t get rattled. We trust his knowledge to make audibles at the line of scrimmage and he makes those changes for a reason. His teammates completely buy in to Sean as their quarterback. He earned their respect through his hard work. I don’t think his father being a coach has put pressure on Sean, and that’s a credit to the relationship he has with his dad. He shows up every day and just goes to work.”

Mt. SAC football coach & Sean’s father, Bob Jastrab: “If I had my say, Sean would be in a three-point stance and not at quarterback, because I worry about how often quarterbacks get hurt. But this is his passion and he’s very smart in the backfield and has a good knowledge of how to read a defense and a blitz, as well as getting rid of the ball quickly. He’s been lucky to have good football people around him his whole life, and while we’re happy with his early success, it doesn’t surprise us, because he’s worked so hard and waited patiently to get to this point in his life and football career.”

Bonita senior, Ethan Durham: “Sean is a great player, person, and athlete. He’s an excellent quarterback, I have the upmost respect for him and I’m so happy of the way he’s filled in the quarterback position. There hasn’t been a drop in talent whatsoever and he’s putting up great numbers as he leads the team with action. Sean’s an amazing leader on and off the field and always makes me you feel as if you’re part of his own family. His first year as a varsity starter has been insanely amazing, but it’s everything I expected from him because he’s dealt with this doubt before and has proven many people wrong that have doubted him.”

Bonita senior, Jacob Horne: “I would just say that despite Sean following a great D-1 quarterback like JP Andrade, Sean has done more than enough to prove he is a top tier quarterback and he does not have to live in the shadow of our previous quarterback. His ability to lead the team of guys who are mostly older than him and the fact that he handles the pressure and thrives in it are awfully impressive. Not to mention Sean is one of the most talented quarterbacks that I have seen and is a great asset and leader to Bonita’s offense.

Bonita senior, AJ Moreno: “He’s taking it very professionally and always has that mindset of winning every time he has on the field. It shows through practices and run throughs. It’s a tough role after replacing JP, but he has been doing very well.”

Getting to know Sean Jastrab:

Favorite team: Steelers

Favorite athlete: Tom Brady

Favorite movie: Facing the Giants

Favorite musical artist: Drake

Musical artist people might be surprised I like: Lil Tecca

Famous person alive or dead I’d most want to speak with: Tom Brady

Glendora (5-0) at Bonita (5-0), Friday at 7.

By the Numbers:

Team records:

Glendora (5-0); Bonita (5-0)

Combined records of opponents:

Bonita (11-14); Glendora (10-15)

CIF-SS rankings:

Glendora (No. 1 in D-5); Bonita (No. 3 in D-9)

State ranking by MaxPreps:

Glendora (40); Bonita (142)

Points scored:

Bonita (216); Glendora (155)

Points allowed:

Bonita (32); Glendora (33)

Passing yards per game:

Bonita (268); Glendora (158)

Passing TD’s:

Bonita (17); Glendora (12)

Rushing yards per game:

Glendora (175); Bonita (121)

Rushing TD’s:

Bonita (11); Glendora (8)

2019 Bonita Schedule & Results:

August 23: Bonita 42, Arroyo 7

August 30: Bonita 52, Diamond Bar 0

September 6: Bonita 37, Riverside Poly 0

September 14: Bonita 35, San Dimas 25

September 21: Bye Week

September 27: Bonita 50, Covina 0

October 4: Glendora at Bonita **

October 10: Bonita at Colony **

October 18: Bonita at Alta Loma

October 25: Ayala at Bonita **

November 1: Claremont at Bonita **

2019 Glendora Schedule & Results:

August 23: Glendora 24, Damien 7

August 30: Glendora 34, Roosevelt 7

September 6: Glendora 31, Charter Oak 6

September 13: Glendora 21, Los Altos 13

September 19: Glendora 45, West Covina 0

September 27: Bye Week

October 4: Glendora at Bonita **

October 11: Ayala vs Glendora at Citrus College **

October 18: Glendora at Claremont **

October 25: Alta Loma vs Glendora at Citrus College **

November 1: Glendora at Colony **

** Designates Palomares League games.

To view Jastrab’s photo gallery, click on the Facebook link here: (2) Facebook