By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor
While it seems that everyone else is showing a little rust after a shortened preseason and the kickoff to an abbreviated schedule some seven months later than usual.
But don’t tell that to the Ayala High School football team.
Two weeks in, and the Bulldogs are 2-0, having outscored Temescal Canyon and Bonita by a combined margin of 65-14.
Ayala took control approximately 10 minutes into Thursday’s contest in La Verne, and Bonita never really mounted a threat in their first game of the season.
Jacob Badawi, who went 4-for-4 earlier Thursday in the Bulldogs 13-3 baseball victory over Downey, rushed with his father to make the football game.
And he made his presence felt, when, with 2:15 to play in the first quarter, Badawi rumbled in from 24 yards out for a 7-0 lead.
Elijah Crockett would score on second-quarter TD runs of 1 and 7 yards, respectively, and the Bulldogs took a 21-0 lead into the break.
Crockett capped off his big night with a 75-yard sprint into the west end zone, and he finished with 155 yards on 15 carries.
Badawi finished with 48 yards on the ground, including the first score of the game.
Bryan Wilson, the freshman quarterback, ran for nearly 50 yards and threw for 71 yards in the win.
Jaden Sailor and Andrew Aguilar picked off Bonita quarterback Sean Jastrab.
Up next: Ayala will host Charter Oak next Friday and Bonita will travel to Alta Loma on Saturday.
Below are a pair of TD’s as well as interviews with Badawi/Crockett & then Coach Gracia and his freshman quarterback, Bryan Wilson.
Box Score:
A: 7-14-0-6-(27)
B: 0-0-0-0-(0)
Scoring:
A: Jacob Badawi 24 run (Deniz Koseoglu kick)
A: Elijah Crockett 1 run (Deniz Koseoglu kick)
A: Elijah Crockett 7 run (Deniz Koseoglu kick)
A: Elijah Crockett 75 run (bad snap)
Records: Ayala (2-0); Bonita (0-1)
** To view Gustavo Vargas’ photo gallery from the Ayala sidelines, please click the Facebook link here: Facebook
Photo by Underrated Media Girls Basketball: Los Osos and Flintridge Prep met up Thursday night at the Bonita Tip-Off challenge. The win would earn a spot in Saturday’s title game. And it was the Wolves that secured a championship game appearance with a 52-45 victory over the Grizzlies. Maddie Smith had a game-high 19 points […]
Girls Water Polo: West Covina picked up their third victory of the 2024-25 season in four tries. After a 9-2 loss to San Dimas in the season opener, the Bulldogs have now defeated Monrovia (17-13), La Mirada (15-13) and Pasadena (10-5). Deneli Salazar led the charge with five goals and four steals, continuing her streak […]
Girls Basketball: It’s unusual for a game to be considered ‘over’ after eight minutes of play. However, politically correct or not, Glendora put Anaheim away with a 22-0 first quarter. The Tartans cruised to a 57-26 victory at the La Mirada Tournament. Reagan (“Ronnie”) Herrmann had a game-high 17 points. Kamryn Kuo led both teams […]
Photo by Angeline Sabillon-Cifuentes Boys Soccer: The Marshall Fundamental soccer program scored two first-half goals on Wednesday at La Canada. The Spartans scored a second-half goal, and both programs had to settle for a 2-2 tie. Giovanni Retana had an unassisted goal for the Eagles. Justin Lopez-Perez scored off an assist from Retana. Angel Capistran […]
Boys Basketball: Damien is off to a great start in the 2024-25 season. The Spartans have now defeated Troy (80-41), Ontario Christian (68-39) and Villa Park (70-42) at the Sunny Hills Tournament by a combined margin of 218-122. DHS had a 38-19 lead at the half. Nate Garcia had a game-high 21 points. Jayden Avina […]
Photo by Underrated Media Girls Basketball: Flintridge Prep jumped on Claremont early, and the Wolfpack weren’t able to mount much of a challenge. The Wolves had a 20-3 lead after the first eight minutes, and they cruised to a 69-35 victory in the second round of the Bonita Tournament. Maddie Smith and Megan Quoch led […]
Girls Water Polo: Los Osos opened their 2024-25 season with an impressive 9-4 victory at San Dimas. The Grizzlies took a 6-0 lead into the half, and they never trailed. Teresa Shirley led the way with three goals and one block. Alex Frank chipped in with two goals, one assist and six steals. Maddie White […]
Photos by Carlo Montalbo (@Carlo.Montalbo on Instagram) Boys Basketball: Glendora edged Portola of Irvine, 54-49, in the second round of the Sunny Hills Tournament. GHS used a 32-25 advantage in the second half to claim victory. Tanner Grable had a big night on Tuesday with 14 points, 14 rebounds and a pair of assists. Colton […]
Boys Basketball: Damien blew out its second consecutive opponent to open the 2024-25 season. On Monday, the Spartans cruised to an 80-41 victory over Troy at the Sunny Hills Tournament. One night later, DHS raced past Ontario Christian, 68-39, after taking a 32-15 lead into the break. Nate Garcia had a game-high 23 points for […]
