Photos courtesy of Taegan Maysami (Madeby.Taeg on Instagram) and Beth Oualline

Pictured L-R: Bo Beatty, Karim Mikhail, Noah Mikhail, Steve Bogan & Craig Schuster

Football:

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

If there was ever a song title that best fit Bonita’s Noah Mikhail, it would have to be ‘Life’s been good to me so far’ by Joe Walsh of the Eagles.

Mikhail has everything in the world going for him.

He’s athletic, intelligent, chiseled, popular and comes from a supportive and loving family.

At 16, he’s already 6-foot-3 and 217 pounds of muscle.

When the Bearcats open the 2023 season at Monrovia on August 18th, the BHS junior will anchor the defense at linebacker, and he’ll make a sizeable impact on the offensive end at receiver and running back.

He’s arguably the most sought after high school football player in the SGV area.

To back up that claim, consider the following: Mikhail has 34 NCAA Division 1 offers, and that includes interest from six (Ohio State, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Michigan and USC) of the top seven ranked programs in ESPN’s 2023 preseason poll.

But the list doesn’t end there.

Notre Dame, Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Stanford, Texas A&M, UCLA, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Oklahoma and Washington are all vying for Mikhail’s services in 2025.

Keep in mind, however, that Notre Dame has long been the Mikhail family’s favorite college football program.

In an interview on Friday evening at Bonita High School, Mikhail said he hasn’t begun to narrow the list and doesn’t expect to make an official commitment until this time next year.

How did Noah’s journey to becoming a blue chip athlete begin, and where did he get his moral foundation?

It all starts with mom and dad.

Karim Mikhail, his 47-year-old father, spent the first 15 years of his life in Egypt.

Mikhail’s family entered the lottery and immigrated to the United States during the George HW Bush administration.

Mr. Mikhail only spoke Arabic at the time, but he quickly learned to speak English and adapted well to his new country.

Karim actually played for Bonita co-head coach Bo Beatty at Azusa Pacific University, and he met a girl named Lynsey after a football game.

Years later, Lynsey and Karim would marry and have two boys.

Noah’s big brother, Kalim, is 19, and he’ll compete this season for Bob Jastrab at Mt. SAC.

Kalim is an outstanding football player in his own right, and he continues to serve as a mentor to Noah.

In his senior season (2021), when Bonita went 9-3, Kalim led the program in: rushing yards (509), rushing TD’s (5), tackles (146), tackles for loss (12) and sacks (4).

He also caught 28 passes for 234 yards and a pair of receiving TD’s.

Noah is a devout Christian, and he credits his faith in God and his parents for helping to develop his priorities, including excelling in the classroom, treating people well, putting education first and working his butt off in the weight room and on the football field.

What makes Noah Mikhail so special?

It’s not just his God-given size and physical skills.

It’s equally the teammate and friend he’s become to the entire Bonita High School roster and a program that he’s grown to love.

His teammates talk more about Noah’s character and work ethic than even his on-field prowess.

And that says a lot.

Mikhail is about as selfless as one could be.

If he’s making huge plays on both sides of the ball, that’s great for the success of the program.

But if he’s double teamed, Noah is just as happy, because the attention he’s drawing helps open up the Bearcats running game, as well as allowing his fellow receivers single coverage down the field.

Mikhail was selected as team captain for the second consecutive season, and his teammates want the ball in his hands when the game is on the line.

In 2022, Mikhail had team-highs in tackles (112) and tackles for-loss (13).

He had 50 more tackles than Cole Parra and Dominic Avelar, who tied for second with 62.

Noah and Ryder Cadam led the Bearcats with three sacks apiece.

On offense, Mikhail led the way with 28 receptions, and his 403 yards and three receiving TD’s was second to Cadam’s 444  yards and four TD catches.

Mikhail also carried the ball 23 times for 200 yards.

When it’s ‘winning time,’ #3 in green will always be near the ball and he’s proven time and again just how clutch he can be.

One example sticks out to this reporter.

In week four last season, the Bearcats trailed visiting Los Osos, 27-21, with just over a minute to play.

Not to worry.

Daniel Andrade hit Mikhail on a long pass to the Grizzlies 30-yard line.

One play later, Andrade and Mikhail would hook up on a 30-yard TD strike, and Bonita held on for a 28-27 victory.

There is no one better suited to describe just how good Noah Mikhail is than Bo Beatty.

“l had the privilege of coaching several great Division 2 college linebackers in 23 years at APU,” Beatty said. “Noah is further along going into his junior year of high school than they were in college. He is very comparable to Mykal Walker, who I coached, and Mykal now plays for the Falcons.”

Steve Bogan, a four-time CIF-SS championship coach, said Mikhail reminds him of the Payton brothers (Bryan and Jeremy) in the early 2000’s, who along with Philip Guerrero and their teammates claimed a pair of CIF titles at South Hills.

If all that weren’t enough, Noah carries a 3.9 GPA, and when his playing days are over, he’d like to get into broadcasting or the real estate business.

I asked Mikhail what he hopes his legacy will be amongst his teammates when he leaves BHS in two years, and Noah replied, “I hope they remember me as someone who worked hard, supported his teammates, didn’t care who got the credit as long as we won, and was the best possible friend I could be.”

Last year, the Bearcats went 6-4 and missed out on the playoffs, but they were a much better team than a record would indicate.

BHS was just 13 combined points from going 9-1.

Noah doesn’t seek out media attention, and he’d be the first to say that every member of their roster is just as important to the success of the program.

Mikhail trusts and appreciates each of them.

Bonita also added another established and successful coach to their staff for 2023.

Former Glendora and Alta Loma head coach Mark Pasquarella joins Bogan and Beatty on the BHS sidelines.

Directly below the quotes from Charter Oak coach Dominic Farrar and Kalim Mikhail are video interviews, Bonita stats and their 2023 schedule.

To view a photo gallery by Taegan Maysami (Madeby.Taeg on Instagram) and Beth Oualline, click on the Facebook link here: Facebook

Quotable:

Charter Oak coach, Dominic Farrar: “Noah Mikhail is a very gifted and talented athlete, and from the impressions I have seeing him and his family at our NFF Hall of Fame dinner, you can tell his entire family are wonderful people. Other than the night we play him, I’m rooting for him. Coach Beatty continues to do an excellent job of developing Noah and his ability to play multiple positions gives Bonita a chance to be very successful. His physical presence and his motor is what makes Noah a difference maker, and you always need to know where he is on the football field. You can just tell he loves the game and has a strong work ethic. I really respect him, his family, and Coach Beatty and their journey together. I am looking forward to him playing at the next level. That is great for our area to have a national recruit like Noah Mikhail.”

Mt. SAC football player, & Noah’s big brother, Kalim Mikhail: “Growing up, I always knew that Noah would be something special. He was always competing against me and was striving to beat me in everything. Just that and his work ethic really showed me. He also always was a monster for his age. He’s someone who is always striving to be the best he possibly can. He’s also very strong in his faith which translates to how hard he works in every area of his life. I’m most proud of his work ethic and it’s just awesome to see how all of that hard work is getting noticed now, and how he will be able to continue to show that on a bigger and bigger stage as he continues throughout his career. Noah is a very long linebacker with very good athleticism for his size. I think he can cover very well and make plays in open space, which isn’t seen in a lot of linebackers. But he also has that ability to come down and make a huge hit. He also has a very high football IQ, and his love of the game is something I think one needs to compete at the highest level.”

2022 Stats for 2023 Returners:
QB
Tyler Lippert 3-6 for 43 yards, TD & no picks

RB:
Cole Parra: 75 carries for 376 yards & four TDs
Noah Mikhail: 23 rushes for 200 yards
Connor Milici: seven carries for 56 yards
Jayden Montenegro: five carries for 22 yards

Receivers:
Ryder Cadam: 26 catches for 444 yards & four TD’s
Noah Mikhail: 28 for 403 & three TD’s
Cole Parra: 4-66
Adrian McCoy: 3-51

Tackles:
Noah Mikhail: 112, 13 for-loss
Dominic Avelar: 62, 5.5 for loss
Cole Parra: 62, two for loss
Ryder Cadam: 47, five for loss
Jacob Maddox: 19
Jayden Montenegro: 13, one for loss
Adrian McCoy: 13

Sacks:
Noah Mikhail: 3
Ryder Cadam: 3
Dominic Avelar: 2
Cole Parra: 1
Carter Alba: 1

Interceptions:
Cola Parra: 2
Noah Mikhail: 1
Adrian McCoy: 1
Connor Milici: 1

Noah Mikhail’s Career Stats:
2021: 23 catches for 272 yards & four TD’s; 75 tackles (three for-loss), two interceptions, one sack (third in tackles to Karim Mikhail, who had 146, including 12 for loss & four sacks)
2022: 23 carries for 200 yards, 28 catches for 403 and three TD’s; 112 tackles, 13 for loss,three sacks and one INT.

2021 Bonita Schedule:
8/18: Bonita at Monrovia
8/25: Bonita at Ontario Christian
8/31: La Salle at Bonita
9/9: Bonita vs San Dimas at Mt. SAC
9/15: Bonita at Los Osos
9/28: Northview at Bonita
10/6: Sierra Vista at Bonita
10/13: Bonita at Ayala
10/19: Alta Loma at Bonita
10/27: Charter Oak at Bonita

Bonita’s Record w/Noah Mikhail:
2021: 9-3 overall,  2-1 in league
2022: 6-4, 1-2

2022 Mountain West League Standings:
Charter Oak (10-1, 3-0)
Ayala (8-3, 2-1)
Bonita (6-4, 1-2)
Alta Loma (4-6, 0-3)