A huge thanks to Matt Heersema of A Charge to Keep (@chargetokeep on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram) for the information, photos, videos and his interview with soon-to-be Rio Hondo Prep junior, Noah Penunuri.
Muay Thai:
Noah Penunuri is a winner.
And that includes in the classroom, on the football field, and in the ring.
On Saturday night at the Marriott Convention Center in Burbank, Rio Hondo Prep’s Noah Penunuri fought Miguel Velazquez for the CALI (Championship Amateur League International) Muay Thai middleweight championship.
With dozens of his RHP football teammates and classmates in attendance, Penunuri dominated from the start.
He won via technical knockout (TKO) in less than 90 seconds to earn the title of California Middleweight (160 pounds) Muay Thai champion.
In his career, Penunuri is now 5-1, and he trains at the The Shack System Martial Arts in Glendora.
Just seven months ago, Penunuri and his teammate, Nate Curtis, were named the 210 Prep Sports Football Players of the Year after an historic 2023 season.
The Kares went 13-2, and that included a 29-27 victory at Santa Monica on November 24th to secure a CIF-Southern Section Division 9 championship.
On the last play of regulation, SMHS scored on an 11-yard TD pass to pull within two of the Kares.
But their conversion pass attempt was batted down by Nathaniel Shine, and RHP won its first football championship in 11 years.
Penunuri led the way that night with 178 yards on 29 carries, including a pair of TD runs.
For his sophomore campaign (2023), he had team-highs in carries (200), rushing yards (1,402) and TD’s (18).
On the defensive side of the ball, Penunuri was third with 68 tackles.
When the Kares open the 2024 season on Saturday August 24th, Penunuri will need just 58 yards against visiting Francis Parker of San Diego to join the 2,000-yard rushing club.
Quotable:
Rio Hondo Prep football coach, Mark Carson: “Noah is an amazing athlete. He’s going to be elite at anything he puts his mind to. In terms of football, he can play almost anywhere at any position and still be one of the best players on the field. We’re grateful to have him for another two years.”
Photos by Tim Lunney Football: There were a number of programs within the 210 Prep Sports coverage zone that had historic seasons in 2024. Of the 30 teams we follow, only two finished the regular season without a loss. Bonita began the year with 11 consecutive wins for the first time since 1999. The Bearcats […]
Photos by Carlo Montalbo (@Carlo.Monalbo on Instagram) Boys Basketball: Glendora got one more game in before Christmas. And they made the most of it. The Tartans cruised to a 91-58 nonleague victory over Hesperia. GHS had a 48-25 lead at the half. Sebastian Demano scored a game-high 21 points. Demano also had five rebounds, nine […]
Photos by Alex Veliz Girls Basketball: La Salle improved to 12-1 after Saturday’s 40-28 victory over Westlake at the La Salle Winter Showcase. The Lancers led 22-12 at the half, and 32-17 after three quarters. Casey Higgins led La Salle with 10 points. Aislin Tamez Torres had nine points, and Emily Fong contributed eight points […]
Photos by Alex Veliz Girls Basketball La Salle won its eighth consecutive game on Friday. The Lancers cruised to a 75-45 victory over Schurr at the La Salle Winter Showcase. LSHS had a 38-17 lead at the break, and the outcome was never in doubt. Casey Higgins scored a game-high 21 points. Emily Fong chipped […]
Boys Basketball: Etiwanda picked up victory No. 10 of the 2024-25 season on Friday. The Eagles outlasted their visitors from Vista Murrieta, 69-57, behind 18 points from AJ Orji. Orji scored 15 of the 18 in the second half. Ayden Hamilton chipped in with 14 points and Sloane Harris had 11. Cisco Munoz scored a […]
Boys Basketball: Bonita dug itself a 15-point hole at the half in Thursday’s Palomares League opener at Diamond Bar. The Bearcats outscored the Brahmas 49-41, but DBHS would hold on for a 73-66 victory. Bonita had a 10-9 advantage in 3-pointers made. Tyler West led Diamond Bar with 20 points and Jedison Chow had 16 […]
Photos by Carlo Montalbo (@Carlo.Montalbo on Instagram) Boys Basketball: Something had to give when Glendora and Ayala met up Thursday night in Chino Hills. The Bulldogs had won five in a row and 10 of their last 11 games. And the visiting Tartans entered the Palomares League opener for both programs on an eight-game win […]
Wrestling: So far, so good. Bonita has opened the Palomares League portion of its schedule with a pair of blowouts. Last week, the Bearcats secured a 64-18 victory at Diamond Bar. And last night, BHS won 12-of-14 matches, and they cruised to a 65-11 victory. Bonita is now 6-1 overall, and 2-0 in league matches. […]
Photos by Carlo Montalbo (@Carlo.Montalbo on Instagram) Girls Basketball: Glendora had one of its poorest shooting efforts of the year. But when push came to shove, the Tartans pulled away in the second half and they secured a 44-33 victory at Ayala in the Palomares League opener for both programs. GHS and AHS combined for […]
