Photos by Tim Lunney & game info from Harry Joe
Football:
The only thing more difficult than winning a CIF-SS championship is repeating that feat the following year.
And the Rio Hondo Prep football program had the opportunity to do just that on Friday night.
In 2023, the Kares secured a CIF Division 9 championship with a thrilling 29-27 victory at Santa Monica.
Nathaniel Shine batted down the 2-point conversion attempt on the last play of the game.
Fast forward to November 29th of 2024, and RHP faced off with a Warren program that has significant advantages in size, speed and depth.
Not to worry, Rio Hondo Prep fans, because Mark Carson and his staff just happened to put together a master-class game plan, and their players carried it out beautifully in a 43-16 beatdown of the Bears.
What had to make it even more satisfying is that Rio Hondo Prep was moved up two divisions after the D-9 title in 2023.
On the flip side, Warren dropped four divisions after falling 24-21 in last year’s D-3 title game against St. Bonaventure.
And WHS is far from a D-7 football program.
On Friday night, though, RHP made them look like one.
There were a number of key moments in the win.
It started on the Kares first drive.
After a defensive stop, RHP was on the move until the always-reliable Noah Penunuri fumbled the ball.
Warren drove deep into Rio Hondo Prep territory, but the Kares forced the Bears to settle for a 25-yard field goal.
With 6:20 remaining in the first half, Penunuri scored on a 4-yard TD run.
Warren jumped on the extra-point attempt, so RHP did what RHP does in those situations.
They went for 2, and Penunuri gave the boys from Arcadia an 8-3 lead.
The Bears took their second and final lead of the game with 3:54 remaining in the second quarter.
Jamar Malone hit Skylar Lendsey on a 14-yard scoring strike, and WHS took a 10-8 lead.
That only held up for three minutes and 13 seconds, when, with 41 seconds to play in the half, Nate Curtis rumbled into the west end zone from four yards out.
RHP took a 15-9 lead into the break, and knowing they’d get the ball first in the second half.
However, what nobody could have predicted is that Warren wouldn’t get a single offensive snap in the entire third quarter.
After eating the first 8:42 off the clock, Penunuri scored on a 14-yard TD run.
The Kares had consecutive penalties on the opening drive of the second half, but a pass interference call against Warren was key to sustaining the drive.
So, with a 22-10 lead, RHP kicks it deep and lets its defense go to work, right?
Nope!
Having watched film on WHS, Carson and his staff noticed there might be an opportunity to take advantage on an onside kick.
They were right, and the Kares recovered the kick, and chewed up the final 3:18 of the third quarter.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Penunuri’s 21-yard TD run extended the lead to 19 points (29-10).
Nearly eight minutes later, Caeden Holcomb scored on a 1-yard TD run.
The Bears answered back one last time.
With 2:23 to play and trailing by 26 points, Malone scored on a 4-yard run.
After Malone’s 2-point attempt failed, Warren attempted an onside kick.
Holcomb secured the ball, and while WHS probably expected Caeden to take a knee, the Kares senior had other ideas. and he ran it back for a 50-yard TD.
RHP had an approximate 20-4 advantage in the time of possession battle in the second half.
Rio Hondo Prep had a 316-111 advantage on the ground, while Warren threw for 214 yards, as compared to zero for the Kares.
Penunuri finished with 203 yards on 34 carries.
And that included TD runs of 4, 14 and 21 yards.
Holcomb gained 69 yards on 14 carries, and Curtis carried the ball seven times for 37 yards.
Malone completed 14-of-16 for 214 yards.
Jaylen Whitaker caught four passes for 73 yards, and Jeremiah Boyette had three receptions for 59 yards.
Jalen Ross had 40 receiving yards on three catches.
Penunuri and Andy Xu led the Kares defense with six tackles apiece.
Elias Har and Nate Curtis totaled four tackles each.
Holcomb had five tackles, including a sack, while Tyler Dang and Josh Curtis tallied three tackles apiece.
To view part 1 of Tim Lunney’s 2-part photo gallery, click on the Facebook link here: Facebook
To view part 2 of Tim Lunney’s photo gallery, click on the Facebook link here: Facebook
Box Score:
WHS: 3-7-0-6-(16)
RHP: 0-15-7-21-(43)
Scoring:
W: John Jaimes 25 FG
R: Noah Penunuri 4 run (Penunuri run)
W: Skylar Lendsey 15 pass from Jamar Malone (Abraham Morales kick)
R: Nate Curtis 4 run (Marco Chan kick)
R: Noah Penunuri 14 run (Marco Chan kick)
R: Noah Penunuri 21 run (Marco Chan kick)
R: Caeden Holcomb 1 run (Marco Chan kick)
W: Jamar Malone 4 run (run failed)
R: Caeden Holcomb 50 kickoff return (Marco Chan kick)
Records: Rio Hondo Prep (12-1); Warren (6-8)
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 […]
Girls Basketball: Another Prep League basketball for Flintridge Prep. And another blowout. The Wolves led by 27 points after the first eight minutes, and they cruised to a 71-13 victory at Westridge. So far, Prep has league wins over Mayfield, Chadwick and Westridge by a combined margin of 225-52. Olivia Childs led the way with […]
