Football:

Last season, Bonita finished 6-4, but the Bearcats didn’t fit into the CIF-SS formula when its computer spat out the 2022 playoff pairings.

Fast forward one season, and BHS was 7-2 and tied for second in the Mountain West League standings with their visitors from Charter Oak.

And don’t let the Chargers 2-7 record fool you, they played a monstrous schedule, including games against Baseline League powers, Upland and Damien.

The winner of Thursday’s contest between 1-1 programs (both lost to Ayala & defeated Alta Loma) would secure a playoff berth, and Bonita didn’t want to leave it up to a formula this year.

But there was a problem.

The battle-tested Chargers looked more like the 7-2 team in the beginning, and took a 10-0 lead into the second quarter.

Corin Berry connected with Sean Munoz on a 16-yard TD pass, and Mitchell Gibbens booted a 35-yard field goal to give COHS that 10-0 advantage.

Noah Mikhail would get Bonita to within 10-7 on a 7-yard TD run.

And then came the game’s most consequential sequence.

Charter Oak’s Michael Moronez picked off Bonita’s freshman quarterback, Daniel Mielke, and returned it 70-plus yards for what would have been a 17-7 lead.

On the play, however, the Chargers were levied with two critical personal fouls.

The first was a facemask, and the second being a celebration penalty on Moronez.

Instead of a 10-point lead and owning 100 percent of the momentum, the seven points were erased from the scoreboard and the ball was marched almost into red zone.

Shortly thereafter, Mielke and Cole Parra hooked up on a screen pass that Parra turned into a 13-yard TD.

The Bearcats were able to turn two COHS penalties into a dramatic 14-point swing, and they headed to the break with a 14-10 lead.

In the third quarter, Charter Oak could not find its way into the end zone, which meant Mikhail’s second TD run of the game ballooned the BHS lead to 21-10.

If you’ve lived in the area, you know the late-great Lou Farrar’s programs never stopped fighting until the final whistle.

And the same is true for his son, Dominic, who proudly carries his father’s legacy forward.

Charter Oak made the game even more interesting and intense, as Curtis Taylor rumbled in from seven yards out.

Trailing by five (21-16), Farrar elected to go for 2, and the pass attempt worked.

COHS pulled to within three points of BHS, and there was still 9:16 to play.

Manny Franco gave the Bearcats a little breathing room by booting a 28-yard field goal, and Bonita held a 24-18 lead.

After forcing a turnover on downs, Bonita had a 4th-and-two from the Charter Oak 20-yard line.

As football fans, people on the sidelines debated aloud whether the prudent move was to go for it, and worst case scenario would be that COHS needed to drive 80 yards without any timeouts and just over one minute on the clock.

Or could Franco be trusted to put the game out of reach with another field goal?

Bonita rightfully believes in its kicker, and he made his coaches look smart.

Franco hit the 37-yard field goal, which allowed the Bonita players, their coaches and the BHS fans to both celebrate and feel a sense of relief.

Both programs had many moments on Thursday night to look back on with pride.

This writer has been to Charter Oak games against Upland, Ayala and Bonita, and in each of the three, they trailed late.

But in all three, Farrar’s boys competed like each play would determine the outcome of the game.

For Bonita, their rookie quarterback had multiple fumbles and a pick-six that was brought back.

Mielke, however, regrouped after each mistake, and made critical late-game conversions, including one on fourth down.

Dylan Robinson had a big game with a pick, drive-extending catch, and just by his mere presence in the Bearcats defensive backfield.

And the same was true with Cole Parra.

Parra, who is a mainstay of the BHS defense, also took over Jayden Montenegro’s duties, when the Bearcats senior was injured and taken to the hospital.

Thursday’s showdown felt very much like a playoff atmosphere, and while Bonita earned a playoff spot, some think, and we hope the Chargers strength of schedule allows them to get an at-large bid.

Up next: The CIF pairings will be released on Sunday morning at 10.

To view the brackets then, go to www.cifss.org.

To view a photo gallery by Beth Oualline, click on the Facebook link here: Facebook

To view photos by Taegan Maysami, click on the Facebook link here: Facebook

Box Score:
CO: 10-0-0-8-(18)
B: 0-14-7-6-(27)

Scoring:
CO: Sean Munoz 16 pass from Corin Berry (Mitchell Gibbens kick)
CO: Mitchell Gibbens 35 FG
B: Noah Mikhail 7 run (Manny Franco kick)
B: Cole Parra 13 pass from Daniel Mielke (Manny Franco kick)
B: Noah Mikhail 6 run (Manny Franco kick)
CO: Curtis Taylor 7 run (2-point pass was completed)
B: Manny Franco 28 FG
B: Manny Franco 37 FG

Records: Charter Oak (2-8, 1-2); Bonita (8-2, 2-1)