Football/Baseball:

Pictured L-R: Bulick w/football coach, Mark Holman, & Ryan with his mom, Shannon Bulick.

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

Don’t let his lean frame and boyish face fool you, because incoming senior and San Dimas quarterback Ryan Bulick has the arm and athleticism to take over a game.

He plays for a Saints offense than runs the ball 85-percent of the time, but expect those odds to even out a little more in 2021.

Bulick stands at 6-foot 3 and weighs just 160 pounds, but his coaches and teammates say he is tough, athletic and highly underrated outside of their locker room or sideline.

Last year, San Dimas began the season slowly, and then didn’t lose again until the semifinal round of the playoffs.

That also included a perfect 5-0 run to a Valle Vista League championship.

Mark Holman’s program would finish 2019 at 11-2.

And without question, their high-water mark came in a quarterfinal round victory over No. 1 seeded Foothill.

The Knights headed north on the 57 freeway from Santa Ana with quite the swagger, but they left with a whimper and a season-ending defeat, 21-18.

In the win, Bulick’s 86-yard TD pass to Jacob Buccola on the second play of the second half ended up being the difference in the upset over Foothill.

But what many don’t remember is that Bulick made a huge play late to seal the deal.

Backed up around his own 25-yard line, Bulick was set to punt with seconds remaining in the game.

The snap hit the turf and slid to him with a little moisture, but Bulick said Thursday, ”that actually happened quite a few times at practice, so I kind of got used to making the pick up. It was a big moment, but we’re well-coached and go through everything at practice and it kind of becomes second nature and you just do your job.”

He even played a little defensive back when needed.

Last year, Bulick completed 79 of 144 pass attempts for 1,328 yards and 15 touchdowns.

In comparison, the Saints ran the ball 570 times for 4,668 yards.

Bulick carried the ball eight times himself for 56 yards and a TD.

He was also a member of Mike Regan/Mark Chiappelli’s baseball program.

The Saints were off to a 6-1 start overall and a 2-0 mark in Valle Vista League play when their season and in-person school year halted near the middle of March.

Aside from having some great senior teammates like D’Andre Smith, Liam Rocha and Blake Johnson not being able to finish out their prep careers like they deserved, the Saints players and coaches were thoroughly disappointed that they had to miss out on a couple of prestigious tournaments, including the Boras and National Classics.

San Dimas also handed Bonita its first loss of the season when they defeated the Bearcats, 6-0, on March 3.

For his junior year, Bulick batted .455, with five hits, four runs, three RBI’s and a triple.

Bulick is anxious as are all of us to get back to normal.

In fact, the Saints should be playing their fourth game today (Friday, September 18).

Bulick is working to earn money, doing online classes and everything he can to prepare mentally and physically to be ready for football season.

He misses the practices, competition and his buddies.

Bulick said his parents, Shannon and Scott Bulick “are a huge influence on my life and they always push me to be the best I can, and they’ve taught me that nothing in life is given to you.”

We had a conversation with Bulick on Thursday afternoon just outside of San Dimas High School’s football field and they are split up into three clips.

In the first, Bulick talks about 2020 baseball season ending after just seven games thanks to COVID-19, the frustrations of this pandemic and the reality that he might have had to choose between football and baseball.

Bulick discusses the star seniors that helped lead the Saints to a semifinal run in clip No. 2, who he expects to step up in 2021, how excited he is to pick up off of that great finish to 2019, and if he’d like to see the offense throw the ball more

And lastly, Bulick discusses what he and his teammates can do to prepare for football on their own, what he misses about being around his teammates and coaches, and the way SDHS football carries themselves.

Quotable:

San Dimas baseball coach, Mike Regan: “Ryan is very athletic and worked his way into the starting lineup last year. He will be one our top defensive outfielders returning. He really grew on us last year because he is savvy, hard working and very respectful. We are hoping he has a great year in both football and baseball.”

San Dimas football coach & athletic director, Mark Holman: “Ryan is a really smart football player and we’ve built up a relationship where I think he knows what I’m going to call. I believe in his arm and I trust him with our offense. I do think his senior year is going to be a great one, because he’s really matured and his teammates believe in him. He works really hard and another thing I like about him is that he’s not afraid to challenge me (in a respectful way) when he thinks I’m wrong. I think his biggest growth has been that of becoming a leader and that’s something we need from him.”

San Dimas senior, Jacob Buccola: “He’s a leader on the field and he is a very fierce competitor. He will do anything it takes to win and he’s a great friend. He’s always there for you and he will keep it 100. Ryan is a very capable passer and he has a big arm. We are a heavy run offense, but since we have Ryan, I think it will be a lot different this year. We will see the ball being thrown a lot of the time He his definitely overlooked and deserves a lot more credit for being a talented quarterback.”

To view a Ryan Bulick photo gallery, click the Facebook link here: Facebook