LA VERNE – With Bonita’s two-way standout and Texas A&M commit on the sidelines with sweats after bruising his foot last week, the Bearcats were hoping they could find some momentum against fourth-seed Edison in Friday’s CIF Southern Section Division 3 quarterfinals.
But the Chargers had other ideas, scoring on their first three possessions, and the Bearcats (11-1) struggled to find answers the rest of the way, suffering their first loss, 24-0
“They’re a damn good football team and a better team that we were,” Bonita co-head coach Steve Bogan said. “It was one of those nights, but they’re a well coached team and that’s why they won.”
Edison (8-4) advances to play the Cajon-Vista Murrieta winner in next week’s semifinals.
Edison’s Julius Gillick, a Montana commit and the school’s all-time leading rusher, injured his knee in the final moments of the first half, but not before rushing for 79 yards and a touchdown, and helping them build a 17-0 lead. He never returned.
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Edison’s Sam Edmisten got most of the carries in the second half, finishing with 94 yards.
Edison quarterback Sam Thomson was stready throughout, throwing for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
End of the day, the Chargers did what they wanted.
“We just played good team football on both sides of the ball,” Edison coach Jeff Grady said. “When you shut a team ouy like this you’re doing something special on both sides of the ball. We started fast on both sides of the ball and special teams.”
Who knows what Mikhail, a linebacker, running back and receiver, would have done to change the outcome, but it was obvious the Chargers were more physical, holding Bonita’s tough sophomore running back Joseph Lara to just 35 yards. Quarterback Travis Lippert also couldn’t get it going with any consistency, completing 11-of-20 passes for 77 yards with an interception.
“It takes the unit,” Grady said of their defense effort. “We played good team football.”
Bogan said the loss of Mikhail was obvious.
“They came to hit us in the mouth and that’s where he is (Mikhail) to counter back,” Bogan said. “But that’s football. It was a little disappointing getting two drives down the field and not scoring, but it was a hell of a season. We’re not going to let this ruin it.”
Edison came out strong with Ayden Degiacomo returned the kickoff 60 yards to the Bonita 40. The Chargers got a first down at the 10 and got as close as the four, but had to settle for Nico Bammer’s 23-yard field goal and 3-0 lead.
Gillick showed why he is so valuable with a 74-yard fun that set up his 4-yard TD run for a 10-0 lead with 3:05 left in the first quarter.
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With Bonita continuing to struggle offensively, the Chargers kept adding to their lead.
Thomson delivered a 30-yard touchdown pass over the middle for Jake Minter to extend their cushion to 17-0 just a minute into the second quarter, and it stayed that way until half.
Thomson provided the explamation midway through the third quarter, thowing a 16-yard TD pass to Shea Summers.
