The annual Smudge Pot trophy is going back to Bonita. The Bonita Bearcats scored 26 unanswered points to open the game and cruised to a 33-13 win over the San Dimas Saints in the annual “Smudge Pot Game” on Friday night in front of around 7,200 fans at Citrus College. After losing 37-36 last season, the Bearcats snapped a two-game losing streak to close the gap in the series to 22-18-1. The rivalry began in 1972 with the winner getting a trophy that symbolizes the area’s local citrus industry.

MVP

Tanner Diebold

Bonita

SCHOLAR ATHLETES

Jacob Karim

San Dimas

Jonah Phipps

Bonita

HALL OF FAME

Nico Barbone

San Dimas

Eric Podley

Bonita

GAME SUMMARY

Bonita quarterback Tanner Diebold threw for 247 yards and two TDs, which was good enough for him to be named the Great American Rivalry Series Most Valuable Player. He threw for 173 yards and three TDs in last season's loss to San Dimas. The Bearcats blew the game open early, getting a 47-yard TD pass quickly followed by a 51-yard fumble recovery for a TD by Jacob Karim. Then a safety, a 57-yard TD pass and a 93-yard TD run by Jake Payton -- who transferred from the Saints a few weeks prior -- put the game out of reach. San Dimas cut the deficit to 26-13 in the third quarter, but another 10-yard TD pass with five minutes to go sealed it.