Kickoff return for score sets tone in Bonanza win
Bonanza coach Shawn Dupris said he expected Sierra Vista to try to physically beat up his team Friday.
But it was the Bengals who staggered the host Mountain Lions from the start.
Aaron Simon’s 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown opened the game. Then the Bonanza defense took over, holding Sierra Vista to 124 yards of offense and delivering the TKO in the form of a 21-0 victory.
“We knew they were going to pound the ball. Everybody wants to be physical with Bonanza,” Dupris said. “But I think now we are a physical team, and we are ready to meet that challenge.”
Bonanza (3-2, 2-0 Southwest) seized momentum just after the opening kick, as the ball sailed past Simon at the 15 and hit the ground.
He scooped up the ball at the 10 circled back to the opposite side of the field and stretched into the end zone to give the Bengals the lead for good.
“That was a huge start for us,” Dupris said. “Every blocked well and got down the field, and when Aaron Simon gets in the open field, he’s fast.”
Simon’s score boosted the momentum for Bonanza, particularly on defense. The Bengals never allowed the Mountain Lions’ running game to get on track, surrendering just 77 yards on the ground including only 21 yards in the first half.
Akil Sharp, who was coming off of a 223-yard, three score performance for Sierra Vista (2-3, 1-1), was held to 65 yards on 21 carries.
“Our defense was awesome,” Dupris said. “We just challenged our kids. We told them that (Sharp) is one of the best in the city. If you can shut him down, what does that make you?”
Dakota Barrix and Alex Seguin each had interceptions for Bonanza. Anthony Roberts recovered a fumble, while Stuart Montelongo forced and fumble and a sack for the Bengals.
On offense, Antonio Beals rushed for 124 yards and two scores on 20 carries to lead Bonanza.
Beals, who rushed for 111 yards in the first half, capped a 75-yard, 13 play drive that used up 8:05 with a 3-yard TD run on the first play of the second quarter to make it 14-0.
He added a 3-yard touchdown run with 5:36 to play in the third quarter.
On the play, Beals carried the ball in the middle of the line, was forced back by the defense, escaped two tackles and sprinted all the way to the left corner of the end zone to make it 21-0.
“It was like, I don’t know. I just saw it (the corner) and took it,” Beals said. “We could have done better on offense tonight though. We will have to fix that.”
After winning three in a row, and exceeding the win total of last season, the Bengals are a surprise early leader of the Southwest League.
“To have success is nice now, but this one is over and now we will focus on next week,” said Dupris. “Our ultimate goal is the playoffs.”