Broncos buck their way to CIF State Champions

The last time it happened, the year was 1957. Dwight D. Eisenhower was in the White House and Elvis Presley was the hottest artist on the pop record charts. But on Saturday night, Dec. 11, the Bishop Broncos players, cheerleaders and fans all left John Schwab Field for a very happy holidays indeed, having witnessed history. The unseasonably warm evening couldn’t have been better for football, and those present saw the Broncos standing alone in the playoff bracket, having put away a win over the visiting Boron Bobcats 30-22 in the CIF Division 13 (Southern) Finals game.

The Broncos took the lead and never looked back. In the First Quarter, Bishop scored on a 7-yard run by RB Aaron Puls, and another 23-yard run by QB Chance Callahan. Kicker Cody Rigney was 1-1 on point after attempts, leaving Bishop up 13-0. Boron answered back in the Second Quarter, when Lamar Martin scampered into the end zone on a 5-yard run. The 2-point conversion, however, didn’t work. And a field goal from Rigney sent both teams to the locker rooms at the half with Bishop up 16-6.

Bishop held Boron scoreless in the Third Quarter, and added to its lead with a big 39-yard touchdown run from Kiko Gonzalez, capped off by an extra point from Rigney. Bishop locked out the quarter 23-6.

Boron did post a considerable rally in the Fourth, putting up two TDs. The first score came on a 19-yard pass from QB Austyn Fink that hit Reggie Heard. Martin carried in the 2-point conversion to boost the Bobcats to 23-14. Then it was the Broncos turn. Puls got the ball and hit the afterburners for a 25-yard TD run that set up another 7 points, with Rigney sealing the deal on the extra point for a 30-14 lead. Boron had one last shot at keeping the drama alive, and did a credible job, too, with Dedrick Payne punching in a 9-yard TD run, and Deandre Golden tacking on a 2-point conversion run, to bring the Bobcats to 30-22.

With the triumph, Bishop finished its season 13-1 overall, and undefeated at 5-0 in league play, while Boron walked away at 12-2 overall and 5-1 in league play. –Sheet Staff/Max Preps