Winning its first league game in three years, the Diamond Bar High School football team narrowly beat the Bonita Bearcats 35-34 in its final game of the year.

The Brahmas took the early lead with a touchdown in the middle of the first quarter. By the end of the first quarter, Bonita cut the lead to 7-6 after two field goals.

In the second quarter, the Brahmas brought the score to 21-6 after junior Shane Wells scored two touchdowns. Bonita followed close behind with a touchdown of their own, bringing the score to 21-12.  Before the half  ended, Bonita again cut the deficit to a single point  after a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion.

By the end of the third quarter, the Bearcats has a commanding 13 point lead.  But the Brahma defense held them at 34 points as DB climbed back into the game with two rushing touchdowns by junior Kyle Rojas, clinching the victory.

“I was very proud of our players pulling out the win in a close game, we have came close in the years past and always lost. I am very happy this group of kids ended the losing Palomares league streak,” Coach Marcus Hughes said.

It was the highlights of a  rough league season, starting with a blowout loss against Glendora, 42-8. In the second game, the Brahmas were able to hold Ayala scoreless in the first half but were unable to keep up in the second and ended up losing 28-3. The offense showed improvement in their third and fourth games,  but the Brahmas still lost 35-21 against South Hills and 55-41 against Claremont.

“Defensively, we just have many young players who are still developing. They just need to get used to executing efficiently,” said senior lineman Jeffrey Lu.

On the offensive end, Lu stated that the Brahmas were missing players and made too many mental mistakes in times of pressure.

Sporting a starting roster of mostly seniors, the team’s juniors and underclassmen will have to step it up next season. Senior quarterback Grant Mestas, who has had a significant impact on the team’s offensive end with an average of 196.6 passing yards and 14.1 completions per game, will be gone. Senior captain running back and corner Davion Bluitt, who averages 59.8 rushing yards per game, will also be missed.

Senior defensive tackle Elijah Mott, who was a major asset in pass rush and play recognition, will be leaving a big role for someone to take next season.

A few players who the team looks to play larger  roles next season include junior receiver Shane Wells, who has played a pivotal role in the team’s passing game with his average of 98.7 receiving yards per game, sophomore linebacker Jacob Gonzales, who has been a force on both the offensive and defensive ends, and sophomore Malik Scurlock, who has played a significant role on the defensive line and must step into Mott’s leadership role.

“I have full faith in the underclassmen to build a strong team together,” Lu said.