After three consecutive road games, the Brahmas routed the Chino Cowboys in Diamond Bar’s Homecoming game 53-13.  

Featuring an explosion of offense that utilized an eclectic variety of plays, Diamond Bar dominated the time of possession. Senior quarterback Dylan Karanickolas consistently found junior wide receiver Chase Wells for long yardage plays, while junior running back Josiah Hunter had another massive game on the ground behind superior blocking.On the other side of the ball, the Brahmas’ interior pass rush defense was elite, stopping the Cowboys’ run-heavy predictable offense.

The first six minutes of the match were highly competitive, as both teams traded impressive touchdowns. After being forced to punt due to a quick three-and-out, the Brahmas’ interior defense caused a fumble, regaining possession in the red zone. Hunter eventually scored a touchdown, assisted by the blocking of the offensive line.

Following a short kickoff from Diamond Bar, Chino regained their offensive momentum with a clever screen-play that went for 30 yards. The next play featured a quarterback draw for a touchdown, tying the game 7-7 with five minutes remaining in the first quarter. 

During the dying moments of the first period, the Brahmas continued to punish the tired defensive line of the Cowboys through running the ball in hurry-up offense. After Karanickolas drew multiple offside penalties on Chino through deceptive ball counts, the star quarterback found Wells down the sideline, and the wide receiver fought into the endzone for a 30-yard touchdown while dragging Chino defenders along with him. This ended the first quarter 14-7 in favor of the Brahmas.

In the second period, Diamond Bar ran more of the same offense. The debilitated Chino defensive front could not keep up with the rapid pace of the hurry-up offense, as the Brahmas continually pounded the ball down the middle of the field. 

As a result, the Cowboys began to commit defensive penalties that allowed more scoring opportunities for Diamond Bar. The Brahmas scored four more touchdowns in the half, courtesy of Karanickolas picking apart the secondary, along with effective running from Hunter that ballooned the Diamond Bar lead 40-7. They missed two PAT attempts during this sequence. 

The second half showcased more of the same football strategies from both teams. The Cowboys continued to use running plays at a high rate, allowing their offense to become predictable. The Brahmas continued to send blitzes into the backfield to foil Chino’s plan of running the football, consistently making four-down stops. 

On offense, Karanickolas consistently connected on short passes as the team slowly progressed  up the field. However, two long plays to senior tight end Brian Baker got Diamond Bar within the red zone once again, gaining 50 yards during the process. Hunter again bullied his way through the Chino defense to score the seventh Brahma touchdown of the night, making the score 47-7.

On the subsequent possession, the Diamond Bar defense began to falter. The third quarter ended with two Brahma penalties, one for defensive holding and the other for pass interference. 

The start of the final twelve minutes featured more quarterback keepers and running plays for the Cowboys. Chino eventually scored a touchdown on the ground, but missed the PAT attempt. 

The rest of the match seemed like an exhibition game, as the Brahmas inserted their backup quarterback. However, Diamond Bar still performed well during garbage time, as freshman Ryan Lewis connected to a wide-open receiver for a 55-yard touchdown, serving as the icing on the cake to seal the game. 

The Brahmas will play their third league game against the Ontario Jaguars next Friday.