Brahmas win on home turf

After opening their season with three consecutive losses, the Brahmas were victorious in their first home game last Friday against the Montclair Cavaliers, 56-46.

The offense proved to be a winning factor for the Brahmas this game, with senior slotback Mikey Gorbea II rushing 308 yards for four individual touchdowns and junior quarterback Ryan Lewis throwing for 181 yards. 

Alongside a strong offense, the Brahma’s defense displayed a solid performance with 55 tackles— one sack by junior Julian Martinez and one interception by sophomore Jeremy Torres.

Lewis opened things up for the Brahmas early in the first quarter with a 15-yard pass to senior slotback Isaac Mejia, which was followed by a successful point conversion attempt. Shortly after, Diamond Bar scored again with sophomore wide receiver Kai Jenkins running for a 20-yard touchdown. However, the Cavaliers answered back with a 43-yard running touchdown, ending the first quarter with Brahmas leading 13-8.

Carrying their strong momentum from the previous quarter, the second quarter started with Lewis connecting a pass to junior wide receiver Maddox Bernardino, who made a 35-yard run for the first touchdown of the quarter. Possession quickly shifted to the Cavaliers with the Montclair quarterback throwing a 27-yard pass that was completed for a touchdown. Gorbea responded for Diamond Bar with back-to-back touchdowns in a four-yard rush and a 27-yard rush. While this did weaken the opposing side, the Cavaliers managed to end the first half with a touchdown, putting the score to 34-22 in favor of Diamond Bar. 

At the start of the second half, the Cavaliers completed a series of successful runs that allowed for a four-yard rushing touchdown. Most of the quarter featured unsuccessful offensive runs for both teams. However, the Brahmas would end the drought with their sixth touchdown along with a two-point conversion, ending the third quarter with a score of 42-28.

After finding a hole in the Brahmas’ defense, the Cavaliers opened up the final quarter with a 57-yard rushing touchdown. The Brahmas responded quickly with Lewis completing a 37-yard pass to Bernardino for another touchdown, putting the Brahmas up 49-34. The Cavaliers continued to try taking back the lead, but the late push would prove ineffective, ending the game in a 56-46 victory for Diamond Bar.

“It was finally our first home game which gave us more motivation and energy to win against Montclair in our territory,” junior Joseph Song said. “… This is only the beginning of what we can accomplish as a team.”

The Brahmas now have a 1-3 overall record and will play against the Katella Knights on Thursday.