The Brahmas won their season opening game that came down to the wire against the Esperanza Aztecs on Friday, 28-21.

Senior quarterback Ryan Lewis led the offensive charge for the Brahmas passing for 309 yards and three touchdowns, all of which connected to senior wide receiver Maddox Bernardino.

On the other side of the play, senior lineman Joseph Song, junior linebacker Nikolaus Macias, junior linebacker Jeremy Torres and sophomore linebacker Matthew Galvan led the defensive hold with five tackles each.

The first quarter opened with the Brahmas having possession of the ball. Their first possession was cut short by an early sack on Lewis. There were multiple possession changes throughout the rest of the quarter, but no points were scored on either end. 

Bernardino scored the first points of the game, converting a pass from Lewis with a 46-yard reception touchdown. A successful PAT followed, giving the Brahmas a 7-0 lead at the beginning of the second quarter. Shortly after, senior linebacker Isaiah Young, who also plays the running back position, scored a 46-yard pick-six, increasing the Brahmas’ lead to 14-0. Unfazed, the Aztecs responded with a touchdown and successful PAT of their own, setting the halftime score at 14-7. 

The second half commenced with Lewis connecting to Bernardino on a 59-yard reception touchdown, along with a successful PAT. The third quarter remained scoreless following this third touchdown by the Brahmas, with the score heading into the final quarter at 21-7.

A missed field goal after a long drive opened the fourth quarter for the Brahmas. A strong recovery effort was made after an interception by Bernardino, but the Brahmas were unable to capitalize. Shortly after, the Aztecs scored their second touchdown of the game, bringing the score to 21-14 with Diamond Bar still in the lead. Capitalizing off the momentum, Esperanza then scored another touchdown with two minutes left bringing the score to a tie. With eight seconds left on the clock, a 30-yard pass connected to Bernardino in the endzone, giving the Brahmas a seven-point lead. An interception made by junior wide receiver Kai Jenkins on Esperanza’s desperation play with a few seconds sealed a victory on Diamond Bar’s first game of the season.

The Brahmas begin the season with a 1-0 overall record and will play the Chino Cowboys at home on Saturday.