Bonds’ Magic Slides Hart Past Santa Barbara, 24-17

When his football playing days are over, Jim Bonds won’t need to worry. If all else fails, he can become a magician.

See Jim Bonds pass? Oops, he handed off. See Jim Bonds run? Oops, the fullback has the ball.

He’s a radio play-by-play announcer’s nightmare.

Bonds saved some of his best slight-of-hand tricks of the season for Santa Barbara Friday night at College of the Canyons, leading Hart High to a 24-17 win in the quarterfinals of the Southern Section’s Coastal Conference playoffs.

The game was marred by a five-minute brawl after the final gun that involved players, coaches and fans.

Bonds, who had thrown for 1,950 yards and 15 touchdowns coming into the game, completed 10 of 19 passes for 92 yards.

He didn’t have a great night with statistics, but his steady hand at the controls of the Hart offense was a key element as the Indians advanced to the semifinals next week against West Torrance.

Excluding punts, Hart ran 32 more offensive plays than Santa Barbara.

“We got exactly what wanted out of our offensive line,� Hart Coach Rick Scott said. “It seemed like we ran three plays for every one of their’s.�

The domination of Hart’s line showed not only in the number of plays the Indians ran, but also rushing yardage.

Bonds gained 63 yards on 16 carries and teammate Brian Baie gained 63 yards on 18 carries.

The pair combined for 20 of Hart’s 24 rushing attempts in the second half.

The final run, a two-yard quarterback sneak by Bonds with 40 seconds left in the game, was the most important. It was the margin of victory.

“They were overloading their linebackers to the side we were running to all second half,� Bonds said. “I ended up calling a lot of audibles. I either sneaked it, or we went to the fullback.

And Baie, a transfer from Bella Vista High in Sacramento, responded like a true mud lover.

“I ran in mud a lot in Sacramento,� he said after the game. “I’m used to it, so it didn’t bother me at all.�

Baie scored Hart’s first two touchdowns, the first a one-yard run with 33 seconds left in the first quarter.

Baie’s second score, a two-yard run, came midway through the second quarter after he blocked a Santa Barbara punt to set up a 35-yard drive. Chris Hite ran in for a two-point conversion to give Hart a 14-7 lead.

Baie, a 6-0, 200-pound senior, has scored 15 of Hart’s 22 rushing touchdowns on the season.

Santa Barbara scored on its second possession of the game to take a 7-0 lead as Kevin Bolden hauled in a 34-yard touchdown pass from Wayne Shipley.

Bolden appeared to be covered by Hart cornerback Eric Ferguson on the play, but made a quick stutter move while the ball was in the air, then accelerated past Ferguson to make the catch.

It was Bolden’s third catch in the first six minutes of the game.

It was also his last.

Bolden, who is generally considered the Dons’ best player, was ejected from the game by officials midway through the second quarter when he was involved in an altercation with Ralph Elliot of Hart on a kickoff return.

Unfortunately, that fight was not the night’s last.

As the final gun sounded, players from both sides charged onto the field and a brawl that included players, coaches and fans from both teams ensued. The melee lasted more than five minutes before police managed to break it up.

Scott, who was caught in the middle of the fight, said later that he scuffled with two Santa Barbara players. He came away with a couple of marks on his face and an extremely muddy outfit.

Hart’s win, its eighth in a row, avenged a 28-18 loss to the Dons suffered in the second game of the season.

The Hart defense, led by linebacker John Libby, held Santa Barbara to 140 yards total offense.

Don quarterback Wayne Shipley was 6 of 16 passing for 83 yards. Running back Jesus Ornelas, who came into the game with 1,254 yards, was held to 48 on six carries.