Bears roll Verbum Dei 55-0 in homecoming blowout

Big Bear's football team turned its homecoming game into a rout on Sept. 12, defeating Verbum Dei 55-0 at Big Bear High School Stadium in Big Bear City. The outcome was never in doubt — the Bears scored 30 points before the first quarter was over — and the win pushes the team to 3-1, riding a three-game winning streak into what coach Nolan Brammer describes as a strong and competitive River Valley League schedule^[1].

A first quarter that said it all

Big Bear wasted no time setting the tone. The scoring opened with a 40-yard touchdown reception from sophomore quarterback Ryder Prudhomme to junior receiver Emiliano Ramirez about three minutes in. Senior Elijah Ramirez then picked off a pass, setting up a 12-yard touchdown run by sophomore fullback Noah Fetterhoff. Fourteen seconds after that score, Elijah Ramirez turned another interception into a pick-six. A bad snap on a Verbum Dei punt attempt sailed out of the endzone for a safety, and Elijah Ramirez capped the quarter with a 46-yard touchdown catch — all adding up to a 30-0 lead with just over three minutes left in the first frame^[1].

The Bears kept pouring it on in the second quarter, with Elijah Ramirez adding a 20-yard rushing score, Fetterhoff punching in his second TD on a 15-yard run, and Prudhomme sneaking in on a 10-yard run to make it 49-0 at halftime. The second half was played entirely on a running clock^[1].

Standout performances

Prudhomme was nearly flawless, finishing 8-of-9 passing for 192 yards with two touchdown passes to go with his rushing score^[1]. Fetterhoff ground out 100 yards on just seven carries and scored twice^[1]. Elijah Ramirez was the biggest story on either side of the ball: four touchdowns — one receiving, one rushing, and two interception returns — plus three interceptions on the day totaling 78 return yards^[1].

The defense as a unit was equally dominant, finishing with four interceptions, one sack, three tackles for loss, a hurry, and a safety^[1].

One thing to clean up

Despite the lopsided score, coach Brammer identified a specific area for improvement: the kicking game. "We've got to work on that," Brammer said of several missed PAT kicks. "We had some trouble with the snap and hold. In league all the points are going to matter."^[1]

Brammer was otherwise upbeat about where the team stands after a 0-1 start. "After losing that first game, we were able to get these three wins in a row. It's a testament to the team to adjust, bounce back, stay focused and be where we should be," he said^[1].

With River Valley League play on the horizon, Brammer believes the Bears have what it takes to compete for a playoff spot — as long as they stick to their game plan^[1].

What's next

Big Bear hosts Twentynine Palms at Big Bear High School Stadium on Sept. 17 and 18. The frosh-soph game kicks off Thursday at 4 p.m.; the varsity game follows Friday at 7 p.m.^[1]