Chino Recovers and Wins

After the death of teammate Scott Maugham last week, the Chino High football team had only 10 days to prepare for its season opener while dealing with the tragedy.

The emotional week-and-a-half came to a fitting end, as the Cowboys scored with only 22 seconds remaining Friday night to beat San Bernardino Pacific, 39-38, at Pacific.

The win avenged the Cowboys’ only loss of last season when they won the Southern Section Division IV championship.

“We know somebody is watching out for us this year,” Chino senior quarterback Brent Bair said of Maugham.

Maugham, a junior, died Sept. 2 after being taken to a hospital with an injury suffered during practice the day before. The cause of death is still unknown. However the Cowboys said Maugham still is with them.

“The kid in the sky, we’re all behind him,” Chino Coach John Monger said. “He’s like one of our sons.”

The Cowboys, who will wear Maugham’s initials on their helmets this season as a tribute, came out on top, but it took a 10-point comeback to do so.

Trailing 28-19 at the half, the Cowboys had been hurt by the Pacific running game.

Pirate senior running back Joe Weber gained 234 yards in 17 carries in the opening 24 minutes. The Cowboys, on the other hand, managed only 26 yards on the ground as a team.

“I don’t care how many times I get the ball,” said Weber, who finished with 374 yards and four touchdowns in 27 carries. “As long as we don’t win, it’s not a good game.”

Standing in the way of victory for Pacific were the arms of Bair and the legs of Travon Walton.

Walton took the game’s opening kickoff and returned it 95 yards for a score in his first high school football game. He ran another one back that was called back because of a penalty.

It still set up the game’s winning score. From the Pirate 35, Bair passed to running back Andrew Saucedo for 30 yards. Two plays later, Erik Cardona scored from one yard out for the victory.

Bair completed 10 of 16 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns.

He also said the Cowboys will be playing extra hard for their fallen teammate all year.

“This one was definitely for Scott,” he said. “This whole season is for Scott.”