DANVILLE – When Luke Bonardi jumped in front of and then picked off a Monte Vista pass midway through the third quarter, the Danville crowd groaned at the familiar sight. 

The Cougars played defense with 11 young men, but the junior ballhawk made it seem like the visitors had 12 or even 13 swarming around the field during Campolindo’s 38-14 victory over the Mustangs. 

Bonardi had two interceptions and two fumble recoveries, and it was obvious that the former cornerback was finally comfortable as a playmaking safety. 

“I just needed to get my confidence up and trust myself,” Bonardi said. “The first few games, I was thinking too much. I just needed to think freely and make a play.”

A Bonardi fumble recovery and interception at the end of the first half helped turn a 7-7 tie midway through the second quarter into four- and seven-play scoring drives that ended with a short field goal and an Isaiah Ortiz quarterback sneak for a touchdown. 

Campolindo led 17-7 at halftime, and continued to pad the lead during the second half of a completely unexpected offensive showcase.

The Cougars’ first three games of the season consisted of a double-overtime victory at Vanden-Fairfield, a 6-0 loss to Amador Valley and a grueling tie to Windsor. 

For the first time all season, the Moraga school enjoyed an easy victory. 

“This came out of nowhere for us tonight,” coach Kevin Macy said. “They played incredible … I don’t know where this came from.”

Ortiz completed 21 of 33 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns, childhood friend Tim Daugherty caught eight of those passes for 127 yards and a 45-yard third-quarter touchdown. 

Senior Joe Revelos caught four passes for 62 yards, and his 23-yard touchdown on a seam-splitting post route capped a seven-play drive in the first quarter and tied the game at 7-7. Monte Vista’s junior running back Julian McMahan had scored on a 52-yard catch-and-run touchdown on the previous drive. 

Monte Vista entered Friday night’s home game averaging 41 points-per game, double the 21-per-game the Mustangs produced in a 2-8 season in 2022. But following that long McMahan score, the Mustangs couldn’t stop turning the ball over.

After Daugherty’s third-quarter touchdown gave Campo a 24-7 lead, the Cougars defense looked like it could play all day, getting contributions from seniors Jake Spencer and Josh Tsai. They forced a punt and then got a second Bonardi interception to set up a 10-play, six-minute scoring drive Ortiz capped with a 10-yard swing pass to Spencer. 

“We clicked in every single way,” Ortiz said. “I expected a good game, but I didn’t expect this. Not at all.”

 Campo sophomore Micah Parker scored on a 45-yarder down the left sideline to give the visitors a 38-7 lead in the fourth quarter. Monte Vista quarterback Brayden Turner threw his second TD, a five-yarder to tight end Kellan Ford, late in the game. 

The Mustangs, now 3-2 and losers of two straight, will regroup during their bye week before playing a Foothill team that stunned East Bay Athletic League opponent Amador Valley on Friday night. 

“They’re tough enough and they’re good kids,” Monte Vista coach Johnny Millard said. “We just have to respond better when stuff goes wrong.”

For one night, nothing went wrong for Campolindo, which enters Diablo Athletic League play with a 2-1-1 record and home games against Benicia and College Park. 

“After a game like this, I think we’ve got a formula where everyone knows how to contribute,” Macy said.