The Diamond Bar Brahmas opened Hacienda League play in dominant fashion, earning their first win of the season with a 30–7 victory over rival Walnut on Friday night. The win marked Diamond Bar’s fourth straight triumph in the long-standing Branding Iron Game, extending their all-time series lead to 20–13.

First Half – Aggression and Efficiency Build a Lead

Diamond Bar set the tone early with an aggressive passing attack. Quarterback Ryan Manning connected with Richard Perry on a 54-yard strike, setting up first-and-goal at the Walnut 7-yard line. Though the Mustangs’ defense held firm, kicker Caleb Jorgensen drilled a 22-yard field goal to open the scoring.

The Brahmas’ confidence was evident late in the quarter. Facing a critical fourth-and-three, Manning hit Zein Abdelaziz, who slipped a tackle for a 15-yard gain. Moments later, Manning found Abdelaziz again for a pinpoint touchdown pass to extend the lead to 10–0.

In the second quarter, Diamond Bar overcame an early setback when Walnut forced a fumble deep in Brahma territory. The defense quickly responded with a stop, preventing the Mustangs from capitalizing. On the next drive, Diamond Bar converted another fourth down, powered by the offensive line’s push to spring Sean Thompson for a first down. That effort set up Dominic Tortorelli, who powered through a gap created by Aiden Yi and Jayden Kim for a two-yard rushing touchdown. The Brahmas led 17–0 at halftime.

Second Half – Big Plays, Tough Defense Lift Brahmas Over Mustangs

Walnut attempted to rally in the third quarter as quarterback Nohlen Simons connected with Keneh Ejike on a tipped ball that turned into a 20-yard gain. But the drive ended abruptly when Sean Thompson intercepted a pass and returned it 20 yards to halt the threat.

Diamond Bar wasted no time capitalizing. On the next drive, Tortorelli took a handoff and burst through the defense for a 57-yard rushing touchdown, pushing the lead to 24–0.

Walnut finally broke the shutout late in the third quarter. Strong runs by Damian Banuelos and a reverse to Jacob Rodriguez set up a two-yard touchdown run by Christopher Mardueno, narrowing the gap to 24–7.

Any hopes of a comeback were short-lived. In the fourth quarter, Abdelaziz stepped in front of a Walnut pass and raced 65 yards for a pick-six, sealing the 30–7 victory.

With the win, Diamond Bar (1–5, 1–0) opened league play on a high note, while Walnut (4–2, 0–1) continues to search for its first victory of the season.

Game Photos

Photos taken by Rico’s Sports Pix