Jim Bonds Goes to the Air to Land Hart in Record Book

The Top Gun in the Southern Section had a wonderfully satisfied look after he had piloted Hart High to a 40-27 win over Temple City on Saturday night.

A high school career that at times had been as turbulent as a January flight from Montreal to St. Paul was over. And Jim Bonds, Hart’s senior quarterback, was loving where he landed.

Most importantly, he was a Northwestern Conference champion--a guy who had won the big one. In Bonds’ mind, it was a long time coming.

Sure, he had led Hart to a two-year record of 21-5-1 and two Foothill League titles, but he had been on the losing end of the three most important games--two losses to rival Canyon and last season’s Coastal Conference final. He needed to win a game that truly mattered.

And in his last try, Bonds did win, just as his brother Tom had as Hart’s quarterback in the 1983 Coastal Conference final.

Said Bonds: “Last year we lost in the championship, there were those Canyon games and, this may sound dumb, but it seemed like we lost every time in the finals of summer passing league tournaments.

“It was important that we showed we had what it took to win a title.”

After the game, while Jim explained into a television audience exactly how Hart came to be champions, Tom stood behind him beaming.

“He has a ring now,” said Tom, the quarterback at Cal Lutheran University. “I told him before the game that every time I put mine on, I get chills.”

Jim Bonds may get chills every time he looks at the Southern Section record book. He practically is the Hart record book, and he has landed in the top five of six passing categories in the Southern Section record book after his performance at Citrus College. Only Pat Haden, who played at Bishop Amat from 1968-70, is listed more times.

Bonds completed 17 of 27 passes for 272 yards and 2 touchdowns. Those numbers lifted him into second place behind Haden in passing yards in a season (3,197); sixth in career passing yards (5,643); fourth in career completions (381); fifth in completions in a season (202); fourth in career touchdowns (55) and third in touchdowns in a season (39).

“I never had breaking CIF records as a goal,” Bonds said. “I’m just happy to have my name up there with guys like Pat Haden.”

Joining Bonds in the record book, quite appropriately, is Hart tailback Chris Hite. The 5-10, 170-pound senior was on the receiving end of six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown Saturday night.

Those numbers gave Hite 88 catches for 1,188 yards and 19 touchdowns this season. He is sixth on the all-time Southern Section list for catches in a season; fifth in catches in a career (149) and is tied for fourth in touchdown catches in a season (19).

“I’m happy with my whole career,” Hite said. “I can’t believe it’s over, but I am happy to leave something behind in the record book.

“Most of all, though, I’m happy because we won. It’s kind of a sense of relief. There are no regrets now. We won the big game.”

That sense of accomplishment washed over all the Indians and their coach of three seasons, Rick Scott. As Hart supporters crowed onto the field after the game, Scott, Bonds and Hite embraced all at once. And sandwiched in between them was a large plaque that read “Champions.”