Christoph Bono knows a thing or two about playing through adversity. As a junior quarterback last year, Bono broke his collar bone in his fifth game for Palo Alto High. Unfortunately, he was playing well but the injury prevented him from returning for the playoffs as the Vikings lost to Bellarmine to end the season at 7-2-2. Bono had 60 completions in 89 attempts for 1087 yards with 14 touchdowns and 6 interceptions up to his injury.
This Viking was able to rehab and return in time for the baseball season as he is a starting right fielder. As a junior, the Vikings were 29-4 and placed second in the Division II CCS championship. Bono batted .415 with four home runs and 23 RBIs. His efforts earned him First Team All League Outfielder.
Bones, what his teammates call him, has been playing football since 7th grade. He is currently in his fourth year of high school football and second as the varsity starter. During the summers, he spends time working on routes and throwing drills with his receivers. In addition, he works on his footwork and practices his quarterback drops for quickness and depth with his father, Steve Bono who is the Vikings Assistant Offensive Coach and former San Francisco 49er quarterback. Palo Alto High Coach Earl Hansen says, "Christoph is a very hard worker that is always working on various parts of his game. He is also very intelligent player and reacts well under pressure. He is a thinker. He is always asking questions about the up coming team."
Palo Alto runs a west coast offense that uses a pro-style quarterback. Bono's father works with Christoph and the receivers during practice. The younger Bono considers it fortunate that his father is a Viking coach and former NFL player. The younger Bono says, "Nowadays, there are so many personal coaches and other gurus who claim that they know everything but never really played or made it to the NFL. With my Dad, it is a different story. I always trust what he is saying because he had a long career in the NFL and he has seen it all. I am pretty lucky to have him mentoring me and coaching me on and off the field. Playing quarterback like he did is fun. I guess that's the way it was meant to be and I wouldn't change it to any other way. I am trying to follow in his footsteps but I know if I want to do that, I have a long road and lots of hard work ahead of me."
In his current season, Bono has led his Vikings to a 7-0 record as of the end of October and the No. 4 ranking in the NorCalPreps.com Top 20 football poll. His current statistics are 90 completions in 143 attempts, 1359 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. The San Benito game was his best game so far as he had the chance to air it out in that game while the Mitty game was a payback game for last year's defeat.
Bono has plenty of options on the offense. He has an up and coming junior running back in Dre Hill who can help open up the passing game. When Bono does pass, he has 6-foot-2 Davante Adams to throw to. Adams plays defensive back as well and is also a star shooting guard on the basketball team.
At 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds, this Viking can run 4.65 seconds in the 40-yard dash, has a vertical of 32 inches, and can throw a long distance throw of 56 yards. He models his game after Atlanta Falcon Matt Ryan and Baltimore Raven Joe Flacco because Bono makes the smart decision on the field and provides leadership to his teammates.
Bono considers his football strengths to be his footwork, accuracy, and football intelligence. He wants to take those traits to a college that is at his level of play and where he will have an opportunity to compete for the starting spot. He prefers the college to be in an urban area with good weather. He wants the school to challenge him and help him mature as a person while continuing his education. As a two sport star, Bono would consider playing both baseball and football in college but will need to see if he can handle the time commitment of both academics and athletics.
This Viking has a 3.65 GPA with a 1660 SAT score. He has no restriction in terms of staying close to home for college. Columbia, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA, and San Diego have been in contact with him for football. He has been at camps for Oregon St, Stanford, and UCLA, which also allowed him to talk to their coaching staffs. Coach Hansen says, "I think he is a D-1 player. He will be 6'4 at least. He is 6'2 now but has not filled out yet. He is a late bloomer but will be a gem for someone next year. He has all the intangibles."
Aside from breaking his collarbone, Bono has worked hard to maintain his academics at a challenging academic school such as Palo Alto High. He cites his sophomore year when he struggled during the first semester with geometry, but worked hard during the second semester to improve his grade from a B- to an A. He hopes that his persistence will earn him a first team all league award and league MVP for his senior year. His team goals are to win the league and a CCS championship. Look for Bono to be tough as bones in the rest of his senior year at Palo Alto.
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