Burbank High junior Diego Plancarte had shown flashes of brilliance leading up to Friday’s nonleague contest with rival Burroughs High.
After scoring four times in a 38-21 Bulldogs victory, Plancarte left Memorial Field showing everyone that he is indeed a star.
He finished with 13 receptions for 137 yards with three touchdowns and also intercepted a pass that was returned for a touchdown.
“It feels great beating our rival. I have friends over there too,” said Plancarte who had seven touchdowns for the season before Friday’s game.
Plancarte became Burbank’s go-to player on offense as running back Troy Wells carried the ball just one time before exiting as he has been nursing ankle and knee injuries.
“He got banged up pretty good against Muir,” Burbank coach Hector Valencia said.
Burbank (5-5 overall) came up with a huge play in the final minute of the first half, as Burroughs’ Brandon Chapparo was stopped short of the end zone on a fourth down and goal situation from the 1-yard line.
“That would have changed the whole momentum of the game. It deflated them,” Valencia said. “It has happened to us before too against Muir when were on the 1-yard line, so I know what they were going through.”
Burroughs coach Jose Calzadilla explained what the referee said to him.
“The referee said he bounced short of the end zone,” Calzadilla said.
Burbank quarterback Damian Corona hooked up with Plancarte on a 19-yard touchdown at the 8:06 mark of the first quarter. Corona completed 21 of 32 passes for 224 yards and three touchdowns.
Andranik Brutayan kicked a 34-yard field goal with 3:11 left in the first quarter to make it 10-0.
Burroughs (3-7) came back and scored on the final play of the first quarter, as quarterback Sean Ghaman hooked up with junior Nikolas Taylor on an 11-yard touchdown reception.
Corona was able to misdirect the Burroughs defense by appearing to hand off the ball, only to keep it and go 54 yards for a touchdown with 11:05 left in the first half.
Burroughs made things interesting early in the third quarter, as Ghaman kept the ball scored on a 15-yard run with 9:49 left in the third quarter. That cut the Burbank lead to 17-14.
But Corona and Plancarte hooked up again with 7:16 left in the third, this time on a 9-yard touchdown pass.
The duo once again put more points on the board for Burbank, as Corona’s 6-yard touchdown pass with 10:13 left made it 31-14.
Burroughs fought back and received some momentum when Ghaman and junior Gavin Tubbs hooked up on a 26-yard touchdown.
But the 40-yard interception return by Plancarte ruined any comeback plans Burroughs might have had.
Running back Sho Fujita had 123 yards in 22 carries for Burroughs.
Burbank will hope to make the playoffs with an at-large berth as the postseason pairings will be released on Sunday.
Burroughs now leads the all-time series 45-33.
