Sports Editor
Four games remain in the Pacific League race and the action begins tonight at Moyse Field as Burbank High meets Hoover, while Burroughs plays at Arcadia on Friday in a battle for first place.
The Bulldogs (3-3 and 2-1 in league) are coming off a 61-7 rout of visiting Glendale and hope to add the Tornadoes to the list of victims.
Hoover has one victory on its resume versus Sotomayor, 41-18, but have dropped four straight including three league matches. In those games, the Tornadoes have scored six points and fallen, 37-0 at Pasadena, 48-6 at Burroughs and 49-0 versus Crescenta Valley.
Hoover prefers to run the football with sophomore running back Maurice Herrera accounting for 296 yards and one score. Senior fullback Calvin Lopez has 204 yards with two touchdowns, and junior quarterback Quinton Smith has 186 yards and one touchdown. Smith has 54 yards through the air.
This game could get ugly real fast and sophomore running back Darnell Williams will lead the charge after rushing for 403 yards with three touchdowns.
Sophomore running back Blake Quinteros has 242 yards with a pair of scores, and junior running back Nick Warren has 176 yards and two touchdowns.
Burbank’s passing attack is spearheaded by junior quarterback Guy Gibbs, who has thrown for 585 yards with eight scoring passes and three interceptions.
Gibbs will target junior wide receiver Forest Fajardo, who has grabbed 16 passes for 233 yards with four touchdowns.
Junior defensive back Andy Reyes is a stalwart with 53 solo tackles and 17 assists and two sacks, while Fajardo, a defensive back, has 21 solo tackles with five assists, three interceptions and six passes defended.
Senior defensive back David Medrano has one sack with two passes defended, 23 solo tackles and 21 assists, and junior defensive back Miguel Vasquez has five passes defended, one pick, one fumble recovery and 25 solo tackles with 14 assists.
The Indians (5-1 and 3-0 in league) own a five-game winning streak and have scored 40 points or more in those games. The Indians’ defense is stout and could wreak havoc against the Apaches.
Senior quarterback Steven Hubbell will need to be sharp and has thrown for 801 yards with 15 scores and two interceptions. Hubbell has four rushing scores.
Junior tailback Chance Bell is the workhorse after accounting for 837 yards with 15 scores. Senior wide receiver Erick Hernandez has caught 17 passes for 222 yards with eight touchdowns, and senior wide receiver Cade Borland has 233 yards on 18 catches and two scores.
On the defensive side, the Indians are hard-hitting, relentless and paced by many including senior defensive back Jarret Wrobel, who has 15 solo tackles and 13 assists, four interceptions and four passes defended, senior linebacker Branden Garcia, who has six solo tackles and 32 assists, and senior defensive back Robert Awunganyi, who has 14 solo tackles with 15 assists and five passes defended.
Senior linebacker Josue Chicas Ortiz has eight solo tackles, 22 assists, one sack and two fumble recoveries.
Arcadia (4-2 and 3-0 in league) has beaten host Glendale 42-0, blasted Pasadena 38-7 on the road and edged host Muir 8-7, after losing its first two games at home to Bell Gardens (42-37) and Monrovia (60-45), but defeated host Maranatha (21-20).
Senior quarterback Nico Hillier has passed for 1,009 yards and has nine touchdowns with three picks. Hillier has 309 yards with five scores on the ground.
Junior running back Bradley Mills has churned out 404 yards with seven scores, while freshman running back Jahlique Stephens has 303 yards with three touchdowns. Senior running back Quentin Cortes has 207 yards and one score.
Junior wide receiver Raeshawn Roland has 20 catches for 428 yards with four scores, senior wide receiver Justin Mascorro has 13 receptions for 236 yards and three touchdowns, while Mills has 11 catches for 117 yards.
Senior cornerback Vernon Crenshaw has 12 solo tackles with 36 assists, two sacks and two fumble recoveries, while junior middle linebacker Clayton Barnett has 11 solo tackles, 53 assists with two picks, two sacks and one fumble recovery.
