By Rick Assad
Avvo Ilangesyan and Jack Bebelyan accounted for the bulk of goals scored by the Burbank High boys’ water team in a match versus Burroughs on Thursday afternoon.
Between the two they accounted for 15 goals including 10 tallies from Illangesyan as the Bulldogs powered past the Bears 19-11 in a Pacific League regular season finale and Senior Night.
Burbank (10-12 and 4-4 in league) never trailed and pulled ahead 6-3 after the first quarter and led 12-6 at halftime at the Burroughs pool.
The Bulldogs were outscored 5-2 in the third period and led 17-9 heading to the fourth period.
Next is the Pacific League tournament in which all the schools participate and then the CIF Southern Section playoffs for those who qualify.
David Arakelyan played water polo at Burroughs and is the Burbank head coach..
“I thought that this was one of the best games we played all season,” he said. “Hopefully, it’s a sign of peaking at the right time. We communicated and controlled the game throughout the majority, especially working around getting [Nicola Nasev] excluded out of the game, who was likely their best player.”
Nicolas Oporta, Lincoln Morrow and Matthew Rodriguez all tallied three goals for the Bears.
Burbank scored the first two goals of the initial period as Ilangesyan nailed a five-meter penalty throw with 5:29 to make it 1-0.
Bebelayn, a senior, added a five-footer with 4:42 left for a 2-0 lead and a tally from seven feet at 4:05 that made it 4-2.
The Bears scored two of the next three goals as Oporta hit a five-footer with 4:20 left that sliced the lead to 2-1.
Aaron Sotolongo drilled an eight-footer with 3:52 left that lowered Burbank’s lead to 3-2.
Ilangesyan, a junior, tossed in back-to-back tallies from close range and came with 2:34 left for a 4-2 lead and 2:01 for a 5-2 edge.
Morrow’s five-meter penalty throw came with thirty-five seconds and lowered the Burbank lead to 5-2.
When Ilangesyan nailed a five-footer with six seconds left, the advantage swelled to 6-3.
Burroughs (4-12 and 3-5 in league) scored three of the first four goals to begin the second period.
They were converted by Morrow on a seven-footer with 5:54 left that narrowed the lead to 6-4 and Morrow then nailed a 10-footer with 4:55 left that cut the deficit to 7-5.
Ilangesyan’s five-meter penalty toss with 5:15 showing made it a 7-4 cushion.
Burbank closed the frame by making five goals and they were made by Babelyan on a 12-footer with 3:57 left for an 8-6 lead and then drilling a five-meter penalty throw with 1:56 on the clock for a 9-6 margin.
Burbank sophomore Daniel Gemdzhyan’s tally with 1:02 left made it 10-6.
A throw from Ilangesyan with twenty-four seconds remaining increased the lead to 11-6.
Senior Michael Bakrgyan unloaded a 25-footer as time ran out for a 12-6 cushion.
The Bulldogs outscored the Bears 5-2 in the third frame and three goals were tallied by Ilangesyan and came with 4:49 left for a 13-7 lead and 4:24 that made it 14-7. Ilangesyan’s rocket with 2:24 left saw Burbank scurry ahead 16-8.
Bakrgyan’s seven-footer with 3:02 left made it 15-7 and Bebelyan’s 18-footer with twenty-one seconds on the clock increased the lead to 17-8.
Landon Quiambao’s close range shot in the third period for the Bears sliced the lead to 12-7 as 6:37 remained.
Rodriguez added a 10-footer with 2:51 left that reduced the lead to 15-8.
In the fourth period, Oporta tossed in two goals with the first coming on a five-meter penalty shot at 4:47 that sliced the lead to 18-9 and added another five-meter toss with 2:24 left that sliced the lead to 18-11.
Rodriguez’s 20-footer with 3:07 remaining cut the lead to 18-10.
Bakrgyan’s point blank attempt and 6:06 on the ticker made it 18-8 and Ilangesyan closed out the match with a five-footer and 1:33 left that made it an eight-goal deficit.
“All around I thought we did well. Everybody was involved in the offense. There was a lot of good ball movement and finding the right guys,” Arakelyan said. “We’re looking forward to the Pacific League tournament, where we hope to make another run for the league title.”
