By Rick Assad
It couldn’t get any closer than the nonleague football game played between host Burbank and Centennial [Bakersfield] on Friday night.
Both teams scored three touchdowns and it was a fierce battle, but the Bulldogs added a safety by senior running back/linebacker Troy Wells with 1:22 left for a 23-21 decision at Kemp-Kallem Field.
It was tied 21-21 after three quarters and it appeared the scoring for the evening was all but over, but on third down and nine from the Golden Hawks’ five-yard line, the quarterback moved backward instead of forward and was sacked for a loss in the end zone and the safety and that was the difference.
Hector Valencia is Burbank’s head coach and liked what Wells brought to the table.
“Troy had an outstanding game and was asked a lot of him tonight but he also had a great game defensively as well,” he said of his hard-running and tough-minded player.
Burbank (3-3) scored and Centennial (1-3) answered and this happened two more times. In a lot of ways, it was like a heavyweight bout.
Wells was the first to cross the end zone when he capped an 83-yard, 10-play march with a six-yard run as 2:05 remained in the first quarter.
The Golden Hawks answered with a 38-yard scoring burst from junior running back Drake Jimenez as time ran out on the initial frame.
The drive covered three plays and was 50 yards and the score was knotted at 7-7.
Senior quarterback Damian Corona added a 46-yard scoring pass to senior wide receiver/defensive back Gavin Azizian as 9:31 was left in the second quarter as the Bulldogs led 14-7.
“This was a hard-fought game. Both our offense and defense executed which led us to get the win,” said Corona. “What caught my eye was the hole in their [Centennial] defense as the linebackers were very aggressive on attacking the run, so it worked out perfectly and they played a cover four, which led mostly to hitches being open too.”
When Centennial senior running back Josiah Grant recovered a fumble and returned it 77 yards and 7:15 left in the third period, it was tied at 14-14.
Burbank showed a great deal of resilience and needed to be able to move the football down the field because it was apparent that the Golden Eagles were also going to have stretches where it was going to be important to be able to move the ball down field.
One problem the Bulldogs faced was the fact that junior wide receiver/strong safety Diego Plancarte, who led the team in interceptions a season ago and has averaged 105 receiving yards this season, was banged up with a hip injury he sustained last week versus Birmingham, and wasn’t his old self.
Still, the next time that the Bulldogs had possession of the ball, Corona led his team from the Golden Hawks 28-yard line.
This drive consumed eight plays and was capped when Wells scored on a 12-yard burst as the advantage became 21-14 as 2:36 remained in the third quarter.
“Additionally, the middle of the field was open which allowed for a big conversion on one play,” Corona said. “The offensive line also did a really good job along with Troy [Wells], my running back in establishing the run game.”
Valencia sees weekly improvement in his field general.
“I think Damian did a great job on some fourth downs and on some third and long plays,” he said. “Our offensive line did a great job of protecting our quarterback and created some nice blocks for Troy to run through.”
On Centennial’s next possession, the Golden Hawks had the ball at their 37-yard line and on the fifth play, junior running back Dezion McWilliams carried the ball into the end zone late in the third frame as it was deadlocked at 21-21.
Valencia said the defense stood out.
“The defense had some great stops throughout the game,” he said. “I’m glad the way they handled themselves even when they [Centennial] got a big play and they did not get down on themselves. They put their head down and kept grinding out the ball.”
Burbank has next week off, and the next time the Bulldogs play will be October 9 when they visit Monrovia in an Arroyo League game.
“The preseason schedule has been a challenge but I think it has been forcing us to find ourselves and work hard at things we need to improve on,” Valencia noted. “And now we have two weeks to get healthy and let some of the players that are banged up get healthy.”
