By Rick Assad
Out of sheer necessity and because starting quarterback junior Daniel Zacariaz was absent, the Burbank High football team used in his place junior Max Kelley, who is a running back, wide receiver and defensive back as the field general.
The offense Burbank employed was the Wing-T which was made popular and perfected by the University of Delaware in the 1950s.
Even with this throwback offense, the Bulldogs were no match for Muir which scored five touchdowns and romped to a 41-0 Pacific League victory on Friday night at Memorial Field.
Burbank had eight possessions, punted four times and Kelley took a knee to end the first half.
The Bulldogs (2-6 and 0-3 in league) attempted a 44-yard field goal in the second quarter that turned into a forward pass from junior running back/defensive back/linebacker Joseph Caballero that gained four yards.
On another series, Burbank went for it on fourth down at the Mustang eight-yard line and the pass from Caballero fell incomplete.
On the final possession, the Bulldogs once again went for it on fourth down at the Burbank 32-yard line and the run by Caballero gained five yards and failed to get a first down.
“It was a rough spot, but I thought the kids did their best and really battled,” Burbank coach Adam Colman said. “They made a game of it early and I think if they had a chance to run that offense against another team before, we could’ve started faster. It took our guys a while to get used to it.”
Burbank had five plays that gained double digits on the ground but there weren’t enough to make a dent against the Mustangs (5-3 and 2-1 in league).
Colman wasn’t dismayed at the outcome and thinks next week’s opponent is what is important.
“Now it’s on to Pasadena. Learn from this game and get ready for next week,” he said. “It’s Senior Night and a short week, so there is a lot to play for and there should be plenty of motivation to have a great week of practice.”
Kelley carried the ball 10 times for 18 yards and had a 17-yard run and a 10-yard tote.
Caballero, a tough and hard-runner and a transfer from Glendale High, gained 26 yards on 12 rushes and had one carry for 10 yards.
Senior running back/tight end/linebacker Marcus Ojeil finished with 48 yards on six carries and had a run of 36 yards, while junior running back/linebacker Jacob Mendieta gained 26 yards on three rushes and had one carry that went for 16 yards.
Senior wide receiver/defensive back Sean Garrett had an interception in the first half for the Bulldogs.
Meanwhile, the Mustangs scored on their first offensive play of the game when senior running back/strong safety Christian Bozeman scooted 50 yards and 9:39 left in the initial period for a 7-0 advantage.
With 3:25 remaining in the first quarter, Bozeman was at it again as he capped an eight-play, 53-yard drive with a seven-yard run for a 14-0 lead.
The Mustangs led 28-0 after three quarters as senior quarterback Brandon Valencia unloaded a seven-yard toss to junior Cole Cogshell with 9:46 left in the frame that made it 21-0 and ended a four-play, 58-yard drive.
Bozeman’s third rushing touchdown, an eight-yarder, came with 6:20 left on the clock in the third period and highlighted a five-play, 19-yard march as Muir moved ahead 28-0.
Sophomore Alijah Parker’s two-yard burst with 8:23 left in the fourth period finalized a 92-yard, nine-play drive as the Mustangs forged ahead 35-0.
Muir backup quarterback, sophomore Dexter Bryant, drove the Mustangs 37 yards and used five plays and added an 11-yard scoring pass with 13.9 seconds left for a 41-0 lead.
There’s no doubt that Burbank faced an uphill battle without its first-string quarterback but didn’t give in and played with heart and determination against Muir, which is fast and talented, and should be given credit for the effort if not the final result.
Burbank hosts Pasadena on Thursday night at Memorial Field and it’s Senior Night before facing city rival Burroughs on October 27.
