Slow starts have plagued the Burbank High football team much of this season.
Friday night the Bulldogs broke that cycle, but nearly took the pedal off the gas too quickly as they held on for a 16-8 Pacific League victory over Crescenta Valley at Memorial Field.
“It’s the first time we’ve scored first and the first time we’ve led at half all year,” Burbank coach Adam Colman said. “We’ve been saying it for a while. We were built to run the rock, to control the clock and keep our defense fresh, let them play fast and grind teams down and wear them down in the fourth quarter.”
Burbank (3-5, 1-2 in league) held a 16-0 late into the fourth quarter until the Falcons scored a touchdown with 2:37 to play and converted on the two-point conversion.
The Falcons later got the ball back deep in Burbank territory and had a chance to attempt a tie as quarterback Alexander Barseghyan hooked up with receiver Shade Schaefer over the middle. Burbank safety Evan Miller came up with a huge tackle to stop Schaefer at the 1-yard line as time expired.
“I saw number one running a post. I knew they were throwing the ball to him. I’m trying to pick it off and he catches it so I just tried to tackle him and I pulled him away from the end zone to keep him out,” Miller said.
In a game that was primarily controlled by both defenses, Burbank got on the board with 3:45 left in the first quarter facing a fourth down and 18-yard situation. Quarterback Dylan Robinson found 6-foot-5 receiver Ben Forster on a 25-yard touchdown pass.
“That was a real momentum maker,” Robinson said. “That created so much momentum for us. It allowed us to drive in the next quarters and kept us pumped up.”
Burbank got another break when kicker Chris Aguirre hit a 36-yard field goal as time expired in the first half to make it 10-0.
A 14-yard touchdown run by Jacob Mendieta with 3:49 to play appeared to be enough to put CV away. But the Bulldogs missed the extra point, leaving open the door for a possible two possession game. Mendieta finished with 20 carries for 85 yards.
Schaefer scored the Falcons’ touchdown, a 5-yard run, with 2:37 left to play.
CV is now 1-7 overall, 0-3 in league.
Burbank will play at Muir High next Thursday, before taking on rival Burroughs in the season finale in two weeks.
