At some point the Burbank High football team is going to have to cut down its penalties if it hopes to put together a long winning streak.
Thursday night, Burbank outlasted host Pasadena in the Pacific League battles of Bulldogs, winning 33-21.
“It is something we need to clean up. It almost cost us the game,” Burbank coach Hector Valencia said.
Burbank was penalized 158 yards, but managed to pull through with several keys plays in the fourth quarter, two of which were long touchdown runs on fakes by quarterback Deshawn Laporte.
Laporte’s 37-yard touchdown with 1:24 remaining gave the Bulldogs a two-possession advantage and essentially put the game out of reach.
Pasadena (2-4 overall, 2-1 in league) made things interesting with 2:45 left when quarterback Dutch Burbridge hooked up with Sebastian Clark on a 17-yard touchdown to make it 26-21.
Laporte had scored a 27-yard touchdown after faking a handoff with 5:22 to play, which gave Burbank a 26-14 lead.
Both defenses were solid for much of the game.
Burbank (4-2 overall, 2-1 in league) got a big break as Pasadena fumbled away the ball on the first play from scrimmage to start the game.
Joseph Caballero then scored on a 6-yard run just 19 seconds into the contest.
Burbank defensive back Ezekiel Alvarez came up with a giant interception late in the first quarter to keep Pasadena off the scoreboard.
Pasadena did get on the board at the 8:51 mark of the second quarter at Burbridge hooked up with Christopher Solis on a 46-yard touchdown pass. Solis is a commit to Boise State University.
The 7-6 lead did not last long, as Burbank came back a short time later as Laporte hooked up with Paolo Jozsef Seltenreich on a 4-yard touchdown pass.
Later in the quarter Burbank scored another touchdown as Laporte found Chase Miles on a 44-yard touchdown pass.
Pasadena scored its second touchdown with just seven seconds left in the first half as Burbridge hooked up with Solis on a 12-yard pass.
Laporte finished the night completing 15 of 28 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Elijah Pendleton had eight carries for 73 yards.
Pendleton also had five receptions for 67 yards.
Burbank will travel to Hoover High next week in a game that will be played on the Tornadoes’ campus.
