Pierre Cifuentes and Brandon Elizalde will no longer have to ponder if they’ll ever score a touchdown in their respective careers.
As defensive backs on the Burbank High football team, the duo likely never figured to find the end zone with ball in hand.
That changed in a big way for each player, as they both recovered fumbles and turned them into touchdowns to power host Burbank to a 34-6 Pacific League win against Pasadena on Thursday at Memorial Field.
“It felt a lot like a dream to be able to score a touchdown,” Cifuentes said. “It’s great just to recover a fumble, but to score off that is pretty cool.”
Said Elizalde, who finished with two fumble recoveries: “I was just glad to make the play. Diving for the ball and scoring a touchdown was extra special.”
Burbank (3-6, 1-3 in league) recovered four fumbles to take care of Pasadena (0-9, 0-4) and snap a three-game losing streak. Burbank posted its first win since Sept. 15, when it notched a 13-10 nonleague victory against St. Genevieve before kicking off league play with defeats to Arcadia, Crescenta Valley and Muir.
Burbank awaited its opportunity in search of its first league win and the defense provided an instant spark.
With Pasadena driving on the opening possession, Cifuentes scooped up the loose ball at the 8-yard line and ran untouched 92 yards to give Burbank a 7-0 lead with 7″04 left in the first quarter.
“I was surprised the ball came to me after it hit off a Pasadena players’ helmet,” said Cifuentes, a junior. “I got the ball and just kept running the other way. I think that really hyped up our team.”
It was then time for Elizalde to make a similar play, minus having to run with the ball following the first of his two fumble recoveries.
The senior knocked the ball lose from Pasadena quarterback Jason Flegeance in the end zone and pounced on the ball in the end zone to extend the lead to 13-0 with 8:11 to play in the second quarter.
“It was a bad hand off to the running back and I saw the ball get loose and I pounced on it,” Elizalde said. “I jumped on it and was just glad to make the play.”
Burbank made it 20-0 on a 32-yard touchdown run by Max Kelley with 3:05 left in the first half.
Kelley gave Burbank a 27-0 lead on a one-yard touchdown run with 10:23 remaining in the fourth quarter,
Pasadena, which won the league championship last season, trimmed the deficit to 27-6 on an eight-yard touchdown run by Jaziah Sanford with 8:47 to go in the game. Pasadena entered Thursday’s contest having been shut out six times this season.
Burbank wrapped up the scoring on a five-yard run by quarterback Daniel Zacariaz with 4:05 left. Zacariaz, who missed the Muir contest, completed six of 15 passes for 45 yards.
Running back Joseph Caballero finished with 102 yards rushing in 14 carries for Burbank, which got 82 yards rushing in 10 carries from Thomas Adzhemyan.
Burbank coach Adam Colman said Cifuentas and Elizalde paved the way for Burbank.
“Our defense really stepped up and made those two big plays,” said Colman, who got a fumble recovery from Marcus Ojeil. “Pierre makes that play because he’s prepared for the format. Brandon came charging in and read the play well and got the touchdown.
“It’s nice to play well on a short week. We did enough to get the win.”
Burbank will wrap up its season against cross-town rival Burroughs in the “Big Game” at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at Memorial Field. Burbank will be the designated home team.
