By Rick Assad
It was up-tempo from the start and it took three hours to compete but every minute was worth it as host Burbank High took on Lancaster which proved a worthy opponent in its CIF Southern Section Division VI opening-round playoff game at Memorial Field.
Each team scored during the four-quarter affair, and each played with energy and skill and when it concluded, the Bulldogs earned a 52-43 victory on Friday night.
Burbank will play on the road next Friday at Roosevelt [Eastvale] which is in Riverside County in a second-round game which knocked off previously unbeaten Crespi 33-24.
Hector Valencia is Burbank’s head coach and appreciated what he saw during those tense four periods.
“They had one of the fastest offenses we’ve seen in a while,” he explained. “Their tempo got us off guard and it took us a bit to settle down and start playing at that tempo but once we did the defense held their own.”
Burbank had six interceptions and sophomore wide receiver/cornerback/safety Diego Plancarte had four and each were a crucial element to the win.
“The interceptions were key,” Valencia added. “We knew that if we got them out of their running game, things would balance out in our favor.”
The usual suspects were present in the spotlight for the Bulldogs (9-3) as junior quarterback Deshawn Laporte threw three touchdowns and all three went to junior wide receiver Tyler Hudson, who had 10 catches for 143 yards.
“We played well. We had ups and downs but we all got everything straight and came out with the win,” said Laporte, who completed 20 of 32 attempts for 321 yards and one interception.
Laporte’s first scoring toss was a 34-yarder and came with 8:52 left in the first quarter and gave the Bulldogs a 7-6 lead.
Laporte’s second touchdown throw was a 12-yard and occurred with 4:57 remaining in the same frame and made it 14-6.
Laporte then found Hudson with a 22-yard strike with just under a minute left in the third period for a 45-29 advantage.
Burbank wide receiver Elijah Pendleton, who had an interception, caught eight passes for 151 yards and also added a 46-yard scoring gallop at 9:00 before halftime as Burbank led 21-14.
Junior running back/linebacker Troy Wells tacked on a pair of scoring runs for the Bulldogs as the hosts charged ahead 27-21 on his 10-yard run burst with 4:05 on the clock in the second quarter.
Wells tossed in a one-yard run with 3:19 left on the clock in the third period for a 38-29 lead. Laporte also found senior wide receiver Exodus Freeman (10 yards on one catch) on a two-point conversion pass.
“Troy had an outstanding game for us at running back and it helped balance our offense so it was not just the pass they had to stop,” Valencia stated.
For good measure, senior Ryan Mendoza nailed a 30-yard field goal with 2:09 left before the intermission as Burbank marched ahead 30-21.
Burbank senior wide receiver Chase Miles had one reception for 17 yards and one interception.
“From the first, we loved running man blitzes against their offense because we believed their quarterback struggled under pressure,” Miles said. “We sent blitzes to neutralize their running game and force their quarterback to make uncomfortable throws.”
Miles knew that Burbank would be able to move the ball and score points.
“Offensively as the game progressed, we liked running the ball more and more as it was hard for their defense to stop it,” he said.
Junior wide receiver/cornerback Ronald Gordon also chipped in with a fumble recovery for the Bulldogs.
Lancaster quarterback senior Michael Marsenich tossed three touchdown passes and added a scoring run but was picked off six times.
Marsenich had a 16-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Jaheim Redmond as 10:36 remained in the first quarter for a 6-0 lead for the Eagles (8-3).
Marsenich then found senior wide receiver Jayson Wilson on a 21-yard rocket late in the first period that evened it as 14-14. Senior running back/safety Jacob Walker added a two-point run and also contributed an interception.
Marsenich unloaded a 45-yard pass to senior wide receiver Chace Beoranje with 1:28 left in the second frame and sophomore running back Joziah Davis added a two-point run that drew Lancaster within 30-29.
Marsenich scored on an eight-yard keeper with 7:25 left in the fourth quarter and senior running back Arthur Turner added a two-point run for the Eagles who came within 52-43.
Lancaster’s sophomore wide receiver Terrance Harper had a 65-yard kickoff return with just under nine minutes left in the second period that evened it at 21-21.
Turner struck again and this time it was a 55-yard sprint late in the third period that saw Lancaster get within 45-35.
