By Steve Knez
BurbankNBeyond Staff Writer
PLAYOFF NEWS:
Three Burbank Vikings teams were victorious on Saturday in the second round of the Pacific Youth Football League playoffs. Senior Green, Midget Green and Bantam Green are now one step away from making an appearance in the PYFL Super Bowl. No team from Burbank in any division has ever won a Super Bowl title in the 19-year history of the league.
Midget Green 34 West Valley 6
Midget Green is finally getting what they wanted all season: competitive games. After a regular season schedule that produced mostly non-competitive contests, the Vikings have thrived during two rounds of playoff games. On Saturday, the Vikings overcame moments of adversity on their way to a comfortable 34-6 victory over West Valley in the second round of the Pacific Youth Football League playoffs at Burbank High School.
The victory sets up a showdown between the undefeated Vikings (10-0) and undefeated Lancaster this Saturday for the rite to play for the PYFL Super Bowl title.
The entire Vikings arsenal was on display against the Rebels as they completely dismantled a strong defensive team en route to their 10th consecutive victory. The Vikings, featuring several offensive weapons, controlled the ground game and found success in the air when needed. They finished with 366 total yards on offense.
Early in the first quarter, Isaac Cordova hit Sebastian Leal with a 40-yard touchdown pass. Kade Lewis took a short toss from Cordova for the successful 2-point conversion. On the next possession, Davey Stone found Dante Coxsom for a 12-yard touchdown pass and the versatile Vikings were clicking on all cylinders. Loyal Terry ran for the 2-point conversion and the Vikings led 16-0 at the end of the first quarter.
The No. 3 ranked Rebels, coming off a 42-0 shutout over Santa Clarita Warriors in the first round, were known for their strong defense. They limited the Vikings to a 16-6 halftime lead. However, the Vikings offense was too deep with too many options and exploded for three unanswered touchdowns in the second half. Dante Coxsom opened the third quarter with an acrobatic 55-yard touchdown run. He added a 46-yard touchdown run at the end of the same quarter to give the Vikings a 28-6 lead.
The Vikings’ defense was stellar once again as they held the Rebels to 75 total yards on offense. Jacob Moore, Max Cotton and Terry led the way with 22 total tackles. On seven occasions, the Vikings stopped the Rebels on fourth down.
The No. 2 ranked Vikings will travel to Antelope Valley High School on Saturday to face Lancaster in the third round of the playoffs. Both teams have identical 10-0 records but Lancaster is credited with the No. 1 seed due to the strength of its regular season schedule. The winner will advance to the PYFL Super Bowl at Thousand Oaks High School on November 17.
“We just completed our 10th weekly goal,” Coach Corey Enman said after the game. “Our hard work is paying off. This is going to be fun.”
Senior Green 41 Highland 0
For the second straight week, Senior Green put 41 points on the scoreboard in a playoff game. The only difference on Saturday was that the Vikings held their opponents to zero.
In another dominating performance, the No. 1 ranked Vikings (9-1) dismantled Highland in the second round of the Pacific Youth Football League playoffs at Burbank High School. The victory sets up a grudge match against the Santa Clarita Warriors this Saturday at Pacifica High School for the rite to play in the PYFL Super Bowl the following weekend.
Khalid Taylor avoided several defenders along the sideline and scored the first touchdown of the game with a 31-yard sweep to the left. Brandon Beardt ran for the 2-point conversion. After an interception by Antonio Tucker, Taylor scored again with a 20-yard touchdown run.
Tucker, playing on both sides of the ball, made a leaping grab in the corner of the end zone on a 20-yard pass from Guy Gibbs to give the Vikings a 20-0 lead. Gibbs and Tucker connected again on the next possession with a 57-yard touchdown. Gibbs passed to Michael Woods for the 2-point conversion and the Vikings took a 28-0 halftime lead.
In the second half, Beardt continued the offensive explosion with a 70-yard touchdown run up the middle. Taylor kicked the extra point. Moments later, Jake Kelley capped off the scoring with a brilliant interception that he returned for an 82-yard touchdown.
The Vikings’ defense pitched their third shutout in the past four games. Richard Haney led the way with three sacks. In 10 games, the Vikings have allowed an average of 6.2 points per game.
The Vikings can now shift their attention to the No. 2 ranked Warriors, who have knocked Burbank out of the playoffs three consecutive years.
“It will be a hard hitting game,” Coach Joe Manasewitsch said. “But we should be victorious.”
Other playoff scores:
(9-2) Bantam Green 22 Lancaster 20
Valley 38 Junior Green 14 (5-5)
Agoura White 36 Bantam Black 18 (5-6)
