By Rick Assad
Special to MyBurbank
Week 1 – August 31
(1-0-0) Senior Black 30 vs. Newbury Park 0
(0-0-0) Senior Green – BYE
(1-0-0) Junior Black 36 vs. Newbury Park 8
(1-0-0) Junior Green 42 vs. Ventura Black 0
(1-0-0) Midget Black 51 vs. Ventura Black 18
(1-0-0) Midget Green 29 vs. Ventura Orange 0
(0-1-0) Bantam Black 6 @ Thousand Oaks 16
(1-0-0) Bantam White 39 vs. Valley West 6
(1-0-0) PeeWee Black 45 @ Highland Bulldogs Gold 14
(0-1-0) Gremlins 6 @ Santa Clarita 24
Bold = Home Game
Junior Green 42 Ventura Black 0
History was made last year when the Burbank Vikings’ Midget Green squad captured the first-ever Pacific Youth Football League Super Bowl title by a team from Burbank in any division. They finished with a remarkable 12-0 record.
The quest to repeat has begun.
In a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl won by the Midget Green 34-6, once again they had the better of Ventura Black on Saturday at Burbank High. Now a year older, the Midget Green has transitioned into the Junior Green.
This time the score was 42-0, and it featured four touchdowns from Dante Coxsom. On the game’s opening play, quarterback Bryce Young hit Coxsom for a 29-yard gain, and two plays later Coxsom scored on a short run to make it 6-0.
Ventura was forced to punt, and Coxsom returned the kick 83 yards for a score and a 12-0 lead. Quarterback Issac Cordova handed off to running back Franco Alonso on the two-point conversion to make it 14-0.
Linebacker Trystan Daggs recovered Manny Pimentel’s onside kick at the 50-yard line, and three plays later Coxsom bolted for a 49-yard touchdown. Cordova located Alonso in the end zone on the two-point attempt that made it 22-0.
On Ventura’s next possession, defensive end Michael Sorokin and Malachi Meeks each registered sacks, and the lead would swell to 28-0 when Coxsom scored on a 30-yard burst that closed out the first quarter.
Max Cotton’s 36-yard sprint just before the intermission made it 34-0, and Cordova’s draw capped an 11-play, 64-yard march. Sebastian Leal accounted for 34 yards on the drive, and he scored the two-point conversion on a run.
Senior Black 30 Newbury Park 0
Darnell Williams ran for three touchdowns as the host Burbank Vikings Senior Black squad ripped the Newbury Park Steelers, 30-0.
Williams grabbed the opening kickoff and sprinted 98 yards, and then punched it in from two yards out. Running backs Tommy Cantrell, Kevin Hebri and Jorge Gomez controlled the ground attack, and receivers Blake Quinteros and Max Weschler caught passes from signal-caller Maurice Rozo.
Linebackers Gomez and Brady Barrett halted screen passes and short tosses, while defensive back Kole Jenson, Joe Metcalf and Chris Boehm knocked down passes downfield.
Midget Green 29 Ventura Orange 0
The Burbank Vikings Midget Green throttled the Ventura Packers Orange, 29-0, and the scoring began early and often.
The Vikings opened with a 65-yard, seven-play drive that included a 27-yard pass from quarterback Tobi Baklayan to wide receiver Cooper Meek.
The next play saw Baklayan hit Niko Candido with a 17-yard scoring pass. Baklayan ran for the two-point conversion that made it 8-0.
The Vikings stopped the Packers at their 39-yard line, and one play later Anthony Spearman ran a sweep and scored with blocks coming from running back Jimi DeYoung and guard Tadashi Butler. Baklayan made it 16-0 after converting the two-point try.
On the kickoff, Candido forced a fumble which was pounced on by J.J. Clark at the Packers 27. In the second quarter, quarterback Bryce Whitaker rolled out and drilled Candido with a 15-yard toss that made it 22-0.
Ventura marched 65 yards in the third quarter, but was stuffed at the Vikings six-yard line. Meek snared a 25-yard pass, and after Burbank crossed the 50, Whitaker scrambled and lost the football.
The Vikings took over at midfield after allowing Ventura only four yards, and Baklayan took off on a 30-yard dash for a 29-0 lead.
Burbank’s quick and relentless defense limited Ventura to 30 yards at the intermission and 103 yards overall.
Pee Wee Black 45 Highland Gold 14
Dahnte Russell bolted out of the starting gate and raced 70 yards on the opening kickoff for the Burbank Vikings Pee Wee Black against the Highland Bulldogs Gold, but this score was a mere tip of the iceberg as the Vikings pounded the Bulldogs, 45-14, in Palmdale.
Russell later stripped a Highland ball carrier and recovered the football. Russell then delivered a 34-yard burst and received key blocks from Jake Rosen and Jacob Hurtado. Russell capped the drive with a nine-yard quarterback keeper that made it 12-0 and only four minutes having elapsed.
The Bulldogs finally got on the scoreboard, but Jonas Baklayan countered with a 31-yard scoring run that was made possible by clean blocks from A.J. Vargas and Russell.
Baklayan tallied two touchdowns before the intermission, including an interception for a score that made it 33-7.
The Vikings offensive line didn’t allow a sack or a turnover, and the defense forced three first-half miscues, including defensive end Anthony Torabyan recovering a bad snap, and Diego Reynoldo forcing the Highland quarterback into throwing an interception that Baklayan returned for a touchdown.
Anthony Diaz, Jacob Ferrat, Josh Idleberg, Baklayan, Rosen, Russell, and Vargas were especially stout on defense, allowing one Bulldog score in the second half.
The Vikings tallied scoring runs from Ricky Garcia of 12 yards, and Michael Martin of 10 yards in the second half, and the contest concluded with quarterback Reynoldo missing tight end Chris Appel on the extra point.
Junior Black 36 Newbury Park 8
Tailback Malik Jackson ran for 180 yards and three touchdowns as the Burbank Vikings Junior Black routed the Newbury Park Steelers, 36-8.
Two of Jackson’s scoring jaunts covered more than 50 yards, and quarterback Chase Tachau threw for 50 yards and he ran for a score.
Wingback Joshua Johnson chipped in with 75 yards and a touchdown, while Andrew Graves, Jake Barraza, Kyler Michel and Anthony Aragon all paced the defense.
Bantam White 39 Valley West 6
The Burbank Vikings Bantam White crushed the Valley West Ravens, 39-6, at Burbank High with quarterback Jordan White scampering for 119 yards with two touchdowns, passing for 20 yards, and connecting with Maurice Johnson on a two-point conversion.
Running back Lorenzo Leal finished with 100 yards and one score, running back Nick Schlander added 84 yards and one touchdown, running back Paden White had 64 yards and one score, while fullback Johnson bulled his way for 34 yards with a touchdown, and chipped in with two extra-point conversions.
The offensive line was spearheaded by Atticus Coot and Shant Hovsepian, while defensive back Mario Rodriguez led the Vikings in tackles, followed by defensive end Sean Durmick. Linebacker Rudy Perez recovered a fumble late in the game, halting a Ravens drive.
