By Rick Assad
Being unselfish and a team-oriented football player, Daniel Zacariaz has helped the Burbank High football team thrive this season including Friday night when the Bulldogs thumped rival Burroughs 42-21 in the 76th meeting at Memorial Field before a large crowd and the final Pacific League game.
“At first it was kind of hard, but I played the position as a freshman and that helped,” said the senior wide receiver who caught two passes for 48 yards and added a pair of two-point conversion receptions.
Zacariaz spent his initial season as a receiver but saw time at quarterback during his sophomore campaign and was the field general last year.
With sophomore transfer Deshawn Laporte locked in as the signal-caller, Zacariaz, who did line up occasionally at quarterback during the season, was moved to wide receiver and has excelled at the position.
“Tonight’s game was a very big statement. Ever since last year when we came up short against Burroughs (48-13), we all took it in and used it as fuel to work hard to do what we can do to make the [CIF Southern Section] playoffs the next year,” Zacariaz noted. “It means a lot because we’ve worked for this, and we’ve done what winners do.”
Zacariaz, who tossed an interception, spoke about the win over the Bears (6-4 and 4-3 in league): “Me and the guys balled out and it showed,” he said. “I was locked in since last week knowing I have to ball out and prove myself and I felt I did.”
Zacariaz’s first catch was a 33-yard reception in the third quarter that set up a two-yard blast run from senior running back Joseph Caballero with 9:22 left and after junior Elijah Pendleton’s two-point conversion run, the Bulldogs (8-2 and 6-1 in league) led 28-7.
Zacariaz added a 15-yard catch in the fourth period that led to a seven-yard toss from Laporte to wide receiver/cornerback Pendleton as 7:09 remained and saw Burbank pull ahead 42-13.
Burbank coach Hector Valencia appreciates what Zacariaz has done for the good of the team.
“He’s been a leader all year and in the off season. He wants the team to be successful and when we needed a receiver when [junior] Exodus [Freeman] was out with concussions, he stepped up knowing that it would pull him away from his quarterback duties but once he got there he clearly was in the position that would help the team to be most successful and get us to the playoffs,” he explained. “He sacrificed his love of quarterback but allowed the team to be more efficient and allowed [senior Ezekiel] Zeke Alvarez to focus more at safety and not having to go both ways at receiver.”
Valencia added: “It’s not always the catches he makes but his blocking as well,” he pointed out. “He is also our punter and holder, so he is a valuable member of the team because of his ability to play so many positions for us.”
