By Dick Dornan
MyBurbank Sports Editor
Back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back. Five times a champion.
What a run it has been for the Burroughs boys’ volleyball program under the leadership of Coach Joel Brinton. After defeating Crescenta Valley last Thursday, 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-17), the Indians won their fifth consecutive league title.
They have become the most successful high school sports program here in the city of Burbank. Winning a league title in any season is a challenge in itself. Five times in a career is a true accomplishment. But five times in a row? Simply amazing.
Hats off to Brinton and the entire program.
“Winning league this year is a completely different experience for us because we have such a different set of guys from 2010,” Brinton said. “But being able to see our program maintain a level of consistency that is a championship level is awesome to see.
“We are all so proud of the guys. They have put in the hard work since the start of the school year to be able to call themselves ‘League Champs,’ and all their hard work has paid off with this title.”
Burroughs is now 17-4 on the season and 11-0 in league. They will attempt to go undefeated when they play Claremont on Senior Night at JBHS on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
The Indians are ranked No. 9 in CIF Division 2 and playoffs begin the week of May 12. Playoff matchups will be announced on Friday, May 9.
Tristan Martin, Dalton Burroughs, Max Chamberlain, Nick Van Loo, Jonathan Fuentes, Ryan Van Loo and Danny Casillas have each contributed to the success of this year’s team.
The Indians have been so dominant this year in league having won 32 of 33 sets against their league foes. Only Glendale won a set, 28-26, back on April 9 at Glendale. At home, Burroughs has been undefeated all season.
“Something that has been so special about the run in league this year is this group’s ability to focus on the next match,” said Brinton. “There was not one time that these things got caught up in talking about the league standings. They knew that if they just took care of business on our side that winning league would take care of itself.”
Mission accomplished for a fifth consecutive year. Well done.
