By Jim Riggio
Rosemead—Although it would be hard to tell by the score, the Burroughs High football team wasn’t clicking on all cylinders Thursday night when it visited Rosemead.
But perhaps that is a good thing being it was just the second game of the season. The Indians did enough to improve to 1-1, winning 49-15 in a nonleague contest.
The second half was played with a running clock after Burroughs led 42-7 at halftime.
The Indians opened the season by putting up a strong fight against Calabasas, one of the most talented teams in the CIF Southern Section.
“We don’t want to get too good, too fast,” Burroughs coach Keith Knoop said. “We’re talking about one step at a time and not five steps. That’s dangerous sometimes. As long as we get a little bit better and a little bit better maybe by the end, we’ll be near the top.”
Burroughs senior defensive back Jarret Wrobel intercepted Rosemead senior quarterback Steven Nava on the fourth play from scrimmage, returning the ball to the Panthers’ 16-yard-line.
The Indians then scored on their first offensive play as senior quarterback Steven Hubbell found senior wide receiver Cade Borland for a 16-yard touchdown pass.
Rosemead (0-3), winner of the Mission Valley League last season, surprisingly came out strong on its next drive. Nava hooked up with junior wide receiver Darien Camacho on a 65-yard touchdown.
“We actually gave them a little more than we had hoped for with a missed coverage in the beginning and the long run that they should have never got. Other than that, we did what we had to, to go into our next game,” Knoop said.
Burroughs junior running back Chance Bell put the Indians up for good at the 6:32 mark of the first quarter when he took a handoff and went 25 yards to the left corner of the end zone. Bell rushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries.
After Bell scored on a four-yard run with 1:25 left in the first quarter, the Indians scored again on the third play of the second quarter.
Senior linebacker Connor Garden blocked Rosemead’s punt and recovered the loose ball at the four-yard line.
Hubbell threw the first of four touchdown passes as he hooked up with senior wide receiver Erick Hernandez on a four-yard play.
Hubbell finished the night completing 14 of 17 passes for 140 yards.
The Indians’ next game will be Sept. 18 at home against Santa Fe before beginning Pacific League action.
