By Tom Crowther
BurbankNBeyond Sports Editor
Earlier this season Burroughs coach Keith Knoop proclaimed he was ready to give the ball to senior running back Zander Anding thirty plus times a game if that is what it took for the Indians to position themselves for another run at the Pacific League title.
Friday night, that game plan worked to perfection as Anding carried the ball 33 times for 305 yards and five touchdowns as Burroughs took a huge step towards winning the Pacific League – a league it has dominated since debuting in 2006– with a 41-29 win at Arcadia High.
Arcadia has not beaten the Tribe since Burroughs joined the Pacific League.
In addition, the Indians” defense, which is always stellar under Knoop, forced five turnovers against the high power Apaches offense, turning a close 14-10 contest early in the third quarter into a relatively comfortable Burroughs win. The Indians led 34-10 moments into the fourth quarter.
Several of the turnovers came on special teams where Burroughs used a short pooch-kick strategy to confuse Arcadia’s return unit and keep the ball from the dangerous Taylor Lagace.
Knoop acknowledged the Apaches are pretty “straight forward” with what they do on offense and with quarterback Myles Carr, he simply spent the week trying to prepare his team. Prepared they were, in a game many predicted they would lose (not this reporter who predicted a 15-point Burroughs win).
Carr did throw for over 300 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Indians, but he was also intercepted twice in his 54 attempts and he racked-up many of his yards once the game was in-hand.
No one seems prepared nor capable of stopping Anding, who became the first running back in school history to ramble for 300 or more yards in consecutive games. He has reached that mark three times in five games this season and has 1,100 yards on the season. Assuming he stays healthy and that the Indians are post season bound, he will easily surpass the program’s all-time single-season rushing mark.
Friday, he scored on runs of 20, 19, 15, two and one yard..
Dual threat TE/LB Robbie Haines scored on a 20-yard touchdown reception and had an interception and forced a fumble for the Apaches.
Burroughs improved to 2-3 overall, but most importantly to 2-0 in league on the season. It will next play at Glendale High versus the NItros before a huge game at Crescenta Valley in two weeks
