It took five attempts, but the Burroughs High football team finally earned its first win of the season.
In overwhelming fashion the Indians ran roughshod over Glendale 45-6 on Thursday night in a Pacific League game at Memorial Field.
The Indians (1-4 and 1-1 in league) leaned heavily on sophomore running back Luke Rogers, who had a game-best 204 yards on 23 carries.
“It’s always a fun thing, especially with this O-line,” Rogers said of carrying the ball. “I thought Glendale played well. This game we finally put four quarters together.”
Rogers knows that Burroughs’ next game is going to be a great deal tougher when it faces powerful Crescenta Valley.
“I think we just need to keep working hard and trying our best,” Rogers said of the upcoming road game.
Rogers had a pair of scoring runs including a 55-yarder with 4:31 left in the third quarter that handed the Indians a 39-0 lead.
Rogers also delivered a two-yard romp into the end zone with 10:59 left in the second quarter for a 14-0 cushion. The Indians used eight plays that covered 58 yards.
“The kids played well and we executed,” first-year Burroughs coach Rand Holdren said. “That’s what our goal was today.”
The Indians’ defense was stellar as they allowed one touchdown when senior quarterback Trent Lousararian (five of 16 for 96 yards and one interception) drilled senior wide receiver Christopher Ibarra (86 yards on two catches) with a short pass that turned into a 78-yard play with 3:28 remaining in the third quarter as the Nitros (1-4 and 0-2 in league) cut the lead to 39-6.
Holdren was pleased with the outcome. “The first half I thought we did well,” he noted. “In the third quarter we were probably dragging, and then we started getting guys in.”
Burroughs controlled the clock throughout against Glendale (72 total net yards), but especially on the game’s opening drive which took seven minutes.
The march commenced at the Burroughs 20-yard line, consumed 17 plays and was capped when senior quarterback Nathan Piper (eight of 14 for 71 yards) hit senior wide receiver Nathan Turner (13 yards on two receptions) with a five-yard strike as 4:57 remained.
Burroughs (434 total yards) took a 21-0 lead into the dressing room after Piper (29 yards on five carries) called his own number and scored on a 20-yard scamper with 57.9 seconds left.
Burroughs scored on three consecutive drives to begin the second half.
The first made it 27-0 when junior backup quarterback Nick Garcia (three of five for 33 yards) hammered senior wide receiver Johnny Factora with a six-yard toss as 8:57 remained, closing a 35-yard, four-play drive.
On its second series the lead became 33-0 on Garcia’s 18-yard sprint as 7:03 was left and ended a four-play, 57-yard march.
The Indians’ lead swelled to 45-6 when junior running back Adrian Leon (39 yards on six rushes) raced in from 12 yards out and 9:24 left, finalizing a 39-yard, five-play excursion.
Burroughs will face the undefeated Falcons next Thursday at Moyse Field in Glendale with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
