The winning streak is at five for the Burroughs High football team and tallying 40 points or more must be old hat after accomplishing the feat during this stretch including a 48-13 pounding of Pasadena in a Pacific League encounter at Memorial Field on Friday night.
Right now, Burroughs is clicking on all cylinders and must be considered the favorite to capture the league title. With that could come a home game in the CIF Southern Section Southeast Division playoffs.
“We’re obtaining our goals,” Burroughs coach Keith Knoop said. “We’re getting better everywhere. We can run the ball and we can throw the ball. Sometimes we have to figure out what we’re going to do. And our special teams are very good. But we’re taking it one game at a time. Now we’re going to concentrate on Arcadia.”
Extremely versatile offensively, the Indians (5-1 and 3-0 in league) don’t rely too much on the running game or the passing attack. Both worked as the offense gouged the Bulldogs (3-3 and 1-2 in league) for 426 total net yards.
Junior tailback Chance Bell was the leading ball-carrier in 2014 and on pace to get to 1,000 yards again after finishing with 172 on 18 carries.
On Burroughs’ fourth series, Bell carried the ball eight consecutive times and capped the 97-yard drive with a 12-yard scamper that gave the Indians a 21-0 lead and 1:17 left in the second quarter.
Bell’s one-yard burst and 7:42 remaining in the third quarter put the Indians in front 34-0 and sealed an 80-yard, eight-play excursion.
After throwing two touchdowns, senior quarterback Steven Hubbell has 15 on the season with two interceptions. Hubbell’s first scoring toss went to senior wide receiver Erick Hernandez and covered four yards and came with 5:32 left in the opening quarter that made it 6-0. Hubbell directed the Indians 52 yards and the drive consumed eight plays.
“Before the season we established what we want to happen,” said Hernandez, who caught three passes for 22 yards. “One is that we should win league and the other is that we get a home game in the [CIF] playoffs and win that game. It’s been a while since we’ve done that, but we want to make that a habit. We want to be seeded in the Top Four.”
Hubbell hooked up with Hernandez on a 10-yard toss and 1:18 left in the same quarter to make it 14-0. Hubbell found senior wide receiver Hunter Guerin on the two-point conversion. That drive began at the Burroughs 31-yard line and took five plays.
“We have a good game plan and we watch a lot of film,” said Hubbell, who didn’t play as a junior and passed for 84 yards on nine of 11 attempts. “We have a winning attitude. I’ve worked hard to get back onto the football field after my sophomore year.”
Hubbell has shown an ability to take off when a receiver isn’t available, and did on a 12-yard run with 6.2 seconds left before the half that made it 27-0.
The tally came after senior defensive back Jarret Wrobel’s interception as the Indians took over at the Pasadena 33-yard line.
Hubbell (38 yards on nine carries) ran for a second score and 3:58 left in the third quarter when he took off for 13 yards that made it 41-0. Hernandez’s 20-yard punt return set up the tally.
Burroughs’ final points came on a five-yard run by junior running back Sammy Duran (62 yards on five rushes) that made it 48-6 with 5:43 left in the fourth quarter and came after each team fumbled.
Pasadena (112 total yards) made it 41-6 with 11:56 left in the fourth quarter which had a running clock when senior running back Jeremiah Jones (82 yards 15 carries) scored from three yards out. It became 48-13 when junior tight end Kris Jolley scored on a one-yard run and 2:17 left.
The Indians next play at Arcadia at 7 p.m. in a Pacific League match before hosting Glendale on Oct. 23.
