Burroughs Football Plays Calabasas Tough

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(Photo by © Ross A Benson)
By Rick Assad
Sports Editor
Is there such a thing as a moral victory? Well, if there is, then the Burroughs High football team earned it after playing powerful Calabasas tough for three quarters before eventually falling, 45-25, in a nonleague match Friday night on the road.

“We were leading 25-19 with 6:21 to play in the third quarter,” Burroughs coach Keith Knoop said. “We played with emotion and we gave them a run for their money. We learned a lot.”

In the end, though, Coyotes’ junior quarterback Tristan Gebbia threw for seven touchdowns and 479 yards.

“A lot of those touchdowns were one-yard passes,” Knoop said. “Most teams have a few Division I football players on offense. Calabasas has like 10. But we still played them tough. I was proud of our guys.”

But from that point on with the Indians ahead six points, Gebbia led Calabasas (2-0) to 26 consecutive points.

“Those receivers he was throwing to are future NFL players,” Knoop said. “When you have that much talent, you can’t cover them all. It’s like a dam about to burst.”

Knoop was asked if it’s wise to play a loaded team like Calabasas. With no hesitation, he said that it is.

(Photo by © Ross A. Benson)
JBHS Coach Keith Knoop was proud of team. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“We use this as a tool to get better,” Knoop said. “It’s a measuring stick. If you never play a good team, you’re never going to beat a good team.”

The score after one quarter was knotted at 6-6, before the Coyotes led 19-12 at the half.

The Indians, who were playing their season opener, tied it at 19-19 when senior quarterback Steven Hubbell, who hit 11 of 22 pass attempts for 129 yards, found the end zone on a 24-yard run in the third quarter.

“Steven played great after not playing a football game in two years,” said Knoop of his field general, who accounted for three touchdowns.

Hubbell’s six-yard jaunt pushed the Indians ahead 25-19, and before that tally, junior running back Chance Bell, who finished with a team-best 142 yards on 27 carries, dotted the end zone with a three-yard scamper and just over 10 minutes left in the second quarter that cut the Calabasas lead to 19-12.

(Photo by © Ross A. Benson)
JB junior running Chance Bell scored a touchdown. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Hubbell also had a 42-yard scoring pass to senior wide receiver Nick Mercado with just under 11 minutes left in the first quarter.

Several players stood out according to Knoop and they included Hubbell, senior nose guard Bryce Martinez, who played offense and defense, Bell, senior linebacker/strong safety Delvin Jimenez, senior defensive end Cole Gurley, “he was hustling and hitting people everywhere,” according to Knoop, and senior wide receiver/free safety Erick Hernandez, who didn’t catch a lot of passes, but did have an interception.

Burroughs’ next game will be on the road against Rosemead on Sept. 10, before playing its first home contest versus Santa Fe on Sept. 18.

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