By Rick Assad
For the second game in a row, the Burroughs High football team allowed more than fifty points, played better in the second half and it wasn’t nearly enough.
On this Friday night, Burroughs fell to Pasadena 54-14 in the Pacific League opener at Memorial Field and like the Bears’ setback to Los Altos eight days ago, had more energy in the second half as they scored both touchdowns across the final 24 minutes.
Sho Fujita was a bright spot as the junior running back had 167 yards on 31 carries for Burroughs (0-4 and 0-1 in league).
Fujita’s two-yard carry with 2:30 left in the third quarter cut the lead to 35-7 that capped an 80-yard, 13-play march.
Jose Calzadilla is Burroughs first-year head coach and likes what he saw in his talented back.
“Sho was great. So proud of him. Stepping up and running the football for us,” he said. “He runs hard and never shies away from contact. He’s evolving as a runner.”
Junior quarterback Sean Ghaman (eight for 21 and 97 yards with three interceptions) delivered a 34-yard scoring pass to senior wide receiver Brendan Smith (39 yards on two receptions) with 7:56 left in the fourth quarter that ended an eight-play, 72-yard drive that sliced the lead to 41-14.
Calzadilla knows that his team is young.
“For us it’s about eliminating mistakes,” he said. “It cost us drives and scoring opportunities. That will be a great measure of this team. How they grow by playing as mistake free as possible.’
Pasadena (2-2 and 1-0 in league) led 8-0 after the opening frame and pulled ahead 28-0 at the intermission.
The Bulldogs pulled in front 35-7 entering the fourth period and capped the night by outscoring the Bears 19-7 in the fourth period.
Pasadena junior quarterback Dutch Burbidge accounted for 288 yards on 18 of 25 with four scoring passes and two rushing touchdowns.
Ron Jones is the Pasadena head coach.
“I liked the fact we won the game. I saw some good things from young players on both offense and defense,” he said. “Still don’t think we are executing as well as we can.”
The Bulldogs made it 6-0 with 4:09 left in the initial frame when Burbidge found senior wide receiver/defensive back Sebastian Clark (21 yards on two catches) with a 12-yard pass that finalized a 73-yard, 10-play drive.
Late in the frame after a punt was blocked and it rolled into the end zone, the visitors led 8-0 on a safety.
Early in the second period, Burbidge added a 16-yard scoring run as it became 14-0.
Roughly four minutes later, the Bulldogs’ advantage ballooned to 20-0 after senior defensive back Michael Ambrose returned an interception 71 yards.
With less than a minute remaining in the second period, Burbidge unloaded a 69-yard scoring strike to senior wide receiver Kyle Robertson (92 yards on three receptions) and Burbidge spotted freshman tight end Delano King for the two-point conversion to make it 28-0.
When Burbidge connected with King (36 yards on two catches) on a 22-yard pass play and 10:26 left in the third quarter the lead became 35-0 that ended a 70-yard march.
Burbidge added his second scoring run of the night as he carried the ball into the end zone from 17 yards as 11:46 remained in the fourth period for a 41-7 edge that capped an 11-play, 70-yard excursion.
With 5:52 left in the game Burbidge added a 35-yard scoring toss to freshman wide receiver/defensive back Damari Pitts (99 yards on six catches) for a 48-14 lead that closed a 46-yard trek.
King’s 97-yard interception return as time ran out made it a forty-point lead.
Burroughs will next play a league game on Thursday night at Arcadia with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
