By Rick Assad
In a Pacific League football game that Burroughs High lost to Crescenta Valley at Memorial Field on Friday night by six points, it was clear that the second half was exceedingly better than the first.
And maybe that’s something positive to build upon for what will be the regular-season finale against city rival Burbank next Friday at 7 p.m.
The Bears trailed 14-0 after the first quarter and 21-7 at halftime but outscored the Falcons 21-13 across the last two periods and lost 34-28.
Burroughs junior quarterback Brandon Chapparo delivered a 14-yard scoring run with 11:45 left in the second quarter that made it 14-7 and finalized a 59-yard, nine-play drive.
Burroughs (3-6 and 3-3 in league) started to heat up as it drove 72 yards and consumed just three plays as Chapparo found wide receiver Tony Sanchez (98 yards on five receptions) with a short pass, but the speedy junior raced 61 yards and crossed the goal line with 6:13 remaining in the third frame that sliced Crescenta Valley’s lead to 27-14.
When sophomore running back/defensive back Troy Acosta plunged into the end zone from two yards, capping a six-play, 27-yard drive, the Bears drew within 34-21. The score was made possible after a Falcon fumble was recovered by junior linebacker Ryder Bowne.
With thirty-four seconds left in the contest, backup quarterback, junior Sean Gahman (two of four for 56 yards and one interception) tossed a 47-yard scoring strike to Acosta that trimmed the deficit to six points, but time ran out.
Sho Fujita, a junior running back/defensive back who has carried the rushing load for much of the season because junior running back/defensive back Carson Shrode has been injured with an ankle problem and who recently injured his left knee in a game against host Muir, had 45 yards on 18 carries for the Bears.
Chapparo was also effective as he ran for 52 yards on 10 carries and added 118 yards passing on eight of 14 attempts with an interception.
Jose Calzadilla is the Bears’ first-year head coach and gave credit to both teams.
“Crescenta Valley had a great game plan. We struggled in the first half to adjust,” he admitted. “We did a better job in the second half, but too little, too late. But I liked that our guys continued to fight. Even down the way we were.”
Senior wide receiver/defensive back Brandon Smith had a spectacular, diving interception for the Bears just before halftime.
Crescenta Valley (5-4 and 3-3 in league) employed a potent running game as sophomore running back/linebacker Ethan Martinez tallied three rushing scores and senior running back/tight end/linebacker Daniel Lopez chimed in with two scoring runs.
The Falcons tallied two touchdowns in the first stanza as Martinez ended a 62-yard, five-play march with a five-yard run and 7:19 left that made it 7-0.
Crescenta Valley forged ahead 14-0 on a 39-yard scoring dash from Lopez and 3:27 remaining on the clock as the visitors drove 60 yards on four plays.
Lopez then added a 27-yard burst that capped a 69-yard, nine-play trek with 6:55 left before halftime that made it 21-7.
A six-yard scurry by Martinez increased the margin to 27-7 and 7:57 left in the third period that ended a 55-yard, six-play march.
Crescenta Valley then marched 81 yards and consumed nine plays as it led 34-14 as Martinez ripped off a 42-yard gallop.
