By Rick Assad
There are nine seniors on the Burroughs High girls’ flag football team and they were recognized for being a part of the first-ever team in school history.
That squad played Village Christian on Monday night at Memorial Field and for the fifth time this season didn’t allow the opponent to score.
On a brisk evening, the Bears, who were quicker and deeper than the Crusaders, piled up a 20-0 lead at halftime and waltzed home to a 33-0 nonleague victory on Senior Night.
The nine girls are Karisma Mendez, Liczy Mercado, Celeste Iniguez, Nevaeh Diaz, Alyssa Prachasaisoradej, Lillit Nazarian, Aurelia Thiel, Hailey Burns-Franco and Giovanna Martinez.
Burroughs (9-12) used an aerial attack to tally four touchdowns and added one rushing score.
After a nine-play drive stalled for the Crusaders, the Bears used a one-play scoring pass from quarterback Mendez to junior wide receiver/defensive back Krystal Villalta and forty-two second left in the opening frame. Mendez’s one-point conversion run made it 7-0.
It became 14-0 roughly midway through the second quarter when Burroughs employed a nine-play march that was highlighted by Mendez’s 17-yard toss to junior wide receiver/defensive back Geneva Kiefer.
When two hooked up in the one-point conversion throw it was a two-touchdown lead.
When Village Christian (1-6) punted after moving just three yards, the Bears countered with an eight-play excursion that ended when Mendez found Villalta with a nine-yard strike.
Mendez’s one-point conversion toss failed, and it was 20-0 as five seconds remained before intermission.
Burroughs had to punt on its initial possession of the second half and after Village Christian’s eight-play march fizzled, the hosts engineered an 11-play drive that was capped when Prachasaisoradej’s six-yard bullet to running back/defensive back Burns-Franco and 10:08 left in the fourth period.
The one-point conversion throw from Prachasaisoradej to wide receiver/linebacker Iniguez made it 27-0.
The final points for the Bears came after junior Ciara Vasquez-Amado’s interception led to a four-play drive that saw Prachasaisordej, who plays quarterback/wide receiver and defensive back, jaunt two yards into the end zone and 5:47 remaining in the contest.
Prachasaisoradej’s one-point aerial for the conversion failed.
Burroughs began the season with a 31-6 loss at South Hills but then ripped off wins over host Valencia by the count of 18-12 and 39-0 against visiting Lancaster.
Four losses followed before defeating host Ramona Convent 19-9. Two setbacks were next before defeating visiting La Canada 12-6.
Burroughs then hosted Marshall and lost 24-12 but three victories were earned before losing to visiting Santa Monica 20-6.
Of the next five games, the Bears went 2-3 including the triumph over the Crusaders.
Two home games remain on the schedule, and they are against San Dimas on October 9 and Paramount on October 14.
