There is no other way to put it other than to say that the 2019 Burbank vs. Burroughs football game was one of the most exciting in the long history of a great high school rivalry.
Both teams challenged each other and gave an effort that few would complain about. In the end, it was the Indians rallied to stun the Bulldogs 29-28 at Memorial Field.
Burroughs (6-4 overall, 2-4 in the league) will now hope to get a wild card berth into the CIF Southern Section Division 11 playoffs.
Burbank (4-6, 3-3) still stands a strong chance of getting a wild card into the Division 7 playoffs.
Burbank entered the week ranked No. 8 in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 poll.
“Coach has been saying all week that we have to want it more than they do and that the game starts on Monday,” Burroughs quarterback Nicholas Garcia said.
Garcia scored on a 2-yard run with 1:31 to play. He then helped successfully complete the two-point conversion with a pass to Elijah Aldana-Pere in what turned out to be the difference.
“We called that timeout and I said to the kids what do you want to do and they said go for two, let’s do it. So we did it,” Burroughs coach Rand Holdren said. “This was a huge team win. This is the best win we’ve had all year for numerous reasons.”
Burroughs tied the score at 21 with 4:24 left when Garcia hooked up with Carson Cardenaz on a 14-yard touchdown.
The two hooked up again on the two-point conversion with Cardenaz making a fine catch in the corner of the end zone.
But Burbank came right back and took back the lead just a minute later as Kuba Raymond, who was making his second start in place of the injured Aram Araradian, threw an 85-yard touchdown to Brandon Pena with 3:24 to play. That gave the Bulldogs a 28-21 advantage.
Earlier in the fourth quarter, Burbank running back Issac Glover scored on a 1-yard run with 8:09 to play, giving the Bulldogs a 21-13 lead.
Glover scored three times as he carried the ball 36 times for 184 yards.
Glover got things started by scoring the first touchdown of the game, a 16-yard run with 8:33 left in the first quarter.
Burroughs tied things when Garcia and Cardenaz hooked up on a 6-yard touchdown with 4:26 left in the half.
The Indians took the lead with 2:56 left in the half when Aiden Forrester picked up a fumble and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown to make it 13-7.
“That was the first defensive touchdown we’ve had all year. We’ve tried to set the goal of scoring defensive touchdowns and I’m glad it happened tonight,” Holdren said.
Glover scored his second touchdown with 1:43 left in the half, this time from 6 yards out.
Burbank coach Adam Colman was proud of his team even though they came up just short.
“My heart breaks for the kids. They were resilient. They battled,” he said.
Both teams are not guaranteed to make the CIF playoffs, but both may qualify as wild cards.
“At 6-4, we like our chances of getting in. I’m hoping the CIF blesses us after this,” Holdren said.