LOCAL GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL TEAMS OUT OF POSTSEASON
The Burroughs Indians’ season came to an end Thursday, November 10 in a four game loss to Oxnard High, 24-26, 25-20, 25-22, 25-22, in a Division II-A match at Burroughs. It was a tough way for the Indians to end a memorable season in which they went 26-6 overall and a perfect 14-0 in Pacific League play.
After winning the first game, Burroughs had leads and lost them in each of the next three see-saw games. Despite a match-high 21 kills from senior standout, Megan Stephenson, Burroughs also missed chances to pound points using her power game. Nine of her kills came in the first game.
In addition, Burroughs had a season-high 18 service errors.
The Indians won 42 of 44 league games in their 14 matches this season and captured the league title for the first time in four seasons. It was the second league championship for head coach Edwin Real.
Meanwhile, Burbank High, the third place finishers in the Pacific League this season, dropped a match at Whittier Christian on Thursday in straight games — 25-10, 25-10, 25-19. The Heralds were the No. 2 seed in the Division II-A bracket. Reilly Brennan led the Bulldogs with seven kills.
BIG GAME PREVIEW
It seems that now two powers of the Pacific League, the annual showdown between Burbank andBurroughs highs will always have playoff and league title implications each year. That said, it would be hard to imagine that it could ever be as complex as this Friday, November 11, where nearly a dozen scenarios could happen in Pacific League rivalry week.
For Burroughs it is pretty simple; win and it secures at least a share of the league title for the third straight year. An Arcadia Apaches’ loss at Crescenta Valley would mean that the Tribe would win the league title outright.
However, an Arcadia win means at least a two-way tie of the league picture. In the unlikely event that CV would beat Arcadia, Burbank would beat Burroughs and Pasadena would beat Muir there would be a four-way tie for the league title with 5-2 records and then coin flips determining the top seed because of all the head-to-head scenarios.
If Burroughs and Arcadia are tied for the league title, Burroughs is the top seed by way of its win over the Apaches earlier this season. Making all of this even more interesting is the fact that the Indians will play Burbank this evening on Arcadia’s home field due to construction at Memorial Field.
Worst case scenario for the Indians is a loss to their bitter rivals and an Apaches win, which would drop the Indians from first, where they have stood all season.
Burbank (4-5 overall and 3-3 in league) is unable to catch Arcadia or Burroughs in the standings and must root for CV and Pasadena losses to have a shot at the post season. If those scenarios happen then there could be a four-way tie for third with two teams getting into the playoffs and two staying home on coin flips. If the Bulldogs finish 4-3 and Muir finishes 4-3, Burbank holds the tie breaker because of its stunning 35-34 win at Muir on November 3, but Burbank loss to Pasadena and CV so it gets mighty muddled to say the least.
The big game has big implications. Burroughs features a ground game led by Zander Anding and his single season school record 2,104 yards. Anding’s partially collapsed lung sustained last month in a game at Crescenta Valley was a huge factor in the Tribe’s loss to Muir the following week that helped create all the congestion at the top of the standings. Without Anding, the Indians were shutout in a 28-0 loss. With him, they have been unstoppable.
Anding has 21 touchdowns on only 160 touches — remarkable.
Burbank counters with Herman Castro and Austin Mowatt to create offense from its backfield. Castro was the hero last week in the win at Muir, Mowatt is the Bulldogs most athletic player.
Bottom line, the Indians are a predominately senior line-up, including Anding and all five offensive linemen –Gus Ferrat, Forrest Stevens, Daniel Marbach, Paul Martinez and Thomas Liro. Burbank is a younger squad, many are unfamiliar with the pressures of this rivalry. It is hard to imagine this game not going to Burroughs — who has won 15 of the last 20. That said, this game is always a close call, so…
PREDICTION: Burroughs 42, Burbank 31
