Tag Archives: Aiden Forrester

Burroughs Stuns Burbank in “Big Game”

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(Photo by © Ross A Benson)

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.

(Photo by © Ross A Benson)

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.

(Photo by © Ross A Benson)

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.

 

Burroughs Football Stumbles Against Host Arcadia

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By Rick Assad

Much was riding on the outcome of Friday night’s Pacific League football game between Burroughs High and Arcadia at Dick Salter Field.

The Indians trailed after every quarter, but did get their nose in front by one point in the second period and two points in the third quarter, however, in the end came up short, falling 36-28, and will enter the regular-season finale against Burbank (4-5 and 3-2 in league) at Memorial Field with a four-game losing streak.

The setback to Arcadia really stung because a victory would have greatly helped the Indians slip into the CIF Southern Section playoffs, but now it may not occur.

At this juncture in the 10-game season, every team is banged up, but none more so than Burroughs (5-4 and 1-4 in league), which is working with about two dozen healthy players.

Jon English, shown in a game versus Pasadena, didn’t score but paced the Indians on the ground. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“We’re down to 25 guys. The only way we don’t make the playoffs is if we go 5-5. We’ve done the math,” Burroughs coach Rand Holdren said. “Our board looks like a mad scientist, but we have all the playoff things worked out and we have to go 6-4, which we knew we had to go 1-1 these last two weeks, but we have to put a whole game together.”

Against an explosive team like the defending league champion Apaches (4-5 and 2-3 in league), every able bodied player was needed.

Senior quarterback Nicholas Garcia tried his best to rally the troops, throwing three touchdown passes and rushing for a score.

“We’re not stacking good days together during the week, we didn’t come alive like we did in the first five weeks, how we did, but to be honest, we’re 0-4,” Garcia said. “We haven’t beat anybody yet.”

Garcia, who passed for 141 yards and connected on 12 of 22, addressed the next game and the possible playoffs.

“We have to come back next week and hopefully the playoffs,” he said. “We should have beat that team. They’re not that good.”

A few of Garcia’s passes were dropped and he also overthrew some of his attempts. “There’s a few overthrows today. It is what it is. We’re down to like 20 dudes,” he said. “I’m not going to blame my arm. A few they could have caught and a few I overthrew. My receivers are trying out there.”

Nicholas Garcia accounted for four touchdowns against the Apaches. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

After falling behind 13-0, the Indians cut the lead to 13-7 when Garcia, who injured his right throwing arm in last week’s loss to Pasadena, found senior wide receiver Carson Cardenaz with a three-yard pass and 6:57 left in the second period.

This play ended a march that began at the Arcadia 43-yard line and ended 10 plays later.

Burroughs, which opened the season with five straight wins, recovered the onside kick at the Arcadia 38 and after four plays led 14-13 on a 35-yard throw from Garcia to Cardenaz (70 yards on six receptions) as 5:25 remained before halftime.

Garcia was able to drive the Indians (286 total net yards) from their 28-yard line and used eight plays, capping the trek with a 26-yard pass to senior wide receiver Aiden Forrester (53 yards on four receptions) that gave the Indians a 21-19 advantage and 8:46 left in the third frame.

A 10-yard carry from Garcia (49 yards on six rushes) with 1:05 remaining in the contest ended a 55-yard, 10-play excursion and sliced Arcadia’s lead to eight points.

The Apaches took the opening kickoff and meandered from their own 41 and capped the 10-play drive with a four-yard run from senior quarterback Michael Hillier (18 of 25 for 314 yards with one pick) as 6:51 remained in the initial period.

Following a punt that gave the Apaches the ball at the Arcadia 48, Hillier’s 26-yard screen pass to senior wide receiver Ty Cavallero (66 yards on six catches) with 10:58 left before the half made it 13-0.

Hillier’s three-yard burst with 27.2 seconds remaining in the second quarter gave the Apaches (437 total yards) a 19-14 edge. This drive came after a punt, consumed 45 yards and required six plays.

Arcadia vaulted ahead 22-21 on senior Simon Offstein’s 29-yard field goal with 4:28 left in the third quarter, finalizing a seven-play, 58-yard drive.

Cavallero’s one-yard run saw the Apaches slide in front 29-21 and ended a march that commenced at the Arcadia 18 and saw the hosts use 10 plays.

When the Indians, who are averaging 18.5 points while allowing 38.5 points over this four-game losing skein, were stopped on fourth and 12 at the Arcadia 30 on Garcia’s incomplete pass, six plays later senior tight end Chris Wilson (57 yards on four receptions) carried the ball one yard with 2:45 left in the fray that put the Apaches ahead 36-21.

Sophomore running back Jon English led the Indians’ running attack with 55 rushing yards on 19 carries.

 

Burroughs Football Can’t Catch Visiting Pasadena, 41-21

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By Rick Assad

Too many costly turnovers and missed tackles in open space ruined any chance that the Burroughs High football team had of defeating Pasadena on Friday night at Memorial Field.

The end result was a 41-21 victory by the Bulldogs over the Indians in a Pacific League match.

Late in the contest, Burroughs senior quarterback Nicholas Garcia was hit fairly hard while trying to throw and was on the ground for several minutes.

Garcia, who tossed three scoring passes, also unloaded four interceptions, including one in the end zone, was wearing a sling over his right shoulder.

Nicholas Garcia had an off-night in a 41-21 loss to visiting Pasadena. Garcia injured his right shoulder late in the game. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

It is not known whether Garcia will be able to play in next week’s game at Arcadia.

“At the end of the day, it just comes down to effort in practice and that’s what we talk about all the time,” said one-time Burroughs wide receiver and current wide receivers coach Erick Hernandez. “We struggle to give a look against teams like Pasadena, CV and Muir. We’ve just gotta do better. We just gotta respond. Go harder, do more.”

Hernandez added: “There’s positive plays. I think you can positives in everything,” he said. “Obviously we had some good drives and we put some points up a little bit. Those are good points. At the end of the day, that doesn’t matter. You gotta put a whole act together to get it done and we’ve just fallen off. We’ve got to keep tugging, keep pushing and that’s it.”

The Bulldogs led 14-0 at the end of the quarter, but the Indians struck for a touchdown with 3:33 left to make it 14-7 before the intermission.

Jon English tries to get past a Bulldog defender. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Garcia drove Burroughs 80 yards which consumed 11 plays and the capper was an eight-yard toss to sophomore running back Jon English.

Burroughs (5-3 and 1-3 in league) sliced Pasadena’s lead to 21-14 when Garcia unloaded his second scoring pass, a 22-yarder to sophomore wide receiver John Alajijian (43 yards on four catches) with 1:05 remaining in the second quarter.

This scoring march began at the Burroughs 35-yard line and consumed six plays.

The Indians, after a 5-0 start, have lost three straight games, then scored their final touchdown on a 22-yard strike from Garcia (18 of 35 for 216 yards) to senior wide receiver Aiden Forrester (100 yards on five receptions) with 2:55 left in the game that cut Pasadena’s lead to 34-21.

Nicholas Garcia takes off running versus the Bulldogs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Garcia drove the Indians from the Pasadena 41-yard line and used three plays, and it was on this throw that he injured his shoulder.

English (64 yards on 18 carries and 43 yards on five receptions) was warming up and played quarterback on the Indians’ final drive, completing two of three passes for 19 yards.

Pasadena (5-2 and 2-2 in league) possess quick-score ability and it was on display several times against Burroughs (349 total net yards).

It wasn’t on the Bulldogs’ initial score as it took nine plays to move 75 yards, and Pasadena found the end zone when sophomore wide receiver Mekhi Fox (40 yards on five rushes) scooted around right end for three yards with 3:57 left in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.

After Garcia was intercepted in the end zone on first down and the ball at the Pasadena 10-yard line, the Bulldogs required two plays and 70 yards in order to take a 14-0 lead when senior wide receiver Jahrique Lowe raced 55 yards at the end of the first quarter to make it 14-0.

It took three plays to traverse 53 yards after a pooch kick as the Bulldogs (439 total yards) bolted ahead 21-7 with the capper an eight-yard blast from Fox with 2:01 left before halftime.

After two plays, Pasadena led 27-14 as junior quarterback Dante Coronel (eight of 17 for 225 yards) found Lowe with an 80-yard screen pass and 35.2 seconds left before the break.

The Bulldogs located pay dirt when they drove from the Burroughs 34-yard line and needed five plays as Coronel hit senior wide receiver Akil Andrews with a 15-yard strike and 8:30 remaining in the third quarter for a 34-14 edge.

The tally was made possible after Garcia was intercepted on second and 13 from the Burroughs 29-yard line.

Pasadena extended its lead to 41-21 when senior running back Au’dante Bailey (101 yards on 14 carries and 11 yards on two catches) scooted 43 yards with 1:35 left in the match, ending a 50-yard, three-play drive.

Burroughs Football Stopped by Crescenta Valley

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One thing was certain Friday night and that was that either host Burroughs High or visiting Crescenta Valley would leave Memorial Field with their first loss of the season.

In the end, it was the Falcons who made fewer mistakes in a 42-19 Pacific League victory over the Indians.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

“We’ve started slow all year. Starting slow killed us,” Burroughs coach Rand Holdren said. “We’re playing catch up. We’ve got to start out better. They came out and punched us in the face.”

Burroughs (5-1 overall, 1-1 in league), failed to score in the first half, despite having great opportunities.

Down 7-0 early in the second quarter, Burroughs had the ball deep in Crescenta Valley territory, but could only get as far as the 6-yard line.

CV (5-0, 2-0) got on the board as quarterback Chase Center scored on a 15-yard run with 7:55 left in the first quarter.
Center hooked up with Colby Rees on an 8-yard touchdown with 6:47 left in the first half to make it 14-0.

The Falcons added a third touchdown in the first half with just 16.9 seconds left, as they took advantage of great field position following a Burroughs punt. Center scored on a 3-yard run.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burroughs seemed to have broken out of its slump when Nicholas Garcia hooked up with Aiden Forrester on a 7-yard touchdown at the 9:16 mark of the third quarter. Garcia finished 17 of 33 for 234 yards passing

But an 85-yard touchdown run by Maximus Grant following a Burroughs turnover seemed to sway things back to the Falcons’ liking.

“We made some adjustments and started moving the football,” Holdren said. “They (CV) did a nice job. I respect them a great deal and I’d like to play them again.”

Garcia and Forrester hooked up on a 10-yard touchdown with 9:35 remaining to make it 35-13.
Grant scored his second touchdown, a 30-yard run with 5:29 to play to give the Falcons a 42-13 cushion.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

 

Garcia and Carson Cardenaz hooked up on a 6-yard touchdown with 22.4 seconds left in the game.

Burroughs will host Muir High next Friday at Memorial Field in a Pacific League contest. Muir will be coming off of a bye week as its scheduled opponent, Glendale High, canceled the game due to not having enough healthy players.

Burroughs Football Has Spectacular Second Half, Beats Host Glendale

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By Rick Assad

Over the course of a 10-game, regular-season schedule, there’s always some tough teams and a few others that aren’t as difficult.

For the Burroughs High football squad, when facing Glendale, it would fall in the latter category.

On Friday night at Moyse Field in the Pacific League opener, the Indians emerged with a resounding 49-6 win, but the opening half wasn’t as lopsided.

Nicholas Garcia uncorked three scoring passes in a lopsided win over Glendale. (Photo by Steve Garden)

The Nitros, who now have a four-game losing streak, fell behind 20-6 at the intermission, but it could have been much closer if not for a terrific defensive stand.

Burroughs, which is an impressive 5-0 and ranked No. 9 in the CIF Southern Section Division XI, scored 29 unanswered points in the second half to blow the contest wide open.

“Glendale played with a ton of passion and a ton of heart and I respect what Cary Harris is doing with that program,” Burroughs second-year coach Rand Holdren said. “They pushed us in the first half and we put it together and played a ballgame.”

Holdren said the week of practice leading up to Friday’s match could have been better.

Garcia hands off to Jon English, who had a rushing score and a receiving touchdown. (Photo by Steve Garden)

“We’ve got to work on executing,” he said. “That’s been our theme all year. We got a little lethargic in practice this week. We’ve put together a lot of good weeks in a row. We’ve got to learn how to win.”

After punting on its initial series, Burroughs had the ball after a Glendale fumble. It took one play for senior wide receiver Aiden Forrester to race 50 yards with 9:07 on the clock for a 7-0 lead.

“Our practice weren’t the best and you practice how you play,” said Forrester, who had 72 yards on two carries and one catch for 87 yards. “We didn’t do well in practice. In the second half, we were able to pull it together for that, even though score-wise, we won the first half, they really won the first half because we were shooting ourselves in the foot with mistakes. I feel like in the second half, we came out and executed.”

Burroughs coach Rand Holdren addresses the team during a time out. (Steve Garden)

The Nitros, who fumbled six times, fumbled on their next possession.

This miscue was turned into a 15-yard burst by sophomore running back Jon English (game-best 113 yards on 13 carries) that made it 13-0 with 5:35 remaining in the first quarter.

The Indians (5-0 and 1-0 in league), who had two fumbles, extended their advantage to 20-0 when senior quarterback Nicholas Garcia (six of 14 for 180 yards) drove his team from the Burroughs one-yard line and capped the march with an 87-yard strike to Forrester as 5:54 remained in the second half.

The Nitros (98 total net yards) cut the deficit to 20-6 when junior quarterback Juan Estrada (five of 12 for 66 yards) hit senior wide receiver Ethan Aldrete (two receptions for 46 yards) with a 31-yard toss as four seconds remained in the period.

Lineman Isaac Reyes (No. 66) celebrates with his teammates after a key play against the Nitros. (Photo by Steve Garden)

Two possessions earlier, Glendale (1-4 and 0-1 in league) forced a Burroughs fumble at the Indians’ 48-yard line and marched to the one before Estrada was turned away on fourth down.

Early in the third period and the Nitros punting at their seven-yard line, the ball was snapped way over senior punter Edgar Ovasapyan’s head, who picked up the ball, but bobbled it.

Carson Cardenaz, a senior wide receiver/linebacker (30 yards on three catches), pounced on the ball and after Garcia (five rushes for 13 yards) ran the two-point conversion into the end zone, the Indians were ahead 28-6 with 9:22 left.

The next time Glendale had the ball, it was forced to punt as Burroughs (427 total yards) began its next possession at midfield.

It required just one play to score as Garcia tossed a well-designed screen pass to English, who raced 50 yards as 7:19 remained in the third period for a 35-6 edge.

After yet another Glendale punt, the Indians forged a 42-6 cushion when Garcia drilled sophomore wide receiver Vincent Harris with a 13-yard strike for his only catch as 1:37 was left before heading to the fourth quarter.

The Indians secured another Glendale fumble which was turned into a score as sophomore running back Carlos Andres Rodriguez (41 yards on 10 carries) found the end zone on a one-yard plunge, capping a five-play, 34-yard drive.

“Our main focus was to come out and execute and whatever the coach called, we were going to execute,” said senior offensive lineman Caden Cardenaz. “We ended up running a little bit more tonight and that’s what we did and we just executed.”

How can every player do better? “I watch film and I hope to communicate with other linemen and just work together to fix that up [mistakes] and make sure that we got the right calls so we know what we’re doing, so that we’re all on the same page, so that we can execute,” Cardenaz said.

The next league game will be Friday at 7 p.m. when Burroughs plays host to undefeated Crescenta Valley.

Burroughs Remains Undefeated After 38-21 Triumph Over Harvard-Westlake

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By Rick Assad

Each week there has been a hurdle for the Burroughs High football team to leap over and each week it’s ended with success.

On Friday night against Harvard-Westlake at Ted Slavin Field on the Studio City campus, the Indians used a 25-point outburst and eventually held off the Wolverines 38-21 in a nonleague game.

Quarterback Nicholas Garcia flips the ball to running back Jon English. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Harvard-Westlake came out early and took command 7-0, only to see Burroughs rally and tally four straight touchdowns.

A season ago, the Wolverines came into Memorial Field and claimed a 24-point victory over the Indians.

The tandem of senior quarterback Nicholas Garcia and senior wide receiver Carson Cardenaz tied it at 7-7 with 6:30 left in the opening quarter when Garcia put together a 73-yard, seven-play march that culminated in a five-yard toss.

“We play everyone better every week throughout the season and everyone gets better,” said Garcia, who passed for 272 yards and connected on 23 of 35 attempts with one interception of the first four teams the Indians have faced. “When we get Glendale, we’re going to get all their sophomores. Once we get CV [Crescenta Valley], everything’s going to get real quick.”

It was physical on both sides of the line of scrimmage. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

A 17-yard strike to Cardenaz from Garcia made it 13-7 with 3:55 remaining in the initial period that capped a 53-yard, eight-play trek.

In short order the Indians’ advantage became 19-7 when Garcia drilled his favorite target, Cardenez (163 yards on 12  receptions) with a 24-yard pass as 7:57 was left in the second quarter, concluding a 43-yard, three-play drive.

With 5:47 showing before halftime, Burroughs (4-0) used a 34-yard, four-play drive and bolted ahead 25-7 after Garcia hit senior wide receiver Aiden Forrester (59 yards on six catches with an eight-yard toss.

“I just want to push my team forward. I want to get them as far as they can go,” said sophomore wide receiver John Alajijian, who snared three receptions for 45 yards. “Where ever the coaches need me. I can play all four receiver spots. I’m like a utility guy.”

Nicholas Garcia is a nifty runner and very elusive. The senior has scored a rushing touchdown in every game this season. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

After taking a 7-0 lead on the game’s first series when junior quarterback Evan Roderick (13 of 27 for 212 yards with one pick) drilled junior tight end Jack Weisskopf with a three-yard pass and 11:14 left, the Wolverines (1-3) shaved the advantage to 25-14 when Roderick hit sophomore wide receiver Jason Thompson (81 yards on six receptions) with an eight-yard toss and 1:53 left before the break.

Harvard-Westlake’s first scoring drive began at its 48-yard line and consumed three plays, while the second touchdown was a 10-play, 59-yard march.

A 65-yard pass play from Roderick to senior wide receiver Brendan Kang (87 yards on four catches) trimmed the Burroughs’ lead to 25-21 with no time left in the third quarter and took two plays.

At this juncture and only 12 minutes left in the game, the Indians (501 total net yards) knew they were in for a battle and responded by scoring two touchdowns in the final quarter.

With the ball resting at the Burroughs 35-yard line, Garcia methodically moved the team down field.

The key gain was Garcia’s 24-yard scamper that placed the football at the Harvard-Westlake 24-yard line.

Three plays later, Garcia (108 yards on 11 carries) ended the seven-play excursion with a 20-yard burst and 9:13 left that made it 31-21.

The Indians’ lead was extended to 38-21 when sophomore running back Jon English (110 yards on 24 carries) waltzed into the end zone on a nine-yard carry and 3:31 left, which ended any hope Harvard-Westlake (355 total yards) would rally.

Burroughs will begin its Pacific League schedule next Friday night at 7 p.m. with a game against Glendale at Moyse Field.

Burroughs Begins Season With 59-18 Win Over Visiting Hueneme

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By Rick Assad

 

As season openers go, this wasn’t perfect, but it was more than satisfactory as the Burroughs High football team turned away Hueneme 59-18 in a nonleague match at Memorial Field on Thursday.

Much of the night belonged to quarterback Nicholas Garcia, who passed for five touchdowns and ran for another.

The Indians essentially did what they wanted in the opening half as they forged ahead 46-12 at the intermission, while the second half was played with a running clock.

The Indians’ running game was potent against the Vikings. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

A season ago, the Indians went 2-8 with their only win on the field coming against Glendale and the other victory was a forfeit by Hoover, which didn’t field a team over the latter portion of the season after some of its players were involved in an on-campus fight.

The Tornadoes won’t have a football team for two seasons.

So this was a good way to commence the season even if it was against a short-handed Vikings bunch that dressed about 20 players, with many playing offense and defense, which is truly tough.

“It being the first game, there was a lot of first-game issues at all phases and that’s the stuff that we need to clean up,” second-year Burroughs coach Rand Holdren said. “We are still growing  We are still learning all phases, and I really like this team. We have a lot of weapons. We need to focus on using them properly and not getting ahead of ourselves. As games go on, we’re going to use that and being efficient.”

What is Holdren’s overall goal for the team? “We want to be the best we can be,” he noted. “That means to be the best football players we can be. I’m more concerned with us reaching our full potential.”

Garcia sparkled in the opening half when he connected on 12 of 22 attempts for 182 yards with four scoring passes.

Burroughs accounted for five passing touchdowns in a blasting of Hueneme. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

In short order, the Indians (551 total net yards) moved ahead 6-0 on their initial possession as Garcia drove the squad 74 yards on eight plays, capping the excursion with a 10-yard strike to senior wide receiver Carson Cardenaz (45 yards on four receptions) as 9:45 remained in the initial quarter.

“We just executed. We have a lot of things to work on, on offense, especially,” said Garcia, a senior who passed for 205 yards while hitting 14 of 24. “It was a good team win. Our guys hustled and played with a lot of heart.”

Garcia went on: “We’re taking it one practice at a time. If we do good in the practice, that’s a goal we accomplished,” he said. “If it’s a sloppy practice, if we’re not executing, guys messing around, whatever, it’s not a great practice. So we come out the next day and take it day by day.”

Burroughs recovered a pooch kick at the Viking 45 and two plays later, bolted ahead 13-0 when Garcia found Cardenaz with a 22-yard strike as 8:52 was left.

After forcing a Vikings punt, Garcia guided the Indians 12 plays while covering 75 yards as junior running back Luke Rogers (32 yards on eight carries) scored from four yards with 3:53 remaining for a 19-0 edge.

For the most part, the Burroughs’ defense kept Hueneme quarterback Ethan Neos in check. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

With 1:56 left in the first quarter, Garcia (65 yards on six rushes) was off to the races as he bolted 53 yards down the left sideline to make it 26-6.

Garcia’s 16-yard bullet to two-way threat, senior wide receiver/defensive back Aiden Forrester capped an eight-play, 68-yard march as the Indians’ lead became 33-12.

“I love playing defense. That’s super fun for me. I actually started off as a sophomore catching kick returns for varsity. Now that I’m on offense, defense and kick return, I’m going to try and juggle it all without being super gassed during the game because I don’t want to let my teammates down and I don’t want to mess up because I’m tired. I want to continue doing everything.”

Forrester, who had one interception against Hueneme, said the team should be improved.

“I think we’re definitely going to be better,” he said. “I wouldn’t say go all the way. I think if we play together as a team, like we did tonight, we’re going to be better.”

It’s a fight for the football. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

What do the Indians need to do in order to improve?

“They’re little mistakes and that we’re there right now, but we need to put in a little more effort and then practice on the details and then we’ll be good,” Forrester said.

The next time Burroughs had the ball, Forrester (114 yards on three carries and 57 yards on three catches) needed one play to burst through for an 83-yard score as 9:16 remained in the second quarter and the Indians’ advantage was extended to 39-12.

When Garcia’s 20-yard aerial found Forrester with 4:56 was left before the half, the Indians, who marched 49 yards and consumed six plays, held a 46-12 edge.

The second half began as the opening half did, with a touchdown as Garcia rifled a 23-yard toss to sophomore wide receiver Elijah Aldana-Pere (55 yards on four receptions) as 9:14 remained in the third quarter as the Indians shuffled ahead 52-12.

Senior running back Adrian Leon (52 yards on seven rushes) scored the Indians’ final touchdown, a 15-yard tally with 9:14 left in the fourth period as Burroughs had a 47-point cushion.

Hueneme junior quarterback Ethan Neos (nine of 20 for 101 yards and one interception) had three scoring passes with two landing into the hands of junior wide receiver Manuel Ortiz (50 yards on four receptions) that covered 10 yards and came with 2:15 left in the first quarter that cut the lead to 26-6 and a 22-yard bomb with 3:45 showing in the fourth period that sliced the edge to 59-18.

Neos also proved to be a slick and steady ball-carrier as he accounted for 58 yards on 10 carries for the Vikings (185 total yards).

The Indians will host Victor Valley next Friday night at Memorial Field with a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Burroughs Football Ready to Put Recent Past in Rear View Mirror

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The last three years have not been easy for the Burroughs High football team as the Indians have failed to move on to postseason play, something that has not happened since the days of playing in the Foothill League more than a decade ago.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

But the Indians plan to change that and get back to the days when being a regular playoff participant was customary.

Burroughs qualified for the CIF Southern Section playoffs eight of the first 10 years in the Pacific League after leaving the Foothill following the 2005-2006 school year.

“This team this year is a special group of guys that have come together. We focused on that in the offseason. We tried to build a cohesive group that, one wants to play together and two is having fun doing it,” second-year coach Rand Holdren said. “I think this team is capable of a lot of special things this year. It’s been a joy to coach this group. This staff has put in a lot of hours this offseason. I think it is the best staff in the Pacific League and they are giving their all and the kids have put (the work) in. It has been extremely productive this offseason.”

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burroughs was very young last year when it went 2-8. Thus the Indians have a lot of talent back from that squad.

Senior quarterback Nicholas Garcia (5-foot-10, 171 pounds) takes over the role full time this year after seeing time at the position last year and has greatly improved according to Holdren.

Junior running back Luke Rogers (5-8, 181) returns as the Indians’ main tailback, the same role he played last year.

Garcia will have lots of passing targets. Senior Ellington Simmons (6-3, 196) and sophomore Elijah Aldana-Pere (6-2, 165) offer large targets.

Seniors Aiden Forrester (6-0, 185) and Carson Cardenaz (5-10, 164) will play in the slot and offer quick options. Some may remember that Forrester returned the opening kickoff against rival Burbank for a touchdown last year.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

The offensive line is solid led by senior Allen Arriaga (6-3, 246). Caden Cardenaz (5-5, 174) will play center. Sophomore Jose Olivares (6-2, 244),  senior Eric Quintero (6-1, 225), senior Michael Pentland (6-4, 195), junior Brandon Sowers (6-3, 240) and senior Henry Diaz (6-1, 218) will fill in for the rest of the line.

Defensively, the Indians are led by Forrester, who will start at safety. Simmons will also see time at safety. Senior John Alajijian (5-8, 140) should hold down a spot in the secondary along with Aldana-Pere. Seniors Clayton Stricker (6-0, 144) and Diego Castellon (5-6, 135) are two more solid defensive backs.

Diaz, who is a captain, will lead the group of linebackers. Carson Cardenaz also figures to be part of the linebacking crew, as will Rogers.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

The defensive line will include many of the same players on the offensive line. Oliveros, Pentland, Sowers, and Quintero figure to be the key players rushing the opposing quarterbacks.

Holdren said he knows getting back to the playoffs won’t be easy, but he is optimistic.

“Burbank and CV are always going to be tough. Muir is stacked. You don’t know what is going on at Arcadia. That will be interesting,” Holdren said.  “I know Glendale has put in a lot of work this offseason. I like our chances in the league this year. This is going to be a fun year. This is an exciting team to watch.”

Burroughs Football Falls to Muir

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The defense hasn’t been the problem for the Burroughs High football team in recent weeks.

That was the case again Friday when the Indians faced Muir High.

Unfortunately turnovers put the Indians in a few situations that proved costly in a 36-0 loss.

“We didn’t execute. We’re doing things defensively. We have to move the ball on offense. I’m going to look at it and fix whatever the problem is,” Burroughs coach Rand Holdren said.

Burroughs (1-6 overall, 1-3 in league) intercepted Muir quarterback Brian Love twice in the first half.

Aiden Forrester got the first interception, which was late in the first quarter.

Henry Diaz then got a second-quarter interception that was deep in Muir territory.

Burroughs had the ball at the Muir 18-yard line, but could not punch its way onto the scoreboard.

Muir’s first touchdown came on a 33-yard run from Jahlique Stephens. Stephens is a rare four-year varsity starter as he played his first two years of his high school career at Arcadia High.

Muir went up 14-0 at the 3:43 mark of the second quarter when Calen Bullock picked up a fumble by teammate Aryonis Harrison and raced to the end zone.

The Mustangs took advantage of a Burroughs turnover to add a 19-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

“Defensively we played lights out tonight,” Muir coach Antyone Sims said.

Muir (6-1, 3-1) got a 43-yard touchdown run from Aulonzo Bailey early in the fourth quarter.

Burroughs’ next drive ended when Muir’s Chuck Shull made a fine defensive read to intercept Burroughhs quarterback Nathan Piper.

Shull returned the interception 45 yards for a touchdown.

Burroughs’ Luke Rogers carried the ball 21 times for 49 yards to lead his team.

Burroughs Football Plays Crescenta Valley Tough, Loses 28-7

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By Rick Assad

 

A stout defensive effort in the first half kept the Burroughs High football team within striking distance of undefeated Crescenta Valley on Thursday night at Moyse Field in Glendale.

What occurred over 21 seconds early in the third quarter helped the Falcons pull away and ultimately win 28-7 in a Pacific League encounter.

A 37-yard scramble by senior quarterback Cole Doyle made it 14-0 with 9:41 left and it became 21-0 when junior quarterback Nick Garcia was intercepted by junior defensive back Vincent Parrott, who raced 53 yards into the end zone as 9:20 remained.

Nick Garcia gets rid of a pass as linebacker Daniel Cho gives chase. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

The Falcons (6-0 and 3-0 in league) then forged ahead 28-0 when the Indians were held to one yard on a trick play when junior wide receiver Aiden Forrester connected with Garcia on fourth and six from the Crescenta Valley 45-yard line.

Doyle capped a five-play, 54-yard march with a one-yard sneak as 3:19 was left in the third.

“Their D-line was super strong,” first-year Burroughs coach Rand Holdren said of the Falcons. “They’re a well coached team. They’re very good at what they do.”

The Indians (1-5 and 1-2 in league) scored their lone touchdown when Garcia (28 yards on five carries) galloped 30 yards as 32 seconds was left in the contest.

Burroughs’ defense kept the Falcons at bay during most of the opening half with the exception being when Doyle (126 yards on 21 carries) tacked on a nine-yard run with 12 seconds left in the first quarter that made it 7-0.

Luke Rogers had 47 yards on 21 carries against the Falcons. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

The Indians (171 total net yards) forced the Falcons to punt on their opening drive and later picked off Doyle (14 of 21 for 146 yards with two interceptions) on Crescenta Valley’s third possession.

Crescenta Valley (335 total yards) punted on its fourth and fifth series and at times seemed frustrated at not being able to move the ball.

Likewise the Indians had a tough time advancing the ball, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort and were within scoring range twice.

Burroughs moved from the Falcons 30-yard line to the Crescenta Valley 18 when Garcia attempted a 35-yard field goal that drifted wide left with 4:16 on the clock.

“In the first quarter we got into the red zone two times,” Holdren said. “We’ve gotta finish in the red zone. I’m proud of our kids for fighting all the way through. We went into the half 7-0. We’re finding pieces that work.”

On a drive late in the first quarter that began at the Burroughs 42 and advanced to the Falcons 17, ended when Garcia’s pass fell incomplete on fourth and six.

Colby Rees catching the ball for the Falcons. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

Burroughs sophomore running back Luke Rogers is its top ground-gainer, but didn’t have much space to run, finishing with 47 yards on 21 rushes.

The same would hold true for senior quarterback Nathan Piper and his backup, Garcia, who were harassed most of the evening.

Piper completed 10 of 27 attempts for 109 yards with one interception, while Garcia didn’t complete a pass in five attempts with one pick.

“We’re trying our best to get it out quick and make the proper read,” Holdren said. “It’s hard to read the field. I’ve been there.”

Burroughs next travels to Muir for a Friday night Pacific League battle that kicks off at 7 p.m.