Tag Archives: Ben Burnham

Burbank Football Stops Glendale, 27-0

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The Burbank High football team didn’t come out looking like its usual self Friday night when the Bulldogs hosted Glendale High on their home field.

But eventually the Bulldogs got things together and it was enough to earn a 27-0 Pacific League victory.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

The second half was played with a running clock as Glendale has struggled with keeping enough healthy bodies this season.

“I think we came out thinking we were way too good, too cocky. We turned it around in the second quarter,” said Burbank running back Isaac Glover, who finished with three touchdowns.

Burbank (4-5, 3-2 in the league) played without star quarterback Aram Araradian, who is nursing a shoulder injury and is hoping to be able to return for the regular-season finale against Burroughs.

Burbank turned the ball over twice in the first quarter and didn’t seem to be fully focused.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

“They came out ready to play. Their coach did an amazing job getting them fired up to play,” Burbank coach Adam Colman said of Glendale. “Being at home and it was senior night, (our) kids were a little distracted. We need to fix that.”

Burbank was held scoreless in the first quarter. But Glover’s 39-yard touchdown with 10:33 left in the first half broke the deadlock.

Glover added a 29-yard touchdown run with 7:25 left in the first half.

The Bulldogs scored for a third time in the quarter at the 5:44 mark as quarterback Kuba Raymond hooked up with Ben Burnham on a 33-yard pass.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Glover added his third touchdown of the game with 3:35 left in the first half, scoring from one-yard out. He finished with 10 carries for 172 yards.

The Bulldogs will now enjoy a bye week before taking on rival Burroughs Nov. 1 at Memorial Field. Burbank is seeking to win its fourth consecutive game over the Indians, something the Bulldogs have never done before.

 

 

Burbank Football Starts Quick And Prevails 39-21 Over Pasadena

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Rick Assad

When a quarterback has multiple targets at his fingertips, he’s likely going to rack up significant yardage and score multiple touchdowns.

Aram Araradian has that luxury as the left-handed throwing junior piled up 256 yards through the air in a 39-21 victory over Pasadena in a Pacific League matchup at Memorial Field on Thursday night.

Aram Araradian hands off to Isaac Glover, who had 150 yards and one score. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Araradian ended his night by completing 14 of 25 pass attempts with one interception and launched two touchdowns.

For good measure, Araradian also tacked on a five-yard rushing score that came with 1:49 left in the third quarter and shoved Burbank ahead 33-7, which finalized a 48-yard, five-play march.

“We knew we were playing a talented team, so we knew we had to come out strong,” Araradian said. “All our skill guys have trust in the line and faith in the line that they can get their stuff done and then we do our stuff, run, pass, whatever it is.”

Araradian, who carried the ball five times for no yards, said having so many exceptional players around him does make his job that much easier.

Aram Araradian gets tackled on a running play. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“I put the ball in the spot and they go and get it,” he said. “They’re guys that get yards after catch. It could be like a 10-yard pass and it goes 25, 30 yards.”

On this evening, Araradian’s favorite target was junior wide receiver Brandon Pena, who hauled in nine receptions for 188 yards.

Pena’s 19-yard catch on Burbank’s first possession made it 7-0 with 8:51 left in the initial period and it capped a seven-play, 40-yard drive.

Senior wide receiver Ben Burnham, who is another favorite target, chipped in with four receptions and 61 yards.

Burnham’s 25-yard scoring grab with 50 seconds left before halftime from Araradian, saw Burbank (3-3 and 2-0 in league) slide ahead 27-7.

Aram Araradian passed for two touchdowns in a 39-21 win over Pasadena. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“We came out and ready to go. But we executed and kept the drive alive,” Burbank coach Adam Colman explained. “The offense grinded it out. Stayed on the field.”

Colman then added: “We’ve got a lot of weapons,” he said. “When our ground game is working like it was tonight, you just kind of pick your poison. It’s really tough to stop. It puts a lot of pressure on the opponents. They’re all unselfish and about the team.”

Burbank’s ground attack was highly effective as senior running back Isaac Glover accounted for 150 yards on 29 carries, that included a pair of first-half touchdowns.

“Just overall team-work,” Glover explained on why Burbank prevailed over a much-improved Pasadena team. “We just executed on every single level. Moving the ball and executing. Everyone doing their job.”

Isaac Glover gets free on the right side and runs for yards. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

What’s Glover’s approach each and every week?

“Watching film and seeing what they do,” he said. “Learning a new game every week.”

Glover’s six-yard romp into the end zone with 1:57 left in the opening frame made it 14-0 as Burbank drove 80 yards on 13 plays.

Glover’s second scoring tally was a four-yard blast with 7:11 remaining in the second quarter as the hosts pulled ahead 20-7.

On this drive, Araradian calmly and confidently marched the home team 92 yards which consumed 10 plays.

Araradian then positioned Burbank (414 total net yards) down the field after getting the football at the Pasadena 31-yard line and used six plays with senior running back Tyler Murphy (eight yards on five carries) scampering in from two yards and 8:21 left in the game that made it 39-14.

Pasadena (3-2 and 0-2 in league) has skilled players up and down its lineup and trimmed Burbank’s advantage to 14-7 when senior running back Au’dante Bailey (51 yards on seven carries) scored on an eight-yard run that ended the first quarter and finished a five-play, 58-yard excursion.

Bailey’s 68-yard kickoff return for a score for Pasadena (245 total yards) with 1:38 remaining in the third quarter sliced Burbank’s lead to 33-14.

When Pasadena sophomore wide receiver Mekhi Fox (92 yards on six rushes) raced 60 yards with eight minutes remaining in the contest, Burbank’s lead was reduced to 18 points.

Burbank, which began the season with losses to Moorpark at home and Golden Valley on the road, has now won three of its next four games.

Burbank’s next game will be Friday at Moyse Field on the campus of Glendale High when it plays Crescenta Valley.

Burnham Leads Burbank Football Past Arcadia

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Burbank High senior wide receiver Ben Burnham has played well of late and scored a pair of touchdowns last week in a loss to Hart High.

Thursday night he became the first receiver in school history to gain more than 300 yards in a single game, as he scored three touchdowns in leading the Bulldogs to a 48-7 road win over defending Pacific League champion Arcadia in the league opener.

“I’ve been locked in mentally and I’ve been focused on running my routes. Everything after I catch it just comes naturally,” Burnham said.  “I can’t say enough about my quarterback. He’s a great player, a great teammate, a great leader.”

Junior quarterback Aram Araradian finished 11 of 16 passing for 351 yards with three touchdowns.

Having played a tougher schedule in the first half of the season, Araradian has now passed for 1,387 yards in five games.

Burbank (2-3) jumped on Arcadia quickly and was never under any serious threat.

Araradian and Burnham hooked up on a 32-yard touchdown at the 9:58 mark of the first quarter.

An interception by Austin Blacano helped set up Burbank’s second touchdown, a 1-yard run by Isaac Glover with 5:54 left in the first quarter to make it 14-0.

Tyler Murphy scored on a 1-yard run later in the quarter to make it 20-0.

Araradian and Burnham hooked up on an 89-yard touchdown at the 9:11 mark of the second quarter to make it 27-0. Burnham’s single game record broke the previous school record of Cody Cardenaz, who had 209 yards against Pasadena in 2008.

Arcadia (1-3) took advantage of great field position following a Burbank turnover to help score its lone touchdown.

Glover scored on a 15-yard run with 2:22 left in the first half to make it 34-7.

Araradian and Burnham hooked up again with 58 seconds left in the quarter for their third touchdown. Burnham did not play in the fourth quarter.

Burbank’s lone touchdown in the second half came with 7:14 left in the third quarter as Murphy scored on a 9-yard run.

Bulldog coach Adam Colman was pleased with how his team responded from a tough nonleague schedule in which saw some ups and downs.

“It was nice to get on the board quick and to get to play with a lead. We’ve looked back and some of our losses and we said if we get a lead early it’s a whole different complexion. We really emphasized starting strong,” Colman said. “The defense was awesome and helped give us great field position. It’s nice to start off league with a win, especially against the defending league champs.”
Burbank will host Pasadena High next Thursday at Memorial Field.

Hart Still Too Much for Burbank Football

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It has been more than three decades since the Burbank High football team last defeated Hart High.

The Bulldogs will have to wait to attempt the feat against one of the top programs in California history.

Friday night Burbank showed it has improved vastly from the days of the Foothill League when it was frequently dominated by Hart.

But the host Indians still had too much in a 31-13 win over the Bulldogs at College of the Canyons.

“A couple of crucial mistakes got us down at half but we battled,’’ Burbank coach Adam Colman said. “A lot of mental mistakes cost us. We just didn’t execute in crucial spots. That’s a good team and you can’t make mistakes against Hart.”

Hart (1-2) didn’t get on the board until 15 seconds remained in the first half when running back Taden Littleford scored on a 3-yard run.

Hart took advantage of a Burbank turnover to set up its second touchdown. Littleford added a 12-yard touchdown run with 6:17 left in the first half to double the Indians’ lead to 14-0.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burbank (1-3) did answer back, however. Junior quarterback Aram Araradian hooked up with Ben Burnham on 49-yard touchdown with 4:29 left in the first half. Araradian finished 14 of 29 for 234 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Hart got a break  in the closing seconds of the first half when Burbank appeared to have tackled Littleford, who spun away and gained 52 yards. That set up a field goal with 4 seconds left and Hart kicker Cruz Lopez did not miss from 30 yards out.

Hart quarterback Zach Johnson, who is committed to UC Berkeley, scored on a 26-yard run early in the third quarter to help give his team a 24-7 cushion.

Araradian and Burnham hooked up on another long touchdown with 25 seconds left in the third quarter, helping cut the deficit to 24-13 going into the final quarter.

Littleford scored on a 2-yard run with 2:45 to play to cap the scoring for the Indians.

“We knew what we were getting ourselves into. That’s why we schedule these games,” Colman said. “We’d love to win and felt like we left an opportunity out there. With our nonleague schedule the whole point was to schedule up and go play some top quality opponents. We wanted to win them all, but no matter what happens it prepares you.  Now we’re ready for league. Hopefully we go on a run and get in the playoffs again and be battle tested come playoff time.”

 

Burbank Football Falls Short Against Golden Valley

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The Burbank High football team may be on the short end of the scoreboard, but coach Adam Colman is trying to get his team ready for the tough challenges that lie ahead.

Friday night Burbank ran into another tough challenge, as it faced Golden Valley at Canyon High in Canyon Country.
For the second week in a row, Burbank fell short in a 43-28 defeat.

“We played well against Moorpark, but football is not a do it once and you’ve done it. You have to prove it every week. I think we got rolled into a sense of complacency,” Colman said. “Both with our performance and them not having had a game, what we have to go off of the kids look at their record and think oh that’s great. They were playing in the Foothill League. That’s not a (typical) 2-8 team. They were young last year. We know the Foothill League is a battle, no matter what place you finish.”

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burbank had a difficult time stopping Golden Valley’s 6-foot-4, 210-pound running back Johnathan Kaelin. Kaelin rushed for 289 yards in just 13 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns.

“On film he stands out more as a receiver,” Colman said. “He was tough to tackle.”

Burbank got a fine performance from junior quarterback Aram Araradian, who finished the game 28 of 40 for 365 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Golden Valley led 15-0 before Burbank got on the board with 8:07 left in the first half as Araradian and Isaac Glover hooked up on a 32-yard touchdown pass.

Down 21-7 late in the first half, the Bulldogs missed two great opportunities to make things interesting as Golden Valley was twice called for roughing the passer that gave the Bulldogs automatic first downs in the red zone.

Burbank got as close as the 4-yard line with 12 seconds left in the half, but fumbled to ball away, allowing the host Grizzlies to go into the intermission up by a pair of touchdowns.

Glover scored on a 7-yard run with 9:46 left in the third quarter to make it 28-14.

The Bulldogs actually scored a touchdown on the one play that Araradian had to sit out after limping off the field.

Kuba Raymond threw a 36-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Pena. Araradian immediately returned for the two-point conversion as he hooked up with Vincent Vang.

Burbank added another touchdown with 6:35 to play as Araradian hooked up with Ben Burnham on a 15-yard touchdown.

Burbank Football in a Good Position Again

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(Photo by Ross A Benson)

A pattern has developed for the Burbank High football program and that’s a good thing.

The team is generally young and talented in odd years and championship ready in even years.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Things don’t figure to change in 2019 as Burbank looks like it has more than enough talent to qualify for the CIF Southern Section playoffs for an eighth consecutive year.

Burbank once again has a number of solid underclassmen to go along with a solid but not as spectacular senior class.

“(There’s) a lot of guys that played important roles on last year’s team. They weren’t the guys getting their names in the paper or scoring the touchdowns necessarily, but they know what it takes, which is nice,” third-year head coach Adam Colman said. “Varsity isn’t a new experience for them. It is something that they are used to. They have a little chip on their shoulder to show now that we belong. It’s a fun group to coach. There’s a lot of competition. We’ve got a lot of positions that are two deep, two to three deep at most.”

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Most notably gone from last season’s 7-4 squad are quarterback Matthew Porras (Whitworth University) and two-way stars Erik Harutyunyan (UC Berkley) and Duncan Smith (Fresno State).

They won’t easily be replaced.

Junior left-handed quarterback Aram Araradian (6-foot, 175 pounds) takes over for Porras but is hardly new to the role as he has seen game action on the varsity each of the last two seasons.

Senior running back Issac Glover (5-9, 195) who missed part of last season due to injury is back at full strength and will be the main threat out of the backfield. Junior Max Mendieta (5-7, 165) could also see time carrying the ball.

Araradian’s passing options are solid with senior Ben Burnham (6-1, 175), junior Brandon Pena (5-10, 165) and sophomore Jack Sapyta (5-10, 155) all returning.

Senior Vincent Vang (5-3, 125) is a slotback who will replace older brother Chadz Vang, who graduated.
Senior Devin Householder (6-3, 200) will take over the tight end position that was held down by Smith for the last two years.

The offensive line returns two starters in senior center Armando De La Cruz (5-7, 250), who will be a three-year starter, and senior Craig Rushton (6-2, 265).

Senior Seth Jones (6-2, 270) , who spent time at tight end last year, will also fill a role on the line. Juniors Rene Amirian (6-1, 235) and Danny Akopyan (5-9, 220) figure to also see significant playing time on the line. Another name to look for is sophomore Jakob Zuniga (6-2, 275), who transferred from Hoover since the Tornadoes will not play varsity football the next two seasons.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

The defensive line will boast many of the same players who are also on the offensive line along with senior Thomas Chiaravalle (5-8, 205) and sophomore Steilen Varga (5-10, 265).

The linebacker core is led by senior Tyler Murphy (5-8, 185). Mendieta, Glover, and Householder also figure to see time as linebackers.

Others to watch for are juniors Austin Blacano (6-3, 225), Kube Raymond (5-10, 185) and Lucas Sheppe (6-1, 205).

In the defensive secondary, senior Ian Miller (5-10, 165) leads the way. Juniors Owen Cusumano (5-10, 165) and Jarren Flowers (6-0, 175) are also both very talented. Vang, senior Oaklee Spens (5-6, 150), senior Shawn Wilson (6-1, 170) and junior Kaze Gibbs (5-5, 145) figure to add depth.

Colman said there is no clear favorite for the Pacific League title.

“It is going to be very competitive across the board. Pretty much every team has improved since last year,” he said. “Top to bottom there are no sleepers. Everyone is going to be competitive. I could see it shaking out four or five different ways.”

 

 

 

Burbank Boys Basketball Falls Short Against La Canada

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(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Getting to the CIF Southern Section playoffs for the Burbank High boys’ basketball team had to be somewhat of a surprise considering that Bulldogs coach Ernest Baskerville only became the coach just weeks before the season started and on the heels of a few key players transferring out of the school.

Burbank wasn’t fortunate enough to find a first-round playoff opponent that faced similar circumstances, as the Bulldogs traveled to La Canada High, which is coached by Tom Hofman. Hofman recently won his 700th game in his 33rd season as La Canada’s head coach.

When it was all said and done, Hofman’s Spartans handed the Bulldogs a 57-43 defeat in a Division 2A first-round contest.

“I have so much respect for Tom. He’s a great coach. He’s been here since I was in high school,” Baskerville said. “He’s always supported the things that I do. He wrote a letter of recommendation for me to get the job at Burbank.”

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

La Canada (24-5) held Burbank to 14 of 57 shooting for the contest, as it took the Bulldogs a while to get into a rhythm. La Canada also didn’t make things easy on Burbank by playing solid defense.

“Ryan Graves did a really good job on (Miles D’Agostin). He’s a really good player and he made him work for everything,” Hofman said of one of his star players. “That was one of the big keys for us. Ernest does a nice job with that team. He runs good stuff and they are hard to defend. I thought they’ve been under-ranked all year.”

Burbank (17-12) scored just four points in the first quarter and trailed 10-4 going into the second quarter.
The Bulldogs trailed 20-6 midway through the second quarter when Isaac Anglade banked in a shot off the glass to get the offense moving.

D’Agostin later hit a pair of three-point shots to help Burbank completely turn things around, as the Bulldogs trailed just 28-21 going into the halftime break.

Things looked good early on in the third quarter when D’Agostin hit three consecutive free throws to cut the deficit to 30-24.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

But La Canada roared right back and got a huge boost when Graves completed a three-point play with just .9 seconds left in the quarter, pushing the lead to 44-30.

A pair of free throws by Erik Harutyunyan with 3:22 left in the final quarter cut things to 49-41.
But Burbank was unable to get any closer.

D’Agostin led Burbank with 17 points. Harutyunyan finished with 10 points, and Anglade finished with eight.

Ben Burnham had four points and Jalen Clark and Guram Dumbadze each had two points.

La Canada received 18 points each from Graves and junior Kyle Brown.

Burbank Boys Basketball Gets Hungry in Win Over Burroughs

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The Burbank High boys’ basketball knew that a win over Burroughs High in the regular season finale would guarantee a CIF Southern Section playoff berth.

As a result, the host Bulldogs played focused and determined in an 83-49 contest over the visiting Indians, who won the first meeting between the two rivals.

“They’ve been thinking about it the last two days,” Burbank coach Ernest Baskerville said of the playoffs. ‘They’ve been excited about playing this game. They understood the last time we played them, they kicked our butt.”

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burbank (17-11 overall, 8-6 in the league) jumped out to a 22-10 lead at the end of the first quarter and were never threatened by the Indians, who finish the season with an 11-16 overall mark, 4-10 in the league.

“They were ready to go from the beginning. They wanted revenge and they played well and shot the ball well and we got behind and couldn’t recover,” Burroughs coach Allan Ellis said.

Burbank converted 20 of 33 shots it took in the first half and hit five of 14 attempts from three-point range.

The Bulldogs led 47-23 at halftime and continued to shine in the third quarter by taking a 66-33 lead going into the final quarter.

Miles D’Agostin, who had six 3-pointers, finished with a game-high 22 points. Erik Harutyunyan had 18 points.

Guram Dumbadze had 12 points, Jalen Clark, Leo Tahmasian and Isaac Anglade each had seven for the Bulldogs. Ben Burnham and Jared Pasion each had three points. Kevin Sarkes and Abiel Pearl each had two points.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burroughs was led by Nick Garcia, who had 14 points. Bryan Oasey had 13 points, Aaron Amanios had nine points and Emery Goulet had four points.

Sammy Solis and Evan Zamora each had three points. Carson Cardenaz had two points and Peter Filippi had one point.

Baskerville is hopeful the CIF playoff selection committee will look at the Bulldogs’ strength of schedule.

“Hopefully we get a good draw if you look at the teams we’ve played. We’ve played Camarillo, Valencia, Calabasas, King-Drew, Crossroads,” he said.

Burbank Boys Basketball Starts Strong Against Crossroads, Tapers Off

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By Rick Assad

 

After 16 minutes, it seemed that the Burbank High boys’ basketball team had matters in hand.

Its long-range jumpers were falling, its man-to-man defense was effective and its passing was crisp, which resulted in the Bulldogs holding a 15-point advantage at halftime over Crossroads in one of seven games held at the Burbank gym for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Showdown.

Chance Van Hook hit a three-pointer against Crossroads. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

What occurred in the second half was the opposite as the Bulldogs struggled offensively, the defense opened up gapping holes for easy hoops including a bevy of slams and too many turnovers as the Roadrunners collected a 73-64 win on Monday afternoon.

Burbank (14-10) opened up by making seven of 17 in the first quarter and eight of 17 shots in the second for 44.1 percent and led 43-28.

The Bulldogs were successful on six of 23 field goals in the second half (26 percent) and were outscored by 24 points, including 19-6 in the third period.

“We play man-to-man,” Burbank coach Ernest Baskerville said of trying to defend Crossroads’ 6-10 freshman center Henri Adiassa. “We tried to front him. He’s a good player and he can play. When you have a height advantage, you have to take advantage of that.”

The Bulldogs had a tough time stopping Henri Adiassa, a 6-10 freshman who scored 20 points in the second half. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Baskerville continued: “I thought their point guard [Yukki Okubo] did a good job of being more active,” he noted.

Burbank senior point guard Miles D’Agostin, who had an off-night in an 18-point loss against visiting Crescenta Valley on Friday, found his stroke versus Crossroads, which produced point guard Baron Davis, who played two seasons at UCLA and 13 in the NBA where he averaged 16.1 points and 7.2 assists.

D’Agostin finished with a game-best 27 points, canning five three-pointers.

At the break, D’Agostin had 16 points after tallying 13 points in the opening quarter.

D’Agostin was held scoreless in the third quarter, but rebounded for 11 points in the fourth frame that included two treys including one with 1:03 left that cut the Roadrunners’ lead to 69-63.

Junior point guard Leo Tahmasian contributed nine points for the Bulldogs (21 of 57 for 36.8 percent) and canned two of Burbank’s 11 three-pointers.

Leo Tahmasian dropped in nine points in a nine-point loss to the Roadrunners. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Roadrunners (12-10), who snapped a four-game losing streak, came out slowly in the initial period, making three of 15.

Crossroads (43.4 percent on 30 of 69) shot better in the second quarter, hitting six of 14 from the field.

Junior swingman Miles Ceballos, whose father Cedric Ceballos, a small forward who toiled 11 seasons in the NBA, including three with the Lakers, poured in nine of his 16 points in the second half.

The third quarter saw Adiassa, who had a game-high 27 rebounds, finally break out with six points.

But what followed for Adiassa was a 14-point explosion in the fourth quarter as junior point guard Okubo (16 points) repeatedly found him at the low box and simply lofted easy passes for three vicious and spinetingling slam dunks.

“Yeah, I just went in at halftime and started yelling,” Crossroads coach Anthony Davis said of trying to inspire his youthful, but talented team. “I try to keep my cool because we have a young team and you don’t want to lose them. I tried to pull out something to fire them up by any means to do that.”

Jared Pasion scored four points, but tries to defend against Crossroads, which won 73-64. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Davis continued: “We were more focused. We let them [Burbank] play comfortable. In the second half we tried to control the tempo,” he pointed out. “I have to be patient and not ride them for every mistake. They’re finding their way.”

Davis went on: “We have to play inside out with him,” he said of Adiassa, who is still learning the game. “I told him that when he’s in a rush, we’re in a rush.”

Okubo’s scoring output, like the game itself, came slowly at first as he tallied two points in the opening frame and four in the second.

Like Adiassa, Okubo took off in the second half as the 5-7 floor leader had four points in the third frame and six in the final period.

Junior point guard Mazen Wharton-Ali dropped in eight points for Crossroads, sophomore point guard T.J. Muhammad had six points, while sophomore shooting guard/small forward Shaqir O’Neal, whose father Shaquille O’Neal, a 15-time All-Star, four-time NBA champion and a Hall of Famer, came off the bench and tallied five points.

O’Neal’s bucket with 7:20 left on the clock in the fourth quarter handed the Roadrunners a 51-49 edge.

Burbank junior power forward Kevin Sarkes had six points while sophomore point guard Abiel Pearl dropped in five and senior point guard Jared Pasion scored four points.

Senior point guard Guram Dumbadze had three points, junior point guard Ben Burnham also had three as did senior shooting guard Chance Van Hook, , while senior point guard Isaac Anglade scored two points as did senior shooting guard Erik Harutyunyan.

Burbank Boys Hoops Struggles Versus Crescenta Valley, Lose 63-45

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By Rick Assad

 

When the Burbank High boys’ basketball team stepped onto the floor to face visiting Crescenta Valley on Friday night, they met a squad that was at times red-hot shooting the basketball and merely hot on other occasions.

The end result was predictable as the Falcons flew off to a 63-45 decision in a Pacific League encounter.

Erik Harutyunyan dropped in a team-best 13 points in a 63-45 loss to Crescenta Valley. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Crescenta Valley shot 50 percent from the floor (23 of 46 attempts) and knocked down seven three-pointers, including four in the second half when it outscored the Bulldogs 32-23.

“They protected the middle,” Burbank coach Ernest Baskerville said of Crescenta Valley’s defense. “We missed jump shots, period. The last time we hit jump shots. That’s what basketball is. Either you’re going to make them or miss them.”

Baskerville, in his first year at Burbank, added: “It’s all about who gets the most shots,” he said. “At the end of the day, we didn’t more shots than they did.”

Burbank was successful on 15 of 57 field goal attempts from the floor for 26.3 percent.

Ben Burnham, who scored three points, goes up for a jumper against the Falcons. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Falcons (18-4 and 7-3 in league) made seven of 10 from the field in the third quarter and four of nine in the fourth period for 57.8 percent.

“We had a little bit of a sour taste in our mouth after that game,” Crescenta Valley coach Shawn Zargarian said of the 74-72 setback to the Bulldogs on December 14. “We don’t like to lose at home. Our guys had a lot of motivation.”

Zargarian added: “I think the three quarters where we controlled it, a lot of it was on the defensive end of the floor,” the former Falcon player noted. “We guarded ball-screens well. We stayed attached on their shooters.”

Crescenta Valley darted in front 41-28 with 2:25 showing in the third quarter when junior guard/forward Danny Khani (15 points) nailed three consecutive three-pointers which sealed Burbank’s fate as it trailed 52-35 heading into the fourth quarter.

Abiel Pearl tries to defend Tyler Carlson, who had a game-high 22 points. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“I thought Danny, who hit the three threes in the third quarter lifted us there and I thought he did a good job defensively,” Zargarian pointed out.

Burbank (14-9 and 5-5 in league) was looking at a deficit after each break, falling behind 16-6 heading to the second quarter and 31-22 at halftime as the Falcons made six of 12 in the initial frame and six of 15 in the second period for 44.4 percent.

The Falcons pulled ahead 11-3 with 2:05 left in the first frame on a hoop from junior point guard Tyler Carlson (game-best 22 points).

The Bulldogs struggled to locate the basket in the first period after hitting two of 15 and the second quarter on four of 13 and shot 21.4 percent at the half.

Burbank missed its first eight shots in the initial frame and finally broke the streak when junior shooting guard Leo Tahmasian (12 points) scored and later converted the first of two three-pointers in the same period.

Leo Tahmasian had 12 points for the Bulldogs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Bulldogs were paced by senior shooting guard Erik Harutyunyan with 13 points.

Carlson nailed four three-pointers over all and tallied a game-best 13 points at the intermission, dropping in eight in the first period and making two treys and scoring five points in the second quarter with one three-pointer.

Senior point guard Miles D’Agostin tallied 10 points for the Bulldogs, while sophomore shooting guard Abiel Pearl accounted for four points.

Junior shooting guard Ben Burnham had three points, junior power forward Kevin Sarkes added two points and senior shooting guard Guram Dumbadze had one point.

The Falcons hit 10 of 21 free throws while the Bulldogs, who made four three-pointers, converted 11 of 20 from the charity line.

Burbank will host Crossroads at noon on Monday as it celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day with seven games.