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Burbank Football Eliminated From CIF Playoffs

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(Photo by Ross A Benson)

The scoreboard doesn’t always tell the story in a football game and it certainly did not Friday night when Burbank High hosted visiting Serrano High of Phelan at Memorial Field in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 7 playoffs.
Top-seeded and undefeated Serrano may have come up with a 35-13 victory, but it was much closer than the score may indicate.

Trailing 28-13 midway through the fourth quarter, Burbank appeared to be on the verge of cutting the deficit in half when receiver Jack Sapyta was stopped at the 1-yard line after a catch from quarterback Vinny Vang. A late and unexpected flag came in against a Burbank receiver downfield and essentially killed the momentum the Bulldogs had in what essentially would have been a one-touchdown game midway through the final quarter.

“I had never seen that called before. It wasn’t even against the guy who caught the ball,” Burbank coach Adam Colman said. “I just wanted an explanation (from the referees). It is what it is.”
Serrano (12-0) was ahead of the entire game, but it wasn’t a comfortable lead until late in the contest.

“I knew coming in this would be a physical football game,” Serrano coach Casey Maholchic said. “Hats off to Burbank. They gave us pretty much everything we could handle.”

Serrano got on the board with 4:54 left in the first quarter when 6-foot-2, 225-pound fullback Cade Beaujean scored on a 1-yard run.

The Diamondbacks doubled their lead with 8:56 left in the first half when quarterback Parker Chaffee scored from a yard out.
Burbank struggled offensively in the first half but brought some great momentum into the locker room after Vang hooked up with Brandon Pena on a 29-yard touchdown with just six seconds left in the half.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burbank (5-7) trailed just 14-6 at halftime.

Serrano went up 21-6 with 3:42 left in the third quarter on another 1-yard run from Chaffee.
But Burbank fought back as Vang hooked up with Ben Burnham on a 26-yard touchdown with 11:44 to play, making it 21-13.

“He just gutted it out and did his best and showed a lot of heart. He kept us in the game,” Colman said of Vang.
Serrano later got two fourth-quarter touchdowns from Joseph Zuniga.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Vang, who was making just his second start ever at quarterback, finished 11 of 16 passing for 136 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 96 yards on 13 carries.

For a second consecutive playoff game, Burbank missed five starters due to injury, including starting quarterback Aram Araradian and his backup, Kuba Raymond.

 

 

Burbank Football Overcomes Obstacles in Playoff Win

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Luck didn’t appear to be on the side of the Burbank High football team entering the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

Quarterback Vincent Vang. (Photo Courtesy Doug Brown)

Down to third-string quarterback Vinny Vang and playing without several other key starters, the Bulldogs had to change things up.

They did just that defeating host Don Lugo of Chino 40-20 in Division 7 first-round contest.

The win was also nice for Burbank because the two teams met in the playoffs for the third time in four years.

Burbank’s season ended on the Don Lugo field two years ago.

“He didn’t find out until Tuesday. We told him you’re the only option,” Burbank coach Adam Colman said. “The trainer comes and tells me he doesn’t want to tell you, but his thumb is really messed up, he can barely grip a football. So we said we’ll figure this one out. We kept playing for each other, playing for the guys who weren’t playing.”

Burbank (5-6) will now host top-seeded Serrano, a 23-7 winner over Canyon Country Canyon.

Vang’s only experience at quarterback was in youth football. He had attempted a few passes as part of trick plays during the regular season but had not completed a single passing entering his first start.

“I was a bit nervous,” Vang admitted.

But after being intercepted on his first pass, Burbank went back to the basics and stuck with the ground game. It worked.

Isaac Glover. (Photo Courtesy Doug Brown)

Isaac Glover carried the ball 25 times for 244 yards and three touchdowns.

Glover scored his first touchdown, a 4-yard run at the 10:35 mark of the first quarter to give Burbank a 6-0 advantage.

After Don Lugo (4-7) tied things at 6, Burbank took the lead as Glover scored on a 60-yard run with 9:59 left in the second quarter to make 13-6.

Don Lugo added its second touchdown with 4:59 left in the half. But Kaze Gibbs came up big in blocking the extra point, as the Bulldogs were able to keep the advantage.

A key momentum changer happened just 4 seconds before halftime when the Bulldogs surprised everyone by giving the ball on a reverse on the ground to receiver Ben Burnham. He scored from 3 yards out.

Leading 20-12 at halftime, Burbank continued to roll in the third quarter.

Glover scored on a 1-yard run with 7:21 left in the quarter to make it 26-12.
Vang even got in on the scoring, by running the ball in from 12 yards out on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Don Lugo scored another touchdown. Burbank finished things up with 12-yard run from Devin Householder with 2:09 to play.

Coach Adam Coleman. (Photo by Ross A Benson)

Colman praised his kids for pulling through.
“We talked about it at practice and then at walkthroughs yesterday. It was a superstar in your role. I think the guys really embraced it. I can’t say enough. I’m so proud of them,” he said.

Burbank is hoping to have its group of injured players back next week.

Starting quarterback Aram Araradian, backup quarterback/linebacker, Kuba Raymond, linebacker Max Mendieta, and linebacker Lucas Sheppe all missed the game with injuries.

To make matters worse, Burbank lost linebacker Austin Blacano to an ankle injury early in Friday’s contest.

 

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.

 

Burbank Football Drops Tug of War With Muir

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(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Penalties are supposed to be difference makers in football games.
Following in the footsteps of crosstown rival Burroughs, the Burbank High football team could not overcome 21 penalties committed by visiting Muir High in a 20-15 Pacific League loss Monday night at Memorial Field.

The Bulldogs suffered a major blow when quarterback Aram Araradian went out with a shoulder injury early in the second quarter.

“He’s the heart and soul of the team. When he went down the team kind of gasped and were like what’s going on,” Burbank coach Adam Colman said. “I thought Kuba (Raymond) did an amazing job coming in in a tough spot. He missed pretty much the whole week of practice with the flu. So he really didn’t get reps in practice.”

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burbank (3-5, 2-2) got a big break early in the game as they were able to force Muir receiver Jamier Johnson to fumble the ball. The loose ball ended in the end zone and Burbank’s Lucas Sheppe recovered for the touchdown.

Muir (6-1, 4-0), which is ranked No. 1 in the CIF Southern Section Division 11 poll, tied things when quarterback Amaris Harrison scored on a 1-yard run with 3:28 left in the first quarter. He was later hurt in the third quarter and did not return.

The Mustangs took the lead when Tyrikk Lawson scored on a 24-yard run with 11:18 left in the first half.

Playing with backup quarterback Erik Wallace, Muir took a 20-7 lead as he hooked up with UCLA-commit John Humphrey on a 3-yard touchdown pass with one minute to play in the third quarter.

Burbank made things interesting early in the fourth quarter as Max Mendieta tackled Wallace in the end zone with 10:07 to play, resulting in a safety.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Later in the quarter the Bulldogs Ian Miller intercepted a pass and returned it deep into Muir territory.
Raymond then scored on a 1-yard run with 3:36 to play.

“Our defense played amazing. They kept us in it until the end,” Colman said. “The kids battled. That’s all you can ask for.”

Burbank is set to host Glendale High on its campus Friday night at 7 p.m.

 

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 Gets Another ‘Moral Victory’ in Loss

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Burbank High football coach Adam Colman is tired of playing great, but coming up short on the scoreboard.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Friday night Colman got a great effort from his young Bulldogs against a Moorpark High team loaded with players who will be playing their trade on Saturdays in future years.
In the end, the Bulldogs fell just short, losing the season opener 14-7 at Memorial Field.

“Downey a couple of years ago, Hart last year, the CIF championship, We’ve been really close in a lot of big-time time games. I just want to get one,” Colman said. “I’m tired of moral victories. That’s the frustrating part. But those kids played with a lot of heart. I think it took them a quarter to really believe.”
Colman said he schedules difficult opponents like Moorpark, which will be in the CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoffs this year should it qualify for the postseason.

“We’re a young team. There’s a lot of returners from last year, but they’re still young. For them to believe,” Colman said of his players. “There are some legit football players on that team. When you can line up with those guys and go toe to toe you probably should have won if you did a couple of things differently, you can never walk into a game scared.”

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burbank junior quarterback Aram Araradian, who has spent some time on the varsity the last two seasons, grew up quickly. He completed 13 of 27 passes for 227 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Running back Isaac Glover was solid, carrying the ball 18 times for 72 yards.

The Bulldogs hurt themselves on offense by being called for a false start 14 times. They had just two more penalties the rest of the game.
Burbank had a chance to strike in the second quarter after getting the ball on the Moorpark 3-yard line following a snap on a punt that went over the head of Blake Sturgill, who is also Moorpark’s quarterback.
But penalties prevented the Bulldogs from getting on the board.

The game remained scoreless until late in the first half when Sturgill scored on a 1-yard keeper. Moorpark surprisingly didn’t move the ball as well as one might expect given that it has a massive offensive line. Moorpark left tackle Jonah Monheim, who is 6-foot-5 and is 290 pounds hold offers from Alabama, Oklahoma, and USC among others. The Muskateers have three more linemen at more than 250 pounds as well as 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end Lucas Egurbide.

(Photo by Ross A Benson)

Burbank tied things with 7:08 left in the third quarter as Araradian found Brandon Pena on a 31-yard touchdown.

Moorpark scored what turned out to be the winning touchdown with 4:09 left, as Sturgill hooked up with Ashton Benner on a 17-yard touchdown.

Burbank put together a nice drive to nearly tie things. But Moorpark sacked Araradian at the 25-yard line in the final minute of the game.

The Bulldogs go on the road next week against Golden Valley at Canyon High School in Canyon Country.

 

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.”

 

 

 

CIF Southern Section Releases Fall Playoff Division Placings

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The CIF Southern Section late Friday released its divisional playoff placings for Fall Sports.

For football, Burbank High dropped from Division 5 back down to Division 7. Burroughs High will compete in Division 11.

Sol Fernandez of Burbank High will be competing in Division 1.

The Bulldogs will be in a division with some teams that they are familiar with as league rival Arcadia is also in Division 7. The division has 21 teams with 16 playoff spots. Northview and Don Lugo, programs the Bulldogs have faced in recent years in the playoffs, are also in the division.

Burroughs is in Division 11 along with league rivals Muir and Pasadena. There are 35 teams competing for 16 playoff spots.

In cross country, Burbank and Burroughs are both in Division 1. This division is based upon enrollment. The Burbank boys’ team, which should be one of the top in the state, will avoid having to face teams like Newbury Park, Loyola and Dana Hills, which are expected to be very strong.
Great Oak of Temecula figures to be Burbank’s biggest threat to winning a CIF title.

In girls’ tennis, Burbank High will compete in Division 2. Should Burroughs get to postseason play, it would compete in Division 3. League rivals Arcadia and Crescenta Valley were both placed in Division 1.

For girls’ volleyball, Burroughs was placed in a bracket of teams that will be in either Division 1 or Division 2.  The Indians will be led by UC Berkeley commit Lydia Grote. Burbank High was placed in Division 4.  Arcadia and Crescenta Valley were both placed in Division 3.

Both Burbank and Burroughs will compete in Division 5 in boys’ water polo next season.  Hoover High, the defending league champions, will compete in Division 3. Crescenta Valley, which has been a dominant program in the league for many years, will compete in Division 4.

A Look Back at the Best of 2018

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The 2018 year in sports in Burbank was not the best, nor the worst on record. The best individual performances were in track and field, as Burroughs Jagdeep Chahal was the CIF Southern Section Division 1 champion in the boys 1,600 meters. Elizabeth Switzer led the Burroughs girls’ track team by qualifying for the state championships in the pole vault. Burroughs golfer Kiara Hernandez was also outstanding in being the best in the Pacific League. The following is a look back at the best teams that Burbank and Burroughs highs put forth in 2018.

10. Burroughs boys soccer
The Indians went 15-9-1 in 2018 and finished second in the Pacific League with a young core that was made up mostly of sophomores.
Carlos Rosales led the midfield and Carter Wells became the heart of the defense. Freshman Manny Gonzalez scored 16 goals, a program record under coach Mike Kodama. This group will get only better in 2019 and 2020.
9. Burroughs softball
The Indians finished runner-up to Crescenta Valley in the Pacific League standings. But Burroughs once again put together a solid season, finishing with a 14-5-1 record and advancing to the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 3 playoffs. Pitcher Presley Miraglia moved to play at Cal State Long Beach.
8. Burroughs girls soccer
The Indians had a stellar season going 15-3-3 overall to place second in league. Burroughs won its first CIF Southern Section playoff game since 2009 with a wild-card victory over Brentwood School. Freshman Lauryn Bailey and junior Abbie Riggs were two of the Indians’ key offensive players. Olivia Cashman and Emily McHorney were two other top players.
7. Burroughs girls cross country
The Indians finished second in the Pacific League behind Burbank, ending a domination by Crescenta Valley and or Arcadia, that had won the league title every year for more than a quarter century. Burroughs also went on to advance to the CIF Southern Section finals. Sophomore Jordan Guzman and freshman Sophia Navarro led the way for a team that figures to have created arguably the most competitive rivalry with Burbank High of any in the city.
6. Burbank football
The Bulldogs turned in yet another fine season, even though they lost the league title to Arcadia. Burbank won every game it was expected to win and put together a fine 7-4 campaign. Seniors Matthew Porras, Erik Harutyunyan and Duncan Smith will definitely be remembered for the mark they left at the school and all are projected to play in college.
5. Burroughs girls basketball

(Photo by © Ross A. Benson)

The Indians turned in another fine season in 2018, finishing with a 23-8 record and a share of the Pacific League title. The team was blessed with a solid freshmen core who are now sophomores, led by Faith Boulanger and Kayla Wrobel. This has consistently been one of the top teams in the city under veteran coach Vicky Oganyan and that doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon.
4. Burbank boys track and field

The Bulldogs captured the Pacific League dual meet title in coach Darin Wolf’s final season. Burbank counted on hurdler Sergio Aguilar, as well as a solid sprint crew led by Cole Le’au, Oladele Hospidales and Bryan David. Victor Goli led a deep and young distance running core.
3. Burroughs girls volleyball

(Photo by © Ross A Benson)

The Indians had an outstanding season under coach Edwin Real. capturing the Pacific League title. Burroughs went 27-9 and reached the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section 3 playoffs, narrowly losing to eventual CIF champion Village Christian in five games. Juliana Van Loo went on to earn All-CIF honors. Burroughs figures to be strong again next year with Lydia Grote returning to lead the way.
2. Burroughs boys volleyball

Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

The Indians won their ninth consecutive Pacific League title under coach Joel Brinton. Burroughs also advanced to the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs, only to be eliminated by national power Loyola of Los Angeles. Diego Rosal and Cole Kaitz were the leaders for Burroughs.

1. Burbank girls cross country

Sol Fernandez

The Bulldogs won their first league title outright since 1978 and advanced to the CIF Finals, finishing 10th in Division 1. Burbank was led by senior Shalom Mejia and junior Sol Fernandez. Although this was an experienced group that will lose several top runners to graduation, there is a great group coming up replace those that will depart. Expect Burbank to be very strong again in 2019.