Tag Archives: Burbank High

Burroughs Boys Water Polo Uses Second Half To Win 20-7 Over Burbank

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By Rick Assad

An offensive tsunami in the second half and a suffocating defense in two of the four quarters were at the crux of the Burroughs High boys’ water polo team routing host Burbank 20-7 in the Pacific League regular-season finale on Wednesday afternoon in front of a jammed-packed audience.

Seven players scored for the Indians (11-6 and 4-2 in league), but none stood taller than senior utility Vahagan Sahakyan, who chimed in with a match-best nine goals, including seven in the second half when Burroughs outscored Burbank 15-2.

Burbank’s Pavel Tantchev, shown in a recent Pacific League match, scored a goal against Burroughs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“We just yelled at them a little bit, stuff they were getting complacent on,” Burroughs coach Jacob Cook said of the second half offensive deluge. We got it together.”

Not too far behind was sophomore utility Xavier Turla, who added six goals for the Indians, who shut out the Bulldogs in the first and fourth quarters.

The Indians led 5-0 heading into the second frame, but the Bulldogs (5-12 and 1-5 in league) dropped in five goals and evened it at 5-5 at the intermission.

Junior utility Ryan Jaramillo’s six-footer with 5:16 left was the first tally of the match before Turla buzzed in one from 10 feet with 2:39 left to make it 2-0.

Turla’s five-footer with 27 seconds left extended the lead to 3-0. When Sahakyan drilled a six-footer with 11 seconds left, the Indians’ cushion was 4-0.

Burroughs slid ahead 5-0 on Sahakyan’s tally and 6:38 left in the second frame. Burbank (2-14 and 1-4 in league) scored the next five goals as junior driver Grigor Gasabian nailed a 10-footer as 6:08 remained.

The Indians were tied 5-5 at the half with the Bulldogs, but exploded for 15 goals in the second half. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Sophomore driver Pavel Tantchev scored on a 10-foot laser and 3:50 left and was followed by a 12-footer with 2:24 on the ticker by sophomore driver Jonathan Agazaryan.

Gasabian’s 20-foot tally with 47 seconds left made it 5-4 while Agazaryan 12-footer found the back of the net 28 seconds later that knotted it at 5-5.

“We weren’t responding to their counters,” first-year Burbank coach Mike Lucero said. “We were in the game. They [Burroughs] kept scoring off of every counter.”

How did the Bulldogs rally in the second quarter? “They were moving more and they were running the plays they were supposed to run,” Lucero said.

The Indians came out and scored the first four goals of the third quarter and led 9-5. Sahakyan’s point-blank goal with 6:03 left made it 6-5 and junior utility Alex Lewin’s two-footer with 5:23 showing pushed the advantage to 7-5.

Sahakyan’s point-blank shot with 4:50 remaining saw the Indians dart in front 8-5 and Turla’s three-footer made it a four-goal lead and 3:29 remaining.

The Bulldogs broke the spell when senior driver Kouroush Dolatshani knocked in an eight-footer with 2:42 on the clock as Burbank came within 9-6.

Two goals followed for the Indians as Sahakyan’s 10-footer with 1:36 left made it 10-6 and senior attacker Tobey Ho’s five-footer 27 seconds later extended the lead to 11-6.

Sophomore driver Avo Barsegyan scored from 12 feet for the Bulldogs as 26 seconds remained that made it 11-7, while Sahakyan’s 12-footer five seconds later pushed it to a five-goal lead.

An eight-goal outburst highlighted the fourth quarter as Sahakyan and Turla each scored three goals.

Sahakyan hammered two 10-foot goals including one with 6:18 left that made it 13-7 and one with 5:26 on the clock for a 14-7 lead.

Turla’s six-footer with 4:53 on the timer made it 15-7 and Sahakyan’s eight-footer 17 seconds later expanded the advantage to 16-7.

Turla’s six-footer 39 seconds later extended the Indians’ lead to 10 goals. Senior attacker Chet Conlan’s close-range goal with 2:50 left made it 18-7 and Turla’s point-blank tally with 1:53 on the clock shoved the Indians ahead 19-7.

Junior utility Miguel Martinez capped off the offensive outburst with a six-footer as 41 seconds remained.

Senior Arthur Eldridge and senior David Karagezyan each played exceptional in goal for Burroughs, while Burbank senior net-keeper Sarkis Terpetrossyan was under duress for much of the day.

The next order of business for both schools is the league tournament which begins on Tuesday at Arcadia and concludes on October 31.

Burroughs Girls Volleyball Tested By Rival Burbank, Victorious In Four Sets

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By Rick Assad

With nearly two sets completed, the Burroughs High girls’ volleyball team had its back against the wall against longtime rival Burbank.

The Bulldogs were ahead 24-21 in the second set and one more point would give the visitors a two games to none lead in this Pacific League match.

Quicker than a blink of an eye, the Indians rallied and tallied five straight points and evened it at one set each and then took the next two games for a 15-25, 26-24, 25-16, 25-10 triumph on Thursday night and capped the league undefeated.

Catie Virtue is seen digging a ball for Burroughs, which held off Burbank in four sets. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Two days earlier, Burroughs claimed their third consecutive league banner and now await this weekend’s pairings and seedings from the CIF Southern Section.

“We don’t give up, that’s for sure,” longtime Burroughs coach Edwin Real said. “We’ve come back against teams this year, so we’ve been there. We weren’t panicked.”

What did Real tell the team after losing the first set? “I told them we’re going to be just fine. Just stay calm and composed,” he said.

Burroughs (18-5 and 14-0 in league) sprinted to a 5-3 lead on a kill from senior middle blocker Camila Sanchez-Tellez.

“It feels great. It was on our whiteboard. We could have very easily said we won the league at 13-1, but the girls wanted to go undefeated,” Real said of Thursday’s motivation.

The Bulldogs are about to return the ball to the Indians’ side. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burbank (13-16 and 8-6 for fourth place in league) evened it at 7-7 on a service ace from senior setter Ashley Eskander.

“I think we just got a little bit in our heads,” said Eskander, who finished with 27 assists, nine digs, seven kills and five aces. “I think the crowd kind of just got to us and we made silly mistakes, and they came out strong and they just pushed us.”

Eskander continued: “I think we came out stronger than we ever did before,” she noted. “And that worked to our advantage. I definitely think we’re in the underdog situation and we have that nothing to lose mentality. We fought and we played our game.”

A push from senior outside hitter Lydia Grote, who had a match-best 23 kills with two blocks, gave the Indians, who have defeated the Bulldogs 10 straight matches, an 11-8 lead.

A kill from sophomore defensive specialist Charlotte Hobson (nine digs and two aces) made it 15-13, but Burbank evened it at 17-17 on a spike from junior opposite hitter Tamryn Betts.

The Indians are ready for the Bulldogs’ serve. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“I thought we were passing pretty well. I thought our swings were in all rhythm and moving the ball around,” Burbank coach Karl Rojo said. “Everything was flowing well as a team in that first set. It was a little heartbreaking losing that second set, but I thought we rolled over any mistakes that we made in the third set.”

The Bulldogs then outscored the Indians 4-1, that included an ace from senior outside hitter Katie Treadway.

“When I see everyone giving 100 percent effort, even of we make little mistakes, honestly, it’s fulfilling and I feel proud of my team and it feels good,” said Treadway, who ended the match with 13 digs, six kills and three aces. “Sometimes it’s hard to get everyone on the same page and get the same energy. But we try our best to keep everyone engaged, to keep everyone in the game, but sometimes it gets a little messy.”

Treadway’s bullet made it 24-21, but Burroughs went on a 5-0 blitz with junior outside hitter Catie Virtue (eight kills) collecting three spikes while sophomore middle blocker Bella Lomet added a kill and a block that sealed the set.

The first set was tied 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, but the Bulldogs marched in front 9-5 on Treadway’s kill.

Another laser from Treadway pushed the lead to 14-6 and a blast from junior middle blocker Bianca Hudson (five kills) made it 16-8.

Katie Treadway finished with 13 digs and six kills for Burbank. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Senior middle blocker Leah Tawil (six kills with two blocks) added a dagger as the Bulldogs led 18-10 and it became 22-13 on a push from Eskander.

Treadway’s bullet made it 23-15 and when Grote’s ball sailed out of bounds, Burbank led 24-15. Grote’s swing then hit the net for the final point.

Like the initial frame, the third set was tight early with the score being knotted 1-1, 2-2 and 3-3 before the Indians seized control 7-5 on a stuff from junior outside hitter Camila Palma.

A tapper from Virtue made it 10-7 as the Bulldogs needed time out. Virtue’s back-to-back kills made it 12-9.

Grote’s tapper pushed the margin to 15-12 and four kills and a block by Grote made it 22-13. Grote’s kill gave the Indians a 24-14 lead and an errant serve secured the set.

The fourth set was runaway from the outset as the Indians led 8-1 on Grote’s stuff. A kill from sophomore setter Meagan Lynch made it 11-2.

Virtue’s spike saw the Indians dart ahead 16-4 and Palma’s winner made it 18-4 as the Bulldogs needed time.

Palma’s kill extended Burroughs’ lead to 19-7 and Grote’s kill made it 21-8. Another kill from Grote gave the Indians a 23-9 edge and a kill from senior opposite hitter Joelle Burras delivered Burroughs the set and match with an ace.

Senior libero/defensive specialist Morgan Bolger contributed 11 digs for the Bulldogs.

Burbank Girls Tennis Takes Out Rival Burroughs 15-3 In Pacific League Match

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By Rick Assad

One week remains in the season before the CIF Southern Section girls’ tennis pairings and seedings will be announced.

Meanwhile, the Burbank High team is trying its best to get a good seeding and a fourth place finish in the Pacific League after handing host Burroughs a 15-3 loss on Thursday afternoon by garnering seven points in doubles play and six points in singles action.

Burbank’s No. 1 singles, senior Kristina Kirakosyan won three sets at 6-1 over Burroughs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“I thought it was a lot closer than the final score, especially after that first round,” Burbank coach Loi Phan said. “After that round then we kind of relaxed. It’s always a good win against your rival.”

Playing at No. 1 singles for the Bulldogs, Kristina Kirakosyan blitzed through, winning 6-1, 6-1, 6-1.

When Kirakosyan is on her game, the senior is very difficult to knock off and Thursday was one of those days, as her serve was on the money and her ground strokes were equally on target, which made it a long day for her opponents.

The Bulldogs also claimed two more points by No. 2 singles, junior Siya Joshi, who grabbed two sets at 6-4 and 6-4.

Burbank nabbed one point when No. 3, sophomore Lilyan Hawrylo prevailed 7-6 (6-4).

The Bulldogs also received three points and a sweep from their No. 2 doubles squad of sophomore Elli Sumera and freshman Nairi Zeytounian, who went 7-5, 6-4, 6-2.

Burroughs played well in the first round against visiting Burbank, but fell 13-5. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burbank’s No. 1 doubles team of sophomore Lena Jabourian and sophomore Jenna Jabourian grabbed two points after claiming two sets at 6-3 and 6-1.

The No. 3 doubles duo for the Bulldogs, sophomore Meeneh Mirzains and sophomore Monique Saroyan, also collected two points after winning a pair of sets at 7-5 and 6-3.

Burroughs didn’t play any nonleague matches, which could have provided valuable experience for a young team, which longtime coach Roy Bernhardt has.

Instead, the Indians, who are 2-8 in league, began league action against good opponents and without much of a warmup.

The Bulldogs are 8-5 in all matches and 5-5 in league play and has a match versus at Glendale next Thursday, which will determine which team finishes fourth.

In an earlier meeting between these two, Glendale prevailed 12-6 at Burbank, but the Bulldogs hope to turn the tables this time.

The Bulldogs captured seven points in doubles play and six in singles versus the Indians. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

For the Indians at No. 1 singles, sophomore Isabella Harris-Bermudez also had a fine showing, as she lost 6-1 versus No. 1 and won against No. 3, 6-3.

“Against No. 1, I could have done a lot better. The No. 3 player was really good too,” Harris-Bermudez said of her two sets.

Harris-Bermudez then added: “It was definitely harder not having any practice matches because I think it’s good warmup to play other people before we start our actual season,” she said. “Then we started off with a lot of the harder teams, so not having any practice matches made it harder. But we held our matches pretty good. A lot of them went into tiebreakers.”

At No. 2 singles, sophomore Lauren Pieri also picked up a point for Burroughs after winning a set 6-1.

The Indians’ No. 1 doubles team of senior Alice Weber and senior Suzy Kim also found time to win two points after taking two sets 6-1 and 6-0.

Freshman Kaitlyn Glaim is Burroughs’ No. 3 singles player and lost the two sets she played, 6-4 and 7-6 (6-4).

“Overall it was a good day, but it could have gone better,” she said. “I played pretty well, but think I could have moved around a little faster in general.”

Burbank Football Can’t Keep Pace With Crescenta Valley, Lose 45-14

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By Rick Assad

For the Burbank High football team, it was about time for its offense and angles for its defense when it faced Crescenta Valley.

Seemingly from the start, the Falcons were all over junior quarterback Aram Araradian, who had roughly three seconds to get rid of the football.

This is how it went on Burbank’s first series, which began at the Bulldog 29-yard line: senior running back Isaac Glover had a two-yard run. On second down, Araradian’s pass to junior wide receiver Brandon Pena went for no yards and on third down, Araradian was sacked for a six-yard loss.

The two defensive linemen chasing and harassing and causing nightmares for Araradian (13 of 26 for 250 yards with two interceptions) were 6-foot-7 senior Chuck Meyer and 6-6 Logan Tourville.

 

Quarterback Aram Araradian, shown in a win over Pasadena, had an off night against Crescenta Valley. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burbank’s defense needed to tackle better in open space and not allow Falcon receivers room to roam.

Neither occurred and as a result, Crescenta Valley remained unbeaten and coasted to a 45-14 Pacific League win over the Bulldogs at Glendale High’s Moyse Field on Friday night.

“Every phase of the game, mentally, physically, emotionally, they took it to us,” Burbank coach Adam Colman said. “They were hungrier than we were and that was evident.”

Colman added: “A lot of those seniors were sophomores and we’ve gotten them the last couple of years and they came out mad about that. They wanted to get back and be a championship team and set themselves up for a playoff run.”

There were two bright spots for the Bulldogs (242 total net yards) and the first was Araradian’s 56-yard scoring pass to Pena (122 yards on eight catches) with 1:52 left in the opening quarter that evened the game at 7-7 and closed a 75-yard, five-play trek.

The other was a one-yard carry from Glover (29 yards on 10 rushes) with 3:08 left in the fourth period that ended a 50-yard, two-play march as the Bulldogs (3-4 and 2-1 in league) cut the Falcons’ lead to 31 points.

For much of the evening, Araradian was running away from the Crescenta Valley defense which sacked him five times for minus-forty yards.

Crescenta Valley (6-0 and 3-0 in league) proved too good from the start as it moved ahead 7-0 when junior running back Sebastian DeLeon capped a 60-yard, five-play excursion with a one-yard run and 8:03 left in the first quarter.

Senior runnning back Isaac Glover, pictured in a recent Pacific League game, had a rushing score for the Bulldogs against the Falcons. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Falcons were knocking on the door two possessions later, but senior running back Maximus Grant (109 yards on 22 carries and 65 yards on two receptions) fumbled at the Burbank two-yard line as the ball squirted into the end zone.

On its next series, Crescenta Valley, the CIF Southern Section Division X No. 1 ranked team, did score to make it 14-7 as senior quarterback Chase Center (13 of 18 for 252 yards) located senior wide receiver Angel Ochoa with a short pass which resulted in a 47-yard touchdown as 8:17 remained before halftime.

Ochoa, a defensive back, would add an interception and a 65-yard return with 4:21 left in the contest that made it 45-7.

“We’re talking about a team, in terms of Burbank, that was scary offensively, that highly-touted quarterback [Araradian], and he is good, I’m not saying he’s not, but once again you saw what our defense can do,” Crescenta Valley coach Hudson Gossard said of his stifling defense. “Late score at the end. We held them to seven points basically the entire game.”

With 2:51 showing before the intermission, Center (59 rushing yards on 12 carries) had the ball at the Crescenta Valley 47-yard line and six plays later hooked up with senior wide receiver Colby Rees (87 yards on four receptions) on a 20-yard strike as the Falcons’ extended their lead to 21-7.

The next time Crescenta Valley, which only punted once, had the football, it marched 61 yards on six plays and ended when Center drilled Rees with a 24-yard laser for a 28-7 edge as 45 seconds remained.

The Falcons (418 total yards) took the second half kickoff and made it 35-7 when Center hit Rees with a 22-yard scoring pass as 6:49 was left in the third quarter and finalized an 11-play, 67-yard drive.

When sophomore kicker Anthony Sharlakian converted a 30-yard field goal with 2:01 on the clock in the third period, the Falcons zoomed ahead 38-7.

Burbank’s next league match will be play on Friday at 7 p.m. when it hosts Muir at Memorial Field.

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.

Burroughs Girls Volleyball Requires Three Sets Versus Host Burbank

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By Rick Assad

It was extremely loud and it was pretty much jammed-packed with excited fans on both sides of the gymnasium when the Burbank High girls’ volleyball team hosted rival Burroughs on Tuesday night.

In slightly more than an hour, much of the yelling subsided on the Bulldogs’ side as the Indians took matters in their own hands and eventually pulled out a three-set sweep of pesky Burbank, winning 25-15, 25-17, 25-17 in a Pacific League match.

Digging balls are crucial because it keeps the play alive and allows an opportunity to score. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

It seemed no one could handle senior outside hitter Lydia Grote, who finished with a match-high 20 kills, and her dominance began in the first game.

“What we try to focus on, especially in matches like these, is that we just focus on our side of the court and our bench and our cheers and we focus on what we can do before the game,” said Grote, who will be attending the University of California at Berkeley, where she will play on the women’s volleyball team. “We can’t focus on what other people are doing. What the outside factors are. We have to focus on our benefits and what we do best.”

Grote scored two of the first three points for the Indians, who moved ahead 3-0. When Grote picked up four kills, Burroughs (10-4 and 7-0 in league) forged a 6-2 edge. Grote’s winner made it 8-2 and forced the Bulldogs (8-10 and 4-3 in league) to ask for time out.

Is this the best Grote’s played this season? “I’d say it’s up there,” she noted. “I’d say Arcadia and this game were my best, but as a team, the last two games have been crucial for us.”

Burroughs sophomore middle blocker Bella Lomet rises and is about to add a spike in a match against the Bulldogs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Grote’s spike made it 9-3 and another kill by Grote handed the Indians a 10-4 advantage.

Burroughs senior middle blocker Camila Sanchez-Tellez’s kill pushed the lead to 11-6.

Grote’s tapper made it 16-8 and junior middle blocker Emily Caneday’s push saw the Indians lead 20-10.

Is this the best Burroughs team Grote’s played on?

“I have to say every team that I’ve played on has their benefits,” she said, “but I’d say this is the strongest team I’ve played on at Burroughs. We’re just very adjustable. Whoever is on the court, maintain a high level of play.”

Junior outside hitter Catie Virtue’s spike made it 23-12, but consecutive aces from Burbank senior setter Ashley Eskander trimmed the lead to 24-15. Eskander’s errant serve gave Burroughs the initial set.

Burroughs did a great job setting up its hitters, including Lydia Grote, who had a match-best 20 kills. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“We just try and slow the game down as much as we can,” Eskander said of playing against Burroughs. “Take every point, point-by-point and go from there. We try to not get too far in our heads. Obviously it’s hard, but we just try our best. We try to remain calm.”

Early in the second game, Burbank jumped ahead 3-1 on a kill from senior outside hitter Katie Treadway, who had four kills and nine digs.

Grote’s laser evened it at 3-3 and the lead ballooned to 6-4 on another kill from Grote. Sophomore setter Meagan Lynch’s winner gave the Indians an 8-6 cushion.

Burbank then rallied and seized a 12-11 advantage on a service winner from Eskander.

Katie Treadway delivered four kills and nine digs for the Bulldogs in a match with the Indians. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“We can always work on our defense,” said Eskander, who had 15 assists, eight digs, six kills and six aces of what the team needs to do better. “Definitely more consistent on serving, but I think our offense needs to step it up a bit. Just play hard.”

When Burroughs senior defensive specialist Natalie Hooper added an ace, the Indians bolted ahead 14-12.

It became 15-13 on Grote’s kill and senior setter Milana Abrahamian’s service ace made it 18-13 as the Bulldogs requested time.

A kill from senior opposite hitter Joelle Burras saw the Indians dash ahead 21-16 and a spike from Grote was the set winner.

The Indians took control of the third set 5-2 on an ace from junior defensive specialist Reese Coblentz.

Burbank’s Bianca Hudson rises to the occasion. The junior middle blocker had two blocks and a kill. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

An ace from Burbank senior setter Kassandra Gonzalez trimmed the lead to 8-6.

When Eskander added her potent, super-quick push, the Bulldogs bulled ahead 9-8.

“This year, there’s an emphasis to treat every game the same. Maybe they were a little amped up because it’s a crosstown game,” Burbank coach Karl Rojo said about the longtime rival. “We try to treat it like a regular match.”

Rojo spoke about some of the problems. “The unforced errors definitely did not help out at all,” he said. “It killed our momentum when we had good momentum. Like serving into the net when we get a good kill. That should not be happening with our team. The unforced errors like the communication errors when the ball drops in between players. That should not be happening.”

A block from Sanchez-Tellez gave the Indians an 11-9 lead and Grote’s kill made it 14-11.

Back-to-back aces from Eskander evened the set at 14-14, but Grote’s kill made it 18-14 and another winner from Grote pushed the lead to 21-15.

Virtue’s kill made it 23-17, Virtue’s tapper saw the Indians inch ahead 24-17 and a block from Sanchez-Tellez sealed the set and match.

Senior defensive specialist/libero Morgan Bolger added nine digs with an ace, junior opposite hitter Tamryn Betts tossed in three kills, junior middle blocker Bianca Hudson had two blocks and one kill and junior sophomore libero/defensive specialist Makalya Kim contributed two digs for the Bulldogs.

Burbank will conclude its regular-season schedule with a visit to Burroughs on October 17.

Burbank Girls Tennis Earns Triumph Over Rival Burroughs

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By Rick Assad

After the Burbank High girls’ tennis team stood and went toe-to-toe with longtime crosstown rival Burroughs for two hours and forty minutes on a warm and sticky Tuesday afternoon, the host Bulldogs finally emerged with a hard-fought 11-7 Pacific League triumph.

Burbank, which has six wins and two losses overall this season and is 3-2 in league play, employed a balanced attack in order to score points as its singles players garnered six points and its doubles duos grabbed five.

Host Burbank and Burroughs gather for the players’ introductions. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Leading the charge as usual for the Bulldogs was senior Kristina Kirakosyan, who swept at No. 1 singles, faring 6-1, 6-0, 6-0.

Kirakosyan knocked off Burroughs No. 1 sophomore Isabella Harris-Bermudez, No. 2 freshman Elane Shane, who was substituting for sophomore Lauren Pieri and No. 3 freshman Kaitlyn Glaim.

Though the match itself wasn’t that lopsided, Kirakosyan wasn’t hard-pressed while earning her three points.

“Yeah, I had a pretty easy time,” admitted Kirakosyan after her work was concluded. “I don’t know if I expected more [from Burroughs], but they played better last year, in my opinion.”

Kristina Kirakosyan swept at No. 1 singles for the Bulldogs in a match against the Indians. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

At No. 2 for the Bulldogs, Siya Joshi also swept her opponents as the junior went 6-1, 6-1, 6-1.

Meanwhile, Harris-Bermudez picked up a set winning 6-1 as she defeated Burbank No. 3 singles, senior Natalie Khachikian.

Pieri did as well at 6-3 when she knocked off sophomore Lilyan Hawrylo, who was subbing for Khachikian.

Glaim also was victorious at 6-4 against Khachikian.

Though the Indians are without a win this season in four overall matches, which happen to be in league, they are improved over the last few seasons and are headed in the right direction.

Burroughs’ No. 1 singles Isabella Harris-Bermudez is about to hammer one. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burroughs fared much better in doubles action as the No. 1 tandem of senior Alice Weber and senior Suzy Kim claimed two sets at 6-2, 6-2.

They defeated the No. 2 Burbank duo of sophomore Emily Hasunuma and freshman Ellen Petrosyan and the No. 3 tandem of sophomore Jenna Jabourian and sophomore Lena Jabourian.

“As for the singles thing, usually schools stack their singles so they put the better players there,” explained Weber. “For us today, we just tried to keep it consistent and play our usual game. Make sure that we don’t make a lot of unforced errors.”

Weber then added: “This is our first year playing together, but we’ve known each other since the seventh grade,” she said.

Weber said it’s difficult to tell for sure if the team is improved because there are so many variables.

“I don’t know if we’re better,” she said, “but we have different players and we’re doing different lineups.”

Burbank’s No. 1 doubles team of sophomore Elli Sumera and freshman Nairi Zeytounzian held off Weber/Kim at 7-5.

Burroughs’ No. 2 doubles team of sophomore Vanessa Muga and junior Keili Brahms also picked up two sets at 6-4 and 6-3.

Burbank Boys Water Polo Falls To Thousand Oaks, But It’s A Battle

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By Rick Assad

This is Mike Lucero’s first year as the Burbank High boys’ water polo coach and in time hopes to build a competitive program.

One of the steps needed to help solidify this desire is to face top-notch competition like Thousand Oaks, which came to the Bulldogs pool on Monday afternoon for a nonleague match.

Arvin Avakemian played well despite Burbank losing to Thousand Oaks. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Though the Lancers raced off to a commanding lead, they were hard-pressed in the second half by Burbank, but eventually won 16-11.

Thousand Oaks (14-3) scored four goals in each quarter while the Bulldogs (4-6) were shut out in the first quarter.

Burbank then tallied four goals in the second frame before adding three in the third and four goals in the fourth period.

“We definitely kind of pressed more because defense wins championships,” Lucero said of his team during the match. “We’re capable of doing that. We scored four goals in one quarter. We’ve got to stay focused.”

Still, Lucero liked what he saw. “Thousand Oaks is a strong team. We definitely weren’t intimidated. Our goal within the next year is to be at that level,” he said.

Pavel Tantchev scored two goals for the Bulldogs, who were only outscored 8-7 in the second half. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Leading the way for the Bulldogs was sophomore driver Jonathan Agazaryan with five goals while sophomore setter Robert Kharazyan scored three goals.

Junior Conner Halvorsen paced the Lancers with five goals, including three in the opening quarter when Thousand Oaks led 4-0.

Halvorsen’s 15-footer with 5:35 left made it 1-0 and Halvorsen’s 12-footer with 3:57 on the clock extended the margin to 2-0.

Senior Carsen Peyton’s seven-footer with 2:49 left put the Lancers ahead 3-0 and Halvorsen’s 10-foot strike with one second on the clock pushed the advantage to 4-0.

“It was a good contest so it stayed within about three or four goals the entire game,” Thousand Oaks coach Zach Graper said. “We got to see a lot of people that hadn’t had a lot of opportunity step up and come into more contributing roles. These are games that will help us a lot come playoff season.”

Excluding the first period, Burbank played well against Thousand Oaks. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Graper then added: “We’re missing three starters and the boys really stepped up and was ready to play,” he noted. “We got a great level of depth. It was a lot of fun. Burbank really showed a great contest.”

Thousand Oaks then took control 6-0 on back-to-back goals from junior Greg Olsen on a 10-footer with 6:08 left and a five-footer with 4:54 showing.

The spell was finally broken when Kharazyan connected on a five-footer with 4:40 left and a six-footer, 22 seconds later.

Each team divided the next four goals as Halvorsen drilled a 10-footer with 1:58 on the ticker that made it 7-2 and senior Dylan Hearst canned one from 18 feet and 14 seconds left for an 8-4 edge.

Mike Lucero, the Burbank coach, emphasizes defense. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Sandwiched in between were two goals from sophomore driver Pavel Tantchev that came with 1:24 and was from 12 feet that cut the lead to 7-3 and a six-footer with one minute showing as Burbank drew within 7-4.

The Lancers outscored the Bulldogs 4-3 in the third quarter as senior Maison Van Item scored from point-blank range and 6:42 left for a 9-4 margin and Halvorsen’s 12-foot laser with 4:22 remaining for a 10-6 lead.

Hearst’s 14-footer with 2:27 left made it 11-6 and Peyton’s 10-foot bullet with two minutes left saw the Lancers pull ahead 12-6.

Agazaryan scored all three tallies for the Bulldogs in the third quarter and they included two from point-blank range and came with 5:23 left that sliced the Lancers’ lead to 9-5 and with 4:41 on the clock as the Bulldogs drew within 9-6.

When Agazaryan drilled a 12-footer with 1:04 remaining, Thousand Oaks’ lead was lowered to 12-7.

Agazaryan poured in two goals in the fourth quarter that included a six-footer with 4:22 left that trimmed the lead to 14-9 and an 18-footer with 45 seconds remaining that sliced Thousand Oaks’ lead to 16-11.

Burbank senior driver Kourosh Dolatshahi’s 14-footer with 5:30 left made it 13-8 and Khazaryan’s eight-foot tally and 3:51 on the clock cut the advantage to 14-10.

Junior Cade Rond’s 14-footer with 5:47 left for Thousand Oaks made it 13-7 and Peyton’s point-blank strike with 5:16 left pushed the cushion to 14-8.

Senior Braden Padburg’s 10-footer with 2:21 left made it 15-10 and Peyton’s six-footer with 50 seconds remaining increased the Lancers’ lead to 16-10.

Burbank senior goalie Sarkis Terpetrossyan was outstanding, especially in the second quarter when he blocked multiple close-range shots.

Burbank Girls Volleyball Lose To Crescenta Valley In Four Sets

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By Rick Assad

It was only the first set and there would be at least two more sets for the Burbank High girls’ volleyball team.

In retrospect, this set proved vital because it helped catapult visiting Crescenta Valley to a 27-25, 18-25, 25-14, 25-18 Pacific League victory on Tuesday.

Hoping to get out quickly, the Bulldogs dashed ahead 23-16 when junior opposite hitter Tamryn Betts (nine kills and five digs) collected a spike.

“It’s a tough one to swallow, but with the mental toughness that we have and the resiliency that we have, we’ll bounce back, go back in the lab and work hard again,” Burbank coach Karl Rojo said of his team’s tough loss.

The Falcons would get to within 23-17 on a winner from junior outside hitter Jamie Santos.

A spike from senior setter/opposite hitter Isabella Doom would make it 23-18, but Burbank would ease in front 24-18 on a stuff from junior middle blocker Bianca Hudson (six kills with five blocks).

Katie Treadway, shown in a match against Providence, had a team-best 11 kills in a four-set loss to Crescenta Valley. Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Crescenta Valley drew within 24-20 on an ace from Santos and 24-21 on a kill from Santos.

When Doom and senior middle blocker/opposite hitter Laine Stubbs combined on a jam, the Falcons were within 24-22.

A tapper from Stubbs saw the visitors get within 24-23 as the Bulldogs (7-9 and 3-2 in league) asked for time.

Doom’s spike evened it at 24-24 and a service winner from Santos pushed the Falcons ahead 25-24.

A kill from senior outside hitter Brandice Hibbard (10 kills and six digs with an ace) leveled it at 25-25.

Crescenta Valley (19-8 and 4-1 in league) would capture the next two points including the set-winner by Santos (15 kills and four aces).

The initial set was close early on and included five ties before a winner from senior middle blocker Leah Tawil (four kills and one block) handed the Bulldogs an 8-6 lead.

A kill from Betts evened it at 10-10 and a spike from Tawil tied it at 12-12.  It would be deadlocked at 14-14 on Doom’s blast.

The Bulldogs would go on a 10-4 spurt and lead 24-18 that included kills from Hudson that made it 16-14 as the Falcons asked for time, and senior outside hitter Katie Treadway’s dagger for a 19-15 edge.

Senior setter Ashley Eskander, shown in a recent nonleague match against Providence, had 40 assists and 22 digs in a loss to the Falcons. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“The first set I thought we were doing good, but we were making little mistakes that kept adding up, so we kind of lost our momentum a little bit and we couldn’t get back into it. In the second set we did a lot better,” said Treadway, a senior outside hitter who had a team-high 11 kills with five aces and 25 digs. “We need to be calm and execute.”

Treadway then added: “For me, I need to remember this game and know what I did wrong and what we can do better,” she noted. “And what I notice that I can talk to the team about. And what we can do better for the next game. How we need to be on the same page mentally and our plays. But after this day, though, we forget about it.”

The second frame saw the Bulldogs bolt ahead 10-0 on a kill from Treadway. “If we lose a set, I try to get their energy up and try to get them excited,” she pointed out. “Me and Ashley [Eskander] try to calm each other down. We also need to know that we need to be more aggressive.”

Eskander is a senior setter and one of the team leaders who finished the match with 40 assists and 22 digs.

The Falcons answered with five straight points that cut the lead to 10-5, but Burbank still held a 14-7 lead when Hibbard added a kill.

A spike from Hudson gave the Bulldogs a 17-11 cushion and it became 19-11 on a service winner from Treadway as the Falcons asked for a halt in the action.

A kill from Betts made it 21-13, Treadway’s bullet pushed the advantage to 24-17 and a spike from Betts evened the match at one set each.

The third game was tied 3-3 on an ace from Burbank junior setter Kassandra Gonzalez, but the Falcons forged a 7-4 lead on a kill from senior middle blocker Ellie Song.

Crescenta Valley darted in front 10-7 on a kill from senior outside hitter Lizzy Kerman (match-best 17 kills with four aces) and 13-8 on a winner from junior libero Emily Boghozian.

“When we started out, we seemed a little rattled, a little nervous. We just kept telling the girls to stay calm. Stay calm. Take a deep breath,” Crescenta Valley coach Matt Simons said. “In that first game, the pressure came off because we were down so much. They stopped making silly mistakes. The girls played with a confidence that they didn’t play with earlier in the set.”

Simons went on: “When we were passing well, we were able to run our offense and the game is so much easier,” he said. “When we pass well, we’re able to run all aspects of the offense. It kind of stabilizes us.”

Doom’s kill made it 14-8 and when Doom (18 assists with four kills and four blocks) tossed in another spike, the Falcons were in front 18-8.

Back-to-back aces by Santos made it 23-11 as the Bulldogs needed time to regroup. A stuff from junior middle blocker Emma Glaza for the Falcons put them ahead 24-11 and a kill from Kerman salted the set.

An ace from junior libero Hannah Tanita handed the Falcons a 4-2 lead in the fourth set, but the Bulldogs rallied and moved ahead 7-5 on an ace from Gonzalez.

Crescenta Valley settled down and led 13-9 on a kill from Santos and 16-12 on an ace from Tanita.

“On any given day, a different girl can be the hero,” Simons said. “We don’t have one girl that we rely on. That we lean on. That balanced attack really helps.”

The Falcons darted ahead 19-15 on a kill from Kerman and 21-15 on a service winner from Kerman.

Crescenta Valley inched in front 23-16 on a kill from Santos and Doom’s rocket was the set and match winner.

Senior defensive specialist/libero Morgan Bolger added 25 digs for the Bulldogs, while junior setter Cadie Carlson had 15 assists and two blocks for the Falcons.

Burroughs, Burbank Boys Water Polo Ready For Action

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By Rick Assad

 

There’s a saying that it’s hard getting to the top, but it’s even more difficult staying there.

This axiom doesn’t necessarily apply to the Burroughs High boys’ water polo team because while it hasn’t always been at the very top of the Pacific League standings, the Indians have usually been in the top portion.

Looking at rival Burbank’s boys’ water polo program, the same can’t be said, but then again, matters can and do change.

If practice makes perfect, then the Burbank High boys’ water polo team is headed in the right direction. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

This season, Burroughs will pay a visit to Burbank’s pool on October 23.

Another important date is the league preliminaries which take place at the Arcadia pool on October 29.

The league finals is at the same site, but will be held October 31.

The CIF Southern Section playoffs will be contested on November 5, 7, 9, 12 and 16.

Coach Jacob Cook has built and sustained an excellent program at Burroughs and this year’s edition should at least contend for the top spot in the league.

“I have high expectations for the season,” Cook said. “We have a talented group this year with a lot of talent and potential. I’m excited to see what we can do.”

Last year the Indians went 13-10 overall and 5-4 in league action, but lost in the CIF first round.

Burroughs, shown in a 2018 match against rival Burbank, look to better its 5-4 record in the Pacific League. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The projected starters for Burroughs will be senior goalie Arthur Eldridge, senior attacker Chet Conlan, senior attacker Tobey Ho, senior center Matthew Mucha, senior utility Vahagan Sahakyan, junior utility Ryan Jaramillo and sophomore utility Xavier Turla.

Here are the rest of the Burroughs upperclassmen and they include Jon Paul De Fabry, David Karagezyan, Nathan Magdaleno and Aaron Meza.

The juniors on the team are Fox Melo, Miguel Martinez and Alex Lewin, while sophomore Andrew Chapman and freshman Ryan Rolando are also on the squad.

Mike Lucero is the Burbank Aquatics Director and the first-year coach for the boys’ and girls’ water polo teams.

Lucero has been around and was the assistant swim coach for the Burbank boys’ and girls’ programs the last two years.

Mike Lucero is in his first season as the Burbank boys’ and girls’ water polo coach. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

In order to compete with the better teams in the league like Hoover, Glendale and Crescenta Valley, Lucero said it’s important to get faster in the water.

“We’re working on having some speed work,” Lucero said. “You need speed to keep up with teams like Crescenta Valley.”

Lucero then added: “I want to see the water polo team be a year-round program and the players stay with their conditioning. I want to see more team unity,” he said.

Lucero also wants to build a program that will be viable and contend. “Some of these club programs, major swim programs, these swimmers are starting at nine, 10, 11,” he said. “Here they’re coming in at 14. And for the first time they’re learning the basics of water polo.”

Burbank is coming off a campaign in which it went 8-10, failed to make the postseason and doesn’t have many seniors, but it does have players familiar with each other.

A four-year starter and a 2018 Burbank graduate, Varuzhan Bilbulyan is the Bulldogs’ assistant water polo coach.

The Indians, shown in a match versus the Bulldogs, have the talent to do well overall and in the Pacific League. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“This year we see a lot of young athletes that we have on both varsity and JV contributing a lot of hard work and we see a lot more attentiveness and a bigger drive than in past years to get better and improve themselves,” Bilbulyan said. “We see a very good attitude and very good behavior. Everybody is trying their best and everyone is getting better day by day.”

Bilbuyan went on: “This year’s powerhouses are probably going to be Hoover. They always have a lot of club players,” he said. “Glendale is also going to be good and they have club players. CV’s been good the last couple of years. We can finish in the top five, but our goal is top four so that we’re guaranteed to make the playoffs.”

Seven seniors populate the squad and they include driver Hakop Pilavjyan, driver Sahak Khobiarian, driver Ashot Keshishyan, driver Artush Hovannisyan, driver Edward Bowman, driver Kourosh Dolatshahi and goalie Sarkis Terpetrossyan.

There are four juniors and they are driver Brian Di Mascio, driver Grigor Gasabian, driver Michael Mehserdjian and setter Anthony Sarafian.

Five sophomores are on the team and they include driver Avo Barsegyan, driver Pavel Tantchev, driver Jonathan Agazaryan, setter Robert Kharazyan and goalie Narek Galamdaryan.

Seryozha Soghomonyan is also on the team after being promoted to the varsity at the end of July.