Tag Archives: Burbank High

Burroughs Girls Volleyball Sweep Visiting Burbank

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By Rick Assad

 

Over the last seven matches between the Burroughs High and Burbank girls’ volleyball teams, the Indians have won every one, including Tuesday night’s 25-12, 25-22, 25-18 Pacific League win.

The Indians swept the Bulldogs with the help of clean passes. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

With junior outside hitter Lydia Grote showing the way with a match-best 14 kills and senior opposite hitter Juliana Van Loo chiming with seven, the host Indians were dominant.

In the third and final set, Grote opened up with four consecutive kills and Van Loo added two aces.

“In the third set my focus was mainly to play smart,” Grote said. “I knew their setter was front row so I could hit mine better. But I can’t do that without a pass.”

Grote said the team needed to remain calm. “We know what to do and we just gotta focus on our side of the court and not theirs,” she said.

Leah Tawil is about to serve for Burbank. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burbank (6-10 and 4-3 in league) took a 7-6 lead on an ace from junior setter Ashley Eskander (11 assists and four aces).

But the Indians (7-3 and 6-1 in league) moved in front 12-7 on a service winner from sophomore defensive specialist Lily Rogers, who had 12 aces.

A kill from Van Loo made it 16-10 and a spike from sophomore outside hitter Catie Virtue (five kills) pushed the lead to 20-15.

“We always gotta focus on the opponent and get off to a fast start because it’s a rivalry game,” Burroughs coach Edwin Real said. “Our energy was at a high level.”

There was a slight dip in the second set for the Indians. “We get into the habit of letting teams get runs on us,” Real said.

Shea McGovern ready to unload a serve for the Indians. (Photo by Ross. A. Benson)

The Indians took the set and match on an ace from freshman libero Charlotte Hobson and a kill from Van Loo.

The match opened with the Indians pulling ahead 9-1 with an ace from Rogers and Grote adding three kills.

Burroughs’ lead became 14-6 with a tapper from junior middle blocker Joelle Burras.

When senior libero Caitlin Kim delivered an ace, the Indians marched ahead 18-7.

Van Loo’s kill made it 20-7 and Van Loo’s dagger pushed it to 21-8. The final two points came on a kill from Grote and a tapper from senior setter Shea McGovern.

Burbank played its best set in the second and led 20-17 on a kill from senior outside hitter Amaya Broyls, who had three digs and two kills.

Net play is always crucial. The indians swept the Bulldogs in a Pacific League showdown. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Indians came within 20-18 on a tapper from Virtue and 22-20 on a kill from junior middle blocker Camila Sanchez-Tellez.

Burroughs drew within 22-21 when Rogers served an ace. Another ace from Rogers tied it at 22-22.

“We were pretty relentless in the second set, not giving up,” Burbank coach Karl Rojo said. “Maybe that five-point run that we let up toward the end of the set really killed us?”

Rojo added: “I thought we did fairly well,” he noted, “but we would have done better if we passed better, obviously.”

Sanchez-Tellez and McGovern combined on a block to give the Indians a 23-22 edge and Rogers closed it out with back-to-back aces.

Junior outside hitter Katie Treadway had four kills, two aces and three digs and senior middle blocker Olivia Price had four kills for the Bulldogs.

Burbank High Girls Tennis Squeezes Out Win Over Burroughs

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By Rick Assad

 

It’s fairly rare when both the Burbank High and Burroughs girls’ tennis teams are ranked in the CIF Southern Section.

On Tuesday, they both were and it showed in a Pacific League match as the visiting Bulldogs and Indians were tied at 9-9 and needed games in order to render a winner.

Burbank (5-1 and 4-1 in league), which is ranked No. 6 in Division II, prevailed 75-68 with enough drama to last a while as No. 3 Siya Joshi, a sophomore, was down 2-5 to senior Savannah Dorris, but then rallied for a 7-5 win that forced the match to be decided by games.

It was so close when Burbank met host Burroughs in Tuesday’s Pacific League tennis match. It was tied at 9-9 and decided by games. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

“It’s going to be a close one. I see the finish line. Either it’s going to be 9-9 or 10-8 Burroughs,” Burbank coach Loi Phan said. “We’re both leveled out. It’s a good match.”

Phan went on: “Our doubles are down a little. Our singles carried us. Their doubles carried them.”

Burbank’s No. 1 singles player, junior Kristina Kirakosyan, blitzed through 6-0, 6-1, 6-1, knocking off No. 1 Sandy LeMay, a senior, Dorris and No. 3 Alice Weber, a junior.

At No. 2 for Burbank, senior Johana Faraj, went 6-0, 6-1, 6-0, but Joshi lost to LeMay 6-1 and Weber 6-2.

The Indians (2-4 and 1-3 in league) are ranked No. 1 in Division III and took seven of nine in doubles play.

Burroughs’ No. 1 doubles tandem of Irish Demesa, a junior and Phuong Nguyen, a senior, went 6-4, 7-5, 6-2, defeating No. 1 Daisy Kim, a senior and Esther Chung, a senior, No. 2 Jinette Faraj, a sophomore and Ellie Sumera, a freshman and No. 3 Lilyan Hawrylo, a freshman and Anneke Pullen, a freshman.

The Indians’ No. 2 doubles squad, Mikalya Hayes, a junior and Suzy Kim, a junior, took two of three including a 6-2 triumph over Kim and Uma Patil, a senior, who substituted for Chung.

Hayes and Kim also prevailed 6-0 over Burbank’s No. 3, but lost 6-2 against Faraj and Sumera.

The Indians’ No. 3 duo of Vicky Shagriyan, a junior and Pranathi Darbhala, a senior, went 6-1 over Kim and Patil and 6-3 over Hawrylo and Pullen, but fell to Faraj and Sumera 6-3.

Burbank Can’t Keep Pace With Hart, Falls 49-28

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By Rick Assad

For a second, if you closed your eyes and went back in time you may have thought Friday’s football game between Burbank High and Hart was a battle in the Foothill League.

It wasn’t and when it was over the Bulldogs didn’t have enough gas in the tank and lost to the Indians 49-28 in a nonleague match at Memorial Field.

Senior quarterback Matthew Porras had two scoring passes in a 49-28 loss to Hart. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Each team is gunning for the CIF Southern Section playoffs, but on this warm night the Indians made more big plays than the Bulldogs, who last met Hart in 2005.

Burbank (1-2) started strong and led 14-0 in the first quarter as sophomore wide receiver Brandon Pena raced 95 yards on the initial kickoff to make it 7-0.

Burbank’s lead became 14-0 with 4:38 left as senior quarterback Matthew Porras (10 of 24 for 126 yards with three interceptions) and senior running back Chadz Vang (26 yards on three catches) hooked up on an 11-yard scoring pass that made it 14-0.

On the ensuing kickoff, senior wide receiver Michael Colangelo went 97 yards that sliced the lead in half.

Hart’s offense accounted for six touchdowns against Burbank, including Ethan Blair, who had one. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Indians (2-1) evened it at 14-14 when junior quarterback Zach Johnson, who was playing in only his third varsity game, threw the first of five scoring passes, this time hitting senior wide receiver Jacob Montes (87 yards on six receptions) with a five-yard bullet as 9:12 remained in the second quarter.

From this point, Hart outscored Burbank 35-14 including 14-0 in the fourth period.

“They made the momentum plays. They made critical plays at big moments and we didn’t,” Burbank coach Adam Colman said. “They executed in the big moments and we didn’t. That wins football games.”

The Indians (372 total net yards) then moved ahead 21-14 on a two-yard scurry by senior running back Ethan Blair (106 yards on 24 carries) as 5:07 remained before the half.

The Bulldogs had a tough time running the ball against the Indians. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The teams then exchanged turnovers which led to Burbank tying the contest at 21-21 when Vang located the end zone on a 15-yard scamper and 1:51 left before the break.

“It was a dog fight and that’s what we expected,” Colman said. “We knew we were going to play a really good team. A really well coached team. It was a test for us to get ready for the playoffs. We have to learn from this so when we’re in the playoffs, we have to be ready for it.”

Hart’s opening drive of the second half ended with a seven-yard toss from Johnson (18 of 29 for 252 yards) to Colangelo (46 yards on four catches) as 6:55 remained as the Indians led 28-21.

Matthew Porras ran for 55 yards on 17 carries. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

On Hart’s next series, Johnson capped the drive that began at the Hart 31-yard line with a 34-yard strike to junior wide receiver Drew Munoz and came with 2:24 left that gave the Indians a 35-21 edge.

“They’re a very talented team. They’re very good,” said Hart coach Mike Herrington, who is in his 30th season of the Bulldogs. “We had a hard time containing their quarterback.”

The Bulldogs (213 total yards) came within 35-28 when Porras (55 yards on 17 carries) and senior tight end Duncan Smith (73 yards on three catches) hooked up on a 52-yard play as 58.8 seconds remained in the third.

Hart’s lead became 42-28 with eight minutes on the clock in the fourth as Johnson hit Munoz (96 yards on four receptions) with a 23-yard strike and it became 49-28 with 5:32 left when Johnson found Munoz with a 25-yard toss.

Burbank’s next game is a Pacific League encounter against Hoover at home on Friday with a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Burbank Girls Volleyball Swept by Arcadia in Pacific League Match

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By Rick Assad

Losing the first game by a mere two points likely set the stage for two more close setbacks as the Burbank High girls’ volleyball team was swept by visiting Arcadia 26-24, 25-19, 25-19 in a Pacific League match on Thursday afternoon.

“I felt like we got off to a good start,” Burbank coach Karl Rojo said. “We were moving the ball around well, but at the end of the first set we just started committing a lot of unforced errors. Those unforced errors didn’t help us out at all.”

Burbank’s Bianca Hudson goes up for the kill. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

The initial game was deadlocked at 20-20 before the Bulldogs waltzed ahead 21-20 on a kill from senior outside hitter Amaya Broyls, who had a match-best 16 kills and seven digs.

The Apaches stayed poised and calm despite the fact that they trailed.

“I was really excited for the first match, but at the same time too, I don’t like the first matches because it’s just the first part of the game and it’s them getting used to one another,” Arcadia coach Jennifer Estrada said.

Burbank (1-5 and 1-1 in league) then bulled ahead 22-21 on junior outside hitter Katie Treadway’s bullet.

Treadway (eight kills and 15 digs) then saw her serve tickle the net that evened it at 22-22.

Arcadia senior outside hitter Haley Kennedy’s kill made it 23-22 only to see it knotted at 24-24 when Apache senior outside hitter Ayala Plummer’s hit sail out of bounds.

Carmen Camacho-Platas (#19) and Leah Tawil try to block Haley Kennedy’s shot. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

The Apaches led 25-24 after Broyls drilled the net and the game was secured on a block from Plummer, who had 10 kills.

“My philosophy with them is when I call a time out, is for them to make a mistake if they do, but not make the same mistake twice,” Estrada said. “Move on to the next play. And then I’ll make the adjustment. They learn to move on to the next play instead of dwelling on that play that just happened.”

The early portion of the first set was tight including 4-4 on a kill from Broyls.

Kennedy’s kill gave the Apaches a 12-11 edge, but Burbank then evened it at 14-14 on Treadway’s strike.

The Apaches (5-0-1 and 2-0 in league) soared in front 18-16 on a dagger from sophomore outside hitter Alicia Tsao.

The middle game saw Arcadia push ahead 7-3 when senior opposite hitter Carmen Camacho-Platas walloped the ball out of bounds.

Katie Treadway about to set the ball against the Apaches. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

A kill from Plummer gave the Apaches a 13-10 edge and it became 19-14 on a winner from senior middle hitter Katie Blastek.

Arcadia then went on a 5-3 spurt that included Kennedy’s service ace that made it 24-17.

The Apaches then took a two games to none advantage when Broyls’ serve ventured past the stripe.

Arcadia’s cushion swelled to 11-5 in the clinching set on Plummer’s kill.

The Bulldogs drew within 14-12 on back-to-back service aces from junior opposite hitter Brandice Hibbard (two kills and two digs).

In short order, the Apaches jetted in front 20-17 and 21-17 on consecutive kills from Kennedy, who led the Apaches with 12.

When Treadway’s liner hit the net, it was 23-18 and the game was captured on Kennedy’s spike.

Burbank junior setter Ashley Eskander had 34 assists and four digs, junior middle blocker Leah Tawil finished with three kills and senior libero Kayla Pino had eight digs.

Burbank, Burroughs Boys Water Polo Gunning for Playoffs

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By Rick Assad

Thinking big and reaching the CIF Southern Section playoffs are the goals for the Burroughs High and Burbank boys’ water polo teams.

Both are very capable, but there is one key difference and that is the Indians have recently been there, while the Bulldogs haven’t.

Burroughs is coming off a 13-13 campaign and a first-round defeat in the playoffs, but Coach Jacob Cook likes what he sees because many on the team are seniors.

On the negative side, 13 players have graduated including David Arakelyan, the team’s leading scorer.

The seniors include Chase Legorreta, David Rosales, Isaack Dowling, Josh Sanchez, Nathan Gault-Crabb and Ryan Jaramillo.

There are six juniors and they include Chet Conlan, Jon Paul De Fabry, Matthew Mucha, Sammy Lazaar, Tobey Ho and Vahagan Sahakyan while the rest of the team consists of sophomore Orion Hernandez and freshman Xavier Turla.

“We lost 13 seniors from last year,” Cook said. “We have a very young team, but we have a very committed and hard working team. These guys are really committed to bettering themselves and learning to play with each other.”

In order to compensate, Cook said that he will instill hard work and also the basics. “We’re going back to the fundamentals,” he said.

Still the goal is the same. “We want to go as far as we can,” Cook said. “We’re aiming for the top. If we don’t hit it, we don’t hit it, but that’s what we’re aiming for.”

Burroughs has played two matches and is winless. The Indians will open Pacific League play at Crescenta Valley on Sept. 25 and will host Burbank on Oct. 17.

Chances are decent that Burbank, which is 1-1 this season and will begin league action at Pasadena on Sept. 25, will fare better this year than the previous.

“I expect that we will do a lot better than last,” Burbank coach Allyson Young said. “Hopefully in the top four.”

Young said that she is basing the projection on being better prepared and diligent. “This year all of my guys are working hard and want to succeed,” she said. “We’ve got good players for both offense and defense.”

Young then added: “I like that this team is already working hard and wants to continue the hard work. This is a team sport, so they need everyone to be willing to give it their all,” she noted.

Young’s target is also the postseason. “We believe that this year we can make playoffs and that is what we are aiming for,” she said.

In 2017, the Bulldogs defeated Pasadena and Glendale in league play and this year’s leaders are senior Varuzhan Bilbulyan, senior Artush Gasparyan and freshman Johnny Agazaryon.

Young feels confident that these three will play well, along with the rest of the team. “A lot of my other guys are ready to step up and show what they’ve got,” she said.

The rest of the squad includes Eddie Bowman, Aleko Brice, Kourosh Dolatshai, Charlie Thorpe, Sarkis Ter-Petrossian, Pavel Tantchev, Jacob Shaw, Ford Roll, Hakop Pilavjian, Gevork Kvryan, Arthur Kadzhikyan and Avag Issagholian.

Burroughs, Burbank Girls Volleyball Ready

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By Rick Assad

 

Burroughs High and Burbank share not only proximity, but an unrelenting and fierce rivalry that goes back decades.

The two girls’ volleyball programs also share the proverbial hope of making the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

Both will be without key players lost to graduation like outside hitter Marin Grote, who is playing for the University of Washington and averaged 13 kills a match for the Indians, who went to the second round of the Division III playoffs.

The Bulldogs don’t have outside hitter Melissa Daniel, who will be attending Stanford University, middle blocker Erin Lashkari and opposite hitter Bene Snyder.

Burroughs will miss Marin Grote, but the Indians are stacked with talent. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Still there is more than enough talent for both teams to compete for the Pacific League banner, according to the respective coaches.

Coach Edwin Real saw the Indians finish 24-7 and 13-1 in league play for the league crown.

The Indians, who are 1-1 this season and will host Burbank on Sept. 18 and visit the Bulldogs on Oct. 31, have claimed two of the last three league championships.

“The team expectations are to contend for the league title,” Real said. “I’m confident that we will make the playoffs.”

Leading the charge will be senior opposite hitter Juliana Van Loo, who was a first-team all-league pick after averaging nearly seven kills per match.

Junior outside hitter Lydia Grote, Marin’s younger sister, will also be counted upon as will senior opposite hitter Shea McGovern and sophomore outside hitter Catie Virtue.

Burbank’s Amaya Broyls is expected to be a leader. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

Real likes the offense and the team’s closeness.

“We work together and have a lot of hitting options and we play good defense,” he said.

How does Real motivate his club? “We have to remind ourselves of our goals,” he pointed out. “Work to get better each day. Winning will take care of itself.”

Burbank Coach Karl Rojo is counting on senior outside hitter Amaya Broyls, junior setter Ashley Eskander and junior outside hitter Katie Treadway to set the pace for the Bulldogs, who went 17-7-1 and 10-4 for third place in league.

“Looking forward to the season,” said Rojo, whose team lost in the opening round of the Division IV playoffs. “We’ve got a great group of girls. They’ve all bought in this summer. They’re all working hard.”

Rojo added: “We graduated seven seniors,” he said. “Seven seniors again, so they kind of know the system we’ve put forth.”

Rojo said he feels the team, which is 0-4 this season, will be in contention for the league title. “We should be in the top three or the top four,” he said.

What does Rojo like about this group? “One of our main strengths could be our serving,” he said. “Our defensive transitioning is getting better as well. Our counter attacks are improving slightly.”

Other contributors include senior defensive specialist Izzy Sanchez, senior libero Kayla Pino, senior opposite hitter Carmen Camacho-Platas, senior middle blocker Ava Kuiper and junior setter Kassie Gonzalez.

The rest of the squad will be comprised of senior opposite hitter Olivia Price, senior libero Hannah Cericos, junior libero Morgan Bolger, junior middle blocker Leah Tawil and junior opposite hitter Brandice Hibbard.

Burbank Football Opens Season With 45-12 Rout Over Monrovia

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By Rick Assad

 

No Burbank High football team in its long and proud history has played a game in the middle of August, but on Friday night at Memorial Field, that’s exactly what took place.

The Bulldogs, who won the Pacific League title and reached the CIF Southern Section Division VII semifinals in 2017 and the Division VIII championship game the year before, opened up the new campaign on a high note by taking out Monrovia 45-12 in a nonleague match.

Burbank senior quarterback Matthew Porras was nothing short of spectacular.

Senior quarterback Matthew Porras threw for six touchdowns and five in the first half. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Porras is a dual threat capable of churning out significant yardage on the ground.

Against the Wildcats, Porras threw for 256 yards with six touchdowns and one interception.

Five of the scoring tosses came in the first half as the Bulldogs scurried out to a 32-0 advantage and were never headed.

Monrovia (97 total net yards) came out in the second half and scored on a 90-yard kickoff return by sophomore cornerback/strong safety Adam Perry.

The Wildcats then cut the deficit to 32-12 when junior running back Maury Rams IV (13 yards on seven rushes) scored on an 11-yard burst with 9:05 left in the third period.

“We came out a little flat,” Burbank coach Adam Colman said of the start to the second half. “This is the third year in a row they’ve run a kick back on us. We gotta watch more film. It’s a first game after an eight-month layoff.”

Senior running back Chadz Vang is off and running in the sesaon opener. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

Other than that, it was simply all Burbank, which extended its lead to 38-12 when Porras tossed a 19-yard strike to tight end Duncan Smith (four catches for 80 yards) with 5:36 showing, finalizing a nine-play, 73-yard march.

Burbank’s lead became 45-12 when senior offensive lineman Matthew Sanchez recovered the ball in the end zone with 6:22 left in the fourth period after Porras (98 yards on 19 carries) ran to the one-yard line, but fumbled.

The scoring parade started when Porras, who completed 19 of 30 passes, drilled senior running back Chadz Vang (53 yards on three receptions and 51 yards on seven rushes) with a 23-yard toss as 10:02 remained in the first quarter for a 6-0 cushion and capped an 85-yard, six-play march.

The Bulldogs won the battle up front and prevailed over the Wildcats. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“He played incredible,” Colman said of his field general. “That’s what you come to expect from him, being Player of the Year and everything. He’s a competitor. He’s highly intelligent. He understands what we’re trying to do and what the defense is trying to do.”

When Porras found Smith with a 35-yard aerial and 8:18 left in the initial frame, the advantage became 13-0.

After Porras located Vang with a 14-yard bullet and 11:53 left in the second quarter, Burbank’s margin was 20-0 as the Bulldogs (449 total yards) drove 76 yards and used six plays.

Porras then hooked up with senior running back Max Mendiata (41 yards on 12 carries) with an 11-yard pass and 6:18 showing as the Bulldogs pushed ahead 26-0 after moving the ball from the Monrovia 46-yard line while consuming nine plays.

The Bulldogs ended the opening half with a 10-yard offering from Porras to junior wide receiver Ben Burnham (three catches for 51 yards) with 14.4 seconds on the clock as Burbank marched 54 yards over 14 plays.

Senior wide receiver Erik Harutyunyan snared four catches for 30 yards, while junior tight end Seth Jones hauled in four receptions for 34 yards for Burbank, which will travel to Moorpark for a nonleague game next Friday with a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Burbank Girls Volleyball Drops Four-Setter To Chaminade

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By Rick Assad

 

Being mentally prepared and focused are aspects sometimes overlooked in sports when it comes to winning and losing.

On Tuesday afternoon, the host Burbank High girls’ volleyball team seemed to lose its train of thought in the third set which set in motion a 25-20, 22-25, 25-20, 25-17, win by Chaminade in a nonleague match.

“I thought the effort was great,” Burbank coach Karl Rojo said. “Maybe just a lack of focus at the end of sets. Maybe we lost a little effort and focus. Our service errors didn’t help.”

Rojo said that everything should be okay, given that it was the team’s first match and then added: “I think we’re fine. Just the mental effort,” he noted.

In that third game, the Bulldogs led 3-2, but fell behind 10-7 when junior libero Gillian Yee unloaded a service ace.

The Bulldogs passed the ball especially well in the first two sets against visiting Chaminade. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

A kill from Burbank senior outside hitter Amaya Broyls cut the gap to 14-10.

The Bulldogs moved within 16-12 on a winner from junior setter Ashley Eskander (56 assists with nine digs and two service aces).

When Burbank senior middle blocker Olivia Price and Broyls combined on a block it became 16-13 and a kill from Broyls made it 16-14.

“We were really getting good serve receive passes and that really helped Ashley get good sets for our hitters,” said Broyls, who had 13 kills with 15 digs of the first two sets versus the final two sets.

Broyls went on: “We lost some focus,” she pointed out. “We try to move on from our mistakes. We try to stay calm and stay focused.”

Burbank drew within 18-16 on a kill from junior outside hitter Katie Treadway (team-high 14 kills with 16 digs and one ace), but the Eagles (1-1) went on a 7-4 spurt including a spike from senior outside hitter Bryce Van der Valk for the set.

The action was fast and furious. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

“We noticed that they were missing a lot of serves,” Van der Valk said. “It is hard to stay focused when you’re ahead.”

The second set was knotted at 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5 before Burbank (0-1) took command 14-10 on a winner from senior opposite hitter Carmen Camacho-Platas.

It became 19-17 in favor of Burbank on a kill from Broyls, 23-21 on an ace from Camacho-Platas and 25-22 on a service winner from Broyls.

Burbank’s Amaya Broyls is about to pass the ball versus the Eagles. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

The opening set saw the Bulldogs march in front 9-5 on a spike from Broyls, who is the catcher on the softball team.

Again the scoring went back and forth with the Bulldogs eventually pulling ahead 17-14 on a kill from Broyls.

It was even at 18-18 before the Eagles surged ahead 21-18 on a winner from freshman outside hitter Paulina Darby.

Chaminade finally secured the game on an ace from Van der Valk.

“About halfway through the third set I think we were a little bit more disciplined,” Chaminade coach Cory Chandler said of the latter portion of the match. “What I sensed was that we played our game.”

The fourth set was controlled by Chaminade which led 9-4 on junior middle blocker Alexi Whitfield’s kill.

A winner from freshman outside hitter Isabella Martinez made it 12-6 and Van der Valk’s dagger pushed it to 17-10.

Ashley Eskander (#18) and Olivia Price try to block Bryce Van der Valk’s spike. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

Chaminade, which dropped a five-setter to Calabasas on Monday, pushed ahead 19-11 on a service ace from Van der Valk before Burbank came within 24-16 on a kill from Treadway.

“I really think we started to work better as a team,” Chaminade senior setter Sofie Sullivan said of the last two sets. “You have to get a feel for the team [Burbank].”

“I think the hardest thing to do is keep your spirts up,” Chaminade senior libero Adriana Ferraro said. “Every point counts. Every point matters. I think our seniors are the leaders on the court.”

 

Burbank Softball Held In Check 4-2 By Norwalk In CIF Wild-Card Match

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By Rick Assad

 

Facing probably the best pitcher this season, the Burbank High softball team would have to be picture perfect.

Daunting as this challenge was, there wasn’t a lack of confidence, but this only goes so far.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Bulldogs were put in a stranglehold by Norwalk senior hurler Breanna Vasquez, who held Burbank to three hits, striking out a season-best 16 batters with one walk and one hit batter over seven innings en route to a 4-2 win at McCambridge Park in a CIF Southern Section Division IV wild-card game.

The Lancers (11-10) did all their scoring in the first inning off junior Alyssa Porras, who gave up an infield single to Vasquez, the leadoff hitter.

Alyssa Porras allowed four runs in the first inning in a CIF wild-card loss to visiting Norwalk. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

When sophomore Brianna Nunez (two hits) clubbed a run-scoring double down the left-field line, Vasquez scored.

Senior Samantha Campos was hit by a pitch and freshman Estefania Perez was safe on the first of two errors in the frame.

Sophomore Angelina Perez hit back to the box and was retired at first base and sophomore Destanie Cervantes (two hits) popped up for the second out.

Junior Destiny Ochoa made it to first base on an error, but was out at second base for the third out.

“When we get down that quickly and by that much in the game, it’s really hard to get back up and start getting that energy to score more,” said Porras, who went seven innings, yielding five hits with two strikeouts and one walk. “At the end we did, but not that much.”

Porras said the team felt good coming into the game. “I think we were thinking about winning,” she said. “But it was harder to focus today because we really wanted to be in the playoffs and we had a really good season.”

Fleet-footed center fielder Alex Davis made a spectacular play in the third inning. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

The Bulldogs (16-12) shaved the advantage to 4-1 with a run in the fifth inning as junior Sarah Garelick was nicked by an offering from Vasquez with one out.

Senior Bene Snyder’s grounder moved Garelick to second base and Garelick later scored on an error.

Burbank’s second run came in the seventh when junior Desi Gomez laced a one-out single to right field which prompted junior Carly Oldfield to enter as a pinch runner.

After senior Erin Lashkari fanned for the second out, Snyder ripped a base hit up the middle as Oldfield crossed the plate that made it a two-run deficit.

Sophomore Katie Treadway then fanned to end the game and the season for the Bulldogs.

“We just didn’t come out in that first inning, because like I told the team, the first inning is just as important as the seventh inning,” Burbank coach Mike Delaney said.

Still Delaney was pleased with the effort despite the setback. “About two years ago we started implementing a team-first mentality,” he said. “It took hold this year and our seniors did a phenomenal job of instilling this to our underclassmen. Overall it’s the way we played ball. We never gave up. We got two outs and we’re battling.”

Senior third baseman Bene Snyder shows off her throwing arm in a wild-card match against the Lancers. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

Delaney then added: “I think the girls understand what it takes to be successful. I think for us as a program we’ve got to stop looking at beating Burroughs as our championship,” he said. “It’s just an emotional game. How do we move on with a win or loss to Burroughs?”

Vasquez was in charge from the outset.

“The first couple innings I was feeling really confident. The last couple of innings I was a little nervous, but my team has my back,” said Vasquez, who will play softball at Central Florida.

There was tension in the seventh inning because the Bulldogs had runners on first and second base.

“I was thinking I didn’t want any more people to advance,” Vasquez said. “So I wanted to take it pitch by pitch and make sure I got ahead of the batters and got the strikes in.”

Vasquez came out gunning in the opening stanza as she struck out senior Macie Jensen and junior Amaya Broyls.

Vasquez then surrendered an opposite field triple to right by junior Alex Davis, but fanned senior Anysia Gonzalez.

Vasquez worked a perfect second frame after striking out Gomez and Lashkari and getting Garelick to line out to second base.

The third inning was another 1-2-3 affair for Vasquez as Snyder, Treadway and Jensen all fanned.

Vasquez struck out the side in the fourth as Broyls was retired catcher to first base, Davis looking and Gomez swinging, but issued her only walk to Gonzalez, the third hitter of the inning.

Another perfect inning came in the sixth for Vasquez, who induced Jensen and Broyls to ground out to third base and Davis to fly out to center field.

Burbank Boys Tennis Season Concludes In CIF Quarterfinals

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By Rick Assad

 

Getting to the CIF Southern Section Division III quarterfinals for the Burbank High boys’ tennis team is something to be proud of.

But the dream of getting to the semifinals ended on Monday when the Bulldogs lost to visiting Etiwanda 12-6.

The last time the Bulldogs (12-6 and third in the Pacific League), who defeated Gahr 12-6 and No. 4 seeded Simi Valley 10-8, advanced to this point in the playoffs was 2007.

The Eagles (19-4) are the No. 5 seeded team in this field and placed third in the Baseline League at 7-3.

James Lee, Burbank’s No. 1 singles player, won two sets. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

Burbank’s singles team did especially well, capturing five points that included two points from junior James Lee, who defeated No. 2, junior Clyde Siringoringo 6-4 and No. 3, sophomore Chris Vergara 6-0.

At No. 2 for the Bulldogs, senior Nathan Soria captured a point after drilling Vergara 6-0.

Burbank’s No. 3 singles player, freshman Alex Galstyan, despite his youth, won a pair of points after knocking off Siringoringo and Vergara 6-2 and 6-2.

Etiwanda’s No. 1, junior Eric Chang defeated Lee 7-6 (8-6), and then knocked off Soria 6-1 and Galstyan 6-2, and Siringoringo took out Soria 7-5.

The Eagles, who for the second consecutive year ended Burbank’s season, grabbed eight of the nine points in doubles play.

The only point came from Burbank’s No. 1 team of senior Luciano Dapuetto and junior Ethan Lee, who held off No. 2, senior DeAndre Siringoringo and senior Victor Siapno 7-6 (9-7).

“I think it’s been a great four years,” Dapuetto said. “Burbank has a great program. It’s a great school. Overall this year has been the best of the four.”

Burbank’s doubles teams took one point against the Eagles. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

Dapuetto was reflective afterward. “All beginnings have an end,” he said. “This wasn’t perfect. We were just going round by round. We made it this far. We had a lot of excitement coming into the game.”

Dapuetto/Lee fell to Etiwanda’s No. 1 squad, senior Sachin Reddi and freshman Dwayne Siringoringo 5-7 and No. 3, sophomore Shvey Shah and sophomore Dominic Estrada 4-6.

Burbank’s No. 2 tandem, senior Harout Abgaryan and sophomore Siddhanth Denduluri lost 4-6 and 2-6 to Etiwanda’s No. 1 and No. 2 squads, while the pair of Abgaryan and freshman reserve, Abasi Abukusumo, were hammered by No. 3, 0-6.

The Bulldogs’ duo of sophomore Parker Katz and sophomore Dominick Sumera were stymied 2-6 and 1-6 by Etiwanda’s No. 2 and No. 3.

Katz and senior Greg Farhadian, a reserve, were blitzed by Etiwanda’s No. 1 tandem, 0-6.

Longtime Etiwanda coach Brent Lunt, who has been at his post 33 years, was satisfied with the final result.

“I thought my two singles could have played better,” he intoned. “I thought the doubles played pretty good. The doubles have been consistent all year.”