Tag Archives: Esteban Alcantar

Burbank Will Again Be Well Represented in College Athletics

Leave a reply

One of the toughest parts of every school year is graduation time because so many high school seniors will move on an go in a number of different directions in continuing their education and athletic careers.

Some will still be competing locally. Others will not. We took a look at where our seniors are going to college.

Burroughs

The Burroughs Class of 2019 is led by an athlete who actually never represented his school. Dylan Young, who is one of the top gymnasts in the nation, has signed a letter of intent with the University of Nebraska.

Dylan Young will compete in gymnastics at the University of Nebraska.

From the girls’ volleyball team, Juliana Van Loo will join her older brother Ryan, a 2016 graduate, at Lewis University in Illinois. Her Burroughs teammate Shea McGovern will continue her career at Cal State Los Angeles.

Sam Tipton, the boys’ volleyball Pacific League Player of the Year, will continue his career at Grand Canyon University.

Distance runner Raymond Berrellez will continue his career as a preferred walk on at the University of Arizona for the cross country and track teams.

Lakely Nealis will continue her distance running career at Pt. Loma Nazarene University.

Football players Andrew English and Johnny Factora will continue their football careers at Whittier College and Willamette University in Oregon, respectively.

Softball player Hannah Skinner will continue her career at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks, where she will play for former Burbank High coach Debby Day.

Swimmer Nathan Gault-Crabb will continue his career at Lawrence University in Wisconsin.

Soccer players Esteban Alcantar, Alfredo Tejada and Matthew Cardenas will continue their career at Glendale Community College.

Jhazmin Pitts will continue her basketball career at Glendale College.

Boys volleyball players Jagger Green and Evan Troncoso will continue at Pierce College. Teammate Steven Grandinetti may join them or play at Santa Barbara City College.

Abbie Riggs will play on the women’s soccer team at Santa Barbara City College. Emily McHorney will continue her soccer career at Chapman University.

Burbank

Bulldogs will be well represented at colleges around the nation.

Receiver/defensive back Erik Harutyunyan will play football at UC Berkeley as a recruited walk on.

Erik Harutyunyan will be helping out the Golden Bears at UC Berkeley. Photo courtesy Doug Brown

Burbank quarterback Matthew Porras will continue his career at Whitworth University in Washington.

Baseball player Davis Mieliwocki will suit up next season for Chapman University in Orange.  Teammate Joey Clark will play baseball at prestigious Macalester College in Minnesota.

Sarah Garelick will continue her softball career at prestigious Smith College in Massachusetts. Softball teammate Alex Davis will continue her career at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Zion Chavez will compete on the men’s track and field team at Kansas Wesleyan University.

Raquel Goli has plans to continue her cross country career at UC San Diego.

Andy Cardenas will continue his soccer career at Cal State Northridge.

The traditionally strong Glendale Community College’s women’s cross country team has picked up a trio from Burbank High in Jamie Levin, Natalie Danao and Lydia Forsyth.

Tight end Duncan Smith will continue his football career at Ventura College. Defensive lineman Karo Koshkaryan will play at Riverside City College.

Baseball players Andrew De La Torre and Daniel Ruiz will play at Los Angeles Valley College. Volleyball player Chase Marcy will continue his career at Pierce College.

Providence

Four Pioneers will continue their athletic careers in college.

Andrew Kim accepted a soccer scholarship to play at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Nick Montijo will run cross country at UC Merced. Jonas Holt plans to play basketball at LA Valley College. Justine Nunez will play volleyball at LA Mission College.

Village Christian

Justin De Sales, who previously attended Burbank High, will play basketball at the University of Puget Sound.  Carley Gay will continue her softball career at Azusa Pacific University. Ashley Sands will be part of the competitive cheerleading squad at UC Santa Cruz.

Notre Dame

The Sherman Oaks-based school has several  seniors from Burbank who will continue their athletic careers. Swimmer Dominic Margarino will compete at the University of Southern California.

Dominic Margarino will swim for the USC Trojans.

Soccer player Nick Sailer will continue at Curry College in Massachusetts. Carter Kessinger will continue his baseball career in the Ivy League at Yale University.

Loyola

Two graduating Cubs from Burbank will continue their athletic careers. Quarterback Nathan Priestley will play at the University of North Carolina under College Football Hall of Fame coach Mack Brown.  Baseball player Joseph Augustine will continue his career at New York University.

El Camino Real

Former Burbank High point guard Tyrese Willis, who transferred to the Woodland Hills school in the fall,  will join his former teammate Justin De Sales at the University of Puget Sound.

Burroughs Boys Soccer Takes Pacific League Title With 4-0 Victory Over Burbank

Leave a reply
By Rick Assad

 

Some players simply have a nose for the ball. Manny Gonzalez does and it usually results in a goal.

On Thursday afternoon, Gonzalez, a sophomore forward, had a hat trick and it helped the Burroughs High boys’ soccer team secure a 4-0 victory over host Burbank in a Pacific League finale.

The Indians also became the league champion after Arcadia and Crescenta Valley battled to a 2-2 tie.

Burroughs’ Esteban Alcantar (#10) and Burbank’s Jae Lee fight for the ball. The Indians won 4-0. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The opening half was close with the only score coming in the 37th minute on a 15-yarder from Gonzalez, who could have been called for being offside after receiving a pass.

“We were all facing adversity. Trying to get it going. Trying to get in a groove,” Gonzalez said of the initial half. “The referees were calling what they were calling. It went in [the first goal] and it changed the game.”

Gonzalez collected his second tally after making a clever juke move that brought out Burbank’s goalie.

From there, it was fairly easy as Gonzalez tapped in a five-yarder in the 44th minute to make it 2-0.

Gonzalez’s third goal came in the same manner with another slick move that brought out the goalie and a five-yard kick in the 63rd minute that extended the lead to 3-0.

Burbank’s Michael Danielian and Burroughs’ Matthew Cardenas try to control the ball. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“My goals don’t mean anything without these guys,” said Gonzalez, who has the freshman school-record of 15 goals and 17 this season, which is a school mark for sophomores. “They [teammates] feed me the ball. They constantly support me even when they don’t go in.”

When senior goalie Alfredo Tejeda was asked to kick a 25-yard penalty kick in the 74th minute, the Indians’ lead swelled to 4-0.

“It’s a rivalry game. Burbank came to play. I’m not surprised,” Burroughs coach Michael Kodama said. “The big play was Manny’s goal just before the half.”

Burbank’s best opportrinity to score came in the 61st minute when sophomore midfielder Nick Diaz’s 20-yarder hit the left post. A 30-yard free kick by Diaz came in the second minute.

Elias Galaviz (#24) and Sam Hawksworth (#14) are in a battle for the ball. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Junior midfielder Dylan Mahoney had a 45-yarder in the sixth minute for the Indians (14-5-3 and 10-2-1 in league) and senior midfielder Sam Hawksworth tossed in a 20-yard header in the sixth minute.

Junior defender Levon Sahakyan contributed a 40-yard free kick in the ninth minute for the Bulldogs (3-10-3 and 2-9-3 in league).

Senior forward Matthew Cardenas tacked on a 35-yarder in the 19th minute for the Indians, who beat the Bulldogs 4-1 in the first meeting this season and also won the league banner in 2017.

Junior defender Sebastian Causarano had a 40-yarder in the 23rd minute for Burbank.

Sophomore forward Elias Galaviz had a 15-yarder that the Burbank goalie scooped up in the 23rd minute.

Luis Cortes (#2) for Burroughs and Burbank’s Steven Tom chase the soccer ball. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Junior forward Allen Arsenian’s 30-yarder sailed too high over the net in the 25th minute for the Bulldogs.

The Indians, who were called for six offside penalties in the opening half, closed out the first half with a 25-yarder in the 26th minute by Hawksworth, a 20-yard that drifted wide right in the 27th minute by Galaviz and a 35-yard free kick in the 35th minute by senior forward Estaban Alcantar.

Diaz had a 20-yarder in the 45th minute and senior defender Ocelotl Tellez added a 15-yard header in the 54th minute for the Bulldogs.

Hawksworth had a 15-yarder in the 57th minute and Galaviz had a corner kick in the 58th minute.

Gonzalez delivered a 25-yarder in the 71st minute and Alcantar tossed in a 15-yarder in the 75th minute.

Alcantar added a 32-yarder in the 76th minute, Cardenas a 25-yard free kick in extra time and Gonzalez had a 25-yarder in the extra frame.

 

 

 

Burroughs High Boys Soccer Blasts Burbank 4-1

Leave a reply
By Rick Assad

 

Controlling the action from the moment the referee dropped the ball for play, the Burroughs High boys’ soccer team completely dominated the action.

The Indians scored two goals in each half that catapulted them past visiting Burbank 4-1 in a Pacific League match on Friday afternoon.

When junior forward David Gerlach’s 20-yard laser found the back of the net in the 11th minute, the Indians (10-3-3 and 6-0-2 in league) forged ahead 1-0.

In the 35th minute, sophomore forward Manny Gonzalez drilled home a 25-yard winner that extended the lead to 2-0.

Burroughs junior midfielder Juan Carlos Rosales played well in a 4-1 win over Burbank. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“I think we got our energy from our defense,” Gonzalez said. “I give all the credit to our defense. They hold it down all night. I feel like it came down to who wanted it more.”

A tally from 25 yards in the 41st minute by sophomore forward Elias Galaviz pushed Burroughs’ lead to 3-0 and Gonzalez’s 15-yarder in the 69th minute capped the Indians’ scoring that made it 4-0.

“We played well. We knew that we had to be patient. The guys moved the ball very well and we just needed to keep our composure and needed to limit Burbank’s opportunities,” Burroughs coach Michael Kodama said.

It took a while, but the Bulldogs (4-5-1 and 3-4-1 in league) finally scratched the scoreboard when senior midfielder Andy Cardenas, who is the kicker on the football team, dropped in a 10-yard header in extra time that trimmed the lead to three goals.

“We got outplayed the whole day,” Burbank coach Loi Phan said. “It was like a scrimmage. Bottom line is we got beat from the beginning to the end. They’re much better than us. We’ll regroup. We’ll play them again.”

Gerlach’s 20-yarder in the 44th minute came so very close, caroming off the right goal post.

“We’re getting better and better all the time,” Kodama said of his talented squad. “We’re happy with it.”

In the second minute, Gonzalez’s 25-yarder sailed wide left and three minutes later Gonzalez’s attempt was picked up by the goalie.

Andy Cardenas had the only goal for the Bulldogs, a header in extra time. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Junior defender Manny Pascual’s 10-yard header in the seventh minute was off target and senior midfielder Sam Hawksworth’s 35-yard blast in the eighth minute went wide left.

Three minutes later, senior forward Esteban Alcantar’s 25-yarder failed to locate the target.

In the 12th minute, Hawksworth’s shot was blocked.

Pascual’s 20-yard header in the 13th minute scooted right, and three minutes later Burbank sophomore midfielder Nick Diaz’s 45-yard free kick didn’t find the goal.

Senior forward Matthew Cardenas delivered a 10-yarder in the 16th minute and was followed by Hawksworth’s 30-yarder a minute later that drifted wide right.

Gonzalez had consecutive shots stuffed in the 22nd and 24th minute. Junior midfielder Juan Carlos Rosales’ 20-yarder in the 25th minute missed the mark and in the 26th and 31st minute, Cardenas delivered two 35-yarders that were not successful.

Manny Gonzalez scored two goals for the Indians and is being defended by Burbank’s Kaiyne Nzenwa. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

In the 33rd minute, Gonzalez saw his 25-yarder picked up by the goalie and in the 35th minute, Gonzalez delivered a 25-yarder.

Diaz’s 43-yard free kick in the 36th minute failed and Alcantar had his attempt blocked in the 38th minute.

Gonzalez’s 20-yard header in the 46th minute was off target, and Alcantar’s 25-yarder a minute later drifted wide right.

Alcantar’s 15-yarder in 52nd minute missed the goal, Alcantar’s 25-yard free kick in the 53rd minute was also off and Hawksworth’s rebound didn’t find the back of the net.

Hawksworth’s 15-yarder in the 55th minute wasn’t successful and two minutes later Alcantar’s 15-yarder didn’t find the goal.

Cardenas had a 25-yarder in the 58th minute and Gerlach’s shot was blocked two minutes later.

Cardenas’ 25-yarder in the 60th minute was way too high and a 20-yarder by Galaviz in the 67th minute failed.

Burbank senior midfielder Dara Ashrafi’s 35-yarder in the 68th minute missed the target and junior midfielder Dylan Mahoney’s 20-yarder in the 70th minute sailed wide left.

In the 75th minute, Mahoney’s 35-yarder missed and Burbank senior defender Ocelotl Tellez added a 25-yarder in extra time.

Burroughs Boys Soccer Outlasts Glendale

Leave a reply

It took the Burroughs High boys’ soccer team a while to get going.
But once the Indians got going they were not going to be beat, winning 3-0 on the road against Glendale High Friday in a Pacific League contest.
“We changed the formation in the second half and it worked because we scored three goals,” Burroughs attacking midfielder Esteban Alcantar said. “The goals come with time. We just had to regroup.”
Burroughs (4-2 overall, 2-0 in league) scored all three of its goals in the second half, two of which were scored by Alcantar.
The senior got Burroughs on the board in the 48th minute when he curled a free kick inside the left post.
“It was all technique,” Alcantar said. “It is something I’ve been practicing since eighth grade.”
Burroughs coach Mike Kodama was glad the second-half changes he made paid off.
“We have so many guys returning. In the second half I inserted Patrick (Abarca) and the ball really started to move and it allowed Esteban and Manny (Gonzalez) and guys to move off the ball,” he said. “That was big for us.”

Another switch at halftime was inserting freshman Wilson Harting as a center back alongside senior Luis Cortes and junior Carter Wells in a 3-5-2 formation. The trio helped preserve a shutout for goalie Alfredo Tejada.
Burroughs nearly scored again in the 56th on a give and go between Alcantar and Carlos Rosales resulted in Alcantar hitting a curling shot against the right post.
Sam Hawksworth nearly put in the rebound, only to have it snatched away on the goal line by a Glendale defender.
Burroughs doubled its lead in the 69th minute when Rosales lofted a pass to Gonzalez, who was able to beat Glendale goalie Hrak Tahmasian in a foot race for the loose ball and put the ball into the empty net.
The Indians went up 3-0 in the 73rd minute when a cross by Gonzalez from the right side found Alcantar, who finished it off by getting it past Tahmasian.
Glendale fell to 3-2-1 overall and 1-1 in league.
Burroughs will host Crescenta Valley on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. in what could be a key match in the race for the Pacific League title.

Young Boys Soccer Teams Looking to Improve

Leave a reply

It isn’t easy to have consistent success. The Burroughs High boys’ soccer team has been relatively strong for quite some time. Last season, a very young team finished second in league. That core group of sophomores are now juniors, leaving hope that they are a year away from hitting their peak. Burbank High showed some promise last season and is hoping to continue to improve upon last season’s improvement.

Burroughs
The Indians who went 15-9-1 last season, are built around junior playmaker Carlos Rosales. Rosales plays in front of the defense and is essentially the quarterback of the offense.
“Carlos is the engine of the team,” midfielder Sam Hawksworth said of Rosales.

Carlos Rosales of Burroughs. Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

He has solid support behind him with junior center back Carter Wells, who gives Burroughs a solid presence needed.
Senior Esteban Alcantar can be an attacking midfielder or he can play as a second striker. He has lots of talent and isn’t afraid to make an assist when needed.
Sophomore Manny Gonzalez had 16 goals as a freshman and is looking to improve on that total. He generally attacks from the wings, which helps open up the middle of the field.
In goal, Burroughs coach Mike Kodama will rely on the trio of seniors Edgar Rodriguez and Alfredo Tejeda as well as sophomore Jacob Cardenas.
Defensively, Wells will be joined by senior Luis Cortes in the middle. Senior Jonathan Mejia could see time at right back. Junior Manny Pascual and junior Elijah DuMonde also figure to see time in the wing back positions. Junior Abihud Munoz and freshman Wilson Harting should also see some time on the back line.
Junior Dylan Mahoney and Hawksworth, a senior, are expected to play alongside Rosales in a defensive midfield role. Senior Jose Luis Arroyo and sophomore Patrick Abarca will also see time in the midfield. Senior Matthew Cardenas gives the Indians some versatility as he can play a number of roles, either in the midfield or in the attack.
Junior David Gerlach returns for his third year on varsity and should occupy the wing on the opposite side of Gonzalez. Junior Matthew Rampaceck and sophomore Elias Galaviz offer support in the attack.

Burbank
The Bulldogs went 5-9-4 last season and are hoping to improve on that mark.
“We’re young and we’re going to get better,” Burbank coach Loi Pham said. “Most of my best players are underclassmen.”
Senior Christian Ramos returns in goal. Fellow senior Jean Diaz could also see time defending the Bulldogs’ net.
Defensively, Burbank has senior Ocelotl Tellez and junior Levon Sahakyan back in the wing positions. Junior Sebastian Causarano also returns and could see time in a center back role.

Burbank defender Levon Sahakyan

Also in the back the Bulldogs have seniors Michael Danielian, Jae Lee and Brendon Chow. Junior Kaiyne Nzenwa and freshman Tony Harutyunyan are others who figure to see time on defense.
In the midfield, senior Andy Cardenas leads the way. Sophomores Isaiah Marsh, Jack Taglang and Nick Diaz all played on varsity as freshmen. Fellow sophomore Andrei Rodriguez also figures to fight for playing time as well as senior Dara Ashrafi.
Up front the Bulldogs return junior Allen Arsenian. Also up front is senior Steven Tom. Freshmen Abraham Rivera and Freddy Cardenas give Burbank a pair that could have a bright future.

Burroughs Boys Soccer Wins Opener Over Kennedy

Leave a reply

The Burroughs High boys’ soccer team opened the season by showing a number of things.
For one, the Indians showed they can score and do so quickly.

The Indians also showed that they need to improve their intensity for a full 80 minutes.
Fortunately, the first test was passed with a 3-2 victory over visiting Kennedy of Granada Hills in the Ralph Brandt Tournament at Memorial Field.

Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

“We had our chances early,” Burroughs coach Mike Kodama said. “I think Kennedy got some confidence midway through the second half and they put us on our heels and we had to adjust.”

Burroughs dominated the first half and could have put the match away.
Burroughs took the lead just eight minutes into the contest as Elias Galaviz put the ball into the empty net after his shot deflected off of Kennedy goalie Andrew Maximo.

The Indians continued to impress, doubling their lead in the 18th minute as Manny Gonzalez put a ball through to Sam Hawksworth, who put a left-footed shot past Maximo.
Gonzalez, who scored 16 times as a freshman, missed a golden opportunity in the 23rd minute but fired at Maximo.
Kennedy came back and cut Burroughs’ lead in half in the 56th minute when Daniel Meza hooked a ball into the upper right corner of the goal.
That inspired the Cougars, who continually gave Burroughs fits.

Photo By: Edward Tovmassian

Two minutes later Burroughs junior playmaker Carlos Rosales came to the rescue.
Rosales somehow snuck in unmarked and took a headed pass by Esteban Alcantar and dribbled around Maximo before putting the ball into the empty net.

“Carlos is like the engine of the team,” Hawksworth said. “We all have to play with him and pass to him.”
Gonzalez could have put the match away in the 59th minute, but he had a shot attempt blocked by Maximo.

Kennedy (0-3) fought right back and made it 3-2 in the 61st minute on a fine free-kick from Bryan Ramos.

Burroughs Boys Soccer Comes From Behind, Knocks Off Burbank

Leave a reply
By Rick Assad

 

Apparently falling behind by two goals early wasn’t a major problem for the Burroughs High boys’ soccer team.

That’s because what came next was a mere avalanche of goals from the Indians, who sideswiped Burbank 5-3 in a Pacific League match at Memorial Field on Thursday afternoon.

“We just had to make sure to keep our composure and take our opportunities,” Burroughs coach Mike Kodama said. “I thought the boys did a great job of doing that.”

Burroughs senior midfielder William Rosales (#10) is on the run against Burbank, which lost 5-3. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Kodama explained what was emphasized.

“You make one play at a time,” he said of the 2-0 deficit. “We saw a hole that we wanted to take advantage. A great space for Topli [Petko].”

Petko led the way with two second-half goals for the Indians, who went 15-8-1 overall, placed second in league with a 9-4-1 record and will compete in the upcoming CIF Southern Section playoffs.

“You know, it’s just a beautiful game, honestly,” said Petko, a senior defender. “We started slow in the first half, but that’s OK. In the locker room, we picked our heads up. Second half we said nothing, no more.”

Sophomore midfielder Juan Carlos Rosales is about to pass the ball during a match versus the Bulldogs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Bulldogs went 5-9-4 in all matches, 4-8-2 in league, didn’t qualify for the postseason and were paced by Andrew Senane with two goals.

Burbank struck first with two penalty kicks that resulted in scores against senior goalie Sebastian Kalemkerian, who was replaced by junior Edgar Rodriguez in the 68th minute.

In the 16th minute, Senane’s 10-yarder found the upper left portion of the net that made it 1-0.

In the 26th minute, Andy Cardenas’ 10-yard bullet gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 advantage.

“It’s the last game. We lost the playoffs. It’s hard to motivate players,” Burbank coach Gor Kirakosyan said. “But this time, it’s against Burroughs. It’s always as players exciting to be in this game. This game, the whole year, they never gave up.”

Indians junior midfielder Sam Hawksworth uses some fancy footwork to get past Alex Pino of the Bulldogs. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Kirakosyan then went on: “They’re a really good team [Burroughs]. I think the experience part hurt us at the end as a team. At the end, we tied them. When they scored the fourth one, we had to go for it.”

In the 35th minute, the Indians drew within 2-1 on a 10-yard header from freshman forward Manny Gonzalez with an assist from junior midfielder Esteban Alcantar that slipped past Artyom Ginosyan, who was in goal out of necessity and certainly despite being Burbank’s leading goal-scorer.

The Indians then knotted the match at 2-2 in the 43rd minute on Petko’s laser from 20 yards.

“As a team, these guys inspired me to score those goals. In that first goal when I scored, and when those guys have your back, there’s nothing better,” he said.

In the 57th minute, Petko then added his second tally, from 15 yards, that put the Indians ahead 3-2.

“I have beautiful midfielders who give me the ball. I can’t ask for anything else,” Petko said.

The Bulldogs leveled it at 3-3 after Senane scored from 15 yards in the 71st minute that nestled into the upper left corner.

But senior defender Victor Lopez gave the Indians a 4-3 advantage on a follow-up blast from 10 yards in the 74th minute.

The match was put out of reach when senior midfielder William Rosales booted one home in extra time.

Burroughs Boys Soccer Surges Past Glendale 4-1

Leave a reply

The Burroughs High boys’ soccer team didn’t come out from the opening whistle like a race horse.

However the Indians finished Tuesday’s Pacific League contest the way they wanted to in a 4-1 win over host Glendale High.

“I think the first 10 minutes we weren’t really awake but after that we pretty much controlled the whole game,” Burroughs defender Jake Von said.

Burroughs (13-7-1, 7-3-1 in league) eventually got on the board in the 19th minute when wing back Topli Petko set up Xavier Iniguez on the Indians’ first goal.

(Photo by Ross A. Benson)

The Indians doubled their advantage in the 54th minute when set up Esteban Alacantar on a goal.

“In the second half we got our rhythm going,” Petko said. “We started firing it up and playing the ball. The last 40 minutes it was all about playing simple and finding those gaps.”

Glendale made things interesting by getting back a goal off a counter attack opportunity.

However Burroughs continued to put pressure on the Nitros. It resulted in two more goals, both scored by freshman Manny Gonzalez. He leads the team with 11 goals on the season, a school record for a freshman.

He scored in the 70th minute off a pass from Carlos Rosales to make it 3-1. Five minutes later he added another goal, this one coming on an assist from William Rosales.

“I think with William and Carlitos and Esteban they started passing it one touch and the whole team picked it up from there,” Von added.

Burroughs is now in the driver’s seat to finish second in league after Crescenta Valley clinched the league title with a win over Muir. Burbank High meanwhile rallied from a two-goal deficit to defeat Arcadia, 3-2. Burroughs had been tied with Arcadia for second in league.

 

Burroughs Boys Soccer Edges Host Burbank 1-0

Leave a reply
By Rick Assad

 

In an expected tight and at times rough-and-tumble Pacific League boys’ soccer match, one goal separated Burroughs High from Burbank on Friday afternoon.

The only tally came in the 48th minute when freshman forward Manny Gonzalez knocked in a header from 15 yards out after junior forward/midfielder Esteban Alcantar’s free kick from 35 yards.

“Rivalry game. Good support from my teammates,” said Gonzalez of the goal that made it 1-0. “We made it happen. They’re going to come. A beautiful ball from Esteban. You just have to put them in.”

Burroughs freshman Manny Gonzalez had the lone goal against host Burbank. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burroughs coach Michael Kodama was pleased with the outcome.

“There’s 80 minutes. You have to play each minute,” he said. “Just keep playing and look for that opportunity and when that opportunity comes, you want to finish it. Real happy with the performance of the guys today.”

The visiting Indians dominated the opening half as senior defender Jonathan Ortega had a 25-yarder sail wide left in the second minute.

Burbank Andrew Senane’s 25-yarder also drifted wide right in the third minute.

The Indians (11-6-1 and 5-2-1 in league) had the next three shots including Gonzalez’s 30-yard penalty kick that sailed wide right in the fourth minute.

Sophomore midfielder Juan Carlos Rosales then chipped in with a corner kick in the 18th minute, and senior defender Topli Petko tossed in a 20-yarder in the 19th minute.

Burbank’s Artyom Ginosyan’s 15-yarder from the left side in the 21st minute was stuffed, while teammate Andy Cardenas had a free kick from 35 yards in the 26th minute.

Burbank’s Andrew Senane handles the ball while William Rosales defends. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

“It came down, for me, to refereeing,” Burbank coach Gor Kirakosyan said. “They got to call it both ways. I understand, it’s a red card, yes, but why would my player hit someone for no reason?”

Kirakosyan added: “I’m proud of my players. They hustled down to the end,” he said. “They stepped up. Some of them were playing out of position. We had like five freshman.”

Cardenas had another free kick a minute later and Ginosyan followed with a header.

A corner kick from Rosales came in the 30th minute, but Cardenas delivered a free kick followed by a header from Ginosyan in the 32nd minute.

At times the match between visiting Burroughs and Burbank became chippy. (Photo by Ross A. Benson)

Burroughs had the final five attempts of the first half and they were a corner kick from Rosales in the 33rd minute, senior defender Jake Von’s 10-yarder four minutes later, Alcantar’s 35-yard blast in the 38th minute, Gonzalez’s 25-yarder that hit the cross bar in the 39th minute and Alcantar’s penalty kick that was redirected by Von in the waning moments.

Alcantar had a 20-yarder sail wide right in the 45th minute, and Alcantar chimed in with a 30-yard penalty shot in the 50th minute.

Ginosyan had a 15-yarder hit the football crossbar and into the top of the net in the 51st minute, while Rosales walloped a 20-yarder in the 54th minute.

Senane saw a 15-yarder sail wide left in the 60th minute, Cardenas added a penalty kick four minutes later, but Gonzalez broke the spell with a 10-yarder in the 65th minute.

Senane was tagged with a red card in the 66th minute and was removed from the game after pushing a Burroughs player from behind.

“Every game in the Pacific League is going to be physical and they have to get used to it,” Kodama said.

Alcantar had a 20-yarder in the 71st minute, another 20-yarder a minute later and Gonzalez a corner kick in the 75th minute.

Cardenas blasted  30-yarder in the 78th minute and Ethan Jay a 15-yarder for Burbank (3-5-4 and 2-4-2 in league) in the 79th minute.

Rosales mashed a 25-yard free kick in extra minutes for the match’s last shot on goal.

Burroughs Boys Soccer Holds Off La Canada

Leave a reply

It isn’t easy holding a lead in a soccer match, especially for a young team playing against a traditionally strong program.

But the Burroughs High boys’ team did just that Thursday morning as the Indians held off La Canada 2-1 in the CV Winter Classic at Crescenta Valley High.

The win puts Burroughs (7-3-1) in a strong position to compete for the tournament title match on Saturday afternoon.

“We’re so young. We’re learning as we go,” Burroughs coach Mike Kodama said. “I think when they (La Canada) scored early in the second half it really changed the momentum. La Canada is a good team so I wouldn’t expect anything less than that.”

The Indians dominated the first half and got on the board in just the second minute.

Freshman Manny Gonzalez’s cross was touched, but not saved by La Canada goalie Max Landa, who had come off his line.

That left fellow freshman Patrick Abarca open to put a right foot on the ball and send the ball into the empty net.

Burroughs doubled its lead in the 17th minute when midfielder Esteban Alcantar intercepted a pass from La Canada’s defense and took it to the edge of the goal box before strategically placing a bending ball in the lower right corner to beat Landa.

“In both cases they were nice goals,” Kodama said. “Patrick got his first goal on varsity. He found that seam on the right side and Esteban’s was a great shot from the middle of the field.

Burroughs came close again in the 36th minute when Gonzalez found sophomore Juan Carlos Rosales on a corner kick. Rosales’ header was saved by Landa.

Leading by a pair of goals, Burroughs was clearly not as sharp in the second half.

La Canada (3-2-2) made things tough for the final half of an hour after Trevar Bambanian made something out of nothing.

The Spartan defender had the ball on the right side at the edge of the goal box and took and unexpected left-footed shot at Burroughs goalie Edgar Rodriguez who was unable to reach the ball that went just inside the right post.

“I thought we played well today. We really played as a family. It was a group effort,” Burroughs defender Carter Wells said. “Communication and working hard really paid off in this game. I was a little concerned at the end, but our defense and midfield really held our own.”