The "Big Game"
75 Meetings; Burroughs leads 44 - 31
From http://www.burbanknbeyond.com/ and other sources.
1949 - Burbank 12, Burroughs 7. The "Big Game" made its debut in 1949. Former junior high and first year high school, John Burroughs, made what was supposed to be an easy Burbank victory a hard fought battle. The stronger Bulldog team prevailed, however, paced by Pete LiPera who later became head coach at Burbank, and Paul Cameron, who later starred at UCLA.
1950 - Burroughs 6, Burbank 0. Burroughs avenged the previous year's loss on a rain drenched field as Louie Elias went 41 yards through "Lake Memorial" for the only score of the game. He later recalled that the rivalry was already intense even though it was only two years old.
1951 - Burbank 28, Burroughs 12. Having already won the Foothill League Championship, the Bulldogs could have let down and been upset; but showing true championship caliber, overpowered the Indians.
1952 - Burbank 33, Burroughs 0. The Bulldogs were led by Bob McCalmont and shut out the Indians for their second straight series win.
1953 - Burroughs 7, Burbank 0. Paced by a 44 yard touchdown run by Maurice Elias, brother of Louie, Burroughs returned the previous year's favor, scoring their second series shutout.
1954- Burroughs 49, Burbank 0. Again paced by Maurice Elias, who set a then single game school record of 162 yards rushing, the Indians recorded their second straight and third overall series shutout. This stands as the most one-sided victory in the series.
1955 - Burbank 20, Burroughs 14. On their way to a probable playoff berth, the Indians overlooked the Bulldogs and were knocked out of the playoffs. Steve Searock and Bill Reed led the Bulldogs who were under the guidance of rookie coach Ham Lloyd, whose squad included John Lockwood who later became head coach at Burbank.
1956 - Burbank 18, Burroughs 0. The Bulldogs scored their second shutout of the series in a battle for the Foothill League title (first time in the series). Played before an estimated crowd of 11,000 people, the Bulldogs were quarterbacked by Bob Alfred and paced by Fred Tunnicliffe, whose nephew, Tom, would later start at both schools, winning CIF Player of the Year as a senior at Burroughs.
1957 - Burroughs 28, Burbank 19. In another rookie coaching victory, Leon Shortenhaus guided the Indians, led by Bob Hand, to the victory. Playing for Burroughs was Pete Lubisich, who would later go on to play at USC.
1958 - Burbank 32, Burroughs 0. This marked the 10th anniversary of the "Big Game." Posting their third series shutout the Bulldogs were led by the three touchdown performance of Tom Pulford. Tom, whose son, Darrin, also played for the Bulldogs, is one of the many players to have relatives also compete in the series.
1959 - Burroughs 19, Burbank 0. Trading shutouts again, the Indians scored their fourth win with an assist from Burbank, who was forced to use many J.V. players after having 19 of the varsity members declared ineligible for the game for "egging" the mural over the Burroughs Auditorium. Conde Lick and Brent Vance led the Indians with a TD each.
1960 - Burroughs 19, Burbank 7. Indian coach Leon Shortenhaus closed out his coaching career at Burroughs with a 3-1 record in the "Big Game," beginning and ending with a victory.
1961 - Burbank 25, Burroughs 13. In the fourth of his 22 seasons as a coach at Burroughs, and first as Head Coach, Bob Dunivant watched his Indians and the Bulldogs battle to a 7-7 tie into the third quarter, only to see the Tribe fumble three times in the second half, helping Burbank to the victory.
1962 - Burbank 34, Burroughs 0. Also beginning and ending his coaching career with a victory, Ham Lloyd posted a 5-3 "Big Game" record with this win in his final game. Phil Culotta scored three touchdowns to pace the Bulldogs to their fourth series shutout and came up just points short of the CIF scoring championship, losing to Steve Grady of Loyola who scored five touchdowns the same evening.
1963 - Burbank 14, Burroughs 7. Burroughs finally ended a string of seven straight shutout losses since the second game of the season but were unable to contain the Bulldogs' Gerry Altman, whose 100 yards helped Burbank to its third straight series win.
1964 - Burroughs 27, Burbank 7. The Bulldogs' Tom Paggi set a school record with a 74 yard run from scrimmage for one of his two touchdowns on the night but Burroughs snapped a three game losing streak to Burbank.
1965 - Burroughs 19, Burbank 0. The Indians notched their fifth series shutout. Bob McCorkle, who passed or ran for a then school record 17 touchdowns on the year, hit Mike Erickson for one touchdown and while playing defense, picked off a Bulldog aerial and returned it 78 yards (also a school record) for another score.
1966 - Burroughs 19, Burbank 0. Posting its sixth series and fourth season shutout, Burroughs coasted to its favorite score in the rivalry (the Indians have won three 19-0 "Big Games"), and third consecutive series victory.
1967 - Burbank 20, Burroughs 19. Undefeated going into the game, the Indians again scored 19 points. Burbank, however, on the 173 yard passing of Dale Cirscione and the 85 yard fumble recovery of Randy Ivie for a touchdown, scored 20 for one of the biggest upsets in the series. The win prevented Burroughs from going ahead, for the first time, in the rivalry.
1968 - Burbank 20, Burroughs 13. The Bulldogs again scored 20 points, led by Bill Johnson who scored all three touchdowns and rushed for 100 yards.
1969 - Burbank 44, Burroughs 8. Dan Flavin passed for four touchdowns and John Minor rushed for 91 yards for the Bulldogs. The game was so dominated by Burbank that the only Indian score came on a 95 yard kickoff return by Jess Talamantes which remained a school record until 1978. Burbank again won three in a row versus Burroughs.
1970 - Burroughs 15, Burbank 12. In a well played game, Bulldog star John Minor scored both touchdowns and rushed for 152 yards, only to see his heavily favored team lose to a fired up Indian squad. Burroughs was led by QB Tim Molina who passed for 113 yards and threw two touchdowns to Bruce Wallace. Jess Talamantes rushed for 111 yards.
1971 - Burroughs 17, Burbank 13. Jeff Budrick and Jon Funk scored the two Indian touchdowns. Quarterback Tom Lawson completed 19 passes, 10 to Scott Nelson for 117 yards, all of which were single game Indian records at the time. Bob Mendoza booted a 29 yard field goal to seal the victory.
1972 - Burbank 14, Burroughs 0. Burbank notched their fifth shutout in the series as quarterback Leo Orange and Kenny Walker scored the two Bulldog touchdowns. The game was played for the Foothill League title, and with the victory, Burbank knocked the Indians out of a playoff berth. Jim Galbraith caught seven passes in a fine effort for the Indians, who went on to shut out Burbank the next three games. The Bulldogs won their fourth league title and would not win another one for the next 37 years (2009).
1973 - Burroughs 6, Burbank 0. In the 25th meeting of the "Big Game", Burroughs tied Crescenta Valley for the league title with their seventh series shutout and went into the CIF Playoffs for only the second time in school history. Jerry Howell scored the games only touchdown played in pouring rain at "Lake Memorial". Indians' quarterback Curtis Ilhe and wide receiver Randy Simmrin were the inspirational leaders on the team. Simmrin later starred for USC and played for Buffalo and Tampa Bay in the NFL.
1974 - Burroughs 36, Burbank 0. A boisterous crowd of 12,000 fans came to Memorial Field to witness Burroughs dominate the helpless Bulldogs. Burbank could have tied the Indians for first place in the Foothill League with a win, but were dominated as Burroughs recorded their second consecutive and eighth series shutout, holding the Bulldogs to 36 total yards. All-CIF quarterback Tom Miller passed for three touchdowns and 179 yards, mostly to wide receivers Bob Frishette, Hans Anderson and Kirk Morales. Tony De Felicis, Joe Mersola, Mike McDonald and Ron Wollard all contributed in the convincing win. The Indians went on to post an 11-1 record, tied with the 1979 team for the best record ever, and advanced to the CIF Quarterfinals.
1975 - Burroughs 40, Burbank 0. Burroughs took the series lead for the first time ever, 14-13, with their ninth series shutout and third consecutive over Burbank. The game also marked Bulldog coach Pete LiPera's last contest. The rout was highlighted by All-CIF linebacker Mike McDonald, who later played at USC and for the Rams, returning an interception for 67 yards as the Indians finished their first regular season under Craig Bell at 8-1.
1976 - Burbank 17, Burroughs 14. Burbank avoided a fourth consecutive Burroughs win by upsetting the Indians on a 41 yard field goal by George Florez on the last play of the game. Al Penaranda and George Williams, both of whom had brothers who later played for Burroughs, scored the two Indian touchdowns, while the Bulldogs were paced by Denny Caira.
1977 - Burroughs 40, Burbank 10. Burbank surprised everyone by taking a 10-7 lead into the locker room at halftime but the Indians roared back in the second half with a fine passing performance by quarterback Dean Townsend. Mike Pate intercepted a pass for the Indians for a touchdown. George Williams, Lupe Yanez and Reuben Torres also scored for the Indians. The defense was sparked by the play of linebacker Jeff Fitzgerald. The game marked the return of Bob Dunivant as head coach of Burroughs.
1978 - Burroughs 28, Burbank 16. Burbank, led by Tom Tunnicliffe who passed for 182 yards, again came out on the short end of the score. Lincoln Simonds scored three Indian touchdowns and the defense, led by Nick Manocchia, held the Bulldogs to six yards rushing and sacked Tunnicliffe seven times for a loss of 67 yards.
1979 - Burroughs 33, Burbank 12. In a unique twist of events, Burroughs, now quarterbacked by Tom Tunnicliffe, who transferred from Burbank, the Indians went into the game rated the number one team in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, Southern California, the State and the Nation. The Bulldogs put up a strong fight, scoring 12 points against a team that had badly beaten the previous #1 team, St. Paul, 27-12, and allowed only one touchdown to four previous Foothill League opponents, outscoring them 152-7. The Indians were paced by the 191 yards rushing of Edgar Penaranda and Tunnicliffe's 123 yards passing while the defense held Burbank to 90 total yards. Burroughs finished the season 11-1 (tied with the 1974 team for the best record ever) and advanced to the CIF Quarterfinals. Head Coach Bob Dunivant would later step aside from his coaching duties.
1980 - Burroughs 25, Burbank 17. Taking a four game lead with their fourth consecutive win in the "Big Game" series, a first for either school, the Indians also knocked the Bulldogs out of a playoff berth while recording their fourth consecutive Foothill League Title, also unprecedented in the history of the league. Led by the rushing of Edgar Penaranda and Rick Williams, plus the passing of Gary English, the Indians managed to hold off a stubborn Burbank team, led by the rushing of Eric Burcham. The Indians went on to the CIF Semifinals.
1981 - Burroughs 44, Burbank 21. Burroughs jumped out to a 30-7 halftime lead on the passing and rushing of quarterback Rich Strasser (34 and 87 yard touchdown completions) and the rushing of Paul Kibala and Joe D'Alessio. The Indians would advance to their first-ever CIF Finals and finish as runner-ups while winning their fifth consecutive league title.
1982 - Burroughs 42, Burbank 6. Burbank took to an early lead, going 55 yards on 11 plays to take a 6-0 advantage midway through the first quarter. The Indians, behind the rushing of Bret Mersola, Jeff Markland and Eli Montemayor, finally got on track and cruised to a rather easy victory. It was Burroughs' sixth consecutive win over Burbank.
1983 - Burbank 24, Burroughs 21. In one of the more exciting games of the series, the Bulldogs opened the scoring with a one yard run by Derek Trabilcy. The lead changed hands several times in the game until late in the fourth quarter when Burroughs tied the score on a 61 yard pass from Sean Spring to Bret Mersola. Burbank, led by QB Gary Lotka, took their last possession of the game and marched down the field to the Indian 10, and lined up for a field goal with less than 10 seconds on the clock. The first Bulldog attempt was deflected and went wide, but the Indians were called for defensive holding on the play. After the penalty was assessed, Alfredo Velasco nailed his second attempt from 21 yards out with no time showing on the clock for a dramatic, upset victory for the Bulldogs. The win snapped the six "Big Game" winning streak of the Indians.
1984 - Burbank 28, Burroughs 0. Quarterback Gary Lotka threw for 315 yards and four touchdowns on 18 of 23 passing and led the Bulldogs to their second consecutive victory in the series and their first playoff berth since 1977. It is Burbank's first shutout of the Indians since 1972 and sixth in the series. Lotka's efforts cement his name in "Big Game" lore and he went on to win the Most Valuable Player of the Foothill League.
1985 - Burbank 14, Burroughs 10. For the first time since 1967-69, the Bulldogs win their third straight "Big Game" behind the leadership of quarterback Sal Velasco. Burbank overcame a 10-7 deficit as Velasco hit wide receiver Robert Jarrin with what proved to be the game winning pass on the first possession of the second half. The Bulldogs marched 69 yards in seven plays and the defense shut out the Indians the rest of the way.
1986 - Burroughs 33, Burbank 26. In his return to the sideline for the first time since he left coaching in 1979, Bob Dunivant led the Indians to victory and snapped the three-game winning streak of the Bulldogs in the rivalry. After trailing 14-12 at the half, the Indians took the lead at 19-14 entering the fourth. The Indians' Danny Cusumano scored from two yards out to make it 26-14. Quarterback Jeff Barrett led the Indians with 177 yards and two touchdowns.
1987 - Burroughs 41, Burbank 0. Quarterback Jeff Barrett shined on offense as he completed 11 of 16 passes for 122 yards and three touchdowns. He even rushed for two more touchdowns. Burbank's Gabe Jimenez ran for 118 yards on 24 carries and was the lone bright spot for the Bulldogs. Burroughs won their tenth series shutout and first vs. the Bulldogs since 1975. The Indians would eventually reach the CIF Finals and finish as runner-ups as they did in 1981.
1988 - Burroughs 31, Burbank 15. The magic of former head coach Bob Dunivant was evident again as he helped head coach Butch McElwee lead the Indians to victory. Having the headsets on again for only the third time in the season, Dunivant surprised Burbank by calling a reverse, flea-flicker for a 65 yard completion early in the game to spark the victory.
1989 - Burroughs 23, Burbank 19. The Indians were led by a trio of running backs in the win. Andre Banks rushed for 33 yards in 12 carries, Lionel Portugal ran for 31 yards on eight carries and Danny Suarez added 33 yards in eight carries as Burroughs defeated Burbank yet again.
1990 - Burroughs 20, Burbank 7. Sean McDermott rushed for 183 yards on 23 carries and scored a touchdown as the Indians defeated the Bulldogs for the fifth consecutive year. Ben Goldwasser added a touchdown and Eddie Gavilan had an interception for Burroughs.
1991 - Burbank 14, Burroughs 12. The Brenes brothers led the Bulldogs to victory and halted the Indians winning streak in the series at five games. Steve carried 19 times for 123 yards and Frank scored both Burbank touchdowns en route to 72 yards on 14 attempts. DB Mike Lyneis made a diving interception of a Marco Esquivel pass at the Bulldog 15 to clinch the win.
1992 - Burbank 21, Burroughs 17. Down 17-14, Bulldog quarterback Brian Casey completed a 30 yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Kendricks Lewis with 53 seconds left to give Burbank the four point victory. Bulldog running back Hector Valencia, who later would become head coach at Burbank, scored on a 56 yard run up the left sideline to put Burbank up 7-3 late in the first quarter. Burbank increased their lead to 14-3 only to see the Indians come back and take the lead. Burbank wouldn't be denied as they took their second straight "Big Game".
1993 - Burroughs 31, Burbank 6. After finishing 0-10 a year ago, the Indians completed their turn around with a decisive win that sent them to the playoffs for the first time since 1989. Eddie Melgar rushed for 115 yards and scored three touchdowns as Indian head coach Gary Bernardi earned his first win in the "Big Game" and snapped the brief two game winning streak for Burbank in the series. This win began a run of 10 consecutive victories for Burroughs over their hated rivals.
1994 - Burroughs 17, Burbank 13. The Indians scored the winning touchdown on a four yard pass from Mike Barrett to Tony Listro with 7:05 left in the game. Carlos Moreno ran for 134 yards on 28 carries as Burroughs stormed back from a 13-3 halftime deficit. Burbank's Carlos Baker rushed for 121 yards on 21 carries.
1995 - Burroughs 21, Burbank 0. In a game that will be remembered for ending early due to a brawl with 3:21 left, Indians quarterback J.K. Scott led the way completing 9 of 15 passes for 166 yards. Wide receiver Glenn Adriatico caught three passes for 69 yards, including a 23 yard pass from Scott that gave Burroughs their final touchdown. Burbank was last shut out in the "Big Game" in 1987 and it marked Burroughs' eleventh series shutout. The Indians defeated the Bulldogs for the third straight time.
1996 - Burroughs 35, Burbank 6. Quarterback J.K. Scott completed 16 of 29 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns as the offense continued to put up big numbers and the defense was led by Danny Kang who had two interceptions, two sacks and a forced fumble. Scott would later take his talents to the University of Washington.
1997 - Burroughs 29, Burbank 14. Glenn Adriatico finished his illustrious prep career catching an 89 yard TD pass from quarterback Chris Santoyo and added an 11 yard TD run too as Burroughs won their fifth straight in the series. Adriatico completed his career with 199 receptions for 3,069 yards. The Indians jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead and never looked back in Bulldogs alum Keith Knoop's first "Big Game" as head coach for Burroughs.
1998 - Burroughs 26, Burbank 21. In the 50th meeting of the "Big Game", wide receiver Kyle Cremarosa caught eight passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Indians to victory. Burroughs quarterback Joe Kroells completed 11 of 20 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns as the Indians took an 18-7 halftime lead and held off Burbank. Alan Gutierrez led the Bulldogs with 161 yards on 32 carries.
1999 - Burroughs 35, Burbank 14. The Indians won their seventh consecutive game (longest in the series) over the Bulldogs by overpowering them from the very start. Jonathan Overturf scored on an 83 yard trick play on the first play from scrimmage in the game. Randy Beckmann and Michael Perez added a touchdown apiece and Spencer Steward caught a TD pass from Joe Kroells as Burroughs rolled to victory. The game marked the 1000th point ever scored by the Indians against the Bulldogs in their storied rivalry.
2000 - Burroughs 54, Burbank 36. The Indians' Mike Perez rushed for 214 yards on 31 carries including a 57 yard TD run with less than a minute to play. Teammate Lonn Salmon threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns on 6 of 10 passing. Burroughs' 54 points set a record for most points scored by one team in the "Big Game" and the 90 points combined was also a record.
2001 - Burroughs 38, Burbank 21. Mike Perez rushed for 84 yards on 12 carries and scored two touchdowns and Gabriel Moise Jr. picked up a fumble and rumbled 88 yards down the field for the clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter. Trailing 26-21, Burbank was driving deep into Indian territory only to have the turnover. Moise's score made it 32-21 and it ended any hope of a Bulldog win. Perez reached the 1,000 yard mark for the second consecutive season. He also had an 80 yard touchdown reception in the game.
2002 - Burroughs 43, Burbank 31. The Indians had a commanding 30-7 lead early in the third quarter behind the play of quarterback David Brooks, who rushed for 177 yards and three touchdowns. However, Bulldog signal caller Mike McDonald, son of former Burroughs star Mike McDonald Sr., rallied his team to within 37-31 with 3:51 to play on a TD pass to Rico Clark. Burbank was on the drive again looking for the win when Burroughs' Darrel Ditri intercepted a pass and returned it 55 yards for a score with 24 seconds to play to cap the win. This marked the tenth consecutive win in the series for Burroughs and the longest such streak in the "Big Game".
2003 - Burbank 24, Burroughs 18. Finally! The Bulldogs snapped the 10 game "Big Game" winning streak of Burroughs as Mike McDonald finished 14 of 28 for 203 yards and three touchdowns. McDonald connected with Jesse Ayers on an 11 yard TD pass with 3:28 to play which turned out to be the decisive score.
2004 - Burbank 26, Burroughs 12. Jason Barbic did it all for Burbank in their second consecutive "Big Game" win over the Indians. Barbic rushed for 50 yards in six carries and a TD, caught two passes for 108 yards and threw a 13 yard touchdown pass. Mike McDonald finished his "Big Game" career completing 7 of 11 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown.
2005 - Burroughs 35, Burbank 28. As Mike Perez did back in 2000, the Indians' Thomas Kyle put his team on his back and rushed for 249 yards on 32 carries and a pair of touchdowns, including a 62 yarder that put Burroughs ahead 26-14 early in the third quarter. Burbank's Robert Linda completed 16 of 36 passes for 283 yards and a score. The Indians regained control of the series after Burbank had won back to back contests the previous two years.
2006 - Burroughs 24, Burbank 6. First Mike Perez, then Thomas Kyle. Now Joe Wiggan. He did it all in a convincing manner as he rushed for 288 yards on 47 carries and scored two touchdowns. Wiggan rushed for 178 yards in the second half alone. The Indians scored 24 unanswered points to defeat the Bulldogs who could have shared the league title with a win. Led by head coach Keith Knoop, Burroughs finished the regular season with a 9-1 mark and 7-0 in Pacific League play, its first league title since 1981.
2007 - Burroughs 30, Burbank 20. The Indians rallied from a 13-0 first quarter deficit and scored the game's next 23 points to lead 23-13 late in the third quarter. After a Bulldog touchdown with 4:39 left in the game trimmed the Burroughs lead to 23-20, Indians' tailback Dominique Barnes scored on a 27 yard run to seal the victory. Barnes finished with 149 yards in 16 carries as Burroughs won their third straight in the series.
2008 - Burroughs 58, Burbank 22. Following in the legendary footsteps of Indians' Mike Perez, Thomas Kyle and Joe Wiggan, Dominique Barnes put on a performance of a lifetime in the 60th rendition of the "Big Game". Barnes rushed for 304 yards, a school record, on 23 carries and scored five touchdowns to lead the Indians to the dominating win. The 58 points scored by Burroughs set a "Big Game" scoring record for one team. Barnes scored on touchdowns runs of seven, 20, 48, 85 and nine yards. In the process, Barnes set the school record for most points scored in a season by a player. The Indians won their fourth straight in the series. On a historic note, Burbank made the CIF Playoffs and won their first playoff game since 1927, a stretch that lasted 81 years. 1927 also marked the year when Burbank won its first league title.
2009 - Burbank 28, Burroughs 21. The Bulldogs snapped a four game losing streak vs. Burroughs and in the process won their first league title in 37 years! (1972 the last) Before a crowd of 8,800 spectators, these two teams clashed in a thrilling contest. It marked the first time in the 61 year history of competing against each other that both teams finished as co-champions together (each team finished with identical 6-1 records in the Pacific League). For Burbank, it was their fifth league title. Burroughs won their tenth league title the previous week. After Dalton Williams gave the Indians a 21-20 lead on a 79 yard touchdown dash down the Burroughs' sideline late in the third quarter, Burbank's Ulises Ochoa scored on a one yard touchdown run with 5:36 remaining in the game to give the Bulldogs a 26-21 advantage that they would not relinquish. Williams led Burroughs with 203 yards rushing while Ochoa ran for 127. Burbank quarterback Adam Colman completed 14 of 23 passes for 174 yards and teammate Jackson Diamond caught 10 passes for 111 yards and was rewarded with the game ball by first-year head coach and Bulldog alum, Hector Valencia. Burbank finished its season with a school-record tying nine wins (9-3) and advanced to the CIF Quarterfinals for a second consecutive season.
2010 - Burroughs 38, Burbank 35. In the final game to be played at Memorial Field before a complete overhaul and renovation, Burroughs completes the greatest comeback in "Big Game" annals with an amazing and breathtaking 38-35 victory over Burbank to win back to back league titles for the first time since winning five straight from 1977-1981. In front of 9,000 boisterous fans, junior Cristobal Escobar kicks the game-winning 20 yard field goal as time expires and pandemonium erupts on the Burroughs sideline. Trailing their cross-town rivals 28-0 with 7:58 remaining in the first half, the Indians came storming back with two late touchdowns in the second quarter and rally with 17 points in the fourth quarter to pull off the stunning comeback. Burbank, led by senior standout Ulises Ochoa who rushed for game-highs of 188 yards on 34 carries and two touchdowns (one rushing, one interception return), led 35-21 early in the fourth quarter. But behind the leadership of senior quarterback Lucas Yanez (14 of 26 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns), Burroughs converts back to back touchdown drives of 84 and 87 yards to tie the game at 35 apiece with 1:44 left. The game-tying touchdown was a 51 yard pass from Yanez to his twin brother, Tyler Yanez. Tyler led all receivers in the game with eight catches for 122 yards and two touchdowns. After holding Burbank to three incompletions and a short punt, the Indians moved down the field and into field goal position for Escobar. With 4.7 seconds remaining, Escobar calmly made the kick in what one journalist described as 'the moment'. It was simply a 'classic' for the ages. Burroughs won their eleventh league title while taking a 40-22 lead in the series. 2011 - Burroughs 14, Burbank 7. (From the dailynews.com, 11/11/11) - Burroughs wins 'Big Game' away from Burbank, clinches share of Pacific League title, By Kevin Connelly Special to the Daily News. ARCADIA - For the first time since the "Big Game" intracity rivalry began in 1949, the Burroughs High football program squared off against Burbank outside the city limits. That change of venue suited Zander Anding just fine, as the senior running back rushed for 360 yards and four touchdowns on 30 carries and Burroughs clinched a share of the Pacific League title with a 35-7victory at Arcadia High. The victory marked the sixth time in the past seven seasons Burroughs (6-4, 6-1) has defeated Burbank (4-6, 3-4) in the rivalry game, which was moved out of town due to the ongoing construction at Memorial Field in Burbank. The Indians finished the regular season as co-champions of the Pacific League with Arcadia, which defeated Crescenta Valley 31-7 Friday. Burroughs has won at least a share of the past three league titles. "This is an amazing feeling for us. I can't even explain it," said Anding, whose 2,464 yards rushing broke a single-season record at Burroughs, in addition to setting the Pacific League record. "Now it's time to regroup and get ready for the playoffs." Despite facing a Burbank defense with eight and nine men in the box for much of the night, Burroughs jumped out to a 14-7 halftime lead with a dominant rushing attack. The first eight plays from scrimmage for the Indians were direct snaps to Anding, who capped a 14-play, 98-yard drive with an 8-yard rushing touchdown as time expired in the first quarter. All 14 plays on the opening drive were rushing attempts. Anding had 16 rushing attempts for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, including a 73-yard touchdown with 5:39 remaining in the second quarter to put Burroughs ahead 14-7. Anding, whose 273 rushing yards per game this season puts him in the top 10 in state history, added touchdown runs of 5 and 56 yards in the second half. "It's not like I get the feeling I'm Superman and can't be stopped," Anding said. "I just try to run as hard as I can on every play, and we've had some great success so far this year." 2012 - Burbank 37 Burroughs 14. (From the Burbank Leader, 11/2/12, by Jeff Tully) - MEMORIAL FIELD — Most of the seniors on this season’s Burbank High football team had never beaten cross-town rival Burroughs in the annual Big Game. That same group also missed competing in the playoffs last year as juniors, as the Bulldogs failed to qualify for the postseason. After Friday’s effort against the Indians at Memorial Field, that senior contingent will be able to enjoy both accomplishments this season. Paced by a defense that kept Burroughs scoreless for more than three quarters, Burbank jumped out to an early lead and attacked the Indians will a solid running game. The end result was a 37-14 Pacific League victory by the Bulldogs in the 64th installment of the storied rivalry. With the win, Burbank (7-3, 6-1 in league) finishes in second place in league behind champion Muir (7-3, 7-0). The Bulldogs will begin the playoffs with a CIF Southern Section Southeast Division first-round game next week. For Burroughs (4-6, 4-3), it misses automatically qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2005, when it finished fifth in the Foothill League. Although Arcadia (4-6, 4-3) — which lost to Crescenta Valley Friday, 23-7 — finished tied for third with the Indians, the Apaches were awarded the third and final automatic postseason spot via an 18-8 win against the Indians. “It’s a good thing for our seniors to be able to be going to the playoffs after missing out last season,” Burbank Coach Hector Valencia said. “They’ve worked hard and they deserve to be going.” The win for the Bulldogs is the first over their rival since 2009, when they notched a 28-21 victory. The Indians had a chance to make the postseason with a win Friday night. However, it was apparent early on that the Bulldogs were in control of the game, as they took advantage of Burroughs miscues to jump out to a 37-0 advantage. “Burbank has been where we’re at now their share of times in the past,” Burroughs Coach Keith Knoop said. “We told our guys how good they were and if you gave them any opportunity they were going to punch you in the mouth. They are physical, they are aggressive and they came to play.” While its defensive was shutting down the Indians, Burbank’s running game rolled along. The ground attack was led by sophomore running back James Williams, who had 14 carries for 149 yards and a touchdown, which came on a splendid 89-yard run. Teammate Teddy Arlington had 11 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown and Joseph Pendleton carried the ball 13 times for 42 yards and a touchdown. The Bulldogs scoring began modestly when they had to settle for a field goal on their first possession of the game. Senior Yervand Umrikyan made good on a 33-yard attempt with 6:48 remaining in the first. When Burroughs’ first possession stalled on its own 39, it was forced to punt. However, the punter shanked the effort, which ended up going just three yards. The Bulldogs took over and drove the ball down the field, as the march ended with Pendleton punching it in for a one-yard touchdown. With a 10-0 lead after one quarter, the Bulldogs mounted a scoring drive in the second quarter following an interception by Joshua Nersissian. Sophomore quarterback Ryan Meredith took the ball on a keeper from three yards out with 3:48 remaining before the half. The Bulldogs were able to pad their lead just 24 seconds later on another Burroughs miscue. After an intentional grounding call backed the Indians up to their four-yard line, the Burroughs quarterback bobbled the snap in the end zone and the ball was recovered by defensive end Kyle Hunter for a touchdown. Burbank went into halftime with a 24-0 lead. “Our guys know what was at stake in this game, and they wanted to play well and get ready for the playoffs,” Valencia said. “The way they came out just demonstrated how tough they can play. We have come out flat in some games this year, but that didn’t happen tonight.” The Bulldogs defense limited the Burroughs offense to just 50 total yards in the first half. In the third quarter, Williams showed why he has gained more than 1,400 yards this season when he broke loose on an 89-yard touchdown scamper with 8:56 left in the third quarter. It was Williams’ 17th rushing touchdown this season. Burbank made it 37-0 with 10:38 left on a one-yard scoring run by Arlington. With a running clock in the fourth quarter, Burroughs — which ran the Wildcat on several occasions — finally had success moving the ball on offense. The Indians were able to end the shutout with 8:12 remaining in the contest. Senior Josh Storer found pay dirt on a 17-yard run up the middle to finally give the Burroughs fans something to cheer about. “We were really banged up at a few positions,” Knoop said. “But late in the game the guys were fired up to score. I put my three best running backs in to see what they could do.” Storer had 13 carries for 52 yards. The Indians made it 37-14 with 42.4 seconds remaining when junior quarterback Andrew Williams found Storer on a 16-yard scoring pass. The touchdown was set up by an interception by Garrett Manoukian. (Account by Mike McDaniel) Spoiler alert! If you favor the Burroughs side of the annual cross town game what follows may be painful to read and may cause a severe elevation to your blood pressure. Proceed with caution… The 2012 Burbank-Burroughs game was highly anticipated with Burbank High having lost only one game all of the regular season, and it was looking good for a Burbank High win this year. The game started with the normal fanfare - the introduction of both schools king and queen with their respective courts. The bands were playing and the cheer squads were pumping up the crowds. Burroughs was the home team and so they had the home side in the first cross town game to be played in the ultra-modern Memorial Stadium. The venue looked great and the spirits were high on both sides. Shortly after the kick off Burbank scored and never looked back. James Williams, Burbank High's star runner, just kept assaulting the Burroughs defense most notably with an 89 yard touchdown run. Burroughs was having quarterback issues and fumbled the ball in their own end zone, to which Kyle Hunter of Burbank dived on for a touchdown. Burroughs was demoralized and and did not recover in the second half. The home stands were also silent - no fight songs from the band and little if any cheering from the fans who outnumbered the BHS fans by at least two to one. After a few more scoring drives by Burbank the announcer said that the "Mercy Rule" was now in place. In all of the Burroughs wins against Burbank they have never done that to Burbank High, so this is a first in the history of the game. So Burroughs could keep face they were allowed to score. (This is not mentioned in any of the reviews of the game in print by the local papers.) To add insult to injury Burroughs staff in the booth usually leave their winning score up on the score board all night… Not this time, the game ended with the score for all to see shut off right as the last gun was fired ending the game. Very poor sportsmanship on the Burroughs part, I say. Final score 37 to 14 Burbank. 2013 - Burbank 47 Burroughs 21. (From the La Canada Valley Sun, 11/8/13, by Jeff Tully) BURBANK — There was final placement in the Pacific League, playoff seeding and even an automatic postseason berth on the line Friday when Burbank High took on Burroughs in their annual football clash. Thus, as has been the case for most of the cross-town clashes since the local teams joined the league seven years ago, this season's Big Game had much more than pride and city bragging rights on the line. The Bulldogs had the most to lose, as a defeat would put them out of the picture for an automatic CIF Southern Section playoff spot. The Indians, on the other hand, were in the playoffs win or lose. With its postseason life possibly hanging in the balance, Burbank erased a late Burroughs lead in the first half, accounted for 30 unanswered points in the third quarter and eventually rolled to a 47-21 league victory at Memorial Field. Burroughs (6-4, 5-2 in league) was already assured of a playoff spot going into the game. However, instead of finishing in second and going into the postseason as the league's No. 2 seed, the Indians will be the No. 3 seed. Burbank (8-2-5-2) finished tied for second, but the victory puts it in the playoffs with the No. 2 spot. "We knew if we lost this game we might not get into the playoffs," said Burbank wide receiver/corner back Oharjee Brown, a transfer from Burroughs who had three catches for 90 yards. "We didn't want to leave it up to chance that we might not get in. We just knew that we had to play hard so we could get the win." Burroughs was able to take a 14-10 lead in the second quarter, largely due to the passing of quarterback Andrew Williams, who completed his first seven passes of the game. He completed 12 of 17 passes for 174 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Also helping the cause was Indians wide receiver Conor Joyce, who caught six balls for 170 yards and a touchdown. But after going up by five points with 5:55 remaining in the first half following an 80-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Joyce, the Indians' offense stalled. Following a Brown interception, Burbank scored on a six-yard run by Joseph Pendleton (11 carries for 135 yards and three touchdowns) with 1:31 left in the game and the Bulldogs were able to go into the half with a 17-14 advantage. "At halftime we talked about a couple of adjustments that we had to do," Burbank Coach Hector Valencia said. "We just had to make sure that we finish. We were moving the ball in the first half and we knew we were moving in the right direction. We just had to change up some things and that really paid off for us in the second half." The second half was a mighty one for the Bulldogs. Led by James Williams, the Burbank ground attack couldn't be stopped by Burroughs. Williams, who opened up the game lined up in the Wildcat, had another outstanding game, carrying the ball 23 times for 173 yards and three touchdowns. The offensive push helped the Bulldogs score 30 unanswered points in the third and 37 total carrying over from the first half. "We just came out and played poorly in the third quarter," Burroughs Coach Keith Knoop said. "The third quarter we played terrible. In the fourth quarter we played well, but we just had a bad third quarter and that killed us." Down, 47-14, after three quarters, Andrew Williams began running the ball on the option and the Indians began moving the ball better in the fourth quarter. Burroughs finally broke up the Burbank scoring string when Sean Johnson found the end zone on a one-yard run with 3:23 remaining in the game. Burbank began the game with a 3-0 advantage when Herry Avetisyan booted a 25-yard field goal with 7:55 left in the first quarter. But Burroughs countered and went up, 7-3, following a two-yard scoring run by Andrew Williams. Burbank was able to snatch back the lead after James Williams scored on a six-yard scamper with 7:42 remaining in the second quarter for a 10-7 Bulldogs advantage. However, once again the Indians fought back, taking a 14-10 lead on the long bomb from Andrew Williams to Joyce. "This was a big game for us and we knew it," James Williams said. "I'm just so proud that the guys were able to step up and we were able to get the win." Andrew Williams was Burroughs' leading rusher with 50 yards in eight carries. Burroughs also flirted with the Wildcat with Javier Pineda, but it proved relatively ineffective. 2014 - Burbank 16 Burroughs 10. (From the Burbank Leader, 11/7/14, by Jeff Tully) Big Game: Burbank football beats Burroughs to earn final automatic playoff berth Football: In game featuring seven turnovers, Bulldogs win third straight Big Game in Pacific League season finale. By Jeff Tully, jeff.tully@latimes.com 11:03 PM PST, November 7, 2014 BURBANK — Forget about city bragging rights and rivalry one-upmanship. As far as the players and coaches were concerned, Friday's annual cross-town football clash between Burroughs High and Burbank came down to one thing.With both teams entering the contest with identical records and tied for third place in the Pacific League – a league with just three guaranteed playoff spots – the battle was for the final postseason berth. In a game that featured seven turnovers, Burbank was able to hold off Burroughs late to earn a 16-10 victory at Memorial Field. It was the Bulldogs' third straight win over the Indians. With Crescenta Valley and Muir wrapping up the first two spots in league and earning spots in the CIF Southern Section Southeast Division playoffs, Friday's win gave Burbank (7-3, 6-2 in league) the final berth. That leaves Burroughs (6-4, 4-3) on the outside looking in for the playoffs, which begin Friday with brackets unveiled Sunday. The division will take one at-large team, but it would likely be a long shot that the Indians would get that spot. That's because division mate Bellflower finished the season 7-3 and was 3-3 in the Suburban League. Salesian (4-6), comes out of the competitive Angeles League and has played some quality opponents with a win over Muir to its credit. "It's going to be Salesian," Burroughs Coach Keith Knoop said. "They play in a tougher league and they will probably be the team that gets picked. I would be very surprised if we got that spot." The Indians suffered the most from turnovers, as they committed five compared to two by the Bulldogs. Burbank constantly hounded Burroughs junior quarterback Andy Amela, blitzing the inexperienced signal-caller and forcing him into two interceptions with no touchdowns. "We knew that he had not felt pressure like we bring," Burbank Coach Richard Broussard said. "We blitz 100% of the time, so it's coming, so you better be able to block it. And we do some funky things so we are always changing things up." After Burbank took a 9-0 lead into halftime, Burroughs got back into the game in the third quarter. With 3:20 left, Chance Bell scored on a sweep right to put the Indians to within three, 9-7. But things changed in favor of Burbank in a dramatic turn of events. Burroughs was able to get the ball back later in the quarter and had it on its own 20. However, a fumble and recovery by Bulldogs linebacker Kyle Alvarez gave the ball to Burbank on the Burroughs 21. It took just one play for Burbank quarterback Ryan Meredith to connect with Nick Warren (four catches for 61 yards) on a 21-yard strike with 23.8 seconds left for a touchdown that would push the Bulldogs' lead to 16-7. Meredith, a senior, completed 15 of 23 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown. "We did have the turnovers early and that kind of hurt us," Meredith said. "I thought that we came out in the second half and played a lot better than we did in the first half." Following a scoreless first quarter, Burbank got on the board first with 7:37 left in the second quarter when Aki Arlington picked off Amela and romped in for a 22-yard touchdown that put the Bulldogs up, 6-0. The Bulldogs made it 9-0 when Ryan Boyd converted a 29-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. Burroughs tallied its final points with 6:44 remaining in the contest when Andres Aguilar connected on a 37-yard field goal. Bell had 16 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown and Michael Ospina had 12 carries for 68 yards for the Indians. "These kids want to represent their city, they want to represent the rivalry and our guys played hard," Broussard said. "Because of that I think they got a little shocked at first, but they were able to pull through." 2015 - Burbank 21 Burroughs 47. (From the Burbank Leader, 11/6/15, by Jeff Tully) It was one of the most significant “Big Games” in years when Burroughs High’s football team and Burbank renewed their long standing cross-town rivalry clash Friday evening at Memorial Field. Having already secured a share of the Pacific League championship, its first in four years, a week earlier, the Indians were looking to close out the league campaign undefeated and claim the undisputed title for their own. For the Bulldogs, a victory would give them a portion of the league crown. The Bulldogs came out inspired and looked like the team to beat early on, jumping out to a 14-point lead in the first quarter. But the Indians stifled their foes for much of the rest of the game, scoring 40 straight points to secure a 47-21 victory. Burroughs (9-1, 7-0 in league), ranked No. 5 in the CIF Southeast Division, claimed a share of their first title since 2011 with a win Oct. 30 against Crescenta Valley. Friday, the players savored the undisputed title all to themselves. Burbank (6-4, 6-1), ranked No. 9 in the division, finishes tied with Crescenta Valley for second place in league, but the Bulldogs will go into the playoffs as the No. 2 team from the league after beating the Falcons head to head. “It feels great to win the league championship,” Burroughs quarterback Steven Hubbell said. “We all worked really hard to achieve this and now to be able to win it is just unbelievable.” Hubbell was a catalyst for the Burroughs offense. The senior completed 17 of 27 passes for 265 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. Indians receiver Cade Borland hauled in eight passes for 92 yards and one touchdown and Robert Awungani had three catches for 32 yards and two touchdowns. Nick Mercado and Erick Hernandez caught a touchdown apiece. Burbank jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a pair of touchdown passes from quarterback Guy Gibbs to Max Weisman (seven catches for 83 yards) and Forrest Fajardo. Gibbs completed 15 of 25 yards for 199 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. But after the initial Bulldogs offensive push, the Indians shut them down. Burroughs scored 19 straight points to go into halftime with a 19-14 lead. “They have a great defense and we just had to take what they were giving us in that early going,” Burroughs Coach Keith Knoop said. “They did a couple of different things and it just took us a little bit of time to kind of figure out what they were doing. But once we figured that out it was like taking candy from a baby. “We know that running was going to be tough against their defense so we wanted to throw the ball a lot.” On the ground, Burroughs received 164 yards in 20 carries and one touchdown from Chance Bell, who returned to action after being knocked out of the game against the Falcons. “It was the tale of one quarter,” Burbank Coach Richard Broussard said. “You can’t just play one quarter of football and hope to win. Burroughs is a very good team and you have to play a complete game if you hope to beat them. We did some good things early on, but we just couldn’t maintain it. “But hats off to them. …Burroughs played a great game and they deserve it.” The teams will find out what the playoffs will bring when the pairings are released by the CIF on Sunday.
2016 - Burbank 36 Burroughs 7. (From the Burbank Leader, 11/4/16, by Jeff Tully)
BURBANK — The calling card this season for the Burbank High football team has been its stingy defense.
In the annual Big Game cross-town rivalry Friday evening against Burroughs, that defense came calling and the Indians seemed powerless to stop it.
The Bulldogs shut out Burroughs until the final 15 seconds of the game, almost completely neutralized Burroughs star running back Chance Bell and jumped out to an early lead. All that led to a 36-7 victory by the Bulldogs at Memorial Field.
It was the most lopsided Big Game since Burroughs beat Burbank, 58-22, in 2008, and the biggest Bulldogs rivalry win since it defeated Burroughs, 44-8, in 1969.Burbank (7-3, 6-1 in league) finished the season in second place behind Crescenta Valley (9-1, 7-0), which captured its first league championship in two years. The Bulldogs, ranked No. 10 in CIF Southern Section Division VIII, will now prepare for the playoffs, with brackets set to be unveiled on Sunday.
Burroughs, last season's league champion, finished 4-6, 3-4.
The Burbank defense set the tone early Friday and was relentless. The Bulldogs hounded Bell, a senior who has committed to San Diego State and who had gained more than 2,000 yards and had 28 touchdowns coming into the game. Bell ended a frustrating night with 20 carries for 11 yards with no touchdowns. Ten of those carries were for zero or negative yards.
"We know [Bell] is a stud and we have seen what he's capable of doing," Burbank Coach Richard Broussard said. "We knew if we kept him out of the end zone that we would have a pretty good chance at winning the game. That was really our one goal and we accomplished that goal.
"Our guys just carried out our game plan to a tee. I am so proud of all of those guys and especially the way the defense played."
With their first and second string quarterbacks sidelined with injuries, the Indians went with sophomore Nathan Piper for the second straight game. The signal-caller had his share of problems, including throwing a pair of interceptions to junior Kaydon Spens.
When its offense sputtered, Burroughs went to the wildcat behind Bell. However, that offensive change proved ineffective.
"Our offense was pretty inept," Burroughs Coach Mike Reily said. "Not a whole lot was working for us. Burbank has a great defense and they were definitely taking advantage of our shortcomings.
"The wildcat was something that we had been practicing the last couple of weeks and we ran it a little here and there. …We thought that it would give us some kind of a spark, but it really didn't."
Burbank was able to run the ball against Burroughs, getting two touchdowns from junior Darnell Williams (11 carries for 68 yards) and one each from senior Nick Warren (16 carries for 53 yards) and senior Joey Miller (eight carries for 81 yards).
The Bulldogs also had some success passing, as senior quarterback Guy Gibbs completed eight of 17 passes for 128 yards and one touchdown. However, he did throw two interceptions.
On its first drive of the game, Burbank scored and converted a two-point conversion to take an 8-0 lead. The Bulldogs increased their advantage to 22-0 at halftime.
In the first half, Burbank held Burroughs to just 10 yards of total offense.
Fourteen points by Burbank in the third quarter and a 36-0 lead prompted a running clock in the fourth quarter.
The Indians avoided the shutout with a touchdown with 15.4 seconds remaining. Junior Davin Harrison took a lateral and threw a 44-yard scoring pass to junior Gavin Aguilar.
"We had a tough loss last week [against Crescenta Valley] and we just wanted to come in motivated for this one," Burbank senior linebacker Andy Reyes said. "We worked a lot in practice on keying on [Bell] and we just wanted to be all over him any time he got the ball. We also watched film on him and really studied him and it all paid off."
Burbank has defeated Burroughs the last four out of five years in the Big Game.
2017 - Burbank 41 Burroughs 14. (From the Burbank Leader, 11/3/17, by Jeff Tully)
Burbank football downs Burroughs, earns undisputed league championship
BURBANK — It was a goal the Burbank High football team was not about to fall short of accomplishing.
Having already secured a share of the Pacific League championship, the Bulldogs could secure an outright title with a win Friday evening in the 69th rendition of the Big Game crosstown clash. Although the Indians trailed by just a touchdown early in the third quarter, the Bulldogs stepped on the gas and left their rivals in their rearview mirror, defeating Burroughs, 41-14, at Memorial Field.
It is the first league title for Burbank since it shared the championship with Burroughs in 2009. It is also the first undisputed crown for the Bulldogs in 45 years, when they were in the Foothill League.
“This is really special,” said Burbank coach Adam Colman, who is in his first year. “Some people picked us to finish fourth in the league this year. This is just a special group and they really worked for this.
“This just shows what hard work and loving each other and just buying in can do. ...When you believe in something and everyone buys in, you can accomplish great things.”
The Indians (4-5, 3-4) came into the game hobbled by injuries and undermanned. But, despite the setbacks, Burroughs trailed by just seven points, 21-14, with 10:31 left in the third quarter.
“I couldn’t be more proud right now of our guys," said Burroughs coach Mike Reily, whose team finished fifth in league. “With the injuries that we’ve had the last couple weeks and the dudes we had playing, our guys could have very easily caved and given up, but they battled and they were warriors tonight.”
Burbank (8-2, 7-0 in league), ranked No. 8 in CIF Southern Section Division VII, was led by four touchdown passes from junior quarterback Matthew Porras, who completed 20 of 33 passes for 239 yards and scores of seven, 21, 18 and 10 yards. He also had three interceptions.
Catching three of those touchdowns was junior Duncan Smith, who hauled in eight passes for 130 yards.
On the ground, senior Darnell Williams had 30 carries for 151 yards and touchdowns of two and three yards.
Porras and Smith hooked up on two scoring strikes to put Burbank in front, 14-0, with 8:35 left in the second quarter. Porras hit senior Kaydon Spens for an 18-yard touchdown to make it 21-0 with 4:14 remaining before half.
But Burroughs senior Charlie Rodriguez took the ensuing kickoff and returned it 96 yards to put the Indians on the board.
Burbank went into halftime leading, 21-7, after holding Burroughs to just 47 yards of total offense in the first half.
The Indians narrowed the deficit to 21-14 when junior quarterback Nathan Piper (nine of 16 for 160 yards) threw a 66-yard touchdown pass to senior Gavin Aguilar (two catches for 84 yards).
But the Burbank defense stiffened thereafter and the Indians had trouble moving the ball.
“It’s great to have the kind of defense that we have knowing that they are going to get the ball back for us,” Porras said. “Tonight we just tried to do some different things on offense and a lot of it worked.”
Burbank, which has won seven straight, increased its lead to 28-14 after three quarters.
The Bulldogs, who advanced to the Division VIII championship in 2016, will find out their playoff fate when the pairings are released by the CIF office Sunday morning.
(NOTE: Pacific League champions or not, the Bulldogs’ shoulders will hardly be chip-free when they enter the CIF Southern Section Division VII playoffs on Friday night against Tustin at Burroughs High’s Memorial Field. Games are set for 7:30 p.m. start times unless a change is agreed upon. “Tustin’s one of the teams we thought we’d get. They’re a good team. It should be a good game to get the playoffs started,” Colman said. “It goes on with what we’ve always thought this year, is nobody believes in us but us. It’s extra motivation for us just like all season.” Burbank (8-2) hosts a run-heavy Tustin (8-2), which finished third in the Empire League.)
2018 - Burbank 54 Burroughs 20. (From the Burbank Leader, 10/26/18, by Nathan Cambridge)
Historic outing for Porras leads Burbank football past Burroughs
BURBANK — In Burbank, the “Big Game” are the only words required to describe what happens when Burbank and Burroughs highs collide in a matchup of cross-town football rivals.
And Friday’s rendition saw plenty of aerial fireworks.
In the 70th installment of the “Big Game,” Burbank senior quarterback Matthew Porras had a historic night through the air, leading to a 54-20 victory at Memorial Field in both teams’ regular and Pacific League season finales.
“Matthew Porras tonight set the single game, season and career records [for touchdown passes at Burbank],” Bulldog coach Adam Colman said. “In front of the whole city, that’s cool.”
Porras finished with seven touchdown passes, while going 21 of 31 for 323 yards and one interception.
“The O-line did amazing. I don’t think I was pressured once,” Porras said. “The receivers and slots did amazing as well catching the ball and getting away from defenders.”
The senior signal-caller played the whole game chasing the touchdown records. With 1:58 left, he threw his historic seventh touchdown with Ben Burnham making the 13-yard grab.
“That last one was for him,” Colman said. “He is such a warrior doing everything as a leader. To have his name in the record books at the top of everything, he deserves it.”
The Bulldogs’ leading receiver was Erik Harutyunyan, who caught eight passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Burnham had five catches for 76 yards and the two scores. Duncan Smith made five catches for 41 yards and two scores. Running back Isaac Glover had one catch going for 11 yards and a touchdown.
Glover also had a game-high 66 yards on the ground in 16 carries with one rushing touchdown.
The contest started with a bang as Indians Aiden Forrester received the opening kickoff and took it back 94 yards for the first points of the game 15 seconds in.
Burbank (7-3, 6-1 in league) fired right back on its first possession, going 69 yards in four plays. The score came on an 11-yard pass from Porras to Glover, who came out of the backfield to make the grab. The extra point kick was missed and the hosts kept the lead at 7-6.
Burbank would go on to score a touchdown each of the first four times it had the ball, with all the scores coming on passes from Porras.
Burbank took the lead for good with 3:25 left in the first quarter. Porras rolled to his right and threw a strike to Harutyunyan in the right near corner of the end zone from 19 yards out.
The Bulldogs scored one more touchdown in the first quarter. In the final minute, Burnham caught a pass from Porras just outside the end zone with one Indian to beat. He juked right, then left, blowing by the defender and eluding his grasp. The 16-yard scoring pass, plus the ensuing kick, made it 21-7 at the end of the first.
In the second quarter, Burroughs (2-8, 2-5) had its second shotgun snap of the evening sail over the quarterback’s head. This time, Vincent Vang covered the ball to set up the Bulldogs with a short field at the 27. Burbank soon cashed in on the Indians’ error when Porras threw his fourth touchdown pass of the first half, covering 10 yards to tight end Smith, who caught the ball sandwiched between two Indians.
Burroughs stopped the 27-point scoring streak with 3:22 left before halftime. Quarterback Nathan Piper threw a play-action pass to Nicholas Garcia for an eight-yard score before the half ended to make it 27-13.
The second half opened with Porras throwing an interception directly to Forrester, but the Indians promptly fumbled the ball back with Lucas Ojeil making the recovery. Soon after, Porras connected with a 25-yard scoring strike to Harutyunyan.
On the next possession, Burroughs made it a two-score game when Piper hit Nicholas Garcia from 31 yards out for a touchdown.
Piper finished 15 of 30 for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Garcia finished with five catches for 48 yards and two touchdowns.
However, on the ensuing drive, Porras struck for his sixth touchdown. Smith used all of his 6-foot-4 frame to reach up and snare the pass in the back of the zone for a 13-yard score.
Burbank tacked on two more touchdowns in the fourth, including Porras’ seventh touchdown.
Burbank finished second in league behind champion Arcadia. Burroughs took sixth and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
“For this team, the growth they did over the year, they got better,” Burroughs first-year coach Rand Holden said. “That’s the goal of this, high school football, you try to improve as a team and these kids did that. They started believing at the end. If we started over with the way we feel now the record would have been very different.”
Now Burbank will begin to gear up for the postseason, as the playoff pairings are set to be released Sunday.
Porras Lifts Burbank Football Past Burroughs
By Jim Riggio On October 27, 2018 (myburbank.com)
Matthew Porras probably shouldn’t have even suited Friday night for Burbank High when the Bulldogs took on Burroughs in ‘The Big Game’ at Memorial Field.
Porras, who said he had been vomiting less than 24 hours earlier, threw a career-high and school record seven touchdown passes in a 54-20 over the Indians.
“He threw up three different times at walkthroughs yesterday,” Burbank coach Adam Colman said. “He’s such a warrior. He has meant so much to our program.”
Porras became Burbank’s single game, single season and career touchdown pass leader all in the same contest.
“This morning I threw up at about 5 in the morning. Then I had a bunch of fluids and came to school,” said Porras, who said he only had soup and saltines.
Burbank (7-3, 6-1) will now learn its fate Sunday in the CIF Southern Section playoffs.
“We were working out the day of the CIF championship last year. We talked about going after a ring.
That’s been our goal since day one,” Colman said.”We’ve got hopefully four more weeks to chase that.”
Burroughs (2-8, 2-5) came in as a heavy underdog but gave Burbank everything it had.
“The journey this team went on was huge,” Burroughs coach Rand Holdren said. “If we were to start the season from today, it is a different story. These kids left it all on the field tonight.”
Burroughs stunned the Bulldogs when junior Aiden Forrester returned the game’s opening kickoff back 90 yards for a touchdown.
Burbank came right back and scored after just four plays from scrimmage.
Porras hooked up with junior Isaac Glover on a 10-yard touchdown pass. Glover also scored Burbank’s lone rushing touchdown, which came at the 10:24 mark of the fourth quarter.
Porras ended up completing 20 of 30 passes for 305 yards with just one interception.
Porras and Erik Harutyunyan hooked up on a 13-yard touchdown with 3:25 left in the first quarter to make it 14-7.
Harutyunyan finished with eight catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns.
Porras and junior Ben Burnham hooked up on a 16-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left in the first quarter. It was the first of two touchdowns he would score.
Burbank, which also received a pair of touchdowns from tight end Duncan Smith, led 27-13 at halftime.
Burroughs quarterback Nathan Piper hooked up with Nick Garcia on a 9-yard touchdown with 3:22 left in the first half. The took would hook up later on a 31-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Porras broke the single-game touchdown pass record when he hooked up with Burnham with 1:58 left to play.
Burroughs’ Andrew English had seven receptions for 69 yards.
Piper completed 15 of 30 passes for 171 yards in the final game of his career.
It has not escaped these Bulldogs' notice that when games are played on Burroughs' turf and Burroughs wins, the scoreboard remains lit for some time. However, when the Bulldogs win the scoreboard is extinguished immediately after the game ends. This is poor sportsmanship and the fellow controlling the scoreboard needs to be reprimanded. Anticipating this, Mike got this shot of the scoreboard in the final moments. - Wes and Mike
2019 - Burbank 28 Burroughs 29.
In a thriller, Burroughs football edges rival Burbank in league finale
by Vincent Nguyen in the Burbank Leader - Nov. 1, 2019
BURBANK — One point separated the Burroughs High and Burbank football teams in the final two minutes of the annual “Big Game.”
After a late touchdown, the Indians were in a position to tie the score with a point-after kick, or potentially take the lead with a two-point conversion. Indians coach Rand Holdren was caught by surprise when some of his players uttered the words “go for two.”
Burroughs quarterback Nick Garcia looked to his left, planted his feet and threw a pass to receiver Elijah Aldana-Pere for the two-point conversion and suddenly, it was a one-point lead for Burroughs with just over a minute to play.
Though Burbank marched down the field into Burroughs territory and put itself in a position to tally the game-winning touchdown, the Indians held off the Bulldogs to win, 29-28, at Memorial Field on Friday.
The win snapped a three-game skid for Burroughs in the annual cross-town clash.
When asked of what was the key component to the fourth-quarter success, Burroughs coach Rand Holdren repeated just one word: “Nick, Nick, Nick,” said Holdren, referring to his quarterback. “We decided we had to throw the ball. We knew that and I thought I would double up and send Nick out on the edge. He’s a talented guy. Just give him the ball.
“This is a huge team win. This is the best win we’ve had all year for numerous reasons. Getting Nick out on the edge is important. He’s an athlete and he took over some of the stuff. I love that.”
Burbank took a 21-13 lead early in the fourth quarter after a seven-yard run from Isaac Glover.
Burroughs cut the Burbank lead to 21-19 with a 14-yard pass from Garcia to Carson Cardenaz. After a false-start penalty on the two-point conversion, the quarterback found his receiver again to complete the PAT and tie it at 21 with 4:24 remaining.
“Coach said the team who wants it more is going to win,” Garcia said. “Burbank is amazing. They have a really good team. They’re well-coached. Coach was saying all week that we had to want it more than they do and we had to start on Monday. The game starts on Monday and the game didn’t start when it’s actually game time. We just worked all week.”
Two plays later, Burbank quarterback Kuba Raymond launched a pass down the middle to receiver Brandon Pena, who ran the distance for an 85-yard touchdown to give the Bulldogs a 28-21 advantage with 3:24 left.
The Indians got deep into Bulldogs territory ,aided a 35-yard catch from Aiden Forrester, who set up Garcia for a one-yard sneak to again slice the Burbank lead, this time to 28-27.
With 1:31 remaining, Garcia’s pass to Aldana-Pere gave Burroughs the one-point lead.
“Fight was what we wanted to do tonight and play the whole time,” Holdren said. “We did, man. We did. That was gutsy.”
The Indians defeated the Bulldogs for the first time since 2015, and it was their second victory in eight meetings.
With the win, Burroughs is hoping for a shot at an at-large berth into the CIF Southern Section Division XI playoffs with a 6-4 record to go along with a 2-4 showing in league.
“We knew we had to win tonight,” Holdren said. “All week: win and in. Win and in. We like our chances with getting in.”
Garcia finished on 12-of-17 passing for 150 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 98 yards and a touchdown in 13 carries. Cardenaz caught five passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
Burbank running back Isaac Glover scored three touchdowns in 33 carries and 190 yards for the Bulldogs, and Pena caught six passes for 155 yards and a touchdown.
Burbank quarterback Kuba Raymond finished on eight-of-10 passing for 169 yards, an interception and a touchdown. Raymond started for junior Aram Araradian, who wasn’t at full strength due to a shoulder injury he sustained from a 20-15 loss to Muir on Oct. 14.
Though suited up, Bulldogs coach Adam Colman didn’t want to risk further injury to his starting quarterback with the Division VII playoffs around the corner.
“Without our starting quarterback, Kuba did such an amazing job,” Colman said. “The whole game, we just ran the ball to ease him into it to get comfortable.
“When you go from an interception to an 85-yard to take the lead, and then they score, go for two to take the lead and he still drives us down ... for him to be composed in that situation to put together that drive to put us in that position, I can’t say enough of that kid. The whole team battled. I’m proud of them and my heart breaks for them.”
Burbank (4-6, 3-3) finishes third in league ahead of fourth-place Pasadena.
“I’ve been there before, so this is a little all too familiar for me,” Colman said. “It sucks. My heart just breaks for the kids. They were resilient. They battled. They didn’t give up.”
Burbank’s first drive ended at 7:12 in the opening with an interception from Burroughs defensive back John Alajijian. The Indians, however, were unable to take advantage of the turnover.
A Burroughs fumble from Jon English was recovered by Max Mendieta and 13 plays later, Burbank scored on a 16-yard run from Glover to break the scoreless deadlock for a 7-0 lead at 8:33 in the second.
A 46-yard pass to Cardenaz set up a six-yard touchdown catch for Burroughs two plays later to tie the score at 7 with 4:26 left in the half.
On a quarterback sneak attempt, Raymond fumbled possession and Forrester recovered the ball and returned it for a 32-yard score and a 13-7 lead with 2:56 remaining in the half.
However, the Bulldogs responded with a 39-yard catch from Pena to set up Glover’s six-yard scoring run to regain the lead, 14-13, at 1:43.
The Indians marched down into Bulldogs’ territory to the 11-yard line, but Garcia’s fifth pass attempt was intercepted by Kaze Gibbs just before the half.
Intrepid Burbankia reporter Mike McDaniel wasn't at this game, so we officially have no comments!
2020 – Burbank 25 Burroughs 7
From myburbank.com
In what is believed to have been the first ever “spring” game to be played between the cross-town rivals on April 16, 2021, this tilt was no ordinary Big Game. With the high school season delayed for seven months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, football made its long-awaited return in the spring when many had doubted the game would even be played considering the circumstances. The teams were clad in blue and red, coaches and officials wore masks to be protected from the deadly virus, and fan attendance was limited due to social distancing. Burbank ultimately prevailed, 25-7, in a contest where the city coming together to celebrate life and relationships was more important than the score itself. Bulldogs’ senior quarterback Aram Araradian completed 18 of 36 passes for 212 yards. His favorite target was sophomore Jagg Richer who caught nine passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. Leading 12-7 at the end of the third quarter, touchdowns by Dylan Robinson and Brayon Crawford sparked Burbank to the victory in the 72nd edition. The Indians were led by Luke Rogers who rushed for 84 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. The Bulldogs have won four of the last five contests and seven of the past nine.
2021 - Burbank 20 Burroughs 30.
Burroughs Football Punches Ticket to Playoffs
Bears take advantage of four Bulldog turnovers in 30-20 Pacific League victory.
By Jim Riggio - October 30, 2021 in myburbank.com
With a father and an older brother who have played in the Burroughs versus Burbank rivalry football, Burroughs High quarterback Jon English knew exactly what was at stake Friday night when the two teams clashed at Memorial Field, not to mention a playoff berth.
English carried his team on his back as Burroughs won over their crosstown rivals for the first time as Bears, winning 30-20.
“This game brings a lot of emotion to me. It is the biggest game in the city all year. My own family has been in this for generations. I want it deeply. I wanted to show that I could do it,” said English, whose father, Gary, and brother, Andrew, played in the game. “Burbank had a better record than us in the league too. We just wanted it more, plain and simple.”
Burroughs (4-5, 2-3 in league) earned the right to claim third place in the Pacific League and will now await Sunday’s CIF Southern Section playoff draw.
English carried the ball 24 times for 210 yards. He also completed seven of 12 passes for 78 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Burroughs took advantage of four Burbank turnovers and helped turn those into points in the first half.
The Bulldogs got on the board first as Freddy Cardenas kicked a 27-yard field goal with 7:45 left in the first quarter.
Later in the quarter Burroughs took advantage of a Burbank fumble and started from the Bulldog 40-yard line.
Four plays later, Nate Howland-Chhina scored on a 22-yard run to give Burroughs a 6-3 lead.
The Bears took advantage of another turnover on Burbank’s next drive as Elijah Aldana-Pere intercepted Burbank quarterback Dylan Robinson and ran it back 55 yards untouched.
Burbank added a second field goal from Cardenas with 43.4 seconds left in the first half, this one also being from 27 yards out.
Trailing just 13-6 at halftime, Burbank had a golden opportunity to get back in the game as Burroughs fumbled on the first play from scrimmage to start the second half.
But that drive ended as Burroughs’ Drake Vickers intercepted a Robinson pass in the end zone.
English carried Burroughs down the field on the ensuing drive, culminating with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Aldana-Pere. with 3:55 left in the third quarter, making it 20-6.
“All year long our defense has been our staple. They came through big again tonight. It is kind of what we were hoping for,” Burroughs coach Jesse Craven said. “Luckily this time we got it going on the offensive side. When you put it together like that, we knew we could have a special night.”
Burbank (3-7, 2-3) used some trickery to get back into the red zone. The Bulldogs were able to punch their way into the end zone as Robinson scored on a 1-yard run.
But English would not be denied. Facing a fourth down and 14-yard situation, he threw a 16-yard touchdown to Aiden Berryman.
The Bulldogs were not finished though.
Robinson threw a short pass to Rony Preza that didn’t appear to be anything significant, but Preza got outstanding blocking and was able to go 84 yards for the touchdown. This made it 27-20 with 7:24 to play.
Burroughs essentially put the game out of reach with 2:53 left as Brodie Kemp kicked a 24-yard field goal. Kemp is the grandson of longtime Burbank High Athletic Director and coach Dave Kemp.
“Last week we got the takeaways. This week it was the opposite. I think we knew what we had to do, but they just played better than us tonight,” Burbank coach Adam Colman said. “We talked about it that the more physical team in the trenches is going to win. We won against Arcadia and CV by doing that. These guys were more physical than us tonight.”
Intrepid Burbankia reporter Mike McDaniel wasn't at this game, so we officially have no comments!
2022 - Burbank 30 Burroughs 27.
Burbank Stuns Burroughs, 30-27 in Another Big Game Classic
Bulldogs control the clock, surprise Burroughs in "The Big Game".
By Jim Riggio (myburbank.com) - October 29, 2022
A day after hearing about the rivalry game in neighboring Glendale end in a major upset, Burroughs High football coach Jesse Craven was concerned it could happen to his team too.
It did. Heavily favored Burroughs was stunned by a Burbank High team that was nearly flawless in a 30-27 victory in ‘The Big Game’ at Memorial Field Friday night.
“They had a plan. We knew they wanted to control the clock, and they played it to perfection. They executed,” Craven said. “I’m proud of our guys for their fight to get back in the game. We had too many mistakes on our end, but give Burbank credit. We knew they were a good team.”
Burroughs entered the game with a 7-2 record, 3-1 in the league. Burbank was 3-6 and 1-3 in the league. Thursday night, heavily favored Hoover High (7-2 entering the game) fell 18-13 against rival Glendale, which had yet to win a game.
Burbank senior quarterback Dylan Robinson scored four touchdowns for the Bulldogs, all of them 1-yard runs.
“We used about four new plays, but it was plays that we had before we modified and incorporated into different things,” Robinson said.
Robinson marched his team down the field on the first drive of the game, which ended with his first touchdown of the night at the 6:16 mark of the first quarter.
He punched in a second touchdown with 7:46 left in the first half to make it 13-0.
Burroughs junior quarterback Chris Kulikov fought to get his team back in the game as he scored on a 25-yard run with 3:56 left in the first half to make it 13-7.
Burbank added a 35-yard field goal by Chris Aguirre with 4.6 seconds left in the half to give the Bulldogs a 16-7 lead at halftime.
“We dressed some stuff up a little bit, but it was about executing what we do. It is about controlling the trenches, controlling the clock. It was huge to control the tempo,” Burbank coach Adam Colman said. “I preach John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success. On top of that is competitive greatness. He defined that as being your best when best is required. That sums up how we played tonight.”
Kulikov hooked up with Dilan Webster on a 10-yard touchdown pass at the 11:08 mark of the third quarter to cut the lead to 16-13.
Later in the quarter Burbank’s Zakk Estrada intercepted a Kulikov pass in Burroughs territory.
The Bulldogs used 10 plays and a lot of the clock, with the end resulting in Robinson’s third one-yard run of the night. This once again gave Burbank a 10-point lead at 23-13.
On Burroughs’ ensuing drive, the ball was snapped over the head of punter Brodie Kemp, who ended up falling on the ball at the 1-yard line. Two plays later, Robinson scored yet another 1-yard touchdown.
Burroughs was in a hole, but the Bears fought back. Kulikov scored his second touchdown of the night on a 29-yard run with 10:47 left to play. He later hooked up with Webster on a 64-yard touchdown with 5:48 left, cutting the deficit to a field goal.
But Burbank did what it needed to do by converting several critical first downs that allowed to clock to wind down and eventually expire.
Burbank High’s season is over. However, Burroughs at 7-3, is expected to be selected for the CIF Southern Section playoffs. The Southern Section will release the playoff brackets on Sunday.
As Mike McDaniel now lives in Idaho, there was no man-in-the-stands reporting...
2023 - Burbank 13 Burroughs 48.
Burroughs Leaves No Doubt Against Burbank
Bears score just 12 seconds into the game in 48-13 victory over Bulldogs.
By Jim Riggio (myburbank.com) - October 28, 20230
The Burroughs High football team did not waste any time declaring which football team was the best in the city in 2023.
The Bears scored just 12 seconds into the contest and captured its first Foothill League title since 2015 with a 48-13 victory over host Burbank High Friday night at Memorial Field.
Burroughs recovered the opening kickoff to Burbank due to a miscommunication between Bulldog players.
Then on the first play from scrimmage, Santiago Sanchez scored on a 15-yard run.
“That really turned the momentum from the start,” Burroughs coach Jesse Craven said. “This is an awesome achievement for our team. Where we started four years ago to where we are now is a testament to these kids and the coaches.”
After Burbank (3-7 overall, 1-4 in league) was unable to get on the board on its first drive, Burroughs (9-1 overall, 5-0) scored on the first play of its second drive.
Ethan Hubbell took a pass over the middle from Chris Kulikov, turned to the left and won a 68-yard foot race past the Bulldog defense.
Kulikov completed five of his eight passes for 190 yards and three touchdowns. He also had three carries for 74 yards, one of which went for a touchdown.
“That was hard that they scored on the first play. We kind of shot ourselves in the foot,” Burbank coach Adam Colman said.
Burbank then went on a 14-play drive that ended with Joseph Caballero scoring on a four-yard run with 19.5 seconds left in the first quarter.
Caballero finished with 59 yards in 14 carries. Fellow junior Jacob Mendieta led the team with 68 yards in nine carries.
The Bears responded by taking seven plays in a drive that ended with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Aenas Pichardo.
Kulikov and Hubbell hooked up on a 77-yard touchdown later in the quarter, and Kulikov scored on a 44-yard run right through the middle of the Bulldog defense with 1:08 left in the half. That gave Burroughs a comfortable 34-6 lead going into the break.
Burbank remained tough and scored on a 12-yard touchdown by Sean Garrett with 4:23 left in the third quarter.
Jake Scozzola scored on a five-yard run with 2:41 left in the third quarter for Burroughs.
Roberto Gutierrez capped the night by scoring on a two-yard run with 4:40 left to play.
Burbank junior quarterback Daniel Zacariaz finished the night by completing seven of 18 passes for 50 yards with one interception. Zacariaz also had 40 yards rushing.
Burroughs will learn its CIF Southern Section playoff opponent on Sunday when the pairings are released.