Burbank Pulls Off CIF Feat!

FOOTBALL: Bulldogs pick up stunning 20-14 upset playoff road victory against Santa Fe.
By Charles Rich
Burbank Leader, Saturday, November 22, 2008

WHITTIER — Those 80-plus years of not making the playoffs, or losing in the first round, no longer matter.Simply put, these aren’t your grandfather’s Burbank High Bulldogs. Or your father’s. Or even your older brother’s.Burbank’s football squad kicked aside decades of frustration in a large way Friday night, as it recorded a stunning 20-14 road victory against second-seeded Santa Fe in a CIF Southern Section Southeast Division contest at Pioneer High.According to Burbank High Athletic Director Fred Cook, it marked the first time the Bulldogs (6-5) won a varsity postseason game since 1927.Burbank, which finished fourth in the Pacific League this season, got a four-yard touchdown from senior running back Nate Galles with 6:03 left in the fourth quarter to prolong the Bulldogs’ playoff stay.

Burbank turned aside a couple of late drives by Santa Fe (9-2) to set up a second-round game against West Covina on Friday at Memorial Field.“We talked back in July that we wanted to change the face of the program,” said Burbank second-year Coach Ted Amorosi, who saw linebackers Leo Rodas and William Ortega each recover a fumble for the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter before a 70-yard touchdown pass by Santa Fe was called back because of an illegal procedure infraction with no time remaining.

“I told them that we will be in the playoffs, and there will be nothing better than being able to practice come Thanksgiving.“Our kids and my assistants worked their [butts] off. We were horrible in our game last week [against Burroughs], and we were able to come back here.”

Burbank, making its first playoff appearance in two seasons, didn’t seem fazed or intimidated against a squad that captured the Del Rio League championship.Sure, the Bulldogs made a couple of mistakes, but those miscues didn’t hinder Amorosi’s team.Burbank took a 6-0 lead on a nine-yard touchdown run by junior running back Sam Bethany to cap a 12-yard drive with 6:32 left in the first quarter. However, the Bulldogs missed on the extra-point attempt.

The Chiefs grabbed a 7-6 lead on a one-yard run by Jonathan Pinedo with 6:31 remaining in the second quarter. Pinedo then scored on a seven-yard run to extend Santa Fe’s lead to 14-6 with 2:26 left in the first half.The Bulldogs knotted the game with 28.5 seconds remaining in the second quarter on a three-yard run by Bethany and a successful two-point conversion on a pass from reserve sophomore quarterback Adam Colman to Galles.Burbank stopped the Chiefs on a fourth down and two on the Burbank 10-yard line with 7:46 remaining in the game. A Bethany 58-yard run on the ensuing play eventually set up Burbank’s winning score.“I came in thinking that my line would give me some good blocks,” said Bethany, who rushed for 132 yards in 19 carries. “We were able to execute against them.“It hasn’t sunk in yet that we won. I didn’t have any plans for Thanksgiving, but we get to practice. That’s something I haven’t done before.”

Burbank lost starting quarterback Kevin Hunter to an apparent concussion in the second quarter and didn’t return. Colman completed four of six passes for 73 yards.