Football previews: Burroughs vs. Crescenta Valley; Burbank vs. Pasadena; Bellarmine-Jefferson vs. Hillcrest Christian
BELLARMINE-JEFFERSON AT THOUSAND OAKS HILLCREST CHRISTIAN
WHEN: 6 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Royal High
RECORDS: The Guards are 2-4; the Saints are 4-2
LAST WEEK: Bell-Jeff lost to Lone Pine, 64-30; Hillcrest Christian defeated Lighthouse Christian, 62-0
OUTLOOK: With the loss last week, the Guards likely put themselves out of the running to qualify for the CIF Southern Section Division II eight-man playoffs. Now, Bell-Jeff will focus on the task of finishing the season with a .500 record. After their game against the Saints, the Guards will conclude the regular season Oct. 27 on the road against Milken Community. Against Lone Pine, the Guards received fine efforts from juniors Paulius Kasteckas, who had 16 carries for 127 yards and one touchdown and four catches for 28 yards and a touchdown, and Tomas Butkus, who had seven carries for 67 yards and two touchdowns before he was sidelined in the third quarter with an injury. Hillcrest Christian has shown a propensity to score points this season and averages 50.7 a contest.
SOMETHING INTERESTING: The last time Bell-Jeff finished a season at .500 or above was in 2009 when it posted a 6-5 record under Rolando Aguirre.
BURROUGHS AT CRESCENTA VALLEY
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Moyse Field (Glendale High)
RECORDS: The Indians are 4-3, 3-1 in the Pacific League; the Falcons are 6-1, 4-0
LAST WEEK: Burroughs defeated Glendale, 64-7; Crescenta Valley defeated Pasadena, 49-13
OUTLOOK: Burroughs comes into the fifth week of Pacific League play in a tie for third place with Arcadia (6-1, 3-1 in league). The Indians are just one game behind Crescenta Valley and Burbank (5-2, 4-0). The Indians rebounded nicely against Glendale after losing their first league contest the week before against Arcadia. Against Glendale, Burroughs senior running back Chance Bell, a San Diego State commit, rushed for six touchdowns and 332 yards. Bell has 25 touchdowns on the season for 150 points, which ties him for fourth on the all-time single-season list. The Indians also received a steady effort from senior quarterback Hayden Zepeda, who completed 10 of 15 passes for 106 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. Burroughs will take on a Crescenta Valley team that has a 21-7 nonleague loss to Golden Valley as its lone defeat this season.
SOMETHING INTERESTING: The Falcons have the best defense among league teams, as they have allowed just 61 points for an average of 8.7 a game. In contrast, Burroughs has given up 180 points for a 25.7 average.
BURBANK AT PASADENA
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Pasadena High
RECORDS: Burbank is 5-2, 4-0 in the Pacific League; Pasadena is 1-6, 1-3
LAST WEEK: Burbank defeated Arcadia, 26-16; Pasadena lost to Crescenta Valley, 49-13
OUTLOOK: With the win against Arcadia last week, the Bulldogs took a substantial step forward in their quest to win their first Pacific League championship since 2009. With three games remaining in league play, Burbank is tied with Crescenta Valley (6-1, 4-0 in league) atop the league standings. It was the Burbank defense that led the way against the Apaches. That defense caused five turnovers, although the Bulldogs also committed five turnovers. Forest Fajardo returned an interception 31 yards for a touchdown. The Burbank defense is second among league teams, as it has allowed 101 points for an average of 14.4 a game. Pasadena has struggled this season, with its lone win coming in a 23-18 league victory over Glendale. Pasadena ranks last among league teams in points scored with 67 and averages 9.6 points a contest.
SOMETHING INTERESTING: This is the first time Burbank has begun the Pacific League campaign 4-0 since 2012.
Jeff Tully
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Jeff Tully, jeff.tully@latimes.com
Twitter: @jefftsports