Burbank football wakes up to rout Pasadena

PASADENA — After his team gave up a 93-yard touchdown on the game’s opening kickoff and botched its first snap on offense, Burbank High football Coach Richard Broussard felt the need to call a timeout, not even a minute into the team’s Pacific League game at Pasadena High.

“What’s going on?” Broussard said when asked what he told his team in that huddle. “Last week we played our tails off in an emotional and passionate game and there’s usually a lull after. We came out flat so I wanted to recoup, get them back to being focused.”

Burbank responded to the wake-up call and dominated Pasadena in all three facets thereafter to cruise to a 40-7 victory ahead of two crucial games over the next two weeks to close the regular season.

Broussard brushed off the notion that his team overlooked Pasadena for the following week’s opponent, Crescenta Valley. The showdown will be for first place in the Pacific League, as both teams will go into it undefeated in league.

“I don’t know about overlooking,” said Broussard, whose team is 6-2 and 5-0 in league. “We knew they were 1-6 and we’re the superior team. It just took us a minute to snap out of it.”

Despite giving up the early touchdown, Burbank’s special teams shined and was a difference-maker, with the highlight being a blocked punt by Anthony Lira picked up by Drew Pendleton, who needed just two steps to walk in for a touchdown — Burbank’s first, early in the second quarter, which gave it a 12-7 lead.

Andrew Rovira’s pair of 35-yard field goals in the first quarter served Burbank’s first points, as it trailed, 7-6, at the 2:21 mark of the opening frame.

Punter Danny Porras got into the action with good punts pinning Pasadena’s struggling offense deep in its own territory to start drives.

Aside from Jalen Jolley’s scamper to give his team an early 7-0 lead, Pasadena didn’t see many more positives in the contest, managing just 72 yards of total offense and struggling to keep up with Burbank as the game got away.

Burbank’s defense sustained the momentum following Pendleton’s touchdown, recovering a Pasadena fumble — one of two on the night — to give Burbank the ball on Pasadena’s five-yard line.

Darnell Williams needed just one play to run it in for a touchdown and a 19-7 lead.

Nicolas Warren capped a nine-play, 59-yard drive with a seven-yard rushing touchdown to increase the lead to 19 at 26-7 going into halftime.

It was all Burbank in the second half. Special teams continued its stellar play with a blocked field goal attempt. The defense continued to stymie Pasadena’s offense. And Guy Gibbs threw two touchdowns to lead the offense and seal the victory.

The first was a short pass near the right sideline to Jake Kelley, who used his speed to find open space and give Burbank a 33-7 lead. Gibbs then found Forrest Fajardo wide open down the middle for a 25-yard strike.

Gibbs completed 13 of 29 passes for 233 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Fajardo caught five receptions for 79 yards. Williams also hauled in five receptions for 69 yards.

Still, Broussard was not happy with the offense, which included 118 yards on the ground, including 66 from Warren in 19 carries.

“I’m not pleased with the offensive performance by any means,” Broussard said. “We’re nowhere near where we need to be.”

Burbank has two games to secure its first Pacific League championship since 2009. The first will be against a Crescenta Valley team it defeated in a nailbiter last season.

“I respect the hell out of [Crescenta Valley’s] coaching staff,” Broussard said. “We’re going to prepare, it’s going to be a great game and I’m excited.”