Burbank football won’t be distracted heading into CIF title tilt at Yorba Linda
LONG BEACH — For two hours, a smile rarely left the face of Burbank High football Coach Richard Broussard.
Accompanied by school administrators and Bulldogs players, Broussard was representing Burbank at the 41st annual CIF Southern SectionFootball Press Conference and Luncheon on Monday at the Long Beach Grand.
The coach’s exuberance stemmed from the fact that to be one of the 26 teams from 13 11-man divisions invited to the event, that meant his squad was playing for a CIF championship.
“It is surreal for sure,” said Broussard, who is in his third season at Burbank. “This isn’t a distraction for us, it’s just awesome. Just to be able to be here among all these teams playing for championships and to be able to play our 14th game of the season is amazing. It’s just a great experience to be recognized as a program.
“Our kids are focused and they are excited to potentially be champions. ... I’m just so happy for all of our guys.”
Burbank will have that chance to bring home a CIF championship when it takes on host Yorba Linda at 7 p.m. Friday in the Division VIII final.
The championship is a rare opportunity for the Bulldogs. Burbank, in its 108th year as a school, has been playing competitive football since 1915. The game will mark the first title berth and could be the first crown for the program in its 101 years. Prior to this season, the Bulldogs advanced as far as the semifinals just two previous times, in 1927 and 2013.
“The kids know the significance of this game and they realize that an opportunity like this doesn’t come along very often,” Broussard said. “But this is a very focused group and I don’t expect them to get too caught up in all the hype around the history of what we’re trying to accomplish. They know they have a game to focus on.”
Burbank senior quarterback Guy Gibbs said his teammates aren’t about to lose perspective of what is most important — winning the game.
“We definitely put the history stuff aside,” Gibbs said. “What we talk about more is the hard work that we have to put in this week, because we know all that hard work is going to pay off for us this Friday. We don’t want to think too much about what we’re trying to do as far as the history goes, we just have to go out and work hard.”
The Bulldogs (10-3) have thrived in the playoffs following a runner-up finish in the Pacific League behind champion Crescenta Valley. Following a first-round win against Brea Olinda, 52-32, Burbank knocked off No. 2 seed Northview, 30-27, and easily defeated No. 3 Don Lugo, 44-14, in Friday’s semifinals.
Like Burbank, Yorba Linda (11-2) finished second in the Crestview League behind Villa Park. The Mustangs also knocked off two seeded teams on their way to the final. After a first-round victory against Kaiser, 45-12, Yorba Linda got by No. 4 Garden Grove, 20-17, and beat top-seeded El Modena, 35-21, in the semifinals.
Their road to the championship game is not the only striking similarity between the two Division VII titlists. While the Mustangs have surrendered 207 points and given up an average of 15.9 a game, the Bulldogs have given up 223 for a 17.1 average.
“We have a disciplined team and the guys have been good all year about not letting any distractions get in their way,” said Yorba Linda Coach Jeff Bailey, whose program is making its first CIF championship appearance in the seven-year history of the school. “We know Burbank is going to be tough. They have a great defense, a real aggressive defense, and it’s going to be quite a challenge for us. But we’re excited about the challenge.”
The Mustangs defense is led by senior linebacker Noah Linas, who has a team-leading 145 tackles.
On offense, Yorba Linda junior quarterback Luke Wilson has completed 180 of 279 passes for 2,203 yards, 21 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Another one of the team’s weapons is junior running back Jayden Webb, who has 195 carries for 977 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Burbank’s defense has been spearheaded by senior linebacker Jake Kelley, who leads the team with 107 tackles to go along with 16 sacks.
The Bulldogs’ offense is run by Gibbs, who has completed 160 of 291 passes for 2,331 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The team also has two rushing threats in senior Nick Warren (222 carries for 934 yards and 13 touchdowns) and junior Darnell Williams (98 rushes for 517 yards and 11 touchdowns).
Broussard said the Bulldogs’ leading receiver and starting defensive back, senior Forest Fajardo, is still nursing an injury to his ribs and is questionable for the game.
“Our defense has been playing lights-out like it has all year, but our offense is playing the best it has all year,” Broussard said. “The level that we’ve been executing on offense is the best it’s ever been.
“Yorba Linda is a fun team to watch and they really fly around and they play some good football. They have a quarterback that can throw the ball, they have some receivers and a running back that runs real hard. They also play good team defense. So, this is going to be a good test for us. ... But really, I think we can play with anyone.”
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Jeff Tully, jeff.tully@latimes.com
Twitter: @jefftsports