CIF football championship for Burbank would be first in city history
In the gym at Burbank High, there are a handful of banners signifying CIF Southern Section championships.
There are the boys’ cross-country title banners from 1964 and 1970, a swimming/diving title from 1967, a softball title from 1975 and a boys’ tennis title from 1993, which represent the varsity championships won in the 108-year history of the school.
There are other title banners, however, including a “B” football championship from 1948.
“Back then the ‘B’ level was considered like [junior varsity], so it wasn’t the top level,” former Burbank athletic director Fred Cook said. “You you could play varsity the whole year and then drop down and play on the ‘B’ level, which they had playoffs for.
“That was a good team that year that included Paul Cameron (UCLA Hall of Fame, Pittsburgh Steelers) and John Julian (Arizona State).”
This season’s Burbank football team has a chance to make history, as well as add another banner to the collection, when the Bulldogs take on host Yorba Linda at 7 p.m. Friday in the CIF Southern Section Division VIII championship game.
Playing for a football title has been a century in the making for Burbank, which opened in 1908. The football program at the school began in 1915, but was unable to sustain itself because of lack of participation. As a result, the program disbanded for a few years. The Bulldogs returned to the gridiron in 1919 and football has been played continuously ever since.
Friday’s game will mark the first time Burbank has advanced to a varsity championship game. Prior to this season, the Bulldogs managed to qualify for just two CIF semifinals, in 1927 and 2013.
In contrast, Yorba Linda is in its first CIF championship in just its seventh year of existence.
“Making it this far, and being able to do something no other team has been able to do, is definitely something that we can be proud of,” Burbank senior quarterback Guy Gibbs said. “To be able to do this would be amazing. I love this experience, I love this team and I love what we have the opportunity to do.”
A title in football would be historic not only for Burbank High, but the city. Between the three local schools that play football, which includes Burroughs and Bellarmine-Jefferson, no team has ever been able to bring back a title to the city.
The Indians advanced to two Northwestern Division championship games in 1981 and 1987, losing to Antelope Valley, 24-14, and Arroyo Grande, 15-10, respectively.
Despite producing players who have gone on to play in the NFL, compete on the highest collegiate level and enjoy coaching success at all levels, none of the three programs has been able to put it all together and capture a CIF crown.
“I think the reality of actually winning CIF didn’t come about until this year for us,” said Burbank senior running back/defensive back Nick Warren, who is among a group of Bulldog players who have been competing together since they were in the Burbank Vikings Youth Tackle Football program. “Us all being seniors this year, I think it finally came to us that we could do it.
“In the years before, we always had the thought, the dream, of playing for a CIF title. We know with our group this is our last chance, so we’re all doing our best to hopefully make it happen. We have come this far, so why not finish it. We are making history, we just have to make it happen.”
A CIF championship would put an end to a decades-long drought for Bulldogs teams across all sports. The last championship for Burbank came 23 years ago when the boys’ tennis team defeated Righetti, 10-8, at McCambridge Park to secure a Division II crown. The school has only been able to win two CIF titles in the past 41 years, with the previous championship coming in 1975 when the Bulldogs softball team defeated Cerritos Valley Christian, 5-1, to claim the 3-A crown.
“This is an exciting time for our school and many are really rallying around the football team and what it is trying to accomplish,” co-athletic director Patrick McMenamin said. “Obviously, this is the first time in our school’s 108-year history that we’re going to a CIF final in football. It’s a great thing for the team and for the school.”
The Burbank football team is knocking on the door of a CIF title and, at the same time, looking to knock off a longstanding title drought as it readies to take on Yorba Linda on Friday. And as Bulldogs Coach Richard Broussard reminds his players, winning will definitely have its perks.
“Before our last game, I told the guys they will make history if they beat Don Lugo,” Broussard said. “Then they get to become legends if they win a CIF title. No one will ever forget about you. And, you’re going to be Al Bundy for the rest of your lives, telling your kids what you were able to accomplish.”
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Jeff Tully, jeff.tully@latimes.com
Twitter: @jefftsports