Burroughs football notches win, while dealing with loss

BURBANK — Playing with heavy hearts following the death of former Burroughs High football player Jake Gnasso, the Indians needed to find a way to channel their emotions once the players stepped on to the field for Friday night’s game against Rosemead.

Hunter Guerin scored two touchdowns, including one on a 55-yard punt return in the third quarter to help host Burroughs to a 45-17 nonleague victory at Memorial Field.

“It’s been a rough day with losing Jake and two others,” Burroughs Coach Keith Knoop said, referring to three former Burroughs students who were killed in a car accident Friday morning in the Santa Clarita Valley. “The players found out about it in the late afternoon,

“We knew it was out of our control, so we wanted to go out there and get a win so the players would feel better about themselves. We had to put up a shield and go out and play. We will mourn more on Saturday and discuss the events with the players.”

Knoop to time to remember his former player, who graduated in 2013 and played his last season for the Indians in 2012, on Friday night, though.

“Jake played wide receiver and defensive back for us,” Knoop said. “He was a character and that was the way he played football.”

Burroughs improved to 1-1 following a season-opening home defeat against Calabasas on Sept. 5. On Friday, the Indians, who looked to avoid an 0-2 start for the second time in three seasons, clicked in the second half to turn back the Panthers (0-3). Burroughs finished with 35 second-half points, including a pair of rushing touchdowns from running back Chance Bell in the third quarter.

Guerin got things going for Burroughs when he scored on a one-yard run with 7:50 to play in the first quarter to make it 7-0. Rosemead closed to within 7-3 on a 26-yard field goal by Edgar Vasquez with 1:20 remaining in the opening quarter.

The Panthers took a 10-7 lead on a three-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Steven Nava to Luis Luna with 1:18 left in the second quarter. On the ensuing possession, place kicker Andrea Aguilar connected on a 30-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

Burroughs broke the game open in the second half.

Bell gave the Indians a 17-10 lead with a one-yard run with 7:54 left in the third quarter.

Then Guerin made it 24-10 with a 55-yard punt return with 6:10 to go in the quarter.

“I caught it and then got a great block to set me free,” Guerin, a junior, said. “After that, It was a one-on-one situation with the kicker and I was able to get by and score.

“It’s been a hard day, but we were able to come together and play well.”

Rosemead pulled to within 24-17 on the next possession. Nava tossed a 10-yard pass to Luna with 4:08 to play before Burroughs responded on another one-yard touchdown run by Bell to extend the advantage to 31-17 with 1:19 remaining in the quarter.

Burroughs scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Erick Hernandez got behind the defense and caught an 86-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Andy Amela (13 of 20 for 247 yards) to make it 38-17 with 8:09 to play. A six-yard run by Ash Hawkins closed out the scoring with 3:15 left.

“I liked what we were able to do in the second half,” Knoop said. “At halftime, we told them that’s not the way we have practiced and we could do better.”

Burroughs will next compete in another nonleague contest at 7 p.m. Friday against Santa Fe at Downey High.