Football: Burns expected to step in and contribute for Centennial

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Arthur Burns was a patient understudy of Ryan Bass a season ago, carefully watching each and every move his mentor made. And what a teacher he had in the Arizona State-bound running back, who was one of the Southland’s bests, right up there with Darrell Scott, D.J. Shoemate, Chris Polk and Johnathan Franklin.

A year later, it’s time for the pupil to show what he’s learned. Burns is expected to be the featured back for Corona Centennial this coming season, and following a summer that included plenty of improvement, all signs point to the 5-foot-10, 200-plus pound senior being fully capable of replacing Bass and carrying the load.

‘Arthur is the next in line. He could be another one of the good ones to come out of this school,’’ Centennial Coach Matt Logan said. ‘He is one physical, north-and-south type runner. He’s a banger. He’ll run in between the tackles and then look to run guys over. He’s fun to watch. His game is tailor-made for this offense.’

Even with Bass around, Burns showed glimpses of his immense potential as a junior. He rushed for 514 yards on 67 carries and scored eight touchdowns. One of his better efforts came against Scripps Ranch when he finished with 103 yards on the ground in seven carries, highlighted by a 73-yard burst.

That type of production caught the attention of numerous West Coast scouts. He already has scholarship offers from Colorado State, San Diego State, UNLV and Wyoming. Several Pac-10 Conference programs have been in touch with him recently, and others could come calling, provided Burns blossoms in his new role.

‘He is a Division I-caliber type of player and I think people are going to see that once he gets his chance,’’ Logan said. ‘We’re expecting some big things from Arthur this season and we think he can get the job done for us.’’

-- Sean Ceglinsky