Grandmother says Vontaze Burfict is ‘doing OK’

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Corona Centennial linebacker Vontaze Burfict returned home at 1:30 a.m. today after spending the night at Corona Regional Hospital, his grandmother Beverly Hutchinson told The Times this morning.

Burfict, who’s verbally committed to USC, sprained his neck after a scrum of Santiago players landed on top of him after an unsuccessful onsides kick with 5:11 left in the game. The Huskies (9-0, 5-0 in Big VIII League) wound up winning, 42-30.

‘He’s doing okay,’ Hutchinson said. ‘They took X-rays and he’s just resting.’

Centennial Coach Matt Logan wasn’t concerned afterward, saying the procedure was ‘just a precaution.’ He expects Burfict to be available next week when the Huskies play Norco.

‘He’ll be fine,’ Logan said. ‘He was pissed, but then he was just jumping around.’

At the time, Hutchinson said she felt ‘frightened.’ It took about 15 minutes before the ambulance carried him off the field. She didn’t bite her tongue on her thoughts about what happened.

‘I think the team had planned that,’ she said. ‘I had never seen so much dirty game-playing in my life. I guess that’s the way they play the games these days.’

Nonetheless, Centennial racked up 17 penalties in what developed into a chippy game toward the end.

‘It’s an intense game and it’s a big game,’ Santiago Coach Steve Mitchell said. ‘We were fighting for playoff spots and emotions are high regardless.’

-- Mark Medina