Different Sport, Same Result as Burbank Falls to Claremont

It was like deja vu for Burbank High followers.

For the second time in fewer than six months, Burbank was beaten by a superior team from Claremont.

Sept. 12, the Claremont football team shut out the Bulldogs, 28-0.

Tuesday night, the Wolfpack knocked off Burbank, 76-51, in the second round of the Southern Section 3-A basketball playoffs at Upland High.

Like comparing apples and oranges? Not quite.

In the football victory, Claremont quarterback Dan McGwire threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Travis Watkins scored three touchdowns on six receptions for 126 yards.

McGwire and Watkins teamed up on Burbank again at Upland, this time as a center and a forward, respectively.

The 6-2 Watkins had a game-high 27 points on 12 of 19 shooting and five rebounds to lead Claremont to its 13th straight victory.

McGwire, a 6-8 senior, scored 19 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and blocked three shots to dominate a much smaller Burbank front line.

“I’ve never felt so helpless defensively,” Burbank Coach Russ Keith said. “We never got into what we wanted to do.”

Part of the problem was the tremendous height advantage enjoyed by the Wolfpack.

The loss of 6-3 David Van Dam five games ago forced Keith to start Bryan Chandler at center. The 6-1 junior gave up seven inches in his match-up against McGwire.

Chandler finished with 13 points and eight rebounds.

“On offense, I just tried to hustle,” Chandler said. “And then get back and play the scrappy defense.”

Senior Tom Clansen led Burbank (20-6) with 16 points.

The Bulldogs kept the game close going into the second half, trailing only 34-26.

Watkins then connected on five consecutive shots, pacing Claremont (22-5) on a 13-4 run in the first four minutes of the third quarter.

“He’s a great player,” said Keith of Watkins. “He penetrates and pulls up, and is real tough to stop.”

Burbank never got closer than 11 points after the streak, and the lead swelled as the Bulldogs made only four of 13 shots in the fourth quarter.