PREP FOOTBALL : Temple City Struggles Past Burroughs, 35-28

A little more than five minutes remained and a victory was slipping away from Temple City Friday night. Burroughs High of Burbank had scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns and was threatening to upset the Northwestern Conference’s top-ranked team.

Temple City quarterback Tim Vance had to admit that he was getting nervous.

But not too nervous. The senior quarterback took his team on a 61-yard drive for the game-winning touchdown that capped a 35-28 home victory over the Indians.

The semifinal win qualified unbeaten Temple City (13-0) for the conference championship game next week.

To get the Rams into the final, Vance had to connect on a crucial third-down pass with less than two minutes left. It was only his fifth pass of the game. On the next play, he ran nine yards for the score.

“That’s the play we always go to when we need to convert on third down,” Vance said of the pass to Mike Napolitana. “I like that play.”

Burroughs still had a minute and a half to work with, but Bob Rees intercepted a Jeff Barrett pass with 50 seconds left to seal the win.

Barrett had thrown for both his team’s fourth-quarter scores, and Jason Applegate ran for another near the end of the third quarter to fuel Burroughs’ comeback.

Vance’s statistics were unimpressive (3 of 5 passes for 43 yards, and 68 yards in 15 carries), but he scored the final two touchdowns for his team. Temple City running back Mike Mooney rushed 21 times for 201 yards.

Barrett carried Burroughs, completing 22 of 39 passes for 256 yards and 3 touchdowns. Brian Kaloustain caught 9 of those passes for 134 yards and 2 scores.

Three of Barrett’s first four passes were dropped. He completed only two of his first seven passes.

Temple City, meanwhile, established its running game. On the Rams’ first possession, Mooney ran a reverse 52 yards for a touchdown.

The Indians could not get on track for most of the first half. Barrett barely averted a safety when he was sacked on the two-yard line.

Midway through the second quarter, Temple City drove 78 yards in 12 plays to take a 14-0 lead. Most of those yards came up the middle, where Ram lineman were opening holes the band could march through. Mooney picked up 24 yards on another reverse and later scored from the one.

It looked as if the rout was on.

Perhaps it just took Barrett a little time to warm up. He came on in the final minutes of the half to complete six of eight passes and take the Indians 80 yards for a score.

Brian Kaloustain caught the touchdown pass with just 40 seconds left before halftime.

As if that was enough of a morale booster for Burroughs, Vance threw a last-second pass that was nearly intercepted.

Temple City opened the second half as it had the first, with a touchdown drive.

But the Rams’ Brian Edwards later fumbled a punt, and Applegate ran for a Burroughs touchdown. The Indians came back on their next possession to tie the score at 21-21, Barrett throwing 18 yards to Pat Lynch.

The teams traded touchdowns leading up to the final five minutes of the game.

Temple City has the Southern Section record with four straight 2-A titles in 1970-73. The school won a 3-A title in 1976 and consecutive Eastern Conference championships in 1976 and 1977.

Burroughs ended the season with a 10-2-1 record.