Savvy Gained on Defense Aids Burwell Offensively in Torrid 5-Game Stretch

Learning how to avoid potential problems, it seems, is always easier after having witnessed the travails of others. Perhaps this best explains why Cleveland High running back Sean Burwell knows how to stay out of the path of kamikaze cornerbacks.

Last year, as a junior, he was an All-Valley 4-A League defensive back. After dealing out a lick or two against opposing running backs, Burwell learned something about avoiding trouble in the form of an anything-but-safety-minded safety.

“Sometimes when I’m running I look at the cornerback or whoever and try to think about what I’d do in his situation,” Burwell said. “I reflect back on what I’d do if I was him and then do the opposite.”

Burwell was not using mirrors when he rushed for a career-high 225 yards in 16 carries (a 14.1 average) in Cleveland’s 14-12 win over Canoga Park in a West Valley League game Friday. It merely continued a trend that started a month ago, and since, Burwell has shouldered The ‘Land’s land rush.

Maybe Burwell (6-0, 185) should have been selected athlete of the month. In a 29-day span, his performances have been remarkable.

“Over the last few weeks, he’s really started to break some long ones and make the right cuts,” Coach Steve Landress said.

For opponents, these cuts were the deepest:

Sept. 30: In a 30-14 loss to Granada Hills, which currently has the stingiest defense against the run among Valley City Section schools, Burwell carries 13 times for 121 yards.

Oct. 7: Cleveland defeats Chatsworth, 21-0, as Burwell rushes for 127 yards in 17 carries.

Oct. 14: Burwell scores 3 touchdowns in Cleveland’s biggest win of the year, a 20-10 upset of highly regarded San Fernando. Burwell rushes for 96 yards in 20 carries against the Tigers, who have allowed only 664 rushing yards all season.

Oct. 21: Cleveland is sluggish in a 14-3 loss to Kennedy, but Burwell gains 98 yards in 12 carries.

Oct. 28: He gains 225 yards in 16 carries, including an 87-yard touchdown run, in the win over Canoga Park.

In the 5-game span, Burwell gained 667 yards in 78 carries (8.6 average). For the season, he has gained 817 yards in 102 carries (8.0) and scored 5 touchdowns, yet his name is not associated with some of the region’s best. Burwell’s average is better than Crespi’s Russell White (7.2), Channel Islands’ John Johnson (7.6) and Canyon’s Chris Peery (5.4).

Burwell is also a 48-minute man. White and Peery play on defense, but in comparison to Burwell, neither plays both ways--Burwell plays always .

“He never comes off the field,” Landress said. “He’s in on punts, kickoffs, everything. If I could find a way to get him out of there more often on defense, he’d be even better.

“He never tells me when he’s tired. Sometimes I have to take him out--I want the guy to survive.”

Last season, on offense at least, Burwell was little more than fodder for opposing defenses. In 9 games, he gained 256 yards in 69 carries (3.7 average). Burwell’s 1987 output, for which Landress blamed a poor offensive line, was surprising to many. Burwell played at Chaminade as a sophomore and gained 1,211 yards, the fourth-best total in the Valley. His best single-game total at Chaminade was 193 yards.

Burwell arrived at Cleveland under less-than-desirable circumstances. He was involved in an on-campus fight with a Chaminade teammate in the summer of 1987. Not wishing to face what his family believed was excessive punishment by Chaminade officials, Burwell sought a transfer to Cleveland.

He missed 2 games while awaiting approval of athletic eligibility by the City Section. After a series of administrative appeals and one hearing that was delayed by earthquake, Burwell was finally given a green light to play. Much of the season and valuable practice time were lost. Yet Burwell said the zenith of 1988 makes the nadir of 1987 worth it.

“It’s been a lot more fun,” Burwell said. “It’s my second year, and I know everybody now. It’s been a fun year.”

Said Landress: “You won’t find a happier guy than he is right now. After all that stuff last year, to finally have the success he enjoying now is great.”

Landress said he has another goal for Burwell--to land a Division I scholarship. Landress formerly coached running backs Steve Broussard at Manual Arts and Albert Fann at Cleveland. Fann was selected to the All-Western Football Conference first team last year as a freshman at Cal State Northridge, and Broussard starts for Washington State.

Burwell has been contacted by a few schools, but he is hopeful that his comeback will heat up the bidding process.

“The kid has what it takes,” Landress said of Burwell. “He’s already satisfied the SAT requirements and everything. He’s a bright kid.”

Ask any defensive back Burwell has played against.

Or a running back.