HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Southern Section Roundup

DIVISION III

El Dorado 24, Burbank 14--A blocked punt by Matt Luke midway through the third quarter set up a 1-yard run by Scott Sporrer to give El Dorado, the second-place team from the Empire League, a 21-7 lead at Burroughs High.

Burbank (7-4), the second-place team from the Foothill League, closed the gap to 21-14 on a 4-yard run by Tony Spatola with 3:26 remaining in the third quarter, but El Dorado kicker Phil Nevin closed out the scoring with a 50-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.

With 7 seconds to play in the first half, Dave Berman grabbed a 7-yard pass from quarterback David Swearingen to give El Dorado (6-5) a 14-7 lead. A 31-yard completion to Luke advanced the ball to the 19-yard line with 30 seconds left and Swearingen ran 12 yards to the 7 before throwing the scoring pass.

El Dorado’s first play from scrimmage moved the ball 55 yards to the Burbank 9-yard line on a flea-flicker pass from second-string quarterback Nevin to Robert Cortez. Sporrer, who rushed for a game-high 63 yards in 16 carries, scored 2 plays later on a 2-yard plunge with 9 minutes to play in the first quarter.

Burbank tied the score, 7-7, with a minute left in the first half on a 2-yard run by Tarin Cardenaz, who had 62 yards in 17 carries.