Bad start sinks Bulldogs
MEMORIAL FIELD -- Burbank High football Coach Greg Sobiech was not
happy with the way his team went into its Foothill League game on
Friday against Valencia.
Fresh from a fine performance in a tough league loss to Canyon
last week, Sobiech thought his players were resting too much on their
accomplishment on Oct. 31, and figured the Bulldogs’ reputation as a
talented team would pay off.
However, the Vikings were having none of that.
Valencia scored two quick touchdowns and put the pressure on the
Bulldogs in a 56-17 win at Memorial Field.
“You just can’t walk on the field and expect to win, or to play
well. That just doesn’t happen,” said Sobiech, whose team fell to
Canyon, 39-33.
“We came in thinking just because we played well against Canyon,
that we were going to play the same way [Friday]. But that doesn’t
happen with a team like Valencia.”
The Bulldogs (5-4, 1-3 in league) were knocked back on their heels
early in the first quarter, as Valencia capitalized on a pair of
Burbank turnovers to score two quick touchdowns.
The first came on a fumble recovery that Valencia (7-1, 3-1)
linebacker Torrey O’Brien turned into a touchdown.
With 7:46 left in the first, Burbank quarterback Mike McDonald was
intercepted by defensive back Geoff Tisdale -- his 10th of the year -- who ran the offering back for a 36-yard score.
The two quick scores for Valencia -- ranked No. 4 in CIF Southern
Section Division II -- seemed to deflate the Bulldogs’ spirits in a
hurry.
“We are a young team, and things like that affect a young team,”
Sobiech said.
“But I have to take some of the blame. I just didn’t have them
prepared for this game.”
The only points Burbank could score in the first half was a
22-yard field goal by Sal Coreas with 7:46 left in the second
quarter.
The Bulldogs played well in the second half, as McDonald hooked up
with Jesse Ayers on a 38-yard touchdown pass and running back Tanner
Bennett scored on a 2-yard run.
Valencia’s Jeff Bamberger scored three touchdowns.