Burbank teams alone in postseason after second-place finishes
Jeff Tully
With the exception of the Burbank and Bellarmine-Jefferson
cross-country teams, only two other local high school squads have
qualified for the CIF Southern Section playoffs this fall.
And both are Bulldog teams.
The Burbank boys’ water polo and girls’ tennis teams will play
Thursday in opening-round Division III contests after second-place
finishes in their respective leagues.
None of the four local girls’ volleyball teams qualified for the
playoffs.
The water polo team will travel to Whittier La Serna for a 3:15
p.m. match. La Serna (20-7, 5-0 in league) -- ranked No. 5 in the
final Division III poll -- is the Del Rio League champion.
In girls’ tennis, the Bulldogs will be at home at the Burbank
Tennis Center for a 2 p.m. match against Paramount. The Pirates (9-6,
7-5) finished second in the San Gabriel Valley League.
The Bulldogs are in the water polo playoffs for the second
consecutive season, after qualifying in 2002 for the first time in
more than 10 years.
The team fell in the first round last season to Santa Monica,
10-8.
Along with a steady goalkeeper in Nate Taylor, the team also has
scoring punch with George Khanpapyan, Art Zagaryan, Edgar Gasparyan
and Eric Davis.
However, the Bulldogs are dealing with injuries that have
sidelined some of their players.
“We are hoping to have everyone back for the playoffs,” Burbank
Coach Andre Setaghian said.
The teams have had similar goal production this season, as Burbank
has tallied 297 goals and La Serna has scored 287.
In tennis, Burbank is paced by freshman league singles champion
Marianna Khachatryan and the league runner-up doubles team of Lucy
Youchkovets and Natalie Rafaelian -- who usually play singles.
The Bulldogs lost to Long Beach Poly, 14-4, in the second round in
2002.
Erik Boal Contributed to this story.