Tribe fights back

BURBANK HIGH — The Burroughs High boys’ water polo team has had to endure its share of difficulties this season.

Fielding a young squad, the Indians’ head coach was removed earlier in the year and former player Danny Garica took over.

Burroughs has indeed struggled, as it came into Wednesday’s cross-town rivalry with Burbank winless in the Pacific League.

The Indians put all their past troubles aside against the Bulldogs, however, as they battled back from an early deficit to win, 12-11, at Burbank High.

“I have never seen this team fight as hard as they fought in this game,” said Garcia, whose squad ends the league regular season 1-5 in league. “They fought back and they really showed that they have the desire and the will to win a tough game.”

Garcia said the win broke a long drought for the Indians against their rival.

“I think the last time we beat them was in [2005], when I was a senior at Burroughs,” he said. “It’s nice to get that win.”

On the other side of the pool, Burbank Coach Carlos Pelayo didn’t exactly bring a veteran team into Wednesday’s contest. With just one senior, the Bulldogs (6-15, 1-5 in league) fielded a squad that included two freshmen and three sophomores.

Pelayo — whose team had a three-goal lead in the first half — said the youth of his squad might have led to its downfall, as the Indians staged a comeback late in the contest.

“This game was all about momentum,” Pelayo said. “We had it early and then Burroughs got it in the second half. Our problem has been with consistency. We can go up on a team but we don’t keep it going and we end up losing the lead.

“I think it has a lot to do with our youth. A lot of the guys just don’t know what to expect and how to keep up that intensity.”

Scoring was spread around in the match, as 12 players from the two sides tallied goals. Burroughs’ Max D’Alessio, Martin Ortega and Chad Wilson, along with Burbank’s Zachary Card and Kevin Miller, scored three goals each.

The Bulldogs were able to take a 3-2 lead after the first quarter. The hosts extended the lead to 7-4 at the half.

But the Indians came roaring back in the third quarter, as Burroughs scored two goals to whittle the lead down to one, 7-6.

Down, 8-7, going into the fourth quarter, Burroughs tied the score at 8 with 6:08 left in the game when Wilson skipped a shot past Burbank goalkeeper Jonas Padervinski.

Less than a minute later, the visitors took the lead on a goal by Ortega and added to the advantage with a score by D’Alessio with 4:58 left.

Burroughs upped the lead to three, 12-9, with 2:24 left.

The Indians were kept in the game in the second half with the fine play of goalkeeper Luca Alberti, who finished with nine blocks.

“[Alberti] came up big for us in that second half,” Garcia said. “Some of those shots he stopped were very hard shots.”

The teams will next take part in the league preliminaries Tuesday at Burbank High. Times and matchups are yet to be determined.

With just one league win each, neither the Indians nor Bulldogs will qualify for the playoffs this season. It is the first time in seven years that Burbank has been unable to qualify for the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

“I told the guys, with the league tournament coming up, we still have a few more games to play,” Pelayo said.

“But whatever happens, I’m still very proud of this team.”