Looking back: Burroughs volleyball, soccer teams, golfers lead way in 2018-19
This is the latest in a series looking back on the sports accomplishments of the local high schools during the 2018-19 year. This installment is Burroughs High:
Teams and individuals from Burroughs High enjoyed their share of success during the recently completed school year.
A freshman boys’ golfer broke onto the local high school scene with a big effort, falling just short of qualifying for state competition.
However, leading the way for the Indians was a group of boys’ and girls’ soccer and volleyball squads that all captured Pacific League championships.
Beginning the Indians’ success was the girls’ volleyball team, which tied Arcadia for the league title during the fall campaign.
Burroughs was paced by senior opposite hitter Juliana Van Loo, who earned All-CIF Southern Section Division II honors. Van Loo finished with 142 kills to go along with 43 digs and 12 blocks. She tallied 25 kills in a league match against Crescenta Valley and had 16 against Burbank and 15 against Arcadia.
Burroughs (24-8) lost to Arcadia early in the season, but bounced back to defeat the Apaches in the rematch to capture a split of the league title. The Indians and Apaches ended with 13-1 records.
It was Burroughs’ second straight league championship and third in four seasons.
In the playoffs, the Indians earned wins against Irvine University and Notre Dame Academy to advance to the quarterfinals. In the quarters, Burroughs lost a close contest to Village Christian, 25-17, 21-25, 22-25, 25-15, 15-11.
Village Christian went on to win Southern Section and state titles.
Girls’ golfer Kiara Hernandez had a breakout campaign in her first year with the Indians.
In October, Hernandez carded a 10-over-par 80 at Los Robles Golf Course in Thousand Oaks to take the match and claim the Pacific League individual championship.
Hernandez, who placed first in five of six Pacific League contests, shot a 37 on the front nine and 43 on the back nine. She finished with a league-adjusted total of 37.3.
She became the first local golfer to capture a Pacific League individual championship since Burroughs’ Emily Tubert accomplished the feat in 2009.
The freshman advanced two rounds in individual competition and advanced to the CIF Southern California Individual Championship, where she shot an 81 at River Ridge Golf Club in Oxnard. Hernandez missed the cut, which was 77.
In cross-country, the Burroughs girls’ squad placed second behind rival Burbank and qualified for the CIF prelims. The top Indians finisher was Jordan Guzman, who placed sixth in 19 minutes, 53.2 seconds at the league finals at Crescenta Valley Park.
In boys’ water polo, the Indians placed fifth in the Pacific League and earned an at-large berth into the CIF Southern Section Division IV playoffs, falling in the first round to Carpinteria, 8-6.
Also in the fall, the Burroughs (2-8) football team played just nine games for the second straight season after Pacific League rival Hoover cancelled some of its games. The Indians failed to make the CIF Southern Section playoffs for the third straight season.
During the winter season, the Burroughs girls’ soccer team was able to break a longstanding league-title drought.
In the final match of the regular season, the Indians defeated Burbank, 5-1, to secure the Pacific League crown. It was the program’s first title since winning a crown in the Foothill League in 1993.
Burroughs (15-3-2) opened the CIF Southern Section Division playoffs with a 4-1 win against Artesia, but lost in the second round to Hemet, 4-2.
In boys’ soccer, sophomore Manny Gonzalez was recognized on the All-CIF Southern Section Division III first team.
With Gonzalez, a forward, leading the way, Burroughs (15-6-3, 10-2-2 in league) captured the Pacific League championship. In the Division III playoffs, the Indians earned a 1-0 first-round victory against Ventura before falling in the second round to West Torrance, 1-0, in overtime.
Gonzalez continued to make history during his sophomore campaign with another successful effort. He set the Burroughs record for goals by a sophomore with 18, to go along with nine assists. A season prior, Gonzalez set the Indians freshman record with 16 goals.
In girls’ basketball, sophomore Faith Boulanger earned All-CIF Southern Section Division II-AA second-team recognition. It was Boulanger’s second-straight season earning second-team honors. She averaged 15 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 1.9 steals and 1.5 assists a game.
The Indians (21-8, 10-4 in league) finished in a three-way tie for third place in the Pacific League. Burroughs was eliminated in the playoffs in the first round by Walnut, 43-38.
Also making it to the playoffs in the winter was Indians’ girls’ water polo, which placed third in the Pacific League. Burroughs (9-9) was eliminated in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division IV playoffs by El Segundo, 10-0.
A fine individual effort in the spring season was turned in by freshman boys’ golfer Lincoln Melcher.
Melcher, who took second in the Pacific League, experienced fine results in Southern California tournaments. Melcher, who has verbally committed to UCLA, finished his season at the CIF/Southern California Golf Assn. Southern California Boys’ Championship, finishing tied for 25th with a two-over-par 74 at Brookside Golf Course No. 1 in Pasadena.
The Indians boys’ golf team stayed in contention for a league title until the final regular-season match, eventually placing second behind Arcadia. In the CIF Southern Section Western Team Divisional at Mountain Meadows Golf Course in Pomona, Burroughs had a respectable fourth-place finish.
Continuing its league dominance was the Burroughs boys’ volleyball team. For the 10th straight season, the Indians captured a Pacific League championship.
Led by league player of the year and All-CIF Southern Section Division II first-team honoree Sam Tipton and under the direction of veteran coach Joel Brinton, the Indians dropped just one match in league, ending with a 13-1 record.
The Indians defeated Sherman Oaks Notre in three sets to open the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs before falling to Mission Viejo in three sets in the second round.
In girls’ swimming Indians’ Maya Wilson won the 100-yard butterfly in 55.58 seconds at the Pacific League finals.
Wilson, who earned All-America honors, now owns Burroughs school records for all eight individual events.
In track and field, Burroughs’ Eli Gault-Crabb captured a Pacific League championship in the boys’ pole vault with a 13-foot-6-inch effort, despite battling a nagging hamstring injury.
Another team to make the playoffs was in softball. The Indians (12-11) placed third in the Pacific League and lost in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division III postseason to Highland, 10-0.
