Tribe not bothered by loss

VALENCIA — For the third consecutive week, the Burroughs High football team faced yet another former Foothill League rival.

After taking on Saugus and Canyon the two previous weeks, the Indians faced Hart, as the trio of games against tough foes is all part of Burroughs Coach Keith Knoop’s master plan.

Unfortunately for Burroughs, the result was also reminiscent of old times, as the locals fell, 27-10, Thursday in a game at College of the Canyons.

The defeat also meant a 0-3 season start for Burroughs, the Indians’ first since 2007. However, in the wake of the winless start, Knoop said there was definitely strategy behind the tough scheduling.

“I am not excited about 0-3, but I’m excited that we got better play in these teams,” said Knoop, referring to the level of competition early in the season. “We’re not going to face anybody like Saugus, Canyon and Hart [in Pacific League play].”

Burroughs faced an uphill battle early on.

Two minutes into the game, Hart wide receiver Tim White ripped off a 43-yard run that set up quarterback Cory Mayes’ five-yard stroll into the endzone.

The attack wasn’t over just yet.

After a field goal from Burroughs’ Cristobal Escobar that cut the lead to 7-3 with 3:47 left in first quarter, Mayes returned the favor a minute later with a 38-yard play-action pass to White to increase the advantage to 14-3.

But Burroughs, led by senior quarterback Lucas Yanez, was out to prove it could put up a fight.

Hart (2-1) went up, 21-3, with 2:13 remaining in the half after a Yanez interception set up another Mayes touchdown.

The Burroughs senior quarterback showed he could bounce back, using his arm and legs to give his team hope going into halftime.

Yanez led his team from its own 12-yard line to the Hart 38 with an efficient mix of runs and passes. But three straight incompletions, including a drop in the endzone by junior ¿¿¿wide receiver Zander¿¿¿ Anding, had the squad facing a fourth-and-10 situation.

Anding, who is quickly becoming one of Yanez’s favorite targets, quickly redeemed himself by converting a first down with a stellar 22-yard grab. After a roughing-the-passer penalty, Yanez ran it in from eight yards out on the game’s next play with only 12 seconds left in the second quarter to send his team into halftime down,¿¿¿ 21-10.

Yanez finished 15 for 29 for 226 yards with one rushing touchdown and three interceptions. He also ran for 40 yards in 11 carries.

Unfortunately for¿¿¿ Burroughs, the offense couldn’t keep up its momentum in the second half against a stout Hart defense, led by defensive back Tim White, who hurt the local Indians on both sides of the ball.

After scoring in the first quarter, White picked off Yanez twice in the second half. Burroughs was also able to step it up on defense, holding Hart to only two field goals in the third quarter.

Knoop told his players that they should think they are going into league play with a clean slate, and that the 0-3 start really doesn’t matter much, considering the talent level in the Foothill League.

“You always expect this when you play Hart. It can happen at any moment,” said Knoop of Hart’s quick start and dominance. “They’re well coached and they got their butts kicked last week, and I didn’t think they were going to let that happen again.”

Anding finished with six catches for 85 yards and senior running back Tadeo Zuniga gained 57 yards in 16 carries.

Burroughs — which won a share of the Pacific League championship last season — has a bye next week and will face Hoover on the road Sept. 30 in its league opener at Glendale High.