Tribe falls in playoffs, 35-27

BELLFLOWER — It’s been quite a few years since the Burroughs High football team was still playing at this point in the season.

Last week, the Indians broke 23 years of postseason frustration by winning the program’s first CIF Southern Section playoff game since 1987.

Burroughs was hoping to keep to keep that winning momentum going Friday in a Southeast Division quarterfinal playoff game against a tough Mayfair team.

Despite missing some key players because of injury, the Indians battled the Monsoons in a challenging matchup. However, Burroughs had trouble containing the potent Mayfair running game, and as a result, fell, 35-27, in a game at Bellflower High.

Burroughs (7-5) had to play without starting running back Zander Anding, who broke his hand Monday during practice, and two-way starter Matt Volland, who injured his ankle during last week’s playoff game. Even starting quarterback Lucas Yanez suffered from a sore shoulder.

“Those were some key guys who were out for us,” said Burroughs Coach Keith Knoop, whose team was co-Pacific League champions. “And Lucas didn’t even throw until just before the game.”That was tough.”

Yanez didn’t seem affected by his sore throwing arm, as he completed 14 of 21 passes for 207 yards and three touchdowns. He hooked up with Anthony Carter on scoring strikes of 13 and nine yards and found Nick Brown on a 24-yard touchdown.

Mayfair (8-4) — the No. 2 team from the Suburban League — and Burroughs scored on each of their first two possessions, as the score was tied at 14 after one quarter.

Zack Meijer got the scoring started for Burroughs, finding pay dirt on a four-yard run to help the Indians stake a 7-0 lead with 7:32 left in the opening quarter.

After the Monsoons tied the score at 7, Yanez connected with Carter on a 13-yard pass to retake the lead, 14-7.

The Indians allowed another Mayfair score, then shut out their hosts in the third quarter.

“I think if we would have found our niche on defense a little earlier we might have been able to stop some of their early scores,” Knoop said.

Mayfair running backs Jason Logologo and Aaron Brown accounted for most of their team’s offense. Brown had 17 carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns and Logologo carried the ball 25 times for 137 yards and two touchdowns.

Burroughs scored with 26.5 seconds left to cut the deficit to eight points. The Indians tried for an on-side kick, but the effort was recovered by the Monsoons.