Burbank wins, and must wait
BURBANK HIGH — There was still a glimmer of hope alive for the Burbank High boys’ basketball team.
If the Bulldogs could defeat cross-town rival Burroughs in a game Thursday, Burbank would have a shot at gaining the final playoff spot from the Pacific League.
For Burroughs, it was looking for a win to hopefully shine a bit of sunshine on an otherwise disappointing season.
The Bulldogs were able to take care of business on the court, as they shut out the Indians in the first quarter to earn a 52-37 win at Burbank High.
The euphoria of the win didn’t last long for Burbank (16-11, 7-7 in league), however. On Friday, Burbank, which finished in a three-way tie for third place in league with Muir and Glendale, found out it would not be earning an automatic playoff berth.
The tie was broken by taking into consideration how the three teams fared against one another during league play. With the records calculated, the Bulldogs had the worst record of the three, 1-3, placing them at the No. 5 spot, and out of a guaranteed spot.
Muir (3-1 against the two teams) finishes in the No. 3 spot and Glendale (2-2) is No. 4.
Despite not getting one of the four automatic spots, Burbank can petition the CIF Office for an at-large bid. However, there is another factor that might keep the team out of the playoffs.
Hoover has filed a protest with the CIF concerning a Burbank player. The grievance claims the athlete lives within the Hoover district, and shouldn’t be allowed to play for the Bulldogs.
Burbank High Principal Bruce Osgood confirmed the correspondence with the CIF, and said the player in question was not allowed to play, pending the investigation. If the player is deemed to be in violation of CIF rules, Burbank might have to forfeit four games, which would likely knock it out of contention for an at-large berth.
“That kind of looks like the situation right now,” Burbank Coach Jose Hernandez said of the investigation. “But I really can’t comment about anything more. It’s a school administration thing.”
Burbank is attempting to lengthen its season after a highly successful 2009-10 campaign. Last season, the team notched 23 wins and tied for second in the Pacific League before advancing to the semifinals of the CIF playoffs for the first time in 43 years. The Bulldogs also qualified for the state playoffs.
Against Burroughs (3-24, 1-13), the Bulldogs jumped out to a 10-0 lead after one quarter.
“Any time you are shut out in a quarter you will have to be fighting your way back,” Indians Coach Adam Hochberg said. “But I thought we started playing a lot better in the second quarter.”
Both teams scored 12 points in the second quarter, as the Bulldogs held a 22-12 lead at halftime.
Andre Spight paced the Bulldogs with 19 points, which included five three-pointers.
The Indians received 11 points — all in the fourth quarter — from Rickey Holmes II.