Football previews: Burroughs vs. Muir; Burbank vs. Crescenta Valley
BURROUGHS VS. MUIR
•WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday.
•WHERE: Muir High.
•RECORDS: The Indians are 2-4, 2-1 in the Pacific League; the Mustangs are 3-3, 3-0.
•LAST WEEK: Burroughs defeated Crescenta Valley, 20-16; Muir defeated Glendale, 37-0.
•OUTLOOK: The Indians were able to come through with a win last week to keep their hopes of winning a fourth straight league championship alive. However, Burroughs might be facing the toughest league opponent this season in Muir. In three league games — wins against Crescenta Valley, Hoover and Glendale — the Mustangs have outscored their opponents, 136-0. Muir came into league after going 0-3 in nonleague games. However, the losses came against tough competition in Upland, Alemany and Rancho Cucamonga. The Mustangs have a talented quarterback in Joshua Muema-Washington. He likes to throw to wide receiver Mason Taoen.
•SOMETHING INTERESTING: Last season, Muir defeated Burroughs, 28-0, for the Indians’ lone loss in league, forcing it to share the championship with Arcadia.
BURBANK VS. CRESCENTA VALLEY
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday.
WHERE: Memorial Field.
RECORDS: The Bulldogs are 4-2, 3-0 in the Pacific League; the Falcons are 3-3, 1-2.
LAST WEEK: Burbank defeated Pasadena, 34-8; Crescenta Valley lost to Burroughs, 20-16.
OUTLOOK: Burbank has already equaled its win total from 2011, when it failed to make the playoffs. With the win last week, the Bulldogs are one of only two league teams — along with Muir — that are still undefeated in league play. The Burbank defense continues to be the stingiest in the league, giving up an average of just 14.5 points a game. It was that defense that came up big in last week’s win against Pasadena, keeping their opponent off the board until there was just 1:29 left in the contest. The Falcons are likely still reeling from last week’s close defeat at the hands of Burroughs. Crescenta Valley has a steady running back in William Wang. However, Burbank has a host of running backs, led by James Williams and Teddy Arlington, who have put up their share of fine performances this season. The Bulldogs have battled with their share of penalty problems throughout the season. That struggle was evident against Pasadena when it committed 18 infractions for 170 yards. Sophomore quarterback Ryan Meredith has been getting the majority of snaps for the Bulldogs.
SOMETHING INTERESTING: Along with its tough defense, Burbank is also tops among league teams in scoring average, tallying 30.5 points a game.
Jeff Tully