Burbank High football runs away from Hoover

GLENDALE — The Burbank High football team scored 21 points in the first quarter of its Pacific League game against Hoover on Thursday. It didn’t need much time to do so, as the Bulldogs had possession for just three minutes.

The Bulldogs added 28 second-quarter points on four drives, each of which lasted less than a minute, in an impressive offensive display.

Burbank’s speed and strength were too overwhelming for the Tornadoes, as the Bulldogs ran away with a 49-0 win at Moyse Field.

“We have a lot more seasoned players than they do,” Burbank Coach Hector Valencia said. “It allowed us to do some things.”

PHOTOS: Pacific League football Burbank v. Hoover

The Bulldogs (7-2, 4-2 in league) had a dominating night against a smaller Tornadoes squad that fell to 2-7, 0-6.

Junior running back James Williams and junior quarterback Ryan Meredith led the onslaught in the first half and rested for the entire second half, as did a majority of the Bulldog starters.

Williams touched the ball nine times and scored three times, twice on runs — that went for 21 and 39 yards — and once on a reception. He had eight rushes for 117 yards and the one catch for 55 yards.

Meredith threw four touchdown passes on just 11 pass attempts. Dorian Housholder (18 yards) Martin Caro (40 yards) and Oharjee Brown (24 yards) each had a touchdown reception.

“We have a balanced offense,” said Meredith, who completed eight passes and threw for 220 yards. “Our offensive line has been great and James is amazing.”

Joseph Pendleton added a 50-yard touchdown run for the Bulldogs, who had 446 yards of total offense in the first half, to Hoover’s 91.

“We give the ball to our playmakers and let them do their thing,” Valencia said.

Hoover Coach Matt Andersen knew his team would have a tough time matching up against the Bulldogs.

“They had a very good offense and they have very good skill players,” said Andersen, whose team was led by quarterback Se Jun Kim, who had 113 passing yards, including 55 to Andres Perez. “We just got overmatched. Our guys are just exhausted.”

Both teams have one game left in the regular season and the Bulldogs will be fighting for a playoff berth while the Tornadoes will play for bragging rights in the final week. Burbank plays Burroughs — which it defeated for the first time in three years in 2012 — on Nov. 8 at Memorial Field. The Bulldogs will likely have to win to extend their season into the playoffs, as they entered Thursday’s contest in a two-way tie for the fourth and final automatic playoff berth from league.

“We have to win,” Valencia said. “If we lose, we’re out of the playoffs.”

Hoover will take on Glendale on the same night in the “Battle for the Victory Bell” at Moyse Field. Glendale defeated Hoover, 44-13, in 2012 for its third consecutive win in the rivalry and for the fifth time in the past six meetings.

“We’re going to be fired up for that game,” said Andersen, whose program has defeated Glendale just three times since 2000. “We’re going to have a hard week of practice and we’re going to be coming out hard.

“We want to end the season strong.”