Nitros can’t keep up
SOUTHEAST GLENDALE — As the football season progresses, Burroughs High Coach Keith Knoop is looking to find ways to make his team’s offense less predictable by throwing the ball more.
But until the Indians develop that aspect of the playbook, they’ll gladly turn to Zander Anding to lead the way.
The senior running back scored seven touchdowns, including one on a receiving play, to lead Burroughs to a 70-34 Pacific League win over host Glendale on Thursday night at Moyse Stadium.
“We’ve been trying not to be one-dimensional; we tried to throw the ball tonight,” Knoop said. “But when we needed to, we went to Zander and he broke the big plays for us.
“We know we have to get better throwing the ball. But Zander did what he had to do.”
The 6-foot back hauled in 372 rushing yards on 19 carries before sitting out the entire fourth quarter.
With that, Burroughs improves to 3-3 overall and 3-0 in league, while Glendale drops to 1-5 and 0-3.
“Number 21 is a great football player,” Nitros offensive and defensive line Coach Chris Boiles said of Anding. “It was a tough game. [Burroughs] played Arcadia tough last week [in a 41-29 win] and we had a chance tonight. We just couldn’t stay in the game with them.”
Burroughs went up, 14-0, on a 30-yard run by senior quarterback Brad Hunt and a 39-yard run by
Anding.
But Glendale responded with a 93-yard kickoff return score by captain and junior wide receiver Michael Davis and a one-yard run by Felipe Arias to tie it at 14 with 1:24 left in the opening quarter after Christian Osorio converted a two-point run.
On the first play from scrimmage on the ensuing drive, Anding scurried for a 75-yard scoring run to give the Indians a 21-14 lead they never relinquished.
“Our offensive line did work,” Anding said. “They did what they had to do and it was awesome.”
Anding scored on runs of one and five yards to help Burroughs take a 35-21 halftime lead.
He then scored on runs of 47 and 41 yards and caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Hunt to push the Indians ahead, 56-28, with 3:06 left in the third.
Hunt completed five of 14 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns.
Before the third quarter ended, he threw a 51-yard scoring pass to Eli Peppmuller.
Glendale senior quarterback Evan Norton completed 10 of 21 passes for 109 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. The pick was recovered by Kody James for a 35-yard touchdown and a 70-28 lead as the third quarter expired.
Senior Alex Yoon led the Nitros with 103 rushing yards on 17 carries. He also collected a team-leading 68 receiving yards on seven catches and a 38-yard strike from Norton.