Bulldog seniors Spencer Lee (right) and Jonathan Rojas (left) watch as their prep careers come to an end.
By Mike Martin
(Santa Fe Springs)- After a first round upset in 2008, Santa Fe got payback against Burbank with a 28-14 victory Friday night.
The Chiefs rushing game was able to dominate the Burbank defense up and down the field all night long. Santa Fe’s passing one-two punch of Christian Mahlstede and Steven Hernandez put the dragger in the back of Bulldog’s defense as they had no answer for the Chiefs.
Burbank’s first possession of the game seemed to be the most promising drive of the night as the offense took the ball all the way down field from its own four yard line to the Santa Fe end zone with a four yard lob from Adam Colman to Ryan Thanaratnam with 5:36 left in the open quarter. The PAT by Varaga Zeinali made it the lone Bulldog lead of the night 7-0.
The Chiefs answered back rather stoutly driving the ball down to mid field. Santa Fe’s drive end with an amazing trick play that had Joey Davis take the snap toss to Justin Rincon who launched it down field to the night’s showstopper, Hernandez for a fifty yard touchdown pass with 2:42 left. The Chief’s would knot it all up with the extra point by Manuel Meza.
Burbank’s next drive looked promising as they drove into Santa Fe territory to put the ball well within Zeinali’s leg range for a twenty-four yard pooch in the opening minutes of the second. The Chief’s would catch a break with a muffed snap to block the field goal and start the momentum drive for Santa Fe.
The Chief’s worst scare of the night came with 9:48 left in the second as Mahlstede went down complaining of a shin injury. Bad news for the Bank was Mahlstede would return just a few minutes after the injury. Santa Fe kept the chains moving off of a fake field goal with 1:36 left before the half when there kicker Manuel Meza showed his magic feet for a first down to keep the drive alive. Five seconds later with the momentum in the Chief’s favor as Mahlstede connected to Davis for his first touchdown of the night from seven yards out. To make it 14-7 after the PAT.
Santa Fe stuck the dagger a bit deeper in the Bulldogs as they would score once more before the half as Justin Rincon ran from eleven yards out with fifteen ticks left on the clock to make the score going into the lockers 21-7.
The second half was mildly uneventful and one sided as the Big Blue could not slow down the rushing game of the Chiefs. Santa Fe would score one last time as Davis got to the end zone for his second score of the night from nine yards out for a rushing TD this time with 10:09 left in the third making it 28-7.
Burbank’s only other score of the night came with 6:40 left in the third. Quortney Brazier showed his speed as he would run in from four yards out to make the score 28-14. The Chief’s would run the clock out for the most part in the fourth to make it a snoozer and end the bleeding of the Bulldogs.
Santa Fe’s victory keeps them in the playoffs for another week, but for the Chiefs this win was a bitter sweet after an upset by Burbank two years earlier.
For the Bulldogs they will have to wait till next year to try for their storybook playoff run. Santa Fe will take on a strong offense in the second round next week in West Covina.
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