MidValleySports.Com

Taylor Lagace gives his team a halftime lead Friday night. (Photo by Calvin Hang)

(Arcadia)- The theme at Arcadia is “No Apache Down”, but it doesn’t preclude them from taking down opponents.

Several Burbank players hit the turf, came out of the game, before the Bulldogs rallied for a 33-27 victory on a Friday night rich for an upset.

B-Bank quarterback Adam Colman delivered his third touchdown pass with 1:55 to play on a 19-yard toss to Alex Cervantes.

“We got a wake up call tonight,” said Bulldog head coach Hector Valencia. “Arcadia came out to play and we needed to play better than we did in the first half. The players in the locker room at halftime knew we needed to play better.”

The first half saw Burbank build an 18-7 lead. Leo Rodas scored on a 2-yard run on the game’s second play from scrimmage, Sam Bethany (17-yards) and Cole Hazelwood (36-yards) caught touchdowns from Colman.

On the verge of being routed at home, the Apaches responded. Garrett Tuck closed out the half with touchdown passes to David Schuil and Taylor Lagace. The 22-yard strike to Lagace came with five seconds left in the second quarter and put Arcadia up 21-18.

“Our kids played with a lot of heart tonight,” said Apache HC Jon Dimalante. “They played hard.”

Before the contest turned into a see-saw affair in the fourth quarter, it reached perhaps its most critical point with a little over five minutes to play in the third.

Arcadia, starting at its own 11 to open the third, went on a 12-play seven-minute drive that left them facing a fourth and goal from the three-inch line. A field goal makes it 24-18 still vulnerable to a Bulldog touchdown, but a touchdown by the Apaches puts them up by ten and in command.

What happens? Arcadia lines up, Burbank digs in…as the ball is snapped flags fly. Offside? No. False start? No. Tuck doesn’t have his mouthpiece in…Apaches are moved back 5-yards, Gavin Carpenter comes in and boots a 23-yard field goal to make it 24-18.

Two possessions later a drive, highlighted by Bethany’s 28-yard catch on a third and nine, ends with Ulises Ochoa going 5-yards through the middle of the defense to tie the game at 24-24.

The Bulldogs, missing all three conversion opportunities in the first half, turn to team captain Cervantes to boot the point after and the south-footer put it through for a 25-24 lead.

Arcadia responded with key runs by David Maldonado, catches by Jonathan Larson, and a critical pass interference call to set up a 20-yard field goal by Carpenter and a 27-25 lead.

The Bulldogs fumbled at midfield on its next possession, but the defense held up and got the ball back with 3:11 to play.

Burbank defensive back Miguel Juarez broke several tackles on the punt return carrying it thirty yards to his own 45.

On first down Colman rolled right and found Jackson Diamond for 15-yards. Two incomplete passes later, Colman found Diamond again for 16-yards. Christopher Alcala carried the ball for five yards.

Then Colman went to Cervantes for the game winner.

“It was a beautiful pass and a great catch,” said Valencia. “I’m proud of the way we responded with every one going down.” During the course of the contest Bethany, Ochoa, Rodas all came out of the game banged up. Linebackers Zach Wilke and Ryan Seidler went out and never returned.

“We’re not thinking about Burroughs right now, we’ve got Pasadena in front of us and we are not taking them lightly.”

Burbank is now 7-1, 5-0 in the Pacific. Arcadia fell to 1-6-1, 1-4 in league, and is now out of the post-season for the second consecutive year.