Schurr Knocks Burroughs Out of Championship

Just when it looked like Burroughs High would squeeze into the Southern Section playoffs as co-champion of the Foothill League, Schurr Coach Ken Davis decided to start passing the football.

Schurr upended Burroughs, 21-14, Thursday night at Montebello High to capture its first outright league title since 1982.

But it took a 12-play, 80-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown drive--sustained largely by the Spartans’ game total of 54 yards passing--to nullify a 14-point, fourth-quarter Burroughs’ rally.

Until Burroughs quarterback Marco Arcipreste hit wide receiver Steven Hubbell with a 52-yard touchdown pass to tie the game with 4 minutes to play, Schurr had consistently--and almost exclusively--beat the Indians with an effective outside quick pitch.

Schurr quarterback Jay Macias, who completed 4 of 8 passes, had only attempted 2 passes before Burroughs’ final touchdown. One was intercepted, the other fell incomplete.

The quick pitch produced second-quarter touchdown runs of 49 yards by Sean Rattray, 9 yards by Frank Martinez, and a game-high 103 yards rushing in 19 carries for tailback Cesar Burgueno.

“That’s been one of our big plays,” said Davis, who was carried off the field by several of his players. “Our strength all year was to run the ball. And when they didn’t have any points I didn’t want to risk throwing the ball.”

Burgueno capped the game-winning drive with a 1-yard plunge with 27 seconds to play.

Still, Burroughs (6-4, 3-2 in league play) had a chance to tie it. Arcipreste, who completed 14 of 18 passes--including his last 7 in a row--for 221 yards, hit John Yim with a 51-yard bomb to give the Indians one last play from the Schurr 31.

But Arcipreste, who was sacked 7 times for minus-58 yards and was under heavy pressure most of the game, was forced to scramble on the final play. He was stopped at the 20.

“When it came down to the big game, we weren’t ready to play,” Burroughs Coach Butch McElwee said. “In the big game, I thought it would be no problem. We should have beaten these guys hands down.

“This is the second year in a row we get in the big game and can’t handle it.”

Burroughs reached the Northwestern Conference championship game last year before losing to Arroyo Grande.

Schurr scored its first touchdown following a missed 40-yard field goal attempt by Burroughs’ Tommy Phillips. Schurr moved 80 yards in 5 plays, the final one a 49-yard dash by Rattray to give the Spartans (8-2, 4-1) a 6-0 lead.

On Burroughs’ next possession, Arcipreste was sacked and fumbled on the Burroughs’ 48. Schurr recovered, and 3 plays later Martinez scored. Martinez also ran it in for the 2-point conversion.

Burroughs’ threatened in the final minute of the first half. Linebacker Rich Savola intercepted a screen pass to give Burroughs a first down at the Schurr 15.