THE YEAR IN REVIEWBURROUGHS HIGH:
Making an instant impact

Burroughs football team leads way for Indians in successful school year

By Jeff Tully

Published: Last Updated Friday, June 22, 2007 11:02 PM PDT

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the third in a four-part series looking back on the sports accomplishments of the four local high schools over the past school year. This installment is Burroughs High:

It was apparent just months into the 2006-07 school year that Burroughs High was going to make an impact in the Pacific League.

After decades playing in the tough Foothill League, the Indians teams got off to a fine start against their new opponents. During the fall season, five of Burroughs' six teams qualified for the CIF Southern Section playoffs.

One of those teams — the Indians football squad — even won a Pacific League championship, the school's first in its new league. It was the program's first crown in 25 years.

Although the school didn't win another title during the school year, Burroughs did feature its share of fine athletes and winning teams during the 2006-07 campaign.

Here is a closer look at some of those athletes and teams:

FALL SEASON

Right out of the gate, the Burroughs football team served notice it was a squad that was going to be tough to beat.

The Indians rolled to nonleague wins against Schurr, 21-7, and Harvard-Westlake, 35-31, before falling in a close contest to St. Francis, 24-21.

Burroughs won all of its Pacific Leagues games to win claim its first league title since 1981. Unfortunately for the Indians — who were ranked No. 1 in the Central Division — they fell in the first round of the playoffs to Moreno Valley, 21-19.

Burroughs (9-2, 7-0 in league) was paced by senior running back Joe Wiggan. The league offensive player of the year set school records for yards in a season (1,933) and points in a season (158). He carried the ball 292 times, had a 6.62 yards-per-carry average and scored 26 touchdowns. He had games in which he gained 288, 262, 244, 238 and 237 yards.

The Indians also had the league's offensive lineman of the year in Bryan Arceo, the defensive lineman of the year in Nick Bryant and the coach of the year in Keith Knoop. The three players, along with senior linebacker Keith Recchia, were also earned All-CIF honors.

The school's cross-country teams also had fine seasons, as both the girls' and boys' squads finished third in league and advanced to the CIF Southern Section I preliminaries.

Junior Sadee Martinez was able to advance to the CIF-State Cross-Country Championships, becoming the first runner at the school to make the elite meet. Martinez finished strongly, placing 20th in 18 minutes 43 seconds. Her time was the 65th fastest of the 928 girls in five division races on the day.

The Indians boys' water polo and girls' tennis teams also made the postseason.

WINTER SEASON

The big story during this season had to do with the Burroughs boys' basketball team.

Led by Chris Smith, Jordan Lopez and Marty Shinn, the Art Sullivan-coached team played well in its first season in the Pacific League. The Indians (17-12, 7-7) placed third in league — one game out of second place — and qualified for the postseason.

Burroughs played its best during the playoffs, disposing of Buena Park, 72-68, Diamond Ranch, 74-61, and Temecula Valley, 85-73, to advance to the Division IIAA quarterfinals. In the round of eight, the Indians were defeated by Murrieta Valley, 64-54.

It was the deepest any Burroughs team advanced in the playoffs during the school year.

The girls' basketball team also made waves, as the Indians (22-6, 12-2) finished second in league and set a school record for wins in a season.

Paced by senior Kourtney Zilbert, the Vicky Oganyan-coached team fell in the first round of the Division IA playoffs to Leuzinger, 55-52.

The only other team to make the playoffs during the winter was the boys' soccer team, as it was able to return to the postseason for the first time in four years.

Paced by All-CIF senior defender Bryant Castillo and coached by Mike Kodama, the Indians (13-5-7) tied for the runner-up spot in league. However, Burroughs lost a coin flip and went into the playoffs as the No. 3 team from the league.

In a wild-card match at home, the Indians downed Lompoc, 3-2, in overtime to earn their first postseason victory in nine years. Unfortunately for Burroughs, it fell in the first round to No. 3-seeded Fullerton, 3-1, in overtime. The Indians' only goal was scored in the 20th minute when Castillo was able to find the back of the net.

SPRING SEASON

Martinez continued her fine year by having an outstanding track and field season. Burroughs, as well, had a great year. Under the direction of Coach John Peebles, the boys' and girls' teams both upset Muir during Pacific League competition and both placed second in league behind Arcadia.

Martinez progressed through the season and qualified for the 89th CIF-State Track and Field Meet in Sacramento in the girls' 1,600 meters. She completed the impressive double of two trips to state competition during the same school year.

She also set a school record and a personal-best time of 4:58.82 at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet.

Burroughs' Jonathan Alpizar qualified for the CIF Finals in the boys' 1,600 and teammate Chris Morris qualified in the boys' 400.

The Indians boys' tennis team was able to snap a long-standing drought during the spring. Burroughs won a one-match playoff to finish third in the Pacific League and earn a spot to the postseason for the first time in 13 years.

Burroughs was paced by freshman singles standout Trevor Campbell.

The Indians baseball team was also able to return to the playoffs after a seven-year absence. Burroughs (15-14, 11-3) finished third in league, one game behind runner-up Arcadia and two games behind champion Crescenta Valley.

The team boasted a fine player in senior pitcher Tyler Bussard, who earned All-CIF Southern Section Division II second team.

In league, Bussard went 8-0 with a 0.87 earned-run average to earn first-team all-league honors. Overall, he had a 10-4 record and a 2.17 ERA with 55 strikeouts and 12 walks in 77 1/3 innings. His win total tied the Burroughs school record for most wins in the regular season.

In the playoffs, Burroughs won its wild-card opener against Woodbridge, 9-1, and lost in the first round against Cypress, 6-3.

The school's softball team turned in the upset of the year when it defeated Oaks Christian (No. 1 in Division III), 7-0, in a Birmingham Tournament game.

Burroughs (13-12, 8-6) placed fourth in league and qualified for the postseason, falling in a wild-card game to Lancaster, 11-0.

Senior pitcher Jade Terry provided the Indians with offense and defense. The first-team all-league player had a .411 average (23 for 56) with 14 RBI, 14 runs scored, four triples and four doubles. In the circle, she was 8-9 with a 1.03 ERA, 58 strikeouts and 31 walks in 95 1/3 innings.

In swimming, Jarrod Przebieda was the Indians' best swimmer, adding to his exploits in boys' water polo.

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