GLENDALE – It truly was the battle of the running backs. Crescenta Valley did all it could to match the Burroughs ground attack, but was ultimately overpowered by Matteo Tarca.
Behind Tarca’s 321 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 37 carries, Burroughs earned 37-35 victory on Friday. The game came down to a game-winning field goal by Braden Turner with 15 seconds remaining.
“Last week we told them we were going to play with love the rest of the year,” said Bears head coach Laron Johnson. “Tonight my kids fought. Now it’s time to go home and prepare for Pasadena High School.”
Johnson’s love clearly showed in the ground game. The Bears made the most of their limited opportunities, even converting a third-and-22 touchdown.
The pressure mounted as the Falcons defensive line produced enough to gain two sacks and a forced fumble before halftime. The perfect recipe for success against a team heavily relying on its ground game.
However, the ground game was clearly working for the Bears. Tarca led all players with 137 rushing yards and a touchdown in the first half.
The Falcons were able to match the energy with their running back. Leonidas Grant scored all three touchdowns for the Falcons in the first half.
“We battled but they got us in the end,” said Falcons head coach Hudson Gossard. “Leonidas Grant had some great runs. He took 5-yard runs and turned them into touchdowns. He was great for us and seeing him battle on the field was awesome for us.”
There was no indication that either running back was going to slow down, and both continued to put on a show. Neither defense was coming up with answers.
In the second half, Grant continued dealing damage for the Falcons scoring two more touchdowns on the ground. Grant ended his night with 153 total yards and four total touchdowns.
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Tarca more than doubled his totals from the first half, a total workhorse on offense allowing Burroughs to control the clock.
The Bears now hold a share of second place in the Pacific League with a much-needed win. With two games left to go, a lot can change in the final league standings.
“Our offensive line carried,” said Tarca. “This was the best performance they’ve ever had. I could see that (The Falcons) weakness was not being able to tackle and I just kept attacking. We now have to keep locking down on the basics and keep this offense going.”