Burbank falls to Muir 58-28 in marquee Pacific League contest

Published by

Lorenzo Antonio

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Jason Brown’s fumble return for a touchdown in the second quarter propelled the Mustangs to a 30-point win over the Bulldogs 

Youth football team warming up on the field in front of an inflatable bulldog tunnel, surrounded by spectators and palm trees.
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A high school football team in gray and blue uniforms huddles on the field near a large inflatable bulldog entrance. Coaches and staff nearby prepare for the game.
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Football players warming up on the field with mountains in the background during a practice session.
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In a contest that featured the top two teams in the Pacific League from a season ago, the John Muir Mustangs showed why the Pacific League still runs through them by coming away with a 58-28 win over the Burbank Bulldogs behind Jason Brown’s fumble return for a touchdown in the second quarter. Last week, Muir came off a convincing 70-0 win over Glendale, with Burbank coming off a 49-28 win over Crescenta Valley. 

Football game in progress with players from both teams on the field, fans in the stands, and a mountain backdrop.
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Football game scene with players from the John Muir Mustangs on the sidelines, awaiting action on the field. A band can be seen in the background, playing music for the audience under a cloudy evening sky.
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The Mustangs began the first quarter by scoring on a third-down conversion, as Trey Gamble found Ethan Leyland in the end zone for the game’s first touchdown. Jacob Hernandez recorded the extra point to give Muir an early 7-0 lead. On the second play of the game for the Bulldogs’ offense, DeShawn LaPorte was intercepted by Leyland. The Bulldogs’ defense then forced a three-and-out on the Mustang offense following Leyland’s interception. 

Nighttime view of a high school football game with players in blue and white uniforms on the field, surrounded by spectators in the stands and a brightly lit church in the background.
Football game in progress at night, featuring players in blue and white uniforms on the field, with a scoreboard visible in the background.
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Football game at night with players on the field and spectators in the stands under stadium lights.

Burbank tied the score at seven with LaPorte finding Chase Miles for a 30-yard touchdown pass, followed by Ryan Mendoza converting the extra point. Davin Cannon then responded with a goal-line touchdown run for Muir to retake the lead in a back-and-forth first quarter. The Mustangs ended the opening quarter with a 14-7 lead. 

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A night-time football game with players in blue and white uniforms lining the sideline, while a crowd of spectators watches from the stands.
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A nighttime football game scene showing teams huddled on the field and a crowd in the stands, with lights illuminating the field.
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Football teams on the field during nighttime, with spectators in the background.
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Football players on the field during a night game, with spectators in the background.
A night football game scene featuring two teams on the field, with players in gray and blue uniforms preparing for a play, while spectators watch from the sidelines.
A nighttime football game showing players in action on the field with spectators in the background.
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Football players in blue and white uniforms on the field at night, with spectators in the background.

The Mustang defense began the second quarter by forcing a three-and-out on the Bulldog offense, which set up another score for the Mustangs. Alijah Parker recorded a five-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 21-7 following the successful extra point. Jason Brown forced a fumble on Elijah Pendleton and then took it to the house for six to make the score 28-7. The Bulldogs quickly punched back with LaPorte finding Pendleton for a 12-yard connection to make it a 14-point game. Gamble wasted little time for Muir, connecting with Alijah Smith for a 60-yard touchdown to get the lead back to 21 for the Mustangs heading into the halftime break. 

A nighttime image of a high school football game with cheerleaders in blue and white uniforms performing on the sidelines, while spectators watch from the stands.
A nighttime football game scene featuring cheerleaders in blue and white uniforms performing on the sidelines, with spectators in the foreground and a football field in the background.
A nighttime high school football game in progress, with players from both teams on the field, surrounded by spectators and team benches.
Football players warm up on the field during a night game, with spectators in the background and bright stadium lights.

To start the second half, Pendleton broke free for a 55-yard run, which set up the first score of the third quarter. LaPorte found Miles for their second touchdown connection, this one for 15 yards, and provided hope for an epic rally from the Bulldogs. The point after the try again cut the deficit to 14 points. The Bulldogs’ defense then forced Muir to settle for a Jacob Hernandez field goal from 24 yards out to make it a 38-21 game for the Mustangs. 

High school football game taking place at night, showing players from two teams lined up on the field with spectators in the background.
A night football game scene featuring players from two teams lined up on the field, with spectators in the background.
Football game in progress under stadium lights, with players on the field and spectators in the foreground.

Burbank continued the pressure when they received the ball back. LaPorte found Tyler Hudson for a 38-yard touchdown pass to make it a 38-28 game. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, Gamble basically ended their comeback hopes with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Smith and a successful point after try, making it a 17-point gap at 45-28. 

Football players in blue and white uniforms walking on a field with spectators in the background during a night game.
Football players on the field during a night game with spectators in the background.
Football game in progress under night lights, featuring players in blue and white uniforms on a field with spectators in the background.

The Mustangs sealed the game with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Gamble connected with Deveon Blayock for a 37-yard score to make it a 52-28 lead for Muir. Parker capped the scoring with a 24-yard touchdown to make it 58-28. 

High school football game in progress under night lights, featuring players on the field with fans in the background.
A nighttime football game in progress, featuring players in blue and white uniforms on the field, with spectators observing from the sidelines.
A night football game scene featuring players from the Muir Mustangs and Burbank Bulldogs on the field, with spectators in the stands and a visible church in the background.

“It’s one of those games that you circle on the calendar because of how much talent Burbank has. Hector Valencia does a great job with that program, but at the same time, I’m happy with the results that we got in the win for Muir,” said Lance Mitchell. Mitchell also called Bulldogs quarterback DeShawn LaPorte a special talent during his postgame interview. 

A crowded high school football field at night with players from both teams on the field, while the stands are filled with spectators.
High school football game in progress at night, with players from both teams on the field and spectators in the stands.
A nighttime football game featuring two teams on the field, with players in blue and gray uniforms, a referee, and a crowd in the background.

“We should have tackled more aggressively, especially in the line of scrimmage. Overall, our guys were in position to win the game,” said Hector Valencia. Valencia added that the practice week was great and he was proud of the way the guys prepared to play against a very good Muir team despite not getting what they wanted in the loss. 

A group of football players and coaches kneeling in a circle on the field, presumably post-game, with arms around each other in a moment of unity or prayer.
A group of football players and coaches gathered on the field, celebrating together after a game under night lights.
A group of football players in blue and white uniforms gather during a post-game meeting under bright stadium lights, with coaches and team members discussing strategies and performance.
Football team members in gray and blue uniforms walking along the field at night, with a band in the background.

Burbank falls to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in Pacific League play, with Muir improving to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Pacific League play. Both teams will return to action for their week six contests on  Friday, October 3rd. Muir will take on Crescenta Valley at CV’s football stadium on the campus of Crescenta Valley High School, with Burbank going on the road to take on Arcadia. Both games are expected to kick off at 7:00 p.m.

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