Burroughs Bears begin year two of the Robert Sanchez Era 

Published by

Lorenzo Antonio

on

Lofty goals entering the new season for the Bears 

Girls soccer practice at night on a football field, with players performing drills and exercises.
Girls soccer team practicing at night on a football field with cones and soccer balls.
High school girls soccer players practicing on a field at night, with several cones and a soccer ball present.
Soccer practice at night with players warming up on the field, illuminated by stadium lights.

The John Burroughs Bears are looking to build off a successful Winter 2025, their first year under head coach Robert Sanchez heading into the 2025-2026 season. Robert Sanchez enters his second season as the Burroughs High School girls head soccer coach. Sanchez has been associated with John Burroughs girls soccer since 2019 and has worked up through the ranks from assistant JV and head JV coach before becoming the head coach of the program. 

Girls soccer team practicing on a football field at night, with bright stadium lights illuminating the scene.
A night soccer practice session on a field, with players in training attire listening to a coach and participating in drills under bright floodlights.

Last season the Bears finished with a 9-5-4 overall record and a 5-1-2 record in Pacific League with an appearance in the CIF Southern Section division four playoffs. Burroughs lost 4-1 to Costa Mesa in the opening round of the postseason. Burroughs finished in third place in the Pacific League behind Crescenta Valley and Arcadia a season ago. This team is expected to contend for the CIF Southern Section playoffs again in 2025-2026. 

A group of female soccer players practicing on a field at night, with a scoreboard in the background showing the status of the game.
A night practice session for the John Burroughs Bears girls soccer team, featuring several players on the field with focused expressions, engaged in drills.
Soccer practice at night with players and a coach on the field, highlighting team training.
A night soccer practice featuring girls in uniforms on a field, with a coach observing their drills.

Under Robert Sanchez the coaching staff will feature assistant coaches Ryan Espinosa (head junior varsity coach) and Lara Black Sage (varsity and JV assistant coach). “The start of a new season is always one of my favorite moments of the soccer cycle.” Sanchez said. “My second year differs from the first in that I don’t have the energy of a new venture to propel me. This year I find myself working to create a sustainable yet flexible routine for the program, so the excitement is being replaced with focus.” Sanchez also added that he’s still catching up on his adjustments of his role as head coach of the program and is looking to continue to improve his relationships with the players heading into year two. 

Two girls practicing soccer on a field at night, with additional players observing in the background.
Girls soccer team practicing on a field at night with stadium lights on.
Soccer practice at night with players and coaches on the field, illuminated by stadium lights.
Soccer practice at Memorial Stadium with players preparing for the season under the night sky.
Three female soccer players practicing on a field at night, with one player preparing to kick a soccer ball while others observe.
Bears soccer players practicing on a field at night, with a player dribbling a soccer ball in the foreground and others in the background.

The roster will feature three returning all Pacific League players in juniors Geneva Keifer (All Pacific League first team), Isabella Estrada (Pacific League Honorable Mention), and senior Samantha Sizemore (All Pacific League second team). Sizemore led the Bears with 16 goals and 32 points a season ago as she will look to build on those numbers heading into the 2026 season. Shealso averaged 2.3 goals per match which was another category that she led the team in. 

A group of soccer players in orange and green jerseys practicing on a field at night, surrounded by goalposts and floodlights.
A nighttime soccer practice on a field with players in orange and green jerseys. The goalposts are illuminated in the background, along with nearby buildings and lights.
A group of soccer players practicing on a field at night, with stadium lights illuminating the scene and the goalpost in the background.
A night scene at a soccer field with players practicing under bright stadium lights, an empty bleacher area in the background.
A group of female soccer players in practice on a field at night, with some players in white shirts and others in orange. A small goal is visible in the foreground.
Girls soccer players practicing on a field at night, wearing yellow jerseys and discussing strategy, with empty bleachers in the background.
Soccer players practicing under stadium lights at night on a football field.
A group of girls soccer players practicing on a football field at night, with a scoreboard in the background.
Girls soccer team practicing on a field at night, with players in orange and white jerseys and a goal in the background.
High school girls soccer team practicing on a field at night with stadium lights illuminating the scene.

Burroughs will begin the 2025-2026 season with a road contest against Mayfield as the game will take place at Occidental College at 3:30 p.m. The home opener will be on Thursday, November 20th against North Hollywood with kickoff slated for 3:45 p.m. Pacific League play will begin on Friday, December 12th when Burroughs takes on Pasadena at 3:45 p.m. at Memorial Field. Burroughs will take on their cross town rival Burbank on Thursday, January 15th at John Burroughs High School and then again on Tuesday, February 3rd at Burbank High School. Both of those games will take place at 3:45 p.m. stay tuned for coverage of Burroughs High Girls Soccer all season long.

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