That changed during the spring season.
Led by a solid singles lineup and a successful No. 1 doubles team, the Burbank boys' tennis squad captured the first Pacific League title in school history.
The Paul McNiff-coached team also advanced to the CIF Southern Section Division II quarterfinals and lost just one match all season.
With outstanding athletes and accomplished squads, many Burbank teams were able to thrive and be successful. The school also enjoyed its share of fine accomplishments throughout the school year.
Here is a closer look at some of those accomplishments:
FALL SEASON
It was apparent that when the Bulldogs football team began the season with a 56-7 nonleague rout of Golden Valley, Burbank was in for a successful season.
The Bulldogs went 6-5 and finished third in the league with a 5-2 mark. The team could have easily tied for second, but it lost to Muir, 28-27, in double overtime.
There was no doubt who was the offensive catalyst for the Bulldogs. Senior Robert Linda passed, ran and kicked his way to success. Linda, who played quarterback, receiver, linebacker, defensive back, as well as place-kicker, passed for 803 yards and eight touchdowns and he ran for 591 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Along with being named the league's offensive player of the year, Linda was honored as an All-CIF Southern Section Central Division selection as a linebacker, tallying 64 tackles and two interceptions.
Cross-country was another sport in which the Bulldogs shined. In Pacific League competition, the girls' team placed second and the boys were fourth, as both qualified for CIF Southern Section preliminaries.
While Ryan Williams was the leader on a young boys' team, the girls had a fine group led by Kristina Amela, Michelle Horgan, Kiran Jolly, Natalie Horgan, Natasha Christoffersen and Jennifer Velasquez.
