The Guards will be at Boron Friday for a 7:30 p.m. contest.
After tying for the Pacific League championship last week, Burbank received the league’s No. 1 seed and Burroughs is the No. 2 seed.
With Memorial Field slated to be torn down and rebuilt early next year, it might be the last opportunity for the teams to play on the venue that has been hosting the cross-town Big Games since 1949.
“After Burroughs plays on it Thursday, I can just imagine what the field is going to look like when we play on Friday,” Burbank Coach Hector Valencia said. “It was pretty bad Friday.”
The condition of Memorial Field is probably way down the list of concerns for Burroughs Coach Keith Knoop. He has to worry about a talented Diamond Ranch team.
“They are beasts,” Knoop said. “We just don’t ever seem to get a break for the playoffs. This is a very good team and they have a lot of talent.”
The Indians (7-3) will take on a team that is 4-6. However, most of those losses have come against tough competition, including defeats against Colony, 25-20, Chino Hills, 17-14, Bishop Amat, 41-13 and Charter Oak, 12-0.
The Panthers — second in the Miramonte League — have an outstanding running back in Amari Staten (235 yards against Los Altos) and a solid quarterback in Gus Viramontes.
Burroughs counters with a quality running back of its own. Senior Dalton Williams has 182 carries for 1,444 yards and 21 touchdowns. His yardage total puts him fourth on the Indians’ all-time single-season list.
Burbank (8-2) will take on an Alhambra team that likes to throw the ball. Senior quarterback Darian Cazarin has completed 132 of 241 passes for 2,022 yards, 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
The Moors (6-3 and third from the Almont League) have only 590 rushing yards this season.
