Bulldogs

GIRLS' SOCCER Burbank 5, Glendale 0 : The Bulldogs remained unbeaten in the Pacific League with a win Friday at home. Anabel Gonzalez scored two goals to pace Burbank (6-0-4 in league). GIRLS' BASKETBALL Burroughs 52, Pasadena 33 : The Indians remained in first place in the Pacific League with a home win Friday. The Indians have a two-game lead over Muir with four league games remaining. Chelsea Rhamdeow led the way Friday, scoring 19 points.

BOYS' BASKETBALL Mission Viejo 41, Burbank 39 : The Bulldogs had one of their best efforts of the season in a losing effort Wednesday against the host Diablos in a first-round game of the CIF Southern Section Division II-AA playoffs. Mission Viejo (26-1) came into the game with just one loss on the season, was the No. 2 seed and captured the South Coast League Championship. Burbank (16-12) earned an at-large berth into the playoffs after tying for fourth place in the Pacific League.

THOUSAND OAKS — The Burbank High softball team isn't very representative of a typical No. 3 league squad in the CIF Southern Section playoffs. The Bulldogs were in the hunt for the Pacific League championship until the final regular-season game and although they tied Crescenta Valley for second place, they went into the playoffs as the third seed. La Reina, which captured the Tri-Valley League title after defeating powerhouse Oaks Christian, found out once again how formidable Burbank can be in a Division III game Thursday.

The Burbank High girls' volleyball team was hoping to ride the momentum of an opening-round win in the CIF Southern Section playoffs two days earlier when it took part in a second-round contest Thursday. But the Bulldogs faced a big task in the form of No. 2 seed Whittier Christian, which was hosting the Division II-A match. The Heralds proved too much for Burbank to handle, as the Bulldogs went down in defeat, 25-10, 25-10, 25-19, ending their season. "That team hit harder and they played faster than any team we played against this season," Burbank Coach Sarah Brown said.

BURBANK HIGH - The Burbank High girls' basketball coaches and players were unaware of the added significance that Friday's cross-town rivalry game against Burroughs held. A short time before the Bulldogs took on the visiting Indians in a Pacific League game, undefeated Muir lost its first league contest of the season to Pasadena. That meant Burbank, which came into Friday's game with one league loss, could grab a share of the league lead with a win. Although it was a struggle, Burbank overcame a six-point deficit late in the fourth quarter to earn a 37-34 win at home.

GLENDALE — Looking for their first Pacific League victories, the Glendale High and Burbank girls’ basketball teams were embroiled in a tight battle through three quarters Friday. While both squads took turns holding the lead, neither the Nitros nor Bulldogs could generate much breathing room through the first three stanzas. However, that changed in the fourth, when Glendale went cold and Burbank was able to finally take advantage of a host of opportunities. As a result, the Bulldogs held on for a 45-42 victory.

BURBANK HIGH - The Burbank High girls' water polo team didn't have much competition in the first two matches of their own third annual Burbank Tournament. In the opening pool-play contests Friday at Burbank High, the Bulldogs surrendered just two goals and earned easy victories against West Torrance and La Cañada. However, that soft competition might have been detrimental to the Bulldogs when they faced Sherman Oaks Notre Dame in the third contest of the day. Burbank came out sluggish in the first half against the Knights and found itself in a heated, physical battle.

Although she is a senior at Burbank High, Melanie Fielder will remain a Bulldog for a few more years. A standout club girls’ soccer player who is about to begin her fourth season on the varsity squad, Fielder has already made her college choice. She has made a commitment to Drake University, a Division I school in Des Moines, Iowa. Coincidently, Drake’s mascot is also the Bulldogs. “Drake even has the same blue and white colors as Burbank,” Fielder said.

VALENCIA — With its scoring inefficiencies, the Burbank High football team has small margin for error. So when it committed bad snaps, fumbles, missed field goals and an interception, the Bulldogs ran through a series of problems Friday against host West Ranch. The Wildcats turned those miscues into touchdowns and the Bulldogs absorbed a 41-7 nonleague loss at Valencia High. Burbank (1-1) committed five errors that led to eventual touchdowns, including three in the opening half, as West Ranch went ahead, 21-0, at halftime.

BURBANK - Burbank High's softball team and Coach Nicole Drabecki believe they have a legitimate shot to contend for a Pacific League championship this season. However, as opponents have discovered for almost a decade and a half, winning a league title has to go through Crescenta Valley. The Falcons have earned that respect, having won or shared 13 of the last 14 league crowns. The Bulldogs gave credence to their championship quest with a dramatic come-from-behind victory Thursday at McCambridge Park.

THOUSAND OAKS — The Burbank High softball team isn't very representative of a typical No. 3 league squad in the CIF Southern Section playoffs. The Bulldogs were in the hunt for the Pacific League championship until the final regular-season game and although they tied Crescenta Valley for second place, they went into the playoffs as the third seed. La Reina, which captured the Tri-Valley League title after defeating powerhouse Oaks Christian, found out once again how formidable Burbank can be in a Division III game Thursday.

MCCAMBRIDGE PARK - A tweak in the lineup did the Burbank High softball team plenty of good Tuesday afternoon. On the eve of her team's CIF Southern Section Division III wild-card home contest against Arroyo Grande, Burbank Coach Nicole Drabecki opted to move Laina Do up to the third spot in the lineup. Do had spent most of the season batting cleanup or fifth. The move paid dividends as Do contributed a pair of run-scoring singles to lead Burbank to a convincing 6-1 victory.

The Burbank High and Burroughs baseball teams both failed to make it to the CIF Southern Section playoffs in 2011. The Bulldogs missed the postseason by one game, falling in the final regular-season contest. The Indians didn't even make it to the end of their season after the campaign was scrapped following an underage drinking scandal. Both squads are back in the playoff mix this season. However, the Bulldogs and Indians will have to open with wild-card games on the road at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday in Division II matchups.

MEMORIAL FIELD - When Burbank High junior track and field athlete Dennis Palacio ran the 110-meter high hurdles as a freshman, he fell and injured his back. He ran the race only one time since, finishing last. That was until Wednesday, as Palacio was informed the day before that he would be taking part in the event in a Pacific League meet against Burroughs at Memorial Field. With no practice, along with taking part in three additional events, Palacio looked to conquer his hurdle nemesis against the Indians.

BURBANK HIGH — The first time the Burbank High boys' volleyball team played Arcadia earlier this season, the Bulldogs came two points away from forcing a winner-take-all fifth game on the Apaches' home floor. With confidence that they could possibly turn the tide on Arcadia when the teams met Wednesday at Burbank, the Bulldogs went into the Pacific League contest with high expectations. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, the second matchup against the Apaches ultimately yielded the same result as the first, as Burbank fell in four games, 25-14, 25-16, 22-25, 25-14.

NORTHEAST GLENDALE - After putting up five runs in the second inning, the Burbank High baseball team seemingly fizzled away as host Crescenta Valley continued producing at a consistent rate. Unfazed by the deficit, the Falcons steadily chipped away and caught the Bulldogs in the fourth, pulling away with the go-ahead run in the sixth Friday evening en route to an 8-5 win at Stengel Field and an undefeated Pacific League record. Despite giving up five runs and five hits in the second in, senior left-handed pitcher Elliot Surrey (3-0)

BURBANK HIGH — Things have been going relatively well this season for the Burbank High boys' volleyball team; for Bell-Jeff, not so much. After reviving their varsity program this season after going winless on the junior varsity level last season, the Bulldogs won their fourth match in a row in comeback fashion Friday, fighting back from a one-game deficit to turn back the visiting Guards in a nonleague contest, 21-25, 25-14, 25-18, 25-21....

BURBANK - Burbank High's softball team and Coach Nicole Drabecki believe they have a legitimate shot to contend for a Pacific League championship this season. However, as opponents have discovered for almost a decade and a half, winning a league title has to go through Crescenta Valley. The Falcons have earned that respect, having won or shared 13 of the last 14 league crowns. The Bulldogs gave credence to their championship quest with a dramatic come-from-behind victory Thursday at McCambridge Park.

SOFTBALL Burbank in High Desert Classic : The Bulldogs claimed the Division 2 championship of the tournament Saturday with a 4-2 win against Victor Valley in Lancaster. Freshman Caitlyn Brooks was named the Division 2 Most Valuable Player and Nalani Hernandez, Katie Hooper and Laina Do were all named to the all-tournament team for Burbank (7-1). In the circle, Brooks had six strikeouts in the championship game and is now 5-0 on the season. Hernandez was two for three with a walk and Hooper was two for three with three runs batted in. In addition, Ashley Russo was two for three with a run scored and Kaitlin Brooks was two for three with a run scored.

BURBANK HIGH - The Burroughs High and Burbank boys' volleyball teams don't exactly have a storied rivalry. In fact, until this season, the Indians have had no cross-town nemesis the past few years. That changed when the Bulldogs fielded a varsity team this year after resurrecting the program following a brief two-year stint in 2008-09. Burbank became reacquainted with the rivalry in a tough manor, however, as Burroughs was able to earn a Pacific League sweep Tuesday against the host Bulldogs, 25-7, 25-12, 25-10.