Memorial Field

BURBANK ? A committee overseeing field renovations at local campuses approved a company Wednesday as the artificial turf brand of choice to lay at Burbank and Burroughs high schools. The $14.2-million joint-use project with the city includes tearing down and rebuilding Memorial Field at John Burroughs High School as well as replacing the grass and dirt at both fields with artificial turf. FieldTurf won out over the other contenders, Sprinturf and Forever Green Athletic Fields, after months of research and testing, said Jan Britz, assistant superintendent of Instructional Services for the Burbank district.

BURROUGHS VS. SOUTH TORRANCE •  WHEN : 7 p.m. Friday. •  WHERE : Memorial Field. •  RECORDS : The Indians are 1-0; the Spartans are 0-1. •  LAST WEEK : Burroughs defeated Schurr, 17-14; South Torrance lost to Mira Costa. 40-14. •  OUTLOOK : The Indians found out they have what it takes to beat a quality team last week. Schurr came into the game ranked No. 4 in the Southwest Division. With its win, Burroughs climbs into the top 10 in the division and is at No. 9. Sophomore quarterback Lucas Yanez (129 yards and a TD)

MEMORIAL FIELD — Looks like Bellarmine- Jefferson high football fans will have to wait at least another year for their first playoff win in more than 50 years. Trying to notch their first postseason win since 1954, the No. 4 Guards fell to Whittier Christian, 48-31, Friday in a CIF Southern Section first-round Northeast Division game at Memorial Field. Whittier Christian and Bell-Jeff battled all game, as both teams were exchanging shot for shot in the first half. Five of the nine first-half drives resulted in a touchdowns, and neither team showed any signs of slowing in the second half.

Molly Shore It's not that easy staying green, at least not on the surface of Memorial Field at John Burroughs High School or the playing field at Burbank High School. But that could change if Burbank Unified School District officials move ahead with plans to replace grass fields at both sites with artificial turf. Though it could take up to two years and roughly $2.5 million to replace existing playing surfaces and tracks at both schools, officials hope to have an installation plan in place within a few months.

MEMORIAL FIELD -- Yards and points were hard to come by when Bellarmine-Jefferson and Lucerne Valley highs clashed in a nonleague football game. The Guards managed only 157 total yards ? all on the ground ? and the Mustangs accumulated 95, as this paucity resulted in a 10-0 Bell-Jeff victory Saturday at Memorial Field. Neither team found the end zone in the first quarter, but Bell-Jeff (3-2) did get on the board early in the second quarter when running back Bronson Ketchum worked his way over the goal line from one yard out. Eric Ruelas tacked on the extra point to make it, 7-0. Bell-Jeff pushed its lead to 10-0 just before the intermission when Ruelas kicked a 23-yard field goal.

MEMORIAL FIELD ? It was a simple, but yet highly-effective move that Bellarmine-Jefferson High Coach Rolando Aguirre employed against St. Anthony. After seven average games with Bronson Ketchum at fullback, senior Victor Yazdi was moved to the position against the Saints. Yazdi is the team's starting linebacker and its leading tackler. The move paid dividends, as Yazdi came through with a three-touchdown effort in leading the Guards to a 35-27 Santa Fe League triumph Saturday night at Memorial Field.

MEMORIAL FIELD — It's always wise to study before taking a test, that way there are no surprises. It was obvious from the outset that the Salesian High football team knew exactly what Bellarmine-Jefferson wanted to do Saturday in the Santa Fe League opener for both schools. The Mustangs had a watchful eye on junior running back Jorge Chaidez, and hoped to pressure young quarterback Daniel Radoccia into mistakes. The tactics worked to near perfection, as the Mustangs ran all over the Guards, 44-21, at Memorial Field.

Edgar Melik-Stepanyan This is what high school football is all about. Intense, nail-baiting moments. Teenagers playing for pride and bragging rights. Coaches drawing up schemes and strategizing against an opponent's strengths and weaknesses. The La Canada-Burbank season-opening nonleague contest Friday had all that -- and a lot more. The Bulldogs staged a fourth-quarter rally, driving the length of the field to score with 49 seconds left to ensure a 14-10 victory at Memorial Field.

Soon, fans will be able to enjoy the game without the pain of splinters after the long-awaited revamp of Memorial Field is completed — the last stage in an $18.5-million, three-phase capital improvement project designed to modernize decrepit athletic facilities at Jordan Middle School, and Burbank and Burroughs high schools. John Burroughs High School has for too long labored under the dreary shadow of a field and stadium that hark back to the old days a little too much. But the community of the past has played a big part in ensuring the future of this asset.