SAN MATEO, CA - Burlingame finished the regular season undefeated behind three touchdowns from Keone Keahi to defeat rival San Mateo in a Peninsula Athletic League-Ocean Division game Saturday morning, 48-0, to retain possession of the coveted 'Paw' trophy.
“Burlingame did a good job defensively not giving us much at all,” San Mateo head coach Jeff Scheller said. “They controlled the offense, so hats off to them.”
Although the Panthers were thrilled to defeat their rivals, the final score does not reflect their struggles early in the game.
In the second quarter, for example, Burlingame junior starting quarterback Avery Gindraux fumbled the ball at the Bearcat 11. Even though they had opportunities to increase their lead in the first two quarters, the Panthers headed into the locker room ahead 14-0 thanks to their impenetrable defense.
“This has been the story of our season,” Scheller said. “We play a pretty good first half and then in the second half we get worn down.”
While the Panthers struggled to cash in on some offensive opportunities in the first half, they dominated in the third quarter by racking up 28 points and wearing down the Bearcats.
Keahi led the offensive charge in this period for Burlingame. After scoring a touchdown on a three-yard rush in the second quarter, he caught a pass from Gindraux and broke a pair of tackles to reach the end zone with 7:58 remaining in the third. Five minutes later, he ran 62 yards for his third TD of the day. During the trophy presentation, he was named as the Most Valuable Player of the game.
“Great blocking by the linebackers to push hard [helped me score],” Keahi said. “We all play as one and just play as a unit.”
By the end of the game, Burlingame put the finishing touches on the 48-0 victory. When Burlingame hoisted the ‘Paw,’ the fans stormed the field to join in the post-game celebration.
With the win, the Panthers (10-0, 5-0 PAL-Ocean) earned the top seed in the Central Coast Section Division III playoffs which begin next week. The season is over for the Bearcats (4-6, 2-3). Burlingame meets local rival Hillsdale next Friday night in first-round action.
“If we can stay healthy and keep doing the things we’re doing, we’re gonna be all right,” Burlingame head coach John Philipopoulos said.
As for the Bearcats, their season comes to a disappointing end. Nevertheless, Scheller hopes that this game can be used as a learning experience and as an incentive to train harder during the offseason.
