Diego Plancarte earns Great American Rivalry MVP honors with three touchdown receptions and a game-sealing interception return.
The Burbank Bulldogs defeated the Burroughs Bears 38–21 in the schools’ 78th annual homecoming football game, earning their third consecutive rivalry victory and keeping their CIF Southern Section playoff hopes alive.
Diego Plancarte led the Bulldogs with three touchdown receptions before sealing the win with a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. His performance earned him Great American Rivalry MVP honors. Both teams entered the matchup looking to rebound from Week Nine losses. Burbank fell 28–0 to Muir in its Arroyo League finale, while Burroughs lost 28–7 to Crescenta Valley in its Boulder League finale.
Before kickoff, festivities included a freshman tailgate in the Brian Hurst Gym, presentations of both schools’ homecoming courts and the Great American Rivalry Scholar-Athlete awards. Burroughs’ Sho Fujita and Burbank’s Kaylem Valencia received the academic honors.
Burroughs’ homecoming court featured senior king Easton Siems and queen Baela Rana. Joining them were princes Renzo Mogila, Jaden Rufin, Sho Fujita and Will Rowan, along with princesses Cardona Akins, Bridge Hauser, Leslie Femnias and Emma Hernandez.
Burbank’s homecoming court featured senior king Devin Panosian and queen Shailo Alexandi. The court also included princes Jackson Ritner, Aidan Casey, Dion Keshishyan, Alyza Ter Oganesyan and Dvin Boghosian, along with princesses Naya Antoun, Anna Baddyan, Ani Kivijian, Sara Bilemjian O’Neal and Natalie Nolasco.
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Members of the United States Marine Corps participated in the coin toss, with Sergeant Trelle Newton serving as Burbank’s honorary captain and Staff Sergeant Andrew Romero serving as Burroughs’ honorary captain. Formber Burbank Mayor and current member of the California state assembly Nick Schultz also participated in the ceremony.
Once play began, Burbank wasted little time taking control. On the Bulldogs’ opening possession, Damian Corona connected with Plancarte for a 20-yard touchdown and a 7–0 lead. Andranik Butyan later added a 26-yard field goal to extend the advantage to 10–0. Burroughs answered on the final play of the first quarter when Sean Ghaman found Nikolas Taylor for an 11-yard touchdown, trimming Burbank’s lead to 10–7.
Corona provided the next big play, breaking loose for a 54-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to put the Bulldogs ahead 17–7. The Bears threatened to cut into the deficit before halftime, but Burbank’s defense stopped Brandon Chapparo short of the goal line on fourth down. The goal-line stand preserved the Bulldogs’ 10-point lead heading into the break.
Burroughs opened the second half with a scoring drive capped by Ghaman’s 15-yard touchdown run, bringing the Bears within 17–14. Burbank responded with another Corona-to-Plancarte connection, this time for a nine-yard touchdown. The Bulldogs carried a 24–14 lead into the fourth quarter.
Corona and Plancarte connected for their third touchdown of the night on a six-yard pass, extending Burbank’s lead to 31–14. The Bears continued to battle, with Ghaman finding Gavin Tubbs for a 26-yard touchdown to narrow the margin to 31–21. But Plancarte ended the comeback hopes by intercepting a pass and returning it 40 yards for the final touchdown of the night.
Burbank finished the regular season at 5–5, while Burroughs concluded its season at 3–7. The Bulldogs now await the CIF Southern Section playoff brackets, scheduled for release at 10 a.m. Sunday, to learn whether their rivalry victory helped secure a postseason berth.
