Titans clinch outright Arroyo League championship
The San Marino Titans secured the outright Arroyo League title with a 20-6 victory over the John Burroughs Bears, spoiling the home team’s Senior Night celebration. Burroughs entered the contest following a 20-13 loss to La Cañada, while San Marino was coming off an 18-0 victory over Monrovia.
Before kickoff, the Burroughs varsity girls flag football program honored its graduating seniors from the Class of 2027: Millie Escobedo, Sabrina Coto, Kathy Larios Ortiz, Ruby Morales, Ciara Vasquez, Isabella Estrada, Jasmin Varela, Lillian Graham, Geneva Keifer, Chloe Zavala, Krrystal Villalta, Lilly Indefenzo, and R’ae Boulanger.
“It was the first senior night for the three sports that I’m a part of, and I was happy to experience this with my friends before the game,” Keifer said. Keifer also competes on the Burroughs varsity soccer and track teams. She said she became invested in flag football when the program launched last season.
Both teams were held scoreless in the first quarter before San Marino broke through with 13 points in the second.Kaia Kooper connected with Keilani Kooper for a three-yard touchdown to open the scoring. Burroughs’ Krrystal Villalta intercepted the ensuing extra-point pass in the end zone, keeping the deficit at 6-0.
The Kooper duo connected again for another touchdown and the extra point, giving the Titans a 13-0 halftime lead. Neither team scored in the third quarter. In the fourth, Kaia Kooper found Vivian Morales on a shovel pass for a touchdown, and San Marino extended its advantage to 20-0. Burroughs answered when Sabrina Coto connected with Lilly Indefenzo in the end zone, giving the Bears hope of a late comeback. San Marino prevented any further scoring and closed out the 14-point victory.
“I thought we picked a bad night for our offense to not play well, but our defense got exhausted throughout the game,” Burroughs head coach Keith Knoop said. Knoop added that seeing the Class of 2027 honored before the game was a treat.
Burroughs fell to 8-7 overall and 5-6 in Arroyo League play. San Marino improved to 13-3 overall and 10-1 in league competition. Both teams return to action Wednesday, October 14. Burroughs hosts Monrovia at 5 p.m., seeking a victory to strengthen its bid for an at-large berth in the CIF Southern Section playoffs. San Marino hosts La Cañada at 4 p.m.
Wednesday’s contest will also mark Knoop’s final regular-season game as head coach of the Burroughs flag football program. He is scheduled to retire from his roles as the head of the Physical Education Department, athletic director, and flag football head coach at the conclusion of the 2026-27 school year.
