By Ernie W. Webb III
BURLINGAME – After an easy win to open the season, Burlingame coach Jeff Slater said we’d know more about his team after this week’s game against a perennially good Lebo squad.
What we learned after the Bearcats dispatched the Wolves 54-6 is they have the tools to make a lot of noise is Eight-Man Division I.
“I challenged the kids to make a statement, and we did that tonight,” Slater said. “That is a good Lebo team over there. This really kind of snuck up on us. This team’s ceiling keeps going up.”
Burlingame took their coach’s challenge to heart from the get-go, scoring on their first play from scrimmage when Colby Middleton, who had a hand in seven of the Bearcats’ eight touchdowns, raced 48 yards for a score.
Lebo countered with its only long drive of the night, marching 65 yards on 13 plays to pull within 7-6 on a 6-yard pass from Landon Grimmett to Drew Konrade late in the first quarter.
But the Bearcats answered immediately behind Middleton and Dane Winters, who connected on back-to-back passes of 12 and 35 yards, the latter giving Burlingame a 13-6 edge.
“This is my senior year … this season is everything to me,” Middleton said. “Our game plan was to pound it up the middle, then we realized the passing game was open, and we went to that.”
Middleton has already passed for more than one third of the yardage he did last season and has thrown seven touchdown passes. His second scoring strike to Winters covered 51 yards and gave Burlingame a commanding 34-6 lead five minutes before halftime. Middleton finished the evening with 269 total yards, including 133 on the ground and 136 through the air, and rushed for four scores.
“Colby is locked in right now,” Slater said. “One difference this year is he has all these weapons around him. We have Dane Winters, Matthew Heckman, J.D. Tyson, Roman Bayless and several others.”
Tyson, who had 53 yards on offense, and Middleton also fueled Burlingame’s defense, which limited the Wolves (0-2) to 133 yards on 44 plays. Lebo also had three turnovers and just 72 yards after their lone scoring drive.
“J.D. just wreaks havoc on defense,” Slater said. “He is so physical and has great energy, and his teammates feed off that.”
Burlingame led 41-6 at the half following a 6-yard touchdown pass from Middleton to Bayless and ended the game in the third quarter after Heckman’s 12-yard reception and Middleton’s 10-yard run. Jose Arevalo went 6 of 6 on extra point kicks.
Winters had 127 yards on seven catches for the Bearcats, who finished with 309 yards on 27 plays.
Grimmett went 12 of 24 for 80 yards, and Luke Davies had 47 yards receiving for Lebo.
BURLINGAME 54, LEBO 6
Burlingame 13 28 13 X — 54
MdCV 6 0 0 X — 0
First Quarter
BHS – Colby Middleton 48 run (Jose Arevalo kick)
LHS – Drew Konrade 6 pass from Landon Grimmett (Run failed)
BHS – Dane Winters 35 pass from Middleton (Run failed)
Second Quarter
BHS – Middleton 12 run (Arevalo kick)
BHS – Middleton 10 run (Arevalo kick)
BHS – Winters 51 pass from Middleton (Arevalo kick)
BHS – Roman Bayless 6 pass from Middleton (Arevalo kick)
Third Quarter
BHS – Matthew Heckman 12 pass from J.D. Tyson (Arevalo kick)
BHS – Middleton 10 run (End of game)
GAME IN FIGURES
LHS BHS
First downs 10 12
Rushes-Yards 20-53 17-148
Passing 12-24-2 10-14-0
Passing yards 80 161
Total yards 133 309
Punts 2-22.5 N/A
Fumbles-lost 1-1 2-0
Penalties 2-15 3-25
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – Lebo: Corey Reese 11-43, Luke Davies 4-6, Colton Crouch 1-3, Grimmett 4-1. Burlingame: Middleton 10-133, J.D. Tyson 5-28, Winters 1-(-8), Timmy Roberts 1-(-5).
RECEIVING – Lebo: Davies 9-47, Dominic Risner 2-27, Konrade 1-6. Burlingame: Winters 7-127, Heckman 2-16, Bayless 1-6.
PASSING – Lebo: Grimmett 12-24-2 80. Burlingame: Middleton 7-10-0 136, Tyson 3-4-0 25.