By Ernie W. Webb III
TOPEKA – If revenge is a dish best served cold, Burlingame’s football team dined on frozen liver the past two weeks. After a 3-0 start and climbing into the state rankings in Eight-Player Division I, the Bearcats have struggled in back-to-back losses, including Friday’s 62-28 defeat at Cair Paravel.
A week after a surprising 46-0 setback against Chase County, Burlingame hoped for a fast start. That hope dissipated quickly when the Bearcats lost a fumble on the first play from scrimmage. Less than eight minutes into the game, Burlingame trailed the Lions (3-2, 1-1 in District 2) 22-0.
Cair Paravel, the only team to play all four quarters against Lyndon this season, scored on a 33-yard keeper by quarterback Jase Pavlik, a 41-yard scamper by running back Jesiah Bonura and a 47-yard pass from Pavlik to Evan Will.
Unlike the previous week, however, the Bearcats rallied. On Burlingame’s fourth possession, quarterback J.D. Tyson scrambled for 28 yards, and Timmy Roberts scored on a 3-yard jaunt with 2:37 remaining in the first quarter. Tyson hit Dane Winters on the conversion to cut the deficit to 22-8.
The Bearcats then recovered an onside kick, capitalizing moments later when Tyson and Winters connected on an 11-yard scoring strike on third-and-10. Burlingame trailed 22-14 in the closing minute of the opening frame.
The Lions wasted little time responding, marching 65 yards in five plays, capped by Bonura’s 35-yard run at the 10:24 mark of the second quarter.
Trailing 28-14, the Bearcats drove 65 yards in 11 plays, consuming nearly five minutes, pulling within 28-20 on Tyson’s 11-yard run. Parker Haid hauled in the conversion pass, trimming the deficit to 28-22 midway through the quarter.
Cair Paravel answered again, however, on the next series, as Bonura caught a long pass from Pavlik, racing 48 yards to give the Lions a 34-22 edge at the break.
Cair Paravel took control in the third quarter, scoring 20 unanswered points on a 54-yard bomb from Pavlik to Will on third-and-10, a 16-yard toss from the same duo and Pavlik’s 31-yard ramble.
Burlingame finally stopped the bleeding early in the fourth stanza on Tyson’s 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal to make it 54-28. The Lions capped the scoring with a 14-yard pass from Pavlik to Bonura and a conversion pass from Pavlik to Simon Everhart.
Tyson led the Bearcats (3-2, 0-2) with 173 total yards, including 126 passing and 67 rushing, while Winters had 110 yards receiving and Roberts 56 rushing. Burlingame had 256 total yards, but committed three turnovers.
Pavlik had 343 yards for Cair Paravel, including 268 through the air on 16-of-19 accuracy. He also rushed for 75 yards on just six carries. Bonura had 110 yards rushing on 13 attempts and 89 yards receiving. Will had 175 yards receiving on eight grabs. The Lions had 461 yards on 40 plays, averaging more than 11 yards per play.
Burlingame looks for its first district win Friday against Marantha Academy, followed by a game at Madison that likely will determine the final playoff spot in District 2.
BURLINGAME 14 8 0 6 — 28
CAIR PARAVEL 22 12 20 8 — 62
First Quarter
CP – Jase Pavlik 35 run (Evan Will pass from Pavlik), 11:44.
CP – Josiah Bonura 41 run (Pass failed), 9:12.
CP – Will 47 pass from Pavlik (Will run), 3:37.
BG – Timmy Roberts 3 run (Dane Winters pass from J.D. Tyson), 2:37.
BG – Winters 11 pass from Tyson (Pass failed), 5.2.
Second Quarter
CP – Bonura 35 run (Pass failed), 10:24.
BG – Tyson 11 run (Parker Haid pass from Tyson), 5:29.
CP – Bonura 48 pass from Pavlik (Run failed), 2:12.
Third Quarter
CP – Will 54 pass from Pavlik (Pass failed), 8:03.
CP – Will 16 pass from Pavlik (Simon Everhart pass from Pavlik), 5:12.
CP – Pavlik 33 run (Pass failed), :58.
Fourth Quarter
BG – Tyson 1 run (Pass failed), 10:12.
CP – Bonura 14 pass from Pavlik (Everhart pass from Pavlik), 7:10.
GAME IN FIGURES
BHS CP
First downs 16 17
Rushing 37-130 21-193
Passing 12-27-2 16-19-0
Passing Yds 126 268
Total Yds 256 461
Fumbles-lost 4-1 2-1
Penalties 5-40 8-59
Punts 2-26.5 1-28.0