By Ernie W. Webb III
In 2018, Burlingame and Madison squared off in a showdown of unbeaten teams to determine league and district championships. A critical fumble on first-and-goal late in the fourth quarter cost the Bearcats both titles that night and represented a changing of the guard in the Lyon County League. It’s a loss coach Jeff Slater hasn’t forgotten.
Four years later, Burlingame (7-0, 4-0 in Eight-Player I District II) re-established itself as the top dog in a tough league – and district – with a workmanlike 44-28 win Friday over the Bulldogs, who came into the game on a hot streak.
“In 2018, we were in position to win a league title and didn’t get it done,” Slater said during a postgame interview with KVOE-FM in Emporia. “I told the kids tonight before the game that this was a chance to write another chapter in the history of this rivalry. Madison has a great program, and they are our big rival.”
The much talked about matchup was delayed due to a shortage of officials. Originally rescheduled to start at 7:30 p.m., the opening kickoff came at 8:15 p.m. when the officiating crew scrambled from working a 56-48 game between St. Paul and Hartford to Burlingame.
“We knew the delay could cost us some of the energy, but Coach Slater is the biggest motivator, our hype man,” said quarterback/linebacker Colby Middleton, who had 298 total yards. “He just told us we had to get amped up when it was time to play.”
Before a large crowd at home, the Bearcats fed off the fans during a flurry spanning the second and third quarters from which the Bulldogs (5-2, 3-1) couldn’t recover. Though Madison briefly took an 8-7 lead on Hayden Helm’s 9-yard run and Bryson Turner’s conversion late in the second quarter, Burlingame scored the next 23 points.
The onslaught began moments after the Bulldogs took their only lead when Middleton hit Dane Winters on a 20-yard pass. Four plays later, Middleton scored on a 4-yard run and added the conversion for a 15-8 advantage.
Madison went for it on fourth-and-9 at midfield on the next series, but Timmy Roberts tackled Turner for a 3-yard loss. The Bearcats capitalized, driving 37 yards and surging ahead 23-8 with 2 seconds left in the half on Middleton’s 1-yard jaunt and Roberts’ catch on the conversion.
“I’m so proud of our defense tonight,” Slater said. “We did a good job of slowing Turner down.”
Turner, a star running back, dominated in wins against Lyndon and Cair Paravel the previous two weeks, racking up 10 touchdowns against the latter, but Burlingame prevented him from breaking off a long run. He still managed to rush for 190 yards.
The Bearcats opened the second half with an eight-play, 53-yard drive to build a 22-point lead. A key sequence on the series came early in the drive when Middleton connected with Winters for an 18-yard pass on third-and-20. Middleton’s 3-yard rush on fourth-and-2 extended the possession, and Burlingame led 30-8 after Roberts scored on a 13-yard pass from Middleton. Jose Arevalo added the extra point kick.
The teams traded scores during the final 20 minutes. Turner had a 5-yard touchdown run and 29-yard scoring strike on a tipped pass to Gavin Isch, and Helm had a 1-yard run into the end zone. Burlingame’s final two tallies came on Middleton’s 4-yard run and Winters’ 19-yard rumble.
“(Winning the league title) means everything to us. It’s what we worked for since the offseason,” Middleton said. “It also means a lot to share it with the kids in school and with the fans.”
Middleton rushed for 196 yards and four touchdowns on 27 carries and completed 9 of 12 passes for 102 yards and a score. Winters had 111 yards (70 receiving and 41 rushing). The Bearcats finished with 357 yards and 18 first downs.
Turner paced Madison with 269 total yards, while Isch had 88 yards on three catches.
BURLINGAME 44, MADISON 28
Madison 0 8 6 14 — 28
Burlingame 0 23 7 14 — 44
Second Quarter
BHS – Colby Middelton 1 run (Jose Arevalo kick)
MHS – Hayden Helm 9 run (Bryson Turner run)
BHS – Middleton 4 run (Middleton run)
BHS – Middleton 1 run (Timmy Roberts pass from Middleton)
Third Quarter
BHS – Roberts 13 pass from Middleton (Arevalo kick)
MHS – Turner 5 run (Pass failed)
Fourth Quarter
BHS — Middleton 4 run (Pass failed)
MHS – Gavin Isch 29 pass from Turner (Run failed)
BHS – Dane Winters 19 run (Matthew Heckman pass from Middleton)
MHS – Helm 1 run (Lane Darbro pass from Helm)
GAME IN FIGURES
MHS BHS
First downs 16 18
Rushes-Yards 36-246 39-255
Passing 8-15-0 9-13-0
Passing yards 109 102
Total yards 355 357
Punts 1-28 1-36
Fumbles-lost 1-1 3-0
Penalties 7-60 8-60
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – Madison: Turner 21-190, Helm 14-53, Darbro 1-3. Burlingame: Middleton 27-196, Winters 8-41, Heckman 2-18, Jace Dewitt 2-0.
RECEIVING – Madison: Gavin Isch 3-88, Darbro 3-22, Turner 2-(-1). Burlingame: Winters 5-70, Roberts 2-17, Heckman 1-14, Roman Bayless 1-1.
PASSING – Madison: Turner 2-7-0 79, Helm 6-8-0 30. Burlingame: Middleton 9-12-0 102, J.D. Tyson 0-1-0 0.