Remote Possibilities

The desolate area surrounding Ridgecrest, about 150 miles northeast of Los Angeles, is dotted with natural wonders.

Spectacular rock formations and panoramic vistas contribute to an otherworldly landscape that draws sightseers as well as Hollywood filmmakers seeking the right backdrop for science-fiction projects.

“Out of this world” also describes the remarkable season of the Ridgecrest Burroughs football team, which is playing in its first Southern Section final in 29 years. The Burros (12-1) will meet defending champion Fontana Kaiser (12-1) at 7 tonight for the Division VIII title at Fontana High.

For the last few months, Burroughs games have been the main attraction in this desert town of 25,000, rekindling a sense of school spirit and community pride.

Tommy Mather, 58, said this may be the best Burroughs team since he began regularly attending games -- in 1957. All four of his sons played football for the school, and one of them, Todd, is a member of the coaching staff.

“These kids don’t realize they’re playing for us, for the whole community,” said Mather, owner of a local sports bar. “We’re living through them.”

Students, parents and boosters will fill several buses for today’s three-hour drive to Fontana, eager to cheer for a team featuring a high-powered passing attack and an opportunistic defense with a knack for causing turnovers.

Burroughs, which was founded in 1944, has reached a section title game only once before, losing to now-defunct Norwalk Neff, 59-21, in the 1974 2-A Division final. Principal Ernie Bell, 44, remembers watching that game as a sophomore, and he said a similar sense of excitement has energized Ridgecrest this week.

“The same thing is happening right now,” Bell said. “Everything’s abuzz. When you’re a small town, that’s the only thing going.”

Portable bleachers were brought in last week to accommodate a crowd of 5,000 for Burroughs’ semifinal home game against Serrano.

After the Burros’ 53-31 victory, Bell was among five administrators and coaches who had their heads shaved in the locker room, a tradition that started several weeks ago at the outset of an eight-game winning streak. Bell agreed to be shorn if the team reached the final.

“Sure enough, we had a little party in the locker room Saturday night,” he said. “It was fun.”

Burroughs quarterback Karsten Sween is also having the time of his life. Though he had never started a varsity game before this season, Sween has set nearly all of the school’s season passing records, completing 219 of 364 passes (60.2%) for 3,438 yards and 37 touchdowns with only eight interceptions.

The left-handed junior enjoyed his best game last week against Serrano, passing for school records of 506 yards and six touchdowns.

“The kid’s poise is remarkable,” Burroughs Coach Jeff Steinberg said. “That’s why his yardage is the way it is, because he makes smart decisions.”

Sween isn’t the first member of his family to excel in football. His uncle, Brant Tunget, played linebacker on the 1974 Burroughs team that reached the final and was a tight end at Fresno State.

Tunget has driven from his Sacramento home, an 800-mile round trip, to attend all of Burroughs’ playoff games.

“He’s a real inspiration for me,” Sween said. “We were joking around that it just took another player with Tunget blood to get [Burroughs] back to the championship game.”

Actually, Sween credits an offensive line that has allowed few sacks and a talented group of receivers led by senior Anthony Celestine, who has 89 catches for 1,868 yards and 23 touchdowns.

The Burros are averaging 420 yards a game with an offense that uses four or five receivers on nearly every play. They also like to use a no-huddle scheme, with Sween calling the plays, to keep defenses off balance.

But the offense’s success is largely because of a swarming, ball-hawking defense. Burroughs has caused 43 turnovers and committed only 13. Creating turnovers has given the offense good field position.

“We’re a lot more speed than size,” said senior safety Peter Ghilardi, explaining the defensive unit’s strength. “Other teams always think they’re going to run over us, but we’re quick and physical.”

Ghilardi had two interceptions, his first of the season, last week against Serrano. He and senior linebacker Trevor Barney lead the team in tackles.

Most of the players grew up in Ridgecrest and played together in the city’s youth football program, establishing an early camaraderie and trust that many associate with Burroughs’ success.

“We don’t have any real big, Division I kids,” Principal Bell said. “We’ve got an entire team that plays with heart. It’s hard to find that kind of chemistry.”

Burroughs has not lost since a 27-20 setback to Ventura St. Bonaventure on Oct. 10 in a nonleague game at Moorpark College. St. Bonaventure, which had a 13-0 record before losing to Westlake Village Westlake in the Division IV final Friday, held on after intercepting a Sween pass in the end zone in the final seconds.

In winning their last eight games, the Burros have averaged 46 points.

Despite the drawbacks of living in a small, isolated town -- traveling to away games usually entails bus rides of about three hours -- Steinberg said Ridgecrest’s plusses outweigh the minuses. The primary industry is the Naval Air Weapons Station that borders the town.

“Initially, it was concern of mine because I was raised in a big city,” said Steinberg, who grew up in Winnipeg, Canada, and has been at Burroughs six years. “Now that I’m here, it’s the best of both worlds. We’re close enough that we can go to the beach, go to the city.

“But [Ridgecrest] has that small-town atmosphere where people know each other, they support what the kids are doing and there’s virtually no crime.”

Sween also appreciates the simple life. His family moved a few years ago from San Luis Obispo to Inyokern, a town of 970 just outside of Ridgecrest that bills itself as the “Sunshine Capital of America.”

“I like it because there are fewer distractions,” he said. “I can be more focused on football.”

Sween’s goal is to earn a scholarship to a Division I college. But tonight his focus will be on helping Burroughs -- and an entire town -- make a little history.