Few saw this coming. The once-strong Burlingame hoops program, which had fallen on very hard times, has taken a bold leap into the future. With the return of Coach Jeff Dowd, the Panthers are rebuilding from the ground up _ and in a surprising way. Of their 13 players, five are freshmen. For those geezer observers with long memories still intact and functioning, that's unprecedented at the school (and maybe in the Peninsula Athletic League South as a whole, but that's unclear). The freshmen don't sit. They play _ a lot. Three have been starting. There have been occasions when all five are on the floor together. It's an eye-opener. Burlingame has a losing overall record (0-6 in two tournaments certainly didn't help) but is now 3-2 in PAL South action. A decided low point came a week ago when they lost to Mills, 33-18. Those 18 digits are believed to be a modern PAL record for offensive futility. But they have bounced back. They defeated Woodside Wednesday, 67-42. Resilience apparently is a commodity possessed by the very young. Good for them.
