Watts, Rodriguez Run Over Reseda

After his track meet Friday against Reseda, Taft Coach Tom Stevenson said he couldn’t resist looking ahead.

He wasn’t talking about tonight’s Arcadia Invitational, one of the most prestigious meets in the state. Instead, Stevenson was thinking a bit farther.

Two years into the future.

By then, Quincy Watts and Marlon Rodriguez will be seniors and, Stevenson believes, outstanding. For now he’s content just to have them.

“With those two, I think we’re going to be pretty good for a few years,” Stevenson said.

Against the Regents, Watts and Rodriguez each won three events and combined for 31 points to lead Taft to a 66-60 West Valley League win at Reseda.

Multiple-win performances are normal for Watts, but he still found a way to impress even himself.

Entered in the 440-yard run for the first time this season, Watts ran in 48.7 seconds, the fastest time in the Valley area this year. Because he ran the 440, he was unable to anchor the mile relay.

“I was running to win, not for times,” said Watts, who had suffered from strep throat this week. “The 440 was my best race of the day. I expected to be around the 50s.”

He won the 100-meter dash in 10.9 and the 220-yard race in 22.0, but his chances of a perfect day ended in the meet’s second event.

Watts anchored the 440 relay, but the Toreadors didn’t have a chance after Sean Roberts and Monty Gilbreath dropped the baton on the first exchange. Taft was favored in the race, and the mishap left even the winning team disappointed.

“I’m glad we won, but I think we could have beat them even if they hadn’t dropped it,” said Darrell Armstrong, who anchored Reseda’s relay. “Now everyone will be saying, ‘Yeah, but they dropped the baton.’ We’ll just have to see what happens in the City championships.”

Members of the Taft team were noticeably discouraged after the relay--the Toreadors trailed, 13-1. But Rodriguez raised their spirits almost immediately. He won the 880 in 2:04.6, more than six seconds faster than his previous best.

“The turning event of the meet was the 880,” Stevenson said. “I thought they were going to win it. But Marlon said he’d win and that’s what he did--he’s a tough kid.”

In one of the meet’s closest races, Rodriguez won the mile in 4:50.1. Teammate Rod Braunthol was second in 4:50.2, and Reseda’s John Wells ran 4:50.5.

Immediately after winning the two mile in 10:45.5, Rodriguez competed in the triple jump, where he placed third at 40-9 1/2. That isn’t a bad mark considering he ran 3 1/2 miles before the event. Ron Wilkinson of Reseda won the triple jump at 42-6.

Led by Watts and Rodriguez, Taft improved to 3-0 in league and 6-0 overall. Reseda is 2-1 and 5-1.

Although Stevenson was pleased with his decision to run Watts in the 440, he was, perhaps, most impressed with a ploy by the Reseda coaching staff. Believing that Watts was unbeatable in the sprints, the Reseda coaches had Robert Barnes run the two hurdles races.

In the 110-meter high hurdles, Barnes ran 16.6 and finished second to teammate Tom Lynch, who ran 15.7. In the 330 intermediate hurdles, Barnes finished a 10th of a second behind Lynch, who won in 41.7.

“With Barnes in the hurdles, we were able to take them 8-1 instead of 5-4,” said Reseda assistant Mack Moncrief.

Reseda was matched well with Taft in most of the field events, but did not enter anyone in the pole vault. Consequently, Taft swept the event--although no one cleared more than 11-0.

In the girls meet, Taft defeated Reseda, 81-28.