Taft Stands Tall Despite 24-19 Loss

After the game, a single thought kept running through the mind of Taft High Coach Tom Stevenson, who stands 6-foot-5.

It had nothing to do with his team failing to measure up.

“We came up short,” Stevenson said. “We came up a little short.”

Indeed, Stevenson’s overachieving Taft team just ran out of time Friday night against Granada Hills, dropping a 24-19 decision in a West Valley League game at Taft.

The Toreadors scored with 5 minutes 37 seconds left to take a 19-18 lead, marking the first time this season the Highlanders had trailed in Northwest Valley Conference play. Taft quarterback Lamar Lawson scored on a one-yard keeper to finish off an 11-play, 36-yard drive.

Granada Hills (7-1, 5-0 in league play) fired back, however. After Bryan Martin (seven of 16 for 221 yards) connected with Alonzo Finney for a 39-yard gain to the Taft 38, fullback Brett Washington rumbled inside for 12 yards.

On the next play, Washington went outside on a draw, cut back against the grain and scored from 26 yards to give the Highlanders a 24-19 lead with 4:08 left.

Washington finished with 102 yards in 10 carries.

“I just started left, and then I saw more of my guys to the right,” Washington said of the cutback, which froze several defenders. “All I saw to the left was (Taft) red.”

Yet Taft almost had the Highlander defense turning a similar color. Taking possession with 4:03 left at its 26, Taft drove to midfield, primarily behind tailback Darnell Hendricks. Granada Hills almost left Taft (4-3, 3-2) with too much time.

“It was almost too quick,” Granada Hills co-Coach Darryl Stroh said, shaking his head. “We almost scored too fast.”

On a fourth-and-one play at the Taft 49, Hendricks gained eight yards to keep the drive alive with 51 seconds left.

After an incomplete pass, Lawson was sacked for an eight-yard loss. Lawson completed a 12-yard pass to Hendricks to the Highlander 37, but a desperation pass to Hendricks and Byron Duncan at the goal line was intercepted by defensive back Robert Haywood at the final gun.

Hendricks gained 116 yards in 22 carries, the most any ballcarrier has managed this season against the Highlanders.

“He’s the best back we’ve seen all year,” Stroh said.

Tailback Derrick Stewart gave the Highlanders a 6-0 lead on a one-yard run with 38 seconds left in the first quarter.

Even though its offense was held in check in the first half, managing only 69 yards, Taft pulled even in the second quarter on a 29-yard interception return by Daryl Cash.