BACK IN FORM, TAFT BREEZES : TAFT 43 CRENSHAW 8.Byline: Chris Branam Daily News Staff Writer Its sporting tradition: beat up on opponents, win in a walkover. A few years ago, Crenshaw cren·shaw also cran·shaw n. A variety of winter melon (Cucumis melo var. inodorus) having a greenish-yellow rind and sweet, usually salmon-pink flesh. [Origin unknown.] High became known simply as ``The Shaw.'' The Shaw got buzzed on Thursday night, and the Cougars didn't like it. Taft, seeded No. 7 and entering the City Section Championship playoffs coming off a loss, crushed Crenshaw 43-8 at home to advance to next week's second round. The Toreadors play Venice, which beat El Camino Real El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road or The King's Highway) was the name of a series of pre-automobile highways linking the various New World colonies of Spain:
During the postgame handshakes, Crenshaw coach Robert Garrett
Robert S. Garrett (May 24, 1875 – April 25, 1961) was an American athlete. He was the first modern Olympic champion in discus throw and shot put. stood 20 feet away from Taft coach Troy Starr and yelled that the Toreadors, leading 35-8, scoreda 45-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Steve Alvarado to Ronald Andrews with 6 minutes, 26 seconds left. But this one was over far earlier. Taft (9-2) scored touchdowns on its first two possessions and led 21-0 at halftime. And with starting running back Marquis Brignac on the sideline sideline See on the sidelines. for the entire second half with a sprained left ankle, the Toreadors kept widening the gap. Suddenly, the six-day-old memories of a 17-10 overtime loss to Granada Hills seemed distant in the Toreadors' minds. ``Losing that game was a heartbreaker heart·break·er n. 1. One that causes sorrow, grief, or disappointment: "one young and chaste, the other a dissolute heartbreaker of 48; one prim, the other passionate" ,'' said Brignac, who rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. ``We had to take two paths, to quit. . . or go back to the Coliseum Coliseum: see Colosseum. .'' That's where Taft has played the last two years, in the 4-A championship game. It has lost both times. ``That was a tough loss last week,'' Toreadors coach Troy Starr said, agreeing with Brignac. ``We're not going to feel sorry for ourselves. This team has a lot of character.'' And a lot of offensive firepower fire·pow·er n. 1. The capacity, as of a weapon, weapons system, military unit, or position, for delivering fire. 2. The ability to deliver fire against an enemy in combat. Noun 1. . Quarterback Brandon Hance completed 15 of 22 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Lawrence Wallace had nine catches for 77 yards and a touchdown. And Andrews, who returned to the team after a two-game suspension, caught a 32-yard pass from Wallace on a trick play A trick play, also known as a gadget play, is a play in American football that uses deception and unorthodox strategies to fool the opposing team. Trick plays are highly risky, usually with a large potential for a loss of yards or turnover, but the payoff is often high with that set up Brignac's 5-yard scoring run in the second quarter. Crenshaw, seeded 10th, ended its season with a 6-5 record. Brignac said he should be back next week. But even if he isn't 100 percent, the Toreadors are capable of running the ball with backup Damion Ramsey, who had a key 47-yard run in the third quarter after the Cougars scored their touchdown. ``That was what I was trying to do tonight,'' Ramsey said, ``take advantage of an opportunity.'' Starr said Ramsey, who gained 66 yards and scored two touchdowns on just nine carries, ``is an excellent runner.'' |
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