BOYS' BASKETBALL: CITY SECTION: DREAM YEAR ENDS FOR TAFT NO. 1 WESTCHESTER DOMINATES WESTCHESTER 78, TAFT 52.Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer With the outcome no longer in doubt and the season two minutes from conclusion, Taft High of Woodland Hills basketball standouts Steve Smith and Jordan Farmar Jordan Robert Farmar (born November 30, 1986) is an American professional basketball player at starting point guard for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers. He was previously the starting point guard for the UCLA men's basketball team. made their way to the Toreadors' bench Friday at L.A. Southwest College. On the court, Westchester of Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. was putting the final touches on a 78-52 victory in the City Championship semifinals, but Smith and Farmar didn't even look over. It wasn't that they didn't care anymore - after all, the brilliant play of the two star guards was the main reason the Toreadors had pushed further than they ever have in the playoffs. It's just that glancing over would have conceded defeat. Smith and Farmar chose to focus on other things besides losing. Like the fact Taft (23-5) made it to the semifinals for the first time despite a season of flux. Players came and went, some because of injury, some because of grades and others because they simply stopped caring. Or winning 17 of their final 19 games and upsetting 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.] on the road Wednesday to dispel the notion that San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. City teams couldn't win big games against their L.A. counterparts. The loss to Westchester (27-3) on Friday was no big upset. The top-seeded Comets Non-periodic comets are seen only once. They are usually on near-parabolic orbits that will not return to the vicinity of the Sun for thousands of years, if ever. Periodic comets usually have elongated elliptical orbits, and usually return to the vicinity of the Sun after a number are nationally ranked and play a hectic hec·tic adj. 1. Characterized by intense activity, confusion, or haste: "There was nothing feverish or hectic about his vigor" Erik Erikson. 2. schedule against the best teams in America. It was improbable to think Taft had much of a chance to win - and the final score did nothing to dispute that. ``They just had too much depth and too much athletic ability,'' Farmar said. ``You just have to respect the fact that they're an outstanding team. But we had a great year, and we're proud of what we accomplished. Our goal was to get to the final four, and that's what we did. It doesn't make losing tonight easier to deal with, but we know we had a great year, and we're satisfied with that.'' Westchester wasn't unbeatable - last year's Comets were much better- just bigger, faster, deeper and more playoff play·off also play-off n. Sports 1. A final game or series of games played to break a tie. 2. A series of games played to determine a championship. Noun 1. savvy than the Toreadors. The Comets led 35-25 at halftime, than blew it open in the third quarter to lead 55-34 going into the fourth. Tevor Ariza had 19 points to lead Westchester. Bobby Brown had 16 and Jonathan Toliver added 12. Westchester won behind a full-court press full-court press n. 1. Basketball An aggressive defensive strategy in which one or two players harass the ball handler in the backcourt while the rest of the team maintains a close man-to-man or zone defense. 2. that caused turnovers that led to easy layups, and by locking down Smith and Farmar defensively. Farmar finished with 19 points, but every time he moved, one or two Comets followed. Smith had 18 points, but he wasn't able to get to the basket as he normally does because Westchester kept funneling him into tall defenders cutting off access to the paint. What opportunities Smith got, he got in transition or on jump shots. ``They had these big long guys in the passing lane that take up a lot more ground that we're used to seeing,'' Taft coach Derrick derrick: see crane. Derrick famous hangman; eponym of modern hoisting apparatus. [Br. Hist.: Espy, 170] See : Execution Taylor said. ``We don't see that kind of size in the Valley.'' Just then Taylor smiled. ``Hey, that's a team full of Division I college players. There is nothing to be ashamed about losing to them,'' Taylor said. ``Besides, we had a great year, and that's what I'm going to remember.'' |
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