STARR REPORT: TAFT TITLE; TOREADORS STUN BANNING TO FINALLY WIN CITY CROWN : TAFT 41, BANNING 29.

Byline: Chris Branam Daily News Staff Writer

Into the tunnel they went for the final time, the Taft High senior football players who had endured two years of late-season heartache. At this moment, their hearts were soaring.

It was almost midnight. The job was finally finished, three years after it began. The Toreadors upset Banning 41-29 at the L.A. Coliseum to win their first City Championship in their third consecutive trip to the final.

``No words, I can't explain it,'' Taft senior wide receiver Lawrence Wallace said.

What Wallace couldn't explain was the feeling of exuberance for the underdog Toreadors, who finished the season 12-2. Taft was looked upon previously as good enough to get to the Coliseum but not good enough to win there.

``(With) this group of seniors, we've had two devastating losses here,'' said Toreadors coach Troy Starr, who has guided Taft to four title appearances in seven years. ``They are just the best.''

A blowout victory over Banning (10-4) proves that.

``Nobody can take this away from us,'' said Marquis Brignac, a senior tailback who rushed for 189 yards in his final game. ``Being on the losing side at the Coliseum. . . . I just wanted once to be on the winning side.''

It was a brilliant offensive display by the Toreadors. They piled up 486 yards, including 291 passing by Brandon Hance. Hance, a junior transfer from Notre Dame, had his best game of the season. He completed 16 of 23 passes and threw for four touchdowns.''

``I transferred here to do this,'' Hance said. ``This is a dream.''

Hance connected with senior wide receiver Ronald Andrews six times for 148 yards, including touchdowns of 39 and 38 yards. Andrews also had two interceptions.

Even though Taft held the lead the entire game, the Toreadors caught a break late in the third quarter when Banning hurt itself with an ill-timed penalty.

The Pilots' Mike Cockrell returned a punt 60 yards for a touchdown that would have cut the Taft lead to 34-27, but a clipping penalty nullified the touchdown. Taft punted again with 1:50 left in the third quarter.

The Toreadors took a 20-7 halftime lead by taking advantage of two costly Banning turnovers, containing Pilots running back Chris Howard and riding the hot hand of Hance.

Howard, who entered the game with 2,303 yards, had just 63 on 16 carries in the first half. He finished with 202 yards, but most came after Taft had taken a comfortable lead.

Before the game, Banning coach Chris Gutierrez said he thought the Pilots players looked antsy. Those nerves came to the surface early on when fullback Mike Limosneros fumbled on Banning's opening drive. Taft got the ball at the Pilots' 49. Ten plays later, the Toreadors gambled on fourth-and-inches from the 2 and Hance scored on a sneak with 4:55 left in the quarter.

Banning's second possession also ended on a turnover: Andrews intercepted Mike Garrison in the end zone.

``We've come from behind before,'' Gutierrez said after the game, ``but we kept making mistakes.''

Andrews' strong night was just beginning. He scored on a 39-yard pass from Hance with 7:23 left in the second quarter that gave Taft a 13-0 lead. Andrews was wide open on the play and the Taft coaches noticed. Andrews scored on the same play with 1:54 left in the half and Richard Pleosch's extra point gave Taft a surprising 20-0 lead.

``Everybody looked to me to make the big play,'' said Wallace, who had nine catches for 118 yards. ``That was it.''

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PHOTO (Color) Taft quarterback Brandon Hance celebrates after scoring a touchdown in Friday night's victory over Banning.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News