Basketball fans can be silly sometimes...

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... and fans can be presumptuous.

As the crowd was filing out of Westchester High Saturday night, the excitable Taft rooters -- some overheated by the Toreador’s 67-60 victory over host Westchester in the Westchester Tip-Off Classic final, couldn’t resist yelling ‘preview of the City championship baby!’

Once again, it is December. No ‘message’ was sent on Saturday. Defending champion Fairfax, Dorsey, Crenshaw and Palisades have yet to be evaluated as far as being legitimate contenders. Injuries and outside forces (read: grades) could also alter the landscape.

One thing is certain, however. Expect Taft and Westchester to be vastly different come February and March.

‘Count on it,’ Taft Coach Derrick Taylor said. ‘They’ll be better and we’ll be better. But I also saw in this tournament that we have a team that is focused and wants to win. And I’m proud of them.’

-- Mike Terry