Taft Wins, 43-7, Over Birmingham

With his team leading, 29-0, at halftime, Taft Coach Tom Stevenson still wasn’t ready to make a prediction.

“It’s only halftime,” he said. “All games have two halves.”

That was unfortunate for Birmingham, which suffered through four quarters before going down in flames Friday night as Taft routed the Braves, 43-7.

By improving their record in the Sunset League to 2-2, the Toreadors retained their chance to be selected as a wild-card choice in the City playoffs.

Taft, which has one of the best defenses in the City, also has a decent offense. The Toreadors scored on their home field every time they got the ball.

Taft quarterback Ray Daniels ran for two touchdowns and threw for one, while completing only two passes for 24 yards.

Running back Kevin Wolfe had another fine evening, rushing 14 times for 72 yards, while teammate Monty Gilbreath rushed 10 times for 128 yards, and two touchdowns.

Taft scored each time it had the ball in the first half. The Toreadors marched 64 yards on nine plays the first time they had the ball. Wolfe capped the drive by running it in from the three, putting Taft up, 7-0.

After receiving a Birmingham punt early in the second quarter, the Toreadors again marched down field, this time using only eight plays to go 68 yards. Quarterback Ray Daniels fooled the Braves on a bootleg and scored from the five.

On the next series, Birmingham could get only as far as its own 49, before an impressive Taft defense shut the Braves down on fourth and one. Five plays later, Monty Gilbreath took it in from the four, to give Taft a 22-0 lead.

Daniels scored his second touchdown of the first half on a 24-yard run.

The Braves made it to the Taft 19 shortly before halftime, only to have defensive end Curtis Hein drop Birmingham quarterback Kevin Zietz forcing a fumble which Hein recovered with one second left before intermission.

Birmingham is 1-3 in Sunset League play and 4-4 overall. The loss dashes any hopes of the Braves earning a wild-card spot in the City playoffs.

Birmingham 0 0 7 0 -- 7 Taft 7 22 7 7 -- 43 T--Wolfe 3 run (Diem kick)

T--Daniels 5 run (Diem kick)

T--Gilbreath 4 run (Gilbreath run)

T--Daniels 24 run (Diem kick)

T--Thompson 6 pass from Daniels (Diem kick)

B--Zietz 1 run (Costa kick)

T--Gilbreath 29 run (Diem kick)