City Section Football Highlights : Taft Scores 27-21 Win to Share Sunset Title

In the end, Mike Conover had to settle for an apology instead of the league championship he fought so hard to attain.

Bruised, battered and sporting a cut under his left eye, Conover accepted Doug Kougher’s postgame apology for poking him in the eye during Taft’s 27-21, Sunset League victory over Canoga Park on Friday night at Taft.

Taft (7-2, 4-1 in league play) shares the league championship with Chatsworth (6-3, 4-1), which defeated Van Nuys on Friday, 45-20. Chatsworth earns the league’s first-place berth in the City 3-A playoffs based on last week’s 18-13 win over Taft.

“I’m happy as hell,” said Taft Coach Tom Stevenson, who sent Kougher to apologize to Conover, then congratulated the running back himself.

Taft held a 27-14 lead after Terrance Britt’s 53-yard touchdown run with 10:56 to play in the game. But the Hunters (6-3, 3-2), who will know Monday if they qualified for the playoffs, cut the deficit to 27-21 on Del Marine’s 30-yard touchdown pass to his brother, Pete, and Conover’s PAT kick with 5:07 to play.

Conover finished with 91 yards rushing in 18 carries and scored a touchdown. Taft’s Kelvin Byrd led all rushers with 117 yards in 20 carries. He scored on runs of 28 and 31 yards in the first half.

Johnny Smith’s interception of a Del Marine pass set up Taft’s first touchdown. Smith returned the ball six yards to the Canoga Park 28, and Byrd broke loose off tackle on the next play to give Taft a 6-0 lead. Pete Marine blocked Adam Zutler’s extra-point attempt.

Canoga Park came back to take the lead after a Taft fumble. The Hunters marched 83 yards on 13 plays, Conover scoring on a four-yard run with 6:32 left in the half. His conversion kick put Canoga Park ahead, 7-6.