Taft Rush Harries Glendale : Turnovers Plague Vaqueros in Loss

As he so often has done after Glendale College victories, Coach Jim Sartoris stayed on the field long after Saturday’s game at Taft and spoke cheerfully to players and their parents. Across the field the coach of the other team bolted for the locker room in a rage.

The coach of the other team, oddly enough, was the coach of the winning team.

It was not the final score (32-19) but the finality of Taft’s season that had Al Baldock peeved. Although the Cougars posted a 6-1 record, they were not tendered a bowl invitation.

“There are a lot of extreme hypocrites on the selection committee that are not doing what they know to be right,” Baldock said. “They’re hurting the kids and that’s wrong.”

Baldock was asked if allegations that the Cougars’ recruiting policies give them an unfair advantage over other junior colleges had anything to do with his team being unable to schedule more than 7 games this year and being snubbed for postseason consideration.

Baldock: “You can draw your own conclusions.”

The cordial Sartoris was not displeased with the performance of his Vaqueros (9-2), who will meet Santa Monica in the Western State Conference Bowl at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Santa Monica College. “We had lots of good plays--better than I’ve seen all year in all areas,” Sartoris said.

But the Glendale offensive line was unable to contain the Taft defensive front, and quarterbacks Keith Fitzgerald and Darren Fitzgerald spent much of the game on their numbers or running for their lives from the fierce Cougar rush.

And the incessant pounding caused them to make some poor decisions.

The Vaqueros, trailing, 25-13, but not out of contention, were in a position to make it close early in the fourth quarter. However, a Keith Fitzgerald pass was picked off in the flat by cornerback Bernard Green, who returned the errant throw 37 yards for the Cougars’ final score.

The interception came when the Vaqueros seemed to be gaining momentum.

With 1:48 left in the third quarter, Patrick Lynch ran a crossing pattern and grabbed a short pass from Keith Fitzgerald. Lynch was hit by a Taft defender at the 2 but spun into the end zone. The play covered 15 yards. Sean Hampton was tackled short of the goal line on the conversion run.

“After that there was no question that we were going to come back and win,” Glendale defensive coordinator John Cicuto said.

But this game would have no miracle finish.

The Vaqueros did end on a high note, though, as Darren Fitzgerald connected with Brian Kaloustian on a 25-yard touchdown pass as the game ended.

The Vaqueros turned the ball over an uncharacteristically high 5 times in the first half.

Behind by 3 touchdowns, Glendale appeared to be climbing back into the contest when tailback Doug Dragomer ran 4 yards off tackle to cap a 10-play, 71-yard drive. David Bowen kicked the PAT, which cut the deficit to 18-7.

But Taft answered immediately as Anthony Nicholson returned the ensuing kickoff 58 yards to the Glendale 30-yard line.

Next, halfback R. W. James bulled off tackle, bowled over defensive back Michael Hampton and finally was dragged down at the 1. On the following play, Nicholson went over the top for his second touchdown of the half and Don Rubin kicked the point. The score at halftime was 25-7.