Taft Makes First Score Stand Up, 7-6

Call it beginner’s luck if you wish, but Taft High football Coach Tom Stevenson will savor his team’s 7-6 upset of Servite just the same.

Taft, playing its first game of the season, wasted no time getting started as Gregory Bernard scored on the Toreadors’ first possession. And the Taft defense did its part by making that score stand up before a Glover Field crowd estimated at 2,000.

Bernard, a 220-pound senior running back, scored on an 11-yard run with 6 minutes, 55 seconds to play in the first quarter.

“Hey, the City (Section) does beat the (Southern Section) once in a while,” an elated Stevenson said. “This is one of the greatest wins in Taft history.”

And while Taft called it a great win, Servite would label it one of the school’s most frustrating losses.

Servite was unable to recover any of Taft’s eight fumbles, yet lost possession of its only fumble.

Trailing, 7-0, Servite drove 80 yards in seven plays in the third quarter. Billy Ray capped the drive with a two-yard run. But Servite failed to tie when kicker Adam Thomas’ point-after attempt sailed wide to the right.

That wasn’t the only time Servite’s kicking game let the team down. With 3:08 remaining, Servite’s Shawn Kane missed a 34-yard field-goal attempt. That kick went wide to the left.

“Both our kickers were hurt,” Servite Coach Larry Toner said. “Thomas has a thigh injury and Kane’s is personal.

“We thought about going for a touchdown but Kane told us he thought he could do it, and we went with him.”

Servite had one last chance, taking over at the Servite 42 with 42 seconds to play. But Rob Walker’s pass down the sideline was intercepted by Steve Harris.

Walker completed 13 of 16 passes for 179 yards and running back Kent Weiss had 130 rushing yards in 18 carries.