Taft Turns Back Clock, Reseda, 18-16

Back in the 1960s and early ‘70s, a Reseda High football victory over Taft was about as likely as someone asking Roseanne Barr to sing the national anthem at a sporting event again.

But Reseda is a football school now, has been for a while. Still, it seemed like old times to Taft on Friday night as the Toreadors took an 18-16 victory at Reseda in a Northwest Valley Conference opener.

Reseda led, 7-6, at intermission, but the Toreadors blew the game open in the third period when quarterback Jesse Menchaca tossed a 17-yard scoring pass to Tekro Blade and running back Darnell Hendricks threw a 76-yard touchdown pass on an option play.

Reseda made a fourth-quarter charge, cutting the lead to 18-10 on a 42-yard field goal by Gerald Cohl. The Regents drew within 18-16 on a 35-yard option pass from Larry Trammel to Tim Schaeffer for a touchdown. But Maurice Stepter’s two-point conversion run came up short with 4 minutes 20 seconds to play.

Its running game stifled by an aggressive Reseda defense, Taft took to the air on its third possession, and Menchaca found Ruben Benitez wide open over the middle. Benitez, who finished second last year in the City Section 400-meter finals, caught the ball at the Reseda 31 and completed the 56-yard touchdown play without being touched.

Carlos Mansilla’s kick was wide to the right, however, and Taft settled for a 6-0 lead with 24 seconds left in the first period.

Reseda countered on its next possession, Stepter capping the 10-play, 68-yard scoring drive with a 10-yard run.