San Fernando Ruins Taft’s Perfect Season

The San Fernando High football team proved Taft is less than perfect Friday night by upsetting the Toreadors, 19-18, in a North Valley League game at Taft High.

The Tigers overcame a 12-point deficit and scored all their points in the second half to spoil Taft’s bid for a perfect record. Taft, which clinched the league title last week, fell to 9-1 overall, 6-1 in league play.

For San Fernando (7-3, 5-2), the victory ensures the Tigers a playoff berth. It was a do-or-die game for the Tigers and San Fernando Coach Sean Blunt, who once coached with Taft Coach Troy Starr at San Fernando.

San Fernando’s three losses have been by a total of five points. Finally, the Tigers ended up on the winning side of a nail-biter and it couldn’t have been sweeter for Blunt.

“I’m a spoiler,” said Blunt, smiling broadly. “They changed their homecoming to tonight’s game because they wanted a big finish to an undefeated season--and we spoiled it for them.”

Taft increased its lead to 12-0 on a 41-yard pass to Jerry Brown from quarterback Dayon Shaw, who replaced starter Mike Ferguson. Ferguson reportedly suffered a broken collarbone in the second quarter and was taken to the hospital by his parents.

Brown’s score with 2:21 remaining in the third quarter was the first of four touchdowns scored before the start of the final period.

San Fernando’s Derrick Rowe answered on a 48-yard run two plays after Brown’s score to cut the Toreadors’ lead to 12-7.

But 19 seconds later, Brown scored again on pass play from Shaw that covered 65 yards to give Taft an 11-point lead.

Brown rushed for 133 yards in 25 carries and caught four passes for 151 yards.

On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, San Fernando quarterback Leon Blunt (149 yards in 16 carries) scrambled out of the pocket and raced untouched 71 yards to get the Tigers to within 18-13.

San Fernando took the lead on its next possession with a drive that started on the Toreadors’ 47. Lavell Thompson’s 25-yard run set up a five-yard score by Rowe, who took a pitch, went right, but cut back and dived into the end zone to give the Tigers a 19-18 lead.

Taft threatened late in the fourth period, but a double pass on fourth and 20 at the Tigers’ 30 fell incomplete in the end zone.

The Toreadors got the ball again with 55 seconds left on the Tigers’ 14 after a shanked San Fernando punt, but with no timeouts remaining, Taft could not get into the end zone on two runs and another attempted double pass.

The game’s two halves looked like night and day. The first half was a defensive struggle with Taft winning the battle, holding the Tigers to 49 yards.