Taft’s ‘Hardcore Four’ Finish Careers With a Heartbreaking Loss

The week that was in high school football . . . broken dreams, broken records and an (almost) broken hand.

First, the dream.

Three years ago, the Taft High football team went 1-8. Troy Starr arrived as coach, and four sophomores in particular suited up: Jerry Brown, DaShon Polk, Dion Gaston and Dayon Shaw.

The quartet quickly became close friends and helped turn the Toreadors around, reaching the City Section 3-A final in their first season. Notice was served: Taft was a power. And the City 4-A championship would eventually be theirs.

As juniors, they came up short, losing to Dorsey in the second round of last season’s playoffs.

This season would be the last chance for “The Hardcore Four,” as they called themselves. Brown, Gaston and Polk were repeat All-City players. Shaw was an excellent defensive back and a rapidly improving quarterback, and they were the four team captains this season.

Before games, they lined up their four gold helmets on the 50-yard sideline pointing toward the middle of the field, and all four knelt apart from the team, holding hands and joining in prayer.

After losing the opener by one point, Taft won 10 consecutive games. After the Toreadors clinched the Northwest Valley Conference crown, the foursome took a group photo with Starr, which he kept.

“They were the backbone of the team for the past three years,” Starr said. “They’re just really good kids.”

Taft again reached the second round of the City playoffs Wednesday against Dorsey. Things would be different this year. It had to be. The Hardcore Four wanted more.

But after taking a 13-point lead late in the fourth quarter, the Toreadors surrendered three touchdowns in the final four minutes, including an interception of a Shaw pass that was returned 65 yards for a score as time expired. Taft lost, 26-20.

Tears flowed freely on the field and in the locker room, Gaston said.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “I still don’t believe it. I know my Thanksgiving was spoiled.”

It was a painful way to end those four noteworthy careers. But don’t change their name to the Heartbreak Four. Their friendship and accomplishments should last long after the pain subsides.

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The real Akil: Meet the newest Montclair Prep record-setting rusher--Akil Anderson. The junior gained 424 yards in 41 carries Saturday in the Mounties’ 42-point drubbing of Big Bear.

Watching from the stands were the old guard: Wilbur Smith, who set the previous school record of 386 yards last season and is now at Illinois; Eliel Swinton, who held the Montclair record before Smith and now plays defensive back for Stanford; and Michael Jones, a former Mountie running back who played at USC.

Now they all trail Anderson, who was left in the game with the score 50-8 after coaches found out he had 394 yards. They were under impression that the state record was 421 yards.

Turns out they were a bit off. The California high school record is 507 yards by David Dotson of Moreno Valley Valley View, but Anderson’s binge tied for ninth best in state history. It also tied the best effort in area history with Darren Rogers of Agoura, who rushed for 424 in 1975.

“They told me at halftime I had 250,” Anderson said. “But I wasn’t concerned about records. I was concerned about getting a win and going to the semifinals.”

Montclair Prep (9-1) plays Kilpatrick this week.

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Lending a hand: Notre Dame linebacker David Dupetit thought he might have broken his right hand after being thrown to the turf in the second quarter of a Division III quarterfinal Friday against Royal.

But after sitting out the rest of the quarter, he had the hand tightly taped at halftime and convinced coaches to let him play in the second half.

He preserved the Knights’ 21-14 victory by sacking Royal quarterback Wes Lagatta and forcing a fumble in the waning moments.

Dupetit (pronounced DOO-puh-dee) then went to the hospital, where X-rays of his hand were negative. It proved to be just a painful sprain.

“Our defense is all hustle and hard work,” Dupetit said. “If you put in 100%, no matter what, you’re going to play good defense. We don’t have any stars, we all just work hard.”

None work harder than the 5-foot-10, 200 pound senior.

Said Notre Dame Coach Kevin Rooney: “He’s led our team in tackles in each of the three seasons he’s been on the varsity level. He’s our most valuable player and he just does everything--making tackles, sacking quarterbacks, forcing fumbles. He’s just a tremendous player.”

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The ever-popular coin flip: Southern Section semifinal playoff sites were determined Saturday morning.

In Division II--where three of the remaining four teams are from the area--Peninsula will play at Antelope Valley on Friday and top-seeded Hart will play at Quartz Hill on Saturday.

In Division III, Notre Dame will play at Serra on Friday. In Division IX, Harvard-Westlake plays host to Atascadero on Friday at a site to be determined and Nordhoff is at home against Santa Ynez on Saturday.

In Division X, Montclair Prep plays Kilpatrick, which won the coin flip but is still searching for a site. The Mustangs have no home field.