King-Sized Fury Works for Braves

Had it been a basketball game, Birmingham High track Coach Scott King might have been whistled Wednesday for a technical foul during the Northwest Valley Conference meet at Taft.

Instead, his emotional outburst protesting a series of calls that seemed to favor the host Toreadors served its purpose as his boys’ team won its 69th consecutive dual meet with a 68-59 victory.

King erupted after finish-line officials--made up of Taft teachers--ruled that Toreador sophomore Eboni Grayson had nipped Birmingham freshman Keisha Mieraz at the end of the 100-meter dash.

Mieraz led the race but she appeared to ease up after crossing a heavily chalked line with five meters to go. That allowed Grayson to catch her at the finish as the pair clocked 12.8 seconds into a head wind.

“I wasn’t just ranting and raving like they’ll probably tell you,” King said. “I just felt like three or four close calls had gone their way and something had to be said.”

Emotions were running particularly high when King made his point because Birmingham’s Demetrius Patterson and David Belk had just placed first and second in the boys’ 100 with times of 10.9 and 11.1.

Patterson, a sophomore, had added insult to injury by glancing back and smiling at third-place Larry Jones of Taft late in the race.

Although King frowned upon Patterson’s showboating antics, they seemed to ignite the Braves (5-0, 5-0 in the conference) on a 29-16 run over the next five events.

Taft (4-1, 4-1) trailed, 18-5, after three events, but a pair of 1-3 finishes in the 440 and the long jump trimmed their deficit to 24-17 prior to the 100.

Birmingham’s lead was again cut to seven points when triple-winner Ilmar Rodriguez led Taft to a 1-2 finish in the 880, but the Braves won the next three events. Mohammed Ahmed clocked 42.4 in the 330 intermediate hurdles, Maurcie Threewitts timed 22.5 in the 220 and Edward Maldur cleared 5 feet 11 inches in the high jump.

The 100 meters was a crucial event in the girls’ meet as Taft’s 1-3 finish gave the Toreadors (5-0, 5-0) a 24-17 lead on their way to a 64-53 victory.

Mieraz also aggravated a hip injury in the 100, which forced her to withdraw from the 220--which Grayson won in 26.5--and the mile relay--which Taft took in 4:08.2.

Grayson and fellow sophomore Frances Santin were double winners for the Toreadors. Santin timed 16.2 in the 100-meter hurdles and 48.1 in the 330-yard lows.