HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE

Sedric Hurns is master of many positions on the football field for Taft High. You name it, there’s a good chance he played it.

Tailback, wide receiver, cornerback, safety and linebacker.

And that’s not all. Hurns also returns punts and kickoffs, plays roles on punt and kickoff coverage, and is on the field-goal unit.

When Taft plays defending City Section 4-A Division champion Dorsey tonight at 7:30 at Jackie Robinson Stadium, Hurns might never come to the sidelines. He will play tailback, rotate between outside linebacker and cornerback, and also contribute on the special teams.

“He has the toughness and determination to play anywhere,” Taft Coach Troy Starr said. “We can’t make him tired.”

Hurns, only 5 feet 9, 174 pounds, might be the Toreadors’ toughest player, and he is also probably the fastest. He was sixth-fastest in the region in the 400 meters during track season.

With Nick DiPadova throwing to a quality corps of receivers, Taft has an offense as balanced as any in the City Section. But Hurns, a junior, is the flash-point from his position in the backfield.

In victories over Sylmar and Fairfax, Hurns gained 289 yards with four touchdowns in 29 carries. On average, that’s a first down virtually every time he carries the ball.

Maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise since tailback is one position for which Hurns was groomed to play all along.

As a 15-year-old freshman in 1994, Hurns made the Taft varsity as understudy to All-City tailback Jerry Brown.

Brown, a starter for Oregon as a redshirt freshman, led the Toreadors to their second consecutive Northwest Valley Conference title.

Hurns mostly watched. His season rushing total was five yards in three carries.

Worse, he was helpless as top-seeded Taft blew a two-touchdown lead against Dorsey and lost a playoff quarterfinal.

Taft was maneuvering into position to attempt a potential game-winning field goal, but Dorsey’s Antwain Wilson returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown that gave the Dons a 26-20 victory as time expired.

“I kept thinking if I had been out there I could have made the tackle,” Hurns said. “But it wasn’t my place to be in there yet.”

From such limited action, Hurns was thrust into

a leadership role last year. Taft was so young, Hurns was selected a team captain as a sophomore.

“I really wasn’t sure how to act as a captain,” Hurns said.

However, he did recognize where the team needed him most. And it wasn’t at tailback.

Taft had another sophomore, Donald Carpenter, who starred at tailback the previous year on the frosh-soph team.

But at receiver the Toreadors were thin. DiPadova had been converted to quarterback and Ryan Long had transferred to Faith Baptist.

Taft coaches told Hurns they needed him to catch the ball, and he agreed.

“They needed the speed out there and I was willing to do anything for the team,” Hurns said.

Hurns made 31 receptions for 666 yards and four touchdowns and was Taft’s best defensive back. But his most telling statement came in the Toreadors’ final game, a 48-21 loss to Narbonne in the first round of the 4-A playoffs.

Taft trailed by several touchdowns since the first half, and late in the game Hurns was still plugging away. He turned a pass from DiPadova into an 88-yard scoring play long after most of the Toreadors had given up.

“Even if the game is a blowout, he is still going 100% every single play,” teammate Donte Morgan said. “He’s just an inspiration. You play around him, you have to keep pumped up.”

Before this season, Long returned from Faith Baptist and Damon Coleman transferred under open enrollment from Van Nuys, giving Taft more depth at receiver.

That area shored up, Toreador coaches envisioned a potent backfield with Hurns and Carpenter.

Carpenter, who last season gained 1,214 yards but failed to show any breakaway speed, was asked to move to fullback, with Hurns setting up behind him.

Instead, Carpenter transferred to Sylmar.

But Taft, with Hurns churning out yardage, hasn’t missed a beat.

Against Sylmar and Carpenter in the opener, Hurns led the Toreadors to a surprisingly easy, 30-6 victory.

Hurns said he wanted to beat Sylmar not because of Carpenter, who struggled against his former team, but to purge the memories of the 1995 opener, a 27-7 loss.

“I had a couple of friends that I knew I’d have to face the rest of the year,” Hurns said.

Now Hurns owns bragging rights. And if the Toreadors defeat Dorsey, he will have that much more to boast about.

“This year can be really special,” Hurns said. “Last year, we were just one or two guys away. Now we have those guys. We win this game, we’ll show we’re ready.”