Surprise Bootleg by Taft’s DiPadova Kicks Westchester Out of Playoffs

It was not the best of weeks for Taft High quarterback Nick DiPadova.

After the Toreadors advanced to the City Section 4-A semifinals last Wednesday, DiPadova’s father, Nick Sr., suffered a minor heart attack.

The elder DiPadova was released from the hospital earlier this week and was back in the stands at Taft High on Friday night.

He watched his son score on an 18-yard run with 42 seconds remaining to give Taft a 15-8 victory over Westchester and give the Toreadors their first berth into the large-division final.

For good measure, DiPadova connected with Ryan Long on a two-point conversion and intercepted a desperation pass in the end zone as time expired.

Second-seeded Taft (13-0) will play San Pedro next Friday at the Coliseum. Taft lost the 3-A final in 1992 to San Pedro and had not advanced past the second round of the playoffs since moving up to the 4-A in 1993.

Trailing 8-7, Taft began its final drive with just over four minutes remaining at its 29.

After DiPadova was sacked by Larry Tripplet for an eight-yard loss and an option play went nowhere, the Toreadors faced their biggest play of the season.

Enter Long.

After taking a lateral from DiPadova, Long pulled up to throw, but found his primary receiver, tight end Alex Scheer, double covered.

But Long found Keith Johnson free over the middle for a 36-yard gain.

“I just tried to keep track of it, I lost it in the lights,” Johnson said. “I told him I would be open.”

Two plays later, DiPadova found Damon Coleman on a screen pass that turned into a 24-yard gain, putting Taft at the Comet 17.

After tailback Sedric Hurns lost a yard, DiPadova faked to Hurns and took off on a bootleg down the left sideline.

“It was totally naked,” DiPadova said. “The only ones who knew about it were me and [Taft Coach Troy] Starr.”

And one Westchester defender. DiPadova broke a tackle and ran into the end zone.

Third-seeded Westchester (12-1) had trouble moving the ball all game--quarterback BrennanCrooks completed only five of 23 passes for 37 yards--but grabbed momentum with a huge special-teams play in the third quarter.

Tripplet broke through the line and blocked a punt by DiPadova, Lee Lowe scooped up the ball and ran seven yards for a touchdown. Givenchy Martin ran in the two-point conversion for the 8-7 lead.

The Toreadors could have been ahead by much more. Jamie Mena missed two field-goal attempts inside of 30 yards in the first half and missed from 32 yards late in the third quarter.

In the second quarter, Scheer fumbled deep in Comet territory after catching a double-pass from Long for a 48-yard gain.

“When you miss those little things, like three field goals and one special teams disaster, you don’t usually win,” Starr said. “But we were able to come back.”

Taft opened in near-perfect fashion, driving 78 yards in seven plays to open the game. DiPadova hit Damon Coleman for a 21-yard touchdown.

DiPadova completed 16 of 28 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown but faced a stiff pass rush for the first time all season. DiPadova was sacked four times, fumbled once and Lowe batted down three passes.

But the Toreadors held Westchester to 178 yards and one first down in the first half.

Crooks, who had thrown 32 touchdown passes, was kept out of the end zone and misfired on his first nine throws.

Westchester threatened to score just before halftime, but defensive back Jaron Lawson intercepted Crooks’ pass in the end zone as time expired.