Taft, Van Nuys Have Different Ways of Coping

This is a tale of two City Section football runners-up and how each team and coach handled defeat.

Taft and Van Nuys lost by a combined nine points in the 4-A and 3-A division finals at the Coliseum on Friday night. And for many of the players, it was their first true disappoint-

ment.

“It’s as heartbreak-

ing as it can be,” said Taft Coach Troy Starr on Saturday. “There’s such a fine line between winning and losing.”

For Van Nuys, which exceeded expectations by making it to the 3-A final against Wilson, it was a sad ending to a surprisingly successful year.

Moments after the 14-7 loss to Wilson, tears flowed on the Van Nuys sideline. Coach Mark Pomerantz was there to help console his players.

“Hold your heads up. Nothing to be ashamed of,” Pomerantz shouted.

And when emotion swept over the Wolves and a few dropped out of line to take a knee during the awards presentation, Pomerantz was there too--putting players back in place with positive words and plenty of pats on the back.

“We’re excited,” Pomerantz said. “We’ve got 22 of these guys coming back next year, including 13 starters. Six on offense, seven on defense.

“This for us was a building year. If this is a building year and we got this far, I’ll take it any time.”

Starr, however, was downcast after the Toreadors lost to top-seeded San Pedro, 22-20. The second-seeded Toreadors, who won 13 consecutive games to get to the final, expected to win their first 4-A title.

“Losing is losing and our kids are not taught to accept second place,” Starr said. “That’s all there is to it.”

When the game clock ticked off the final second, Taft players immediately scattered around the field. Some collapsed to their knees and cried alone--without comfort from parents or friends, who were not allowed on the field. A couple of players laid face down for as long as five minutes.

Starr himself was so disappointed with the loss, he could not speak to his players immediately following the game.

“I have a real difficult time losing,” Starr said. “I’m not willing to accept second place.”

Starr stood motionless on the Taft sideline for several minutes and watched the San Pedro celebration. Starr’s solemn mood was captured by a television camera and shown bigger than life for several seconds on the jumbotron at the Coliseum.

Later, as both teams met face-to-face in two lines at midfield to receive awards, Starr reluctantly obliged and took the microphone to say a few words. Eight to be exact.

“I’d like to congratulate San Pedro High School,” said Starr, who was startled by the echo and feedback in the Coliseum and quickly handed the microphone back to the master of ceremonies.

“It was so frustrating,” Starr said. “The way they have the teams gather at the end, I don’t approve of that. It’s real difficult to do, and you have to do it with dignity.”

Minutes later, Starr took a seat on the vacant Taft bench, by himself. When players began approaching, he got up and left the bench, patting senior lineman Agustin Baldioli on the stomach as if to say “good job,” because the words weren’t coming easily.

There were no post-game comments from Starr to his team--in the locker room or on the bus. Only silence from a coach who needed time to get over his own disappointment.

On Saturday, Starr told a reporter what he should have said to his distraught players late Friday night.

“Our kids don’t have any reason to put their heads down,” he said. “They literally gave everything--all their strength, desire and courage--all of it. They didn’t leave anything on the field.”

Keith Johnson, for one, certainly needs to hear that. The senior defensive back nearly intercepted a pass with a spectacular effort late in the third quarter, but tipped the pass into the hands of receiver Tim O’Donnell, who completed a 43-yard scoring play to give the Pirates a 22-13 lead.

“I played the best I could,” Johnson said. “I hope [Starr is] not mad at me.”

*

Arnold Schwarzenegger was not at the Coliseum on Friday night, but the three words he made famous in “The Terminator” echoed around.

“I’ll be back” were the parting words of two linebackers from Taft and Van Nuys.

Taft’s Tyler Brennan, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound junior who caused a fumble that teammate Jaron Lawson returned 27 yards for a touchdown, has tunnel vision after playing at the Coliseum.

“I’ll tell you one thing, I’ll be back,” Brennan said.

Van Nuys’ David Melo, a 6-3, 215-pound junior, had two sacks and pressured Wilson quarterback Julio Briones all night.

“[Wilson is] a great team,” Melo said. “The second half, they came out and played with pride.

“Next year . . . I’ll be back.”