Hurns, Taft Slither Past Sylmar, 8-6

The rain was relentless. And so was Sedric Hurns.

While everyone else struggled to keep their feet on a marsh-like football field Friday night, Hurns looked as if he was walking on water.

Riding the wave of Hurns’ 47-yard touchdown run and subsequent two-point conversion reception, Taft High held off Sylmar for an 8-6 victory in a City Section 4-A Division semifinal at Taft.

Taft (12-0) will face San Pedro next Friday at the Coliseum in a rematch of last year’s 4-A title game. San Pedro defeated Taft, 22-20, in last season’s final.

Hurns, who had 130 yards in 13 carries, had a hand in 156 of Taft’s 191 yards.

“Somebody had to step up and do it,” Hurns said.

Hurns scored late in the first quarter on his second carry of the game following a fumbled snap by Sylmar at midfield. After Steve Alvarado connected with Dominic Early on a 15-yard pass play, Hurns took a pitch and went left, slicing through defenders and scored untouched.

Strong safety Corey Neal made a diving attempt at Hurns at the Sylmar 40, only to find himself empty-handed, face down in a two-inch puddle of mud.

“I just saw a hole and took it,” Hurns said. “I just tried to do whatever I could to get my team back to the Coliseum.”

On the conversion, a bad snap prompted holder K.C. Bounds to scramble right. Bounds spotted Hurns in the back of the end zone and threw up a lob which proved to be the difference.

After pinning Taft deep in its own territory on the Toreadors’ next possession, Sylmar’s only score was set up by a 25-yard punt return by Neal, allowing the Spartans to set up at the Taft 11.

Three runs by Errol Bowen netted five yards, setting up fourth and five at the six-yard line. Fullback Angel Guerrero took the handoff, met linebackers David Melo and Dionte Hall, and safety Hurns at the four-yard line and carried the threesome into the end zone.

On the two-point conversion, junior quarterback Noah Albiston fumbled the snap and Taft’s Larry Jones recovered to preserve the Toreadors’ lead.

“When [Albiston] came off the field, he said he couldn’t feel his hands,” Sylmar Coach Jeff Engilman said. “He’s young. I told him that’s when you should have called a timeout.”

Sylmar (11-2) held Taft on fourth down at the Spartans’ 13 with 4:45 left but did not manage the clock well on its final possession.

The Spartans, who had 142 total yards, started the drive with five runs, never running out of bounds to stop the clock.

Joey LaPorte connected on a 16-yard pass play to Guerrero, who couldn’t get out of bounds. LaPorte passed to George Wrighster at the Taft 40 as time expired.

4-A Championship

Taft vs. San Pedro

* When: 8 p.m., Friday

* Where: L.A. Coliseum

* Tickets: $8 general admission; $6 students

* TV: Cable KLCS