Taft Has More Than One Starr on Its Staff

Coaching the Taft High football team has basically been a two-man operation since Troy Starr took over the program in 1992. Although several walk-on coaches help at various positions, Starr credits much of the Toreadors’ success to top assistant Frank Grossman, who handles many of the day-to-day coaching duties.

“I don’t know what I’d do without Frank,” Starr said.

Starr almost found out in 1995. Grossman volunteered to spend a year teaching in a rural community in South Africa and missed the spring semester.

Grossman planned to miss the 1995 season but felt an urge to return to Taft and football.

“It was a tremendous experience to find out about things we take for granted,” Grossman said. “But I felt a pull to come back because of the kids I left behind.”

It’s no coincidence Grossman’s absence may have had an effect on the Toreadors. He made it back in time for football season but Taft finished 7-3-1 and was eliminated in the first round of the City 4-A playoffs, the only time Taft hasn’t made the quarterfinals under Starr.

Taft plays San Pedro on Friday in the 4-A final at the Coliseum.

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Don’t be surprised if Carson Coach Mike Sakurai is doing a rain dance at the Coliseum before the Colts take the field Friday against El Camino Real.

Carson (6-5-2), which has enjoyed the wet weather throughout the playoffs, switched its spread offense to a conservative two-back set to minimize mistakes on muddy playing fields.

Although Sakurai wouldn’t say for sure, dry weather may signal his team’s return to the spread offense. Given a choice, however, Sakurai would rather it rain.

“Maybe the Coliseum will let us turn on the sprinklers so we can run the ball again,” Sakurai said.

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El Camino Real is making the most of its 3-A final appearance at the Coliseum.

The Conquistadores are taking a field trip. They will leave Woodland Hills Friday morning for USC, where they have been invited to tour the campus and football facilities. A pregame meal will follow.

What coaches thought would be a simple diversion has turned into much more. When coaches informed players dress shirts and ties are mandatory for the trip, many players confessed they didn’t own either.

But if that was just an excuse to not get dressed up, Terry Fischer, an assistant coach, foiled the scheme. Fischer, also the school’s choir director with access to multiple dress shirts and ties, is borrowing from the choir’s closet to clothe the players.

“I can’t believe it,” Fischer said. “Nobody owns a shirt and tie anymore.”

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Eleven El Camino Real players are on the school’s wrestling team, a perennial power and defending City champion. Almost all are expected to trade shoulder pads for singlets Saturday and wrestle in the Azusa tournament.

Fischer, the wrestling coach, said the extended football season has kept him away from wrestling practice.

“I duck my head in and say hello,” Fischer said.

Projected starters still in pads include defensive back Jared Maiden, 171-pound division, and tight end Alex Perez, 189 division, both of whom placed second in the City last season.

“Win or lose, we go wrestling Saturday,” Fischer said.

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Taft has moved its boys’ and girls’ basketball games against Carson scheduled for Friday to today because both schools are in the football finals.

The girls’ game will be at Taft and the boys’ at Carson at 4 p.m. A boys’ soccer game between El Camino Real and Taft scheduled for Friday has been moved to Tuesday.