Taft Outlasts Sylmar, 65-59, Despite Being in Foul Mood

In a game that featured 48 fouls, including 34 in the second half and 31 free-throw attempts in a long fourth quarter, Taft High survived to play another day while Sylmar looked forward to another season.

Gregg Guenther scored 12 points and grabbed 19 rebounds to help the fourth-seeded Toreadors defeat Sylmar, 65-59, Friday night in first-round game of the City Championship boys’ basketball playoffs.

Sylmar (12-12), a team loaded with talented sophomores and juniors, trailed by 10 points through three quarters, then turned the game into a war of attrition. Using 13 players, Coach Bort Escoto frantically tried to wear down the Toreadors (20-2).

The combination of Taft foul trouble and a full-court trapping press finally produced the desired results for the Spartans.

Taft’s lead was down to 62-59 with 35 seconds left after Chris Darby’s basket off an offensive rebound. By then, starters Derrick McCoy, Ronald Gray and Steve Smith had fouled out for Taft.

Sylmar fouled reserve guard Mustafa Asghari with 28 seconds to play. Asghari’s two free throws clinched the victory and earned Taft a quarterfinal matchup Wednesday against Fremont.

Coach Mark Drucker of Taft was relieved. There were moments Drucker seemed ready to pull his hair out. At one point in the second quarter, Taft held an 11-point lead and made five consecutive turnovers. There were so many traveling violations called on the Toreadors they could make their own blooper video.

But Drucker looked up at the scoreboard and was thankful his team had knocked off a Spartan team that doesn’t figure to lose too often in the coming seasons.

“It’s a big relief,” Drucker said. “This team was not a 13th seed. And they’re going to be unbelievable in the coming years.”

Among the Spartans who held their own were sophomore forward Darby, who scored 10 points, and junior guard Earnest Williams, who had 13 points.

Taft received a crucial contribution from reserve forward Collins Ezeuka, who scored 10 points and ignited the Toreadors midway through the fourth quarter with two free throws and a basket after Sylmar had closed to within 51-46. Gray and Smith each scored 14 points.

“We made too many mistakes, but the good thing is we’ll be back,” Escoto said.

The 6-foot-8 Guenther, whose arms resemble tree trunks, played like a 7-footer. Those who thought he was mainly a football player when he transferred from Crespi to Taft last summer have learned he’s quite a basketball player, too.

“We threw a lot of bodies at him, but he was dominant,” Escoto said. “He takes up a lot of space.”

There were times the game resembled a weekend pick-up game, with off-balance shots, constant fouls and turnovers.

“Everyone was trying to create their own flow and we just got out of control,” Guenther said of the turnovers.

But Taft had enough stamina and bodies to hang on--barely.