Oversight Requires 2nd Look

Brandyn Fisher, take a bow. You were absolutely right.

The Taft High boys’ basketball team, of which Fisher happens to be a member, should have been mentioned in my City Section basketball preview four weeks ago.

What was I thinking?

I’m thrilled that you cared enough to twice call the office and tell me Taft is one of the area’s top City teams . . . and that junior forward Amir Bar-Netzer and yourself should have been listed among players to watch.

How was I to know that a team with only one returning starter would start the season 6-3? As you said, the Toreadors don’t miss former players Harold Shevlin or Tyrone Purnell, who transferred to other area schools.

But, believe me, Taft was a well-kept secret in the early going. Of 11 City coaches contacted before the season, only Lou Cicciari of Granada Hills mentioned Taft as a contender.

Even Taft Coach Mark Drucker was surprised when the Toreadors went on a six-game winning streak after close losses to Dos Pueblos and Camarillo in their first two games.

“Because of the inexperience, I didn’t know whether the team was going to mesh,” Drucker said.

There have been victories against Santa Paula, Alemany, San Marcos, Hollywood, Royal and even an impressive 67-56 victory over Banning.

Drucker attributes the success to teamwork and consistent shooting. The Toreadors are making 50% of their shots and 70% of their free throws.

Fisher, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound junior who was Taft’s sixth man last season, Bar-Netzer and Darryl Harris form the nucleus of a team that should challenge Cleveland and Chatsworth for the West Valley League title.

Bar-Netzer, the only returning starter, has grown to 6-6, 220 pounds and provides a strong inside game. Harris, a transfer from Granada Hills, is a playmaker with a knack for making things happen at both ends of the court.

Thursday night, Taft took the test it has been preparing for since the start of the season: a nonleague game against Canoga Park, the area’s top City team.

They passed.

The Toreadors stayed with the talented Hunters for a little more than three quarters before losing, 71-58.

“I thought we surprised Canoga a bit, as I think we surprised a lot of people who were watching us,” Drucker said.

More surprising, however, was one of Fisher’s post-game comments.

“We won’t lose another game [this season],” the player said. “You can quote me on that.”

OK. I admitted when I was wrong. Will you?

Tell you what, I’ll call you.

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Let’s hear it for L.A. Baptist, another unsung boys’ basketball team.

The Knights had an eight-game winning streak until losing to Valencia, 87-62, Friday night in the Valencia tournament championship game.

The streak started with a 67-65 victory over Whittier Christian three weeks ago. The Knights then defeated Fillmore, St. Bonaventure, Carpinteria, Nordhoff, Granada Hills, Canyon and Crespi.

Except for two-point victories over Whittier Christian and Canyon, L.A. Baptist had a margin of victory of 16.6 points in the other six games.

First-year Coach Bob Chevalier has replaced the half-court offense of former Coach Maury Neville with a transition game.

Stars for the Knights, who are averaging 77.5 points a game, are seniors Jermaine Sweet and Aaron Davis.

Sweet, a 6-foot guard, is averaging 24.6 points, and Davis, a 6-1 forward, is averaging 20.

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Chaminade girls’ soccer Coach Mike Evans found Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over Chatsworth to be a happy, hair-raising experience.

The outcome, Chatsworth’s first loss in 24 matches, forces Evans to keep a promise to have his head shaved by his players Jan. 6 on Chaminade’s cable-access television show.

Evans may soon be bald but he’s regained bragging rights from Chatsworth midfielder Denise Paul, one of his longtime club soccer players. After Chatsworth beat Chaminade last season, 3-2, Paul presented Evans with a blue T-shirt emblazoned with “LOSER” on the chest.

Evans used the shirt to fire up his players at practice but said he would not return it to Paul.

“The scoreboard is my revenge,” he said.

Staff writer Tris Wykes contributed to this story.