Taft Shows Fight in Final Test Before League Play

WOODLAND HILLS – Taft head football coach Thomas Randolph stared across the field at the Southern Section behemoths he had scheduled on his birthday and wondered aloud whether, next season, a bye week might be a more appropriate gift.

Nonetheless, with one final game before league play, Randolph was in experimental mode. There were two players in particular he wanted to test. Junior quarterback Aiden Melia. “I want to see if he can get in more of a rhythm,” Randolph said. The other was senior “basketball player” Sam Berger. “We’re trying to get him more reps on the offensive side.”

A football player in a black uniform with a gold helmet is running with the ball while being tackled by two defenders in white uniforms on a green field.

For a while, things looked promising. Junior standout running back Jacob Southall got involved immediately, hauling in a 20-yard pass on third down. He followed with a tough six-yard run, then fought for extra yardage on his next carry before the ball was stripped away and La Salle recovered.

The Lancers quickly converted the turnover into six on a touchdown pass from Jakari Bacot, the first of five on the night as the senior quarterback carved up the Toreadors’ secondary.

A football player in a black jersey is being tackled by a player in a white jersey on a football field during a game.

A football player in a white uniform throws a football while another player prepares to receive it on a field with spectators in the background.

Taft’s second possession ended in a three-and-out. Under heavy pressure, Melia launched a ball toward a receiver well downfield. It became a recurring theme early. With the rush bearing down, the game seemed to speed up on the junior quarterback, who too often looked deep rather than taking what the defense gave him underneath.

But when Melia did check the ball down to Southall, it worked. The pressure, however, rarely let up. On the other side, Bacot operated from a clean pocket as La Salle built a 20-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Two football players in black uniforms with golden helmets stand ready at the line of scrimmage during a game. The player on the left has the number 0 and the one on the right has the number 9. Opposing players in white uniforms prepare to defend.

Football players in action, one player is tackled while two others pursue the play on a brightly lit field.

Taft finally slowed things down when junior Eli Sabbah and Jayden Lewis got their hands on passes to help force the Lancers first punt.

The Toreadors responded with their best drive of the night. Facing a fourth-and-five after Berger had dropped two consecutive passes, Randolph went right back to him. He called a slant. Berger caught it in stride and took off for 20 yards and a first down.

A football player in a black jersey with the number 8 is running on the field, evading two defenders in white uniforms during a game.

It was a small moment in a lopsided game, but also one that showed why Randolph has been such a good fit at Taft. Rather than going away from Berger after the drops, he challenged him and immediately put the ball back in his hands. Berger responded.

Southall took over the remainder of the drive, eventually hauling in a touchdown pass from Melia to cut the deficit to 20-7 with two minutes remaining in the half.

A football player in a black jersey with yellow accents and the number 5 runs with the ball, evading a defender in a white jersey behind him during a game on a colorful field.

It felt as if the momentum might be shifting. But, another long La Salle completion made it 27-7 with 47 seconds remaining. The ensuing kickoff gave Taft the ball near midfield and an opportunity to steal back some momentum before halftime. Instead, Melia was intercepted by Pishon Nkanu, who returned it for a touchdown. Just like that, it was 34-7 at the half.

To Taft’s credit, the Toreadors came out for the second half and kept trying to figure things out. Nobody griped. Coaches kept coaching. Players kept working. And the offense eventually put together another touchdown drive. Two Melia-to-Berger connections accounted for 60 yards before junior AJ Del Toro punched it in from two yards out.

A football player in a dark uniform catches a pass while being defended by an opposing player in a light uniform during a nighttime game on a football field.

A football player in a black jersey catches a ball while being defended by an opponent in a white jersey during a night game.

The final score La Salle 48, Taft 13 isn’t going to make anyone inside the Toreadors’ program happy. But Melia survived a relentless pass rush on a night when Randolph purposely did not rely on Southall. Melia finished 11 for 26 for 154 yards.

With a new-found confidence, Berger showed what his speed can add to the offense. Southall continued to establish himself as a reliable option running for 61 yards and catching 5 balls for 59 yards and a touchdown.

A high school football player in a black jersey with 'TAFT' written on the front is running with the ball, evading defenders on a green turf field. An official is visible in the background observing the play.

A young football player in a black uniform reaches out to catch a football while being pursued by an opponent in a white and red uniform during a night game.

Sometimes a young team simply needs enough reps for the game to slow down and confidence to take over. Taft isn’t there yet. But the Toreadors are getting closer.

With a bye week next Friday, Randolph says he’s going back into the lab: “Next week is fundamentals at every position. Whether you’re going to be backpedaling and turning hips as a DB. We still got some arm-tackling. Catching the ball. Blocking as a receiver. Holding onto the ball as a running back. Quarterback stepping into throws. All those fundamentals we are going to hammer hard during our bye week.”

Taft opens league play against Chatsworth on October 2nd.

all photos by Joshua Garcia