Taft, Cash Sweep Past Cleveland

They don’t go much for subtlety when nicknaming football players at Taft High.

Take, for example, Taft wide receiver Daryl (Happy) Cash. Why is the junior called Happy?

“Because I smile a lot,” Cash said, grinning.

Well, smile, Happy, smile. Your 80-yard reception from quarterback Edwin Velasco with just 2:28 left in the first half provided the margin of victory in Taft’s 12-11 squeaker over host Cleveland Thursday night in a battle for first place in the West Valley League.

The win put Taft (4-4 overall, 3-3 in conference play) one win away from its fourth consecutive league title and made Cleveland (3-5, 2-4) wait one more week to determine its playoff status.

Cleveland, though, had an opportunity for the win and a shot at the league title when the Cavaliers mounted a lengthy drive from their 22-yard line with 55 seconds left in the third quarter.

Fourteen rushing plays later, Cleveland was on Taft’s eight-yard line with 5:16 left, bidding for the win.

Alas, Cleveland’s Carl Marshall fumbled as he ran up the middle and Taft’s Darnell Hendricks recovered, icing the win in a scoreless second half.

“There was never a doubt,” Taft Coach Tom Stevenson said, tongue in cheek. “We knew our defense would come up with that fumble. Are you kidding? We were nervous as hell down there.”

The win marked Taft’s third in a row over the Cavaliers. Cleveland’s Vince Johnson, who gained 104 yards in 22 carries, and Taft’s Steve Lockridge, who gained 100 yards in 15 carries, led their teams in rushing.