Hurns Has Big Play for Taft

Two weeks removed from a knee injury that jeopardized his season, Woodland Hills Taft High’s Sedric Hurns was fortunate to even play against Granada Hills Kennedy Friday night.

Hurns, the Toreadors’ leading rusher this season, played with a knee brace and was limited to defense.

He did touch the ball twice, however. The first time was a meaningless kickoff return, but the second time made all the difference in a 36-29 victory over the Golden Cougars in a Northwest Valley Conference game at Taft.

Hurns recovered a fumble by Waking Bailey at the Taft 38-yard line with less than four minutes remaining to thwart Kennedy’s final comeback attempt.

“We had to hit him hard. We did, and the ball got out,” Hurns said. “Then I just had to fight for it.”

Barring a surprising upset in the final two games, the victory gives Taft, 8-0 overall, the conference title with a 5-0 record.

The Golden Cougars rallied after losing their top tailback, senior Jaret Harris, early in the second quarter. Harris, a 5-foot-7, 138-pound senior, passed the 1,000-yard mark for the season early in the game, but broke a bone in his right leg as he was pulled down after a 19-yard pass from Calvin Zinck.

The game was delayed 20 minutes as Harris was transported to Encino-Tarzana Regional Medical Center.