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WOODLAND HILLS — Taft boys basketball coach Derrick Taylor was swarmed by fans, students, players and parents after beating Birmingham 55-54 on Wednesday night.
It was Taylor’s 500th career win in 22 years of coaching, making the photos, hugs, gifts and congratulatory remarks all justified. But it was a lot for the coach.
“People who know me, they know I don’t like attention,” he said. “I don’t like compliments, accolades. In my house – I’ve won seven (CIF) titles – and you won’t find a ring. You won’t find anything.”
Taylor says he measures success not with a number but by seeing how his players mature as they move through a basketball program that he himself played in when he was younger.
“He’s very loving and he cares about his players a lot,” Taft senior Keyon Kensie said. “If you need anything, all you have to do is call him and he’s there for you every time.”
Taft’s gym was filled for a West Valley League rivalry against the Patriots (18-8 overall, 8-1 West Valley League), who handed the Toreadors their only loss in league mid-January.
Taft (17-10, 8-1) was leading 43-40 heading into the fourth quarter and just barely holding off Birmingham, which seized rebounding opportunities to keep pace. Bishop Brooks hit a 3-pointer with 3:30 left in the game to give the Toreadors a 52-48 advantage.
The Patriots went on a brief run, but a free throw by Alexander Bothast gave Taft the one point it needed to wrap up the win.
“Play as a team,” Kensie said of the fourth-quarter message. “Not be selfish, don’t try to do anything crazy to get the crowed hyped. Just go out there and get the win.”
Kensie led Taft with 19 points, eight of which came in the fourth quarter, and Brooks added 14 points. Naseef Lubową scored 16 points for Birmingham and Kory Blunt had 12 points.
Birmingham’s Caleb Newton brought the score to 17-16 in Taft’s favor at the buzzer after the Patriots had played catchup all through the first quarter. Newton then opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer to put the Patriots in the lead.
Taft beats Birmingham 55-54 to give coach Derrick Taylor his 500th win.
“I don’t know if that means I’m good or I’m just old,” he says. pic.twitter.com/4nJtCtDYaX
— Haley Sawyer (@haleymsawyer) February 2, 2023
Kensie got to the perimeter for a jumper, but was blocked as time expired for a 32-32 score at halftime. Taft outscored Birmingham 11-8 in the third quarter and took a 43-40 lead on a basket in the paint from Souljah Niles with 35 seconds left in the frame.
The fourth quarter brought everything full circle for Taylor, who started as a JV coach in 1987 and became the head varsity coach at Taft in 2000. He left in 2011 to coach at St. John Bosco and, four years later, he returned to Taft.
There were coaching offers from other schools, some with a hefty payday attached to them, according to Taylor, but coming back to Taft made just sense to him.
“You take pride in where you played and where you went to school,” Taylor said. “And that’s why it’s so big to me. There’s no way I could’ve won my 500th at some other place.”
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