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After a inconsistent regular season that saw Taft High of Woodland Hills fall out of the state top 20, the Toreadors wanted to make a statement Thursday in the first round of the City Section Div. I football playoffs.

It did not take long at all.

Bam Goodall passed 59 yards to Donnel Robinson for a touchdown on the first play, and Taft (7-4) is leading 34-0 over Garfield at halftime.

Taft led 21-0 before Garfield managed a first down.

Taking advantage of a Garfield punt of minus-1 yard, Goodall passed 37 yards to D.J. Morgan for Taft's second touchdown, as Morgan weaved across the field to the end zone.

But Goodall soon was removed from the game because of dizziness and did not return. The extent of Goodall's injury was unclear, but he was talking and interacting with coaches and teammates.

Instead of going with a backup quarterback, Taft switched Morgan to quarterback, and the USC-bound senior responded by scoring on a 15-yard run, then passing 80 yards to Lucky Radley for a touchdown on a short shovel pass.

Any plans of a Garfield were squashed when when Shaquille Shelton scored on a 45-yard run with 19 second remaining in the first half to make it 34-0.

Taft amassed 382 yards in the first half -- 207 rushing and 175 passing -- while holding Garfield to 39.

Goodall finished 3 of 4 for 95 yards and two touchdowns, and he added 57 yards on four carries.

In the first half, Radley rushed for 54 yards on nine carries, while Shelton added 57 yards on three carries and Morgan had 39 yards on four carries.

Fourth-seeded Taft plays host to Dorsey of L.A. (8-3)/San Pedro (8-3) on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.

With so many explosive game-breakers on offense, combined with a hard-hitting athletic defense led by defensive linemen Antwaun Woods and Brent Williams, Taft can be an intimidating opponent for just about anyone. The problem has been, the Toreadors have looked great one week, then very shaky the next -- for instance, hanging tough in an overtime loss to Serra of Gardena in Week 5 but a few weeks later falling to 1-7 Birmingham of Lake Balboa in what was probably the biggest upset of the season involving San Fernando Valley teams.

One thing is for sure: If the Taft does not let off the pressure from this point, the Toreadors could do some serious damage in the playoffs. Whether or not that means eventually knocking off powerful Crenshaw in the semifinals remains to be seen, but that probably will be the only way Taft would able to see the L.A. Coliseum in the championship game, so we shall see what happens.

It's always a killer when your starting quarterback gets hurt right before the football playoffs, and that's what's happening at Thousand Oaks and Highland of Palmdale.

Thousand Oaks' Avondre Bollar probably won't be able to play because of an ankle injury - coach Mike Leibin says Bollar is day to day but does not sound optimistic - and Highland's Christian Tago is out because of a knee injury.

It figured to be hard enough for both teams this coming Friday, as Thousand Oaks (5-5) takes on top-seeded Valencia (10-0) in the Northern Division, and Highland (6-4) is playing at heavily favored Alemany of Mission Hills (7-3) in the Western Division.

"I won't make a decision until game time or until Avondre has flat out told me he can't go, and he has not done that yet," Leibin said.

-- Gerry Gittelson

The press conference at Palmdale on Tuesday celebrating cornerback Joshua Shaw's football commitment to University of Florida had kind of a Hollywood feel with a light show, cameras, a live webcast and a video display.

So it comes as no surprise longtime coach Jeff Williams has roots in the film and television industry as a former production assistant to Emmy-award winning producer Frank von Zerneck of "Geronimo" fame.

"I worked with Frank on four or five projects, and the movie business was something I thought I wanted to do," Williams said. "But I always really wanted to be a football coach."

-- Gerry Gittelson

A generation ago, football players used to shave their heads bald in a brave rite of passage to prove their loyalty to the team. These days, bald is in vogue, so at Westlake a group of the players took things one step further and followed through on a pact to wear a Mohawk - including star receiver Nelson Spruce.

It's working for Westlake, too. The Warriors are 10-0 and averaging 44.6 points per game heading into a Northern Division opener Friday against visiting Ventura.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Saugus softball standout Jenna Kelly, who has a 4.5 grade-point average and eventually plans to be an orthodontist, has committed to a North Carolina scholarship, picking the Tar Heels over Northwestern, Iowa, St. John's, Illinois, Stanford, Akron, Colorado State and others.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Quarterbacks Nick Isham and Alex Bishop of Valencia are on the verge of setting a new area standard for passing accuracy.

Isham of Westlake has completed 75.5. percent of his passes (105 of 139) for 1,607 yards and 23 touchdowns with two interceptions, and Bishop has completed 74.9 percent (134 of 179) for 2,618 yards and 29 touchdowns with two interceptions.

The most accurate single-season performance in area history is 72.4 percent by Samson Szakacsy of Camarillo in 2005. The state record is 78.1 by Trent Edwards of Los Gatos in 2000.

-- Gerry Gittelson

It's a shame some City Section schools like Arleta don't have stadium lights, which means a 2 p.m. kickoff time for home football games, including today's first-round Div. II playoff game against visiting Reseda.

Not only is it tough for working parents to catch the game, but even the students will miss at least the first half because the school does not end until 3:26 p.m. No offense to Reseda, but by that time defending section champion Arleta figures to be way ahead.

"It stinks, but that's life. There is still a game to be played even if there are 10 people in the stands," Arleta running back Antonio Bray said. "We need to come and play. If the game starts at 2, we have to play at 2."

-- Gerry Gittelson

Once teams get past the first round of the Southern Section football playoffs, home games in the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals are awarded to teams that have played the fewest home playoff games. If two opposing teams have played the same number of home games in the playoffs, a coin flip determines the home team.

These days, coin flips are done before the game - way before, actually - for convenience sake. For example, we already know that if Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks and second-seeded Mission Viejo both advance Friday, the Knights must play at Mission Viejo in the quarterfinals because Notre Dame has lost the flip.

In the Northern Division, if Westlake and Hart advance, Hart has won the right to host the quarterfinal at College of the Canyons.

The process is different in the City Section. The higher seed automatic gets to be the home team.

-- Gerry Gittelson

FIVE BURNING QUESTIONS

1. Does Taft have a good chance to win the City title?

No. The Toreadors, led by a large group of talented players including USC-bound running back D.J. Morgan, Washington-bound defensive lineman Brent Williams and blue-chip junior defensive lineman Antwaun Woods, are as explosive and battle-tested as anyone, but they have two problems: one, they're too inconsistent and mistake-prone, and two, they happen to be in the same tournament as Crenshaw of L.A., a strong favorite that is expected not only to win the title but to secure a CIF State Bowl berth.

2. Any chance Oaks Christian might slip and somehow fail to win its seventh consecutive section title?

No. The Lions are loaded once again with six Division-I bound seniors, including running back Malcolm Jones (UCLA), who has 100 touchdowns and might be the area's best all-around running back since Justin Fargas. The only potential difficult opponent in the Northwest Division is Serra of Gardena, and last year Oaks Christian defeated Serra by 35 points; it just does not make sense that Serra would be that much improved to make a game of it this year.

3. St. Bonaventure is not seeded No. 1 in the Northern Division despite winning the past two section titles and the last two CIF State Div. III titles. Should everyone still be scared of the Seraphs?

Yes. In a field loaded with local programs, including top-seeded Valencia, St. Bonaventure should roll through everyone because of an ultra-tough nonleague schedule that has included victories over traditional large-school powers Long Beach Poly, Crespi of Encino and St. John Bosco of Bellflower. The only loss was a 1-point defeat in overtime at Bishop Amat, a top Pac-5 program.

4. Alemany of Mission Hills and Palmdale have strong football traditions and have been around for more than 50 years, but neither has won a section title? Can one of them do it this year?

Yes. Alemany has a better chance, but both should be in the mix in the traditionally wide-open Western Division. For Alemany to succeed, the offensive line must protect quarterback Vernon Adams and open holes for running back Malcolm Marable, and the defense needs to do a better job against the run because there are some great running backs in the playoffs. Palmdale, led by quarterback/defensive back Joshua Shaw, must avoid a let-down because the through the years the Falcons have often underacheived in the postseason.

5. Harry Welch isn't going to win it all again, is he?

Yes, he is. After winning consecutive Northern Division titles in 2005 and 2006, Welch has done the same at small-schools power St. Margaret's of San Juan Capistrano the past two seasons in the East Valley Division. St. Margaret's is again top-seeded, and no one is going to be able to touch the high-scoring Tartans. What should prove more interesting once the season is over is seeing if Welch tries to return to an upper-division program, perhaps Loyola, where the job is open, or Oaks Christian, if coach Bill Redell, 68, retires.

-- Gerry Gittelson

Thursday: City Section playoffs first round
Friday: Southern Section playoffs first round
Wednesday: City Section quarterfinals
Nov. 27 -- Southern Section quarterfinals
Dec.4 -- City semifinals
Dec. 4-5 -- Southern Section semifinals
Dec. 11-12 -- Southern Section finals
Dec 12 -- City finals
Dec. 18 - CIF State Bowls (Div. I and Small Schools)
Dec. 19 - CIF State Bowls (Div. II, Div. III and Open)