D.J. Morgan Tears ACL, Requires Surgery – Bummer For Taft/USC
Hopefully the kid will make a full recovery, because by all analysis he’s got a promising college career and possibly beyond ahead of him.
Eric Sonheimer (LA Times) writes:
The high school sports season for football-track standout D.J. Morgan of Woodland Hills Taft might have ended today when an MRI exam diagnosis revealed he has a torn ligament in his knee and a partial tear of the meniscus, according to football Coach Matt Kerstetter. Surgery will be needed.
Morgan was injured Thursday night during Taft’s City Section Division I first-round playoff victory over Garfield. He had an MRI exam Friday night, but it wasn’t until today that he received a definitive answer about the ACL injury. Kerstetter did not know if Morgan would be able to return for track season in the spring.
Morgan is the No. 1 hurdler in the world for his age group at 110 meters. This summer in Italy, he won the 110 hurdles at the World Youth Championships. This spring, he won the state championship in the same event. He also has rushed for nearly 4,800 yards in his four-year football career at Taft.
Morgan has committed to USC, though he has plans to visit Arizona State.
Morgan went down after a 15-yard run at the outset of the third quarter, and that injury will have ramifications for the rest of the sports season, with California possibly losing its most prolific returning track standout.
Please see Sonheimer’s full article for more details.
“It hurts. I can’t really bend or straighten my knee,” Morgan said.
On offense, expect Lucky Radley and Shaquille Shelton to have a bigger role. Radley has rushed for 554 yards and scored seven touchdowns in seven games, and Shelton has rushed for 203 yards, caught 17 passes for 304 yards and scored four touchdowns.
The loss of Morgan is not Taft’s only problem tonight. Top wideout Donnel Robinson (16 receptions, 383 yards, four touchdowns) is scheduled to sit out the first quarter for disciplinary reasons, and quarterback Bam Goodall is recovering from a spell of dizziness that kept him sidelined for most of the game last week.
Kerstetter said Goodall wasn’t feeling well because of low blood sugar. Four weeks ago, Goodall injured his back during a game against El Camino Real of Woodland Hills and spent the night in a hospital.
Popularity: 6%
Thanksgiving Afterparty At Friday’s In Woodland Hills
While enjoying some chicken wings at T.G.I. Friday’s this weekend, I noticed an advertisement on the table that I found interesting:
Apparently after 9pm on Turkey Day, Friday’s in Woodland Hills turns into a club of sorts for one glorious night. I wanted to get a few more details, so I wrote to the e-mail address on the card. Mark Joaquin, the store’s General Manager, wrote back:
Hi Girard,The so-called “after party” is something that this Friday’s has done for quite some time now. Traditionally, Friday’s has been the only restaurant/bar open in the West Valley on Thanksgiving day and it may follow suit that as soon as people are done with their families they look for a bar that’s open!! For these reasons, Thanksgiving has always been a busy night for us.
We are open @ 3pm and serve full menu, but no Thanksgiving specials. Around 8 pm is when we do our last seating and we start clearing out furniture. Except for our VIP section located at the top level, there are no tables or chairs in the entire restaurant. At 9pm we open to guests that are 21+ and the place gets packed. We are also having a DJ that night and there’s not a dance floor per se, but people definitely do dance.
In the 2 years that I have been GM at the store there have been lines to get in, but I guess that’s normal according to the employees who have worked there for years. For the VIP section, anyone can make a reservation and the two bottles of booze come with mixers and the kitchen is open specifically for those tables. We just have this available because in the past we have had some celebrities come through – not to mention names because they might be here again this year.
Anyhow – a great time is had by and all and this year we decided to promote it more than just tradition or word of mouth and we have had some great response even from people who have been living in the “Hills” area for years. We are also excited to celebrate the store’s 30th birthday in January!! Hopefully we can meet in person and thanks for the support!
Well, anyone looking to escape the family after their feasting is done, should check this out. For more information, table reservations, or to get on the guest list e-mail afterpartyinthehills09@gmail.com. Pretty amazing that this Friday’s location has been open for 30 years! Was 1980 that long ago already?
Popularity: 8%


Share your thoughts..