No one scored more than 10 points in a game against George Taylor, whose defensive commitment and offensive playmaking earned the 6-foot San Diego High guard City Prep League player-of-the-year honors in the 1953-54 season.
Taylor, who passed in San Diego on Jan. 27 at age 80, was the primary player on the 22-5 team that reached the quarterfinals of CIF Southern Section major playoffs.
Taylor scored 273 points in 27 games, leading the Cavers to a 12-2 league record and an upset, 68-56 victory over favored Alhambra in the playoffs’ first round.
Taylor went on to star in basketball and earn a degree at Pepperdine University in Los Angeles. He was an educator for many years in the Los Angeles area and later earned his PHD at Claremont College.
Taylor eventually returned to San Diego and became a board member at the William J. Oakes Boys’ Club in Logan Heights, where Taylor first took up basketball, under the guidance of legendary coach Augie Escamilla.
Do you have other sports articles on George Taylor? I recall him receiving a San Diego athlete of the century award? Where there records that he set in basketball?
Around the time of the millennium San Diego High honored many players, citing them as “Athletes of the Century”. I was working in St. Louis at the time and wasn’t around, but I am told that the new gymnasium at San Diego High has a trophy case in which there is recognition of the athletes of the century. As City Prep League player of the year and the leading scorer of an outstanding team, I’m sure George is one of those listed. I get much of my research information from microfilm at the San Diego library. When I research the 1953-54 basketball season I’ll look for photos or articles of your dad. If you want to send your address, I’ll pass along any clippings I might find and thank you for passing along a greeting to Luther and Anita. I know Luther has had health issues, which sadden all of us.
George Taylor was one of many outstanding Cavers during his junior and senior seasons. I was fortunate to live across the alley from Harold Addison (a star performer on the ’55 SDHS tennis team), and attended many games with his family. George and a few of his teammates named Jerry DeVee, McDonald, Art Powell, Albert West, Alfred Hudson and few others whose names I’m unable to recall at this time, were a wonder to watch. The teams they dominated had their own list of quality players including, Krantz and Tellous (Pt. Loma), Cravens and Jarvis (La Jolla) and Wilson, Adams and Hernandez (Hoover).
Homer Krantz, Bill Tellous, Jack Cravens, David Jarvis, whose families were friends of ours in San Francisco and Pacific Beach.You were fortunate to see the players from that era. I didn’t hook on to high school sports until a couple years later.
Thank you for your kind words. I am his daughter and appreciated reading about my father. Basketball was his passion.
I didn’t know your father, but I saw him play for Pepperdine at San Diego State in 1956. He led his team to a convincing victory. As I remember, Pepperdine also had a couple other outstanding players, Bobby Sims and Sterling Forbes. I noticed in the Anderson-Ragsdale obituary that you lived in Palos Verdes. Would you happen to knows Luther and Anita Hayes, who also live there? I graduated with Luther from Lincoln High in San Diego in 1957. Luther would have been three years behind your dad at San Diego High. Luther inspired me to follow my career path of sports writing. Thank you for writing, Ms. Blackwell.
Was Albert West the brother of Willie? My dad fished with Jim Jarvis, the father of David Jarvis. The Jarvises moved from San Francisco (they lived near the corner of Haight and Ashbury) to Pacific Beach. George Taylor’s daughter lives in Palos Verdes and is friends with Luther and Anita Hayes.