Following a resounding 49-19 victory for Taylor High School varsity football at home last Friday night vs. Smithville High School, the Ducks look forward to their non-district finale at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 22 away against the Cougars of Jarrell High School.
The Ducks’ offense ran all over the visiting Tigers, especially in the first half of this game. Despite Taylor and Smithville being tied 13-13 in the first quarter, the Ducks played perfect football in the second quarter to take a 42-13 lead into halftime and were able to cruise in the second half to victory.
As a team, Taylor’s rushing attack was a thing of beauty as the Ducks combined to rush for a whopping 309 yards as a team on 28 carries. Junior running back Andrias Fisher showed why he is one of the most explosive running backs in the area with 169 yards and two touchdowns, while senior quarterback Joshua Mikulencak was a threat with his arm and his legs. Mikulencak passed for 213 yards and three touchdowns through the air and also rushed for 132 yards and scored twice on the ground.
Despite a couple of big plays given up to Smithville receivers in the first half and a touchdown against the Taylor backups in the fourth quarter, the Duck defense certainly came to play as they frustrated the Tiger offense for most of the night. Taylor senior linebacker Ayden Gutierrez had an interception, while the Ducks’ front seven led by senior linebacker Alejandro Randle, senior linebacker Jaden Rush, junior defensive lineman Kaddy Maravilla and others made plays throughout the night to keep Smithville from consistently moving the ball.
Although Taylor (2-2 overall record) has won both its home games in blowout fashion this season, the Ducks’ two road games are certainly a pair of contests that they definitely should have won but miscues and penalties did them in. Expect the Ducks to get the job done against a shaky Jarrell defense this week on the road, enter the bye week with a victory and get ready for the Oct. 6 showdown for Homecoming vs. San Antonio Davenport High School.
Jarrell has a 1-3 overall record and is coming off a 75-44 loss on the road this past Friday against Hillsboro High School in a game in which the Cougars trailed 34-2 at the end of the first quarter and 54-23 at halftime.
Photo by Andrew Salmi
