The Taylor Ducks varsity football team (0-4) suffered their fourth consecutive loss, falling 35-7 to the La Grange Leopards on Friday, Sept. 20.
Offensive struggles continued to plague the Ducks, who couldn’t establish any consistent momentum. Even when Taylor managed to move the ball into Leopards' territory, their drives repeatedly stalled in the red zone, leaving them unable to convert key opportunities.
Defensively, the Ducks showed early promise with a red zone stop, but La Grange responded quickly, capping off their next drive with a 15-yard rushing touchdown to take a 7-0 lead. Both teams' offenses sputtered through much of the first half, until a miscommunication in the Taylor secondary allowed a 70-yard touchdown pass with just 20 seconds remaining in the second quarter, giving the Leopards a 14-0 lead heading into halftime.
In the second half, Taylor’s offensive woes continued, with multiple punts and turnovers adding pressure to an overworked defense. La Grange capitalized, scoring on a 10-yard quarterback run and a 70-yard rushing touchdown to push their lead to 28-0. A late 5-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter extended the deficit to 35-0.
Taylor finally broke through in the closing minutes when senior quarterback Eli Laurence connected with senior wide receiver Jamarcus Seawood on a 35-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 35-7. On defense, senior tackle Kaddy Maravilla was a standout, creating constant disruption in the La Grange backfield with several tackles for loss and sacks.
The Ducks’ quarterback situation remains unsettled, as Laurence, freshman Johnny Guzman, and sophomore Caleb Pachicano rotated throughout the game. Head coach Earven Flowers spoke candidly about the team's ongoing search for stability under center.
“We’re looking for a spark, a consistent spark,” Flowers said. “It’s a tough situation right now, but we just have to keep fighting.”
Taylor now turns its attention to district play, where they’ll face Manor New Tech on the road on Friday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Coach Flowers emphasized the need for unity and resilience as the team looks to snap their losing streak.
“We have to stay together and keep fighting,” Flowers said. “I’ve been in these situations before, and this is when people start pointing fingers. We can’t listen to the outside noise. We’re all in this together, and we have to play four full quarters of football next week to get that win.”
