In its homecoming game, the Taylor Ducks varsity football team will take on the Austin Achieve Polar Bears on Friday, Oct. 4. The Ducks are coming off their first win of the season, defeating Manor New Tech 44-14. The Polar Bears lost 61-0 to Northeast Early College.
This will be Taylor’s second district game of the season as they look to build on an impressive district win from last week. The quarterback position has been a major concern for the Ducks, but they may have found their answer as senior all-purpose player Eli Laurence looked much improved, going 11-for-16 for 177 yards and a touchdown. Laurence has been the most consistent signal caller, with 882 yards and six touchdowns this season.
Laurence’s top two targets have been freshman wide receiver Damien Calico and senior wideout Jemarcus Seawood. Calico has 285 receiving yards and three touchdowns, while Seawood has accounted for 239 yards and two scores. The leading rusher for the Ducks is senior running back Andrias Fisher, who had 51 yards and three rushing touchdowns last week as he led the offense.
Taylor will have to minimize turnovers if it wants to avoid an upset, as it has committed several during the start of the season. Last week, the Ducks were able to play a cleaner game, but that trend will need to continue if they want a drama-free win.
Austin Achieve’s offense has struggled to start the season, as they have yet to score a point in their first four games. The Polar Bears are led by freshman quarterback Jose Orozco, who has accounted for just 36 yards passing. Senior running back Micheal Kwedar leads the team in rushing with 66 yards.
Senior defensive tackle Kaddy Maravilla and junior outside linebacker Stephen Rogers lead Taylor’s defense. Maravilla has nine tackles for loss this season, while Rogers has 48 total tackles. Sophomore defensive end Chance Jackson leads the Polar Bears with 17 total tackles, five of them for loss.
The game is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. at Taylor Stadium.
