The Taylor Ducks varsity football team extended its winning streak to four games with a dominant 63-0 victory over the Eastside Early College Panthers on Friday, Oct.
25. Sophomore running back Kavon Godwin led the charge with over 100 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
The Ducks set the tone from the opening whistle, needing just two plays on their first drive to reach the end zone.
Godwin’s 30-yard touchdown run put Taylor up 8-0, and the defense backed up the fast start by stifling the Panthers, who failed to gain a first down on their first four possessions.
Senior running back Andrias Fisher broke loose for a 75-yard gain to set up another scoring opportunity, but a tipped pass from senior quarterback Eli Laurence resulted in an interception.
Fisher finished the game with 200 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Laurence quickly shook off the early turnover to have his best game of the season, throwing for nearly 200 yards and three touchdowns. The Ducks emphasized the passing attack, with head coach Earven Flowers noting the need for more experience through the air as they gear up for tougher matchups ahead.
“We’re working on things to prepare us for what’s coming,” Flowers said. “We want to establish the run game and then take our shots.
Tonight, we connected on those shots.”
Eastside finally managed its first down early in the second quarter, but Taylor’s defense soon forced a punt. The Ducks capitalized, scoring on four of their next five drives to build a commanding 36-0 halftime lead. The defense continued its relentless play to start the third quarter, forcing a quick three-and-out and setting up a two-yard touchdown run by senior wide receiver Mario Aquero that extended the lead to 42-0.
Even with the game firmly in hand, the Ducks maintained their intensity. Laurence connected on a 40-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Damien Calico to stretch the lead further.
The defense kept up the pressure, forcing a fumble that paved the way for a 10-yard touchdown pass from Laurence to freshman wide receiver Tayden Talley. Taylor’s defense came away with two turnovers on the night.
Despite securing their second shutout of the season, Flowers believes there is still room for improvement on the defensive side.
“We played a little soft at times, but at the end of the day, we didn’t give up any points and lined up correctly,” Flowers said.
“Still, we want our guys to capitalize on opportunities — if the balls on the ground, we want the fumble, and if it’s in the air, we want the interception,” he said. The Ducks improved to 4-4 overall and 4-0 in district play. Taylor’s path to a district title will be put to the test next week as they travel to face undefeated LBJ Austin on Friday, Nov. 1, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m.
