The Taylor Ducks varsity football team secured a thrilling 42-36 victory over the Travis Rebels, with freshman Damien Calico catching a 45-yard game-winning touchdown pass to take the lead with 1:22 remaining in the fourth quarter. Calico finished with nearly 100 yards and two scores.
Taylor head coach Earven Flowers praised Calico’s standout performance, noting the rapid development of the young wide receiver, who was playing middle school football this time last year.
“There are some guys that are just special.
Ever since we saw that kid in seventh grade, we knew what type of talent he had. He had a little lull in the season and had to grow up a little bit,” Flowers said.
“The sky is the limit for that kid.”
The game opened with both teams exchanging scores. The Rebels struck first with a 25-yard touchdown run by their quarterback. Taylor responded with a touchdown pass from senior quarterback Eli Laurence to junior wide receiver Javien Stokes, followed by a successful two-point conversion to take an 8-7 lead. Laurence finished the game with four passing touchdowns.
Taylor extended their lead after a long drive led by senior running back Andrias Fisher, capped by Fisher’s 2-yard rushing touchdown to make it 15-7.
The Rebels narrowed the gap with a successful fake punt on fourth-and-25, leading to a 17-yard touchdown run, cutting the score to 15-13.
The teams continued to trade scores, and Taylor held a narrow 28-27 lead entering the fourth quarter.
However, an interception thrown by Laurence gave Travis possession at the Ducks’ 32-yard line. The Rebels capitalized, scoring their fifth rushing score to take a 33-28 lead after a failed two-point conversion.
Despite struggling to contain the Rebels’ powerful running game, Flowers highlighted his team’s resilience, particularly with five defensive starters sidelined due to illness and ineligibility.
“What people didn’t know tonight is we played without five starters due to sickness and ineligibility, so the fact that our kids stepped up through adversity, and it was next man up — I am so proud of those dudes,” Flowers said.
The Ducks answered back with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Laurence to senior wide receiver Mario Aguero, reclaiming a 34-33 lead. The Rebels responded with a field goal, taking a 36-34 advantage with 2:52 remaining. This set the stage for Calico’s game-winning touchdown, sealing a dramatic victory for Taylor.
The Ducks will now look ahead to the postseason, as they finished 5-1 and second place in the district. Taylor’s time, date and opponent has yet to be determined.
