The Taylor Ducks varsity football team has reportedly been named the District 13-4A Division I champion after Austin LBJ was forced to vacate its 11 wins from the 2024 season due to the use of ineligible players.
The University Interscholastic League (UIL) reportedly ruled that LBJ must forfeit all victories after determining that multiple ineligible athletes participated during the season due to residency violations.
“It’s unfortunate on the side of LBJ that kind of thing can happen to any school, so it’s a pretty tough deal,” said Taylor head football coach and athletic director Earven Flowers. “But as far as our kids — they do things the right way. They play hard for us, and they love their school, so they’re going to be real proud to represent this program with a district championship.”
Taylor officially finished the season with a 6–5 overall record and a 6–0 district mark. The forfeit erases the Ducks' only district loss, 45-13, to LBJ.
The Ducks secured second place in the standings after a dramatic 42–36 win over Austin Travis, capped by a late touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Laurence to wide receiver Damien Calico. With the LBJ forfeit, the Taylor-Travis game ended up deciding the district championship.
According to Flowers, while it’s still early, he and his staff will meet with administrators to discuss a possible celebration of the team's accomplishment, with a trophy and banner now expected to arrive.
This marks Taylor’s first district championship since the 2016–17 season, when the Ducks went 4–0 in district play under then-head coach Rusty Purser.
Taylor advanced to the postseason but was eliminated in the first round, falling 42–35 to Somerset. The Ducks open the 2025 season on the road Aug. 29, in Gatesville.
