The Taylor Ducks varsity football team was recently named the 2024 District 13-4A Division I champions after the University Interscholastic League stripped Austin LBJ of all 11 wins due to residency violations. The announcement marked Taylor’s first district title since the 2016 season.
Coached by Rusty Purser, the 2016 Ducks finished with an overall record of 8-4 and went 4-0 in district play, defeating Burnet, 42-6, in the bi-district round before falling to Somerset, 27-21, in overtime in the area round.
That season opened with a high-scoring 62-46 loss to Robinson, where utility player Delane Hornsby threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 93 yards and four scores. Wide receiver Malik Jackson hauled in 113 yards and two touchdowns, but the Ducks’ defense couldn’t overcome the 580 passing yards and eight touchdowns allowed to Robinson quarterback Chase Allison. Receiver Braxton Ashcraft was responsible for seven of those scores.
Taylor rebounded the following week with a 37-28 win over Rockdale, holding off a late push to secure the victory. However, the Ducks dropped their next matchup against Yoakum, 36-28, after surrendering 23 points in the second quarter. Quarterback Ryan Gardner threw two costly interceptions in the loss, though he and running back Jarrell Crittendon combined for 162 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
The Ducks regained momentum with back-toback wins: a 62-35 rout of Caldwell and a 39-30 victory over La Grange.
Gardner threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns against Caldwell, while Hornsby added 112 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Crittendon led the charge against La Grange, rushing for 123 yards and three scores.
That momentum came to a halt in the non-district finale, a 41-14 loss to Bellville.
Taylor opened district play with a 61-0 shutout of Austin Eastside as Hornsby, Gardner and Crittendon combined for six rushing touchdowns.
The Ducks followed with a gritty 15-7 win over Boerne, overcoming a 7-6 halftime deficit by shutting out the Greyhounds in the second half.
In a high-scoring battle with Fredericksburg, the Ducks exploded for 27 points in the fourth quarter en route to a 48-27 win. Crittendon delivered a career performance, rushing for 271 yards and five touchdowns.
The regular-season finale against Canyon Lake was a winnertakes- all matchup for the district title — and it delivered. Taylor trailed 14-0 after the first quarter and 30-14 at halftime as Canyon Lake’s rushing attack proved difficult to contain.
But the Ducks came storming out of the locker room, reeling off 22 unanswered points.
Gardner opened the third quarter with a touchdown pass to Andre Jones, then added a rushing score and another passing touchdown to Jones, giving Taylor a 36-30 lead heading into the fourth.
Both teams traded scores in the final frame, but Jones ultimately sealed the 50-44 victory with a 37-yard touchdown reception — clinching the district championship.
Taylor opened the playoffs with a dominant 42-6 win over Burnet in the bi-district round.
Gardner threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns, while Hornsby and Crittendon combined for more than 200 rushing yards and four scores. The Ducks’ season came to a heartbreaking end in the area round with a 27-21 overtime loss to Somerset.
Tied 7-7 at halftime, Taylor pulled ahead in the third quarter, but Somerset answered with 14 points in the fourth.
The Bulldogs scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime to end the Ducks’ historic run.
Gardner finished the season with nearly 2,000 passing yards and 13 touchdowns. Crittendon racked up more than 1,700 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns, while Jackson led all receivers with 814 yards and 10 touchdowns. Hornsby added 553 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, along with three passing scores.
Former Taylor Ducks running back Jarrell Crittendon poses with his district offensive MVP award after rushing for more than 1,700 yards and 20 touchdowns during the 2016 season.
