The Taylor Ducks varsity football team will open district play against the Manor New Tech Titans on Friday, Sept. 26, at 7:30 p.m. at Taylor High School.
Taylor is still searching for its first win of the season after falling to La Grange 55-18, while Manor New Tech is coming off a 54-21 loss to Brentwood Christian.
The Ducks will look to spark a turnaround behind sophomore quarterback Johnny Guzman, who threw for 249 yards with one touchdown and one interception against the Leopards. His top target was freshman wide receiver Elijah Afenkhena, who finished with 95 receiving yards. Junior running back Eric Walker leads the ground game after rushing for 60 yards and a touchdown, while Guzman added 53 rushing yards of his own.
Taylor has a chance to build offensive momentum against a Manor New Tech defense that has allowed more than 30 points per game.
Defensively, the Ducks will be tested by sophomore wide receiver Alijah Young, who is averaging 124 receiving yards per game, and junior running back Anthony Arredondo, the Titans’ top rusher.
Key for Taylor will be limiting turnovers, an issue in each of its early-season losses.
The Ducks will try to replicate last year’s result, when they earned their first win of the season with a 43-16 victory over the Titans that sparked a four-game winning streak.
