The Taylor Ducks varsity football team will travel to House Park to take on the Austin Achieve Polar Bears on Friday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m.
Taylor enters the matchup coming off its first win of the season, a 50-26 victory over Manor New Tech. The Ducks exploded in the second half, outscoring the Titans 39-11 to pull away. Austin Achieve, meanwhile, is still searching for its first win after falling to Northeast Early College 40-6 last week.
Despite the Ducks’ breakthrough victory, it was far from a flawless performance. Sophomore quarterback Johnny Guzman turned the ball over four times but still managed to make an impact offensively, accounting for more than 200 total yards and three touchdowns. Guzman has struggled with turnovers throughout the season, but the Ducks will look for him to settle in and deliver a cleaner performance on Friday night.
One bright spot for Taylor has been the emergence of freshman wide receiver Elijah Afenkhena. Afenkhena has quickly developed into Guzman’s favorite target, hauling in 115 yards and a touchdown in last week’s win. His rise has helped offset the absence of sophomore receiver Damien Calico.
The Ducks also leaned heavily on their ground game last week, as junior running back Eric Walker delivered his best performance of the season with 156 rushing yards and a touchdown. Establishing consistency in the run game will remain a priority, as Taylor’s offense struggled to find balance early in the year.
Defensively, the Ducks catch a break against an Austin Achieve team that has given up more than 40 points per game this season. The Polar Bears have struggled to stop both the run and the pass, creating an opportunity for Taylor to build momentum and potentially improve to 2-0 in district play.
For Taylor, the keys to victory will be limiting mistakes. The Ducks have yet to play a game without a turnover this season and were also hampered by penalties in their win over Manor New Tech. Cleaning up those areas will be critical as the team prepares to face tougher district competition later in the year.
