The Taylor Ducks varsity football team will take on the Canyon Lake Hawks on Friday, Nov.
14, at 7:30 p.m. at Lions Stadium in Lockhart.
The Ducks enter the postseason coming off a 34-16 victory over Travis, while the Hawks defeated Pleasanton, 17-13.
Taylor will look to win its first playoff game since the 201617 postseason, when it defeated Burnet, 42-6.
The Ducks are led by sophomore quarterback Johnny Guzman, who has thrown for 1,371 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. Freshman Elijah Afekhena has emerged as his top target, recording 94 yards and two scores against Travis.
Guzman saw limited playing time in last week’s win for undisclosed reasons, making his status a key storyline heading into Friday’s matchup.
On the ground, Taylor boasts a strong rushing attack led by junior running back Eric Walker, who averages more than 102 yards per game and has scored 11 touchdowns. Walker was pivotal in the win over Travis, rushing for 114 yards and two scores. The Ducks will likely need another big performance from him if they hope to end their playoff drought.
Defensively, Taylor will be tested by a Canyon Lake offense that averages more than 40 points per game. The Hawks are led by quarterback Jason Wheeler, who has thrown for 2,300 yards and 23 touchdowns. His top target, junior wide receiver Peyton King, has 832 receiving yards on the year.
The Hawks also feature a productive rushing duo in Gram Simpson and Chris Brown, who have combined for more than 1,300 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Canyon Lake’s defense is coming off one of its strongest outings of the season after holding Pleasanton to just 13 points.
For Taylor, establishing the run early and limiting big plays defensively will be key if the Ducks hope to advance past the bi-district round for the first time in nearly a decade.
