AUSTIN — The Taylor Ducks varsity football team will open the 2026 season against a familiar opponent when it takes on former district foe Eastside Early College on Friday, Aug. 28, at House Park in Austin at 7:30 p.m.
The Ducks will look to repeat last season’s result, when Taylor dominated the Panthers 46-12 in Week 8.
“We look forward to this Friday to see if we can be consistent in all phases of the game for 48 minutes. Eastside is a familiar opponent and was a playoff team last year. This will be a good week one test,” said Taylor Head Coach and Athletic Director Earven Flowers.
Taylor returns several players from that matchup, including junior quarterback Johnny Guzman, senior running back Eric Walker and sophomore wide receiver Elijah Afenkhena.
Guzman will have some extra motivation heading into the opener after leaving last year’s game in the first half with an apparent ankle injury and not returning.
Eastside also returns several key players, including starting quarterback Ayden Aguilar and senior running back Khrisshawn Bryant.
Bryant led the Panthers with 1,015 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns last season, while Aguilar threw for 129 yards and a touchdown against Taylor.
The Panthers relied heavily on their rushing attack last season, making Taylor’s defensive line a key factor in the matchup. The Ducks will look to slow down Eastside’s ground game and force the Panthers to throw the ball.
Taylor will also look to take advantage of an Eastside defense that allowed 40 points per game last season. The Ducks return plenty of experience offensively and will look to get their playmakers involved early.
Taylor finished 5-1 in district play last season but went 0-4 in non-district games. The Ducks have not won a non-district game since the 2024 season.
Eastside finished fourth in the same district last season and will look to start the year on a better note while avenging last year’s loss to Taylor.
