Taft edges Foreman

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Taft’s offense couldn’t ask for better results than what it achieved in Friday’s 35-28 victory over Foreman at Jorndt Field.

Quarterback Dominik Kuraszkiewicz completed 19-of-34 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns while receiver Jeff Feaster hauled in six passes for 121 yards and a pair of scores.

Yet it was the defense that had the crowd buzzing after the game. Down seven points, Foreman was threatening at the Taft 1-yard line with less than a minute to play in the fourth quarter. The Hornets (1-2), who always go for two after scoring, ran three consecutive quarterback sneaks, but each time Taft (2-1) stood tall and clogged up the line to preserve the nonconference victory.

“As soon as we stopped them the first time, they had to hurry up and we knew it was coming,” Eagles head coach Matthew Walsh said. “I was firing two backers in the gap and trying to just stop them.”

During an earlier timeout, Walsh was emphatic letting his defense know they needed to get a stop. After all, Taft was leading 29-0 midway through the third quarter before the Hornets were able to rally.

“I started switching some guys because I thought we were safe, but we weren’t,” Walsh added. “So we had to go back with the first group and during that last timeout, I told them ‘This is where you have to get a stop. This can define a season.’ ”

What may wind up defining the season in the long run is Taft’s offense. Anthony Hardeman had a big day as well pulling in seven passes for 84 yards including a 34-yard touchdown while tailback Fitzpatrick Allen rushed for 61 yards and had a 15-yard touchdown run. Zach Cunningham also found the end zone on a 12-yard reception.