Taft plays hard, but loses battle of hurlers at home



Taft quarterback John Wilkinson completed 14 of 27 passes for 324 yards and three touchdowns, and he added 60 yards on eight carries, but it was not enough for the Tigers on Oct. 23 as they lost at home to Sweet Home 55-20.

Huskies quarterback Tyler Holly hit 10 of 12 passes for 287 yards and five touchdowns. Brock Cota had 57 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.

Taft Coach Jack Wilkinson said his team played hard, held together, and hit hard.

Sweet Home scored three touchdowns in the first quarter with 1-yard and 4-yard Cota runs, and an 80-yard pass from Holly to Tim McDowell.

Holly connected with Sean Potter for a 24-yard touchdown with 7:26 to play in the second quarter, and 15 seconds later, Wilkinson threw for Taft’s first score of the game on a 48 yarder to Thomas Lovejoy. Ricky Nand’s extra point made the score 27-7.

Sweet Home tacked on two more touchdowns in the first half, both on Holly passes - the first was a 30 yarder to Potter, the second a 27 yarder to Taylor Tagle with 41 seconds remaining in the half.

Sweet Home struck first in the second half with an 8-yard run by Brent Moyer.

Taft came back with a 54 yarder from Wilkinson to Lovejoy with 6:30 on the clock in the third, and Nand’s extra point made it 48-14.

McDowell caught a 55-yard pass from Holly for Sweet Home’s final touchdown with 5:23 on the clock in the third quarter, making the score 55-14.

Taft scored the lone touchdown in the fourth quarter on an 11-yard pass from Wilkinson to John Beck.

Lovejoy had four catches for 154 yards for the Tigers. Jordon McNelly had three grabs for 90 yards. Beck had two catches for 26 yards. Joe Whitaker had 12 carries for 77 yards and added three catches for 35 yards. Brock Martin caught two passes for 19 yards and added three runs for 6 yards. Josh Baker had five carries for 25 yards.

Taft plays at Stayton tonight (Friday). They host Newport on Friday, Nov. 6, to end the season.



Jake Schubert is the sports reporter for the News-Times. He can be reached at 265-8571 ext. 221, or sports@newportnewstimes.com.



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