On Aug. 30, the Taft Varsity Boys Football Team played their 2024 season opener. The players put their all on the field: resisting and making tackles, completing tough receptions, and nailing kicks. It paid off, finishing with a score of 35-7.
Head Coach Zachary Elder said, “I feel confident about how this season will play out. We have the first win under our belt. This is our first season opener win since 2013.” Many people showed up for this very exciting game and it was worth it.
There’s a few new additions to the team such as a freshman who had his debut. One player that stood out was senior Daris Kadric. “We still have some work to do, but he [Kadric] went five for five on his kicks in his first game,” said Elder. Being a senior, Kadric has to make his first, last, and only high school football season count.
There was a lot of other talent out there on the field. Many players performed really well and had major impacts on the game. “Steven [who] had a few touchdowns, Logan Roman threw well, Tavius Christmas, Troy Williams…On defense Padilla and Diesel played solid. Overall the starters had a great game,” said Elder.
The play that stood out from the rest was Roman’s pass to Williams while he was in double coverage. Elder said, “I didn’t expect the catch to be completed. When it was, I thought it was out of bounds, then I saw the ref call the touchdown and Troy spun the ball on the ground in celebration. I was shocked by the play; it was impressive.”
