Football Recap: Taft Takes a Loss

Taft extended their losing streak to three on Saturday, dropping them down to 3-4. They were three points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 34-31 heartbreaker at the hands of the Sotomayor WILDCATS. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Raiders of the 34-16 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in October of 2024.

David Aguirre

Receiving Yards

09/27/25 vs Stevens	134
10/18/25 vs Sotomayor	100
09/18/25 @ Holmes	89
09/05/25 @ Eagle Pass	68
08/29/25 @ Clemens	42

When it comes to explaining why Taft lost, don't look at Tucker Vogel. Despite the final result, he rushed for 160 yards and three TDs, and also threw for 135 yards and one touchdown. Vogel's rushing production has been exceptional recently as that marked his third straight game with at least 121 rushing yards. A healthy portion of Vogel's aerial production (100 yards to be exact) went to David Aguirre, who also brought in a receiving touchdown.

As for Sotomayor, the victory (which was their fifth in a row) raised their record to 5-3. The team dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 34.4 points.

Sotomayor's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Haewood Anderson led the charge by rushing for 186 yards and a pair of scores. Those 186 rushing yards gave Anderson a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Chauncey Moon, who rushed for 60 yards and one touchdown on only five carries.

Looking ahead, Taft will take on Harlan at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The Raiders will need to watch out since the Hawks have now posted at least 31 points in their last five games. As for Sotomayor, they will challenge Warren at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.