Football Preview: Taylor Wildcats vs. Halifax Academy Knights
Taylor is 8-0 against Halifax Academy since August of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Taylor Wildcats will square off against the Halifax Academy Knights at 7:00 p.m. Taylor is no doubt hoping to put an end to a four-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.
Last Friday, Taylor came up short against First Academy and fell 28-20.
Despite the loss, Taylor got top-tier performance from Nikko Dozier, who rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Dozier didn't just play on offense: he also forced a fumble and made ten total tackles.
Even though they lost, Taylor was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 236 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as First Academy only rushed for 126.
Meanwhile, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Halifax Academy beat Atlantic 14-10 on Friday.
Halifax Academy's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Jeremiah Barthelemy, who rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries, and La?Darius Simmons, who threw for 168 yards and a touchdown while completing 73.3% of his passes. Barthelemy is crushing it when it comes to rushing yards: he's rushed for at least 100 every time he's taken the field this season.
Halifax Academy's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Truth Hill. Jamaurie Russell was another major factor on D, picking up two sacks, forcing a fumble, and forcing a fumble.
Taylor now has a losing record at 1-2. As for Halifax Academy, their win bumped their record up to 3-1.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Taylor has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 165.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Halifax Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 154.3. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything came up roses for Taylor against Halifax Academy in their previous matchup back in August of 2021 as the team secured a 67-30 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Taylor since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
