With a playoff game on the line, Van Nuys rose to the challenge on Friday. They skirted past the Taft Toreadors 59-56. The Wolves' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Leading Van Nuys to victory were Carlos Herrera and Marlon Figueroa. Herrera rushed for 225 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 9.4 yards per carry, while Figueroa gained 127 total yards and four touchdowns. The dominant performance gave Herrera a new career-high in rushing yards. Jeremy Moreno got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Van Nuys was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 344 rushing yards. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 68.3 rushing yards per game earlier this season, but in their last five matchups they've averaged 235.5.
Van Nuys' defensive line made their presence known, laying out Nathan Swinson. three times. In that department, William Sizemore was the leader with two sacks.
Several Toreadors players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Swinson, who threw for 354 yards and six touchdowns. Jayden Green was Swinson's top target, picking up 107 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
The win made it two in a row for Van Nuys and bumps their season record up to 8-4. As for Taft, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost six of their last seven contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-9 record this season.
Van Nuys will take on Fulton at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Fulton's defense has only allowed 13 points per game this season, so Van Nuys' offense will have their work cut out for them. Taft does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
