Taft hasn't had much luck against Birmingham recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Toreadors will head out to take on the Patriots at 7:15 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Friday.
On Friday, Taft made easy work of Chatsworth and carried off a 40-18 victory. The Toreadors might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matchups by 22 points or more this season.
Nathan Swinson
| 10/10/25 @ Chatsworth | 4 |
| 10/03/25 vs Granada Hills Charter | 4 |
| 09/19/25 vs Eagle Rock | 3 |
| 09/12/25 vs Verdugo Hills | 4 |
| 09/05/25 vs Arleta | 3 |
| + 3 more games |
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Taft to victory, but perhaps none more so than Nathan Swinson, who threw for 271 yards and four touchdowns, and also punched in one score on the ground. Swinson is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in each of the last eight games he's played dating back to last season. Wesley Parvizi also helped with two TDs in total.
Meanwhile, Birmingham had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 35.5 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They took their game with ease, bagging a 49-21 win over the Cavaliers. Given the Patriots' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 233rd, while the Cavaliers are ranked 633rd) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
Taft better keep an eye on Kevin Hawkins. He was instrumental in Birmingham's win, throwing for 175 yards and a pair of touchdowns on only 16 passes, while also rushing for 37 yards and one score. Hawkins' passing game has become a key predictor of the Patriots' success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 100 or higher, but only 0-3 otherwise. Jimmy Renteria was another key receiver, picking up 53 receiving yards and one TD.
Birmingham now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Taft, their record now sits at 5-2.
Friday's contest will pit two of the most dominant signal callers against one another: Swinson and Hawkins. Swinson just won't slow down this season and has thrown 25 touchdowns (and and only 5 picks) while averaging 266.6 passing yards per game. Hawkins has been a dominant force too and has thrown 7 touchdowns while averaging 88.7 passing yards per game.
Taft took a serious blow against Birmingham in their previous meeting back in October of 2024, falling 52-0. Can the Toreadors avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
