Taft and Van Nuys squared off in some playoff action on Friday, but Taft had to settle for second. They fell just short of the Van Nuys Wolves by a score of 59-56. One positive for the Toreadors, at least, is that this was the most points they've scored all season.
Several Toreadors players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Nathan Swinson, who threw for 354 yards and six touchdowns. Wesley Parvizi did his part for the team as well, scoring a TD off of 146 receiving yards.
Taft didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Darius Kirabo and Jayden Green.
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 as well, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Taft has traveled a rocky road recently having lost six of their last seven matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-9 record this season. Their recent woes sure aren't a result of their rushing production: they averaged an imposing 118.8 rushing yards in those games compared to only 118.8 in the others. As for Van Nuys, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 8-4.
Taft does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Van Nuys, they will face off against Fulton at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Fulton is coming into the contest with five straight wins on the road, so Van Nuys will have to stop a squad with plenty of momentum.
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