Football Game Preview: Santiam Christian Eagles vs. Taft Tigers

vs

Previous 5 Games

11/01/24 - Away	34-20 W
10/27/23 - Home	42-6 W
10/13/17 - Away	54-7 W
10/13/16 - Home	12-7 W
10/08/15 - Away	19-18 W

Santiam Christian has gone a perfect 5-0 against Taft recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Eagles will host the Tigers at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Santiam Christian's defense heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They blew past Scio 35-0. The Eagles haven't had any issues with the Loggers recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive win against them.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Taft). They simply couldn't be stopped on Friday as they easily beat Newport 67-7. The team's explosion on offense also rewarded the Tigers with their most commanding win of the season.

Santiam Christian better keep an eye on Kol Tolan. He was instrumental in Taft's win, rushing for 65 yards and a pair of scores, while also throwing for 69 yards and three TDs. Corban Smith got in on the action as well, returning a kick for a touchdown.

Taft was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 224 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 213 rushing yards in six consecutive matchups.

Special teams was a major factor in the game for Taft, racking up 21 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Zack Hankins, who ran a punt back for a touchdown. Another bright spot was a kickoff return touchdown from Smith.

Taft's victory bumped their record up to 6-2. As for Santiam Christian, their win bumped their record up to an identical 6-2.

Santiam Christian strolled past Taft when the teams last played back in November of 2024 by a score of 34-20. Do the Eagles have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Tigers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.