After some red-hot attacks on offense in their last three games, O'Connor finally came back down to earth on Friday. They were outmatched by the Taft Raiders on the road and fell 44-10. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Panthers of the 34-0 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in September of 2023.
Jake Garza threw for 118 yards on eight of 18 attempts.
Riley Eason was his top target, picking up 67 receiving yards. On the ground,
Brandon Martinez rushed for 164 yards and a touchdown while picking up 9.1 yards per carry.
Tucker Vogel was a one-man wrecking crew for Taft as he rushed for 329 yards and a touchdown while picking up 15.7 yards per carry, and also threw for 25 yards and two touchdowns. Vogel really tore up the turf during one magnificent 76-yard run. Prometheus Elmore was another key player, rushing for 172 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 7.8 yards per carry.
The loss snapped O'Connor's winning streak at three games and leaves them with a 4-6 record. As for Taft, they moved to 6-4 with that win, which also ended their three-game losing streak.
O'Connor does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for Taft, they will face off against Johnson at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Johnson is coming into the contest with five straight victories on the road, so Taft will have to stop a team with plenty of momentum.
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