Taft hasn't had much luck against Santiam Christian recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Tigers will challenge the Eagles at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Santiam Christian will face off against a team with plenty of momentum: Taft extended their winning streak to four on Friday. The Tigers simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Newport 67-7. The Tigers' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Kol Tolan was his usual excellent self, rushing for 65 yards and two scores, while also throwing for 69 yards and three TDs. Corban Smith was in the mix too, providing Taft with two touchdowns.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: 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 games.
Special teams also played a big role in the game for Taft, adding 21 points to the final score. 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.
Meanwhile, Santiam Christian never let their opponents score on Friday. They blew past Scio, posting a 35-0 win. The Eagles haven't had any issues with the Loggers recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Taft's record now sits at 6-2. As for Santiam Christian, their record is now an identical 6-2.
Taft ended up a good deal behind Santiam Christian in their previous meeting back in November of 2024, losing 34-20. Thankfully for the Tigers, Jeremy Ness (who rushed for 298 yards and three scores while picking up 7.6 yards per carry) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
