After flying high against the Shafter Generals last Thursday, the Taft Wildcats came back down to earth. Taft lost to McFarland on the road by a decisive 82-68 margin on Wednesday. Taft was given a dose of their own medicine in this game as McFarland apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in February of 2023.
When it comes to explaining why Taft lost, one person who can't be blamed is Blaine Neudorf. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 36 points and ten rebounds. The contest was Neudorf's 15th in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Chase Phillips, who scored five points along with 20 rebounds and eight blocks.
Taft's loss dropped their record down to 10-9. As for McFarland, their win was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 15-6.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Taft will take on Chavez at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Chavez has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last five games. As for McFarland, they will be playing at home against Kennedy at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Kennedy has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last four games.
