Taft Continues Hot Streak with Dominating win over Verdugo Hills
In a dominant performance, Taft High School overwhelmed Verdugo Hills with a 48-13 victory,
showcasing strength on both offense and defense from the opening snap. The game started with
Taft’s defense making an early stop, setting up quarterback Nathan Swinson for a quick scoring
drive capped by a 25-yard screen pass to Wesley Parvizi. Verdugo Hills responded with a strong
kickoff return and managed a field goal, but Taft quickly answered as Swinson and Parvizi
connected again for a 30-yard touchdown. Although Verdugo showed some fight, including
another field goal and a 15-yard rushing touchdown by their quarterback Jered Smith, Taft’s
aggressive offense and opportunistic defense kept control. Jacob Southall’s 3-yard rushing TD
and Swinson’s two-point conversion gave Taft a 22-13 lead entering the half.
The second half belonged entirely to Taft. A big return by Parvizi set up a touchdown pass to
Sammy Perry, and the defense led by Mike linebacker Adam Karchmer, ramped up the pressure,
forcing two key interceptions (by Parvizi and Sam Burger). Taft capitalized on the turnovers with
a touchdown from Adam Karchmer and another rushing score from Southhall to extend the lead
to 41-13 by the end of the third quarter. Taft’s defense shut down Verdugo from there, and Erik
Koron sealed the blowout with a long touchdown reception in the fourth quarter. The running
clock was initiated due to the large point differential.
Key contributors included Swinson, who delivered multiple touchdown passes and physical runs;
Parvizi, who had a standout game with two receiving touchdowns, an interception, and big
returns winning West Coast Sports Media player of the game, Southall, who added two rushing
scores with a punishing ground game, and Adam Karchmer leading the defense to a 2nd half
shutdown with 2 pass deflections and a rushing touchdown, winning West Coast Sports Media
defensive player of the game. Despite a few promising moments from Verdugo’s Jered Smith, the
team was ultimately overwhelmed by Taft’s speed, execution, and relentless pressure.
Final Score: 48-13 Taft
Taft (4-0) faces Eagle rock at home next week on Friday (9/19)
Verdugo Hills (0-3) faces Chavez on the road next week on Thursday (9/18)
