Playing without injured two-way starter JJ French, the Taft High football team couldn't get much going on either side of the ball Friday night in a 37-6 league loss at undefeated Yamhill-Carlton.
Junior running back JJ French rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns, and senior wide receiver Jordan Hall added another Friday to lead Taft High to a 24-6 nonconference football victory over visiting Knappa.
Shake out the pom poms, strike up the band. The Taft Tigers return home Friday night with hopes of revisiting the winning feeling of a big victory to open the season following a difficult road loss last week.
The Taft High defense, one year removed from surrendering 60 points in a 60-29 shootout loss to State-bound Harrisburg, limited the Eagles to just six points Friday to march off with a 14-6 home upset in the Class 3A football opener for both teams.
A brutal schedule is nothing new to the Taft High football team -- but playoff aspirations are -- and confidence abounds as the Tigers prepare to open the season Friday at Voris Field against perennial power Harrisburg.
Son of retired longtime Taft High teachers Jack and Kristin Wilkinson, the 27-year-old “Johnny Wilk,” as he is best known by his friends, was born in Lincoln City on Sept. 25, 1991, and lived here his entire life until he left to spend four years in the Navy.
