With Brown Held Out, Beat Goes On for Taft

Different running back. Similar numbers. For Taft High, a pleasant result.

With star tailback Jerry Brown watching from the sidelines while nursing a sore shoulder, Dion Gaston rushed for 185 yards and two touchdowns in 13 carries to lead Taft to a 34-14 victory over Van Nuys.

Gaston scored on runs of 35 yards and four yards. Taft (1-1) outgained Van Nuys 319 to 53 on the ground.

Taft quarterback Dayon Shaw struggled passing, but it didn’t matter. He supplemented his 46 yards gained through the air by rushing for 50 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, Shaw intercepted two passes.

Toreador fullback Clay Carter also had a strong game, rushing for 68 yards and a touchdown in nine carries.

Leading, 14-7, Taft scored on its first two possessions of the second half.

Shaw’s three-yard run completed a nine-play, 88-yard drive.

The Toreadors then took control when a blocked punt by William Abner set up Gaston’s 35-yard touchdown run.

Van Nuys (1-1), which scored first and last, was lead by quarterback Chris Byfield, who completed 13 of 23 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Laurent Corson caught four passes for 65 yards.

Running back Larry Reed was held to 38 yards in 11 carries. Reed scored on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter, which concluded the scoring.