Second-Quarter Onslaught Fuels Taft Win Over Locke

It took Woodland Hills Taft a while to wake up. But once it did, there was no stopping the Toreadors, who scored four touchdowns in the second quarter en route to a 41-30 nonleague victory over Locke Friday night at Taft.

Ricky Clausen completed 16 of 27 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns for Taft (2-0), including a 31-yard scoring pass to Chris Morgan three seconds before halftime to give the Toreadors a 27-8 lead. Clausen also scored Taft’s last touchdown on a one-yard sneak.

Lee Marks rushed for 141 yards in 12 carries and scored Taft’s first touchdown on a 75-yard run early in the second quarter. He also caught three passes for 18 yards and a touchdown.

Morgan had five receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns, and Steve Smith added five catches for 92 yards and a touchdown.

Marks fumbled the second-half kickoff, and Locke recovered at Taft’s 13-yard line. Jerry Jackson scored on a 10-yard run three plays later.

Lamar Reynolds ran 36 yards for another score on the Saints’ next possession to pull Locke (0-2) to within 27-22 with 8:52 remaining in the third quarter.

Taft answered with a six-play, 71-yard drive capped by Clausen’s 28-yard touchdown pass to Smith, and then followed with a five-play, 65-yard drive that ended with Clausen’s sneak.

Taft marched to the Saints’ 11-yard line late in the fourth quarter, but Isaiah Abubaker intercepted a Clausen pass and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown.