Adam Kelly | Echo
The Taylor football team took down the Anderson Ravens 58-7 Saturday night at New Stadium in the 24th matchup of the Wagon Wheel rivalry game.
The Trojans tied up the decades-long series with the win on Saturday, making their record 12-12 since the inauguration of the Wagon Wheel game in 1990.
"It's more than a Wagon Wheel to a lot of us," said junior running back Jake Fidler. "It symbolizes all the hard work and preparation we put into earning it."
The Trojans took control early when they recovered a fumble only 39 seconds into the game and put the ball in the end zone with a six-play, 53-yard drive.
Taylor put points on the board on their first seven drives with six touchdowns and one field goal. They held Anderson to only seven points and 134 yards of total offense while accumulating 58 points and 433 yards of total offense.
TU moved the chains frequently for 26 first downs and allowed Anderson only 10. The Trojans then forced the Ravens to punt their next three possessions, the first of which was blocked.
With a 21-0 lead after the first quarter, sophomore defensive lineman Jake Venable tracked down the Raven quarterback for a safety to open the second quarter. Taylor's junior safety Taylor Borst then took the ensuing punt back 68 yards for a touchdown, giving TU nine points in about 15 seconds of play.
The Trojans continued to dominate the Ravens, tallying 45 unanswered points by the half. The TU offense gave some quality minutes to second- and third-string players as they took their foot off the gas.
Starting quarterback junior Jonathon Keith led the offense with 7-for-10 passing and two touchdowns. Fidler punched in one touchdown on the ground and another receiving, compiling 137 total yards. The Trojans forced five turnovers and won the possession battle with 37:57 to Anderson's 22:03. The Trojans converted on nine of their 14 third down attempts on the night.
"The game was good but that's behind us," said head coach Ron Korfmacher. "Our focus has shifted right away into our new opponent and new round of preparation."
The Trojans head to Iowa to face St. Ambrose in the first of five matchups against nationally-ranked teams this season on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Photography by Timothy P. Riethmiller
