Taylor football is off to its best start since 1999. 25 years ago, Taylor went 10-2 and finished first in the MSFA. They also finished the season ranked No. 5 in NAIA which is their highest ranking in program history.
The 1999 team started strong, rattling off six straight wins over Anderson, Tri-State, Urbana, Iowa Wesleyan, St. Xavier and Walsh. Their first loss happened in week seven at the hands of McKendree by a score of 42-21.
Taylor would come back to life as they strung together three wins in a row over Olivet Nazarene, St. Ambrose, and an overtime thrilling win over Trinity International. Their record was good enough to propel them to their first NAIA playoff appearance.
Taylor faced Missouri Valley in the opening round of the NAIA playoffs and did not disappoint, dominating 38-12. Running back Quinn Hirschy led the Trojans in rushing yards with 118 on 17 carries. Wideout Ben Godfrey hauled in four catches for 92 yards.
Taylor then faced the No. 1 team in the nation, the Georgetown Tigers in the quarterfinals. Sadly, that is where Taylor’s season came to an end, as they lost 55-3.
Taylor football is off to yet another hot start 25 years later, sitting at 4-1 (0-1). They might not have gotten six in a row to open the season, but four in a row is nothing to scoff at. Their opening game was at Siena Heights, a team that Taylor lost to the previous season 24-21.
This year was a different story as Taylor defeated Siena Heights 34-28 in an offensive explosion. Junior quarterback Damon Hockett completed 10 of 20 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 48 yards.
Another key contributor was Hockett’s favorite target, senior wide receiver Dakota Sonnichsen, who hauled in three catches for 107 yards and one touchdown.
Taylor would continue their winning ways with wins over Olivet Nazarene 58-51, Judson 52-29 and Kentucky Christian 67-35 before their first ranked matchup at home against No. 7 Marian.
The game went down to the wire with Marian escaping Upland with a 35-34 overtime victory. Taylor set a new single-game rushing yards record, breaking the old record of 440 yards set in 1963, by rushing for 459 yards.
Taylor’s leading rushers were Sonnichsen, junior running back Jameson Chesser and sophomore running back Kyle Turanchik with 143, 100 and 86 yards respectively. Sonnichsen also had three scores on the ground.
“Our offense scores so much that it allows our defense to get the rest we need and takes a lot of pressure off of us,” senior defensive lineman Jeremiah Mansfield said.
It was a close game the entire way through. Taylor never trailed in regulation and never had more than a seven point lead. With the game being tied at 28 after regulation, the game needed to be decided in overtime.
Marian struck first in the extra period with a 10-yard run by junior running back Keagan La Belle. Taylor would answer back with an 11-yard touchdown run from Chesser. Instead of kicking the extra point to extend the game to a second overtime, head coach Aaron Mingo decided to make the call and go for the two-point conversion.
Freshman quarterback Kyle Stratton rolled out to the right and tried to hit freshman tight end Nathan Munson on an out route but junior Marian defensive back Dwight Lewis III deflected the ball to end the game.
“It’s been a four-year process for us offensively,” Mingo said. “I think the biggest difference you’re seeing right now is the line of scrimmage. The offensive line has really developed well when it comes to overall strength and ability.”
If the 2024 Taylor football team can learn anything from the 1999 team, one loss does not define a season. Taylor has a tough road ahead, but an NAIA playoff spot is well within their grasp.
