Pflugerville coach Charles Taylor savors first win of year as son shines at quarterback
Pflugerville quarterback Cole Taylor enjoyed his finest hour as a football player Friday night with his dad watching from the sidelines.
This was a father-son moment for the Taylors to savor. With Taylor leading a late touchdown drive, the Panthers earned their first victory of the year, a 30-26 decision over Waco University. And no one was any prouder than Pflugerville coach Charles Taylor.
Cole has grown up next to his dad's shadow. He was a ball boy when Charles coached at McCallum and was on the team bus when the Knights reached the Class 5A state semifinals in 2017.
Not much has gone right for Pflugerville since Cole enrolled at the school last year. Cole was a part-time quarterback as a freshman for a team that went 3-7 last year. The Panthers were 0-6 this fall and trailed 26-23 in the closing minutes against Waco University at The Pfield.
Taylor would rally his troops by driving them 65 yards, capping it with the go-ahead touchdown pass to Christian Baham with 49 seconds to play. Moments later, Pflugerville celebrated when junior safety Kyran McFrazier intercepted a Trojan pass to seal the victory.
Taylor was 5-for-5 on the winning drive and picked up a game-saving first down with a short run to retain possession.
Cole Taylor is a young man with a big future. He has matured in his second year as a varsity quarterback, but he made his mark in the spring when he was named the American-Statesman Newcomer of the Year in baseball. Confidence gained during baseball season has helped his development in football.
"He's coming to the point where he understands the game more," Charles Taylor said. "He's going to his second and third reads instead of locking in on one guy."
It's too early to predict Cole's future, but baseball might be his sport, Charles said. A power-hitting first baseman, he has already been invited to play at baseball camps at Baylor and Vanderbilt.
Curiously, Taylor relieves stress from football by taking swings in batting cages.
The mood was different for the Panthers after winning Friday. They took their time getting dressed in the locker room, savoring the moment.
"The kids were super excited," the coach said. "We have a young team and have lost several games in the final minute. But they kept fighting and last night it all came together."
The View looks good
East View exploded for its best offensive output of the season during a a 42-38 victory over Glenn on Friday. Ty Blair was the man of the hour, completing 24 of 30 passes for a school-record 431 yards and four touchdowns. The previous record of 366 yards passing in a game was set by Peyton Adams in 2020.
Defense keeps rolling at Vandegrift
While Vandegrift can boast about many offensive players who will play at the next level, its defense continued to set the pace during a 42-3 victory over McNeil. Junior cornerback Aidan Jones has intercepted three passes in his last three games. During that span, the defense has allowed a total of 16 points in District 25-6A victories over Stony Point, Manor and McNeil.
Big times at Bastrop
One of the most improved teams in Central Texas is Bastrop, which posted a 34-7 victory over rival Cedar Creek to improve to 5-2 overall, 2-1 in District 13-5A Division II. Freshman quarterback Weston Nielsen continued to shine, throwing four touchdowns before being pulled at halftime. Most of his passes have been directed to Keyshon Moore, who averages 128 yards a game. Last year the Bears were 2-8.
Noteworthy
Rouse continued to enjoy home cooking with a 32-20 victory over Belton. Coach Joshua Mann noted that his team has not lost a regular-season or playoff game at home since 2019. ... Westlake senior Jack Kayser increased his career rushing total to 3,009 yards during a 67-14 victory over Anderson. He joins former Chaps Nakia Watson and Ryan Nunez in the 3,000-yard club. ... Speaking of Westlake, quarterback Rees Wise passed for 273 yards and five touchdowns.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Late touchdown drive carries Pflugerville to season's first victory
