Cole Taylor’s big night helps Andover Central beat Goddard 28-21 (+video)

It takes small print to squeeze in all of Andover Central junior Cole Taylor’s positions on the Jaguars’ football roster.

Wide receiver. Quarterback. Defensive back.

Taylor wore all of those hats Friday night against Goddard. And couldn’t have been more stylish.

Taylor caught a much-needed first-half touchdown pass from Central starter Peyton Huslig. Then during a wild fourth quarter, Taylor returned an interception for a touchdown and threw a game-winning, 46-yard pass to Darraja Parnell with 2:07 remaining to give Andover Central a 28-21 victory.

Central, No. 3 in Class 4A-Division I, overcame a 15-point deficit to improve to 3-0. The Jaguars also survived some entertaining final minutes in large part to Taylor’s heroics.

“I don’t know if I can pick that,” Taylor said of his favorite contribution to the outcome. “Definitely taking the lead with two minutes left was a great thing.”

It took time for Central to gain traction after it turned the ball over on downs at its own 23 on the game’s opening possession. Goddard parlayed that into the first of sophomore Blake Sullivan’s two touchdown passes.

“I told them at halftime we weren’t playing hard enough,” Central coach Tom Audley said. “Goddard was taking the fight to us.”

A field goal by Goddard and a Central turnover allowed the Lions to keep the pressure on. And after a 48-yard, hook-and-lateral pass set up Dayton Driskill’s 3-yard touchdown, Goddard led 15-0 one play into the second quarter.

“That’s how we have to play,” said Goddard coach Scott Vang, whose team fell to 1-2. “We have to be super aggressive because we’re not super talented.”

Central, which dropped two passes behind defenders and was limited to 15 rushing yards on 13 attempts in the first half, still managed to begin its comeback before halftime. On fourth-and-12 from Goddard’s 31, Huslig threw to the back of the end zone for Taylor, who caught the ball simultaneously with Goddard defender Kody Gonzalez. Officials ruled the play a touchdown, and Central’s deficit was 15-7.

Aided by a strong north wind, Central limited Goddard to no first downs and seven yards in the third quarter. The Jaguars also cut Goddard’s lead to 15-13 on Jordan Birch’s 3-yard touchdown run.

But late in the third quarter, Huslig went down hard on a run near the Goddard sideline and did not return to the game. Taylor replaced him at quarterback on a drive that ended with a blocked field

“Every day in practice, I always get reps because his shoulder has been bothering him lately,” Taylor said. “I knew at some point it might happen, so I knew it was my time to step up.”

But after Taylor’s first two possessions at quarterback produced no points, his defense came through. He stepped in front of Sullivan’s third-down pass and raced 26 yards into the end zone to put Central up 21-15 with 4:31 remaining.

Goddard answered emphatically. Facing fourth-and-9 at its own 25, Sullivan connected with Kyle Young on a wheel route and Young outraced Central’s Isaac Anthemides to the end zone to tie it at 21. But kicker Zach True, who booted a 23-yard field goal in the first quarter, missed the extra point to the left.

“That gave us a little shot of confidence,” Taylor said.

Taylor and the Jaguars needed just three plays to regain momentum. After a 14-yard scramble by Taylor put Central across midfield, he rolled right and lofted the ball to Parnell, who ran a drag route across the field. Parnell, who finished with eight receptions for 163 yards, bobbled the ball, then pulled it away from Young on his way into the end zone.

Goddard last chance fell short when Sullivan scrambled across the field and couldn’t connect with Gonzalez on a fourth-down pass.

“They didn’t give up, we didn’t give up,” Audley said. “And I thought Darraja had a heck of a game. He was amazing. He stepped up and made some plays.”

This story was originally published September 19, 2015 at 1:07 AM with the headline "Cole Taylor’s big night helps Andover Central beat Goddard 28-21 (+video)."