Taft beats Hubbard to clinch spot in state playoffs

Taft has been searching for a featured running back all season. Roberto Salgado stepped up just in time.

The junior had 18 carries for 139 yards in the Eagles’ biggest game of the season, a 21-14 win against Hubbard that secured a spot in the IHSA state playoffs.

“That’s our best rushing performance all year,” Taft coach John Tsarouchas said. “We’ve been a team by committee. Finally this week in practice the cards fell his way and he capitalized on it. I’m super proud of him. He’s one of our most hardworking, dedicated kids in the off season. He deserved a night like this.”

Salgado had an eight-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and two-yard TD run in the fourth quarter, set up by a clutch 46-yard run from Jermaine Johnson.

Taft (5-4, 3-2 Illini Red Bird) trailed 14-0 at the half. It was a crucial game for both the Eagles and Hubbard (4-5, 1-4). Whichever team won was heading to the playoffs.

“We knew we couldn’t lose this game,” Salgado said. “You think back on all the summer days, all the blood sweat and tears. We knew they wanted it as bad as we did.”

Taft’s starting quarterback, junior Dexter Stigall, had two fumbles in the first half. Hubbard’s Amarion Wooten stripped the ball from Stigall just steps before the goal line to save a touchdown late in the first half.

“That first half was infuriating because ball security has been an issue for us all year,” Tsarouchas said. “Our guys may not have had the focus needed to execute early. We came out and were a little complacent, careless with the football.”

Tsarouchas made a change in the second half, calling on backup quarterback Daniel Loch, a sophomore. Loch has taken a few snaps late in games this season, but called the second half “my first real experience.”

“One of our senior captains is out so [Stigall] had to play free safety,” Tsarouchas said. “So we needed [Stigall] to focus on defense and we trust Danny. He’s a super smart kid, he understands what we are doing and is more than capable.

The kid came through with the season on the line. Loch was 3-for-6 for 56 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He took care of the ball.

“I knew I had to get things done and execute,” Loch said. “We were down by two touchdowns so we had to get something going and we did. That first pass felt really good.”

Loch connected with Justin Griedziejko for a 26-yard TD pass with 1:53 to play in the third quarter. The extra point gave Taft a 15-14 lead.

“We believed in ourselves and we believed in the team and we just kept fighting until the end,” Johnson said.

The Greyhounds have had a difficult year with injuries, especially over the last several weeks. Defensive end Kenny Givens, one of the Public League’s top prospects, is out with an injury.

Hubbard quarterback AJ Harris threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Montrell Evans to open the scoring. Isaiah Ross (six carries, 103 yards) ripped off an 80-yard touchdown to make it 14-0 in the second quarter.

“This is the first time that Taft, my alma mater, has made the state playoffs out of the Illini conference since 1996,” Tsarouchas said. “I couldn’t be happier for these seniors, who have really bought in to how we are going to change the perception of Taft football. This is a big win, a big moment for our program.”

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