WOODLAND HILLS — Taft made an emphatic statement Friday night, overwhelming Monroe 42-0 in a game that showcased the Toreadors’ depth, balance, and championship potential.

Fresh off the sweet taste of victory in week 0, Vikings’ head coach Donny Senegal praised his team’s chemistry, highlighting quarterback Richard Caudillo as a dynamic addition to the offense. But from the opening whistle, size, speed, and execution all favored Taft.

Taft quarterback Nathan Swinson led a dynamic offensive attack. Head coach Thomas Randolph had hinted pregame that his squad was deeper than the Swinson-to-Erik Koron connection that carried them in Week 0. He was right. Plenty of names filled the box score.

On Monroe’s first play from scrimmage, Jose Arevalo sacked Caudillo for a loss. Two snaps later, Adam Ohayon stuffed a run to force a punt. One play into their own drive, the Toreadors struck. Wesley Parvizi took a pitch around left end and raced 45 yards for a touchdown.

The floodgates opened. Monroe muffed the ensuing kickoff, then fumbled their first snap into the end zone, where Ohayon pounced for another Taft score. Up 14-0, the Toreadors smelled blood.

After Zsavier Johnson intercepted a hurried Caudillo deep ball, Swinson went to work. He found Koron for a first down, then uncorked a perfect 58-yard bomb to Sammy Perry down the sideline. Minutes later, Swinson connected with Perry again, this time from 12 yards out. By the end of the first quarter, it was 28-0.

The Vikings showed grit in the second quarter, forcing a punt and briefly moving the chains on offense. Caudillo connected with Jonathan Aguilar for 14 yards, but a costly delay of game derailed a potential fourth-down conversion. Monroe was forced to punt, and Taft reignited their offensive attack.

Darius Kirabo’s 30-yard punt return set the stage for Swinson to Parvizi – a short pass that turned into a touchdown. The Toreadors took a 35-0 lead into halftime, with the defense piling up sacks, tackles for loss, and constant pressure.

Swinson’s night ended there. But not before he delivered a near-flawless performance, finishing 7-of-12 for 193 yards and three touchdowns in just one half of action. Perry was his favorite target, catching four passes for 120 yards and two scores.

The Vikings’ lone bright spot came from running back Noah Lima, who churned out tough yards all night and electrified the Vikings crowd with a 50-yard kick return. But every flicker of momentum was quickly extinguished by Taft’s tenacious defense, highlighted by Sam Berger’s textbook open-field tackle that snuffed Monroe’s best scoring chance.

Defensive back Zsavier Johnson was everywhere. He snagged two interceptions, recovered a fumble, and produced long returns, including a spectacular 78-yard pick-six that was called back. Flags aside, Johnson’s impact epitomized a swarming defense that suffocated Monroe from start to finish.

After the game, Senegal struck an upbeat tone despite the lopsided score. “We split two games with West Valley League teams. We have nothing to be ashamed of,” he said. “We shot ourselves in the foot at the beginning, but we battled. It’s some humble pie for these guys. Now they see the standard and how you have to approach a game from start to finish.”  His (1-1) Vikings look to meet that standard next Friday against Belmont.

Meanwhile, Taft sits at 2-0 for the first time since 2015. Randolph, who preached depth before the game, saw his prediction validated. “I have guys everywhere,” he said. “Our biggest strength is how deep we are. So, our game plan is: let’s see who YOU game plan for and I’ll introduce you to another star.”

That depth, combined with Swinson’s poise under center and a defensive unit that flies to the ball, has the Toreadors looking like more than just contenders. And with Arleta looming next Friday, Taft now has the city’s full attention.

All photos by David Martinez