The highly anticipated Founders League match between Taft and Choate got off to a disastrous start for The Big Red. In the second minute a long throw-in from Choate deflected off a Taft defender’s head and into the back of the net to give the visiting Wild Boars a 1-0 lead. Impressively, the Rhinos, spurred on a by the home crowd, showed no signs of panic. In the 8th minute Taft drew level when Sammed Bawa headed home a perfect cross from Charlie Shanks. Minutes later, a handball against Choate resulted in a penalty kick from Taft. Bawa stepped up the spot and made no mistake with the opportunity, giving Taft the lead. Before the end of the half, Jordan Miller surged forward on the right flank after receiving a pass from Cole Torino. Miller drove the ball on frame, and the Choate goalkeeper, who made several excellent saves on the day, misplayed the ball, allowing it to find the back of the net. Despite a two-goal deficit, Choate continued to create opportunities and cut into the lead when another long throw-in was launched into Taft’s penalty area. The ball was flicked on towards the back post, where it was volleyed into the net to make the score 3-2. In the 65th minute, a long-range effort from Bawa was parried by the Choate goalkeeper, but James Donaldson pounced on the rebound to restore Taft’s two-goal lead. With twenty minutes to play, KK Baffour was chopped down inside the penalty area resulting in another penalty kick for Taft. It was Baffour this time who calmly drilled the ball into the corner of the net, producing the final score of 5-2 in favor of Taft. Ethan Hindle and Jayce Fraser turned in good defensive performances, and once again, Taft received important contributions from several substitutes. Up next, Taft will host another critical Founders League match when Loomis travels to Watertown on the weekend.