The only thing that stopped Millard South football’s high-powered offense in Friday night’s first half was the clock.
The Class A No. 2 Patriots scored touchdowns on each of their first six possessions in the first half, with the clock running out to prevent a seventh straight touchdown drive, on the way to a 63-7 win at Omaha Westview.
Millard South (7-0) amassed 551 yards of total offense with 289 yards passing and 262 rushing.
“Up front we played a lot better than last week (against Millard West),” Patriot coach Taylor Mendenhall said. “We had everything we wanted in the run game, so that was positive.”
Trae Taylor scored six touchdowns for the Patriots, including four on the ground. He paced the Millard South rushing attack with seven carries for 109 yards. Taylor also threw for 271 yards and a pair of scores.
The Nebraska-bound senior quarterback has accounted for 33 touchdowns over his past five games.
Taylor put Millard South in front for good when he capped the opening drive with a 7-yard touchdown run. He rolled out to his right, tucked the ball and ran into the end zone, breaking a tackle at the goal line.
Millard South quarterback Trae Taylor (6) runs the ball up on the sideline for one of his six touchdowns on the day against Omaha Westview. Photo by Jackson D. Luethje.
He tossed his first passing touchdown of the night on the next Patriot drive, rolling out to his right and finding Xane Krause in the back of the end zone for an 8-yard score to push Millard South’s lead to 14-0 midway through the first quarter.
Taylor had rushing touchdowns on each of Millard South’s next three drives. He capped a 74-yard march with a one-yard quarterback sneak, followed that up with a 54-yard touchdown on a zone read keeper up the middle and added an 18-yard scoring run early in the second quarter to increase the Patriot lead to 35-7.
He had a fifth rushing touchdown called back due to a hold, and Grant Scribner eventually closed out the drive with a 1-yard toss play just inside of 4 minutes from halftime.
The Patriots blocked a Wolverine punt and had two chances to try and add to the lead from the Westview 20-yard line with 12 seconds left in the half, but both passing attempts were incomplete to send Millard South to the break ahead 42-7.
Taylor ended his night with a 38-yard touchdown pass to Landon Schneider on Millard South’s first drive of the second half.
Dennis Ramos and Jayden Brown also had rushing touchdowns for the Patriots, who had five players rush for at least 30 yards.
“We’re getting better every week,” Mendenhall said of the running game. “Because of injuries all over the place, there’ve been some guys to step up, and that just adds depth because, for the most part, they’ve done a good job when their number’s been called.”
Tay Ellis led the Patriot receiving corps with seven catches for 100 yards.
“He’s a difference-maker, he’s a gamer,” Mendenhall said of Ellis. “He’s tough to guard. If you bracket him, put two guys on him, we have plenty of capable guys elsewhere that are going to be open.”
Schneider added five catches for 75 yards.
Cameron Schlueter had an 81-yard touchdown catch for Westview (2-5). Scott Miner II threw the ball and Schlueter caught it along the near sideline, split two Patriot defenders and then outran them across the field to the far corner of the end zone.
The Patriots host Lincoln East on Thursday, while the Wolverines visit Omaha Central.
