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Football: Taliaferro rushes into school record book
Briar Woods High School senior Ray Taliaferro fits in very nicely with his new football team.
A transfer from DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, Md.), he quickly established himself as a starter on both sides of the line.
Taliaferro is a relentless, tough-tackling defender at the cornerback spot, sending a clear message to opposing receivers.
Taliaferro is a quiet young man whose body language seems to say, “You are not getting any easy short catches and I don’t think you can beat me on a long route.”
Taliaferro was a two-year defensive starter at DeMatha, but he has demonstrated his effectiveness as a runner with the Falcons.
He became the school's all-time leading rusher in just his seventh game at Briar Woods. Taliaferro has carried the ball 101 times in seven games this season, gaining 604 yards and scoring four touchdowns.
Before too much is made about Taliaferro’s accomplishment as Briar Woods' rushing yardage leader, it must be noted that the school is in just its third year of varsity football competition and the team has not had one prominent running back.
The 5-foot, 7-inch Taliaferro is looking for an opportunity to play college football. He recently visited Delaware State University on a recruiting trip.
He was asked if he saw himself more as a running back or as a defensive back.
“Up until this year I would have said defensive back," he said. "But now that I’m running the ball I really like it. I guess I’d be happy to play anywhere."
Taliaferro reports having had a “positive experience” at Briar Woods.
“These are the best teammates in the world,” he said. "[Offensive coordinator] Coach [John] Tomlinson has been great to me. And [head] coach [Charlie] Pierce is really good.”
Taliaferro considered the differences between a public high school football program and that of a private school such as DeMatha that is able to recruit elite players.
“The coaching and the practices are the same," he said. "The difference is that at DeMatha you have third stringers who would be starters at public schools.”
To his credit, Taliaferro practices and plays the game like his starting job is on the line with every play.
George Khalsa and his son Satnam provide statistics and information for Briar Woods High School football.
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