Two years ago the Taft varsity football team kicked off their title run with a victory over Dos Palos at home. The Wildcats are hoping a repeat in history will take them down the same path Friday evening as they host the Dos Palos Broncos in the quarterfinal round of the CIF-CS Division IV playoffs.

“They’re a very similar group,” Taft coach Steve Sprague said of the difference between the Dos Palos of now and then.

When the two teams squared off in 2007, the Wildcats scored all 22 points in the first half of their shutout victory. In order to duplicate that success and advance, Sprague says the Wildcats need to keep the Broncos emotions in check.

“They’re a pretty feisty emotional group,” said Sprague. “We got to keep their emotion out of it.”

Taft will be taking on a team that finished 6-5 overall and 4-2 in the North Sequoia League with their only league losses coming to Immanuel (30-15) and to undefeated league champion Washington Union by a score of 42-14.

The Broncos also lost 44-13 to a Kingsburg team that defeated Taft last year in the playoffs and a team that the Wildcats could face again in the championship game. In their most recent game, Dos Palos defeated Central Valley Christian 35-14 last week in an opening round playoff game.

Aside from emotions, one area the Wildcats will have to stop on the field is the Broncos running game.

“They’re a run heavy group,” said Sprague. “They want to run first and pass second. They’re small and quick.”

Out of the entire running game, one player the Wildcats have to stop according to Sprague is junior running back Kevin Schofield. In the Tigers playoff game Friday, Schofield had 20 carries for 199 yards and three touchdowns according to the Fresno Bee website.

“He’s their go to back,” said Sprague. “He’s a pretty good player.”

There are several other keys to the game Sprague feels the team needs to do in order to be successful.

“I think we need to control the line of scrimmage with our size,” he said. “Be successful early when we throw the ball.”

One area that the Wildcats were helped in during their bye week was the injury front with Stewart Bandy and Tyler Scovel recovering from injuries with Scovel possibly returning to practice this week. On the flip side, both the Wildcats and Broncos will be affected by the change in routine of the Thanksgiving holiday.

This may not be the last North Sequoia League team the Wildcats face in the playoffs. If the Wildcats win and form holds in the brackets, Taft would face 8-2 and No.2 seed Washington Union in the semi final round of the playoffs.

“The North Sequoia League is pretty tough,” said Sprague. “We’ve got a pretty good idea on how they line up.”

Before looking ahead the Wildcats will attempt to get past the Broncos for the second time in the playoffs.  Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.