Tabor leads Friendship Collegiate to a win in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI — Friendship Collegiate Academy sophomore defensive back Jalen Tabor said he lives for games like Sunday.

Tabor, who was named the team MVP for Sunday’s game, made quite an impression in front of a nationally televised audience on ESPNU. He had two interceptions and a team-leading seven tackles as the visiting Knights defeated Taft, 12-6, at Colerain High School in suburban Cincinnati.

“I loved it; I want to play like this every weekend,” Tabor said.  “A lot of people were watching so you want to put your best foot forward or you are going to hear about it when you get back home.”

The game was part of the 14th annual Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown held at multiple locations in Southwest Ohio this weekend.

It was the first appearance for Friendship in the event and its first game in Ohio in the school’s eight-year history. Taft made its second appearance in the event. The Senators lost a game in 2008.

Despite the win, Friendship Coach Aazaar Abdul-Rahim said he wasn’t pleased with the way the Knights played overall. Friendship had 15 penalties for 85 yards and was held scoreless in the second half.

“We’re just not a good football team,” Abdul-Rahim said. “This might have been the worst I’ve felt after a win. I don’t feel good at all.”

Friendship (1-0) next plays Mount Saint Joseph (Baltimore) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the I-95 Kickoff Classic at Bowie State.

Abdul-Rahim said the Knights will correct matters to get ready for their next game. He said he was pleased with the Cincinnati trip and called the Showdown “a first-class event.”

Friendship arrived in the Queen City on Saturday afternoon and took in a game at University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium near where the team spent the night. Friendship arrived at Colerain’s Cardinal Stadium around 8:30 a.m. Sunday.

The game showcased three national recruits between the two teams. Friendship senior defensive lineman Eddie Goldman, ranked the nation’s No. 4 player overall in the 2012 class by Rivals.com, did not disappoint on Sunday.

Goldman, listed at 6-foot-4 and 307 pounds, recorded two sacks in the first half. (Goldman walked gingerly off the field with 4 minutes 54 seconds left in the third. Abdul-Rahim said he tweaked an ankle).

The Senators’ highly-recruited college prospects — senior wide receiver Dwayne Stanford and senior defensive end Adolphus Washington — have also garnered plenty of attention.

Friendship controlled the tempo on both sides of the ball in the first half. The Knights went up 12-0 when junior quarterback Tim Brady found senior Antonio Huff for a 38-yard touchdown connection with 27 seconds left in the first quarter.

Four plays earlier, senior running back Albert Reid ran 30 yards down the left sideline on the fourth play of the drive to put the Knights near midfield.

Reid, who is orally committed to West Virginia, had 12 carries for 143 yards.

The Knights set up the second scoring drive after Tabor had an interception to stop a Taft drive near the red zone with 3:17 left in the first quarter.

Friendship moved down the field with little difficulty on the opening drive.

Reid caught an eight-yard screen pass on the right side from Brady for a touchdown to give the Knights a 6-0 lead with 6:58 left in the first quarter. That completed an 11-play, 59-yard drive that took 5:02.