After dropping their first game, Taylor football has won three straight games, sitting at 3-1 as they prepare to enter the heart of their 2026 schedule.
In the last three games, Taylor has displayed a dynamic offensive attack, led by sophomore quarterback Alex Amburgy. Amburgy, who got some game action as a freshman because of an injury to senior Damon Hockett, is the undisputed starter in Upland this season. He has totaled 733 passing yards and six touchdowns so far. Amburgy credits the team around him for that success.
“We have a very strong, big offensive line that creates a lot of movement in our run game,” Amburgy said. “As we strive to be balanced, our run game helps our pass game. Our pass game helps our run game, so it’s good to have that as a quarterback.”
After an offseason training camp injury to All-American running back Nathan Parker, sophomore running back Jed Galvin has stepped up.
Galvin has posted 505 rushing yards and five touchdowns. His performance was highlighted in Week 2, when he stampeded Saint Xavier for 319 yards and three scores, establishing him as the leader of the rushing attack.
“Jed Galvin has had a really hot start to the season,” head coach Aaron Mingo said. “That’s not a surprise to us. We saw that last year’s freshman year, he averaged about 10 yards per carry. Very dynamic player, and he’s doing a fantastic job.”
After falling 48-34 to Olivet Nazarene in Week 1, Mingo said his team remained confident.
“The sting of a loss can be a great motivator,” said Mingo. “That’s what we saw with our team. I think they’re very focused. I think they have a high level of belief, and so they’re just eager to get back to work.”
Taylor’s on-field success is a direct result of the camaraderie built during an offseason that kicked off with a teamwide mission trip to Costa Rica in January. Coach Mingo said the trip was a great time for the Trojans to come together and serve while experiencing life away from campus.
Once the trip was over, however, the purple and gray got to work on the gridiron.
“This offseason we had very good summer attendance,” Amburgy said. “Coach Mingo said it was the highest summer attendance he’s had here. Some guys drove hours every week, twice a week, to come up and get on-field preparation, which is good because when you’re competing against your peers, you push yourself harder than when you just work out alone.”
Under Mingo, Taylor has been a team predicated on running the football. While they continue to run the triple-option attack, the 2026 Trojans consistently air the ball out. Senior wide receiver Aidan Zimmer has enjoyed a strong start to the 2026 campaign, hauling in 12 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns.
Zimmer’s success is a byproduct of the work the team put in during the offseason.
Taylor’s offseason training begins, Zimmer said, during J-term with four early-morning lifting sessions each week, along with one or two positional workouts. Once spring ball begins in April, the team ramps up its preparation with several weeks of practices focused on developing skills and competing with teammates.
After a bye week, Taylor will travel to Marian on Oct. 3 to take on the No. 11 Knights with a 1:05 p.m. kickoff.
