Boys' Varsity Basketball: Archives

36-65 L

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2/25/2012

A vs Westminster School

66-58 W

A 15-0 run to open the game and a balanced scoring attack led the Taft boys varsity basketball team to a 66-58 victory over Westminster on Saturday. The Rhinos closed out the regular season with five straight wins and now await word on a potential berth in the Class A New England basketball tournament.

In a day when the team honored its seven seniors, Taft came out of the locker room playing outstanding defense holding Westminster scoreless for the first 5 minutes. To Westy's credit, they were able to battle back and trailed 35-26 at the break. In the second half Taft's athleticism proved too much and ultimately was the difference in this contest. Kade Kager led the way with 14 points and caused numerous deflections on defense that led to Westy turnovers. Anthony Gaffney scored 13 and pulled down 9 boards, Matt Daley had 11 and 9, Jake Donnelly 12 and 7 assists, and Kevin Trotman and Billy Battaglia had 7 apiece. Taft closed out the regular season at 15-9 overall and 9-5 in Class A. If the team is selected for the post-season, the quarter-final game will take place on Wednesday.

A special thank you to the Taft community for all of the support the team has received this winter.

Taft has earned the #7 seed in the Class A tournament and will play at #2 Salisbury on Wednesday. Time TBA.

2/22/2012

H vs Loomis Chaffee School

62-37 W

Taft won its fourth straight game with a 62-37 victory over Avon Old Farms on Wednesday to improve to 5-1 in February. This was the 3rd victory over the Winged Beavers this year. The Rhinos were solid throughout the contest getting strong efforts from a number of players. Without question, Jake Donnelly played his best game in a Taft uniform. Donnelly made good decision, played great defense on Avon's leading , and finished with 12 points, 6 assists and 5 steals. Kevin Trotman once again led all scorers with 20 points, Anthony Gaffnet added 10, Matt Daley had 12 and 8 rebounds, and Kade Kager also finished in double figures knocking down a pair of 3's.

Taft closes out the regular season on Saturday at 4:00PM. This is an important contest for a Taft team that hopes to earn a bid to the New England Class A basketball tournament next week.

2/18/2012

64-56 W

In front a standing-room-only, Parents Day crowd, Taft won its third straight game, taking down Loomis 64-56. In what was the seniors' final game in Cruikshank, captain Kevin Trotman led the way, scoring 21 points. It was fitting that Trotman would finish his brilliant four-year career at home in dominating fashion. Despite the final score, Loomis did not make it easy, scoring early and often from behind the arc. After falling behind by as many as 10 points, the Rhinos battled their way back into the game by doing a better job contesting shots and pounding the ball inside to Trotman and Matt Daley. Billy Battaglia also added two 3's to ignite the comeback. When Anthony Gaffney hit a 3 right before the half-time buzzer, Taft had a 35-32 advantage. During the second half, Taft continued to apply the pressure and ultimately opened up a double-digit advantage. Daley finished with 16 points, Gaffney 9, Battaglia 8, Jake Donnelly dished out 6 assists, and Kade Kager continued his great play with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals.

Taft hits the road for the final week of the regular season with critical games against Avon on Wednesday and Westminster on Saturday. Both contests are scheduled for 4PM.

2/15/2012

47-46 W

Back in early January, Taft suffered a 30 point loss to a big and talented Kent team. In that contest, Kent dominated play inside and pulled down 25 offensive rebounds. On Wednesday, the Rhinos looked to be more physical in an attempt to contain a trio of Kent big men. Right from the start of the game it was clear that the Rhinos would not be intimidated, and they quickly jumped out to a lead. In fact, Taft would lead this game wire to wire. Matt Daley, Kevin Trotman, Anthony Gaffney, Jordan Stone, and Bulolo Jonga held the Kent "Big 3" to just 9, 8, and 4 points, and made every possession a difficult one for the Lions. Meanwhile, the back court duo of Jake Donnelly and Kade Kager made good decisions and sparked the offense. Kager was exceptional. At one point in the second half, he picked off passes on consecutive plays and finished both with uncontested dunks. Kade finished with only 11 points, but all 11 came at critical times. The game ended dramatically as Kent battled back from an 8-point deficit in the final minutes and had the ball for the final shot of the game. When the shot back rimmed out, Kager got his hands on the rebound and the clock expired for the dramatic 47-46 victory.

A big thank you to the supportive crowd that made a big difference in the outcome of the game. The final chance to see Taft play in the Cruikshank Gym this year will be on Saturday against the Loomis Pelicans. Game time is 4:00pm.

2/11/2012

57-46 W

In front of a spirited home crowd Saturday night, Taft defeated Avon 57-46. Although Taft never trailed in this contest, Avon made things difficult for the Rhinos by playing tough defensive and attacking the offensive glass. Fortunately, Taft was able to go on a run before half time, and one late in the second half, to open up a 16 point lead. Jordan Stone filled in admirably once again when the Rhinos faced some early foul trouble. Matt Daley, who spent a good portion of first half on the bench, responded with a solid second half scoring 9 and controlling the boards. Kevin Trotman led all scorers with 20 points. Billy Battaglia knocked down some big jumpers and Anthony Gaffney and Jake Donnelly played well at both ends of the court.

Taft will continue its four game home stand on Wednesday against Kent at 2:30. The Rhinos will look to avenge a 30 point defeat at Kent back in early January.

2/10/2012

H vs Salisbury School

59-69 L

On Friday, Taft welcomed the top team in New England Class A basketball to the Cruikshank Gym. Featuring multiple division 1 players and major size, the Rhinos knew they would have to be at their best to compete with Salisbury. With the exception of a four minute stretch in the beginning of the game, Taft battled valiantly. The Knights high flying transition game gave the visitors 25-12 advantage with 8:31 remaining in the first half. From this point on, Taft played really well limiting Salisbury's fast break opportunities and taking the ball hard to the basket. The Rhinos finished the half on a 15-9 run to cut the lead to 34-27. Trailing by 7 with four minutes remaining, Taft had four consecutive possessions to cut into the Salisbury lead, but could not convert and fell in the end 69-59.

Taft was led by Kade Kager who scored 22 to go along with 9 rebounds and played his best game of the year. Anthony Gaffney was a force throughout playing tough defensively and scoring 16 points. Kevin Trotman also had 16 and Jordan Stone played a season high 22 minutes and was the core of the defensive effort for Taft. The team will be back in action Saturday night at home against league rival Avon Old Farms. Game time is 7:00pm.

2/8/2012

A vs Deerfield Academy

67-66 W

Taft traveled to Deerfield on Wednesday and came home with a nail-biting 67-66 victory. The game was extremely well played on both sides -- as exciting as the final score indicates. Deerfield got out to a 7-point lead, thanks in part to old friend Sam Willson, who hit multiple 3-point baskets and played a strong game against his former teammates. The Rhinos responded and went on a 16-7 run to close out the half and take a 30-28 advantage at the break. Although Taft never trailed again, the game remained tight for the entire second half. Deerfield even had possession of the ball with 16 seconds remaining, but the Taft defense causeed a turnover. Deerfield was forced to foul and did so with 2.6 seconds remaining. Unfortunately, the Rhinos missed the front end of the one and one, but Kade Kager was able to tip the miss back up towards the rim. Although the shot did not fall, by the time Deerfield had possession only 0.5 seconds remained. Deerfield could not get a final shot off, and Taft celebrated a gutty win. Kevin Trotman was outstanding for Taft, recording a double-double with 29 points and 10 rebounds, and Matt Daley and Kager finished with 12 points apiece.

2/1/2012

67-79 L

It was a tale of two halves for Taft on Wednesday. The game began with very little intensity and Hotchkiss took full advantage opening up a 20 point lead while holding Taft to just 19 points. Early in the second half the game quickly changed as Taft began to play with some passion and refused to surrender. As the defensive intensity picked up, the offense began to flow. In fact, over the final 16 minutes the Rhinos scored 48 points. If it were not for the fact that Hotchkiss went 18-18 from the free throw line in the second half (22-22 for the game), the final outcome could have easily been different. Taft received great offensive balance with Kevin Trotman scoring 15, Anthony Gaffney 13, Billy Battaglia and Matt Daley 12, and Jake Donnelly 11.

1/28/2012

77-68 W

Kevin Trotman scored a team high 21 points and Anthony Gaffney scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half to propel Taft to a 77-68 victory over league rival Trinity Pawling. The win improves the team's record to 10-8 and avenges the heart-breaking defeat to the Pride just a week ago. The first half was played at an extremely high level with both team scoring early and often. At one point TP hit five consecutive 3's, but the Rhinos were able to take a 42-41 lead into the break. Matt Daley and Kade Kager each scored 10 in the first half. Taft found themselves down 3 with seven minutes remaining in the contest when Billy Battaglia and Tim Drakeley hit back to back 3's to give the home team a lead that would hold up the rest of the game. Excellent foul shooting and a great defensive effort from forward Jordan Stone were critical keys to this victory.

Taft will travel to Hotchkiss on Wednesday for a 2:30 tip.

1/27/2012

49-62 L

1/25/2012

65-58 W

For the second time in 8 days, Taft came up on the winning end of a tightly contested game with Berkshire. Given the disappointment of the outcome of the contest at TP on Saturday, this was an especially good win for Taft. Anthony Gaffney was again outstanding playing well at both ends of the court. At crunch time, Billy Battaglia and Kevin Trotman were 6 of 6 from the FT line to seal the 65-58 victory. Gaffney, Trotman, Battaglia, and Matt Daley all scored in double figures for the winners who improved to 8-6 on the season. The team looks for win number 9 on Friday at Canterbury, and hopes to avenge a 73-63 loss to the Saints back in early December.

1/21/2012

53-57 L

After a terrific first half, nothing went right for Taft in the second half as Trinity Pawling stormed back from a large deficit to steal the game away from the Rhinos. Literally anything that could go wrong, did. To TP's credit they hit every shot they took over the final 8 minutes and played with great emotion. Despite the bitter disappointment of the final outcome, Anthony Gaffney broke out with a tremendous 20 point effort.

Taft will travel to Berkshire on Wednesday in a rematch of last weeks tightly contested game.

1/18/2012

68-58 W

After losing twice to Berkshire last year, Taft entered this contest with revenge on their minds. The Bears returned their top two scorers from a year ago and the Rhinos knew they had to contain the duo in order to have a shot of winning this contest. Although Reid and Ramsey scored 22 and 12, Taft was able to force numerous Berkshire turnovers and hold the Bears to under 60 points for the game. Jake Donnelly and Matt Daley, who have been consistently good over the past 2 weeks, each scored 8 points in the first half to help Taft to a 32-30 halftime lead. The second half was back and forth for the first few minutes, but the Rhinos began to wear the Bears down and went on a 14-4 run to open up a double digit lead and win the game 68-58. Kade Kager led the second half run scoring 15 of his team high 18 points in the second half. Daley finished with 16, Kevin Trotman added 14, Donnelly had 12, and Billy Battaglia 6. Tim Drakeley gave the Rhinos a solid contribution off the bench.

The team will travel to Trinity Pawling on Saturday looking to improve on their 7-5 record. Game time is 4:00PM.

1/14/2012

54-67 L

The final score does not reflect the competitiveness of this game. Hotchkiss held between a 2 and 6 point advantage for most of the contest, but with a little over 6 minutes remaining in the game, Taft took a 47-46 lead. Unfortunately, down the stretch Hotchkiss made plays and Taft could not hit the big shot they needed. Despite the disappointment of not winning this game, the effort was outstanding and there were many bright sots. Point guard Jake Donnelly continued his much improved play quarterbacking the team and playing tough defense. Kade Kager was a big factor in Taft rallying as he scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half, and Matt Daley and Kevin Trotman battled the large Hotchkiss interior players valiantly.

A vs Kingswood-Oxford School

1/13/2012

69-51 W

After coming off a very disappointing effort at Kent on Wednesday, Taft responded with a great game at Kingswood on Friday. A 13-0 run to open the game gave the team a double digit lead that would expand to over 20 before halftime. Kevin Trotman and Matt Daley were exceptional getting the ball to the rim and converting easy baskets. The tandem finished with 20 and 12 points in limited action. Anthony Gaffney was a force defensively forcing numerous turnovers and making good decisions.

1/11/2012

48-78 L

1/7/2012

A vs Gunnery School

75-37 W

Boys' Varsity Basketball made it three wins in a row with a convincing 75-37 victory at Gunnery Saturday night. Behind a swarming, active defense, the Rhinos played hard the entire game and received solid minutes from all 12 members of the team. The trio of Hadley Stone, Jagger Riefler, and Hayden Pascal made the most of their time playing well at both ends of the court. In all, 10 different players scored for Taft. The team will travel to Kent on Wednesday to play a pivotal Tri-State League contest. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:30.

1/4/2012

H vs Pomfret School

69-49 W

The Taft Boys' Varsity Basketball Team started 2012 on a high note by defeating Pomfret 69-49 at home in the Cruikshank Gym. Pomfret shot the ball well early and kept the game close, but had some difficulty handling Taft's pressure defense. Kevin Trotman scored 14 of his game-high 20 points in the first half leading the way for the Rhinos. When Billy Battaglia knocked down a three to close out the first half, Taft extended its lead to 37-26. The Rhinos controlled the play in the second half, and all 12 players saw action. Kade Kager and Battaglia finished with 11 points apiece and Bulolo Jonga contributed 8 points off the bench. The team will next be in action on Saturday night at The Gunnery.

12/17/2011

A vs Milton Academy

60-53 W

The Taft boys varsity basketball team traveled up to Tabor and took 2 of the 3 contests played at the Seacoast Classic. It was a great tournament that offered three tough Class A opponents for the Rhinos.

Taft 53 Avon 43
Taft played a solid defensive game against an Avon squad that would not quit. Taft built numerous double digit leads, but every time it looked like the game was about to be put away Avon's Sam Rosichan would hit a big 3 (6 for the game). Jake Donnelly was the player of the game for Taft scoring 15 and playing great defense. Kade Kager also added 15 points to help lead the way.

Tabor 80 Taft 66
As the score shows, Taft did not have their legs in the second game of the day and let Tabor score at will in the second half. Every time Taft would attempt to make a run at the Seawolves, Tabor answered the bell. Anthony Gaffney (14 points) played well and Kager had a breakout performance scoring a season high 22 points.

Taft 60 Milton Academy 53

In the third game in 24 hours, Taft rallied from a halftime deficit to beat very talented Milton squad. At one point in the second half, Taft's pressure defense prompted a 16-2 run which led to a decisive victory. Most importantly the team learned to play team basketball over the final 16 minutes and left tournament feeling good about their play. Kevin Trotman led the team with 17 points, but it was the play off the bench of Billy Battaglia (14 points) and Tim Drakeley that was most impressive. Gaffney, who was Taft's most consistent player all tournament, chipped in with 11 points.

12/16/2011

A vs Choate Rosemary Hall

53-43 W

12/16/2011

A vs Tabor Academy

66-80 L

12/7/2011

61-66 L

After a disappointing effort on Saturday, Taft hoped for better results as the team traveled to Wallingford to take on Choate, the defending New England Class A champions. After a quick 7-4 deficit, Choate went on a 13-0 run to take an early command of the game. However, as Taft would do all game long, the team scrapped their way back into the contest. Behind 9 first half points from Kevin Trotman and a couple of big 3’s from Kade Kager and Tim Drakeley, Taft was within a point of Choate with seconds to go in the half. A 28-foot bank shot by Choate’s John Papale at the buzzer increased the home team’s advantage to 37-33 at the break. It was not until there was seven minutes to go in the game that the Rhino’s would gain back the advantage when Billy Battaglia hit a jumper to make it 52-51. The final minutes were back and forth with Jake Donnelly (13points) leading the offensive charge, but down the stretch Papale was simply to tough. Despite falling 66-61 there were many positives in this game for the Big Red. The team competed throughout and showed they could go toe to toe with one of the top teams in New England.

Taft will break for exams and will next be in action Friday December 16^th in the first round of the Seacoast Classic hosted by Tabor Academy. First up for the Rhinos will be league rival Avon Old Farms at 1:00PM.

12/3/2011

63-73 L

The Taft basketball team fell to a much improved Canterbury team by the score of 73-63 on Saturday. In what was a tight game throughout, Canterbury pulled away in the final minutes to drop the Rhinos to 1-1 on the season. Despite a good early season effort, to many turnovers proved costly in this contest. On the bright side, Jordan Stone and Bulolo Jonga did a tremendous job guarding the post and Kevin Trotman put forth another strong effort. Trotman led all Taft scorers with 20 and was followed by Anthony Gaffney (11) and Billy Battaglia (10).

Taft will travel to Choate on Wednesday to take on the defending Class A New England champions. Tipoff is set for 4PM.

11/30/2011

H vs Hopkins School

82-80 (2OT) W

With five seconds remaining in the second overtime, Kevin Trotman fed Jake Donnelly with a beautiful pass along the baseline that Donnelly finished to give Taft a 2-point lead. When a 70-foot heave by Hopkins' Lucas Hausman front-rimmed out at the buzzer, the Rhinos clinched a heart pounding 82-80 victory in front of a spirited opening day crowd.

Hopkins began the game scorching hot, knocking down 7 first-half 3's (13 for the game) to take an early 8-point lead. Behind the strong inside play of Trotman and Matt Daley, Taft was able to stay close, and, after Anthony Gaffney hit a half-court shot at the buzzer, the Rhinos entered halftime trailing only 31-30. The home team gained control of the play in the second half and looked to have the game locked up in the final minutes. However, the very well-coached and hard-working Hopkins team battled all the way back to send the game to the first extra session tied at 63-63. After falling down by 5 in OT, Taft battled back to force the second OT and set up Donnelly's last-second basket for the 82-80 win.

Five Taft players finished the day in double figures, led by Trotman with 30 points. Billy Battaglia scored 15, Donnelly had 14 and 5 assists, Gaffney added 11 points and 14 rebounds, and Daley had 10 points and 9 rebounds.

Canterbury visits the Cruikshank Gym on Saturday for a scheduled 4PM tipoff.

2010-11 Season

Date

Location/Opponent (click on Opponent for contest writeup)

Result

2/26/2011

H vs Westminster School

55-54 W

It is hard to imagine the 2010-11 season ending more dramatically then it did on Saturday for the boys' varsity basketball team. Trailing by 2 and with the clock ready to expire, captain CJ Moss hoisted a 24 foot three point attempt with two Westminster players in his face. The ball somehow swished through the hoop and gave Taft a heart-pounding 55-54 victory to cap off a tremendous finish to the year.

CJ and the other 6 seniors (Sam Willson, Nick Manfreda, Ishmael Kalilou, Jereme Good, Malik Stokes, and John Canver) deserve a ton of credit for the team's terrific month of February. It would have been very easy to throw in the towel and give up on a disappointing first two months, but there was simply to much character in this group. Although the team will not be heading to the post season, the coaches and players both feel that they completed the season playing at a level that would have made them one of top teams in Class A basketball.

It has been a privilege to work with such a great group of young men and I am thankful for the perseverance the 2010-11 team demonstrated this year. Well done!

2/23/2011

75-52 W

December and January were long, cold months for the Taft boys basketball team, but February has been the complete opposite. Behind great defense, unselfish play, and a high level of execution, the Rhinos have made a dramatic turn around. Yesterday was another great example of the team's progress. Taft defeated a very good Avon team 75-52 to complete a series sweep of the Winged Beavers. Trailing 12-8 four minutes into the game, Taft was able to pick up the defensive effort and hold Avon to just 12 points over the next 12 minutes to take a 32-24 halftime lead. The offense then exploded scoring 43 points in the second half to earn an easy victory. CJ Moss returned to the line-up and was the catalyst all day scoring 15 and 9 assists. Ishmael Kalilou, who is playing at extremely high level, recorded another double-double with 19 and 10. Kevin Trotman added 11, Sam Willson 10, and Jereme Good 8. Nick Manfreda, Tim Drakely, and Malik Stokes were not on the top of the stat chart, but all continue to play their role and give the Rhinos quality minutes.

The season will conclude on Saturday at home at 4PM vs. Westminster. The coaches and underclassman look forward to seeing the 7 seniors perform for the final time in a Taft uniform and hope you can join us to celebrate senior day.

2/19/2011

49-57 L

Despite a great second half comeback, Taft fell to a balanced Loomis team on Saturday 57-49. Trailing by 15 in the second half, Taft was able to cut the Pelicans lead to just 3 with a little over a minute remaining in the game, but could get no closer. Playing without captain CJ Moss the Rhinos displayed a ton of resiliency and continued to battle in a way that was not seen over the first half of the season. Kevin Trotman and Sam Willson led the team with 15 points apiece and Jereme Good added 12.

Taft will close out the 2010-11 campaign with a pair of home games against Founders League rivals Avon (Wed.) and Westminster (Sat.) this week. Both contests begin at 4:00PM.

2/16/2011

63-58 W

Back in early January, Kent traveled to Watertown and embarrassed Taft by a 29 point margin. Today the Rhinos displayed how far they have come this winter and upset the Lions 63-58. In what was a very emotional game, Taft was able to make all the plays in the final minute and a half to secure the victory. Down the stretch, and with the game tied at 53-53, a combination of Ishmael Kalilou, CJ Moss, Kevin Trotman, and Malik Stokes went a perfect 8 for 8 from the foul line. This, combined with a tremendous defensive effort, enabled the Rhinos to complete the team's finest game of the season.

Sam Willson was outstanding battling defensively with old friend Keefer Rafferty and leading Taft with 16 points. Willson shot the ball well, but also make good decisions. The same can be said about Jereme Good who really stepped up his game and gave Taft a big performance off the bench. The trio of Moss, Kalilou, Kevin Trotman all finished in double figures for Taft.

The team will play its final road game at Loomis Saturday at 2:30PM.

2/15/2011

51-68 L

2/12/2011

69-68 W

Ishmael Kalilou scored a game high 26 points and CJ Moss added 23 to lead Taft to a thrilling 69-68 victory at Avon Saturday night. Moss hit a free throw with 15 seconds remaining to put Taft ahead 69-65, but on the ensuing possession Avon hit a 3 with 5 seconds to go on the clock to bring them within one of the lead. The Winged Beavers had no timeouts left which allowed the Rhinos to run the clock out and secure a very satisfying victory. Taft led the entire first half, but relinquished the lead midway through the second frame. A Sam Willson 3 late sparked a 7-0 Taft run which gave the Rhinos an advantage they would not again give up. Kevin Trotman continued his improved February play finishing with 14 points and Malik Stokes and Tim Drakely gave the team strong minutes off the bench.

Taft will host Hotchkiss on Tuesday at 4:30 in a rescheduled contest.

2/11/2011

42-66 L

2/9/2011

H vs Deerfield Academy

55-45 W

Kevin Trotman tallied 17 points and 14 rebounds to lead Taft to a 55-45 victory over Deerfield on Wednesday. Despite early foul trouble to Trotman and Ishmael Kalilou (10 pts. and 11 reb.), the Rhinos played great defense holding Deerfield to just 19 first half points. Jordan Stone supplied much needed depth off the bench helping the team avoid further foul issues. CJ Moss locked up with American University bound senior Kyle Kager and went toe to toe defensively with the Deerfield star. An early second half run allowed Taft to build a 13 point advantage by the 10 minute mark of the second half. Although the Big Green made a couple of runs, Deerfield never could get within striking distance. In addition to his fine D, Moss scored 11 and dished out 7 assists. Nick Manfreda hit two big 3's and finished with a season high 8 points.

The team will travel to Salisbury Friday to take on the top team in New England Class A basketball. Game time is 4:30.

1/29/2011

54-55 L

On Saturday, the Taft boys' basketball team put together a complete game playing extremely well for a full 32 minutes. It was clear from the start of this contest that the Rhinos were going to play with a competitive spirit that had not been seen all season. With just over a minute to play and down 3, Ishmael Kalilou brought Taft within a point with a bucket in the paint. The Taft defense dug in and forced TP into a shot clock violation to get the ball back. Jereme Good would make a beautiful pass to Kalilou off an offensive rebound and Kalilou again connected to give Taft a 54-53 lead. Taft forced another Pride turnover and had the ball with a chance to end the game. TP had 3 fouls to give so they immediately fouled twice on the inbounds. With 4.6 seconds remaining, the ref called a foul on a Taft player during the inbounds and sent TP to the line for 2 shots. TP hit both shots stealing the game from the Rhinos, 55-54. It was extremely disappointing that such a well played game came down to a whistle, but anyone who watched this contest knew Taft performed at a level they had been searching for all season. The team will move on and hope to build on a performance that was simply outstanding.

1/28/2011

71-48 W

A 14-2 run to open the second half propelled Taft to a 71-48 victory over Canterbury on Friday. The Rhinos used a balance attack in building a sizable second half advantage. The team was led by captain CJ Moss' 16 point-6 assist effort, but also received great production from Jereme Good (15 points, 9 rebounds, Ishmael Kalilou (13 and 15), and Kevin Trotman's (12 points). Nick Manfreda and Tim Drakely continued their improved play sparking the starting group with a consistent effort at both ends of the court. Sam Willson added 9 points off the bench.

Taft will travel to TP to Saturday for a rematch of last Saturday's loss to the Pride. Game time is 4PM.

1/26/2011

46-56 L

1/22/2011

51-66 L

The Taft team showed a level of team competitiveness on the floor that had not been seen in a long time. Against an athletic and talented Trinity Pawling squad, CJ Moss stuck a three to get the Rhinos within three points with four minutes to go in the game. On TP's next possession, the Taft defense clamped down, but TP banked in a three that led to a 10-2 Pride run. In the final four minutes, Taft could not catch a break and the game ended in TP's favor 66-51.

Nick Manfreda and Tim Drakely moved into the starting line-up and added a big spark to the team. Jereme Good (10 rebounds), Ishmael Kalilou (15 points), Malik Stokes, and Manfreda played with emotion and battled fiercely for the Rhinos. Moss was his typical steady self leaving everything he had on the floor and leading the team by his style of play. In the end, the result was disappointing, but the effort was not. This contest was a step in the right direction and one that the coaches hope will ignite a second half of the season run.

Taft will be back in action Wednesday when Berkshire visits the Cruikshank Gym.

1/19/2011

55-68 L

Coming off a tough week, Taft looked to get back on track Wednesday with a road game at Berkshire. Unfortunately, the team played poorly in the first half and Berkshire made the most of our play. Lack of discipline allowed Berkshire to open up a 43-21 advantage at the half. Taft proved in the second half they were capable of playing as a team, but it was far to late to compete in this one. CJ Moss played a solid game at both ends of the court and led the team with 14 points.

1/15/2011

H vs Kingswood-Oxford School

49-72 L

1/14/2011

63-70 L

Kingswood 70 Taft 63

Although the Rhinos competed harder on Friday, defensive lapses allowed Kingswood to score in spurts and control the game. Taft made a valiant attempt to get back in the game late, but KO made their free throws down the stretch to seal the victory. CJ Moss scored 17 second half points to finish with 24 and Kevin Troman added 15.

1/11/2011

46-75 L

Kent 75 Taft 46

On Tuesday, Taft played poorly and was defeated soundly by Kent 75-46. Kent dominated the game in every area leading from start to finish. The defensive effort of the Rhinos was especially disappointing and will need to be better if the team hopes to compete with the better teams in the league. Kevin Trotman led the way for Taft scoring a game high 20 points.

1/8/2011

H vs Gunnery School

97-56 W

In front of a sold out Cruikshank Gym, Taft put forth a tremendous effort and defeated Gunnery 97-56. From the very beginning of this contest, the Rhinos moved the ball well and played unselfish basketball. As a result, the team took good shots and executed their offense. In the first half, Taft shot a scorching 70% on 21 for 30 shooting from the field and shot 63% for the game. CJ Moss and Jereme Good were especially good distributing the ball and ended with 11 and 5 assists. As a team, Taft recorded 26 assists while only turning the ball over 5 times. Off the bench, John Canver, Max Mosello, Bulolo Jonga, and Jordan Stone all played substantial minutes and recorded season highs in points.

Taft will continue their 3 game home stand Wednesday when a talented and deep Kent Lions team visits Cruikshank. The team looks forward to welcoming back Taft graduate Keefer Rafferty '10. Tip-off is at 4PM.

A vs Phillips Andover Academy

1/5/2011

A vs Pomfret School

67-58 W

Trailing by 11 early, and by 8 at the break, Taft rallied with a great second half to defeat Pomfret on the road 67-58. The Rhinos opened the second half with a 26-9 run to take a 49-41 lead and eventually extended the advantage to 16 to take control of the game. The key to the run was a great defensive effort. CJ Moss shifted over to cover the Pomfret point guard and completely disrupted the Griffin offense. Nick Manfreda, Jereme Good, and Jordan Stone all took charges for Taft. On offense, Taft made good decisions and pounded the ball into the paint. Easy baskets inside led to some wide open 3's that were knocked down by Moss and Sam Willson. In the second half alone, Kevin Trotman and Ishmael Kalilou scored 11, Moss had 9, and Good 8.

The Rhinos will look to build on this strong finish Saturday night when Gunnery travels to Taft. Game time is set for 7:00PM.

12/18/2010

71-77 L

Report has not been posted.

12/18/2010

A vs Tabor Academy

66-64 (OT) W

Tied at 64-64 with 8 seconds remaining in overtime, Nick Manfreda stole a pass along the sideline and 2 passes later Jereme Good was fouled going strong to the hoop. Good hit both free throws to give Taft the lead and Tabor's desperation heave at the buzzer fell short giving Taft the dramatic victory. The Rhinos will close out 2010 with a tough match-up with Andover in the consolation final Saturday at 5:30.

12/17/2010

A vs Belmont Hill School

42-49 L

An aggressive and hard working Belmont Hill squad earned a 49-42 victory in the opening round of the St. Sebastian's tournament. The Taft offense struggled all game and failed to find any rythm. The lone highlight for Taft was that CJ Moss recorded his 1000th career high school point on a free throw early in the game. Taft will next play Tabor on Saturday morning.

12/8/2010

H vs Choate Rosemary Hall

58-72 L

Taft fell to an extremely talented Choate squad on Wednesday 72-58. Taft competed valiantly in the first half and held the lead for much of the time. A Choate 3 pointer right before the half left the teams deadlocked 33-33 at the break. A Choate 7-0 run to start the second half was answered by the Rhinos, but two more runs by the Wild Boars gave the visitors a lead that would last the rest of the contest. Defensive lapses and poor rebounding really cost Taft over the final 10 minutes of play. The Rhinos received balance scoring with Sam Willson (15), Ishmael Kalilou (14), Jereme Good (12) and CJ Moss (9 and 6 assists) leading the way. Taft will next be action on the 17th when the team opens up play in the St. Sebastian's Holiday Tournament against Belmont Hill.

12/4/2010

H vs Wilbraham & Monson Academy

55-47 W

Taft earned its first win of the 2010-11 season defeating a much improved Canterbury team on the road 56-48. After a poor defensive effort in the opening game, the Rhinos showed signs of improvement in this one. Jordan Stone sparked the team early being physical on the boards and taking the team's first charge of the year. Others would follow as Nick Manfreda, Ishmael Kalilou, Jereme Good, and Bulolo Jonga would all also take charges. The offense struggled early, but by making the extra pass in the second half, began to get some easy looks at the basket. A 17-2 run put the Rhinos up by as many as 18 in the second half. Ishmael Kalilou bounced back in a big way recording a double-double with 21 and 10. Captain CJ Moss avoided early foul trouble and scored 11 with 7 assists, and Kevin Trotman and Jereme Good each had 8 points.

Taft will play their first home game on Wednesday when Choate visits the Cruikshank Gym. The Wild Boars are considered by many as one of the best teams in New England. Tip-off is at 4PM.

12/1/2010

A vs Hopkins School

70-75 (OT) L

Hopkins' Lucas Hausman hit a 3 with 10 seconds to go in regulation to force OT and a Hopkins 8 point run to begin the extra session proved to much for Taft to overcome. Despite getting within 2 of the lead with 25 seconds remaining in OT, Taft could get no closer and fell 75-70. Hopkins led for most of the game and deserved to win the game. As difficult a loss as this game was today, the Rhinos know they are going to need to be much better moving forward. Taft will look to get in the win column on Saturday when they travel to Canterbury for a 4:00PM tip-off with the Saints.

2009-10 Season

Date

Location/Opponent (click on Opponent for contest writeup)

Result

3/5/2010

54-57 L

Photos of the game

3/3/2010

H vs Salisbury School

71-51 W

In front of a packed Cruikshank Gymnasium, Taft earned a decisive 71-51 victory to advance the team to the semifinal round of the Western New England basketball tournament. The Rhinos will face Wilbraham & Monson at 4:30 on Friday in Watertown while Suffield and Kent will battle in the other semi.

Despite a slow start offensively, Taft finished the first half on a high note to take a 35-23 lead at the break. Chris Evans sparked the offense scoring 12 of his game high 18 points in the opening 16 minutes. The story of the second half was terrific team defense by Taft. Salisbury shooters rarely had a good look at the basket, and missed shots turned into transition baskets for Taft. The team had great balance with 10 different players scoring and 7 of the 10 scoring at least 6 points.

A special thank you to the Taft fans who showed up to support the team on Wednesday and gave the team a major emotional lift. Hope to see everyone back in the "Cruik" on Friday.

Semifinal Matchups:
#1 Taft v #4 Wilbraham Monson

#2 Kent v #3 Suffield

2/27/2010

A vs Westminster School

65-36 W

Behind a great defensive effort, Taft closed out the regular season with a convincing road victory over Westminster 65-36. The Rhinos finish the year with a 17-7 record and 16-4 in the Western New England Basketball League. Since January 1st, Taft went an impressive 14-1 in WNEBL games.

The Rhinos were able to hold Westminster to just 15 first half point. Although the team had a few to many turnovers early, Taft was able to build a 31-15 halftime advantage. The Rhinos then took complete control of the game early in the second half increasing the lead to 30 with eight minutes remaining in the contest. Ten different players scored for Taft with Nick Manfreda and Jan Akkan having especially strong performances.

Taft has been seeded #1 for the Western New England Basketball Tournament and will host #8 Salisbury on Wednesday at 3:30PM.

2009-2010 Western New England Basketball Tournament:

#8 Salisbury at #1 Taft

#5 Cheshire Academy at #4 Wilbraham & Monson

#7 Avon Old Farms at #2 Kent

#6 Choate at #3 Suffield Academy

All quarterfinal games will be played on Wednesday March 3rd. Semifinal games will be played on Friday March 5th at the higher seeds. The finals will be played on Saturday March 6th at the highest remaining seed.

2/24/2010

H vs Loomis Chaffee School

72-60 W

Trailing by eight with three minutes left in the half, Taft went on a 11-2 run to take a 31-30 lead as the buzzer sounded for halftime. The Rhinos then took control of the game early in the second half increasing the lead to as many as 16 points and went on to earn a 72-60 victory over a talented Avon team. Taft completed a series sweep of the Winged Beavers to improve their overall record to 16-7 on the season.

Taft received great balance having four players score in double figures. CJ Moss had a break out game making good decisions on offense, playing physical defense, and hitting big shots. Moss finished the game with 13 points. Chris Evans registered another double-double scoring 25 and 12, and knocked down 4 of 7 from behind the arc. Greg Nicol and Kevin Trotman rounded out the offensive attack scoring 10 apiece and Jeff Tagger played his usual steady game dishing out 9 assists.

Taft will conclude the regular season at Westminster on Saturday at 4:00PM.

2/20/2010

61-50 W

Back in December Loomis earned an 11 point victory over Taft, but yesterday the tables were turned, as the Rhinos were triumphant 61-50. In front of an energized Parents Day crowd, Taft played a very good game from start to finish. The team moved the ball exceptionally well and showed unselfish play all afternoon. Defensively, the team held Loomis to just 20 second half points and kept the pressure on the Pelicans with tough man to man defense.

It was a great win for the six seniors who were playing in their final regular season home game and all six played well. Chris Evans led the offensive attack scoring 19 and brought the fans to their feet with a thunderous dunk over Loomis' 7 foot center Andrew McCarthy. Greg Nicol continued his fine play scoring 13, Jeff Tagger added 12 while doing a good job covering the Pelicans top scorer, and Keefer Rafferty added 5. As usual, captain Jared Jackson gave the team consistent play all afternoon and Matt McLaughlin hit two crucial baseline jumpers when Loomis had made the game close. These six guys have been the leaders of the team all year and have keyed the teams 15-7 record heading into the final week of the regular season.

Taft will close out the 2009-10 campaign with road games Wednesday at Avon and Saturday at Westminster. Both contests will begin at 4:00PM.

2/18/2010

A vs Deerfield Academy

53-48 (OT) W

Trailing by 2 with 25 seconds remaining, Jared Jackson forced a turnover in the backcourt and Jeff Tagger scrambled to gain control of the loose ball. In doing so, Tagger was fouled and went to line with Taft trailing 45-43. Tagger sank both free throws to even the score, but Deerfield had plenty of time to still win the game. Deerfield's Jimmy Bitter drove the ball into the lane and threw up a runner, but Tagger blocked the shot and Chris Evans gained control of the ball. Evans made a beautiful down court pass to Tagger who drove to the basket and seemed to be fouled with 1.1 seconds remaining on the clock. However, Tagger was called for a charge and the game was headed to OT (4th time this year). In OT, the Rhinos were able to gain an advantage thanks to clutch free throw shooting from Greg Nicol and Tagger and eventually earned a 53-48 victory. It certainly was not the prettiest of games, but the Rhinos found a way to gut it out. Evans finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, Nicol had 14 points and 7 rebounds, and Tagger scored 8 of his 9 points after the half. Jackson and CJ Moss were tremendous defensively and Kevin Trotman had two huge buckets in the final 5 minutes of regulation.

Taft looks to avenge a December loss to Loomis on Saturday when the Pelicans come to the Cruikshank Gym for the final home game of the season. Tip-off is set for 4:00PM.

2/17/2010

44-62 L

For the third time this year, Taft and Kent met on the hardwood, but unlike the first two contests, Kent prevailed in this one 62-44. From the start, it was clear that Kent was looking for revenge and Taft simply did not match their opponents energy. The Rhinos were outplayed in all areas and never made a run at the Lions. Although Taft could have been much better, you have to tip your cap to a Kent squad that played really good basketball for a full 32 minutes.

Taft looks to get back on track when they travel to Deerfield Thursday to make-up a postponed game from last week.

2/13/2010

79-54 W

In front of a standing room only crowd, Taft made it two wins in as many days taking down rival Avon Old Farms 79-54. It was also the second consecutive game that Taft led wire to wire on their way to their 13th victory of the season. The first half was full of high paced end to end action with both teams looking to push the ball in transition. The Taft offense was able to convert some easy bucket on the break, and at times, moved the ball well. A Jeff Tagger runner at the buzzer gave Taft a 36-24 lead as the teams entered the intermission. In the second half, the Rhinos benefited from a tired Avon squad that was playing its third tough game in as any days and eventually opened up a comfortable lead.

Taft received great balance on the night with 10 different players scoring, and 6 of the 10, hitting on 3-point attempts. Chris Evans was a force scoring 21 to go along with a season high 16 rebounds and 6 assists. Other top scorers included Tagger with 13, CJ Moss 11, Kevin Trotman 9, Sam Willson 7 and Keefer Rafferty 6.

The Rhinos will welcome the hottest team in Western New England on Wednesday when Kent travels to Watertown for an early 2:00 start. It should be a very good match-up of two quality teams.

2/12/2010

H vs Salisbury School

70-64 W

Playing for the first time in nine days, Taft showed little rust jumping out to a 13-2 lead and eventually defeating Salisbury 70-64. After a slow start, Salisbury settled down and got back within two points of the lead, but Taft finished the half with a flourish as a Chris Evans three pointer at the buzzer extended their lead to 34-26. Salisbury would keep within striking distance throughout the second half, but every time they got really close, Taft answered. Jared Jackson regained his shooting touch knocking down 2 big threes and sparked the Taft offense. Evans finished with a game high 29 points and Jeff Tagger was also in double figures with 14. At the other end of the court, Greg Nicol was terrific controlling the paint and finishing the game with 13 rebounds and Keefer Rafferty added 11 boards. Taft would only give up one offensive rebound in the second half. The team also benefited from the return of CJ Moss who had missed the past 6 weeks with a injury and played very well in his first game of 2010.

Taft will be back in action on Saturday night at 7:30PM when Avon Old Farms will visit the Cruikshank Gym.

2/3/2010

61-67 L

On a day when Taft needed to be there best, they were not. There certainly were moments when the Rhinos demonstrated they could compete with Hotchkiss, but the effort was not consistent enough to beat the talented Bearcats. Hotchkiss controlled play most of the first half and won the game in the first 16 minutes. Although the Big Red competed at a higher level in the second half and scored 36 second half points, the first half deficit was to much to overcome.

The team breaks for long winter weekend with a 11-6 record. Taft will face a number of challenging contests after the break and will begin the final playoff push with a 3:30 game at Deerfield on Wednesday February 10th.

1/30/2010

53-51 W

Trailing by a point with 21 seconds remaining, Chris Evans hit both ends of a one and one to lead Taft to an emotional 53-51 comeback victory over Trinity Pawling. After Evans hit the two clutch free throws, Jared Jackson blocked a piece of TP's attempt to regain the lead and Jeff Tagger would gain control of the loose ball. Tagger was then fouled, hit two FT's, and stole the inbound pass. After being fouled again, Tagger hit two more FT's to put the game out of reach and sent a spirited crowd into a jubilant celebration.

Trinity Pawling controlled play for the first 20 minutes of the game. The Pride held an 8 point lead at the half and extended their advantage to 12 early in the second period. After a timeout, the Rhinos picked up the defensive pressure and changed the flow of the game. In the second half, TP would only hit 8 of 29 (28%) field goal attempts. Slowly the Rhino offense chipped away at the lead with big buckets coming from Evans, Larry Green, Matt McLaughlin, and Keefer Rafferty. With co-captain Greg Nicol missing his second consecutive game, Jan Akkan again gave the team solid minutes off the bench. Evans finished with 25 points and 8 rebounds.

Taft will head to Hotchkiss on Wednesday (2:30) looking to build on their current five game winning streak.

1/29/2010

78-56 W

After a lack-luster effort on Wednesday, Taft played a much better game Friday defeating Canterbury 78-54 for their 4th consecutive victory. With the win, the Rhinos improved to 6-1 in the Tri-State league and 10-5 overall. The Taft offense was clicking in the first half with eight different players scoring. Taft held a 50-21 advantage at the half. A number of the starters led the way, but off the bench, Jan Akkan, had a great game playing his best basketball of the year. Chris Evans finished the game with 26 points on 8 for 14 shooting, Keefer Rafferty recorded a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, Jeff Tagger had 11 points, and Matt McLaughlin added 8.

The Big Red looks forward to returning to the Cruikshank Gym Saturday (4:00PM) for an important league contest against rival Trinity Pawling.

1/27/2010

74-70 (2OT) W

Jeff Tagger hit 5 of 6 free throws in the second overtime to help Taft hold off Berkshire 74-70 on Wednesday. Although the Rhinos got the victory, the team had to tip their cap to a Berkshire squad that played hard throughout the game and nearly pulled off the upset. In fact, Berkshire held a 4 point lead in the first extra session and looked to have the game in control. A tired Taft team found enough energy to come back and tie the game and force the second extra period. In the end, it was good to see Taft show some resiliency, but the Rhinos are going to need to be much better in the future.

Taft has a big weekend ahead with a game Friday at Canterbury and return home Saturday for a rematch with Trinity Pawling.

1/23/2010

53-50 W

Behind 34 points from Chris Evans and another strong defensive effort, Taft earned a tough road victory over Trinity Pawling 53-50. With the win, Taft improves to 4-1 in the Tri-State League. Trinity Pawling struck first to take a 2-0 lead, but Taft scored the next 7 points and would never trail again. Evans finished the first half with 24 and the Rhinos found themselves up by a score of 33-23. For much of the second half, Taft's lead was between 6 and 10 points, but a late run by the Pride gave TP one last chance to send the game to OT. Mike Celestin appeared to have an open look from behind the arc, but Matt McLaughlin flew out from the paint just in time to contest Celestin's shot that would have tied the game. McLaughlin's effort was just enough to throw off the shot and Evans came down with his 14th rebound as the buzzer sounded.

The combination of Jared Jackson, Jeff Tagger, and Larry Green did a tremendous job all game disrupting TP's strong perimeter game. Tagger also was very good running the offense scoring 9 and dishing out 9 assists. Keefer Rafferty scored 2 big buckets in the second half and finished the game with 6 points.

The Rhino's now stand at 8-5 and will head to Berkshire Wednesday for an important Tri-State League contest.

1/20/2010

64-38 W

With six minutes remaining in the first half, Taft trailed Berkshire 21-18, but a 21-1 run gave the Rhinos a commanding 18 point lead at the break. Keefer Rafferty gave the team a big spark off the bench scoring 8 points during the run. Defensively Taft played a solid team game allowing only four field goals in the second half and 12 for the game in route to the 64-38 victory. Taft received balance scoring with Chris Evans, Jeff Tagger, Keefer Rafferty, and Sam Willson all scoring in double figures. Greg Nicol played another strong game recording 11 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 4 steals.

Taft improves to 7-5 (3-1 Tri-State, 6-3 WNEBL) with the win and will travel to Trinity Pawling Saturday to take on a talented Pride team.

1/16/2010

52-60 L

In front of a standing room only crowd, Taft and Hotchkiss met in a classic battle between the two rivals. Although ultimately Hotchkiss left the spirited Cruikshank Gym with a 60-52 victory, the game was not decide until the final seconds. Both teams exchanged blows in the fist half and the game was deadlocked at 24-24 at the half. Taft struck first after the break when Jeff Tagger hit Chris Evans on a beautiful pass for a spectacular dunk, and after a Hotchkiss turnover, Kevin Trotman followed Evans lead with a dunk of his own. Trotman was fouled in the act and converted the free throw to give the Rhinos a 29-24 lead. Hotchkiss kept their composure and answered with an 11-0 run to take their largest lead of the game at 35-29. Although Taft would make a couple of runs at the Bearcats, too many turnovers in the final minutes cost the Rhino's a chance for the upset. Trotman led Taft with 18 points, Tagger added 12 and 8 assists, and Evans had 11 and 8 rebounds.

A vs Kingswood-Oxford School

1/15/2010

55-62 L

In a hard fought, emotional game, Taft fell to an impressive Kingswood Oxford (10-1) team Friday 62-55. Taft was within 3 points of the lead at 58-55 with 1:30 remaining in the contest, but Kingswood executed down the stretch and the Rhinos could not find the hoop. It was a difficult shooting day for Taft, but the game was decided in a six minute stretch at the end of the first half when KO was able to open up a 12 point advantage and take a 37-27 lead into the half. Although the Rhinos were impressive in making a run late in the game, the deficit was to large to overcome. Some bright spots for Taft in defeat were the play of Larry Green off the bench and a solid all around performance from Chris Evans (22 points and 8 rebounds).

Taft returns back to action Saturday when rival Hotchkiss visits the Cruikshank Gym for a 4:00PM tip-off.

1/13/2010

67-58 W

In the second of three games with Kent, Taft earned a terrific road win downing the Lions 67-58. The Rhinos beat Kent in the Loomis Tourney in double OT, but took care of this one in regulation. The team exploded from the start by opening up a commanding 31-10 lead. Chris Evans and Jeff Tagger led the run by scoring 14 and 9 respectively. The Rhinos ran their offense beautifully knocking down open looks, ran an effective transition game, and played tough man to man defense. Despite facing a major deficit, Kent battled their way back into the game and at half only trailed 39-26. The game would get even closer in the second half, but big shots by Jared Jackson, Greg Nicol, and Kevin Trotman kept Taft's lead from evaporating. One of the keys to the game was Nicol's presence in the paint. He finished the game with 19 rebounds, 10 points, and held Kent's star big man Theo Boyomo to just 7 points. Evans again led Taft with 23 points, Trotman had 13, Tagger 13 and 7 assists, and Jackson scored 8.

Taft now stands at 6-3 (overall), 2-0 in the Tri-State League and will face a challenging weekend with a road game at Kingswood on Friday and a home contest with Hotchkiss on Saturday.

1/9/2010

A vs Gunnery School

59-51 W

Taft earned a good road win on Saturday taking down Gunnery 59-51. With the victory, the Rhinos improve to 5-3 on the season and have won two games in a row since the holiday break. For the first time all year, Taft played hard at the defensive end of the court for 32 minutes. Jeff Tagger was tremendous holding Gunnery's leading scorer Darius Ware to just 13 points and Greg Nicol continued his great play anchoring the D and pulling down 10 rebounds. After leading 28-24 at the half, Taft opened up a double digit lead early in the second stanza and kept Gunnery form getting any closer than 8 points the rest of the game. The Rhinos did a good job attacking the rim, and as a result, got to the charity stripe 30 times on the evening. Chris Evans led all scorers with 23, Kevin Trotman had 15 and Tagger 14. Jared Jackson, Keefer Rafferty, Matt McLaughlin and Larry Green all played well and were a big part in this team victory.

Next up will be Kent on the road Wednesday.

1/6/2010

H vs Pomfret School

71-46 W

Taft began 2010 with a solid 71-46 victory over Pomfret in the first ever meeting between the two teams. Despite allowing Pomfret to many drives into the paint, the Rhinos maintained a double digit lead most of the first half and entered the intermission with a 38-26 lead. After Pomfret scored the opening bucket of the second half, Taft took control of the game going on a 11-2 run and cruised to the victory. Ten different players scored for Taft with Chris Evans and Greg Nicol both scoring in double figures. Nicol had a great day playing terrific defense and showed some real toughness on the glass grabbing 9 rebounds.

Taft, now 4-3, will travel to Gunnery Saturday night to take on the Highlanders at 7:00PM.

12/18/2009

54-65 L

12/17/2009

75-73 (2OT) W

Trailing by 19 with a little over seven minutes remaining, Taft mounted a comeback for the ages and won a thriller in double OT, 75-73. Chris Evans hit two FT's with five seconds remaining in regulation to send the game to OT. It looked as if the Rhinos would win in the first extra session, but Kent's Darien Hooker hit a 3 at the buzzer to sent it to the second overtime. Trailing by one, Jeff Tagger scored on a tough runner by the basket and converted the free throw to give Taft the 75-73 lead with 10 seconds left on the clock. Kent's desperation three rimmed out at the buzzer and the Rhinos pulled off the stunner.

The team will be back in action tomorrow at 2:30 vs. Loomis in the consolation final of the Loomis Tourney.

A vs Wilbraham & Monson Academy

12/16/2009

60-65 L

A very strong Wilbraham team jumped out to a 19-3 lead in the opening game of the Loomis Tournament and held on to defeat Taft by a final score of 65-60. It was the second tough defeat in a row for the Rhinos, but there were some positives in this outcome. For the first time all year, Taft showed some defensive toughness and managed to change the whole flow of the game their man to man pressure. Midway through the half, the Rhinos had a 5 point lead and had an opportunity to steal the game. Unfortunately, Wilbraham made more plays down the stretch and hit 18 of 19 free throws in the second half.

Taft will play an excellent Kent team on Thursday at 4:00PM.

12/9/2009

A vs Choate Rosemary Hall

79-83 (OT) L

In a high paced, well played game, Taft dropped a heartbreaker to Choate in OT 83-79. For an early season contest, this was about as good as it gets for high school basketball. Both teams went after each other, exchanging leads for much of the second half until ultimately Choate made one more big play than Taft. The Wild Boars came out hot hitting 7 of their first 9 three-point attempts and built a 13 point lead with three minutes left in the half. Taft was able to stay close due in part to Jared Jackson's hot shooting and trailed by only seven at the break. After Choate scored on their first possession of the second half, Taft mounted a comeback led by the the fine play of CJ Moss. Moss scored all 14 of his points after the intermission, added 7 assists, and played tough defense throughout the game. By the mid point of the second half, the two teams were squaring off in a battle that neither team deserved to lose. Choate sent the game to OT by scoring a jumper in the lane with 10 seconds remaining. In OT, Taft held a one point lead with 20 seconds remaining, but Stevie Rogers (32 points) hit two of three free throws to give Choate the lead they would not relinquish. Chris Evans was steady throughout with 20 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists. Keefer Rafferty had 8 points and 11 rebounds, Kevin Trotman scored 9, and Greg Nicol finished with 8.

Taft will look to rebound from the tough defeat when they face Wilbraham Monson in the opening round of the Loomis tournament on Wednesday December 16th at 7:00PM.

12/5/2009

103-60 W

Taft improved to 2-0 on the young season by taking down Tri-State League rival Canterbury on Saturday by the score of 103-60. Canterbury's run and gun offense created some problems for the Rhinos early and made for a game where both teams had numerous offensive possessions. The Taft offense took full advantage of theirs hitting 21 of 35 (60%) field goals in the first half to open up a 54-30 lead. For the game, Taft would shoot 58% from the field and hit 13 of 26 3-point attempts. In limited minutes, Chris Evans led all scorers with 22 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Taft's other starters gave the team great balance with CJ Moss scoring 10, Jeff Tagger 9, and Greg Nicol and Jared Jackson 8 apiece. Off the bench, Kevin Trotman netted 18, Sam Willson had 14, and Larry Green did a terrific job running the point for the second unit.

The Rhinos will visit a strong Choate team on Wednesday looking to avenge losses to the Wild Boars the past two seasons.

12/2/2009

H vs Hopkins School

82-49 W

Taft opened the 2009-10 season with a convincing 82-49 victory over Hopkins on Wednesday. In front of the home crowd, Taft started the game on a 21-3 run and would never look back. Unselfish play and an effective transition game allowed the Rhinos to get some very good looks at the basket throughout the contest. All 13 players saw significant action with 11 different players scoring. Chris Evans led the way with 19 points. CJ Moss, Jared Jackson, and Jeff Tagger gave the backcourt great balance combining to score 28 points and dishing out 17 assists. Keefer Rafferty gave strong minutes off the bench scoring 10 and pulling down 7 rebounds.

Taft will open league play on Saturday when Canterbury visits the Cruikshank Gym for a 4:00PM tip-off.

2008-09 Season

Date

Location/Opponent (click on Opponent for contest writeup)

Result

3/4/2009

30-51 L

The 2008-9 basketball season came to an end on Wednesday as Taft fell to Salisbury in quarterfinal play of the Western New England basketball tournament by the score of 51-30. As the score indicates, the Rhinos had an extremely difficult time finding the bottom of the basket. A combination of poor shooting and intense defense from Salisbury made it difficult for Taft to make the game competitive. Despite the loss, the team made great improvement over the course of the season. A five game winning streak to close out the regular season allowed Taft to earn a sixth consecutive post-season appearance and the #7 seed in the tournament. The team is especially thankful to the six seniors (Bobby Manfreda, Cliften Bonner-Desravines, John Beaulieu, Derrick Beasley, Pat Salazar, and Matt MacGrotty) for all they have put into the basketball program. Their sterling character and high level of play helped the team be awarded the 2009 Sportsmanship Award by the basketball officials association. Captain Bobby Manfreda did an excellent job leading the team, and for his efforts, was awarded the James Painter Logan Award for his contributions to the basketball program over the past four seasons. Although the Tri-State League all-stars have not been announced, Cliften Bonner-Desravines and John Beaulieu were named Founders League all-stars. Taft will return 6 players next year and will be led by co-captains elect Jared Jackson and Greg Nicol.

2/28/2009

H vs Westminster School

73-37 W

Taft closed out the 2008-9 regular season winning their fifth straight game defeating Westminster at home on Saturday. After falling behind 2-1 early, the Rhinos went on a 36-0 run to take complete control of the game. The Taft defense was simply outstanding contesting shots and giving Westy no second chance opportunities. On offense, all 11 players scored as the team was led by two double figure scorers, Kevin Trotman and Christian Sbarro. Both players scored career highs with Trotman finishing with 18 and Sbarro 11. Taft ends the regular season with a 13-9 record and receives the #7 overall seed in the Western New England Tournament.

Taft will play #2 Salisbury at Salisbury at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4th.

2/25/2009

68-57 W

Taft completed a two game sweep of Avon downing the Winged Beavers at home 68-57. Avon stormed out of the gates taking an early 12 point advantage and controlled the tempo of the play early. Taft was able to rally and cut the lead to 6 at the break thanks in part to Jared Jackson's 11 first half points. The Rhino's played much better over the final 16 minutes as the team clawed their way back into the game by playing solid D and knocking down 7 of 10 attempts from behind the arc. The game was tight with four minutes to play, but back to back threes from Bobby Manfreda and Jackson turned the contest in Taft's favor. John Beaulieu continued his great play leading all scorers with 21 points, Jackson contributed with a career high 19, and Cliften Bonner-Desravines finished with another double-double recording 18 points and 10 rebounds. Taft looks to build on their four game winning streak Saturday when the team closes out the regular season at home against Westminster.

2/21/2009

56-47 W

Taft snapped Loomis' 11 game winning streak on Saturday taking down the #1 ranked team in Western New England 56-47. The victory was the 3rd in a row on the road for the Rhinos and improved the team's overall record to 11-9 heading into the final week of the regular season. It also marked the 5th consecutive game that the Taft defense has held an opponent under 50 points, and the win avenged an 11 point defeat to the Pelicans in December. The first half was a back and forth battle with Taft showing good offensive balance while Loomis used their height and muscle to score inside. Heading into the intermission the Rhinos held a slim 29-27 advantage. The Pelicans came storming out of the break and scored the first 7 points of the second half. After a Taft timeout, the team settled down and eventually would regain the lead at 39-37 and hold the advantage the rest of the way. This was a great team effort and two team defensive statistics stand out. Taft was able to hold Loomis' sharpshooter Andy Barbalich to just one bucket for the day, and in the second half, held Loomis' 6'9 and 6'6 twin towers to a total of three points. Taft will return home on Wednesday at 4:00 to take on a tough Avon Old Farms team.

2/18/2009

50-47 W

After playing their best game on Saturday, Taft looked to avenge a 17 point defeat to Ken in early January when the Rhinos traveled to Kent Wednesday. It looked as if the rematch was going to have a similar outcome when Kent jumped out to an early 24-12 advantage. However, Taft kept their composure and began to chip away at the score. When Cliften Bonner-Desravines converted a put back at the halftime buzzer, Taft had closed to within three at 31-28. The Rhinos kept up their solid play in the second half and would quickly gain a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the game. When a desperation three missed at the final horn, the Rhinos had taken down their opponents for a most impressive 50-47 road victory. Taft improves to 10-9 for the season, 9-6 in the WNEBL, and 7-4 in the Tri-State League. Captain Bobby Manfreda was outstanding for Taft, again. Not only did he have a game high 13 points, but he held Kent's top perimeter player to just 5 first half points. Off the bench, the trio of Derrick Beasley, Keefer Rafferty, and Kevin Trotman sparked the Taft comeback with great minutes. Bonner-Desravines pulled down 15 rebounds and was a defensive force. Taft will travel to Loomis Saturday for a 4PM tip-off in Windsor.

2/14/2009

59-40 W

Taft put together a complete team effort Saturday night and took down Avon Old Farms on the road 59-40. Both teams played really well in the first half trading leads and entering halftime tied at 28-28. John Beaulieu and Bobby Manfreda hit big shots for Taft to keep the game tight. Avon scored the first 4 points of the second half, but a 31-8 run by the Rhinos over the final fifteen minutes gave Taft a big Tri-State League victory. This was easily the team's best performance of the year, and hopefully, will springboard the team over the final two weeks of the regular season. Cliften Bonner-Desravines was dominant recording a double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Manfreda tallied 15 points, Beaulieu 12, and Keefer Rafferty gave the team a huge spark off the bench playing 25 minutes. Taft will take on the #3 and #1 ranked teams in Western New England this week when they travel to Kent and Loomis to close out a difficult four game road trip. Wednesday's contest at Kent begins at 2:30.

2/13/2009

30-45 L

Despite battling valiantly, Taft fell to Salisbury 45-30. Midway through the second half the Rhinos trailed by just three points, but Salisbury connected on 4 three point field goals to take control of the game. Taft had real trouble creating any offensive threat against the Knights stingy defense. Jared Jackson led Taft with 13 points and played a solid all-around game. Despite losing, the team came to compete today and this effort should lead to good things tomorrow when the team travels to Avon.

2/11/2009

H vs Deerfield Academy

46-49 L

Derrick Beasley tied the game at 46-46 with 20 seconds remaining, but Deerfield's Will Workman hit a 25 foot jumper with 2 seconds on the clock to give the visitors a 49-46 victory on Wednesday. Taft held a four point lead with two minutes remaining, but back to back 3's by Deerfield gave the Big Green a 46-44 lead to set up the heartbreaking final seconds. John Beaulieu again led the Taft offense scoring 12 and playing a solid all-around game. Unfortunately, Taft did not get a complete effort from the entire team and it proved costly. Taft begins a difficult 4 game road stretch on Friday when they travel to Salisbury to face an extremely athletic and talented squad. Game time is 4:30PM.

2/4/2009

38-51 L

On a day when Taft could not find their offensive rhythm, the Rhinos fell to Hotchkiss 51-38. The team did what they needed to defensively keeping the explosive Bearcats in the 50s, but the shooting touch was simply not there for Taft. Nine missed lay-ups in the first half alone proved costly as Hotchkiss opened up a 25-15 halftime advantage. Again in the second half the Rhinos were able to contain Hotchkiss, but never put together a run to get any closer. John Beaulieu led Taft with 12 points, but no other Taft player finished in double figures.

Taft will be off this weekend and will next host a talented Deerfield squad in an important Western New England league contest on Wednesday at 3:45.

1/31/2009

66-62 W

For the second time in eight days, Taft downed a strong Trinity Pawling squad to sweep the season series and earn a well deserved road win. The 66-62 victory was the fourth consecutive win and improved the the team's overall record to 8-6 and 5-3 in the Tri-State league. TP jumped out to an early 10-5 lead, but once Taft settled into an offensive rhythm they began to control the game. The Rhinos went on a 26-6 run opening up a 15 point lead before the Pride scored the last bucket of the half to pull within 31-18 at the break. Although TP made a furious comeback in the final minutes, Jared Jackson and Derrick Beasley were able to convert 5 of 6 FT's in the final minute to close out the game. Greg Nicol was outstanding recording a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Other double figure scorers included Cliften Bonner-Desravines with 13 and Bobby Manfreda adding 10 to go along with 5 assists. Matt McLaughlin played another solid game coming off the bench to contribute with 4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal. Taft returns home on Wednesday to take on Hotchkiss in another 4PM tilt.

1/30/2009

76-39 W

Taft won their third straight game Friday night taking down Canterbury 76-39 in front of a packed Cruikshank Gym. Canterbury got off to a quick start taking an early 10-9 lead, but Taft responded going on a 28-9 run to close out the first half. The Rhinos came out of intermission and continued their fine play increasing the lead and securing the victory. There were many impressive statistics, but none better than Bobby Manfreda and the Taft defense for holding the Saints top scorer to just 7 points. Matt MacGrotty, Kevin Trotman, and Christian Sbarro should also be commended for their strong play for the Rhinos. Taft will travel to Trinity Pawling Saturday to take on the Pride at 4PM.

1/28/2009

61-53 W

A week after Berkshire defeated Taft on their home court, the Rhinos reversed the outcome Wednesday and took down the Bears 61-53 in the Cruikshank Gym. Although there were a couple of lapses, Taft continues to improve their play at both ends of the court. John Beaulieu found a hot hand early and gave Taft an early advantage they would not relinquish. By halftime the lead was at 10, and early in the second half, it was extended to 15. Cliften Bonner-Desravines finished with a team high 18 points and did an especially good job on the offensive glass. Beaulieu added 12 and Greg Nicol finished with 11 points and 9 rebounds. Off the bench, Taft received excellent efforts from Derrick Beasley (10 points) and Keefer Rafferty. Taft will look to make it three straight wins on Friday when Canterbury visits Taft for a 6PM start.

1/24/2009

59-57 W

Trailing 57-56, Jared Jackson nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift Taft to a 59-57 win over Trinity Pawling. The thrilling victory snapped a four game losing streak and gave the Rhinos a much needed victory against a strong opponent. Taft found themselves down by five with less then three minutes to go when Cliften Bonner-Desravines hit a tough hoop in the paint to cut the deficit to three. The Taft defense caused a 35 second violation and regained possession of the ball. A Bobby Manfreda 3 and a Greg Nicol 2 put the Rhinos on top 55-53, but with 30 seconds to go TP answered the Taft 7-0 run to tie the game. Nicol hit one of two free throws to put Taft up by one, but again TP answered with a beautifully executed back door cut by Sean Bertanza to give the Pride the lead 57-56 with 13 seconds on the clock. Taft's last hope looked to be foiled by a tough TP defensive effort, but Manfreda managed to find Jackson for the game winning 3 three feet beyond the arc and set off the celebration in the Cruikshank Gym. Taft received great offensive balance throughout the game and should be commended for their unselfish play. Nicol- 14 points, 9 rebounds Bonner-Desravines- 13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 blocks John Beaulieu- 10 points, 7 rebounds Bobby Manfreda- 9 points Jared Jackson- 8 points and 6 assists Taft will be back in action on Wednesday when Berkshire visits Watertown for a 4PM start.

1/21/2009

42-52 L

Taft dropped their fourth decision in the past eight days losing to Berkshire 52-42. The game was tight throughout, but poor shooting and to many turnovers haunted the Rhinos once again. Despite the disappointing outcome, Greg Nicol played his best game scoring 15 of his team high 17 points in the second half. Nicol was also tough on the defensive end pulling down 8 rebounds. Taft will return home Saturday looking to regain their winning ways. Tip-off against Trinity Pawling is set for 4PM.

1/17/2009

H vs Kingswood-Oxford School

61-81 L

1/16/2009

55-57 L

Year after year Taft and Kingswood have played some great basketball games and once again the two teams battled to the final buzzer. Unfortunately, Kingswood was two points better on Friday and escaped the Cruikshank Gym with a 57-55 victory. Taft had two possessions in the final 13 seconds, but could not get a shot off on either posession. Despite the heartbreaking loss, the Rhinos played far better than they did on Wednesday and there is much to feel good about in defeat. Most importantly, the team played with passion for 32 minutes. Bobby Manfreda found his shooting touch and played a good all around game scoring 11 and dishing out 4 assists, Cliften Bonner-Desravines recorded a team high 18 points, and Greg Nicol was a force on the boards with 9 rebounds. Taft will travel to Hotchkiss on Saturday.

1/14/2009

46-63 L

A talented and hard working Kent team defeated Taft on Wednesday by the score of 63-46. The game started off evenly, but Kent was able to gain control of the game midway through the first half. Turnovers proved costly for the Rhinos as Kent was able to turn most of the miscues into easy transition buckets. Trailing by 13 at half, Taft mounted a comeback and cut the deficit to 5, but back to back 3's by Kent's Jordan Burucki ended the run and gave Kent a lead they would not relinquish. Taft will look to rebound on Friday when Kingswood Oxford comes to Watertown for a contest scheduled to begin at 4:30.

1/10/2009

H vs Gunnery School

60-51 W

Saturday night the Cruikshank Gym was filled to capacity for the first game of 2009 and the home fans did not leave disappointed. Taft earned a well played 60-51 victory over Gunnery and improved their season record to 4-2 with the win. Taft played as a team a both ends of the court and dominated the play in the paint. Although the Rhinos held a comfortable advantage most of the game, Gunnery's Eric Leider (26 points) would not let Taft end the game early as he knocked down numerous tough shots and Gunnery played hard throughout this contest. Cliften Bonner-Desravines was a difference maker for the Rhinos exciting the crowd with big plays around the basket and finished the game with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Greg Nicol, who made his season debut, played a a strong game recording 9 points and 9 rebounds. Bobby Manfreda did a great job as the floor general dishing out 10 assists and John Beaulieu scored 16 for Taft. The team was most appreciative of the support of the crowd and would like to thank everyone in the community who braved the weather Saturday night. The Rhinos will welcome a very quick and talented Kent squad to the Cruikshank Gym on Wednesday at 4:00.

12/19/2008

12/18/2008

46-57 L

Details to follow.

Game Friday has been canceled.

H vs Choate Rosemary Hall

12/17/2008

A vs Westminster School

65-52 W

Taft will play Loomis at 5:30 on Thursday. Details to follow. On Friday, the championship game has been moved to 9:30AM and all other games Friday have been canceled due to the weather.

12/10/2008

68 -79 L

In the home opener of the 2008-9 season, Taft fell to Choate by the score of 79-68. It was a good game between two quality opponents, but in the end it it was the red hot shooting of the Wild Boars that proved to be the difference. Choate held a 6 point advantage at the half and built upon the lead by shooting 7 for 9 from behind the arc and 63% from the field in the second half. Taft made a great run to cut the Choate advantage to six with five minutes remaining, but Patrick Liengueu buried two three pointers to ice the game for the visitors. John Beaulieu and Cliften Bonner-Desravines finished with 20 points, Bobby Manfreda tossed in 10 and Derrick Beasley added 8. Taft heads into exams with a 2-1 record and will next face Westminster on December 17th at the Loomis Tournament.

12/6/2008