Team Slideshow
Team Info
Football - Varsity
Overview
Overview
The Taft Football Program is one of the most historic in all of New England. At Taft players of all levels have found success. Over the years we have had beginners who want to learn the game and accomplished athletes with major division one scholarships including Patrick Kerney, who was an All-American Defensive End and All-Pro NFL player. In short, at Taft we have a place in our football program for anyone who is willing to work hard in the classroom and on the field. With more than a century of tradition, our coaching staff has maintained a commitment to excellence through hard work and discipline.
Taft football players use some of the top facilities in the country, ranging from a picturesque game field to one of the finest locker rooms in New England. Furthermore, Taft football players have access to a spacious weight room and an advanced video editing system, making it easy to prepare films to send to college coaches.
Taft plays in the Class A New England prep school conference against some of the most challenging competition in the northeast. The Taft coaching staff prides itself on being the most prepared team in the league. Each week, the team is provided a comprehensive scouting report of their upcoming opponent. Taft's up-tempo, spread no huddle offense, and 3-4 base defense prepare our athletes to succeed at the college level.
Through an emphasis on dedication and high character, Taft football players are expected to conduct themselves with pride, honor, respect, and great sportsmanship.
If you would like more information on the Taft Football Program, please call or email Coach Tyler Whitley.
Taft Football Alumni Playing in College
Taft 2022 | Taft 2021 | Taft 2020 |
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Dominic Rulli - Penn State University
James Maloney - Army West Point
Nico Schwikal - Dartmouth College
Billy Daal - Yale University
Joseph Nash - Yale University
Max McCormick - Georgetown University
Steve Mayer - Georgetown University
Jack Englert - Fordham University
Fej Esievo - Dickinson College
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Skyler Bell- University of Wisconsin Jacob Rooks- The Naval Academy Heath Bostick- University of Rochester Ethan Niang- Duke University Mark Didio- University of Connecticut Jared Dunn- Merrimack College Mason Frank- University of Rochester Joe Townsend- Holy Cross College |
Diante Vines (Iowa University) Michael Spencer (Vanderbilt University) Stanley Dennis (Rutgers University) Mashod Harrison (Brown University) Michael Yamin (Middlebury College) Jack Bryant (Washington & Lee College) Osirus Rhodes (Stony Brook University) Chez Jennings (West Virginia University) Nick Camp (Macalester College) |
Taft 2019 | Taft 2018 | Taft 2017 |
Nolan Grooms (Yale University) Liam Akpata (Oberlin College) Isaiah Hernandez (Bowdoin College) David Brown (Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute) Anim Dankwah- Howard University) Ryan Last (University of Delaware) Seamus O’Hora (Union College) |
Joe Hardison (Duke University) Eric Rooks (University of Hawaii) Matthias Staalsoe (University of Maine) Alex Jones (Bucknell University) Travis Wang (University of Pennsylvania) Zane Segalas (Tufts University) Matt Schwartz (Union College) Johannes Ali (Dickinson College) Brandon Sires (Oberlin College) Jordan Agudosi (Merrimack College) |
Elliott Brown (University of Virginia) Gerrik Vollmer (University of Virginia) Caleb Martin (Dartmouth College) Ricardo Llanio (Fordham University) Marcus Alleyne (Fordham University) Alex Akpata (Franklin & Marshall College) Moriz Schildorfer (Grinnell College) Dean Pope (Trinity College) Eric Holzman (Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute) |
Taft 2016 | Taft 2015 | Taft 2014 |
Jon Jacobs (University of Arizona) Pat Ford (Kent State University) Alex Hughes (Brown University) Chris Bedigian (Colby College) Alex Salytchev (University of Western Ontario) Aidan Majury (University of Western Ontario) Sam Okpan (St. Lawrence University) |
Quentin Harris (Duke University) Nadir Pearson (Brown University) Rivers Cahee (Dartmouth University) DJ Woullard (Cornell University) Jeremy Zeitler (Lafayette College) Bobby Nevin (Wesleyan University) Stephen Mesh (Carnegie Mellon University) Ricky Alvarez (Muhlenberg College) |
Pedro Colon (Muhlenberg College) Carty Campbell (Trinity College) Bradni Black (College of the Holy Cross) Dejion Evans (University of Massachusetts) Mick Pernell (St. Anselm College) Alex Huard (University of Montreal) |
Taft 2013 | Taft 2012 | |
Adam Parker (University of Rhode Island) David Berment (Sacred Heart University) O'Shea Bell (Stonehill College) Tim Drakeley (Bowdoin College) Nick LaSpada (Bates College) David Wolff (University of Rochester) Bulolo Jonga (Pomona College) Casey Kuhns (Georgetown University) Will Pope (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) Kevin Carey (Hamilton College) |
Anthony Gaffney (Princeton University) John Zakrzewski (College of the Holy Cross) Demetrius Russell (Colgate University) Jordan Stone (Wesleyan University) Jackson McGonagle (Amherst College) |
Schedule
Schedule
Opponent | Date | Time | Location | Advantage | Type | Details | Result | Score | Status |
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vs.
Deerfield Academy
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Home | Details | |||||
vs.
Canterbury School
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Canterbury School | Away | Details | ||||
vs.
Phillips Exeter Academy
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Home | View Recap | Loss | 15-18 | |||
vs.
Trinity-Pawling School
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Trinity-Pawling School | Away | View Recap | Win | 42-7 | ||
vs.
Phillips Academy at Andover
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Phillips Academy at Andover | Away | View Recap | Win | 41-21 | ||
vs.
Choate Rosemary Hall
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Home | Details | Loss | 0-35 | |||
vs.
Avon Old Farms School
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Home | Details | Loss | 3-27 | |||
vs.
Kent School
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Kent School | Away | Details | Win | 48-0 | ||
vs.
Loomis Chaffee School
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Loomis Chaffee School | Away | Details | Loss | 0-42 | ||
vs.
Hotchkiss School
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Home | Details | Win | 38-12 |
Roster
Roster
# | Name | Position | Class | Hometown |
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1 | BJ Mayes | 2023 | Aurora, IL | |
2 | Jaylen Carter | 2023 | Derby, CT | |
3 | Cooper Reed | 2023 | Santa Barbara, CA | |
4 | Gardner Heitzmann | 2023 | Bedford Corners, NY | |
5 | Princeton Cahee | 2023 | Lafayette, LA | |
6 | Jack Odden | 2023 | Watertown, CT | |
7 | Bo Owen | North Palm Beach, FL | ||
8 | Dara Adeyemi | 2023 | Luton, BDF | |
9 | Gilbert Kimrin | 2026 | Skåne län | |
10 | Remy Reynolds | 2023 | Atlanta, GA | |
11 | Mike Reddick | 2023 | Meriden, CT | |
12 | Michael Pangaro | 2024 | Cheshire, CT | |
13 | Nick Brown | 2023 | Hampshire, IL | |
14 | Brody Bowser | 2024 | Southbury, CT | |
15 | Matthew Solomon | 2023 | New Fairfield, CT | |
16 | Sam Lovell | 2024 | Austin, TX | |
17 | Samaad Brown | 2025 | Mount Vernon, NY | |
18 | Matt Edwards | 2024 | Darien, CT | |
19 | George Sullivan | 2025 | Princeton, NJ | |
20 | Austin Tucker | 2025 | Spring Valley, NY | |
21 | Brayden Stroh | 2023 | Woodside, CA | |
22 | Colin Randol | 2023 | Wilton, CT | |
23 | Drew Niewinski | 2023 | Wolcott, CT | |
25 | Jackson Lent | New York, NY | ||
27 | Paul Korian | 2023 | Montclair, NJ | |
30 | Ando Butner | 2025 | Orinda, CA | |
32 | Zavier Carter | 2024 | Meriden, CT | |
40 | Vincent Crispi | Armonk, NY | ||
41 | AJ Jachimowicz | 2025 | Noblesville, IN | |
42 | Jacob Ansari | 2025 | Middlebury, CT | |
50 | Ryan Timberlake | 2023 | Mill Valley, CA | |
51 | Beau Sansing | 2024 | Litchfield, CT | |
52 | Jude Okeleke | 2026 | Surulere | |
53 | Hans Baurmeister | 2024 | Darien, CT | |
54 | Gunnar Watson | 2024 | New Canaan, CT | |
55 | Jack Wagner | 2025 | Boston, MA | |
60 | James Peck | 2026 | New York, NY | |
63 | Addison Hoffman | 2023 | Coral Springs, FL | |
65 | Chip Furman | 2025 | New Canaan, CT | |
70 | Ward Snyder | 2026 | New York, NY | |
71 | Daniel Schnaars | 2025 | Terryville, CT | |
72 | Ethan Maina | 2023 | Newark, NJ | |
73 | Charlie Symonds | 2023 | South Kent, CT | |
74 | Elijah Reyes | 2025 | Poughkeepsie, NY | |
75 | Eric Facey | 2023 | Willimantic, CT | |
76 | Ruston Bennett | 2023 | Lafayette, LA | |
80 | Ozzy Diallo | 2025 | Yonkers, NY | |
81 | Brandon White | 2026 | Middlebury, CT | |
82 | Logan Reed | 2026 | Santa Barbara, CA | |
83 | Adrian Caleel | 2026 | Santa Barbara, CA | |
84 | Jonah Oquendo | 2026 | Manchester, CT | |
85 | Andrew Pepper | 2025 | Burlingame, CA | |
86 | Bolen MacKellar | 2025 | Nichols Hills, OK | |
87 | Ben Bazarian | 2025 | Ridgefield, CT | |
88 | Braden MacDonald | 2024 | Marion, MA | |
James Hagberg | 2026 | Rumson, NJ | ||
Rhys Keller | 2026 | New York, NY | ||
Sami Sheshi | 2026 | Waterbury, CT |
Coaches
Coaches
About Head Coach Tyler Whitley '04
After graduating from Taft, where he was an accomplished student, athlete, and community member (three-sport varsity captain in football, basketball, and track and the winner of the Lawrence Hunter Stone Award at graduation), Tyler went on to Wesleyan University, where he was a four-year letter winner at safety on the football team. While there, he earned a spot on the New England Small College Athletic Conference All-Academic Team his senior year and was a Cardinal Club Scholar-Athlete award winner for having the highest GPA on the team. He studied in Rome for a semester; and upon earning a bachelor’s degree in government with a certificate in international relations, Tyler moved to the Salisbury School, where he worked as a tutor in the school’s learning center, served as a dormitory parent, assisted the varsity basketball team, and coached varsity football. After two years at Salisbury, he went on to study business at Sacred Heart University and worked as a graduate assistant coach for the school’s Division I football team. As an assistant, Tyler led the running backs, managed the scout defense and special teams, and recruited student-athletes from around the country. Tyler took over the head football coach position at Taft in 2012. In 2016, he earned a Master in Business Administration from Sacred Heart University. Tyler works in admissions and coaches varsity football and boys’ varsity basketball. Tyler, his wife, Randi Lawlor Whitley ’04, and their daughters, Emma and Fae, live near campus.
Click the photos below for additional coach bios and contact information
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Head Coach