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.
Football Recruit Questionnaire
Taft Football Alumni Playing in College
| Taft 2025 | Taft 2024 | Taft 2023 |
|---|---|---|
|
Josiah Aidoo - Sacred Heart University |
Seyi Akinbola - Cornell University
David Aluya - Cornell University Zavier Carter - Gettysburg College Tyler Krasa - Western University Josh Kuczynski - Amherst College Braden MacDonald - United States Naval Academy Rostand Olama - Bucknell University Michael Pangaro - University of Massachusetts Gunnar Watson - Hamilton College |
Charlie Symonds - Stanford University
Nick Brown - Augustana College
Jaylen Carter - Columbia University
Addison Hoffman - Lafayette College
BJ Mayes - University of Maine
Michael Reddick - Brown University
Ruston Bennett - Hobart College
Princeton Cahee - Bucknell University
Eric Facey - Bates College
Gardner Heitzmann - Georgetown University
Cooper Reed - Southern Methodist University
Dara Adeyemi - Bucknell University
|
| Taft 2022 | Taft 2021 | Taft 2020 |
|
Dominic Rulli - Penn State University |
Skyler Bell - University of Wisconsin |
Diante Vines - Iowa University |
| Taft 2019 | Taft 2018 | Taft 2017 |
|
Nolan Grooms - Yale University |
Joe Hardison - Duke University |
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 |
Quentin Harris - Duke University |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
vs.
Deerfield Academy
|
|
|
Deerfield Academy | Away | Scrimmage | Details about Football - Varsity | CANCELLED | ||
|
vs.
Cheshire Academy
|
|
|
Cheshire Academy | Away | View Recap | Loss | 0-28 | ||
|
vs.
Loomis Chaffee School
|
|
|
Home | View Recap | Win | 27-26 | |||
|
vs.
Dexter Southfield School
|
|
|
Home | View Recap | Loss | 0-20 | |||
|
vs.
Suffield Academy
|
|
|
Suffield Academy | Away | View Recap | Win | 41-9 | ||
|
vs.
Choate Rosemary Hall
|
|
|
Home | View Recap | Loss | 6-26 | |||
|
vs.
Avon Old Farms School
|
|
|
Avon Old Farms School | Away | View Recap | Loss | 14-28 | ||
|
vs.
Kent School
|
|
|
Home | View Recap | Win | 12-6 | |||
|
vs.
Lawrenceville School
|
|
|
Home | View Recap | Win | 21-19 | |||
|
vs.
Hotchkiss School
|
|
|
Hotchkiss School | Away | View Recap | Win | 42-27 |
Roster
Roster
| # | Name | Position | Class | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Jaiden Allen | 2027 | Watertown, CT | |
| 1 | Damon Hibbert | 2027 | Bridgeport, CT | |
| 2 | Jonah Oquendo | 2026 | Manchester, CT | |
| 3 | Mike Votto | 2027 | Wallingford, CT | |
| 4 | Thomas Regan | 2028 | New Canaan, CT | |
| 5 | Xavier Hairston | 2028 | Plainville, CT | |
| 6 | Christopher Pangaro | 2027 | Cheshire, CT | |
| 7 | Gilbert Kimrin | 2026 | Malmö | |
| 8 | Logan Reed | 2026 | Santa Barbara, CA | |
| 9 | Matt Tashdjian | 2027 | Montreal, QC | |
| 10 | Liam Marku | 2027 | Bronx, NY | |
| 11 | Alyan Hussein | 2026 | Toronto, ON | |
| 12 | Matt Pangaro | 2029 | Cheshire, CT | |
| 13 | Marco Watson | 2027 | San Antonio, TX | |
| 14 | Nathan Eke | 2027 | Haverhill, MA | |
| 15 | Thomas Shin | 2027 | Seoul | |
| 16 | Tyler Spellman | 2026 | Darien, CT | |
| 17 | James Robbins | 2029 | Raleigh, NC | |
| 18 | Gunther Scheidt | 2029 | Roxbury, CT | |
| 19 | Harry Schechter | 2027 | Fairfield, CT | |
| 20 | David Kalombo | 2027 | Boston, MA | |
| 21 | Parker Woods | 2027 | Rye, NY | |
| 22 | JP Antonino | 2027 | Niantic, CT | |
| 23 | Mayode Adewumi | 2028 | Brooklyn, NY | |
| 24 | Henry Steven | 2029 | Aspen, CO | |
| 25 | Kevin Cestari | 2026 | Naugatuck, CT | |
| 26 | Sami Sheshi | 2026 | Bantam, CT | |
| 27 | Owen Palmer | 2026 | Woodbury, CT | |
| 28 | Alec DeFusco | 2029 | New York, NY | |
| 34 | Cannon Gordon | 2029 | San Francisco, CA | |
| 41 | Steve Soares | 2028 | Oxford, CT | |
| 54 | Ethan Harry | 2028 | Brooklyn, NY | |
| 55 | Bo Oliver | 2026 | West Haven, CT | |
| 60 | Frederick Kirchner | 2029 | New York, NY | |
| 63 | Nico Cesta | 2027 | Montreal, QC | |
| 65 | Myles Petitjean | 2027 | New Canaan, CT | |
| 66 | Logan Scott | 2026 | Wilmington, DE | |
| 71 | Eric Sim | 2027 | Seoul | |
| 72 | Will Palmer | 2026 | Cheshire, CT | |
| 73 | Ted Tonkovich | 2028 | New Canaan, CT | |
| 75 | Max Hoke | 2027 | Karlstad | |
| 76 | Colin Overy | 2026 | Boulder, CO | |
| 77 | Foster Friess | 2028 | Jackson, WY | |
| 80 | Charlie Franz | 2029 | New Canaan, CT | |
| 81 | Hud Hodges | 2028 | Dallas, TX | |
| 85 | Jaden Ortega | 2028 | Bronx, NY | |
| 88 | Mac Trombley | 2026 | Millwood, NY | |
| 99 | Jude Okeleke | 2026 | Surulere | |
| Lesika Christopher | 2028 | Johannesburg | ||
| Mac Gaumer | 2029 | New Canaan, CT | ||
| Jessica Heine | 2026 | Bedford, NY | ||
| Yoram Kadio | 2029 | Bronx, NY | ||
| Griffin Kelly | 2028 | Darien, CT | ||
| Omar Minaya Nova | 2026 | Santo Domingo |
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
