Football 2–5 The team was defined by a strong front line and solid defense, and the highlights came with shutout wins over Deerfield (14–0) and Choate (9–0). The Choate win put Taft at 2–2 before a tough loss to T-P at home in a very close game. Strong play from Mike McCabe ’07 and Andrew Parks ’07 anchored the
line, while running backs Mike Talarico ’07 and Jay Riffe ’07 powered the offense and the defense. Riffe led team in rushing yards (564) and tackles. Charlie Mitchell ’07 was steady at quarterback all season, completing over 50 percent of his attempts, and AJ Houston ’07 had 8 of Taft’s 11 interceptions during the season. Tom Cantwell gave Taft a strong kicking game, averaging over thirty yards per punt and hitting field goals of 38 and 42 yards. Volleyball 9–8 The volleyball season started with no seniors on the roster and nagging injuries to the most experienced players. Early losses to powerhouses Andover and Exeter made for an uphill battle for this year’s squad; however, the team continued to gain momentum with victories against Westminster, Greenwich Academy, Miss Porter’s, Hopkins, and Deerfield, earning a no. 7 ranking in
New England. This hard-working Taft team reached the top of the mountain on Hotchkiss Day, putting together an inspiring team effort to shock their rivals (the no. 2 ranked team in New England) and end the season on a high note. The scene in the Cruikshank gym during that final 3–2 victory was full of grit, determination, and excitement—an incredible team effort. Captain Maggie
Widdoes ’08 and captain-elect Kristen Castellano ’08, along with the entire team, will return for the ’07 season. This season’s category leaders: Nellie Beach ’08 with 183 service points; Maggie Widdoes with 136 kills; Carly McCabe ’10 with 91 blocks. Girls’ Cross Country 2–7 The season started strong with wins over Miss Porter’s (20–39) and a solid Kingswood team (25–32), but the Rhinos missed lead runner Brooke Hartley ’08 for the whole season and Lyssa Lincoln ’07—who had made a huge jump to become one of the team’s top two runners—also was injured for the big meets at season’s end. Martha Pascoe ’07 ran steadily in the top spot for Taft, and seniors Maggie Seay and Erica Maia raced well throughout the season. The team’s best races may have been the very close losses to Northfield (29–26) and Kent (28–27).
Boys’ Cross Country 8–3 The season started with a surprisingly strong 5th place at the large Canterbury Invitational (38 teams), followed by an exciting win over Choate (27–30) at home and a brutal 28–28 win over Hotchkiss in Lakeville, where the hot weather and hills made for a rough day for all the runners; the tie was broken when Taft’s sixth
runner, Thomas Rogers ’08, edged out Hotchkiss’s no. 6. The rest of the regular season included wins over Berkshire, Kent, and a strong Suffield team. Taft’s young but talented top five earned a 4th place finish at the Founders’ League Meet, hosted by Taft: Mike Moreau ’09 (14th), Shane Sanderson ’08 (16th), Dante Paolino ’07 (17th), CM Liotta ’09 (25th), and Stephen Crozier ’09 (31st). With many strong, young runners backing up this top group, there is a lot of promise for the future, but the team will miss seniors Nick Liotta, Paolino, and Charlie Stein. For more information visit www.TaftSports.com From left: Abby Hine ’07, no. 19, charges into the attacking circle with support from Emily Boyd ’07 and Chelsea Ross ’09. j Cam Mathis ’08 controls the midfield. j Boys’ soccer battles a strong Kingswood team under the lights on a Saturday night. j Elliot Hambrecht ’09 and Mike Talarico ’07 tackle the opponent as football conquers Deerfield 14–0. Taft Bulletin Winter 2007
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