Taft (Watertown, CT)       previews home


GENERAL
Nickname: Big Red
Colors: Red/Blue
Coach: Tyler Whitley
League: Erickson
State (Plays In): Prep Schools
Playoff Division: NEPSAC A
Playoff Division Rank: #12

RETURNERS
Returning Offensive Starters: 5
Returning Defensive Starters: 6
2016 JV Record: 1-4
Starting Quarterback Returning: yes
Top Running Back Returning: no
Top Receiver Returning: no
Top OL Returning: no
Top Defender Returning: no

TOP PLAYERS
Nolan Grooms 6'2" 175 Junior QB 4.6
Eric Rooks 6'3" 200 Senior WR/OLB 4.6
Alex Jones 6'0" 200 Senior RB/ILB 4.5

COLLEGE PROSPECTS LOST TO GRADUATION
Gerrik Vollmer 6'5" 280 Senior OT
Elliott Brown 6'6" 215 Senior OLB

RATINGS
2016 Final Power Rating: 4.3
2016 National Rank: #6405
2016 State Rank: #72 (in CT)
General Personnel (Back/Lost) Rating Adjustment: -1.5
D1 Talent (Back/Lost) Rating Adjustment: -1.2
Reg Season Schedule Strength Downward Rating Adjustment: -6.4
2017 Starting Power Rating: 1.6
2017 National Rank: #6962
2017 State Rank: #83 (in CT)
Dynasty Rating (Average 2003-2016 Rating): 2
Dynasty National Rank: #7547
2017 Rating vs. Dynasty Rating Comparison: worse by 0.4
Dynasty Record: 37-74 (27-56 in league)

HISTORICAL
2016 Overall Record: 3-5
2016 League Record/Finish: 2-5 (tied for 6th)
2016 Points For Average: 29
2016 Points Against Average: 36.6
2016 Differential: -7.6
2016 Wins: #2431 Brunswick (Greenwich) (29-26), #6627 Hotchkiss (Lakeville) (34-31), #11030 Berkshire (Sheffield, MA) (47-7)
2016 Losses: #2025 Trinity-Pawling (Pawling, NY) (51-0), #3186 Avon Old Farms (Avon) (50-26), #4144 Salisbury School (Salisbury) (42-28), #4327 Kent School (Kent) (44-27), #8317 Williston Northampton (Easthampton, MA) (42-41)
2016 Opponents W-L: 33-33
Recent League Championships: 2011 (tied for 1st)
Winning Streak Entering 2017 Season: 2
Streak List: 11/5/16 Berkshire (Sheffield, MA) (47-7), 11/12/16 Hotchkiss (Lakeville) (34-31)

SCHEDULE
2017 Schedule: 9/23 Salisbury School (Salisbury), 9/30 Williston Northampton (Easthampton, MA), 10/7 at Trinity-Pawling (Pawling, NY), 10/14 Brunswick (Greenwich), 10/21 at Avon Old Farms (Avon), 10/28 Kent School (Kent), 11/4 at Berkshire (Sheffield, MA), 11/11 at Hotchkiss (Lakeville)
Highest-Rated 2017 Regular Season Opponents: Brunswick (Greenwich) (34.8), Salisbury School (Salisbury) (22), Trinity-Pawling (Pawling, NY) (20)
Lowest-Rated 2017 Regular Season Opponents: Berkshire (Sheffield, MA) (-16.6), Williston Northampton (Easthampton, MA) (-10.8), Hotchkiss (Lakeville) (3.2)
2016 Regular Season Schedule Strength: 12.2
2017 Regular Season Schedule Strength: 10.6
2017 vs. 2016 Schedule Strength Comparison: -1.6
2017 Regular Season Schedule Strength State Rank: #36
2017 Regular Season Schedule Strength National Rank: #4039
2017 Projected Regular Season Record: 2-6
2017 Projected League Finish: 7th
2017 Undefeated Regular Season Probability: less than 1%