By HockomockSports.com Staff
In the final event of the 2016 HockomockSports.com Charity Basketball Classic, North Attleboro junior Brent Doherty was the last man standing in the annual Three Point Contest.
Doherty reached the finals when he sank 16 of his 25 shots in the opening round. Foxboro’s Alex DuBrow connected on a round-high 17 three pointers in the opening round to secure his spot in the final. DuBrow and Doherty squared off head to head, shooting at the same time on opposite ends of the court. Doherty hit on 15 threes and DuBrow sank his final corner three to tie him at 15.
In an overtime round (30 seconds), Doherty took home the hardware by hitting eight three pointers. Both Doherty and DuBrow broke the record for most threes made in a final round, edging out Ryan Boulter’s record of 14 in 2015.
Doherty now holds the record for most threes made in one event with 39, eclipsing Boulter’s record of 34 set last year. The North Attleboro guard now also has the record for most threes made in the event for a career with 50 after hitting 11 in 2015. Taunton junior Tommy MacLean jumped into third all time in threes made in the event with 37.
First Round
Jake Dunkley, Attleboro – 14
Tony Harris, Canton – 9
Alex DuBrow, Foxboro – 17
Jay Dieterle, Franklin – 14
Ben Smith, King Philip – 13
Christian Weber, Mansfield – 10
Dimitry Torres, Milford – 13
Brent Doherty, North Attleboro – 16
Tim Kelley, Oliver Ames – 13
David Roelke, Sharon – 11
Cam Andrews, Stoughton – 12
Tommy MacLean, Taunton – 13
Finals
Brent Doherty, North Attleboro – 15 (8)
Alex DuBrow, Foxboro – 15 (5)
Today’s games are listed below. Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 57 @ Sharon, 73 – Final – Attleboro cut a 10-point Sharon lead at halftime down to two in the third quarter but the Eagles were able to pull away. Sharon hit 12 three pointers between three players – senior Matt Lowerre hit five, sophomore Jimmy Fitzhenry hit four and senior Tyler Smith had three. Fitzhenry finished with a game-high 20 points and Lowerre had 17 points. Attleboro junior Jake Dunkley had 19 points and nine rebounds and sophomore Nate Douglas chipped in with 11 points and five rebounds.
King Philip, 66 @ Canton, 53 – Final – King Philip stormed out to a 20-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and never looked back. Senior Ben Smith his six three pointers for a game-high 18 points, freshman Kyle Layman had 15 points and eight rebounds, junior Noah Goodwin had 13 points and junior Pharoah Davis had 12 points. Canton senior Griffin Jerrier scored a team-high 13 points for the Bulldogs.
Mansfield, 51 @ Foxboro, 69 – Final – Foxboro used an 11-0 run in the middle of the second quarter to create separation while its defense prevent Mansfield from gathering any momentum offensively. Foxboro senior Alex DuBrow scored a game-high 22 points and had eight rebounds, senior Rob Lowey had 16 points and eight rebounds and senior Jason Procaccini added 14 points and five rebounds. Mansfield junior Sam Goldberg had 10 points to lead the Hornets.
Franklin, 83 @ Stoughton, 63 – Final – The Panthers held a six point lead at halftime (41-35) as the two teams combined for over 75 points in the first half. Franklin had a 23 point third quarter and added 19 more points in the final quarter. Sophomore Connor Peterson had a game-high 16 points while senior Tim Prunier and freshman Jay Dieterle each added 15 points for Franklin. Stoughton senior Brandon Teixeira had a team-high 14 points for the Black Knights.
Taunton, 62 @ Milford, 50 – Final – Milford held a four point lead at halftime and at the end of the third quarter but Taunton won the fourth quarter 29-13 to get the win. Taunton junior Tommy MacLean scored 20 points in the win for the Tigers. Milford sophomore Kayden Kelley had 14 points and 15 rebounds, Dimitry Torres added 11 points and Dwight Anderson had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Scarlet Hawks.
North Attleboro, 74 @ Oliver Ames, 70 – Final – Brent Doherty scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Rocketeers. North Attleboro held a 20 point lead at halftime (44-24) but Oliver Ames stormed back with 25 points in the third quarter and 13 more in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime tied 62-62-. Doherty connected on seven three pointers and went 3/4 from the free throw line in overtime. Sophomore Mario Bresko finished with seven points, including a key three pointer in overtime. Junior Jonny Friberg scored a career-high 18 points and had 10 rebounds for North. Oliver Ames’ Carter Evin scored 21 of his career-high 26 points in the second half to help OA get back into it. Tim Kelley added 23 points and senior Shawn Cardoza had nine points for the Tigers. Girls Basketball
Canton, 38 @ King Philip, 56 – Final – The Warriors turned the game around with a 22-4 second quarter. Shannon O’Connor was the top scorer for KP with 10. Sam Madden and Julia Lerouix each scored nine for the Warriors. Canton was led by Emma Murphy with nine points.
Foxboro, 45 @ Mansfield, 49 – Final – Jen Peel was Mansfield’s top scorer with 14 points. Juliana Newell added 10 points and pulled in 12 rebounds and Meg Hill grabbed 14 boards. Cassidy Harrison had a game-high 19 points to lead the Warriors.
Stoughton, 35 @ Franklin, 55 – Final – Olivia Adiletto was the top scorer for Franklin with 13 points. Lauren Rudolph added 11 for the Panthers, who had 10 players on the score sheet. Stoughton was led by Alecia Quinones with 11 points.
Milford, 40 @ Taunton, 44 – Final – The Tigers rallied in the fourth quarter, outscoring Milford 14-7, to pick up their first win of the season. Alyssa Gibson led the way for Taunton with 13 points and nine rebounds. Jordan Wade added nine and Kia Pate had 10 rebounds. Milford was led by Katie Irwin with 12 points and Nicole Dahlgren added 10.
Oliver Ames, 49 @ North Attleboro, 52 – Final – The Rocketeers were led by forwards Caroline Collard and Emily Peters who combined for 24 points. Julia Feid added 13 for North. The Tigers were led by Kayla Raymond with 15 points.
Sharon, 35 @ Attleboro, 75 – Final– Emily Houle scored 33 points and added seven steals to pace the Bombardiers to a big win. Sarah Deyo chipped in with 19 points and 10 rebounds and Sam Pierce added another 10 points. Emma Eberhardt was Sharon’s top scorer with 14 and Veronica Wallace added 11. Swimming
Canton boys, 77 @ Sharon boys, 93 – Final
Canton girls, 92 @ Sharon girls, 76 – Final
King Philip’s Noah Goodwin releases a three point shot attempt in the first half against Barrington. (Ryan Lanigan/HOckomockSports.com) By Ryan Lanigan, Editor-in-Chief
WRENTHAM, Mass. – King Philip amped up their defensive pressure to turn a seven point lead after a quarter to a 21 point lead by halftime and never looked back to pick up a 63-35 win over Barrington. The win marked the third straight for the Warriors.
The Warriors built a 9-0 lead over the first five minutes of the game but Barrington — who was a state finalist in Rhode Island last season — battled back to get within four. KP senior Ben Smith drained a three shortly before the buzzer to push the lead back to seven.
In the second quarter, the Warriors amped up their pressure in their 2-2-1 press and then in their 2-3 zone. The Warriors also cleaned up their own misses to create separation.
Freshman Kyle Layman started the run, grabbing a defensive rebound and then taking a pass from Seth Sullivan. Smith drained another three, Goodwin added back to back field goals, Layman made a putback plus the harm, Goodwin drained a three, Layman converted another offensive rebound, and Pharoah Davis drove to the basket to complete a 19-0 run.
“I thought we got some opportunities in their zone that we didn’t really cash in on and I thought we were getting the ball where it needed to go but I think we were being a little impatient in that first quarter,” King Philip head coach Matt Coute said. “Eventually we let the offense come to us. I think the key in that second quarter was we ended up pushing the ball more in transition. We wanted to take advantage of our athleticism and strength. I told the guys to be more aggressive in the 2-2-1 in terms of trapping and getting in the passing lanes. We were able to get some easy ones to kind of push the lead and make them play on their heels.”
In the second quarter, the Warriors shot 60% from the field, hitting nine of their 15 field goal attempts.
“A lot of that was what type of three’s we are taking and a couple baskets in transition instead of a lot of contested shots in the half court which was happening some in the first quarter.”
King Philip’s 2-2-1 – dubbed an “opportunistic” zone by Coute — wasn’t the biggest reason for the Eagles’ 15 first half turnovers, but it was key in terms of keeping the pace where KP wanted it. The Eagles didn’t get any fast break points in the first half.
“It started with Sharon, we’ve been playing an opportunistic 2-2-1 is what I call it,” Coute said. “When the traps present themselves we take it but it’s more of a time management 2-2-1, trying to keep it a possession game rather than an up and down game. We want the pace to be at where we want. We’re not a team that will score 70 or 80 points so we want to keep the pace at our level against teams that want to run.”
“[The zone] has helped a lot too. Over the last couple of games we’ve shot a better percentage. Ben Smith has been a big lift for us hitting some outside shots, [Noah] Goodwin is playing better and [Pharoah] Davis is finishing better in transition. When that all happens, it gives everyone else more confidence. When we get into the 2-3 zone, we’re extending it too and it helps with Kyle Layman in the middle because he alters the game, he alters a lot of shots. He takes that high post spot so we don’t have to collapse.”
The Warriors won the third quarter 13-8 and by the fourth quarter, Coute was able to rest his starters. In the final quarter, Tom Sullivan (five rebounds) and RJ McCarthy each had four points while Matt Lehoullier, Will Weir and Smith each added points. JJ Tibbetts added a pair of assists and Ryan Ackles came away with a steal.
Goodwin finished with a game-high 17 points while Layman had 11 points, six rebounds and two blocks and Smith had nine points and four rebounds.
King Philip (3-6, 2-5) is back in action on Tuesday night, taking a trip to Canton for a 6:30 tip off.
“It will be nice to go to Canton and get a win. I know Canton is hungry, they have scouted us a couple times. We know they are hungry for their first league win, it’s at Canton so we know we’re going to get their best. And they’re well coached too.” Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.
Today’s games are listed below. Boys Basketball
King Philip. 63 vs. Barrington, 35 – Final – King Philip won the second quarter 21-6 to create the separation. Junior Noah Goodwin had a game-high 17 points, freshman Kyle Layman had 11 points and six rebounds and senior Ben Smith had nine points and four rebounds. Hockey
Attleboro, 3 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Mark Sheehan gave the Black Knights the lead just 15 seconds into the game (assisted by Carter Gerome and Sean Doherty), but Attleboro tied it with five minutes remaining on a goal by P.J. Elliott. Will McKenzie scored the eventual game-winner two minutes later shorthanded and Keigan Larkin scored an empty net goal (assisted by Evan Andrews) to wrap up the win. Attleboro held a 51-15 advantage in shots. Stoughton goalie AJ Scott had an “outstanding” game in goal according to head coach Dan Mark.
Foxboro, 1 @ Canton, 7 – Final
Taunton, 8 vs. New Bedford, 0 – Final Swimming Boys
Franklin, 73 @ North Attleboro, 88 – Final
Taunton, 85 @ Mansfield, 85 – Final Girls
Franklin, 93 @ North Attleboro, 71 – Final
Taunton, 96 @ Mansfield, 72 – Final Gymnastics
Sharon, 136.65 @ Attleboro, 136.1 – Final
Mansfield, 138.7 @ North Attleboro, 132.4 – Final Girls Hockey
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 0 vs. Medfield, 3 – Final
Stoughton, 1 @ Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake, 9 – Final
By Anthony Rinaldi, HockomockSports.com Contributor
WRENTHAM, Mass. – A good defensive effort and timely shots led the King Philip boys’ basketball team over North Attleboro, 53-47, for its second win of the season on Friday night.
The Warriors started off hot in the first quarter, going on an 8-3 run in the first minutes of the game. North responded wit five straight points of its own to tie the game at but KP then went to work on the offensive end again scoring six straight points to end the quarter.
In the second quarter, North Attleboro’s defense began to play better, holding KP to 11 points. But when North junior Brent Doherty converted a crucial three-point play to cut the deficit to five, KP came back with two timely threes, the first from junior Seth Sullivan and the second coming from senior Ben Smith.
“The last two games we’ve been able to shoot the ball at a higher percentage and hit timely shots, to put not as much pressure on our defense,” King Philip head coach Matt Coute said.
“We’ve continued to have a hard time finding a shot grove early,” North Attleboro head coach Sean Mulkerrins said. “I was really proud of the other side of the court, the defense, we did a good job getting into passing lanes and turning that into transition offense.”
The third quarter began back and forth between both teams. North then went on a 10-2 run to get the KP lead down to one at 30-29. After KP junior Noah Goodwin added a pair of free throw, the Warriors again hit a timely three to get their lead up to six. North Attleboro junior Kyle McCarthy then hit a three from the corner to get the KP lead down to three. KP then again hit two foul shots to bring a five-point lead into the final quarter.
King Philip again came up big with some timely shots down the stretch in the 4th quarter. Smith came up big from downtown again for the Warriors, hitting two straight threes to help extent the lead to 13 points midway through the 4th.
After a Doherty three for North Attleboro cut it to 10. Will Weir responded with a layup for KP. North Attleboro then hit back to back threes the first from Doherty and the second from McCarthy cutting the KP lead once again. It then came down the free-throws for KP and junior Pharaoh Davis came up in the clutch going 6/6 from the line to close the game.
“This was a really, really sweet victory for us,” Coute said. “To win two straight games against tournament quality opponents is exactly what we needed to keep these kids motivated right in the middle of the season.”
For King Philip, Weir and Goodwin each had 13, Smith followed closely with 12, and Davis ended with 10. For North Attleboro, Doherty had a game high 24 points.
Both teams now have home games against non-conference opponents. North Attleboro (3-4, 3-3) looks to bounce back as they take on Falmouth this Sunday at 3:00. King Philip (2-6, 2-5) looks to extend the win streak to three when they take on Barrington at 3:00 on Monday.
Today’s games are listed below. Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 43 @ Taunton, 65 – Final – Taunton junior Quan Roberson netted a game-high 20 points while senior Dominique Smith added a career-high 18 points for the Tigers. Tommy MacLean added 11 points and Jose Mercado had 10 points. Attleboro’s Jake Dunkley had nine points and three rebounds and Lucas Boucicaut also had nine points. Kyle Murphy pulled in 10 rebounds for the Bombardiers.
Canton, 42 @ Sharon, 47 – Final – Sophomore Malik Lorquet made a big splash in his first full varsity game with nine points and 10 rebounds. Junior Adam Banks also scored nine points for the Eagles. Woanyen Mahn and Rishi Jambunathan each scored nine points for Canton.
Foxboro, 54 @ Oliver Ames, 50 – Final – Foxboro built a seven point lead by halftime and held on in the second half. Senior Jason Procaccini led with 18 points with classmate Alex DuBrow chipping in with 17 points. Oliver Ames junior Carter Even had 17 points and seniors Shawn Cardoza and Tim Kelley each had 12 points.
Franklin, 60 @ Mansfield, 57 – Final – Freshman Jay Dieterle hit a three with 1:34 left to put Franklin ahead for good. The Panthers, which led by as much as 22, had to stave off a rally from Mansfield over the third and fourth quarters. Franklin sophomore Connor Peterson scored a career-high 23 points and had seven rebounds, Tim Prunier added 15 points and five assists, sophomore Paul Mahon added eight points and six rebounds and Dieterle had six assists to go with five points. Matt Ehrlich had 16 points and five rebounds for Mansfield and Max Boen added 11 points.
North Attleboro, 47 @ King Philip, 53 – Final – Juniors Will Weir and Noah Goodwin each scored 13 points for King Philip with senior Ben Smith adding 10 points and junior Pharaoh Davis netted 10 points. North Attleboro junior Brent Doherty scored a career-high 24 points for the Rocketeers.
Milford, 60 @ Stoughton, 77 – Final – Stoughton senior Brandon Teixeira logged his league-leading sixth double-double of the season with 22 points and 11 rebounds as the Black Knights enjoyed a strong shooting night from the floor. Junior Ryan Sullivan added a career-best 16 points for Stoughton. Milford junior Nate Davila scored a team-high 18 points and Dwight Anderson added 13 points. Girls Basketball
Sharon, 41 @ Canton, 43 – Final – Meaghan Hunter led the way for the Bulldogs with 17 points and Emma Murphy added 13, including nine in the fourth quarter. Alyssa Piazza was the top scorer for Sharon with 14 points and Ashley Mukasa added 10.
Oliver Ames, 53 @ Foxboro, 38 – Final – The Tigers had the lead throughout in a key Davenport Division matchup. The Warriors got within one in the third quarter but OA answered with a three to keep the lead. Sophomore Kayla Raymond notched her first double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds while Hannah Carroll added 10 points and Francesca Calabraro had eight points and nine rebounds.
Mansfield, 51 @ Franklin, 48 – Final – Meg Hill was the top scorer for the Hornets with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jen Peel added 10 points (eight in the first half) and eight assists for the Hornets and Jackie Carchedi scored nine points (eight in the fourth quarter). Lauren Rudolph led the Panthers with 11 points (nine in the third quarter) and Aubrie Kutil had eight points and nine rebounds.
King Philip, 34 @ North Attleboro, 49 – Final – North Attleboro got 10 points apiece from Julia Feid and Emily Haskell. KP was led by Sam Madden and Riley Dalzell, who each scored seven points.
Stoughton, 59 @ Milford, 41 – Final – Julia Foye came off the bench to drain a trio of three pointers and finished with 11 points to spark the Black Knights. Alecia Quinones led Stoughton with a team-high 20 points and added seven steals.
Taunton, 26 @ Attleboro, 63 – Final – Sarah Deyo returned for the Bombardiers with 20 points and 10 rebounds and sophomore Sam Pierce chipped in with her fourth straight double-double, 18 points and 11 rebounds. Emma Vlashi also had 11 boards for Attleboro. Swimming
Canton boy, 109 @ Oliver Ames boys, 63 – Final
Canton girls, 83.5 @ Oliver Ames girls 86.5 – Final
Franklin boys, 70 @ Mansfield boys, 98 – Final
Franklin girls, 92 @ Mansfield girls, 70 – Final
North Attleboro has high hopes for the season with Brent Doherty, Ridge Olsen (5) and many more experienced players back. (Ryan Lanigan.HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
ATTLEBORO
2014-2015 Record: 3-19
2014-2015 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Mark Houle
After winning just three games a season ago, the Bombardiers will be looking to make a push back to the postseason in 2015-2016. One big reason that Big Blue has high hopes for this season is a healthy Kyle Murphy. The 6’3 senior missed over half the season last year with an injury but looks primed to be a leader for the Bombardiers this season. When he’s on the court, Attleboro will have the rebounding advantage and he’s able to convert in the paint to help the offense.
Head coach Mark Houle will also have junior Andrew Milliken back this season, who has the ability to attack the rim and find success at the hoop. Houle said the 6’2 forward has improved his shooting range, which will help Attleboro spread the floor some. Jake Dunkley is another shooter that will help Attleboro while point guard Lucas Boucicaut is back with an improved skill set. Along with Milliken and Murphy, Houle has 6’3 forward Berlyns Abraham as another presence in the paint.
“We have been working hard and getting better everyday,” Houle said. “Our team is still developing but I really like how hard we are playing throughout each practice. Our senior leadership has been very good. I like our confidence in each other and overall team chemistry.”
FRANKLIN
2014-2015 Record: 18-6
2014-2015 Finish: Reached D1 Central Semifinal
Coach: CJ Neely
The Panthers were close to returning to the D1 Central Sectional Final last year but with four of the starters from that team graduated, there will be plenty of minutes to be had this season. Senior point guard Tim Prunier, who is one of the top players in the entire league, is the lone starter returning while forward Josh Macchi, who saw got some experience coming off the bench last year is also back.
But just because names like Marcus Giese, Dylan Reno, Markus Bohmiller and Shawn Hanley are gone doesn’t mean the Panthers won’t be competitive this year. In fact, Franklin will likely be in the thick of the Kelley-Rex division race. There will be plenty of new faces but they almost all have good size and can shoot the ball, two traits that will make Franklin a tough opponent. And unsurprisingly, the Panthers will likely be one of the top defensive teams.
“This is a team that only needs to focus on getting better each day,” head coach CJ Neely said. “Our goals are day to day improvement and we will let the results take care of themselves. We will pride ourselves on strong defense and tremendous effort and teamwork. Offensively, we have a lot of guys who are capable of playing well and as soon as we trust each other, make the extra pass and consistently compete together on both sides of the floor, I think we can have a good season. I have been very impressed with the team’s willingness to be coachable and get better each day. It should be a fun year.”
KING PHILIP
2014-2015 Record: 11-10
2014-2015 Finish: Reached D1 South Preliminary Round
Coach: Matt Coute
In the first year with Matt Coute at the helm, the Warriors made it back to the postseason after a two year hiatus. Now Coute will have a different looking squad with better outside shooting and a reliance on sound defense.
Senior Ben Smith and juniors Noah Goodwin and Will Weir will be the most experienced players for a young King Philip team. The Warriors know they could play the underdog role a bit more this season and that’s something they’re relishing. And while the Warriors might not have a ton of experience, there is still plenty of talent amongst the younger players.
Freshman Kyle Layman will look to make an immediate impact while sophomore transfer Pharaoh Davis and sophomore Tom Madden could see plenty of minutes this season.
“So far in the young season, I have been excited to come to practice and work with this young group everyday,” Coute said. “Despite the inexperience, they are showing signs of really coming together as a group. Our young guys are stepping up, our older guys are showing great leadership on and off the court, and our new additions will help us greatly leading forward. I feel as though the kids believe they have something to prove to people and they are coming to practice everyday with the right focus. We just need to continue to stay the course, especially with so many new pieces.”
MANSFIELD
2014-2015 Record: 23-3
2014-2015 Finish: Reached D1 South Sectional Final
Coach: Mike Vaughan
Over each of the past couple of seasons, the Hornets have had to deal with lots of turnover, including losing league MVPs, many all stars and plenty of other great players. Yet still, the Hornets have reached the D1 State Final, the D1 South Semifinal and the D1 South Finals in the last three years.
That run will be tested this year as once again Mansfield graduated a ton of talent, including Hockomock League MVP Ryan Boulter and HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Michael Boen. But at the same time, head coach Mike Vaughan will be returning plenty of players that have a good amount of varsity experience.
Senior Nick Baskin and junior Math Ehrlich are both starting their third varsity season and along with seniors Kyle Swansburg and John Gouvalaris will be relied on to be the leaders for the Hornets this season.
Meanwhile, players like juniors Christian Weber, Sam Goldberg, Phil Vigeant and Max Boen all saw plenty of minutes of the past season and will try to fit into the rotation.
“Trying to replace guys like Boen and Boulter will be difficult, but I think we will do it by committee,” Vaughan said. “This is one of the deeper teams I have had where every guy can play and does things well. We will see different guys lead us each night.
“I’m expecting big things out of the three seniors who have waited for this to be their time, and Ehrlich, Goldberg, Boen, Vigeant and Weber are all underclassman with varsity experience who are ready to write their own two year chapter in the history books.”
NORTH ATTLEBORO
2014-2015 Record: 5-15
2014-2015 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Sean Mulkerrins
Expectations are high in Big Red country and for good reason. The Rocketeers have nearly everyone back from last year’s team and despite that team only winning five games, they were one of the few teams that were better than their record.
Junior Brent Doherty had a breakout campaign during his second season on varsity last year and could be one of the top players in the entire league this season. Doherty, a point guard, is mighty quick and despite only being 5’9, is able to slice through defenses to get to the rim. Sophomore Chad Peterson, a strong player who can shoot from the perimeter, will be looking to follow up on a strong rookie campaign and senior Kyle Gaumond that has good range on his shot and will be one of the Rocketeers top defenders this season.
On top of that, senior Ridge Olsen is one of the most experienced players in the league while Thomas Reynolds, Jonny Friberg and Kyle McCarthy all saw good minutes last year.
“We’re very excited about the upcoming season,” head coach Sean Mulkerrins said. “With a large amount of talented varsity players returning, we have high expectations for a tournament birth. We expect to compete each night in the Hockomock League for victories.”
TAUNTON
2014-2015 Record: 19-5
2014-2015 Finish: Reached D1 South Sectional Semifinal
Coach: Charlie Dacey
After making it to the D1 South Sectional Semifinal last season, the Tigers will be looking to make another postseason run this year. Senior Jose Mercado and junior Tommy MacLean, two of Taunton’s players last season, are back to run things for head coach Charlie Dacey this season.
The biggest question will be who fills the void left by Corey Green’s graduation. Mercado showed last season he can shoot as well as be a successful player in the post, both offensively and defensively. MacLean has improved each of the past two seasons and could make a big jump with more responsibility in his junior year.
Taunton will rely on players like Quandarius Roberson, who transferred in back from prep school, Carlos Borrero, Lens Esquil and other younger players to complement Mercado and MacLean. With the athletes that Taunton has, expect the Tigers to get out and run.
“We will be small but quick,” Dacey said. “Tempo is the buzz word this year. We have people who can play fast so that’s what we will try to do. If we can put some underclassmen around [Mercado and MacLean] we could be in the hunt again.”
