09/14/201809/15/2018

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/14/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Game of the Week – Football
Franklin, 21 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
First Quarter: No scoring.
Second Quarter: (F) Nick Gordon 28-yard pass to Ryan Driscoll, Parker Chevrant XP good.
Third Quarter: (F) N. Gordon 7-yard rush, P. Chevrant XP good; (F) N. Gordon 6-yard run, P. Chevrant XP good.
Fourth Quarter: No scoring.

Football
Attleboro, 21 @ Dartmouth, 7 – Final
1st Quarter: (D) Dylan Pacheco 8-yard pass to Nathan Oliver, XP good.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: (A) Jason Weir 1-yard rush, 2pt failed; (A) Isaac Gudiel 55-yard interception return, Justin Cote 2pt rush.
4th Quarter: (A) J. Cote 4-yard rush, Colby Briggs XP good.

Foxboro, 0 @ King Philip, 17 – Final
First Quarter: (KP) Cole Baker 35-yard field goal.
Second Quarter: (KP) Ryan Halliday 1-yard rush, C. Baker XP good.
Third Quarter: No scoring.
Fourth Quarter: (KP) R. Halliday 3-yard rush, C. Baker XP good.

Mansfield, 14 vs. Everett, 41 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Nick Marciano 4-yard rush, Nico Holmes XP good; (E) Dillon Doherty 2-yard rush, XP good.
2nd Quarter: (E) D. Doherty 37-yard pass to Tyrese Baptiste, XP blocked; (E) D. Doherty 51-yard pass to Mike Sainristil, 2pt conversion good; (E) D. Doherty 36-yard pass to M. Sainristil, 2pt failed.
3rd Quarter: (E) D. Doherty 10-yard pass to Eli Auguste, XP good.
4th Quarter: (M) Vinnie Holmes 1-yard rush, N. Holmes XP good; (E) Jaden Mahabir 1-yard rush, XP good.

North Attleboro, 19 vs. Bishop Feehan, 23 – Final
1st Quarter: (NA) Nick Raneri 70-yard pass to Ryan Gaumond, Tyler DeMattio XP good; (BF) Safety.
2nd Quarter: (BF) Tim Ambrosia 5-yard rush, XP blocked; (NA) T. DeMattio 25-yard field goal; (NA) T. DeMattio 28-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter: (BF) T. Ambrosia 1-yard rush, T. Ambrosia 2pt pass to Nick Norko.
4th Quarter: (BF) T. Ambrosia 1-yard rush, William Lynch XP good; (NA) Brendan McHugh 8-yard rush, XP no good.

Oliver Ames, 18 vs. Silver Lake, 28 – Final

Sharon, 7 @ Ashland, 14 – Final

Stoughton, 7 vs. Catholic Memorial, 20 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (CM) Darius LeClair 1-yard rush, XP no good.
3rd Quarter: (CM) Owen McGowan 7-yard rush, O. McGowan 2pt rush; (CM) Barrett Pratt 2-yard rush, 2pt failed; (S) Jeff Grier 18-yard rush, Josh Cocchi XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Taunton, 27 vs. Durfee, 7 – Final
1st Quarter: (T) Noah Leonard 15-yard pass to Brayden Merrill, Coby Adams XP good.
2nd Quarter: (T) Tryton Zavala 11-yard rush, C. Adams XP good; (T) T. Zavala 4-yard rush, C. Adams XP good; (T) N. Leonard 18-yard pass to Wesner Charles, XP failed.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (D) Elijah Concepcion 8-yard rush, XP good.

Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 4 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Attleboro scored three times in the second half to earn a win on the road. The Bombardiers had four different goal scorers on the day. Will Halben opened the scoring on an assist from Mike Russo but Stoughton’s John Neves tied the game going into halftime. Alex Naughton (from Joey Soucy), Justin Lurssen (from Russo), and Hugo Henriquez (from Soucy) scored in the second half for Attleboro.

Franklin, 0 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Canton scored once in each half to secure two points with a win over visiting Franklin. Simon Cruz opened the scoring in the 32nd minute as the Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead into the break. Paul Corcoran made it 2-0 just five minutes into the second half. Alejandro Correal notched his first career shutout.

Taunton, 2 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final

King Philip, 1 @ Milford, 2 – Final – Milford’s Lucas Da Silva scored twice in a two minute span to help the Scarlet Hawks complete the comeback. KP took the lead at the midway point of the second half on a goal from Justin Wilson but Da Silva tied it two minutes later, finishing off a flick from Walisson de Oliveira to make it 1-1. Just two minutes later, Joey Madden’s long throw was flicked on by Leo Coelho and finished by Da Silva to make it 2-1. de Oliveira, Anthony Salvador and Cam Doherty played well for Milford.

Mansfield, 1 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Mansfield’s Owen Mullahy scored in the final seconds of the game to help the Hornets grab a point on the road. Sharon took the lead in the first half off a free kick but Mansfield cashed in on a long throw to get the tie. Sharon’s Brian Higgins gave the Eagles the lead with a left-footed shot off a free kick. In the final sesconds, Mansfield’s Cam Eddy’s throw was kept in the box by Sam Nugent, and he found Mullahy in close for the tying tally. Nugent, Ethan Brill-Cass, and Colin Caridi had strong games for the Hornets.

Girls Soccer
Stoughton, 0 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Attleboro scored three times in the second half to pull out the win. Isabella Salviati scored a goal and assisted on another and Jess Gates had a pair of assists for the Bombardiers. Briley Harnois opened the scoring off a Salviatie assist. Salviati added the second from Gates and then Sam Fasoldt made it 3-0 with a header off a Gates corner. Attleboro coach Steve Santos is Gates controlled the midfield and Sophia Salviati played well in defense. Ashley Macia earned the clean sheet. Stoughton goalie Brianna Buckley had a strong first half, according to head coach Tara Daniels, to keep the game scoreless. Daniels added that moving Gabi Diaz from midfield to sweeper also helped organize the defense.

Canton, 1 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Olivia Rodman opened the scoring for the Bulldogs but Franklin responded within five minutes on a tying goal by Halle Atkinson. Freshman Stella Regan gave the Panthers the lead and then late in the game Sydney St. Marie added an insurance goal to seal the win.

Sharon, 0 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – Steph Kemp had two goals and an assist and Cassidy McMahon had a brace for the Hornets. Melissa Reef, Sydney Mulkern, and Karina Gemiani each had an assist in the win.

Milford, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – Chloe Layne scored twice and Avery Snead had a goal and an assist to keep KP perfect in the league. Snead scored the eventual game-winner with a header off a Faye Veillieux corner after 15 minutes. Nine minutes later, Layne scored from the penalty spot to double the lead before halftime. With 20 minutes left, Layne volleyed in a Snead cross to end the scoring. Taylor Butler made five saves for her third clean sheet of the season.

Field Hockey
Attleboro @ Stoughton – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.

Franklin, 1 @ Canton, 2 – Final – Click here for a recap of this game.

Mansfield, 7 @ Sharon, 0 – Final

Oliver Ames, 3 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – The Rocketeers took the lead on a goal by Abby Calistra, but the Tigers scored three straight in the second half to get the win. Hannah Stryke tied the game off a penalty corner, with Maggie Woods picking up the assist. Kayla Lozzi completed a three-on-one break to give OA the lead and Woods added a goal to her earlier assist when she knocked in a rebound off the goalie’s pads. OA coach Sharon Lawrence also praised the midfield play of Meaghan Rockey and Brynna Courneen and the defending of Emily Han. Kara Ostrander made three saves to preserve the win.

King Philip, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – King Philip raced out to a 3-0 lead at halftime and never looked back in a win over Milford. Nicole Connor opened the scoring with an unassisted tally (23:51), Dana Truini converted a pass from Kate Lindmark (13:32), and Alli Meehan made it 3-0 off of a pass from Connor (1:39). In the second half, Lindmark scored on an assist from Meehan (16:24) and Meegan capped the scoring with 11:50 on a pass from Olivia Kulesza. Grace May and Mackenzie Manning combined for the shutout in net for KP.

Volleyball
Attleboro, 0 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final – The Black Knights stayed unbeaten with a three-set win (25-10, 25-19, 25-22). Stoughton coach Erica Batchelder said the team “played together and shared the ball.” Mia Bennett had a strong game in the back row and Alexa Quinones had a great overall performance in the win. Attleboro’s Chelsea Calcagni had seven aces and two kills while Hailey Thake added two kills and a block.

Franklin, 3 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Franklin picked up an impressive win over a good Canton team, taking a 3-1 decision (25-21, 13-25, 25-21, 25-9) over the Bulldogs. For Canton, Julia Minichello played great defense with 14 digs and three aces and Nicole Brown was fantastic with 22 assists, 24 digs and four kills.

Taunton, 3 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Taunton secured its second win of the season with 3-1 (25-19, 25-20, 19-25, 25-20) win on the road at Foxboro. Jaime Brown paced the offense with 16 assists, five aces and a block while Sam Martin added five kills, an ace and a block for the Tigers. Sam Silveira had a strong all around game with three kills, two blocks, and 11 aces while Mckenzie Lucie solidified the back row with strong serve receive and defensive play (six digs).

King Philip, 3 @ Milford, 1 – Final – King Philip went on the road and picked up a 3-1 win over Milford (25-23, 21-25, 25-9, 25-14). Grace Ely paced the offense with nine kills and two aces while Catherine Waldeck added nine kills and two blocks, Nicole Coughlan chipped in with five kills, three aces four blocks, Emma Brooks added six aces, and Lillian Carlo led the defense with five digs.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – The Rocketeers took the final set 15-6 to earn a hard-fought 3-2 (25-17, 15-25, 25-23, 17-25, 15-6) victory. Tatian Sotelo led North with eight kills while Emma Gunn added seven kills. Hayley Gaskin had 15 assists, Joanna Collins-Bilyeu added 12 assists and Lizi Buron anchored the defense with 13 digs. Junior Jordan Bosse led the Tigers with 10 kills and three aces in defeat. OA also got 28 digs and three aces from Sadie Homer and four kills, four blocks, and two aces from Jackie Raymond.

Mansfield, 1 @ Sharon, 3 – Final – Mansfield won the third set to prevent the sweep but Sharon finished off the match to earn a 3-1 (25-23, 25-20, 16-25, 25-22) win. For Mansfield, Greenly Kelly had 14 kills, Emily Dardinski added 10 kills, and Sam Sternberg had 14 digs.

Golf
Canton, 155 @ North Attleboro, 160 – Final – Four Bulldogs shot sub-40 rounds to earn the Davenport win. Tommy Dimock shot a medalist round of 38 to lead the way, while Chris Lavoie, Mike Gobbi and Thomas Singleton each shot rounds of 39. Marcus Costa had North’s low score of the day with a 39. Jillian Barend and Matt Wanless each shot rounds of 40 and Justin Strom shot a 41 for the Rocketeers.

King Philip, 169 @ Franklin, 166 – Final – Matt D’Errico shot a 38 to lead the way for the Panthers in a close match at Franklin Country Club. Franklin also got a round of 41 from Quintin Faro and a 42 from Jake Blaney. KP was led by Kayla Shuberth, who shot a 40.

Attleboro, 178 @ Oliver Ames, 153 – Final – Thomas Walsh shot a medalist round of 35 in wet conditions to lead the Tigers to their first win of the season. Tate Hadges shot a 38, Liam Barry shot a 39, and James Walsh finished with a 41 for OA. Attleboro’s low round belonged to Ethan Johnson, who shot a 42.

09/07/201809/08/2018

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/07/18

Today’s games are listed below.

Game of the Week – Football
King Philip, 7 @ North Attleboro, 14 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (NA) Brendan McHugh 16-yard run, Tyler DeMattio XP good; (KP) Ryan Halliday 80-yard run, Cole Baker XP good.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (NA) B. McHugh 33-yard run, T. DeMattio XP good.

Football
Milford, 7 @ Attleboro, 21 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (A) Jason Weir 16-yard pass to Ethan Cameron, Colby Briggs XP good.
3rd Quarter: (A) J. Weir 1-yard rush, C. Briggs XP good.
4th Quarter: (A) Justin Cote 33-yard rush, C. Briggs XP good. (M) Lucas Rosa 1-yard rush, Sean Lehane XP good.

Canton, 25 @ Dighton-Rehoboth, 20 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (DR) 2-yard rush, XP good; (DR) 10-yard rush, XP good.
3rd Quarter: (C) Johnny Hagan 24-yard pass to Jace Emma, XP failed.
4th Quarter: (C) J. Hagan 30-yard rush, 2pt conversion failed; (C) Gersom Rivera 3-yard rush, 2pt conversion failed; (C) Kyle Fitzgerald 5-yard rush, Owen Lehane XP good. (DR) 5-yard rush, XP failed.

Foxboro, 6 vs. Hingham, 22 – Final
1st Quarter: (H) Charlie Egan 8-yard rush, Jonathan Bearden 2pt rush.
2nd Quarter: (H) Jack Johnson 11-yard pass to Kevin Shea, C. Egan 2pt rush; (F) Liam Foley 32-yard pass to Rob Fay, 2pt conversion failed.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (H) J. Bearden 9-yard rush, 2pt conversion failed.

Franklin, 34 vs. Andover, 10 – Final
1st Quarter: (A) Field goal good.
2nd Quarter: (F) Sean Hofferty 1-yard rush, Parker Chevront XP good; (F) Nick Gordon 1-yard rush, P. Chevront XP good; (F) Austin Jordan 44-yard interception return, P. Chevront XP good.
3rd Quarter: (A) 1-yard rush, XP good.
4th Quarter: (F) N. Gordon 66-yard rush, P. Chevront XP good; (F) Jack Nally 4-yard rush, P. Chevront XP good.

Mansfield, 21 @ BC High, 7 – Final – Click here for a recap of this game.
1st Quarter: (M) Damani Scott 18-yard pass to Nick Marciano, Nico Holmes XP good.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (BCH) Jacob Perez 12-yard rush, XP good; (M) Cincere Gill 18-yard rush, N. Holmes XP good; (M) C. Gill 4-yard rush, N. Holmes XP good.

Oliver Ames, 19 @ Concord-Carlisle, 20 – Final
1st Quarter: (OA) Cam Perron 20-yard pass to Nathan Cabral, C. Perron XP good; (OA) N. Cabral 12-yard rush, XP failed.
2nd Quarter: (CC) Christian Gemeli 17-yard rush, XP failed; (CC) C. Gemeli 27-yard pass to Cam Ladd, XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (CC) C. Ladd 20-yard rush, XP failed; (OA) C. Perron pass to Shane Kilkelly, 2pt conversion failed.

Sharon, 7 @ Nauset, 6 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: (S) Aaron Strong 25-yard rush, Mitchell Director XP good.
4th Quarter: (N) 50-yard pass, XP failed.

Stoughton, 43 @ Framingham, 22 – Final
1st Quarter: (S) Jeff Grier 86-yard rush, XP failed.
2nd Quarter: (S) Chris Ais 10-yard rush, Malachi Green-Hightower 2pt rush; (F) Jack Beverly 41-yard pass to RJ Viele, J. Beverly 2pt pass to Dante Marino.
3rd Quarter: (S) J. Grier 5-yard rush, M. Green-Higtower 2pt rush; (S) Anthony Burke 20-yard pass to J. Grier, Josh Cocchi XP good.
4th Quarter: (F) J. Beverly 29-yard to Gabe Paixao, J. Beverly 2pt pass to R. Viele; (S) M. Green-Higtower 1-yard rush, J. Cocchi XP good; (S) J. Cocchi 25-yard interception return, J. Cocchi XP good. (F) Reece LaChance 5-yard rush, 2pt failed.

Taunton, 7 @ New Bedford, 6 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (NB) Latrell Canto 10-yard rush, XP failed.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (T) Noah Leonard 65-yard pass to Brayden Merrill, Coby Adams XP good.

Boys Soccer
Milford, 2 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Milford junior Walisson de Oliveira scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner with under 10 minutes to go, to lift the Hawks to a win on the road. de Oliveira opened the scoring off an assist from Anthony Salvador but Franklin freshman Terry O’Neill tied the game just before halftime. de Oliveira scored the unassisted game-winner with seven minutes to play.

Sharon, 0 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – King Philip sophomore Camron Lawrence bagged a brace to lead the Warriors to their first win of the season. After Zac White drew a foul at the top of the box, Lawrence placed his shot back post to put KP up 1-0. With Sharon pushing numbers late to tie it, KP intercepted a pass and Lawrence was able to place a shot into the empty net to seal the deal in the 78th minute.

Mansfield, 4 vs. Dartmouth, 1 – Final – Mansfield senior Luke Savoie scored a hat trick for the second straight game as the Hornets dispatched of visiting Dartmouth. Junior Owen Mullahy opened the scoring for the Hornets just two minutes into the game, finishing off a free kick from Derek Meuth. The Hornets doubled their lead when Savoie scored off a long throw from Cam Eddy. Dartmouth cut the deficit to one at half but Mansfield added two more in the second half. Savoie headed in a feed from Ethan Brill-Cass and completed the hat trick with seven minutes to go, scoring off Tommy Lanzillo’s free kick. Anthony Salisbury made 11 saves in net for Mansfield.

North Attleboro, 1 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – North Attleboro jumped ahead just before the midway point of the first half but Taunton found the equalizer in the 66th minute to earn a point. Gerson Bonilla cleaned up a rebound in the 18th minute to put the Rocketeers up. Joe Hilf’s header was denied on a terrific save by Taunton goalie Nolan Melo but Bonilla buried his chance. In the 66th minute, Taunton’s Colby Fernandes took advantage of a turnover and used a volley to bring the Tigers level. Kyle Briere made three saves for North Attleboro.

Stoughton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo Gallery of this game.

Girls Soccer
Franklin, 4 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Erin Quaile, Calen Frongillo, Carly Alston, and Sydney St. Marie each scored in the first half to put Franklin in control of its season opener. Grace Gallo and Halle Atkinson each had assists in the win.

King Philip, 6 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – Chloe Layne opened her account for the season and finished with a hat trick, while Avery Snead scored two and assisted on two others, as KP got its first win of the season. Makayla Griffin added a goal and two assists and Lauren Anderson had a pair of assists in the win. Sophia McLaughlin earned the clean sheet in net. KP finished with 17 shots in the game.

Field Hockey
Foxboro, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final

Sharon, 0 @ King Philip, 12 – Final – King Philip opened its season with a big win at home over visiting Sharon. Senior Alli Meehan had four goals and three assists, freshman Meghan MacDonald netted a hat trick and added two assists and Olivia Kulesza scored three goals for the Warriors.

Volleyball
Foxboro, 1 @ Tri-County, 3 – Final

Sharon, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip began its 2018 season with a 3-0 sweep of Sharon (25-17, 25-12, 25-14). Catherine Waldeck had 10 kills for the Warriors while Nicole Coughlan added four kills and three aces. Kat Kmetz finished with three kills, three aces, and 18 service points and Grace Ely added three aces, three kills, and six service points.

Oliver Ames, 3 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames bounced back from its season-opening loss to earn a win over visiting Bridgewater-Raynham (25-17, 25-15, 25-16). Senior defensive specialist Grace McCallum had a strong game for the Tigers with six digs, five aces and two kills. Senior Sadie Homer added 18 digs, junior Allie Kemp finished with 21 assists and three aces, and junior Jordan Bosse put down 11 kills with two aces.

Golf
North Attleboro, 172 @ Foxboro, 177 – Final – North Attleboro’s Jillian Barend earned medalist honors for the Rocketeers, carding a team-low round of 40.

Attleboro, 174 @ King Philip, 163 – Final

Taunton, 92 @ New Bedford, 77 – Final (Stableford) – Taunton’s Kyle Robinson had a team-best round of 43 to pace the Tigers to a win at the Whaling City Golf Club. Spencer Andrews and Sean Bunker each shot 45 to help Taunton.

09/05/201809/07/2018

Football: 2018 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2018 Kelley-Rex Football Preview

Attleboro

2017 Record: 5-6
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Mike Strachan

Key/Returning Players: Justin Cote, Sr., RB/OLB; Nick Evans, Sr., OT/DE; Eddie Porreca, Sr., DT; Alex Rodriguez, Sr., RB; Josh Therrien, Sr., WR/FS; Desmond Woodson, Sr., OLB; Qualeem Charles, Jr., OT/DT; Isaac Gudiel, Jr., OG/LB; Nolan Jaeger, Jr., WR/CB; Jason Weir, Jr., QB/DE; Michael Strachan, So., LB/TE

Outlook:
Injuries hampered Attleboro right from the start of the 2017 season, but the 2018 Bombardiers are healthy and hoping for a big turnaround this fall to compete with the top teams in the Kelley-Rex division and make a return to the postseason.

The graduation of quarterback Cam Furtado is a significant loss on offense, but the Bombardiers will hand the ball to junior Jason Weir, who has a big arm and a lot of potential at the QB position. Size and strength won’t be a problem for Weir, who played defensive end as a sophomore. Seniors Justin Cote and Alex Rodriguez will be the primary backs for Attleboro this year and give the Bombardiers dynamic weapons out of the backfield. The offensive line is bolstered by 6-foot-6, 290-pound junior Qualeem Charles and 6-foot-3, 265-pound senior Nick Evans. At 6-foot-3, junior Nolan Jaeger will be a weapon at receiver along with senior Josh Therrien and sophomore tight end Michael Strachan.

Evans battled injuries at the start of last season, but he is one of the top defensive linemen in the league and is drawing Div. I college offers. Attleboro will be a tough team to run against this season with Evans on the end and Charles (who is also getting DI looks) and 6-foot-3, 365-pound senior Eddie Porreca on the inside. Strachan and junior Isaac Gudiel will be starting at inside linebacker, while senior Desmond Woodson will be starting on the outside. Therrien is capable of making plays downfield at his free safety position and will be the leader of the secondary.

“I am looking forward to the 2018 season,” said Attleboro coach Mike Strachan. “We have a strong senior class and we have strong leadership on our football team. Our team worked out hard in the off-season and I am looking forward to that hard work paying off this season.”

Franklin

2017 Record: 3-8
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Eian Bain

Key/Returning Players: Ryan Driscoll, Sr., WR/DB; Sean Leonard, Sr., TE; Evan Wertz, Jr., LB; Sean Hofferty, Sr., RB; Liam Arsenault, Sr., OL/DL; Nick Gordon, Sr., QB/DB; Riley Downing, Sr., OL/DL; Will Davis, Sr., WR; Jack Jarosz, Sr., OL/DL; Jack Nally, Jr., WR; Jake Davis, Jr., WR/DB; Dom Natale, Jr., OL/DL; Thomas Gasbarro, Jr., QB/DB; Nolan McLaney, Sr., DB;

Outlook:
Third-year head coach Eian Bain is optimistic about the 2018 season, and the long list of players returning with plenty of experience is a big reason why. The Panthers have over a dozen players back that started or saw significant time on offense and the same goes for the defense, include a very seasoned secondary.

Franklin must replace three-year starter Jake Noviello at quarterback but Bain is confident that a healthy competition between senior Nick Gordon and junior Thomas Gasbarro will result in a strong option starting under center for the opening week. While Franklin has to replace its quarterback, they return a ton of skill players on offense including senior tight end Sean Leonard, who hauled in a league-best eight touchdown passes last season. Ryan Driscoll (five touchdowns), Jack Nally, Will Davis, and Jake Davis will fill out the receiving corps while Sean Hofferty and Owen Palmieri man the backfield. Seniors Riley Downing and Liam Arsenault are experienced and will anchor the offensive line.

Junior Evan Wertz will be a key piece in the middle of the Panthers’ defense after having a breakout campaign last year with nearly 100 tackles from his linebacker spot. Senior Spencer Briggs and sophomore Alex Honor will also see time at linebacker while Downing is joined by Jack Jarosz, Dom Natale, and Keenan Bassma on the defensive line. The Panthers boast a seasoned secondary with Nolan McLaney and Driscoll both back, along with Palmieri, Jake Davis, and both Gasbarro and Gordon.

“We have experience on both sides of the ball,” Bain said. “It is a cohesive group that has been working hard together for our first two years and they are eager to the turn the corner with our program.”

King Philip

2017 Record: 12-0
2017 Finish: MIAA D1A State Champions
Coach: Brian Lee

Key/Returning Players: Jack Webster, Sr., FB/LB; Aidan Bender, Sr., RB/DB; Max Armour, Sr., LB; Luke D’Amico, Sr., DB; Terrell Jacobs Baston, Sr., OL/DL; Ryan Halliday, Jr., RB; Josh Fice, Sr., OL/DL; Nolan Gunning, Jr., OL/DL; David Morganelli, Sr., WR;

Outlook:
The target on King Philip’s back is bigger than ever as the Warriors pulled off a second straight undefeated season and another state championship.

So how will head coach Brian Lee get this year’s team to focus on 2018 and not the past two seasons?

“The work and preparation have been the same but now it’s up to this season class to leave their legacy,” Lee said. “The previous two classes had their moments, now it’s up to these seniors to make their own moment. This team will go as far as these seniors lead them.”

The seniors will have plenty of opportunities to make their mark because King Philip doesn’t have a returning starter on offense. The Warriors need to replace quarterback Brendan Lydon, who didn’t lose a game as a starter. Junior Robbie Jarest looks poised to take over under center this season. While it isn’t a lot of experience, Jarest took over in the second half of the state final after Lydon got hurt and helped the Warriors finish off Lincoln-Sudbury. The toughest shoes to fill will be those of Shane Frommer, who will go down as one of the best players in KP history.

Junior Ryan Halliday will be the feature back while Aidan Bender and Sam Callanan will be in the mix as well. Jack Webster and Jack Collentro will be keys to the offense from the fullback position. Senior Terrell Jacobs Bastons has some experience on both sides of the ball and will likely start at guard while classmate Josh Fice will fill in the other guard spot. Junior Nolan Gunning is likely to get a starting spot as well, either at center or tackle.

Defense has been a staple for the Warriors throughout their successful run over the last couple of years, and that’s what KP will count on again this season. The strength will come from the linebackers with Webster back in an outside spot and Max Armour returning in the middle. Jacobs Bastons will be a big presence in the middle of the defensive line while the secondary will have familiar faces back in Aidan Bender, Timmy Nault, and safety Luke D’Amico.

And as we saw in the state final, having a reliable kicker is priceless. Cole Baker, who booted the winning field goal in the final, is back for his third year. Not only will he be a big help on offense, his kickoffs will be a weapon for the defense.

Mansfield

2017 Record: 8-3
2017 Finish: Reached D1A South Quarterfinal
Coach: Michael Redding

Key/Returning Players: Key/Returning Players: Damani Scott, Sr., QB/FS; Michael DeBolt, Jr., WR/DB/K; Vinnie Holmes, Jr., RB/LB; Makhi Baskin, Jr., RB/DB; Nick Marciano, Jr., RB/DB; Aidan Sacco, Sr., RB/DB; Philip Dinov, Sr., RB/LB; Chris Copponi, Sr., RB/LB; Chris Graham, Jr., OL/DL; Jason Comeau, Jr., OL/DE; Khristian Conner, Sr., WR/DB; Daenin Walker, Sr., OL/DL

Outlook:
Mansfield has finished second in the Kelley-Rex in each of the past three seasons and the Hornets will be counting on experience under center and depth at the skill positions to end King Philip’s two-year reign atop the division and return to the top of the league standings for the first time since 2013.

Senior Damani Scott will be the starter at quarterback for the second straight season and he will be backed up by the capable Jack Mousette, giving the Hornets plenty of experience and reliability from their signal caller. Scott will also have a ton of weapons to call on this year with a skill position group that head coach Mike Redding calls one of the best that Mansfield has had in a while. Khristian Conner and Aidan Sacco will be weapons in the passing game while junior Vinnie Holmes is back in the backfield. Juniors Makhi Baskin, Michael DeBolt (who was also an outstanding kicker last year), and Nick Marciano will provide depth in the slot/running back positions. Senior Daenin Walker and junior Jason Comeau will add experience to the offensive line.

Defensively, Holmes will return to the linebacking corps after setting a program record for tackles in a season as a sophomore. Seniors Chris Copponi and Philip Dinov also return and can play as linebackers or as defensive ends depending on matchups. The secondary will be strong for the Hornets this year with Conner and Sacco at the corners and Marciano and Baskin at the safety positions. The only new additions on the defense are Anthony Capece at noseguard and junior Joe Plath at linebacker.

Redding said, “We have an experienced, athletic, aggressive defense that should be tough to score on and we’re young on offense, but have a ton of depth and talent at skill positions. Just need to gain some experience up front with our new guys on OL and DL.”

Oliver Ames

2017 Record: 6-5
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Mike Holland

Key/Returning Players: Cam Perron, Jr., QB; Dean Pacini, Sr., OL/LB; Darnele Ryan, Sr., LB; Sam Stevens, Jr., DB; Shane Kilkelly, Jr., WR; Nathan Cabral, Jr., RB; Shane Murphy, Sr., OL/LB; Billy Tat, Sr., OL/DL; Luke Thibeault, Sr., OL/DL; Garrett Wood, Sr., OL/DL;

Outlook:
The 2018 version of the Oliver Ames Tigers have already had to make an audible after star running back Anthony Berksza suffered a season-ending injury over summer. Berksza had a breakout year last season, rushing for over 1,100 yards and finished with 16 total touchdowns, 15 of those rushing.

With Berksza out, Oliver Ames will rely heavily on the rest of its returning starters to carry the load. Junior Cam Perron returns under center after taking over the starting job during the regular season last year. While Perron looks to find some of his options, he has an offensive line protecting him that has some experience but will be looking to form cohesiveness throughout the year. Dean Pacini, Shane Murphy, Billy Tat, Luke Thibeault, and Garrett Wood all return with experience playing on the line. One challenge will be finding someone to step up and be a leader of that group after the graduation of two-time all star Jack Mills.

Nathan Cabral takes over as the feature tailback and OA head coach Mike Holland is confident the junior can get the job done. Holland says Cabral runs hard and is a tough player. Perron will also have the likes of Shane Kilkelly, Jake Erlich, and Evan Craig to work with as targets.

The heart of the defense will be at the linebacker position. Both Pacini, Murphy, and Darnele Ryan return after starting there last year and Holland will count on both senior captains to lead the way for the Tigers. Sam Stevens is back in the secondary at the safety position but OA will need some new faces to emerge alongside him.

“We’re looking forward to the start of the season,” Holland said. “We have a great group across the board. We have some experienced players back and some talented players competing for jobs.”

Taunton

2017 Record: 5-6
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Brad Sidwell

Key/Returning Players: Noah Leonard, Sr., QB; Brayden Merrill, Sr., WR/DB; Tryton Zavala, Sr., WR/DB; Wesner Charles, Sr., WR/DB; Christian Tourinho, Sr., OL/DL; Cam Correiro, Sr., OL/DL; Corey Pintabone, Sr., TE/DL; Ryan Williams, Sr., OL/LB; Jared Rockwood, Sr., TE/DE; Max Moitoso, Sr., RB/LB; Prince Brown, Sr., WR/DB; Mason Frank, Jr., OL/DL

Outlook:
Taunton started last season with a 3-0 record, one of the program’s best starts in years, but then lost five straight games, including a playoff game against BC High, the top seed in Div. 1 South. The Tigers turned it on again from that point, winning the final three games of the season, including an impressive win against Brockton, to finish with a winning record under second-year head coach Brad Sidwell.

Experience will be a key for the Tigers this season, as Taunton tries to build on that playoff appearance and the momentum from a strong closing stretch. Senior Noah Leonard will be the starting quarterback for the third straight year and is now fluent in Sidwell’s offensive system. Leonard will have familiar targets in senior wideouts Brayden Merrill, Tryton Zavala, and Wesner Charles, while junior Cam Carroca looks to step in as a feature running back and junior Javon Franklin is a new target in the passing game. On the line, Taunton returns plenty of size in 6-foot-3, 337-pound tackle Christian Tourinho and his fellow senior Cam Correiro. Senior Ryan Williams will be the center, while junior Mason Frank, listed at 6-foot-2 and 274 pounds, will be back to battle at the line of scrimmage.

Size and athleticism will be strengths for Taunton on the defensive side of the ball as well. Tourinho, Correiro, and Frank can bottle up opposing running games and will be joined on the line by seniors Corey Pintabone and John Rockwood. Williams will lead the linebacking corps along with classmates Max Moitoso and Kyle Cuoto. Senior Prince Brown will be back at corner and senior Sebastien Celestin looks to step into the safety position.

“Taunton football is progressing forward,” said Sidwell. “Like all teams, we’d like to gain some confidence early in the season and carry it on. The Kelley-Rex division is challenging with great programs, coaching staffs, and communities. We are happy to be a part of it and want to represent Taunton High well by competing at the high standard set by the other league members.”

11/23/201711/23/2017

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 11/23/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Attleboro, 6 @ North Attleboro, 14 – Final

Stoughton, 0 @ Canton, 27 – Final
1st Quarter: (C) Johnny Hagan 22-yard rush, Owen Lehane XP good; (C) Alec Ragusa 45-yard fumble return, O. Lehane XP good.
2nd Quarter: (C) A. Ragusa 4-yard rush, XP failed.
3rd Quarter: (C) J. Hagan 6-yard rush, O. Lehane XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Mansfield, 28 @ Foxboro, 20 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Phil Dinov fumble recovery in the end zone, Mike DeBolt XP good; (F) Devin Hassett 2-yard rush, XP good; (M) Danny DeGirolamo 81-yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) D. Hassett 11-yard rush, XP no good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (M) Damani Scott 8-yard pass to Chris Copponi, M. DeBolt XP good; (M) Aidan Sacco 5-yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good; (F) D. Hassett 11-yard pass to Jack O’Donnell, XP good.

Franklin, 0 @ King Philip, 28 – Final
1st Quarter: (KP) Brendan Lydon 1-yard rush, Cole Baker XP good.
2nd Quarter: (KP) B. Lydon 12-yard pass to Jack Piller, C. Baker XP good; (KP) B. Lydon 37-yard pass to David Morganelli, C. Baker XP good.
3rd Quarter: (KP) Ryan Halliday 3-yard rush, C. Baker XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Milford, 42 vs. KIPP Academy Lynn Charter, 20 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Will Pointer 46-yard rush, Sean Lehane XP good; (M) Ryan O’Toole 53-yard rush, S. Lehane XP good; (M) W. Pointer 43-yard rush, S. Lehane XP good; (M) Patrick Brogioli 8-yard rush, S. Lehane XP good.
2nd Quarter: (K) Jansiel Jimenez rushing touchdown, XP failed; (M) Matt Curran 51-yard rush, S. Lehane XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) Neil Arquillano 8-yard rush, S. Lehane XP good.
4th Quarter: (K) KIPP 39-yard fumble recovery return, XP failed; (K) KIPP 26-yard pass touchdown, 2pt conversion good.

Oliver Ames, 10 @ Sharon, 0 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (OA) Derick Hanscom 29-yard field goal; (OA) Darnell Ryan 40-yard interception return, D. Hanscom XP good.

Taunton, 42 @ Coyle & Cassidy, 7 – Final
1st Quarter: (T) Noah Leonard 1-yard rush, Everett Ferreira XP good.
2nd Quarter: (T) Malik Richardson 5-yard rush, E. Ferreira XP good.
3rd Quarter: (CC) Jackson Harrison 6-yard rush, Ben Vaas XP good; (T) Vinny Diniz 65-yard kick off return, XP failed.
4th Quarter: (T) N. Leonard 8-yard pass to Brayden Merrill, N. Leonard 2pt rush good; (T) N. Leonard 6-yard pass to B. Merrill, N. Leonard 2pt pass to Alec Simon good; (T) Tryton Zavala 96-yard rush, XP failed.

09/30/201709/30/2017

Furtado Leads the Way for Bombardiers at Taunton

Attleboro football — Attleboro quarterback Cam Furtado (14) accounted for four touchdowns and nearly 250 yards of offense as the Bombardiers rolled to a 45-21 victory at Aleixo Stadium. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

TAUNTON, Mass. – It had been a rough opening three weeks of the season for the Attleboro football team, losing all three games against strong opposition (two by a combined seven points) and seeing the roster decimated by injuries.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

But on Friday night at Aleixo Stadium, the Bombardiers got healthy and got on the board with their first win, beating Taunton 45-21 to end Tigers’ perfect start to the season.

Senior quarterback Cam Furtado led the way for Attleboro once again, running for a pair of touchdowns and throwing for two more while amassing nearly 250 yards of offense. The Bombardiers also showed off an array of skill position players, with seven players getting at least one carry and six players having at least one reception.

“He had great poise tonight,” Attleboro coach Mike Strachan said of Furtado. “He handled things, getting guys lined up, and I thought that was really important for him. He’s a had a good year for us and he’s done it with really not the full cast of characters, so hopefully we can build off this.”

Penalties killed Attleboro’s first possession of the game, which got as far as the Taunton 15 before stalling and ending in a punt. The Tigers immediately took advantage and took the lead. T.J. Mendes gave warning with an 11-yard draw up the middle and then broke through the line again on the next play, racing 53 yards for the opening score.

Attleboro bounced right back with a 73-yard drive, keeping the ball on the ground almost the entire way. Junior Alex Rodriguez (eight carries, 73 yards) had three rushes on the drive, senior Marcus Blaise had three and Furtado (16 carries, 86 yards) had back-to-back keepers that totaled 31 yards.

He capped the drive by hitting senior tight end James Weir (just back from injury) for a seven-yard score. Furtado then completed a pass to Justin Cote for the conversion.

Nathan Barboza picked off Leonard on the first play of Taunton’s next possession and returned it to the Tigers eight-yard-line. Two plays later, Furtado’s six-yard keeper and ensuing two-point conversion made it 16-7.

Taunton was not going away in the first half and answered right back. A 55-yard kick-off return by Tryton Zavala gave the Tigers ideal field position at the Attleboro 20. On fourth and 11, Leonard threw a receiver screen to Collin Hunter on the near sideline and the senior wideout broke tackles on his way to the end zone.

The game changed on Attleboro’s last possession of the half. Starting in Taunton territory, it looked like the Bombardiers were going three-and-out, but a running into the punter penalty on fourth and four kept the drive alive. On fourth and six from the 22, Furtado and Barboza hooked up for a seven-yard completion.

Again the Taunton defense held and had the Bombardiers on the edge. Senior Billy DeRosa sacked Furtado on third down for a 12-yard loss pushing the visitors back to the 26 and facing fourth and 21. Attleboro tried a trick play with wideout Elvin Sam tossing a pass, but it was incomplete. Taunton celebrated and both teams walked to the sidelines thinking the drive was over. No one noticed the flag sitting next to the Tigers sideline.

The call was unsportsmanlike conduct on the Taunton bench. The official explained later during a timeout that he had warned the Taunton coaches to give him room on the sideline, but during the fourth down play he ran into a coach and gave a penalty. Taunton was stunned and Attleboro made it worse on the next play as Furtado threaded the needle to Sam (three catches, 68 yards) for a 13-yard score and a 24-14 lead.

“That was a difficult call,” said Taunton coach Brad Sidwell. “On a fourth down, when we’re getting the ball back…but even that, the roughing the punter we had before that was killer.”

Strachan said, “I don’t know what happened, I just know that we had opportunities all half and we just kept getting a penalty here and a penalty there. We just couldn’t seem to get going and then we settled in and that gave us a lot of momentum. That was a huge moment for us.”

Attleboro came out of the locker room fired up and took control of the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Sophomore Qualeem Charles (also back from an injury) blocked a Taunton punt to give the Bombardiers the ball at the Tigers 29. After a 20-yard screen pass from Furtado to Cote, Rodriguez went up the middle for a seven-yard touchdown.

Taunton scored on its next possession with Leonard (4-11, 78 yards) finding Brayden Merrill underneath the coverage and the junior breaking it for a 41-yard touchdown. But that renewed energy was short-lived, as the Tigers had no answer for Furtado.

The senior signal caller kept a third and nine play alive, scrambling to his left, and then firing a perfect deep ball to Josh Therrien for a 50-yard completion. Cote punched it in from a yard out. Barboza added a one-yard run on the next Attleboro possession and Nolan Jaeger added an interception in a dominating second half for the Bombardiers.

“Attleboro is a good team,” said Sidwell. “They had a couple games that they should’ve won and they’re a big, strong team and they took it to us in the second half. We’ll keep working.”

Strachan was happy to welcome a few of his key players back, including junior Nick Evans who had a cast on his arm, and also to have players that could make plays and take some of the pressure off Furtado.

“We’re getting some kids healthy in the backfield,” he explained, “and it takes a lot of pressure off him and we’re throwing the ball and getting Elvin on the outside. We just had to be patient. It’s been a frustrating three weeks but this was good for us.”

When asked if this might be a turning point for the season, Strachan replied, “I just told the seniors that it gets the monkey off our backs. We just have to keep working hard. There’s a good team every single week.”

Attleboro (1-3, 1-1) will try to build on the first win of the season when it hosts Oliver Ames next Friday. Taunton (3-1, 1-1) will look to get back on track next Friday when it travels to Alumni Field to take on Mansfield.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

09/29/201709/30/2017

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/29/17

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Attleboro, 45 @ Taunton, 21 – Final
1Q: (T) T.J. Mendes 53-yard run, John Teixeira XP good; (A) Cam Furtado 7-yard pass to James Weir, C. Furtado to Justin Cote 2-point conversion.
2Q: (A) C. Furtado 6-yard run, C. Furtado 2-point conversion; (T) Noah Leonard 21-yard pass to Collin Hunter, J. Teixeira XP good; (A) C. Furtado 13-yard pass to Elvin Sam, J. Cote 2-point conversion.
3Q: (A) Alex Rodriguez 7-yard run, E. Sam 2-point conversion; (T) N. Leonard 41-yard pass to Brayden Merrill, J. Teixeira XP good; (A) J. Cote 1-yard run, Conversion no good.
4Q: (A) Nathan Barboza 1-yard run; Tyler Evans XP good.

North Attleboro, 27 @ Milford, 6 – Final
1st Quarter: (NA) Brendan McHugh 2-yard rush, 2pt failed; (NA) Chad Peterson 4-yard rush, Geoff Wilson XP good.
2nd Quarter: (NA) B. McHugh 1-yard rush, G. Wilson XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) Colby Pires 14-yard pass to Tyler Joyce, XP missed.
4th Quarter: (NA) C. Peterson 20-yard pass to Nolan Buckley, G. Wilson XP good.

Boys Soccer
Stoughton, 0 @ Norwood, 1 – Final

Girls Soccer
Stoughton, 1 vs. Norwood, 1 – Final – Chinazo Odunze scored the Black Knights’ goal off an assist by freshman Mackenzie Manning. Stoughton coach Tara Daniels said Victoria Fallon played a “great game” in defense.

Field Hockey
Attleboro, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final

Mansfield, 2 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final

Volleyball
Foxboro, 1 vs. Norton, 3 – Final

Milford, 0 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – North Attleboro defended its home court with a sweep, winning 25-10, 25-10, 25-20. Kezia De La Cruz had 11 kills while Amelia Murphy finished with 10 kills. Anna Caristi added eight kills and three blocks in the win.

Stoughton, 2 @ Norwood, 3 – Final

Golf
Taunton vs. Coyle & Cassidy, 3:00

09/01/2017

Football: 2017 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2017 Kelley-Rex Football Preview

Attleboro

2016 Record: 4-7
2016 Finish: Reached D1A South Quarterfinal
Coach: Mike Strachan

Key/Returning Players: Cam Furtado, Sr., QB/CB; Elvin Sam, Sr., WR/CB; Justin Cote, Jr., RB/OLB; Matthew Corrado, Sr., OL/DL; Matthew Jimenez, Sr., OL/DL; Dan Perry, Sr., OL/DE; James Weir, Sr., LB/TE; Nate Barboza, Sr., LB/FB; Nick Evans, Jr., TE/DE; Kyle Walsh, Jr., OL/DL; Jacob Weatherford, Jr., LB/FB; Josh Therrien, Jr., FS/WR

Outlook:
The Bombardiers started the season 3-2, but closed with only one win in the final six games, including a pair of losses to league rival and eventual Super Bowl champion King Philip. Injuries piled up for Attleboro in 2016, but it gave a number of players the chance to gain valuable varsity experience and the Bombardiers have high hopes for improvement this fall.

Experience at the skill positions is one of the reasons for optimism at Attleboro. Senior Cam Furtado is slated to start the season at quarterback and has proven to be a dynamic playmaker. Classmate Elvin Sam emerged as a big play weapon last fall, whether in the backfield or split out wide, and tight end James Weir gives Attleboro an option in the middle of the field. Wideout Josh Therrien and running back Justin Cote could also play bigger roles with running back Marcus Blaise adding depth.

Attleboro also has a strong returning core on defense with Furtado, Sam, and Therrien in the secondary and Weir joining senior Nate Barboza and junior Jacob Weatherford at linebacker. Matt Corrado, Matt Jimenez, and Kyle Walsh will give the Bombardiers strength on both sides of the line and junior Nick Evans could be poised for a breakout year after moving from linebacker to defensive end. Sophomore Qualeem Charles is also a player to watch on the line.

“I am extremely excited about our senior group of players,” said Attleboro coach Mike Strachan. “We have some dynamic players in Cam Furtado and Elvin Sam and hopefully they can maximize their athletic talents. We have many returning starters from last season so we hope to build on that experience.”

Franklin

2015 Record: 2-9
2015 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Eian Bain

Key/Returning Players: Jake Noviello, Sr., QB; Sean Leonard, Jr., WR/TE; Brian Kosicki, Sr., OT; Nolan McLaney, Jr., S; Jackson Gilbert, Sr., DE; Ryan Driscoll, Jr., CB; Riley Downing, Jr., OL/DL

Outlook:
The first season for the Panthers under new head coach Eian Bain was a struggle at times for a young roster that was adapting to new systems on both sides of the ball, but there is hope that the experience gained last fall will pay dividends in 2017. Franklin will have a number of returning players to count on this season.

Offensively, Franklin will have to find ways to make up for the production of graduated running back Jacob Wolowacki, who was a go-to weapon in the ground and passing games. Senior quarterback Jake Noviello will be counted on to lead the offensive unit after more than 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns last fall. Junior wideout Sean Leonard started all 11 games last year and will be a tough matchup for defenses along with fellow receivers Jack Nally, Will Davis, and Evan Wendell and running back Sean Hofferty. Three-year starter Brian Kosicki will be the leader of the offensive line and tight end Patrick Morrison will be a weapon in the passing game.

On defense, the Panthers have depth in the secondary, including junior safety Nolan McLaney, who was second on the team in tackles last year. Junior Ryan Driscoll has speed on the corner and Bain called him the “focal point” of the defense. Nick Gordon will hold down the other corner spot. Senior defensive end Jackson Gilbert is coming back from injury that cut short his junior season and will add strength on the edge. Junior Riley Downing gives Franklin size and speed in the middle of the line.

“We are in year two of our process,” said Bain. “We are in a different place than we were a year ago…Fans should expect to see a better team in 2017. We have a roster full of experience and had great participation through the Franklin speed and conditioning program. In a league this good we have to bring our best every week.”

King Philip

2016 Record: 12-0
2016 Finish: MIAA D1A State Champions
Coach: Brian Lee

Key/Returning Players: Brendan Lydon, Sr., QB; Evan Rice, Sr., RB/LB; Shane Frommer, Sr., RB/DB; Dylan Leonard, Sr., RB/LB; Cole Baker, Soph., K; Andrew Dittrich, Sr., WR/DB; David Morganelli, Jr. WR/DB; Anthony Vahue, Sr., OL/DL; Jack Webster, Jr., LB.

Outlook:
What will the Warriors do for an encore? King Philip won its third league title in the past five years, second outright Kelley-Rex title in the past three seasons, and completed an unbeaten season with a win over Reading in the Div. 1A Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium.

Despite losing a large and influential senior class, the Warriors are being picked by some to repeat at champs this fall. One reason for continued belief is the return of senior quarterback Brendan Lydon, who showed poise in the pocket and the ability to make accurate passes downfield in his first year under center in 2016. Yale-commit Shane Frommer is also back for his senior season and will be the feature back for the Warriors in a system that prides itself on pushing teams around on the ground. Beyond that, it will be up to a group of rookies to make an impact. KP will boast an entire new offensive line, anchored by senior Anthony Vahue, and all new receivers. Junior David Morganelli will be one of the options for Lydon.

The Warriors boast a bit more experience on the defensive side of the ball. Even though a good chunk of starters are gone, KP’s rotation last year allowed for players like Evan Rice (defensive end), Jack Webster (linebacker) and Dylan Leonard (safety) to see action. Frommer will be back opposite Webster while Vahue will also play on the defensive line. Andrew Dittrich returns as a starting corner back to anchor the secondary.

Although there are a lot of new faces on this year’s roster and a lot of leadership missing from last season’s championship squad, head coach Brian Lee has instilled a toughness that permeates the program and expectations are that KP will have a decent chance at lifting a trophy again this fall.

“We don’t get any points for last year, we don’t get spotted a touchdown because we went undefeated last year,” Lee said. “When it comes to high school football, it’s about taking those rookies and getting them ready for varsity speed, they have to be able to handle the bright lights on Friday nights. If we can get them up to speed, we should be okay.”

Mansfield

2016 Record: 8-3
2016 Finish: Reached D1A South Quarterfinal
Coach: Michael Redding

Key/Returning Players: Will Shield, Sr., OL/DL; Colbey Eason, Jr., OL/DL; Jareme DiLorenzo, Sr., DE/TE; Hunter Ferreira, Sr., WR/OLB; Danny DeGirolamo, Sr., RB/DB; Joe Cox, Sr., RB/OLB; Khristian Conner, Jr., RB/DB; Chris Copponi, Jr., FB/LB; Aidan Sacco, Jr., RB/DB; Mike Shannon, Sr., TE/DE

Outlook:
The Hornets finished second in the Kelley-Rex division last year, with the only Hock loss coming by three points to league champ King Philip. Mansfield was stunned in a playoff thriller against Marshfield, but then bounced back to beat Div. 1 playoff teams Needham and Newton North and will enter 2017 with typically high expectations, as the Hornets look to win their first league title since 2013.

A strength for Mansfield this fall will be the experience it returns at the skill positions led by senior wideout Hunter Ferreira, who has emerged as one of the area’s top receivers. The backfield will once again be loaded for the Hornets, who will count on seniors Danny DeGirolamo and Joe Cox and juniors Khristian Conner and Aidan Sacco. New quarterback Damani Scott will try to make use of that talent and the 6-foot-3 junior has a big arm to make plays downfield.

Cox and Ferreira will add strength and speed to the linebacking corps, while seniors Mike Shannon and Jareme DiLorenzo will provide a pass rush at the defensive end positions. Conner, Sacco, and DeGirolamo will all return in the secondary. If there are questions for the Hornets, it will be at the line of scrimmage; senior Will Shield and junior Colbey Eason have returned and will be the players to build around on the offensive and defensive lines.

“After one week, we are happy with work ethic and development of linemen,” said Mansfield coach Mike Redding, who is in his 30th season with the Hornets. “If we can get pieces of the puzzle sorted out up front on OL and DL, we’ll be a tough out. We have a very good collection of playmakers that can run and catch and we should score some points this year.”

Oliver Ames

2015 Record: 2-9
2015 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Mike Holland

Key/Returning Players: Jack Mills, Sr., OL/DL; Curtis Cann, Sr., QB; Jay Fruci, Sr., FB/LB; Michael Mulrean, Sr., DB/WR; John-Michael Cole, Sr., OL/DL; Noah Fitzgerald, Sr., WR/DB

Outlook:
The Tigers got off to a promising start to 2016, winning two of the opening three games including a dramatic one-point win over Franklin, but Oliver Ames struggled down the stretch against a difficult schedule. Now entering his third year, head coach Mike Holland is confident the program is heading in the right direction this fall.

According to Holland, the Tigers’ strength on the offensive side of the ball is the experience of playing in the system for several seasons and a greater understanding of the concepts. Senior Curtis Cann will lead the attack after taking over as the starting quarterback last season and he has several talented weapons on the outside in seniors Michael Mulrean and Noah Fitzgerald. Jay Fruci will be one of the returning players in the backfield, lining up behind a big offensive line.

Jack Mills will be a mainstay in the middle on both sides of the ball and is one of the top lineman in the league. He will be paired with fellow senior John-Michael Cole on the line, giving the Tigers depth in the trenches. Fitzgerald and Mulrean will also be important contributors in the secondary, while Fruci will bring athleticism to the linebacking corps. Holland wants his defensive scheme to take advantage of the team’s speed.

“Looking forward to the start of a new season. Our guys’ preparation and approach leading up to the season has been excellent,” Holland said. “We have guys with experience that need to play big, as well as some new guys that are in the mix to compete for spots.”

Taunton

2016 Record: 5-6
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Brad Sidwell

Key/Returning Players: Noah Leonard, Jr., QB; Brayden Merrill, Jr., WR/DB; Collin Hunter, Sr., WR/DB; Paul Corrao, Sr., T/DT; Cam Correiro, Jr., G/DT; Antonio Mendes, Sr., RB; Zakim Harrow, Sr., DT/NG; Nuno Camara, Sr., LB/FB

Outlook:
The Tigers narrowly missed out on a winning record in their first season under head coach Brad Sidwell and showed signs of improvement, including a narrow, three-point loss to Mansfield. In year two, Sidwell is hoping for even more and Taunton has potential on the roster to be a tough out in the league.

Losing wide receiver Adam McLaughlin to graduation will certainly impact the offensive attack, but junior quarterback Noah Leonard returns for his second season under center and will look to build on the experience he gained last fall. With a number of athletes at the skill positions, including senior Collin Hunter and junior Brayden Merrill at wideout and T.J. Mendes in the backfield, Taunton will use a number of formations and styles to cause matchup problems. Sidwell expects the passing game to be a major strength for the Tigers.

Defensively, Taunton will have a number of new faces, but has size and experience at the line of scrimmage. Seniors Paul Corrao and Zakim Harrow and junior Cam Correiro will all make a significant impact on the battle in the trenches. Senior Nuno Camara provides experience to the linebacking corps, while Merrill and Hunter will be important in the secondary.

“Moving into the second year, the players, coaches and fans are excited for the season but there is lots of work to be done,” Sidwell said. “Hopefully we can get off to a good start and provide some confidence to gain momentum into the difficult Hockomock League season.”