Below are the official 2021 (Fall 2) Hockomock League Football All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
Kelley-Rex Division MVP
TJ Guy, Mansfield
Kelley-Rex Division All Stars
Michael Strachan, Attleboro
Chris Leonardo, Attleboro
Jake O’Brien, Franklin
Mack Gulla, Franklin
Patrick Zarba, King Philip
Mikey Malatesta, King Philip
Crawford Cantave, King Philip
TJ Guy, Mansfield
Jake McCoy, Mansfield
Cincere Gill, Mansfield
Nico Holmes, Mansfield
Anthony Comer, Mansfield
Nick Bertolino, Mansfield
Mario Lee, Milford
Carter Scudo, Milford
Dominic Schofield, Milford
Kedrick Santos, Taunton
Trent Santos, Taunton
Davenport Division MVP
Christopher Ais, Stoughton
Davenport Division All Stars
Jack Albert, Canton
Matt Connolly, Canton
James Kraus, Foxboro
Jon Moses, Foxboro
Luis Sulham, Foxboro
Mike Norvish, Foxboro
Sean Ferguson, Foxboro
Harry Bullock, North Attleboro
Jacob Silva, North Attleboro
Jared Penta, North Attleboro
Matt Penta, North Attleboro
Tyler DeMattio, North Attleboro
Ike Ogbonnanze, Sharon
Christopher Ais, Stoughton
Christian Ais, Stoughton
Jake Queeney, Stoughton
John Burke, Stoughton
Sproul Deroulos, Stoughton
Below are the official 2021 (Fall 2) Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league. Below are the official Hockomock League Football All Stars and honorable mentions, selected by the coaches in the league.
Mansfield continued its defensive dominance, allowing no points and only four first downs against Div. 2 South rival Marshfield. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
MANSFIELD, Mass. – Although it has been an obviously unusual season, there was a familiar, playoff-like feel to the final game of the regular season at Alumni Field. Mansfield (6-0) hosted fellow unbeaten Marshfield, a team that the Hornets have faced in the playoffs in five of the last six seasons.
There was also a familiar feel to the game, as the Mansfield defense stood tall once again, allowing only four first downs in a 12-9 win. All of Marshfield’s points were scored by its defense, meaning the Hornets did not allow an opposition offense to score a single point over the final 19 quarters of the season (going back to the first quarter against Milford in week two).
“I thought we did a really good job handling their run game and couple of short passes but nothing big,” said Mansfield coach Mike Redding about the defensive effort. “They play hard and aggressive and they didn’t give much tonight.”
He added, “I told the guys, look you’re undefeated. It doesn’t matter how many games you won, you got a zero for losses and that’s special. They made the best of this opportunity and this season.”
It was an awkward start for the home team. A couple of penalties ended the first possession and James Gilleran’s punt was blocked by Josh Pires. Gilleran recovered to prevent a Marshfield touchdown by knocking the loose ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety.
The Rams caused a lot of problems on special teams, blocking two punts and an extra point.
Mansfield’s defense was holding up well to the high-paced, spread formation offense that Marshfield likes to run. James Fichera broke up a pass play and then Rocco Scarpellini made the tackle on third and long forcing a Marshfield punt from its own 11.
Anthony Comer returned the punt to the Rams 25 and Mansfield’s offense took advantage of the short field. Comer (20 carries, 55 yards) set up the touchdown with a 16-yard burst around the left side of the line and then punched it in from two yards out on the next play to put the Hornets in front 6-2.
The coverage continued to be excellent from the Mansfield secondary, as Nick Bertolino threw a big hit to break up a pass, TJ Guy set the edge to stop a sweep, and Jake Goldman made a good break on the third down pass to force an incompletion. Again, Marshfield was forced to punt from deep in its own territory and gave the hosts great starting field position.
This time, it took Mansfield only one play to turn that position into points. Nico Holmes (10 carries, 88 yards) took a counter straight up the gut and raced 49 yards for the touchdown. He was untouched until he got into the end zone. The conversion pass fell incomplete and Mansfield led 12-2 with 3:22 left in the half.
Marshfield moved the chains for the first time on a 14-yard pass from Owen Masterson to Pat Yesinko and, after an offsides call, converted a fourth and two at midfield for their second first down of the night. Everett Knowlton closed out the half with one of Mansfield’s three sacks.
Holmes said there weren’t a lot of adjustments on defense facing the hurry-up offense. He said, “We stuck to what we knew in our base stuff and it worked out. We played Mansfield football, hard-nosed, violent football and we got it done.”
Scarpellini opened the half by recovering a Masterson fumble, but the Mansfield drive ended when Matt Boen was picked off by Sam Sullivan in the end zone. After a 30-yard pass from Ean Scholz to Yesinko got the Rams into Mansfield territory for just the second time, Holmes and Scarpellini stuffed a play for a big loss and then Scarpellini added a tackle on the fourth down keeper to get the ball back.
While the Mansfield defense was dominating, the offense was struggling to find a rhythm, especially without running back Cincere Gill. Boen followed the block of Jake McCoy to convert a fourth and two, but a holding call on the next play negated any momentum.
“We just couldn’t sustain anything,” Redding admitted. “It was hard work for either team to get first downs tonight. I’m glad we were able to get enough there in the second quarter to get some breathing room. This was playoff football for sure.”
Marshfield’s Tim Bunker blocked the ensuing punt, but the Rams couldn’t make the good starting field position count. Ryan DeGirolamo broke up a pass and then Holmes sniffed out an attempted fourth down shovel pass for no gain.
Facing third and 14, Boen (7-of-11, 88 yards) looked down the sideline to Knowlton. The pass was tipped by the Marshfield corner but Knowlton stayed with it for a 24-yard grab. The excitement from that play was fleeting as a holding call and then a fumble ended the drive.
Mansfield got the ball back and looked like it was just going to run the clock out. Boen broke an 18-yard gain on a keeper and then Holmes was close to a first down on the next play, but as he was fighting for extra yards Sullivan ripped the ball loose and took it up the far sideline for a 77-yard touchdown that stunned the home bench.
With 1:42 to play, Mansfield looked like it was going for it on fourth and two from its own 43, but instead Boen quick kicked it and the ball rolled down to the 10.
“We were just trying to hang on, trying to stay calm, do what we do, not get over excited,” said Holmes about the mindset for that final defensive possession.
Marshfield managed one first down on the final drive, just its fourth of the night, but the Hornets were flying to the ball. The Hornets only allowed Marshfield to complete 12-of-29 passes on the night. Bertolino, Jared Fraone, and Holmes all made big plays to stop the final drive and secure the win.
“It’s the story of the year,” said Redding about his defense. “They have played lights out and they won it tonight. Just unbelievable effort.”
When asked about what it was like to have Marshfield rather than traditional Thanksgiving Day rival Foxboro to close out the season, Redding explained, “We miss playing Foxboro with all the tradition, but we’re not too disappointed that when we do play Foxboro it will be next Thanksgiving hopefully in front of 5,000 instead of 300.
“I think it was fun to play a great team like this, who was undefeated. It was a damn good replacement to play kind of a Div. 2 South championship to wrap this thing up.”
Football
Mansfield, 34 @ Taunton, 0 – Final 1st Quarter: (M) Anthony Comer 46-yard rush, James Gilleran XP good.
2nd Quarter: (M) Cincere Gill 17-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good; (M) A. Comer 48-yard punt return, J. Gilleran XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) A. Comer 62-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good. (M) Jake Wall 64-yard rush, XP failed.
4th Quarter: No scoring.
Stoughton, 20 @ King Philip, 13 – Final 1st Quarter: (KP) Crawford Cantave 4-yard rush, Matthew Kelley XP good; (KP) M. Kelley 27-yard field goal.
2nd Quarter: (KP) M. Kelley 31-yard field goal,
3rd Quarter: (S) Christopher Ais 14-yard rush, XP failed; (S) Christian Ais 66-yard rush, Christopher Ais 2pt rush.
4th Quarter: (S) Christian Ais 14-yard rush, XP failed.
Sharon, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 12 – Final 1st Quarter: (OA) Chad Silva 37-yard rush, XP failed.
2nd Quarter: (OA) C. Silva 1-yard rush, 2pt failed.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: No scoring.
Milford @ Lowell – Postponed to Saturday, 4/17 at 1:00.
Football
Attleboro, 0 @ Mansfield, 26 – Final 1st Quarter: (M) Cincere Gill 15-yard rush, James Gilleran XP good.
2nd Quarter: (M) C. Gill 3-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good; (M) Nico Holmes 3-yard rush, XP failed.
3rd Quarter: (M) C. Gill 45-yard rush, XP failed.
4th Quarter: No scoring.
North Attleboro, 14 @ Foxboro, 10 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (NA) Tyler DeMattio 1-yard rush, T. DeMattio XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) Cam Prescott 7-yard pass to Luis Sulham, Sam Carpenter XP good.
3rd Quarter: (F) S. Carpenter 25-yard field goal good.
4th Quarter: (NA) T. DeMattio 16-yard rush, T. DeMattio XP good.
King Philip, 36 @ Canton, 7 – Final 1st Quarter: (KP) Crawford Cantave 22-yard rush, 2pt pass good.
2nd Quarter (KP) Tom McLeish 10-yard pass to Danny Clancy, Matt Kelley XP good; (KP) C. Cantave 8-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good.
3rd Quarter: (C) Anthony Botelho touchdown pass to Vincent O’Brien, Will Keefe XP good; (KP) C. Cantave 20-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good.
4th Quarter: (KP) Charlie Grant 8-yard pass to D. Clancy, M. Kelley XP good.
Sharon, 33 @ Blue Hill, 38 – Final
Milford, 28 @ Stoughton, 21 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (S) John Burke 73-yard pass to Christian Ais, XP blocked; (M) Brady Olson 75-yard pass to Max Martin, XP blocked.
2nd Quarter: (M) Carter Scudo 52-yard rush, B. Olson 2-point pass to Jayden Agnew.
3rd Quarter: (S) J. Burke 5-yard rush, J. Burke 2-point pass to Emmett Pearl.
4th Quarter: (M) C. Scudo 1-yard rush; Nicholas Araujo XP good; (S) C. Ais 22-yard rush, Jonah Ly XP good; (M) Tyler Lane 22-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good.
Taunton, 30 vs. West Bridgewater, 28 – Final 1st Quarter: (T) Danny MacDougall 43-yard pass to Trent Santos, Matt Abouzied XP good; (T) Jake Leonard 14-yard rush, M. Abouzied XP good.
2nd Quarter: (T) Brett Heggs 3-yard rush, XP failed; (WB) West Bridgewater 2-yard rush, XP good; (T) D. MacDougall 45-yard rush, M. Abouzied XP good.
3rd Quarter: (T) M. Abouzied 28-yard field goal.
4th Quarter: (WB) West Bridgewater 4-yard rush, XP good; (WB) West Bridgewater 8-yard pass, 2pt rush good; (WB) West Bridgewater 13-yard rush, 2pt rush failed.
Volleyball
Stoughton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final
Sharon, 3 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final
Football Predictions
Attleboro @ Mansfield
Ryan Lanigan: Mansfield
Josh Perry: Mansfield
North Attleboro @ Foxboro
Ryan Lanigan: Foxboro
Josh Perry: North Attleboro
King Philip @ Canton
Ryan Lanigan: King Philip
Josh Perry: King Philip
Sharon @ Blue Hill
Ryan Lanigan: Sharon
Josh Perry: Sharon
Milford @ Stoughton
Ryan Lanigan: Stoughton
Josh Perry: Milford
Oliver Ames @ Franklin (Saturday)
Ryan Lanigan: Franklin
Josh Perry: Franklin
Football
Milford, 34 @ Franklin, 27 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (F) Mack Gulla 2-yard rush, XP no good; (M) Carter Scudo 8-yard rush, Nicholas Araujo XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) Jared Arone 32-yard pass to Will Tracey, Parker Cheuvront XP good; (M) Brady Olson 1-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good; (M) Evan Hazard 35-yard fumble return, N. Araujo XP good; (F) J. Arone 3-yard pass to W. Tracey, P. Cheuvront XP good; (M) B. Olson 1-yard rush, XP no good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (M) Kevin O’Connor 60-yard interception return, N. Araujo XP good; (F) J. Arone 7-yard pass to Jake O’Brien, P. Cheuvront XP good.
King Philip, 0 @ Mansfield, 28 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (M) Matt Boen 11-yard pass to Everett Knowlton, James Gilleran XP good.
2nd Quarter: (M) Cincere Gill 5-yard rush, 2-point conversion no good; (M) C. Gill 59-yard rush, C. Gill 2-point conversion; (M) C. Gill 10-yard pass to E. Knowlton, J. Gilleran XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: No scoring.
Stoughton, 6 @ North Attleboro, 14 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (NA) Tyler DeMattio 1-yard rush, T. DeMattio XP good.
2nd Quarter: (NA) T. DeMattio 5-yard rush, T. DeMattio XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (S) John Burke 43-yard pass to Christian Ais, XP no good.
Volleyball
Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip held off a late charge from Attleboro in the third set to complete a 3-0 (25-15, 25-12, 25-22) sweep of the Bombardiers. Nicole Coughlan led the offensive charge for the Warriors with 13 kills while Giovanna Fruci added five kills and Sami Shore chipped in with four kills. Lauren Peterson had 19 service points for KP with a pair of aces.
Mansfield’s Cincere Gill tries to break free from the grasp of Milford’s Tyler Lane in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
MILFORD, Mass. – In last week’s season-opening win, Mansfield’s explosive offense was on full display with five touchdowns.
In week two, it was all about the Hornets’ defense.
Going up a powerful Milford offense that put up 34 points in their first game of the season, Mansfield’s defensive group was near perfect. The Hornets forced four turnovers, limited the Hawks to under 200 yards of offense, and pitched a shutout for the final three quarters to earn a 20-7 win on the road.
It marked the first meeting between the two squads since Milford joined the Hockomock League for football in 2013 with the Hawks making the switch to the Kelley-Rex division at the start of the 2020 school year.
“Story of the day, the defense played lights out,” said Mansfield head coach Mike Redding. “Scoring a touchdown for us, which in this game, was huge. Instead of just a six-point lead, it’s 13. The defense did a great job against a very good collection of receivers and [Brady] Olson can throw the ball. We gave them a few but nothing big, they popped the one run but after that, we were lights out, and thank goodness because this was really one of our sloppiest offensive performances in a long time.”
Mansfield football Milford football Anthony Comer Cincere Gill Brady Olson
Mansfield forced a turnover on Milford’s first possession of the game, Anthony Comer grabbed back-to-back interceptions with the first returned for a touchdown, and Hornets added another pick in the early moments of the fourth quarter.
The Hornets opened the game in style with freshman CJ Bel giving the visitors good field position at midfield after a good return. From there, Mansfield needed just six plays to find the end zone. Cincere Gill (20 carries, 117 yards) broke free for a 16-yard run on third down (his longest carry of the game), and three plays later, Gill — out of the wildcat — handed it off to Comer on a sweep to the left for an 18-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead less than four minutes in.
Milford completed a third down pass on its opening drive but Mansfield corner Nick Bertolino punched the ball free and recovered the fumble, giving the Hornets the ball back at the Hawks’ 20-yard line. But as good as Mansfield’s defense was throughout, the Milford defense had a strong outing as well.
Hampered by a fumble and a holding call (Mansfield was flagged 10 times in the game), the Hornets offense stalled and Milford forced an incompletion on fourth to get the ball back. The momentum carried over to the offensive side of the ball and the Hawks cashed in just two plays later. With the offense spread out with four receivers, Milford handed it off to senior Dom Schofield up the middle and he found a hole and went the distance for a 69-yard touchdown, tying the game 7-7 with 3:45 left in the first quarter.
From that point, there weren’t many offensive highlights for either squad.
Mansfield had to punt on its next two possessions, but the second one off the foot of Gill took a favorable bounce for the Hornets and was downed at the Milford 5-yard line. On second down, Mansfield’s Caden Colby and Mark DeGirolamo came flying in at Milford quarterback Brady Olson (9/28, 91 yards), who fired a short pass to the right side. Comer read the play, stepped in front and intercepted the pass, and sprinted into the end zone for a 14-yard return.
“It was a hard game, it was hard with our penalties, and they have a very good offense but we just executed on defense,” Comer said. “We held our guys to short-yardage and covered our guys. On the pick-six, I saw green. I was just running for the hills, I wanted the touchdown. We watched a lot of film, watching how they execute so we were ready.”
Mansfield football Milford football Anthony Comer Cincere Gill Brady Olson
Milford started to orchestrate a response as Olson hit Max Martin for 13 yards on first down, and then a late hit on the Hornets moved the ball 15 more yards to the Mansfield 39-yard line. TJ Guy stopped the Hawks for a loss in the backfield but a holding call in the secondary once again moved the chains for the hosts, getting to the Mansfield 24-yard line.
Guy helped stuff another Milford run on first down, and on second down Olson’s pass hit off a receiver’s hands and Comer was able to come down with the deflection for his second straight interception, putting an end to another Milford drive.
Mansfield football Milford football Anthony Comer Cincere Gill Brady Olson
“Anthony played a great two-way game for us,” Redding said. “We felt we really needed him on defense today to cover, he’s one of our quicker guys and made some big plays for us. We’ve played two good spread teams and held them each to 7. We still have to get sharper on offense but the next couple of weeks it will be more about defending the running game. Taunton and KP are big, they’re going to try and bang, run the ball.”
Mansfield capitalized on the interception with its best drive of the game. The Hornets traveled 82 yards on 10 plays, taking off five minutes of game clock, and cashed in with another touchdown with under a minute to play in the half.
Gill had three straight runs that combined for over 20 yards early in the drive, and when the Hornets were backed up by a delay of game call, Gill hauled in a 21-yard pass from quarterback Matt Boen, just eluding the Milford defender along the sideline.
Comer turned a broken play into 18 yards, Nico Holmes burst up the middle for 7 yards, and on second and goal from the three, Boen sold the option and kept it himself, leaping across the goal line for a touchdown, giving Mansfield a 20-7 lead with 0:49 left in the first half.
Mansfield football Milford football Anthony Comer Cincere Gill Brady Olson
“That was big, I thought we wasted [an opportunity] before that…we came down and scored, got the ball back but we didn’t convert and they come down and tie the game,” Redding said. “We fortunately got a couple of more before half, and I thought the one right before halftime was a big turning point.
“When we do things right, we’re good but we didn’t do things right very often today. We’re getting way too many penalties and we just really have to work hard on offense getting sharper and executing because we’re too good not to score in a half no matter who we’re playing.”
Carter Scudo had a big return to the Mansfield 33-yard line to give the hosts a final shot before the break, but the Hornets forced four straight incompletions.
“All we ask for today is for them to give us 48 minutes and I thought they did that,” said first-year Milford head coach Dale Olson. “A couple of plays didn’t go our way today, that should have been 7-7 game in the fourth quarter and anybody’s game. But you live and you learn. But this is what Milford football is going to be from here on out, we’re going to contend. We have to get back on the horse because we have to play a very good KP team next week.”
Olson connected with Keithly Sutton on a bubble screen to move the chains on Milford’s first drive of the second half but the Hawks couldn’t capitalize as the Hornets shut the hosts down on the next three plays, including a perfectly-timed pass breakup by Bertolino.
“We feel Milford is as talented as anybody in the Kelley-Rex so if we didn’t beat them here today, they were going to run the table so, for us, it was basically a must-win game,” Redding said. “We want to be in the league race when we’re playing KP and Attleboro so you have to win today. I don’t Milford loses again moving forward, they have good linemen, I think the best QB in the league, great receivers. We’ve won [the Kelley-Rex division] a couple of times in a row but we felt pressure that it was a must-win for us against them on their field.”
Milford’s defense continued to do its part as Mansfield managed just two total yards on its first two drives, both resulting in punts including a third down kick to try and flip field position. The Hawks did a good job bottling up the Mansfield rushing attack, getting key tackles and pushes up front from the likes of Schofield, Scudo, Evan Cornelius, Grant Scudo, Alex McColl, Evan Hazard, Nick Yohn, Mario Lee, and Tyler Lane.
“I think we struggled a little bit today getting off jams at the wide receiver spot, I thought [Brady] pressed a little bit today,” Olson said. “Instead of standing in there a few times, he got out of the pocket when he didn’t need to. But listen, that’s a great football team we just played. I couldn’t be prouder of how our kids handled themselves today.
Mansfield football Milford football Anthony Comer Cincere Gill Brady Olson
“Realistically, I look up at the scoreboard and it should have been 7-7. We had our opportunities, could have had 1st and goal but instead, it was an interception. They ball-controlled us but our defense was outstanding today. All of the film I’ve watched, I haven’t seen a team hold Gill like that. They didn’t really hurt us today with their offense, I thought it was more a matter of our offense couldn’t get going.”
However, the Hawks’ offense just could never get going, punting twice to start the second half and then had its third drive of the second half come to a sudden stop when Gill intercepted a pass at his own 30-yard line.
Mansfield was able to move the ball enough to kill a lot of clock in the fourth quarter and Milford’s final drive ended on downs.
Mansfield football (2-0) is on the road for the second straight week when it travels to Taunton for a 4:30 kickoff on Friday. Milford (1-1) will face another stiff test next week when it hosts King Philip (2-0) on Saturday at 1:00.
Mansfield football Milford football Anthony Comer Cincere Gill Brady Olson
Mansfield senior Cincere Gill has been selected as the HockomockSports.com Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, for March 7 through March 13. Gill is the 14th player chosen as Player of the Week for the 2020-21 school year and first in the fall II season.
Gill and the Hornets started up right where they left off 15 months ago. The defending Div. 2 state champions and two-time defending league champs rolled to a 49-7 win over Franklin. Gill was the standout, scoring three of Mansfield’s six first half touchdowns and amassed more than 160 yards from scrimmage despite not getting any touches after halftime.
“Cincere had a great night to start his senior year,” said Mansfield head coach Mike Redding. “He’s worked really hard this offseason and we are just trying to get him the ball in different ways as a runner, receiver, returner and if you can give him some space, he is so dangerous in the open field. We also like how he played safety in his first start there and he covers a lot of ground and is very active. Our line does a great job opening holes, but in the few times things were clogged up, he can make
something out of nothing in a hurry.”
Despite the long layoff since playing Lincoln-Sudbury in the Super Bowl in December 2019, the Hornets showed no signs of rust. Gill went for 21 and 34 yards on the first two plays of the game to set up Mansfield’s first score. He caught a 19-yard pass on the next possession, nearly hit Matt Boen on a deep pass, and then took the next play 52 yards for his first touchdown of the night.
He added a 20-yard score on Mansfield’s next drive to make it 28-7. Gill capped the night with a 5-yard carry that saw him start to the left, turn back and go all the way back across the field, find an opening, and cut through the seam to find the end zone. He finished with 167 total yards on only six touches.
The Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, is selected by the HockomockSports.com staff. Nominations can be submitted throughout the week up until Saturday night at midnight. There may be a poll posted on every Sunday with the nominations. The results of the poll influence the selection but do not strictly dictate the decision.
Cincere Gill
Cincere Gill The Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, is selected by the HockomockSports.com staff. Nominations can be submitted throughout the week up until Saturday night at midnight. There may be a poll posted on every Sunday with the nominations. The results of the poll influence the selection but do not strictly dictate the decision. Cincere Gill The Player of the Week, presented by Morse Insurance, is selected by the HockomockSports.com staff. Nominations can be submitted throughout the week up until Saturday night at midnight. There may be a poll posted on every Sunday with the nominations. The results of the poll influence the selection but do not strictly dictate the decision.
Mansfield senior Nico Holmes was fired up after making a tackle in the season-opening win against Franklin at Alumni Field. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
MANSFIELD, Mass. – It had been 15 months since Mansfield last walked off the field, at Gillette Stadium, holding the 2019 Div. 2 state championship trophy. When the lights came on for Friday night’s Fall II season opener at Alumni Field, the Hornets showed no rust after such a long layoff and, in fact, it looked like they hadn’t missed a beat.
Mansfield scored after just three plays, had six first half touchdowns, half of them by senior running back Cincere Gill, scored twice on defense, and rolled to a 49-7 victory against Franklin.
“It’s been a long, long wait,” said Mansfield coach Mike Redding. “All fall everybody just held their breath that we maybe would get a chance to play and it was almost surreal you walk out here and it’s 60 degrees on a Friday night and it felt like September.
“Lights go on, it’s Friday night, we don’t care what month it is, it felt like Friday night lights.”
It took no time for the Hornets to show how dynamic they can be on offense. Gill (167 total yards) proved to be unstoppable, going for 21 yards on the first play and 34 on the second to get the Hornets down to the Franklin six. On the next play, Nico Holmes (81 total yards) bullied his way into the end zone and James Gilleran added one of his seven extra points for an early 7-0 lead.
On its next possession, Mansfield showed different facets of its offense. Matt Boen, who Redding said was playing quarterback for the first time since seventh grade, hit Gill for 19 yards and Anthony Comer (81 total yards) took a draw for 17. After Gill missed Boen on a deep pass, he took the next snap right up the middle and raced for a 52-yard score.
“Everybody thinks they run a 4.3…and when you get out there and see a real 4.3, 4.4 kid, you know it,” said Franklin coach Eian Bain about Gill. “Super talented and you combine that with the beef that they have, you know, a lot of times we sort of pride ourselves on having speed and that’s maybe our neutralizer and tonight it wasn’t. They had the best of both worlds.”
Not to be outdone, the Mansfield defense got into the act. On a second and 11 play, the Hornets blew up and attempted screen pass and Sean Weber got a hand on Jared Arone’s attempted pass. The ball fell to Rocco Scarpellini, who took the interception 25 yards for a touchdown.
Despite trailing 21-0, Franklin’s offense was finding some success in the passing game. Arone (21-of-32, 193 yards), a first-year starter, connected with Shane Kindred nine times and with Jake O’Brien six times. On their third possession, the Panthers were able to finish a drive.
Arone hit O’Brien for 20 yards out near midfield. After getting into Mansfield territory, Franklin faced a fourth and one. A well-executed roll-out screen pass to Kindred gained eight yards and kept the drive going. A screen pass to Mack Gulla put the Panthers in the red zone and on the next play Will Tracey went up and got a pass at the front pylon for a 19-yard touchdown.
The momentum was short-lived because the Hornets just had too much on offense. CJ Bell’s return gave Mansfield good starting field position and Boen fired a pass to Comer for 33 yards down to the Franklin 14. After a low snap pushed the Hornets back a few yards, Boen threw a perfect pass to hit Holmes on the wheel route for a 17-yard score and a 28-7 lead.
A fumble recovery handed Mansfield back the ball at its own 45 and the Hornets made quick work of the short field. Boen hit tight end Everett Knowlton on the run for 34 yards and, after a holding call, followed it with an 11-yard keeper. Gill got the hand off, went straight up the middle, and made a quick cut to the right, walking in untouched with a 20-yard TD.
Mansfield forced a three-and-out and got the ball back at its 33. Jake Wall took a jet sweep to the left and rushed for 20 yards into Franklin territory. Comer had a pair of carries to get the ball to the five. Gill got the call. He started left towards the Mansfield sideline but was blocked off, turned back and reversed around to the far side, found a tiny seam, and cut it upfield to find pay dirt for a third time.
“I think everyone was worried about such a long layoff that we’d be sloppy but we’ve got a lot of experience back,” Redding explained. “We executed and then when we didn’t execute you give the ball to Cincere and he runs to daylight. He makes a lot of bad plays look good.”
Jack Colby tacked on a second defensive touchdown when he picked off a pass right in front of his bench and ran it back 35 yards. Caden Colby added Mansfield’s third interception in the fourth quarter.
After reaching the Div. 1 South final last year, Franklin graduated all of its starting skill position players. Many of the Panthers were seeing their first significant varsity minutes and getting that experience against the league’s top team.
“It was a learning curve, but we knew what we were getting,” Bain admitted. “Yes, they are really, really good. I told my guys, TJ Guy is going to play on Sunday, there’s not a doubt in my mind…but a lot of it was just little details in our assignments, our techniques, in our eyes, and little things I think we can correct. A lot of things we had to work out of our system tonight.”
Redding acknowledged the advantage Mansfield has in terms of offensive firepower. He said, “Cincere and Anthony are just so explosive. We didn’t get the ball to Jake Wall but he can fly. Everett is a good tight end, Nico can get tough yards up inside. We’re not a typical high school football team in terms of skill and then the front five up front blocking are very, very good.”
Mansfield (1-0) will be on the road next week to face Milford for the first time. Franklin (0-1) will be on the road again when it travels to Taunton.
Football
Foxboro, 49 @ Sharon, 7 – Final 1st Quarter: (F) Omarion Otto-Broomstein 1-yard rush, Sam Carpenter XP good. (F) Cam Prescott 42-yard pass to Luis Sulham, S. Carpenter XP good. (F) Dylan Gordon 48-yard rush, S. Carpenter XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) Chris McNamara 1-yard rush, S. Carpenter XP good. (F) C. Prescott 29-yard pass to James Kraus, S. Carpenter XP good. (F) L. Sulham 65-yard punt return, S. Carpenter XP good.
3rd Quarter: (S) Nico Marrero 3-yard rush, Molly McAlevey XP good.
4th Quarter: (F) Jack Austin 65-yard pass to Joseph Gonzalez, XP good.
Franklin, 7 @ Mansfield, 49 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (M) Nico Holmes 6-yard rush, James Gilleran XP good; (M) Cincere Gill 52-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good; (M) Rocco Scarpellini 25-yard interception return, J. Gilleran XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) Jared Arone 19-yard pass to Will Tracey, Parker Cheuvront XP good; (M) Matt Boen 17-yard pass to N. Holmes, J Gilleran XP good; (M) C. Gill 20-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good; (M) C. Gill 5-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) Jack Colby 35-yard interception return; J. Gilleran XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.
Taunton, 6 @ King Philip, 21 – Final
Oliver Ames, 7 @ Stoughton, 29 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (S) Safety.
2nd Quarter: (S) Christian Georges 28-yard rush, Jonah Ly XP good; (S) Christopher Ais 51-yard rush, J. Ly XP good; (S) Anthony Girolamo 7-yard rush, J. Ly XP good.
3rd Quarter: (S) Christian Ais 1-yard rush, XP failed.
4th Quarter: (OA) Jake Grimaldi 27-yard pass to Pete Bosader, Drew Nickla XP good.
Mansfield can’t defend its D2 state title, but the Hornets will be looking to bring home a third straight league title when the new Fall II season kicks off. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
Outlook:
Attleboro was able to incorporate a number of underclassmen last season and will be hoping that experience pays off with the junior class being asked to step up all across the field this season, as the Bombardiers look to challenge the top teams in the Kelley-Rex.
2020 (Fall II) Kelley-Rex Division Football Preview
Size won’t be an issue for Attleboro and the offensive line should be a strength this season led by junior tackles Chris Leonardo (6’3, 275 pounds) and Alvin Harrison (6’3, 255) along with seniors Trainor Sherck and Ryan Grover and junior Adam Struminski. The Bombardiers are going to use that line a lot this season with new quarterback Blake Garzaro, who saw some action as a sophomore, handing the ball off frequently to junior Kaiden Murray, who looks poised for a breakout season, and bruising fullback Michael Strachan. Junior Freddy Wheaton is another physical back who will get touches this year. In the passing game, Garzaro can look for 6’4 tight end Christian Dame, who leads a largely new cast of receivers.
The strengths on offense should mirror the strengths for Attleboro’s defense as well. Leonardo, Dame, and Harrison will be the core of the defensive line with junior Isaac Pereira another big body that will be tough for opposing teams to run against. Strachan leads the linebacking corps. The URI-commit is the program’s all-time leading tackler and he’s a four-year varsity player. Wheaton will join Strachan at inside linebacker and Sherck and Ryan Betts will be on the outside. The secondary will have several new faces, but Murray is a tough tackler at free safety and William Runey will be one of the more experienced cornerbacks on the roster.
Franklin is coming off an impressive run to the Div. 1 South final but the Panthers also graduated a host of important pieces from last year’s team, particularly at the skill positions, and will need some younger players to step in to stay competitive in the Kelley-Rex this season.
2020 (Fall II) Kelley-Rex Division Football Preview
Junior Jared Arone will step in at quarterback this season, hoping to have the same level of success running Franklin’s up-tempo style as Thomas Gasbarro did last year. Junior running back Mack Gulla got some time in the backfield last season but will be getting the bulk of the touches this year. A new receiving corps will also have to learn on the job, including senior Jake O’Brien and junior Shane Kindred, and junior tight end Jonathan Martins, but there is potential for this to be an explosive group. Seniors Brady Duncan and Vincent Lackey will be counted on to provide leadership on the offensive line. The consistency of senior kicker Parker Cheuvront will be a huge boost to a Franklin offense that may have some growing pains early in the season.
Defensively, the Panthers return several players and will rely on that experience to combat the top offenses in the league and to allow time for the younger players to get up to speed. Seniors Xander Honor and Dan Cormier will spearhead the defense from their linebacker positions, while seniors Anthony Quintina and Lackey are stout in the middle of the line. Martins will be a force at defensive end and Griffin is a playmaker at safety.
“We need to focus on getting better every day,” said Franklin coach Eain Bain. “Appreciate, and focus on, the here and now. Don’t look ahead or behind, but stay in tuned to the task at hand. And always, Row the Boat.”
Outlook:
This is an atypical season in so many ways, not least of all because King Philip, one of the perennial powers in the Kelley-Rex, is going through a transition. The Warriors will have a lot of new faces this year, using a number of underclassmen who will have to quickly learn the KP style of play through a tough slate of divisional games.
KP returns only two starters on offense from last year’s team that reached the D2 South semifinal. Senior guard Pat Zarba and junior tight end Drew Danson will be the lone holdovers, although several other players did see action at times. Junior Crawford Cantave filled in for an injured Ryan Halliday at running back last year and has the potential to be next in a long line of standout backs at KP. Mike Malatesta will also be in the backfield at fullback and sophomore Ryan Gately is a newcomer to keep an eye on. Junior Charlie Grant is set to be the new quarterback and will have Danson, senior Michael Zagrodney, and junior Nick Viscusi as targets in the passing game. Senior Kevin Pierro will be the center to add some experience to what is otherwise a largely new group on the line.
Defense has always been a priority for KP and this year’s group has a lot of players who will be learning on the job. Zarba and Danson will be on the defensive line, along with junior Hunter Hastings and senior Harry Brown. Malatesta and Gately will be joined by junior Jake Sullivan at linebacker. The secondary is young but has some experience, as Cantave and Viscusi both are coming off strong sophomore seasons at safety.
“I am hoping that our weakness (inexperience and lack of seniors) will be a strength in the fall as we are forced to play a lot of juniors and sophomores now,” said KP coach Brian Lee. “I’m also worried about injuries, as we have not been in our weight room in a year.”
Outlook:
It has been 15 months since Mansfield rolled to a D2 state title at Gillette Stadium and the Hornets are excited to get back on the field, searching for a third straight league title and looking forward to a 90th anniversary game against Foxboro at Alumni Field to close out the season.
2020 (Fall II) Kelley-Rex Division Football Preview
While Mansfield graduated a number of key players from last year’s state championship-winning team, the Hornets return plenty of offensive firepower, especially in the backfield. Senior Cincere Gill will be the focus after racking up nearly 1,000 rushing yards last season, but he will get plenty of help from classmates Anthony Comer and Nico Holmes and newcomer sophomore Rocco Scarpellini. In addition, the Hornets will have Matt Boen and Nick Bertolino back at receiver and Everett Knowlton returns at tight end. Juniors Jake Wall and Dana Johnson will add to the depth in the passing game. The offensive line should be a strength for Mansfield this season with three returning starters, seniors TJ Guy and Jake McCoy and junior Joe Forte. Juniors Jimmy Gilleran and Braedon Veno will fill out the rest of the line.
The Hornets were dominant on defense last season and they remain solid on that side of the ball, particularly in the front seven. With Guy on the end and junior Mark DeGirolamo and McCoy in the interior of the defensive line, Mansfield will be stout up front. Holmes is a standout at linebacker and senior Sean Weber will be a player to watch in his outside linebacker position. The secondary has depth with a handful of players fighting for three defensive back spots.
“Toughest part is mentally, everything’s backward with the weather – feels like November and the end of a typical season, but it’s pre-season,” said Mansfield coach Mike Redding. “Just hoping Friday nights under the lights feel the same once games get going and it feels like we’re starting to finally get into a groove with execution. We’re all thankful to be playing and trying to enjoy every day we can go out and be a team.”
Outlook:
There are a lot of changes at Milford this season, with a new coaching staff taking over and the Hawks making the switch to the Kelley-Rex for the first time, but there is a lot of experience on the field to make that transition with nine starters returning on both sides of the ball.
One of the biggest changes for Milford will be under center, as Brady Olson takes over following his transfer from Bishop Feehan. The UMass-commit will have plenty of targets to aim for, as Milford returns arguably the deepest group of receivers in the league led by seniors Carter Scudo, Max Martin, and Matt Varteresian. They combine deep threat potential with the willingness to make the tough catches in traffic. Up front, Sean Murray and Nick Yohn will lead the protection for Olson and try to open up lanes for a new crop of running backs.
2020 (Fall II) Kelley-Rex Division Football Preview
Experience will be a strength on the defensive side of the ball as well. Dom Schofield highlights a tough defensive line. Another of the team’s UMass commits, Schofield will be a force at the defensive end position, while Mario Lee and Josh Kravets return in the heart of the line. Milford lost a couple of standout linebackers from last year’s squad, Luke Rosa and CJ Cerrella, but Kevin O’Connor and Angelo Romero are playmakers who should be ready for breakout seasons. Grant Scudo and Evan Hazard are back in what should be a strong secondary for the Hawks.
“I have a strong senior class that has played a ton of football and we’ll lean on them to help us compete in the Hock large this year,” said new Milford coach Dale Olson.
Outlook:
With 10 returning starters and 18 returning lettermen, Taunton will be relying on its senior leadership to stay competitive against what has the potential to be a daunting Kelley-Rex division schedule.
The Tigers have plenty of athleticism on both sides of the ball and also versatile players who can line up in multiple positions, making it difficult for opponents to match up. Senior Danny MacDougall moves under center this season, although he has also lined up at receiver in the past. Seniors Josh Lopes and Bretton Heggs give Taunton a pair of dangerous backs, while Trent Santos, Kedrick Santos, Nigel Choate, and Nolan Tomaszycki are weapons in the passing game. Senior Nathan Arieta, at 6-foot-5, is a big target at tight end. Seniors Tommy Ambrose and Jorden Manning are two returning starters on the offensive line. The depth on the line will be tested, as Taunton has several underclassmen with the size to step in but not a lot of experience.
Defensively, Taunton relies on its quickness and athleticism, but also has plenty of size up front. Ambrose, Manning, and Arieta will all play on the defensive line, along with classmate Deandre McPhail and junior Faisal Mass. Lopes, Kedrick Santos, Caleb Nicholson, and Evan Perrotta have experience in the linebacking corps. The secondary is filled with playmakers, including Trent Santos, MacDougall, Heggs, Tomaszycki, and Choate.
2020 (Fall II) Kelley-Rex Division Football Preview
Mansfield
Foxboro
North Attleboro
King Philip
Sharon
Stoughton
Milford
Franklin
