05/18/2020

Teams of the Decade #9: 2019 Mansfield Football

Mansfield football

Team: Mansfield Football
Year: 2019
Record: 11-1
2019 Kelley-Rex Division Champions
2019 Division 2 State Champions

Even though the Mansfield football team walked off the field at Lancer Stadium in Ohio with a loss to La Salle in Week 2, longtime head coach Mike Redding still had a good feeling about his Hornets.

“I was talking to some of our coaches after that game and I said ‘this team can win a state championship,'” Redding said. “Here we are, just lost by 22, but the way we competed out there against a high-level team. It was probably one of the more talented teams we’ve played in 32 years and we came up short on the scoreboard, but if you look at the film play by play, we stood up pretty equally to them.

“The feeling walking off that field…when we go back home and get everybody back on board, we could have a pretty special group that can play against anyone in Massachusetts.”

And that’s exactly what happened. The Hornets bulldozed through their league schedule, grinding out a tough win at KP while outscoring the other four Kelley-Rex opponents 152-28. The playoffs were more of the same as the Hornets limited tournament foes to a total of 15 points through four games played, including a 41-0 rout in the D2 State Championship over Lincoln-Sudbury.

The Mansfield football team opened the season with a convincing win over BC High before hitting the road for a trip to Ohio against La Salle. The Lancers featured at least a dozen Division I commits at the time of the game, including Northwestern bound running back Cameron Porter. While the scoreboard favored the hosts, Mansfield walked away with plenty of positives, including an edge in yardage on offense, and its swarming defense limited Porter to 30 yards on the ground.

The dominance back in Massachusetts wasn’t a gigantic shock as the Hornets entered the season as one of the favorites in both the Hockomock League and in the state. It felt like three years in the making as Mansfield football returned a boatload of returning players with either one or two years experience. Two seasons prior, the Hornets were swept by rival King Philip, who went on to win the state championship. A year prior, Mansfield won the regular season matchup and took home the division title but the Warriors got the last laugh in the playoffs. This season, Mansfield won both meetings, the latter earning a spot in the south final.

“I think it was back in January before the season, we were pretty honest with them and told them they had a chance to compete for the league title, which is challenging enough, but when you get in the playoffs, this is a team that can make a run towards a state title,” Redding said. “The last couple of years, we’ve lost a couple of high-level kids due to injuries.

“I think it was a big motivation for a lot of guys in this group because they had come so close before but couldn’t finish on the field because of injuries so they were a pretty hungry group. As coaches, we just hold our breath hoping they stay healthy because they have worked so hard and they deserve a chance to compete, win or lose, and you just don’t want them sitting on the sidelines watching.”

The offense started with senior quarterback Jack Moussette, who was like a coach on the field for the Hornets with his ability to manage the game. It was a pick-your-poison backfield that featured seniors Vinnie Holmes (895 yards, 8 TD), Michael DeBolt (402 yards, 6 TD), and Nick Marciano (334 yards, 6 TD) along with star junior Cincere Gill (979 yards, 10 TD). With the help of a strong, talented offensive line featuring Andrew Cowles, TJ Guy, Jake McCoy, Noah Jellenik, and Jason Comeau, the Hornets could break out a big run on any given play. Moussette (914 yards, 11 TD) connected with receiver Danny Rapoza (4 TD) for a team-high 20 receptions. On top of that, DeBolt was one of the best kickers in the area with nine field goals and 38 successful PATs.

“From the first practice we all knew we had the opportunity to be a special team,” Holmes said. “I think that the first two games prepared us for how we need to play for the rest of the season, fast and physical. We all knew we were going to be faster and more physical than whoever lined up across from us, and the La Salle game sparked that intensity. Bringing that intensity into the league paid off as we were able to get another league title.

“Going into the playoffs we knew we had a great shot at winning a state title if we can keep up our level of play. I think we soared over our original expectations by a long shot outscoring our opponents 121-15 in a four-game span on our way to a state championship season. One thing that stood out to me that I think clicked in the playoff run is that everyone knew their roles and did exactly what they were supposed to and we executed extremely well.”

As dominant as the Hornets were on offense (29.8 points per game), Mansfield’s defense was equally as powerful as they allowed under 10 points per game against some of the best competition in the state. Massachusetts foes averaged just over seven points per game with Mansfield holding opponents to seven points or less in seven contests. Similar to the offense, it all started up front with the line play, including Guy, Chris Graham, Mark DeGirolamo, and Nico Holmes. To complement that group, Mansfield football had a loaded group of linebackers (Holmes, Joe Plath, Paden Palanza) and a very talented secondary (Makhi Baskin, Nick Bertolino).

“I think it was definitely one of the more talented teams I’ve had in the three decades plus that I’ve coached,” Redding said. “It was one of those teams that had the rare combination of being really good up front on the o-line and the d-line, which is usually enough to be competitive, but then you throw in a very, very talented group of skill players on both sides. We had the running backs and receivers, and the linebackers and secondary on defense.

“Top to bottom, it was really hard to find a weakness. So many of them had contributed the previous year or two so they came in with a pretty high level of experience. In high school, if you can put that package of skill, physical and tough kids up front, and a group that’s battle tested and confident, that’s usually a recipe for a championship run.”

Opponent	Result
BC High	W, 31-10 (Recap)
La Salle (OH)	L, 38-16
Taunton	W, 31-6
King Philip	W, 15-13 (Recap)
Franklin	W, 39-9 (Recap)
Oliver Ames	W, 36-6
Attleboro	W, 46-7
Marshfield	W, 24-6
King Philip	W, 34-6 (Recap)
Natick	W, 22-3 (Recap)
Foxboro	W, 22-12
Lincoln-Sudbury	W, 41-0 (Recap)

11/27/201911/28/2019

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 11/28/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Attleboro, 13 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (A) Michael Strachan 5-yard rush, Colby Briggs XP good; (A) Jason Weir 52-yard rush, XP no good.
2nd Quarter: (NA) Jared Penta 3-yard rush, Tyler DeMattio XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Stoughton, 8 @ Canton, 30 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (C) Johnny Hagan 35-yard pass to Kyle Fitzgerald, Owen Lehane XP good; (C) K. Fitzgerald 4-yard rush, O. Lehane XP good; (S) Christian Ais 6-yard rush, Clayton Rahaman 2pt pass to Anthony Pizzano.
3rd Quarter: (C) O. Lehane 28-yard field goal; (C) Gersom Rivera 8-yard rush, XP failed.
4th Quarter: (C) J. Hagan 7-yard pass to David Allen, O. Lehane XP good.

Mansfield, 22 @ Foxboro, 12 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Safety; (M) Nick Marciano 46-yard pass to Danny Rapoza, Michael DeBolt XP good.
2nd Quarter: (M) Vinnie Holmes 46-yard rush, 2pt failed; (M) M. DeBolt 9-yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (F) Shayne Kerrigan 2-yard rush, 2pt failed; (F) Chris McNamara 3-yard rush, 2pt failed.

Franklin, 0 @ King Philip, 14 – Final
1st Quarter: (KP) Ryan Halliday 5-yard rush, XP good.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: (KP) R. Halliday 2-yard rush, XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Milford, 12 @ Maynard, 15 – Final
1st Quarter: (Mi) Luke Rosa 13-yard rush, XP failed.
4th Quarter: (Mi) Carter Scudo 22-yard rush, XP failed.

Oliver Ames, 34 @ Sharon, 0 – Final
1st Quarter: (OA) Connor Murphy fumble recovery, Sean Friel XP good; (OA) Nathan Cabral 2-yard rush, S. Friel XP good.
2nd Quarter: (OA) N. Cabral 3-yard rush, S. Friel XP good.
3rd Quarter: (OA) Cam Perron 40-yard pass to Nick Marks, XP failed.
4th Quarter: (OA) Sam Stevens 5-yard rush, S. Friel XP good.

PREDICTIONS

Game of the Week Staff

Ryan
Lanigan

Josh
Perry

Matt
Bosh

Jeff
Pickette

Attleboro @ North Attleboro
Thursday, 10:00

Stoughton @ Canton
Thursday, 10:00

Mansfield @ Foxboro
Thursday, 10:00

Franklin @ King Philip
Thursday, 10:00

Milford @ Maynard
Thursday, 10:00

Oliver Ames @ Sharon
Thursday, 10:00

Attleboro @ North Attleboro
Ryan Lanigan:

North Attleboro
Josh Perry:

Attleboro
Matt Bosh:

North Attleboro
Jeff Pickette:

Attleboro

Stoughton @ Canton
Ryan Lanigan:

Canton
Josh Perry:

Stoughton
Matt Bosh:

Canton
Jeff Pickette:

Stoughton

Mansfield @ Foxboro
Ryan Lanigan:

Mansfield
Josh Perry:

Mansfield
Matt Bosh:

Mansfield
Jeff Pickette:

Mansfield

Franklin @ King Philip
Ryan Lanigan:

Franklin
Josh Perry:

King Philip
Matt Bosh:

King Philip
Jeff Pickette:

King Philip

Milford @ Maynard
Ryan Lanigan:

Milford
Josh Perry:

Milford
Matt Bosh:

Milford
Jeff Pickette:

Milford

Oliver Ames @ Sharon
Ryan Lanigan:

Sharon
Josh Perry:

Oliver Ames
Matt Bosh:

Oliver Ames
Jeff Pickette:

Oliver Ames

Records

Ryan Lanigan: 58-25
Josh Perry: 65-18
Matt Bosh: 67-16
Jeff Pickette: 66-17

Lanigan
58-25

Perry
65-18

Bosh
67-16

Pickette
66-17

11/16/2019

Dominant Defense Carries Mansfield to D2 Super Bowl

NATICK, Mass. – As the celebrations took place all around him at Natick’s Memorial Field, Mansfield coach Mike Redding was able to smile and joke about the old adage that an ugly win is so much better than a beautiful loss. That counts double this time of the year.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The Hornets racked up nearly 100 yards in penalties, had three first half drives stall inside the red zone, and didn’t score a touchdown until the fourth quarter of Friday night’s Div. 2 South title game, but still walked away with a 22-3 road win against top seed, and previously unbeaten, Natick.

It was the defense that carried Mansfield to its first Super Bowl since 2013. The Hornets allowed only 45 rushing yards, six yards passing, had three sacks, and held Natick to only two first downs on the night. Both first downs came on one drive in the first half, and one came by way of a penalty.

“As sophomores they lost in the semis, lost last year in the finals, this year we get there and win it, so every year they just go a step further,” Mansfield coach Mike Redding said of his senior class. “They’ve overcome a lot of stuff, injuries, and it’s a great group and it will be a lot of fun taking them to Gillette. I told them they’ve been through a lot but it’s all worth it when you walk down the ramp at Gillette Stadium.”

Senior running back and linebacker Vinnie Holmes (18 carries, 131 yards) added, “This just means the world to everyone. We’ve just worked so hard for this. Winter, spring, in the weight room, we just knew that this was our goal. We wanted to get to Gillette and that’s exactly what we did.”

On its second possession of the game, Mansfield started to move the ball. Jack Moussette (6-of-11, 64 yards) hit Cincere Gill for a perfectly executed 16-yard completion to the near sideline on third down to jumpstart the drive. Gill (seven carries, 41 yards) then weaved his way for 17 to the far sideline and Michael DeBolt (six carries, 41 yards) added 10 more to the Natick 14.

A chop block penalty backed the Hornets up and, despite a completion and a draw play to Holmes making it a manageable third and four, the Natick defense held firm. DeBolt booted the Hornets into the lead with a 26-yard kick.

The hosts answered right back. Natick started at its own 40 and two plays later were given a boost on a 15-yard penalty to reach the Mansfield 37. Two five-yard runs, including one by quarterback Will Lederman, who had missed the last four games with a knee injury and wasn’t expected to start the final, and an offsides call made it first and five at the 22.

Holmes stuffed a play for a three-yard loss and a pair of incomplete passes forced Natick into a 41-yard field goal by Sam Waltzman to tie the game. It was as close to the end zone as the Redhawks would get all night.

Mansfield again marched into the red zone in the second quarter but an illegal push call backed them off the goal line and a hold backed them up to the 13. In the end, DeBolt was forced to come on and get Mansfield three more with a 21-yard kick.

Natick fumbled the ensuing kick and Mansfield appeared to recover it, but the officials ruled that the ball went out of bounds first. Lederman nearly hit Nick Ofodile on a bomb on the first play but it was dropped. Nico Holmes and TJ Guy stuffed the next play for no gain and on third down Everett Knowlton pressured Lederman into an incompletion.

Vinnie Holmes broke free for the first time on a 53-yard run to get the Hornets to the 32. After a nine-yard pass from Mousette to Danny Rapoza, Mansfield had first and 10 at the 17. Moussette tried two passes to the corner but both fell incomplete and DeBolt came out again to kick a 28-yard field goal and make it 9-3 at the half.

“We moved the ball but just couldn’t finish,” Redding explained. “They’ve got some big dudes and once we got in the red zone, they know we’re not going to throw and it just got tough and then we shoot ourselves in the foot with all the penalties. It felt like at the half we should’ve been up 14, 17-3.”

On the opening drive of the second half, Mansfield was struck by a controversial penalty on Gill. The junior running back was ruled out for the rest of the night, but Redding saw the ejection as adding even more fuel to his team’s second half push.

“I thought it was unwarranted,” he said, “but it rallied the troops for sure and emotionally everybody stepped up and everybody got more physical. Backs were running hard and it was like, this is our game and we’re going to take it.”

Late in the third quarter, Mansfield appeared to convert a third and 14 on a screen pass to Holmes only to have it called back on a penalty. On the next play, Mousette connected with Nick Marciano for a sliding, 15-yard grab. Facing fourth and one, Marciano gained eight on a draw play to keep things moving. Marciano (nine carries, 41 yards) got the call again at the three, running the wildcat and finding a hole on the right side for a touchdown.

“We couldn’t punch one in, settled for three field goals,” said Holmes about Mansfield offense. “In the locker room we were just saying we need to punch this next one in. We need to punch it in and that puts us in a good position to win.”

Chris Graham sacked Lederman to start the next drive and then he and Holmes pressured the quarterback into an incompletion for a three-and-out. Mansfield’s offensive line and running game seemed to have worn down the Natick defense. Holmes and Marciano combined for nine plays and 53 yards, with Holmes breaking an 11-yard rush, to make it 22-3 with just 4:45 to play.

“Defense played great all night,” said Holmes. “Everyone just played their hearts out, played with enthusiasm. It was a great game.”

The Hornets continued to make plays defensively. Graham got his second sack of the night, then combined with Nico Holmes to stuff Natick running back Jalyn Aponte for no gain. On third down, Nick Bertolino stepped up from his cornerback position to make a big hit and a fake punt came up short.

“Oh my God, it’s crazy,” said Graham following the trophy celebration. “It’s great to be able to go back to Gillette. We wanted it so bad, we’ve been working so hard, trying so hard. Every morning in the summer we were up early in the weight room.”

He added, “When we got into the locker room on Monday, we had a note taped on the locker that a Natick player said we weren’t going to score one point on them. That their defense was too god. Well, we came out 22-3.”

Mansfield (9-1) will take on North champion Lincoln-Sudbury in the D2 Super Bowl at Gillette the weekend of Dec. 7. The date and time of the state title game has not been set.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

11/09/201911/09/2019

Hornets Swarm Past King Philip Into D2 South Final

Mansfield football Jack Moussette — Mansfield senior quarterback Jack Moussette throws a past in the first quarter against King Philip. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

MANSFIELD, Mass. – The past two seasons, the Mansfield football team has had its hopes of competing for a state championship dashed by rival King Philip.

The Hornets weren’t going to let that happen again this year.

Mansfield senior quarterback Jack Moussette tossed four touchdowns in one of his best performances of the season and junior Cincere Gill accounted for four total scored to help the Hornets roll to a 34-6 win over #3 King Philip.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“I was just trying to make the most of my opportunities,” said Moussette, who completed 12-of-17 passes for 230 yards. “We run the ball the majority of the time but Coach Redding told me ‘I trust you, go out there and do your thing tonight.’ I just tried to do the best I could. We had a great game on the ground and in the air, it was overall a great team win, I’m really proud of the guys. The offensive line stepped up big when we needed them too.”

While the Hornets have won the past two regular season meetings (28-27 in 2018, 15-13 this season), the Warriors have been the ones with the last laugh. KP knocked off Mansfield 13-11 in the semifinals in 2017 and celebrated with the D2 South trophy on Alumni Field last season after a 10-7 triumph.

“We’ve won the last two regular season games to win the league title but back-to-back losses, when you’re this close to Gillette…the guys have been waiting a year for another chance,” said Mansfield head coach Mike Redding. “We got the monkey off the back in the league, the playoff thing was like a gorilla on our back. It would have been another long year if we blew this one. But being home, being healthy for a change in the playoffs has made a difference. We’re doing it in all three phases right now and with confidence.

“Every year we play them we seem to get seven and get stuck. Last year in the playoffs, we got seven early and didn’t score. This year we got seven and didn’t score until the end. We harped on that, get to 14, get the 14-point lead, build off that. Tonight we got more than that which is great but extending the lead was critical.”

Mansfield made it clear early on that repeating that feat would be a tough task. After a punt and a red zone turnover, the Hornets got on the board on their third series.

Moussette hit Danny Rapoza (three catches, 58 yards) for 32 yards on first down, and four plays later, used play action before connecting with Gill (five catches, 107 yards, three touchdowns) out in the flat and the junior used his speed to race inside the pylon for a 7-0 lead with 11:54 left in the second quarter.

The Hornets’ defense helped set up the next score. Nico Holmes and Chris Graham combined for a tackle for loss, and the front seven helped pressure King Philip quarterback Robert Jarest (8-for-23, 107 yards, touchdown) into a throwaway that was flagged for intentional grounding.

Stuck at their own 11, KP chose a quick kick from Jarest on third down trying to flip the field. Mansfield took over at the KP 46-yard line and quickly cashed in. Gill faked outside to shake his defender and Moussette delivered a pass on the mark for a 46-yard touchdown with 9:19 left in the second quarter.

“It’s a lot of people to cover and I think their quarterback has come along,” said King Philip coach Brian Lee. “He’s the one piece that’s the difference for them right now. He’s getting better and better, it was tough. It’s a lot to defend, and on a short field, you’re asking for trouble.”

Makhi Baskin broke up a third down pass on KP’s next drive and the Hornets took over at their own 32-yard line with 7:12 left to play in the half. Vinnie Holmes (12 carries, 70 yards) broke off a 17-yard run and Gill hauled in a 27-yard pass but Mansfield was faced with a third down when they entered the red zone.

Moussette faked to his right before dropping off a pass to the left on a screen to Everett Knowlton. Junior TJ Guy came up with a big block to spring Knowlton for an 18-yard touchdown, and Michael DeBolt’s third of four successful extra point attempts gave the hosts a 21-0 lead with 3:41 left in the quarter.

“We had a great night throwing, and I think that was the difference,” Redding said. “Jack was on, we had some good matchups with Cincere [Gill] out as a receiver, Danny [Rapoza] did a good job. I think that was the difference was our ability to throw the ball. We ran pretty well but we had to throw it.

“And our defense was lights out, and the field position was a pretty big factor with the kicking game. We fed off the field position, defense got stops. Now you can take chances on offense because you have four downs. Things went our way from the beginning.”

Mansfield nearly added more points before the break with runs from DeBolt and Nick Marciano helping get the Hornets inside the red zone. But a pass fell through a receiver’s hands in the end zone and KP sophomore Crawford Cantave snatched the interception with under a minute to play.

King Philip looked to have a bright start to the second half when Jarest connected with Alex Behling for almost 30 yards down the sideline but a holding call erased the completion and two plays later, Marciano came up with an interception to give Mansfield the ball back with good field position at the KP 23-yard line.

Four plays later, Gill took the handoff, cut up field and found the end zone with an 11-yard touchdown, and a 28-0 advantage with 7:59 left in the third quarter.

“One thing that was a little disappointing was that we got beat up, we got out-physicaled, out-played,” Lee said. “I’m not sure what was so different this time than last time but it definitely was a big difference. When they are out in front, they get on you. You have to keep it close with them. They are loaded, they have a lot of guys. They are coached well and they believe.”

The Warriors put together their best drive of the game in response. Jarest had a first down pass to Behling and Ryan Halliday (13 carries, 47 yards) barreled his way for a first down. Jarest linked up with Behling again for a 42-yard gain to get inside the red zone.

On the next play, Mansfield’s Joe Plath broke up a pass intended for KP’s Drew Danson, but the loose ball was hauled in by Andrew McKinney along the back of the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown.

Sophomore Mark DeGirolamo recovered an onside kick attempt from the Warriors, and the Hornets needed just three plays to strike. DeBolt hauled in a 19-yard pass, Holmes grinded out nine yards, and Moussette connected with an open Gill for a 24-yard touchdown, and a 34-6 lead with 3:14 left in the third quarter.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“We have great receivers,” Moussette said. “Cincere is unbelievable, I worked all summer with Danny Rapoza, I think he’s one of the most underrated players in the league. We have guys on the sidelines like [Joe] Cappelletti that can come in and make plays. We’re loaded with weapons and coach is doing his best to get everyone involved.

“This means the world to me. We got up in the summer every day at 5 in the morning to work out. Our main goal is to win a state title and we wanted to beat KP. We were lucky enough to do it twice this year, I couldn’t be prouder of the team. We really battled and put it all together to show everyone what we’re all about.”

Mansfield football (8-1) will play at top-seeded Natick in the D2 South Final, but the date and time have yet to be posted by the MIAA. King Philip (7-2) will enter the non-playoff pool for one week.

10/18/201910/19/2019

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/18/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Sharon, 0 @ Foxboro, 32 – Final

King Philip, 28 @ Taunton, 13 – Final
1st Quarter: (KP) Robert Jarest 29-yard rush, XP failed; (KP) R. Jarest 43-yard pass to Brian Wassersug, R. Jarest 2pt pass to Alex Behling.
2nd Quarter: (KP) R. Jarest 12-yard pass to A. Behling, XP good; (KP) R. Jarest 17-yard pass to Drew Danson, XP good.
3rd Quarter: (T) Trent Santos 2-yard pass to Nigel Choate, Collin Knorr XP good.
4th Quarter: (T) Bretton Heggs 2-yard rush, 2pt rush failed.

Oliver Ames, 6 @ Mansfield, 36 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Vinnie Holmes 62-yard rush, Michael DeBolt XP good; (OA) Nathan Cabral 3-yard rush, XP failed.
2nd Quarter: (M) Cincere Gill 12-yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good; (M) M. DeBolt 8-yard rush, M DeBolt XP good; (M) Jack Moussette 61-yard pass to Danny Rapoza, M. DeBolt XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) Nick Marciano 37-yard rush, N. Marciano 2pt rush.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Boys Soccer
Oliver Ames, 6 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames and Attleboro traded goals inside the first 20 minutes but the Tigers scored five unanswered to pick up the win. Junior Anthony DaCosta converted a feed from sophomore Mathias Taylor in the 18th minute before the hosts knotted the score two minutes later. OA jumped back ahead when junior Colin Milliken set up classmate Kevin Louhis in the 33rd minute. Taylor made it 3-1 in the 38th minute on a feed from junior Jimmy Keane. The Tigers scored three goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half to pull away. Keane, Milliken and Nicholas Farley each scored with Milliken, Louhis and Dillon Cupples recording assists. Matthew Nikiciuk, Ben Cohen, Harry Ahearn, Matt Nosalek, Jon Freeman all played terrific for OA.

Stoughton, 1 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Colby Ciffolillo, Caden Mirliani, and Jake McCabe scored to help the Bulldogs pick up a win over visiting Stoughton.

Milford, 6 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Milford scored three goals in each half to secure a big win on the road at Foxboro. Senior Pedro Araujo scored four goals in the win to break the program’s single season point record, with 32 points so far this season. Araujo opened the scoring halfway through the first half on an assist from Nuno Mestre, and then grabbed his second eight minutes later on a penalty kick. Joao Pedro Da Silva made it 3-0 with Araujo recording the assist. Jordan Borges set up Araujo for his third goal with a beautiful through ball just a minute into the second half. Araujo grabbed his fourth in the 50th minute with Da Silva notching the assist. David Desa scored the final goal with Eduardo Castro getting the assist. Kevin Gomes had the shutout in net while both Borges and freshman Nick Ribeiro had strong showings in the midfield.

Franklin, 0 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Mansfield freshman Aiden Steele scored a goal and had an assist to help the Hornets knock off Franklin to keep their postseason hopes alive. Steele set up Colin True in the 55th minute for the opener, and then scored his first career goal in the 68th minute off a corner from sophomore Matt Hyland. Mansfield coach Steve Sheridan said his defense played great, adding Peter Oldow and Colin Caridi had phenomenal games in the midfield.

Taunton, 3 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip and Taunton traded goals back and forth throughout 80 minutes, with the hosts finding the equalizer in the final five minutes to earn a draw. The visitors opened the scoring in the 12th minute when junior Travis Nunes converted a pass from classmate Kevin Monteiro. Cam Lawrence (from Colin Wesley) tied the game for KP in the 23rd minute, and KP took its first lead when Alex Leon scored off an assist from Tadhg Keller in the 32nd minute. Taunton’s Hunter Cabral knotted things up five minutes later with Khalil Ba picking up the assist. Taunton went back ahead in the 55th minute when Cabral netted his second, assisted by Paiva. Lawrence brought the hosts level once again, this time finishing a pass from Owen Teixeira in the 76th minute.

North Attleboro, 0 @ Sharon, 0 – Final – North Attleboro keeper Kyle Briere and Sharon goalie Matthew Baur both played well, each earning a shutout as the Rocketeers and Eagles split the points.

Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 5 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Erin Holmberg scored four goals to pace the hosts to a big win at home. Caroline Peper also scored in the while while Allison Evin had two assists. Lauren Sellmayer and Jenna Gilman each had one helper for the Tigers. Attleboro freshman Emily Dunlea scored her first career goal for the Bombardiers.

Canton, 3 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final

Foxboro, 5 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Mansfield, 0 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

King Philip, 9 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – King Philip senior Chloe Layne scored twice in the first half and added two assists as the Warriors built a 4-0 lead by the break and never looked back. Layne finished with four assists while Avery Snead had four goals and one assist in the win. Maeve Lawlor, Ella Pisani, and Jenny Montville also scored while Taylor Butler had the shutout in goal.

Sharon, 0 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Sharon’s Cass Barbera and North Attleboro’s Regan Fein posted shutouts as the Eagles and Rocketeers took a point each. Lydia Hershey, Colette Petit, and Lily Adams all played well for North Attleboro.

Field Hockey
Milford, 2 vs. Bellingham, 1 – Final – Milford defended home turf with a 2-1 win over Bellingham. Kat Swineford scored once and added an assist for the Hawks, setting up a goal from Olyvia Whyte.

Volleyball
Attleboro, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames took care of business on Friday evening, sweeping visiting Attleboro, 3-0 (25-11, 25-13, 25-14). Junior Sarah Morley shined at the service line with 12 aces and a total of 24 service points. Allie Kemp added 19 assists, Alison Barth notched 20 digs, and Ryley McNeeley chipped in with five kills and five assists.

King Philip, 3 @ Walpole, 0 – Final – King Philip earned a regular season sweep over non-league foe Walpole picking up a 3-0 (25-9, 25-13, 25-15) sweep. The Warriors had a strong showing from the service line as Emma Brooks had 20 service points with three aces and Lily Carlow added eight service points (three aces) and four digs. Nicole Coughlan (12 kills) and Catherine Waldeck (10 kills) pace KP’s offense at the net.

Milford, 2 vs. Nipmuc, 3 – Final

Golf
Canton, 160 @ Mansfield, 155 – Final – In a battle of division champions, Mansfield earned bragging rights with a close win over Canton at Norton Country Club. Mansfield juniors Brian See and Joseph Gormley shared match medalist honors to lead the way, finishing at 38 for the day. See had birdies on both the sixth and seventh holes. Junior Ryan Dow added a 39 and junior Nate Morreale finished with a 40 for the Hornets. Canton’s James O’Keeffe had a team-low round of 39, Chris Lavoie and Mike Leonetti each shot 40, and Owen Donovan finished at 41.

10/12/201910/12/2019

Mansfield Takes Sting Out of Panthers Offense

FRANKLIN, Mass. – An early turnover gave Franklin the ball in Mansfield territory and the Panthers gained a couple of first downs before kicking a field goal to grab the lead. Then the Hornets took control with their defense, not allowing the Panthers another first down until inside five minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Using a three down linemen look, Mansfield consistently got into the backfield without needing to blitz and, with a little assist from Mother Nature, disrupted Franklin’s typically potent passing attack on Friday night at Pisini Stadium. The Hornets scored 26 straight points to take control and rolled to a 39-9 victory that keeps them unbeaten in league play and alone atop the division standings.

“We’ve got a very, very good defense,” said Mansfield coach Mike Redding. “They’re as athletic a team as we’re going to play but fortunately we’re pretty loaded in the secondary, but it’s a combination of us playing great ‘D’ and terrible weather conditions for them.

“We can run to the ball, we can cover, we can pressure, you throw in the conditions on top of that and it’s going to be hard for anyone to move the ball against us.”

The Panthers came in knowing that they still had a chance at possibly sharing the league title and the energy on the sideline was palpable. It got even louder when Jack Nally picked off Jack Moussette’s third-down pass on the opening series of the game and gave Franklin the ball at the Mansfield 37.

A 15-yard run by Owen Palmieri got the offense going and then a pair of completions from Thomas Gasbarro (18-30, 125 yards) to Jake Davis (seven catches, 92 yards) got Franklin down to the seven-yard-line. After going nowhere on three plays, Franklin got on the board with a 24-yard Parker Cheuvront kick.

It would be Franklin’s only possession of the half with the wind at its back.

Mansfield’s running attack was better suited for the blustery conditions and the Hornets used Michael DeBolt, Vinnie Holmes, Cincere Gill, and Anthony Comer on the opening drive to get into Franklin territory. A personal foul against the Panthers got the ball as far as the 18, but the Hornets went backwards and had to settle for a 41-yard kick by DeBolt to tie the game early in the second quarter.

The teams traded punts and Mansfield made its field position advantage pay off. Starting at its own 49, Mansfield would use five plays to grab the lead for good. Nick Marciano lined up at quarterback on the drive to give a different look and, on third and 12, he took a direct snap and found a seam on the left side of the line, racing 35 yards for the go-ahead score.

Marciano would also contribute to the game’s turning point. He hustled to down a Gill punt, pinning Franklin back at its own one. The snap flew over the head of Gasbarro and out of the back of the end zone for a safety and a 12-3 Mansfield lead.

After the kick-off, the Hornets started again in great position, at the Franklin 36. Moussette had a pair of completions to Danny Rapoza and one to Joe Cappalletti to get down to the 23. DeBolt took a sweep 10 more yards and, after a spike to stop the clock, Moussette hit Gill in the front corner of the end zone for a 13-yard strike.

Redding said, “It went to a two-score game and then the throw to Cincere when we weren’t even supposed to throw to, Jack saw the one-on-one and took advantage of it. We did a lot of good things keeping them at a healthy distance to keep the lead.”

Mansfield added to its lead in the third quarter, again making good starting field position pay off. The Hornets needed only four plays to score from the Franklin 29, with Holmes (nine carries, 55 yards) finding a hole on the left side and bursting through for a 21-yard touchdown run.

The Franklin passing attack was finding it hard to get going, mostly due to the pressure put on Gasbarro by TJ Guy, Chris Graham, and the Hornets’ defensive line. Mansfield was getting into the backfield and not giving the Panthers time to look downfield, while being able to keep plenty back in coverage in case the ball did get out.

“I don’t think he ever felt comfortable,” Redding explained. “Even when we didn’t bring people, our three guys were getting enough pressure to make him throw a little early. We funneled in six guys in those three spots to stay fresh.”

Franklin coach Eian Bain said, “We had planned to try and get the ball out quick, but it was kind of a tough spot going into the wind. We tried to run the football. I think we only had the first possession and didn’t have the ball with the wind until the fourth quarter.”

A glimmer of hope came with three minutes left in the third. Gasbarro hooked up with Davis on a 41-yard completion, the receiver juggling it before hauling it in and getting to the Mansfield 35. The same combo connected again a few plays later for a 20-yard touchdown.

Momentum was fleeting. Holmes burst through the line to block the extra point and then Gill took the ensuing kick-off 84 yards right up the middle of the field for a back-breaking touchdown.

“We still had our chances,” Bain said, “but we just couldn’t get out of our end of the field tonight and I think that was what was pretty frustrating.”

Ethan Thevenot tacked on a late touchdown for the Hornets with a 65-yard run to extend the final margin.

The Hornets were coming off a big win against King Philip last week, but Redding wasn’t afraid of a letdown from his team. He said, “There was no way we could have a letdown. Our guys knew how good Franklin was, so I think it was maybe best game we could’ve had after KP because we knew they were next in line and we had to bring our ‘A’ game.”

Mansfield (4-1, 3-0) will look to solidify its position atop the Kelley-Rex division and clinch at least a share of back-to-back league crowns when it hosts Oliver Ames on Friday. Franklin (3-2, 1-2) will try to solidify its position in the Div. 1 South bracket when it travels to Attleboro next Saturday.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

10/05/2019

Hornets Hang On To Knock Off King Philip

Mansfield football Vinnie Holmes — Mansfield’s Vinnie Holmes carries the ball in the second half against King Philip at Macktaz Field. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

WRENTHAM, Mass. – With four of the last five meetings between King Philip and Mansfield football being decided by three or less points, it’s no surprise the teams were locked in another tight battle on Friday night.

And in games so tightly contested, it’s often a small play here or there that can make the biggest difference.

Mansfield senior Nick Marciano blocked an extra point attempt and later converted a two-point conversion rush to help the Hornets secure a 15-13 win on Macktaz Field over the host Warriors.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“It’s a great win, but its Mansfield-KP, it’s gotta go to the wire,” said Mansfield head coach Mike Redding. “Both teams are going to find a way to get points and it’s always great defensively. It’s business as usual between these two.

“They really battled, this is just such a great rivalry, there’s so much pride on both sides.”

The Hornets held a 15-6 advantage and took over on offense after Mahki Baskin hauled in an interception in the end zone with just 5:30 left. But Mansfield was unable to kill much of the clock, and in true fashion this rivalry, King Philip made a game of it.

Just two minutes after turning it over, the Warriors were in the end zone. Senior quarterback Robert Jarest (14/26, 194 yards) orchestrated a four-play, 64-yard drive that took little time off the clock. Jarest hit Alex Behling for a 16-yard touchdown, and suddenly the Warriors were down just 15-13 with 3:18 to go after Dylan Conti‘s extra point.

But KP’s onside kick attempt failed to travel 10 yards, and the Hornets took over in Warrior territory. Senior Vinnie Holmes (13 carries, 106 yards) did the rest, sealing the deal with a 23-yard first down rush that allowed Mansfield to kill the rest of the clock.

“It was circled on our calendar from the beginning of the season,” Holmes said. “We knew this was going to be our biggest game so far that counts. La Salle didn’t really count. This one counts for us and it was great to get this win.

“We always know that they can always inch back. They did it last year versus us, almost got that two-point conversion to win. We knew they could do it. We knew we had to put the pedal to the metal. Stop them. Get that first down at the end that was big and then eventually run out the clock.”

Mansfield got off to a perfect start, needing just four plays to cover 52 yards in 2:22 to take the lead. After three run plays, the Hornets went play action and senior quarterback Jack Moussette (6/10, 72 yards) found Danny Rapoza open down the right sideline. Michael DeBolt split the uprights for the extra point to make it 7-0.

That would be all of the scoring in the opening half. King Philip’s first drive went for 12 plays but only 35 yards, stalling around midfield. The Warriors’ two other possessions were three-and-outs with a total of four yards.

Mansfield had solid field position throughout but couldn’t solve the KP defense. The Hornets had to punt on their second and third drives of the game and failed to convert a fourth down as time expired in the first half.

King Philip lost star running back and linebacker Ryan Halliday (eight carries, 25 yards) to an injury early in the second quarter but the Warriors’ offense was able to overcome, putting together its best series out of the break. The Warriors marched 80 yards on 14 plays, converting four third downs on the drive. Jarest hit Brian Wassersug for 24 yards on one third down to move into Hornet territory, and two plays later, the senior quarterback connected with Drew Danson for 38 yards to get down to the one-yard line.

It took four tries from there, but sophomore Crawford Cantave was able to punch it across to get the Warriors on the board.

But Marciano came up with one of the biggest plays of the game, flying across to get just enough on the ball to block it and keep it low.

Mansfield failed to convert on fourth down on back-to-back possessions but the Hornet defense held the Warriors to a combined -11 yards on its next two series. DeBolt and TJ Guy (sack) had key stops to help Mansfield get the ball back.

This time the Hornets did cash in on the good field position. After converting a first down, Cincere Gill took the handoff to the left before cutting back to the right, getting around the defense and sprinting his way to a 20-yard touchdown.

After an injury timeout, the Warriors were whistled for too many men on the conversion attempt. Mansfield pulled its kicking unit off the field, and after a timeout, went with the wildcat offense. Marciano took the snap himself, ran forward and jumped over the pile and into the end zone to make it 15-6 with 7:18 left.

“We thought about it from the three [yard line] but they are so good defensively,” Redding said. “When they got the penalty, we felt we had to go for it then from the one-yard line. That was obviously big because it became a two-score game, that makes a big difference.

Andrew McKinney (five catches, 55 yards) grabbed a 19-yard catch, and Wassersug made a terrific catch on the ensuing drive, hauling in a 36-yard completion to set the Warriors up in the red zone before Baskin came away with an interception in the end zone.

“We’ve been more impressed with Robert with what he’s been able to do,” said KP coach Brian Lee. “He’s a senior, he’s been around. He brought us down there at the end.”

“I’ll tell ya, Jarest was unbelievable in the second half,” Redding said. “They lose Halliday and they just found a way to make completions, he can run and throw. They did a great job of getting the offense going without one for the best running backs in the state in the lineup. They made a game of it, their defense played tough.

“We blew some opportunities to extend the lead, and this is what [KP] does, they hang around and manufacture a drive. All of a sudden you’re an onside kick away from them having the ball again with the chance to win.”

This was Mansfield’s second win in the rivalry since 2013, earning their second straight regular season contest. The two teams have also played in the playoffs in two straight seasons.

“Our defense really battled in there,” Lee said. “Ryan is as good of a player and means just as much on defense as he does on offense. So everyone was stepping up for us. The overall takeaway…we made a ton of mistakes, a lot of new guys out there but we hung in there and battled as hard as we could. I think going forward if we can play well, and we’re fortunate enough to see them again, we know we’re not out-classed by them.”

Both teams are likely to make the playoffs again this year and could be on a collision course for a third straight postseason meeting.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“It’s great football, great defense, and I’m sure part two is coming in November,” Redding said.

“We have the utmost respect for KP, they are a great football team,” Holmes said. “They produce great players like Halliday, and we’ll probably see them again.”

Mansfield football (2-0 Hockomock, 3-1 overall) is on the road again next week at Pisani Field to visit Franklin for another key division showdown. King Philip (1-1, 3-1) will host Attleboro on Friday.

10/04/201910/05/2019

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/04/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Game of the Week – Football
Mansfield, 15 @ King Philip, 13 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.
1st Quarter: (M) Jack Moussette 33-yard pass to Danny Rapoza, Michael DeBolt XP good.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: (KP) Crawford Cantave 1-yard rush, XP blocked.
4th Quarter: (M) Cincere Gill 20-yard rush, Nick Marciano 2pt rush; (KP) Robert Jarest 16-yard pass to Alex Behling, Dylan Conti XP good.

Football
Attleboro, 21 @ Taunton, 3 – Final

Foxboro, 20 @ Canton, 26 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (C) Johnny Hagan 33-yard pass to Gersom Rivera, Owen Lehane XP good; (F) Shayne Kerrigan 46-yard pass to Ryan Hughes, Tyler James XP good; (C) J. Hagan 1-yard rush, O. Lehane XP good.
2nd Quarter: (C) O. Lehane 24-yard field goal; (F) S. Kerrigan 11-yard rush, T. James XP good; (C) O. Lehane 32-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter: (C) J. Hagan 1-yard rush, 2-point conversion no good.
4th Quarter: (F) S. Kerrigan 6-yard rush, XP blocked.

Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Attleboro and Sharon traded first half goals, splitting the two points in a draw on Friday night. Attleboro freshman Esvin Morales put the visitors ahead off an assist from Joey Soucy, putting the Bombardiers ahead in the 7th minute. But four minutes later, Sharon senior Brian Higgins brought the hosts level on an assist from James Zhang.

Franklin, 3 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Franklin netted a pair of first half goals, added an insurance strike in the second, and posted a shutout on the road at Foxboro. Junior Ethan Cain opened the scoring on an assist from senior Sam Stowell while sophomore Terry O’Neill put the Panthers up 2-0, converting a feed from senior Donny Tappin. Senior Jacob Cummings made it 3-0 with Cain grabbing the assist.

King Philip, 1 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Senior Owen Teixeira scored the lone goal of the game with just over three minutes left to help KP grab two points on the road. Teixeira took a pass from junior Anthony Zappala and rifled a shot from 25 yards out to put the Warriors ahead.

Oliver Ames, 2 @ Milford, 3 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Girls Soccer
Sharon, 0 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final

Canton, 4 @ Taunton, 1 – Final

Foxboro, 0 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – The Panthers hit on a counterattack nine minutes into the game, Sydney St. Marie heading in a cross by Chloe Barca, to hand Foxboro its first defeat of the season. The Warriors pressured throughout the game, but the Panthers defense was excellent, according to head coach Tom Geysen, to keep Foxboro off the board. Anna Balkus had the job of marking Foxboro forward Jordyn Collins and she was helped in the first half by freshman Norah Anderson, who got across on the cover to clear away a chance with a sliding tackle. Breanna Atwood made 12 saves in goal to earn the clean sheet.

North Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – King Philip got off to a strong start, netting four first half goals to earn a win at home over North Attleboro. Ally Stanton scored in the 4th minute off a feed from Makayla Griffin, and again in the 15th minute, converting a cross from Ava Tormey. Avery Snead (22nd minute) and Chloe Layne (26th minute) set one another up for goals. Snead added a strike in the second half in the 46th minute with Stanton getting the assist.

Stoughton, 0 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – Maria Sevastos and Abby Jean scored for the Hornets, while goalies Olivia Salisbury and Kelsey Hubler combined for three saves and the shutout. Stoughton goalie Brianna Buckley had a strong game in goal for the Black Knights.

Milford, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – After trading first half goals, Oliver Ames found the game-winner in the second half to earn two points against the Hawks at home. Senior Abby Hodges put the Tigers up in the first half while sophomore Camryn O’Connor scored the game-winner, finishing off a corner from senior Erin Holmberg.

Field Hockey
Stoughton, 2 vs. Brockton, 1 – Final – Haley Nelson and Morgan Lessa each scored to lead the Black Knights to a win at home over visiting Brockton.

Volleyball
Canton, 3 vs. Notre Dame Academy, 0 – Final – Canton earned a regular season sweep of NDA, winning 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 27-25) at home. Taylor Harris had a standout performance, hitting 0.487 while putting down 22 kills along with 11 digs. Claire Quinn added eight kills and 13 digs while Jackie Morrissey dished out 27 assists while recording three kills and nine digs for the Bulldogs.

Mansfield, 0 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final

Oliver Ames, 3 vs. Brockton, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames avenged its season-opening loss to the Boxers with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-20) sweep at home. Sarah Morley had a strong game with 10 digs and five aces, Allie Kemp added 25 assists, and Alison Barth added 27 digs. Caroline Flynn and Jordan Bosse paced the offense with 10 kills apiece.

Golf
Mansfield, 152 @ Attleboro, 169 – Final – Mansfield picked up a win over Attleboro at Stone-E-Lea, clinching the Kelley-Rex division title outright. Ryan Dow was the match medalist with a low round of 35 while Ava Haggis, Brian See, and Joseph Gormley each shot 39 in the win.

Franklin, 170 @ Foxboro, 173 – Final – Franklin’s Jack Paterson was the match medalist, shooting a team-low round of 40 to pace the Panthers to a close win over Foxboro. Pat Dolan added a 41, Brian Sandham shot a 43, and Jake Blaney chipped in with a 46. Foxboro’s Matt Fossella (three pars) sank a birdie, finishing with a 41. Dylan Quinn (five pars) added a 43, Noah Hicks shot 44, and Jack Rounds finished with a 45 for the Warriors.

North Attleboro @ King Philip, 3:30

09/12/201909/15/2019

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/13/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Canton, 35 vs. Bellingham, 0 – Final
1st Quarter: (C) Kyle Fitzgerald 60-yard rush, Owen Lehane XP good; (C) Johnny Hagan 31-yard pass to David Allen, O. Lehane XP good; (C) K. Fitzgerald 8-yard rush, O. Lehane XP good; (C) Gersom Rivera 48-yard rush, O. Lehane XP good.
2nd Quarter: (C) Ben Guerini 12-yard rush, O. Lehane XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

King Philip, 20 @ Foxboro, 10 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (KP) Robert Jarest 4-yard rush, XP no good; (F) Shayne Kerrigan 1-yard rush, Tyler James XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) T. James 25-yard field goal; R. Jarest 5-yard rush, Dylan Conti XP good.
3rd Quarter: (KP) Ryan Halliday 15-yard rush, D. Conti XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Mansfield, 16 @ LaSalle HS (OH), 38 – Final
1st Quarter: (LS) Zach Branam 38-yard pass to Jake Seibert, J. Seibert XP good; (M) Cincere Gill 87-yard rush, Michael DeBolt XP good; (LS) Gi’Bran Payne 50-yard rush, J. Seibert XP good.
2nd Quarter: (LS) Z. Branam 7-yard pass to J. Seibert, J. Seibert XP good; (LS) J. Seibert 35-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter: (LS) Z. Branam 30-yard pass to J. Seibert, J. Seibert XP good; (M) Matt Boen 32-yard pass to Danny Rapoza, XP failed.
4th Quarter: (LS) Cameron Porter 2-yard rush, J. Seibert XP good; (M) M. DeBolt 25-yard field goal.

Sharon, 0 vs. Ashland, 21 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game.
1st Quarter: (A) Dominic Cavanagh 5-yard pass to Kevin Russell, XP good.
2nd Quarter: (A) D. Cavanagh 4-yard pass to K. Russell, XP good; (A) D. Cavanagh 8-yard rush, XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Stoughton, 47 @ Medford, 6 – Final
1st Quarter: (S) Clayton Rahaman 32-yard pass to Christian Ais, Anthony Girolamo XP good; (S) Christopher Ais 41-yard rush, A. Girolamo XP good; (S) Savion Scott 1-yard rush, XP failed; (S) Christopher Ais 7-yard rush, A. Girolamo XP good.
2nd Quarter: (S) Christian Georges 5-yard rush, A. Girolamo XP good.
3rd Quarter: (S) Gerrard Theodore 31-yard rush, A. Girolamo XP good.
4th Quarter: (M) Medford 30-yard pass, XP blocked; (S) Jonah Ly 65-yard interception return, no XP attempt.

Taunton, 24 @ Durfee, 21 – Final

Boys Soccer
Stoughton, 0 @ Attleboro, 6 – Final– Attleboro’s Joey Soucy netted a first half hat trick to lead the Bombardiers to a big win at home. Michael Russo had a goal and an assist in the win while freshman Esvin Morales netted his first career goal.

Canton, 0 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Franklin opened the scoring less than 10 minutes into the contest and added two goals in a 10-minute span in the second half to knock off visiting Canton. Lucas Moura put the Panthers ahead on an assist from Ben Moccia in the 7th minute. Trevor O’Neill doubled the lead for the hosts in the 54th minute on an assist from Jacob Cummings. Junior Ethan Cain capped the scoring five minutes later with a goal in the 59th minute.

Foxboro, 0 @ Taunton, 0 – Final

Milford, 2 @ King Philip, 1 – Final – Milford scored once in each half to earn two points on the road at King Philip. Lucas Da Silva played Leo Coelho in behind the defense, and Coelho used a curling left foot shot from atop the 18-yard box, knocking his shot off the far post and in. KP tied the game in the 51st minute as Colin Wesley connected with Caleb Casseta-Waxman. Casseta-Waxman’s deflected service fell in behind the defense and junior Tadhg Keller nodded the loose ball over the keeper to tie the game. The Hawks found the winner in the 70th minute when Pedro Araujo tracked down a ball from Jordan Borges. Araujo cut inside onto his left foot and sent a dipping shot off the far post and in for the game-winner.

Sharon, 0 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

North Attleboro, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Oliver Ames junior Colin Milliken converted a penalty kick in the first half to help the Tigers secure a shutout win over the visiting Rocketeers. Drew Nickla made four saves to record his third shutout of the season. Matt Nikiciuk had a strong game in the midfield for OA while Matt Nosalek, Jon Freeman, Harry Ahearn, and Brady deVos anchored the defense.

Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 7 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final – Briley Harnois scored three goals and added an assist and Isabella Salviati had a goal and two assists, as the Bombardiers scored five goals in the second half to pull out the win. Harnois opened the scoring in the third minute, but the Black Knights responded with three straight goals to grab the lead. Katherine Dennehy brought Attleboro back within one before the break. The Bombardiers grabbed the lead for good with three goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Harnois scored from Salviati and then the combo switched places to make it 4-3 before Harnois completed her hat trick in the 49th minute. Ashley Macia and Cassondra Stuger each scored to put the game away for the visitors. Attleboro coach Steve Santos said, “Totally different second half. We settled the ball down, had some good combinations and made some great runs.” Stoughton’s Shayla Ford, Mackenzie Manning, and Ashley Camilo each scored once for Stoughton.

Taunton, 0 @ Foxboro, 9 – Final – Four different Foxboro players scored in the opening half to build a 4-0 lead by the break, and the Warriors added five more in the second half for the win. Sophomore Kailee McCabe had a hat trick to lead the offense while Jordyn Collins had two goals and an assist. Olivia Nicholson, Caroline Rongione, Reagan Buckley, and Katelyn Mollica all scored once for Foxboro while Alyssa VandenBoom had an assist.

King Philip, 5 @ Milford, 1 – Final – The Warriors and Hawks traded early goals but King Philip scored four unanswered to get the win. Avery Snead (on a cross from Chloe Layne) put KP up under two minutes in before Milford’s Ashleigh Starks scored off a corner kick from Maddie Boyle to make it 1-1. Jenny Montville scored twice in a four-minute span, one set up by Layne and the other by Snead, to give KP a 3-1 lead at halftime. Layne scored her first of the contest on a through ball from Ally Stanton, and Stanton scored in the final 10 minutes off a corner from Makayla Griffin. KP’s defensive core of Olivia Berry, Paige Varvarigos, Taryn Greenberg, Grace Lawler, and Griffin had a strong showing.

Oliver Ames, 4 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. The Tigers scored three goals in the first half to take control of the game and stayed unbeaten on the season. Erin Holmberg scored from Camryn O’Connor to put OA ahead inside the opening 10 minutes and then Lauren Sellmayer scored twice off of Holmberg corners to put the Tigers well ahead before halftime. North starting goalie Regan Fein made a pair of diving saves to keep North within three goals. O’Connor scored OA’s fourth goal on a rebound after North back-up keeper Caitlin Echeverri made a stop on Holmberg. The Rocketeers got on the board with a nice move in the closing minutes. Alex Moulson found space on the right and her low cross was side-footed in by Olivia Wills. Summer Doherty and Lydia Hershey played well in the back for North while Lily Adams and Caroline Ferrin had strong showings in the midfield.

Field Hockey
Foxboro, 2 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Stoughton goalie Kayla Laboy made an incredible 30 saves but Foxboro was able to earn the win on the road. Jenny Gallagher scored her first goal and Jaime Notarangelo added another for the Warriors.

Sharon, 0 @ Canton, 7 – Final

Volleyball
North Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip earned a 3-0 (25-12, 25-20, 25-20) sweep of North Attleboro in a non-league contest. The Warriors had a strong day at the service line as Emma Brooks (nine digs) notches seven aces, Lily Carlow (six digs, two kills) added six aces, and Ali McNamara had four aces. Nicole Coughlan slammed down a team-high 11 kills while Catherine Waldeck added 10 kills.

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames took care of business at home with a 3-0 (25-8, 25-19, 25-16) sweep of visiting Bridgewater-Raynham. Junior Jordan Bennett had a strong all-around game with five kills and two blocks. Allie Kemp finished with 35 assists and eight aces, and Jordan Bossed added 15 kills and four aces.

Taunton, 3 vs. Durfee, 0 – Final – Taunton’s defense had a strong day to help the Tigers break into the win column with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-21) win over visiting Durfee. Fabiana Pereira had 16 digs, Kailara Andrade added 10 digs, and Shea Pimental finished with eight digs in the win. Hailey Sullivan, Mikayla Cleary, Alyssa Turcotte, and Ella Dunderdale each had seven kills to pace the offense.

Golf
Attleboro, 177 @ King Philip, 153 – Final

North Attleboro, 180 @ Franklin, 154 – Final – Franklin junior Jack Paterson concluded the week with his fourth medalist round, this time shooting a team-low 36 to capture co-medalist honors. Quinten Faro also fired a 36 for the Panthers, who got a 39 out of Pat Dolan and a 43 from Brian Sandham. Jillian Barend shot a team-low 43 for the Rocketeers while Jake Gaskin carded a round of 44.

09/07/2019

Mansfield Opens Season With Big Win Over BC High

Mansfield football Cincere Gill — Mansfield’s Cincere Gill tries to avoid being tackled in the second half against BC High. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

MANSFIELD, Mass. – All Cincere Gill wanted was a second chance, and he didn’t have to wait very long to get one.

On the first offensive series after seeing a potential touchdown pass slip through his hands, Gill took the first handoff 64 yards for a touchdown to give the Hornets a two-touchdown lead and sparked Mansfield to a 31-10 win over visiting BC High.

Locked in a tight game, senior quarterback Jack Moussette delivered a perfect pass over the top to Gill, who had beat two defenders. But instead of a long touchdown pass, the Hornets had to punt.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

As it did all night, Mansfield’s defense came through on the ensuing drive by forcing a three and out and getting the Hornets the ball back at thrown 36-yard line. Hornet head coach Mike Redding gave Gill the chance to redeem himself, and the junior back turned on the jets to get around the right side and sprinted to the end zone.

“I told the guys to go pat him on the back, get him back into it,” Redding said after the drop. “And the next series, he pops the big run. That’s a sign of maturity…last year he might have struggled to get the confidence back. But he got the big touchdown the next drive. I like the way he responded, had the big run which I thought was the turning point of the second half. We were struggling [offensively] but getting stops. It was still 10-3 or a close ball game there so popping that long run gave us breathing room.

“With Cincere, if you make a mistake and don’t have a guy to slow him down, he gets momentum and it’s going to be tough to track him down.”

Gill finished with 106 rushing yards and two touchdowns while senior Michael DeBolt (148 all-purpose yards) accounted for 19 points for the Hornets, scoring two rushing touchdowns, kicking a field goal, and connecting on four extra points.

While the Hornets finished with 31 points, it wasn’t until the second half that the offense really clicked. On the opening drive and on fourth down, Gill scored on a 29 yard run with a major assist to Nico Holmes, who came up with a huge block to create some space.

Mansfield only had two more drives in the first half: a 14-play, 52-yard drive ended with a missed field goal. And just before the half, Mansfield settled for a buzzer-beating field goal despite strong starting field position.

Meanwhile, the defense came up with some big stops to prevent the Eagles from tying the game. BC High’s second drive of the game even had a first and goal at the Hornet 2-yard line but had to settle for a field goal. Junior Matt Boen had a sack on first down and a pass break up on second down. After a rushed throw on third down, Cormac Kennelly connected on a 25-yard field goal to make it 7-3.

Two series later, BC High went for it on 4th and 4 from their own 41-yard line but junior Jake McCoy came through with an 11-yard sack. That allowed the Hornets to grab a field goal as time expired and a 10-3 lead at half.

“The defense had a great preseason,” Redding said. “People have talked about our skill guys on offense but the defense has a lot of guys back. We’re not very big at all but we get after the ball, we’re good tacklers. I thought [the defense] held us together because we had some offensive struggles at times, some bad series. When we did that, the defense got us the ball back until we got into a rhythm. That’s big, getting stops when you’re struggling on offense.”

After Gill’s big run put the Hornets ahead 17-3, the flood gates seemed to open up a bit for Mansfield.

The Hornets needed just five plays to score on their next drive. Vinnie Holmes helped the Hornets move the chains early in the drive, but facing 3rd and 10, Moussette hit DeBolt on a screen and he went the rest of the way, scampering 48 yards for a touchdown with Danny Rapoza coming up with a key block downfield.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

After BC High found the end zone for the first time, Mansfield needed just two plays to respond. DeBolt cut into some space along the left side and raced past the defense for a 79-yard touchdown.

“We are [a big play offense], we might get stuffed a play or two but if you can get Cincere or Mike in open space, you can go 60 yards in a hurry,” Redding said. “We might not be able to grind it out on a regular basis, but if the defense makes a mistake, we’re able to pop one. I thought the offensive line played well tonight against a really big, physical front. We threw well enough to keep them honest. I didn’t think we’d score 31 against them but we had a pretty good night offensively.”

Mansfield football (1-0) hits the road for an out of state clash in Ohio next week, taking on LaSalle on Friday night at 7:00.

Team: Mansfield Football Year: 2019 Record: 11-1 2019 Kelley-Rex Division Champions 2019 Division 2 State Champions

Opponent

Result

PREDICTIONS

Records

Lanigan 58-25

Perry 65-18

Bosh 67-16

Pickette 66-17

Team: Mansfield Football
Year: 2019
Record: 11-1
2019 Kelley-Rex Division Champions
2019 Division 2 State Champions

Lanigan
58-25

Perry
65-18

Bosh
67-16

Pickette
66-17