Jodi Klein, who was interim coach during the 2021 season, has been named the new head coach for the Franklin girls soccer team. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
Franklin recently announced the hiring of Jodi Klein as the new girls soccer coach. Klein takes over from long-time coach Tom Geysen, who had been with the girls soccer program for more than 30 years. Klein stepped in as interim coach during the 2021 season, while Geysen was on medical leave and has served as freshman and JV coach in the program. Below is a press release from the Franklin High administration and athletic director Karrah Ellis.
Franklin, MA – Franklin High School is proud to announce the appointment of Jodi Klein as the new coach for the Varsity Girls’ Soccer team. Coach Klein has been a part of the FHS athletic program since Fall of 2018. She has since served as the Freshman Coach, the Junior Varsity Coach, and one year as the interim Varsity Coach. Additionally, Coach Klein is employed as a physical therapist for Franklin Public Schools.
Coach Klein is a former National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 collegiate athlete, playing four years of Women’s Soccer at Stony Brook University. She is also a former New England Club Soccer League Head Coach, and U.S. Soccer Federation C Licensed.
“We are excited to have Coach Klein step into this new role and lead our Girls’ Soccer Program!” said Karrah Ellis, Director of Athletics at Franklin High School.
Coach Klein is “excited and honored to be given the opportunity to lead the Franklin High School Girls’ Soccer program.” thanks “Coach Geysen for his career-long commitment to thisprogram and for building us such a strong foundation” as she looks towards leading the team in this new chapter.
Taunton baseball celebrates its second straight D1 state championship after beating Hock rival Franklin. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
WORCESTER, Mass. – There are few secrets between league rivals. When Franklin and Taunton squared off at Polar Park on Sunday night for the Div. 1 state championship (a rematch of the 2022 title game), it was the third meeting of the year and sixth in the past two seasons. Both teams knew exactly what they were up against in the final.
Going up against Franklin ace Alfred Mucciarone, Taunton’s strategy was to be aggressive, not allowing the Hockomock MVP to get up in counts and to try and get on the board first. The strategy worked perfectly.
Taunton (21-4) took advantage of uncharacteristic defensive lapses from the Panthers, got clutch hitting from the top of the order, and scored six runs in the opening two innings to support a stellar pitching performance from sophomore Jonny Escobalez. It all came together in a 7-2 victory, a second straight D1 crown, and the program’s third title in the past four seasons.
“With Mucciarone, he’s the best pitcher in the state, we knew we were going to be aggressive,” said Taunton coach Blair Bourque. “If he could get ahead, we knew we’d be in trouble, so we were trying to be very aggressive, barrel balls up, get guys on, we were able to capitalize.”
“This is crazy, winning it two years in a row,” said senior Dawson Bryce. “It’s something very few people can do. We played how we always do throughout this season and even in this game, we stuck to what we know. That’s what you have to do in games like this.”
The Tigers wasted no time putting pressure on Franklin (23-4). Braden Sullivan led off the game by ripping a single to left. He was forced out on a grounder by Brayden Cali, but it set the tone. Bryce chased Ryan Gerety deep into center for the second out, but Ryan MacDougall dropped a base hit into shallow left and Cali was flying around the bases to come all the way home.
After Escobalez pitched around a Gerety single in the first, Taunton took control of the game in the second. Mucciarone had back-to-back throwing errors. The first allowed AJ Lewis to get to second base and the second, on a Dwayne Burgos bunt, brought Lewis in to score.
Mucciarone came back with a strikeout, but then walked Andrew Cali. A throwing error on a pickoff attempt moved two runners into scoring position. Sullivan came through again, his second hit in as many at bats would plate a pair. Brayden Cali followed with a single and Bryce shot a double right over the first base bag to bring in two more runs.
“Any time you play a team like Taunton, you can’t make mistakes against them and unfortunately we played our worst inning of the year in the second inning of a state title game,” said Franklin coach Zach Brown. “We made some uncharacteristic plays and that led to a crooked number and we were kind of chasing it the rest of the way.”
The five-spot that Taunton put up in the second gave Escobalez a six-run cushion with which to work, taking some of the edge off for the young pitcher. He allowed a one-out single to Luke Sidwell in the second but made a nice play to knockdown and stick with a Tyler Bellan line drive and got out of the inning.
“He’s been awesome,” Bryce said about Escobalez. “As soon as he came up to varsity, he’s been lights out. He’s been a great addition to the team and he’s going to be really dominant again next year.”
MacDougall added, “Today, you couldn’t keep him sitting down. He was amped all game, pitched amazing, the game of his life, and I don’t think you could throw a better game as a sophomore.”
Franklin got one back in the third. Rex Cinelli reached on an error. Escobalez came back with a strikeout and Sullivan atoned for his miscue with a nice charge of a slow bouncer and throw on the run. He nearly made an even better play to end the inning when he picked a hard hit ball by Eisig Chin up the middle, but the throw wasn’t handled and Cinelli came in to score.
Taunton tried to answer back, as Sullivan got his third hit of the day. With Austin Campbell in to relieve Mucciarone, Bellan made a great play after taking a while to find a pop up behind the plate. Sullivan tagged and went to second, but got caught in a rundown after leaving the bag.
Bryce followed with a double that one-hopped the wall in right and back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Campbell got a grounder to Sidwell at second to escape the jam.
“Those guys have been hitting well for the last couple games,” Bourque said about the top of his order. “They perform when the pressure is on and on the biggest stage, so those guys are clutch and that’s why they’re on top right now.”
In the fifth, the Tigers grabbed an insurance run. Burgos started it with a walk and Shawn Cali got a free pass right behind him. Campbell came back with a pair of strikeouts, but Brayden Cali made sure Taunton cashed in, ripping an RBI-double into the gap in left center.
Escobalez was in cruise control. He retired the side in order in the fourth and fifth innings. Henry DiGiorgio finally gave the Panthers a base runner with a one-out single in the sixth. A wild pitch moved him to second and Sidwell singled to center to drive in a run.
“A seven-inning game goes fast,” said Brown. “You have one bad inning and you’re behind the eight-ball. It’s extremely difficult. These guys have played tremendous baseball all year and more importantly they’re just tremendous young men.”
Things looks so comfortable for Escobalez, who came back out to close the game in the seventh. He struck out the first batter and then got fly balls to right and left, sealing an impressive win on the biggest stage and clinching another title for the Tigers.
Bourque was asked what the common thread has been through the three titles that the Tigers have won. He replied, “A lot of talent. I try to stay out of the way. Those guys are phenomenal players. They are able to do their thing and when the lights are the brightest they perform their best.”
Sullivan added, “We knew this year was going to be harder than last year. We knew we had what it took if we went in and did our job, we’d have a shot. We came out on top today, that’s all I can ask for. I couldn’t ask for anything more junior and senior year, winning the championship, it’s awesome.”
It was an extra special day for Bourque. Hours before leading the baseball team in a state championship, he was in Amherst to watch his daughter Bella, an eighth grader on the Taunton softball team, bring home the D1 title.
“I haven’t really let it sink in yet, but it’s super cool,” he reflected. “I’m going to remember this day for a long time. I told her at the beginning of the year, you just want to make varsity. Whatever happens, make varsity, be on that team because they were very talented, great coaching, they were going to go far. I didn’t know it was going to happen on the same day or on Fathers Day, but here we are and I couldn’t be happier.”
Franklin is back in the state title game after a 4-0 win over Methuen and will get a rematch with league rival Taunton. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
WORCESTER, Mass. – When the Franklin players watched Taunton celebrate at Holy Cross University’s Fitton Field in the final game of last season, the Panthers committed to giving themselves another chance at bringing home a state title.
On Tuesday night, at the same location as last year’s final, Franklin made sure its quest for a championship would go right to the end.
Austin Campbell and Dillon Cashin combined for a shutout and Eisig Chin had two hits and scored two runs, as the Panthers avoided the upset against No. 21 Methuen, pulling out a 4-0 win and setting up a rematch with the Tigers in the title game.
“I think we have great leadership,” Franklin coach Zach Brown said about what it has taken for his team to get back to this stage. “We have 15 seniors and all of them are tremendous leaders in their own way and they’re all great kids. These guys have stayed the course, they’ve stayed connected, and I’m really proud of their effort on a day-to-day basis.”
Chin admitted that last year’s defeat has stayed on Franklin’s mind all season. He said, “We were so motivated this year. After last year, obviously we didn’t get the result that we wanted, but that just gave us all a driving factor. We all want to win a state chip before we leave and that’s why we work so hard in practice every day.”
Franklin hasn’t been a prolific offensive team in the playoffs, grinding out at bats and manufacturing runs. The first inning was a good example of that approach.
With two outs, Chin lined a single to right off Methuen starter Daremin Escano Vargas. He advanced to second on a balk and to third when Henry DiGiorgio’s bouncer up the middle went off the pitcher’s glove and dropped into no-man’s land. A wild pitch brought Chin home with the game’s first run.
The Panthers weren’t done. Ben Jarosz drew a walk and Luke Sidwell dropped down a perfect bunt for a base hit that loaded the bases. Tyler Bellan battled his way to a walk and an RBI, as DiGiorgio came in to make it 2-0.
Although that would turn out to be all the scoring that Franklin would need, Methuen had some chances to get on the board. In the second, Campbell hit the first batter and with one out gave up a single to G’Andrey Canario. TJ Mullen hit a line drive that was curling towards the corner but Rex Cinelli laid out to make a diving grab. Campbell closed the inning with a strikeout.
In the third, Campbell had some issues finding the strike zone. After a strikeout, he walked leadoff hitter Ronnal Marizan, but a good move to first caught Marizan trying to steal. With two down, Campbell then walked the next three hitters to load the bases. He escaped on a pop up to short.
Methuen’s wasted opportunity looked even more costly in the bottom half, as Franklin tacked on another run. Sidwell worked a one-out walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Bellan walked for the second time and Ethan DePaolo got a free pass to load the bases. Against reliever Owen Sullivan, Cinelli hit a grounder to short, but beat out the double play attempt to drive in the third run.
“Each inning is its own inning and we’re trying constantly trying to put as many base runners in scoring position as possible and give our guys a chance to knock them in,” Brown said about the team’s offensive approach. “Whichever way that ends up happening, that’s how it unfolds. Overall, I thought the guys were relentless. We left some meat on that bone, but we found enough runs to get the ’W’ and move on.”
Campbell had his lone clean inning in the fourth, striking out a pair. Chin led off the bottom half of the inning by lining a double that one-hopped the wall in left. DiGiorgio grounded one to the left side to move Chin to third and Jarosz got the run home with a fly ball out to center.
Marizan continued to be a pest, doubling with one out in the fifth. After a grounder to second, Campbell walked a batter, but then painted the corner to get a strikeout and get through five innings without allowing a run.
Brown said, “Today is an example of how favor Soup (Campbell) has come. A year ago, once he doesn’t really have the command, I don’t know if he is able to get all the way through the fifth. He just found a way. At one point it was his fastball, at another it was his slider. He just kept competing.”
Cashin took over in the sixth and walked the first batter he faced. Canario hit a ball hard into the gap in left, but Cinelli was there with a nice running grab for the first out. After a single put two on base, Cashin started dealing and struck out the next two hitters.
In the top of the seventh, Cashin struck out the leadoff batter and then got a bouncer to third. Jarosz made a nice read to charge the ball and a great throw across his body to get the second out. A fly ball to center would end it. Franklin was back in the state title game, a yearlong effort realized, although there is another step (and a familiar foe) left to tackle.
“I have all the respect in the world for [Taunton coach] Blair [Bourque] and the Taunton baseball program,” Brown said, acknowledging that there are a lot of similarities between the teams. “People say, ‘iron sharpens iron,’ and they’re in our league and we’ve been butting heads for years. They’re kind of a measuring stick program. You want to play the best programs and they’re certainly right up there every year.”
Chin was blunt when asked about if he’s excited about facing Taunton again in the final. He replied, “A thousand percent. I wouldn’t want to play anyone else in the state final.”
Franklin (23-3) will face No. 2 Taunton in the title game at Worcester’s Polar Park at a date and time to be determined.
The Attleboro boys won their first ever title at the annual Hockomock Outdoor Track Championships, held at Foxboro High. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
The Hockomock League Championships were held at Foxboro High this past weekend. Below are the team results and the top eight finishers for each event.
4×400 Relay
1. Attleboro (Austin Bowie, Jacob Blazek, Jordan Rivera-Silva, Aaron Martin) – 3:34.07
2. Oliver Ames (Jack Butler, Christopher Gaskill, William Sobieraj, Nolan Querzoli) – 3:39.56
3. Franklin (Aidan Orr, Fraser Baird, Jake Vaccarezza, Trey Lovell) – 3:39.60
4. Foxboro (Stephen Haney, Daniel O’Malley, Brayden Pace, Brooks Stone) – 3:41.80
5. Mansfield (Kyle Dickinson, Marco Geminiani, Thomas Giudicianni, Evan Rawlings) – 3:44.08
6. Canton (Dan Glemaud, Dan Krasylnykov, Ruairi Ritson, Mohith Arugollu) – 3:45.24
7. Taunton (Fitting Aidden, Peyton Weldon, Aidan Zamora, Az St. Marc) – 3:47.29
8. King Philip (Ryan Taylor, Sean Woods, Pranav Srinivasan, Owen MacKenzie) – 3:48.57
4×800 Relay
1. Oliver Ames (Alex Callanan, Ethan Mahoney, Alexander Pierce, Ryan Sarney) – 8:30.95
2. Franklin (Jack Halter, Anton Sackley, Aidan Nisbett, Will Boozang) – 8:39.12
3. Attleboro (Michael Jennison, Nicholas Graber, William Badger III, Luke Hagopian) – 8:45.75
4. North Attleboro (Connor Peterson, Baxter Greene, Brady King, Eliude Alcanat) – 8:49.00
5. King Philip (Nathan Sylven, James McKenna, Liam Nolan, Luca Giardini) – 8:50.37
6. Mansfield (Colby Quersher, Collin Fine, Troy Penney, Talon Johnson) – 8:53.87
7. Stoughton (Jacob Marques, Jack Barbato, William Borges, Max Pokraka) – 9:16.77
8. Sharon (Joe Thomas, Adam Lessard, Vincent Chen, Ethan Scarfo) – 9:28.75
Shot Put
1. Mark Etienvre, North Attleboro – 51-04.50
2. Joe Flanagan, Foxboro – 47-02.25
3. Ayden Agbasi, Mansfield – 43-09.00
4. Thomas Laz, Stoughton – 42-02.00
5. Peter Andromalos, Oliver Ames – 41-01.00
6. Chris Young, Oliver Ames – 40-02.00
7. Degen Granese, King Philip – 39-09.00
8. Kamron Marsh, Attleboro – 39-07.75
Discus
1. Mark Etienvre, North Attleboro – 124-04
2. Ayden Agbasi, Mansfield – 116-00
3. Enrique Maldonado, Taunton – 107-07
4. Kamron Marsh, Attleboro – 106-06
5. Jacob Bowser, Franklin – 104-05
6. Daniel Mintz, Mansfield – 103-05
7. Ethan Jimenez, Stoughton – 101-04
8. Jayden Tetreault, Attleboro – 99-09
Javelin
1. Joe Coplan, Milford – 148-04
2. James Scott, Franklin – 147-00
3. Harrison Keen, Foxboro – 133-04
4. Elijah Perez, Taunton – 128-08
5. Brayden Burton, Oliver Ames – 127-06
6. Logan Frank, Taunton – 126-09
7. Mark Etienvre, North Attleboro – 126-03
8. Joshua C Masuwa, Stoughton – 122-03
High Jump
Hockomock League Outdoor Track Championships 2023
1. Matt Singletary, Stoughton – 6-06.00
2. Carson Crump, North Attleboro – 6-02.00
T3. Zyeem Charles, Attleboro – 5-10.00
T3. Dylan Woods, King Philip – 5-10.00
T3. Alex Huynh, Stoughton – 5-10.00
6. Keagan Fletcher, King Philip – 5-10.00
7. Ty Boswell, Attleboro – 5-10.00
8. Jake Stromfors, Attleboro – 5-10.00
Long Jump
1. Matt Singletary, Stoughton – 23-02.00
2. Adrian Rivera, Attleboro – 21-05.50
3. Malachi Johnson, Taunton – 21-04.50
4. Elijah Wisdom, Sharon – 21-02.25
5. Alex Huynh, Stoughton – 20-08.00
6. Aidan Pantages, Attleboro – 20-05.00
7. Daniel O’Malley, Foxboro – 20-04.75
8. Anthony Petijohn, Taunton – 19-11.50
Triple Jump
1. Zyeem Charles, Attleboro – 43-09.00
2. Adrian Rivera, Attleboro – 43-01.00
3. Anthony Petijohn, Taunton – 42-04.50
4. Sean Woods, King Philip – 42-03.00
5. Matt Singletary, Stoughton – 42-02.00
6. Tobiah Stessman, Sharon – 41-11.50
7. Degen Granese, King Philip – 41-06.50
8. Elijah Wisdom, Sharon – 41-05.50
Girls Team Results
1. Franklin – 155
2. Oliver Ames – 92.5
3. Mansfield – 91
4. Stoughton – 68.5
5. King Philip – 53
6. North Attleboro – 47.5
7. Canton – 44
8. Taunton – 38
9. Sharon – 31
10. Milford – 22
11. Foxboro – 15.5
12. Attleboro – 5
100M
1. Abigail Scott, Mansfield – 11.90
T2. Grace Okocha, Oliver Ames – 12.20
T2. Nina Kyei-Aboagye, Sharon – 12.20
4. Alex D’Amadio, King Philip – 12.30
T5. Amelia Andre, Oliver Ames – 12.70
T5. Senai Whigham, Stoughton – 12.70
7. Grace Inacio, Taunton – 12.80
8. Amaya Cruz, Taunton – 13.10
1 Mile
1. Katie Sobieraj, Oliver Ames – 5:10.43
2. Gwenyth Holland, Franklin – 5:15.14
3. Molly Capece, Oliver Ames – 5:20.82
4. Braelyn Graham, Oliver Ames – 5:27.97
5. Sydney Kalil, Milford – 5:28.19
6. Julia Simpson, North Attleboro – 5:43.37
7. Cheyanne Kelley, King Philip – 5:58.79
8. Lilly Branco, Stoughton – 5:59.31
2 Mile
1. Hannah Dupill, Oliver Ames – 11:39.16
2. Annie Reilly, Oliver Ames – 11:43.80
3. Katie Galgoczy, North Attleboro – 11:47.25
4. Emilia Smith, Attleboro – 11:59.98
5. Anna Moore, Mansfield – 12:04.63
6. Alexandra Batla, Franklin – 12:22.74
7. Madeline Stewart, Oliver Ames – 12:23.37
8. Ella Lussier, King Philip – 12:41.86
100M Hurdles
1. Sarah Dumas, Franklin – 15.48
2. Ella Chandaria, Franklin – 16.39
3. Madeline Hill, King Philip – 16.70
4. Maude Kilmer, Sharon – 17.43
5. Sarah Glaser, King Philip – 17.73
6. Jayda Proffit, Canton – 17.99
7. Elyssa Buchanan, Mansfield – 18.06
8. Madison Morris, Mansfield – 18.37
400M Hurdles
1. Sarah Dumas, Franklin – 1:02.70
2. Ella Chandaria, Franklin – 1:08.92
3. Anna Cliff, Franklin – 1:10.85
4. Chloe Dubuisson, Canton – 1:10.97
5. Kay Wheelock, Milford – 1:11.60
6. Heidi Lawrence, King Philip – 1:12.69
7. Maddy Luck, Foxboro – 1:12.86
8. Frankie Smith, Mansfield – 1:13.19
