03/05/2022

Taunton Escapes Upset-Minded Concord-Carlisle

Taunton boys basketball Faisal Mass — Taunton senior Faisal Mass splits a pair of Concord-Carlisle defenders for a second half basket. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

TAUNTON, Mass. — Survive and advance.

It might not have been Taunton’s motto heading into their clash with 38th seeded Concord-Carlisle, but after a stiff test from the visiting Patriots, it is now.

Behind a big performance from senior Faisal Mass, who tied a career-high with 25 points, and a boost off the bench from Cyrus Morissette and Jordan Costa, the 6th-seeded Tigers escaped with a 64-59 win.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Concord-Carlisle proved to be a worthy challenger right out of the gate. The Patriots kept pace with the Tigers throughout the first half, and any time Taunton looked like it might create some separation, CC answered with a big shot paired with a defensive stop.

Taunton boys basketball

Taunton took the lead at the end of the first quarter on a late bucket from Morissette, who had one of his best offensive performances of his young career with 11 points. The Tigers never trailed from that point on, though not without constant pressure from the visitors.

“They were mixing up their defenses,” said Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey. They had a triangle-and-two, a box-and-one, a 1-3-1, and they just kept mixing them up. We didn’t react to that well at all. We have set offenses for each of those defenses but one person always was out of place. Just a little bit of panic and that’s all it was, a lack of composure at times on our part. And then when you don’t close out on their three-point shooters, you got trouble.”

“They’re pretty good, they put a lot of stress on you offensively. Their ranking was misleading, they aren’t a 38-seed. That doesn’t look like a 38-seed.”

Mass (six points, four assists) really got going on the offensive end in the third quarter, putting up nine of Taunton’s 15 points as the Tigers built a 48-40 cushion going into the fourth. Costa had a pair of putbacks in the first few minutes of the final frame and Mass had a basket and a free throw as Taunton’s lead peaked at 55-43 with 4:51 to play.

But just as Taunton settled into its biggest lead of the game, the Patriots responded with their best stretch of the contest. A 2-2-1 press resulted in a pair of quick Taunton turnovers as CC’s Liam Harrington (19 points) and Tucker Barach (17 points) turned steals into easy layups.

Then came another Tiger turnover on the offensive end and the Patriots punished the hosts with a three from Benjamin Brown, to make it 56-51.

Taunton boys basketball

The Tigers finally broke the press and sophomore Troy Santos found junior Matt Small, who alertly found Mass down low for two to briefly stop the bleeding.

Carl Headges drained a three for the visitors while Small tacked on a free throw for Taunton. Troy Santos added another with 1:47 to go to extend the lead to 60-54 but Headges drove for two. Taunton stepped out of bounds on one end and then Headges drained another three — the Patriots’ 10th make on 36th attempt from deep — and Taunton’s once 12-point lead was down to one, 60-59, with 47.4 to go.

Taunton got the ball where it needed to as Mass took his man one-on-one and drew the foul, sinking both free throws with 22.1 seconds remaining. The Tigers got their first fortuitous bounce on the other end as the ball hit off a Concord-Carlisle player’s foot and went out of bounds. Senior Tristan Herry (eight points) sank two more free throws with 10.3 seconds left to ice it.

“That was a little bit of grit,” Dacey said of grinding it out at the end. “We had to get a stop and we had some loud turnovers before that to bring the game into a competitive state. All we had to do was get the ball over halfcourt, and again it came down to one guy being out of place. We have to tune it up.”

Although Taunton senior Trent Santos (five points, nine rebounds) got free and buried the first shot of the game, the Patriots’ had a clear plan on defense to try and deny the Hockomock League MVP the ball as much as possible. That meant opportunity for others, and Morissette and Costa (nine points, four rebounds) took advantage in the first half.

Taunton boys basketball

Morissette entered late in the first and closed the period with a strong drive to the basket for two just before the buzzer to put Taunton ahead 15-14.

Costa, who missed the last nine games of the season due to injury, made his return in the second and made an instant impact. He hauled in a missed three and converted a putback, and then played good defense on the other end and got the rebound.

Two plays later, Herry kicked it to Morissette for an open three that put Taunton ahead 22-16. The Tigers forced a turnover and Morissette battled through contact for two on the next trip. The Tigers got a key stop and then Mass found Costa for two more as Taunton opened up a 26-16 lead in the second.

“Costa was big, Cyrus too,” Dacey said. “Those were hustle points from those two, those are points that are always going to be there. But we have to refine how we run stuff against these junk defenses. We got a warning tonight and now let’s see how we handle the warning.”

Taunton had a slow start to the second half with just four points over the first four minutes, and the Patriots used a 10-4 burst to cut the deficit down to one possession.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Mass responded with a strong take for a traditional three-point play and then Trent Santos finished a tough layup for just his second bucket of the game. Morissette added another basket and Mass finished with four straight points to close the quarter.

“He was taking it off the dribble, which will be open,” Dacey said of Mass. “When he gets that man-to-man look, he can go by them. That was our “adjustment” — give the ball to Faisal and take it to the rim. Given who was out there, he was the guy to go to in that late situation. A couple of other guys were in a funk and [Faisal] has always been confident, he wants the ball.”

Taunton boys basketball (19-2) advances to the Round of 16 to take on #11 Wachusett, who secured a 75-55 win over Bridgewater-Raynham. The MIAA has yet to post the date and time but the game is likely to be Wednesday.

02/05/202202/05/2022

Taunton’s Big Second Half Proves Too Much For KP

Taunton boys basketball Trent Santos — Taunton senior Trent Santos (34 points) goes up for a shot in between a pair of King Philip defenders in the second half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

WRENTHAM, Mass. – After combining for over 150 points in their first meeting, it looked like Taunton and King Philip were set for another barn burner on Saturday night.

The two squads went toe-to-toe for the first two quarters, trading baskets back and forth with both sides finding success on offense, resulting in over 70 points through 16 minutes of action.

That offensive success only continued for one squad though as Taunton continued to light up the scoreboard and ran away with a 75-53 win after dominating the final two frames.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“I thought our defense led into our offense in that second half,” said Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey. “It’s like every other team out there, when we play with confidence we play a lot better. Our confidence usually comes from the offense, but it should come from the defense because we work so hard on it.”

King Philip shot nearly 70% in the opening eight minutes en route to 21 points and hit a total of seven threes from the floor in the first half for a total of 34 points.

Taunton got stronger as the half went on, hitting five shots from the field in the first and then eight more in the second. Cyrus Morissette and Matt Small (nine rebounds) gave the Tigers necessary secondary scoring with King Philip’s defense zeroed in on Trent Santos, who still fought his way to 16 points in the first half.

Santos, who finished with 34 points on 10-for-18 shooting from the floor and 9-for-10 at the free throw line, picked up right where he left off and gave the Tigers a big boost early in the third, which turned out to be the game-changing quarter. Santos took a pass from Tristan Herry (10 points, six assists) and drained a three, and then Troy Santos stepped in to draw an offensive foul. On the ensuing possession, Herry found Trent Santos again for another triple as Taunton’s four-point edge at half quickly grew to 44-34.

Will Laplante (22 points, five rebounds) drilled a deep three, and Braeden Sottile (seven points, 11 rebounds) cleaned up his own miss to get KP within two possessions at 45-39 but the Tigers closed the final five minutes of the frame with a 10-3 run.

Faisal Mass, who missed the majority of the first half after picking up a pair of fouls, drove to the basket for two, and then Herry converted a putback after getting possession for the Tigers with a steal.

Sottile drained a three off a pass from Grant Kinney (eight points) but Santos answered with another triple of his own and then Mass showed off his range with a nice step-back three-pointer with just over a minute to go. And then Taunton drew another charge on the other end to get the ball back, taking a 55-42 lead into the fourth.

“It was Faisal,” Dacey said of the difference in the second half. Mass scored 14 points and hauled in all five of his rebounds after the halftime break. “Having him on the floor, he stabilizes things underneath. We’re a better rebounding team, we’re not a great rebounding team but we’re certainly better with him on the floor. Matt [Small] does everything he can but Faisal has some strength and some bulk underneath.”

The momentum continued for Taunton to start the fourth, this time in the form of a 12-4 run. Morissette attacked the offensive glass for two, Mass (19 points, five rebounds) dropped in an easy two after a nice pass from Herry, Santos drove to the basket for two and then added two free throws, and then Mass and Santos took turns with two points apiece as the Tigers’ lead ballooned to 67-47 just before the midway point of the fourth.

After King Philip put up 34 points in the first half, the Warriors had just 19 points in the second half. Taunton sophomore Troy Santos had a big showing defensively for the Tigers.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“I thought a lot of their shots in the first half, even ones they made, were contested tough shots,” said King Philip head coach Dave DeStefano. “I thought we did a great job in the first half but they grabbed the momentum the first four minutes of the second half and we just couldn’t keep up. They hit a lot of tough shots on us, they did a great job on offense in terms of getting Trent open on a lot of action, and because of that, it got other guys involved.

“We got a little stagnant with our ball movement in the second half. I think we tried to do a little too much one-on-one, and I think we saw what they were doing offensively and we tried to hurry up to catch up when we didn’t need to, and that led to shots that weren’t the best for us, times we could have gotten better looks.”

Taunton boys basketball (12-0 Hockomock, 12-1) has a quick turnaround as they return home for a Sunday matinee with New Bedford at 2:00. King Philip (2-9, 4-10) also is right back in action on Sunday with its final crossover game on tap with a visit to Foxboro for a 1:00 PM tipoff.

01/22/202201/22/2022

Taunton Hangs On In Close Battle With Mansfield

MANSFIELD, Mass. – The Taunton boys basketball has leaned on its offense to earn its first seven wins. The Tigers needed a defensive stop to get their eighth — and biggest — win of the year.

Holding a two-point advantage on the road at Mansfield with under 30 seconds to go, Taunton got the stop it needed as senior Faisal Mass stepped in to draw a charge along the baseline with 3.1 seconds left and the Tigers escaped with a 59-56 verdict over the Hornets.

Taunton boys basketball

Taunton had its largest lead of the entire game at 52-44 with three minutes to play but the game came down to the final possessions after Mansfield rallied, but the Tigers never let their lead disappear.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“Winning in an away gym in this league is tough,” said Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey. “And to get one here, that’s quite an achievement. We had some clutch shots and defensively we got some stops. It was a real choppy game but [Mansfield] makes you play that way. You have to fight for everything. It always comes down to one possession. But in the end, we gutted it out. That’s absolutely a character win.”

Junior Matt Small cleaned up a miss with a putback to give the Tigers their largest lead but Mansfield answered seconds later when junior Dante Jamtes converted a putback of his own.

Taunton boys basketball

Taunton didn’t get a chance to extend its lead on the other end as Mansfield senior Matt Hyland came up with back-to-back steals, the first leading to a layup himself and the second to one from James to make it 52-50 with two minutes to play.

Mansfield drew an offensive foul with its full court pressure but couldn’t cash in, turning it back over on a travel. Out of a timeout, senior Trent Santos drained an off-balance three from the corner to keep the visitors ahead, 55-50.

The momentum was short-lived as Hyland found Chris Hill cutting baseline and the junior put down a two-handed jam to make it 55-52 with just over a minute to go. After a foul, there was a scramble off the inbounds pass but Taunton sophomore Cyrus Morissette got to it, found Small under the basket and he handed it off to senior Faisal Mass for an easy two.

Once again the Hornets answered as James found Hyland cutting the baseline for two, and Mansfield got the ball back with its full court pressure, leading to a layup from Hill to make it 57-56.

Trent Santos hit one of two from the line with 27 seconds left to give the Hornets a shot to tie or take the lead, but after running some action, Mass stepped in and took a charge on a floater attempt along the baseline to get the ball back.

Trent Santos added another free throw and Mansfield’s three-quarters court heave was off the mark at the buzzer.

“I don’t think we ever got comfortable offensively,” said Mansfield head coach Charlie Dacey. “Part of that is they did a good job defensively but the last few games we just haven’t really gotten into a good offensive flow. Maybe that’s the play calls or maybe it’s the focus on defense in practice. We had [BC High senior Mike] Loughnane the other night, we had Sharon who is scoring a ton of points, you had Santos coming in tonight, so we’ve really focused on the defensive end thinking the offense would take care of itself.

“We held Taunton below their average as a team and we held Santos below his scoring average, so when you hold a team like that to 59 points, you have to win. And how do you win? You gotta score points.”

Mansfield took advantage of slips and baseline cuts to jump out to an early lead with Hyland, Hill, and Jack Lasbury-Casey finding success at the rim. But an 8-0 run — highlighted by threes from senior Tristan Herry (16 points, five assists) and sophomore Troy Santos (eight points, three assists) — plus a late strong take from Mass had the visitors ahead 12-11 after a quarter.

The teams went back-and-forth throughout the second quarter with the Hornets getting the majority of their points attacking the rim while both Herry, Santos, and Small hit from midrange to keep pace. Hill’s three with just over a minute to go was Mansfield’s lone trifecta of the opening half.

Herry scored four straight but Hyland sank a late free throw to give Mansfield a 25-24 lead at the half.

Coming off a spectacular 46-point performance on Tuesday, Trent Santos was held scoreless throughout the first half with Hyland and the Hornets following his every move.

But a steal from Troy Santos led to Trent’s first basket of the contest — a three. Trevor Foley hit two from the line to put Mansfield ahead but Trent Santos hit two more threes in the frame and Troy added one from the corner to present Taunton a 40-37 edge going into the fourth.

Trent Santos finished with a game-high 17 points along with five rebounds and a pair of assists.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“As odd as it sounds, he lost his confidence a little but he’s not allowed to do that,” Dacey said. “He got it back it…he hit a couple of leaners and now he’s right back in it. Do I demand we run our sets all the way through? No, sometimes we go a little NBA style and let him do his thing because it generally works out.

“[Mansfield] just doesn’t beat themselves. You hope for a mistake and you hope for a mistake and you just don’t get it. They get a good solid shot every time down the floor and that’s all you can ask for out of a high school. They don’t rush the clock, they grind and grind, and if you make a defensive mistake, they make you pay.”

Taunton boys basketball (8-0 Hockomock, 8-1 overall) carries its five-game win streak to North Attleboro, who has won two straight, for a Tuesday night tipoff. Mansfield (6-1, 8-2) has its fifth game in 10 days on Sunday with an afternoon trip to King Philip.

01/16/2022

Herry Helps Taunton Secure Key Win Over Franklin

Taunton boys basketball Tristan Herry — Taunton senior Tristan Herry, who scored a season-high 23 points, goes up for a shot in the second half against Franklin. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

TAUNTON, Mass. – Taunton senior Tristan Herry can impact a game without scoring because of his ballhandling, playmaking ability, and defense, but that certainly doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of putting the ball in the basket.

Herry scored 10 of his season-high 23 points in the final quarter, hitting key free throws in the final moments to help the Tigers fend off a comeback attempt from visiting Franklin to secure a 70-61 win.

Taunton boys basketball

Taunton has one of the most dynamic offenses in the league this year with one of the most gifted scorers in senior Trent Santos, who scored a game-high 25 points in the win. But with Franklin’s defense zeroed in on the dynamic guard, the Tigers needed someone to step up.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

When Franklin opened the final quarter with three free throws from sophomore Henry Digiorgio (15 points, four rebounds) to grab some momentum, Herry (six rebounds, three assists, three steals) came back down the other way and hit a jumper.

Digiorgio hit two more from the line to cut the deficit to just six, the closest the Panthers had been since trailing by five at halftime. But that’s when Herry used his vision to find Santos for a big three.

Franklin’s Ben Harvey muscled his way to the rim for two points to get the deficit down to seven, 53-46, with just over four minutes to go before Herry found classmate Faisal Mass (11 points) cutting to the rim for two points.

The Panthers scored on their third straight possession as senior Sean Vinson cleaned up his own miss, and then Franklin got a stop on defense but Taunton forced a turnover above the three-point line and Herry was first to pounce on it, hitting Mass on the break for two more.

The visitors refused to go quietly as Digiorgio drained a corner three to make it a seven-point game once again with just over two minutes left but Herry was calm against Franklin’s press, eventually drawing a foul and hitting both of his free throws.

After a big block from Mass down in the paint, Herry hit a contested jumper to put the hosts back up double digits with less than two minutes to go. He added four more free throws down the stretch to keep Taunton ahead for good.

“When he scores, it matters,” said Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey about Herry. “We had Jordan [Costa] step up the other night for us. Tristan is so selfless, he thinks of everyone else first. We’ve talked about it before and he really takes his role of being the point guard serious, he wants to move the ball around but we’ve talked about needing him to step up and him being a scoring point guard.”

It was a back-and-forth first half as the separation between two of the top teams in the state didn’t come until the third quarter.

Taunton boys basketball

Taunton carried a 25-20 lead into halftime, the advantage cut to five after a corner three from Franklin senior Will Tracey shortly before the buzzer.

After starting the game with a 9-0 surge, Taunton started the second with a 12-3 burst to create a double-digit advantage. Santos opened with a three off of a pass from Mass only for Vinson to answer in the first two minutes.

Mass went up and finished off a pass from Costa and Santos hit two from the line after the Tigers forced a turnover. Herry’s good defense forced a miss that ended up in two free throws from Costa down the other end and two possessions later, a steal from sophomore Troy Santos (7 points, 4 rebounds) led to a three from Herry, a 37-23 lead, and a timeout from Franklin.

Taunton boys basketball

Taunton’s lead peaked at 15 points after Matt Small hauled in an offensive board and hit Troy Santos in the corner for a three and a 40-25 lead.

Franklin’s offense got it going out of the timeout, scoring 12 points over the final three minutes, but Taunton nearly matched it to stay ahead.

A floater from Digiorgio, a traditional three-point play from Tracey, and a layup from sophomore Andrew O’Neill (18 points, five assists) sparked the run but also marked Franklin’s first two-point field goals of the game with just over two minutes left in the third quarter. Franklin went 0-for-6 from two-point range in the first half and missed their first three attempts in the second half.

Small, who came off the bench while Costa was in foul trouble, finished off a nice pass from Troy Santos for Taunton but Digiorgio answered with a triple. Mass and Herry hit from the free throw line late before Digiorgio hit a layup to make it 46-35 at the end of the third quarter.

“He doesn’t have to score, he just busts his butt,” Dacey said of Small, who had two points, eight rebounds, four assists, and a block off the bench. He does all the dirty work, that’s the kind of stuff we need from him. There’s enough guys out there that have to score points for us but he doesn’t have to to help us.

Coming off a tough shooting night at Mansfield on Friday night, Franklin found some rhythm early. After a couple of misses, the Panthers got all of their points in the opening eight minutes from deep. O’Neill hit three of his own and Justin Allen hit another. Franklin finished 11-for-29 from three-point range.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“Those guys have a lot of talent, there’s no question about it,” said Franklin coach CJ Neely. “They make you work really hard on the defensive end and put your defense to the test. Even if you try to shut one guy down, they have another. They ran some nice sets, they get the right guys the ball where they need to get it and Charlie and Matt have done a nice job getting really good players good looks.

“We’re a good team and they are a great team. We have to more steps to get to the level of the two teams we played this weekend. They’ve shown us a lot, we have a lot of guys working hard but we just have to take that next step. I think we got a little excited about the start we’ve had so this is a good wake up call and we’ll see what we’re made of over the course of the next stretch of games.”

Taunton boys basketball (6-0 Hockomock, 6-1 overall) will look to extend its three-game winning streak on Tuesday when it hosts Oliver Ames at 6:30. Franklin (4-2, 7-2) will try to snap its two-game skid when it returns home from a six-game road trip to host Foxboro on the same day.

12/20/202112/21/2021

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 12/20/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
North Attleboro, 52 @ Attleboro, 64 – Final – Attleboro established an early lead and never let it slip away to knock off rival North Attleboro. Sophomore Neo Franco hit a pair of threes in the first and Evan Houle (17 points) added five to give the hosts a 17-12 lead. The lead grew from there with senior Colin Morais adding seven second quarter points to give the Bombardiers a 29-20 halftime edge. Attleboro, who was without junior forward Trevor White, had its best offensive quarter in the third, scoring 23 points with contributions from Joe Francois-Annevil (seven of his 11 points), Jake Struminski (six of his eight points), and Alvin Harrison (half of his eight points). Brody Rosenberg led the Rocketeers with 15 points while Givany Carney chipped in with 12 points.

Canton, 45 @ Milford, 30 – Final – Canton delivered first year coach Eric MacKinnon his first career win, limiting the Hawks to 12 points in the second half for the win. The Bulldogs built a six-point lead after a quarter and kept the Hawks at a distance the rest of the way. Conor Hunter hit a pair of threes in the second quarter as the visitors carried a 23-18 lead into halftime. Canton had its biggest offensive quarter of the game, nearly doubling their lead going into the final quarter (36-27). Hunter finished with 13 points while Matt Chafin added 12 points in the win.

Foxboro, 26 @ Mansfield, 66 – Final – Click here for a photo gallery of this game. – Mansfield built a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never looked back in a big win over visiting Foxboro. The Hornets were clicking on all cylinders on the offensive end, getting 11 players into the scoring column. Senior Matt Hyland scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed five rebounds while junior Chris had a strong showing with 15 points and seven rebounds. Mansfield helped force 18 turnovers from the Warriors, who couldn’t get it going on offensively. Mansfield led 34-11 at halftime.

Stoughton, 72 @ King Philip, 64 – Final (OT) – King Philip battled back throughout the game, forcing overtime but couldn’t keep pace with the visiting Black Knights in the extra period. Stoughton built a double-digit lead (22-12) after a quarter with six players factoring into the scoring. The Knights kept the lead all the way to the fourth, but King Philip cut into it each quarter. Stoughton took a 38-30 lead into halftime but was held to just six points in the third as KP surged back to make it a one-possession game (44-41). The teams battled back-and-forth in the final quarter before Stoughton’s last second shot was off the mark. In overtime, Connor Andrews (game-high 22 points), Jayden Costa Heyward (12 points), Liam Pearl (nine points) and Cashmere Mathurin (six points) all scored to help the Knights outscore the Warriors, 11-3. Freshman Matt Greenspoon added 10 points in the win. Danny Clancy led King Philip with 16 points while Braeden Sottile added 15 points.

Oliver Ames, 48 @ Franklin 64 – Final – Franklin saw its 22-point halftime lead shrink to single digits going into the fourth quarter, but the Panthers bounced back and closed out strong to get a win over visiting Oliver Ames. Franklin built a 37-15 lead by the break behind a balanced scoring attack and strong defense. Franklin hit half of its 12 three-pointers in the second quarter alone, two apiece from Geino Scaringello and Justin Allen (team-high 12 points) and one each from Andrew O’Neil and Hansy Jacques, to take a commanding lead. OA came roaring back in the third as Zach Tagliamonte scored 10 of his team-high 14 points in the third and Dan Reilly had nine of his 12 points to make it 46-37 going into the fourth. Ben Harvey had half of his eight points in the fourth, Henry Digiorgio scored five of his seven, and Allen added another three to pull away.

Sharon, 71 @ Taunton, 89 – Final – Taunton senior Trent Santos caught fire early and never cooled off, dropping a career-high 41 points to lead the Tigers to a win over visiting Sharon. Santos hit four threes on his way to 20 points in the first quarter as Taunton jumped out ahead 28-12 after a quarter. Faisal Mass (14 points) and Matt Small (nine points) scored six points and five points, respectively, in the second for a 46-25 advantage at the break. Santos picked it back up in the second with 14 points, keeping the hosts ahead throughout. Tyson Carter scored all eight of his points in the third and Troy Santos added all seven of his to give Taunton a 68-47 lead going into the fourth. Sharon junior Matt Baur scored a team-high 26 points, hitting on six three-pointers. Sam Cohen added four threes for 12 points as the Eagles finished with 15 three-pointers made.

Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 41 @ North Attleboro, 30 – Final – Attleboro knocked down its outside shots and played solid defense to pull out a first win for head coach Bri Bracken. The game was tied at 9-9 after one quarter but Attleboro was able to build a six-point lead by halftime and extended it to 11 in the second half. North continues to struggle at times to find consistency on offense, but got eight points from Ava McKeon, who was back after missing a game with injury, and seven points apiece from freshmen Sam Sweeney and Maryellen Charette.

Milford, 17 @ Canton, 71 – Final – Canton got off to a great start and broke the game away in the second quarter to earn its first win of the season. Kiara Cerruti scored 14 of her game-high 18 points in the opening half, including 10 in the second quarter. Fay Gallery scored 17 points and added nine before halftime, as the Bulldogs ran out to a 36-9 lead. Sydney Gallery chipped in with 13 points and Han Hong added nine. Maddalena Mannucci Pacini scored four points for Milford, which also got three points apiece from Jess Douglas, Jill Araujo, and Khatrina Leger.

Mansfield, 43 @ Foxboro, 56 – Final – Foxboro got big nights from a pair of freshmen to earn its second straight win and hand Mansfield its first loss of the season. Kailey Sullivan set a new career-high with 16 points, 11 in the second half, and Ava Hill set a career mark with 14 points, including eight in the fourth quarter. The Warriors broke the game open in the second, extending a one-point lead out to a dozen by halftime. After Foxboro won the third quarter 14-11, Mansfield battled to win a fourth quarter shootout 19-17. Kara Santos was the top scorer for the Hornets with 13 and Abby Wager added 11 points, all in the second half and eight in the fourth quarter alone. Olivia Salisbury had five points, all in the final eight minutes. Foxboro was able to get clutch rebounding from Andrea Slattery and Lauren Miley down the stretch to keep a big lead. Camryn Collins scored nine points and Erin Foley scored eight points to go along with her aggressive defending.

Franklin, 51 @ Oliver Ames, 48 – Final (OT) – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

King Philip, 65 @ Stoughton, 41 – Final – Stoughton kept it close in the first half behind a strong defensive effort but the visiting Warriors put together a big run in the third to turn a 6-point lead at half (30-24) into a double-digit advantage (47-30) going into the fourth. Seniors Makaiyah Singleton Rivera and Jess Maddalena combined for 16 points for the Black Knights.

Taunton @ Sharon – Postponed to TBD.

Boys Hockey
Franklin, 6 vs. St. John’s Shrewsbury, 3 – Final – Franklin saw its three-goal lead evaporate in a three-minute span in the second period but the Panthers bounced back with a big third period, scoring three more times to get the win over St. John’s Shrewsbury. Adam Quinn (from Ben Jarosz and Ben Paterson) and Ryan Sicchio (from Logan Marchand) scored for a 2-0 lead at the midway point of the first, and Paterson (from Dylan Marchand and Quinn) scored just over two minutes into the second to make it 3-0. SJS scored three times within the next four minutes to tie the contest 3-3 through two periods. In the third, Quinn got his second of the day (from Paterson and Sicchio) at the midway point of the third and Dom Lampasona (from Anthony Lampasona) added a key insurance goal less than a minute later. Anthony Lampasona tacked on a key empty net goal (margin of victory) in the final seconds on an assist from Christian Shabbick. Cole Porter made 31 saves in net for the Panthers.

King Philip, 1 vs. Medway, 4 – Final

Stoughton, 7 vs. Bellingham, 2 – Final – Stoughton broke into the win column in a big way, knocking off visiting Bellingham, 7-2. Charlie Caputo led the offense with three goals while Colin Alessi added a pair of goals. Brendan Twohig and Aidan Obrock scored a goal each while Anthony Hern recorded the win in net.

Girls Hockey
King Philip, 2 @ Wayland/Weston, 1 – Final (OT)

12/14/2021

Taunton Closes Strong To Get Past Stoughton

STOUGHTON, Mass. – Taunton senior Trent Santos was doing his part on the offensive end of the court, but the Tigers needed someone else to step up as they clung to a one-point lead over Stoughton going into the final quarter.

That’s exactly what the Tigers got to start the final quarter as Faisal Mass, Matt Small, and Tristan Herry each scored inside the first three minutes and Trent Santos added a key offensive board and assist, all resulting in a 14-0 run that helped Taunton take home a 61-48 decision over the Black Knights.

Trent Santos accounted for half of Taunton’s 40 points through the first three quarters, but Taunton’s lead quickly expanded with the help of the rest of the players on the court.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Mass (nine points, six rebounds) sank a free throw and then scored off a steal from Herry. On the next trip down, Herry found Small on a baseline cut for an easy two that forced an early timeout from the hosts. Trent Santos missed a three on the next trip but Troy Santos (four points, six rebounds) flew in for the offensive rebound, drew a double team, and kicked it back out to his older brother for a triple.

Following another turnover by the Black Knights, Trent Santos dished it to Herry (12 points, six assists, five rebounds, three steals) for a triple. Taunton got a stop on the defensive end and Trent Santos, who tied a career-high with 27 points, drained his third three of the game as Taunton capped a 14-0 run that turned a one-point advantage into a comfortable 54-39 lead.

“That lead seemed to come out of nowhere,” admitted Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey. “The game didn’t seem to be trending in that direction. But that’s kind of who we are, we’re streaky individually and we’re streaky as a team. You just have to pick the right time to go on a good streak.

“We switched up our sets a little bit, ran a couple of different things just to get a different look. They were starting to get comfortable against the offense so we had to switch it up.”

Stoughton finally snapped its scoreless start to the fourth quarter off a corner three from freshman Matt Greenspoon (nine points, six rebounds) with four minutes to play but couldn’t get any closer in the final moments.

“I think a part of it was just experience, being in that situation,” said Stoughton head coach Evan Taylor. “[Taunton] executed down the stretch, they were able to make some plays and hit some shots and we didn’t. We turned the ball over more in the fourth quarter than the rest of the game I think. We have to learn how to start quarters strong, close out games, situational things like that.”

The first three quarters essentially played out as a duel between Trent Santos and Stoughton senior Connor Andrews, who dropped a game-high and career-high 30 points.

Andrews came out of the gates on fire, helping the Black Knights to their best quarter of the game. He drained three triples in the opening eight minutes and had 13 points as Stoughton built a 20-15 lead.

Stoughton had its largest lead after a bucket from Liam Pearl (eight rebounds) and a free throw from Josh Rivera made it 23-15 but Taunton controlled the final six minutes of the second quarter. Trent Santos had back-to-back buckets before he sank a pair of free throws. Andrews answered with a triple to keep Stoughton ahead, but the Tigers closed the half on an 8-0 run — two from Herry, a three-point play from Jordan Costa (five points, five rebounds), another free throw from Herry, and a jumper from Santos — for a 29-26 lead at halftime.

“I think having experience helped and someone like Tristan, he just settles everyone down on both ends of the floor,” Dacey said. “He didn’t panic at all defensively, and that kid [Andrews] is tough but he made him work for it and I think that drains someone by the end of the game.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“[Stoughton] is always tough, they are athletic and really explosive, they match up with us.”

The Tigers had its largest lead of the opening three quarters when Santos scored on back-to-back possessions to make it 38-32 before Andrews answered with two field goals of his own and Greenspoon hit a late three to make it a one-point game going into the fourth.

Taunton boys basketball (1-0 Hockomock, 1-0 overall) will have its home opener on Friday when they host King Philip, who had the night off after its season opener was delayed due to its football team reaching the state final. Stoughton (0-1, 0-1) will travel to Foxboro, who also had tonight off because of KP’s delay.

12/13/202112/13/2021

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Attleboro

2020-2021 Record: 10-6
Coach: Mark Houle

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

After trotting out an entirely new lineup during the shortened COVID season a year ago, Attleboro is looking to build upon the foundation it built and contend for a Kelley-Rex title in a very deep division.

Senior Evan Houle and junior Trevor White are the two returning starters from a year ago but the Bombardiers have a lot of players back that saw valuable minutes off the bench as well. Houle and White both averaged 10 points per game a year ago and will be two of the main options on the offensive end of the court. Alvin Harrison and Joe Francois both played solid minutes last year and give the Bombardiers some size in the paint. Jake Struminski, Christian Dame, and Michael Beverly all played throughout last season and should be in the mix again this year.

The Bombardiers are getting a big boost in the backcourt with the addition of senior Colin Morais, who transferred in after playing in Rhode Island last year. Morais can score in a variety of ways and can really catch fire from three-point range so he will be a welcome addition to the lineup. Sophomore Neo Franco could see an expanded role right away and help provide additional defensive intensity and some scoring punch. Seniors Hayden Hagerty, senior Nathan Hunter-Evans, and junior Jaiden Outland give the Bombardiers some quality depth on the roster.

“I have been very impressed with our work ethic and how our players have set high standards in practice every day,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle. “I credit our recent graduates for the past several years who set the high expectations for our teams to work hard, be good teammates, and earn our success in practice. We’re looking forward to the always challenging Hockomock League schedule. We must be prepared and be ready to compete at a high level every game.”

Canton

2020-2021 Record: 4-9
Coach: Eric MacKinnon

A new chapter begins for the Bulldogs with Eric MacKinnon taking over as head coach after Ryan Gordy stepped down to take an athletics administrative position with Canton. MacKinnon, a former Hockomock League All-Star for Oliver Ames, has experience coaching at both the high school and collegiate levels and will try to guide a relatively inexperienced group through a tough league schedule.

Canton graduated seven seniors from last year’s team that accounted for nearly 90% of the team’s points scored last year. But with that loss comes a lot of new opportunities for new players to fit into the lineup and rotation. Senior Lanse Dorcelus possesses the most experience of anyone on the roster after getting pulled up to varsity his freshmen year and seeing an expanded role in each of the past two seasons. He could be primed for a breakout year with his ability to attack the rim, and he can score in bunches when he gets going.

Dorcelus is joined by Dillon Nguyen, Conor Hunter, and Nate Mei as returners from last year. All three of those players know what it’s like to play at the varsity level in the Hockomock League so MacKinnon will be leaning on their experience as the Bulldogs try to navigate through a very challenging schedule. MacKinnon is hoping to have the Dogs playing with pace in the halfcourt and will be looking to have a balanced attack on offense with a presence in the post but also a roster that can hit from outside.

“We have a mix of guys who have had varsity experience along with some juniors who weren’t able to swing last year because of covid protocols,” MacKinnon said. “We know we’ll need to be efficient offensively and be sound on the other end to compete every night in this league. We’ve made progress in our early practices and I’ve been impressed by our senior leadership.”

Foxboro

2020-2021 Record: 2-9
Coach: Jon Gibbs

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

There were a lot of growing pains for the Warriors last season, resulting in a 2-9 record during the shortened COVID season. But with its entire starting lineup back plus some added depth, Foxboro could be looking at a worst-to-first type turnaround in 2022.

Senior Dylan Gordon, fresh off an incredible football season for the Warriors, had a breakout season a year ago and was one of the leading scorers in the Hock at 16 points per game. He’s joined by junior Alex Penders, who had some dominant moments at times last year in the paint and averaged 13.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, and juniors Ryan LeClair, Sam Golub (6.4 PPG), and Sean O’Leary. Juniors Andrew Finn and Cam Barreira both played solid minutes at points last year so the Warriors boast eight veteran players now, which is a vast difference from last year when everyone on the roster was making their varsity debut.

The Warriors will look to boast a balanced offensive attack and have the weapons to do so. Whether it’s Penders down low in the post, Gordon slashing to the basket, or Golub lighting it up from deep, Foxboro has options all over the court. Head coach Jon Gibbs is hoping the experience and chemistry the group gained last year will provide a strong foundation for this season. Defensively, the Warriors have some size and length that will allow them to protect the paint, contest shots, and rebound at a high level.

“We have a deep team this year,” Gibbs said. “Guys are pushing each other hard in practice every day as they work to carve out roles for themselves. If we can defend and rebound at a championship level, we have the potential for a very successful season.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Franklin

2020-2021 Record: 6-5
Coach: CJ Neely

Last season marked the second straight year that the Panthers graduated a large senior class and that means there are a lot of opportunities for new faces to step into the starting lineup and expanded roles this year around.

While the Panthers will have an entirely new starting lineup, Franklin will most certainly be right in the mix in a Kelley-Rex division that is jammed-pack with talent. Gone are leading scorer Declan Walmsley (17.5 points per game) along with the next two leading scorers on last year’s roster in Andrew Byfield (10.2) and Jake O’Brien (9.9). Key depth pieces like Zach Harvey (4.5) and Alex Newman (3.6) also graduated so head coach CJ Neely will be working with some new options this year.

Sophomore Henry Digiorgio burst onto the scene as a freshman a year ago and he’s the top returning scorer at 5.4 points per game, although he did reach double figures in the scoring column three times. Sean Vinson and Ben Harvey are the other two players back in the fold that saw some minutes a season ago. But something we’ve seen Franklin do year-in and year-out is reload so there will certainly be some new names to emerge over the next couple of weeks.

While the players change, the style of Franklin basketball has been consistent for years and defense remains to be the calling card under Neely. The Panthers are always a team that puts a lot of pressure, moves the ball around on the offensive end, and incorporates a lot of motion off the ball to keep opposing defenses on their heels.

“Guys have really showed up ready to compete for jobs,” Neely said. “Obviously with five graduating starters from last year’s team there are a lot of roles up for grabs and practices have been great. We have had a very competitive preseason and it has shown that we have a lot of depth and it will be an ongoing battle all year to earn your spot and maintain your spot throughout the year.”

King Philip

2020-2021 Record: 0-10
Head Coach: Dave DeStefano

With a strong mix of experienced players and new faces, King Philip is looking to make some noise in a very talented and deep Kelley-Rex division, one of the best divisions in the state.

Head coach Dave DeStefano is back after missing the COVID season due to the birth of his son and has seven seniors, four juniors, two sophomores, and two freshmen on the roster to work with this year. KP has a solid foundation with two returning starters back and both averaged double figures in the scoring column. Junior Will Laplante had a breakout year and will be someone every opposing defense will have to keep an eye on after averaging 16.4 points per game last year. And senior Danny Clancy is one of the hardest-working players and fights for a lot of rebounds on the offensive glass; he averaged 12.2 points per game last year.

Senior Charlie Grant, fresh off leading the King Philip football team to the state final at quarterback, is confident with the ball in his hands and will be like a quarterback for the offense by setting the tempo. Seniors Sean Sullivan and Braeden Sottile will be looking to build on their minutes from a season ago and could see expanded roles this go around. Seniors Will Martorano (6’5) and Drew Danson (6’3) should give the Warriors a big, physical presence in the paint. DeStefano is also expecting juniors Tommy Martorano, Grant Kinney, and Collin Peck to be in the mix after improving a lot over the offseason.

“The boys have really committed this offseason,” said DeStefano, who is hoping a combination of athleticism and physicality lead to success this year. “The practices so far have been really competitive and physical. We know that everyone in this league can score the ball and if we want to be successful we are going to have to commit on the defensive end of the floor. We want to make our opponents uncomfortable and focus on working together to get stops. On offense, we are looking to have a balanced attack and create great scoring opportunities as a team.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Mansfield

2020-2021 Record: 15-1 (Kelley-Rex division champions)
Coach: Mike Vaughan

Mansfield won another division title last season and expectations are sky high yet again this year, as the Hornets look to win their 10th straight Kelley-Rex division title and go on a deep tournament run.

While the Hornets reload every year, they have a pretty good head start this season already with senior Matt Hyland and junior Chris Hill back in the lineup. Both boast a lot of experience at the varsity level and are capable of being the best player on the court. Mansfield lost 1,000-point score Matt Boen (just the second player to reach that milestone under head coach Mike Vaughan despite all of the program’s success) to graduation so both Hyland and Hill will take on more responsibility on the offensive end of the floor.

Seniors Jack Lasbury-Casey, Andrew Slaney, and Anthony Sacchetti, along with sophomore Trevor Foley, all saw minutes during last year’s shortened COVID season and could be in line for expanded roles this year. Sacchetti has impressed in the preseason so far and the Hornets have played well with him on the floor, Foley (6’5) creates a lot of matchup problems with his size and athleticism, and both Lasbury-Casey and Slaney can give the offense a boost with their outside shooting.

Caden Colby, Dante James, and JT Veiking all are coming off very successful seasons of JV and the same goes for sophomore Eddie McCoy, who had a strong year on the freshmen squad. All four players are all in the mix for minutes and give the Hornets a very deep roster. The Hornets are looking to use their size and length to their advantage, especially on the defensive end of the floor.

“Overall the expectations are the same, we want to qualify for the tournament as quickly as possible by playing one game at a time, win the league title, and win multiple tournament games,” Vaughan said. “With the quality of the league and our tough non-league schedule, we have a challenge ahead of us but I think we have the pieces to be a very talented and quality basketball team on both ends of the floor.”

Milford

2020-2021 Record: 3-9
Coach: Paul Seaver

It’s not uncommon for a program to graduate its entire starting lineup, and it’s not even uncommon to see the majority of a roster turnover because of graduation. But Milford is in a unique situation in which it graduated its entire team. That’s right, Milford will boast a roster full of players without a minute of varsity experience.

Head coach Paul Seaver has four seniors, two juniors, two sophomores and four freshmen as the Hawks write a new ~~chapter~~ book in program history. Coaches in the Hockomock League will be checking in with their subvarsity coaches, and maybe even their metro coaches, to try and get an idea of what to expect from the Hawks this year.

While we’ll learn more about the Hawks as the season goes on, we do know one thing. Seaver will be leaning on the leadership of senior captains Nick Schuler and Paul Roberts. Both Schuler and Roberts have varsity experience in other sports so their leadership will be key for a program that will be experiencing this level for the first time.

“With a brand new crop of guys this season, we look to compete on both sides of the floor this year while working towards reestablishing the culture and environment of Milford basketball,” Seaver said.

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

North Attleboro

2020-2021 Record: 8-3
Coach: Sean Mulkerrins

The Rocketeers have a roster mixed with new faces and a handful of experienced players and are hoping that combination can lead to some success in a loaded Hockomock League.

After graduating just two seniors two years ago, North lost half of its roster from last year and all five were players that saw valuable minutes for head coach Sean Mukerrins. But on the plus side, the four players back all played a lot of minutes including starters and potential league all-stars Brody Rosenberg and Casey Poirier. Rosenberg was second on the team last year in scoring with 10.4 points per game last year and will need to take on more responsibility on the offensive end this year. Poirier is a capable guard that is confident with the ball in his hands and likes to spread the rock around.

Seniors Gavin Wells (6’3) and Nate Bennett (6’3) are the other two returners for the Big Red and both improved as the season went on last year. Wells emerged as a threat from the perimeter, dropping a season-high 13 points in a road win over Foxboro last season. Bennett can play in a variety of roles and he gives North some good size on the defensive end.

North has developed a reputation for being disciplined and well-prepared on the defensive end of the court, and that will likely be the strength for the squad again this year. On the offensive end, the Rocketeers will follow the lead of Rosenberg and Poirier as an unselfish group that is always looking for the best shot.

“We are excited to get the season started and see where we stack up against the rest of the Hockomock League,” Mulkerrins said. “After graduating a tremendous 2021 class, this group is excited to step in and carve our roles that will help our team succeed.”

Oliver Ames

2020-2021 Record: 9-1 (Davenport division champions)
Coach: Oliver Vil

Oliver Ames had a terrific showing during the shortened COVID season, winning the Davenport division in its first season back after four years in the Kelley-Rex division.

Oliver Vil takes over as head coach of the program after the untimely passing of legendary and Hall of Fame coach Don Byron in June. Byron coached through his battle with cancer for the past couple of seasons, leading the Tigers to the Davenport crown with a 9-1 record last winter.

Vil and the Tigers will honor Byron this season when they play Abington; Byron coached the Green Wave to a sectional title in his final season there before coming to Oliver Ames. The Tigers will be raising funds for Coaches vs. Cancer when they host Abington on December 23rd.

Vil, who was an assistant under Byron before taking the head coaching job at Walpole, has two key pieces back from last year’s squad. Senior Drew Baxter is a crafty guard that can really get going on the offensive side of the ball and score in a variety of ways; he will spearhead the offense while Jake Grimaldi, a senior co-captain, gives the Tigers some size down low. After graduating nine seniors from last year’s roster, there are a lot of opportunities for new faces to take advantage of.

“I look forward to continuing the great tradition at OA,” Vil said. “There are big shoes to fill, but my mentor Don Byron has prepared me for this position. I’m excited for this opportunity and challenge.”

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Sharon

2020-2021 Record: 4-9
Coach: Andrew Ferguson

Sharon built a solid foundation during last year’s COVID-shortened season and now expectations are high as the Eagles look to build on it and compete for the Davenport division title.

The Eagles have a good chunk of the roster back from last year, all with an important year of experience now under the belt, and an impressive group of young players that are ready to make an immediate impact at the varsity level. Senior John Baez is in his fourth year with the varsity team and will be joined by senior Ryan Zunenshine in the backcourt to give the Eagles an experienced duo spearheading the offense.

The strong senior class also features Sam Cohen, Will Hippler, Donyae Pierre, Nate Yaffe, Ryan Baker, and Brent Cham. Cohen burst onto the scene at the end of his sophomore year and can light it up from three-point range while Hippler is a versatile player that gives the Eagles defensively flexibility. Junior Matt Baur is poised for a breakout season and might be the best player on the court on both sides of the court for the Eagles.

Sophomores Nate Katznelson and Jacob McLoughlin impressed in their first year playing high school ball last year and now will make the jump to the varsity level and could make an immediate impact. Juniors Jack Bates and Tyler Goodman give Sharon quality depth at the guard position. Sharon is hoping to get all five guys on the court involved on the offensive end of the court while a revamped defense could be the spark the Eagles need.

“We are thankful to be playing another season and thank the work of the athletic directors of the league to ensure a full season,” said head coach Andrew Ferguson. “We have been working extremely hard throughout the offseason and the early season to hit the ground running. We have a tight-knit team who have been growing together over the past few years and we can’t wait to get the season started.”

Stoughton

2020-2021 Record: 4-9
Coach: Evan Taylor

With just one starter back from last year, second-year head coach Evan Taylor is relying on a mix of new faces and some returners to make up the nucleus of this year’s squad.

Connor Andrews is the lone starter back for the Black Knights after averaging 8.5 points a year ago. But Stoughton also has a pair of juniors in Josh Rivera and Cashmere Mathurin, along with junior Rayan Sablon, that played meaningful minutes and are in line for expanded roles for the 2021-2022 season. Andrews can do it all on the offensive end and does a lot of the little things right. Not only can he light up the scoreboard with his outside shooting, but he also sets the tone with his hustle and rebounding.

Rivera is a capable ball-handler and likes to get his teammates involved; his energy will set the tone of the defensive end. Matherin’s size and athleticism will give a lot of teams trouble this year and Stoughton is looking for him to be one of the best rim protectors in the league. Sablon will play a variety of roles for the Knights, capable of playing as both the one and the two depending on the scenario. Freshman Matt Greenspoon is a player to watch as the season goes on.

Taylor is putting a big focus on the defensive end of the floor during the preseason. The Black Knights allowed the second-most points against in the Davenport division this year so a renewed focus on defense — with an emphasis on using their speed and athleticism to cause havoc — will be something to keep an eye on.

“We are very pleased with the energy and competition level at practice and we are expecting to be very competitive in the Davenport division this season,” Taylor said.

taunton

2020-2021 Record: 10-1 (Kelley-Rex division champions)
Coach: Charlie Dacey

Last season will always be “what if” for the Tigers, who won their first Hock title by sharing the Kelley-Rex division title with Mansfield. But the past is the past and Taunton is focused on the future, which could be another league title.

There will certainly be a bit of a new look for Taunton with the centerpiece of the offense from the past two seasons Tyler Stewart now causing problems for opponents in the Commonwealth Coast Conference as a member of the Wentworth men’s basketball team, and three-year starter Josh Lopes now suiting up for American International College.

But not all is lost as the Tigers have its three other starters from last year’s squad back in the mix and ready to challenge for another Kelley-Rex crown. Trent Santos is now a three-year starter and led the Tigers in scoring last year with 15.2 points per game and he will be one of the top players in the league again this year. Tristan Herry made a huge jump between his sophomore and junior year and is looking to continue that trend this year, the heart and soul of the defense. And Faisal Mass made a big splash last year and can hurt teams in a variety of ways.

The Tigers are getting a boost with the addition of Jordan Costa, who provides a big boost in the rebounding category and can cause some damage around the rim. He’ll be joined by junior Matt Small (6’4) to give the Tigers another option down low. Sophomores Troy Santos and Morrisette could be contributors to the lineup right away for Taunton.

“We’re looking to be aggressive defensively and dynamic offensively with varied skills being able to finish from different spots and different personnel,” said Taunton head coach Charlie Dacey.

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview