02/17/2018

North Attleboro Wrestling Claims D2 State Title

The North Attleboro wrestling team is bringing home some hardware. The Rocketeers edged out Central Catholic by less than five points, 109-105.5. North was behind heading into the upper weight classes but a win from Mattuez Kudra in the 220 D2 State Final propelled North into first place.

Kudra took down Boston Latin’s Olamadide Adeyeri, 3-0, in the 220 championship to win the individual title. Zack Gould (145) and Brad White (195) earned third-place finishes to earn big points for the Rocketeers. Dan Cooper (12) was fourth overall and Adam Eberle (160) took sixth in his bracket. John Kummer (285) and Brady Folan (113) were seventh and Mike Burns (132) took eighth.

Also in Division 2, Canton sophomore Eddie Marinilli became the first Bulldog wrestler to win a D2 State Championship. Marinilli pinned Milton’s Xavier Fischer and Hingham’s Tristan Williamson in the first two rounds, beat Reading’s Trevor Morton, 4-0, in the semifinals and then used a second-period takedown to defeat Marlborough’s Wilson Ordondez in the final.

Canton, which finished 17th with 45 points, also had received a solid showing from Nick Matt (285), who finished sixth overall.

Mansfield sophomore Vinnie Holmes was the third Hockomock wrestler to earn a state title. Holmes won the D1 State Title at 182, earning pinfall wins in the first two rounds, edging Putnam’s Taha Huggins, 10-6, in the semifinals and then defeating Brookline’s Atman Barrille, 9-3, in the championship.

For team results in D1, Franklin placed ninth (74.5 points), highlighted by Ian Bakalars second place finish at 120. Mansfield was 10th (63 points) and Taunton finished 34th overall with sophomore Woudanly Danger taking fourth at 220.

Stoughton and King Philip tied 21st overall (38 points). Black Knights sophomore Carlvin LaGuerre was a state finalist at 285. LaGuerre pinned Greater Lowell’s Zachary Peltier, picked up 3-0 win over Canton’s Nick Matt and edged Sharon’s Justin Wells, 2-1, in overtime. He fell to Wellesley’s Josh Cohen in the final. Stoughton’s Paul Feeney (220) was fifth and CJ Carpenter (106) was eighth.

King Philip had three grapplers place with Mohammad Lotfi taking fifth in the 138 bracket. Luke Fitch (170) and Shawn Conniff (182) each finished sixth.

Oliver Ames’ Anthony Berksza (145) and Dean Pacini (195) each had fifth-place finishes while Sharon’s Justin Wells (285) earned fourth overall.

Foxboro came up just shy of the D3 State Title. The Warriors (127 points) held a four-point lead over Dedham heading into the heavyweight finals but Dedham’s Jonathan Cleveland beat Hampden Charter’s Akhmet Azizov in the championship match to propel the Marauders into first place with 129 points. The Warriors had five wrestlers finish in second place.

Division 1

Teams
1. Chelmsford – 130
9. Franklin – 74.5
10. Mansfield – 63
34. Taunton – 14

Placements

113
7th – Ken Sauer, Franklin

120
2nd – Ian Bakalars, Franklin

126
4th – Jordan Carlucci, Franklin

132
4th – TJ Remillard, Franklin
8th – Will Stratton, Mansfield

138
7th – CJ Glaropoulos, Mansfield
8th – Brian Farrell, Franklin

160
3rd – Jayden Curley, Mansfield

182
1st – Vinnie Holmes, Mansfield

220
4th – Woudanly Danger, Taunton

Division 2

Teams
1. North Attleboro – 109
17. Canton – 45
T21. King Philip – 38
T21. Stoughton – 38
26. Oliver Ames – 32
27. Sharon – 29
38. Milford – 8

Placements

106
8th – CJ Carpenter, Stoughton

113
7th – Brady Folan, North Attleboro

120
4th – Dan Cooper, North Attleboro
8th – Will Stern, Sharon

132
6th – Sam Mandelbraut, Sharon
8th – Mike Burns, North Attleboro

138
1st – Eddie Marinilli, Canton
5th – Mohammad Lotfi, King Philip
8th – Nick Marcolini, Milford

145
3rd – Zack Gould, North Attleboro
5th – Anthony Berksza, Oliver Ames

160
6th – Adam Eberle, North Attleboro

170
6th – Luke Fitch, King Philip
8th – Billy Tat, Oliver Ames

182
6th – Shawn Conniff, King Philip

195
3rd – Brad White, North Attleboro
5th – Dean Pacini, Oliver Ames

220
1st – Mattuez Kudra, North Attleboro
5th – Paul Feeney, Stoughton

285
2nd – Carlvin LaGuerre, Stoughton
4th – Justin Wells, Sharon
6th – Nick Matt, Canton
7th – John Kummer, North Attleboro

Division 3

Teams
1. Dedham – 129
2. Foxboro – 127

Placements

113
2nd – Adam Lanctot, Foxboro

126
2nd – Phil Dure, Foxboro

132
2nd – Shayne Kerrigan, Foxboro

138
2nd – Tommy Gallagher, Foxboro

170
2nd – Dave Dow, Foxboro

220
4th – William Ogebebor, Foxboro

285
7th – William McNeil, Foxboro

12/09/201712/10/2017

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 12/09/17

Today’s games are listed below. We will update this post with any weather related changes we receive.

Boys Basketball
Milford @ Hopedale – Postponed to Sunday, 12/17 at 3:00.

Hockey
Attleboro vs. Weston – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.

Canton, 2 vs. Medway, 0 – Final – Canton opened its season with a 2-0 win over D2 South rival Medway. Kevin Murphy opened the scoring up five minutes into the second period to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead, one they took into the third period. Jack Goyetch batted in a rebound midway through the third period to add the insurance goal.

Stoughton, 4 vs. Revere/Malden, 11 – Final

Girls Hockey
King Philip, 0 @ Algonquin/Hudson, 5 – Final

Wrestling
Burlington Quad (Canton) – Canton picked up three wins on the day to open the season 3-0. Canton opened the day with a 42-34 win over Xaverian before taking down the hosts Burlington, 48-27. The Bulldogs closed the day with a big 56-18 win over Norwood.

North Shore Super Quad (Foxboro) – Foxboro picked up three wins in season-opening quad meet. The Warriors beat Melrose 54-30, Beverly 51-36, and picked up a victory over Danvers, 42-36. Foxboro fell to Shawsheen Tech 51-40.

Mt. Hope Tournament (Franklin, Stoughton) – Franklin had a wrestler place in the top three in 10 of the 14 weight classes, and won five of those 10 brackets. Franklin finished first with 256 points, over 100 points more than second place. Ian Bakalars (120), TJ Remillard (132), Mike Racca (145), Seamus Cogavin (152), and Bruce Johnson (195) all took first place, Jake Carlucci (106) and Jack Coughlin (220) each took second, and Ken Sauer (113), Jordan Carlucci (126), and Brian Farrell (138) all placed third. Stoughton placed fifth overall with 97 points. Paul Feeney was the lone winner for the Black Knights, taking first in the 220 bracket while Malachi Green was second in the 195 bracket.

St. John’s Quad (King Philip), 10:00AM

Lincoln-Sudbury Quad (Mansfield) – Mansfield opened its season with three impressive wins at the Lincoln-Sudbury quad. The Hornets beat the hosts 43-28 and shut out Quincy 48-0. Mansfield’s third win came via a 46-15 decision over Brookline. Antonios Sevastos, Will Stratton, CJ Glaropoulos, George Glaropoulos, and Jayden Curley all went 3-0 for the Hornets while Vinnie Holmes was 2-0.

Masconomet Quad (Milford) – Milford picked up three wins in its first contest of the season. The Scarlet Hawks picked up wins over Marblehead (48-24), Tewksbury (42-31) and Masconomet (42-34). Milford’s lone loss on the day came to the hands of Greater Lawrence (48-33).

North Attleboro Super Quad (North Attleboro) – North Attleboro opened up the 2017-2018 campaign with a pair of wins over out of state opponents. Big Red took down Burriville (RI) with an impressive 66-7 win, and then picked up a win over East Providence (RI), 42-9, in equally impressive fashion.

Devin Ness Tournament (Oliver Ames) – Oliver Ames placed sixth in its annual Devin Ness Tournament to open the season. The hosts had one winner, one runner up and a pair of fourth place finishes to pace the scoring. Brandon Belleton pinned down a win at 138 while junior Anthony Berksza took second place at 145. Dean Pacini (195) and Cobey Williamson (132) each placed fourth for the Tigers.

Walpole Quad (Sharon), 10:00AM

Watertown Quad (Taunton), 10:00AM

10/21/201710/21/2017

Black Knights Clamp Down on the Hawks for Road Win

Stoughton football — Malachi Green-Hightower (52) leads the way for Justin Ly (3) on what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown late in the first half against Milford. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)

MILFORD, Mass. – Twenty minutes into Friday night’s regular season finale at Milford High, Stoughton had only managed three first downs. Another short drive came to a close after Jonathan Medina was sacked by several Hawks and offensive lineman Malachi Green-Hightower was forced to jump on a fumble to keep the possession alive.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Paul Feeney hit a towering punt downfield towards Ryan O’Toole, who was unable to come up with it cleanly. Matthew Hadley pounced on the loose ball and put the Black Knights at the Milford 25. On the next play, Justin Ly bounced outside the tackle and raced down the Milford sideline for a 25-yard score with 1:31 left in the first half.

The score turned out to be the game-winner, as the Black Knights defense smothered the Milford offense, limiting the Hawks to only eight first downs in the game (only three in the second half), in a 14-3 victory that sets up a three-way tie for second place in the Davenport division and most likely a home game for Stoughton in the Div. 3 South playoffs.

“That’s a good team,” said Stoughton coach Greg Burke, “they played very hard, and they’ve been excellent the last couple weeks and luckily we got them and I’m glad we did it by running the football.”

The Black Knights were without starting quarterback Evan Gibb, who was injured in the loss to North Attleboro, and Burke praised Medina (2-6, 25 yards) for managing the game. Burke said, “You’ve got to make some tough plays and the toughest job, he did a great job for us, was our quarterback. The kid hasn’t played a lot and…everything’s a little different.”

Milford started the game in a spread formation with sophomore Colby Pires (7-16, 118 yards) in the shotgun. On the first possession of the game, Pires hit Shapel Feaster for 20 yards and the Hawks moved the ball into Stoughton territory, but on fourth and nine Pires scrambled and hit Lucas Rosa for eight yards and the drive stalled at the Black Knights 29.

On the second possession, backed up to their own 11, the Hawks hit their biggest play of the game. Pires looked deep down the near sideline to Joey Everett, a senior who transferred in from St. George’s School (Newport, R.I.) midway through the season, and the wideout made an incredible 41-yard catch just keeping a foot in bounds. On the next play, Pires was intercepted by Ryan Semler.

“When you have three turnovers and a muffed punt deep in your own end, it’s hard to get anything going,” said first-year Milford coach Anthony Vizakis. “We tried our spread, we tried our war, they did a really great job. They have a great defense.”

Vizakis admitted that the touchdown before halftime was a turning point. He said, “Unfortunately, sometimes all it takes is one play. We were hoping to put a drive together and we had some things ready to go, but you could feel the momentum shift. Against a tough team like that, it’s hard to come back from it.”

The Black Knights went into the locker room with energy after the late touchdown, but in the end both defenses were too strong to keep the momentum going. A sack by Josh Ligor ended the second Stoughton possession of the third quarter and gave Milford the ball back at its own 30.

The Hawks turned to junior Ryan Pearl at quarterback in a compact power set that worked the week before in the comeback win over Foxboro. A six-yard completion to Will Pointer got a rare third down conversion for a first down and Pointer followed it with a 20-yard burst around the end. Once again the drive stalled, but Milford turned to junior kicker Sean Lehane, who split the upright with a 46-yard boot (with room to spare) that cut the lead to 7-3.

“He’s unreal,” said Vizakis of Lehane. “That’s automatic for him. He kicks 50-55 [yards] in practice and I think we have to utilize him even more when we’re close. He’s clutch.”

The home crowd was starting to get into it, especially after Ruben Gonzalez was stopped on the kick-off return at his own 17, but the Black Knights settled down and put together the best drive of the game.

Alex Sjoquist (15 carries, 91 yards) was the main threat, getting the ball eight times during a 13-play, 83-yard march that took seven minutes off the clock and sealed the win. The big play was a 41-yard burst straight up the middle from Sjoquist that Tyler Joyce kept from being a touchdown with a diving, shoestring tackle. In the end, Sjoquist plunged into the end zone with a three-yard score.

Any hope of another late comeback by the Hawks was dashed by a Colin Sanda interception.

Burke said of the team’s ability to matchup with Milford’s bunch sets, “We got hurt a little bit but…we worked very hard at that all week. It’s a very effective offense, if you get one long play. You’re in tight, so they’re hoping someone cracks one and gets out. So, you have to really protect against the bounce out.”

Despite the defeat, it looks like Milford (3-4, 3-2) has qualified for the Div. 3 South playoffs and could face possible trips to North Attleboro, Duxbury or Hingham. Vizakis is proud of how far the Hawks have come from the opening game of the season.

He said, “We’re 100 percent getting better every week and that’s what we tell them, get better every day. The kids are improving, they’re getting more comfortable in the system, and once we see where we fall in the playoff bracket we’ll be ready to go next week.”

Stoughton (5-2, 3-2) appears to be in line for the third or fourth seed in Div. 3 South.

Burke said, “We’re 5-2 with a couple of our starters out…and I’m just happy we’re getting in the playoffs for our fourth consecutive year. I don’t know, if you had said at the beginning of the year that we’d be 5-2 I would’ve called you crazy, but that’s the type of kids I have, tough kids.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

08/30/2017

Football: 2017 Davenport Division Preview

2017 Davenport Football Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2017 Davenport Football Preview

Canton

2016 Record: 3-8
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Dave Bohane

Key/Returning Players: Brendan Albert, Jr., LB; Alec Ragusa, Sr., FB/LB; Jude Albert, Sr., OL/LB; Kearvens Theodore, Sr., OL/DL; Chris Benjamin, Sr., OL/DL; Tony Harris, Sr., SE/DB; Johnny Hagan, Soph., QB; Kyle Fitzgerald, Soph., FS; Ben Seaman, Jr., LB; Gersom Rivera, Soph., RB; Jack Connolly, Soph., OL/DL; Christian Walker, Sr., TE;

Outlook: The Bulldogs have a solid handful of experienced players back this season and will be looking to mix in a good amount of youth during the 2017 season.

While Canton will have plenty of seniors on the field, head coach Dave Bohane expects a good mix of juniors and even sophomores to get plenty of playing time. The youth starts under center as sophomore Johnny Hagan takes over as the team’s starting quarterback. He’ll have two big targets to work with in Tony Harris and Christian Walker as well as a versatile backfield that features Alec Ragusa and Gersom Rivera.

On the defensive side of the ball, a group of experienced linebackers, including Ragusa, Jude Albert, Brendan Albert and Ben Seamen will anchor the Bulldogs. Kearvens Theodore will be a big piece on the defensive line, alongside Chris Benjamin and Jack Connolly. Sophomore Kyle Fitzgerald will take on the responsibility of being a starting safety but will have plenty of experience in the secondary with seniors Cordell Smith and Marquise Montes manning the corners.

“Getting off to a good start is always important, and equally important is those later weeks,” Bohane said. “We have to keep bodies fresh and keep ourselves in a position to make playoffs. It’s a tough league, everyone we play will be a really good football team. We’re young but athletic and competitive, and I think that will make a difference.”

Foxboro

2016 Record: 5-6
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Jack Martinelli

Key/Returning Players: Teddy Maher, Sr., SS/WR; Phil Dure, Sr., CB/WR; Louis Piccolo, Sr., FS; Devin Hassett, Sr., QB/SE/FS; Jake Addeche, Sr., WR/CB; Patrick Kaveny, Sr., DE; Mike Henri, Sr., RB/SS; Matt Pond, Sr., LB; Mike Luong, Jr., RB; Matt Suess, Sr., OL/DL; Anthony Capachietti, Sr., RB; Hunter Williams, Jr., OL; Andrew Longa, Jr., OL; Kade Treannie, Sr., OL.

Outlook: Foxboro is looking to ride the strength of a deep senior class to get back to the playoffs after missing out a season ago and also get back into the Davenport division title hunt after winning it two years ago.

The Warriors boast 35 seniors and have a handful of experienced juniors that are back after winning five games last season. Under center, senior Devin Hassett and junior Liam Foley are both in the running to take snaps. Hassett is also an option to catch the ball, giving the Warriors some flexibility on the offensive end. A strength that Foxboro will rely on on the offensive side of the ball is their playmaking ability at the skill positions. The Warriors boast multiple capable ball carriers (Mike Henri, Mike Luong, Anthony Capachietti) and pass catchers (Teddy Maher, Phil Dure, Jake Addeche) that can make things happen. Seniors Matt Suess and Kade Treannie and juniors Hunter Williams and Andrew Longa will see time on the offensive line.

Defensively, Foxboro will be looking to improve after giving up just over 29 points per game against division opponents a year ago. The Warriors will be relying on quickness and an aggressive demeanor to make plays on the defense end. Louis Piccolo, Maher, Hassett, Addeche and Henri are all likely candidates to see time in the secondary while Pat Kaveny (defensive end) and Matt Pond (linebacker) will lead the front seven.

“Chemistry amongst 35 seniors and a return to ‘old school Foxboro football’ will personify the 2017 season,” said Foxboro head coach Jack Martinelli.

Milford

2016 Record: 6-5
2016 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Anthony Vizakis

Key/Returning Players: Ryan O’Toole, Sr., RB; Matt Curran, Sr., QB; Patrick Brogioli, Sr., OL/DL; Tyler Joyce, Sr., TE/DE; Cullen Burns, Sr., OL/DL; Kayden Kelley, Sr., WR/CB; Will Pointer, Sr., RB/LB; Shapel Feaster, Jr., RB/CB; Matt Annantuonio, Sr., RB/CB; David Abbatinozzi, Sr., OL/DL; Brendan White, Jr., TE/S; Josh Ligor, Jr., OL/DL; Chris Rivera, Sr., RB/LB; Jacob Eosco, Sr., OL/DL.

Outlook: First year head coach Anthony Vizakis is looking to the past as he begins his first season with the Scarlet Hawks. Vizakis is hoping the 2017 Hawks will pull from the tradition of the program as they look to get back to the playoffs once again this year.

It will certainly be a challenge as Milford graduated some of the most talented players in the league, from all different parts of the field. One constant is that the Hawks return quarterback Matt Curran for his senior year. Another familiarity for Curran will be running back Ryan O’Toole, who saw a lot of time last year alongside Blake Hill in the backfield. Receiver Kayden Kelley and tight end Tyler Joyce are also back after getting plenty of reps on the offensive end as well. Seniors Patrick Brogioli and Cullen Burns are two returning starters from the Hawks’ offensive line.

Defensively, the Scarlet Hawks will be looking to continue what they did in 2016, allowing just a shade over 17 points per game. While it was impressive that Milford allowed just 28 points total against Sharon, Canton and Foxboro, the Hawks will need to make a leap to try and halt the offensive firepower of North Attleboro and Stoughton. It will start up front with a tough line and then an athletic group of linebackers. Will Pointer and Chris Rivera will be two of those linebackers while Shapel Feaster and Matt Annantuonio will join Brendan White as members of the secondary.

“Milford football prides itself on the tradition of having physically, and mentally tough football players,” Vizakis said. “That tradition is alive and well, and the energy and intensity coming out of our locker room and onto the practice field thus far has been infectious.”

North Attleboro

2016 Record: 9-2 (Davenport Division Champions)
2016 Finish: Reached D2 South Final
Coach: Don Johnson

Key/Returning Players: Chad Peterson, Sr., QB/P; Zach DeMattio, Sr., RB/LB; Sam Bullock, Sr. OL/DL; Brad White, Sr. OL/DL; Mario Bresko, Sr., SE/DB; Ryan Clemente, Jr., OL/DL.

Outlook: With two straight league titles under its belt, North Attleboro isn’t planning to slow down anytime soon. With record-breaking quarterback Chad Peterson back under center for his senior season, the Rocketeers look to be the early favorite for another Davenport title.

After two straight impressive season, Peterson will look to lead this year’s Rocketeers to their second straight Davenport title and another deep run in the playoffs. While playmakers Bobby Mylod and Nick Rajotte are gone, Peterson will have running backs Zach DeMattio and Adam Eberle to work with and receivers Mario Bresko, Omar Jasseh and Ryan Gaumond when he drops back to throw. Junior Ryan Clemente already has a year’s experience under his belt and could be one of the most dominant lineman in the league this season. Sam Bullock, Brad White, John Bradley, Geoff Wilson, Jack Puccio, Aidan Harding and Joe Larkin will all be options alongside Clemente on the offensive line.

One of the biggest reasons for North’s success a year ago was its very impressive defense, which allowed just under 12 points per game (Hockomock League best). Big Red will have to replace some big names and might have to overcome some inexperience early on, but head coach Don Johnson notes there is good competition among the front seven and secondary. Bresko is one player that has experience in the secondary while DeMattio (linebacker) and Bullock (defensive tackle) will anchor the front seven.

“The team has worked hard in the offseason,” Johnson said. “We are confident that our strong scrimmage schedule (Marshfield, Braintree and Bridgewater-Raynham), and a Week 1 non-league game versus defending D2 Super Bowl champion King Philip, will help us prepare for the ultra-competitive Hockomock League schedule.”

Sharon

2016 Record: 6-5
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Dave Morse

Key/Returning Players: Austin Dodes, Sr., WR/DB; Drew Naisuler, Sr., TE/DE; Coleman Loftus, Jr., OL/DL; Chris Gong, Jr., WR/DB; Sam Spencer, Jr., TE/LB; Aaron Strong, Jr., RB/LB; Jeremy Ruskin, Jr., QB.

Outlook: The 2017 version of the Sharon Eagles might be on the young side, but head coach Dave Morse is hoping that youth injects some energy into his squad.

The Eagles started and finished the 2016 season strongly, going 3-0 to begin and then closing with a win over Hopkinton and then a Thanksgiving Day win over rival Oliver Ames to finish over .500. Now, the Eagles will be trying to repeat that success while improving their league record. Junior Jeremy Ruskin is back under center after taking over late in the season last fall and will have senior Austin Dodes and tight end Drew Naisuler available as pass catching options. Junior Aaron Strong saw some carries last year and will likely be a feature back this season.

Defensively, the Eagles were one of the stingiest units in the entire league (just over 18 PPG). The Eagles held six of their 11 opponents under 14 points per game. Junior Coleman Loftus is a returning starter and a two-way lineman for the Eagles while junior linebacker Sam Spencer will look to make an impact this season. Chris Gong joins Dodes and Strong in the secondary while Naisuler will be a part of the Eagles’ front seven.

“It has been a pleasure coaching this group and seeing them make progress,” Morse said. “Despite being the youngest team I have coached, their commitment is refreshing and they motivate me to help them succeed.”

Stoughton

2016 Record: 8-3
2015 Finish: Reached D2 South Semifinal
Coach: Greg Burke

Key/Returning Players: Evan Gibb, Jr., QB; Jason Joseph, Sr., DE/TE; Justin Ly, Sr., FB/LB; Colin Sanda, Sr., WR/DB; Ruben Gonzalez, Sr., WR/RB/DB; Alex Sjoquist, Sr., RB/DB; Paul Feeney, Sr., OL/DL; Anthony Burke, Sr., OL/DL.

Outlook: The Black Knights have had a strong stretch of success over the past couple of seasons and will try to continue that in 2017, despite graduating a very memorable senior class last season.

Gone are playmakers Ryan Sullivan and Izon Swain-Price, as well as linemen Lino Azul and Andrew Iverson and a handful of terrific role players. But, one key returning piece is junior quarterback Evan Gibb. Gibb took over early on during his sophomore season and looked very comfortable in his role. Now he will have to be a leader of the offensive unit. Justin Ly was the third member of Stoughton’s three-headed rushing attack a year ago and will likely be one of the team’s feature backs. Ly is a tough runner that can get yards up the middle but also has speed to get to the outside. Alex Sjoquist will likely also get carries while experienced receivers Colin Sanda and Ruben Gonzalez should see increased roles in 2017.

The Knights are well known for their defense during the successful stretch. While there will be a lot of new faces in new places, the Knights are relying on improved speed to go along with their strength. Jason Joseph is back after a solid junior campaign to lead the defensive line along with Paul Feeney, while Ly is joined by Anthony Burke as linebackers. Sanda, Gonzalez and Sjoquist will all see time in the secondary for Stoughton.

“We’re replacing so many kids from last year,” Stoughton head coach Greg Burke said. “We hope to be ready without a lot of experience. We hope to compete and be healthy.”

12/21/2016

First Round Pins Lead Oliver Ames Past Stoughton

Oliver Ames wrestling — Oliver Ames senior Liston Funai (left) and Stoughton’s Quincy Francois go head to head in the 132 bout. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

NORTH EASTON, Mass. — Oliver Ames’ match against Stoughton no longer counts in the division standings, but that didn’t stop the Tigers from bringing extra intensity when they hosted their neighbors on Wednesday night.

The Tigers came out flying right out of the gates, building an early lead with five pins before coming away with a 52-27 win over the Black Knights.

“Anytime Oliver Ames goes against Stoughton it’s a fun time, the kids get excited,” OA head coach Kahn Lima said. “I think that’s part of the reason the kids were so aggressive tonight. Out of all our crossovers, this was the one they looked forward too, this was the one they cared about.”

It didn’t take long for the Tigers to get on the board. Senior Ryan DeCosta returned from an injury and earned a second round pin at 113. DeCosta used a pair of first period takedowns to build a 7-1 lead before getting the pin with 37 seconds left in the second period.

Cobey Williamson won via forfeit at 120 and just over a minute into the 126 bout, OA’s John Quilla gave the Tigers an 18-0 lead with a first period pin.

Senior Liston Funai stayed undefeated on the year with another first period pin. He took a 2-0 lead during the 132 bout but needed just 43 seconds to earn the pin and a 24-0 advantage for the Tigers.

“The kids went out and attacked,” Lima said. “Liston is undefeated still. I don’t think he’s had a match go out of the first round yet either.”

Brandon Belleton (138) and Chris Belleton (145) scored back to back first round pins to extend Oliver Ames’ lead to 36-0.

“When the kids see each other doing well, the kids they practice with throughout the week, it gets them excited and they build confidence when you get off to a fast start,” Lima said.

Stoughton got on the board during the 152 bout. Leo Freitas trailed 2-0 early after a takedown from OA’s Joey Savino but Freitas cut the deficit in half with an escape and took the lead with a takedown of his own. Freitas went on to get the pin 30 seconds into the second period for six points for the Black Knights.

The Tigers stretched their lead after another pin in the 160 bout. Eric Berardi built a 10-0 lead after the first round, during a pair of takedowns and two near falls. Berardi was able to get the pin with just five seconds left in the second period.

Sean Cosgrove added to OA’s lead with a 9-0 win at 170. Stoughton’s Nick Alves was able to fend off a pin by Cosgrove, who built a 4-0 lead after one round, a 7-0 advantage through two rounds and added two points in the third.

Stoughton’s Bobby Shaughnessy came away with a win at 182 in one of the closest battles of the night against Oliver Ames’ Billy Tat. Shaughnessy and Tat traded takedowns in the first period but a near fall had Stoughton up 5-3 through the first period. Shaughnessy built an 8-5, Tat leveled it at 8-8 but a takedown kept Shaughnessy up 11-8. In the this period, Shaughnessy extended his lead with an escape and a reversal, finishing with a 16-12 win.

In another tight battle, this one at 195, OA’s Dean Pacini emerged with a third round pin over Stoughton’s Ryan Pierre. Pacini built a 5-1 lead in the second round but a takedown, near fall and a reversal had Pierre up. Pacini took a 9-6 lead with a takedown in the third and then just over the minute mark, the sophomore was able to get the pin.

“He wore him out. We talked about wanting to get to the third period to try and wear his opponent down. Dean actually made a mistake in the second period that almost cost him but he got out of it and then took care of business in the third.

Stoughton’s Paul Feeney built a 4-1 lead in the first round of the 220 bout and, after a scoreless second period, he extended his lead to 8-1 in the third for the win.

In the heavyweight round, Lino Azul fell behind 2-0 to Jack Mills on a takedown but bounced back with a takedown of his own and eared the pin with 1:26 to go in the first period.

Oliver Ames wrestling (4-3) returns to action on Friday when they host a quad meet. Stoughton (0-2) will return to action after the holidays when they compete in the Lowell Holiday Tournament.