09/05/201809/07/2018

Football: 2018 Kelley-Rex Division Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2018 Kelley-Rex Football Preview

Attleboro

2017 Record: 5-6
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Mike Strachan

Key/Returning Players: Justin Cote, Sr., RB/OLB; Nick Evans, Sr., OT/DE; Eddie Porreca, Sr., DT; Alex Rodriguez, Sr., RB; Josh Therrien, Sr., WR/FS; Desmond Woodson, Sr., OLB; Qualeem Charles, Jr., OT/DT; Isaac Gudiel, Jr., OG/LB; Nolan Jaeger, Jr., WR/CB; Jason Weir, Jr., QB/DE; Michael Strachan, So., LB/TE

Outlook:
Injuries hampered Attleboro right from the start of the 2017 season, but the 2018 Bombardiers are healthy and hoping for a big turnaround this fall to compete with the top teams in the Kelley-Rex division and make a return to the postseason.

The graduation of quarterback Cam Furtado is a significant loss on offense, but the Bombardiers will hand the ball to junior Jason Weir, who has a big arm and a lot of potential at the QB position. Size and strength won’t be a problem for Weir, who played defensive end as a sophomore. Seniors Justin Cote and Alex Rodriguez will be the primary backs for Attleboro this year and give the Bombardiers dynamic weapons out of the backfield. The offensive line is bolstered by 6-foot-6, 290-pound junior Qualeem Charles and 6-foot-3, 265-pound senior Nick Evans. At 6-foot-3, junior Nolan Jaeger will be a weapon at receiver along with senior Josh Therrien and sophomore tight end Michael Strachan.

Evans battled injuries at the start of last season, but he is one of the top defensive linemen in the league and is drawing Div. I college offers. Attleboro will be a tough team to run against this season with Evans on the end and Charles (who is also getting DI looks) and 6-foot-3, 365-pound senior Eddie Porreca on the inside. Strachan and junior Isaac Gudiel will be starting at inside linebacker, while senior Desmond Woodson will be starting on the outside. Therrien is capable of making plays downfield at his free safety position and will be the leader of the secondary.

“I am looking forward to the 2018 season,” said Attleboro coach Mike Strachan. “We have a strong senior class and we have strong leadership on our football team. Our team worked out hard in the off-season and I am looking forward to that hard work paying off this season.”

Franklin

2017 Record: 3-8
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Eian Bain

Key/Returning Players: Ryan Driscoll, Sr., WR/DB; Sean Leonard, Sr., TE; Evan Wertz, Jr., LB; Sean Hofferty, Sr., RB; Liam Arsenault, Sr., OL/DL; Nick Gordon, Sr., QB/DB; Riley Downing, Sr., OL/DL; Will Davis, Sr., WR; Jack Jarosz, Sr., OL/DL; Jack Nally, Jr., WR; Jake Davis, Jr., WR/DB; Dom Natale, Jr., OL/DL; Thomas Gasbarro, Jr., QB/DB; Nolan McLaney, Sr., DB;

Outlook:
Third-year head coach Eian Bain is optimistic about the 2018 season, and the long list of players returning with plenty of experience is a big reason why. The Panthers have over a dozen players back that started or saw significant time on offense and the same goes for the defense, include a very seasoned secondary.

Franklin must replace three-year starter Jake Noviello at quarterback but Bain is confident that a healthy competition between senior Nick Gordon and junior Thomas Gasbarro will result in a strong option starting under center for the opening week. While Franklin has to replace its quarterback, they return a ton of skill players on offense including senior tight end Sean Leonard, who hauled in a league-best eight touchdown passes last season. Ryan Driscoll (five touchdowns), Jack Nally, Will Davis, and Jake Davis will fill out the receiving corps while Sean Hofferty and Owen Palmieri man the backfield. Seniors Riley Downing and Liam Arsenault are experienced and will anchor the offensive line.

Junior Evan Wertz will be a key piece in the middle of the Panthers’ defense after having a breakout campaign last year with nearly 100 tackles from his linebacker spot. Senior Spencer Briggs and sophomore Alex Honor will also see time at linebacker while Downing is joined by Jack Jarosz, Dom Natale, and Keenan Bassma on the defensive line. The Panthers boast a seasoned secondary with Nolan McLaney and Driscoll both back, along with Palmieri, Jake Davis, and both Gasbarro and Gordon.

“We have experience on both sides of the ball,” Bain said. “It is a cohesive group that has been working hard together for our first two years and they are eager to the turn the corner with our program.”

King Philip

2017 Record: 12-0
2017 Finish: MIAA D1A State Champions
Coach: Brian Lee

Key/Returning Players: Jack Webster, Sr., FB/LB; Aidan Bender, Sr., RB/DB; Max Armour, Sr., LB; Luke D’Amico, Sr., DB; Terrell Jacobs Baston, Sr., OL/DL; Ryan Halliday, Jr., RB; Josh Fice, Sr., OL/DL; Nolan Gunning, Jr., OL/DL; David Morganelli, Sr., WR;

Outlook:
The target on King Philip’s back is bigger than ever as the Warriors pulled off a second straight undefeated season and another state championship.

So how will head coach Brian Lee get this year’s team to focus on 2018 and not the past two seasons?

“The work and preparation have been the same but now it’s up to this season class to leave their legacy,” Lee said. “The previous two classes had their moments, now it’s up to these seniors to make their own moment. This team will go as far as these seniors lead them.”

The seniors will have plenty of opportunities to make their mark because King Philip doesn’t have a returning starter on offense. The Warriors need to replace quarterback Brendan Lydon, who didn’t lose a game as a starter. Junior Robbie Jarest looks poised to take over under center this season. While it isn’t a lot of experience, Jarest took over in the second half of the state final after Lydon got hurt and helped the Warriors finish off Lincoln-Sudbury. The toughest shoes to fill will be those of Shane Frommer, who will go down as one of the best players in KP history.

Junior Ryan Halliday will be the feature back while Aidan Bender and Sam Callanan will be in the mix as well. Jack Webster and Jack Collentro will be keys to the offense from the fullback position. Senior Terrell Jacobs Bastons has some experience on both sides of the ball and will likely start at guard while classmate Josh Fice will fill in the other guard spot. Junior Nolan Gunning is likely to get a starting spot as well, either at center or tackle.

Defense has been a staple for the Warriors throughout their successful run over the last couple of years, and that’s what KP will count on again this season. The strength will come from the linebackers with Webster back in an outside spot and Max Armour returning in the middle. Jacobs Bastons will be a big presence in the middle of the defensive line while the secondary will have familiar faces back in Aidan Bender, Timmy Nault, and safety Luke D’Amico.

And as we saw in the state final, having a reliable kicker is priceless. Cole Baker, who booted the winning field goal in the final, is back for his third year. Not only will he be a big help on offense, his kickoffs will be a weapon for the defense.

Mansfield

2017 Record: 8-3
2017 Finish: Reached D1A South Quarterfinal
Coach: Michael Redding

Key/Returning Players: Key/Returning Players: Damani Scott, Sr., QB/FS; Michael DeBolt, Jr., WR/DB/K; Vinnie Holmes, Jr., RB/LB; Makhi Baskin, Jr., RB/DB; Nick Marciano, Jr., RB/DB; Aidan Sacco, Sr., RB/DB; Philip Dinov, Sr., RB/LB; Chris Copponi, Sr., RB/LB; Chris Graham, Jr., OL/DL; Jason Comeau, Jr., OL/DE; Khristian Conner, Sr., WR/DB; Daenin Walker, Sr., OL/DL

Outlook:
Mansfield has finished second in the Kelley-Rex in each of the past three seasons and the Hornets will be counting on experience under center and depth at the skill positions to end King Philip’s two-year reign atop the division and return to the top of the league standings for the first time since 2013.

Senior Damani Scott will be the starter at quarterback for the second straight season and he will be backed up by the capable Jack Mousette, giving the Hornets plenty of experience and reliability from their signal caller. Scott will also have a ton of weapons to call on this year with a skill position group that head coach Mike Redding calls one of the best that Mansfield has had in a while. Khristian Conner and Aidan Sacco will be weapons in the passing game while junior Vinnie Holmes is back in the backfield. Juniors Makhi Baskin, Michael DeBolt (who was also an outstanding kicker last year), and Nick Marciano will provide depth in the slot/running back positions. Senior Daenin Walker and junior Jason Comeau will add experience to the offensive line.

Defensively, Holmes will return to the linebacking corps after setting a program record for tackles in a season as a sophomore. Seniors Chris Copponi and Philip Dinov also return and can play as linebackers or as defensive ends depending on matchups. The secondary will be strong for the Hornets this year with Conner and Sacco at the corners and Marciano and Baskin at the safety positions. The only new additions on the defense are Anthony Capece at noseguard and junior Joe Plath at linebacker.

Redding said, “We have an experienced, athletic, aggressive defense that should be tough to score on and we’re young on offense, but have a ton of depth and talent at skill positions. Just need to gain some experience up front with our new guys on OL and DL.”

Oliver Ames

2017 Record: 6-5
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Mike Holland

Key/Returning Players: Cam Perron, Jr., QB; Dean Pacini, Sr., OL/LB; Darnele Ryan, Sr., LB; Sam Stevens, Jr., DB; Shane Kilkelly, Jr., WR; Nathan Cabral, Jr., RB; Shane Murphy, Sr., OL/LB; Billy Tat, Sr., OL/DL; Luke Thibeault, Sr., OL/DL; Garrett Wood, Sr., OL/DL;

Outlook:
The 2018 version of the Oliver Ames Tigers have already had to make an audible after star running back Anthony Berksza suffered a season-ending injury over summer. Berksza had a breakout year last season, rushing for over 1,100 yards and finished with 16 total touchdowns, 15 of those rushing.

With Berksza out, Oliver Ames will rely heavily on the rest of its returning starters to carry the load. Junior Cam Perron returns under center after taking over the starting job during the regular season last year. While Perron looks to find some of his options, he has an offensive line protecting him that has some experience but will be looking to form cohesiveness throughout the year. Dean Pacini, Shane Murphy, Billy Tat, Luke Thibeault, and Garrett Wood all return with experience playing on the line. One challenge will be finding someone to step up and be a leader of that group after the graduation of two-time all star Jack Mills.

Nathan Cabral takes over as the feature tailback and OA head coach Mike Holland is confident the junior can get the job done. Holland says Cabral runs hard and is a tough player. Perron will also have the likes of Shane Kilkelly, Jake Erlich, and Evan Craig to work with as targets.

The heart of the defense will be at the linebacker position. Both Pacini, Murphy, and Darnele Ryan return after starting there last year and Holland will count on both senior captains to lead the way for the Tigers. Sam Stevens is back in the secondary at the safety position but OA will need some new faces to emerge alongside him.

“We’re looking forward to the start of the season,” Holland said. “We have a great group across the board. We have some experienced players back and some talented players competing for jobs.”

Taunton

2017 Record: 5-6
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Brad Sidwell

Key/Returning Players: Noah Leonard, Sr., QB; Brayden Merrill, Sr., WR/DB; Tryton Zavala, Sr., WR/DB; Wesner Charles, Sr., WR/DB; Christian Tourinho, Sr., OL/DL; Cam Correiro, Sr., OL/DL; Corey Pintabone, Sr., TE/DL; Ryan Williams, Sr., OL/LB; Jared Rockwood, Sr., TE/DE; Max Moitoso, Sr., RB/LB; Prince Brown, Sr., WR/DB; Mason Frank, Jr., OL/DL

Outlook:
Taunton started last season with a 3-0 record, one of the program’s best starts in years, but then lost five straight games, including a playoff game against BC High, the top seed in Div. 1 South. The Tigers turned it on again from that point, winning the final three games of the season, including an impressive win against Brockton, to finish with a winning record under second-year head coach Brad Sidwell.

Experience will be a key for the Tigers this season, as Taunton tries to build on that playoff appearance and the momentum from a strong closing stretch. Senior Noah Leonard will be the starting quarterback for the third straight year and is now fluent in Sidwell’s offensive system. Leonard will have familiar targets in senior wideouts Brayden Merrill, Tryton Zavala, and Wesner Charles, while junior Cam Carroca looks to step in as a feature running back and junior Javon Franklin is a new target in the passing game. On the line, Taunton returns plenty of size in 6-foot-3, 337-pound tackle Christian Tourinho and his fellow senior Cam Correiro. Senior Ryan Williams will be the center, while junior Mason Frank, listed at 6-foot-2 and 274 pounds, will be back to battle at the line of scrimmage.

Size and athleticism will be strengths for Taunton on the defensive side of the ball as well. Tourinho, Correiro, and Frank can bottle up opposing running games and will be joined on the line by seniors Corey Pintabone and John Rockwood. Williams will lead the linebacking corps along with classmates Max Moitoso and Kyle Cuoto. Senior Prince Brown will be back at corner and senior Sebastien Celestin looks to step into the safety position.

“Taunton football is progressing forward,” said Sidwell. “Like all teams, we’d like to gain some confidence early in the season and carry it on. The Kelley-Rex division is challenging with great programs, coaching staffs, and communities. We are happy to be a part of it and want to represent Taunton High well by competing at the high standard set by the other league members.”

04/05/2018

2018 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2018 Hockomock League Boys Lacrosse Preview

Attleboro

2017 Record: 8-10
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Kevin Koppy

After coming up just one game shy of the postseason, Attleboro is aiming to make the playoffs for the first time in program history in 2018.

The Bombardiers doubled their victory total from 2016 to 2017, going from four to eight in the win column. Attleboro returns 11 players from last year’s squad and has a total of 12 seniors on the team. Now in its fourth year, interest in the program is growing rapidly with 17 combined freshmen on either varsity or the JV roster.

There will be a lot of experience on the defensive end for Big Blue. Junior captain Trevor Koppy is back for his third year as the Bombardiers’ starting goalie. He turned away 306 shots last year with a 64% save percentage. In front of Koppy, senior captain Dan Perry is back to anchor the defensive unit which features all seniors.

“Dan is a physical defender that has excellent field awareness and leads by example,” said AHS head coach Kevin Koppy. “He’s constantly hustling and fighting hard for loose balls.”

Perry is joined by classmates Jim Nordberg and Chris Reynolds on close defense while Matt Potter will man LSM and Matt Jiminez brins an extra long pole presence to the defensive unit. Another returner is senior Kyle Henry, resuming his role as the team’s primary faceoff man. Henry had a successful 2017 season in that role and Big Blue will rely on him to spark the offense once again.

Seniors Jimmy Burke and Aidan McKenna, junior Cam Littig, and sophomore Thomas Shipman return to the midfield for Attleboro. Big Blue will have some new faces on the attack with seniors TJ Infante, Shane Joubert, and Aidan Downey leading the way. Freshman Mike Strachan and Matt Perry will also be involved in Attleboro’s attack.

Canton

2017 Record: 8-10
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Bill Bendell

The Bulldogs found themselves in an unfamiliar position at the end of last season: on the outside looking in for the postseason.

Canton is looking to get back into the postseason this year after coming up just one game shy of qualifying. The Bulldogs won three straight to give themselves a chance but fell just short on the road against Abington in the final game of the season.

Using that as motivation, look for the Bulldogs to be right back in the mix this season. Leading the way will be senior captains Kevin Albert, Charlie O’Connor, and Griffin Roach. All three patrolled the midfield last season but could see time in other spots depending on how the lineup comes together.

O’Connor will step in to handle faceoffs but could miss some time early along with defensemen Brian Ghostlaw and Brendan Albert. Until Canton gets back to 100%, it will rely on senior Gabe Galeotos, junior George Kent, and sophomores Nick Mackay and Jace Emma to provide protection in front of sophomore goalie Jack Connolly. Connolly had a superb freshman season in the cage for the Bulldogs and will try to build upon that his season.

Junior Mike Shaw is back for his third year on attack for Canton, providing experience and leadership up front. Juniors Matt Martin and Dan Cohen, along with sophomores Chris Lavoie and David Allen will also figure into the Bulldogs’ offense this season.”

“We have a great group of kids this year with a nice blend of experienced players and new faces,” said CHS head coach Bill Bendell.

Foxboro

2017 Record: 11-9
2017 Finish: Reached D2 Central/East First Round
Coach: Matt Noone

It’s safe to say Foxboro head coach Matt Noone is optimistic about the 2018 season.

The Warriors graduated just three players total and return their starting goalie, the entire defensive unit, and top three scorers from a season ago. Foxboro’s record was a bit deceiving based on how much talent they had, with five one-goal losses and two two-goal losses. The Warriors were dropped in the opening game of the playoffs by just one goal after holding a multi-goal lead in the second half.

With so much of the line up back, Noone is hoping to turn those close losses into wins.

“We’re going to be a better team than we were last year,” Noone said. “We have to play within our system, and do the simple things…if we do that, we will be very good and very tough to beat. If they don’t, we’ll be losing those one-goal games again.”

It all starts with defense in Foxboro with Jake Addeche returning in the cage for his third season. Addeche (185 saves) is one of the best goalies in the region and will have a very experienced defense in front of him. Senior Pat Kaveny and junior Pat Stapleton will anchor the defense, both with equipped with plenty of skill and experience, while sophomores Ronnie MacLellan and Matt Lathrop each already have a year of varsity experience under their belts.

Junior Brendan Tully (24 goals, 15 assists) will pace the Warriors in the midfield (“His lacrosse IQ is off the charts,” Noone notes). Tully can help transition Foxboro from defense to offense, and his ability to keep possession helps the Warriors control the tempo. Tully is complemented in the middle by seniors Louis Blake and Mike Collins while both Shayne Kerrigan and Bobby Yerardi will be in the mix as well.

Offensively, the Warriors look to be well-balanced with Louis Piccolo (25 goals, 13 assists) back this year along with senior Mike Moses (18 goals, 20 assists), junior Pete Conley (15 goals, 23 assists) and senior Andrew Whalen.

Franklin

2017 Record: 16-5
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Lou Verrochi

Expectations are high for the 2018 season based on the talent the Franklin Panthers boast this year.

“We return a very good team,” said FHS head coach Lou Verrochi. “We have a very good and deep bench too, we’re looking forward to the season.”

The long list of returning talent starts with All-American and 2017 HockomockSports.com Player of the Year Eric Civetti. Civetti (Rutgers commit) has been tormenting opposing defenses since his freshman year. He scored 70 goals and notched 24 assists as a sophomore, and then netted 79 goals and 21 assists last year, totaling 194 points between the two years. The Panthers will also boast senior Zach Alexander and freshman Matt Lazzaro on attack.

The midfield will be loaded with two talented lines available. Captains Kyle McEniry (10 goals, 21 assists) and Chase Tanner (29 goals, 10 assists) will be joined by the speedy Nitin Chaudhury (24 goals, 10 assists) on the Panthers first unit while Jake Davis, Johnny O’Glishen, and Owen Palmieri give Verrochi an incredibly talented second unit.

As if the midfield wasn’t loaded enough, the Panthers have 2017 HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year Jacob Alexander back to dominate the faceoff X. Alexander, who is committed to play at Bryant University, has dominated at the X for the past two years and really gives the Panthers an advantage in terms of getting possession. “He’s arguably the best FOGO in Mass,” Verrochi noted.

The defense will be anchored by junior Patrick Morrison (Rutgers commit) along with Trevor Raffin, Jack McGrath and Spencer Briggs. Sean Lazzaro will be our top LSM while the Panthers have plenty of talent as SSDM with Will Harvey, Ben Kolb, and Aaron Mollo in the mix. Backstopping the team in goal will be Colorado commit and captain Connor O’Rourke (169 saves, 64% save percentage).

King Philip

2017 Record: 13-9
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Hal Bean

The Warriors will be looking to replicate the success they had in the 2016 season again this year.

After finishing 9-2 in league play (second in the Kelley-Rex), the Warriors had an impressive postseason run, competing with top-seeded and eventual sectional champ BC High in the D1 South Quarterfinals.

A big reason why KP has had a lot of experience over the past four years is goalie Paul Macrina. Macrina is now manning the cage at Drexel University, so there are big shoes to fill in the cage this season for KP.

King Philip also has to find replacements for the production lost by LSM Zach D’Amico, attack Tim Watson (56 goals, 28 points – second in the Hockomock League), and defenseman Connor Khung – the first two selected to the 2017 HockomockSports.com First Team and Khung apart of the Second Team.

All is not lost though as the Warriors have junior Colin DeVellis back to spearhead the attack. DeVellis was fourth overall in the Hockomock League in points last season, scoring 22 goals and notching 36 assists (58 points). Another key piece will be senior Nate Minkwitz, who can make an impact on both ends of the field. Minkwitz had 13 goals and five assists last season and will aim to improve on that. Expect LSM Wesley Bishop and midfielder Aidan Bender to factor in this season as well.

Mansfield

2017 Record: 12-7
2017 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Tim Frias

Mansfield returns a good amount of talent from last year’s playoff squad so the Hornets will certainly be looking to book a return trip as well as compete for a Kelley-Rex title.

The Hornets return one of the most dangerous attackmen in the area in senior Hunter Ferreira. Ferreira’s combination of size, speed, and strength – as well as finishing ability – make him a must-watch for opposing defenses. Most will dedicate two defensemen his way but Ferreira still finished fifth in the league in points with 34 goals and 19 assists. Ferreira will be joined by returners Aidan Sacco and Mike Reed, giving the Hornets an experienced three-headed monster on offense.

The midfield is also loaded with experience behind returning starters Joe Cox (19 goals, 14 assists) and Danny DeGirolamo (17 goals, 15 assists). Cox, who was named to the 2017 HockomockSports.com Second Team, muscles his way through opponents, while DeGirolamo can use his speed to cause problems. Haig Megerdichian, Brett Kessler, Connor Quirk, and Brad Grant will all see time in the midfield as well.

Tommy Donnelly will anchor the defensive unit but the Hornets will have some new faces in back. Dan Plugis and Chris Copponi will both see a lot of minutes for the Hornets in front of goalie Jack Munroe, who stepped in last season and impressed in the cage.

“Our strength this year will be at the midfield with lots of legs,” said MHS head coach Tim Frias. “We should be good in transition as well.”

Milford

2017 Record: 4-13
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Jacob Scordato

Milford hasn’t had a ton of success overall since it joined the Hockomock League, but new head coach Jacob Scordato is hoping to change that going forward.

Scordato takes over a team that had just four wins a year ago and is the third coach in the past three years for the program.

“Our players are focused on making our program a successful one,” Scordato said. “Boys lacrosse in the Hockomock is known for being a tough league, and Milford lacrosse is going to be making a lot of noise from here on out.”

Although the Hawks don’t have an incredibly deep roster, the optimism stems from the experience returning on offense. UMass Boston commit and senior captain Andrew Gallagher (16 goals, 7 assists) will be a key weapon up front along with junior captains Ryan Hazard (41 goals, 10 assists) and Josh Ligor.

Scordato also expects junior newcomer Brendan White, who has had successful football and basketball seasons so far this school year, to make a big impact on offense for Milford. Defensively, Milford will rely on senior captain and midfielder Chase Blanchette.

North Attleboro

2017 Record: 16-3
2017 Finish: Reached D2 Central/East Quarterfinals
Coach: Kevin Young

North Attleboro graduated a lot of talent from last year’s squad, so it’s no surprise head coach Kevin Young believes this season will be a big challenge for his young squad.

Although he expects it to be a challenge, the Rocketeers have built a strong program and will likely be in the mix for the division title with Foxboro. Big Red will be anchored by defenseman and captain Tom Lockavitch (Roger Williams commit) and senior LSM Max Fontes. Both Lockavitch and Fontes had tremendous junior seasons and were both honored by HockomockSports.com (first and second teams, respectively). Sophomores Brett Labonte and Will Yeomans will round out a strong defensive unit.

One of the biggest tasks will be filling the void left in goal with Hock MVP and long-time starter Dan MacDonald now graduated. The Rocketeers have three goalies in the mix with Young noting all are working hard to claim the starting spot. Junior Jack Puccio and sophomores Nate D’Amico and Jake McNeany will all be in the mix.

Captain Tommy Lindstrom (Springfield commit) will pace the offense with the help of sophomores Jack Connolly and Andy DeMattio. Faceoff specialist Jason McNeany (Cocker College commit) is also back and will be a key piece of the offense. Nick Ward, Damien Curtis, and Dan Conroy should carry the transition in the midfield with help from Ryan Rajotte and Matt McSweeney.

Oliver Ames

2017 Record: 8-10
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Ben Devlin

Oliver Ames nearly made it two straight years in the postseason but came up just one game shy of qualifying in 2017. So the goal is simple for the Tigers in 2018: get back to the tournament.

The Tigers return their top six scorers from last season, and now with a year more experience under their belts, should be ready to take on some of the top defenses in the league.

Assistant coach Ben Devlin takes over the reigns of the program, and the familiarity should help make for a smooth transition. Senior captains Eric LeBlanc (30 goals, 13 assists) and Owen Gallagher will spearhead the attack while senior captain Jack Lang will make an impact on both ends of the field while also handling faceoff duties. Junior Colin Bourne and sophomores Sam Stevens and Shane Kilkelly give the Tigers varsity experience in the midfield. Sophomore Frankie Ireland and freshman Remi Creighton will also figure into the mix on offense.

Devlin will have holes to fill on the defensive end but its excited about the skill that the Tigers have. Shane Murphy, Cullen Gallagher, and Matt Saba will be relied upon to carry the defensive unit while Rory Madden will handle LSM duties after missing last season. Nick Gillis will take over for Sean Cosgrove in net after impressing at the JV level.

“We are a couple years into rebuilding this program, which is difficult while playing in such a tough conference against some of the best players and coaches in the state,” Devlin said. “We’re young and inexperienced, but talented on defense. All I can ask is for my kids to play to their capabilities. If we do that I think we can win enough games this season to reach our goal.”

Sharon

2017 Record: 7-11
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Jon Shocket

New head coach Jon Shocket is excited and optimistic that the 2018 season will be a successful one on the lacrosse field for the Sharon Eagles.

Shocket believes the Eagles have the lacrosse IQ and skill to get back to the postseason after missing out on qualification by two wins. A big reason for the optimism is the senior class.

“I have a really good senior group,” Shocket said. “If everyone buys into the system and trusts the process, this should be a fun season. This year, we have to make better decisions and move the ball around. It’s about working as a team instead of as individuals.”

The Eagles have experience at all positions on the field, starting with returning goalie Johnny Greenberg. Greenberg enters his third year as the starting goalie and will have good size in front of him. Both Sam Spencer and Coleman Loftus stand at 6’2 and look to be key pieces in the Eagles’ defensive unit.

In the midfield, Jimmy Fitzhenry, Chase Waxman, and Spencer Hall give the Eagles a well-balanced and experienced group. The three provide a combination of speed, strength, and skill that will help Sharon transition from defense to offense. Junior Matt Callan will handle faceoff duties while freshman LSM Tyler Freidman will be in the mix as well.

Senior Brett Litner brings a strong shot to the offense and will be tough to stop on the inside. Classmate Kadin Nestler gives the Eagles speed on the outside and makes the move from midfield to attack this year. Freshman Drew Litner rounds out the Eagles’ attacking unit.

Stoughton

2017 Record: 4-12
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Pat Healey

After winning four games in its inaugural season at the varsity level, Stoughton boys lacrosse is hoping to continue heading in the right direction this spring.

The Knights picked up wins over Milford twice, Taunton, and Norton and will look to be in competition with those squads again this year. Leading the blue collar group will be captains Justin Ly, Sean Doherty, and Danny Nakhili. Ly is a three-sport athlete that is willing to do the dirty work, Nakhili provides a lot of leadership in the midfield and uses his speed to give the offense a boost, and Doherty will handle the faceoff duties and provide an offensive punch.

Twins Nate and Alex Wilson bring skill to the long poles, Marty Barrett and Josh Cohen will be key pieces on defense, and Charlie Morgan, Luke Bainton, and Mike Tracey will all be in the mix offensively.

“I’m hoping for more wins,” said SHS head coach Pat Healey said in an interview with Stoughton Media Access. “Last year we got four under our belt which is great for a first-year program. We brought up a lot of freshmen this year from the youth program. But baby steps, this is a tough league so we’ll do as best as we can.

Taunton

2017 Record: 0-18
2017 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Brendan Chambers

Now in its third year as a varsity program, Taunton is aiming to progress day by day to continue to build the program.

The Tigers went without a win last season but bring seven starters back with another year of success on their belts. Junior goalie Ryan Williams returns in cage to give the Tigers a familiar face on the defensive end. Williams has been manning the cage for Taunton since the team moved to a varsity schedule.

In front of Williams will be junior Justin Demoga, a captain, that handles close defense. Head coach Brendan Chambers noted Demoga is great with positioning, takes a great approach, and is willing to learn and improve every day. Chambers noted Demoga will be tasked with menacing opponents’ best attack throughout the season.

In the midfield, junior captain Dylan Nichols provides leadership and experience for the Tigers. Nichols has the speed to make an impact on both ends of the field and Chambers is hoping for some offensive production out of the junior. Nichols will be joined by senior Chris Kanabayashi who will contribute to the offense with his hard shot.

Junior Noah Kuczewski is making the jump from JV to varsity and will be one of the Tigers’ main pieces on attack. Chambers is also relying on junior captain Joel Delgado, who put a lot of time in during the offseason to improve, to be an important part of the offense.

“Our goal this year is to continue to build on what we did last year,” Chambers said. “We want to increase our lacrosse IQ and try to be more competitive in all our games. Ideally, we’ll win a couple games and get better every day.”

04/04/2017

2017 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2017 Hockomock Boys Lacrosse Preview

Attleboro

2016 Record: 4-13
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Kevin Koppy

Now in its fourth year at the varsity level, Attleboro boys lacrosse is looking to take the next step in the 2017 season. First year head coach Kevin Koppy made it clear what the goal is for Big Blue: the postseason.

Koppy has plenty of experience at the youth level so he’s very familiar with a lot of the players on the team.

“With the experience and leadership of this team, I fully expect us to make the playoffs this year which would be a first for this relatively young program,” Koppy said. “If the kids work hard and play as a team we have enough talent to make this happen.”

Offensively, seniors Seth Lombardy and Zach Viau, along with junior Alex Banner, will see a lot of time. They’ll be bolstered by the midfield help of seniors Andrew Milliken, Sam Carrado and Jay Mota and sophomore Zach Thomas in the midfield. Juniors Kyle Henry and Aidan McKenna will man the face off X while Jim Nordberg and Chris Reynolds will be long stick midfielders.

Defensively, four year starter and captain Tyler Koppy will anchor the backline alongside juniors Dan Perry and Matt Potter. Sophomore Trevor Koppy returns as the starting goalie again this season.

Canton

2016 Record: 11-8
2016 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Bill Bendell

The Bulldogs will rely on its athleticism, and be bolstered by depth this season, having more players in the program this season than in the last couple of years.

Canton looks to have one of its most athletic squads from top-to-bottom in recent years and will certainly be in the mix for the Davenport title after winning it twice in the past four seasons.

Offensively, the Bulldogs lost one of the top scorers in the league and in program history in Ben O’Neill, but the good news is that four of the team’s six top point producers from a year ago are back: Ryan Lodge, Joe Mulkay, Dan Dillon and Mike Shaw, all of which reached double figures in points.

Michael Pigeon has been one of the top LSMs in the league the last two years and will be a key piece for Canton defensively this season. Canton will rely on experience to fill the positions around him. The starting goalie spot is up for grabs between Dylan Cunningham, CJ Martin and Jack Connolly.

“The Davenport division is wide open again this year so we know every game is going to matter…we can’t wait to get going,” said head coach Bill Bendell.

Foxboro

2016 Record: 11-7
2016 Finish: Reached D2 Central/East Quarterfinals
Coach: Matt Noone

The Davenport division looks like it will be wide open this year, but Foxboro could have a slight advantage because of the experience they return this season.

On offense, junior Andrew Whalen is a three year starter and junior Louis Piccolo led the team in scoring a team ago. Junior Mike Moses and sophomore Pete Conley will also factor into the attack or could see time in the midfield. Seniors Trey Guerini and Colin Spinney not only bring a wealth of experience to the midfield, but they have a lot of talent. Sophomore Brendan Tully will relocate to the midfield this season while junior Sam Blake, Lou Blake and Mike Collins will all factor in the midfield as well.

Defensively, it all starts with goalie Jake Addeche, one of the top netminders in the league and the area. Pat Kaveny is a two year starter, as is senior Padraig Farmer and will provide plenty of experience to the back line. Sophomore Pat Stapleton and freshman Ronnie MacLellan will also factor in defensively for the Warriors.

Franklin

2016 Record: 14-6
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Lou Verrochi

The Panthers are going to be young compared to past years, and compared to other teams in the league, but what they lack in age, they more than make up in skill.

There aren’t much better in the offensive end than junior Eric Civetti, and he’s only been in the league for two years. Already committed to Rutgers, Civetti will be one of the most dangerous scorers in the league. Senior captain Sam Arsenault will also be a top option in the offensive end while midfielders Packie Watson, a senior and Nitin Chaudhury, a sophomore, will also be viable options.

Defensively, the Panthers have a second Rutgers commit in sophomore Patrick Morrison. Senior Wyatt Arsenault will give the backline some experience while senior Jack Platner will be the team’s LSM. Junior Connor O’Rourke is back in the cage after a breakout sophomore year.

“We are young as compared to past years, but I feel we’ll be very competitive,” said head coach Lou Verrochi. “We’re very fortunate to have a strong youth program and many boys playing club lacrosse which provides us with talented players every year.”

King Philip

2016 Record: 11-9
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Jamie Stefanini

The Warriors had another strong season in 2016 and will be looking to do the same in 2017.

King Philip was strong in league play, posting a 7-3 record and will try to carry that success over to its non league schedule, which include games against Bishop Feehan, Newton North, Hopkinton, Westwood and more.

Paul Macrina has been one of the top goalies in the league over the past couple of seasons and is now ready for his senior year.

Replacing leading scorer Sam Agricola will certainly be a tough test, as well as replacing the production of Harry Fallon. But Tim Watson (27 goals, 21 assists) brings a lot of experience back to the offensive end for the Warriors.

Mansfield

2016 Record: 15-4
2016 Finish: Reached D1 South First Round
Coach: Tim Frias

Coming off one of the program’s best seasons in recent history, the Hornets will be looking to replicate that success in 2017.

The challenge will be replacing some of the top talent that graduated, including midfielders Billy Grant and Connor Finerty, and defenseman Josh Schafer.

The good news is that the Hornets return two of the top talents in the league with Sean Powers back in goal and Hunter Ferreira back patrolling the midfield. Joe Cox and Danny DeGirolamo will flank Ferreira in the midfield with Aidan Sacco, Brett Kessler and Brad Grant factoring in as well.

Offensively, seniors Cullen Murphy, Sam O’Connell and Jon Reed will be one of the most experienced units in the league. On defense, Grant Milas, Mike Zampine, Josh London and Tommy Donnelly will hold court in front of Powers.

“We are going to go out there this season and try to improve on the aspects we were weak on last season and just try to compete in every contest,” said head coach Tim Frias.

Milford

2016 Record: 0-18
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Doug Gallant

The Hawks are hoping for a turnaround season after going without a win a season ago. First year head coach Doug Gallant has taken over at the helm and is looking to make Milford a participant in the Davenport race.

The heart of the lineup could be in the midfield, with junior Andrew Gallagher bringing experience to the table and sophomores Ryan Hazard and Josh Ligor, as well as freshman Dan Farrell, providing the Hawks with skill and speed.

In the attacking end, Gallant will look to senior Alex Wood and sophomore Ryan Pearl, both with varsity experience, to pace the offense. LSM Nick Lurie and defenseman Harrison Bliss will be key pieces on defense in front of goalie Drew Mirisola.

“We have a great group of kids who are very eager to be successful,” said Gallant. “The reception from the players has been outstanding and they have bought in to my system.”

North Attleboro

2016 Record: 8-10
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Kevin Young

After just missing out on the postseason a year ago, North Attleboro returns a lot of key pieces and will not only make a push for the playoffs, but should be in the mix for the Davenport crown.

The entire attacking corps is back this season Zach McGowan, Owen Costello and Colin Young all back again this season. Tim Lindstrom, who missed last season with an injury, will also be a key piece offensively for the Rocketeers.

Jack Dakin, the team’s leading scorer a season ago, will be a team leader from his midfield position while Nick Ward, Hunter Sarro, Nick Moore and Jason McNeany will all get minutes in the midfield as well. Poles David James, Zach Doucette and Tom Lockovitch, along with LSM Max Fontes, bring a combination of speed and size for the Rocketeers.

Dan McDonald is back for another year in goal and will be like a coach on the field for North Attleboro.

“He’s very solid in net and a great team leader,” head coach Kevin Young said of MacDonald. “Dan is that rare player that is like having a coach on the field. I think Dan is as good a goalie as you’ll see playing anywhere in Massachusetts this year.”

Oliver Ames

2016 Record: 10-10
2016 Finish: Reached D2 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Chris Digiacomo

The Tigers not only made the playoffs a season ago, but won their first ever postseason game as a program. Oliver Ames will face new challenges this season with the switch to the Kelley-Rex division.

While the Tigers face the task of going head to head with some of the top teams in the league, Oliver Ames will rely on team chemistry to try and get back to the postseason.

Offensively, juniors Owen Gallagher and Eric LeBlanc are back as two of the team’s top point producers. They’ll be helped by midfielders Liam Brown, a senior captain, and Jack Lang, a junior. Defensively, senior captain Phil Saba and senior Max Howe are two experienced players that will man the space in front of senior goalie Sean Cosgrove.

“The boys have worked very hard, and bought into our program,” said head coach Chris Digiacomo. “We play in an extremely tough league, but the boys are excited to get started.”

Sharon

2016 Record: 9-10
2016 Finish: Reached D2 Central/East First Round
Coach: Peter DeSisto

Sharon just made it into the postseason a year ago, punching its ticket on the last game of the season with a win over North Attleboro.

This season, the Eagles are expecting to qualify for the state tournament again because of the experience they have returning for the 2017 season.

Josh Rotman, who registered 35 goals a season ago, is one of the top midfielders in the league and will be relied upon to lead the Eagles this season. Spencer Hall and Chase Waxman are also back and should make an impact on both ends of the field. Jack Lesser has the ability to get forward and play as an attack or can drop into a midfield role.

“We have a lot of guys with experience at this level returning, so we have set our expectations high,” said head coach Pete DeSisto.

Stoughton

2016 Record: N/A
2016 Finish: N/A
Coach: Pat Healey

The Black Knights are the new kids on the block, entering their first year at the varsity level after playing at the JV level the last couple of seasons.

Combining the JV experience and a budding youth program, Stoughton won’t be starting from scratch. However, the Black Knights are ready for what could be a roller coaster ride of a season.

Leading the way for the Black Knights are captains Dave Cellucci, Ryan Pierri, Harry Leal and Matt St. Clair. Leal will anchor the team from the cage, Pierre is the leader of the team’s poles and Cellucci and St. Clair are standout members of the Black Knights’ midfield.

“The team knows we’re going to be getting our share of bumps and bruises,” said head coach Pat Healey. “And winning here in the Hock is no easy chore. But it wouldn’t be much of a challenge if it was easy.

Taunton

2016 Record: 1-19
2016 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Brendan Chambers

After getting its feet wet last season, Taunton is looking to improve now in its second year at the varsity level.

Sophomore goalie Ryan Williams was a bright spot for the Tigers a season ago and now, with a year under his belt, will an important part of the Tigers’ defense this season. Senior captain Mason Baacke and sophomore LSM Dylan Nichols will be key pieces in front of Williams.

Offensively, Shawn Campbell will try to ignite Taunton from the face off X while senior captain Andrew Wellington, who had a solid season a year ago, will be a vital piece in the midfield for first year head coach Brendan Chambers.

05/09/2016

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 05/09/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 3 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Franklin rallied for two runs in the bottom of the seventh, the second scored by Jake Lyons (1-3, BB) on a wild pitch as the Panthers walked off with the win. Junior Tyler Gomes went 2-3 with a pair of RBI and Mike Skaza also added two hits for Franklin. Nick Santucci added a double, a walk and two runs scored. Ryan Morse earned the win after pitching a scoreless top half of the seventh. Bryan Woelful pitched a scoreless sixth in relief while sophomore Jake Noviello got a no decision after five innings of work, striking out seven with four walks. Attleboro’s Nate Tellier pitched six innings, striking out eight and scattering six hits. Jon Dunn went 3-3 with a walk for the Bombardiers, James Weir went 2-4 with two RBI and Patrick Collins had two hits, including a double.

Canton, 12 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final – Kevin Powers knocked in four runs and Mike McMahon had four hits as Canton’s offense tied its highest output of the season. McMahon was 4-5 with three runs scored and a stolen base while Powers had two hits, including a triple and a run scored. Joe Peccia added three RBI, connecting for a home run and three runs scored, Joe Bires knocked in a pair of runs and Jim Jenkins also had an RBI. Daniel Harnett went 1-2 with an RBI sacrifice fly and sophomore Matthew Casamento was 3-4 with two runs scored. Powers got the win on the mound, throwing four innings with seven strikeouts and two earned runs allowed. Steve Gorham pitched the final three innings with four strikeouts.

Mansfield, 6 @ King Philip, 7 – Final – Senior Jake Cavanagh took the mound in the seventh inning with the Warriors clinging to a one run lead, inheriting runners at second and third with just one out. But Cavanagh got out the jam, inducing a grounder to short and a fly ball to center to notch his first save of the year. Will Weir, Kyle Guenthner, Jake Lannigan and Jon Rolfe each had two hits for the Warriors. Rolfe got the win on the mound for KP, going 5.2 innings.

Sharon, 0 @ Milford, 8 – Final – Milford junior Blake Hill needed just 81 pitches in a three-hit complete game effort, striking out eight on the mound to earn the shutout win. Hill helped his cause at the plate, going 2-4 with two RBI and a triple. Sophomore Aidan Wilde also had two hits for the Scarlet Hawks, going 2-3 with a double and three RBI.

Taunton, 5 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final

Oliver Ames, 12 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames’ Josh Minuskin led the way with four hits for the Tigers while Chris Romero recorded three hits in the game.

Softball
Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 12 – Final (5 inn.) – Clara DeCarvalho belted a three run home run and Julia Arms, Olivia DiGiacomo and Maddie Connelly all knocked in a pair of runs in Franklin’s big win. DeCarvalho went 2-4 with four RBI on the day while Connelly was 2-4, Arms went 2-2 with a walk and DiGiacomo was 1-3. Alex Niss added two hits at the plate for the Panthers. Kim Moulton and Amanda Mandall connected for a 6-3-2 double play, halting a threat from the Bombardiers. Caroline D’Aprile tossed three shutout innings with four strikeouts while Emily Sawyer pitched a scoreless final two innings.

Foxboro @ Canton, 3:45

King Philip, 6 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – King Philip scored a pair of runs in each the fourth and fifth innings and capped it with another run in the seventh inning. Kali Magane pitched five innings, allowing just two hits and one unearned run while Jenn Hutynan pitched the final two innings, allowing just one hit. Magane helped her cause by knocking in a pair of runs in the top of the fourth and then Hailey McCasland knocked in Christa Wagner and Elise Pereira knocked in McCasland. Sydney Phillips knocked in a run with a triple in the seventh. Liz Mackin, Rachel Carafa and Megan Letendre each had a hit for the Hornets, who received a strong pitching performance from Maddie Letendre. Letendre struck out seven while scattering six hits.

Milford, 12 @ Sharon, 0 – Final (6 inn.) – Milford’s Kelley Reichert took a no hitter into the sixth inning, eventually finishing with a one-hit complete game shutout effort, striking out six for the Scarlet Hawks. Megan Jacques went 2-3 with a double and two RBI, Emily Hartman had a triple and an RBI, Jess Tomaso had a triple and two RBI and Kate Irwin was 2-3 with two stolen bases for Milford.

North Attleboro, 2 @ Taunton, 7 – Final – North Attleboro became the first team to score an earned run on the Tigers, plating a pair in the fourth inning. But Taunton pitcher Aimee Kistner only allowed five hits in the game with five strikeouts and the Tigers played “outstanding team defense” according to head coach Dave Lewry. Meghan Navarro was a perfect 4-4 at the plate with an RBI and Jaime Brown went 3-3 with three RBI. Katie Van Zandt was 2-3 with an RBI and Becka Lajoie added a base hit RBI for Taunton. North Attleboro’s Jordan Sharpe (single) and Liz Morehouse (double) were both knocked in by a Kaylea Sherman double for North Attleboro’s runs.

Oliver Ames, 10 @ Stoughton, 4 – Final – Victoria Ziner and Jamie Gottwald combined for 12 put outs in the field, backing up a complete game effort from pitcher Kayla Georgeu. The Tigers had 11 hits spread out through the lineup. Ziner was 2-3 with three runs scored, a stolen base and an RBI, Gottwald was 2-2 with two walks, a triple, an RBI and three runs scored, Missy Krim went 2-4 with a double and a run scored, Katie Pursley had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored for OA. Emma Papargiris and Jordyn Leite each knocked in two runs for the OA, Caroline Mahoney had an RBI and Rachel Han scored a run.

Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 5 @ Norwell, 15 – Final

Foxboro, 6 @ Cohasset, 13 – Final

Franklin, 7 @ Grafton, 10 – Final

Taunton, 7 @ Milford, 5 – Final – Taunton rallied three times from deficits (2-0, 4-2, 5-4) to earn the program’s first varsity win and it’s first Hockomock League win. Freshman Ryan Williams played his best game according to head coach Kris Metea, limiting the Scarlet Hawks to just one early goal in the second half. Williams made 14 saves, with six of his nine second half saves coming in the final quarter. Senior Jason Stern recorded a hat trick to pace Taunton’s offense while sophomore Cam Welby scored twice and had one assist. Eighth grader Tommy Joyce recorded two points with a goal and an assist, junior Lee Gobin scored once and senior Kyle Hebert had an assist.

Girls Lacrosse
Franklin, 4 vs. Notre Dame Academy, 15 – Final

King Philip, 14 @ Holliston, 8 – Final

Mansfield vs. Hingham, 4:00

Milford, 21 @ Taunton, 13 – Final – Abbey Kingman led Taunton’s offense with four goals while Lindsay Sneyd scored a hat trick, Kayla Philips and Bre Conlon each found the back of the net twice and Layne Kingman and Tatum Speicher each scored once.

Sharon, 20 vs. Norton, 3 – Final

Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – Franklin freshman Dan Barrow didn’t drop a single game at third singles, winning 6-0, 6-0 to spark the Panthers. Junior Rahul Herur won 6-1, 6-0 at first singles and classmate Eli Brooks battled back for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win at second singles. James Johnston and Tom Mancini won 6-1, 6-0 at first doubles and Tyler DiPalma and Derek Wu won 6-1, 6-2 at second doubles for Franklin.

Canton, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final

Mansfield, 2 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – King Philip took care of business in doubles play and secured the victory with one win at singles to beat Mansfield. Sam Colella and Ryan Gemelli continued their strong season with a 6-2, 6-2 win at first doubles and Justin Rohan and Marco DiStefano won 6-1, 6-0 at second doubles. Garrett Schneider clinched the win with a convincing 6-0, 6-2 win at second singles. Mansfield’s Benny Lin notched a 6-4, 6-4 win at first singles and Gus Daganhardt picked up a 7-5, 6-2 win at third singles.

Sharon, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final

Taunton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – North Attleboro won all five matches in straight sets to beat Taunton. Senior Mitchell Dyer won 6-0, 6-1 at first singles, junior Zack Pfeffer won 6-0, 6-3 at second singles and junior Barsomo Nuay won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. The team of seniors Jeff Yao and Nick Lockavitch won 6-0, 6-3 at first doubles and senior Jake Fontes and junior Daniel Zhang won 6-3, 6-1 at second doubles for Big Red.

Stoughton, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Oliver Ames was paced by three seniors in singles play to pick up the win. Thomas O’Leary won 6-1, 6-2 at first singles, Greg Weinstein won 6-1, 6-1 at second singles and Jared Hedlund won 7-6 (7-3), 6-1 at third singles.

Girls Tennis
Franklin, 5 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – The Panthers didn’t drop a game at first singles or doubles on their way to the sweep. Hannah Sweeney won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles and the team of Anja Deric and Katelyn Davenport won 6-0, 6-0 at first doubles. Steph Schiavo won 6-4, 6-1 at second singles and Madison Derby won 6-4, 6-4 at third singles. Franklin’s Hailey Strier and Kristina Stoyanova won 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 at second doubles.

Foxboro, 4 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Foxboro only dropped one game in all three singles matches combined to get the win. Diana Prinos and Lexi Nelson both won 6-0, 6-0 at first and third singles respectively while Sophia Prinos won 6-0, 6-1 at second singles. Diana Hickox and Michaela McCarthy added another win for the Warriors, winning 6-3, 6-4 at second doubles. Canton’s Tiffany Ha and Sarah MacQuarrie rallied for a 2-7, 7-6, 6-1 win at first doubles for the Bulldogs.

King Philip, 3 @ Mansfield, 2 – Final – King Philip took a pair of wins from doubles and won at third singles to edge out the Hornets. Juniors Corinne Palumbo and Megan Davenport won 7-5, 6-4 at first doubles and junior Carly Adams and senior Kelly Masse won 6-2, 6-0 at second doubles. Sophomore Meghan Sepich helped clinch the win with a 6-3, 6-2 win at third singles. Mansfield junior Paulina Martin won 6-0, 6-0 at first singles and senior Kathleen Giffels won 6-3, 7-5 at second singles for the Hornets.

Milford, 1 @ Sharon, 4 – Final

North Attleboro, 5 @ Taunton, 0 – Final

Oliver Ames, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames senior captain Jackie Sulkala earned the Tigers first win, winning 6-0, 6-2 at second singles and OA rolled. Riley Spillane won 6-3, 6-0 at first singles and Olivia Groebe won 6-4, 6-4 at third singles. The team of Lark Warner and Valeria Tueme won 6-2, 6-3 at first doubles and Rachel Stryke and Claudia Ferrara teamed up for a 6-3, 6-3 win at second doubles for OA.

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 3 vs. Taunton, 1 – Final – After losing a close first game, Milford responded with a dominant second game scored a 23-25, 25-9, 25-22, 25-20 win over the Tigers. Senior Ryan White had 11 aces for the Scarlet Hawks along with 19 assists, six digs, six kills and six service receptions while senior Mike Haver had eight kills, four service receptions, a pair of digs and a block. Senior Juan Ruelas added six kills, five assists, a pair of digs and service receptions and a block for Milford and classmate Nick Roy had six kills, three digs and two aces. Junior Danny Zwonik also had two kills and two aces, along with a block, a dig and a service reception for Milford.

04/15/2016

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 04/15/16

Today’s games are listed below.

Baseball
Attleboro, 0 @ Taunton, 1 – Final (8 inn.)

Foxboro, 7 @ Milford, 3 – Final – Aaron Wentling picked up the win on the mound for the Warriors with four innings of work and Darren Kelly got the save in relief. Wentling and AJ Cavossa each added a pair of hits and two RBI at the plate while sophomore Chad Bearce had a two-out two-RBI hit for the Warriors.

Franklin, 6 @ Mansfield, 14 – Final – Sophomore Tyler Dalton struck out five in five innings of work to earn his first career win. Mansfield’s offense exploded with Kevin Dow and Mike Arnold each going 3-4 with three runs scored, Jake Tryder going 2-3 with two RBI and Tyrone Pascual went 2-3 with an RBI for the Hornets.

King Philip, 6 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – King Philip took a 3-0 lead in the top half of the first inning but had to battle back after the Rocketeers combined for five runs in the first and second innings. Will Weir had a three run home run that scored Stephan MacMeans (single) and Ben Furfari (walk). The Warriors then tied the game with a pair of runs in the fifth inning. Weir reached after being hit by a pitch and advanced on a single from Jon Rolfe. Both runners advanced on a double steal and Jack DiCenso followed it up with a two-run hit. Ryan Coulter scored the go-ahead run in the sixth after doubling, moving to second on a Ryan Guenette single and coming home on a wild pitch. DiCenso got the win for KP, coming on in relief and tossing 5.2 shutout innings while striking out seven. North Attleboro’s Brian Kleczkowski was 2-4 with an RBI.

Stoughton, 9 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Jack Connelly went 2-4 with a run scored and two RBI and Doug Seaman was 2-4 with two runs and an RBI and to lead the Black Knights’ offense. Justin Hutchinson got the win on the mound for Stoughton, going five innings allowing just one earned run on three hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Barry Cooke pitched two no-hit innings in relief.

Softball
Taunton, 13 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Courtney Fisher didn’t allow a run in six innings of work, walking just a pair and allowing two hits while striking out seven to get the win. Jordan Wade went 3-4 with a double and three RBI to lead the Tigers’ offense. Liana Duarte went 3-4 with an RBI and a stolen base, Meghan Navarro was 2-3 with a double and an RBI and Jaime Brown was 2-4 with a double and a triple and a run batted in.

Foxboro, 2 @ Milford, 14 – Final – Emily Piergustavo and Jess Tomaso each drove in three runs to pace the Scarlet Hawks’ offense. Piergustavo went 3-3 with a double and three runs scored while Tomaso was 3-4 with a home run, a pair of doubles and two runs scored. Maggie Farrell added two hits, including a triple, two RBI and two runs scored while Shannon Cormier had a double and a run scored. Ali Atherton struck out nine in six innings of work, allowing three hits and a pair of runs to get the win.

Franklin, 2 @ Mansfield, 7 – Final – Freshman Mady Bendanillo had a career day, connecting on a pair of home runs to lead the Hornets. Bendanillo hit a solo home run in the first inning and then connected for her first career grand slam in the second inning. The tandem of pitcher Maddie Letendre and catcher Bri Homer limited the Panthers at the plate. Letendre struck out six in a complete game while Homer played great behind the plate according to head coach Lori Letendre. Maddie Letendre helped her cause at the plate, going 2-3, while Megan Letendre, Kara Bendanillo, Rachel Carafa, Homer and Liz Mackin all had hits. For Franklin, Ally Shea went 2-4 with a run scored, Clara DeCarvalho was 2-4 and Alyssa Dasilva had a pair of RBIs in the top of the seventh.

North Attleboro, 2 @ King Philip, 11 – Final – Kali Magane went the distance for the Warriors, allowing only three hits and one earned run while striking out 13 and walking none for the win. Offensively, KP had 12 hits with Christa Wagner and Haley McCasland paving the way. Wagner scored three runs while McCasland knocked in three runs. For North Attleboro, Mycala Moody had a double and scored two runs while Liz Morehouse added a single and an RBI.

Sharon, 0 @ Stoughton, 4 – Final – Shannon Flaherty struck out 11 in a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits and issuing just two walks to get the win. Karly Estremera had three singles and scored a run for the Black Knights while Brianna Ferrandiz knocked in a pair of runs for Stoughton.

Boys Lacrosse
Foxboro, 9 vs. Barnstable, 5 – Final

Franklin, 7 @ Cohasset, 8 – Final – Senior Austin Kent and sophomore Eric Civetti both scored a hat trick and registered an assist for the Panthers. Head coach Lou Verrochi said Sophomore Connor O’Rourke was superb in goal with nine saves.

King Philip, 6 vs. Bishop Feehan, 8 – Final – Sam Agricola scored five goals for the Warriors and assisted on the sixth but King Philip couldn’t overcome Feehan. Freshman Colin DeVellis scored his first career goal for King Philip.

Mansfield, 8 @ North Attleboro, 5 – Final – Billy Grant scored a hat trick to lead the Hornets, who jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first half. Jon Reed added a pair of goals and Ryan Smith and Hunter Ferreira each had one. North was led by Colin Young and Zack McGowan each with two goals, while Nick Ward added one.

Oliver Ames, 10 @ Milford, 4 – Final – Senior Matt Gilson notched a hat trick in the game, putting him at 104 career points.

Sharon, 7 @ Norwell, 15 – Final

Taunton, 4 @ New Bedford, 5 – Final – Freshman Griffin Speicher led Taunton with a pair of goals while Andrew Wellington and Josh Grasso each scored once. Josh Grasso, Nick Croft, Mike Perrotta and Cam Welby each recorded assists. Ryan Williams made seven saves in net for the Tigers.

Girls Lacrosse
Foxboro, 14 vs. Hingham, 7 – Final

North Attleboro, 20 @ Mansfield, 7 – Final – Hana Caster was the top scorer for the Rocketeers with seven goals.

Milford, 8 @ Oliver Ames, 22 – Final – Erin Fitzgerald found the back of the net four times, adding a pair of assists to lead OA. Sam Lang scored four goals and also added an assist in the win. Ariana Waldorf made 17 saves and head coach Craig Gardner said Waldorf was “stellar” in net. Kendall Clifford (three goals, three assists), Sofia Masciarelli (three goals, one assist) and Abby Duvall (three goals) helped contribute to Milford’s offense.

Taunton, 5 vs. New Bedford, 8 – Final

Boys Tennis
Attleboro, 2 @ Taunton, 3 – Final – Wins at first and third singles as well as first doubles led the Tigers to a win. Freshman Brett Beaulieu won 6-7, 7-5, 6-1 at first singles and Mike Briggs won 6-2, 6-2 at second singles. The team of Connor Briggs and Charlie Fiske won 6-2, 6-3 at first doubles to secure the win. Attleboro’s Tyler Letendre won 7-6, 6-4 at second singles and Khaled Hantash and Ahijah Joseph won 6-2, 6-3 at second doubles.

Foxboro, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final

Mansfield, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Franklin won at second and third singles as well as first and second doubles to get the win. Junior Eli Brooks won 6-0, 6-3 at second singles and Tom Mancini won 6-0, 6-1 at third singles. James Johnston and Cam Piana won 6-0, 6-2 at first doubles and the team of Jeremy Gran and Dan Barrow won 6-0, 6-2 at second doubles.

King Philip, 1 @ North Attleboro, 4 – Final – Mitchell Dyer battled through a second set loss to pick up a 6-3, 5-7, 16-14 win in a super tiebreaker for the Rocketeers at first singles. Junior Jake Webster won 6-2, 6-3 at third singles while seniors Jeff Yao and Nick Lockavitch won 7-5, 6-1 at first doubles and Jake Fontes and Daniel Zhang won 6-2, 6-2 at second doubles.

Stoughton, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final

Girls Tennis
Taunton @ Attleboro, 3:45
Milford, 0 @ Foxboro, 5 – Final
Franklin, 4 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final
North Attleboro @ King Philip, 3:30
Sharon, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final
Oliver Ames vs. Randolph, 4:00

Boys Volleyball
Milford, 0 vs. Framingham, 3 – Final
Taunton, 0 @ Durfee, 3 – Final

Boys Outdoor Track
Attleboro @ Franklin 3:45

Girls Outdoor Track
Attleboro @ Franklin 3:45

03/31/2016

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 03/31/16

Today’s games are listed below.
Boys Lacrosse
Taunton, 6 vs. Bristol Plymouth, 7 – Final (OT) – Taunton rallied from a 6-1 deficit in the fourth quarter in its first ever varsity game but fell to BP in overtime. Lee Gobin scored a pair of goals for Taunton while Andrew Wellington, Jason Stern, Griffin Speicher and Cam Welby each scored once. Ryan Williams made six saves in net.
Girls Lacrosse
Franklin, 14 @ Needham, 15 – Final (2OT) – Seven different players found the back of the net in Franklin’s opening game. Kenzie Pleshaw led the way with a team-high four goals and Emily Spath netted three goals. Sam Jones forced three turnovers on defense and had a pair of ground balls. Dani Lonati made seven saves in net.
Taunton, 17 vs. Bristol Plymouth, 1 – Final – The Tigers picked up a win in the program’s first ever varsity game. Layne Kingman led the way for Taunton with three goals and three assists. Delaney Powell scored five goals, Abby Kingman and Hannah Moniz each had two goals and an assist and Breanna Conlon and Kayla Phillips each scored a pair of goals.
Boys Tennis
Taunton, 3 vs. Durfee, 2 – Final – Brett Beaulieu picked up a marathon win at first singles (6-4, 5-7, 6-4), Mike Briggs won at a third singles (4-6, 6-1, 6-4) and Connor Briggs and Charlie Fiske teamed up for a 6-4, 6-1 win at first doubles.
Girls Tennis
Taunton, 5 @ Durfee, 0 – Final – Jordan Pagliuca picked up a win at first singles (6-1, 6-2), Olivia Sweeney won at second singles (6-1, 6-0) and Delaney DeAvila rallied for a win at third singles (4-6, 6-2, 7-6). In doubles play, Emily Moor and Ashleigh Eason had a sweep at first doubles (6-0, 6-0) and Caroline Herbert and Jillian Pagliuca teamed up for a 6-1, 6-2 win at second doubles.
Outdoor Track
Boys
North Attleboro, 105 vs. Oliver Ames, 31 – Final
Girls
North Attleboro, 73 vs. Oliver Ames, 63 – Final
Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 3 vs. Norwood, 0 – Final – The Tigers opened the season with a 3-0 sweep over Norwood, 25-11, 25-21, 25-16. Sophomore Lance Law led the way with 14 kills, 10 digs and three aces while Ricardo DaFonseca picked up right where he left off last year, notching 24 assists. Lens Esquil had five kills and a block, Malik Charles added four kills, three aces and a block and Nate Grant had four kills, and ace and a strong game at the net. Head coach Toby Chaperon praised the work of David Perry and Dawid Fusiecki during the game.