Baseball
Foxboro, 10 @ Norwell, 3 – Final – Foxboro pushed across six runs in the top of the first and that was all the support freshman Nolan Gordon needed in his first career start as the Warriors broke into the win column. Gordon allowed three runs on five hits and one walk, striking out five in six innings of work to get the win. Offensively, senior Jack Watts set the tone from the leadoff spot with a three-hit, three RBI performance while Sean O’Leary added three hits and Mike Marcucella had two hits.
King Philip, 10 vs. Norton, 3 – Final – The offense came early and often for the red-hot Warriors, who combined to score six runs in the first two innings and four runs between the fourth and fifth innings in a non-league win over Norton. An RBI double from Brendan Sencaj got things going, and then a base hit RBI from Rudy Gately quickly made things 2-0 for the hosts. In the second, Will Astorino (double) and Brendan Weddleton (single) both scored on a two-run single from Travis Crawford, who then scored on a fielder’s choice from Shawn Legere, who came around to score on a wild pitch. Crawford (triple) came home to score on an RBI from Matt Kelley in the fourth to extend the lead to 7-3. Crawford added an RBI in the fifth, and then scored along with Weddleton on a double from Kelley. On the mound, sophomore Tommy McLeish allowed three runs in 3.2 innings of work with three strikeouts. Mark Tagerman (2.1IP) and Kelley (1IP, 1K) closed the game out in relief.
Mansfield @ Milford – Postponed to TBD.
Taunton, 4 @ New Bedford, 1 – Final
Softball
Oliver Ames, 2 @ Walpole, 3 – Final (8 inn.) – Oliver Ames had the bases loaded in the top of the eighth but was unable to push across the go ahead run, and a pair of errors led to a walk off win for the host Rebels. OA took the lead in the first when Maddie Homer singled, stole second, and scored on a hit from Emily Martin (two hits). OA added another run in the third when Lexi Galsband knocked in Paige Taylor to make it 2-0. Katie Melendy tossed an eight-inning complete game for the second straight day, striking out three while allowing no earned runs and only four hits.
Mansfield, 5 @ Foxboro, 8 – Final – Foxboro scored all eight runs in the first three innings and then held off the Hornets to get the win. The Warriors plated three runs in the first, two in the second, and three more in the third. Mansfield had 10 hits on the day with Cat Kipp, Liv Madeira and Jill Koppy each recording two while Callie Lake, Casey Moussette, Alanna Conley and Liv DeTrolio each adding one. Amanda Schwarz and Julia combined to strike out three, allowing eight hits and five walks.
Stoughton, 9 @ Brockton, 2 – Final – Stoughton won its third straight game and second in as many days, this time knocking off the Boxers for the second time this season. Kerry Driscoll had a great performance in the circle, only allowing four hits with three strikeouts in a complete game effort. Offensively, Alyssa Edwards for 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI, Driscoll helped her own cause with three hits (two doubles) and two RBI, Julie Powers also had three hits (one double), and both Sydney Menz (two hits), and Katie Bulger (3 RBI) had a big day at the plate.
Boys Lacrosse
Mansfield @ Attleboro, 3:45
Franklin, 21 @ Sharon, 7 – Final – Franklin found the back of the net nine times in the opening quarter and established a 16-4 lead by halftime in a win on the road over Sharon. Luke Davis paced the offense with six goals and an assist while Tyler Sacchetti (four assists) and Jayden Consigli (three assists) each scored four goals apiece. Justin Alexander had a big day at the faceoff X, going 16-for 21 in the first half.
Oliver Ames, 2 @ King Philip, 17 – Final – Wyatt Fritchman and Wes Tower each scored one for the shorthanded Tigers.
Milford @ North Attleboro – Postponed to TBD.
Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 2 @ Mansfield, 16 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Ava Adams scored six goals and Lola Varricchione scored four goals and had three assists to lead the Hornets to a big divisional win. Attleboro, which was shorthanded with players on a school trip, stayed close in the first half, cutting the lead to 5-2, but Mansfield would score the game’s final 11 goals to earn its second win in a row. Stella Moore added two goals for the Hornets who also got goals from Gabriella Geminiani, Cammy Shanteler, Rose Maher, and Ella Palanza. Caitlyn Zajac made five saves for the Hornets.
Foxboro, 20 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Paige Curran found the back of the net five times while Mya Waryas and Mary Collins each had four goals as Foxboro rolled to a win on the road over Taunton. Curran finished with eight points, Waryas added five helpers for nine points, and Collins chipped in with two assists for six points. Val Beigel added four points (three goals), Cate Noone scored twice with one assist, and Kate Collisn (goal), Kaelin Connors (goal), and Nina Della Valle (assist) each had one point.
Sharon, 0 @ Franklin, 20 – Final – Franklin stayed undefeated to start the season, notching a big win under the lights on Thursday evening. Kaitlyn Carney paced the offense with four goals while Stella Regan recorded five assists in the win. Kate O’Rourke, Kenzie Baker, Anna Grasso, and Grace Nesbit all played great in the midfield with four groundballs.
King Philip, 17 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – King Philip raced out to an 11-1 lead by halftime and never looked back for a win on the road in Easton. Lily Brown was a menace defensively with seven caused turnovers and added four draw controls and four points (three goals, one assist) for the Warriors. Morgan Cunningham had a big day offensively with a hat trick and three assists, Julia Marsden added four goals, Makenzie McDevitt chipped in with three goals and one assist, and Haley Izydorczak finished with a pair of goals and one helper. Emily Campbell and Haley Bright both played well in net, combining for seven saves.
North Attleboro @ Milford – Postponed to TBD.
Boys Tennis
Taunton @ New Bedford, 4:00
Girls Tennis
Stoughton, 0 @ King Philip, 5 – Final – King Philip defended home court on Thursday afternoon, taking all five matches in straight sets against the visiting Black Knights. Junior Ahunna James and senior Sammie Taylor both won without dropping a set, 6-0, 6-0, at first and third singles, respectively while sophomore Shea Mellman added a 6-2, 6-0 win at second singles. The team of junior Lauren Casper and senior Resha Ajoy secured a 6-0, 6-3 win at first doubles and KP’s second doubles tandem of juniors Caroline Freese and Carlie Burns swept their match, 6-0, 6-0.
Franklin, 0 @ Hopkinton, 5 – Final
Taunton vs. New Bedford, 4:00
Boys Volleyball
Milford vs. Dighton-Rehoboth – Postponed to TBD.
Taunton, 0 @ Quincy, 3 – Final
Baseball
Attleboro, 12 @ Foxboro, 9 – Final – Foxboro raced out to a lead with five runs over the first three innings, but Attleboro’s offense roared to life with 10 runs in a three-inning span to secure a win on the road. The Warriors sandwiched a pair of one-running innings around a three-run third to stake a 5-2 advantage. The Bombardiers responded with three in the fourth, five in the fifth, and two more in the sixth, before holding off a four-run bottom of the seventh from the hosts to get the win. Jamie Bloch, Owen Taber (RBI), and Peter DelPozzo each had one hit and scored three runs while Cooper Johnson drove in four runs on the day and scored once himself. Matt Harvie added two hits and two RBI for the Bombardiers. Freshman Tyler Dunlea tossed three shutout innings in relief, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out six to get the win. For Foxboro, Ryan LeClair had a pair of hits, including a double, with three RBI and two runs scored, junior Sean O’Leary drove in two runs, and freshman Ryan O’Leary had a hit and an RBI. Junior Kenny Mello blasted a solo home run and had two RBI on the day.
Taunton, 8 @ Canton, 0 – Final
Franklin, 4 @ North Attleboro, 7 – Final – North Attleboro senior Brody Rosenberg blasted a second inning grand slam and classmate Tyler Bannon had a strong showing on the mound as the Rocketeers knocked off visiting Franklin. Danny Curran had a lead off single, Bannon followed with a single, and Christian Bates walked to load the bases for Rosenberg’s home run. North added three more in the bottom of the fifth as Dillon Harding and Derek Maceda singled, and pinch runner Kyle Conroy scored on an RBI double from Tyler DeMattio. Maceda came home to score on a wild pitch and DeMattio eventually scored on a double steal to make it 7-0. Franklin plated four runs in the top, including a pair of two-out singles. Bannon finished with 6.1 innings pitched, striking out six with two hits allowed, retiring the side in order in the first three innings. Chris Goode had two hits and an RBI for the Panthers, Evan Raider added a hit, a walk, and an RBI, and Jack Marino chipped in with an RBI and a run scored.
Sharon, 2 @ King Philip, 12 – Final (6 Inn.) – King Philip moved to 4-0 on the season, scoring in double figures for the third time this season in a win over Sharon. The Warriors didn’t waste any time getting the bats going with five runs in the first inning. Shawn Legere knocked Travis Crawford (single) in with a base hit, Matt Kelley (single) scored on a wild pitch, and both Rudy Gately and Brendan Sencaj scored on a throwing error. Matt DiFiore brought in the fifth run with an RBI single to score Nick Viscusi. In the second, Gately had an RBI single to extend the lead to 6-0. In the bottom of the fourth, Gately drove in Legere with a RBI base hit, and Kelley came in to score on a wild pitch for the second time in the game. Luke Nixon and Will Astorino each drew a bases-loaded walk in the sixth and Brendan Weddleton had a two-run single to end the game in the bottom of the sixth. Viscusi got the win in the mound, tossing six innings with two earned runs while striking out eight.
Stoughton, 6 @ Mansfield, 7 – Final – Mansfield scored two insurance runs in the top of the seventh that proved pivotal as the Hornets had to hold off a furious rally by the Black Knights in the bottom of the seventh. Mansfield scored two runs in each the first and third, and a single run in the fifth to carry a 5-1 lead into the final inning. Two runs in the top of the seventh ended up being the difference as Stoughton sent five runs home in the bottom half before Mansfield got the final out for the win. Anthony Sacchetti had three hits and scored three runs while sophomore Matt DeShiro had three hits, including two doubles and two stolen bases, and drove in three runs to pace the Hornets’ offense. Conner Zukowski added two hits (both doubles) and a run scored, Jimmy Gilleran had a pair of hits and two RBI, and Connor Curtis added two doubles. Gilleran tossed six innings on the mound, allowing one run (unearned) on four hits and two walks, striking out six.
Softball
Foxboro, 4 @ Attleboro, 14 – Final – Attleboro’s Lily Routhier got her third win of the season in the circle while the Bombardiers belted out 14 hits for 14 runs in a win over visiting Foxboro. Routhier tossed a complete game, allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out six. Offensively, Lindsey Perry had a pair of doubles with three runs scored, adding a pair of walks. Lauren Eby collected four hits with three runs scored and Routhier helped her own cause with a pair of hits and three runs scored. Peyton Feldman had a pair of hits for Foxboro with two runs scored while Emma Callahan had six strikeouts in five innings of work.
Canton, 1 @ Taunton, 21 – Final (5 Inn.) – Taunton exploded for 14 runs in the second inning and scored more than 20 runs in a game for the second time this week. Ava Venturelli paced the Tigers offense, going 4-for-4 with two homers, a triple, and a double. She drove in six runs and scored four times. The top five hitters in the Taunton lineup combined for 15 hits and 14 RBI. Kyleah Plumb was 2-for-5 with two RBI, Kaysie DeMoura was 3-for-4 with two RBI, Brooke Aldrich was 2-for-3 with two RBI, and Hayley Krockta went 4-for-4 with two RBI. Liv Mendonca and Cate Larson combined on a four-hitter. Taylor Reynolds, Anna Lehan, Jess Wright, and Chloe Guershony each had hits for the Bulldogs.
North Attleboro, 10 @ Franklin, 0 – Final – North’s bats came alive to back up a stellar performance in the circle from Zoey McDonough. The Rocketeers totaled 16 hits including four from Kelly Colleran, who blasted a pair of homers and drove in seven of North’s 10 runs. McDonough was lights out, striking out 14 and holding Franklin to five hits. Ally Levine had three hits for North, which also got two hits apiece from Mandi Hanewich (two runs scored), McDonough, and Emma Hanwell. Maryellen Charette had a hit and an RBI and Grace Simmons made a nice catch in right and assisted on an out at second.
Sharon, 0 @ King Philip, 20 – Final (5 Inn.) – King Philip pushed across eight runs in the first and nine more in the second while Emma Sheehan and Taylor Regan combined to toss a one-hitter in a win over Sharon. Sarah Cullen had a big day for the Warriors from the leadoff spot, collecting four hits, two RBI and four runs scored. Meg Sherwood (homerun) added three hits, five RBI and three runs, and Maddie Paschke (homerun) had four RBI on two hits with three runs scored. Sheehan (2IP) and Regan (3IP) each had five strikeouts.
Oliver Ames, 5 @ Milford, 2 – Final (8 Inn.) – Oliver Ames pushed across three runs in the top of the eighth inning and held on as the Scarlet Hawks had the tying run at the plate in the bottom half. Milford took the lead in the bottom of the second after a bunt from Jianna Fernandes was thrown away, allowing Sarah Wengal (walk) to score. OA struck back in the top of the fifth in similar fashion as Katherine Farley (dropped third strike) scored after a throwing error after a bunt from Madison Monteiro. OA took its first lead in the top of the seventh when Farley (single) scored on a double from Caitlin Miller to make it 2-1. Sophomore Grace Bonina hit a one-out single in the bottom of the seventh, moved to second on a sacrifice, and came to score on an effor to make it 2-2, sending it to extra innings. In the top of the eighth, freshman Emily Martin led off with a double and moved to third on a grounder from Lexi Galsband (two hits). Junior Katie Melendy, who also tossed an eight inning complete game for the Tigers, smacked a single up the middle to take the lead. Freshman Devon Morris followed with a single, and both Melendy and Morris scored on a single from Farley. Melendy worked around back-to-back one-out walks to get the win. Maeve Driscoll had 11 strikeouts in 7.1 innings of work for the Hawks.
Boys Lacrosse
Sharon, 14 @ Attleboro, 10 – Final – Brady Daylor found the back of the net eight times to lead Sharon to a win on the road over Attleboro. Along with Daylor’s eight goals, Ben Shocket (23-for-28 faceoffs) and Sam Rothbaum each added a pair of goals while Jacob Kaufman and Jordan Weizmann each scored once in the win. Matt Powers made 10 saves in net for the Eagles.
Girls Lacrosse
Attleboro, 14 @ Sharon, 6 – Final – Bailey Garte had a hat trick for the Eagles, who also got goals from Anna Hertzel, Keira Lydeard, and Serena Bien-Aime.
Boys Tennis
Foxboro, 4 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – Foxboro’s Bo Canfield didn’t drop a game at second singles and the Warriors won four matches in straight sets to get a victory over Attleboro. Canfield won 6-0, 6-0 while Garrett Spillane added a first singles win (6-2, 6-1) and Raj Jetty secured a win at third singles (6-2, 6-0). Foxboro added a win from Nate Cote and Luca Meyer at second doubles (6-1, 7-5). Attleboro’s Tyler Rocchio and Kyle Neuendorf continued their strong season with a 6-3, 6-1 win at first doubles.
Canton, 4 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Canton won all three singles matches in straight sets and added a fourth point with a win at second doubles to secure a victory on the road at Taunton. Max Kupferman, Suraj Ramanathan and Justin Ngan all won in straight sets in singles for Canton in singles action, and the team of seniors Kevin Moltenbrey and Luke Romano took the win at second doubles. Taunton’s Andrew Letourneau and Derek Desseault took the first doubles for Taunton in straight sets.
Sharon, 5 @ King Philip, 0 – Final
Stoughton, 0 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Mansfield took all five matches in straight sets to defend home court against visiting Stoughton. Freshman Neema Khosravani and sophomore Kailash Elumelai both won 6-1, 6-0 at first and second singles, respectively, while sophomore Iniyan Karruppusami grabbed a 6-3, 6-0 win at third singles. Junior Benson Delaney teamed with senior Jonah Fine for a 6-1, 6-0 first doubles win while sophomore Nikhil Nain and senior Pratham Tallam grabbed a 6-2, 6-2 win at second doubles.
Oliver Ames, 5 @ Milford, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames sophomore Nick Westerbeke didn’t drop a set at first singles while seniors Kylash Gannesh and Raphael Vache both won in straight sets as the Tigers took a 5-0 win on the road at Milford. Westerbeke won 6-0, 6-0, Gannesh grabbed a 6-1, 6-4 win at second singles, and Vache earned a 6-0, 6-1 win at third singles. OA’s first doubles team of freshmen Patrick Dolan and Alex Efremidas secured a 6-1, 6-4 win at first doubles while junior Ben Dias and sophomore Alex Vasiliou emerged with a 4-6, 7-5, 12-10 win at second doubles in a great match with Milford senior Pedro DeSouza and freshman Todd Ostertog. Both coaches praised the effort of the second doubles players, with the both sides hitting great shots and earning key points.
North Attleboro, 0 @ Franklin, 5 – Final – After splitting the first two sets, Franklin senior Thomas Broyles won a 10-point tiebreaker to complete the sweep for the Panthers. Broyles ended with a 6-3, 4-6, 10-8 win at second singles, Vashnav Malhotra added a 6-0, 6-1 first singles victory, and senior Drew Mahoney won 6-1, 6-3 at third singles. The team of senior Tim O’Keefe and sophomore Jay Gorgas notched a 6-1, 6-0 win at first doubles, and senior Sameen Shaik and sophomore Ahan Shetty won 6-0, 6-1 at second doubles.
Girls Tennis
Attleboro, 1 @ Foxboro, 4 – Final – A sweep in singles action plus one doubles win gave Foxboro a 4-1 win over visiting Attleboro. Athena Li (6-0, 6-0), Hailey Kornbluth (6-0, 6-1), and Analise Jia (6-0, 6-3) won at first, second, and third singles, respectively, while Abby Costa and Juliana Preston added a 6-2, 6-2 first doubles win. Attleboro’s Allison Rebelo and Presley Biller added a 6-4, 6-4 win at second doubles.
Taunton, 1 @ Canton, 4 – Final – A pair of wins from singles action plus two more in doubles play gave Canton a win at home over visiting Taunton. Camila Cutter battled to a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 win at first singles while Laura Correal secured a 6-4, 6-3 win at second singles for the Bulldogs. The team of Olivia Durham and Grace Powers emerged with a 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) win at first doubles and Canton’s second doubles team of Olivia Maloney and Allie Wong rallied for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 win. Taunton’s Ava Alves notched a 7-5, 6-2 win at third singles.
King Philip, 0 @ Sharon, 5 – Final – After two very tight battles in singles action, and a three-set doubles battle, Sharon took home a 5-0 decision over visiting King Philip. Navya Shukla and Hannah Faberman both emerged from hard-fought matches with identical 7-6, 6-4 wins at first and second singles, respectively, while freshman Judy Song added a 6-1, 6-1 third singles win. Junior Sophia Oh and senior Sasha Fein grabbed a 6-1, 6-3 win at first doubles while Sharon’s second doubles tandem of juniors Ellie Zhao and Wenxin Lu prevailed with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 win for the Eagles.
Mansfield, 3 @ Stoughton, 2 – Final
Milford, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Both of Oliver Ames’ doubles teams won in straight sets without dropping a game to secure a 4-1 victory over Milford. The team of Caroline Peper and Morgan Vasiliou won at first singles while Marina Mierzwinski and Olivia Querzoli grabbed the win at second doubles, both matches finishing 6-0, 6-0. OA freshman Hannah Farber added a 6-1, 6-0 win at first singles and Elizabeth O’Brien prevailed from third singles with a 6-0, 2-6, 10-2 win. Milford’s Paige Gaulik rallied for a 1-6, 6-4, 10-8 victory at second singles.
Boys Volleyball
King Philip, 1 vs. Millis, 3 – Final
Milford, 3 vs. Medfield, 0 – Final
Franklin senior Shane Kindred hauls in a one-handed grab against King Philip on Thanksgiving. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. — Before the main course of turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce, the Franklin football team helped themselves to an early serving of stuffing.
Franklin senior Jack Marino denied King Philip on a 4th and 1 situation just beyond midfield with two minutes left in the game to help the Panthers secure a 27-20 win over the Warriors in the 61st Thanksgiving clash between the two teams.
With the win, Franklin clinches its first-ever Hockomock League Kelley-Rex division title and first league crown since 2009. It also snaps a 10-game Thanksgiving skid and an 18-game overall streak to the Warriors, their first win over KP since the same year they won their last title.
“It’s incredibly satisfying, and I’m obviously proud as the coach but I’m just happy for the kids and the town,” said Franklin head coach Eian Bain. “The last couple of years, this game has been good and there’s been some close ones and not so close ones. Eventually, these are games we have to win to move our program forward.
“This is a step in the right direction, and hopefully, our young kids realize what they can do if they keep working. But as awesome as this is, I hope they realize this took a lot of work from a lot of young men. I’m just really happy for the kids to see that hard work pay off today.”
The teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter, the latter — plus a two-point conversion — had the hosts ahead 27-20 going into the final quarter of play.
The Warriors were marching into Franklin territory as the final minutes ticked off the clock. KP punted on its second drive of the second half and then fumbled in Panther territory on its previous drive.
A heavy dose of junior Rudy Gately (24 carries, 162 yards) and Crawford Cantave (14 carries, 72 yards) had the Warriors over midfield, but Will Astorino’s third down run was stopped a yard shy of the marker on a tackle from Luke Davis and Cullen Pek.
On fourth down, Marino came flying through the offensive line and met Gately in the backfield for a loss of yards and a turnover on downs.
Mack Gulla (16 carries, 109 yards) ran for back-to-back first downs and the Panthers ran the clock out to secure their first win in the series in over a decade.
“Me and [Nick Quintina], we knew it was going to be either me or him that had to make the play, we needed to make a play and make a tackle,” Marino said. “Rudy is a hard runner, I’m good friends with him but I was able to get through the gap and he was there for me to make the play.
“It’s great to get this win…the rivalry between Franklin and KP has always been there all the way back to Pop Warner. They’ve had our number for a decade or so, but it’s great to get the last one, especially for the seniors.”
“Jack is one of the savviest athletes out there,” Bain said. “Coach [Zach] Brown would say the same thing with baseball…looking back at any big win, there’s a moment when Jack Marino turned the tide.”
While it was the perfect end for Franklin, it was far from the perfect start.
King Philip’s defense forced a quick three-and-out and its offense needed little time to find the end zone. Gately broke free up the middle for 64 yards and three plays later, senior quarterback Charlie Grant (4/9, 84 yards) went play action and hit classmate Drew Danson in the back of the end zone for a 7-0 lead less than four minutes into the game.
Things went from bad to worse for the Panthers as they fumbled on their first carry of the ensuing drive and KP pounced on the loose ball, taking over in Franklin territory.
The Warriors needed just four plays again, helped along by a 33-yard pass and catch from Grant to Danny Clancy down the right sideline down to the 1-yard line. Two plays later, Grant kept it himself on the sneak and Matthew Kelley booted the point after for a 14-0 lead with 5:55 left in the first quarter.
“You’re up 14-0 and you keep trying to tell the kids it’s not going to last,” KP head coach Brian Lee said. “You want to try and jump on them as much as possible early. I think if we had maybe one more there…but it just comes back to the little things.
“The quick reaction is jeez, we made a lot of mistakes but how much of that is from the pressure [Franklin] was bringing on us? It makes you a little antsy, jump offside, lineup wrong, just little things like that…you like to think it’s us self-destructing but I think it’s the pressure they put on us. That’s what happens playing against a very good team.”
Franklin had to punt on its third drive but the Panther defense delivered a big stop, cooling some of KP’s momentum.
After a first down run from Gulla, Bain dipped into his bag of tricks and the Panthers executed a perfect flea flicker. Gulla took the handoff but tossed it back to Jared Arone (11/17, 231 yards, 3 TD) and he hit Shane Kindred (5 catches, 159 yards, 3 TD) in stride for an 85-yard touchdown with just over a minute left in the first. Sean King blocked the point after for KP but Franklin was on the board, down 14-6.
Helped by a holding call, KP’s offense went backward on its next series. A third-down pooch punt didn’t travel as far as the Warriors’ hoped and Franklin took over at the KP 45-yard line with 9:19 left in the second.
Arone broke free from a facemask hold and weaved his way to a 45-yard score, only for a block in the back to offset the penalties and nullify the play. But the Panthers’ offense carried on as Arone hit Will Deschenes to convert a fourth down and on the next play, Arone hit Kindred up the left hash for a 17-yard touchdown, making it 14-13 after Garrett Portesi’s extra point.
A false start and a tackle for loss from Marino stalled KP’s next drive, and a sack from Jay Gulla ended it as the Warriors had to punt it back.
Franklin’s offense capitalized on the momentum as Arone hit Kindred to convert an early third down, and the duo hooked up two plays later on the right side and Kindred managed to stay inbounds, racing up the right sideline and diving into the end zone. Hunter Hastings blocked another point after attempt but the Panthers had a 19-14 lead at halftime.
“I think we’ve been in that situation a couple of times, and even though you might get your confidence rattled a little bit, we’re still a pretty good football team,” Bain said of facing an early deficit. “And as long as we kept believing, I think the biggest thing was just having our kids settle down. You want them to play with emotion but they had to settle down and once we hit the big play to Shane at the end of the first quarter, and then we got a stop that we needed and we settled in.
“KP did an awesome job, they’re going to Gillette for a reason. Kind of like last week, we knew they’d score points and make big plays, we just had to take it one series at a time. You can’t hit fast forward to the fourth quarter and the game is over, we had to work for it and earn it.”
KP opened the second half in typical Warrior style: a 9-play, 70-yard march down the field to retake the lead. Gately and Cantave alternated carries, and Grant hit Gately for 25 yards out of the backfield on a third and long. Cantave capped the drive by backing his way across the goal line for a 6-yard touchdown.
The two-point pass was broken up in the corner of the end zone by Franklin’s Devine Johnson.
Franklin went three-and-out on its first drive of the second half after a pass break up on third by KP’s Kelley. But the Panthers’ defense bounced back and stuffed the Warriors, who went for it on 4th down from the Franklin 32-yard line.
“I think it was good to get back to our identity and our reality,” Bain said of the defense. “Certainly, Springfield Central can take anyone out of their comfort zone and King Philip does it in a totally different way, and that’s hard. It’s hard to keep getting hit in the mouth and then you’re down 14. You have to ask yourself, do I want to keep getting hit in the face over and over and over again. Our guys didn’t back down…it was hard, and they’ll be sore tomorrow but they kept answering the bell time and time again, getting off the mat. In the fourth quarter, they made a couple of plays that were key to winning the game.”
Gulla made a nice catch on the left sideline for 19 yards to move the sticks and then bulldozed his way for 10 yards on the ground and another first down. Four plays later, he ran up the middle for a 5-yard touchdown.
On the two-point try, Arone went to the right on the bootleg but didn’t have anyone open so he raced back to the left and into the end zone for a successful conversion and a 27-20 lead.
“I don’t want to think if we did lose, but I think they still would have had a great career but I think this was needed for them,” Bain said of his senior class. “I think a couple of classes before them, I think they feel a part of this too but this group pushed us over the hump. Everyone got screwed out of a normal experience last year but to bounce back and to have this, for this to be their last high school football memory, it couldn’t be more fitting for this group of kids.
It was the first time in nearly a decade that Thanksgiving games counted towards division titles in the Hockomock League. With the new rating system, the league elected to have Thanksgiving count as a league game with holiday rivals only playing once in the season, rather than twice as they had for the past eight years.
King Philip still has one game left as the Warriors are headed to Gillette Stadium to play Catholic Memorial in the Division 2 State Championship game. But the Warriors weren’t focused on next week just yet. KP played all of its starters.
“We were focused on this game…you have to respect their seniors, that’s a great team and they want to know they beat us with our guys,” Lee said. “They deserve that shot, that opportunity after the season they’ve had. And we wanted our guys to have a shot at the league title. Yeah, we’re going to the Super Bowl but who knows what’s going to happen? We’re playing against an absolute animal of a team. But with a chance at the Hock title, we wanted to try and go get it.”
Franklin finishes the season at 10-1 and a perfect 5-0 in Kelley-Rex division play. King Philip enters its showdown with CM next week at 9-2.
King Philip captains celebrate with their D2 State Final Four trophy after beating Mansfield. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
WRENTHAM, Mass. — King Philip senior Jonathan Joseph knew Friday night’s clash with rival Mansfield was going to be his final game played at Macktaz Field.
He wasn’t going to let it be a loss.
Joseph had a pair of fourth quarter interceptions that came on back-to-back drives inside the final five minutes to help #3 King Philip secure a 21-14 win over #6 Mansfield, the second time the Warriors beat the Hornets this season.
Despite the MIAA’s switch to a state-wide format, King Philip and Mansfield clashed for the fourth straight postseason. Since the 2017 season, the Warriors and Hornets have played a total of nine times with KP taking a 5-4 edge with the win on Friday night.
“You luck out and have a good game against them the first time and now we’re going to see them again and they’re going to be angry,” said
King Philip football
King Philip head coach Brian Lee. “If you kick a hornet’s nest, you know it’s going to come back at you. Mike [Redding] has been in too many big games, he always has his team ready.
“They were able to throw the ball and do some other things that they had trouble doing the first time, they were much improved and gave us everything we could handle. Right up to the end, blocking that field goal. It was a great battle but it would be nice to play someone else once in a while.”
King Philip football
King Philip scored on its first two drives of the game but then the offense stalled and the Warriors had four straight series spanning over the second, third, and fourth quarters all end in a punt. And it looked like another drive was in jeopardy as the Warriors were faced with 4th and 3 from the Mansfield 33-yard line.
The Warriors went for it on fourth down and senior quarterback Charlie Grant hit classmate Crawford Cantave along the right sideline for 30 yards. Two plays later, Rudy Gately (16 carries, 74 yards) burst up the middle for a 2-yard touchdown. Matthew Kelley’s third successful point after made it 21-14 with 4:32 to play.
Mansfield went to the air on the first play of the ensuing drive and it looked like the pass would fall incomplete when it went over the receivers’ head, but Joseph made an incredible diving catch to haul in the interception and get the Warriors the ball back.
“When he walks by, he’s not that big, not much there to look at but he’s a great kid and a captain for us,” Lee said of Joseph, who is listed on the roster at 5’9, 170-pounds. “He’s all heart. He’s been coming along getting better and better, working on his confidence. In the spring season, we yanked him a couple of times but he came back and responded the right way, just working hard to make himself a captain.”
King Philip football
KP moved the ball behind carries by Gately and Will Astorino but on third down, Caden Colby and Ryan Sullivan stopped the Warriors in the backfield. On top of that, an unsportsmanlike dead ball foul put the Warriors into 4th and 21 from the 28-yard line, likely changing the play call from a field goal (with the line of scrimmage at the 13) to a pass play.
Mansfield was hit with a pass interference call to erase KP’s 15-yard penalty, and then too many men moved the ball five more yards, but the Warriors were still looking at 4th and 1 and Lee elected to send Kelley and the field goal unit out.
The Hornets blocked the field goal, with Jean getting through the line and a paw on the ball. It bounced all the way to the 34-yard line where Mansfield took over with 1:35 to play, but no timeouts.
Conner Zukowski (13/22, 172 yards) hit Ryan DeGirolamo for an 11-yard screen to get the visitors near midfield but two plays later, Joseph intercepted a pass over the middle and clinched the win for KP.
“I didn’t want my last game here to end with a loss, that’s all I was thinking about the whole game,” Joseph said. “I wanted that first one so bad, I wanted the game to be over there. On the second one, I was just thinking just do it again. I trusted all my teammates out there.
“It’s hard to beat a team twice, we had to prepare for this. This game was tough, we had some ups and downs throughout the game. But we were prepared. We play them twice almost every year, it always seems to come down to the playoffs with them.”
The majority of offensive fireworks came early with the Warriors entering the end zone on its first two drives and Mansfield scoring one of its two touchdowns on its second drive of the game — all coming within the first 15 minutes of the contest.
Mansfield lined up to go for it on fourth down on its first drive of the game but the snap came before Zukowski was ready and KP ended up with ideal starting position at the Hornets’ 22-yard line.
A chop block only delayed the Warriors as Cantave gained 15-yards on the next play and Gately pounded it in from a yard out two plays later for an early 7-0 lead.
The Hornets orchestrated an immediate response, going 80 yards on just seven plays to knot the score. Drew Sacco (15 carries, 70 yards) and CJ Bell (102 total yards offensively) moved the sticks on back-to-back runs, and Zukowski found Bell for 37 yards later in the drive to move into the red zone. Two plays later, Sacco plowed his way up the middle for a 4-yard touchdown, and James Gilleran’s point after made it 7-7 with 30 seconds left in the opening quarter.
King Philip football
Then it was KP’s chance to respond as the Warriors answered with an 80-yard drive of its own, taking eight plays to find the end zone. Grant and Gately each had first down runs early on and Cantave carried for nine yards to get over midfield. Three plays later, Grant found Danny Clancy in single coverage over the middle and dropped a 37-yard touchdown pass in stride to go back in front, 14-7.
“You’re playing in the toughest league and then you have to go through it twice,” Lee said about a second encounter with Mansfield, and next up Milford. “I know there are other great teams and it’s nice when you’re playing someone that hasn’t seen you. I knew this would be a battle, they know us way too well so you knew it was going to be the game it was.”
Mansfield finally put together another lengthy drive to find the end zone. The Hornets marched 74 yards on 11 plays to level the game late in the third quarter. Early runs from Sacco and Bell moved the sticks to get the offense in a rhythm, and sophomore Trevor Foley (five catches, 71 yards) went up and stole a pass from the defensive back to haul in a 32-yard pass.
Despite a total of three false starts on the drive, Mansfield found its way into the end zone, and on 2nd and goal from the 10-yard line, Zukowski found Foley open in the corner to make it 14-14 with 1:25 to play.
Mansfield forced a three and out on KP’s next drive but the Hornets coughed up a fumble on their first play. It was one of three fourth quarter turnovers for the visitors.
“A lot of shooting ourselves in the foot,” said Mansfield head coach Mike Redding. “The snap in the first quarter hands them a touchdown, we lined up wrong on the fake punt and I thought we would have had great field position for a chance to take the lead. Then the turnovers in the second half killed us. We moved the ball pretty well but their secondary made some plays. I told them, it was a great effort, we played tough and so much better than the first game but we just continue to shoot ourselves in the foot at the worst time and in these games, it’s going to kill you.”
Mansfield’s defense stood tall after the fumble but its next drive stalled and after moving the sticks once, the Hornets had three incompletions and had to punt.
“I’m glad someone from the Hockomock is going to Gillette, I don’t know who to root for,” Redding said. “We have a heck of a league, I’m betting North is going to be in the Final Four [in Division 3], Franklin [Division 1] is going, and Foxboro [Division 4] could go. And we have two in Division 2. We’ve lost four games but it’s to Franklin, KP twice, and Milford — all of them are top four teams, maybe top two in their divisions in the state. So we’ve lost games but to the highest level of competition so I’m proud of the way we’ve battled all year.”
King Philip football
King Philip (8-1) will now take on another Kelley-Rex division foe in Milford in the D2 State Semifinal, with the date, time, and a neutral location still to be announced. The Warriors handed the Hawks their first loss of the season in mid-October on a last-second field goal from Kelley.
“Milford is definitely feeling it, they got a big win over Natick,” Lee said. “Coach [Olson] has done a great job with that program, turned them around, and made them a contender right off the bat. So it’s on.”
Football
Attleboro, 22 @ King Philip, 30 – Final 1st Quarter: (KP) Rudy Gately, 2-yard rush, Matthew Kelley XP good.
2nd Quarter: (KP) Charlie Grant 7-yard pass to Will Astorino, M. Kelley XP good; (KP) Crawford Cantave 1-yard rush, XP failed.
3rd Quarter: (A) Kaiden Murray 3-yard rush, Anthony Salviati XP good; (KP) M. Kelley 23-yard field goal; (A) Logan Briggs 82-yard rush; Matt Harvie 2pt pass to L. Briggs.
4th Quarter: (KP) C. Grant 35-yard pass to Tom Brewster, M. Kelley XP good; (A) K. Murray 4-yard rush, A. Salviati XP good.
Oliver Ames, 12 @ Canton, 7 – Final 1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (OA) Jake Grimaldi 2-yard rush, XP failed.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (OA) Collin Williamson 62-yard rush, 2pt failed; (C) Vincent O’Brien rush, Hayden Rose XP good.
Stoughton, 13 @ Foxboro, 49 – Final 1st Quarter: (F) Dylan Gordon 8-yard rush, Sam Carpenter XP good; (F) Tom Marcucella 42-yard pass to Rashaad Way, S. Carpenter XP good; (S) Anthony Girolamo 5-yard rush, Jonah Ly XP good; (F) D. Gordon 2-yard rush, S. Carpenter XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) D. Gordon 36-yard rush, S. Carpenter XP good; (F) D. Gordon 23-yard rush, S. Carpenter XP good; (F) T. Marcucella 5-yard pass to Nick Medeiros, S. Carpenter XP good.
3rd Quarter: (F) D. Gordon 90-yard rush, S. Carpenter XP good.
4th Quarter: (S) B. Clark 1-yard rush, XP failed.
Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 35 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (F) Jared Arone 69-yard pass to Mack Gulla, Garrett Portesi XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) J. Arone 15-yard pass to Shane Kindred, G. Portesi XP good.
3rd Quarter: (F) M. Gulla 56-yard rush, G. Portesi XP good; (F) M. Gulla 73-yard rush, G. Portesi XP good.
4th Quarter: (F) Jase Lyons 24-yard interception return, G. Portesi XP good.
Milford, 27 @ Mansfield, 24 – Final (OT) 1st Quarter: (Mil) Evan Cornelius 1-yard rush, Nick Araujo XP good.
2nd Quarter: (Mil) Tyler Lane 1-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good; (Mans) Drew Sacco 5-yard rush, James Gilleran XP good; (Mans) Conner Zukowski 1-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good.
3rd Quarter: (Mans) James Fichera 3-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good.
4th Quarter: (Mil) E. Cornelius 40-yard pass to Damien Carter, N. Araujo XP good.
Overtime: (Mans) J. Gilleran 30-yard field goal; (Mil) E. Cornelius 9-yard pass to D. Carter.
Sharon, 15 @ Martha’s Vineyard, 7 – Final (OT) 1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: (MV) Touchdown, XP good.
4th Quarter: (S) Gabe Korn 5-yard rush, Jace McCarron XP good.
Overtime: (S) G. Korn 3-yard rush, G. Korn 2pt rush good.
Boys Soccer
Franklin, 1 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – Esvin Morales set up the tying goal and scored the game-winner just minutes later as the Bombardiers rallied to take a win over Franklin. With the win, Attleboro moves into a first place tie in the Kelley-Rex division with Mansfield. Franklin opened the scoring just before the half hour mark. Tyler Powderly used his speed to get down the right wing and play in a cross. The initial ball was cleared but only as far as junior Max Tobin, who one-timed it into the top corner to put the visitors ahead. Attleboro’s best chance of the first half came in the 17th minute when senior Yianni Skordas forced a turnover and pushed forward, centering to Morales. Morales cut back to evade a defender and the keeper but his shot on goal was denied by Franklin senior midfielder Terry O’Neill. In the second half, Cashel Stuger played the ball to Morales, who turned and played a ball over the top of the defense and sophomore Alex Vecchioli finished the half volley from a step inside the area to bring the hosts level. Four minutes later, after Franklin was whistled for a handball, Morales stepped over the ball and placed a shot on frame while the Panthers were setting up the wall and it just beat the diving keeper for the game-winner.
Milford, 2 vs. Hopedale, 0 – Final – Milford scored a pair of second half goals to earn a win over local rival Hopedale. John Borges had two assists for the Scarlet Hawks, setting up both goals. First, Borges found Eduardo Santana to put the hosts in front and then Borges assisted on a goal from Chris Tocci.
Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ Franklin, 3 – Final – Senior Riley Fitzpatrick scored a pair of goals to lead the Panthers to a win at home over the visiting Bombardiers. Fitzpatrick had a beautiful header off a free kick from Norah Anderson and scored her other goal off a pass from Anya Zub. Zub had two assists in the win, setting up senior Stella Regan for the other Franklin goal.
Foxboro, 1 vs. Bishop Feehan, 1 – Final
Sharon, 4 @ Milford, 5 – Final – Dani Atherton had a hat trick and an assist to lead Milford to a wild win over Sharon. It was Milford’s second win in the past three days. Paige Caldon added her second goal in as many games and Cailyn Paccico had one for the Hawks. The Eagles got two goals apiece from Wendy Wooden and Carly Pinnix. Olivia Soby had two assists and Sofia Goclowski had one for Sharon and Amber Marcus-Blank played well defensively.
Field Hockey
Attleboro, 5 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Madison Ellis scored a hat trick to pace the Bombardiers to a big win on the road over Mansfield. Attleboro recevied a great defensive effort from Trinity Harrison and the Bombardiers transitioned from defense to offense smoothly due to the strong play of Jordan Croteau. Olivia Hillman had a strong game on the right side for the visitors and scored once.
Foxboro, 0 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Canton’s Ellie Bohane scored late in the fourth quarter to give the Bulldogs a win over Foxboro, stretching their unbeaten streak to eight. Bohane converted a pass from Sierra Abbott for the lone goal of the game while Carolyn Durand made key saves down the stretch to preserve the shutout.
North Attleboro, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – Final – Four different players found the back of the net, two from each team, and Oliver Ames and North Attleboro split the two points in a 2-2 draw. Tyla Delamere and Georgia Costello each scored for the Tigers while Julia Maclaine and Costello each had an assists. Caroline Rolan (from Emily Burnham) and Zoe McKeon scored for the Rocketeers.
Sharon, 0 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Zofia Bangs scored the lone goal of the game as Stoughton picked up a win on Senior Night.
Volleyball
Attleboro, 0 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Mansfield earned a key division win in the form of a 3-0 sweep (25-15, 25-5, 25-15) over the visiting Bombardiers of Attleboro. Julia Kelly had a big game with 11 kills, five aces, and a pair of digs, Nicole Santos added seven aces and four kills, Lexie Scibilia chipped in with three kills, three blocks, and a pair of aces, and Christina Lydon and Izzy Flint combined for 21 assists. For Attleboro, Julia Leonardo recorded eight kills while Brianna Frissora had a great game at the net.
Foxboro, 0 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Canton bounced back from a tough five-set loss to Westwood with a clean 3-0 sweep (25-8, 25-17, 25-22) over visiting Foxboro. Jess Wright continued to lead the offense for the Bulldogs with 12 kills and added eight digs. Taylor Reynold dished out 22 assists to go with six aces, Syd Gallery added five kills and two aces, and Anna Verille continued to shine defensively with 15 digs and two kills.
Franklin, 2 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this match. – The battle between the top two teams in the Hockomock League lived up to the hype as King Philip rallied from a two-game deficit to stun Franklin, 3-2 (23-25, 21-25, 25-18, 25-23, 15-12). Sami Shore, Ahunna James, and Emily Sawyer all played well at the net for KP in the comeback win while Samantha Asprelli and Gianna DeLorenzo anchored the back row in the win. Sofia Riedel had a big day at the service line for KP with 11 service points and three aces. For Franklin, Brigid Earley (two blocks) and Taylor Lacerda (22 digs) each had 14 kills while Lindsey Tarantola added nine kills and eight blocks.
Milford, 3 @ Taunton, 2 – Final – In an incredibly close match, Milford prevailed with a 3-2 win (27-25, 25-22, 18-25, 22-25, 15-11). For Taunton, Hayley Krockta and Mikayla Cleary each had 11 kills while Anna Abouzeid dished out 28 assists.
Oliver Ames, 0 @ North Attleboro, 3 – Final – In a match tighter than the final score shows, North Attleboro secured an important 3-0 win (25-22, 26-24, 25-20) win over Oliver Ames. For the Tigers, junior Maddie Homer recorded 25 digs, senior Hadley Rhodes dished out 26 assists to go along with five kills, sophomore Sarah Hilliard added 14 kills and 10 digs, and sophomore Claire O’Rourke chipped in with eight kills and three aces.
Golf
Attleboro vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 2:30
Foxboro, 157 @ Oliver Ames, 152 – Final – Oliver Ames earned its 10th win of the season by taking down Foxboro in a close match at Pine Oaks. Senior captain Jake Kaplan shot a medalist round of 35 to lead the way for the Tigers. Junior Michael McGinnis and sophomore Aden Ashley each shot a 39 to count for the scoring for the first time in their careers. Sophomore Lucas Riley and junior Daniel Paul both added a 40 in the win.
Sharon, 171 @ Canton, 147 – Final – Sophomore Mekhala Costello capped a tremendous week with another medalist round, this time a one-over par round of 35 to lead the Bulldogs to a big win at home over Sharon. The win clinches at least a share of the Davenport division title for Canton. Mike Loenetti added a 36 in the win, Conor Hunter chipped in with a 37, and Will Gefteas finished with a 39 for Canton. Eric Carter led the way for Sharon with a round of 41, Owen Kevorkian added a 42, and Nathan Daley, Noah Glassman, and James Spoto all shot a 44 for the Eagles.
King Philip could be the favorite to challenge Mansfield for the Kelley-Rex division title this season. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
Outlook:
Attleboro struggled on the offensive side of the ball last year, scoring only 44 points in six games and not scoring a touchdown until the fifth game of the season. The Bombardiers will need to improve on that side of the ball to try and move up the standings and challenge the top teams in the Kelley-Rex. With eight returning starters on both sides of the ball, Attleboro can rely on an experienced roster to try and turn things around this fall.
It will be obvious where Attleboro’s strength lies. The Bombardiers run 6’3 285, 6’3 255, 6’2 285, and 6’3 305 at the guard and tackle positions. They are going to try and overpower teams. The leader of that group is senior Chris Leonardo, who is a force on both sides of the ball. Seniors Alvin Harrison, Jacob Struminski, and Isaac Pereira are a formidable front and junior Isaiah Miranda will be back at center. Experience and size are important, but the Bombardiers will need its array of running backs to take advantage. Seniors Ryan Betts, Freddy Wheaton, Keigan Conley, and Kaiden Murray will all get the chance to carry the ball. Junior Aiden Hochwarter returns under center after taking over midway through last year and he will have classmate Anthony Salviati to throw to out wide and senior tight end Christian Dame.
The Attleboro defense will also rely on its strength up front with Leonardo and Harrison controlling the middle. The linebackers have plenty of experience, with Dame, Wheaton, Betts, Conley, and senior Hayden Hegarty all coming back after seeing significant time last year. The secondary has a lot of athleticism. Junior Ethan Lako, Salviati, and Murray are all capable of making big plays and forcing turnovers.
“It is great to have some normalcy back this fall,” said Attleboro coach Mike Strachan. “We have eight returning starters on each side of the ball this season and we have great senior leadership. We are looking to a great fall season.”
Outlook:
All eyes are on Mansfield and King Philip as the favorites in the Kelley-Rex and that’s how coach Eian Bain likes it. The Panthers are certainly flying under the radar a bit but that might not last very long, especially after their success during the preseason has turned some heads.
Having a lot of familiar faces in key positions will be an early advantage for the Panthers, who have a strong non-league schedule that starts with Wachusett and features perennial state powerhouse Duxbury. Senior Jared Arone gained a lot of experience at quarterback during the Fall 2 season and could be poised for a big year with a full schedule on tap. Part of the reason why is because of all the weapons around him. Both Shane Kindred and Will Tracey developed a lot of chemistry with the QB in the abbreviated season and will be his main two targets this year.
And while the Panthers have developed a reputation for a pass-heavy offense, we saw a much more balanced approach during the spring and with senior running back Mack Gulla ready for a breakout season, it’s likely that balance continues. Gulla is a tough runner that will keep defenses honest; he isn’t just going to help set up the passing game, he’s a true threat to run all over defenses. It will all start up front and the Panthers have center Ethan Aeillo and tackle Jack Porkorny back in starting roles.
Senior Joe Tirrell and junior Luke Davis give the Panthers a veteran presence in the secondary. Franklin allowed over 20 points per game last season but will be looking to bring that number down some this year as they try and establish themselves as a contender in the division. Senior Jonathan Martins impressed last season and will be a key piece on the defensive line while the linebackers will be anchored by senior Cullen Pek.
“The Panthers return many familiar faces but face a tough task of replacing some key positions,” Bain said. “Many players have stepped up but there is still a lot to be answered before the home opener against Wachusett.”
Outlook:
King Philip has a strong core of returning players set to compete for the Kelley-Rex crown this Fall season but the Warriors are hoping to develop some depth along the way as they navigate through one of the state’s toughest schedules.
KP is still hurting from the Fall 2 season, when they lost six players to season-ending surgery, four of which were starters. With a quick turnaround to this season, the Warriors will still be without those players but there is still lots of excitement around those who will be on the field this year. Senior Charlie Grant returns as the starter at quarterback and has some weapons to utilize around them, starting with receivers Danny Clancy, Nick Viscusi, and Jonathan Joseph. All three have varsity experience and are seniors. Junior Rudy Gately and senior Crawford Cantave give the Warriors a thunder and lightning running back combination. Senior Drew Danson was set to be one of the top tight ends in the league but is out due to injury. Sophomore Thomas McLeish will also be in the mix to play at quarterback and Grant could see time at receiver.
Hunter Hastings and Chris Sesay are the returners on the offensive line and will start at the tackle positions while Dan Nineve will be the center and Amro Ismail and Sean King man the guard positions. It will be a lot of the same names on the other side of the ball with Hastings, King, and Sesay all playing both ways. Junior Nate Kearney will also be in the mix as a pass rusher.
The veteran group on defense will be the KP secondary, which features a lot of familiar faces. Both Cantave (safety) and Viscusi (corner) had really strong junior seasons and will lead the way alongside junior Thomas Brewster, senior Eli Reed, and Joseph, who has really impressed so far this preseason. There will be a little inexperience at linebacker but the Warriors have Gately back in the fold alongside senior Jake Sullivan and junior Will Astorino. Matt Kelley is back as the starting kicker.
“I love my team, great kids,” said KP head coach Brian Lee. “We just have to make sure ready to go every single week. It’s been kind of a burn, playing in the Spring. It feels like we’ve been going, going, going, but now we have to focus on staying healthy and getting through Thanksgiving. It’s been fun to be around them, they are good kids that work hard. Hopefully, we can turn that into being successful.”
Outlook:
Mansfield won the 2019 state title, is riding a 16-game win streak, hasn’t lost a game in league play since September 2017, and hasn’t lost an in-state game since a triple-OT thriller against Foxboro at Fenway to close out 2018, so the Hornets have earned the target that is on their backs this fall. Everyone will be aiming to be the first Hock team to hand the Hornets a loss and try to end a three-year run as the top team in the Kelley-Rex. Although there are some guys in new spots, especially at the skill positions, Mansfield returns 10 starters and several players who saw significant action off the bench last year.
The offense will be powered by an experienced line. Four of five starters return from last year with only junior center Colton Johnson added. Seniors Mark DeGirolamo, Joe Forte, and James Gilleran, and junior Jephte Jean are all back and should give the Hornets an edge up front. Junior Conner Zukowski will be the new starting quarterback and he will have several new weapons to call on. Juniors Drew Sacco and Rocco Scarpellini are new starters in the backfield, but both were called on plenty last season. Senior Dana Johnson and sophomore Trevor Foley will get the start out wide.
Defense has been Mansfield’s calling card during its run, as the Hornets allowed only 23 points in six games last year. DeGirolamo and classmate Braeden Veno are back on the defensive line along with Jean and senior Pedro Cruz. All three starting linebackers returned, as seniors Zander Holmes and James Fichera are paired with Scarpellini. Junior safety Ryan DeGirolamo is the only starter back in the secondary and will need to provide leadership for sophomores Foley and CJ Bell. Senior Jared Fraone will start at the other corner spot.
Mansfield coach Mike Redding is counting on a tough preseason, against state powers Everett and Central Catholic, to help the Hornets prepare. He is also excited about the new statewide playoff system that could pair Mansfield with a new set of tournament opponents as they seek to make it a three-peat in Div. 2.
Outlook:
Milford made a successful move into the Kelley-Rex last season. Under first-year coach Dale Olson, the Hawks earned a first-ever win over perennial league power King Philip and finished second in the division. This year, the Hawks will try to make another title challenge despite having several new faces stepping into important roles.
On offense, the Hawks will be transitioning from the pass-first offense that Brady Olson ran last year. Junior Evan Cornelius is a very different quarterback, who will bring a lot of size and strength to the position (which makes sense, since he also plays defensive end). Graduation took away a lot of dynamic playmakers from last year’s offense but seniors Tyler Lane, Angelo Romero, and Grant Scudo will give Milford a deep backfield and last year senior Jaden Agnew emerged as a major threat in the passing game.
The Hawks will be tough up front again this year on both sides of the ball. Seniors Alex McColl and Marco Monteiro are big and tough and will open holes on offense while clogging running lanes on the other side. Cornelius will add a threat on the edge defensively and the linebacking corps continues to be a factor, led by Lane and Romero. Scudo seeks out the ball at safety and is always a threat to force a turnover.
Olson admits that his team lacks experience at the skill positions, but he added, “Having three scrimmages will help prepare the first-year varsity kids to play week one.”
Outlook:
Taunton didn’t have the best record during the Fall 2 season but the opportunity to just get on the field and play was incredibly valuable for the Tigers. There are less than a dozen seniors (eight) on the roster for the Tigers this season so head coach Brad Sidwell will be looking for a strong class of juniors, as well as some sophomores, to make up the majority of the lineup this Fall.
A good chunk of those juniors were inserted into the starting lineup or played a large number of snaps just five months ago when the Tigers played six games. That allowed the Tigers to build some depth for the upcoming season, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Junior Jake Leonard got a jump start to his career when he took over for an injured Danny MacDougall. That experience will be key as he begins his first full season as the starter under center. Leonard will have three veteran options to work with in senior captains Trent Santos and Nate Keenan — two receivers — and tight end Nick Lima. Senior Faisal Mass will be a big target as a tight end, also providing key blocking on the line, while seniors Jon Castillo (receiver), Jack Moitiso (offensive line) and Evan Perrota (running back) will be in the mix as well.
Junior Ryan MacDougall started on the offensive line last season and will be joined by classmates Nate Laplante, William Guachiculca-Torres, and Logan Frank while sophomore Bryan Joanis will also be in the mix so some playing time. Keenan could also get some carries out of the backfield while junior Bryan Batista could emerge as a go-to option carrying the ball. Juniors Tyler Wynn, Isaiah Williams, and McKyen Gonsalves are three names to watch as receiving options for Leonard.
Taunton has a lot of experience in its secondary with both Santos and Keenan playing on both sides of the ball, and that experience will be a big strength for the Tigers. There is also a lot of depth in the linebackers, starting with Lima, who uses his speed to attack the ball. He can also step out and play in coverage or drop back into a safety role if needed. Lima will be joined by Frank, MacDougall, and Perrota as linebackers. On the line, Laplante had a strong sophomore season and could be poised for a breakout year.
Taunton will prepare for the ever-challenging division slate with non-league games against New Bedford, Durfee, and Middleboro in its first three weeks. It also marks the first year of its new Thanksgiving rivalry with Milford.
“We’re excited to begin the season with this group after productive preseason practices and scrimmages,” said head coach Brad Sidwell. “Although we only have eight seniors, many of our players gained experience in the spring season. We need to improve through the non-league start of the season as the Hockomock Kelley-Rex is always a challenge for any of the teams involved.”
