Tag: Will Hippler

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 03/04/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Division 1
#28 Durfee, 39 @ #5 Franklin, 60 – Final – A 15-0 run to start the game and a dominant third quarter highlighted Franklin’s big win over visiting Durfee. Sophomore Henry DiGiorgio made a splash in his first game back after missing five games to finish the season, scoring seven of his 10 points in the first while senior Sean Vinson (14 points) hit a pair of first quarter threes to set the tone early. Justin Allen, Will Tracey, and Andrew O’Neill each hit a three in the second as Franklin established a 31-19 lead at halftime. In the third, the Panthers poured in 21 points while holding the Hilltoppers to just eight to extend the lead to 52-27. Sophomore Sean O’Leary scored half of his 12 points in the third while DiGiorgio added a three for Franklin, who will host #21 Catholic Memorial next week.

#38 Concord-Carlisle, 59 @ #6 Taunton, 64 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

#21 Catholic Memorial, 66 @ #12 Attleboro, 62 – Final

Division 2
#31 Middleboro, 41 @ #2 Mansfield, 72 – Final – After a competitive first quarter, Mansfield held Middleboro to just four points in the second quarter and nine in the third while its offense didn’t skip a beat from start to finish. The Hornets held a slim 18-14 lead after a quarter but while Mansfield’s offense continued at that same pace in the second, Middleboro’s didn’t thanks to a strong defensive effort from the hosts. Sophomore Trevor Foley scored six points in each of the first three quarters and finished with a career-high 20 points. The Hornets had nine players get on the scoring sheet with senior Matt Hyland chipping in with 13 points and junior Chris Hill (a trio of trifectas) adding 11 points. Mansfield will host ##15 Shepherd Hill next week.

#17 Sharon, 66 @ #16 Agawam, 73 – Final – After falling behind early, Sharon rallied to erase most of the deficit but fell just short of the complete comeback. Agawam scored 23 points in the opening quarter with six players contributing to the early advantage. Sharon played the Brownies even in the second, trailing by seven (40-33) at the break. The Eagles, who were without second leading scorer Nate Katznelson, got within one possession (68-65) with just over a minute to go but Agawam closed the game out strong to get the win. Junior Matt Baur led the offense with 19 points while senior Will Hippler scored 15 of his career-high 17 points in the second half to help the Eagles make a game of it. Sophomore Jacob McLoughlin chipped in with 12 points for Sharon.

#24 Foxboro, 70 @ #9 Walpole, 73 – Final – In a rock fight between two evenly matched teams, Foxboro fell just short on the road at Walpole. A back-and-forth clash saw both teams make runs and take turns with the lead, but neither squad led by double digits throughout the game. The Timberwovles threatened to pull away a couple of times, including early in the fourth before Foxboro junior Alex Penders sank back-to-back three pointers to keep the Warriors in it. Junior Andrew Finn drilled a three with under 30 seconds to go to make it a two-point game. After Walpole hit one of two chances from the line, Foxboro’s heavily contested three point bid was to tie the game was off the mark. Senior Dylan Gordon had his way on the offensive end with a team-high 29 points while Penders finished with 26 points for the Warriors.










Girls Basketball
Division 1
#27 Braintree, 43 @ #6 Franklin, 69 – Final – The Panthers scored the opening 11 points of the game and never let up, rolling to a big win in the first round. Franklin scored 22 points in the first and 20 int the second, building a 42-21 lead at halftime. The lead grew to 30 points after three. Katie Peterson was Franklin’s top scorer with 17 points, 15 of them coming in the first half. Stefany Padula scored nine (six in the first quarter) and Olivia Quinn and Brigid Earley each scored eight. Julia White chipped in with seven points off the bench for the Panthers. Hailey Sherrick was the game’s top scorer with 22 points for the Wamps, 15 in the second half. Franklin will host No. 11 seed Lincoln-Sudbury in the Sweet Sixteen at a date and time to be determined.

#31 King Philip, 36 @ #2 Wachusett, 54 – Final – KP hung tough with the undefeated Mountaineers through the first half, but the No. 2 seed took control of the game with a big third quarter. The Warriors trailed just 27-23 heading to the locker room, but Wachusett put together a 22-4 third to take control of the game. KP held Wachusett to only five points in the fourth, but was unable to make a serious dent in the deficit. Elizabeth Molla and Jackie Bonner combined for a trio of three-pointers and each scored 11 points to pace the Warriors, while Liv Lafond added eight. KP coach Jeff Miszkiewicz said, “I’m very proud of the way the team conducted themselves in a very tough road environment. They handled themselves with class and left everything they had on the court.”

#26 Mansfield, 37 @ #7 Woburn, 42 – Final – Kara Santos scored 18 points and Abby Wager had 14 but it wasn’t enough to help the Hornets overcome Woburn on the road in the Round of 32.

Division 2
#30 North Middlesex, 36 @ #3 Oliver Ames, 79 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Caroline Peper poured in 30 points, including the 1,000th of her career, to pace the Tigers to a big win over North Middlesex. OA’s offense was clicking early as the Tigers raced out to a 42-21 lead by halftime. Peper drilled a three-pointer on the first play of the fourth quarter to hit the milestone (see video below). Sophomores Jasmyn Cooper (19 points) and Sarah Hilliard (10 points) also played well in the win.

#23 Tewksbury, 49 @ #10 Canton, 56 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

#19 Nashoba, 38 @ #14 Foxboro, 56 – Final – Freshman Kailey Sullivan scored 28 points in her playoff debut, leading the Warriors to first round win. Foxboro advances to the Round of 16 for a rematch with Oliver Ames.

Girls Hockey
Division 1
#24 Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 1 @ #9 Haverhill, 6 – Final

Division 2
#25 Franklin, 0 @ #8 Andover, 4 – Final

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/01/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Canton, 40 @ Attleboro, 48 – Final – Canton cut a double-digit halftime deficit down to three in the third quarter but Attleboro finished the quarter strong and pulled away for good with a 10-0 run to start the fourth. Lanse Dorcelus drained a three with three minutes left in the third to make it 28-25 but Attleboro closed with a 7-2 run to take a 35-27 lead into the fourth. Alvin Harrison, who had a career-high 19 points, scored twice down low and then sophomore Neo Franco (eight points) and senior Colin Morais each hit a three as the Bombardiers pushed the lead to 45-27 with five minutes left. Dorcelus scored 12 of his team-high 13 points in the second half, Dillon Nguyen hit a trio of second half trifectas for 12 points, and Matt Chafin had 11 points for the Bulldogs.

Foxboro, 68 @ Taunton, 69 – Final – Taunton’s big three of Trent Santos, Tristan Herry, and Faisal Mass combined for 65 points and the Tigers avoided an upset bid from visiting Foxboro. The Warriors twice rallied from big deficits to make a game of it but came up just short as the buzzer expired. Taunton raced out to a 21-5 lead but Foxboro had a big second quarter to make it a six-point game, 43-37, at halftime. After an even third quarter, Taunton once again stretched its lead to double-digits at 64-51 before the Warriors came charging back in the final minutes. Santos, who dropped a game-high 33 points, sank a pair of free throws with 30 seconds left to put the hosts ahead 69-66. Foxboro finally converted at the rim with under 10 seconds to go but there wasn’t enough time left to force an inbounds and the buzzer sounded for a 69-68 win for Taunton. Santos hit five first-half threes while Faisal Mass also had two in the opening half, finishing with 19 points. Herry added a first half three of his own and finished with 13 points. Dylan Gordon led Foxboro with 22 points, Alex Penders added 15, and Sam Golub chipped in with 13 points with three trifectas for the Warriors, who sank a season-high 11 three-pointers.

North Attleboro, 51 @ King Philip, 65 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

Sharon, 57 @ Franklin, 75 – Final – Sharon had a one-point lead after the first quarter, Franklin surged ahead by 10 at the halftime break, the Eagles cut it back to eight going into the fourth, and then the Panthers poured in 24 points in the final frame to run away with the win. Senior Sean Vinson (14 points) sank four three-pointers in the fourth quarter and sophomore Henry Digiorgio (game-high 25 points) had five three-pointers in the second half, two in the fourth, to help Franklin pull away. Sophomore Sean O’Leary scored 12 of his 18 points in the opening half as Franklin staked a 35-25 lead at halftime. Sharon’s Donyae Pierre scored eight of his 13 points in the opening quarter and both Will Hippler (10 points) and Matt Baur (10 points) hit first quarter threes to help the Eagles take a 17-16 edge into the first intermission.

Oliver Ames, 56 @ Mansfield, 69 – Final – Mansfield jumped out to a double-digit lead by the end of the first quarter and kept OA at bay the rest of the way to finish crossover action with a win. Junior Chris Hill (eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks, two steals) tied a career-high with 21 points, including 13 in the first half to help the Hornets seize a 33-20 advantage at halftime. The Tigers held the hosts to 10 points in the third but Mansfield went 9-for-10 from the line in the fourth and put the game away with 26 points. Andrew Slaney (four steals) hit three three-pointers on his way to 15 points while Caden Colby had eight first-half points for Mansfield. CJ Williams and Drew Baxter paced OA with 11 points each while CJ Santos and Zach Tagliamonte chipped in with 10 points apiece.

Stoughton, 57 @ Milford, 54 – Final – Stoughton used a balance attack offensively and survived a last second shot from Milford to record a win on the road. The Black Knights had eight players in the scoring column with senior Cash Mathurin leading the way with 11 points. Stoughton led by four (23-19) after a hot start from both offenses but the Hawks tied it up at 32-all by halftime. Stoughton jumped ahead by the end of the third (45-39). Rayan Sablon had a huge three in the final minutes and finished with a team-high 13 points for Stoughton. Milford had a shot at the go-ahead basket in the final seconds but its bid from the block stayed out. Sophomore Jake Soares led Milford with 13 points.










Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 52 @ Canton, 57 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Taunton, 33 @ Foxboro, 60 – Final – Freshman Kailey Sullivan continued her strong rookie campaign with 22 points, as the warriors earned a fourth straight victory. Camryn Collins also reached double figures for Foxboro, finishing with 11.

Franklin, 61 @ Sharon, 27 – Final – Franklin had 10 players get on the score sheet and the Panthers held their fourth straight opponent under 30 points to improve to 10-0 on the season. Sharon was held to just four points in the first quarter and Franklin broke the game open by scoring 20 in the second for a 29-12 halftime lead. An 18-6 third quarter put distance between the teams. Stefany Padula and Olivia Quinn each scored 14 points. Padula scored all of her points in the middle two quarters and buried four threes. Quinn had five of Franklin’s nine points in the first and another six in the second. Katie Peterson added nine points in the win. Jasmine Davis led the Eagles with nine points and Tess Letendre scored eight.

King Philip, 29 @ North Attleboro, 23 – Final – KP was able to pull out a defensive struggle on the road and moved back to .500 on the season. Although North was able to hold KP’s center Emily Sawyer to six points, the Rocketeers struggled to find the range with only four players getting on the score sheet. Summer Doherty led North with nine points and Taylor McMath added seven, while also doing a strong job defensively in the paint and on the glass. Ava McKeon chipped in with five points.

Mansfield, 36 @ Oliver Ames, 60 – Final – Mansfield made a second quarter push to cut the deficit to single digits, but Oliver Ames dominated the second half to get the win. The Tigers limited the visitors to just four free throws in the opening quarter to establish a 20-4 lead through eight minutes. Mansfield made a game of it with a big second, cutting it to 32-23 by halftime. But OA once again locked in defensively, surrendering just three points in the third to run away with the win. Senior Caroline Peper led the way with 15 points and eight assists, sophomore Jasmyn Cooper added 14 points and 11 rebounds, Anna Murphy chipped in with 10 points, and Hailey Bourne set the tone with high energy defensive play. Abby Wager led Mansfield with a team-high 10 points.

Milford, 40 @ Stoughton, 36 – Final – Following a 40-point night against Burncoat on Monday, Maddalena Mannucci Pacini scored 23 against Stoughton to help Milford win for the second time in two days. The Black Knights had a 25-23 lead going into the fourth, but the Hawks scored 17 in the final eight minutes to come from behind and pick up the win. Pacini had 11 points through three quarters and exploded for 12 in the fourth, including 4-of-4 at the line, and Maeve Driscoll added four of her nine points in the final quarter to pull out the win. Jess Maddalena led the Black Knights with nine points. Katrina Varnum nearly had a triple-double in the loss, scoring eight points, blocking seven shots, and grabbing nine rebounds, while Alyssa Edwards had seven points and 10 boards.

Boys Hockey
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Franklin, 8 – Final – Franklin came out hot right from the opening puck drop, scoring five goals in the opening period in a league win over visiting Oliver Ames. Dylan Marchand scored twice while Christian Shabbick, Ben Paterson, and Domenic Lampasona each found the back of the net once as Franklin established a 5-0 lead. Shabbick, Logan Marchand, and Dylan McEvoy tacked on goals in the third period for the Panthers. Ryan Sicchio assisted on half of Franklin’s goals, Paterson added three helpers, and Justin Magazu recorded two assists. Andrew Livingstone (from Jack Corey and Sean Kearns) scored a second period goal for OA. Junior Brandon Burke turned away 27 saves for OA while sophomore Cole Pouliot-Porter had 16 saves in the win for the Panthers.

Boys Swimming
Mansfield, 63 @ Seekonk, 94 – Final – Mansfield closed its dual meet with a loss to Seekonk but put up some impressive performances in the setback. Rico Balanza won both the 100 free and the 100 back, Kevin McCarthy shaved off seven seconds for a new personal best in a first place finish in the 200 free, Xavier Gwynne set a new PR in his win in the 100 fly, and Ryan Morley came in first in the 100 breaststroke with a new PR. Palanza, Morley, McCarthy, and Gwynne teamed up to take first in the 200 free relay as well.

Girls Swimming
Mansfield, 73 @ Seekonk, 97 – Final – Mansfield recorded a handful of season-best times but fell on the road to Seekonk. Sofia Seifert took first in the 100 breaststroke, followed by a second place finish and new PR time from Katherine Elliott. Seifert added a season-best time in the 100 free and took second, Elliott also set a new PR in a second place finish in the 200 IM, and Carla Guirguis set a new personal record in a second place finish in the 100 fly. Separately, over at Wheaton College at the Hockomock League Diving Championships, Mansfield’s Caitlyn Zajac took home the championship with a score of 187.75.

Gymnastics
North Attleboro, 123.15 @ Oliver Ames, 136.3 – Final – Senior Kate McGarry took first place in both the bars and the floor, Abbey DeCouto won the beam, Katie Babinikas grabbed first on the vault, and Oliver Ames finished its final dual meet with a win over North Attleboro. McGarry scored a 9.1 on the bars, and won the floor with a 9.3 while OA captains Peyton Rivers (8.8) and Halley Gramer (8.3) each set new personal bests on the floor. DeCouto and Babanikas each scored 9.0 in their respective wins while Shayla Nagle, Kalli Puskar and Lexi Weintraub all scored key points to help the Tigers.

Attleboro Finally Shakes Sharon For Key Road Win

Attleboro boys basketball Trevor White
Attleboro junior Trevor White goes up for a shot over a pair of Sharon players in the first half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 SHARON, Mass. — The Attleboro boys basketball team led from start to finish on the road at Sharon on Tuesday night, but it was far from a comfortable win.

The Bombardiers looked poised to pull away on a number of occasions throughout its 77-68 road win, but just when it appeared Attleboro had a comfortable cushion, the Eagles chipped away to make a game of it.

There was the 13-point lead in the first quarter that shrunk to six in just seconds. And then another double-digit advantage, up 33-22 with less than 90 seconds to go in the half that Sharon quickly cut in half to trail b just five at the halftime break.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

The trend continued in the third, with Attleboro’s lead twice ballooning back up to 11, first on a bucket from senior Joe Francois-Annevil (seven points, six rebounds, four assists) on a nice drive to the rim, and then again on a two-handed slam from junior Trevor White to give Attleboro not only a 46-35 but the Bombardiers got the ball back after a block from Alvin Harrison (10 points) on the defensive end.

Instead, it was Sharon who responded with a 12-4 burst. A three-point play from senior Donyae Pierre preceded a triple from sophomore Jacob McLoughlin (10 points). After a couple of stops, Sam Cohen (eight points, five rebounds) sank a triple and a midrange jumper from Matt Baur (22 points, five rebounds, three assists) made it 50-47 with just under two minutes to go in the third.

Jake Struminski had back-to-back finishes in close and White (career-high 31 points, six rebounds) added another one of his two-handed slams to stem the tide with the Bombardiers ahead 56-49 going into the fourth.

Attleboro boys basketball

It was more of a back-and-forth fourth quarter with Harrison, Francois-Annevil, and White finding success attacking the basket for the Bombardiers. Meanwhile, Pierre, Baur, and a three-point play from Will Hippler kept the Eagles close, down 62-56 with five minutes to go.

“We were just inconsistent throughout that game,” said Attleboro head coach Mark Houle. “We were really good at times and then they were able to turn us over and they looked really good at times. To their credit, they’ve had a good year so far and played with a lot of confidence. Our lack of understanding time and score in certain situations kind of hurt us.

“We were prepared for their zone and I thought we looked good the last time a team threw that at us but we stopped getting paint touches and relied on the three-point shot. It can obviously help if you’re making them but when you’re not, you have to change your course of action.”

Attleboro tied its largest lead of the game after senior Evan Houle (17 points, seven assists) threaded the needle with a pass through Sharon’s zone to White down on the baseline for a dunk that established a 71-58 lead with three minutes to go.

But a steal and layup from McLoughlin was followed by an off-balance three-pointer from senior John Baez, and after another stop on defense, Baur found McLoughlin for a three, and just like that, it was 71-66 with two minutes to play.

Like it had throughout the game, Attleboro kept its lead. The Bombardiers never let it slip away and hit a couple of key free throws down the stretch to keep the Eagles at bay to secure a 77-68 win.

“It was just our effort, the guys were just grinding,” said Sharon head coach Andrew Ferguson. “We’ve been in a little bit of a slide but we’re just trying to work through our process. We think if we stick to our core values and we work through our process, the results will come. They dug in and they were grinding the entire second half to keep it close. There’s a tremendous amount of belief in this group and they really worked at it.”

Attleboro boys basketball

White proved to be too hard to stop for the Eagles, who were without sophomore big man Nate Katznelson for the season straight game. After not taking a shot in the first quarter and scoring seven points in the second, White sliced through the Sharon defense time and time again to net 13 points in the third quarter and 11 points in the fourth. He finished 11-for-14 from two-point range.

“He’s working hard in practice and I think we’re starting to get more comfortable playing together as a team,” Houle said. “And obviously he’s a big part of that. He’s very talented and has a lot of skillsets that make him a tough match-up for a lot of teams. When he’s running the court, and we can get our inside-out game going, it helps. He did a nice job running the floor and our guys did a nice job finding him there and finding him in the half court too.”

Evan Houle and sophomore Neo Franco (six points, nine assists, three steals) set the tone early for the visitors. Franco had a pair of three-pointers early and a pair of steals while Houle went 4-for-6 from the floor, also connecting on a pair of trifectas. Attleboro, however, only hit one more three the rest of the game, coming off the fingertips of White with 2:27 to go in the second quarter.

Like White, Baur didn’t score in the first quarter but he was Sharon’s leading scorer by halftime. He erupted for eight points in less than two minutes, converting a traditional three-point play, sinking two more free throws, and then drained a three after an offensive rebound from Pierre cut into Attleboro’s lead, 35-30, at halftime.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Sharon continuously cut double-digit deficits down to a two-possession game, getting as close as three near the end of the third and then within five with two minutes to go in the game, but the Eagles were never able to get over the hump and go ahead.

“Trevor White is probably the answer,” Ferguson said of being unable to take the lead. “We just didn’t have an answer for him, he played amazing. Donyae absolutely worked his butt off but when you’re giving up five to six inches to a player like that…Houle hit a couple of threes in the first half to get them going. They’re an unbelievably physical team. I thought our guys battled with them. I thought anytime we needed a stop or a rebound, they were just able to convert and hurt us.”

Attleboro boys basketball (7-2 Hockomock, 9-2 overall) carries a four-game win streak into its home contest with Mansfield on Friday. Sharon (5-4, 7-4) will look to snap its three-game skid when it hosts rival Stoughton on the same night,

Strong Start Sends Sharon Past Visiting King Philip

Sharon boys basketball Matt Baur
Sharon junior Matt Baur (game-high 19 points) takes a shot over King Philip’s Trevor Clyde in the second half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 SHARON, Mass. — The Sharon boys basketball team is starting to make a habit out of good starts.

For the second straight game, the Eagles scored 22 points in the first quarter to establish a double-digit lead that it never relinquished for the remainder of the game.

Despite holding just a one-point edge over the final three quarters, Sharon secured a comfortable 71-53 win over visiting King Philip after a near-flawless start.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“Besides Saturday we really hadn’t been starting well this season so we knew we had to jump on them,” said Sharon head coach Andrew Ferguson. “We were a little worried there would be a little bit of a let down after Saturday so I was glad to see they had that energy right from the top.”

The Eagles sliced through the Warriors’ defense early and often, hitting its first six field goals from inside the three-point line (8-for-12 from two-point in the first quarter). Ryan Zunenshine (nine points) and John Baez (four points, 10 assists) each had a pair of layups, sophomore Nate Katznelson attacked the rim for two, and Matt Baur converted a putback to get the offense going.

Senior Will Hippler and sophomore Jacob McLoughlin each added a three, Donyae Pierre (10 rebounds) converted a putback, and Tyler Goodman scored on a breakaway just before the buzzer after a steal from Baur (game-high 19 points, three rebounds).

On the other hand, King Philip tried to spark its offense from three-point range but was unable to hit on eight attempts over the first eight minutes.

The result was a 22-5 advantage for the hosts, a lead that eventually peaked at 24 points in the third quarter and shrunk to as few as 13 points in the fourth, but never went below double-figures to keep the Eagles in front from start to finish.

“That was obviously the difference in the game, they came out and punched us in the face right away,” said King Philip head coach Dave DeStefano. “We did not do a good job responding to it. I think we need to figure out who we are defensively, figure out our identity right now. We’re just too lackadaisical and just expecting the next guy to make a play so we have to figure it out as a team.”

It was relatively even the rest of the way. Sharon put up another 20 points in the second quarter but King Philip’s offense got going with 16 points, despite another quarter without hitting a three.

King Philip had some momentum coming out of half as senior Danny Clancy (four points, 10 rebounds) laid it in for two on a second chance opportunity after Braeden Sottile wrestled his way to an offensive rebound. The Warriors then forced back-to-back turnovers, the first leading to a layup from Sottile on a feed from Will Laplante (nine points, three rebounds, three assists), and the second two free throws from Sottile (13 points, six rebounds).

Sharon boys basketball

Sharon was quick to answer on a nice drive from Zunenshine, and after getting a stop, Katznelson (14 points, six rebounds, two blocks) scored through contact for two more. Baez then grabbed two quick assists, first feeding Katznelson down low and then taking advantage of a KP turnover, hitting Baur in transition for two more.

“Part of the halftime talk was about last night [Stoughton/Canton game] and we’ve been on the other side of games like this before, we came back from 20-points against King Philip a couple of years ago,” Ferguson said. “It’s always in the back of your mind, especially in this league. They had a quick start to the second half but our guys were able to respond.

“We spend 60-70% of practice on defense and I think it’s really starting to bear some fruit this year. John Baez has been unbelievable on the defensive end so far this year and the rest of the team is buying in and especially rebounding the ball. Donyae Pierre came off the bench and grabbed 10 rebounds so when you can get guys to buy into specific roles, your team defense benefits from that.”

Sottile had four points early in the fourth and then a pair of hustle plays from sophomore Trevor Clyde (nine points, four rebounds, three blocks) — first a steal and then an offensive rebound — turned into a three from Sottile and the Warriors capped what turned out to be a 19-8 run over the course of the third quarter and first few minutes of the fourth.

That run cut Sharon’s once 24-point lead down to 13 at 58-45 with just six minutes under to play.

Sharon boys basketball

Sharon, which got threes from Zunenshine and Katznelson in the opening quarter, went without a three in the second and third quarters. The Warriors switched to a 2-3 zone and limited the Eagles’ shooting for the most part.

“I think defensively they did a very good job of getting in our face and made us uncomfortable, and we couldn’t get into a groove,” DeStefano said. “They did a good job with our shooters, we didn’t get many clean looks and it forced us to play out of our element a little bit. And they pressured us with some good hard cuts and it seemed like we were a step late each time.

“They got every 50-50 ball, and anytime it felt like we might make a run they seemed to respond with an offensive rebound or coming up with that 50-50 ball and it just killed our momentum.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

But when they needed a big shot, the Eagles got it off the bench as senior Sam Cohen gave the offense a spark with a three on the ensuing possession. After a turnover, Baez notched another assist by finding Jack Bates wide open for another three, and just like that, the lead ballooned to 64-45 with five minutes to play.

“We want everyone to share the ball, if we can turn down a good shot to get a great shot, we want to. We didn’t shoot the ball well [from three] but I thought we took the ball to the basket really well today which was something we hadn’t done well the last couple of games,” Ferguson said. “So seeing that and making that adjustment was huge for us.”

Sharon boys basketball (4-1 Hockomock, 6-1 overall) will look to make it five wins in a row when it hosts Foxboro in a crucial clash of Davenport contenders on Friday night while King Philip (0-3, 1-4) returns home in search of its first league win when it hosts Milford on the same day.

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/08/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Sharon, 76 @ Oliver Ames, 61 – Final – Sharon scored 22 points in the opening quarter to build a double-digit lead that it never relinquished for its first win over Oliver Ames since 2016. Senior Will Hippler, junior Matt Baur, and sophomores Nate Katznelson and Jacob McLaughlin all connected from three-point range in the opening eight minutes as the Eagles shot nearly 60% from the field to establish a 22-11 lead. Katzneslon, McLaughlin and junior Jack Bates each added a three in the second for the Eagles, who hit seven of their 12 threes in the first half. Baur finished with a team-high 16 points and five rebounds to lead the way for Sharon, who held a 37-25 lead at half and a 55-35 lead going into the fourth quarter. Katznelson added 15 points and eight rebounds, McLaughlin finished with 13 points and five assists, and senior John Baez had eight points, five assists, four rebounds, and two steals. Zach Tagliamonte led OA with a game-high 17 points and five rebounds while senior Drew Baxter and freshman Cole Craffey each had 10 points.

Boys Hockey
Mansfield, 4 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Mansfield exploded for four goals in the second period to skate away with a league win over Attleboro. Senior Dillon Benoit scored a pair of goals for the second straight game, senior Ryan Doherty added one, and freshman Matt Tourigney scored his first career goal. The Hornets went a perfect 3-for-3 on the penalty kill, improving to 9-for-9 on the kill in league games this year.

Canton, 2 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Canton sophomore Brian Middleton scored the game-winning goal with just over three minutes left in the third period to help the Bulldogs avenge its loss to Franklin from earlier this season, this one in league action.

North Attleboro, 2 @ King Philip, 2 – Final

Taunton, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 4 – Final – Sophomore Andrew Livingstone scored twice and junior Brandon Burke recorded 30 saves to help Oliver Ames edge out Taunton. Junior Noah Isleib scored his first career goal while sophomore Jack Corey scored once. Junior Sean McCarthy recorded two assists while junior Jack Perron, sophomores Matt Lawson and Jake Cunningham, and freshman Patrick DeLoughrey each had one assist.

Stoughton vs. Cardinal Spellman, 0 – Final – Four different players lit the lamp as Stoughton skated to a shutout win over Cardinal Spellman. Aidan Obrock, Joe McNulty, Colin Alessi and Sean Farley each scored once for the Black Knights while Chris Andrade posted the shutout in goal.










Girls Hockey
Canton, 0 vs. Norwood, 3 – Final

Franklin, 2 vs. Dedham, 1 – Final – Franklin picked up its second win over Dedham in the past two weeks, this time with a 2-1 decision in regulation. Julia Flynn and Shaw Downing (from Maggie McCaffrey) scored for the Panthers while Izzy Brown had a great game in net to earn the win.

Stoughton/Sharon, 2 vs. Old Rochester, 8 – Final – Molly Corvino and Zoe Bangs each scored for the Black Knights while Ava Buckley registered an assist on each goal but Stoughton fell to Old Rochester.

Wrestling
Canton, 24 @ Silver Lake, 51 – Final – All four of Canton’s wins on the day were by pinfall, each earning six points but the Bulldogs fell on the road to Silver Lake. Yurii Leskiv (113, 2:14), Max Kupferman (126, 0:34), Cillian Collins (182, 1:52), and Ruairi Ritson (195, 4:28) each won for Canton.

Panther Invitational (Foxboro, King Philip), 10:00 (@ Whitman-Hanson) – King Philip had five finalists and two individual champions to take first place in the Panther Invitational held at Whitman-Hanson. The Warriors had a total of 140.5 points while second place Milton had 131 points. Foxboro had 47 points. Hunter Hastings won all three of his matches by pinfall, including the 195-pound championship with a fall in 1:52 in the championship round. After a bye in the first round, heavyweight Dan Nineve won the semifinal by pin in 1:37 and then took the championship with a pin in 3:24. Sam Debaggis (126), Colby Cloutier (152), and William Conniff (170) each finished second for the Warriors while Lodan Wells (120) took third and Michael Gorman (145) took fourth. Foxboro’s Maxwell Kornbluth (160) and Ryan Addeche (170) finished third while Adam Addeche (120) and Sebastian Zerpa Aguilar (285) finished fourth.

Norton Quad (Mansfield, Taunton) – Taunton senior captain Christian Balmain became just the second wrestler in program history to reach 100 wins and the Tigers went 3-0 on the day at the Norton Quad, beating the host Lancers (50-24), Mansfield (61-15), and Quabbin (72-12). Balmain, who wrestles at 152, earned a forfeit win, a major decision (12-4) over Norton, and a pinfall in 1:20 against Mansfield. Michael Leskoski (106), Xavier Sandoval (138), Ethan Harris (182), Avery Justa (195) also went 3-0 on the day while Ryan Jones (113), Brandon Mendes (126), Anthony Vieira (132), Ben Mandeville (145), John Mandeville (160), Charlie Rabel (170), Peter Ye (220), and Robert Tran (285) each won twice.

St. John’s Prep Super Quad (North Attleboro) – North Attleboro picked up three wins on the day, pinning down victories over Bridgewater-Raynham (42-36), Marblehead/Swampscott (55-24), and Beverly (51-24). Three Rocketeers won all three of their matches with Braxton Ferro (132) and Christopher Galligan (138) each grabbing three pinfalls and Jaad Ismail (170) had two pins and one decision. Tanner Ferguson (120), Tyler Tobias (126), Masen Oyola (145), Benjamin Lodi (160), Greg Berthiaume (182), Austin Dean (195), and Keysun Wise (285) each won twice for North.

Sharon Quad (Sharon) – Sharon picked up three wins at home, beating Belmont (57-24), Concord-Carlisle (48-27), and Catholic Memorial (54-18). Vehnil Rangaraman, Adam Landstein, Cam Birnbaum, Nick Varvak, Aaron Cashton, Philip Varvak, and Cormac Horlbogen all went undefeated for the Eagles on the day.

Oliver Ames Quad (Oliver Ames), 10:00

Central Catholic Tri (Milford), 9:00

Gymnastics
Attleboro, 131 @ Sharon, 123 – Final
Taunton @ Canton, 4:00

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 12/17/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 47 @ Franklin, 52 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Oliver Ames, 46 @ Canton, 45 – Final – Oliver Ames junior Nick Asiaf scored all six of his points in the fourth quarter, including a layup with 1:31 to play to proved to be the winning basket for the visitors, giving Oliver Vil his first win with OA. Asiaf’s layup put OA up 46-42 at the time but a steal from Matt Chafin led to a free throw from Lanse Dorcelus. Dorcelus missed his second free throw but tracked down the rebound and sliced through the defense for two, making it 46-45 with 45 seconds to play. Each team missed the front end of a 1-and-1, and then the Tigers were able to get one final stop at the buzzer to secure the win. Senior Jake Grimaldi scored a team-high 12 points while Zach Tagliamonte and Dan Reilly also had six points. Dorcelus had a game-high 16 points and Nate Mei added 14 points for the Bulldogs.

Stoughton, 59 @ Foxboro, 67 – Final (2OT) – Foxboro senior Dylan Gordon scored nine points in the fourth quarter and added 10 more in the two overtime periods to help the Warriors outlast visiting Stoughton. The Black Knights led by 10 late in the third quarter and took a 38-31 lead into the fourth. With the game tied at 44-44, junior Andrew Finn hit a pair of free throws to put the hosts ahead 46-44 but Stoughton sophomore Liam Pearl hit two free throws of his own with 27.5 seconds left to tie it and send it to overtime. Gordon (25 points) split a pair of defenders on a take to the basket with just under 40 seconds to go but Pearl launched a three as time expired to send it to a second overtime. Sam Golub (12 points) hit his second three of the game to put the Warriors ahead and a steal from Cam Barreira led to a layup for Gordon to make it 61-56 and the Warriors never looked back. Alex Penders added 14 points for the Warriors. Connor Andrews led the visitors with 21 points, including 11 in the third quarter, Cashmere Mathurin added 14 points, and Pearl finished with 11 points.

King Philip, 71 @ Taunton, 82 – Final – Taunton senior Trent Santos scored a team-high 22 points while classmates Tristan Herry and Faisal Mass each scored 18 to help the Tigers outscore the visiting Warriors. Santos hit three three-pointers in the opening half, dropping 15 of his 22 points to help Taunton stake a 44-43 edge at the break. Herry added half of his points in the second half and Jordan Costa had six of his eight as Taunton pulled away down the stretch. King Philip junior Will Laplante split his 26 points evenly between the two halves while Danny Clancy added 13 points and Braeden Sottile chipped in with 10 points.

Mansfield, 65 @ Milford, 34 – Final – Mansfield limited the hosts to single digits in each of the first three quarters, including just three in the second on its way to building a 30-11 halftime lead. The Hornets capped it with a 21-point fourth quarter to ice the win. Matt Hyland led the way with 15 points hitting two of the Hornets’ seven three pointers. Chris Hill added 10 points while both Anthony Sacchetti and Caden Colby chipped in with nine points. Paul Roberts led the Hawks with nine points.

North Attleboro, 41 @ Sharon, 55 – Final – North Attleboro had a good start to its season with a strong opening quarter but Sharon surged ahead by halftime and pulled away with a big second half. The Rocketeers led by two after a quarter but the were limited to eight points in each the second and third quarters by the Eagles’ defense. Will Hippler (eight points), Sam Cohen (12 points), and John Baez (nine points, six steals) each hit a three between the second and third quarters to help the Eagles pull ahead, leading 41-30 going into the final quarter. Cohen and junior Matt Baur tied for a team-high 12 points. North Attleboro senior Brody Rosenberg had a game-high 17 points for the Rocketeers, who had nine players enter the scoring column.










Girls Basketball
Franklin, 59 @ Attleboro, 32 – Final – Katie Peterson had 27 points and Franklin outscored the Bombardiers 30-14 in the second half to pull out a second win to start the season. The junior forward had eight points in each of the second and third quarters and buried a pair of threes. Olivia Quinn scored six points, all in the first half, helping Franklin jump out to a 29-18 lead by halftime. Sasha Tracey knocked down a pair of threes in the fourth quarter to finish with six points as well. Lindsey Perry was Attleboro’s top scorer with 14 points, scoring six points in each of the second and third quarters. Meghan Gordon was also in double digits, finishing with 10 points.

Canton, 42 @ Oliver Ames, 56 – Final – Jasmyn Cooper’s 17 points led OA to a second straight win to start the season (a 12th straight win going back to the beginning of last winter). Cooper (13 rebounds) scored 14 of her points in the first half, as the Tigers jumped out to a 12-point (28-16) lead by halftime. She also went 8-of-10 from the line on the night. The second half was nearly even, with the Tigers extending the lead by two points. Kaydance Derba added 12 points, 11 of them in the second half, and knocked down three from beyond the arc, while Caroline Peper scored 10 (eight in the second half) and had six steals. Hailey Bourne chipped in with eight points. Sydney and Fay Gallery combined for 33 of Canton’s 42 points, including 21 of the Bulldogs’ 26 in the second half. Sydney finished with 17 and buried three from outside. Fay scored 16 and had four threes.

Foxboro, 43 @ Stoughton, 30 – Final – Freshman Kailey Sullivan led the way with 11 points, as Foxboro earned its first win of the season. Erin Foley also finished in double digits with 10 points for the Warriors. Stoughton head coach Charmaine Steele Jordan praised her teams’ defensive effort for keeping them in the game. Offensively, Kate Bulger had 11 points while sophomore Kartina Varnum added nine points and nine rebounds for the Black Knights.

Taunton, 42 @ King Philip, 56 – Final – KP broke the game open in the third quarter to start the season with a second straight win. Jackie Bonner scored a career-high 26 points for the Warriors, knocking down four from beyond the arc. She scored 13 in each half, including nine in the second quarter as KP opened up a 22-16 lead at the break. She added seven in the fourth quarter to hold off a Taunton comeback attempt. Liv Lafond added 10 points, including seven in the second half, and Elizabeth Molla had all six of her points in the third, which KP won 20-8 to take a 42-24 lead into the fourth. Kameron St. Pierre eclipsed the 20-point mark for the second straight game, scoring 16 of her team-high 25 in the fourth quarter. St. Pierre went 9-of-10 from the line in the final eight minutes. Lexi Haywood added five points in the loss.

Milford, 17 @ Mansfield, 50 – Final – For the second straight game, Mansfield got off to a great start and never looked back. The Hornets took an 18-0 lead from the opening tip and improved to 2-0 on the season. Kara Santos had a big first half, scoring all 10 of her points, to help the Hornets lead by 19 at halftime. Abby Wager scored 11 points, including nine of Mansfield’s 15 in the third quarter, as the Hornets outscored Milford 15-2 to seal the win. Hallie Popat had a game-high 13 points, scoring eight in the second half and burying a trio of threes on the night. Milford was led by Maddalena Mannucci Pacini for the second game in a row. The foreign exchange student from Italy scored nine points, seven in the first half. Brooke Ferreira also chipped in with seven for the Hawks.

Sharon, 29 @ North Attleboro, 40 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.




Wrestling
Silver Lake Quad (Stoughton), 4:00

Boys Indoor Track
Sharon, 17 @ Oliver Ames, 74 – Final – Oliver Ames swept the 300M, the 600M, the 1000M, and the long jump to grab a big win over Sharon. Collin Williamson was a double winner for individual events, taking first in the 300M in 39.83 and first in the long jump at 19-01.00. Seniors Johnny MacDonald and Joshua Tocci took second and third, respectively, in the 300M while Guillermo Martino and Ashton Hart completed the sweep in the long jump. Senior Wyatt Fritchman took first in the 600M (1:35.73) followed by classmate Ryan Sroczynski and junior Ethan Mahoney, while junior Ryan Sarney had a league-best time of 2:44.43 in the 1000M, followed by sophomore Brendan Thomas and junior Alexander Pierce. Hart (50M, 6.97), Owen McMorrow (2 Mile, 10:12.30), Brady Burton (shot put, 36-00.00) and Fabrice Fouron (55M hurdles, 8.85; high jump, 5-06.00) also won for OA. Sharon senior Barry Spoto won the 1 Mile race in 5:03.27.

Stoughton, 50 @ Foxboro, 41 – Final

North Attleboro, 70 @ Canton, 29 – Final – Andrew Butler was a double winner for the Bulldogs, crossing first in the 300M (39.69) and winning the long jump with a leap of 19-05.00. Sophomore Sam Vail added a win in the 1000M (3:02.55) while Kyle Downing took first in the 1 Mile race (5:01.14).

Franklin @ King Philip, 4:00

Attleboro, 55 @ Mansfield, 45 – Final – Attleboro picked up key points from the field events, sweeping two and taking two out of three spots in another, to grab a win over Mansfield. Chris Leonardo set a PR with a throw of 44-03.00 to win the shot put, followed by Isaiah Traore and Isaac Pereira, while Blake Garzaro, Damon Dugan, and Hunter Camara swept the high jump. Mansfield’s Jake Wall won the long jump (21-10.75) but Kaiden Murray and James Hill grabbed key points by taking second and third, respectively. Murray also won the 300M and the Bombardiers swept the 2 Miles with Ethan Sylvia (10:54.72) first, followed by Lee Casstevens and Jefferey Hudon. Wall also won the 55M dash (PR time of 6.75) and the 55M hurdles (PR time of 7.89). Other winners for the Hornets included Grady Sullivan (PR time of 1:29.56 in the 600M), Collin Stevens (PR time of 2:57.62 in the 1000M), and Riley Tremblay (1 Mile, 4:49.01).

Taunton @ Milford, 4:00

Girls Indoor Track
Sharon, 34 @ Oliver Ames, 64 – Final

Stoughton, 50 @ Foxboro, 49 – Final

North Attleboro, 49 @ Canton, 51 – Final – Canton senior Kiley Hanlon won a pair of events and took second in another to help the Bulldogs edge out the Rocketeers. Hanlon was first in both the 55M dash (7.98) and the 300M (PR time of 44.88) while taking second in the high jump (4-06.00). Other winners for the Bulldogs included sophomore Liana Camille (600M, 1:57.79) and senior Ella Lewis (high jump, 4-08.00). Kate Oliver took second in both the 55M hurdles (10.86) and the long jump (13-10.50).

Franklin @ King Philip, 4:00

Attleboro, 15 @ Mansfield, 84 – Final – For Attleboro, junior Rebecca Rainey scored in a pair of events, taking second in the 300M (1:54.24) and third in the high jump (4-08.00) while senior Jahela Douglas earned a pair of third place finishes (300M, 49.05; long jump, 13-07.00).

Taunton, 51 @ Milford, 49 – Final – Freshman Emersyn DePonte set a pair of personal bests and won two events while classmate Colby Dunham had a huge kick in the final lap of the 2 Mile race to secure second place by less than a second, helping Taunton just edge out Milford. DePonte won both the 1 Mile (5:51.01) and the 2 Mile (12:32.58) while Dunham clocked in at 12:36.78 for second to pick up some key points. Junior Caelyn O’Leary won the 300M (PR time of 44.67), Nia Mainer-Smith (1:45.71) led a sweep of the 600M, and junior Quinlan Kiley (3:29.36) led a sweep of the 1000M for the Tigers.

Boys Swimming
Attleboro, 56 @ Taunton, 36 – Final
Foxboro, 42 @ Oliver Ames, 70 – Final
King Philip, 57 @ Milford, 89 – Final
North Attleboro @ Sharon, 7:30

Girls Swimming
Attleboro, 55 @ Taunton, 33 – Final
Foxboro, 60 @ Oliver Ames, 84 – Final
King Philip, 98 @ Milford, 57 – Final
North Attleboro @ Sharon, 7:30

Gymnastics
King Philip @ Attleboro, 7:30
Canton @ Mansfield, 7:30
North Attleboro, 116.8 @ Franklin, 143.6 – Final

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Attleboro

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

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

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

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

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

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

Canton

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

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

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

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

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

Foxboro

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

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

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

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

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

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







2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Franklin

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

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

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

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

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

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

King Philip

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

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

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

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

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

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Mansfield

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

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

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

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

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

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




Milford

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

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

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

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

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

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

North Attleboro

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oliver Ames

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

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

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

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

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

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




2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Sharon

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stoughton

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

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

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

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

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

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

taunton

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

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

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

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

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

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

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Saturday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/20/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Sharon, 47 @ Taunton, 71 – Final – Taunton came out of the gates flying with 26 points in the first quarter and then really pulled away in the second half, limiting the visitors to 15 points in the final two quarters. Junior Trent Santos scored 13 of his game-high 22 points in the opening quarter and recorded six rebounds and five assists. Junior Tristan Herry added 14 points and four rebounds, senior Tyler finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and senior Josh Lopes had 10 points, four rebounds, and four assists. Will Hippler led Sharon with 11 points while sophomore Matt Baur added nine points.

Boys Hockey
King Philip, 7 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final – King Philip exploded for first goals in the first period and tacked on two more in the second to inch closer to clinching a share of the Kelley-Rex division title. Conor Cooke recorded a hat trick for the Warriors while Justin Yatsuhashi found the back of the net twice. Rocco Bianculli and Shaun Fitzpatrick each scored once in the win.

North Attleboro, 1 @ Bishop Feehan, 2 – Final (AJ’s Army Fundraiser)

Taunton, 4 @ Mansfield, 7 – Final

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/14/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Milford, 38 @ Attleboro, 47 – Final – Attleboro staked a lead through a quarter of action and overcame a poor free throw shooting night (10/24) to earn a win. Senior Justin Daniels netted nine of his team-high 14 points in the opening quarter to help the Bombardiers get off to a strong start. The Bombardiers got key three-pointers in each quarter to help key the Hawks at bay. Sophomore Trevor White (10 points) in the second, Evan Houle (eight points) and Alec Eaton (six points) in the third, and Houle again in the fourth. White added six points in the final frame for Attleboro, who led 21-16 at halftime and 32-24 after three quarters. Milford senior Ben Blanchard scored all of his team-high eight points in the first half.

Sharon, 50 @ Canton, 49 – Final – Sharon junior Will Hippler stepped in and drew a charge with 0.3 seconds left to secure a win on the road for the Eagles. Senior Matt Baskin sank a pair of free throws with 7.5 seconds left to put Sharon ahead. Canton had to go the length of the court but Hippler helped off his man, got into position and drew the charge to win the game. The Eagles built a double-digit lead by halftime (22-11) but Canton had a big third quarter, sparked by eight points from Lanse Dorcelus (11 points) and seven points from Steve Burbank (11 points) to get within three, 38-35, going into the fourth. Eric Mischler scored six of his team-high 15 points in the fourth to help Canton seize a lead, going up 48-45 late after a pair of free throws. Hippler also hit a key three in the fourth quarter while Baskin finished with a season-high 20 points, including 13 in the second half. Kiran Chandrasekaran chipped in with 11 points for the Eagles.

Stoughton, 36 @ North Attleboro, 61 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.




Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 55 @ Milford, 33 – Final – The Bombardiers pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring Milford 19-9 in the frame, to secure a second straight win over the Hawks to open the season. Meghan Gordon followed up her career-high on Tuesday with 19 points to pace Attleboro. Gabby Bosh also hit double digits, scoring 11, and Emma Reilly added nine points. Kayla Goldrick chipped in with eight. Attleboro coach Marty Crowley said, “It was great to go on the road and pick up a win.” Emma Lawrence led Milford with eight points and Brooke Ferreira and Emily Croteau each had six for Milford, which kept the game close through three quarter on senior night.

Canton, 62 @ Sharon, 19 – Final – The Bulldogs jumped out to a 20-1 lead after one quarter and extended the lead to 27 by halftime, rolling to a third win of the season behind a strong defensive performance. Kiara Cerruti powered Canton to its early lead, scoring 11 of her game-high 19 points and knocking down three of her five three-pointers in the first. Sydney Gallery scored 13 and Fay Gallery added 10. Tayla DeGraw chipped in with eight points for the Bulldogs. Sharon was led by Trinity Payne’s seven points.

Oliver Ames, 51 @ Foxboro, 47 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

King Philip, 31 @ Franklin, 66 – Final – Franklin picked up a big win over one of the contenders for the Kelley-Rex crown. Olivia Quinn scored in double digits for the third straight game, finishing with a game-high 18. Kayleigh Houlihan and Brigid Earley each had a dozen points in the win. Jackie Bonner scored 10 points and Cat Spellman added eight points for KP.

North Attleboro, 50 @ Stoughton, 17 – Final – For the second night in a row North got off to a great start and earned a sweep of Stoughto. After scoring the first 23 points on Wednesday, the Rocketeers went into halftime on Thursday leading 28-3 thanks to its high pressure defense. Eleven players scored for North. Amanda Kaiser and Summer Doherty both scored 14 points and Kaiser added 11 rebounds. Taylor McMath had a solid game on the block, scoring six points and grabbing eight boards.

Swimming
Sharon vs. Canton, 3:30

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/05/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Stoughton, 54 @ Canton, 59 – Final – Stoughton whittled down a double-digit deficit to just two with under a minute to play but Canton got a big stop and held on for the win. Canton exploded for 21 points out of the gate and took a 35-26 lead into halftime and a 43-36 advantage in the fourth. Stoughton junior KC Ugwuakazi scored nine of his team-high 11 points in the final frame, helping make it a 56-54 game but the Black Knights saw the go-ahead three go in-and-out. Canton sealed it with a defensive rebound and a quick push up court for a quick two from senior Eric Mischler (eight points). Canton senior Will Keefe accounted for half of the Bulldogs’ eight threes, finishing with a career-high 14 points to lead the way. Ryan Connerney (three triples) added 12 points and Steven Burbank scored seven of his 13 points in the fourth quarter. Stoughton senior Elisha Claude added 10 points, all in the second half, for the Black Knights.

Sharon, 54 @ Foxboro, 53 – Final (OT) – Foxboro sank the game-tying three in the final seconds to force overtime but its look at the game-winner was just off the mark in overtime as Sharon picked up a win on the road to open the season. The Eagles held a 50-47 lead late but Foxboro junior Dylan Gordon hit the tying shot from downtown just before the buzzer to force the extra period. After getting a stop, Sharon senior Kiran Chandrasekaran (career-high 15 points) scored on a tough take to the basket and on the next possession, junior Sam Cohen (career-high 16 points) intercepted a pass and went in for two and that was enough offense for the Eagles, who saw Foxboro’s last second go-ahead shot hit off the back of the iron off a floater in the lane. The Warriors held a slim lead through each of the first (16-14) and second (30-27) quarters before the Eagles tied things up after three (39-39), getting three-pointers from Chandrasekaran and Cohen in third quarter. Will Hippler and Jordan Barboza each hit a big three-pointer in the fourth for the Eagles. Foxboro sophomore Alex Penders dropped a career-high 17 points to lead all scorers.

Milford, 52 @ Franklin, 62 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

North Attleboro, 40 @ Oliver Ames, 42 – Final – Oliver Ames outscored the visiting Rocketeers 16-3 in the second quarter to take the lead and the Tigers never trailed the rest of the way, holding off as North Attleboro’s last second chance was just off the mark. Drew Nickla (career-high 15 points) converted a traditional three-point play off an offensive rebound with two minutes left to put the Tigers ahead 39-33 but a three from North’s Brody Rosenberg (10 points) kept the visitors in it. Nickla added a free throw to push it to 40-36 but Casey Poirier answered with a nice take to the basket. Trey Buggs hit a pair of free throws for OA with under a minute to go to make it 42-48 but Jimmy Caraballo answered to cut it back to two. After a missed free throw, the Rocketeers raced the length of the court but their layup attempt just before the buzzer just missed. OA senior Amari Brown shined in the game, tying a career-high with 24 points to lead all scorers. North Attleboro senior George Ladd had a team-high 12 points.




Girls Basketball
Foxboro, 56 @ Sharon, 19 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from the game. Three players reached double figures to power Foxboro to a season-opening road win. Freshman Erin Foley scored 13 points in her varsity debut and Katelyn Mollica added 13 of her own along with five assists and five steals. Aislinn Servaes chipped in with 12 points and three steals. Foxboro led 11-4 after the first quarter and broke the game wide open with a 19-2 second quarter. After the Warriors took the third quarter 15-4 to extend the lead to 35, Sharon kept battling and had its best quarter in the fourth (11-9). Freshman Rachel Hager led the way for the hosts with eight points, including a pair of threes in the fourth quarter. Foxboro freshman Camryn Collins also impressed in her debut, scoring seven points, dishing out four assists, and recording three steals.

Franklin, 51 @ Milford, 22 – Final – Franklin opened the season with a big win on the road. Olivia Quinn scored a game-high 19 points to pace the Panthers, while Brigid Early and Kayleigh Houlihan each added eight in the win.

Boys Hockey
Mansfield, 2 @ King Philip, 4 – Final – King Philip lit the lamp three times in the second period, including two straight in the final six minutes, to skate to a season-opening win over Mansfield. After a scoreless first period, KP senior Conor Cooke put the Warriors ahead early in the second. Mansfield answered when junior Brayden Purtell found the back of the net. The Warriors struck twice late in the period, Cooke returning the favor to freshman Brad Guden for his first career goal to make it 2-1, and sophomore James Boldy (from Guden and Shea Cunningham) adding another two minutes later for a 3-1 lead. Guden scored his second goal of the game (fourth point) on a feed from David Lawler to make it 4-1. Mansfield’s Dillon Benoit scored with 6:36 left in the game to make it 4-2. KP sophomore Kyle Abbot made 25 saves to earn his first career win in net.