Sophomore Chloe Fales drives baseline in the second half of Franklin’s win over Mansfield. Fales scored 11 of her 14 points in the second half of the 63-55 win. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. – Even though Franklin and Mansfield are now competing in separate divisions, the rivalry remains between the two programs and the expectations remain for a tough, physical matchup. It may not be the prettiest game, but it’s guaranteed to be competitive.
On Tuesday night in Franklin, the two teams met for the only time this winter. The game was back-and-forth from the opening whistle, with eight ties and 15 lead changes. Through the first three quarters no team managed to lead by more than five points. Franklin went on an 8-0 run in the final minute of the game, extending the lead to double digits, and that was enough to hold off the Hornets for a 63-55 win.
“We tried to get them out of their sets,” Franklin coach John Leighton explained. “Obviously, they still scored a lot of points, but I think they had to grind a little bit more for them. That was the kind of game we wanted.”
Asked about the importance of being challenged like the Panthers were on Tuesday, Leighton replied, “It’s huge. This what playoff basketball feels like. We want to play way better than this when we get there, but this gets you ready for it.”
The game promised to be close not only because of the rivalry but also because both teams came in playing well. Franklin was riding a five-game win streak that allowed the Panthers to take a slim lead in the Kelley-Rex, while the Hornets were on a six-game streak to turn around a tough start that saw them win just once in their opening five games.
It was scrappy from the opening tip. The Panthers grabbed a 6-2 lead in the first quarter after Katie Peterson (17 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks) hit a baseline jumper and drove to the rim.
Mansfield responded with an 8-0 run of its own. Natalya Gill (13 points and seven rebounds) hit a runner, Abby Wager (15 points and three blocks) went coast-to-coast after a defensive rebound, Ella Palanza drove through the lane for a bucket, and Bridget Hanley (seven points and three assists) swooped in for a lefty finish.
Sasha Tracey came off the bench and knocked down a three-pointer to bring Franklin within one and Peterson’s buzzer beater was halfway down but spun out, as the Hornets led 10-9 after one.
Gill was a big spark off the bench. She started the second with a three to put Mansfield up four. and Kara Santos (15 points and six rebounds) grabbed a put-back to make it 15-11. Franklin wouldn’t get too far away, as Caelyn Leonard (eight points and six boards) drilled a three to cut the lead to a point.
Wager answered with a three that would make it 23-19, but Lizzie Newman (six points, seven rebounds, and two blocks) cut through the lane for two and Peterson twice found driving lanes to put the hosts in front. Gill responded again, burying a corner three that made it 26-26.
“Franklin’s speed is tough to compete with and then they add the size with it,” Mansfield coach Heather McPherson said. “Natalya came in first shift and worked on the boards and worked defensively and then hit some shots. I think that’s what makes us dangerous is we’ve got Kara and Abby but we do a good job switching up who gives us those other points every night.”
After a couple of free throws, Franklin had one more chance. Peterson drove and kicked to Chloe Fales (14 points and six rebounds) in the corner and the sophomore beat the buzzer with a three to send the Panthers into the locker room up 29-28.
Gill got the second half started with a bucket to regain the lead but Newman answered on the other end. Wager drilled a corner three to make it 36-33 but Peterson scored in the paint and Bridget Leo (10 points and three assists) turned a steal into a layup. Fales then buried another shot from deep to put Franklin up 40-38.
Leo forced another turnover and converted it for two points, but Santos, who had six points in the third, got free on an inbounds play for an easy bucket. Again Franklin got a big three late in the quarter. This time it was Tracey, who made it 45-40.
“They were trying to frustrate us and that was the game plan, but we needed to be opportunistic and we needed to be patient enough to let it happen,” Leighton said. “The first half we forced so many early looks. Once we got better looks, we were good, just had to wait for those opportunities. That’s what I love about Sasha, when she’s open, she’s ready to take the shot.”
Any momentum was quickly stifled by the Hornets, as Gill started the fourth with a three on a kick-out by Olivia Salisbury and Wager used her reach to force a steal and finished on the other end. Peterson made sure that Franklin wouldn’t fall behind, pulling up for a contested jumper in the lane and grabbing an offensive rebound for two.
Wager hit a long two, but Franklin rattled off six straight, with Fales getting a pair of baskets, including one off a Newman steal and long outlet pass. Hanley kept Mansfield in the game, knocking one down from the corner to cut the lead to 55-50 and Santos made a nice baseline drive to get within three.
Peterson came up with maybe the biggest play of the game with 1:09 on the clock. Leonard missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Peterson was able to rise highest to snatch the rebound. Fales then made a nice pass across the lane to Leonard for a huge basket.
Franklin would add the next six points, making good stops on one end, crashing the boards, and knocking down free throws on the other. It wasn’t expected to be easy, but it was the type of game that both coaches knew would benefit their teams in the long-run.
“I thought we battled,” McPherson said. “I was really impressed with how we played and I think coming from the beginning of the season to now, we’re so much improved. We’re looking to compete.”
Franklin (9-2) will try to make it seven wins on the trot when it travels to Milford on Friday night. Mansfield (7-5) will try to get right back on track when it hosts Canton.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 47 @ Franklin, 67 – Final – Franklin built a 10-point lead after a quarter, doubled it by halftime, and led the entire second half in a big win over visiting Attleboro. Justin Allen hit two of his four threes in the opening quarter, Geino Scaringello added another triple, and Andrew O’Neill, Bradley Hernon, Caden Sullivan, and Sean O’Leary all had buckets as the Panthers’ offense got going early for a 19-9 lead. O’Neill, Allen, and O’Leary all had triples — Franklin finished with 10 total — in the second and the Panthers’ defense limited the visiting Bombardiers to just seven points for a 36-16 advantage at halftime. O’Leary finished with a team-high 18 points and both O’Neill and Allen had 14 points in the win. Jaiden Outland and Neo Franco each had 13 points for Attleboro.
Foxboro, 75 @ Canton, 73 – Final (2OT) – Foxboro senior Ryan LeClair came up with a steal with just over 10 seconds left and classmate Alex Penders converted a putback with just seconds left as the Warriors outlasted Canton in an absolute thriller. Penders had a career-high 33 points to lead the Warriors while Sam Golub added 19 points. Canton’s Matt Chafin drilled a three-pointer with 20 seconds left in regulation to tie the game and force an overtime. From there, it was back-and-forth for both overtime and double overtime. Canton scored the first four points of the first overtime as Jamaal McConnell, who had a career-high 24 points, hit a pair of free throws and Julius Hicks (13 points) converted a tough layup for a 60-56 lead with two minutes to go. Penders used a nice fake and finished for two and Sam Golub drove to the basket for two more to tie it. Canton’s Caden Mirliani had a traditional three-point play with 30.7 seconds to go before Penders drove the length of the court for two to cut the deficit to one. Canton extended the lead with a free throw with 19.9 seconds left and forced a turnover with 10 seconds to go. After going 1/2 from the line again, Canton had a 65-62 lead. Foxboro was off on a game-tying three but sophomore Nolan Gordon soared in from the baseline and converted the putback while being fouled. His free throw with 1.9 seconds left tied the game to send it to double overtime. Golub gave Foxboro the lead early but Hicks had a three-point play to put Canton bak in front. LeClair battled through contact for two before McConnell answered for Canton to make it 70-69 with 2:00 to go. After Foxboro tied it with a free throw, Mirliani had a huge steal with under a minute to go and hit an open three for a 73-70 lead. Golub wasted little time and drained a deep three from straight away to tie it 73-73, setting up LeClair’s steal and Penders’ winner.
Stoughton, 52 @ Mansfield, 83 – Final – Mansfield’s offense clicked into high gear, scoring over 20 points in three of the four quarters to run away with a big win over the visiting Black Knights. The Hornets had four players in double figures and combined for 13 three-pointers with seven players hitting at least one. After building a 16-10 lead after one, the Hornets put up 21 points in the second, 22 points in the third, and ran away with the win with 24 points in the fourth quarter. JT Veiking (17 points) and Caden Colby (15 points) each hit three three-pointers to lead the offense while both Trevor Foley (12 points, five rebounds, four blocks) and Eddie McCoy (six rebounds, four assists) also finished in double figures for Mansfield. Davon Sanders (nine rebounds, four assists) and Chris Hill (13 rebounds, six assists, three blocks) each finished with nine points. Jayden Costa-Haywood led Stoughton with 13 points and Jarred Daughtry added 12 points.
Taunton, 87 @ Milford, 63 – Final – Taunton senior Chris Perault sank six three-pointers for a career-high 24 points and Chris Volcy added 22 points as the Tigers secured a win on the road behind a big offensive outburst. Gus Coutinho scored nine of his 17 points in the opening quarter as Milford led by a point, 16-15, but Taunton flipped the game with a big second quarter. Not only did the Tigers put up 23 points, they held the Hawks to just eight to flip a one-point deficit into a 38-24 lead at halftime. Perault hit half of his threes in the second and junior Troy Santos added nine of his 18 points in the frame to give Taunton a double-digit advantage. Perault added two more threes in the third and Jakari Innocent, Al Morisseau, and Travis Johnson had buckets to keep Taunton ahead, 61-44, going into the fourth. Taunton exploded for 26 points in the final frame as Santos hit a pair of threes and Volcy, Perault, and Gerry Cardoso each had one. Andrew Rivera scored a team-high 21 points for the Hawks including 15 in the second half.
Oliver Ames, 58 @ Sharon, 62 – Final – Oliver Ames went on the road and put Sharon on upset alert but the Eagles answered the call and closed out a close win over the Tigers. Oliver Ames rallied for a lead at 41-40 in the third quarter but the Eagles closed the frame with a 7-0 run to take the lead into the fourth. A three-point play from OA freshman Soren Lolonga (18 points) got the Tigers within three in the fourth but Tyler Goodman answered with a three, Nate Katznelson (19 points) converted a putback, and Jacob McLoughlin (game-high 21 points) had a steal and a breakaway dunk to give the Eagles a double-digit lead at 56-46. Chris Elias (13 points) hit a three and Lolonga had two more to get within five but Katznelson and McLoughlin each had a bucket to keep Sharon ahead. Sophomore Cole Craffey also had 18 points for Oliver Ames.
Girls Basketball
Franklin, 66 @ Attleboro, 55 – Final – In a battle for first place in the Kelley-Rex division, Franklin outscored Attleboro 22-9 in the fourth quarter to overturn a two-point deficit and pull out the 11-point win. The Bombardiers bounced back nicely from a tough loss to Foxboro last time out, scoring 20 points in the first quarter to grab the lead. Avery James and Lily Routhier each scored six in the first to get Attleboro off to a great start. Franklin cut the lead to five heading to the locker room and chipped three more points off in the third, with Chloe Fales scoring seven and Katie Peterson adding five in the quarter. Franklin’s offense clicked into gear in the fourth. Peterson went 6-for-6 from the line in the quarter (9-of-10 for the game) and Fales and Caelyn Leonard each added five points, while Lizzie Newman scored four. Vanessa Ellis had six of Attleboro’s nine points in the final period. Peterson led all scorers with 17 on the night. Fales scored 16, Newman added 12, Leonard had 10, and Bridget Leo scored seven points for the Panthers. Attleboro had only four players on the score sheet on Friday. James led the way with 16, Routhier scored 15, Ellis had 14, and Kayla Goldrick chipped in with 10. The Panthers now lead the division by one game.
Canton, 32 @ Foxboro, 55 – Final – Kailey Sullivan and Camryn Collins each scored 15 points and Foxboro continued its unbeaten start to the league campaign. Six of Foxboro’s eight wins this season have been by at least 23 points. Addie Ruter added 14 points for the Warriors, while Isabelle Chamberlin grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds.
Mansfield, 80 @ Stoughton, 37 – Final – Mansfield set a new program record for points in a game, extending its win streak to six games and staying within two games of league-leading Foxboro. Abby Wager scored a game-high 31 point to power the Hornets offensively. Kara Santos added 15 and Hallie Popat scored 14 for Mansfield. Maiya Merritt paced the Black Knights with 10 points, while Kirsten McKay added seven. Stoughton also got six points apiece from Caleigh Clark, Raina Tat, and Leah McCarty.
Milford, 36 @ Taunton, 46 – Final – The game was tied at 18 going into halftime, but Taunton found an extra boost of offense in the second half to bounce back from a loss on Tuesday and get back to .500 on the season. Cali Melo and Lexi Haywood combined for 14 of Taunton’s 18 in the first half and Aliza Syed continued her solid season by scoring half of Milford’s first half points. Melo continued her strong offensive play after the break, adding 10 more points to finish with a game-high 18. Haywood added five more in the second half, while Tarynn Campbell went 5-for-6 from the line and scored seven of her eight points. Chelsea Bousquet added all six of her points in the second half for Taunton to help the Tigers pull out the win. In addition to Syed’s 11 points, Milford got nine from Emily Croteau and six from Brooke Ferreira.
King Philip, 54 @ North Attleboro, 33 – Final – After a 9-0 North run to end the first quarter, KP built a six-point lead at halftime and outscored North 31-16 after the break to pull out the win. Emily Sawyer saw frequent double teams, and the North defense held her to four points combined in the second and third quarters, but she still managed to score a game-high 21 points. Maddie Paschke added 14 points and Jordan Bennett scored eight for the Warriors. Using its press, North climbed back within as few as four points but the Rocketeers struggled to consistently knock down shots and KP started to pull away. Ava McKeon scored a team-high 14 points and Sam Faria had a dozen for North. Katie Corsetti had a solid game in the post defending Sawyer.
Boys Swimming
Franklin @ Attleboro, 7:00
Mansfield, 76 @ Foxboro, 74 – Final
King Philip @ North Attleboro, 7:15
Milford @ Taunton, 3:30
Stoughton, 62 @ Sharon, 81 – Final
Girls Swimming
Franklin @ Attleboro, 7:00
Mansfield, 84 @ Foxboro, 85 – Final
King Philip @ North Attleboro, 7:15
Milford @ Taunton, 3:30
Stoughton, 26 @ Sharon, 70 – Final
Boys Basketball
Foxboro, 42 @ Attleboro, 48 – Final – Foxboro hit a three with six minutes to go to create an eight point lead but Attleboro closed out the game on 16-2 run to snag the win. Michael Beverly (nine points) hit a tough layup and Connor Houle followed with a three-pointer. Spencer Sherck’s lone field goal of the game was a big one as he sank a triple to bring the Bombardiers even at 40-40, and after another defensive stop, Beverly hit a contested elbow jumper to put Attleboro ahead. Following a Foxboro miss, Hayden Crowley used a pump fake to buy some space and rattled home a three to make it 45-40 with three minutes to go. Foxboro’s Alex Penders (22 points) turned a turnover into a layup to make it a one-possession game, but the Warriors couldn’t crack Attleboro’s defense again. Jaiden Outland (15 points) beat the shot clock with a mid-range jumper with just 20 seconds left in the game to push it to 47-42. Foxboro led 13-12 after a quarter before Attleboro rallied for a 27-22 halftime lead. The Warriors held the hosts to just two points in the third to take a 34-29 lead into the fourth.
Canton, 52 @ Franklin, 57 – Final – The Bulldogs battled hard on the road and kept pace with top-ranked Franklin but the Panthers ultimately hung on for a hard-fought win. Canton came to play from the jump, building a 14-12 lead after a quarter but Franklin fought back in the second including five points from sophomore Caden Sullivan, who was making his season debut. Junior Sean O’Leary got it going in the second half for the Panthers, scoring 14 of his team-high 18 points after the break. Carrying a 39-35 lead into the fourth, Bradley Herndon and Justin Allen hit key threes to keep Franklin ahead. Ben Harvey added 10 points for Franklin. Jamaal McConnell had a team-high 15 points for the Bulldogs, Zaza Francoeur added 13 points, and Matt Chafin finished with 10 points.
Sharon, 76 @ King Philip, 68 – Final – King Philip cut the deficit down to three in the fourth quarter but Sharon never surrendered its lead and picked up an important win on the road. KP had a lead after the first quarter (17-14) and at halftime (34-33) but the Eagles pulled ahead in the third. Dante James scored nine of his 16 points in the third and Nate Katznelson added eight of his 21 points in the frame as Sharon swapped a one-point halftime deficit into a 56-50 lead going into the fourth. Tyler Goodman scored eight of his 10 points in the fourth and the Eagles went 8-for-9 from the line (15-for-18 for the game) to keep the lead. Jacob McLoughlin added 14 points for the visitors and Matt Baur chipped in with 12 points. Will Laplante went 11-for-14 from the free throw line and finished with a team-high 19 points, Tommy Martorano added 14 points, and Grant Kinney chipped in with 13 points.
Mansfield, 71 @ Milford, 52 – Final – Mansfield set the tone with a 21-point first quarter and increased its lead throughout the next three quarters to land a road win at Milford. The Hornets created a six-point lead after one (21-15) and extended it by double digits at halftime (33-23). Mansfield finished with 13 three-pointers and had five players score in double figures. Caden Colby hit four of those threes and had a team-high 14 points along with four boards and three assists while Eddie McCoy (12 points, nine assists, three steals), Davon Sanders (11 points, four assists), Chris Hill (11 points, six rebounds) and JT Veiking (10 points) each connected on two threes.
Oliver Ames, 38 @ North Attleboro, 30 – Final – North Attleboro opened the fourth quarter with a 13-2 run to get within a point but a big three from OA sophomore Cole Craffey (13 points) with just over two minutes left kept the Tigers ahead for good. Givany Carney scored six of his 11 points in the fourth, Jonnie Obuchkowski hit a three, and both Ryan Bannon and Derek Maceda chipped in with two points as the Rocketeers closed a 29-17 deficit at the start of the final quarter down to 31-30. Craffey’s three restored a two-possession lead for the Tigers. Craffey hit two free throws with a minute to go to extend the lead to 36-30. Freshman Soren Lolonga led OA with 14 points.
Stoughton, 46 @ Taunton, 81 – Final – Taunton built a double-digit lead in the second quarter and then dominated the second half to run away with a 81-46 win over visiting Stoughton. After a 21-point first quarter, Taunton established a 36-25 lead at halftime. The Tigers kept the pressure on in the third with 21 more points but turned up their aggressiveness on defense, forcing five turnovers and holding the Knights to a total of seven points to extend the advantage to 57-32, ending the frame with a 9-0 surge. Freshman Jakari Innocent had a strong game on both ends, finishing with a team-high 18 pooints, 10 rebounds, six steals, three assists, and two blocks. Chris Perault (17 points), Alivensky Morriseau (13 points, five rebounds), and Chris Volcy (12 points, 15 rebounds, three steals) all finished in double-digits for Taunton while Troy Santos chipped in with nine points, five rebounds, four assists, and a pair of steals. Stoughton senior Jayden Costa-Haywood scored the Knights’ first 21 points and finished with a game-high 26 points.
Franklin, 47 @ Canton, 41 – Final – Franklin avoided a big upset on Tuesday and moved into a first-place tie with Attleboro ahead of Friday’s showdown. Canton jumped out to a 14-9 lead after one. Mercia Kolokithas buried a pair of threes and Emily McCabe had one in the first to help the Bulldogs grab the early advantage. The Panthers were able to cut the deficit to one before halftime, but managed only 18 points in the opening 16 minutes. Franklin would grab a one-point lead in the third. Katie Peterson scored six of Franklin’s 12 points to make it 30-29 going to the fourth. In the final eight minutes, Franklin’s offense finally clicked and the Panthers scored 17 points. Peterson added four more, finishing with a team-high 17, and Chloe Fales added five of her 10 points. Samya DaSilva scored four of her five points in the fourth to help keep Canton close. The Bulldogs finished with eight three-pointers as a team. Kolokithas made five of them and she scored a team-high 17. Emily McCabe chipped in with seven points. Bridget Leo added seven for the Panthers.
King Philip, 48 @ Sharon, 38 – Final – Jasmine Davis scored 17 points for the Eagles and Eva Poulton added 10.
Milford, 30 @ Mansfield, 56 – Final – The Hornets got off to a slow start offensively, but a 16-2 second quarter helped Mansfield open up a double-digit lead at halftime. Abby Wager was the top scorer for the Hornets with 15 points, including six in the third quarter as Mansfield broke the game open. Kara Santos added 14 points, scoring six of Mansfield’s 10 in the first and six of the 13 in the fourth. Rose Maher and Bridget Hanley each chipped in with five points apiece. Milford was led by Aliza Syed, who scored 10 points and knocked down a pair of threes. Erin Michelson scored five in the loss.
North Attleboro, 32 @ Oliver Ames, 60 – Final – OA won back-to-back games for the first time this season, scoring 20 points in the first quarter to grab a lead that it never relinquished. Kaydance Derba (eight rebounds) scored eight points in the first, with Avery Gamble (10 rebounds and five steals) and Sarah Hilliard adding six apiece for the Tigers. Leading 31-16 at the break, the Tigers came out of the locker room intent on putting the game away. OA scored 23 points in the third, with Gamble scoring 12 of her game-high 18 and fellow freshman Kamryn Derba (five assists) scoring nine of her 11 in the quarter. The Derba sisters each scored 11 points and each nailed a trio of three-pointers. Hilliard would finish up with 10 points. Annie Reilly came off the bench to give the Tigers a spark on the defensive end, grabbing six boards and four steals. North battled to the end, holding OA to only six points in the fourth. Ava McKeon (six points) returned from injury to give North a spark on both ends of the floor. Sam Sweeney added eight points for the visitors.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 57 @ Taunton, 64 – Final – Attleboro cut the deficit down to four with just over a minute to play but Taunton closed the game strong for the win. The Tigers jumped out to a lead with 22 points in the opening quarter, carrying a similar advantage into halftime (39-28) and into the fourth quarter (47-39). Attleboro’s Hayden Crowley scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half, Michael Beverly had seven points in the second half, and Jaiden Outland added 10 of his 16 in the second half to get the Bombardiers within four, 58-54, with 1:16 to play but Taunton closed it out. Junior Troy Santos paced Taunton with a team-high 24 points, Chris Volcy added 14 points, Tyson Carter chipped in with 13 points, and freshman Jakari Innocent finished with 11 points.
Franklin, 72 @ North Attleboro, 59 – Final – Locked in a one-point game just over a minute into the fourth quarter, Franklin ran away with a win behind a strong final six minutes. North Attleboro sophomore Jonnie Obuchkowski scored a layup with 6:20 to play, bringing the Rocketeers within a point at 55-54 but Franklin senior Justin Allen (10 points) answered with a deep three and the Panthers outscored the hosts 14-5 the rest of the way. Bradley Herndon, who scored a career-high 20 points, hit a free throw and scored off an offensive rebound and Sean O’Leary converted a putback as the Panthers pushed the lead to 63-54 with 4:43 to play. Franklin forced a pair of turnovers, including a steal from Allen, that both led to transition layups for Herndon to help pull away. O’Leary carried Franklin through the first three quarters, finishing with a game-high 28 points. North Attleboro had a balanced scoring attack, led by senior Givany Carney with 13 points. Obuchowski finished with 11 points while sophomore Chase Frisoli added 10 points.
King Philip, 61 @ Milford, 55 – Final – King Philip fell behind by double-digits going into the fourth quarter but dominated the final eight minutes to pull out a comeback win on the road at Milford. The Scarlet Hawks held a one-point lead after the first quarter (20-19) but the Warriors won the second frame by a point, sending the teams into the locker room at halftime tied 34-34. Milford’s offense continued in the third with 15 points while the Warriors went cold, netting just five points, as the Scarlet Hawks staked a 49-39 edge going into the fourth. In the fourth, KP erupted for 22 points, their best offensive quarter, while the Hawks went cold from the field. Tommy Martorano scored 10 of his 12 points in the final frame while Grant Kinney, Tommy Kilroy, and Brandon Nicastro (10 points) also contributed to the big fourth. Will Laplante also had five points in the fourth but really shined in the first half, scoring 19 of his game-high 27 points in the opening half. Luca Testa led Milford with 16 points and Gus Coutinho added 10 points.
Sharon, 64 @ Mansfield, 60 – Final – Sharon used a balanced offense and a physical defensive effort to secure one of its biggest wins in recent history, knocking off Mansfield for the first time since 2008. Jacob McLoughlin led the charge with 19 points, Nate Katznelson added 18 points, and Dante James finished with 16 points, including seven in the fourth quarter. Tyler Goodman, James, and McLoughlin all hit from downtown in the second quarter to help the Eagles establish a 31-26 halftime lead. McLoughlin (9), James (3), and Katznelson (6) accounted for all of Sharon’s points in the third as the lead increased to 49-41 going into the fourth. Mansfield battled back, including a deep three from JT Veiking with 12 seconds left to make it a two-point game. Matt Baur hit two free throws for his only points of the game and the Eagles stole the ensuing inbounds pass to seal the win. Veiking and Trevor Foley each scored 13 points to lead the Hornets while Chris Hill chipped in with 12 points.
Oliver Ames, 58 @ Canton, 31 – Final – With four players in double digits and dominant second and third quarters, OA snapped a five-game losing streak and earned its second win of the season. The Tigers led 10-8 after one, but scored 20 points in each of the second and third quarters, while holding the Bulldogs to single digits in each quarter. Freshman Avery Gamble was OA’s top scorer with 16 points, as well as six rebounds and four steals. Freshman Kamryn Derba and juniors Sarah Hilliard and Kaydance Derba each finished with a dozen points for the Tigers. Samya DaSilva was the game’s top scorer with 18, including all nine of Canton’s second quarter points. Erin Beatty and Emily McCabe each scored three for the Bulldogs.
Stoughton, 27 @ Foxboro, 77 – Final – Foxboro dominated for the third straight game, remaining unbeaten in league play this season and keeping hold of its lead in the Davenport division. Addie Ruter continued her strong sophomore season with a game-high 22 points. Camryn Collins added 17 and Kailey Sullivan also finished in double digits with 14. Stoughton was led by Raina Tat’s seven points, while Leah McCarty scored four points and grabbed seven rebounds.
North Attleboro, 17 @ Franklin, 64 – Final – Franklin’s defensive pressure shut down North to secure a win that keeps the Panthers within one of league leader Attleboro. The Panthers held the Rocketeers to six points in the first quarter, 15 for the half, and then clamped down even further after the break. North was held to a single basket in the second half, a fourth quarter bucket for Maryellen Charette. After doubling up the Rocketeers in the first half, 30-15, a 24-0 third quarter broke the game wide open. Katie Peterson led 11 Franklin scorers with 11 points. Chloe Fales and Bridget Leo each added nine points and Lizzie Newman chipped in with eight. Sam Faria and Katie Corsetti were North’s top scorers with six points apiece.
Milford, 32 @ King Philip, 44 – Final – KP bounced back from a tough loss to Foxboro by putting together a strong defensive performance and pulling out a win against Milford. The game was close after one quarter, with Emily Croteau scoring nine of Milford’s 12 points to keep the Hawks within two. Croteau finished with a team-high 14. Emily Sawyer added six points in the first and five in the second, on her way to a game-high 15, putting the Warriors up 29-21 at the break. Kylie Watson buried a pair of threes in the first half to help KP build its lead. The second half was all about defense. KP held Milford to only a single point in the third quarter, a free throw by Brooke Ferreira, but only managed six points of its own, half of them by Maddie Paschke (who finished with 11). The Hawks were able to score 10 points in the fourth, but only outscored the hosts by one, as KP held on for the win.
Mansfield, 68 @ Sharon, 51 – Final – Mansfield came flying out of the gates, scoring 21 points in the first quarter and 38 in the opening half to build a lead it wouldn’t relinquish and secure a fourth straight victory. Abby Wager scored a team-high 22 and she combined with Kara Santos to score 13 of the team’s 21 in the first. Santos finished with nine points, as did Bridget Hanley. Mansfield also got seven points apiece from Rose Maher and Olivia Salisbury in a strong team performance. Sharon tried to rally in the second half, scoring 34 points as a team, but only cutting four points off Mansfield’s halftime advantage. Jasmine Davis continues to be one of the league’s top scorers, finishing with 27 points and also grabbing 19 boards and blocking two shots. She scored 19 in the second half and went 15-of-17 from the line. Eva Poulton added 10 points for the Eagles.
Boys Hockey
Taunton, 6 @ Attleboro, 1 – Final
Boys Swimming
Taunton, 43 @ Attleboro, 83 – Final
Foxboro, 55 @ Sharon, 92 – Final
Franklin @ North Attleboro, 7:15
Girls Swimming
Taunton, 73 @ Attleboro, 94 – Final
Foxboro, 84 @ Sharon, 68 – Final
Franklin @ North Attleboro, 7:15
Gymnastics
Franklin, 133.65 @ King Philip, 138.00 – Final
Oliver Ames @ North Attleboro, 7:30
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 60 @ Oliver Ames, 55 – Final – Attleboro closed the third quarter with a big run to take the lead and held off a late push from Oliver Ames to get the win. Hayden Crowley, Connor Houle, and Jaiden Outland hit consecutive three-pointers and Justin Hanrahan added a bucket as the Bombardiers finished the third with an 11-0 surge, extending a two-point lead at halftime (24-22) into a 43-35 edge going into the fourth. The Tigers rallied to make it a four-point game at 55-51 but the Bombardiers were able to close it out. Crowley led a balanced scoring attack for the Bombardiers with a team-high 13 points while Neo Franco added 12 points in the win. Michael Beverly chipped in with nine points while both Outland and Hanrahan finished with eight points. Sophomore Cole Craffey paced Oliver Ames with 22 points while freshman Soren Lolonga added 21 points for the Tigers.
Milford, 46 @ Canton, 52 – Final – Canton’s Caden Mirliani and Jamaal McConnell had key back-to-back baskets midway through the fourth quarter to help the Bulldogs secure a win over Milford and a back-and-forth contest. The Hawks had a slim lead at halftime (27-24) and after three quarters (39-37) but the Bulldogs won the fourth quarter to win the game. Zaza Francoeur (team-high 18 points) drilled a three just under two minutes into the final frame to give Canton its first lead of the quarter but Milford freshman CJ Farrell (team-high 12 points) responded with a traditional three-point play to bring the Hawks level. Midway through the fourth, Mirliani sank a three, and after a stop defensively, found McConnell (nine points) for a bucket plus the foul, and after a made free throw, Canton had a six-point edge and the lead for good. Andrew Rivera chipped in with 11 points for Milford.
King Philip, 58 @ Foxboro, 50 – Final – King Philip erupted for nine three-pointers in the second half alone to overcome a 16-point deficit at halftime and beat Foxboro on the road. The hosts controlled the play in the opening two quarters, holding the visitors to eight points in each the first and second quarters. Senior Alex Penders shined in that same stretch, scoring 16 of his team-high 24 points in the opening 16 minutes to give Foxboro a 32-16 edge at the break. Grant Kinney (12 points) and Tommy McLeish (six points) each hit a pair of threes in the third and Tommy Kilroy (seven points) added another as KP outscored the hosts 17-7 in the third to shrink the deficit down to 39-33 going into the fourth. KP kept hitting from downtown in the fourth as Will Laplante hit one (and had nine of his 11 points in the final quarter) and Trevor Clyde hit two more and had all eight of his points in the fourth, and the Warriors finished with 13 three-pointers, and just five made two-point field goals.
Franklin, 78 @ Sharon, 51 – Final – Franklin had a dominant showing in the second half, pouring in 22 points in the third and 23 more points in the fourth to run away with a big win over Sharon. The Panthers established a 33-25 lead at halftime but the offense came to life with eight players finding the scoring column in the second half. Junior Sean O’Leary stayed hot on the offensive end with a game-high 25 points while senior Ben Harvey had a stellar game with 15 points – including 10 in the second half – along with 11 rebounds and 12 assists for a triple double. Justin Allen hit a trio of three-pointers on the game and scored 10 of his 13 points after the break and Geino Scaringello added a pair of threes and 10 points total. Jacob McLoughlin led a balanced scoring attack for the Eagles with 10 points while Matt Baur and Nate Katznelson each had nine points.
North Attleboro, 53 @ Stoughton, 55 – Final (OT) – Stoughton scored its only seven points of overtime in the final minute of play to pull out a win over North Attleboro. Stoughton’s Jayden Costa-Haywood (19 points) sank a free throw with 5.2 seconds left to give the Black Knights a 48-45 lead but North Attleboro’s Givany Carney (10 points) sank a three at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. The Rocketeers built a 53-48 lead with a bucket from sophomore Ryan Bannon (14 points) and a three from sophomore Jonnie Obuchowski. With under a minute to go, Stoughton had a three miss but Jarred Daughtry (10 points) wrestled the ball free under the basket and eventually finished a layup himself, plus the foul. A questionable technical foul led to a total of three free throws and Daughtry sank them all. The Black Knights got the ball back and Costa-Haywood was fouled, and he sank both of his free throws to take the lead. Stoughton was able to get a final stop to hold on for the win. North led 29-28 at half but a 15-point third quarter saw the Knights surge ahead going into the fourth. Liam Pearl added 15 points for Stoughton.
Girls Basketball
Oliver Ames, 50 @ Attleboro, 57 – Final – Attleboro scored 23 points in the fourth quarter, breaking open a tie game and pulling out a win that keeps the Bombardiers unbeaten in the league and alone atop the Kelley-Rex division. Kayla Goldrick finished with a game-high 19 points to lead the hosts, while freshman Avery Gamble led the Tigers with 18 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the free throw line. The Bombardiers got off to a strong start, jumping out to a 21-11 lead after the first. Goldrick scored eight points, Lily Routhier buried a pair of threes (her only points of the night), and Vanessa Ellis chipped in with five to put the home team in front. Gamble would score 13 points between the second and third quarters, matching Attleboro’s total by herself, to help OA climb back into the game, tying things at 34 apiece with eight minutes to go. The Bombardiers found another gear in the fourth, as Ellis scored nine of her 18 points in the frame, Goldrick added five more, and Avery James scored six of her nine points to help pull out the win. Kaydance Derba scored 14 points for OA and added two blocks and two steals, while Sarah Hilliard scored 11 points, 10 of them in the second half. Katherine Farley was big on the boards, grabbing seven rebounds in the first half for the Tigers.
Canton, 44 @ Milford, 50 – Final – Milford outscored Canton 15-9 in the fourth quarter to pull out its first league win of the season and second win its last three games. Brooke Ferreira led the way for the Hawks with 16 points, 11 of them in the first half as Milford led 24-22 at the break. Samya DaSilva was the game’s top scorer with 22. She scored 12 of Canton’s 15 points in the first quarter to keep things close. DaSilva added seven points and Erin Beatty scored six of her eight total in the third, as the Bulldogs managed to tie the game at 34-34 going into the fourth. Ferreira scored four points and freshman Katelyn Kearnan each scored four points in the final quarter to help seal the win. Emily Croteau added eight points for Milford and Han Hong chipped in with six points for the Bulldogs.
Foxboro, 86 @ King Philip, 41 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Davenport-leading Foxboro surpassed the 80-point mark for the second straight game, putting together a 37-5 run between the opening two quarters to open up a big lead that it would never relinquish. Fresh off a new career-high on Friday night, Kailey Sullivan continued her hot shooting, burying four triples and scoring a game-high 27 points. Sullivan opened the game with 12 in the first quarter, as Foxboro went from 8-7 down to a 26-13 lead. The Warriors then opened the second by scoring the next 18 points before a Maddie Paschke three in the final minute of the quarter. Sullivan added another 10 in the third and Addie Ruter (20 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks) chipped in with eight points to keep pushing the lead. Camryn Collins finished with 19 points, including nine in the fourth, as well as eight rebounds, six assists, and six steals. Erin Foley also had a strong all-around game with seven points, eight rebounds, and five steals. KP was led by Emily Sawyer with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Jackie Bonner added nine points and three assists. Jessi Persky scored all six of her points in the fourth for KP.
Sharon, 31 @ Franklin, 73 – Final – Thirteen players got on the score sheet for the Panthers, who won for the second straight game. Franklin took a 29-15 lead into the locker room, but scored 44 points in the second half to pull away for a convincing victory. Katie Peterson scored 15 points for the hosts, including 11 of their 19 in the third quarter. Sasha Tracey had nine, all in the second half, and Bridget Leo, Caelyn Leonard, and Lizzie Newman each finished with eight points for Franklin. Jasmine Davis scored a game-high 21 points for the Eagles, continuing her impressive junior season. Carmen Leonardi chipped in with six, all in the third quatter.
Mansfield, 72 @ Taunton, 43 – Final – Mansfield’s offense clicked from the start on Tuesday and the Hornets, for the second time this season, matched a program-high with 72 points. The Hornets scored 41 points in the first half, including 24 in the second quarter, to open up a significant lead before the break and added another 31 after halftime to maintain that advantage. Abby Wager finished with a game-high 25 points and Kara Santos added 18 for the Hornets. The duo combined for 27 points in the first half, while Olivia Salisbury added seven before the break. Sophomore Franchesca Spagna came off the bench to score a career-high nine points, all in the fourth. Taunton got 11 points from freshman Taryn Campbell and 10 points from Skylar McCrohan. Cali Melo added seven of her nine points in the second half for the Tigers.
Stoughton, 31 @ North Attleboro, 42 – Final – North Attleboro jumped out to a 29-11 lead at halftime, using its full-court press to cause problems for the Black Knights, and pick up a win that moves the Rocketeers back above .500 in league play. Sam Faria helped North get off to a great start, scoring all of her game-high 16 points in the opening half, outscoring Stoughton on her own. Katie Corsetti added 14 points for the hosts. The Black Knights rallied in the second half, closing the gap with a little run, but North found the plays it needed to close out the win. Raina Tat was Stoughton’s top scorer with eight points. Kirsten McKay had seven points and six rebounds, Katrina Varnum finished with six points and 12 boards, and Leah McCarty added six points and six rebounds in the loss.
Boys Basketball
Canton, 33 vs. Randolph, 41 – Final – Canton made a run to start the fourth quarter but Randolph never surrendered the lead and held on to win the inaugural Derrick Snowden Memorial Holiday championship. The Blue Devils carried a 35-29 lead into the fourth quarter but buckets from Matt Chafin and Zaza Francoeur pulled the Bulldogs within two points. However, the offense went cold and Randolph added just enough insurance to get the win. Chafin finished with a team-high 10 points while Francoeur had eight points.
Milford, 71 vs. Uxbridge, 49 – Final – Milford scored 15 points or more in all four quarters, pulling away for good with a 21-point fourth quarter in the championship game of the Scarlet Hawk Holiday Invitational. Sophomore Andrew Rivera scored a season-high 22 points, hitting a trio of three-pointers, to pace the Milford offense. Luca Testa had his second straight big game offensively with 18 points and freshman CJ Farrell scored all 11 of his points in the first three quarters.
North Attleboro, 45 @ East Bridgewater, 48 – Final – North Attleboro rallied at the end of the third to build an eight-point lead but East Bridgewater closed out the final five minutes of the game with a 15-4 run to get the win. The Rocketeers trailed 26-22 in the third but rallied for a 13-1 run over the final 2:30 to flip a four point deficit to an eight-point lead. Chris Hanewich scored all nine of his points in the third, seven of which came in the run. His three started it and a layup at the buzzer ended it with Jonnie Obuchowski (12 points) adding four points and Ryan Bannon adding two more. Obuchowski and Chase Frisoli hit back-to-back threes early in the fourth to keep North ahead by eight but East Bridgewater chipped away and cashed in on a turnover with less than a minute to go for the winning three-pointer. Ayden Delaney scored a team-high 14 points for North
Taunton, 73 @ Durfee, 76 – Final – Taunton rallied multiple times throughout the game to get close to Durfee but the Tigers were never quite able to erase a first half 14-point deficit against the Hilltoppers. Durfee jumped out to a 19-9 after a quarter, led by as much as 14 points (23-9), and carried a 35-29 lead into halftime. Durfee exploded for 24 points in the third quarter and led 57-44 going into the fourth. Troy Santos scored 23 of his team-high 28 points in the second half, including five points in the final minute as the Tigers fought all the way back to get within one possession. With under a minute to go, Santos had a traditional three-point play, freshman Jakari Innoncent sank two free throws, Santos added two more free throws, and after a steal with 10 seconds left, Tyson Carter banked in a three to make it 76-73. Durfee inbounded the ball but with just 0.9 seconds left, the Tigers got the foul. Durfee missed both free throws but there wasn’t enough time to get a full court short off on the rebound. Innocent scored a career-high 16 points and senior Chris Perault added 15 points.
King Philip, 74 @ Framingham, 66 – Final – King Philip led by as much as 20 points in the second half and locked in defensively in the fourth when Framingham cut it to three, earning a win in the championship game of the Framingham Holiday Hoopla tournament. Senior Will Laplante had his second straight big game offensively, pouring in a team-high 26 points to earn tournament MVP honors. Laplante scored 11 points in the opening quarter to give KP the lead after one (18-16) while sophomore Tommy Kilroy sank half of his six three-pointers in the second quarter on his way to a career-high 21 points. Kilroy was named to the all-tournament team. Laplante added 10 more in the third, Kilroy tossed in another triple, and Tommy Martorano (15 points) had eight points in the third as KP’s lead ballooned to 20 points. The Flyers fought back to cut the deficit to three but KP forced eight fourth quarter turnovers to hold on.
Girls Basketball
Foxboro, 52 @ Wachusett, 61 – Final – Despite 17 points from Camryn Collins, Foxboro suffered its first defeat of the season against a Wachusett team that was in the Div. 1 Final Four last year. Ava Hill chipped in with a dozen points and Addie Ruter had eight points and 14 rebounds.
Mansfield, 58 vs. East Bridgewater, 24 – Final – Mansfield had 11 different scorers to win the consolation round of the Hearts for Hope Tournament. Abby Wager was the top scorer for the Hornets with 21 points and Kara Santos also hit double figures, with 12.
Oliver Ames, 39 vs. Bishop Fenwick, 49 – Final – Kaydance Derba scored 11 points and grabbed four rebounds and freshman Kamryn Derba added nine points and six boards for the Tigers in the consolation round of the Sue Rivard Tournament. Sarah Hilliard chipped in with nine points and five rebounds, while guard Maddie Homer led the team with seven rebounds.
Taunton, 39 vs. Durfee, 49 – Final
Sharon, 40 @ Quincy, 67 – Final – Jasmine Davis scored 22 points, but the Eagles fell in the final of the Quincy Holiday Tournament.
Milford, 33 @ Hopkinton, 31 – Final – Milford held off a furious Hopkinton comeback in the closing quarter to secure its first win of the season. The Hawks held Hopkinton to only 16 points through the first 24 minutes but then the Hillers exploded for 15 in the final quarter. Aliza Syed scored a team-high 10 points for the Hawks, including five of their 10 points in the fourth to hold on for the win. Freshman Katelyn Kearnan had seven points and Brooke Ferreira scored six, as well as taking a critical charge late in the game.
North Attleboro, 35 vs. Holliston, 43 – Final – Even without senior Ava McKeon, North battled throughout and trailed by only four going into the fourth quarter, but the Rocketeers only scored five points in the final eight minutes and the Panthers pulled out the win. The game was tied 22-22 late in the opening half, but Holliston finished the half on a 7-0 run to take a lead that it wouldn’t relinquish. Katie Corsetti scored 10 points to pace North, while Sam Faria added nine.
King Philip, 50 vs. Shrewsbury, 35 – Final – After a tough loss last night, the Warriors bounced back with an impressive win on Thursday morning in the consolation game of the Holiday Hoopla Tournament. Maddie Paschke and Emily Sawyer each scored 14 points to help KP pick up the win. Shrewsbury held an 11-8 lead after one quarter, but KP clicked into gear in the second, outscoring the Colonials 16-6, to grab the lead. Paschke scored seven points in the second and Jackie Bonner added five. Jessi Persky, Jordan Bennett, and Bonner each knocked down threes to keep the lead at seven after three quarters. KP put the game away with a 15-7 fourth. Sawyer scored six points, Paschke got an and-one, and Kylie Watson and Kaelyn Clancy each hit from beyond the arc to seal the victory for the Warriors. KP made seven threes as a team.
Boys Hockey
Foxboro @ Dartmouth, 4:30 (@ Hetland Arena)
Oliver Ames, 5 vs. Old Rochester, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Jack Perron potted his second goal of the game with three minutes to go to break a 3-3 tie and Matt Lawson tacked on an empty net goal to give the Tigers a 5-3 win over Old Rochester in the Dartmouth Holiday Tournament championship. OA led 1-0 at the end of the first and the score stayed the game going into the third. Old Rochester battled back to tie it at 3-3 before Perron and Lawson ended it. Freshman Brendan Teehan scored his first career goal and Jack Corey also scored for OA.
King Philip, 8 vs. North Quincy, 1 – Final
Stoughton/Brockton, 7 vs. Tri-County, 2 – Final – Stoughton/Brockton exploded for seven goals to capture the Bellingham Christmas Tournament championship with a 7-2 win over Tri-County. Colby Strunk led the charge with a hat trick while Sean Farley lit the lamp twice in the win. Ryan Summers and Anthony DeSoura each added one goal while Sean McGowan had a solid performance in net for the Black Knights.
Girls Hockey
Franklin, 1 vs. Longmeadow, 4 – Final – Longmeadow added a late power play goal and an empty netter to pull away in the third period. Julia Flynn scored the lone goal for the Panthers with an end-to-end rush.
King Philip, 1 vs. Medway/Ashland, 2 – Final (OT) – Kelly Holmes scored the lone goal for KP and Mallory Johnston continued her strong play in net, making 36 saves. KP will face Natick tomorrow in the consolation round of the Medway New Year’s Classic.
Boys Basketball
Stoughton, 60 @ Attleboro, 69 – Final – Attleboro got off to a strong start with a 21-point first quarter, build a double-digit lead at halftime, took a 21-point lead into the final quarter, and then held on after a late surge from Stoughton to secure a 69-60 win. Junior Neo Franco poured in a career-high 29 points, hitting one of Attleboro’s four first quarter three-pointers. Franco had 15 points by halftime while Michael Beverly scored all of his career-high 19 points in the first three quarters. Jaiden Outland and Hayden Crowley also had first quarter threes for Attleboro, which led 38-24 at halftime and 55-34 after three quarters. The Bombardiers limited the visitors to just five points in the second and 10 in the third to grow their big lead. Jayden Costa-Haywood dropped a career-high 25 points for the Black Knights, hitting five three-pointers, and sophomore Matt Greenspoon drained four threes and finished with 16 points.
Canton, 47 @ Taunton, 59 – Final – Taunton took the lead in the second quarter and built on it with a big third, improving to 3-0 on the season with a win over visiting Canton. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead (17-12) with a strong first but the Tigers clawed back and carried a 31-25 lead into halftime. Taunton carried that momentum into the second half, exploding for 21 points in the third quarter to push the lead to 52-37 going into the final eight minutes. Chris Perault scored six points in the second and added a three in the third, finishing with a game-high 19 points for Taunton. Tyson Carter added a three in both of the middle quarters, freshman Jakari Innocent scored 12 of his 14 points between the second and third, and Troy Santos had seven of his nine in the same stretch for the Tigers. Canton hit three threes in the opening quarter but only had two more the rest of the way. Jamaal McConnell led Canton with 13 points while Zaza Francoeur chipped in with 10 points.
Oliver Ames, 50 @ King Philip, 63 – Final – King Philip caught fire in the third quarter, sinking seven three-pointers inside eight minutes to pull away from Oliver Ames for a 63-50 win. The Warriors scored 10 points in the first and 13 in the second, but Oliver Ames held a two-point lead at 25-23 at the break, thanks in part to Nick Asiaf scoring all nine of his points in the second. In the third, senior Will Laplante hit four threes and had 13 of his team-high 21 points in the third. Tommy McLeish added a pair of triples and Tommy Kilroy hit another as the Warriors exploded for 31 points in the third, flipping a two-point halftime deficit to a 54-37 advantage going into the fourth. Kilroy added another three in the fourth and Tommy Martorano finished with 14 points for KP. OA sophomore Cole Craffey scored a career-high 24 points to pace the Tigers.
Mansfield, 50 @ North Attleboro, 33 – Final – Mansfield used a 9-0 run in the second quarter to build a double-digit lead and did enough to keep North Attleboro at arm’s length the rest of the way, grinding out a tough win. The Hornets’ defense limited the Rocketeers to single digits offensively in each of the first two quarters to stake a 27-13 lead by halftime. Caden Colby scored eight of his team-high 11 points in the second quarter, hitting a pair of threes to help the Hornets establish their lead. JT Veiking had eight of his 10 points and Eddie McCoy scored half of his 10 points in the second half to keep Mansfield ahead. Sophomore Chase Frisoli scored a team-high 11 points for the Rocketeers.
Sharon, 71 @ Milford, 54 – Final – Sharon set the tone defensively early and had a strong overall showing, taking home a 71-54 win from Milford. The Eagles limited the hosts to just one field goal in the first eight minutes and the offense fed off that energy as Ryan Brown (11 points), Jacob McLoughlin (21 points), and Nate Katznelson (20 points) combined to give the Eagles and 18-2 lead. Anthony Piron and Jaden Segal added buckets in the second as Sharon established a 39-17 lead at halftime. McLoughlin added eight more in the third and both Zach Wise and Dante James contributed baskets to help the Eagles stay in front. Luca Testa scored all of his team-high 11 points in the second half while Jack Buckley and CJ Farrell each chipped in with 10 points for Milford.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 59 @ Stoughton, 29 – Final – Attleboro locked in defensively, allowing Stoughton just 11 points in the opening half, and then pulled away with a dominant third quarter to earn its third straight win. The Bombardiers led 13-4 after one and 26-11 at the break, but scored 21 points in the third to break the game wide open. Vanessa Ellis continued her strong start to the season with a game-high 21, including eight in the third quarter alone. Lily Routhier added 16, half of those coming in the third. Attleboro also got eight points from Avery James and seven from Kayla Goldrick. Stoughton was led again by freshman Kirsten McKay, who finished with 12 points. She had eight of those in the second half. Katrina Varnum added four points and nine rebounds, while Caleigh Clark, Raina Tat, and Avery Hobbs each scored three points for the Black Knights.
Taunton, 56 @ Canton, 52 – Final – Taunton turned up the defensive pressure in the fourth quarter, holding Canton to just seven points over the final eight minutes, and rallied from seven points down to pick up its third win in a row to start the season. The game was tied at 24-24 at the break, but Canton stepped up on offense to win the third 21-14, led by Samya DaSilva with seven points and Erin Beatty with six. Taunton responded in the fourth, staying unbeaten under new coach Gretchen Rodrigues and in a first-place tie atop the Kelley-Rex. Aaliyah Yera scored six points in the fourth, while Cali Melo added four and Jillian Doherty added four free throws. Freshman Taryn Campbell led the way for the Tigers with 13 points, including eight of Taunton’s 14 in the third. Doherty and Melo each finished with 11 and Yera had nine, all of them from beyond the arc. DaSilva was Canton’s top scorer with 14, while Beatty chipped in with eight and Emily McCabe had seven for the Bulldogs, who knocked down nine threes as a team.
Franklin, 50 @ Foxboro, 55 – Final – Camryn Collins scored 20 points for the second straight game and Foxboro rallied from 11 points down in the second half to end Franklin’s 44-game league win streak. The first quarter was tight, as both teams came out firing. Collins had 10 of Foxboro’s 16 and Katie Peterson had 11 of Franklin’s 15. The Panthers locked down in the second, holding Foxboro to just two points to go into the locker room leading 27-18. Foxboro rallied early in the third, cutting the lead to just two, but then Franklin put together a run to extend the lead out to as many as 11. Sasha Tracey knocked down a pair of threes for the Panthers and had all six of her points in the quarter. Down nine heading to the final eight minutes, the Warriors found another gear on both ends of the floor and pulled out a 25-11 fourth quarter to secure the victory. Kailey Sullivan caught fire and scored 10 of her 12 points in the fourth, while Ava Hill added three of her seven and Collins scored seven points in the frame, including a clutch pull-up jumper to put Foxboro in front. Peterson would finish with 19 for the Panthers, 15 of them in the first half, and Lizzie Newman scored seven points.
King Philip, 52 @ Oliver Ames, 48 – Final – Emily Sawyer scored a career-high 28 points and the Warriors held on down the stretch to pick up an important, early-season road win. Sawyer was dominant in the first half, scoring six in the first quarter and 10 more in the second. Jackie Bonner added a pair of threes to help KP jump out to a 26-18 lead heading into the locker rooms. OA rallied in the second half, winning the third quarter 13-10 to cut the deficit to just five (36-31). The Tigers took the lead in the fourth, but KP was able to make the plays it needed down the stretch to secure the win. Jordan Bennett scored five of her seven points in the fourth and Sawyer added six more to help the Warriors hang on late. Sarah Hilliard made her season debut for OA and scored 11 and grabbed seven boards in the loss. Avery Gamble added nine points, including seven in the fourth, and Maddie Homer (12 rebounds, including nine offensive) and Kamryn Derba each chipped in with six.
North Attleboro, 41 @ Mansfield, 72 – Final – Mansfield tied a program record with 72 points, remarkably scoring 18 in each of the four quarters, and clamped down on defense in the second half to secure its first win of the season. Abby Wager tied a season-high with 22 points, including 16 in the first half, to lead the Hornets. Kara Santos scored 17, eight of them in third, and Olivia Salisbury scored seven. Mansfield led 36-24 at halftime, but the Hornets pulled away after the break, holding North to 17 points in the second half, and started to dominate on the glass. North was led by freshman Ella McLaughlin, who hit three from beyond the arc and finished with 12 points. Ava McKeon chipped in with nine and Sam Sweeney scored eight, including a pair from outside.
Milford, 45 @ Sharon, 48 – Final – Sharon rallied from eight points down in the fourth quarter and Olivia Landstein (five points and four steals) buried a late three to secure the Eagles their first victory under first-year coach Matt DellaBarba. Jasmine Davis continued to dominate in the paint, scoring a season-high 25 points and pulling down 19 rebounds. Rachael Hager had a solid all-around game for the Eagles with eight points, nine rebounds, four steals, and three assists.
Boys Indoor Track (@ the TRACK at New Balance)
Mansfield, 53 @ Oliver Ames, 46 – Final
Sharon @ Canton, 4:30 – Sharon picked up it first the league win of the season on Tuesday. For Canton, Josh Richards took first place in the shot put and Jimmy Podgurski came in third. Luke Darling won the 600 and Dan Kraslynkov took first place in the 300 with Christian Hanlon finishing third.
Foxboro @ Stoughton, 4:30
King Philip, 30 @ Attleboro, 70 – Final
Franklin @ Milford, 4:30
Taunton @ North Attleboro, 4:30
Girls Indoor Track (@ the TRACK at New Balance)
Mansfield @ Oliver Ames, 4:30
Sharon, 37 @ Canton, 63 – Final – Canton got three PRs and swept the shot put, as the Bulldogs pulled out a win against Sharon. Emma Massih took first with a new personal best of 30’75”, Jess Brathwaite took second with a PR of 25’7.5”, and Taylor Kernen also set a new personal mark with a throw of 23’3” to take third. Canton also won both the 4×200 (Diana Tambi, Katie Oliver, Jayda Proffit, and Syriah McCruse) and the 4×400 (Tahlia Weaver, Lexi Piazza, Lianna Camille, and Nora Giannacopolous) relays.
Attleboro junior Merry Bosh hits a three-pointer with two minutes to go to help the Bombardiers close out a win over Mansfield. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ATTLEBORO, Mass. — Mansfield erased an early deficit and kept clawing back throughout the fourth quarter, but the Attleboro girls basketball team refused to lose in the first varsity basketball game played at their brand new high school.
Each time the Hornets made a move to get within one possession, the Bombardiers had an answer. Attleboro got contributions from up and down its roster and some clutch fourth quarter plays to secure a 63-53 win over the visiting Hornets.
“Coming off the loss at Framingham, I was a little nervous about their confidence but they came out strong and that was a huge confidence builder for us,” said Attleboro head coach Bri Bracken. “We talked about it being the first game here, being the first varsity basketball team to play here so it was great to get the win.”
Junior Kayla Goldrick scored 10 of her 17 points in the final frame, cashing in on a clutch steal and a clutch offensive rebound to keep the hosts in front against Mansfield’s comeback bid. Seconds after Mansfield junior Abby Wager drained a three-pointer to cut the deficit to two, Attleboro junior Merry Bosh sank a three from the corner with two minutes to play to dash the Hornets’ hopes of a comeback.
“We switched up our defense a little bit and I think that helped, and when they weren’t hitting from the outside we had to rebound,” Bracken said. “Kayla came up huge in that stretch, just the heart and the hustle there and that’s why she’s one of our captains. Mary Bosh hitting that three late in the game was huge too.”
The Bombardiers got off to a great start as senior Lily Routhier connected on a pair of early three-pointers and Attleboro established a double-digit lead in the first quarter. Wager, Kara Santos (11 points, 11 rebounds), and Olivia Salisbury (18 points, four rebounds) rallied Mansfield back into the contest during the second quarter and a bucket from Ella Palanza handed the Hornets their first lead with under a minute to go in the first half.
Goldrick hit a three with under 10 seconds to play in the second quarter and Attleboro jumped back ahead, 31-29, at halftime.
“I think they had a lot of different players come in and make an impact,” said Mansfield head coach Heather McPherson. “We came in preparing for Ellis and Goldrick, then Routhier hit the threes. And then Bosh had that big three. We’d make these runs and then we’d have a mental mistake. They had a game Friday and got all of those jitters out, I feel like we had all of those jitters from a lot of people.
“I thought we made some good adjustments to get back into but we had some preseason injuries, and even though everyone is back now, but it’s getting into that game shape. We’d have a good run then have to shuffle someone else in. And just too many costly mistakes.”
Sophomore Vanessa Ellis carried Attleboro to a successful third quarter as she scored seven of her 15 points in the frame and had five of her 16 rebounds. Ellis finished off a traditional three-point play with three minutes to go, converted a putback with 1:30 to play in the frame, and sank a pair of free throws with under a minute to go to hand Attleboro a 45-40 advantage going into the fourth.
Santos used a nice move in the paint to get the Hornets on the board and a steal from Bridget Hanley (eight assists, seven rebounds) set up Wager for a layup that cut the deficit to one, 45-44. Routhier and Santos traded baskets as Mansfield trailed by just one before Goldrick drove for two points. Attleboro had another missed but Goldrick crashed the class and put it right back up to make it 51-46.
Santos found Wager for two and the Hornets got a stop on an offensive to try and take the lead but instead it was Goldrick, sitting atop in the Bombardiers’ 2-3 zone, that deflected a pass for the steal and went coast-to-coast for a tough layup to restore the hosts’ two-possession lead
The ball found Mansfield on the ensuing play but the comeback bid was ended when Bosh took a pass from Avery James and hit a three of her own with two minutes to go.
“It was a good team win,” Bracken said. “We were in a lot of foul trouble, I had Avery James on the bench, and Vanessa had four fouls. I threw a couple of freshmen in there and we just needed everyone to step up and they did, they did their job as Bill Belichick says.”
Attleboro girls basketball (1-0 Hockomock, 1-1 overall) hits the road to visit Milford on Friday at a 6:00 tipoff. Mansfield (0-1, 0-1) will have its home opener against rival Foxboro on Friday at 6:30.
Oliver Ames is coming off a Div. 2 state title, but the Tigers will face a tough challenge to repeat as league champ this winter. Read our full team-by-team previews below. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
2021-2022 Record: 16-7 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Round of 32 Coach: Brianna Bracken
Former Attleboro standout Bri Bracken took over the coaching duties late in the preseason a year ago, but she stepped right into her first varsity job and led the Bombardiers to a 16-win season and a return to the state tournament. The graduation of top scorer Meg Gordon will be tough to replace, but the Bombardiers have a versatile lineup and a focus on the defensive side of the ball that still makes them a tough challenge even for the top teams in the league.
Attleboro returns only two starters from last season. Junior Kayla Goldrick impressed in her first two years on varsity, playing on the wing or as the primary ball-handler. Her control on both sides of the ball will be critical this season. Senior Lily Routhier, who transferred from Wheelock last year, is a strong rebounder and can score in multiple ways around the paint. Sophomore Vanessa Ellis wasn’t a starter for most of last year, but she came through with some big games down the stretch, scoring in bunches around the rim and being a force on the glass.
An injury to junior Rylie Camacho will deprive the Bombardiers of one of their best perimeter shooters, but Bracken will be hoping that juniors Merry Bosh and Molly Moore and sophomore Avery James can step into bigger roles in the backcourt and add scoring punch. Senior Sarah Maher is going to have a bigger role on both ends this season, bringing the energy and intensity every game. This will be a different look from last year, as the Bombardiers will have different go-to players every night.
“We have a great mix of experience and youth,” Bracken said. “We are excited about what lies ahead. Practices have been intense and the girls have been working really hard.”
2021-2022 Record: 16-7 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Quarterfinal Coach: Jim Choquette
How do you move on from graduating not just one but three of the best players in program history? That will be the challenge for Canton coach Jim Choquette this season, as the Bulldogs are coming off a winter that included a rare home playoff game and a trip to the Div. 2 quarterfinals and return a group of players that have experience but will need to step into bigger roles this year.
There is a veteran core that the Bulldogs will be relying on. Senior forward Samya DaSilva can score in the paint and knock down shots from the perimeter, while classmate Erin Beatty has been a force on the boards and brings a lot of energy on both ends of the floor. Senior guards Emily McCabe, Marissa Staffiere, and Han Hong all can run the point and are strong defensive players who will be tasked with keeping the ball moving for Canton on offense to find the best shot.
In addition to those familiar faces, juniors Fatima Sidibay and Jess Wright will provide additional athleticism in the frontcourt. Junior Mercia Kolokithas can stretch defenses with her perimeter shooting and sophomore Sally Hoban will provide depth on the wing along with Ava McCoole. Deanna Kolokithas is another newcomer to watch this season, as she can give Canton a boost at point guard, allowing the veteran guards to move off the ball.
“Every season is different, even if you have similar players,” Choquette explained. “We have spoken about that this year and I’ve encouraged our team to write their own narrative, what they want, how they want to get it, and the sacrifices they’re willing to make to accomplish it. I’m so excited to see how we respond as coaches to help them and as players to achieve.”
2021-2022 Record: 14-8 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 2 Sweet Sixteen Coach: Lisa Downs
While head coach Lisa Downs knew there would be some growing pains for a roster loaded with underclassmen, Foxboro was not only building for the future in 2021-22 but showing that it could already compete with the league’s top teams. This season, adding a year of experience to their talented core, the Warriors will be aiming to get back to the top of the Davenport division and make a run in the state tournament.
The backcourt was the key for Foxboro last winter. Sophomore Kailey Sullivan burst onto the scene and was the rare freshman that could lead a team in scoring and also look right at home running the point against the tough defenses in the Hock. Junior Camryn Collins finished just behind Sullivan in the scoring charts, but her handle, her athleticism, and her ability to read the game made her an impact player on both ends of the court. Add in junior Erin Foley’s tenacity on the defensive end and it is a backcourt that can cause any team problems from baseline to baseline.
Foxboro also got solid contributions in the front court from sophomore Ava Hill, who looked increasingly comfortable as the season wore on, and junior Isabelle Chamberlin. Sophomore Adie Ruter will be a new piece to the puzzle this season. The 6-foot-2 center gives a new dimension to the Warriors’ offense and her development in the off-season has her poised for a breakout year. Freshmen Kylie Sampson and Adrianna Porazzo continue the tradition of underclassmen jumping right onto varsity with an opportunity to contribute.
“I’m anxious to get started working with this team,” Downs said. “I really envision a pretty high ceiling once we get established. We will continue the Foxboro team culture of hard work on defense and team play on offense, so it will be pretty exciting to see what they are able to accomplish.”
2021-2022 Record: 22-2 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Quarterfinal Coach: John Leighton
Franklin has dominated the Kelley-Rex division for the past four years, which included a state title run as well, but with a lot of new faces jumping into the lineup this season, the league title race could be a lot closer this winter. The Panthers may not be able to overwhelm teams with size like they have in past few years, but an athletic core of players returns to play typically tough defense and get out and run on the break.
The focal point this season will be senior forward Katie Peterson. After a breakout junior year in which she led the team in scoring, the UMass girls lacrosse commit comes back as one of the top wings in the league. Her athleticism will be critical on both ends of the floor. Senior guard Bridget Leo is also back to run the offense and will be one of the team’s top perimeter defenders. Senior Lizzie Newman emerged last season as a solid rebounder and post defender and her outside shooting could be a major factor.
There are also several players who stepped in at times last year that will need to take on bigger roles for the Panthers this season. Junior Sasha Tracey gives Franklin good length on the wing and adds another athlete that can get out on the break and finish. Her improved outside shot will also help stretch defenses. Sophomore Chloe Fales is a newcomer to watch with her athleticism and ability to score at multiple levels.
“This team is working to find its identity and play unselfish basketball,” said Franklin coach John Leighton. “I have been very impressed with the leadership of our seniors who have stepped up and provided mentorship to our younger players to speed their integration into the team.”
2021-2022 Record: 11-11 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Round of 32 Coach: Jeff Miszkiewicz
Only the two division winners allowed fewer points per game than King Philip last season, as the Warriors focused on strong half court defense under first-year coach Jeff Miszkiewicz. Defense will remain key for KP this season, but there is also an effort to bring more balance to an offense that struggled to keep up with some of the top teams in the Hock. With a year of experience in the new system, the Warriors will be looking to provide a challenge to Franklin and Oliver Ames in the Kelley-Rex.
Senior center Emily Sawyer has developed into a force on both ends of the floor and her presence in the paint will be a major piece of KP’s play this year. An almost automatic double-double every night, Sawyer has improved her offense every year and remains an imposing shot blocker and disruptor on defense. Fellow senior Jackie Bonner will give KP much-needed balance on offense with her ability to shoot from distance and take defenders off the dribble. KP looked like a different team when she went down with an injury last season.
While Bonner and Sawyer get a lot of the attention, KP has solid depth in both the front and backcourt. Senior guard Leah Santoro gives the Warriors a tenacious perimeter defender and junior Jordan Bennett runs the offense well at the point and showed flashes of being a threat from three-point range. Junior forward Maddie Paschke provides energy, rebounding, and finishing in the paint, and classmate Kylie Watson continues to improve on shot-making both in the paint and from the outside.
Miszkiewicz is also counting on several new faces to add to his squad this season. “They all bring something different to the court and have a chance to really impact games this year,” he said. “We can score on all three levels consistently, so we look to attack any advantages that we can get. Last year, we prided ourselves on playing tough, gritty defense. We try to make every shot difficult and hold teams to one shot.”
2021-2022 Record: 12-11 2021-2022 Finish: Reached Div. 1 Round of 32 Coach: Heather McPherson
Mansfield will play in the Davenport division for the first time this winter and, with only three players graduating from last year’s playoff team and both of its leading scorers back, there are hopes that this could be a title-winning debut for the Hornets.
Senior Abby Wager is the team’s top scorer from a year ago and the athletic wing will be the focal point for most teams defensively this year. The Southern New Hampshire-commit causes problems on both ends of the floor with her length and speed and her addition of different facets to her offensive game. If teams want to extend out to the perimeter, Mansfield can also hurt them in the paint with junior forward Kara Santos, who emerged as a consistent scorer on the block.
Experience should be no problem for the Hornets, who have a host of players that gained valuable experience last season. In the backcourt, seniors Olivia Salisbury and Bridget Hanley can run the point and step up with big scoring nights when needed. Senior Natalya Gill was instant offense off the bench for the Hornets, while classmate Rose Maher can knock down big shots from the outside. Senior Brooke Butler gives the Hornets another strong rebounder and paint presence.
“Extremely excited for the season,” said McPherson. “The level of focus and pace that we have committed to this preseason makes me extremely excited for the season with these girls!”
2021-2022 Record: 5-14 2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: TJ Dolliver
Milford brings back five seniors from last year’s team, including a pair of four-year varsity players at captain, which the Hawks hope can provide the leadership for a move up the Kelley-Rex standings. After winning five games a year ago, Milford continues to set its sights on getting back into the playoff picture.
Senior forward Emily Croteau is an all-energy player at forward and will be one of the players that Milford counts on at both ends of the floor. She crashes the boards, defends, and her hustle is infectious. Classmate Brooke Ferreira is more of a calming presence in the backcourt, getting the Hawks into their sets and knocking down shots on the perimeter. Fellow seniors Molly Hartman and Aliza Syed will add experience and strength in the paint.
Junior forward Khatrina Leger could be ready for a breakout year after impressing in flashes as a sophomore. Leger used her athleticism to keep possessions alive and was able to get creative with her finishing around the rim. Classmate Erin Michelson uses her length on the wing to cause problems on the defensive side and junior Maeve Driscoll can come into the game and make some big shots on the perimeter.
“We have a lot of versatile players with different skills so our offense and defense is going to rely on execution during the games,” said Milford coach TJ Dolliver. “I have a great group of girls who are ready to compete on a daily basis. We have a lot of room to grow and I am looking forward to seeing where it takes us.”
2021-2022 Record: 4-16 2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Nikki Correia
North Attleboro incorporated plenty of youth into last year’s rotation and those young players will need to be ready from the start this winter because the Rocketeers are only returning four varsity players from 2021-22 and have as many underclassmen (four) as seniors on this year’s team. It is a guard-heavy rotation, which fits into head coach Nikki Correia’s preferred up-tempo style, but there will be a learning curve for a relatively inexperienced group.
Senior Ava McKeon will be the leader on the court for North this season. A four-year varsity player, McKeon gives the Rocketeers an edge with her tenacity, toughness, and athleticism. The rest of the team can feed off the energy that she provides on both ends of the court. Sophomore guards Sam Faria and Sam Sweeney both showed as rookies that they can knock down shots from the outside, but need to be more consistent to take the North offense to the next level. Classmate Maryellen Charette also impressed at times as a freshman and could be ready for a breakout year at forward. Confidence will be important for the younger players to meet the expectations that come from being regular starters.
North has added some new faces to the roster this year to contribute off the bench and give teams different looks. Senior guard Emma Hanwell and forwards Kylie James and Kayla Dominique, as well as junior forward Katie Corsetti will make the jump up from the JV team this season. Freshman guard Ella McLaughlin is another player with the potential to make instant contributions.
“I think our strengths on offense will be our quick guard play,” Correia said. “Our offense seems to be a little more organized and the guards are able to control the tempo. I am really looking forward to the season with this group of players. We are young and have so much potential to really surprise some opponents this year.”
2021-2022 Record: 22-3 (Davenport champions) 2021-2022 Finish: Won Div. 2 state title Coach: Brittany Engle
The defending Div. 2 state champions are going to have a very different look this season. Not only did Oliver Ames lose its top two scorers (Caroline Peper to graduation and Jasmyn Cooper to transfer) but also saw the retirement of legendary coach Laney Clement-Holbrook after more than four decades in charge. OA has turned to former assistant coach Brittany Engle, who is also a 1,000-point scorer and former state champ for the Tigers, who inherits a roster with only four returning players from last season.
Junior guard Kaydance Derba is the team’s top returning scorer and is one of the best long-range shooters in the league. Her length, her passing, and her ball-handling will all be critical for a team that is going to rely on a lot of relatively inexperienced players. Classmate Sarah Hilliard might be ready for a breakout season. The junior forward showed flashes of being a dominant post player last year, coming up with huge games on both ends of the floor during OA’s tournament run and her athleticism is a tough matchup for most teams.
A pair of seniors round out the returning players. Maddie Homer, who was voted volleyball MVP this fall, missed time last year due to injury but she came back to play a role in the state title game win against Norwood. She brings a lot of intensity on the defensive end and is another solid ball-handler that can get the Tigers into their sets. Classmate Grace Dupill will bring more athleticism to the forward position and leadership for a young squad that wants to challenge Franklin for the Kelley-Rex title.
“I’m excited for the season,” Engle said. “We’ve got a lot of good athletes who work hard, and are coachable and competitive. Coming off of a state title, expectations are high, but measured. This is a different team, but one with a lot of potential.”
2021-2022 Record: 4-16 2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Matt DellaBarba
Coming off a four-win season, Sharon returns four starters and nine players from last year’s roster, intent on making a move up the standings in the Davenport division. There is a change on the sidelines, with former Plymouth South coach Matt DellaBarba taking over this season and he will be hoping to utilize the experience that the Eagles have to make a run at a potential playoff spot.
Most of the focus this winter will be on junior center Jasmine Davis. After a stellar first varsity season in which she introduced herself with a 30-point, 20-rebound debut against Milford, Davis was one of the most prolific post players in the league as a sophomore. Sharon can take advantage of the attention Davis will draw to create shooting space for classmate Rachael Hager, who can force defenses to stay home with her ability to knock down shots from distance. Senior Tess Letendre and junior Eva Poulton round out the returning starters and both are solid ball-handlers and defenders in the backcourt and give the Eagles balance on both ends of the floor.
There is going to be plenty of experience coming off the bench for Sharon as well. In the backcourt, senior Clara Armon and juniors Carmen Leonardi and Natalie David will give the Eagles good energy and aggressiveness. Seniors Samantha Dunham and Emily Freeman add depth, rebounding, and solid defense in the front court. DellaBarba wants to make sure all of his players are threats to score on offense and communicate well in his team defense scheme.
“Being completely new to the Hockomock League I’m not entirely sure what to expect in my first season in the league,” DellaBarba said. “I know year in and year out the Hockomock League is one of the most competitive leagues in the state, so our focus right now is making sure we’re approaching every practice and game with energy and giving maximum effort in every opportunity that we receive.”
2021-2022 Record: 1-19 2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Eric Adams
Stoughton had its struggles in 2021-22, winning just one game, but the Black Knights are in the process of rebuilding through youth. With former assistant Eric Adams taking over for Charmaine Steele Jordan this winter, Stoughton will have continuity on the sidelines despite the coaching change and that should be a boost for a lineup that features only two seniors.
While young, Stoughton does have some varsity experience to call on. Senior guards Andrea Khouzami and Anna Hobbs will provide much-needed leadership in the backcourt. Junior Maiya Merritt is a quick guard who can get into the lane and sophomore Raina Tat showed that she has the ability to stretch defenses with her range, and the confidence to not pass up an open look.
In the front court, junior Alyssa Edwards is a three-sport athlete and she uses her strength and quickness to good effect on both ends of the court. Junior Katrina Varnum gives Stoughton a rim protector and a solid rebounder to protect the paint, while she also showed increasing confidence as a finisher around the rim. Sophomore Leah McCarty returns to give more depth on the block. Stoughton also has four freshmen on the roster, guards Kristen McKay, Molly Fox, Isabel Belmonte, and Cecelia Squires, who could be stepping in and getting minutes right away.
“This team is a young team; two seniors, four juniors, two sophomores, and four freshmen,” Adams explained. “This year is going to be a building year and we are eager to grow as a program.”
2021-2022 Record: 4-16 2021-2022 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Gretchen Rodrigues
The transfer of the league’s leading scorer from last year, Kameron St. Pierre, will be a big challenge for Taunton this season. Losing more than 20 points per game, nearly half of the team’s nightly output, will obviously require more than just one or two players to step up. First-year coach Gretchen Rodrigues is counting on her team’s athleticism and focusing on the defensive end of the floor first to get the Tigers out and running this season.
Junior point guard Cali Melo will be a key player for the Tigers in this system, not only setting the pace for the team but also providing the energy on the defensive side of the floor. Melo is a tenacious defender and rebounder and will be like a coach on the floor. Junior guard Lexi Haywood provides long-distance shooting for the Tigers and is one of the players that could benefit from a few more touches on the offensive end. Sophomore Jillian Doherty gives Taunton more speed and finishing on the break and senior McMina Clermont adds more vocal leadership, defense, and rebounding.
While a lot of the focus is on the outgoing players, Taunton also got a transfer in who could be a major factor in the paint this season. Sophomore Skylar McCrohan has come from Somerset Berkley and Rodrigues will be counting on her crashing the boards and getting buckets in the post. Freshman Taryn Campbell is a quick guard and solid shooter, who will come in and contribute right away.
“We are going to push the ball, play hard all the time, play unselfish, and be in great shape,” Rodrigues said. “My style is up and down, pressure a lot, and utilize all 94 feet.“
Mansfield senior Abby Wager (2) is one of the players to watch at the start of another competitive Hockomock League season. See more players to watch below. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com) Player are listed alphabetically
Starting a pair of underclassmen in the backcourt could be the recipe for a long season, but with Collins and, then freshman, Kailey Sullivan gave Foxboro the foundation to build a run to the Div. 2 Sweet Sixteen. Collins showed flashes of her potential during the shortened 2020-21 season but last year she broke through as an all-around standout. She scored 12.9 points per game while chipping in with more than six rebounds and two steals per night. An aggressive player on the offensive end, Collins can take players off the dribble and keeps defenders off-balance with her ability to knock down pull-up jumpers. As she continues to develop her three-point shooting, it will open more driving lanes. Collins also uses her tenacity on the defensive end to match up against some of the league’s top guards. She has good positioning and quick hands to force turnovers and is a great fit for Foxboro’s high-pressure style. The Warriors will expect to be in the running for the league title this winter and Collins will continue to be the player leading the way.
Canton is going to look very different this season with the graduation of Fay and Sydney Gallery and Kiara Cerruti. Losing the big three will be a huge challenge, but it is also an opportunity for other players to step up and DaSilva is one of the returning players who could benefit from the extra looks this season. With a solid inside-out game, DaSilva has shown the ability to score in the paint or step out to the three-point line and knock down shots. Her footwork on the block makes it tough to keep her away from the rim and her passing makes it tough for teams to send a second defender. DaSilva is also aggressive attacking the glass on both ends of the floor and her outlet passes can get the Bulldogs out in transition. While DaSilva isn’t the tallest player in the league, she gives Canton a strong defensive presence in the paint, using her strength and positioning to make it tough to finish at the rim. Moving on from three of the best players in program history is a huge task for Canton but DaSilva will give the Bulldogs a foundation to build on as they try to keep the momentum that they’ve built in the past few seasons.
Davis burst onto the scene last year, scoring 32 points and pulling down 28 rebounds in her varsity debut against Milford, and proved to be a double-double machine for the Eagles all season long. She scored nearly 17 points per game and grabbed more than 15 rebounds a night, at times dominating the paint despite all of the attention from opposing defenses. Davis can face up to the basket and take players off the dribble because her strong mid-range jumper forces teams to be aggressive on her. A smooth player with the ball in her hands, Davis showed a range of offensive moves and the ability to finish with either hand. A rebound magnet, Davis used her positioning, not just her length, to be a force on the boards. She can also be a disruptor on the defensive end of the floor, blocking shots, holding teams to one look, and clogging the passing lanes. With a new coaching staff coming in this season, the Eagles will be hoping to make a state tournament push and if Davis continues to grow into one of the best interior players in the league maybe Sharon could be a dark horse in the Davenport.
Oliver Ames will attempt to defend its Div. 2 title with a new coaching staff and several new faces, but the Tigers do have some returning players who have already established themselves as some of the best in the league. Derba is one of those. The junior guard is one of the top long-range shooters in the Hock, with range that stretches defenses well beyond the three-point line. Her length and high release means she can get her shot off against almost all perimeter players, but if matched up against bigger forwards can take them off the dribble and get into the lane. Derba averaged more than eight points per game last year and she also led the Tigers with 98 assists, showing off great court vision and being able to slip passes into tight windows. Her length is also a factor on the defensive side, as she was third on the team in blocks and can cause havoc by getting into the passing lanes. Derba gives OA a dependable ball-handler and consistent shooter to build around this season and she seems ready to take on more responsibility this winter, so her numbers may take a big jump for a Tigers team that will be aiming for another league title.
Graduating a team’s leading scorer is always difficult, but Attleboro has several players that seem poised to step into bigger roles this winter. Goldrick is the prime candidate for a breakout season for the Bombardiers. The junior guard was one of the team’s top perimeter defenders last year, while also becoming its primary ball-handler, avoiding turnovers against some of the high-pressure defenses that Attleboro faced. She scored more than seven points and grabbed more than five rebounds without needing to be the go-to player on the offensive end and her strength on the ball, ability to finish at the rim, and impressive mid-range pull-up game means that she can score in multiple ways. Goldrick’s versatility allows her to play and to guard multiple positions, making it hard for teams to find the right match up against her. For Attleboro to continue its upward trajectory, Goldrick will need to continue developing her all-around game and provide the Bombardiers with the added scoring punch that she’s shown flashes of for the past two seasons.
McKeon brings an important level of aggressiveness and intensity to a North Attleboro roster that is filled with underclassmen who are adapting to the physical challenges of Hock play. A strong, quick guard, McKeon is a force in the fastbreak style of play that the Rocketeers prefer, being hard to stop once she gets a full head of steam and willing to absorb (and dish out) contact on her way to the rim. With an improving outside shot, McKeon can force defenders to close her down and open more driving lanes. Her vision is important to find open teammates on the perimeter when the defense collapses. Aggression and intensity are key to good defense and McKeon can cause all sorts of problems with her athleticism, getting into passing lanes, taking charges, chasing down players on the perimeter, and crashing the defensive glass. North introduced a few freshmen to the lineup last season, so as the Rocketeers look to make a playoff push McKeon’s leadership will be critical to make the winter a success.
The transfer of Kameron St. Pierre leaves a huge hole in Taunton’s scoring output, which means that defense is going to be even more of a priority this season. That is where Melo shines, bringing an intensity to that end of the floor, forcing turnovers, and getting the Tigers out in transition. Although not one of the biggest players on the court, the junior guard is also able to scrap on the boards and keep possessions alive. Her high-energy style is infectious and even as an underclassman was a leader on the court. Melo isn’t a prolific scorer but she can finish around the basket and has improved her shooting over the past two seasons. She is a solid passer, with good court vision, and she can open up a defense with her ball handling. No one will expect Melo to try and match St. Pierre’s scoring output, but she will get more chances to look for her own shot this year while continuing to run the show for the Tigers’ offense. Taunton wants to try and move up the league standings this year and Melo’s leadership, intensity, and tenacity will be a key
Peterson emerged last season as one of the league’s top inside-outside threats, making the leap from role player as a sophomore to the team’s leading scorer as a junior. She scored 14 points per game and led the Panthers in steals last season while shooting better than 50 percent from the floor. The UMass girls lacrosse commit has the height to cause teams problems in the paint, but the range to stretch teams out beyond the three-point line. Peterson’s ability to take defenders off the dribble is perfect for Franklin’s drive-and-kick system and she can finish over most players when she gets to the rim. Her length is also a factor on the other end of the floor, as evidenced by her leading Franklin in steals, and she can keep possessions alive by crashing the boards. The Panthers have been the team to beat in the Kelley-Rex for the past four years and Peterson turning into one of the league’s top scoring threats should keep Franklin in the running for another league title this winter.
At 6-foot-3, Sawyer is inevitably the center of attention when KP takes the floor and last season the Sacred Heart volleyball commit dominated the paint on both ends of the floor. Sawyer scored 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds a night last year, while also blocking a shot per game. Even when she’s not blocking a shot, Sawyer’s presence in the paint is always a factor for teams trying to get into the lane, forcing players to alter their shots anywhere close to the basket. Her ability to control the glass and the paint helped KP be one of the top defensive teams in the league. Sawyer has also developed her offensive game through the past three seasons, improving her footwork and becoming a more consistent finisher around the rim. When teams send extra players to guard her on the block, Sawyer has also become more adept at finding the right pass to get open looks for her teammates. KP will be hoping for another playoff appearance and maybe a league title challenge this season and the Warriors know that Sawyer will be right in the middle of all that they do well on both ends of the floor.
It is always fun to watch a player develop new facets to their game and last season Wager, who was already a quick, athletic wing that could defend any position, became an all-around threat on the offensive end of the floor. Adding a more consistent outside shot to her repertoire, Wager scored 14 points per game to help the Hornets get back to the state tournament. The SNHU-commit’s shooting opened up more opportunities to blow past defenders off the dribble and get to the rim, where her strength allowed her to finish even with contact. Wager is one of the league’s top defensive wings, recording 51 blocks last year, and her speed allows her to turn any defensive stand into an instant fast break. Mansfield will play its first season in the Davenport division and the Hornets will be counting on Wager on both ends of the floor, as they try to make this season a title-winning one.
