Below are the official 2017 Hockomock League Boys Basketball All Stars, selected by the coaches in the league.
Hockomock League MVP
Sam Goldberg, Mansfield
Hockomock League All Stars
Jake Dunkley, Attleboro
Devin Foster, Canton
Tony Harris, Canton
Joe Morrison, Foxboro
Paul Mahon, Franklin
Connor Peterson, Franklin
Sam Goldberg, Mansfield
Christian Weber, Mansfield
Zack Tamagni, Milford
Brent Doherty, North Attleboro
Jonny Friberg, North Attleboro
Nick Welch, Oliver Ames
Carter Evin, Oliver Ames
Ricardo Ripley, Sharon
Cam Andrews, Stoughton
Tommy MacLean, Taunton
Honorable Mentions
Andrew Milliken, Attleboro
Jake Verille, Canton
Andrew Block, Foxboro
Josh Macchi, Franklin
Seth Sullivan, King Philip
Max Boen, Mansfield
Kayden Kelley, Milford
Kyle McCarthy, North Attleboro
Dylan Mahoney, Oliver Ames
Malik Lorquet, Sharon
Cameron Gomes, Stoughton
Dante Law, Taunton
Foxboro, 69 vs. Randolph, 58 – Final – Foxboro had a strong third quarter, turning a five-point lead into a double-digit advantage (57-45) going into the final quarter. It was a balanced scoring attack for the Warriors with four players scoring in double-figures. Senior Andrew Block led the way with 14 points, freshman Brandon Borde added 12 points and Joe Morrison and Joe Bartucca each scored 10 points. Mark Clagg added nine points and Jamaine Few finished with eight points.
Franklin, 70 vs. Cardinal Spellman, 66 – Final – Franklin was impressive in the first three quarters, building an 18 point lead before Spellman closed the gap in the final quarter. Franklin senior Josh Macchi registered a career-high 22 points while junior Paul Mahon added 15 points and sophomore Jalen Samuels finished with 14 points.
Milford, 73 vs. Medway, 46 – Final – With its back against the wall, Milford put on a dominant performance to qualify for the state tournament for the second straight year. Scarlet Hawks seniors combined for 52 points to lead the way. Anthony Arcudi had a team-high 18 points while Nate Davila had 14 points, Zack Tamagni had 13 points and Alex Macek chipped in with seven points. Junior Kayden Kelley had 11 points and 17 rebounds in the win.
Oliver Ames, 66 @ Walpole, 53 – Final – Oliver Ames finished the regular season on a high note, taking the consolation game in the Rebel Classic at Walpole. Junior Jack Spillane poured in a team-high 25 points to pace the Tigers while Carter Evin added 15 points and Dylan Mahoney chipped in with 12 points. OA now awaits seeding for the D2 South tournament.
Sharon, 62 vs. Xaverian, 58 – Final – Sharon won the 2017 Walpole Hoop Classic win a win over Xaverian, ending the 2017 campaign on a four-game win streak. Junior Malik Lorquet was named tournament MVP, scoring 12 points and adding 14 rebounds. Junior Jimmy Fitzhenry was named to the all tournament team after scoring 14 points. Senior Ricardo Ripley finished with a team-high 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Stoughton, 64 vs. Tantasqua, 59 – Final – Stoughton junior Cam Andrews dropped a team-high 20 points and senior Cam Gomes chipped in with 13 points as the Black Knights advanced to the finals of the Warrior Classic to play Foxboro.
Girls Basketball
North Attleboro, 51 @ Attleboro, 47 – Final – The Rocketeers avenged an earlier loss to the Bombardiers. Emily Schromm was the top scorer for North with 13 points and fellow senior Samantha Taggart scored 12. Attleboro was led by Sarah Deyo’s 22 points.
Foxboro, 54 vs. Whitman-Hanson, 39 – Final – Recently named league MVP Ashley Sampson led the way for the Warriors with 27 points and senior Kristen Bortolotti added 12 in the win. Foxboro will face Lincoln-Sudbury in the final of the Warrior Classic on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
Hockey
Stoughton, 8 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Junior forward Brendan Campbell scored a career-best four goals to lead the Black Knights. Sophomore Sean Doherty netted a hat trick and classmate Luke Bainton found the back of the net once.
Franklin, 1 vs. Lasalle Academy, 4 – Final
King Philip, 1 @ Norwood, 4 – Final
Taunton, 3 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Mansfield scored three goals in the third period to earn two points and qualify for the state tournament. The teams were level 1-1 after the first period, and then 2-2 during the second period. Tim Arnold gave the Hornets the lead in the third period on assists from Chad Piotti and Cullin Anastasia. Freshman Chris Jenkins gave Mansfield a 4-2 advantage on the power play, taking a feed from Anastasia. Taunton cut the deficit to one but Matt Farragher scored a shot handed goal off an assist from junior Tyler Oakley. Joe Olsen scored in the first period on assists from Farragher and Oakley while Farragher scored in the second on an assist from Olsen.
Oliver Ames, 0 vs. Lowell Catholic, 1 – Final
Girls Hockey
Franklin, 0 vs. Ursuline, 3 – Final
King Philip, 0 @ Westwood, 3 – Final
North Attleboro’s Brent Doherty attempts to dribble past Foxboro’s Joe Morrison in the second half. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – It’s time to dust off the boys basketball league championship banner hanging inside Pickering Gymnasium at North Attleboro High School.
It’s time to add 2017 to the list.
For the first time since 2001, the Rocketeers are Hockomock League champions following a 45-40 win over Foxboro on Friday night. With a win, and a Milford loss to Sharon, North Attleboro clinched the division title outright.
It’s been a long four year stretch for head coach Sean Mulkerrins and his squad. The Rocketeers went 0-20 in his first year at the helm, won just five games a year later and eight games one season ago.
Now, North Attleboro has 12 wins with three games to go and sits atop the Davenport division as Hock champs.
“To be honest, it’s been a roller coaster,” Mulkerrins said of the past four seasons. “At times, it felt like insurmountable odds, it felt like we were putting in a lot and not necessarily getting a lot. I credit [former Rocketeers coach] Chris Perron, who’s been everything to me as a mentor and a father figure when I played for him here at North, and opposing coaches like Jon [Gibbs] and Mike Vaughan who were helpful along the way.
“Every year we’ve taken a small step. Four years ago, my first captain Jake Lang kept that locker room as positive as it could be. And I think it kept those freshmen seeing and hearing those positive things. It feels good to see those kids go through the process and get here.”
“This feels great, I couldn’t be happier for the coaches and the team,” Doherty said. “Coming from where we were earlier in my career to winning the Hock tonight is the best feeling. All the hours of practice paid off and now we’re looking to do as much damage as possible in playoffs.”
It took a defensive stand over the final six minutes of the game for the Rocketeers to hold off Foxboro, who secured a second play finish and a trip to the postseason based on all of the results in the league.
“We didn’t talk or say much about a league title, or talk about the tournament during the season because we want to focus on the process,” Mulkerrins said. “We finally mentioned it the other day because we had to come out and play and we wanted to motivate the guys. The defense down the stretch was great. Jon [Gibbs] does such a great job, isolating guys, getting the matchups. It was kind of like playing chess and he’s freaking good. I have so much respect for him. But hats off to our guys, they played just well enough and I’m so proud of them.”
“I thought our effort was terrific all night,” said Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs. “I thought we really battled and competed. I thought defensively we did a really good job. We came into the game with a plan to deal with Doherty and Friberg. We didn’t want them to beat us, we’re going to try and make other guys step up and make shots and they did. So give credit to North Attleboro, it was a great team win for them.
The Rocketeers led by as much as 10 early in the third quarter but the Warriors fought back to make it a one possession game. North’s Hacmoni Cuevas converted a three point play to put the Rocketeers up 34-25 with 3:51 to play in the third, but Foxboro closed the quarter with a 9-3 run.
After Mark Clagg and Doherty (nine points, three assists) traded three pointers, the Warriors were able to pull within three by shutting down North for the rest of the quarter and both Joe Morrison (nine points) and Teddy Maher connecting from beyond the arc. The Rocketeers led 37-34 heading into the fourth.
That lead didn’t last too long. North’s scoreless streak stretched over two minutes into the final period while Morrison hit a jumper and Andrew Block (seven points, five rebounds, four assists) drove the lane for an easy two to take a 38-37 lead.
While the momentum seemed to be swinging in Foxboro’s favor, suddenly it stopped.
North broke through on the offensive end, with the inside-out game paying off as Friberg (12 points, 14 rebounds) kicked it out to Cuevas for a three and a 40-38 lead with 5:40 to play.
Foxboro wouldn’t score again until under a minute to play.
“It speaks to the metal toughness of this group,” Mulkerrins said. “Similar to the game at the Dunk against Milford, we were up big, then down big and we could have quit. And this game, same thing. Maybe in years past, this team might have, but I think they finally found out what it means to be a winning team.”
It actually took the Rocketeers two minutes to add onto the lead with Reynolds hitting a pair of key free throws to double the lead with 3:31 to play.
The Warriors had a couple of open looks during the stretch, but were unable to convert.
With just under a minute to play, Friberg took it baseline and somehow managed to reach back underneath the basket and lay it in for a 44-38 lead. Foxboro responded with a putback with 30 seconds to play but Chad Peterson(seven points) iced the game with a free throw as Foxboro missed on the other end.
“I thought down the stretch we got some good looks and we just didn’t make them and that’s just basketball,” Gibbs said. “It’s a tough pill to swallow because at times I thought we executed fine but just didn’t put it in the basket…but that happens some times. At the end of the day, I’m really proud of them. We battled and held them to under 20 points in the second half.
“North did a nice job defensively, they did a lot of things to take us out of our rhythm. Both times we’ve played them this year they made it really difficult for us to score. So give a lot of credit to Sean [Mulkerrins] and credit to those guys on North.”
It was a bit of a slow start for both sides, combing for just five points in the five 5:32 of play. North eventually was able to get into a rhythm and threes from McCarthy and Billy Drummond handed Big Red a 15-9 lead after one.
Foxboro cut the deficit to one (18-17) midway through the second quarter, but North finished the frame with a 9-2 run — a Peterson three, a layup from Doherty, and four straight from Friberg — to take a 27-19 lead into the locker room.
North Attleboro boys basketball (12-7 overall, 9-6 Hockomock) is back in action inside Pickering Gymnasium on Sunday when the Milford Scarlet Hawks come to town. Foxboro (9-9, 8-8) can finish no lower than second in the division, thus clinching a playoff spot. The Warriors will look to improve their record and seeding next ween as they host a February vacation tournament, starting with a game against Randolph.
Boys Basketball
Franklin, 73 @ Attleboro, 65 – Final – Franklin built a 10-point lead heading into the final quarter and held off the Bombardiers to earn the win. Attleboro cut the deficit to five on two separate occasions, including with just under a minute to play but the Panthers finished the game strong. Connor Peterson had 16 points while Josh Macchi and Paul Mahon each chipped in with 14 points for the Panthers.
Foxboro, 51 @ Canton, 44 – Final – It was a close contest throughout between the two Davenport rivals, with Canton seizing a 14-10 lead after one and Foxboro 26-23 at half and 34-33 heading into the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs cut the deficit to one with less than a minute to play but Foxboro senior Andrew Block drained a three to put the Warriors ahead for good. Block scored eight of his 11 points in the final quarter while Joe Morrison scored 13 points, Mark Clagg had nine points and both Brandon Borde and Jamaine Few each had eight points. Canton sophomore Devin Foster had 13 points and junior Tony Harris added 10 points.
Mansfield, 56 @ King Philip, 53 – Final – Mansfield senior Sam Goldberg (six reobunds) scored 17 of his game-high 29 points in the second half, helping offset a poor shooting night by the Hornets to clinch at least a share of the Kelley-Rex title. Mansfield shot just 3-23 from three point range with only Max Boen (11 points) connecting from deep. Goldberg scored 11 points in the third quarter to give Mansfield a 43-36 lead heading into the fourth. The senior scored six of the team’s 13 points in the final quarter. Evan Christo added 11 rebounds for the Hornets.
Sharon, 81 @ Stoughton, 72 – Final – Sharon junior Malik Lorquet had a monster night for the Eagles, tying a career-high with 17 points while hauling in 13 rebounds and adding four steals and three blocks. Senior Jimmy Fitzhenry had a team-high 18 points while classmate Danny Emerman finished with 12 points. Stoughton junior Cam Andrews scored a game-high 24 points.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 52 @ Franklin, 59 – Final (OT) – Franklin rallied late in the game to force overtime and outscored Attleboro 16-9 in the extra period. Carli Koffinke buried a pair of threes (her only two of the game) and Bea Bondhus scored five points in OT to lead the Panthers, after the duo combined for only one point in regulation. Freshman Ali Brigham was the game’s top scorer, leading the Panthers with 21 points, and classmate Megan O’Connell added nine points in the win. Julia Strachan led the Bombardiers with 18 points and Sarah Deyo had nine.
Canton, 28 @ Foxboro, 69 – Final – After scoring 31 on Monday night, Ashley Sampson scored a team-high 17 on Tuesday to ensure that Foxboro will go into the final league game in at least a tie for first place in the division. Kristen Bortolotti scored 16 points and Riley Collins had 11 for the Warriors.
King Philip, 33 @ Mansfield, 52 – Final – Junior Ann Maher paced the Hornets with a game-high 14 points. Sophomore Emily Vigeant chipped in with six points and Jen Peel added 12 assists for Mansfield, which had 11 players score in the game. Julia Leroux and Christina Hathaway each scored seven points apiece for the Warriors.
Milford, 55 @ Hopedale, 37 – Final – With the victory, Milford booked a place in the state tournament for the first time since 2012.
Taunton, 20 @ Oliver Ames, 54 – Final – Oliver Ames had another impressive defensive effort while junior Kayla Raymond scored a game-high 11 points. Niyera Mitchell and Hannah Carroll each had nine points for OA.
Stoughton, 59 @ Sharon, 45 – Final – Stoughton was led by a pair of freshmen against the Eagles. Aliyah Wright scored a team-high 17 points, while Shyanne Trinh added 15 points for the Black Knights.
Hockey
Stoughton, 5 vs. Bellingham, 2 – Final – Stoughton senior Jon Lessa netted a hat trick to pace the Black Knights past Bellingham. Brendan Campbell and Josh Hough also found the back of the net for the Knights.
Girls Hockey
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 4 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Cat Luciano scored a hat trick for the Warriors and Madison Haughey scored the fourth.
Today’s games are listed below. We will update this post with any changes based on the information we receive.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 67 @ Oliver Ames, 61 – Final – Oliver Ames made a push in the second half with 24 points in the third quarter, and took a 53-46 lead, but the Bombardiers battled back to get the win an earn a postseason berth. Nate Douglas scored a career-high 16 points while Jake Dunkley also added 16 points for the Bombardiers. Lucas Boucicaut added 13 points in the win. Oliver Ames senior Nick Welch had a game-high 20 points while Jack Spillane and Carter Evin each had 13 points and Dylan Mahoney added 11 points.
Milford, 48 @ Foxboro, 55 – Final – Milford took an 11-10 lead after the first quarter but it Foxboro seized control in the second quarter and never looked back. The Warriors took a 29-25 lead by halftime but then relied on a late surge in the third quarter to create separation. Andrew Block dropped a career-high 20 points, including two threes late in the third. Mark Clagg also hit a three in the third to help the Warriors get the separation. Joe Morrison added 12 points and Jamaine Few chipped in with 11 points. Milford’s Anthony Arcudi had a team-high 17 points while Zack Tamagni and Kayden Kelley each had 10 points.
King Philip, 63 @ Taunton, 64 – Final – Taunton freshman Dante Law hit a three pointer at the buzzer to lift the Tigers over the Warriors. Law (18 points) took a pass from sophomore Luis Vendrell (13 points), who drove the lane before kicking it out to Law. Vendrell had the tying bucket for the Tigers, converting an outlet pass from Tommy MacLean (12 points) to knot the game with 12 seconds to play. KP’s Seth Sullivan scored a pair of free throws to put the Warriors ahead but Law’s buzzer beater.
North Attleboro, 66 @ Stoughton, 56 – Final – North Attleboro had its two leading scorers come alive in the final quarter. Brent Doherty (six rebounds) scored 11 of his 21 points and Jonny Friberg (10 rebounds) netted eight of his 21 points in the fourth quarter as the Rocketeers qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2011. North Attleboro took a 43-42 lead into the final quarter but outscored the Black Knights 23-14 in the frame. Senior Kyle McCarthy (10 rebounds) helped carry Big Red in the middle quarters, totaling 10 of his 12 points between the second and third quarters. Stoughton’s Cam Gomes had a team-high 17 points while Matt Valle added 14 points and Ryan Sullivan finished with 10 points.
Girls Basketball
Oliver Ames, 55 @ Attleboro, 50 – Final – Oliver Ames junior Kayla Raymond scored 20 of her career-high 31 points in the second half to lead the Tigers to a season sweep of the Bombardiers. Oliver Ames held a 25-19 advantage at half but Attleboro took a slim lead early in the fourth quarter. But Oliver Ames was able to battle back to earn the win. Raymond also had 10 rebounds while Hannah Carroll added 12 points and Niyera Mitchell registered 12 rebounds. “It was a great defensive effort,” said OA head coach Laney Clement-Holbrook.
Foxboro, 54 @ Milford, 33 – Final – Ashley Sampson led the way for the Warriors with 19 points and Lily Sykes added 12 for Foxboro, which remained in a first place tie with North Attleboro.
Franklin, 37 @ Mansfield, 59 – Final – The Hornets sealed the outright Kelley-Rex division title with the victory. It is the third league title in program history and first time that the Hornets have won back-to-back championships. Meg Hill scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Mansfield, while Jen Peel scored 18 points and had six assists and Ann Maher scored 11 points. Franklin was led by freshman Ali Brigham’s 11 points and also got nine points from senior Carli Koffinke.
Taunton, 30 @ King Philip, 54 – Final – KP was led by sophomore Julia Leroux, who finished with 18 points, and classmate Shannon O’Connor, who tallied 11 points. Jess Regan was the top scorer for the Tigers with nine points.
Stoughton, 25 @ North Attleboro, 48 – Final – Caroline Collard had 13 points to lead the Rocketeers, who stay in a first place tie with Foxboro with the win. Val Whalen was the top scorer for Stoughton with 11 points.
Boys Gymnastics
Attleboro @ State Championships (@ Newton North) – Attleboro placed fifth overall with a score of 142.95.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 61 @ King Philip, 58 – Final – Attleboro sophomore completed a traditional three point play with 14 seconds left in the game to give the Bombardiers a 59-58 lead and Jake Dunkley and Andrew Milliken each hit a free throw in the waning moments to earn the win. The Bombardiers rallied from a 20-point deficit in the first half to get the win. Dunkley finished with 14 points, Milliken had 10 and Victor chipped in with 10 points.
Canton, 34 @ North Attleboro, 59 – Final – North Attleboro scored 17 points in the first quarter while holding the Bulldogs to just six and never looked back, snapping a three-game losing streak. “I’m proud of how are kids played tonight,” relayed North coach Sean Mulkerrins. “We weren’t happy with how we played Wednesday so this was important. We challenged our kids to play with more passion tonight. If we continue to play hard on defense and smart on offense we know the results will take care of themselves.” Senior Brent Doherty scored a game-high 17 points while hauling in seven rebounds and classmate Jonny Friberg dropped 16 points and had 14 rebounds. Thomas Reynolds chipped in with 11 points for Big Red. Canton’s Tony Harris and Paul Corcoran each scored seven points.
Foxboro, 67 @ Sharon, 54 – Final – Foxboro erased a first quarter double digit deficit to get within a point at halftime (33-32) and then used a 10-0 to begin the second half. The Warriors went on to win the second half 35-21. Sharon built a 19-5 lead in the first quarter, taking a 21-11 lead after eight minutes. But Foxboro clawed back to get within one by halftime. Junior Joe Morrison and senior Andrew Block each scored 14 points for the Warriors while Mark Clagg added 12 points, Jamaine Few had 11 points and freshman Brandon Borde chipped in with nine points. Sharon junior Malik Lorquet had a game-high 16 points while senior Ricardo Ripley finished with 14 points.
Mansfield, 80 @ Taunton, 72 – Final – Mansfield senior Sam Goldberg scored 18 of his career-high 30 points in the first half and the Hornets held off a late surge from the Tigers to get the win. The Hornets built an early 15 point lead by Taunton battled to get within four (42-38) at halftime. The Tigers used a 6-0 run to start the second half to take the lead but Mansfield took a 59-58 lead into the fourth quarter. Taunton’s Tommy MacLean (14 points) drained a three with just over four minutes to go to bring Taunton with three at 68-65, but Mansfield responded with seven points to extend the lead to 10 with just over two minutes to play. Christian Weber also scored a career-high for the Hornets, netting 23 points including 10 in the final quarter. Taunton freshman Dante Law and sophomore Lou Vendrell each had 15 points for the Tigers while junior Malik Charles had 12 points.
Stoughton, 47 @ Milford, 67 – Final – Milford got off to a strong start and never looked back. Senior Zack Tamagni netted a career-high, dropping 26 points in the win, Shane Cosquete added 11 points and Kayden Kelley notched another double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Stoughton senior Matt Valle scored a career-high 17 points for the Black Knights.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 57 @ King Philip, 41 – Final
Canton, 37 @ North Attleboro, 56 – Final – Caroline Collard scored a team-high 11 points for North, while Julia Feid chipped in with 10. Hannah Jerrier was the top scorer for the Bulldogs with a game-high 19.
Foxboro, 65 @ Sharon, 28 – Final _ Ashley Sampson continued her strong week for the Warriors with a game-high 20 points.
Mansfield, 62 @ Taunton, 32 – Final – Jen Peel was the top scorer for the Hornets with 16 points and also dished out seven assists. Meg Hill also had a strong game for Mansfield with 12 points and nine rebounds. Alexa White led the Tigers with eight points and eighth grader Sonya Fernandez added seven.
Stoughton, 24 @ Milford, 55 – Final – Kate Irwin paced the Hawks to a big division win with 23 points. Senior Nicole Dahlgren added 16 for Milford, which moves back to .500 in the league and within one win of tournament qualification.
Gymnastics
Attleboro, 137.2 @ Mansfield, 144.0 – Final
Mansfield, 144.0 vs. Medway/Ashland/D-S, 143.6 – Final
Canton, 117.85 @ King Philip, 135.4 – Final
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 51 @ Foxboro, 59 – Final (OT) – Foxboro junior Joe Morrison scored 14 of his team-high 21 points in the first half, giving the Warriors a 28-21 lead by the break. Attleboro cut the deficit to two heading into the final quarter and tied the game inside the final minute to send the game to overtime. Foxboro junior Teddy Maher came up clutch with a big three in overtime as the Warriors outscored Attleboro 11-3 in the extra frame. Senior Andrew Block and freshman Brandon Borde added 10 points apiece for Foxboro. Andrew Milliken scored a team-high 14 points for the Bombardiers while freshman Qualeem Charles added 11 points.
Oliver Ames, 56 @ Canton, 45 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Nick Welch scored a career-high 28 points, accounting for half of Oliver Ames’ points in a remarkable performance. Carter Evin added 13 points for the Tigers.
Franklin, 80 @ Sharon, 57 – Final – Franklin scored 26 points in the first quarter and never looked back, hitting the 80 point mark for the second game in a row. Junior Paul Mahon dropped a game-high 18 points while senior Josh Macchi chipped in with 16 points for the Panthers. Sharon junior Malik Lorquet had 13 points and 10 rebounds and senior Ben Stamm added 10 points for the Eagles.
Mansfield, 66 @ Milford, 53 – Final – Milford raced out to a 12-3 lead and stayed within three late in the third quarter, but Mansfield was able to pull away with with a 16-9 final quarter. The Hornets connected on nine three pointers with Max Boen (11 points, six rebounds, four assists) hitting three and Christian Weber (11 points, four assists), Sam Hyland (10 points, five rebounds) and Ben Albanese (six points) each hitting two trifectas. Sam Goldberg led Mansfield with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Milford’s Anthony Arcudi poured in a career-high 30 points while Zack Tamagni added 10 points for the Hawks.
Canton, 33 @ Oliver Ames, 58 – Final – Oliver Ames’ defense limited Canton to just 15 points in the second half while the offense kept its pace to pick up the win at home. Kayla Raymond had 16 points and 15 rebounds, Niyera Mitchell added 16 points and both Hannah Carroll and Abby Reardon netted 10 points.
Sharon, 34 @ Franklin, 76 – Final – The Panthers had four players reach double figures in points led by Carli Koffinke’s 15. Ali Brigham added 12, Margaux Welsh had 11, and Bea Bondhus scored 10 for the Panthers. Sharon freshman Telishya Herbert, a recent varsity call-up, led the Eagles with eight points.
North Attleboro, 51 @ King Philip, 28 – Final – Julia Feid was the top scorer for North Attleboro with 14 points, while fellow sophomore Shannon O’Connor led KP with seven points.
Milford, 43 @ Mansfield, 53 – Final – Jen Peel scored 15 points and dished out eight assists for the Hornets, Ann Maher added 13 points and Meg Hill scored 12 points and pulled to lead Mansfield. Kate Irwin was Milford’s top scorer with 12 points and Christine Pye added eight for the Hawks.
Hockey
Attleboro, 6 @ Mansfield, 5 – Final – Mansfield built a 4-0 lead after the first period but Attleboro stormed back, netting three goals in the second period and then three more in the third period to get the win. Jake Parker scored five goals to lead the comeback for the Bombardiers while Cam Littig scored once.
Taunton, 0 @ Canton, 7 – Final – Bubba McNeice scored twice and Brian Ghostlaw netted his first career goal to pace the Bulldogs. Mike Dadasis and Ryan Lodge scored back to back goals early in the first period to give Canton a 2-0 lead after one period. Charlie Malloy and Ryan Nolte also scored for Canton in the game.
Oliver Ames, 6 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Six different players found the back of the net for the Tigers, starting with a goal from junior captain Eric LeBlanc. Senior Mike Nikiciuk added a goal and an assist and freshman Hunter Costello scored his first career goal. Freshman goalie Owen Connor made five saves in the third period.
King Philip, 1 @ Franklin, 3 – Final
North Attleboro, 8 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – North Attleboro sophomore Anthony Zammiello netted a hat trick in the first period while Devin Sparrow and Justin Moccia each scored their first career goals. Jon Lessa scored a third period goal for the Black Knights.
Wrestling
Canton, 43 @ Stoughton, 30 – Final
Franklin, 45 @ King Philip, 18 – Final – Franklin clinched the Kelley-Rex title outright, its first since 2014 and the program’s 17th Hockomock title with a win at KP.
Milford @ Taunton, 6:00
Sharon, 12 @ North Attleboro 60 – Final – North Attleboro clinched its first ever Davenport division title outright in its first year in the division with the win over the Eagles.
By David James, HockomockSports.com Student Reporter
FOXBORO, Mass. – In a game filled with scoring runs, North Attleboro happened to have the last one, as the Rocketeers outpaced Foxboro 7-2 down the stretch to pull out the Davenport division game 53-47.
For North, it all started with Jonny Friberg (17 points, 11 rebounds), who scored 14 of his points in the first quarter alone. The 6-foot-6 center seemed unguardable and led North on a 7-2 run to start the game, only for the Warriors to respond with a 9-2 run of their own.
After trading points back and forth, the first quarter ended with the Rocketeers up 20-15. “When [Friberg] gets hot, he’s almost impossible to guard one-on-one,” said North coach Sean Mulkerrins. “That forced them to make some adjustments, which opened everything up for everyone else.”
The second quarter was all Foxboro, as seniors Andrew Block (13 points) and Mark Clagg (7 points) led the team on an 18-6 run that ended with the Warriors up 33-27 heading into halftime. The Warriors defense stymied the Rocketeers by swarming Friberg every time he touched the ball and held North to just six points in the quarter.
“We got caught marveling at the scoreboard and got too comfortable relying on Jonny in the first quarter,” Mulkerrins explained. “They made some adjustments and we didn’t respond to them real well.”
The game’s momentum shift came with 6:14 left in the third quarter as Friberg grabbed an offensive rebound and dunked it with authority, posterizing three Foxboro defenders. This was the highlight in North’s 7-0 run to start the second half, capitalizing on three Foxboro turnovers.
After that, the third quarter featured a back-and-forth battle that saw four lead changes, as Foxboro’s Block and Brandon Borde (10 points), matched North’s Tom Reynolds (11 points) and Brent Doherty (9 points), tying the game at 41 heading into the final period.
The score remained close all the way until the 4:00 mark in the fourth quarter when Hacmoni Cuevas hit a three that flipped the switch back in North’s favor, starting a 7-2 run down the stretch that handed North the win.
The defense was the key for the Rocketeers, who caused 10 turnovers in the second half and allowed just six points in the fourth quarter, helping the team outscore the Warriors 26-14 in the second half.
When asked what the difference in the game was, Mulkerrins explained “We really didn’t do anything special. We played our defense and we played it very well. I give a lot of credit to [Kyle] McCarthy and Reynolds for stepping it up and leading us defensively. A lot of those turnovers led to some good looks for us on offense, which helped a lot down the stretch.”
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 59 @ Taunton, 68 – Final – Tommy MacLean scored 18 points for the Tigers and Lou Vendrell chipped in with 17. Taunton held Attleboro to six points in the fourth quarter to pull out the victory.
Stoughton, 65 @ Canton, 70 – Final – Sophomore Devin Foster paced the Bulldogs with 17 points and Tony Harris scored 15 points and pulled down nine boards, as Canton held off a “furious” rally by the Black Knights. Jake Verille scored a career-high 14 in the win. Cam Andrews had a game-high 24 points for Stoughton.
King Philip, 49 @ Franklin, 64 – Final – Freshman Chris Edgehill scored a career-high 16 points for the Panthers and Josh Macchi had 14 in the win.
Mansfield, 72 @ Oliver Ames, 42 – Final – The Hornets broke the game open with an 18-7 second quarter to take a 20-point lead by halftime. Christian Weber led the way for Mansfield with 17 points and Tyler Boulter added 15. Phil Vigeant (11 points) and Sam Goldberg (10) each reached double-digits for the Hornets.
Milford, 65 @ Sharon, 42 – Final – Zack Tamagni scored 22 points to lead the Hawks to the division win. Anthony Arcudi added 15 points and Kayden Kelly scored eight points and pulled in 18 rebounds. Sharon was led by Jimmy Fitzhenry with 11 points.
Girls Basketball
Taunton, 28 @ Attleboro, 66 – Final
Canton, 41 @ Stoughton, 54 – Final – Val Whalen had another strong game for the Black Knights, scoring 19 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Freshman Aliyah Wright added 10 points for Stoughton. Hannah Jerrier had a team-high 11 points for the Bulldogs.
Foxboro, 47 @ North Attleboro, 53 – Final – Ashley Ahern had a team-high 16 points for the second straight game to help North Attleboro take a two-game lead on the Warriors in the Davenport division. Samantha Taggart also scored 16 for North. Ashley Sampson had a game-high 21 for the Warriors and Lauren Flahive added nine fourth quarter points and pulled in nine rebounds in the loss that ended a six-game win streak for Foxboro.
Franklin, 67 @ King Philip, 36 – Final – Kate Morse was the top scorer for the Panthers with 15 points. Megan O’Connell added 11 for Franklin, while Ali Brigham and Erin Skidmore each scored 10 and Carli Koffinke had nine points. KP was led by Shannon O’Connor with 14.
Sharon, 37 @ Milford, 48 – Final – The Eagles battled back to cut the lead to eight points in the fourth quarter, but Milford’s Kate Irwin scored eight of her 15 points in the quarter, including 5-of-6 from the line, to seal the win for the Hawks. Emma Eberhardt led the Eagles with a team-high 13 points and pulled in 12 rebounds, while Shira Stoller scored eight and grabbed seven rebounds.
Hockey
Stoughton, 1 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final – P.J. Elliott scored a power play goal in the second period that turned out to be the game-winner. Jake Parker had the other goal for Attleboro. Ryan Chipman had the Stoughton goal. All three of the game’s goals were scored in the second period.
Wrestling
Masconomet Quad (Oliver Ames) – Oliver Ames went 1-2 on the day, beating Burlington 47-24 but falling to Arlington (37-31) and to Masconomet (40-39). Anthony Berksza (145), Jay Fruci (220) and Dean Pacini (195) each went 3-0 on the day for the Tigers.
Swimming Boys
Canton, 87 @ Ashland, 89 – Final
Oliver Ames, 75 @ Franklin, 94 – Final
Milford, 106 @ Sharon, 62 – Final
Girls
Canton, 82 @ Ashland, 93 – Final
Oliver Ames, 57 @ Franklin, 113 – Final
Milford, 90 @ Sharon, 80 – Final
Foxboro’s Joe Morrison puts in a layup in the second half against Canton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FOXBORO, Mass. – Heading into the final eight minutes of Tuesday’s contest, Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs knew he had to make a change.
Gibbs elected to switch things up and deployed a defense-first lineup. That choice proved to be fruitful as the Warriors limited Canton to just one field goal for over seven minutes and turned a five point deficit into a seven point lead and a 55-51 win over the Bulldogs.
Canton’s Devin Foster scored with 6:43 left in the game to put the visitors up 44-39 but that would be the last points the Bulldogs would score until less than a minute remained in the game.
In that span, Foxboro rattled off a 12-0 run. Though it didn’t happen quickly, the run was spurned on by lockdown defense. Andrew Block, who made his return to action for the first time since late December, started the run with a jumper and then found Teddy Maher for the tying three pointer with 4:29 to play.
Joe Morrison (four points, five rebounds, seven assists) found Jamaine Few (14 points, 11 rebounds) on a bounce pass down low to go ahead by a basket and then Morrison put the Warriors up two possessions with a layup with 2:38 to play.
Block (14 points, six rebounds, three assists) then put an exclamation point on the run, taking a pass from freshman Brandon Borde (10 points) and draining a three to go up 51-44 with 1:15 to play.
“I was proud of our resiliency,” Gibbs said. “We had two tough road losses last week and I thought that we didn’t always handle the adversity really well in those two games. That’s something we talked a lot about over the last couple of days. It was really nice to see them respond tonight. Canton was on fire early on, it seemed like they made everything in that first quarter. We found ourselves in an early hole but we responded well, we hung in there, we stayed together and we stayed with the plan.”
Morrison was the anchor of Foxboro’s defense and was a big piece in the defensive lineup change in the fourth quarter. Morrison, along with Maher, Few, Block and Borde, made up Foxboro’s defensive first look in the final frame.
For three quarters, Morrison held Canton lead scorer Devin Foster to just four points. For the fourth quarter, Gibbs elected to switch Morrison onto Canton’s Tony Harris, who had scored 20 points through three quarters.
Morrison kept Harris scoreless in the final quarter while Maher took on the role of guarding Foster and kept him to just seven points in the final eight minutes.
“It was a funny game because early on I thought both teams were scoring pretty well,” Gibbs said. “Then all of a sudden the game hit a point where we we got some stops but then we couldn’t score so it was a little frustrating. But in the end we dug down deep and got some stops when we needed to and found a lineup that worked well together and we kind of rolled with the hot lineup.
“Tony Harris was outstanding tonight, hitting shot after shot so we switched Joe Morrison on him and switch that match up and he was able to do the job. Then we had to switch Teddy Maher on Foster and I thought Teddy was outstanding being a little pest for us. Down the stretch, Maher and Morrison were outstanding defensively.”
Block scored nine of his 14 points in the final quarter.
“I don’t know how he’s doing it. He came back to practice over the weekend and he looked totally like himself, I was really surprised. He had two great practices and tonight he did the same thing, he played really well. He stepped up, just like seniors do, and made big shots and made big plays for us down the stretch.
Both Canton and Foxboro had little trouble scoring in the opening quarter. The Bulldogs put up 19 points on 67% shooting while Foxboro dropped 17 points on 80% scoring. The offenses slowed a little in the second quarter with the Warriors taking a 31-30 edge into halftime.
The Bulldogs outscored Foxboro 12-8 in third quarter behind strong play from senior center Brian Albert. Albert scored all six of his points in the frame, including a midrange jumper from the corner that beat the shot clock, and hauled in four of his six rebounds in the quarter.
Foxboro outscored Canton 16-9 in the deciding fourth quarter.
“You have to compete for 32 minutes,” Canton head coach Ryan Gordy said. “Road games on Tuesday night’s are always a grind, you have to compete for 32 minutes. The margin of victory in the Davenport is small, every possession matters so much. Usually the team that competes for every single possession is going to win the game. We have to do a better job of battling on each possession.”
Foxboro (4-5 overall, 3-4 Hockomock) hosts North Attleboro in a key division game on Friday at 6:30 while Canton (4-5, 2-5) tries to bounce back the same day at home against Stoughton.
