Tag: Charlie Grant

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

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Foxboro, 83 vs. Middleboro, 52 – Final – Foxboro’s offense was nearly unstoppable in the third quarter as the Warriors used a 26-point frame to blow the game wide open in a win over Middleboro, claiming the Warrior Classic Championship. Senior Dylan Gordon made half of his 12 field goals in the third quarter alone and had 14 of his team-high 28 points as Foxboro turned a 10-point halftime lead (35-25) into a 61-36 advantage going into the fourth. Junior Alex Penders added 16 points on eight makes from the floor and Sam Golub sank four threes, finishing with 13 points.

King Philip, 56 vs. Hanover, 65 – Final – King Philip cut the deficit down to three going into the final quarter but the Warriors couldn’t keep pace with Hanover over the final eight minutes. KP used a 24-point third quarter, getting a pair of threes from Charlie Grant (11 points), seven points from Braeden Sottile (13 points) and six from Will Laplante (15 points) to make it 45-42 going into the fourth but Hanover pulled away with the win over the final eight minutes.

North Attleboro, 27 vs. Randolph, 51 – Final – North Attleboro trailed by just six at halftime and played good defense throughout, but couldn’t keep pace with the Blue Devils in the second half. Casey Poirier scored half of his eight points in the first and Givany Carney had four as the Rocketeers established a 10-6 lead after eight minutes. Randolph took control with a 19-point second quarter, taking a 25-19 advantage into the break. Brody Rosenberg added six points for North.

Stoughton, 66 vs. Southeastern, 44 – Final – Stoughton held Southeastern scoreless for over seven minutes in the third quarter, turning a tie game at halftime in a blowout win. The Knights were deadlocked at 32-32 at the break but came out and dominated the Hawks in the third, opening on a 15-0 run before Southeastern got on the board with under a minute to go. Stoughton put the game away with a 9-2 burst to open the fourth quarter. Connor Andrews scored 11 points in the pivotal third quarter and finished with a game-high 25 points while junior Rayan Sablon connected on five threes and finished with 20 points. Konrad Rogers chipped in with a career-best 11 points.

Girls Basketball
Foxboro, 53 vs. Walpole, 62 – Final – Despite three players in double digits, Foxboro fell to visiting Walpole in the final of the Warrior Classic. Kailey Sullivan led the way with 17 points and was named to the all-tournament team. Hannah Blake and Camryn Collins each finished with 13 points.

Oliver Ames, 46 vs. Medfield, 64 – Final – Oliver Ames entered halftime trailing by just two (29-27) but a big third quarter from Medfield created the separation the Warriors needed to get the win. Caroline Peper had a team-high 15 points, Jasmyn Cooper added 14 points, and Sarah Hilliard chipped in with 10 points for The Tigers, who will host Medfield in a rematch on Thursday.

King Philip, 58 @ Shrewsbury, 29 – Final – KP won for the second time in as many days and clinched a spot in the state tournament. The Warriors held Shrewsbury to just two points in the first quarter and 10 points in the opening half to build a double-digit lead. Coming out of the break, KP scored 22 points in the third quarter to break the game open and then secured the win by holding Shrewsbury to only five points over the final eight minutes. Emily Sawyer had a big day in the middle for the Warriors, nearly matching Shrewsbury on her own by scoring 24 points. Julia Marsden and Elizabeth Molla each scored 10 points in the in win and Jackie Bonner returned from an injury to knock down a pair of threes and score eight points.

Stoughton, 52 @ Waltham, 61 – Final – Stoughton put up a great fight but fell on the road in its final game of the season. Senior Vanessa Phelimond led Stoughton with 11 points while senior Kate Bulger chipped in with nine points.

Boys Hockey
Attleboro, 0 @ Foxboro, 9 – Final – Foxboro had an offensive explosion on Tuesday afternoon, netting a pair of shorthanded goals in a win over Attleboro. The Warriors put 54 shots on net with Jack Watts pacing the offense with a hat trick and one assist. Ben Ricketts added two goals and Matt Grace finished with three assists.

Canton, 6 vs. Boston Latin, 2 – Final

Stoughton, 2 @ Taunton, 2 – Final

Girls Hockey
Canton, 2 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – Canton got a pair of second period goals from its defense to come from behind and beat Franklin. With the win, the Bulldogs sweep the season series with the Panthers and complete an undefeated league campaign. Franklin took the lead in the first when Molly Hurley redirected a pass from Lindsay Dennett. Canton answered back in the second, as Tori Carr and Maya Battista both found the back of the net. The Bulldogs were able to fend off pressure from the Panthers in the third to pick up the win.

Monday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/21/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 67 vs. Durfee, 42 – Final – After falling behind in the first quarter, Attleboro dominated the final three quarters to earn a season sweep of Durfee. Playing shorthanded without leading scorer Evan Houle, the Bombardiers got a huge boost from junior Jaiden Outland, who hit four three pointers and finished with career-high 18 points to pace the Attleboro offense. Durfee held a 18-14 lead after eight minutes but Attleboro came storming back in a 22-point second quarter with Outland netting eight point, Jake Struminski adding six of his eight points, and Colin Morais chipping in with five of his 15 points. The Bombardiers won the second quarter 22-5, taking a 36-23 lead into the locker room.

Canton, 66 vs. Fenway, 49 – Final – Holding a six point lead at the break, Canton used a 19-point third quarter to stretch the lead and eventually finish off Fenway for the second time in as many days. The Bulldogs got scoring contributions from six players in the big third quarter with senior Lanse Dorcelus scoring six of his team-high 16 points, senior Nate Mei adding five of his 13 points, and Matt Chafin (11 points), Dillon Nguyen, Conor Hunter, and Bahsor Mahn (eight points) all scored in the quarter as Canton turned its halftime lead (32-26) in a 51-36 advantage going into the fourth. Jacob Solomon added a trio of threes and finished with nine points.

Foxboro, 58 vs. Medfield, 54 – Final – Tied at halftime, Foxboro pulled ahead for good with a big third quarter to land a key win over Division 2 foe Medfield. Foxboro had a 20-15 lead after a quarter but the teams went into the locker room at halftime deadlocked, 30-30. Five different Foxboro players scored in the third and the Warriors had their best defensive frame of the game, winning the third 17-9. Alex Penders had five of his 14 points, Andrew Finn and Cam Barreira each sank a three, Sam Golub (nine points) added a basket, and Dylan Gordon had four of his team-high 22 points to help Foxboro pull away.

Franklin, 43 vs. Leominster, 30 – Final – Anchored by one of its best defensive efforts of the season, Franklin landed an impressive win over one of the two ranked teams in Division 2. Junior Ben Harvey had a fantastic showing on the defensive end, holding one of Central Mass’ best players Justin Dadah Jr. to just one three-pointer in the fourth quarter. The Panthers used a 16-0 run across the first and second quarters to create separation. Sophomore Sean O’Leary scored eight of his 11 points in the opening half while Harvey got it going on the offensive end with six points in the second. Geino Scaringello gave the Franklin offense a big boost in the second half with all of his nine points coming over the final two frames.

King Philip, 68 vs. Falmouth, 36 – Final – King Philip poured in 26 points in the third quarter to run away with a big win over Falmouth in the first round of the Somerset-Berkley tournament. The Warriors built a 27-16 lead at halftime, getting a trio of three-pointers from Grant Kinney in the first half and one apiece from Braeden Sottile (10 points) and freshman Tommy Kilroy. Junior Will Laplante took over in the third, hitting three more threes and went on to finish with 16 of his team-high 24 points after the halftime break. Charlie Grant and Sottile also hit threes in the third quarter for KP, who had 12 makes from three-point range.

Mansfield, 56 vs. Westford Academy, 41 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Mansfield struggled in the opening quarter against Westford’s zone, but the Hornets turned things around in the second quarter to send the teams into the locker room tied. In the second half, Mansfield locked down defensively, allowing only one point in the third and 12 points in the half, to pull out a win against a team ranked in the top 10 in Div. 1 and advance to the final of the Roundball Classic. Matt Hyland led all scorers with 16, 10 in the second half, and added nine rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Chris Hill added 13, including seven in the second to help the Hornets even up the game and 4-for-4 from the line in the fourth quarter. Andrew Slaney nailed four threes, including two in the first to keep Mansfield close, and finished with 12 points. Mansfield hit eight from beyond the arc as a team and will face the winner of Whitman-Hanson and Brockton in Wednesday’s final.

Milford, 46 vs. Shrewsbury, 57 – Final

Sharon, 59 vs. Walpole, 71 – Final – Sharon trailed by just three at halftime but Walpole exploded for 27 points in the third quarter to run away with the win in the championship game of the Davenport Classic. Sophomore Nate Katznelson dropped a career-high 27 points for the Eagles, but Walpole’s balanced attack — five players scored in the third — and successful three-point shooting in the third (five makes) ended up the difference.

Stoughton, 59 vs. Milton, 38 – Final – After a back-and-forth first quarter, Stoughton dominated the middle quarters to build a double digit lead that never relinquished the rest of the way. Junior Rayan Sablon hit four three-pointers in the first half and finished with 22 of his career-high 31 points to help the Black Knights get the win. Connor Andrews added nine of his 17 points in the opening half as Stoughton built a 34-19 lead at halftime and had a 46-25 lead going into the fourth.

Taunton, 77 @ New Bedford, 42 – Final – Taunton senior Trent Santos scored his 1,000th career point as the Tigers rolled to a big win to finish the regular season. Santos finished with 29 points in the win and hit the milestone with — fittingly — a pull up three in transition in the fourth quarter. Santos had five threes in the game and 10 total makes. Chris Volcy came off the bench and scored half of his 12 points in Taunton’s 25-point second quarter, turning a close game into a blowout by halftime (43-21). Faisal Mass added eight points for Taunton, which had nine players get in the scoring column.










Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 61 @ Durfee, 30 – Final – The Bombardiers held Durfee to 12 points in the first half, building a 32-12 lead through two quarters and never looking back to record a fifth straight win. Meghan Gordon scored 12 of her 16 points and Lindsey Perry scored all seven of her points in the first half to get Attleboro off to a great start. Vanessa Ellis scored 13 points (eight in the second half) and Rylie Camacho buried four three-pointers and finished with 12. Avery Vieira scored six of her eight points in the fourth.

Foxboro, 61 vs. Cambridge, 30 – Final – Kailey Sullivan scored 23 points, knocking down five three-pointers, as the Warriors rolled to a big win in the opening round of the Warrior Classic. Nine players scored for Foxboro, which will face Walpole on Tuesday night in the final.

Mansfield, 54 vs. Westford Academy, 55 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Abigail Chambers hit a three from six feet behind the arc with only 4.5 on the clock and Westford pulled out a come from behind win in the first round of the Roundball Classic. The Hornets had led 54-48 in the closing minutes, but Westford closed the game on a 7-0 run. Abby Wager scored a team-high 22 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, to pace the Hornets. She added six rebounds and four steals. Kara Santos chipped in with nine points (five in the fourth) and Bridget Hanley added nine points, five assist, and two blocks. Natlya Gill came off the bench and scored seven points. Mansfield will face Natick on Wednesday afternoon in the consolation round of the tournament.

Taunton, 52 vs. New Bedford, 59 – Final – Taunton and New Bedford had a shootout in the second half, as the teams combined for 68 points, but the Tigers weren’t able to pull off a comeback in the season finale and the Whalers earned a split of the season series. Kameron St. Pierre had a team-high 17 points for the Tigers, all of them in the second half, and knocked down three from beyond the arc. Liv Gannon scored nine, all in the first half, and Cali Melo and Abby Souza each scored eight points for the Tigers.

Canton, 46 @ Westwood, 40 – Final – The Bulldogs closed out the regular season by winning the title at the Riley Classic and beating one of the teams ahead of them in the Div. 2 power rankings. Fay Gallery scored 17 points, dished our four assists, and had three steals to lead the way for Canton. Kiara Cerruti added 16 points and three steals and Sydney Gallery had seven points, five boards, and three assists. Canton also got a lot of help on the glass, with Han Hong and Erin Beatty each pulling down six rebounds and Samya DaSilva grabbing five boards. Marissa Staffiere made a pair of clutch free throws at the end to help seal the win. Fay Gallery was named tournament MVP and Cerruti was named to the all-tournament team.

King Philip, 49 vs. Archbishop Williams, 28 – Final – KP jumped out to a 16-2 lead after one quarter and extended that lead to 34-6 at halftime, running away with a big win in the consolation round of the end-of-season tournament. The Warriors had 48 points through three quarters. All 14 players saw time on the court and 11 ended up on the score sheet. Liv Lafond led the Warriors with 10 points, while Emily Sawyer had eight and Kylie Watson and Julia Marsden each scored seven points in the win. Olivia Ali knocked down a three-pointer for her first career varsity points.

Boys Hockey
North Attleboro, 1 vs. Walpole, 3 – Final

Mansfield, 3 vs. King Philip, 6 – Final

Stoughton, 1 @ Rockland, 2 – Final (OT) – After being shutout by Rockland in the first time around, Stoughton pushed the Bulldogs to the limit this time around before falling in overtime. Joe McNulty had the goal for the Black Knights, Steven Westerlund had a strong game defensively, and Chris Andrade played well in net with 29 saves.

Girls Hockey
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 4 vs. Dedham, 0 – Final – MOA freshman Emma Rabinovich sparked the offense with her first career goal less than a minute into the game and the Warriors never looked back, skating to a shutout win over Dedham. Rabinovich lit the lamp 30 seconds into the game and then Kylie O’Keefe doubled the lead with a minute left in the period to make it 2-0. Cammy Shanteler (from O’Keefe) and Cataline Kipp each added a goal for the Warriors. Jess Widdop made 35 saves in net to earn the shutout for MOA.

King Philip, 5 vs. Milton, 0 – Final

King Philip Outlasts North Attleboro To Snap Skid

King Philip boys basketball Grant Kinney
King Philip junior Grant Kinney finishes a layup after being fouled in the first half against North Attleboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 WRENTHAM, Mass. – Buoyed by a big second quarter, a solid defensive performance, and timely baskets in the fourth quarter, King Philip got back into the win column after a five-game skid.

The Warriors had their best defensive quarter of the game in the second eight-minute frame, and that translated into their best offensive quarter of the game, turning a deficit into a lead that it never relinquished in a 65-51 decision over North Attleboro.

King Philip boys basketball

King Philip forced the visiting Rocketeers into eight turnovers in the second quarter which translated into 10 of their 25 points in the frame. The Warriors also cashed in after North’s misses, as the Rocketeers were unable to get into the full-court press. Instead, KP hit three of their five total trifectas after North misses, and a total of 11 points came after a stop.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“We did a very good job of taking away all of the gaps and even if the guys weren’t there in time, they seemed to get a hand in there to dig it out,” said King Philip head coach Dave DeStefano. “I thought we were pretty aggressive defensively not allowing to get into the paint and get many easy looks.”

The big second quarter turned a four-point deficit at the end of the first quarter (14-10) into a 35-23 advantage at halftime.

After KP’s Will Laplante (20 points, seven rebounds, four assists) and North’s Nate Bennett traded threes just before the midway point of the quarter, the Warriors closed on a 12-4 surge. Grant Kinney (16 points, six rebounds) scored off a turnover, Danny Clancy (15 points, 10 rebounds) dished one off to classmate Braeden Sottile for an easy two, and then Clancy converted a putback off a missed free throw following another North turnover.

King Philip boys basketball

Sottile took advantage of another turnover and went in for an easy two, Laplante had a steal and assist to set up Kinney on the break, and then tacked on two free throws after North missed the front end of a one-and-one. North finished just 9-for-20 from the free throw line, missing all seven attempts from the line in the second.

“I thought we played hard throughout, which I don’t take for granted,” said North Attleboro head coach Sean Mulkerrins. “We’ve had this throughout the season, we have spells where we lose focus a little bit. Whether it’s a turnover or a missed shot, and that seems to turn into another play or two, and against a team like that, and with Laplante back, they’re offensively talented enough to really make you pay. We had too many lulls in the second quarter, missed a bunch of free throws. I thought we fought like heck to get back into it during the second half but we just had too many lulls.”

KP pushed its lead to 15 when Kinney converted one of KP’s 11 offensive rebounds for two, Sottile cleaned up another miss, and Clancy drove to the basket for two more to make it 41-26.

A quick 8-2 surge kept North in the game with senior Casey Poirier (15 points, seven rebounds) connecting from the line, a traditional three-point play from junior Givany Carney, and sophomore Derek Maceda (seven points, five rebounds) sank a triple to bring the visitors within single digits at 43-34.

Laplante answered with a deep three and Charlie Grant went in for an uncontested two after a steal near midcourt to give KP a 48-34 advantage going into the fourth.

North made another push early in the fourth after back-to-back buckets from Jack Munley and a three-point play from Brody Rosenberg close the game to 50-43. Laplante and Carney traded baskets, and North got a stop on the first shot but Clancy cashed in on an offensive board to stall the momentum.

After a stop, Laplante got back his man and finished through contact for a three-point play, and then after another North miss, Laplante once again muscled his way to the rim for two plus the harm, and suddenly KP’s lead surged back to 60-45 with three minutes to go.

“I think in the end when we calmed down and relaxed against their pressure, and we stopped forcing shots, when we were able to move the ball and move them around defensively, we were able to get some get some good baskets,” DeStefano said. “We had some good drives and got some good kicks to the corner too.

“Grant Kinney had a great start for us (all 10 of KP’s first quarter points) and then Will finished it for us with 10 points in the fourth. Those two stepped up for us in big moments. And it helped to give up single digits in two of the quarters defensively, I thought we stepped up on the defensive end when we needed to.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

After a three-game absence due to injury, Laplante finished with 10 of his 20 points in the final eight minutes.

“Will’s a gamer and I thought he stepped up and looked really good after being out for a while,” DeStefano said. “He did a good job with his shots, and he understands the game so well and understands when you need a big basket, and he knows how to get it for us.”

King Philip boys basketball (2-8 Hock, 4-9 overall) will try to make it two in a row when it entertains first place Taunton on Friday. North Attleboro (2-9, 2-10) returns home for a clash with Sharon on the same night.

Tuesday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 01/25/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 77 @ Sharon, 68 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Mansfield, 56 @ Canton, 41 – Final – Mansfield opened the game with a dominating first quarter and never looked back to get a win on the road at Canton. The Hornets raced out to a 9-2 lead and then scored 10 points over the final three minutes to establish a 19-4 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Junior Chris Hill scored eight of his 11 points in the opening quarter and Mansfield seized a 27-14 lead at halftime. Caden Colby scored nine of his 12 points in the third to help the Hornets pull away in the second half. Senior Matt Hyland also scored 12 points for the Hornets while Canton senior Lanse Dorcelus scored a game-high 17 points.

Milford, 46 @ Foxboro, 61 – Final – A big first quarter helped Foxboro establish a double-digit lead that it never surrendered the rest of the way to take its second win in as many days. Sam Golub hit a pair of threes and scored nine of his 13 point sin the first quarter as the Warriors jumped out to a 20-3 lead after eight minutes of play. From there, it was an even game with Dylan Gordon scoring eight points in the second and seven more in the fourth, finishing with a game-high 22 points. Junior Alex Penders chipped in with 15 points for the Warriors. Sophomore Jake Soares led the Scarlet Hawks with 13 points while freshman Luca Testa added 10 points.

King Philip, 54 @ Oliver Ames, 65 – Final – After a close first quarter, Oliver Ames nearly doubled up on King Philip between the second and third quarters to grab a key crossover win at home. The Tigers took a 20-17 lead after one quarter but held the visiting Warriors to eight points in the second, grabbing a 37-25 halftime lead, and then limited KP to nine points in the third to push the advantage to 50-34 going into the fourth quarter. Junior Zach Tagliamonte got the hosts off to a strong start, scoring 15 of the team’s 20 first quarter points. Tagliamonte finished with a game-high 30 points while Drew Baxter added 13 points for OA, who hit 27 shots from the floor. King Philip had six players connect from downtown for a total of 10 three-pointers. Senior Braeden Sottile hit two of them and finished with a team-high 12 points while senior Charlie Grant also knocked down a pair for 10 points.

Franklin, 71 @ Stoughton, 43 – Final – Franklin had four players score in double figures and used a big third quarter to run away with a win on the road at Stoughton. Senior Sean Vinson (19 points), sophomore Henry Digiorgio (15 points), sophomore Andrew O’Neill (13 points), and sophomore Sean O’Leary (10 points) accounted for 11 of Franklin’s 13 made three-pointers on the night. Digiorgio and O’Leary each hit one in the third and O’Neill knocked down a pair and had a total of 10 points in the third as the Panthers turned a 10-point halftime lead (30-20) into a comfortable 57-37 advantage going into the fourth quarter. Junior Rayan Sablon led the way for the Black Knights with 15 points.

Taunton, 60 @ North Attleboro, 33 – Final – Trent Santos and Troy Santo each knocked down a pair of first quarter three-pointers as the Tigers grabbed an early lead but Taunton needed a big second half to pull away from a pesky North Attleboro side. Taunton led 22-13 after a quarter but a prepared and pesky North defense limited the Tigers to just five points (all from Tristan Herry) in the second quarter as the Rocketeers closed the gap to five, 27-22, at halftime. Taunton responded by limited the hosts to just four points in the third as Trent Santos (17 points), Herry (15 points), and Faisal Mass (14 points) each had a pair of baskets to push the lead back to double-digits, 39-26, going into the fourth. Taunton’s strong defense continued, holding North to seven in the final frame while the offense came back alive for 21 points. Casey Poirier led North Attleboro with 10 points.










Girls Basketball
Sharon, 32 @ Attleboro, 61 – Final – Meghan Gordon scored a game-high 31 points to power Attleboro to a big win. The Bombardiers jumped out to a 21-9 lead after the first, extended the lead in the middle quarters, and then closed with a 15-4 fourth quarter to break the game wide open. Gordon scored 10 of Attleboro’s 12 points in the second and nine of Attleboro’s 15 in the fourth. Kayla Goldrick added nine points and Lindsey Perry and Riley Camacho each had seven for the Bombardiers. Jasmine Davis was the leading scorer for the Eagles with 13 points, while Trinity Payne had six and Rachael Hager had five in the loss.

Canton, 63 @ Mansfield, 56 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Foxboro, 69 @ Milford, 30 – Final – Freshman Kailey Sullivan recorded a career-high 23 points to lead the Warriors to a second win in as many nights. For the second straight game, Foxboro had three players reach double figures. Erin Foley added 13 and Camryn Collin scored a dozen points in the win. Brooke Ferreira was Milford’s leading scorer, finishing with 17.

Stoughton, 27 @ Franklin, 61 – Final – Franklin led 18-3 after one quarter and never allowed Stoughton to get back into the game from there, extending its long win streak and staying unbeaten in league play. Stefany Padula buried a handful of threes on her way to a game-high 17. Katie Peterson had 11 points and Emma Sousa finished with eight. The trio combined for all 17 of Franklin’s points in the third quarter. Sophomore Maiya Merritt had 11 points while Alyssa Edwards chipped in with 8 points for Stoughton.

Oliver Ames, 57 @ King Philip, 32 – Final – OA went on a run at the end of the half to take the lead for good and then locked down defensively in the second half to earn the road win. The Warriors led 11-10 after one but a run near the end of the second quarter gave the Tigers a 26-19 lead heading to the locker room. OA took control with a 16-8 third quarter and then held KP to just five points in the fourth to pull away. Anna Murphy anchored a strong defensive effort from OA and added 13 points offensively. Sophomores Jasmyn Cooper (eight rebounds) and Sarah Hilliard (seven rebounds) tied for the team-high with 14 points apiece while classmate Kaydance Derba added 10 points and eight boards. Emily Sawyer finished with nine points, seven in the first half, to lead the Warriors, which also got eight points from Julia Marsden.

North Attleboro, 30 @ Taunton, 53 – Final – Kameron St. Pierre scored 14 points in each half, knocked down four three-pointers, and finished with a game-high 28 to lead the Tigers to a big home win. Summer Doherty was North’s top scorer with 13 (10 in the first half) and no other Rocketeer finished with more than three points. Taunton jumped out to a 19-6 lead in the first and never looked back, leading by 11 at the half and holding North to just two made field goals after the break. Abby Souza added six points, all in the first half, for the Tigers and three other players finished with five.

Swimming
Sharon @ King Philip, 7:00
Taunton @ Brockton, 4:00

2021 HockomockSports Football Awards

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Attleboro

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

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

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

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

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

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

Canton

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

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

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

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

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

Foxboro

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

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

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

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

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

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







2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Franklin

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

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

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

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

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

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

King Philip

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

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

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

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

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

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Mansfield

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

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

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

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

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

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




Milford

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

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

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

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

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

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

North Attleboro

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oliver Ames

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

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

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

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

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

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




2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

Sharon

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stoughton

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

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

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

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

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

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

taunton

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

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

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

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

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

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

2021-2022 Hockomock Boys Basketball Preview

King Philip Can’t Match CM’s Offense in D2 Title Game

King Philip football Rudy Gately
King Phillip junior Rudy Gately muscles his way into the end zone for a second half touchdown. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
Josh PerryFollowJoshPerry


FOXBORO, Mass. – Defense has always been a strength for the King Philip program under head coach Brian Lee, but the Warriors have rarely faced an offense as dynamic and as talented as Catholic Memorial.

The Warriors (9-3) accomplished something no other team had this season, holding the Knights scoreless through the opening 12 minutes of Thursday night’s Div. 2 Super Bowl at Gillette Stadium, but it is nearly impossible to keep CM off the board for long. The Knights grabbed the lead before halftime and used big plays to break the game open in the second half, en route to a 42-18 victory.

“Once you get behind by more than you’re comfortable with then you can’t do what you want to do and be patient,” Lee explained. “We had a couple plays that really hurt but you’ve got to be able to overcome that and against them it’s so hard. You have to play perfect and you’ve got to keep pressure on the whole time and it’s a lot to do.”

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Lee was also vocal about his team, which was making its fourth Super Bowl appearance in the last six years, going up against a school that can pull players from a wide area. While school population means that CM actually opted up two divisions to compete in D2, Lee argued that there remains a talent gap that public schools will struggle to overcome.

“I’ll play any team, anywhere, anything like that, but does that look like that’s apples and apples?” Lee asked. “You’ve got to fix it. We have to play with kids who were in Cub Scouts together and they choose to stay, play hard, and work hard, but there’s just no way to close that gap. We can’t work hard enough. I can’t bring them in at four in the morning in the off-season to make them that good.”

CM got the ball to start the game and went to work in the running game, behind junior Carson Harwood (16 carries, 135 yards) and junior BC-commit Datrell Jones (nine carries, 95 yards). After Jake Sullivan and Sean King stuffed a third and four play at the 41, Hunter Hastings pressured CM quarterback JC Petrongolo, who slipped for a nine-yard loss.

KP wasn’t able to take advantage of the short field. Charlie Grant’s pass to Thomas Brewster fell incomplete on fourth down at the 36 giving the Knights back the ball.

This time, CM was able to get bigger chunks and deep into KP territory. Harwood broke a 13-yard run on the first play and Petrongolo (7-of-14, 137 yards) hit Jaedn Skeete (three catches, 103 yards) for 21. Crawford Cantave was able to bring down bruising fullback Kyle King three yards short of the goal line and on fourth down Sullivan forced a Harwood fumble that was recovered by Luke Danson in the end zone.

After picking up a crucial turnover, KP tried to convert it into points. On third and eight, Grant (14-of-22, 175 yards) connected with Brewster for 26 out to midfield. Rudy Gately (19 carries, 79 yards) started to go to work behind KP’s big offensive line. Grant was able to get just enough on fourth and one to keep the drive going, but on third down at the CM 11 he was unable to find an open Brewster in the back of the end zone. Matthew Kelley booted a 28-yard field goal to put KP on top.

The momentum from the opening score disappeared quickly. After Jones broke a 19-yard run, Petrongolo hit Kole Osinubi in stride on a deep slant for a 51-yard touchdown. Following a KP punt, CM got the ball back with 2:47 left in the half and proceeded to add to its lead. This time Petrongolo used a quick snap and threw a perfectly weighted pass to Matthew Rios for a 14-yard score.

KP had played well, used a lot of clock, and found itself down 14-3 at the break.

The Warriors got the ball to open the second half and missed another opportunity to put points on the board. After combining on a completion earlier in the drive for a first down, Grant rolled out to the near sideline and fired a third down pass on the run to a wide open Brewster, who had snuck behind the coverage but was unable haul it in.

Grant’s punt pinned CM back at its own seven, but Jones broke free for a 44-yard run that got the Knights into KP’s half after just two plays. Illegal motion wiped one TD off the board but Petrongolo found Harwood in the flat to convert on fourth down and then Jones punched it in from the three.

With the game in danger of getting out of hand, KP responded on its next drive. It started with a 26-yard completion to Danny Clancy to the 50. Clancy also drew a pass interference call and made a nice grab on the sideline to convert on third down. On fourth and two, Jonathan Joseph got open in the flat for six yards down to the four. Gately did the rest, breaking off tackle to the left and, rather than racing to the pylon, initiated contact with the linebacker to break the plane.

Once again, momentum switched straight back to CM. On the first play on the ensuing drive Petrongolo threw a backward pass to Drew DeLucia, who in turn threw it down field to a wide open Skeete for a 66-yard touchdown, just 12 seconds after KP scored.

“When you try to get into matching them, that’s not our game in the second half,” Lee said. “That’s what they do to everybody. Boom, you make a mistake, you force something that’s not there, and that’s what you get.”

The Warriors remained defiant. Clancy drew another pass interference call and Grant hit Nathan Kearney for 11 yards on a screen. After a holding call backed them up, Grant caught the CM defense with a shovel pass to Joseph, who broke it for 25 yards to the CM 40. Another screen to Gately turned into a 31-yard completion inside the 10. On third and goal, Grant kept it on the left side of the line for a one-yard plunge. He also found Cantave for the two-point conversion to make it 28-18 with 8:57 to play.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

CM was proving unstoppable on the other side of the ball. A big return by Jones put them out near midfield and a pass interference call moved them down to the 23. On third and five, Petrongolo hooked up with Osinubi for an 18-yard score right down the seam. Osinubi would cap his three-score night with a pick six in the final 90 seconds to cap the scoring.

“I’m so proud of them,” Lee said. “They were never supposed to have a chance.”

Reflecting on how far the team has progressed this season, he added, “I didn’t even think we were that good and then all of a sudden you’re in the Super Bowl. It’s all about them, how hard they worked, how much they believed.”

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 12/02/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Division 2 Super Bowl
#3 King Philip, 18 vs. #1 Catholic Memorial, 42 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (KP) Matthew Kelley 28-yard field goal; (CM) JC Petrongolo 51-yard pass to Kole Osinubi, Jack Sokol XP good; (CM) J. Petrongolo 14-yard pass to Matthew Rios, J. Sokol XP good.
3rd Quarter: (CM) Datrell Jones 4-yard rush, J. Sokol XP good.
4th Quarter: (KP) Rudy Gately 4-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good; (CM) Drew DeLucia 66-yard pass to Jaedn Skeete, J Sokol XP good; (KP) Charlie Grant 1-yard rush, C. Grant 2-point pass to Crawford Cantave; (CM) J. Petrongolo 18-yard pass to K. Osinubi, J. Sokol XP good; (CM) K. Osinubi 55-yard interception return, J. Sokol XP good.

Division 3 Super Bowl
#3 North Attleboro, 28 vs. #1 Marblehead, 35 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (M) Josh Robertson 7-yard pass to Connor Cronin, Eli Feingold XP good; (NA) Tyler DeMattio 6-yard rush, T. DeMattio XP good; (NA) T. DeMattio 4-yard rush, T. DeMattio XP good; (M) J. Robertson 73-yard pass to C. Cronin; E. Feingold XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) J. Robertson 20-yard pass to George Percy, E. Feingold XP good; (M) J. Robertson 8-yard rush, E. Feingold XP good; (NA) Tyler Bannon 6-yard rush, T. Demattio XP good.
4th Quarter: (NA) T. DeMattio 3-yard rush, T. DeMattio XP good; (M) J. Robertson 83-yard pass to C. Cronin, E. Feingold XP good.

Franklin Holds Off KP To Clinch Kelley-Rex Crown

Franklin senior Shane Kindred hauls in a one-handed grab against King Philip on Thanksgiving. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 FRANKLIN, Mass. — Before the main course of turkey, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce, the Franklin football team helped themselves to an early serving of stuffing.

Franklin senior Jack Marino denied King Philip on a 4th and 1 situation just beyond midfield with two minutes left in the game to help the Panthers secure a 27-20 win over the Warriors in the 61st Thanksgiving clash between the two teams.

With the win, Franklin clinches its first-ever Hockomock League Kelley-Rex division title and first league crown since 2009. It also snaps a 10-game Thanksgiving skid and an 18-game overall streak to the Warriors, their first win over KP since the same year they won their last title.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“It’s incredibly satisfying, and I’m obviously proud as the coach but I’m just happy for the kids and the town,” said Franklin head coach Eian Bain. “The last couple of years, this game has been good and there’s been some close ones and not so close ones. Eventually, these are games we have to win to move our program forward.

“This is a step in the right direction, and hopefully, our young kids realize what they can do if they keep working. But as awesome as this is, I hope they realize this took a lot of work from a lot of young men. I’m just really happy for the kids to see that hard work pay off today.”

The teams traded touchdowns in the third quarter, the latter — plus a two-point conversion — had the hosts ahead 27-20 going into the final quarter of play.

The Warriors were marching into Franklin territory as the final minutes ticked off the clock. KP punted on its second drive of the second half and then fumbled in Panther territory on its previous drive.

A heavy dose of junior Rudy Gately (24 carries, 162 yards) and Crawford Cantave (14 carries, 72 yards) had the Warriors over midfield, but Will Astorino’s third down run was stopped a yard shy of the marker on a tackle from Luke Davis and Cullen Pek.

On fourth down, Marino came flying through the offensive line and met Gately in the backfield for a loss of yards and a turnover on downs.

Mack Gulla (16 carries, 109 yards) ran for back-to-back first downs and the Panthers ran the clock out to secure their first win in the series in over a decade.

“Me and [Nick Quintina], we knew it was going to be either me or him that had to make the play, we needed to make a play and make a tackle,” Marino said. “Rudy is a hard runner, I’m good friends with him but I was able to get through the gap and he was there for me to make the play.

“It’s great to get this win…the rivalry between Franklin and KP has always been there all the way back to Pop Warner. They’ve had our number for a decade or so, but it’s great to get the last one, especially for the seniors.”

“Jack is one of the savviest athletes out there,” Bain said. “Coach [Zach] Brown would say the same thing with baseball…looking back at any big win, there’s a moment when Jack Marino turned the tide.”

While it was the perfect end for Franklin, it was far from the perfect start.

King Philip’s defense forced a quick three-and-out and its offense needed little time to find the end zone. Gately broke free up the middle for 64 yards and three plays later, senior quarterback Charlie Grant (4/9, 84 yards) went play action and hit classmate Drew Danson in the back of the end zone for a 7-0 lead less than four minutes into the game.

Things went from bad to worse for the Panthers as they fumbled on their first carry of the ensuing drive and KP pounced on the loose ball, taking over in Franklin territory.

The Warriors needed just four plays again, helped along by a 33-yard pass and catch from Grant to Danny Clancy down the right sideline down to the 1-yard line. Two plays later, Grant kept it himself on the sneak and Matthew Kelley booted the point after for a 14-0 lead with 5:55 left in the first quarter.

“You’re up 14-0 and you keep trying to tell the kids it’s not going to last,” KP head coach Brian Lee said. “You want to try and jump on them as much as possible early. I think if we had maybe one more there…but it just comes back to the little things.

“The quick reaction is jeez, we made a lot of mistakes but how much of that is from the pressure [Franklin] was bringing on us? It makes you a little antsy, jump offside, lineup wrong, just little things like that…you like to think it’s us self-destructing but I think it’s the pressure they put on us. That’s what happens playing against a very good team.”

Franklin had to punt on its third drive but the Panther defense delivered a big stop, cooling some of KP’s momentum.

After a first down run from Gulla, Bain dipped into his bag of tricks and the Panthers executed a perfect flea flicker. Gulla took the handoff but tossed it back to Jared Arone (11/17, 231 yards, 3 TD) and he hit Shane Kindred (5 catches, 159 yards, 3 TD) in stride for an 85-yard touchdown with just over a minute left in the first. Sean King blocked the point after for KP but Franklin was on the board, down 14-6.

Helped by a holding call, KP’s offense went backward on its next series. A third-down pooch punt didn’t travel as far as the Warriors’ hoped and Franklin took over at the KP 45-yard line with 9:19 left in the second.

Arone broke free from a facemask hold and weaved his way to a 45-yard score, only for a block in the back to offset the penalties and nullify the play. But the Panthers’ offense carried on as Arone hit Will Deschenes to convert a fourth down and on the next play, Arone hit Kindred up the left hash for a 17-yard touchdown, making it 14-13 after Garrett Portesi’s extra point.

A false start and a tackle for loss from Marino stalled KP’s next drive, and a sack from Jay Gulla ended it as the Warriors had to punt it back.

Franklin’s offense capitalized on the momentum as Arone hit Kindred to convert an early third down, and the duo hooked up two plays later on the right side and Kindred managed to stay inbounds, racing up the right sideline and diving into the end zone. Hunter Hastings blocked another point after attempt but the Panthers had a 19-14 lead at halftime.

“I think we’ve been in that situation a couple of times, and even though you might get your confidence rattled a little bit, we’re still a pretty good football team,” Bain said of facing an early deficit. “And as long as we kept believing, I think the biggest thing was just having our kids settle down. You want them to play with emotion but they had to settle down and once we hit the big play to Shane at the end of the first quarter, and then we got a stop that we needed and we settled in.

“KP did an awesome job, they’re going to Gillette for a reason. Kind of like last week, we knew they’d score points and make big plays, we just had to take it one series at a time. You can’t hit fast forward to the fourth quarter and the game is over, we had to work for it and earn it.”

KP opened the second half in typical Warrior style: a 9-play, 70-yard march down the field to retake the lead. Gately and Cantave alternated carries, and Grant hit Gately for 25 yards out of the backfield on a third and long. Cantave capped the drive by backing his way across the goal line for a 6-yard touchdown.

The two-point pass was broken up in the corner of the end zone by Franklin’s Devine Johnson.

Franklin went three-and-out on its first drive of the second half after a pass break up on third by KP’s Kelley. But the Panthers’ defense bounced back and stuffed the Warriors, who went for it on 4th down from the Franklin 32-yard line.

“I think it was good to get back to our identity and our reality,” Bain said of the defense. “Certainly, Springfield Central can take anyone out of their comfort zone and King Philip does it in a totally different way, and that’s hard. It’s hard to keep getting hit in the mouth and then you’re down 14. You have to ask yourself, do I want to keep getting hit in the face over and over and over again. Our guys didn’t back down…it was hard, and they’ll be sore tomorrow but they kept answering the bell time and time again, getting off the mat. In the fourth quarter, they made a couple of plays that were key to winning the game.”

Gulla made a nice catch on the left sideline for 19 yards to move the sticks and then bulldozed his way for 10 yards on the ground and another first down. Four plays later, he ran up the middle for a 5-yard touchdown.

On the two-point try, Arone went to the right on the bootleg but didn’t have anyone open so he raced back to the left and into the end zone for a successful conversion and a 27-20 lead.

“I don’t want to think if we did lose, but I think they still would have had a great career but I think this was needed for them,” Bain said of his senior class. “I think a couple of classes before them, I think they feel a part of this too but this group pushed us over the hump. Everyone got screwed out of a normal experience last year but to bounce back and to have this, for this to be their last high school football memory, it couldn’t be more fitting for this group of kids.

It was the first time in nearly a decade that Thanksgiving games counted towards division titles in the Hockomock League. With the new rating system, the league elected to have Thanksgiving count as a league game with holiday rivals only playing once in the season, rather than twice as they had for the past eight years.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

King Philip still has one game left as the Warriors are headed to Gillette Stadium to play Catholic Memorial in the Division 2 State Championship game. But the Warriors weren’t focused on next week just yet. KP played all of its starters.

“We were focused on this game…you have to respect their seniors, that’s a great team and they want to know they beat us with our guys,” Lee said. “They deserve that shot, that opportunity after the season they’ve had. And we wanted our guys to have a shot at the league title. Yeah, we’re going to the Super Bowl but who knows what’s going to happen? We’re playing against an absolute animal of a team. But with a chance at the Hock title, we wanted to try and go get it.”

Franklin finishes the season at 10-1 and a perfect 5-0 in Kelley-Rex division play. King Philip enters its showdown with CM next week at 9-2.

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 11/25/21

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
North Attleboro, 14 @ Attleboro, 6 – Final
1st Quarter: (NA) Tyler DeMattio 45-yard rush, T. DeMattio XP good.
2nd Quarter: (A) Adrian Rivera 5-yard rush, XP no good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (NA) T. DeMattio 8-yard rush, T. DeMattio XP good.

Canton, 14 @ Stoughton, 47 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (S) Jarred Daughtry 6-yard pass to Tagh Swierzewski, Jonah Ly XP good; Bahsor Mahn 70-yard rush, Hayden Rose XP good; (S) J. Ly 10-yard rush, XP failed; (S) Brady Clark 40-yard pass to Emmett Pearl, J. Ly XP good; (S) B. Clark 30-yard pass to E. Pearl, J. Ly XP good.; (S) Tyler Noel 2-yard fumble recovery, J. Ly XP good.; (C) Owen Lane rush, H. Rose XP good;
3rd Quarter: (S) Anthony Girolamo 12-yard rush, J. Ly XP good.
4th Quarter: (S) E. Pearl 50-yard interception return.

Foxboro, 21 @ Mansfield, 35 – Final
1st Quarter: (M) Conner Zukowski 16-yard pass to Ryan DeGirolamo, James Gilleran XP good; (F) Sam Carpenter 29-yard field goal.
2nd Quarter: (F) S. Carpenter 43-yard field goal; (M) Drew Sacco 5-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good; (F) Dylan Gordon 15-yard rush, D. Gordon 2-point conversion rush.
3rd Quarter: (M) Rocco Scarpellini 5-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good; (M) C. Zukowski 1-yard rush, J. Gilleran XP good.
4th Quarter: (M) C. Zukowski 8-yard pass to R. DeGirolamo, J. Gilleran XP good; (F) Tom Marcucella 73-yard pass to Rashaad Way, S. Carpenter XP good.

King Philip, 20 @ Franklin, 27 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (KP) Charlie Grant 5-yard pass to Drew Danson, Matthew Kelley XP good; (KP) C. Grant 1-yard rush, M. Kelley XP good; (F) Jared Arone 85-yard pass to Shane Kindred, XP blocked.
2nd Quarter: (F) J. Arone 17-yard pass to S. Kindred, Garrett Portesi XP good; (F) J. Arone 37-yard pass to S. Kindred, XP blocked.
3rd Quarter: (KP) Crawford Cantave 6-yard rush, 2pt pass failed; (F) Mack Gulla 5-yard rush, J. Arone 2pt rush.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Taunton, 28 @ Milford, 34 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (T) Jacob Leonard 25-yard pass to Trent Santos, Nathan Keenan XP good; (M) Tyler Lane 32-yard rush, Nicholas Araujo XP good.
2nd Quarter: (T) Faisal Mass 97-yard interception return, N. Keenan XP good; (M) Evan Cornelius 1-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good; (M) N. Araujo 41-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter: (M) E. Cornelius 3-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good; (M) N. Araujo 45-yard field goal; (T) J. Leonard 46-yard pass to T. Santos, N. Keenan XP good.
4th Quarter: (M) Isaiah Pantalone 10-yard rush, N. Araujo XP good; (T) J. Leonard 31-yard pass to Jose Touron, N. Keenan XP good.

Sharon, 7 @ Oliver Ames, 34 – Final