2019 HockomockSports Football Awards

Canton Beats Stoughton To Cap Memorable Season

Canton football Kyle Fitzgerald
Canton senior Kyle Fitzgerald leaps up to haul in a pass that turned into a touchdown in the second quarter. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
CANTON, Mass. – The Canton football team has had two of its most successful seasons in recent history.

Last year, the Bulldogs ended on a sour note when rival Stoughton came to town and earned an upset win.

Canton wasn’t going to let that happen again.

The Bulldogs (10-1), who won the Davenport division outright this season, capped a historic season with a 30-8 win over the Black Knights (10-1) in the 94th annual Thanksgiving meeting between the neighbors.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

It marks just the fourth time in program history the team has won 10 games, joining 1979, 1981, and 1987.

“The kids were disappointed last year, we didn’t play great and Stoughton came to play,” said Canton head coach Dave Bohane. “You see it over there on their sidelines…we had to live with that for a whole year. We didn’t want to let that happen again. I always knew it was important to the program, but that win two years ago and that whole feeling. It was a great day for the program, as is today, and it kind of started this run.

“We have a healthy rivalry. There’s a lot of talk about how the playoffs have taken the luster out of Thanksgiving, but not around here. I know how [Stoughton] values this rivalry, and I know how much we value it. Its two teams with mutual respect. Stoughton has a very good team that is very well-coached. Beating them on Thanksgiving is quite an accomplishment, that’s how we view it.”

Canton scored twice in the second quarter to take the lead and its defense pitched a second half shutout out, holding the Black Knights without a first down for nearly the entire second half.

Not only did the Bulldog defense prevent the Black Knights, who were without star two-way players Christopher Ais and Christian Georges due to injury, from moving the chains after the break, they limited the visitors to less than five yards on its first five series of the second half.

“For this program, for our class, this means everything for us,” said Canton senior David Allen, who had a second half touchdown catch. “We’ve won a lot together from when we were young. Getting knocked out of the playoffs hurt but to be able to take this trophy home to end the season means a lot to everyone on our team.

“It’s such a big rivalry. After a loss, you get to think about it but then it’s on to the next game, and especially with Stoughton, there’s a lot of extra motivation behind playing on Thanksgiving against them. We played very well defensively today, and we just had to grind it out on every play.”

After a scoreless first quarter that saw Canton come up with a stop against a goal-to-go situation for the Black Knights, the Bulldogs started the second quarter with 1st and goal from the 10 after a nice run from senior Kyle Fitzgerald (eight carries, 85 yards, touchdown) and 21-yard pass from Johnny Hagan (5-for-15, 99 yards, two touchdowns) to senior Jace Emma.

But similar how to the Black Knights were denied in the opening quarter, the Bulldogs couldn’t solve Stoughton’s defense. Despite getting down to the one-yard line, Stoughton got a good push up front from the likes of Carlvin LaGuerre, Oluwole Fabikun, Jerry Brisson, and Kelven Rodriquez, and senior Jaden McCall and junior Sproul Derolus combined for a huge tackle for loss on third down, and a fourth down pass fell incomplete.

Despite not scoring, the Bulldogs were able to flip field position, and cashed in on its next drive. On the first play from the Stoughton 35-yard line, Hagan floated one down the middle that Fitzgerald went up and grabbed over the defender and battled his way the final five yards for a touchdown. Owen Lehane’s point after made it 7-0 with 8:14 left in the second quarter.

Stoughton’s next drive didn’t go far thanks to a tackle for a loss on second down from Canton senior Jack Connolly, and a sack on third down from senior Lucas Ragusa. A good punt return from senior Gersom Rivera gave the Dogs the ball at the Stoughton 20-yard line.

Two plays later, Fitzgerald took his second straight handoff on a jet sweep and cut right up the middle for a 4-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead with 5:39 left in the first half.

“It was a long break coming off the Holliston game, and you always worry if there will be a hangover from that loss,” Bohane said. “There was a couple of days I was a little worried but once we got back together, I could sense it. They are a very mature group, a lot of them play multiple sports and compete all the time. I could tell by the way they were acting that we’d be alright. The coaches did a great job preparing them and the kids came to play today.”

Stoughton responded with its best drive of the game to make it a one-score contest. Senior Clayton Rahaman (7-for-20, 147 yards) lofted one down the sideline that junior John Burke made a nice adjustment to haul in for a 35-yard catch, earning a first down on 3rd and 20.

Junior Jake Queeney got open and drew a pass interference call two plays later, and then moved the chains with an 11-yard catch. Sophomore Anthony Girolamo (11 carries, 30 yards) scampered for 13 yards to move inside the 10-yard line, and two plays later junior Christian Ais extended at the goal line for a 6-yard touchdown.

Rahaman connected with senior Anthony Pizzano for the two-point conversion to make it 14-8 with 1:14 left in the second quarter.

A good return from Rivera and a run from Hagan got Canton into scoring position with under a minute to go, but Ais came up with an interception in the red zone to put an end to the drive.

Neither team moved the ball to open the second half as Canton punted after a three-and-out, and Stoughton did the same after going backward. Field position benefitted the hosts again as they started at the Stoughton 29-yard line. Canton moved into the red zone but a holding penalty pushed them back and Burke broke up a pass in the end zone.

The Bulldogs settled for a 28-yard field goal from Lehane to make it 17-8 with 7:46 left in the third quarter.

While Canton’s offense tried to establish itself in the second half, the defense came it plenty of chances. Stoughton’s first four drives all resulted in punts and totaled -14 yards. Its fifth drive didn’t yield any yards and ended with an interception two plays in.

“The defense has been outstanding all year,” Bohane said. “We played great against Stoughton the first time too. We had a couple of lapses but Coach Eckler did a great job with his adjustments at halftime and we really never had any issues with the defense the rest of the way, it was an outstanding performance.”

Stoughton senior Savion Scott put an end to Canton’s next series with a terrific diving interception but the Bulldogs were back in business on their next series. Starting at their own 47-yard line, the Bulldogs needed just four plays to extend the lead.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Fitzgerald sprinted for a 19-yard gain, junior Cam Sanchez took a handoff for six yards, Hagan kept it himself for 20 yards, and Rivera capped the drive with an 8-yard touchdown and a 23-8 lead with 1:41 left in the third.

The Bulldogs’ defense picked up a lot of contributions from linebackers James Murphy, Ben Guerini, and Robbie Gallery, as well as linemen Matt Connolly and Nnamdi Onyemelukwe. Senior Vicki Revanche earned time on the offensive line in the fourth quarter.

Canton started its next drive at the Stoughton 33-yard line, and back-to-back runs from Sanchez and Rivera moved the sticks. Back-to-back penalties put Canton into 1st and 26, but Hagan delivered a pass to Allen right to the marker for a first down. Three plays later, Hagan hit Allen on the slant for a 7-yard touchdown and a 30-8 lead.

“When we lost last year, it was tough,” Gallery said. “Throughout the year, we were all looking forward to the Thanksgiving game and getting payback, that’s what it’s all about. It was a good win and it’ s nice to go out on a high note.”

This article was updated on Saturday, November 30th to include the 1987 Canton team as a 10-win team.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 11/01/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
D1 South

#7 Attleboro, 0 @ #2 Franklin, 14 – FinalClick here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: (F) Thomas Gasbarro 16-yard pass to Jack Nally, Parker Cheuvront XP good.
4th Quarter: (F) T. Gasbarro 23-yard pass to Jake Davis, P. Cheuvront XP good.

D2 South
#2 Mansfield, 24 vs. #7 Marshfield, 6 – Final
1st Quarter: (Mans) Michael DeBolt 2-yard fumble recovery, M. DeBolt XP good; (Mans) Cincere Gill 14-yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good.
2nd Quarter: (Mans) Jack Moussette 16-yard pass to Vinnie Holmes, M. DeBolt XP good; (Marsh) Masterson 48-yard pass to Chabra, 2-point conversion failed.
3rd Quarter: (Mans) M. DeBolt 38-yard field goal.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

#3 King Philip, 34 vs. #6 Barnstable, 6 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring
2nd Quarter: (KP) Ryan Halliday 2-yard rush, XP good; (KP) Robert Jarest 9-yard pass to Drew Danson, XP failed.
3rd Quarter: (KP) Nick Viscusi 78-yard kickoff return, XP failed; (B) Nick Wilson 36-yard rush, two-point rush failed; (KP) R. Halliday 5-yard rush, R. Jarest 2pt pass to D. Danson.
4th Quarter: (KP) R. Jarest 4-yard rush, XP good.

D3 South
#3 Stoughton, 41 vs. #6 Whitman-Hanson, 12 – Final
1st Quarter: (S) Christopher Ais 78-yard rush, XP failed; (S) Clayton Rahaman 2-yard rush, 2pt conversion good.
2nd Quarter: (WH) Jason Murphy 58-yard pass to Colby Garden, XP failed; (S) C. Rahaman 10-yard pass to Christian Georges, XP good; (S) C. Georges 4-yard rush, XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (S) John Burke 85-yard pass to Eddie St. Hilaire, XP good; (S) C. Georges 39-yard rush, XP failed.

#5 Milford, 19 @ #4 Walpole, 34 – Final

D5 South
#1 Canton, 34 vs. #8 Scituate, 14 – FinalClick here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (C) Johnny Hagan 1-yard rush, Owen Lehane XP good.
3rd Quarter: (C) Kyle Fitzgerald 40-yard rush, O. Lehane XP good.
4th Quarter: (C) J. Hagan 2-yard rush, O. Lehane XP good; (C) K. Fitzgerald 7-yard rush, O. Lehane XP good; (S) Matt Scibilio 65-yard pass to Nick Gould, XP good; (C) K. Fitzgerald 56-yard rush, XP failed; (S) M. Scibilio 48-yard pass to N. Gould, XP good.

#4 Foxboro, 21 vs. #5 Norton, 0 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (F) Shayne Kerrigan 21-yard rush, XP good.
3rd Quarter: (F) S. Kerrigan 3-yard rush, XP good.
4th Quarter: (F) Chris McNamara 15-yard rush, XP good.

Non-Playoffs
North Attleboro, 14 @ Dennis-Yarmouth, 39 – Final
Oliver Ames, 7 @ North Quincy, 12 – Final
Sharon, 0 @ Dedham, 7 – Final
Taunton, 0 vs. Xaverian, 28 – Final

Field Hockey
D2 South

#4 Foxboro, 5 vs. #20 Seekonk, 0 – FinalClick here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Volleyball
D2 Central

#11 Foxboro, 2 @ #6 Medfield, 3 – FinalFoxboro battled back from an 0-2 deficit to force a deciding fifth game but host Medfield was the first to 15 to earn a 3-2 (14-25, 18-25, 25-11, 25-22, 11-15) win. Grace Boudreau paced Foxboro with 10 kills, 11 digs, four aces, and a pair of blocks while Pam Nelson and Grace Fortune each had 11 digs. Emma Keefe added five aces, five digs, and two kills, Shakirah Ketant picked up eight kills, three blocks, and two aces, and Maddie O’Brien dished out 19 assists along with seven digs for Foxboro.

#13 Milford, 0 @ #4 Westboro, 3 – Final

Stoughton Scores Big Win Over Big Red

Stoughton football
North Attleboro’s Tyler DeMattio (left) tries to run away from Stoughton’s Christian Georges (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
CANTON, Mass. – Throughout the 48 minutes of a high school football game, there is usually one or two momentum swings that can change the direction of the contest.

The Stoughton football team was on the right side of the two biggest momentum swings on Friday night on its way to a 35-0 win over visiting North Attleboro. It marks the Black Knights’ first shutout of the Rocketeers since 1992.

Late in the second quarter, Stoughton haunted a North Attleboro drive with a goal line interception and scored two plays later. And with a chance to get back in the game on the opening kickoff of the second half, the Black Knights forced another turnover and returned it for another touchdown.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“The momentum in high school is huge,” said Stoughton head coach Greg Burke. “Those are two big plays. We work on pulling the ball away every day, and sometimes it happens, it was huge.”

Using Canton High’s field as their home turf for the night, the Black Knights made themselves right at home with an opening drive touchdown. Stoughton used 13 plays to cover 73 yards, using 7:31 of the clock before finding the end zone for an early lead.

The drive included a 23-yard pass and catch from Clayton Rahaman to Christian Ais to move the sticks into North Attleboro territory. The Black Knights got down to the Rocketeers’ 2-yard line before a holding penalty, an incomplete pass, and rush that lost yards forced Stoughton into third and goal from the 20-yard line.

Rahaman linked up with a wide-open Christian Ais up the middle, and Anthony Girolamo’s first of five success point after attempts gave the hosts a 7-0 lead.

It looked as though North Attleboro was primed for an answer on its first drive before the first big momentum swing hit.

The Rocketeers marched 77 yards on 19 plays, advancing all the way to the Stoughton 5-yard line in a drive that lasted 13 minutes. Facing a fourth and goal, sophomore quarterback Tyler DeMattio (20 carries, 121 yards) rolled out to his right, racing away from a pair of Stoughton defenders before firing a pass into the end zone. Stoughton junior safety John Burke read it perfectly, jumping in front to intercept the pass at the goal line and give the Black Knights the ball back with just under four minutes to play in the first half.

“We bend a little bit,” Burke said. “The problem in high school, you have to make adjustments quickly and fast. On offense, you have the ball and you can do whatever you want. Defensively we were trying to switch some things around, it just happens fast so you don’t have time to talk to every individual player, you can’t call each one over. We bend a little bit, but our speed and strength are coming through pretty good.

“[North Attleboro] is a good team, and unfortunately we’ll have to see that quarterback [DeMattio] for a couple of more years, he’s a tough kid, he’s a real good one. We were trying to blitz him but then we stopped and just kept the linebackers on him.”

The Black Knights wasted little time moving up the field. Christian Ais (six carries, 110 yards) broke off down the left side, making a move past a defender in a one-on-one situation for a 71-yard rush. On the next play, Christopher Ais (seven carries, 75 yards) broke a tackle and muscled his way to a 22-yard touchdown for a 14-0 lead with 2:19 left in the half.

North Attleboro had some more success on its second drive, moving the sticks twice before time ran out in the first half. DeMattio picked up 83 yards on the ground in the first half and the Rocketeers were a play or two away from a tie game instead of a two-score deficit.

The Rocketeers didn’t have a chance to try and grab some momentum back as junior Mohamed Al-Halawahi knocked the ball free from a Rocketeer on the second half kick off. Christian Ais scooped the loose ball up and took off for a 48-yard fumble return, giving Stoughton a 21-0 advantage just 16 seconds into the second half.

“You just can’t make those kind of mistakes like we did against a good team like that,” said North Attleboro coach Don Johnson. “That’s exactly what can happen, they can bust it out in a second. You can’t give a team with talented guys like that extra opportunities to make plays because they can break one at any time.”

North Attleboro gained 46 yards on its first two plays of its ensuring drive with DeMattio rushing for 21 himself and Jacob Silva taking a handoff for 25 yards. But after a short gain on first down, Christian Georges and Carlvin LaGuerre came crashing in for a sack that pushed the Big Red back 11 yards, and North was forced to punt two plays later.

Stoughton’s showed its explosiveness on the next series as Christopher Ais broke off a 26-yard rush up the middle on a 3rd and two, and two plays later, Christian Ais used his speed to get to the outside and raced away for a 27-yard touchdown, his third score of the night.

“He’s something else, him and Christopher,” Burke said of Ais brothers Christian and Christopher. “They both got some long [runs] tonight. Christian, you give him a hole and he’ll dance through it. He’s big too, it’s hard to get a good hit on him, I haven’t seen anybody get one on him. Plus he can catch too, he’s got tremendous hands. Those guys are as good as you get athletically. I’ve seen a lot of great ones and they are right up there, and they are great kids too.”

North moved the ball to midfield on its next drive, including a fourth down conversion. On second and 11, Georges tracked down the ball carries, ripped the ball free, picked it up on one bounce and took it to the house for a 48-yard fumble return and a 35-0 lead with 9:44 left in the fourth quarter.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Playoff seeds won’t be officially released by the MIAA until Sunday. Based on the ratings from Jim Clark, formerly of the Boston Herald, the Black Knights are likely to have a home game in the first round, sitting in the third spot. North Attleboro is currently tied with Bishop Feehan for the eighth and final spot in the D3 South bracket as of Friday night. With games still to be played on Saturday, those rankings could change.

The first tiebreaker for seeding is head-to-head.

Stoughton football finishes the regular season at 6-1 while TauntonNorth Attleboro comes in at 2-5.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/25/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Game of the Week – Football
Foxboro, 21 @ Milford, 10 – FinalClick here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (F) Shayne Kerrigan 55-yard pass to Elijah Lewis, Cam Prescott XP good.
2nd Quarter: (M) Luke Rosa 2-yard rush, CJ Cerrella XP good; (M) C. Cerrella 37-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter: (F) S. Kerrigan 1-yard rush, C. Prescott XP good.
4th Quarter: (F) S. Kerrigan 44-yard rush, C. Prescott XP good.

Football
Canton, 35 @ Sharon, 7 – Final
1st Quarter: (C) Kyle Fitzgerald 2-yard rush, Owen Lehane XP good; (C) Johnny Hagan 42-yard pass to David Allen, O. Lehane XP good; (C) K. Fitzgerald 8-yard rush, O. Lehane XP good; (C) Nick Cushman 10-yard fumble return, O. Lehane XP good; (C) Johnny Hagan 18-yard pass to Jace Emma, O. Lehane XP.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (S) Kiran Chandrasekaran 12-yard pass to Conor McLaughlin, Alec Filipkowski XP good.

Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 28 – Final
1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (F) Thomas Gasbarro 5-yard pass to Jake Davis, Parker Cheuvront XP good; (F) T. Gasbarro 63-yard pass to Jack Nally, P. Cheuvront XP good; (F) T. Gasbarro 32-yard pass to J. Davis, P. Cheuvront XP good.
3rd Quarter: (F) J. Nally 5-yard rush, P. Cheuvront XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Oliver Ames, 0 @ King Philip, 28 – Final

North Attleboro, 0 @ Stoughton, 35 – FinalClick here for a recap and photo gallery of this game
1st Quarter: (S) Clayton Rahaman 20-yard pass to Christian Ais, Anthony Girolamo XP good.
2nd Quarter: (S) Christopher Ais 22-yard rush, A. Girolamo XP good.
3rd Quarter: (S) Christian Ais 36-yard fumble return, A. Girolamo XP good; (S) Christian Ais 27-yard rush, A. Girolamo XP good.
4th Quarter: (S) Christian Georges 48-yard fumble return, A. Girolamo XP good.

Girls Soccer
Milford, 3 vs. Walpole, 3 – FinalMilford trailed 3-1 with under 10 minutes play but scored a pair of goals in a three-minute span to earn a draw against visiting Walpole. Carly Ferreira was outstanding in goal for the Hawks while Ashleigh Starks, Juliana France, and Maddie Boyle each scored.

Taunton, 2 @ Stoughton, 2 – FinalClick here for a photo gallery from this gameStoughton took a lead in each half but Taunton answered each time to split the points in a draw. Emma McSweeney put the Black Knights up with a shot from atop the 18-yard box but Kayla Botelho answered minutes later to make it 1-1 heading into halftime. Mackenzie Manning put the hosts back in front in the 46th minute but Morgan Zakrzewski converted a shot from 20 yards out in the 67th minute to level the scoring.

Field Hockey
Franklin, 3 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final Attleboro’s Hannah Webster scored the lone goal of the second half to help the Bombardiers earn an impressive draw against the Kelley-Rex champions Franklin. The Panthers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first half behind goals from Hanna Richardson and Stephanie Bell (assisted by Amanda Lewandowski) but Attleboro’s Madison Ellis and Anna Beck scored back-to-back goals to tie it 2-2. Richardson (from Lewandowski) scored her second of the half to put Franklin back ahead, 3-2, at halftime. Neilee Hess had 10 saves in net for the Panthers while Olivia Curreri and Molly Collins each had great defensive saves today to help Franklin preserve the tie.

Canton, 4 @ Milford, 0 – FinalClick here for a Photo Gallery from this game.

Foxboro @ North Attleboro, 4:45

Sharon @ Norwell, 4:00

Mansfield @ Taunton, 3:45

King Philip, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 2 – FinalOliver Ames scored a pair of second half goals to rally for a win, earning a spot in the state tournament in the final game of the season. KP freshman Lauren Barreiro scored midway through the first half, a 1-0 advantage that the Warriors took into halftime. Cassie Gennis scored a pair of second half goals to help the Tigers rally for the win. Gennis struck in the 41st minute on an assist from Maura Kiernan, and then scored again four minutes later from Georgia Costello to put the hosts in front.

Volleyball
Franklin, 3 @ Attleboro, 0 – FinalFranklin went on the road and earned a 3-0 (25-13, 25-20, 25-12) sweep, earning a share of the Kelley-Rex division title with a win combined with OA’s win over KP. Allyson Bonnet-Eymard had 10 kills and seven digs, Cailyn Mackintosh handed out 17 assists, and Jill Benoit had seven digs for the Panthers.

Canton, 3 @ Milford, 0 – FinalCanton earned a 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-13) win on the road to secure sole possession of the Davenport division title. Taylor Harris has 17 kills, two aces and eight digs to pace the Bulldogs while Liz Bickett (13 digs, four aces), Shannon Malloy, Claire Quinn and Angie Elias were solid at the net. Nikki Desjardins and Steph Trendell played great defense, and Katie Lynch came in and served well for Canton.

Foxboro, 1 @ North Attleboro, 3 – FinalFoxboro won the first set on the road at North Attleboro but the hosts rallied to win three straight to pick up a 3-1 (20-25, 25-21, 25-20, 25-13) win over the Warriors. For Foxboro, Kelsey Treweek (20 digs) and Pam Nelson (16 digs) played well defensively, Shakirah Ketant added four blocks and three kills, and Grace Boudreau had 16 kills and four total blocks.

King Philip, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – FinalAfter splitting the first two sets, Oliver Ames won two straight to secure a 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 25-13, 25-21) win over King Philip. With the win, Oliver Ames earns a share of the Kelley-Rex division title alongside the Warriors and Franklin. Senior Jordan Bosse helped pace the offense with 16 kills and 14 digs, Allie Kemp handed out 30 assists, and Alison Barth finished with 22 digs. Junior Jordan Bennett added six kills, two blocks, and three aces in the win. For King Philip, Nicole Coughlan (14 kills, two blocks) and Catherine Waldeck (seven kills, two blocks) had strong games at the net, Ali McNamara added seven kills and two digs, and Kiley Sullivan dished out 19 assists.

Mansfield, 3 @ Taunton, 0 – FinalMansfield pulled out a pair of tight wins in the first two sets and then finished off a 3-0 (25-23, 27-25, 25-12) sweep on the road. Julia Buiser had 15 service points and five digs, Sam Sternburg added 10 service points and eight digs, and Emily Dardinski had a strong game offensively with five kills for the Hornets.

Stoughton, 1 @ Sharon, 3 – Final

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 10/03/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Stoughton, 51 @ Sharon, 6 – FinalClick here for a photo gallery of this game.
1st Quarter: (St) Christian Ais 10-yard rush, Anthony Girolamo XP good; (St) Christopher Ais 17-yard rush, A. Girolamo XP good.
2nd Quarter: (St) Clayton Rahaman 15-yard pass to Christopher Ais, XP no good; (St) Christopher Ais 20-yard rush, A. Girolamo XP good; John Burke 22-yard pass to Jonah Ly, A. Girolamo XP good; (St) Christian Georges 30-yard rush, A. Girolamo XP good; (St) Jake Queeney 50-yard interception return, A. Girolamo XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (St) A. Girolamo 21-yard field goal; (Sh) Ike Ogbonnanze 67-yard rush, XP no good.

Boys Soccer
Mansfield, 1 @ Stoughton, 2 – FinalMansfield took a 1-0 lead into halftime but Stoughton came out and scored a pair of second half goals to earn two points. Sagar Koul put the visitors ahead in the first half, finishing off a through ball from Cam Eddy. Mason Eschleman scored the game-winning goal for Stoughton.

Field Hockey
Attleboro, 2 @ Sharon, 0 – FinalMadison Ellis and Emma Briggs each scored once to lead Attleboro to a win on the road at Sharon.

Taunton, 0 @ Canton, 2 – FinalCanton scored once in each half to grab a win over visiting Taunton. Freshman Ellie Bohane scored the game-winner in the first half while senior Kaitlyn Goyetch added an insurance tally in the second half for the Bulldogs.

Franklin, 3 @ Foxboro, 2 – FinalClick here for a recap and photo gallery from this game.

North Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 1 – FinalKing Philip scored the lone goal of the game midway through the first half and goalie Makenzie Manning and the Warriors’ defense posted a shutout to beat North Attleboro. Junior Abby Nixon converted at 14:32 on a feed from Sammy Robison for the lone goal of the game. Manning made four saves for the shutout while senior Raegan Simeone and junior Christina Gifun both played well in the midfield for KP.

Mansfield, 2 @ Stoughton, 0 – FinalStori Rounds and Paige Peterson each scored once to lead Mansfield to a win on the road at Stoughton.

Oliver Ames @ Milford, 4:00

Volleyball
Attleboro @ Sharon, 5:00

Taunton, 0 @ Canton, 3 – FinalCanton defended home court by earning a clean 3-0 sweep (25-13, 25-11, 25-17) of visiting Taunton. Jackie Morrissey ran the Bulldogs’ offense with 16 assists and six digs while Claire Quinn, Taylor Harris, and Liz Bickett combined for 20 kills. The Nikki DesJardins, Stephanie Trendell and Emily Morrison played well defensively for Canton. For Taunton, Ella Dunderdale had 10 kills and two aces, Hailey Sullivan added 10 digs, and Jaelyn Fernandez dished out 18 assists.

Franklin, 3 @ Foxboro, 0 – FinalFranklin went on the road and won 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-19) over a gritty Foxboro side. Allyson Bonnet-Eymard led the way with 14 kills and nine digs while Bridget Jackson added seven kills and Jill Benoit chipped in with 12 digs. Sophomore Cailyn Mackintosh put the offense in motion with 26 assists.

King Philip, 3 @ North Attleboro, 0 – FinalKing Philip earned its second win over North Attleboro, this time in a league match, taking a 3-0 (25-6, 25-8, 25-23) decision. Kristen Masse (four aces) and Emma Brooks (three, seven digs) had strong showings at the service line while Nicole Coughlan (12 kills, three aces) and Catherine Waldeck (seven kills, four blocks) continued to shine at the net for KP.

Mansfield, 3 @ Stoughton, 0 – FinalMansfield got back into the win column with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-7) sweep on the road at the new Stoughton High School. Sam Sternburg paced the Hornets with 14 service points and six digs while Julia Kelly also played well with 13 service points and seven kills.

Golf
Foxboro, 166 @ Sharon, 173 – FinalFoxboro’s depth played a big role in a win on the road over Sharon on Thursday afternoon. Luke Davies was the match medalist, firing a match-low round of 40 while Dylan Quinn, Matt Lathrop, and Noah Hicks all finished at 42 to help the Warriors earn a close win. Ethan Skelly led Sharon with a round of 41.

Franklin, 164 @ Oliver Ames, 157 – FinalOliver Ames defended its home course, knocking off the visiting Panthers to avenge a loss from earlier in the season. Senior captain Brad Powers was the medalist for the match with a round of 37. JoJo Gaultier added a 39 for the Tigers and Sam Becker chipped in with a round of 40. Franklin’s Jack Paterson had a team-low round of 38.

King Philip, 169 @ Mansfield, 160 – FinalMansfield’s Ava Haggis earned match medalist honors to help the Hornets knock off KP and clinch at least a share of the division title. Haggis finished with a 39 while Ryan Dow and Cian Goulet each shot 40 for the Hornets. Brian See and Jason See each shot 41 in the win.

North Attleboro, 178 @ Taunton, 194 – Final North Attleboro’s Jillian Barend fired a 40 to earn match medalist honors, helping the Rocketeers earn a win on the road at Taunton.

Stoughton, 184 @ Canton, 142 – FinalCanton’s Thomas Singleton fired off an even-par round of 34 to earn medalist honors and lead the Bulldogs to a win over Stoughton. The Bulldogs clinched at least a share of the Davenport division title with the win. Will Gefteas finished at one-over at 35 while Mike Leonetti (36) and Nate MacDonald (37) also played well for Canton. Stoughton’s Patrick Smith finished with a team-low round of 40.

Boys Cross Country
Franklin, 21 @ Taunton, 37 – FinalFranklin had the top two runners and four of the top six spots to earn a win on the road over Taunton. Tyler Brogan took first place for the Panthers, crossing the finish line in 16:10.

Results: 1. Tyler Brogan, Frank (16:10) 2. Nicholas Calitri, Frank (16:22) 5. Declan Walmsley, Frank (17:19) 6. Joseph Zerice, Frank (17:24) 7. Griffin Sieczkiewicz, Frank (17:27) 9. Clancy Golden, Frank (17:33)

Girls Cross Country
Franklin, 15 @ Taunton, 43 – FinalFranklin had the top five finishers in the race on the 3.1 mile course on the campus of Taunton High School. Sydney Hawkins led the way for the Panthers, taking first in 20:43. Taunton sophomore Nia Mainer-Smith took sixth overall in 21:12.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/13/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Canton, 35 vs. Bellingham, 0 – Final
1st Quarter: (C) Kyle Fitzgerald 60-yard rush, Owen Lehane XP good; (C) Johnny Hagan 31-yard pass to David Allen, O. Lehane XP good; (C) K. Fitzgerald 8-yard rush, O. Lehane XP good; (C) Gersom Rivera 48-yard rush, O. Lehane XP good.
2nd Quarter: (C) Ben Guerini 12-yard rush, O. Lehane XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

King Philip, 20 @ Foxboro, 10 – FinalClick here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (KP) Robert Jarest 4-yard rush, XP no good; (F) Shayne Kerrigan 1-yard rush, Tyler James XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) T. James 25-yard field goal; R. Jarest 5-yard rush, Dylan Conti XP good.
3rd Quarter: (KP) Ryan Halliday 15-yard rush, D. Conti XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Mansfield, 16 @ LaSalle HS (OH), 38 – Final
1st Quarter: (LS) Zach Branam 38-yard pass to Jake Seibert, J. Seibert XP good; (M) Cincere Gill 87-yard rush, Michael DeBolt XP good; (LS) Gi’Bran Payne 50-yard rush, J. Seibert XP good.
2nd Quarter: (LS) Z. Branam 7-yard pass to J. Seibert, J. Seibert XP good; (LS) J. Seibert 35-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter: (LS) Z. Branam 30-yard pass to J. Seibert, J. Seibert XP good; (M) Matt Boen 32-yard pass to Danny Rapoza, XP failed.
4th Quarter: (LS) Cameron Porter 2-yard rush, J. Seibert XP good; (M) M. DeBolt 25-yard field goal.

Sharon, 0 vs. Ashland, 21 – FinalClick here for a photo gallery of this game.
1st Quarter: (A) Dominic Cavanagh 5-yard pass to Kevin Russell, XP good.
2nd Quarter: (A) D. Cavanagh 4-yard pass to K. Russell, XP good; (A) D. Cavanagh 8-yard rush, XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: No scoring.

Stoughton, 47 @ Medford, 6 – Final
1st Quarter: (S) Clayton Rahaman 32-yard pass to Christian Ais, Anthony Girolamo XP good; (S) Christopher Ais 41-yard rush, A. Girolamo XP good; (S) Savion Scott 1-yard rush, XP failed; (S) Christopher Ais 7-yard rush, A. Girolamo XP good.
2nd Quarter: (S) Christian Georges 5-yard rush, A. Girolamo XP good.
3rd Quarter: (S) Gerrard Theodore 31-yard rush, A. Girolamo XP good.
4th Quarter: (M) Medford 30-yard pass, XP blocked; (S) Jonah Ly 65-yard interception return, no XP attempt.

Taunton, 24 @ Durfee, 21 – Final




Boys Soccer
Stoughton, 0 @ Attleboro, 6 – FinalAttleboro’s Joey Soucy netted a first half hat trick to lead the Bombardiers to a big win at home. Michael Russo had a goal and an assist in the win while freshman Esvin Morales netted his first career goal.

Canton, 0 @ Franklin, 3 – FinalFranklin opened the scoring less than 10 minutes into the contest and added two goals in a 10-minute span in the second half to knock off visiting Canton. Lucas Moura put the Panthers ahead on an assist from Ben Moccia in the 7th minute. Trevor O’Neill doubled the lead for the hosts in the 54th minute on an assist from Jacob Cummings. Junior Ethan Cain capped the scoring five minutes later with a goal in the 59th minute.

Foxboro, 0 @ Taunton, 0 – Final

Milford, 2 @ King Philip, 1 – FinalMilford scored once in each half to earn two points on the road at King Philip. Lucas Da Silva played Leo Coelho in behind the defense, and Coelho used a curling left foot shot from atop the 18-yard box, knocking his shot off the far post and in. KP tied the game in the 51st minute as Colin Wesley connected with Caleb Casseta-Waxman. Casseta-Waxman’s deflected service fell in behind the defense and junior Tadhg Keller nodded the loose ball over the keeper to tie the game. The Hawks found the winner in the 70th minute when Pedro Araujo tracked down a ball from Jordan Borges. Araujo cut inside onto his left foot and sent a dipping shot off the far post and in for the game-winner.

Sharon, 0 @ Mansfield, 1 – FinalClick here for a recap and photo gallery of this game.

North Attleboro, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – FinalOliver Ames junior Colin Milliken converted a penalty kick in the first half to help the Tigers secure a shutout win over the visiting Rocketeers. Drew Nickla made four saves to record his third shutout of the season. Matt Nikiciuk had a strong game in the midfield for OA while Matt Nosalek, Jon Freeman, Harry Ahearn, and Brady deVos anchored the defense.

Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 7 @ Stoughton, 3 – FinalBriley Harnois scored three goals and added an assist and Isabella Salviati had a goal and two assists, as the Bombardiers scored five goals in the second half to pull out the win. Harnois opened the scoring in the third minute, but the Black Knights responded with three straight goals to grab the lead. Katherine Dennehy brought Attleboro back within one before the break. The Bombardiers grabbed the lead for good with three goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Harnois scored from Salviati and then the combo switched places to make it 4-3 before Harnois completed her hat trick in the 49th minute. Ashley Macia and Cassondra Stuger each scored to put the game away for the visitors. Attleboro coach Steve Santos said, “Totally different second half. We settled the ball down, had some good combinations and made some great runs.” Stoughton’s Shayla Ford, Mackenzie Manning, and Ashley Camilo each scored once for Stoughton.

Taunton, 0 @ Foxboro, 9 – FinalFour different Foxboro players scored in the opening half to build a 4-0 lead by the break, and the Warriors added five more in the second half for the win. Sophomore Kailee McCabe had a hat trick to lead the offense while Jordyn Collins had two goals and an assist. Olivia Nicholson, Caroline Rongione, Reagan Buckley, and Katelyn Mollica all scored once for Foxboro while Alyssa VandenBoom had an assist.

King Philip, 5 @ Milford, 1 – FinalThe Warriors and Hawks traded early goals but King Philip scored four unanswered to get the win. Avery Snead (on a cross from Chloe Layne) put KP up under two minutes in before Milford’s Ashleigh Starks scored off a corner kick from Maddie Boyle to make it 1-1. Jenny Montville scored twice in a four-minute span, one set up by Layne and the other by Snead, to give KP a 3-1 lead at halftime. Layne scored her first of the contest on a through ball from Ally Stanton, and Stanton scored in the final 10 minutes off a corner from Makayla Griffin. KP’s defensive core of Olivia Berry, Paige Varvarigos, Taryn Greenberg, Grace Lawler, and Griffin had a strong showing.

Oliver Ames, 4 @ North Attleboro, 1 – FinalClick here for a Photo Gallery from this game. The Tigers scored three goals in the first half to take control of the game and stayed unbeaten on the season. Erin Holmberg scored from Camryn O’Connor to put OA ahead inside the opening 10 minutes and then Lauren Sellmayer scored twice off of Holmberg corners to put the Tigers well ahead before halftime. North starting goalie Regan Fein made a pair of diving saves to keep North within three goals. O’Connor scored OA’s fourth goal on a rebound after North back-up keeper Caitlin Echeverri made a stop on Holmberg. The Rocketeers got on the board with a nice move in the closing minutes. Alex Moulson found space on the right and her low cross was side-footed in by Olivia Wills. Summer Doherty and Lydia Hershey played well in the back for North while Lily Adams and Caroline Ferrin had strong showings in the midfield.

Field Hockey
Foxboro, 2 @ Stoughton, 0 – FinalStoughton goalie Kayla Laboy made an incredible 30 saves but Foxboro was able to earn the win on the road. Jenny Gallagher scored her first goal and Jaime Notarangelo added another for the Warriors.

Sharon, 0 @ Canton, 7 – Final




Volleyball
North Attleboro, 0 @ King Philip, 3 – FinalKing Philip earned a 3-0 (25-12, 25-20, 25-20) sweep of North Attleboro in a non-league contest. The Warriors had a strong day at the service line as Emma Brooks (nine digs) notches seven aces, Lily Carlow (six digs, two kills) added six aces, and Ali McNamara had four aces. Nicole Coughlan slammed down a team-high 11 kills while Catherine Waldeck added 10 kills.

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 0 – FinalOliver Ames took care of business at home with a 3-0 (25-8, 25-19, 25-16) sweep of visiting Bridgewater-Raynham. Junior Jordan Bennett had a strong all-around game with five kills and two blocks. Allie Kemp finished with 35 assists and eight aces, and Jordan Bossed added 15 kills and four aces.

Taunton, 3 vs. Durfee, 0 – FinalTaunton’s defense had a strong day to help the Tigers break into the win column with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-21) win over visiting Durfee. Fabiana Pereira had 16 digs, Kailara Andrade added 10 digs, and Shea Pimental finished with eight digs in the win. Hailey Sullivan, Mikayla Cleary, Alyssa Turcotte, and Ella Dunderdale each had seven kills to pace the offense.

Golf
Attleboro, 177 @ King Philip, 153 – Final

North Attleboro, 180 @ Franklin, 154 – FinalFranklin junior Jack Paterson concluded the week with his fourth medalist round, this time shooting a team-low 36 to capture co-medalist honors. Quinten Faro also fired a 36 for the Panthers, who got a 39 out of Pat Dolan and a 43 from Brian Sandham. Jillian Barend shot a team-low 43 for the Rocketeers while Jake Gaskin carded a round of 44.

Black Knights Roll Past Framingham To Start Season

Stoughton’s Christian Ais stiff arms a Framingham defender in the first quarter. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
BRAINTREE, Mass. – A strong mix of ball carriers and timely defensive stops was the perfect recipe for Stoughton in its season-opener against Framingham.

The Black Knights flipped the game with a late first half stop and a key sequence of plays at the end of the third quarter to score a 35-16 win over the Flyers at Braintree High, the one-night home field for Stoughton.

Stoughton had 10 players combine for 372 yards on the ground with five or more accumulating 20 yards or more.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

“[Framingham] is a great team, they are a pretty good club, they will do better,” said longtime Stoughton head coach Greg Burke. “We struggled to slow down their running back but we hung in there and luckily we were able to move the ball ourselves. Had a couple of penalties that hurt us, but it’s the first game and there’s going to be a lot of mistakes across the entire state.

“I’m glad we won, and I think every week we’ll get a little better. Knock on wood, I don’t think anyone got hurt. The kids are in great shape, and I’m just real happy with this first win.”

Stoughton built a 14-0 lead in the first quarter but Framingham cut that lead in half midway through the second quarter and was threatening to take the lead just before halftime. After getting the ball in Stoughton territory on a fourth down stop, the Flyers moved all the way into the red zone with just a couple of minutes left in the half.

The Black Knights’ defense got its third big red zone stop of the half when Flyers’ quarterback Jack Beverly (11/24, 96 yards) hit Sam Stubbs on the right side but Stoughton’s Kamari Grant made the stick and the tackle short of the first down marker at the six yard line to prevent a score.

Stoughton made sure to capitalize on the stop, manufacturing its most methodical drive of the game (9 plays, 82 yards) capped with a fourth down conversion for a touchdown. Junior quarterback John Burke rolled out to his right and found Christopher Ais for an 8 yard touchdown. Anthony Girlamo’s extra point gave the Knights a 21-8 lead.

The defense got a stop right at midfield, turning Framingham over on downs. After a healthy dose of Christian Ais (9 carries, 80 yards) and Christopher Ais (20 carries, 108 yards), the Knights moved into the red zone. On a broken play, senior quarterback Clayton Rahaman scrambled up the left side for a 19-yard touchdown, putting Stoughton up 28-8.

With just seconds left in the third quarter, Stoughton put the proverbial nail in the coffin. After the special teams unit made a nice play to pin the Flyers deep, Burke — who also plays at safety — came through and knocked the ball free on Framingham’s first play. Savion Scott (five carries, 46 yards) wrestled for the loose ball to give the Knights possession back.

Three plays into the fourth quarter, Burke followed the push of his offensive line into the end zone for a 2-yard keeper and a 35-8 lead.

Framingham added a second touchdown against Stoughton’s second defensive unit late in the game.

While it was smooth sailing in the second half, the beginning of the game was a bit of a rocky start for Stoughton. Framingham’s offense was moving before Stoughton brought some pressure and Grant came away with an interception on a jump ball at the six yard line.

Stoughton’s offense stalled and a bad snap on the punt gave Framingham the ball at the Black Knights’ 12-yard line. The bend-don’t-break Stoughton defense came through, limiting the Flyers to two yards through three downs and then blocked a 27-yard field goal to keep Framingham off the board.

The offense looked much better on its second series as Christopher Ais made a great cut on the right side and darted for a 92-yard touchdown but the Knights were whistled for holding. Despite the penalty, Stoughton struck with another home run type play as Christian Georges (four carries, 99 yards) broke free for an 84-yard touchdown two plays later, putting Stoughton up 6-0.

The Black Knights’ defense forced a quick three and out, taking over at their own 40-yard line after a punt. Christopher Ais broke off a 43-yard rush for a touchdown but the refs flagged Stoughton for an illegal block downfield. But once again, two plays later the Knights were in the end zone as Georges took his second carry for 11 yards and a score. Christopher Ais punched in the two-point conversion.

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

Both Rahaman and Burke saw time at quarterback for the Knights, and head coach Greg Burke says that will be what you see all season from Stoughton. Rahaman rushed for a touchdown and had two completions (one to Burke) while Burke tossed one touchdown and rushed for another.

“That’s how it’s going to be all year, we’re going to play both of them,” Greg Burke said. “They push each other, they are working hard. They both have their strengths. Johnny plays on defense too and Clayton did a nice job tonight. The same with the running backs, they all have to play defense too.”

Stoughton football (1-0) is back in action next week when it hits the road to play at Medford.

Thursday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 09/05/19

Today’s games are listed below.

Football
Milford, 27 @ Franklin, 34 – FinalClick here for a recap and photo gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (F) Thomas Gasbarro 38 yard pass to Jake Davis, Parker Cheuvront XP good; (M) Luke Rosa 15 yard rush, CJ Cerrella XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) T. Gasbarro 23 yard pass to Jack Nally, P. Cheuvront XP good.
3rd Quarter: (F) T. Gasbarro 23 yard pass to J. Davis, XP failed; (M) Colby Pires 56 yard pass to Dan Farrell, XP failed; (F) Cole Lakatos 73 yard kick return, P. Cheuvront XP good.
4th Quarter: (M) C. Pires 26 yard pass to Carter Scudo, C. Carrella XP good; (F) Mack Gulla 4 yard rush, P. Cheuvront XP good; (M) C. Pires 22 yard pass to Matt Varteresian, C. Cerrella XP good.

Stoughton, 35 vs. Framingham, 16 – FinalClick here for a recap and photo gallery from this game.
1st Quarter: (S) Christian Georges 84 yard rush, XP failed; (S) C. Georges 11 yard rush, Christopher Ais 2pt rush good.
2nd Quarter: (F) Akye Boston 2 yard rush, Jack Beverly 2pt pass to Sam Stubbs good.
3rd Quarter: (S) John Burke 8 yard pass to Christopher Ais, Anthony Girolamo XP good; (S) Clayton Rahaman 19 yard rush, A. Girolamo XP good.
4th Quarter: (S) J. Burke 2 yard rush, A. Girolamo XP good; (F) A. Boston 53 yard rush; J. Beverly 2pt pass to Antonio Rivera good.

Boys Soccer
Canton, 0 @ Marshfield, 0 – FinalCanton senior goalie Alejandro Correal made 11 saves to help the Bulldogs earn a point on the road in the season opener for both squads.

King Philip, 4 @ Sharon, 0 – Final King Philip scored twice in the final five minutes of the first half and then twice more in the final 10 minutes of the game to earn a win on the road over Sharon. Wes Orzell scored the game-winner, putting KP ahead 1-0 with an unassisted strike in the 39th minute. Three minutes later, Orzell set up senior Brian McCarthy to make it 2-0 just before half. In the 71st, Cam Lawrence deposited a free kick (earned by Evan McEvoy) into the net for a 3-0 advantage. Stephen Griffin added a fourth (assisted by McEvoy) in the final minute. Aidan Lindmark and Grant Orzell combined for the shutout in net for KP.

Field Hockey
Attleboro, 0 @ Canton, 3 – FinalLocked in a one-goal game, Canton freshman Ellie Bohane scored her first two varsity goals inside the final five minutes to secure the win for the Bulldogs. Meg Aldrich put Canton up 1-0 off a corner with 10 minutes left in the first half but the Bulldogs couldn’t solve Attleboro goalie Ava Haggerty (22 saves) until Bohane’s tally with four minutes to go.

Mansfield, 1 @ Foxboro, 1 – FinalClick here for a photo gallery from this gameFoxboro sophomore Kate Collins scored with five seconds left in the game to salvage a point for the Warriors in their season opener against Mansfield. Collins scored off a corner with Molly McElhinney and Ella Waryas factoring in before Collins got the final touch. Stori Rounds put Mansfield up with just under five minutes to play in the first half while Kayla Hunter made six saves for the Hornets.

Franklin, 13 @ Milford, 0 – FinalAmanda Lewandowski and Leila Frankina each scored twice in the first half as Franklin rolled to a win to start the season. Lewandowski finished with three points, including an assist on Elizabeth Clark’s first varsity goal. Neilee Hess earned the shutout for Franklin. Paige Reisman had 20 saves in net for the Hawks.

King Philip, 3 @ Sharon, 1 – Final

Oliver Ames, 6 @ Stoughton, 1 – FinalAfter a scoreless first half, Oliver Ames scored five minutes into the second half and tacked on five more to record a win on the road at Stoughton. Cassie Gennis and Georgia Costello (assist) each scored twice for the Tigers while Sofia Anestam and Hannah Stryke (assist) each found the back of the net once for the Tigers. Haley Nelson scored for Stoughton while Kayla Laboy had an outstanding game in net, making 10 saves.

Taunton, 3 @ North Attleboro, 1 – FinalTaunton went on the road and picked up a win in the season opener at North Attleboro. Kennedy Thielker scored twice for the Tigers, both assisted by Kat Robinson, while Alana Tavares added an unassisted tally. Emily Gannon made five saves in net for the win. Jocelyn Pagliuca and Kathryn Baptiste also had strong games for Taunton.




Volleyball
Attleboro, 0 @ Canton, 3 – FinalCanton opened the season with a 3-0 sweep (25-16, 25-19, 25-16) to give head coach Pat Cawley her 200th victory with the Bulldogs. Senior Taylor Harris led the offense with 15 kills while adding 12 digs and three aces in the win. Angie Elias also had a strong day with seven digs, six kills, and a pair of aces, Liz Bickett added four kills and 11 digs and Nikki Desjardins had a solid defensive showing. Attleboro junior Ana Leonardo dished out 11 assists and sophomore Delia Barthel had three kills and two blocks.

Mansfield, 3 @ Foxboro, 1 – FinalMansfield started the 2019 campaign with a 3-1 (25-11, 25-22, 23-25, 25-21) win on the road over Foxboro. Sam Sternburg paced the Hornets’ defense with 20 digs and added 12 service points while Olivia McGrath had 11 kills and Emily Dardinski added seven kills. Foxboro had a strong defensive game to keep the match close, with Pam Nelson (10 digs), Grace Fortune (nine digs), Sara Addeche (nine digs) and Kelsey Treweek (six digs) leading the way.

Franklin, 1 @ Milford, 3 – FinalMilford bounced back from dropping the first set to secure a 3-1 (24-26, 26-24, 25-20, 25-21) win at home against Franklin. Julia Riordan paced the Hawks offense, dishing out 28 assists. Lauren Corsini had a strong game in the middle with 11 kills and six blocks, Alyssa Williamson added six kills, and Sarah Brogioli anchored the defense with 15 digs.

King Philip, 3 @ Sharon, 0 – FinalKing Philip went on the road and picked up a win in its first game of the season, 3-0 (25-13, 25-12, 25-13) over Sharon. Middles Catherine Waldeck (nine kills, three blocks) and Nicole Coughlan (nine kills, two aces) both had strong games for the Warriors, Kristen Masse added four kills, four digs, and three aces, and Emma Brooks chipped in with six digs and four aces.

Taunton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 3 – FinalNorth Attleboro defended home court with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-16, 25-18) win over visiting Taunton. Haley Gaskin dished out 22 assists to pace the Rocketeers with Kylie Melanson (six kills) and Joanna Collins-Bilyeu (five kills) leading the offense. Alyssa Turcotte had five kills and a block for the Tigers while Sonya Fernandez added four kills and a pair of aces.

Oliver Ames, 3 @ Stoughton, 0 – FinalOliver Ames senior Allie Kemp dished out 27 assists to lead the Tigers to a 3-0 (25-12, 25-21, 25-16) win over Stoughton. Kemp moved within two assists of the 1,000 mark. Junior Caroline Flynn added 10 kills while senior Ryley McNeeley added eight kills and five aces. OA senior Alison Barth had a strong game defensively with 21 digs, 23 serve receptions, and a pair of aces.

Golf
Oliver Ames, 151 @ Attleboro, 164 – Final – Oliver Ames bounced back with a win on the road over Attleboro at Stone-E-Lea. Sam Becker paced the Tigers with a medalist round of 35 while Brad Powers (38), Justin Shapiro (39), and Jo Jo Gaultier (39) all shot under 40 for Oliver Ames.

Stoughton, 194 @ North Attleboro, 156 – FinalNorth Attleboro’s Jillian Barend shot a one-under round of 34 at the middle course at Heather Hill to pace the Rocketeers to a win. Jake Gaskin added a round of 39, Aidan Weir carded a 40, and Brett Dusel and Sam Gallagher each finished at 43. Max Huminik led Stoughton with a round of 46.

Franklin, 158 vs. Nipmuc, 173 – FinalJack Paterson led the way for the Panthers with a team-low round of 38 while Quinten Faro was right behind him with a round of 39.

Football: 2019 Davenport Division Preview

Stoughton football
Stoughton’s Christopher Ais carries the ball after hauling in a pass in the second half against Canton on Thanksgiving. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)

By HockomockSports.com Staff

2019 Davenport Football Preview

Canton

2018 Record: 8-3
2018 Finish: Reached D5 South Final (Davenport Division Champions)
Coach: Dave Bohane

Key/Returning Players: Robbie Gallery, Sr., SE/LB; Johnny Hagan, Sr., QB; Kyle Fitzgerald, Sr., HB/FS; Matt Connolly, Jr., OL/DL; Gersom Rivera, Sr., RB/HB; Lucas Bryant, Sr., OL/DL; Jack Connolly, Sr., OL/DL; James Murphy, Sr., LB; Derrell Brown, Sr., OL/DL; Owen Lehane, Sr., OL/LB; David Allen, Sr., SE/DB; Jace Emma, Sr., SE/DB; Cam Sanchez, Jr., HB/DB;

Outlook:
Canton had its best season in recent memory a year ago, but the 2019 squad is aiming to take it one step further.

With starters back at almost every position, Canton is aiming to defend its Davenport division title and get back to the sectional final for the second straight season. Johnny Hagan is back under center this season and has all of his weapons back. The Bulldogs ran a mix of Wing-T and spread offense a year ago so Hagan is comfortable running whatever is needed this year. Kyle Fitzgerald, Gersom Rivera, and Cam Sanchez are all talented backs that can help grind down opposing defenses while Hagan makes a lot of plays with his feet as well. Jace Emma was one of Hagan’s favorite targets last year and he will be joined by David Allen as options in the passing game. The offensive line will be anchored by senior Jack Connolly, who missed a good amount of last season with an injury. Matt Connolly, Derrell Brown, and Lucas Bryant return to the line as well while Carson Campbell and Brandon Baran are in the mix for the final spot.

A lot of the same names will make plays on the defensive end as well with Jack Connolly and Matt Connolly teaming up with Nnamdi Onyemelukwe to provide size on the line. The strength of the defense will once again be with the linebackers as the Bulldogs have James Murphy back in the middle alongside junior Lucas Ragusa. Owen Lehane and Robbie Gallery both had strong seasons coming from the outside. The entire secondary is back for the Bulldogs with Rivera and Sanchez handle the corners and Fitzgerald and Allen provide physicality from the safety spots. And for special teams, Lehane handles kicking duties, Allen returns as the punter, and Rivera and Fitzgerald handle return duties. The Bulldogs will look to build some depth with so many two-way players in the lineup.

“We have a lot of experience with a lot of guys that have played at this level, and we had the playoff run so that should definitely help us down the road,” said Canton coach Dave Bohane. “We are focused on Dighton-Rehoboth, focusing on one game at a time. We have a lot of competitors that don’t quit.”

Foxboro

2018 Record: 5-6
2018 Finish: Reached D5 South Quarterfinal
Coach: Jack Martinelli

Key/Returning Players: Anton George, Sr., DL; Mike Sheehan, Sr., LB; Brian Derba, Sr., WR/DB; Shayne Kerrigan, Sr., DB; Michael Devlin, Sr., DB; Zach Jenkins, Sr., OG; Aidan Dow, Sr., OG; Austin Read, Sr., DT; Elijah Lewis, Sr., SE; Ryan Hughes, Sr., SE;

Outlook:
Foxboro’s biggest win of the season came in its final game, a thrilling overtime win over rival Mansfield at Fenway Park two days before Thanksgiving. If the Warriors are able to carry any of that momentum into the 2019 season, Foxboro will certainly be in the mix for the Davenport division title.

The Warriors return a good amount of talent from last year but will need to find a replacement for Liam Foley, who came on strong at the end of last season. Senior Shayne Kerrigan and junior Cam Prescott have both taken reps this preseason so longtime coach Jack Martinelli and his staff will have two good options to work with under center. Last year’s leading rusher Mike Luong also graduated so there will be an opportunity for someone to take on carries out of the backfield. The Warriors have good skill options in Brian Derba (three touchdown catches last year) and split ends Elijah Lewis and Ryan Hughes. Foxboro has some experience on the line as well as Zach Jenkins and Aidan Dow are both returning starters at the guard position.

Foxboro’s defense has returning players at all three levels so the Warriors will likely rely on that side of the ball, especially early on against two strong non-league foes. Anton George, a HockomockSports Hock 5 selection for defensive line, is back and will be a force to deal with for opponents. Austin Read will be key in Foxboro’s run defense from the defensive tackle spot. Mike Sheehan returns to anchor the linebackers group after a standout junior season. The secondary should be one of the top units in the league with a lot of experienced playmakers. Derba and Kerrigan made a lot of plays defensively last year and Michael Devlin could be poised for a big year for the Warriors.

“With a challenging scrimmage schedule and formidable non-league opponents, we should be prepared for the Hock grind,” Martinelli said “We have several key components returning to make this possible, but it’s one game at a time.”

Milford

2018 Record: 6-5
2018 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Anthony Vizakis

Key/Returning Players: Colby Pires, Sr., QB; Luke Rosa, Sr., RB/LB; CJ Cerrella, Sr., RB/LB; Nick Yohn, Jr., OL/DL; Dom Schofield, Jr., OL/DL; Mario Lee, Jr., OL/DL; Carter Scudo, Jr., WB/DB; Dom Stallbaum, Jr., OL/DL; Max Martin, Jr., WR/CB; Matt Varteresian, Jr., WR/DB; Herrick Louis, Jr., WR/LB; Kevin O’Connor, Jr., WR/LB; Xavier Hilton, Sr., WR/DB;

Outlook:
Milford just missed out on the playoffs last season but the 2019 Scarlet Hawks are determined to get back to postseason play.

There is a lot of experience on both sides of the ball, and maybe most importantly, at key positions both offensively and defensively. The Hawks have Colby Pires back at quarterback after a big junior season that saw him toss 22 touchdowns, second most in the Hockomock League. But the challenge will be developing chemistry with a brand new set of receivers. Brendan White (12), Sean Lehane (5), and Shapel Feaster (5) all graduated so Milford is looking for new names to step up and make plays offensively. Junior Carter Scudo is a terrific athlete and will be one of the top options while Max Martin, Matt Varteresian, Herrick Louis, Kevin O’Connor, and Xavier Hilton are all battling to get reps on the field. Milford does bring back its leading rusher in Luke Rosa (seven rushing touchdowns), a very powerful back that will help the Hawks pound the ball. Juniors Nick Yohn, Dom Schofield, Mario Lee, and Dom Stallbaum provide a physical yet athletic offensive line.

The linebackers will be the heart of the Hawks’ defense this season. CJ Cerrella had a breakout junior year and will be on the top linebackers in the Hockomock League this season. He will be joined by Rosa, Louis, and O’Connor. A lot of the offensive line will see action on the defensive side of the ball as well while Scudo returns as a top defensive back at the safety position. Look for Martin, Varteresian, and Hilton to factor into the secondary as well for Milford this season.

“We have a very focused, determined, and excited team this season,” said head coach Anthony Vizakis. “They are a hard working group of guys with their eyes on one goal, one mission, and they are determined to do it together.”




North Attleboro

2018 Record: 8-3 (Davenport Division Champions)
2018 Finish: Reached D3 South Semifinals
Coach: Don Johnson

Key/Returning Players: Ethan Friberg, Sr., TE/DE; John Kummer, Sr., OL/DL; Tom O’Neill, Sr., RB/LB; Ethan Mottinger, Sr., OL/DL; Matt Penta, Jr., QB/DB; Trevor Hewett, Sr., OL/DL; Montrel Jackson, Sr., OL/DL; Russell Dunlap, Sr., SE/DB; Owen Harding, Sr., TE/LB; Duane Bryant, Sr., RB/LB; Tyler DeMattio, So., QB/K;

Outlook:
The Rocketeers have won four straight league titles, the last three in the Davenport division, and will be looking to make it five straight this year.

If North Attleboro does make it five straight, they will need some new players to step up into new roles to do so. The Big Red graduated a lot of talent in almost every position but the Rocketeers are a program that doesn’t rebuild, they reload. The strength of the offensive will start with the offensive line as there are three returning starters. Ethan Mottinger (6’6, 294), who committed to UMass over the offseason, and John Kummer (5’11, 256) man the tackle positions while Ethan Friberg (6’5, 252) adds additional protection from the tight end position. Senior Casey Poirier, junior Matt Penta, and sophomore Tyler DeMattio are locked in a healthy battle at quarterback with each bringing a unique skill set to the offense. North lost almost all of its skill position players but there are a variety of versatile junior backs battling for time. Friberg, Russell Dunlap, and Robbie Donovan will be options in the passing game.

The strong suit of the Rocketeers’ defense will be in the front seven with several returning lineman and senior captain Tom O’Neill anchoring the linebackers. Friberg will be on one end while Montrel Jackson will see time at the other defensive end position. Kummer is joined by Trevor Hewett at defensive tackle to give North a strong, experienced defensive line. Owen Harding and Jacob Silva are in the mix to join O’Neill at linebacker while North will look for some new names to step up in its secondary alongside Jared and Matt Penta. DeMattio returns as the kicker after a standout freshmen campaign (32-for-35 PAT, 3-for-4 field goals).

“We will need to find a way to stay healthy and quickly develop some depth,” said North Attleboro head coach Don Johnson. “With the inexperience in the skill positions, we expect there to be some early growing pains, but we are hopeful that the great attitude and work ethic that has been displayed in the preseason will help us overcome the lack of experience.”

Sharon

2018 Record: 3-8
2018 Finish: Missed playoffs
Coach: Dave Morse

Key/Returning Players: Jaden Williams Thomas, Sr., OL/DL; Alec Filipkowski, Sr., WR/DB; John Saab, Sr., RB/LB; Nico Marrero, Jr., RB/LB; Ike Ogbonnanze, Jr., TE/LB; Kiran Chandrasekaran, Jr., QB; Owen Conway, Jr., WR/DB; Shea Letendre, Jr., OL/DL;

Outlook:
Sharon might not have as many players as some of the other programs in the league and might not match up in terms of size, but the Eagles have plenty of fight and are looking to showcase that this year.

The Eagles are going to look to capitalize on their team speed this year. Junior Nic Morrero was strong on both sides of the ball last season and will likely feature in the backfield this season for the Eagles. John Saab is another returning play that should pick up carries for the Eagles this year. Junior Kiran Chadrasekaran looks set to take over under center for the Eagles and will have a couple of experienced players to work with in senior receiver Alec Filipkowski and junior tight end Ike Ogbonnanze while junior receiver Owen Conway will likely see an expanded role this season.

Senior Jaden Williams-Thomas returns to anchor both the offensive and defensive lines and will be joined by junior Shea Letendre. Williams-Thomas will handle defensive tackle duties and should be a big part of the Eagles’ defense this year. Marrero anchors the linebackers alongside Saab and Ogbonnanze while Filipkowski and Conway will see time in the secondary.

“We have a great group of relentless players that have the right attitude and understand that they have a ton to prove,” said Sharon head coach Dave Morse.

Stoughton

2018 Record: 4-7
2015 Finish: Reached D3 South Quarterfinals
Coach: Greg Burke

Key/Returning Players: Anthony Pizzano, Sr., TE/DB; Clayton Rahaman, Sr., QB/DB; David Peters, Sr., WR/DB; Oluwole Fabikun, Sr., OL/DL; Jaden McCall, Sr., OL/DL; Carlvin LaGuerre, Sr., OL/DL; Jerry Brisson, Sr., OL/DL; Kevlen Rodrigues, Sr., OL/DL; Christopher Ais, Jr., RB/LB; Christian Ais, Jr., RB/LB; Christian Georges, Jr., HB/LB; John Burke, Jr., QB/DB;

Outlook:
Stoughton didn’t have the season it wanted in terms of record, but the Black Knights were competitive in just about every game last year and are hoping to get back in the hunt for the Davenport crown this year.

Despite finishing 4-7, Stoughton beat both Davenport champions in North Attleboro (21-10) and Canton (28-7 on Thanksgiving) during the year. If the Black Knights are able to string together those type of performances throughout the year, they will definitely be competing for their first division crown since 2015. Offensively, Stoughton has a good battle at quarterback with junior John Burke and senior Clayton Rahaman. Both saw time last year so head coach Greg Burke has two experienced options to start under center. The offensive line should be a strength for Stoughton with a good group of seniors that includes Oluwole Fabikun, Jaden McCall, Carlvin LaGuerre, and Jerry Brisson. Having a strong and experienced line will set things up nicely for the Black Knights strong run game, which will feature Savion Scott, Christopher Ais, and Christian Ais. Tight end Anthony Pizzano, junior Jake Queeney, and track star David Peters will provide options in the pass game.

Stoughton is often known for its defense and will be looking for that to continue during the 2019 season. Kelven Rodrigues will be a big part of the defensive line for the Black Knights, joined by Brisson, LaGuerre, and Fabikun. Georges had a very strong season on the end last season but will mostly line up as a linebacker this year, alongside Scott and Christopher Ais. Stoughton will have a hard hitting secondary once again this season with Burke, Pizzano, Christian Ais and Kamari Grant all likely to see time.

“We hope to stay healthy and be competitive in the league, all of our athletes improved their strength and conditioning,” Burke said. “We have many juniors also playing and will be a big part of the team. We will need help from all players and try to improve depth.”