Tag: Donyae Pierre

Sunday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/20/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Canton, 50 @ Fenway, 43 – Final – Canton saw it’s double-digit halftime lead disappear in the third quarter but the Bulldogs bounced back in the fourth to secure the win on the road. The Bulldogs built a 24-13 lead over the first two quarters of action with senior Dillon Nguyen scoring six of his 11 points in the second and Jacob Solomon and Bahsor Mahn coming off the bench with four points apiece. But Fenway erupted in the third, hitting four threes on the way to 22 points and a 35-31 lead going into the fourth. Canton had its best offensive quarter of the game, outscoring the hosts 19-8 over the final eight minutes to get the win. Matt Chafin and Nate Mei (11 points) each hit a three in the fourth while Lanse Dorcelus scored seven of his team-high 15 points in the frame. Canton hosts Fenway in a rematch on Monday.

North Attleboro, 74 @ Weymouth, 67 – Final (OT) – Senior Brody Rosenberg drained a three and junior Givany Carney had a steal that led to a traditional three-point play in the extra period as North Attleboro earned a hard-fought win on the road at Weymouth. Rosenberg (game-high 28 points) hit a trio of three-pointers in 19-point second quarter for the Rocketeers, who built a 30-21 lead by halftime. Weymouth took advantage of its size advantage in the third to cut the deficit to two (39-37) going into the fourth. After a back-and-forth fourth, Weymouth took the lead with a minute and a half to go but the Rocketeers had a big day at the free throw line (22-for-29), hitting some clutch shots from the line down the stretch, with Rosenberg going 8-for-8 from the line in the fourth. Carney finished with seven of his 17 points in overtime and Casey Poirier added 12 points for North.

Sharon, 89 vs. Ashland, 33 – Final – Sharon opened the game on a 14-0 run and never looked back in a convincing win over Ashland in the opening round of the Davenport Classic. The Eagles found a lot of success attacking the basket with 14 two-point field goals in the first half, and just three of their 10 made three-pointers. Junior Matt Baur scored 15 of his team-high 18 points in the first half for the Eagles, who had 11 players factor into the scoring, including 10 from Sam Cohen and nine points apiece from Donyae Pierre and Jacob McLoughlin.

Stoughton, 58 @ North Andover, 72 – Final










Girls Basketball
Oliver Ames, 67 vs. Newton South, 40 – Final – Locked in a 10-point game at halftime, Oliver Ames held Newton South to just four points in the third, doubling its advantage going into the fourth and ran away with the win. Sophomore Jasmyn Cooper had an incredible efficient night, shooting 13-for-18 from the field to finish with a career-high 33 points to pace the Tigers. Sophomore Sarah Hilliard added 11 points while senior Caroline Peper stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.

Canton, 45 vs. Needham, 29 – Final – Canton had a strong defensive performance and got big games from its three stars to pull out a win against Needham in the first round of the Riley Classic at Westwood High. Fay Gallery, Kiara Cerruti and Sydney Gallery combined for 43 of the team’s 45 points in the win. Fay Gallery led the Bulldogs with 20 points, also pulling down seven rebounds, picking up seven steals, and finishing with three assists. Cerruti had 15 points and seven rebounds and Sydney Gallery chipped in with eight points and seven rebounds against the team that entered the day No. 15 in the D1 power rankings.

Franklin, 48 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 44 – Final – Following its first loss in three years, Franklin bounced back 24 hours later by pulling out a close win against Bridgewater-Raynham. The Panthers got off to a good start, scoring 15 points in the first quarter and jumping out to a nine-point lead, but the Trojans responded with an 18-8 second to lead by one at halftime. In the the third quarter, Stefany Padula and Katie Peterson each scored five points, as Franklin took the third 14-9 and regained the lead. Franklin shot 8-of-12 from the line in the fourth, including 5-of-6 from Peterson, to hold on for the win. Padula knocked down four from beyond the arc and was the top scorer for Franklin with 15 points. Peterson added nine, all in the second half, and Olivia Quinn chipped in with nine as well.

King Philip, 47 @ Hingham, 58 – Final – Playing without its two leading scorers, KP got off to a tough start against the Harborwomen, down 18-9 after the first, but then played largely even for the final three quarters. KP held Hingham to just seven points in the second to cut the lead to three heading to halftime, but Hingham pushed the lead back up to nine after three. Liv Lafond scored 16 points to pace the Warriors, who also got nine points from Jordan Bennett (on three makes from beyond the arc) and six points apiece from Mia Bennett and Kylie Watson.

Sharon Soars To Davenport Title With Win At Stoughton

Sharon boys basketball Jacob McLoughlin
Sharon sophomore Jacob McLoughlin, who had a team-high 15 points, goes up for a layup in the first half against Stoughton. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
ByRyanLanigan_2016FollowRyanLanigan_2016
 
 
 STOUGHTON, Mass. — Sharon head coach Andrew Ferguson is usually preaching for his players to be unselfish, urging them to share the ball and make the extra pass.

But going into Friday night’s clash on the road in Stoughton, Ferguson said the Eagles needed to be selfish.

Not on the court, of course, but rather in terms of the Davenport division title race. Sharon clinched a share of the title on Tuesday, but if the Eagles didn’t grab a win on Friday, there was a chance of sharing the Davenport with potentially Foxboro and/or Oliver Ames.

Fittingly, it was an unselfish performance that resulted in five players scoring in double figures and the Eagles outlasted the Black Knights, emerging with a hard-fought 65-61 to claim sole possession of the Davenport, the program’s first league title since 2014.

“We have been very lucky with some of the results around the league in the games that we have lost, so we didn’t want to leave it up to anyone else tonight, we wanted to take care of it ourselves,” Ferguson said. “And then to do it bouncing back after those first eight minutes, I’m so unbelievably proud of this group. The Davenport beats itself into mediocrity, we are just so evenly matched every night. So to be able to claim ourselves as division champions, it’s got a good ring to it.

“Our fourth quarter, they just didn’t give up. And it was both teams too, neither team gave up. We talked about grinding every single possession, and that’s what that was for the last eight minutes.”

Sophomore Jacob McLoughlin had a team-high 15 points and four assists, sophomore Nate Katznelson added 13 points and four boards, senior Ryan Zunenshine had 12 points and 11 rebounds, senior Donyae Pierre finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, and junior Matt Baur (nine rebounds) scored nine of his 11 points in the fourth quarter.

Foxboro and Oliver Ames both did win their games, leaving the chance for a three-way tie as the Eagles and Black Knights ended up as the last game to finish in the league.

After falling behind 16-4 through one quarter of action, the Eagles battled back to make it a one-point game at halftime (26-25) and the two squads were level (38-38) going into the fourth.

The fourth, though it had its share of whistles like the first three quarters, saw the best back-and-forth of the game. There were five lead changes or ties in the opening minutes, and although Sharon led for the final five minutes, the advantage never grew past two possessions and was at one basket for the majority of the frame.

Maybe the biggest swing came just before the three minute mark. After McLoughlin dropped in a runner to make it 51-47, the Eagles nearly had a stop on the other end. Konrad Rogers was able to pounce on the loose ball for Stoughton, got it in the hands of Rayan Sablon (16 points, nine rebounds, four assists), and he found Cashmere Mathurin (10 points, eight rebounds) on a big alley-oop that brought the crowd to their feet.

The home side’s momentum was short-lived. The Knights were caught sinking too far in their 2-3 zone and Katznelson found Baur alone in the corner for a wide-open three.

Rogers answered with two free throws for Stoughton but McLoughlin found some space, got by his man, and finished his shot plus the foul to make it 57-51 with two minutes to go.

Stoughton took advantage of an offense rebound and Sablon kicked it to freshman Matt Greenspoon for a three to cut the deficit in half at 57-54. Out of a timeout, the Eagles got the ball to Zunenshine and he burst past his defender for a layup.

“They played a box-and-one [on Baur] against us last time, we knew they’d want to take him away so we had to have other guys step up, and we have all the confidence in the world in them to do it,” Ferguson said. “Jacob and Nate aren’t playing like sophomores anymore, Ryan stepped up huge for us…every game that came in contributed for us.”

Sharon got a stop and extended the lead to 60-54 on a free throw from McLoughlin. Connor Andrews answered with a tough two, plus the foul, to make it a one-possession game as the clock ticked under a minute to go.

The Eagles missed a pair from the line but Stoughton couldn’t cut into the deficit any further, off on a three and then off on a putback attempt.

Baur made four free throws down the stretch and McLoughlin added another to ice the win.

It was a slow start for both teams, with Sharon holding a meager 2-1 lead through four minutes of action. Stoughton’s offense erupted through and finished with a 15-0 run over the final 3:22. Andrews lone triple of the game helped spark the run, Liam Pearl had a steal and a layup, Sablon added some free throws, and then Pearl beat the buzzer with a putback for a 16-4 lead.

“I thought we missed a few easy baskets earlier in the game that we usually hit, and some late too,” said Stoughton head coach Evan Taylor. The Black Knights made just a trio of threes on 21 attempts. “I think it probably had to do with nerves and the excitement of the game, it was a great atmosphere in the gym tonight. But this one felt like it got away from us.”

After Katznelson and Greenspoon traded baskets to start the second, the Eagles’ aggressiveness resulted in a lot of whistles and trips to the line. McLoughlin, Zunenshine, and Pierre cut into the Stoughton lead with free throws and alter in the period, Katznelson drained a three to halve the lead. Katznelson then finished off a steal, Mathurin answered for Stoughton but McLoughlin added a late bucket on a pass from John Baez to make it 26-25 at the half.

“Our second quarter was really good because the first quarter we played poorly and didn’t shoot the ball well,” Ferguson said. “And that bled a little bit into our defense but the second quarter we came back and I thought we played awesome.”

Sharon boys basketball (9-7 Hockomock, 11-7 overall) will close out the regular season with a pair of home games in the Dudley Davenport Tournament, hosting Ashland on Sunday. Stoughton (6-10, 7-10) is on the road for its final three games. The Black Knights are on the edge of the postseason based on the latest ratings but could clinch a spot if they win their final three games, starting with a trip to North Andover on Sunday.

Friday’s Schedule & Scoreboard – 02/11/22

Today’s games are listed below.

Boys Basketball
Taunton, 52 @ Attleboro, 48 – Final – Taunton senior Trent Santos sank a pair of free throws with 4.9 seconds left to ice the win for the Tigers. Santos scored eight of his 16 points in the final frame, hitting of half of his four three-point field goals to lead the Tigers, who trailed 14-9 after a quarter but held the hosts to two points in the second quarter to seize a 20-16 edge at the break. A three-pointer from Attleboro’s Evan Houle put the Bombardiers up 41-38 with four minutes to go but Taunton sophomore Cyrus Morrisette finished a tough take to the rim, Tristan Herry (14 points) drew an offensive foul, and a layup from from Faisal Mass put the Tigers ahead 42-41. Colin Morais (20 points) hit two free throws as Attleboro jumped ahead again but a tough floater in the lane from Herry gave Taunton the lead again, this time for good. Santos added a three with 90 seconds to go to pad Taunton’s lead. Evan Houle added 14 points for the Bombardiers, hitting four three-pointers in the second half.

North Attleboro, 38 @ Canton, 59 – Final – Canton connected on eight of its 10 three-pointers in the first half, racing out to a big lead that it never relinquished in a win over North. Nate Mei (13 points) had two of his triples in the first eight minutes and Lanse Dorcelus scored 18 of his 20 points in the first half as Canton established double-digit leads at the end of the first quarter (21-10) and at halftime (38-15). Matt Chafin and Ashton Cetoute added third quarter triples to help the Bulldogs keep a large lead (51-26) going into the final quarter. Brody Rosenberg and Givany Carney each had 12 points for the Rocketeers.

Sharon, 64 @ Foxboro, 60 – Final – Locked in a close contest the entire way for the second straight game, Sharon emerged with a hard-fought victory on the road over Foxboro. The Eagles’ largest lead of the second half peaked at nine less than a minute into the second half, but it was closer than that the rest of the way. In fact, a 10-0 burst from the Warriors quickly erased that and the teams stayed within two possessions the rest of the way. Sharon carried a 53-51 lead into the fourth quarter and got five points from Matt Baur (16 points), four from Jacob McLoughlin (nine points) and a bucket from John Baez (nine points) to hold on for the win. Dylan Gordon (16 points) banked in a three with just under four minutes to to cut the deficit to one, 59-58 but a strong take from McLoughlin a minute later pushed it back to three. Alex Penders (16 points) cleaned up his own miss with 2:30 to go to one again cut it to one. McLoughlin hit a floater with under a minute to go and Baur added a free throw and the Eagles ended the game without giving up a point over the final two minutes. Donyae Pierre had a big first half for the Eagles, scoring all 12 of his points then to help the Eagles establish a 38-32 halftime lead.

King Philip, 63 @ Milford, 65 – Final – Milford senior Justin Luchini grabbed an offensive rebound and kissed it off the backboard with 1.6 seconds left to give the Scarlet Hawks the win over King Philip. Milford missed on its first layup attempt but Luchini (19 points) poked the rebound free and put it back up and in for the winner. Milford held a 42-29 lead at halftime before King Philip came storming back. Senior Paul Roberts added 14 points, freshman Andrew Rivera added nine points, and junior Wyatt Zagami chipped in with eight points for Milford.

Mansfield, 56 @ Franklin, 55 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game.

Stoughton, 46 @ Oliver Ames, 42 – Final – Anchored by senior guard Josh Rivera, Stoughton had one of its best defensive performances to secure a road win at OA and its first season sweep of the Tigers since the 2010-2011 season. Defense was the story for both teams from the get go, with OA taking an 8-7 lead after one and Stoughton carrying a 17-14 lead into the locker room at halftime. The Black Knights got the offense going, closing the third on a run capped by a three from junior Rayan Sablon (career-high 26 points) at the buzzer. Sablon went on to score 10 points in the fourth for Stoughton, who pushed the lead to as much as nine before a couple of threes from OA’s Zach Tagliamonte (10 points). Rivera capped it with three free throws down the stretch. CJ Williams added a team-high 12 points for the Tigers.










Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 81 @ Taunton, 47 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – Attleboro’s offense was clicking on all cylinders on Friday night, as the Bombardiers scored at least 19 points in each quarter to pull out the road win. Meghan Gordon scored 30 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead Attleboro, which also got 12 points and 14 rebounds off the bench from freshman Vanessa Ellis. Taunton started well on senior night, as Olivia Gannon scored all eight of her points and Abby Souza scored four of her nine in the first quarter, but Gordon was also on fire from the opening tip, matching Taunton’s total with 14 points in the first eight minutes. Attleboro extended its lead in the second with Gordon scoring seven and the Bombardiers knocking down three triples. Kameron St. Pierre (team-high 16 points) kept the Tigers close by knocking down four from deep and racking up 12 points. Attleboro stormed out of the break with a 22-point third quarter to break the game open. Gordon added another seven, while Lindsey Perry scored six and Lily Routhier added four. Kayla Goldrick scored nine points and dished out eight assists for the Bombardiers, while Routhier, Perry, and Avery Vieira had eight points apiece. Cali Melo had four points, three steals, and three assists and Jillian Doherty had four points for the Tigers.

Canton, 71 @ North Attleboro, 41 – Final – Kiara Cerruti scored a game-high 23 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs to the road win. In the process, Cerruti became the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,068 points, surpassing the 1,057 points of Eileen Morneau. The game was tied at 7-7 after one, but then Canton went on a run, outscoring North 21-5 in the second to take control. Both teams found a rhythm on offense in the third, as they combined for 36 points, but a 24-12 fourth quarter put the game away for the Bulldogs. Fay Gallery added 13 points, five rebounds, and seven assists and Erin Beatty had eight points and six boards for Canton. Maia Mahoney added six points and Han Hong had four assists in the win. Summer Doherty was North’s top scorer, finishing with 15 points (all in the second half) and Taylor McMath had seven.

Foxboro, 72 @ Sharon, 52 – Final – Foxboro bounced back with a big win on the road and clinched its place in the state tournament. The Warriors were led by its underclassman backcourt, as freshman Kailey Sullivan scored a career-high 26 points and sophomore Camryn Collins finished with 24. Jasmine Davis scored 19 points to lead the Eagles and Rachael Hager added 17.

Franklin, 65 @ Mansfield, 34 – Final

Milford, 29 @ King Philip, 35 – Final – The Warriors outscored Milford 11-5 in the fourth quarter to pull out a defensive struggle. The first quarter was a struggle for both teams on the offensive end and finished 5-4. In the second, KP found the range to score 13 points and extend the lead to eight at the break. Maddie Paschke and Leah Santoro each scored four points in the quarter to help KP build its lead. Both would finish with six on the night. The Hawks stormed back in the third, coming out of halftime with a 14-6 quarter to tie things up heading to the fourth. Maddalena Mannucci Pacini scored six of her game-high 11 points in the third and Emily Croteau added all four of her points in the frame. KP got baskets from five different players in the fourth and held Milford to two made baskets to seal the win. Emily Sawyer led the way for the Warriors with eight points and Julia Marsden added five. Jill Araujo scored five for the Hawks and Khatrina Leger chipped in with four.

Oliver Ames, 70 @ Stoughton, 27 – Final – Oliver Ames built a double-digit lead by halftime and never looked back in a win on the road at Stoughton. Caroline Peper and Jasmyn Cooper each scored 15 points for the Tigers, who led 31-15 at the halftime break. Anna Murphy chipped in with 10 points for the visitors. Senior Kate Bulger led all scorers for Stoughton with 11 points and sophomore Alyssa Edwards grabbed eight boards.

Boys Hockey
Mansfield, 2 @ Canton, 7 – Final

Girls Hockey
Canton, 4 vs. Lincoln-Sudbury, 0 – Final – Audrey Koen scored a pair of goals and Carolyn Durand made 19 saves to earn the shutout, as Canton picked up a big non-league win. It is the fifth straight win for the Bulldogs. Tess Khoury scored one and had a pair of assists, while Payton McDonough had a goal and assist. Allie McCabe had two helpers in the win.

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

Today’s games are listed below.

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

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

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

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

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

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










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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Attleboro Finally Shakes Sharon For Key Road Win

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

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

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

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

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

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

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

Attleboro boys basketball

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Attleboro boys basketball

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

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

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

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

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

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

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

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

Strong Start Sends Sharon Past Visiting King Philip

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

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

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

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sharon boys basketball

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

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

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

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

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

Sharon boys basketball

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

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

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

Click here for a photo gallery from this game.

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

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

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

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