Baseball
North Attleboro, 5 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – North Attleboro senior Dennis Colleran tossed a complete game one-hitter to help the Rocketeers earn a split with the Tigers on the season. Colleran allowed a total of three baserunners with a walk and one batter hit by a pitch but struck out 11 in the win. North scored one run in each the first and second innings, OA halved the deficit with a run in the third, but the Rocketeers scored twice in the fifth and added another insurance run in the seventh. Sophomore Derek Maceda had three hits, including a triple that he eventually scored on a single by Tyler Bannon in the seventh. Evan Vigorito knocked in three runs, driving in two of those with a triple in the fifth while Aidan Weir had an RBI single in the second.
Mansfield, 4 @ King Philip, 7 – Final – Mansfield took the lead with a run in the top of the third but King Philip responded in a big way, plating six runs in the bottom half and never looked back to earn head coach Jeff Plympton his first career win. Senior Conor Cooke collected two of his three RBI in the third with a base hit, adding another with a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Sophomore Tommy Martarano also drove in two runs in the big third inning while Mikey Malatesta and Nick Viscusi each had one RBI. Sophomore Rudy Gately earned the win, allowing just one run through six innings before Mansfield tried to mount a last-inning comeback. Jack Mullen came in and struck out two to close the door. Luke Urban (RBI) and Eric Sullivan (two RBI, run) each registered a pair of hits for Mansfield.
Softball
Franklin, 16 @ Milford, 3 – Final – Franklin’s offense stayed hot and got contributions throughout the lineup in a win on the road at Milford. Senior Gabby Colace had three hits, including a home run, while driving in three runs and scoring four times to pace the Panthers. Freshman Carly Johnson-Pellegri (two hits) also had a home run with three RBI, Georgia Harvey drove in four runs on three hits, and Lauren Cote had two hits and three RBI for Franklin. Aislinn Lavery, who added two hits and an RBI, struck out five in six innings of work.
Boys Lacrosse
Canton, 16 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final
Foxboro, 14 @ Sharon, 8 – Final – Foxboro had a strong first half, outscoring the Eagles 7-0 and never looked back to get the win in the first meeting of the two teams. For the Eagles, Drew Litner, Jace Neatler, and Brady Daylor each scored a pair of goals while Ben Shocket won 18-of-26 faceoffs. Adam Rabb made 12 saves in net for Sharon.
Franklin, 19 @ Milford, 0 – Final
King Philip @ Mansfield, 3:45
Oliver Ames, 3 @ North Attleboro, 13 – Final – For Oliver Ames, sophomore Ben Reardon had a goal and two helpers, Ben Cohen scored his first career goal, and Wes Tower found the back of the net once.
Girls Lacrosse
Taunton, 11 @ Attleboro, 7 – Final – Taunton senior Alana Tavares found the back of the net eight times to help the Tigers score a win on the road. In their second win over the Bombardiers this week, Taunton also got two goals from Tasia Lajoie (one assist) and one from freshman Cali Melo. Emily Gannon made eight saves in net for Taunton.
Sharon, 4 @ Foxboro, 19 – Final – Tess Letendre had a great game in goal for the Eagles, making 15 saves. Jenna Goldstein scored three of Sharon’s four goals. Athena Merck had the fourth, assisted by Molly McAlevey.
Milford, 3 @ Franklin, 20 – Final – Sydney Hawkins and Riley Cross each registered their first goals of the season for the Panthers while Brigid Earley made six saves in net.
Mansfield, 1 @ King Philip, 12 – Final – King Philip raced out to an 8-0 lead by halftime and never looked back in a win over visiting Mansfield. Julia Marsden and Haley Izydorczak each scored a hat trick to pace the Warriors’ offense, Peyton Mellman and Lily Brown each scored twice, and Ally Donovan and Morgan Cunningham (assist) each found the back of the net once. Emily Campbell turned aside eight shots to get the win in net for KP.
North Attleboro, 11 @ Oliver Ames, 12 – Final – Oliver Ames scored twice in the final 30 seconds to steal a win away from North Attleboro. Emma Pereira set up both goals, coming up with a loose ball in her own half before finding Emma Sharkansky, who quickly dished off to Catie Wilson for a goal with 12 seconds left to make it 11-11. Pereira won the ensuing draw for the Tigers, sprinted up the field and passed to Sharkansky who ripped a quick shot in for the game-winner with three seconds to go. Head coach Gen Rogan praised the defensive work of Taylor McAndrew, Emilee Nuss, and goalie Emma O’Donnell.
Boys Volleyball
Taunton, 3 @ Quincy, 0 – Final – Taunton continued its unbeaten start to the season with a 3-0 sweep (25-21, 25-16, 26-17) on the road at Quincy. Daniel Medina had a strong game distributing the ball offensively, dishing out 33 assists to go along with three aces. Jakob Thorpe put down 10 kills for the Tigers while Tyler Stewart had another strong all around game with 18 kills, nine digs, and a pair of blocks. Mattia Casagrande (nine digs) and Travis Nunes (seven digs) both played well defensively and in serve receive for the Tigers.
Taunton senior Danny MacDougall, pictured here as a sophomore in 2019, is one of the few returners for the defending D1 State Champs. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
2019 Record: 14-10 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 1 South Final Coach: Steve Dunlea
Two years ago, Attleboro made a run to the Div. 1 South final, only to run into league rival and eventual state champ Taunton. While the Bombardiers only return three players with varsity experience, Attleboro will be looking to replicate some of that momentum and challenge the top teams for the Kelley-Rex division title this spring.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Senior catcher Bailey Camacho caught half the innings during his sophomore season and will be the starter this spring, as well as an important presence in the lineup. Seniors Jake Gorman and Matt McMahon will both be part of the rotation and play corner infield spots when they’re not on the mound building off the experience they got two years ago. Senior Cam Foster adds speed at short and will be the closer, while juniors Billy Saltmarsh and Cian Kelleher, and sophomores Dillon James and Danny Johnson are part of what should be a deep staff for the Bombardiers. Speed should also be a strength for Attleboro, including outfielders Ben Hochwarter, Nate George, Hayden Hegarty, and Packer Sackett, and middle infielders Owen Taber and Evan Houle. Junior Christian Dame is a versatile player who can step in at multiple positions.
“We’re excited to get our players out there to see what we can accomplish,” said Attleboro coach Steve Dunlea. “Our guys have worked very hard during the off-season and have come a long way in the past few years. We are particularly proud of our senior leadership. It’s been a tough year and we are so grateful to the MIAA and ADs for making this season happen for our seniors.”
2019 Record: 6-14 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Ben Shuffain
Canton had a great start to the 2019 season under then first-year head coach Ben Shuffain, including an impressive win over Wellesley. But almost all of the Bulldogs’ wins came in the first half of the season. Now Canton will look to start strong and continue that throughout the year as they look to challenge for the Davenport division title.
The Bulldogs are one of the teams that have a good number of players that played back in 2019 so there is a lot of optimism surrounding the experience on the roster this season. Canton has four starters back for this year’s campaign: shortstop/right-handed pitcher Steve Burbank, outfielder Cam Sanchez, catcher/outfielder Sawyer Julier-Albert, and right-handed pitcher Nate Hewit. Both Burbank (0.328) and Julier-Albert (0.395) were among the league leaders in batting average as sophomores so they will be key pieces for the offense this year. Shuffain will also look for contributions from outfielders Andy Butler and Zach Peters, infielder Nico Bonanno, and utility option Matt Quan — all four could also see time pitching.
Burbank will also see time on the mound and Hewit will be an important piece of the pitching staff this year. Junior Andrew Middleton, who tossed a perfect game in the season-opener, will obviously be a major part of the rotation as well, giving the Bulldogs solid depth. Behind the pitching staff, there will be a lot of players who have experience at the varsity level so Shuffain hopes mistakes will be at a minimum.
“We are lucky to have a good number of players who have varsity experience from 2018 and 2019,” Shuffain said. “They have been preparing for 18 months for this season and this group has tremendous leadership and a ton of talent. I am excited to see what they can do on the field.”
For the 2021 season, it all starts with pitching for the Foxboro Warriors. The 2019 squad graduated six players, and there were nine juniors on that team that missed out on their senior season a year ago. That means Foxboro has four players coming back for this spring, and almost all picked up a lot of valuable experience the last time out.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Seniors Cam Prescott and Sean Yoest will headline the Warriors’ rotation, bringing a lot of experience to the staff. Prescott logged over 26 innings as a sophomore, allowing just four walks with a 1.86 ERA. Yoest had a lot of success at the plate as a sophomore and will be looking to replicate that on the mound this year. Sophomore Sean O’Leary will likely be a key piece on the mound when fully healthy and the Warriors will look to seniors Dylan Quinn, Mike O’Toole, Ryan Jacobs, and Sebastian Ortiz, as well as juniors Liam Mulkern and Tom Marcucella to provide pitching depth.
Yoest will patrol the outfield when he’s not on the mound and will be a key piece offensively after hitting 0.346 as a sophomore with 11 runs scored and 11 RBI. Yoest will be joined in the outfield by junior Jack Watts, a three-sport athlete who has excelled in golf and hockey, and sophomore Kenny Mello. Marcucella will also see time in the outfield while senior Griffin Morse is a solid depth piece that can play all three spots in the outfield.
Prescott will see time at either third or shortstop when he’s not pitching. Beyond Prescott, the Warriors will have some inexperience around the infield with freshman Tyler Prescott (second base) and sophomore Ryan LeClair (shortstop) impressing early on. Mulkern and O’Toole will provide the infield with some senior leadership from first while Marcucella and Ortiz providing depth. Mulkern will also be an option behind the plate while junior Mike LaVita will step into the starting role at catcher.
“We are excited for the opportunity to get back on the field and compete every day,” head coach Derek Suess said. “Having our top two arms still here is comforting, but we will need contributions from many different guys. We have a good mix of seniors and underclassmen who have bought in to our vision for the season.”
2019 Record: 22-3 2019 Finish: Reached Super 8 Coach: Zach Brown
While Franklin won’t be able to make it three straight appearances in the Super 8 with the tournament not happening this year (and possibly for a couple of years), there is something the Panthers can do: defend their Kelley-Rex division title.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
The Panthers were nearly perfect in league action during the 2019 season (15-1) and will be one of the favorites for the title again this year. But it will be almost an entirely new cast of players doing so. Franklin had 10 seniors on that team plus another seven juniors that graduated last year, meaning just a handful of players from the roster are back. Of that group, just one starter is back in senior Jake Fitzgibbons, who played second base at the time.
Now Fitzgibbons moves behind the plate and will be in charge of handling a pitching staff that is new to the varsity level. Having him behind the plate should make it easier for the likes of junior Jacob Jette and sophomore Alfred Mucciarone, who figure to be two of the key components of Franklin’s rotation this season. And when needed, Fitzgibbons will switch out from behind the plate and take the mound himself.
Seniors Nate Cooke and CJ Jette serve as captains alongside Fitzgibbons and will provide leadership both on and off the field. Cooke is slated to start at first base and will bring a big bat to the lineup while Jette will see time both in the outfield and at designated hitter. Seniors Luc Boudreau (outfielder) and Nick Quinn (right-handed pitcher) have impressed early on as well.
“As always the cornerstone of our program is pitching and defense,” said head coach Zach Brown. “We believe we have the right mix of athletes and arms to compete daily this season. Offensively, we believe that our line-up can be pretty athletic. Obviously, we are all in the same boat missing last season so it will be an exciting season to get back out onto the field. I know the players and our coaching staff are really excited for the games to start up.”
2019 Record: 8-12 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Jeff Plympton
There will be a lot of new faces on the mound, in the field, in the batter’s box, and even on the bench for the King Philip Warriors this season. Looking back at the 2019 season, only one name is back in action for the Warriors this season. And on top of that, there’s a new coach in the dugout in Jeff Plympton.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Both Conor Cooke and Jack Silveria saw plenty of action during their sophomore seasons but Silveria will miss his senior campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery. That means that Plympton and the rest of the Warriors will lean heavily on Cooke, a three-year starter who will guide KP from behind the plate. Cooke, who is committed to play at Brown University, is a rock behind the plate and that will be important as KP deploys a pitching staff that is new to the varsity level. That rotation will feature junior Nick Viscusi and sophomore Rudy Gately, with seniors Jack Mullen, Grayden Lawrence, Harry Brown, and Jake Burns all providing depth.
Cooke will be a key part of the offense as well, slated to hit from the clean up spot. Viscusi will set the tone from the leadoff spot and can cause some damage on the base paths with his speed. Junior Shawn Lagere will start at shortstop and bat third in the lineup, providing the Warriors with some power while Gately will see time at third when he isn’t on the mound. Seniors Ethan Hurwitz and Mikey Malatesta provide outfield depth and Plympton has 10 juniors on the roster to help fill out the lineup.
“Looking forward to getting the season going and watching the team play together,” Plympton said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had high school baseball and most of our guys, like many teams, are new to the varsity level. We have some good talent on our team. Plenty of good throwing arms to get us through the new pitching restrictions. The infield is solid with very dependable fielders around the diamond. The outfield is fast and does a great job tracking fly balls. I believe defense will be our best strength this season. The players have been putting in a lot of hard work during practices.”
2019 Record: 18-7 2019 Finish: Reached Super 8 Coach: Chris Hall
Joe Breen had a very successful run at the helm of the Hornets, and his successor is one that the program is very familiar with. Chris Hall, who served as Breen’s assistant, takes over and is aiming to continue the success that Mansfield has had in recent seasons.
Coming off one of their best seasons in program history that culminated in a second straight Super 8 appearance, the Hornets will try to rebuild their lineup with a strong core of seniors. Eric Sullivan will move into the starting role behind the plate and will be a vocal leader both on and off the field for the Hornets. Three-sport athlete Jack Colby is slated to take over at first base, Luke Urban looks to take over at second base, Ben Mintz can slot into a variety of roles, including in the field or on the mound, and Greg Coyle, the lone returner from the 2019 team, will be an option on the mound for the Hornets. Juniors Jared Fraone and Liam Anastasia will help round out the lineup.
Coyle will be joined by juniors Aaron Blinn, Anthony Sacchetti, and Jimmy Gilleran on the Hornets’ staff. That group brings a lot of baseball experience and a range of knowledge, and Hall is hoping all of that will translate to the varsity level. Mintz, Colby Geddis, and Brayden Purtell will look to provide additional innings in relief.
“With two years off due to COVID-19, and few players having varsity experience, I expected tryouts to be exciting,” Hall said. “Our players knew they had to come in and earn everything to gain a spot in the starting lineup. There continues to be daily position battles daily and it pushes players to improve. The talent we have in the program is consistent from top to bottom. The team brings energy and enthusiasm to everything they do and it truly makes the atmosphere on the field second to none. We cannot wait to get out on the field and compete against some of the best competition in the Hockomock League.”
2019 Record: 11-11 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Quarterfinal Coach: Alex Dion
Milford will be the new kids on the block this season in their first year apart of the Kelley-Rex division, which features two teams that went to the Super 8 last time out and another that won the D1 State title.
The Hawks are going to rely on their pitching as they compete for the division title. Senior right-hander Mario Lee and classmate Wes Solomon, another righty, both picked up valuable experience as sophomores during the 2019 season and will anchor the Milford pitching rotation. Lee, who is committed to playing both football and baseball at Wesleyan, pitched in 10 games out of the bullpen in 2019 while Solomon appeared in five games with a 2.33 ERA.
Sophomore Evan Cornelius is a “big, physical kid” according to head coach Alex Dion, and he will round out the Hawks’ rotation this season. When he isn’t on the mound, Cornelius will be behind the plate and the same goes for Solomon, who could also see him in the middle infield. Lee will also be in the lineup when he’s not on the mound, playing at either first or third. Senior Carter Scudo burst onto the scene as a sophomore, hitting 0.352, and will be the catalyst to the offense this year, batting in the leadoff spot. He will anchor the outfield defense from center field.
“I’m excited to start our 2021 season,” Dion said. “It has been great to get back out on Fino Field for the first time since 2019. I have a good group of young men this year with players from all four classes making the varsity roster. This is a great league with quality teams, players, and coaches throughout. We will go out and compete to the best of our ability on a daily basis. I am optimistic about what this group has to offer this year and in the future.”
2019 Record: 11-10 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South First Round Coach: Mike Hart
North Attleboro head coach Mike Hart has the best arm in the Hockomock League in senior Dennis Colleran and the 2019 HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year Jared Penta as the catalyst for the offense so the Rocketeers will certainly be in the mix for the Davenport title this season.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Colleran, who is committed to pitch at Northeastern, has been a member of the Rocketeers since his freshman year, making his first appearance in North’s D2 South Semifinal win over Dartmouth back in 2018. He logged 37.1 innings as a sophomore, posting a 3-4 record with a 2.63 ERA during the 2019 season. Since then, Colleran has honed his skills on the club scene and is poised to lead the Rocketeers this year. Senior Joe Hartnett and junior Danny Curran look to fill out the rotation while the Rocketeers have plenty of depth pieces including Tyler Bannon, Dan Pedro, Derek Maceda, and Aidan Weir.
Penta will hit from the leadoff spot and set the tone for the offense. Weir and classmate Justin Vecchiarelli will anchor the infield Maceda, a sophomore, could be poised for a breakout season at shortstop. Curran will also see time in the outfield when he isn’t pitching while senior Evan Vigorito, and juniors Brody Rosenberg, and Gavin Wells will be in the outfield mix. Bannon and Nik Kojoian will be options behind the dish for the Rocketeers.
“Just like other teams in the league, we are curious how our players will make the jump to varsity baseball,” Hart said. “We will do our best to be fundamentally sound and keep things simple. Our pitching staff has a handful of competitive guys who are looking for an opportunity to help the team. The boys are excited about the season and hope we can bring a consistent approach to all our opportunities this year.”
2019 Record: 12-13 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal Coach: Joe Abarr
After reaching the D2 South Sectional Final in 2018, the Tigers fielded basically an entirely new squad during the 2019 campaign. Two years later, Oliver Ames looks to be in the same boat as there minimal varsity experience on the roaster.
Senior Nate Fulford is one of the few players that did see varsity action two years ago, emerging as a go-to option offensively as a pinch-hitter as a sophomore. Now Fulford will be a key piece in the lineup each game, manning third base and bringing a big bat to the heart of the lineup. Senior Jadon Ricci will take over at shortstop and is slated to hit near the top of the lineup.
Junior Jack Richardson was a part of the Tigers’ varsity squad as a freshman and is now in position to anchor the rotation. He’ll be in the lineup even when he’s not on the mound, patrolling the always tricky outfield at Frothingham Park for the Tigers. When it comes to new faces on the squad this year, junior Jake Waxman brings a big bat to the lineup and can bring some pop to the offense; he will start at first base defensively. Junior Joe Cicchetti has impressed early on in tryouts and the preseason both offensively and defensively, and he is slated to start in center for the Tigers.
“We should have a solid lineup,” said OA head coach Joe Abarr. “We have depth at most positions and decent options on the mound. With so little practice time prior to the first game, there are still a lot of questions to be answered, but we have a great group of guys that are really looking to compete this year.”
2019 Record: 2-18 2019 Finish: Missed postseason Coach: Andrew Poliferno
The last time the Eagles hit the field, they had one of the youngest teams in the Hockomock League. Now that means there is a lot of returning players back in the dugout this year and Sharon should be one of the most experienced groups in terms of baseball played.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
Sharon has a new head coach in alum Andrew Poliferno, who is no stranger to the program after coaching at each level over the past few seasons. Poliferno takes over for Kee Arguimbau, who had been with the program as a coach for nearly 20 years including the last four as head coach. Poliferno has 10 seniors at his disposal this year including two of the most experienced players in JD Rittenberg and Justin Brown, who both started as sophomores in 2019. Playing at second and short, respectively, the Eagles will have solid defense up the middle of the field. Sharon expects strong defense to come with the experience it has.
Junior Dylan Labbe pitched some innings as a freshman so the Eagles will lean on him as one of the anchors of the pitching staff. Senior Justin Nault and junior Ryan Baker will also see time on the mound while freshman Luke Meixel is slated to be a part of the starting rotation right away. Offensively, Rittenberg and Brown will lead the way once again. Baker and classmate Nate Yaffe should slot into the lineup in their first year on varsity, playing third and outfield, respectively. Poliferno is also looking for contributions from Damien Bonner and Daniel Zagoren offensively.
“After a missed season, it’s wonderful to see our players back out on the field,” Poliferno said. “Despite the year off, I was impressed with the growth and progress our players made since they last played high school baseball. It was clear to me we have a program of players who work hard during the off-season and I look forward to seeing their hard work translate to wins this season.”
2019 Record: 14-9 2019 Finish: Reached Div. 2 South Semifinal Coach: Mike Armour
Like most schools, Stoughton has a limited number of players with varsity experience on the roster this season. It will be baptism by fire for a lot of new faces as head coach Mike Armour will look to get the most out of his lineup to try and compete for the Davenport division title.
The players that do have any varsity experience will be key, especially early on in the season as the rest of the Black Knights get used to the varsity level. Senior Brady Conlin will anchor the Stoughton staff on the mound this year and also hit in the heart of the lineup. Conlin has experience both pitching and at the plate and could be one of the most dangerous all-around players in the league. Senior captain Kyle Doolin will anchor the infield and is an option to pitch as well. He is slated to hit near the top of the lineup and could also see time behind the plate defensively.
Jake Queeney, another senior captain, will patrol center field for the Black Knights and hit from the leadoff spot. Queeney’s speed has been on display on both the basketball court and football field, so his legs could cause some damage on the base paths. Senior captain Brandon Mantilla-Mercado will take care of the pitching staff this year as the starting catcher and will bring some power to the plate offensively. Junior infielder Anthony Tilton has impressed early and figures to be a top bat in the lineup, juniors Jonah Ly and James Price will both see innings in the infield and on the mound, and junior Brad Franey is slated to take over at second. Seniors Joe McNulty, Colby Andrews, Andrew Scardina, and junior Colin Alessi provide lineup depth. Freshmen Hunter Malkin and Ben Zola will likely make an immediate impact for Stoughton.
“The kids are excited to play baseball,” Armour said. “They have brought a positive attitude and willingness to work to practice, which is all I can ask for as a coach. We are excited to get a little bit better every day, and put ourselves in a position to win some ballgames this season.”
2019 Record: 21-7 2019 Finish: Won Div. 1 State Championship Coach: Blair Bourque
It seems like just yesterday the Tigers were celebrating their Division 1 State Championship at LeLacheur Park in Lowell. Yet at the same time, it somehow also feels like a lifetime ago.
2021 Hockomock League Baseball Preview
The Tigers are one of the teams that will “what if” when it comes to the 2019 season, as they were set to have eight starters back to try and defend their first-ever state championship. Now for the 2021 season, there is just one Tiger starter back from that regular season. That is senior pitcher/infielder Danny MacDougall, who will anchor the pitching staff and also return to his shortstop position. Ty Cali, who took over for MacDougall after an injury sidelined him for the postseason, is also back to give Taunton a solid 1-2 punch up the middle of the field. Cali can also slide over and play short when MacDougall, who is committed to playing at the University of Hartford next year, is on the mound.
Sophomore Ryan MacDougall is set to finally make his varsity debut this year. A verbal commit to the University of Dayton, Ryan MacDougall was on the playoff roster for the state championship team as an eighth-grader. Not only does he bring a big bat and power to the lineup, head coach Blair Bourque described his plate discipline as “well beyond his years.” If the Tigers want to compete at a high level, Bourque noted the importance of senior pitchers Conor Quinlan, Bretton Heggs, and Matthew Ferrara. In total, Taunton boasts a dozen seniors on the roster.
“My expectation for this season is for us to compete as a team and individually every day as best we can, but ultimately, I will be grateful I get to spend time on the field with my players,” Bourque said. “It is always about the relationships formed with your players throughout the course of a year, you don’t always appreciate how good you have it until it’s gone. Losing last season really made me appreciate my role as the head coach for the Taunton High baseball program.”
Football
Attleboro, 7 @ North Attleboro, 28 – Final 1st Quarter: (A) Alexander Bakowski 16-yard rush, Colby Briggs XP good.
2nd Quarter: (NA) Matt Penta 8-yard rush, Tyler DeMattio XP good; (NA) Dylan Eberle 46-yard pass to Jacob Silva, T. DeMattio XP good.
3rd Quarter: (NA) J. Silva 1-yard rush, T. DeMattio XP good.
4th Quarter: (NA) M. Penta 39-yard rush, Evan Vigorito XP good.
Football
King Philip, 12 @ Milford, 0 – Final 1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (M) Brady Olson 60-yard pass to Carter Scudo, XP no good.
3rd Quarter: (M) B. Olson 8-yard pass to Max Martin, XP no good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.
Oliver Ames, 12 @ North Attleboro, 41 – Final 1st Quarter: (NA) Jacob Silva 3-yard rush, Tyler DeMattio XP good.
2nd Quarter: (NA) T. DeMattio 38-yard pass to Matt Penta, T. DeMattio XP good; (NA) T. DeMattio 34-yard pass to Colby Feid, T. DeMattio XP good.
3rd Quarter: (NA) T. DeMattio 65-yard pass to Jared Penta, T. DeMattio XP good; (OA) Jake Grimaldi 23-yard pass to Jason Dennehy, Conversion no good.
4th Quarter: (NA) T. DeMattio 10-yard pass to M. Penta, Evan Vigorito XP good; (OA) Chad Silva 1-yard rush, Conversion no good; (NA) Kyle Conroy 23-yard rush, XP no good.
Football
Canton, 26 @ Oliver Ames, 6 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (OA) Jake Grimaldi 1-yard rush, 2-point conversion no good; (C) Cam Sanchez 91-yard kickoff return, Will Keefe XP good.
2nd Quarter: (C) C. Sanchez 88-yard rush, W. Keefe XP good.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (C) C. Sanchez 28-yard rush, W. Keefe XP good; (C) Safety; (C) W. Keefe 34-yard field goal.
Franklin, 28 @ Taunton, 25 – Final
North Attleboro, 48 @ Sharon, 7 – Final 1st Quarter: (NA) Tyler DeMattio 8-yard pass to Tom Whalen, T. DeMattio XP good; (NA) Jared Penta 1-yard rush. T. DeMattio XP good.
2nd Quarter: (NA) T. DeMattio 1-yard rush, Evan Vigorito XP goo. (NA) T. DeMattio 25-yard pass to Matt Penta, E. Vigorito XP good; (NA) T. DeMattio 24-yard pass to T. Whalen, E. Vigorito XP good.
3rd Quarter: (S) Ike Ogbonnanze 85-yard rush, Molly McAlvey XP good; (NA) Nathan Schulz 79-yard kickoff return, XP failed.
4th Quarter: (NA) Aidan Conrade 3-yard rush, E. Vigorito XP good.
Foxboro, 7 @ Stoughton, 21 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (S) Christopher Ais 44-yard rush, Jonah Ly XP good; (F) Omarion Otto-Broomstein 1-yard rush, Sam Carpenter XP good.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (S) Christian Ais 2-yard rush, J. Ly XP good; (S) John Burke 9-yard rush, J. Ly XP good.
Football
Taunton, 21 @ Oliver Ames, 6 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game. 1st Quarter: (T) Trent Santos 1-yard rush, Collin Knorr XP good; (T) Kedrick Santos 25-yard interception return, C. Knorr XP good.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: (T) T. Santos 1-yard rush, C. Knorr XP good.
4th Quarter: (OA) Cam Perron 1-yard rush, XP failed.
Sharon, 0 @ North Attleboro, 35 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (NA) Tyler DeMattio 79-yard pass to Alex McCoy, Evan Vigorito XP good; (NA) A. McCoy 12-yard rush, E. Vigorito XP good.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: (NA) T. DeMattio 64-yard pass to A. McCoy, E. Vigorito XP good; (NA) Harry Bullock fumble recovery, E. Vigorito XP good.
4th Quarter: (NA) Casey Poirier 12-yard rush, E. Vigorito XP good.
Girls Soccer
Oliver Ames, 4 vs. Brockton, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames senior Erin Holmberg scored a pair of goals as the Tigers picked up their 10th win this season. Caroline Peper and Camryn O’Connor also scored for OA while Allison Evin added an assist. Emma O’Donnell posted the shutout in net for the Tigers.
North Attleboro’s Tom O’Neill tackles Foxboro’s Shayne Kerrigan at Community Field. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – After controlling the game for over three quarters, the Foxboro football team was on its way to a rare comfortable win over North Attleboro.
The Warriors held a 21-0 lead and had just forced their second turnover of the game, this one an interception just before the goal line, to halt another North Attleboro drive. With under 10 minutes to go, Foxboro was well on its way to its first win over the Rocketeers since 2012.
But suddenly, the hosts had life. North Attleboro scored a pair of touchdowns in just 2:03, the latter coming with just under five minutes left in the game to make it a one-score game. And after another defensive stand, the Rocketeers had the ball back with three minutes left with a chance to tie or win the game.
In the end, Foxboro’s defense delivered — as it had done all game — by getting a fourth down stop with under a minute to go to secure a 21-14 win at Community Field.
“Not too many people beat North so we’ll take it any which way that we can,” said Foxboro head coach Jack Martinelli. “I thought we dominated, the first three quarters, but it doesn’t take much to throw off the applecart, whether it’s a penalty or a miscue. And North isn’t going to quit.”
It marks the 273rd career win for Martinelli, which moves him into a tie for eighth all-time in Massachusetts history according to the Boston Herald’s Danny Ventura.
Foxboro scored on its second drive of the game, again just before halftime, and once more midway through the third quarter. The Warriors’ defense held the Rocketeers to just over 100 yards of offense through the first three quarters, forcing the hosts to punt on three of their first four drives and getting fourth down stops on two others.
A Foxboro fumble recovered by North Attleboro’s Tommy Whalen set the Rocketeers up with terrific field position at the Warriors’ 38-yard line. But the momentum was short-lived when Elijah Lewis leaped to intercept a pass on the goal line just a minute into the fourth quarter.
Foxboro’s offense stalled and sent out the punting unit, but a high snap sent the ball into the end zone and a group of Rocketeers came crashing down onto punter Michael Devlin. North Attleboro’s Dan Hayes ended up with the loose ball and a touchdown, getting North on the board. Evan Vigorito hit the first of his two point after attempts to bring North within 21-7 with 6:48 to go.
This time, the momentum stuck with the Rocketeers, who forced a quick three-and-out. On the punt, Foxboro was whistled for catch interference and North Attleboro started with its best field position of the day at the Foxboro 31-yard line.
Sophomore quarterback Tyler DeMattio (6-for-11, 66 yards passing; 11 carries, 60 yards rushing) wasted little time, lofting a pass down field that senior Ethan Friberg went up to get above a pair of defenders for a 30-yard catch. On the next play, DeMattio scored from one-yard out and suddenly the Rocketeers were down just one score, 21-14, with 4:45 to play.
Foxboro’s Dylan Gordon fell on top of the onside kick attempt, and the Warriors killed 1:45 of clock before punting back to North Attleboro with 3:00 to go. DeMattio had a long run negated by an illegal shift call, and on fourth and four, a completion to Russell Dunlap nearly converted a first down. But after a measurement, the ball was an inch shy and Foxboro took over on downs to seal the win.
“It definitely felt like the momentum swung there but we had that eerily feeling all along that it was too little, too late,” said North Attleboro head coach Don Johnson.
“I think [it’s a lesson learned]. We’ve known all along we’re a pretty immature football team, so this is the stuff that’s going to happen. We have a lot of guys still learning, a lot of juniors playing their first varsity action. We’re just a terribly inconsistent football team right now in every phase. We just have to keep working to get better and I think it will come in time.”
Foxboro took the lead in the first quarter on its second drive of the game. The Warriors went 77 yards on 11 plays that including a pair of first down passes from Shayne Kerrigan (14-for-24, 135 yards passing; nine carries, 85 yards rushing) to Luis Sulham (eight catches, 77 yards). On third and 10 inside the red zone, Kerrigan connected with senior Ryan Hughes for a 12-yard touchdown. Tyler James’ extra point made it 7-0 with 1:18 left in the first quarter.
The Warriors orchestrated an eight-play, 64-yard drive just before halftime to double their lead. Highlighted by a first down run from Bobby Yerardi (11 carries, 38 yards) and ridiculous catch from Lewis that went for 22 yards, the visitors advanced into the red zone. On third and 11, Kerrigan floated one to the corner of the end zone and senior Brian Derba came down with the catch for a 13-yard score and a 13-0 lead with just eight seconds to go in the first half.
“I think our offense came alive today,” Martinelli said. “Kids did what we felt they were capable of doing like Luis, Shayne, who had a great game, Ryan Hughes, Derba…they all made some great plays, some great catches. They did a great job. To me, that was the difference in the game that we were able to move the ball and get some points.”
North Attleboro opened the second half with a successful drive with sophomore Tyler Bannon moving the sticks on a 15-yard rush, and DeMattio taking off for 18 yards of his own. A run and late hit call moved the ball all the way to the Foxboro 19-yard line but with the new rules, the hosts didn’t get an automatic first down. Instead, on fourth and 2, Foxboro’s Mike Norvish and Anton George got to the Rocketeer runner in the backfield for a loss and a turnover on downs.
“We played seven in the box and took our chances,” Martinelli said of defending DeMattio. “Next year and the year after, I’m sure [DeMattio] is going to be a triple threat, not that he throws a bad ball now, but we had to stop him running first, before we could do anything else and I thought the kids did a nice job, I’m very proud of them.”
Three plays into the ensuing Foxboro drive, Kerrigan fooled the defense by keeping the option himself, broke through a tackle in the secondary, and darted his way for a 64-yard touchdown. A two-point pass from Kerrigan to Sulham made it 21-0 with 6:25 left in the third quarter.
“I thought Foxboro did a good job pressing our quarterback and not letting us get comfortable doing anything on offense,” Johnson said. “We never really got that run game going because they were good inside. And then when we had to throw the ball, they did a nice job getting pressure off the edge. DeMattio is still young and not quite comfortable in every phase of the game but he’s getting better every game.”
Foxboro finished with 279 yards offensive, a strong balance between passing (127) and rushing (152) while picking up an impressive 15 first downs.
“The game got moved so many times, we had two weeks of practice which made Thanksgiving break look [short],” Martinelli said. “So I’m just happy for the kids. But we have to get right back at it. This is the best the league has ever been from top to bottom. Each week there seems to be an implication no matter what the matchup is so this was a key for win us.”
Foxboro football (1-0 Hockomock, 2-1 overall) travels the other defending Davenport division champion in Canton (3-0) on Friday night. North Attleboro (0-1, 1-2) takes a trip to visit Milford (2-1).
Foxboro, 21 @ North Attleboro, 14 – Final – Click here for a recap and photo gallery of this game. 1st Quarter: (F) Shayne Kerrigan 12-yard pass to Ryan Hughes, Tyler James XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) S. Kerrigan 13-yard pass to Brian Derba, XP failed.
3rd Quarter: (F) S. Kerrigan 64-yard rush, S. Kerrigan 2pt pass to Luis Sulham.
4th Quarter: (NA) Dan Hayes fumble recovery in the end zone, Evan Vigorito XP good; (NA) Tyler DeMattio 1-yard rush, E. Vigorito XP good.
Girls Soccer
Oliver Ames, 2 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 2 – Final – Oliver Ames earned a point on the road with a draw at Bridgewater-Raynham. Sophomores Lauren Sellmayer and Camryn O’Connor each scored for the Tigers with senior Erin Holmberg assisting on both. Olivia Carroll and Abby Hodges both played well for OA.
Field Hockey
Franklin, 1 @ Walpole, 2 – Final – In a battle of two of the top teams in the state, Walpole scored the lone goal of the second half to earn the win. The Rebels opened the scoring just over seven minutes into the game but Hanna Richardson, on an assist from Kaitlyn Carney, scored in the 11th minute to make it 1-1. The Panthers’ defense played strong, limiting Walpole to one goal on 19 corners while Neilee Hess made 13 saves in goal.
Oliver Ames, 3 vs. Braintree, 5 – Final – Georgia Costello scored a pair of goals but the Tigers fell at home to visiting Braintree. Maggie Woods had two assists while Ellie Waters had OA’s first goal, assisted by Cassie Gennis.
