Franklin senior Justin Allen sinks one of his eight three-pointers on his way to a career-high 25 points in a win over Weymouth. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. — As Franklin prepared all week to go against Weymouth’s aggressive zone defense, the Panthers knew they’d have some looks from outside.
Senior Justin Allen certainly took advantage of that opportunity.
Allen was nearly flawless as poured in a career-high 25 points on 8-for-9 shooting from three-point land, leading the third-seeded Panthers to a hard-fought 61-49 win over #30 Weymouth in a Division 1 Round of 32 game.
“I just hit the open shots, my teammates found me and once I see a couple go in, that basket just gets bigger,” Allen said. “With them in a zone, it just opens things up for us and we have great creators like Ben Harvey and Bradley [Herndon], and everyone else too. They were finding me and I was just knocking down shots.
“We have a bunch of great shooters on this team and that helps me out because they can’t just focus on me. We’ve got guys like Geino [Scaringello], Andrew O’Neill, and Caden Sullivan who can really just knock down threes so you can’t focus on one guy, that’s what is so special about this team.”
Allen and the Panthers wasted little time finding the range against the Wildcats’ 1-3-1 zone. He sank a pair of threes in the opening eight minutes — the first bucket of the game off of a pass from O’Neill (eight points, seven rebounds, four assists) and another from the corner that gave the hosts their first double-digit advantage of the game.
Junior Sean O’Leary (20 points, six rebounds) also dropped in a pair of threes while O’Neill had another for a total of five in the first quarter to help Franklin set the tone, and take the lead (19-10).
Franklin went scoreless for nearly three minutes to start the second quarter but Allen ignited the offense when he hit a three with five minutes to go in the half. His second three of the quarter came just 30 seconds later after Ben Harvey (six points, three rebounds) sliced into the zone before kicking it back out. Allen assisted O’Leary the next trip and then O’Leary returned the favor one trip later, finding Allen open in the corner.
“We’ve really been clicking recently,” Allen said, “That Mansfield loss was a wake-up call for us. We’ve been going really hard in practice and guys know what time of year it is and nothing is guaranteed, no one is going to hand it to us. Weymouth is the 30-seed but that was a tough game, that was a full 32 minutes of competing.”
After hitting his first five threes, Allen went up for a heat check as he quickly launched a deep three off a pass from Harvey and it was pure to extend the lead to 33-21 with two minutes left in the first half. A putback from Harvey inside the final minute gave Franklin a 35-26 halftime lead.
“Three hard days of working against aggressive zone defense,” said Franklin head coach CJ Neely on preparing for the game. “We spent so much time focusing on the 1-3-1 or diamond-and-one, whatever you want to call it. We thought we’d see a lot of zone and then we did a good job getting Justin a lot of good looks. Even other guys got really good looks but just didn’t hit like they usually do. That was a full team win because they gave an unbelievable effort in practice this week simulating their defense.”
The three-point barrage slowed some in the second half but the four triples that the Panthers did hit were timely. O’Neill opened the second half with one and the Panthers were able to attack the basket against Weymouth’s defense, which switched to man-to-man.
Harvey had four straight, including a traditional three-point play, and O’Leary cleaned up his own miss plus the foul. With success getting to the rim, Allen found himself open in the corner and his quick release hit nothing but net, his seventh straight make.
“When they got up on us, and they started denying Justin the ball, we have guys like Ben, O’Leary, and [Bradley] Herndon that can really get downhill and find themselves in the paint, and not only do they get in there, they are willing passers,” Neely said. “Even if you don’t score in there, the ability to get downhill and make the defense rotate. Credit to [Weymouth], they play really hard and made us battle the whole second half.”
Although Allen missed his next three on a heat check, the Panthers carried a 48-36 lead into the final quarter. Sophomore Caden Sullivan drained a three off a pass from Herndon (six rebounds, four assists) off of a set play and the Panthers had their biggest lead at 51-38. The Wildcats clawed back within eight twice but Allen’s eighth and final triple of the game midway through the fourth restored the double-digit advantage and Franklin stayed in front down the stretch.
While Allen was red-hot from three-point, the Panthers had some inconsistencies in the offense throughout the night. But old reliable — Franklin’s defense — stayed steady all night and held the Wildcats under 50 points.
“That’s the beauty of what we’ve done here for a while is the ability to get stops and weather those storms of poor shooting or lack of finishing, we can get through those when we have guys like Harvey playing defense on [Edric Louissaint] and O’Neill on [Gill] Dolan, who had 33 points in a game earlier this year. To be able to shut those primary options down and make other guys score, that’s a great job by those two and everyone else too.”
Franklin boys basketball (19-1) will host #14 Brockton, who took down Methuen, 66-49, in the Round of 16 on Tuesday at 6:00.
Boys Basketball
Franklin, 86 vs. Bridgewater-Raynham, 56 – Final – Franklin played dominant defense in the first half and had it going offensively for all four quarter in a big win over visiting Bridgewater-Raynham. Junior Sean O’Leary scored 17 of his game-high 27 points in the opening quarter and hit one of Franklin’s seven first half three pointers. Geino Scaringello (10 points), Andrew O’Neill, Bradley Herndon, Justin Allen (11 points), and Caden Sullivan (10 points) also hit from downtown in the first as Franklin put up 22 points in each of the first two quarters on its way to a 44-15 lead at halftime. Although the Trojans came out with a 9-0 run to start the third, Franklin continued its success on the offensive end and outscored the visitors by 10 the rest of the quarter with Scaringello, Herndon, and O’Leary each hitting a three. Franklin had a dozen players register points in the win.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 33 @ Bishop Feehan, 76 – Final – Attleboro fell behind by double digits in the first quarter and never recovered against their crosstown rival. Kayla Godrick led the Bombardiers with 11 points, including nine of the team’s 17 in the opening half. Vanessa Ellis added seven points, including six of Attleboro’s 10 in the third quarter. Lily Routhier chipped in with five, all in the first half.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 43 @ Milford, 44 – Final – Milford’s Andrew Rivera scored the go-ahead basket with two minutes to go and freshman CJ Farrell had the best game of his young career to help the Scarlet Hawks survive against visiting Attleboro. Farrell drained a three to give the Hawks the lead at 40-38 but Attleboro senior Justin Hanrahan drove to the bucket for two to tie the game. Back down the other end, Rivera got a jumper from the free throw line to fall and a 44-42 lead. Attleboro freshman Connor Houle hit a free throw to get within one, and the Bombardiers got a key stop in the final seconds but a heavily contested three-pointer at the buzzer was just off the mark. The Hawks came out of the gate strong as Farrell had nine of his career-high 22 points in the opening quarter to help the hosts stage an 18-13 edge. The middle two quarters were a defensive battle as the Bombardiers held the hosts to just one field goal (a three from Farrell, who also had 15 rebounds and 5 assists) while Jaiden Outland (15 points) and Neo Franco each hit a three to bring the Bombardiers even, 21-21, at the break. Outland added two more threes in the third as Attleboro took a 33-29 lead into the final quarter but Milford’s offense found its footing again and Jack Buckley (nine points) added a key three for Milford.
Sharon, 43 @ Canton, 46 – Final – Canton senior Caden Mirliani drained a three-pointer with 5.2 seconds left to deliver the Bulldogs an upset win over Sharon. The Eagles took a 43-40 lead with just over 90 seconds remaining after a great hustle play from Matt Baur led to an easy two for Nate Katznelson. Jamaal McConnell got the deficit down to two with a free throw, and then a bucket from Kareem Porter off a pass from Mirliani tied the game with 45 seconds to go. Canton got a stop after a quick three from the Eagles was off the mark, and after a timeout, drained the clock down to the final seconds. Jeremiah Predin drew a double-team in the post and kicked it to Mirliani for the three. It was a close game throughout the first half with Sharon leading by two (10-8) after a quarter and Canton holding the same advantage (22-20) at halftime. The Eagles outscored the hosts 17-7 in the third quarter as Dante James erupted for 11 of his 14 points in the game and Jacob McLoughlin had four of his 12 to give Sharon a 37-29 lead going into the fourth. Mirliani finished with eight of his career-high 15 points in the final frame while McConnell had five of his nine to get Canton back in it.
Foxboro, 41 @ Mansfield, 42 – Final – Mansfield junior Trevor Foley made a pair of key defensive plays inside the final minute to help the Hornets survive an upset bid from a well-prepared Foxboro squad. Holding a 42-41 lead with under a minute to go, Foley knocked the ball free to get the ball back for the hosts. Mansfield was unable to extend it’s lead from the free throw line, and Foxboro got off a good look from the corner that was off the mark and a desperation putback attempt was blocked by Foley at the buzzer to seal the win. It was close throughout after some early runs from both sides, with Mansfield leading after the first quarter (12-6) and at halftime (21-17). Davon Sanders had six of his 11 and Caden Colby had five of his 11 points in the third to keep the Hornets ahead while Sam Golub scored seven of his 15 points and Alex Penders added eight of his 18 to keep the Warriors within striking distance, 37-35, going into the fourth. A steal from Golub led to two points from Penders to give Foxboro a 41-39 lead but the Warriors couldn’t add to their lead after getting a stop and Mansfield senior JT Veiking drained the go-ahead triple with just over a minute left.
King Philip, 38 @ Franklin, 56 – Final – Franklin built a 10-point lead by halftime and never looked back, running away with a big win over rival King Philip. Geino Scaringello (11 points) hit a trio of first half three-pointers and Andrew Benoit added a triple of his own as the Panthers staked a 31-21 lead at halftime. Junior Sean O’Leary was a perfect 13-for-13 from the free throw line, including 11-for-11 in the second half and finished with a game-high 20 points for Franklin, who extended its lead to 46-29 at the end of the third. Tommy Kilroy and Grant Kinney each scored 11 points for the Panthers and Tommy McLeish added 10 points.
Taunton, 50 @ North Attleboro, 37 – Final – Locked in a low scoring, tight battle at halftime, Taunton used a press as a spark for the second straight game and pulled away for the win on the road. Both teams were limited to single digits in each of the first two quarters and the game was knotted at 12-12 at the break. Taunton got its offense going in the third quater as Chris Perault had seven points in the frame, Troy Santos added six, Jakari Innocent had five of his eight points, and Chris Volcy chipped in with four as the Tigers dropped 22 points in the third to stake a 34-24 lead going into the fourth. Perault finished with all but two of his game-high 16 points in the fourth while Santos finished with 15 points and Volcy had nine points. Senior Jack Munley led North with 10 points while sophomore Jonnie Obuchowski added 7 points.
Oliver Ames, 56 @ Stoughton, 52 – Final
Girls Basketball
Milford, 36 @ Attleboro, 56 – Final – The Bombardiers had three players in double digits to earn a bounce-back win over the Hawks and continue to apply pressure on league leader Franklin ahead of the teams’ next meeting. Vanessa Ellis and Kayla Goldrick each had eight points in the first half, helping the Bombardiers pull ahead by double digits heading into the break. Ellis finished with a game-high 16 and Goldrick had 12. Sarah Maher also got into double digits for Attleboro, scoring 13 points (nine in the second half). Emily Croteau led the Hawks with 11 points, including a trio of three-pointers. Erin Michelson added seven for Milford.
Canton, 48 @ Sharon, 45 – Final
Mansfield, 57 @ Foxboro, 65 – Final – Kailey Sullivan scored 31 points, going 9-of-10 at the line in the fourth quarter, to help the Warriors pull out a win against Mansfield, which clinched the Davenport title. Camryn Collins added 17 for Foxboro.
Franklin, 65 @ King Philip, 51 – Final – Franklin led by four points at halftime, but the Panthers exploded for 26 points in the third to open up a comfortable advantage. Kylie Watson scored a career-high 13 points, knocking down a trio of threes, for KP and her 10 first-half points helped the Warriors stay close at the break. Bridget Leo (eight points), Katie Peterson (seven), Caelyn Leonard (six), and Chloe Fales (five) turned the game around in the third quarter, combining for 26 points, doubling up KP in the frame and going ahead by 17 heading to the fourth. Peterson would be the high scorer for the Panthers with 17. Leo added 14 points and Leonard and Fales each finished with 11 for the Kelley-Rex leaders. Emily Sawyer led KP with 16 points (nine in the first half). Jackie Bonner hit three from beyond the arc and had 10 points and Leah Santoro hit a pair of threes for six points.
North Attleboro, 64 @ Taunton, 61 – Final – North outscored the Tigers 19-10 in the fourth quarter to pull out the win and avoid a season sweep. After facing each other twice already, including an overtime game last time out, the Rocketeers expected the Taunton pressure, but the Tigers pulled ahead in the third quarter and led by as many as 13 points in the second half before North mounted a comeback. Seven players go into the scoring column for the visitors, with Sam Sweeney, Ava McKeon, and Katie Corsetti each finishing with 14 points and Maryellen Charette adding nine. Cali Melo led the Tigers with 15 points, including 10 in the first half as the teams went into the locker room tied at 33-33. Lexi Haywood knocked down three from beyond the arc and finished with 13. Tarynn Campbell chipped in with a dozen points and Chelsea Bousquet had eight in the loss.
Stoughton, 39 @ Oliver Ames, 60 – Final – OA’s offense clicked into gear right from the start, scoring 34 points in the first half to go up by 19. Stoughton scored 24 in the second half, but the Tigers held onto the big lead to the final whistle. Sara Hilliard helped the Tigers get off to a great start, scoring nine of the team’s 15 in the first. She finished with 13. Kamryn Derba added seven of her 14 in the first half. OA also got 10 points from Avery Gamble and seven from Kaydance Derba. Raina Tat was the game’s top scorer, finishing with 16 points (13 in the second half). Kirsten McKay nailed three from beyond the arc for nine points, Leah McCarty had eight points and 11 rebounds, and Katrina Varnum had six points.
Boys Hockey
Foxboro, 5 @ Apponequet, 0 – Final
Boys Swimming
Hockomock League Championships, 4:00 (@ Milford)
Gymnastics
Canton @ North Attleboro, 7:30
Attleboro @ King Philip, 8:00
Stoughton, 60 @ Franklin, 71 – Final – Franklin set the tone early with a suffocating defensive effort and junior Andrew Benoit gave the Panthers an early boost in a win over visiting Stoughton. Benoit scored five of his career-high 13 points in the opening quarter, Ben Harvey added seven of his 11 points in the frame, and Geino Scaringello (12 points) hit a pair of triples as Franklin established an early lead (20-3) after a quarter. Justin Allen scored all of his team-high 14 points in the second half while Sean O’Leary scored all 13 of his points in the second and third quarters. Elijah Connor led the Black Knights with 14 points while Obi Dike chipped in with 12 points.
Mansfield, 69 @ King Philip, 53 – Final – Mansfield had all of the answers in a win on the road at King Philip, building a lead early and withstanding a handful of rally bids from the Warriors. The Hornets connected on five three-pointers in the opening quarter, three from Eddie McCoy (20 points) and one each from Caden Colby (11 points) and JT Veiking (15 points, 5 rebounds) to race out to a 20-12 lead after a quarter. KP made runs throughout the game to get back into it but the Hornets had an answer each time, including late in the third when the hosts got within five only for the visitors to answer with a quick 6-0 burst to push the lead back to double digits. Junior Trevor Foley added 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists for Mansfield while Chris Hill had 9 points and 11 boards. Will Laplante paced KP with a team-high 20 points while Grant Kinney and Tommy McLeish each added eight points.
Oliver Ames, 37 @ Milford, 60 – Final – Milford used a huge second half to turn a six-point halftime lead into a runaway win over a shorthanded Oliver Ames squad. The Hawks led by just one (11-10) after a quarter and by six (23-17) at the halftime break. Sophomore Andrew Rivera (five rebounds) sparked the big second half on the offensive end, scoring 11 of his team-high 19 points in the third while Luca Testa, Nick Araujo, and Tyler Ballard also contributed to the scoring as the Hawks’ advantage ballooned to 40-22 going into the fourth. Milford’s offense continued its second half success in the fourth, pouring in 20 points to run away with the win. Freshman CJ Farrell had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists in the win over OA, who was without its two leading scorers in Cole Craffey and Soren Lolonga.
Sharon, 56 @ North Attleboro, 33 – Final – Junior Jacob McLoughlin scored eight of his team-high 14 points in the opening quarter as the Eagles set the tone on both ends of the court early, and never looked back in a win over the Rocketeers. Nate Katznelson scored in each quarter and finished with 11 points while both Matt Baur and Dante James chipped in nine points each for the Eagles, who held a 30-11 lead at halftime.
Girls Basketball
Taunton, 22 @ Foxboro, 79 – Final – Foxboro earned another big league win, staying unbeaten in Hock play this season and giving itself a chance to clinch the Davenport title when it squares off against Mansfield on Friday. Addie Ruter scored 20 points to lead the way for the Warriors. Kailey Sullivan had 19, Camryn Collins added 18 points, and Ava Hill chipped in with a dozen for Foxboro.
Franklin, 65 @ Stoughton, 35 – Final – Franklin scored 26 points in the opening quarter and never looked back, rolling to a big win that restored a one-game lead over Attleboro in the division standings and clinched a playoff berth. Chloe Fales scored all of her team-high 15 points in the first half, as Franklin opened up a 44-14 lead going into the locker room. Bridget Leo added six points in the first quarter, Katie Peterson scored seven of her 10 points before the break, and Lizzie Newman added six of her 11. Mallory Santos added six points for Franklin, all in the third quarter. Raina Tat was Stoughton’s top scorer with 15, including all nine of the Black Knights’ points in the third. Tat also had three steals on the night. Kirsten McKay had nine points, six of them in the fourth quarter, and Katrina Varnum pulled down nine rebounds.
Milford, 26 @ Oliver Ames, 66 – Final – OA scored 17 points in the second quarter to go ahead by 17 at halftime and the Tigers kept it rolling after the break, outscoring Milford 36-13 to earn the big win. The Tigers were strong defensively throughout, not allowing more than eight points in a quarter. Kaydance and Kamryn Derba combined to knock down seven three-pointers. Kaydance led OA with 13 points and Kamryn finished with 11, all in the second quarter. Sarah Hilliard added 12 points, 10 of them in the first half, and Maeve Horsman hit a pair of threes and scored eight points in the fourth. Maddie Homer scored six points for OA and also pulled down 10 rebounds from her guard position, including nine on the offensive end. Emily Croteau had eight for the Hawks, while Maeve Driscoll scored six on a pair of threes, and Katelyn Kearnan added five.
North Attleboro, 50 @ Sharon, 56 – Final – Sharon turned the game around in the third quarter, outscoring North 18-4 to grab the lead. After a nearly even fourth quarter, the Eagles walked away with their second straight victory. Jasmine Davis led the Sharon comeback, scoring 18 of her game-high 30 points in the second half and making clutch free throws down the stretch. North took a 15-13 lead after one quarter and extended the lead to 34-27 at halftime. Sam Faria led the way for the Rocketeers, knocking down five threes and scoring 17 points (all in the first half). Katie Corsetti did her best fronting Davis to make her work for her points and Ava McKeon added 13 points for North. Bailey Garte helped out Sharon’s offense with eight points and Carmen Leonardi had a strong game defensively on the perimeter.
Boys Hockey
Franklin, 4 vs. Archbishop Williams, 3 – Final (OT) – Franklin sophomore Vinnie Pasquarosa celebrated his birthday in style, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to hand the Panthers a big non-league win over Archbishop Williams. Pasquarosa gained possession at the blue line, skated around a defenseman and deposited his shot into the back of the net with just over a minute to go in the extra period for the win. The Panthers took a 2-1 lead in the third when Ben Jarosz scored on the power play but the Bishops scored twice with under six minutes to go to jump in front. Jarosz fired a shot from the blue line with just seconds to go to tie the game. Dylan McEvoy also had a goal for Franklin while Colby Wagner made 27 saves in the win.
Swimming
Mansfield @ Seekonk, 3:45
Gymnastics
Canton @ Oliver Ames, 8:00 (@ Spectrum)
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 63 @ North Attleboro, 51 – Final – Attleboro built a double-digit advantage by halftime and kept the host Rocketeers at bay throughout the second half to score a rivalry win on the road. The Bombardiers limited North to single-digit scoring in each of the first two quarters and a 16-point second quarter, highlighted by eight points from Hayden Crowley (14 points total), helped extend the lead to 30-16 after two quarters of action. The Rocketeers got their offense going with 19 points in the third as sophomore Austin Clemente caught fire from downtown, hitting four triples in the frame while classmate Jonnie Obuchowski hit another had had five in the frame to help the hosts close the gap to just seven, 42-35, going into the fourth. Crowley, Jaiden Outland (12 points), and Michael Beverly (seven of his 10 points in the fourth) each hit a triple in the final frame to keep Attleboro ahead. Junior Neo Franco had a team-high 16 points for the Bombardiers while senior Givany Carney led North with 15 points apiece.
Mansfield, 69 @ Canton, 43 – Final – Mansfield senior Chris Hill set the tone early by scoring all 12 of his points in the first eight minutes, helping the Hornets establish a big lead that they kept the rest of the way. Hill sank a trio of three-pointers in the first for a 19-6 lead after just a period of play. Davon Sanders added seven of his career-high 18 points in the second while the Hornets got baskets from Trevor Foley (13 points), Eddie McCoy, and JT Veiking to stake a 34-22 lead at halftime. Mansfield continued to outscore the Bulldogs as Foley had seven more in the third and Caden Colby added a three. Sanders, Colby, Foley, McCoy, Veiking, and senior Michael Creedon all scored in the fourth to add to the lead. Matt Chafin had a trio of threes in the second and finished with a team-high 13 points while Jamaal McConnell added 12 points for the Bulldogs.
Oliver Ames, 51 @ Foxboro, 56 – Final – Foxboro took the lead in the first quarter and never surrendered it, grinding out a hard-fought win against Oliver Ames. After a slow start from both sides saw the Warriors stake an 11-6 lead after a quarter, the Warriors had their best offensive stretch with 19 points in the second quarter. Sophomores Ryan Kelley and Nolan Gordon each hit a three, Ryan LeClair and Ryan Cotter each added a bucket, and senior Alex Penders had half of his team-high 14 points in the frame to give Foxboro a 30-22 advantage at the break. OA’s Nick Asiaf hit two of his six threes in the third quarter and had eight of his career-high 22 points in the game while sophomore Zach Ivanoski had five points to help the Tigers claw back into it and cut the deficit to 41-37 going into the fourth. Penders had an early three-point play to start the fourth and LeClair drained a corner three to push Foxboro’s lead to 10. Chris Elias answered for OA with four straight points but Gordon sank his second triple of the game to keep the Warriors ahead.
Milford, 46 @ Franklin, 66 – Final – Franklin played well on both sides of the ball, pouring in 36 points in the first half while limiting the visitors to just 16, and the Panthers never looked back from there. After taking a 15-6 lead through one quarter of action, Franklin really extended its advantage with 21 points in the second quarter. Andrew O’Neill had half of his 10 points in the second, Caden Sullivan added a triple, and Sean O’Leary had seven of his team-high 17 points in the game to build a 36-16 halftime lead. Geino Scaringello had two threes and finished with 10 points for Franklin, which had 11 players register points. Sophomore Andrew Rivera (five rebounds) and freshman CJ Farrell (eight rebounds) paced the Hawks with 16 points apiece.
Stoughton, 61 @ Sharon, 77 – Final – Sharon had six players contribute to a massive first quarter and the Eagles never looked back after that in a win at home over Stoughton. Matt Baur had two threes and eight of his 13 points in the first quarter, Ryan Brown and Tyler Goodman each added a triple, and Jack Bates, Jacob McLoughlin, and Nate Katznelson each had field goals as the Eagles blitzed the visiting Black Knights to stake a 25-6 lead after a quarter. Katznelson finished with a team-high 21 points and hauled in 10 boards and McLoughlin added 14 points and seven assists in the win. Obi Dike and Nathan Figaro each had career-highs, finishing with 14 points apiece while Elijah Connor chipped in with 11 points for the Black Knights.
Girls Basketball
North Attleboro, 32 @ Attleboro, 56 – Final – Attleboro carried over the momentum from its strong second half on Tuesday, jumping out to a 32-13 lead in the first half on Friday. Kayla Goldrick scored a career-high 21 points for the Bombardiers, 15 of them coming in the first half. Vanessa Ellis added 18, splitting her points between the two halves. Molly Moore hit a pair of threes for her six points. Katie Corsetti was North’s top scorer with seven points, all of them coming in the first half. Ella McLaughlin and Sam Sweeney each scored six in the loss. With the win, Attleboro stays just a game back of league-leading Franklin.
Canton, 34 @ Mansfield, 54 – Final – Mansfield led by four points at halftime, but broke the game wide open with a 20-5 third quarter, sealing its seventh win in the past eight games. Abby Wager sparked the rally in the third, scoring 12 of her game-high 19 points in the quarter. Kara Santos added 10 points, Bridget Hanley had eight points (all in the first half), and Rose Maher finished with seven for the Hornets. Canton was tied after one and trailed just 26-22 at the break. Samya DaSilva buried three triples and scored a team-high 17, including 10 points in the first half to keep the Bulldogs close. Freshman Deanna Kolokithas scored seven and her sister Mercia hit a first quarter three for Canton.
Foxboro, 72 @ Oliver Ames, 32 – Final – Foxboro stayed perfect in league play and moved a game closer to a Davenport title with a convincing win over the defending champs. The Warriors, who knocked down nine threes as a team, got off to a big start and never let up. Foxboro led 21-5 after one quarter and went into the break up 37-12. The Warriors kept it up in the second half, outscoring the Tigers 35-20 for its second straight win by 40-plus points. Kailey Sullivan was the game’s top scorer, burying five triples and finishing with 19 points. Camryn Collins added 17 (12 in the first half), Addie Ruter scored 14, and Erin Foley had 10 in the win. Isabelle Chamberlin gave Foxboro a lift on the boards with a game-high 14 rebounds. Freshman Avery Gamble led OA with 15, 10 coming in the second half. Fellow rookies Maeve Horsman and Kamryn Derba each scored five for the Tigers.
King Philip, 62 @ Taunton, 41 – Final – KP had nine different scorers and secured its fifth straight victory, remaining two back of Franklin in the Kelley-Rex standings. The Warriors jumped out to a 15-2 lead after one and 34-14 heading to the locker room. Jordan Bennett and Emily Sawyer combined for 23 of KP’s points in the first half to take control of the game. Sawyer finished with a game-high 21 and Bennett added 15. Jessi Persky chipped in with six in the win. Taunton got 11 points from Tarynn Campbell, seven of them in the second half as the Tigers put 27 on the board. Cali Melo scored eight (six after the break) and Lexi Haywood hit a pair from beyond the arc in the second half. Skylar McCrohan also had six for the Tigers.
Franklin, 57 @ Milford, 28 – Final – Franklin locked down on defense, holding Milford to just 10 points in the first half, and exploded for 28 second quarter points to pick up a seventh straight win, clinch a playoff berth, and hold onto its one-game lead in the division. Leading 9-4 after one, Franklin found another gear in the second. Katie Peterson had a dozen, Chloe Fales added eight, and Caelyn Leonard scored six in the second quarter. Fales (trio of three-pointers) and Peterson each finished with 16 points and Leonard had eight. Milford scored 14 in the third, cutting two points off the lead. Brooke Ferreira had five of her six points in the frame and Emily Croteau (six points) knocked down one of her two threes in the quarter. TJ Downing had four for the Hawks.
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 47 @ Franklin, 67 – Final – Franklin built a 10-point lead after a quarter, doubled it by halftime, and led the entire second half in a big win over visiting Attleboro. Justin Allen hit two of his four threes in the opening quarter, Geino Scaringello added another triple, and Andrew O’Neill, Bradley Hernon, Caden Sullivan, and Sean O’Leary all had buckets as the Panthers’ offense got going early for a 19-9 lead. O’Neill, Allen, and O’Leary all had triples — Franklin finished with 10 total — in the second and the Panthers’ defense limited the visiting Bombardiers to just seven points for a 36-16 advantage at halftime. O’Leary finished with a team-high 18 points and both O’Neill and Allen had 14 points in the win. Jaiden Outland and Neo Franco each had 13 points for Attleboro.
Foxboro, 75 @ Canton, 73 – Final (2OT) – Foxboro senior Ryan LeClair came up with a steal with just over 10 seconds left and classmate Alex Penders converted a putback with just seconds left as the Warriors outlasted Canton in an absolute thriller. Penders had a career-high 33 points to lead the Warriors while Sam Golub added 19 points. Canton’s Matt Chafin drilled a three-pointer with 20 seconds left in regulation to tie the game and force an overtime. From there, it was back-and-forth for both overtime and double overtime. Canton scored the first four points of the first overtime as Jamaal McConnell, who had a career-high 24 points, hit a pair of free throws and Julius Hicks (13 points) converted a tough layup for a 60-56 lead with two minutes to go. Penders used a nice fake and finished for two and Sam Golub drove to the basket for two more to tie it. Canton’s Caden Mirliani had a traditional three-point play with 30.7 seconds to go before Penders drove the length of the court for two to cut the deficit to one. Canton extended the lead with a free throw with 19.9 seconds left and forced a turnover with 10 seconds to go. After going 1/2 from the line again, Canton had a 65-62 lead. Foxboro was off on a game-tying three but sophomore Nolan Gordon soared in from the baseline and converted the putback while being fouled. His free throw with 1.9 seconds left tied the game to send it to double overtime. Golub gave Foxboro the lead early but Hicks had a three-point play to put Canton bak in front. LeClair battled through contact for two before McConnell answered for Canton to make it 70-69 with 2:00 to go. After Foxboro tied it with a free throw, Mirliani had a huge steal with under a minute to go and hit an open three for a 73-70 lead. Golub wasted little time and drained a deep three from straight away to tie it 73-73, setting up LeClair’s steal and Penders’ winner.
Stoughton, 52 @ Mansfield, 83 – Final – Mansfield’s offense clicked into high gear, scoring over 20 points in three of the four quarters to run away with a big win over the visiting Black Knights. The Hornets had four players in double figures and combined for 13 three-pointers with seven players hitting at least one. After building a 16-10 lead after one, the Hornets put up 21 points in the second, 22 points in the third, and ran away with the win with 24 points in the fourth quarter. JT Veiking (17 points) and Caden Colby (15 points) each hit three three-pointers to lead the offense while both Trevor Foley (12 points, five rebounds, four blocks) and Eddie McCoy (six rebounds, four assists) also finished in double figures for Mansfield. Davon Sanders (nine rebounds, four assists) and Chris Hill (13 rebounds, six assists, three blocks) each finished with nine points. Jayden Costa-Haywood led Stoughton with 13 points and Jarred Daughtry added 12 points.
Taunton, 87 @ Milford, 63 – Final – Taunton senior Chris Perault sank six three-pointers for a career-high 24 points and Chris Volcy added 22 points as the Tigers secured a win on the road behind a big offensive outburst. Gus Coutinho scored nine of his 17 points in the opening quarter as Milford led by a point, 16-15, but Taunton flipped the game with a big second quarter. Not only did the Tigers put up 23 points, they held the Hawks to just eight to flip a one-point deficit into a 38-24 lead at halftime. Perault hit half of his threes in the second and junior Troy Santos added nine of his 18 points in the frame to give Taunton a double-digit advantage. Perault added two more threes in the third and Jakari Innocent, Al Morisseau, and Travis Johnson had buckets to keep Taunton ahead, 61-44, going into the fourth. Taunton exploded for 26 points in the final frame as Santos hit a pair of threes and Volcy, Perault, and Gerry Cardoso each had one. Andrew Rivera scored a team-high 21 points for the Hawks including 15 in the second half.
Oliver Ames, 58 @ Sharon, 62 – Final – Oliver Ames went on the road and put Sharon on upset alert but the Eagles answered the call and closed out a close win over the Tigers. Oliver Ames rallied for a lead at 41-40 in the third quarter but the Eagles closed the frame with a 7-0 run to take the lead into the fourth. A three-point play from OA freshman Soren Lolonga (18 points) got the Tigers within three in the fourth but Tyler Goodman answered with a three, Nate Katznelson (19 points) converted a putback, and Jacob McLoughlin (game-high 21 points) had a steal and a breakaway dunk to give the Eagles a double-digit lead at 56-46. Chris Elias (13 points) hit a three and Lolonga had two more to get within five but Katznelson and McLoughlin each had a bucket to keep Sharon ahead. Sophomore Cole Craffey also had 18 points for Oliver Ames.
Girls Basketball
Franklin, 66 @ Attleboro, 55 – Final – In a battle for first place in the Kelley-Rex division, Franklin outscored Attleboro 22-9 in the fourth quarter to overturn a two-point deficit and pull out the 11-point win. The Bombardiers bounced back nicely from a tough loss to Foxboro last time out, scoring 20 points in the first quarter to grab the lead. Avery James and Lily Routhier each scored six in the first to get Attleboro off to a great start. Franklin cut the lead to five heading to the locker room and chipped three more points off in the third, with Chloe Fales scoring seven and Katie Peterson adding five in the quarter. Franklin’s offense clicked into gear in the fourth. Peterson went 6-for-6 from the line in the quarter (9-of-10 for the game) and Fales and Caelyn Leonard each added five points, while Lizzie Newman scored four. Vanessa Ellis had six of Attleboro’s nine points in the final period. Peterson led all scorers with 17 on the night. Fales scored 16, Newman added 12, Leonard had 10, and Bridget Leo scored seven points for the Panthers. Attleboro had only four players on the score sheet on Friday. James led the way with 16, Routhier scored 15, Ellis had 14, and Kayla Goldrick chipped in with 10. The Panthers now lead the division by one game.
Canton, 32 @ Foxboro, 55 – Final – Kailey Sullivan and Camryn Collins each scored 15 points and Foxboro continued its unbeaten start to the league campaign. Six of Foxboro’s eight wins this season have been by at least 23 points. Addie Ruter added 14 points for the Warriors, while Isabelle Chamberlin grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds.
Mansfield, 80 @ Stoughton, 37 – Final – Mansfield set a new program record for points in a game, extending its win streak to six games and staying within two games of league-leading Foxboro. Abby Wager scored a game-high 31 point to power the Hornets offensively. Kara Santos added 15 and Hallie Popat scored 14 for Mansfield. Maiya Merritt paced the Black Knights with 10 points, while Kirsten McKay added seven. Stoughton also got six points apiece from Caleigh Clark, Raina Tat, and Leah McCarty.
Milford, 36 @ Taunton, 46 – Final – The game was tied at 18 going into halftime, but Taunton found an extra boost of offense in the second half to bounce back from a loss on Tuesday and get back to .500 on the season. Cali Melo and Lexi Haywood combined for 14 of Taunton’s 18 in the first half and Aliza Syed continued her solid season by scoring half of Milford’s first half points. Melo continued her strong offensive play after the break, adding 10 more points to finish with a game-high 18. Haywood added five more in the second half, while Tarynn Campbell went 5-for-6 from the line and scored seven of her eight points. Chelsea Bousquet added all six of her points in the second half for Taunton to help the Tigers pull out the win. In addition to Syed’s 11 points, Milford got nine from Emily Croteau and six from Brooke Ferreira.
King Philip, 54 @ North Attleboro, 33 – Final – After a 9-0 North run to end the first quarter, KP built a six-point lead at halftime and outscored North 31-16 after the break to pull out the win. Emily Sawyer saw frequent double teams, and the North defense held her to four points combined in the second and third quarters, but she still managed to score a game-high 21 points. Maddie Paschke added 14 points and Jordan Bennett scored eight for the Warriors. Using its press, North climbed back within as few as four points but the Rocketeers struggled to consistently knock down shots and KP started to pull away. Ava McKeon scored a team-high 14 points and Sam Faria had a dozen for North. Katie Corsetti had a solid game in the post defending Sawyer.
Boys Swimming
Franklin @ Attleboro, 7:00
Mansfield, 76 @ Foxboro, 74 – Final
King Philip @ North Attleboro, 7:15
Milford @ Taunton, 3:30
Stoughton, 62 @ Sharon, 81 – Final
Girls Swimming
Franklin @ Attleboro, 7:00
Mansfield, 84 @ Foxboro, 85 – Final
King Philip @ North Attleboro, 7:15
Milford @ Taunton, 3:30
Stoughton, 26 @ Sharon, 70 – Final
Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 60 @ Oliver Ames, 55 – Final – Attleboro closed the third quarter with a big run to take the lead and held off a late push from Oliver Ames to get the win. Hayden Crowley, Connor Houle, and Jaiden Outland hit consecutive three-pointers and Justin Hanrahan added a bucket as the Bombardiers finished the third with an 11-0 surge, extending a two-point lead at halftime (24-22) into a 43-35 edge going into the fourth. The Tigers rallied to make it a four-point game at 55-51 but the Bombardiers were able to close it out. Crowley led a balanced scoring attack for the Bombardiers with a team-high 13 points while Neo Franco added 12 points in the win. Michael Beverly chipped in with nine points while both Outland and Hanrahan finished with eight points. Sophomore Cole Craffey paced Oliver Ames with 22 points while freshman Soren Lolonga added 21 points for the Tigers.
Milford, 46 @ Canton, 52 – Final – Canton’s Caden Mirliani and Jamaal McConnell had key back-to-back baskets midway through the fourth quarter to help the Bulldogs secure a win over Milford and a back-and-forth contest. The Hawks had a slim lead at halftime (27-24) and after three quarters (39-37) but the Bulldogs won the fourth quarter to win the game. Zaza Francoeur (team-high 18 points) drilled a three just under two minutes into the final frame to give Canton its first lead of the quarter but Milford freshman CJ Farrell (team-high 12 points) responded with a traditional three-point play to bring the Hawks level. Midway through the fourth, Mirliani sank a three, and after a stop defensively, found McConnell (nine points) for a bucket plus the foul, and after a made free throw, Canton had a six-point edge and the lead for good. Andrew Rivera chipped in with 11 points for Milford.
King Philip, 58 @ Foxboro, 50 – Final – King Philip erupted for nine three-pointers in the second half alone to overcome a 16-point deficit at halftime and beat Foxboro on the road. The hosts controlled the play in the opening two quarters, holding the visitors to eight points in each the first and second quarters. Senior Alex Penders shined in that same stretch, scoring 16 of his team-high 24 points in the opening 16 minutes to give Foxboro a 32-16 edge at the break. Grant Kinney (12 points) and Tommy McLeish (six points) each hit a pair of threes in the third and Tommy Kilroy (seven points) added another as KP outscored the hosts 17-7 in the third to shrink the deficit down to 39-33 going into the fourth. KP kept hitting from downtown in the fourth as Will Laplante hit one (and had nine of his 11 points in the final quarter) and Trevor Clyde hit two more and had all eight of his points in the fourth, and the Warriors finished with 13 three-pointers, and just five made two-point field goals.
Franklin, 78 @ Sharon, 51 – Final – Franklin had a dominant showing in the second half, pouring in 22 points in the third and 23 more points in the fourth to run away with a big win over Sharon. The Panthers established a 33-25 lead at halftime but the offense came to life with eight players finding the scoring column in the second half. Junior Sean O’Leary stayed hot on the offensive end with a game-high 25 points while senior Ben Harvey had a stellar game with 15 points – including 10 in the second half – along with 11 rebounds and 12 assists for a triple double. Justin Allen hit a trio of three-pointers on the game and scored 10 of his 13 points after the break and Geino Scaringello added a pair of threes and 10 points total. Jacob McLoughlin led a balanced scoring attack for the Eagles with 10 points while Matt Baur and Nate Katznelson each had nine points.
North Attleboro, 53 @ Stoughton, 55 – Final (OT) – Stoughton scored its only seven points of overtime in the final minute of play to pull out a win over North Attleboro. Stoughton’s Jayden Costa-Haywood (19 points) sank a free throw with 5.2 seconds left to give the Black Knights a 48-45 lead but North Attleboro’s Givany Carney (10 points) sank a three at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. The Rocketeers built a 53-48 lead with a bucket from sophomore Ryan Bannon (14 points) and a three from sophomore Jonnie Obuchowski. With under a minute to go, Stoughton had a three miss but Jarred Daughtry (10 points) wrestled the ball free under the basket and eventually finished a layup himself, plus the foul. A questionable technical foul led to a total of three free throws and Daughtry sank them all. The Black Knights got the ball back and Costa-Haywood was fouled, and he sank both of his free throws to take the lead. Stoughton was able to get a final stop to hold on for the win. North led 29-28 at half but a 15-point third quarter saw the Knights surge ahead going into the fourth. Liam Pearl added 15 points for Stoughton.
Girls Basketball
Oliver Ames, 50 @ Attleboro, 57 – Final – Attleboro scored 23 points in the fourth quarter, breaking open a tie game and pulling out a win that keeps the Bombardiers unbeaten in the league and alone atop the Kelley-Rex division. Kayla Goldrick finished with a game-high 19 points to lead the hosts, while freshman Avery Gamble led the Tigers with 18 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the free throw line. The Bombardiers got off to a strong start, jumping out to a 21-11 lead after the first. Goldrick scored eight points, Lily Routhier buried a pair of threes (her only points of the night), and Vanessa Ellis chipped in with five to put the home team in front. Gamble would score 13 points between the second and third quarters, matching Attleboro’s total by herself, to help OA climb back into the game, tying things at 34 apiece with eight minutes to go. The Bombardiers found another gear in the fourth, as Ellis scored nine of her 18 points in the frame, Goldrick added five more, and Avery James scored six of her nine points to help pull out the win. Kaydance Derba scored 14 points for OA and added two blocks and two steals, while Sarah Hilliard scored 11 points, 10 of them in the second half. Katherine Farley was big on the boards, grabbing seven rebounds in the first half for the Tigers.
Canton, 44 @ Milford, 50 – Final – Milford outscored Canton 15-9 in the fourth quarter to pull out its first league win of the season and second win its last three games. Brooke Ferreira led the way for the Hawks with 16 points, 11 of them in the first half as Milford led 24-22 at the break. Samya DaSilva was the game’s top scorer with 22. She scored 12 of Canton’s 15 points in the first quarter to keep things close. DaSilva added seven points and Erin Beatty scored six of her eight total in the third, as the Bulldogs managed to tie the game at 34-34 going into the fourth. Ferreira scored four points and freshman Katelyn Kearnan each scored four points in the final quarter to help seal the win. Emily Croteau added eight points for Milford and Han Hong chipped in with six points for the Bulldogs.
Foxboro, 86 @ King Philip, 41 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Davenport-leading Foxboro surpassed the 80-point mark for the second straight game, putting together a 37-5 run between the opening two quarters to open up a big lead that it would never relinquish. Fresh off a new career-high on Friday night, Kailey Sullivan continued her hot shooting, burying four triples and scoring a game-high 27 points. Sullivan opened the game with 12 in the first quarter, as Foxboro went from 8-7 down to a 26-13 lead. The Warriors then opened the second by scoring the next 18 points before a Maddie Paschke three in the final minute of the quarter. Sullivan added another 10 in the third and Addie Ruter (20 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks) chipped in with eight points to keep pushing the lead. Camryn Collins finished with 19 points, including nine in the fourth, as well as eight rebounds, six assists, and six steals. Erin Foley also had a strong all-around game with seven points, eight rebounds, and five steals. KP was led by Emily Sawyer with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Jackie Bonner added nine points and three assists. Jessi Persky scored all six of her points in the fourth for KP.
Sharon, 31 @ Franklin, 73 – Final – Thirteen players got on the score sheet for the Panthers, who won for the second straight game. Franklin took a 29-15 lead into the locker room, but scored 44 points in the second half to pull away for a convincing victory. Katie Peterson scored 15 points for the hosts, including 11 of their 19 in the third quarter. Sasha Tracey had nine, all in the second half, and Bridget Leo, Caelyn Leonard, and Lizzie Newman each finished with eight points for Franklin. Jasmine Davis scored a game-high 21 points for the Eagles, continuing her impressive junior season. Carmen Leonardi chipped in with six, all in the third quatter.
Mansfield, 72 @ Taunton, 43 – Final – Mansfield’s offense clicked from the start on Tuesday and the Hornets, for the second time this season, matched a program-high with 72 points. The Hornets scored 41 points in the first half, including 24 in the second quarter, to open up a significant lead before the break and added another 31 after halftime to maintain that advantage. Abby Wager finished with a game-high 25 points and Kara Santos added 18 for the Hornets. The duo combined for 27 points in the first half, while Olivia Salisbury added seven before the break. Sophomore Franchesca Spagna came off the bench to score a career-high nine points, all in the fourth. Taunton got 11 points from freshman Taryn Campbell and 10 points from Skylar McCrohan. Cali Melo added seven of her nine points in the second half for the Tigers.
Stoughton, 31 @ North Attleboro, 42 – Final – North Attleboro jumped out to a 29-11 lead at halftime, using its full-court press to cause problems for the Black Knights, and pick up a win that moves the Rocketeers back above .500 in league play. Sam Faria helped North get off to a great start, scoring all of her game-high 16 points in the opening half, outscoring Stoughton on her own. Katie Corsetti added 14 points for the hosts. The Black Knights rallied in the second half, closing the gap with a little run, but North found the plays it needed to close out the win. Raina Tat was Stoughton’s top scorer with eight points. Kirsten McKay had seven points and six rebounds, Katrina Varnum finished with six points and 12 boards, and Leah McCarty added six points and six rebounds in the loss.
Boys Basketball
Foxboro, 60 @ Barnstable, 50 – Final – Foxboro jumped out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and pulled away with a strong second half to earn a win on the road at Barnstable. Senior Alex Penders anchored the big start, scoring 11 of his game-high 26 points in the opening eight minutes and Sam Golub (11 points) hit one of his three three-pointers to help the Warriors establish a 19-9 lead. After Barnstable closed the deficit to six at halftime (30-24), Penders got it going again in the third with eight more points, Ryan Cotter and Ryan LeClair each added buckets, and Golub sank another three as the Warriors established a 47-33 lead going into the fourth.
Franklin, 62 @ Xaverian, 56 – Final – Franklin cashed in from downtown against Xaverian’s zone defense, sinking 12 three-pointers on its way to a non-league win on the road. Senior Justin Allen was responsible for over half of the Panthers’ threes, hitting a total of seven for a team-high 21 points. Allen hit one in each the first, second, and fourth quarters but erupted for four of them in the third to help the Panthers build a 53-40 lead going into the fourth. Andrew O’Neill hit two more threes while Geino Scaringello, Bradley Herndon, and Sean O’Leary each connected for one. O’Leary added 20 points in the win.
Oliver Ames, 55 vs. Classical, 54 – Final (OT) – Oliver Ames forced overtime with just seconds to go and then hit the game-winning shot inside the final 10 seconds of overtime to knock off Classical. Sophomore Cole Craffey hit a free throw with three seconds to go to tie the game and force the extra period. With five seconds to go, and Oliver Ames trailing by two, freshman Soren Lolonga drilled a corner three to give the Tigers the win.
Sharon, 63 @ Holliston, 47 – Final – Sharon raced out to an early lead, pushed it to double-digits by halftime, and never looked back in a win on the road. Senior Dante James scored nine of his 16 points in the third quarter to help the Eagles stay in front in the second half despite 19 points from the hosts in the third. Jacob McLoughlin added 13 points and Tyler Goodman scored nine of his 11 points in the first half. Senior Matt Baur scored seven points in his season debut.
Stoughton, 68 vs. Bedford, 77 – Final (2OT) – Stoughton rallied to erase a 12-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to force overtime and had a big defensive stop to force double overtime, but the Black Knights came up short against visiting Bedford. Jayden Costa-Haywood erupted for a career-high 39 points, including some key buckets late in the game and in overtime, to pace Stoughton. The comeback in regulation, which was punctuated with a 5-0 surge over the final 22 seconds, came down to the wire. Costa-Haywood sank a pair of free throws to make it a two-point game with 22 seconds to go, and then senior Tagh Swierzewski stole the inbounds pass near midcourt. That led to a layup from Costa-Haywood with four seconds to go to tie the game. Costa-Haywood came in clutch again in overtime with two free throws to tie the game with 20 seconds left and Jarred Daughtry came up with a steal at the top of the key to prevent the visitors from attempting a game-winning shot. Stoughton scored first in overtime but couldn’t get another bucket, falling 77-68.
Girls Basketball
Stoughton, 48 vs. Bedford, 52 – Final
North Attleboro, 44 @ Taunton 50 – Final (OT) – Taunton rallied from six points down in the fourth quarter (38-32 after three), using its full-court press to hold North to just five points in the final eight minutes and force overtime. In the OT period, the Tigers outscored North 7-1 to earn their second win against the Rocketeers this season. Cali Melo was the top scorer for the Tigers with 15, including nine in the first half to keep Taunton within one (24-23) at the break. Transfer Skylar McCrohan added 10 points (eight in the first half) and Jillian Doherty chipped in with seven. Katie Corsetti, who started both of the holiday tournament games due to an injury to Ava McKeon, had another big game for North, scoring a game-high 17 points. Sam Faria added 14 and Maryellen Charette had six for the Rocketeers. North coach Nikki Correia was proud of her team’s effort over the past two days and saw a lot of things for the Rocketeers to build on.
Boys Hockey
Canton, 5 vs. Wakefield, 3 – Final
North Attleboro vs. Westboro, 6:00
Taunton, 5 vs. Apponoquet, 1 – Final
Girls Hockey
Canton, 3 vs. Pembroke, 1 – Final
Franklin, 3 vs. Dedham, 2 – Final – After Dedham battled back from two goals down to tie it, Julia Flynn popped up in the third period with her third goal of the afternoon to lift the Panthers to the non-league win. Flynn scored twice in the opening period to put Franklin in control, but Dedham rallied with a pair of tallies in the second. Lindsay Atkinson had a pair of assists for the Panthers.
King Philip, 3 vs. Natick, 0 – Final – Kelly Holmes scored once and assisted on a second goal, as KP pulled out a win over Natick in the consolation round of the Medway New Year’s Classic. Katie McGann and Katarina Precobb each scored once for the Warriors, while Mara Boldy and Grace Lehan-Allen each recorded assists. Malory Johnston made 34 saves to earn the shutout.
Wrestling
Franklin, 24 @ Ashland, 51 – Final
Framingham Tournament (King Philip), 10:00AM
Franklin senior Ben Harvey (19 points) goes up for a reverse layup in the first half against Foxboro. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
FRANKLIN, Mass. – The Franklin boys basketball team had their foot on the gas throughout the first half. The Panthers slammed the pedal down in the second half.
Junior Sean O’Leary poured in 16 of his career-high 26 points in the third quarter and the Panthers turned a single-digit halftime lead into a runaway win over visiting Foxboro, 77-51.
The Panthers transitioned a strong defensive effort into some easy buckets, getting out and running and attacking the basket early in the shot clock to balloon the nine-point halftime lead up to 21 points going into the fourth quarter.
“I thought the pace of the game was much improved for us in the second half,” said Franklin head coach CJ Neely, now in his ninth year at the helm of the Panthers. “We played into the halfcourt with them a little too much in the first half but we’re better when we’re playing with pace and sharing the basketball. I thought we amped it up and it started with our defense. We made a couple of adjustments, we had to switch how we were guarding the ball screens and the blur cuts, and once we made that switch, we stopped [Ryan LeClair] from going downhill and that took away some of their shooting. Once we got stops, we were able to get out and run.”
Franklin boys basketball
Franklin showed glimpses of its fast-paced offense by opening the second quarter with a 10-2 surge. O’Leary scored the first five points, both off assists from Bradley Herndon, the latter coming off a Foxboro turnover. Ben Harvey (19 points) got to the rim quickly after a Foxboro miss, and O’Leary found Geino Scaringello for a three less than 10 seconds after another Warrior misfire.
Foxboro showed some fight with a 10-0 run of its own to keep it close. Sam Golub (11 points, four rebounds, three blocks) had a tough finish around a defender and then assisted on a three-pointer from Alex Penders (10 points, nine rebounds, four assists). Golub turned a steal into another two, and Penders found LeClair (14 points) in the corner for a triple to bring the visitors within one possession at 25-22.
Scaringello, who had struggled to find his shooting touch in Franklin’s first two games, stayed red hot to finish the first half, hitting back-to-back triples to give the hosts a 31-22 lead at the break.
“It was nice to get Geino going, he’s been a shooter for us a long time and he had a slow start,” Neely said. “He was doing all of the defensive stuff but his shot wasn’t going and he was getting frustrated. We know he’s a good shooter, so we just kept telling him to keep shooting and he showed what we can do tonight.”
The third belonged to O’Leary and the Panthers. Justin Allen hauled in one of his 10 rebounds after Franklin forced Foxboro into a tough mid-range jumper at the shot clock, he quickly pushed it up court and found O’Leary, who wasted little time blowing by his man and laying it in for an easy two. From there, Franklin was off and running.
O’Leary canceled out a triple from Golub with one of his own, and on the next play, took down a defensive rebound off a free throw miss and went coast-to-coast, this time going to his right and finishing through contact for two plus the foul.
Franklin boys basketball
Allen came up with a turnover two plays later, and despite Golub getting one of his three blocks in the game, O’Leary was first to the offensive board and once again finished through a foul, hitting a free throw to complete another traditional three-point play.
“There were a couple of matchups we thought we could exploit,” Neely said. “We told them if they find themselves in a situation where you see a little bit of a lane, and the matchup is right, we thought we could get in there and put some stress on them, make them make more decisions than they want to and rotate more than they want to. We didn’t want to wait, if it was there, we wanted to put the stress on them. During the big run, I thought we were able to get downhill and do just that.”
A good example of Franklin’s pace came with under four minutes to play in the third. Golub beat his man and laid it in for two with 3:41 left. Harvey took the inbound pass and raced down the left side of the court, speeding past his man and laying one up and in just seven seconds after Foxboro’s bucket.
“Sean was incredible on both ends of the floor, and he does it every night,” Neely said. “And what Harvey did on Penders was exceptional, those guys really set the tone on both ends of the floor and the rest of the guys responded.”
Even when Foxboro had some success on the offensive end, like when Penders banked a tough turnaround in down low after an offensive rebound from Ryan Kelley, the Panthers pounced offensively. Herndon took the inbounds and used his speed to attack the rim, going up strong with a left-handed finish plus the foul.
“Their pace wore us down as the game went on,” said Foxboro head coach Jon Gibbs. “They were flying at us in transition. Not many teams have multiple forwards like Harvey and O’Leary that can get a rebound and just push it themselves that effectively. And they have a lot of shooting to spread you out.
“Once the deficit got to double digits, we had to start playing faster offensively ourselves to try to climb back in it. The game got into their tempo in the second half.”
Harvey hit a couple of early buckets in the fourth, capping his night with a three as Franklin’s advantage peaked at 68-40 midway through the final frame.
“The first two games, defensively we did a good job and it helped us weather some storms,” Neely said. “We went down big at OA and KP had a second half lead on us but our defense stayed true. We knew our offense would eventually kick. It was just about keeping it simple, it felt like guys were trying to make a five-point shot. We had such a simple practice yesterday, just getting back to doing the stuff we do and I thought we did a good job of trusting each other tonight.”
Franklin boys basketball
Both teams will go outside of the league for their upcoming stretch of games. Franklin (3-0 Hockomock, 3-0 overall) is off to Xaverian on Friday before traveling to Florida for three games over break. Foxboro (1-2, 1-2) closes out this week with trips to Milton and New Bedford on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
Attleboro has consistently been in the hunt for the Kelley-Rex division in recent years, and if the Bombardiers are going to be there again this year, they will have to do so with a lot of new players to the varsity level.
Not only did the Bombardiers graduate a sizable senior class, but the majority of them were also key pieces in longtime head coach Mark Houle’s lineup and rotation. Add in the transfer of promising 6’5-forward Trevor White, and Attleboro has very few pieces left from last year. But that’s not to say Attleboro is without talent. Junior Neo Franco is coming off a very successful first year with the team, earning HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team honors. Jaiden Outland saw more and more minutes as the season went on and he showed what he’s capable of with a career-high 18 points in Attleboro’s win over Durfee in late February last year; he could be poised for a big year. Senior Michael Beverly is the third returner for the Bombardiers after picking up some minutes last year while newcomer senior Justin Hanrahan could be a key piece right away.
Another reason for optimism is that most of the new faces in the lineup this year played for the Bombardiers’ JV squad last season, which posted an impressive 19-2 record. Seniors Spencer Sherck, Zyeem Charles, Nathan Hodson, and Michael Alfonso will provide key leadership for Houle this year. Junior Max Crawford will join sophomores Dante Monestime, Hayden Crowley, and Brady Erwin as potential contributors for the Bombardiers.
“We need to continue our commitment to be a highly competitive defensive team, our communication, and understanding of defensive concepts is a priority and is a reason we were one of the top defensive teams in the league last year,” Houle said.
2021-2022 Record: 9-11 Coach: Eric MacKinnon
Canton surprised a lot of people on the outside of the program with a nine-win season that certainly was good enough for a playoff spot, but the Bulldogs have put that seeding drama in the rearview mirror and are now focused on surprising people again this year.
In order to do so, the Bulldogs will need new players to step up as second-year head coach Eric MacKinnon only has one returning starter from last year. Matt Chafin emerged as a top perimeter option, averaging 8.8 points per game last year (reaching double figures in just under half of the games). Although he isn’t returning from last year’s lineup, Julius Hicks provides a big boost for MacKinnon and Bulldogs, coming back after missing all of last season with an injury. Hicks would have certainly been in the rotation last year and will be a vital piece this year. Junior Zaza Francoeur is an athletic wing player that can impact the game on both ends of the floor for the Bulldogs.
Defense emerged as one of Canton’s strengths a season ago as the Bulldogs bought into MacKinnon’s game plan. Canton allowed the least amount of points against in the Davenport division at 50.6, and they will look to replicate that again this year.
“With our personnel and style of play we have the ability to score from the perimeter and play inside-out at times,” MacKinnon said. “Our length and athleticism should allow us to get out in transition.”
Foxboro is one of the few teams in the league that has more familiar faces returning than not, and after only missing out on the Davenport title by one game last year, the Warriors are aiming to compete with defending champs Sharon and division newcomer Mansfield for the top spot this season.
The Warriors boast one of the better senior classes, anchored by HockomockSports First Team selection Alex Penders. Penders, a 6-foot-5 forward who averaged 16.3 points and 11.7 rebounds per game last year and recently committed to play at Ithaca next year, is joined by classmates Sam Golub, Ryan LeClair, and Andrew Finn. Golub and LeClair played a lot of minutes for head coach Jon Gibbs last season and both improved as the season went on. Having three experienced players will certainly give the Warriors an advantage, especially on the defensive side of the ball where Gibbs always has his teams prepared.
Penders can score in a variety of ways and will be a matchup problem for most teams in the league. Golub is a proven shooter that can get hot at any time while LeClair is a pesky defender, and as seen by his performance on the road at Stoughton last year, is a capable scorer. Penders will certainly be the focus of the offense but he’s a very unselfish player and Foxboro should have a good balance in the scoring column. While the Warriors have a strong senior class, they’re still a relatively young team. With only two juniors, the rest of the roster is filled by six sophomores and two freshmen. Junior Ryan Cotter and sophomores Ryan Kelley and Nolan Gordon will be names to keep an eye on.
“This is a very hard-working and coachable group that is improving on a daily basis,” Gibbs said. “We have a very exciting blend of experienced veterans and newcomers who are hungry to contribute. If we can defend and rebound at a high level, the potential is there for a very successful season.”
2021-2022 Record: 21-4 Coach: CJ Neely
Entering the past two seasons, there was a lot of unknown for the Panthers after graduating a large senior class each year. It’s the opposite this year as Franklin graduated just three players and has the majority of last year’s squad that went 21-4 back in the fold.
After a third-place finish in the Kelley-Rex last season, Franklin could be the team to beat this go around. Junior Sean O’Leary highlights a talented and experienced group of long, athletic players. O’Leary, a 6-foot-4 forward that can score from anywhere on the court and was named to the HockomockSports All-Underclassmen Team last year, will be one of the top players in the league this year. Junior Andrew O’Neill (8.8 points per game) is another returner and head coach CJ Neely will lean on a small but talented senior class that features Ben Harvey (HockomockSports All-Defensive Team), Justin Allen, Geino Scaringello, and Hayden Morandi.
Juniors Hansy Jacques, Bradley Herndon, and Andrew Benoit were all on the team last year and could see increased minutes this season. There will be more opportunities on offense for players to step up with the graduation of Sean Vinson (12.8 ppg) and last year’s leading scorer and HockomockSports Underclassman of the Year Henry Digirogio (16.1 ppg) has opted not to play this year. And promising sophomore Caden Sullivan, who likely would have been in the rotation, will miss significant time due to injury.
“The preseason has been very competitive at practice,” Neely said. “We have a great group of guys who really care for each other. While we do have a good amount of returning players, there is a lot of playing time up for grabs and it will be a daily challenge for guys to earn roles. I have been most impressed with how committed and focused the players have been each day on the court and in film sessions to always look for ways to improve as a group. It will be fun to watch them grow and compete all year.”
2021-2022 Record: 6-16 Head Coach: Dave DeStefano
King Philip brings back a good portion of its roster and is looking to book a spot in the tournament and contend for the Kelley-Rex division title.
The Warriors are one of the few teams in the league that brings back their leading scorer from a year ago in Will Laplante, a seasoned veteran that has averaged over 16 points per year in each of the last two seasons. Laplante is joined by senior Grant Kinney, who had some breakout games last year, and Tommy Martorano, who showed that at his best (a career-high 36 points) that he can score with the best players in the league. That trio is three of KP’s top five scorers from a year ago. Senior Colin Peck, a 6-foot-2 forward, will likely see an expanded role after playing some valuable minutes last year.
Juniors Tommy McLeish and Trevor Clyde, both 6-foot-3 forwards, have made a big jump from last year and will be key pieces for head coach Dave DeStefano this year. New additions Danny Silveria and Peter Cataldo, both juniors, look to factor in as key defensive pieces for the Warriors. Sophomore Tommy Kilroy didn’t see a ton of minutes early on last year but his role expanded as the season went on, scoring in double figures against Mansfield and in a win over Xaverian. Fellow sophomores Brandon Nicastro, Drew Laplante, and Jack Assini will all looking to contribute this season as well.
“The boys have really committed this offseason,” DeStefano said. “The limited practices so far have been really competitive. It’s no secret that our defense has to drastically improve to be competitive in the league. 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 Record: 21-5 Coach: Mike Vaughan
Mansfield had its incredible streak of nine straight Kelley-Rex division titles come to an end last season, and now the Hornets start a new chapter as they begin their first season in the Davenport. Expectations remain sky-high for the Hornets, who are an immediate favorite for the division crown.
The Hornets have two of their best scorers back from last year in senior Chris Hill (12.5 ppg) and junior Trevor Foley (8.2 ppg), but Mansfield did graduate its leading scorer in Matty Hyland and lost five of its top seven scorers. That means there’s a lot of opportunity for new faces to step up. Hill has probably played more varsity minutes than anyone else in the league and he can compete at a high-level night in and night out. Foley really emerged as a top player by the end of the season, averaging over 16 points per game in March.
Senior Caden Colby was part of the rotation last year and will see a bigger role this year while classmate JT Veiking is a 6-foot-5 forward that can score on the perimeter or down low. Senior Michael Creedon rounds out the senior class and can provide a spark with increased minutes this year. Junior Eddie McCoy is poised for a breakout year, an athletic wing player that can attack the rim and cause problems for opposing defenses. Juniors Brandon Jackman and Davon Sanders should see time in the Mansfield backcourt this year.
“This season will be our tallest team in my tenure, it will be fun to see what different things we can do on the defensive end,” Vaughan said. “Offensively we should have plenty of power to put points on the board but the big question mark will be how quickly we can find our max compete level.”
2021-2022 Record: 2-21 Coach: Paul Seaver
Milford had an entirely new team last season and was the youngest team in the league. With just four seniors gone from last year, the Hawks are still a young team but head coach Paul Seaver believes his group learned a lot last year and is trending in the right direction.
The Scarlet Hawks have three of the top four scorers from last season back in the fold, including junior Jake Soares (8.0 ppg), sophomore Andrew Rivera (7.8 ppg), and senior Wyatt Zagami (7.1 ppg). Zagami, who can really fill it up when he’s on a hot streak, is joined by classmates Guy Saintyl, Jacob Ligor, and Joe Buckley to round out a small senior class for the Hawks. Soares was probably Milford’s most consistent player for the first two months before an injury ended his season early, and Rivera showed some glimpses of high-level play throughout the year.
Having a year of experience will be key, especially as a lot of other Hock teams are featuring a lot of first-year varsity players. Sophomore Luca Testa is another young player that saw a lot of minutes for the Hawks last year and will be a key piece during this campaign. Sophomore Gus Coutinho is a dangerous shooter and freshman CJ Farrell could be an impact player right away as well.
“Last season we were very young and very inexperienced,” Seaver said. “We learned how to compete while playing a tough schedule. Now with double digits returnees, we not only aim to improve on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball – we aim to improve in all aspects. Our goals and expectations will be what we make them and what we do with the opportunities that are given to us. I have a great crop of kids who are committed, hard-working individuals who continue to climb the ladder and do things the right way.”
2021-2022 Record: 5-15 Coach: Sean Mulkerrins
North Attleboro battled through an up-and-down season last year that featured some impressive wins — like a double-digit victory over Foxboro and a sweep of Stoughton — as well as some tough losses, like to Foxboro in overtime and to rival Attleboro by just three points. The Rocketeers graduated their two leading scorers from a year ago but return the majority of a roster that was playing their first varsity minutes last year.
Besides its four seniors last year, the rest of the Rocketeers were brand new to the varsity level. That means this year’s group will feature a bit more experience, albeit North is still on the young side. Givany Carney is North’s most experienced player and will be one of the go-to options on the offensive end of the court. Carney is a crafty player that does well getting to the rim with a good combination of speed and size. Senior Jack Munley is a tone-setter and can change the momentum of a game with his effort while senior Derek Maceda showed glimpses last season as a potential go-to guy offensively, both on the perimeter and attacking the basket.
Sophomores Ryan Bannon and Chase Frisoli both played some valuable minutes as freshmen and should see increased roles this year. Bannon is a solid defender and can be a contributor on the offensive end while Frisoli is a high-IQ player with range. Junior Chris Hanewich is another player that head coach Sean Mulkerrins is relying on to contribute on both ends of the floor. With some good experience, North will be looking to establish itself as one of the hardest-working teams in the league, which starts on the defensive end.
“We have a roster of kids who are working hard to improve and learn our system,” Mulkerrins said. “Our practices have been very competitive. We are very focused on building and maintaining our team culture so we are prepared to compete against the talented basketball programs in the Hockomock League.”
2021-2022 Record: 10-12 Coach: Oliver Vil
Oliver Ames is going to have a new look this year under second-year head coach Oliver Vil. The Tigers lost the majority of the team that won a preliminary playoff game last season and missed out on the Davenport division title by just a game.
Not only will the lineup feature new faces, but it will also feature a lot of new faces as the Tigers have a deep group this year. Senior captains Chris Elias and Ari Spiliakos are two returners that will be leaders for the team both on and off the court. Senior Nick Asiaf is a capable ball handler and can attack the rim while seniors Nick Rhodes and Jaden Graham provide key depth. Sophomore Cole Craffey played some meaningful minutes a year ago and will be one of the Tigers’ go-to options offensively this year. He’s very confident with the ball and can score inside and out.
With seven of their top eight scorers from a season ago gone, there will be plenty of opportunity for new players to step up. Freshman Solen Lolonga was in the starting lineup for the Tigers’ season-opening win over Southeastern and had a strong showing with 19 points. Vil also has a deep junior class that features Jake Willard, Daniel Casey, Andrew Sullivan, and David Rodgers, who all played in the win.
“Our strength this season on offense will be our ability to move the ball and create shots for one another,” Vil said. “We will have the same defense approach as last season, forcing our opponents into taking difficult shots and limiting transition offensive baskets. We now have minimal room for careless mistakes to compete in an already difficult conference. I am extremely excited to battle a plethora of well-coached disinclined teams every night we step on the floor to play a game this season.”
2021-2022 Record: 12-9 (Davenport division champions) Coach: Andrew Ferguson
Sharon won its first Davenport division title in eight seasons last year and with its top three scoring options back in the mix this year, the Eagles will be in contention to repeat that feat again this year.
Senior Matt Baur and juniors Jacob McLoughlin and Nate Katznelson give Sharon one of the top trios of players in the league. Baur, who earned HockomockSports First Team honors last year after averaging 15.1 points and 6 rebounds a game, is the heart and soul of the team. He leads by example both on and off the court and is the engine of the team. He doesn’t have to fill up the scoring column to have a big impact on the game. Both Katznelson and McLoughlin emerged as top players in their first season and will be vital pieces this year.
Senior captains Jack Bates and Tyler Goodman both came off the bench as key pieces for head coach Andrew Ferguson last year and will see increased responsibility this year. Bates is a pesky defender and a good floor general while Goodman can provide a spark with his shooting. Senior Dante James, an athletic wing player, comes over from Mansfield and should give the Eagles a big boost with their depth. Juniors Ryan Brown, Anthony Piron, and Cam Sherman provide backcourt depth while juniors Zach Wise, Jaden Segal, and sophomore Sam Letendre provide physicality to the Eagles’ frontcourt.
“With a small senior class, this team is blending experience with youth and has already begun to form a tight bond both on and off the court. Our practices have been super competitive and we look forward to competing against a very strong schedule.”
2021-2022 Record: 9-11 Coach: Evan Taylor
Last season, Stoughton entered the final stretch of league games right in the mix for the Davenport division title but ended up on the outside looking in finishing in a tie for fourth and just missing out on the postseason. With just a few returners back in the mix, the Knights will be looking for a new group of players to lead them into the tournament and contend for the division crown.
Stoughton has two major challenges to address this year, one on each side of the ball. The Black Knights lost their three top scorers from last year with Connor Andrews (19.9 ppg) and Cash Mathurin (5.9 ppg) graduating, and Rayan Sablon (18.3 ppg) transferring out. Head coach Evan Taylor will lean heavily on his four returning players to try and fill that void. Senior Jayden Costa Haywood played some meaningful minutes a season ago and has taken a big leap and the Knights will look for him to provide an offensive punch. Junior Liam Pearl (5.2 ppg) also worked his way into the rotation and made some key shots in clutch moments, including at Foxboro and at home against Canton. Sophomore Matthew Greenspoon (5.6 ppg) is the top scorer back from last year and will look to build on a strong debut season as a freshman.
The other challenge for Stoughton will be on the defensive end as the Knights look to make a drastic improvement after allowing over 60 points per game last year. On top of the returners, Taylor is looking for senior Tagh Swierzewski and junior Jarred Daughtry to make an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball. Other newcomers include senior Obioma Dike, juniors Elijah Connor, and Nathan Figaro, sophomore Mykel Thomas, and freshmen Anthony Alessi and Aiden Rideout.
“Defense has been the main focus at the start of this season,” Taylor said. “Our goal is to be a top three defense in the league with a lot of great on-ball defenders and high IQ players on the
floor.”
2020-2021 Record: 19-3 (Kelley-Rex division champions) Coach: Charlie Dacey
This season will mark a new chapter in the storied history of Taunton basketball. After back-to-back Kelley-Rex championships, including the program’s first outright title a year ago, the Tigers will have a lot of new faces in the lineup this year.
The biggest challenge will be replacing the production from one of the best trios in the Hock in recent history in Player of the Year Trent Santos, Faisal Mass, and Tristan Herry, who combined for just under 75% of the team’s scoring last year. One of the familiar faces returning to the starting group is junior Troy Santos, who has the most career points of anyone on the roster. Santos showed some flashes last year but will have a lot more looks this year. Seniors Chris Volcy and Alvinsky Morisseau, and junior Tyson Carter are also returners from last year and figure to see increased minutes this season.
Senior Chris Perault could be the biggest addition for the Tigers, a player that can score both from the perimeter and attacking the basket. Santos will factor in as one of the top shooters both on the team and in the league while Volcy has really improved from last year and could be a top scoring option for the Tigers. Longtime head coach Charlie Dacey is looking for Dimari Brown and Travis Johnson to provide a spark on the low block, plus some more faces to step up off of the bench.
“This year’s Taunton team will be very different from last year. This edition will be faster without a singular scorer, points can come from a variety of styles,” Dacey said. “Speed and aggressive defense will be the key to Taunton’s success this year.”
