Game of the Week – Football
North Attleboro, 7 @ King Philip, 25 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (NA) Tyler DeMattio 9-yard rush, T. DeMattio XP good.
2nd Quarter: (KP) Robbie Jarest 54-yard pass to Alex Behling, XP no good.
3rd Quarter: (KP) R. Jarest 20-yard pass to A. Behling, Conversion no good.
4th Quarter: (KP) Ryan Halliday 3-yard rush, Conversion no good; (KP) R. Halliday 27-yard rush, Dylan Conti XP good.
Football
Canton, 28 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 7 – Final 1st Quarter: (C) Kyle Fitzgerald 7 yard rush, Owen Lehane XP good; (C) Johnny Hagan 37 yard pass to David Allen, O. Lehane XP good.
2nd Quarter: No scoring.
3rd Quarter: (C) K. Fitzgerald 20 yard rush, O. Lehane XP good.
4th Quarter: (C) Gersom Rivera 4 yard rush, O. Lehane XP good; (DR) Jared Ramos 1 yard rush, Adam Peirera XP good.
Mansfield, 31 vs. BC High, 10 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (M) Cincere Gill 29 yard rush, Michael DeBolt XP good; (BCH) Cormac Kennelly 25 yard field goal good.
2nd Quarter: (M) M. DeBolt 26 yard field goal good.
3rd Quarter: (M) C. Gill 64 yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good.
4th Quarter: (M) Jack Moussette 48 yard pass to M. DeBolt, M. DeBolt XP good; (BCH) Bobby Wiesenhahn 34 yard pass to Louis Timmins, C. Kennelly XP good; (M) M. DeBolt 79 yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good.
Sharon, 14 vs. Nauset, 33 – Final
Taunton, 13 vs. New Bedford, 24 – Final
Boys Soccer
Mansfield, 0 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Foxboro senior Dylan Barreira converted a penalty kick in the first half for the goal of the game.
Taunton, 0 @ North Attleboro, 1 – Final – North Attleboro’s James Sales scored on a penalty kick in the 5th minute to give the Rocketeers two points in their season opener. Taunton’s Colton Madeira, Riley Rebello, and Shane Froio played well defensively in front of Nolan Melo (seven saves).
Oliver Ames, 5 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – Junior Colin Milliken picked up where he left off last season, scoring twice and adding one assist to lead the Tigers to a win on the road. Senior Nick Farley netted his first career goal and assist in the win for the Tigers, who also got goals from Jimmy Keane and freshman Hector Bucio. Ben Cohen and Dillon Cupples each had assists.
Girls Soccer
Canton, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Briley Harnois scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner with nine minutes left to play, helping Attleboro start the season with a victory. Kat Dennehy scored the first goal for the Bombardiers. Ashley Macia played well in goal, according to head coach Steve Santos, who called the win a “great team effort.”
Foxboro, 2 @ Mansfield, 0 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Jordyn Collins scored a second half brace to lift the Warriors to a win in the battle of last season’s league champions. Foxboro dominated the ball throughout the game, holding the Hornets without a shot on goal. Collins hit the post in the first half, but opened the scoring 12 minutes after the break when she was played through by sophomore Jordan Carman. In the final minutes, Collins wrapped up the points when Lizzy Davis hit a free kick from inside her own half that was allowed to bounce just outside the Mansfield penalty area. Collins outran two defenders and slipped a shot inside the post.
Milford, 1 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – Despite Milford controlling large portions of the game and pressured the Panthers, goals by Sydney St. Marie and Stella Regan (assisted by Carly Alston) lifted the hosts to a win in the season opener.
Sharon, 0 @ King Philip, 9 – Final
North Attleboro, 4 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Alex Moulson scored twice and assisted on the other two goals to lead the Rocketeers to a division win. Moulson opened the scoring in the 12th minute on a free kick and then she doubled the lead on an assist by Ari Rice. Abi Slaney scored a second half goal off a Moulson corner and the Olivia Wills followed suit minutes later. Regan Fein held a clean sheet for 70 minutes and Caitlin Echeverri finished the final 10 minutes. North coach Bill Wallace said that Lily Cameron, Steph McKenna, and Alex Hardy were strong in North’s transition game and Lydia Hershey and Collette Petit were strong in the back line.
Stoughton, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 6 – Final – Stoughton scored first but Oliver Ames knotted the score before halftime and scored six straight to get the win. Freshman Jenna Gilman scored four goals for the Tigers while Erin Holmberg (assist) scored twice. Allison Evin, Katie Gibson, Catie Wilson, and Cam O’Connor each had an assist for OA. Stoughton freshman Shayla Ford put the Black Knights ahead before OA cashed in with a flurry of goals before half. Freshman Emma Tremblay had a strong game defensively for Stoughton, Mackenzie Manning was strong in center mid, and senior Briana Buckley played well in net.
Field Hockey
Canton, 1 @ Norwood, 2 – Final
Golf
North Attleboro, 171 @ Foxboro, 169 – Final – Foxboro’s Dylan Quinn carded six pars, finishing with a team-low round of 41 to lead the Warriors to a close win over North. Matt Fosella (four pars) added a 42 while Noah Hicks (two pars) and Matt Lathrop (three pars) both shot 43. North Attleboro’s Jillian Barend was the match medalist, shooting a low round of 40.
Stoughton’s Christopher Ais carries the ball after hauling in a pass in the second half against Canton on Thanksgiving. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
Outlook:
Canton had its best season in recent memory a year ago, but the 2019 squad is aiming to take it one step further.
With starters back at almost every position, Canton is aiming to defend its Davenport division title and get back to the sectional final for the second straight season. Johnny Hagan is back under center this season and has all of his weapons back. The Bulldogs ran a mix of Wing-T and spread offense a year ago so Hagan is comfortable running whatever is needed this year. Kyle Fitzgerald, Gersom Rivera, and Cam Sanchez are all talented backs that can help grind down opposing defenses while Hagan makes a lot of plays with his feet as well. Jace Emma was one of Hagan’s favorite targets last year and he will be joined by David Allen as options in the passing game. The offensive line will be anchored by senior Jack Connolly, who missed a good amount of last season with an injury. Matt Connolly, Derrell Brown, and Lucas Bryant return to the line as well while Carson Campbell and Brandon Baran are in the mix for the final spot.
A lot of the same names will make plays on the defensive end as well with Jack Connolly and Matt Connolly teaming up with Nnamdi Onyemelukwe to provide size on the line. The strength of the defense will once again be with the linebackers as the Bulldogs have James Murphy back in the middle alongside junior Lucas Ragusa. Owen Lehane and Robbie Gallery both had strong seasons coming from the outside. The entire secondary is back for the Bulldogs with Rivera and Sanchez handle the corners and Fitzgerald and Allen provide physicality from the safety spots. And for special teams, Lehane handles kicking duties, Allen returns as the punter, and Rivera and Fitzgerald handle return duties. The Bulldogs will look to build some depth with so many two-way players in the lineup.
“We have a lot of experience with a lot of guys that have played at this level, and we had the playoff run so that should definitely help us down the road,” said Canton coach Dave Bohane. “We are focused on Dighton-Rehoboth, focusing on one game at a time. We have a lot of competitors that don’t quit.”
Outlook:
Foxboro’s biggest win of the season came in its final game, a thrilling overtime win over rival Mansfield at Fenway Park two days before Thanksgiving. If the Warriors are able to carry any of that momentum into the 2019 season, Foxboro will certainly be in the mix for the Davenport division title.
The Warriors return a good amount of talent from last year but will need to find a replacement for Liam Foley, who came on strong at the end of last season. Senior Shayne Kerrigan and junior Cam Prescott have both taken reps this preseason so longtime coach Jack Martinelli and his staff will have two good options to work with under center. Last year’s leading rusher Mike Luong also graduated so there will be an opportunity for someone to take on carries out of the backfield. The Warriors have good skill options in Brian Derba (three touchdown catches last year) and split ends Elijah Lewis and Ryan Hughes. Foxboro has some experience on the line as well as Zach Jenkins and Aidan Dow are both returning starters at the guard position.
Foxboro’s defense has returning players at all three levels so the Warriors will likely rely on that side of the ball, especially early on against two strong non-league foes. Anton George, a HockomockSports Hock 5 selection for defensive line, is back and will be a force to deal with for opponents. Austin Read will be key in Foxboro’s run defense from the defensive tackle spot. Mike Sheehan returns to anchor the linebackers group after a standout junior season. The secondary should be one of the top units in the league with a lot of experienced playmakers. Derba and Kerrigan made a lot of plays defensively last year and Michael Devlin could be poised for a big year for the Warriors.
“With a challenging scrimmage schedule and formidable non-league opponents, we should be prepared for the Hock grind,” Martinelli said “We have several key components returning to make this possible, but it’s one game at a time.”
Outlook:
Milford just missed out on the playoffs last season but the 2019 Scarlet Hawks are determined to get back to postseason play.
There is a lot of experience on both sides of the ball, and maybe most importantly, at key positions both offensively and defensively. The Hawks have Colby Pires back at quarterback after a big junior season that saw him toss 22 touchdowns, second most in the Hockomock League. But the challenge will be developing chemistry with a brand new set of receivers. Brendan White (12), Sean Lehane (5), and Shapel Feaster (5) all graduated so Milford is looking for new names to step up and make plays offensively. Junior Carter Scudo is a terrific athlete and will be one of the top options while Max Martin, Matt Varteresian, Herrick Louis, Kevin O’Connor, and Xavier Hilton are all battling to get reps on the field. Milford does bring back its leading rusher in Luke Rosa (seven rushing touchdowns), a very powerful back that will help the Hawks pound the ball. Juniors Nick Yohn, Dom Schofield, Mario Lee, and Dom Stallbaum provide a physical yet athletic offensive line.
The linebackers will be the heart of the Hawks’ defense this season. CJ Cerrella had a breakout junior year and will be on the top linebackers in the Hockomock League this season. He will be joined by Rosa, Louis, and O’Connor. A lot of the offensive line will see action on the defensive side of the ball as well while Scudo returns as a top defensive back at the safety position. Look for Martin, Varteresian, and Hilton to factor into the secondary as well for Milford this season.
“We have a very focused, determined, and excited team this season,” said head coach Anthony Vizakis. “They are a hard working group of guys with their eyes on one goal, one mission, and they are determined to do it together.”
Outlook:
The Rocketeers have won four straight league titles, the last three in the Davenport division, and will be looking to make it five straight this year.
If North Attleboro does make it five straight, they will need some new players to step up into new roles to do so. The Big Red graduated a lot of talent in almost every position but the Rocketeers are a program that doesn’t rebuild, they reload. The strength of the offensive will start with the offensive line as there are three returning starters. Ethan Mottinger (6’6, 294), who committed to UMass over the offseason, and John Kummer (5’11, 256) man the tackle positions while Ethan Friberg (6’5, 252) adds additional protection from the tight end position. Senior Casey Poirier, junior Matt Penta, and sophomore Tyler DeMattio are locked in a healthy battle at quarterback with each bringing a unique skill set to the offense. North lost almost all of its skill position players but there are a variety of versatile junior backs battling for time. Friberg, Russell Dunlap, and Robbie Donovan will be options in the passing game.
The strong suit of the Rocketeers’ defense will be in the front seven with several returning lineman and senior captain Tom O’Neill anchoring the linebackers. Friberg will be on one end while Montrel Jackson will see time at the other defensive end position. Kummer is joined by Trevor Hewett at defensive tackle to give North a strong, experienced defensive line. Owen Harding and Jacob Silva are in the mix to join O’Neill at linebacker while North will look for some new names to step up in its secondary alongside Jared and Matt Penta. DeMattio returns as the kicker after a standout freshmen campaign (32-for-35 PAT, 3-for-4 field goals).
“We will need to find a way to stay healthy and quickly develop some depth,” said North Attleboro head coach Don Johnson. “With the inexperience in the skill positions, we expect there to be some early growing pains, but we are hopeful that the great attitude and work ethic that has been displayed in the preseason will help us overcome the lack of experience.”
Outlook:
Sharon might not have as many players as some of the other programs in the league and might not match up in terms of size, but the Eagles have plenty of fight and are looking to showcase that this year.
The Eagles are going to look to capitalize on their team speed this year. Junior Nic Morrero was strong on both sides of the ball last season and will likely feature in the backfield this season for the Eagles. John Saab is another returning play that should pick up carries for the Eagles this year. Junior Kiran Chadrasekaran looks set to take over under center for the Eagles and will have a couple of experienced players to work with in senior receiver Alec Filipkowski and junior tight end Ike Ogbonnanze while junior receiver Owen Conway will likely see an expanded role this season.
Senior Jaden Williams-Thomas returns to anchor both the offensive and defensive lines and will be joined by junior Shea Letendre. Williams-Thomas will handle defensive tackle duties and should be a big part of the Eagles’ defense this year. Marrero anchors the linebackers alongside Saab and Ogbonnanze while Filipkowski and Conway will see time in the secondary.
“We have a great group of relentless players that have the right attitude and understand that they have a ton to prove,” said Sharon head coach Dave Morse.
Outlook:
Stoughton didn’t have the season it wanted in terms of record, but the Black Knights were competitive in just about every game last year and are hoping to get back in the hunt for the Davenport crown this year.
Despite finishing 4-7, Stoughton beat both Davenport champions in North Attleboro (21-10) and Canton (28-7 on Thanksgiving) during the year. If the Black Knights are able to string together those type of performances throughout the year, they will definitely be competing for their first division crown since 2015. Offensively, Stoughton has a good battle at quarterback with junior John Burke and senior Clayton Rahaman. Both saw time last year so head coach Greg Burke has two experienced options to start under center. The offensive line should be a strength for Stoughton with a good group of seniors that includes Oluwole Fabikun, Jaden McCall, Carlvin LaGuerre, and Jerry Brisson. Having a strong and experienced line will set things up nicely for the Black Knights strong run game, which will feature Savion Scott, Christopher Ais, and Christian Ais. Tight end Anthony Pizzano, junior Jake Queeney, and track star David Peters will provide options in the pass game.
Stoughton is often known for its defense and will be looking for that to continue during the 2019 season. Kelven Rodrigues will be a big part of the defensive line for the Black Knights, joined by Brisson, LaGuerre, and Fabikun. Georges had a very strong season on the end last season but will mostly line up as a linebacker this year, alongside Scott and Christopher Ais. Stoughton will have a hard hitting secondary once again this season with Burke, Pizzano, Christian Ais and Kamari Grant all likely to see time.
“We hope to stay healthy and be competitive in the league, all of our athletes improved their strength and conditioning,” Burke said. “We have many juniors also playing and will be a big part of the team. We will need help from all players and try to improve depth.”
Canton’s Kyle Fitzgerald carries the ball early in the second half against Scituate. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
SCITUATE, Mass. – A lot of the focus leading into Friday night’s Division 5 South Final between Scituate and Canton revolved around the Sailors’ high-power offense.
But the story of the night ended up being Scituate’s defense.
The Sailors pitched a shutout, limiting Canton’s offense to just over 100 yards and six first downs, to earn a 21-0 decision and the D5 South title, the first in program history.
“Our guys were prepared, motivated, and fired up to play defense tonight,” said Scituate head coach Herb Devine. “We did a great job all night long playing defense. We tried to take away what they wanted to go. We knew [Johnny Hagan] and [Kyle] Fitzgerald are just great players so we tried to limit what they do. Our defense played outstanding.”
Scituate came into the game averaging over 40 points in its two playoff games, putting up an impressive 57 points in a semifinal win over Holliston. While Scituate’s defense gave up a total of 61 points in its first two playoff games, its defense allowed a total of 69 points all of regular season (including 35 to Duxbury).
“They gave us a lot of trouble,” said Canton head coach Dave Bohane. “We have so many playmakers…maybe we leaned on them too much and got away from the fundamentals. We just didn’t execute at a high level. I tip my hat to Scituate, they had a good plan, their kids played good, and they are a good team.”
The Sailors flexed their offensive muscles early on, taking the first drive of the game down the field for a score. It turned out to be Scituate’s second longest drive of the game as they moved 77 yards on eight plays to take an early lead.
Facing a third down early in the drive, Scituate quarterback Aidan Sullivan (10/15, 219 yards) completed a 10-yard pass for a first down. The Sailors didn’t face a third down the rest of the drive and Will Sheskey (24 carries, 135 yards) punched it in from 5 yards out for a 7-0 lead just over three minutes into the game.
The next three series – two from Canton – resulted in punts, but the Bulldogs nearly had a chance to change the game. After punting, Scituate tried to field the kick on the bounce but a nice play from the Bulldogs knocked the ball free. Canton had two shots at it – one player diving on top but the ball jumping free, and other a chance right before the sideline – but neither player could get a hold of the ball in the pouring rain and it went out of bounds, keeping possession with Scituate.
The Sailors made to take advantage of the lucky bounce and needed just three plays to find the end zone. On second on 5, Canton brought a lot of pressure but Scituate had the perfect play call on as Sullivan dumped a screen pass off to Sheskey and he went virtually untouched for a 63 yard touchdown, giving Scituate a 14-0 lead with 9:35 left in the second quarter.
“We knew they like to blitz in some situations and our quarterback absolutely made a great read.” Devine said. “It can be either a little hitch route or a screen and he made the right read and Sheskey went for the touchdown.”
Canton responded with its best drive of the opening half. A unsportsmanlike conduct penalty helped move the ball 15 yards, and Johnny Hagan (86 all purpose yards) hit Gersom Rivera for an 18-yard gain to the Scituate 34-yard line. The Dogs had a chance to complete a pass down field but the receiver was held, giving Canton first and 10 at the 22-yard line.
But a false start, a two-yard rush, and a run for no-gain put the Dogs in a 3rd and 13 situation at the 25-yard line. Hagan tried to make a play but was intercepted at the goal line.
Scituate nearly tacked on another score before half, driving all the way down to Canton’s 23-yard line but Ben Seaman came up with a big sack on third down and Canton forced an incompletion on fourth, keeping the deficit at 14-0 heading into half.
A holding call on the first play of the second half put Canton’s offense in a whole and it was forced to punt quickly thereafter.
Canton’s defense continued its strong play on Scituate’s ensuing drive. The Sailors got inside the red zone, all the way down to Canton’s 8-yard line. But Seaman came up with a big sack on third down and David Allen broke up a pass on fourth down to keep the Sailors out of the end zone and the lead at 14-0.
The Bulldogs offense moved the ball forward on seven straight plays, but faces a 4th and 3 at their own 40. With little time left in the third quarter and a two-score deficit, Canton went for it but Hagan’s pass was picked off just over midfield.
Scituate killed a lot of the remaining time with its next drive, needing nine plays to cover 47 yards. It was’t until a 1-yard sneak from Sullivan on fourth down that Scituate added its third touchdown of the game to go up 21-0 with 8:46 to go.
“The defense gave us a chance,” Bohane said. “Ultimately we didn’t do enough offensively. We just never got that rhythm that we need so badly. We didn’t find it today. The defense kept plugging away even though they gave up an early score which has been a little bit of an Achilles heel. We needed to make plays offensively and we didn’t but they didn’t make it easy for us.
“We just didn’t find any consistency, we never got comfortable in our offense. We didn’t find a play or two that we can hang our hat on but credit to Scituate, they didn’t give us an inch on offense.”
Canton football drops to 8-2 with one game left on Thanksgiving against rival Stoughton. While the future for the Bulldogs looks bright with the majority of its lineup made out of juniors, Bohane stressed how important this senior class has been to this season.
“Scituate played in this game last year, it shows.” Bohane said. “But I can’t get beyond the fact our seniors really poured their heart and souls into this season, into the playoffs, everything. Right now I really feel for this guys. It’s a learning experience for sure but it’s so difficult for the seniors.”
Canton junior running back Kyle Fitzgerald had a big game, including a pair of touchdowns, as the Bulldogs beat Hanover in the program’s first home playoff game. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
CANTON, Mass. – At the final whistle, there wasn’t the type of celebration you would expect from a team that just played its first playoff game in decades, not to mention its first ever playoff game in front of its home fans. There was a quiet, subdued feeling as the Canton players surrounded their coaches to talk about a 27-13 win against no. 5 seed Hanover on Friday night at WWII Veterans Memorial Field.
“I think it was a learning experience,” said Canton coach Dave Bohane. “They are very excited about next week and believe me they are very happy but what you’re seeing there is more relief that the penalties and turnovers didn’t cost them.”
Junior running back Kyle Fitzgerald remarked, “Obviously, it was awesome. We came out here looking to win and we were confident. We had to overcome adversity, we had a whole lot of penalties and stuff, but we got it done. It feels good.”
While penalties slowed the game down, and cut short a couple of potential scoring drives for the hosts, Canton showed its resiliency in the second half. Hanover, which had struggled to sustain anything on offense, twice scored on big plays to cut the lead down to just a touchdown, but both times the Bulldogs answered with long possessions to extend the lead.
“It’s been the same thing all year, since the first game against D-R (Dighton-Rehoboth) when we were down at halftime, we came back,” Fitzgerald explained. “I know my team will come back after any adversity.”
Canton doesn’t have a lot of experience with the football playoffs, but the Bulldogs came out flying in the first quarter to jump in front by a couple scores.
After stuffing the Indians on the opening kickoff, the Canton defense forced a three-and-out and took over at its own 48. The offense went right to work with junior quarterback Johnny Hagan showing off his ability to make plays with his feet (15 carries, 87 yards) and his arm (7-of-17, 80 yards). He hit Gersom Rivera for a 23-yard completion on third down to get inside the five and then two plays later Brendan Albert punched it in from two yards out.
The Bulldogs were trying to send a message and they forced another three-and-out from the Hanover offense. On fourth down, punter Jack Delahunt rolled out to the far sideline and tried to make it to the sticks only to be cut down a yard short. Canton got the ball at the Indians 24.
Bohane said, “They wanted a finesse game and we wanted a power game and I thought we needed at the very beginning of the game we needed play on our terms. I thought for the most part we did, maybe to the point that we were a little over-aggressive and dealt with a lot of penalties.”
Hagan got 16 yards on second and 17 and then Rivera gained nine over a pair of carries. Fitzgerald (19 carries, 143 yards) took it from there, finding a seam from five yards out for a 14-0 lead at the end of the first 11 minutes.
“It kind of got the jitters out of our stomachs and gave us some breathing room,” said Fitzgerald about the quick start. “Obviously, they came back so if we didn’t have that lead early on then it could’ve been a different game.”
The game really could have been over by halftime. The defense continued to put pressure on Hanover quarterback Andrew Carroll, including a big pass rush from junior Jack Connolly and then a sack from Albert to get the ball back.
Canton marched right back into Hanover territory, with Hagan converting a fourth down play with a four-yard keeper. Fitzgerald then had the highlight of the night on a sweep to the left for 32 yards in which he hurdled a Hanover defensive back before being brought down at the Indians six. On the next play, the Bulldogs fumbled a handoff and lost possession.
After another defensive stand, the Bulldogs offense went on the move again. Fitzgerald had another big gain, this time for 35 yards, and Canton got as far as the Hanover 15 but then a holding call and a sack forced them back. A last-second pass to Rivera was tipped away and it was 14-0 at the break.
“I was very concerned that we didn’t put it away in the first half,” Bohane admitted. “We don’t commit a lot of turnovers but that was a turnover at the wrong time and it gave them a chance and we were fighting for the game into the fourth quarter.”
On its first possession of the second half, Hanover stunned the Canton crowd (and sideline) by finally finding a big play on offense. Despite Albert getting into the backfield and hitting Carroll as he threw, the Indians signal caller was able to get the ball downfield to Drew Berard, who beat his coverage for a 60-yard score.
The Bulldogs answered with a 17-play, 70-yard drive to regain the two-score advantage and eat up the final 8:44 of the third quarter. Hagan found Ryan Lentol on an eight-yard completion to convert a big third down and then Fitzgerald on a comeback route for nine yards on a fourth and eight. On third down, Hagan then connected with Jace Emma for a 13-yard score and a 20-7 lead.
“There were times that we didn’t move the chains when we needed it, like North Attleboro in the third quarter when we needed a big drive,” Bohane said, “So here we are a week later and we needed it and we got it. We had to make some adjustments but it was enough to win.”
Hanover came right back with a even more shocking play. On fourth and one, the Bulldogs had Evan Ritchie caught in the backfield, but he slipped out of the grasp of a would-be tackler and bolted up the Hanover sideline for a 66-yard score.
Rather than getting down, Canton just went back to work on offense, grinding out a 12-play, 72-yard, six-minute drive that sealed the win. Hagan gained 29 yards on a pair of keepers and had an 18-yard pass to Fitzgerald to get to the Hanover 20. After Fitzgerald got the Bulldogs got the ball to the two, Hagan was denied on a pair of sneaks, so the Bulldogs went back to Fitzgerald for the one-yard score to seal the win with three minutes to play.
Next Friday, Canton (7-1) will travel to Falmouth to face the top seeded Clippers. Fitzgerald was already looking forward to the trip. He said, “Foxboro almost did it tonight. (The Warriors lost 22-14 to Falmouth.) We know we can play with these guys. We were four points away from a potential one-seed, so we’re confident.”
North Attleboro’s Nick Raneri dives forward as Canton’s Kyle Fitzgerald (left) and Gersom Rivera attempt to bring him down. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
CANTON, Mass. – The North Attleboro football team has waited all season for its defense to come up with a game-changing play.
In the final regular season game, with their backs against the wall and a chance to share the Davenport division on the line, the defense finally delivered.
With just over a minute to go, Canton found itself inside the red zone down by four. On second and eight from the 18, the Bulldogs went for the go-ahead score. Junior quarterback Johnny Hagan was forced to throw under pressure, and junior Gersom Rivera waited in the end zone with open arms, but North Attleboro senior Omar Jasseh made a terrific leaping interception to rob Canton of a touchdown, securing a 14-10 win for the Rocketeers.
“We’ve been all waiting all year [for that],” said North Attleboro head coach Don Johnson. “We really haven’t gotten a big play on defense all year. We’ve been hanging in and hanging in, and relying on our offense to chew up the clock. Tonight we needed our defense to step up and we finally got that big play.
“I was thinking it should have happened on three different plays, it felt like we could have picked it off. I think our kids were playing a little tentative and didn’t want to get burned deep when they probably could have made a play on the ball.”
Canton started its drive at the own 48 with 3:28 left in the game. After an incompletion and a three-yard rush, the Bulldogs quickly faced a third and seven scenario.
Hagan hit Ryan Lentol on a hitch route for eight yards to move the sticks, Rivera (seven carries, 35 yards) picked up six yards on the ground, and two plays later Hagan linked up with Jace Emma for 15-yards to get to the North 20-yard line. Two plays later, Jasseh made the play in the end zone to deny the Bulldogs the Davenport title outright.
“Credit to North, the pass rush started to get to us a bit,” said Canton head coach Dave Bohane. “Johnny is a competitor, he tried to win the game, and he took a shot. North has good coaches, and they brought some kids, and I think they made Johnny get rid of the ball differently than he normally would. But I’m proud of my guys, they battled right to the wire as usual.
“We’ve come a long way. To be in a game of this magnitude, and still have some meaningful games to look forward to, that’s good for the program. I think we have a little rivalry with North Attleboro now. To win the Hockomock League is an accomplishment, and this was a pretty good game tonight. So I think this puts us in a good position heading into the playoffs.”
It was an exciting end to a second half that was dominated by both defenses. Before its final drive of the game, Canton’s first three chances of the second half all resulted in punts. The Bulldogs moved the ball 37 yards on their second drive, advancing into North territory but back-to-back negative plays forced a punt.
North Attleboro’s offense didn’t fare much better, but it was enough. The Rocketeers had a little success on their first drive of the second half, but a sack from Brendan Albert put North in a hole, and Canton forced a turnover on downs at midfield.
After getting the ball back, the Rocketeers hit the home run play they were looking for, but only after converting a fourth down. On 3rd and 16th, the Rocketeers spread things out but went with a QB draw and Nick Raneri (15 carries, 74 yards) sprinted up the middle for 15 yards. At their own 44, North went for it, and Raneri pounded his way for two yards and a first down.
On the next play, senior Brendan McHugh (12 carries, 106 yards) came across from the right side for a sweep but instead of going all the way across, the senior cut back up a gap on the right side and sprinted for a 54-yard touchdown to put North Attleboro up 14-10 with 54 seconds to go in the third quarter.
It was the only scoring play of the second half.
“We decided to try and spread them out a bit with our formation,” Johnson said of changes in the second half. “We were running a lot of double tight early, and we had success on the first drive of the game, but they have a hell of a defense and shut us down. At halftime, we thought we could loosen them up with the formation, and I think that helped free up McHugh a little.”
The Rocketeers had an ideal start to the contest. Canton’s first drive picked up 33 yards but stalled and was forced to punt. North’s offense went right to work, starting at its own 10-yard line.
North needed just five plays to go almost the entire length of the field. Raneri ran for 10 yards, McHugh went off for 14 yards, Raneri scrambled to find Ryan Gaumond for 42 yards and then went back to the ground for 20 more yards himself.
On first and goal, Raneri kept it himself and went in from four yards out for a 7-0 lead with 5:55 to go in the first.
“McHugh really has it all, he’s fast and he probably doesn’t get enough credit for his toughness,” Bohane said. “He runs hard and he’s a hard kid to bring down, especially with his speed. One of our coaches said he’s the best back in the league and at times he certainly looked like it. He’s good and Raneri is a handful, and they made some really nice play calls with him at the right time.”
The Bulldogs finally got things going offensively right at the end of the first quarter. Hagan ran for seven yards and hit Emma for a third down conversion. On the final play of the opening quarter, Hagan hit Kyle Fitzgerald (96 all purpose yards) up the seam for a 39-yard pass.
On the first play of the second quarter, Hagan pitched it to Rivera on the right side and the junior scampered in to make it 7-7.
Canton’s defense got a stop to get the ball back and used eight plays to move into North territory, gaining 43 yards. But a holding play hurt the drive and the Bulldogs settled for a 34-yard field goal from junior Owen Lehane, taking a 10-7 lead into halftime.
The win gives North Attleboro a share of the 2018 Davenport division title, marking the fourth straight year that the Rocketeers have won a league title. It’s the first time in program history that North has won four straight.
“It was big for us to still have a chance at the title,” Johnson said after losing to Stoughton last week. “This is our fourth consecutive title for us, no North Attleboro team has ever won four in a row. The loss last week was also our first loss in the league since 2014, so the kids were feeling down about that too. But they still had an opportunity in front of them to do what no other senior group has done, so that was a real motivator.
“[Canton] is a hell of a football team. We’re sharing the title with them, and they deserve that share of it. They have a great football team over there, and the scary thing is they are all juniors, but I’ll worry about that next year.”
“As high as we were for this game, we can kind of breath a little bit and focus on the playoffs,” Bohane said. “We’re really excited to be in the playoffs and I honestly can’t wait to find out who we’re playing and get to work. We wanted to win this game badly but we wanted to play competitive and come out healthy. And I think we’re in a good position moving forward.”
North Attleboro football (4-1 Hockomock, 5-2 overall) likely earns a home game in the D3 South playoffs with the victory, though final seeds aren’t announced until late in the weekend. The Rocketeers will also likely return to Community Field for the first round playoff game. Canton (4-1, 6-1) will also likely host a game in Division 5 South.
Game of the Week – Football
North Attleboro, 14 @ Canton, 10 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: (NA) Nick Raneri 4-yard rush, Tyler DeMattio XP good.
2nd Quarter: (C) Gersom Rivera 5-yard rush, Owen Lehane XP good; (C) O. Lehane 34-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter: (NA) Brendan McHugh 54-yard rush, T. DeMattio XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.
Football
Attleboro, 24 @ Franklin, 31 – Final 1st Quarter: (F) Nick Gordon 2-yard rush, Parker Chevront XP good; (A) Justin Cote 83-yard kick return, Colby Briggs XP good.
2nd Quarter: (A) Jason Weir 1-yard rush, C. Briggs XP good; (F) P. Chevront 31-yard field goal; (A) C. Briggs 35-yard field goal.
3rd Quarter: (A) J. Weir 10-yard pass to Ethan Cameron, C. Briggs XP good; (F) N. Gordon 55-yard pass to Marcus Quintina, P. Chevront XP good.
4th Quarter: (F) N. Gordon 11-yard pass to Jack Nally, P. Chevront XP good; (F) N. Gordon 52-yard pass to J. Nally, P. Chevront XP good.
Foxboro, 17 @ Sharon, 8 – Final
Taunton, 7 @ King Philip, 24 – Final
Mansfield, 36 @ Oliver Ames, 8- Final 1st Quarter: (M) Michael DeBolt 5-yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good.
2nd Quarter: (M) V. Holmes 7-yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good; (M) Aidan Sacco 12-yard pass to Khristian Conner, M. DeBolt XP good; (M) V. Holmes 6-yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good.
3rd Quarter: (OA) Nathan Cabral 5-yard rush, Cam Perron conversion pass to Darnele Ryan.
4th Quarter: (M) Conner Smith 23-yard pass to Shane Downey, Aridan Archambault 2-point rush good.
Milford, 18 @ Stoughton, 15 – Final – Click here for a Recap and Photo Gallery from this game. 1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (S) John Burke 26-yard pass to Alex Iverson, Josh Cocchi XP good; (M) Colby Pires 1-yard pass to Shapel Feaster, XP blocked.
3rd Quarter: No scoring.
4th Quarter: (M) C. Pires 16-yard pass to Brendan White, 2-pt conversion no good; (S) Christopher Ais 12-yard rush, J. Burke conversion pass to Malachi Green-Hightower; (M) Ryan Pearl 1-yard rush, XP no good.
Boys Soccer
King Philip, 0 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final
Stoughton, 2 @ Foxboro, 6 – Final – Stoughton scored a pair of first half goals but Foxboro had four straight unanswered goals to pick up a win on the road. The Black Knights opened the scoring in the 16th minute but headed into halftime down 3-2, after being tied 2-2 late in the half. Foxboro added three more goals in the second half. Joe Cusack had four assists and Shane VandenBoom added a pair of goals and an assist to pace the Warriors. Dylan Barreira, Ronnie MacLellan, and Max Beigel all scored once while Nic Beigel had an assists. Stoughton freshman Dante Eschleman scored on a free kick to put the Knights up 1-0. Senior Carter Gerome also scored his first career goal for the Black Knights, assisted by Ryan Reis.
Franklin, 3 @ Taunton, 1 – Final – Franklin built a 1-0 lead at half, doubled that advantage in the second half, and walked away with a 3-1 decision to qualify for the state tournament. Nick Barry opened the scoring on an assist from Donny Tappin to give the Panthers a lead by halftime. Tim Duval and Lucas Moura scored second half goals for Franklin.
Mansfield, 1 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. Mansfield senior Ethan Brill-Cass scored game-winner in the 78th minute to give the Hornets a win and at least a share of the Kelley-Rex division title. After a long throw from Dylan Buchanan, Oliver Ames’ clearance was knocked down by a partial block from a Mansfield player. Brill-Cass latched onto the loose ball and placed it into the far corner for the winner.
Milford, 0 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Both teams had chances to find the back of the net but didn’t convert as North, Milford settled for their second draw of the season. Kyle Briere made three saves for the Rocketeers while Tiago Carvalho and Lucas Da Silva had strong games for the Hawks.
Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 6 @ King Philip, 0 – Final – KP broke the game open with five goals in the second half. Avery Snead scored a hat trick and had an assist for the Warriors. Snead opened the scoring off an assist by Chloe Layne in the first half. Snead doubled the lead with a penalty kick in the second half and then assisted on a Layne goal. Ally Stanton made it 4-0 from Layne and then Layne assisted on Snead’s third. Layne wrapped up the scoring with her second goal (and fourth point) off an assist by Molly MacDonald.
Foxboro, 8 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Jordyn Collins had two goals and two assists for the unbeaten Warriors, who maintain their lead at the top of the Davenport division. Mackenzi Fraser had two goals and an assist, Kailee McCabe had a pair of goals, Aislinn Serveas scored her first goal of the season (assisted by Katie Huether), and Lizzy Davis chipped in with a goal as well.
Taunton, 0 @ Franklin, 4 – Final – Anna Balkus scored twice and Calen Frongillo had a pair of assists to lift Franklin to a big win to keep pace with league-leading Mansfield. Sydney St. Marie and Bridgette Ginley also scored goals for the Panthers. Hailey Toolin and Kaylee DeSimone each had assists. Franklin goalie Breanna Atwood made three saves for the clean sheet.
North Attleboro, 3 @ Milford, 1 – Final – Juliana France opened the scoring for Milford, but Kayla Pasquel answered with a 20-yard strike to tie the game at 1-1. In the second half, Alex Moulson scored off a pass from Lydia Santos for what turned out to be the game-winner and Ashlyn Gaulin, who assisted on North’s first goal, scored off a Pasquel assist to seal the two points. With a goal and assist on Friday, Gaulin moved into third on North’s career scoring list with 82 points.
Oliver Ames, 1 @ Mansfield, 4 – Final – Bryn Anderson scored a pair of goals to keep Mansfield in first place in the division. Maria Sevastos and Kerina Geminiani also scored goals for the Hornets, while Katie Garvin, Steph Kemp, and Kaylee Smith all recorded assists in the win. Allison Evin scored for Oliver Ames.
Field Hockey
Attleboro, 4 @ Bishop Feehan, 0 – Final – Alex Compton and Anna Beck each scored twice for the Bombardiers against their cross-town rivals, while Shea Harrison made 14 stops to earn the shutout.
Sharon, 0 vs. Norwell, 3 – Final
Stoughton, 3 vs. Brockton, 2 – Final – Stoughton broke a tie game inside the final five minutes of the game to earn a win over the Boxers. Alanna McCormick scored the game winner with 4:40 left, while Haley Nelson scored Stoughton’s first two goals.
Taunton, 3 vs. New Bedford, 0 – Final – Taunton took a 1-0 lead into halftime and then scored two late goals to secure the win over visiting New Bedford. Cierra Bartel, Caitlin Connors, and Kennedy Thielker each scored once for the Tigers.
Volleyball
King Philip, 0 @ Needham, 3 – Final – King Philip suffered a 3-0 (18-25, 15-25, 16-25) setback on the road at Needham. Kristen Masse led the offense with eight kills while Nicole Coughlan had seven kills for the Warriors. Shayla Weitzman finished with 10 digs.
North Attleboro, 2 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final – Mansfield overcame a 2-1 deficit, winning the final two sets to prevail 3-2 (3-25, 25-19, 25-27, 25-21, 15-12) in a non-league win over North Attleboro. “It was a great team effort by the whole team,” said Mansfield head coach Melissa Heeden. Abby Sullivan has 18 service points with half of those coming in the fifth set to help the Hornets each the win. Greenly Kelly added 12 kills and four blocks, Olivia McGrath had 11 kills, had Katie Dardinski finished with 15 service points and five digs for Mansfield. For North Attleboro, Brooke Street had a great defensive game while Grace Munley had a strong game at the net with four blocks.
Milford, 3 @ Nipmuc, 0 – Final
Stoughton, 3 @ Brockton, 2 – Final – In one of the tightest matches of the season, Stoughton avenged a five-set loss to the Boxers from earlier in the season with a 3-2 (26-24, 27-25, 23-25, 17-25, 16-14) win on the road. Molly Turner led the Stoughton offense with 18 kills while Delaney Nagel added 14. Amaya Morris recorded nine blocks and Mia Bennett was strong on defense with 38 digs.
Taunton, 3 vs. Coyle & Cassidy, 2 – Final
Golf
Franklin, 160 @ Oliver Ames, 150 – Final – In the final dual match of the season, Oliver Ames knocked off Franklin to earn a share of the Kelley-Rex title with the Panthers. Nolan Donze led the way with a 35, both Liam Barry and Justin Shapiro fired rounds of 38, and Thomas Walsh chipped in with a 39.
Game of the Week – Football
Attleboro, 35 @ Mansfield, 42 – Final 1st Quarter: (M) Cincere Gill 7-yard rush, Michael DeBolt XP good; (A) Jason Weir 5-yard pass to Jacob Weatherford, Colby Briggs XP good.
2nd Quarter: (M) Aidan Sacco 26-yard pass to Khristian Connor, M. DeBolt XP good; (A) J. Weir 24-yard pass to Justin Daniels, C. Briggs XP good; (M) C. Gill 31-yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good.
3rd Quarter: (M) A. Sacco 11-yard rush, M. DeBolt XP good; (A) J. Weir 1-yard rush, C. Briggs XP good.
4th Quarter: (M) C. Gill 21-yard rush, XP blocked; (A) J. Weir 45-yard pass to Kevin Velazquez-Rivera, C. Briggs XP good; (A) Justin Cote 12-yard rush, C. Briggs XP good. (M) K. Connor 11-yard rush, A. Sacco 2-point pass to Vinnie Holmes.
Football
Sharon, 0 @ Canton, 39 – Final 1st Quarter: (C) Kyle Fitzgerald 17-yard rush, Owen Lehane XP good; (C) K. Fitzgerald 3-yard rush, XP failed.
2nd Quarter: (C) K. Fitzgerald 64-yard punt return, XP failed; (C) Johnny Hagan 27-yard pass to Gersom Rivera, XP failed; (C) G. Rivera 10-yard rush, O. Lehane XP good.
3rd Quarter: (C) Cam Sanchez 20-yard rush, O. Lehane XP good.
4th Quarter: No scoring.
Milford, 42 @ Foxboro, 28 – Final
Franklin, 42 @ Taunton, 7 – Final 1st Quarter: (F) Nick Gordon 32-yard pass to Ryan Driscoll, Parker Chevrant XP good; (F) N. Gordon 56-yard pass to R. Driscoll, P. Chevrant XP good.
2nd Quarter: (F) Owen Palmieri 1-yard rush, P. Chevrant XP good; (F) N. Gordon 45-yard pass to Jake Davis, P. Chevrant XP good.
3rd Quarter: (T) Noah Leonard 1-yard rush, Coby Adams XP good.
4th Quarter: (F) N. Gordon 15-yard pass to Jack Nally, P. Chevrant XP good; (F) Sean Hofferty 4-yard rush, P. Chevrant XP good.
King Philip, 34 @ Oliver Ames, 15 – Final 1st Quarter: (OA) Nathan Cabral 5-yard rush, Remi Creighton XP good; (KP) Robbie Jarest 19-yard past to Sam Sessay, Cole Baker XP good.
2nd Quarter: (KP) Ryan Halliday 6-yard rush, C. Baker XP good; (KP) R. Jarest 2-yard pass to David Morganelli, C. Baker XP good.
3rd Quarter: (KP) R. Halliday 8-yard rush, C. Baker XP good; (OA) Darnele Ryan 1-yard rush, Dean Pacini 2pt rush good.
4th Quarter: (KP) R. Halliday 1-yard rush, 2pt failed.
Stoughton, 21 @ North Attleboro, 10 – Final 1st Quarter: No scoring.
2nd Quarter: (S) John Burke 1-yard rush, Josh Cocchi XP good.
3rd Quarter: (NA) Tyler DeMattio 27-yard field goal.
4th Quarter: (NA) Nick Raneri 7-yard rush, T. DeMattio XP good; (S) J. Burke 29-yard pass to Ajahn Rue, J. Cocchi XP good; (S) Christopher Ais 11-yard rush, J. Cocchi XP good.
Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 1 @ Mansfield, 1 – Final – Attleboro controlled the first half and took a 1-0 lead but Mansfield took over in the second half and found the equalizer. Colin Levis gave the visitors the lead in the 31st minute but Mansfield freshman Dylan Buchanan was crediting for the tying goal, with the Bombardiers have an own goal.
Franklin, 0 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – King Philip scored inside the first and last five minutes of the match to earn two points at home and keep its postseason hopes alive. Senior captain Ian Zimmerman gave the hosts the lead in the third minute, finishing off a cross from classmate John Cullen. Cam Lawrence added the insurance tally in the 75th minute, scoring on a volley on an assist from Gavon Fox. Aidan Lindmark made four saves to record the shutout.
Milford @ Sharon – Postponed to Saturday, 10/20 at 6:00.
North Attleboro @ Stoughton – Postponed to Monday, 10/15 at 3:45.
Girls Soccer
Mansfield, 3 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Mansfield’s Steph Kemp found the back of the net twice while Sydney Mulkern capped the scoring, leading the Hornets to a shutout win on the road. Bryn Anderson had two assists while Katy Garvin added one helper for the Hornets.
Foxboro, 1 @ Walpole, 0 – Final – Foxboro used an early second half goal and solid play from its defense and goalies to pick up a win on the road at Walpole and stay unbeaten on the season. Lizzy Davis had the lone goal, scoring an unassisted tally early in the second half.
King Philip, 1 @ Franklin, 1 – Final – After a scoreless first half, Ally Stanton broke the deadlock midway through the second half off an Avery Snead assist. Erin Quaile equalized for Franklin just four minutes later off a Carly Alston assist. Breanna Atwood made nine saves and Taylor Butler made five saves for the Warriors, as both teams earned a point.
Stoughton, 1 @ North Attleboro, 8 – Final – Ashlyn Gaulin scored four times to help the Rocketeers clinch a spot in the state tournament. Kayla Pasquel had a pair of goals and an assist and Abi Slaney scored the first two goals of her career. Lily Cameron had a pair of assists, while Haley Ferrin, Emma Gaulin and Lydia Santos each had one assist in the win. Stoughton sophomore Ashley Camilo scored on an assist from Hannah Papagno.
Sharon, 0 @ Milford, 2 – Final – Cassie Probert and Juliana France each scored their third goals of the season for the Hawks to help the team earn its third win of the season. Olivia Marshall had the clean sheet for Milford, her third this fall, making seven saves in the win.
Field Hockey
Attleboro, 4 @ Stoughton, 0 – Final – In her third varsity game, freshman Emelia Westwater scored her first varsity goal, and then scored another as the Bombardiers netted a win on the road. Anna Beck and Emma Briggs also scored for Attleboro in the victory.
Canton, 0 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final
Oliver Ames, 0 @ Taunton, 0 – Final – Taunton goalie Emma Sheehan made seven saves in net to help the host Tigers earn a draw.
Volleyball
Oliver Ames, 3 @ Bridgewater-Raynham, 0 – FinalOliver Ames went on the road and picked up a 3-0 sweep (25-13, 25-18, 25-11) over Bridgewater-Raynham to qualify for the state tournament. Sadie Homer had 29 digs for the Tigers, Jordan Bosse added 14 kills and three aces, and sophomore Sarah Morley had a balanced defensive game for the Tigers.
King Philip, 0 @ Walpole, 3 – Final – King Philip went on the road and fell to Walpole. Catherine Waldeck had five kills and two blocks and Shayla Weitzman added nine digs for the Warriors.
Golf
Sharon, 153 @ Attleboro, 179 – Final
King Philip, 172 @ Foxboro, 173 – Final
Franklin @ Oliver Ames – Postponed to a date and time to be announced.
Canton’s Brendan Albert (35) and Brian Campagna (51) sack Stoughton’s George Currier. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com)
CANTON, Mass. – For three and a half quarters, the Canton defense was having its way against the Stoughton offense.
The Bulldogs forced the Black Knights to punt on each of their first seven drives, holding the visitors to negative yards on three of those drives. Stoughton had just one first down early on in the fourth quarter.
But with just under six minutes to go, Stoughton’s offense finally clicked. The Knights cut a 14-point deficit in half with 5:34 to go, and got the ball back down just one score with 1:56 to play.
A big pass play set the Black Knights up in striking distance, but the Bulldogs defense, as it had for the majority of the game, came up with a stop with under 30 seconds to play.
On fourth down, Canton junior Robbie Gallery tracked down Stoughton quarterback John Burke for a sack, preserving a 14-7 win for the Bulldogs.
“I didn’t feel comfortable until Robbie made that play at the end,” said Canton head coach Dave Bohane. “It reminded me of that 2014 game when [Stoughton] drove down the field and won it at the end. Robbie made the play, and he played great. This year, it seems like another kid steps up each game and it was Robbie’s week.”
Canton’s defense did a nice job bottling up Stoughton’s rushing attack. The furthest the Black Knights for prior to its final two drives was 10 yards over midfield — its lone time into Canton territory through three quarters.
A sack from Owen Lehane on first down forced Stoughton starting quarterback George Currier to the sideline. Burke, a sophomore, took over under center and the Knights had one of their biggest plays of the night — a 22-yard reverse from Ajahn Rue — to spark the offense.
After Rue’s run, sophomore Christopher Ais took a sweep and went for 19 yards to get into the red zone. After Canton’s defense stuffed a rush attempt, Burke floated one to the near pylon on the right side and senior Alex Iverson did a nice job fighting through contact and getting a foot down to get the Knights on the board, down 14-7.
Canton’s offense did its best to run time off the block with quarterback Johnny Hagan (5/9, 44 yards; 21 carries 121 yards) converting a third down with his legs. But a sack on the next play from Stoughton’s Jerry Brisson put the Dogs in a long distance scenario. Canton gained eight yards on the next to plays but had to punt with two minutes to go.
Stoughton’s final drive got off to a rocky start when Canton senior Ben Seaman (two sacks) came on a blitz from the blind side, taking Burke down for a loss of 7 yards.
But the Black Knights made things interesting on the next play as Burke lofted one down the left sideline and Rue used his speed to get under it for a 45-yard catch, down to the Canton 30-yard line with 1:09 to play.
But that’s when Canton’s defense came through again. A pass and catch from Burke to Ais was stopped at the line of scrimmage on first down, Burke was forced to throw it away on second down, and a pass over the middle was short on third down.
On fourth down, Burke was able to buy some time by getting out of the pocket but Gallery came flying in to make the tackle.
It was an impressive showing for the Bulldogs defense, which allowed a total of 122 yards while holding the Knights to 0-for-8 on third down. And they did almost all of it without junior linebacker James Murphy, who Bohane called the quarterback of the defense.
“Defense was the story for us,” Bohane said. “Murphy is our linchpin on defense so for our kids to play the bulk of the game without him, they were impressive. All the other key guys really stepped up like Brian Campagna, Brendan Albert, Ben Seaman, and of course Robbie Gallery, who kind of filled into Murphy’s shoes. I’m proud of them to keep plugging away, they are a resilient group.”
Stoughton’s defense also had a strong showing, forcing the Bulldogs to punt on six times and holding off another drive as the first half came to a close.
However, Canton’s offense was able to find the end zone twice — both on eight play, 65-yard drives.
After punting on its first drives, the Dogs moved the sticks when Hagan connected with Jace Emma for 11 yards. Hagan followed that with a 20-yard scramble on a broken play, and Gersom Rivera had runs of 10 and 23-yards, the latter converting a third down and getting the Dogs down to the 1-yard line.
Hagan took it in from there, following his line in for a 1-yard sneak and a 7-0 lead with 7:23 left in the first quarter.
Stoughton’s best drive of the opening half went for 41 yards, all on a run from Iverson. But an incomplete pass and two runs that netted no yards stopped the Black Knights from advancing.
Canton’s defense picked up where it left off, forcing Stoughton backward on its opening drive of the second half. After a three-and-out, Canton took over at its own 35-yard line and orchestrated what turned out to be the winning drive.
Hagan moved the sticks with a run of his own, connected with Ryan Lentol on second down, got a first down on a Stoughton penalty, and then finished the drive with three straight runs from different players: Rivera for 8, Hagan for 12, and Kyle Fitzgerald with a 9-yard touchdown run.
“We’ve been able to shift gears on offense,” Bohane said. “Some teams have been able to take away something we’ve been doing, and no one is better at that than [Stoughton] Coach [Greg] Burke. He’s going to take away what you do well. It was a game of just constantly finding a way.”
Canton football (5-0 overall, 3-0 Hockomock) is back in action on Friday when it hosts Sharon. Stoughton (2-3, 1-2) hits the road to take on North Attleboro at Beaupre Field.
Canton quarterback Johnny Hagan (5) accounted for nearly 300 yards of offense as the Bulldogs beat Foxboro 43-20 for their first win against the Warriors since 1990. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
FOXBORO, Mass. – After losing on a last second field goal and twice in overtime over the last three years, Canton was finally able to end its nearly three-decade-long jinx against Davenport division rival Foxboro and the Bulldogs did it in dominating fashion.
Junior quarterback Johnny Hagan accounted for 285 yards of offense and three touchdowns and Canton pulled away with a pair of fourth quarter scores to record a 43-20 victory over the Warriors on Friday night at Jack Martinelli Field. It was Canton’s first win against Foxboro since 1990 and ended a 25-game losing streak in the series.
Canton also improved to 4-0 on the season, despite not yet having play a home game this fall.
Hagan was a menace throughout the game, tossing a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and rushing for 175 yards on 15 carries. Martinelli admitted that his defense had no answer for Canton’s signal caller.
“We had no answers for stopping No. 5 (Hagan) either on the ground or through the air,” Foxboro coach Jack Martinelli said. “We couldn’t stop him. He’s a good player.”
“He’s just a special player,” added Canton coach Dave Bohane about Hagan. “Sometimes he’s so amped up that he calls the wrong formation and then he throws a touchdown. His receiver was on the wrong side of the formation, I’m thinking about calling timeout, instead he runs around a little, throws it, and it’s a touchdown.”
Canton also benefited from dominant play at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The offensive line, which included Brian Campagna, Lucas Bryant, Matt Connolly, and George Kent opened up a number of holes for Hagan and running backs Gersom Rivera (10 carries, 52 yards) and Kyle Fitzgerald (11 carries, 68 yards).
“I thought we had an advantage on the perimeter and some of the skill spots, but I think their line, a lot of them, were back from last year,” Bohane remarked. “I thought maybe getting outside and getting away from those guys, but our line played well. They’ve really worked hard.”
The Bulldogs jumped in front on their first possession. On third and eight, Hagan looked deep down the sideline to Jace Emma. The junior wideout leapt above the Foxboro defensive back and ripped the ball away. He then turned and sped upfield for a 75-yard touchdown that gave the visitors early momentum.
Foxboro answered right back just four plays later. Mike Luong (12 carries, 70 yards) broke a 30-yard run, bouncing out to the right and getting into space on the sideline. Two plays later, Liam Foley looked for Rob Fay in the front corner of the end zone and the senior pulled in a one-hand catch to tie the game.
This time it was Canton that responded. Hagan somehow got to the edge on another third and eight and raced 50 yards up the Foxboro sideline before being brought down at the Warriors 18. After another 12-yard Hagan keeper, Rivera punched it in from six yards out.
David Allen picked off a Foley pass to end Foxboro’s next drive and then returned it 40 yards down to the Warriors 33. Fitzgerald needed only one carry to get the Bulldogs a two-score lead, taking a pitch to the left and finding a seam to the end zone.
It looked like the game may get out of hand, but a special teams mistake by Canton, attempting to field a bouncing punt inside its own 20 only to fumble and have Zachary Jenkins recover, led to Foxboro having a short field. Keyshawn Sanders bullied his way through a bevy of tacklers for a 10-yard score that cut the lead to 21-14.
Canton had one last chance with the ball before halftime. After an intentional grounding call, the Bulldogs faced third and 18 from the Foxboro 36. Emma ran a go-route down the near sideline and Hagan dropped a perfect pass to him in stride for a score with only 36 seconds left until halftime.
Leading 27-14, the Bulldogs came out of the half with an impressive 15-play drive that ate up more than nine minutes off the clock. The Foxboro defense stiffened inside the red zone, but Owen Lehane booted a 27-yard field goal to make it 30-14.
The Warriors didn’t quit and answered with a 75-yard drive. Foley rolled out and threw a dart to Brian Derbafor 27 yards and then a couple plays later ran a perfectly-executed backside screen to Luong for another 24 yards down to the Canton eight. On third and goal, another screen to Luong turned into a touchdown, but the two-point conversion pass was batted down by Allen to keep the lead at two scores with 9:09 remaining.
“When we had to make big plays, we couldn’t, which has kind of been our M.O. all year,” Martinelli explained. “We hung in there, made it a game on the scoreboard…but they were in charge from start to finish.”
After the Bulldogs went three and out, the Canton defense made the play that essentially ended any hopes of a Foxboro comeback. Brendan Albert crushed Foley as he was throwing and Robbie Gallery was on hand to secure the interception. He returned the ball to the one-yard-line where Hagan was able to get six points with a sneak.
“At that moment, offensively, we were sputtering a little bit,” said Bohane. “Robbie Gallery’s pick was when we breathed and thought okay we’re going to beat these guys.” About Albert, Bohane added, “He’s one of the top defensive players in the league and the best thing is he’s playing like it every single week.”
Fitzgerald added a nine-yard touchdown inside the closing two minutes to make the score even more comfortable for the Bulldogs.
Martinelli admitted, “I think they wanted it maybe a little more than we did. We hung in there, but not enough. We couldn’t make enough good plays and they made all of them.”
Canton (4-0, 2-0) will finally head home next week when rival Stoughton pays a visit to WWII Veterans Memorial Field. Foxboro (1-3, 1-1) will try to bounce back at home against two-time defending division champ North Attleboro.
