Boys Basketball
Attleboro, 44 @ Durfee, 58 – Final – Attleboro only trailed by four at halftime but the Bombardiers couldn’t quite get the offense in gear as the Hilltoppers pulled away in the second half. Jaiden Outland led the visitors with eight points while sophomore Dante Monestime and freshman Connor Houle each had seven points.
Canton, 47 vs. Wakefield, 48 – Final – Canton tightened up defensively to build a lead going into the fourth quarter but the Bulldogs’ offense went cold and a late three from Wakefield proved to be the difference. Canton trailed after one quarter, rallied to to it by halftime, and then held the visitors to just six points in the third to stake a 38-29 lead going into the fourth. Junior Lucas Massih sank four three-pointers for the Bulldogs, including three in the third to finish with a team-high 12 points. Jeremiah Predin and Kareem Porter each had 11 points for the shorthanded Bulldogs.
Foxboro, 56 vs. Dighton-Rehoboth, 33 – Final – Foxboro exploded for 40 points in the first half and used suffocating defense to deny Dighton-Rehoboth in the first round of the Warrior Classic. Senior Alex Penders scored eight of his 12 points in the opening quarter and both Ryan LeClair and Sam Golub had five points as the Warriors staked an 18-3 lead after eight minutes. Ryan Kelley hit two threes and had eight of his team-high 13 points in the second while Ryan Cotter drained three triples and had 11 of his points in the second to give Foxboro a 40-10 lead at halftime.
King Philip, 64 vs. Hanover, 72 – Final – King Philip had a great start with 26 points in the first quarter but Hanover rallied to take the lead going into the fourth and finished off the win. Five different Warriors contributed to the strong start as Will Laplante had 11 of his 20 points in the fame, Tommy McLeish hit two three-poitners, and Grant Kinney, Tommy Martorano, and Tommy Kilroy all had field goals as KP staked a 26-20 lead. Martorano, McLeish, and Laplante all had a three in the second as the lead settled at 42-37 at halftime. Hanover used a strong third quarter to take the lead and then scored 21 points in the fourth to finish it off. Kinney and McLeish each added 10 points while Martorano had nine points.
Mansfield, 71 vs. Hingham, 55 – Final – Hingham battled back to make it a game at halftime but Mansfield dominated the third quarter and never looked back in a big win over the visiting Harbormen. Mansfield opened the second quarter on 9-2 run to build a double-digit lead but Hingham closed the half out strong to get within 33-24. An 11-3 surge to start the second half restored Mansfield’s big lead and the Hornets rattled off a 10-3 run right after. The Hornets had seven players score in the pivotal third quarter as Caden Colby (12 points, five rebounds, four assists) drilled a pair of threes, Chris Hill (nine points, nine rebounds, two steals) added five points, JT Veiking (15 points) had four points, Davon Sanders and Eddie McCoy (12 points, five rebound, three assists) each had a three, and Brandon Jackman and Trevor Foley (10 points, seven rebounds, two steals) each had two points.
Milford vs. Hampden Charter West – Milford wins via forfeit.
North Attleboro, 49 @ Weymouth, 58 – Final – North Attleboro got off to another strong start with a 22-point first quarter and had a double-digit lead on playoff-bound Weymouth but the host Wildcats clawed their way back into the game and won the fourth quarter to win the game. Senior Givany Carney hit a trio of threes and led the Rocketeers with a team-high 17 points while sophomore Jonnie Obuchowski hit four three-pointers on his way to a career-high 16 points.
Sharon, 84 vs. Walpole, 62 – Final – Sharon junior Jacob McLoughlin caught fire early as he sank four three-pointers in the opening quarter and Matt Baur (19 points) and Tyler Goodman (10 points) each added one more as the Eagles staked a 21-15 lead after the first. The first was a sign of things to come as the Eagles continued to find success on the offensive end, claiming a 39-29 lead at halftime. McLoughlin got it going in the third with 10 more on his way to a career-high 29 points. Dante James and Goodman each had a pair if buckets while Nate Katznelson scored five of his 13 points to keep Sharon ahead, 64-45, going into the fourth.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 62 vs. Durfee, 31 – Final – Attleboro lost the first meeting with the Hilltoppers by 20, but put together a complete performance at home on Monday and doubled up Durfee. The visitors led 10-9 after one and Attleboro went into the locker room up just 23-18, but the Bombardiers outscored the visitors 39-13 in the second half to earn the big win over another D1 playoff contender. Kayla Goldrick and Vanessa Ellis each scored 17 points to lead the hosts. Goldrick scored nine in the first half and then eight during the big third quarter run. Ellis scored six in the second and seven more in the third to put Attleboro well in front. Liy Routhier added 14 points, including 13 in the second half. Avery James chipped in with seven points.
Canton, 18 @ Westwood, 49 – Final
Foxboro, 56 vs. Tewksbury, 36 – Final – Foxboro put in a strong defensive performance and pulled away late to advance to the final of the Warrior Classic. Addie Ruter led the way for the Warriors with 18 points, while Camryn Collins and Kailey Sullivan finished with 15 points apiece. Foxboro will face Brookline in the regular season finale on Tuesday afternoon.
Mansfield, 57 vs. Westford Academy, 41 – Final – Abby Wager scored 30 points for the second time in the last week and the Hornets held Westford to just 16 points in the second half to book a place in the final of the Roundball Classic. Wager was on fire from the opening tip, burying a pair of threes and scoring 14 points in the first to lead Mansfield to a 21-14 advantage. She added another five points in the second and Hallie Popat drilled a three to make it 35-25 going into the locker room. The visitors would cut one point off the lead in the third, as Mansfield was held to just eight points, including five from Wager and another three from Popat. The Hornets would double up Westford in the fourth (14-7) to seal the win. Wager scored six more to cap off her night and Ella Palanza added all five of her points in the fourth. Bridget Hanley added seven point for the Hornets, who will face Bridgewater-Raynham (which is in the top 10 in the D1 power rankings) on Wednesday.
King Philip, 48 vs. Quincy, 62 – Final – KP closed the gap to just three points heading to the fourth quarter, but Quincy would outscore the Warriors 22-11 in the final frame to secure a win in the Norwell Invitational. Emily Sawyer would lead KP with 16 points, including 10 in the second half. Jackie Bonner and Kaelyn Clancy each knocked down three from beyond the arc. Bonner finished with 12 points overall and Clancy had nine, including six points in KP’s third quarter rally. Maddie Paschke added six in the loss. KP will face Newton North in the consolation round on Wednesday.
Oliver Ames, 58 vs. Malden Catholic, 41 – Final – With a big fourth quarter to break the game open, OA clinched the title at the Spartan Classic. The Tigers led 14-10 after one and extended the lead to seven at the break. The third quarter was even, but then OA exploded for 19 points in the final eight minutes to put the game out of reach against one of the top 10 teams in the D4 power rankings. Katherine Farley scored six points, Kaydance Derba had five, and Maeve Horsman added four in the fourth quarter to help seal the win. Farley would finish with a career-high 13, including nine in the second half. Avery Gamble added a dozen points and Kamryn Derba and Horsman each finished with nine. Maddie Homer scored eight and Kaydance Derba seven in the victory. OA heads into the state tournament having won six of its final eight games.
Boys Hockey
Franklin, 5 @ St. John’s Shrewsbury, 4 – Final (OT) – After going back-and-forth for three periods, Franklin’s Logan Marchand deposited a quick wrist shot on a breakaway bid in overtime to hand the Panthers an impressive 5-4 win over St. John’s Shrewsbury, who was ranked #10 in Division 1 in the latest rankings. Anthony Lampasona scored less than a minute into the second to tie the game 1-1, and then scored again on the power play for a 2-1 lead. After SJS tied it, Ben Paterson redirected a shot from Liam O’Rielly to go back in front. The Pioneers regained the lead just over six minutes into the third but this time it was Carter Balducci that found the equalizer at 7:18 of the third.
King Philip, 5 vs. Mansfield, 4 – Final (OT)
North Attleboro, 1 @ Walpole, 7 – Final
Oliver Ames, 2 vs. Westwood, 4 – Final
Taunton, 1 @ Somerset Berkley, 6 – Final
Girls Hockey
Canton, 2 @ Algonquin, 1 – Final
King Philip, 1 vs. Bishop Feehan, 2 – Final
Boys Basketball
North Attleboro, 45 @ Attleboro, 56 – Final – North Attleboro senior Derek Maceda poured in 12 of his 16 points in the third quarter and North Attleboro scored 19 in the frame to cut the deficit to single digits, but Attleboro kept the visitors at bay in the fourth to secure the win. The Bombardiers built a 29-15 lead at halftime but Maceda helped orchestrate a comeback attempt, hitting a three at the buzzer to pull the Rocketeers within 43-34 going into the fourth. Attleboro senior Justin Hanrahan opened the fourth with five straight points — two free throws and a traditional three-point play — to restore the Bombardiers’ double-digit advantage and they held it the rest of the way. Jaiden Outland had a team-high 12 points, Hanrahan added 10 points, and Michael Beverly chipped in with nine points. Sophomore Chase Frisoli added 14 points for the Rocketeers.
Canton, 39 @ Mansfield, 61 – Final – Mansfield and Canton were level after the first eight minutes but the Hornets went on to outscore the visitors in each of the final three quarters to run away with a 61-39 win over the Bulldogs, clinching the Davenport division title outright. After going back-and-forth, the teams were tied 14-14 after one but Mansfield had a big second quarter with JT Veiking (18 points, 5 rebounds) sinking a pair of threes and Eddie McCoy (13 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) adding a triple of his own to push the lead to 32-20 at half. Chris Hill added 10 points for the Hornets. Caden Mirliani had a team-high 12 points for Canton.
Foxboro, 52 @ Oliver Ames, 31 – Final – Click here for a Photo Gallery from this game. – Foxboro set the tone early with its defensive effort and had a consistent performance on the offensive end to win its final league game of the year, pulling into a tie in third place of the Davenport division with Canton. The Warriors limited OA to just six points in each of the first three quarters with disciplined defense and good rebounding. Foxboro senior Alex Penders dominated on both ends with a game-high 24 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks, and four assists to lead the way for the Warriors. Rayna Kelley added nine points and four rebounds. Sophomore Cole Craffey led OA with eight points and four rebounds.
Franklin, 63 @ Milford, 53 – Final – Franklin clicked into gear in the third quarter and then pulled away for good in the fourth against a resilient Milford squad. The Hawks had a one-point lead after the first but Franklin had six players contribute to the scoring in the second and went 9-for-10 from the line in the period to stake a 27-23 halftime lead. Hansy Jacques had his best game of the year for the Panthers as the junior erupted for nine of his career-high 16 points in the third quarter and senior Geino Scaringello hit a pair of threes as Franklin extended its lead to 45-34 going into the fourth. Franklin junior Sean O’Leary finished the game strong, scoring 12 of his team-high 17 points in the fourth, going 7-for-10 from the line overall in the game. Milford sophomore Andrew Rivera had a team-high 13 points and eight rebounds, senior Wyatt Zagami added 11 points, and sophomore Luca Testa finished with 10 points for the Hawks.
King Philip, 57 @ Taunton, 71 – Final – It was a tale of two halves as Taunton flipped the script on visiting King Philip by erasing a double-digit deficit at the break and running away with a 71-56 win. Grant Kinney, Tommy McLeish, Tommy Kilroy, and Trevor Clyde each connected for a three in an 18-point third quarter that saw the Warriors surge ahead 33-23 at halftime. Taunton freshman Jakari Innocent flipped a switch in the second half as he scored 20 of his career-high 22 points after the break, including 11 in the third quarter to jumpstart the Tigers’ offense. Junior Troy Santos added six in the frame and had 17 of his 22 points in the second half. Al Morisseau added 10 points and Chris Volcy chipped in with nine points for Taunton, which scored 21 points in the third and 27 points in the fourth quarter, going 13-for-19 from the line. Tommy Martorano and Kilroy each had 11 points for KP while Brandon Nicastro finished with 10 points.
Sharon, 75 @ Stoughton, 73 – Final (OT) – Sharon erased a four-point deficit with under 20 seconds to go to force overtime and then outlasted the Black Knights in the four-minute extra period to secure the win on the road over an upset-minded Stoughton squad. Jayden Costa-Haywood (20 points) sank a pair of free throws to push Stoughton’s lead to 67-63 but a foul sent Matt Baur (22 points) to the line, and his two free throws cut the deficit in half with 17 seconds to go. The Eagles were able to trap with the press and pick off a pass, which led to a floater from Baur taking a kind bounce and in with two seconds left to make it 67-67. Baur opened the overtime with a triple and Jacob McLoughlin (17 points) added a free throw to push the lead to four. After Stoughton got it back to three off a free throw from Jarred Daughtry, McLoughlin had a traditional three-point play with two minutes to go to make it 74-68. Costa-Haywood answered on the other end with a three-point play of his own to cut the deficit in half. Daughtry hit two more to make it a one-point game at 74-73 with 43.1 seconds to play, and Stoughton had a shot in the air to take the lead but it was off the mark and a Tyler Goodman free throw with 1.5 seconds left iced it. Nate Katznelson added 12 points for the Eagles. Matt Greenspoon scored 16 points for Stoughton while Obi Dike added 11 points and Anthony Alessi chipped in with 10 points.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 65 @ North Attleboro, 36 – Final – The Bombardiers scored 20-plus points in the first and third quarters to pull away for a big bounce back win. Eight players got on the score sheet for Attleboro in the win. It was a quick start for the visitors, as Kayla Goldrick and Avery James each scored six points and Lily Routhier added four in a 20-11 quarter. Ava McKeon tried to keep North in the game with seven of her team-high 15 in the opening quarter. Attleboro scored 14 in the second, while holding North to just six. Vanessa Ellis was held scoreless for the first half, but she got things going with nine points in the third and then added another eight in the fourth to finish with a game-high 17. The Rocketeers tried battle back in the fourth with 17 points as a team, including six more from McKeon and all five of Ella McLaughlin’s points in the game. Goldrick would finish with 12 points, Routhier would have nine, and James scored eight. Sam Sweeney added 10 points for the Rocketeers.
Mansfield, 47 @ Canton, 33 – Final – Mansfield put in a strong defensive performance to secure a home win in the Hockomock finale. The Hornets didn’t allow Canton to reach double digits in the first three quarters and opened up an 18-point lead. The visitors jumped out to a 16-9 lead after one and doubled up Canton 12-6 in the second to make it a double-digit game at halftime. Abby Wager, Kara Santos, and Hallie Popat combined for 19 points in the first half. Wager would go on to score eight of Mansfield’s 10 points in the third and the Hornets held Canton to just five to break the game open. The Bulldogs had their best offensive quarter in the fourth, scoring 11 points, including four from Erin Beatty and Emily McCabe’s second three of the night. Wager led all scorers with 14, while Santos finished with 10 and Popat added eight. Fatima Sidibay was Canton’s top scorer with seven points, while Beatty and McCabe each totaled six.
Milford, 24 @ Franklin, 58 – Final – Franklin had 13 different scorers, none with more than eight points, to close out the league campaign with a big win. The Panthers held Milford to just nine points in the first half, going into the locker room with a 24-point lead. Katie Peterson scored all eight of her points in the first quarter, as the Panthers scored 24 in the opening eight minutes. The Hawks would play even in the third, as Brooke Ferreira scored eight of Milford’s 10 points. She finished with a dozen on the night. Franklin’s depth was too much. The Panthers got contributions up and down the roster. Norah MacCallum scored seven, while Elle Bonacci and Kyra McSweeney each chipped in with six. Aliza Syed had five points for the Hawks, all in the first quarter.
Taunton, 38 @ King Philip, 56 – Final – Emily Sawyer exploded for 16 points in the fourth quarter and had a career-high 34 points, powering KP to a bounce back win in the final home game of the regular season. Jackie Bonner chipped in with 14 points and four threes for the Warriors. KP grabbed the lead in the first, as Sawyer and Maddie Paschke each scored four and Bonner knocked down her first triple. The Warriors extended the lead to 25-18 at halftime, as Sawyer and Bonner had all 11 of KP’s points in the second. Cali Melo kept the Tigers close with 10 of her team-high 16 in the opening half. Sawyer and Bonner had all of KP’s points in the third quarter as well, combining for 14 to add another six points to the lead. In the fourth, the Warriors continued to feed Sawyer in the post and the 6-foot-3 center, and league’s leading scorer, had 16 of KP’s 17 points to put the game out of reach. Paschke added her fifth point of the night in the fourth. Taryn Campbell added seven points and eighth grader Raya Horton chipped in with six for the Tigers.
Stoughton, 56 @ Sharon, 59 – Final – Rachael Hager nailed the game-winning three, one of several big plays she made down the stretch, to lift the Eagles to a sweep of the season series. Hager finished with 16 points. Jasmine Davis continued to dominate in the paint, scoring a game-high 26 points for Sharon. Kirsten McKay was Stoughton’s top scorer with 15 points and grabbed four boards. Raina Tat continued her run of double-digit games, scoring 12 points, while Leah McCarty had eight points and four rebounds and Katrina Varnum scored seven and grabbed a dozen boards.
Boys Hockey
Taunton, 6 @ Everett/Revere, 2 – Final
Girls Hockey
Canton, 2 vs. Norwood, 1 – Final – Ellie Bohane scored the game-winner with 40 seconds left in regulation to earn the Bulldogs a big win against another Div. 2 title contender. Audrey Koen scored Canton’s first goal before Bohane popped up with the late winner to extend the Bulldogs’ unbeaten streak to 11 games (7-0-4).
Emily Sawyer scored 28 points and grabbed 19 rebounds to lead King Philip on a come from behind win at Mansfield. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
MANSFIELD, Mass. – With starting point guard Jordan Bennettt in street clothes and shooting guard Jackie Bonner forced to the sidelines with an injury in the second quarter, King Philip had its backcourt depth tested in Tuesday night’s visit to the Albertini Gym. While freshman Jessi Persky did an admirable job of staying composed against Mansfield’s pressure, senior Leah Santoro stepped up with the biggest shots of the night.
Twice in the final minutes of the game, Santoro, who hadn’t scored since the first quarter, found herself all alone in the corner in front of the KP bench, and both times she hit nothing but net. Santoro’s threes gave KP its biggest lead since the end of the first quarter and the second effort turned out to be the game-winning bucket in a 59-55, come from behind victory.
“I feel like last year there were some games that we let get away from us,” KP coach Jeff Miszkiewicz said about his team’s ability to find a way to win this season. “So, I feel like that’s something we’ve really been focusing on, the mental side of the game, staying in it no matter what. Such a big credit to the team for constantly believing in it, for really executing some amazing plays down the stretch. That execution’s what got us this win.”
KP’s backcourt played well in tough circumstances, but once again it was senior center Emily Sawyer that put the Warriors in a position to win. She scored 14 points in each half, finishing with a game-high 28 points and grabbed 19 rebounds. Sawyer’s put-back in the fourth quarter put the Warriors in front for the first time since it 22-21 and she buried a pair of free throws with just nine seconds remaining to seal the win.
“I’m so proud of her because that was one of the first things I tried to preach to her was how to move without the basketball and how to play with the ball in her hands,” Miszkiewicz said of Sawyer. “Not be biased, but she’s the MVP of the league. The fact that she gets double-, triple-, quadruple-teamed and she still has 20 and 20 almost every night is unbelievable.”
“She scored 28, and I thought our bigs handled her nicely in terms of physicality,” Mansfield coach Heather McPherson said. “I think KP rose to the challenge of [Bonner] being out and they kind of avenged that injury nicely. I think matchups were a bit of an issue, Sawyer of course, but Natalya has been playing really well for us but she’s an under-sized four.”
The game started off end-to-end, as Mansfield tried to negate KP’s size advantage in the paint by running at every opportunity. Abby Wager got going right away, hitting a jumper and then burying a three after Kara Santos (11 rebounds) snagged an offensive board. A Santos steal and long outlet turned into an easy fast break bucket.
KP climbed right back into the game. Santoro hit a tough runner and Bonner (eight points) drilled a pair of threes and another shot with a foot on the line. Olivia Salisbury (eight points) got an and-one to help the Hornets, but the rest of the scoring was all Wager. She hit a second three and finished with 13 of Mansfield’s 16 first quarter points.
Sawyer was also off to a strong start. She took a nice feed from Santoro on a sideline inbound play to score in the paint and showed off an array of moves on the block, including a nice turn around jumper that made it 20-16.
Mansfield trailed by six after one, but found a way to lock things down defensively in the second. Bonner was forced to the sideline after getting whacked on the nose and KP struggled to find any rhythm on that end of the floor.
Natalya Gill started the comeback with a banked in three and Hallie Popat knocked down a jumper. Santos added a put-back and Bridget Hanley got a steal under her own basket and went coast-to-coast to cap an 11-0 run and give the Hornets a 27-22 lead. Sawyer got a pair of baskets to cut the lead to one but Salisbury hit a jumper and Wager nailed another triple to extend the lead back to seven going into the locker room.
Each time KP seemed poised to be making a run in the third, Mansfield had an answer. Persky scored in transition to make it a four-point game, but then Hanley fed Santos (six points) on a nice dive to the rim. Sawyer grabbed a put-back, but then Hanley (eight points) drove to the basket, Ella Palanza followed with one of her own, and Gill grabbed a loose ball in the paint for a layup.
Down 10, KP went on a critical 4-0 run to close out the quarter and build momentum. Sawyer got behind the defense on the break for a layup and Persky took the contact and sank a runner on the baseline.
Paschke (nine points and nine rebounds) was proving to be a tough matchup all night and she got a couple of buckets to start the fourth quarter. Then it was Sawyer’s turn to get going again, grabbing offensive rebounds on back-to-back possessions to put KP in front 49-48.
McPherson admitted, “We have this momentum shift where we start to get down in the points and instead of trusting our offense, we kind of go rogue. KP played a great game, but what we need to do now is learn from that and figure out how we can get that momentum to shift back in our favor. We deflate instead of kind of rising to the occasion.”
Santoro looped another long sideline inbounds pass over the defense and into Sawyer’s hands for a close-range finish, but Palanza responded with a nice lefty drive through the lane to tie the game at 51 apiece. Santoro would prove to be the hero. She drilled one from the corner and then Paschke’s baseline drive drew a crowd of defenders and she kicked it out to Santoro in the same spot, with the same result.
“You don’t just replace two ball handlers like that and Leah hit some really big shots in the fourth quarter,” Miszkiewicz said of his backcourt players stepping up late. “Maddie with some strong drives. Two freshmen, Maddie Keough and Jessi Persky stepping up in that situation is really unbelievable.”
King Philip (9-4) will try to make it seven straight wins, and move one closer in the Kelley-Rex title race, when it hosts league-leading Franklin on Friday. Mansfield (8-6) will travel to Davenport-leading Foxboro on Friday looking to hand the Warriors their first league loss of the season and keep them from clinching the league title.
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
Abby Wager scored the final five points of the game to lift Mansfield a to a come from behind victory at King Philip. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)
WRENTHAM, Mass. – With the regular season entering the home stretch and teams jockeying for playoff positioning or trying to find those last couple of results to secure a postseason berth, being able to grind out a result is critical. Sometimes that requires finding a way to win even when you’re held to just one point for nearly seven minutes of the fourth quarter.
Despite struggling to find its offense in the final quarter, Mansfield made enough defensive plays late, knocked down some crucial free throws and managed to walk out of Tuesday night’s game at the Wooden Gym with a 40-36 victory over King Philip.
“We have been letting up too many points,” said Mansfield coach Heather McPherson. “I think we’re athletic enough to compete and we’ve been working really, really hard on defense and our mentality is that defense keeps you in games. The defense kept us in that game.
“How many other games can you score one point (in the fourth) until two minutes left and come out with a win?”
KP went into the fourth trailing by 10, 32-22, and without guard Jackie Bonner (eight points), who left with an injured wrist midway through the second quarter. The Warriors fought back, locking down on the defensive end and finding ways to get buckets on the other end.
Jordan Bennett was able to provide some of the offensive spark that KP lost when Bonner had to leave the game. She buried a big three to start the fourth and then snagged a steal on one end and turned it into a fast break layup on the other.
“You don’t just replace a player like Jackie with one player, so all five on the court needed to step up to replace that kind of production and they all definitely did,” said KP coach Jeff Miszkiewicz.
He added, “We’ve never given up all year. This team always fights to the very end and I think we started playing more active on defense, especially off the ball, and they executed that really well in the second half.”
Liv Lafond had been largely quiet offensively through three quarters, but she started to get more aggressive as well. She made a nice cut to the basket and Emily Sawyer (10 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocks) made the pass across the lane for a layup that cut the lead to just two. Bennett then swung the pass out to Lafond (seven points) for a big straightaway three with only 2:10 on the clock that gave KP its first lead since early in the second quarter.
Julia Marsden was able to get the ball into Sawyer for a basket and KP led 36-33. Rose Maher came off the bench and gave Mansfield a much-needed boost, getting fouled and making two clutch free throws to cut the lead to one with 1:17 to go.
Despite being held to just three points in the fourth, Mansfield was still hanging around. Olivia Salisbury stepped in and picked off a pass just as the shot clock was expiring. She fired a lead pass out to Abby Wager (game-high 17 points) and the junior guard was able to make the tough finish in transition to restore Mansfield’s lead.
After another defensive stand, Wager knocked down a pair at the line, putting the Hornets up three with 15.7 remaining. KP got a look at a tying three but it went off the rim and out of bounds with three seconds on the clock. A timeout was attributed to KP, but they had used up their complement of timeouts, so Wager was able to seal the win with the first technical free throw.
“We executed the game plan really well, just a couple things didn’t go our way,” Miszkiewicz explained. “I think we just need to get more consistent and improve our IQ down the stretch. That’s been kind of an Achille’s heel for us throughout the year.”
KP had jumped out to an early lead in the game. Bonner nailed a pair of threes in the opening quarter and Leah Santoro’s jumper had the Warriors up 12-6 after one.
The lead was short-lived, as Mansfield stormed back with a 15-2 second quarter. Bonner had KP’s lone bucket but then was injured taking her second charge of the night and never returned. Maher started the comeback with a three and Wager tied it with one of her own. Wager added a put-back and then a deep three to put the Hornets in front.
After Salisbury got free for a layup, Wager knocked down another pull-up jumper and the Hornets led 21-14 heading to the locker room.
The Warriors came out with the first six points of the third, cutting the lead back to one, Santoro making a big three during the run, but Mansfield calmed down and started to pull away again. Hallie Popat made a nice entry pass to get Kara Santos (12 points and nine rebounds) free on the block for a basket plus the foul.
“As a sophomore, she has come into her own,” McPherson said of Santos. “Sometimes when we give her feedback we forget that she’s just a sophomore. She doesn’t play like it, she plays with confidence. She’s really turned a nice corner.”
Santos, who was going up against the much taller Sawyer on the block, added two points by crashing the glass and Wager got a layup to send Mansfield into the fourth up 32-22.
“An away game win against a team that I think if we played 10 times we’d split, honestly,” said McPherson. “I think this is a big win for us because this is a heck of a week. To get this momentum and be able to go home tomorrow against Stoughton, it was big for us.”
Mansfield (8-6) is in the midst of a busy week and will host Stoughton on Wednesday night. King Philip (7-7) will host Milford on Friday.
Boys Basketball
Stoughton, 65 @ Attleboro, 88 – Final – Attleboro junior Trevor White scored 10 of his career-high 27 points in the opening quarter, helping the Bombardiers establish a double-digit lead it never relinquished against Stoughton. The Bombardiers scored over 20 points in three of the four quarters, racing out to a 24-9 lead after one period. Attleboro carried a 38-25 lead into the locker room at halftime, and then White added 10 more points in the third, hitting a total of four three-pointers. Evan Houle added a trio of three-pointers on his way to 19 points while sophomore Neo Franco had one three and finished with nine points. Joe Francois-Annevil hit four shots from the field and finished with 11 points for the hosts, who carried a 61-44 lead into the final frame. Stoughton senior Connor Andrews went 12-for-13 at the line and hit nine shots from the field for a career-high 31 points while junior Rayan Sablon added 13 points for the Black Knights, who were limited to just five three-pointers.
Canton, 68 @ King Philip, 56 – Final – Canton senior Lanse Dorcelus scored half of his career-high 30 points in the final frame as the Bulldogs pulled away from King Philip in the second half for a key crossover win. Dorcelus had a team-high 15 points going into the final frame, with his squad holding a 45-38 advantage. He hit a three early, added three field goals from two-point range, and then went 6-for-7 from the line to help secure the win. Nate Mei added four of his 10 points in the fourth while senior Dillon Nguyen scored all 11 of his point through the first three quarters. King Philip, who was tied with the visitors 26-26 at halftime, got a team-high 16 points from Braeden Sottile while classmate Danny Clancy added 14 points for the Warriors, who ended up with just five three-pointers and went just 5-for-12 from the free throw line.
Foxboro, 53 @ Franklin, 78 – Final – Franklin opened the game with a big run, established a double-digit advantage by halftime, and never looked back in a win over visiting Foxboro. A strong start led to a 19-point first quarter for the hosts with Will Tracey (eight points) and Andrew O’Neill (12 points) each connecting from deep, and sophomore Sean O’Leary accounting for six of his 10 points. Sophomore Henry Digiorgio (16 points) hit a trio of threes in the second as Franklin took a 35-23 lead into the locker room. Tracey and classmate Sean Vinson (14 points) added threes in the third and O’Neill had seven more points to keep the Panthers ahead, leading 59-38 going into the fourth. Foxboro senior Dylan Gordon had a team-high 12 points while Sam Golub added 10 points for the Warriors.
Sharon, 48 @ Mansfield, 69 – Final – Mansfield’s lead grew at the end of each quarter, culminating in a 23-point fourth quarter to secure a 69-48 win over Sharon, snapping the Eagles’ five-game win streak. Senior Andrew Slaney (11 points), senior Jack Lasbury-Casey (eight points), and junior Dante James (six points) each connected from three-point range to help the hosts build a 12-8 lead at the end of the opening quarter. The lead grew to 27-20 by halftime and then a 19-point third quarter, featuring buckets from Caden Colby, Trevor Foley, and Anthony Sachetti, helped the Hornets push the lead to 40-30 heading into the final frame. Senior Matt Hyland put the game away, scoring 11 of his game-high 25 points in the final frame to help Mansfield pull away. Sophomore Nate Katznelson had a team-high 14 points while junior Matt Baur added all 12 of his points in the second half for the Eagles, who ended up connecting on just one three-pointer coming in the third quarter.
Oliver Ames, 56 @ Taunton, 86 – Final – It was a game to remember for senior Trent Santos, leading Taunton to a big win at home over visiting Oliver Ames. Santos etched his name into the record books, connecting on 11 three-pointers on his way to a career-high 46 points. After just five points in the opening quarter, Trent took center stage. He hit five three-pointers in the second quarter alone, adding five free throws as well for 25 points in the first half, helping his Tigers to a 42-30 lead. The three-point barrage continued after halftime as Trent hit three more in the third quarter and two more in the fourth to get to 46 points. Taunton held an 18-10 lead after one quarter and a 60-43 edge after three quarters of action. Sophomore Troy Santos had a career-high 15 points while senior Faisal Mass added 11 points. Oliver Ames junior Zach Tagliamonte hit 11 shots from the field to finish with a team-high 25 points while senior Drew Baxter added 11 points.
Girls Basketball
Attleboro, 70 @ Stoughton, 27 – Final – Attleboro’s offense continues to fire on all cylinders, as the Bombardier scored 40 points in the first half to take a big lead that it wouldn’t relinquish. The Bombardiers jumped out to a 20-2 lead after the first quarter and then added another 20 in the second to go into the break up 40-15. Attleboro continued its strong defense in the second half, holding the Black Knights to just 12 points after the break. Meghan Gordon led all scorers with 14 and Lindsey Perry added 12. Kayla Goldrick scored eight, while Lilian Froio and Vanessa Ellis each had seven for Attleboro, which got points from each player on the roster. Vanessa Phelimond and Evie Lam each had five to lead Stoughton.
Franklin, 51 @ Foxboro, 47 – Final – Franklin’s unbeaten run nearly came to an end at Foxboro, but the Panthers rallied from three points down with two minutes to play to remain in first place in the Kelley-Rex. After Foxboro took a one-point lead after the first, Franklin scored 20 in the second to take a 29-24 lead into the locker room. The Warriors won the third to send the game into the final quarter tied. Camryn Collins had a career-high 21 points, including 10 in the third quarter, to lead all scorers. Erin Foley added 13 and knocked down four threes, while Hannah Blake scored all seven of her points in the fourth to help Foxboro take a late lead. Stefany Padula scored eight of her 12 points in the fourth, making 6-of-8 from the line, to help Franklin pull out the win. Katie Peterson and Olivia Quinn each scored 11 points in the win, with 19 of their combined 22 coming in the opening half.
Mansfield, 58 @ Sharon, 29 – Final – Mansfield clamped down defensively in the second half, limiting Sharon to just nine points and turning a close game into a big win. The Hornets led 28-20 heading into the locker room, but came out with a 19-4 third quarter to break the game wide open. Kara Santos scored eight of her 12 points in that third quarter run and Hallie Popat added four of her dozen points to lead Mansfield. Abby Wager chipped in with 10 points, eight in the first half, and Anna Darlington scored all eight of her points before halftime. Rachael Hager led the Eagles with 12 points, all coming on threes in the first half, as she scored 12 of Sharon’s 20 before the break. Jasmine Davis added eight points, scoring a basket in each quarter.
Milford, 41 @ North Attleboro, 30 – Final – Milford made its free throws down the stretch and limited North to just five points in the fourth quarter to pick up its first league win of the season. Jill Araujo and Maddalena Mannucci Pacini each scored 11 points to lead the Hawks. Summer Doherty scored a game-high 15 for the Rocketeers. Milford led 22-17 at halftime but North cut the lead to just two by holding the Hawks to three points in the third. The Hawks turned the tables in the fourth, outscoring the hosts 14-5 over the final eight minutes.
Taunton, 44 @ Oliver Ames, 86 – Final – Oliver Ames scored 53 points in the second half, turning a six-point game into a big win. Taunton made a game of it, keeping close with the hosts and trailed 33-27 at the break. OA got on track in the third and pulled away for the big win. OA senior Caroline Peper led all scorers with 22 points along with five assists while sophomores Kaydance Derba (19 points) and Jasmyn Cooper (13 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists) both had big games for the hosts. Kameron St. Pierre continued her strong season for the Tigers, scoring a team-high 17 points. Abby Souza added 14 points and Cali Melo scored nine in the loss.
Swimming
Franklin @ King Philip, 7:00
Gymnastics
Franklin, 144.2 @ Oliver Ames, 140.55 – Final – Franklin seniors Kate Rudolph and Emma White took the top two spots in the All Around category to help the Panthers land a win over Oliver Ames. Rudolph was first with a score of 37.4 and White was right behind at 36.4. Rudolph was first in the bars (8.85) and the beam (9.5) while taking second in the vault (9.6) and the floor (9.45). White was the winner for the vault (9.7) and the floor (9.7), taking second on the beam (9.0), and fourth on the bars at 8.0. Lizzie Brown added a third place finish on the vault (9.2), Elizabeth Schirduan was third on the bars (8.2) and the beam (9.0), Emma Nelson recorded a 9.0 on the vault and a 8.4. on the bars, and Caroline Woelfel scored key points in the vault (9.1), the beam (8.9), and the floor (8.85).
Boys Basketball
Foxboro, 70 @ Abington, 65 – Final – Foxboro took a lead in the first quarter and never trailed the rest of the way in securing a win on the road over Abington. Senior Dylan Gordon hit 10 shots from the field, including just one three-pointer, on his way to a career-high 27 points to pace the Warriors, who led 13-8 after one and 33-25 at halftime. Junior Alex Penders added 18 points while the Warriors got key three-pointers from Sam Golub, Ryan LeClair, Andrew Finn, and Cam Barreira. Foxboro carried a 50-44 lead into the final quarter.
Mansfield, 65 @ BC High, 87 – Final – Mansfield held a one-point lead (19-18) after the first quarter but couldn’t recover from the 10-point deficit it faced at halftime to suffer its first loss of the season. Senior Matt Hyland had a team-high 20 points while Dante James and Jack Lasbury-Casey each chipped in with 12 points.
Girls Basketball
Mansfield, 54 vs. Notre Dame Academy, 40 – Final – Mansfield trailed by two after the first quarter but then put together an 18-8 second to take a lead that it wouldn’t relinquish, picking up a non-league home win. Abby Wager led the way for the Hornets with 16 points and Natalya Gill added 13, including three makes from beyond the arc. The duo combined for 10 of Mansfield’s 12 points in the first, but NDA led by two after eight minutes. In the second, Mansfield scored 18 points to head into the locker room up by eight. Wager and Hallie Popat (seven points) each scored five in the quarter and Gill knocked down a three. Wager and Gill were back at it in the third, teaming up for 11 of Mansfield’s 15, as the Hornets went into the fourth up by 10. NDA was held to just five points in the final quarter, as Mansfield locked down defensively to seal the win. Kara Santos scored six points on her return to the lineup.
Boys Hockey
Canton, 3 vs. Newburyport, 1 – Final
Franklin, 9 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final – Foxboro scored a first period goal to cut Franklin’s lead in half at 2-1 after a period of play, but the Panthers scored seven unanswered over the final two periods to secure the win. Ben Jarosz and Adam Quinn each scored twice and recorded two assists apiece to pace the Panthers’ offense. Dylan Marchand added a pair of goals and an assist, Dom Lampasona scored once and had one helper, and eight other Panthers recorded one point. Franklin freshman Jack O’Connor made 14 saves for the win. Ben Ricketts scored for Foxboro off of an assist from Derek Axon.
Oliver Ames, 6 @ Quincy, 8 – Final – Oliver Ames junior Sean McCarthy scored a hat trick but the Tigers fell on the road to Quincy. Sophomore Andrew Livingstone lit the lamp twice and had three assists for OA while freshman Shaun Teehan scored once and had one assist. Sophomore Sean Kearns had a pair of assists while McCarthy and Matt Lawson each tallied one helper.
Stoughton, 5 vs. East Bridgewater, 6 – Final – Stoughton’s Sean Farley found the back of the net twice but the Black Knights lost a tight contest with East Bridgewater. Charlie Caputo, Ryan Summers, and Cooper Card also scored for the Black Knights.
Taunton, 1 @ Somerset-Berkley, 4 – Final
Girls Hockey
Franklin, 1 @ Algonquin, 1 – Final (OT) – Franklin scored with under a minute left in the third period to earn a comeback point against Algonquin. Down 1-0, the Panthers pulled the goalie and Ava Villella redirected a shot from Maggie McCaffrey with 5.9 seconds to go to pull even.
Mansfield/Oliver Ames, 3 vs. Longmeadow, 2 – Final
King Philip, 5 vs. Archbishop Williams, 1 – Final
Gymnastics
Attleboro @ North Attleboro – Postponed to TBD.
Mansfield @ King Philip, 12:30
Sharon, 127 @ Taunton, 124 – Final
Oliver Ames, 46 @ Canton, 45 – Final – Oliver Ames junior Nick Asiaf scored all six of his points in the fourth quarter, including a layup with 1:31 to play to proved to be the winning basket for the visitors, giving Oliver Vil his first win with OA. Asiaf’s layup put OA up 46-42 at the time but a steal from Matt Chafin led to a free throw from Lanse Dorcelus. Dorcelus missed his second free throw but tracked down the rebound and sliced through the defense for two, making it 46-45 with 45 seconds to play. Each team missed the front end of a 1-and-1, and then the Tigers were able to get one final stop at the buzzer to secure the win. Senior Jake Grimaldi scored a team-high 12 points while Zach Tagliamonte and Dan Reilly also had six points. Dorcelus had a game-high 16 points and Nate Mei added 14 points for the Bulldogs.
Stoughton, 59 @ Foxboro, 67 – Final (2OT) – Foxboro senior Dylan Gordon scored nine points in the fourth quarter and added 10 more in the two overtime periods to help the Warriors outlast visiting Stoughton. The Black Knights led by 10 late in the third quarter and took a 38-31 lead into the fourth. With the game tied at 44-44, junior Andrew Finn hit a pair of free throws to put the hosts ahead 46-44 but Stoughton sophomore Liam Pearl hit two free throws of his own with 27.5 seconds left to tie it and send it to overtime. Gordon (25 points) split a pair of defenders on a take to the basket with just under 40 seconds to go but Pearl launched a three as time expired to send it to a second overtime. Sam Golub (12 points) hit his second three of the game to put the Warriors ahead and a steal from Cam Barreira led to a layup for Gordon to make it 61-56 and the Warriors never looked back. Alex Penders added 14 points for the Warriors. Connor Andrews led the visitors with 21 points, including 11 in the third quarter, Cashmere Mathurin added 14 points, and Pearl finished with 11 points.
King Philip, 71 @ Taunton, 82 – Final – Taunton senior Trent Santos scored a team-high 22 points while classmates Tristan Herry and Faisal Mass each scored 18 to help the Tigers outscore the visiting Warriors. Santos hit three three-pointers in the opening half, dropping 15 of his 22 points to help Taunton stake a 44-43 edge at the break. Herry added half of his points in the second half and Jordan Costa had six of his eight as Taunton pulled away down the stretch. King Philip junior Will Laplante split his 26 points evenly between the two halves while Danny Clancy added 13 points and Braeden Sottile chipped in with 10 points.
Mansfield, 65 @ Milford, 34 – Final – Mansfield limited the hosts to single digits in each of the first three quarters, including just three in the second on its way to building a 30-11 halftime lead. The Hornets capped it with a 21-point fourth quarter to ice the win. Matt Hyland led the way with 15 points hitting two of the Hornets’ seven three pointers. Chris Hill added 10 points while both Anthony Sacchetti and Caden Colby chipped in with nine points. Paul Roberts led the Hawks with nine points.
North Attleboro, 41 @ Sharon, 55 – Final – North Attleboro had a good start to its season with a strong opening quarter but Sharon surged ahead by halftime and pulled away with a big second half. The Rocketeers led by two after a quarter but the were limited to eight points in each the second and third quarters by the Eagles’ defense. Will Hippler (eight points), Sam Cohen (12 points), and John Baez (nine points, six steals) each hit a three between the second and third quarters to help the Eagles pull ahead, leading 41-30 going into the final quarter. Cohen and junior Matt Baur tied for a team-high 12 points. North Attleboro senior Brody Rosenberg had a game-high 17 points for the Rocketeers, who had nine players enter the scoring column.
Girls Basketball
Franklin, 59 @ Attleboro, 32 – Final – Katie Peterson had 27 points and Franklin outscored the Bombardiers 30-14 in the second half to pull out a second win to start the season. The junior forward had eight points in each of the second and third quarters and buried a pair of threes. Olivia Quinn scored six points, all in the first half, helping Franklin jump out to a 29-18 lead by halftime. Sasha Tracey knocked down a pair of threes in the fourth quarter to finish with six points as well. Lindsey Perry was Attleboro’s top scorer with 14 points, scoring six points in each of the second and third quarters. Meghan Gordon was also in double digits, finishing with 10 points.
Canton, 42 @ Oliver Ames, 56 – Final – Jasmyn Cooper’s 17 points led OA to a second straight win to start the season (a 12th straight win going back to the beginning of last winter). Cooper (13 rebounds) scored 14 of her points in the first half, as the Tigers jumped out to a 12-point (28-16) lead by halftime. She also went 8-of-10 from the line on the night. The second half was nearly even, with the Tigers extending the lead by two points. Kaydance Derba added 12 points, 11 of them in the second half, and knocked down three from beyond the arc, while Caroline Peper scored 10 (eight in the second half) and had six steals. Hailey Bourne chipped in with eight points. Sydney and Fay Gallery combined for 33 of Canton’s 42 points, including 21 of the Bulldogs’ 26 in the second half. Sydney finished with 17 and buried three from outside. Fay scored 16 and had four threes.
Foxboro, 43 @ Stoughton, 30 – Final – Freshman Kailey Sullivan led the way with 11 points, as Foxboro earned its first win of the season. Erin Foley also finished in double digits with 10 points for the Warriors. Stoughton head coach Charmaine Steele Jordan praised her teams’ defensive effort for keeping them in the game. Offensively, Kate Bulger had 11 points while sophomore Kartina Varnum added nine points and nine rebounds for the Black Knights.
Taunton, 42 @ King Philip, 56 – Final – KP broke the game open in the third quarter to start the season with a second straight win. Jackie Bonner scored a career-high 26 points for the Warriors, knocking down four from beyond the arc. She scored 13 in each half, including nine in the second quarter as KP opened up a 22-16 lead at the break. She added seven in the fourth quarter to hold off a Taunton comeback attempt. Liv Lafond added 10 points, including seven in the second half, and Elizabeth Molla had all six of her points in the third, which KP won 20-8 to take a 42-24 lead into the fourth. Kameron St. Pierre eclipsed the 20-point mark for the second straight game, scoring 16 of her team-high 25 in the fourth quarter. St. Pierre went 9-of-10 from the line in the final eight minutes. Lexi Haywood added five points in the loss.
Milford, 17 @ Mansfield, 50 – Final – For the second straight game, Mansfield got off to a great start and never looked back. The Hornets took an 18-0 lead from the opening tip and improved to 2-0 on the season. Kara Santos had a big first half, scoring all 10 of her points, to help the Hornets lead by 19 at halftime. Abby Wager scored 11 points, including nine of Mansfield’s 15 in the third quarter, as the Hornets outscored Milford 15-2 to seal the win. Hallie Popat had a game-high 13 points, scoring eight in the second half and burying a trio of threes on the night. Milford was led by Maddalena Mannucci Pacini for the second game in a row. The foreign exchange student from Italy scored nine points, seven in the first half. Brooke Ferreira also chipped in with seven for the Hawks.
Boys Indoor Track
Sharon, 17 @ Oliver Ames, 74 – Final – Oliver Ames swept the 300M, the 600M, the 1000M, and the long jump to grab a big win over Sharon. Collin Williamson was a double winner for individual events, taking first in the 300M in 39.83 and first in the long jump at 19-01.00. Seniors Johnny MacDonald and Joshua Tocci took second and third, respectively, in the 300M while Guillermo Martino and Ashton Hart completed the sweep in the long jump. Senior Wyatt Fritchman took first in the 600M (1:35.73) followed by classmate Ryan Sroczynski and junior Ethan Mahoney, while junior Ryan Sarney had a league-best time of 2:44.43 in the 1000M, followed by sophomore Brendan Thomas and junior Alexander Pierce. Hart (50M, 6.97), Owen McMorrow (2 Mile, 10:12.30), Brady Burton (shot put, 36-00.00) and Fabrice Fouron (55M hurdles, 8.85; high jump, 5-06.00) also won for OA. Sharon senior Barry Spoto won the 1 Mile race in 5:03.27.
Stoughton, 50 @ Foxboro, 41 – Final
North Attleboro, 70 @ Canton, 29 – Final – Andrew Butler was a double winner for the Bulldogs, crossing first in the 300M (39.69) and winning the long jump with a leap of 19-05.00. Sophomore Sam Vail added a win in the 1000M (3:02.55) while Kyle Downing took first in the 1 Mile race (5:01.14).
Franklin @ King Philip, 4:00
Attleboro, 55 @ Mansfield, 45 – Final – Attleboro picked up key points from the field events, sweeping two and taking two out of three spots in another, to grab a win over Mansfield. Chris Leonardo set a PR with a throw of 44-03.00 to win the shot put, followed by Isaiah Traore and Isaac Pereira, while Blake Garzaro, Damon Dugan, and Hunter Camara swept the high jump. Mansfield’s Jake Wall won the long jump (21-10.75) but Kaiden Murray and James Hill grabbed key points by taking second and third, respectively. Murray also won the 300M and the Bombardiers swept the 2 Miles with Ethan Sylvia (10:54.72) first, followed by Lee Casstevens and Jefferey Hudon. Wall also won the 55M dash (PR time of 6.75) and the 55M hurdles (PR time of 7.89). Other winners for the Hornets included Grady Sullivan (PR time of 1:29.56 in the 600M), Collin Stevens (PR time of 2:57.62 in the 1000M), and Riley Tremblay (1 Mile, 4:49.01).
Taunton @ Milford, 4:00
Girls Indoor Track
Sharon, 34 @ Oliver Ames, 64 – Final
Stoughton, 50 @ Foxboro, 49 – Final
North Attleboro, 49 @ Canton, 51 – Final – Canton senior Kiley Hanlon won a pair of events and took second in another to help the Bulldogs edge out the Rocketeers. Hanlon was first in both the 55M dash (7.98) and the 300M (PR time of 44.88) while taking second in the high jump (4-06.00). Other winners for the Bulldogs included sophomore Liana Camille (600M, 1:57.79) and senior Ella Lewis (high jump, 4-08.00). Kate Oliver took second in both the 55M hurdles (10.86) and the long jump (13-10.50).
Franklin @ King Philip, 4:00
Attleboro, 15 @ Mansfield, 84 – Final – For Attleboro, junior Rebecca Rainey scored in a pair of events, taking second in the 300M (1:54.24) and third in the high jump (4-08.00) while senior Jahela Douglas earned a pair of third place finishes (300M, 49.05; long jump, 13-07.00).
Taunton, 51 @ Milford, 49 – Final – Freshman Emersyn DePonte set a pair of personal bests and won two events while classmate Colby Dunham had a huge kick in the final lap of the 2 Mile race to secure second place by less than a second, helping Taunton just edge out Milford. DePonte won both the 1 Mile (5:51.01) and the 2 Mile (12:32.58) while Dunham clocked in at 12:36.78 for second to pick up some key points. Junior Caelyn O’Leary won the 300M (PR time of 44.67), Nia Mainer-Smith (1:45.71) led a sweep of the 600M, and junior Quinlan Kiley (3:29.36) led a sweep of the 1000M for the Tigers.
Boys Swimming
Attleboro, 56 @ Taunton, 36 – Final
Foxboro, 42 @ Oliver Ames, 70 – Final
King Philip, 57 @ Milford, 89 – Final
North Attleboro @ Sharon, 7:30
Girls Swimming
Attleboro, 55 @ Taunton, 33 – Final
Foxboro, 60 @ Oliver Ames, 84 – Final
King Philip, 98 @ Milford, 57 – Final
North Attleboro @ Sharon, 7:30
Gymnastics
King Philip @ Attleboro, 7:30
Canton @ Mansfield, 7:30
North Attleboro, 116.8 @ Franklin, 143.6 – Final
Foxboro’s Mary Collins (left) battles for possession with King Philip’s Ally Beltramini during the 2020 season. (Ryan Lanigan/HockomockSports.com) By HockomockSports.com Staff
2020 Record: 5-3-6 Coach: Lindsey Antunes
With a large senior class full of experience, the Bombardiers are looking to make the tournament and a run at the Kelley-Rex division title. Attleboro has players back all over the field and could be a serious contender for the division crown.
The offense starts with returning All-Hockomock selection Madison Ellis, who enters her third year with the team. Ellis has been one of the best attackers over the past two years, leading the Bombardiers during last year’s abbreviated season and was third on the team as a sophomore. Classmate Sarah McMahon should see an expanded role this year and will be tasked with helping pace the offensive attack for Attleboro.
Defensively, the Bombardiers have senior Ava Haggerty back in the cage and that is a big boost for the defense. Haggerty has started since her sophomore year and is one of the most experienced goalies in the league. Stand out defender Emma Briggs will anchor the defensive unit in front of Haggerty. Senior captain Emelia Westwater and classmate Jordan Croteau highlight the midfield unit for Attleboro.
“We are looking forward to transitioning back into the 11v11 model and a more traditional season,” said head coach Lindsay Antunes. “We have a great senior class, who has been working diligently in the offseason which we feel will positively impact our program and our overall season.”
2020 Record: 8-2-2 Coach: Chrissy O’Connor
After missing out on back-to-back league titles but just two points, Canton graduated a host of long-serving players. Despite those graduations, the Bulldogs return several key players who are looking to step into bigger roles and help the team get back on top in what should be another difficult Davenport division title race.
Canton will obviously feel the loss of the league’s co-leading scorer, Maria Femia, but the Bulldogs have a lot of attacking talent that should be able to make up for at least some of those goals. Junior forward Ellie Bohane is a three-year varsity player and her quickness on the wing and finishing ability have her poised for a breakout year. Senior Erin Lane has been a playmaker from midfield and classmate Payton McDonough is a skillful, physical presence in midfield or inside the circle. Senior Sarah Cunningham and junior Audrey Koen will also be factors in what remains a dynamic attack.
The defense will be a young group this season. Senior Carly Fitzgerald is the lone returning starter and will be the backbone of the defensive unit. Junior Carolyn Durand and Jackie Smith are vying to take over the goalie position and there are several younger players that look capable of jumping into the defense and contributing right away. Sophomore Maggie McCready will be one of the newcomers to keep an eye on this year.
“Offensively we have some versatility with several players with scoring potential,” said Canton coach Chrissy O’Connor. “While we have several slots to fill on defense, we have our returning starter Carly Fitzgerald, who will undoubtedly be the backbone of our defense.”
2020 Record: 7-3-2 Coach: Melissa Bordieri
Foxboro slipped to third place in the Davenport last fall, but was only four points back of first-place Oliver Ames and went into the final week of the regular season with a shot at the title. The Warriors were impacted by graduation and transfers, so there will be some new faces in new spots this season, but there is still confidence that the pieces will come together for another division title challenge.
Even with the transfer of leading scorer Dylan Rappoli, the Warriors still have a lot of firepower up top. Senior Kate Collins will be the focal point at the center forward position, coming off a season in which she led the team with eight assists. Junior Mya Waryas and sophomore Mary Collins will be in the forward line and both have shown the ability to get into good scoring positions in the circle.
Midfield will be led by senior Paige Simoneau, who will bring much-needed experience. Alongside Simoneau will be junior Mia DiNunzio, who adds club experience to her time on varsity and adds a burst of energy. Sophomore Val Beigel is another dynamic player who can be counted on at both ends of the field. The midfield will play a big role in Foxboro’s team defense, but the Warriors can also count on two strong goalies. Senior Lilli Jones returns from varsity last year and Katherine Ferguson will make the jump up from JV and is expected to see some time this year as well.
“We’re looking good,” said Foxboro coach Melissa Bordieri. “We’ve got some new players and some returning players, so I’m feeling good about it. Trying to put players in the right position to get the maximum out of the team. I think, as a unit, we’ll be a competitor in our division for sure.”
2020 Record: 11-0-2 (Kelley-Rex division champions) Coach: Michelle Hess
Franklin has won back-to-back league titles and enters the season on a run of 30 league games unbeaten (26-0-4) going back to 2018. After graduating 11 seniors from the Hock Cup champions, the Panthers will be inexperienced at several spots this season, but there is confidence in the new players that they can step in and keep Franklin’s impressive run going this fall.
It is in attack that the Panthers will have a lot of new faces, but Franklin coach Michelle Hess sees a lot of skill from the new group, and a willingness to get into dangerous positions. Junior midfielder Kaitlyn Carney is back after tying for the league lead with 22 points last year (15 goals and seven assists). Her aggressive personality will be a major factor in getting the Panthers into the attack. Defensively, Franklin is quick and experienced. Seniors Kate O’Rourke and Kendall Jones are both returning to provide leadership at the back. Senior Jill Fenerty is carrying an injury into the season, but the Panthers will hope she returns quickly.
“We are looking forward to defending our 2-year title and working hard towards a three-peat as champions,” said Hess. “Although we are inexperienced and have some positions to fill from last year, I feel we have players that will step up nicely into their new roles and do a great job.”
2020 Record: 8-3-3 Coach: Lisa Cropper
King Philip lost three games last season and all three were to league champ Franklin, by a combined four goals, including a one-goal loss in the Hock Cup final. The Warriors graduated their three starting forwards from last year, but return a roster that is as experienced (15 seniors) as any in the league and KP coach Lisa Cropper will be hoping that they have enough experience to end her former team’s two-year run at the top of the Kelley-Rex.
While the three all-stars are no longer leading the line for the Warriors, there is still plenty of firepower up top. Seniors Sydney O’Shea and Jen Daniels will be expected to take on bigger responsibilities and get into good goal-scoring positions. Sophomore Mara Boldy and freshman Makenzie McDevitt are a pair of newcomers to watch and could provide an instant burst of energy in the KP attack. Sophomore Kelly Holmes will run things from the center of midfield and senior Christina Gifun provides support for both the attack and defense.
The strength of the team should be an experienced back line. Seniors Morgan Cunningham, Lily Brown, and Haley Izydorczak are strong on-ball defenders and, if anyone gets through the first line of pressure, senior Molly Piller is always there at sweeper to clear the ball. Junior Haley Bright will be stepping in to be the new starting goalie.
“We should have some good depth and play about 14 kids rotating thru the lineup,” said Cropper. “Losing all three starting all-star forwards and goalie to graduation, we have some big shoes to fill at both ends of the field, but we should be solid in the midfield and on defense with a senior-heavy team.”
2020 Record: 2-7-3 Coach: Theresa Nyhan
Mansfield will be leaning on its senior leadership this season but it will need to be a complete group effort as the Hornets are looking for key contributions from both its juniors and sophomores on the roster. There are seven seniors on the roster with captains Celia Puleo (striker) and Caitlin Dumouchel (defense) leading the way on each end of the field.
Puleo spearheads a veteran offensive unit as she is joined by classmates Sadie Mello and Maddie Brown, giving the Hornets a trio of experienced players in its attack. Dumouchel is the anchor of the defense with senior Bethany Sears and junior Hallie Popat currently in the mix. Head coach Theresa Nyhan expects to see some new faces emerge both offensively and defensively as the season progresses throughout.
Senior Grace Bertolino is just one of six players back from last year’s team and is going to control the midfield for the Hornets, getting up the field to get involved with the attack while also transitioning back to help solidify the defense. Junior Danni Cuzzi and sophomore Lola Varricchione look to fill out the midfield for the Hornets. Junior Lily Danehy made the switch from the field to the cage last season and returns as the starter this year.
“The Hornets are excited to get back to the traditional field hockey format,” Nyhan said. “Team play, fluidity and communication will be tenets of Hornet success!”
2020 Record: 0-9-2 Coach: Tim Dowd
The Hawks will be putting a major emphasis on defense this season, hoping to establish a solidified front and work their way up the field against the always tough Hockomock League competition.
Senior captain Maddie Hunt returns in the cage for the second straight season, and she has played against a lot of tough competition already. Her experience will be key as the Hawks look to improve each game. Seniors Emma Tredeau and Stephanie Wong are also captains for the team and they’ll be counted on their leadership both on and off the field.
Head coach Tim Dowd is not only counting on his captains to lead the way but the entire senior class. Carmela Bon Tempo, Ashley Maldonado, Gill Meaney, and McKenna Smith will all play key roles for the Hawks this season. Tredeau and Smith will be the focus of the offense alongside Tessa Scrimgeour and Stella Portes as Milford looks to build cohesion on the offensive end of the field. Newcomers Sam Fazo and Lindsay Casman will be in the mix as well.
The midfield could be the strength of the team with dynamic players Jordan Douglas and Ashlynn Ringo — both juniors — ready to take a big step forward this year after getting experience at the varsity level last year. Bon Tempo will be joined by Sophia Soares and Hailey Beagle to help strengthen the defense in from of Hunt.
“We’re looking forward to a great season and getting back to the normal rules of play,” Dowd said. “As a team, we’re going to be focused on defense first and try to give our goalkeeper as much help as we can. We’re also going to try to work hard as a team and stay positive.”
2020 Record: 3-10-0 Coach: Karen Folan
Expectations are high for the Rocketeers this season with a strong mix of experienced seniors and juniors back in the fold. With key players back at all positions, North Attleboro is looking to get back into the mix for the Davenport title.
North Attleboro will try to be on the front foot this year, using speed and skill to apply pressure to opposing defenses. Senior captain Zoe McKeon is back for her second year up front and will be a target for the Rocketeers’ talented midfield unit. Senior captain Kelsey Briere will provide key leadership both on and off the field and will be joined in the midfield by junior Julia Puccio, the team’s leading scorer last season and All-Hockomock selection. Puccio is among the top players in the league and will be an important link in the transition game for North.
The midfield also will feature junior Caroline Folan, another two-year member of the varsity program. Her speed will help North get the ball up the field as the Rocketeers push from defense into offense, setting up teammates in the circle. Junior Ava Mckeon will add a strong defensive presence to the midfield while still firing drives on net from the top of the circle.
“We have high expectations for ourselves this season,” said head coach Karen Folan. “With a core line up of experienced players that mesh well, there is a drive to generate lots of offensive pressure. We will look to keep the energy on the field high by utilizing the depth on our roster.”
2020 Record: 9-1-2 (Davenport division champions) Coach: Sharon Lawrence
Oliver Ames edged Canton and Foxboro to win the Davenport title in 2020. In each of the last three seasons that the Tigers have played in the division, they have come out on top. OA will have a challenge to make it four straight titles, as the Tigers graduated 11 seniors (eight of which were two-year starters), but there is a lot of talent returning to keep the expectations high going into the new year.
With nine returning seniors, eight juniors, and two sophomores that saw significant minutes last season, OA has reloaded to take on the league’s best. The key for the Tigers will be rebuilding the defense, after graduating an entire back line. Junior Maddie Proia will be the anchor on that end of the field. Senior Ava Costello will be the driving force in the midfield, which is loaded with experienced seniors, and she is a key to the Tigers getting forward into the attack.
Senior Georgia Costello is the team’s top returning scorer and the combination between the twin sisters will give OA plenty of chances in transition. The Tigers will also return junior Julia Maclaine and sophomore Erin Cottam, who were both vital to OA’s title run last year. The speedy wingers give the Tigers a consistent outlet and both showed a nose for the goal. Depth will also be a strength, as OA coach Sharon Lawrence believes her bench can step in to produce and give fresh legs.
“We are a brand new team this year with lots of re-positioning,” Lawrence said, “but we are improving every day and building on our passing game. There is magic in the air with our season back on track, and I know good things and lots of goals are in our future this fall.”
2020 Record: 0-11-0 Coach: Paulina Kosmadakis
Sharon has four captains this season and they will be leading the way as the Eagles look to improve each and every game, getting better as the season progresses.
Seniors Abby Gott, Rachel Glass, Ashley Young, and Shiraz Becker are all captains for the Eagles this team with Young back in the fold after missing last season due to injury. Young and Glass will help in all areas of the field while Becker and Gott will make up a strong forward line for the Eagles. Head coach Paulina Kosmadakis has been impressed with the captains’ heart, determination, and “true grit” so far.
Junior Natalie Kessler will start in the cage for the Eagles, who are looking to improve on the defensive end as they tackle an incredibly tough schedule against Hockomock foes. Sophomore Jane Hendrixson joins the varsity squad this year and will be an important piece of the Eagles’ defense.
“The girls have been working hard to try and be more of an offensive team,” Kosmadakis said “Sharon’s defense has always been strong but as an overall team, we are looking forward to playing both sides of the field this year.”
2020 Record: 5-7-0 Coach: Dan Mark
Varsity experience will be in short supply for Stoughton this season. The Black Knights graduated 20 players from last year’s team and return only four starters. This will be a season of transition, as a host of new faces get acclimated to playing against Hockomock competition, but with hope that the talent could carry the team to a playoff spot.
Senior Zofia Bangs scored 10 goals last season and she is back to give the Black Knights a consistent goal-scoring threat. Senior Mia Allie is also back at forward and will be looking to step into a bigger role and take advantage of more chances this season. Seniors Kate Bulger and Sydney Menz will bring athleticism to the midfield and senior Melody Casna will be stepping into goal this season. Although the Black Knights will have 11 seniors on this year’s roster, the vast majority will be getting their first varsity appearances.
“We lack experience at many key positions,” said Stoughton coach Dan Mark, “but the [returning] players will supply stability and experience for less experienced players.”
2020 Record: 0-2-8 Coach: Liz Hathaway
Taunton are another team that will be turning to youth this fall. The Tigers graduated eight seniors from a team that only saw the field four times in a very abbreviated season. There will still be plenty of speed and athleticism on display for Taunton, which has consistently proven over the past few seasons to be a tough team to beat even for the top teams in the league.
Senior forward Ashley Amaro scored three times in four games last year and will lead the line for the Tigers, using her ability to carry the ball and her speed to stretch the opposition. Junior Caelen O’Leary is a newcomer to the attack, who will offer Amaro a good partner up top. Senior Kylie Thorpe returns in the midfield and has been an important player supporting both the defense and the attack. Senior Emily Gannon is back in goal and will once again be one of the league’s top shot stoppers. Junior Thalia Nogueira is going to be a key player in the Taunton defense, with her aggression and leadership needed in a young group.
“We do have some returning speed and ball handlers that we will be really counting on,” said Taunton coach Liz Hathaway. “Our returning players do demonstrate a good field awareness that translates well both offensively and defensively.”
